Although Prince Yu was the eldest son, the Great Ming was now in trouble both internally and externally, like an isolated island in a dark swamp. One wrong step would lead to eternal damnation. A mediocre ruler could never hold the throne; chaos would surely ensue...
Even if this strategy had a thousand flaws, it was a hundred times better than Gao Hanwen's stupid idea! If Prince Yu had even a tenth of Zhu Mo's courage to face real problems, Jiajing would have been at ease.
And in reality,
Prince Yu was still Prince Yu, outwardly steady, but actually indecisive! He didn't resemble anyone from previous generations of princes!
His Zhu family, even if they were to become foolish rulers, must have flesh and blood. At the very least, they should be like Emperor Zhengde, making a name for themselves throughout the land!
If they couldn't be praised for eternity, they should at least be infamous for a thousand years!
A true man, if he can't eat from five tripods in life, must be cooked in five tripods in death!
Being so lukewarm, where was the trace of Zhu family blood?!
The Great Ming, with its rulers dying for the nation and emperors defending the country's gates with grandeur, absolutely did not need such gentle, refined, mediocre, and idle people!
Jiajing was truly angered. Even for the sake of all the people under heaven, he had to consider a possibility –
That one day, the throne would be passed to Zhu Mo!
This child's strategy was novel, and comparing the conversation at Feixuan Palace with the "Treatise on the Imperial Dynasty," both he and Lü Fang understood clearly: Zhu Mo's true intention for going to Jiangnan was not what was stated in the court discussions... His way of speaking was clearly intended to deceive Yan Song.
"Not warm, not cold; not hurried, not slow; not servile, not arrogant; not revealing, not hiding..."
"Excellent... excellent 'crossing the sea under camouflage'..."
"Lü Fang, could you have imagined this? This young man actually possesses such depth of thought...?"
Lü Fang, upon hearing Huang Jin's report, was also greatly shocked—
This child,
Had even deceived Old Yan Song!
What did he truly intend to do?
But seeing Jiajing's expression, he was actually extremely pleased with Zhu Mo's performance. So he feigned a scoff and said, "Your servant also doesn't understand. Why does he always hide things? Why didn't he mention a single word of what was in the Treatise on the Imperial Dynasty..."
Jiajing gave a wry smile and sighed, "Zhang Juzheng said he resembles Yang Shiqi of the Yongle era. Looking at him now, there is indeed some resemblance..."
Lü Fang also smiled faintly but said nothing.
Jiajing paced for a while longer, then suddenly smiled again, "Lü Fang, that Great Ming government-operated Jiangnan bank of his, and that anti-Japanese public debt, have you truly understood them?"
Lü Fang immediately chuckled and said, "Your Majesty, Young Master Zhu is truly a rare talent! Just speaking of this 'public debt,' who would have thought of it? How did he come up with such a method? Heh heh, this old servant is old, and I truly haven't understood these two matters..."
Haha,
Jiajing burst into laughter, "I haven't understood them either!"
"This Zhu Mo, he is always unpredictable... I truly want to see how he will manage that public debt and bank!"
Jiajing paced a few more steps, then suddenly smiled again:
"Lü Fang, let him go to Jiangnan and try... You draft a pretext. I want to see how capable he is, whether he can turn Jiangnan upside down!"
Lü Fang saw that Jiajing was particularly happy, and his face also showed joy, "Your servant understands! Your servant will draft the imperial edict now, but..."
"But what? Why are you also stammering?"
"It's just that Your servant feels that Yan Song and the others have no good intentions... Moreover, what official title will Young Master Zhu hold when he goes to Jiangnan? What rank? What matters will he handle? Who will he be subject to... If these are not clarified, Your servant fears it will be a small matter if Young Master Zhu's efforts are in vain, but what if there is danger..."
Jiajing paused, then said:
"You are still in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and if the matter is explained clearly, what is the point? If I give him an imperial envoy of the first or second rank, whom everyone fears, how can I test his abilities?... However, your concerns are not unreasonable. He cannot be in any danger... Hmm, you, tell Wu Feng and the others to send more people to accompany him. If anything happens, they will be held accountable!"
Lü Fang then smiled, "Your servant obeys the imperial edict."
Just as Lü Fang was about to return to the Directorate of Ceremonial to draft the edict, a eunuch rushed over to report—
Wu Feng is back!
Jiajing's expression immediately turned solemn, and he said coldly, "Call him in. Lü Fang, you may leave first!"
...
In the side hall of Yuxi Palace.
Unlike the main hall, this was where Jiajing enshrined the past emperors. The spirit tablets and portraits of the former emperors, illuminated by the ever-burning lamps, appeared particularly solemn and majestic.
Wu Feng, along with an old Taoist priest, knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their heads.
He understood very well—
This matter personally assigned by the Emperor was of extreme importance, and perhaps even Eunuch Lü did not know about it! Such confidential matters often led to the silencing of those involved. Wu Feng, having experienced countless storms, was also sweating profusely at this moment.
After kneeling for a long time, he finally heard the Emperor's footsteps, but dared not look up, only feeling the Emperor carefully examining the old Taoist beside him.
Three days ago, the Emperor had ordered the Divine Immortal Lan to issue a secret edict: Find the Taoist Puqing of Qingxu Monastery on Mount Wutai immediately!
With great effort, Wu Feng's imperial guards finally found the old Taoist's whereabouts outside Juyong Pass and brought him back without a word. Taoist Puqing, also feeling the mysterious nature of the situation, dared not utter a single word of objection and obediently followed him into the imperial palace.
Wu Feng had thought for a long time and had already guessed a clue, but he dared not even think too deeply about it, fearing that he would reveal it in his sleep. For the past few days, he had been in a state of great distress.
As he was contemplating,
Jiajing spoke, "Wu Feng, you may wait outside..."
"Your servant obeys."
After Wu Feng left, Taoist Puqing became even more frightened, kneeling on the ground, his whole body trembling.
He vaguely guessed something, but dared not think about it, and unknowingly, his entire Taoist robe was soaked with cold sweat.
"Do you know Divine Immortal Lan?"
Taoist Puqing jolted and replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble Taoist has known Divine Immortal Lan for twenty years. He was originally a junior in my sect..."
"Hmm... Thirteen years ago, the imperial farm on the west bank of the Han River, do you remember it?"
After speaking, Jiajing's eyes, like cold lightning, fixed on him.
...
Ah?
Taoist Puqing shivered and immediately recalled the scene from that year. A thought involuntarily arose in his mind—
Could that child be of royal blood?
Though he thought this in his heart, he dared not be careless with his words, and tremblingly replied:
"Reporting to Your Majesty, thirteen years ago, uh, it should have been in the autumn and winter season. This humble Taoist was passing by the imperial farm on the Han River and suddenly saw thick smoke billowing and flames soaring to the sky... This humble Taoist was not far away, but the fire was too intense. As soon as I reached the edge of the farm, it was already a scorched earth..."
"Seeing that there were no survivors, this humble Taoist burned a talisman for life to guide the souls of the departed. Just as I was about to leave, I saw a child in the ditch behind the farm... He didn't seem dead..."
"This humble Taoist, this humble Taoist woke him up. Just as I was about to report to the officials, I saw a troop of soldiers in black rapidly approaching from a distance... It was getting dark then, and this humble Taoist hid in the bushes, and heard the bandits saying something about cutting the weeds and eliminating future troubles, so I dared not report to the officials..."
"Later, when it was deep into the night and the troops had dispersed, this humble Taoist took the child across the river overnight... Afterwards, this child followed this humble Taoist, and settled down at Qingxu Monastery on Mount Wutai six years ago."