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Zhang Cong stayed in Xishan for two days, saying that he wanted to discuss things with Zhu Hao, but in the end nothing was reached.
He didn't even lower his face to ask Zhu Hao for advice. In Zhang Cong's mind, he was more willing to get along with Zhu Hao on an equal footing, but he seemed to have forgotten that he was not qualified to be on an equal footing with Zhu Hao.
When Zhu Hao personally took him to the train station, Zhang Cong hesitated several times to say something to Zhu Hao, but did not say anything until he got on the train. Zhu Hao politely watched the train go away.
"How about it?"
Tang Yin was not far away, and that day was also the day when he was sending his wife back to the capital.
Although he also wants to keep his wife by his side, Zhu Hao, the master's wife, has never been able to adapt to the environment in Xishan. It is understandable that pregnant women have more troubles.
Zhu Hao smiled and said: "What else can be done? Just go through the motions. Maybe he will have a reason to tell the person who called him here after he returns that his mission has been completed. Maybe he also knows that I will not expose him for a while."
"can't read."
Tang Yin shook his head, "Zhang Bingyong is also a smart man. He should know that he has to rely on you to have a chance to rise to the top. Why is he so grudge against you? It's just because you did something before that made him dissatisfied, so you are so reckless about the future.
?”
Zhu Hao said: "Because he knows that there can be no eternal harmony between the monarch and his ministers. He is gambling."
"What to bet on?"
Tang Yin became interested.
Zhu Hao said sternly: "Even if he sincerely follows me, he will only be able to get started and not reach the highest position... On the contrary, if he opposes me, then when Your Majesty has a grudge against me in the future, it will be his turn to take the position."
.He is gambling that there will be no money to spend."
"Um."
Tang Yin nodded.
Zhu Hao said: "Sir, why do you want to stay when you are sending your wife away? Does it mean that you think Xishan is good and plan to live here forever?"
Tang Yin rolled his eyes at Zhu Hao and said, "No, I just made an appointment with someone to go fishing in the winter. The ice layer more than two meters deep has broken through, and I haven't caught any fish yet. It won't be too late to leave after two days!"
Zhu Hao was speechless.
If it were anyone else, Zhu Haoda would have thought it was a cover-up, but in fact he had another purpose.
But if it were Tang Yin...this guy could really do such a thing.
Besides, Tang Yin stayed in Xishan. It was true that he didn’t have anything serious to do. He just liked to wander around. Although it was only early spring and there wasn’t much to see, for Tang Yin, this kind of scenery was something he could only see in a day.
one day.
…
…
As soon as Zhang Cong returned to Beijing, he learned the news that at the court meeting in which he was absent the day before, there was a proposal to make Huang Zan the Minister of Household Affairs.
However, Zhang Cong is very concerned about the current configuration of the cabinet and does not think it is a good thing for Huang Zan to be appointed as the Minister of Household Affairs.
If someone else takes the vacant position, and it's not Zhang Cong, he will get angry. And if he is allowed to take the position, he is afraid that he will have to make room for Zhu Hao in the future. This creates a contradiction. What Zhang Cong hopes most
It is important that there should not be any major changes in the personnel of the current cabinet.
So on the night Zhang Cong returned to Beijing, he went to visit Huang Zan at his house.
Huang Zan was not surprised by Zhang Cong's visit, and was even curious about Zhang Cong's visit to Xishan, because everyone in the emperor's faction now knew that Zhu Hao was in Xishan. You, Zhang Cong, went to visit you, not to express your loyalty to Zhu Hao.
Right?
"Bingyong, are you saying that you haven't even spoken to Jingdao in the past two days?" Huang Zan didn't quite believe it after hearing what Zhang Cong said about his experiences in the past two days.
Zhang Cong was originally the "No. 2" figure in the Liyi Sect, and his status in the court was second only to Zhu Hao. However, after Zhu Hao successively promoted Huang Zan and Tang Yin to cabinet ministers, Zhang Cong fell to the No. 4 figure.
, Huang Zan’s nominal status is now higher than that of Zhang Cong.
But Zhang Cong despised Huang Zan in his heart. On the matter of the Great Ceremony, Zhang Cong believed that he had contributed the most and was the only one qualified to challenge Zhu Hao.
Otherwise, if you expect Huang Zan and Tang Yin to fight against Zhu Hao, you will have no chance in your life.
Zhang Cong said: "That Zhu Shilang's eyes are as high as his head, and there is Mr. Tang Ge beside him, so he often can't say anything."
Huang Zan asked: "Then what is your original intention of going?"
"It is Eunuch Zhang who is the chief seal officer of the Supervisor of Ceremonies and asked me to go forward... With Eunuch Zhang's wishes, we are told not to hold any grudges and to focus on helping the country. However, it was only after I arrived at Xishan that I discovered that Mr. Zhu had no intention of cooperating with others.
Perhaps in his mind, he alone can support the entire court, but how can we exist in his eyes?"
Zhang Cong dared to say this because he knew that Huang Zan and Zhu Hao could not be consistent now.
However, Huang Zan did have some objections to Zhu Hao, but not to the point of turning against Zhu Hao, so he couldn't help but frown after hearing Zhang Cong's words.
"Bingyong, even Eunuch Zhang can see that you have thoughts in your heart. Shouldn't you be touched and make changes? Behind Eunuch Zhang is His Majesty, and his words often represent His Majesty's meaning."
Huang Zan is also reminding Zhang Cong that you are not qualified to challenge Zhu Hao now.
Zhang Cong shook his head: "Mr. Huang Ge, I am different from you. I have only been in the imperial court for a short period of time. In just a few years, I have reached a position that others cannot climb up to in decades. And the difficulties and obstacles I have to face
, which is something people like you who have been in the officialdom for decades cannot understand."
"Yeah?"
Huang Zan disagreed.
From what you said, do you think you are very glorious and look down on people like us?
Zhang Cong said: "And I am only loyal to Your Majesty. As for other people...even if it is Zhu Shilang, even if he is kind to me, it does not mean that I will have to obey him in everything in the future. Otherwise, it will be difficult for me to define who I am."
A minister of the Ming Dynasty, or a minister of his Zhu Jingdao?"
He was very vocal and even publicly told Huang Zan that he and Zhu Hao were going to part ways.
Naturally, Huang Zan would not tell Zhang Zuo what Zhang Cong said, nor could he tell Zhu Hao. In other words, even if Huang Zan didn't tell him, wouldn't Zhu Hao be able to see how serious Zhang Cong was?
"It's up to you."
Huang Zan was too lazy to argue with Zhang Cong, "I am old and frail and will not stay in the court for too long. Today the court will recommend me to be the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs. It is estimated that I will be appointed as the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs in the next few days. As for the
You... do you want me to tell His Majesty to recommend you to the cabinet?"
Zhang Cong shook his head: "I know very well that at present, from reputation to qualifications to ability, I am not qualified for the position of cabinet minister, so I don't have any illusions. This is also responsible for the imperial court and His Majesty."
Huang Zan could hardly stand listening anymore.
You do everything in the name of being loyal to the emperor. Could it be that you know that your relationship with Zhu Hao is very tense now, so you try your best to show that you are a loyal minister? In fact, just because you are appropriately subdued does not mean that you have to listen to Zhu Hao all the time.
’s... Even if you listen to him now, it doesn’t matter if you don’t listen to him in the future.
But you had to get out of control with Zhu Hao right from the start, and you had to be in conflict with each other emotionally, right?
After the external enemies have been wiped out, internal fighting begins?
"good."
Huang Zan said, "I respect your opinion."
Zhang Cong said coldly: "Since Mr. Huang Ge knows that his time in power is short, why must he go to the Ministry of Household Affairs? Isn't it good to stay in the cabinet?"
Huang Zan naturally knew Zhang Cong's little thoughts, and he couldn't help but wonder, Zhang Bingyong takes himself too seriously. Do you think Zhu Jingdao doesn't deal with you because you are very capable and have the emperor's trust?
snort!
It’s obvious that they don’t bother to deal with you!
Do you still want to interfere with other people’s choices now?
If you don’t have the strength, if you insist on pretending to be a big-headed villain, you will only end up being taken advantage of!
"I have made up my mind, you don't need to persuade me anymore." Huang Zan said coldly.
Zhang Cong said: "If Mr. Huang is the elder, can he concurrently serve as the elder and be the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs at the same time?"
"Um!?"
Huang Zan frowned.
Zhang Cong saw that there was something going on and continued: "Your Majesty asked Zhu Jingdao to serve as the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Minister of Rites, as well as the post of Bachelor of Science and the Young Minister of Zhan Shifu. Why can Mr. Huang Ge only serve as the Minister of Household Affairs?"
What about the Minister? What I mean by holding two positions is not just a false title, but a full-time position as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue."
Huang Zan was quite interested at first, but then he thought that Zhang Cong was using him to take advantage of the cabinet, and he felt very unhappy.
Old Man Huang also cares about face, and he values officialdom’s face more than anything else.
"Since I am the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, I have to devote myself wholeheartedly. This conflicts with the job of the cabinet itself, and I cannot accept it." Huang Zan refused directly.
Zhang Cong was naturally disappointed.
He also wanted to learn from Zhu Hao and come up with some unconventional ideas, but now it seems that his reputation is not enough for everyone to listen to him.
Zhang Cong said: "Then please ask Mr. Huang Ge to recommend someone to help you stabilize the errands in the cabinet. Or it would be better for the Minister of Rites to join the cabinet."
Huang Zan shook his head: "Since I go to the Ministry of Household Affairs to perform my duties, I have no reason to interfere with the cabinet affairs. You don't need to persuade Bingyong anymore. If you have a suitable candidate, you can recommend it to your Majesty in person. I can recommend you at most. As for
Others...I am not familiar with them, so I cannot recommend them."
You you on the line.
You can't do it, you don't want to be in the position yourself, and you still want me to recommend someone you recommend to be in the position... No way.
Zhang Cong was very annoyed.
Originally, the relationship between the two was quite stable, and they had a certain tacit understanding on the matter of calling Yang Yiqing back to the court. However, as Zhang Cong and Zhu Hao gradually made their conflicts public, Huang Zan received Zhu Hao's help.
Returned to the Ministry of Household Affairs as Minister...
This made Huang Zan very wary of Zhang Cong.
Zhang Cong feels that he has lost an important ally. It cannot be said that Zhang Cong has betrayed his relatives at this time. At least Gui E, Fang Xianfu, Huo Tao and others are still very close to him in principle.
Zhang Cong needs to be promoted to a higher position, and these people will be the backbone of the future court.
"Bingyong, there is one more thing I want to remind you. Your Majesty has already decided on Yang Yingning's return to the court. He is to make him the minister instead of the cabinet minister. You have to understand that these old ministers may not necessarily put you in the position after returning to the court.
Don’t believe too much in what they say when they are idle in the countryside.”
Huang Zan was a kind reminder.
This is clearly telling Zhang Cong that your character will offend many people sooner or later. You thought Yang Yiqing would help you, but the first thing Yang Yiqing did after returning to the court was to design a plan to drive you away.
If Yang Yiqing chooses to cooperate with Zhu Hao, you may not even have the slightest chance of winning.