Hu Ze finally settled in Shibosi Yamen. After getting Hu Ze drunk, Ding Wei quietly came to a small courtyard in the back hall.
Liu Maoqin lived in this courtyard. Because he was traveling too hard, Liu Maoqin fell asleep as soon as he arrived at Shibosi Yamen.
Looking at the closed courtyard door, Ding Wei asked the servant on the side.
"Is the envoy awake?"
"Back to Prime Minister, it's not yet."
Hearing this, Ding Wei frowned and scolded in a low voice.
"How many times have I told you not to call me Prime Minister in the future? I am no longer Prime Minister."
"Yes, sir, I have remembered it."
As the servant spoke, he slapped himself.
"Move gently, don't wake up the envoy."
"When the envoy wakes up, let me know as soon as possible."
After saying this, Ding Wei turned around and walked away.
At this moment, several candlelights suddenly lit up in the courtyard. Sensing the change in light, Ding Wei immediately stopped, walked back, and returned to the front of the courtyard.
After a while, there was a noise in the courtyard. Ding Wei, who had been prepared for it, immediately stepped forward and knocked on the door.
"Lieutenant, are you awake?"
Although Liu Maoqin's seniority was very low, he couldn't handle the fact that he was a close servant of the emperor, so Ding Wei's words were very gentle.
In the courtyard, as soon as Liu Maoqin heard Ding Wei's voice, he quickly speeded up his dressing process.
After a while, Liu Maoqin hurried to the door and opened the courtyard door.
"I've met my husband."
Immediately afterwards, he bowed to Ding Wei.
Liu Maoqin, who has been with the officials for so long, is not the kind of person who has no eyesight. Although Ding Wei has lost power now, he knows how much the officials attach great importance to Shibosi.
Ding said that if the Shibo Division is revitalized, it is very likely to return to the center.
"Envoy, this is impossible."
On the side, Ding Wei saw Liu Maoqin saluting him and quickly helped him up.
"When the envoy comes, he is representing His Majesty. How dare I accept such a great gift?"
After some pleasantries, Ding Wei led Liu Maoqin to the side hall.
The lights in the room were brightly lit, and hot meals were already on the table.
"The envoy has traveled all the way, so he must be hungry. Come, let's eat and chat."
"Thank you, Mr. Xian."
Liu Maoqin touched his stomach. He was indeed hungry. Especially when he smelled the sound of food, he felt even more hungry.
After sitting down, Liu Maoqin did not move his chopsticks directly, but couldn't wait to confirm the facts.
"Ms. sir, did Hu Zhizhou plead guilty?"
"admit."
Ding Wei replied with a smile.
As soon as these words came out, Liu Maoqin breathed a sigh of relief.
Hu Ze's guilty plea is undoubtedly good news.
Thinking of this, Liu Maoqin couldn't help but have a smile on his face.
Seeing the smile on the other person's face, Ding Wei felt that the afternoon's efforts had not been in vain.
He was anxious to get Hu Ze to plead guilty, and also wanted to make Liu Maoqin a good friend.
A servant who can always serve the official's family, no matter how low the official rank is, cannot be ignored.
Sometimes, one word from others is worth a hundred or a thousand words to myself.
If he hadn't been unable to figure out Liu Maoqin's thoughts, Ding Wei would have even planned to throw money at him directly.
However, considering Liu Maoqin's age and the information I heard, he might not be greedy for money, maybe.
"Ms. sir, before I left, your majesty gave you a verbal order."
Upon hearing this, Ding Wei stood up from the table in an instant, then turned around, facing the northwest, and bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty has ordered that the investigation and handling of the fire case this time will be conducted with the principal in charge."
"I obey the decree!"
While talking, Ding Wei bowed to the northwest again, as if the official was right in front of him.
When Ding Wei sat down again, Liu Maoqin asked.
"Ms. sir, I have a saying. I don't know whether to ask it or not?"
Ding Wei said politely: "My envoy, please ask me. I will tell you everything I know."
"Regarding this case, when will my husband plan to start investigating, and where will he start specifically?"
Although Liu Maoqin knew that he was a little anxious, he had no choice but to not be anxious.
Counting the days, it is estimated that Zhang Mao will be back from the border in about half a month.
Liu Maoqin planned to solve the case before Zhang Maoze returned to the capital.
Only in this way can he demonstrate his abilities, and only in this way can he repay His Majesty's favor.
"It would be great to have a middle envoy to check for the old minister's deficiencies and make up for them."
Ding Wei chuckled and flattered him without leaving any trace.
After all, he was a prime minister once, but now Ding Wei is trying to flatter a small chamberlain. If the news spread, it would definitely be beneath his status.
But Ding said that he didn't care at all.
Returning to the center is the most important thing!
Winner takes all!
As long as he can return to the center, even if the news leaks out, who will dare to laugh at him?
Besides, hasn’t he heard enough ridicule and sarcasm?
Kou Zhun even ridiculed himself on the spot in front of his colleagues, but so what?
If Ding Wei could return to the capital now, he wouldn't mind licking Kou Zhun again.
After all, who made Kou Zhun gain the trust of His Majesty?
What His Majesty likes is what he likes.
…
…
…
Bianliang.
Kou Mansion.
Almost at the same time, Lu Yijian and Zhang Dexiang visited Kou Zhun.
They came to the Kou Mansion today not for anything else but because Liu Maoqin rushed to Hangzhou to investigate the case.
The exclusive power of eunuchs accompanied the Tang Dynasty for nearly 150 years, oppressing the people externally, humiliating officials internally, and even affecting the dethronement of monarchs.
In the nearly three hundred years of the Tang Dynasty, there were twenty emperors before and after, nine of whom were appointed by eunuchs.
Although the Guo Dynasty learned the lessons of the Tang Dynasty and strictly restricted the power of eunuchs to participate in politics, the Guo Dynasty also had eunuchs involved in politics.
The great eunuch Wang Jien is a lesson learned from the past.
When Taizu passed away, Empress Xiaozhang of the Song Dynasty sent Wang Jien to summon the prince Zhao Defang to the palace. However, Wang Jien brought Zhao Guangyi back to the palace.
Afterwards, Zhao Guangyi boarded the plane smoothly.
As a minister who followed the dragon, Wang Jien was constantly rewarded by Emperor Taizong.
Wang Jien, who was inflated, later tried to replicate Conglong's achievements and wanted to support the deposed prince Yuanzuo of Chu to inherit the throne.
This matter, of course, failed.
In the end, Wang Jien was exiled and died.
Although Wang Jien's plan did not have serious consequences, eunuchs' interference in politics must be guarded against.
Therefore, at the slightest hint of eunuchs intervening in politics, the civil servants could not sit still, so Lu Yijian and Zhang Dexiang came to visit Kou Zhun together.
"Prime Minister, since the Tianbao period in the Tang Dynasty, the power of eunuchs has become increasingly powerful. If eunuchs are involved in secrets, the power of hundreds of officials may be usurped."
Taking into account the difference between closeness and distance, Zhang Dexiang came forward to make a statement this time.
"In the story of the Tang Dynasty, the harm caused by eunuchs can be seen in general. In large cases, they endanger the country; in small cases, they sell their official positions and gain titles, corrupting the government."
"I would also like to ask the Prime Minister to advise me to recall Liu Maoqin, the chamberlain. The fire in the Municipal Shipping Department should be supervised by the Department of Punishment and Prisons!"