Zhou Yufeng was angry, but he was unwilling to be persuaded by Zhu Youzhen, so he had to prevaricate: "The saint always puts the people first, is this also wrong?" ”

Zhu Youzhen crossed his hands in front of his chest, touched his smooth chin, and replied thoughtfully: "This is not bad, but putting the people first does not mean that you study the words and deeds of the saints all day long, and do not care about the actual lives of the people. In your opinion, this pencil is just a plaything, but in my opinion, it is an opportunity for people to learn words. Pencils are easy to carry, simple to make, and can be used anytime and anywhere, and the cost is cheaper than brushes, which greatly reduces the cost of literacy for the people of the Ming Dynasty.

In the past, the Suihuang made fire and taught people to cook; Fuxi taught the people to form a network and create words; Shennong used wooden rakes to teach the people to raise crops. It can be seen that in ancient times, the way of craftsmen was not a small skill, but a road related to the national economy and people's livelihood. Today's corrupt Confucianism distorts the classics and says that craftsmen are useless servants to the country, which is really against the way of the sages..."

Zhu Youzhen was happy to say it, but suddenly his eyes turned red on Zhou Yufeng's face, and the corners of his eyes were red and almost ready to cry. suddenly remembered that the only girl in front of him was a 17-year-old girl, not a colleague who drank and bragged in later generations, he was really full of food and support, and he was going to debate with a woman to make a difference.

Thinking of this, Zhu Youzhen, who was originally talkative, suddenly lost his momentum. He said a few words to the left and right, and then hurriedly ended the debate. Then he bluntly changed the topic and asked, "Zitong has encountered something difficult and wants to discuss with me?" ”

Zhou Yufeng didn't think about it, he just persuaded a few words, and he was taught a lesson by Zhu Youzhen. Although what Zhu Youzhen said seemed to have some truth, she still felt that Zhu Youzhen was a little different from the past, as long as she persuaded her a little in the past, Zhu Youzhen would gladly accept it, and would not distinguish it from her so seriously, which made her feel a little worried.

After hearing Zhu Youzhen's inquiry, Zhou Yufeng lowered his head and took the opportunity to wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and then adjusted his mood and replied: "The Internal Medicine Bureau has been established for more than a month, and the concubine brought Lin Siyao to report on the situation handled by the Internal Medicine Bureau. There are also pickled melons made by the concubines themselves who have just riped, and I want to invite Your Majesty to try them. ”

After Zhu Youzhen looked up at the sky outside the window, he couldn't help but smile and said, "The report is not in a hurry, Zitong should have dinner with me first." ”

Zhu Youzhen said and took a brocade box from the edge of the table, packed up his articles and sample newspapers, and then called Wang Chengen.

After handing the brocade box to Wang Chengen, he casually ordered: "Go and order someone to pass the meal, and by the way, give this box to Mr. Liu." ”

Wang Chengen quietly wrapped the brocade box with his sleeve and promised to retreat. Zhu Youzhen left Zhou Yufeng to dine together, and kept praising Zhou Yufeng's superb pickling skills in pickling pickles. finally amused Zhou Yufeng, who was a little sullen just now, happy.

After Wang Chengen withdrew from the room, he instructed Lu Qi to prepare dinner for the emperor and queen, and at the same time called his cronies and eunuchs Gao Qiqian.

Wang Chengen instructed Gao Qiqian: "You take this brocade box and personally send it to Mr. Liu in Huaishu Hutong." His Majesty asked him to revise the text according to the daily language of the people in the market, so that the people in the market can also understand the content of the article, and the text on His Majesty's article and the sample newspaper must be modified. You do it well, and don't go wrong. ”

Gao Qiqian agreed, but did not retreat immediately. Looking at Gao Qiqian's hesitant appearance, Wang Chengen frowned and said, "Do you have anything else to say?" If there is, he will say quickly, Hugh will be spitting. ”

Gao Qiqian first looked at the left and near, only two low-level eunuchs were guarding the temple gate from afar, and there was no one else around. He bent his body and whispered to Wang Chengen: "This Daming Times was originally the East Factory controlled by my palace, and now although it has changed its name, after all, Your Majesty has not completely abolished it, and maybe it may be that the East Factory will be restored by Your Majesty in the future."

Although this Mr. Liu has won the trust of His Majesty, he is not one of my eunuchs after all, and His Majesty relies on it everywhere today, and even the Dongchang text has to be seen one by one. In the future, if the East Factory is restored, dare to ask my father-in-law, who does the East Factory want to listen to?

Our eunuchs have always been jealous of foreign courts, isn't it nothing more than the factory guards in our hands who control and monitor the civil officials of foreign courts? Now that the East Factory is reorganized, the Jinyi Guard is reorganized, and our eunuchs are like tigers removing their minions. In the future, if the foreign dynasty has a plot against us, how does my father-in-law think we should resist? ”

Wang Chengen's cheeks twitched, and he said unhappily: "Gao Qiqian, you just think too much, always thinking about something that you don't have, Your Majesty is a wise lord, how can you sit back and watch us being bullied by civil officials of foreign courts?" ”

Gao Qiqian was not intimidated by Wang Chengen, and Gao Qiqian was not very afraid of this cronie next to Chongzhen, the eunuch with the highest power in the palace. Because Wang Chengen has a soft personality, he has no momentum of power.

In Gao Qiqian's view, Wang Chengen's current position is simply a waste. As the head of the eunuchs in the inner court, he didn't know how to fight for the interests of the eunuchs. After Wei Zhongxian went to the throne, under the suppression of the emperor, the power of the eunuchs in the inner court was greatly reduced.

Although Gao Qiqian and other eunuchs did not dare to complain about Chongzhen, they had some opinions about this great eunuch who did not persuade Chongzhen to protect the interests of the eunuchs.

Gao Qiqian continued to persuade: "It is precisely because Your Majesty is the master of the Ming Dynasty that we should keep the power of the factory guard, although Your Majesty is the honor of the Ninth Five-Year Plan, but without the factory guard as the eyes and ears, will it not become a puppet in the hands of the civil officials of the foreign dynasty?" ”

Wang Chengen said with some hesitation: "This Mr. Liu is not a civil official who was born on the right path of the imperial examination, is it possible that he can still betray me?" ”

"As the saying goes, you don't know your heart. After all, this Mr. Liu has not been stabbed by that knife, I don't know the suffering of our wait, that day the Duke of Wei was in power, and the Chinese official did not sing the praises of virtue? Today, Gonggong Wei went to the throne, and that civil official came out to say a fair word for Gonggong Wei? This Mr. Liu is valued by His Majesty, and he will definitely be a member of the civil officials in the future. ”

Gao Qiqian's persuasion finally made Wang Chengen's mind fluctuate, and he couldn't help muttering: "But the people in this inner study hall are okay to let them write the text that suits the situation, if they are allowed to write a text that can be understood by the people in the market, I am afraid it will be very difficult." ”

Seeing Wang Chengen, who could talk about moving, Gao Qiqian finally breathed a sigh of relief. He said cautiously: "The reason why the people in the inner study hall can't write is because they haven't been in contact with the people of the market. The person His Majesty values is nothing more than Liu Jingting, who has been adrift in the rivers and lakes for more than ten years and is familiar with the life of the small people in the market. As long as we find a literati who has literary talent and can get in touch with the life of the market, we naturally don't need to let Liu Jingting master the censorship of the Ming Times. ”

"This Liu Jingting has risen and sunk in the world, and has seen all kinds of life. Speaking of stories, it is heartstringing, but it is not comparable to ordinary literati. In this eagerness, where do you go up to find such a literati? Wang Chengen said with some embarrassment.

Gao Qiqian knew that the matter had become seven or eight times, and immediately recommended: "The Hanlin Academy has reviewed that Sun Zhiqi has always been attached to the party and Wei's father-in-law, and now that Wei's father-in-law has gone to the throne, his person has been impeached by many officials, if the father-in-law is interested, I should recommend the father-in-law." ”

"Sun Zhiqi? Is this person available? Wang Chengen asked with some emotion.

"Although the character is inferior, he is from a poor family, he is soft, and he is powerful, as long as his father-in-law is in power, he should not worry about his repeated people, and he can be used." Gao Qiqian said without hesitation.

Wang Chengen's hands were tight and relaxed behind his back, and he finally spoke: "Let him write an article on the words of the market first, and let me present it to His Majesty to read first." I didn't see him before it was done. ”

After seeing that Wang Chengen's mind was shaken, Gao Qiqian said goodbye and left. Wang Chengen looked at the sunset sky and couldn't help sighing.

He never thought that he could sit in his current position in his life, in his heart, he would rather be the head of the Xinwang Mansion, receive some small filial piety from time to time, and then accompany the Xinwang to live a leisurely and wealthy life.

However, the situation changed abruptly, King Xin became the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and he also rose to the top and became the first eunuch in the palace. But this location is really a hot oven for him.

He does not have Wei Zhongxian's superb skills in playing with power, nor does he have the political talents of Wang Tiqian, Tu Wenfu and others. If it weren't for Zhu Youzhen's personal efforts to sort out the twenty-four yamen of the inner palace, he, the eunuch who was close to the emperor, would have been hollowed out by these ambitious eunuchs early in the morning.

But it is precisely because of his position that the eunuchs have always wanted to push him out as a representative of the inner court, hoping to restore the situation of the inner court suppressing the outer court in the era of Wei Zhongxian.

However, Wang Chengen, who has followed King Xin for the longest time, understands Zhu Youzhen's intentions best. He knew that Zhu Youzhen not only did not support the struggle between the inner court and the outer court, but furthermore, Zhu Youzhen did not want the inner court to meddle in the affairs of the court at all.

However, in Wang Chengen's position, he can't completely say no to the eunuchs around him, after all, what Wang Chengen wants to do also needs to be carried out by the eunuchs around him.

Although Wang Chengen hung the sign of Admiral Dongchang, after the name of Dongchang was changed, he kept a distance from Dongchang. Because he thought that this was Zhu Youzhen's plan to abolish the layout of the East Factory.

It wasn't until today that Zhu Youzhen personally expressed his opinion on the Daming Times, which let Wang Chengen know that he had misunderstood Chongzhen's meaning. So he felt that it was necessary to get close to the Daming Times again.

A Daming Times office all over the country is much more powerful than Dongchang, which can only wander around the capital. With the Daming Times in his hands, the eunuchs who complained to him all day long should be able to stop a little.

As for Gao Qiqian's proposal, Wang Chengen naturally agreed in his heart. Although Chongzhen was very fond of Liu Jingting, Wang Chengen didn't have much of a good impression of him, and he pretended to be Chen Zhongji to sneak into the palace of the king of Xin, and almost didn't give away Wang Chengen's head.

Thanks to Wang Cheng's kindness to him, he took a lot of effort to speak in front of King Xin, so he summoned a fallen person into King Xin's mansion as a companion. Unexpectedly, this articulate reader was actually an impostor.

Even if Gao Qiqian didn't say anything, Wang Chengen also wanted to find an opportunity to separate Liu Jingting from the Daming Times, but now he is just pushing the boat down the river. Wang Chengen looked at the sunset for a while, and then returned to the upper study.