Emperor Ming: Your Majesty, you have caused me so much suffering.

Zhu Qiyu gestured for Xing'an and the other eunuchs to leave, and forbade them from approaching the Wenhua Hall.

Xing'an hesitated slightly. These officials had killed people with their bare hands before, and he was worried about Zhu Qiyu's safety.

However, he dared not disobey the imperial decree. After bowing, he reluctantly left, remaining in a vacant spot not far from the entrance of the Wenhua Hall, keeping a close eye on the entrance, and even summoning several burly generals to stand by.

The officials were baffled by Zhu Qiyu's actions.

Zhu Qiyu slowly rose and said gently, "I recently read Du Zimei's poem about Zhuge Liang, and I was filled with emotion. He visited Zhuge Liang thrice to discuss the affairs of the world, and served two dynasties with the heart of an old minister."

The moment the poem was recited, all the ministers in the hall were shaken. As subjects, who wouldn't want to be like Zhuge Liang?

He was appointed amidst the defeat of the army and ordered to act in a time of crisis!

With the country on the verge of collapse and the Oirat Mongols poised to invade from the south, reciting these two lines of poetry at this moment undoubtedly struck a chord with the ministers.

They also had the heart to uphold justice and bring peace to the world, and they also wanted to receive a posthumous title like "Zhongwu" to leave their names in history.

Just as the ministers were preparing to respond, Zhu Qiyu suddenly walked to the jade steps, leaned forward slightly, and bowed to the ministers in a respectful gesture of respect.

The hall instantly descended into chaos. Even the high-ranking officials dared not accept the salute openly and hurriedly returned the greeting, their eyes filled with complex emotions as they looked at Zhu Qiyu.

Shang Lu and Peng Shi lay prostrate on the ground, motionless. Peng Shi, in particular, had just become the top scholar in the imperial examination and had never even taught the emperor. What merit did he have to dare to ask the emperor to perform the rites of a disciple?

Although he also wanted to become the Emperor's tutor, it was definitely not now. If he dared to stand up, his future would be bleak. It was better to stay close to the ground and feel more secure.

"Gentlemen, please take your seats." Zhu Qiyu gestured for the officials to sit down. After they were seated, he continued, "In the past, Emperor Zhaolie of Han visited Zhuge Liang three times at his thatched cottage, frequently seeking advice from wise and talented men on how to secure the country. Zhuge Liang devoted himself wholeheartedly to assisting the First Emperor in establishing the dynasty and the Second Emperor in relieving the crisis, serving two dynasties with unwavering loyalty. Wise ministers of the past possessed the talent to save the world and were unyielding in their loyalty. Wise rulers of the past understood the importance of valuing talent and knew the hardships of serving their ministers."

Therefore, the ruler and his ministers were in perfect harmony, and Zhuge Liang ultimately became a model for all ages. Now, standing here, looking at you gentlemen, I feel the same gratitude.”

The worst thing is to be busy your whole life and never get recognition.

Hearing these heartfelt words, the ministers felt a warmth on their noses, overwhelmed with emotion. He was comparing them to Zhuge Liang. Looking at Zhu Qiyu's sincere expression, they were momentarily bewildered. Did His Majesty truly value them so much?

If that's the case, this gentleman is truly excellent, excellent!

Yu Qian stared intently at Zhu Qiyu, unafraid of being impolite. At this moment, he felt that presenting that list was worthwhile!

Yu Qian has good judgment!

Zhu Qiyu's gaze fell on Wang Zhi and other veteran officials, his eyes full of consideration and respect: "Gentlemen, you are all veteran officials of several reigns. I am unworthy and have not had the honor of seeing the holy face of Emperor Taizong. Mr. Wang and Mr. Hu were fortunate enough to hold important positions during the reign of Emperor Taizong. For decades, they have been dedicated to their duties and public service. They can be called role models of their time."

Wang Zhi and the other man were deeply moved, bowed and paid their respects, and were speechless for a moment.

"I was entrusted with a critical mission by Heaven, at a time when the Oirat Mongols were pressing in and the country was on the verge of collapse. It was you gentlemen who worked tirelessly day and night to devise a grand plan for the nation. When the court was in turmoil and the people were filled with fear, it was you gentlemen who upheld your integrity and saved the nation from ruin. Although you gentlemen do not have the name of Zhuge Liang, you have the heart to serve several dynasties and die for them. Gentlemen, please accept my bow once more."

When they saw that Zhu Qiyu did not perform the courtesy due to a son, the ministers were terrified and dared not accept it. How could a monarch bow to his ministers? If they accepted it, wouldn't they be committing the crime of "great disrespect"?

"His Majesty!"

The ministers bowed their heads and prostrated themselves on the ground, tears welling in their eyes, and lingered there for a long time before rising.

Two months ago, he had earnestly advised Zhu Qizhen before the emperor, but was repeatedly reprimanded. At this moment, he finally felt relieved.

Zhu Qiyu helped up the two veteran ministers, Wang Zhi and Hu Ying, and then the other ministers slowly rose and sat down.

It took a while for the ministers to calm down a little.

Zhu Qiyu walked to Chen Xun's side. Chen Xun was moved, but also startled. Today's events had really frightened him.

He was extremely worried that Zhu Qiyu would punish him, and if things came to light, he would have no choice but to retire.

Just as Chen Xun was extremely nervous, Zhu Qiyu said something that surprised Chen Xun greatly.

"As Mr. Chen once said, a good minister dedicates himself to the country and does not let personal interests interfere with public interests; a wise ruler establishes the country with systems and does not abandon the law because of people. I wholeheartedly agree."

The ministers, upon hearing this, realized that it seemed to be something they had never heard of before. It was clearly meant to be a word of advice. They were astonished that Chen Xun was so skilled as to be able to advise the emperor so subtly.

Chen Xun was completely stunned. Did he really say those words?

Chen Xun's thoughts raced. As expected of a literary figure, he was a ruthless man who had written thousands of poems. He was well-read and had an amazing memory. He instantly knew the source of the words.

One source is from Wei Zheng's advice to Emperor Taizong of Tang in "Zhenguan Zhengyao": "I have dedicated myself to the country and acted with integrity. I would never dare to deceive anyone. I only hope that Your Majesty will make me a good minister, not a loyal minister."

Secondly, the "Rules for Ministers" states: "Do not let evil harm righteousness, nor let private interests harm the public good."

Thirdly, the Guanzi states: "Even a sage can create laws, but cannot govern a country by abolishing laws."

He did indeed discuss these matters during the imperial lectures, but those lectures were intended for the Emperor Emeritus. How could Your Majesty know about them?

wrong!

Before Your Majesty took up your fief, you studied with the Emperor Emeritus. Were you already so precocious at that time?

This is about memorizing every word of what one has taught and summarizing it into a single insightful statement.

If that's the case, then it should be considered as what I said!

Chen Xun finally realized that he had wronged himself in the past.

Zhu Qizhen's actions once made him doubt his own teaching methods, and he had been blaming himself ever since. Now he finally understood: the students who were actually listening hadn't understood, but the students who were merely observing had!

It turns out that the problem wasn't with my teaching, but with the students' aptitude. It was simply that the Emperor Emeritus was too unruly, trusted sycophants, and repeatedly violated the law. The Emperor Emeritus was a terrible student!

His Majesty has finally proven himself; Chen Xun is indeed capable of teaching good students!

"His Majesty……"

Chen Xun understood the key point and was so excited that he couldn't speak. Recalling his recklessness yesterday, he was filled with remorse and bowed his head, as if to apologize.

The student deeply respected the teacher, yet the teacher plotted against his own student. He was truly... worse than a beast.

Zhu Qiyu helped Chen Xun up and said, "Mr. Chen, there is no need for this. If we survive this calamity, I intend to reopen the Imperial Lectures. You will need to shoulder this heavy responsibility, and you are also burdened with cabinet duties. Therefore, I cannot bear to see you overworked, so I have asked you to relieve yourself of your duties."

Zhu Qiyu's words were exactly what he thought, but Chen Xun and the other officials interpreted them differently.

Upon hearing Zhu Qiyu's words, Chen Xun almost burst into tears. It was as if His Majesty was trying to exonerate himself, that His Majesty couldn't bear to hurt his teacher and was thus preserving his own dignity.

"Your Majesty, I thank you!"

Wang Zhi and the others looked at Zhu Qiyu, their feelings indescribable. Could he truly be a sage ruler in the world?

Today, I will first discuss loyal ministers, then good ministers, admonishing my ministers that they need both loyalty and goodness. I will then inform them that even as emperor, I will not arbitrarily disrupt the laws of the country, and that the foolish actions of the retired Emperor Zhu Qizhen will not be repeated. This will put my ministers at ease, so they do not need to be constantly on guard.

I wish to emulate the harmonious relationship between Emperor Taizong of Tang and Wei Zheng, and together with my ministers, create a beautiful story.

The emperor dealt with Chen Yi and Chen Xun with great decency, and the ministers were now absolutely certain that the emperor knew of their plan to seize military power. As for how he knew, the ministers were completely baffled.

This courtesy must be accepted, no matter what.

Wang Zhi and Hu Ying exchanged a glance. Looking at each other's full head of white hair and then at Zhu Qiyu's youthful face, they couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.