My father is Jiajing

Although Zhu Zaigui did not often mention the issue of Taiwan Nest, it was always on his mind.

He knew very well the importance of Taiwan in the future Age of Discovery.

As long as Taiwan can be firmly under control, the Ming Dynasty can roam freely in the vast Pacific Ocean.

But once this place is lost, let alone the future of the Ming Dynasty’s navy, even whether the Ming Dynasty can conduct trade and cultural exchanges with civilizations outside the open sea will depend on the attitudes of others.

Therefore, Taiwan has always been a very important place in Zhu Zaigui's heart.

In an era when he can only control the future and the overall situation, he must thoroughly brand Taiwan with the mark of the Ming Dynasty.

No matter how many years pass or how many changes occur, this place will still be an inseparable part of the mainland.

Otherwise, this place would be left isolated overseas, serving only as a paradise for adventurers and the last retreat for losers.

Then it will be extremely difficult for this place to be united with the mainland and share the same mind and purpose.

It would not be easy to make the indigenous people on the island and the refugees from the mainland who had risked their lives to settle down there to escape suffering have a collective sense of identity with the Ming Dynasty as a whole.

Therefore, Zhu Zaigui had to make plans early and treat this place as a royal land that was treated equally with the land of the Ming Dynasty. This was in the long-term interests of the Ming Dynasty and even for thousands of generations to come.

Hu Zongxian and Zhao Zhenji naturally understood Zhu Zaigui's strategic intentions, and they also knew that the key to whether the southeast could maintain long-term stability actually lay on this small island that had never been taken seriously before.

Therefore, after listening to Zhu Zaigui's words, Hu Zongxian and Zhao Zhenji nodded in agreement and said, "Your Highness is right."

Zhu Zaigui couldn't help laughing when he saw the responses from Hu Zongxian and Zhao Zhenji.

"I'm sure you two have some ideas in mind when you summoned Hu Qing and Zhao Qing back to the capital this time, right?"

Hu Zongxian and Zhao Zhenji smiled awkwardly when they heard Zhu Zaigui's joke.

Indeed, when they returned to Beijing this time, the two still had very high expectations in their hearts.

Take Hu Zongxian for example. He has been the governor of the southeast for some years. According to the court's rules for selecting and appointing people, it is indeed time for him to change his place.

Otherwise, if a provincial governor stays in one place for a long time, it will inevitably cause some problems that will cause headaches for the court.

Therefore, even though Hu Zongxian is still very suitable for serving in the southeast, the court cannot continue to keep him in the southeast.

Therefore, according to old precedents, when Hu Zongxian returned to Beijing this time, he would definitely be retained in the capital and given an important position.

Moreover, given his current official position and merits, the official position he can hold in the capital will certainly be a prominent position with high power.

Otherwise, how could the imperial court motivate more talented and ambitious people to work for it?

Hu Zongxian replied modestly: "I don't have any ideas in my mind. I will do whatever the prince wants me to do and wherever he wants me to be used."

Zhu Zaigui chuckled and said, "Mr. Hu, you are being too modest. If I asked you to be a small county magistrate, would you be willing to do that?"

Hu Zongxian smiled awkwardly again, he was indeed unwilling.

But when answering, Hu Zongxian still replied loyally: "As long as it is arranged by the prince, I am willing!"

Zhu Zaigui smiled and said, "Okay, okay, let's not talk about these empty words. I will also tell you the truth. According to the request I submitted to Your Majesty before, you will most likely be appointed as the Minister of War, in charge of all military affairs inside and outside the court."

When Hu Zongxian heard this, he could no longer conceal the excitement on his face. He could not help but stand up and bow deeply to Zhu Zaigui, "I kowtow to thank you for your great grace, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Zaigui looked at Hu Zongxian who was so excited and laughed, "Get up, this matter is not settled yet. I just told you in advance. If His Majesty thinks you have other talents and puts you in other positions, it is not impossible."

Although Zhu Zaigui said this, how could Hu Zongxian be so unsteady?

Hu Zongxian said: "Thunder and rain are all grace from the emperor. As long as it is arranged by the prince and His Majesty, I have no other thoughts!"

Zhu Zaiqi hummed, "Very good. The fact that you can have such an idea shows that you have been cautious in the southeast over the years and have not lost yourself in the huge power in your hands."

"The capital is different from the countryside. In the countryside, you are the governor who holds the trump card and the power of life and death. The local officials and gentry and common people all want to please you. But in the capital, even if you are a minister, you may not be able to be free and easy. The government offices and officials in the capital are more complicated than those in the countryside, and people's hearts are more difficult to figure out."

"So, I hope that if you really want to stay in the capital to serve, you must learn the essence of the four words "be cautious in words and deeds", and at the same time, don't forget the decisiveness and killing when you were the governor."

"Sometimes, when you are a person and do things, you still need some temper and personality to be able to handle some things and shoulder the responsibilities. If you just want stability, then it doesn't matter who I use as the Shangshu."

"So, I hope you can understand my painstaking efforts and not be lost in the crowd."

Hu Zongxian was deeply moved as he listened to Zhu Zaigui's heartfelt teachings.

You have to know that under normal circumstances, a monarch would never speak so directly to his subjects.

Otherwise, how can a ruler command the power of the people?

But Prince Yu was able to speak so clearly, and it was obvious that he really had great expectations and trust in him, and wanted him to make new achievements in his new position!
Therefore, at this time, Hu Zongxian knelt on the ground without any hesitation, "Your Majesty, I will not let you down. Even if I die, I will definitely fulfill your wishes and do my best for the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Zaigui was very satisfied with Hu Zongxian's current reaction and attitude.

Although this reaction and attitude can sometimes be disguised.

But Hu Zongxian had no other way out. The only force he could rely on was Zhu Zaigui.

If he had any second thoughts about Zhu Zaigui, and still wanted to "live in harmony with the world" like everyone else, then everything he had now would vanish in an instant!
Therefore, Zhu Zaigui was not worried at all whether Hu Zongxian would have the idea of ​​secretly obeying him or not, because he could not bear the consequences of this!
Zhao Zhenji, who was standing by, was extremely envious of the fact that Hu Zongxian was so trusted by Zhu Zaigui.

You have to know that compared with Hu Zongxian, Zhao Zhenji believed that he was the one with a good family background. Therefore, at this time, seeing that Hu Zongxian was so lucky and was trusted and appreciated by Zhu Zaigui, there was no reason for him not to get a better reward.

So at this moment, Zhao Zhenji couldn't help but fantasize in his heart.

Compared to Hu Zongxian, who was just an ordinary Jinshi, his ceiling was visible to the naked eye. Being able to reach the position of Minister of Six Ministries and be transferred back and forth several times was almost the limit.

But Zhao Zhenji, who was born in Hanlin Academy, was different. According to the unspoken rule of the Ming Dynasty that "only Hanlin scholars can enter the cabinet", as long as he can get enough appreciation from Zhu Zaigui and as long as he has enough fame, his future will have unlimited possibilities!

It is not impossible for him to enter the cabinet and become a prime minister in the future.

Zhu Zaigui looked at Zhao Zhenji who could not help but get excited, and suddenly smiled in his heart.

It turns out that everyone has ambitions.

However, Zhu Zaigui did not reject such ambitions. In Zhu Zaigui's eyes, it was a good thing for scholars like Zhao Zhenji to have ambitions.

If they have no ambitions and when faced with risks they only think of resigning and going home to enjoy their retirement, that would be a big trouble.

Therefore, Zhu Zaigui was very satisfied with the excitement and ambition that Zhao Zhenji was about to show at this moment.

Zhu Zaigui looked at Zhao Zhenji and said, "Mr. Zhao has worked hard in Zhejiang over the past few years. Your Majesty and I have always been paying attention to your achievements. This time you and Mr. Hu responded to the imperial edict and returned to the capital, but it was just a formality. After Mr. Hu's matter is settled, I will ask Your Majesty to arrange a suitable position for you."

Zhao Zhenji could no longer hold back his excitement when he heard this. He also knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I will never repay your kindness even if I die! I will repay your kindness by pledging to give you a gift of grass and a ring!"

Zhu Zaigui laughed and said, "I am very happy that Mr. Zhao has such a heart. When the time comes, when it is time for you to repay the favor and contribute, you must not back down."

Zhao Zhenji, who had just been very excited, couldn't help but feel a little uneasy when he heard Zhu Zaigui's words.

But soon, Zhao Zhenji threw this bad feeling out of his mind.

Because he also knows very well that sometimes some things require paying a price in order to get full returns.

Otherwise, if you always think about peace and safety and smooth sailing, that is the behavior of idle people with no aspirations.

Moreover, Zhao Zhenji has already reached such a high position in the government, so his next step is to aim for a position in the cabinet.

If at this critical juncture he showed an attitude that displeased Zhu Zaigui, then in the future, let alone entering the cabinet, it might be harder than climbing to the sky for him to make any further progress.

Therefore, Zhao Zhenji immediately patted his chest and replied: "I read the books of the sages and follow the ways of the sages, so that I can realize my ambitions one day, live up to the teachings of the sages, and live up to the ancestors of the country. If the prince wants me to contribute, then I will definitely do my best and live up to the prince's expectations!"

Zhu Zaigui looked at Zhao Zhenji's serious expression and nodded with satisfaction.

In Zhu Zaigui's original idea, he wanted to recall Zhao Zhenji as well and let him serve as the Minister of Revenue in the capital, in charge of the Ming Dynasty's purse.

But after careful consideration, Zhu Zaigui felt that it was a bit hasty to bring Zhao Zhenji back to the capital to serve as a minister.

Although Zhao Zhenji is almost sixty years old, this age is also the right age for hard work for senior civil servants like them who live longer.

If he cannot be put to good use, it would seem a bit of a waste to just let him serve as an official in the capital for a few years and then be given the title of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

Moreover, everything is fine at the Ministry of Revenue now, so there is no need to arrange for someone to guard there.

Especially Yan Maoqing, who was subdued and held in the palm of Zhu Zaigui's hand. He has now been transferred from the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

He is good at financial management, and now that he has arrived at the Ministry of Revenue, he is like a fish in water. Not only does he do his job very well, he is also actively pushing the Ministry of Revenue to create some new tax rules to meet today's financial needs.

For example, Yan Maoqing was secretly planning and designing the commercial taxes that Zhu Zaigui had always wanted to levy and the land taxes on the gentry and landlords, and now he was just waiting for a suitable opportunity.

It can be said that treacherous ministers like Yan Maoqing and Zhao Wenhua, who were originally classified as corrupt officials, turned out to be particularly useful and handy when they were actually used.

Therefore, sometimes Zhu Zaigui couldn't help but wonder whether these corrupt officials had some abilities that made people unable to let go of them.

Otherwise, why do all the so-called wise rulers in history use corrupt officials or cruel officials to get things done?

From this we can see that when looking at history, we cannot simply use the phrase "loyalty, treachery, black or white" to directly evaluate the historical value of a historical figure.

Therefore, Yan Maoqing can now be said to have enjoyed a second spring and found his new life goal and motivation for survival.

Therefore, when considering Zhao Zhenji's new appointment, Zhu Zaigui had to spend more time on it than usual.

Zhu Zaigui intended to realize his previous idea of ​​appointing a full-time Grand Secretary to serve as the Governor-General of Southern Zhili.

Zhao Zhenji was a genuine Hanlin scholar. Promoting such a person to be a Grand Secretary was reasonable and logical both internally and externally, and it was beyond reproach.

Therefore, it seems to be a good choice to first give Zhao Zhenji the title of Grand Secretary, making him the highest administrative chief in Nanjing, specifically responsible for the administrative work of the court in Nanjing and the six southern provinces.

After all, Nanjing had been enjoying a carefree life outside of Beijing for too long. The six ministers of the six ministries there and the eunuchs and nobles in charge of the Nanjing Garrison had been living too comfortable a life.

They were like rats without natural enemies over there, wantonly using the name of the court and the palace to engage in despicable activities in Nanjing and other parts of the south, which had a very bad impact.

Therefore, in order to change this situation, Zhu Zaigui had to put a tight ring on these people to make them understand that Nanjing was still the Nanjing of the court, not that there was a court in Nanjing.

Zhu Zaigui looked at Zhao Zhenji and said, "Very good, I want your attitude. I hope you can live up to my expectations and make achievements that are worthy of me, the court, and His Majesty. After a few days, His Majesty, the cabinet and I will discuss your new place. You should keep your current enthusiasm and create new achievements for the Ming Dynasty!"

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