My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

However, he was quite old, and his panicked state of mind made his movements somewhat slow and stiff.

Just as his knees were about to bend, Zhu Cilang stepped forward, reached out and firmly supported his arms, and said with a gentle smile:
"Grand Secretary Xue, there's no need for such formalities. It's freezing cold, and you're getting on in years and your legs aren't strong enough. These empty formalities are unnecessary. In the future, when we meet in private, there's no need for such a grand ceremony."

Zhu Cilang’s words, though spoken casually, immediately warmed Xue Guoguan’s heart, mixed with a feeling of being flattered and excited.

He bowed quickly and said:

"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your kindness! Your Majesty's concern is overwhelming! Please, Your Majesty, come inside and have some tea. It is freezing outside, and we must not let Your Majesty's precious body get cold."

Zhu Cilang smiled and, surrounded by Xue Guoguan and a group of trembling servants who dared not utter a sound, entered the Xue residence.

Xue Guoguan knew that the Crown Prince's late-night visit must have something important to discuss, and it was very likely related to the memorial submitted by the cabinet during the day. So he led Zhu Cilang directly to the most secluded and safe study.

The study in the Xue family mansion was decorated quite elegantly, with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on all four walls, filled with all kinds of thread-bound books, and the air was filled with a faint scent of books and ink.

A large brass charcoal brazier was burning brightly, the red embers radiating a warm glow, a stark contrast to the icy, snowy landscape outside.

After the maid served two steaming cups of the finest Longjing tea, she quietly withdrew and gently closed the door, leaving only Zhu Cilang and Xue Guoguan in the study.

Zhu Cilang picked up his teacup, gently blew away the floating leaves, and took a sip of the warm tea. A warm sensation slid down his throat, dispelling the chill he had brought from outside.

He put down his teacup, calmly looked at Xue Guoguan, whose expression was slightly reserved, and asked directly:

"Grand Secretary Xue, you can probably guess why I've come here tonight in the snow, can you?"

Xue Guoguan quickly bowed and replied:
"Your Highness, this old minister dares to speculate that it is related to the matter presented by the Cabinet today regarding the selection of the chief examiner for the Guiwei imperial examination?"

Zhu Cilang nodded, his finger lightly tapping the smooth rosewood armrest of the chair, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry:

"That's right. I did read the memorial and I do have some doubts. As far as I know, the Grand Secretary doesn't seem to be very popular in court, does he?"

"If that's the case, why did the other cabinet ministers and even several ministers from the Six Ministries unanimously recommend you, Grand Secretary, to be the chief examiner?"

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not questioning whether the Grand Secretary's talent and qualifications are insufficient for the position. It's just that I feel that, according to common sense, they shouldn't be so humble in giving you such a cushy job. Is there some other reason behind this?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Guoguan gave a helpless, bitter smile.

He had planned to wait until a suitable time to subtly express his intention to retire to the Crown Prince, but he never expected that the Crown Prince would come to his residence tonight.

Now that things have come to this, continuing to conceal it would only seem pretentious and might even arouse the Crown Prince's suspicion.

He could only sigh softly and decide to tell the whole story.

"Your Highness is discerning, and this old minister dares not conceal anything."

"The reason for this is that a few days ago, when I was on duty in the cabinet, I told several colleagues that after the successful completion of the Guiwei imperial examination and the smooth opening of the sea, I planned to submit a memorial to Your Majesty and Your Highness requesting to retire and return to my hometown."

"Therefore, this old minister proposed to his colleagues that he wish to preside over one last imperial examination before retiring, so as to select a group of capable talents for our Great Ming Dynasty and for Your Highness's future grand plans."

"This move can be considered an explanation of my decades of official career. I also have a personal motive: to gain a posthumous reputation for 'selecting talents for the country'."

"Perhaps my colleagues have chosen me out of consideration for my many years of hard work and my impending departure, thus fulfilling my last wish."

"That is the reason for the matter. I hope Your Highness will understand."

So this is ah!

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang suddenly understood, and the doubts in his heart were instantly resolved.

It turns out that Xue Guoguan exchanged his impending retirement for the opportunity to serve as the chief examiner, which is in line with the usual practices and social customs of officialdom.

However, after understanding the reason, Zhu Cilang felt an indescribable sense of disappointment.

He truly hadn't expected that Xue Guoguan, whom he considered a capable and experienced veteran, would have considered retiring so early.

Keep in mind that he is not even sixty years old this year. In this era, although he is not considered young, he is definitely not considered old either.

Many affairs in the court require the presence and coordination of an experienced minister like him who is familiar with political affairs and can understand one's intentions.

If he were to leave now, it would undoubtedly be a significant loss.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang composed himself, his expression becoming serious. He looked at Xue Guoguan and said earnestly:

"Grand Secretary Xue, I understand your intentions. If you wish to take the position of chief examiner, I grant it."

He then changed the subject.

"As for your retirement and return to your hometown, let's put it aside for now and not rush it."

"You are not yet sixty years old this year, far from being eighty. The court is currently in a period of great turmoil, with everything in need of rebuilding and many new policies just beginning. It is precisely the time when people are needed."

"Both the Empress and the Emperor still need to rely on experienced and wise ministers like you. Without you in charge of the court, many things will inevitably encounter complications, and it will be more difficult to implement them."

Zhu Cilang's words were reasonable and justifiable, both in terms of public and private matters.

However, Xue Guoguan heard this and the bitterness on his face grew even stronger.

He remained silent for a moment before raising his head, his eyes glistening with tears, and his voice slightly hoarse.
"Your Highness's trust and entreaty to stay have moved this old minister to tears. Even if I were to give my life, I could not repay even a fraction of your kindness."

"Your Highness may not know this, but although I may not seem very old, I have experienced far too many trials and tribulations over the past few decades."

"Especially, especially that undeserved disaster in the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign."

When the phrase "the fourteenth year of Chongzhen" was mentioned, Xue Guoguan's voice noticeably lowered, even trembling slightly, and a shadow of lingering fear crossed his face.

That year, he was framed by his political enemies and dismissed from his post by Emperor Chongzhen in a fit of rage, nearly losing his life.

Although he was later exonerated, the experience of falling from grace, suffering humiliation, and living in constant fear had left an indelible scar on his heart.

He then continued, his voice filled with exhaustion.

"That calamity had already exhausted most of the old minister's spirit."

"To be honest, Your Highness, even today, I am often awakened by nightmares in the dead of night, drenched in cold sweat. Every time I think of them, I feel a chill run down my spine." "If I had truly committed a capital offense, I would have nothing to say, but I was framed!"

"The intrigue and treacherous nature of the court has left this old minister utterly exhausted and weary. I only wish to die peacefully, and that will be enough for me."

Upon hearing Xue Guoguan's words, which were almost a heartfelt confession, Zhu Cilang was speechless and did not know how to respond.

He certainly knew what Xue Guoguan was referring to.

In the original history, Xue Guoguan was executed during the political turmoil of the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign.

It was his time travel that changed Xue Guoguan's fate, allowing him to live to this day.

However, the extreme fear of having just escaped death, and the physical and mental exhaustion brought about by the infighting in officialdom, were clearly deeply imprinted on the soul of this old minister, and could not be eliminated by simple appeasement and attempts to retain him.

Moreover, he was framed, and given his high position and status as a member of the emperor's faction, he absolutely should not have been treated this way!

A brief silence fell over the study, broken only by the soft crackling of the burning charcoal in the brazier.

The snow outside the window seems to be falling even harder.

Zhu Cilang looked at the empire's prime minister, who looked haggard and seemed to have aged several years in an instant, and felt a mix of emotions.

Hey!
He was silent for a moment, then finally sighed softly and said in a gentle tone:
"Grand Secretary Xue, the past is the past. In recent years, the court was rife with factionalism and infighting, and there were countless instances of framing and infighting. As you held a high position, you inevitably became the target of everyone's criticism."

"That time, you were indeed greatly wronged. It was Father Emperor who wronged you, allowing an old minister like you to be unjustly accused."

Upon hearing this, Xue Guoguan immediately bowed, his voice growing even lower and hoarse:

"Your Highness is too kind. This old minister dares not complain of being wronged. Thunder and rain are all blessings from Heaven. It is just that after that incident, my mind and spirit were severely damaged, as if I had been seriously ill. My body has completely collapsed and I can hardly recover to my former state."

He raised his slightly trembling hand and pointed to a still-warm porcelain bowl placed in the corner of the desk.

"To be honest, Your Highness, even now, if I don't drink a few cups of ginseng soup every day to keep my spirits up, I can hardly fall asleep. At night, the slightest noise will startle me awake. The imperial physician has also repeatedly advised me to calm down and recuperate, and not to overexert myself."

He looked earnestly at Zhu Cilang, his words becoming increasingly sincere, even tinged with a touch of sorrow.

"Your Highness, this old minister's request is by no means an attempt to shirk responsibility. It is simply that this frail body can no longer bear the heavy burden of the chief minister's duties."

"If I force myself to continue, I fear I might suddenly die in office one day, which would only delay the affairs of the country."

"If Your Highness would be so kind as to grant this old minister permission to retire and return to his hometown, to find a beautiful place to recuperate, perhaps... perhaps I could live a few more years and witness the peaceful and prosperous era that Your Highness has created."

"This old minister is utterly loyal and devoted to the country and its people. I beg Your Highness to grant my request!"

When he got emotional, Xue Guoguan pushed back his chair and tremblingly prepared to kneel and bow to Zhu Cilang.

"It doesn't have to be this way!"

Zhu Cilang offered a slight gesture to help him up, but Xue Guoguan insisted on kneeling down.

This time, Zhu Cilang did not immediately help him up, but instead took the opportunity to carefully examine the old minister in front of him.

Under the candlelight, Xue Guoguan's hair was completely white, like snow on a winter roof without a trace of other colors. The deep wrinkles on his face were as if carved by a knife and axe, recording countless days and nights of painstaking effort and thrilling court turmoil.

His back was slightly hunched, and he was thin; his clothes looked somewhat loose on him.

This hardly resembles someone who is only sixty years old, a time when a politician should be in his prime. He clearly looks like an octogenarian in his twilight years.

Zhu Cilang was shocked, and his last remaining doubts vanished.

Xue Guoguan was not lying. The political disaster that nearly took his life not only destroyed his health but also greatly depleted his vitality.

Considering the confidential reports on Xue Guoguan's health submitted regularly by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Imperial Medical Academy, it is true that he needed to seek medical treatment and take medicine every few days, with a constant supply of herbal decoctions.

All of this confirms his statement at this moment.

His health was indeed no longer sufficient to support him in continuing to serve as Grand Secretary!

Looking at Xue Guoguan kneeling on the ground, Zhu Cilang felt a complex mix of emotions, including a touch of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion) and a hint of barely perceptible guilt.

Xue Guoguan may not have been the most capable man, and his political acumen may not have been comparable to those of the most influential prime ministers in history, but his loyalty to the Ming Dynasty and the Zhu family emperors was unwavering and beyond question.

Even in the original historical trajectory, his ultimate fate was to be killed precisely because of his loyalty to Emperor Chongzhen.

It is truly regrettable that Chongzhen failed to protect such a loyal minister and instead discarded him like a worn-out shoe at a crucial moment.

But when it comes to himself, facing an old minister who is physically and mentally exhausted and determined to leave, if he tries to retain him by force or even coerce him with power, how is he any different from Emperor Chongzhen at that time?
Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang sighed helplessly in his heart.

He personally helped Xue Guoguan up, helped him sit back in his chair, and said in a calm tone:
"Grand Secretary Xue, I understand your predicament. Since you have made up your mind and your health is indeed a concern, it would be unreasonable for me to force you to stay and work in the court."

"I grant your request to retire and return to your hometown on behalf of my father."

Upon hearing this, Xue Guoguan's eyes flashed with a look of relief. He hurriedly tried to get up to express his gratitude, but Zhu Cilang stopped him with a gesture.

Zhu Cilang changed the subject, his gaze sharpening.

"But, Your Excellency, have you ever considered that after you relinquish your heavy responsibility as Grand Secretary and return to your hometown in glory, who in the court is qualified to take on this important task and share the burden with me and the Emperor?"

"After much thought, I have looked around the court and found that there are very few people like you who are both familiar with government affairs and whom I can trust and rely on. I cannot think of a suitable candidate for the time being."

Zhu Cilang's words, seemingly a question, actually contained multiple layers of profound meaning.

On the surface, it was an affirmation of Xue Guoguan's abilities and importance, and an expression of reluctance to let him go. On a deeper level, it was a test of Xue Guoguan's political attitude and loyalty to him.

The subtext of the phrase "so that I can rely on you with peace of mind" is that the successor needs to be like Xue Guoguan, a staunch "imperial party member," a core member who can stand unreservedly on the side of the emperor and him, the crown prince.

Other cabinet ministers and ministers may be capable and loyal to the Ming Dynasty, but their loyalty may be more inclined towards the interests of the court itself or the scholar-official group, rather than focusing entirely on imperial power.

This is different from the "one of his own" that Zhu Cilang needed.

Having navigated the ups and downs of officialdom for decades, how could Xue Guoguan not understand the implied meaning?
He seemed to have given this considerable thought, and did not show much surprise. (End of Chapter)