Huang Liji suddenly discovered that in less than 3 months, the palace seemed to have changed, and even an ordinary eunuch was unwilling to reveal the news to him.

This situation made Huang Li extremely worried, "Could it be that Your Majesty plans to replace me, the first assistant, so this eunuch is unwilling to reveal any news to me?" ”

When he was about to arrive at the side gate of the Qianqing Palace, Wang Chengen greeted him from under the corridor, and the middle-aged eunuch who led the way arched his hand to Wang Chengen, and stood quietly aside.

When Huang Liji followed Wang Chengen up the steps of the palace, he pretended to ask casually: "My father-in-law who just brought me here seems to have never seen him in the palace before?" Could it be that he was born in the palace of the king? ”

Wang Chengen listened to Huang Liji's words, just looked back, then turned back to Huang Liji and said: "Lord Shoufu smiled, this handyman who was originally a fire-burning officer in the Mixed Hall Division, his name is Lu Qi, because of his wooden personality and unsociable, he has been burning the fire in the Mixed Hall Division for more than 20 years, and he has never moved his position.

His Majesty rectified the internal affairs of the 24 yamen in the palace a few days ago, and only then did he discover such a person. His Majesty said that a person has done more than 20 years of work, and has never made a mistake or complained, which shows that he has a loyal character and can be loyal to his duties. He was promoted to be the deputy steward of the Qianqing Palace.

Did he offend Lord Shoufu on the way, and I hope that Lord Shoufu will have a lot of Haihan and don't have the same knowledge as him. ”

Huang Liji immediately waved his hand and said with a smile: "No, no, I'm just a little curious. The father-in-law I saw in the past has always been easier to talk, but this father-in-law was silent along the way, so I just asked casually, and the prince must not be mistaken. ”

Wang Chengen stood at the door of the hall and made a gesture of please, and said: "Lord Shoufu is really magnanimous, and he is very admirable." ”

When Huang Liji was about to cross the threshold, he couldn't help but glance back. I saw Lu Qi standing at the edge of the corridor, just where the sun was shining. If it was in the past, the eunuch who was waiting for orders outside the corridor would definitely find a place with a shadow to stand, but this Lu Qi didn't seem to care about the sun of this vicious autumn tiger.

When Huang Liji walked into Chongzhen's study, he found that the layout in this room seemed to be very different from before.

In the past, the room was divided into two parts by screens, one part was used as the office space for the emperor to summon ministers, and the other part was used as the emperor's bedroom. In addition to a few bookshelves, this room is mostly filled with all kinds of rare treasures for the emperor to enjoy when he rests.

But today, with the exception of the bookshelves on all four walls, the screens and the Jumbo grid have been removed. The bedroom where the emperor used to rest was now set up with a large wooden table, covered with a whole white cloth.

The original emperor's office area was much larger after the removal of the screens and treasure grids. In addition to the heavy pineapple desk, there were a few more chairs and a low table in this space.

On the ground on the east side near the desk, there was a half-human-high wooden ball, Huang Liji couldn't understand what the ball was doing, but there were many lines and drawings on the ball.

After a brief glance at the new layout in the study, Huang Liji turned his gaze to Chongzhen. At this moment, Chongzhen was standing by the wall looking at a portrait painting, he looked up and was very engrossed, as if he didn't notice that someone had walked into the study.

When Wang Chengen was trying to remind Chongzhen, he was stopped by Huang Liji. He stepped forward and bowed to Chongzhen and said, "Minister Huang Liji, I have been summoned. ”

Zhu Youzhen, who was originally in a trance, was suddenly woken up by Huang Liji's voice. He turned back to Huang Liji and beckoned, "Mr. Huang, please get up, you can also come to me to take a look at this painting." Has Mr. Huang met Zhang Taiyue? Take a look at this painting, what does it look like? ”

Huang Liji was about to stand up, and when he heard Zhang Taiyue's name, his whole person seemed to pause. However, after all, he had experienced the turmoil of the Huan Sea, and he returned to normal in just a moment.

Huang Liji, who looked as usual, walked behind Chongzhen, and he looked up at the portrait on the wall. The painting has apparently been carefully restored, but it has been poorly preserved, making it less clear.

Huang Liji carefully observed a few times before arching his hand at Chongzhen's back and said: "When the minister entered the office, Mr. Taiyue was already immortal, and the minister had no chance to see Mr. Taiyue. However, when I was young, I went to Beijing from my father to visit relatives, and I once peeked at Mr. Taiyue from a distance in Daozuo, and this portrait is about seven or eight points similar. ”

Zhu Youzhen put his hands behind his back, didn't look back, and suddenly asked, "What does Mr. Huang think of Zhang Taiyue?" ”

Huang Liji was silent for a while, and then said: "In the past, Wang Fengzhou once had a sentence to evaluate Mr. Taiyue, saying that: full of weapons and arrogant, the group of small agitation, the tiger cannot be defeated, and the fish is rotten and will not be taken care of. I think so. ”

From the emperor's standpoint, a powerful minister like Zhang Juzheng will not be liked by the emperor. But Huang Liji is unwilling to overly welcome Chongzhen, because since the Wanli New Deal presided over by Zhang Juzheng was abolished, the Ming Dynasty has become corrupt and the country's fortunes are declining, so Huang Liji's own heart is sure of Zhang Juzheng.

So after synthesis, he finally concluded with Wang Shizhen's comments. That is, Zhang Juzheng is a person with a problem in character, and the liquidation of him is not because Emperor Wanli did wrong, but because Zhang Juzheng offended too many people.

Zhu Youzhen turned around and looked at Huang Liji for a long time before shaking his head and saying: "What he said is not right, Zhang Taiyue attacked dissidents and offended the bureaucrats, not for his own power, but to reform the old and make the new and save my Ming Dynasty."

Mr. Taiyue has been appointed as the first assistant, and his powerful position is already the extreme of the ministers, with my Ming system, how can Zhang Taiyue go further. He has offended the officials and gentry of the world, and how can he be a man who is full of weapons and arrogant and can make a conclusion, he is just saving the country and has no time to spare his life.

Wang Fengzhou's words are just a prevarication for the grandfather of the former emperor, but the history books are full of history, and sooner or later, people in the world will have to act for Mr. Taiyue. One hundred years later, two hundred years later, five hundred years later, or even a thousand years later, no one in this world may remember you and me, but Mr. Taiyue's name will be praised by future generations. ”

Huang Liji's head is a little big, and Chongzhen's remarks seem to be a bit exaggerated. Although Zhang Juzheng is known as the prime minister of saving the time, he also has a lot of problems of his own, and even today, there are many officials who think that Zhang Juzheng is a powerful minister who suppresses officials, relies on trust, and authoritarian regents.

It is impossible for Zhang Juzheng to be as Chongzhen said, such a high wind and bright festival, and have a reputation that has been passed down through the ages.

However, from Chongzhen's action of vigorously promoting Zhang Juzheng as soon as they met, Huang Liji seemed to understand a little bit about what Chongzhen was looking for to meet him today.

After Huang Liji thought about it, he immediately reacted, he arched his hand and said: "Although Your Majesty's heart is generous, but Zhang Taiyue is persecuting the young master, after all, it is against the norm. I thought that Your Majesty had too much regard for Mr. Taiyue, and that the people of the Ming Dynasty would never respect a powerful minister who coerced the monarch's father so much. And Mr. Taiyue's governance is too urgent and harsh, and all the officials and gentry in the world complain of hardship, which is not a blessing for the country. ”

This Shoufu usually doesn't talk much, but now that he is just getting started, he understands that he wants to re-promote Zhang Juzheng's reforms, and immediately dissuades him quietly.

Sure enough, those who can be the first assistant are all masters of insight into people's hearts. Also, if you don't figure out the emperor's thoughts, the edict drawn up by the cabinet must not be sent back three times.

originally wanted to use Zhang Juzheng's exploits to arouse the fame and fortune of this Shoufu adult, but obviously this Huang Liji did not have Zhang Juzheng's ideal of seeking the country and having no time to take care of himself, so he directly blocked Zhu Youzhen's words of wanting to reform with the opposition of the world's officials and gentry.

Sure enough, the officials of this era have lost the ideal of taking the world as their own responsibility. They just want to keep their rich lives, not to take risks and push for a reform with no end in sight.

Since he couldn't be tempted, Zhu Youzhen decided to open the skylight honestly and say something. If you want to promote the political reform of the Ming Dynasty, it is impossible without the support of the first assistant. After more than 200 years of development, the Ming bureaucracy has become a complex and closed system.

Putting pressure outside the system, trying to make it do things, often exerts 10 points of effort, and only then does it get a point. However, if it is used within this system, it is very hard to spend, and the return of 5 points can still be guaranteed.

Zhu Youzhen suddenly turned his gaze to Wang Chengen, who was standing on the side, and he opened his mouth and ordered: "Wang Companion, you go to guard outside the study." I would like to talk to Mr. Huang alone, and no one will be allowed to come in and disturb us. ”

Wang Chengen chuckled in his heart, this was the first time Chongzhen wanted to avoid himself. Although according to the ancestral system, the emperor and ministers could not meet alone. But in front of Chongzhen, who had already mastered the affairs of the palace, the news of such a meeting would not spread at all.

Wang Chengen agreed, then turned around and walked slowly towards the door. He listened with his ears pricked up as he walked. When he walked to the door, he heard Chongzhen open his mouth and ask Shoufu, "I don't know what Mr. Huang thinks of today's Daming?" ”

Huang Liji naturally knows what today's Daming is like, but he will not be stupid to tell the truth in front of Zhu Youzhen.

Huang Liji only hesitated slightly for a while, and then said carefully: "Although today's Ming Dynasty has the disaster of the East and the rebellion of luxury and peace inside, as well as the sporadic civil uprisings in Shaanxi... However, these are just sibling diseases, and now that the Son of Heaven has succeeded to the throne, as long as His Majesty selects the virtuous and capable, these fur troubles will not be a disaster in the end. ”

After Huang Li said something about the current situation of the Ming Dynasty, he patted Chongzhen's ass by the way at the end, hoping that this young son of heaven would follow the steps and hand over the political affairs to the officials to deal with, and not think about implementing the reform of commercial taxation.

In Huang Liji's view, the most important thing for the current Ming Dynasty is to maintain the status quo, not to engage in any tax reform. As long as the past few years have passed, the Extravagant Rebellion has been quelled, and the Eastern Captives have continued to confront the Liaodong Army outside the Guan, then the Ming Dynasty will naturally be able to slowly recover.

For Chongzhen, the most important thing at the moment is to learn how to govern the country, rather than rushing to meddle in government affairs. Huang Liji was not opposed to the emperor's pro-government, but he was opposed to a reckless interference in government affairs.