Yikun Palace.

The concubine and the emperor were angry, sitting with a calm face and not saying a word.

The emperor took his hands and wanted to compensate the concubine Niangniang and explain why he did this, but in front of outsiders and his son, he finally held the shelf.

The emperor didn't have the heart to bring the map of all countries to the Queen Mother to greet the New Year, and Matteo Ricci and Li Zhizao were also interested in it, so they retreated obediently. If it weren't for the strict palace prohibition and the prohibition of foreign officials, Li Zhizao would definitely take Matteo Ricci to see the mysterious cleansing ceremony in the East.

"Father, the son went to pay New Year's greetings to the emperor's grandmother first."

Zhu Changxun was also clever, and when he saw that his father and mother were in a bad atmosphere, he was busy with the soles of his feet. Seeing this, Cui Wensheng also hurriedly retreated.

After the people were gone, Wanli's tense face finally relaxed, and he walked to Zheng Guifei with a smile, took her hand, and blamed: "In front of outsiders, you have to save some face for me." ”

"The concubine saves face for the emperor, does the emperor give face to the concubine?" Concubine Zheng Guifei glanced at her husband angrily, "The concubine doesn't understand, why can't you be the emperor, you have to ask other people's children to be eunuchs, don't you lack virtue?" ”

"Look at what you said, why am I lacking virtue?" Wanli sneered and explained: "It's not that I don't give you face in this matter, it's not that I think there is a difference between inside and outside... My own family, always use it more steadfastly. ”

Hearing this, Concubine Zheng Guifei was angry, "According to what Your Majesty said, let Guotai and them all enter the palace, otherwise, your brother-in-law will not be at ease." ”

"What did Concubine Ai say, how did it get to Cathay and them? ....Alas, I was also forced to do this. ”

Wanli rubbed his hands and looked distressed, "Recently, the expenditure of the inner treasury is too large, and it is not a way to always rely on the mine supervisor to make contributions." On the side of the Fuqing minister, he urged me to withdraw the mine and withdraw the tax, and I thought about it, I have been doing this for almost 20 years, and the foreign court has accused me a lot of money for this matter, and I really can't say anything if I don't let go. Therefore, I really wanted to send eunuchs out of the country, and if the income from going abroad was greater than the income from the mine supervisors, I would strike the mine and withdraw the taxes. But there are really no useful people in the palace in this matter, and if you send someone to do it in a hurry, I am afraid that the matter will be messed up. After thinking about it, he could only ask Liangchen to do it, and he did a few things outside the gate. ”

"Ask someone to do something for you, and you still want to cleanse your child?" Concubine Zheng Guifei really couldn't understand her husband's train of thought.

Wanli shook his head: "A teacher must always be famous." The affairs of the inner court, I asked a person from the outer court to do it, did it work? ”

Hearing this, Concubine Zheng was silent, what the emperor said was actually the truth, if Wei Liangchen supervised the affairs of going out as a foreign official, this matter would be stillborn.

Just like the mine tax collector, at first, the emperor did not intend to send people from the inner court to do it, but the first official would run the locality, but as a result, the local government did not pay attention to it at all, and it was difficult everywhere. Due to his status as a foreign official, the first official was unable to resist the locality, and in the end, the internal supervisor was able to do it.

"I have wronged him, and I will always compensate him." Wanli patted Zheng Guifei's hand, if his wife does a good job, everything will be good.

Concubine Zheng felt that this matter was always inauthentic, and she was about to say something, but Zhang Cheng came.

Done?

Wanli was a little surprised: so fast?

Zhang Cheng didn't dare to delay, and said directly. It turned out that Wei Liangchen refused to purify himself, and even said that the emperor really wanted to purify his body, and he would die.

"He said... Even if the emperor is strong, he can't get his people, but he can't get his heart. After Zhang Cheng finished speaking, he also felt awkward, but that kid said that.

"Poof!"

The concubine laughed, how did this sound like the little girl's family had been tied up in a bandit's den.

"That's what he said!" Wanli was not happy, but his eyes widened angrily and looked at Zhang Cheng angrily.

"Emperor, that's what the Wei Sheren said." Zhang Cheng hesitated a little, but still told the truth, "I look at his appearance, it doesn't seem to be a fake, if he is forced to purify himself, I am afraid that it will go against His Majesty's original intention." ”

"He dares!"

Wanli can't get angry, just forget about the guys in the outer court, but you Wei Liangchen dare to resist me! Without me, you are nothing!

Seeing that the emperor was angry, Zhang Cheng was so frightened that he didn't dare to squeak, and he regretted it a little in his heart, he knew that he wouldn't intercede for that kid. However, if there are really a hundred Dongzhu to honor his old man, it is worth being trained by the emperor. Anyway, no matter whether the emperor stays under the knife or not, his filial piety to his father-in-law is indispensable.

Zhang Cheng didn't dare to speak, but the concubine Niangniang dared, she complained to her husband: "Look at you, everyone and children have talked about this, I think you can't be forced to be the emperor." … Besides, after all, this child is the head of the Hejian Mansion, and if he enters the palace, there will inevitably be criticism. ”

"What case?"

Wanli raised his eyebrows, "The head of the white file?" I haven't settled accounts with Chen Lun about this matter, the imperial examination is the foundation of the Ming Dynasty, but he recorded a blank case for me, what's the matter? ”

"You said all the words, you were the one who was happy at the beginning, and you were the one who gave people officials, but now, you have to settle the account. You have to get it, you are the emperor, you have to settle accounts, no one dares not to count. Look, concubine, simply, forget it with me. Yes, and Cathay Pacific, it was he who gave the children's exam papers to your brother-in-law to see. Concubine Zheng was also angry, and stood up with a trembling waist.

Seeing this, Wanli's anger immediately subsided, and he smiled and said, "What is this?" I'm just talking, not real. ”

"As soon as the emperor's Chrysostom is opened, how can it not be true." Concubine Zheng didn't spare her husband, and the screams of the child when she was dragged away could break her heart.

"Alas! …”

Wanli didn't know what to do, Zhang Cheng saw it, and said boldly: "Emperor, the old slave thinks that since the Wei She people are really unwilling to enter the palace, and the emperor is not at ease, it is better to send to Dongchang." ”

Hearing this, Concubine Zheng nodded and said, "This is a good idea." Dongchang is the ministry of the inner court, and Xiao Weizi has entered, and he can be regarded as half of the inner court, so you can always rest assured that you are the emperor. ”

Wanli hesitated, half of the people in the inner court are better than an outsider, if that kid really hates him because of his pure body, the emperor can be killed with a knife, but where will he find a newcomer to choose out for a while. It's just that if things are decided like this, he feels uncomfortable, after all, he said in front of Matteo Ricci and Li Zhizao that he wanted to clean this kid's body, how could he break his word.

"No, he threatens me with death, if I let him go, doesn't it mean that I am afraid of him?" Wanli became indignant instead.

Concubine Zheng choked up, angry and speechless.

Fortunately, Zhang Cheng has the next step, and the kid himself said before that if the factory guard can't do it, he will come to work temporarily. If it doesn't work, he'll die and count the ball.

Under the heavy money, there will be good people.

Zhang Cheng tentatively proposed: "Emperor, why don't you arrange a temporary worker first?" ”

"Temporary?"

Wanli and Concubine Zheng were stunned: What kind of errand is this?

Zhang Cheng coughed lightly and said cautiously: "Emperor, the so-called temporary workers are temporary errands. After a pause, he said, "According to the old slave, the emperor wants to use Wei Sheren to do things outside the country, but because of the foreign court, it is not easy to use him directly, so he wants him to enter the inner court on errands." Therefore, it is better to reward him for the ministry of the inner court first, his body is not clean for the time being, and the matter is done, and the emperor will make a decision. ”

Wanli's eyes straightened when he heard it, is this okay?

"Emperor, the advantage of this temporary worker is that if the matter is done, we can turn him into a regular. But if it is messed up, or if it causes some trouble, the emperor can directly push people out. Anyway, this temporary worker is not a serious ministry of our inner court, and if there is anything wrong, it can't be involved in the inner court. Zhang Cheng was afraid that the emperor would not agree, so he hurriedly added a few words about the benefits of temporary work.

"That's right..."

Wanli understood, according to what Zhang Cheng said, this temporary worker was the one who carried the black pot for the inner court. If it is done, the inner court will benefit. If it's messed up, the temporary worker's head will be used.

"Isn't this just like those people out there pretending to be mine supervisors?"

Wanli remembered that over the years, there have been many people who have served as the supervisor of the red mine, so he pretended to be a eunuch and led people to swagger and deceive, and called the local government to arrest a lot. Every time he caught it, the foreign dynasty had to accuse the emperor of opening a mine because of this, so that the liars could take advantage of it. According to Zhang Cheng's method, it seems to be no different from those liars. If there is, it means that the emperor recognizes the identity of the eunuch of this liar.

However, Wanli was really tempted, and sent a fake eunuch out to make money for him, and with his bottom line, he was very happy to accept. The premise is that the fake eunuch has the money to get it to him.

How could Concubine Zheng Guifei not see her husband's intentions, she thought this thing was interesting, although it was not in line with the ancestral system, but the rules are dead, people are alive, as long as the goal can be achieved, what is the matter with the name of arranging a temporary eunuch. The important thing is that Xiao Weizi can keep the inheritance of incense, otherwise she, the noble concubine, really feels sorry for others.

"Then, according to Gonggong Zhang's wishes, what kind of temporary dispatch will Wei Liangchen be given in the inner court?" Concubine Zheng asked, Wanli didn't squeak on the side.

"Well..."Zhang Cheng thought for a while, "The internal officials and supervisors have done things outside in the past, but now there is a lack of a prisoner, so if they are in the internal official prison, of course, they are just given a name and asked him to run errands outside, and he still can't enter the palace." ”

After Wanli listened, he didn't speak for a long time, and finally, he said "um" slightly, and then looked at Zhang Cheng with some anxiety. Zhang Cheng knew what the emperor meant, and hurriedly said: "Don't worry, the old slave will do it properly." ”

Wanli said "um" again, and then muttered a little puzzled: "I can't just cheap him, I'm the emperor, and when Chrysostom opens, I can't help but count." ”

Concubine Zheng was taken aback, thinking that her husband was going to clean up her children, but Zhang Cheng nodded knowingly, and said with a slight smile: "The old slave will go and inform him, and he will do it according to the rules." ”

Wanli touched his nose and waved his hand, and Zhang Cheng hurriedly retreated.

In the respectful room, the new official and supervisor Cheng Wei Gonggong looked at the two kind husbands in front of him with a sad face.

One father-in-law is sharpening a knife, and the other is winding a red rope.