eldest son of Ming dynasty

Chapter 192 Solving Puzzles

After the Zhejiang case, the end of the year is actually very close.

But Emperor Hongzhi is not in good health, and the festive atmosphere in the palace is not at all lively. The emperor has been sick for the past few years, and he needs to rest every few months. About to ascend the throne.

Even though Queen Zhang is not a person who understands righteousness, her relationship with her husband is genuine and cannot be faked at all.So when Zhu Houzhao is not around, she has been taking care of the dragon bed,
After the morning court ended, Zhu Houzhao soon went to Qianqing Palace again.

In the past, when Emperor Hongzhi was ill, at least he was in a good mood, but this time it was a little different, probably because Liu Daxia said something that hurt his heart, so he was in a low mood, and he just lay down like this and didn't say anything.

Zhu Houzhao also knew that his father was sleeping, so when he approached, he signaled to the eunuchs in the palace not to kneel.All the way outside the Nuan Pavilion, I saw a scene of Empress Zhang lying beside the dragon bed.

The old eunuch Xiao Jing came over lightly, and said in a very low voice: "Your Highness, Your Majesty and the Empress are both asleep..."

Zhu Houzhao nodded slightly. The room was quite warm, but the emperor had a quilt cover, but the queen still didn't. So he took off the cashmere cloak on his body, walked over and put it on Queen Zhang lightly. Oh no.

After that, Xiao Jing followed him out of the hall.

After going outside, Zhu Houzhao confessed: "If the emperor is still in a bad mood after waking up, you can come to the East Palace to give a message, and I will come to find a solution."

Xiao Jing was moved in his heart, "Yes, the servant obeys the order."

"Well." Now that the place is still stable, he felt relieved, and he greeted Liu Jin and said, "Go and pass a message to the cabinet. Before Wang Qiong, the chief minister of Henan, is transferred to the chief minister of Zhejiang, let him go first." A trip to Beijing. The same is true for Peng Ze from the Ministry of Punishment. When the time comes, let the two of them enter the palace together, and I want to see them."

It doesn't matter if he continues to explain this matter so that he forgets, anyway, he will remember it when the time comes.

He had to meet with provincial officials like this before taking office.

In terms of management level, the governor, governor, chief soldier, chief envoy, and inspector are all senior officials who are very close to the emperor.The big piece is handed over to this person, Zhu Houzhao's habit... at least to meet him, so as not to know what he looks like.

"Yes, the servant will go here."

Xiao Jing watched this scene not far away, thinking in his heart, His Royal Highness is becoming more and more proficient in handling government affairs, and the emperor's health is getting worse day by day, it will take two or three years before the fate of these people will change.

In the Prison of Rituals, Chen Rong, Wang Hong... These are also old people from the past. Once the new emperor ascends the throne, they might all give way to Liu Jin.

One emperor and one courtier.

Liu Daxia also had a similar feeling, mainly in the 17th year of Hongzhi, the emperor's illness happened so suddenly, he obviously just recovered, and he lay down again not long after.

In the political activities centered on the emperor alone, his health is too critical.

So much so that after Liu Daxia returned to the Ministry of War, he felt that some people's attitudes had changed. They all said that people leave the tea to cool down. In fact, in reality, the tea was already cold a lot before people left.

Now the crown prince has given the mission to ask Liu Daxia to clean up the vacancy issue of the towns of the frontier army. He has a good relationship with Yang Yiqing, and immediately thought of starting from the northwest, so he wrote a letter to Yang Yiqing after returning.

Yang Yiqing had been the Governor of Shaanxi and acting Ma Zheng for several years, and Ma Zheng was an important government affairs that the crown prince was very concerned about, so he had a close relationship with the East Palace in recent years.In August of the 17th year of Hongzhi, the imperial court appointed him as the chief officer of the trilateral system, or the governor of the trilateral system. He opened a mansion in Guyuan and took the central control of Gansu, Ningxia, and Yulin.

In this place in the northwest, Yang Yiqing has been in office for a long time and has a full-time official position. It is not an exaggeration to describe him as a pillar of the country.But just five or six years ago, he was only the deputy envoy of Shaanxi. The gap seems small, but it is actually huge. At least it is very difficult for the position of deputy envoy to see the emperor. Neither the cabinet nor the ceremonial supervisor can stop him.

A few years of time has been so useful, in the eyes of others, it is because he hooked up with the emperor's favored minister Liu Daxia with one hand, and the prince of the East Palace with the other hand.

However, the benefits will not force him to go alone, the test will come one day.

On the sixth day of December in the 17th year of Hongzhi, Liu Daxia sent a senior official like the Minister of the Ministry of War to Guyuan Mansion. This person was named Xu Jin, and he had been in the Ministry of War for some years.

But in winter, the roads are far away and the pits are deep, and the civil servants can travel faster than the mud-legged men who deliver the letter.

Before Xu Jin arrived, Yang Yiqing's people had already sent him the situation of the morning court that day.

The emperor was seriously ill, the crown prince reprimanded him, and Liu Daxia's resignation was not far away.

"The situation of the imperial court has reached a critical point." Qi Chengsui, who succeeded Yang Yiqing as the governor of Shaanxi, was recommended by Yang Yiqing. It is impossible for Yang Yiqing to have no one of his own for such a big governor, and he is not worried about the Shaanxi racecourse. This Qi Chengsui is here During the acting Ma Zheng, he performed so well that he recommended him and passed the test of the prince.
He is also worried about his benefactor now, "At the court, Zhang Sheng committed suicide, the Inspector General Yu Shidaishan also retired, and the chief Sima was unfortunately connected with His Majesty's serious illness. The prince will not let this matter go." This time, it is a matter of course to take down the Ministry of War. However, for Yang Butang, it is a dilemma."

Yang Yiqing was fifty, his black hair was mixed with white, and his weather-beaten face was covered with wrinkles. It was a big deal, but he didn't change his face.

Qi Chengsui was still talking, "If the Ministry fully cooperates with Da Sima to facilitate this matter, it may not be the intention of the East Palace. The years will be long in the future, and the East Palace may not know when it will remember this."

Because now it is obvious that Donggong and Liu Daxia are fighting, and Donggong has given him a difficult problem. Anyone with a discerning eye will know that this matter is too difficult. Donggong just wanted to make him look ugly, but you tried your best to help him. What do you mean?
"But what if we don't do that? All the courtiers in the court know that the minister has a deep friendship with Da Sima. The minister has done many things in the past few years, and the support of Da Sima is indispensable."

So this reputation is too bad, a villain's reputation cannot be escaped, and it is also very important for a person like Yang Yiqing who cherishes feathers.

In Qi Chengsui's view, transferring Yang Yiqing to Shanxi to act as Ma Zheng was probably one of the prince's "employment arts". He knew that Yang Yiqing and Liu Daxia had a good relationship, and that Ma Zheng belonged to the Ministry of War, and Liu Daxia would definitely support Yang Yiqing with all his strength.

So at the beginning, people supported you no matter what, let you brush your face with the prince, and did a good job in Ma Zheng, now looking back, do you support him?
Qi Chengsui shook his head. The water in the court was too deep. This was a superficial factor. I don't know if there are other factors behind it.Anyway, he didn't know how Yang Yiqing would solve this problem.

The old man's eyes were deep, and he was as immobile as a clock. He still remembered meeting the prince of the East Palace once this year. At that time, the prince smiled like a spring breeze, but the real meaning of his words was to warn him not to get too attached to Liu Daxia.

"The hall..."

Yang Yiqing raised his hand, and suddenly said: "How about I send a memorial to the East Palace?"

"What did the memorial say?"

"Please show me, Donggong. What should I do."

Qi Cheng then changed his face, "Not allowed in the department! Don't ask about this kind of thing, if you ask, it will be a failure! Besides, it depends on how you choose the department."

It has been like this since ancient times, if you still ask at this time, then Donggong will feel that you are thinking of Liu Daxia's kindness.What is loyalty?That is, don’t ask even if you ask, just do it directly.

But Yang Yiqing was also looking for a foothold in the subtleties, "Times have changed and the world has changed. Do you know what kind of person the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace is? You really only think that the Eastern Palace is just to deal with Da Sima. On the table?! To be an official, you need to be smart and wide-eyed, let me ask you, if the crown prince really intends to improve this bad government, then if we set up obstacles below, then what should we do?"

Qi Cheng then changed his face, "This..."

Yang Yiqing continued: "People in the world say that I, Yang Yiqing, was promoted because of the favor of Da Sima and Donggong at the same time, but has anyone ever thought about why these two sides are fighting to the death, but they still use me Yang Yiqing? Because I am an official. It has always been that the top does not harm the country and the people does not harm the people, so the crown prince uses me, and the great Sima also uses me. This is the key point, if this is gone, it will be the time of my death, Yang Yiqing."

"Now Da Sima is coming to investigate the bad government. Yes, people with a discerning eye can see that this is the prince who forced Da Sima to a dead end. But no matter how they force me, I should still be an official for the country and the people. Only in this way, in the future Only the mind of today's prince can bear me, the old man of Da Sima, so I must go to this course, in order to let Donggong know that I adhere to the principle of being an official to do this matter. At the same time, I also told Prince, let him know that I am worried that my actions will spoil his plan."

Hearing these words, Qi Chengsui was terrified, and he said it with ease, but once this memorabilia goes up, whether Dong Gong will misunderstand or doubt your relationship with Liu Daxia, no one actually knows. road.

So looking at it from the perspective of Yang Yiqing, this choice is actually very difficult. He has to find the subtle key in the complicated situation, and then trust his own judgment. In the end, he has to have the courage to do it.

This risk may not be life, but at least it is the position of the trilateral chief officer.

"However, when the memorial from the Ministry Hall is published, no matter what the prince's intentions are, the prince will only reply, that is, to ask the Ministry Hall to support the Great Sima. If this is the case, what's the point of taking such a risk?"

What Qi Chengsui said was right, because it is a good thing to clear up the vacant salary, and the whole court said that this malpractice should be eradicated, and you asked it formally, how can the crown prince answer?

But Yang Yiqing smiled, "Because the crown prince has no other way to give me an answer, this memorial is wonderful. You think, you know that the crown prince has no other answer, so I don't know? Does the crown prince know that we know? Why did I still post this memorial when I knew all about it?"

Qi Chengsui was completely taken aback, "For..."

"In order to let the prince know that I have difficulties in insisting on being an official for the country and the people. In order not to inadvertently spoil the prince's important affairs. On the contrary, if I don't have this letter and do it dully, the prince will think that I I didn't think about Donggong, knowing that Donggong wants to deal with Da Sima and still support him. Even if I don't have any of these, if I don't move, Donggong will feel that my brain is not active enough."

"But Donggong really thinks so much?"

Yang Yiqing thought that this was the words of someone who didn't know the prince well, and he said with a look of reminiscence: "Yes, the current prince's ambition is to become a sage king; his talent can directly catch up with his ancestors. If you don't think too much, The governor will be the end of the day."

(End of this chapter)