kvmb Chapter 318 The Emperor's Force
Chapter 318 The Emperor's Force
The Duke of Zhenguo heard the joking tone in the emperor's voice.
He raised his head and looked at the king's face.
The young emperor had a smile on his face, and although there was a hint of sarcasm, he looked quite gentle.
The Duke of Zhenguo replied directly, "I'm afraid it's Concubine Zhao. But whether there are others behind Concubine Zhao, I'm afraid I can't guess. I'm simply worried that Concubine Zhao's sisters are both in the palace, each receiving Your Majesty's grace. If they don't show gratitude and instead develop undue ambitions, I'm afraid it will be disastrous. I dare to ask Your Majesty to distinguish between loyalty and treachery and take precautions."
He lifted his shirt and knelt down.
With his head lowered and his eyes slightly drooping, his slightly elegant face was full of humility and respect.
He sincerely pleaded, "Your Majesty, I have been implicated by Lu Guinian and others. You will discern the truth of my actions. If I am guilty, I will bear the consequences; if I am innocent, I will not fear being falsely accused. What I am saying today is not motivated by personal grudges, but out of a desire for the public good. My family has received Your Majesty's grace for generations, and I dare not fail to devote myself to Your Majesty!"
A gentle smile played on the emperor's lips.
The smile was only on the surface, but there was an elusive gleam in his eyes.
"Lord Yan, please just stand up and speak. I have always understood your loyalty. You are the only one in the whole court who can speak to me from the heart. With Concubine Yue in the palace and you in the front court, you are both my right-hand men."
Upon hearing this, the Duke of Zhenguo thanked him and expressed his loyalty a few more times before kowtowed and stood up.
The emperor smiled at him and said, "I will have someone investigate the matter you raised today. I know you are devoted to your country, but I have more pressing matters to entrust to you."
"Your Majesty, what is it?"
"The vassal states of Southern Xinjiang have been in rebellion from time to time. Despite repeated admonitions in recent years, they have refused to change, causing great trouble. Nominate a general capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility, and I will send him to pacify Southern Xinjiang."
The Duke of Zhenguo was stunned.
The two vassal states in southern Xinjiang and some tribes are all small fry.
No matter how much trouble you make, it won’t cause any big trouble.
The civil unrest in Jiangnan has not been quelled yet, but you are trying to manage the distant southern border?
"Your Majesty, there are many candidates. There are countless brave generals willing to serve Your Majesty. There is no need for me to recommend anyone. Your Majesty can choose anyone and they will be qualified."
The emperor smiled faintly, "Don't underestimate this matter. I have my own plans. I need someone who is both civil and military, capable of everything, able to fight wars and soothe the people, and who can also independently source the necessary resources for pacification. Do you still think anyone can do this?"
The Duke of Zhenguo was stunned again.
I will solve the problem of propaganda and pacification materials myself...
In other words, you have to provide your own military pay and food when fighting a war, and you have to pay for the vassalage of the people yourself?
What a wishful thinking!
The Duke of Zhenguo pretended to think for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "If that's the case, and as Your Majesty said, not everyone is capable of doing this..."
I was just thinking about which political enemy to recommend to trick him.
The emperor then said, "That's why I asked you, my dear, to recommend someone. Most of the ancestors of the Zhenguo Duke's mansion have made outstanding military achievements. Although you haven't directly led an army, you are very familiar with military commanders. Furthermore, I heard that you have made considerable profits from managing ships. If the person you recommend is worried about the qualifications, you will surely be able to give him some advice, which puts my mind at ease."
what?
The Duke of Zhenguo suddenly reacted.
This is not asking him to recommend generals.
She's clearly after his money...
"Your Majesty, I'm terrified. I know nothing about business, and I understand even less about the so-called maritime shipping business. My family has a fourth brother, a descendant of a illegitimate family. Because he was born out of wedlock and his family didn't have much ancestral inheritance, he joined others in pooling money to invest in a maritime ship... I don't know the details, but he seems to have had good luck and made some money. Grateful for the elders' early support, he often sends sums of money to my mother as a filial gift, sometimes over ten thousand yuan. My mother uses it to supplement the household expenses, which leads outsiders to misunderstand that my family lives a wealthy life. In fact, it's just that the old man likes to be surrounded by flowers and flowers..."
The Emperor smiled faintly, interrupting his redundant explanation. "Lord Yan, so that's how it is. I've heard people say you're very adept at managing maritime trade, that you even own a large ship, and that you'd earn countless taels of silver with a single round trip. But it turns out it was all just a lie. Rumors can be very harmful. Who can say that Concubine Yue wasn't injured this time because the Empress Dowager believed the rumors and misunderstood her?"
The Duke of Zhenguo sweated slightly and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, it is exactly as you see."
Your Majesty even knew that he secretly had a ship?!
This is the cash cow he tries so hard to keep secret.
Even most people inside the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion didn't know about it. They just thought he had invested in a southern sea ship.
However, the emperor heard the news and even planned to ask him to provide food and money to pacify southern Xinjiang.
That won't work!
So he quickly brought the topic back to Concubine Zhao.
"Your Majesty, I have been misunderstood and misled by rumors, but the conspiracy between Concubine Zhao and Lu Guinian is not a misunderstanding; it is a true fact. Otherwise, why would a concubine secretly reward Lu Guinian's family with precious jewelry? Your Majesty will find out once you investigate. If Concubine Zhao does such things in secret, then her praised kindness may not be true. And this time, Master Ying's misfortune... could it be that Concubine Zhao was secretly involved? I dare not speak of the concubines, but only implicated Concubine Yue. I love my daughter so much that I cannot help but make some malicious speculations. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me!"
"What you said, my dear minister, makes sense. I will definitely investigate thoroughly."
The emperor smiled.
Ask someone to bring tea and give the Duke of Zhenguo some tea.
The two of them drank tea and rested, chatting and laughing.
The atmosphere between the emperor and his ministers was slightly harmonious.
The emperor threw a few memorials to the Duke of Zhenguo.
"These people, when they have nothing better to do, always make up stories about loyal ministers. Don't you think it's funny? I'll show you these jokes, and you can go back and think about how to refute them. I won't investigate this kind of thing. I still have memorials from Jiangnan to review. After you have some tea, you can go back."
"Yes."
The Duke of Zhenguo took the memorials, opened them and glanced at them casually.
But his expression changed drastically.
Several censors reported that the newly built buildings and cemeteries at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion exceeded specifications, constituting an overreach. They also accused him of disrespecting the late emperor by privately feasting, singing, and dancing, and marrying a new concubine during the period of mourning. They also accused him of interfering in changes to military appointments, asserting his power over the military during his tenure as commander of the Military Affairs Department.
He also mentioned his extravagant and licentious lifestyle and the huge number of treasures in his house, which were listed one by one.
There is also the serious crime of secretly taking in the abandoned concubine of the previous emperor.
Every single one of these things is enough to get the Duke of Zhenguo to lose his head.
"Your Majesty, this..."
The Duke of Zhenguo was sweating on his forehead.
The emperor laughed and said, "It's all nonsense. My dear, don't take it to heart. I will reprimand these censors for making such reckless accusations later. There are also two memorials alleging that you had financial dealings with Prince Rui and harbored ulterior motives. I don't believe them at all and have torn them up after reading them. My dear, I trust you deeply. You can return home with peace of mind."
After saying this, he walked to the west room, leaned on the couch and read the memorials.
The back of the Duke of Zhenguo's clothes were soaked with cold sweat.
I never expected that when I was summoned to the palace today, the emperor would force me like this.
"His Majesty……"
He thought about it and chased to the door of the west room.
"My dear, what else do you want?"
The emperor looked up from the memorial and his smile deepened.
"Your Majesty, I… your Majesty, deeply thank you for your trust. I have no way to repay you. I will immediately return to ask my fourth brother how to manage the sea vessels and see if I can do my bit to help Your Majesty pacify the southern border."
"My dear, there's no need to worry so much. These are just trivial matters."
"Your Majesty's little affairs are my great affairs. How can I not repay the grace bestowed upon me by the Emperor?"
"Haha, my dear, your words are too kind."
The emperor laughed a few times and sent the Duke of Zhenguo out of the palace.
The emperor secretly sneered at the Duke of Zhenguo's frightened look when he retreated.
The imperial court needs money. The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion has huge wealth from maritime merchants, but is unwilling to contribute. That is absolutely not acceptable.
Give the Duke of Zhenguo a beating, make him bleed a little, and remind him to be more restrained.
As long as he obeys, the emperor will entrust him with important tasks in the future. This time, it's just a small test!
As for what the Duke of Zhenguo said, that Concubine Zhao and Lu Guinian were colluding...
The emperor took out two books from the thick pile of memorials on the desk.
It was Lu Guinian who reported the matter to Concubine Zhao.
The words are very sharp.
This time Ying Ronghua had a miscarriage, and Lu Guinian strongly suggested a thorough investigation.
Could he collude with Concubine Zhao?
"Nonsense!"
It was just an excuse for the Duke of Zhenguo to deal with Lu Guinian.
The emperor threw the memorial away.
Next, let’s look at the memorial from Jiangnan.
After a moment, he raised his eyes and thought again.
Although the Duke of Zhenguo has selfish motives, he is not someone who speaks without thinking...
If Concubine Zhao and Lu Guinian were colluding, Lu Guinian would target Concubine Zhao on the surface to conceal his tracks.
It’s not impossible…
"Cao Bin."
The emperor raised his voice and called for help.