"It is easy for me to resign from this position, and I may really be able to resign, but since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has made up his mind, even if I resolutely do not do it, can't he find someone who is willing to do it?" Li Ke still smiled bitterly, "In the end, it is not that he will follow his wishes, is there anyone better than me who can communicate between the two countries and contribute more wholeheartedly to the country?" In my opinion, it's better for me to forget it. As long as we can save more blood and bones in our country. Even if I have a little infamy, I don't hesitate to do it. ”

His words did not touch Jin Xinguo, but made his heart suddenly ignite with anger.

It's a nice thing to say, but in the end, isn't it still reluctant to have that little bit of power?

"Jingchengjun, although you resolutely refuse, you may not be able to change His Highness's mind, but at least you can work hard, if you don't try, then how can you reflect your intention to fight for the country?" Jin Xinguo's eyes widened, and there was some intimidation in his unnature, "Moreover, even if Jingchengjun is not able to change the result, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has asked someone else to be the observer of this Gyeongsang-do Envoy, it is better than your clan to serve directly, right?" There are also big evils and small evils, please think twice about Jingchengjun! ”

"Lord Jin, why do you see that letting me come is a big evil, and letting someone else come is a small evil?" Li Ke was also a little annoyed, and immediately asked, "Could it be that I have served the country for many years, and as a result, I have become a great traitor?" Yes, I am a clan, but can't the clan serve the country? As a member of the Li dynasty, I should be more willing to defend the interests of Goryeo than others, so why are the lords and lords so suspicious of me? For so many years, I have been guarded against by the imperial court as a thief, is this reasonable? I'm just a distant clan, I have never enjoyed the benefits of the clan, but I have suffered a lot, and I have never thought about it, so will the lord and the lord of the country suspect that I have any other ambitions? ”

After talking for a while, the two of them had a little stiffness, and the noisy sound drifted outside the hall, but Li Ke was very strict when he was at home, so no one ran over.

Seeing that the other party was so angry, Jin Xinguo couldn't help but lower his attitude.

"As a clan, Jingcheng Jun should indeed serve the country, but there are many ways to serve, right? I don't doubt Jingchengjun's loyalty to the country and the lord, and the lord doesn't doubt it, but there are too many things in the melon field and plums, which will inevitably cause criticism...... Besides, Jingcheng Jun's loyalty is strong, but if he is in power, it is inevitable that there will be villains who secretly fan the flames and trap you in injustice, and once the precedent is set, the future clan will also think about seeking power. It's not like every clan has no ambitions, right? ”

"So why doesn't Lord Kim support me to be this observer?" Li Ke smiled bitterly, "Can I only stay at home, empty of blood but nowhere to throw it, watching the country decline step by step?" Forgive me for not being able to obey my fate. If Lord Jin can make His Royal Highness the Crown Prince change his mind by himself, then I have nothing to say, but if you want me to resolutely resign, I still forgive my fate! I...... I can't ignore the people of Korea because I'm afraid of public opinion. ”

"Don't say it so compassionately, Jingchengjun ......" Jin Xinguo suddenly laughed leisurely, and there was a little more mockery in his tone, "If you are reluctant to give up this bit of fame and fortune, this official will not take Jingchengjun like this." After all, Jingchengjun is now attached to the prince of the Chinese Dynasty. ”

"I'm sincere, if Lord Jin doesn't believe it, then forget it." Li Ke's face turned a little red because of annoyance, "Your Excellency doesn't need to be angry with me, think about how to persuade His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to change his mind." ”

"Since the words have already been said to this point, why should this official go to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to touch his head again?" Jin Xinguo was still full of smiles, "It seems that I can only watch Jingchengjun get his wish and become an observer of Gyeongsang-do." Please also ask Jingchengjun to not forget his original heart in the future, and protect the vitality of my Goryeo people in front of the Han. ”

"Lord Kim......?" The sudden change from anger to calm made Li Ke, who originally thought he was going to be hit by a violent storm, suddenly feel a little overwhelmed, "What does Lord Jin mean by this?" ”

"This is helpless, I have to admit the reality, what else can I mean?" Jin Xinguo laughed, and slowly took another sip of tea, without saying anything and speculation, "Lord Li doesn't have to be afraid, this official is not secretly sarcastic about you, nor is he planning to settle accounts after the autumn, but to congratulate your lord in the friendship of colleagues, after all, in the future, everyone will be officials in the same dynasty, and we still need sincere cooperation." ”

Li Ke kept staring at the other party, unable to figure out what the Minister of Parliament was thinking.

"Actually, it's not that Jingchengjun's mind can't be guessed at all, it's just to protect the whole family." Jin Xinguo's smile was a little more weird, "Your Highness has always been unpopular, and you are so old, God knows how long you will be able to enjoy the country?" If he makes a mistake, Jingcheng Jun also needs some capital to deal with the chaos in the court before. ”

Li Ke was even more surprised at this moment, his eyes widened, but he still didn't say anything.

Seeing that the other party was reacting like this, Jin Xinguo's heart became more determined.

Now that the lord of the country, Li Hui is in his last years, and he is a disabled person, God knows how long he can live, and he may fall into a serious illness at any time. Since his only son had been killed in a previous coup d'état, and now he has no heirs, it is conceivable that if he dies unexpectedly, there will be great disputes among the Goryeo clans in order to compete for this heir and the throne. As a distant branch clan, although Li Ke is not qualified to compete for the throne, he will inevitably be involved in this dangerous whirlpool.

Goryeo was originally very strict with the clan, and if a distant clan like him could not protect himself, when the new monarch succeeded to the throne, God knows how it would be at the mercy of him, and he would not even be able to keep the position of the current envoy to China and Korea. It's no wonder that Li Ke would rather take a risk and seize the opportunity to get a Gyeongsang-do observer first.

Although he may only be able to sit in this position temporarily, as long as he can sit for a while, he can add a piece of capital to himself, and it will also allow him to survive the storm that may arise later.

In the strange silence, Li Ke moved his mouth to deny it, but in the end he gave up this futile attempt and sighed instead.

"If Lord Jin wants to think like this, there is no way to do it. After a long time, I will see the hearts of the people, and in the next piece of Dan heart for the country and the people, after all, there will be a day when the world will be understood. ”

"Your Excellency's Dan heart can show the sun and the moon, hey, it's a pity that the world has always been unable to understand the painstaking efforts of others......" Jin Xinguo's smile became more and more weird, "Since this appointment is requested by the crown prince of China and the DPRK, it will be issued after all, as long as it is released, no matter how much hard work you have, you will be scolded by the people, how many people can you explain to Jingchengjun?" Even if you can protect yourself by taking advantage of the power of the Chinese and the Observation Envoys for a while, but in the eyes of the new monarch, if you don't get it right, you will become a traitor, will the Chinese Dynasty be willing to protect the Lord for the first time? ”

"......" Li Ke suddenly felt something strange from his smile, "Do you have something else to teach me?" ”

"That's right, Master Li." Jin Xinguo put the teacup in his hand back on the table, "Since Lord Li is bent on taking this position, then we will be colleagues in the future, not only colleagues, but also ministers who will accept scolding together - don't you want to find some way to improve the situation, so that we can have a better end in the future?" ”

"Tell me straight, sir." Li Ke kept staring at Jin Xinguo, trying to see some clues from his face.

"Jingcheng-kun, it is certainly a good plan for you to find a good position to protect yourself in the future heir battle, but why not just go further? The battle for heirs is certainly dangerous, but as long as you participate in it, you may get great benefits. Jin Xinguo flicked his sleeves indifferently, as if what he said was just an inconspicuous matter, "As long as you can have the merit of supporting it, no matter how many mistakes you make, it shouldn't be difficult to protect the name of the whole family, right?" ”

“…… My lord...... You ......" Li Ke couldn't be as calm as the other party, he looked at the other party dumbfounded, unable to believe what he heard, "What are you talking about?" ”

"Isn't it easy for Jingchengjun to see what this official wants to say?" Jin Xinguo is still in good time, "Since we must be scolded by the people, then we should think of some way to make the people feel that we are still thinking about the country after all." If we can find a way to establish an heir, on the one hand, we can stabilize the country and win the merits of support, and on the other hand, we can get the appreciation of the people and offset the previous anger, the best of both worlds. In this way, not only will we no longer have to be scolded by the people, but we will also be grateful......"

Li Ke was already stunned, he looked at the other party fixedly, only to feel that his whole body was stiff, and he couldn't even move.

Although he said it lightly, the courtiers were talking about the king in private, and they were still discussing the matter of establishing an heir, which was blatantly disrespectful, and even rebellious!

"Now, why is Jingcheng Jun so frightened?" Looking at Li Huiru's reaction on pins and needles, Jin Xinguo's smile added some ridicule, "When the official questioned Jingchengjun just now, you were very impassioned, and you have the demeanor of a descendant of the Wang family. Why, I can't stand it now? Jingcheng-kun, let me ask you, do you have a better way? ”

This was not a temporary idea of Jin Xinguo, but an idea that had long been entrenched in his heart, and he only took an opportunity to say it today.

He was the minister of the Northern faction, and the Northern faction had already been greatly traumatized in the previous years of party struggle, and he was promoted all the way to the post of Minister of the Parliament after Li Hui's restoration of the country because the ministers belonging to the Westerners were purged and vacated a large number of positions. Although he is now a very popular minister and is known as the prime minister, he does not have a deep foundation, but because he was appointed by Li Hui, he is not loved by the people in China.

Therefore, what he fears most is that once Li Hui dies, he will also fall into the wind and rain, and it is very likely that he will not be able to keep his position. Since this is the case, it is a logical idea to simply find a way to support an heir, and then support the merits to continue to consolidate the throne.

This idea is indeed very rebellious, and it is difficult for him to implement it alone, so he has always kept it in his heart and never said it on the surface.

Before, he wanted to persuade Li Hui to let him support an heir, but he didn't expect Li Hui to only agree on the surface, but in fact he didn't take any action - he knew that Li Hui was afraid that after he established an heir, he was afraid that he would be empty as a disabled person, and in order to seize the throne that he had fought hard to regain from his old age, he would rather let himself die than set up an heir for himself.

Since this is the case, he simply doesn't do anything, so he has recently given up relying on Li Hui, and instead sought to find another helper to support the heir.

This matter is very important, and it is necessary to have a sufficient amount of people to help, but it is generally difficult to trust people with weight, so although he has been secretly searching, he has not told anyone else his plans until now. It wasn't until he encountered the request of the crown prince of China and the DPRK to appoint Li Ke as the observer envoy of Gyeongsang-do that he finally regarded Li Ke as his potential ally.

Li Ke wants to protect his whole family, so he is desperate to seek power, but he is also facing the dilemma of precariousness, and his foundation is much more precarious than himself, so he has the motivation to do everything possible to defend himself. What's more, he still has the ability, he is a clan identity, and he is so close to the prince of the Chinese Dynasty, and it seems that he has won the trust of the other party, as long as he can move His Royal Highness the crown prince of the Chinese Dynasty, and cooperate with himself as the minister of the parliament, the matter of establishing an heir can be accurately achieved.

As long as he has this support, he feels that he will be able to maintain his position of power, use this time to cultivate his cronies in the court, truly realize the authority of the prime minister, and make his family one of the most powerful families in Goryeo.

Jin Xinguo's questioning made Li Ke even more uneasy, his face turned red and white, and he was obviously frightened.

Jin Xinguo could also see the contradictions and struggles in the other party's heart, so he was not in a hurry, and continued to sit and drink tea, as if nothing had happened.

"The matter...... It's too ...... It's sensational, Lord Kim, why are you involved with me? A little bead of sweat appeared on Li Ke's forehead, "I...... How can I do such a thing? ”

"Such a thing? Is there anything wrong with such a thing? The monarch is old, and he has not yet established a son, and the country is uneasy, as courtiers, we should try our best to help the society, right? Jin Xinguo immediately asked, "Since Jingchengjun is not afraid of public opinion, and his heart is thinking about the people of Goryeo, why don't you dare to get involved in this matter?" ”

Li Ke was still silent, obviously still hesitating.

"Okay, Jingcheng-kun, do you still think you have much way out of the matter now?" Jin Xinguo was a little impatient, and simply stood up, staring at the other party with his eyes, which also brought him extremely great pressure. "Do you think you can rely on China and North Korea to get the official position of an observer envoy, and you can keep yourself? Can you make yourself rich? I'm afraid it's too simple! If the battle of the Japanese is over, Jingchengjun's official position is not justified, and Jingchengjun will definitely be regarded as the target of the public at that time, will China and the DPRK be desperate to protect you? I'm afraid that Jingchengjun will be sent to the Han capital again, and it will be difficult to come back. ”

When he roared like this, Li Ke panicked even more, leaned back and leaned against the backrest, his whole body trembling slightly.

However, he also knew in his heart that what the other party said was very reasonable, and these were indeed the crises he was facing now.

"Jingcheng-kun, think about it, don't miss the great opportunity." Seeing that he was still so useless when the matter came to an end, Jin Xinguo was slightly disdainful, he lowered his gaze and sat down again, "If you can get compensation for ruining your reputation, then you will be ruined if you ruin your reputation." But if you try your best and you can't get a good result, then you will inevitably laugh and be generous......"

Soon, the hall fell silent again.

As time passed, Li Ke slowly regained his composure.

This leader is right, he is indeed facing a very difficult situation now, and he needs to think of some ways to break the situation, he thought that he would be able to fall into an active position by receiving this observation envoy, but now after the other party's downfall, he really feels that this is not enough.

He looked at Jin Xinguo, this guy is really an old treacherous and cunning, he seems to be more loyal to Li Hui than anyone else, and he has planned so many things quietly.

If you do what the other party wants, I'm afraid you will greatly offend the lord.

But if you don't do it, it doesn't seem to work.

Although he is a clan, Li Ke does not like Li Hui, because when Li Hui reigned for the first time, he was very harsh on the ministers and the clan, which was simply perverse and very disgusting, and he naturally had no feelings for the current lord, and he only wanted to protect the interests of Goryeo when he was an envoy in the capital of the Han Dynasty before.

Now he was hesitant, but not out of support for the king, but simply out of fear of the consequences of defeat.

"Jingcheng-kun, don't hesitate any longer." As if seeing what he was thinking, Jin Xinguo spoke again, "How can anyone who has become a big thing since ancient times not take some risks?" If Jingchengjun wants to stay rich and prosperous for a long time, then show a little sincerity. You can get what you want by doing nothing, and there is no such good thing in the world. Moreover...... If you talk about risks, is the risk faced by Jingchengjun greater than that of his own officials? The official has to plan and run in the middle, and he has to preside over this matter in person, and Jingchengjun, you just want to say a few words to His Royal Highness...... If the matter is done, Jingchengjun is the benefactor of the new monarch, if the matter does not work out, no one knows what Jingchengjun did in it, compared to the merits of the establishment, this little risk is not much, isn't it? ”