In the study room of the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Youzhen looked at the rank evaluation form placed in front of him and thought for a long time, and finally took the pencil on the side and wrote Sun Chengzong's name on the front of the form, and then marked the word marshal behind the name.

Zhu Youzhen immediately closed the list of titles, and then handed it to Wang Chengen and said: "Submit this list to the cabinet for review and approval, and tell them that the military rank of marshal means that in the emergency moment when I am unable to command the army, Mr. Sun can command all the armies of the Ming Dynasty in the name of the marshal without the permission of the cabinet until I can return to power." In addition, they were told that in order to guarantee the marshal's independent status, I had decided not to confer any knighthood on the marshal. ”

Wang Chengen didn't dare to take the list handed over by Chongzhen, he said with some anxiety: "Your Majesty, do you think about it again?" Taizu said in the past that the post of marshal of the capital can no longer be crowned in the future, and those who dare to be canonized will be national thieves, and the world will discuss them. ”

Zhu Youzhen smiled at him and said: "I canonized the marshal, not the marshal of the capital, and I did not set up another marshal mansion, where did I violate the teachings of Taizu?"

What's more, the rules set by Taizu in the past have been almost broken a long time ago. Isn't this one missing? Go and hand it over to the cabinet so that they can review and approve it as soon as possible, so that those who have the heart will not continue to make waves.

Also, how is the treaty with the Korean envoys being negotiated? ”

Seeing that Chongzhen had made up his mind, Wang Chengen had to take the list in the emperor's hand and walked out of the study with his head down. He could only comfort himself in his heart, Sun Chengzong's character is still reassuring, and the marshal is not a prince, so he doesn't have to worry about the situation that will not fall in the future, and the most important thing is that this Mr. Sun is almost seventy years old, and he will not be able to hold this power for a few years.

When Wang Chengen had no choice but to go to the cabinet to convey Chongzhen's meaning, Lu Qi was facing the emperor and said: "Regarding the provisions of free trade, the Korean envoys have basically accepted them.

However, that Shen Qiyuan resolutely refused to agree, and our country could have the right to explore and open mines in North Korea, as well as the right to issue paper money in the Kingdom of Korea. The Shen envoy was forced to be in a hurry, so he claimed that he would rather die than sign it. Our negotiators were afraid that something would be difficult to clean up, so they could only ease up. ”

Zhu Youzhen smiled and said: "Although North Korea is a small state, there are still one or two hard bones. But Shen Qiyuan is so tough, the deputy envoy and interpreter is called Gu Shihe, what does he say? ”

Lu Qi replied: "This deputy envoy Gu is very good at talking, although he is also from two classes, but his mother is just a concubine, if it weren't for the urgent need for an interpreter who is familiar with our country's language, he would not have been able to choose this position."

But even so, after he completed this errand, when he returned to China, he would at most be rewarded as a petty official, and thrown to some poor country to fend for himself, and there would be no change in his life.

Therefore, this deputy envoy is very willing to serve my Daming, but because of his background, he basically has no say in the mission. Even if he promised us something, it would be useless, and Shen Qiyuan would not follow his advice. Even if he was forced to sign it, Shen Qiyuan would overturn the treaty after returning to China, because the Korean people would only follow Shen Qiyuan's advice. ”

Zhu Youzhen thought for a while, and then said easily: "Then it's better to leave Shen Qiyuan in Daming, discuss it with the Prime Minister Yamen, and then ask the Ministry of Rites to notify the North Korean mission."

Let's just say that the communication between Korea and the Ming Dynasty is inconvenient, as the number one overseas vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, I hope to be able to communicate with the Korean state from time to time to maintain the friendship between the clans and vassals. Therefore, I have decided to set up permanent envoys between the two countries, and in the future, there will be envoys to and fro, and there is no need to send envoys every year.

Shen Qiyuan was a valuable person, and I liked him very much, so I made him the first permanent envoy of Korea to the Ming Dynasty, and then asked the Korean kingdom to change the envoy after 3 or 5 years. In addition, he asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to find a house for Shen Qiyuan, let him settle down in the capital, and distribute the money from the treatment of a third-grade official, and take the accounts of the prime minister's yamen.

Then have a good talk with Gu Shihe, and grant him a Ming official position, six or seven grades. He signed the treaty and sent him back to his country. When he returned, let him meet Wang Huazhen, and if the Korean monarchs and ministers had any questions about the treaty, let Wang Huazhen put some pressure on them. ”

Regarding the orders issued by Chongzhen, as long as it is not related to the palace, Lu Qi has always been what the emperor says, and he will do it. Especially for such instructions from overseas vassals, he didn't care even more. Therefore, Lu Qi quickly agreed, and left the study to instruct his subordinates to deal with the emperor's orders.

After coming over for a while, he returned to the upper study and asked Chongzhen for instructions: "Your Majesty, Xia Yunyi, a student at Yenching University, is asking to see Your Majesty outside the palace. ”

Zhu Youzhen looked up at him and said happily: "Yi Zhong is here, it seems that he has completed the method and program for the creation of the Youth Society that I asked him to formulate." Go and summon him in, I just happened to talk to him. ”

After Xia Yunyi was brought into the study by Lu Qi, he bent down and wanted to salute Chongzhen, but Zhu Youzhen walked a few steps around the desk, grabbed him and said: "Yi Zhong doesn't have to do these false courtesies, we are the same age, and we will often meet and discuss matters in the future. ”

Although Xia Yunyi was very moved, he still respectfully finished the half-salute and said: "Although the students are valued by Your Majesty, the courtesy of the monarch and the minister cannot be abandoned, which is also the right way for Your Majesty to govern the country." ”

Zhu Youzhen smiled bitterly and patted him on the shoulder and said, "Yi Zhong is really an honest man, forget it and sit down and talk." You're here this time, but do you want to submit to me the idea of creating a youth society? ”

Xia Yunyi took out a notebook from his bosom, handed it to Lu Qi on the side, and then said: "Yes, the student has written down what he has thought about in the past few months, and I also ask His Majesty to review it." ”

Zhu Youzhen took the fold from Lu Qi's hand, and then looked through it carefully. A quarter of an hour later, Chongzhen, who had finished reading the recital, frowned and straightened up.

He looked at Xia Yunyi and asked suspiciously, "What does Yi Zhong mean, does this youth society still have to recruit people from local literary societies?" ”

Xia Yunyi looked at Chongzhen and said seriously: "Yes, Your Majesty, the student has carefully thought about Your Majesty's request. The students thought that His Majesty wanted the students to establish a youth society, and after all, it was to reserve talents for the country and select people of insight from among them, so that they could assist His Majesty in governing the country and auxiliary government when they entered the official career in the future.

And the insightful talents in the world are all from the readers. Among the scholars, who are talented, capable, and willing to change the malpractices of the government and government, most of them are scholars from literary societies in various places.

For example, many literary societies in the south today are advocating that they will make people who are different from Japan useful and gather into one big society. Last year, the Society held a meeting in Yinshan, Wujiang, with thousands of people coming from all directions, and the meeting was held for a month.

The southern elite has almost been included in the Restoration Society, and if these people cannot be included in the Youth Society, I am afraid that they will inevitably become the opponents of our Youth Society in the future, and there may not be any party sympathy and disagreement in the future.

The students believed that in order to avoid the emergence of such a situation, the Youth Society should include people with lofty ideals from various local literary societies from the beginning of its establishment, such as Zhang Pu and Chen Zilong, who were all beautiful among the young scholars in the south. Not only is the talent better than the students, but the reputation of the scholars is far better than the students.

If they can become a member of the Youth Society, the Youth Society will surely become the place where everyone in the world is flocking, and the young heroes needed by His Majesty will definitely be like a fish in the abyss, and they will all be enrolled. ”

Zhu Youzhen shook his head and said with a smile: "It seems that Yi Zhong still doesn't fully understand what I mean, and the youth society I want is not to select a few talents to help me govern the country. Yi Zhong thinks that today's Ming Dynasty needs to change? ”

Regarding this question, Xia Yunyi didn't even think about it, so he replied: "Today, the life of the people of our emperor and Ming is difficult, the border defense is difficult to resist the enemy, and the official treasury is empty, so it is natural to need reform. ”

Zhu Youzhen immediately said: "Yes, now everyone knows that my Ming needs to change, but there are very few people who know how to change, and there are even fewer people who have the ability, willingness, and willingness to take action to change the Ming Dynasty."

How to guide the country to change, how to lead the people to change, how to take action to participate in change. I don't think you can do it without young people.

Because young people still have the courage to change reality, while the elderly have been changed by reality and only want to keep what they have in their hands.

Therefore, I hope that the purpose of your founding of this youth society is not to send a few bureaucrats to the imperial court, but to use this organization to organize and lead the young people of the Ming Dynasty, and lead them to change those unreasonable realities, so as to become the most solid and reliable supporters of the reform of the Ming Dynasty.

As for the literati and celebrities you mentioned, maybe their fame is indeed not small, but if they have no intention of changing this society, but just want to use the literary society to raise their reputation, so as to gain a way to enter the office, then what is the significance of such people to the Youth Society? ”

Xia Yunyi was silent for a long time before explaining to Chongzhen: "Although some scholars in the literary society are indeed as Your Majesty said, not all the scholars who participate in the literary society think so, and please let Your Majesty know it." ”

Zhu Youzhen shook his head and said, "I don't have so much effort to discern it, so as long as the youth learn to set a threshold."

In addition to the members of the society, ordinary members who are over the age of 35 or who are local governors of the seventh rank or higher must apply for withdrawal from the association on their own initiative or be removed from the society. ”