Reincarnation of the powerful minister

Early the next morning, Su Yan first asked Su Xiaojing to go to the Ministry of Officials to apply for a work-related injury leave for him - tentatively scheduled for two days, and we will see the recovery situation later.

Then he asked Su Xiaobei to go to Beizhen Fusi to inquire: Last night Shen Qi led a team to chase Mr. He who escaped, what's the situation now, and has anyone returned.

He himself took half a day's leisure and set up a reclining drunkard's chair under the old peach tree in the courtyard, spread it out comfortably on it, brewed a pot of pineapple tea with olives in his hand, and drank the tea Reading idle books is simply unbearable.

An hour later, the news from Beizhen Fusi hadn't come yet, but the prince came first.

Zhu Helin was dressed in casual clothes, and came with only a few guards and medical officers on horseback. Because he was in a hurry, the fine sweat on his forehead shone slightly in the broken sun that leaked from the peach tree canopy.

"I heard that you were injured internally? Show me how the injury is!" The prince's eager voice came before he approached.

"It's okay, it's okay—be careful on the steps! Oh, my little master——" This knocked knee made him feel pain.Su Yan covered his face, "I'm really fine, at most I'll talk a little bit. I just want to avoid the limelight and find an excuse to rest for two days."

Zhu Helin endured the pain and rushed to his side. After looking up, down, left, and right, he finally settled down: "It's fine as long as there's nothing wrong. You said you can't inform the young master in advance?"

"It was my negligence, which made me worry." After Su Yan handed over the teapot in his hand, he realized that he was drinking from the spout, which seemed inappropriate, and retracted again.

Zhu Helin, however, was not polite, and poured it into the spout of the pot with his hands, then sat down on the bluestone bench next to him, panting: "Father is holding back and won't let you leave the palace, my lord, I have been worried all night! I couldn't see you in the early court, and after the court was over, my young master went to the official department to inquire in person, and only then did I know that you had asked for a leave of absence."

Su Yan was moved in his heart, and said with a smile: "Young Master, don't worry, there are so many Jinyiwei and Tengxiangwei, and King Yu is in charge, nothing will happen to you."

Of course Zhu Helin knew it, but he didn't go into battle at the critical moment, and let the fourth uncle's escort gain his favorability, so he was a little upset.And I feel that my father has kept the four kings and uncles in the capital to become a shit stick, so it's better to let him go to the fiefdom and become a vassal. I'm really worried, just don't let him lead the army again.

However, since he claims to be a mature man, it's not easy to dwell on the details in front of Su Yan, so he nodded and said, "Although I'm worried, I believe you can make things happen."

Su Yan sighed: "It's a pity that there is a fly in the ointment, but Mr. He ran away. Everyone was caught in the prison car, but they were still robbed."

Zhu Helin said: "The Vacuum Cult has been operating secretly in the capital for many years. Its power is secretive and intertwined. It is difficult to sweep away in a short time. It is inevitable that there will be a few waves of remnants. Don't be too sorry. Just continue to arrest him all over the country. There is no place to stand, and sooner or later you will be caught."

Su Yan had some doubts in his heart: Shi Yanshuang, who is in charge of punishing thousands of households, is Shen Qi's capable general, and the Jin Yiwei who escorted the prison cart is also a well-trained elite cavalry, so why did he easily fall for the remnants of the Vacuum Sect?Also, the other party didn't attack the unconscious Jin Yiwei when he hijacked the prison van, so don't worry about them waking up early?

Doubts belong to doubts, he didn't say anything in front of the prince, thinking he should wait for Qilang to come back and ask about the situation first.

Seeing that he was silent, Zhu Helin thought that he was still concerned about Mr. He who escaped, so he diverted his attention from the incident in the court: "Fortunately, you didn't come to the court meeting today. The emperor ordered Xian'anhou and Feng'anhou to be taken into custody. A big stone was thrown into the pond, and there was an uproar in the hall. Some led a group to attack, some captured and killed each other, and some lit a fire from the air. It was really a group of demons dancing wildly."

This is not far from what Su Yan estimated.After all, on the first day of the palace examination, he had seen the Chief Assistant and the relatives of the state who rolled up their sleeves and fought with each other, which shows how tough the courtiers are.

I remember that it was recorded in the history books that civil servants beat to death a Jinyiwei commander who had caused public outrage in the Golden Luan Hall.It can be seen that the old saying of beating the master to death with random punches is not for nothing.

"Master, I have seen the eloquence of civil servants since I was a child. I know that they love to scold and can scold, but I didn't expect to be able to scold like this. There is not a single dirty word. I have greeted the eighteen generations of the other party's ancestors."

Su Yan: Uh, I seem to be one of the civil servants who speak fragrantly?

"At the beginning, we could discuss the facts. The main point of contention was whether the Wei family's intention to murder the East Palace was convincing, and whether you, the task force leader, were fighting for the country or taking revenge for private interests. Later, you gradually went astray. Many people brought private goods and wanted to take The dissidents were dragged into the water. So the officials took the opportunity to impeach each other. One said that the other was the minion of the Wei family and must be dealt with together; This vortex is getting bigger and bigger, making it seem like everyone has bad deeds, and everyone has bad intentions..."

Su Yan silently supported his forehead: Just listening to the prince's description, one can imagine the chaos at that time.

Civil servants in this dynasty have a high status, a great voice, more character and arrogance, and of course they are more capable of manipulating state affairs.When encountering an emperor who doesn't like to be in charge, even if he is a treasurer for a lifetime, he only needs to promote a strong cabinet team to lead the ministers, and the country can run smoothly for decades.

Unlike the later dynasties in history, the courtiers were "minions" one at a time. If they dared to offend the emperor, they raised a knife and clicked it, and the official continued to be another person.The subject's knees are soft, so he naturally obeys his superiors. When he meets a wise king, he follows the steps, and when he meets a foolish king, he will die together.

The problem is, our emperor is in charge, and he is lenient on the outside and strict on the inside, and has a strong desire to control. It is probably quite frustrating to face this group of inefficient lamps day after day.

It's no wonder that he wants to use the emperor's mind and checks and balances, even despite the long-term advice of the civil servants, he also wants to retain the Jinyiwei organization and give the eunuchs some political authority, just to increase the bargaining chip for the imperial power.

"Can the noise be like this, the emperor didn't stop it?" Su Yan asked.

Zhu Helin said: "No. The young master is also a little strange. It is said that when the ministers are too presumptuous, the father will always suppress them and deal with a few leaders, so that they can calm down for a while. Even Li Shoufu sat down for a few days What about the prison, not to mention other courtiers. But today, the emperor didn't care, and just told me to watch and listen carefully."

Su Yan asked again: "Then what did the young master see and understand?"

Zhu Helin was taken aback, raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips for a moment to ponder, and said, "There is a serious phenomenon of clique formation among the courtiers?"

"Be more confident, and remove the questioning tone." Su Yan was persuasive, "What else?"

"The power game between the courtiers often forms factions to strengthen their power. The sage said, 'gentlemen are not party', but I see that many of the courtiers fight against each other and attack each other in order to fight for power and power. , not really serving the country and the people.”

Clan fighting and clique fighting, grasping the core words - I said this kid has a future, right?Born with wisdom!Su Yan controlled himself not to show an old mother's gratifying smile, and continued to ask: "What else?"

So when you become the emperor in the future, how do you plan to rectify this smoky court atmosphere? Do you use your strength like your father did, or do you have other means?Speak, go ahead.

"And..." Zhu Helin thought hard, and suddenly his eyes lit up, "That's right! I found out that among the courtiers who come from the same township, they like to hug each other the most, and they like to give nicknames to outsiders as a mockery. Guan Shudi Officials from Sichuan are called "Sichuan rats"; people from Chu are called "dried fish"; and those from Jiangxi are called "cured chickens" because they always like to give cured chickens as gifts on New Year's Day, and they even paid tribute to their father. Speaking of it, I am a little worried, will someone treat you like this, calling you 'chunbing' or 'Buddha jumping over the wall' or something..."

Su Yan: ...

The focus is off the mark, sir?Although I don't want to be called spring cakes and Buddha jumps over the wall, but the point is not here, hey!

So you are still a brother!Su Yan lifted his forehead and sighed deeply.

But Zhu Helin laughed loudly: "Young master is teasing you." He leaned close to Su Yan's ear, and said in a deep voice, "Even if the Wei family falls, the court will not be clean. If you want to be politically clear, you must It has never been one or two corrupt officials and arrogant relatives that have been rectified, but the long-standing malpractice in the administration of officials."

Su Yan was stunned unexpectedly, and then nodded slightly: "Young master understands and understands. But rectifying the bureaucracy cannot be achieved overnight, and the emperor is even more cautious, and the young master, as the prince, must not be taken lightly. Take it one step at a time, first completely bring down the Wei family."

Zhu Helin also nodded: "Before leaving the palace, I heard that Concubine Wei went to kneel at the gate of the palace and begged for forgiveness for her father."

"Kneel at the palace gate?"

"That's right, it's the Zunyi Gate outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Concubine Wei has washed her makeup, put on her hair, and is wearing a white jacket, kneeling at the gate of the palace." Zhu Helin looked at the sun, "I have to kneel now It's been over an hour."

"...Then the emperor?"

Zhu Helin showed a happy smile: "Father didn't summon her, and asked the servants to send her back to Yongning Palace, but she didn't listen. Father just said: She loves to kneel, let her kneel."

Concubine Wei knelt at the gate of the palace, weeping and muttering words, sometimes recalling the warm time when they were newly married, and sometimes begging the emperor to forgive the Wei family for the sake of past achievements and love.

Cry until the pear blossoms bring rain, and die.But Emperor Jinglong seemed determined this time, her crying, making trouble and hanging herself no longer worked.

The palace maid repeatedly tried to persuade her but failed, so she came up with another trick and asked someone to bring the second prince.

The second prince is about to turn one year old, and because he can talk first and then walk, he is considered "the face of great nobility". The queen mother asked the masters to divination for him, saying "Ziwei follows his life", so she loved him even more.

Concubine Wei also attached great importance to this only son, she was afraid that someone would murder her, and she was still worried about having five wet nurses, so she simply took her with her to take care of her day and night, which could be considered as a way to relieve the loneliness in the palace.Therefore, the second prince is very clingy to his mother, and will look for him if he doesn't see her in a while.

I haven't seen her for a long time now, and I was so wronged when I saw it, I hugged Concubine Wei and didn't let go, crying.

Concubine Wei also took off her son's tuanlong robe, and secretly pinched him, and her crying suddenly turned into howling.

The mother and son hugged me and I hugged you, crying face to face. The appearance of being so lonely and helpless, and the cry of toppling the Great Wall, really made those who heard it sad, and those who heard it shed tears.

Now the Queen Mother can't sit still.

It turned out that King Yu entered the palace last night and had a long talk with the Queen Mother for more than an hour. At least he persuaded the Queen Mother not to interfere with this matter on the grounds that "the Wei family is domineering. If they don't give them some trouble, they may disrespect God's power and hold the Holy Will hostage in the future." , To avoid separation from the emperor's mother and child.

Although the Queen Mother is protecting the Wei family, she also has concerns in her heart:

First, worry too much.In the future, when the second prince becomes the crown prince, the Wei family will be in full swing, fearing that he will have the ambition to manipulate the king.

Second, it is also worried about mother and child separation.Last time she used illness to put pressure on the emperor. Although the emperor gave in, he didn't show any dissatisfaction, but her son knew it himself.This son of hers has hidden thoughts and restrained emotions, and his heart may not be as calm as his face.If there is a gap because of this, it will not be good for her.

After much deliberation, the queen mother felt that it was necessary to grasp a certain degree—beating and beating within a limited range, so that the Wei family would not be injured, and at the same time, they could grow their memory.

King Yu mentioned both of these points to her heart, so the queen mother held back, and only let Qionggu, the close maid of honor, come forward, and the Wei family who came to ask for help were sent back.

Concubine Wei knelt at the gate of the palace and wept bitterly, but the Empress Dowager did not necessarily feel distressed.

But when she learned that the little grandson was also kneeling and crying together under the sun, the queen mother was so distressed that she couldn't sit still.

She got up the phoenix chariot and went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation in person to bring her little grandson back.By the way, remind the emperor that enough is enough.

In her opinion, the murder of the prince was the work of the Vacuum Sect and Jianghu sect. The Wei family was also deceived and mistakenly accepted a traitor as a guest. It was a crime of not being investigated. The two marquises were imprisoned for a while and given a punishment. Just drop your salary.Anyway, the son of the Zhang family (the former empress) is not in good shape, is he still in the East Palace?

As a result, when she met Emperor Jing Long, she realized that the situation was much more serious than she thought——

This time the emperor actually intends to kill Wei Yan and Wei Jun on purpose. The previous promises to her have changed over time and cannot be counted!

The empress dowager was greatly disappointed and felt that her dignity had been damaged. At the same time, a ray of suspicion in her heart surfaced: the emperor could not tolerate the Wei family so much, did he want to make an example of others?She was in the harem, and it was inconvenient to intervene directly in some matters of the previous court, so she intended to use the Wei family as the spokesperson for the court.And the Wei family recruited many officials, and her influence gradually expanded invisibly. Could it be that the emperor was afraid of this and wanted to use this to suppress her?

They are the real mother and son!Filial piety is the way of heaven, even if a son doesn't obey his mother's order, how can he expect him to be filial to himself for the rest of his life?

The queen mother was disappointed and chilled, and decided that this was no longer a problem of the Wei family. This was disobedience, unfilial piety, and she was treating her mother as a political enemy that must be guarded against and suppressed.

She didn't argue with the emperor face to face, turned around and drove back to the palace, taking the second prince away along the way.

As for Concubine Wei, seeing her aunt taking her life away regardless of her, she fainted from crying and was carried back to Yongning Palace.

Zhu Helin, who was in the Su residence, didn't know about these latter things.After he visited Su Yan, he had to rush to finish the investigation of the disaster relief food transfer package case.

So in the afternoon of that day, Su Yan received a decree, and the Queen Mother summoned him.

He said it was a summons, but he couldn't help but set off on his own, the guards who came with the eunuch who passed the decree were already ready to go, and they just dragged him into the carriage and took him away.