Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

When the meeting ended, the sun had already set. Before we knew it, the entire court meeting had lasted a whole day.

After Li Banghua and others left, Emperor Chongzhen and Zhang Shikang were soon the only ones left in the hall.

Zhang Shikang's package of reform plans made Emperor Chongzhen blush and feel confident.

Zhang Shikang just felt his throat smoking and kept drinking tea.

"Shikang, um... I was so angry this morning that I said a lot of inappropriate things in the letter I wrote to your father.

When you go back today, you can comfort your father on my behalf.

Alas, you know, I need your help." Emperor Chongzhen said with a little guilt.

He had just heard Zhang Shikang say something like "he was too successful to be a threat to his master" this morning, and he felt so angry that his forehead was filled with anger.

As the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he had not yet suspected Zhang Shikang, but Zhang Shikang did the opposite. Emperor Chongzhen vented all his anger on Duke Yingguo Zhang Zhiji.

Now thinking about it, this must have been a misunderstanding.

"Hahaha, I'm really curious about how Your Majesty scolds my father." Zhang Shikang laughed.

"Anyway, it doesn't sound very nice." Emperor Chongzhen replied.

"But it doesn't matter. My father has a good attitude." Zhang Shikang said nonchalantly.

"Well, the court discussion has come to an end. I have already ordered your father to hold your coming-of-age ceremony the day after tomorrow.

I originally planned to hold it at the Duke of England's mansion, but I have changed my mind now." Emperor Chongzhen said again.

"Oh? If it's not at my house, then where is it?"

Generally speaking, the coming-of-age ceremony for a family member is naturally held in the family's ancestral hall. In front of all the ancestors, the clan elders will give a blessing speech to inform the entire family, young and old, as well as the ancestors, that such-and-such a descendant has reached adulthood, etc.

"Taimiao." Emperor Chongzhen said with certainty.

"No... Your Majesty, is this necessary?" Zhang Shikang said with his eyes wide open.

It sounds a bit strange that I have grown up but don't tell my own ancestors, but tell my brother Chongzhen's ancestors.

"Yes." Emperor Chongzhen answered with certainty.

Since Zhang Shikang entered the court, the situation in the Ming Dynasty has gradually improved. Whenever a major problem was solved, Emperor Chongzhen would go to the Taimiao to worship his ancestors and inform them of the good news.

Now that Zhang Shikang has quelled the rebellion in the south, and next year will be a critical moment for the revival of the Ming Dynasty, his humerus has grown bigger, and of course it is necessary to let all the ancestors see it.

When Zhang Shikang returned to the Duke of Ying's Mansion in a carriage, it was already dark.

The atmosphere in the Duke of England's mansion was a little off. Even the doorman Qin Erzhu had a worried look on his face. When Zhang Shikang asked him about it, he didn't say anything.

When he arrived at the grand living room of the Duke of England's mansion, Zhang Zhiji, Zhang Shize, Sun, Xing, and even Zhang Jingyi were all sitting there with sad faces.

Sun was wiping her tears while Xing was comforting her. Zhang Zhiji no longer looked as calm as before. He was holding a letter in his hand, frowning and never letting go.

The letter paper had been opened and folded repeatedly and was now full of wrinkles.

"Master, Madam, Eldest Young Master, the Third Young Master is back." Butler Li came to report.

Sun stood up and looked outside. It was indeed her son who had returned. She immediately shouted:

"Son! My Zhang family is in trouble!"

"Don't talk nonsense, mother. Our family is fine. How could there be any disaster?" Zhang Shikang walked into the hall and saw his father with a sad face, so he said:

"Why is Dad so worried?"

"Alas! Dad was basking in the sun in the garden today, but a disaster struck the palace. His Majesty suddenly issued an edict to reprimand Dad and even wanted to demote him!

Dad was thinking, I haven't done anything wrong recently, Dad has been sitting here thinking about it for a whole day, but I still can't figure it out. "

As he said this, Zhang Zhiji, with a sad face, handed the letter from Emperor Chongzhen reprimanding him to his son.

Zhang Shikang took it and looked at it, and almost couldn't help laughing.

But the letter reads:

'Zhang Zhiji, you old man, I have never treated you harshly because your ancestors have made great contributions to the country.

How dare you, old fellow, talk nonsense? I hope you will take care of yourself. If you don't repent, I will demote you to a lesser rank, and I will not hesitate to make you the Duke of England!'

This letter was written by Emperor Chongzhen in a state of extreme rage, so not only is the handwriting very illegible, but the words are also very impolite.

It can be imagined that Brother Chongzhen was really angry at that time.

While he was holding a meeting in the palace, his parents, brothers and sisters must have been worried all day.

But the letter of rebuke from Emperor Chongzhen only cursed people but did not mention anything. This was what Zhang Zhiji feared the most.

He thought about it over and over again but still couldn't figure out why His Majesty was so angry with him.

"Your Majesty, how can you speak so harshly!" Zhang Shikang threw the letter into the charcoal basin.

"Third brother, how could you do this? That was the order of His Majesty!" Zhang Shize exclaimed and was about to pick it up from the charcoal basin.

Even though it was handwritten and didn't even have a seal on it, it was sent by the eunuchs in the palace and was undoubtedly the emperor's will.

And destroying the emperor's handwriting without authorization was a serious crime in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Shikang quickly grabbed his elder brother and said:

"Your Majesty, what's the matter? It's just a letter, why make such a fuss?

If I had known that His Majesty would scold our father like this, I wouldn't have given him so many suggestions today!"

Zhang Shikang teased, and naturally he said this to his father.

After hearing this, Zhang Zhiji was no longer so worried. Although he was a top noble, he was afraid of almost no one in the court.

But they were only afraid of the emperor. There was nothing they could do about it, as the emperor had the final say over these nobles who had little real power.

Although Sun and other female relatives might not understand what Zhang Shikang said, Zhang Zhiji knew it.

His son's position in the court is no longer the same as before. The current emperor relies on him as his right-hand man. Today, he has come up with so many ideas, which may all be good things for the country and the people.

Logically speaking, even for the sake of his son, His Majesty would not really demote himself without giving a reason.

But what was the reason?

"Shikang, did His Majesty say anything to you today? Why is he so angry?" Zhang Zhiji asked proactively.

"Oh! How would I know? You know His Majesty's temper, it's quite unstable.

But I think it's probably because Dad has been trying to marry Jingyi off lately."

Zhang Shikang glanced at his sister and said, Zhang Jingyi's eyes lit up and she immediately felt that something was wrong and her ears pricked up.

"Son, what does this have to do with anything? Dad is arranging a marriage for my daughter. What does it have to do with Your Majesty...what does it have to do with Your Majesty?" Zhang Zhiji looked confused.

"That's right, Dad knows that His Majesty values me, but I haven't even started a family yet.

Your Majesty has been worried about my son's marriage today, perhaps because it seems that my father only cares about Jingyi and ignores my son.

Anyway, Dad should just mind his own business recently and just live peacefully for two years. "

As Zhang Shikang spoke, he winked at his sister.

His younger sister will be sixteen after the New Year. In those days, sixteen is the right age to get married. Once you are over nineteen, you become an old maid.

So, Zhang Zhiji has been looking for a son-in-law for himself since the beginning of this year. However, Zhang Jingyi does not want to get married so soon, but Zhang Zhiji and Sun do not listen to her.

In fact, Zhang Shikang did not agree to marry his sister off at such a young age. At the age of fifteen or sixteen, her body was not yet fully developed. If she got pregnant soon, it would undoubtedly be a death sentence.

But as a son, he couldn't interfere in the matter, so he could only rely on cheating and ambush his poor father.

"Is what my son said true?"

Zhang Zhiji was stunned by what his son said, but the emperor seemed to really value his son.

But this logic... I always feel like something is wrong.

"I was just guessing. With me here, Your Majesty will not do anything reckless. But Daddy should just be at peace. Jingyi is only sixteen years old after the New Year, she is still young!

Besides, our Jingyi is beautiful and well-behaved, and her father is a duke of the current dynasty, so why should she worry about not being able to get married?"

Zhang Zhiji thought it was true and felt much more at ease. He was just too idle and wanted to find something to do.

After comforting his family, Zhang Shikang said:

"Father, mother, brother, His Majesty said that he would arrange a ceremony for my son to wear the crown the day after tomorrow."

"This is a good thing, it's my son's honor!" Zhang Zhiji knew about this matter before, and Sun and Zhang Shize, brother and sister, also looked proud of it.

"But His Majesty said that the coming-of-age ceremony must be held in the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

……