There have been countless times, Wanli has been looking forward to Zhang Juzheng resigning from all official positions and leaving, and returning the power of controlling the government to himself. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 info A few times, even in a dream, he was very happy because he dreamed about it, but after waking up from the dream, he was even more melancholy.

Wanli thought that when this happened, he would be overjoyed, and he would not hesitate to agree to Zhang Juzheng's resignation. However, it was not until the actual incident happened that he found that he was only nervous, dazed and at a loss, and there was no joy at all.

Although Wanli is still young, he also has his own momentum, feeling that he is the emperor, and he can do everything. But deep down in his heart, he also knows a truth, what does Zhang Juzheng mean to the current Ming court, once he really leaves, the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty will inevitably be in chaos, even he, the emperor, will be difficult to control the situation, and the state affairs will be even more difficult.

He is no longer the hairy boy who was only a few years ago, and he knows that many things must not be determined by his own likes and dislikes, even if he still has great prejudices against Zhang Juzheng, but in the face of this sudden matter, he still asks the matter first before speaking.

Seeing the emperor's reaction, Zhang Juzheng also felt a little comforted in his heart. The little emperor has finally grown, although he still looks a little immature, and he seems a little flustered when he is about to die, but it is much better than what he feared. So he bowed down again and said in a voice full of sadness: "Back to Your Majesty, the minister just got the news that my father had died of illness in his hometown a few days ago. With the rules and regulations of our dynasty, as a son of man, he should return to his hometown to guard filial piety for three years, and I hope that His Majesty can grant permission! ”

"Ah......" The emperor was stunned again, completely convinced that it was not Zhang Ju who was testing himself, but indeed the reason why he had to leave. And in this matter, even he, the son of heaven, can hardly forcibly deny the other party's request.

The foundation of the Ming Dynasty is this filial piety, and everyone has a conventional view that only filial piety can become loyal ministers. If someone is not even filial to his parents, and even his father is sick and dies, he does not abandon his official position and return to his hometown to keep filial piety, then this person will definitely not be tolerated by the world, and will become the object of spurning by the subjects of the world. If this person is still an important minister of the court, he will have to bear more infamy, and it will not be acceptable.

Even Zhang Juzheng, the world-powerful cabinet chief, did not dare to make mistakes in the face of such strong public opinion pressure, and only obediently followed the rules.

After being stunned for a long time, the emperor said in a somewhat hesitant voice: "Master Zhang, I understand your mood, and I also know that the rules cannot be changed casually. However, there are many affairs between the DPRK and China, and you have a heavy responsibility as the first assistant, so how can you leave casually? Filial piety to one's parents is certainly the foundation of the son of man, but loyalty to the country is also the foundation of one's ministers......"

Zhang Juzheng kowtowed again: "Your Majesty naturally understands what the minister said. However, when He Chen suddenly heard this bad news, his mind was completely confused, even if he was barely supported in the cabinet, he was afraid that it would be difficult to do too much for the imperial court. The minister also asked His Majesty to allow the minister to resign and return to his hometown to worry about ......"

"This ......" Seeing that Zhang Juzheng insisted on it, Wanli was really not good to continue to keep it for a while, but in fact, in his heart, he also had the intention of pushing the boat down. But then, a voice reminded him that the situation between the DPRK and China is not under his control, and Zhang Juzheng's departure will only be detrimental to the DPRK situation, so he must be left first.

"Master Zhang, now I really can't agree to your request immediately, I hope you can wait for a day or two for the time being, and then make a decision after I discuss with other officials, what do you think?" In the end, Wanli could only delay the matter first, and Xu Tu would plan later.

Zhang Juzheng saw that he had already made his attitude very obvious, and if he insisted any longer, it would only be self-defeating, and let the emperor really agree to his resignation -- that would be shooting himself in the foot -- so he accepted it when he saw that it was good, and agreed to it for the time being. But at the same time, he said: "However, the minister's mind is confused now, and it is obviously impossible to make any decisions for the court, so the minister asks His Majesty to allow the minister to go home and keep filial piety for his father behind closed doors." ”

"This is human nature, I naturally will not allow it, and I hope that Master Zhang can mourn!" Wanli nodded and said, in this way, Zhang Juzheng temporarily stopped the work at hand and went home with grief.

And at the same time as he left the palace, this shocking news had spread like the wind throughout the Beijing officialdom, and even ordinary people knew that such a big incident had happened in Zhang Ge's old family.

For a time, all kinds of related and irrelevant people were talking about this, some said that there would be great turmoil in the imperial court, and some speculated whether Zhang Juzheng, the most powerful cabinet chief assistant in the Ming Dynasty, would leave the capital according to the rules and return to his hometown...... All kinds of voices filled the government and the opposition.

However, these people are at most discussing this after dinner, and it is still the day when they really have the right to decide on it. And the emperor, when he summoned his ministers and asked them how to deal with this sudden incident, these officials also gave inconsistencies, and it was difficult to give him a definite answer.

After all, courtiers all have parties and factions, and they all have their own interests and demands. Those officials who are dissatisfied with Zhang Juzheng's new policy for a long time naturally want him to leave the center. In this way, they will have the means to get rid of all the systems that Zhang Juzheng has set up that they don't like in the past few years.

And those staunch supporters of Zhang Juzheng strongly opposed Zhang Juzheng and Ding Wei. The reason they put forward is also very high-sounding, the country is indispensable to Zhang Gelao, and sacrificing the well-being of thousands of Li people for a small family is really a greater unfilial piety. Of course, deep in their hearts, the real reason is that they are worried that as soon as Zhang Juzheng leaves, the future of themselves and others will dissipate.

However, several cabinet ministers and six Shangshu, who could really speak in front of the emperor, were particularly silent on this matter. These people are old and sophisticated officialdom old fritters, in this situation of unclear matters, even if they have opinions, they will only be tested by the voices of the people under them, and they will never take action as soon as they come up.

So after some arguments, except for making the emperor's head bigger, Wanli had almost no gains. After retiring his subordinates with some difficulty, the worry on the little emperor's face became even heavier: "I saw that when Zhang Ge Lao faced various problems, he could easily let the ministers speak according to his meaning, but I thought this kind of thing was very simple. But now it seems that I have made things simpler. Just such a few things, the ministers can argue for so long, and they can't argue for a reason, I haven't really controlled the situation yet. ”

After thinking about this, Wanli didn't want Zhang Juzheng to leave like this. But he still had two knots in his heart, one of which was naturally to think of some idea to keep him; The second is that he still has some resistance to this in his heart, if he really leaves Master Zhang behind, he is afraid that his power will be greater than before, and then his authority as the emperor will not be completely overshadowed by him.

But he couldn't talk about this thought with any random person, which made him feel even more tormented, and he walked back and forth in the empty hall for more than half an hour, and there was no pause.

"Your Majesty, it's dinner time, please eat first." At this time, Sun Hai cautiously came over and persuaded him.

"I'm not hungry...... but Wanli, who was full of worries, waved his hand at the other party a little irritably: "There has been such an accident in the court, and I, who is the emperor, can't make up my mind for a long time, what am I going to do with this meal?" ”

"Your Majesty......" Seeing the emperor speak like this, Sun Hai quickly knelt down: "Your Majesty, don't be anxious, let alone be angry with your dragon body." In fact, the slave has an opinion on this kind of thing......"

"Oh? Tell me about it. "Wanli really has some intention of rushing to the doctor at this time, even if it is a eunuch, he wants to hear it at this time.

"The slave maid thinks that it is obviously a little difficult to ask the adults in the court about this matter, they have their own plans, but they rarely think about your majesty. If you want to get pertinent advice, you can only find the closest and caring person, such as the Queen Mother......" Sun Hai said in a low voice.

"Yes, why did I forget the queen mother, she must be on my side." When the emperor heard this, his face suddenly showed a hint of joy: "Come on, hurry up and drive Cining Palace, and I will go to see the Queen Mother." ”

In fact, Sun Hai's purpose in saying this is to bring someone in. However, the emperor's reaction speed was too fast, and he didn't let him finish his words, and he had already made a will. And if he said it again, it seemed a little deliberate, Sun Hai could only sigh, and said silently in his heart, Yang Yan, we can't help you this time.

After the Empress Dowager completely handed over the power and almost didn't ask about foreign affairs, the relationship between the emperor and her mother and son was much closer. At least every day, the emperor would go over to say goodbye, and the two would say something considerate from time to time.

For such a relationship, Empress Dowager Li is also satisfied. After all, she is not like those famous authoritarian queen mothers in history such as Lu Pheasant and Wu Zetian, she is just a little woman in her heart, and she only hopes that her son can be well and close enough to her.

However, when the matter of Zhang Juzheng came from the foreign dynasty today, the Empress Dowager Li was still very entangled in her heart. She was afraid that the emperor would come according to her own temperament, and really let Zhang Juzheng leave the court. In that way, the next days of his mother and mother will be bearable, and the emperor has not grown up to be able to control the court situation alone.

But even so, Empress Dowager Li still did not go to the emperor to speak. Because she was a little worried that the emperor would not only not listen to what she said, but would have the opposite effect, and even be suspicious of herself.

Therefore, when she heard that the emperor was coming, Empress Dowager Li was still quite happy in her heart, and quickly asked someone to welcome him in, and she herself stood up from her seat with some eagerness......