Chapter 239

After entering summer, the wind on the river feels cool.

Zhang Juzheng stood on the ship's side, letting the river wind that connects the north and south brush against his cheeks, occasionally looking toward the direction of the capital.

He has already arrived near the capital and will be able to dock within the day.

This also means that Zhang Juzheng will return to the Grand Secretariat in a few days to shoulder the political affairs of the two capitals and thirteen provinces again.

At this moment, the Chief Grand Secretary cannot help but let his thoughts wander, deducing in advance how to stretch his hands and feet.

The complicated matters inside and outside the court are fascinating.

Just then, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"My lord, the physician has repeatedly urged that you must not stand for long after taking medicine; you must lie down and rest quietly. My lord should return to the room to rest."

Zhang Juzheng turned his head.

He saw his son, Zhang Jingxiu, holding the medicinal soup in his hand with a look of concern.

Chasing him to apply medicine even to a public place like the deck!

Zhang Juzheng rarely blushed and snorted: "Sixteen days after the surgery, the hemorrhoids withered and fell off, gradually recovering. Now that a month has passed, I am already full of vigor."

"You wicked son are making a fuss all day long; outsiders would think I am terminally ill and using medicinal soup to prolong my life."

Old Zhang had long passed the deadline for medical advice and naturally did not want to apply medicine again—the elderly's avoidance of medical treatment is often like this.

Zhang Jingxiu looked at his stubborn old father and also felt bitter in his heart.

Isn't it just spreading the buttocks and applying medicine? What is there to resist?

It's one thing to have a straight face every time, but he also has to lecture him a few times.

Helpless, he had to bring out the Emperor again: "My lord, it is not that this child is making a fuss, but that the imperial decree is hard to disobey. If I offend His Majesty's will again, I am afraid I will truly be exiled three thousand miles away."

Father and son stared at each other.

Don't look at Zhang Jingxiu saying this as if it were a joke, but this is really something the Emperor could do; after all, he has already set an example.

Master Zhang's hemorrhoids are an old problem.

As early as the fourth year of Longqing ten years ago, he frequently asked for leave to treat them—"The lowly ailment is actually hemorrhoids; I have not treated it as hemorrhoids, and have wasted time until now."

Over the years, he has sought medical advice and medicine, but has not found a way to cure it.

This time returning home to observe mourning, perhaps because of poor diet or sitting for a long time, the hemorrhoids recurred.

Just at this time, a villager claimed to have a technique called "Three Ranks, One Spear" that could treat hemorrhoids and had been tested many times.

Therefore, after the mourning period ended, Zhang Juzheng tried the medicine himself in hopes of recovery.

The use of medicine went quite smoothly.

It was probably arsenic, toad venom, and other poisons burned into a strip, then inserted into the affected area. Seven days later, it turned black, the edges of the sore gradually cracked, and by the fifteenth day, it fell off.

Anyway, it has already reached the stage of regenerating flesh and nourishing blood.

It was originally a joyous and good thing, but after the Emperor learned about it, he actually sent a letter scolding him from head to toe!

What kind of lewd doctors and evil prescriptions, often causing rot in the meridians and endless bleeding, harming people.

What kind of child of a thousand gold, a heavy weapon of the country, how dare he belittle himself and use tiger-wolf medicine.

Scolding him was one thing, but he actually arrested the physician and put him in prison!

If it weren't for Zhang Juzheng repeatedly submitting memorials to plead for mercy, I'm afraid this kind-hearted physician would have already gone to the Yellow Springs.

Although the physician was finally let go, the Emperor added a lot of imperial orders, such as Zhang Juzheng must abstain from alcohol and sex, must not use strong medicine again, and ordered Zhang Jingxiu to serve him well, change and wash the hemorrhoid soup, and so on.

It can be seen that he was truly anxious.

If he insisted on not applying the medicine and angered the Emperor again...

Zhang Juzheng glanced at the accompanying guards on the ship, pondering the Emperor's reaction if the news that he refused to apply the medicine reached the palace.

After hesitating again and again, Zhang Juzheng finally turned and walked toward the room.

He muttered in his mouth: "His Majesty loves to be a teacher and loves to point fingers at everything."

Seeing that he had persuaded the old man, Zhang Jingxiu also breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly followed with the medicinal soup.

He looked at the surrounding accompanying Embroidered Uniform Guards and did not forget to make up for his old father's arrangement of the Emperor's actions: "His Majesty is also anxious because he cares, which just shows that His Majesty and my lord are in harmony as monarch and subject, and have a deep teacher-student relationship."

While making up for it, Zhang Juzheng also felt very comfortable listening.

While his footsteps were floating, he could not help but think a little more about the difficulties of that student: "Anxious because he cares... Recently, with the implementation of major policies, there are really many things to care about inside and outside the court. I am afraid His Majesty has suppressed a lot of temper in his heart."

The Emperor is not benevolent, but he will not easily lose his temper, and he will not vent his anger on innocent physicians.

This thunderous rage, in addition to his worry about the use of medicine, is probably also because of his recent bad mood.

As for the reason...

Zhang Juzheng remembered what he saw and heard on the way to the capital and could not help but sigh.

Father and son followed each other to the outside of the room.

Zhang Jingxiu walked quickly from behind his father to the front and gently pushed open the door.

While placing the medicinal soup on the table, he chatted as usual: "Speaking of major policies, I originally thought my lord would see the civil unrest in Shandong completely pacified, and even re-measured, before continuing to move north."

Shandong is making a mess.

Not to mention the slow progress, even the land measurement has gained a bad reputation among the people.

His father only tapped them a little and then let go, which really does not fit Master Zhang's character.

After his son spread the quilt, Zhang Juzheng lay down on it in a familiar way.

"His Majesty asked me to rest on the front foot, and summoned me to the capital before July on the back foot. The plain wording reveals urgency. How can I have so much leisure time to delay in Shandong? Everyone has their own things to do. Let Shandong be left to others to clean up."

Rushing on the road is naturally an important reason.

However, there are also difficulties that are inconvenient to speak out.

A Chief Grand Secretary who has just been re-appointed, personally intervening in local military and political power while on the road, what does he want to do?

Don't talk about governing the nine fields; within the scope of his duties, that is in the center, under the Emperor's eyelids, with colleagues checking and balancing, and the Embroidered Uniform Guards on the side. No matter how fierce his power is, he is ultimately a rootless duckweed.

The Chief Grand Secretary coordinating local provinces?

Even the Chief Grand Secretary who is most trusted by the Emperor would not dare to do so.

It's just that these principles are inconvenient to put on the table. When this son passes the imperial examination and enters the officialdom, he will naturally understand.

Zhang Jingxiu obviously did not think of this level.

He pulled the curtain and brought a soft pillow, but he still could not fully agree: "I'm just afraid that outsiders don't have my lord's ability, and will stir up the situation more and more chaotic, and in the end, it will still be my lord who cleans it up when it reaches the center."

"Especially wild paths like He Xinyin."

"Yesterday I heard that many gentry around Qufu were looted. When I asked, they all said it was He Xinyin who instigated the looting. It's simply lawless!"

"And Governor Yin, he certainly has ability, but in my opinion, I am afraid his heart is not upright."

Zhang Jingxiu's words were quite disdainful, and he believed from the bottom of his heart that only his father had the ability to do things well.

After all, the family learning is like this; his father is a famous prime minister of the dynasty, and his eldest brother is the uncrowned top scholar. It is too normal to be arrogant.

Zhang Juzheng untied his belt, took the soft pillow, and placed it under his body.

Waiting for his son to finish speaking, he corrected him: "I heard about Qufu. That is purely the way of wandering refugees. He Xinyin would not indulge the people in looting."

"That guy's path, in the final analysis, is the set of forming societies, such as running righteous manors and opening public schools, which is actually to gather people to compete with the gentry and the imperial court in counties and townships."

"How could such sour rot easily overturn the table? Most likely, they ate a bitter pill."

The two had a one-sided relationship in their early years, and it can be said that they looked down on each other.

When Zhang Juzheng talked about the new policies, He Xinyin bluntly said that he was a traitor and a corrupt official, and that arbitrary actions would inevitably lead to the death of people and the end of policies.

When He Xinyin talked about practicing the Dao, Zhang Juzheng simply asked back: forming societies in counties and townships is certainly simple, but why do you think your "society" can uphold justice for generations?

However, although the two parted on bad terms, they knew each other to some extent.

Zhang Jingxiu did not understand He Xinyin and was half-understanding.

Zhang Juzheng did not explain, but continued: "As for Yin Shidan... his crime must be unclean. It's just that I can't easily move him, so I can only wait for His Majesty to settle accounts after autumn."

With Yin Shidan's ability, the situation in Shandong should not have developed to this point. Since it has developed to this point, it only shows that Yin Shidan did not do his job well.

Perhaps the truth is not necessarily so, but in the officialdom, presumption is the truth.

Unfortunately, Yin Shidan is a person invited out of the mountains by the Emperor himself, and he has made no small contribution to the restructuring of salt administration and the implementation of salt tickets.

Zhang Juzheng could not directly point out the matter, so he could only tap on it in his words.

As for whether to settle accounts in the end, he can only wait for the Emperor to speak.

"And the Kong family's matter, after all, it is a thousand-year-old family, and it is impossible to come up with a plan in three or five days. I don't have so much leisure time to wait, so let's leave it to Shen Li to butcher the ox."

"Shen Longjiang is much steadier than Sun Piyang."

Zhang Juzheng said with excitement, and simply commented on the Kong family's matter.

The Kong family's people need to be processed, and the land needs to be cleared, which cannot be done in a short time, so it can only be left to Shen Li.

Among these governors, Shen Li is already the one who has done very well.

Especially compared to the negative example Sun Piyang—it can only be said that Old Zhang had many prejudices against Governor Sun when he was passing through Nanzhili.

Zhang Jingxiu pulled his underwear down and took the medicinal soup to test the temperature.

Hearing the name Sun Piyang, he could not help but laugh: "Governor Sun... there are few hall officials in the court who can compare to Governor Sun's frivolity."

Not to mention Shen Li, even Yin Zhengmao, who is known for not following the rules, is steadier than Sun Piyang.

The only one who can compare to him is probably the one who was choked by a dog during the morning court.

Zhang Juzheng sighed; he could not help but laugh when talking about Sun Piyang.

"All the way, I have been thinking about how to dismiss Sun Piyang. This guy is really not suitable for governing one side."

"Unfortunately, his governorship was appointed by His Majesty. If I propose dismissal, it will look very uncoordinated."

Frivolity is a reason that is neither up nor down.

If you think about it roughly, frivolity does not reach the crime of dismissal; but if you discuss it carefully, it is really unbearable.

Count the actions of Sun Piyang since he took office.

First, he had a conflict with Li Chunfang, actually sending a plant and insulting the three-dynasty veteran and current father-in-law of the Emperor.

Then he delayed the land measurement, setting only the amount of increased land for the package of major policies of land measurement and household registration, and left the specific implementation entirely to local gentry and landlords.

Whatever they report is what it is.

Only Ye Mengxiong in his jurisdiction seriously measured the land, and the progress was quite slow, so Sun Piyang submitted a memorial to dismiss Ye Mengxiong.

For this, he was reprimanded by the Emperor, and Sun Piyang shamelessly wore small shoes for his subordinates.

These are all over.

When Zhang Juzheng passed through Nanzhili, he heard rumors of discord between the Governor of Fengyang and the Governor of Yingtian.

Because Sun Piyang regarded land measurement as a political achievement, and it was not enough that he acted rashly, he also wanted to "assist" Wang Jiaping next door!

Wang Jiaping could not be bothered to pay attention to this guy.

Sun Piyang went to persuade him privately.

Saying that land measurement is a major political achievement, Nanzhili is a big plate, and if it is done well, it will be mutually beneficial. With the vacancy in the Grand Secretariat, why not get a few more, one for Wang Jiaping and one for him!

When Zhang Juzheng heard this, he was immediately shocked.

Can there be a court official so frivolous to this extent!?

Just thinking about these messy things, Zhang Juzheng felt a chill at the place where his two thighs gathered.

"Hiss!"

Zhang Juzheng took a deep breath.

"My lord, please endure it."

The affected area that has used arsenic is naturally not so easy to recover, and it bites painfully after using medicine.

While Zhang Jingxiu was working with his hands, he did not forget to talk to his father to divert his attention: "Actually, it is most appropriate for Wang Jiaping to come forward and impeach."

As soon as the words came out, he felt a look from his father who thought he was hopeless.

He immediately realized that it seemed a bit bullying to an honest man.

Zhang Jingxiu thought for a while and hurriedly changed his words: "Or, my lord can reward and punish various governors according to the annual assessment, so that the court will not worry that my lord is deliberately targeting anyone."

This looks a bit like it.

Zhang Juzheng took back his gaze with satisfaction: "I have the same idea."

Since he is examining, he also asked clearly: "Besides Sun Piyang, which other governors are worth punishing together?"

Zhang Jingxiu was submissive and could not answer for a while.

Zhang Juzheng did not wait for an echo and simply asked and answered himself: "Henan Governor Deng Yizan, who lost the official body, will have his salary punished for three months."

Zhang Jingxiu was a little confused when he heard this: "Didn't Governor Deng avoid suspicion and leave his post?"

Zhang Juzheng lay on the pillow and glanced at his son.

The latter suddenly reacted: "Oh, my lord is just trying to protect Governor Deng with a light punishment."

Zhang Juzheng hummed lightly in his nasal cavity, which was considered a default.

The chaos of land measurement is naturally not limited to Shandong.

Henan also had a lot of things.

Governor Deng Yizan did not govern his family strictly, and his family members took advantage of the land measurement to open the door to bribery. If the landlords bribed, they would let the land measurement go, and if the gentry did not bribe, they would be so harsh that their families would be destroyed.

After the matter was exposed, it aroused public anger. The big households and powerful families blocked the Deng family's son who was drinking in the restaurant to ask for an explanation.

After a dispute, Deng Yizan's son tried to escape from the restaurant and unfortunately broke his leg.

And Deng Yizan himself, in order to avoid suspicion, blamed himself and closed his doors, and had temporarily handed over the land measurement to the patrolling censor.

Zhang Juzheng actually did not believe that Deng Yizan was clean in it.

But he had to consider it from a political point of view—Deng Yizan is also a governor appointed by the Emperor. Using one and dismissing one is considered a slight balance.

Zhang Juzheng continued to look for the next candidate for punishment.

"And Zhejiang Governor Wang Daokun, the matter in Huzhou is unclear, and it has not been disposed of properly until now. It is better to go to Nanjing to retire and sing his 'Gaotang Dream'."

While counting his family treasures, he also became more and more angry.

After a land measurement, it was like fighting a war, with smoke rising everywhere.

Zhejiang is also not peaceful.

Huzhou Prefecture's land measurement reached the heads of the Dong and Fan families. As people with faces and heads, both families tried their best to cooperate.

If there was a dispute with the tenant farmers who surrendered, they would admit to swallowing it and return it immediately.

If the imperial court found out that the large-acre land was only taxed as small-acre land, they would take the initiative to correct it.

If there were hidden slaves in the family, they would not drive them away and would cooperate in registering them.

They even found the original sellers of the land deeds in their homes one by one, allowing them to redeem the land at half the price of the year.

It was originally a good deed worth framing.

The result was unexpected.

At this time, rumors suddenly came out that as long as you go to the Dong family to make trouble, you can take money and leave.

So every day, hundreds or thousands of people went to the Dong family to pester them, demanding money back.

Some were even people who had no connection at all.

One said that the Dong family occupied hundreds of acres of good land, and another said that the Fan family's young master looked at her, molested her, and wanted half of the family property.

It actually stirred up a civil riot in a muddle.

Unfortunately, the two families had some official status, which aggravated this chaos, and they had already started shouting that the government could not be trusted and started climbing walls and hitting doors.

Among them, the head of the Dong family, Dong Fen, was a bachelor of the 20th year of Jiajing and served as Minister of Rites.

Of course, this was all in the Jiajing era, and it seemed like no big deal.

The problem is that Dong Fen is the teacher of Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue.

And the relationship of the Fan family is even more direct.

This Fan family is not another Fan family, but the top scholar of the Jiajing era, the current Minister of Revenue and Governor of Granaries, Fan Yingqi's Fan family.

In other words, this civil unrest in Huzhou Prefecture implicitly pointed to the high officials of the current dynasty.

Governor Wang Daokun could not dispose of it and kept submitting memorials to the center, asking what to do.

So that the matter that should have been pacified early has been making trouble until now and has not stopped!

Hearing his father talk about these people, Zhang Jingxiu also shook his head frequently.

Since setting off from Huguang, it is basically difficult to see the land measurement carried out in an orderly manner along the way, and there will be more or less trouble.

Shandong, Henan, Zhejiang, Nanzhili... all are like this.

"Alas, I can't even tell whether the major policy is difficult, or the wicked thieves are making trouble in secret."

The first reaction was that someone was planning.

But thinking that so many places are the same, I feel it is unlikely.

Hearing this, Zhang Juzheng sneered: "Naturally, it is both. The dissatisfaction of the common people is in the front, and the wicked thieves are fueling the flames in the back. Shandong and Henan are fine, but the matter in Huzhou is strange no matter how you think about it."

Zhang Jingxiu has already applied the medicine.

He pulled his father's clothes, picked up the medicine, and stood up.

"Thinking for the world, but there are always such endless strange conspiracies. Alas, governing for the country is really not an easy task."

Zhang Jingxiu thoughtfully turned his back.

He is not only sharing the same hatred, but also worried about the hard work of state affairs, which ruined his father's recovery—he was already worried on the way back to Beijing, and he didn't know how to forget to eat and sleep when he sat back in the Grand Secretariat.

Zhang Juzheng was completely unaware.

He dressed quickly, not stopping: "These things are fine, after all, they are limited to one prefecture and one county, and they can't make a big mess. I'm afraid that some people have lost their conscience and started to use unscrupulous means."

Zhang Jingxiu was stunned, and then reacted: "Father means..."

Zhang Juzheng got up and got out of bed, pulled the curtain, and let the light shine back into the room: "Civil unrest is not worth His Majesty's urgent summons for me to return to Beijing."

Civil unrest, even the best imperial court cannot avoid it. If the rioting people do not connect counties and states, it is not a big deal.

It is definitely not that simple for the Emperor to be in such a hurry to summon me to Beijing with illness.

Speaking of this, father and son lost their interest in talking.

Fortunately, during the time of changing medicine, the official ship had already traveled a long way, and the Tongzhou Road River Ferry was already in sight.

Father and son simply changed into casual clothes in the room and began to organize their dressing.

Half an hour later, the ship approached the shore.

At the ferry outside the Luhe Post.

A group of students and old officials were already waiting on the shore, and the officials of the post station did not even have a place to stand and were squeezed out of the queue.

Everyone looked forward to it.

The ship docked, and the board was laid.

Zhang Juzheng, in formal attire, walked slowly down the deck with square steps.

"Duke Jiangling!"

"Chief Grand Secretary."

The prime minister who has been in power for ten years is hot, and the officials who salute and sell well are scrambling.

However, the one leading the way was a person Zhang Juzheng did not expect.

I saw Lu Diaoyang, whom I hadn't seen for a long time, in a brocade robe, standing at the head of the line with his head held high.

Seeing this, Zhang Juzheng hurriedly lifted his hem and walked up quickly: "He Qing, you are ill, how can you come to welcome me!"

When he walked near, he didn't even wait for the salute, and hurriedly supported Lu Diaoyang.

The two have worked together for many years, have similar interests, and their friendship is naturally extraordinary.

When they were officials in the same dynasty, they paid attention to avoiding suspicion and politeness. Now that Lu Diaoyang no longer manages government affairs, the two simply saved the politeness in front of others.

Lu Diaoyang held Zhang Juzheng's hand back, looking extremely happy: "Shuda, you have worked hard on the journey."

Zhang Juzheng was still worried about Lu Diaoyang's body and was about to speak with concern.

Lu Diaoyang spoke again: "Tigan has passed away."

Zhang Juzheng was stunned. Ma Ziqiang is dead?

When he left Beijing, he and Ma Ziqiang were almost one after another, one returning to Huguang and one returning to Shaanxi.

During the New Year, they also exchanged a letter. I didn't expect that they would be separated by life and death at this time.

Lu Diaoyang nodded and explained: "I heard it suddenly, and then looked at myself. It can be said that the rabbit dies and the fox grieves, so I repeatedly resigned to His Majesty to return to my hometown."

"After a long time of talking, His Majesty agreed. I was originally prepared to set off immediately, but heard that Shuda was re-appointed and returned to Beijing, so I specially waited until today."

He was explaining why he ran to welcome Zhang Juzheng.

The implication is that after this meeting, he will not return to the capital, but will go straight back to Guangxi.

The joy of meeting an old friend was blocked in Zhang Juzheng's chest, and he only felt stuffy.

He sighed, squeezed Lu Diaoyang's hand tightly, and stretched out another hand to hold Lu Diaoyang's arm.

The words turned on his lips, and finally he only squeezed out a sigh: "The mountains are high and the road is long, I am afraid it will be difficult to see each other again in the future."

The mountains are high and the road is long is naturally a set of words. As for being an official, as long as you can be re-appointed, you can see each other no matter how far away.

The real reason is naturally that Lu Diaoyang is already close to the end of his life, and after returning home, he will count the days to be buried.

Zhang Juzheng naturally did not know that Lu Diaoyang's life span in history stopped in the eighth year of Wanli.

But when he met this old friend who had been a comrade for many years just now, he could already see it.

Withered and thin, this word jumped into his heart for the first time.

It is not just the hands held together.

Even a face that can be seen is deeply sunken, and the whole person reveals an atmosphere of the end of his life.

At the same time.

Lu Diaoyang also looked at this old friend who had known and accompanied him since the Jiajing era.

Hearing that sentence that he could not see each other again, the emotions in his heart surged and rolled more and more.

The two held hands and looked at each other for a while, speechless.

Outsiders naturally have no qualifications to interrupt at this time, so that the lively welcome ushered in a rare quietness.

After a long while, Zhang Juzheng took a deep breath and changed the subject: "Has Tigan's posthumous title been drafted?"

Ma Ziqiang is a pure colleague in public affairs, not a very deep friendship, so there is no burden to talk about it.

Opening his mouth to chat, the group moved and walked toward the post station.

Lu Diaoyang shook his head: "Not yet. The Grand Secretariat, the Ministry, and the Science and Dao all think that Tigan should be enshrined in the Weixin Pavilion. For this reason, there are still differences in the posthumous title."

Weixin Pavilion is almost the Lingyan Pavilion of this dynasty.

If the new policy is successful, it is a place that can leave a name for generations, and there is no greater name.

At the beginning, the Emperor hinted that he wanted to lift Zhu Xizhong in, but he was blocked by the ministers.

It is true that Zhu Xizhong had the reason of "slaughtering the prince in Huguang and having a crime against the Heavenly Family," but more importantly, such good things should naturally be monopolized by civil servants.

Merit nobles? Let's talk about it after occupying enough pits.

It can be seen what kind of honor it is for the first courtier to be enshrined in the Weixin Pavilion.

It is precisely because of this that the posthumous title naturally cannot be bad, so as not to let future generations say that the Weixin Pavilion has no gold content.

But it won't work if the posthumous title is too good.

Ma Ziqiang was posthumously awarded the Grand Tutor, which was originally intended by the Emperor to pave the way for latecomers, and now that he is allowed to go first in the Weixin Pavilion, it is really too stealing the limelight!

Against this background, it is impossible for the Ministry of Rites to draft a posthumous title that everyone is satisfied with without losing a lot of hair.

Zhang Juzheng had long understood these messy ways—after all, it is a matter that is closely related to the court officials.

He walked side by side with Lu Diaoyang and asked casually: "What is His Majesty's meaning?"

Lu Diaoyang shook his head: "It is said that it is a joint discussion in the court, but His Majesty has not had a morning court for a month since then."

Zhang Juzheng was stunned, and then frowned.

"Is His Majesty's government affairs so heavy?"

How could the Emperor not go to court for no reason? There must be a reason.

Most likely, he is too busy. After all, major events are held in small meetings, and the morning court is just a formality—Zhang Juzheng still trusts the Emperor.

After thinking for a while, Lu Diaoyang answered ambiguously: "Government affairs are naturally heavy, the chaos of land measurement, the tax reform prepared in advance, the revision of the Ming Law, the reorganization of the Five Military Governor's Office, and the exchanges with the Three Ladies and the various vassals of Korea..."

"And Concubine Wu is going to give birth in August. After all, it is the first child, so I have to find time to care about it. His Majesty has been eating and sleeping hard these days and cannot rest at all."

"However, it is not all because of the heaviness of the things themselves."

"His Majesty has recently handled government affairs to the point of madness. Even if the government affairs themselves are handled, His Majesty finds government affairs to do. It is heard that the major items of the inner court have almost been arranged until the end of the year."

Zhang Juzheng felt more and more uncomfortable listening.

He sighed: "His Majesty has worked hard."

Lu Diaoyang was originally a little emotional, but at this time he was very relaxed: "I can no longer help His Majesty. Fortunately, Shuda is back in Beijing now, so I can at least share some of it for His Majesty."

Zhang Juzheng had long been used to being worn a high hat. If it were an ordinary person, he would have waved his hands and declined.

However, the relationship with Lu Diaoyang is naturally different.

Zhang Juzheng carried his hands on his back and nodded solemnly: "He Qing, rest assured, with me returning to the Grand Secretariat to clean up the court situation, everything will get better."

The speaker is confident, and the listener is at ease.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

And looked at the direction of the capital at the same time.

"Leave it to Shuda"

"Leave it to me."

The two waved goodbye and went their separate ways.

(End of chapter)