Chapter 25 Borrowed Knife
Zhu Qizhen looked at the memorial placed on his desk, frowned, and flipped through it again.
Slightly different from Zhu Yuhuan's expectation, Guo Jing and Shi Heng submitted memorials of complaint before Guo Jing's memorial was submitted. The most coincidental thing was that Li Yi, the Chief Censor of Datong Xuanfu, also submitted a memorial, reporting that Liu Lian, the Minister of Grain, had violated laws and disciplines. Unexpectedly, a draft of Shi Heng's memorial to Guo Jing was included in the memorial.
Shi Heng probably really listened to Zhu Yuhuan's words. Considering his limited talent and knowledge, he knew that if he really wanted to submit a memorial, he had to find a cultured person to polish the content first. Unexpectedly, Li Yi accidentally let it in. The formal memorial was not submitted, but the draft was first shown to the people in the Ministry of Revenue.
After being reported, Liu Lian naturally would not sit idly by, so he also submitted a report to report Li Yi for adultery and violation of discipline.
Now the four of them attacked each other and the situation became chaotic.
In fact, these were originally two things, but because of Li Yi's momentary mistake, the two things were mixed into one thing, which made Zhu Qizhen even more headache.
Wang Zhen saw that he looked a bit overwhelmed, so he said considerately, "Your Majesty, why don't you take a break before watching?"
Zhu Qizhen sighed deeply, walked around the desk, and sat down beside the small red wooden table. He watched the palace servants serve tea and said, "This Li Yi is truly incompetent! He came from the Ministry of Revenue and yet he could do such a thing. If it weren't for him, Guo Jing and Shi Heng wouldn't have ended up in this situation!"
What's so coincidental is that the draft of Shi Heng's memorial was submitted to the capital earlier than Guo Jing's, and the signature was also obviously earlier. It can be seen that he had the idea of impeaching Guo Jing a long time ago, but due to the limited level of his writing, he never submitted it.
A small mistake made by Li Yi exposed the discord between the garrison commander and the eunuch in charge, making things a mess. Zhu Qizhen naturally felt disgusted.
Wang Zhen heard him say this and followed Zhu Qizhen's words and said, "Li Yi is so incompetent even in submitting memorials. I don't know if what he wrote in the memorial is true."
Zhu Qizhen frowned and said, "Liu Lian's account of Li Yi's adultery has no solid evidence."
Officials were strictly prohibited from visiting prostitutes and feasting, but even in the capital, such a trend was unavoidable. This "promiscuity" was naturally not a crime, and it all depended on how Zhu Qizhen decided.
Wang Zhen knew he was still weighing the two men's reports, so he spoke in a neutral tone, "Li Yi, the governor of Datong, was supposed to report on the local situation. Liu Lian's report did indicate violations of law and discipline, and he deserved punishment. However, Li Yi's momentary carelessness caused such a major disturbance, so he must be punished..."
Zhu Qizhen picked up the teacup and hadn't taken a sip when he saw him stop mid-sentence. He said, "Sir, continue."
Wang Zhen then continued, "What's more, he was originally ordered to be the governor of Datong and Xuanfu. How could he have had contact with a border general?"
Zhu Qizhen's brows jumped, and he said, "As the governor of Datong, it is inevitable that he will have some dealings with the garrison commander..."
Li Yi was originally the head of the Ministry of Revenue, but was only ordered to be the governor of Xuanfu and Datong. Logically, he was the emperor's spy and should keep his distance from local officials.
Wang Zhen noticed his hesitation and steeled his resolve. "But why would he even ask the governor for his opinion on the memorial? This is a serious matter, implicating the eunuchs stationed there. Isn't he afraid of leaks? Shi Heng is a military commander, not well-educated, so he might not understand these twists and turns, but how could Li Yi not know how to avoid suspicion?"
Having said this, Zhu Qizhen naturally understood Wang Zhen's implication.
Shi Heng did not understand these twists and turns, but Li Yi, as the governor, should not be so careless. If the governor acted like this, how could the emperor be sure that what the governor said was true?
Now all the civil and military officials are watching. If Li Yi is punished only for carelessness, it will undoubtedly encourage this kind of atmosphere.
Zhu Qizhen put down the teacup in his hand, and heard the tea set hit the table with a "bang". Zhu Qizhen said: "Sir, you are absolutely right!"
Wang Zhen breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he had listened to him.
Unlike Li Yi who went out as governor, Liu Lian actually gave him something, so Wang Zhen certainly would not sit idly by.
As for Guo Jing and Shi Heng, they had little dealings with him, so Wang Zhen naturally wouldn't have any stance on them.
Zhu Qizhen thought of Zhu Yuhuan's request that he should think more about it, and after a moment's thought, he said, "Grandma doesn't interfere much in government affairs these days. She only says that it's up to me and the ministers to discuss it."
The last time he tried to disobey the Empress Dowager, although Empress Dowager Zhang did not care at the time, she stopped asking Zhu Qizhen for his opinions on government affairs.
His father's will had clearly stated that the emperor must consult the Grand Empress Dowager before handling government affairs. Zhu Qizhen was unsure of his grandmother's thoughts, not knowing whether the Grand Empress Dowager Zhang was relieved or angry, so he could not bring himself to go to Renshou Palace to ask for her advice.
Zhu Qizhen was preoccupied. He glanced at the tea set beside him, his attention diverted. Curiously, he asked, "Where did this tea bowl come from? It looks like it was made in the palace, but why haven't I seen it before?"
Wang Zhen had originally been thinking about how to persuade Zhu Qizhen to "take the lead," but upon hearing his question, he quickly introduced, "This was sent by Empress Hu from the palace. She says it's a way of drinking tea from places like Sichuan. The eldest princess's teahouse is now in fashion with tea bowls, and the palace has followed suit."
Zhu Qizhen took a sip and said, "This tea is also from my mother's palace..." He thought for a moment and said, "I will ask the eldest princess what she thinks during the riding and archery class this afternoon."
When Wang Zhen heard him say this, he felt a little nervous again.
Liu Lian only sent him something, but not the princess! Zhu Yuhuan was not someone who could be easily fooled. If he had read the memorial with his own eyes, he would have been able to tell right from wrong at a glance, and then Liu Lian would have been unable to escape.
With an idea in mind, Wang Zhen mustered up his courage and said cautiously, "Your Majesty, this memorial cannot be shown to the Princess..."
He was not sure whether Zhu Yuhuan would hear what he said, and he did not know whether Zhu Yuhuan would regard it as an "offense".
Zhu Qizhen looked at him with a puzzled look in his eyes. He said, "I will personally discuss with the Princess what memorial to use."
Wang Zhen finally felt relieved, but he felt as if he had just stepped on Princess Shunde's foot without realizing it. He hurriedly tried to make amends, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was mistaken. Although Your Majesty treats the Princess well, after all, the country has its laws and the family has its rules..."
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand nonchalantly and said, "Father once told me that if I'm unsure about something, I should ask Big Sister more often. But I can't show the memorial to Big Sister casually. Otherwise, if the ministers and censors outside get to know about it, I'm afraid they'll all attack me, and the chaos will be no less than what we have now."
Wang Zhen was slightly stunned. He didn't expect that Zhu Qizhen trusted Zhu Yuhuan so much and even considered Zhu Yuhuan's reputation.
Zhu Qizhen noticed Wang Zhen's gaze and said, "The only ones who can serve me wholeheartedly are my elder sister and you, sir."
After hearing this, Wang Zhen felt deeply blessed by the Emperor's grace and said, "I will definitely follow the example of the Princess and serve the Emperor wholeheartedly until my death!"
With this trust, there is no need to worry about him not being able to achieve great things and hold his head high!
Seeing him like this, Zhu Qizhen felt proud because he was even more respectful than the palace maids in Qingning Palace were to Zhu Yuhuan.
Whatever his elder sister can do, he can naturally do as well, and he will never be inferior to her.
In the afternoon, there was a horseback archery class as usual. Zhu Yuhuan corrected Zhu Qiyu's archery posture and saw him hit the target. He praised him and said, "Your strength is growing. Every day I see you making great progress."
Although Zhu Qiyu felt a little proud, he only touched the arrow feathers and said, "It's all thanks to my sister's good teaching." He saw Zhu Qizhen coming from a distance and saluted, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
Zhu Yuhuan turned sideways and saw Zhu Qizhen who had arrived late, and he also greeted him.
Zhu Qizhen was very easy-going. He waved his hand and said, "There's no need to observe these formalities in class. There are no outsiders here." His every gesture and movement showed the manners of an emperor.
Wang Zhen immediately stepped aside, obviously indicating that he could not hear anything.
Zhu Yuhuan and Zhu Qiyu looked at each other, and Zhu Yuhuan said, "Then Your Majesty, please get on your horse and run a few laps, and then you can equip yourself with a bow and arrow." After that, she nodded to Zhu Qiyu, indicating that he should follow Zhu Qizhen.
When the two brothers mounted their horses and galloped across the field, one in front and one behind, Wang Zhen carefully moved his pace and said to Zhu Yuhuan, "Your Highness, you may not know that the Emperor has been worried about the affairs of Li Yi, Liu Lian and others these days."
Zhu Yuhuan pretended not to know and asked, "Li Yi? What about Liu Lian? How come I've never heard of these names? How come they caught your eye?"
This was quite a big deal. Even Zeng Heling, who was participating in compiling "The Veritable Records of Emperor Xuanzong", heard about it. During his day off, he went to Taiping Teahouse to talk to Zhu Yuhuan about it. He knew that Zhu Yuhuan might have heard some rumors, but such things naturally could not be leaked casually. The two of them just had a brief conversation.
Fortunately, Shi Heng's draft did not mention the private dealings between Guo Jing and the Oirat Mongols. He obviously knew that there was no evidence for his accusation and that rashly bringing it up would only bring trouble to himself. Therefore, for Shi Heng, this matter only remained at the level of criticizing his colleagues.
Seeing her being so thorough, Wang Zhen could only smile awkwardly and said, "I almost forgot. The princess is busy with various affairs. How could she know what's going on in the court? I'm just being nosy..."
Seeing Zhu Qizhen galloping on his horse, Zhu Yuhuan was clearly trying to relieve his inner distress and said, "It seems that Your Majesty is very distressed about this."
Wang Zhen seized the opportunity and continued, "Although this matter is not complicated and is still under investigation, the governor has had some dealings with the local commander..."
Zhu Yuhuan looked at Wang Zhen and asked, "What is the name of this guard?"
Wang Zhen was repeatedly interrupted by her, and for a moment he was unsure of Zhu Yuhuan's intentions. He only said cautiously, "It's Shi Heng, the deputy governor of Datong."
"Shi Heng..." Zhu Yuhuan said with an "oh," and then he said, "I met this Shi Heng when I was with the Emperor. The Emperor led his troops to raid the three Wuliangha guards, leaving only my great-uncle and Duke Ying to manage the camp affairs. He allowed the soldiers to brainstorm and practice military exercises. I remember that Shi Heng was indeed quite capable, and the Emperor rewarded him afterwards."
Wang Zhen had a bad feeling when he heard her say that. He said, "So this Shi Heng was once appreciated by the late emperor..."
In this way, he couldn't insist that Shi Heng and Li Yi were connected, but if he didn't beat Li Yi into the mud, he would probably be in even greater trouble later.
While he was thinking about all this, Zhu Yuhuan had already walked up to him and looked him up and down, which made Wang Zhen feel creepy. He felt that Zhu Yuhuan's eyes were filled with coldness, which was no less than the swords in the hands of the female officials around Empress Dowager Zhang.
"But is there something wrong with this servant?"
Zhu Yuhuan met Wang Zhen's gaze, smiled slightly, and said, "You are telling me all these things. Could it be that someone has asked you to come and test me?"
Wang Zhen broke out in a cold sweat and hastily defended himself, "It was the Emperor who wanted to ask Your Highness, so I acted rashly..." Afraid that Zhu Yuhuan would catch him making a mistake, he added, "The Emperor trusts Your Highness and consults with him on state affairs, so that's why I revealed some of this. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't dare utter a single word!"
Zhu Yuhuan didn't seem to care and just said, "I thought you were bribed by someone and wanted to mediate."
Seeing her like this, Wang Zhen finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Apart from Empress Dowager Zhang, Wang Zhen was most afraid of the eldest princess. She was unfathomable and unpredictable, but she was deeply trusted by the royal family. Her position was so stable that he could not easily shake it. Naturally, he could only worship such a deity that he could not afford to offend.
Zhu Qizhen rode back, feeling much better. He dismounted and saw Wang Zhen, who looked honest and obedient, standing behind Zhu Yuhuan. He asked with some confusion, "What's wrong? Mr. Wang, was he punished for doing something wrong?"
Zhu Yuhuan just smiled and said, "Your Majesty is tired. Why don't we sit down and rest together?"
Zhu Qizhen came to the class just for the sake of it, and his real intention was to ask Zhu Yuhuan. He naturally agreed when he heard that, and his eyes glanced at Zhu Qiuyu who was standing beside him.
Cheng Jing, who was beside Zhu Qiyu, immediately understood what was going on and whispered to Zhu Qiyu, "Your Highness, Prince Qing, the Consort Xian said that there are still a few mistakes in your homework and you need to go back and correct them as soon as possible."
Although Zhu Qiyu did not understand the meaning of Zhu Qizhen's eyes, when he heard his mother asking him to go back and revise his homework, he hurriedly bowed to his elder sister and brother and said, "Your Majesty, sister, I will return to the palace first."
Zhu Qizhen hummed a sound, while Zhu Yuhuan beside him warned, "Don't work too hard. Don't write anymore when it gets dark. Yu Ge'er just told me a while ago that he's been seeing double lately. You can't wear a mask before you've grown up. It will make the ladies feel bad."
Seeing that Zhu Yuhuan cared so much about Zhu Qiyu, Zhu Qizhen couldn't help but look back and forth at the two of them for a long time, and curled his lips in dissatisfaction.
Zhu Qiyu and Cheng Jing, the master and servant, knew nothing about this and just agreed and then retreated together.
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