Chapter 147: I Am Just This Kind of Person, Narrow-Minded

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Zhang Juzheng and felt a genuine sense of admiration. The dynasty was already rotten to this extent, and like the Senior Grand Secretaries of previous generations, one could just "lie flat"—as long as one was worthy of the salary the Emperor gave, that was enough. Why bother?

The Great Ming, like mud, might as well perish.

Sometimes, facing the court situation, Zhu Zhu Yijun had this feeling, but Zhang Zhang Juzheng had always patiently dealt with the various affairs of the state. He had been doing this for over a decade, with such high work intensity and such fierce struggles; one wondered what Zhang Zhang Juzheng was relying on to support himself until now.

Of course, most of the time, it was Zhang Zhang Juzheng beating others, and beating his opponents until they had no power to fight back. His methods were brilliant, his methods were firm, and his handling of affairs was effective.

The reason the maritime transport faction couldn't fight back in the court was that the court's grain transport was a gold mine for these big and small parasites. Countless people were lying on this great artery, drinking blood in large gulps. Zhang Zhang Juzheng's reform of grain transport—maritime transport was only the first step.

If one looked closely at Zhang Zhang Juzheng's administration, one would find the word "meticulous." The 3.5 million taels of silver and silk that entered the court previously was actually an experiment Zhang Zhang Juzheng presided over for maritime transport, and it was an experiment he was full of confidence in.

Such a patient Zhang Zhang Juzheng also had his patience for Zhang Han approach infinity toward zero. Zhang Han's presence in the court really affected efficiency too much.

For the sake of efficiency, Zhang Zhang Juzheng could turn the little Emperor's lectures into self-study sessions for the imperial audience, and then lectures. For the sake of efficiency, he could drive Zhang Han away. This was the last time Zhang Han would speak nonsense during court discussions.

The main contradiction of the Great Ming was the contradiction in production materials between the powerful gentry and the common people. To alleviate this contradiction, Zhang Zhang Juzheng could even ignore his posthumous reputation, so he could ignore goods like Zhang Han even more.

After the imperial audience, it was the lecture. Combining his experience in governing the country, Zhang Zhang Juzheng explained the Doctrine of the Mean in detail and thoroughly.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng held his hands and said: "There are nine constant principles for governing the world and the state, and the one thing that carries them out is the same."

"The Master said that for a ruler to govern the world, there are these nine constant principles. Although these nine things and their effects are different, there is a major prerequisite for achieving them—the so-called 'one thing that carries them out.' This prerequisite is 'truth'."

"Therefore, the affairs of the world must first be true and without falsehood to be lasting and unchanging. If one has a true heart, one will do true things. If one can achieve 'truth,' then all nine principles can be accomplished, and one can govern the world. If this 'truth' is not sincere, even if the names are detailed and the laws and regulations are comprehensive, in the end, it is nothing more than hypocrisy to cover up peace. How can it be called governing the world?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at the notes he had made, frowned slightly, and said: "But the Hanlin Academy's annotation of the Doctrine of the Mean says that the 'one thing that carries them out' is 'benevolence,' meaning that the prerequisite for the affairs of the world is benevolence."

"That is a fallacy," Zhang Zhang Juzheng said, neither humble nor arrogant. "At the very least, when discussing the Nine Classics of governing a country, the Master did not speak of benevolence, but of reality. Because 'the practitioner is one,' the next sentence is: 'If things are prepared, they will succeed; if not prepared, they will fail. If words are determined beforehand, there will be no stumbling. If affairs are determined beforehand, there will be no distress. If actions are determined beforehand, there will be no regret. If the Dao is determined beforehand, there will be no exhaustion.'"

"It is like putting something on the ground; if it is not placed stably, how can it stand? It is like court politics; if it is crooked from the time it is formulated, how can it last? This is the principle of 'if there is preparation, there is success; if there is no preparation, there is failure.' Preparation means being determined, placed well, and upright."

"When talking to people, if you don't tell the truth, you are definitely confused. How to be certain? It is just sincerity and truth."

"Before doing things, if there is no truth, it will definitely not work. If the principle one follows is the truth of down-to-earth practice, then one's principles have a source, and naturally, they are inexhaustible and have no end."

"If one is not true, then words will definitely lead to stumbling, affairs will definitely lead to distress, actions will definitely lead to regret, and the Way will definitely lead to exhaustion."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng did not like to take things out of context when explaining principles, but rather interpreted the words by connecting them to the context, rather than picking out a few sentences to quote.

"If there is preparation, there is success; if there is no preparation, there is failure" does not have a very high degree of connection with the word "benevolence," but it has a very high degree of connection with the sincerity and truth of practice.

Benevolence—Zhang Zhang Juzheng had already talked about a lot of benevolence, but in the end, there was no clear answer. But in fact, if one summarizes it, it is "the benevolent person loves others." You love me, I love you, and everyone is sweet.

After all, doing things is like placing something; it must be placed upright, otherwise, it cannot stand.

What the Master meant, one would have to ask the Master, but Zhang Zhang Juzheng's meaning was very clear: the "one thing" that carries out the governance of the country is truth, using facts to speak.

Zhu Zhu Yijun couldn't help but think of the old Daoist priest. According to what Zhang Zhang Juzheng said, the old Daoist priest wanted to call Hence Hai Rui to his side to scold him, but Hence Hai Rui turned around and scolded the old Daoist priest instead. The reason Hence Hai Rui could win and scold the Emperor without being executed was that Hence Hai Rui was sincere and truthful; he spoke the truth.

After the palace coup in the twenty-first year of Emperor Jiajing, the old Daoist priest began a long-term "lying flat" imperial life. In fact, the old Daoist priest had the ability to govern well, just like the first twenty years of his reign—when problems appeared, he solved them—but the old Daoist priest chose to "lie flat."

Why could Wan Wan Shihe chase Zhang Han and scold him, scolding Zhang Han until he could only act like a tortoise? Because Zhang Han was reversing black and white, confusing right and wrong, and turning the concept of canal grain transport into the concept of canal grain transport, which was caught by Wan Wan Shihe and beaten violently.

This was the reason Wan Wan Shihe could win arguments. In all things in the world, the most important things are truth, sincerity, and reality. And what some people fear most are truth, sincerity, and reality—such as the censorate officials, such as the likes of He He Xinyin and Zeng Guang who wag their tongues, such as the petty scholars who like to make false accusations and blur the boundaries between right and wrong.

Judging from Zhang Zhang Juzheng's administration, he also only plays with truth and does not play with empty, flashy things. If you brag brilliantly but fail when it comes to reality, you will only be a laughingstock. He might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes instead of governing the country.

Regarding mistakes, Zhang Zhang Juzheng was also as true as ever. For example, the stupid thing Gao Zhu Qiyu did—after Zhang Zhang Juzheng found out, he directly admitted the mistake. Wrong is wrong.

Zhu Zhu Yijun said with great emotion: "Very good, Teacher has great talent."

"Teacher, I think the annotations of the Four Books in the world should still be based on Teacher's annotations. Yu Yu Maoxue says Wang Wang Shouren should be worshipped in the Confucius Temple, but the seven schools of Wang Wang Shouren basically have no 'practice,' and therefore no 'truth.' Teacher's annotations are still better."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng said helplessly: "The talent of the Earl of Xinjian is higher than mine. Since I lecture for Your Majesty, Your Majesty naturally thinks my talent is high."

The little Emperor wore several tens of thousands of layers of filters when looking at Zhang Zhang Juzheng, so naturally, he felt Zhang Zhang Juzheng's learning was also excellent. But Zhang Zhang Juzheng asked himself, his learning was still not as good as Wang Wang Shouren's; he was just an official.

Zhu Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "The standards are different. Teacher's is the learning of entering the world and governing the country. I have read Wang Wang Shouren's learning of the mind, and I dare not say I understand all seven schools, but most of Wang Wang Shouren's disciples have gone down the wrong path, and many are using the Earl of Xinjian's name to swindle people."

"Teacher, the academic administration of the world is corrupted to this extent. If Teacher still refuses to educate, then now I have Teacher to assist me, but what about after Teacher? Who will I use? And after me? Who will the Great Ming use? It is decided."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng actually had no confidence in his teaching ability. His students—the little Emperor, before the assassination attempt, was also tired of learning; Fu Fu Yingzhen directly impeached Zhang Zhang Juzheng, his own mentor, in court; Gao Zhu Qiyu came up with the topic "Shun also ordered Yu" for the Yingtian Prefecture provincial examination; and looking at Li Le, he ate people's food and took people's money but didn't do things for them.

"Teacher is afraid they won't understand? I can understand it, so they should be able to," Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a smile.

"I obey the edict." Zhang Zhang Juzheng thought about it, and it was the same principle. Although his learning was not high, the content he taught was all practical learning for entering the world and governing. The Great Ming imperial examination needed officials, not classics scholars.

"Teacher, my mathematics has improved slightly. Teacher, follow me." Zhu Zhu Yijun stood up and came to the side hall of the Hall of Literary Brilliance.

The heavy curtains were pulled open, and the not-too-strong noon sunlight shone on the board.

On the board, small squares were drawn, as well as two intersecting axes. And on the board, there was a near-perfect curve. Zhang Zhang Juzheng recognized this curve at a glance; it was the curve the Emperor had previously drawn while researching how to make a more stable reflecting telescope with no chromatic aberration and clearer vision.

Zhu Zhu Yijun stood in front of the board and said quite solemnly: "Teacher previously talked about the theory of contradictions, saying that the moon moves with the earth and the moon casts a shadow, trees move with the wind and trees sway with leaves, water moves with leaves and lakes create ripples. All things in the world exist in universal connection."

"When I was previously making the reflecting telescope and researching its production, I was thinking, how should the magnification of the reflecting telescope be determined?"

"And in Wang Wang Wensu's *Precious Mirror of Mathematics*, there is the thought of combining numbers and shapes. Numbers and shapes exist in a universal connection. If there is a shape, there is a number; if there is a number, there is a shape. Just like contradictions, they never exist in isolation."

"A number also has its meaning in graphics. For example, 0 usually means nothing, but in many cases, it also means the beginning—starting from zero. Thus, numbers have the meaning of shapes."

Zhu Zhu Yijun took out a gnomon and said with a smile: "Engrave the minutes and seconds."

The Great Ming's system of weights and measures, especially degrees, is still centesimal, not sexagesimal. On the gnomon, one *ke* equals one hundred *fen*, and one *fen* equals one hundred *miao*. This is the Great Ming's combination of numbers and shapes in astronomy.

Zhu Zhu Yijun drew a straight line with a ruler and said with a smile: "The *Book of Changes* says: 'In ancient times, people governed by tying knots; later sages replaced them with written contracts. For big affairs, tie big knots; for small affairs, tie small knots. The number of knots follows the number of things.' "

"Therefore, if we mark a point on a straight line and define it as zero, we have a starting point."

"Positive numbers are red, negative numbers are black, so this straight line has a direction—to the right is positive, to the left is negative."

"Using one *li* as the length, start cutting this straight line, and you have... -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3... If we need more precision, divide one *li* into ten *hao*, and so on."

Zhu Zhu Yijun drew a number axis. The Great Ming's number axis is used extremely widely—for example, the celestial sphere, the celestial equator, the ecliptic-equator intersection angle, the calculation of precession, the length of the gnomon shadow, the angle of the North Celestial Pole, etc. These are all specific applications of the number axis or number-shape combination.

The graphic meaning of a number is a point.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng could naturally understand that once this ordinary line had various definitions, it could become a mathematical tool, because this kind of mathematical tool is used very frequently in *Degrees and Passages*.

"It seems we can use this number axis to represent all the numbers we know: integers, fractions, decimals." Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at this number axis and said: "But I encountered a new trouble. For example, a square with an area of 4 has a side length of 2, which can be represented on a number axis with scales. But what if it is a square with an area of 3? The side length is √3. How can this number be represented on a number axis?"

"The Imperial Uncle's Twelve-Tone Equal Temperament has already confirmed that √2 and √3 are infinite non-repeating decimals and cannot be represented as the ratio of two integers."

Speaking of this, Zhu Zhu Yijun paused. Zu Zu Chongzhi never believed that pi could be represented as the ratio of two integers; he accurately calculated that pi lies between the "deficient number" and the "excess number."

Similarly, for the convenience of calculation, Zu Zu Chongzhi also gave two approximate values: one called the "approximate ratio" of 22/7, and one called the "dense ratio" of 355/113. It wasn't until Viète, who worked for France during the Emperor Wanli years, that the value of 355/113 was calculated.

A number axis can represent any integer and any repeating decimal, because a repeating decimal can be converted into the ratio of any two integers.

But how can an infinite non-repeating decimal be represented on a number axis?

"The Pythagorean theorem?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng pondered for a while and asked with confusion.

"Yes, the Pythagorean theorem." Zhu Zhu Yijun nodded. At the 0 point, he drew a straight line vertically, and a Cartesian coordinate system appeared on the paper. For example, √2 can be represented by a base of 1 and a height of 1; the length of its hypotenuse is √2, and then use a compass to represent it.

Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "I made up a beautiful story for this Cartesian coordinate system. I said that when I watched a spider weaving a web, could each position of the spider be determined by a set of numbers? Then my gaze turned to the corner of the wall, and any point on the wall seemed to be representable by a pair of numbers. So, the spider invented the Cartesian coordinate system for me."

"Your Majesty..." Zhang Zhang Juzheng was somewhat helpless. Why does Your Majesty like telling stories so much? It was clearly to solve various real-world problems that various mathematical tools were invented, yet he had to make up a story about a spider's inspiration.

Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "The angle of the North Celestial Pole in Shuntian Prefecture is 39.98°. We drew the equator across the globe. This angle can be regarded as latitude, but what about longitude?"

"I put the curve of the previous reflecting telescope into this Cartesian coordinate system and found that its longitude and latitude seem to have some magical pattern."

"To be more specific, if we represent longitude and latitude as xy, I found that the relationship between the value of the vertical axis and the value of the horizontal axis is y=ax."

"Going further, does an arbitrary straight line also have a mapping relationship? For example, this slanted straight line can be expressed as y=kx. These all pass through the 0 point. Then what about shifting up and shifting down? They can be expressed as y=kx+b."

Zhu Zhu Yijun explained the definition of mapping in functions with great interest. In fact, it is very simple: points form lines, and lines form planes. So points can be represented in a coordinate system, and lines can also be represented by an analytical expression.

The mathematical meaning of mapping is to reflect the relationship between numbers, and the geometric meaning of mapping is the set of points.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng could understand it very easily. This was a mathematical tool specifically created by the Emperor in the process of exploring mathematical principles—clear, explicit, and easy to understand at a glance.

Zhu Zhu Yijun stopped there. It was just a mathematical tool. He didn't do this without meaning; mathematics is the total principle of all things in the three realms.

*Degrees and Passages* is to use numbers to measure all things in the world and then connect them. Wang Wang Guoguang has been committed to using numbers to describe the Great Ming's national taxes, making the Great Ming's fiscal expenditures clearer. This has extremely profound practical significance; after all, mathematics will not lie.

This has the same effect as Zhang Zhang Juzheng's constant advocacy of the nine principles of the world, where the one thing that carries them out is truth.

"The *Book of Changes* says: 'Extend it and stretch it; touch the category and grow it; the capable affairs of the world are completed.' " Zhang Zhang Juzheng looked at that Cartesian coordinate system, using number pairs to represent positions and analytical expressions to express sets of points, and was also quite moved.

"Teacher." Zhu Zhu Yijun put down his board, looked at Zhang Zhang Juzheng, and said: "General Yu's 3,000 men seem to be not enough. Can we add some at our discretion? After all, with the influx of silver, the powerful officials who think they have silver will give birth to some delusions, thinking that with gold and silver, they can do whatever they want."

"The gold and silver trap of the Red-Haired Barbarians might be an even more severe problem for the Great Ming than the Red-Haired Barbarians themselves."

Philip II of Spain, the monarch of the empire on which the sun never sets, fell into a vicious cycle: the more he fought, the poorer he became, and the poorer he became, the more he fought. The Netherlands was the Spanish Empire's most important source of tax revenue, but the war took place within its borders, causing great damage to industry and commerce, leading to even lower tax revenue.

For example, in order to punish the widespread rebellion in the Netherlands, Philip II increased the price of wool to the Netherlands, causing the closure of over 500 handicraft workshops in the Netherlands. Consequently, the British won big; the British had been exporting wool and were competing with Spanish wool in the West.

Spain cut off its own arm, and the British wool business immediately became booming, absorbing a large number of unemployed craftsmen and becoming the backbone of the wool business.

Philip II was helpless against the Netherlands.

"I will keep it in mind," Zhang Zhang Juzheng said with a smile. The Emperor was reminding Zhang Zhang Juzheng of the crisis hidden beneath the water, and Zhang Zhang Juzheng's answer was very simple: he would keep it in mind.

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked out the window, the autumn wind rolling up layers of curtains, and said with a smile: "The wind has risen. Teacher, walk slowly."

"I retire." Zhang Zhang Juzheng left the side hall of the Hall of Literary Brilliance. The strong wind whistled past, bringing a sharp northeast wind. He walked a few steps and only felt his cheeks cool—it was raining.

"Senior Grand Secretary, Your Majesty sent me to deliver an umbrella and a cloak." Zhang Hong ran out of the hall in a hurry, handing a wool cloak and an umbrella to Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

"I thank Your Majesty for the great grace." Zhang Zhang Juzheng put on the cloak, opened the umbrella, and walked step by step toward the Hall of Literary Brilliance, dealing with state affairs as always.

"Is this cloak newly bestowed by Your Majesty?" Lu Lu Diaoyang saw Zhang Zhang Juzheng return to the Hall of Literary Brilliance and asked with some doubt and some envy, looking at the lotus-green python-patterned mink-fur fine-spun wool crane cloak on Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng took off the cloak, tidied it up, and nodded: "Yes."

"The imperial favor is flourishing." Lu Lu Diaoyang didn't know what to say; he could only say that the little Emperor was really very good to Zhang Zhang Juzheng, the imperial tutor.

Lu Lu Diaoyang handed a memorial to Zhang Zhang Juzheng, frowned, and said: "The Jin faction is clamoring to increase the number of Grand Secretaries."

"Who do they want to recommend?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng took the memorial with some doubt and shook his head: "Your Majesty will not agree."

The person recommended was Zhang Zhang Siwei, but Your Majesty hated Zhang Zhang Siwei with undisguised hatred. This hatred was hatred for the faction, hatred for factional strife, and also hatred for not embodying the court's intention to strive for governance.

Wang Wang Chonggu filled the gaps in the Northwest, settled the common people, and reclaimed wasteland. Within a few months, he had completely opened up the upstream and downstream of the wool business and initially established the wool official factory.

Your Majesty's attitude toward Wang Wang Chonggu immediately underwent a change multiplied by -1. He called him "Grand Minister of Justice" one moment and "pillar of the country" the next. He was as sunny as could be. This was the Emperor's attitude: for ministers who could embody the intention to strive for governance and whose benefits outweighed their faults, the Emperor was always very benevolent.

On a number axis, multiplying a number by -1 means rotating this point 180 degrees around the origin.

"But the timing they chose is very appropriate. The Northeast is currently using troops." Lu Lu Diaoyang had a thousand thoughts in his heart, which finally turned into a sigh, and he shook his head: "Sigh."

"Recommend Wang Wang Chonggu." Zhang Zhang Juzheng held the memorial and said to Lu Lu Diaoyang with a smile: "Since the Jin faction wants to recommend a Grand Secretary, isn't Wang Wang Chonggu more suitable than Zhang Zhang Siwei?"

"Only those from the Hanlin Academy can enter the Cabinet. This is a rule since the Yingzong Emperor." Lu Lu Diaoyang frowned. Zhang Zhang Juzheng was violating ancestral laws. Wang Wang Chonggu was the 87th in the second class of the 20th year of Emperor Jiajing; he was not a Hanlin of the Hanlin Academy.

Since the Tianshun years, those who were not *Ming Jinshi* could not enter the Hanlin Academy, and those who were not Hanlin could not enter the Cabinet. The Ministers and Vice Ministers of the Northern and Southern Ministries of Rites were not appointed if they were not Hanlin. When the *shujishi* first entered, they were already collectively viewed as the reserve for prime ministers.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng said with a smile: "The Grand Minister of Rites will not stop it."

Although the Ministry of Personnel was inconvenient, the Ministry of Rites was convenient, which provided room for operation. Since the Jin faction wanted to recommend, then recommend Wang Wang Chonggu.

As for the candidate Zhang Zhang Siwei, even if the court discussions passed it, Your Majesty would definitely veto it. Wouldn't that intensify the contradiction between ministerial power and imperial power?

"You say Wang Wang Chonggu handles affairs reliably, or Zhang Zhang Siwei handles affairs reliably? At least Wang Wang Chonggu has real ability. If you give him things to do, he can really do them well. The Andahan tribute wasn't easy, wasn't it done well by him?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng still felt it was more appropriate for Wang Wang Chonggu to enter the Cabinet.

"Then I will tell the Grand Minister of Rites and see what he thinks." Lu Lu Diaoyang thought about it and placed the memorial on the table, intending to go to the Ministry of Rites.

Lu Lu Diaoyang had just left the Hall of Literary Brilliance, looking at the wind and rain, one autumn rain and one cold—Lu Lu Diaoyang shivered.

Feng Bao happened to come to the Hall of Literary Brilliance surrounded by people holding umbrellas. Seeing Lu Lu Diaoyang about to go out, he asked with a smile: "Where is the Junior Grand Secretary going?"

"Going to the Ministry of Rites." Lu Lu Diaoyang answered plainly. Zhang Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao were on good terms, but that was Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

Lu Lu Diaoyang and Feng Bao's relationship was very ordinary. The relationship between Great Ming civil officials and eunuchs had never been good.

Feng Bao didn't mind Lu Lu Diaoyang's attitude. If eunuchs were on good terms with the ministers, the Emperor should consider whether this house slave should be drowned in a well. Feng Bao said with a smile: "The weather is turning cold. Your Majesty has bestowed cloaks on the court ministers. Look, I've come to deliver one to the Junior Grand Secretary."

"I thank Your Majesty for the great grace." Lu Lu Diaoyang didn't expect that he would also have a wool cloak. His was also a crane cloak, but it was somewhat different from Zhang Zhang Juzheng's.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng's cloak was a bestowed garment. The front used python patterns. Python patterns were not pythons, but four-clawed golden dragons, all embroidered with gold thread, and on the back was a beautifully designed crane, so it was called a "python-patterned crane cloak."

And Lu Lu Diaoyang's cloak had no python patterns, which made a huge difference.

Feng Bao came to the Hall of Literary Brilliance to deliver the bestowed garments and then rushed to the Six Ministries. When he arrived at the Ministry of Justice, Wang Wang Chonggu heard that the imperial envoy had arrived and broke into a cold sweat, thinking that Zhang Zhang Siwei had caused some trouble again and the imperial envoy had come to arrest him!

When he learned it was the Emperor bestowing garments, the heart that had been in his throat finally fell back into his stomach.

"Eunuch Feng, a small token." Wang Wang Chonggu took out a stack of salt vouchers and handed them over very smoothly.

Feng Bao shook his head with a smile: "This small token is my head. Grand Minister of Justice, do not harm me."

"I am just a bit confused. According to official rank, I should be a second-rank golden pheasant, not a first-rank crane. Isn't this somewhat overstepping?" Wang Wang Chonggu was extremely happy looking at the cloak, but also somewhat worried; it wasn't a golden pheasant, but a crane.

Because the title of Crown Prince's Junior Guardian held by Wang Wang Chonggu was revoked due to his daughter, a titled noblewoman, using gold characters on her decree, Wang Wang Chonggu did not receive a promotion, and he was not permitted to use the crane emblem.

"Your Majesty specifically instructed that it must be a crane." Feng Bao didn't hide anything and said with a smile: "Grand Minister of Justice, if you handle the affairs well, you will have everything you should have."

The meaning of these words was very clear: if you don't handle the affairs well, the head you shouldn't lose will be lost.

"I thank Your Majesty for the great grace!" Wang Wang Chonggu's thousand thoughts turned into one sentence. He affirmed what Zhang Zhang Juzheng said: Your Majesty values capable officials highly. If you handle affairs well and the benefits to the Great Ming outweigh the faults, and you can embody the court's intention to strive for governance, rewards will not be lacking.

"Grand Minister of Justice, stay." Feng Bao took his big tail and went visiting the Six Ministries. When he came out of the Ministry of Rites, Xu Jue was stunned and said: "It's gone. I remember I checked the list from the Old Ancestor and counted them clearly before leaving the door."

There was still the Ministry of Personnel, but the cloaks were all gone.

"You didn't count wrong," Feng Bao said happily.

"Ah? Then where is the Minister of Personnel's cloak?" Xu Jue asked in doubt.

Feng Bao's face was serious. He needed to maintain his dignity in front of his disciples and grand-disciples. He said seemingly calmly: "There was never one for him to begin with."

"Ah, this..." Xu Jue was stunned. The Emperor's narrow-mindedness was really smaller than a needle's point. He couldn't even be bothered to be superficially polite and wouldn't bestow a single wool cloak.

Then, when the court discussions at the Hall of Literary Brilliance took place, all the other court ministers would be wearing cloaks, but only Zhang Han wouldn't be. That scene would be extremely shameful.

In terms of insulting people, the little Emperor still maintained his consistent standard.

This is today's second update. Please vote for monthly tickets, Aoooooo!!!!!!!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 148 =====