The two of them entered Yide Gate and went forward. Under the leadership of the chamberlain who came to greet them, they turned right in front of the Daqing Hall where they faced the imperial court and then headed north. They went straight to the back garden through the wide avenue between the palaces and pavilions.
Zhao Zhen's banquet this time was held in Yanfu Palace. Yanfu Palace is to the north of Chongzheng Palace where the imperial study room is located. It is already the inner garden of the palace. The emperor and his concubines are all in the back garden. It seems that the emperor is really there. Treat this banquet as a family banquet, and it will appear more casual and comfortable if it is placed in the harem.
Pang Ji strode in front, and Yan Shu followed behind, panting, and kept saying: "Ren Pang Pang, Pang Pang, why are you walking so fast? It's meal time in the palace at Youshi, why are you in a hurry?"
Pang Ji said without looking back: "Go and come back early, so that you won't be angry."
Yan Shu smiled bitterly and said, "Why did I offend you again?"
Pang Ji stopped and turned around and said, "Tell me, how did I, Pang Ji, offend you? Several times the emperor wanted to transfer me back to the capital, but you interfered with it. Don't think that I don't know. I am very aware of your activities." .”
Yan Shu caught up and said with a smile: "You have done a good job in the northwest, why do you have to come back to the capital to suffer? A magistrate does not have to be an official in the capital to feel free?"
Pang Ji spat and said angrily: "You are so free, why don't you go to the northwest and become an official? Every day, the cold wind is biting, and the yellow sand and hail are smashing down. Do you know what the first thing I do when I get up every day is ?”
Yan Shu said: "What is it?"
"It was you who dug out half a ounce of sand from his nostrils! It's all thanks to you."
Yan Shu sneered and said: "This makes no sense. The northwest is also the territory of our Song Dynasty, and it is the gateway to the south of Xixia. Once the northwest roads are lost, the gate of the capital will be opened. Such a strategic and dangerous place, as you do You don’t need anyone to guard it?”
Pang Ji said angrily: "But why me?"
Yan Shu said: "Why can't it be you? Aren't Masters Xia, Fan, and Han all in the northwest? But you can't go?"
Pang Ji said: "I can't control other people, but I am here because you are making things difficult in every possible way. I know why you prevented me from returning to Beijing. Isn't it because the engagement between my Pang family and your niece has not been terminated according to your wishes? ?I’m telling you, old boy, I’m obsessed with you, and you can’t even think of breaking off the engagement between your niece and my miserable child.”
Yan Shu was so angry that he was about to fall out, but remembering what Su Jin had warned him, he had to hold back. He knew this Pang Ji very well. Although he had some abilities, he was extremely despicable, capricious and cunning. .
At first, Yan Shu's impression of Pang Ji was not that bad. Pang Ji was still an unknown person at that time, but he followed Yan Shu well. In the third year of Jingyou's reign, when Tianzhang Pavilion was about to be built, Fan Zhongyan, the prefect of Kaifeng, impeached Lu Yijian and drew it himself. When Lü Yijian presented the "Hundred Officials Picture" to Zhao Zhen by appointing a private party with exclusive power, Pang Ji's true nature was revealed and he secretly informed Lü Yijian.
After Lu Yijian was prepared, he easily resolved the impeachment in the court and demoted Fan Zhongyan, who had impeached him, from the court. He stayed in the northwest for more than ten years, and Yu Jing, Yin Zhu and others defended Fan Zhongyan. They were also demoted together, which can be said to be a shock to both the government and the public.
As a result, Pang Ji came to power and was rewarded by Lu Yi's bamboo slips for his merits and established himself in the court. Fan Zhongyan was recommended by Yan Shu. As a result, Yan Shu's position as deputy prime minister was also lost. Fortunately, Yan Shu was deeply rooted in the court and was soon promoted to He was promoted to deputy envoy to the Privy Council, and later was awarded the title of third envoy.
The marriage between the children of the Yan family and the Pang family was arranged early, but by this time, it had actually become a conflict. Pang Ji had Lu Yijian's support, so of course he ignored Yan Shu's objections. After his son's death, he refused Yan Shu's requests to terminate the contract several times.
The purpose is to disgust Yan Shu and make Yan Shu unhappy.
Yan Shu was not an easy man. Although he was suppressed by Lu Yijian, he had his own methods. Especially in front of the emperor, Yan Shu's words were even more effective than Lu Yijian. Therefore, when the northwest war broke out, Yan Shu found an excuse to send Pang Pang to the throne.
Ji went to the northwest front to eat the wind and sand.
Pang Ji asked Lu Yijian to help him transfer back to the capital several times, but Yan Shu rejected it at the court meeting. The feud between the two became bigger and bigger. This is why Yan Shu could not resolve Yan Biyun's engagement even if he came forward.
Now Yan Shu could not get angry. Since the emperor had promised to mediate, for the sake of Yan Biyun's happiness, he could not sever the relationship with Pang Ji at this time. On the contrary, he had to give Pang Ji some benefits to make him submit.
"Master Pang Da, is there such a big hatred between you and me? Let's not talk about who is right and wrong for now. I just want to ask you, do you want to return to the capital?"
Pang Ji looked at Yan Shu in confusion, wondering if he was teasing him. By asking this, was this old man trying to persuade me to return to the capital? No, he was definitely not that kind.
"Being in the capital, I wanted to come back before, but now I have worked in the northwest for several years, and I have adapted to everything. It doesn't matter whether I come back or not." Pang Ji didn't want to let himself fall into passivity, so he could only force himself to say something for the occasion.
.
Yan Shu couldn't hide the disappointment in his eyes and sighed: "I see, that day when I went to the palace to meet the emperor, the emperor accidentally asked about the candidate for the missing deputy privy envoy, and asked me to consider it and report it to him. I have been here for the past few days.
We are all considering that the position of deputy privy envoy should be familiar with military affairs, and the best candidate is the northwest people; you, Mr. Xia, Han, and Fan, Han and Fan may not be suitable candidates at present, and they are basically eliminated;
Sirs Xia will make a recommendation among themselves, and since you have no intention of doing so, I have no choice but to recommend Sir Xia Song."
Pang Ji's heart skipped a beat, and he almost slapped himself in regret. Originally, he would never believe Yan Shu's words, but just after returning to Beijing in the past few days, he also got news from the Political Affairs Hall, and the deputy privy envoy indeed planned to add another
One person, the emperor and both palaces were under consideration; he originally planned to communicate with Prime Minister Lu, but unexpectedly learned from Du Yan that Prime Minister Lu had already chosen Xia Song for this position.
Pang Ji knew that the relationship between Xia Song and Lu Yijian was much stronger than his own. Xia Song had always been an important minister in the court, and he was from Lu Yijian's family.
Not comparable to him, let alone himself; now that Yan Shu mentioned this matter, Pang Ji's cold heart became warm again.
If Yan Shu really wants to let him take up this position, with Yan Shu supporting him, although he may not be able to resist Prime Minister Lu, his chances will be greatly increased.
But why does this person support him? What he has done in the past has caused the two people to become inseparable and attack each other privately. On the surface, it is for the engagement, but in fact everyone knows the underlying reason; in this case
, How could Yan Shu come to support him? He was just teasing himself by saying this; but what if it was true? If he made a wrong judgment, wouldn't he have wasted this great opportunity? Will he have to live in the northwest for the rest of his life?
Can't drink the wind?
"Master Yan, please don't tease me. The post of deputy privy envoy will never go to me. Master Xia is the best candidate. In terms of official connections and abilities, he is above me; I also
I don’t have the heart to argue with him.”
Yan Shu said solemnly: "What is fighting? The imperial court selects officials based on the principle of suitability and suitability. Mr. Xia can indeed take on the responsibility. However, the two recent defeats in the northwest were all related to him. The emperor was extremely annoyed and did not trust him very much;
Do you still remember that at the last court meeting, your official position was the least demoted. You were transferred from the Northwest Fourth Route Envoy to the Recruitment Envoy. In fact, you were demoted and secretly promoted; while Mr. Xia directly transferred from the Fourth Route Envoy to appease the envoy.
You will be the envoy to the Zhiyongxing Army, and the official position will be lowered from above you to below you. Haven't you considered the difference?"
Pang Ji opened his eyes wide and said, "It turns out that from that time on, the emperor was dissatisfied with Lord Xia."
Yan Shu nodded and said: "Not only is he dissatisfied, but for Mr. Xia's request, Mr. Xia would have been dismissed from his post. I believe that the emperor actually prefers you, but the candidate reported by Mr. Lu is Xia Song, and he is a little hesitant.
; Otherwise, both Prime Minister Lu and Privy Du recommended Xia Song, why would the emperor ask for my opinion? It is the emperor who feels that Xia Song is not suitable."
Pang Ji nodded secretly. This analysis was absolutely reasonable. If it was true as Yan Shu said, his righteous words just now would have become a joke and directly ruined his future. Pang Ji cursed that he grew up eating shit. It was simply useless.
brain.
"Um... Lord Yan, since the Emperor doesn't like Lord Xia Songxia, you still recommend him. Isn't it true that you have failed to live up to the Emperor's expectations?"
Yan Shu smiled and said: "What's the matter? It's not that Mr. Xia is incapable of doing the job, but the emperor has a knot in his heart after the new defeat. If there is only one candidate, how can the emperor take personal preferences too seriously for the sake of the country?
?Hey, it’s a pity for you, Mr. Pangda. I didn’t expect you to be so indifferent to fame and fortune, but you are really admirable.”
"You're so indifferent to fame and wealth! Damn it, I'm just a 250-year-old!" Pang Ji cursed himself several times in his heart, with an embarrassed smile on his face, constantly thinking about how to redeem what he just said.
After thinking for a long time, Pang Ji decided to get straight to the point with a shameless face. This opportunity is rare to find in a thousand years. If he persists in holding on, he will not regret it in the future.
Yan Shu walked forward, but this time Pang Ji ran after him.
"Yan Sansi, Mr. Yan, I still have a few words to chat with you. It's still early in the day. If you go to Yanfu Palace, you still have to wait outside. Why are you in such a hurry?" It was Yan Shu who originally said,
Now it was Pang Ji's turn to ask for permission.
Yan Shu smiled slightly and thought to himself: "I'm not afraid that you won't take the bait. How can a cat not eat fish and a dog not eat feces?"