"However, I am worried that I will be lost and forget my old ambitions," Zhu Gaochi looked at Wang Xian fixedly: "So, Gu gave you the will today, and when you feel my change, you will shout: 'Do you want to become the first emperor?!' ’”

"This ......" Wang Xian was silent for a moment, Fang shook his head and said, "Your Highness, let's find someone else." ”

"What, you're worried?" Zhu Gaochi smiled and said: "I thought that only a guy like you, who is not afraid of the sky and the earth, would dare to take on this kind of task of picking up the tiger's whiskers." ”

"The minister really doesn't dare." Wang Xian smiled and said: "But more importantly, the minister can no longer serve His Highness, please allow His Highness to retire for the minister, so that the minister can spend this life in peace." ”

"Why?" Zhu Gaochi was startled, and saw that Wang Xian was not retreating, so he hurriedly raised his voice and said: "You have been born and died for so many years, isn't it just to have today?" Now is the time for you and me to work together and make great progress, how can we just go? Saying that, he slapped the table and said, "Lone will never let you go!" ”

"Your Highness, you are about to ascend the throne as emperor, and it is no longer the same as before." Wang Xian shook his head and said softly: "In the past, there were people who were suspicious of the first emperor, calculating brothers, and loyal to His Highness, who either died tragically or were imprisoned, and the rest were either inactive or suspicious. In fact, it was because there was no one to use it, so it had to be used. ”

"Why should Zhongde be arrogant," Zhu Gaochi waved his hand and said: "Lonely and good have also gone through decades of wind and rain, what kind of person has not seen it?" With your talent, you have such a mind, but you can't find a second one! ”。

In the side hall, the prince is trying his best to retain Wang Xian. Wang Xian has already made up his mind,

"Your Highness, I know best how many bowls of dry rice my ministers can eat." Wang Xian shook his head and said softly: "After you ascend the throne, the world's capable people and talents can be used by His Highness!" Those people are a hundred times stronger than their ministers, and their reputation is a hundred times better. Your Highness, the state is in a difficult situation, and the help that the minister can help in the future is far less than the trouble that will add to His Highness! ”

"You were worried about this ......" Zhu Gaochi sighed and said: "Could it be that you can't shelter you from the wind and rain today?" ”

"Your Highness, why bother...... Wang Xian also sighed.

"Of course it has to be!" Zhu Gaochi propped up the table and stood up tremblingly, Wang Xian wanted to get up and help, but he waved his hand to stop him. I only heard His Royal Highness the Crown Prince say categorically: "Throw away those favors and rewards, just say that you want to take this mess!" Zhu Gaochi said with a gloomy expression: "You should know best that the Ming Dynasty has reached a precarious point, if you don't take drastic measures to eliminate maladministration, let the people see hope as soon as possible, and even have the danger of overturning!" ”

Wang Xian nodded in agreement.

"Lone's health is not good, and his ability is extremely limited, so he can only rely on you, the ministers, to save the society from fire and water! Continuation of the Jongmyo Temple! Zhu Gaochi grabbed Wang Xian's hand and said in a deep voice: "Zhongde, especially you, you are irreplaceable!" At this time, you can't abandon me! ”

"Hey, Your Highness......" The prince kept like this, even if Wang Xian's heart was like iron, he couldn't say anything, so he could only sigh and say: "Being a minister is really physically and mentally exhausted, and the government and the opposition are very hostile to me, and staying in the capital for the minister can only add to the chaos......"

"How so?" The prince heard the loosening of his tone, and said with great joy: "As long as you are in the capital, you can suppress the demons and monsters for Lone!" ”

"Your Royal Highness, in the capital, you really can't stay for the minister," Wang Xian said categorically: "At least please ask Enzhun to retreat for the minister first, if a few years later, His Royal Highness still needs to be a minister, and then come out for the minister." ”

"This ......" Seeing that Wang Xian had made up his mind, the prince thought about it, and let him temporarily retire for a while, which would be beneficial to everyone, and finally relieved himself, and said: "This is put aside in advance, you and I have to think about it, if after the enthronement ceremony, you are still resolute, let's think about it in the long run, how about it?" Saying that, he glanced at Wang Xian, and said with a smile: "You don't even want to participate in Lone's enthronement ceremony, right?" ”

"I don't dare to be a minister." Wang Xian said softly.

"I don't dare." Only then did Zhu Gaochi let go of Wang Xian's arm, sat back on his seat, and said, "By the way, I want to ask you something, why didn't you see Master Yang and them?" The Master Yang that the prince refers to is naturally not Yang Rong and Yang Shiqi, but Yang Pu, who has been imprisoned for eight years.

"Master Yang is still in prison." Wang Xian replied.

"What?!" Zhu Gaochi said angrily: "Why don't you let them out?!" ”

"At that time, some ministers mentioned this matter, and His Royal Highness Taisun only allowed the release of the officials who were imprisoned after the Daxing Emperor fell into a coma, and for the previous ones," Wang Xian replied softly: "Your Highness thinks that it is the person who is convicted by the Daxing Emperor in a sober state, and cannot be overthrown as a courtier." ”

'Humph! The prince snorted angrily and slapped his palm on the table: "Lone reappoints you as the governor of Jinyiwei, let's go and release people and see who dares to stop you!" ”

"Yes......" Wang Xian had no choice but to take the order......

Jinyi Wei Prison is just a general name, in addition to the gloomy and blood-stained dungeon in people's impression, in fact, there are also cells on the ground for petty criminals. Some of the cells even resemble the houses of ordinary people, and even have small courtyards for strolling and breathing.

Usually, the last kind of cell is dedicated to the edict of the prison detained, may be released at any time from the prison of the dignitaries lived, although the Jinyi Wei is not afraid of ghosts, but can sell those temporarily in distress of the dignitaries and nobles, why not?

However, in the past eight years, there are more than a dozen permanent residents in the last type of cell, who have followed Jinyiwei from Nanjing to Beijing, and they are the most preferential group of prisoners. These people are Yang Pu, Huang Huai and other subordinate officials of the East Palace who were imprisoned by Zhu Di after the East Palace Welcoming Incident eight years ago.

All along, Wang Xian has always taken great care of them, they have never been tortured and harsh, they have been well supplied with food and clothing, and they have not been restricted from their freedom at all, except that they cannot step out of the prison door. Even the books and papers that Yang Pu and others asked for were responded. Over the years, the cells of several people have been filled with subsets of scriptures and histories, so that people who don't know the inside have seen it, and they think that this is the place where Jinyiwei hides books.

So when Wang Xian appeared in front of Yang Pu and others and announced that they could be released from prison, several people actually showed a little reluctance after being surprised. Yang Pu looked at the room full of books and said, "I'm afraid there will be no more in the future, so I can concentrate on reading for a long time." ”

"Yes, a few of them will be reused this time!" Wang Xian smiled and arched his hand to Yang Pu and the others: "I congratulated a few people here in advance." ”

"Master Hou, please wait for me!" Yang Pu and the others looked at Wang Xian, knelt on the ground together, and gave a big salute: "Thank you Lord Hou for your protection in the past eight years, otherwise we would have died in prison a long time ago, and we would never see the light of day again!" ”

"Hurry up, what's this for?" Wang Xian hurriedly helped Yang Pu and the others up, and said softly: "If you want to thank His Royal Highness the Prince, he only entered Beijing today, so he ordered the release of a few people,"

"Thank you, thank you......" Yang Pu and the others finally couldn't help crying, and choked up: "Master Hou, wait for me again!" ”。

When Wang Xian led Yang Pu and others to Xiyuan, he met Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong, and when they met their former colleagues, they were naturally embarrassed.

"It's good to come out, it's good to come out!" Yang Rong patted Yang Pu's shoulder with tears and said, "I've suffered all these years. ”

"It's you who suffer, I'm waiting for the Hou Ye to eat and drink under the protection of the Hou Ye, but I can't help anything, I'm ashamed!" Yang Pu and the others said with a smile.

Looking at Yang Pu and the others' calm and fair-skinned appearance, Jin Youzi was envious and said: "I can't imagine that there is such treatment in prison, why didn't we have such good luck in the first place?" ”

Wang Xian smiled faintly when he heard this: "Bachelor Jin, are you blaming me?" ”

"How dare you," Jin Youzi hurriedly smiled: "At that time, Master Hou was also in prison, and he was still too busy to take care of himself, so who cares about me?" ”

"It's good to know." Wang Xian said with a smile.

Everyone also burst into laughter, and immediately realized that during the state funeral, it was really unreasonable to laugh so much outside the emperor's mourning hall. However, these hardcore ******, whether bright or dark, have endured for many years, and today they are finally able to come to the bitter end, and it is really difficult for strong people to make them not smile.

Everyone accompanied Yang Pu and others to the mourning hall to see the prince, the prince summoned Yang Pu and others in the side hall, and the monarch and the ministers met again after eight years. Zhu Zhanji was by the side, and his face was not very good-looking......

After all, the prince was guarding the spirit, and he couldn't leave for too long, but fortunately, the days were still long, Zhu Gaochi asked Yang Pu and them to go home first to reunite with their wives and children, and he returned to the mourning hall with Zhu Zhanji's support.

Walking on the cloister, the prince suddenly asked, "Do you have an opinion?" ”

"Erchen doesn't dare." Zhu Zhanji said in a low voice.

"Don't dare, that's it." Zhu Gaochi glanced at Zhu Zhanji and said, "Then say it, Gu will not treat you like your imperial grandfather did to me." ”

"Yes." Zhu Zhanji couldn't hold it back, and as soon as the prince said this, he immediately spoke: "Yang Pu, they are Qin prisoners who were ordered by the emperor's grandfather, even if my father wants to release them, should they be re-examined by the Three Law Divisions and confirmed that they are not guilty before they can be released?" ”

"Is this necessary?" Zhu Gaochi said expressionlessly: "At the beginning, the first emperor didn't go through the three law divisions, so he sent them directly to prison. ”

"The son thinks that there is." Zhu Zhanji also said expressionlessly: "Grandpa Huang did that, he has his own old man's reason. Now that the emperor's grandfather's bones are not cold, should my father be more cautious in this matter, lest anyone say irresponsible remarks. ”

"Who dares to make irresponsible remarks except you?!" Zhu Gaochi couldn't help but shout: "Don't always open your mouth and shut up the first emperor, it seems that although the first emperor has made great achievements and shocked the past and the present, he can make a lot of mistakes!" If you want to correct it, do you have to make irresponsible remarks every time? ”

"What Erchen didn't intend to say, it was his father who let Erchen speak freely." After Zhu Zhanji finished speaking, he closed his mouth.

"Humph!" Zhu Gaochi's face turned blue, he endured it without having a seizure, and when he arrived at the door of the mourning hall, he pushed Zhu Zhanji's hand away and let the eunuch help him in.