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

Chapter 530

However, Yang Yiqing could understand it after thinking about it. After all, what Xie Qian said was basically the truth and it wasn't exactly flattery, but it was just too nauseating.

Thinking about this, Yang Yiqing suddenly felt a little regretful, wondering how he could have let that old guy beat him to it.

With this in mind, Yang Yiqing stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I believe that Your Majesty is not only the restorer of our Great Ming Dynasty, but will also lead the Great Ming Dynasty to create an unprecedented golden age, and it is not a problem to even surpass the Han and Tang Dynasties."

Yang Yiqing inwardly despised Xie Qian, but the words he uttered were even more exaggerated than Xie Qian's.

There was nothing that could be done about it. Xie Qian had already said all the mushy things, and Yang Yiqing couldn't bring himself to say such things. He could only try to talk about things on a grander scale.

When Jiajing heard these words, he felt as if he were basking in a spring breeze. As it turned out, Jiajing did not dislike being flattered, but rather he cared about who was flattering him. Yang Yiqing and Xie Qian, which of these two had previously been able to manipulate the court with a flick of their wrists, were now both behaving themselves.

This feeling captivated Jiajing greatly.

However, while we may be enjoying ourselves, we still have important business to attend to.

"I have decided to reopen the Protectorate of the Western Regions. The territory from Datong to the west and Wuhai to the east is the territory of the Protectorate of the Western Regions. Do any of you have a suitable candidate to recommend for the position of Protector?"

Jiajing looked at everyone and said.

Upon hearing this, the officials below immediately perked up. This was the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and the first Protector-General was destined to be recorded in history. Although the Western Regions were extremely far from the Ming Dynasty and were considered a harsh and cold place, the Protector-General of the Protectorate of the Western Regions was still a powerful regional official, equivalent to the governor of each province.

This is a legitimate second-rank official position. Although the actual power is far less than that of a governor, and one may even face various dangers while serving as the Protector-General, such as the defection of the Mongols, everyone wants to be the Protector-General.

"Your Majesty, I think Wen Zhengming is the perfect candidate. He was the top-ranked candidate in the second class, and he is mature, steady, and reliable. He is the most suitable person for the job."

Yang Shen suggested.

Yang Shen and Wen Zhengming were both outstanding figures in the literary world of the Ming Dynasty and had always admired each other. This time, Wen Zhengming won first place in the second class, and Yang Shen was the happiest person in the court. Yesterday, he even went to Zhou Chu to specially invite Wen Zhengming to drink and celebrate.

“Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Yang’s words are inappropriate. Wen Zhengming has only just been personally selected by Your Majesty as the first in the second class and has not yet entered the Hanlin Academy. Even if he is sent to serve as an official outside the capital, he cannot rise to the top in one step.”

Upon hearing this, an official from the Sixth Division hurriedly stepped forward and spoke.

"Yes, Your Majesty, what Grand Secretary Yang said is indeed inappropriate."

The other six officials echoed this sentiment.

Upon hearing this, Jiajing thought for a moment and realized that it was indeed not appropriate to send Wen Zhengming to the grasslands as a protector. Wen Zhengming was from Suzhou and would probably find it difficult to adapt to the grassland climate. In addition, Wen Zhengming was already over fifty years old. The grasslands were newly settled and full of uncertainties. If something happened to Wen Zhengming, he would not be able to explain it to Zhou Hengqi.

However, despite having these thoughts in mind, Jiajing did not rush to express his opinion, but waited for other people to nominate him.

"Your Majesty, I think that Lord Xie Yizhong is the most suitable candidate."

Han Jie stepped forward.

Xie Yizhong was none other than Xie Qian's son, Xie Pi.

Han Jie had long seen through it; Xie Qian, that old fox, had probably already pledged allegiance to the Emperor for the sake of his son's future.

Since that's the case, why not do a favor? Xie Pi is now considered one of the Emperor's men, so I can trust him with my services.

"Your Majesty, I also think that Lord Xie is very suitable. Lord Xie has been an official for many years and is mature and prudent. What the Western Regions need is someone steady."

Cabinet member Jia Yong stepped forward.

With Jia Yong and Han Jie taking the lead, many others followed suit and nominated Xie Pi.

Jiajing remained silent, instead looking down at Xie Qian.

Xie Qian immediately understood Jiajing's meaning. It would probably be inappropriate for him and his son to serve in the same court and hold high positions. Jiajing's meaning was clear: he should retire.

Xie Qian had been to the capital twice before, and now he was old and frail. He had long since finished what he needed to do in the capital and was just waiting for an opportunity. Now that the opportunity had arrived and his son had a bright future, he had nothing to worry about.

"Your Majesty, my health has been deteriorating lately. I am constantly feeling extremely weak and I do not think I will live much longer. I wish to retire and return to my hometown."

Xie Qian spoke earnestly.

"What are you saying, Grand Secretary Xie? I cannot do without you now, nor can the court."

Jiajing said with a face full of reluctance.

"Alright, we'll discuss this matter later. Since everyone has suggested that Xie Yizhong be appointed as the Protector-General of the Western Regions Protectorate, and I think Xie Yizhong is a reliable and capable person, let him go to the grasslands."

Emperor Jiajing gave the final decision.

Upon hearing this, Xie Qian's spirits lifted. He knew very well that his time in the capital was coming to an end, and the emperor's attempt to retain him was merely to demonstrate the monarch's benevolence. If he insisted on staying, he would truly be ungrateful.

However, Xie Qian also knew that he would have to resign several more times to show his loyalty as a high-ranking official.

Why not do something that can leave a good reputation for yourself and the emperor?

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Upon hearing this, everyone responded in unison.

"There is another matter. Zhou Hengqi told me that he wants to take this opportunity to conquer Ü-Tsang and incorporate it into the territory of our Great Ming. What do you all think?"

Jiajing said.

Ü-Tsang is Tibet.

Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted in uproar and began to discuss it amongst themselves.

“Your Majesty, I believe that Lord Zhou’s actions are inappropriate. Ü-Tsang is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and its terrain is extremely complex. It would take an enormous amount of manpower and resources to conquer it. The problem is, even if we do conquer it, how much manpower and resources will it take for our Great Ming to rule Ü-Tsang in the future? And what can our Great Ming gain from Ü-Tsang?”

Jia Yong stepped forward.

Upon hearing Jia Yong's words, all the officials fell silent.

No matter who it is, they have to admit that Jia Yong's words make a lot of sense. Putting aside the amount of manpower, material resources and financial resources that would be consumed in conquering Tibet, the difficulty of ruling Tibet is completely disproportionate to the benefits that Tibet could bring to the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, I also feel that Zhou Hengqi's move is somewhat inappropriate. The benefits that Tibet can bring to our Great Ming are extremely low, and it is completely unprofitable."

After much deliberation, Yang Shen stepped forward and spoke.

Yang Shen was a man who always focused on the issue, not the person. Regarding Ü-Tsang, he felt that the Ming Dynasty did not need to rush to conquer it.

It might be possible in the future, but not now.

"Your Majesty, what are Zhou Hengqi's views on Tibet?"

Yang Yiqing didn't rush to object; he wanted to hear Zhou Chu's opinion on Ü-Tsang before making a decision.