I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1093 The Ming Dynasty is a natural ally of foreign and small countries
Wang Qian committed twelve major crimes in Luzon, resulting in numerous deaths. This killing provoked a condemnation from the moral guardians of the Ming Dynasty. How could such killings be allowed? Wang Qian's twelve major crimes resulted in the deaths of more than 13000 people, and many more were not even counted in the official statistics.

The reason he went on a killing spree was actually quite simple: these cases were all follow-ups to the Coppertown Rebellion in Luzon.

The Han Chinese in Tongzhang Town, Luzon, rose up in rebellion. The cause of the uprising was that the officials appointed by the Governor-General's Office to Tongzhang Town colluded with local priests in order to save trouble, favoring the foreign priests and the foreigners who had joined them, which ultimately forced the Han Chinese in Tongzhang Town to rebel.

Yin Zongxin, as governor, personally went to suppress the rebellion and hanged all the officials, priests, and foreigners, thus stabilizing the Han people.

This case caused a huge shock, and even the emperor was anxious to go south, fearing that the situation in Luzon had changed. The Han people in Tongzhang Town rose up in rebellion. Together with the twelve major cases of that year, they were collectively known as the Luzon Incident.

After Wang Qian and Yin Zongxin resolved the issues in Tongzhang Town, they conducted a comprehensive investigation of the entire Luzon region, which led to the emergence of these twelve major cases. The deaths were so numerous that they not only caused rivers of blood to flow, but even fed the fish in the sea.

Did he kill a lot? Indeed, a lot. In the twenty-three years of the Ming Dynasty's reign, the five major cases did not result in this many deaths. Wang Qian killed more people in a single year than the emperor did in twenty-three years.

Zhu Yijun reviewed the twelve major cases in Luzon one by one. He said helplessly to Zhang Hong, "Even if I go, all I can do is recite the 'killing mantra'. There is no other way. Officials dare not offend the more united priests and barbarians, so they start to make things difficult for the Han people. Things have come to this point. What else can we recite if not the 'killing mantra'?"

"Putting in the virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness? Are these scholar-officials trying to make a fool of themselves in front of the barbarians?"

"The court officials' criticisms of Wang Qian are all based on the perspective of the heartland of the Ming Dynasty. If they really went to Luzon, they would only have this one method, and they might even kill more ruthlessly than Wang Qian."

“I know Wang Qian very well. Although he is arrogant and domineering because of his father, he is very kind at heart. He mocked Yao Guangqi for the scar on his face. After learning the truth, he wished he could get up at night and slap himself twice. He also took Yao Guangqi as his role model and wanted to be a useful person to the Ming Dynasty and the people.”

“Duke Wencheng beat him every day. After Duke Wencheng left, Wang Qian single-handedly stopped the craftsman from going down the mountain into the city. This is already very filial.”

"When he served as the prefect of Songjiang Prefecture, he was extremely cautious about murder cases. He personally oversaw every murder case to prevent wrongful convictions. During his five years in office, there was not a single wrongful conviction. He was known as an upright official."

"Such a gentle and kind gentleman, upon arriving in Luzon, caused twelve major incidents in a single year, resulting in a mountain of deaths. Is this Wang Qian's fault?"

Zhu Yijun was very familiar with Wang Qian. As the second most dissolute playboy in the capital, he had an excellent personal relationship with the emperor. The emperor really understood Wang Qian. He was not a bad person, much less a murderer. If he were a murderer, then Wang Qian would have taken advantage of Yao Guangqi's misfortune and kicked him while he was down.

But Wang Qian didn't kick a man when he was down; he could have done that.

If that's not Wang Qian's problem, then whose problem is it?
I, a perfectly good gentleman, have become a killer in Luzon. The barbarians of Luzon should reflect on their actions.

"These thirteen cases of religious persecution in Luzon were approved by me, and the executions were my decision. If they want to curse, let them curse me. I'm not bothered by so many lice." Zhu Yijun emphasized again that Wang Qian's actions were not private punishment, nor were they his personal will. They were based on the emperor's clear decree, and as a subject, Wang Qian had no choice but to be executed.

Zhang Hong said in a low voice, "These thirteen cases, besides the large number of killings, also include the fact that among these thirteen thousand people, there are two thousand four hundred Han Chinese."

This is the most criticized aspect of Wang Qian. Since the Ming Dynasty had no ministers of foreign origin, naturally no one spoke up for the foreigners. The main issue was that Wang Qian killed Han people without hesitation. Isn't this questionable?

"These desperados, who share religion and foreign customs, oppress the Han people for profit, don't they deserve to die?" Zhu Yijun retorted.

“He deserves to die.” Zhang Hong stopped there. He was a eunuch, and his words were a reminder to His Majesty why some scholar-officials were cursing Wang Qian. Their motivation was that, apart from the difference in region, these people were also oppressing Han people for profit in the heart of the Ming Dynasty.

Wang Qian continued to escalate the attack, and the broadsword fell on their heads, so they had to attack him with all their might.

As eunuchs, they had to constantly, at all times and in all ways, so as to sow discord among the scholar-officials. This served two purposes: firstly, to demonstrate that they were not colluding with civil officials; and secondly, it was the natural stance of eunuchs—their position determined their perspective.

During the Wanli Reforms, the eunuchs and scholar-officials did not cease their battles.

"You, Zhang Hong, are something else." Zhu Yijun immediately understood why Zhang Hong had said those things, and said with a smile, "You've learned a bit of what Feng Daban is capable of."

"I only have a little bit of the skill," Zhang Hong said very sincerely. If he had half of Feng Bao's ability, Li Yougong would have to continue to be ranked according to seniority. Unfortunately, he only had a little bit of the skill.

Li Yougong was different. When he spoke ill of the scholar-officials, he was aiming to strike at their hearts. Moreover, Li Yougong was extremely good at governing class theory. During his year in Guangzhou Prefecture, he provided the basic conditions for ensuring successive victories on the front lines.

Li Yougong reported a case involving powerful figures in Guangzhou. These wealthy merchants had purchased military supplies for the Ming Dynasty, but were selling inferior goods as superior ones. When the supplies were being shipped, Li Yougong discovered the fraud during a random inspection. Normally, the wealthy merchants would have used some money to help the soldiers who were fighting hard.

However, Li Yougong confiscated the property of these four wealthy merchants.

The powerful and wealthy right-wing groups in Guangzhou all mocked these four nouveau riche, saying that nouveau riche are just nouveau riche! They have no survival experience at all! Unlike them, who had experienced the likes of Yin Zhengmao, Ling Yunyi, and Wang Jiaping, they already knew how to survive.

The powerful figures in Guangzhou know perfectly well what they can and cannot do.

The Ming emperor had nothing better to do than slaughter pigs for the New Year, and wasted resources on military supplies such as cotton, grain, medicine, and meat. Wasn't that courting death?
The powerful families in Guangzhou really knew how to survive; they had been through so much. For example, they kept urging Wan Wenqing, the prefect of Guangzhou, to contact his mentor, Wang Jiaping, and try every means to get the imperial court to issue more paper money.

There is indeed no business in the world more profitable than printing valuable coupons. Guangzhou sugar coupons are a business with no risk and huge profits. But you have to be alive to spend the money you earn. The Ming Dynasty was a county-level imperial system. If Guangzhou was making sugar coupons, what was it if not rebellion?
Therefore, the powerful and influential people hoped that the court would quickly issue more paper money to disperse the sugar coupons. In this way, they would not be involved in crimes such as conspiracy, and what would remain would be a struggle over the distribution of benefits, which is within the scope of struggle permitted by His Majesty.

Over the years, everyone has figured out the emperor's temper. We all eat from the same pot, and if anyone tries to overturn the pot and prevent others from eating, His Majesty will kill them. Although His Majesty represents all the people and eats the most, there is indeed a lot of food in the pot.

Zhu Yijun had two main tasks in Songjiang Prefecture this year: to ensure the smooth progress of the Ming army's campaign in Annam, since the main force this time was the navy, and most of the supply and other matters were maritime, which was more convenient in Songjiang Prefecture.

The second task is to ensure the stable operation of the Pan-Pacific Business Alliance and the Western Business Alliance.

Both of these government offices were newly established and their systems were not yet mature, requiring the emperor's approval.

"This Mexican Governor Peto is quite interesting. It seems like he's figured things out." Zhu Yijun received a special letter of state from the Mexican Governor's Office, which was on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. It was a letter of state presented by the Kingdom of Gold.

Previously, Peto had used silver mines and future silver mines as collateral, hoping to obtain some mining, road construction, and smelting technology from the Ming Dynasty. Although he ultimately failed, the Ming court dispatched several master craftsmen to support the establishment of several official factories in the Kingdom of Jinshan. Of course, there were no iron horse factories or machinery factories.

Even if they sent people, the Kingdom of Gold Mountain didn't have the resources.

Upon seeing the court's actions, Governor Peto immediately submitted a memorial praising the emperor's actions. He stated that it would be acceptable even in the Kingdom of Gold, as he could purchase gold there. He also indicated that the initial promises regarding the silver mines and half of their profits still stood, and that His Majesty should send people to garrison the area.

For Peto, without following the Ming Dynasty, he would go hungry nine times out of three days. But since following the Ming Dynasty, in just a few short years, Peto has truly become like a Mexican king.

He had only half a silver mine, but it turned into a whole one.

This was not the result of his conquests, but rather because the local Mexican tribes had defected to Peto. Compared to Felipe, who did not treat overseas Spaniards as human beings, the Ming Dynasty was a better choice by all accounts.

A fundamental fact is that politics often starts from the stomach rather than from the mind. Felipe's expedition to England was unsuccessful and could only intensify the exploitation of the colonies. Forget about the distribution of benefits, even eating became a problem.

Previously, they had no choice, but now the Governor of Peto is practically the local king. In addition, the Governor of Peto is also under the control of the Ming Dynasty, whose high moral standards are obvious to all. These foreigners are not fools, so naturally they choose Peto.

Peto seized half of the silver mine without bloodshed. There was no attack, no killing, only a welcoming party. Governor Peto never imagined that he was making a magnificent transformation from governor to king.

Governor Peto's letter was a petition to the Ming Emperor, requesting that the Mexican Viceroyalty become a Mexican state recognized by the Ming Dynasty.

"The Ministry of Rites will discuss this next." Zhu Yijun did not make a decision immediately; he asked the Ministry of Rites to discuss it and see what opinions were within the Ming Dynasty.

At the end of April, the emperor received the results of two deliberations by the Ministry of Rites.

The radical faction, represented by Gao Qiyu, believed that Mexico should be allowed to establish its own nation, break free from its status as a Spanish colony, and complete the construction of its own dynasty.

Mexico lacked the basic conditions for establishing a dynasty. Of the four pillars and eight beams, it only had two or three. The remaining two or five beams required the assistance of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, the Ming Dynasty, which helped Mexico complete the construction of its dynasty, was undoubtedly the suzerain state.

The conservatives, represented by Shen Li, believed that Mexico should not be supported in establishing a nation, as this would lead to a complete deterioration of relations between the Ming Dynasty and Spain.

The Mexican Governor-General's Palace is not the same as the former Philippine Governor-General's Palace. The Philippine Governor-General's Palace was far too far away for Felipe. Whether for maintaining his rule or for extracting benefits, it was somewhat of a double-edged sword—tasteless to keep but a pity to discard. However, the silver mines of the Mexican Governor-General's Palace were Felipe's lifeline.

The Ming Dynasty's global trading caravans also needed licenses granted by Felipe to dock at ports in Spanish colonies.

A complete breakdown in relations between the Ming Dynasty and Spain would be detrimental to the safety of the global caravans, a fact that is clearly intriguing. Moreover, since Spain has not recently provoked the Ming Dynasty further, it would be somewhat unethical for the Ming Dynasty to act in this way.

Interestingly, the radicals were in the majority this time, while conservatives like Shen Li became the minority. Unlike the controversy surrounding the posthumous title given to Ling Yunyi last time, Shen Li's attitude was not firm this time.

Shen Li's meaning was clear: even in the Western Seas, such as Lisbon and Liberty City, the Spanish Armada no longer had the strength to defeat the Ming Dynasty's global trading fleet.

Aside from being unsightly, this matter wouldn't actually result in any loss of benefits, so Shen Li's attitude wasn't that tough.

The downsides of accumulating wealth for personal gain are undeniable. Even Shen Li, the most upright person after Hai Rui, would always start by considering interests rather than morality when discussing issues.

"Then grant Peto's request and let Prince Lu handle it." Zhu Yijun finally approved Gao Qiyu's memorial, choosing to allow the Mexican Viceroyalty to break away from Spanish rule and establish its own country, while the Golden Mountain Congress would provide necessary assistance.

Mexico will become a vassal state of the Kingdom of Gold Mountain, and at the same time a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. This is not contradictory, because the feudal system of the Ming Dynasty, which originated from the enfeoffment of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, means that it is not a vassal of my vassal, nor is it my vassal.

The Ming Dynasty's research on oracle bone inscriptions gradually deepened. From the time of Wu Ding onwards, the Shang Dynasty had direct administrative power and records over these enfeoffed vassals and their vassals, which were achieved through human sacrifices, livestock, oracle bones, and other means. Various regions, especially the Qiang people, would send tortoise shells and various kinds of cattle and sheep to the Shang capital; this was essentially a form of taxation.

The Shang Dynasty emperor would bypass the feudal lords and pursue debts owed to their subjects. For example, if a regional governor's subordinate owed the emperor thirty Qiang people, causing him to miss the king's ancestral worship ceremony, the emperor would definitely ask when they could be delivered.

If they can't be delivered, then the king will definitely launch a campaign against them under the pretext of punishing the disobedient. Since he can't capture the Qiang people, he shouldn't be a feudal lord.

This is almost no different in essence from the Ming emperor's recent efforts to collect overdue taxes.

The feudal system in China, which is divided into feudal states, and the feudal system in the West are fundamentally different from each other. They are only similar but are actually very different.

The fact that Prince Lu went to Jinshan Kingdom does not mean that he was no longer a citizen of the Ming Dynasty, nor does it mean that Jinshan Kingdom was an independent entity outside of the Ming Dynasty. Jinshan Kingdom was more like Yunnan during the Hongwu era. It was too far away and the transportation was inconvenient, so it was impossible to establish an effective rule. It could only be guarded by the Duke of Qian's mansion.

"If he's having a hard time in this wretched place, Jinshan Kingdom, then he should come back. He's already gone out, and he's made quite a show of it." Zhu Yijun also received a letter from Zhu Yiliu, which was full of complaints.

He was in high spirits. Over there, he didn't even have enough toilet paper to wipe his bottom. It wasn't that the emperor had cut back on his supplies; there was plenty of toilet paper. The main problem was that the Kingdom of Jinshan was severely short of paper. He didn't want to use that toilet paper to wipe his bottom. Instead, he turned it back into pulp and made new paper.

Zhang Hong said with great emotion, "Your Majesty, news has come from the capital that the Empress Dowager received the letter and was both crying and laughing. She felt sorry for the hardships that Prince Lu had endured, but was also gratified that Prince Lu had finally grown up."

Empress Dowager Li was truly gratified. Zhu Yiliu had finally grown up. He didn't know the cost of firewood and rice when he wasn't in charge of the household, and he didn't know that labor was like being a beast of burden when you didn't work. Zhu Yiliu was willing to compromise himself in order to maximize the use of the limited resources at his disposal.

Even if one day the Kingdom of Jinshan really couldn't hold on and the Prince of Lu returned to the Ming Dynasty, he wouldn't be a useless person who knew nothing and could live out the rest of his life in peace.

Zhu Yiliu was a troublemaker in the Ming Dynasty. Although the emperor kept him in check and dared not do anything excessive, his intuition could finally guide him to settle down.

As parents, our biggest worry is that after we're gone, our children won't be able to settle down. How can we be at ease with that?

“If His Highness Prince Lu were willing to come back, he wouldn’t have written the letter.” Zhang Hong didn’t think Prince Lu would be willing to return.

Zhu Yiliu had a way out. If he was willing to come back, he could get on a boat and reach Songjiang Prefecture in two months. Therefore, he could actually be a good king of Jinshan Kingdom, because no force on the ground in Jinshan Kingdom wanted to push the Prince of Lu to the brink.

When pushed to the limit, Prince Lu went home, leaving behind a group of powerful figures, big and small, who could only watch helplessly. Without the support of the Ming Dynasty and without its goods, even mountains of gold and silver would be worthless.

Similarly, Prince Lu analyzed Governor Peto's various aspects in his letter. Under the influence of the Ming Dynasty, Governor Peto, a former pirate, had political acumen that far surpassed that of many other makeshift groups around the world.

Prince Lu received Governor Peto at the Golden Palace in the Kingdom of Golden Mountain and held a meeting with Governor Peto to discuss the issue of the establishment of the Mexican state.

Judging from the conversation, Governor Peto's decision to break away from Spanish rule was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather based on his own logical thinking.

In Governor Peto's view, for small, single-industry, economically fragile vassal states that rely mainly on raw material supplies, choosing a good master is more important than grand narratives.

For small, foreign states, initiative is meaningless, because the implementation of policies such as vigorous reforms, industrial development, and widespread education is no match for the problem of not having enough to eat.

The experience of the Ming Dynasty has no reference value or significance for small foreign countries, because the Ming Dynasty is the Ming Dynasty. Its experience and significance were summarized by the Ming people themselves from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. If small foreign countries simply copy it, they will only achieve nothing.

Oranges grown in the south are sweet oranges, while those grown in the north are bitter oranges.

Similarly, Governor Peto explained that the fundamental reason for choosing Ming China over Spain was that Ming China was a natural ally of these small foreign countries that relied mainly on raw material supplies, because Ming China was primarily a producer, while the Spanish colonists were primarily plunderers. This was the essential difference.

Goods need to be exchanged; if there is only outflow and no inflow, that is not trade. The Spaniards living in Mexico could not tolerate Felipe's insatiable greed and exploitation.

Governor Peto's insight and vision truly surpassed those of countless makeshift groups. At least he knew that doing business with the Ming Dynasty involved genuine buying and selling, rather than having 90% of the profits stolen.

"Your Majesty, the master has arrived." A young eunuch hurried in and bowed as he spoke.

"Oh? Please come in quickly." Zhu Yijun tidied up the memorials on the table, sat up straight, and waited for Zhang Juzheng's arrival.

Zhang Hong was well aware that His Majesty's attitude towards Zhang Juzheng was completely different from his attitude towards other court officials. His Majesty treated Zhang Juzheng as a teacher who was more important than a subject. Every time Zhang Juzheng came, the emperor would sit upright and wait for him. This was a sign of respect and courtesy.

Zhang Juzheng was the Grand Secretary of the Empire before, but he is no longer Zhang Juzheng. However, His Majesty still pays attention to these small details as always.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects. May Your Majesty be well." Zhang Juzheng bowed in greeting.

"Sir, please excuse the formalities and have a seat." Zhu Yijun said with a smile, "If you hadn't come, I would have gone to find you. Governor Pei Tuo is planning to become king, and I intend to grant his request. There's also the matter of Prince Lu. I plan to allocate 100,000 taels of silver to purchase some necessities. He doesn't even use toilet paper over there."

Zhu Yijun went on and on about the affairs of the United States and Mexico, especially the situation of Governor Peto.

“I have met Petor, and his insight is not due to his innate nature, but rather because he hired a Shaoxing advisor at great expense to personally instruct him, which led to his understanding.” Zhang Juzheng could understand Governor Petor’s change, as he himself had gradually changed under the influence of Ming culture.

Peto first became a member of the Great Brightness Church, then gradually accepted the wisdom of the Ming Dynasty, and hired a Shaoxing clerk. This change lasted for about ten years.

"What brings you to the palace, sir?" Zhu Yijun asked with some curiosity. Zhang Juzheng had lost all interest in state affairs. Even if the emperor asked, he was too lazy to look and didn't want to bother. They were all petty squabbles over interests, and watching too much of them would be exhausting.

"Today I went to the Ya Lu Storytelling Hall in Shanghai County to listen to storytelling. On my way back, I passed by a public school. It was just after class. I was quite pleased to see the children studying there. After so many years of hard work, I have not achieved nothing." Zhang Juzheng said with a furrowed brow, "But when I heard these children using such foul language, I couldn't help but feel sad, so I came to see Your Majesty."

"A scholar should act like a scholar; using foul language is a disgrace to civility."

Zhang Juzheng was naturally overjoyed to see the country peaceful and prosperous, but when he heard the children swearing, his joy immediately turned into horror, even to the point of wanting to see the emperor. What are children? Children are the rising sun, the Ming Dynasty of tomorrow, the future, and hope.

But Zhang Juzheng only saw foul language in these children, so it's no wonder he was horrified.

"I have never seen you so flustered and at a loss in all these years," Zhu Yijun said sincerely. Zhang Juzheng's methods were not only established after the Wanli Reforms, but were proven correct as early as the late Jiajing and Longqing periods, before the Wanli Reforms.

In the second year of the Longqing reign, Tuman Khan invaded, and Zhang Juzheng sent Qi Jiguang north, so Tuman Khan could no longer go south; the Japanese pirates were still rampant in Guangzhou, and Zhang Juzheng recommended Yin Zhengmao and requested an imperial edict to act expediently; he negotiated peace with Anda Khan and solved the problem of the northern barbarians. Of course, this peace was not Zhang Juzheng's achievement.
These internal and external troubles were a true reflection of Zhang Juzheng's resourcefulness. By the time of the Wanli Reforms, with the emperor's life-risking support, Zhang Juzheng even had the illusion of being omnipotent in the first twenty years of the reforms.

But in all these years, when has Zhang Juzheng ever been so terrified?
This was the first time Zhu Yijun had ever seen this expression on Zhang Juzheng's face.

“If Gao Qiyu had made such a mess of the Dinghai education system, I would have impeached him even if I were to retire! He is a treacherous minister, and this is how His Majesty repays the country’s affairs!” Zhang Juzheng said angrily, expressing his deep dissatisfaction with Gao Qiyu.

“Sir, that’s not how it is.” Zhu Yijun waved his hands repeatedly and said, “The world of children is different from the world of adults. Children’s animalistic nature outweighs their human nature. In the world of children, they will use swearing, violence, bad deeds and other behaviors to show their difference and establish their status.”

"Moreover, children learn to speak like adults. During the Wanli Reforms of the Ming Dynasty, a large number of poor laborers were lifted out of poverty, especially in Songjiang Prefecture, a place where all kinds of goods were distributed. Many poor laborers could afford to send their children to school, but their parents were illiterate. The children learned to speak like them and naturally became like this."

Zhu Yijun did not believe that Gao Qiyu was incompetent, but rather that it was a true reflection of the changing times.

Improving the quality of the population is a long process, and the most important factor is the economic foundation.

"So Your Majesty has already noticed." Zhang Juzheng breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried that His Majesty hadn't noticed the problem, which was why he rushed into the palace. But now that His Majesty had noticed, he was relieved. He was old and no longer had enough energy, but His Majesty was in his prime and very capable.

Zhang Juzheng's apparent omnipotence was often due to the emperor's influence, and many of his methods were actually the emperor's, not his own.

Zhu Yijun said with a smile, "It was Gao Qiyu who mentioned it. He noticed this phenomenon last year and formulated an assessment method for official schools, which is now being implemented. Specifically, educational performance, moral education, and so on are all quantified, and the labor remuneration of school teachers is paid based on the performance of the assessment."

“If a child is not taught, it is the father’s fault; if the teaching is not strict, it is the teacher’s laziness. And the teacher’s laziness is also related to the fact that there are more than a hundred children in a class in a public school.”

"As a disciple of his teacher, he was one of the most capable and efficient officials in the Ming Dynasty."

A private school typically has only about ten students, maybe twenty at most, and a family-run school has even fewer. It's difficult for a teacher to manage them all.

The public schools were really struggling to keep up with the demand. On the other hand, the tuition fees for private schools were simply unaffordable for ordinary families, but the public schools could manage because they received subsidies from the imperial court.

Popularizing education has always been a long and arduous task, and it cannot be accomplished overnight.

"Since it was the Junior Minister who brought it up, that's good." Zhang Juzheng was completely relieved, but then shook his head and said, "Gao Qiyu is still timid. He's afraid he won't be able to control his desires, so he doesn't even dare to come to my door. He kept begging me to forgive him, and even though I did forgive him, he still doesn't dare to come."

Zhang Juzheng felt that Gao Qiyu was well aware that his desire for advancement could easily turn into a lust for power, and thus he would play a dishonorable role in the natural conflict between the emperor and the crown prince, and simply dare not move forward.

Cowardly and timid! Pathetic behavior!
Zhu Yijun just smiled. Zhang Juzheng was really old. In fact, the elderly are like children. You can't go along with them or go against them. No matter what you do, if they don't like it, they just don't like it. They won't listen to reason.

Zhang Juzheng disliked Gao Qiyu, and Gao Qiyu would be criticized no matter what he did.

(End of this chapter)