Wuhan, East Lake Palace, Kunning Hall.
In the study room of Dong Nuan Pavilion, the two of them were looking at each other silently. Today, Zhu Cixiang didn't even go to the noon court. He just stayed in the Kunning Hall, accompanying Wu Sanmei, who was already in tears. He also held Wu Sangui's suicide note in his hand, and read it over and over countless times.
He never expected that Wu Sangui, who had fought with Li Dingguo on the Shaanxi front line for eight years and almost brought down the rogue Dashun country and impoverished him, would actually die of typhoid on the Lueyang front line when victory was already achieved!
How could a big shot, a big shot who was famous both in history and in this era, die like this... With his death, the balance between the north and the south in the Ming Dynasty was completely broken.
In recent years, the Northern Party of the Ming Dynasty has lost many important figures. The first was Gao Hongtu, then Hou Xun, then Lu Zhenfei and Wu Xiang, then Zuo Maodi, and then Tang Wang Zhu Yujian and The King of Lu, Zhu Yihai, and Cao Youyi disappeared a while ago. The two veteran princes, Zhu Chunchen and Zhang Shize, also retired at home due to old illness. Li Ruolian also wanted to retire... Now Wu Sangui, the soul of the Northern Party, is gone. !
After Wu Sangui was gone, Wei Zaode, Wu Sanfu, Li Yan, Shi Kefa, Luo Xiushen, Zhu Chunjie, Yan Yingyuan, Qi Yuanbi and others were left as the backbone of the Northern Party. Among them, there are only four important bosses including Wei Zaode, Wu Sanfu, Li Yan, and Shi Kefa. Among them, Shi Kefa, the oldest, is over sixty years old and cannot hold on for long. After he stepped down, Zhu Cixi didn't know who to take over the Ministry of Etiquette!
Looking at the Southern People's Party, the half-retired Zheng Zhilong is two years younger than Shi Kefa! Although Shen Tingyang and Ma Shiying are a little older, both in their seventies, their bodies are very strong. And once they retire, there will be plenty of people in the Southern People's Party who can take over.
Ma Shiying's Ministry of Justice will be taken over by Su Guansheng, who is not recognized by his relatives. Zheng Sen, a big boss, will succeed Shen Tingyang as the Secretary of the Ministry of Household Affairs - the Ministry of Household Affairs has been controlled by Zheng Zhilong for a long time. The reason why Zhu Cihong does not let Zheng Sen take over directly is because he does not want to let him take over. The position of Minister of Household Affairs became a hereditary position.
As for the Ministry of Industry that Zheng Sen is currently in charge of, it is unlikely that it will fall into the hands of the Northern Party. Du Yinxi of the Southern Party can take over immediately - he has been waiting for many years and should have been in the cabinet long ago!
Behind them, the big figures from the Southern Party waiting to join the cabinet include Wu Meicun, Huang Zongxi, Zhang Huangyan, Chen Zilong, Huang Chunyao, Huang Yuanyao, Hou Xuanyuan, Hou Xuangjie and many other old and semi-new figures... What a wealth of talent!
And looking further back, there are more graduates of the three major universities and Suzhou Jiangnan University, Yangzhou Jiangbei University, Shanghai University of Arts and Sciences, Shanghai Nanyang University, Shanghai Gewu University, Wuxi Donglin University of Arts and Sciences, Zhejiang University of Arts and Sciences Graduates from Quanzhou, Xiamen University, and Guangdong Lingnan University can be of great use.
And behind the numerous talents of the Southern People's Party is the booming economy in the southeast of Ming Dynasty!
It is no exaggeration to say that the entire Celestial Empire's oil and water flowed to these eight provinces in the southeast of the Ming Dynasty, among which ten were Yingtian, Shanghai, Suzhou, Yangzhou, Huai'an, Changzhou, Zhenjiang, Jiaxing, Hangzhou, Huzhou, and Ningbo. A connected mansion is the fattest.
These eleven prefectures were the richest and had the highest educational level. In the past, these eleven prefectures had a great advantage in the imperial examinations. Now that we are running new education, the advantages of these eleven prefectures are of course even greater. Not talking about middle schools and primary schools, just looking at the number of universities, the universities in Ming Dynasty now include Yingtian Taixue, Wuhan Taixue, Tianjin Taixue, Nanjing University Hall, Nanjing College of Arts and Sciences, Jiangnan University Hall, Jiangbei University Hall, There are fifteen universities including Nanyang University Hall, Beiyang University Hall, Shanghai University of Arts and Sciences, Shanghai Gewu College, Donglin University of Arts and Sciences, Zhejiang University of Arts and Sciences, Xiamen University Hall, and Lingnan University Hall.
Among them, there are only two in the north, Tianjin Taixue and Beiyang University, and as many as ten in the eleven prefectures in the southeast!
Of course, the fact that the eleven southeastern prefectures have established ten universities in the past twenty years is actually the inevitable result of Zhu Cixiang's drive for new education.
Because the inheritance of all these universities can be traced back to Nanjing University, Army Lecture Hall, Navy Academy, Yingtian Taixue, Nanjing Middle School, Nanjing Primary School, Army Middle School, and Army Primary School, a series of new schools founded by Zhu Cixang himself.
And "Zi Lun Ge Wu Pian" is the foundation of all these new educations!
After these seeds of new education planted by Zhu Cixiang blossomed and bore fruit, the fruits of new education turned into new seeds, blooming and bearing fruit on a large scale in the ten southeastern prefectures that were economically developed and valued education...
"Third sister," Zhu Cixiang sighed in a low voice and gently placed Wu Sangui's suicide note in his hand on the table, "don't be sad. The eldest uncle was loyal to the country and his name will go down in history. What he entrusted on the suicide note I will definitely do it for him."
Wu Sanmei wiped away her tears and sighed: "I would like to thank Your Majesty on behalf of my brother."
Zhu Cixiang nodded and said: "Third sister, you don't have to say thank you, because the things entrusted to you in the eldest uncle's suicide note... Hey, it's me who should say thank you! If there is anything else the Wu family needs, If I want to help, just ask, I, the emperor, can do it and I will definitely do it."
Wu Sanmei was stunned, looked at Zhu Cixiang, and then looked at the suicide note.
Zhu Cixiang said: "Third sister, you will know after seeing it... Uncle Chang is really my loyal minister! I have still treated your family badly these years."
...
Donghu Town, Quanguo Duke's Mansion.
When the towering tree of the Wu family fell down, the Zheng family and his son were at a time when they were proud of their lives. Of course, they were proud behind closed doors. When they left the house, they all looked sad - as if it was not Wu Changbo who died, but Zheng Damu.
"Damu, Jiangong, is there any way to find out what Wu Sangui's suicide note said?"
In the evening, Zheng Zhilong called his two sons who had returned from the Yamen.
"There is no need to inquire," Zheng Jiangong said. "If His Majesty wants to announce it, we will know it. If he doesn't want to announce it, we can't inquire about it."
Zheng Du, who is about to take up his post in Quanzhou, said with a smile: "It's just two things. One is to ask for money! The other is to pave the way for Wu Ake and Wu Ahuan."
"There is only one Wu Ahuan left!" Zheng Sen said, "Wu Ake has to mourn...but Wu Ahuan must have somewhere to go."
"Will it be the Crown Princess?" Zheng Zhilong frowned.
"I'm afraid he will mention it in his suicide note!" Zheng Sen said, "Wu Sangui did his best this time and died, and the door of Sichuan has been broken by him. His contribution is great! How can your majesty refuse?"
"But His Majesty has already said that there will be an exam..."
Zheng Jiangong said: "Your Majesty said that he would take the exam, but he didn't say how to take it! That Wu Ahuan is also very good! And she is also very beautiful. The princess gave her the nickname of the Eight-sided Guanyin, which means that when you look at it from all directions, you can see nothing. What a beautiful place! If she really wants to become a princess, she will definitely be favored."
Zheng Zhilong sighed: "The king of the United Kingdom is the eldest son, and his talents are far superior to those of the prince..."
Zheng Du said: "It would be great if the king of Hezhong could go up instead..."
"Shizhong, what nonsense are you talking about?" Zheng Sen quickly interrupted the brother.
"Brother, I just said it casually."
Zheng Sen glared at him: "How can you talk so freely about abolishing the establishment? If His Majesty finds out, will my family still be safe? You are trying to make His Majesty, father, son and brother fight each other!"
Besides, His Majesty is not yet 40 years old this year and is in his prime. There is no problem in being the emperor for another 30 years. What we have to consider now is how to be a loyal minister to His Majesty! "
"Damu, then you said our family won't fight for the princess?" Zheng Zhilong frowned.
"Of course we have to fight!" Zheng Sen said, "And we have to fight hard!"
"Why?" Zheng Zhilong asked.
"Because marrying the daughter of the Zheng family to the prince means that our family supports the prince!" Zheng Sen said, "Whether it succeeds or not, the attitude is always good. Neither your majesty, the queen, nor the prince himself will think that our family is disloyal. !
In my opinion, we should also recommend that the prince also appoint a side concubine... Even if the main concubine is not won, the side concubine must be obtained. Your Majesty will definitely be happy if the Zheng and Wu families protect the crown prince together! "
