Ming Dynasty: I risked my life to teach the prince, the emperor begged me not to die

Chapter 564 Li Dongyang becomes official

It's April on earth, and the grass is green all the way to the sky.

In April of the 17th year of the Hongzhi reign, Li Dongyang submitted his first memorial requesting retirement due to his old age and illness. The Hongzhi Emperor immediately rejected it and said a lot of things in a very eloquent way, hoping that Li Dongyang would stay and continue to help the Ming Dynasty with all his heart.

Of course, these were all put on a show for others to see. It was impossible that Li Dongyang would propose retirement and then Emperor Hongzhi would agree to his resignation.

For all officials, this would make them think that Emperor Hongzhi had a conflict with the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, and Emperor Hongzhi did not want to bear the blame.

During this period, Zhu Houzhao was still busy reviewing memorials and handling government affairs.

Emperor Hongzhi has been resting and recuperating. Today, he took Huai'en out of the palace to see Chen Ce.

Huai En was also feeling unhappy. As the close companion of Emperor Hongzhi, he had been with Emperor Hongzhi since he was a child. Now Emperor Hongzhi was seriously ill and would not live long. How could Huai En feel good about it?

His emperor has never had a good life. When he was born, he had to be on guard against Concubine Wan. When he ascended the throne, he was bullied by civil officials. Now that he has finally taken power, his body can no longer bear the burden.

Chen Ce sat in a wheelchair on the bank of the Yongding River, holding a fishing rod in his hand, and Emperor Hongzhi sat beside him.

The king and his minister were just the same as when they first met here, the difference was that they were both in good health then, but now they were about to leave this world together.

"The wind is strong today and the waves on the water make it impossible to see the fishing line clearly." Emperor Hongzhi smiled bitterly.

This weather is not good for fishermen.

Chen Ce smiled and said, "Why didn't I see any waves on the water? I think the water surface is very calm."

Emperor Hongzhi was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, "You little brat! The first time I saw you was also here. There were no waves on the Yongding River, but you told me that there were undercurrents."

"Now there are waves on the water, and you tell me that there are no waves on the water... You have said everything, good and bad."

Chen Ce smiled broadly and said to Emperor Hongzhi: "Is it because Your Majesty has governed the Ming Dynasty so well?"

"Your Majesty, how is your health?" Chen Ce asked a little seriously.

Emperor Hongzhi sighed, "Liu Wentai told me that things are getting worse!"

"I asked him to give me an estimate of the time. He didn't dare to say it explicitly, but he mentioned you. I can guess that his general meaning is that it is about the same as yours."

"Chun Jian, Li Dongyang came to me today to talk about retirement. Did you tell him?"

Chen Ce said: "I didn't say it explicitly, but I gave him a hint. I believe that Lord Li is not a fool and will not spread the emperor's situation..."

"Your Majesty, you still have to tell the Crown Prince and the Queen about these things, so that they can be mentally prepared."

Emperor Hongzhi shook his head and said, "Tell them later. I am the emperor. If my condition could still be saved, I would have treated it long ago."

"Even if I tell them, they are still helpless. Hou Zhao is now learning to handle state affairs, and I cannot let him be distracted."

"Fei Hong hasn't come up yet. I plan to tell him about my physical condition after I have arranged everything for the court."

"That way, even if he can be absent from government affairs for a few days, it will not affect the situation of the Ming Dynasty."

Chen Ce nodded. This was good. It would make Zhu Houzhao sad later. But sooner or later, he would have to complete the transformation from a boy to a man. Emperor Hongzhi looked at Chen Ce and sighed, "Don't worry about me. How about you? How are you doing recently?"

Chen Ce looked at himself and said to Emperor Hongzhi: "Your Majesty, you are asking even though you know the answer. If you were in good health, would you still sit in a wheelchair like a disabled person?"

Emperor Hongzhi: “…”

"I think you are in a good mood."

Chen Ce said: "It's not good, but it won't change anything. It's better to face life and death calmly."

Emperor Hongzhi smiled and said, "I should learn from your mentality."

After a moment of silence, Emperor Hongzhi continued: "After Li Dongyang leaves, Fei Hong will come up, and the cabinet is still short of one person..."

Chen Ce said: "Let's keep a crown prince and let him decide who to submit to the cabinet."

"The Imperial Household Department also needs to be adjusted."

Emperor Hongzhi was stunned for a moment and asked, "Liu Jin?"

Chen Ce hummed and said, "Liu Jin should be able to help the prince block the attacks of the outer court officials. He is not a good person, but he is loyal to the prince. It is also a good thing to let him take charge of the Imperial Household Department as soon as possible. The civil officials will always be afraid of the eunuchs. Previously, the emperor wanted to let Li Guang go in to fight against the civil officials... Well, this is my guess."

Emperor Hongzhi glanced at him and said, "I am not surprised that you said this. Yes, I originally wanted Li Guang to join the Imperial Household Department to help me fight against the civil officials, but Li Guang is timid and does not covet power... Well, you are right, we should find someone for the prince who can fight against the civil officials, and let him bear all the blame in the future."

The eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty generally had a bad reputation. To put it bluntly, they were all taking the blame for the emperor. Emperor Chongzhen did not understand the actions of his ancestors and killed Wei Zhongxian. As a result, he had no one he could trust and no one could help him make money and take the blame.

But then again, Chen Ce has already defined the political and economic framework for the Ming Dynasty, especially the economy. As long as there is no foolish emperor, the Ming Dynasty should not collapse.

Moreover, Zhu Houzhao has married early now, and he may not give up the throne to Jiajing in the future. History may take a different path under Chen Ce's guidance.

Chen Ce smiled and said to Emperor Hongzhi: "Hurry up and let the prince give birth to a son, so that I will have no regrets."

Emperor Hongzhi said with a smile: "Wait until your son grows up and continue to train Houzhao's son? Well, I think it's okay!"

"But you have to train your son well! If he can have your talent, the future of our Ming Dynasty will be smoother!"

Chen Ce smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, please don't make fun of me. Even if I want to, I am powerless... Well, there is still one hidden danger in the Ming Dynasty, and I am still worried."

"Northern Xinjiang? Mongols?"

"It's not easy to solve a problem that has not been solved for hundreds of years, unless we kill them all. Emperor Taizong has worked hard for his whole life but has not achieved his goal. Let's not bother with it. As long as we defend the nine borders, the Mongols will not be able to enter the Ming Dynasty."

Chen Ce shook his head and said, "Not necessarily. Even a powerful man like Emperor Yongle would never have thought that Emperor Yingzong would appear and almost lead to the demise of the Ming Dynasty."

"If I can still hold on... I will find a way to stabilize the situation in the north, just like what happened in Liaodong, so that it will not pose any threat to Ming in the future."

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Chen Ce in shock and asked, "Can you do it?"

Chen Ce shook his head and said, "I don't know. I'm still thinking about it. If I hadn't died so early, maybe I would have thought of it?"

(End of this chapter)