frightfiction Chapter 538
Chapter 538
However, Sun Wanfu was never Zhou Chu's main purpose in coming to Taiyuan; dealing with him was merely a side matter.
It would be better if Sun Wanfu could interrogate these people, but even if he couldn't, Zhou Chu already had enough evidence, so there was no need for these people to say anything.
"Lord Zhou, my father has prepared a banquet to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey."
Zhu Qiyuan lowered his head and said meekly.
Zhu Qiyuan at this time was completely different from when he was in Shaoxing.
"Alright, then I'll have to trouble you, Your Majesty."
Zhou Chu looked at Zhu Qiyuan and smiled.
Since the Prince of Jin's residence has shown me such respect, I should accept it. As for how to deal with the Prince of Jin and his son, that's a matter for later.
After saying this, Zhou Chu, led by Zhu Qiyuan, arrived at the Prince of Jin's residence with Shen Lian, Da Zhu, and Yun Jin.
As soon as Zhou Chu entered the Prince of Jin's residence, he felt the difference between the Prince of Jin's residence and the Prince of Dai's residence. Although both residences were very large, the Prince of Dai's residence gave Zhou Chu the feeling that it was barely holding on. The decorations in various places were very simple, and it was clear that not much money had been spent, or rather, a lot of money had been cut back.
This is understandable. The previous Prince of Dai was demoted to a commoner by the emperor, so everyone in the Prince of Dai's mansion was naturally walking on thin ice, afraid of angering the emperor again for some other reason. Moreover, the Prince of Dai's mansion had spent almost all of its treasury in order to maintain its influence in the capital, and the entire mansion was barely maintaining itself.
The extravagance of Prince Zhu Junzhang was merely superficial, a show for others.
But the Prince of Jin's residence was completely different. As soon as Zhou Chu entered the Prince of Jin's residence, he saw pavilions, towers, artificial hills and strange rocks everywhere. It was as if the scenery changed every five steps. No two scenes were the same, but it did not seem abrupt. The changes were very natural.
It is obvious that the entire Prince Jin's Mansion was designed by a famous artist.
Dazhu was like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, completely unable to control his eyes, wanting to look here and there.
Soon, the group arrived at the main hall of the Prince of Jin's residence and met Prince Zhu Zhiyang.
"Lord Zhou, your presence is an honor for me. I have failed to greet you properly, which is truly unbecoming of me."
Zhu Zhiyang said with a face full of shame.
"Your Majesty, you flatter me. It is I who have come to pay my respects to Your Majesty."
Zhou Chu bowed and said.
"Lord Zhou, there's no need for such formalities. Please take your seat. This banquet was specially prepared for you by me."
As Zhu Zhiyang spoke, he clapped his hands. At this moment, servants from the Prince of Jin's residence carried over one exquisite dish after another. Then, more than a dozen dancers and musicians came out. The musicians played the zither, and the dancers began to dance gracefully in the center of the hall.
"What do you think of the dancers I've trained, Lord Zhou?"
Zhu Zhiyang didn't mention national affairs at all, nor did he ask Zhou Chu what he was doing in Taiyuan; he only talked about romance.
"Your Majesty has a discerning eye. These dancers are just as good as those in the Imperial Music Bureau. Your Majesty is a man who knows how to enjoy life."
Zhou Chu looked at the dancers in front of him and commented.
Whether it was the courtesans of the Jiaofangsi or the dancers before us, their dances were far from what later generations imagined.
These women wore flowing blue silk and thin gauze, and their dances were full of mystery and allure. If Zhou Chu hadn't been so knowledgeable, he might have fallen for their charms.
Dazhu, standing to the side, blushed deeply and dared not look any longer, so he could only lower his head and eat.
Yun Jin remained calm, as these women held no allure for her whatsoever.
"Alas, in fact, the Prince of Jin's mansion, or rather, the princely mansions in various parts of the Ming Dynasty, are not doing well. The Prince of Dai's mansion is barely surviving. If my Prince of Jin's mansion wants to survive, it has to have some business dealings with these merchants in Taiyuan. All of this is due to my momentary lapse of judgment. I am addicted to pleasure and cannot extricate myself."
Zhu Zhiyang directly admitted his mistake.
Zhou Chu was somewhat surprised to hear this.
“I am aware of what Your Majesty has said. Previously, I asked His Majesty to summon the people from the various vassal kings’ residences to Shaoxing to open coal mines and offer them profits so that they could maintain their expenses. However, Your Majesty seems to have refused.”
Zhou Chu's words were quite blunt, but he had the confidence to say what he needed to say without holding back.
“It’s not that I didn’t want to, but the Prince of Jin’s mansion and those merchants were already too deeply involved. Shanxi mainly relies on the coal mining business. Lord Zhou’s business was undoubtedly cutting off the Prince of Jin’s mansion’s source of income. I was confused at the time and couldn’t understand it, which led to this big mistake.”
Zhu Zhiyang sighed.
"Your Majesty should know that many times, when you do something wrong, you have to pay the price. This is the path Your Majesty has chosen, so you must bear the consequences."
As Zhou Chu said this, he stood up and took out the imperial edict from his robes.
"Prince Zhu Zhiyang of Jin, receive the imperial decree."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhiyang hurriedly knelt before Zhou Chu. Behind him was Zhu Qiyuan, the heir apparent of the Prince of Jin, who was also kneeling on the ground.
"Prince Zhu Zhiyang of Jin has failed to appreciate the Emperor's favor and has indulged in debauchery. Effective immediately, Prince Zhu Zhiyang of Jin and his heir Zhu Qiyuan are hereby demoted to commoners as a warning to others. This is the imperial decree!"
After Zhou Chu finished reading the imperial edict, he looked at Zhu Zhiyang and his son who were kneeling on the ground.
Although it was expected, Zhu Zhiyang felt very complicated when she heard the result, both happy and sad.
I'm happy that I don't have to die, but sad that I probably won't be able to enjoy this kind of life again.
"Your subject obeys the decree and kowtows in gratitude for Your Majesty's grace!"
Zhu Zhiyang kowtowed three times.
Zhou Chu then handed the imperial edict to Zhu Zhiyang, who received it with both hands raised above his head.
After finishing these tasks, Zhou Chu looked at Yun Jin, who was standing to the side.
"Arrest them according to the previously drafted list, don't let them escape."
Zhou Chu said coldly.
"Yes, my lord."
Upon hearing this, Yun Jin left the Prince of Jin's residence. Outside the residence, the Xuanwu Army was already in full force and ready to go. Yun Jin took six hundred men with her, leaving four hundred to protect Zhou Chu's safety.