Chapter 23. The beginning of the storm (middle). The two-in-one chapter
When Zhou Shangjing and Song Qiwen were discussing how Emperor Deqing viewed Zhao Junchen, Zhao Junchen was also thinking about the same question.
After solving the Qiuwei fraud case in the three provinces, Zhao Junchen remembered clearly Emperor Deqing's seemingly casual but meaningful inquiry.
Obviously, Emperor Deqing had more or less guessed Zhao Junchen's purpose, but he didn't express anything.
This is a question worthy of further study.
Since coming to this world, Zhao Junchen has always regarded Emperor Deqing as his greatest support and backer, but this does not mean that Zhao Junchen will trust Emperor Deqing!
In fact, not only had Zhao Junchen never trusted Emperor Deqing, but he had always been cautiously wary of Emperor Deqing.
In another time and space, Zhao Junchen knew very well how Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty treated He Shen.
Limited by experience, Zhao Junchen did not have Zhou Shangjing's sophisticated vision, but Zhao Junchen understood a very simple truth - although he was a favorite of Emperor Deqing, he was just a favorite. Zhu He
Although Yu was not favored by Emperor Deqing, he was the legitimate son and crown prince of Emperor Deqing!
And so far, although Emperor Deqing dislikes Zhu Heyu more and more, he has no idea of replacing the crown prince.
Therefore, Emperor Deqing would suppress Zhu Heyu for various reasons, and would condone Zhao Junchen for various reasons. When the two of them had conflicts, Emperor Deqing would often favor him.
Zhao Junchen, but if Emperor Deqing really had to choose between the two, then Emperor Deqing would definitely choose Zhu Heyu without hesitation.
The favorite minister and the prince will never be the same weight in the heart of any emperor.
In Zhao Junchen's opinion, because of the existence of Prince Zhu Heyu, Emperor Deqing's view of him and his own view of Emperor Deqing should be almost consistent.
That is to rely on and utilize at the same time, but also to be careful and vigilant.
The reason why Zhao Junchen wanted to deal with Zhu Heyu was not only the threat that Zhu Heyu posed to him, but also because as long as Zhu Heyu was still the prince, there would always be conflicts between Zhao Junchen and Emperor Deqing under the appearance of harmony between monarch and minister.
There is an irreconcilable contradiction.
Whether this contradiction can be finally resolved will largely determine Zhao Junchen's life and death.
………
However, although Emperor Deqing's attitude towards Zhao Junchen was very subtle, just like Qin Hui to Song Gaozong and He Shen to Qianlong, Zhao Junchen had irreplaceable value for Emperor Deqing.
Because of this utilization value, Song Gaozong tolerated Qin Hui, Qianlong tolerated He Shen, and Emperor Deqing obviously had similar tolerance for Zhao Junchen, judging from all aspects of the situation.
What Zhao Junchen has to do now is to continuously demonstrate his use value in front of Emperor Deqing, and at the same time, use Emperor Deqing's tolerance to expand his power as quickly as possible.
Although Zhao Junchen knew very well that doing so might arouse Emperor Deqing's wariness and suspicion, he had no other choice.
Now Zhao Junchen has both short-term worries and long-term worries. There are too many enemies and too few allies, and each of them is fatal. If he knows how to fight for power and form cliques and friends, he will still have some hope, but if he does nothing, he will only be able to survive.
If you know how to take advantage of someone's tactics, you will definitely end up dead and without life.
But this time, Zhao Junchen took Zhan Shanchang and Tong Huan under his sect without deliberately concealing it. He did so with the intention of testing the bottom line of Emperor Deqing's tolerance.
The bottom line of Emperor Deqing's tolerance for Zhao Junchen is related to Zhao Junchen's follow-up plan, so we must find out clearly.
However, what Zhao Junchen didn't expect was that Emperor Deqing completely accepted his efforts to please him and showed great satisfaction. However, Emperor Deqing was actually indifferent to his attempts to expand power and form a party, without even a hint of warning.
nothing!
Could it be that Emperor Deqing was so worried about himself?
Or is it that I have far underestimated the bottom line of Emperor Deqing's tolerance for me?
Zhao Junchen couldn't understand.
The only thing that reassured Zhao Junchen was that most of the matters regarding this southern tour had now been resolved. Taking this opportunity, he once again showed his value in front of Emperor Deqing.
As for what the future will bring, Zhao Junchen has not imagined that it is that far yet. He has to eat his food one bite at a time and resolve matters one by one.
Zhao Junchen's main target now is still Zhu Heyu.
As for Wen Guanliang, to be honest, Zhao Junchen didn't take him seriously.
Just a stepping stone.
………
"However, this break with Wen Guanliang is an opportunity to further test the bottom line of his tolerance for me."
Zhao Junchen murmured softly to himself while thinking secretly.
"Master, what did you say?" Xu Qingyan didn't hear clearly. Seeing Zhao Junchen thinking deeply, he was naturally curious.
At this time, Zhao Junchen had returned to his mansion and was eating supper with Xu Qingyan. Halfway through the meal, he actually became distracted.
"It's nothing, I'm just thinking about some trivial things."
Zhao Junchen said with a careless smile.
There were some things that he didn't intend to tell Xu Qingyan. Although he was reassured about Xu Qingyan's loyalty, he didn't want Xu Qingyan to be confused by this.
While talking, Zhao Junchen looked at the delicacies on the table and lost his appetite for chopsticks.
At this moment, a servant of the Zhao family came quickly and reported: "Sir, Mr. Zhan Shanchang, the Minister of Household Affairs, and Mr. Tong Huan, the general envoy of the General Affairs Office, want to see you."
Zhao Junchen looked at the sky outside the window and said with a smile: "The two of them came very quickly. Well, take them to the study to see me."
While talking, Zhao Junchen put down his bowls and chopsticks and walked towards the study first.
Xu Qingyan looked at the few bites of food and couldn't help frowning: "Master, you don't want to eat anymore?"
Zhao Junchen smiled and said: "You can continue eating, don't worry about me, I'm full."
Whether he was full or not, Zhao Junchen actually didn’t feel much.
However, after returning to Beijing, Zhao Junchen lost a lot of appetite due to the scheming and intrigues everywhere.
………
After Zhao Junchen came to the study, he didn't wait long before Zhan Shanchang and Tong Huan came hand in hand.
It can be seen that after receiving the news that the Qiuwei fraud case in three provinces was concluded, Zhan Shanchang was in a good mood, with a relaxed smile on his face.
After seeing Zhao Junchen, Zhan Shanchang ignored Zhao Junchen's obstruction and kowtowed: "Thank you so much, Mr. Zhao, for saving your life. I will definitely swear to death to repay your kindness after I am dismissed."
As Zhan Shanchang's brother-in-law, Tong Huan also paid tribute to Zhan Shanchang.
Zhao Junchen said with a smile: "Get up quickly, sit down and talk. Since you want to follow me, I can't let you suffer. There is no need to thank you like this."
After Zhan Shanchang and Tong Huan sat down, Zhao Junchen looked a little more serious and said slowly: "I came to you so late, but I have something to explain to you. The Qiuwei fraud case in the three provinces seems to have been solved.
Actually it’s not over yet.”
Hearing what Zhao Junchen said, Zhan Shanchang couldn't help being surprised and asked quickly: "Didn't His Majesty declare the case closed? Is there anyone who dares to violate His Majesty's will?"
Zhao Junchen sighed first, and then told the two of him what happened before and after his meeting with Wen Guanliang in the evening.
Hearing that Wen Guanliang was still thinking of dealing with him, Zhan Shanchang and Tong Huan couldn't help but show resentment on their faces. While they were completely disappointed with Wen Guanliang, they also expressed their displeasure after learning that Zhao Junchen rejected Wen Guanliang's suggestion.
Zhao Junchen returned home even more.
"This Wen Guanliang dares to threaten you. It's really abominable!"
Zhan Shanchang gritted his teeth and said.
On the other side, Tong Huan became more calm and frowned: "However, although we are not afraid of him, Wen Guan's conscience is so narrow-minded. Now that we have broken up with him, he will definitely take revenge, so we must be careful.
yes."
Zhao Junchen smiled and nodded, and said slowly: "Master Tong is right, and I mean the same thing. I asked you two to come here this time because you were Wen Guanliang's disciples, and you must be very powerful to Wen Guanliang's disciples.
I know you very well, so I want to ask you, who are Wen Guanliang's people in the government and up and down the court now? Who are loyal to Wen Guanliang? And who can be bribed? Only when we know ourselves and our enemies can we respond accordingly."
Zhan Shanchang sneered and said: "What Wen Guanliang did before and after the three-province Qiuwei fraud case was so heartbreaking. The reason why he was so eager to deal with Xiaguan and Lord Tong must have been internal instability and wanted to kill him as a warning to others. If
In the past, I was afraid that there would still be a few people who were foolishly loyal to him, but after what happened, Xiaguan didn't believe that anyone would be loyal to him anymore. Otherwise, if they ended up like Xiaguan in the future, they wouldn't be as good as Xiaguan.
I’m so lucky to have Mr. Zhao’s support.”
On the other side, Tong Huan said: "Wen Guanliang is the most greedy for money among the cabinet elders, so most of his subordinates have the same temperament as him. They have followed Wen Guanliang over the years, but they have also gained a lot of benefits.
Now because of Mr. Zhan's matter, although they are a little alienated, it is not easy for them to completely abandon Wen Guanliang."
Having said this, as Wen Guanliang's "front doormen", both Zhan Shanchang and Tong Huan showed a little embarrassment. Obviously, they are also greedy for money.
However, hearing what Tong Huan said made Zhao Junchen feel more relieved.
Zhao Junchen likes people who are greedy for money. People who are greedy for money may be short-sighted, but they definitely know how to choose between interests.
Zhan Shanchang continued: "As for Wen Guanliang's disciples in the court, although there are many in number, among the center, the one who can rank in the court and hold real power is none other than Zuo Lan, Minister of the Ministry of Industry.
Shan, Li Lide, the left minister of the Ministry of Punishment, Chen Dongxiang, the right minister of the Ministry of Industry, Gu Quan, the right deputy of the Inspectorate, and others. In addition, there are some local officials who also have close contacts with Wen Guanliang."
Tong Huan added: "Especially Zuo Lanshan, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, and Chen Dongxiang, the right minister of the Ministry of Industry, have always been the most valued by Wen Guanliang. They hold in their hands the Yingxiu Qingli Department and the Dushui Qingli Department, these fat water yamen,
In recent years, half of Wen Guanliang's money from corruption has come from these yamen. In addition, there are also many people from Wen Guanliang in the salt transfer department, and the tribute to Wen Guanliang has become stronger in recent years."
After listening to the two explanations, Zhao Junchen curled his lips subconsciously.
From a certain perspective, Wen Guanliang's power distribution in the DPRK is really strange.
If Wen Guanliang is not powerful, he has people in the most lucrative yamen. If he is very powerful, the yamen he controls have no other use than making money.
.
After pondering for a moment, Zhao Junchen said: "In the next few days, you two have to work hard. Among these disciples of Wen Guanliang, let's ignore the official position and power for the time being, and first select some contacts that are easy to bribe, and say that I want to
I'll meet them at Tianhai Tower in three days and do them some good."
After hearing what Zhao Junchen said, Zhan Shanchang and Tong Huan looked at each other. Although they couldn't guess what Zhao Junchen was thinking, they still nodded in agreement.
Next, Zhao Junchen discussed the next countermeasures with Zhan Shanchang and Tong Huan, and saw that it was getting late, so he let them leave.
It is worth mentioning that before leaving, Zhan Shanchang left 300,000 taels of silver notes to Zhao Junchen, which was the same amount of money that Wen Guanliang received in the Qiuwei fraud case in the three provinces. However, Wen Guanliang later felt that the money was too hot, so he
In order to shirk the blame, he returned the money to Zhan Shanchang.
Zhan Shanchang wanted to give this money to Zhao Junchen a few days ago, but Zhao Junchen refused.
However, this time, Zhan Shanchang came prepared and brought all the banknotes with him. With his insistence, Zhao Junchen accepted it half-heartedly.
It's not that Zhao Junchen is greedy for money, but that only by accepting this money can Zhan Shanchang truly feel at ease with Zhao Junchen.
When Zhan Shanchang and Tong Huan left, Zhao Junchen looked at the thick stack of banknotes in his hand, thinking about Xu Qingyan's ecstasy after seeing the money after a while, and couldn't help but smile.
"Corrupt officials, greedy officials... I'm afraid I will never understand the word greedy. If one hundred thousand taels of silver is enough to live comfortably for a lifetime, then why take risks and ignore your conscience?
And again and again, what about those things that will never come with you in life or death? Can this kind of corruption and perversion of the law really be addictive? "
Zhao Junchen regarded the thick stack of silver notes as a plaything in his hand, patted the table gently, and murmured to himself.
………
The breakdown of the negotiations between Zhao Junchen and Wen Guanliang could not be hidden from many people, but the next day, almost everyone in the court knew that Zhao Junchen and Wen Guanliang were bound to have a deadly fight in the coming days.
According to the prince's party, this falls into the category of "dog eats dog".
However, whether it was Zhao Junchen or Wen Guanliang, they were either accumulating strength or waiting for the opportunity. They tolerated each other and did not take action first.
Perhaps it was the calm before the storm. In the next three days, there was peace in the court, and all the officials in the court were just waiting to watch the excitement.
The only thing worth mentioning is that the prince's party was very dissatisfied with Emperor Deqing's early settlement of the Qiuwei fraud case in the three provinces. They petitioned Emperor Deqing many times and wanted to continue the investigation, but Emperor Deqing had already made up his mind.
, the matter has been settled, although the prince's party is dissatisfied, they have no more options.
However, what makes Zhao Junchen a little concerned is that in the past two or three days, the chief minister Zhou Shangjing seems to be quite interested in him. Every day before and after the morning court, Zhao Junchen always feels that the chief minister often keeps his eyes on him, and his eyes are too wide.
, but also with some meaningful scrutiny.
………
However, although the situation above the temple was unusually calm and quiet, among the people, something big happened.
Although it is said to be a big event, it is actually not very important, but for many people, this event has a profound impact.
That is, after more than half a month of preparation, Zhao Junchen's "Yerongfang" officially opened in the capital.
"Yue Rongfang" sells very weird things. For example, there is a thing called "Yizi" that is used to replace saponins. The cheapest soap is about the same price as saponins, and the slightly higher-end "xiangyi" is.
The price ranges from three taels to half a tael of silver, and the most expensive "medicated pancreas" costs eight taels of silver each!
In addition to soap, "Yue Rongfang" also sells perfume. This kind of stuff can only be bought and sold in small quantities from the West. It is very rare, but the price is also high, ranging from 2 taels to 5 taels per bottle.
In addition, there is something called "beauty water". According to the promotion of "Yue Rong Fang", it will beautify the skin after long-term use. The price is also expensive, one or two silver a bottle, but it is very little.
Some people know that the so-called "beauty water" is just the juice of aloe vera, cucumber, etc., with a few seasonings added, but it was because Zhao Junchen felt that "Yue Rongfang" had too few products, so he specifically explained what it produced.
At first, perhaps because the items sold at "Yue Rong Fang" were too weird, there were only so many people available.
However, on the second day after "Yue Rong Fang" opened, under Zhao Junchen's personal instructions, "Yue Rong Fang" gave some fragrant pancreas to some of the most famous brothels in the capital for free.