Zhu Youxiao listened to Wei Zhongxian's rambling chatter, and his heart was full of peaceful thoughts. In this chatter, Zhu Youxiao seems to have returned to his childhood.

When Zhu Youxiao was young, it was the era when Emperor Wanli had the intention to replace the crown prince, and it was also the saddest years of the prince's mansion.

In those years, the crown prince Zhu Changluo's position was turbulent, and he was completely relying on the inheritance power of 'inheritance of the eldest heir' to persist tenaciously. Faced with the huge pressure in the palace, the entire prince's mansion was extremely embarrassed.

Who would have thought that Zhu Youxiao, as the eldest grandson of the emperor, was a few years old and had never seen his grandfather Wanli, and even his name was delayed for several years before he entered the genealogy.

Who would have thought that Zhu Youxiao, as the eldest grandson of the emperor, would not even have a new dress for a year, and even had a time when he couldn't eat enough.

Who would believe that Zhu Youxiao, as the eldest grandson of the emperor, has grown to the age of eight or nine, but he has not yet been officially enlightened, and the few words he knows are still taught by eunuchs.

In those difficult days, Zhu Youxiao didn't even have a playmate, and all day long, except for his mother Wang Cairen, there were only the nurse Niang Keshi and the prince's mansion Diandian-chamberlain Li Jinzhong.

Oh, at that time, Wei Zhongxian was still called Li Jinzhong.

At that time, Li Jinzhong was also like now, babbling all day long about all kinds of interesting things he heard to make Zhu Youxiao happy. And Zhu Youxiao at that time didn't remember it at all like now.

In the forty-second year of Wanli, as King Fu was forced to go to Luoyang to take up the domain, the prince's mansion finally ushered in a phased victory. Without King Fu staring at the side, the Prince's Mansion was finally able to breathe a little sigh of relief.

A few days after the good days of the Prince's Mansion, the strange 'attack case' happened.

Who would have thought that a madman would casually rush into the Prince's Mansion and injure several people in the Mansion?

The only benefit that the attack brought to Zhu Youxiao was that he was received by his grandfather, Emperor Wanli, and expressed his filial piety to the royal family.

After the case subsided, Zhu Youxiao returned to his former peaceful life.

Well, in addition to starting to officially enlighten, Zhu Youxiao also added a small tail, that is, his fifth brother Zhu Youzhen.

Thinking of Zhu Youzhen, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but smile on his face.

At that time, Xiao Wu, who had just lost his mother, was only three or four years old, and followed him like a fart all day long, and he couldn't do anything but make trouble.

Recalling those days, Zhu Youxiao's heart was full of warmth and joy.

He broke everything by Xiao Wu. At that time, he really wanted to beat Xiao Wu up!

In the forty-eighth year of Wanli, the emperor's grandfather Wanli died, Zhu Youxiao became a prince overnight, and there were many eunuchs, palace maids and civil servants around him, which made Zhu Youxiao, who was used to living quietly, feel very unaccustomed.

And what Zhu Youxiao didn't expect was that he was still trying to get used to the life of becoming a prince, and he rarely saw him take care of his father, and Zhu Changluo, the Taichang Emperor who had only been on the throne for only one month, died suddenly. In January, at the age of sixteen, he crossed the prince stage and directly became the head of this old empire - the Emperor of the Great Tomorrow.

It was a very uncomfortable feeling to be an emperor.

The empire is too big, there are too many things. Zhu Youxiao, who had not received systematic training in government affairs, did not even know anything about the responsibilities of the emperor.

Fortunately, Emperor Taichang Zhu Changluo left him with a cabinet team, which was quite effective. In the imperial court, he only needs to be handed over to the cabinet.

However, the palace transfer case that occurred on the eve of his accession to the throne, the eunuch Lao Wang An, who was in charge of the seal, and the impassioned Donglin Party members left a deep shadow on Zhu Youxiao.

The ministers of the outer court were just fine, but Lao Wang An and Zhu Youxiao had to replace him immediately. still uses Li Jinzhong, who has been with him for many years, to feel safer.

In Wei Zhongxian's chatter, Zhu Youxiao struggled to open his eyes and glanced at him.

Over the years, Li Jinzhong has also obviously aged.

Well, Li Jinzhong's original surname is Wei, and in view of his years of hard work, I let him restore his original surname and give him the name Zhongxian.

Zhu Youxiao was very satisfied with the name he gave, but the imperial government was not so satisfied.

In the first year of the Apocalypse, not long after he ascended the throne, Liaodong fought a big defeat. What kind of old slave, he actually occupied Liaoshen, Liaodong is in danger.

Although where Liao Shen is, he doesn't know very well. But Zhu Youxiao clearly knows one thing, Liaodong is also the foundation passed down by the ancestors, so it's okay to lose it so easily?

After a chaotic mutual attack, the ministers of the court and the central government finally sent Xiong Tingbi and Wang Huazhen to clean up the mess.

But Zhu Youxiao didn't expect that in the second year of the Apocalypse, there was another Guangning defeat, and the old slave almost hit Shanhaiguan.

Shanhaiguan, Zhu Youxiao still generally knows where it is, and it is not too far from the capital.

The Donglin Party in the middle of the court made a big attack this time, complaining that other courtiers were hindered, and it was other courtiers who led to the defeat of Guangning.

Well, given that Sun Shi is also a member of the Donglin Party, I believe them. I approved the resignation of the elder of the Fang Pavilion and completely handed over the government to the Donglin Party.

But how did they repay me?

Thinking of this, Zhu Youxiao's face showed a trace of anger.

The Donglin Party, who controlled the government and claimed to be the Zhongzheng Ying Dynasty, apart from squeezing out dissidents, accusing him of not cultivating virtue, and asking him for the silver of the inner treasury to support the operation of the imperial court, what else did they do?

The treasury of the household department is depleted, and my inner treasury is about to be depleted, can't those Donglin party people see it?

are also members of the Donglin Party, why are Sun Shi and Ye Ge Lao working hard for the imperial court, while Yang Lian, Zhao Nanxing, Gao Panlong and others do not have the imperial court in their eyes, only their own name?

Don't they know that if the court has no money, the army has no salary, and the people have no alms. If there is no pay and no relief, the world will be in chaos. If the world is in turmoil, my ancestral inheritance will not be protected.

How come they just don't understand such a simple truth?

Except to squeeze out the dissidents, they can't do something practical?

Taking a rough breath, Zhu Youxiao's face became a little hideous.

I can see it, it's not that they don't understand, they just have too much selfishness. Their hearts are full of their names, their families, their interests, where is there still a place to think about me and the survival of the Ming Dynasty.

Fortunately, I still have Xiao Wu, and Wei Zhongxian.

Thinking of Xiao Wu and Wei Zhongxian, Zhu Youxiao's face slowly calmed down, and a smug smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Wei Zhongxian is both loyal and courageous, although he can't read, he has a lot of momentum to do things, and he dares to do anything.

He did a good job of using him to clean up the Donglin Party in the court, fight against those who only have families and no court in their hearts, and recover the lost financial resources for the court.

Wei Zhongxian is indeed a bit domineering, but how can he suppress the Donglin Party in the DPRK without being domineering. Wei Zhongxian was indeed greedy for a little money, but on the whole, he knew a little more about priorities than those Wenchen.

At least the Ningyuan defense line built by Sun Shi, a member of the Donglin Party, was completed with the support of Wei Zhongxian. However, the Donglin Party will only let Sun Shi cut military spending and reduce spending.

It can be said that without the support of the so-called eunuch party, there would have been no Ning Yuan's victory in defeating the old slave for the first time.

Thinking of the title of 'eunuch', Zhu Youxiao showed a sneer on his face.

What eunuchs?

These are obviously 'imperial parties'.

In addition to occupying the commanding heights of morality and barking against righteousness, what else will the Donglin Party do?

Rebuild the three major halls, and they dare to ask for 10 million taels of silver. And the project of rebuilding the three major halls presided over by Wei Zhongxian is now almost completed, and it only cost four million taels of silver. This figure is more than half of the 10 million taels reported by the Donglin Party.

In this matter, it is obvious who is more greedy.

Zhu Youxiao let out a low sigh in his throat.

Even Yang Lian, who has always been known for his honesty, and other Donglin Party members were found to have obvious corrupt behaviors. The true ethics of these civil servants are really chilling!

As the saying goes, 'it is difficult to draw dragons and tigers, and it is difficult to draw bones, and you don't know your heart'. It's so hard to see a person.

Thinking of this, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

I'm so tired!

He is really tired of taking charge of this ancestral foundation and maintaining this big empire!

"Little Five, where is Little Five?"

Zhu Youxiao's mouth suddenly let out an inquiring voice that was weak but unusually clear.