[Ming History + Legend of Lu Xiaofeng] Ninety-five Supreme

The real question which arises in evaluating the social activity of individuals is: under what conditions are such activities guaranteed to be successful?Is there anything to guarantee that such activity will not become an isolated act and be lost in a sea of ​​opposite actions?

-Lenin

There is a private house in Jing'er Hutong, which was bought by Admiral Feng Bao in the second year of East Factory, and it has been fifteen years since then.

When he received the news that Zhu Yijun had arrived in Beijing, he didn't even have time to drink a cup of tea, so he went straight to the palace to report to the Queen Mother.

"We haven't stopped for a few days. He treats Mr. Zhang kindly, and it's a good thing to come back in a hurry to see him." The Empress Dowager Cisheng leaned on the soft couch, holding the Bodhidharma beads in her hand, her face was thin and pale .

"How is Mr. Zhang doing now?"

"Hey, I'm afraid he will die soon." Feng Bao glanced at the Empress Dowager, who had empty eyes, and said sadly, "Looking at Mr. Zhang, he might die at any time."

"Is it so serious?"

"It's a matter of life and death, how dare this old slave lie."

At this point, the Empress Dowager Cisheng didn't say anything, and closed her eyes.

After a while, he mocked again: "It's only been a long time, and he has become so ill. At first, he always thought that he was not terminally ill. He only thought that he would gradually get better as soon as the weather warmed up. Who would have thought that he would end up at the intersection of Huangquan... ...If he really lets go, who should entrust this messy state affairs to!"

This sentence expresses her fear and guilt, Zhang Juzheng can have today's ending, the Empress Dowager Cisheng is to blame, and she couldn't help being red-eyed at this point.

Feng Bao rubbed his knees and sighed, and said: "Your Majesty, the Emperor is already able to be alone."

The Empress Dowager Cisheng felt lost, and tremblingly said: "Remove this screen and send it to his mansion."

"Aijia no more."

Feng Baoli's body paused for a while, and he remained silent for a while, then walked away from the Compassionate Ning Palace again.

The Empress Dowager Cisheng looked at the empty palace and shed two tears.I suddenly saw that many years ago, the delicate and pungent girl glared at the noble prince and walked into another world.Seeing the hurried side behind Yuntai again, the handsome and timeless man fell into the quagmire of morality and ethics.

Zhang Juzheng's mansion is quite famous among people in the capital. "Several buildings and terraces are endless, and a stream of flowing water is intertwined in chaos" refers to the back garden of his house. Crossing the water along the corridor, one step at a time; It's breathtaking.

The sun is warm in early summer, the garden is full of peonies, and there are patches of duckweed floating in the nearby lotus pond.

In the Xuehe Pavilion, Zhang Juzheng is leaning on the pineapple rose chair, enjoying the flowers in the back garden in a good mood.Su Yuniang sat aside with a smile on her face, cooking his favorite Miyunlong tea with her bare hands.

She is Zhang Juzheng's confidante, kind and affectionate.Since Zhang Juzheng fell ill, she came to visit him every day, her sorrow hidden in her warmth.

When Zhu Yijun arrived, Su Yuniang had already left, and he saw Zhang Juzheng lying on the armchair from a distance.His eye sockets were sunken, his complexion was scorched black, and his once stalwart body had shrunk into pieces like firewood, like a reed floating in a swamp.

He suppressed the tears that he had held back for many days and couldn't help but burst out of his eyes.Counting it, it was only a month since we saw each other. Unexpectedly, Zhang Juzheng had completely changed his five appearances, and he was tortured beyond human form.

Zhu Yijun stepped forward quickly, and stretched out his hands to hold Zhang Juzheng's hand tightly, as if holding a piece of ice.

Probably because he was disturbed, Zhang Juzheng, who was basking in the sun with his eyes squinted, moved his eyelids and opened his eyes.

"teacher!"

The voice was so familiar, Zhang Juzheng's body shook, and when he saw the person clearly, there was a rare clarity in his usually cloudy eyes.

He wanted to break free and stand up to salute, but Zhu Yijun imprisoned him on the recliner, and he was so tired that he felt guilty after he couldn't break free.

"Don't cry, don't cry, what kind of little daughter's gesture." Zhang Juzheng shook his head with a wry smile, he was already trying his best to hold on, and his spirit was exhausted, so he didn't look like he used to be so powerful and powerful.

Zhu Yijun held his withered hand, turned his face away and wiped away his tears.

"The emperor is very satisfied to see me."

Then he continued: "That's fine, the old minister is too much in the matter of seizing love, and he is stuck in his heart all day long. He couldn't be filial in his lifetime, but now serving his father under the nine springs is a long-cherished wish."

Duoqing means that in case of an emergency, you can wait for the emperor's approval without leaving your post.When Zhang's father died, it was common sense that he would take a break from all duties and return to his hometown to observe mourning for three years. At that time, the Wanli New Deal was in full swing, and Zhang Juzheng's delay in returning naturally became the target of public criticism.

Zhu Yijun suppressed his tears and said with relief: "Teacher, if there is any incident of seizing love, I also have a share. I was the one who didn't let you go."

Fledgling, unable to fly high.

Without strength, you can't seek hegemony.

He can be attacked by a group of officials as an "unfilial son" and a heinous sinner, which is not worth a piece of imperial edict.

There is no perfect law in the world, and since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety have been difficult to complete.

After several months of suffering from illness, Zhang Juzheng was indifferent to his own life and death. In the last month, he almost lay in bed, sometimes confused, sometimes sane.He pondered for a long time, thought a lot, and there were too many things that worried him, and the one that worried him the most was the emperor Zhu Yijun.

There is an old saying: Companion to a monarch is like companion to a tiger, and the emperor of the Ming Dynasty was even worse.

Some people say that Zhang Juzheng is good at seeking the country, but clumsy at seeking himself.

Everyone knows the truth of "being in charge of a family for three years is a dog's dislike", but he knows that this sentence will not fall on him.

Because he knew Zhu Yijun too well.

"Do you know why I transferred Qi Jiguang and Yin Zhengmao back now."

Zhu Yijun thought for a while, and then replied: "Qi Jiguang is a general, you are worried about the villain, so let him help me sweep the battle."

This is the next best thing to do.Zhu Yijun is not Emperor Yongle, so he doesn't need to use massacre to silence other people's voices.

Zhang Juzheng heard what he thought of.Looking at him stubbornly, panting heavily, he said in pain: "If the Wanli New Deal cannot continue, even if the old minister is under the Nine Springs, he will never rest in peace!"

As soon as Zhang Juzheng mentioned the New Deal, his eyes were full of anger, and his complexion was a little radiant.

The late Ming Dynasty was full of sores and diseases, and luck and ghosts were transported, so it was difficult to plan.Zhang Juzheng's reform was like the last ray of sunshine, trying to turn the tide, ups and downs, and pushed the Ming Dynasty, which was going downhill, hard.

Hearing these words, there was another ominous omen, Zhu Yijun was secretly startled that Zhang Juzheng's complexion improved a lot.

Seeing that Zhang Juzheng couldn't handle it, he quickly picked up a bowl of thick ginseng soup on the stone table, helped Zhang Juzheng to feed him a few mouthfuls.The warm ginseng soup caused Zhang Juzheng to choke, and raised his hand to push away the soup bowl.

He knew that Zhang Juzheng had something to say to him, as if he was arranging the funeral, and his heart was desolate.

Zhang Juzheng was thinking hard, and several names kept flashing in his mind, and said, "Shen Shixing is conservative, and he is too indecisive in doing things. Zhang Siwei is calm and sophisticated, but too smooth. Although Pan Sheng has some minor problems, he can be of great use. Yu You Man……"

"If I go, who will the emperor plan to replace as chief assistant?"

He reported the names of more than a dozen people in one breath, including courtiers with enough qualifications to support the New Deal. Zhang Juzheng gasped for breath, Zhu Yijun thought for a while, and then said: "Mr. Contribute a lot, and..."

"Besides, he has a soft personality and is so easy to handle. Even a leaf can tremble with shock when it turns around. If the emperor wants to do something in the future, he will not dare to stop him. If you say yes or no." Zhang Juzheng regained his energy and took it angrily. Let's talk.

He said again: "If the civil officials make a commotion and attack in the future, the emperor will only be disappointed."

Zhu Yijun laughed a few times, but was punctured by a word, a little dumbfounded, what Zhang Juzheng said made him seem like he didn't want to do business.

Zhang Juzheng's eyes flashed, so quickly that no one could notice it.Don't look at his Mingruo Yousi's trance-like expression, in fact he is not confused at all, he closed his eyes and concentrated for a while, then said quietly: "I have someone in my heart, he is probably the most suitable."

"Who?"

"Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, Yu Shenxing."

Zhu Yijun was startled, and nodded in response.Yu Shenxing is one of Zhang Juzheng's most admired students, but since the incident of Duoqing, they have collapsed, and they did not expect that the husband would recommend him.

"After I die, Zhang Panfeng will definitely change the New Deal. You can't let him go any further."

Zhu Yijun's throat was a little dry, and he nodded in response.

Zhang Juzheng had a slight smile in his eyes, and said: "You hide a lot of things in your heart, but you never open your mouth. Zhang Panfeng is a great talent, but he is conservative and stubborn, disregarding the country's affairs."

During Zhang Siwei's tenure as a cabinet minister, he has always been Zhang Juzheng's confidant.But Zhu Yijun knew that Zhang Siwei had appeared on Gao Gong's list, and he was Gao Gong's person from the beginning.

"The emperor is not good at learning martial arts. I don't like you wasting time on practicing martial arts. You don't need to be very good at martial arts. As an emperor, you hardly need any martial arts. Your battlefield is facing the government, party struggles, and enemy countries." , the remaining matters will naturally be resolved by the courtiers for you."

"Your personality is exposed, and you like playthings. After I die, I need to be more diligent in government affairs, encourage self-examination, and become a wise king in a peaceful and prosperous age. In this way, I will be under the nine springs, and I should also smile."

Don't cry, don't cry.

"I said earlier that you have a bad temper. You are the emperor. Life and death in the world are all in your hands. Don't be partial to trust or be merciful. If you are a good emperor."

Zhang Juzheng paused for a while, as if he still had something to say, but his pronunciation became more and more clear, and he made a speech, trying to explain everything he could say.

"In spring and March, beggars make trouble, and the Ministry of Households provides relief to the prefectures and counties. You can't just listen to the memorials of the yamen of each government. Today's officials are lying too much. They should let the Ministry of Officials and the Ministry of Households, together with the Secretary of General Administration, Three yamen, appoint officials to go down and investigate."

"Half a month ago, I saw the memorial of the supervisory censor, impeaching the prefects of Daming and Zhending for deceiving the court and oppressing the people, and suggested that they should be detained and questioned. I was seriously ill and couldn't draft a vote, so I only expressed my consent verbally. When the emperor returns to the palace, he will order Yousi to immediately escort the two prefects to Beijing for special trial."

"The damage in the Northwest is serious. Wang Hong Shangshu allocated funds to rebuild the houses. He is capable but not sincere. In the future, whenever he asks the imperial court for money, he will have to pay 40% off. This time he wants 20 taels, so we will allocate [-]. Ten thousand taels."

"Qi Jiguang is a talented general. When the court is settled, he will be sent back to Jizhou, so that the frontier of Yongzhen can let him play his best."

……

At the end of the day, I was still thinking about state affairs, and the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty, except Zhang Juzheng in front of me.Who else?

A haggard voice choked out from his throat, like a biting cold wind that chilled a person's breastbone.Zhu Yijun was overwhelmed with grief, and listened attentively, keeping every word firmly in his heart.Thinking that this moment is the farewell, my nose is sour, and tears are falling down.

Thinking that Mr. Cry would be unhappy, he blinked desperately to prevent it from falling.

At this time, Zhang Juzheng was calm and radiant on the surface, but his heart was overwhelmed.

I saw his protruding throat slid a few times, let out a breath, and said: "I, the minister of life, have come to an end. I have been in power for ten years, for the court and the society, and for the people of the world. I don't know how many hairpins I have offended. Shi Zhou, a powerful and powerful family. Now that I am exhausted, maybe within a few days, I will be safe and sound. Those who hate me will wait for the opportunity to counterattack, but I have no reputation..."

"Gao Huzi can give up his body, how can I lose to him. After I die, the emperor will take this old bone. It's just that the mother in her 80s and the youngest son are in the family. I hope the emperor will take care of it." The implication is that in order to fulfill Zhu Yijun, he even admitted to ransacking his family and exterminating his family.

Zhu Yijun's heart trembled when he heard the words, suppressed the astonishment in his heart, and said with a dry smile: "Don't think wildly, with me here, how can those shrimps in the shallows make waves." He quickly joked: "You look down on me again Damn, I'm Zhang Taiyue's apprentice, I'm amazing. Make sure all those civil servants shut up and be obedient."

The corners of Zhang Juzheng's eyes were cloudy, his eyes were much darker, his mind was already dizzy, and even Zhu Yijun's words could not be heard clearly.

Zhu Yijun's eyes were empty, and he wanted to say something. He said, "Qin Xiaogong has Shang Yang, Empress Liu has Zhuge Liang, Song Shenzong has Wang Anshi, and I have Zhang Juzheng. You have done such a good job. You are a prime minister. You deserve it."

This evaluation is not low.It can be said that since the Spring and Autumn Period, no one has surpassed Zhang Juzheng until today.He also felt that what he had done was very successful, but with the approval of the emperor, the great grievances were worth it.

"Old minister...willing to assist...Sheng Mingzi in...returning to the next life for more than a few years." Zhang Juzheng said slowly, closing his eyes, tears flowed from his haggard eye sockets.

Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "Great! Great! Let's create a peaceful and prosperous world."

"Teacher?" Zhu Yijun called softly.

Shaking Zhang Juzheng.

Don't cry, don't cry.

The catkins are flying everywhere, the summer wind blows gently, and the romantic scene of flowers flying all over the sky falls on whose shoulders and sticks to whose clothes.