Ming Dynasty: My Father Zhang Juzheng

Chapter 204 The hero ends
After the previous value.

Zhang Juzheng's petition for his death was presented to the emperor. In an instant, it swept through the officialdom of the capital like a tornado.

Some are happy, and some are sad.

But more of it should be a sense of relief.

The "iron-faced prime minister" who ruled the world with thundering methods ended his official career in this way.

For a moment, many officials felt lost, as if they were dreaming.

There was chaos outside the Forbidden City, and there was also panic inside the palace.

Inside Dongnuan Pavilion.

Emperor Wanli felt as if in a dream as he read Zhang Juzheng's petition to retire.

Once upon a time, he hoped to take control of the country as soon as possible, but during the six months when Zhang Juzheng was seriously ill, he had to rule the country himself.

It seems that there is no point in ruling the world.

Feng Bao stood behind the emperor, his face gloomy. Zhang Juzheng had discussed with him beforehand about his request to retire.

Ten days ago, Zhang Juzheng summoned him to his house to talk about the matter.

The two met in the study. As soon as they sat down, Zhang Juzheng's first words were: "Eunuch Feng, you have aged a lot."

Feng Bao was a shrewd man, so he naturally knew what he meant.

So he gave a dry laugh, stretched out his wrinkled, dead-wood-like palms, and said self-deprecatingly, "Yeah, I'm almost seventy, I'm old."

"You are old now. When I first met you, you had black hair. It is not like now, with gray hair."

The two had been comrades-in-arms for many years, and Zhang Juzheng both liked and feared Feng Bao.

Fearing that his words were law in the palace, he always accompanied the little emperor, but at the same time he liked him so much that every one of his proposals could become an imperial decree.

Now that he had the idea of ​​retiring, he naturally had to discuss it with this comrade.

Firstly, he was worried that his old friend would not have a good end, and secondly, he was afraid that something unexpected would happen in the palace when he was away.

After much thought, we had today's conversation.

Stroking his long gray beard, Zhang Juzheng stared at Feng Bao and said casually, "I plan to resign after the new year."

Although he was mentally prepared, Feng Bao was still a little surprised when Zhang Juzheng mentioned it.

After a few seconds of silence, Feng Bao smiled bitterly and replied, "I have long wanted to retire. Since Mr. Zhang has this intention, it would be ungrateful for me to stay here any longer."

"The future ultimately belongs to the young."

“Yeah, we’re all old.”

The two of them sighed with emotion, and suddenly, like great monks, they realized the Dharma.

"Otomo, Otomo, what should I do?"

While Feng Bao was in a trance, Emperor Wanli looked at the memorial and called out twice, but Feng Bao did not respond. Emperor Wanli turned around and saw that Feng Bao was at a loss, so he raised his voice and called out, "Da Ban!"

"Ah?! The old minister is here." Feng Bao woke up as if from a dream, bent over and took a few steps forward.

Emperor Wanli rubbed his chubby face, looked at Feng Bao who looked confused, and said helplessly: "Mr. Zhang is begging for his remains, I am deeply saddened.

But I see that Mr. Zhang is determined to leave. I have tried to persuade him to stay three times. If he still wants to leave, then I can only reluctantly let him go back home."

"Your Majesty is right." Feng Bao smiled flatteringly and echoed.

Seeing Feng Bao hunched over and with gray hair, the Wanli Emperor felt a lump in his throat and waved his hand, saying, "That's enough, that's enough, you can go and have a rest. Wei Qing will be there to serve you."

"Your humble servant obeys your command." Feng Bao replied tremblingly, as if all the strength in his body had been drained away.

"Wei Qing, go and see Daban off."

"Yes."

Cining Palace. Empress Dowager Li had already known about Zhang Juzheng's request to be buried.

She wanted to keep him, but when she thought of his body, she gave up the idea and decided to let him go.

At noon that day, she called Emperor Wanli to the palace.

Emperor Wanli first bowed to his mother, and then, under the guidance of the palace maid, sat opposite Empress Dowager Li. When the mother and son met, Empress Dowager Li looked at her adult son.

I feel happy and sad at the same time.

"Jun'er, Mr. Zhang is leaving." Empress Dowager Li said softly, and then an indescribable sorrow suddenly emerged on her plump and fair face.

"Yes." Emperor Wanli nodded, rubbing his hands, and replied respectfully, "I plan to wait for Mr. Zhang to submit another memorial before allowing him to retire, to show the court's courtesy."

Empress Dowager Li sighed and said with emotion: "In the second year of Longqing, when you were only five years old, it was Grand Tutor Xu, Gao Yi, and Mr. Zhang who personally wrote to Emperor Muzong to make you the crown prince. Later, when Emperor Muzong passed away, he personally appointed four ministers to advise him, and Mr. Zhang was one of them."

"Today, of the people who made you the crown prince, only Mr. Zhang is still alive. Of the four ministers appointed by the late emperor, only Eunuch Feng and Mr. Zhang are still alive."

At this point, Queen Mother Li paused, looked at her son who was listening patiently, and reminded him: "Jun'er, Mr. Zhang is a loyal minister."

"I know." Emperor Wanli smiled and said, "On the day when Mr. Zhang leaves Beijing, I will have someone hold a banquet outside the city and ask all officials above the fourth rank in Beijing to come and see Mr. Zhang off."

It was so grand that no one in the country could match it.

Empress Dowager Li was also very satisfied with this arrangement. If she had not been concerned about her sensitive identity, she would have wanted to go and see him off in person.

It’s a pity that the two of them have been separated from each other since then, and they may never see each other again in this life.

Thinking of this, Empress Dowager Li covered her chest with her hands and her beautiful eyebrows were frowned into a big pimple.

"Mother!" Emperor Wanli cried out in surprise.

"I'm fine." Queen Mother Li shook her head, forced a smile, and said in a very relaxed tone, "You can go down. Queen Mother wants to be alone and quiet for a while."

"Yes."

Emperor Wanli rejected Zhang Juzheng's first petition to ask for his ashes to be buried. Soon after, Zhang Juzheng submitted a second petition, which Emperor Wanli rejected again, and then a third one.

This time, Emperor Wanli granted his approval.

Everyone is well aware of this process.

After receiving the permission, Zhang Juzheng did not stay long. He packed up for seven days and then hurriedly left the capital with his family and books.

On that day, the emperor ordered Zhang Siwei to host a banquet and personally saw Zhang Juzheng off at Changting in the suburbs of Beijing.

All fourth-rank officials in Beijing were present.

The scene was unprecedentedly grand.

Amidst the congratulations, Zhang Juzheng boarded the carriage with a cheerful mood and set out on the journey back to Jiangling.

Forty years ago, in the spring of the 26th year of Jiajing, he took a horse carriage from Jiangling and stumbled to the capital to take the exam.

At that time, he was just a poor student from Jiangling.

He was dressed in rags and looked shabby.

Faced with the prosperity of the capital and the luxury of the gorgeous clothes, he did not feel inferior because of his own shabby status.

Instead, he set the ambitious goal of becoming prime minister.

Forty years later, he returned home with honor and his beautiful wife.

He has witnessed too many ups and downs in the political arena.

From Xia Yan to Yan Song, then to Xu Jie, Li Chunfang and Gao Gong.

Now, his era has come to an end.

(End of this chapter)