"Your Majesty, this is a piece handed over by His Royal Highness King Fu from Guangzhou." Huang Xiaobao, the eunuch who held the seal of the celebrant and held the seal, stood behind Zhu Cihong and gave a piece of music sent to the East Lake Palace early this morning to Zhu Cihong, who was having breakfast.

On the opposite side of the dining table sat Empress Wu Sanmei, Emperor Zhu spent the night in Wu Sanmei's Kunning Hall last night, and now the husband and wife are having breakfast together in the restaurant of Kunning Hall. is 38 years old this year, and Wu Sanmei, who has already given birth to two sons and three daughters for Zhu Cihong, has a status in the harem and her husband's heart, and no one can shake it. Although Zhu Cihong is a little dissatisfied with her "silly white sweet", there are many flattering things about "silly white sweet". For example, after giving birth to five children, you can still keep the body of a with infinite charm...... This is the result of long-term exercise, Wu Sanmei doesn't know how much sweat she has shed and how much hardship she has suffered!

For example, she is not very jealous, except for the cold relationship with Zheng Chagu, the relationship between other concubines and her is very good.

Another example is that Wu Sanmei rarely expresses opinions on government affairs, unless she is a regent - unlike the kings before the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Cihong did not object to the harem participating in politics, he allowed the concubines to express their opinions on government affairs, and even took the initiative to ask for their opinions in some situations.

For example, Zhu would consult Tokugawa Takako in dealing with Japan-related affairs, Zheng Chagu would consult in dealing with Nanyang and maritime affairs, and Kim Dong-joo would consult with Kim Dong-joo in handling affairs related to Korea and Manchuria...... And Wu Sanmei, as the queen, can make suggestions to Zhu Cihong on all issues!

However, Wu Sanmei can, it doesn't mean that Zhu Cihong really wants her to do it.

This was actually a "convention" prepared by Zhu Cihong for future monarchs, and the emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the monarch of the vassal (vassal state) needed one or several spouses who could participate in politics (limited to the empress, the biological mother of the crown prince, and the mother of the pro-vassal lord) in order to assume the responsibility of regency when the monarch died young.

So in Zhu Cihong's harem, the concubines who are allowed to participate in politics to a certain extent are all women who have the opportunity to become regents. If Zhu Cihong had died unfortunately, his Ming Empire and those vassal states that were supposed to have his sons as monarchs would need these women to take power.

If Zhu Cihong can live until his sons grow up, then this system of harem participation in politics will also be passed on, and it will play a role sooner or later. Considering the speed of human medical progress and the number of crowns possessed by the Zhu Ming Dynasty, the situation of Chong Ling's accession to the throne will definitely occur, and it is not a small probability event!

And Wu Sanmei's performance on the issue of participating in politics made Zhu Cihong very satisfied, she always asked questions and almost never expressed her opinions, just like an open-minded student.

Another aspect that satisfied Emperor Zhu was that Wu Sanmei never sought economic benefits for those brothers who had no economic acumen......

When Emperor Zhu looked down at the recital, Wu Sanmei took a newspaper clipping from Huang Xiaobao's hand and began to read it. This newspaper clipping was sent by someone from the Hanlin Academy, and it contains important news published in the local newspapers of Wuhan Prefecture and foreign newspapers (foreign newspapers are not of the same day) that were delivered this morning.

Zhu Cihong, who is very resourceful, usually does not go to see the newspaper clippings in person, but has the woman who accompanies him read them to him while he is having breakfast. Sometimes Zhu Cihong will also devote himself to several things, listening to newspaper clippings, eating breakfast at the same time, and watching the recital - being an emperor is still very hard, twelve hours a day, except when he is asleep, it is basically working hours, and even holding hands with the concubine is also to create a successor for the Ming Dynasty!

But Zhu Cihong never complained...... Those who do his job are not afraid of hard work, and they are all people who really regard hard work day and night as a blessing.

That blessed king Zhu Cihong is also a younger brother who doesn't know how to understand his brother's hard work, and adds a little work pressure to Zhu Cihong, who is already busy, - an Indian princess with both beauty and wisdom!

Princess Nissa had followed Zhu Ciwei to Guangzhou and was now on her way north to Wuhan Mansion.

In addition, the dowry brought by Princess Nissa and the cash portion of her personal property have now been deposited in two branches in Guangzhou...... That's about a few million taels of silver!

Just when Zhu Cihong wanted to discuss with Wu Sanmei about holding a wedding for herself and Nisha, as well as building two Indian-style mansions for Princess Nissa in Donghu Palace and Laoshan Palace respectively, she saw Wu Yingxiong, the foreman's guard, hurriedly appear at the door of the restaurant.

In addition to being in charge of Zhu Cihong's guards, the foreman guard was also one of his military adjutants, responsible for the liaison between the Generalissimo's Mansion and Jinyiwei and Zhu Cihong.

Zhu Cihong hurriedly beckoned to Wu Yingxiong, who immediately walked quickly to his side, bowed, and then reported: "Your Majesty, please see Zhu Weishuai of the Jinyi Guard." ”

Zhu Cihong nodded and ordered: "Arrange to meet him before the noon dynasty." ”

"Commandment." Wu Yingxiong handed Huang Xiaobao another wax-sealed envelope before turning around and leaving.

Huang Xiaobao immediately tore off the wax seal, took out the notebook contained inside, and handed it to Zhu Cihong with both hands. This recital is Zhu Chunjie's secret recital, and the report is what he will say when he is summoned later.

Zhu Cihong opened the notebook and looked at it, his brows gradually frowned, and after reading it for a while, he closed the notebook, handed it to Huang Xiaobao, and instructed: "Keep the secret file...... Then go to Xuan Commander Dongchang, Pan Yuchen and Zhu Chunjie to meet together. ”

"Slave and maid command." Huang Xiaobao put away the notebook, answered, and turned around to pass on Emperor Zhu's message.

The East Investigation Factory was once reduced to Zhu Cihong's internal guard, but after the older generation of eunuchs gradually grew old and could no longer undertake internal security work, they began to transform into a secret service agency again. Now it has become a small secret service directly under the palace, which cannot be compared to the huge brocade guard, but it is also very important. Moreover, this organ and Jinyiwei are two lines that do not intersect with each other, Jinyiwei belongs to the Generalissimo's Office, is a military department, and its members are basically from the army, mainly responsible for the collection of military intelligence, and also responsible for clearing out unstable factors within the army.

The members of the East Investigation Factory are all from the people, that is, the rivers and lakes, and are mainly responsible for catching anti-thieves in the people - the focus of the work is Yingtianfu and Wuhan Mansion!

On the morning of September 28, the leaders of the two secret services appeared at the same time in a large study on the second floor of the Qinzheng Hall - this is Zhu Cihong's office.

"Your Majesty, in Hanzhong in Sichuan and Shaanxi and in the Yunyang area of Huguang, there were already White Lotus Sect activities, and when the Chongzhen Year was in turmoil, there were many White Lotus Sect demons there who followed suit, and they were correspondingly outcast. Therefore, after the Liukou stole Hanzhong and Gongchang in Sichuan and Shaanxi, and Yunyang in Hubei, some of the White Lotus Sect demons in Sichuan, Huguang, and southern Shaanxi were rewarded and became the puppet officials of the Liukou. As a result, the White Lotus Sect was able to spread openly in the jurisdiction of the Liukou, and the number of followers also increased. However, the disciples who believe in the White Lotus Sect have few government soldiers, and most of them are poor low-level Sichuan people......"

The one who was introducing the development of the White Lotus Sect in Dashun to Zhu Cihong was Zhu Chunjie, who took the initiative to meet him.

"Why do so few soldiers believe in the White Lotus Sect?" Zhu Cihong asked, "Isn't the Shanxi White Lotus Sect also very fierce?" ”

"Your Majesty," Zhu Chunjie said, "This White Lotus Sect doctrine doesn't mean much to people at the top, but it is easy to attract people from the bottom. Therefore, most of the soldiers on the Liukou side do not believe in the White Lotus Sect, but the poor Sichuan people dream of Maitreya descending to earth and turning over the people...... There is almost no way for the bitter people on the Liukou side to turn over, and the Confucian righteous path is declining, so there are many people who believe in the White Lotus Sect, and from time to time in the past few years, the White Lotus Sect has gathered to make trouble. Therefore, the life of the White Lotus Sect on the side of the Liukou is also becoming more and more difficult, and it is almost on the verge of being banned. If the imperial court could properly give a little support to the White Lotus Sect in the territory of Liukou, it might be able to make a big fuss. ”