After rebirth, I joined forces with my mortal enemy to seek revenge.

In the official room of the Minister of the Secretariat, Pei Jiaoran sat upright with a smile on her lips. The dim candlelight reflected on her face, making her whole body fall into semi-darkness.

Yuan Zhengze, who was standing in front of him, was sitting with a frown on his face, but his eyes were scanning the room. The furnishings in this public house were dull and boring, just like its owner. Looking out the window, even though the window was not open at the moment, he could still see the tall dead tree outside, with its branches and leaves swaying. Zhongshuwai Province was lifeless in winter, and when the vegetation was lush in summer, sitting by the window for a long time would make one feel cold. He didn't like this place, just as he didn't like the person in front of him.

After refilling Pei Jiaoran's cup of tea and handing it over, Yuan Zhengze said softly, "When it rains in Zhongshuwai Province, the humidity is particularly heavy. If this continues, it will not only affect the feng shui of this place, but also be bad for the fortune of the owner of this place. Mr. Pei, don't you want to move to another place?"

"Tsk. You know, this public room was originally prepared for the Zhongshu Ling. But the Zhongshu Lings in the past all liked to work in the Zhongshu Neisheng because it was close to the Zhengshi Hall." Pei Jiaoran tapped the table with his fingers and took a sip of tea. "Over time, the owner of this public room became the Zhongshu Shilang. In the Zhongshu Province, it doesn't matter where you go."

Listening to Pei Jiaoran's words, Yuan Zhengze narrowed his eyes. What King Wu did today undoubtedly reminded him. His Majesty values ​​Pei Jiaoran far more than others.

"Prime Minister Pei." Yuan Zhengze's smile deepened. "His Majesty wants you to come to the Lizheng Palace to see him. The King of Wu said that he was deeply moved after listening to your words, and asked to be sent as an envoy to the Uighurs. His Majesty has already agreed, and the messenger is on the way."

Pei Jiaoran curved his lips and said, "Okay."

Yuan Zhengze was bewildered when he heard the word "good". When he came to his senses, Pei Jiaoran had already stood up and walked towards the door. Seeing this, he had no choice but to chase after him and follow him down.

The Zhongshu Waisheng Dagongfang downstairs was still busy. Officials in various robes were coming and going. Everyone would consciously step aside when they saw Pei Jiaoran.

"Mr. Pei, aren't you curious about what the King of Wu said?" Yuan Zhengze couldn't help but ask.

Upon hearing this, Pei Jiaoran turned around, his eyes swept across the people in the public room, then turned to Yuan Zhengze, and suddenly raised his eyebrows.

"Given your Majesty's temper, if there was something wrong, why would you summon me at this moment?" Pei Jiaoran said in a gentle voice.

Today, I heard the news that Yuan Zhengze brought from Lizheng Hall. Although he did not say what the King of Wu said, it is obvious that the King of Wu not only failed, but also pushed himself into the fire pit. As a result, the Emperor of Wei had to send the King of Wu. Although the King of Wu made achievements in this trip, he still did not get what he wanted. In comparison, the prince's silence was a smart move.

But based on her understanding of Jia Gonglu, he probably didn't know about this. Otherwise, it would be impossible for the King of Wu to say such a thing.

But now the King of Wu was destined to go on a diplomatic mission to the Uighurs. Then Jia Gonglu was destined to assist her and make this happen, so as to win credit for the King of Wu.

After walking out of the corridor, Pei Jiaoran's steps suddenly became very fast. Yuan Zhengze, who was following behind him, could only follow him step by step.

The emperor summoned him and allowed him to enter Chengtian Gate after his identity was verified.

There was silence in the Lizheng Hall. Pei Jiaoran walked in slowly under the guidance of Yuan Zhengze. After walking around the screen, he saw the Emperor of Wei sitting on a table.

There was a letter on the ground.

Looking at the letter with three pheasant feathers on it on the ground, Pei Jiaoran looked thoughtful and saluted with his sleeves folded.

"An urgent report has just been sent from the front line. The soldiers under the Jiannan Jiedushi looted the Southwest Military Supply Institute because they were dissatisfied with the Southwest Military Supply Institute's withholding of grain. They have already occupied the mountain and are planning to attack Qionglai Pass together with the Tunan coalition forces and seize Yizhou." The Wei Emperor said angrily with a sneer on his lips.

Looking up to meet the Emperor of Wei's gaze, Pei Jiaoran kowtowed and said, "The new envoy of the Southwest Military Academy was recommended by me. He is now at fault, and as the recommender, I am willing to be punished with the same crime. However, the soldiers of Jiannan have not yet mutinied, only a few have. I think Your Majesty should not pursue them, but should immediately send an imperial edict to the governor of Jiannan to appease them first. As for the Military Academy, you should not tolerate it either."

The Emperor of Wei smiled when he heard this and pointed at the letter on the ground. "It is difficult to tell right from wrong, loyalty from treachery. Prime Minister Pei, please read it yourself."

Pei Jiaoran picked up the letter after looking down at it. The wax seal on the letter had been removed, revealing the small seal added during the inspection. What came into view was Li Xiujing's handwriting, but the content was different from what the Emperor of Wei said. The Jiannan Army stationed in the Military Court did not take over the mountain after looting the Military Court. Instead, they sent people to escort the grain and grass in two groups, but one of them unfortunately encountered the Tunan coalition army and failed to protect the grain and grass. As a result, the Shen Ce Army in Qionglai Pass was isolated.

Seeing that Pei Jiaoran had put down the letter, the Emperor of Wei asked, "What does Prime Minister Pei mean by this?"

While secretly cursing the Emperor of Wei for his cunning, Pei Jiaoran said, "Your courage in fighting the enemy with a single soldier is commendable, but your crime is punishable. You can record your military merits and punish them according to military law."

"What about the Shen Ce Army at Qionglai Pass?" the Emperor of Wei asked in a deep voice.

"Open the Jiannan treasury. When collecting the two taxes next year, you can deduct the amount owed. I have already instructed the military supply envoys accompanying the army to keep a record of every piece of baggage." Pei Jiaoran said.

As soon as the words fell, the Emperor of Wei was silent. He had originally wanted to take this opportunity to teach Pei Jiaoran a lesson. He had never thought that this shrewd courtier would not be fooled at all. With extreme vigilance, he avoided all the traps he had set. Suddenly he lowered his eyes, thinking that his son was not a good person and that the words he said impulsively could not be taken back. But the one who spoke first quietly stayed out of the matter. After this, the situation in the Political Affairs Hall had already collapsed, and the replacement only needed a suitable opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

"What if the Jiannan Jiedushi disagrees?" The Emperor of Wei raised his eyes and looked at Pei Jiaoran with burning eyes, "What is Prime Minister Pei's plan?"

"We should follow the example of Huan Xuanwu and sail upstream from Jingzhou, recruiting civilians to pull boats along the way to ensure that the boats reach Yizhou." Pei Jiaoran smiled, "But this will be time-consuming and labor-intensive. I think we can grant Jiannan the power to exempt half of the taxes next year to offset this year's expenses."

As if choked by his words, the Emperor of Wei did not speak for a long time.

After a while, the Emperor of Wei said, "Although you are quite talented, you are still young. If you continue to be the Minister of the Secretariat, you will inevitably attract attention. It is better for you to be the Minister of the Secretariat for a few more years. In fact, it is not a bad thing to be in this position. There will be no constraints on many things. Qingjia, do you understand what I mean?"

The smile of the Emperor of Wei was full of deep meaning. The undercurrents all retreated at this moment, and what remained was the unfathomable heart of the emperor and the unpredictable thoughts of the ministers. They stood and looked at each other in this small space.