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By the time Zhao Dali led the two VIPs into the main hall of the Zhao Mansion, Zhao Junchen had already restrained the gloom and contemplation on his face, and he still looked sluggish from a serious illness.

The identities of Zhu Heyu and Hong Jin are precious, and Zhao Junchen is still rude when he is seriously ill, and he is the first to get up to greet him, but his expression is distressed and his tone is depressed, and he arches his hand and says slowly: "I have seen His Royal Highness the Prince, and I have seen Commander Hong!" The two distinguished guests came, it was really full of brilliance, but I was now seriously ill and my legs and feet were also weak and abnormal, so I couldn't meet them from afar! ”

When he spoke, Zhao Junchen secretly observed the changes in the demeanor of Zhu Heyu and Hong Jin, and guessed their intentions.

On the other hand, seeing Zhao Junchen taking the initiative to greet him like this, Zhu Heyu and Hong Jin naturally did not dare to slack off, and they all walked quickly in front of Zhao Junchen, expressing their concern, either true or false.

Zhu Heyu's expression was obviously a little stiff, and he said in a deep voice: "I heard that Zhao Gechen is in poor health, so he specially came to visit...... Since Zhao Gechen is unwell, he doesn't need to be polite, just go back to his seat and rest. ”

Hong Jin's expression was full of sincerity and concern, and he didn't see his killing power as the commander of the Jinyi Guard, and said in a loud voice: "Everyone is a colleague in the DPRK and China, Zhao Gechen must not be polite, I am the same as His Royal Highness the Prince, this visit to the Zhao Mansion is mainly to visit Zhao Gechen's condition, and Zhao Gechen does not have to care about these false courtesies at all." ”

Hearing the concern and condolences of Zhu Heyu and Hong Jin, Zhao Junchen nodded lightly, and sat back in place like this, and did not continue to be polite.

At the same time, Zhu Heyu and Hong Jin also sat separately, and the servants of the Zhao Mansion served tea.

Then, Hong Jin secretly observed the crown prince Zhu Heyu, but found that Zhu Heyu's expression was still stiff, but he looked like he was looking at his nose and mouth, and he was obviously the most noble among the three, but he didn't take the initiative to open his mouth and provoke the topic at all.

Obviously, Zhu Heyu was in a rather embarrassing mood at this time - he used to be in the same boat as Zhao Junchen, and he had repeatedly said in public that Zhao Junchen was a national thief who could not be forgiven, but now he took the initiative to visit him, obviously wanting to ease the relationship between the two sides.

Hong Jin is a good person, so naturally he will not show abnormalities at this time, but take the initiative to provoke the topic and avoid the cold scene.

I saw that Hong Jin's expression became more and more sincere, and he said to Zhao Junchen: "Zhao Gechen's great achievements over this period of time are admirable, and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is the pillar of the country!" After hearing the news of Zhao Gechen's triumphant return to Beijing, I have been thinking about finding an opportunity to catch up with Zhao Gechen, and express my admiration and gratitude to Zhao Gechen. ”

In just a few words, the atmosphere was warmed and the relationship was brought closer, as if he and Zhao Junchen were friends in the world.

Zhao Junchen shook his head again and again and sighed: "Alas! I never thought that my body was so unbearable when I was still young, but after a little hard work, it was completely unbearable, and now I am not only sick from hard work, but also left many root causes......

After returning to the capital, thanks to the trust of His Majesty and the recommendation of his colleagues, I was able to join the cabinet and rank among the ministers, but I was flattered, but I also knew in my heart that my physical condition could no longer bear such a burden! In the past two days, I have repeatedly asked His Majesty to resign, but His Majesty has not responded......"

Speaking of this, Zhao Junchen's face became more and more sad, he raised his eyes to look at Zhu Heyu and Hong Jin, and said: "Speaking of which, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the honor of the prince, and Commander Hong is a close minister beside His Majesty...... Otherwise, according to my current physical condition, I am afraid that there will be another condition in the near future! ”

After hearing Zhao Junchen's request, Zhu Heyu and Hong Jin both changed their faces slightly and did not dare to respond.

Zhu Heyu saw Zhao Junchen's pale face, listened to Zhao Junchen's weak tone, and then thought that Zhao Junchen's condition was completely for the Zhu family, and he couldn't help but feel pity, but after he hesitated for a moment, he didn't say anything.

Zhu Heyu knew very well that he no longer had any influence in front of Emperor Deqing; At the same time, out of consideration of his own position, Zhu Heyu did not want Zhao Junchen to withdraw from the court early at this time.

Therefore, Zhu Heyu was just silent and did not respond to Zhao Junchen's request, but he also did not say any perfunctory prevarication.

On the other side, Hong Jin also sighed and shook his head, as if he felt empathy, and persuaded: "Zhao Gechen, don't think too much, Your Majesty is a holy monarch, and he has always been kind to our courtiers, and I failed to approve your resignation this time, just because the imperial court is currently in wartime, and the tasks of the household department are particularly heavy, and it is really inseparable from Zhao Gechen's financial management and turnover means, which is completely out of His Majesty's reliance and trust......

In my opinion, this is not a bad thing, Zhao Gechen has dealt with all the things of the household, he should rest, and the rest of the court affairs can be ignored, and when Zhao Gechen completely recovers his body, he is still the respect of the cabinet ministers, His Majesty deliberately reserved the cabinet position for Zhao Gechen, such a saint is envious of others! ”

Seeing that Zhu Heyu and Hong Jin did not agree to their request, Zhao Junchen shook his head and sighed, but he no longer demanded anything.

Zhao Junchen's statement was originally a disguise, not only to mislead Zhu Heyu, but also to mislead Emperor Deqing behind Hong Jin, so naturally he would not be entangled for too long.

Of course, it remains to be seen how effective this kind of misleading can be.

*

Next, Zhao Junchen talked with the two guests for a while.

During this period, Zhao Junchen talked about the recent situation in the Northwest Frontier, while Zhu Heyu and Hong Jin talked about the recent changes in the center of the temple, and the atmosphere was quite warm.

However, Zhu Heyu and Hong Jin visited Zhao Junchen this time, the so-called "visit" is just an excuse after all, in fact, they have their own plans, but they are unwilling to let the other party know their true intentions to visit Zhao Junchen this time, and now they have to talk about some dispensable gossip to delay time, hoping that the other party will take the initiative to leave without patience.

In this way, even with Hong Jin's sophistication and good at observing words and feelings, the conversation between the three of them still gradually became awkward.

Zhao Junchen was unwilling to waste time like this, seeing that there was no sign of this conversation getting to the point, he deliberately coughed lightly twice, and his tone became more and more weak, and said slowly: "Please forgive His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Commander Hong, I still want to continue to talk with the two of you, but my body is a little unable to hold on...... If you don't have anything else to do, I won't talk to them. ”

Hearing Zhao Junchen's expression, Zhu Heyu and Hong Jin both changed their faces slightly, and they knew that they couldn't drag it out like this anymore.

In the end, Zhu Heyu hesitated for a moment, but still didn't say anything, obviously thinking that he could wait until tomorrow to visit Zhao Junchen, and was not in a hurry for now.

However, Hong Jin's visit to Zhao Junchen this time was with the special mission of Emperor Deqing, and he had to return to the palace to resume his life after the incident.

"Speaking of which, in addition to visiting Zhao Gechen's condition, I do have two other things here, and I need to consult Zhao Gechen." Hong Jin's expression returned to seriousness, and he said slowly: "First of all, the household servant Zhan Shanchang committed suicide in fear of crime, there is something strange about this matter!" According to Jin Yiwei's investigation, just before Zhan Shanchang committed suicide in fear of crime, he had rushed to Zhao Mansion overnight to visit Zhao Gechen...... Now Jin Yiwei is ordered to investigate this case, but he hopes that Zhao Gechen can tell him the details of Zhan Shanchang's visit to Zhao's mansion last night. ”

Zhao Junchen's brows furrowed, clearly expressing his dislike, and asked rhetorically, "What?" Does Jin Yiwei suspect that Zhan Shanchang's suicide has something to do with me? ”

Hong Jin hurriedly shook his head and denied it, and said: "How is this possible, Zhao Gechen's identity is noble and his character is noble, how can it have anything to do with this kind of thing?" This interrogation is just a routine, a routine! ”

It stands to reason that Hong Jin, as the commander of the Jinyi Guard, does not need to be cautious at all even when facing Zhao Junchen, but now he doesn't know why, but he deliberately said soft words.

Zhao Junchen's heart secretly added a little vigilance, on the surface, his face was slightly softened, and he sighed and said: "Speaking of which, this matter does have a lot to do with me!" Last night, Zhan Shanchang saw that his crime of colluding with the vassal king to receive bribes was exposed, so he came here to beg me to cover up for him...... But this kind of thing is related to the law and discipline of the imperial court, how can I show favoritism? He was immediately and sternly rejected. ”

Regardless of whether Hong Jin and Zhu Heyu believed it or not, Zhao Junchen still talked to himself, and said: "However, thinking of the old relationship, I finally softened my heart, and after learning about his crimes, I did not impeach him to His Majesty in time, but gave him a chance to take the initiative to confess to His Majesty, hoping that he could use this to reduce some crimes, but now in retrospect, maybe my attitude at that time was too harsh, and finally forced him to commit suicide in fear of crime......

Speaking of which, I used to be the head of the household, so Zhan Shanchang's various crimes are also my fault for poor supervision, just half an hour ago, I have submitted a petition for guilt, and I have once again submitted my resignation to Your Majesty, but unfortunately Your Majesty still has no response. ”

After the words fell, Zhao Junchen sighed again and shook his head again and again.

Speaking of which, after Zhao Junchen saw Zhu Heyu and Hong Jin, he kept shaking his head and sighing, completely depressed and disheartened.

On the other side, Hong Jin looked convinced, and nodded again and again: "I see, in this way, the causes and consequences of Zhan Shanchang's suicide in fear of crime are completely reasonable." ”

Then, Hong Jin did not continue to dwell on Zhan Shanchang's suicide, and said: "As for the second thing, it has something to do with the Northwest Frontier Defense!" Some time ago, Zhao Gechen sent several notes to the center of the capital, and he said many times that the northwest frontier defense has been completely eroded, and not only are most of the officers and men of the border army old, weak and cowardly, but officials and businessmen in various places have also colluded with Tatars......

Today, Your Majesty has made up his mind to thoroughly rectify the border defense of the northwestern provinces, especially those officials and businessmen who collude with the Tatars, and must strictly investigate and punish them, and put an end to internal worries in one fell swoop! His Majesty has given full authority to Jinyiwei to take charge of this matter. ”

Speaking of this, a hint of pride flashed in Hong Jin's expression.

In the past, Jinyiwei was of course powerful and powerful, but always had to be controlled and commanded by the East Factory, and since this period of time, with the East Factory repeatedly unfavorable, the West Factory is in turmoil, and the Deqing Emperor has bypassed the East and West factories and handed over directly to Jinyiwei when he promulgated his decree many times, which means that the power and influence of Jinyiwei have increased significantly.

But Hong Jin quickly hid his smugness, but instead pleaded, and said: "Of course, I also know that the situation in the northwest frontier is extremely complicated, and Jinyiwei's control over the remote places is also weak, I have the heart to share your majesty's worries, but I have no clue at all, and I don't know where to start for a while, so I came here to ask Zhao Gechen!" Zhao Gechen has been in charge of the military and political affairs of the northwest provinces for a period of time, and he must be well aware of these things, and I hope that Zhao Gechen can give him some advice! ”

After hearing Hong Jin's request, Zhao Junchen fell into silence.

It wasn't until a long time later that Zhao Junchen finally said slowly: "At present, it is the most anxious time of the war in the northwest, the Mongols' counterattack can be described as violent, and it is also the time when the officials, merchants, soldiers and civilians from all over the border need to work together. What's more, I have already dealt with this matter, and the appeasement forces led by the trilateral governor Wang Zheng and the giant Wang Jia have long been completely eradicated, is it necessary to check it again? ”

Hong Jin's expression was serious, and he nodded with a smile: "Of course it is very necessary, this kind of unsubordinate people who are familiar with foreign affairs must be eradicated!" How can one be left wrong? When Zhao Gechen first investigated, the time was quite hurried, and it was only about two months before and after, but I was afraid that he couldn't catch it all, and maybe there would be fish that slipped through the net! Of course, please rest assured that Your Majesty is the most wise, although he is determined to rectify the northwest frontier defense, but everything will have to wait until the dust of the war settles, and before that, Jinyiwei is only focusing on secret investigations, and will never make a big move. ”

After a pause, Hong Jin accentuated his tone slightly, and emphasized: "I hope that Zhao Gechen can understand that all this is what His Majesty meant!" ”

Hearing Hong Jin's words, a hint of gloom flashed in Zhao Junchen's eyes.

Xiang Zhuang dances the sword, which is intended for Pei Gong.

Obviously, whether it was Emperor Deqing's intention to rectify the northwest frontier defense, or Jinyiwei's upcoming investigation, it was all aimed at Zhao Junchen, all of which were aimed at Zhao Junchen's power and connections in the northwest provinces.

At the beginning of Zhao Junchen's control of the military and political power in Shaanxi and Gansu, he did not expect that he could lead the northwest border army to defeat the Mongolian coalition army in the future, nor did he expect that he could subdue the officials, merchants and soldiers in the northwest on a large scale in the future, so he did not think much about it, and successively submitted many notes to the Deqing Emperor, saying that the northwest frontier defense was extremely erosive and must be thoroughly rectified by the imperial court.

When Zhao Junchen wrote these notes at that time, he was all out of a public heart, but now that he looks at it, he is moving a stone and hitting himself in the foot!

Officials, merchants, and armies from all over Shaanxi and Gansu have now taken refuge in Zhao Junchen's disciples, and have become an important part of Zhao Junchen's strength.

Of course, Zhao Junchen had long expected that Emperor Deqing would sooner or later take action to purge his forces in Shaanxi and Gansu, but Zhao Junchen never thought that Emperor Deqing would be so anxious, and when the war in the northwest frontier was obviously still the most anxious, he couldn't wait to prepare secretly!

As for Hong Jin's "consultation" with Zhao Junchen this time, he even dug a trap for Zhao Junchen, which was definitely uneasy and kind.

Once Zhao Junchen gives Hong Jin any guidance, no matter whether this "guidance" is true or false, whether it is more or less, and whether Hong Jin believes in Zhao Junchen's "guidance" or not, Jin Yiwei can hold the banner of Zhao Junchen when he is in prison in various parts of the northwest in the future, saying that Jin Yiwei's arrest of certain civil and military officials, businessmen and gentry is completely out of Zhao Junchen's "report"!

At that time, all walks of life in Shaanxi and Gansu will think that Zhao Junchen betrayed them, and Zhao Junchen's prestige will soon be ruined!

Therefore, Zhao Junchen must not give Hong Jin any response at this time.

However, Hong Jin's reasons are bright and bright, and he emphasizes that all this is the will of Emperor Deqing, but Zhao Junchen cannot be refused.

In fact, Zhao Junchen has long been prepared for the purge and suppression of Emperor Deqing, and has also left a lot of arrangements and backhands on the three sides of Shaanxi and Gansu, and most of them are still in progress, and it is necessary to buy time.

In the end, Zhao Junchen did not refuse Hong Jin's request, but said: "The military and political affairs of the Shaanxi and Gansu sides are indeed a myriad of things, which affect the whole body, and I have been dizzy and unclear these days, and I don't know how to help Commander Hong for a while...... In this way, I hope that Commander Hong can be tolerant for a few days, and after I have sorted out my thoughts, I will sort out a text and then hand it over to Commander Hong, how about it? ”

After Hong Jin pondered for a while, he didn't press every step, but just said with a smile: "According to Your Majesty's will, I will rush to the northwest to investigate in three or five days, and I hope that Zhao Gechen can prepare this text before I leave Beijing." ”

Zhao Junchen nodded lightly and said, "This is natural, and it will never make Commander Hong embarrassed!" ”

After receiving the reply, Hong Jin was full of gratitude, and after a few polite words, he glanced at the crown prince Zhu Heyu out of the corner of his eye, and immediately said goodbye and left, but he didn't have any intention of staying to listen to the conversation between Zhao Junchen and Zhu Heyu.

Seeing Hong Jin leave quickly and neatly, Zhu Heyu, who had been silent most of the time since entering the Zhao Mansion, finally spoke slowly.

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Well, restore the update and get off to a good start in 2020.

Also, in the new year, I wish you all good health and all the best!

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