Chapter 402: The Little Kid's Assist
The inner hall of Wanshou Palace.

Zhu Zaigui knelt down again to ask for permission.

The hall fell silent.

In fact, Zhu Zaigui knew in his heart that he should not get involved in such matters, and he should not speak for Yan Shaoting at this time.

But at the same time, Zhu Zaigui knew better that no matter what the Yan family was like in the past, the situation in recent years, whether it was the Ming Dynasty, the court, or even himself, was completely different.

This change may seem opportunistic to others, or it may be for the sake of self-preservation.

But the change is real.

There are not so many right and wrong, merits and demerits in the court.

Only children would blush and distinguish between right and wrong.

Once you enter officialdom and are in the circle of power, right and wrong are just means.

Moreover, others may not understand how the Yan family treats him now, but Zhu Zaigui himself sees it clearly.

As long as he was in Changping, everyone only called him Shanzhang, which was something that others elsewhere could not do.

Although it is just a name, it represents a lot.

In particular, Yan Shaoting was not worried that he would bring all the students of the academy into his orbit because he held the position of the academy's president. Such magnanimity and tolerance were enough for him to speak for him regardless of the rules.

You should repay him with sincerity.

I should repay it with sincerity.

Zhu Zaigui felt that if he could really reach the position in front of him one day in the future and get along with his ministers, only in this way could he last long.

of course.

If a monarch is not sincere, he should be governed by law.

Zhu Zaigui's heart was tense, waiting for the emperor's reply or question.

On the platform.

Jiajing narrowed his eyes, but withdrew his gaze from his son and looked down at the grandson in his arms.

Lu Fang had already sent over the pastries made by the imperial kitchen today.

Zhu Yijun sat in the emperor's arms, squinting his eyes carefully, eating the sweet but not cloying cakes, and quietly, but without escaping Jiajing's eyes, he put a few pieces of cakes into his handkerchief and hid them in his sleeves.

Jiajing was curious and asked, "If Jun'er thinks it's delicious, Grandpa can ask someone to make some more and send it over so that Jun'er can take it back to eat. There's no need to hide it like this."

Zhu Yijun trembled all over. He didn't expect that what he had done would be discovered by the Emperor.

His face flushed, he shook his head shyly, and whispered: "My grandson is going to Changping to visit Master's son later. I will bring this cake to my junior brother."

"Junior brother?"

Jiajing's face became more and more confused, but he soon understood.

He chuckled twice: "Jun'er, are you saying that Yan Shaoting's son is your junior fellow apprentice?"

Zhu Yijun nodded heavily: "Yes, the teachers in the academy all taught us this, saying that we should respect teachers and education, be filial to our parents, and be filial to our elders."

This is indeed the correct teaching.

Jiajing rubbed his grandson's head with a smile: "But your little brother was just born today, so he can't eat these things."

Zhu Yijun was stunned immediately, with a look of worry and sadness on his face. He held his mouth tightly and didn't even have the appetite to eat the cake he was about to feed himself.

I saw my eldest grandson was about to cry.

Jiajing immediately smiled helplessly and coaxed the child: "Jun'er, be good, although the little junior brother can't eat the cakes you brought, the emperor will help you give him some good things."

Zhu Yijun immediately smiled again: "Really?"

Jiajing glared and said, "When can what Grandpa Huang said be false?"

Zhu Yijun then looked at his father who was standing under the stage, and asked softly, "Then will Grandpa Huang agree to what Grandpa Huang wants to ask?"

Jiajing was so confused by his eldest grandson that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry for a long time.

He pinched Zhu Yijun's face.

Then he looked calmly at his son below.

"Is it true that last time, for their meritorious service in defending Changping against the enemy, I rewarded everyone except Yan Shaoting and Xu Wei, but these two did not receive any reward? This time, you are using the happy occasion of Miss Lu giving birth to ask me for a reward for them?"

In Jiajing's view, only this reason could make his son, who had been cautious for most of his life, come to him and ask for rewards for others.

He waved his hand: "Well, what reward do you want to ask for him?"

When asking this question, Jiajing had already prepared himself mentally. As long as his son's request was not excessive, he would agree to it for the sake of his eldest grandson.

After all, the eldest grandson knew to hide a few cakes to bring to the little junior brother who was just born today.

How can I be stingy?

But Zhu Zaigui shook his head and said, "Your Majesty has already rewarded us for the battle of Changping, and I have no objection to this matter. Your Majesty must have considered whether to reward Yan Shaoting and Xu Wei or not."

Hearing this, Jiajing became confused.

He asked curiously, "Isn't it about this?"

Zhu Zaigui nodded and replied, "I came here today because Yan Shaoting is now a father. I think his temperament will become more stable after today, and he will not be as lively as before."

Hearing his son say this, Jiajing couldn't help but think of himself and his son after his grandson was born.

He couldn't help but smile: "Yeah, being a father is different."

Seeing this, Zhu Zaigui smiled and said, "A few days ago, after the battle of Changping, Yan Shaoting and I had a casual chat. Although he did not say it explicitly, I felt that he wanted to leave the capital to serve as an official and see the true appearance of local officials and people in our dynasty for his father and the court."

This was the reason Zhu Zaigui thought about for a long time before deciding to speak it out.

I can't tell you that Yan Shaoting told me directly that he wanted to leave Beijing to serve as an official.

This means that Yan Shaoting hopes that I can speak for him.

Only thoughts.

That's nothing.

All this is just my own speculation.

It just so happens that Yan Shaoting now has a child. As a father, his temperament is naturally different from before.

Zhu Zaigui continued, "Logically speaking, with Yan Shaoting's current position, he should have been allowed to go out and have a look before he could serve as an official in the court. But I also know that in recent years, the emperor has been worried that if he went to the countryside, he might cause trouble because of his temper.

But now it's different. He's a new father, and he'll have to wait a while. His temper will eventually change, and we need to be steady in everything. At this time, let him go out and take a walk. Who knows, he might be able to give us more mature advice that will benefit the country after he returns to the capital."

On the platform.

Jiajing stared at his son's every word and action with deep eyes.

She was determined to keep track of her son's slightest movements.

He hummed and said calmly: "What you said is what I think. Although that kid has made many suggestions that benefit the country, if I hadn't suppressed him, I'm afraid he would have turned the world upside down with his temper."

Zhu Zaigui smiled and said, "Who says it's not true? If it weren't for my father, he wouldn't have gotten into trouble until today. But as I said, life will always change little by little. In addition, in the past few years, Yan Shaoting's various advices that benefited the country were mostly in the southeast, and almost every one of them could bring millions or even tens of millions of dollars in benefits to the court."

Having said this, Zhu Zaigui stopped at the right time.

Then he looked up at the father who was holding his son on the platform.

really.

As Zhu Zaigui talked about these things.

Jiajing also smiled a little. He had seen clearly the changes in the court over the past two years.

Although there were still constant wars on the border, civil unrest was still frequent in the southwest and other places, and disasters occurred from time to time in various places, the purse of the court was actually filled.

There have been disasters in several places this year, and the imperial court is no longer as strapped for cash as it was in the past. Once the extent of the disaster is ascertained, the Ministry of Revenue can directly allocate money and grain for relief.

How many years have passed since I had this feeling of not panicking when something happens?

Jiajing smiled and said, "So, you want him to serve as an official in the southeast?"

Zhu Zaigui still shook his head and said, "Whether Yan Shaoting needs to leave the capital to serve as an official is a matter for the emperor to decide. And where he should be appointed as an official should also be decided by the emperor."

Seeing my son say this.

Jiajing immediately hummed and asked with a smile: "What if I let him go to Qiongzhou Prefecture? Or Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, etc.?"

Zhu Zaigui immediately put on a wry smile and looked up at the emperor on the platform.

Seeing his son's wry smile.

Jiajing seemed to have won a war and began to laugh heartily.

Zhu Yijun, who was held in his arms, frowned, then moved his buttocks, left the emperor's arms, and sat beside the platform holding the box of cakes.

Jiajing immediately looked down, raised his hand and gently patted his grandson on the head.

He pretended to be angry: "Are you blaming Grandpa Huang for sending your master to such a far place?"

Zhu Yijun immediately put down the food box and climbed up from the platform with his butt sticking out.

Then under Jiajing's curious gaze.

Zhu Yijun said with a stern face: "Grandpa Emperor is wrong!"

Jiajing was stunned: "How could the emperor grandfather say something wrong?"

Zhu Yijun immediately said loudly: "Grandpa is the emperor of our Ming Dynasty. Grandpa is the one who makes the decisions in the world. Master Yan told his grandson that in our Ming Dynasty, only Grandpa can speak and only Grandpa can be the master. Whatever Grandpa asks Master Yan to do, it is all right."

If Yan Shaoting were present at this moment, he would probably have burst into tears.

It was not in vain. From time to time, when the little brat went to Changping, I would brainwash this kid with advanced methods.

The little bit of beef we had was not wasted on this kid.

At this time, Jiajing was even more stunned.

But he immediately frowned: "Did your Master Yan really say that to you? Did he say nothing else?"

Zhu Yijun seemed to be frightened by the emperor's sudden seriousness.

Then he immediately showed a flattering expression, walked carefully to Jiajing's side, and whispered: "Master Yan also said that if you want to live a good life, you must please the emperor grandfather and not make him angry."

Inside the palace.

Suddenly there was silence.

Zhu Zaigui below was almost scared to death by his own son.

But after hearing the boy's last words, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With the help of these words, today's task will definitely be accomplished.

really.

Soon.

The inner hall then erupted into Jiajing's loud laughter.

Even Lu Fang joined in the laughter.

After laughing for a long time.

Jiajing glared and snorted, "Master Yan, you really deserve to be beaten. What a mess you taught you all day long!"

Zhu Yijun immediately hugged Jiajing's arm and shook his head, saying, "Grandpa Emperor, please don't punish Master Yan! Master Yan also told his grandson that Grandpa Emperor is actually very hard-working and asked his grandson to be filial to him. When his grandson grows up, Master Yan will teach him real skills so that he can help Grandpa Emperor with things."

Jiajing was actually very happy at this moment.

The so-called nonsense.

He didn't think that his grandson would lie to him for others at this age.

Then everything that grandson said was true.

Yan Shaoting actually said this to his grandson.

Jiajing pouted and hummed: "He is kind of filial to me, so I didn't make a mistake in choosing you to study with him."

When Zhu Yijun heard the emperor say this, he immediately asked in a low voice: "Then will the emperor not punish Master Yan?"

Jiajing immediately rubbed his grandson's face with both hands and said in a deep voice: "No punishment! Not only no punishment, I will also reward your Master Yan well!"

Zhu Yijun immediately cheered and raised his hands high.

"Long live the Emperor!"

"Grandpa Emperor is the best in the world!"

Jiajing curled his lips: "Did your Master Yan say that?"

Zhu Yijun pouted immediately: "My grandson said this."

Jiajing burst into laughter again.

Then he held his eldest grandson's head and asked Lu Fang to take the food box away.

Children still can't eat too much sweets.

After asking Lu Fang to bring Zhu Yijun a bowl of soup that would quench his thirst and moisten his stomach.

Jiajing then looked at his nervous son.

He narrowed his eyes. "In fact, I have thought about releasing him from the capital and letting him serve as an official in a local place. However, the capital is full of complicated things, and I have never found a good opportunity. But now is an opportunity. Yunnan and Guizhou are just jokes. If I really want him to serve as an official outside the capital, I still have to choose a good place, a place and an official position that benefits him and the court."

As he spoke, Jiajing narrowed his eyes and thought silently.

Zhu Zaigui knew that at this time, he only needed to obey orders instead of interrupting and suggesting where Yan Shaoting should serve as an official.

After a while.

Jiajing then spoke up, "I heard that after Hai Rui took over my post as the governor of Yingtian, he basically stayed in the Suzhou Grain Supervisory Office and mingled with Zhang Juzheng?"

Zhu Zaigui didn't understand why the emperor suddenly asked about this.

He immediately answered according to the news he had received, "It's not that he has been staying in the Grain Inspectorate all the time. It's just that Hai Rui is a man of action. He is running around in various prefectures under the jurisdiction of the Yingtian Governor. The reason why he spends more time with Zhang Juzheng seems to be that Hai Rui wants Zhang Juzheng to help him do some things so that he can govern Jiangnan better."

Jiajing waved his hands and said, "No matter what they do, as long as they don't cause a big mess and don't embarrass the court, I can still tolerate them."

Zhu Zaigui immediately clasped his hands and said: "Father is a man of tolerance. Our dynasty will surely have wise ministers and a prosperous era."

Jiajing just snorted and shook his head and waved his hands.

Then, as if he had already thought of something, he spoke lightly.

"Since Hai Rui is not going to Nanjing."

"Then when we get back, let Yan Shaoting go to Nanjing."

"Let him go meet those people!"

…………

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(End of this chapter)