Capital. Imperial.

The temple is one of the three major halls, located on top of the three platforms, majestic and brilliant. Some of the westerly slanting sunlight shines on the delicate and gorgeous top of the nine ridges, reflecting a dazzling light, like the supreme imperial power, which makes people dare not look directly.

This hall was originally used by the emperor to change his court clothes before going to court, and was also used to receive the empress and the prince. After Zhu Di ascended the throne, he always liked to arrange to meet his close ministers here, after all, this place is not as formal and solemn as the Huagai Hall for discussing court politics, and it seems more easy-going.

Ye Zhiqiu was kneeling on the stone steps outside the hall gate at this moment, and he had been kneeling for several hours since noon. After all, he was nearly fifty years old, and after a few hours, his knees were a little unbearable and trembled slightly. The years are unforgiving, Ye Zhiqiu couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

When Zhu Di was still the prince in Yanjing, he followed him for many years, and he knew his master's temper well. In the past, he also had times when he couldn't do his errands, at this time, the master always scolded, and even rushed up to punch and hit, and kicked when he raised his foot, whenever this time, he felt relaxed in his heart. Zhu Di was born in Rongma, with a violent and rude temperament, and beating himself showed that he still regarded himself as a close confidant, showing his true temperament, and there was no need to pretend.

But since he ascended the throne, the face of this emperor has made Ye Zhiqiu feel more and more unfamiliar, and under his kind and easy expression, he can clearly feel an increasingly obvious distance. After all, after ascending the throne and becoming the emperor, the whole world is not the king's land, and the shore of the land is not the king's minister, and the status is different, and the mood will change.

Even so, it was the first time that he had been left on his knees for a few hours like today. Especially when he saw Wang Quan, the deputy head of the inner chamberlain, who had retired from the hall just now, he felt a little uneasy.

Recently, rumors have spread in the palace, all saying that Jinyiwei has been ineffective recently, and he was ordered to arrest the rebel ministers of the Jianwen Dynasty and offended many famous literati in the world. In order to calm the anger of the public and to prevent the Jinyiwei family from becoming dominant, the emperor secretly asked the internal supervisor to prepare for the establishment of a new organization, which seems to be called the East Factory, and the factory guard should be used to balance the Jinyiwei. And it is rumored that Wang Quan, who is mainly responsible for the preparation of the East Factory.

Ye Zhiqiu has never had a good impression of these eunuchs. When the Ming Dynasty was first established, Emperor Taizu strictly forbade the internal supervision to read and write, preventing them from having the opportunity to come into contact with the government and military power. After Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, he not only continued the old system of Taizu, but also was particularly fierce, but he was at fault in the internal prison, severely punished the law, and cut off his limbs.

However, Zhu Di co-opted the internal supervisors at the right time, so during the Battle of Jingnan, there were constantly internal supervisors who secretly reported to the Jingnan Army and leaked military information, which made Zhu Di escape from death many times until he finally won the victory. Therefore, after Zhu Di ascended the throne, many internal supervisors were rewarded one after another, and their status in the court and the army became higher and higher. As early as the first year of Yongle, there was an internal supervisor Li Xing who was ordered to go to the king of Laosiam, and now Zheng He is preparing an ocean-going fleet, Ma Jing led the black armor guard to the town of Gansu, etc., these eunuchs have gradually stood in the center of the political stage, and now they want to set up what Dongchang and his brocade guards are on an equal footing, Ye Zhiqiu has felt extremely disgusted with these eunuchs.

When Wang Quan passed by him with his head down, Ye Zhiqiu clearly caught a glimpse of the corners of his mouth going up, revealing a mocking smile. There was a surge of blood, and Ye Zhiqiu almost wanted to grab this eunuch and twist his neck. But he didn't dare, he had to endure it, he could only continue to kneel here and wait for the emperor's summons, he had a strange feeling in his heart, as if he was the wrong puppy raised at home, lying on the ground with his tail between his legs and not daring to move to please his master.

Not long after, an attendant came out to pass Ye Zhiqiu's visit. Ye Zhiqiu lowered his head and followed him into the Jinshen Palace. There were five rooms in the hall, and the chamberlain did not take him into any of the rooms, but only motioned for him to kneel down on the aisle outside the room. Ye Zhiqiu's heart sank, it seemed that the emperor's anger had not subsided, and he didn't want to see him yet.

At this time, Zhu Di's deep voice came from his ears: "Did you come to ask for a meeting to report Ye Feng's escape?"

Ye Zhiqiu lowered his head and didn't dare to come out: "Yes." ”

Zhu Di's voice was still gloomy, without a trace of emotion: "I already know." I'm more interested in why you didn't report them in time when they were in distress? You think if you don't tell me, I don't know?"

Ye Zhiqiu didn't dare to argue, and lowered his head in a cold sweat.

Zhu Di's voice was still gloomy: "I know that it is not your idea to conceal and not report, and I also know that you invited your senior brother to come to deal with Lei Potian, but you have to remember that he is just a tool in the plan for us, and people cannot be swayed by tools." ”

Ye Zhiqiu's whole body shook, he bowed his head to the ground, and his mind thundered, how did the emperor know about his secret conversation with his senior brother? At the beginning, the emperor arranged for Ji Gang to come to his side to serve as the deputy commander of the Jinyi Guard, saying that he wanted him to monitor Ji Gang, but in fact, why didn't he want Ji Gang to monitor him as well? Now it seems that there are other emperors around him, and the eyes of other emperors are closely watching his every move.

Thinking of this, Ye Zhiqiu felt sweaty like pulp, and just kowtowed like pounding garlic on the ground.

Zhu Di's voice softened a little: "Okay, finally Ye Feng is out of danger safely, you have to remember that all the stakeholders of our plans for many years are tied to him, and we must be extra careful in our actions in the future, don't underestimate our opponent anymore, and we can't let him be in danger with such a mistake again." ”

Ye Zhiqiu should be again and again.

Zhu Di's voice sounded a little tired: "You step down, they should go to Songshan below, you have to arrange the pick-up carefully, don't make any more mistakes." ”

Ye Zhiqiu didn't dare to say more, bowed down and followed the inner attendant and exited the Jinshen Palace.

Walking out of the hall, the cool breeze blew, and Ye Zhiqiu found that his underwear was all soaked with sweat. Standing on the Wulong Bridge in front of the noon gate, he looked back at the majestic three major halls and slowly walked towards the noon gate.

How did the emperor know that Ye Feng and their next stop would be Songshan? This was not even known to himself, and it was definitely not the original plan. It seems that not only by his side, but also among the group of people in Huashan, there is also the emperor's eyeliner, in this overall plan, he Ye Zhiqiu is probably far less important than he imagined, just a chess piece in the hands of others.

As he walked, he felt the three halls behind him, no, the person sitting there, like a huge shadow, following closely behind him, so that he could barely breathe.