N-A-A Chapter 125 Offering Advice
Chapter 125 Offering Advice
Upon hearing that Zhao Yu had discovered the problem, Zhu Houcong's spirits lifted, and he immediately sat up straight.
"The Taoist priest is indeed highly skilled in Taoist arts, having discovered the root cause in an instant. May I ask what ailment I suffer from? Why are all the imperial physicians helpless?"
Zhao Yu shook his head slightly, his tone solemn: "Your Majesty has no physical ailment, and this illness is no ordinary disease. Rather, it is a divine warning sent down by Heaven in response to your concerns."
"A warning from Heaven?" Zhu Houcong frowned, his face full of confusion. "What do you mean? The world is generally peaceful and there are no calamities or strange occurrences. How can there be any warning from Heaven?"
"Does Your Majesty know of the interaction between Heaven and humanity?"
Zhao Yu explained slowly and deliberately: "Since Dong Zhongshu established his theory at the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the emperor has been the common ruler of the world, acting as the shepherd of the people on behalf of Heaven, and is closely connected with the destiny and fortune of Heaven. All aspects of human life, the fortunes and misfortunes of the world, will affect the will of Heaven. Whenever there is a hidden crisis in the world, or when the destiny is in decline, Heaven will send down unusual phenomena to warn the ruler."
"Your Majesty has ruled for many years, the court is stable, and the world is at peace. However, beneath this peaceful facade, many hidden dangers lurk. It is precisely because of this that Heaven, sensing this, has sent down this chronic illness and nightmare, causing Your Majesty to be restless day and night, as a warning."
His statement was, of course, a blatant lie.
Many later generations have argued that while the Ming Dynasty officially fell under Emperor Chongzhen, this was not the case in reality.
Some say it ended during the Wanli reign, while others say it ended during the Jiajing reign.
But regardless of which emperor it was under who died, this statement is enough to prove that the Ming Dynasty under Jiajing was far from peaceful and prosperous.
Zhu Houcong neglected his duties for many years, indulging in Taoist practices and favoring alchemists, leading to extravagant spending.
In the imperial court, factional strife gradually arose, official corruption was rampant, the people were burdened with heavy responsibilities, and the borders were also rife with hidden dangers.
The so-called peaceful and prosperous times were nothing more than Zhu Houcong indulging in his own power struggles and deceiving himself.
If Zhao Yu had said these words to anyone else, they would have been able to see through the falsehoods, but they were most effective on Zhu Houcong.
Throughout his life, he was arrogant and believed himself to be unparalleled in his political skills. Even though he did not attend court for decades, he still firmly controlled the imperial power and kept the civil and military officials in check. He always believed that the Ming Dynasty under his rule was stable and invincible.
Zhao Yu's words perfectly captured Zhu Houcong's thoughts, and he naturally believed them without a doubt.
Zhu Houcong hurriedly asked, "What hidden dangers does my Ming Dynasty have? And how should this matter be resolved? Please enlighten me, Daoist Master."
Zhao Yu smiled slightly and calmly said, "Your Majesty, do not panic. This matter may seem to concern the fate of the world and involve a great deal of issues, but in reality, it is not without its problems. Many hidden dangers can be resolved in a systematic way, and eradicating them is not difficult. Let me dismantle them for Your Majesty one by one."
"The root cause of Your Majesty's poor health lies not in yourself, but in the court. Yan Song and his son have been in power for many years, forming cliques and engaging in rampant corruption, which has brought no benefit to the people and has instead harmed their livelihoods. The people are the foundation of the Ming Dynasty, and when the foundation is damaged, Heaven naturally sends down warnings. This is the reason why Your Majesty is unable to eat or sleep peacefully."
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire Qianqing Palace fell into a deathly silence.
The eunuchs and palace maids standing in the hall were all silent and trembling, not daring to even breathe loudly.
None of them expected that this young Taoist priest, who had just entered the palace, would be so bold as to dare to point his finger at Yan Song, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, right in front of the emperor.
Everyone knows that Grand Secretary Yan is His Majesty's most trusted confidant.
For over a decade, the court officials impeached Yan Song, their memorials piling up higher than a mountain, but His Majesty ignored them all. Instead, he demoted or killed the officials who had impeached him.
Now, Zhao Yu, a wandering Taoist priest with no roots or connections, dares to spout such wild words. Isn't he courting death?
Sure enough, the smile on Zhu Houcong's face disappeared.
He leaned back on the couch, staring at Zhao Yu with a sinister look, a sense of suspicion that belonged to an emperor rising within him.
Zhu Houcong's first thought was that Zhao Yu was sent by those in the court who opposed Yan Song.
Knowing they were obsessed with Taoist cultivation, they found this person and, under the guise of healing, wanted to sow discord between themselves and Yan Song, hoping to take the opportunity to bring down Yan Song.
Who was Yan Song? Zhu Houcong knew better than anyone else.
He was like a knife in his own hand, used to do the dirty work that the emperor couldn't do.
As long as Yan Song remains a useful and obedient tool, Zhu Houcong will never easily abandon him.
In Zhu Houcong's view, anyone who wanted to touch Yan Song was challenging the imperial power, which he absolutely could not tolerate.
"Yan Qing?" Zhu Houcong's voice was icy. "Has the Daoist master believed some rumors? I believe that those who cultivate the Dao should devote themselves to quiet cultivation and comprehend the Great Dao, and should not easily meddle in court affairs."
As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on Zhao Yu's face, trying to find a clue in his expression.
All of this was exactly what Zhao Yu had anticipated.
He showed no panic whatsoever, but instead smiled calmly and bowed slightly to Zhu Houcong: "Your Majesty misunderstands. This humble Taoist did not intend to interfere in court affairs. I entered the palace only to treat Your Majesty's illness. What I said just now was merely to explore the root cause of Your Majesty's ailment, and I had no other intention."
Zhu Houcong's expression softened slightly, but he remained wary.
He tentatively asked, "According to the Taoist priest, if I want to recover from this illness, I must dismiss Minister Yan to appease the world?"
If Zhao Yu really went along with what he said, then Zhu Houcong could conclude that this person was a pawn sent by the court officials.
People will die then.
"No."
Zhao Yu dispelled Zhu Houcong's suspicions: "Your Majesty need not test me. As I said, I will not interfere in court affairs, and I will not. As for the ministers in the court, who is wise and who is foolish, who will rise and who will fall, it is Your Majesty's own decision. I am but a recluse and do not care."
This made Zhu Houcong somewhat puzzled.
Since Zhao Yu doesn't want to bring down Yan Song, were the things he said just now really just for the purpose of curing his illness?
He pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke: "In that case, how does the Daoist priest intend to cure my strange illness?"
"Since the cause of the illness originates from the people's livelihood, then it should be addressed through the people's livelihood," Zhao Yu said frankly. "If Your Majesty is willing to part with some of your wealth, I will use it as an offering to pray to Heaven for blessings, to dispel Heaven's resentment, and to ensure that the Ming Dynasty enjoys favorable weather and abundant harvests. In this way, Heaven will be aware of the situation, and Your Majesty's illness will naturally be cured without medicine."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong breathed a sigh of relief; it turned out he just wanted money.
He thought Zhao Yu had some bigger scheme, but as long as money could solve the problem, it wasn't a problem.
Zhu Houcong generously replied, "I wonder how much silver it will cost? As long as it can cure my illness, I can afford the small amount of silver."
"Your Majesty has misunderstood again." Zhao Yu shook his head. "This wealth is not for my own use, but is offered to Heaven on behalf of Your Majesty."
"What do you mean by that?" Zhu Houcong asked, puzzled.
"Your Majesty's illness is caused by the accumulated resentment of the people, which has reached the ears of the Emperor. If Your Majesty's private funds or the national treasury are used for offerings, that money, which comes from the people and is already stained with their blood and sweat, how can it possibly quell their resentment?"
Zhao Yu spoke eloquently: "Therefore, I believe that the offerings need not be gold, silver or jewels, but only food and fodder."