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

However, Zhu Cilang did not want to engage in pointless debate at this moment, so he changed to a more practical and realistic approach.

"Your Majesty understands your concerns. In fact, Your Majesty need not worry too much. Even if the two of them are fortunate enough to stand out in the provincial and palace examinations next spring and pass the imperial examinations, given their special backgrounds, it will probably be difficult for them to truly integrate into the central government."

"The most likely scenario is that, as is customary, they will be transferred to local areas to serve as grassroots officials such as county magistrates."

"Moreover, to be on the safe side, they may be directly sent back to Liaodong to take up their posts, so that they can use their status and knowledge to appease and govern the local people of various ethnic groups."

"In this way, their talents were utilized while avoiding potential criticism and inconvenience in the court."

Zhu Cilang's words were indeed true, and he also took into full account the practical obstacles.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen's tense expression eased slightly, and he nodded thoughtfully.

Because this is indeed a relatively compromise and feasible solution.

Keeping these people under one's nose is indeed unsettling, but if they were placed in distant Liaodong, it would demonstrate the court's "magnanimity" and "educational achievements," without having a substantial impact on the central government, and it would be acceptable on the surface.

As for selecting them as the top three scholars (first, second, and third place)? That's absolutely impossible!
Since ancient times, when has a "barbarian" ever ranked among the top three in the Chinese imperial examinations?
Emperor Chongzhen still had his pride; he couldn't bear to lose face like that!

Looking at Chongzhen's expression, Zhu Cilang knew that he had basically accepted his argument, and at least was no longer as vehemently opposed as he had been at the beginning.

He also knew that changing mindsets takes time and requires more facts to subtly influence people.

Perhaps in the future, as more and more students from Liaodong return to the country, a Jurchen scholar with such outstanding talent that no one can ignore him will emerge, but that's all in the future.

Inside the warm pavilion of Kunning Palace, charcoal fires burned quietly, and a faint scent of ambergris filled the air.

The conversation between Zhu Cilang and Chongzhen regarding the Jurchen students and Hong Chengchou came to a temporary end, and Chongzhen's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.

Suddenly, Zhu Cilang seemed to remember something important, and he looked up at Chongzhen and said:

"By the way, Father, there is one more thing that I think I should report to you, which concerns Xue Guoguan."

Emperor Chongzhen was just about to drink a cup of warm tea when he heard this. He paused slightly, looked up at Zhu Cilang with a somewhat bewildered expression, and asked in confusion:
"Xue Guoguan? What happened to him?"

Zhu Cilang said:

"Grand Secretary Xue recently revealed to his son that he intends to retire and return to his hometown."

"Moreover, he strongly recommended to me that Hong Chengchou, who had just been exonerated, should take over the position of Grand Secretary after he stepped down."

What? Retiring to one's hometown?
Upon hearing this, Chongzhen frowned deeply, his face filled with confusion and astonishment. He slammed the teacup back onto the saucer on the kang table with a soft "click".

"Xue Guoguan is only fifty-seven years old this year, not yet sixty, and he looks quite healthy. He should be serving the country right now. Why does he want to resign and return to his hometown so soon?"

"I believe he can serve for at least another five or ten years! The position of Grand Secretary is so important; how can he be easily resigned?"

Clearly, Emperor Chongzhen did not intend to let Xue Guoguan retire to his hometown so easily.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang felt a sense of helplessness. He first gave Chongzhen a disapproving look, then bluntly stated:
"Father, do you really not understand why Grand Secretary Xue has decided to retire? Ultimately, isn't this caused by your own actions back then?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen's old face immediately turned red, clearly indicating that he had also thought of the past incident where Xue Guoguan had been wrongly accused.

Meanwhile, Zhu Cilang continued speaking.

"Have you forgotten? Just two years ago, because Grand Secretary Xue was framed by a villain and made a trivial mistake, you threw him into prison without even asking what happened, and even wanted to issue an edict to kill him!"

"What a heavy blow this must have been for a loyal and devoted old minister who considered himself utterly loyal to the court and the emperor!"

"What's more, he's a member of the imperial faction!"

Zhu Cilang's tone became more forceful:

"Although Xue Guoguan was fortunate enough to save his life and official position after that imprisonment, he suffered great physical and mental damage."

"He seemed to have aged more than twenty years overnight; his temples were almost completely white, and his spirit was not as good as before."

"According to the secret reports from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he now has to drink a calming medicine every night before going to sleep, and he is often awakened by nightmares in the middle of the night. His health is deteriorating day by day."

"After examining him, the imperial physician said that he was overthinking and his heart energy was depleted. If he continued to work like this, he probably wouldn't live for more than a few years."

"And isn't all of this ultimately due to your extreme distrust of him and your almost heartless treatment of him back then, Father?"

Zhu Cilang stared intently at Chongzhen, whose face was gradually turning grim, and finally concluded with an almost incisive observation:
"If Your Majesty had placed basic trust in Grand Secretary Xue back then, and had been able to overcome public opinion, investigate the truth, and protect him, why would he have been so exhausted that he had to consider retiring to his hometown to preserve his remaining years?"

Zhu Cilang's merciless words made Chongzhen's face turn pale and then red, and he felt a strong sense of guilt.

He couldn't help but recall the scene when he dealt with Xue Guoguan. He had indeed been misled by some eunuchs and officials with ulterior motives and believed their slander. He felt that Xue Guoguan had deceived the emperor and betrayed his trust. In his anger, he made such a harsh decision.

However, it was later proven that although Xue Guoguan did have some unclear financial matters, the main charge was indeed a frame-up.

Emperor Chongzhen himself was not stupid. He knew that very few civil and military officials in the Ming Dynasty could remain absolutely clean in the corrupt officialdom. Xue Guoguan's "petty corruption" was nothing compared to that of many other officials.

Now that his son has reopened old wounds in front of him, he feels utterly ashamed.

"Ugh"

After a moment, Chongzhen sighed deeply, his voice becoming somewhat hoarse. He waved his hand weakly and said dejectedly:
"So be it. Since he is determined to leave and his body is indeed unable to bear the burden, let him go. There is no point in forcing him to stay."

After a pause, Chongzhen continued to ask:

"However, can Hong Chengchou really shoulder such a heavy responsibility as the Grand Secretary? I know he is good at military affairs and has a knack for governing local areas, but the central government is of utmost importance."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang immediately nodded in affirmation and replied:
"Father, rest assured, I have confidence in Hong Chengchou's ability and loyalty. He has been in charge of the frontier for a long time, is knowledgeable in military and civil affairs, and is calm and capable, making him more than qualified for the position."

"However, as Grand Secretary Xue has worried, a sudden promotion to a high position may attract criticism, and he also needs time to become familiar with central affairs. Therefore, my suggestion is to first let him enter the cabinet to assist in important matters and gain experience. After he becomes familiar with the situation and establishes prestige, he can then be promoted to Grand Secretary."

Emperor Chongzhen found this gradual approach quite prudent and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, this arrangement is excellent." After finishing their business, the father and son briefly discussed the year-end sacrifices, the arrangements for the Emperor's birthday celebration, and some other less important government affairs.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhu Cilang got up to take his leave.

Emperor Chongzhen simply waved his hand to signal him to leave, without saying anything more.

Once Zhu Cilang's footsteps disappeared outside Kunning Palace, silence returned to the warm pavilion.

Emperor Chongzhen sat alone on the heated kang, staring blankly at the gray sky outside the window and the glistening icicles under the palace eaves.

Xue Guoguan's haggard face and Zhu Cilang's insightful words kept swirling in his mind.

He was not actually a harsh and ungrateful ruler, but rather impatient and easily deceived. Now that he had calmed down, he recalled Xue Guoguan's diligent assistance over the years, and thought about how Xue Guoguan had suffered physical and mental damage due to his own mistakes and had to retire and return to his hometown. His sense of guilt grew stronger.

After a long silence, Chongzhen suddenly raised his head and called out in a louder voice towards the outside of the hall:

"Big companion!"

Wang Chengen, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, who had been standing guard under the eaves outside the palace gate, stamping his feet to keep warm, immediately jogged in upon hearing the sound and bowed in response:
"Yes, Your Majesty. What are your orders?"

Emperor Chongzhen hesitated for a moment, then said in a somewhat complicated tone:
"Go to the imperial treasury, carefully select some fine silks, satins, and precious objects, and withdraw another 50,000 taels of silver to send to Xue Guoguan's residence."

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengen's face immediately showed a look of great surprise, as if he were completely baffled.

Emperor Chongzhen was known for his frugality, even to the point of being stingy. He was extremely cautious in rewarding his ministers and had never been so generous before, let alone given 50,000 taels of silver.

He cautiously confirmed:
"Your Majesty, are you saying you'll reward Grand Secretary Xue with fine silks, precious objects, and 50,000 taels of silver?"

"Ah."

Chongzhen responded affirmatively, his face expressionless, and then added:
"Just send the things over; there's no need to say anything else."

Although Wang Chengen was full of doubts, he dared not ask any further questions and quickly bowed in response:
"The slaves obey the order."

He then withdrew to prepare for this sudden and extraordinary reward.

That afternoon, a rather eye-catching procession set off from the palace, crossed the snow-covered streets of the capital, and arrived at the gate of Xue Guoguan's residence.

The leader was Wang Chengen, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, who was wearing a scarlet python robe and holding a whisk. Behind him were more than a dozen eunuchs and guards carrying several heavy red lacquered wooden boxes.

When the gatekeeper of the Xue residence saw such a scene, especially recognizing Wang Chengen, he was so frightened that he scrambled inside to report.

Xue Guoguan, who was taking a nap in his study, was immediately astonished upon hearing the news and hurriedly straightened his clothes to come out and greet him.

Why would Wang Chengen come here out of the blue?

When he arrived at the gate of the mansion and saw Wang Chengen and the boxes behind him sealed with imperial treasury seals, he was so surprised that he was speechless.

Wang Chengen stepped forward, his high-pitched voice tinged with laughter:

"Grand Secretary Xue, receive the imperial decree; the Emperor has bestowed a reward upon you!"

Xue Guoguan immediately knelt down to pay his respects, and Wang Chengen unfolded a simple list of rewards and began to call out the names:
"Bestow upon the imperial treasury ten bolts of Yun brocade, ten bolts of Shu brocade, twenty bolts of Hangzhou silk of various colors, a pair of jade ruyi, two pairs of official kiln blue and white plum vases, and a set of sandalwood inlaid with precious stones."

"Bestow upon him 50,000 taels of silver!"

For each song performed, a eunuch would open the corresponding box to display it or bring it forward.

Especially when the gleaming white silver, a full fifty thousand taels of official silver, was displayed before his eyes, Xue Guoguan was so shocked that he was dumbfounded and his mind went blank!
It is well known that Emperor Chongzhen was always stingy and extremely reluctant to reward his ministers. What's wrong with him today?
The sun comes out in the west?

Such a generous reward is simply unheard of!

Countless questions and speculations surged in Xue Guoguan's mind, and he even felt a little uneasy.

Could this be a trap set by Emperor Chongzhen?
He forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and hurriedly kowtowed, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly:

"This old minister thanks Your Majesty for your great favor! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"

After bowing, he stood up and couldn't help but lean closer to Wang Chengen, lowering his voice to ask:
"Eunuch Wang, what is going on? Why has His Majesty suddenly bestowed such a generous gift upon this old minister? I have not performed any outstanding service recently!"

Wang Chengen had anticipated this question, and maintaining a professional smile, he replied in an official tone:

"Grand Secretary Xue, you are being too polite. His Majesty's reward to his subjects is naturally out of consideration for your merits and hard work. As for the specific reasons, how dare a servant like me speculate on His Majesty's intentions? In any case, His Majesty personally instructed me to deliver these things, so please accept them with peace of mind and express your gratitude to the Emperor."

His words were perfectly watertight, offending no one while revealing absolutely no real reason.

Subsequently, these generous rewards were carefully carried into the Xue family mansion by the servants.

Having completed his mission, Wang Chengen should have taken his leave to return to the palace to report, but Xue Guoguan warmly urged him to stay:
"Eunuch Wang, you've made a long journey in this freezing weather. Please come in and have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself before you leave."

Wang Chengen understood that Xue Guoguan wanted to ask him something privately, or at least express his feelings.

Not wanting to offend the Grand Secretary, he smiled and said:
"Then we'll trouble you, Elder Xue, for a cup of tea."

The two sat down in the living room, where a servant served them fragrant tea.

Xue Guoguan first chatted for a few minutes, then seemingly casually probed:
"Eunuch Wang, did His Majesty say anything special before sending these gifts? Or did he see anyone today?"

Wang Chengen picked up his teacup, gently blew on it, took a small sip, and then slowly replied:

"Grand Secretary Xue, to be honest, His Majesty did speak with His Highness the Crown Prince in the warm pavilion for a while before he gave me his instructions."

"As for the specifics of what was said, I was standing outside the palace at the time, and I was too far away to hear clearly, so I dare not speculate."

He spoke very skillfully, both highlighting the key information and absolving himself of responsibility.

As for the meeting between Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang, it wasn't a big deal. It wouldn't matter if Xue Guoguan knew, after all, he was the Grand Secretary and a member of the Emperor's faction! (End of Chapter)