When Ye Qing had not yet returned to Lin'an, Wang Huai did not realize who was the main and who was the second in the Northern Expedition.

In his opinion, the biggest contributor to the Northern Expedition of the imperial court this time was Wang Huai.

After all, in addition to the saint's lack of mental government, he supported the court alone, and under the huge pressure of the Lord and the envoys of the Jin people, the Northern Expedition, which had been planned for nearly three years, finally ended with the recovery of the four roads in the north.

So of course, whether it is the many colleagues above the court or the saints who have no mental politics, even the people of Lin'an City, they should think that this time the Northern Expedition should be headed by him Wang Huai.

Just like people who feel good about themselves and take themselves too seriously from the development to the end of a thing, they will always think that they occupy an extremely important position in this matter and play a pivotal role.

Wang Huai is still so optimistic that after the promotion of Ye Qing's title from the saint, the next big move should be to further consolidate his Wang Huai's rights in the court.

Even he has begun to look forward to the fact that with the Holy Zen throne, and then the crown prince succeeds to the throne, he is afraid that he will also be entrusted with the important task of assisting the prince by the Holy Lord, so that he can handle the political affairs of the court more justly.

Liang Kejia looked at the high-spirited Wang Huai with some concern, and sighed several times, but he still couldn't bear to interrupt Wang Huai's dream.

"Han Yanxuan will return to Lin'an tomorrow, and when the time comes, I'm afraid there will be a reward. After all, the suppression of Ziqi and Luodian has raised more war horses for our Great Song Dynasty, although this matter is not as exciting as the Northern Expedition, but after all, it is also a happy thing to promote the prestige of our Great Song Dynasty. So whether Han Cheng will take this opportunity to reverse the decline, Lord Wang has to guard against it. Liang Kejia said as much as he tried to restrain his emotions.

"Left respects the right, this is the rule of the court for many years. Even if Han Cheng can be polished because of his son's merits, compared to the Northern Expedition, how can the light of fireflies compete with Haoyue? Wang Huai's expression was calm and leisurely, and he continued to say lightly: "Now the meaning of the saint is only to seal Ye Qing's title, and as for the other sentries, no rewards have been given, so can't you see it?" This is the intention of the Holy Lord to send the court officials by the prince after the crown prince succeeds to the throne, so as to pick up the missing in large quantities, and try to make sure that after the prince ascends the throne, there are trustworthy courtiers in his hands to send, so as to stabilize the court under the rule of the prince. ”

"In that case, adults should be more cautious ......." Liang Kejia sighed helplessly again in his heart, the two-year career of the prime minister seemed to have completely made Wang Huai dizzy, and he was a little unable to calmly analyze the situation in the court.

"Do you think that after the crown prince succeeds to the throne, he will be able to sort out the intricacies of the court in a short period of time? Judging from the current situation, the Holy Lord will inevitably let me and Han Cheng assist the crown prince after he ascended the throne, and now I have been in charge of the court alone for several years, and the appointment and dismissal of officials, if the prince is smart, he naturally knows who to consult with and who to consult. It's like ...... The Imperial City Division, which I have abolished for more than half a year, is now handed over to Ye Qing again, isn't the purpose of hoping that he can successfully ascend the throne and let the crown prince ascend the throne smoothly? Therefore, after the crown prince ascends the throne, Ye Qing's career may not be smooth, and in the end, it will be good to be able to keep the position of pacification envoy on Huainan East Road. Wang Huai said as he admired the tea leaves gradually falling in the teacup.

"My lord didn't think about it, if it was the saint or the crown prince who ascended the throne, he would change the phase ......." Liang Kejia's brows furrowed even more, and he finally mentioned it involuntarily.

"Han Cheng?" Wang Huai asked with a hint of disdain.

"The lower official is talking about Zhao Ruyu of the clan." Liang Kejia said calmly.

Then, I saw Wang Huai's expression stiffen, slowly put down the teacup in his hand, and involuntarily fell into contemplation.

On the other side, under the mulberry tree in the courtyard and the white beauty, Ye Qing, who was lingering with the white beauty, was disturbed by Liang Xing's coughing sound, and then when the white beauty's face was red and cramped, and she quickly ran into the building, Ye Qing got into the carriage and went to the Yongjin Building, which he hadn't been to for a long time.

Walking into the drunken Yongjin Building again, everything that was familiar at the beginning began to come to mind, but Zhao Caiqing and Wen Wan have now been replaced by younger women and have become the new top girls in Yongjin Building.

The iron-beaten Yongjin Building, the flowing Qinglou woman, the best situation of a woman is just a few years, and the ruthlessness of the years is particularly obvious in this Qinglou.

The palace silk silk, curved skirt and tulle, set off a cardamom woman, and set off a stunner in the world. The skin is like condensation, the air is like a quiet orchid, the tulle hides the looming delicate figure, the eyes are bright, the smile is clever, the beautiful faces are dizzying, and the moving music that flows slowly in the ears makes the whole Yongjin Building appear more extravagant and heart-wrenching.

Zhao Ruyu in the room had been waiting for a long time, and after seeing Ye Qing walk in, he slowly got up and saluted with a smile: "I haven't seen you for many days, but Lord Ye's demeanor is still the same." Triumphant today, Zhao is here to congratulate Lord Ye. ”

"Yiguo Gong has a heart." Ye Qing returned the salute and said.

Under the beautiful scenery of the good day, Ye Qing and Zhao Ruyu also had their own thoughts, the music in their ears became softer, and the dancing beauty with the delicate body, with the swing of the tulle curved skirt, the snow-white skin and slender limbs were also looming.

"Presumably, today, the Yiguo public banquet invited Ye, I'm afraid it was just to celebrate the imperial court's recovery of the four roads in the north, right?" Ye Qing put down the wine glass, and the woman next to her who had a strong aroma immediately poured wine for Ye Qing obediently, and the fragrance on the woman's body was now available everywhere in Lin'an.

"What does Lu Guogong think?" Zhao Ruyu didn't answer and asked: "Could it be that five days after Lu Guogong returned to Lin'an, he still didn't want to talk to Zhao?" ”

"I thought you'd be able to hold your breath. After all, in the sect now, even King Wei is not as important as you in the court, isn't it? Ye Qing raised his glass again and drank with Zhao Ruyu.

Zhao Ruyu looked at Ye Qing silently, and said after a while: "In this way, Lu Guogong guessed that Zhao would definitely look for you?" ”

"Although I haven't been in Lin'an for a long time, Yi Guogong also knows that Ye Qing is not completely ignorant of the situation in Lin'an, otherwise, Yi Guogong would not personally come to this Yongjin Mansion to feast me. Shi Miyuan because of Wang Huai's support, so robbed Yi Guogong has been thinking about the post of the Ministry of Shangshu, now the meaning of the holy Zen position has been decided, Yi Guogong is naturally a lot of contributions, once the prince succeeds to the throne, Yi Guogong must be a smooth progress, a very popular minister. I'm Ye Qing...... Naturally, he is happy to see that Yi Guogong can go further above the court. Ye Qing held the wine glass in his hand and didn't drink it for the first time.

"Is Lu Guogong sincere or what is his purpose? Why do you make Zhao believe it? Zhao Ruyu drank it all, looked at Ye Qing, who had been holding the wine glass, and asked.

Seeing that Ye Qing smiled and didn't speak, and then drank the wine in his hand, Zhao Ruyu found that it seemed a little redundant for him to ask like this.

After all, it was Ye Qing who instructed his wife at the beginning, and Zhong Qing, the princess of Naxin, who persuaded themselves to support the crown prince's accession to the throne and advise the Holy Zen throne, and now that this matter is about to be completed, then he, Zhao Ruyu, has to think about what his next step should be.

The official department is obviously unable to meet his ambitions, not to mention, the holy Zen throne and the prince's accession to the throne, he can be said to have contributed a lot, so after His Royal Highness the prince ascends the throne, his own clan, which is now a princeling, will inevitably be reused by the prince if nothing else.

But if you want to really get what you want, it is obviously not enough to rely on the support of His Royal Highness the Prince, after the crown prince ascends the throne, he will inevitably reuse some old ministers, and these people, no one knows whether they want to see him Zhao Ruyu go further above the court.

Ye Qing clearly told him that he was happy to see him Zhao Ruyu go further above the court, which made Zhao Ruyu naturally feel a lot more relaxed, but this was not the purpose of his search for Ye Qing today.

Zhao Ruyu knew very well in his heart that since Ye Qing sent Zhong Qing and Bai Chun to spy with him, although the relationship between him and Ye Qing was not like turning hostility into jade silk, but now the two should have common interests, otherwise, why would Ye Qing persuade himself to support the prince?

Therefore, this banquet invited Ye Qing to Yongjin Building, and he Zhao Ruyu hoped to get Ye Qing's full support.

"Tomorrow, Han Yanxuan will arrive in Lin'an." Zhao Ruyu said in a deep voice.

"So what?" Ye Qing said with the easy-going smile on the corner of his mouth: "Since the founding of the Great Song Dynasty, there has never been a royal clan that has been able to ascend to the stage. ”

"It's just a moment in time, and now the prince believes in Zhao. And Lu Guogong ...... It must also be clear that the court has always paid attention to the depth of the past years and seniority, and if Lu Guogong wants to go further in the court, I am afraid it will take time. What's more, according to Zhao's foolish opinion, Lu Guogong probably doesn't have the heart to be above the court now, right? Huainan East Road, or even Beidi Fourth Road, should be your top priority, Lord Ye. Zhao can promise Lord Ye, if Lord Ye can let Zhao get his wish, then Zhao will inevitably give you the convenience you want in the court, regardless of the previous suspicions, how about it? Zhao Ruyu said directly, without the slightest hint of beating around the bush.

"Privy Council." Ye Qing said lightly.

Then Zhao Ruyu's brows gradually wrinkled: "Lord Ye's ambition...... I'm afraid Zhao can't be satisfied. ”

The relationship between the Privy Council and the Ministry of War is similar to the relationship between the Military Commission and the Ministry of Defense in later generations (not allowed to be more real), Ye Qing is nakedly asking for more and greater military power, which shows that he is no longer satisfied with just a military general who commands the army, he wants the right to really be able to decide on the dispatch of troops by the imperial court.

Once Ye Qing is sent to know the affairs of the Privy Council, then as long as he has the proper means in the Privy Council, it means that he really has the decision-making power over the Great Song Army of the Fourth Route of the Northland, and it is completely up to him to decide whether to fight or retreat.

Of course, the premise is that he can convince other Privy Council officials to support his decision, and of course, he can also completely ignore the objections of others, because the soon-to-be-enthroned prince has great trust in him.

"In this way, is Yi Guogong unwilling to recommend Ye above the court?" The expression on Ye Qing's face was still calm, and there was no change because of Zhao Ruyu's refusal.

"Is that ...... Lord Ye will find Lord Han to make this transaction? Zhao Ruyu's expression was solemn, and the woman who poured wine for the two of them in the Yongjin Building next to her didn't know when she had quietly left, only the soft music was still flowing gently from the far corner, as if she was afraid of disturbing the room, and began to become a somewhat dignified and depressing atmosphere.

"I don't have to take the initiative to look for it, once Han Yanxuan returns to Lin'an tomorrow, he will come to me as soon as possible. At that time, in addition to his intentions, I guess he will also bring me Lord Han's overtures, right? Ye Qing said calmly: "Not only you, but the officials who are now in Lin'an must know very well that I, Ye Qingzhi, am not in the court, otherwise, how could I only need a dispatch from the Imperial City Division?" ”

"Then why didn't Lord Ye look for His Royal Highness the Prince? Zhao believes that if Lord Ye is looking for His Royal Highness the Prince, His Royal Highness will definitely not refuse, not to mention that for the Prince, this is not a difficult matter, is it? Zhao Ruyu asked solemnly.

"Yes, that's what I said, but has Yi Guogong ever thought about what to do if the prince's proposal was opposed by his colleagues in the court? If the prince hesitates, then it is equivalent to temporarily blocking all the paths of my entry into the Privy Council, right? Ye Qing said with a smile.

"So as long as I, Zhao Ruyu, recommend you above the court, even if there are colleagues in the court who oppose it, as long as the prince supports and decides at this time, then this matter can be decided." Zhao Ruyu pondered for a while and continued: "The prince proposed, even if I, Zhao Ruyu, support it, but after all, I can't resist the voices of my colleagues who oppose it. But my Zhao Ruyu recommended it and the prince supported it, but it was completely able to suppress the opposition of my colleagues. Lord Ye is so thoughtful...... It's just a different method, and a dead end will be completely revitalized by Lord Ye. ”

"And if Lord Han recommends me, the voice of opposition is definitely much smaller than when you recommend me." Ye Qing picked up the wine glass and took the initiative to drink it all.

Zhao Ruyu slowly picked up the wine glass, but his eyes were always staring at Ye Qing, Wang Huai must be in a bad position, not to mention that during Ye Qing's Northern Expedition, there was already a great deal of discord between the two, Ye Qing would inevitably support Wang Huai's resignation, and then support himself to enter the phase.

Of course, Zhao Ruyu is not ambitious enough to directly replace Wang Huai's position as the left minister, in his opinion, he is already satisfied if he can sit on the right minister.

"In this way, Lord Ye is very sure that Wang Xiang will resign?" Zhao Ruyu didn't give Ye Qing a clear answer and asked.

"Everyone thinks that I, Ye Qing, control the officialdom of the Beidi Fourth Road, which makes it difficult for the officials to pass through the Beidi Fourth Road, but is this the case?" Ye Qing didn't give Zhao Ruyu a chance to speak, and continued: "Obviously, this is not the case, the three words of the reformist proposed by Shi Hao, the Duke of Wei, made the people of the four roads of the north discriminate against each other and the people of the Great Song Dynasty, and the hearts of the people of the four roads of the north and the intention of returning to the imperial court gradually faded, and it also made the court officials extremely reluctant to go to the four roads of the north to pick up the missing things. But the officials are tired of this, almost every day will send others to the Beidi Fourth Road, and then go back on their word to withdraw the dispatch documents, didn't Yi Guogong find out that Shi Miyuan, who is the secretary of the ministry, is actually taking bribes by using the dispatch appointment of the Beidi Fourth Road, instead of really wanting to send officials to the Beidi Fourth Road? ”

"It is not new for the people to discriminate against the Beidi 4th Road to spread to the court, and it is not new for officials to be reluctant to go to the Beidi 4th Road to be sent. Because apart from Lord Ye, there are no other officials who believe that the Beidi Fourth Road will not be invaded by the Jin people again, and in their opinion, the Jin people will retaliate sooner or later, so they are unwilling to put themselves in danger. Let alone...... Compared with the prosperity and wealth of Lin'an and Jiangnan, Beidi Fourth Road is too poor after all, there is no oil and water to fish, there is no drunken green building like Yongjin Building, there is no cardamom years, and graceful women accompany them to be happy, so who wants to go? Zhao Ruyu's solemn expression finally gradually dispersed and said.

"So Shi Miyuan accepted bribes from hundreds of officials because of this, and Wang Huai benefited from it, and Yiguo Gong should have heard about it, right?" Ye Qing asked with a smile.

"So when you return to Lin'an, the first thing you do is not to ask the Holy Lord to reward you, but to wait to return to the Imperial City Division, just to ......." Zhao Ruyu asked with a smile.

"So Yi Guogong can choose to refuse to recommend Ye, because Lord Han will definitely be happy to see that Wang Huai, who has suppressed him for several years in the court, finally has a handle in his hands, and finally has the opportunity to overthrow Wang Huai and replace him." Ye Qing said.

"Are you really not interested in the court? Just want to resist gold and block gold to go south again? Zhao Ruyu was silent for a while before asking.

"The prosperity of Kaifeng Mansion back then was no less than that of Lin'an, and the Fourth Road of Beidi was also the territory of my Great Song Dynasty, so someone had to do these things after all. As a clan, since you want to be the prime minister, in addition to your own interests, haven't you really considered the face of the royal clan and the shame of the past? Ye Qing asked.

Zhao Ruyu stood up a little undecided, slowly walked to the window, and the moment he opened the window, in addition to the endless night and the brightly lit scene, there was also the endless sound of bustling and lively.

"Some people say that you Ye Qing want to establish yourself as the king, how do you explain it?" Zhao Ruyu's voice revealed a hint of melancholy and entanglement, after all, the right to know the affairs of the Privy Council is too great, and once Ye Qing's city government is recommended to the Privy Council, then the imperial court will be really difficult to control.

Since he Zhao Ruyu wants to be the prime minister, then he must also consider, once he is the prime minister, and Ye Qing also gets greater rights, will he still be able to contain Ye Qing?

"If I wanted to make myself king, then I would not be able to return to Lin'an. I, Ye Qing, am a courtier of the Great Song Dynasty, a minister of the Great Song Dynasty in life, and a citizen of the Great Song Dynasty in death, and I set myself up as a king? I, Ye Qing, don't have the stupid idea of being an enemy of the world. Ye Qing walked to the window with a wine glass, handed Zhao Ruyu a glass, and continued: "If you want to be self-reliant, you also need to have a foundation and see the situation clearly. When the time comes, I won't be infamy, I'm afraid that I, Ye Qing, will have no bones and no place to bury my death, so do you think I, Ye Qing, will do such a stupid thing? ”

"So it seems...... In that case, you would be asking for your own death. Zhao Ruyu took the wine glass and drank it all: "I really miss the time when I first met you in the border city of Xia Kingdom, at that time, there were not so many troubles...... Jiankang, after all, is a hurdle that I can't get over in my heart. ”

Ye Qing slowly turned his head and looked at Zhao Ruyu, and Zhao Ruyu also looked at him calmly, about Jiankang, obviously Zhao Ruyu didn't plan to just forget it.