August 19, noon.

Zhu Qiyu spent three and a half days, running all the way for nearly three hundred miles.

After the group had lunch, Cheng Jing came to Zhu Qiyu and asked: "Your Highness, there are only forty miles left from Baoding Mansion City, should we rush into the city today, or stay outside the city for one night?" ”

Zhu Qiyu smiled: "Don't be in a hurry, let's go slowly." Camping outside the city tonight, everyone was in good spirits. Enter the city early tomorrow morning, and I will take you with you to spend all your days drinking. Everyone is open to eat, open to drink, open to play, all expenses are mine. ”

When the crowd heard this, they cheered in unison.

Only Cheng Jing persuaded with a worried face: "Your Highness, the imperial court has just experienced a big defeat, and Your Majesty's life and death are uncertain, so let's indulge in pleasure like this, and I'm afraid it will have a bad impact on the court." ”

Zhu Qiyu patted Cheng Jing's shoulder and said with a relaxed smile: "You all can do it boldly and boldly, don't worry, if something goes wrong, I will bear it."

Besides, the court's requirement for the vassal king was to indulge in pleasure all day long, eat and wait for death. If you really care about political affairs every day, the court will be afraid and suspicious.

In the current situation, if I really run to the palace upside down, I don't care about this or that, others will think that I have a plan. ”

Cheng Jing heard this, nodded, and agreed with Zhu Qiyu's opinion.

Zhu Qiyu instructed again: "Everyone has changed into cloth and civilian clothes, let's keep a low profile, and don't swagger around in the name of the palace."

From now on, you call me the second son, don't call your highness again. Do not call each other any more titles.

In addition, Mr. Cheng, the two Mr. Yu and I are in the carriage, and I have something to talk to you about. ”

Everyone hurriedly responded in unison, rested for another half an hour, packed up, and continued to walk.

This time, everyone is not in a hurry, and they are moving forward slowly.

Although the interior of Zhu Qiyu's carriage is not very large, it is quite luxurious and comfortable. In the first half, there is a couch on each side, and Cheng Jing, Yu Gang, and Yu Shan sit on both sides in turn.

The back half is a soft couch covered with several layers of thick cushions, all made of white fox skin, soft and warm.

A small coffee table is fixed on the couch, on which are books and fruits. Zhu Qiyu covered his legs with a brocade quilt, leaned comfortably on the thick cushions, and looked at the three 'ministers of the dragon' sitting on the side of the couch with a smile.

The three 'little ministers' were furious when Zhu Qiyu saw it, and they hurriedly asked His Royal Highness King Yu for instructions.

Zhu Qiyu pretended to clear his throat and said with a faint smile: "The people of Tumubao have also heard about it, most of my imperial brothers have been captured, and they will definitely not be able to return to Beijing for a while anyway."

The country cannot be without a king for a day, and it will not be long before the court will set up another son of heaven. The candidates who can succeed to the throne are just me and the emperor's eldest son Zhu Jianshen and Xiangwang Zhu Zhandong.

Who do you think the imperial court will choose, and how should our palace respond, you all share your opinions. ”

When Cheng Jing and the three of them heard this, their faces changed greatly, and they almost fell off the couch.

Yu Gang hurriedly turned around, poked his head out of the small window of the carriage, and looked back and forth.

Fortunately, Zhu Qiyu had already ordered the guards to open a shot distance between the carriage, and Yu Gang saw that the guards were far away, so he turned around and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Seeing this, Zhu Qiyu teased: "Is Mr. Yu going to get out of the car now?" If Mr. hurried back to the capital and reported what the widow just said to the Queen Mother, then Mr. would be promoted to become rich and prosperous, but it would be just around the corner. ”

Yu Gang was stunned when he heard this: King Yu has been approachable and gentle these days. I have always referred to myself as 'I', and called several close ministers Mr. This is the first time that he claims to be a widow, which is obviously very serious.

Yu Gang hurriedly got up and knelt down, and said, "Your Highness Mingjian, loyal ministers don't care about the two masters. No matter what His Royal Highness chooses, the ministers will follow him to the death, without complaint or regret. ”

Zhu Qiyu raised his hand slightly, signaled Yu Gang to get up, and said with a smile: "Mr. Yu is serious, but he doesn't have to live or die, he said it like this."

Except for Wang Cheng who was driving outside, there were only four of us monarchs and ministers, if we had anything to say, just speak freely. ”

Hearing this, Yu Gang stood up and sat back. Fang Cai continued: "Your Highness forgives the minister's courage, in the past two days, the minister has been thinking about this issue.

Thinking about it, if His Royal Highness inherits the unification, I am afraid that there will be a suspicion of impropriety. If it is not handled well, I am afraid that there will be endless troubles. ”

"The emperor is not right, and there will be endless troubles!"

Zhu Qiyu shook his head helplessly, muttering to himself, repeating this sentence.

Zhu Qiyu thought of Ma Shun, the poor commander of the Jinyi Guard and the confidant of the great eunuch Wang Zhen, and it would not be long before he would be beaten to death by the minister in front of him, the prince of the prison country.

A big reason why the ministers dared to kill Ma Shun was to give themselves a disgrace to the prince of the prison country, and warn themselves to be a weak emperor who was not in the right position in the future.

Another motive of the ministers was to kill Wang Zhen's cronies in public to deter the eunuchs.

It is still the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, and the trend of eunuchs in power has just emerged, and people still do not have a deep understanding of the nature of the dispute between eunuchs and civil servants.

If you know the history of the late Ming Dynasty, anyone who knows a little bit about political struggles knows a fact:

The eunuch party is the imperial party!

Like the nine-thousand-year-old Wei Gonggong who has the power in the world, he is actually just a knife of the Emperor of the Apocalypse.

Today's Wang Zhen and his cronies may also have a bit of the meaning of the eunuch party, that is, the imperial party.

So the ministers killed more than just a Jinyi guard commander. More importantly, the confidence of the imperial party in allegiance to the emperor was severely damaged. From now on, anyone who wants to be loyal to the emperor must think carefully about his fate.

Zhu Qiyu was thinking about it, but Yu Shan on the side saw this, but put forward a different opinion: "Your Highness Mingjian, the minister thought that His Majesty had personally conquered, lost his teacher and humiliated the country, and his prestige was greatly reduced.

If His Royal Highness replaces him, cultivates virtue and politics internally, controls Hu Lu outside, and establishes immortal achievements, he will naturally be able to win the hearts of the subjects of the world, and then who dares to say that His Highness is not in the right position. ”

As soon as Yu Shan's words came out, the four people, including Zhu Qiyu, were all shocked and looked sideways.

Yu Shan was furious by everyone, and after a while, Zhu Qiyu sneered and said: "Mr. is really fast-talking, and he even dares to say such words as 'Your Majesty personally conquered and humiliated the country'." ”

Yu Shan Zhengse replied: "Emperor Zhaolie once said to Pang Shiyuan, 'You are the king, and you have nothing to hide'. The minister is a subordinate official of His Highness, so he naturally has to put His Highness's interests first.

Since His Royal Highness dared to ask about the heir, the minister naturally dared to speak out. ”

When Zhu Qiyu heard this, he asked rhetorically: "The two gentlemen are both from Jiaxing, and they should also be familiar with the affairs of Jiangnan." If I say: When I become emperor, I will reopen the old port and then go to the West. What does the gentleman think? ”

As soon as Zhu Qiyu said this, it was Yu Gang's turn and Yu Shan's faces changed greatly.

Seeing this, Zhu Qiyu smiled and asked with interest: "Why, the families of the two gentlemen are also involved in maritime business?" ”