After He Liu finished his talk with Zhang Juzheng, he left the Chief Auxiliary's Mansion and walked towards his own home.

Zhang Juzheng's deafening words echoed in his ears: In the face of the welfare of the people of the world, what is the personal honor, disgrace, gains and losses?

He Liu suddenly felt that he was really small compared to Zhang Juzheng.

Before he knew it, he went home and entered the bedroom.

Bai Xiaoyan was sitting on the bed.

He Liu said in surprise: "Before I left the mansion just now, didn't you tell you and Yue'er and Zezhen to go out of the city overnight to Liaodong? Why haven't you left yet?"

Bai Xiaoyan said: "Yue'er and Zezhen have already left the city. I don't plan to leave."

He Liu said angrily: "I'm confused! It won't take many days to go, and there will be a bloody storm in the court! Why are you staying in the capital? Do you die with me?"

Bai Xiaoyan stood up and looked at her husband with a firm look: "Life and bed together, die and have a hole together. Over the years, I have seen all kinds of storms and waves with you. If this time, you can't overcome this hurdle and be killed by someone. What's the point of living after you die? I might as well be a companion with you on the road to the underworld."

He Liu hugged his wife: "Oh, it is said that husband and wife are just birds in the forest, and they fly away from each other when the disaster is coming. But you want to overcome the disaster with me. With a virtuous wife like you, my life is enough."

Cining Palace.

Empress Li sat upright on the phoenix chair. In front of her, a couple were kneeling: Li Heijiu, the governor of the North of Jinyiwei, and Liang Shanghong, the first-class palace maid of Kunning Palace.

Empress Dowager Li has lost her graceful appearance from the past, and her crow's feet have quietly climbed up to the corner of her eyes. She asked: "Are you couple really leaving?"

Li Heijiu bowed and said, "I am a person who is almost in my old age. I really don't have the ability to do the responsibilities of the court. The leaves come back to my roots. Recently, I dreamed of the hills of my hometown in Shunde Prefecture and the wild flowers on the hills. I also asked the Queen Mother to be kind and allow us to go back to our hometown and spend the twilight years."

Empress Dowager Li said, "Forget it. You and your wife have worked for the Ai family for nearly twenty years. The Ai family cannot force you to keep you. The Ai family has ordered Feng Bao to prepare three thousand taels of silver for you. It is enough for you to support you."

Li Heijiu and Liang Shanghong kowtowed together: "I (sub) thank the Queen Mother for the kindness and reward!"

Empress Dowager Li asked, "Li Heijiu, who do you think can succeed the Northern Governor after you leave?"

Li Heijiu replied without hesitation: "I think that the Qianhu He Shizhong of the Jinyiwei can succeed the Northern Punishment envoy."

Empress Dowager Li hesitated a little: "He Shizhong? He Liu's son?"

Li Heijiu said: "Report to the Empress Dowager, in my opinion, He Shizhong is not someone's son, but the Emperor and the Empress Dowager's minister."

After thinking for a moment, Empress Dowager Li said, "Well, He Shizhong is Mr. Zhang's student, the emperor's companion for the imperial examination when he was young, and he was also the nephew of Feng Bao, the chief supervisor of the Sili Supervisor. His identity is indeed worthy of the position of the Northern Punishment Envoy. However, he seems to be too young."

Liang Shanghong helped his husband advise Empress Dowager Li: "Reported to the Empress Dowager, if you have ambitions, you will not be old, but if you have no ambitions, you will be a hundred years old. He Shizhong is a young man. Moreover, he is a first-class loyal minister. Two years ago, in order to spy on the Japanese love, he went deep into the tiger's den with great courage and lost an arm. For the sake of the safety of the country, he could ignore his own safety. Such a person could fully serve as the Northern Punishment envoy."

Liang Shanghong has been the personal maid of Empress Dowager Li for nearly twenty years. What she said is very important in Empress Dowager Li's heart.

Empress Dowager Li said: "Yeah, what you said is reasonable. Feng Bao."

Feng Bao walked into the hall: "Empress Dowager, I am here."

Empress Dowager Li said: "You will say hello to the cabinet and the emperor tomorrow, and let the emperor give an order and promote He Shizhong to the Northern Punishment Envoy."

Feng Bao was happy. He Shizhong was the one he watched as he grew up. His nephew was promoted to Guan'er. How could he not be happy as an uncle?

Feng Bao said: "I obey the Queen Mother's decree."

Empress Dowager Li said again: "Li Heijiu, Liang Shanghong, you go down. Feng Bao, you stay."

Li Heijiu and Liang Shanghong left, Empress Dowager Li asked Feng Bao: "How is Mr. Zhang's condition?"

Feng Bao replied in truth: "The Queen Mother, the people from the Imperial Hospital said that Mr. Zhang may not be able to survive this summer."

Empress Li's expression changed: "Mr. Zhang... I'll have only two months to live? If he returns to heaven, what will happen to the Ming Dynasty?"

Empress Dowager Li had an almost paranoid trust in Zhang Juzheng. In her opinion, if Zhang Juzheng was missing in the Ming Dynasty, the sky would collapse immediately.

Empress Dowager Li continued to worry and said, "How is this good! Feng Bao, do you think that if Mr. Zhang returns to heaven, who can take on the position of chief minister, who can take on the burden of the two capitals and 13 provinces, and who can be the emperor's teacher?"

Emperor Wanli is already twenty years old, but Empress Dowager Li still regards him as a child. She never thought that Emperor Wanli now does not need any teacher!

Feng Bao was speechless for a while, and after a long time he spoke, "You report to the Empress Dowager, the candidate for the new chief minister, is related to the country's destiny. I dare not speak much."

The reason Feng Bao said this is because he has not yet decided who to support Zhang Juzheng. Now there are only three people in the cabinet who are qualified to replace Zhang Juzheng. Zhang Siwei, Wang Guoguang and Shen Shixing. In Feng Bao's view, Wang Guoguang and Shen Shixing are pedantic literati and will not stand aside with him, the inner minister. Zhang Siwei's attitude is unclear...

Queen Mother Li said, "Forget it, you go back."

Feng Bao withdrew from Cining Palace, left the palace directly, and returned to his eunuch's mansion, who was outside the palace.

The Ming Dynasty had a rule that eunuchs in the palace were not allowed to set up private residences outside the palace. After two hundred years of founding, this rule had long been forgotten by eunuchs.

This eunuch's mansion in charge of seals was given to Feng Bao by Emperor Longqing.

Feng Bao was the one who served people in the palace. When he returned to the outside house, he was the one who was served. Two stunning maids undressed Feng Bao. Feng Bao sat on the chair of the Grand Master in the bedroom, closed his eyes to rest.

There were two more maids, one for Feng Bao to pinch his shoulders and the other for Feng Bao to beat his legs.

There was a maid standing in front of Feng Bao, peeling off the skin of the grapes and stuffing them into Feng Bao's mouth.

Feng Bao closed his eyes and said a word: "Tea".

Immediately, a maid picked up the tea bowl and delivered it to Feng Bao's mouth.

At this moment, a small eunuch outside the door reported: "Old ancestor, second ancestor and Zhang Siwei, the cabinet's cabinet, asked for a meeting."

The eunuch in the palace always called Feng Bao, the chief seal of the Sili Supervisor, the "Old Ancestor", and Zhang Jing, the Sili Supervisor's pen and the Yongshou Palace manager's "Two Ancestors".

The eunuchs have no relatives, so they are keen on recognizing their ancestors.

Feng Bao put on the brochure of his ancestors: "Oh, just say I'm reading the memorial. Let them wait in the hall. I'll see them again in half an hour."

The little eunuch hurriedly said, "Yes, my ancestor. The great-grandson will go and pass on a message to the second ancestor and Mr. Zhang."
Chapter completed!