My father is Jiajing

In front of Wenyuan Pavilion.

Chen Hong looked at this ancient palace with more than 200 years of history with excitement.

Since the Yongle period, when Xie Jin and other grand secretaries who were not yet important regents were here, this place had already belonged to the cabinet.

During the two hundred years here, successive generations of cabinet ministers, such as Xie Jin, the Three Yangs, and Li Xian, have all played their intended or unintended roles here to a greater or lesser extent.

It is precisely because of the continuous efforts and struggle of generations of cabinet ministers that they have achieved their current status as "the head of all officials."

Chen Hong, wearing a bright red dragon robe, looked up at the main entrance of the cabinet. At this moment, he felt as if he was only one step away from the peak of his life.

Chen Hong took a deep breath and suppressed his inner excitement. He walked confidently and head high towards the main entrance of the cabinet.

It seemed as if this was also his territory that he could patrol.

But the moment he entered the cabinet, the scene he imagined did not seem to happen.

The chief minister of the cabinet, Xu Jie, was still sitting in the main seat, carefully reviewing the government documents in his hands. Other cabinet members, such as Yuan Wei, Yan Ne, Li Chunfang and others, did not notice Chen Hong's arrival.

Faced with such indifferent treatment, Chen Hong's face suddenly fell, and his face looked so gloomy that it seemed as if water could drip out.

"Lord Xu." Chen Hong's voice was low and harsh, and it suddenly sounded in the quiet cabinet duty room.

When Xu Jie and other cabinet members heard Chen Hong's voice, they couldn't help but look up at Chen Hong. There was confusion in each of their eyes, and they seemed to be asking: What are you doing here?
Chen Hong, who was looked down upon in such a way, was immediately furious!

Chen Hong's voice immediately sounded harshly.

"The Emperor has a decree!"

When Xu Jie and others heard this, they all stood up from their seats.

Although Emperor Jiajing seldom issued imperial decrees in the cabinet since he began to practice in seclusion in the 41st year of the Jiajing reign, this did not hinder the importance of Emperor Jiajing's majesty in the hearts of the cabinet ministers.

Xu Jie, Yuan Wei, Yan Ne, Li Chunfang and others all bowed to Chen Hong and said, "Greetings to the Holy Saint!"

Chen Hong looked at Xu Jie and others who were paying their respects to him obediently at this moment, and he couldn't help but feel secretly happy again.

It seemed like this was exactly what he had imagined it to taste like.

Chen Hong continued to control his tone and replied on behalf of Tian: "I am fine."

Then Chen Hong said, "The construction of Wanshou Palace is progressing slowly. The Emperor asked Lord Xu when it will be completed. Today, I am here to ask about this matter on behalf of the Emperor."

Xu Jie and others who were still bowing and waiting for Chen Hong's order, heard these words, and they couldn't help but feel that it was a little unreal.

Xu Jie slowly raised his head and stood up straight at this moment. Although Xu Jie's physique was not as strong as Chen Hong's, his aura was as tall as a mountain.

Xu Jie looked at Chen Hong today, and he also noticed that Chen Hong's attire today seemed a little particularly ostentatious.

Especially the dragon robe on Chen Hong, which was too exquisite. Even the cuffs were woven with gold thread, and seemed to be flashing a dazzling light.

What is even more noticeable is that when Chen Hong spoke, his chin was slightly raised and there was a hint of superiority in his eyes, which made Xu Jie very unhappy.

You know, even Huang Jin, who had served the emperor for decades, had never treated cabinet ministers like this and always maintained a humble attitude.

And Chen Hong is just a junior. No matter in terms of seniority or position, he ranks behind Huang Jin. How dare he do this?
He really doesn't take the cabinet elders seriously.

So at this moment, whether it was Xu Jie or Yuan Wei, Yan Ne, Li Chunfang and others, the look in their eyes when they looked at Chen Hong was full of indifference, as if they were looking at a clown.

"Eunuch Chen," Xu Jie said calmly, "The Wanshou Palace project is very expensive. The Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue have been keeping a close eye on the project, and your majesty has not set a specific construction period. I'm afraid it's a bit too much for you to issue an order now, right?"

When Chen Hong heard this, his face suddenly turned red.

"What does Lord Xu mean by this? This is the Emperor's order! Could it be that Lord Xu is going to disobey the order?"

Chen Hong tried his best to raise his voice, as if he wanted to put the accusation of disobeying the imperial order on Xu Jie's head.

But Xu Jie remained unmoved.

Although Xu Jie didn't understand what was going on with Chen Hong, he was confident that he had some understanding of Emperor Jiajing's thoughts and attitudes.

Xu Jie looked at Chen Hong, who was a little timid at the moment, and said calmly, "Eunuch Chen, please be careful with your words. I am the chief minister of the cabinet and I should share the worries of Your Majesty. The cabinet, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Revenue have their own plans for the Wanshou Palace, and they are all progressing on time. Eunuch, is this your intention or Your Majesty's intention?"

As soon as Xu Jie said this, the air in the cabinet seemed to freeze in an instant.

Everyone stared at Xu Jie in a daze. In their impression, Xu Jie had never been in such a state before. It really made people feel a little strange.

However, while it was unfamiliar, it also made the rest of the people feel excited, as if this was the attitude that the cabinet and the cabinet prime minister should have.

"enough!"

Chen Hong became angry and humiliated. He never expected that Xu Jie would look down on him like that. He was really looked down upon!
"Don't think that we don't know, Lord Xu. You are just trying to please the Emperor. Building a palace for the Emperor is your son's duty, but you took advantage of the Emperor's seclusion and let your son return to his hometown in Songjiang."

"Now the Emperor has remembered this matter and ordered our family to supervise the construction of eunuchs for the Wanshou Palace. You are still trying to shirk this matter. I think you just don't take the Emperor's matter to heart!"

"We are here today to remind you that the Emperor will move to the Wanshou Palace within three months. If you haven't completed the construction of the Wanshou Palace by then, don't blame us for not showing our good will."

When Xu Jie heard what Chen Hong said, he was also startled and hesitated.

However, on the surface, Xu Jie still maintained his proper attitude.

"Eunuch Chen, since you said this is the will of His Majesty, then I will obey your order. However, the court still needs to have its own laws. Please show me the imperial edict, Eunuch Chen."

Chen Hong's expression changed slightly. He knew that he would not be able to get anything good from Xu Jie today.

But Chen Hong also had something to rely on. He believed that he was able to come here because of the order of Emperor Jiajing.

So in his subsequent speech, Chen Hong also maintained his attitude.

Chen Hong said: "This is the emperor's oral instruction to us. Lord Xu, do you not trust us?"

Xu Jie smiled slightly: "I dare not."

"But this matter is of great importance. I have not seen the emperor's face, nor the emperor's edict. If you just rely on Eunuch Chen's two words, where are the court's laws? Where is the dignity of the cabinet? If Eunuch Chen insists on doing this, why not ask Eunuch Chen to inform the emperor on my behalf? I am willing to go to the emperor with you. Please give your instructions, Your Majesty?"

Chen Hong was shocked when he heard this. If he really reported this matter back to Emperor Jiajing, although Xu Jie would not get any benefit, he would definitely be punished by Emperor Jiajing.

After all, he came to the cabinet on orders.

Now, not only has the imperial edict not been conveyed well, but he has also been squeezed to this extent by Xu Jie.

Chen Hong really wanted to die.

Chen Hong looked at Xu Jie with a guilty conscience, "Is Lord Xu trying to embarrass our family?"

At this moment, Chen Hong's voice was obviously lacking in confidence, he was really feeling guilty.

Seeing Chen Hong give in so easily, Xu Jie couldn't help but feel even more contemptuous of him.

You clearly don't have Huang Jin's abilities, but you want to show off your abilities that only Huang Jin can?
If I don't teach him a lesson today, I really don't know what he will think of the cabinet in the future!

Therefore, Xu Jie's confrontation with Chen Hong this time was not a matter of his personal honor and disgrace, but a matter of the honor and disgrace of the entire cabinet, and even more so a matter of the honor and disgrace of all the officials in the outer court.

Therefore, this step cannot be given up no matter what!

Otherwise, he would just quit his job as Prime Minister and go home to retire.

Xu Jie looked at Chen Hong calmly, and said in a neutral voice: "I dare not, I am just following the rules. If Eunuch Chen feels embarrassed, why not just give up?"

Chen Hong's face turned from red to white, and then from white to blue. He never expected things to turn out like this.

Chen Hong stared at Xu Jie, a trace of resentment flashing in his eyes: "Good, very good! Lord Xu is indeed worthy of being the chief minister of the cabinet. He even dares to question the will of the emperor. I will return to the palace and report to the emperor to see how he will deal with it!"

Chen Hong also decided to throw the jar into the ground. Since Xu Jie didn't want him to have an easy life, then everyone might as well just die!
So after saying this, Chen Hong turned around and was about to leave.

At this moment, Xu Jie suddenly said, "Eunuch Chen, wait a minute."

Chen Hong, who had already taken a step forward, abruptly took back his step. He stopped and looked sideways at Xu Jie's silhouette, "Master Xu, do you have any other advice?"

Chen Hong stopped but did not look back: "Master Xu, do you have any other advice?"

Xu Jie's eyes fell on Chen Hong's waist, and he said indifferently, "Is the jade pendant on Eunuch Chen's waist a gift from the traitor Yan Shifan?"

When Chen Hong heard this, his whole body trembled, and he turned around abruptly, his eyes full of horror!
The jade pendant on his waist was a precious jade given to him by Yan Shifan many years ago, and Chen Hong liked this precious jade very much, so he often kept it with him to play with.

I didn't expect to be recognized by Xu Jie today.

Chen Hong suddenly felt a chill on the soles of his feet!
"You are slandering me!"

Chen Hong would never admit it at this time.

Once he admitted this, he would not be able to get enough heads even if he had ten.

You must know that Yan Shifan's crimes are not just those found on the books. According to the news coming back from the sea, he is very likely to be colluding with the Japanese pirates with evil intentions.

Such a crime, if it is really verified to be true.

Even if the Jade Emperor came down to earth, he couldn't save his life.

Therefore, at this time, Chen Hong would never dare to have anything to do with Yan Shifan.

Xu Jie continued calmly, "Really? Maybe I am dazzled by my eyes. When Yan Shifan was in the cabinet, he liked to wear this kind of jade pendant the most. Maybe Eunuch Chen accidentally shared the same hobby with Yan Shifan."

After hearing this, Chen Hong knew that this was a way out given to him by Xu Jie.

He also hurriedly smiled and said, "Yes, yes, what Lord Xu said is right. This may just be a coincidence. This piece of jade is an heirloom in our family. It is definitely not Yan Shifan's thing."

Xu Jie hummed, and then said lightly: "I hope so."

Chen Hong also smiled and said, "Of course it is so."

Seeing Chen Hong like this, Xu Jie revealed a barely perceptible smile at the corner of his mouth.

Now the offense and defense have finally changed, and he has finally grasped the absolute initiative in the cabinet.

Well, there is no need to confront each other like this anymore.

After all, as long as Xu Jie was not confused, he should understand that Chen Hong was really conveying the emperor's orders.

If Chen Hong was really allowed to return in disgrace, it would be a slap in the face of Emperor Jiajing.

Even if Xu Jie had a hundred times the courage, he would not dare to do such a thing.

Xu Jie said, "Eunuch just said that His Majesty will move to the Wanshou Palace within three months. Is this true?"

Chen Hong, who had already been subdued by Xu Jie, nodded quickly when he heard this and said, "That's right. The Emperor told us personally that he wanted to move to the Wanshou Palace within three months, so he asked us to come to the cabinet to inform the cabinet elder, hoping that the cabinet elder would arrange the manpower and speed up the progress of the project."

Xu Jie nodded in agreement, "This is indeed a matter of top importance. Your Majesty wants to move to a new palace, and we, as ministers, must do our best. Therefore, please report to Your Majesty that the cabinet will definitely complete the Wanshou Palace on time according to Your Majesty's requirements and will never delay the auspicious date for Your Majesty to move to the new palace."

Chen Hong smiled apologetically, "That's exactly why I came to the old man this time for this matter."

Xu Jie chuckled and said, "You are so loyal to the emperor, I am sure I feel the same way. Today I will give you a promise, and later I will inform the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works to allocate 500,000 taels of silver and a number of skilled craftsmen to work overtime in the next three months to complete the construction of the Longevity Palace for Your Majesty."

Chen Hong was overjoyed and said, "Thank you, Lord. You are truly loyal and filial. It is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty that the Emperor has chosen you as the Prime Minister!"

Finally, Xu Jie and Chen Hong exchanged some business flattery, as if their previous confrontation was just a gentle joke.

Yuan Wei, Yan Ne, Li Chunfang and others on the side were also watching this scene, and at this moment, their hearts were filled with emotion.

It seems that in the past, they really ignored Xu Jie, thinking that Xu Jie was nothing special.

Now seeing that Xu Jie had Chen Hong in his hands so easily, they couldn't help but rethink and re-recognize Xu Jie's ability and status.

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Asking for a monthly ticket~~
Happy New Year~~(End of this chapter)