I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

The four men knelt down in unison, their foreheads pressed against the cold gold bricks.

Zhu Houcong leaned back on the dragon throne, his fingertips tapping the armrests intermittently.

"I am at peace! Rise!"

The four men thanked the emperor and rose, but still dared not look directly at his face.

Zhu Houcong's gaze swept over the four people one by one, finally settling on Lou Zhijing and He Jingzhong.

"Lou Zhijing and He Jingzhong, you two are now not only ministers of the Six Ministries, but also members of the Grand Secretariat. The burden on your shoulders is much heavier than before."

He asked with a playful tone, "Any complaints?"

Lou Zhijing quickly replied, "Your Majesty, it is a subject's duty to share the emperor's burdens. This old minister is only grateful for the emperor's grace and would never dare to harbor the slightest resentment."

He Jingzhong, who was standing nearby, quickly chimed in, "I agree."

"To be able to serve Your Majesty in the cabinet is a blessing I have accumulated over many lifetimes."

"Okay, sure."

Zhu Houcong nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly changed the subject.

"Effective immediately, Lou Zhijing will serve as the Grand Secretary, and He Jingzhong as the Second Grand Secretary."

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!"

Then, Zhu Houcong's gaze fell on Zhao Mengjing.

"Zhao Mengjing, your poem for the emperor is quite good."

"Your Majesty, I am humbled and grateful for your favor."

Zhao Mengjing bowed deeply, his back ramrod straight beneath his official robes.

Zhu Houcong nodded slightly, then suddenly leaned forward and asked with a half-smile.

"I have heard that the officials in this court are either henchmen of the Crown Prince or protégés of Prince Yu."

He paused, his voice suddenly turning cold, "And who's your backer?"

A single question caused the air in the hall to freeze instantly.

He Jingzhong stared intently at the tips of his shoes, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He was a true member of the Prince Yu faction.

Lou Zhijing, on the other hand, kept his eyes down and his mind at ease, appearing detached from worldly affairs.

"boom!"

Zhao Mengjing suddenly knelt down and slammed her forehead heavily against the gold brick.

When he looked up again, his eyes were brimming with tears, and he said earnestly, "Your Majesty, you are wise enough to know that I was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the eleventh year of the Jingyuan era, and I am a disciple of the Emperor!"

His voice still carried a perfectly timed sob.

"If we're talking about a powerful backer, Your Majesty is my powerful backer; if we're talking about supporters, I can only be Your Majesty's supporter."

Right!

That's just right!

It perfectly matches the image in my memory.

Zhu Houcong became more and more satisfied as he looked at it.

He speaks so succinctly, he's practically a carbon copy of Jo Jung-gil!

The other three were already dumbfounded.

He Jingzhong stole a glance at Zhao Mengjing and sighed inwardly.

Talent!

As the Minister of Personnel, I can't believe I didn't discover this person's talent sooner.

Otherwise, I would definitely take him under my wing.

Chapter 28 Surprise, Great Heavenly General Pill

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Zhu Houcong, dressed in a bright yellow casual robe, leaned against a soft couch and suddenly chuckled.

"What a silver tongue."

He squinted and scrutinized Zhao Mengjing, a sense of crisis rising within him.

Could it be that before I can even establish my reputation as the number one non-stick pan in the Great Liang Dynasty, it's already going to be stolen away?

Heaven has sent a wicked creature to challenge me!

"Get up."

Zhu Houcong waved his hand casually.

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty." Zhao Mengjing kowtowed again before stepping aside.

Zhu Houcong stroked the green paper on the table and suddenly felt that being an emperor was becoming more and more interesting.

"Hu Ruzhen~"

"Your subject is here!"

Hu Ruzhen stepped forward and said respectfully.

Zhu Houcong looked at him with great interest. He appeared to be about thirty-six or thirty-seven years old, with a thin and refined face.

His brows exuded a scholarly air, yet also concealed a sharp edge.

"Ruzhen, Ruzhen, means steadfast, upright, loyal, and righteous; it's a good name."

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your praise."

"Yes, I have recently been reading 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu, the military strategist of the Qin state. There is a sentence in it that says, 'Warfare is based on deception.'"

Do you know what this means?

"Your Majesty, I believe this statement encapsulates the essence of military strategy."

Hu Ruzhen's voice was quite calm and steady, neither hurried nor slow, showing no sign of being flustered by honor or disgrace.

"Soldiers who, deception also."

"Therefore, when you are capable, make it appear that you are incapable; when you are active, make it appear that you are not active; when you are near, make it appear that you are far away; when you are far away, make it appear that you are near."

"Lure them with profit, seize them when they are in disarray, prepare against them when they are strong, avoid them when they are powerful, and provoke them when they are angry..."

"In short, it can be summed up in eight words: ever-changing and unpredictable."

Upon hearing this, a hint of appreciation flashed in Zhu Houcong's eyes, and he sat up straight: "You've studied military strategy?"

"I have studied military classics such as 'The Art of War' and 'Six Secret Teachings,' so I can be considered a half-successor of the military school," Hu Ruzhen said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Zhu Houcong raised an eyebrow slightly and tapped his fingertips lightly on the dragon table.

"Since Qin unified the six states, all schools of thought have scattered, so it's not surprising that you can read military classics."

"Now that we've come this far, I'd like to hear your views on the current state of the world."

Hu Ruzhen was startled.

This issue is far more sensitive than the examination of military strategy; a slight misstep could touch upon taboos in the imperial court.

He looked up at the emperor and saw that Zhu Houcong's eyes were unusually clear, indicating that it was not a casual question.

"I dare to speak frankly."

Hu Ruzhen took a deep breath, his eyes shining: "I believe that although the world seems peaceful today, there are actually turbulent undercurrents."

"The world, after a long period of division, will inevitably unite. Both the Qin Emperor and the Qing Emperor were wise rulers and must have had the ambition to conquer the world. In a few decades at the shortest and a hundred years at the longest, the world will inevitably undergo tremendous changes."

"Our Great Liang is threatened by the covetous Great Yu in the north, and although the Southern Chu is outwardly submissive, it is actually disloyal and disloyal. This is truly a critical moment of life and death!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall paled, and even their breathing faltered.

No one expected that Hu Ruzhen would be so audacious.

"Nonsense!"

He Jingzhong suddenly took a step forward, and a gust of wind rose from the sleeves of his official robe.

"Our Great Liang is flourishing, and all barbarians are submitting to its rule. How can there be talk of a crisis of survival?"

His eyes widened in anger, and he pointed at Hu Ruzhen, shouting sternly, "I think you are clearly spreading alarmist rumors and disrupting the order of the court!"

Hu Ruzhen, however, refused to back down, straightening her back and retorting sharply.

"Lord He, as the Minister of Personnel, are you sure you can only turn a blind eye and a deaf ear?"

"In today's world, we are surrounded by powerful enemies from the outside and plagued by problems with governance and finances from within. Is this not a matter of life and death?"

"That's enough!"

Zhu Houcong suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up, causing the teacups on the table to clatter.

He glanced coldly at the two men, his gaze finally settling on He Jingzhong.

"He Jingzhong, you're supposed to be the Minister of Personnel, yet you behave so improperly before the palace. What kind of decorum is this?"

He Jingzhong hurriedly knelt down.

"I was simply outraged by Imperial Censor Hu's blatant disrespect for our dynasty..."

"Step aside."

Zhu Houcong waved his hand dismissively, then turned to Hu Ruzhen: "In your opinion, how should our Great Liang respond?"

"I believe we should adopt a two-pronged approach. We should station a large army in the north to defend against Dayu, while simultaneously launching a swift and decisive southward campaign to swallow up Nan Chu. By eliminating the threat from our rear, our Great Liang will have a solid foundation to unify the nine provinces and all regions."

Zhu Houcong nodded slightly, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes.

"What about the court's internal affairs?"

Hu Ruzhen knew this was the most dangerous question, but how could he avoid the important issues when addressing the emperor?

He stood up straight, and his voice was clear.

"I dare to speak frankly: in the current court, the Crown Prince and Prince Yu control the Six Ministries, leading to constant factional strife, the sale of official positions, and widespread corruption."

"Local officials are seizing land and imposing exorbitant taxes, causing widespread suffering among the people. If this continues, it may lead to major upheavals."

The Hall of Mental Cultivation was silent for a moment.

After Hu Ruzhen finished speaking, she felt her back was completely soaked with cold sweat, but she still maintained a respectful and neither humble nor arrogant posture.

Everyone waited cautiously for the emperor's divine might to descend.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Houcong did not get angry. Instead, he clapped and laughed, "Good, Duke Ruzhen is loyal to the country and speaks frankly. He can be said to have neither harmed the country nor the people."

Upon hearing this, Hu Ruzhen looked up in surprise and met Zhu Houcong's admiring eyes.

He looked intently at Hu Ruzhen, "Ruzhen's entry into the cabinet is a great blessing for the Great Liang. Do you dare to share my burdens?"

Hu Ruzhen was shocked and immediately knelt down.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to give my life to repay your kindness and favor!"

"Well, I hope you won't disgrace the name Ruzhen."

Hu Zongxian kowtowed again, saying, "Your subject will do everything in his power to live up to Your Majesty's grace!"

End of duet

Yan Song strode out, holding the bright yellow imperial edict.

The emperor was sent to heaven to carry the order, and the edict said:

Lou Zhijing was appointed Grand Secretary of the White-Haired Pavilion and concurrently served as the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

He Jingzhong was appointed Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall and concurrently served as the Second Grand Secretary.

Zhao Mengjing and Hu Ruzhen were both scholars of the Wenhua Hall and participated in confidential matters.

Admire this!