Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 128 Does being right mean you can't be scolded by your sovereign or father?
Qianqing Palace.

"Heh ha..."

As usual, Zhu Houcong flipped through the memorials in front of him and checked the cabinet proposals attached to them. While stretching, he couldn't help but reminisce about the time when Xia Yan was still the Grand Secretary.

Even he had to admit that Xia Yan, the former Grand Secretary, was far more competent than the three cabinet ministers he was now.

He had originally thought that since there were three cabinet ministers in the cabinet and he had not yet immediately selected a chief minister, he could cultivate a capable person among the three.

As a result, let's not even talk about Zhai Luan's non-stick pan.

Xu Zan and Zhang Bi, who recently joined the cabinet, surprisingly lacked the fighting spirit of "new broom sweeps clean".

The three of them not only played the game of mutual respect in the cabinet, but the draft proposals they jointly came up with were also ambiguous and mediocre, leaving him to make almost every decision himself. They truly embodied the principle of "the more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make."

It's no wonder that some people impeached the three men for being incapable of handling important responsibilities, causing some important government affairs to stagnate and become chaotic, and used this as an excuse to recommend Yan Song to the cabinet.

Regardless of the circumstances, this is an undeniable fact...

Then think back to when Xia Yan was the Grand Secretary, if we ignore those trivial matters that offended him.

That old man is truly capable of shouldering the responsibilities of the cabinet, keeping the affairs of the court in good order, which makes it easier for him to handle political affairs. Otherwise, how could he tolerate that old man's arrogance and rudeness?

"Your Majesty, if you are feeling a little tired, why don't you rest for the day?"

Huang Jin could easily see Zhu Houcong's exhaustion. While gently adjusting the candle wick, he softly offered words of advice.

If this had happened before, Zhu Houcong would have ended there.

However, he has only recently started to regain his strength and is full of energy.

So he glanced at the memorial on the table, which was only half-finished, and finally mustered his spirits to speak:
"Not much left... Do you have anything to refresh and invigorate me? Find me some."

"Your Majesty, speaking of refreshing the mind..."

Huang Jin hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and pulled out a seemingly unremarkable memorial from a stack of documents, presenting it to him with both hands.
"The contents of this memorial may be able to refresh Your Majesty's mind. Please take a look."

"What kind of memorial could have such an effect?"

Zhu Houcong was suspicious, so he took the book and opened it to examine it.

This is a memorial of impeachment, impeaching a storybook called "The Record of Defeating the Japanese Pirates".

The memorial stated that thousands of copies of this storybook had already circulated in the capital, and included several excerpts, along with a poem selected from the storybook, which reads:
"The Forbidden City has few ministers who dare to offer profound advice."

All the memorials were written in exquisite and elegant language.

Don't say there are no bad things in the world.
A single stroke of vermilion ink reveals an utter obsession.

This memorial impeached the book for spreading heresy and slandering the court, requesting that it be banned and its author be arrested as a warning to others.

at the same time.

Zhai Luan, Xu Zan, and Zhang Bi also attached a draft proposal to their memorial, and this time it was not an ambiguous, moderate solution:
This book is full of heretical and misleading statements, slanders the court, and greatly damages the nation's credibility. We, your humble servants, request that it be banned and its author imprisoned by imperial decree, so as to set an example and deter others from following suit.

However, Zhu Houcong's eyes widened when he only read half of the memorial. He jolted as if he had been pricked by a needle and sat up straight.

Huang Jin is right, this memorial is indeed refreshing!
Not only did it refresh my mind, it was like waking up from a dream, and my heart rate increased significantly. Why is my blood pressure a little high?
Because the memorial mentioned that the author of "The Record of Defeating the Japanese Pirates" was actually...
—Niu Bishanren!
Zhu Houcong had personally read "Xuanpo Cangqiong" and naturally knew whose self-chosen name this Niubi Shanren was.

Without a doubt, it's that smoky-looking thing again, Yan Maoqing!!!
"Huang Jin, have you ever read 'The Tale of Defeating the Japanese Pirates'?!"

Zhu Houcong slammed the memorial on the table with a "bang," startling Huang Jin, who was prepared, into kneeling down.

"This servant has not seen it..."

"Find me a copy immediately! I want to see if there's anything in this storybook that can refresh my mind!" Zhu Houcong shouted.

"This servant obeys the decree..."

"Furthermore, immediately summon Yan Maoqing to the palace. I won't be able to sleep tonight, and that scoundrel won't be able to sleep peacefully either!"

……

Actually, it's not too late yet.

It's only 21:00 PM.

If this time were placed in later generations, it would be the beginning of nightlife for many people.

However, in this era, for many respectable families, it is already time to rest after a day of life and entertainment.

Yan Maoqing had just finished eating hotpot and singing, and was in a state of blissful tranquility after her pre-sleep entertainment.

Then they encountered bandits-like officials and imperial guards, who dragged them out of bed and forcibly "escorted" them into the palace, where they witnessed the Forbidden City at 9:45 PM, a sight most people never see in their entire lives.

"You filthy bastard!"

As soon as Yan Maoqing entered the Qianqing Palace, before he could even perform the proper greetings, Zhu Houcong's reprimands rang out from the hall.
"Now do you know why I scolded you?!"

Yan Maoqing, eyes downcast and focused on his own thoughts, knelt down and kowtowed.

“Your Majesty is mistaken. Your Majesty is my father, and I am your subject.”

"Is it not permissible for your humble servant to be scolded by Your Majesty without any reason?"

"laugh……"

I couldn't hold it in!
Despite rigorous training, Huang Jin couldn't hold back this time.

He had followed Zhu Houcong and had seen countless people, but he had never encountered a shameless minister like Yan Maoqing before. Yan Maoqing was truly the master of banter.

However, he immediately realized his mistake and hurriedly knelt down to admit it.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

Huang Jin was truly impressed by Yan Maoqing. He had lived his entire life walking on thin ice, always being extremely cautious around the Emperor.

I never imagined that I would lose my composure because of such a single sentence; it was truly inexcusable!

The Emperor was right to scold him. It was all the fault of that bastard who was emitting blue smoke. Ever since that bastard appeared in front of the Emperor, everything he was familiar with has been changing, and even he himself has been affected.

"Humph!"

Zhu Houcong glared at Huang Jin, but ultimately did not punish him. He snorted coldly and turned back to look at Yan Maoqing.

Then, with a "whoosh," a book was thrown at his head.

"Take a good look! This is the result of your doing again!"

Yan Maoqing, still bowing, glanced at the book lying on the ground. It was the "Record of Defeating the Japanese Pirates (Part Two)" that he had commissioned Luming Pavilion to publish a few days ago. He then kowtowed again.

“Replying to Your Majesty, this is what I should do, and I dare not take credit for it.”

"Oh!"

Zhu Houcong slammed his hand on the table and shouted angrily.
"How dare you consider spreading rumors and insinuating against the court as your duty as a subject, and even consider yourself a meritorious official?"

(End of this chapter)