The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 671

As the saying goes, the wine of a newlywed couple doesn't make one drunk. Zhou Chu drank one cup after another, but he wasn't drunk at all. Tang Bohu and Lu Song had both drunk too much. Zhou Chu didn't drink with them all the time, but they were so happy that they took the initiative to drink with him.

Emperor Jiajing rarely drank alcohol, but today he drank quite a bit and became slightly tipsy.

However, Jiajing was the emperor after all, and he couldn't drink too much. If the emperor drank too much and said some drunken things, that would be quite a joke. So, when Jiajing took the initiative to ask Zhou Chu for drinks, Zhou Chu always dissuaded him.

“Hengqi, you know that when I first came to the capital, I was also very confused. I didn’t know how to make a breakthrough or how to gain a foothold in the capital. Thanks to you, otherwise I might not have been able to seize power.”

Emperor Jiajing, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, said...

Jiajing was only slightly tipsy, not drunk. He only said what he could say, and many things he couldn't say aloud. For example, Zhou Chu was already plotting for him before he became emperor.

“Your Majesty is a man of exceptional talent. Even before entering the capital, you knew that you could not enter as the Crown Prince. Even without me, they are no match for Your Majesty.”

Zhou Chu said.

When Jiajing heard this, he simply waved his hand.

“I know my own situation. Without you, it would have been extremely difficult for me to defeat Yang Jiefu. I would have been hampered at every turn. Only you dared to use such swift and decisive measures to intimidate the officials and prevent them from acting recklessly.”

Jiefu was the courtesy name of Yang Tinghe.

Jiajing had a clear understanding of himself. He knew very well that without Zhou Chu, he would have had to work very hard to defeat Yang Tinghe. He would not have been able to accomplish anything as easily as he was now, and he would have encountered unimaginable obstacles.

Putting everything else aside, if the Jiangnan Group isn't dealt with, they will control the entire court. Throughout the Ming Dynasty, besides Zhou Chu, who had the ability to completely eliminate the Jiangnan Group? Who had the courage to tear it down and rebuild it?

Lu Song and Tang Bohu were lucky to be drunk at this moment, otherwise they would probably have trembled upon hearing these words. The emperor's words were not something they should have been listening to.

As for Lady Yang and the Empress Dowager at the table, they had no such concerns. Lady Yang was Jiajing's wet nurse, and the Empress Dowager was even more so. Yunniang, on the other hand, simply started to pretend to be drunk.

This was the inner hall, and Zhou Chu had already dismissed the servants who were attending to him. Naturally, no one else could hear the conversation between Zhou Chu and Jiajing.

In fact, there were many things Jiajing had always wanted to say. He had kept them bottled up for many years, but Jiajing also knew that some things were destined to remain unsaid and never be spoken.

Even so, Emperor Jiajing, as the emperor, is still a bit sticky today, having said a bit too much.

"Your Majesty has had a bit too much to drink."

Zhou Chu couldn't help but remind him.

"I'll go get His Majesty a bowl of hangover soup."

Upon hearing this, Yang, who was standing nearby, hurriedly got up and went straight to the kitchen.

Upon hearing this, Jiajing seemed to realize that he had indeed said too much.

"I rarely drink alcohol. Even when I do, I only drink a little and dare not drink too much, because I am the emperor. If I drink too much, I will say something inappropriate. There are many things I have been holding back for a long time. Today, let me say them properly."

Jiajing looked at the Empress Dowager, then at himself, and said.

Hearing this, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but sigh.

"His Majesty has been lonely and bitter over the years, and there are many things he can't talk to. Only Lord Zhou can talk to His Majesty. Let's go first and let His Majesty have a good talk with Lord Zhou."

The Empress Dowager looked at Yunniang, who was pretending to be drunk, and said.

Upon hearing this, Yunniang could no longer pretend to be drunk. She got up and helped the intoxicated Tang Bohu to his feet, awaiting the Empress Dowager's next instructions.

Soon, Madam Yang returned with the hangover soup.

"Put the hangover soup here, let His Majesty and Lord Zhou have a talk, and we'll go have a private chat."

Upon hearing this, Madam Yang immediately understood what was happening and helped the drunken Lu Song to his feet.