Zhang Xuan was unwilling to succumb to Zhu Hao.

Zhu Hao is younger than his sons, and with his conceit and political sensitivity, he wants to find an opportunity to press Zhu Hao down, completely because he knows that the biggest obstacle on the way to promotion is Zhu Hao, and it is pointless to worry about Xi Shu, Tang Yin, Huang Zan and even Fei Hong.

But now Zhang Zuo came to warn him on behalf of the emperor, and he could only listen first.

At the beginning of February, he took the train to Xishan for the first time to find Zhu Hao, nominally to talk about the next step of the ceremony, but in fact, he was looking for Zhu Hao to be soft.

"Brother Bingyong, goodbye to harm?"

Zhu Hao invited Zhang Xuan to the laboratory next to the honeycomb coal plant, which is carrying out new casting tests, and steelmaking furnaces have been built on the surrounding flat land.

Zhang Xuan was not interested in these at all, but he still pretended to admire, with an emotional expression: "Mr. Zhu, you are in Xishan, you have really done a lot of practical things for the imperial court." ”

Zhu Hao smiled.

The heart said that you Zhang Bing is not fake?

I wanted to use all kinds of opportunities to attack me, but at first I thought that the traditionalists would treat me as an undercover agent and a traitor, and wanted to use Yang Shen, Xia Yan and others to attack me, and after failure, they wanted to use Yang Yiqing and others to confront me.

Now running to the door to compliment, do you think I will think that you have any sincerity, and will be reckless towards you in the future?

"By the way, Mr. Tang has also been in Xishan recently, his physical condition is not very good, let's have a meal with him tonight." Zhu Hao said, "Brother Bingyong isn't in a hurry to go back, right?" ”

"Uh...... I'm not going. ”

Zhang Xuan thought about it, he didn't want to spend the night in Xishan, but thinking of Zhang Zuo's words, it was best to establish a close connection with Zhu Hao, and it was nothing to stay for a day or even have a meal with Tang Yin.

Zhu Hao continued to take Zhang Xuan to the laboratory, babbling non-stop, like an engineer who rarely sees people and always wants to say a few more words after meeting a friend: "...... Recently, Mr. Tang's illness has become more and more serious, but there is no need to shy away from talking about his illness in front of him, he is an easy-going person, and he also knows that his limit is approaching, and he doesn't mind others joking about this kind of thing. ”

Zhang Xuan thought to himself, he doesn't mind you joking, right?

I'm going to say...... Can he give me a good face?

"By the way, Brother Bingyong, I haven't asked you why you came to Xishan, what is the matter?"

Zhu Hao suddenly remembered something, turned around and asked.

Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly collected his thoughts: "It's for the ceremony." Your Majesty wants to be the temple number for the emperor, these things ...... It needs to be discussed in advance, and in the Hanlin Academy, it is also responsible for this, and other things are rarely asked. ”

There is another important reason why Zhang Xuan is unwilling, that is, Zhang Xuan did not get the power he wanted to have.

Even if someone is talking to him now, it is not to the point of being honest and afraid of him, he wants to take the power of the court step by step, and his recent goal is to take charge of the affairs of the Hanlin Academy.

Since Zhang Zuo asked him to reconcile with Zhu Hao, he wants to take the opportunity to get some benefits to go back, can't it just be that I pull down my face and beg you, you put on a lofty posture in front of me, right? Now that Jia Yong seems to be ready to enter the cabinet, do you hand over Jia Yong's errand to me? Even I don't mind getting it into my hands.

Zhu Hao said: "I haven't been back to Hanlin Academy for a long time, and I don't know what the situation is now." Oh yes, the previous Zhang Tixue, is he still there? ”

"Huh?"

Zhang Xuan was stunned.

Then I thought of Zhang Bangqi.

When he first entered the court, he regarded Zhang Bangqi as a potential opponent for a while, thinking that this was a powerful character that the emperor met in Weimo, and because Zhang Bangqi was talented and rigorous in his studies, some people once speculated that he was a staff member hidden behind the emperor.

But with the passage of time, Zhang Bangqi has always been just a Hanlin attendant, and he has not received more attention from the emperor, and even Zhang Xuan has never seen Zhang Bangqi go to the Hanlin Academy recently, so he didn't take this person to heart.

But now I heard this name from Zhu Hao's mouth...... Zhang Xuan must be vigilant.

How wise Zhu Hao was, how could he talk about an irrelevant person in front of him for no reason?

Zhu Hao said with a smile: "Zhang Tixue was the chief examiner when I was an examiner, although he was not my teacher, but he was also my teacher, I just cared about whether his recent condition was okay." ”

Zhang Xuan said: "I haven't seen Zhang Shiyu recently. ”

"Oh." Zhu Hao nodded.

The two continued to walk forward, and Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Zhu thinks that Zhang Shiyu should be allowed to go further and make a difference in the Hanlin Academy?" ”

Zhu Hao smiled and shook his head: "No, Zhang Tixue has always been fame and fortune, which is very similar to Mr. Tang, but he was born as a Jinshi and is also an official in the court." Your Majesty mentioned earlier that he intends to use him as the right attendant of the Ministry of Rites, so I can save a little bit. ”

The right attendant of the Ministry of Rites......

Zhang Xuan heard some signs, and it seemed that Zhu Hao planned to hand over his own errand to Zhang Bangqi.

Zhu Hao, as the second person in the Ming Dynasty after the emperor, speaks very effectively, in Zhang Xuan's opinion, if Zhu Hao chooses Zhang Bangqi to be the right attendant of the Ministry of Rites, then the emperor will agree nine times out of ten, and by that time...... An ordinary Zhang Bangqi will become his direct competitor.

"Master Zhu, a few castings have been completed, can you give me the size?"

As he was talking, Zhu Hao had already entered the innermost part.

Like a blacksmith shop, a group of craftsmen are making new screws inside, many things need to be systematically produced, and all kinds of technologies need to be improved, and Zhu Hao is not satisfied with the quality of many castings when he made trains before, and has been seeking to improve.

In addition to improving steelmaking technology, it is also necessary to improve the accuracy and toughness of castings.

Zhu Hao said: "It's good for you to do more than a few times." This is Master Zhang of the Hanlin Academy, come and see you. ”

"I've seen Master Zhang."

A group of black craftsmen in front of him, as if they were doing manual work, Zhang Xuan saw these people, he subconsciously frowned, obviously he didn't regard himself as an existence at the same level as these people, he looked down on these people who did dirty work at all.

……

……

Zhu Hao continued to do things, and Zhang Xuan stood not far away and watched.

Zhang Xuan never thought that Zhu Hao, as the real power figure of the Ming Dynasty, could actually do everything himself, and waited for more than an hour before Zhu Hao finished the task at hand, and the two left the laboratory together.

didn't wait for the post house, but saw Tang Yin helping his wife get out of the sedan chair.

Tang Yin looked up and saw the two, and motioned to the maid to help the pregnant wife go in first, and then greeted her.

"Bingyong? How did you get here? ”

Tang Yin was somewhat surprised by Zhang Xuan's arrival.

Not to mention anything else, Tang Yin is still relatively accurate in seeing people, in Tang Yin's eyes, Zhang Xuan belongs to the kind of person who is eager for quick success and quick profit, not a practical talent, Zhang Xuan must have come to the West Mountain to achieve some kind of political goal.

"Tang Ge Lao."

Zhang Xuan hurriedly saluted Tang Yin.

Tang Yin smiled and waved his hand: "They are all acquaintances, what kind of courtesy?" Jingdao, are you idle today? ”

Zhu Hao said: "No, I'm also very busy today, don't I have time to receive Brother Bingyong?" I didn't know he was coming in advance, otherwise Mr. Tang, you can help me receive him? ”

"Not available!"

Tang Yin's answer was very simple, and then he thought that it was a bit rude, and quickly explained to Zhang Xuan, "Bingyong, don't get me wrong, I mean...... You have come to Jingdao, keep an eye on him, you talk about yours, and I am here...... Ahem, not in good health. Don't worry about it. ”

Zhang Xuan's face was embarrassed: "Tang Ge is polite, and there is no need for others to receive him." ”

Zhu Hao said with a smile: "Mr. Tang, you must come to the banquet tonight, it can be regarded as a dust wash for Brother Bingyong...... He had come to me to talk about the ceremony. Oh yes, I haven't arranged a place for Brother Bingyong yet......"

"No, I'll look for it later."

"How's that going to work? Come and help arrange it for Mr. Zhang. ”

……

……

Zhang Xuan went to settle down first, and according to his words, he would stay in Xishan for two days.

Tang Yin called Zhu Hao to his room in the post house.

"Jingdao, what do you think? Not an opponent? Why did he come to the door? Showing weakness to you, trying to paralyze you and make you let your guard down against him? ”

Tang Yin didn't understand it.

Only he knew that the unruly wildness in Zhang Xuan's heart was deliberately inspired by Zhu Hao.

It is equivalent to saying that Zhu Hao has cultivated an opponent for himself.

Now that the opponent took the initiative to show weakness, Tang Yin naturally wanted to find Zhu Hao for a pastime, which made Zhu Hao feel that there was a problem with his plan.

Zhu Hao smiled: "Do you think he will be willing to go back after this trip?" I guess I hate me even more, right? ”

"Hate to the bone? Not so much, not so much! ”

Tang Yin shook his head, "Doesn't he have any gratitude at all?" It was you who selected him from the crowd in the first place, so many new science and technology scholars, who you chose is actually not the same? Alas! In fact, sometimes I think it's strange that if you choose an old jinshi, even if he knows that he needs to do something to realize his political ambitions, shouldn't you also consider whether his temperament is suitable? ”

Zhu Hao spread his hands: "It's very suitable." ”

Tang Yin was speechless for a while.

As he was talking, there was the sound of Zhang Xuan arguing with the post house staff at the staircase, or rather, Zhang Xuan was there to teach the people in the post house that he was not good at receiving him.

Although Xishan has become the most dazzling town around the capital, and its economic strength has improved, it almost never receives officials from the DPRK and China, and the staff in the post house are not all regular, so how do you know what standard should be used to receive a Hanlin bachelor?

In their opinion, all officials are the same, just be careful.

didn't know that Zhang Xuan had high requirements for his life outside, and he scolded him if he didn't like it a little.

"See?"

Tang Yin flattened his mouth and reminded Zhu Hao again.

This Zhang Xuan is not a fuel-efficient lamp, unlike you and me, who can treat ordinary people well, and are not so arrogant in dealing with others.

Zhu Hao smiled: "If he is a humble and polite gentleman, I won't choose him." I'll tell you why I chose him. ”