Qianqing Palace, inner hall.
Zhen'er carefully pressed Zhu Jianshen's shoulders while observing his expression, but hesitated several times.
"Just say what you want to say," Zhu Jianshen said with narrowed eyes, "Why, are you also attracted to me?"
"No, Your Majesty..." Zhen'er shook her head and said softly: "I... I just feel... Your Majesty is too tired these days, um... I feel bad."
At the end of the sentence, she couldn't help but blush.
Zhu Jianshen opened his eyes, his tiredness reduced a lot, and he chuckled: "I am quite tired, but there is nothing I can do about it. There are many things that I am unable to do but have the strength to do... Oh!"
"The emperor can find capable ministers to assist you." Zhen'er said, "You are the emperor, they are ministers, and it is their duty to assist you."
Zhu Jianshen sneered, raised his hand and scraped the tip of her nose affectionately, "You think too simply. Those people are not fuel-efficient lamps, and the emperor doesn't say everything as you think."
Zhen'er thought for a while and said: "I thought that there would still be someone willing to assist the emperor, such as... Marquis Yongqing."
This is the most powerful person she knows, bar none.
When she was working as a slave next to the Sun family in the past, she knew the name Li Qing like a thunderbolt. Later, whenever major events happened in the court, there was always Li Qing's shadow.
She felt that Li Qing could definitely help Zhu Jianshen a lot.
"Li Qing?" Zhu Jianshen frowned slightly and said in surprise: "He has hurt you so badly, and you still want to recommend him?"
"It's not a recommendation. How dare I recommend it? It's just a casual comment." Zhen'er pursed her lips and continued to pound her little hands, saying, "This is the only person I can think of who can help the emperor."
Zhu Jianshen laughed dumbly: "This Li Qing is really good. Even you know how powerful he is."
"He is really powerful." Zhen'er knew that Zhu Jianshen had objections to Li Qing, so she persuaded softly, "If the emperor angers Marquis Yongqing because of my concubine, it will be my concubine's fault. As the saying goes, those who achieve great things do not stick to trivial matters. ;
Besides, we are finally together, right?
In fact, if it weren't for him, I might not even be able to see through my heart. Zhen'er said, "I used to treat the emperor as my younger brother... It is precisely because of these years of separation that I... I hope the emperor will think twice." "
"Well...I don't like him, but I'm not so stingy that he doesn't distinguish between public and private affairs." Zhu Jianshen sighed deeply, "It's not that I don't use him, but that he doesn't want to help me."
"How is this possible?" Zhen'er frowned, suddenly remembered something, and said hurriedly: "By the way, Marquis Yongqing likes money, especially gold."
Zhu Jianshen chuckled: "I'll give him a piece of meat and beat him like a dog. He will never come back! This guy is a capable minister, but his character is really bad. Moreover, he is not a money-grubbing person at heart. He has his own code of conduct and has no loyalty to the emperor." Heart."
"Why don't you give it a try, Your Majesty?"
"I've tried it, but he turned a blind eye to my several good intentions." Zhu Jianshen smiled bitterly, "Let him go, he has made contributions to the Ming Dynasty, and he has not gone against me. His heart is good, but... forget it, no Let’s talk about this.”
Zhu Jianshen pressed the hand on his shoulder, gently pulled it, and then hugged it with his big hand.
'Yeah~' Zhen'er exclaimed, staggering and fell onto Zhu Jianshen's lap, and threw herself into his arms. As soon as she raised her head, her lips were blocked.
After a brief pause, her eyes gradually blurred, and then she put her hands around his neck...
…
"Your Majesty, I think I can try again." Zhen'er rested her head on Zhu Jianshen's arm, her soft body pressed against him, and said softly.
Zhu Jian felt the weakness deeply and squinted his eyes and said, "I will think about it later. I can't calm down and think now."
"Huh? Well..."
——
The next day, the imperial study room.
Zhu Jianshen summoned Li Qing alone for the final win.
"Li Aiqing is an important official in the two dynasties and has played the most important role. I have only just succeeded to the throne and am not familiar with government affairs. I urgently need the help of a capable minister like Aiqing!" Zhu Jianshen pointed out the topic directly without beating around the bush.
Li Qing pondered for a while and sighed: "Your Majesty, I don't want to do this. I am really old and have low energy."
After a pause, he added: "You still need to be strong in order to forge iron. The Emperor is still very young and has plenty of time. Why rush?"
Zhu Jianshen frowned and was speechless. Although he had been mentally prepared, he still felt resentful when he heard the rejection.
Zhengtong worked hard for you, Jingtai worked hard for you, why can't I do it for Chenghua?
Do you look down on me?
Li Qing said: "Emperors have always been lonely, and the emperor will have to face it alone after all. I can grit my teeth for a few years, but what about the future?"
Zhu Jianshen was stunned and continued to remain silent, but the anger in his heart was much less.
He knew that Li Qing was telling the truth and agreed with this point of view.
Li Qing continued: "I also believe that even without my assistance, the emperor is still a wise king and can still achieve great things."
"Haha..." Zhu Jianshen couldn't help but laugh, "So you know how to be obedient?"
"..."
"Okay, you said you are old, and I understand you, but..." Zhu Jianshen said, "You recommend some talents, but I... can't see clearly now."
Li Qing teased: "So, the emperor still trusts Wei Chen?"
"Ang, with your character, except for Yu Qian and Shi Heng, you don't have many friends, and you don't marry anyone." Zhu Jianshen snorted, "Just because of your reputation that everyone dislikes, you are worthy of my trust."
Li Qing: "..."
"The specific candidate is decided by the emperor himself. You have to believe in your own vision. If you don't have this confidence and think all day long that there are always unscrupulous people who want to harm me, how can you achieve great things?"
Zhu Jianshen: "Are you really...are you that annoying to me?"
"No." Li Qing shook his head, "In fact, in my heart, the Emperor is better than the late Emperor and the Supreme Emperor, and I also believe that the Emperor's achievements will surpass them."
"I can't believe what you said." Zhu Jianshen rolled his eyes.
Li Qing chuckled: "It's up to your Majesty to believe it or not, but what I said is the truth."
After pondering for a moment, he said: "It is true that the resistance to the emperor's taking power will be great, but it is not as difficult as climbing to the sky. As for the method, it is just those two tricks;
Your Excellency, Minister! "
After thinking about it, Li Qing added, "In addition, it is differentiation, just like Xuanzong and the Supreme Emperor divided the grassland. Hit one and pull one away. Over time, people who are willing to make progress will naturally appear. But how to do it depends on the time. It depends on the situation.”
Li Qing said seriously: "I help you take power, which is completely different from you taking power by your own ability."
"Hmm... That's true." Zhu Jianshen nodded slightly, glanced sideways at Li Qing, and muttered: "You don't seem to be that annoying."
Li Qing smiled: "No one who understands me will hate me."
"You're just too crazy," Zhu Jianshen snorted, "You don't have the consciousness to be a minister at all. If it were a narrow-minded and bad-tempered emperor, you would definitely be unlucky and even dead."
"Maybe." Li Qing laughed.
Zhu Jianshen was also happy. After this discussion, his inherent impression of Li Qing changed a lot, even though Li Qing did not agree to help him.
However, Li Qing also provided him with an idea.
Divide the ministers, use ministers, nobles... Zhu Jianshen sighed: "There is a long way to go, and being an emperor is more difficult than I expected!"
"Do you regret it?"
"No, there is endless joy in fighting against the sky, and there is endless joy in fighting against others!" Zhu Jianshen said confidently and proudly, "I am the emperor, and I am the emperor who is destined to be the emperor by heaven. I am the destiny of heaven!"
This time, Li Qing didn't complain about his boasting. As a young man, confidence is not a bad thing, and it doesn't matter if he gets two points.
I am just afraid that I will lose confidence and give up on myself.
For the first time, the monarch and his ministers were so calm and harmonious.
Zhu Jianshen took the opportunity to test: "Li Qing, why are you so opposed to me and Zhen'er being together?"
He chose Jiangshan before, so he didn't want to tell the truth, and he didn't want to hurt Li Qing's heart.
Li Qing doesn't have to help him, but he must be in the capital!
Zhu Jianshen is a sensible person and knows that with Li Qing here, he can suppress many people.
It can be said that as long as Li Qing is here, he can help him take power invisibly, but the effect is not obvious.
"As far as I know, Li Qing is not that kind of paranoid and stubborn rotten scholar. She is much older than me, but... is age really that important?" Zhu Jianshen was puzzled, "Or, you think Will I ignore the government because of a woman?"
Li Qing was silent for a long time and frowned: "The Emperor really cares about her so much?"
"Hmm..." Zhu Jianshen nodded, "I like it very much."
"Love often makes people sink and lose their rationality." Li Qing said.
Zhu Jianshen objected, "I have passed the age of youth and ignorance, how can I not be able to distinguish between public and private matters?"
He said helplessly: "Don't you think it's funny that you, the majestic Marquis Yongqing, treat a woman like a formidable enemy?
To be honest, I don’t even understand what you are afraid of? Are you afraid that she will cause trouble to Chao Gang? "
Li Qing shook his head slightly. In his memory, Wan Zhen'er did not bring trouble to Chao Gang, and the abortion maniac was also very controversial.
And the Empress Dowager Zhou is still here, what kind of trouble can Wan Zhen'er, an older woman, make?
But what he was worried about was that Zhu Jianshen was too affectionate towards him, which would affect the government.
"Since ancient times, beauty has been a source of disaster..."
"How old is she? She is still causing trouble?" Zhu Jian smiled deeply, "The Queen and the Concubine Xian are very beautiful. Have I been deceived?"
Li Qing couldn't help but tease: "Who told you, Your Majesty, to like older people?"
"No, you are wrong." Zhu Jianshen said sternly: "I also like young, beautiful and good-looking people; I like Zhen'er, not because she is older, but... I can't describe it. In short, I I like her, but not to the point of being dizzy."
Li Qing sighed and said, "You have found her, right?"
"No!" Zhu Jianshen shook his head blankly and said, "I was just going to ask you where she is?"
Li Qing rolled his eyes: "Stop pretending. If you hadn't found her, would you have been so calm to me?"
"I have always been generous."
"Do you dare to tell the truth?" Li Qing scorned, "Don't forget, I said earlier that she got married and had a baby."
"...Okay, I admit it, I found her."
