Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 194 Jiajing, who is in charge of the army, is extremely powerful in the face of criticism!
The next day.

"I will help Your Majesty change his clothes and wash his hair."

As soon as Zhu Houcong woke up, Wanpin, who was only wearing a thin gauze, squatted in front of him with her knees bent, and said with her hands folded on her slender waist.

"it is good!"

Zhu Houcong responded, then turned to Wang Chunjing and told him where he wanted to have breakfast.

After Wang Chunjing bowed and said he would leave, Zhu Houcong reached out and gently slid his hand across Wanpin's delicate cheek, then bit her ear and whispered:

"You're doing great, keep watching me!"

Wanpin said yes softly and couldn't help but smile shyly.

Zhu Houcong then returned to Qingning Palace accompanied by Wang Chunjing.

He had no intention of staying with Wanpin for breakfast before leaving.

Because he had already found out through interrogating Wen Jing and Qu Cuixiang last night which cabinet minister was behind the plot to plant a spies in his harem.

He needs to resolve this matter as soon as possible.

As for Concubine Wan, Zhu Houcong did not treat her badly last night. He gave her great care and kindness, which made her more proactive and intoxicated afterwards, and she was quite satisfied with his kindness.

According to Ming Dynasty rules, the emperor had to have his breakfast in the Central Hall, and the two inner courts had to perform music in the hall.

There is more than one type of breakfast. Generally, after the emperor enters the palace and sits facing south, the eunuchs will set up a table in front of the emperor, and then place several tables on the left and right, with various types of breakfast on them for the emperor to choose.

Breakfast is usually very rich with a variety of options.

Zhu Houcong selected a bowl of Xiliang rice porridge and a portion of venison buns and placed them in front of him.

then……

While he was having breakfast, he asked the eunuch Qin Wen from the Imperial Household Department who was serving him, "Has the imperial edict from last night been delivered to the cabinet?"

Qin Wen replied: "It has been sent to the cabinet."

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong said nothing more.

At this time the cabinet.

The cabinet ministers have been discussing this imperial edict.

"How can we ask the prince consort to review the land survey?!"

Jiang Mian said this first.

Yang Yiqing said, "Why not? It's better to have the prince consort review it than to have the officials involved in the land survey review it. What's the difference between that and checking yourself?!"

"But the ancestral rules never mentioned letting the royal family investigate this matter."

Mao Ji replied.

Yang Yiqing said: "But the ancestral rules don't say that the royal family can't investigate this matter."

Jiang Mian asked Fei Hong: "What do you think, Mr. Fei?"

Fei Hong thought for a moment and said, "It depends on whether Your Majesty really wants to conduct a thorough investigation across the country in the future!"

After Fei Hong said this, Jiang Mian and Mao Ji looked even more solemn.

Yang Yiqing's expression changed, and then he nodded: "If that's the case, then this is really a far-reaching plan!"

"We can't do this all over the country. Not only will it disturb the people, but it is also not a policy that will bring peace and prosperity to the people!"

Shi Yan then added a sentence.

Jiang Mian slammed the memorial on the table and said, "You are right. Now that the treasury is sufficient and the national treasury has money and grain, there is no need to survey the land in the country!"

"The key is what does Your Majesty think?"

Mao Ji looked at Jiang Miandao.

Jiang Mian smiled and took out a copy of the auspicious document from Wang Hong, the deputy envoy of Guangdong, and said, "Then let's submit this copy first to see what Your Majesty thinks."

Mao Ji nodded: "This is good!"

Jiang Mian left the cabinet, took two documents and submitted a secret letter to the Secretariat requesting an audience with the emperor.

Zhu Houcong met him in the outer room of Qingning Palace.

"What's the matter?"

Zhu Houcong asked.

Jiang Mian said, "Your Majesty, there are two drafts. I dare not draft them on my own, so I ask you to present them in person."

Zhu Houcong lay on the rocking chair, smelling the fragrance just coming out of the copper furnace, and took down the jade ruyi from the shelf next to him. While playing with it, he said, "Then call all the cabinet ministers to talk about it."

Jiang Mian was stunned.

At this time.

Qin Wenzhe waved his hands tacitly, and a eunuch ran out.

Not long after.

Mao Ji, Fei Hong, Yang Yiqing and Shi Yan also came to Qingning Palace.

On the way, Fei Hong and Yang Yiqing couldn't help but frown and think deeply, thinking to themselves, doesn't the emperor always like to have a private conversation with the prime minister?

Why does he want to meet with all the cabinet ministers today? Does this mean he doesn't trust the Prime Minister, or is it a deliberate decision not to favor one minister in the future and leave the decision entirely to public opinion?
The two were completely puzzled by the emperor's unusual behavior.

Mao Ji and Shi Yan didn't think about this at the time.

Because they have always been worried whether the emperor really intends to thoroughly survey all the land in the world in the future as Yang Yiqing said.

They all came from big landlord families in the north, and their families had few other properties but a lot of land.

If the land in the world is thoroughly surveyed, it will not be a good thing for them, especially if people like the prince consort and the royal family, who have no interest in any group in the world but only in the royal family, are allowed to review it. It will be even worse for them because they will not even have room for secret operations.

Although Shi Yao was an upright person and advocated strict administration of officials, when it came to the interests of the country, which lay with the officials and the people, he still hoped that the court would not do so unless it was absolutely necessary, especially when there was no shortage of money now, and the court should try its best to keep the wealth among the people.

After all, his ideological ideas also inherited Sima Guang's school, which advocated keeping wealth among the people.

The same is true for Mao Ji.

Although he would be somewhat resistant to the fact that the land survey was not favorable to his family, he did not care too much about it. What he cared more about was that if the emperor really wanted to take advantage of the people, it would not be a good thing for the stability of the country, and would only make the Ming Dynasty repeat the disaster of the Northern Song Dynasty's reform.

Zhu Houcong was holding the jade ruyi, examining its quality, and at the same time he said to Jiang Mian:
"Can you tell me what it is first?"

"Yes!"

Jiang Mian took out the first letter and said, "Wang Hong, deputy envoy of Guangdong's coastal defense, reported that a pair of white tigers were found in Xiangshan County. A piece of silk cloth with words written on it appeared in their mouths. The words read 'Saint King in the Reign'. We believe this is a sign from heaven to bless our Ming Dynasty and praise our emperor, so we request an imperial decree to present it to the court."

"Another auspicious sign."

"There's no end to this Nanzhi noble family."

"It seems that I will need to build an auspicious zoo in the future."

Zhu Houcong thought about it, then put the jade ruyi back on the shelf, and then looked at Jiang Mian: "Then according to your opinion, how should we approve this matter?" "Your Majesty, it is difficult to confirm whether this is a good omen. I dare not make a decision on my own, so I ask for your judgment."

Jiang Mian replied after careful consideration.

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong looked up at the painted caisson above his head:

"If Lord Liang were here, he wouldn't answer like that!"

Jiang Mian said nothing.

He naturally knew what the emperor liked to hear, but he had different opinions from Liang Chu, so he would not answer everything according to the emperor's wishes.

"I remember that Wang Hong fought two naval battles with the Portuguese in Guangdong, and won both battles. Is this true?"

Zhu Houcong asked again at this time.

Jiang Mian replied: "It is true!"

“This is a hero!”

Zhu Houcong said something.

In Zhu Houcong's view, he was indeed a hero. After all, he prevented the fate of the late Qing Dynasty from happening earlier in the Ming Dynasty. However, his reputation in the history of Chinese naval warfare is so low that few people know him.

Zhu Houcong had now become Emperor Jiajing. Only after receiving the news did he realize that this civil servant had such an accomplished record in resisting foreign invasions.

After Zhu Houcong said this, he asked Jiang Mian: "How can I not believe in the auspicious signs presented by such meritorious officials?"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Jiang Mian replied.

Zhu Houcong asked: "What else?"

"Your Majesty, let the Prince Consort be responsible for reviewing the land survey. The cabinet dare not make a decision."

Jiang Mian replied.

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong asked, "Why don't you dare to propose it?"

"This goes against our ancestral rules!"

"I beg Your Majesty to retract your intention!"

Jiang Mian replied.

He had concluded from Zhu Houcong's attitude towards Xiangrui that Zhu Houcong truly liked Xiangrui but intentionally whitewashed the situation and was no longer pragmatic. Naturally, if he was no longer pragmatic, he would no longer have the ambition to make progress, which was perfect for him to seize power.

Therefore, he boldly did not answer according to Zhu Houcong's wishes.

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong's mouth twitched and he took the jade ruyi from the shelf in his hand again.

But he held back and said nothing.

Although he was playing with the jade ruyi now, he felt more and more unhappy.

Jiang Mian also pursed his lips and lowered his head, feeling both excited and worried.

He was excited because he finally dared to challenge the imperial power, but he was worried that the emperor would simply kill him regardless of his status as a senior minister and the prime minister of the dynasty.
But he knew that as long as the emperor did not do so, he, as the prime minister, would be the one who could suppress the imperial power, the one who truly had power over the court and the country, rather than a "three-edict prime minister" like Liang Chu!
in this way……

Even if I am dismissed from my post because of this, there will be a huge amount of political prestige waiting for me!
When he thought of this, his heart couldn't help but pound even more.

He also raised his head and looked at Zhu Houcong, as if he was going to take a gamble, betting that the smart emperor would not do anything to him.

Because in his view, as long as the emperor was smart, he would have reservations and know that if he rashly dealt with his prime minister, especially because he strictly abided by the ancestral system and dealt with his prime minister, he could not guarantee that he would not be dealt with by spies that the conservative party might have lurked in the palace.

So, Jiang Mian became bolder.

Zhu Houcong propped the jade ruyi on the coffee table, stood up, looked at Jiang Mian and said, "I asked the prince consort to check it so that the results of the land survey will be more fair!"

Jiang Mian did not answer.

At this time, other cabinet ministers had already arrived before the emperor.

Zhu Houcong looked at the ministers and asked, "Do you also think that asking the son-in-law of the emperor to review the results of the land survey is against the ancestral system?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, please abide by the ancestral rules!"

When Mao Ji heard what Zhu Houcong said, he knew what Jiang Mian had said to the emperor, and he echoed him.

"Your Majesty, please abide by the ancestral rules!"

Shi Yan also echoed.

Zhu Houcong looked at Fei Hong and Yang Yiqing.

After Mao Ji and Shi Yan expressed their opinions, Jiang Mian's eyes became even more excited.

Fei Hong then said: "Your Majesty, I think some ancestral rules can be strictly followed, while some ancestral rules are no longer suitable for the times and can be ignored!"

Yang Yiqing followed up, "It depends on what counts as the ancestral system. Your Majesty inherited the lineage of the Xian Temple and is a descendant of Taizu, so should you abide by the ancestral system of the Taixian Temple or the ancestral system of Taizu? If you abide by the ancestral system of the Xian Temple, you should regularly search for and capture the Jurchens. If you abide by the ancestral system of Taizu, you should restore the ancestral system of skinning and stuffing with straw!"

Jiang Mian suddenly opened his eyes wide, with anger flashing in his eyes.

Zhu Houcong's mouth corners slightly raised at this time, and he looked at Jiang Mian:

"Yuan Fu, tell me, how should I abide by the ancestral system?"

"Your Majesty, putting aside the ancestral system, asking the imperial consort to do the survey is an act of encouraging the royal family to meddle in government affairs and distrusting the literati!"

"So I really can't obey your order!"

Jiang Mian pursed his lips and answered.

He decided to continue to insist, he believed that since the emperor liked auspicious signs, he would compromise.

Zhu Houcong picked up the jade ruyi and said solemnly, "I want you to obey my orders and draft according to my handwritten order!"

"in this way!"

"I can only refute the imperial edict!"

Jiang Mian raised Zhu Houcong's handwritten edict above his head and said, "Your Majesty, please think carefully before making any decisions!"

"Rebellion!"

Zhu Houcong suddenly roared, then threw the jade ruyi in his hand out, hitting the gold brick next to Jiang Mian.

The jade ruyi shattered into pieces like fragments of ice.

Zhu Houcong breathed heavily, looked at Jiang Mian, pointed at him and said coldly: "Come here! Take away the crown of this traitor who disobeyed orders, and put him in prison to interrogate him for the crime of treason!"

"Yes!"

Jinyiwei Luo An and his men came in. Two of them held Jiang Mian's hands, and one of them took off Jiang Mian's crown and belt.

Jiang Mian looked horrified.

(End of this chapter)