"Official, did the concubine hear that the princess died?" Mrs. Zhang took the opportunity of serving tea and asked Kong Kun in a low voice.

Today's Kong Kun is no longer the small official of the past. He has been in a high position in the cabinet for a long time, and Zai Fu's bearing is imposing, he only glanced at Zhang's slightly, and Zhang's mouth was closed in amusement, not daring to say more.

Kong Kun took a sip of tea, picked up a snow-white handkerchief, wiped the water stains on the corner of his mouth, and said lightly: "There is an old man in the family, if there is a treasure." After the death of the old minister, I am afraid that there will be big changes in the palace. ”

Mrs. Zhang and Kong Kun, after all, are a husband and wife who have shared hardships. Back then, when Kong Kun was unwilling, he was meager and poor, and his relatives and friends were all abandoned.

If it weren't for Mrs. Zhang's repeated attempts to borrow money and things from her mother's family without regard for her face, and constantly selling her dowry to subsidize her family, Kong Kun would have hardly met Li Zhongyi on this day.

"Official, don't you often say that the third prince has a noble character and is very intelligent......," Mrs. Zhang noticed that Kong Kun's face was not good, so she didn't dare to continue.

Kong Kun took another sip of tea, glanced at Mrs. Zhang, who was about to speak and stopped, couldn't help but smile slightly, and said: "The emperor is at the peak of the Spring and Autumn Period, and choosing a side too early will only put my Kong family in danger and never recover." ”

Seeing that Kong Kun was not angry, Mrs. Zhang couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief, and said cautiously: "It is very inappropriate for important ministers to hand over to the prince. However, the great cause of educating people, officials, needs to be passed on after all. ”

These words just tickled Kong Kun's itch!

Kong Kun glanced at Mrs. Zhang, who lowered his eyebrows, and couldn't help but sigh: "Although the emperor is heroic, he obviously doesn't like the way of Confucius and Mencius, and Confucianism may be difficult to be alone." ”

Mrs. Zhang knew in her heart that what Kong Kun had been thinking about was to magnify Confucian Confucianism.

Although Kong Kun is a brother of Confucius, he has always regarded himself as a descendant of Confucius. In other words, if Confucian Confucianism is carried forward in the hands of Kong Kun, it will definitely be the fundamental confidence for him to thoroughly master Confucius in the future.

However, according to Kong Kun's long-term observation, Li Zhongyi's attitude towards Confucius and Mencius not only did not support it, but he often took measures to suppress it secretly.

It's annoying!

Now, he has died of illness while serving as vice minister in the cabinet. Liu Jinshan and Kong Kun are both cabinet governors, and they both have the opportunity to go to the next level, the question is, how will Li Zhongyi choose?

To tell the truth, Kong Kun's heart is completely bottomless, and it is inevitable that he is a little anxious.

You know your own business. Kong Kun knew that when it came to the degree of affinity and trust, his status in Li Zhongyi's mind was far inferior to Liu Jinshan.

However, Kong Kun also has advantages. He carries the name of Confucius's lineage, and naturally has a wide appeal to the Shidafu Group.

Now, it depends on Li Zhongyi's attitude, Kong Kun can only choose to wait silently.

Mrs. Zhang is not an ignorant village woman, but a talented woman who reads poetry and books, and she naturally knows Kong Kun's troubles.

Mrs. Zhang reminded softly: "The situation of the DPRK focuses on the separation of powers, checks and balances. The emperor is also the king of the Holy Wisdom, and I believe that there will be a clear decision. ”

Kong Kun nodded, but he didn't squeak, he knew that Zhe Congruan would die so suddenly, he should have fought hard in the first place, no matter how he won the great opportunity to follow Li Zhongyi to the south.

What a pity!

In today's Southern Expeditionary Army, Li Zhongyi has no important ministers of the court by his side. As a result, even if Kong Kun wanted to influence Li Zhongyi's decision-making, he was beyond his reach.

"Official, after Yao'er came out of the palace, the tea and rice have not been fragrant, and she is always clamoring to go to the Taoist temple to be a Taoist aunt, how is this good?" Mrs. Zhang asked Kong Kun with a sad face.

Kong Kun opened his mouth, but closed his lips helplessly. Daughter Kong Daiyao is no longer young, but so far no one has dared to come to the door to ask for marriage.

In the final analysis, it is mainly between Kong Daiyao and the current emperor that there is a so-called "scandal" that cannot be seen.

In the house of the official eunuch, even if the head of the family has no brains, no one dares to let his son marry such a daughter-in-law!

Good things don't go out, bad things spread thousands of miles!

Kong Kun frowned, thinking about it, but he never understood the point.

However, in the face of Mrs. Zhang's persistent eyes, Kong Kun had no choice but to bite the bullet and say: "If you weren't afraid that she would suffer in the palace, and you had to force me to find a way to get her out of the palace, why would I bother to ask the Queen Mother?" It's good now, I finally tossed her out of the palace, and I won't be a female official anymore, if I don't eat the bitterness in the palace, can't I stop a little? ”

Mrs. Zhang is not an unreasonable woman, she naturally knows Kong Kun's difficulties, but the husband and wife are such an only daughter as Kong Daiyao, does it really make her never marry and live alone?

To tell the truth, Mrs. Zhang was reluctant to let her only daughter suffer from this, so she said tentatively: "I'm afraid it won't be in Beijing, why don't you try a big family outside Beijing?" ”

Kong Kun shook his head and said bitterly: "My wife, what kind of family is our family?" My only daughter is going to marry in a foreign country, as long as others are not stupid, they will definitely send someone to inquire in Beijing. That's not a marriage, it's a feud! ”

Mrs. Zhang understands the truth, but she just can't get over the hurdle in her heart, and struggles hard to say, "That'...... Do you want to watch Yao'er become a Taoist aunt? ”

"Alas!"

Speaking of which, back to the original point, Kong Kun was full of a sense of powerlessness.

Mrs. Zhang is indeed very virtuous, and over the years, she has helped Kong Kun Zhang Luo to accept a five-room concubine. However, to this day, none of these five concubines has given birth to a boy and a girl.

"Why don't you recruit a son-in-law?" Kong Kun thought about it, but only thought of this trick.

Who would have thought that Mrs. Zhang was not happy, she shook her head and said dissatisfiedly: "Our Yao'er piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, poetry and songs, none of them are fine, and they are going to be reduced to the point of recruiting sons-in-law?" You know, my son-in-law is treated as a pariah, and I will never agree! ”

"Well, it doesn't work, it doesn't work, what do you want?" Kong Kun really had a headache, so he wanted to continue to entangle, so he simply asked Mrs. Zhang's mind.

"After the emperor returns to Beijing in triumph, the imperial court will open Enke, why don't you choose a suitable one from the new jinshi?" As soon as Mrs. Zhang's words came out, Kong Kun immediately realized, to put it bluntly, he was still afraid of wronging his only daughter.

"Ahem, new jinshi? Even if he is kept in the dark and marries our Yao'er, sooner or later he will know. When the time comes, after my death, it should be inevitable that my husband and wife will turn against each other. Kong Kun really couldn't listen to it anymore, so he simply said it to death, lest Mrs. Zhang continue to daydream.

Just when Kong Kun and his family were fighting a lawsuit, in the palace of Huayang County, Li Qiong's father and son were also talking about the secret room.

"My lord, since the prime minister has gone, the funeral should also be handled, right?" Sentenced to Li Hu, the weapons supervisor, stood in front of Li Qiong respectfully, cautiously probing the tone.

"Well, not long after the establishment of this dynasty, in the ritual system, there is no precedent on how to treat the funeral after the death of Zaifu. However, since the old man is the prime minister, he has the power to make some decisions, but he also makes it. Li Qiong narrowed her eyes, stared at the tea cup on the table, and said lightly, "With the friendship between the emperor and Zhe Congruan, I am afraid that I will personally preside over the Great Dian Ceremony." ”

"Oh, according to what you say, the old condolences of relatives and friends are still the same, and it will take time for the official funeral?" Li Hu asked Li Qiong with some uncertainty.

Li Qiong glared at Li Hu angrily, and shouted in a deep voice: "Look at you, you are so old, why are you still so ignorant?" Who is the Fold family? People have the support of Concubine De and the third son of the emperor in the palace, there is a huge territory in the northwest, and there are many talents, is it your turn to have a judge of weapons to this leisure? ”

Li Hu was reprimanded so much that he didn't dare to say anything, Li Qiong sighed secretly in his heart, the broken family has lost its pillars, how can they not have a long-term plan in the Huayang County Palace?

Similar to the Zhe family, the palace of Huayang County is actually the home of relatives. In the palace, the Li family has the support of the good concubine Li Qiniang and the sixth son of the emperor, Hua Ge'er.

In the cabinet, Li Qiong is the prime minister of the DPRK, and his power can be described as monstrous. In addition, Li Anguo, the uncle of Zhunguo, also served as the commander of the artillery battalion in the Guards.

Compared with the Zhe family, the Li family has a slight advantage in two points, one of which is that Li Hu served as the commander of the armament. Sentenced to military weapons supervisor, belongs to the emperor's special attention to the yamen, the emperor's eyes and ears are numerous.

In other words, as long as Li Hu is down-to-earth and willing to work, the emperor can definitely see the achievements he has made.

As for the second, Li Qiniang has always been favored and belongs to the top of the emperor's heart.

The disadvantage is that the Li family has relatively shallow ties with the military upstarts and does not have the support of the powerful military faction.

As Li Zhongyi's throne became more and more secure, the old-school military giants gradually withdrew from the center of power, and the wealth and power were declining.

To tell the truth, if Li Qiniang hadn't given birth to the sixth son, Li Qiong wouldn't have the heart to compete for the crown.

The problem is that the sixth son of the emperor is growing up in the palace alive, and Li Qiong can't pretend not to see it.

From the eldest son of the emperor to the youngest sixth son of the emperor, they are all the emperor's relatives. Objectively speaking, anyone can ascend to the throne in the future and become the supreme in the world.

Now, even if the Huayang County Royal Mansion doesn't want to compete for the crown, it can't help Li Qiong not to plan the layout in advance.

After Ruan died, Li Qiong could actually live a few more years? Those who do not seek the overall situation are not enough to seek a domain.

People have no long-term worries, but they must have near-term worries!

Therefore, Li Qiong took advantage of Ruan's death to teach Li Hu in every possible way, and taught him the secrets of the struggle in the court.

"Now that the public is gone, my time as prime minister is numbered." Li Qiong sighed, full of melancholy and said, "The power of the court, mutual restraint, I and the Gongshi are one body of coexistence and common prosperity!" ”

Li Hu didn't fully understand, and blurted out: "My lord, why did you say this?" You are the head of the cabinet, sharing the emperor's worries, you have always been conscientious, diligent, and have never made a big mistake, how can you say anything about the prime minister? ”

Li Qiong hated it for a while, and when she opened her mouth, she scolded: "Stupid! It's really rotten wood, and it can't be carved! If Zhengqing is here, he will understand my meaning. ”

To say something heart-wrenching, Li Qiong couldn't wait to pick up the ruler on the table and smash Li Hu's head hard.

However, Li Qiong is not an ordinary person after all, he breathed a sigh of relief, slowly sat back in the chair, and said gently: "You are wooden by nature, and you don't understand the tricks of officialdom. It stands to reason that once you leave the support of the old man, it will be difficult for you to rise to the top. However, you are better than the word loyalty, and you have actually entered the eyes of the emperor, and entrusted you with the important task of judging the weapons superintendent, but you are also in your own eyes, don't be good at winning. ”

"I said too much, and you don't understand it well, so it's better to serve the emperor consistently. In the future, if it is a coincidence, there will be a chance to enter the cabinet. Li Qiong looked at the wooden-like Li Hu, although she sighed again and again, she was helpless.

"My lord, Qi Niang said that the child must obey the emperor's orders, and only need to do it with his heart." Li Hu smiled innocently, and actually told Li Qiong clearly that he felt that it was not ashamed to listen to his daughter's words.

Li Qiong only felt that her scalp was numb for a while, and she wanted to reprimand her, but after thinking about it, maybe it is really, and I don't know if I am a fool?

"That's it, you go and instruct the cook, carefully prepare a table of vegetarian noodles, and send it to the Zhegong Mansion." Li Qiong glanced at Li Hu angrily, and simply made the necessary arrangements.

Li Qiong and Zhi Congruan, because of their different fundamental interests, although they did not dare to fall out with each other in front of Li Zhongyi, they also fought secretly many times.

However, no matter how secret the fight is, the etiquette on the surface needs to be perfunctory. After all, the dead are the greatest!

In the palace, Tang Shuyi had already heard the news of Zhi Congruan's death, and for some reason, she couldn't help but let out a long breath, and her mood was extremely relaxed.

The emperor has a total of six sons, and Li Jiyi, the "dog baby" from Tang Shuyi, ranks first and is the eldest son of the well-known emperor.

Among Li Zhongyi's sons, the remaining five princes are either Brother Xing or Brother Hua. However, the emperor's eldest son, Li Jiyi, took a mixed name of "dog baby", which is particularly special.

Objectively speaking, among the biological mothers of the six princes, Tang Shuyi's background is the most humble. After all, the bottle back then was just a maid who was sold into slavery.

In Tang Shuyi's mind, the Northwest Zhejia and the Li family of Huayang County's royal mansion, both in terms of family and strength, far surpassed the helpless so-called Tang family.

The Tang family is Tang Shuyi's own family, but since his parents sold Tang Shuyi into the Li family as a slave, Tang Shuyi has never seen the Tang family again.

A pale fact is that today's Tang Shuyi, the only reliance is just Li Zhongyi thinking about the old love and looking at her differently.

In addition, Tang Shuyi has nothing else to rely on, and the eldest son of the emperor has no power to rely on from his mother's family, so he feels sad when he thinks about it.

Now, the pillar of the Zhe family, Zhi Congruan, has passed away, and Tang Shuyi's heart that has been holding on to it can finally relax a little.

"Qinxiang, where did Da Lang go?" Tang Shuyi thought about it alone for a while, raised his feet and walked out of the inner room, looked around, but didn't see his son, he couldn't help raising his voice and asked the female official who was close to him.

"Niangniang, after Da Lang finished his homework, he went to the Queen Mother." Qin Xiang looked at Tang Shuyi with some concern.

Alas, it has obviously been done, and in such a short period of time, the mother actually forgot it?

Tang Shuyi thought about it carefully, and then understood that his son wanted to go to the imperial grandmother, and he had already told her in advance.

"Well, look at my memory." Tang Shuyi complained about herself, but she cheered up and began to deal with palace affairs.

Anyway, Tang Shuyi, who is a virtuous concubine, although she does not have the name of the queen, is supported by the emperor and the queen mother, and is the real power favorite concubine of the six palaces.

Liu Jinshan, who was standing in front of the windowsill with his hands, kept staring at the old locust tree in the courtyard, and was unwilling to withdraw his gaze for a long time.

There is providence in the dark!

Ever since, after the emperor drove the expedition in person, Ruan's body bones suddenly failed, and before everyone could react, he had already fallen ill on the couch.

It is said that the Emperor Li Dahe dragged his sick body and personally went to Zhefu for diagnosis and treatment, but came to the conclusion that he could not live for half a month, which is really a sigh.

Liu Jinshan thought to himself, if the emperor is in the capital, with the emperor's astonishing and brilliant medical skills, I am afraid that Ruan can still be saved, right?

However, now, the wood has been completed, and the broken Ruan has finally died.

As a cabinet counselor, Liu Jinshan naturally knows a lot of inside stories that are not known to outsiders. With the death of Zhi Congruan, it is only a matter of time before Li Qiong leaves the throne of prime minister.

Whether it is dissenting opinions or power checks and balances, Li Qiong, who has lost an opponent in the cabinet, can no longer continue to be content with his position. Unless, the current emperor is a faint king.

Therefore, although Liu Jinshan seems unusually calm on the surface, he is turbulent in the depths of his heart.

As long as Li Qiong leaves the position of prime minister, with Liu Jinshan's status in the eyes of the current emperor, it is logical for him to move to the next level and take over as the deputy prime minister of the cabinet. It's a matter of course.

The only question is who will end up in the position of prime minister, and Liu Jinshan really has no bottom in his heart.

In other words, if nothing else, Kong Kun, who is currently one of the governors of the cabinet, will at least be promoted to the position of deputy cabinet minister.

The reason is actually quite simple. Since the establishment of the army in Hechi, most of the confidants and important ministers around him are upstarts from military achievements.

However, the scholars and doctors in the court despised Confucianism very much, and even changed the subjects of the imperial examination independently, and there were few people who took refuge.

Liu Jinshan didn't need to think about it at all, and when he counted it, he knew that the emperor's available henchmen and ministers were just a small group of people.

Moreover, due to seniority and other issues, most of these civil servants who were highly used by the emperor were middle and low-level civil officials, and there was no possibility of entering the cabinet immediately.

Having said that, the selection of the prime minister and the deputy prime minister of the cabinet is all up to the emperor's decision. Whether it was Liu Jinshan or Kong Kun, they could only wait silently, and neither of them had any way to influence the emperor's judgment.

Therefore, what Liu Jinshan is pondering at this moment is the candidate for the new governor of the cabinet.

As long as you are a human being, you will have selfishness, and Liu Jinshan is no exception.

In Liu Jinshan's pocket, the best candidate to participate in politics is Wang Xiaotian, the left attendant of the Ministry of Works, who secretly took refuge under him.

However, Wang Xiaotian also has the defect of insufficient qualifications. After all, he had never been a full-time minister.

Thinking of this, Liu Jinshan couldn't help but sigh slightly. Wang Xiaotian's colleague, Zhou Chong, the right attendant of the Ministry of Industry, is a figure that cannot be underestimated.

The right attendant of the Ministry of Works, in the court full of high-ranking officials, may not be nothing. However, Zhou Chongji is the father-in-law of Li Yunxiao, the dignified commander of the Nine Gates.

Of course, it is precisely because Zhou Chongji is Li Yunxiao's father-in-law. Therefore, before Li Yunxiao, who held the military power, was not transferred out of the capital, it was absolutely impossible for Zhou Chongji to enter the cabinet.

"Prime Minister Counselor, as you expected, there is a big movement on the side of the Admiral Yamen of the Nine Gates."

The henchmen sent out to inquire about the news not only broke the silence in the room, but also brought the news that Liu Jinshan guessed correctly.