A.D. 1629, the morning of May 25, the ninth year of the Apocalypse

Outside the Zhengyang Gate of the capital, a team of more than a dozen Han generals and Jinyi guards was standing outside the door with their chests folded, energetically observing the passing officials, palace maids and eunuchs.

In order to ensure safety, Zhu Youxiao even ordered the mobilization of a part of the Beijing battalion soldiers and horses to be deployed on the periphery of the imperial city to ensure the safe convening of the court meeting.

The court council, as the name suggests, is the courtier's meeting, and it is also the deliberative system of the Ming Dynasty's court.

Some people may ask, doesn't the emperor go to the morning court every day? Every time in the early dynasty, almost all the Beijing officials in the entire capital have to go to the court, and it is not very good to discuss things there, so why bother to make some court discussion system.

In fact, everyone who cares knows that the early dynasty is more of a ritual, and those who really deal with major and specific affairs have to hold a small meeting, so the court meeting naturally arises.

To put it bluntly, the number of people in the court was also much smaller than in the early dynasty, ranging from twenty or thirty to hundreds, and the scale depended on the size and seriousness of the matter.

Today's court meeting was presided over by Zhu Youzhen himself, and the officials attending the court meeting included three cabinet elders, Shangshu of the six ministries, and subordinate officials at all levels, including the left and right attendants, the secretary of the department, and the Lang, bringing the total number to 70 or 80.

A meeting of this level, in the words of later generations, can be called an enlarged meeting of the Politburo, so the standard of this court meeting is very high.

There is no other reason why the court meeting is being held today, but because two days ago, the governor of Zhejiang, Pan Ruzhen, sent an 800-mile urgent recital, in which Pan Ruzhen complained to the imperial court, claiming that after Anqing Mansion, Huizhou and Ningguo were also captured by the Liukou, and tens of thousands of people fell to the sword of the Liukou, and hundreds of thousands of people were tragically ravaged by the Liukou.

After Huizhou Mansion and Ningguo Mansion were captured by the Liukou, the thieves led by Li Zicheng swelled rapidly like a snowball, gathering hundreds of thousands of people in less than a month, rushing towards Hangzhou Mansion, if the imperial court does not send reinforcements, Hangzhou Mansion may be in danger.

In fact, during this time, not only Pan Ruzhen, but also the urgent documents sent by the gentry and officials in Jiangnan flew like snowflakes, and the entire court was shaken.

When even if an official wrote a letter to impeach Yang Feng, the Duke of Xinguo, for failing to suppress bandits, and sitting back and watching the rogue tea poison Jiangnan, he sat on his own heavy army but turned a blind eye to the rogue who was close at hand, I am afraid that he had the intention of supporting the army and respecting himself.

There are also officials who wrote to the imperial court to ask the Ministry of War to deprive Yang Feng of his military rights, and to select a good general to command the army to exterminate the thieves.

In less than six or seven days, Zhu Youxiao's dragon case was almost piled up.

At the beginning, Zhu Youxiao adopted the method of staying in the middle and not sending these folds, neither submitting nor replying, this trick can be regarded as a way for the emperor to deal with his courtiers, even if you have more folds, you don't care about you, see who can consume whom.

However, the officials of the Ming Dynasty were not easy to fool, when the officials found out that the emperor did not care about themselves, they were enraged and actually knelt at the noon gate en masse, and the scene of hundreds of officials kneeling outside the noon gate was really spectacular, and finally alarmed the cabinet and Zhu Youxiao.

Sun Chengzong, Zhu Guozhen, Han Yi and other three pavilion elders saw that the matter was going to make a big fuss, so they had to go to Zhu Youxiao in person to complain, Zhu Youxiao had no choice, so he agreed to convene a meeting to discuss this matter, which led to today's court discussion.

Due to the large number of people holding the meeting, the cabinet decided to set the venue for the meeting to be held in the Wenhua Hall.

Today's Zhu Youxiao is wearing a dragon robe, wearing a black gauze and gold silk hat, sitting on the dragon chair with bright eyes, looking at the hundreds of officials below, behind him are two palace maids who are fanning, Wei Zhongxian and another eunuch are standing with their hands down to him.

"Ministers see my emperor, may my emperor live long live, long live, long live!"

After everyone saluted, Zhu Youxiao smiled faintly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today at the request of the cabinet Sun Ge Lao, Zhu Ge Lao and Han Ge Lao, the court meeting was held, and the content of the discussion was the raging Jiangnan Liukou, now I invite you Aiqing to speak freely."

"Your Majesty, Wang Hengzhuang in the Ministry of Rites has a book." An emaciated officer in his forties stepped out of the ranks.

"Speak!" Zhu Youxiao said.

Wang Heng said in a strong voice: "Your Majesty, during the impeachment of Yang Feng, the Duke of Xinguo, during the period of leading troops to suppress bandits, he sat back and watched the Liukou tea poison Jiangnan, and there was a suspicion of supporting the army and self-respect, and I hope that Your Majesty will be aware of it."

Now that the Jiangnan Liukou is raging, hundreds of people have been slaughtered, all because of Yang Feng's inaction, and his majesty is requested to immediately issue an order to investigate and deal with the dismissal of Xinguo Gong, and another good general will replace Yang Feng to lead the army to suppress the bandits. ”

Zhu Youxiao said quietly: "Hmm, is there anything else?" ”

"And."

Wang Hengzhuang said: "Over the years since the formation of the Jiangning Army, the Eastern Expedition to the West, the Northern Annihilation of Jiannu, and the Southern Acquisition of Taiwan have indeed made great contributions to the Ming Dynasty, but it is precisely because of this that in recent years, the Jiangning Army has been unable to fall, so the ministers believe that the imperial court should restrain the Jiangning Army to avoid the formation of a situation where the feudal towns in the late Tang Dynasty were rampant." ”

There was silence in the Wenhua Palace, and all the officials looked at Zhu Youxiao sitting on the dragon chair, their eyes were so hot, as if they could see flowers from Zhu Youxiao's face.

Sun Chengzong, Zhu Guozhen and Han Yi, the three cabinet elders, were suddenly shocked in their hearts, what did these people want to do, they actually dared to challenge Yang Feng at this time.

A hint of a smile appeared on Zhu Youxiao's face, and he said indifferently: "Oh...... Wang Aiqing said that it is necessary to prevent the formation of a situation in which the feudal towns in the late Tang Dynasty were rampant? ”

"Exactly!" Wang Hengzhuang looked solemn and arched his hand: "The minister knows that the public of Xinguo has made great contributions to the country and is the pillar of the Ming Dynasty. But because of this, Xin Guogong should also lead by example, and now he is considered to be famous. In order to avoid suspicion, it is also a way to retreat from the rapids. The minister's move is absolutely out of public intentions, and there is no disrespect for the public of the country. ”

Zhu Youxiao did not answer Wang Hengzhuang's words, but looked at the officials below and asked, "Is that what you mean?" ”

Some officials in the Wenhua Hall glanced at each other, and said in unison before they all went out of the battle:

"The ministers seconded it!"

"The ministers seconded it!"

"These idiots!"

Sun Chengzong's three pavilion elders sighed lightly in their hearts, these fools actually threatened the emperor so blatantly, did they really think that this was still five or six years ago when Zhu Youxiao first ascended the throne and trembled like walking on thin ice?

Zhu Youxiao didn't bother to answer, and casually pointed to Sun Chengzong and several other elders, "Sun Aiqing, Han Aiqing, Zhu Aiqing, you can tell them about this matter." ”