Wei Bao never thought about being friends with the emperor. After all, the other party could take his own life in one sentence at any time, so he would not have the foundation to be a friend.

Therefore, it is only the emperor who treats ministers as friends. It is difficult for anyone in the world to regard the emperor with supreme power as friends, and there is no foundation.

There is another very important reason why Zhu Youxiao likes to be with Wei Bao.

Wei Bao was brave. When he was with Zhu Youxiao in private, he dared to talk about the past emperors and ministers of the Ming Dynasty, just as Wei Bao bluntly talked about Li Chengliang and Ji Liao's successive governors today.

"Wei Aiqing, do you think I am very failed? I have been ascending the throne for almost six years and have achieved nothing. The state of the Ming Dynasty has been deteriorating. The people in many places are displaced. Jiannu came several times a year. Not only are we unable to eliminate them, but we also have to temporarily reduce military expenditures due to financial difficulties, in order to try to suppress Jiannu after fiscal stability." Zhu You proofread the Wei Baodao.

Wei Bao said: "Your Majesty must not blame yourself. This is not Your Majesty's fault, but it is also the business of Master Wanli!"

After Wei Bao said that, he glanced at the emperor, Kebaba who was standing next to the emperor, and several palace maids and eunuchs who were accompanying him.

Everyone was shocked and thought to themselves that only Wei Bao dared to say this.

Wei Bao hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I have lost my words again."

Zhu Youxiao smiled and said, "It's okay, it's okay. I asked the eunuchs to withdraw from the transcripts. There are no outsiders here, they are all people around me. If you have anything to say, it's okay. I like to hear my beloved and talk about the affairs of the previous dynasty, I have no way to know. The emperors and teachers cannot tell me these things. I want to learn from the previous dynasty to correct my mistakes."

Wei Bao smiled and said, "Then let me say it. If you say the wrong thing, your Majesty will just take it as a joke."

Zhu Youxiao smiled and said, "Looking at you, I was the one who asked you to do that, it's okay."

In 1614, the forty-second year of Wanli.

Li Zicheng was only 8 years old this year, and there were still 30 years before Chongzhen hanged himself on Coal Mountain.

The former chief minister of the cabinet, Shen Shixing, has retired and returned to Suzhou for 23 years, and his 80-year-old is exactly 80 years old.

His student Emperor Wanli specially sent a birthday gift from Beijing for this purpose.

Wanli, who has not seen him for many years, has not forgotten his teacher.

While being moved, Teacher Shen returned the gift, leaving only the imperial edict.

He also replied that as a teacher and former chief assistant, he could only watch the court relaxed, the people had lost money, the eldest son could not leave the cabinet and study, and a large number of officials had no place to take the bench, so he really had no face to accept such gifts.

This sarcastic erratic accusation has long been numb for the old fried dough stick Wanli in his fifties.

It is said that I feel a little sad, but I am like that.

Two months later, Shen Shixing passed away.

I wonder if the teacher and student have reflected on where did this tragedy start to go wrong?

1582, the tenth year of Wanli.

Thirty-two years ago, another teacher in Wanli, Zhang Juzheng, the chief assistant of the cabinet, passed away.

At that time, Wanli was a diligent emperor and a good student of Teacher Zhang.

According to the Confucian classics, Zhang Juzheng successfully cultivated Wanli into a young and promising young man who was young and promising, noble in character, and loved to study.

Zhang Juzheng's death was quite sudden, and Wanli, who lost Mr. Zhang, was also very sad.

However, the first thing Emperor Wanli faced was the civil servants' corruption and power corruption of Zhang Juzheng.

Wanli is a very smart student and very hardworking.

Since he was a child, he insisted on getting up before dawn and waiting outside the hall for the morning court of the officials before sunrise, and rarely interrupted.

Wanli can read at the age of five, but this is probably a traditional Chinese algorithm.

According to the algorithms of later generations, if you count for one year, Emperor Wanli may be able to read and read when he was only 4 years old.

So from a very young age, Wanli had to review dozens of memorials every day, ranging from a few pages to dozens of pages each.

His "big companion", eunuch Feng Bao, will instruct him to make instructions based on Mr. Zhang's "publication plan" and use a red pen to make instructions.

At the beginning, you only need to write a few "I know", and then leave the rest to Feng Bao to write.

As he grew older, Wanli began to consider some things by himself, but he always admired and trusted Mr. Zhang.

In addition, Wanli, a teenager, also has to learn a lot of teachers' courses every day and complete homework.

Then the next day, you need to recite the classics and historical contents you learned yesterday.

And there was no rest during the break, and there would be eunuchs who would ask the emperor to continue to review the memorials.

Zhang Juzheng strictly followed Confucian classics and hoped to build Wanli into a monarch who met Confucian standards.

Respect the way of heaven, imitate our ancestors, always practice and reduce our behavior, and restrain our desires.

The specific government affairs will be managed by Mr. Zhang himself.

Zhang Juzheng hopes to use his hard work and the morally perfect emperor he has created to bring together gentlemen and pursue the dream of a prosperous era together.

And this beautiful dream with good intentions was eventually shattered.

The emperor who Zhang Juzheng taught himself to become the longest emperor in Chinese history.

Teacher Zhang was slapped loudly in the face under the storm.

1585, the thirteenth year of Wanli.

Three years after Zhang Juzheng's death, Hai Rui received a call from the court.

Zhang Juzheng didn't like Hai Rui, and Hai Rui had been resigning for fifteen years at this time.

The seventy-two-year-old Hai Rui was in very bad health, but he still dragged his elderly body to take office without hesitation.

Hai Rui, who was still able to make money, was still proud of the past, criticized the current situation, pointed out the crisis among the people, proposed the court to fight corruption, strictly punish the law, and restore the ancestral system of "skinning" corrupt officials during the Hongwu period.

Such remarks were naturally impeached by other civil servants. Hai Rui also submitted seven consecutive resignations because of this matter, but was kept by Wanli every time.

Hai Rui is a moral model who strictly follows Confucian classics, is upright and does not rub any sand in his eyes.

Although Hai Rui was still strong at this time, he was no longer young.

Two years later, the national idol Hai Rui died. It is said that every family is white and has a long street of ten miles.

Wanli is a monarch who grew up in a new era.

At that time, the party struggles during the Jiajing period had just ended, and after the excessiveness of the Longqing years, civil servants thought that they had learned from the lessons of Zhengde and Jiajing and had successfully transformed the emperor into a kind and easy-to-control mascot.

The little emperor Wanli, who was born after Longqing, now has a virtuous prime minister like Zhang Juzheng, famous generals like Qi Jiguang on the border, and idols like Hai Rui among the people.

Everyone thinks it is a new era that will carry forward the past and open up the future.

Zhang Juzheng, Qi Jiguang, Shanghai Rui, and Wanli when he was young, these people do not explain the dynasty. In the entire history of China, they are absolutely luxurious lineups.

Not to mention that there are first-class or accurate first-class people like Shen Shixing and Li Chengliang, who can catch a lot of them.

The dream of "Wanli Prosperity" of one generation and two generations, including Wanli's own dream of prosperity, was eventually destroyed and shattered under the struggle of so many great bulls.

Emperor Wanli could not recover the decline of the entire late Ming Dynasty. I am afraid that others would not be able to do better.

So it is hard to say who is responsible.

People are always used to looking forward to a savior, a wise monarch and a sage, hoping that once such a person comes, the Yellow River will be cleansed and the world will be clear.

So he naturally attributed the prosperity to the merits of several emperors and the troubled times to the responsibility of several treacherous ministers.

But more often, this is actually the result of more people's choice.

History is by no means written by anyone, but by several generations.

"So I said that Your Majesty's decision is very pragmatic. Pragmatic is good, and it is correct! The Ming Dynasty really needs to accumulate strength first and rectify internal affairs. Only internal health and strength are available. A small group of thieves outside are not enough to fight the endless divine power of the Ming Dynasty, like crushing ant to death!" Wei Bao said.

Zhu Youxiao was overjoyed when he heard this. He heard Wei Bao criticizing his grandfather and secretly praising Zhang Juzheng, but he was a little unhappy, but now he became happy immediately.

"Your dear really thinks that?" Zhu Youxiao said.

"Well, I never make any fools in front of Your Majesty. Regardless of whether Your Majesty is happy or not, as long as I feel good to Your Majesty or to the Ming Dynasty, I will tell Your Majesty." Wei Bao said sincerely. Sometimes, Wei Bao himself couldn't tell whether he was telling the truth or lies.

Not to mention, Zhu Youxiao was really moved by Wei Bao. "My dear, what I lack is hearing the truth, not to mention that you are so talented. Every time I listen to your words, I will benefit a lot."

"I only ask Your Majesty to believe in me one day, don't punish me. Just let me go home directly. All the official titles are fine. I actually like to be a commoner who is not in conflict with the world and doesn't think about anything. I just want to farm in the mountains and fields, have time to do some carpenter work, raise a few chickens and ducks. Your Majesty said last time that he is going to be a marriage for me. Do you still remember? If Your Majesty goes to the house of me, you can taste the wheat noodles grown by my parents." Wei Bao said.

"I haven't forgotten. It's too cold. I have a lot of official duties. When spring is in full bloom, I will ask you to go to Shanhaiguan. I want to go to your house to see you. I want to give you my marriage to you personally." Zhu Youxiao hurriedly said, "Your dear, you are the one I trust most. Ask the Madam Fengsheng, I often praise you. Don't be discouraged. I still expect you to do your best and lead all officials to take the Ming Dynasty to the road of prosperity! In my opinion, your dear talent is no worse than Zhang Juzheng. Don't say anything about going home. At a young age, why do you always want to go home?"

After Zhu Youxiao said that in order to show his love for Wei Bao, he hurriedly said to Kebaba: "Madam Fengsheng, please send someone to the imperial prison to the Imperial Heavenly Prison, and ask them to check out a zodiac auspicious day to see which day is good in March and April. I will go to Liaoxi in person to host the marriage for Wei Aiqing."

Kebaba immediately agreed and reminded: "I'm afraid I want the birth date of the woman Wei and the one whom Wei wants to marry."

"Oh, yes," Zhu Youxiao smiled and said to Wei Bao: "Wei Aiqing, the woman you want to marry is Zhao Jinfeng, right? I still remember it."

"That's right, I boasted in front of my mother-in-law, saying that Your Majesty could host the marriage, and my mother-in-law agreed to marry my daughter to me. Otherwise, she would not be willing to let her daughter be a baby for me." Wei Bao smiled.

Zhu Youxiao laughed when he heard this: "Okay! In the Ming Dynasty, I'm afraid only Wei Aiqing has such an honor. I have to preside over the marriage of a concubine."

Wei Bao was shocked when he heard this and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I have eaten the courage of Xiongxin and leopards, that is, I will mention it to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty feels it is inappropriate, then forget it."

"Hey, Wei Aiqing, you are so disgusted with me. When did I feel that it is inappropriate?" Zhu Youxiao patted Wei Bao on the shoulder, "In front of me, there is no need to be cautious. No matter what you, Wei Aiqing, have said or done, I will not blame you. I believe Wei Aiqing! Hurry up, give your birth date to the Madam Fengsheng and let her take it to the Imperial Heaven Supervision to check it."

Wei Bao nodded and handed over his and Zhao Jinfeng's birth dates to Kebaba.

The reason why Wei Bao remembers Zhao Jinfeng's birth date is because he has actually checked it and has always kept it with him.

After Kebaba left, Wei Bao said to Zhu Youxiao: "Your Majesty, I have actually submitted my resignation. Did Your Majesty see it?"

Zhu Youxiao knew about Wei Bao's resignation. These were all major events, and Wei Zhongxian did not dare to hide them from Zhu Youxiao.

Zhu Youxiao was stunned. He didn't expect why Wei Bao mentioned this matter? Didn't he promise you to take charge of the affairs of the Coast Defense Governor's Office?

At this time, Zhu Youxiao was a little unhappy and felt that Wei Bao was a little arrogant because of his favor.

Didn’t I say that you are too young and will be promoted to you in two years and be able to become the governor at the age of eighteen. The governor is an authentic official. Isn’t that enough?

Wei Bao asked this question on purpose, and Wei Bao also knew that this might cause the emperor to be unhappy.

But we must not mention that because he did submit his resignation, it is unlikely that the emperor would not know!

If you don’t mention this, this one will likely become an obstacle between you and the emperor.

"I haven't arrived here yet, I haven't seen it yet." Zhu Youxiao lied.

Although you have no jokes, no one can do anything about the emperor if he wants to lie.

Wei Bao didn't say it out loud. Wei Bao had an insider in the palace, but in fact he knew the emperor's general movements and ideas.

"I am still not very adaptable to the officialdom. Maybe I am too young. Many times I am impatient and can't help but offend people. I can easily offend anything. If you can't stand anything, you want to point it out. Your Majesty can tolerate me, but others may not be able to do it." Wei Bao said: "I am timid. I am afraid that I will cause trouble one day and make your Majesty a difficult situation, and I am also afraid that I will be impeached and killed one day."
Chapter completed!