It was completely dark. Zhou Tianhong, with Zhou Kun's support, walked into the house with exhausted steps. Gao Tian saw it and hurriedly met him, holding him with both hands and said, "Master, you are back."

Zhou Tianhong waved his hand and said, "Go down and prepare some food for me and Xiao Kun." Then he turned around and looked at Zhou Xian who was standing next to him, and sighed, "You follow me."

Zhou Xian nodded and walked into the hall with him.

Zhou Tianhong took a cup of tea handed over by Jinse, savored it slowly and said, "Jinse, you can go out first! I have something to tell Xian'er. Without my consent, no one can come in."

Jinse bowed and slowly retreated out.

Zhou Tianhong sighed and said softly: "Land is the foundation of the existence of gentry, and banning private shipping is an excellent way for many wealthy officials to obtain huge profits. The three types of salt, tea, and mines can control them, either the aristocratic families or the officials of the court. There are also the opening of the northern market, and the Shanxi merchants, from top to bottom, even the father-in-laws in the palace, have some care. Your strategies have offended all the officials from top to bottom, from inside to outside. Do you know the seriousness of this at all?"

Zhou Xian shook his head and said, "At the beginning, I did know that this would touch the interests of some people, but I didn't expect that there would be so many. Now the child knows that he is wrong."

Zhou Tianhong nodded and sighed, "It's good that you can know your mistake. The 200,000 taels of silver have been given out, and someone will help you speak. As long as the court is not a one-man official, you want to cure your crime, Your Majesty will have the corresponding steps and you can save your life. As long as you survive this period of time, you can become an official again."

Zhou Xian was stunned for a moment, but he didn't expect that his words in Wuying Palace would have spent 200,000 taels of silver in vain. He couldn't help but feel ache in his heart. He smiled helplessly and said, "Father, how many people have you been begging for today!"

Zhou Tianhong's face tightened and leaned back, putting himself in a comfortable position. "This matter is already like this, don't ask too much. Stay at home these days and don't go out to cause trouble for me."

Emperor Chongzhen sat dejectedly on the dragon chaise, pressing one hand on the temple on the right. The chief assistant Xue Guoguan quickly walked into the hall and bowed to Emperor Chongzhen and said, "Greetings to your Majesty for me."

Emperor Chongzhen waved his hand and said, "Sit down!" Xue Guoguan sat down, and the palace maid next to him quickly served a cup of tea.

Emperor Chongzhen sighed, pointed to the memorial on the Long Case, and said annoyedly: "Look at these, look at these, they were all written by the civil and military ministers in the court. Just after the palace examination was completed in the afternoon, nearly a hundred copies were sent in the evening. Thirty of them were asked to kill Zhou Xian, and the others were also punished severely. Are they doing nothing every day? So many people targeted a child who was under the age of sixteen at once. Are they shameful?"

Seeing Xue Guoguan silent, Emperor Chongzhen suddenly changed his expression and said in a deep voice: "What, as the chief minister of the cabinet, do you have nothing to say to me?"

Xue Guoguan quickly stood up and bowed to Emperor Chongzhen and said, "Your Majesty, do you want me to judge whether Zhou Xian is guilty or whether the actions of these officials are reasonable?"

Emperor Chongzhen shook his sleeves and said, "It's time? You're still slowing down and tell me everything."

Xue Guoguan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, you summoned the students to participate in the palace examination to let them talk casually. What Zhou Xian said does make some sense. Although your actions are a little extreme, they are also to do their jobs. In the eyes of our ministers, there is no mistake."

"Nothing is wrong, is that I am wrong?"

"I dare not. I think that what Zhou Xian said, such as opening a sea ban, increasing salt, tea, and mineral tax rates, has been proposed by ministers before, but it was left unresolved in the end. Why is this? Because the benefits touched inside are too great and cannot be moved easily. Zhou Xian's move was like throwing a stone in a deep pool, causing great ripples, which aroused strong opposition from some court officials."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded and said, "I know what you said. No one dares to say it because of such a force in the court. This time when Zhou Xian mentioned it, they became anxious.

Xue Guoguan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, even if Your Majesty ordered the court officials to discuss the strategies, they may still be left unresolved in the end. It is not because what he said is right, but because it can be implemented at present? I think Your Majesty should save Zhou Xian's life first, and then discuss other things."

Emperor Chongzhen moved his body and said, "Can I just give Zhou Xian the top scholar? To shock them with this."

Xue Guoguan shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, in this way, of course, it can shock them. But then! It cannot change the current situation of the court, but instead push Zhou Xian alone to the opposite of most of the court's ministers. Although Zhou Xian is not old at present, he has such insights. Could it be that Your Majesty has tolerate such talents, because he is strongly opposed by the ministers, and will not be valued in the future."

Emperor Chongzhen lowered his head, pondered for a moment, and finally nodded. He said to Xue Guoguan: "My dear, in your opinion, how should I deal with this matter now?"

Xue Guoguan stood up and bowed and said, "Your Majesty, in the opinion of me, this matter should be left temporarily. And if Your Majesty wants to reuse Zhou Xian in the future, he should abandon him for a period of time at this time. For example, other Jinshi were granted officials, leaving Zhou Xian alone. In this way, after a period of time, it can gradually pass."

Emperor Chongzhen thought for a while and said, "Is this OK?"

Xue Guoguan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, Zhou Xian is the prince's accompanying you to study. Your Majesty is yours. This time he proposed four strategies at once, and the strategies pointed directly at the disadvantages of the court. With his age, who would believe that it was all his own ideas!"

Emperor Chongzhen asked in confusion: "Who do they think this is?"

"Your Majesty, you. They thought your Majesty was expressing their thoughts through Zhou Xian's mouth, and then they would make major changes. It is precisely because of this that they opposed it so fiercely."

After Xue Guoguan left, Emperor Chongzhen sat on the dragon throne exhausted and shouted, "Wang Cheng'en, bring me that kind of Jinshi rank."

Wang Chengen responded and quickly presented it to him. Emperor Chongzhen took a look, finally sighed, and wrote on the jade note. The top scholar Wei Zaode was named Hanlin Academy editor; Ge Shizhen was named Hanlin Academy editor; Tanhua Zhou Xian. After writing, Emperor Chongzhen handed it to Wang Chengen and said, "Go and pass it to the Ministry of Personnel! Let them post it.

Wang Chengen hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, Zhou Xian's official position has not been granted yet!"
Chapter completed!