The weather is getting colder day by day, and the prestige of the West Factory is also like this cold wind, which is becoming more and more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

Although Ye Xun is very low-key, he never does things in a low-key manner, and the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty all know that Ye Xun has made great contributions to the new emperor's accession to the throne, so he has a tacit understanding of the existence of the West Factory.

Ye Xun will still often go in and out of the palace, accompany Zhu Changluo to talk, and guide Zhu Youxiao's martial arts, which is at the strong request of Zhu Youxiao, this kid has not played well since he was a child, and he is not interested in books.

Zhu Youxiao is very envious of Ye Xun's ability to come and go, and he practices very hard, but it's a pity that he doesn't want to practice to Ye Xun's level in this life.

Zhu Changluo has too many recitals to review every day, and his own cultural level is not high, so he even neglects the cultivation of his son, I have to say that this is also a pair of wonderful father and son.

Ye Xun remembered that Zhu Changluo fell ill after ascending the throne for more than ten days and died in more than 20 days, so in the first month of Zhu Changluo's accession to the throne, Ye Xun followed him almost every step of the way, but fortunately he came over without danger.

It's not that Ye Xun doesn't want to move forward according to the trajectory of history, it's just that he doesn't like Zhu Youxiao very much, and he always feels that this kid is too scheming, and although the Donglin Party members have all taken the position, at present, they can't talk about how much impact it will have on the government, so Ye Xun wants to let Zhu Changluo, the emperor, stay longer.

Wanli and Nurhachi have already gone to see God in advance because of his appearance, who dares to say that there will be no new changes in the Ming Dynasty in the future?

Once a gentleman and a courtier, the court has never been a place to keep people.

In the ten-mile long pavilion outside the city, Ye Xun and Fang Congzhe sat opposite each other, and there was only a jar of old wine on the table in front of the two.

The old man, who had supported the Ming Cabinet alone for several years, was finally leaving, and it was he who took the initiative to ask Zhu Changluo to resign, although Zhu Changluo symbolically retained it, but now that the court is the world of the Donglin Party, Fang Congzhe's layoff is inevitable, so Fang Congzhe's retirement application was finally approved.

The old man was in a very good mood, personally poured a glass of wine for Ye Xun, and said with a smile: "I didn't expect that the old man had been an official for decades, and in the end, only you came to send me, and the old man was worth it to be so loved by Ye Gonggong, who was powerful in Liaodong."

Ye Xun smiled and waved his hand, and then a guard walked over with a package.

"I know that Ge Lao doesn't like these things, but this is a little bit of my heart, and I hope Ge Lao will not refuse"

Fang Congzhe has been an official for decades, but he has a little family background but his son has been harmed, although the court has also given a pension, but for his family, it is just a drop in the bucket.

Seeing that Ye Xun ordered someone to put the package in his carriage, Fang Congzhe sighed, but finally did not refuse.

Turning to Ye Xun, he said, "What are your plans for the future?" But do you still want to go back to Liaodong? ”

"I know that I can't hide anything from the elder pavilion, I really want to go back to Liaodong, although it is a little harder, but I am not so tired, but Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and it is inevitable that there will be some small impatience in the court, I must ensure that Your Majesty is absolutely stable before I can leave"

Some potential meanings, Ye Xun naturally can't say it to the other party.

Fang Congzhe shook his head and said, "Some people shout about loyalty and patriotism all day long, but what they think about is fighting for power and profit, only you are the real loyal monarch!" ”

"Elder Ge is wrong, to say something disrespectful, I am loyal to this country and this nation, as long as it is beneficial to the people of the world, whoever becomes the emperor is the same"

"Teng!"

As soon as Ye Xun's words fell, Fang Congzhe stood up suddenly, looked at Ye Xun with an angry face, and said, "You, you are a big rebel, you, I..."

Ye Xun quietly looked at Fang Congzhe, who was about to go berserk, and only said after a while: "Does Elder Ge think what I said is wrong?" ”

If he was young, Fang Congzhe would definitely have to duel with Ye Xun because of Ye Xun's words, but now he has more than enough heart and no strength.

After taking a breath for a while, he finally sat down and said with a wry smile: "Sometimes the old man really doubts what your guts do?" Dare to do anything, dare to say anything, if you weren't from the inner palace, the old man would have gone to His Majesty to denounce you."

Ye Xun smiled, but he didn't want to go on with this topic, and said, "What does Elder Ge think of the Donglin Party?" ”

Fang Congzhe obviously didn't want to dwell on this issue, he was too sensitive.

Hearing Ye Xun mention the Donglin Party, he couldn't help but pout, and said, "It's just a group of sanctimonious hypocrites."

"The old man has been in charge of the cabinet for many years, and he knows that the imperial court's tax revenue is shrinking year by year, and the arable land is also decreasing on a large scale. It's not that I don't have any money, but the money goes into my own pocket, take the mining tax as an example, although the mine supervisors in various places have exploited it, but it is also an income of the imperial court, after the Donglin Party came to power, what they thought about was not how to govern the mine supervisors, but to cancel the mine tax, because these mine owners and the Donglin Party have a close relationship"

"There is also the nominal maritime ban in Jiangnan, and the officials in Jiangnan who oppose the opening of the sea and trade are the most happy, but their family is not secretly operating in the shipping industry?"

The more Fang Congzhe spoke, the more excited he became, and finally exhaled angrily: "No matter, the old man doesn't have the energy to care about these anymore."

Ye Xun knew that what Fang Congzhe said was the truth, and even Wanli knew these things when he was alive, but just like Jingying, taxes and forbidden seas are not a red line that cannot be crossed?

But now Ye Xun is going to touch it, but of course he won't blatantly engage in these things, he wants to use a subtle and silent method to infiltrate, and solve it together when the time is ripe.

Lao Fang took a sip of wine and moistened his throat, looked at Ye Xun and suddenly said, "Are you kid playing any bad ideas again?" The old man can warn you that there are some things that must not be touched."

Ye Xun smiled again, this old man is really an old man, and he can guess whatever he thinks.

Just when Ye Xun was seeing off Fang Congzhe, a high-level meeting was also being held in the Qianqing Palace.

In addition to Zhu Changluo, the emperor, there are also cabinet scholars Liu Yijing, Han Kuang, Zhou Jiamo, the secretary of the ministry, and Sun Ruyou, the first squire who was promoted to the secretary of the Ministry of Rites the next day, and the last one is also the newly appointed head of the household department Li Zhiwen, but Li Zhiwen is not a member of the Donglin Party.

The central topic of the meeting was that the imperial court ran out of money.

In addition to Liaodong during the Wanli period, the important towns of the nine borders have been in arrears with a large amount of military salaries, and after Zhu Changluo ascended the throne, in addition to adding officials, he also allocated a large amount of silver taels to the nine border military towns to calm the hearts of the army.

These things were originally good things, but after the good things were done, Zhu Changluo was surprised to find that the treasury was empty, and he was about to run mice.

How can such a huge empire be kept running without money? Just this morning, the inspectorate of the Imperial Palace, Zuo Guangdou, also suggested that the emperor cancel the taxes and mining taxes in various places.

Zuo Guangdou is also a member of the Donglin Party, and his report is also based on facts, the mine supervisors and tax supervisors in various places are eunuchs, these people have a natural preference for silver, and the imperial court wants to levy a penny tax, and when it comes to them, it may become ten wen or more.

So when Zhu Changluo didn't ascend the throne, he thought about canceling the tax supervisors in various places, but after finding that the treasury had no money, Zhu Changluo hesitated...