Zhang Yong left first, Song Nan was beaten until dark, riding alone on a big black horse along the brightly lit streets to the palace, after entering the Daming Gate, the voices of people were lonely, the wind lamps on the palace wall were swaying, and the shadows were full of shadows; Except for the patrol team of the palace brocade guards and fork knife hands, there was no life.

Song Nan walked slowly on the wide avenue in the palace, and suddenly felt that the palace was very deserted at night, compared to the laughter and laughter from every household on both sides of the street, this palace was too lifeless, although the people who lived here were noble and honorable, but they inevitably missed some simple pleasures in life.

Walking into the door of the Qianqing Palace, two little eunuchs came forward to check with lanterns, Song Nan looked at the two little eunuchs, but he was not very surprised, after Liu Jin's death, the eunuchs around the emperor were probably replaced by Zhang Yong, needless to say that these two little eunuchs were newly transferred to the Qianqing Palace on duty.

Song Nan didn't know them, but they knew Song Nan, and the two little eunuchs bowed and said, "The Hou Ye is here, and the emperor is waiting for the Hou Ye in the study." ”

Song Nan nodded and said, "Go and report." ”

A little eunuch hurriedly went to report, Song Nan followed behind and came to the apse, walked towards the lighted imperial study, and the little eunuch at the door raised his voice: "Lord Song has arrived." ”

Zhengde's slightly excited voice came from the room, "Please." ”

Song Nan walked in with a full suit and a straight dress, passed through the round door of the outer curtain, the room was lit with bright candles, and Zhengde had already stood up and looked at this side after the table, Song Nan walked quickly, and said loudly: "Minister Song Nan knocked on the emperor." ”

Zhengde walked out from behind the bookcase and said in a loud voice: "No courtesy, no courtesy." ”

Song Nan stood up, looked at Zhengde under the light, and said in a low voice: "The emperor has been reduced." ”

Zhengde grabbed Song Nan's hand and said, "Isn't it?" You've gained a lot of weight. ”

Song Nan smiled and said: "The gentleman is thin and the minister is fat, and the minister is shameless." ”

Zhengde laughed and said: "I don't mean that, come on, I've seen the imperial sister, the imperial sister is also here with me." ”

Song Nan's heart moved, turned his head to patrol, and saw Kang Ning slowly walking out behind the curtain, smiling like a flower under the light, Song Nan hurriedly stepped forward to salute, and after being busy for a while, the three of them sat down.

Zhengde looked at Song Nan with a smile in his eyes and said: "I haven't seen you for a month, I really miss you a little in my heart, too many things have happened in the past month, it's better for you to hide at home and enjoy Qingfu." ”

Song Nan hurriedly said: "The ministers are just too tired and want to rest for a while, and besides, the ministers in the court have no clue at all, with Yang Ting and them presiding, how can it be the turn of the ministers to give advice." ”

Zhengde sighed: "Song Nan, don't say anything against your will, because I am a little unhappy about Liu Jin's affairs, so I did have some opinions about you some time ago, but that is all in the past." I did doubt the authenticity of Liu Jin's rebellion, and even suspected that you were secretly framing Liu Jin, which I did not hide at all, but the imperial sister told me a lot of things in the past few days, including some things about how Liu Jin and Qian Ning abandoned her in Xinpingbao and fled for their lives regardless of the horse, and I realized that Liu Jin had been deceiving me since then. ”

Song Nan glanced at Kang Ning, Kang Ning nodded slightly with a smile in his eyes, Song Nan said: "There is no need to mention the past, Liu Jin is dead, no matter what kind of person he is, he has served the emperor for more than ten years, the emperor is a person who values love and righteousness, the minister understands that this matter is a big blow to the emperor, and the minister can understand it completely." ”

Zhengde nodded and said: "Very good, you and I have not talked like this for a long time, I remember that we talked after my father's funeral, and it was also on such a night, since then I have been a caring person, I hope there will be no suspicion between our monarchs and ministers." ”

Song Nan said: "The ministers are always the same to the emperor, and the emperor is at ease." ”

Zhengde smiled and nodded: "Very good, I felt that I was alone for a while, but I forgot that I still have you by my side; Zhang Yong went to your house to talk about my recent troubles? ”

Song Nan said: "The minister has heard of it. ”

"Recently, there have been a lot of changes in the officials of the outer court, Yang Tinghe has recommended a lot of people, and the six departments of the cabinet have also changed new people, and I am not in the mood to argue with them, so most of the candidates recommended by Yang Ting and them have agreed. What do you think about this? ”

Song Nan said: "The minister thinks that since it is Yang Tinghe's recommended person, he should be qualified and competent, Yang Tinghe still has some ability, the emperor can believe in what he does, and he is in charge of the outer court, and the national government affairs should not be too bad." ”

"Oh? It turns out that you think of Yang Tinghe like this, and I still think that Yang Tinghe is very unbearable. ”

Song Nan said with a smile: "The minister has one thing to say, although Yang Ting and the minister have no friendship, but the minister can't attack him without anything; He is a good hand in government affairs, there is no doubt about this, at least not much worse than Li Dongyang, Li Dongyang takes him very seriously, otherwise he would not have endured the humiliation and burden in exchange for letting Yang Tinghe enter the cabinet to stay in the cabinet, which shows that Yang Tinghe has very high expectations. ”

Zhengde nodded and said: "That's right, when he stayed in the cabinet, he was despised by the officials, and it seems that he did have high expectations for Yang Tinghe." ”

"Yang Tinghe is good, but he is a little old-fashioned, and he doesn't understand the taboo of being a minister, I heard that he has recently come to take care of the emperor's affairs, right?"

Zhengde suddenly became excited, and said with a very angry expression: "Isn't it? He led the civil officials to play, and wanted me to demolish the leopard house, abolish the West Garden, and follow the example of the first emperor to open the morning and evening to restore the ceremonial government, and what is even more infuriating is that he went to the queen mother where he persuaded the queen mother with clever words and found a queen for me, do you say you can be angry? ”

Song Nan shook his head slightly and said, "This Yang Tinghe." ”

Zhengde said: "Also, before I want to get married, the imperial sister must be married, and Yang Tinghe also brought the imperial sister to find a concubine; No, at noon today, the queen mother asked the imperial sister to look at each other, the imperial sister was reluctant to go, and the queen mother said a few words, and made a fuss to become a nun, you said, if my imperial sister really went to be a nun, isn't this a big joke? If it weren't for this Yang Ting and the blind mixing, how could there be so many things? ”

Song Nan was stunned and turned his head to look at Kang Ning, seeing Kang Ning sitting there with his head down, Chu Chu was pitiful, his heart was full of guilt, the reason why Kang Ning was making a fuss about becoming a nun was not because of his own existence?

Zhengde said to himself: "I actually don't understand why the imperial sister is reluctant to marry, but I only have such an imperial sister, I hope that she will live happily according to her wishes, even if the imperial sister stays in the palace for the rest of her life, I will not force her to marry." But the Queen Mother can't explain it, this Yang Tinghe, I can't wait to kick him twice. ”

Song Nan didn't dare to show anything, and turned around and said, "What are the emperor's own plans?" ”

Zhengde shook his head and said, "I don't know what to do, I expect you to give me an idea." ”

Song Nan thought for a while and said: "Let's demolish the Leopard House West Garden, those things are indeed Liu Jin's means to kill the emperor's will, and the emperor still shouldn't be nostalgic for those things; The female emperor in it chooses some lovely people to fill the harem, which is the best solution in the minister's opinion; In fact, the minister is not in favor of building a leopard house, and every year the leopard room in the palace alone consumes hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, so it is no wonder that people make irresponsible remarks. ”

Zhengde said in pain: "You said so, what else do I say?" But in this way, aren't Yang Ting and them arrogant? If there is one, there will be two, and I am afraid that they will gain an inch. ”

Song Nan said: "The emperor doesn't have to worry, don't forget that you are the emperor, and the civil officials are courtiers, if they have to make inches, the ministers are willing to teach them a lesson for the emperor and remind them not to forget their identity." ”

Zhengde was stunned and said, "You mean, beat them on the board?" ”

Song Nan smiled and said, "Why not?" I haven't given them a board for a few years, and I'm afraid they're itching their butts. Yang Tinghe didn't really want to force the emperor to talk about the morning and evening affairs, he was just trying to test the emperor and play the prestige of the united outer court. The emperor needs them to govern the country, but don't indulge them, whether they should be spanked or spanked, after a meal, they will be honest. ”

Zhengde was stunned for a long time and said: "But what if there is a trouble, and they are entangled with hundreds of people kneeling at the palace gate to petition?" I don't want to cause chaos in the DPRK and China. ”

Song Nan said: "Believe me, they won't make trouble, and they must have skills in playing the board, who they fight, and they are particular about everything, if they are beaten because they are diligent in government affairs, they will naturally come out to make trouble, but we don't give them this opportunity." ”

Zhengde nodded as if he didn't understand: "What you said seems to have some truth, but I'm still a little worried." ”

Song Nan said: "The emperor believes in the words of the minister, these things are done by the minister, and when the time comes, the emperor only needs to order the minister to beat their buttocks, so that the civil officials can be restrained, I promise the emperor." ”

Zhengde thought for a while and said, "Okay, I listen to you, but what about the big wedding?" The Queen Mother is pressing behind, and I'm going to be annoyed to death. And what should I do about the royal sister? ”

Song Nan said: "The emperor has also reached the age of marriage, and it is indeed a little inappropriate not to canonize the queen, but the queen's candidate does not need Yang Tinghe to worry about, the emperor can choose what he likes, I don't know if the emperor has a favorite candidate in his mind?" ”

Zhengde said: "Is it okay for the woman in the leopard room?" ”

Song Nan rolled his eyes and said, "What does the emperor think?" The queen is the mother of the world, at least a woman with a clean net worth, virtuous and virtuous woman, if the woman in the leopard room is particularly liked by the emperor, she can set up a few to stay in the harem as concubines. ”

Zhengde nodded and said: "I know, if you choose a woman with the right character, wealth, appearance and personality, as long as it is not Yang Ting and they forced it to me, I can marry her as the queen." ”

Song Nan was speechless, Princess Kangning suddenly said: "Your Majesty, I know a girl who thinks it's good, her personality and appearance are excellent, I went to Yong'an Temple to worship Buddha a few years ago, and it happened that she and her mother also went to worship incense. ”

Zhengde smiled: "Which family's daughter?" ”

Kang Ning said: "It's the daughter of Xia Ru, the editor of the History Museum, and her status is lower, so I don't know if it's suitable." ”

Zhengde said: "Identity is not a problem, change the emperor's sister to ask her to come to the palace, I will take a look." ”

Kang Ning nodded in agreement, and Zhengde turned to Song Nan and said, "You secretly check this Xia Ru to see what his family background is, and whether he has anything to do with Yang Ting and them, and then I will see how this woman surnamed Xia is, and then make a plan." ”

Song Nan had the heart to persuade Zhengde not to be so hasty, the queen's candidate needs to be carefully considered, but after thinking about it, with Zhengde's taste, his favorite is a milf slut, coupled with his addiction to wine, the queen in the future will be left out in the cold, the queen is just an ornament, and it is useless to say too much.

"The minister obeys the order, and the minister will start arranging this matter from tomorrow."

Zhengde smiled and said, "I'll leave it to you." ”