Chapter 985: Changing a batch of people is almost equivalent to changing the world

Zhu Yijun is indeed the richest person in the Great Ming, but facing the Great Ming where silver is needed everywhere, he dare not be extravagant and wasteful. A little silver is invested in the imperial road and the Dinghai School System.

The wealthy people in Songjiang Prefecture do not need to consider too much social responsibility, so fighting for wealth and extravagance becomes a natural thing.

And this wind blew into the school, which was the appearance Zhu Yijun saw.

Even in order to prevent attracting imperial anger, Wang Qian and Li Le were already very conservative. Some individual students dressed even more brightly, and an outfit was not just as simple as 35,700 catties of rice.

The Great Ming Emperor, who originally thought Wang Qian was too radical, recognized Wang Qian's radicalism after seeing the harm of extravagance in the school.

Correcting a wrong must be overcorrected, and it can be adjusted back later. But this school must not be extravagant. These students read books and understand principles to establish values. If they grow crooked from the root, I am afraid that this towering tree of the Great Ming will also grow crooked.

Zhu Yijun gave his vermilion approval to Wang Qian's memorial and recognized his behavior. This looks like the Southern Yamen is really a bit meddlesome. Everything from what students eat and wear must be regulated, but the Great Ming court is a prefecture-county imperial system, and the Emperor is the monarch and father. While managing broadly, the obligations to be fulfilled are also many.

After three days of rest for the Longevity Festival in the nineteenth year of Wanli, the Great Ming Emperor became active again. The Emperor's figure appeared everywhere in the capital. The people of the capital were accustomed to this. What the people of the capital valued most was the changes around them. The capital really got better!

The reason for this is very simple: the book clerks and runners of the six departments were replaced by the Emperor, and there was no need to be extra-deducted for goods when entering the city.

The Emperor is above the nine heavens, dealing with ten thousand machines every day. Even under his eyelids, he does not quite understand the style of these Southern Yamen pests. It is really a case of even if a manure cart passes by, they have to take two breaths!

A Southern Yamen pest eating, drinking, and taking for free is a small matter, just eating a little bit of muffled loss. For many years, the people have long been accustomed to it. This reform actually gave people a feeling of seeing the clouds and seeing the sky, and the sky is shining on all directions.

This place of first goodness in the capital, for the first time, had the feeling of a place of first goodness.

Some Southern Yamen pests bully the market, drive away good merchants, and bully men and women. Take an old Southern Yamen runner in the west of the city, for example, who forcibly occupied two civilian women. The husbands of these civilian women dared to be angry but dared not speak. Their own business was held in the hands of others, there was no door to complain, and they went to the Southern Yamen to complain, but the six departments did not accept it at all.

Bullying the market, grain, oil, and oil merchants from other places could not enter the grain market, vegetable market, and oil workshop at all. When they arrived at Zhaoyangmen, they had to give it to the merchants in the capital, otherwise, these Southern Yamen pests would arrive in an instant, take away all the goods, and if they entangled, they would beat them hard, breaking bones if light, and lying in bed if heavy.

The gangs in the city colluded with the people in the Southern Yamen, and they were even more lawless.

Now, all this is slowly disappearing in the capital. Several gangs buried in the capital city were jointly arrested by the Southern Yamen runners, the Five Cities Military and Horse Division, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The atmosphere in the capital was solemn because of this.

As for outside the city? The Grand General got angry, and the cannons were fired for three days outside the city. Those bandit villages that were not climate-friendly were razed to the ground.

The people of the capital discussed after tea and dinner how many heads would be cut off this time, but soon, news came from the Ministry of Justice Southern Yamen that only twenty-seven chief culprits were beheaded at the vegetable market, and the remaining accomplices who had no murder cases were sent to Hami City to reclaim land for the Marquis of Ningyuan.

The changes in the capital were great, and even the haze that was purple and purple became a bit pleasing to the eye.

Altan Khan's wife, the Suiyuan Administration Commissioner, entered the Juyong Pass again before winter, and she wanted to take people to send wool to the Yongding River Woolen Factory.

This was the last wool of this year, and the quantity was very large, a full 170,000 bags, one bag was 150 catties. So much wool was the lifeblood of the grassland people to spend the winter.

Looking at the Luogou Bridge extraction bureau that was getting closer and closer, the wife of Altan Khan touched out ten silver banknotes with a face full of sorrow, felt it was not enough, and touched out ten more, preparing to bribe the relationship in the Luogou Bridge extraction bureau.

"These Southern Yamen pests who drink human blood!" Looking at her carriage parked in front of the extraction bureau, the wife of Altan Khan felt a burst of anger in her heart that could not be dissipated.

These Southern Yamen pests were even more difficult to deal with than the Great Ming Emperor.

Over the years, the wife of Altan Khan also saw that the Emperor's conquest of the grassland was to make the grassland stable. If the grassland was stable, the court would not have to spend too much thought on the grassland, delaying the Great Ming's opening of the sea.

Therefore, the Emperor was extra kind to the grassland. As long as there were not so many horses, the Emperor did not look at the benefits of the grassland.

"These Southern Yamen pests, their appetite is getting bigger and bigger." The wife of Altan Khan looked at this Southern Yamen somewhat helplessly. In her view, this thing was not much different from the Ghost Gate, and whoever passed by would be peeled off a layer of skin.

"Mother, can't we complain when we enter the capital?" A fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl asked in a low voice. This was an adopted daughter named Mu Qing.

The wife of Altan Khan gave herself a Han name, surnamed Mu, but no one called her name, they all called her San Niangzi Zhongshun. The wife of Altan Khan didn't care, as long as her daughter had a name.

"Qing'er, mother has complained." The wife of Altan Khan shook her head and said: "In the eleventh year of Wanli, I couldn't bear it anymore. When I met the Emperor, I complained. The Emperor dealt with it, but what can be done?"

"This extraction bureau has changed a batch of people, but it is the same as not changing people. They are still the claws and teeth of the powerful."

"The next year, the wool was not allowed to pass the customs. After finally passing the customs, mother took the purchased goods back to the grassland, and was stuck for a month, not letting mother go, saying that there were contraband inside, and checked for a full month!"

"Returning to the grassland, it started to snow. The goods purchased from the Great Ming were piled up in Guihua City, and they almost couldn't be scattered to the various ministries."

She had complained, and the Emperor had dealt with it, but changing people was no different from not changing people.

Changing the soup without changing the medicine, and even having to be embarrassed extra.

Later, the wife of Altan Khan also understood that this place in the capital was very evil. The Emperor might not have a good way, and there were really too many powerful people.

"Stay in the carriage and don't come out." The wife of Altan Khan brought Mu Qing to the Great Ming to see the world. Although these Southern Yamen pests dared not play ideas on her daughter, it was better to let her daughter be seen by these people less.

"Mother, is it because we are barbarians, northerners, that we are treated like this?" Mu Qing shrank into the carriage and asked in a low voice.

"What nonsense!" The wife of Altan Khan scolded sharply: "What barbarians, northerners, we are now Great Ming people, don't humiliate yourself, barbarians are those horse-herding slaves in the north."

"Also, this Southern Yamen mouth that eats people is not aimed at us. Han merchant teams, they also eat, treat them equally. Do you see the wolves that eat people on the grassland, do they distinguish between black sheep and white sheep?"

This pass of the Luogou Bridge extraction bureau treats everyone equally. Whoever wants to pass the customs will be bitten, and no one is an exception.

"So it is." Mu Qing thought it was because of the grassland people's identity that she was treated like this, but after mother explained, Mu Qing also felt it was reasonable, and it was the same as the books she read, exploitation does not distinguish between regions.

The wife of Altan Khan walked into the extraction bureau with silver banknotes, and then walked out of the extraction bureau with silver banknotes. She was very confused. This time it was completely different from the past. The silver banknotes in her hand were not sent out. It was really the sun coming out from the west!

Mu Qing poked her little head out and asked in a low voice: "Mother, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, the sky has changed. This time it has really changed." The wife of Altan Khan looked at the haze in the sky with a little confusion. The extraction bureau changed a batch of people again, but this batch of people was completely different from the previous batch.

Changing the soup and medicine again, did the Emperor find the prescription?

The unsolvable problem seemed to have been solved by the wise and natural Great Ming Emperor. The wife of Altan Khan did not know at all what the Emperor's limit was! Every time she came to the capital, the capital had new changes.

Not only the Luogou Bridge extraction bureau, but the atmosphere of the entire capital became clearer. Soon, the wife of Altan Khan knew what method the Emperor used to solve the problem.

The variable that changed everything appeared.

A group that mastered certain means of production and could replace the gentry quietly stepped onto the stage of power and history. This variable had been brewing for a full nineteen years and finally blossomed and bore fruit.

"Is this also in the Emperor's expectation?" The wife of Altan Khan muttered to herself.

On August 22nd, the wife of Altan Khan had an audience with the Great Ming Emperor. The Great Ming Emperor was still as strong as in the past, sitting on the dragon chair like a small mountain, making people feel extra at ease. It seemed that as long as the Holy Son of Heaven was there, everything would become prosperous.

"Mu Qing has grown so big?" Zhu Yijun looked at Mu Qing, who was already generous, and said with a smile. Last time he saw

this girl, she was only nine years old.

Mu Qing hurriedly kowtowed and said loudly: "See Your Majesty, Your Majesty is safe."

"Exempt from formalities, exempt from formalities." Zhu Yijun said to Feng Bao: "Reward."

The reward was not very generous, a down-filled jacket, and a hat with warm ears. The grassland was bitter and cold, and the Emperor bestowed some winter clothes.

The wife of Altan Khan reported the situation of the grassland for a year, and also reported the progress of the herdsmen determining the pasture boundaries, and also reported that the number of sheep raised this year increased by 3.2% compared to last year. This growth rate was a little lower than in previous years, and the change of heaven also had a great impact on the grassland.

As long as the grassland does not raise so many horses and maintains a huge number of sheep, the court can be completely at ease. The grassland climate is not as good as it was hundreds of years ago. If there are too many horses, many, many people will die, starve to death, freeze to death, die in battle, and plunder south. The grassland people will die, and the Great Ming will also die many, many people.

Now it is good for each other. As time goes on, everyone is a Great Ming person, and there is no distinction between each other.

Dealing with the grassland people, Wang Chonggu's high-interest loans, pounding the nest and driving horses, and wool business were indeed good strategies for the grassland.

"I actually didn't expect that changing the six departments and Southern Yamen runners would have such a big change." Zhu Yijun knew a little about the changes in the capital, and he didn't expect the effect to be so good. Changing a batch of people was almost equivalent to changing the world.

Zhang Juzheng was also observing in the implementation of the official examination law in the capital, and put forward suggestions for further improvement.

These book clerks and runners of the six departments should be a tripod, which is stable, that is, official factory craftsmen, civil registered scholars, and military registered scholars. In this way, the three parties restrain each other, which is the great success of the official examination law.

This change was suggested by Shen Shiying.

"Can Suiyuan also be reformed together?" The wife of Altan Khan asked with some expectation, requesting the Emperor's policy tilt.

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "It can't be done. Suiyuan doesn't have so many resident craftsmen who have read books."

The construction time of the Womagang official factory and Shengzhou official factory in Suiyuan was far later than the four major official factories in the capital, and there were not so many resident craftsmen to participate in the selection, so the status quo could not be changed in the short term.

Policies must be adapted to local conditions. Suiyuan does not have the conditions for such reform. Now Suiyuan should first understand fixed grazing and let people settle down, which is the key.

Everyone wants to live a stable life. The grassland people are not naturally yearning for the nomadic life of following the water. That is called precarious, and it is also called wandering, not knowing whether they can see tomorrow's sun.

If the material basis is not reached, the policy cannot be implemented.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for solving the confusion." The wife of Altan Khan was a little disappointed, but soon she was excited. It doesn't work today, it doesn't mean it won't work in the future. Work down-to-earth to engage in production. When the time comes, it can naturally be executed. There will eventually be such a day, although it will be a little late.

"The number of Datong women has been decreasing over the years

?? You should also pay attention to this matter in Suiyuan. The merchants in the human tooth bank should also be beaten. In the past, they couldn't live, sold their sons and daughters, and then there was the business of Datong women."

"But over the years, the grassland cannot be said to be well-fed and clothed, but it can barely eat. Don't turn a blind eye to it anymore." Zhu Yijun talked about the business of Datong women.

Since the ninth year of Wanli, Xuanfu and Datong have used the mark-recapture method to estimate the overall number of Datong women.

With the Great Ming's kingly transformation of the grassland, the Jin merchants' high-interest loans and pounding the nest and driving horses were no longer carried out, and the number of Datong women decreased rapidly. To this day, the number of Datong women is less than 15,000. At this step, it is time to crack down on the human tooth bank.

At present, Songjiang Prefecture, Yingtian Prefecture, and Shuntian Prefecture have completely banned brothels and prostitutes, and with the transformation of the commodity economy and the implementation of the court's will, the scope of the ban on prostitution will become wider and wider.

Zhu Yijun does not know if he can completely suppress the business of prostitution and human trafficking in his lifetime, but he will keep doing it.

Roads are walked out by people. If it doesn't work once, try a few more times. Always have to walk the road through. If you can't walk through, later generations can follow the footprints left by predecessors and take fewer detours.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your immense grace." The wife of Altan Khan bowed respectfully. The Emperor is a benevolent monarch and holy master, even if the Emperor is a tyrant who kills without blinking.

When the strongest has the ability to suppress the opposition of the entire society, the social form will be under the will of this strongest.

At present, this strongest is His Majesty. His Majesty is almost like the infinite truth of all things, intervening in the lives of ten thousand people, in every aspect.

The Great Ming calls it strongman politics. This political system revolves around His Majesty's will. Similarly, the order established by strongman politics will also collapse instantly with the passing of the strongman.

The wife of Altan Khan does not know where the Great Ming will eventually go, but this thick legacy will protect the Great Ming's prosperity for more than a hundred years.

The wife of Altan Khan left the Imperial Study of the Tonghe Palace. Mu Qing looked at this three-story building behind her that was not as golden and brilliant as she imagined. This was the highest hall of the Great Ming world, and the Holy Monarch left a very deep impression on her.

"Mother, is a person like His Majesty the great man you often talk about?" Mu Qing asked curiously.

"His Majesty, is the great man among great men." The wife of Altan Khan said with a smile.

Mu Qing finally understood what kind of appearance the great man her mother kept talking about was.

Zhu Yijun received Yao Guangqi's memorial. They had successfully taken office. The Council of Directors located in Naha Port had about 80 mu of land. Several directors sent by the Governor's Office would arrive one after another next year.

And starting next year, all members will have to pay silver of different amounts to maintain the operation of the Southern Yamen.

The Pan-Pacific Commercial Alliance is an important step for the Great Ming to move towards a world empire.

Important step.

"Hey, this Liangguang Provincial Governor Liu Jiwen and Wan Wenqing really have ideas." Zhu Yijun picked up Liu Jiwen's memorial and read it for a long time. This Liu Jiwen submitted a memorial: Since there is a Pan-Pacific Commercial Alliance, can there be a Western Commercial Alliance?

Zheng He went to the West. There are also some countries in the West—the Mughal State, Ceylon, Calicut, Hormuz, Arabia, Aden, Mogadishu, Malindi, Mozambique, and Jifu. If these are integrated to establish a Western Commercial Alliance, is there a possibility?

Zhu Yijun felt that this idea was good, but there was a problem, that is, these places did not have enough silver. There were some silver mines, but they were a bit few, not worth the effort.

The Pan-Pacific Commercial Alliance is driven by silver. What is the West driven by to make the Great Ming rack its brains to promote trade? Liu Jiwen's answer is barbarian slaves and Kunlun slaves.

The Great Ming develops overseas places and lacks labor. Then barbarian slaves and Kunlun slaves can allow the Great Ming to develop Governor's Offices such as Nanyang and have more sufficient manpower.

But whether these barbarian slaves and Kunlun slaves can become the main driving force of the Pan-Pacific Commercial Alliance still needs to be tested by practice. The Emperor wrote his questions in the vermilion approval, allowing Liu Jiwen to try to engage in it. If it succeeds, it is the best; if it doesn't, think of other ways.

The Nagasaki Governor's Office sent news that the Japanese Happy Sect really had signs of decline after prosperity.

It was not that Toyotomi Hideyoshi, this monkey, suddenly stood up. Toyotomi Hideyoshi still shouted slogans loudly, but he was slow to take action to crusade against the Happy Sect. There was an old turtle, Tokugawa Ieyasu, waiting for Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the Happy Sect to lose both sides.

It was the Happy Sect that had internal strife.

No one knew exactly why they had internal strife. In the old nest of the Happy Sect, the Guangdao City lower town, there was a fierce internal strife of the Happy Sect, with nearly ten thousand casualties. In the end, the Happy Sect was divided into two factions, and the conflict was still intensifying, killing each other.

Since the Great Ming's nine victories in the eastern expedition and the complete occupation of the Iwami Bai Yin Mine, Mori Terumoto's strength declined rapidly. Several attempts to recapture the Iwami Bai Yin Mine failed, and he lost troops and generals. Mori Terumoto's control over the Guangdao City lower town gradually weakened and became the old nest of the Happy Sect.

It is difficult for the Great Ming's coastal defense inspectors to spy into the old nest of the Happy Sect. This method of screening fanatics by Happy Sect followers is extremely cruel.

Although I don't know why they had internal strife, the Happy Sect was divided into two factions, one looking relatively gentle, and the other relatively extreme, also called the "Present World Faction."

Toyotomi Hideyoshi used the remaining Japanese ships and borrowed three large ships from the Great Ming's garrison company in Osaka Bay. Taking advantage of the internal strife between the two factions, he raided the Guangdao City lower town.

This raid was a great success. Not only did he successfully occupy the Guangdao City lower town, but he also captured several protectors of the Present World Faction and beheaded them to show the public, which could be said to be very proud.

The Happy Sect is still powerful, but the destruction of the Present World Faction made Toyotomi Hideyoshi's reputation rise greatly. Similarly, the dissatisfaction within Japan with the Happy Sect began to be released. Toyotomi Hideyoshi finally curbed the momentum of the Happy Sect's expansion.

This is good news for the Great Ming. This group of extreme evil spirits should perish. The Great Ming has been guarding against the risk of the Happy Sect's spillover.

The situation in Japan has not improved because the Present World Faction of the Happy Sect was wiped out. The Happy Sect is the fruit, and the collapse of order and the inability to establish a new order is the cause. As long as the problem of the collapse of order is not solved, this phenomenon of demons dancing will continue until Japan perishes.

The number of Japanese slaves is slowly decreasing, but the barbarian slaves from Annam have complemented the impact of this decrease in quantity.

"Very good, Toyotomi Hideyoshi did a good job." Zhu Yijun praised Toyotomi Hideyoshi for the first time. This guy's ability to insert needles is really strong, and he does things very decisively. The Happy Sect cannot continue to expand disorderly like this.

Zhu Yijun wrote a long vermilion approval and communicated with the Nagasaki Governor's Office about many situations in Japan, especially Xiong Tingbi's recent situation.

The output of the Iwami Bai Yin Mine is still increasing. The Iwami Bai Yin Mine can be considered a rare pure land in the chaotic Japan.

Coupled with Xiong Tingbi treating Japanese slaves as human beings, the production enthusiasm of the Iwami Bai Yin Mine miners and kiln people is very high. This year, the silver flowing into the Great Ming from Japan increased by 300,000 taels, breaking through the 4 million taels mark.

Xiong Tingbi was assassinated three times, but all were counter-killed by Xiong Tingbi. Xiong Tingbi was not injured.

"Ye Xianggao, after studying in the Hanlin Academy for three years, and being a document clerk by my side for three years, writing the Diary of Activity and Repose, it is time to go out to be an official. Do you have any place you want to go?" Zhu Yijun took Ye Xianggao's memorial and asked him where he wanted to go. The time had come, he could not keep writing the Diary of Activity and Repose here, and he had to go outside to practice before he could continue to be promoted.

"Replying to His Majesty, your subject wants to go to Jilin to reclaim land." Ye Xianggao gave the Emperor an unexpected choice. Jilin, a place of poor mountains and bad waters, was extremely bitter and cold at this time.

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "You can choose a place in the hinterland to take office. You are a scholar with no strength to bind a chicken. If you go to Jilin, I am afraid you will lose your life."

Ye Xianggao thought carefully, but still shook his head and said: "Provincial Governor Hou eats such bitterness, your subject also eats it. Just as General Qi said, under the change of heaven, Liaodong may become a place of dragon rise."

Hou Yuzhao eating bitterness was because he went against the grain with the censor, and was squeezed out of the capital. Until now, Hou Yuzhao was not very interested in returning to the capital to be an official. Ye Xianggao did not go against the grain, nor was he squeezed out.

"No bitterness, hard to eat, right? Don't regret it, I gave you a chance." Zhu Yijun said with a smile.

"Your Majesty, General Qi said, Liaoning, then the world is peaceful. Your subject still wants to go to Jilin." Ye Xianggao gave a very clear answer, going to Jilin, he would not regret it.

"Okay, you must pay attention to your own safety, don't run around like a stunned youth." Zhu Yijun finally agreed. Every imperial examination candidate is very precious, especially a talented imperial examination candidate like Ye Xianggao.

"By my side these few years, what thoughts do you have?" Zhu Yijun was a little curious, having written the Diary of Activity and Repose for a few years, what was Ye Xianggao's view of the country.

Ye Xianggao thought over and over again, hesitated and hesitated, before bowing his head and saying: "Your Majesty, your subject is bold. Your subject has been observing politics for a long time, and has seen one sentence: Cabinet ministers cannot end well."

"Hmm?" Zhu Yijun sat up straight suddenly, put away some laziness, and said: "Speak carefully."

Ye Xianggao was a little nervous, but still said: "The ancestors established cabinet ministers, but they were literary attendants, and their weight was only up to the draft. The power of their appointment is completely different from the prime ministers of previous dynasties."

"If you are an official without power, but want to do things with power, the situation will inevitably fail; if you are responsible for things with power, but must be held by an official without power, the goal is even harder to achieve. This is why cabinet ministers have never had a complete name, so they cannot end well."

"Your subject is overstepping."

The Great Ming Wenyuange Grand Secretary is completely different from the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has subordinate officials, the Prime Minister leads the administration, and participates in decision-making;

While cabinet ministers have no subordinate officials, do not lead the administration, but participate in confidential affairs.

Cabinet ministers are very awkward. To do things is to force things with power as an official without power. No matter how fierce the momentum is, they will fail;

Letting officials who have no real power bear tasks that require power to complete, the goal is bound to be difficult to achieve.

The contradiction that makes cabinet ministers so awkward is the serious imbalance between power and responsibility.

Those without power can neither mobilize the necessary resources nor coordinate other departments, but they have to be responsible for the results, inevitably falling into the dilemma of a clever woman being unable to cook without rice.

And the root cause of this contradiction is the governance failure caused by the improper design of the power structure.

Zhu Yijun listened to Ye Xianggao's analysis, and several names flashed before the Emperor: Xia Yan, Yan Song, Xu Jie, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Siwei, Shen Shiying. In the original historical line, only Shen Shiying could be considered a retreat at the height of his career. Others could not be considered ending well.

"You analyzed it very well." Zhu Yijun thought for a long time before nodding and saying: "One thing does not bother two masters. You analyzed the phenomenon, the problem, the cause, but do you have a good plan?"

Ye Xianggao hurriedly bowed his head and said: "Your subject is dull and has no good plan."

Ye Xianggao felt that he had seen the problem through the phenomenon, tried to analyze the contradictions, and found the cause, which was already very powerful!

The Emperor asked him to provide a method. He had also thought about it, but he didn't know what to do. He felt that even if he was the Senior Grand Secretary, he had no way, because Zhang Juzheng had no way. If Zhang Juzheng had a way, there would be no Zhang Party.

The teacher-student system, this deformed product, is actually the root cause of the helplessness of cabinet ministers who have no subordinate officials and cannot coordinate various Southern Yamen.

Zhu Yuanzhang was diligent. He abolished the Prime Minister and had no problem with his own one-yuan autocracy. Zhu Yijun was also very diligent, so this cabinet with imbalanced power and responsibility could also stumble along. But once the Emperor's energy weakened and he became lazy, this problem would be exposed without doubt.

Its rise is vigorous, its death is sudden. Strongman politics, prosperity is very difficult, unstoppable, but its death is really very sudden, sudden.

Zhu Yijun thought for a while, shook his head and said: "I will discuss it with the Master, and I will not make things difficult for you."

"Your subject takes his leave." Ye Xianggao breathed a sigh of relief. If the Emperor asked again, he could only apologize.

Zhu Yijun asked Feng Bao to issue a chapter to the Cabinet to ask for a plan. Soon, he received a reply: five blank floating slips. The meaning of the cabinet ministers was very clear: they were powerless. ===== CHAPTER 986 =====

Zhu Yijun pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I will discuss it with the Master; I won't make things difficult for you."

"This subject takes his leave." Ye Xianggao breathed a sigh of relief. If the Emperor asked again, he would have no choice but to beg for forgiveness.

Zhu Yijun had Feng Bao send a decree to the Cabinet asking for a strategy. Very soon, he received a reply: five blank floating slips. The meaning of the Cabinet ministers was very clear—they were powerless to help.