Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 5 Internal Operations
Even after leaving the main hall, Xu Yingyuan still felt dizzy and lightheaded.

Just before leaving the side room, he secretly made eye contact with Wang Chengen.

Wang Chengen was clearly implying that His Majesty had changed.

He recalled His Majesty's initial instruction to leave him five thousand taels. His Majesty has indeed changed!

Only then did Xu Yingyuan realize the truth of his dream.

His Majesty has been very kind to us; the position of Imperial Kitchen Director is a lucrative post!
He can still tell the difference between a full meal and a full meal.

We must seize this opportunity to perform well and complete the task assigned by His Majesty.

After figuring these things out.

Xu Yingyuan straightened his official hat and ran off to carry out his mission in the dark as fast as he could.

Inside a side room of the main hall.

After Xu Yingyuan left, Zhu Youjian gave Wang Chengen another instruction:
"Find two hundred loyal young eunuchs aged fifteen or sixteen to serve as my personal guards, and I will train them myself."

Wang Chengen did not immediately agree, but hesitated before saying, "Your Majesty, if we do that, what will happen to the officials in the court?"

"Don't bother."

Zhu Youjian knew, of course, that this matter could not be kept secret from the civil officials in the court.

In fact, he didn't intend to hide anything.

As emperor, everything he did was legally correct.

Even if others wanted to stop him, they could only do so secretly through various means.

He didn't care about that.

"The slaves obey the order."

"And another thing," Zhu Youjian continued, "send a trusted confidant to Southern Zhili overnight to summon Cao Huachun back and appoint him as the Director of the Imperial Horse Administration."

Cao Huachun was a former servant of Prince Xin's mansion and could be trusted. He had previously been demoted to Nanjing for offending Wei Zhongxian.

Zhu Youjian's memory of him was that he was quite talented, especially in military matters.

Bringing him back to take charge of the Imperial Horse Administration would allow for better training of the Imperial Guards.

It can also check and balance Wei Zhongxian, making him work even harder.

As Zhu Youjian spoke, he turned the pages of the book in his hand.

this time.

Zhu Youjian was holding a list of officials in the capital.

As he turned the pages, his gaze fell upon an official named Zhang Weixian.

This person is the current Commander-in-Chief of the Beijing Garrison.

Zhang Weixian is currently a representative figure of the former Ming dynasty noble group. He inherited the title of Duke of Ying and holds great power in the Beijing Garrison.

The nobility, in theory, are related to the state and are natural royalists.

Moreover, Zhang Weixian is only in his early thirties.

At this age, nobles have already developed a certain level of shrewdness and political acumen, but at the same time, the passion in their hearts has not completely cooled down.

They were very suitable to be taken as confidants by the emperor.

This is also why Zhu Youjian's gaze lingered on the list just now.

However, whether it can be used or not, and whether it is effective or not, still needs to be observed by Zhu Youjian himself before a conclusion can be drawn.

Seeing that His Majesty had stopped turning the pages of his book, Wang Chengen tentatively asked:
"Your Majesty, is there anything else you require?"

After pondering for a moment, Zhu Youjian finally closed the book and said, "That's all."

"Also, give the order that I will be attending court tomorrow."

Zhu Youjian put down the list in his hand.

Then begin to exercise in a systematic and scientific way.

No one understands the importance of a healthy body better than Zhu Youjian, who has died once.

Health is the foundation of everything.

Not to mention that he's planning to personally take to the horse and kill people soon; how could he do that without a strong body?
Zhu Youjian was quite satisfied with his current seventeen-year-old body, which was in excellent condition. The next day.

It was 3 a.m.

After the bell tolled at the Meridian Gate, officials entered the palace through the left and right side gates.

Zhu Youjian then rode in a palanquin from the Qianqing Palace to the Fengtian Hall.

After a series of ceremonies, the civil and military officials of the Ming Empire finally saw the new emperor, whom they had not seen for ten days, once again.

Everyone cautiously peered at the Holy Face.

Although such small gestures are not allowed according to etiquette.

However, if established rules and regulations could be completely followed, then humanity would have already entered a utopian society.

Some tried to guess the new emperor's mood from his face, some looked expectant, and some had eyes that were equally unfathomable.

Although everyone had different purposes, without exception, none of them succeeded.

The young emperor's expressions and movements revealed no trace of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.

See this.

The civil and military officials dared not make any more small, impolite gestures.

then.

Officials from the Court of State Ceremonial began announcing the list of officials who had matters to report: Lai Zongdao, Minister of Rites; Xue Fengxiang, Minister of Works; Cui Chengxiu, Minister of War; Guo Yunhou, Minister of Revenue; and Zhang Weixian, Commander-in-Chief of the Beijing Garrison.
This was the first official court session since the new emperor ascended the throne, so there were dozens of officials who needed to report their affairs.

However, Zhu Youjian, who was sitting on the dragon throne, only paid slight attention to Zhang Weixian's name, and didn't care about anything else.

He had no intention of engaging in court battles with these officials.

In his view, this behavior was no different from adults playing house with children.

The foundation of politics is military power; political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

Politics without military power is a joke.

Can the enemy really be made to salute in the French style simply by so-called strategic maneuvering?
soon.

Lai Zongdao, the Minister of Rites, was the first to step forward.

This person climbed to the position of Minister of Rites by relying on Wei Zhongxian, which is the so-called eunuch faction.

"Your subject, Minister of Rites Lai Zongdao, has something to report! The most important matters of the state are sacrifices and warfare."

Lai Zongdao's memorial stated that the late emperor had passed away and that preparations should begin for the next sacrificial ceremony.

After listening, Zhu Youjian said calmly, "We'll discuss this matter another day."

Lai Zongdao, civil and military officials: ?

They imagined the new emperor would give many different answers, such as ensuring that the sacrificial ceremonies for his elder brother were properly conducted.
But what do you mean by "discussing this again"?

Lai Zongdao cautiously glanced at Wei Zhongxian, the eunuch standing beside the emperor. Wei Zhongxian kept his eyes straight ahead, as if everything was none of his business.

Seeing this, Lai Zongdao could say nothing more. Since the emperor said to discuss it again, then let's discuss it again.

Could it be that there was something wrong with my memorial just now, and the Emperor said to discuss it again, meaning to make further improvements?
With this question in mind, Lai Zongdao returned to his assigned position.

Next, Xue Fengxiang, the Minister of Works, stepped forward.

"Your subject, Minister of Works Xue Fengxiang, has matters to report."

As the Minister of Works, Xue Fengxiang's memorials naturally concerned construction projects.

The most pressing issue at present is the construction of the late emperor's mausoleum.

Xue Fengxiang said: All the miscellaneous matters added up, the construction of the mausoleum will cost about two to three million taels of silver.

Before Xue Fengxiang could finish speaking, Guo Yunhou, the Minister of Revenue, stepped forward and said that there was no money!
The national treasury has been in deficit for years, and the Ministry of Revenue can only spare a maximum of 500,000 taels of silver to handle this matter.

The rest would need to be paid by the Emperor himself from the imperial treasury.

Just as the two were arguing, Zhu Youjian interrupted them again under the pretext of reconsidering the matter.

Civil and military officials:
The matter of repairing the mausoleum can be discussed later. What if the late emperor is disgraced?
Although Xue Fengxiang was taken aback, since the emperor had already spoken, the matter could only be discussed at a later date.

　Until the eleventh year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, the emperor had the authority to summon three thousand eunuchs to conduct martial arts exercises at Wansui Mountain.

　　However, it was soon halted by the civil service group on the grounds of "wasting money and resources and causing unnecessary trouble."
　　
　
(End of this chapter)