stonecrandall Chapter 126 Conferment
Chapter 126 Conferment
"food?"
Zhu Houcong was even more puzzled: "If offerings to Heaven are made with grain, then why did the Taoist priest mention Yan Qing earlier?"
Zhao Yu smiled slightly at Zhu Houcong: "Your Majesty is wise. The grain and fodder I require must be completely clean and free from any resentment from the people. Forcibly confiscating it from the people will only add fuel to the fire, and Your Majesty's illness will worsen."
"Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to issue an edict ordering all civil and military officials in the capital, as well as local gentry and wealthy individuals, to contribute some grain according to their means. I will personally set up an altar to offer this grain to Heaven."
"In the past, Emperor Wu of Liang, Xiao Yan, abandoned himself at Tongtai Temple four times, and the officials of Liang spent hundreds of millions of dollars to redeem him. Now, our Great Ming has enjoyed peace for a long time, and there are countless officials and gentry. For the sake of the Emperor's health and the well-being of the Ming Dynasty, surely we cannot be unwilling to part with even this small amount of wealth?"
Zhu Houcong fell into deep thought.
He had been wondering why Zhao Yu insisted that the officials contribute money and grain, instead of having it borne by himself or the national treasury.
But after hearing Zhao Yu's words, his doubts vanished instantly.
This method is absolutely brilliant.
If he were to agree readily, he could not only use this opportunity to test the loyalty of his officials and see who was truly looking out for him and who was merely paying lip service.
It also provides an opportunity to find out the true financial situation of officials and see how much silver these officials who usually complain about being poor actually have hidden away.
Zhu Houcong had been on the throne for many years. Although he was confident that he could firmly control the court, it would never hurt to have a clearer view of things.
And the best part is that he didn't have to spend a single penny on this whole thing.
The national treasury did not need to spend any money, and the emperor's private funds remained untouched. All the burden fell on the shoulders of the officials and gentry.
He not only avoids the infamy of exploiting the people, but also gains a good reputation for respecting heaven and loving the people.
All things considered, it's entirely beneficial with no drawbacks.
Zhao Yu looked at Zhu Houcong, who was deep in thought, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
He knew that Zhu Houcong would eventually agree, because the proposal was entirely from Zhu Houcong's perspective and would not do him any harm.
As for why he wanted the officials to contribute money and grain, Zhao Yu naturally had his own reasons.
He wanted to obtain enough money and grain to help fix the mess in the Southern Song Dynasty.
But the Ming Dynasty's treasury is probably already empty, with deficits every year, living beyond its means, and it can hardly even pay the army's salaries, so there's hardly any profit to be made.
Those who are truly wealthy are the civil officials who spout benevolence and morality on a daily basis and claim to be incorruptible.
Yan Song, known as a powerful and treacherous official, had his home searched after his downfall, and the farmland found was only a little over 16,000 mu.
Xu Jie, the Grand Secretary who was known as the leader of the "pure stream" faction and personally brought down Yan Song, was later found to own as much as 240,000 mu of farmland.
Most of these properties were acquired through various donations during his tenure as Grand Secretary.
In terms of wealth and resources, the Ming Dynasty's national treasury paled in comparison.
After all, the Ming Dynasty's national treasury had to manage the entire country, while the Xu family's land was merely their private property.
Only by obtaining more money and grain from them could they secure more supplies without causing Zhu Houcong any resentment.
After all, it wasn't his money that was being spent.
After a moment, Zhu Houcong raised his head: "This matter is of great importance, and I cannot make a decision for the time being. Daoist, please stay in the palace and wait for a few days. After I have carefully considered it, I will give you an answer."
Zhao Yu could tell that Zhu Houcong was already interested.
He didn't urge them, but simply nodded slightly: "This humble Taoist awaits Your Majesty's good news."
Zhu Houcong nodded, then changed the subject, a look of curiosity appearing on his face: "By the way, I've only heard of the Daoist's talisman-drawing skills, but I've never seen them in person. Would you be so kind as to demonstrate your abilities and broaden my horizons?"
He claimed to be curious, but in reality, he was testing Zhao Yu.
He wanted to see for himself whether Zhao Yu's talisman skills were really that amazing before considering Zhao Yu's suggestion.
Zhao Yu understood his thoughts and naturally did not refuse.
"Since Your Majesty has such an interest, this humble Taoist priest shall make a fool of himself in offering his services."
Zhu Houcong immediately ordered, "Bring me yellow paper, cinnabar, and a writing brush."
Soon, the young eunuch had prepared everything and placed it on the table next to him.
Zhao Yu stepped forward, picked up a brush, dipped it in cinnabar, took a deep breath, and with a flick of his wrist, the brush moved like a dragon and a snake.
With a few quick strokes, a yellow talisman was drawn.
The entire process was smooth and seamless, without the slightest hesitation.
"This is a cleansing talisman. Using this talisman will make your body spotless and completely free of impurities. Would Your Majesty be willing to try it?"
Zhu Houcong gave Huang Jin, who was standing beside him, a wink.
As the supreme ruler, he certainly couldn't personally test something whose details were unknown.
Huang Jin understood immediately and stepped forward, smiling as she said, "Oh, Master Zhao, I've been very curious about your magic for a long time. Why don't I try it first? So His Majesty can see the effect."
"Of course." Zhao Yu smiled nonchalantly and handed the cleansing talisman to Huang Jin. "Apply this talisman to your body, and you'll see the result."
Huang Jin took the talisman with both hands and held it carefully in her hands.
He took a deep breath, then gently patted the talisman onto his chest.
The moment the talisman touched the clothes, it transformed into a faint golden light and merged into Huang Jin's body.
Huang Jin felt a gentle warmth spread throughout his body.
He looked down at his clothes and found that the dust and stains that had accumulated after a busy day had completely disappeared.
What shocked him even more was that the unspeakable fishy smell on his body had completely disappeared.
For eunuchs, physical defects were a constant source of pain.
No matter how thoroughly you wash it every day, you can't completely get rid of that peculiar smell. On weekdays, you can only rely on a lot of face powder to cover it up.
But now, the scent of the perfumed powder had dissipated, and he could no longer smell the slightest trace of the fishy odor.
He exuded a refreshing and clean feeling from head to toe.
"It works! It really works!" Huang Jin's voice trembled with excitement. He turned and knelt before Zhu Houcong. "Your Majesty, Master Zhao is truly a living deity!"
Zhu Houcong's eyes lit up; he was so excited he almost sat up from his couch.
Healing illnesses might be attributed to superior medical skills, but this purification talisman is a genuine celestial magic, and there's no room for faking it.
Zhu Houcong no longer hesitated and immediately proclaimed, "Master Zhao's Taoist arts are profound and mysterious, truly a blessing to our Great Ming Dynasty. Today, I bestow upon you the title of 'True Man of Pure Mystery,' grant you residence in the Longevity Palace of the Western Garden, and bestow upon you a brocade robe!"
"Yes, sir," Huang Jin replied hastily.
"You personally escort Master Qingxuan to the Longevity Palace to rest. Give the order that he be treated with utmost care and that there be no slightest negligence," Zhu Houcong solemnly instructed.
Huang Jin respectfully replied, "This servant obeys!"
"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."
Zhao Yu bowed slightly to Zhu Houcong, expressing his gratitude for the reward.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
This first step was finally successful. Next, all that was left was for Zhu Houcong to issue an edict, ordering all the civil and military officials to obediently deliver the grain to his door.