Reincarnation of the powerful minister

"...It's been five days."

Outside the Meridian Gate, the courtiers who had been waiting for a long time in the fading night of the early morning had just received the decree of "stop the court today" from the minister's mouth. Many people sighed and dispersed, and the remaining [-]-[-]% Group, whispering.

"I heard that Sheng Gong is uneasy recently! Mr. Zheng has a good relationship with Wang Yuan of the Supreme Hospital. Have you ever heard of it?"

"There's not much movement at the imperial hospital. The emperor does have a headache, but it's been so many years, and it happens occasionally, so it's not a serious illness."

"The emperor has been in power for 17 years. He has never stopped the court unless he was seriously ill. How has he ever seen such negligence!" A civil official said that the wat board in his hand trembled when he was excited. It made the Sacred Heart displeased, so you stopped working for several days in a row to show your dissatisfaction?"

"It's possible."

"If it is said that the Sacred Heart is displeased, the emperor has never punished me when I waited for the emperor to ask Yi Chu."

"If you want to put it this way, didn't the emperor punish those who tried their best to protect the crown prince? Who can guess what the holy will is?"

All the ministers shook their heads.

An official hesitated for a moment, and said: "The eunuch Lan, the supervisor of ceremonies, has served the emperor personally for many years, maybe we can find out something from him."

"Who's going to inquire? Mr. Fan is so eloquent, why don't you try it?"

"No, no, I just impeached Lan Xi for accepting bribes a while ago, now I'm going to ask, I don't want to put a hot face on my cold ass."

"How about Master Cen? I think you were so excited just now that the wat board was almost broken."

Mr. Cen stuffed the wat board into his sleeve, and waved his hands again and again: "Don't mention it again, it will pollute my ears. Anyway, I will not do the matter of making friends with eunuchs, whoever wants to go!"

"...On the road from Fengtianmen to Forbidden Gate, there are seven or eight adults who came to strike up a conversation. The slaves have never been so popular, they are just a piece of food that can walk."

In the imperial study room, Lan Xi said in a soft voice while bowing and studying ink.

Emperor Jinglong was sitting on a large armchair, holding the second prince Zhu Hezhao in his arms, holding his little hand, and teaching him to write big characters.Hearing the words, he snorted softly: "It's you who smells sweet? What smells sweet is my thoughts."

"That's right, in fact, the slaves are also very clear about it. It's broken in Chen's heart. How can they let others spy on them, they are in a daze."

The emperor didn't want to mention those courtiers any more, so he changed the subject and asked, "Look, how is this kid's handwriting?"

Lan Xi went to look at the rice paper and boasted: "His Highness the Second Prince is only three years old, and the writing of this character is better than that of an ordinary five or six-year-old child. He is really smart."

Zhu Hezhao turned to look at Lan Xi, and said in a childlike voice, "Thank you for your compliment. But I have just started to practice calligraphy, and I have to continue to learn from my father."

Lan Xi smiled like a flower full of wrinkles: "The Second Highness is sensitive and humble, he is really a child prodigy."

The emperor put down his pen, and patted Zhu Hezhao on the back: "I haven't complained of being tired after practicing for almost half an hour, but I am much easier to learn than your brother when he was a child. Go, wash your hands, and eat some snacks."

Zhu Hezhao slid down his father's knee, and the servants in the hall stepped forward to take him.Before leaving, he did not forget to salute his father and leave.

Looking at the small figure of the Second Prince, Lan Xi felt that he was not as stable as a three-year-old child, and couldn't help but sigh: "The Second Highness not only looks like an emperor, but even the charm of words and deeds is quite similar. "

The emperor nodded: "Fortunately, she doesn't look like his mother. By the way, Concubine Wei Zhao is still in Yongning Palace?"

"Go back to the emperor, here we are." Lan Xi reported, "My servant heard from the Palace of Compassion and Ning that the Second Highness was still asking the Queen Mother if the punishment for his mother and concubine is over, and when will she be able to come back."

"Oh? What's the Queen Mother's answer?"

"The queen mother said, 'Grandma will take good care of you together with your mother and concubine'. Afterwards, the palace maid who talked too much in front of the Second Highness and revealed the news about Concubine Wei Zhao was executed."

The emperor got up, washed his hands in the copper basin next to him, and said calmly: "I am quite relieved to have a mother to take care of Zhao'er. She doesn't want other concubines to raise her, so she can put her in the Palace of Compassion and Ning to raise her as she likes."

"Then... What about the matter that the Queen Mother mentioned before, allowing His Highness the Second Highness to study in the Wenhua Palace earlier?"

"Zhao'er is early-wisdom. It's not a bad idea to start a few years in advance. Since the mother has appointed a teacher for him, he will enter the palace next year. You can go to Tongjiao and Wangerge to inform them so that they have enough time to prepare for the course. .”

Lan Xi received the decree and left the imperial study.

"...Have you heard that the Second Prince will be studying in the Wenhua Palace next year, and Mr. Jiao Ge and Mr. Wang Ge will be the teachers."

"Next year, so early?"

"Yes, ordinary children are six or seven years old, but the second prince is very talented. It is said that the emperor taught him to write."

"Recently, the number of morning courts has become less and less, from once a day to three courts every ten days, and sometimes I don't see the emperor for several days in a row. I heard from the palace people that they are out of energy, and they mostly recuperate in the east and west gardens."

"The emperor's headache..."

"Old Jiao Ge will invite me to a banquet tomorrow..."

"The Empress Dowager's birthday is approaching..."

In the Department of General Administration, Cui Jinping, who was serving as a councilor, was holding a pile of freshly assembled notebooks, and walked over behind the officials sitting and gossiping in the courtyard without looking sideways.

"Cui Shenshi—" someone called out.

Another person interrupted: "Leave him alone. Zhuangyuan Lang is very arrogant, and he can't look down on ordinary people like me. Wouldn't it be good to let him 'Leaping over the Golden Scale' alone?"

All the officials laughed.

Cui Jinping ignored the mocking voices behind him, walked into his private room, and put the playbook on the table.

The Secretary of General Administration is responsible for summarizing the memorials submitted by various ministries and regions, sorting them out, and then sending them to the cabinet; or after receiving the notice from the servants, bypassing the cabinet and submitting them directly to the imperial court.

Cui Jinping rummaged through these playbooks, and found a reply letter addressed to him, which was included in the playbook sent by the Ministry of Rites in Nanjing.

He couldn't wait to open the letter and read it.

The letter was written by Su Yan himself.

Since the end of last year, Cui Jinping has decided to join this increasingly fierce political struggle.

Just as he once expressed his position to Su Yan - "Why do I want to be alone! I can't wait to turn the clouds and rain. There is no wind and no waves, how can I show my ability?"

Since he printed the sacrificial letter written by the prince on the mansion newspaper and helped Su Yan win the public opinion war caused by the fire in Kunning Palace, Cui Jinping has already chosen the boat to board.

In the past half a year or so, Cui Jinping has seen clearly that this is not a dispute of "virtuous but not virtuous, and establishing a virtuous son", but a dispute between factions and interests. .

On the one hand, he chose the crown prince out of the mentality of being a good bird and choosing a tree - only if he chooses the right monarch to be loyal to, he will have the opportunity to take a high position and develop his ambitions in the future, instead of being a petty official in the first chapter draft; On the one hand, he believed in his friend's character and vision, and believed that with the friendship between Su Yan and the prince, if the other party went straight to the blue sky in the future, he would definitely support him.

That's why he took the risk to privately provide Lan Xi with the list of officials who continued to join the Yi Chu team, betting that Emperor Jing Long would not abolish the crown prince.At the same time, he also wrote this matter into a private letter to Su Yan, hoping to transfer it to the prince's ears.

Judging from Su Yan's reply, his hard work was not in vain.

Su Yan thanked him for his assistance on behalf of the prince, and told him not to be too high-profile even if he spoke up for the prince, so as not to offend the two elders.

It's a pity that for this champion who loves to show his sharpness, it is absolutely impossible not to make a high profile.

Especially after Li Chengfeng submitted his resignation letter for the sixth time, he finally resigned successfully. He resigned from the positions of Chief Assistant of the Cabinet, Secretary of the Ministry of Officials, University Scholars of Zhongji Temple, and Prince Taishi. .So far, there are only four of the five assistant ministers in the cabinet.

Without Li Chengfeng, the hot-tempered and veteran chief assistant, Yang Ting was squeezed out by the second assistant Jiao Yang and Wang Qianhe, unable to take care of himself.

Although Yang Ting wanted to support the prince, but he had no choice but to be soft-tempered, not to mention tricks and tricks, even when scolding each other, his voice was not as loud as the other party.

Xie Shiyan is used to making peace, and it is up to him to persuade the cabinet to fight. Now seeing that the limelight is gradually shifting to Jiao and Wang's side, not to mention taking refuge, he is more or less starting to sideline the fight.

Cui Jinping looked at that and felt sad, feeling that the cabinet now lacks such a talented and decisive figure as Cui Pingshan.

So he began to run around in secret, not only recommending himself to Yang Ting as a confidant, but also contacting Yushi Chuqiu and other "orthodox factions", he is bound to hold high the banner of "establishing a heir and establishing a leader" to the end, and made leapfrog speeches many times in the court.

Being so high-profile naturally attracted the attention of the "Yi Chu faction". As a result of Jiao Yang's order, he was put on small shoes by his superiors everywhere, and even isolated by his colleagues in the official office of the Secretary of General Administration.

Cui Jinping gritted his teeth and told himself that "Heaven will send a great responsibility to the people".But this "general" has been "general" for too long, from the end of last year to the beginning of spring this year, and from the beginning of spring to the beginning of summer.

Seeing that autumn is coming again, the "big responsibility" has not yet been lowered, and his salary is about to be reduced to the end due to various punishments.

He couldn't help but began to ask Su Yan in a private message: Brother, is your vision good?Don't cheat on me, brother!

Su Yan's reply was a big deal in twos and twos: Dear, you have to believe that evil can overcome good, and light will definitely overcome darkness.

Cui Jinping: Brother!I don’t know if the Illuminati will defeat the darkness, I only know that I’m about to be hacked to death!They even pulled out the test papers I had taken back then, and looked at them with a magnifying glass to find faults, trying to label me as a fraud and ruin my reputation.

Su Yan: Hani!Believe in your own talent, just pick up the test papers, you are a real gold who is not afraid of fire, unlike me.You see, I'm not even worried that my ridiculously generous paper will be picked up.

Cui Jinping: Brother Yu begging, you and the prince should go back to court sooner, and if you don't come back again... Brother Yu is afraid that he will turn his back on him too.

In the mausoleum at the foot of Zhongshan Mountain, Su Yan shook the letter written by Cui Jinping, and sighed in amused and helpless way.

Zhu Helin pulled it over, scanned it all at a glance, and scoffed, "Opportunists."

"Don't learn some new words from me, just use them everywhere." Su Yan said.

Zhu Helin asked back: "Isn't it? I don't think this Cui Jinping may be supporting the young master from the bottom of his heart, but it's just a good bird choosing a tree."

Su Yan smiled: "My little grandfather, in this world, the only ones who can truly support and spare no effort to care for anyone in this world are parents, relatives or lovers. Between other people, whether they are colleagues or friends, Including monarchs and ministers who know each other no matter how well they know each other, they may not be able to show their hearts and souls, which will be mixed with many interests and considerations. This is human nature, so there is no need to be too harsh, it is good enough to have the same stand and mutual benefit."

Zhu Helin rolled his eyes, and stared at him with a sly smile: "What about you? What is the reason for your heart and soul to my young master? Relatives, or lovers?"

Su Yan choked, and took a few moments to regain face: "I consider you the son of my lover, why don't you call me uncle?"

Immediately, Zhu Helin's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and he angrily pressed Su Yan on the mat and rubbed it, and even asked Lihua to come over and tortured Su Yan together.

"Sooner or later, one day... one day..." the prince gritted his teeth, panting, "you can only say what the young master likes to hear with your mouth!"

Su Yanai begged for mercy: "Master, don't press my stomach, I'm going to vomit... Lihua! Don't step on the milk!"

Two people and one cat quarreled until exhausted.Zhu Helin seemed to be discouraged, and collapsed on Su Yan, with a low and dull voice: "Even Cui Jinping, who is in the court, has begun to think of defecting, which shows how unfavorable the situation in the capital is for the young master. I Why don't you want to return to court! But father... how long is father going to leave me in the cold? Did he really move Yi Chu's mind?"

Su Yan always felt that the emperor would not be there, but he couldn't come up with specific evidence to prove where the "not to be".

He thought of the kit again, hesitating whether to tell the prince about it, or whether to open it now.

— For some reason, perhaps out of intuition, he still felt that the time had not come.

Zhu Helin wiped his face, turned over, sat next to Su Yan, and forced a smile: "Young master knows, and he said frustrating words again. Not only will it not help, but it will only increase troubles."

Su Yan was distressed that he had endured the psychological pressure that he should not have at this age. He moved his head over and rested it on the prince's calf. Meat Claw: "Would you like to wait? I came to Nanjing last winter solstice. Wait for the one-year anniversary. I will play 'Take it apart' with you."

They couldn't wait until the winter solstice.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival is the Empress Dowager's birthday, all officials celebrate her birthday with great grandeur.

After the Empress Dowager's birthday, the dispute over the easy storage that had been brewing and fermenting in the court for nearly a year finally condensed into a huge storm that swept across the Fengtianmen's early court.