In Kunning Palace, Queen Zhang and Zhu Youxiao sat opposite each other, with a table in the middle. On the table were several dishes and a pot of wine.

It's not a big scene, just ordinary home-cooked food.

Zhu Youxiao picked up the jug and poured a glass of wine, then poured another glass for Queen Zhang and said, "Have a drink with me."

"Okay, Your Majesty." Queen Zhang smiled broadly.

The couple looked at each other and took a sip from their wine glasses.

After being married for so many years, Queen Zhang knew Zhu Youxiao very well and also knew that His Majesty was in a very bad mood these days.

You know, on a normal night, His Majesty rarely drinks.

The wine tonight is not good wine, just ordinary people’s home wine. The food on the table is not good either, there are no delicacies, it is just ordinary food in ordinary people’s homes, especially in the bowl on the side.

There was a half-eaten pickle.

Empress Zhang didn't know why Your Majesty put this pickle here, but she knew there must be a deep meaning in it.

Too many old ministers have died recently. Not to mention Your Majesty, even Queen Zhang is a little depressed, and there is an atmosphere of sadness in the court.

"Do you know why I brought out a pickle?" Zhu Youxiao picked up the pickle and took a bite. Then he picked up the wine glass and took a sip of the wine. The expression on his face suddenly became wonderful.

All the five senses seemed to come together, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I don't know." Queen Zhang said with a smile: "Your Majesty, you can talk to me."

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said with a smile: "That was the first time I met Zhang Chong. Maybe among these officials of mine, everyone is outstanding and there are many who are famous all over the world, but they impressed me deeply.

It’s Zhang Chong.”

"At that time, he was just a treasury clerk in the Ministry of Household Affairs, receiving a meager salary every day and living a life of poverty. Even then, he did not embezzle a penny of money from the Ministry of Household Affairs."

"After I made friends with him, he invited me to have a drink. During that drink, there were two dishes. One was the pickles in front of me, and the other was this, boiled eggs."

"At that time, I asked him with a smile, don't you think it's shameful for you to invite people to dinner like this?"

"At that time, Zhang Chong told me that I was an official in the Ming Dynasty and received the emperor's salary, and every bit of it was the people's wealth. Now I can have enough food and clothing, which is already better than the common people in the world. I can also have a drink occasionally.

This is more than what many people enjoy. Drinking poor wine is also a different experience. I remember when I couldn’t drink wine, I could only watch others drink. Now, I am content with one cup of wine every day.”

"After all these years, I still remember what he said and the way he drank."

Looking at Zhu Youxiao, whose eyes were a little red, Queen Zhang fell silent.

Empress Zhang knew Zhang Chong and had passed by him a few days ago.

Zhang Chong's family had a small population, and his official position was not large. When he died, he was just a general manager of Baigongyuan, in charge of the materials of Baigongyuan.

"I asked for this pickle from Zhang Chong's house. His son said that he still drinks like that now, with one pickle and one boiled egg. He is very happy every time, unlike before."

"Zhang Chong's son said that his father used to drink boring wine, but now he drinks wedding wine every time."

"Although he has a large salary and his life is easier, he has never given up this habit. In his words, now that the Ming Dynasty is better and his life is better, he is happy, so every meal is a wedding."

"Zhang Chong's son said that his father often mentioned that when he invited His Majesty to drink, he used these two dishes as an accompaniment."

Looking at Zhu Youxiao with a calm tone and red eyes, Queen Zhang stretched out her hand and directly held Zhu Youxiao's hand.

She could feel His Majesty's hands trembling, and even her body trembling.

"There were still many people who followed me back then. These people did not have high-ranking officials or generous salaries. They were always frugal and even mean. But it is precisely because of them that the Ming Dynasty is what it is today. Now, they have all left me...

…”

"Your Majesty, I am here, Da Ming is here, I care about the world, I care about Your Majesty, and my ministers who care about Da Ming are also here. Da Ming will get better and better, and the people of the world will live better and better." Empress Zhang pulled Zhu You.

The principal comforted him softly.

"I want to build a cemetery." Zhu Youxiao looked at Queen Zhang and said softly.

"Your Majesty can do whatever he wants." Empress Zhang looked at Zhu Youxiao and said with a smile: "No matter what your Majesty does, I will support your Majesty."

"I want to build a cemetery for these people and bury them in it. It will be built next to my imperial mausoleum. I will sleep with them in a hundred years."

After hearing this, Queen Zhang smiled and said, "Okay!"

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said with a smile: "I want to order someone to carve a stele to record all their deeds; I also want to find someone to edit the book and write a "Zhongxing Minister's Biography" to write a book for them so that they can be remembered for generations.

.”

"Okay!" Queen Zhang patted Zhu Youxiao's hand and said with a smile.

In fact, after so many years as a couple, this is the first time that Queen Zhang has seen His Majesty in such an emotional state.

Queen Zhang always had a smile on her face. She knew that His Majesty had been very tired.

The ministers in the court are growing old and passing away, which really puts a lot of pressure on His Majesty.

The meal lasted for a long time. Zhu Youxiao drank two bottles of wine and finished the pickle and two boiled eggs. Finally, Zhu Youxiao was helped to the bed by Queen Zhang and fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, Zhu Youxiao got up early.

Although he drank wine last night, he didn't sleep too late. He had something to do today, so Zhu Youxiao got up very early and changed his clothes with Queen Zhang waiting on him.

He was dressed very formally, even wearing a royal robe.

Because this morning, Zhu Youxiao is going to the morning court.

For the emperor and ministers of the Ming Dynasty, it should have been a normal thing for the emperor to go to court in the morning.

But the current emperor is not like this. He went to court a few times in the first few years after he ascended the throne, and then became less and less. In recent years, he has basically stopped going to the early dynasty, and the early dynasty system exists in name only.

But no one expected that the emperor would suddenly attend the morning court?

This should have been a common thing, but at this time in the Ming Dynasty, it became a grand event.

No one dares to neglect, and no one knows what the emperor will say when he goes to court.

All of a sudden, all the officials became nervous.

After changing his clothes, Zhu Youxiao went straight to the front without staying too much in Kunning Palace.

The whole person looked very energetic, and to match, there was a long sword hanging on his waist.

By the time Zhu Youxiao came to the front, the courtiers were already waiting here.

Everyone's expression was very serious and they stood there respectfully. No one spoke.

Everyone is waiting for the emperor's arrival and the emperor's announcement of important matters.

Zhu Youxiao walked up the steps step by step and finally sat on the dragon chair.

All the ministers knelt down to pay homage together, and at the same time shouted: "See your majesty, long live your majesty!"

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said: "My dear friends, please excuse me."

Everyone stood up and stood aside respectfully.

They all attended the morning meeting this morning, but no one prepared a question book, and no one was annoying at this time.

The emperor had not been to the morning court for such a long time and suddenly came to the morning court. He must have something to announce, and it must be a big event.

At this time, if you don't have the vision to perform the performance, how incompetent an official must be to do this?

If you do this, I'm afraid it won't be long before you become an official.

Looking at everyone, Zhu Youxiao said slowly: "It has been eleven years since I ascended the throne. Above the court, the ministers are working hard, and I get along well with all your beloved ministers. Now the Ming Dynasty North

It is really the credit of all of you who love me to sweep away the barbarians and stabilize the country."

"Many ministers have accompanied me all the way, working hard through thick and thin. In the past six months, some of the ministers in the court have left me, some have left me, and some have returned to their hometowns to take care of themselves. I feel deeply sad in my heart.

"

Everyone listened, and the expressions on their faces became much more relaxed.

Obviously, when the emperor said this, he did not have something to punish everyone.

This is a good thing for everyone, but many people still feel sad. After all, many of the people standing in the court are old.

Zhu Youxiao glanced at everyone and continued: "I will remember everything you have done for the Ming Dynasty. Today I have to announce something. Han Xu, you will read the imperial edict this time."

This sentence was something that no one expected, including Han Xu himself.

Obviously there must be something unusual about this imperial edict, otherwise he would not be allowed to read it.

He has worked conscientiously in the court for so many years, and this is your Majesty's reward for him.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Han Xu agreed and quickly took the imperial edict from Chen Hong beside him.

Unfolding the imperial edict, Han Xu cleared his throat and said: "By God's will, the emperor decreed that since the three emperors ruled the world and the five emperors were divided, the emperor should pastoralize and nourish the people for the country.

If the ruler is wise, then the ministers will be promoted, and the government and the public will be united."

"Looking at the governance of the past dynasties, there is nothing like the prosperity of this dynasty. It is filled with the flow of Xiangqi and overflowing with the songs of praise. There is not a day when I do not mention the imperial outline, there is not a day when I do not visit the holy table, I wear clothes at night and eat at night, and I am anxious.

Si Lao Shen. Yu's traces are mixed up, which will lead to peace; Yao's heart is not tired, and Russia will cause unforeseen disasters."

The expressions on the faces of the ministers below are a little strange.

What kind of imperial edict is this?

What you said before was very good, but now why did you change the subject and start praising yourself?
To be continued...