Ming Dynasty: At the beginning, the house was ransacked and the ancestral temple was burned down.

Chapter 236 How dare he resign? Isn't he afraid that I will approve it?
It turns out that the emperor's money is not so easy to borrow.

As expected, Zhang Chonghui failed to borrow the money, and the emperor personally issued an edict on this matter, fining him three months' salary on the grounds of being passive and negligent in his duties and taking frequent leave.

Fining officials' salaries was a very common practice during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty.

However, Zhang Chonghui acted as if he was cut off from food and was about to starve to death. He told everyone he met that he had taken leave due to a cold and was fined his salary by the emperor.

After all this back and forth, Li Kezhuo, who had just been at peace for a short time, was dragged out and impeached again.

An official reported that as the highest-ranking official in the Honglu Temple, Li Kezhuo should be punished together with the others no matter what.

His Majesty the Emperor was quite generous and fair, and also fined Li Kezhuo, the Right Junior Secretary of the Honglu Temple, three months' salary.

This little thing was not only widely spread, but also known to the whole court.

Although everyone was criticizing Li Kezhuo, any discerning person could see that Li Kezhuo was dragged into this situation by Zhang Chonghui.

Ever since this incident, Zhang Chonghui rarely saw Li Kezhuo in the chief clerk's office, who came to find work for him.

By now, almost all of Zhang Chonghui’s colleagues were avoiding him. There were even rumors that Zhang Chonghui was an unlucky person and that anyone who got close to him would be in trouble.

Zhang Chonghui just laughed off these rumors.

……

The twenty-sixth year of Wanli passed by in a daze.

The twenty-seventh year of Wanli arrived.

Li Rusong might have been accustomed to fighting on the auspicious day of the New Year. Just at the beginning of the year, he won a victory in Bozhou.

This can be considered a good start to the new year.

Emperor Wanli was very happy when he heard the news. However, despite his happiness, he once again urged Li Rusong to end the war as soon as possible.

Perhaps because he was afraid that the national treasury could not hold on any longer, Zhu Yijun, while urging Li Rusong to win a quick victory, was also planning to send more mine supervisors and increase mining to make money.

……

Time flies, and it is April 24th, the 27th year of the Wanli reign.

On this day, the Meridian Gate in the capital of Shuntian Prefecture was extremely lively because a grand ceremony of presenting prisoners was going to be held there.

The captives offered were naturally the Japanese pirates whose army had lost its morale due to the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi from illness the previous year.

The commander of the Ming army that came to aid Korea, Xing Jie, the Minister of War and Governor-General of Ji and Liao, brought 61 captured Japanese pirate leaders to the front of the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City.

In order to show the power of the Chinese Dynasty, to demonstrate the Wanli Restoration, to make the four seas submit, and to avenge the shame of the Japanese pirates who had long invaded and disturbed the people.

Therefore, not only all the current officials will be present at this grand ceremony, but even the Emperor Wanli, who has not been seen for a long time, will be present in person.

On this day, the Honglu Temple, which was in charge of ceremonial sacrifices, was extremely busy, except for Zhang Chonghui. Even when he took the initiative to help, he was sent away by Li Kezhuo with all sorts of excuses.

"Li Shaoqing, you really don't need my help? On such a grand day, can you at least let me do some work?" Zhang Chonghui asked again.

Li Kezhuo was afraid that Zhang Chonghui would do something weird on this solemn day and cause him to be punished. After a lot of hesitation, he was annoyed by Zhang Chonghui's questions and simply said:
"Zhang Zhubu, how about this? You just go and stand beside the imperial carriage. That will be considered as a show of appearances."

Li Kezhuo’s meaning was very clear: Go and be a vase beside the imperial carriage, and don’t get in the way here!
Li Kezhuo was at his wit's end. Last time, because of the incident in which Zhang Chonghui caught a cold, he was impeached by the censors and almost couldn't continue his work.

He was also afraid of this "unlucky" subordinate who had a backer. He couldn't afford to offend him, but he couldn't avoid him either!

This time, Zhang Chonghui said nothing more and gladly accepted the job of being a vase.

……

Zhu Yijun didn't expect that after he finally showed up to host the prisoner surrender ceremony, he would meet the person he least wanted to see as soon as he got off the stage.

"Why is he standing there?" Zhu Yijun asked somewhat unhappily.

Chen Ju didn't know why Zhang Chonghui was standing there, and he immediately wanted to chase Zhang Chonghui away to avoid offending the emperor.

However, before Chen Ju could finish his words, he heard the Emperor say to him:

"Go call him over. I have something to tell him."

……

The auspicious time was about to arrive. After listening to the whispered instructions of Emperor Wanli, Zhang Chonghui returned to stand beside the imperial carriage with a grim expression.

Yu Shenxing, the second-in-command of the cabinet, saw this scene. He even saw the emperor's malicious smile.

With the loud singing of the Mingzan officer, the ceremony of surrendering prisoners began.

After the Japanese pirate generals were beheaded in public, this grand ceremony, which had lasted for a long time, came to an end.

The emperor came and left.

Looking at the bloody ground with heads rolling down under the platform, it also left a huge mess.

.......
After the court was dismissed, Zhang Yunxiu was the first to find Zhang Chonghui, and immediately asked anxiously:

"What did the emperor say to you?"

Zhang Chonghui glanced around and, making sure that everyone around him could hear him clearly, he said:
"The emperor said that he had no choice but to fine me last time. He said that as long as I work hard, he will give me a promotion next year."

As soon as these words came out, the people around pricked up their ears.

Others might not be able to hear it, but Zhang Yunxiu could tell that Zhang Chonghui was talking nonsense.

He guessed that if nothing unexpected happened, the emperor must have ordered Zhang Chonghui to do some difficult task.

As it turned out, Zhang Yunxiu's guess was correct. After returning home, Zhang Chonghui told him the truth.

"The Emperor asked me to personally submit a petition to promote the mining."

"What!" Zhang Yunxiu's eyes widened and he said angrily:
"Linqing just had a civil uprising, setting fire to the tax collector's office and killing Ma Tang's attendants. At this critical moment in the court, he still wants you to submit a petition to promote mining? Isn't he clearly making things difficult for you?"

Zhang Chonghui smiled bitterly: "He is just making things difficult for me."

"What should we do now?" Zhang Yunxiu asked, "Can we pretend to be sick and not file a petition?"

"I can't pretend this time." Zhang Chonghui said, "He just wants to push me out as a shield and make me the target of impeachment by all the censors in the court."

Zhang Yunxiu frowned and asked, "Is he trying to force you to resign?"

Zhang Chonghui shook his head: "Not only that, the court is almost dominated by Qi people now, he wants to use me as an excuse to suppress Yu Shenxing."

Zhang Yunxiu asked again: "What are you going to do?"

"What else can I do? The emperor is the emperor and father, so I can only follow his wishes." Zhang Chonghui said, and suddenly laughed strangely:
"He wants to open a mine to make money, so I support him."

……

Zhang Chonghui submitted a memorial to the emperor, strongly advocating support for the emperor's expansion of mining areas, and the news soon became a hot topic.

A small clerk in the Honglu Temple dared to submit such an "unjust" memorial. It was obvious that he either had a mental problem or was instructed by someone.

Although everyone knew that Zhang Chonghui had a mental illness, at this special moment, everyone unanimously believed that someone must have instructed Zhang Chonghui.

The mastermind behind the scenes was no one else except Yu Shenxing, the second-in-command of the cabinet who had many enemies.

...Qianqing Palace.

"Your Majesty, I heard that Zhang Chonghui was blocked by a number of censors in the chief clerk's office of the Honglu Temple! Some of them were so hot-tempered that they were about to punch Zhang Chonghui!"

Zhang Cheng told the emperor this good news. However, after hearing the news, Zhu Yijun was not as happy as Zhang Cheng had expected. Instead, he remained silent for a long time.

Zhang Cheng didn't know what the emperor was thinking. He only knew that after a long time, the emperor asked:
“How did he cope?”

"Your Majesty, Zhang Chonghui did not respond to anything. He just sat there without saying a word, as if he was deaf." Zhang Cheng did not forget to add:
"By the way, those censors were really vicious. While scolding Zhang Chonghui, they also scolded Zhang Juzheng as well."

After Zhang Cheng finished speaking, there was another long silence.

I don't know how long it took, but Zhu Yijun suddenly asked a strange question:

"The Dragon Boat Festival is coming, right?"

Zhang Cheng was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "Your Majesty, the Dragon Boat Festival is only seven days away."

"Oh." Zhu Yijun just responded and didn't say anything else.

Zhang Cheng was a little surprised. His Majesty the Emperor had not held sacrifices for many years, so why was he asking about the Dragon Boat Festival for no reason?
Besides, he remembered that the emperor did not eat rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival in previous years.

Just when Zhang Cheng was feeling puzzled, the Emperor asked him another question.

"Zhang Cheng, if you were a civil servant in the court, I would ask you to submit a petition to support the mining. Would you be willing?"

Zhang Cheng replied without saying anything: "Your Majesty, of course I am willing!"

"Ha..." Zhu Yijun rubbed his face with a bitter smile, his voice getting lower and lower: "You have never been a civil servant, so of course you don't even think about it. Even if you are willing..."

Zhang Cheng didn't know what to say. After all, if he could be a civil servant, who would want to be a ballless eunuch?

Time continued to pass, until Zhang Cheng left, and Chen Ju came with another letter of resignation.

"Your Majesty, this is the resignation letter Zhang Chonghui just handed in."

Zhu Yijun, who was originally in a depressed mood, suddenly perked up as if he had been electrocuted after hearing these words.

"He's quitting now?"

Zhu Yijun snatched the resignation letter, opened it, and after a very cursory look, he found that the ink on the resignation letter had not yet completely dried. Obviously, it was written not long ago.

"How dare he resign? Isn't he afraid that I will approve it?"

"Your Majesty..." Chen Ju was also frightened by the emperor's sudden temper. Seeing that the emperor was so excited that his hand holding the resignation letter was shaking slightly, he hurriedly explained carefully:
"Your Majesty, this has always been the rule in our Ming Dynasty. Any official who is impeached will submit a petition to resign. Zhang Chonghui might just be putting on a show."

"What a show!" Zhu Yijun slammed the resignation letter in his hand on the table and said angrily: "Others can test me like this, how dare he!"

His Majesty the Emperor seemed to be really angry, so angry that he mistakenly picked up a wolf-hair brush dipped in black ink and wrote a big "approved" on Zhang Chonghui's resignation letter!

"Give it back to him! Tell him to get out of here!"

Chen Ju looked at the word "准" written in black ink and was wondering whether to remind the emperor that he had used the wrong pen or to change to red ink and rewrite it, when the emperor spoke again:

"What are you stalling for! Hurry up and take this resignation letter back to him!"

Chen Ju was frightened by the roar, but he also knew the emperor's intention.

……

After Chen Ju left, Zhu Yijun casually called over a young eunuch and asked, "What happened in the Honglu Temple's chief clerk's office today?"

The young eunuch was Chen Ju's favorite disciple, so he naturally knew a lot of things and answered fluently:
"In reply to your Majesty, I heard that the Honglu Temple's chief clerk's office was very busy today.

At first, only a few censors took the lead in going there to cause trouble, and not long after, the six departmental secretaries and some Hanlin scholars also followed suit to join in the fun.

They all pointed at Zhang Chonghui, calling him a villain who had brought misfortune to the country and the emperor. Some even called him the same as his grandfather Zhang Juzheng..."

The young eunuch said a lot, and the more Zhu Yijun listened, the more his brows furrowed. If one didn't know, one would have thought that the person being scolded was him, the emperor.

Seeing that the young eunuch had not finished his insults for a long time, Zhu Yijun interrupted and asked, "After being scolded like this, he really has no reaction at all?"

The young eunuch replied, "Your Majesty, I heard that Zhang Chonghui didn't seem to have any reaction. How about I go and ask some people present?"

Zhu Yijun nodded without hesitation and said, "Hurry up."

……

The young eunuch went to inquire about the news. This short waiting time seemed a little too long for Zhu Yijun.

The period was so long that Zhu Yijun became dazed. He kept muttering to himself, "Resignation, resignation, another resignation. Do you really think I dare not approve it?" At the same time, he recalled the turmoil in the fifth year of Wanli's reign.

……

The fifth year of Wanli.

"Your Majesty, Zhang Yuanfu's father has passed away. According to custom, he needs to return to his hometown to observe mourning for 27 months! In other words, you are finally free!"

Sun Hai was sincerely happy for the fourteen-year-old emperor. He was really tired of listening to the little emperor's complaints about Zhang Juzheng. Now, Zhang Juzheng could finally leave. His little emperor was free, and he could finally have some peace of mind!
Little Wanli was also happy about this, but he was also troubled:
"But... there are so many things going on in the court. If Mr. Zhang is gone, I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it..."

Seeing the little emperor coming again, Sun Hai replied: "Why can't we handle it? There are still other ministers in the cabinet. The sky of the Ming Dynasty will not fall down if Zhang Juzheng is missing!"

"That's what I said, but..." Young Wanli was wavering as he held Zhang Juzheng's resignation letter. This was only the first resignation letter Zhang Juzheng had submitted.

Although young Wanli wanted to pick up the red pen beside him and write the word "approved", he hesitated for a long time and still did not make any move.

Didn't he want Zhang Juzheng to leave? Of course he did. The 14-year-old boy wanted freedom too much.

However, young Wanli discovered that he seemed to be unable to leave Zhang Juzheng. If Zhang Juzheng was not there to make decisions for him, how could he make decisions on court affairs?

What if he makes a mistake or makes the wrong choice?
What if... He meant what if, what if the Ming Dynasty declined under his rule?
Young Wanli thought a lot. He even wondered whether Zhang Juzheng would miss his teacher if he went back to mourn.

I don't think he would think too much about it. After all, Zhang Juzheng would be back in twenty-seven months.

As it turned out, young Wanli had no choice at all, because his mother, Empress Dowager Li, his close companion Feng Bao, and his teacher Zhang Juzheng, had already made the decision for him as the emperor - to seize the love.

……

Zhu Yijun always felt that he had waited for a long time, and finally got a reply from the young eunuch.

"Your Majesty, I have found out clearly that when Zhang Chonghui was scolded, he only said one sentence the whole time."

"What?"

"He said... I don't want to listen... the old bastard is chanting..."

"..."

……

At the same time, Zhang Chonghui also received the so-called resignation letter sent by Emperor Wanli, with the word "approved" written on it in ink.

Looking at the twisted word "准" with anger, Zhang Chonghui smiled.

"Your Majesty, you really can't bear to leave me."

(End of this chapter)