Emperor Chongzhen's illness this time was purely tiring. Pen fun and pavilion www.biquge.info

In August of this year, the Emperor of the Apocalypse Zhu Youxiao died, and his younger brother Zhu Youzhen succeeded to the throne, and in the same month, Zhu Youzhen entered the palace that was the emperor's throne, and issued an edict to amnesty the world, with next year as the first year of Chongzhen.

In September, the emperor's name, temple name and mausoleum burial were first agreed, and then his biological mother, Concubine Liu, was posthumously named Empress Xiaochun, and then Princess Xin Zhou was canonized as empress.

This series of major and trivial matters made Zhu Youzhen, who had just ascended the throne as the emperor, physically and mentally exhausted, not to mention the treacherous and thrilling waves of the court at the beginning of his entry into the palace and the throne, which was too draining, and Zhu Youzhen, who was originally born in the deep palace since he was a child and grew up in the hands of a woman, was originally weak, and he was able to persevere purely because of the excitement of becoming the emperor.

In October, he first sacrificed to the Taimiao in the cold wind, and informed Zhu Ming's ancestors that he had ascended the throne as the emperor.

While Zhu Youxiao left the throne to his younger brother, he also left a mess.

At this time, the Ming Dynasty was worried about internal and external troubles, wind and rain, although the Mongolian Tartars outside the Great Wall were not as good as the generation, and they could not pose a fatal threat to the Ming Dynasty, but they still broke into the border in groups from time to time to loot people and animal property.

The most dangerous is the northeastern frontier, compared with the Mongol Tatars, those semi-civilized Jurchen Tatars are getting stronger and more ambitious, and the threat to the Ming Dynasty is getting stronger and stronger day by day.

In addition, there is also the interior of the Ming Dynasty that is about to collapse by various natural disasters, either there is an earthquake here, or a great drought there, and waves of hungry people occupy the mountains as kings and gather people to make trouble.

Since Zhu Youzhen became the emperor, he has been worrying and worrying every day, and he has to deal with the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty who have ill intentions when he goes to the court, and when he returns to the palace, he has to fight wrestles with Wei Zhongxian's dead friends lurking in the palace, in just three months, Zhu Youzhen, who is already weak and weak, has become even more pale and gloomy.

Just a few days after the sacrifice to the Taimiao, an earthquake occurred in Nanjing, which became the last straw that overwhelmed him. However, it was precisely this point that gave the sudden death of Zhu Daming's soul a chance to wear, and it also gave the stormy Daming a chance to be reborn.

At the end of October, the weather in Beijing was already very cold. After resting and recuperating in the Xinuan Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace for half a month, the rejuvenated Emperor Chongzhen decided to listen to the government at the imperial gate, according to the work experience of the previous life, before the political things are put on the table, we must first fully communicate with all parties and understand the opinions of all relevant parties, and then make a public decision, once this decision is made, it must not be easily changed, otherwise the authority of the decision will be questioned.

Zhu Daming in his previous life had never been a leader, but as a leader's pen, he still had some insight into how to be a good leader and lead a good team.

Especially considering the stinky and hard temper of the ministers of the Ming Dynasty, in order not to be too embarrassed to listen to the government for the first time in the Imperial Palace, he has been watching the recitals handed in by the master of ceremonies for the past few days to understand the situation.

Of course, the current celebrant can't be trusted, and his palm-print eunuch Wang Tiqian, Bingbi eunuch Li Yongzhen, and Tu Wenfu are all Wei Zhongxian's sworn friends.

Wei Zhongxian himself took the initiative to resign in order to protect himself shortly after Emperor Chongzhen's accession to the throne, but Emperor Chongzhen was afraid that the eunuch party was too powerful, and he was worried about the instability of the court situation and even the palace, so he did not act rashly to clean up the eunuch party.

In addition to the celebrant can not be trusted, even the current cabinet is a eunuch cabinet, can not be trusted at all, the first assistant Huang Liji is attached to Wei Zhongxian and ascended to the position, other cabinet ministers such as Shi Fenglai, Zhang Ruitu, Li Guoyi, etc., such as the ministers who have not entered the cabinet, such as the Ministry of Rites Shangshu Tian Ji, the Ministry of War Shangshu Cui Chengxiu, the Ministry of Industry Shangshu Wu Chunfu, the Ministry of Household Shangshu Wang Yongguang, etc., and even Jinyiwei commanded Tian Ergeng to be Wei Zhongxian's party disciples.

In this case, not to mention that Chongzhen did not dare to act rashly in the past, even Chongzhen Zhu Daming, who now understands the general trend of history, does not dare to clean up the eunuch forces in a big way, so he can only plan and then act, step by step.

Looking at the twists and turns on the case, thinking about the current situation, Zhu Daming looked at the waiters standing outside the door, and said, "Go and call Cao Huachun and Wang Chengen to come over." A small chamberlain took the order and left, and after a while, a voice came from the door, "The slaves Cao Huachun and Wang Chengen came to see the emperor." ”

Zhu Daming looked at Cao Huachun and Wang Chengen, who were kneeling and saluting, and said expressionlessly, "Get up, come forward and speak." ”

Watching the two of them get up and enter the warm pavilion one after the other, Zhu Daming said again: "The excerpts handed in by the master of ceremonies during this time, you two are both eunuchs with a pen, have you seen them?" ”

Cao Huachun looked at the emperor, and Wang Chengen, who bowed his head and was speechless, took a step forward and bowed down and said: "Back to the emperor, the slaves and maids have not been in the ceremonial prison for a long time, some of the excerpts can be seen, and some of the excerpts cannot be seen, I don't know which excerpt the emperor is talking about?" ”

Cao Huachun, as the original eunuch of the palace, has much higher seniority than Wang Chengen, but this person is loyal and traitorous, and Emperor Chongzhen has always trusted him in history, and after clearing Wei Zhongxian's party, he made him the chief eunuch of the palace, especially when Li Zicheng besieged the inner city of Beijing, Chongzhen handed over the only soldiers and horses to him and asked him to supervise the enemy, but it was this eunuch who rebelled and surrendered and took the initiative to open the gate of the inner city. Compared with Wang Chengen, it can be said that there is no loyalty at all.

But at this stage, it's not the time to clean him up, after all, these eunuchs who came out of the Xinwang Mansion are the only ones who can be used with confidence in the palace.

Zhu Daming looked at Cao Huachun with a complicated mood, pushed the fold on the case outward, and said: "You take a look first, a while ago, the deputy capital Yushi Yang repaired a book, saying that the funeral of Cui Chengxiu's mother, the secretary of the Ministry of War, violated human ethics, and asked the imperial court to allow Cui Chengxiu to abide by the system. I agree with the Cabinet and reject the request. In the past two days, I saw that the master of ceremonies handed in the excerpts of Yang Weiyuan and Jia Jichun, and the invitation was still the same thing. What do you two think about this? ”

While Zhu Daming was speaking, Cao Huachun had already finished watching the recital. Hearing the emperor's question, Cao Huachun handed over the fold to Wang Chengen, and then looked at the servants outside the door, and stood speechless.

Zhu Daming knew what he meant, the wall had ears, who knew if there was an eyeliner of Wei Zhongxian and his party in the small chamberlain outside the door, so he said to the chamberlains outside: "Cao Huachun and Wang Chengen stay, and the rest of the people are waiting outside the hall, and they are not allowed to enter without being summoned." ”

After Zhu Daming finished speaking, he looked at Cao Huachun: "You can say it." ”

Cao Huachun bowed and replied: "Emperor Xie takes care of all the slaves and maids, the slaves and maids have followed Your Majesty for a long time, and their loyalty to Your Majesty can be revealed, so the facts are very important, and if you are not careful, you may have endless troubles, so you have to be cautious, please forgive Your Majesty for the crime of being outspoken." ”

After saying these words, Cao Huachun looked at the emperor, saw that the emperor was expressionless, just nodded slightly, Cao Huachun was encouraged, and then said: "Since the emperor ascended the throne, the slave maid has been trusted by the emperor, and the eunuch has been informed of the Dongchang Jinyi Guard, as far as the slave and the maid know, Yang Suoxiu, Yang Weiyuan, Jia Jichun and others, and Cui Chengxiu are both under the Wei father-in-law, and there is little contact on the surface, but in fact they are the same as each other, and they can even be regarded as a party. The slave speculated that there might be a mastermind behind this matter, so please think carefully about it. ”

After speaking, Cao Huachun raised his head and looked at the emperor again, and then bowed down and stopped talking.

Of course, Zhu Daming knew who the main envoy behind it was, but as an emperor, there were some things that he couldn't say by himself, he looked at Cao Huachun expressionlessly, then turned to Wang Chengen, and said, "Wang Chengen, tell me your opinion." ”

Wang Chengen leaned forward slightly, bowed his head and said: "Back to the emperor, the slave maid also thinks that this matter is not simple. However, Yushi Yang Weiyuan and Jia Jichun once again folded and asked Cui Chengxiu to be dismissed, on the grounds that it was still against humanity to take away the love of his mother's funeral. There is a big mystery about this. The slave maid dared to speculate that the three of them seemed to be testing the court's attitude towards Cui Chengxiu, and Cui Chengxiu was a trusted minister of Duke Wei, and the slave speculated that the three seemed to be testing the court's attitude towards Duke Wei. This is the slave maid daring to speculate, please forgive the emperor. ”

After listening to Wang Chengen, Zhu Daming stood up, moved his body for a while, and then turned back to Cao Huachun and Wang Chengen and said, "Of course I know the thoughts of these people, and prudence should be cautious, but tomorrow the Emperor's Extreme Palace will be early, and there must always be an explanation for this matter." You are the old men I followed when I believed in the palace, and I believe in you, and I hope you will know everything and say everything. ”

Hearing this, Cao Huachun and Wang Chengen were taken aback, and immediately knelt on the ground, Cao Huachun said: "The emperor forgives the sin, the ancestors have a system, and the ministers are not allowed to interfere in politics. ”

Zhu Daming looked at the two kneeling people and said, "I don't ask you, of course you can't say; But since I have asked you, you cannot tell the truth. Here in me, as long as it is for my good and for the good of the Ming Dynasty, I will never let you be convicted for your words, nor will I let you end up without a good end because you told the truth. ”

After saying this, Zhu Daming continued to look at Cao Huachun and Wang Chengen, and stopped talking.

After a while, Cao Huachun seemed to have made up his mind, kowtowed and said: "Your Majesty, what the slave said below is considered by the emperor, Yang and the other three impeached Cui Chengxiu, and it must be instructed by Wei Zhongxian, and his intention is not to remove Cui Chengxiu, but to test the attitude of the emperor and the court, which can be described as killing three birds with one stone."

"First, regardless of whether the emperor agrees or not, he can take the opportunity to show the emperor that the Wei party is not a party; Second, if the emperor deposes Cui Chengxiu, the Wei Party can find out the emperor's attitude; Third, if the emperor stays in Cui Chengxiu, he can separate the relationship between the emperor and other courtiers.

"Please think about it carefully, Wei Zhongxian has been a party for many years, when the princes of the court are more associated with him, he will move the whole body, if there is no complete preparation, the slave and maid think that it is still forbearance, and it should be done slowly, and it must not be rushed."

After saying these words, Cao Huachun kowtowed to the ground.

At this time, Wang Chengen kowtowed and said: "The emperor allows slaves and maids to say things, please forgive the slaves and maids for the crime of vain words." Now that the emperor has been on the throne for 100 days, the people of the world are looking forward to it, hoping that the imperial court will get rid of the old and the new, and cheer up, like the hope of a long drought. The slave maid thinks that the Wei Party is powerful, but the traitorous villain gathers for profit, and it must also benefit and three, Yang and the three of them have asked Cui Chengxiu to dismiss, Cui Chengxiu must not turn a blind eye, if Cui Chengxiu begs to return, the court can gently allow him to return to the system, which can also collect the effect of killing three birds with one stone, one of which is divided into Wei Party, the second is to remove the wings of its master, and the third is to inspire the righteousness of the government and the opposition. The slave maid has a shallow view, please let the emperor see it. ”

Zhu Daming looked at Wang Chengen, nodded slightly, and then said to Cao and Wang: "Although there are differences between the two of you, there is no big mistake, it can be seen that you two are loyal to me, and I am very relieved." ”

After that, Zhu Daming lowered his head and continued to look at the various twists and turns piled up on the case, some of them asked for Yuan Chonghuan to defend Liaodong, some of them asked for relief from Shaanxi's long-term drought and no rain, and some of them asked for the canal to be dredged when the canal was blocked, and so on.

Cao Huachun and Wang Chengen saw that the emperor was speechless for a while, and put them aside, so they kowtowed together and said: "If the emperor has no orders, the slaves and maids will retire." ”

Zhu Daming raised his head, looked at the two of them, pointed to the folds on the case, and said, "Take these folds back, and order someone to send them to the cabinet." ”

After a pause, he said: "I made you the eunuch of the celebrant eunuch, not to let you draw a vegetarian meal with the corpse in the hall there, you are my eyes and ears, I can see some things, and some things I can't see, which is your dereliction of duty." Do you understand what I mean? ”

Cao Huachun and Wang Chengen kowtowed in horror and said in unison: "The slave is guilty, please punish the emperor." ”

Zhu Daming looked at the two of them and stopped talking. The two hurriedly retired.