In Xiangyang in March, there was still dew in the morning. The spring thunder last night and the rain hitting the banana trees made Zhang Shenyan rarely sleep well.
Decades of studying and serving as an official have given him a strong sense of self-control. He goes to bed and gets up on time and rarely suffers from insomnia.
I still remember that the last time I suffered from insomnia, the news of the late emperor's death came in Beijing.
Wearing a common headdress, a simple black and white robe, and ordinary boots, he held his head high, his long beard combed many times, his eyes bright, and his expression calm.
Zhang Shenyan maintained his posture, as if he were a hermit among the people or a high-ranking official who had retreated to the local government, with dignity and indifference to fame.
"For the Ming Dynasty, for the hometown..."
He murmured in his heart, struggling to maintain a reserved look on his face as he faced the shogunate officials passing by.
Calm and unhurried, neither humble nor overbearing, the true nature of a man.
"Mr. Zhang, Your Highness invites you!"
At this time, a young man in a smart suit ran over and looked him up and down, his attitude neither too far nor too close.
"Thank you!"
Zhang Shenyan cupped his attacker's hand and followed him, walking slowly, every move he made was full of etiquette.
It is almost a miniature version of the Nanjing Imperial Palace, Prince Xiang's Mansion, no, the palace pavilion was renamed Prince Yu's Mansion, it is still splendid and majestic.
It's a pity that he has seen so much that he has long lost the sense of novelty.
His expression remained unchanged, he bent slightly and walked intently.
The head of Thirteen led the way. He was very curious about this old man. After all, he was the former Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. He walked and spoke with a certain air of grandeur.
"You're waiting here!"
Only about ten steps away from the pavilion, we can clearly see the face of His Royal Highness Prince Yu: handsome, leisurely and calm.
He secretly compared it with Emperor Hongguang of Nanjing. As expected, the face of King Yu looked more like a monarch.
The fat King Fu does not fit the image of a monarch.
"Zhang Shenyan, you are confused!"
He was suddenly shocked. How could the majestic Emperor of Ming Dynasty be compared to King Yu? Even harder to compare.
"The military and government should be developed simultaneously, and official channels are the top priority. Governments in Huguang, as well as states and counties, must have smooth communication..."
"The inns of the imperial dynasty should also be set up as before. The inns and official channels complement each other, and neither can be ignored..."
Prince Yu's voice was clear and loud, as if he were chatting, and his talk sounded very reasonable.
Zhao Shu, the head of the Military and Political Department, occasionally echoed the words and had few words to refute.
Obviously, compared with the puppet-like Emperor Hongguang, His Royal Highness Prince Yu has great power, he is consistent in his words, and he fully possesses the power and majesty of the emperor.
Thinking about it in his heart, Zhang Shenyan's evaluation of King Yu became higher and higher: Especially for a capable minister like me, wouldn't he be a wise king?
No wonder it was extraordinary to be able to defeat the Eight Banners.
As Zhang Shenyan thought about it, his waist became more and more bent, and his head hung lower.
"Please!" the eunuch reminded softly.
Zhang Shenyan was suddenly enlightened and hurriedly stepped forward to meet Prince Yu in person:
"Zhang Shenyan, a common man, comes to see His Highness the King of Yu."
A scholar may not kneel when meeting an official, but a prince must be polite to his officials and must kneel.
Zhu Yixi saw an old man walking slowly towards him. He had an upright face and an extraordinary demeanor. He had a different kind of aura about him, which made him sit upright.
"Zhang Shangshu's blunt and strong advice was widely heard throughout the country. When I heard the news that you were in Xiangyang, I was extremely happy."
Zhu Yixi first praised him, and then looked regretful: "It's a pity that the war has been busy in the past few months, and the meeting with the minister has been delayed."
People carry people in sedan chairs.
Zhang Shenyan was not a fool. He also said: "Your Highness went north to Luoyang and beheaded the false king, which made him famous all over the world. I am among the people. I wish I could be with Your Highness and fight against the slaves together."
"Hahaha!"
Zhu Yixi enjoyed being flattered, especially by the former Minister of Civil Affairs, who was almost as comfortable as being flattered by a cabinet minister.
He suppressed his smile and said seriously: "Nowadays, the country is in a difficult situation. The imperial court should be in the same boat, but unexpectedly, it is always upright and excludes dissidents. It is really inappropriate."
"Sir, you are a great talent, and you cannot be appointed to the position of Prime Minister. Although my virtue is shallow, I want to work with you in the same boat and rebuild the country again——"
"Since I have accepted His Highness's wrong love, I dare not obey my orders."
Zhang Shenyan said cooperatively, his eyebrows and eyes full of emotion, as if he was filled with emotions.
Needless to say, this was a scene for the history books.
"Please sit down!"
Zhu Yixi raised his hand and said: "Sir's talent is hard for the shogunate to accommodate. How about becoming the Zuo Changshi of Prince Yu's Palace?"
“Always be at your side and give good advice and good deeds.”
"Your Highness, I don't stick to official positions. As long as I can revive the Ming Dynasty, I will do anything I can to serve as a humble subordinate."
Zhang Shenyan said modestly.
The official of the Prince's Palace, Zhang Shi, is in the fifth rank. His function is to take charge of the government affairs of the Palace, assist the ministers in regulating and ridiculing the king's mistakes, lead the officials in the palace to provide services, and supervise the affairs of the common people.
Of course, when Zhu Yixi came here, the main responsibility of the chief historian was to advise and disobey him, so there was no need to bother with the affairs of the palace.
It is equivalent to the position of a royal doctor.
Zhang Shenyan was also quite satisfied.
Although his official position is not high, he is a close minister. This kind of status is rare.
The two chatted happily and understood each other fairly well.
"Report——"
"how?"
"News from Henan."
Zhu Yixi's eyes narrowed and he opened his eyes to take a closer look.
I saw it written on it, Hong Chengchou settled in Luoyang, surrounded by tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, with a fierce momentum.
"The visitor is evil!"
Zhu Yixi sighed: "Henan is full of troubles."
Hearing this, Zhang Shenyan took the letter and frowned: "Your Highness, the march into Luoyang is a ground-breaking move. It must have some agenda and it will be very detrimental to us."
"Building slaves has nothing to fear, only the human heart is to be feared."
King Yu nodded, filled with emotion.
…
At the same time, Hong Chengchou not only moved into Luoyang with great ostentation, but also summoned the gentry to collect food and pay, and to organize and train troops.
Luoyang, which was completely looted, really did not put Hong Chengchou in a good mood. When he first came to Luoyang, he could only live in a house, which was very frustrating.
However, behind him was the Manchu and Qing court, and even the house looked different.
"Ruzhou, Xiangcheng."
Looking at the information in his hand, Hong Chengchou said softly: "Chen Yongfu was originally the commander-in-chief of Henan, but now he actually obeys the fake King of Yu. I think he really has some skills."
"You Shiwei came to Xiangcheng from Yulin Town, interesting, interesting."
After muttering about the two of them and thinking about their backgrounds, Hong Chengchou felt that he needed to get in touch with them in private.
The fake King of Yu in Huguang is a life and death enemy.
Now that there are only ten thousand soldiers, it is still too early to talk about strategies. Sowing gold and silver and sowing discord is the right way.
Compared with Huguang, Guanzhong can be said to be a dry firewood pile, which can be ignited with a little flame.
"Li Zicheng, Li Zicheng, you have offended the world's gentry, and now you want to bribe them again. Do you really think they are fools?"
