Chapter 160 What is the Eunuch Party?
Yuan Chonghuan's eyes suddenly lit up, and what Zhao Lushi said made sense.

Although Yuan Chonghuan did not know that Chongzhen originally planned to transfer Man Gui, he wanted to make the three of them reconcile.

However, even if he knew it, Yuan Chonghuan would not do anything and would still hope that Man Gui would be transferred.

After all, now the two of them don't talk when they meet, and it's very awkward for the superiors and subordinates to be together when something happens.

If we can really take this opportunity to transfer Man Gui away, it seems like a good idea.

So Yuan Chonghuan nodded and said, "Xilong, your idea is good. I will write a memorial to His Majesty now."

Soon, a horse galloped towards the capital.

When Yuan Chonghuan's memorial was delivered to the Wenhua Hall, Chongzhen was curiously looking at a burly middle-aged man in front of him.

The middle-aged man was about thirty years old, eight feet tall and sturdy, so he looked very imposing.

After a long time, Chongzhen suddenly walked out of the imperial desk, came to the kneeling middle-aged man, stretched out his hand to help him up, and said: "Mr. Boya (Sun Chuanting's pen name), please stand up quickly. I was so busy looking at you that I even forgot to ask you to stand up!"

As if to express his apology, Chongzhen said to Wang Chengen: "My dear companion, please quickly give the gentleman a seat!"

Sun Chuanting stood up and said anxiously, "I have been retired for many years, how can I be worthy of such a title from Your Majesty!"

"As for granting you a seat, I absolutely cannot do that. I was only a doctor in the Ministry of Personnel before. How can I take a seat in front of Your Majesty?"

Chongzhen chuckled and patted Sun Chuanting's arm, saying with a smile: "Sir, there is no need to be modest. The so-called talent does not lie in the official position but in the knowledge and ability."

"Back then, you couldn't stand the eunuchs' rebellion and resigned in anger. How many people can have such a magnanimous character?"

Chongzhen's words made Sun Chuanting feel very grateful. He was immediately moved and said, "Your Majesty, I have learned all my life only to serve the court and the people. I have no regrets in my life to receive such praise from Your Majesty!"

By this time, Wang Chengen had already brought a stool over. Chongzhen pulled Sun Chuanting to sit down. As he walked back to the imperial desk, he smiled and said, "Now that the world is not at peace, isn't it a little early for you to say you have no regrets?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting immediately said, "I am ashamed that I am now a white-clothed man and cannot serve the country."

Chongzhen said: "It is not too late now. I intend to revive you. Are you willing to serve as an official again?"

Sun Chuanting was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Excuse me, I have a question for you."

Chongzhen did not mind Sun Chuanting's attitude and nodded, "Please ask, sir!"

Sun Chuanting pondered for a while, then lowered his head and asked: "May I ask your Majesty, why don't you completely eradicate the eunuch party?"

Chongzhen was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Sun Chuanting was a little confused by the laughter. Was his question really that funny?

You know, almost everyone in the world was wondering about this question. Chongzhen clearly had the ability to eradicate the eunuch party, but he did not do so.

Even Wei Zhongxian is still alive and well. After arriving in Beijing, I heard from my old colleagues that Wei Zhongxian had returned to Beijing to report on his work during this period. He is living a very comfortable life.

Sun Chuanting resigned because he could not stand Wei Zhongxian's chaotic politics. Now that the emperor has said that he wants to reinstate him, he has to ask this question. Chongzhen laughed for a while, then said: "Sir, I also have a question for you."

Sun Chuanting was also stunned. He was clearly the one asking Chongzhen, so why was Chongzhen asking him back?

But since the emperor had said so, Sun Chuanting certainly couldn't say no, so he could only respectfully say, "Your Majesty, please ask."

Chongzhen put away his smile and said solemnly: "I would like to ask you, sir, what is the eunuch party?"

Sun Chuanting was even more confused. The eunuch party is the eunuch party. What is the eunuch party?

However, since the emperor asked, Sun Chuanting could only answer as best he could: "The so-called eunuch party is a group of people headed by Wei Zhongxian who are in collusion with each other and usurp the imperial power for their own selfish interests, causing chaos in the court and making the people of the world live in misery!"

Sun Chuanting became angrier as he spoke, and even stood up from the stool.

It is no wonder that Sun Chuanting was so excited, because he was a Jinshi in the 47th year of Wanli, the same year as Yuan Chonghuan.

Moreover, when he entered the Ministry of Personnel, the ministry was almost entirely controlled by the Donglin Party from top to bottom. Sun Chuanting had a very good relationship with these Donglin Party members, not to mention that he resigned because he could not stand Wei Zhongxian.

Because of his political stance and ideas, as well as his Donglin background, he is often considered to be a member of the Donglin Party.

It is not known whether Sun Chuanting himself thought so, but he was at least a pro-Donglin Party member.

This makes it understandable why Sun Chuanting hated Wei Zhongxian so much.

Chongzhen had known about this for a long time, so he was not surprised by Sun Chuanting's attitude. Instead, he smiled and said, "In other words, you think that anyone who is close to Wei Zhongxian and disrupts the government is a member of the eunuch party?"

"Isn't it?" The hot-tempered Sun Chuanting asked directly.

Chongzhen was not surprised. He smiled and shook his head, saying, "When Wei Zhongxian rebuilt the Biyun Temple on the Western Hills, the Prime Minister Ye Xianggao wrote an inscription for him. When the imperial envoy Zhou Zongjian impeached Wei Zhongxian, Ye Xianggao mediated and even praised Wei Zhongxian for being a man full of poetry and books who could not speak, but was humble because he could not read. Wei Zhongxian was so happy that he pulled Ye Xianggao to chat for half the night, and the matter was finally resolved."

"If I remember correctly, there were many officials in the court and the public who called themselves Donglin, and they regarded Ye Xianggao as the leader of the party. But did Ye Xianggao have a personal relationship with Wei Zhongxian? Their relationship was not bad, was it? Could it be that Ye Xianggao was the leader of the Donglin Party and also a member of the eunuch party?"

"This..." Sun Chuanting didn't expect Chongzhen's words to be so sharp. He directly used Ye Xianggao, the leader of the Donglin Party at that time, to criticize him, leaving him speechless.

If what Sun Chuanting just said is true, then Ye Xianggao is undoubtedly a member of the eunuch party!

After all, Ye Xianggao personally wrote the notes for Wei Zhongxian, and Wei Zhongxian's attitude towards Ye Xianggao was indeed very friendly at that time. He did not even get angry or hold a grudge when Ye Xianggao lost his temper in public. To some extent, the two of them could be considered good buddies.

However, such a person turned out to be the leader of the Donglin Party. Isn’t that strange?
So history is sometimes like this, contradictory and interesting.

Seeing Sun Chuanting speechless, Chongzhen couldn't help but feel secretly proud and glad that he liked chatting with Wang An.

What he just said was exactly what Wang An said casually when he was chatting with Wang An about the anecdotes of the Donglin Party.

Now it is surprisingly effective to use it to criticize Sun Chuanting, who has an upright character.

However, Sun Chuanting was not easily convinced. After a long pause, he stiffened his neck and said, "It is true that Wei Zhongxian is causing chaos in the government. Your Majesty, why don't you kill him to set things right?"

(End of this chapter)