Chapter 655: Who cares how many bowls of noodles you ate?!

Zhu Yijun's long-planned southern tour had begun, so the first problem Zhu Yijun needed to worry about was fire. According to the experience of the Daoist Master's southern tour, Zhu Yijun's journey would absolutely not be smooth.

In order to prevent His Majesty from being taken away by a big fire, Zhang Juzheng returned Luo Sigong to His Majesty.

Zhang Juzheng knew very well that if a big fire really started, if he died, if Wang Chonggu died, it would be no problem, as long as His Majesty was still there, all the achievements of the Wanli Reform could be guarded by His Majesty.

Zhao Tishuai was responsible for the safety of His Majesty the Emperor, while Luo Sigong was responsible for guarding the door for His Majesty the Emperor. In the event of any fire, Luo Sigong would rush into the fire without hesitation to save His Majesty the Emperor, just like Lu Bing did back then.

Luo Sigong would not be bought. Even excluding the friendship of being a sparring partner for thirteen years following the emperor, and the great righteousness of monarch and subject, Luo Sigong's father, Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang, was the Southern Yamen's Regional Commander. The Ming Emperor had given their Luo family enough power, prestige, and a stage to show themselves. The interests of the Luo family and the Ming Emperor had been highly bound together.

Zhu Yijun had always been a suspicious person. He didn't believe in those ethereal promises, and he had always been a cold-hearted person. He didn't believe in those ethics and morals, but he believed in the binding of interests.

Once an accident happens to the emperor, whether Prince Lu succeeds to the throne or the Crown Prince succeeds to the throne, the Luo family's power, prestige, and stage will be lost, and the new monarch, in order to give the world an explanation, will definitely liquidate the Luo family.

If you ask Luo Sigong what he thinks? He would only express it with actions. Guarding His Majesty's safety at all costs was the only belief Luo Sigong had since His Majesty pulled him up from the ground back then, the support for everything he had.

For a ten-year-old child, becoming the worst one in sparring, legs soft from standing in a stance and sitting on the ground—that was the darkest moment of his life. His Majesty reached out his hand, and that was a light in the dark world he was about to face. From that moment on, his life began to follow this path, always moving forward. Everything, everything, was two words: loyalty.

His Majesty is a sagely monarch, everything is worth it. As long as His Majesty is still there, all monsters and demons will hibernate, the Wanli Reform will continue, and the Ming Dynasty will become better.

Even if the emperor ordered him to kill Zhang Juzheng and Wang Chonggu now, Luo Sigong might be puzzled, but he would absolutely execute it, exchanging his own life for the "potential rebels." If Luo Sigong were asked to kill his father, Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang, Luo Sigong might arrest his father and then choose to commit suicide.

Zhu Yijun stayed at the Yan Zheng Tower, but he didn't live in the Yan Zheng Tower. Instead, under Zhang Hong's arrangement, he went to a civilian house less than three miles away from the Yan Zheng Tower, to avoid accidents such as fire.

Strangely, a night passed, and nothing happened. No one came to teach the young and vigorous Ming Emperor a lesson: "You should just stay honestly in the imperial city and don't go anywhere."

"Why didn't it catch fire last night?" When Zhu Yijun got up, looking at the morning sun and the direction of the Yan Zheng Tower, he asked Luo Sigong with slight doubt.

"This, I am not good at this." Luo Sigong scratched his head. He was good at fighting, but when it came to using his brain and thinking about problems, he was a bit troubled. He waited for a long time, but didn't hear any shouts of fire at all.

This didn't fit the experience. In order to save people from fire, Luo Sigong had really been a fireman in the capital's watchtower for two years to learn the experience of fighting fires.

The emperor left his lair and exposed his weaknesses, yet those ambitious people remained unmoved. Past experience was actually ineffective, which caught Zhu Yijun slightly off guard. If they didn't set a fire, were they preparing a gunpowder explosion attack, or strong bows and crossbows, or fire muskets?

If they did it too obviously, when the new monarch succeeded to the throne, they could only conduct a major purge, and it would be the kind of major purge that involved many people, tens of thousands of people.

A big fire could burn everything clean.

The Ming Emperor was slightly disappointed. He had already prepared for a struggle, but these people had always been like this. In the matter of disappointing people, they had never disappointed anyone.

In the cold of early spring, still carrying a bit of the late spring chill, Zhu Yijun washed up and got up. Under the protection of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, he returned to the Yan Zheng Tower. On the way, he thought through some details.

This matter, it was estimated, was because of Zhu Yiliu.

Zhu Yiliu was too much of a bastard.

The Ming Dynasty had never encountered such a troublesome regent prince. Is this acting as regent? This is clearly venting anger! This is clearly the most intuitive embodiment of absolute freedom!

Whoever advocates the theory of absolute freedom again before the Ming imperial system changes will absolutely find no buyers. One Prince Lu Zhu Yiliu is already enough to make people feel troubled.

If an accident happens to His Majesty the Emperor during the southern tour, the Crown Prince is young. Even if the Crown Prince succeeds to the throne, the regent will definitely be Prince Lu, this adult.

For so many years, the powerful and the officials selecting officials had long known that His Majesty could negotiate conditions, and the first condition was not so unacceptable, even appearing exceptionally generous to some extent.

But Zhu Yiliu could not be negotiated with. Let alone negotiating, censor officials who spoke some habitual clichés according to past customs were thrown into the jail of the Northern Internal Security Bureau by Zhu Yiliu, not even given a chance to write a petition, and directly imprisoned.

If the emperor dies unexpectedly and the Crown Prince succeeds to the throne, the ruler is young and the country is suspicious, Zhu Yiliu will only become worse as regent, because the only person who could restrain this unreasonable His Majesty has already left.

Zhu Yiliu is also not easy to deal with. He has Xiong Tingbi by his side, who is both civil and military, the closed-door disciple of the Grand Secretary, and the little junior brother of the emperor.

"We pay our respects to Your Majesty. The officials have submitted memorials one after another, and they were sent to Tianjin Prefecture overnight." Zhang Juzheng saw His Majesty. His Majesty did not have dark circles under his eyes, and there was no blood in his eyes, proving that His Majesty slept very soundly last night. His Majesty had always been a very brave person. In order not to let opium poison the Ming Dynasty, he was brave enough to even sacrifice his own life.

On the contrary, Zhang Juzheng was restless, tossing and turning until dawn. Only after there was no fire did he sleep in a daze for a while.

The older a person gets, the more afraid they become. Being afraid of losing too many things makes one a conservative.

"What is written?" Zhu Yijun signaled the officials accompanying the southern tour to be exempt from courtesy and asked what was written in this pile of memorials.

Zhang Juzheng let out a turbid breath and said in a low voice: "Zhenwu Dadi hoping that Your Majesty can return to the capital."

It was all accusations, tearful accusations!

Prince Lu is not a human; he has committed countless evils, his crimes are overflowing! Censor officials who don't follow Prince Lu's wishes will be arrested. If a memorial is slightly inappropriate, Prince Lu will directly scold people in the reply! The scolding is too ugly, and one cannot talk back. If someone goes to reason, they are directly thrown into the jail of the Northern Internal Security Bureau.

It can be summarized as: Come back, my Emperor Majesty!

Zhu Yijun read a few memorials that were much the same, revealing a playful smile. They were all asking the emperor to end the southern tour quickly and return to the capital, as they really couldn't stand this little demon king. Zhu Yijun wasn't laughing at these memorials, but at Zhu Yiliu.

Governor Yin Zhengmao tearing down doors, Ling Yunyi killing people, Wang Jiaping being confused, Wang Yie setting up monuments, Shen Shixing parading in the streets, Zhu Yiliu hanging people.

Stripping those thirty-two "opinionated fools" naked and hanging them on the city walls, tying them into various poses, had already become a beautiful landscape of the capital. This was no longer just a general humiliation of scholars.

"When I was in the capital, they all disliked me for managing too much. One moment they said I wouldn't let censor officials speak, one moment they said I was embarking on major construction, one moment they said I was stingy, one moment they said I was too violent, one moment they said I was abandoning the Great Dao to worship heterodox teachings. I remember it all clearly. When I left, the wealthy families of Xitucheng even held a flowing banquet, seemingly to celebrate. Now, they want me to go back?"

Zhu Yijun threw the memorials aside, not even marking them.

"Circulate these memorials back to the Cabinet and send them to Prince Lu for reply. I am on a southern tour now. Except for major military and state affairs and those above the third rank, I will not ask. They don't know the rules!" Zhu Yijun threw all the memorials back. He wasn't a donkey in the house of a wealthy man, blindfolded, working tirelessly from morning till night.

Diligence is for the revival of the Ming Dynasty. Now is the time for the southern tour.

"I obey the edict." Zhang Juzheng also didn't stick any floating tickets. The southern tour had been prepared for a year, and the boundaries of power were very clear. Zhang Juzheng was not in the Wenhua Hall, so he would absolutely not stick floating tickets on any memorials except those that needed His Majesty to handle personally.

What made the lowly scholars even more desperate was that the sagely monarch they pinned their hopes on was ignoring them.

"Your Majesty, there is a situation. Someone is crying at the carriage." Feng Bao said with a heavy expression.

Crying at the carriage is another traditional program on the southern tour, with a long history, dating back to the inspection of the world by Qin Shi Huang.

The reason it is called a program is that someone arranges these people with grievances to run in front of the emperor's carriage and cry about their grievances. Many times, it is for local officials to satisfy the emperor's strong sense of justice on tour, specially preparing some not-so-serious grievances, letting the emperor uphold justice.

Crying at the carriage provides the emperor with enough emotional value, and in most cases, it is local officials using small mistakes to cover up big mistakes, actively exposing some small problems, making the emperor on tour unable to see the real contradictions in the place.

Muddling the water is also a common trick of lowly scholars.

"True or false?" Zhu Yijun sat in the grand master's chair and asked Feng Bao, the old actor. As a movie emperor, Feng Bao could completely distinguish the authenticity of this crying at the carriage.

"True. They came from Xitucheng in the capital, running for a day and a night. These wealthy families came to cry about their grievances." Feng Bao explained the reason for this crying at the carriage. The wealthy families of Xitucheng had been robbed by Prince Lu Zhu Yiliu.

Fifty thousand silver per family. If they didn't give it, their property would be confiscated. This little demon king meant what he said. Now, the wealthy families of Xitucheng either sent their own sons or came to Tianjin Prefecture themselves.

Requesting His Majesty the Emperor to preside over justice!

Hejian Prefecture Prefect Zhang Youxin really wanted to advance. It was mostly to cooperate with the emperor's strong sense of justice. Zhang Youxin arranged some grievances for crying at the carriage. Originally, the script of a sagely monarch and wise ministers was already written, but the people arranged by Zhang Youxin didn't squeeze in; too many people were crying.

Migrating wealthy families to enrich the capital's outskirts, Xitucheng had 3,400 wealthy families. This time, about 72 families held flowing banquets, which was 3.6 million silver.

"Where was this silver sent?" Zhu Yijun was curious about the whereabouts of the silver Zhu Yiliu robbed. Zhu Yiliu was not short of money. Whatever he wanted, as long as it wasn't excessive, even without Empress Dowager Li coming forward, Zhu Yijun would give it. Empress Dowager Li did dote on Prince Lu, but the emperor was also quite indulgent toward Prince Lu.

Feng Bao bowed his head and said: "The Inner Treasury."

"Heh, this kid, I thought he moved it all to his Prince Lu mansion." Zhu Yijun revealed a smile again.

"His Highness said, since His Majesty has never been short of his expenses since childhood, if he is short of anything, he just needs to speak. Sending it to the Inner Treasury is just right to subsidize the deficit of the imperial road from Kaifeng to Jiayu Pass." Feng Bao explained. In this way, the wealthy families of Xitucheng became sponsors of the imperial road from Kaifeng to Jiayu Pass.

Although they were forced.

"What is the appeal? Is it asking me to return the money? That's not even worth thinking about." Zhu Yijun sneered and said: "I am a big miser. This is what they said. My frugality is also described so ugly by them, saying it's a small way to win people's hearts, saying I'm pretending."

"Returning the money is impossible."

"That's not it." Feng Bao said with a smile: "They are thinking, for the imperial road from Kaifeng to Jiayu Pass that is about to be built, can they set up a monument and write their names on it? If they could name it, that would be even better."

The first imperial road of the Ming Dynasty was from the Xishan Coal Bureau to the Coal Market at Xizhimen. The second imperial road was from the capital through Jizhou to Shanhai Pass. This second imperial road was paid for by Wang Chonggu himself. This imperial road was named the Chong! Gu! Imperial Road!

The emperor personally wrote the monument to commemorate it. Wang Chonggu wished he could go see it eight times a day. Later, even if he didn't go, he would send people to clean it every year.

Money that has entered the belly of a Pixiu cannot be spat out. And Zhu Yiliu's reason was extremely legitimate: rebellion. The emperor left the capital on a southern tour. If they didn't cry, that would be one thing, but they dared to hold flowing banquets and invite all kinds of performers?! If this isn't a traitor, what is?

The wealthy families of Xitucheng didn't expect this money to be returned. Since they spent the money, asking for a monument could be considered gaining a little good reputation.

"Don't even think about it!" Wang Chonggu immediately opposed, and said quite urgently: "Your Majesty, they haven't built a single mile of the imperial road, but they want to take the imperial road built by Your Majesty as their own. Now they want to set up a monument. In the future, what do they want to do?! They definitely want to take the imperial road into their own hands!"

"Your Majesty, absolutely cannot set up a monument!"

Wang Chonggu, a top Confucian scholar, once he opened his mouth, he was elevating the value to the height of the state. A big hat of coveting the public property and ancestral foundation of the court was slapped on them, focusing on alarmist talk.

This remark directly made Zhang Juzheng laugh. This remark looked extremely reasonable, but wanting to take the imperial road into their own hands required the right time, place, and people. And the imperial road from Kaifeng to Jiayu Pass was very difficult to make money. Would they take it into their own hands to maintain it?

Wang Chonggu was just maintaining the uniqueness of his own naming of the imperial road and setting up a monument to commemorate it. This was one of his most outstanding achievements.

"As the Vice Grand Secretary says." Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Chonggu, who was anxious, and didn't pretend to be mysterious, directly agreeing. He explained: "A fine is a fine. They wouldn't donate a single cent, yet they want me to set up a monument for them?"

"Don't see them at all, drive them all away."

A vacation is a vacation. Their appeal could not be satisfied, and Zhu Yijun was too lazy to see them. Whoever fined the money, go reason with them. Go talk to Zhu Yiliu!

Zhu Yijun climbed high and looked far, looking at Tianjin Prefecture. Tianjin Prefecture had no city walls. The original earthen city walls of Tianjin Guard had all been demolished. From the capital to Tianjin was a commercial road, from Shanhai Pass to Tianjin, from Tianjin to Mizhou, and to Jinan—a total of four commercial roads stretched toward the horizon. Coupled with the canal that could be seen vaguely in the thin mist, they constituted Tianjin's transportation network.

This is the hub for the turnover of goods from north and south, and also the gateway for the capital to face the ocean. Even in early spring, merchant caravans were still endless.

The entire Tianjin Prefecture woke up under the illumination of the dawn. Merchant caravans were endless. Furs, ginseng, and wild goods from the north, coal, wool, and alkali from the west, after turnover in Tianjin, headed south. The Bohai Bay outside Tianjin Prefecture had begun to thaw, but it was not yet possible to sail.

"Extending in all directions." Zhu Yijun patted the railing and spat out a hot breath. The morning of the second month was still very cold.

"Master, the common people of the Ming Dynasty are really hardworking. Look, these merchant caravans, I'm afraid they don't rest day or night. These goods are all made by their own hands. When the Marquis of Ningyuan returned, he brought me a few tiger skins, and I was moved to want to tan a fur myself."

"Didn't succeed. I don't even know how to use that knife for scraping grease." Zhu Yijun talked about his own clumsy attempt.

He originally intended to tan a fox skin himself to make a vest for Wang Yie, but he didn't make it, so he had to buy one. He went to the workshop and didn't even know how to use the knife for scraping grease on the fur.

The grease scraped off can be made into soap, which is for washing clothes, adding a little bit of white clay to wash it clean, and then adding some flower materials and fragrance.

The working people have never lacked wisdom, especially after silver became abundant and there was demand, all kinds of commodities began to appear.

The shortage of money is indeed a shackle blocking the development of the Ming Dynasty.

"Really good." Zhu Yijun smiled brightly, as warm as the morning sun.

He looked at Tianjin waking up in the morning, looked at the coming and going merchant caravans, looked at the crowds rubbing shoulders, looked at the streets lined with shops, looked at the peddlers selling breakfast, looked at the steaming Tianjin buns, looked at the thawing Haihe River, and felt exceptionally comfortable.

He remembered the last time he came to Tianjin to watch the fleet review, he saw the coal transport ships connected head to tail on the canal. At that time, Zhu Yijun watched for a long, long time, feeling that his efforts over these years had not been in vain.

This feeling became more and more clear.

Zhu Yijun now looked at Tianjin waking up in the morning and felt even more that his twelve years of effort were worth it, just like a farmer harvesting grain in summer and autumn. What else could be more gratifying than seeing the results of one's own efforts with one's own eyes?

This is also the biggest reason why Zhang Juzheng firmly supported the southern tour. No matter how many flowers and brocades there are in the articles, they are not as affirmative as this one glance.

People on the road of life will be confused, perplexed, suspicious, and will not know whether to go on, because they don't know if what they are doing is useful. The contradiction between knowledge and action will arise, leading to slackness. Even the most determined person, under this kind of inner demon, will be lost.

His Majesty is a living person, not a machine. In the twelve years of the Wanli Reform, whether there are results, His Majesty must see this great river and mountain with his own eyes to love it more deeply, so that the confusion in his heart will dissipate and he will become more determined.

Zhang Juzheng could fully understand His Majesty's mood, because he was such a big person, and in the twelve years of the Wanli Reform, he was in the high temple, and he also became confused.

Zhang Juzheng also said sincerely: "The country is rich and the people are strong in this era, the country is peaceful and the people are safe, and the sun and moon are bright."

The sun and moon are dark and then bright again.

The Ming Dynasty's rivers and mountains have really become better, and Zhang Juzheng has also seen it with his own eyes.

Zhu Yijun's itinerary today is very busy. He wants to go to the Weaving Bureau, the Iron Smelting Institute, the Public Medicine Bureau, and the Relief Institute. These are all places he wants to see with his own eyes today.

The Ming Emperor was busy inspecting here, while Prince Lu Zhu Yiliu was not idle either. He got up early. The lazy Zhu Yiliu could get up so early entirely because he was going to the Zhaoyang Gate to see the thirty-two lowly scholars hanging on the city wall with his own eyes—not to take them down, but to watch the fun.

"Prince Lu has arrived!" Li Youzi flicked his whisk and invited Prince Lu to get off the carriage.

Zhu Yiliu jumped off the carriage, looked at the sun rising in the sky, stretched, and said, "Another day of acting recklessly."

"Prepare to hang people." Zhu Yiliu arrived at the Wufeng Tower of the Zhaoyang Gate. Before the city gate opened, he wanted to hang people up.

Zeng Shengwu was right. One still had to find people to serve them. The ropes were tied, and people had to serve them when hanging them up and taking them down. Eating and drinking also required people to serve them. If they were hung for a night, they would probably freeze into ice sticks. Moreover, after being vaccinated with cowpox, they had to be observed. If there were adverse reactions, a physician had to be found to watch them.

It was really, really a waste of manpower and material resources.

Hanging for nine days, not too much or too little, was just right. The real pox would grow out, and the rumors would be self-defeating.

"Hehe, I know your thoughts. Isn't it just wanting to find a chance to commit suicide?" Zhu Yiliu flicked the horse whip in his hand, raised his eyebrows and said: "You cannot commit suicide. If you commit suicide, how much scolding will I have to take? You lowly scholars, I don't want them to take the reason and accuse me in a justified and grand manner."

"I won't give you the chance."

"You cannot commit suicide. If you commit suicide, I will kill your whole family! I guarantee I will do what I say!"

Zhu Yiliu got up so early just to threaten the "pen-correctors." These thirty-two "pen-correctors" dared to commit suicide, and he would kill their whole families.

Asking Zhu Yiliu to do some proper work, he was really too lazy. But asking him to do some bad things, asking him to threaten people, he really got up earlier than a chicken. The emperor also discovered this point, knowing that he didn't want to read memorials, so he opened up the authority for him, letting him scold to his heart's content.

"His Majesty wouldn't be so harsh on us in the capital! We also heard about this legend in the grasslands, so we published it in the miscellaneous newspaper. What's wrong with that!" A "pen-corrector" said loudly, somewhat unconvinced.

Zhu Yiliu put his hands on his hips, laughed wildly, pointed at the "pen-corrector," and said to Xiong Tingbi: "Look, this is a lowly scholar."

Zhu Yiliu turned his head, scolded the "pen-corrector" sternly: "Then go find the sagely monarch! When the Imperial Brother was in the capital, you all sprayed dung like you had eaten shit. Now you remember His Majesty's kindness? What were you doing earlier!"

"Deserved!"

"Hang them up! Don't give them breakfast."

After Zhu Yiliu watched the thirty-two works of art being hung up, he wrote on a big board under the city gate: "Second day of cowpox vaccination, no cow tail or cow horns grew out, I am very disappointed."

"You had better grow cow tails and cow horns, otherwise on the ninth day, I will install them for you!"

Amidst the scolding of the "pen-correctors," Prince Lu laughed wildly several times and walked away. The surrounding common people pointed and gestured. Some said Prince Lu was bad, some said Prince Lu was violent, and of course, some said Prince Lu was venting his anger for his brother, which was brotherly love.

Zhu Yiliu didn't care about these evaluations at all.

"Is the parade carriage ready?" Zhu Yiliu asked Xiong Tingbi about the matter he had entrusted to him while heading to the Wenhua Hall. Threatening people was only the first evil. He wanted to learn from the "master of balancing water" Shen Shixing's approach, hanging people on parade carriages to parade them through the streets, mainly those forty-seven death-row prisoners.

Zhu Yiliu had to let the common people know why they died; they were all traitors.

"It's ready. According to Your Highness's instructions, I have improved it. There are eight hanging positions on the top, and it can rotate. There are cause-of-affair signs below, writing their crimes on them." Xiong Tingbi reported the parade carriage he had made.

Compared to the parade carriage made by Chen Tiande, Xiong Tingbi's was larger, and there were more positions, and the cause-of-affair signs were also very eye-catching. A total of eight were made.

Once one person is investigated clearly, they will be hung on the carriage and paraded through the streets.

"Is hanging people fun?" Zhu Yiliu asked with a smile.

"Fun." Xiong Tingbi's eyes dodged a little, looked left and right, and said in a low voice.

"Parading through the streets will be even more fun." Zhu Yiliu patted Xiong Tingbi's arm and said: "The Master calling you back from Suiyuan also had his intentions. Of course, it was also for the New Year, but the Master is afraid. He is afraid that after he passes away, your personality, which is too upright, will suffer a big loss. You cannot always be a hero in the grasslands. In this world, there are too many monsters and demons. Following the Master, such a gentleman, you can only learn the way of a gentleman. Watching His Majesty teach by example, you will only become more of a gentleman."

"Teaching won't work, I can only let you do it."

"Follow me and learn how to be a bad person!"

Xiong Tingbi was stunned, his brows twisted into a knot, and he asked suspiciously: "Is that really what the Master meant? Did he tell Your Highness?"

"That, no, I guessed it." Zhu Yiliu revealed a successful smile and said: "I was teasing you! Still so easy to tease, hahaha."

"I'll entrust you with one thing. Yesterday, two families didn't pay the fine. Take people, tear down their doors, move their beds, and if they don't pay, you will really have to confiscate their property. I'm not playing around."

The regent Prince Lu started another day of acting recklessly. He wanted to tear down doors and move beds today. This was Governor Yin Zhengmao's specialty. Prince Lu thought it was useful, so he used it.

"Fine." Before the court deliberation, Xiong Tingbi received the royal order, took the Embroidered Uniform Guards and the Prince Lu mansion guards, and went straight to Xitucheng.

In the process of tearing down doors and moving beds, Xiong Tingbi slowly discovered that one really cannot just be a gentleman. If you are just a gentleman, others will say you ate two bowls of noodles, but you only ate one. Do you have to cut open your stomach to show people that there is only one bowl of noodles?

Who cares how many bowls of noodles you ate?!

Who cares if those works of art hanging on the city gate tower will grow cow tails and cow horns?

One must be a gentleman, but one cannot just be a gentleman. Being just a gentleman is giving the enemy a chance. ===== CHAPTER 656 =====

A gentleman, of course, must act, but he cannot just act as a gentleman; only acting as a gentleman is giving the enemy an opportunity.