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

Zhang Shikang encountered 193 assassination attempts. Although most of them were successful, he was still injured a few times.

All the women knew about it, but they couldn't help at all. Liu Rushi immediately thought that if their husbands had such a girl with great martial arts skills following them, they would be much safer.

"That's right, with the girl here, not only can she protect the husband, but she can also help us keep an eye on her.

The house is almost full!" Kou Baimen sneered.

The courtyard where Zhang Shikang lived was the largest except for Zhang Zhiji's main house, but there were only eight houses on both sides of Zhang Shikang's bedroom.

If Ma Lingqi married into the family, she could live with Zhang Shikang, but if there were other women coming in, they would have to live in other courtyards.

"Don't worry, leave this matter to me!" Ma Lingqi glanced at Zhang Shikang and said confidently.

The girls were obviously joking, but Zhang Shikang didn't take it seriously. After chatting for a while, Ma Lingqi was called away by Ma Xianglin.

Zhang Zhiji also called Zhang Shikang back and told him that the wedding date had been discussed and would probably be in March next year.

Zhang Shikang loved arranged marriages because he didn't have to worry about anything.

After Zhang Zhiji finished talking about his son's marriage, he brought up the matter of adding the Nine Gifts again, and his implication was that his achievements were so great that they frightened the emperor.

Zhang Shikang was actually a little sensitive about this matter, but there was nothing he could do because his brother forced it on him.

He could only advise his father to rest assured, thinking that he would resign from this useless position of Grand Marshal after the threat from the north was resolved.

Although he has made great contributions and has great power, court officials keep their distance from him and several cabinet ministers are still hostile to him.

Sometimes Zhang Shikang even felt a little aggrieved, wondering who he was working so hard for.

In the afternoon, Zhang Shikang was at home coaxing his baby, but he received an oral order from the palace to summon him. Zhang Shikang had no choice but to go to the palace.

After a simple greeting, Emperor Chongzhen pointed to a chair beside him and said:

"Who was the girl next to you this morning?"

After all, Emperor Chongzhen was an experienced man and was still somewhat sensitive about love between men and women. He felt something was wrong at the time.

But because he was surrounded by court officials at that time, he did not ask about it. When he thought about the fact that Zhang Shikang actually took the initiative to ask him for a house on behalf of an outsider, Emperor Chongzhen became even more sensitive.

He thought about it and felt that something was wrong, so he simply summoned Zhang Shikang.

"Oh, that's the youngest daughter of the Poluobo family. She's a new guard I found and she's very skilled in martial arts." Zhang Shikang said casually.

This old man often summoned him for the slightest matter, and Zhang Shikang was quite helpless.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen's expression softened a lot, as if a stone had been lifted off his face.

Turns out he was a guard, no wonder.

But just as the stone in his heart fell to the ground, Zhang Shikang's next words lifted it up again and hit him hard in the heart.

"This is also the wife I found for myself. My father just told me that they have set the wedding date for March next year.

It is the season of spring and blooming flowers, what do you think, Your Majesty?"

Zhang Shikang said with a smile. He also thought that since his elder brother asked, it would be best to ask him to grant him a marriage to make the wedding more grand.

After all, the marriage granted by the emperor is also the emperor's blessing. Although my brother has many faults, he is still a good friend. He should not refuse such a small request.

However, upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen subconsciously said:

"I oppose this marriage!"

"Ah?" Zhang Shikang was stunned, and then asked in confusion:

"Why?"

This was a good question, and it stumped Emperor Chongzhen.

So far, the Ming Dynasty only has the marriage system of monogamy and polygamy. If Zhang Shikang has a wife, what will happen to Kunyi?

Should we let Kunyi be this boy's concubine?

This would really undermine the eldest princess's dignity. It's impossible, absolutely impossible!

"Your Majesty, please speak! I have eight concubines at home, and none of them have married yet!

I have made up my mind. While I am getting married, I might as well hold a wedding for the eight children in my family. It will definitely be a lively occasion.

Why do you object?" Zhang Shikang continued to ask.

He really can't understand. He is marrying a wife himself. Why should you object, brother? What does it have to do with you?

"You are the current military marshal, holding great power in the military and political affairs. Although Po Lu Bo is only a hereditary envoy, his mother is the governor of four provinces."

Emperor Chongzhen thought for a long time before he came up with an excuse.

"Then what?" Zhang Shikang still frowned.

"Humph, if you marry someone from the Ma family, the court officials will definitely impeach you for forming a clique for personal gain. Wouldn't it be very difficult for me to deal with it then?

Wuji, you should understand that as a general, you should do your best to avoid such things."

Zhang Shikang frowned even more deeply, he was wondering why.

"No, Your Majesty, can this be used as an excuse?

If this is true, Your Majesty should not have given this task to me.

If your majesty really cares about those impeachments, then I'd better resign." Zhang Shikang said very dissatisfiedly.

It’s difficult. If it’s difficult, then don’t do it!

He immediately realized that this reason was just an excuse made up by his brother.

There are so many people who have impeached him that they could fill several boxes.

I've never heard you say it's difficult before. When you gave him the position of commander-in-chief of the army, the number of memorials of opposition were so many that they couldn't even fill ten boxes.

Why wasn't it difficult back then, but now it's difficult for him to get married?

This is clearly deliberate obstruction!

Zhang Shikang's temper flared up all of a sudden.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Zhang Shikang said this, Emperor Chongzhen immediately became very excited, as if he had a stress response.

"I don't allow you to say such things!"

Emperor Chongzhen's face quickly turned red and his chest began to rise and fall, as if his reverse scale had been touched.

Zhang Shikang was startled.

"Your Majesty, what on earth are you trying to do? You've confused me." Zhang Shikang said helplessly.

Emperor Chongzhen turned his back and did not respond. He certainly knew that he had lost his composure.

For an emperor, this was a very failed move.

But he just couldn't help it.

In these three years, he had gained much more, and the court had changed much more, than in the previous eight years.

He was convinced that he was essentially a failed emperor.

But he was also glad that he had grabbed that life-saving straw.

And Zhang Shikang was the straw that broke the camel's back.

But this straw is not easy to hold. It is slippery and looks like it may break at any time.

He never wanted to slip into that dirty and filthy mud again, never!

But he was also worried that if the straw was not reinforced, it would break one day.

This complicated mood finally caused Emperor Chongzhen to lose control of his emotions.

"Your Majesty, even if I step down as the Grand Marshal, our Ming Dynasty will never..."

"I have said that you are not allowed to say such things again!" Emperor Chongzhen turned around and said seriously again.

Zhang Shikang saw that not only Chongzhen's face turned red, but also his eyes.

So he curled his lips and said very honestly:

"Oh well."

……