Ma Cheng and his family retreated to the back room before saying to Chen Qi: "Please come in quickly!" After saying that, Ma Cheng tidied up his clothes and stood at the door to welcome Xu Zhenye.

Xu Zhenye is different from the former destitute magistrate. Now Xu Zhenye is in the second rank. If nothing unexpected happens, he has reached the peak of the civil servants of the Ming Dynasty. Of course, there are six ministers and ministers on Xiao Jiuqing, but those positions cannot be achieved through personal struggle. Luck, timing, and backstage are indispensable.

Of course, it is not so easy to achieve from the second rank. There were no first rank officials living in the Ming Dynasty. All officials ranged from the second rank to the seventh rank. There were more than 30,000 positions across the country. In addition to the governor and the governor, there were less than 30 officials with second rank in the court. Although the cabinet elders were awesome to be responsible for the regent emperor, the real official position of the Grand Secretary was only the fifth rank, which was far from comparable to the six ministers and the nine ministers of all sizes.

Because of the difficulty of promotion, Xu Zhenye was very grateful to Ma Cheng's help, which allowed him to be promoted from a seventh-rank magistrate to a second-rank magistrate in more than a year.

Of course, Ma Cheng's support is very important, but it is inseparable from Xu Zhenye's personal efforts. In the battle to defend the city in Nanjing, Xu Zhenye basically lived and fed in the weapons bureau. It was precisely because of Xu Zhenye's hard work and investment that there was no major problem with the weapons guarantee on the front line.

Ma Cheng stood at the door and heard Chen Qi say outside: "Mr. Chen, my marquis is invited!"

A low voice said, "Okay, please lead the way by the butler!"

As soon as Chen Qi finished speaking, he opened the door curtain of the cabin and a middle-aged man wearing a gray cloth gown appeared at the door.

Xu Zhenye's family is not short of money. He used to wear silk and satin, but today he was surprised by how he wore it like this.

"Mr. Xu is here, please come in quickly! Chen Qi serves tea for Mr. Xu!"

After Xu Zhenye entered the house, he saw Ma Cheng standing at the door to greet him. He was moved and quickly bowed and said, "What is the virtue of the subordinate? I have to worry about the marquis of Zhenguo to welcome him!"

Ma Cheng laughed and said, "Old Xu, why are you and I talking about these things? Come in quickly, the wind is very strong on the lake today, come in warmer!"

After Ma Cheng said that, he took Xu Zhenye's hand and walked into the cabin, then gave Xu Zhenye to his seat and sat in the main seat by himself.

Chen Qi presented tea and bowed and retreated. Only Ma Cheng and Xu Zhenye were left in the cabin. Ma Cheng smiled and said, "Congratulations to Lord Xu, now he is promoted to Xiaojiuqing!"

"The Marquis made fun of him. The lower official knew that these contributions were all from the Marquis. The lower official just happened to be the one who was right!"

"Mr. Xu, if there are no outsiders in the house, don't say these words. Without Lord Xu's day and night, the Weapon Bureau can produce more than 300 cannons and tens of thousands of muskets a year. This is all Lord Xu's credit!"

What Ma Cheng said is not an exaggeration. In addition to ensuring the supply of firearms, the Weapon Bureau also manufactured more than 20,000 armor and more than 100,000 guns in one year. Although Ma Cheng transferred coal and pig iron from prefectures and counties around Nanjing to Nanjing in order to ensure the supply of the Weapon Bureau before the war, Xu Zhenye was responsible for the operation of the Weapon Bureau, the distribution of production capacity, training of craftsmen, etc.

When Xu Zhenye heard Ma Cheng praise him, he quickly said modestly: "There is a contribution to the normal operation of the weapons bureau, Lord Song!"

Mentioned Song Yingxing

Ma Cheng was so angry that according to Old Man Song's qualifications and contributions, Ma Cheng could have completely turned Old Man Song into the Minister of War. However, he didn't expect that Old Man Song was tired of being an official and insisted on becoming a craftsman. There was no way Ma Cheng could only agree to this old guy. Who said that the old guy was Ma Cheng's teacher!

"Don't mention the old guy, I am so angry when I mention this old guy! By the way, is there anything wrong with Lord Xu coming to find this marquis this time?"

Ma Cheng scolded the teacher very much. In the Ming Dynasty, respected teachers and education. If Ma Cheng's actions were spread, they would immediately become a rat crossing the street. However, Xu Zhenye was Ma Cheng's confidant, and he also knew that Ma Cheng had no choice but to recognize Song Yingxing as a teacher, so he didn't take it seriously.

When Xu Zhenye heard Ma Cheng ask what he was doing, he sighed and stood up and knelt in front of Ma Cheng and said, "The Marquis of Zhenguo, the magistrate of the seventh rank, was promoted to the ninth rank of the second rank, and knew that these were the power of the marquis of Zhenguo. Originally, the marquis of Zhenguo should have become the marquis of Zhenguo and serve the marquis of Zhenguo! But just a month ago, the marquis of Xiaguan received news from his hometown in Jiangxi that his mother had passed away for two months! This time, the marquis of Xiaguan came to see the marquis of Zhenguo and wanted Ding You to go home and fulfill his filial piety to his mother!"

Ma Cheng heard Xu Zhenye say this and immediately turned cloudy. He worked so hard to cultivate Xu Zhenye to help him in order to have someone in the court. Now Xu Zhenye has become an important official, but he didn't expect that his mother would die at home.

Filial piety was the first in ancient China, and this was especially true for intellectuals who were deeply educated by Confucianism. When the parents of officials died, officials wanted to resign and return to their hometown to maintain filial piety for three years and twenty-seven months for their parents. This is the system of worry.

Of course, in addition to Ding You, there is another system called "Snatching Love". After all, the death of parents cannot be controlled. It is very likely that some officials are busy with the government affairs, such as war and rebellion. The court really cannot do without this official, so the emperor must come out to seize love. The general meaning is that the emperor knows that you are very filial, but if the country is gone, you will be over. If the emperor is gone, you cannot live. Just stick to it and turn grief into strength. Don't go home to keep it filial. Stay here and then work for the emperor.

Before the mid-Ming Dynasty, Dingyou and the robbery had no political meaning, but since Zhang Juzheng in the early years of Wanli, the robbery became the endorsement of great rebellion. Therefore, even if the court was already in trouble in the future, as long as the officials knew that my mother was dead, they would immediately give up everything and go home. Even if the emperor seized love a hundred times, they would not do so.

Although Xu Zhenye was a second-rank ninth minister, his official position was not in the eyes of the emperor at all, and the emperor would not seize love for Xu Zhenye at all. Therefore, Xu Zhenye must go home honestly for public or private matters, and he must be mourning and meditating.

Ma Cheng really needed Xu Zhenye to be his mouthpiece in the court, because Ma Cheng's official position was a military position and had no say in the government. But even if Ma Cheng asked me for my son Ma Shiying, it would not work. Ma Shiying would not bear the insults of the court officials, and would plead with the emperor for the sake of an insignificant Xu Zhenye.

Ma Cheng looked at Xu Zhenye kneeling on the ground, and his heart was filled with helplessness. He had no choice but to stand up and support Xu Zhenye, and then said with concern: "Don't worry, Lord Xu, isn't it only three years? I can afford to wait!"

After Ma Cheng finished speaking, he said to Chen Qi outside the door, "Chen Qi, I will return home to send 5,000 taels of silver notes to Lord Chen!"

Five thousand taels are equivalent to five million in later generations, which is a large amount. Xu Zhenye quickly refused: "Mr. Marquis, you must not ask for this money!"

Ma Cheng holds Xu Zhenye

The hand said, "Mr. Xu, this money is not for you, but for you to return home to choose a Feng Shui treasure land for the first exam and the first ci!"

Ma Cheng said this, what else could Xu Zhenye say, so he had to accept this gift with gratitude.

"Although the marquis of Zhenguo, the marquis of the king, returns to his hometown and is still in pain, there is a trick to provide to the marquis, which can allow His Majesty to re-activate the marquis!"

Ma Cheng was very happy to hear Xu Zhenye say this. He was worried about this matter this month. It was very simple. All Ma Cheng's strength comes from the army. Without the army, Ma Cheng is nothing. If the emperor stayed with Ma Cheng for a year, then Ma Cheng finally established a comrade-in-arms relationship in the army, and then Ma Cheng would be diluted. At that time, the loyalty attitude towards the emperor in the army would become mainstream. Then Ma Cheng would be a nonsense Sima Yi?

"Please tell me, Lord Xu!" Ma Cheng quickly looked at him and pulled the chair to Xu Zhenye to listen to what Xu Zhenye said.

Xu Zhenye was also very excited to see Ma Cheng like this. What does an intellectual value the most? Isn’t it the master’s trust in him? Xu Zhenye’s mindset of Zhuge Liang back then, and he was fully prepared to devote his life to Ma Cheng until his death.

"Mr. Marquis, you should know about the Lu Wang in Hangzhou. Now news comes from Zhejiang that King Zhu Yihai of Lu was in Shaoxing under the support of Zhang Guowei, Qian Sule and others, and in August of the first year of Shaowu!"

Ma Cheng knew about the Lu King. When King Lu was enthroned in Hangzhou by Emperor Hongguang. When Nanjing was besieged by the Qing army, the last news came from outside was that King Lu was in Hangzhou. Now, he didn't expect that the Lu King's affairs had not been resolved, and King Lu in Shaoxing began to make trouble again.

The first generation of Lu Wang Zhu Yi was the fourth son of Emperor Muzong Zhu Zai, so this generation of Lu Wang Zhu Chang was Zhu Youjian's cousin. Lu Wang was also a strong competitor to the throne at that time, but in the end, because his bloodline was not as close as Zhu Yousong, and Zhu Yousong had obtained support from the four towns in Jiangbei, the emperor belonged to Zhu Yousong.

But now the Zhou Fan Zhu Lunkui was replaced by Zhu Lunkui. According to the order of the throne, Zhu Lunkui and Zhu Youjian had to be ranked with Zhu Yuanzhang. Naturally, this bloodline was not as good as Zhu Changjin. Therefore, some low-level officials of the Donglin Party in Hangzhou knew that Zhu Lunkui became the emperor and immediately supported Zhu Changjian.

Zhu Yihai of Shaoxing looked different. Zhu Yihai inherited the Queen of Lu and was granted to Shaoxing by Zhu Yousong. After learning that Nanjing was occupied by the Qing Dynasty and the whereabouts of Emperor Zhu Yousong were unknown, Zhu Yihai became the throne under the support of some fugitive officials in Shaoxing. At the same time, he gathered garrisons in various parts of Hangzhou and formed an armed force of more than 100,000 people.

Ma Cheng knew more about these news than the court. After all, Ma Cheng’s Military Information Department was not a vegetarian. Now, when Ma Cheng heard Xu Zhenye say this, he knew what the hell was doing, and he was just using external forces to oppress Zhu Lunkui.

In fact, Ma Cheng was prepared so much. He had already ordered Zhang Guozhu, who was guarding Suzhou, to stop all military activities, so that Zhu Chang from Hangzhou would become bigger and in turn oppress the emperor Zhu Lunkui.

Ma Cheng thought Xu Zhenye had any good idea. Isn’t this similar to what he thought? Thinking of this, Ma Cheng sighed and said, “Mr. Xu, did I ask this marquis to take his army to respect him?”
Chapter completed!