A big banquet, where the guests and hosts enjoy themselves.
Of course, this is just what Zhu Gaoxu thought.
After all, none of the ministers dared to speak, so they accepted the job honestly.
If no one raises any objection, it means that everyone agrees, so it is called "the guest and the host enjoy themselves".
Originally, Zhu Gaoxu planned to issue an edict directly, but when he thought that these people had been his confidants for a long time, he decided to hold this banquet to inoculate these confidants first to prevent them from doing anything. Wrong choice.
As for Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji, they have long been aware of this matter and have not continued to clamor to resign, so it is not difficult to know their choices.
Now he only needs to wait until the Lingbei pioneering is on the right track, and after the gentry and Jin gentry taste the benefits, Zhu Gaoxu can start directly.
However, in the early morning of the next day, Song Li, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, suddenly asked for an audience.
Zhu Gaoxu frowned when he heard this, but then he still received him.
As soon as Song Li saw Zhu Gaoxu, he knelt down directly.
"Your Majesty, I am getting old and I can't bear the trouble any more. Please allow me to resign and return home to enjoy my old age in peace!"
Song Li said these words bravely, and then lowered his head.
This is indeed something that can't be helped.
Song Li is now over seventy years old, and he still has no energy left to torment the gentry.
He just wanted to prepare his funeral arrangements as soon as possible while he was still awake, and support his nephew. Nothing else mattered.
Zhu Gaojiu looked at the gray-haired Song Li, still holding back some anger in his heart, and helped him up with his own hands.
Although Song Li resigned at this time, he was somewhat suspected of running away from the battlefield.
But it was not just at this time that he asked to resign and return home. As early as last year, Song Li had health problems, so he submitted his resignation many times, but Zhu Gaoxu kept refusing to do so.
So if we really talk about it, Zhu Gaoxu really can't blame others.
"Ai Qing, have you really made your decision?"
Zhu Gaoxu was silent for a moment, and then asked this question.
Song Li heard the underlying meaning of his words and nodded directly.
"Your Majesty, I also understand that now is not the time to resign, but I am really unable to do what I want!"
"As this man gets older, his energy and energy are not as good as before. Now he even has problems with his legs and feet."
"The emperor is now preparing to implement the new policy. It is the time to employ people. If the emperor's important affairs are delayed due to the old minister's health, the old minister will not be able to forgive his sin even if he dies!"
"If I had been ten years younger, I would have refused to leave at all. I would have definitely followed the emperor and fought hard, and trampled those gentry and gentry under his feet..."
Song Li's words were very sincere, and they were indeed spoken from the bottom of his heart.
Zhu Gaoxu, the virtuous emperor, attached so much importance to the New Deal, and he did not want the New Deal to be affected due to his own reasons. That would be a heinous crime.
In addition, of course, due to the new policy, Song Li did not want to get involved in this muddy water.
He is already old and can no longer do it, and he doesn't want to do it anymore.
This new policy of allocating one person to another will last for several years at least, and Song Li may not even live to see the day when the new policy is successfully implemented.
Furthermore, Song Li also made a lot of contributions to the Ming Dynasty in his life. These alone are enough to last a lifetime for his old Song family. There is no need to fight again and leave disaster to future generations.
Of course Zhu Gaoxu also understood this truth, but he was a little unhappy.
But it was Song Li after all, and it was not easy for Zhu Gaoxu to criticize others harshly.
Song Li had outstanding political achievements throughout his life and made many contributions to the Ming Dynasty.
His most commendable political achievement was that he was ordered to dredge the river and dredge the north-south water transportation, so that the Ming Dynasty could move its capital to Beiping. This was an indelible and outstanding contribution, the kind that would leave a name in history.
River management has always been a big problem, and it involves the life and death well-being of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Therefore, once an achievement is made, it will basically leave a mark in the history books.
After all, if the canal is managed, it will be an act of benevolent governance that will benefit the people!
When he thought of this, Zhu Gaoxu's tone softened.
"Since I have made up my mind, I won't force others to do anything."
"But does Aiqing have a suitable candidate to succeed him as Minister of Industry?"
Now that Song Li's confidant is gone, someone has to take over.
Seeing that the New Deal was about to be implemented, Zhu Gaoxu did not want to support someone to go against him.
Furthermore, the position of Minister of the Ministry of Industry, which "controls the political orders of hundreds of officials in the world" and is in charge of "restoration, management and development of official documents", seems to have little power in the department, but this was not the case in the Takeru dynasty.
Zhu Gaoxu was determined to open up a path for the world's craftsmen to become officials through the Ming Dynasty Trade Union, so the Ministry of Industry was particularly important.
If he appoints a disobedient gentry to succeed him as Minister of Industry and secretly suppresses the promotion of craftsmen for the benefit of the gentry, isn't Zhu Gaoxu looking for trouble for himself?
It seemed that Zhu Gaoxu had already expected this problem. After Song Li thought for a moment, he gave a candidate.
"Your Majesty, I recommend Shi Kui, the Minister of War!"
"Shi Kui?" Zhu Gaoxu was stunned when he heard this. This was a relatively unfamiliar name.
"Your Majesty doesn't know something. This son, Shi Kui, is of Congolese nature. He has a strong leadership position and is very strict with his subordinates."
In order to successfully resign, Song Li tried his best and directly brought out Shi Kui's luxurious resume.
"Shi Kui entered Imperial College at the age of 20 and went to Liaodong for inspection from the imperial censor. Because of his uprightness, he offended his superiors and was framed and arrested in the capital."
"Emperor Taizu Gao saw that his appearance was extraordinary and he was not angry and proud. He did not look like someone who was corrupt and perverting the law. After finding out the truth, he promoted him to the position of censor."
"Later Shi Kui was appointed as the inspector of Shaanxi Province. Within one month of taking office, he was about to complete the trial of more than a thousand backlogged cases. His ability was evident. When Emperor Yongle came to the throne, he was promoted to Minister of War. He has been responsible for participating in the construction of the new capital of Beiping..."
After hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu finally understood why Song Li recommended Shi Kui.
One is because Shi Kui has a strong and upright temperament and does not collude with others.
The second reason is because Shi Kui has outstanding abilities and is a truly capable official!
The third reason is that Shi Kui and Song Li have an old relationship. The two jointly built the new capital of Beiping, so they can be regarded as old acquaintances.
From the looks of it, Shi Kui is really a good choice.
The only question is, what choice will Shi Kui make when it comes to splitting up his family?
"Ai Qing, do you think this Shi Kui can be used by me?"
Upon hearing this, Song Li immediately stood up and fell to his knees.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, Shi Kui will be loyal to the Emperor by eating the emperor's salary. He has always regarded the people of his family and country as his own responsibility, and will never disobey the holy will!"
"Okay, that's settled then."
Zhu Gaoxu sighed and said with some reluctance: "After you return home and enjoy your old age, I will promote you as the crown prince and Taibao, and order someone to carve a monument for you in Huitong River, erect a temple for you, and let you pay tribute. Famous for eternity!"
"Your Majesty, I... you are so unworthy of your divine grace..."
As soon as these words came out, Song Li burst into tears and was so choked that he couldn't speak.
Zhu Gaoxu was also filled with emotion, and he personally helped him up and comforted him for a long time.
Zhu Gaoxu has always been generous with rewards for virtuous ministers, especially those who have made outstanding contributions to the Ming Dynasty.
In the end, Song Li left and completely withdrew from the Ming Dynasty, and a generation of virtuous officials came to an end.
