In ancient feudal dynasties, the wisdom or stupidity of the monarch was extremely important to the country.

It can even be said that one person can build a country, and one person can also destroy it.

Especially by the end of the Ming Dynasty, the country was plagued by many problems and was covered with wounds, and could not withstand the emperor's blind orders and chaos.

The best example is Chongzhen. Well, Zhu Yongxiao is also speechless. This is really a negative example that cannot be avoided!

Although Chongzhen was not entirely responsible for the Ming Dynasty's demise, there should be no doubt that his divine assistance accelerated the dynasty's demise.

Therefore, Zhu Youxiao had to be steady and cautious, but he had to make some changes. He knew better than anyone the consequences of continuing to do nothing but promote the good and eliminate the bad.

But he knew when to do it and he was selective about who he was torturing.

The confidence and motivation that supported the emperor's reforms and gradually pushed the reforms forward, in addition to the imperial power, was the control of the army and the continuous strengthening of its combat power.

Therefore, Zhu Youxiao's unwavering strategy was to do his utmost to support the army and tighten his belt to ensure military supplies.

The victory in foreign wars did strengthen the imperial power and increase the emperor's authority.

Although the purge of the court had not yet been completed, the buzzing voices had been suppressed. Those who opposed the emperor were forced to hide and wait for the opportunity to jump out.

But there are always some ignorant guys who cause trouble for the emperor and make him furious.

The hall was eerily quiet. Uncle Wei knelt on the ground, sweat beads oozing from his forehead and his back felt cold and damp.

He could feel the emperor's gaze shooting at him like a sharp sword, even though Zhu Youxiao on the throne said nothing and didn't even move.

This invisible pressure was not intentional on Zhu Youxiao's part. He was truly angry, very angry, and this made Old Wei feel the power of the gods within reach.

As his role became more integrated and his prestige grew, Zhu Youxiao already possessed the dignity of a superior. He held the power of life and death, which was the source of the emperor's authority.

The incident was caused by rumors in the capital about the background of Queen Zhang Yan.

According to rumors, Zhang Yan was the daughter of the thief Sun Er, who was executed and entrusted Zhang Yan to the care of the student Zhang Guoji. However, Zhang Guoji concealed the truth and was guilty of deceiving the emperor.

Zhu Youxiao suspected that the target was the accomplices or backers of several beheaded "famous scholars in the county" who were taking revenge on Zhang Guoji;

The second question is whether Keshi would secretly spread rumors or instigate Wei Zhongxian to vent her resentment for being expelled from the palace, or even hope to overthrow Zhang Yan and have a chance to return to the palace.

Besides these two suspects, there could be other individuals or forces unknown to Zhu Youxiao, or even just rumors without any purpose.

"How is Madam Fengsheng these days?" The emperor's voice was cold and calm, but it was like a heavy hammer to Old Wei's ears.

He understood why the emperor suddenly summoned him to see him, and why he was so cold and awe-inspiring.

Old Wei bowed his head deeply and said in a trembling voice, "I don't know."

Zhu Youxiao pursed his lips, quite satisfied with this answer. Although Old Wei was in charge of the East Factory, the East Factory also had the emperor's eyes and ears.

Old Wei was a clever man. The Emperor displeased him, and the Ke family lost their power. If he couldn't see such an obvious thing, how could he have climbed to the rank of Nine Thousand Years Old, with such power?

But the emperor didn't explain, and Old Wei didn't send anyone to keep an eye on Keshi. So, "I don't know" is the normal answer.

"Get up!" Zhu Youxiao's order made Old Wei feel like he had been pardoned.

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." Old Wei kowtowed to express his gratitude, then stood up and bowed his head.

Zhu Youxiao considered his words carefully and said slowly, "You've heard the rumors in the capital. You're so bold to slander the royal family!"

"I will send someone to investigate thoroughly." Old Wei gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will get to the bottom of this matter."

Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said, "There's no need to mobilize a large army and cause a stir in the city. We should proceed in secret."

The emperor let out a sneer and said, "Actually, these rumors mean nothing to me. Birth? I don't care about that."

"But..." The emperor changed his tone and became serious again, "If there is a larger conspiracy behind this, or if there is some force trying to hinder my reform plan, we must not tolerate it."

"I understand." Old Wei felt a chill in his heart, he almost did the wrong thing.

It was originally just a rumor among the people. If we arrest people and investigate on a large scale, wouldn't that just add fuel to the fire, making it spread more widely and have a worse impact?

"I understand." Zhu Youxiao waved his hand, "Wei Ban can leave now."

"Yes, I'll take my leave." Old Wei bowed and left. When the cool wind blew, he suddenly felt cold all over and couldn't help but shrink his neck.

The daughter of a thief? Humph, humph!

The sarcasm on Zhu Youxiao's face became even stronger. Would I care about these groundless rumors and ignore or even punish the person next to me?

Even if it was true, so what? It was just Zhang Guoji's crime of deceiving the emperor. What did it have to do with Zhang Yan?

A hero's father will have a hero's son, and mice are born to dig holes.

That’s the damn clan system of the Wei and Jin dynasties, which has been crushed into rubble by the wheels of history.

"Come here." Zhu Youxiao raised his voice, called in the palace servants, and ordered: "Go tell the queen that I will have dinner and sleep in Kunning Palace tonight."

"Wait." Zhu Youxiao reached out again to stop the palace maid, picked up a pen and wrote a sentence on a piece of paper, folded it and handed it to the palace maid, "Give this to the Queen as well."

Zhang Yan may have heard some rumors. At this moment, there is no need for anything else, let alone saying more. Closeness is the best comfort.

……………………

The leaves fell in the cold wind, dancing and circling like birds, falling to the ground and jumping away.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!