Qingning Palace.

Empress Dowager Zhou sat there, not like her usual lazy appearance, but as if she was very concerned about court affairs, and sitting in front of her was her good grandson Zhu Youji.

"Emperor, the mourning family actually wants to ask, what do you think of the British duke? People are also loyal and good in several dynasties, and the Ming Dynasty can continue to this day, and there are also people who have a credit, even if you are heavy and generous, but you can't just throw the British Duke into the mountains and let him fend for himself in the northwest, right? ”

Empress Dowager Zhou's words seemed to be speaking for Zhang Mao.

Zhu Youzhu said: "Imperial grandmother, what the grandson means, is actually to let the British Duke show off his martial arts for the old lord, I will not encourage them to lie in the shadow of the ancestors to live, just like the Duke of Baoguo, the grandson is also entrusted with important tasks for them, but they are not angry." ”

"Alas, they're all old men, what do you rely on if you don't rely on Zuyin? You too...... In this way, you will send another capable man to take over his errand, and then everyone will be happy? ”

Empress Dowager Zhou's words also surprised Zhu Youzhi a little.

In the past, the Empress Dowager Zhou was only so persistent in the Zhou family, or in matters involving his concubine.

And now the Empress Dowager Zhou is obviously a little bit of a mere interference in court affairs.

A noblewoman in the harem, no matter how awesome she is, is just the emperor's grandmother, how can she criticize the emperor's employment?

Zhu Youzhu said: "That's ...... Not good. ”

"Are you afraid that Bingkuan will not be happy?" Empress Dowager Zhou asked.

"Absolutely not, Bingkuan has no idea about the British Expedition, it is my decision to change everything that is old, this has nothing to do with Bingkuan." Zhu Youzhu habitually spoke for Zhang Zhou.

He was afraid that the old lady would misunderstand, and this was all Zhang Zhou's "conspiracy".

Empress Dowager Zhou said: "The mourning family also thinks that Bingkuan is not such a person, some people maliciously rumored that he Zhang Bingkuan wants to be on the throne, so he will squeeze out the Duke of Baoguo and the Duke of Britain, but the mourning family has gotten along with him, don't you know who he is?" He is easy-going by nature, how can he be so calculating? ”

"That's what Grandmother said." Zhu Youzhu became excited.

His eyes were shining.

In praising Zhang Zhou, he seems to be able to reach a consensus with the Empress Dowager Zhou.

But he didn't know that sometimes the old fox just took his pulse, deliberately followed his meaning, and said a few words he liked to hear.

Empress Dowager Zhou sighed: "But you also know that no matter how good Bingkuan is, no matter how humble he is, there will always be no less criticism of him by others." ”

"The retainers will punish those people." Zhu Youzhu clenched his fists.

It seems that whoever is against Zhang Zhou, he will never finish with whomever he is.

"You have to convince people with virtue, you can't rely on force, the mourning family knows, the decision you made, it is difficult to take it back, is the mourning family the kind of old man who doesn't know how to advance or retreat? In this way, even if you can't transfer the British public back for the time being, you can give his family more rewards and let his family know your attitude. "Empress Dowager Zhou seems to be determined to help Zhang Mao.

Zhu Youzhu said: "Imperial grandmother, I want to ask you, did someone tell you anything?" ”

"Nope." Empress Dowager Zhou said, "The mourning family just told you as a person who came over, if you can't get along with the old Xun, you can't get along with your throne, don't forget, decades ago...... They're making some trouble. ”

Zhu Youji's expression became obviously restrained.

Although the Empress Dowager Zhou didn't say it explicitly, she probably knew that this was talking about a change in seizing the door.

A warrior even dares to calculate an emperor, let alone a colleague minister?

"The mourning family is just afraid that you will make the relationship too stiff, and it will not end well in the end, sometimes you are heavy Bingkuan, but you don't want to think about it, Bingkuan's popularity in the court, isn't it still supported by the Governor's Mansion? If he loses power on the Governor's Mansion, who will support him? Even if some of the grass in the court was falling towards him, if the wind was not right, it was impossible to say where they would fall. On the other hand, some of the old ministers did not blow the wind, and the grass grew firmly on their side. ”

Empress Dowager Zhou naturally came up with an attitude of "it's all for your good".

In fact, Zhu Youzhu didn't like to hear this, but in the face of the old lady, he couldn't find a reason to refute it.

"Emperor, governing the country does not depend on one person, no matter how good Bingkuan is, he is just a single tree, no matter how you use him, don't chill the heart of the old lords in the court, the family and the country are in trouble, those civil servants in the court may not be able to hold on, but these old lords can be driven around you." Empress Dowager Zhou continued to follow the good path.

Zhu Youzhu said: "My grandson thinks that it may not be, if there is something, it may not be who is holding it." ”

"Alas, you can think so, but don't say it, especially don't let them know, so let's do it, recently the wife is going to enter the palace, and the mourning family will first ventilate from their side, so that all the families can settle down, and if there is anything in the court in the future, discuss it more...... The mourning family will not force you to recall the British duke, you will assist him in this battle, and the mourning family will not say anything! ”

……

……

Zhu Youzhu came out of Qingning Palace and held back the fire in his belly, but he didn't know where to go.

With his previous benevolence and filial piety, he would never be angry with the Empress Dowager Zhou, but now he obviously felt that the old lady was a little partial to the old man.

Li Zhang, who followed behind, was cautious and silent, also for fear of being angered.

"Who mentioned Bingkuan to the Empress Dowager? And who has met her and said hello...... Find out together! Zhu Youzhu suddenly became angry at Li Zhang.

"Yes."

Li Zhang felt aggrieved.

Who am I messing with?

I'm just a bystander, so what else can this do with me?

Zhu Youzhu said indignantly: "Now that someone is ventilated, they can get to the inner palace, now that I have dealt with Weichen, do I want to intrigue with my family again?" ”

Li Zhang didn't dare to pick up the stubble casually this time.

He could tell that the emperor had an opinion about the old lady.

In the past, the old lady pointed out Zhu Youzhu a little bit in court affairs, and Zhu Youzhu not only did not get angry, but also grateful.

But now......

"Give a reward to the Duke of Cai's mansion, as for the British Duke, you don't need to, and then add a hereditary official who commands the Jinyi Guard, and give it to the Tian Zhai and so on...... Bingkuan retrieved millions of taels of silver for me, which he deserved. Zhu Youzhu said.

"Yes."

Li Zhang breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

It's good that the emperor can find a solution to the problem, but if he can't find it, then he is called unlucky.

Now the emperor's strategy is to add Zhang Zhou to the rank of knight, and give more rewards, then the emperor's heart is balanced, and he probably won't be so entangled in this matter.

……

……

Xie Qianfu.

On the same day, Li Ke visited Cai Feng during the incident and informed him that several people who participated in the impeachment of Wang Shouren were imprisoned, and Xie Qian suddenly felt that something was wrong.

"When did it happen?" Xie Qian asked.

Cai Feng also seemed very anxious and said: "It's just after noon today, the person was taken away directly from the yamen, I thought it was just a routine question, who knew that he was directly escorted to Beizhen Fusi, and he didn't come out before nightfall, and the people in Kedao felt that the situation was serious, but now there is nothing to do." ”

Xie Qian waved his hand and said, "It's useless to tell me, I can't go to ask Jinyiwei for someone, right?" Since they dare to arrest people, they must have been instructed from above. ”

Cai Feng said: "Look, will it be ......?"

"What do you want to say? Be careful! Xie Qian taught a lesson.

Roughly speaking, even if you think that this matter is related to the instructions of our cabinet, you can't associate this matter with other things.

If it comes to these people, it will be stopped, otherwise the situation will expand, and who will fish them out?

"Elder Ge, you hurry up and find a way, if you spend the night in the Imperial Prison, according to past experience, you will definitely be punished, this is just a few pen sticks, they have never seen this kind of battle, if you want to make a bad trouble......"

"Didn't I know that their bodies and bones could not withstand torture?"

"Alas!"

Xie Qian said: "You go back first, go through the back door, don't let people see you, next time there is anything, let someone send a letter, don't go directly to the front door!" Or if you have something to say, just go up. ”

Cai Feng said: "Do you think that this kind of thing dares to be said in the court?" This is not going to make trouble, and it is going to be ...... upwards Reprimanded by His Majesty. ”

"You're just looking too far ahead! Anyway, although this matter is not caused by you, but you have also gone a little too far, whether it is a joint impeachment or a separate impeachment, it is ...... Alas! ”

Xie Qian obviously also wanted to push the responsibility on the official.

But he seemed to know that it couldn't be pushed off.

If the emperor had to take the person who impeached Wang Shouren, then it would be difficult for them not to confess the person who taught them to do so behind their backs, then he Xie Qian would probably be implicated.

……

……

Xie Qian went to Li Dongyang's mansion overnight.

This is also the only time he has visited Li Dongyang at night in the past two years, and it is because of the affairs of the DPRK and China.

After all, there is no need to have this kind of private meeting and tell the truth to the others.

"You say first, did His Majesty order to take people, or did Jinyiwei do things on his own?" Li Dongyang seemed very calm.

Xie Qian said: "Jin Yiwei didn't get the holy will, dare to take people?" ”

Li Dongyang said: "Judging from the current situation, it may not be. ”

Xie Qian was stunned.

He immediately understood that Li Dongyang meant that now Jinyiwei is not all under the orders of the emperor, sometimes Li Zhang also has the power to order, and Zhang Zhou interferes a lot in Jinyiwei.

"Binzhi, you just know it's impossible." Xie Qian was a little anxious.

Aren't you, Li Dongyang, drilling the tip of the horns?

Even if Li Zhang and Zhang Zhou have a great influence on Jinyiwei, can they not know how big a matter it is for the official to be imprisoned? Do they dare to mess around?

"Yu Qiao, do you think that Your Majesty may investigate this matter deeply and end up falling on you and me?" Li Dongyang asked.

"Does that need to be said? Your Majesty is obviously really moving, and I still don't know what's going on, and I don't feel that Zhang Bingkuan has done anything! ”

Xie Qian also couldn't figure it out.

It stands to reason that this matter itself is actually involved in the participation of powerful eunuchs, and if the emperor really has any news, someone should secretly report the news.

But not now.

Suddenly, the emperor ordered to take people, and he Xie Qian didn't even know without Cai Feng's reminder.

Li Dongyang said: "Impeach Wang Bo'an...... This matter itself is debatable, although Wang Bo'an's transfer of troops is not in accordance with the regulations, but it does not violate the guidelines of the northwest generals, but if Zhang Bingkuan pulls the courtiers and says that he will not do this, first provoke His Majesty's anger, and then mention Wang Bo'an, who is involved in the impeachment of Wang Bo'an, His Majesty is not angry. ”

"You mean, or is Zhang Bingkuan doing ghosts?"

Xie Qian was puzzled.

Li Dongyang said: "If I were Zhang Bingkuan, I would probably do this." ”

Obviously, Li Dongyang still had a prescient view of this, but at that time, he did not object to the strategy proposed by Liu Jian and Xie Qian.

It's just that he didn't calculate, in fact, this matter was not Zhang Zhou fanning the flames at all, but Lu Wan.

As for Xiao Jing, he clearly knew the progress of the matter, but he did not inform the cabinet, and he also wanted to protect himself.

Xiao Jing is not to protect himself, but to maintain the inheritance order within the celebrant supervisor, to put it bluntly, he is protecting Wei Bin.

Xie Qian said: "What should I do? ”

Li Dongyang breathed a sigh of relief and said: "If this is the case, if Your Majesty wants to ask the impeached officials about their crimes, you can only pretend not to know, and you must not talk about salvation in the court, and there is no need for us to criticize how Your Majesty convicts." ”

"Binzhi, that's ...... We let them do it, that's it...... Gave up on them? Xie Qian seemed very incomprehensible.

It was we who asked them to participate in the impeachment of Wang Shouren, and now that something happens, we will stand idly by?

Li Dongyang said: "If we come forward, we will add fuel to the fire, and Your Majesty may just wait for us to come forward, and then we can direct the blame to you and me, is it you and I who are important, or are they?" ”

"This ......"

Xie Qian was a little annoyed.

This is a harm to those who speak out, and we are powerless to do anything about the suffering they are about to suffer, even though we have caused everything.

Conscience is incompatible.

"That's the best outcome for them." Li Dongyang said.

Xie Qian said: "What if they really involve you and me? ”

Li Dongyang asked, "What do you think Your Majesty will do then?" Will Your Majesty question you and me to your face, or will you and I be sent to prison? As long as you don't come forward and pretend not to know, Your Majesty will not treat you and me badly. ”

Dead pigs are not afraid of boiling water.

The emperor will not take the initiative to break the rapprochement with the ministers, and even if someone reports on their cabinet members, the emperor will turn a blind eye.

But if the cabinet members went to the court to intercede for the imprisoned officials, it would be tantamount to adding fuel to the fire and forcing the emperor to plant this matter on them.

"This ...... Alas! Xie Qian looked very unconvinced.

"Zhang Bingkuan......" Li Dongyang's focus is completely on Zhang Zhou, "He can do such a thing quietly, this is not going to be the same palace as me, if this is the case, then it is also time to step up the layout and make the British prince hold a grudge against him." ”

"How to lay it out? Wang Bo'an sent troops over......" Xie Qian said.

"Do you think that Wang Bo'an will be able to help the British public territory by sending a few thousand soldiers and horses? No matter how much Wang Boan understands the art of war, he can't guess where the Tatars are, and the Tatars have always only been active around Ningxia, and they will not give the Ming soldiers and horses a chance to fight a decisive battle. Li Dongyang said.

Xie Qian said: "But he won't be defeated, right?" ”

Li Dongyang said: "As long as he doesn't get anything, then I will personally come out to impeach him!" If you work hard and hurt your money, you will not benefit the country, and he will also be impeached for all his bad deeds in the past! ”

"We?"

Xie Qian was a little puzzled.

Doesn't this mean to provoke the contradiction between Zhang Bingkuan and Zhang Mao? Why should we come out in person?

Li Dongyang said coldly: "Don't worry, no matter who comes forward, Zhang should know who he is, whose rise made him fall to the current end, and then he will naturally know who to hate!" (End of chapter)