I'm really not doing business

Chapter 868: Your Majesty is a Great Ruler

As the chief minister of the cabinet, Zhang Juzheng actually knew the list the night before it was announced. After all, the list needed the emperor's approval. The emperor asked Feng Bao to make a copy and give it to Xu Jue. Xu Jue got down from the hanging basket at night and gave the list to You Shouli.

If Zhang Juzheng had any objections, he could make changes, but Zhang Juzheng never did.

This was a favor bestowed by the emperor, an attitude expressing trust. The line between Feng Bao, Xu Jue and You Shouli still existed and was not cut off due to collusion between internal and external forces. It meant that the emperor still recognized the iron triangle political alliance formed by the empress dowager, the great eunuch and the prime minister when the ruler was young and the country was in doubt.

This is just an attitude. Zhang Juzheng carefully guarded the boundaries of his power and did not test it recklessly. The emperor had grown up, and the consequences of not treating the emperor as an emperor would be very serious.

Zhang Juzheng did not care about the list of candidates for the imperial examination. In his opinion, it was just a threshold. After passing the exam, how far he could go depended on his fate.

As the prime minister, he didn't care, but Lu Shusheng cared too much. When he heard the names of the three people, Lu Shusheng regretted it so much that he almost broke his thigh!

This is the runner-up in the imperial examination. If he were his disciple, he would be a great scholar all his life!

Xiong Tingbi's situation was extremely special, and this was known to everyone in the world. Your Majesty wanted to cultivate a person he could trust in the outer court. This time, Your Majesty set the questions, and it was natural that Xiong Tingbi would get the top spot. However, Yuan Keli slipped away from him, which made him regretful. He even wanted to hang the gatekeeper up and beat him!

"Lu Pingquan, if you say that the little devil is difficult to deal with, I don't agree. You should have known that Yuan Keli came to the capital. Until the announcement of the results, during this month, have you ever asked about his whereabouts once?" Zhang Juzheng disagreed with Lu Shusheng's request for Yuan Keli.

He passed the exam and came to find you. What were you doing before? Yuan Keli was deeply mired in the smuggling case before, and you, Lu Shusheng, didn't come to rescue him with your group of students and former officials. It's really ridiculous that you came to my door now.

Lu Shusheng smiled and shook his head, saying, "I did not teach him well. I have already sent the doorman back home. You are a hands-off teacher, but I am not. I only found out about his admission to the capital after the imperial examination started and the case of smuggling was reported. Zhang Yuanfu, if you get the news that you are stealing a disciple, it will not be good for your reputation."

Lu Shusheng did not lie. It was true that the doorman did not deliver the visiting cards. Yuan Keli did not give him any favors or benefits, nor did he visit him many times. Not every visiting card piled up at the doorman's place had to be delivered to the master.

When Lu Shusheng was a teacher, he was not like Zhang Juzheng, who just sat back and did nothing. This year, four of his students passed the imperial examination and became Jinshi, which was an excellent result.

"State affairs are so busy that I really have no time to talk about it." Zhang Juzheng waved his hands repeatedly. He was indeed not a good teacher. He put all his energy into administration. He accepted disciples and sent them to his home school. Whether they could achieve results depended entirely on their own efforts.

Zhang Juzheng had a disciple named Liu Tai, who became a Jinshi in the fifth year of Longqing. In the fifth year of Wanli, Liu Tai impeached Zhang Juzheng for being too obsessed with power and refusing to return to his hometown to mourn his death. As a result, the emperor directly threw him to Yunnan.

In an era where Heaven, Earth, the Emperor, Parents and Teachers were the most important, Liu Tai's behavior was like telling on his own father, so Zhu Yijun had no choice but to exile Liu Tai, no matter whether what he said was good or bad.

Because the emperor was vague about this matter, it was easy for people to understand that he would do the same as Liu Tai and carry out a purge after Zhang Juzheng no longer had such great authority, so he could only impose severe punishment.

"Yuan Fu, you have the world in your heart and are determined to revive the declining country. I admire you very much. I, Lu Shusheng, don't have such a broad mind. I was recommended by Yuan Fu when I was the Minister of Rites in the court. Sixteen years have passed, and I still don't approve of the Wanli Reform."

"I don't mean that we shouldn't do that. You know very well what happened to reformers throughout the ages." Lu Shusheng said sincerely, "Xiong Tingbi is your Majesty's man, so he's naturally not afraid. But what about Yuan Keli?"

"What's the difference between Yuan Keli entering your door and entering the gates of hell? Can Yuan Keli withstand all those rumors and attacks from others?"

Lu Shusheng was recommended by Zhang Juzheng to serve as the Minister of Rites, but he had always been against Zhang Juzheng. Finally, he submitted a petition to retire and had not tried to be reinstated in all these years. He had said these things to Zhang Juzheng in the past, Yang Bo had said them to Zhang Juzheng, and Wang Chonggu had also said them to Zhang Juzheng.

Yang Bo had always advocated the merger of Chu and Jin in order to completely sideline the emperor, because Gao Gong judged that the young Wanli at that time was probably not fit to be an emperor. Gao Gong taught the young Wanli for four years, but the young Wanli could not even write or recognize all the characters. Moreover, his character was very typical of being neither broad-minded nor perseverant. He never considered others when doing things and had no perseverance at all.

Indeed, Gao Gong made a mistake. It might be that Gao Gong did not teach well. After Zhang Juzheng took the initiative to give lectures, the emperor's academic progress was no longer a leap forward. He finished learning the Four Books in one year and the Five Classics the next year. Later, he began to make great achievements in mathematics. Even Zhu Zaiyu said more than once that Your Majesty was burdened with state affairs and could not devote himself to the study of things, and the world had lost a master of the study of things.

But a group of people represented by Yang Bo still insisted on the view that the world belonged to the Zhu family, and Zhang Juzheng would not have a good end. The complicated political struggle was not decided by the emperor alone. All reformers in history had no good end, not a single one.

In short, you love Daming deeply, but does Daming love you?
"That's true. Then take Yuan Keli away." Zhang Juzheng was silent for a long time and chose to let him go.

Yuan Keli and Xiong Tingbi are completely different. After becoming a juren, Xiong Tingbi had already conquered Yinshan with three arrows. If Zhang Juzheng had not stopped him, he would have run to the Beijing camp to be the first to climb the enemy line. Xiong Tingbi himself had made achievements, and his backing was very clear, that was Your Majesty.

Yuan Keli really couldn't withstand those storms.

"Sir, Yuan Keli and Xiong Tingbi are back." Upon hearing that the two had reached an agreement, You Shouli called Yuan Keli and Xiong Tingbi to Wenchang Pavilion.

Zhang Juzheng looked at Yuan Keli and confirmed that he was a good boy. He said reluctantly, "Yuan Keli, you have seen that I have been busy with state affairs for the past month and have no time to take care of you. Now that the real master has come, I, the fake, am not in a proper position. The relationship between you and me as master and apprentice is over. You can go with Mr. Lu."

Zhang Juzheng was very reluctant to let go, because when people reach old age, they always like to look for the shadow of their youth. Yuan Keli was somewhat similar to him in the past, both had great ambitions and great perseverance. Yuan Keli was even more stubborn than Zhang Juzheng, but in the end, they were not destined to be master and apprentice.

Yuan Keli finally saw Lu Shusheng, whom his father had repeatedly mentioned. He just glanced at him and didn't look at him any further, but he was a little confused.

Zhang Juzheng was indeed too busy to take care of him, but he was very hardworking. He was the first and second place in the imperial examinations, and both were in the Quanchu Guild Hall. How could he be expelled from his school? Is it wrong to do well in the exams? You, Zhang Juzheng, are indeed an incompetent teacher, but he is a competent student.

It must be something that Lu Shusheng said that made Zhang Juzheng give up.

Obviously, it was not Yuan Keli's background that was problematic. He was a military household, as were Zhang Juzheng and Xiong Tingbi. Moreover, his family background was extremely clean and he had never committed a crime. So it was not his problem, but Zhang Juzheng's concerns.

This concern is actually very easy to understand. Zhang Juzheng believed that if Yuan Keli continued to stay in the Quan Chu Guild Hall, it would bring him huge political risks. Lu Shusheng could not pose a threat to Zhang Juzheng even when he was in the court, let alone now that he was no longer in the court.

"Sir, you have received forty kilograms of millet, but it's almost finished." Xiong Tingbi frowned and immediately bowed his head and said, Zhang Juzheng did accept forty kilograms of millet, and millet is everywhere, but that was the gift Yuan Keli brought from his hometown in Henan to the capital as a gift to his teacher. After accepting the gift, there was no reason to drive the disciple out of the house.

"Go back to the backyard. There is a palace examination later. Don't you want to take it?" Zhang Juzheng was not angry, but gave the order directly.

Xiong Tingbi had no choice but to bow his head and say, "Yes."

Yuan Keli looked at Lu Shusheng and suddenly asked, "Mr. Lu, do you teach the theory of contradiction?"

"I don't study contradictions." Lu Shusheng shook his head and said, "This contradiction theory has your majesty's vernacular annotations. If you want to study it, I won't stop you."

"Mr. Lu, do you teach class theory?" Yuan Keli continued to ask.

"I don't care about class theory either." Lu Shusheng shook his head again. He had a bad feeling. Yuan Keli seemed to have his own ideas and plans. This country scholar was unusually stubborn.

"Sir, please forgive my rudeness, but I cannot go with Mr. Lu." Yuan Keli answered this question very affirmatively. Lu Shusheng didn't teach him what he wanted to learn, so he naturally wouldn't go.

Zhang Juzheng was somewhat helpless. All of his disciples had bigger ideas than the other. The emperor, Shen Shixing, Wang Xiyuan, Xiong Tingbi, and Yuan Keli were all like this. It seemed that his words were not as effective on his disciples as they were on those of other teachers.

Lu Shusheng frowned and said in a very serious tone, "Yuan Keli, do you know what these subjects you want to learn are? You have only read the first two volumes of Class Theory. Have you read the last volume?"

They were all smart people. It seemed that they were talking about knowledge, but in fact they were telling Yuan Keli that this knowledge was very dangerous. The distribution of the second volume already had some signs of treason, and the third volume was simply treason. However, the third volume was written by His Majesty the Emperor, and the Emperor could regret it in the future and say that it was written by Zhang Juzheng.

The emperor can go back on his word, but for the students who study these subjects, there is no turning back.

"I know, the struggle volume." Yuan Keli answered this question very clearly. He knew clearly what kind of situation he was facing and he had no regrets.

"Young people's blood is always hot, but when they encounter some things, it slowly cools down." Lu Shusheng said to Zhang Juzheng. Yuan Keli was too young and his blood was too hot. This enthusiasm was even a little dazzling.

Yuan Keli felt that he could bear it, but only when the time came would he be angry and then helpless to accept it, and slowly, his blood naturally ran cold.

Zhang Juzheng was extremely dissatisfied with this statement and immediately said, "Old blood can also be hot."

The words were impolite, and the tone was not polite. Back then, Lu Shusheng was a comrade and a fellow traveler, and they also had the same ambition to revive the country. Later, he became afraid, just like Zhang Juzheng's son-in-law Wang Zhigao. As time went by, they eventually got separated.

After Lu Shusheng entered the court, he found that what Zhang Juzheng was going to do was too dangerous, so he turned against him. Zhang Juzheng did not retaliate, not because he was a tolerant prime minister, but because he was too busy to take care of him. Lu Shusheng did not seek reinstatement and was too honest, so he did not deliberately target him.

"Zhang Yuanfu, Yuan Keli has been in trouble. He was implicated by Xiong Tingbi in the smuggling case. Yuan Keli is innocent in this process." Lu Shusheng looked at the old and the young and directly pointed out the risks. Yuan Keli had only been in the Quan Chu Guild Hall for a month when he encountered such a turmoil. His future career might be as dangerous as a merchant ship lost in the ocean.

Yuan Keli bowed to Zhang Juzheng and said, "Sir, I have returned to the backyard to study and prepare for the palace examination, which will be held tomorrow."

Lu Shusheng frowned, took a deep breath to calm himself down and said, "Yuan Keli, think it over. I'll give you three days before the palace exam. There's still room. This road is really not easy to take."

"The assassination of the king, the burning of the palace, the attack on Xishan, and the fire in Renhe, these four events are more terrible than the last. Wang Chonggu's brother Wang Chongyi returned to his hometown to worship his ancestors, but he was killed in the explosion before he even walked out of the street in front of his house. Yuan Keli, I tell you this because I hope you can calm down and think it through."

Zhang Juzheng hesitated to speak, because what Lu Shusheng said made a lot of sense from a personal point of view. The decline of the world was closely related to everyone, but why should I have to take such a risk?

Three days before the palace examination, Yuan Keli was willing to leave on his own initiative. He did not try to keep him or persuade him. He just regarded it as him staying here for a month. The 40 kilograms of millet were regarded as tuition fee.

"Student, take your leave." Yuan Keli did not say anything. His attitude was clear: if he did not leave, Zhang Juzheng could not drive him away.

Zhang Juzheng frowned and asked, "Wait a minute, do you know what you are doing?"

Yuan Keli turned around and said with certainty: "Sir, His Majesty said that success does not have to be achieved by me, but I must be part of it. I know very well what you are worried about. This is a conflict between long-term interests and immediate interests, between the interests of the country and personal interests."

"This contradiction is opposite and seems to conflict with each other, but it is not black and white. Although the power of an individual is as weak as a firefly, when a little bit of power is gathered together, it will eventually become an unstoppable historical torrent."

"I am a Ming Dynasty person. I don't want to see the Ming Dynasty collapse and the earth crack, and all the mud and sand will be swept away. In this way, every Ming Dynasty person will be a victim."

If one reads the theory of contradictions and still sees contradictions in everything as either black or white, then this knowledge is learned in vain. As Yuan Keli said, Lu Shusheng's knowledge cannot save the Ming Dynasty, so he does not learn it. He wants to learn knowledge that can save the Ming Dynasty. "Disciple, I'm leaving." This is the third time Yuan Keli has left. Lu Shusheng stopped him once, and Zhang Juzheng stopped him once. If he stops him again, it would be a bit impolite.

"Hahahaha!" Zhang Juzheng laughed very wildly after Yuan Keli left. He hadn't laughed so heartily in all these years.

Lu Shusheng's face was livid at first, but he felt relieved as Zhang Juzheng laughed. He shook his head and said, "Zhang Yuanfu, I admire you and all of you. I even admire Wan Shihe. I can't do it. I don't have the courage, but I won't laugh at the brave."

If one can gain a little psychological comfort from mocking brave people, then that person must be a mean Confucian.

Lu Shusheng was a serious Confucian scholar, not a lowly one. He and Zhang Juzheng parted ways because of their different ideologies. They had different philosophies and could not work together. They could not defeat each other, so he simply stayed away from each other.

"He is a brave man. I hope he can always keep this sincere heart and not regret today's decision." Lu Shusheng stood up and said with a smile: "Sorry for bothering you for a long time. Goodbye."

"Shouli, show the guest out." Zhang Juzheng stretched out his hand, signaling You Shouli to see him off.

A quarter of an hour later, You Shouli returned to Wenchang Pavilion, looked around, and walked a few steps closer. He said mysteriously, "Lu Shusheng seemed very generous and didn't care at all, but not long after he left the Quanchu Guild Hall, he got so angry that he didn't even take the sedan chair and walked back."

Lu Shusheng came in a four-person sedan chair. When he left, he was in front and four sedan bearers were carrying an empty sedan chair behind. Lu Shusheng said he felt dizzy. He had been sitting in the same sedan chair for so many years, why did he feel dizzy now?
"He was just angry with himself. He saw himself in Yuan Keli and felt that he should have been braver back then." It took only one year for Zhang Juzheng and Lu Shusheng to go from being good friends to becoming enemies and not communicating with each other anymore.

Zhang Juzheng knew Lu Shusheng very well. He actually wanted to revitalize the Ming Dynasty, but he lacked some courage and responsibility.

Of course, Lu Shusheng would not do anything despicable, such as joining forces with his students and former officials to embarrass Yuan Keli. Lu Shusheng still had this moral integrity, otherwise he would have died without a burial place in the fierce struggle in the early years of the Wanli period.

If Lu Shusheng makes things difficult for Yuan Keli, his reputation will only be worse than Zhang Juzheng's.

The palace examination came as scheduled. This time, the questions were even bolder. The emperor's question was:

I have inherited the great cause of my ancestors and implemented the policy of reform for seventeen years. However, there are three difficulties now: the new law has just been implemented but the old abuses have not been eliminated; although the territory has been expanded, the education is difficult to achieve; the reform and inheritance of the tradition are difficult to develop. You are well-versed in ancient and modern times, how can you help me solve these three problems?

The Wanli Reform lasted for seventeen years. Yuan Keli grew up in the Wanli Reform from the time he entered school to the time he entered the Jianji Hall to take the palace examination. It was difficult for Yuan Keli to understand the thoughts of a Confucian scholar like Lu Shusheng. In his opinion, this was how it should be.

The materials provided by the emperor for these three issues were: the first was the contradiction between people and land in the implementation of the Land Return Order; the second was the contradiction between the Han and barbarians overseas; and the third was the contradiction between the new and old learning in the Dinghai school system.

If I were to talk a little about these three questions, thousands of words would be written in a short time. Who doesn't know how to sing praises?
But Your Majesty's usual style is obviously not to flatter or curry favor. These 400 tribute scholars are all ignorant people. Can they write Qingci as well as the prime ministers in the middle and late Jiajing period?
It might be the second time for other people in the hall to see His Majesty, but Xiong Tingbi was very familiar with His Majesty. The Emperor and Zhang Juzheng had discussed these three issues in the Quan Chu Guild Hall, and they even had a fierce argument, which made Xiong Tingbi a little scared. But the next day, everyone was still as normal, just like before.

After reading the complete version of the Theory of Contradiction, Xia Zongyao knew that the emperor was testing him on the Theory of Contradiction. He knew that one should start with the phenomenon, analyze what the problem is, dissect the root cause of the problem, and then propose a set of solutions, even if they are seemingly feasible, and continuously improve them in small-scale practice, and finally implement and continue to improve them.

The contradiction theory told Xia Zongyao that phenomena, problems, causes and solutions are the real ways to solve problems. Blindly scolding is just the teacher or the boss venting his anger; or he simply doesn't know the problem, the cause, or how to solve it and is just raging with frustration.

Xia Zongyao also knew why those people covered up the contradictions. Most of the teachers he met since he was a child were like this.

"No wonder Your Majesty and Xiong Tingbi have learned so well. The Prime Minister really has something." Xia Zongyao looked at the Prime Minister standing on the platform and thought sincerely.

Of course, this is a wrong view. Zhang Juzheng always let his disciples do what they wanted. Your Majesty and Xiong Tingbi have achieved academic success because of their personal efforts, and it has little to do with the Prime Minister.

Xiong Tingbi was a cowherd boy, but he was able to pass the imperial examinations and become a military juren, juren and jinshi. He was truly a genius.

After all, Yuan Keli came from a hereditary family of a hundred households, but Xiong Tingbi didn't even have a home and made a living by herding cattle.

The palace examination was uneventful and took only half a day. Candidates had to write an essay and go through the formalities of being the emperor's disciples. The emperor would then select the top three candidates, the top three, and the rest of the rankings would basically remain unchanged.

The palace examination is to meet the emperor. Most of the successful candidates will never see the emperor again in their lifetime.

"We shall take our leave." Led by Shen Shixing, Wang Jiaping and 17 other examiners, the students saluted in unison.

After going through this formality, their status changed from students to subjects. From now on, they would enjoy the same treatment as officials, could use the post stations, be exempted from taxes and labor service, and after passing the selection of the supervising officials, they would be granted official official titles.

If we look at it from the perspective of class theory, from today on, all the Jinshi in the palace are the ruling class.

Xia Zongyao did not like the class theory very much. He felt that the class theory was too dangerous and was not conducive to the stability of the Ming Dynasty. The emperor was wise, but the next emperor was not wise. This class theory was considered treasonous and might even bring misfortune to the emperor in his later years. This class theory should most likely not be mentioned again.

The standards of morality and good and evil are constantly changing.

"Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Keli stay." Zhu Yijun stood up and took the two students away.

Zhu Yijun was very dissatisfied with Lu Shusheng's behavior of running to the Quanchu Guild Hall to ask for Yuan Keli. In front of everyone, Zhu Yijun directly kept two students and gave them a lecture separately. The meaning was very clear that these were all his people. Xiong Tingbi had a backer, and Yuan Keli also had one.

The 400 Jinshi were very unexpected. It was natural that Xiong Tingbi was kept alone, and it was surprising that Yuan Keli was also kept together. However, considering that the smuggling case involved Yuan Keli, it was natural for the emperor to honor him like this.

I didn't kill Boren, but Boren died because of me.

Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Keli were both involved in the scandal of smuggling cases because of the brutal political struggle during the Wanli Reform. So the emperor's special treatment was understandable.

Xiong Tingbi was upright, while Yuan Keli was stubborn. Once he decided to do something, he would do it to the end. Once he was determined to destroy the Jian Nu, he would use all means at his disposal.

Unfortunately, Yuan Keli was unable to fully realize his mission. Not only did the imperial court not give him any help, but he was held back by the Party Factions. He won seven battles in a row, which made Nurhaci terrified. Even Nurhaci's son-in-law was instigated by Yuan Keli to rebel, and finally died on the battlefield for the Ming Dynasty.

Yuan Keli was once hidden in the dark for twenty-six years. He was stripped of his official position and honors on the tenth day of the first lunar month in the twenty-fourth year of the Wanli reign, and was not reinstated until the first year of the Taichang reign.

The reason why Yuan Keli was hidden for so long was that in the 23rd year of Wanli, he submitted a memorial in which he did the same thing as Hai Rui, cursing the emperor, and his curses were very unpleasant.

In his memorial, he said that Emperor Wanli was: If the emperor does not visit the suburbs in person, and the court lectures are long abandoned. The memorials are not answered in time, the rewards and punishments in the palace are different, the promotions are difficult, and the collection of taxes is full of complaints. Right and wrong are reversed, and the virtuous and the treacherous are mixed. The loyal are wronged and the upright are angry. Is this the truth of heaven?

There are no sacrifices, no banquets, no approval of memorials to the emperor's memorials, rewards and punishments in the palace and the outer court are unclear, vacancies across the country are not filled, exorbitant taxes and heavy levies cause public resentment, right and wrong are reversed, and the virtuous and the treacherous are confused. Loyal ministers suffer injustice, and upright people are filled with resentment. Is this in accordance with the will of heaven?
The meaning is very clear. If you, the emperor, want to do it, then do it. If you don’t want to do it, then get out and let the prince ascend the throne.

Hai Rui scolded Jiajing for having "every family in Jiajing's family being corrupt" in the hope that the Taoist priest could cheer up, muster the courage he had in the past to make reforms and establish a new one, and revive the government. He should not hide in the Western Garden all day long and act like a Taoist priest, as the world was already in a state of corruption.

Yuan Keli scolded Emperor Wanli because he hoped that he would ascend to heaven as soon as possible.

Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Keli rode on a small train that ran into Tonghe Palace with its whistle blaring. The train had only one line, which was the imperial road.

"Such a magical weapon can stabilize a country and revitalize a nation." After getting off the train, Yuan Keli took a look around the train. He briefly summarized the significance of this thing. He knew very well that wherever the train reached, it would be the king's land.

The Ming Dynasty's expansion of territory on land all depends on the Great Wall. The overseas governor-general's offices may have ups and downs, but wherever the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty is built, that is Han territory. It has depth, minerals, borders, tolerance, and rich products. No matter how much we expand overseas, we cannot give up on expansion on land.

Yuan Keli himself took the train from Kaifeng Prefecture to the capital. The first time a juren went to Beijing to take the imperial examination, he was given a free ticket.

"Your Majesty, we are here to see you." Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Keli bowed their heads in greeting. Feng Bao specifically told them that His Majesty only meets with people in private and does not like people to kneel.

"No need to be polite." Zhu Yijun looked at Yuan Keli's hand and said with a smile on his face: "Yuan Keli, we meet again."

"I am so embarrassed. I didn't know your Majesty's identity at that time and didn't greet you politely." Yuan Keli said hurriedly.

"Sit down, sit down." Zhu Yijun stretched out a hand, palm up, and showed his hand to Yuan Keli. This was not a handshake, as they were about ten feet apart.

Yuan Keli didn't understand what His Majesty meant, but he looked at the hand and immediately understood. He also stretched out his hand, palm up, to show His Majesty.

"Hahaha!" Zhu Yijun put away his hands and laughed happily. He said to Feng Bao, "Feng Banban, keep an eye on the tea."

Feng Bao knew that His Majesty was really happy because he called him Feng Banban. If His Majesty called him Feng Daban, it meant that he was in a good mood. If he called him by his name, it meant that he was furious.

The reason why the emperor laughed was very simple. Yuan Keli's hands were the same as the emperor's, showing the traces of long-term farm work and weapon practice. The calluses on these hands could not deceive anyone.

We are all kindred spirits.

"It is a great pleasure to have friends coming from afar. Only when we are comrades and colleagues can we share the joy." Zhu Yijun liked Xiong Tingbi very much, and he also liked Yuan Keli very much. The Ming Dynasty recruited many ministers who were both civil and military, but ultimately failed to save the Ming Dynasty from decline.

Yuan Keli, Xiong Tingbi, Sun Chengzong, Sun Chuanting, Lu Xiangsheng and many other talented and ambitious people emerged, but unfortunately the situation in the world had completely deteriorated.

"Yuan Keli, what do you think of my work along the way?" Zhu Yijun asked a question that was both easy and difficult to answer. He added: "Tell the truth. I don't like to hear lies."

Yuan Keli said with certainty: "Your Majesty is known for your diligence in government. You are clear about rewards and punishments. The performance evaluation system and the civil servant selection system are all pioneering measures. Without your Majesty's support, it would be difficult for you to implement civil servants today. In recent years, various land taxes have been reduced in an orderly manner. Land surveying, returning land, and building farms are all stable policies. A wise and holy monarch has a broad vision and can distinguish right from wrong."

"When a wise ruler rises, virtuous people advance, and the world prospers, Your Majesty is a wise ruler who has never been seen before."

"Oh? Really?" Zhu Yijun took a deep breath and said, "Li Qing (Yuan Keli's pen name), do you know when the most dangerous time is? It's when flowers are in full bloom and people are singing and dancing."

(End of this chapter)