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

Li Xian was an extraordinary man, without a doubt. Historical records describe him as "the most virtuous ruler since the Three Yangs."

What Zhu Qiyu admired most about this man was his way of making a living, which could be called the best non-stick pan in the Ming Dynasty.

Throughout history, he was involved in everything from the Tumu Crisis to the Coup of the Gate, the wrongful execution of Yu Qian and others, and the later execution of Cao Shi, but he was never implicated. His official career progressed smoothly, and he was able to deliver a fatal blow at crucial moments, demonstrating his extraordinary abilities.

He was highly valued by several emperors and was never ostracized because he was a former minister. Ultimately, this was due to his ability to remain unaffected and his exceptional skills.

Not long after Li Xian passed the imperial examination, Yang Shiqi, the Junior Tutor, discovered this prodigy and wanted to meet him. Li Xian, perhaps out of caution and not wanting to take sides, chose not to meet Yang Shiqi, thus giving up a shortcut to success.

Yu Qian's rise to become a pillar of the court was inseparable from the promotion and care of the "Three Yangs".

Li Xian was unwilling to take such a path, which shows that from the moment he entered officialdom, he was determined to follow his own path.

Such people, in the end, will either become virtuous prime ministers or powerful ministers.

For Zhu Qiyu, regardless of your intentions, what he wanted was a capable and useful person.

Inside the Wenhua Hall, Li Xian entered calmly, straightened his attire, and bowed, saying, "Your subject, Li Xian, Director of the Imperial Academy, greets Your Majesty!"

Li Xian remained calm at this moment, since he had not been convicted or interrogated. In Li Xian's view, he could not be considered a criminal.

Moreover, having escaped from the north, Li Xian was well aware that as a minor official in the Ministry of Personnel, he was merely a substitute for the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and was simply an unlucky fellow. The worst outcome would be demotion, not execution.

Zhu Qiyu was slightly surprised to see Li Xian's demeanor. Could it be that this man had foreseen that he would be safe and sound all along? This composure made Zhu Qiyu look at him with new respect.

Zhu Qiyu slowly said, "No need for formalities. Do you know why I imprisoned you in the imperial prison?"

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your kindness and care."

Being imprisoned in the imperial prison without trial or questioning, and even given the opportunity to read books, proves that the new emperor had no intention of making things difficult for him.

Zhu Qiyu glanced at Li Xian with satisfaction. It was so convenient to talk to a smart person. If Gu Xingzu had half the brains of Li Xian, Zhu Qiyu wouldn't mind promoting Gu Xingzu to a pillar of the nobility.

"Please take a seat!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xian was now shocked.

What kind of rule is this? It's fine if they don't punish them, but they were granted a seat in a private audience—a privilege usually reserved for high-ranking officials.

"I am terrified!"

Li Xian watched as Cheng Jing moved the wooden stool over, then glanced at Zhu Qiyu with a puzzled look before cautiously sitting down on the stool, only daring to touch half of his buttocks.

"Li Qing, you seem to be over forty this year?"

Li Xian said, "Your Majesty, I was born in the sixth year of the Yongle reign and am now forty-one years old."

"Now that you are over forty and have served as an official for more than ten years, there is no need for further training. I know you have the talent of a prime minister and I want to give you an important position!" Zhu Qiyu said bluntly and startled the question.

Upon hearing this, Li Xian's eyes cleared, finding it hard to believe that the emperor would make such a judgment about him. All the calculations and deductions he had made outside the palace about how to get through this day seemed utterly useless now.

Li Xian was momentarily surprised and uncertain. He rose and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I do not deserve such praise."

"Sit," Zhu Qiyu paused, then asked, "I was appointed to inherit the throne in a time of crisis. Do you have any good strategies to assist me?"

Historically, this person did several things to whitewash Zhu Qizhen's reputation. Zhu Qiyu also wanted this person to submit a memorial to the throne, completely cutting off his escape route and making him work for him.

Li Xian was a smart man after all, and he immediately understood Zhu Qiyu's meaning. He was simply entrusted with a mission in a time of crisis and needed to do some things to increase his prestige.

Without much thought, Li Xian blurted out his long-held idea, tentatively saying, "Your Majesty, I have two plans: one is to stop the practice of funerary sacrifice, and the other is to release the commoners of Jianwu (Note 1)!"

Zhu Qiyu nodded slightly, as this almost perfectly aligned with his own thoughts. His face showed no surprise, but he asked again, "Is there another better plan?"

A hint of disappointment flashed across Li Xian's face. He thought that Zhu Qiyu did not adopt his advice and seemed to have encountered an unwise ruler. He then replied somewhat perfunctorily, "Besides that, Your Majesty personally led the army and the people to defeat the Oirat Mongols, which would be of great benefit to Your Majesty."

Zhu Qiyu took in Li Xian's reaction, but couldn't figure out what he was thinking. Could it be that this man was disloyal to the Ming Dynasty and the emperor? With such a good opportunity in front of him, it was unreasonable for him to be hiding his abilities and being so cautious.

"Here are a few strategies. Take a look at them and then we can discuss your opinions."

Li Xian was puzzled and could only step forward to take the notebook from Zhu Qiyu's hand. He opened it and read it carefully, and suddenly felt a cold sweat pour down his face. At this moment, he finally understood why Zhu Qiyu would react this way when he heard about the two strategies. It turned out that he had planned it all along.

If that were the case, then his two strategies, which he considered brilliant, were nothing more than ordinary tactics employed by others, which made Li Xian feel somewhat apprehensive.

This notebook is clearly an imperial diary, which means that the new emperor has already thought about these matters and is more comprehensive than he is. This greatly discouraged Li Xian.

"Your Majesty's wisdom and insight are beyond my reach."

Zhu Qiyu didn't expect this person to reveal his secrets immediately, and directly warned him: "The two strategies you have offered are good strategies, but they cannot be implemented at the moment. You can see the benefits of these strategies, but do not tell me that you do not recognize their harms?"

After careful consideration, Li Xian's expression changed drastically. This was originally what he had prepared to submit to Zhu Qizhen.

Because Zhu Qizhen's throne was inherited through succession by the eldest son, doing these things, if they did not threaten Zhu Qizhen's throne, would become a plus, shaping the image of a benevolent monarch.

However, for Zhu Qiyu, these actions were seen as arbitrarily changing ancestral rules, condoning rebellion, and implying that Emperor Taizong's ascension to the throne was illegitimate. If someone were to use this as an excuse to cause trouble in the future, Zhu Qiyu would be in a very passive position.

This is also a major reason why Consort Wu does not recommend doing such a thing; it is better not to do it than to do something wrong.

Once you have great power and a proven track record of victory, you can do whatever you want, and great scholars will come to defend you.

"Your Majesty, I have offered this reckless advice and deserve to die. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

Zhu Qiyu gestured for Li Xian to rise, and said, "The suggestion is not wrong, it's just that it's not appropriate at this time. What do you think of the plan to release the palace servants?"

Li Xian put aside his ulterior motives and responded cautiously, saying, "I think this is a very appropriate move. Emperor Taizong released palace women in the past, so there is a precedent. Moreover, I believe that the weather is not in harmony because the yin energy is too strong. All things need the balance of yin and yang to be sustainable."

Zhu Qiyu was waiting for this very sentence, and that was the purpose of his summons to Li Xian.

The matter of dismissing palace servants should not be initiated by me; I should have the court officials submit a petition, and then make the final decision myself.

Otherwise, they would offend Empress Dowager Sun to the death. Although they were no longer afraid of her, she had been in the palace for decades and her underhanded methods were impossible to guard against.

Secondly, if Zhu Qiyu wanted to use Li Xian, he had to get rid of Li Xian's idea of ​​not sticking to his own agenda. The task of offending Empress Dowager Sun, or rather, offending some of Zhu Qizhen's former officials, had to be handled by Li Xian.

This also serves as a message to those ministers who still harbor illusions: there are already those who recognize the times and act wisely.

"In that case, draft a memorial tomorrow to discuss this matter!"

Li Xian's face fell instantly, and he realized that he had been under the control of the new emperor from the very beginning.

Seeing that Li Xian had not responded for a long time, Zhu Qiyu asked, "Minister Li, what is the difficulty?"

Li Xian then came to his senses and hurriedly replied, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

"Very good," Zhu Qiyu glanced at Li Xian and said meaningfully, "Today's audience shows that you still need more experience. However, I will not treat you unfairly. After this matter, you will be appointed as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War."

The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel had been on long-term sick leave, and Zhu Qiyu had already accepted his resignation. With Yu Qian in the Ministry of War, Yi Ming was not effective there, so it would be better to transfer Yi Ming directly to the Ministry of Personnel.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace!"

Li Xian's face showed a mixture of joy and worry. After sixteen or seventeen years of hard work, he had finally reached the position of assistant official in one of the Six Ministries. However, today's audience with the emperor might have caused him to miss many opportunities, which made Li Xian extremely annoyed.

However, this is due to his personality; Li Xian never takes a gamble unless he is absolutely certain of success.

"Li Qing," upon hearing Zhu Qiyu's call, Li Xian subconsciously looked up and met Zhu Qiyu's gaze. Zhu Qiyu slowly said, "There's only one sky above you!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xian was so frightened that he prostrated himself on the ground.