The Reborn Duke of Ming Dynasty

On the afternoon of the second day, Zhang Fan was resting in the house, and Zhao's mood improved a lot, but she was still a little worried, and the knocking on the door did not wake her up.The girl Xiangmei knew that Mrs. Zhao was unhappy, so she hurried to open the door.

Opening the door, Zhang Juzheng was standing at the door.Xiangmei didn't know him and looked at him suspiciously.

"I'm here to see Zhang Fan." Zhang Juzheng opened his mouth.

Xiao Xiangmei hurriedly opened the door to let him in, but she knew how to look at people and knew that the person in front of her was not a villain.Mrs. Zhao also heard the commotion here, and walked out.

"Master Zhang!" Mrs. Zhao looked at Zhang Juzheng in surprise.Zhang Fan worshiped Zhang Juzheng as his teacher, and Mrs. Zhao had also seen it.

"Ma'am, I'm here to visit Zhang Fan this time." Zhang Juzheng said very politely, "I know about Fan'er, but I can't do anything about it!"

"Don't say that, my lord. I also heard Fan'er say the reason." Zhao Shi said, "It's just him who blames himself, and I can't blame anyone else."

The two were silent for a while, and Mrs. Zhao suddenly said: "Look at me, I'm just talking, Xiangmei, hurry up and make tea for Mr. Zhang. Mr. Zhang sit inside."

"Don't bother, I just came to see Zhang Fan." Zhang Juzheng said hastily.

When he came to Zhang Fan's room, Zhang Fan was awake at this moment, but he kept lying on the bed in one position, his whole body numb.He had heard that Zhang Juzheng was coming, but he couldn't get out of bed, so he could only wait on the bed.

"Teacher, you are here." Zhang Fan said.

"Well, Yuande, it seems that your spirit is not bad!" Zhang Juzheng looked at Zhang Fan's face and said.

"The teacher was joking. Although the back is not broken, it just hurts a lot!" Zhang Fan said helplessly, "Excuse me for asking, has the teacher ever been subjected to a court rod before?"

"Hehe, as a teacher, he entered the Hanlin Academy after the imperial examination, and then he was in Yuwang's mansion. Even if he wanted to suffer the imperial rod, he had no chance!" Zhang Juzheng made a rare joke.

"Sigh, I never thought spanking my butt would hurt so much!" Zhang Fan sighed.

"The emperor rewarded you with forty sticks, but you haven't shed any blood, you're just swollen, and you're still so energetic now." Zhang Juzheng said with some teasing.

"It's said to be forty sticks, but in reality there are only five sticks." Zhang Fan said.

"What is going on with this matter, as a teacher, I just know a general idea, so let me tell you all about it." Zhang Juzheng said.

Zhang Fan immediately told the whole story before and after.

Zhang Juzheng listened to Zhang Fan's words, pondered for a while, and said, "So your majesty knew about you and the crown prince leaving the palace? No wonder Yuande dared to say that in the court. You know your majesty's feelings." Will protect you."

"Teacher, although I have just entered an official position, I know what I can say and what I can't say. If it weren't for His Majesty standing by my side, I wouldn't dare to say those words!" Zhang Fan said as a matter of course, "However, I don't understand. Since Your Majesty knows that I have blocked a disaster for him, why are the last five sticks still solid?"

"Hehe, this is His Majesty's consideration. Your Majesty is afraid that the teacher will send someone to visit you." Zhang Juzheng said with a smile.

"So..." Zhang Fan was relieved after hearing his words.

The two stopped, Xiao Xiangmei returned the tea and went out.Zhang Juzheng picked up his cup, took a sip of tea, and started to get to the point: "It seems that after this time, His Majesty may ask you to change places. The teacher is an important minister of the two dynasties, so there are naturally many eyeliners in the palace. As a teacher, I can usually listen What you did in the palace. At that time, I'm afraid someone will tell you that you don't respect the prince or something."

"I have also considered this matter." Zhang Fan said, "But this is also a good thing. I think that although His Majesty wants to use me a lot, although I don't know the reason, His Majesty is a little too hasty, and I am also a little too aggressive. .”

"Your Majesty's intentions are obvious. After this time, His Majesty may put you in a less sensitive place." Zhang Juzheng said, "In fact, few people in the court know about the current relationship between the teacher and me. The main reason is that the teacher is highly respected now. He didn't want this matter to spread and affect his reputation. However, everyone knows that the teacher doesn't like you, but they all think that the teacher can't understand how you are so young, so easy to win His Majesty's favor. But I don’t know that the reason why the teacher really doesn’t like you is a matter of principle.”

"I'm afraid this matter will also attract the attention of the court." Zhang Fan said helplessly, "It's just that there is one thing that the students don't quite understand. Why does His Majesty take such a fancy to me?"

"Alas..." Zhang Juzheng sighed, and said slowly, "I won't hide it from you, probably the emperor has taken a fancy to you."

Zhang Fan didn't react, but he was quite frightened by Zhang Juzheng's words. You must know that good men are still a fashion tomorrow, and the emperor "followed" him. This... Zhang Fan was a little bit wrong, but he Thinking about it again, even if Long Qing really meant it, even if Zhang Juzheng knew it, he wouldn't tell him so bluntly, it seems that he misunderstood it.It's just that he has some doubts again: "Teacher, I have been an official for less than half a year. Although His Highness the Crown Prince has been diligent and diligent in his studies recently, the Emperor will not know that the Crown Prince's intelligence is the main thing. Why does he favor me so much?"

"Well, when the emperor was King Yu, he was always questioned by the former emperor. At that time, King Yu had a great change because of this incident, not only psychologically, but also physically. " Zhang Juzheng said the reason, "When the emperor first ascended the throne, he was surrounded by old officials of the former emperor. Although the emperor also wanted to show his strength and did not dismiss officials too much, these people always made His Majesty feel uncomfortable. Comfortable." Zhang Juzheng, who had stayed in Prince Yu's Mansion for a while, naturally knew Longqing's situation very well.

"Actually, it's easy to see." Zhang Juzheng continued, "Your Majesty lifted the sea ban just after he took the throne. Although in name it meant re-establishing the power of Ming Dynasty, in fact no one could see that His Majesty was being suppressed." It has been a kind of catharsis for a long time. Although he wants to get rid of the shadow left by the former emperor, he still wants to be a good emperor at the same time, and he can't abolish officials according to his own preferences. This naturally becomes a way of catharsis. But that It's just that His Majesty didn't adjust the price to do so. Now that your batch of Jinshi has been released, His Majesty has found a way. You are accompanying the crown prince in the palace, so I don't know some news. Although it is not as exaggerated as the Emperor Taizu's time, it is much higher than before."

After hearing what he said, Zhang Fan finally understood that the co-author His Majesty the Emperor wanted to make a big change!But Zhang Fan didn't care, this was just his chance.Since the emperor wants to build his own team, and he is obviously the most outstanding one now, he naturally has to work harder to seize this opportunity, and...

"I don't think it's a bad thing for Your Majesty to do this." Zhang Juzheng said, "The atmosphere in the court is very stable now, but there is also a lack of progress. It's not a good thing if it goes on like this. It's good to have some young people coming in. I'm just afraid of these people Lack of tempering, too sharp."

"Actually, the teacher doesn't need to worry too much about this." Zhang Fan said, "These young people only mean that they are young in the officialdom, but to be honest, these people's actual ages are not young, especially those Those who are a little older must have received a lot of criticism after taking the exam for so many years, if they can be calm, these people are not bad."

"That's true." Zhang Juzheng was a young man who had achieved success at a young age, and he hadn't tasted that feeling himself, but it didn't mean he didn't know it. Zhang Fan felt relieved when he said that.

"It's just, teacher, what's your majesty's opinion on the reform?" Zhang Fan asked.

"How dare I mention this to Your Majesty now, but..." Zhang Juzheng thought for a while and said, "Judging from His Majesty's enthronement to the present situation, His Majesty doesn't seem to care about this change."

"Teacher has already started planning?" Zhang Fan asked casually.

"Although it is the beginning, there is no clue at all." Zhang Juzheng said, "The main thing is how to stop the courtiers' mouths and prevent them from refuting with ancestral etiquette."

"This is quite difficult." Zhang Fan also sighed.

The two were silent for a while, Zhang Juzheng said: "Yuande, it's time to go back as a teacher. You should also think about these words yourself."

"Teacher, why don't you leave after dinner?" Zhang Fan said.

"No, I still have a lot of things to do in my residence." Zhang Juzheng said, "You should rest at home these days. I guess His Majesty will give you a new position soon."

In fact, Zhang Fan's injury was not serious at all, and he could barely get off the ground after three days.Long Qing said to let him reflect at home, but he didn't say how long he would have to reflect. Zhang Fan was not in a hurry, so he just waited at home, which was very leisurely.During this period, no one came to the door. Zhang Fan estimated that Xu Jie had also noticed the scene between Long Qing and him in the court hall, but Zhang Fan had nothing to worry about.

Before he knew it, a month passed, and Zhang Fan had already recovered completely.That day Zhang Fan was writing in his room when the people sent by Long Qing arrived.

Zhang Fan followed behind a fair-faced, somewhat sissy person who looked like an eunuch.The two entered the palace through the small gate, and the eunuch led Zhang Fan to the imperial study and then withdrew.

When Zhang Fan entered, there were only Long Qing and Feng Bao in the imperial study. "Criminal Zhang Fan sees Your Majesty." Zhang Fan went in and saluted Long Qing.

"Zhang Qing's family has made meritorious deeds for protecting the master, so what is the crime? Get up quickly." Long Qing said with a smile.Feng Bao on the side also looked at Zhang Fan with a smile.

The three people here are all insiders, so Zhang Fan stopped pretending and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, the five sticks are for nothing, and no one came to visit my minister except my benefactor."

"Haha, you can be glib." Long Qing said with a smile, "The five sticks are to punish you for speaking out in court."

Long Qing didn't feel like an emperor at this time, and the three of them talked for a while.

"Zhang Fan, do you know that since I beat you, Jun'er ignored me for half a month, and even my beloved concubine didn't give me a good look."

"Uh..." Zhang Fan really didn't know what to say this time, he never thought that Long Qing would tell all about his harem.

Seeing Zhang Fan's expression, Long Qing was satisfied for a while, and started to get down to business: "You are at home these days, and Zhang Aiqing also visited you, I think you should know that you can no longer stay in the palace."

"Wei Chen knows." Zhang Fan didn't say much, waiting for Long Qing's words.

"Not only can't you stay in the palace, but the ministries and courts probably won't be able to stay any longer." Long Qing said, "I don't want to ask what's going on between you and Xu Jie, but I don't want to see it anymore. I thought about it , you should work in Jinyiwei for a while first."

Zhang Fan thought about many places he was going to, but he didn't think about Jinyiwei, so he couldn't help being a little surprised: "Your Majesty, Jinyiwei is His Majesty's guard. I'm a scholar and I don't have the strength to restrain a chicken. How can I go there to serve?"

"Jin Yiwei is my guard at any time, but you must know what he is doing." Long Qing said, "It's just that there is not only a need for people with strength, but also people with intelligence. What about you? Jin Yiwei doesn't need to appear in the open, which saves a lot of trouble."

Zhang Fan thought about it, and Long Qing's words were good. Jin Yiwei could be regarded as an ancient spy, so naturally he would not easily appear in the public eye. "Thank you for your concern, but where did I go and what should I do?" Zhang Fan asked.

"Of course someone will arrange for you when you go." Long Qing said, "But I have also promised Jun'er that you will go to the palace to see him from time to time. You have this waist card, and five people will naturally stop you from entering and leaving the palace. .”

Zhang Fan took the waist card Feng Bao handed over, put it in his arms, and said: "Thank you, Your Majesty, I will definitely live up to your Majesty's expectations."

"Well, Feng Bao, take Zhang Qing's house with you." Long Qing ordered, "My Jinyiwei is the first time in the history of my Ming Dynasty to have a champion! Haha!"

Zhang Fan followed Feng Bao to the outside of the palace, followed behind Feng Bao, Zhang Fan wanted to inquire first: "Eunuch Feng, this Jinyiwei..."

Feng Bao naturally knew what he wanted to ask, so he introduced it to Zhang Fan as he walked.Zhu Xizhong, the commander of Jinyiwei today, is a descendant of Zhu Neng, the hero of "Jing Nan".Since Lu Bing, the commander of the previous generation of Jinyiwei, who was the only three princes and three orphans in the Ming Dynasty, left his post, he took over as Jinyiwei and supervised all officials.As the spy organization directly under the emperor, it is natural to use the most loyal person to take charge, but Long Qing had friendship with Zhu Xizhong when he was King Yu, and now he can use him with confidence.

"Master Zhang, please don't worry, Master Zhu is the leader of Jinyiwei at any time, but he is also a generous person and will not make things difficult for you." Feng Bao said.

"My father-in-law is in charge of the Dongji Incident Factory, so the relationship with Jinyiwei must be unusual." Zhang Fan asked.

"Our family is in charge of the East Factory. Although it is nominally monitoring the Jinyiwei, it is actually just supporting each other." Feng Bao said, "In addition to the Jinyiwei and the East Factory, my Ming Dynasty had the West Factory and the Inner Factory successively, but now they are all abolished. Yes. Jinyiwei has a huge role, so it is natural to keep it for great use. The East Factory was also established by Chengzu, although it is not as good as before, no one dares to withdraw."

After Zhang Fan heard his words, he thought that Jin Yiwei had always played the role of a behind-the-scenes black hand in the history of Ming Dynasty. Now it seems that everything is not the emperor's request.Dongchang has been arrogant. As Feng Bao said, Dongchang is not as good as before, but he is a bit self-effacing. It's just that Feng Bao is finally celebrating and not abusing his power.

When the two said this, the place arrived.

"Master Zhang, I will trouble you to go in alone. Our family has to go back to His Majesty's side to serve you." Feng Bao left after finishing speaking.

Zhang Fan looked at the yard in front of him, and found that it was quite ordinary. It was just a not-so-busy alley near the Forbidden City, and there were no passers-by, and there were no guards around.Zhang Fan shook his head and walked in.