After seeing Ning Jin being taken down, Zheng De looked at Min Jue again, "Min Aiqing, I still have one more thing for you to do." Pen ~ Fun ~ Pavilion www.biquge.info"

Min Jue bowed, "Please also ask Your Majesty to make it clear." ”

Zheng De nodded, and he didn't buy it. "I am going to issue an edict to recall the eunuchs of the Quartet, some of whom may have done a lot of illegal things in the local area. I am going to issue an edict for the magistrates to report and expose it, and then hand it over to you for personal investigation and interrogation. ”

"Eliminate the eunuchs of the Quartet?" Min Jue was shocked when he heard this, but he didn't expect the emperor to have such courage and do something that the previous emperors had never done, which really impressed him. also praised from the bottom of his heart, "Your Majesty is wise." ”

"Have these old guys smeared honey on their mouths recently, why have their mouths become so sweet?" Zheng De couldn't help but think when he heard this. Shaking his head helplessly, he had to change the topic and ask, "Is there anything else Min Aiqing does?" ”

Originally, it was just polite words, but I didn't expect Min Jue to really remember one thing, "Your Majesty, the eunuch Zhang Yu, the imperial hospital envoy Shi Qin, the court judge Liu Wentai, the imperial doctor Gao Tinghe and others have been detained in the heavenly prison for more than a month, I don't know what Your Majesty will do?" ”

Not to mention that Zheng De really forgot about these people, it is said that the death of his cheap father was because these people prescribed medicine without diagnosis and misused hot agents, causing Xiaozong to take medicine by mistake and die of nosebleeds. However, in Zheng De's own opinion, this is most likely a medical accident. After all, they have no grievances with their cheap father, so why should they murder him? I have to risk my own life, it really doesn't make sense and there is no motive. But let it go like this, and it's not easy for the minister to explain it!

"Isn't there a war going on on the Xuanfu side now? These people were sent as military doctors to treat wounded soldiers. Zheng De suddenly had an idea.

"Medic?" Min Jue really didn't understand what position this was, but he still felt that the punishment was a little too light, "Your Majesty, will this punishment be too light?" ”

"Is it too light? I don't think that after all, I risked my life all day to treat the wounded on the battlefield, and accidentally lost my life. Besides, this is enough to reduce the casualties of my Ming soldiers, killing two birds with one stone, it is more useful than locking it up. Zheng De also secretly praised his brilliant idea and waved his hand, "Okay, that's it." ”

"Obey." After listening to his explanation, although Min Jue felt that the punishment was still too light, he had to feel that what the emperor said was indeed reasonable.

"Is there anything else Aiqing is up to? If it's okay, go down and help me deal with these things. Zheng De looked at him and asked.

"Your Majesty, the old minister has retired." Min Jue got up and left tremblingly.

Looking at his departing back, Zheng De suddenly beckoned Wang Yue in and asked him, "This criminal department secretary is old this year?" ”

Wang Yue was stunned for a moment, not understanding why the emperor suddenly asked this, but he still replied, "Min Jue is seventy-six years old this year. ”

"It's seventy-six!" Zheng De was taken aback when he heard this, and hurriedly asked again, "It seems that Ma Wensheng, the secretary of the ministry, is already eighty years old, what about the rest of the scholars?" ”

Wang Yue didn't understand why the emperor suddenly asked this, but he still replied, "It seems that there are five out of sixty in Hanwen in the Hubu Shangshu this year, Zhang Sheng, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, four out of sixty, Liu Daxia, the secretary of the Ministry of War, and Zeng Jian, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, and two out of seventy. Why did Your Majesty ask about this? ”

"One eighty, three seventy, two sixty, estimated average age is over seventy. No wonder I always scare myself with the "ancestral system", sure enough, people are too old and their brains have become ossified. Zheng De couldn't help but chuckle when he thought of this. But when I thought about it, I suddenly felt that this was not a good thing. After all, these people are so old, and it is estimated that it won't be long before they should retire, isn't this also a good opportunity for them to really control the imperial court?

"But didn't the Ming Dynasty have a retirement system? Why are these old antiques who should have retired a long time ago still relying on them? Zheng De thought of this and looked at Wang Yue on the side, "Wang Yue, do we have a retirement system or something in the Ming Dynasty?" ”

Wang Yue, as a celebrant eunuch, knew a lot about some things in the imperial court, and immediately replied, "If you go back to the emperor, when your grandfather was alive, he ordered that 'civil and military officials over sixty years old should listen to Zhishi and give them a decree. In the fourth year of Hongzhi, the first emperor decreed that "voluntarily retire officials, regardless of age, and order them to be officials." ’”

Zheng De was a little speechless when he heard this, this is also a retirement system? Just say to the leader, I will approve if you are willing to retire, and as long as you are willing to retire, you will be paid the same salary this month. The initiative is completely in the hands of this group of ministers, what can you do if people are unwilling to resign? It's not binding at all, no wonder these people are so old, and they are still relying on not retiring. However, if Ma Wensheng and others heard it, they would definitely cry out for wrongdoing.

Speaking of this, Zheng De suddenly remembered that someone was coming. Wang Shu, a veteran of the Ming Dynasty who is now 90 years old and retired at home, once gave advice to Zheng De's cheap grandfather, Emperor Xianzong, when he had nothing to do, and in the past 22 years, he can be said to have given him a letter every day, rain or shine, and nagged about some big truths or something, which is more than the current "Kankan" Xie Qian. To be honest, Zheng De also admires his cheap grandfather, who endured it for 22 years before breaking out, and can be called the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". It wasn't until Ma Xian, the squire of the Nanjing Military Department, wrote his resignation that he had an idea and attached a sentence to his resignation letter, "Wang Shu retired with the prince's young insurance", which finally made this veteran who was not satisfied with the old man return to his hometown.

"If there is a retirement system, it is estimated that my cheap grandfather will not have to go to great lengths to let Wang Shu retire." Zheng De thought that this was quite sympathetic to his cheap grandfather, and at the same time thought that there was a similar figure in his court. Thinking of "Kankan" Xie Qian, he was also shocked in his heart, it seems that whether it is for himself to avoid repeating the mistakes of his cheap grandfather in the future, or to take power or something, it is imperative to implement the retirement system!

"According to the ancestral system, shouldn't these six scholars all be Zhishi?" Wang Yue was also taken aback by the emperor's idea when he heard this, "Does the emperor want to let the six Shangshu Zhishi?" Thinking of this, he hurriedly said, "Long live the Lord, the six Shangshu are the ministers left by the first emperor to His Majesty." Besides, His Majesty has just ascended the throne and needs the assistance of the old ministers, how can he be successful? ”

Zheng De looked at Wang Yue with some surprise, he didn't expect that the person next to him would stand up against his decision. After all, as a close attendant of the emperor's side, if he doesn't follow the emperor's wishes in everything, it is estimated that it will be difficult to mix in the palace. It seems that it was a good decision to keep Wang Yue by his side at the beginning, after all, he was not a sloppy person.

"These people are all good, if only they were a few years younger. It's a pity that he is indeed too old. I've worked hard for my whole life, and I'm at the age when I should take care of myself, otherwise wouldn't it seem that my royal family is too impersonal? ”

Zheng De seemed to be talking to himself, as if he was talking to Wang Yue. However, the latter still persuaded with some hesitation, "The emperor has just ascended the throne and issued an edict ordering the six Shangshu to be sent together, which will inevitably cause suspicion and panic among the courtiers, which is not conducive to the stability and peace of my Ming Dynasty, please think twice." ”

"It's a different kind of eunuch, I don't think about how to talk to the emperor, but I worry about the country and the people. It seems that eunuchs are not all a group of bad people, are there still good people? At least it's reassuring to have this one around. Zheng De glanced at Wang Yue with satisfaction, and then explained, "I didn't say that it was now, nor did I say that I ordered the six Shangshu to be sent together, but you think too much." ”

Not to mention that Zheng De didn't have this idea, even if he did, he wouldn't bring it up now, and he wouldn't really order the six Shangshu to be sent together. After all, he has just ascended the throne and his foundation is not stable, if he does such a thing, he will inevitably be considered to purge the old ministers, causing the courtiers to be suspicious and panicked, causing turmoil in the court, and if he is not careful, he may cause big trouble. However, it is an indisputable fact that the implementation of the retirement system is already in Zheng De's future plan.

Wang Yue breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this, and quickly knelt down to plead guilty, "Yes...... Yes, it's the slave and maid who are too careful, how could the emperor do something to destroy the Great Wall. The slave and maid deserve to die, the slave and the maid are guilty, and please punish Your Majesty. ”

"Get up." Zheng De frowned slightly, after coming to this world, one of the things he hated the most was that others knelt in front of him at every turn. Then he chuckled, did he overreact?

Wang Yue has been by Zheng De's side for more than a month, and he has somewhat understood the emperor's temperament. Don't talk nonsense, hurry up, "Thank you, Your Majesty." ”

"Go and help me write the holy decree of recalling the eunuchs from all directions." As a eunuch who is the celebrant and the eunuch, he naturally has the obligation to help Zheng De write the holy decree.

"Long live the lord really wants to recall the eunuchs of the Quartet, and the slave and maid think that this matter is probably inappropriate?" Wang Yue hesitated at this time and said. After all, after getting along for a month, Wang Yue knew more or less that Zheng De hated the people around him to interfere in politics the most.

Zheng De glanced at him, "What's wrong?" ”

"If there are no eunuchs in the town, it is difficult to ensure that the local officials are moved and do things that go against the emperor's will, and no one will tell Your Majesty." After listening to Wang Yue's explanation, Zheng De thought about it, and it was really the case. It is no wonder that successive emperors have been reluctant to remove the eunuchs who have guarded the town, even if these eunuchs who have left the town have caused public resentment in the local area. After all, if there are no eyes and ears in the locality, the imperial court's control over the local area will indeed be greatly weakened, which is not conducive to the stability of the entire regime. However, since the decision has been made to dismiss the eunuchs, he will never break his word. Moreover, the current existence of the eunuchs in the town will do more harm than good, and it is even easier to arouse the people's dissatisfaction with the court if they are angry and resentful in the locality, and if they do not do well, it will provoke a popular uprising.

Looking at Wang Yue on the side, he suddenly asked, "Is it you who is the commander of Dongchang now?" ”

The latter was stunned for a moment, and then nodded, "Back to the words of the Long Live Lord, it is indeed the slave maid who is the eunuch of the Dongchang palm seal now." ”

Zheng De nodded, "In that case, you send some spies to spy on the local civil and military officials, and tell me if there is any abnormality." In the end, I couldn't help but admonish, "Remember that it is secretly surveilling, don't make everyone know and people are panicked, otherwise you are the only one who asks." ”

"The slave and maid understand." Wang Yue instantly understood what the emperor meant, he wanted the spies in Dongchang to make up for the lack of ears and eyes left by the eunuchs after the eunuchs were removed, but they turned from light to dark, and they couldn't rely on their status as emperors to blatantly oppress local officials and people like before.