I Hope You Do Not Disappoint Me

At the beginning of his reign, he also possessed a heart full of ambition, striving to be a brilliant ruler, to create an unprecedentedly great legacy, and to revitalize the lands of the Great Ming. For instance, the policy of the ancestral laws was implemented starting from his generation.

But after he took over the Great Ming, he was shocked to discover that the Great Ming had become a dilapidated ship, its long-standing ailments so severe they had seeped into its very marrow. To uproot them, one would have to dismantle the entire order of the Great Ming and rebuild it.

The northern and southern barbarians encroaching on the borders were merely skin-deep ailments, not worth mentioning. The true heart-ailment was the court officials—the prestigious clans and powerful families that had taken deep root in the soil of the Great Ming, sucking its lifeblood.

It was then that the clever Jia Jing gained a sudden, clear understanding: the situation was untenable. If he insisted on being a brilliant ruler, diligent in national affairs, he would very likely become the target of concentrated attacks from those whose interests were harmed. After all, the moral bottom line of the Great Ming's scholar-officials was far too flexible. They didn't care who sat on the throne; they only cared if there was someone sitting in that position.

Take, for example, the Oirat "exchange student" and the story that must be told about his dear younger brother. Jia Jing didn't want to be like that unlucky elder cousin of his, slipping into the water at a young age and dying prematurely.

So, he let go. He chose to pursue immortality. He chose to regulate and control the situation from behind the scenes. It could be said that the Grand Secretaries of various generations were merely shields and tools he pushed to the front to do his work.

"Yan Song has grown old; the current him is truly not adorable!" A trace of disappointment appeared on his calm face.

Alas, why can't these blades be used a bit longer? Jia Jing felt a profound sense of loss in his heart. Yan Song spoke pleasantly and understood the imperial will; he was a rare, fine blade. He had always been favored, otherwise, he wouldn't have held such a high position for so long.

But people eventually grow old. When people grow old, many of their ideas no longer align with his will. For instance, previously, he was playing with firecrackers while naked in a warm tent with one of his beauties. Then, by accident, the Yong Shou Palace caught fire. As a result, this old man gave a terrible suggestion, making him temporarily reside in the Southern Compound.

What kind of place was that? That was where the Great Ming God of War, the Oirat "exchange student," was once under house arrest! What did this old man mean by making him stay there!

A blade not being sharp wasn't the most serious problem. The most serious problem was that the blade was not only dull but also awkward to handle. Such a blade, naturally, had to be replaced.

However, having nurtured him for over twenty years, there were feelings after all. For a moment, he was still a bit reluctant to strike. But now it was fine; he could use today's events as a pretext to do some things. For example, secretly supporting Xu Jie to force Yan Song into retirement. Or finding some unlucky fellow to resolve the sea ban.

We feel this Old Zhu might be more professional. The appearance of the heavenly screen is an auspicious omen; perhaps it can bring immortality to Us. And if he clears the ailments and revitalizes the Great Ming, perhaps it can move the heavenly screen to grant Us the true method of immortality.

As he thought, his eyes grew brighter and brighter. Old Zhu originally had an interest in cultivation. After becoming emperor and finding the Great Ming beyond saving, he became even more immersed in it. Compared to the possibility of achieving immortality, the twenty-plus years of nurturing seemed unimportant. As long as he could achieve immortality, let alone Yan Song, the official he once liked but who now dissatisfied him, he could even discard his wife and son. A certain Empress who was burned to death could testify to that.

However, lifting the sea ban was not that easy. This would touch the interests of those prestigious clans and powerful families who used the sea ban to profit immensely from smuggling. The counterattack of these people, if not handled well, was also very dangerous.

But if it could be handled, whether in the long or short term, the benefits gained would be unimaginable. Furthermore, putting aside the benefits, the mere chance of achieving immortality was not something the counterattack of the gentry and powerful families could compare to. For immortality, taking a bit of a risk was nothing to Emperor Jia Jing.

"A few days ago, We heard that the coastal areas of Fu Jian were again troubled by the Wokou, disturbing the local commoners, plundering property, and burning houses, leaving the local people in misery," the Emperor's voice rang out faintly.

The eunuchs all lowered their heads and replied, "Your Majesty, the Wokou have been disturbing the southeast coast for years, running rampant for a long time and drawing in a large number of local commoners. By the time the local government troops go to suppress the rebellion, they blend in with the commoners, making it hard to distinguish the real Wokou from the fake ones."

"Hmph! We heard that in Fu Jian there is a folk rhyme: 'The bandits pass like a comb, the soldiers pass like a rake...'"

After these words were spoken without beginning or end, the eunuchs suddenly fell silent.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, there is indeed such a matter in the locality," the Head Eunuch Huang Jin finally braced himself to step forward and answer.

"Hmph, We heard that Qi Ji Guang maintains strict military discipline and has a long-standing good reputation. Moreover, didn't he just win nine battles in nine engagements at Tai Zhou? Now, just in time, transfer him there to suppress the Wokou chaos in Fu Jian."

"By your command." Huang Jin said no more, took the order, and turned to leave.

"Qi Ji Guang, let Us see your talent. I hope you do not disappoint Me," Jia Jing thought to himself.

Next, he turned his head again to look at the heavenly screen. Alas, this is the chance for immortality; he absolutely cannot miss any detail.