A person who has never crossed paths with himself turns out to be looking for himself.

When Zhu Youzhu heard these words, he immediately doubted himself, quickly searched in his mind, and soon determined that he had not had any intersection with the princess Dayuan in his monotonous life as a prince.

In fact, it is impossible to intersect! Da Ming and Beiyuan have always been in a state of hostility, Wang Zhi and Wang Yue once went straight to the Khan's court, what reason do a prince and a princess have to meet?

Liu Jin was standing on the sandalwood stove next to him playing with sandalwood, and when he heard this, he turned his head to look at this Shuntian Mansion Yin with confusion.

"Returning to Your Majesty, Princess Yikexi claimed to be entrusted by the deceased master Shen Mo, and came to the Shuntian Mansion to find Huang Shang and return the painting. Huang Shang, this name is worth scrutinizing, and Yi Kexi doesn't even know Huang Shang's appearance, and the minister saw that the painting of Princess Yi Kexi turned out to be an imitation of Gu Hong's painting, so Chen dared to deduce that it was a secret map that Shen Mo wanted to give to His Majesty through Princess Yi Kexi! Song Cheng met Zhu Youji's shocked gaze and said his judgment.

Zhu Youzhu suddenly found that he had thought of something wrong, and dared to love Princess Yixi, so he asked in confusion: "I remember that Gu Hong is a painter of the Southern Tang Dynasty, what is the importance of this Gu Hong's paintings?" ”

Liu Jin had never heard of this Southern Tang Dynasty painter recovering the replaced sandalwood, and looked at this black-faced young man who was talking in confusion.

"Your Majesty only knows that Gu Hong is a painter of the Southern Tang Dynasty, but few people in the world know that Gu Hong is actually a spy of the Southern Tang Emperor. Gu Hong was ordered to spy on the important minister Han Xizai, and at that time he drew the famous "Han Xizai's Night Banquet Map", so the minister deduced that Shen Mo wanted to pass on the information of the Northern Yuan to His Majesty through Princess Yikexi! Song Cheng combined his knowledge and made bold inferences.

Zhu Youzhi knew that in addition to sending the Ming Dynasty into the desert at night, some commanders or governors also had the tradition of sending spies to infiltrate Mongolia, and this Shen Mo was likely to be the spy sent by the Ming Dynasty to Mongolia.

If others deduced that Shen Mo was a secret agent of the Ming Dynasty based on a painting and a person's name, he would not believe it, but Song Cheng had already proved his amazing ability to reason.

Now that Song Cheng dared to make such an inference, and he came to meet him in person, it proved that he had a considerable grasp of this inference.

Zhu Youzhu nodded noncommittally, and asked directly: "Where is the painting?" ”

"Your Majesty, the painting is still in the hands of Princess Ixi! This painting may involve major secrets, and the matter has nothing to do with the Shuntian Mansion, so the minister just came to report! Song Cheng is not a person who likes to rob, and immediately explained.

Hey?

Liu Jin looked at this black-faced young man seriously, but he didn't know whether this person was sleek or principled, and it seemed that the painting could be taken directly and presented to His Majesty.

Zhu Youzhu knew that it was a very simple matter for him to seize the painting in Yi Kexi's hand, so he changed the topic and said: "Song Qing, you should have met Du Ming and Wang Xiang when you came, right?" ”

"Yes, the minister just bumped into it in front of the Xiyuan Gate!" Song Cheng's eyes were firm, and he nodded seriously.

Zhu Youzhu picked up the tea cup on the table and asked seriously: "Song Qing, do you know what errand I just sent to the two of them?" ”

"Du Shangshu and Wang Xiang are in a hurry, and Du Shangshu is modest, but this time he saw Wei Chen just leaving with his jaw head, and the minister guessed that the two of them should be ordered to search an official's house together, or raid an official's house!" Song Cheng's eyes looked at Zhu Youzhu motionlessly, and he reasoned very honestly.

Zhu Youzhu knew that the black-faced young man in front of him had a very keen sense of observation, so he pinched the teacup and splashed the tea lightly and said, "The two of them were ordered to go to raid the house, can you guess which one I want them to copy?" ”

"Your Majesty suddenly talked to Weichen about this matter, so the officials who were confiscated may have something to do with the minister, and there is only one person involved in the minister's important officials in the court, and that is my teacher Xu Pu!" Song Cheng thought about it for a while, and then gave his own judgment.

Zhu Youzhu couldn't help but glance at Song Cheng, so he took a sip of tea and said, "You guessed right, I just asked Du Ming and Wang Xiangshi to go and raid Xu Pu's house!" After a pause, he said eloquently: "I ordered the two of them to search Sun Jiao's house this time, and obtained a number of letters from Sun Jiao's study, most of which were from Xu Pu's hand, and actually instructed Sun Jiao to help him promote local officials. After verification, most of the officials who have been promoted or over-relocated are Xu Pu's protégés and former officials, and this move has involved nepotism and the crime of treachery! Although Xu Pu hanged himself today, his henchmen are still there, so he will inevitably be used by traitors in the court, so I want to find out the traitors in the Qing Dynasty. Du Ming, the secretary of the Criminal Department, and Wang Xiang Zaiming, I hope you can abandon your teacher-student relationship with Xu Pu and secretly investigate this matter for me, what do you think? ”

"Your Majesty, the minister is a courtier of the Ming Dynasty, and now he is deeply enthroned. Although he was stabbed in the Xu Mansion because of the entrance examination, he never had the heart of forming a party and had no thoughts of seeking personal gain. If the court forms a party and disrupts the government, the traitorous party is bound to bring disaster to the country and the people, and the law does not tolerate it. The minister is willing to eliminate the evil for His Majesty, so as to return the court to the clear court! Song Cheng knew that His Majesty was worried that he would shield Xu Pu, so he said solemnly.

This is naturally a true story. The reason why he was a protégé was due to the bad atmosphere of officialdom, although he complained about this move, but Xu Pu had a good name at that time, so he followed the same year to worship the teacher.

It's just that what he believes in has never been the unconditional respect for teachers and the way of Confucius and Mencius, but the pursuit of justice.

Not to mention that it was not his wish to marry Xu Pu as a teacher and student, but now that he learned that Xu Pu secretly formed a party, it was naturally incumbent on him to find out the evidence of Xu Pu's crime.

Zhu Youzhu put down the teacup in his hand, nodded lightly, and said, "Since this is the case, then I will give you a token, and Du Ming and Wang Xiang will share information with you!" You focus on investigating how these officials secretly convey benefits and how they secretly communicate with each other, and strive to find evidence of their collusion and personal interests! ”

In fact, Sun Jiao's case has exposed the biggest secret of the civil official group, and they manipulate the promotion of local officials through the inconspicuous examination and selection of the department, so as to achieve an ulterior purpose.

It's just that it is not easy to find out those people who are holding together from this intricate network of relationships, after all, it is impossible for all of them to be like Sun Jiao's reserved letters.

However, no matter how difficult it is, it is necessary to carry out an investigation, and if you follow the investigation of the Examination Division and the Literature Selection Division, you will definitely be able to remove the cancer hidden in the Ming Dynasty.

"Command!" Song Cheng's black face was still the appearance of Gujing Wubo, and he immediately saluted in a proper manner.

Zhu Youzhu saw that the matter was over, so he gently raised his hand and said, "Go down!" ”

"Wechen retires, long live my emperor, long live, long live!" Song Cheng has always been grateful to Zhu Youzhu for his kindness, and bowed respectfully and retreated.

Zhu Youzhu watched Song Cheng leave, with a contemplative expression on his face.

With the talent shown by Song Cheng, and the fact that he is indeed an upright character, he is actually qualified for the position of Dali Siqing, and he is even more suitable than Du Ming, the secretary of the Criminal Department.

It's just that he knows that he wants to be an emperor who is good at power, but it is not appropriate to feed an official in one bite, otherwise it will be difficult to control later.

No matter what kind of official he is, he must let him walk in front of him step by step along the palace road, so that they will understand the difficulty and cherish this hard-won official position even more.

Before he was promoted, Song Cheng was just a small member of the Zhejiang Qing Officials Division of the Criminal Department, and now he is already the Yin of the Shuntian Mansion known as the Small Criminal Department.

It is precisely like this, it is not appropriate to pull out seedlings to help them grow now, nor should they apply too much fertilizer, which can completely allow Song Cheng to stay in the position of Shuntian Mansion Yin for a year or two.

The time has quietly come to July, which is the most difficult time of the year.

Due to the lack of rain for many days, the capital is like a big steamer, and the people of the capital will sweat profusely after staying outside for a while, and the water level of the 700 acres of Taiye Pond has dropped and the area has become slightly smaller.

Since he was transferred to the Yangxin Palace to handle government affairs, Zhu Youji's contacts with officials have obviously increased significantly, and the most contacts are actually Wan An and Liu Ji in the cabinet.

Today's weather is still hot, Wan An and Liu Ji were called by Zhu Youzhi to the Heart Cultivation Hall to enjoy the freshly boiled sour plum soup together, which is undoubtedly a supreme honor.

The sour plum soup that has been continuously improved by Liu Yidao is not only a good product to prevent heatstroke, but also a delicacy in the world, and drinking the cold, sweet and sour sour plum soup in this hot season is definitely a super enjoyment for the body and taste buds.

Life is rare for seventy years, and now Wan'an is seventy-two, and he has no resistance in the face of the scorching heat, so he likes this sour plum soup the most.

"Two elders, enjoy!" Liu Jin personally sent the chilled sour plum soup, looking respectful and authentic.

Zhu Youzhu is not a person who likes meetings very much, so some things that do not need to be discussed on a large scale choose to discuss with the two ministers, and the external rhetoric is naturally unbearable to let Li Yu and them come over under the scorching heat.

Although he is an emperor who is a man of his word, some means of winning the hearts of the people still have to be used, and it is undoubtedly a cost-effective deal to only need a thoughtful word in exchange for the death of officials.

Zhu Youzhi had two beautiful palace maids fan himself, so he said straight to the point: "You must have heard about the affairs of the Li Dynasty, right?" ”

"The ministers have indeed heard that the Li Dynasty dared to sack the Ming pearl boat, and they have committed the following crimes!" Wan An and Liu Ji exchanged glances, and said solemnly.

Zhu Youzhu picked up the sour plum soup that had already passed the cold to the bowl, and expressed his opinion: "The fact that this matter has been sacked by the pearl diving ship has no real evidence, and now whether the Ming Dynasty wants to start a war against Annan, I have not yet decided!" However, the southwest of the Ming Dynasty is restless, and when you are prepared for danger in times of peace, the granary of Guangdong must be consolidated. Wan Ge Lao, you order the officials to be transferred to Guangdong officials as soon as possible, and let the imperial history keep an eye on the granaries of various provinces, don't know that there is no rice in the granaries during the war, that is a crime of non-war! ”

"The old minister remembers, he will urge the officials and the imperial history of Guangdong!" Wan An knew that this matter was very important, and immediately put down the sour plum soup that had just been served.

Zhu Youzhu took a sip of the sour plum soup that could make him feel refreshed, then turned his head to look at Liu Ji and said, "Elder Liu Ge, Datong has started the second round of negotiations, right?" ”

An important reason why he has not yet made a clear attitude towards Annan is that the negotiations between the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia have not yet reached a formal conclusion.

Although he had already decided to take the road of becoming a strong country, the war in Jianzhou had already been ignited first, and now that the negotiations with Mongolia had broken down, it was really not appropriate to start a war against the Annam Li Dynasty.

After all, fighting a war is not only the combat strength of the army, but also the money and food of a country.

Now the shuttle loom has just been promoted, and the Ming Dynasty's trade with North Korea has not yet been carried out, let alone officially involved in maritime trade.

If a three-front war were to be chosen, the salt tax that had just been put in place would not be enough to support such a large military operation, so the best course of action would be to wait for the outcome of the negotiations on the Mongol side.

"Your Majesty, if you count the time, it should be the second round of negotiations today!" Liu Ji didn't say much, but he responded very reliably.

"Your Majesty, are you worried that our talks with Mongolia will collapse? It's just that judging from Xu Qiong and Chen Kun's feedback, since Man Duhai has already asked about His Majesty's conduct, I'm afraid he has the intention to seek peace! Wan An picked up the sour plum soup again and expressed his opinion.

Zhu Youzhu put the bowl down gently, but shook his head lightly and said, "If we really negotiate peace, we have to start the next plan!" Beiyuan has always been the trouble of Daming, once it is allowed to sit big, the victim is still our Daming after all, so now we have to lay out in advance! ”

"Your Majesty still wants to fight?" Wan An stopped the sour plum soup that had been brought to his mouth and asked in surprise.

Zhu Youji's heart moved slightly, and he said with a slight smile: "There is a way to fight, and there is a way not to fight!" Can the two elders have leisure today? ”

"I am willing to listen to His Majesty's orders!" Liu Ji didn't know what medicine was sold in Zhu Youji's gourd, so he said when he said.

Hey?

Liu Jin saw Liu Ji taking the lead in expressing his position, and couldn't help but look at Wan'an, who had not moved for a long time.

Coo-goo-goo......

Wan An guessed that Zhu Youzhu was going to leave here, maybe he ran to Tingchao Pavilion to fish on a hot day, but he drank the cold sour plum soup in one gulp.

With this cold, sweet and sour drink, the whole person seems to have suddenly become ten years younger.

If there is any difference between Emperor Hongzhi and Emperor Chenghua, it is that this young Emperor Hongzhi is too surprising in terms of eating and drinking, and he is simply a gourmet.

Wan An drank the sour plum soup in the bowl cleanly, wiped it in his sleeve to his mouth, and hurriedly said: "The old minister is willing to listen to His Majesty's orders!" ”

Liu Ji saw Wan'an's smooth movements, and suddenly realized that this old man was young, and he seemed to have to stay up for a few more years before he had a chance to take over.

Zhu Youzhu glanced deeply at the greedy old Shoufu, but there was still enough room for people, so he got up and led the two of them out of the Heart Cultivation Palace.

It's just that to Wan An and Liu Ji's great surprise, Zhu Youzhi didn't lead them to listen to the Chaoge Pavilion's fishing, but actually wanted to leave the palace from Xi'anmen.

(End of chapter)