Episode 66 The power that can't be taken away

At noon on July 4th, Xiang Xiaoqiang came to the palace by car.

Lunch will be served in the cool water pavilion of the Imperial Garden. Except for Wei Zijin waiting on the porch, the other palace maids were standing in the distance. Bamboo curtains were lowered on all sides of the water pavilion, and only shadows of the two could be seen from the shore, but they could not hear what they said.

Now the relationship between the two is a semi-open secret. None of them would have dared to have lunch together in such an ambiguous way before—just the two of them were alone in a room, and the atmosphere was so romantic.

Zhu Yourong ate very elegantly, without a bite, while looking at Xiang Xiaoqiang almost obsessively, looking at him eating, it seemed that he couldn't get enough. Since Xiang Xiaoqiang came back from the northwest, it was the first time that Zhu Yourong had stared at his sweetheart so calmly and contentedly.

Xiang Xiaoqiang peeled the shrimp with his hands, dipped the condiments and ate them, and said vaguely:

“…… So, have you really made up your mind? Really ready...... Hand over power? ”

Zhu Yourong held his chin with one hand, and scratched carelessly on the table with the other, staring at Xiang Xiaoqiang, nodding lightly, revealing a charming smile.

Xiang Xiaoqiang lowered his head to peel shrimp, didn't hear the answer, and raised his head:

"Huh? Isn't it? ”

Zhu Yourong smiled softly and nodded.

Xiang Xiaoqiang chewed the shrimp and asked again:

"Hmm...... Don't regret it? ”

Zhu Yourong nodded and smiled:

"I'll have you enough."

threw down the shrimp shell to Xiaoqiang, took a towel to wipe his hands, and said:

"Well, it's okay, anyway, I have to come this far early. Honestly, this is also in line with my thoughts. I also want to leave the power whirlpool and take a few confidantes to enjoy happiness, such as traveling around the world, opening mines, speculating in stocks, speculating in houses, etc., ......"

Zhu Yourong's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, and then he smiled crookedly, and said with a smile:

"Really? …… Well, you're not going to make me happy, are you? ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled:

"What am I trying to do to make you happy? If I want to make you happy, I should oppose you to give up power, and I should say that Daming can't play without you. Then you will be happy. And you know, as long as the power is in your hands, everyone will want to make you happy? But once the power is gone, no one is interested in making you happy. Hehe, at that time, I will be the only one who coaxes you to be happy all day long. ”

Zhu Yourong lowered his head and smiled, but the smile was even sweeter.

Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled again:

"Of course, whether you hand over power or I hand over power, there must be prerequisites: the first is the nationalization of the army, and the second is the regular election of the cabinet to ensure that Mussolini will not be elected. Otherwise, as soon as we hand over power, the power of the country will not all fall into the hands of politicians. It would be better to let the emperor stay in power. ”

Zhu Yourong raised his head, showed a look of surprise and appreciation, and said:

"Well, we're thinking the same thing. …… I knew it was right to discuss this with you. ”

……

Saying this to Xiaoqiang is really his heartfelt words. He knew he would be gone by the end of 40, and it would only be three and a half years. If he was just on his own, he could have spent the remaining three and a half years in power, and enjoyed the thrill of full strength until the last minute. He can even make full use of his intimate relationship with the empress to become a powerful minister who covers the sky with one hand, and turns the power in his hands into the unsupervised kind. And that power is the most irresistible.

But as these celebrities have married into the door one after another, and as Qiu Laohu, Shang Xiaojun, and Ye Ziyu have become their relatives one after another, Xiang Xiaoqiang gradually feels that he can't just think about himself. He now has to think about what will happen to these lovers and relatives after he leaves. He thought about it and felt that the most foolproof way was to use the remaining three and a half years to do two things: the first was to finish all the battles that could be fought; The second is to fully assist Zhu Yourong and build up the democratic system of the Ming Dynasty.

The word "democracy" looks good and sounds good, but there is nothing mysterious at all, much less sacred. To put it bluntly, first, it is not to let public power be too centralized; Second, it is to prevent public power from being used by anyone for personal purposes.

After doing these two things, after leaving Xiaoqiang, you can be sure that your family is safe. With the thousands of family properties they left behind, they can still live a fairy-like life.

To achieve the above two things, two things must be ensured: checks and balances - not to let public power be too centralized; Competition – not allowing public power to be used by anyone for personal purposes.

……

At present, Xiang Xiaoqiang is most worried about Shen Rongxuan. If he left after three and a half years, and Shen Rongxuan took the People's Guard in his hands again, then he might even be above Zhu Yourong. When the time comes, another coup d'état will be launched, and the head of the army will be arrested and replaced with his own people...... Then he will become the de facto ruler of the Ming Dynasty.

But thinking about it on the other hand, Shen Rongxuan is now going against himself from time to time, often making himself feel constrained, doesn't he also have the same worries as himself?

There is no doubt that Shen Rongxuan is also worried that Xiang Xiaoqiang will use the People's Guard to "have another coup d'état and become the de facto ruler of the Ming Dynasty". And Xiang Xiaoqiang's current strength, relationship with the empress, and relationship with the military, if he wants to move towards dictatorship, it is more convenient than Shen Rongxuan.

Xiang Xiaoqiang's current idea is: I will leave in three and a half years. But before I leave, I have to divide the supreme power. The first is the nationalization of the armed forces. The army and navy were originally nationalized, and here we mainly refer to the People's Guard. Yes, at present, the People's Guard is basically my private army to Xiaoqiang, but I left after more than three years, and this army can't be taken away, so I will "nationalize" it, and let it not be anyone's private army.

The second cabinet is regularly elected, so Shen Rongxuan should not worry about "one person under ten thousand people", and honestly run for election with the opposition party. My banyan can still sit high on the ground and watch. Although my wives have no power and seem to be weak, as long as you have the slightest intention of persecuting them, the opposition parties and the parliament will seize the opportunity to remove you from power in the name of justice. - Of course, if the new government wants to be unfavorable to Rong Rong and my wives, then you, Shen Rongxuan, can also seize the opportunity to pull them down. Under this mechanism, the weak who have no power in their hands will have a sense of security. And as long as there are votes, it will become the object of competition among various governments.

So no matter how ambitious and narrow-minded you are Shen Rongxuan, I'm afraid you won't be able to do anything except "serve the people wholeheartedly".

……

Of course, now Zhu Yourong doesn't know Xiang Xiaoqiang's plans. She also thought that Xiang Xiaoqiang was really as "noble" as herself, and for the sake of the country, she was willing to give up power at a young age.

How could Xiang Xiaoqiang not see that Zhu Yourong was moving now? He believes that he should seize the opportunity and pursue the victory.

He stretched out his hand, gently grabbed Zhu Yourong's hand across the table, and looked at her affectionately.

Zhu Yourong was very nervous and tried to withdraw his hand, but he did not break free. She glanced left and right, slowly lowering her head, her neck and cheeks flushing.

Xiang Xiaoqiang stared at her and said affectionately:

"Rong Rong, like you, I love this country and the people of this land deeply. But...... People change. We are all young and simple, and it is easy for us to give up our real interests for the sake of some ideals and noble ideas. But what about when we get old? When we get older, will we become self-righteous and greedy for pleasure? When we are accustomed to the huge power in our hands, and when we are accustomed to the sycophants and flattery of the people around us, will we feel that all this is taken for granted? Do you feel that the whole country owes us? Will it feel like we are feeding the whole country, not the other way around?

"yes...... Rong Rong, I think the same as you think. Even if we don't, even if we don't change, even if we don't change until we grow old, how can we ensure that our children are the same as us? How can we ensure that our relatives, our seven aunts and eight aunts are the same as us? You know, because we have unlimited power, the people we love, they're going to be the ones that everybody is trying to curry favor with...... And they don't necessarily love the country as much as we do...... They will become an unfettered privileged class, like the Northern Qing magnates...... In a few decades, this class will slowly divide up the national wealth, the existing opportunities in the Ming society, and the fairness and justice...... Our Ming Dynasty will also become the second Northern Qing Dynasty, and the fruits of decades of constitutional reform will be wiped out. ”

Zhu Yourong's hand had already turned around, holding Xiang Xiaoqiang's hand tightly. She stared at Xiang Xiaoqiang, tears lingering, but the smile on her face was very happy. She nodded, choked up, and said:

"It's ...... I really didn't look at the wrong person...... My love, sure enough...... Yes and me...... Like-minded people ......"

Xiang Xiaoqiang also stared at her, took a deep breath, and said softly and affectionately:

"In that case...... Rong Rong, marry me. ”