Chapter 191 Zhongshu and the two provinces united under the door
At this moment, Li Qian seemed to be really irritated by the small actions of Cai Jing and others, and he was determined to come back with revenge, and he would not make steamed buns to fight for his reputation.
Qin Hui was silent and caught in a dilemma, not knowing how to reply to His Majesty the Emperor.
If it were anything else, he would have agreed.
The optional deputy examiner for the general examination is a job of the Ministry of Etiquette. How can you please fight with others on Cai Jing's territory?
Qin Hui frowned, and after thinking about it, he still felt that something was very strange.
Although His Majesty the Emperor likes to hold grudges and is very petty, he does not seem to be such an irrational person.
If you lose, you will hold a grudge; if you win, you will counterattack and calculate.
In Qin Hui's view, he should be someone who secretly accumulated strength and sought revenge after suffering a loss.
But now His Majesty the Emperor is like a gambler who has lost his sights, betting all his remaining wealth on the gambling table. This is not reasonable at all.
Unless...he has any other options.
Li Qian saw Qin Hui fell into silence, smiled softly, and continued: "Prime Minister Qin, Mr. Li has done his best since he took up the post of priest and minister of the temple. Even Wang Zongbo is full of praise for him."
"After the new year, I want to promote him to the rank of doctor in the Ministry of Rites. What does Prime Minister Qin think?"
Qin Hui seemed to have thought of something when he heard this, and opened his mouth slightly, but in the end he didn't say anything.
He is not stupid either. Li Gefei's position in the Ministry of Rites is not as beneficial to him as he imagined.
Because Qin Hui had no way to influence Li Gefei, nor could he instruct Li Gefei to do anything at the critical moment.
The only thing that Qin Hui can appreciate is that with this level of kinship, some uninformed people may have more confidence in Prime Minister Qin...
Of course, this alone still cannot impress Qin Hui.
What really shook him was the attitude shown in Li Qian's words.
It’s not easy to promote officials from the Ministry of Rites if you want!
The Minister of Rites, He Shen in charge of the Ministry of Rites... If there is a problem with any of them, it will be very difficult.
However, the last time Wang Mang was persuaded by His Majesty the Emperor also made Qin Hui extremely confused. Various signs seemed to indicate that His Majesty the Emperor had considerable influence on the Ministry of Rites...
Li Qian sat back on his seat and sipped the light yellow tea with the fragrant orchid fragrance in the cup. He didn't seem to be in a hurry at all.
Qin Hui seemed to be confused for a while, and then said: "Your Majesty, over there in Menxia Province..."
"The province under the door..."
Li Qian pretended to think deeply for a while, and then said: "I will talk to them."
Qin Hui then bowed and said: "I will obey your Majesty's order."
Li Qian smiled and nodded: "Xiang Qin, then I will wait for your good news."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Qin Hui stood up and said, "Please leave."
After saying that, he slowly retreated out of the hall.
At this moment, Qin Hui was already 70% to 80% certain that His Majesty the Emperor was involved with the Ministry of Rites.
In the final analysis, the number of deputy examiners for the general examination depends on the Ministry of Etiquette.
Although the current situation is not good, as long as His Majesty can exert influence in the end, he may be able to reverse the situation and directly decide on the selection of the re-examination officer.
You can earn a deputy examiner for the National Examination for free, and you can also earn a favor, why not do it?
But in the Dongnuan Pavilion at the rear, Li Qian looked at Qin Hui's back with a confused smile on his face.
"My eldest companion, please call the two ministers from the province to come over."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The old eunuch responded and went to do his work.
Menxia Province is right next to Zhongshu Province and very close to Ziwei Palace.
After receiving the news, the two ministers rushed over immediately. When they stepped into Dongnuan Pavilion with anxious faces, they happened to look into the eyes of the expressionless Emperor above.
The two men immediately bowed and said: "Your Majesty, Ding Rukui and Wan Cai, are here to see you."
Li Qian looked at the two of them for a moment, and then said coldly: "Get back on your feet."
Before the two of them could speak, Li Qian frowned and said, "I heard that the two Qings also want to serve as deputy examiners for this examination?"
The two were silent for a moment, and then Ding Rukui spoke up: "Returning to your Majesty, Zhongshu Province sent a document before. At this time when the imperial court is employing people, naturally I will not shirk it."
Wan Cai also replied immediately: "I am also willing to serve as the deputy examiner of the joint examination to share your Majesty's worries."
"Um……"
Li Qian nodded slightly, his expression seemed to soften a bit: "I am very pleased that you two have such a heart."
"As long as you can cooperate well with the Ministry of Education, I will not favor anyone in the end."
Both of them suddenly understood what His Majesty the Emperor was referring to.
After all, they just made a deal with Liubu a while ago, and jointly criticized the two ministers of Zhongshu.
Li Qian's face looked a little calm: "Is this what Prime Minister Yan also meant?"
Ding Rukui trembled and hurriedly replied: "Your Majesty, this is the idea of the minister and Wan Shilang and has nothing to do with Prime Minister Yan."
No matter how brave they are, they would not dare to mess around here under the banner of Yan Song.
Li Qian seemed to know this, and nodded slightly, but did not continue.
Menxiasheng was not the only one who attacked Zhongshu Shilang a while ago.
It was an offensive combined with the Dali Temple, the General Affairs Department and other yamen. There must be someone among them who took the initiative to join forces, which led to all this.
Except for Yan Song, it seems that no one can do this.
However, Li Qian knew that Yan Song also had a son named Yan Shifan, who was a think tank of the Yan Party.
If Yan Song was not in the capital, he could still connect the officials of the Yan Party.
After thinking for a moment, Li Qian looked at the two uneasy servants below: "What are you doing now? How confident are you that you can win this position as deputy examiner?"
When the two heard this, their faces were filled with embarrassment.
"Your Majesty, I am not sure."
"I ask for your Majesty's advice."
In fact, this is also the source of their anxiety today.
According to what Yan Shifan said, Qin Hui's power in the outer court was very weak, so it was natural for him to be suppressed by the Six Ministries in this matter.
But they are different. The inner dynasty has the provinces, the outer dynasty has the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Household Affairs, and in the middle there is the General Affairs Department that connects the inner and outer dynasties. The Yan Party is capable of resisting the six ministers.
In this case, the first thing to do is not to overwhelm the six departments of Shangshu, but to take the opponent by surprise and suppress the opponent Zhongshu Sheng first.
Otherwise, it is very likely that the snipe and the clam will fight, and the fisherman will gain.
After suppressing the Zhongshu Province, it was time to fight with the Six Ministries.
This proposal was indeed very exciting, and all the officials from the Yan Party just thought about it for a moment before they all agreed.
Unexpectedly, Yan Shifan's great plan was only half completed.
They had just finished dealing with the two ministers of Zhongshu, and were preparing to have a serious fight with the Sixth Division, when Yan Song's letter came back.
The letter severely criticized Yan Shifan's bold behavior, ruthlessly reprimanded Yan Maoqing, Luo Longwen and others for their foolish actions, and gave direct warnings to Ding Rukui and Wan Cai for their coercive behavior.
After seeing the letter, Yan Shifan immediately said that there was nothing he could do. The deputy examiner could not argue, after all, his own father had written the letter.
Ding Rukui and Wan Cai were also uneasy, wondering what mistake they had made to make Prime Minister Yan so angry.
However, after coming to Dongnuan Pavilion today and seeing His Majesty the Emperor's gloomy face, the two of them had some understanding.
It may have been His Majesty's will to let the Vice Minister of Zhongshu compete for the Deputy Examiners of the General Examination, but when they came up to catch the two Vice Ministers of Zhongshu and beat them up, didn't that mean they were violating His Majesty's will and going against him?
And according to the strict instructions of Prime Minister, it seems very irrational to do so...
Seeing the two people honestly admitting their mistakes, Li Qian frowned slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable.
You gave in so easily? There couldn't be any conspiracy, right?
Li Qian looked them up and down. Regardless of whether it was true or false, he could only go with the flow.
He suddenly sighed, making the two ministers stunned, and then Li Qian said helplessly: "Two Qings, in previous years, the deputy examiners were selected from the six ministers. Do you know why this year only the middle school secretary should be selected?" , are the ministers from the two provinces involved?"
The two of them were startled, as if they noticed something in His Majesty's words.
Li Qian did not explain directly, but sighed, waved his hand and said, "Sit down first."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After the eunuch brought chairs for the two of them, Li Qian continued to speak: "If the position of deputy examiner this year is still held by the Sixth Department, then there will be no point in adding the four of you."
"When I get to the next subject, I won't do such a thankless thing again."
The two fell into silence.
Listening to this tone, it seems that Prime Minister Qin didn't want to add Zhongshu and his minister to the party, but it was His Majesty's idea.
"I originally thought that since you and Zhongshu Sheng are both in the inner court, you would have some concerns about human kindness, but the performance of the two of you was far beyond my expectation."
Li Qian stared at the two people who were lowering their heads lower and lower, frowned and asked: "Now that the Minister of the Secretariat is no longer fighting with you, what will the situation be like?"
"The deputy examiner is already in your pocket??"
Ding Rukui and Wan Cai felt even more miserable.
After suppressing the two ministers of Zhongshu, they analyzed it and found that the situation was not simple.
Even without Yan Song's letter, our chances of winning are not as great as imagined.
After all, they have no foundation in the Ministry of Rites, so they have little chance of winning against the Six Ministries led by Cai Jing.
Li Qian felt even more confident when he saw these two silent gourds lowering their heads and not speaking.
"Two gentlemen, I don't want to say anything more on this matter. Is it good for you to cooperate with the Zhongshu Province? I believe you can see for yourselves. Is it easier to fight with two people or with twelve people?" It’s easy to fight individually.”
He looked at Ding Rukui and Wan Cai coldly: "I have just invited Prime Minister Qin to come, and it took a lot of effort to explain to him clearly that Menxiasheng's previous actions were just an accident."
"Prime Minister Qin has also decided to cooperate with his disciples again. What do you think?"
The two of them were startled when they heard this, and then raised their heads in surprise and joy.
"Your Majesty, minister..."
Just as Ding Rukui was about to agree, he seemed to remember something again, and his words suddenly got stuck in his throat.
Wan Cai was a little hesitant after the surprise.
Li Qian naturally knew what they were worried about, but he did not speak. Instead, he looked at the two people quietly and did not rush them.
The two of them turned their heads at the same time, and after looking at each other, Ding Rukui gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, I accept your decree."
Li Qian looked at Wan Cai again.
Wan Cai also hurriedly followed and said: "Your Majesty, I accept the decree."
Li Qian nodded slowly and said another sentence abruptly: "Actually, Prime Minister Yan also gave me a memorial, saying that he wants you two to cooperate well with Zhongshu Province. It seems that you and Prime Minister Yan are quite in tune with each other. Well."
The two of them raised their heads in shock, apparently hearing the news for the first time.
"What? You think I can't lie to you?" Li Qian frowned and looked at the two of them.
The two of them secretly cursed Luo Longwen, this old bastard, for not even saying a word when Prime Minister Yan's memorandum passed through the General Affairs Department.
"I would never dare to have such an intention!" Ding Rukui hurriedly replied.
Wan Cai also explained: "Your Majesty, I and Minister Ding have just listened to your Majesty's words and have decided to repent. They are just now thinking about how to make amends and how to comply with the order."
"Um?"
Li Qian leaned back on his chair and looked at him: "Did Minister Wan come up with any ideas?"
"This..." Wan Cai said with sweat on his forehead, "I do have an immature idea."
"Guan Peng, the left minister of the household department, has a good relationship with me. I can ask him for help in finding out about the news in the six departments."
"Guan Peng..." Li Qian naturally knew that this was Yan Song's party member. The relationship between them was so strange.
"If you are free these days, please ask Mr. Guan to come to my place."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Wan Cai didn't dare to be clever anymore.
Li Qian nodded. It can be seen that since Yan Song's name was used, the obedience and fear of the two people have obviously improved.
"Okay, I won't disturb you two anymore." Li Qian picked up the tea cup and put on a farewell posture.
"Your Majesty, please leave." The two stood up and retreated out of the palace.
Li Qian looked at their backs, thought for a moment, took out another piece of paper and wrote a few lines on it.
Until now, his layout has been partially completed.
I will finish another part at the meeting tomorrow, then the things from a year ago will be considered finished, and the rest will only need to be slowly brewed and fermented...
Wan Cai and Ding Rukui did not stay in the province for long. When they thought that Luo Longwen had concealed such an important memorial from Yan Song, they couldn't help but feel angry, disgusted and timid. They rushed out of the East Pavilion and headed south. He ran to the General Affairs Department.
Even the icy cold wind can't extinguish this raging anger.
However, when the two men arrived at the General Affairs Department in a furious manner, they found that not only Luo Longwen was there, but Guan Peng was also there.
This prevented the two of them from rushing forward and giving Luo Longwen a beating.
After listening to the descriptions of the two men, Guan Peng was stunned. Luo Longwen, who was so frightened that his liver trembled, also called out to Chong Tianqu: "Prime Minister Yan has never given a memorial in the past half month. I can't remember it wrong!"
"No?" Ding Rukui and Wan Cai were stunned. Could it be that they were really deceived by His Majesty the Emperor?
Guan Peng frowned: "The memorial your Majesty mentioned should not have been sent to the Chief Secretary, but a secret memorial sent to Your Majesty by the Imperial Envoy."
The memorials of the Chief Secretary must be distributed throughout the court, while the secret memorials can only be read by the emperor. Naturally, the latter is more secretive.
"I see."
The two of them suddenly realized this, and secretly complained that Your Majesty didn't make it clearer.
"By the way, Minister Guan." Wan Cai patted his head as if he remembered something: "His Majesty also said that if you have time, you can go to Ziwei Palace."
"Your Majesty also called me?"
Guan Peng was stunned and subconsciously stood up to leave. After taking two steps, he paused and turned back to stare at Wan Cai: "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"You didn't even ask."
"I..." Guan Peng took a deep breath, and then walked out in a hurry.