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

Chapter 622

“Your Majesty, I, Meng Ji, the Assistant Director of the Carriage and Horse Management Department of the Ministry of War, am willing to serve as an envoy of the Ming Dynasty to the Yarkand Khanate. I will certainly live up to Your Majesty’s trust.”

Wang Xian solemnly stated.

The Ministry of War has four departments: the Department of Military Selection, the Department of Military Administration, the Department of Carriages and Cavalry, and the Department of Military Arsenal. Each department has a Director, who is a fifth-rank official and the head of the department.

Each department has one Assistant Director, who is a fifth-rank official and serves as the deputy to the Director of that department, assisting in handling departmental affairs.

A fifth-rank official was already considered a high-ranking official, and they were quite pampered in the capital. So when it came time to select an envoy to the Yarkand Khanate, these fifth-rank officials hesitated repeatedly, and no one stepped forward.

To put it bluntly, they're all afraid of dying.

Most officials of the fifth rank did not want to serve as envoys, but Meng Ji was different. He was a man of strong character and his relationship with his colleagues was not very harmonious. However, as the Minister of War, Wang Xian had always valued Meng Ji highly because Meng Ji had always been one of the few pro-war figures in the Ministry of War. Even many years ago when facing the Mongols, he had always been a proponent of war.

At that time, Wang Xian was not yet the Minister of War. The Minister of War at that time was a proponent of peace, so Meng Ji was not given important positions in the Ministry of War until Wang Xian took office as the Minister of War, at which point Meng Ji was gradually promoted.

When the selection of the envoy to the Yarkand Khanate was underway, while other officials were still hesitating about whether to take the position, Meng Ji stepped forward without hesitation.

In Meng Ji's eyes, Wang Xian only saw the determination to serve the country to the death. Wang Xian knew that Meng Ji was the only one who could be sent as the envoy to the Yarkand Khanate this time.

Even if the other officials were sent, they might not have the resolve to die in the Yarkand Khanate. If they were afraid, then his and His Majesty's plans would be in vain, which was not what Wang Xian wanted to see.

"Meng Wenxuan, I do have some impression of him. He is a truly dedicated and responsible person."

After thinking for a while, Jiajing finally remembered Meng Ji. Now, Wang Xian is the Minister of War, and there are many pro-war factions in the Ministry of War. However, in the first two or three years after Jiajing ascended the throne, Wang Xian was not the Minister of War. At that time, most of the Ministry of War was pro-peace. In particular, when Zhou Chu first defeated Anda from Datong, the officials in the court had mixed opinions.

Many officials advocated sending envoys to the grasslands to negotiate peace with the Mongols. Jiajing remembered that at that time, a sixth-rank official in the Ministry of War submitted a memorial denouncing these officials and praising Zhou Chu highly. This person was none other than Meng Ji.

Although Meng Ji was not qualified to attend court, Jiajing still remembered Meng Ji because of this memorial.

"Then let Meng Wenxuan ascend the throne."

Jiajing knew that since Wang Xian had nominated Meng Ji, Meng Ji must be waiting outside at this time. Generally, only officials of the fifth rank or above were qualified to attend court assemblies. Meng Ji was only a fifth rank official, so he did not have a place at court assemblies.

"I pay my respects to Your Majesty."

After Meng Ji entered the court, he bowed and said...

“Meng Wenxuan, when Zhou Hengqi defeated Anda at Datong, there were voices in the court advocating for peace. I remember you wrote a memorial at that time, strongly advocating for war.”

Jiajing looked at Meng Ji and said.

Upon hearing this, Meng Ji was flattered and overwhelmed. He never expected that such a minor official as himself could attract the Emperor's attention, and that the Emperor would still remember his memorial from back then.

This gave Meng Ji the urge to die for Jiajing.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. At that time, I just felt that our Great Ming could not always be defensive. Since ancient times, the best defense is offense. Only by defeating them can our Great Ming achieve true peace."

Meng Ji said respectfully.

"That's well said. Why should our Great Ming negotiate peace with the Mongols? The Great Ming has Zhou Hengqi, Lu Yunjin, and Lin Zhixin. Which of these three can't sweep across the grasslands?"