Chapter 1080: His Majesty Has Me in His Heart

The Censorate officials showed their flexibility. The vast majority of Censorate officials were not bone-stiff upright ministers. They would weigh the pros and cons, think about gains and losses, and hesitate, rather than like Shen Li, who submitted four memorials in a row to oppose.

The first time the Censorate officials showed flexibility was when it was obviously a fact, a fact that everyone knew well, but it lacked records, lacked documents, the situation was unclear, and there was no sufficient evidence. Fearing to fall into the predicament of "false accusation and counter-punishment," they dared not go up, but instead went to find the person who copied the book wrong.

The second time was Ye Xianggao. Impeaching Ye Xianggao, if Ye Xianggao was impeached, someone would have to replace Ye Xianggao to go to Jilin. In this day and age, going to Jilin to open up was no different from exile.

Shen Li was not flexible enough. When it was not right, he would say it, would oppose it, rather than weighing the pros and cons.

Since Tan Lun passed away, every time a heavy minister passed away, the court ministers knew clearly that the Emperor would protect the posthumous reputation of these heavy ministers, but they would still try.

Trying the Emperor's reaction, trying the wind and public opinion—the reason for trying was because the interests were too great. As long as these ministers could be turned into villains, then the righteous side could naturally and rightfully inherit the legacy.

For example, after Xu Jie brought down Yan Song, he had to thoroughly define Yan Song as a treacherous minister by dealing with Hu Zongxian, and then get all the political and economic resources controlled by Yan Song's Yan Party and his disciples into his own hands.

As for whether Xu Jie or Yan Song was more treacherous, and who caused greater harm to the country, in political struggle, it was not so important.

Zhu Yijun personally believed that Xu Jie was more treacherous than Yan Song. Yan Song, as Chief Grand Secretary, pacified the Japanese pirates in the Southeast and resisted the captives in the Northwest. Although there were many difficulties, he barely maintained the situation, and even the pacification of the Japanese pirates in the Southeast ended in the Ming's victory.

Xu Jie became Chief Grand Secretary, and apart from embezzling silver and engaging in struggle, he did nothing else.

But this kind of trial was actually not much. The Censorate officials were not stupid. They knew quite clearly that some ministers could only be used for sarcasm, while some ministers could be thoroughly stunk up.

For example, Wang Chonggu, this treacherous minister, once he died, he lost all utilization value. The court ministers' attacks on Wang Chonggu would not be dangerous, because Wang Chonggu committed the crime of overstepping his bounds.

The Emperor was not convenient and could not come forward to protect him too much, so he had to let the craftsmen go down the mountain.

For example, Ling Yunyi, this killer star, committed the sin of killing and destroying order, and those who are good at fighting serve the upper punishment, especially overturning the Kong Mansion in Yanzhou, which was a challenge to order.

Struggles based on facts are within the scope permitted by the Emperor.

The posthumous title was determined, and Ling Yunyi was buried in the Golden Mountain Mausoleum, which thoroughly drew a full stop to this matter.

The Censorate officials fought back and forth, only to discover a very terrifying problem: all their struggles were carried out around secondary contradictions. Secondary contradictions were success, which was actually one-sided.

The main contradiction was the Golden Mountain Mausoleum, which had no way to be solved.

The political struggle of the Ming dynasty was thoroughly framed by His Majesty within a range. The struggle time was only seven days, because once it passed the seventh day and was buried in the Golden Mountain Mausoleum, it could not be moved at will; the scope of the struggle stopped at arguing about the size of merit and the specification of the posthumous title, rather than thoroughly denying it; the intensity of the struggle thoroughly dropped to a level that was almost gentle.

The thorough, complete, and comprehensive denial that the cheap Confucian scholars were best at could not be done, because the Golden Mountain Mausoleum could not be dug.

Once a person is buried in the Golden Mountain Mausoleum, they become a meritorious minister of the Wanli Reform, a torch that illuminates the road ahead, and a backbone that supports China.

Anyone who wants to expand the intensity of the struggle to the point of digging graves must retreat when facing the Golden Mountain Mausoleum, because once they want to dig graves, they must face the siege of all the ministers. The ministers also want to have extreme glory after death, and being buried in the Golden Mountain Mausoleum is their common pursuit.

Even Feng Bao, this eunuch, wanted to be buried in the Golden Mountain Mausoleum beyond the specification. He wanted to think about it until he was crazy, but he did not dare to create trouble himself, so he could only hope that those ambitious people would fight for breath and have courage.

That is to say, the Golden Mountain Mausoleum and the Hero Shrine built by the Emperor back then had already become a part of order, forming an "

After the censors discovered the main contradiction, they found that the construction of the Jinshan Mausoleum had begun in the fifth year of Wanli.

At this point, the censorate officials had nothing but admiration for the Emperor's far-sightedness and selfless impartiality.

When the Jinshan Mausoleum was being built, the Great Ming's fiscal revenue was not the tens of millions of silver it is now. At that time, the Emperor faced a choice: whether to build the Jinshan Mausoleum or to further repair the mausoleums of the former emperors, which could not be properly maintained at the time due to a massive fiscal deficit.

In the fifth year of Wanli, the Emperor provided 1.2 million silver for the construction of the Jinshan Mausoleum and the Hall of Heroes, and invested tens of thousands of silver annually for maintenance. As for the former emperors' mausoleums, His Majesty symbolically provided 100,000 silver and never bothered with them again.

This was far-sightedness; this was selfless impartiality. This once again corroborated what Zhang Juzheng always emphasized: technique is inferior to the Dao; no matter how well one practices technique, one cannot defeat those who walk the path of the Great Dao.

On the second day of the third month, Zhu Yijun went to the Northern Tucheng to hold the spring review. The next day, the Emperor of Great Ming prepared to set off for Songjiang Prefecture. The serious illness of last year could not stop the Emperor from continuing to travel between the two places like this.

Before departing, Zhu Yijun specifically summoned Shen Shixing and Gao Qiyu to give instructions on various matters after leaving the capital.

"Grand Secretary Shen, you need to change your personality. How can it be possible to be thorough in everything and have everyone be pleased?" Zhu Yijun advised Shen Shixing again. It is fine to be a mediator, but always trying to please everyone ends up hurting oneself, and it is very easy to end up being disliked by everyone.

Shen Shixing helped the Crown Prince cover things up; when the Emperor was seriously ill, he immediately became a treacherous official plotting against the imperial carriage. If the Emperor were truly gone, Shen Shixing would likely be sent away by the capital garrison together with the others.

"I will respectfully follow the holy admonition." Shen Shixing bowed again. He knew his own flaws, but every time, he subconsciously hoped to be thorough in everything.

"You won't change even after I've said it. Forget it, I won't say it anymore." Zhu Yijun waved his hand. This was not a flaw for Shen Shixing; it was because he had the ability that he wanted to take care of everything.

"Junior Grand Preceptor, keep an eye on the Crown Prince. If he makes any mistakes, tell him directly. I have already instructed him to listen well to the two teachers. If he doesn't listen, tell me, and I will watch him correct himself." Zhu Yijun looked at Gao Qiyu.

Gao Qiyu bowed again and said sincerely: "I will obey the decree."

He was a solitary official; if His Majesty truly passed away from a serious illness, he would have no status in the court if he did not follow him.

"Your Majesty, I have a memorial." Seeing that His Majesty had finished the official business, Gao Qiyu took out a memorial, handed it to Zhang Hong, and presented it to His Majesty.

As soon as Zhu Yijun saw the heading, his brows furrowed. After reading the memorial, his brows smoothed out, and then he revealed his signature smile, bright as sunshine.

"Junior Grand Preceptor, when you go back in a while, take two fish to Master Zhang's residence. If Master Zhang accepts them, everything is easy to discuss; if Master Zhang doesn't accept them, then forget it." Zhu Yijun looked at Gao Qiyu and gave him a hint.

"Ah?" Gao Qiyu looked puzzled, but then he understood His Majesty's meaning. If Zhang Juzheng accepted them, it meant he acknowledged him as a disciple, and he might be able to advance further; but if the Master didn't accept them, the meaning could not be clearer.

The memorial Gao Qiyu wrote, "The Essential Memorial on the Soul of the Loyal and Righteous Vanguard," involved military administration, which the Emperor did not like, but the content within made the Emperor feel a love for his talent.

This was because Gao Qiyu had observed in detail the process of the formation of the Great Ming's military soul and had made a summary.

The memorial was long but simple and easy to understand. Gao Qiyu told the story of a sharp soldier of the capital garrison, writing it very clearly and incisively.

The military soul of the capital garrison was a collective consensus, and this collective consensus was composed of individual individuals. Individuals are complex, and people are changeable. To achieve the condensation of consensus, the key point was: come from the people, go to the people.

Gao Qiyu keenly noticed that the soldiers who had just joined the capital garrison had no military soul. Apart from training, they read books. Every day was full, but they felt a bit muddled, even having the feeling of "ringing the bell for one day as a monk."

But every such soldier, as long as they went on patrol once, would change completely.

For example, during the autumn floods in the twentieth year of Wanli, the capital garrison dispatched 60,000 soldiers to various places in Northern Zhili to prevent the autumn floods from causing huge damage to production and life. Those newly enlisted soldiers were busy for a full few months, falling asleep from exhaustion every day.

A soldier named He Chonghua went to Great Ming Prefecture to dredge the Zhang River for six months. After the autumn floods, the officers and soldiers of this battalion repaired all the river channels and ditches to prevent further disasters.

When He Chonghua left, the people on both sides of the river were seeing them off. The people were cheering, reluctant to part, speaking their gratitude in local dialects, and some even knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing.

At that moment, He Chonghua felt that he was shining. The confusion and muddled state in his eyes disappeared completely, replaced by heartfelt pride that he was a member of the capital garrison.

Of course, if he hadn't been hit by half a pig and felt dizzy, He Chonghua's patrol this time would have been perfect.

This was the construction of self-identity. Only by completing the construction of self-identity could one complete the construction of the overall military soul.

Go to the people, don't be afraid of the people, and don't let the people be afraid of you. This process was solving the biggest problem of military administration since ancient times, which was the three key questions: "Who am I, for whom, and whom do I rely on?"

I am a soldier of the capital garrison, for the sake of the Great Ming's mountains and rivers, for the sake of His Majesty, and for the sake of the people. The only ones I can rely on are His Majesty and the people. This was the significance of patrolling against floods and dredging ditches in terms of military administration.

Gao Qiyu finally summarized the two words "loyalty and righteousness": Loyalty is the correctness of virtue, keeping the heart centered, upright and unbiased; Righteousness is the manifestation of all virtues, clarifying the heart and clarifying actions; only loyalty and righteousness can rectify the body and mind, and cultivate, regulate, govern, and pacify; only loyalty and righteousness can maintain integrity and remain steadfast.

His memorial actually also explained a problem: some soldiers, once they left the collective of the capital garrison, would turn back into their original selves because they lacked the environment; they no longer went to the people.

And some soldiers would not change because even if they retired, they still maintained their underlying color of loyalty and righteousness.

Gao Qiyu systematically discussed the establishment, formation, condensation, and maintenance of the Great Ming's military soul. This was part of the rites and laws, which meant that this group of sharp soldiers of the capital garrison who cared about the world would not easily change their colors.

As for descendants being unfilial, that was another matter.

Shen Shixing and Gao Qiyu left the Tonghe Palace. Shen Shixing grabbed Gao Qiyu and asked: "You can't go. His Majesty asked you to go, so the Master has to accept it. We don't need to play riddles. Using the Master's reputation to trade for your future—do you feel no guilt for this!"

If Zhang Juzheng accepted these two fish, it meant that the matter from back then was authorized by Zhang Juzheng, which was using Zhang Juzheng's reputation to trade for a capable minister for His Majesty.

This matter seemed reasonable, but Shen Shixing would not allow Gao Qiyu to do so.

"As long as you are still a human being, you cannot do this! Back then, because of your momentary lapse in judgment, the Master was repeatedly attacked by Wang Chonggu, Ge Shouli, and others, falling into a passive position. You cannot go." Shen Shixing said very insistently. At this time, one could not seek to be thorough, because it could not be thorough.

Zhang Hong looked solemn on the side. Sometimes, people cannot be taught by people, but one lesson from experience is enough. Shen Shixing finally made a substantial change.

"His Majesty asked me to go, so it is obvious that His Majesty and the Master have discussed it and allowed me to enter the door. Then why can't I go? Shen Shixing, you are just a disciple; don't overstep your authority. By what right do you make decisions for the Master?" Hearing Shen Shixing speak like this, Gao Qiyu flicked his sleeves and immediately retorted.

"Discussing the matter is discussing the matter; don't look left and right! Discuss whether to visit or not; don't beat around the bush!" Shen Shixing was an old hand in the bureaucracy. Gao Qiyu played a card of changing the subject, and Shen Shixing immediately played a card of seeing through the fire, insisting that Gao Qiyu respond directly.

Gao Qiyu originally wanted to exchange a few more moves, but after thinking carefully, they were both taught by the same master, and he couldn't break the move, so he said directly: "I won't talk to you anymore. I'm going to buy fish."

Shen Shixing wanted to chase, but Gao Qiyu walked faster and faster and disappeared.

Shen Shixing immediately went to the Yicheng Hou Fu, hurrying to see Zhang Juzheng.

"On the 23rd, His Majesty came in person and told me about Gao Qiyu. So much time has passed, let it all go." Zhang Juzheng was in the Wenchang Pavilion and saw Shen Shixing's anxious look, smiling and saying: "It's not a big deal. It was I who mentioned it to His Majesty. Gao Qiyu is still decent and capable, and with Shen Li's guarantee, let it be."

"Twenty years of the Wanli Reform have already proven my loyalty and righteousness. These are all trivial matters and do not matter."

Times have changed; Zhang Juzheng had already completely returned power and had already retired. The matters of the past had already become the past, and there was no need to keep holding onto them.

"How can it be like this! If this Gao Qiyu dares to come today, I will make sure he never returns!" Shen Shixing's face changed drastically, his two hands half-raised; he was prepared to fight Gao Qiyu directly!

Zhang Juzheng looked Shen Shixing up and down and said very firmly: "You can't beat him. He went to the West and went to the Japanese nation as an envoy; why could he come back after going? Because he has been practicing martial arts all along."

"Ah? This..." Shen Shixing was stunned for a moment. Only then did he remember that Gao Qiyu could enter and exit tiger-and-wolf lands and still retreat unscathed because he, like Wang Chonggu, Tan Lun, and Xiong Tingbi, was a martial artist.

Shen Shixing was surnamed Xu before; he lived under others' roofs, and his life was unsettled. It was already good enough that he could read. Gao Qiyu was the pride of his family. Although he could not be called both scholarly and martial, Gao Qiyu was more than enough to beat five Shen Shixings.

"If you fight him, these old bones of mine won't be able to help. Be polite when he comes later." Zhang Juzheng was full of smiles. Shen Shixing was already a Grand Secretary, yet sometimes he was still like a child.

This was originally a political exchange. Zhang Juzheng's contributions were great enough, and his imperial favor was great enough. Now that he posed no threat to imperial power, he could make such an exchange.

"Does the Master not hate him?" Shen Shixing asked suspiciously.

Zhang Juzheng sighed, shook his head, and said: "Hate, how can I not hate? My life's most wretched moment was at that time. But if it wasn't Gao Qiyu, it would have been someone else. At that time, I was not just a minister, but actually holding power—that was the main reason. There will always be people who have wild thoughts."

"Let it be."

Shen Shixing fell silent and finally waited in the Wenchang Pavilion with Zhang Juzheng. They waited and waited, but did not wait for Gao Qiyu.

After Gao Qiyu left the Tonghe Palace, he was ecstatic. He went to buy the two most expensive fish and purchased many, many gifts. He took people and carried the gifts, heading toward the Yicheng Hou Fu.

He walked slower and slower, finally stopping at a distance of less than ten zhang from the Yicheng Hou Fu. He looked at the plaque of the Yicheng Marquis and suddenly hesitated.

"Is this really what I want?" Gao Qiyu stopped and looked at the plaque for a long, long time.

"In my life, I have boasted of unparalleled talent, but in the end, I could not reflect on myself. I have lived in vain." In the end, he raised his hand, waved it, and took his people away from the Yicheng Hou Fu. He did not enter, and did not even request an audience; he left directly.

At this moment, Gao Qiyu suddenly understood one thing. He discovered that although Zhang Juzheng had expelled him from the Zhang school and even refused to see him, he had actually never given up on him. It was he who had never lived clearly.

Boasting of being smart, yet he had been stupid for twenty years.

"Buying fish is so slow!" Shen Shixing complained viciously. This Gao Qiyu ran fast when he left, and now it was almost sunset, yet Gao Qiyu still hadn't come.

As soon as Shen Shixing finished speaking, You Shouli walked in hurriedly, handed over a letter, and said: "Master, a letter from the Junior Grand Preceptor."

"Oh?" Zhang Juzheng picked up the letter in great surprise. After reading it, he was full of sighs and emotions, saying to Shen Shixing: "He is not coming. To be precise, he has been here. He brought the fish to the door, but went back."

"He finally understood a principle: a person should be the master of power, not the slave of power."

The fundamental reason why Zhang Juzheng detested Gao Qiyu, which he explained very clearly to the Emperor, was that Gao Qiyu's desire for advancement was too strong; he wanted to advance too much.

With his heart consumed by the desire for power, anything could happen.

The imperial system has inherent flaws; there is an irreconcilable contradiction between the Emperor and the Crown Prince. The older the Emperor gets, the more intense this contradiction becomes. Historically, father and son facing each other with weapons was not uncommon; Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Gaozu of Tang, and Emperor Taizong of Tang were all examples.

Gao Qiyu himself had extremely strong abilities. Once he became a cabinet minister, for the sake of power, for the sake of advancing further, and for the sake of the merit of supporting the new monarch, he would definitely intensify the contradiction between the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

Over the years, Zhang Juzheng had been suppressing Gao Qiyu with extremely ruthless means. But the more he suppressed, the more Gao Qiyu, under high pressure and the Emperor's protection, repeatedly performed miraculous feats, even daring to bet his life, climbing higher and higher. The higher and faster he climbed, and the greater the merit he established, the more ruthless Zhang Juzheng's suppression became.

Now, Zhang Juzheng could no longer suppress Gao Qiyu. Politics is inherently constant compromise. In order not to make things difficult for the Emperor, Zhang Juzheng took the initiative to propose using his own reputation to trade for Gao Qiyu's advancement.

At the very last step of his success, Gao Qiyu actually understood the principle that Zhang Juzheng had taught him for twenty years but failed to teach him.

"People cannot be taught by people, but one lesson from experience is enough. He finally understood why he had to suffer these hardships." Zhang Juzheng was quite gratified. He was actually not good at teaching disciples; such a simple principle took twenty years to teach.

This disciple, Gao Qiyu, was too smart. People who are too smart tend to be arrogant and fail to see their own shortcomings. It was also because he was smart that he did not take this step.

Shen Shixing said in a daze: "A person is the master of power—isn't this how it should be? I control power; can I still be controlled by power? How can power control me?"

"He needs twenty years to learn this principle?"

Zhang Juzheng looked at Shen Shixing and said with a smile: "You are different from Gao Qiyu. The principle you think should be so is, for him, a principle that requires half a lifetime to comprehend."

"Everyone has their own cognitive barriers. For example, you like to seek thoroughness in everything. After experiencing the turmoil of His Majesty's serious illness, you have only learned a little bit, and still haven't learned the word 'letting go'."

Everyone's point of confusion is not the same.

Gao Qiyu could not comprehend that a person is the master of power; Shen Shixing could not comprehend the word "letting go"; His Majesty also had his own cognitive barriers. His Majesty was too obsessed with class theory; some things cannot be solved by class theory.

Zhang Juzheng also had his own cognitive barriers. He was somewhat overly obsessed with letting the Great Ming revive, ignoring some problems. Examining himself, he discovered that before returning power in the tenth year of Wanli, his requirements for His Majesty were somewhat too harsh.

That His Majesty did not harbor resentment in his heart was because His Majesty was magnanimous and broad-minded, and for the sake of the Great Ming's revival, he did not care about these things.

His Majesty is the Emperor, a naturally noble person. Zhang Juzheng's harsh requirements easily breed the rebellious psychology of a naturally noble person—the more you don't let me do it, the more I want to do it.

"The Master's lesson is correct." Shen Shixing swore that he had tried his best to control it.

Gao Qiyu returned to the Ministry of Rites to work. Seeing Gao Qiyu return, Shen Li asked curiously: "You reconciled with your Master; didn't he keep you for a meal to narrate the teacher-student friendship?"

"I didn't go." Gao Qiyu answered this question with a complex expression.

"Incredible!" Shen Li was extremely surprised when he heard this. As Gao Qiyu's direct superior, Shen Li knew how much pressure he was under and how much Gao Qiyu was addicted to officialdom!

Shen Li knew Gao Qiyu's heart that wanted to advance too well, but Gao Qiyu actually held back.

"Actually, I regretted it as soon as I turned around. This might have been the only opportunity in my life, and I gave it up just like that." Gao Qiyu shook his head with some annoyance: "But there is no regret after moving a piece. Since I have already returned, there is no reason to go again."

"Why didn't you go?" Shen Li was more curious about why Gao Qiyu regretted it.

Gao Qiyu said solemnly: "Zhang Juzheng's New Policy does not belong to the Master himself, but to the entire Great Ming. Since the Wanli Reform, a strange consensus has formed inside and outside the Great Ming, which is that Zhang Juzheng has a way."

"When encountering an insurmountable obstacle, go find the Master. In the fifth year of Wanli, when the Master was in mourning, the court would go to Xishan to invite the Master at every turn. Shen Shixing could not persuade His Majesty to rest, so he could only go to the Master for help. Sure enough, the Master persuaded His Majesty."

"This strange consensus is actually sacredness."

"I can only be an expelled disciple; otherwise, I would destroy this sacredness, which is detrimental to the Wanli Reform."

When Zhang Juzheng was in mourning in the fifth year of Wanli, when the capital encountered difficulties, people would say, "Hurry and invite the Old Ancestor of Xishan." This joke slowly turned into a unique consensus that Zhang Juzheng was omnipotent.

The reason Gao Qiyu wrote in the letter to Zhang Juzheng for not entering the door was this reason.

Zhang Juzheng's New Policy—these five words, since Zhang Juzheng retired, no longer belonged to him alone; they were public assets of the Great Ming. Gao Qiyu bringing two fish was destroying this sacredness.

Once a god has a stain, it is no longer a god.

"The Junior Grand Preceptor's attainments in rites and laws are truly something I am ashamed of!" Shen Li nodded repeatedly. Gao Qiyu's understanding of rites and laws was indeed profound enough.

"Walking in the West Study is already very good." Gao Qiyu comforted himself and continued to be busy with the major event of the Nine Borders Construction Academy. He had indeed given up the possibility of entering the cabinet, but he had not given up the ultimate glory of being buried in the Jinshan Mausoleum.

As long as he had enough merit to be buried in the Jinshan Mausoleum, his past mistakes would just be the fork in the road he took when he came.

In the future, when people talk about it, they will also say, "People are not sages, who can be without mistakes?"

"This Gao Qiyu has finally come to his senses?" Zhu Yijun was also very surprised when he heard Zhang Hong talk about Gao Qiyu not entering the door. He actually made such a decision; he had quarreled with Shen Shixing, looking like he was going to enter the cabinet today.

"If the Junior Grand Preceptor had this kind of temperament back then, how could it have been so difficult?" Zhang Hong was also quite emotional. Gao Qiyu had struggled all the way and suffered so many losses, yet he could still maintain such temperament and concentration, which was truly rare.

"People, who doesn't have a youth?" Zhu Yijun could understand. He never overestimated himself; he knew his own rationality. Sometimes, he could not restrain his own desires, and desires are hard to satisfy.

Zhang Hong looked at the busy Emperor. Because he was going on a southern tour, the Emperor had to finish processing all the memorials before leaving. Zhang Hong's expression was a bit complex. Everyone has a youth, only the Emperor does not.

In Zhang Hong's memory, there was absolutely no youth for the Emperor—not in age, but in mentality.

When the Emperor was sulking, he would listen to Empress Wang playing the zither in the side hall of the Wenhua Hall; the most indulgent thing the Emperor had done in his life was shooting fish in the Taiye Pool. Later, the fish in the Taiye Pool hid, and the Emperor stopped going.

The Emperor was always maintaining his greatest restraint and rationality, not letting power alienate him, always existing as the master of power.

On the third day of the third month, the Emperor officially went south to Songjiang Prefecture. On the eighteenth day of the third month, the Emperor successfully arrived at the Yanqing Palace in Songjiang Prefecture and began a six-month stay. When the Emperor's dragon boat arrived, everyone in Songjiang Prefecture breathed a sigh of relief.

His Majesty had returned to the capital last year and became seriously ill. Everyone in Songjiang Prefecture was worried, fearing that His Majesty would not come this year. After all, that was a great fear of life and death. As a result, His Majesty was as punctual as ever, which meant that the Great Ming's policies would be very stable, the opening of the seas would continue, and Songjiang Prefecture's prosperity would also continue.

After opening the seas, Songjiang Prefecture benefited the most. As long as the policy of opening the seas remained so stable, Songjiang Prefecture would continue to prosper.

"What is this for? Not allowed, nonsense!" As soon as Zhu Yijun arrived in Songjiang Prefecture, he rejected Hu Junde's memorial.

Hu Junde wanted to hold a welcome party for the Emperor's stay, with a very grand scale, from the fleet review to the Aoshan lantern festival, plus the fireworks show on the third night, to be lively for a full three days. Zhu Yijun rejected it directly.

Songjiang Prefecture had money, but it couldn't be tossed around like this. Although it could stimulate consumption, the Longevity Festival was already enough.

Zhang Hong said with a smile: "This was requested by the powerful and wealthy of Songjiang Prefecture. To express gratitude, His Majesty had just recovered his health last year and released these powerful and wealthy people from prison. If they don't express it, they are also worried."

The released powerful and wealthy people were indeed implicated; they were wronged. Releasing them was fairness and justice, but fairness and justice have always been a kind of favoritism. Those who eat meat understand this truth better than the poor and laboring classes, because they never give the people fairness and justice.

In short, His Majesty has me in his heart.

"If they have a submissive heart and have too much money to spend, just buy some national bonds. I want to build schools for the Nine Borders, and I have no money." Zhu Yijun didn't care about these superficial things.

Zhang Hong took out a memorandum and handed it to His Majesty, saying: "Your Majesty, Yingtian Prefecture and Songjiang Prefecture shared 6 million silver of special national bonds. The powerful and wealthy of Songjiang Prefecture snatched 4 million silver. If it weren't for the Yingtian Governor Wang Xiyuan strongly retaining it, the powerful and wealthy of Songjiang Prefecture would not want to give Yingtian Prefecture a single tael of silver."

For the powerful and wealthy of Songjiang Prefecture, His Majesty did not snatch the near-sea trade business; His Majesty did not engage in mass executions; His Majesty corrected Hu Junde's atrocities as soon as he recovered a little; His Majesty just wanted some silver, and it was to build schools, and His Majesty actually repaid the money!

Because of the prosperous trade in Songjiang Prefecture, silver also flowed into the Great Ming from here. Therefore, in Songjiang Prefecture, precious banknotes were silver, and returning precious banknotes was silver—they were all money.

Actually, His Majesty could have just snatched it! If His Majesty really snatched it, there would be absolutely no way to deal with it, and one would have to kneel and kowtow, shouting "Long live" three times. Otherwise, it wouldn't be snatching money, but exterminating the nine clans.

"Very good, but if they could take the spirit they use on things and use it to pay labor rewards to craftsmen, the poor, and the laboring classes, that would be even better." Zhu Yijun knew that the powerful and wealthy of Songjiang Prefecture had intercepted most of the special national bonds.