In an instant, Li Zhigang's heart suddenly became enlightened, and all the self-sorrow and self-abandonment were swept away.
Yes, what’s wrong with the whiteheads? I’m tired!
What’s wrong with getting old? I’m tired too!
All the princes in the court grow old naturally, but I am the only one who grows old for the sake of state affairs!
Aren’t these gray hairs proof?
Aren't these gray hairs my best proof in front of the emperor?
Thinking of this in his mind, Li Zhigang calmly raised his head and messed up his temples a little more.
Li Jinglong pretended not to notice, looking out the window with a smile on his face.
~~
In the early morning in the Forbidden City, people were already coming and going.
Hou saw that in the duty room of the minister, there were no fewer than dozens of people, including the commander-in-chief of the army, the generals of the army, and the envoys who participated in the political affairs.
These court officials are all waiting to see Your Majesty. Since it is not convenient to greet each other in the Forbidden City, they can only communicate with each other through their eyes.
Suddenly, everyone looked in the same direction, and when they saw the person clearly, they were so shocked that they couldn't close their mouths from ear to ear, and their eyes were full of surprise.
I saw the high-ranking Duke Cao Guo leading someone in with a smile, and his gestures were full of politeness.
Later, I heard Cao Guogong say to the man that Li Butang would wait for a while and ask someone if Long Live Deng Ping was up!
Suddenly, everyone looked at that man with awe and respect.
Li Zhigang!
This is Li Zhigang, who has received mixed reputations!
Li Zhigang sat at the front seat, facing the fawning looks from around him, and smiled proudly, feeling satisfied.
He enjoys this feeling of being surrounded by stars!
I prefer this aloof attitude!
In the past, Li Zhigang was not well-known, but from now on, whenever foreign officials come to Beijing, they will respectfully call him Li Butang or Li Gebu when they meet him.
Even among his disciples, Li Zhigang, there will be many disciples who serve as local officials.
Thinking of this, he sat even more official-like.
"Li Butang, I am a member of the Guangxi Left Political Council..."
The person next to him, the one closest to Li Zhigang, finally couldn't help but introduce himself, "Xiaguan has actually known you, Butang, for a long time, but I didn't have the chance to meet you. Xiaguan and you are in the same department. It's just that you, Butang, are taller.
Badou is a first-class official, while a low-ranking official is a low-level official who was lucky enough to get a Jinshi..."
Li Zhigang didn't even look at the chief minister of Guangxi, but nodded slightly.
When they had to talk about Guangxi's participation in politics, Li Zhigang said in a low voice, "Silence! How can it be appropriate to see that there is such a noise in the room?"
"That's right, sir!"
"Disrespectful for your humble position!"
Hearing the apology from the people around him, Li Zhigang smiled again.
I remember that when Li Zhigang didn't make a fortune, he could only follow the Minister of the Ministry and be a transparent person. He was always the only one who fawned over others, but when had anyone ever fawned over him?
At this moment, everyone's eyes froze.
The chief steward of the Qianqing Palace, Wang Bashi, appeared at the door and glanced at him lightly. All the officials waiting to see his majesty showed a decent and polite smile.
"Li Butang, why are you here?" The bastard said with a smile, "Since you are here, you should go directly to the servant to report!" He said, and smiled again, "Hurry up and come with the Za family, Long live the Lord asked.
Several times!"
Even though Li Zhigang knew in his heart that the bastard was speaking kindly, he still couldn't suppress the slow joy in his heart.
"The boss is here to help!"
"Hey! From what you said, isn't this what a miscellaneous family should do?" The bastard laughed and led him out, leaving envious eyes all over the place.
At the same time, the bastard's shameful voice came faintly, "Why are you trying to squeeze in with them? What is your identity and what are their identities? Hand over a piece of paper and you can just wait outside Lezhizhai. Who dares to stop you?"
!!”
"The rules are the rules, Li doesn't dare to overdo it!"
"Oh, are you an ordinary person? It depends on what you say!"
When Hou saw the people in the room hearing the sound, they all sighed.
"What is to obtain the Sacred Heart? This is it!"
"What is a favorite? This is it!"
"What does it mean to have face? This is it!"
~~
"Long live my humble minister Li Zhigang! Long live my emperor! Long live my emperor!"
There is a separate room on the second floor of Lezhizhai called Yangxintang.
This hall is next to the window and has simple and clear furnishings. It was the place where the emperor worked on weekdays and met with his close ministers.
Zhu Yunxi sat on the bright yellow couch and looked at Li Zhigang who was kneeling outside the threshold. After he kowtowed, he smiled softly and said, "Raise your head and let me see!"
"Your Majesty!" Li Zhigang raised his head slightly and met the Emperor's eyes.
The emperor's eyes were full of praise, appreciation, even joy and expectation.
"Aiqing has become thinner and darker!" Zhu Yunxi sighed, "She is much older than before she left the capital!"
"I'm... stupid!" Li Zhigang kowtowed again, "The only way is to work conscientiously to respect the emperor's orders, and to do the king's business personally!"
"Hey! If all the civil and military officials in the dynasty are as loyal and loyal to the country as you are, I, the emperor... can sit back and relax! My Ming Empire can also be as stable as Mount Tai!"
Zhu Yunxi sighed, turned around and said, "Shame on you bastard!"
"The slave is here!!"
"Why are you still standing there? Why don't you help Li Aiqing up quickly!"
"yes!"
The bastard stepped forward with small steps and supported Li Zhigang, "Master, please get up quickly!"
Before Li Zhigang could speak, Zhu Yunxi said again, "Bring a stool over and put it in front of me. Let Li Aiqing sit next to me. Quick!"
"Your Majesty!" Li Zhigang choked up instantly.
Sitting next to the emperor was something he had always dreamed of, and now he finally got it!
"Get closer!" Zhu Yunxi looked at the stool brought by the eunuch and frowned in displeasure. Then he got off the stool himself, pulled the stool very close to his stool, and then took a cushion and placed it on the stool.
superior.
"Ai Qing, come and sit down, hurry up!" Zhu Yunxi patted the stool and said.
"Your Majesty!" Li Zhigang's body swayed violently, and tears were about to fall. No longer weak, he suddenly knelt down and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, my ministers..."
"Look at you!" Zhu Yunxi moved again, held Li Zhigang's shoulders with his own hands, pressed him on the stool, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, and stuffed it into Li Zhigang's hand, "I know you are a sentimental person, but you and I, the monarch and my ministers, meet again
When you are happy, why do you always cry?"
As he spoke, he sighed and patted Li Zhigang on the shoulder, "Actually, I have been thinking about you since I have been away from the capital for so long! I know that you are not easy to handle. Not to mention making enemies everywhere, those people in the local area must also make things difficult for you.
You...Hey, I know how difficult it is to love you, but what the court lacks is someone like Aiqing, someone with great courage and perseverance!"
Li Zhigang's heart seemed to be filled with warmth like light.
At this moment, all the grievances and questions, all the worries and fears disappeared in an instant.
"Look at me!" Zhu Yunxi slapped his forehead and said with a smile, "Let's not talk about state affairs first, let's eat first!" After saying that, he waved his hand and said, "Pass the meal!"
~~
The royal meal will be served soon.
A pot of japonica rice porridge, a few slices of fried dough cakes, kimchi, salted eggs, etc., is a common meal. The only difference is that there is an extra steaming casserole with a lid.
"Your Majesty!" Li Zhigang choked up as he looked at the emperor's breakfast, "Just eat this?"
"This is already very good!" Zhu Yunxi said with a smile, "There are several families in the world who get up early and can eat such food!" As he said, he sighed, "When Emperor Taizu Gao was still alive, he often said that luxury
It is difficult to live a frugal life, and as the emperor, I should also be grateful for the hardships of the people's livelihood!"
Li Zhigang stood up and bowed his head and said, "In my early years before I entered the imperial court, I heard the emperor's famous sayings when he was still the grandson of the emperor." He continued, "Every porridge and meal should be thought of as hard-earned, and half of them should be thought of material resources."
difficult!"
"Sit down, sit down!" Zhu Yunxi smiled and waved his hands, "Serve the rice yourself!" He said with a smile, "Before you came to Beijing, I said that I would wait for you to come back and serve you wine. Let's drink wine and eat later.
Let’s eat now!”
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!" Li Zhigang choked up again.
~
"Long live Lord, the time has come!"
Li Zhigang was sipping his porridge when the bastard suddenly came over with a handkerchief.
"I just sat down, and it's already time for you?" Li Zhigang was anxious, "Did the emperor ask me here just to drink porridge?"
But Zhu Yunxi took the hand towel with a smile and put it on the lid of the casserole.
I looked at Li Zhigang with a smile, opened it directly, and the fragrance immediately hit my nostrils.
"I know that you are exhausted physically and mentally in Jiangnan!" Zhu Yunxi said slowly, "So I specially asked someone to stew Korean ginseng chicken soup for you!"
As he said that, he actually picked up the bowl himself and filled a bowl for Li Zhigang.
"emperor......"
Poof, Li Zhigang couldn't sit still anymore, and instantly knelt down with tears in his eyes, "Your Majesty, I... Even if I die now, I am worthy of my ancestors!"
Who among the civil and military officials in the Manchu Dynasty had this kind of knowledge?
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, except for the old kings of Zhongshan and Kaiping, who has had such a problem?
Li Zhigang grabbed the ground with his head, making a thumping sound.
"You bastard words!" Unexpectedly, Zhu Yunxi's face was stern, "You are not dead! I still want to use you, what bad words are you talking about!" He continued, "Get up, drink the soup, and listen to me.
you say!"
"Sir, get up quickly!" The bastard also smiled and helped Li Zhigang up.
"I think highly of you, not because you brought back nearly 10 million military pay! But because I value you as a person!" Zhu Yunxi said, "I also admire your vigorous and resolute spirit!"
He said with a smile, "I have promised you a long time ago that I will be promoted to a higher position..."
Suddenly, Li Zhigang's heart trembled, and it directly rose to his throat.
Zhu Yunxi looked at him and continued to smile, "You are the Minister of the Ministry of Home Affairs! Logically speaking, your contribution will be recognized by the Ministry of Finance, but..."
In an instant, Li Zhigang's eyesight went dark.
"But, I can't give you the position of minister yet!"
Click!
Li Zhigang's heart was broken.
"Because I don't want to hurt you!"
Suddenly, hope rose in Li Zhigang's heart again.
"The position of Minister has reached its peak!" Zhu Yunxi said with a smile, "And my dear, you still have a long way to go in the future!" He said with a big smile, "What if in the future, you have merit again and you are not rewarded?
?”
"I share the emperor's worries. I don't ask for a title or salary, but for my great prosperity for the Ming Dynasty for ten thousand years!" Li Zhigang said immediately.
"But I can't refuse to reward you because I'm afraid that I won't be rewarded in the future!" Zhu Yunxi said again, "You must have heard the message! The customs in various places have become independent from each province and are directly under the management of the imperial court! There are also various places
The Taxation Department..."
Huo Ran, Li Zhigang's heart was in his throat again, and his eyes were bloodshot.
"I want to hand over the money bag of the Ming Empire to you!" Zhu Yunxi clapped his hand, "I can't trust anyone else except you!"