After Shen Yi left the Manlu Hall, His Majesty the Emperor sat silently in his seat in a daze.
It wasn't until Eunuch Gao stood behind him and called softly that His Majesty the Emperor came back to his senses, looked back at Gao Ming, and frowned slightly: "What's the matter?"
Eunuch Gao bowed his head respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, it's time for lunch."
The emperor said "Oh" and then stood up from the chair. After stretching his muscles, he went to the side hall to have a meal.
The emperor did not even eat this meal steadily. He would often start to feel dazed again after taking two bites of food.
After eating this meal for almost half an hour, the emperor wiped his mouth and silently returned to the study room of Ganlu Hall.
His Majesty the Emperor, who takes a nap almost every day, did not even take a nap today.
Eunuch Gao frowned slightly and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, there are still three or four people who are going to the palace to meet the saint in the afternoon. Would you like to take a nap?"
Today is the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. Although the court is not working, many people still want to go to the palace to see the emperor and kowtow to him.
Among these people, there are relatives and ministers. In short, they are all people who are not easy to see.
The emperor nodded, suddenly looked back at Eunuch Gao, and asked: "Gao Ming, what kind of person do you think Shen Yi is?"
Gao Ming thought for a while and replied: "I think that Minister Shen is a..."
"A capable minister."
The emperor glared at Gao Ming angrily.
"He has done so many things over the years, but I don't know that he is a capable minister? I am asking you, Shen Yi's character..."
"wrong."
The emperor shook his head and changed his words: "I should say character. What do you think of his character?"
Eunuch Gao glanced at the emperor cautiously, and after hesitating for a moment, asked: "Your Majesty, what were you talking about with Shilang Shen just now?"
When the emperor had a secret talk with Shen Yi in the morning, Eunuch Gao was playing with Li Wang and was not in the Manlu Hall to listen, so he really didn't know.
The emperor took a deep breath and said, "He wants power from me."
"To be precise, it's..."
The emperor narrowed his eyes: "You want me to delegate power to him."
Gao Ming thought for a while, then lowered his head and said: "I don't know what power Shilang Shen wants, but judging from His Majesty's hesitation, it should be a lot of power. I think that as long as His Majesty has a little hesitation in his heart, this power will not be lost."
It should be given to Minister Shen."
The emperor glared at Gao Ming and said in a low voice: "Who asked you this? I'm asking you, what is Shen Yi's character like?"
"Shilang Shen is a very smart man, but..."
Eunuch Gao lowered his head and said, "I feel that he is sometimes too eager to do things and a little impatient."
"Well."
The emperor nodded, not knowing whether he heard it or not. He leaned on the soft couch, but couldn't fall asleep. He stayed up until the afternoon, when people came into the palace one after another to pay him New Year greetings and kowtow.
His Majesty the Emperor met one by one, and by the time he saw the fourth person, it was almost evening. His Majesty the Emperor was yawning profusely and still sitting in his chair in a daze.
When it was getting dark, Eunuch Gao hurriedly walked to His Majesty's side and said, "Your Majesty, Minister Shen is asking for an audience outside the palace."
The emperor was stunned: "Didn't you just come in the morning? Why are you here again now?"
Gao Ming shook his head: "I don't know, I don't know."
The emperor thought for a moment and waved his hand: "Let him come in."
A moment later, Mr. Shen reappeared in the Manna Hall. He held a document in his hand, knelt in front of the emperor, lowered his head and said: "Your Majesty, I am writing to apologize."
The emperor smiled hoarsely: "What crime is Shen Qing guilty of?"
Shen Yi exhaled a breath of turbidity, lowered his head and said: "In the morning, I entered the palace to meet the Holy Spirit. I spoke indiscriminately and said a lot of things that I shouldn't have said. After I went back, I thought about it and felt that I shouldn't have said it anyway. Therefore, I apologize. Please forgive me."
Your Majesty punishes me."
Shen Yi lowered his head and said: "This morning, I asked your Majesty to pretend that you didn't hear the third method I mentioned. It's all nonsense and you can never really act in accordance with the law."
The emperor smiled and said, "Why, Shen Qing wants to change his words?"
Shen Yi looked up at the emperor, then lowered his head and said, "Yes, I want to change my words."
The emperor walked down the imperial steps, stretched out his hand to help Shen Yi up, and said with a smile: "What? After Shen Qing went back, he went to see my God of Wealth, and was scolded by him?"
"You feel scared, so you rush to the palace to see me to plead guilty, right?"
Shen Yi stood up, shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, I didn't go to see Uncle Zhao. I thought about it after returning home. Since the imperial court has laws, I can't break them."
"This battle...cannot have a third way of fighting."
The emperor smiled and said: "So, what Shen Qing said this morning is that I will take back Shandong within two years, so it doesn't count?"
Shen Yi lowered his head slightly and said, "No more counting."
When the emperor heard this, he shook his head first, and then sighed: "You have lost your spirit too."
After saying this, the emperor moved a small platform and sat in front of Shen Yi. He waved to Gao Ming. Gao Ming immediately understood and moved a chair for Shen Yi.
After the monarch and his ministers sat down, the emperor also sighed and said, "Shen Qing, I have been thinking about what you said this morning, and I can't help but think about it all day long."
"I can grant you the third method you mentioned, but the court cannot grant it to you, especially those civil servants. If they find out, they will poke you in the spine and scold you to death."
"Therefore, let us, the monarch and his ministers, make a compromise."
He said softly: "This year, the Huaihe Navy will not move according to Shen Qing's wishes. The Northern Expedition will be left to the Huai'an Army. According to the imperial edict here, you can only do things conveniently north of the Huaihe River..."
"As for local recruitment, war gains, and all kinds of other things..."
The emperor said softly: "None of this can be written on paper, otherwise the imperial court will have trouble getting through it, and the noble clan will also accuse me of being stupid."
Shen Yi nodded quickly: "Your Majesty, I just need to fight normally."
The emperor shook his head slightly: "Listen to me."
He patted Shen Yi on the shoulder and said with a smile: "I trust you, Shen Qing. If you didn't have the title of monarch and minister, you and I should be able to become good friends."
"But since I inherited the family business from my ancestors, I have to be more careful about some things."
"I allow you to act cheaply, but I have told you in advance that I will send supervisory troops to your army."
The emperor paused and then said with a smile: "But since we have made a compromise, I can't ask you to conquer Shandong in two or three years. You can fight as you want. As long as you don't suffer losses and can hurt everyone, it will be fine."
Shen Yi lowered his head slightly, leaned forward and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
The emperor stood up and rubbed his sore shoulders.
Shen Yi also stood up and followed the emperor.
As the emperor walked away, he said: "I think that the idea of conquering a certain number of places in a few years is a bit inappropriate. Once there is a framework and constraints, it is likely to make the frontline soldiers impatient."
"Secondly, teach others how to handle it."
The emperor looked back at Shen Yi and said, "What do you think, Shen Qing?"
Shen Yi nodded and exhaled a breath of white air.
"Yes, I am eager for quick success."
The emperor patted Shen Yi's arm and said with a smile: "It is said that you should not trust people when you employ them, and you will not use them when you are suspicious."
"I have made great use of Shen Qing, so I have never had any doubts about you."
"The Northern Expedition is a big undertaking. If you and I, the monarch and our ministers, cannot work together, it will be difficult to accomplish it."
Shen Yi nodded and said: "Not only does His Majesty and his ministers work together, but also the whole court must work together."
"That's a good thing."
The emperor shook his head slightly and said with emotion: "It's just that there are thousands of people in the court who have thousands of thoughts. This is easier said than done."
"Life comes from selfishness, and it is inevitable for thousands of people to have thousands of thoughts. Your Majesty only needs to coordinate the general direction."
The emperor sighed again: "I'm afraid that won't be easy either."
“Wherever profit goes, that’s where people’s hearts want.”
Shen Yi followed the emperor and said, "As long as the Northern Expedition is beneficial to most people in the court, we will naturally be united."
The emperor nodded and said with a smile: "Then it depends on you, Shen Qing."
"Conquer a few state capitals first and let them see the real benefits."
Shen Yi bowed his head respectfully: "Wei Chen is just trying his best."
…………
After it got dark, Shen Yi left the Ganlu Hall.
Although it was the first month of winter, Master Shen's back was almost soaked when he walked out of the Manlu Hall.
Even Gao Ming, the man who sent him off, had some confusion on his face, as if he was curious about how come Shen Yi, with his intelligence, could say that kind of thing to the emperor that morning.
After leaving the imperial city, Shen Yi did not go home. Instead, he picked up a bottle of wine and bought some side dishes. He came to Dayifang and found Old Man Gu who was drinking alone in the school.
Shen Yi stepped forward, put down the food and wine, and said to Old Man Gu: "Thank you, Master Gu, for clarifying the mystery, otherwise the student might really do something wrong!"
After leaving Ganlu Hall in the morning, although Shen Yi felt that what he said was a bit radical, he did not feel that he had made any mistakes.
Because for him, being able to fight mobile warfare, annihilation warfare, and develop and strengthen his own strength within the enemy is the best way to use his abilities.
But when he left the Manlu Hall, he went to visit Old Man Gu with food and wine, and after chatting for a few words during the meal, Old Man Gu scolded him with a slap in the face and asked Shen Yi to go to the palace immediately to plead guilty!
At that time, Shen Yi didn't even reveal much to the old man, he just said something to him.
"If we can establish a firm foothold in the north and recruit Han people from all over the country to join the army, then the Northern Expedition can be expected."
These were Shen Yi's original words at that time.
With just this small talk, Old Man Gu's expression changed drastically and he became angry with Shen Yi.
After Shen Yi thought about it, he felt scared, so he hurried home and wrote a letter of apology, and hurried into the palace, hoping to go back and make amends.
He was indeed too hasty.
I was so anxious that I violated taboos and said some things I shouldn't have said.
Old Man Gu took the wine handed over by Shen Yi, smelled it, poured himself a bowl, and snorted softly: "Fortunately, I have a fairly open-minded personality today. If you were a careless emperor, you, Shen Qi, would never even think about it in this life."
Really reused!"
Shen Yi lowered his head and took a sip of wine: "Is it so serious?"
Old Man Gu let out a "hum".
"Restore the old place and return it to the old capital..."
"These eight words sound as big as the sky."
The old man raised his head and took a sip of wine, then looked at Shen Yi and sneered.
"If it was really so great, why did Emperor Sejong rush south in panic?"
"If the unification of China was really so important, the Li family would have..."
Shen Yi coughed suddenly, interrupting the old man's speech, and his face became unsightly.
"Master Gu said I was brave this morning."
Mr. Shen looked around thoughtfully and whispered: "You are much braver than me!"
On a winter night, the old man's white hair was fluttering and he laughed.
