In recent years, when Zhao Junchen holds banquets and invites guests outside the Zhao Mansion, he usually chooses Tianhai Pavilion.
Therefore, there are rumors among the official circles that Zhao Junchen particularly likes the dishes of Tianhai Pavilion.
Because of such rumors, people like Zuo Lanshan, Huo Zhengyuan and others specially sent their chefs to Tianhai Pavilion to learn cooking skills, just so that if Zhao Junchen went to their house to dine one day in the future, he would be able to enjoy the food.
dishes.
But in fact, Zhao Junchen couldn't say whether he liked or disliked the taste of Tianhai Pavilion's dishes. He always chose to hold banquets and invite guests in Tianhai Pavilion, just because Tianhai Pavilion was closer to Zhao's house, and the second floor of Tianhai Pavilion was
The sound insulation of the room is better and the location is more secluded.
With Zhou Shangjing's intelligence ability, he had naturally heard of Zhao Junchen's preference for Tianhai Pavilion, and the fact that he specifically chose to entertain Zhao Junchen in Tianhai Pavilion this time undoubtedly hinted at the concession of interests.
Zhao Junchen was not surprised by Zhou Shangjing's attitude. After all, the Water Transport Yamen was the money bag, lifeblood, and link of interests of the "Zhou Party". Its importance was second only to the Civil Service Yamen, so he naturally did not dare to neglect it.
However, in order to show his respect, Zhao Junchen still arrived at Tianhai Pavilion a quarter of an hour early to wait for Zhou Shangjing's appearance.
Who would have thought that when Zhao Junchen came to Tianhai Pavilion, he was told by the shopkeeper of Tianhai Pavilion that Zhou Shangjing had arrived earlier than himself and was currently waiting for Zhao Junchen to appear in the private room on the second floor.
Hearing this news, Zhao Junchen finally felt a little surprised.
When Zhao Junchen came to the private room on the second floor, he also discovered that Zhou Shangjing was not the only one in the room, such as Li He, the elder of the court, Song Qiwen, the official secretary, Du Bai, the censor of the right capital of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and other core members of the "Zhou Party"
The characters are all accompanying Zhou Shangjing at this time.
Seeing this scene, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but feel secretly happy, and secretly thought: "It seems that the 'Zhou Party' is more sincere than imagined... Maybe, I can gain something by taking advantage of this opportunity."
Unexpected benefits.”
But on the surface, Zhao Junchen looked frightened. He quickly walked up to Zhou Shangjing, bowed and saluted: "I'm so late, I'm sorry. It's really rude of me to bother you, seniors. I hope you will understand me."
One or two.”
Seeing Zhao Junchen's appearance and apology, Li He, Song Qiwen, Du Bai and others all stood up and returned the courtesy. Zhou Shangjing sat there and raised his hands to support him. He smiled gently and said: "It's not that Junchen is late, but
It's because I and others arrived early...
Regarding tonight's meeting, I am a little worried about His Majesty's reaction. If His Majesty finds out about the private contact between me and others and Junchen, he will inevitably have random thoughts and may even make a fuss out of a molehill. Then it will not be a big deal.
Small trouble...
Therefore, when I and others came here, they tried to hide their whereabouts as much as possible, so they could not control the specific arrival time, and they did not specifically want to wait for Junchen."
Hearing this statement, Zhao Junchen suddenly felt astonished, and then at Zhou Shangjing's signal, he sat down to talk.
At first, everyone was just chatting about romantic affairs, but when the dishes and drinks gradually filled the table, with a look from Zhou Shangjing, Zhou Mansion's steward Zhou Quan, who was standing behind him, quickly locked the door in the room.
All doors and windows.
As a result, the conversation between the two parties finally got to the point.
Zhou Shangjing first observed Zhao Junchen carefully, and then said slowly: "Junchen has always been well-informed. He must have heard about the undercurrents in the temple in the past two days, right?"
Zhao Junchen did not hide anything and nodded directly: "Of course I heard about it. It seems that the Qingliu people want to impeach the Caoyun Yamen for corruption and waste, and they also plan to take the opportunity to restart the dispute between Hecao and Haicao...
Although they have always tried to keep secrets as much as possible during the operation, those Qingliu officials have always been disorganized and there are too many smart people, so the relevant information was still leaked, allowing the juniors to receive the intelligence in advance."
Zhou Shangjing smiled and nodded, then asked: "What do Junchen think of this matter?"
Zhao Junchen still told the truth and quickly replied: "According to the younger generation's opinion, the interests of the Water Transport Yamen are intricately intertwined. The dispute between Hecao and Haicao has lasted for hundreds of years with no result. Whether it is the impeachment of the Water Transport Yamen or the resumption of the
The chance of the Hai Cao incident was slim in the first place, and considering the ability of Qingliu and others, such hasty action cannot change any status quo at all!"
Zhou Shangjing sighed and said slowly: "I originally thought so too, but the Qingliu people came prepared this time, and actually found the detailed figures for this year's water transportation grain consumption...
Junchen, you also know that due to the blockage of the canal, this year's water transportation grain consumption is indeed a bit alarming. Once the Qingliu people disclose these numbers, they will be justified and they must be unreasonable! At that time, they will forget it
Even if the goal cannot be successfully achieved, it will definitely cause a lot of troubles, and maybe even force the court to investigate the water transport yamen..."
Having said this, Zhou Shangjing shook his head again and sighed, and the implication was obvious - if one wanted to deliberately find fault, no yamen in the world could withstand strict scrutiny.
Zhou Shangjing's words seemed to be actively showing weakness.
But the next moment, Ge Lao Li He put on a puzzled look and asked: "About this matter, I just feel strange. There are forces in the temple who have the ability to investigate the specific amount of water transportation grain consumption.
There are only two, the Caoyun Yamen and the Hubu Yamen, but where did the amount of grain consumption that Qingliu controlled come from?"
Afterwards, Du Bai immediately explained: "According to the information received by the lower officials, the source of Qingliu's intelligence seems to be related to Song Huancheng, a doctor in the Ministry of Hubu. It is this person who stole the water transportation grain from the Hubu Yamen.
Relevant information!”
As Du Bai finished speaking, the eyes of several core figures in the "Zhou Party" were fixed on Zhao Junchen's face.
Under the attention of everyone, Zhao Junchen clearly noticed the accusations and questions contained in these eyes.
After all, the secret cooperation between the Hubu Yamen and the Water Transport Yamen is a tacit understanding between the "Zhou Party" and the "Zhao Party". The Hubu Yamen should not interfere with or destroy the Water Transport Yamen's affairs, and the Water Transport Yamen has to do something every year.
Distributing part of the profit to the Household Department Yamen can be described as a "win-win and mutual benefit".
This tacit understanding should not be broken. Even when the "Zhou Party" and the "Zhao Party" attack each other and are hostile to each other, they should try their best to abide by it. Otherwise, it is an extremely serious violation of the line and it is not an exaggeration to say it is a formal declaration of war.
It's like when two people quarreled, the most they would do was spit on each other, but if someone used a knife, that would be another matter.
Zhao Junchen's expression changed, as if it was the first time he heard such news, and he said seriously: "What? It was Song Huancheng who leaked the amount of food consumption?"
Du Bai nodded and said, "There shouldn't be any lies!"
Zhao Junchen still looked in disbelief and confirmed again: "Seriously? But the source of the news is wrong?"
Du Bai said expressionlessly: "If Zhao Gechen doesn't believe it, he can personally send someone to confirm the news...According to the official's opinion, Zhao Gechen will have many informants around Chaozhong Qingliu."
Under the aggressive gazes of several "Zhou Party" figures, Zhao Junchen immediately put all the blame on Li Chengru, the current Secretary of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and said angrily: "Seniors, please rest assured, the juniors will definitely investigate this matter strictly."
, if there really is a mistake in the Hubu Yamen, the juniors must be duty-bound to resolve the matter personally, and will never let this matter endanger the interests of the seniors!
Alas! The juniors had long believed that transferring Song Huancheng to the Hubu Yamen would definitely do no good, but because His Majesty made such a big deal, the juniors had no choice but to grit their teeth and take him into the Hubu Yamen!
But after the junior accepted Song Huancheng, he once warned Li Chengru, the Minister of Household Affairs, to secretly guard against this person's bad deeds. Who would have thought that something went wrong. Li Chengru's ability and means were really limited, and the junior should not do anything to him.
He has entrusted you with a heavy responsibility!
After all, this person comes from a clean background. Not only is he high-minded but low-handed, he is always talking about the benefits of His Royal Highness. He may not be of the same mind as the younger generation. Sooner or later, the younger generation will have to find a way to replace someone to take charge of the household department, otherwise this kind of mistakes may happen again.
!”
Hearing Zhao Junchen's assurance, all the "Zhou Party" officials nodded with satisfaction, thinking that Zhao Junchen had admitted that he was in the wrong and had compromised, but only Zhou Shangjing's gray eyebrows couldn't help but frown.
Because Zhao Junchen's last sentence seemed to imply that similar things would happen again in the future!
Then, Zhao Junchen suddenly changed the subject and said: "However, seniors, don't blame the juniors for speaking frankly. Regarding the current situation, even if there is a mistake at the Ministry of Revenue Yamen, and the information on water transportation grain consumption is accidentally leaked,
Detailed information, but the fundamental reason is still due to the unscrupulousness of the Water Transport Yamen. In recent years, not only have the actions become bigger and bigger, but they have also become less and less covert!
Therefore, even if there is no mistake on the Hubu Yamen side, as long as the Qingliu people want to pursue this matter, they can still investigate clearly by spending more time and energy to investigate in detail the situation in various places along Jiangnan and the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal.
Regarding the specific amount of grain consumption by the Caoyun Yamen this year, this kind of thing cannot be stopped no matter what."
Having said this, Zhao Junchen took the initiative to stand up, holding the wine glass and said: "Of course, the juniors also know that the interest disputes in the Caoyun Yamen are extremely complicated, there are too many forces involved, and many things cannot be decided by the seniors, and
The junior’s statement is not to shirk his own responsibility!
In fact, the younger generation has always believed that there are many areas for cooperation between our two families in the future. Although there will be occasional conflicts, there is no doubt that we have more common interests, so we should seek common ground while reserving differences, and be harmonious without differences!
Take this incident as an example. Regardless of whether there is a mistake on the part of the Hubu Yamen, once the water transport yamen encounters trouble, the Hubu Yamen will also be affected and cannot be immune. After all, the Hubu Yamen also receives water transport from the water transport bureau every year.
The Yamen received some benefits...
Therefore, when things have developed to this point, it no longer matters which party is responsible! No matter whether there are any mistakes in the Household Department Yamen, the juniors will definitely advance and retreat together with the seniors. As long as our two families work together
, even if the Qingliu people make a big noise, it will never be possible!"
Hearing this, in addition to Zhou Shangjing, who was foresighted, several other core figures of the "Zhou Party" also understood the implication of Zhao Junchen's words.
Zhao Junchen's attitude seemed to be humble and sincere, and he took the initiative to give in, but in fact it was extremely tough and aggressive!
To sum up, Zhao Junchen’s meaning has three levels.
First, because the current Minister of Household Affairs is Li Chengru, whose abilities and methods are insufficient, there may be mistakes in the Household Department again in the future, and it may also threaten the interests of the "Zhou Party" again.
As for whether Zhao Junchen will completely plug these loopholes in the future, it naturally depends on the sincerity of the "Zhou Party".
Secondly, Zhao Junchen believed that even if there were mistakes, the Hubu Yamen should not be held responsible. Everything happened because the Caoyun Yamen did not know how to restrain itself when doing things.
Therefore, even if Zhao Junchen helped the "Zhou Party" to stop Qingliu's actions, it was not to make up for his own mistakes, but to value the friendship between the two parties and take the initiative to help each other. Therefore, the "Zhou Party" also owed Zhao Junchen
Favor.
Third, between the "Zhou Party" and the "Zhao Party", they should shelve their disputes and continue to cooperate. As long as the "Zhou Party" no longer pursues the dismissal of the former Shandong governor Lu Yuanan, it will be considered as a return of Zhao Junchen's favor.
Zhao Junchen will naturally take action to plug the omissions of the Residential Office and ensure that similar things will not happen again.
After thinking about these things, the faces of everyone in the "Zhou Party" changed slightly.
But at the same time, they were unable to find a way to counterattack for a while.
At this time, Zhou Shangjing slowly spoke again.
"What Junchen said makes sense! During this period of time, because of Lu Yuanan's dismissal, we have been very unhappy. We have actually forgotten that the two parties have more common interests after all!
This time, the Qingliu people's action against the Water Transport Yamen is actually a good opportunity for both sides to turn enemies into friends. If the conflict between you and me becomes more intense, it will eventually get out of hand and everyone will benefit!
Moreover, I also understand the reason why Junchen must remove Lu Yuanan this time. Lu Yuanan has good abilities and a good mind, but his biggest shortcoming is that he sticks to the rules and is unwilling to accept new things, so he is particularly resistant to the farming practices promoted by Junchen.
New Deal, so there are things that are both positive and negative...
But it is also a fact that the national food inventory is insufficient. This matter is related to the stability of the country and must be resolved with all efforts. Therefore, Junchen, you must kill the chicken to scare the monkeys and take the opportunity to establish your power. Lu Yuanan just happened to hit the head of the gun. It was not Junchen who deliberately provoked it.
conflict……
Therefore, Lu Yuanan’s matter will be considered a thing of the past from today on, and there is no need to mention it again in the future, and I and others will not take revenge!"
Hearing Zhou Shangjing's words, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but look happy. The expressions of everyone in the "Zhou Party" changed again. They all thought that Zhou Shangjing's statement was a sign of giving in and bowing his head.
But then, Zhou Shangjing took a serious look at Zhao Junchen, and continued with a gentle smile: "However, Lu Yuanan is a talent after all, and it would be a waste to let him stay idle at home from now on.
Moreover, I have many disciples in the court, all of whom are counting on me to protect me. If I abandon Lu Yuanan like this, it will not only damage my own prestige, but also the people below will not be convinced...
So what I mean is that it is fine if Lu Yuanan loses his position as governor of Shandong, but he must find a new job as compensation...
Well, since the end of the trilateral war between Shaanxi and Gansu, the previous governor of Shaanxi, Zhang Shengde, has been rewarded by the court and transferred to the position of governor of Sichuan. However, the position of governor of Shaanxi has been vacant because His Majesty has repeatedly taken action to purge Shaanxi and Gansu.
Due to officialdom, no one is willing to take over this position...
So, according to my wishes, how about letting Lu Yuanan fill the vacancy of Shaanxi governor? As long as our two families jointly propose this matter, we should be able to achieve our goal smoothly! "
Having said this, the smile on Zhou Shangjing's old face became more gentle and kind, as if he and Zhao Junchen were heart to heart, and said: "Of course, Junchen, I won't let your hard work go in vain. I have received the news, and Yang Xun will take over."
On the occasion of the Dali Temple Yamen, they discovered many unjust, false and wrong cases tried by the former Minister of Dali Temple Fang Shiwen, and are currently planning to impeach Fang Shiwen for his dereliction of duty. Therefore, it is no longer possible for Fang Shiwen to serve as governor of Shandong...
In this way, the position of governor of Shandong will also be vacant, and I will leave this position to Junchen... How about it? Fair, right?"
After hearing Zhou Shangjing's words, Zhao Junchen's expression changed slightly!
Zhou Shangjing's proposal seems fair. Shandong is much more prosperous than Shaanxi. Trading the governorship of Shaanxi for the governorship of Shandong is a profit no matter how you look at it.
At the same time, Zhao Junchen had been coveting the position of governor of Shandong for a long time, and Zhou Shangjing obviously noticed this.
However, Zhou Shangjing's proposal is naturally not that simple!
In fact, for Zhao Junchen, this proposal is simply sinister!
During this period of time, Emperor Deqing repeatedly launched a purge of officialdom in Shaanxi and Gansu, in order to completely eliminate Zhao Junchen's influence.
However, due to Zhao Junchen's advance arrangements, Emperor Deqing's purge was not successful, and Zhao Junchen's core power was still intact.
Regarding this situation, Zhou Shangjing may also have a clear understanding of it!
Therefore, Zhou Shangjing proposed to let Lu Yuanan serve as governor of Shaanxi, probably to keep an eye on the military and political forces that Zhao Junchen left in Shaanxi and Gansu!
Lu Yuanan and Zhao Junchen have a dispute, and when the time comes, he will do his best and do things actively!
As a result, Zhao Junchen's many arrangements for Shaanxi and Gansu will naturally have a greatly reduced effect in the future!
Thinking of this, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but feel extremely fearful!
However, just when Zhao Junchen was secretly thinking about how he was going to respond to Zhou Shangjing, Zhou Shangjing's next move was far from over!