Chapter 10 Hexidong
There are a few temples in Cizhou City, but they are not large in scale. After the invasion of Zhang Puxiang and others, these temples were looted.
Everyone knows that temples are popular with visitors, and wealthy people will even make golden statues of gods. Since they have the most valuable things, temples are of course the most vulnerable to disasters.
Zhu Yuhuan first asked people to supervise the local people to build water saws, water mills, etc., and built the Bixia Yuanjun Temple on the basis of the original temple. Then he took out the immortal paintings previously drawn by Zhu Youtong and asked the few craftsmen in the city to sculpt statues according to the paintings.
It is said that this was painted by Zhu Youtong based on the appearance of Empress Dowager Zhang. However, under Zhu Yuhuan's previous random guidance, it basically had nothing to do with Empress Dowager Zhang. However, it has a Buddha-like appearance, with kind eyes and benevolent features.
Bixia Yuanjun is the Goddess of Mount Tai, who has the duty of "commanding the divine soldiers of Yue Mansion and observing the good and evil in the world". It is most appropriate to establish her here to deter evildoers like Zhang Puxiang.
The appearance of the statue was based on Zhu Youtong's portrait, which could be considered as Zhu Yuhuan's flattery to his own grandmother.
Although Empress Dowager Zhang was a devout Buddhist, this matter happened to be related to Buddhism, so Empress Dowager Zhang probably wouldn't dwell on it. Besides, Empress Dowager Zhang was not someone who disliked flattery.
After all, whether it is Buddhism or Taoism, it is nothing more than a channel to spread the royal benevolence. It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not. What matters is the role of education.
This temple was originally a spur-of-the-moment idea. Zhu Yuhuan had previously learned some calculation skills from Liu Yuanran and Shao Yizhen. He roughly set a time and then let the craftsmen start work.
Perhaps it was because she had some skills, the temple construction went very smoothly.
On the other hand, Zhu Yuhuan did not neglect the interrogation. He first sent memorials to Empress Dowager Zhang and Zhu Qizhen in the capital respectively. He simply reported the situation and mentioned in passing that he had built the Taishan Niangniang Temple in Cizhou to suppress evil spirits and maintain peace forever.
Besides that, he secretly asked Empress Dowager Zhang about the matter of Yang Shiqi and his son. The reason for not telling Zhu Qizhen was the same as the reason for hiding it from Wang Qiang. Wang Qiang was the Imperial Censor, and scolding people was his job. If he knew about Yang Ji's affairs, the entire court would be in chaos. Similarly, this matter could not be told directly to Zhu Qizhen, otherwise Yang Shiqi's old bones would be torn apart by Zhu Qizhen.
It was because Zhu Qizhen was not interested in the three old men in the first place. It would be strange if Zhu Qizhen didn't take advantage of a fool like Yang Ji to make a fuss.
Although Empress Dowager Zhang's reply had not arrived yet, Zhu Yuhuan guessed that she would probably put it aside. She also proposed her own solution in the letter, which was to take the person back and keep him under control, and release him when he could be useful in the future.
Although Yang Shiqi is old, he will still have some leverage if there is a conflict between the emperor and the cabinet ministers in the future.
For Zhu Yuhuan, this was also a good reason. At least it could keep the person alive so that he could wait for the day to settle accounts with Yang Ji.
The imperial prison also had its own unspoken rules, and special personnel could actually play a protective role. For example, Yang Pu spent many years in prison without any physical problems, and even outlived Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Zhanji.
"Your Highness, the article has been proofread."
Zhu Yuhuan took the article after Huai En's proofreading, checked it again, and then re-transcribed it. As he wrote, he said, "This time when we re-register the people, I'm afraid there will be not only those who followed Zhang Puxiang in his muddled rebellion, but also refugees from other places. Knowing that the court is willing to treat them leniently, they took advantage of the situation and followed him."
Huai En responded and said, "Your Highness also turned a blind eye."
Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but smile and said, "These people are afraid of being caught and found to be fugitives, so they lose their heads."
Huai En stood beside her desk, looking at Zhu Yuhuan's memorial, and said, "That's why Your Highness specially wrote this memorial to submit to His Majesty and Old Lady Zhang."
Zhu Yuhuan said without looking up, "This is also for the sake of the national treasury. If all the people become refugees, who will pay taxes and grain in the future? Grandma knows this and will definitely agree. The cabinet is good at handling these matters. The method I wrote is not perfect and comprehensive. When the time comes, it will depend on the cabinet."
Huai En hesitated for a moment, but then said, "In fact, Zhangde Prefecture may have reported the chaotic situation of refugees in Northern Zhili, but His Majesty and the cabinet did not respond. This shows that these reports were intercepted at some point."
Zhu Yuhuan also understood this. She put down her pen and stared at the notebook in front of her in silence for a long time. Finally, she said, "These are not our business for the time being. No one would dare to do something so offensive unless they are in a high position."
You should do your job well if you are in a position. If you don't have a strong enough backing, you will only get into trouble if you act recklessly... Only the Empress Dowager and the Emperor have enough capital to do this.
Huai En looked at Zhu Yuhuan's profile, and couldn't help but sigh, "Your Highness thinks more than before."
Zhu Yuhuan turned to look at him and said jokingly, "It's not that I think too much, it's that I'm getting less courageous... Now I can't make any more mistakes."
Huai En's heart trembled when he heard this, and he said, "Your Highness..."
Zhu Yuhuan dipped her hand in ink and continued transcribing the memorial. "Even if we deal with this matter perfunctorily now, it doesn't mean it's over forever," she said. "Besides, 'A gentleman's revenge is never too late,' there will always be opportunities in the future." As she spoke, inspiration struck her. She dug out a line from her almost vanished memories and said it seriously, "Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west. Don't despise the young and poor!"
She mixed a serious sentence with a teasing one, and Huai En couldn't help but smile lightly and said, "Your Highness is right."
Zhang Puxiang had to return to Beijing for retrial. Zhu Yuhuan naturally could not wait in Cizhou until the construction of the Niangniang Temple was completed before returning to Beijing. He just instructed the officials he promoted to allocate grain on time and never let other troubles arise due to improper handling of the officials.
This time the imperial court has allocated sufficient grain, and the matter of the Taishan Goddess Temple concerns the Empress Dowager and the eldest princess, so no one has any reason or dares to slack off.
It took less than a month from the capital to put down the rebellion in Zhangde Prefecture. The next two months were mostly spent on registering household registration, building temples and city defenses, and other matters.
Although Wang Qiang did not know about Yang Ji's affairs, after interrogating Zhang Puxiang, in addition to leading the officials to restore the administration of Cizhou and other places, he also worked with Zhu Yuhuan to register the refugees. He also saw Zhu Yuhuan's memorial, which was no less capable than those officials who were sent to various places to govern the people's livelihood, and was even better.
Even though Wang Qiang knew the talent of Princess Shunde, he still had to sigh at her concern for people's livelihood.
It is no wonder that when the late emperor was still alive, Princess Shunde often went to the imperial farm, established a so-called calligraphy and painting gathering in the capital, and invited literati and poets to the Taiping Teahouse, apparently taking this opportunity to understand the people's livelihood.
If all members of the royal family could take Princess Shunde as an example, the Ming Dynasty would naturally prosper.
Along with the officials appointed by the court, Zhu Yuhuan and others, along with the army, naturally had to officially set off.
On the evening before his departure, as the sun set, Zhu Yuhuan stood on the renovated Cizhou city wall, feeling somewhat emotional. He said, "Although the time is short, I still feel a little reluctant to leave Cizhou."
Liu Yongcheng and the others were standing beside her. Upon hearing this, Liu Yongcheng smiled and said, "It's not just Your Highness who is reluctant to leave Cizhou. The people of Cizhou are probably reluctant to leave Your Highness either."
Zhu Yuhuan simply smiled faintly. She looked down at the hydraulic farm tools and the completed Taishan Niangniang Temple. After a long moment, she said, "The Cizhou incident is not an isolated case. There are still countless 'Cizhous' in the world, and even fewer people know how many Taishan Niangniang Temples are needed to ensure national prosperity and peace for the people."
Wang Qiang was unequivocal when he heard this and said bluntly, "With the Empress Dowager's assistance and His Highness's dedication, how can we not maintain peace forever?"
Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but laugh and said, "That's exactly the truth."
The next day, the army broke camp early in the morning. Zhu Yuhuan was still wearing green armor. As soon as she left the government office, she saw a lot of people gathered outside. They were obviously the people of Cizhou. They were looking towards the government office eagerly, but because of the emperor's majesty, they didn't dare to look up. They could only glance at Zhu Yuhuan secretly.
Zhu Yuhuan raised his eyebrows slightly, and seeing the officials looking at him expectantly in the crowd, he felt a little helpless, but he also understood that they did this out of good intentions.
Zhu Yuhuan cleared her throat and said loudly: "The Beijing army followed the order of His Majesty to suppress the rebellion and protect the peace of the people. They came here on orders and will leave when the mission is accomplished. It is enough for the country to be peaceful and the people to be prosperous. There is no need to see them off!" She saw the people silently making way for her, then she jumped on her horse and rode away first, just like when she first entered Cizhou. Seeing this, Xu Gong and others hurried to follow.
Many of the people in Cizhou were instigated by officials and thought there would be some polite scenes. However, they did not expect that Princess Shunde would clear up the matter in just a few words. Looking at her back, she was indescribably elegant and truly wise.
As soon as the group entered Baoding Prefecture, the rewards from the capital had arrived. Although they were only rewards such as banknotes and cloth, anyone with a discerning eye could see that there would be other rewards after they returned to Beijing.
As expected, as soon as he arrived in the capital, before entering the capital, Wang Jin was already waiting with the imperial edict. He first fulfilled the rewards that Zhu Yuhuan had promised him, and then promoted the censor Wang Qiang to be the Shaanxi Provincial Surveillance Commissioner. He also gave Zhu Yuhuan 50 hectares of land and Liu Yongcheng a mansion in the east of the city.
After entering the capital, the emperor allowed the three of them to return home to rest for a day and then go to the palace for a banquet the next day. Even Zhu Yuhuan was no exception.
Although Wang Jin is no longer as important as he was before Zhu Zhanji, he still walks before the emperor. With the presence of Empress Dowager Zhang, the fact that she was asked to announce the imperial edict shows the court's attention to her, and it was a great spectacle for the people in the capital.
After Wang Jin finished his announcement, Zhu Yuhuan smiled and asked, "If Wang Banban is free, please come to my house to have some tea and rest your feet."
Wang Jin quickly waved her hand and said, "I have to return to the palace to report. How dare I delay His Highness's time?"
Zhu Yuhuan was curious when she heard him say that he was worried about wasting his time. However, since they were still outside the city, she could not ask any more questions. She could only watch Wang Jin leave. Then she said to Liu Yongcheng and Wang Qiang, "Master, Jian Zhai, you have been working hard for many days. Now that the Beijing troops have returned to the camp, you should also go back and rest early. We will attend the banquet together tomorrow."
Although autumn was approaching, Zhu Yuhuan was exhausted from the journey and had been wearing armor almost all the time. He could smell the odor on his body without anyone telling him. Naturally, he planned to wash up and change into casual clothes in the princess's mansion first, and then go to the palace for a banquet tomorrow before returning to Qingning Palace to see his family.
The two men saluted and said yes. After Zhu Yuhuan left, Wang Qiang said, "General Liu, shouldn't His Highness return to the palace to report first?"
Liu Yongcheng smiled and said, "I'm afraid there are still rewards in the princess's mansion, so she kept Your Highness outside the palace."
Wang Qiang was stunned and asked in astonishment, "There is a reward?"
This is already the second time I've been rewarded. I never thought the Empress Dowager and His Majesty would reward the eldest princess again...
Liu Yongcheng nodded slightly, as if to comfort him, "Your Highness is not an ordinary Highness. Inspector Wang will know about this later."
Wang Qiang couldn't help but think: He has seen a lot, could there be something even more unusual?
Zhu Yuhuan returned to the princess's mansion, and Han Guilan was waiting at the door. It was obvious that she had been instructed by Hu Shanxiang to leave the palace to take care of Zhu Yuhuan.
Before Zhu Yuhuan could even greet his own Guilan, he saw Wang Zhen there, accompanied by two young eunuchs. He couldn't help but smile and asked, "But does Your Majesty have any instructions for Wang Dayun to convey to me?"
Wang Zhen hurriedly said, "How dare I give Your Highness an order? It was the Emperor and Old Lady Zhang who had a formal dress made for Your Highness and ordered me to deliver it to Your Highness."
After saying this, the four young eunuchs beside him immediately brought the Diguan, Dashan, Xiapei and other items to Zhu Yuhuan one by one.
The Nine-Di Crown is emerald blue with intricate decorations. There are two peony flowers in the front and back, two emerald flowers on both sides, six small connected clouds, and one emerald cloud on top. The front of the crown is decorated with nine pearl and emerald Di, of different sizes, arranged alternately, and holding pearls in their mouths.
Another tray contained a red silk straight-collared, double-breasted, wide-sleeved shirt, two dark blue shawls with gold-woven cloud and phoenix patterns, and gold pendants. Another tray contained a blue round-necked juyi, and the last tray contained a large belt, a jade leather belt, a jade flower-knotted ribbon, a jade pendant, blue socks, etc.
This dress was worth several years' worth of Zhu Yuhuan's clothing expenses. Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but exclaim, "Your Majesty, why is it so generous?"
Wang Zhen said with a chuckle, "Both Old Lady Zhang and the Emperor have said that Your Highness should have purchased formal attire long ago, but the palace was short-staffed and couldn't afford it. Now, the Emperor has made it up to His Highness."
Zhu Yuhuan was amused to hear Wang Zhen's implicit attempt to claim credit for Zhu Qizhen. "No wonder the clothing bureau sent someone to take my measurements several times. I thought they wanted to make me several sets of clothes, but it turns out they wanted to make me a formal dress." She reached out and touched the red gown. "Your Majesty is so thoughtful. I will definitely not forget to thank you tomorrow when I come to the palace."
Wang Zhen realized that he had achieved his goal, and he felt relieved. He smiled and said, "I understand. I will return to the palace and report."
When Zhu Yuhuan saw him leave happily, he realized that Zhu Qizhen probably didn't know about Yang Ji's affairs, otherwise he would probably ask Wang Zhen to ask her directly about the father and son of the Yang family instead of sending her a princess dress.
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