After Zhu Ying returned from the Qianqing Palace, he could not say that he had a rest, as he still needed to deal with a large number of memorials.

However, not long after he returned, Liu He came over with six eunuchs, and every two eunuchs were holding a large wooden box.

Seeing the three large wooden boxes, Zhu Ying guessed what was inside before Liu He could say anything.

"Grandpa is indeed worthy of being the emperor. He keeps his word."

Zhu Ying said with a wry smile.

The old man immediately arranged for him what had just been said in the Qianqing Palace.

This is really not polite.

"Reporting to Your Highness, His Majesty asked me to tell you to handle this as soon as possible and not to delay the morning court tomorrow. Your health is the most important thing."

Liu He bowed and said.

Zhu Ying nodded helplessly, asked a few eunuchs to put the memorials in the box in order, and then let him leave.

Can this be considered as one's own fault?

Zhu Ying gritted his teeth and thought to himself: I have to go through this sooner or later, it doesn't make much difference if it's sooner or later. Only by reforming gradually can I get rid of these troubles.

There are too many things in the system of the Ming Dynasty now, and it is impossible to get rid of them all at once. They can only be gradually reduced after Zhu Ying's arrangements are implemented.

The sudden decentralization was also a big blow to the imperial power.

"It seems that tonight will be a sleepless night."

Thinking of this, Zhu Ying suddenly felt that letting Ye Yueqing leave every night seemed to be a wrong choice.

If I study it every day, wouldn't it take more effort to review the memorials myself?

Shaking his head slightly to get rid of these thoughts, Zhu Ying opened the first memorial and read it carefully.

The hundreds of memorials here may seem very numerous, but each one is very likely to concern the people's livelihood, or even their lives.

Naturally, it cannot be underestimated.

So no matter how many memorials there were, Zhu Ying would take them seriously.

Just when Zhu Ying was reading by lamplight at night.

On the bank of the Qinhuai River, a two-story boat with a small attic was docked on the shore.

Next to the boat, there was a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar, looking forward to it.

After a long time, a look of joy appeared on his face, and he finally saw a few familiar figures at the end of the alley, so he hurried to greet them.

He bowed in front of the three people and said, "I am Zhou Li, a student. Greetings to the teachers, Mr. Bai and Mr. Zhang."

The teacher Zhou Li referred to was naturally Liu Sanwu, and the other two were Zhang Xin and Bai Xindao.

"Have you arranged everything? Today's matter concerns the scholars of the world, so we cannot afford to be careless. If it gets known, it would be a small matter for you and me to lose our lives. But if it causes the status of scholars to decline and the military men of the Ming Dynasty to prevail, then it would be a huge matter."

Liu Sanwu said in a serious tone.

Zhang Xin and Bai Xindao beside them also nodded seriously.

On the way to today's gathering, everyone was nervous.

After all, this is the capital, not some other place.

In the capital, walls have ears, which happens almost every moment. Even in one's own mansion, there is no safety at all.

In addition, the topic we are discussing today is too sensitive, so we cannot be too cautious.

Hearing the teacher's question, Zhou Li quickly said: "Teacher, don't worry, this time we are going directly to the Qinhuai River. Even if those hawks and dogs are very capable, they can't have super hearing and super vision."

"The students here have directly chartered the entire building boat. Apart from the boatman, there is no one else, so you can rest assured."

After hearing this, Liu Sanwu nodded.

However, Bai Xindao next to him asked, "What is the origin of the boatman? Have you investigated it clearly? In this capital, there are too many secret agents of the Jinyiwei. Perhaps an inconspicuous person is a spy of the Jinyiwei."

“Many great things often start with failures caused by small things. Don’t be careless.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Li quickly replied, "Mr. Bai is right. I have also considered this aspect. The boatman this time has already started making a living by rowing here in the fifth year of Hongwu."

"Students have asked many people about this matter, and they can all verify it. It cannot be false."

"In the fifth year of Hongwu, the Imperial Guard had not yet been established, so there was definitely no problem."

Bai Xindao shook his head after hearing this and said, "Don't think like that. The Jinyiwei's relationships in the capital are complicated. I'm afraid that even the Jinyiwei's commander Jiang Li doesn't know how many informants he has under his command."

"When these people were developing their spies, they were infiltrating all walks of life. Maybe a beggar who has been begging on the street for more than ten years is a spy for the Jinyiwei."

Liu Sanwu and Zhang Xin approved of Bai Xindao's caution. Everyone was very nervous when they came here, and they didn't feel safe at all, so they asked this question.

Zhou Li was not at all unhappy when being questioned.

The reputation of the three people in front of him is secondary. What he is going to say next is the most critical preparation.

"Please rest assured, teacher and the other two gentlemen. I have put a lot of effort into this arrangement. The name of the Imperial Guard is indeed too terrifying."

"So the boatman chosen by the students this time is a deaf man. When the Ming Dynasty was founded, he was already deaf in both ears and could not hear any words."

"After entering the boat, the boatman will row the boat to the middle of the river. Just in case, the student will make tea for the teacher and the two gentlemen, while the boatman will stay at the bow and will not come over."

"In this case, even if he is really an informant of the Royal Guards, or can read lips, it will be of no use at all. The students will definitely keep a close eye on him."

Hearing the students’ arrangement, Liu Sanwu nodded with a smile.

In this way, there is no need to worry about someone eavesdropping.

Zhang Xin and Bai Xintao were also very satisfied with Zhou Li's arrangements.

Under Zhou Li's leadership, they finally boarded the ship. The boatman also went to the bow and could not see this side at all.

The old man was wearing a straw raincoat and was catching it quietly.

Zhang Xin even called out "boatman" several times to test the old man.

But it was obvious that the old man with his back to the crowd did not react at all.

As Zhou Li started to make tea, Liu Sanwu took the lead in opening the conversation.

"Tomorrow is the morning court, and then we will report to His Majesty. For the past three days, I have been tossing and turning every night, worrying about the future of the Ming Dynasty."

"I called you two here today mainly to set the rules for tomorrow's morning court session."

Zhang Xin heard this and said, "Don't worry, sir. I have already contacted many colleagues. They all have the same idea as us. They will definitely support us during the court tomorrow morning."

"I have inquired about the choice made by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and found that almost all scholars are very dissatisfied with it. If it is possible, I will let the students submit a petition signed in blood by 10,000 people. I believe that His Majesty will know our determination."

Bai Xindao said, "Things like writing a letter in blood by ten thousand people should never be done unless it is absolutely necessary. Your Majesty's temper will be even more violent if it is the opposite."

"If it backfires, it will be hard to say."

"As for the specific arrangements, let's wait until tomorrow morning when I report to the emperor."

"Your Majesty loves His Royal Highness the Crown Prince too much. Even His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has never been treated like this. If he really insists on doing it, there is really no need for us to lose our heads in vain."

After hearing what Bai Xindao said, Zhang Xin thought about it and said, "Mr. Bai is right. Over the years, many Jinshi have died at the hands of Your Majesty. The capital is different from other places. A word from Your Majesty may ruin all our efforts."

"But I have been thinking hard for the past three days, but I still can't come up with a way to have the best of both worlds. No matter what, I can't get around His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. In addition, the people of the capital have been somewhat shocked by the military parade in recent days."

"Nowadays, whether it's teahouses or restaurants, you can hear people expressing their joy over His Royal Highness's arrangement of the military parade. In this case, if there is no favorable statement, it may not be able to impress His Majesty."

"With the people being like this, I'm afraid that His Majesty will think that we are worrying too much."

As soon as these words came out, Bai Xindao fell silent.

Zhou Li, who had been making tea, had his hands shaking slightly and even his body trembling.

When he came, the teacher didn't tell him what the topic would be today, and it turned out to be this.

When it comes to His Majesty and the Crown Prince who is now at the peak of his career, Zhou Li's heart suddenly becomes a little flustered.

This kind of thing is really fatal. If you are not careful, you may be implicated.

At this time, Zhou Li really felt a little regretful.

When Liu Sanwu announced the news yesterday, Zhou Li volunteered and said that he could definitely arrange everything for the teacher.

In the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty, reputation is important and involves recommendations, but if there is no one above you, it will be difficult to get promoted.

Although Teacher Liu Sanwu only worked in the Hanlin Academy, the officials of the Ming Dynasty would give him some respect when they heard his name.

Moreover, Zhou Li was able to get a position in the Ministry of Rites, which was partly due to the care of his teacher Liu Sanwu.

For this reason, Zhou Li is eager to show himself.

Unfortunately, if he were given another chance, Zhou Li would definitely play dumb or refuse to be a scapegoat. If he was really implicated, it would not be a big deal if he lost his official hat, but he would probably be buried near the capital with his body.

But now that we are on this pirate ship, we have to persevere even if it means gritted teeth.

If something happened, there was no chance for him to escape.

At this moment, the atmosphere was a bit serious, because after everyone communicated with each other, it seemed that there was no good way to persuade His Majesty.

If I can't even convince myself, how can I convince His Majesty, or even His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?

Just when everyone was silent, Liu Sanwu suddenly laughed, immediately attracting everyone's attention to himself.

"These three days of effort have not been wasted. Especially for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I have learned a lot more about him."

"I have to admit that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince does have a unique talent for training soldiers. Perhaps this is why His Majesty dotes on him so much."

"It's just that the current Crown Prince is not even 20 years old at all. It's already very good that he can do what he has now, but he has forgotten the current situation."

At this point, Liu Sanwu paused for a moment, took a sip of tea, and then continued, "On the second day of the military parade, I asked someone to investigate the current situation of the capital's guard post."

"Your Highness Changsun made a big mistake in this regard."

"I have confirmed again and again that those soldiers who were so amazing during the previous military parade were not just soldiers. These soldiers did not participate in the sowing before this, but were practicing the whole time."

"Before this, even the imperial guards in our Ming Dynasty did not have to train once a day. At most, they would train once every three days."

"And the arrangement here for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is three exercises a day."

"It's not just as simple as the three exercises. These soldiers who are doing the exercises can eat three meals a day, and even have meat for every meal."

"So, you all should understand what I mean."

Liu Sanwu felt his throat was a little dry, so he picked up the teacup and started sipping it.

When Bai Xindao heard this, he exclaimed, "If that's the case, then these soldiers don't have to go to the fields, they just need to train every day and they can have meat every meal."

"This, this, with such a large expenditure, can the treasury still maintain it? Moreover, this gives me the feeling of provoking His Majesty."

"This is not as simple as a few guards, or even the palace guards. There are thirty-six guards, nearly 180,000 people. If this is the case, how much military pay would be needed?"

Zhang Xin also reacted quickly. He seemed to be in a bad mood after listening to it. He picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp, as if he was drinking wine.

Then he said, "To do so is to abuse one's power and expand military power. This is unacceptable. This is completely contrary to the guard system that Your Majesty has established."

"It has come to this point, and no one has pointed it out yet."

Zhang Xin's performance was somewhat heartbreaking.

However, Zhou Li, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly said, "Don't worry, Zhang Xinsheng. Since the military parade that day, the morning court has been suspended for three days. Maybe it's because they didn't attend the morning court, and everyone is waiting."

Zhang Xin replied dejectedly, "I hope so."

Liu Sanwu said at this time: "Don't be discouraged, Your Majesty must have a good idea about these things, but Your Majesty may not have seen the expenses of those soldiers at this stage."

"The Ministry of Revenue simply cannot afford to pay 180,000 soldiers just to feed them and train them to death."

"Things like this will only be a flash in the pan when the time comes, so you can rest assured."

After listening to Liu Sanwu's words, the two of them felt more confident.

Even Zhou Li felt a little relieved, and at Liu Sanwu's signal, he stood up and walked to the bow of the boat, asking the old man to turn the boat back.

At this moment, at the bow of the boat, the old man seemed to be writing something.

Hearing the noise behind him, his ears moved slightly, and he skillfully stuffed it into his sleeve.