Zhang Min was dressed in a soft home robe and was sitting casually behind the table. Opposite him, the person sitting opposite him was not Zhu Yi or other nobles, but a middle-aged man wearing a blue official robe and white stilts.
Xu Youzhen!
Since Xu Xueshi came to visit him last time, although Zhang Min was dubious about him, he did not refuse his affiliation.
Therefore, he soon saw what kind of person Xu Yuanyu was, who was secretly discussed by many courtiers as being good at maneuvering.
As a civil servant and an official of the East Palace, Mr. Xu now goes to the British government whenever he has something to do.
He would come over and discuss every major and minor matter in the capital and outside, both in the government and in the public. Such behavior was unbecoming of a civil servant, but for Zhang Shi himself, he was still very useful.
At least, Xu Youzhen's discussions on current affairs allowed him to see more clearly the situation in Beijing. Therefore, their relationship has gradually become better during this period. Otherwise, Xu Youzhen would not have been able to enter the capital.
Go to his study.
"...Second Master, I have heard that the memorial written by the Ministry of Rites to name the fourth prince was rejected. Your Majesty personally gave the name to the emperor. As soon as this name came out, there was a lot of discussion in the government and the public..."
Xu Youzhen looked up at Zhang Shi and said with a somewhat worried expression.
However, Zhang Xi's reaction was dull and said.
"Now His Highness the Crown Prince is not the son of the Emperor. The reason why he was able to obtain the Eastern Palace Reserve is nothing more than the result of a compromise forced by the original situation. No matter how much the Emperor openly cares for His Highness the Crown Prince, he never really cares about him in his heart.
It has already been known for a long time that reliance is the source of capital."
"Otherwise, it has been so long since His Highness the Crown Prince has been out of the cabinet. Why is it that the East Palace officials have not yet been prepared? Not to mention, the matter of the young army has been started for a long time, but it has been postponed until now before it is really started."
"It's just that before the emperor succeeded to the throne, his foundation was unstable and he had no legitimate son, so he had to pretend to rely on the prince. But now..."
At this point, Zhang Xi paused, then Xu Youzhen sighed and continued.
"Now that the fourth prince is born, this fourth prince is a legitimate descendant of the middle palace. His status is noble, even His Highness the Crown Prince is slightly inferior. I am afraid that your majesty is a little unable to control his thoughts."
"A general amnesty for the capital, generous rewards both inside and outside the palace, and an imperial conferment on the queen's mother's family. With this name, this idea is very clear..."
Zhang Mian glanced at Xu Youzhen and saw that the other person was very worried. He understood in his heart that after entering the East Palace, he would be branded as a prince. If His Royal Highness succeeds in succeeding to the throne, then he will naturally follow the dragon's merits.
, but if the prince is deposed, then the officials of the Eastern Palace will not end well.
What's more, Mr. Xu was originally a participant in the attack on Xiangting, with the intention of framing the emperor. If this matter was exposed, his own life might not be saved, so for now,
For Xu Youzhen, if the East Palace is stable, his career will be promising. If the status of the East Palace is unstable, then his career will be hopeless.
Although the emperor has not yet wavered in his reserve capital, he has been promoting the fourth princes, and there are already signs of this. How could he not be worried?
but……
"So what if it's obvious? You civil servants have always paid attention to etiquette, laws, ethics, and the foundation of the prince's country. But when it comes to shaking the prince, no one dares to say a word?"
Zhang Min sneered, with a hint of ridicule in his tone.
"It has been almost a month since the birth of the fourth prince. The emperor has also given great rewards to ministers and granted titles to relatives. However, except for the words and remonstrances of a few imperial censors, look at the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty. Didn't everyone remain silent, didn't even an official of the East Palace like you not file a memorial to protest?"
Xu Youzhen's face looked a little ugly.
However, he also knows that this is the character of Mr. Zhang. At best, he is straightforward, but at worst, he is brainless.
Ever since Zhang Fu was executed for leaking military aircraft, Zhang Fu had always held a grudge in his heart and was very hostile to the civil servants who denounced Zhang Fu in the court at that time.
Of course, it is also possible that because of his identity as Xu Youzhen, he is still unable to catch the eye of Mr. Zhang. If it were really a minister of the Six Ministries and Seven Ministers sitting opposite him, no matter how stupid he was, he would probably not be able to tell the truth. Saying this...
Shaking her head, Xu Youzhen reluctantly explained.
"The matter of asking for a name is not a big deal after all. What's more, His Majesty has not shown any intention to abolish the establishment. At most, he only shows too much honor and favor to the fourth prince. But after all, this is His Majesty's eldest son. Favoritism is also common, and if the harem is involved, it would be a bit petty if the ministers of the court insist on it."
As she spoke, Xu Youzhen's face moved slightly and she continued.
"What's more, although the ministers in the DPRK didn't react much, haven't the Duke of the State already asked for an order to select the honorary guards? Your Majesty must also know that suppressing the East Palace at this time will arouse speculation among the courtiers, so he I agreed so happily."
"Furthermore, I heard that just the day before yesterday, His Majesty had issued a decree and ordered the Ministry of War to draw up the regulations for reorganizing the military government. If nothing else, this task will be handed over to Yu Shaobao. The most interesting thing is that , His Majesty, Zhu Bian, approved it, it is your memorial, Second Master, I wonder, is this possible?"
As soon as these words came out, Zhang Xi's face suddenly became a little ugly.
He nodded slightly, but didn't say much.
Seeing this situation, Xu Youzhen looked like she hated iron and said:
"Among the ministers in the court, only the Second Master and Yu Shaobao can take charge of the matter of rectifying the military government. Your Majesty has never made a decision, which shows that you are still hesitating. Hasn't the Second Master never thought about why Your Majesty did not directly hand it over to you?" Yu Shaobao?"
Zhang Min was stunned and asked with a frown.
"Why?"
But this time, Xu Youzhen did not answer his question directly, but asked rhetorically.
"May I ask the second master, the idea of recommending Yu Shaobao to take charge of this matter, was it given to you by Duke Cheng Guo?"
The answer was of course yes, but when Xu Youzhen asked this, Zhang Mian hesitated.
He was weighing whether Xu Youzhen or Zhu Yi could be trusted.
Seeing this situation, Xu Youzhen showed a look of understanding and said without him needing to answer.
"It seems so..."
As she spoke, Xu Youzhen shook her head and said.
"I said last time that although the British Duke's Palace and the Chengguo Palace are in-laws, the Second Master also needs to be vigilant. But I didn't expect that the Second Master would still be so unprepared. I'm afraid that this time, this time
This errand, the second master can’t get it..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Shi's expression turned extremely ugly.
Looking at Xu Youzhen opposite, his expression changed for a while, and he was obviously a little confused. However, in the end, he still could not resist the suspicion in his heart, and said.
"I know that once this memorandum is published, His Majesty will most likely hand this job over to Yu Qian directly, but..."
"However, if Yu Shaobao fails and this matter is halfway through and cannot be abandoned, then in the end, the only choice will be the second master, right?"
Halfway through Zhang Min's words, Xu Youzhen continued, but his tone seemed a bit mocking.
Seeing this situation, Zhang Xi frowned, but did not speak.
Because this is indeed what he planned. In fact, this was also the method Zhu Yi initially discussed with him.
However, Xu Youzhen's expression now made him feel unsure...
Seeing Zhang Xi's look, Xu Youzhen knew that her guess was correct, so she spoke.
"Not to mention anything else, I only have one question. Why is Duke Cheng Guo so capable and so sure that he can defeat Yu Shaobao?"
this……
Zhang Xi's eyes moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he remained silent.
So, Xu Youzhen shook her head and said.
"I know that if Duke Cheng Guo can persuade the second master, he must have some means, or maybe Yu Shaobao has some leverage in Duke Cheng's hands."
"It's okay if the second master doesn't tell me, but I just want to ask the second master, is this a reason for conspiracy?"
This question was beyond Zhang Shi's expectation. He subconsciously shook his head and said.
"Of course not..."
If there was evidence that Yu Qian was treasonous and rebellious, there would be no need to go to such trouble...
So, Xu Youzhen sneered and said.
"Since it is not such a serious crime, considering Shaobao's personal ethics, it is not corruption, fraud, etc. Apart from these, other things, given Shaobao's status, if there is any negligence, I'm afraid he himself will
Once it’s dealt with, it won’t be Chengguo’s turn to find the reason.”
"So, if nothing else happens, the blame should not lie on Shaobao, but on his old relatives and friends, right?"
Zhang Xi's eyes were sharp, and he once again had a higher evaluation of Xu Youzhen in front of him.
He had long known that this person was smart, but he didn't expect that he was so smart and could guess so much based on just these clues.
Now that the matter has come to this, there is no point in hiding it anymore, so Zhang Xi pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly and said.
"Speaking of which, this matter is also related to Song Wenyi. A few days ago, Duke Chengguo learned unexpectedly..."
"Is that so?"
Although Xu Youzhen had already made a guess, she was still shocked after hearing what Zhang Xi said.
Then Zhang Xi said.
"Once this matter is revealed, Yu Qian will definitely be inseparable. As long as we are prepared in advance, even if we cannot really bring him down, it is not difficult to make it more difficult for him to take charge of the military government."
Hearing this, Xu Youzhen also frowned. In the final analysis, Cheng Guogong was able to convince Zhang Shi not just through rhetoric. He originally thought that Yu Shaobao's character and ability should be blameless, but
But I didn't expect that such a thing would happen. As Zhang Shi said, if this matter is true, then Yu Shaobao is indeed difficult to escape.
but……
After pondering for a moment, Xu Youzhen spoke.
"Second Master, with all due respect, even if this matter exists, if we handle it properly, with Shaobao's favor, I am afraid that we may not be able to do anything to him."
After saying this, Zhang Shi suddenly became unhappy and asked.
"How can I see it?"
Xu Youzhen thought for a moment, as if considering how to organize her words, and then spoke.
"This errand was originally brought up by the Second Master. At that time, His Majesty first promoted Wang Qin and then recalled Yu Shaobao. It can be seen that at that time, His Majesty intended to let the Ministry of War take charge of the matter. This was not surprising. After all, at that time, the Second Master
I am reporting this matter to prevent His Majesty from sending troops to the grasslands. Moreover, the British government has always been close to Nangong, so it is common for His Majesty to be on your guard."
"But the strange thing is that after Yu Shaobao returned to Beijing, His Majesty never mentioned this matter. Don't you think it's strange?"
Zhang Min's brows also slowly wrinkled. He really hadn't thought about this question very carefully. He looked up at Xu Youzhen and continued to ask.
"So, what do you think the reason is?"
"The tail is too big to fall off!"
Xu Youzhen spoke softly, spit out four words, and immediately explained.
"Second Master, please think about it. A few years ago, Yu Shaobao was just a minister of the Ministry of War, an ordinary third-rank official. However, after the civil war, hundreds of officials were in trouble. He was ordered to be in danger and was promoted to the Minister of the Ministry of War. He became one of the seven ministers.
1. Subsequently, with the support of the old heavenly official Wang Zhi, he presided over the affairs of the court inside and outside the capital, and his reputation increased day by day."
"At that time, the capital was in panic and internal and external unrest, and it was Yu Shaobao who remonstrated with the Holy Mother to support the emperor and supported him. After the emperor ascended the throne, Yu Shaobao also served as the admiral of the capital camp, taking charge of internal and external defense.
Although the battle of Oala was a battle of great power and strategic planning, Yu Shaobao's contribution to protecting the country cannot be ignored."
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"With such prestige, status, official positions, and achievements, how can your Majesty not be afraid? Although His Majesty was behind the reorganization of the army, in order to ensure the smooth flow of government orders, the Ministry of War was almost built by Yu Shaobao.
As a matter of fact, except for the minister Yu Shan, all the officials in the Ministry of War were either promoted by Yu Shaobao or had a close friendship with him."
"Under such a situation, if the Ministry of War continues to take charge of the military government's rectification and allows Yu Shaobao's influence to spread from the court to the military government, will His Majesty really be able to rest assured?"
To be fair, this does make some sense, but...
Zhang Min frowned and hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Having said that, the emperor has always had great trust in Shaobao. If he was really afraid of him and had contradicted him several times before, how could he treat him lightly and hastily?"
"Besides, you just said that the emperor summoned Yu Shaobao back to the capital with the intention of letting him take charge of this matter. If he is really afraid, why should he do this?"
"Furthermore, if what you said is right, the emperor is really afraid of Shaobao, then shouldn't the possibility of being able to overthrow him when such an opportunity arises be greater?"
This series of questions made Xu Youzhen slightly stunned. After a moment, he shook his head and said.
"Second Master, your thinking is still too simple. To be honest with Second Master, Xu also made such a mistake back then. Because of this, he was sidelined in the Hanlin Academy for a long time and has not been able to truly turn over.
To this day, I have finally understood this truth.”
"That is, when it comes to court affairs, there is no such either/or approach..."