To advance by retreating, to make a comeback, to leave the position of prince while preserving his own reputation, to find a way to win sympathy and support from all walks of life in the government and the public before being formally deposed, and then to quietly wait for the seventh prince Zhu Hejian to commit adultery in the future when he takes the throne.
, take advantage of the situation to make a comeback and compete for reserve positions...
This is exactly the future path Zhao Junchen planned for Zhu Heyu, but now it was suddenly revealed by Li Chengru, who has always been mediocre!
After being caught off guard at the beginning, Zhao Junchen quickly calmed down his abnormal demeanor and regained his usual composure and calmness.
However, Zhao Junchen's inner emotions were still ups and downs, full of vigilance.
He has always been suspicious and thoughtful. He often fights wits with the air. He has to think carefully for a long time about any slight disturbance. He never dares to regard any situation as a simple coincidence or accident.
Moreover, Zhao Junchen is not as good at observing words and expressions as Huo Zhengyuan. He can infer a lot of things just by looking at the details of the other person's behavior and changes in his expression.
This kind of ability actually requires a lot of talent, and it is easy to be fooled, so Zhao Junchen rarely uses the method of "observing words and emotions" as his own benchmark for judging something.
At this time, Zhao Junchen could not be as sure as Huo Zhengyuan that Li Chengru's statement was just a temporary excuse. Instead, he secretly wondered whether Li Chengru had noticed some clues and guessed his future plan, so he thought
Want to take the opportunity to test yourself?
All in all, for the sake of caution, Zhao Junchen believed that it was necessary to find out the details of Li Chengru at this time.
Compared with Huo Zhengyuan's "observation of words and colors", Zhao Junchen also has his own judgment method, which can also detect a person's thoughts and details, that is, "listen to his words and observe his actions".
This method seems to be very similar to "observation of words and colors", but in fact it is a completely different method.
*
After making the decision, Zhao Junchen deliberately showed disapproval, as if he did not agree with Li Chengru's proposal, but was unwilling to refute it directly.
On the other side, seeing Zhao Junchen's attitude, Li Chengru was deeply surprised and couldn't help but feel a little panicked.
He originally thought that Zhao Junchen would definitely agree to his proposal and give him a step down, and then he could completely commit to Zhao Junchen!
But if Zhao Junchen rejected his proposal on the spot and made it clear that he was unwilling to have anything to do with the crown prince Zhu Heyu in the future, let alone help Zhu Heyu make a comeback, wouldn't he be in an embarrassing dilemma? People who change families
Things will also take twists and turns...
Zhao Gechen, Zhao Gechen! I, Li Chengru, have made a big decision today and I sincerely want to surrender to you! I just mentioned that I want you to "assist Crown Prince Zhu Heyu to make a comeback in the future", which is just a casual mention.
, you just have to agree. Even if you forget this agreement in the future, I will never bring it up again!
As he was pouring out his heart, Li Chengru was also filled with regret. He thought that he should not have put up a memorial arch in such a pretentious manner, and had to find a high-sounding excuse for himself before surrendering to Zhao Junchen! If he had known this, he should have directly agreed to Zhao Junchen just now.
What a great solicitation!
Under the fluctuating mood, Li Chengru could not maintain his calm expression, and stared at Zhao Junchen with nervous eyes.
After Zhao Junchen was silent for a long time, he finally spoke slowly: "Li Shangshu's idea... I'm afraid the chance is slim! The current situation in the temple is very clear. After His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is deposed, he will succeed the Crown Prince. The person in this position must be the Seventh Prince Zhu Hejian!
This prince has always acted cautiously and considered everything. Now he has not only won the support of the Qingliu people, but also won the favor of His Majesty. Some time ago, he also took advantage of the situation and annexed the original "Shen Dang" forces. He really took advantage of it. Gao Ming is also evident...
After he ascends to the position of Crown Prince, his position will definitely be far more stable than that of His Highness the Crown Prince today. Even if he occasionally makes small mistakes, it will be difficult to shake the foundation!
Therefore, if we want to overthrow him in the future and let His Royal Highness the Crown Prince make a comeback, how difficult will it be? Such an approach will not only make the new crown prince an enemy, but will also embarrass His Majesty! Haha! At the same time, we will offend the current emperor and the future. The emperor, this is simply a way to die. Once the plan is successful, it will be a disaster, and our wives and children will be deeply implicated... Li Shangshu, you have already considered it. Are you okay with the consequences?"
*The disaster is irreversible, my wife and children...
After hearing what Zhao Junchen said, Li Chengru couldn't help but look slightly pale.
He was just looking for a high-sounding excuse for himself, but he had completely considered the feasibility and serious consequences of this proposal.
Zhao Junchen stared at Li Chengru's change of demeanor with a cold expression, and said: "Even if we just mentioned it casually and took actual actions, as long as your words today are accidentally spread, we will still become Your Majesty and the Seventh Prince are a thorn in the side and a thorn in the flesh! Therefore, I also hope that Li Shangshu... must be careful in what he says and what he does!"
Li Chengru's face became paler and paler, almost bloodless, and he finally understood that in his haste, he had not thought carefully, said something he absolutely shouldn't have said, and made a very stupid suggestion.
But Li Chengru didn't know that his seemingly stupid suggestion was actually very close to Zhao Junchen's real plan.
"It's all because of Xianguan's delusion, madness and blunder. I hope Zhao Gechen Qian* won't take it to heart. Those words just now are treated as if they were never said by Xianguan. Xiaguan will never dare to mention them again in the future..."
Zhao Junchen smiled half-heartedly and asked: "So, Li Shangshu doesn't expect me to help His Royal Highness make a comeback in the future?"
As he spoke, Zhao Junchen's self-identification had quietly changed from "I" to "this pavilion", implying an aggressive tone.
Li Chengru's face became more and more uncertain, but he soon made a decision and sighed: "The overall situation has been decided and it is difficult to change. If the crown prince's dethronement cannot be reversed, even if we are unwilling, we can only It’s in compliance with destiny.”
What a "compliance with destiny"! Li Chengru can really build a memorial arch for himself anytime and anywhere. This has become his instinct!
However, after seeing Li Chengru's various reactions, Zhao Junchen was finally able to confirm that Li Chengru's suggestion just now was not because he guessed his follow-up plan and wanted to test himself, but it was just a temporary compilation and an accident.
Obviously, Li Chengru had carefully considered the success probability and consequences of his proposal from beginning to end. When he discovered that his impromptu idea would have serious consequences, he immediately gave up his current position easily and completely.
** Thoughts on further discussion - If he deliberately wanted to test Zhao Junchen, he should never behave like this.
Compared to Huo Zhengyuan, Zhao Junchen was undoubtedly a step later in seeing through the truth of the matter, but the conclusion he reached was more reliable than Huo Zhengyuan.
Although the method of "observing words and colors" can quickly draw certain conclusions, there is also the possibility of misjudgment or being deceived. Zhao Junchen's method of "listening to his words and observing his actions" is to throw a system at the other party.
It is undoubtedly much safer to ask multiple-choice questions under different situations, forcing the other party to make a choice, and then judging the other party's true intentions based on the other party's different choices.
After confirming Li Chengru's true thoughts, Zhao Junchen knew that he was overthinking again, but he was not in a hurry to end the topic. Instead, he asked again: "Li Shangshu can understand the overall situation and act according to the trend, so naturally he is the best."
That's great! It's not that I want to abandon His Highness the Crown Prince and betray the alliance. It's really irresistible... However, I want to know why Li Shangshu has always been cautious, so why would he risk it now?
Do you think that this cabinet will support His Highness the Crown Prince in his fight for the reserve position in the future?"
Seeing that Zhao Junchen no longer pursued his nonsense, Li Chengru couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief and secretly hoped that his remarks today would not be spread. But when he heard Zhao Junchen's inquiry again, he couldn't help but
I was stunned for a moment and didn't know how to answer.
You can't say that all his suggestions are just temporary excuses, right?
But Li Chengru was not a hopeless fool to reach this point after all. After thinking carefully for a moment, he gradually grasped the context of his thoughts when he just proposed.
After hesitating for a moment, Li Chengru replied: "The reason why the official had such an idea just now is because under the current situation, it is impossible to change the crown prince's dethronement. If Zhao Gechen still intends to continue to support His Highness the Crown Prince,
If so, we can only seek a comeback for His Highness the Crown Prince!
Only His Royal Highness the Crown Prince still maintained his reputation even when he was deposed. Thanks to our efforts, all parties in the government and the public still appreciated His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's kindness and will not forget it. When the new crown prince takes office, he will commit serious crimes and be punished by us.
Only by catching the handle can His Royal Highness have a chance to make a comeback! After much deliberation, I have concluded that this is the only feasible solution under the current circumstances!"
Hearing Li Chengru's explanation, Zhao Junchen was slightly startled, and then fell into deep thought.
*
Perhaps, it was not just a pure coincidence that Li Chengru was able to accidentally guess the future path Zhao Junchen designed for Zhu Heyu.
Just as Li Chengru explained, if Zhao Junchen wants to continue to support Zhu Heyu and use Zhu Heyu to check and balance Zhu Hejian, this method is the only strategy available to him at present.
From this perspective, as long as Zhao Junchen's true position of secret hostility towards Zhu Hejian is seen through, his thoughts and plans are actually not difficult to guess!
At least, the seventh prince Zhu Hejian was very aware of Zhao Junchen's vigilance and hostility towards him, and he could probably guess that Zhao Junchen wanted to use Zhu Heyu to check and balance himself. Zhou Shangjing was naturally aware of this, and Emperor Deqing would also see it sooner or later.
Understand...so they will all be able to guess Zhao Junchen's specific plan in the future...maybe they have already guessed it now.
Zhao Junchen found that he was too secretive. He had always considered the problem from this perspective, but he still thought that his plan was so confidential that he could hide any flaws from most people, and he could
Hiding behind the scenes, he secretly manipulated the change of reserve positions, but now it seems that his ideas are too taken for granted.
As long as Zhao Junchen wants to support Zhu Heyu to regain the position of crown prince in the future, he will have to stand in front of the stage sooner or later, and he will never be able to hide behind the scenes and manipulate everything!
Moreover, sooner or later, his plan will be guessed by smart people from all walks of life in the government and the public, and it will never go smoothly.
Although it is said that Zhao Junchen's plan is largely a conspiracy, he is not worried about being blocked and sabotaged by others, and when Zhao Junchen implements the plan, as long as he stands up and expresses his support for the former deposed prince, it will be fine.
Anyone can find faults, but there will definitely be many twists and turns, and the pressure from all sides will be extremely high.
Therefore, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but start thinking about another question - although his support for Zhu Heyu was largely just to check and balance Zhu Hejian, if the cost was too great and the risk was too high, was it all worth it?
In fact, when Zhao Junchen was talking to Emperor Deqing in the Imperial Study Room, he had already begun to think about this issue after he discovered that Zhu Heyu's growth rate was far beyond expectations, and that he had other arrangements without telling him.
However, this issue is related to Zhao Junchen's future strategic direction, which cannot be considered clearly in a short time, and now is obviously not a good opportunity to think carefully.
Therefore, Zhao Junchen calmed down his thoughts at the next moment, turned his attention to Li Chengru again, nodded and said: "I see! It's a pity that Li Shangshu's idea is too risky and has a small chance of success. Otherwise, I really could have tried it."
For a moment! But since Li Shangshu also understands that the general trend is irreversible, we can only be forced to give up His Highness the Crown Prince! As ministers, it is best for us as ministers to participate as little as possible in the matter of abolishing the crown prince, or to think more about our own
Things are better...For example, as I mentioned just now, can the cooperation between Li Shangshu and this cabinet be longer and closer!"
Seeing Zhao Junchen once again express his position to recruit him, Li Chengru naturally did not dare to be pretentious and meddlesome again, and his gaffe just now was to a large extent equivalent to being caught by Zhao Junchen. Once Zhao Junchen took him
If the proposal spreads, Li Chengru will become an enemy in the eyes of the seventh prince Zhu Hejian, so Li Chengru will become less and less afraid to resist Zhao Junchen.
As Zhao Junchen's words fell, Li Chengru quickly expressed his position: "I feel deeply honored and comfortable to cooperate with Zhao Gechen during this period of time. I am naturally willing to continue to cooperate with Zhao Gechen in the future. As long as Zhao Gechen follows his lead, we will do our best for the court together!"
Such a statement is no longer an ordinary cooperation, but a clear statement that he will join Zhao Junchen's disciples.
Zhao Junchen was not surprised by this, nodded and said with a smile: "It is best for Li Shangshu to have such an awakening! When all the officials gather at the next court meeting, I will formally introduce Li Shangshu to him.
Those colleagues who have a close relationship with me, we are all our own from now on, and we can cooperate more with each other!"
Thinking that he would soon join the ranks of the corrupt officials and treacherous officials of the "Zhao Party", Li Chengru, who was born in Qingliu, felt complicated for a while, but when he thought of the many benefits of joining the "Zhao Party", he felt vaguely hopeful.
He lowered his head and said softly: "Of course it is a good thing to cooperate more with my colleagues. If Zhao Gechen needs the cooperation of the subordinates in the future, the subordinates will do their best and dare not make any excuses."
*
Next, Zhao Junchen exchanged some views on the situation in the temple with Li Chengru and Huo Zhengyuan. Most of them were just gossip, but there was no need to mention them.
However, when the three of them were talking, Huo Zhengyuan was always a little absent-minded, and from time to time he would bring the topic to the matter of the abolition of the crown prince. Apparently he had guessed something and wanted to further confirm Zhao Junchen's thoughts.
Zhao Junchen likes smart people like Huo Zhengyuan very much, but smart people also have their disadvantages. As long as they are a little careless, they will guess their secrets - just like now, Li Chengru, as the protagonist, is
From the beginning to the end, Huo Zhengyuan was aware of what exactly happened just now, but Huo Zhengyuan just saw a slight change in Zhao Junchen's expression, and he had already made up too many things in his mind.
However, the reason why Zhao Junchen values Huo Zhengyuan is because Huo Zhengyuan is not only very smart, but also very low-key and cautious, and understands his duties. Zhao Junchen does not intend to let Huo Zhengyuan be deeply involved in the abolition of the crown prince, and thinks that Huo Zhengyuan only needs to be responsible in the future.
The shipping matter was just fine, so he avoided talking about Huo Zhengyuan's repeated temptations.
After Huo Zhengyuan tried it several times, he quickly understood Zhao Junchen's thoughts and didn't mention it any more. He just made a secret decision in his heart that he would never get too close to the seventh prince Zhu Hejian in the future -
- Based on Huo Zhengyuan's understanding of Zhao Junchen, he believed that even if Zhu Hejian succeeded in taking the position of crown prince, he might not be able to secure his position.
After talking for about half an hour, seeing that Zhao Junchen looked tired, Huo Zhengyuan and Li Chengru said goodbye and left together, and Zhao Junchen naturally had no choice but to stay.
After Huo and Li left, Zhao Junchen turned to look at Xu Qingyan and Mo Xiaolin, who had been standing next to him, and said: "Qingyan, Xiaolin, you two have been running around* these days, and now you must be
Fortunately, let’s go and rest now. Dinner will be served in an hour or two. I’ll tell the kitchen to prepare something rich. I will celebrate the two of you after today’s dinner and also make some arrangements for your future.
.”
After a pause, Zhao Junchen thought of something else and added to Xu Qingyan: "By the way, the Zheng family's envoy has arrived in the capital with you and is waiting to see me at any time... But in the next few days there will be
There are many things going on, and I'm afraid I won't be able to see him. You take him to see Academician Huo first. Academician Huo will be responsible for finalizing the specific details of the cooperation. If something happens that Academician Huo cannot decide, let him know.
Me! After all the details of the cooperation are discussed, I will take time to meet with him, but there are too many things going on right now, and I am afraid I am not in the mood to take care of these details."
Hearing what Zhao Junchen said, Mo Xiaolin couldn't help but feel happy. Zhao Junchen once promised to give him a future in the military, and now he is obviously going to fulfill his promise.
On the other side, Xu Qingyan had a worried look on his face. He had always understood Zhao Junchen’s style best and understood that Zhao Junchen had never been one to delegate power and worry less! In Zhao Junchen’s future plans, the shipping plan to cooperate with the Zheng family is also an important one.
The most important thing is that it stands to reason that even if Zhao Junchen will not personally come forward to discuss the details of cooperation with the Zheng family at this time, he should still control the overall situation from beginning to end, and he should never leave everything to Huo Zhengyuan directly!
Being able to let Zhao Junchen say that he "has no intention of taking care of these minutiae details" shows that Zhao Junchen now has more and more important things that need to be seriously considered, and has no time to take care of them, and is gradually becoming unable to do what he does.
Thinking of this, although Xu Qingyan didn't say anything more - he knew that what he said was useless - his desire to take charge of his own affairs and share Zhao Junchen's worries became stronger.
*
When Xu Qingyan and Mo Xiaolin also left the room, Zhao Junchen was the only one left in the main hall of Zhao Mansion.
Zhao Junchen finally had the opportunity to start thinking about the abolition and replacement of the crown prince.
There is no doubt that this matter is the top priority now, and its impact is extremely far-reaching. The temple structure will also change accordingly. Zhao Junchen is in the center of the whirlpool and cannot escape. His future choices will profoundly affect his own destiny and that of many people.
.
Especially because of Li Chengru's unintentional reminder, Zhao Junchen found that the situation he faced became more and more complicated.
Should I continue to support Zhu Heyu in the future?
Zhu Heyu's rapid growth has exceeded expectations. Will there be a risk of losing control in the future?
Emperor Deqing forced himself to take the lead in taking the lead in impeaching Zhu Heyu. How should this matter be implemented in detail?
If after Prince Zhu Heyu is deposed, he still plans to support him in his fight for the throne, how should he deal with the pressure from all sides during this period?
Every issue and every possibility requires Zhao Junchen to think carefully and cannot be ignored.
*
And while Zhao Junchen was thinking about these things seriously, he didn't know that two scheming careerists were meeting secretly.
In recent days, Emperor Deqing has been forced to leave the Imperial Study Room due to the lawsuit between Prince Zhu Heyu and various vassal kings. Li Ruan, who has been promoted to the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Study Room, has also been forced to stay on duty in the Imperial Study Room for three consecutive days.
.
Today, after Emperor Deqing summoned the ministers in the imperial study, he finally returned to the harem to rest, and Li Ruan finally got a chance to rest.
As soon as Li Ruan returned to his room, he suddenly received an invitation, saying that Wu Xinquan, the chief minister of the Supervisor of Ceremonies, had set up a banquet at the Hexin Tower west of the Forbidden City and invited him to have a drink with him.
Wu Xinquan was the head of the eunuchs in the inner court. Of course, Li Ru'an did not dare to neglect him and did not bother to rest, so he hurried to the banquet.
But when he arrived at He Xin Tower, he actually saw an unexpected big shot at the banquet.
This big shot is clearly the seventh prince Zhu Hejian who is about to become the new crown prince!