The dark clouds pressed down layer by layer, and the wind suddenly rose.

A sudden thunder sounded, and lightning and thunder were roaring in the depths of the dark clouds.

The sudden rain poured down, whipping on the ground like a whip, splashing water mist half a person high.

All the officials, eunuchs and palace maids in the palace were all shocked to watch the sudden heavy rain.

Strong winds and heavy rains swept across the world, making people feel disgusted.

In front of Cining Palace, the emperor looked at the heavy rain, and even under the eaves, he felt the water vapor and the heavy clothes were penetrated.

The emperor looked at the palace of Cining Palace, but when the people arrived at the door, they began to hesitate.

When he was young, the empress dowager threatened the emperor to depose and enthronement, and also cited the possibility that Zhang Juzheng wanted to be Yi Yin and Huo Guang, which left a deep shadow in his heart.

At that time, the emperor was so scared that he couldn't sleep all night. Since ancient times, how many good ends have been caused by the deposed emperor? No, none of them have.

He remembered that Emperor Jianwen of this dynasty had a son who was only two years old when the city of Jinling was broken.

Chengzu locked the two-year-old child in the deep palace and was called Jianshu. Although the food and clothing supply was comprehensive, he was imprisoned in the deep palace since childhood.

He imprisoned for decades. When he was fifty-seven years old, the emperor was no longer Chengzu, but Ming Yingzong who had experienced the transformation of the Sect. Because he had the same experience as Jianshu, Ming Yingzong decided to release Jianshu.

However, all officials were worried that someone would support Jianshu and restore the reign, but Yingzong said that those who have a destiny would do it themselves, but he still decided to release Jianshu and his wife. However, after Jianshu was released, he didn't even know the cattle and horses, and he died of illness after a few months.

When the emperor remembered that when the Empress Dowager threatened him to do the decree, he used his younger brother, King Lu, to replace him ascend the throne.

This threat was not lifted until the emperor had his eldest son. As soon as the eldest son was born, the first thing the chief assistant Zhang Siwei did was to submit a letter to ask the Lu King for a wedding, and then take the vassal.

The prince's position as a vassal is equivalent to giving up the right to inherit the throne (referring to the Fu King's position as a vassal in history). Otherwise, the emperor would never have the eldest son and the Lu King was raised in the palace, which would be the default heir to the throne. However, Empress Dowager Li showed reluctance to the Lu King in front of the emperor.

Therefore, in order to allow King Lu to successfully obtain the vassal, the emperor almost agreed to Empress Dowager Li and King Lu's request.

Therefore, Empress Dowager Li gave Lu Wang a 5.9 million taels of marriage, but she was still not enough. She also asked to give Lu Wang an annual salary of 10,000 stones of money and 10,000 stadiums in Beijing every year, and now she was in Beijing. She also paid 3,000 stones of money and 600 flag captains, and 1,000 elite troops and 1,000 soldiers of Lu Wang's palace to serve as the attendant of Lu Wang's palace.

The Lu Wang’s wedding was insufficient, and the Ministry of Revenue paid additional subsidies.

At this time, King Lu proposed that Huguang was too far away and wanted to be in Henan, so he was so close to Tianyan.

At this time, the royal palace in Huguang had been repaired, costing more than one million taels, but if you say no, you don't want it. So the emperor ordered the Henan Provincial Administration Office to undertake the construction of the new prince's mansion, which cost 670,000 taels. Then the Yellow River flooded and the Henan Provincial Administration Office Office Office was blown up.

(The author's note, in history, the Lu King stayed in the palace until the 17th year of Wanli. Historical books say that the two brothers were harmonious, so when the emperor left the palace, they ordered the Lu King to supervise the country. What is the truth?)

Therefore, when Lin Yanchao submitted a memorial to attack King Lu, the emperor's mood was different.

The emperor and the three auxiliary ministers knelt in front of the Cining Palace, waiting for the Empress Dowager to receive him. However, in the Cining Palace, the eunuchs stood and said nothing. The Empress Dowager did not make any noise and asked them to enter the door, so everyone could only kneel down like this.

The emperor felt a little relieved. If the empress dowager disappeared, would he have been kneeling here? It was raining heavily outside. Will the court officials persist?

Although Empress Dowager Li did not explain her attitude, this method of dragging her down was a way to resolve all of them, unless the emperor dared to rush into the Cining Palace at a terrible verdict.

The emperor had a little intention of retreating, but at this moment, Zhang Siwei said loudly: "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager Mingsu and Renzong were together for Cixiao Temple, and wanted to take a carriage and go first. Lu Zongdao said that the husband would follow his son's meaning in his death, so he fought for this. The Empress Dowager immediately ordered the chariot and the carriage to ride."

"The emperor and the minister knelt down in front of Cining Palace to advise, is this courtesy?"

Zhang Siwei talked about the affairs of Renzong and Empress Dowager Mingsu. In terms of filial piety, the empress dowager should take the bus first and the emperor should take the bus behind.

But the ministers strongly argue that a woman who has not married her father, and who has married her husband, and who has died will follow her son. This is the three and four virtues. Now that the late emperor has left, the empress dowager should follow her son today, so how can she be the emperor before the emperor? After hearing the minister's objection, the empress dowager followed her after the emperor.

After Zhang Siwei finished speaking, Shen Shixing also said: "Your Majesty, Renzong led all his ministers to the Empress Dowager in the inner hall. Fan Zhongyan submitted a memorial that the emperor was in charge of his relatives and had his own family rituals. Now he was in line with all officials and went to the north to pay tribute to the emperor, which was not the reason for the future generations."

"Today, the emperor and the minister are here, and the empress dowager in the north serves him. This is not the body of an emperor. I ask Your Majesty to raise him."

After Zhang Siwei finished speaking, Shen Shixing also came to help.

Shen Shi was an example of Fan Zhongyan. The emperor and the empress dowager were mother and son. When they were in the palace, they could perform family rituals, and it would be okay for the emperor to work in the north. But now the emperor and all officials are listed together, and the monarch and ministers are working in the north. So should all officials respect the emperor? Or the empress dowager?

The Confucian ministers competed for this word "ritual", otherwise the great ritual discussion would come from. The emperor turned out to be like this when serving the empress dowager, and no officials dared to say anything. But today, Zhang Siwei and Shen Shixing were the chief ministers, while the second assistants stood up to discuss the etiquette.

I have been talking to you: "Your Majesty, if Lu Zongdao and Fan Zhongyan are here today, he will definitely be with the Queen Mother Chen Dian on this matter."

The meaning of the three assistant ministers is very obvious. Today's affairs are already difficult. If you don't give face and don't know the right way, then don't blame us for tearing you the fig leaf.

Faced with the loyalty of the three auxiliary ministers, the emperor struggled for a while and said, "I was raised by the Empress Dowager since I was a child. I have always been like this. The two families should not let me be unfilial."

The three auxiliary ministers said together: "Your Majesty, if the king is humiliated, the minister will die. Even if I die, I will not be humiliated by Your Majesty!"

At this time, Eunuch Gao, beside the Empress Dowager, hurried out of the hall and said, "The Empress Dowager is decree to invite Your Majesty and the three auxiliary ministers to meet you."

When the emperor heard this, he immediately looked happy, so the king and his ministers joined the Cining Palace.

The Empress Dowager sat behind the bead curtain, and the emperor and the three ministers bowed to the Empress Dowager.

At this time, a sob came from behind the hanging bead curtain: "Your Majesty, you are so filial!"

After hearing this, the emperor burst into tears and said, "Mother, this is the request of all officials, I... I can't help myself."

"Hmph, it was not your Majesty's instruction that Lin Yanchao dared to give advice? Today, if your Majesty's indulgence, how dare all officials cry? The Ai family has worked hard for twenty years, how could they raise a ungrateful wolf?"

After hearing this, the emperor lowered his head and said tremblingly: "Mother, my son is not afraid to do this."

At this time, Zhang Siwei said: "Qi Biography..."

"Zhang Siwei, stop..." The Empress Dowager Chuan Guard interrupted Zhang Siwei's words, "The Ai family really misread you, and actually believed that you would entrust the state affairs. You are so good. When Zhang Juzheng was alive, he endured for eight years. After Zhang Juzheng died, you will first defeat Pan Sheng and then Feng Bao. Now you don't even let the Ai family go, and even alienate the mother-son relationship between Your Majesty and the Ai family."

"Among the civil and military officials in the court, you are the biggest treacherous minister!"

Zhang Siwei kowtowed in fear and said, "The Empress Dowager, I am wronged. If I secretly instruct my affairs today, the discipline minister will not die well."

The emperor also said: "My mother, Mr. Zhang did not know about today's affairs in advance, and it was all those little ministers who were presumptuous."

The Empress Dowager sneered: "It was not your commander by Zhang Siwei, but also your indulgence. The Ai family doesn't believe you and you don't know anything about the news in advance."

Zhang Siwei said: "Report to the Empress Dowager, I have tried my best to appease me, but the situation has become out of control. I am dedicated to Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager, and this heart can be expressed in heaven. This time, I am willing to resign and return to my hometown to support my family and fulfill my filial piety."

When the Empress Dowager heard Zhang Siwei say this, she said again: "Shen Shixing, you have always been loyal and honest and cautious in your work. How could you dare to force Ai's family?"

Shen Shixing said in panic: "I really don't dare. Lin Yanchao asked for a former minister before he came forward to advise him. I tried my best to persuade him, but I really couldn't persuade him. Then I impeached Zhang Jiangling in the court. I stayed at home to avoid suspicion, and I didn't know anything about the court."

"But today, all officials cried and persuaded me, but I didn't expect it at all. But I remembered that the strong wind rose at the end of the green floating, and the three-foot ice was not cold for a day. For the affairs of King Lu, all officials and people had long felt unfair, and it would not be surprising. If Yuan Fu and I did not come forward to say a few words today, I will bear the infamy for a lifetime, but Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, was criticized by this innocent thing."

"Therefore, I came here to risk my life to ask the Queen Mother for the imperial edict, and I have no other selfishness. I am just going to beg for bones and beg the Queen Mother to take a clear view."

After Shen Shixing finished speaking, Yu Youding also knelt down and made a statement, and then expressed his willingness to resign from the position of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. The Empress Dowager knew that Yu Youding had no idea, and it was all about Zhang Siwei and Shen Shixing's expression.

Behind the bead curtain, the queen mother was full of anger, but she didn't know who to ask for to suppress her anger. The emperor said that she was coerced, and Zhang Siwei and Shen Shixing even shirked the matter away.

Could it be that the Empress Dowager wants to go to the officials outside the door to settle the accounts?

The Empress Dowager was so angry that she trembled all over: "You three assistant ministers resigned together, are you forcing Ai's family and Your Majesty?"

The minister of the three servants said: "I dare not."

The empress dowager was furious, and then Eunuch Gao said a few words in his ear. After hearing this, the empress dowager nodded and looked at the emperor. Zhang Siwei said calmly: "Since that is the case, you three assistant ministers will go outside the Huangji Gate to appease the officials and tell them what they want today. The Ai family already knows.

"Let them disperse first, and then after three days, the Ai family will give them a reply."

Zhang Siwei, Shen Shixing, Yu Youding looked at each other. How could the three of them fail to do anything at this time and become the Queen Mother Li?

Zhang Siwei said: "The Queen of Heaven doesn't know anything. The officials outside have long disobeyed me. I can't do it."

"You are the chief assistant of the dynasty!"

Zhang Siwei said: "Empress Dowager, I have tried my best."

"Zhang Siwei!" The Empress Dowager forced herself.

Zhang Siwei just kowtowed.

The Empress Dowager sneered and said, "Okay, Zhang Siwei, you can't do it, so there will always be someone who can do it. Whoever can persuade the Ai family and His Majesty to retire from the outside for the Ai family? Who will let the Ai family be this auxiliary grandson? From then on, the Ai family and His Majesty will entrust him all state affairs to him and let him be the real prime minister!"

After saying that, the Empress Dowager looked at Shen Shixing, and Yu Youding.

At this moment, Zhang Siwei's lower face showed a hint of sarcasm.
Chapter completed!