Chapter 61: Scheming

  Looking at Zhou Jiamou's embarrassed expression, Yang Lian smiled slightly in his heart and beckoned to Zhou Jiamou, "This, I happen to have a way, Brother Zhou, come closer." Yang Lian smiled faintly and motioned for Zuo Guangdou to also lean in: "Brother Zhou, tomorrow you do this and that, like so." After finishing, the three of them looked at each other and laughed.

  Since the Wanli period, Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng reformed the early court system, attending court every 3rd, 6th and 9th day. On the third day of the first month in Tianqi's first year, Emperor Tianqi did not attend the morning court session, and the next one would have to wait until the sixth day of the first month. Today's Beijing city also seems unlikely to be very calm.

  The next morning, Emperor Tianqi got up very early and came to the imperial study with Li Ran after having breakfast together. Looking at the two memorials on the table, Emperor Tianqi frowned slightly.

  "This was rushed in last night, take a look!" The Tianqi Emperor handed the memorial on the table to Li Ran, shaking his head and crying with laughter.

  Li Ran took over the memorial, and didn't say a word. The imperial study immediately fell silent, with only the occasional rustling of pages breaking the stillness.

  "After you've finished reading, what do you think? Do you have any ideas?" Emperor Tianqi asked with a smile, his eyes filled with expectation as he looked at Li Lan.

  "Hmm, having read it, I think these people seem to have some leisure time, although they don't know this matter is not good, but I don't know what to do!" Li Lan helped Tianqi Emperor deal with memorials, but after all, the time was still short, and many things in the imperial court were not yet understood.

  Looking at Li Ran, who was frowning, the Tianqi Emperor walked to her side, stretched out his right hand and gently stroked her forehead, smiling: "You have to believe me, there's nothing in this world that I can't solve. Don't frown so young, or you'll get wrinkles too early, and age prematurely. You must take good care of yourself, otherwise you will easily fall out of favor."

  Li Lan smiled lightly, grasped the hand of Emperor Tianqi in hers and gently kissed it, saying: "I have the opportunity to serve Your Majesty, it is what I accumulated in my previous life. I believe that Your Majesty is not such a person, even if I am old and faded, you will still dote on me."

  "You're quite confident." Tianqi Emperor pinched Li Ran's nose and said with a smile.

  "Your Majesty, what will you do about this matter?" Li Ran's gaze fell on the walking stick beside him once again, and he said anxiously.

  "Our ancestors were great, they left behind many principles for future generations, but later generations have forgotten. There is a saying in this world, 'the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman profits', perhaps I can be the fisherman once?" The Tianqi Emperor smiled as he picked up the memorial, his heart secretly coldly laughing, these people really took him for an ignorant child emperor.

  "Although I don't know what Your Majesty has in mind, I think there's another word that's more suitable. But I said it, and you can't get angry with me." Li Lan said with a smile, tilting her head to one side.

  "Oh? What words? Come on, tell me! How can I blame you?" The Tianqi Emperor was somewhat curious and liked Li Lan's attitude.

  Li Lan smiled lightly and said: "I think it should be 'the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind'."

  "All right! You dare to call me a yellow sparrow, just you wait and see how I'll deal with you." The Tianqi Emperor stretched out his hand to tickle Li Ran's armpits, and the two of them suddenly burst into laughter in the room.

  "Your Majesty, the Minister of Personnel, Zhou Jiamou, is seeking an audience outside." Just as I was playing with Li Ran, Chen Hong walked in slowly and said to Emperor Tianqi.

  Taking a glance at Chen Hong, who had a bitter smile on his face, the Tianqi Emperor smiled lightly and said: "Don't worry, Chen Gonggong! I won't blame you for this matter. From now on, don't worry about anything either. If there's something important, no matter what time it is, you can always send it to me."

  Chen Hong naturally knew that he had spoiled the good things of Emperor Tianqi, but seeing that Emperor Tianqi not only did not get angry, but also comforted him in a gentle tone, he couldn't help but say with delight: "Your old slave knows, Your Majesty can rest assured!"

  The Emperor Tianqi walked to Chen Hong's side, patted his shoulder and said: "I keep you by my side, naturally I trust you more, so you don't have to be too restrained."

  "The old slave is just an old eunuch, to receive Your Majesty's words, the old slave's life has not been lived in vain." Chen Hong felt the Emperor Tianqi's favor, and his heart suddenly warmed up, with tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.

  Looking at Chen Hong's appearance, Emperor Tianqi knew that this old eunuch had truly been moved by his emotions. After spending some time together, Emperor Tianqi knew that Chen Hong was not someone who would pretend to be something he wasn't. Due to his martial arts training, this old eunuch was very rigid and rarely showed such a posture.

  "Alright, I've never treated you as an outsider, go! Bring Zhou Jiamou in." The Tianqi Emperor said with a smile, looking at Chen Hong's appearance. Seeing Chen Hong leave, the Tianqi Emperor turned his head to look at Li Ran and smiled: "Li Ran, what do you think this Minister of the Board of War has come here for?"

  "Your Majesty dislikes it, isn't that obvious?! It must be because of last night's matter." Li Ran smiled and walked to the side of Emperor Tianqi, coquettishly saying.

  It wasn't long before Zhou Jiamou, led by Chen Hong, walked into the imperial study and saw Emperor Tianqi smiling at him. Zhou immediately knelt down and said loudly: "Minister Zhou Jiamou pays his respects to Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live for ten thousand years."

  "My dear subject, calm down!" After glancing at Zhou Jiamou, the Tianqi Emperor said to Chen Hong, "Bring a chair over."

  After Zhou Jiayou sat down, the Tianqi Emperor slowly said: "What's the matter with you? Why did you come in person? Wouldn't the last memorial have been enough?"

  "Your Majesty, this matter cannot be discussed in a casual manner." Zhou Jiamou said with some hesitation after glancing at the imperial study.

  The Tianqi Emperor naturally understood Zhou Chaomo's meaning and gave Chen Hong a look, waiting until everyone in the house had left before saying: "Now you can speak, right? If what you want to say is about yesterday's gathering, then forget it! I already know everything."

  "This is not a natural thing, I didn't think this matter could be hidden from Your Majesty. The Ming Dynasty has the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, what can be hidden from Your Majesty's ears and eyes? I have other things to say." Zhou Jiamou was clearly not surprised, he was very aware of the capabilities of the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. As long as it was something the Emperor wanted to know, there were few things that couldn't be investigated, let alone such a high-profile matter.

  "Oh, let's just talk about it!" Since Zhou Jiamou didn't want to say anything, the Tianqi Emperor naturally wouldn't ask either. Zhou Jiamou also didn't ask the Tianqi Emperor what to do next, and it seemed that he understood in his heart. It seems that this Zhou Jiamou is indeed an old fox.

  "Your Majesty, I think that to accomplish great things, the most important thing is talent. I feel that I am somewhat isolated and powerless in the imperial court, and I hope that Your Majesty will permit me to gather some like-minded officials. Of course, Your Majesty can rest assured that we are not forming a clique or seeking personal gain, but rather taking a necessary measure in these circumstances." Zhou Jiayou bowed solemnly to the Tianqi Emperor. Some things were better explained clearly; if he let the Tianqi Emperor misunderstand and think that he was forming a clique, it would be counterproductive.

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