Tian Jue, the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, has not had a good time recently. Since last year, the emperor said to him in person: "The king has finished removing the officials? I want to get rid of the officials! Later, he was keenly aware that the position of prime minister would be different from before.

Since the founding of the Han Dynasty, the role of the prime minister has been crucial, and all those who have held this position are all valuable ministers. Whether it is Xiao He Cao Shen, or Chen Ping Zhou Bo, all the way to Tian Jue's predecessor Dou Ying, they are all qualified to be the head of the hundred officials and respected above the court by virtue of the great prestige and meritorious deeds they have established.

These rulers of the world, on the surface, are acting according to the will of the emperor, but in fact they are the heads of the entire regime. The Son of Heaven is respectful to them, and the hundred officials obey orders, and their power is very great, for the ministers of the court, and even high-ranking officials like Neishi, if there is a mistake, the prime minister has the right to cut it first and then play.

When discussing state affairs with the emperor, the opinion of the prime minister is the key factor in determining success or failure. The officials recommended by the prime minister will not be rejected by the emperor generally, and even those of the rank of Jiuqing County Guard will be appointed.

The most important point is that the prime minister is not at fault and cannot be replaced at will. Otherwise, there is a risk that it will cause a shock in the court.

Therefore, Tian Jue's previous ministers, except for extremely special circumstances, all have long-term traditions. Some even held this important position until their deaths, which can be said to be the responsibility of social stability.

Tian Jue, on the other hand, is an exception. The reason why he sat in this seat can be said to be a timely meeting.

Weiyang Palace has the support of his sister Queen Mother, and has an extremely strong political and power background. Outside the city of Chang'an, he made friends with many princes and kings and gained their great support.

In the case that Dou Ying listened to the advice of the Empress Dowager Dou and completely retreated, Wu'an Hou Tian Jue finally sat firmly on the throne of the prime minister and became a figure who was coveted by hundreds of civil and military officials in the court.

There have been days of getting carried away, and the scene of a hundred calls is naturally intoxicating! Every time he went to the court, he often sat alone in the court and talked endlessly. Every time the emperor smiled, he basically accepted the suggestions he made. As a result, the people he recommended could sometimes rise from a commoner to a high position of 2,000 stones. For such a prime minister, there will naturally be a large number of people flattering, and even the chief officials of some counties and counties, in a short period of time, have many wings attached to the Wu'an Hou Mansion.

What a promising prospect, an official position with immeasurable "money"! In the dead of night, Tian Jue looked at the recent earnings of those account books, and his heart blossomed.

However, all of this began to change quietly after the emperor's nephew said that sentence.

There was a new institution, and at a time when most of the ministers in the DPRK and China were still dismissive, Tian Jue was already keenly aware of its threat.

The position of Shangshu, at the beginning, was just subordinate to the Shaofu and was responsible for sorting out some documents and files. But when Emperor Liu Che suffprinted it with a word and became Shang Shutai, its role was no longer what it used to be.

Shangshutai, located near the Golden Horse Gate, is only a few steps away from the Weiyang Palace, the emperor has something to do, and the edict can be reached.

The people in it are all young talents selected by the emperor through the "Cilin Yuan", although most of them are unknown, but through the recently emerging Yan Zhu, Zhongjun, Yan An, Zhu Maichen, etc., it is already foreseeable that the rest must not be idle people.

The title "Old Fox" was not given for nothing. Although there are quite a few old foxes in the court, when it comes to wit and tactfulness, Tian Jue is the most cunning one.

After a few inconspicuous little things, although the emperor's intentions were still very hidden, in Tian Jue's cold eyes, the clues had already been preliminarily seen.

The emperor is about to take power! By setting up Shang Shutai, he has already taken the first step. As for the ultimate goal...... Tian Jue's melancholy eyes looked out the window at the rain. The DPRK and China started a new stove, the world weakened the princes, and the internal and external powers were monopolized, nothing more!

The pouring rain has been falling for several days, and there is still no sign of stopping, and it is rare to see such heavy rain in the arid northwest in the autumn solar term.

Looking at the rain, Tian Jue suddenly felt a little panicked. It's because from yesterday to now, there are three things in his heart, like a torrential rain, and finally become waves!

The queen mother narrates, the emperor beats, and the king of Huainan visits! For Tian Jue, these two days and one night require him to make a judgment that is most beneficial to himself, so as to complete an important choice.

If you are not careful, your head will fall to the ground, and you will be beheaded by a house, this is no joke! What if the emperor is his own nephew? Royal affection, in the balance of power, the weight is not as good as a chicken feather.

Be cautious, really be cautious! Tian Jue looked back at the person who was sitting in the same room as him and drinking tea. Half-short beard, full of shrewdness.

People, whether they are high or poor, have friends, and this person named Jifu is a close friend that Prime Minister Tian Jue has met since his humble status.

"Master Hou doesn't need to be like this, you don't have to think too much about this matter. With all due respect, at such a critical moment, Hou Ye's mind must be firm, and he can't tolerate a little hesitation! Otherwise, it will leave suspicion in the hearts of today's sons, and there will be endless troubles in the future. ”

Ji Fu's words are very sincere, since Hou Ye has regarded himself as a confidant and mastermind for many years, he doesn't have to worry about a lot, he must let him know his true thoughts.

When the interruption continues, there will be trouble! Tian Jue understands this truth better than anyone else. However, his biggest concern now is that the relationship between the Marquis of Wu'an and the princes and kings is already too deep. Now, can you really completely cut off the relationship and stop getting into trouble?

"Alas! When I entered the palace yesterday, the meaning revealed between the words of the Queen Mother and her old man was also to ask me to quickly break off the relationship with the princes. Although she didn't say it explicitly, I could naturally understand the anxiety hidden in it. Fear...... Some rumors should be true. ”

Tian Jue's eyebrows are full of gloom, in the past few years, since he became a captain and served as a prime minister, those princes and princes, which time did they come to Chang'an and did not bring him benefits?

All kinds of treasures of gold jewelry shells, which were all sent to the Hou Mansion in whole vehicles. He really can't bear these rich people! In the future, if these financial routes are cut off, it hurts to think about him.

However, I remembered what the emperor had said to him in the side hall. His heart cooled again.

"Master Hou, the Queen Mother is your own sister, so naturally she will not harm you! As long as she is in the palace, if she says a word at a critical time, no matter how big it is, it won't matter. The Han Dynasty ruled the world with filial piety, and the emperor ...... How can you disobey the will of your own mother? Hehe! ”

Ji Fu smiled slightly, this person is worthy of being a scheming person, very clear about things, good at grasping the key to things, and speaking clearly and clearly.

"Sir, you are really clever! That's what it means. This is also the place where I feel most at ease. Otherwise, there will be some trouble with the goods that have been transported from the princes in the treasury over the years. Hehe! ”

"Hou Ye doesn't have to worry about this. In the eyes of the Son of Heaven, what are the things of money and wealth? Since ancient times, loyalty and treachery have not been judged by this. The judging criteria in the eyes of the Son of Heaven are very different from those of the people in historical books...... Ha ha! This point, presumably Hou Ye knows better than me, right? ”

Speaking of this, the two looked at each other and smiled, and Tian Jue's mood relaxed. is too right, the important ministers of the court begged for land and asked for money, maybe it would make the emperor feel more at ease! As long as you are obedient, obey his will, and don't stand in the wrong line, you will be a qualified and good courtier.

"That being said, it's just ...... Alas! It doesn't matter who lives or dies among the other princes, only the king of Huainan and I have been friends for more than 20 years, and we have always known each other very well. ”

Tian Jue's words were not pretentious, but he sincerely felt a little sorry for Liu An, the king of Huainan. Last night, the king of Huainan came to visit the mansion privately, and under the side knock, he didn't dare to show the slightest tone, and he was really helpless.

In the dark night of heavy rain, watching this old friend come in a hurry and leave in a hurry, Tian Jue ordered someone to close the door of the mansion, and he could only sigh deeply.

"When you make up your mind today? Hou Ye entered the palace yesterday, Son of Heaven, have you already discussed this matter with Hou Ye? ”

Ji Fu looked at Tian Jue's face and asked cautiously. Just now he just heard his own Hou Ye say a rough idea, and he didn't know the specific situation, as the mastermind, if he wants to make the most comprehensive judgment, he must know what he should know.

When Tian Jue heard him ask, a bitter smile appeared on his face. Arouse worries, but also loss.

"Now, I don't hide it anymore. Mr. didn't know that the Son of Heaven had not consulted with the old man for a long time about the major affairs of the court, not only me, but also the important ministers of the Three Princes and the Nine Emperors had been left aside. The so-called court deliberations are just ...... obey orders. ”

"How so! Hou Ye is the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, and major military affairs must be reported to the prime minister for signature, so that he can reach the heavens and tell the hundred officials. Putting aside the three princes and nine kings...... This—This is appalling! If this continues, isn't the government chaotic? ”

It was the first time that Ji Fu had heard such a thing from Tian Jue's mouth. This turned his perception upside down.

Outside the window, the rain was rolling and clanging. Tian Jue's stomach is full of melancholy, and it is as endless as the night rain in this autumn.

"Messy ......? Whether it will be messed up in the future is unknown. However, the emperor's heart is big! Hehe, okay, don't talk about this. ”

Tian Jue waved his hand and cut off the conversation. He didn't want to talk about these troubles anymore, so he immediately changed the subject.

"If my judgment is correct, the Emperor's determination this time is very strong. The history is so similar, the prince left the palace a few days ago and had a conflict with a group of princes and princes in Chang'an City, and I heard that the trouble was a bit serious, which directly led to the early occurrence of this matter. ”

In the Marquis of Wu'an's Mansion, Tian Jue turned his head and looked at his mastermind, with a sense of uncertainty in his tone: "Emperor, yesterday he only said one sentence, 'Since the root of the curse has been planted, if you don't eradicate it early, do you want the prince to repeat the mistakes of the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion back then'!"