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I thought this year would be as lively and joyful as in previous years. On the second day of the new year, when Min Xi and Yun Ji were summoned to the palace to meet the emperor, they met someone from the Tao residence who came to report the death: Grandfather Tao Hong passed away in his sleep in the early morning at the age of 72.

This news shocked Min Xi and Yun Ji greatly. They had visited the old man years ago. Although the old man's health had been rather weak in the past two years, he had no obvious serious illness or disaster. The day they visited him, the old man was still in good spirits and talked to them about many things in the court.

Min Xi and Yun Ji had to ask Eunuch Yao, who came to pick them up to the palace, to convey to the emperor that they were in mourning and could not go to pay New Year's greetings to the emperor.

When Wanli heard the news, he was a little disappointed, but he didn't say anything. This was a normal emotion. Besides, Tao Hong was once a member of the Hanlin Academy and an important official in the court. Now that the old official had passed away, he, as the emperor, had to send people to express condolences.

The Tao family was busy with funerals throughout the first month of the year, and all entertainment-related activities were cancelled. Min Xi still remembered his promise to make a golden crow lantern for Wanli during the Lantern Festival, so he made it and had it delivered to the palace, but they did not accompany Wanli to the lantern festival.

Although Min Xi has no blood relationship with the Tao family, as Tao Hong's student and Yun Ji's sworn brother, he has a close relationship with the Tao family. As a grandchild, he wears mourning clothes just like Yun Ji.

The emperor also understood Min Xi's situation. Knowing that he had a close relationship with Yun Ji, he naturally would not make any demands on him.

He just felt a little regretful. The three-legged golden crow lantern was very beautifully made and very interesting. It was a pity that the person who made the lantern was unable to accompany him to the lantern festival, so this year's Lantern Festival lost a lot of fun.

Min Xi and Yun Ji went to Tao's house quite frequently during this period. After the funeral, the eldest and second uncles carried the coffin back to their hometown to bury their grandfather, and the house became more and more deserted. Grandmother and grandfather were in love, but now that they have lost their partner, grandma is too sad and her health is getting worse. Yun Ji did not dare to be careless and often went with Min Xi to accompany her grandmother.

People who worry too much have no appetite. Min Xi tried every possible way to make delicious food for the old lady to boost her appetite. Even eating one more bite would be better for her health. They just sent the old man away, and they didn't want to lose another loving elder.

According to tradition, the old man was also a blessed man. He passed away after a year of family reunion, with all his children and grandchildren at home. Tao Jingzhi, who was serving as the magistrate of Wendeng County, Shandong Province, had completed his term of office. He returned to Beijing at the end of the year to report on his work and wait for the new transfer order after the New Year to take up his post. He returned home to be with his parents, but he did not expect to catch up with the old man's death.

The passing of the old man meant that both the brothers Tao Lizhi and Tao Jingzhi had to observe a three-year mourning period, and any promotions would have to wait until the three-year mourning period was over.

However, Zhang Juzheng was a little worried. It was a critical moment for tax reform. Tao Lizhi was the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and Zhang Juzheng's right-hand man. Once he left office, a new person had to take his place. The former Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was temporarily promoted to be Minister, and the position of Deputy Minister became vacant.

Just when the court was speculating who would fill the vacancy of Yuanwailang, the imperial court issued an edict to promote Hanlin editor Yun Ji to the position of Yuanwailang of the Ministry of Revenue, to assist the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue in managing matters such as money, grain taxes, and transport administration.

When they received the transfer order, Min Xi and Yun Ji were both very surprised. They never thought that Yun Ji would be promoted directly. He was promoted directly from the seventh rank to the fifth rank, a promotion of three levels in a row!

This matter was actually decided after consultation between Wanli and Zhang Juzheng. The master and disciple sat together and screened all the officials in the court to see who was more suitable to be the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Revenue. Those in the Ministry of Revenue either had little experience or insufficient ability to be competent for the subsequent drastic tax reform policy.

Zhang Juzheng actually wanted to recommend Min Xi to the Ministry of Revenue, because he was the one who proposed the idea of ​​equalizing the land tax. But he did not pass the imperial examination, and it was not convincing enough for him to go to the Ministry of Revenue. He was also rejected by Wanli.

Zhang Juzheng's mention of Min Xi reminded Wanli of Yun Jilai. He remembered that before the imperial examination, Min Xi had said that Yun Ji was good at business and would be most suitable to go to the Ministry of Revenue in the future. However, he later won the third place in the imperial examination and according to convention, he finally went to the Hanlin Academy instead of the Ministry of Revenue which they had originally intended.

Wanli took the initiative to propose that Yunji be appointed as a deputy minister of the Ministry of Revenue: "Yunji and Min Xi are together. Appointing him is equivalent to appointing Min Xi."

Zhang Juzheng thought about it and felt that it was a good fit: "Yun Ji is the owner of Yun Xiang Hao. He has learned business since he was young and should be good at calculations. The affairs of the Ministry of Revenue will not be difficult for him. Letting him go is the most appropriate."

When this edict came down, not only Min Xi and Yun Ji were surprised, but also everyone in the court was surprised. It seemed that the emperor and Zhang Juzheng both valued the Tao family very much. The Tao Lizhi brothers had just been in mourning, and they promoted their nephew. Yun Ji had only been an official for two years, but he was promoted from the seventh rank to the fifth rank. It was a completely exceptional recruitment. No one knew what was so outstanding about Yun Ji that he was so valued by the emperor and Zhang Juzheng.

Only Min Xi and Yun Ji knew the heavy burden. When Tao Lizhi and Tao Jingzhi were in mourning, Min Xi had thought that maybe they could escape Wanli's liquidation of Zhang Juzheng (if Wanli really wanted to liquidate Zhang Juzheng). Now, Yun Ji directly entered the Ministry of Revenue and became one of the key figures in tax reform. There was nowhere to escape. The only consolation was that it was Wanli himself who promoted Yun Ji, not Zhang Juzheng.

I hope that their efforts over the years have changed Wanli's view of Zhang Juzheng and made him no longer hate Zhang Juzheng so much.

According to Min Xi's own observation, Zhang Juzheng has indeed restrained himself a lot. He is no longer so harsh on Wanli and he also helped persuade Empress Dowager Li. Wanli's life in the palace is much better than before and his character is not so dark and extreme. It should not be the same ending again.

Of course, it is not enough to just change the emperor; one also has to be wary of Zhang Juzheng’s opponents.

Yun Ji took up his post immediately after receiving the transfer order. The Ministry of Revenue is now the busiest office among the six ministries, and working overtime will probably become the norm in the future.

It just so happened that Yunlin no longer attended Tao's private school this year, but went to Wenchang Academy. In this way, Yunji could focus on his work without having to worry about taking care of Yunlin.

Min Xi inexplicably felt a sense of urgency. It seemed that he would be busy in the future.