Ming Dynasty: My Father Zhang Juzheng

Chapter 210 The power of God is unpredictable
After seeing Li Youzi off, Zhang Yunxiu was in a good mood.

He stood up, stretched, and walked to the small hall. In the small hall, Xu Ruoxi and Zheng Xier sat side by side, each holding a baby in their arms.

At the beginning of last month, both of them gave birth to a son.

Xu Ruoxi's son was named Zhang Chongrui and Zheng Xier's son was named Zhang Chongjie.

The two of them swayed gently, uttering low moans from time to time, their plump, fair cheeks filled with the glow of maternity.

Next to him, Zhang Xuan looked left and right, her pair of black, rolling eyes full of curiosity.

Suddenly, she looked up and saw Zhang Yunxiu blocking the light, so she clapped her hands and shouted, "Daddy!"

Everyone in the hall also turned their eyes and looked towards the door.

Zhang Yunxiu smiled as he picked up his daughter who was running towards him and lifted her up high. In order to tease her, he even used his rough chin to rub Zhang Xuan's tender little face.

It made her look disgusted.

Walking to the first seat and sitting down, Zhang Yun put Zhang Xuan on his lap. Zhang Xuan's cheeks were puffed up, and she clasped her hands and turned her head away.

Zheng Xier smiled and said jokingly, "See, I told you this little girl has a bad temper. If she's not happy, she'll give you the cold shoulder."

"Hmph." Zhang Xuan was immediately unhappy when her mother scolded her like this.

"Okay, don't be angry. We'll have your favorite stewed crucian carp with shredded radish tonight." After rubbing his daughter's head, Zhang Yunxiu put her on the ground. "Go play with the green radish for a while. I'll call you when the time comes."

"Oh."

Zhang Xuan walked away with her short legs, and Zheng Xier and Xu Ruoxi also ordered their servants to take the child away.

Suddenly, only the couple were left in the hall. Seeing the wrinkles on her husband's forehead, Zheng Xier and Xu Ruoxi felt a pain in their hearts.

Then, two people walked to his side, one of them massaged his shoulders and the other massaged his legs.

Zhang Yunxiu looked very happy, and Zheng Xier behind him suddenly complained: "Now that my father-in-law has left Beijing, all these monsters have come out. If it were in the past, would they dare to treat my father-in-law like this?"

"They only dare to bully you because you are young."

"Some things you have to face yourself sooner or later." Zhang Yunxiu shook his head, closed his eyes slightly, and said to himself, "Maybe my father chose to leave Beijing at this time for this reason."

He used to be behind the scenes, but now he is in the front.

All the spotlights were on him, and his every word and action was magnified infinitely. Zhang Yunxiu felt an incomparable pressure, the kind that Zhang Juzheng had never experienced before.

Zhang Juzheng just wanted to see if he could withstand the pressure.

If I throw myself out now, he can still keep an eye on me, which is better than forcing myself to do something after he passes away.

Historically, Zhang Juzheng took care of everything for the young emperor, which resulted in the young emperor not getting any training.

This time he goes.

Faced with such a big country, the little emperor realized how tiring it was to compete with these people.

"Husband." Xu Ruoxi opened her red lips and called softly.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Zhang Yunxiu opened his eyes and looked at Xu Ruoxi, who had bright eyes and white teeth.

Facing her husband's concerned gaze, Xu Ruoxi's cheeks turned slightly pink, and she said softly, "Didn't you say that after I give birth to the baby, you would go with me to Songjiang Prefecture to live for half a year? Otherwise, let's go now."

"What, are you homesick?"

"kind of."

"Not now."

"Oh."

Xu Ruoxi let out a disappointed "Oh" and concentrated on moving her jade hands.

Zhang Yunxiu felt distressed when seeing this. He rubbed his wife's fair and tender cheek and whispered, "As soon as we finish the work at the academy, we will go to Songjiang Prefecture." After hearing this, Xu Ruoxi felt as sweet as if she had eaten candied fruit.

Zheng Xier behind him pouted and hummed half jokingly and half seriously: "Since sister is going to Songjiang with her husband soon, sister is not allowed to pester her husband these days."

"If you don't want to get entangled, then don't get entangled."

The three of them were flirting and the atmosphere was very happy.

cabinet.

Zhang Siwei, who was on duty, suddenly received a message from the eunuch saying that the emperor had summoned him. Zhang Siwei was overjoyed, thinking that he must be summoned to discuss the matter of the cabinet ministers.

Of course, it’s not a negotiation.

Instead, the emperor made the decision based on the people on the list, and he, as the prime minister, was just going through the motions.

The cabinet was not far from the Qianqing Palace. The sun was shining brightly and the spring breeze was warm. Zhang Siwei walked briskly and arrived outside the Qianqing Palace in less than two quarters of an hour.

Wei Qing continued outside.

Zhang Siwei looked at the emperor and the favorites around Concubine Zheng, clasped his fists and said, "Eunuch Wei, I haven't seen you for a few days. You look better and better."

"We are not greedy, so we naturally look young." Wei Qing sneered at the compliment. Not only did he not appreciate it, he also used words to "stab" Zhang Siwei, "But you, the elder, always think too much and want too much. If you continue like this for a long time, I'm afraid your body won't be able to bear it."

Zhang Siwei heard the sarcasm in his words and his face suddenly turned cold.

Even a clay man would still get angry, not to mention the Prime Minister of this dynasty? With a heavy snort from his nose, Zhang Siwei walked away in anger.

The two of them walked into the East Warm Pavilion, one in front and one behind.

Emperor Wanli was sitting in front of a desk with a piece of imperial white paper on it.

"Your Majesty, I am Zhang Siwei."

As soon as he stood in front of Emperor Wanli, Zhang Siwei lifted the hem of his official robe and performed the usual salute.

Emperor Wanli waved his hand, signaling him to excuse himself, and then pointed to the list on the table and asked, "Is this the list recommended by the court?"

"Yes."

Emperor Wanli nodded slightly and circled two people above.

Then he picked up the pen and wrote Li Youzi's name.

Wei Qing hurried forward, picked up the paper and handed it to Zhang Siwei. Zhang Siwei took it and looked at it: Shen Li, Yu Shenxing, Li Youzi.

The first two were easy to deal with, as they were both well-known figures in the court. But Li Youzi had a very bad reputation, and the fact that Zhang Juzheng was seizing the throne was the result of public opinion orchestrated by this guy in the court.

Can such a person enter the cabinet?

And he didn't even go through the court recommendation.

Swallowing his saliva, Zhang Siwei suppressed his inner confusion and said, "Your Majesty, Li Youzi has a bad reputation in the officialdom. Moreover, he has not been recommended by the court beforehand. I am afraid that if he rashly enters the cabinet, he will..."

"What are you afraid of?!" Emperor Wanli frowned, put on his imperial majesty, and gritted his teeth and said, "Li Youzi has been in charge of the Ministry of Revenue for nearly ten years. From a minister to a hall official, he has worked diligently, how come he has a bad reputation in your mouth?"

"Or are you jealous of someone with talent? Or am I not good at judging people?!"

Emperor Wanli fired a series of cannon shots, leaving Zhang Siwei dizzy.

He quickly prostrated himself on the ground and replied in a trembling voice: "I dare not."

"Hmph, that's good to know. Let's just take these three. Send them to various government offices tomorrow, and do it quickly." Emperor Wanli said, his head full of the Ministry of Revenue's silver.

"My lord, I obey your order."

Zhang Siwei had no choice but to agree, and in an instant he looked seven or eight years older.

(End of this chapter)