Perhaps due to the influence of the Little Ice Age, the capital has been very cold these days. Coupled with the fact that there has been no sun for several days and it has been cloudy for several consecutive days, it is even more uncomfortable.

Small snowflakes floated in the sky from time to time, but they melted when they fell to the ground, making the ground slippery and requiring extra caution when walking.

This kind of weather is already very annoying, and the things happening in the palace are even more annoying.

The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was seriously ill. Meanwhile, rituals were being performed in the palace, praying to the gods and spirits. The person presiding over the ceremony was Han Li, the favored member of the Qingyun Sect.

At this time, the ministers were extremely anxious because they could not see the emperor, especially the Donglin Party.

Because their people are still imprisoned in the East Factory, and those imprisoned people may confess and implicate the Donglin Party members who are still in the court. How can the other Donglin Party members not be anxious?

It can be said that the Donglin Party tried every possible means to enter the palace and see the emperor.

But there was nothing we could do; the emperor just wouldn't show up.

What should I do? I can't just break into the palace, right?

Just as suspicions were rife outside, Zhu Youxiao was lying on a couch inside the imperial palace.

There was an altar in front. Han Li from Qingyun Sect was wearing a green Taoist robe and waving a sword while performing rituals, but he did not dare to make any sound.

Zhu Youxiao didn't pay attention to the practice, but kept flipping through a booklet.

At this time, Chen Hong tiptoed to Zhu Youxiao's side and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Lord Sun Chengzong requests an audience."

After hearing Chen Hong's words, Zhu Youxiao was stunned. Sun Chengzong is here?

In fact, the name Sun Chengzong is definitely a name that cannot be avoided in the late Ming Dynasty.

Sun Chengzong, whose courtesy name was Zhisheng, had a majestic appearance, a beard that spread out like a halberd, and a deep voice.

Sun Chengzong worked as a tutor in the homes of court officials such as Jiang Bi, the Right Prime Minister of the Dali Temple, and Fang Shoushi, the Guardian of the Military Preparations Department.

Later, Fang Shoushi was promoted to the post of governor of Datong, and Sun Chengzong accompanied him. Datong was an important border town in the Ming Dynasty at that time.

When Sun Chengzong was teaching at the border, he had a strong interest in military affairs. He liked to talk with veterans and junior officers at the border and ask questions about border defense.

Gradually, he gained some understanding of the military affairs at the border.

In the 32nd year of Wanli's reign, Sun Chengzong ranked second in the imperial examination and was appointed editor of the Hanlin Academy, and later became Zhongyun.

In the first year of the Tianqi reign, Sun Chengzong was promoted to Shao Zhanshi.

At this time, Sun Chengzong had already gained fame. He was the second place in the imperial examination, and had been promoted over the years. He even presided over a provincial examination. This was the official path leading to the position of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, so Sun Chengzong was highly regarded.

It was also because of that provincial examination that Sun Chengzong was hated by his party members.

The party members tried to use the triennial official evaluation to expel Sun Chengzong from the capital.

Scholar Liu Yijing tried his best to protect Sun Chengzong, and Sun Chengzong was able to live in peace.

Many people in later generations said that Sun Chengzong was a member of the Donglin Party, but Zhu Youxiao did not think so. There were actually factions within the Donglin Party.

People like Liu Yijing and Sun Chengzong, the chief ministers of the cabinet, were labeled.

Moreover, the factional struggles within the court had already reached the point where it was either this or that; they had only gotten a little closer to the Donglin Party.

If he had to divide them, Zhu Youxiao would rather classify Liu Yijing, the chief minister of the cabinet, and Sun Chengzong as one party, because they were more like the pragmatists in the Donglin Party.

If Liu Yijing was really the leader of the Donglin Party, he would not have been driven out so quickly and replaced by Ye Xianggao.

In fact, Zhu Youxiao already had an idea in his mind about how to use Sun Chengzong.

In fact, Zhu Youxiao had always reserved the position of Governor-General of Liaodong for Sun Chengzong.

In fact, the Ming Dynasty did not have a deep enough understanding of the situation in Liaodong at that time, and did not expect that the situation in Liaodong had collapsed to that extent. Therefore, Liaodong had never had a governor, but was governed by a governor and a general.

"Let him in!" Zhu Youxiao said after thinking for a moment, and then added: "Push me over and meet me on the other side!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Chen Hong bowed and then pushed over the wooden wheeled chair made by Zhu Youxiao.

Zhu Youxiao sat on the chair and let Chen Hong push him to the side hall.

After waiting for a while, Sun Chengzong walked in from outside.

Although he knew Sun Chengzong in his memory, this was the first time Zhu Youxiao saw Sun Chengzong in person.

After looking Sun Chengzong up and down, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but sigh in his heart, everyone said that Sun Chengzong had a magnificent appearance, and he was indeed very handsome!

However, Zhu Youxiao also knew that in this era, it was impossible to become an official if you were ugly. In the words of later generations, if you looked ugly, you would definitely be a treacherous official.

Whenever there was unrest in history, people would rebel in various ways. Many civil officials would consider the appearance when choosing their lord. The comment "He doesn't look like a lord" could be a fatal evaluation.

Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but think of the black portrait of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, in later generations. If Zhu Yuanzhang really looked like that, he would never have been able to become emperor.

Zhu Youxiao remembered very clearly that in his previous life he had originally planned to follow a drama called "The Glory of the Tang Dynasty", but a picture of the actor who played Zhu Yuanzhang was leaked, and Zhu Youxiao instantly lost the desire to continue watching.

"Your Majesty, your servant Sun Chengzong pays his respects." When Sun Chengzong saw Zhu Youxiao being pushed out, his heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, the Majesty's expression was still good, otherwise Sun Chengzong would have been really worried.

"Sir, please excuse me!" Zhu Youxiao said weakly, "Give me a seat."

A young eunuch nearby quickly brought a chair for Sun Chengzong to sit down.

After Sun Chengzong sat down, Zhu Youxiao spoke and said, "I have been feeling unwell these days and have delayed many government affairs. I wonder what your dear Sun is here for? If there is anything urgent, I will arrange someone to do it immediately." After saying that, Zhu Youxiao started coughing.

Chen Hong, who was standing next to Zhu Youxiao, hurriedly took a few steps forward, not daring to be negligent in the slightest, and quickly handed over the silk in his hand.

Zhu Youxiao took the silk and covered his mouth with it. He stopped coughing after a while, raised his head and looked at Sun Chengzong and said, "I am too weak. I am sorry to have made you laugh."

"Your Majesty's life is tied to the country and the people, so you must protect the dragon body!" Sun Chengzong looked at Zhu Youxiao with a worried look on his face.

"It's nothing." Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said with a smile: "I'm just tired. I'll take some medicine and recuperate for a while. My dear, please tell me why you came to the palace today!"

Sun Chengzong sighed inwardly. The late emperor hadn't thought it was a big deal, but what was the result? He died in just a short time.

But this can only be thought about, and it is definitely not to be said. Thinking of this, Sun Chengzong said: "The main reason I came to the palace today is to visit Your Majesty. Your Majesty is in poor health, and many officials in the court are worried."

"In addition, I would like to say that these things about gods and ghosts are not credible. Your Majesty should take medicine and recuperate." Sun Chengzong finally said this. This was what the court officials wanted Sun Chengzong to say, and it was also what Sun Chengzong himself wanted to say.