Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 61: A Pillar of the State
In the prince's study in Ciqing Palace, he suddenly asked Liu Shimin: "You just entered the palace this year. Based on your previous experience, are there many loyal and patriotic people like you in the court and the country?"

"In reply to your Highness, I think it's too much!"

"Then why did you castrate yourself and enter the palace?" Zhu Changluo looked at him. "Although your family's Yanqing Guard's hereditary commander can only be succeeded by your brother, your father is already the deputy general of Liaoyang Auxiliary Town."

"...I am ashamed." Liu Shimin was a little embarrassed. "I had a strange dream before, so I wanted to learn medicine and practice Taoism to maintain my health, so I castrated myself. I also knew that the palace... the temple..."

"Be careful with your words!" Chen Ju, who was accompanying Zhu Changluo, scolded.

Zhu Changluo was also convinced, thinking that he had some special aspiration to "serve the country" and that was why he abandoned his good family background and castrated himself to become a eunuch.

It turned out that he wanted to practice the Sunflower Manual, and the reason was related to the possibility that the Taoist master had some treasured secret techniques in the palace.

"Your Highness, this servant has impure thoughts. I am negligent in disciplining her. Otherwise, I will select another good candidate in the writing room for Your Highness to choose from."

Chen Ju's words made Liu Shimin pale and she knelt down: "I admit my guilt."

"Telling the truth and not lying, what's the crime?" Zhu Changluo shook his head, "Wanhua, you are too rigid."

"Your Highness is admonishing me."

Chen Ju’s expression was very clear: I won’t change either.

What is required inside and outside the palace are rules. Those who do not follow the rules are like Gao Huai, who not only ruined the emperor's reputation, but also harmed the people. In the end, he was beaten to death.

After the episode, Zhu Changluo asked Liu Shimin to stand up and encouraged him: "It's fine to study medicine and to keep healthy, but don't lose your knowledge. Your mind is not impure, but too pure. Follow Wanhua and work for me, and you will become a pillar of the inner court in the future."

"Thank you for your praise, Your Highness. I will follow your instructions and work hard."

"It's late. You've been busy for so long. Go and have a rest."

Liu Shimin was just a eunuch who accompanied the prince in his study and only did clerical work.

Seeing His Highness walking toward the bedroom, he turned around and prepared to go to his residence in the row of rooms inside the wall of Ciqing Palace. When he walked out of the palace gate, he found Chen Ju standing in the courtyard.

“…Master, I…”

"How important is it to work for His Highness?" Chen Ju frowned. "You have just entered the palace. You need to learn the rules if you don't know them."

"……Yes."

"You must not think you are smart just because you have studied before and have some knowledge." Chen Ju's voice was low, hoarse and stern. "To stay stable in the palace, you must be very wise! Your Highness can be true to his nature, easy-going, humble and polite to the servants, but you can't play those tricks and let Your Highness think you are innocent. On the contrary, since Your Highness allows you to know the secrets of state affairs, thinking that he will help you in the future, you must be calm and shrewd!"

"Master's teaching is correct. I'll remember it."

"Great wisdom appears foolish!" Chen Ju said, and sighed softly, "Learn it well."

Liu Shimin looked at his departing back, slowly knelt down and kowtowed to him.

I was young and impulsive, and because I dreamed of being free and unrestrained like a god, I thought the methods I had read in previous books could help me maintain my health and practice Taoism.

Now that we have embarked on this path, we can only continue on it well.

Although Chen Ju always gives people a sense of distance, he is a good teacher.

A night passed, and the next morning Zhu Changluo came back from greeting them and was about to ask them to go to the cabinet to announce the decree. When he heard Liu Shimin's reply, he was stunned for a moment: "Ruoyu?"

"Your Highness, that's right. I thought about it all night last night and I always felt that when I was working for Your Highness, I had to remind myself to be more calm in the future. So I changed my name. I hope Your Highness will grant my approval."

"……it is good."

Zhu Changluo looked at him strangely.

He knew the name Liu Ruoyu because when he was learning about the late Ming Dynasty for work needs and interest, this name appeared in many historical materials.

Plus the identity of a eunuch...

Although Zhu Changluo now relies purely on memory and can no longer remember some things, he knows that Liu Ruoyu personally experienced the reigns of Wanli, Taichang, Tianqi and Chongzhen, and eventually wrote down his experiences in a book called "Zhuo Zhong Zhi" in prison. It is a very rare first-hand book of the Ming Dynasty court.

Now Liu Ruoyu was standing in front of him, looking nervous.

"Go to the Imperial Household Department and call Tian Yi and the others."

The three of them came together again.

"One person is removed from the Cabinet. The imperial edict is drafted to appoint Yu Jideng to the Cabinet. One person is removed from the Ministry of Justice. The imperial edict is issued to pardon Cao Xuecheng. One person is removed from the Ministry of War. Tian Lelai is sent to present a strategy for suppressing bandits at Gushan Fort in Liaodong."

……

Tian Le didn't expect it to come so soon, as if he couldn't wait.

Submitting the strategy of suppressing bandits in Gushan Fort in Liaodong is a good reason. I don’t know whether the successor thought of it himself or was reminded by others.

After following Cheng Jing into the palace, one has to pass through Wenhua Hall to go to Ciqing Palace.

Tian Le glanced over there, he knew that Shen Yikuan would also be reported soon.

"Grand Sima." Cheng Jing suddenly spoke.

"Eunuch Cheng?" Tian Le looked at him.

"Nothing, I'm just worried that Sima would find the journey boring." Cheng Jing smiled.

"…Father-in-law is joking."

Tian Le felt that Cheng Jing seemed to be hinting at something.

Cheng Jing did have this idea, but he would not say anything about the fact that the three eunuchs of the Imperial Household Department and the entire Secretariat and the Ciqing Palace Study were busy for a long time because of him last night.

You can judge a person by his appearance but not by his heart. Please leave those judgments to Your Highness.

After passing through the Zhengyin Gate and entering the Ciqing Palace, Tian Le was waiting in the courtyard. Not long after, Cheng Jing came out: "Grand Sima, please come in."

Seeing that he stayed where he was, Tian Le bowed and walked forward.

"Da Sima, this way please."

Liu Ruoyu waited at the palace gate and led him to the study.

"Your Highness, the Minister of War Tian Le is here to summon you."

"please."

A voice came from inside, and Liu Ruoyu bowed: "Grand Sima, just go into the inner room."

After saying that, he bent down and left.

"Thank you." Tian Le said to him, frowned and walked into the door.

There was no one inside, and the young eunuch and the Imperial Household Department's official who was also in charge of the Imperial Stables had both left. Here...

Tian Le's thoughts were quickly interrupted by what he saw. What he saw was an outer room that was very different from the layout of an ordinary study room.

His eyes swept across the bookshelf and he saw the inner and outer rooms separated by a partition.

He stopped outside and said, "I am the Minister of War Tian Le, and I would like to ask about Your Highness' health."

"I am so happy, Grand Marshal, please come in and talk."

"I thank your Highness for your grace."

Tian Le stood up and walked into the door calmly and smoothly.

Then he froze.

chaos.

This was Tian Le’s first impression of the prince’s study.

The bookshelves, coffee tables, and desks all around were filled with too many memorials, files, and papers.

Opposite the prince's desk, there were three screens placed there, not seeming to be blocking anything, they were just leaning against the wall.

Now they were facing each other across the table, with a chair placed opposite the prince.

The Ming heir extended his hand and said, "Sit down."

"I don't dare."

"Sit down." Zhu Changluo said again.

It sounded like an order, but also like an invitation.

"I thank Your Highness for the seat." Tian Le bowed and saluted, then sat down and stood up again. "Your Highness wants to ask about the Lonely Mountain Fort. I have a plan in mind and will present it to you today for Your Highness to read."

"Okay." Zhu Changluo nodded. "I'll look at it later. I asked the Grand Marshal to come and see me today. I'm not too worried about this matter. The Grand Marshal knows about military affairs, and this strategy should have been carefully considered. Today, you can approve it and report it to the six departments, and order Liaodong to follow it."

Tian Le did not sit down, but said: "It should be submitted to the cabinet for a vote first."

"Is this the petition prepared by the Ministry of War?"

"…I haven't had time to submit it to the Ministry of Public Security yet."

"That's just the concern of my father, me and my grandmother. After they summoned me to answer their questions, they issued an order for Liaodong to follow their instructions."

Tian Le didn't say anything. He stood there looking at him as if he was looking down on him, and the matter he asked seemed as if it had already been done.

Although the prince expressed his trust in the strategy he presented and his power to make decisions on current state affairs, Tian Le felt that this approach was not a good one.

After saying one, two, three, four, the minister will understand the king better, and the king will understand the minister better.

You should always look at it first.

"Your Highness, it is not appropriate to go through the cabinet. Your Highness should take a look. If there is anything that I have not considered carefully, I can revise it and submit it to the emperor for judgment."

"When the Grand Marshal was appointed to the post in Dong'a, he did not have so many concerns."

Tian Le lowered his head and answered after a while: "Dong'a County is small, how can it be compared with the government?"

"In Wenhua Palace yesterday, the Grand Marshal was not so cautious."

"…Since it is your highness' order, I will obey it."

Tian Le was slightly disappointed, but also somewhat relieved.

Anyway, he has decided to give it a try.

If this method is used to test his intentions and separate him from the cabinet, it can be regarded as a way to control him, as if he can make secret decisions with the emperor's favor.

It's just that the wrist is too rough.

In that case, Tian Le decided to take his leave and go do his work.

"Now that the decree has arrived, I will..."

"Sit down." Zhu Changluo interrupted him, "The banditry in Gushan Fort is not a big deal. I summoned the Grand Marshal today for another important matter."

(End of this chapter)