Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 28 I cannot do without Zhang Juzheng

Kunning Palace.

The emperor walked hurriedly and barged straight into the palace. The palace maids and eunuchs were already used to the emperor's behavior in Kunning Palace.

A palace maid hurriedly went to inform Empress Wang to come and receive the emperor.

There was no need to announce it; upon hearing the commotion outside, Empress Wang knew that the Emperor, this "uninvited guest," had arrived again.

The emperor still prefers to have heart-to-heart talks with Empress Wang, even though there are quite a few concubines in the harem. This shows that Empress Wang is more understanding of the emperor than the other concubines.

Of course, all of this will change after Consort Zheng enters the palace.

At this moment, Empress Wang was still enjoying the emperor's favor and was naturally radiant. Just as she was about to go out, she saw that the emperor had already entered the warm room.

Emperor Wanli took a deep breath. The scent of ambergris in the room, combined with the woman's unique fragrance, made him feel refreshed and even better.

He disregarded the emperor's dignity and addressed the empress three times.

"How delightful!"

These three shouts were clearly the pent-up frustration that Emperor Wanli had been holding in for a long time, and now that he had shouted them out, it was as if he had finally released the pent-up anger in his chest.

The Empress didn't quite understand; there was clearly some misunderstanding. Her face flushed, and she lowered her head as she spoke.

"What do you mean by 'how delightful', Your Majesty?"

Emperor Wanli offered an awkward explanation.

"Your Majesty, you misunderstand. It's not that kind of delightful feeling."

He pulled the Empress to sit on the sandalwood couch and spoke with great enthusiasm.

"It's a pity you didn't see the faces of those officials; I did see them at today's court assembly."

Immediately afterwards, Emperor Wanli recounted to Empress Wang everything that had happened in the court that day.

When Empress Wang heard that Zhang Yunxiu had slapped Wei Yunzhen across the face, she was startled and covered her mouth as she spoke.

"How dare Zhang Shiyuan be so audacious as to strike even a censor of the imperial court?"

This happened in the main hall. The last time officials fought in the main hall was during the reign of Emperor Yingzong. After the Tumu Crisis, the officials beat Wang Zhen's followers to death in the court.

Empress Wang's surprised reaction made Emperor Wanli feel even more pleased; he did not think Zhang Yunxiu was being rebellious.

On the contrary, Emperor Wanli felt that Zhang Yunxiu was helping him vent his anger!

"Well done! Zhang Shiyuan is not being reckless; he is sharing the emperor's burdens! Those censors and officials all claim to be upright and honest, but in reality, they are all doing the work of traitors and rebels."

This newspaper aims to show the world the true colors of those who seek fame and fortune through purported integrity!
If we don't curb their arrogance, these people will soon forget who truly holds the reins of power in the Ming Dynasty!

If he could, Emperor Wanli would have liked to kick Wei Yunzhen a couple of times, but as the emperor, he simply couldn't bring himself to do so.

In the past, when Emperor Wanli faced these upright officials, he was always extremely cautious, yet he was still met with impeachment and abuse.

However, Emperor Wanli could not overreact. Although he was angry, he had to suppress it and create the image of a wise ruler who readily accepted advice.

These people weren't even afraid of Emperor Wanli's grandfather, Emperor Jiajing, let alone the young emperor he had watched grow up.

It wasn't just Zhang Juzheng; it seemed that anyone in the court could lecture the emperor.

This situation clearly caused the emperor to harbor resentment for a long time, and today's court session was merely the first time this grievance had been unleashed.

Empress Wang saw through the emperor's thoughts and nodded in agreement.

"Zhang Shiyuan may seem a bit absurd, but he always considers His Majesty's feelings, which makes him much better than those ministers."

"It's more than just a little better," the Wanli Emperor said smugly, picking up a piece of dried persimmon from the candy and putting it in his mouth.

“Zhang Shiyuan is different from his father. The Grand Secretary is too conventional, but Zhang Shiyuan is different. Today at the court meeting, he scolded Wei Yunzhen so badly that he had a lot of reasons and evidence. His article ‘On Reforming the Native Chieftain System’ made all the attacks on me by the Qing officials a joke!”

Emperor Wanli said with great enthusiasm, "Using the method of 'pure stream' to force them to obey is much more comfortable than beating them in court. I wish the court was full of close confidants like Zhang Yunxiu!"

"Your Majesty previously mentioned that Zhang Yunxiu had planned ahead?" Empress Wang asked with some doubt.

Emperor Wanli nodded and said, "I asked Zhang Banban to send a message to Zhang Shiyuan, telling him to make sure the newspaper continues. He then wrote a long passage analyzing the possible situations in the court, saying that if such a dispute arises, he can be summoned to court in the next few days."

I almost thought he was deceiving me, but I didn't expect him to actually have a brilliant plan!
From today onwards, those upright officials who dare to speak out should quiet down considerably!

Empress Wang covered her mouth and laughed, "Zhang Shiyuan is truly resourceful."

"He's not just resourceful, he's full of cunning ideas," the Wanli Emperor immediately declared, recounting them as if they were his own treasures. "Empress, you don't know, he used to be my study companion..."

Emperor Wanli clearly cherished that childhood experience, as he spoke of it with a smile.

Empress Wang listened attentively to the emperor's story, occasionally offering appropriate comments, which greatly satisfied the emperor's desire to share.

As he was speaking, the Wanli Emperor suddenly stopped and pondered.

“Zhang Shiyuan really helped me vent my anger this time, but he also offended the court officials to death. Fortunately, his father is the Grand Secretary, so no one dares to touch him. But I still have to reward him in some way so that the officials will not lose heart.”

Emperor Wanli naturally understood the importance of winning over trusted confidants, and now Zhang Yunxiu was considered one of his own.

"Empress, what do you think I should reward him with? As is customary, it would be good for officials without official titles to be granted positions such as the Imperial Seal Office, Imperial Guard, or Wenhua Hall through imperial favor."

The Empress shook her head: "Zhang Shiyuan has become the target of public criticism this time. If His Majesty is in a hurry to grant him an official position, it will probably arouse the dissatisfaction of the officials, which may not be a good thing for Zhang Shiyuan."

"Why should I care about them?" Emperor Wanli scoffed. "They're nothing but a bunch of fame-seeking opportunists!"

He clearly still harbored resentment towards civil officials.

"Your Majesty, please don't be angry," Empress Wang immediately reassured him. "I think we should temporarily withhold an official position from Zhang Shiyuan. He's currently running a newspaper, so it's difficult for him to be on duty."

"Why not let him be admitted to the Imperial Academy through hereditary privilege? It's only natural for students of the Imperial Academy to have an audience with His Majesty! After staying there for a while, even if he doesn't achieve official rank after graduating from the Imperial Academy, it will be perfectly logical for him to be granted an official position later."

Empress Wang's words were reasonable and well-founded, which immediately impressed Emperor Wanli.

Many people in later generations believe that in the Ming Dynasty, scholars could only enter officialdom through the brutal imperial examinations, and that without official rank, one could not become an official. However, this is not entirely true. For example, Yan Shifan of the Jiajing era did not have official rank, but he still rose to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, having entered the Imperial Academy through hereditary privilege.

During the Ming Dynasty, students of the Imperial Academy could be selected for official positions if they graduated successfully. Compared to hereditary privilege, being selected for official positions was clearly the proper path to entering the officialdom.

After a brief moment of thought, the Wanli Emperor made his decision.

"Study at the Imperial Academy first! That will shut up those sycophantic scholars. Your Majesty's suggestion is brilliant!"

Emperor Wanli could already imagine what it would be like for Zhang Yunxiu to enter the Imperial Academy.

Could those pedantic Confucian scholars in the Imperial Academy possibly outwit the cunning Zhang Yunxiu?
Isn't this like a wolf entering a flock of sheep?

The feeling of cultivating his own "confidants" gave Emperor Wanli a sense of participating in power, which excited him even more.

Given time, Zhang Yunxiu will become a powerful tool to assist him!
People tend to place greater trust in their childhood playmates.

Emperor Wanli had a childhood friendship with Zhang Yunxiu, so he was naturally more likely to trust him. Moreover, Zhang Yunxiu did everything he could to please the emperor.

Empress Wang saw through the emperor's thoughts, and after thinking for a while, she finally spoke.

What is Your Majesty's opinion of Zhang Juzheng?

"Grand Secretary?" Emperor Wanli was taken aback for a moment before he realized what he meant.

The Empress's implication was clear: the Emperor had cultivated Zhang Yunxiu into his confidant, but had he considered that Zhang Yunxiu was actually Zhang Juzheng's man?

What is His Majesty's attitude towards Zhang Juzheng? If he regards Zhang Juzheng as an enemy, then no matter how good Zhang Yunxiu is, he cannot be trusted.

If we still regard Zhang Juzheng as "Grand Secretary Zhang".

Recently, he deliberately indulged the censors' impeachment, which eventually backfired and brought the "fire" on himself. In turn, he made himself angry and embarrassed. What is his intention?
The empress did not speak out directly, but after the emperor calmed down, he realized how absurd his actions had been.

Reality is not like a drama, full of stereotypical characters.

Emperor Wanli was human, so his thoughts naturally kept changing.

His expression was conflicted for a moment, and finally he sighed and said.

"I cannot do without my chief minister."

This statement can be said to have expressed the true feelings of the Wanli Emperor.

He couldn't live without Zhang Juzheng, yet he wanted to wrest imperial power back from Zhang Juzheng.

On one hand, they want to take control of the government, but on the other hand, they are afraid to take on the responsibility.

On the one hand, they wanted to work hard to improve the country, but on the other hand, they couldn't give up their love of wine, women, wealth, and power.

His childhood experiences, along with the personality traits inherited from his grandfather, the Jiajing Emperor, together shaped the complex personality of the Wanli Emperor.

Emperor Wanli fell into deep thought.

Zhang Yunxiu seems to be another option? If we rely on Zhang Yunxiu, wouldn't we be able to regain power, but we also need Zhang Juzheng's assistance?

For a moment, Emperor Wanli felt as if his mind had gone blank.

When he gets nervous, he likes to eat sweets.

Whether in the Qianqing Palace, the Yangxin Hall, or the Empress's residence, there are almost always persimmon cakes on display.

Almost habitually, the Wanli Emperor, in a very unrefined manner, grabbed the persimmon cakes on the table and put them into his mouth one after another, like beans pouring from a bamboo tube.

Empress Wang opened her mouth as if to stop him, but ultimately gave up.

In terms of state affairs, the Wanli Emperor had already been disciplined in many ways. If he couldn't even decide for himself what to eat, he would surely go mad.

But as they were eating, the Wanli Emperor suddenly uttered a sound.

"Hey."

He immediately covered his cheek, looking as if in great pain.

Empress Wang was startled and immediately stepped forward with concern, asking, "Your Majesty, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with the persimmons?"

In the palace, food is a very sensitive matter.

The Wanli Emperor grinned and waved his hand, saying...

"It's not that there's anything wrong with the dried persimmons, it's just that my teeth are starting to hurt terribly again."

Because of his love for sweets, the emperor's teeth had always been in poor condition, and they would often swell and hurt, a fact that Empress Wang was naturally aware of.

She sighed helplessly and said, "Does Your Majesty remember to rinse your teeth often?"

Emperor Wanli blushed and said, "I have been very busy with state affairs lately, and I really have no time."

But the emperor had eunuchs and palace maids to serve him with everything he needed to do, so why would he need to do it himself?

The affairs of state could not possibly be so busy that the emperor himself could not even wash up.

It's obvious at a glance that the emperor himself was slacking off.

Empress Wang didn't expose the emperor's lie, but instead gently massaged his chin as she spoke.

"I will help His Majesty find the imperial physician and get some medicine."

"The imperial physicians? They're all quacks." Emperor Wanli shook his head, clearly disappointed with the physicians' skill level.

Empress Wang sighed and said, "At least it will make His Majesty feel a little better."

Another wave of pain came from my gums.

The emperor then nodded in agreement.

"Never mind, let them come."

　Thank you Xiao Er_Lai Ban Jin Pi Shuang for the 600 Qidian Coins reward!
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　　I'll bury myself in writing the story carefully!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)