"Lord Xia... Lord Xia..."After dispersing the court, Peng Yue hurriedly caught up with Xia Yan, who was walking briskly in front. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

"Oh? It's Zirui..."Xia Yan looked back at Peng Yue, and his footsteps did not stop.

"Lord Xia, I heard that Lord Gu and you have had a dispute in the court room in the past two days?" Peng Yue quickened his pace and caught up with Xia Yan.

The Lord Gu that Peng Yue said actually refers to Gu Dingchen, who also entered the cabinet not long ago, but he was the champion of Hongzhi for 18 years, and he is much richer than Xia Yan in terms of time and political experience.

"Uh... It's not a dispute, it's just a difference in political opinions..."Xia Yan replied a little casually.

"Lord Xia, even if it's a matter of political opinion, don't make things too stiff, after all, now you are in the same cabinet as Lord Gu..."Peng Yue said softly on the side.

He knew that what Xia Yan said was not the truth, because he knew the ins and outs of the matter. The contradiction between Gu Dingchen and Xia Yan was not caused by different political views, but by Xia Yan's dictatorship. Since Xia Yan entered the cabinet, the first assistant Li Shi has gradually been hollowed out, and most of the decrees have come from Xia Yan's hands.

Because Xia Yan was favored by Zhu Houxi, and Li Shi didn't like to argue, he didn't care much about these things. But Gu Dingchen, who has recently entered the cabinet, does not think so, he thinks that he entered the government earlier, and he is much older than Xia Yan, so he wants to express some opinions on political affairs. But Li Shi, who is the first assistant to the cabinet, can't intervene in the matter of government decrees, let alone Gu Dingchen, who has not been in the cabinet for a long time, and the contradiction between the two naturally broke out.

"I naturally know this better than you..."Xia Yan's tone was a little cold, I don't know if it was because Peng Yue's suggestion was out of place and made Xia Yan unable to listen to it, or because of the last time Peng Yue's mansion, Ziling's farce made Xia Yan angry.

"Lord Xia, although Lord Gu is not strong in government affairs, he... Qingzi is written well, and the emperor still relies on him very much..."Peng Yue also knew that his reason was really unacceptable, but what he said was indeed the truth.

Zhu Houxi was superstitious about monasticism, and paid more and more attention to the "green words" needed by Taoism to worship the heavens. And this kind of gorgeous article is very difficult to write, Xia Yan, who has a sharp pen, is a person who can write green words well, and Gu Dingchen, who is the top talent, is another person who can satisfy Zhu Houxi in writing green words. What's even more ironic is that although Gu Dingchen was the champion of Hongzhi for 18 years, his political achievements are indeed unboastful. He was able to enter the cabinet because he wrote very well in green words.

"Could it be that he is the only one in the court who can write green words?" Xia Yan sneered, "I can only write green words, but I don't have any real skills, even if I am the champion, what can I do, even if I can write two splendid articles?" In any case, he can't be allowed to interfere in the affairs of the DPRK and China, otherwise he won't make a mess! ”

Xia Yan's words have been made very clear, and he admitted that he had a conflict with Gu Dingchen because of the power of the cabinet, not a matter of political opinion. But Peng Yue had to admit that Xia Yan's approach was indeed reasonable, Gu Dingchen was extremely pedantic, although he was a top talent, but he was just brainwashed by the eight pits, and he could only write an empty and useless article, plus he was old, and he was indeed a little powerless to deal with political affairs.

But Xia Yan's approach also has obvious drawbacks: it is easy to arouse Zhu Houxi's suspicion. Xia Yan paid attention to this before, but gradually, Xia Yan seemed to have forgotten about it, and now he wants to take charge of the cabinet alone. If a humble minister like Li Shi were to be in charge of the cabinet alone, Zhu Houxi would not have any ideas. But Xia Yan, a person who is highly favored and trusted and has a lot of prestige among the courtiers, holds great power, and Zhu Houxi will naturally be unhappy.

"But you also need to be careful... The emperor's attitude, after all, the emperor promoted Lord Gu to the cabinet, not necessarily just because he wrote well..."Peng Yue's words were euphemistic, but the meaning was very clear.

"I'm afraid it's Zirui that you're worried about this time..."Xia Yan said with a smile, "The emperor didn't think too much about promoting him to the cabinet. If the emperor wanted to balance the power of the cabinet, he would not promote a person with such a character. In fact, in terms of political affairs, the emperor is not at ease with him, and many twists and turns will be handed over directly to me and Master Li, not to him Gu Dingchen. ”

"So it seems... It's me who is too worried..."Peng Yue said in a sneer, but he had a different idea in his heart. He knew that Xia Yan couldn't make sense this time. Not only because of his lack of reasons this time, but also because Xia Yan is no longer the same Xia Yan as he was at the beginning.

First of all, Peng Yue also admitted that Xia Yan's analysis was reasonable, if Zhu Houyu wanted to balance the power of the cabinet, he would indeed not promote a person with a weak personality and no ability like Gu Dingchen, because Zhu Houyu knew that such a person, even if he entered the cabinet, he would not do anything. And Gu Dingchen's age is indeed too old, and he is frail and sickly, in fact, he should be a scholar. From this point of view, Zhu Houxi's pulling Gu Dingchen into the cabinet is indeed a kind of gratitude to Gu Dingchen for writing so many good words for himself.

But Xia Yan's problem has to be brought to people's attention, at least Xia Yan is no longer as cautious as before, step by step. First of all, Xia Yan and Huo Tao did not back down and attacked each other, and then because of Zhang Yuanxiao in Langzhong, Li Sui violated Xia Yan's wishes, Xia Yan deposed the two of them out of Beijing, and now Xia Yan has entered the cabinet and is in charge of power alone, and Li Shi has been elevated, and he does not take Gu Dingchen in his eyes, and now Xia Yan calls Gu Dingchen by his name in private, it can be seen that Xia Yan despises Gu Dingchen in his heart. Peng Yue said that he didn't know when Xia Yan began to become like this, but this was definitely a dangerous signal. Is it true that everyone who has tasted the taste of power has to get carried away?

"You don't have to think too much..."Xia Yan stopped, turned around and patted Peng Yue's shoulder, "Now that you have reached this position, you don't have to be as careful as before, step by step, and don't worry about doing what you want to do..."

"Uh..." Peng Yue looked at Xia Yan in some surprise, not knowing why he said this.

"When you have to grovel and take every step of the way, even at the expense of a certain goal, but... Do you still have to do this when you have achieved this goal? Xia Yan's hand on Peng Yue's shoulder did not let go, and his gaze became deeper, "Being a slave for a period of time is not in exchange for the opportunity to be a stable slave for a lifetime..."

Peng Yue's body was shocked, and Xia Yan's hand on his shoulder, which was already a little age-spotted, also trembled, and he suddenly felt that what Xia Yan said was so reasonable, maybe he had been lost in a strange circle.

I am now thinking about how to protect myself all day long, how to please Zhu Houxi, and gain Zhu Houxi's favor, but I haven't thought about what I will do once I really get these things I want one day? Continue to compromise as before, keep your grace from declining, but what is the purpose of climbing to this position, if you are still alive as before, don't you feel very aggrieved?

"Actually, sometimes I'm a little worried, a little scared, and sometimes I think, will I make the emperor unhappy and arouse the emperor's suspicion?" Xia Yan smiled bitterly, and his hand hung down, "But then I figured it out, if after I enter the cabinet, I am also like the previous Lord Zhai Luan, or like the current Lord Li Shili, I am careful in everything I do, and I don't dare to go beyond the rules in the slightest, then isn't this cabinet minister too aggrieved?" Now that I'm in the Cabinet, I'm going to show my ambitions and do what I really want to do, and I won't be shy about it. ”

"Lord Xia, what you said makes sense, but you also have to think about making this favor last, so that you can always display the ambition in your chest..."Peng Yue reminded softly on the side.

"I know this, and I will pay attention to it..."Xia Yan smiled lightly, "I will distinguish what to do and what not to do in the future, and I will do my best in the cabinet... Humble Gu Dingchen Gu's..."

"That's it, in fact, the emperor is there... It's better to be careful..."Peng Yue looked left and right, "Actually, there are some things that don't have to anger the emperor, but we just need to suppress our own temperament..."

"Well, you're right..."Xia Yan nodded slightly, "Actually, I have noticed it myself, since I entered the cabinet, my temperament has sometimes... It's really a bit overwhelming. But let Gu Dingchen handle political affairs, I really can't rest assured... Don't worry, in the future, I will distinguish between when to be based on my own temperament and when not to be based on my own temperament..."

"In fact, sometimes, even if you are careful, it is inevitable that there will be a plot behind the villain, so it seems that it is better to do what you want to do and what you should do." Peng Yue was infected by Xia Yan just now, and there was a little more heroism in his heart.

In fact, Peng Yue knew in his heart that the position of the first assistant of the cabinet was not coveted by the DPRK and China. For the sake of that position, most people will do whatever it takes to get there, and if you make a mistake at this time, you won't be able to keep your position as head of the cabinet. Throughout the Ming Dynasty, there were a few people who could die well in the position of the first assistant of the cabinet, and some even if they retired from the position of the first assistant safely, they could not avoid the miserable fate of their old age and their reputation after death.

"You can't say that, a villain is a villain after all, what can you do with some means behind your back?" Xia Yan said with a smile, "And if you are really afraid of the villain's plot and are afraid to do things, wouldn't it be worth the loss?" ”

"What Lord Xia said is, I wrote it down..."Peng Yue nodded, and deeply agreed with Xia Yan's statement in his heart.

Peng Yue suddenly thought that perhaps many high-ranking officials who were extremely popular in history also knew that they would definitely be plotted one day, and they would not be so confused in power that they thought that they must be the rare "evergreen tree in the political arena". But they are not afraid, they are not afraid, and they will not be timid and blindly curry favor because they may lose the favor of the emperor. It is precisely because of these people that the imperial court can function well and society can progress normally.

Just like the Xia Yan in front of him, after entering the cabinet, he also contradicted Zhu Houxi's wrong decision, and also put forward suggestions that were very inconsistent with Zhu Houxi's wishes but had to be mentioned, but he did not regret doing this, he knew that he had to do this, as he just said: Being a slave for a period of time is not in exchange for the opportunity to be a stable slave for a lifetime.

At this time, Peng Yue suddenly remembered a person: Zhang Fujing, the former cabinet chief assistant who was defeated by himself and Xia Yan. In fact, Zhang Fujing is also trying his best to make changes, and he is also doing his best in political affairs, although he is a little extreme and open-minded, but his achievements cannot be ignored. This is the Zhang Fujing he really realized when he came to this world, not the negative character Zhang Xuan written in the history books of later generations.

When Peng Yue was in the game, he admitted that he had some subjective views on Zhang Fujing, especially after he forced Yang Yiqing to death, but now that he thinks about it, Zhang Fujing is also trying his best to make the court run better, but he also did some wrong things, and these wrong things happened to be used by himself and Xia Yan, so that he had ups and downs in politics, so it seems that he and Xia Yan are inevitably "villains" behind the plot, but how clean was Zhang Fujing at the beginning of his ascension? He also stepped on Yang Tinghe, the ministers of etiquette, Yang Yiqing's shoulders, and even their bloodstains. No one owes anyone anything to this account, and no one can say clearly...

Notes: 1. Qingci: also known as "Qingci", also known as "Green Chapter", is a Taoist chapter dedicated to the heavens when the Jiao is held. It is generally in a beautiful style, requiring neat form and gorgeous writing (in short, it is very difficult to write).