My father is Jiajing

Gao Gong stood there in a daze. He never expected that he would enter the cabinet, but it also seemed like he had not.

He looked up at Zhu Zaigui in a daze, wanting an answer, but at this moment Zhu Zaigui's eyes were never focused on him. Instead, he looked down at everyone in the hall equally.

At the same time, all the officials in the hall couldn't help but start buzzing with discussions.

They didn't expect the final result to be like this.

However, although these officials were shocked, no one stood up to oppose the proposal.

After all, they are all Beijing officials. In their subconscious, although Nanjing is also one of the two capitals of the Ming Dynasty and has the same court official system as the capital, in their daily perception, Nanjing is just a place different from the capital.

If we have to say how special Nanjing is, perhaps it is just because of the situation.

Zhu Zaigui glanced at everyone calmly, and then he said, "Let's discuss other matters next. The cabinet will continue to preside over it."

After hearing Zhu Zaigui's voice, Xu Jie and others bowed to him again and said, "Yes, we obey your order."

The cabinet then took over the presidency of the Wenhua Hall regular meeting and began to discuss and study other matters. The regular meeting ended only when the sun was at its zenith.

After the regular meeting, Zhu Zaigui did not keep anyone and left Wenhua Hall directly, heading towards Wanshou Palace in Xiyuan.

When Zhu Zaigui arrived at the Wanshou Palace, Emperor Jiajing had just finished his meditation and was in a very good mental state.

When Chen Hong, Li Fang and others saw Zhu Zaigui coming, they also bowed and saluted, "This servant greets the prince."

Zhu Zaiqi glanced at them and asked, "Has His Majesty served the meal?"

Chen Hong immediately replied carefully: "Not yet."

Zhu Zaigui hummed, "Go and serve the meal. I will dine here with His Majesty today."

After saying this, Zhu Zaigui no longer looked at Chen Hong and Li Fang, and he went straight into the abode of Emperor Jiajing.

When Emperor Jiajing heard the noise outside, he knew that Zhu Zaigui had arrived. He couldn't help but reveal a look of joy and stood up from the cushion on which he was meditating.

"Father is safe and sound."

Zhu Zaigui bowed respectfully to Emperor Jiajing.

Emperor Jiajing laughed and said, "Come here, come to my side."

Emperor Jiajing called Zhu Zaigui over.

Zhu Zaigui replied "yes" again, then walked to the side of Emperor Jiajing, supported one of Emperor Jiajing's arms with great filial piety, and the two of them sat down at the tea table in the temple.

After Emperor Jiajing sat down firmly, Zhu Zaigui personally picked up the teapot that had been warming over a low fire beside him and made Emperor Jiajing a cup of just the right amount of hot tea.

"Father, please have some tea."

Zhu Zaigui held the teacup in both hands and brought it to Emperor Jiajing.

Emperor Jiajing smiled with satisfaction, took the teacup, put it to his nose and took a slight sniff, "The tea you brewed is still so fragrant!"

Zhu Zaigui laughed and said, "This is all because of my father's good tea. Compared with Chen Hong and Li Fang, my tea-making skills are just average."

Emperor Jiajing laughed and said, "No matter how good their tea-making skills are, they can't compare to the tea you make for me."

After saying this, Emperor Jiajing asked again: "How was today's regular meeting?"

Zhu Zaigui replied: "Everything went well."

Emperor Jiajing laughed again and asked, "Did Gao Gong make any trouble?"

Zhu Zaigui also laughed and said, "Although Mr. Gao has a bad temper, it is appropriate for the situation. Moreover, this time, my father has also fulfilled his long-cherished wish and promoted him to the cabinet. He is so excited about such a grace that he can't wait to make a fuss. Why would he make a fuss?"

Emperor Jiajing laughed again. It was obvious that Emperor Jiajing also had his own bad taste. He just wanted to see the minister being unable to get the love he wanted, but reluctant to give it up after getting it.

Although the decision to recommend Gao Gong to go to Nanjing was made by Zhu Zaigui, it would not have been possible without the nod and approval of Emperor Jiajing.

Therefore, Emperor Jiajing naturally enjoyed the pleasure of manipulating their fate and emotions, as if only in this way could he experience the wonderful state of being in ecstasy and having the world at his disposal.

“Are you confident this time?”

Emperor Jiajing looked at Zhu Zaigui again and asked.

Zhu Zaigui also looked at Emperor Jiajing and replied: "Everything depends on human effort. As long as I take this first step, I will have confidence!"

Emperor Jiajing nodded and hummed. He liked Zhu Zaigui's confidence.

Because of Zhu Zaigui's confident look, Emperor Jiajing also felt a sense of excitement as if he had returned to his youth.

Emperor Jiajing said again: "This time you transferred Yan Maoqing and Xiao Heizi to Nanjing. Aren't you afraid that they will make trouble for Nanjing?"

Zhu Zaigui said: "Father, those people are not the king of Nanjing. If Hai Rui and Yan Maoqing can really drive them to the edge of desperation, then the rest of the things will be easy to do."

"In recent years, the imperial court has been sending troops to the southeast to suppress the Japanese pirates and clear the sea. These soldiers are many times stronger than those thugs of the landlords who only know how to live a life of luxury, are strong on the outside but weak on the inside, bully the people and exploit the people in the countryside."

"If these people really can't help themselves and try to hold the people hostage, gather a crowd to cause chaos, attack the court officials, and undermine the new policy, then I think this is a godsend opportunity!"

Emperor Jiajing sighed and said with a smile, "You young people are really brave! If it were me, I would worry about whether the south would be in chaos because of this. But you actually thought of using the anti-Japanese soldiers in the southeast to solve the problem once and for all."

"I only had such ambitions and strategies when I was young. But unfortunately, I was always competing with Yang Ting and them for the great etiquette at that time, and the people I brought from Anlu were not talented enough to stand on their own."

"So, when I deal with them, I can only waste time and drag them out until they are divided internally. Only then will I have the opportunity to wipe them out in one fell swoop."

"You are much luckier than I am now. Li Chunfang, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, Hu Zongxian, Zhao Zhenji, Hai Rui, Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou and others are all loyal and capable people. If you use these people well, you won't have to worry about having no one to use for at least the next twenty years."

At this point, Emperor Jiajing could not help but sigh and said, "If I had such a group of capable ministers and generals under my command when I first ascended the throne, how great it would have been!"

Zhu Zaigui said: "Father, my luck is all given by you. Those people you just mentioned, none of them were cultivated by me, they are all talents that emerged under your rule." "So, even if hundreds or thousands of years later, when people in the future talk about this history between you and me, they will be amazed at how glorious your father's Jiajing era was. I just relied on your blessing to get these people."

After hearing this, Emperor Jiajing couldn't help but laugh.

"That's right. These people are all talents that emerged during my Jiajing period. In this way, I not only have the wisdom of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, but also the good fortune of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty."

The Jiayou fortune that Emperor Jiajing talked about refers to the fortune of the "Millennium Dragon and Tiger List" in the second year of Jiayou during the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty!
In that year, the literary spirit of the Song Dynasty reached its peak!

The chief examiner of the imperial examination that year was Ouyang Xiu, the deputy examiner was Wang Gui, and the minister in charge of marking the papers was Mei Yaochen. Those who made the list of successful candidates included Su Shi, Su Zhe, Zhang Zai, Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, Zeng Gong, Zeng Bu, Lü Huiqing, Zhang Dun, Wang Shao, Lü Dajun and others.

If you pick out any one of these people, they are almost all super masters who can recite the entire text!

And apart from "memorizing the full text", other aspects can almost reach the pinnacle.

For example, Zhang Zai's Hengqu Four Lines, the legend of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi standing in the snow outside Cheng's door, and the extraordinary story of the three Su brothers, father and son.

Those are all popular stories.

And these people emerged in large numbers in the second year of Jiayou.

Although Emperor Jiajing and the people just mentioned by Zhu Zaigui were not on the same list of Jinshi, they all had a common distinctive symbol, which is the word "Jiajing".

Therefore, when people in later generations really began to discuss the talent surge during this period of the Ming Dynasty, they would also mention Emperor Jiajing who dominated the world during this period.

That’s why Emperor Jiajing said the phrase “the fortune of Jiayou”!
Zhu Zaigui laughed and said, "Father is wise, that's the truth."

Emperor Jiajing also smiled happily as he listened to Zhu Zaigui's words.

At this time, Chen Hong also found an opportunity and came over quietly.

"Emperor, Prince, lunch is ready."

Emperor Jiajing and Zhu Zaigui looked up at Chen Hong at the same time, and Emperor Jiajing said, "Then serve the meal. Remember to open another jar of fifty-year-old Shaoxing Huadiao. I want to have a drink with San'er."

Chen Hong immediately responded: "Yes, I will prepare it right away."

When Chen Hong carefully left the abode to prepare, Zhu Zaigui looked at Emperor Jiajing worriedly and said, "Father, can you still drink?"

Emperor Jiajing waved his hand and said, "I have asked Li Shizhen, and he did not object, but told me to stop. So, there is no problem in having a couple of drinks with you."

When Zhu Zaigui heard this, he couldn't help but feel relieved.

Although the father-son relationship between him and Emperor Jiajing was not as deep as that between ordinary fathers and sons, ever since he and Emperor Jiajing broke the taboo of "two dragons not meeting" that night, Zhu Zaigui could clearly feel the extremely strong fatherly love of Emperor Jiajing for him, which was as deep as the mountains and the sea.

The Emperor Jiajing in this historical time and space was not as cold-blooded and heartless as described in historical legends, and he was not indifferent to his own children.

He always adhered to the taboo of "two dragons not meeting each other" because he loved his children too much and was too worried that his children would die young like Prince Ai Chong and Prince Zhuang Jing.

Therefore, in the heart of Emperor Jiajing, his love and concern for his children was no less than that of ordinary parents.

Moreover, because he had not seen his son for so many years, he was very cautious after breaking the taboo of "two dragons not meeting each other". He was afraid that he would be too strict and make Zhu Zaigui feel frightened and alienate himself, making him a poor lonely man again.

As a human being, Zhu Zaigui would also empathize with the emperor. After all, everything he had over the years was given by Emperor Jiajing. Zhu Zaigui could naturally feel the emperor Jiajing's subtle emotions.

Therefore, every time when he met and spoke with Emperor Jiajing, Zhu Zaigui tried his best not to use overly formal language and titles. He never called Emperor Jiajing "Father" to his face, but instead called Emperor Jiajing "Father".

Of course, this was not Zhu Zaigui's first idea. More than ten years ago, when Prince Zhuangjing was still alive, he also called Emperor Jiajing in this way, and he had never used the official title to call Emperor Jiajing.

After all, even if he is an emperor who is high above everyone else, he is still a living person and he also needs all kinds of emotional comfort.

It doesn't mean that you will stand out from the crowd if you let your children call you by a special name.

Little did they know that special name actually represents a kind of distance.

Therefore, even in the royal family, when the emperor was in front of his favorite child, he still wanted to preserve the precious father-son relationship and not let the rules of monarch-subject relationship destroy the relationship that he should have been enjoying.

Therefore, when Zhu Zaigui was teaching his sons and daughters in his palace, he never let these children call him "Father King", but let them call him Dad like ordinary children.

Because in Zhu Zaigui's heart, only this kind of affectionate name can truly express the father-son love that comes from the heart.

After a while, Chen Hong came in with several eunuchs holding trays filled with food.

They all lowered their heads in great respect, and no one dared to look up. After Chen Hong directed them to set the food, he went to call Emperor Jiajing and Zhu Zaigui in person.

"The meal is ready, please move, Emperor and Prince."

After hearing what Chen Hong said, Zhu Zaigui immediately stood up from his seat and walked to the side of Emperor Jiajing. He held one of Emperor Jiajing's arms, and the father and son walked towards the dining table naturally.

After arriving here, Zhu Zaigui helped Emperor Jiajing to sit down, and then he sat beside him.

Chen Hong was also very considerate and was opening a jar of the fifty-year-old Shaoxing Huadiao wine ordered by Emperor Jiajing.

When he unsealed the lid of the wine jar, which was sealed with oil paper and mud, a rich aroma of wine wafted around.

Zhu Zaigui smelled the aroma of wine and couldn't help but praise, "It's still the aroma of wine from my father's place!"

Emperor Jiajing also smiled and said, "If you like it, I'll ask Chen Hong to send you a few jars later. Anyway, when I'm not drinking this wine, I use it to soak my feet."

When Zhu Zaigui heard this, his expression was stunned.

He never expected that Emperor Jiajing would actually use such good wine to soak his feet. What a luxury!
And we were just about to eat, but he said that if we didn't drink the wine, we would use it for foot soaking. How could we expect people to drink it?
It feels like what I’m about to drink is not wine, but foot washing water.

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Ask for monthly ticket~~~(End of this chapter)