Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 550 Protecting My Wife Makes Me Happy
Qianqing Palace.

Huai'en presented the resignation memorial from the Minister of Personnel Li Yu to Emperor Zhu Youtang.

"Your Majesty, this person is eager to leave because of many things. I am afraid that I can no longer keep him."

Huai En gave his evaluation directly.

It’s not a question of whether he wants to leave or not, but that Li Yu has to leave.

A guy who is generally believed to be a core member of the treacherous party is firmly entrenched in the position of Minister of Personnel, as if telling everyone that the court is made of paper, and if you want to be an official you must first pass the test of Li Zisheng. Even if the emperor is changed, the medicine remains the same.

Zhu Youtang hesitated for a moment, and finally made up his mind: "Forget it, forget it, let Li Yu retire and return home... Don't embarrass him anymore."

Huai En understood immediately that the emperor was actually aware of the various criticisms against Li Yu by people in the court and had already kept them in mind.

Huai En said: "Although Minister Li did not do anything too outrageous, he indulged Li Zisheng during his tenure and treated the imperial officials' orders as a joke. He even gave up the examination and the selection. This is tantamount to ignoring the laws of the Ming Dynasty. He should still be held accountable..."

"no need."

Zhu Youtang waved his hand and said, "I still remember what Minister Li said to me during his daily lectures... A ruler should be tolerant and broad-minded, and have a far-sighted vision."

Huai En asked in surprise: "Has Minister Li actually taught Your Majesty?"

Zhu Youtang nodded and said, "Before my father became seriously ill, there was a daily lecture. My father did not go at that time, so I was the only one there."

"Oh, that's how it is……"

Huai En suddenly realized, and thought to himself that it turned out that the reason why Li Yu was able to pass the test with you, not be listed as a treacherous minister, and not be held accountable, was simply because he had been your teacher.

In other words, as long as you have received a little favor from others, you will definitely want to repay them.

The heart is good, but the problem is...

Huai En wanted to find a word to evaluate this new king, but found that he had no idea where to start.

After thinking carefully for a long time, he realized that the most accurate description might be "stupid".

"Huai Daban, Li Yu is gone, who should take his place? I mean, who will be the Minister of Personnel? Do you have a suitable candidate?"

Zhu Youtang asked.

Huai En smiled and said, "There are many candidates, but you go to court every day, and there will definitely be court discussions and recommendations. In my opinion, some respected old ministers, especially those who were wronged during the reign of the previous emperor and sent to other places, or those who are not in the court now, can be recommended for appointment."

Zhu Youtang hesitated for a moment before saying, "I know that in recent years, my father has been unwilling to listen to advice and has driven away many people. But it cannot be said that these people have no shortcomings at all...

"Besides, why do we have to appoint old people? They are old-fashioned and conservative, and don't want to make progress. They are totally incompatible with the new atmosphere of the new dynasty... Can't we use the officials who are currently in the court?"

Huai En shook his head and said, "Newcomers certainly have their advantages, and old people also have their advantages. At least they are mature and experienced in governance and will not mess around.

"In addition, you have many students and old friends, and your reputation is there. As long as you are willing to accept advice and will not punish those who dare to speak out, their disciples will definitely recommend these people when they find a chance. How will we deal with it then?"

"Oh."

Zhu Youtang thought for a moment and asked, "Huai Daban, you mean that because I'm easy to talk to, they'll keep pestering me to call these people back and make them important, right?"

"This... Your Majesty, this is the truth, but you can't say it this way. You are kind and patient with your subjects. It is not wrong for your subjects to be willing to offer advice to the court."

Wynn explained.

"Ah."

Zhu Youtang nodded slightly and asked, "Then... who are they? Can you list a few people so that I can know first?"

Huai En was about to say it, but then he held back.

He was thinking that if I recommended candidates, His Majesty would not feel anything now, and might even think that my recommendation was very good, and might even listen to me and directly use the people I recommended, or remember their names, and officially appoint these people if there are any changes in official positions in the future.

But I can't do that!
After all, His Majesty will also grow up. When he thinks about it in the future, I, Huai'en, did not forget to place people in the court before I died. Even though they are all loyal and upright ministers, what will His Majesty think of me?

Do you want to control the government?
"Your Majesty, this... I'm afraid... you'll have to ask the ministers in the court."

Huai En said awkwardly.

"Not one?"

Zhu Youtang blinked first, then asked curiously, "This is the Minister of Personnel... There are at least a dozen high-ranking officials at the cabinet and minister level in the court. Is it possible that there is no one to take over?"

Huai En explained, "Your Majesty, in fact, the positions of several ministers in the court...are now somewhat precarious. In the final analysis, the more the late emperor trusts someone, the less those clean officials in the court will tolerate that person. Many of those who rose to power in the past relied on currying favor with Li Zisheng. Do you think...they have a high reputation among the scholars?"

Zhu Youtang was extremely shocked: "You... mean, among the six ministries, except for Li Shangshu himself, the remaining few people are not prestigious enough to be the Minister of Personnel? Then... who can be nominated to this position? Otherwise, how about not replacing Li Shangshu first and replacing the other ministers of the six ministries first?"

Huai En saw the emperor's astonishment and confusion, and immediately said: "Your Majesty, I don't have any good suggestions. In fact, you can ask others." "Are you talking about my father-in-law?"

Zhu Youtang said, "Or do you think my father-in-law is the most suitable person to be the Minister of Personnel? Actually, I think there is nothing wrong with this. It's just that even the other five ministers of the six ministries are still lacking in reputation. If I recommend my father-in-law to be the Minister of Personnel, wouldn't there be even more criticism?
"My father-in-law never likes to cause trouble..."

Huai En thought to himself, Your Majesty, you really know Zhang Luan.

Now he has the possibility of becoming the Minister of Personnel, and even the young emperor thinks this is feasible. Does that mean... it will be very difficult to stop Zhang Luan from calling the shots in the court in the future?

Huai En could only hope from the bottom of his heart that this was a kind person, and the kind of sincere person who could always maintain such a mentality, and also ensure that his openness and selflessness were not pretended, and that his ambition would not be gradually aroused by changes in the environment in the future...

The difficulty is a bit high!
Huai En couldn't help but worry secretly. Among these powerful nobles, how many can always keep their original intentions?

Won’t your mentality become unbalanced sooner or later?
Or maybe Zhang Luan himself didn't want to go against his nature, and the followers around him would spontaneously help him to disrupt the government.

"What I mean is to ask Mr. Zhang's opinion first to see who is more suitable to be the Minister of Personnel." Huai En considered his words and said, "If Your Majesty does not want to ask, then wait until the court meeting to say it. The ministers in the court will definitely recommend at least three candidates and discuss their merits and demerits in public. This is the rule of the court recommendation, and Your Majesty will know it then."

Zhu Youtang said, "I know they will definitely recommend someone, but I want to have an idea in advance... How about this, Huai Daban, you go ask for me. My father-in-law hasn't been to court these past two days, and I don't know how badly he's injured. Can you go to Zhang's house to check on him?"

"Yes."

Huai En replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, do you have any other instructions?"

"Gone."

Zhu Youtang then pointed to something on the table and asked, "What is this?"

Huai En introduced with a smile: "This is a plan drawn up by Zhang Guozhang's son, the young uncle Zhang Yanling. He said that he was going to start weaving before winter and hoped that the palace could allocate manpower to cooperate."

"Ah? Is this what Yanling submitted?"

Zhu Youtang seemed very curious.

Huai En's eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled: "He did not report it directly, but wrote a letter to Kunning Palace... Maybe our little uncle was afraid of being talked about, so he only begged the queen to allocate a few palace maids to help him weave cloth, and said that all the profits would be handed over to the palace, and the Zhang family would not withhold a penny."

Zhu Youtang couldn't help but laugh when he heard this: "How much cloth can a few palace maids weave? I don't know what Yanling is up to."

Huai En said: "It is said that Yanling has invented a new loom and is going to have it sent to the palace for the queen to use to kill time."

"Ah? He wants his sister to weave, too?"

Zhu Youtang was puzzled and asked, "Why is this?"

Huai En said quickly, "Your Majesty, do you think this is the case? In fact, the little uncle thinks that the court may soon start a large project like the river construction, which will cost a lot of money and grain. Since you ascended the throne, the court has been tightening its belt and letting the queen set an example for the world and organize people in the palace to weave. How much cloth is woven is secondary, but this attitude... that's excellent."

Zhu Youtang said, "I don't want to mistreat the queen, and I don't want her to be tired."

Let my wife weave cloth to demonstrate filial piety, righteousness and propriety, and let her be a role model for the people in the world?

Excuse me.

I don't want to treat anyone unfairly, and I don't want to treat my wife unfairly. There's nothing I can do... Who makes me feel that if I can make her happy, I will also be happy.
Obviously weaving is not a happy thing.

Huai En smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the Queen actually has no objection to this, and she is even very supportive, because the Queen had also woven cloth when she was at her natal home. She also asked the young uncle to send the loom to the palace, and she wanted to see with her own eyes how powerful this new loom is. Because the young uncle said that the production efficiency of this loom is more than ten times that of an ordinary loom."

"This...isn't possible?"

Zhu Youtang said in astonishment, "Although I don't know how to weave, I know that if I want to improve efficiency, doubling it is already difficult. One person can do the work of two or three people... This time it's ten times..."

Huai En said, "Your Majesty, don't you think this is interesting? Look, I have brought a letter from the young uncle, and you can personally examine it. If it is indeed as he said, you can transfer some palace maids over. If nothing else, at least our palace can save a lot of money on cloth consumption this year."

Zhu Youtang nodded, and then asked: "There are many idle palace maids in the palace. Don't they have anything to do?"

"A lot." Huai En said helplessly without being vague, "There are at least 8,000 people in the palace who are idle but can do things."

"so many people?"

Zhu Youtang obviously did not expect such a huge number.

Huai En said: "In the early years of Chenghua, there were not so many people, but then it gradually developed... I don't know why, in the middle of Chenghua, the Ming Dynasty won a series of victories, and many people entered the palace in a confused manner..."

"Oh...yeah."

Zhu Youtang was obviously touched by something in his heart, and his expression suddenly became less calm.

Huai'en was a smart man. He could tell at a glance that the emperor was thinking of his deceased mother, because Concubine Ji was also captured during the Chenghua period because of a military defeat and then sent to the palace to serve as a maid, which led to what happened later.

"If there are many idle people, then consider Yanling's request... Yanling is very smart, and I often see him. It doesn't matter how much expenses can be saved, just show your attitude. After all, I have just ascended the throne and have to spend a lot of money, and I can't bear it myself."

(End of this chapter)