Chapter 43

Upon hearing the summons from Emperor Deqing, Zhao Junchen naturally did not dare to be negligent. However, he also knew that Zhan Shanchang must have something important to discuss with him. Therefore, after signaling Zhang De to wait a moment, Zhao Junchen said to Zhan Shanchang, "I dare not be negligent with the Emperor's summons. If you have something to discuss, perhaps you could wait for me outside the palace for a while?"

Zhan Shanchang naturally did not dare to object. Although he was anxious, he still replied respectfully, "Sir Zhao is too polite. The Emperor's summons must be for important matters, and it is only fitting that I wait."

After making this arrangement with Zhan Shanchang, Zhao Junchen did not delay further and followed Zhang De to the Imperial Study to meet Emperor Deqing.

On the way, Zhao Junchen and Zhang De chatted casually. Because Zhao Junchen had previously given Zhang De 5,000 taels of silver, Zhang De treated him much more politely, at least not as sarcastically as before.

Halfway through, taking advantage of the lack of attention, Zhao Junchen took out a 5,000 tael banknote from his sleeve and handed it to Zhang De, smiling, "I must thank you, Eunuch Zhang, for informing me about the situation in the capital when I was in Lu'an. Otherwise, I would have been unprepared upon my return and might have been caught off guard."

After glancing at the amount on the banknote, Zhang De's smile grew even wider, and he treated Zhao Junchen even more politely, "Oh, we are all serving the Emperor, there's no need for such formality. In fact, these days, the ministers are obstructing the Emperor's southern tour, which makes the Emperor unhappy. We who serve the Emperor are also upset, but unfortunately, we don't have the capability like Sir Zhao. Now that you are back, you have helped the Emperor, and seeing those ministers speechless today, I feel very satisfied..."

Although he said this, Zhang De did not hesitate to put the 5,000 tael banknote in his sleeve.

Seeing that Zhang De had taken the banknote, Zhao Junchen then stated his purpose, "Eunuch Zhang, I have heard that there is a eunuch named Liu Qing in the palace who is highly respected. I have always wanted to meet him, but I haven't had the opportunity. Could you introduce me to him one day?"

Hearing this, Zhang De was slightly taken aback and looked at Zhao Junchen with a deep and meaningful gaze, smiling lightly, "Sir Zhao wants to meet Master Liu? That's quite an ambitious goal."

After a pause, Zhang De continued, "Master Liu is old and has been focusing on the Inner School for many years, not liking to show himself. However, if Sir Zhao requests a meeting, he probably won't refuse. I will find an opportunity to introduce you to him in a few days."

Zhao Junchen smiled, "Thank you, Eunuch Zhang."

...

The power of the eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty was well-known. Although the eunuch forces have been purged several times since the reign of Emperor Chongzhen, they still controlled the 24 inner offices and should not be underestimated.

Among these 24 inner offices, each was managed by a chief eunuch, but due to different responsibilities, some were more important than others.

The most powerful was the Office of Ceremonial, which handled internal and external memorials, approved them in red ink on behalf of the Emperor, and managed all eunuch affairs. The famous Eastern Depot was also a subordinate institution of the Office of Ceremonial, making it the most influential.

The Imperial Horse Office, which managed the imperial military symbols and dispatched eunuch supervisors, also had significant influence due to its control over the imperial guards.

Compared to these two major eunuch offices, the others mostly handled procurement, cleaning, and ceremonial duties, making them less influential.

The eunuch Zhao Junchen wanted to meet, named Liu Qing, was not part of the 24 inner offices, and even many high-ranking officials were unaware of his existence. However, compared to the chief eunuchs of the Office of Ceremonial and the Imperial Horse Office, Zhao Junchen valued Liu Qing more.

The reason was simple: Liu Qing managed the Inner School!

In the early Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang strictly restricted eunuchs and did not allow them to read or write to prevent them from interfering in politics. However, during the reign of Emperor Xuande, to balance the power of the cabinet, the Inner School was established to teach eunuchs to read and write. After the eunuchs became literate, the Emperor's orders were recorded in red ink by the eunuchs of the Office of Ceremonial, then reviewed by the cabinet and issued by the six ministries.

As a result, the Office of Ceremonial gained significant power, sometimes even surpassing the cabinet, and produced powerful eunuchs like Liu Jin and Wei Zhongxian.

From this, it can be seen that the Inner School, although not one of the 24 inner offices, was a key factor in the rise of the eunuch forces and could be considered the core of the inner court. Most of the chief eunuchs of the 24 inner offices were graduates of the Inner School!

Liu Qing, the current head of the Inner School, was like the principal of a eunuch school, and the chief eunuchs of the 24 inner offices were his students!

As a personal eunuch of Emperor Deqing, Zhang De held a high position in the Office of Ceremonial, but even he had to call Liu Qing "Master Liu," indicating Liu Qing's significant influence.

Zhao Junchen, now intent on forming alliances both inside and outside the court, needed to carefully cultivate a relationship with someone like Liu Qing.

In fact, although the Inner Treasury was not one of the 24 inner offices, it was one of the most important powers in the hands of the eunuchs. After Zhao Junchen took control of it, many eunuchs in the inner court resented him. Trying to turn these eunuchs from enemies to friends would be too troublesome and time-consuming. However, if he could befriend Liu Qing, it would solve most of his problems.

...

While deep in thought, Zhao Junchen had already arrived outside the Imperial Study.

"Long live the Emperor, may he reign for ten thousand years!"

After being announced, Zhao Junchen entered the Imperial Study and bowed to Emperor Deqing.

"Rise."

Emperor Deqing's voice was cold and stern.

Zhao Junchen looked up and saw that Emperor Deqing's face was even colder and more terrifying.

Zhao Junchen knew that Emperor Deqing was very unhappy. The southern tour had not been decided, and there were rumors of exam cheating, which must have made Emperor Deqing very angry.

Therefore, after rising, Zhao Junchen tried to comfort Emperor Deqing, "Is Your Majesty worried about the matters discussed in the morning court? In my opinion, there's no need to worry. If I can increase the revenue of the Ministry of Revenue by 200,000 taels within a month, the southern tour will have no obstacles, and no one will dare to say anything. As for the exam cheating case, it's still just a rumor, and it's hard to say if it's true. There's no need for Your Majesty to worry about these matters."

Although Emperor Deqing had summoned Zhao Junchen, he seemed distracted and was frowning in deep thought while Zhao Junchen spoke.

After hearing Zhao Junchen's words, Emperor Deqing came back to his senses and asked, "Do you really have the confidence to increase the revenue of the Ministry of Revenue by 200,000 taels within a month? If you can't, I will allow you to use the silver from the inner treasury. We must find a way to get through this crisis. If you fail to increase the revenue by 200,000 taels of silver in a month, I won't be able to go on the southern tour, but if you get into trouble because of this, it will make me very uneasy. The crime of deceiving the Emperor is no small matter."

Hearing this, Zhao Junchen, though unsure of the sincerity of Emperor Deqing's words, was somewhat moved.

Of course, Zhao Junchen's inner feelings of being moved were only about two or three points, but the expression on his face was twelve points of moved. He said, "Your Majesty's consideration for me is so thorough. How can I let Your Majesty down? Please rest assured, I will definitely accomplish this task without using Your Majesty's private silver."

Hearing this, Emperor Deqing was surprised and asked, "Have you already thought of a way?"

Zhao Junchen shook his head, "I haven't thought of a specific plan yet, but I am very confident in finding ways to increase revenue. Please rest assured, and I will report to Your Majesty as soon as I have a plan."

Zhao Junchen was not lying. Coming from the future, he had several hundred years of experience and now had power and influence. There were many ways to make money for him. The reason he hadn't thought of a specific plan was that he didn't know which one to use.

Emperor Deqing, hearing this, frowned slightly but did not say much more, seeing Zhao Junchen's confident demeanor.

After a moment of thought, Emperor Deqing suddenly shouted at the eunuchs in the Imperial Study, "All of you, leave. By my order, no one is to approach within ten steps of the Imperial Study, or they will be executed!"

Hearing the coldness in Emperor Deqing's voice, the eunuchs were all frightened and quickly left the Imperial Study.

For a moment, only Emperor Deqing and Zhao Junchen were left in the Imperial Study.

With a puzzled look, Emperor Deqing asked, "Did you mention our conversation in the Imperial Study yesterday to anyone else?"

Seeing the cold and stern expression on Emperor Deqing's face, Zhao Junchen finally understood why Emperor Deqing was so unhappy.

It was not because the southern tour had not been decided, nor because of the exam cheating, or even because Zhao Junchen might lose the bet. It was because the conversation between him and Zhao Junchen yesterday had been known by the Crown Prince Zhu Huyu.

During the morning court, Zhu Huyu's remarks seemed to indicate that he already knew about Zhao Junchen's and Emperor Deqing's plans for the southern tour, and he was clearly well-prepared.

For an emperor, having his every move known by others and having no secrets left was the most serious matter.

Zhao Junchen did not dare to be negligent. After a moment of thought, he slowly shook his head and said, "This is a significant matter. I have never revealed the plan for the southern tour to anyone."

Emperor Deqing, who trusted Zhao Junchen, nodded but his expression became even more serious, and he sneered, "If that's the case, then the plan for the southern tour must have been leaked from my side. Good, to dare to plant spies in my presence, what a bold move!"

His voice was low, but his teeth were clenched.

Although Emperor Deqing did not say it outright, it was clear that he was extremely dissatisfied with the Crown Prince Zhu Huyu.

Opposing the southern tour was just a difference of opinion, but planting spies in the emperor's presence was a sign of disloyalty, which had a completely different meaning for Emperor Deqing.

Although Zhu Huyu was the Crown Prince, if the Crown Prince had disloyal intentions, it was even more terrifying for the emperor!

However, although Zhu Huyu somehow learned about the southern tour plan, Zhao Junchen did not think that the spy in Emperor Deqing's presence was necessarily planted by Zhu Huyu.

Although Zhao Junchen had only met Zhu Huyu a few times, he believed he understood him well. Zhu Huyu was a rare upright person in the royal family, somewhat stubborn, and full of ethical rules. It was hard to imagine such a person planting spies in the emperor's presence.

Zhao Junchen thought that Zhu Huyu's knowledge of the southern tour plan was more likely due to someone else intentionally revealing it to him.

Moreover, the person who revealed this information to Zhu Huyu definitely did not have good intentions. Just look at how angry Emperor Deqing was.

Intending to use the Crown Prince Zhu Huyu to stop Emperor Deqing's southern tour, and at the same time, to use this opportunity to undermine Zhu Huyu's position in Emperor Deqing's heart, and having the ability to gather information about the conversation between Emperor Deqing and Zhao Junchen, the person who met all three conditions...

Thinking about this, Zhao Junchen's mind conjured up the image of the cabinet's chief minister, Zhou Shangjing, a frail and aged figure.

"Indeed, the older, the wiser! If I hadn't appeared, he would have already turned the tide without showing any signs. The entire court, the Crown Prince, and the Emperor would all have become his pawns."

Thinking about this, Zhao Junchen, while secretly admiring Zhou Shangjing, also became more cautious.

...

After Zhao Junchen left the Imperial Study, he had only taken a few steps when he heard Emperor Deqing's voice from inside.

"Arrest all the eunuchs who served in the Imperial Study yesterday and interrogate them. Use severe torture, and don't let anyone off."

Sighing inwardly for the eunuchs, Zhao Junchen did not delay and quickly walked out of the palace.

When Zhao Junchen reached the Meridian Gate, he saw Zhan Shanchang pacing anxiously, his face full of worry, circling around Zhao Junchen's sedan chair.

Seeing Zhao Junchen, Zhan Shanchang quickly approached, his face full of distress, and knelt before Zhao Junchen, crying, "Please, Sir Zhao, save my life. I have thought about it, and the only one who can save me now is Sir Zhao!"

The wait had completely broken Zhan Shanchang's psychological defenses, and he did not even bother with the usual formalities in front of Zhao Junchen.

With many people around the Meridian Gate, Zhao Junchen quickly helped Zhan Shanchang up and said, "This is not the place to talk. If you don't mind, could you come to my residence for a detailed discussion?"

...

PS: Can the total recommendations reach 10,000 today? ( #^_^# ) There is a big chapter before midnight today!

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