The smile on his face slowly retracted a little, and Emperor Zhengde said to Zhou Chen with a solemn expression: "Brother Zhou and I have the grace to save my life, why should you and I be so polite!" ”

"Your Majesty, there is a difference between monarchs and ministers, and etiquette cannot be abolished!"

Zhou Chen bowed down again, and said again and again: "Please also ask Your Majesty to call the name of the minister, this Brother Zhou's title, the minister really doesn't dare to take it." ”

After glancing at Zhou Chen deeply, Emperor Zhengde suddenly smiled, and said in a cheerful voice: "I haven't seen you for a few years, and you are still polite to me." ”

Immediately, I saw Emperor Zhengde turn his head to look at Cao Zhengchun on the other side, and said with a smile: "What are you doing in a daze?!" Why don't you hurry up and give Lord Zhou a seat?! ”

For Emperor Zhengde's instructions, Cao Zhengchun naturally did not dare to be the slightest bit lazy, he hurriedly moved a chair to Zhou Chen's side, and then respectfully went to Emperor Zhengde's side to wait.

After Zhou Chen thanked him, he carefully sat on the chair, and the emotions in his heart calmed down a lot.

Regardless of what Emperor Zhengde means by calling Zhou Chen back to Beijing at the moment, but with Emperor Zhengde's current attitude, it should not be something harmful to Zhou Chen.

After all, not everyone can be given a seat by the emperor when they meet the emperor, which obviously represents the importance that Emperor Zhengde attaches to Zhou Chen.

Seeing that Zhou Chen was seated, Emperor Zhengde looked at him and let out a sigh, sighed and said: "To be honest, until today, I feel that my father's decision back then buried your talent.

I think you will be able to enter the cabinet in the future, but your father just got you to the frontier and gave you the identity of a brocade guard, isn't this delaying your future future?! ”

Emperor Zhengde's words seemed to be fighting for Zhou Chen, but they instantly made Zhou Chen's heart tighten.

If it was a few years ago, when Emperor Zhengde was still that young man who was born to jump out, Zhou Chen might not believe that he was really complaining for himself.

However, now that a few years have passed, and he has even become the helmsman of the Ming Empire, Zhou Chen doesn't believe that his mind is still as innocent and simple as a few years ago.

Not to mention anything else, it is impossible for Emperor Hongzhi not to cultivate the heart and means of him, the only heir, in the past few years.

Therefore, Zhou Chen guessed in his heart that Emperor Zhengde's current words that seemed to be complaining about himself were probably testing his attitude.

Immediately, after Zhou Chen secretly considered it carefully in his heart, he replied loudly: "Your Majesty is serious!"

To be able to share worries for His Majesty and the Ming Dynasty is the duty of the minister, and how can the minister bury it! ”

Speaking of this, Zhou Chen paused slightly, and then continued to speak with a grateful look: "And the emperor treats his ministers well.

In just a few years, the emperor promoted his ministers from a white body to the current four-grade prefect, and also served as the commander of the brocade guard.

The minister deeply felt the emperor's grace, and he would definitely be the first emperor and die for His Majesty! ”

Regardless of whether the grateful look on Zhou Chen's face was true or not, Emperor Zhengde was very satisfied after listening to his words.

Nodding slightly, Emperor Zhengde smiled and said, "Father told me that your loyalty is worthy of promotion and reuse. ”

Speaking of this, Emperor Zhengde's words couldn't help but turn, and he continued with a majestic face: "But my father is my father, although I understand his old man's approach, but I also have my own choice.

Now I will give you a chance to change, and you can choose between the civil and military officials again.

If you choose the former, I will let you return to Guangyang Mansion to continue to serve as your Sipin Prefect, whether you will become a feudal official in the future, or enter the cabinet, it all depends on your own talents.

If you choose the latter, I will remove all your ranks, ranks, and official positions as civil officials, and you will be at ease in charge of the Jinyi Guard, the pro-army of the Son of Heaven, for me, just like the one prepared by my father before his death.

However, if you choose this path, you will have to prepare for the result of confrontation with the hundreds of officials in the DPRK and China. ”

Hearing the words of Emperor Zhengde in his ears, Zhou Chen couldn't help but fall silent.

Emperor Zhengde seemed to have given Zhou Chen two paths to choose from, but in fact, there was only one way to go.

If he chooses to concentrate on the path of civil officials, Zhou Chen dares to guarantee that he will inevitably lose a lot of points in the heart of Emperor Zhengde.

After all, let Zhou Chen take the road of Jinyiwei, but Emperor Hongzhi had already planned it before his death, in order to leave a sharp blade that could deter hundreds of officials in the court after Emperor Zhengde succeeded to the throne.

Don't look at Emperor Zhengde's words and say that he disagrees with Emperor Hongzhi's arrangement for Zhou Chen, but with Emperor Zhengde's always filial piety, if Zhou Chen chooses to go against Emperor Hongzhi's wishes, his trust and hope for Zhou Chen will naturally be greatly weakened.

Another point is that a few years ago, because of the Jin Shang Fan Tian family, Zhou Chen had already offended the Jin Shang family's umbrella in the civil official group.

Now the reason why Zhou Chen can be safe and easy is that in addition to being favored by the two emperors Hongzhi and Zhengde, the power of the Jinyi Guard in his hands also plays an extremely important role.

If Zhou Chen really gave up the power of Jinyiwei and went to the path of civil officials wholeheartedly.

He didn't have any backers in the court, and he lost the trust of Emperor Zhengde, so he was afraid that sooner or later he would be swallowed up by the umbrella behind those Jin merchants.

Relatively speaking, the path of concentrating on Jinyiwei is completely different.

Even Jin Yiwei was destined to stand on the opposite side of the Chinese military officials, which would make Zhou Chen fall into an almost isolated situation above the Ming Dynasty.

But this is not a problem for Zhou Chen at all, after all, his goal has always been to control power and gather luck.

As for the connections in the government and the opposition, this is simply something dispensable for Zhou Chen.

And the road of taking charge of Jinyiwei is exactly in line with Zhou Chen's goal all along.

As the pro-army of the Son of Heaven, all its power comes from the emperor of the current dynasty.

As long as he can gain the trust of the emperor and loyally follow the emperor's beliefs as the criterion, then the status of Jinyiwei will never be shaken in the slightest.

After weighing the pros and cons of these two paths, Zhou Chen's choice is naturally self-evident.