In the famine, others ate Guanyin soil, but he had space to build a farm.

Today's table is still simple, with only three dishes and a bowl of soup, just like the wild flowers beside the mountain path, not stunning, but elegant. However, in this simplicity, the traditional sense of ritual is like the sound of bells deep in the palace, distant and solemn. A small band composed of palace maids and eunuchs is playing the tunes that Emperor Chongming has long been tired of. They echo in the air, like witnesses of time.

Emperor Chongming sat at the table, and while eating, he occasionally flipped through the memorials he picked up at hand. Although his movements were not hurried or slow, the worry in his eyes was like the sky covered with dark clouds, which made people feel concerned. This scene was already commonplace for the palace maids and eunuchs serving by his side. They could feel the heavy worry of the emperor's desire to become a wise ruler and turn the situation around from his slightly frowned brows and deep eyes.

He ate a few mouthfuls in a hurry and then felt that the food was tasteless, as if the delicious food could not fill the worries in his heart. Recently, his appetite has been getting worse and worse. Every day when he wakes up, he hears bad news about the invasion of northern barbarians, drought in the west, and floods in the southeast. These are like invisible shackles that bind his decision-making. The state affairs are as heavy as heavy chains, the treasury is gradually empty, and the disaster situation has not improved, which makes him anxious.

He stood up and walked into the study, burying himself in the pile of documents again. The papers were like continuous mountains, pressing him down so hard that he couldn't breathe. Suddenly, a memorial came into his sight, and he couldn't help but frown, as if a flash of lightning had broken through the night sky. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a memorial from the censor Liu Chuanzhi impeaching the Minister of War Yang Chenhe. The words were like sharp arrows, piercing his heart.

Emperor Chongming read the article carefully and became furious, like a volcano about to erupt. The article said: "Your Majesty has the heart to conquer, but your ministers have no talent to resist the enemy; they are not well-informed and treat state affairs as a child's play!" He angrily said to himself: "This is wrong! How shallow is the view of a scholar!" His voice echoed in the study, like the cold wind in winter, cold and firm.

Continuing to read, he became even more furious: "Yang Chenhe and the Northeast Governor Chen Gui colluded with each other both internally and externally, conspired to harm the country, advocated peace talks, and neglected military preparations..." He stood up abruptly, tapping the imperial desk with his fingers. The sound was as exciting as a war drum, and he shouted angrily: "'Collusion between internally and externally, harming the country and the people' is pure nonsense! Doesn't the censor know the current situation of our Dakun? Yang Chenhe's peace talk is actually my proposition, and the decision behind it is my decision. Such accusations are not directly pointing to my incompetence!" His words were full of unquestionable firmness and anger, as if he was swearing to the heaven and the earth that his decision was correct and any questioning was disrespectful to him.

But Emperor Chongming calmed himself down immediately. This censor Liu Chuanzhi was a veteran official of two dynasties. He was always upright and honest in his official duties. Because of this, he never formed cliques in the court. He seemed to be really angry when he said such words today. Otherwise, he would not attack without reason!

Emperor Chongming took a deep breath, tried to calm himself, picked up the memorial again, and read the following contents carefully, like a general examining a battlefield. There was silence inside and outside the imperial study, and the palace maids and eunuchs stood still like statues, carefully controlling their breathing, fearing that the slightest noise would anger Emperor Chongming.

"Ma Weidong, Governor of the Southwest, insist on resisting the enemy! Denounce Yang's peace proposal! This is the duty of a minister! This is a statement for the country! Since ancient times, when there are treacherous ministers, no matter how good or loyal the ministers are, they have no place to show their talents! No matter how good the generals are, they can only die at the hands of treacherous ministers in the end!" When Emperor Chongming read this, the anger in his heart was like a beacon fire that was ignited, burning more and more. He threw the memorial heavily on the ground, and the paper instantly crumpled into a ball and scattered on the floor of the imperial study. This frightened the eunuchs and palace maids in the imperial study and they all knelt on the ground, not even daring to breathe.

"This is outrageous! You are slandering me so much!" Emperor Chongming paced back and forth in the room, asking himself angrily: "Who is a loyal minister? Who is a treacherous minister? Isn't this saying that there is no difference between loyalty and treachery? It really makes me angry to death!" His voice echoed in the imperial study like a storm, full of dissatisfaction and resentment.

Emperor Chongming was extremely angry. The remarks in the memorial were undoubtedly accusing him of being a tyrant. He knew that even though the current situation was severe, he still did not think it was his fault. He boasted that he had always been diligent and hardworking, and was more diligent than any of his ancestors. In his view, the current predicament was only forced by the times. How could he completely prevent those natural and man-made disasters? But now, these ministers attributed the country's misfortune to his improper use of people, and believed that he favored treacherous ministers. If Yang Chen was still a treacherous minister, wouldn't it imply that Emperor Chongming did not know how to judge people and was an out-and-out tyrant?

Emperor Chongming had always considered himself the ruler of the revival of the country. Although the current situation was becoming increasingly difficult, he firmly believed that there was nothing wrong with his ability, but that he was just unlucky. He could not accept such accusations, especially from a minister. However, Emperor Chongming knew that Liu Chuanzhi was a true loyal minister. These imperial censors had always taken it as their duty to give honest advice and make direct criticisms. Even if they lost their lives for this, they would still be remembered in history. Therefore, he could not do anything about Liu Chuanzhi for a while.

Emperor Chongming winked at the eunuch next to him, who immediately crawled over respectfully, picked up the scattered memorial, and carefully put it back on the desk. Emperor Chongming wanted to see if there were any other suggestions behind the memorial. After all, he still recognized Liu Chuanzhi's talents. However, this person was too straightforward and his words were fierce, and Emperor Chongming secretly disliked him.

Liu Chuanzhi's memorial did contain some specific military suggestions, the core idea of ​​which was to oppose peace talks, believing that only after military victory could peace talks be considered. Although Emperor Chongming saw that Liu Chuanzhi was loyal, he was disgusted by Liu Chuanzhi's attack on Yang Chenhe and defense of Ma Weidong, and he could not accept those overly intense words. He sat down, took the memorial and examined it carefully. He originally planned to keep it, but then changed his mind. He knew that his grandfather, Emperor Shenzong, had caused dissatisfaction among his ministers because of this move, so he decided not to use this method. He was determined to become a wise ruler who was diligent in governing the country and serious about everything. In order to show that he disagreed with Liu Chuanzhi's opinion, he picked up the red pen and wrote a few words on the memorial:

"Got it. I approve it!" The handwriting was firm and powerful, as if declaring that his decision was unquestionable.