"I, the commoner Song Yingxing, kowtow to Your Majesty. Long live the emperor..." Song Yingxing knelt down and saluted.
"No need to formality, please take a seat!" Chongzhen ordered.
Wang Chengen was stunned.
Not many people were granted seats in the Qianqing Palace.
In his memory, there were the chief minister of the cabinet Li Banghua, the second minister Fan Jingwen, the commander-in-chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Li Ruolian, the Earl of Jingnan Huang Degong, the Earl of Jiading Zhou Kui, Empress Zhang Yi'an, and Yan Yingyuan.
Apart from that...I'm afraid it's this civilian Song Yingxing!
Wang Chengen shuddered and quickly moved a stool for Song Yingxing.
After thanking him repeatedly, Song Yingxing sat down.
"Song Yingxing, I have summoned you to resume your official duties several times. Why have you repeatedly declined?" Chongzhen asked straight to the point.
Song Yingxing sighed and replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, I am old and in poor health, and I have no intention of pursuing a career in politics, so I declined your kindness."
"You have no intention of pursuing a career in government?" Chongzhen smiled faintly. "What if I let you become the Prime Minister of the Cabinet? Are you still not interested in pursuing a career in government?"
"This..." Song Yingxing was speechless after hearing Chongzhen's question.
Being the Prime Minister of the Cabinet is the dream of all the literati in the Ming Dynasty. Only a fool would refuse it.
Chongzhen continued to laugh and said, "I know why you don't want to serve as an official. It's because you don't see any hope, right?"
Song Yingxing sat on the stool as if struck by lightning.
"Hope..." he whispered to himself.
Chongzhen pursued him relentlessly, saying, "Your life has been full of ups and downs. You can't see the bright future and always feel that the road ahead is tortuous and difficult. So you have no intention of pursuing a career in government and plan to spend your life like this, right?"
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