After Liu Dahai finished speaking, he took out the thickest stack of silver tickets from his body and handed it over with both hands, and said, "Lord Sun, a little care, this definitely represents the heart of my king!" ”

Sun Yunhe took the silver ticket and weighed it, and said with a smile: "Master Liu is a big deal!" Isn't that five thousand taels? ”

Liu Dahai said: "It's just a little heart!" If the canonization goes well, the king of my family will have another generous gift! Even if the old man of the factory has any private instructions, the king of my family will definitely do it properly! ”

Sun Yunhe said: "I hope so! Someone is coming, send Lord Liu back to the post house. ”

The soldier who led the way quietly appeared outside the door. Liu Dahai still doesn't know what Sun Yunhe called him for? However, this was not the time to ask questions, so I had to go out with my hands.

Liu Dahai couldn't sleep anymore after returning to the post house, and he pondered about today's events repeatedly. He instinctively felt that the biggest black hand that hindered Liu Pei's canonization had appeared. It's just that he can't figure out the reason. So it can only be a move.

After Sun Yunhe saw Liu Dahai away, he went out and got on the horse, completely ignoring the soldiers who were patrolling the night, and quickly came to a large mansion. The house was brightly lit and the sound of silk and bamboo was endless, and it seemed that the owner was having fun.

As soon as Sun Yunhe stepped forward and knocked on the door, someone opened the door. When Menzi saw that it was him, he bowed down and said, "Lord Xu, you are here!" The factory has been waiting for you for a long time. ”

Sun Yunhe agreed and went directly inside. He entered the lobby, and saw a man sitting in the middle of the hall. This man is in his fifties, wearing a crown facing the sky, tied with a jasper hairpin, wearing a python robe, and a pair of cloud-climbing boots are exposed under the robe. The face is white and beardless, and a pair of shou eyebrows are slightly bent down. The eyes open and close with a light that shines brightly. The two nasolabial folds hang down to the corners of the mouth, making them look very tough. This person is the famous Dongchang factory Gong Wei Zhongxian.

Wei Zhongxian was born in 1568 and died on December 11, 1627. Since the palace, he changed his name to Li Jinzhong, and only changed his original surname back to his original surname after serving as a eunuch of Bingbi, and was given the name Wei Zhongxian by the emperor.

During the period of Ming Xizong, he served as the eunuch of Si Li Bingbi, and was very favored and trusted, known as "nine thousand nine hundred years old", and even many people set up a shrine for him. After Zhu Youzhen succeeded to the throne, he cracked down on and punished the eunuchs. He was arrested and prosecuted for Wei Zhongxian's ten crimes, and later he hanged himself to death, and the rest of the party was also purged.

Wei Zhongxian has done good things and bad things in his life, but only he knows how many things he has done. However, judging from what he did, he was still loyal to the emperor.

Before his death, Ming Xizong specially told Chongzhen that Wei Zhongxian "is cautious and loyal, and can count big things". As the so-called man is about to die, his words are also good! Zhu Youxiao

Giving such a high evaluation to Wei Zhongxian at the last moment of his life is certainly mixed with personal feelings, but the most important thing is that he realized that Wei Zhongxian was sober and decisive in dealing with "big things", especially on the key issues of maintaining the overall situation, knowing people well, and rewarding and punishing well, Wei Zhongxian did a good job.

In all fairness, in order to consolidate his personal power, Wei Zhongxian inevitably had the side of the party fighting against differences, cruel and vicious, but from the fact that he once overrode public opinion and boldly used Xiong Tingbi, who was slandered after the defeat of Liaoyang, put aside personal grievances, and recommended a group of capable ministers such as Zhao Nanxing and Sun Chengzong against his will, it can be seen that he still cares about the Ming Dynasty. During Wei Zhongxian's administration, the domestic situation was good, and the situation in Liaodong was stable, which should still be recognized and affirmed.

When Chongzhen ascended the throne, the refugees at home were everywhere, and the Qing soldiers outside the customs were eyeing each other, in this grim situation of internal and external troubles, the imperial court urgently needed a rich experience in dealing with military affairs, and good at grasping the turbulent situation of the "capable person" to take charge of the situation, although it could not reverse the decline of the country, the accumulated trend of defeat, but it would not collapse and collapse in a short time. But in order to take sole power, Chongzhen was fooled by the Donglin Party and was confused, and really thought that he was a holy monarch, taking advantage of the trend of "reversing Wei" of the ministers of civil and military affairs of the imperial court, and with lightning speed, he eliminated the eunuch party headed by Wei Zhongxian in one fell swoop.

In fact, there was no such thing as a eunuch party at that time. He Wei Zhongxian is a eunuch, all the power comes from the emperor's trust, where is the ability to form a eunuch party. It's just because the Donglin Party is too domineering and wants to go alone, desperately provoking party disputes and suppressing other parties. As a result, the parties representing the interests of other places had to be attributed to Wei Zhongxian in order to survive, which was called the eunuch party by the Donglin Party.

On March 14, the 17th year of Chongzhen, that is, the fifth day before he hanged himself on the coal mountain and was martyred, Chongzhen was in despair that the general trend had gone and the building was about to collapse, and after hearing the words of the eunuch Cao Huachun that "if the loyal and virtuous are here, the current affairs will not come to this", he finally understood the deep meaning of the Emperor of the Apocalypse before his death, emphasizing that Wei Zhongxian "is faithful and loyal, and can count great things". At the same time as he woke up, Chongzhen, who was unable to return to the sky, completely collapsed mentally. The burial of Wei Zhongxian's remains is not only a reaffirmation of Wei Zhongxian's value and merits, but also a complete denial of his 17-year ruling career.

At this time, Wei Zhongxian was slowly tasting wine with a wine glass. The musicians on one side are playing music, and there are a few dancers in the Tang Dynasty dancing with their sleeves like flowing clouds, a lively scene.

As soon as Sun Yunhe appeared at the door of the lobby, Wei Zhongxian waved his hand gently. The music in the lobby came to an abrupt end. The dancers and musicians quickly put away their things and quietly disappeared behind the lobby.

Sun Yunhe strode forward, knelt down on one knee to Wei Zhongxian, and said, "I've seen the factory father." ”

Wei Zhongxian said slowly: "Get up." Have you seen the Ryukyu envoys? ”

Sun Yunhe's hands drooped at this time, and his head was lowered. There is no such hideous color as just now. said: "Back to the factory, I've seen it." ”

Wei Zhongxian said: "Then let's talk about it, what is going on in Ryukyu?" ”

Sun Yunhe recounted in detail what he heard from Liu Dahai. Finally, he said: "Factory Gong, the small estimate is that a group of strongmen from nowhere defeated the Japanese and seized the Ryukyus. Now that I have Ryukyu as my roots, I want to ask for canonization here in the imperial court. ”

Wei Zhongxian laughed and said, "It's a very smart little monkey!" I also know about such a thing as making a bloody book. It's also accurate to assume an identity. What a descendant of the Nanshan Kingdom! I think he just can't control them because he has the court, so he is so unscrupulous! ”

Sun Yunhe said: "Factory Gong, where is the imperial court that can't control them!" It's just that the factory doesn't want to deal with them! If the factory boss wants to clean them up, he only needs to order a military horse to be transferred over, and they will be wiped out in the blink of an eye! ”

Wei Zhongxian sighed and said, "Where is such a simple thing! Now the food and salary provided by the imperial court to the nine sides are all demolished and the east wall is repaired to make up the west wall, and there is no strength to take care of the Ryukyus! ”

Sun Yunhe raised his head and said, "Gonggong, things haven't come to this point yet, right?" I think I'm rich all over the world, how can I not even deal with a small Ryukyu? It's just that in the past, I saw that Ryukyu was obedient, so I made a show of him! In the land of Ryukyu, there are no more than a thousand soldiers, and there will be no more than a few people, where can I resist my great tomorrow? ”

Wei Zhongxian put down his wine glass and said, "You also know about the affairs of the imperial court. Those who pretend to be clear in the Donglin Party refuse to pay the commercial tax and mining tax. is still trying to find ways to annex acres of land and deduct salt taxes, and the imperial court has long been unable to make ends meet! We just wanted to get some mining taxes or something, but they also took it back! But we can't blame our family for not being capable! If you want Zhang Taiyue to be so domineering back then, didn't you dare to collect industrial and commercial tax? I only dare to make a fuss in the field. Our family suffers a loss because we have never read a book, and our mouth is not as big as others, so we are said to be a disaster for the country and the people! If we raise troops to deal with Ryukyu again, I don't know how much dirty water will be splashed on our family! ”

Sun Yunhe raised his head and said: "If the factory is tired of those flies, the small ones will concoct some crimes, and if they take a few more and go to prison, they will be honest!" ”

Wei Zhongxian shook his head and said, "This won't work. The power of our family comes from the emperor. As long as the emperor trusts our family, our family will be powerful! If one day the emperor doesn't trust our family, our family is only afraid of death and no place to be buried! At this time, if you don't want to pick up those people, our family can't move! Therefore, the top priority is to serve the emperor well. You know, I'm not confused! ”