When Zeng Yongzhong entered the Wenhua Hall, there was a secret fold on the imperial desk, and Wu Zongrui was still meditating.

The curtain of unifying the south has begun. Judging from the current situation, it won't take long for Denglai's new army to sweep across the entire south. Cabinet minister, Left Governor Liao Wenru, and cabinet minister, Governor of Southern Zhili, Lu Faxuan

, representing the imperial court in governing all matters in the south, they can make decisions on the fly, but important matters must still be reported to the imperial court.

Wu Zongrui has read the secret book jointly written by Liao Wenru and Lu Faxuan three times.

"I pay my respects to the Emperor..."

Wu Zongrui quickly waved to Zeng Yongzhong.

"Sir, there is no need to be polite. I asked you to come because we have important matters to discuss. This is a secret letter written by Wen Ru and Lu Ting. Please take a look at it and tell me what you think."

Zeng Yongzhong took the secret fold from the palace guard respectfully and looked at it carefully.

Wu Zongrui waved to the two palace guards beside him, and the two guards bowed before exiting the hall.

Wu Zongrui stood up, stepped off the chariot, and came to Zeng Yongzhong.

Zeng Yongzhong was concentrating on reading the secret book, and did not care that the emperor had already arrived on the other side. He had long been accustomed to this situation. Since the emperor ascended the throne, he had not deliberately shown his majesty in front of the cabinet ministers. Sometimes he acted casually like a close friend. However,

All cabinet ministers, including Zeng Yongzhong, were extremely respectful to the emperor.

After reading the secret book, Zeng Yongzhong looked quite solemn.

"Sir, do you think Wenru and Lu Ting are a little cruel..."

Zeng Yongzhong looked at the emperor, clasped his fists and bowed his head before speaking.

"Your Majesty, as it is said, no one is a poisonous person and no husband is a husband, I do think that the decision of Mr. Liao and Mr. Lu makes sense..."

Wu Zongrui shook his head helplessly, with a wry smile on his face.

"Sir, I understand that even this edict is too late. Since Wenru and Lu Ting have made up their minds, they will do so unswervingly. When the edict arrived in Nanjing, Chengdu or Fuzhou, everything happened.

..”

Zeng Yongzhong nodded, leaned over and spoke.

"Your Majesty, Lord Liao and Lord Lu are sincerely considering the imperial court. They are loyal. I am here to intercede on behalf of Lord Liao and Lord Lu. Although their decisions seem too cruel, the world will be peaceful in the future.

Their contribution is indispensable. The emperor is kind, but some things are unpredictable. The so-called once and for all, using thunderous means to show the bodhisattva's heart. The cruelty now is just for the stability of the future..."

Wu Zongrui let out a long sigh.

"Sir, I understand what you mean, and I also understand the painstaking efforts of Wen Ru and Lu Ting. But I think that if you govern the world with benevolence, you will not be afraid of Xiaoxiao, and you will be selfless in your heart. Maybe I am too idealistic.

, these days, I have carefully read "Zi Zhi Tong Jian" and gained something."

"A moment of kindness may not necessarily bring peace to the world. I originally illuminated my heart by the moon, but the bright moon illuminated the ditch. I once told Wen Ru and Lu Ting that kindness to the enemy is cruelty to oneself. It's just a matter of boarding the mountain.

Now that I am in a high position, I want to do everything well, always thinking that everything is beautiful and everything can be changed. Now it seems that these ideas of mine are too naive. I am not as good as Mr. Wen Ru.

And Lu Ting..."

Hearing what the emperor said, Zeng Yongzhong was so panicked that he quickly bowed his head again.

"Your Majesty, please don't have such thoughts. Master Liao, Master Lu, and the ministers are in different positions. The ministers cannot consider all the matters in the world, but only focus on the matters they are responsible for. The emperor is different.

, I feel that the Wu court can rise, Denglai's new army can be invincible in the world, and the people under the court can have enough food and clothing, all of this is the emperor's plan, and the officials of our Wu court are different from those of the Ming Dynasty.

They work conscientiously and do things for the people. They can be said to be the real parents and officials of the people. When talking about the matters mentioned above, Lord Liao and Lord Lu are considering the present. As for what will happen in the future, no one dares to say...

"

Wu Zongrui waved his hand to Zeng Yongzhong, and a wry smile appeared on his face again.

"My husband watched me grow up, taught me how to read and write, and taught me knowledge. He also knows me well. Many times when I think about it carefully, I am not a cruel person. If it weren't for my husband, Wen Ru, Lu Ting, etc.

Assistant, I can't sit in this position. When dealing with many things, I don't want to be cruel and always want to influence others. Maybe it has something to do with my bones."

"What's even more ridiculous is that sometimes I regard this kind of character as a virtue and dream of being a perfect person. This is a bit ridiculous. There are no perfect people in this world. They all grew up eating whole grains and no one has shortcomings.

ah."

"Emperors, generals and ministers from ancient times always thought about beautifying themselves. Aren't they just thinking about how to control their ministers? I'm not a god, so I can't help but be affected by all the imperial strategies and tricks."

"Now it seems that all this has to be abandoned."

"I don't have those thoughts among Wen Ru and Lu Ting. I just don't want to do it. I just want to maintain the cloak of kindness. If I always do this, let the ministers accept the stigma and benefit from it myself.

How can I face the world?"

"I am the emperor of the Wu court. I am responsible for everything the court does. Whether it is good or bad things, I need to bear the lash of the history books."

"The emperor of the Ming Dynasty did too poorly in this regard."

"Emperor Chongzhen is still remembered by too many people today. Didn't he just pass all the responsibilities to the ministers? He seems to be pure and innocent. In fact, this is not the case. Zhu Youjian is a man of great talent and talent. It is hard to tolerate others. He doubts everything. His acting in government affairs includes

When appointing ministers, his behavior is like that of a child. When he trusts, he is extremely gracious. When he hates, he insults and kills wildly. This is not the behavior of an emperor. Look at the Ming Dynasty when the building is about to collapse. Where is there anyone around Zhu Youjian?

, the person accompanying him is Wang Chengen."

"I don't want to be that kind of emperor who doesn't want to take responsibility..."

Before Wu Zongrui finished speaking, Zeng Yongzhong knelt down.

"The emperor's words are inspiring to me. As the chief minister of the cabinet, I must share the worries of the emperor and the court. I must bear all the matters discussed by the cabinet..."

Wu Zongrui looked at Zeng Yongzhong kneeling in front of him and felt a little decadent for a moment.

Those words just now were his true words. Logically speaking, such words should not be said in front of outsiders. It is too cold to be in high places. After becoming the emperor, Wu Zongrui already felt unusual loneliness. The emperor's

You can't express your thoughts to others, otherwise they will be frightened.

"Sir, please get up quickly. I have already said that you are my mentor. You do not need to kneel down in front of me at any time."

Zeng Yongzhong lowered his head and wiped his eyes with his hand.

Wu Zongrui was suddenly moved. It seemed that Zeng Yongzhong still listened to his words. However, Zeng Yongzhong was a minister and he was the emperor. Under such circumstances, it was impossible for Zeng Yongzhong to speak freely.

"Sir, the cabinet will draft a decree immediately. All the decisions made by Wenru and Lu Ting are my wishes and have been discussed by the cabinet. However, this decree should not be announced to the world. Tell Wenru and Lu Ting that they can know it.

Now, the cabinet must keep it secret, seal the draft, and never destroy it. As for how future generations will evaluate this edict, I don’t care.”

"Once the Longwu court is eliminated and the Zheng family is completely defeated, the situation in the south will basically stabilize. As for Mu Tianbo in Yunnan, it is not a big problem. I have thought about the possibility of letting Mu Tianbo return to the court.

It’s not a big deal, but whether or not Mu Tianbo’s nine clans should be killed is a matter that needs to be seriously considered. This matter cannot be overdone. As long as the court sincerely considers the people and allows them to have enough food and clothing, even the descendants of certain families can do it.

People think about revenge and rebellion, but there is no chance. When the time comes, the people will deal with them without the need for the court and government to take action."

"Give Wu Sangui of Sichuan a secret edict, asking him to act in accordance with Lu Ting's decision. Tell him that if he encounters difficult problems, he does not need to ask for an edict. As long as it is beneficial to the court, he can make decisions on the spot. The secret edict must be emphasized that it is only for handling.

When things happen in Sichuan, we can make decisions on the fly."

"Now that Gao Jie can come to the capital, Li Yan remains in Guangzhou. The cabinet and the Ministry of Civil Affairs have come up with a plan to dispatch officials to Huguang, Sichuan, Guangdong, Zhejiang and other places. There cannot be any delay. A draft will be drawn up within five days.

How to coordinate the integration of officials dispatched from the capital and local officials left behind is a top priority. With so many local officials, it is impossible for them to be completely dispatched by the imperial court, and some local officials still have to be appointed."

"The South must stabilize in the shortest possible time. I don't think it can go beyond this year."

"The role of local government is very important. It must be carried out to measure cultivated land and the policy of paying grain and serving errands to both officials and gentry should be rolled out in these places at the same time. It cannot be delayed. There is no need to worry about whether the local area can be completely stabilized. For those who do not support it,

Gentry families, if necessary, give them some color."

"After stabilizing the south, our only goal is to retain the money in the north."

"The Cabinet and the Ministry of War no longer need to pay too much attention to the situation in the south. They can turn their targets to Houjin and start the expedition against Houjin next year."

"The world must stabilize as soon as possible. The court still has too many things to do. We cannot waste time because of the turmoil in the world. We must continue to repair the mess left by the Ming Dynasty."

"In the future, overseas trade and overseas expansion will become the most critical tasks of the imperial court. After I have considered this matter in detail, I will inform you sir and the cabinet will discuss it again."

"We must plan and plan everything in advance so that we can deal with it calmly."
Chapter completed!