Although he is a well-known Qing official, but he can get to the position of the governor Shangshu without bribery or gifts, Yan Jingming is of course also a master of playing with his heart, after listening to Wu Chaoyue's question, before Zhao Liewen could react, Yan Jingming already understood what Wu Chaoyue meant, and asked: "Wu Futai, are you worried that this is a trick played by the flower table?" ”

"This possibility cannot be ruled out. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info" Wu Chaoyue replied: "Hua Zhitai is a good person, but how shrewd he is, you all know, in order to achieve a certain goal, it is not strange to resort to such means. ”

"Are you saying that the flower stage was to test you, so he deliberately let Dai Wenjie let out the wind, saying that his condition suddenly worsened?" Yan Jingming was a little surprised and said, "Impossible, right? For no reason, why did the flower table test you like this? Even deliberately pretending to be aggravated? ”

Wu Chaoyue also couldn't figure this out, Hua Shana, who monitored him for the Manchu court, did have 10,000 reasons to test his ambitions and intentions, but in the absence of any signs of abnormality, Hua Shana was full of food and wanted to make such a big move to test himself, especially when Hua Shana's current physical condition was related to the political situation in Hunan and the major events of the rebellion.

"Comfort Pavilion, could this be incidental? Tempting you by the way? Zhao Liewen said suddenly: "If the flower table needs to arrange the illusion of a sudden aggravation of the condition for some reason and purpose, while aiming at another purpose, also test your reaction to this matter by the way?" ”

"It's possible!" Wu Chaoyue woke up and said, "Wenge, we almost killed Wenge, the governor of Hunan!" Hua Zhitai went south to quell the rebellion this time, in order to curb the rapid degeneration of Hunan officialdom, and Wenge did not fight openly and secretly, Hua Zhitai's illness is also closely related to Wenge's status and power, Hua Zhitai confuses Wenge for some purpose, and pretending that his condition is aggravated is by no means impossible! ”

"Especially now that Hua Zhitai has made up his mind to bring down Wenge." Zhao Liewen added: "It is more likely that he deliberately pretended to be seriously ill on the cusp of this storm and induced Wenge, who had already turned his face with the flower table, to make a move to reveal his flaws, and take the opportunity to catch the evidence of the crime." ”

Wu Chaoyue nodded, gritted his teeth and said: "Sure enough, it is an old fox, while laying out the set for Wenge, he will take the opportunity to test whether I will have any abnormal actions, killing two birds with one stone, but there is no delay." ”

"Wu Futai, this is just a possibility and speculation, we can't be sure that Hua Zhitai is really pretending to be aggravated." Yan Jingming hurriedly reminded and said: "I can't rule out this possibility, Hua Zhitai's condition suddenly worsened, and he couldn't listen to persuasion, so Dai Wenjie found you for help, it's not surprising, you have a good relationship with Hua Zhitai, except for the matter of military power, Hua Zhitai listens to you, and it is completely reasonable to ask you for help and persuasion." ”

Wu Chaoyue was silent, it was not that Wu Chaoyue felt that Yan Jingming was wrong, but that Wu Chaoyue was also worried about this, what if Hua Shana's condition really worsened again? The Mongols, who were born as civil officials, went to the south of Hunan to adapt to the water and soil, and also suffered from heat miasma, and it is normal for the condition to suddenly worsen repeatedly, and no one can rule out this possibility.

This possibility cannot be ruled out, the contradiction will come out immediately, if Hua Shana is really seriously ill, if Wu Chaoyue does not seize this opportunity to strive for further efforts, then another Manchurian and Mongolian governor will come to Huguang to sit in the town, then the trouble will definitely not be small, and it may even affect the major event of raising troops against the Qing Dynasty. But if Hua Shana pretended to be sick for a dual purpose, and Wu Chaoyue was unwilling to be lonely, then not only would the official hat of the governor of Huguang not be able to get it, but Wu Chaoyue would definitely face a hundred times more severe surveillance constraints from Hua Shana in the future, and it would also affect the major events of the rebellion against the Qing Dynasty.

"Do you stand still and continue to wait and see the situation? Or is it the lesser of two evils, and fight to take over as the governor of Huguang? After all, with the temper of the old man, even if I made a mistake in this bet, he would not openly turn against me. ”

After starting to take a risk gamble, Wu Chaoyue couldn't help but think about how to fight for the governor of Huguang, and it was simple to fight, the first was nothing more than to show loyalty, and the second was to make meritorious contributions, but when he was thinking about it further, Wu Chaoyue found that it was not so easy to do these two things.

First of all, how to show loyalty, no matter how much Wu Chaoyue pretends to be a loyal minister, Emperor Xianfeng and the Manchu court will definitely only trust the Manchu and Mongolian officials more, how can Wu Chaoyue make Xianfeng and the Manchu court believe that he is more loyal and reliable than the Manchu and Mongolian officials?

The second is meritorious service, the meritorious service in governing the government and the people is too slow, and it is a good way to make military merits, but now how can Wu Chaoyue make military merits again? Go and fight the Taiping Army again? Or go north to Henan to play hide and seek with the Twist Army?

"It's a good idea to go south to clean up the Taiping army in Hunan, the enemy there is not particularly difficult to deal with, and there is no need to fight them to the end, just drive them out of Hunan, but I am the governor of Hubei, ......, huh? Wait a minute! ”

When he was thinking about this, an astonishing thought suddenly popped up in Wu Chaoyue's mind, and he couldn't help but ask Zhao Liewen and Yan Jingming: "Huifu, Danchu, otherwise, I asked the imperial court to let me exchange positions with Wenge, Wenge came to Hubei to take over my appointment, and I went to Governor Hunan to take over Hua Zhitai to lead the army to quell the rebellion, so that Hua Zhitai could take time out and return to the Hubei provincial capital to recuperate." ”

Hearing this, Zhao Liewen's mouth was open enough to fit two eggs, and Yan Jingming's strange eyes, one high and one low, also stared into a copper bell, and exclaimed in unison: "Are you crazy? What if the court and the emperor really agreed? Where is that hellish place in Hunan and Hubei? ”

"Su Zhongtang and Zai Wangye, they will definitely stop them." Wu Chaoyue replied: "They know how important Hubei is, and they will definitely fight to stop the emperor from agreeing to do this." Moreover, the imperial court and the emperor will definitely be worried that Hubei will repeat the mistakes of Hunan, and they will definitely be very cautious about transferring me out of Hubei. ”

"Even if they will definitely stop Su Zhongtang, the imperial court will definitely consider transferring you out of Hubei for influence, but why do you want to do this?" Zhao Liewen hurriedly asked.

"Show loyalty, and also strive for the opportunity to take over as the governor of Huguang." Wu Chaoyue replied in a deep voice: "I bet that the emperor will be very moved when he sees my self-requested transfer, thinking that I am loyal and reliable, and I can sacrifice my personal interests for the sake of his country, and then if Hua Zhitai is really seriously ill and can no longer continue to serve as the governor of Huguang, when the emperor is forced to consider his successor, he will definitely think of me first!" Then Su Zhongtang wants to push me to the top again, and you can get twice the result with half the effort. ”

"If the flower table is the same as we analyzed, it is pretending to be sick for some purpose." Speaking of this, Wu Chaoyue smiled slightly and said, "You said that when Hua Zhitai knew about this, what would he be moved?" I was moved by both him and the emperor, wouldn't my position in Huguang be more stable in the future? When the Governor of Huguang becomes vacant, won't I have a better chance of ascending to the throne? ”

Zhao Liewen and Yan Jingming pondered carefully, and found that Wu Chaoyue's hand was indeed a two-pronged strategy, first showing the golden lacquer signboard of loyalty and patriotism and respect for elders, and then no matter whether Hua Shana was really seriously ill or fake seriously ill, Wu Chaoyue could be invincible, and he could steal the throne of the Governor of Huguang, and he could win the trust and favor of Emperor Xianfeng and Hua Shana even more, and his officialdom status would be more stable as Mount Tai. But......

But Zhao Liewen still warned Wu Chaoyue again, and said: "Weiting, you have to think about this matter, I know that the court and the emperor will definitely consider the impact and consequences of transferring you out of Hubei, and they will definitely do their best to stop you in Suzhongtang, the possibility of you being transferred out of Hubei is very small, but what if?" What if the emperor really agrees? Are you really willing to go to Hunan and start from scratch? Don't blame me for not reminding you, there is no Hankou wharf in Hunan, and there is no road draw in nine provinces! ”

"No whatever!" Wu Chaoyue replied categorically, and pointed out: "If the news leaked by Dai Wenjie to Feng Sanbao is true, then even if Hua Zhitai returns to the Hubei provincial capital to recuperate, he will definitely not be able to continue to perform his duties as governor, and the emperor and the imperial court can only replace the governor of Huguang." ”

"If the news leaked by Dai Wenjie is false, then Hua Zhitai can continue to serve as the governor of Huguang, and there is no need for the court and the emperor to take a huge risk to transfer me to Hunan. Even if Bai Ye's gang will definitely take the opportunity to make trouble and disgust me, the emperor must also consider the critical situation around Hubei, and he will definitely not dare to risk the stability of Hubei again! ”

Seeing that Wu Chaoyue was so confident, Zhao Liewen no longer insisted on opposing it, and immediately took up the pen to write down the folds according to Wu Chaoyue's meaning, and helped Wu Chaoyue to create a hypocritical image of loyalty and patriotism, respect for elders and regardless of personal gains and losses. Yan Jingming over there suggested: "Wu Futai, if you want to be safe, send this excerpt to Su Zhongtang first, and ask him to present it to the emperor for you, he will grasp the timing and heat, and not let you take the slightest risk." ”

Wu Chaoyue pondered for a moment, shook his head and said: "No need, although this is foolproof, but it is too traceful, Bai Ye's gang will definitely make a big fuss about not going through the normal procedures to submit the folds, and the emperor may also see my true purpose, which will have the opposite effect." ”

After the important excerpt was issued, Wu Chaoyue of course asked Zhao Liewen to write a letter to Hua Shana, letting Hua Shana know his decision, and strongly persuading Hua Shana to immediately return to the Hubei provincial capital for treatment and recuperation, and wait for the imperial court to approve his invitation, and then let himself go to Hunan to clean up the Taiping Army and rectify the officialdom there. At the end, Zhao Liewen asked if he should write a letter to Su Shun, Wu Chaoyue shook his head directly, and said: "No need, Su Zhongtang is holding back his strength to push me to the top position, and you will know what I mean when you look at the excerpt." ”

"But." Speaking of this, Wu Chaoyue showed a wry smile and said: "Using such a crazy method to grab an official position, a stinking scold is definitely indispensable." ”

…………

Whether Su Shun will scold Wu Chaoyue or not, let's not mention it, just say that our Wu Xiao comprador pleaded to exchange positions with Hunan Governor Wenge after the fold was sent to the capital, Mu Yin, who was the first to see this twist and turn in the Military Aircraft Department, was dazzled, and after rubbing his eyes and looking at it again, Mu Yin couldn't help but pinch his thigh to confirm whether he was dreaming, and then couldn't help but exclaim: "Go out and see, is the sun coming out of the west today?" ”

Of course, the sun will not come out from the west, but Peng Yunzhang and Bai Ye and other military ministers were puzzled by Mu Yin's strange screams, and when they asked the reason, Mu Yin replied in despair: "Wu Chaoyue played, saying that he asked the emperor to allow him to exchange positions with Hunan Governor Wenge, and let him go to Hunan to suppress bandits and quell the rebellion, so that Hua Shana could return to the Hubei provincial capital to recuperate with peace of mind." ”

Hearing this, Peng Yunzhang, Bai Ye, Du Han and the military machine Zhang Jing present were all stunned, and they all opened their mouths so that they were close to dislocation. After finally coming back to his senses, Bai Ye and the others let out an exclamation, and rushed to Mu Yin to watch the twists and turns, and after the shock of the soul again, Bai Ye was the first to shout: "This is a good thing!" Lord Wu is loyal to the country and respects his elders, in order to let the flower system station recuperate with peace of mind, he would rather give up the rich and be poor, and change to the poor countryside in Hunan to take office! Such a good thing, our military aircraft department should support it! ”

"Ladies and gentlemen, do you say? Mu Zhongtang, if you don't mind, how about this excerpt for me to send to the Heart Cultivation Hall to petition for the Imperial Review? ”

As he spoke, Bai Ye put away his fold and really raised his leg and walked away, but Mu Yin, the old fritter in the military aircraft department over there, quickly came back to his senses, grabbed Bai Ye and gave him another look, and said with a sneer: "Bai Zhongtang, forgive the official for reminding you, you had better think about this matter again." ”

De Mu Yin reminded Bai Ye, who was dizzy, only to come back to his senses a little, and when he thought about it again, Bai Ye soon found that something was wrong - the news from Hunan said that Hua Shana was not lightly ill, and Wen Ge, who was close to Bai Zhongtang, also repeatedly mentioned that Hua Shana was seriously ill in recent letters, and cautiously inquired about the candidate for the new governor of Huguang, and at the same time, there was news that Emperor Xianfeng was also considering a candidate to replace Hua Shana. At this critical moment, sending Wu Chaoyue, such a selfless and loyal excerpt to the Emperor Xianfeng, it is strange that Su Shun and Zaiyuan and others did not take the opportunity to play this fold!

"What a ruthless move to retreat and advance, and to bend and stretch! The little man's scheming is deep enough! ”

After discovering Wu Chaoyue's intentions, Bai Zhongtang immediately changed his mind, and as soon as his eyes rolled, he changed his words and said: "Mu Zhongtang reminded me, I almost forgot, although Wu Futai's intentions are good, but the local governor asked to exchange positions with the governors of other provinces by name, which is really too appalling, and there has never been such a thing since the founding of our dynasty, and such a bad precedent has been set, and the consequences will be unimaginable." ”

Peng Yunzhang and Du Han, who are both old fritters in the officialdom, did not speak, they both saw the true intention of Wu Chaoyue's move, and they both understood that Bai Zhongtang and Mu Yin were scruples, but they didn't want to get involved in the party dispute between Bai Ye and Su Shun, so they didn't make a statement. Mu Yin nodded and said very smoothly: "Bai Zhongtang, in your opinion, how should this excerpt be handled?" ”

Bai Ye was also a little in a dilemma, not only unwilling to help Wu Chaoyue curry favor with Xianfeng, but also unwilling to miss this opportunity to take the opportunity to rectify Wu Chaoyue and crack down on the Su Party, he pondered for a moment before hesitating and said: "Or, for the time being, hold this fold at the military plane, and then look at the situation in Huguang, and then decide when to present this fold to the Imperial Review." ”

Peng Yunzhang, Mu Yin and the others all nodded in favor, and Bai Ye said in his heart: "Hua Shana, for the sake of the Mongolian villagers, help me, hurry up and ask to go back to Hubei to recuperate, and when the time comes, I will take the opportunity to hand Wu Chaoyue this excerpt to the emperor, and there is hope that this little barbarian will steal chickens and rice." ”

In the case that it is impossible to confirm whether the governor of Huguang needs to be replaced, this is indeed the only way that Bai Zhongtang can rectify Wu Chaoyue - Hua Shana's illness must be so serious that he must leave Hunan to recuperate, but not so seriously that the governor of Huguang must be replaced, and then hand over Wu Chaoyue's recital, so that Emperor Xianfeng may consider transferring Wu Chaoyue, who is effective in governing Hubei, to Hunan. Of course, this kind of balance is not easy to grasp, but Bai Zhongtang has this confidence.

Bai Zhongtang quickly repented of his confidence, and within a few days, Emperor Xianfeng suddenly drove to the military aircraft in person, and everyone in the military aircraft department hurriedly knelt down to bow to the room, but the Xianfeng Emperor asked with a face: "Is there an excerpt of Wu Aiqing, the governor of Hubei, these days?" ”

Hearing these words and Emperor Xianfeng's tone, Bai Zhongtang's face turned a little pale on the spot, and Peng Yunzhang replied quietly: "Back to the emperor, there is one." ”

"Then why don't you submit it to the Imperial Inspection? Why buckle? Emperor Xianfeng asked.

Peng Yunzhang didn't answer, just squinted his eyes to look at Bai Ye, and Emperor Xianfeng also turned his mung bean eyes to Bai Ye, his expression was quite unkind, Bai Ye trembled, kowtowed and said: "Back to the emperor, Weichen felt that the excerpt was too appalling, so he deducted it." ”

Answering in horror, Bai Ye's heart was very puzzled, and he didn't understand why Emperor Xianfeng knew about the existence of that excerpt - it stands to reason that it was impossible for Su Shun to take the initiative to mention this matter to Emperor Xianfeng, so that Emperor Xianfeng felt that he also agreed to change Wu Chaoyue to Hunan?

"Loyal to the king, respect for the elders, in order to share my worries, so that Hua Aiqing, who is seriously ill, can recuperate with peace of mind, I asked to be transferred to a remote and poor place to serve as a governor, presiding over the counterinsurgency and suppressing bandits, such a horrific thing, I wish there were a few more! Don't take out the fold yet?! ”

Rushing back to the bookshelf to find the damn fold, when he raised his hands above his head and presented it to Emperor Xianfeng, Emperor Xianfeng took the fold and opened it again and looked at it carefully, Emperor Xianfeng's thin ugly face really showed emotion, and said to himself: "Loyal minister, it is really a rare loyal minister, for the sake of my country, in order to keep the loyal Hua Aiqing for me, I can voluntarily suffer such a big loss." Such a loyal and capable minister, even if there is one more in the court, I will be satisfied. ”

Since he couldn't stop Emperor Xianfeng's increasing favor for Wu Chaoyue, Bai Zhongtang could only push the boat down the river, kowtowed and said: "What the master said is extremely true, Wu Futai asked Wenge to change positions, although it is appalling, it is unprecedented since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, but his loyalty is indeed praiseworthy. ”

"Weichen is guilty, and he took the liberty of thinking that Wu Chaoyue's move was commendable but not feasible, so he temporarily left his excerpt in the military aircraft department. But since the master felt that this move was very good, then Weichen dared to suggest that the emperor approve the approval, let Wu Chaoyue and Wenge change positions, transfer the governor of Hunan, and preside over the major event of Hunan counterinsurgency, so that Hua Zhitai could return to Hubei to recuperate with peace of mind. ”

"Who said that I was going to let Wu Aiqing change to the governor of Hunan?" Emperor Xianfeng's face suddenly changed, and he roared angrily: "You are still the Minister of Military Aircraft, what Wenge has tossed Hunan into, don't you know yet?" Let him and Wu Aiqing exchange positions, do you want to make Hubei, the only peaceful Hubei in the Central Plains, become the second Hunan?! ”

Bai Ye was shocked, and hurriedly kowtowed again and again to ask for guilt, but fortunately, Emperor Xianfeng did not continue to investigate, but said: "I put aside a clear sentence today, not to mention that Hua Aiqing's body is not a big problem now, and the situation in Hunan has also improved greatly under the efforts of him and the Hubei lecturer, even if Hua Aiqing really has any accidents, I will never transfer Wu Aiqing out of Hubei!" ”

"Oops!" Bai Ye complained bitterly in his heart, and said secretly: "Wenge is going to be unlucky, Wu Chao's position as a little barbarian is also more stable, and when the governor of Huguang needs to be replaced, the little barbarian has more opportunities." (To be continued.) )