Aunt Chen is back from the world of cultivation

"Your Majesty, this is great news! This year, we have won an unprecedented victory in the fight against the Japanese invaders along the eastern coast!"

Minister Pang said in an exaggerated manner.

Sure enough, this made Emperor Yong'an's expression calm down a bit, and he said impatiently:

"Send it over quickly!"

After receiving the victory report from Nanzhili, Emperor Yongan quickly showed his joy and laughed loudly, clapping his hands:

"Good! Good! Good! Zheng Yuannai is indeed a talented general. He killed more than 300 Japanese pirates in Songhu Prefecture, captured more than 400 Japanese pirates alive, and even counterattacked the Japanese pirates' lair, rescuing thousands of captured civilians!"

When all the civil and military officials in the court heard this, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

The ministers, who were already accustomed to flattery to please the emperor, took the opportunity to do so.

"Your Majesty has a keen eye for heroes!"

"That's right. There are many good horses, but there are few good horse trainers! If your majesty hadn't promoted him and given him authority, even if Zheng Yuannai had great ability, it would have been difficult for him to achieve such a great achievement!"

"It is a blessing for the people of the world to have such a wise monarch as Your Majesty!"

……

The officials spoke eloquently and praised Emperor Yong'an with many flattering words.

Emperor Yong'an listened to these compliments, his gentle face was filled with joy of having grasped the truth.

He knew, of course, that many of these words were deliberately flattering.

But that also meant these subjects' fear and submission to him as a king, and that he had complete control over his subjects.

Otherwise, they would not have tried so hard and racked their brains to cater to his preferences.

This is also a manifestation of loyalty.

Only such a minister would not insist on right and wrong so much, and would do his best to safeguard his imperial power as long as there were benefits to be gained by following him.

Among all the officials, only Yuan Songbo was an exception.

All around him were ministers who were racking their brains and praising Emperor Yong'an with great passion, but he was the only one who stood with his hands hanging down, like a wooden stake.

Even though he has returned to the central court for four or five months, he still finds it difficult to adapt to the current atmosphere of flattery.

Half of such important court meeting time is often wasted on flattery, which is of no use to the country or the people.

But Emperor Yong'an, as the emperor, was obviously enjoying it and did not try to stop it.

After not seeing him for more than ten years, this emperor with mediocre talents has become even more foolish.

He couldn't hide his disappointment.

But after all, she was not at the age where she was full of passion, and how could she be so foolish as to pour cold water on Emperor Yong'an's enthusiasm? At most, she would just turn a blind eye.

Little did he know that Emperor Yong'an was looking down on all the court officials, and when he saw the maverick Yuan Songbo, a gloomy look flashed across his usually gentle face.

The officials were at a loss for words when they flattered him, and gradually quieted down.

Minister Pang of the Ministry of War said:

"What you may not know is that Zheng Yuannai said in his memoir that the battle went so smoothly because of the help of a deity named Du'e Shenzun!"

"This deity captured 200 to 300 Japanese pirates alive by himself, and used magic to prevent ships from being damaged in the storm. His various miracles are amazing."

"From ancient times to the present, only when the king is wise will the gods descend to the world to help the court! Therefore, in this battle, the rest are minor details, and only Your Majesty has made great contributions!"

Having said this, he looked at Emperor Yong'an with reverence on his face and bowed deeply to show his gratitude and admiration.

The other ministers also followed suit and praised Emperor Yong'an for his diligence in government affairs and his hard work in governing the country, which moved the gods, who then appeared to help the court quell the Japanese invasion.

Listening to the words of the Minister of War, Emperor Yong'an's eyes flashed and a good idea came to his mind.

The theory of gods descending to the earth was mentioned personally in Zheng Yuannai's edict, so it should not be false.

After all, this statement would erase some of his contributions, and most people would not make up such an outrageous lie.

Moreover, this matter will only benefit him as the monarch, with no harm.

"The gods showed their help, this is God's grace!"

Emperor Yong'an said loudly, looked at Yuan Songbo and ordered:

"Minister of Rites Yuan Songbo, I order you to immediately prepare for the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven. Three days later, I will personally lead all officials and the people to the Temple of Heaven to thank the heavens for their blessings and gifts!"

Aren't those people with ulterior motives spreading rumors, saying that he has lost his moral character and that is why natural disasters keep happening.

Today, the gods have appeared to help the imperial court defeat the Japanese pirates, which is the best proof that God still favors him as the emperor.

As the Minister of Rites, it was his duty to prepare for the sacrifice, so Yuan Songbo had no choice but to step forward and accept the order.

"I will obey your majesty's order!"

Emperor Yong'an gave a look to the Minister of War.

Minister Pang from the Ministry of War was slightly stunned.

But he has always been good at guessing the emperor's mind, and he quickly understood Emperor Yong'an's intentions.

So, he stood up and said righteously:

"Your Majesty, in recent days, some rumors of treason have been rampant, intending to shake the foundation of the country. Now that the gods have appeared to assist the wise king, it is the perfect time to dispel the rumors and stabilize the people's hearts!"

Emperor Yong'an nodded approvingly.

The Minister of War knew that he had guessed the Emperor Yong'an's thoughts correctly, and he was very excited. He continued:

"The Ministry of Rites is responsible for promoting enlightenment, and has usually had little time. Now, it's time to use your pens to promote His Majesty's holy name and completely suppress those ill-intentioned remarks!"

Emperor Yong'an said:

"Lord Pang is right. Lord Yuan, I'll leave these two matters to you!"

Yuan Songbo was immediately disgusted by the emperor and his ministers singing the same tune.

Even if you kill him, you can't ask him to sing praises to Emperor Yong'an like the others.

If Emperor Yong'an really did something that benefited the country and the people, it would be fine for him to write a few articles to praise him.

But now, only some small progress has been made in the fight against Japanese pirates on the southeast coast.

In this matter, it can be said that the credit goes to the generals' decision-making and command, or to the soldiers' bloody fighting, but it has little to do with the emperor who is thousands of miles away.

Now, these people actually want to erase the merits of the generals and soldiers, attribute the victory to the illusory gods, and further say that it was the credit of the wise emperor. This is really the biggest absurdity in the world!

He still doesn't know whether the god really appeared before humans, and he doesn't know who the god is.

I just thought that the story of gods was specially made up by Emperor Yong'an and his ministers in order to get rid of the infamy brought by the natural disaster.

Therefore, Zheng Yuannai, a general with a kind heart, felt that this was not worth it, and Emperor Yong'an also despised such behavior!

Over the years, he could not tolerate himself fawning and aiding the tyrant.

"Your Majesty, if the country is peaceful and the people are safe and content, the people of the world will spontaneously praise your majesty's virtues, and there is no need for the court to deliberately publicize it."

For the Battle of Shanghai, the generals and soldiers should be rewarded generously to encourage generals across the world to make persistent efforts, rather than the emperor competing for credit with his subjects.

Of course, he forced himself not to say these words, otherwise it would only implicate the generals and soldiers in Songhu.

However, even though he had been as tactful as possible, Emperor Yong'an, who had held power for many years, would not tolerate such disobedience.

Emperor Yong'an stared down at him condescendingly, his eyes full of gloom.

Once upon a time, he valued Yuan Songbo's talents and his reputation as the leader of the Empress Dowager's party, and repeatedly invited him to serve as an official in the court.

The Minister of Rites is just a test.

If Yuan Songbo knew the current situation, he would definitely place him in a more powerful place such as the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of Personnel, so that he could hold power again and enjoy unparalleled glory.

However, the old man did not understand his painstaking efforts at all, and repeatedly disobeyed him by relying on his arrogance.

Today, he is no longer in the situation where no one is available like he was more than a decade ago.

He controls the world, and countless talented people are waiting for his favor. How could he be short of another Yuan Songbo!

Since this old man doesn't know how to appreciate his kindness, he will naturally not give him any more face.

After a moment, Emperor Yong'an showed a gentle smile:

"It seems that what Yuan Aiqing said before was correct. You are indeed old and weak, and are not qualified for such an important position as the Shangshu."

This was the excuse Yuan Songbo once used to refuse to serve as an official in the court, but now it was thrown back to him by Emperor Yong'an intact.

"If you fail to fulfill your duties once or twice, I can forgive you, but if you continue like this, I am afraid you will harm the country and the people."

Seeing Yuan Songbo's stunned expression, Emperor Yong'an felt extremely happy. He spoke condescendingly about the end of a famous official's career:

"My dear Yuan, please retire and return home!"