"This humble duty will not disturb the Prime Minister's rest. Please leave first!" Seeing Qin Hui deep in thought, Wang Hao stood up and left.
"Do you have anything else to say?" Qin Hui asked when he saw Wang Hao hesitated to speak.
Wang Hao laughed and said: "I heard a statement in Shangluo County, and I thought it was ridiculous. There is no need to add trouble to the Prime Minister."
Qin Hui glanced at him and said displeasedly: "Just tell me everything, even the rumors. Don't just tell half of it and make me uncomfortable."
Wang Hao quickly bowed and said: "I heard that Chen Qing wants to exchange Yan Nianhan for the late emperor!"
"What!"
Qin Hui stood up and said sternly: "Say it again!"
Wang Hao was so frightened that he trembled all over, "This is just..."
"Say it again!"
"Humble post. Listen. I heard that Chen Qing wants to exchange Yan Nianhan for the late emperor."
Qin Hui's eyes widened, "Is this true?"
"Biji. I just said it, it's just a rumor. How can ordinary people know such a secret?"
Qin Hui slowly sat down. What Wang Hao said makes sense. If this kind of thing is true, it is also top secret. I am afraid that only the prime minister can know about it. How could it be leaked casually? It is being spread on the street. The news must be untrue.
"Go ahead! I'll reward you with twenty taels of silver and have a good rest for a few days."
"I resign from my humble position!"
Wang Hao left, and Qin Hui was upset for a while. He also knew that there is no smoke without fire. The Song army captured Wanyan Nianhan, but refused to agree to send him to Lin'an. The whole court also speculated about Chen Qing's intentions, but they did not expect him.
I heard the scariest rumor today.
If the late emperor came back, it would be shocking news to the emperor, but it would be bad news to Qin Hui. How many lies he had made up, wouldn't they all be exposed as soon as the late emperor came back?
Qin Hui didn't know how long he had been sitting there when the door opened and his wife Wang came in with a cup of tea.
"How long has Wang Hao been gone, but the master never showed up, neither ate food nor drank tea. What did he say to the master? Is he so distracted?"
Qin Hui was afraid of his wife, so he did not dare to ignore his wife's inquiry. He could only sigh and said: "It's just a rumor, but it may also be true. It is said that Chen Qing is likely to exchange Yan Nianhan for the late emperor."
Ms. Wang was also startled. She shook her head and said, "It's impossible! If it's true, the Queen Mother should have told me."
Qin Hui knew that the Queen Mother had some correspondence with Wanyan Zongxian of Bianjing. If the news was true, then the Queen Mother would definitely know. Since she did not mention it, it meant that it was just a rumor.
Thinking of this, Qin Hui felt relieved. He picked up the tea cup and took a sip. At this moment, the housekeeper reported at the door, "Envoy Pucha is here. He has important matters to see the Prime Minister."
"Clang!"
The tea cup in Qin Hui's hand fell to the ground and shattered.
The Pucha envoy the steward was talking about was Pucha Hubalu, the Jin envoy to the Song Dynasty. He was Wanyanchang's son-in-law. He was captured during a battle with the Song army many years ago, and was later exchanged and released. At the beginning of the year, Wanyan was captured by Wanyanchang.
Chang recommended him to be the envoy of the Kingdom of Jin to the Song Dynasty.
Pucha Hubalu received an urgent message from his father-in-law Wan Yanchang this afternoon, and came to see Qin Hui in the evening.
In the study, Qin Hui asked with a sullen face: "Why did you agree to negotiate with Chen Qing? Don't you think you are devaluing yourself?"
Pucha Hubalu said helplessly: "My father-in-law advocated negotiations with the Song Dynasty court, but the military led by Zong Jun and Zong Qian forced the emperor to negotiate with Chen Qing. Qin Xianggong also knew that the Jin Dynasty was founded on the army.
The emperor has to consider the pressure from the military, especially since Zong Jun is the emperor's biological father."
Qin Hui waved his hand impatiently and interrupted Pucha Hubalu, "I don't care about the internal conflicts of your Jin country. I just want to know who your envoy is and has he set off?"
Pucha Hubalu was a junior, and facing the powerful prime minister of the Song Dynasty, his momentum was still a little weak.
Qin Hui's attitude made him a little unhappy, but he could only hold back his anger and said: "The negotiator is Zuo Xiang Guo Xiyin. He has already set off. I'm afraid he has arrived in Jingzhao now."
"What!"
Qin Hui was so angry that he slapped the table and angrily said, "Why didn't you inform me until now? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Pucha Hubalu was also angry. He said coldly: "Please Qin Xiangguo not speak to me in this tone. How to negotiate is the internal affairs of the Jin Kingdom. My notification to Qin Xiangguo is just a personal relationship with my father-in-law. Besides, my father-in-law has always been
In Hebei, he just learned about it and immediately sent me an express letter to inform me."
Qin Hui also heard the dissatisfaction in the other party's tone. He had to suppress his anxiety and asked: "What is your country's attitude towards negotiations?"
Pucha Falcon Balu snorted and said: "Qin Xianggong thinks that the Kingdom of Jin is a barbaric land and does not understand etiquette. We know very well that negotiating with Chen Qing means lowering one's status, but since the imperial court is willing to compromise one's status and send people to
Jingzhao, that means the emperor has generally agreed to Chen Qing’s exchange requirements, and the so-called negotiation is just to improve some details."
Qin Hui was speechless, Pucha Hubalu immediately left, walked to the door and said: "In addition, I want to tell Qin Xianggong one more thing. The Jin Kingdom has decided to abolish the puppet Qi Kingdom and ban Liu Yu's throne before the end of the year at the latest.
Get this done."
As soon as Pucha Falcon Baru left, Mrs. Wang rushed into the guest room like a gust of wind and asked urgently: "Is that what happened?"
Qin Hui nodded, "The Kingdom of Jin has decided to exchange the late emperor for Wanyan Nianhan and Yin Shuke."
Wang stood stunned for a long time, then immediately said: "Master must enter the palace immediately and report this matter to the officials!"
"I know, but the emperor asked me how to solve the problem, how should I answer?"
A trace of evil flashed in Wang's eyes and she said: "Why don't you know how to answer? The late emperor is just the elder brother of the official family, not me. How can he still be the supreme emperor? Besides, he was tortured in the Jin Kingdom and his body has collapsed.
Isn't it normal that you fell ill and died soon after you came back?"
Qin Hui understood what his wife meant, gritted his teeth and said, "Okay! I'll enter the palace right now."
"Bang!" A Jun porcelain tea cup hit the ground hard and shattered into pieces. Emperor Zhao Gou roared like thunder, "He is so brave and dares to interfere in royal affairs. Is he impatient?"
"
The surrounding palace maids and eunuchs had never seen the emperor so angry. It was like thunderous anger. It reminded them of the death of the young prince. The rage at that time seemed not as strong as it is now. The palace maids and eunuchs were all frightened.
trembling.
Even Qin Hui was a little frightened. He did not expect that the emperor's reaction would be so violent, which made him silent and did not dare to speak.
Zhao Gou was pacing back and forth in the room. He suddenly stopped and said through gritted teeth: "It is my will that as a minister, Chen Qing is rebellious and a thief who brings harm to the country. Everyone in the world can punish him. I am now removing him from all official positions."
, deprive them of all titles, demote them to lowly slaves, and behead their heads, make them county kings, and reward them to ten thousand households."
Qin Hui was horrified and hurriedly knelt down and said: "Your Majesty, you must not do it. If you issue this decree, Chen Qing will definitely proclaim himself emperor and reform the system, and the Song Dynasty will soon be over!"
Although Qin Hui wished that the officials would dismiss Chen Qing every day, he had to make a decision when the emperor had a clear mind, so that he could absolve himself of the responsibility. But now that the emperor is so angry that he issued such a stupid decree, once
When the emperor wakes up, the responsibility for Chen Qing's rebellion and proclaiming emperor will definitely fall on him. Qin Hui knew very well that he could not bear the responsibility for Chen Qing's rebellion and proclaiming emperor even if he killed him.
The four words "proclaimed emperor and reformed" were like a basin of cold water poured on Zhao Gou's head, from head to toe. He suddenly woke up. He immediately stopped Xu Yun, the great scholar on duty next to him, "I won't draft the edict for the time being. I will think about it again."
,Xu Aiqing, step back!"
"I obey the decree!"
Xu Yun took a deep look at Qin Hui, bowed and retreated.
Zhao Gou sat down slumped, and after a long time of recovery, he asked in a low voice: "He wants to take back the emperor brother, what should I do?"
The former emperor that Chen Qing wanted to exchange was of course the historical Song Qinzong Zhao Huan. Zhao Gou’s imperial brother, the Supreme Emperor Zhao Ji, had died the year before last, that is, in the fifth year of Shaoxing, and his temple was named Huizong.
Qin Hui whispered: "I know that the late emperor was tortured by the Jin people and his body has already collapsed. I am afraid that he will not die soon. I think that it is a good thing for the late emperor to die in his hometown when he comes back."
Zhao Gou's eyes lit up, and he understood what Qin Hui meant.