After a short period of confusion, Guo Dan quickly reacted, and he estimated that the Empress Dowager Li suddenly looked for him, most likely because of the vassal king.

Because since he mentioned this matter to Wanli last time, Wanli has never mentioned it again, and there has been no reply, because it involves the vassal king, the king of Lu, and even the entire royal family, which must be discussed with the Empress Dowager Li.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but complain a little about Wanli in his heart, he didn't want to face a woman like Empress Dowager Li, it stands to reason that their mother and son would be better able to discuss this matter, after all, he was just an outsider.

The matter of the vassal king, it is okay to say that it is okay to do official affairs, and it is also possible to deal with family affairs, which is very difficult to handle.

Of course, he didn't show anything in front of Zhang Cheng, and followed the palace maid to Cining Palace.

When I came to Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager Li, who still had the charm, was very plain in her dress, twisting Buddha beads in her hands, and it seemed that she had just finished chanting.

But Guo Dan doesn't believe that the Queen Mother believes in Buddhism, otherwise, Zhu Yihua has done so many bad things, why does she still have to cover up and connive, he estimated with the heart of a villain, Empress Dowager Li recited Buddha in order to make herself forget power, after all, power is like poison, once it is stained, it is difficult to quit, such as the old witch Cixi.

"Grass people Guo Dan see the Queen Mother."

Guo Dan was respectful and respectful, and did not dare to be sloppy.

"No courtesy."

After Guo Dan got up, Empress Dowager Li had a spring breeze smile on her face: "Guo Dan, thanks to you, I should also say thank you as a mother for going back to Weihui Mansion last time." ”

It is not difficult to see from what she said that she knew that it was Zhu Yihua's fault, and it can also be seen that she just wanted to shield Zhu Yihua, and she would not say it so vaguely if she was not allowed to do so.

Guo Dan hurriedly said: "Your Majesty treats the grass people as kind as a mountain, and can get acquainted with King Lu, this is all the blessing of the grass people's tenth cultivation, compared to it, what the grass people do is simply insignificant and not worth mentioning." ”

"Strange!"

Empress Dowager Li said suddenly.

Guo Dan subconsciously raised his head and looked at Empress Dowager Li in confusion.

Empress Dowager Li wrote lightly: "Two days ago, the emperor mentioned to me about the reform of the vassal king, saying that he wanted the vassal king to stay overseas, and said that this was your idea, but I don't believe it a little, although you are young, but your words and deeds have always been very cautious, old-fashioned, and very clever, how can you ignore your identity and make irresponsible remarks about the affairs of the royal family, this is to kill the head!" ”

This is not a trivial sentence, but it made Guo Dan break out in a cold sweat, and he didn't know how to answer for a while.

The key is that she adds a "killing head" to the end, if it is "bankrupt", he knows how to respond.

Empress Dowager Li glanced at her and asked, "Why don't you speak, is it really what you said?" ”

"The Queen Mother spares her life."

Guo Dan pounced and knelt down.

Empress Dowager Li's face suddenly sank: "It seems that you really have what you said, you are really bold, a little businessman, dare to interfere in the affairs of the royal family, do you think that you have King Enlu, so you think that you can act arbitrarily?" ”

Guo Dan only felt that facing this Empress Dowager Li was under much greater pressure than facing the emperor.

Empress Dowager Li waited for a while, and suddenly asked sharply, "What?" Do you have other intentions? ”

Guo Dan's face was shocked, and he blurted out: "Queen Mother Mingjian, the grass people are dedicated to Your Majesty, and they have no two hearts. ”

"For Your Majesty?"

Empress Dowager Li's tone changed, and she asked in a gentle tone, "How do you say this?" ”

It is said that women are fickle, and this is true. Guo Dan was said by the Empress Dowager Li to be immortal, he didn't know what the Empress Dowager Li was thinking in her heart, and she was not questioning, but she didn't seem to be asking.

directly denied it, he didn't have the guts, but if he wanted to admit it, he was a little afraid, the key was that he didn't know how Wanli told her.

Suddenly her heart moved, yes, I am for Your Majesty, as long as I grasp this point, I believe that no matter how she is, she will understand, because no matter what she thinks, Your Majesty's interests must be her interests.

"Back to the Queen Mother, this matter has to start with the grass people going back to Weihui Mansion."

"This has something to do with the Weihui Mansion?"

"Not really."

Guo Dan explained: "When the grass people passed through Zhangde Mansion, they happened to meet the son of a county lord who starved to death in the house, and your father-in-law was also there at that time. ”

Empress Dowager Li asked, "What is the relationship between these two things?" ”

Guo Dan said: "Because the grass people thought to themselves, the person who died must have resented the court in his heart, but in fact, His Majesty has been benevolent to them, and the grass people feel that the current vassal king system is thankless, so the grass people offer advice to Your Majesty." ”

Empress Dowager Li nodded with a smile and said, "You get up first." ”

When Guo Dan heard this, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief and stood up tremblingly.

Empress Dowager Li smiled calmly: "You don't need to be too afraid, because I'm afraid that it will make you lose your square inch, think about it." ”

Guo Dan was very stressed when facing him, but she was so relaxed in the face of Guo Dan, after all, she had never seen anything before.

Guo Dan was stunned for a moment, and then thought about the reason he had just had, he felt that he was indeed a little stupid, too bright and upright, and it was unlikely that he would fool the past. And Empress Dowager Li is right, he is indeed a little messy, and he has to be calm and calm.

Empress Dowager Li smiled: "You are a smart businessman, and businessmen care about profits, rather than acting chivalrous and fighting grievances." How could you not know in your heart what was at stake, and that you took this risk and made a statement to Your Majesty that there must be a huge benefit hidden in it, am I right? ”

Is she scaring me? Not quite like that! Guo Dan was really a little uncertain in his heart.

Empress Dowager Li smiled and said, "You don't think I'm bluffing you, do you?" Although I have not been concerned about political affairs for a long time, I don't need to use this means against you as a small businessman. ”

Die or die, anyway, I'm also thinking about everyone, and by the way, for myself.

After these few words, Guo Dan knew that he was not the opponent of the Empress Dowager Li, after all, people eat more salt than him, and he can't hide it, so it is better to be honest, and said truthfully: "Back to the Empress Dowager, in fact, everyone knows that the vassal king occupies a lot of resources, but he has no contribution to His Majesty and the country, as a businessman, this is unreasonable."

What's even more terrifying is that some of them may still have a grudge against His Majesty, if this situation is not prevented, the country's finances will be beyond its means, and once the country falls into a financial crisis, the consequences will be very serious. ”

After hearing this, Empress Dowager Li couldn't help laughing and said: "If you are really worried about the country and the people, and you have ambitions, you should enter the court as an official, instead of being a businessman." ”

Everyone knows this question of the vassal king, she didn't accuse Guo Dan of being wrong, she was just targeting Guo Dan's motives.

Guo Dan also understood in his heart that Empress Dowager Li's suspicion was only his motive, not the matter itself, it can be seen that she still has a bottom line, she will not express any opinion on the vassal king system, if she says anything, it is equivalent to interfering in political affairs, and said: "The Queen Mother is really as wise as a torch, the grass people are indeed not so great, and the grass people only have His Majesty in their hearts, because the grass people can have today, all by Your Majesty's protection, if there is no Your Majesty's protection, the grass people may have already died in a broken family, and the grass people are really thinking about Your Majesty."

The financial problem is the most concerned issue for His Majesty at present, and without money, it is difficult for His Majesty to realize the ambition and hegemony in his heart. The problem of the vassal king was not a problem that the grass people should consider, but the problem of the vassal king made the grass people think of another problem, that is, overseas expansion. ”

Empress Dowager Li said with a smile: "I am an outstanding person in the Central Plains, the land is vast and rich, and the people are abundant, so why ......." ”

Guo Dan plucked up the courage to interrupt Empress Dowager Li's words, "Empress Dowager, in fact, it is my Ming Dynasty that many people starve to death every year, but the Francois people are living very well in Luzon. ”

Empress Dowager Li frowned slightly, and her delicate eyebrows showed a gloomy color.

Guo Dan was also out of the way, and the queen mother pressed him a little uncomfortable, and continued: "As for the abundance of the people of Wufu, ninety percent of the silver taels I use in the Ming Dynasty today are from overseas, and thousands of people are from overseas, carrying a boatload of silver to my Ming Dynasty to buy silk and tea, and my Ming Emperor, but for tens of thousands of taels, he has repeatedly borrowed money from the ministers in a low voice, Your Majesty is still like this, not to mention the people." ”

Empress Dowager Li was scolded, her face was blue for a while, white for a while, since she became the queen, it was the first time she was scolded like this, Zhang Juzheng didn't dare to talk to her like this, Zhang Juzheng only dared to scold Wanli.

Guo Dan said: "The reason why the grass people put forward the overseas expansion plan is because the grass people know that Your Majesty has a lot of helplessness, and it is clear that the treasury has not been full, and they have to take out hundreds of thousands of taels every year to help those vassal kings.

I know that many people evade taxes, but I can only endure not seeing it, obviously ambitious, but because of this or that etiquette, I can only sulk with myself. Since none of this can be changed, then we can only expand externally, occupy more territory, occupy more resources, and bear all this.

If the grass people really have different intentions, they will not mention the problem of the vassal king to His Majesty at all, and the grass people themselves can do it, and letting the vassal king go will add trouble to the grass people.

However, the grass people believe that it is more representative for the feudal kings to occupy, and they are crowned kings there, and those lands and people naturally belong to my Ming Dynasty and belong to the royal family. At the same time, they can also share the pressure brought by the vassal king to the country and the burden brought to His Majesty and the common people.

As a relative of the emperor, what is wrong with opening up territory and expanding territory for the Ming Dynasty, the grass people really don't understand, and I hope the queen mother can tell the grass people. ”

After hearing this, Empress Dowager Li's expression softened a little, but she said: "If this matter is so easy to solve, it will be your turn to be a businessman here to point fingers, or do you think that I am a smart person like you?" ”

"The Queen Mother has won the award."

Guo Dan said: "The grass people can't even pass the Xiucai test, so they are naturally not smart people, if the grass people are smart, they will not offend the Manchu Dynasty civil and military, let alone mention this thankless thing, smart people generally don't do this kind of thing." ”

"You don't seem to have a point."

Empress Dowager Li smiled and nodded, from this point of view, Guo Dan is really not smart enough, smart people will not offend everyone, and now she almost offended her, and said: "Overseas expansion? You are right, do you know how much it costs to fight a war? ”

Guo Dan said: "The grass people dare to ask the queen mother, if the grass people did not contract Weihui Mansion at the beginning, and the imperial court wanted to relieve Weihui Mansion, how much grain would they have to spend?" ”

Empress Dowager Li was stunned for a moment, and thought about it.

If the traditional way is to transfer grain from the surrounding areas to help the past, Zhang Juzheng, he also did this, but Guo Dan did not spend a grain of rice on the imperial court, and restored Weihui's mansion.

Guo Dan said again: "Does the Queen Mother know how many Francois have occupied the entire Luzon Island?" If it is unprofitable, why did the Francos come all the way here to occupy an island on the edge of my Daming, why didn't I go to occupy it? As a businessman, the grass people are puzzled. ”

Empress Dowager Li asked, "In other words, you don't need to spend money on overseas expansion?" ”

Guo Dan said: "As the Queen Mother said, as a businessman, the grass people must do profitable things, and they will never think of doing money-losing transactions, although doing business also requires costs, but it is not much, and it will be earned back soon." ”

Empress Dowager Li looked directly at Guo Dan for a moment, and suddenly said, "You can step down." ”

PS: The plugs in the bedroom suddenly all ran out of power, and there was no way to ask someone to repair it, and there was no table in other rooms, so I could only run to the living room to code words, and the family didn't go out now, and it was already noisy, and now I had to go to the living room to code words, and I was really drunk.

Let's get over the epidemic quickly! Come on Wuhan! Come on, China!