Chapter 230: Zhang Juzheng Mourns and Returns to Government, Wang Chonggu Flees in Fear

In the history of the Central Plains dynasties, there have been movements to destroy Buddhism. For how to eliminate the influence of religion, there is a set of mature procedural operations and experience. Or this kind of experience, this set of experience, can be summarized as secularization.

A secularization that redeems the human soul from the gods and lets the soul belong only to itself. The most important basis for this set of experience in the Great Ming is practical thinking, similar to Li Chengliang praying for snow in Liaodong. If it snows, you are the Dragon King. If it doesn't snow, you are a clay statue. Just see if Commander Li blows you up or not.

And the first step of the soul redemption plan is to destroy the Nagasaki church and that standing church.

And the Roman Catholic Church inspector, that priest, is also on the wanted list.

And Xu Wei wrote all this into a letter, let the accompanying maritime defense inspector drive the flying wing sailing ship and send it to the capital.

All maritime defense inspectors are boatmen themselves, able to find the way home on the vast ocean. These white strips in the waves are not the first time they have run this route.

The distant Marquis of the beacon tower is a night scout, and the maritime defense inspector flies on the sea.

Xu Wei is just complaining about Zhang Juzheng. He actually knows that with the state of the Great Ming Dynasty before, the Great Ming could not complete the act of annihilating Japan at all.

There are many prerequisites for long-distance operations. Taking ships as an example, the main ships used by the Great Ming now are flying wing sailing ships, combat ships, three-masted clipper ships, and five-masted ocean-crossing ships. Except for the combat ships that the Great Ming could build originally, the others are things piled up by the current Emperor with countless silver.

Zhang Juzheng saw through Japan's wolfish ambitions and predicted that after Japan's internal contradictions gradually stabilized, it would attack the Great Ming with the whole country, but what could he do?

The infighting in the court, the centrifugal and moral separation between the monarch and his ministers, and the national situation rolling down from the cliff had already made this unparalleled hero exhausted.

Zhang Juzheng is like those gods who can do everything in the eyes of the ignorant people in the eyes of Xu Wei or the people who hope for the Great Ming to rise again, always hoping that Zhang Juzheng can do more.

Sun Keyi brought out his old trade; he got a painted pleasure boat and prepared to select some Wa nation prostitutes, allowing this group of Wa nation clan heads, local daimyo, and shogunate generals who had never seen the world to witness top-tier luxury and enjoyment.

Sun Keyi was uniting the meat-eaters, because these meat-eaters determined the fate of most people in Japan.

The route of the flying wing sailing ship is very interesting. It will first go to Jeju Island.

The needle route map from Jeju Island to the Great Ming, when Jeju people paid tribute before, Jeju people drifted across the ocean and couldn't even speak, arrived in the Great Ming, paid tribute to the Great Ming Emperor, and after paying tribute to the local products, the Emperor very generously sent ships to send these Jeju people back to Jeju Island.

Since then, there has been a maritime defense inspection department on Jeju Island. The Great Ming has already notified Korea that this inspection department is used to prevent Japanese pirates.

After departing from Jeju Island, they arrived at Korea's Incheon Port. After resupplying at Incheon Port, they set off again for Lushun and other places.

Incheon Port is very close to Korea's capital, Hancheng. And the King of Korea was very supportive of the completion of the Incheon water horse station. In the past, the King of Korea asked the Great Ming Emperor for peace. If he walked on land, it would take several months, but if he walked by sea, it would only take one day.

The "needle" in the needle route map refers to the needle on the compass. After reaching a landmark area, turn to a certain direction. The needle route map is the sea route map. Whoever owns the sea route map owns this sea route.

Three days later, Zhu Yijun received Xu Wei's letter.

It takes fifteen days for the water horse station from the Southern Yamen to the Northern Yamen of the Great Ming, and it takes about ten days for the eight-hundred-mile urgent report. But now, the sea station route from Nagasaki to the Great Ming and from the Great Ming to Nagasaki only takes two days to reach Tianjin Wei, and only one day from Tianjin Wei to the Northern Yamen.

In terms of information distance, the distance from Nagasaki to the political center is now only three days.

"This scholar Xu Wei!" Zhu Yijun finished reading the letter and scolded, saying Xu Wei was a scholar, because Ma Jin reported Xu Wei, saying that Xu Wei did not respect the Grand Secretary, and sent Xu Wei's words slandering the Grand Secretary back to the capital word for word.

"Standing and talking doesn't hurt the back. He doesn't know what kind of situation the Grand Secretary is facing at all. It's already very good to be able to do this step. Going further, it's not that the Grand Secretary can't do it, but he can't do it." Zhu Yijun said very clearly to Zhang Hong.

Zhang Juzheng is very difficult. Zhu Yijun saw Zhang Juzheng's difficulties with his own eyes. A two-hundred-year-old dynasty needs to reform. The resistance encountered in this reform is by no means as easy as imagined. The fundamental reason why Zhu Yijun can do whatever he wants as long as he doesn't jump in Zhang Juzheng's minefield is that there is a Zhang Juzheng in the court.

Zhu Yijun is not talking nonsense.

The surrender of the Jiajing Emperor is a typical example.

"Two dragons do not meet" is a tacit rule of the Jiajing Dynasty, because the two crown princes who met before, the Crown Prince Aichong and the Crown Prince Zhuangjing, especially the death of the Crown Prince Zhuangjing, made the Jiajing Emperor have to accept the strange setting that father and son cannot meet.

If the two dragons continue to meet, the result is that Prince Yu might be cursed to death by this kind of prophecy. Drawing a little man and stabbing him with a needle cannot curse a person to death, but poison can.

Two dragons do not meet, what they are fighting for is the cultivation right of the first heir.

As the Grand Tutor, Zhang Juzheng has exhausted all his efforts to ensure that the Wanli Emperor grows up healthily and to ensure that the Great Ming imperial power will not be further lost.

The Zhang Juzheng in history is more difficult, because the little Emperor does not like Zhang Juzheng. Zhang Juzheng without imperial power support can be said to be walking on thin ice.

Zhu Yijun is not the Wanli Emperor in history. He is grateful for everything Zhang Juzheng did during the time when the master was young and the country was suspicious. In the past dynasties, the ministers and emperors who held great power and walked to a good end were only Zhuge Liang and Liu Shan.

As for whether Xu Wei wants to cooperate with the Japanese or the Western church, Zhu Yijun doesn't care. Xu Wei, Sun Keyi, and Ma Jin going to Nagasaki is just to find a foothold. No matter who they cooperate with, as long as they can take root, the Great Ming's subsequent intelligence gathering work can be carried out as usual.

Zhu Yijun picked up his pen to reply. In the letter, Zhu Yijun was very dissatisfied with Xu Wei's attitude toward Zhang Juzheng. That is the Emperor's teacher.

At the same time, he also gave them the greatest authority to act according to circumstances in Nagasaki. As for whether Xu Wei will set himself up as king, and engage in things like usurping the title of Song and the title of King of Hui, Zhu Yijun doesn't care.

As long as silver can flow into the Great Ming more smoothly, whatever moths they make in Japan are all meritorious services for the Great Ming.

Giving full authority is to hope that they can exert the true colors of merchants and scholars and toss as much as possible.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Secretary's father is seriously ill." Zhang Hong said with a heavy face.

Zhang Juzheng's father, Zhang Wenming, was a down-and-out scholar, like Xu Wei, who failed the examination repeatedly. If it weren't for Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Wenming, this kind of failed student, would be everywhere in the Great Ming. Zhang Wenming had no talent, no reputation, and no floating wealth. Even if he died one day, it would just be an extra grave mound on the yellow land.

Precisely because Zhang Wenming's son was Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Wenming's serious illness was so eye-catching.

Because Zhang Wenming passed away, the Great Ming Grand Secretary and Grand Tutor Emperor's Teacher Zhang Juzheng had to retire to mourn according to the Great Ming rules. The change of the empire's helmsman affected the entire empire.

Zhu Yijun had used all means to prepare for the retention of office, but Zhang Juzheng's own intention was to retire to mourn.

After Zhang Wenming became seriously ill, the empire's Grand Secretary was extremely sad, asked for a long-term sick leave, stayed by his father's side, and served left and right. But this filial piety could not keep Zhang Wenming's passing vitality.

"Does the Jiekuyuan have no way?" Zhu Yijun's

Zhang Hong said with a troubled expression, "Old Master Zhang is truly too old; he is seventy-three. The Jiekuyuan is a place for grand physicians, but Old Master Zhang's lifespan has reached its end, his five internal organs are all failing, and medicine cannot heal him."

"I know." Zhu Yijun nodded, indicating that he already knew the situation.

At this moment, the eyes of everyone in the capital were fixed on the Quanchu Quanchu Quanchu Huiguan, waiting for that old man who was like a withered tree to leave the world. Then, a political upheaval affecting the entire Great Ming court, centered on the infighting for the position of Senior Grand Secretary, would unfold in full swing.

On the 13th day of the fifth month of the fifth year of Wanli, Zhang Wenming passed away at the Quanchu Quanchu Quanchu Huiguan.

Zhang Juzheng, who had disappeared for more than ten days, submitted a memorial requesting to retire to send his father's soul back to his hometown, to let the fallen leaves return to their roots, and to observe the mourning period for his father. This memorial was clearly written in extreme grief; the lines between the words carried an unconcealable sadness and were extremely brief.

"Upon hearing the news of the passing, my heart is shattered. I am unfilial and disloyal, bringing disaster upon my father. I am consumed by grief and unconscious, unable to find the words; I can only weep bitterly and shed tears of blood. I beg to return home to conduct the funeral and observe the mourning period to fulfill my filial duty. I am overwhelmed by intense grief."

A brief memorial for retirement, filled with determination and decisiveness.

The young Emperor had already grown up. His wings could not be called full, but the young Emperor himself was a person of great resolve and was already strong enough. Moreover, with Qi Jiguang at his side, no chaos would occur.

Since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety could not be fulfilled at the same time. The young Emperor loved and respected his teacher and had specifically summoned the elders to keep Zhang Wenming and his wife in the capital for a long stay, which was already extremely kind to Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng intended to return his authority.

Even without the grand wedding, the time to return authority had arrived.

Zhu Yijun personally wrote an imperial edict and ordered the ceremonial eunuch Li Yougong to send it to Zhang Juzheng's Quanchu Quanchu Quanchu Huiguan.

Li Yougong was a eunuch who had come out of the inner study. He brought the imperial edict to the Quanchu Quanchu Quanchu Huiguan. The Quanchu Quanchu Quanchu Huiguan was covered in mourning white; a mourning hall had already been set up there. Inside the Quanchu Quanchu Quanchu Huiguan, there were also several carriages. You Qi was leading people to pack up the things in the residence. Zhang Juzheng's memorial for retirement was not just talk; he truly intended to leave.

The Quanchu Quanchu Quanchu Huiguan was built with funds raised by people from Chu in the capital. Zhang Juzheng intended to return this private residence to the Chu Party, just as Yang Bo had handed the Quanjin Quanchu Quanchu Huiguan to Ge Shouli when he left.

Once a person loses power, even ghosts won't come to the door.

Zhang Juzheng had been in the court for decades and had seen too much of the court's infighting. He knew that once he left, just like Gao Gong, it would be impossible for him to return in this lifetime. The successor as Senior Grand Secretary would, no matter what, not tolerate Zhang Juzheng's comeback, and all sorts of things would happen.

But Zhang Juzheng still intended to leave because, consumed by grief, he could no longer perform his duties normally. The Senior Grand Secretary was the host of the court discussions; he had been absent for more than ten days, and unable to preside over the court discussions normally, he was no longer suitable to remain in the Wenhua Hall.

"The imperial edict has arrived, Grand Tutor, please receive the edict." Li Yougong said loudly in a high-pitched voice. When Zhang Juzheng was supported by You Qi and walked out of the Quanchu Quanchu Quanchu Huiguan to kneel and receive the edict, Li Yougong shouted loudly: "By the order of the Emperor, the edict says:"

"I have now read the memorial of the auxiliary minister and learned that the Grand Tutor's father has passed away. I mourn deeply for a long time. The Grand Tutor's heart of grief must be beyond words! However, Heaven sent the Grand Tutor, who is not to be compared with ordinary people. You personally received the entrustment of the late Emperor to assist me in my youth, bringing stability to the state and peace to the world. This is the greatest loyalty, rarely seen since ancient times. Your father's spirit must be at peace."

"Now you should think of me, suppress your grief, and fulfill your great filial piety. I will be very fortunate, and the world will be very fortunate. Respect this."

The core content of the imperial edict personally written by Zhu Yijun was two words: "retaining the official." The state had gradually become peaceful in the Grand Tutor's hands; this was the greatest loyalty of a subject. The spirit of the Grand Tutor's father in Heaven must be rejoicing at the contribution the Grand Tutor had made to the state. He should put state affairs first, think of me, suppress his grief, and resume his duties as soon as possible.

Although this imperial edict did not explicitly say "retaining the official," it had already made the attitude clear.

"Your subject respectfully kowtows and receives the order." Zhang Juzheng had actually anticipated that the young Emperor would retain him, and for a moment, he could only temporarily accept the edict.

"The Empress Dowager's decree has arrived, Grand Tutor, please receive the decree." Another managing eunuch of the Ciqing Palace, Zhang Zhongju, opened the decree and said: "I was shocked to hear that the Grand Tutor's father has passed away. I am overwhelmed with grief, and the Grand Tutor's sorrow is imaginable. I sincerely hope the Grand Tutor will restrain his grief and organize things as soon as possible. The state of the nation is slightly revived but still has hidden worries; the new policies are just starting but also have dangers. The Emperor is still young, and I urge the Grand Tutor to consider the world."

"Specially bestowed: 500 taels of silver, ten bolts of ramie silk, 20 piculs of white rice, 200 catties of sesame oil, 20 catties of various broken incense, 100 pairs of candles, and 50 bolts of linen cloth to assist with the funeral expenses."

The decree was issued by Empress Dowager Li and Empress Dowager Chen together. The content was clearly retaining the official, and they used the state of the nation, the new policies, and the world to carry out moral kidnapping. The wording used was "urge," which comes from the Analects, meaning severe reprimand and urgent demand.

Although the court discussions did not stop, the situation in the court immediately became strange and unpredictable. Empress Dowager Li and Empress Dowager Chen, regardless of how sad Zhang Juzheng was, demanded that he return to the court immediately to continue presiding over the overall situation.

The will of the palace to retain the official and resume his post, not allowing Zhang Juzheng to observe the mourning period, was even more resolute.

"Your subject respectfully kowtows and receives the order." Zhang Juzheng kowtowed again, his brows furrowed tightly. According to his estimation, the situation in the court should not have reached this point.

His father was ill, and he had made many arrangements. It had only been ten days; what chaos could have occurred?

"Grand Tutor, the Emperor has an oral instruction." The ceremonial eunuch Li Yougong asked those around him to step aside and whispered to Zhang Juzheng.

The Emperor's oral instruction was the key. However, Feng Bao, as the old ancestor in the palace, had the suspicion of colluding to bypass the Emperor and clinging to power if he whispered to Zhang Juzheng in front of everyone in front of the Quanchu Quanchu Quanchu Huiguan. Therefore, Zhu Yijun had sent Li Yougong.

And Li Yougong clearly and explicitly conveyed the oral instruction to Zhang Juzheng.

"Grand Tutor, there has been quite a bit of chaos in the court. I am young and lacking in virtue; if you do not return to the court, I fear there will be a change in Heaven, and the new policies will be in danger." Li Yougong explained the Emperor's oral instruction and the reason for saying this very clearly.

Chaos had indeed occurred; Zhang Juzheng's Zhang Party had already begun to be impeached.

Liang Menglong, Liu Yingjie, Yin Zhengmao, Ling Yunyi, Pan Jixun, Li Le, Wang Xiyuan, Zhang Chucheng, and others were all on the list of those being impeached, and the momentum was growing. Even Tan Lun, Wang Guoguang, and Wan Shihe were on the list.

Strangely, Wang Chonggu was spared this time. No one impeached Wang Chonggu; instead, there was a public opinion brewing about reorganizing the cabinet with Wang Chonggu as the core.

After the eunuchs left, Zhang Juzheng said to his son Zhang Siwen with a grave expression: "I am going into the palace."

Zhang Juzheng hurried into the palace to see the Emperor. Zhu Yijun summoned Zhang Juzheng at the Baoqi Si.

"This is a private residence. Grand Tutor, your grief is unbearable, and you have been exhausted for many days. Sit down and talk, sit down and talk. Zhang Hong, bring a cup of tea." Zhu Yijun signaled for Zhang Juzheng to sit down and talk. Zhang Juzheng was visibly older, which was caused by exhaustion. The grand physician of the Jiekuyuan had already seen him, and it was caused by excessive grief.

Zhang Juzheng had been by the sickbed, so he was naturally exhausted. Once Zhang Juzheng's attention was diverted and he rested for a few days, there would be no hidden worries.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great kindness." Zhang Juzheng looked at the Guanghan Hall of the Baoqi Si. This was his first time here, and he found that the layout here was exactly the same as the Quanchu Quanchu Quanchu Huiguan. Clearly, Zhu Yijun liked this style very much. The Guanghan Hall had collapsed and was rebuilt exactly according to the Quanchu Quanchu Quanchu Huiguan.

Zhu Yijun did this not only because he liked this style, but also because of safety—high walls and deep courtyards.

"Grand Tutor, since ancient times, seventy has been rare. Your father was already seventy-three; it is a happy funeral. Grand Tutor, please restrain your grief." Zhu Yijun comforted Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng said with some surprise: "The Emperor's oral instruction said there was chaos in the court. What kind of chaos?"

"Wang Chonggu." Zhu Yijun said concisely: "Grand Tutor, you also anticipated this. After you asked for leave, the attacks on the new policies and the officials who implemented them followed like a shadow. This kind of impeachment was originally no big deal, but Wang Chonggu, who had been impeached for the past two years, was no longer being impeached by anyone."

"I am worried whether Wang Chonggu is presiding over this with ulterior motives."

"After the Grand Minister of Justice submitted that memorial on settling the vagrants, how could he have any retreat?" Zhang Juzheng did not think Wang Chonggu was doing bad things inside, because that 50,000-word memorial on settling vagrants was Wang Chonggu's pledge of allegiance. Since the pledge of allegiance had been submitted, it was impossible for him to jump back.

Zhu Yijun frowned and said: "What the Grand Tutor says is very true. Am I not worried? People's hearts are separated by skin. After all, I killed his nephew. If he holds a grudge against you and me, that would not be surprising."

Zhang Juzheng was just about to speak when a young eunuch rushed in frantically from outside. He ran too fast, tripped on the threshold, and fell to the ground. Kneeling on the ground, he crawled forward a few steps before the young eunuch said in extreme terror: "After today's court discussion, the Grand Minister of Justice went to the Yongding Woolen Mill as usual. He left a memorial for retirement at the Yongding Woolen Mill and then left after hanging up his seal!"

"Hmm?" Zhu Yijun looked at the young eunuch in a daze. Wang Chonggu's reaction was truly beyond Zhu Yijun's expectations.

"What about the Censor Wang Qian?" Zhang Juzheng immediately asked.

"They ran away together!" The young eunuch presented the memorial for retirement.

Father and son went to the Yongding Woolen Mill together. The memorial had been written long ago. As soon as Zhang Juzheng's father passed away, the two of them immediately left with some of their belongings, heading towards their hometown of Pucheng, and they were traveling with fast horses and post-horses.

Zhu Yijun looked at the Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Zhao Mengyou and said: "Trouble the Commander to catch the two of them back. I haven't approved the memorial yet, and they ran away. What kind of logic is this? Who will supervise my imperial palace, my Buddhist pagoda, my lecture academy, the Xishan Coal Bureau, and the Yongding and Yongsheng Woolen Mills?"

"How could he run?!"

Zhu Yijun actually knew Wang Chonggu's motive for running: to save his life.

The restorationist faction in the court was clearly planning to set him, Wang Chonggu, up as the banner of opposing the new policies.

Wang Chonggu—if he didn't advocate for the ancient, why would he be called Wang Chonggu?

Moreover, the matter of Wang Chonggu entering the cabinet had been brought up many times. Wang Chonggu's biggest problem was that he really could carry this banner, but he didn't want to. After thinking it over, based on his desire to survive, Wang Chonggu made an outrageous decision: he took his son and ran back to his hometown.

Wang Chonggu only had one son. When they ran, they took two carriages, traveling light and leaving immediately.

Wang Chonggu wanted to run because he had no idea how to deal with this situation. Whether Zhang Juzheng retired or not, if he, Wang Chonggu, really became the person opposing the Emperor's teacher, it would be a dead end. The Emperor would probably kill his nine clans. But if he didn't run, the restorationist faction would definitely try every possible way to put him on the fire.

Wang Chonggu dared to run because he had grasped the pulse of the young Emperor. The young Emperor was indeed thin-blooded and ungrateful, violent and capricious, and had a strong desire to kill, but for those who had contributed to the state, the Emperor could always show mercy. For example, before, Zhang Han did not receive the crane cloak bestowed by the Emperor, but Wang Chonggu had managed to get one.

Therefore, Wang Chonggu knew that as long as he ran back to his hometown of Pucheng before the imperial court could react, His Majesty would not pursue him to the death.

Wang Chonggu also read the contradictions. Under the Emperor's violent face, there was a kind heart. As long as one acted like a person, one would be treated as a person by the Emperor.

Zhu Yijun could understand Wang Chonggu's decision, but that did not mean he agreed with or approved of this behavior. Leaving a memorial for retirement and hanging up his seal—don't even think about it.

Zhao Mengyou received the order and left. No matter how fast Wang Chonggu ran, he couldn't be faster than the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Zhao Mengyou had this confidence. If he couldn't even do this, what kind of imperial hunting dog was he?

"It seems it wasn't the Grand Minister of Justice." Zhu Yijun said with some relief. Wang Chonggu's act of running away destined him to be a criminal even after being caught. How could a criminal enter the cabinet? If he couldn't enter the cabinet, he couldn't carry the banner.

Wang Chonggu was truly a smart man. Under the strong desire to survive, he could even think of such a way to break the deadlock.

"Your Majesty, there is a universal tacit understanding among those who eat meat. They don't need to run around together to be of the same spirit. Therefore, this impeachment of the new policies does not necessarily have a presiding person; they just sensed the wind direction and submitted memorials together." Seeing it wasn't Wang Chonggu, Zhang Juzheng also showed a pale smile, somewhat relieved.

He was still teaching the young Emperor that the tacit understanding among those who eat meat did not need to be achieved through running around together. This was the universal tacit understanding, and this was the most terrifying thing. This was also the greatest difficulty the Emperor would face after he personally took charge of the government in the future. The new policies needed to feed these people first before virtue could be spread to all the people, and the poor people could bathe in the Emperor's grace.

Zhu Yijun sighed and said: "Grand Tutor, you once said that it is like water flowing through a canal to the fields; it cannot flow from the source to the fields out of thin air. Grand Tutor, you also see that at my age, I don't understand human feelings, and my ambitions have not been established. How can you bear to abandon me, abandon your disciples, and abandon the people of the world?"

"Your Majesty's method is also quite good." Zhang Juzheng held it in for a long time before squeezing out a sentence.

He knew clearly that after he left, the Emperor would start a massacre, but he was powerless. Sending his father to return to his roots was a basic duty as a son. The Great Ming still had His Majesty to preside over the situation.

Even if Wang Chonggu played some tricks behind his back, His Majesty would ruthlessly purge Wang Chonggu. His Majesty had always been a decisive person.

"Your Majesty, I said before that this court is not afraid of wrong decisions, but is afraid of repetition. Even if it is wrong, if you go wrong to the end and carry it out to the end, it may not necessarily be wrong. But repeating back and forth is the most taboo. People's hearts will scatter between repetitions, and wanting to gather them together again will be as difficult as ascending to heaven." Zhang Juzheng had previously explained this logic of persisting to the end to the young Emperor.

The court is not afraid of being wrong; what it is afraid of is a change in the fundamental line. As long as the line is correct, some small mistakes will not cause huge and evil consequences.

"Grand Tutor, do you not intend to return?" Zhu Yijun exhaled a long breath, looked at Zhang Juzheng, and asked with some dissatisfaction, although his tone was calm.

"I cannot return." Zhang Juzheng knew that after this retirement, there would be no possibility of a comeback. The smile on his face carried much relief. He smiled and said: "Your Majesty, I will eventually leave, and you will eventually take charge of the government. It's just a matter of time."

"Hmph!" Zhu Yijun slapped the table and left directly without saying anything more. This was the first time the young Emperor had left so impolitely.

Zhang Juzheng watched His Majesty leave in anger, but a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. His Majesty had slowly grown up, and he, as the Senior Grand Secretary, had become an obstacle at certain times. It was good to retire like this. Since ancient times, how many powerful ministers could return safely? Retiring due to mourning and staying away from the court was not a bad choice for him.

The state of the nation, the new policies, and the world—His Majesty could handle them well. The Emperor's rebellious phase was also coming soon. If he stayed any longer, he would inevitably be disliked. It was better to leave like this.

He had already completed his mission. He had held up the court when the ruler was young and the state was suspicious. He had educated the Emperor well, and the Emperor already possessed the aura of an enlightened ruler. He had also presided over the new policies and had made a good start in military, political, economic, cultural, and many other fields.

As long as His Majesty walked along this path, it was only a matter of time before the Great Ming stood at the pinnacle of the world again. What else did he have to worry about? With no unfulfilled wishes, he truly intended to leave.

He stood up, flicked his sleeves, performed five bows and three kowtows, and said submissively: "Your subject, I take my leave."

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(End of this chapter)