The rain outside has stopped, but the dark clouds are still thick, and the water line under the eaves has turned into droplets of raindrops, which continue to drip on the bluestone, making a crisp sound.
There was silence in the flower hall, and after a moment, Chen Mao spoke.
"This is also a helpless move. It is better to sacrifice Xu Bin alone than to let the entire mission die together."
But Jiao Jing couldn't help but frown.
"Having said that, since the opening of the seal, in just a few months, we have lost Xue Xuan, Yang Shan, Luo Tong and other ministers one after another, and a large number of officials from the Jingchao Department have been transferred from outside. If Xu Bin can no longer retain his , then among the civil servants, there is only one Xiao Weizhen left."
This is all said euphemistically.
The truth is, even Xiao Weizhen may not be able to keep it.
Even if Zhang Fu's plan succeeds, all the blame will be placed on Xu Bin, and he and Xiao Weizhen will be said to be unaware of the inside story.
But after all, both of them are deputy envoys of the mission, and they must bear joint and several responsibilities. If they try hard, the best result is to be demoted and demoted.
Zhang Fu was not afraid. He had the British government at his back, and no one dared to look down upon him even if he did not have the title of Governor and Tongzhi.
Even if he is demoted to a certain place, he can be quickly promoted back by taking some credit for killing a few bandits based on his connections with the British government.
But Xiao Weizhen is different. He is a civil servant.
If he was thrown into a corner and became a seventh-grade county magistrate, then as far as the British government was concerned, this person would be considered useless.
After all, it is much more difficult for civil servants to be promoted than military ministers, and they can easily spend ten or more years in one place.
Not to mention, the person who now holds the power of selection in the Ministry of Civil Affairs is the emperor's confidant Wang Wen. With him, even if Xiao Weizhen is lucky enough to survive, he will never get ahead.
Zhang Mi might not care about these things, but Jiao Jing had to care about them.
After all, he was relying on the Queen Mother Sun.
For Empress Dowager Sun, no matter whether they are civil servants or nobles, no one is more important than the other, and they are all equally powerful forces that can play a great role in the court.
Even in times of peace, the role of civil servants in influencing government affairs and public opinion is greater than that of noble officials.
Zhang Xi's face suddenly darkened and he said coldly.
"Jiao Prince Consort, my third brother has been loyal to the Supreme Emperor. Since the Civil War, he has been thinking of ways to welcome the Supreme Emperor back. Even if he is imprisoned, the first thing he considers is the reputation of the Supreme Emperor. It is helpless to blame everything on Xu Bin. , it’s chilling for you to speak like this.”
Jiao Jing sat aside and said nothing, but he obviously had no intention of apologizing. The atmosphere in the flower hall was a bit tense.
At this time, Ren Li on the side saw that the situation was not good and quickly came out to smooth things over, saying.
"Second Master, please don't be angry. Prince Consort Jiao was just considering the overall situation. He made a slip of the tongue and had no intention of blaming Third Master. After all, if Xu Bin and the others are unable to protect themselves, then basically none of the officials above the third rank in the court will be on our side. That’s it.”
"It is not easy to win over ministers of this level. We have been planning for a long time for the return of the Supreme Emperor. I am afraid that I will not be able to do it in the court just relying on our nobles. Come to think of it, the third master has a lot of foresight. , you will definitely understand this truth.”
"So if you can do your best, it's better to find a way to protect yourself. If you have no choice, it's not too late to give up. Of course, the safety of the third master is the most important. After all, our ability to gather together depends entirely on the efforts of the third master. .”
These words sounded quite pleasant to the ears. Zhang Xi glanced at Ren Li and obviously felt that he had delayed much.
With these words, Zhang Xi finally managed to suppress the irritability in his heart.
After snorting softly and remembering Zhang Fu's instructions to him in prison, Zhang Fu finally calmed down and spoke.
"My third brother also told me that we need to take a long-term approach to welcoming back the Supreme Emperor. As for how to win over civil servants in the future, he also gave me a way."
Jiao Jing's expression also softened, and he remembered what Zhang Shi said when he first came over, and said thoughtfully: "Chengguo Duke's Mansion?"
Zhang Xi nodded, but his attitude was lukewarm.
"When I went to see my third brother this time, in addition to asking him about the arrest of the envoy, I also told him in detail many things that happened in the capital."
"The third brother said that it is not easy to win over higher-ranking ministers in the court directly, but we can start from the intricate relationships among civil servants."
"Zhu Yong used to pay homage to civil servants. Many ministers in the court had good relations with the Duke of Chengguo. There were also many people in the Hanlin Academy who had received favors from Zhu Yong. The father-in-law of Zhu Yi's boy was also the Minister of Rites. "
"Now that the Chengguo Palace is in a state of decline and is even more neglected by the emperor, it is a good time to win over Zhu Yi. If he can join, not only can he win over a group of nobles, but more importantly, through the Chengguo Palace Previous personal connections can also be used to accumulate strength among civil servants again.”
He said this in a calm tone, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.
However, Jiao Jing didn't care about Zhang Xi's dissatisfied look, but frowned.
"But, we have been to Duke Cheng's Mansion before, and Zhu Yi's attitude..."
Jiao Jing glanced at Ren Li and Chen Mao on the side and said.
"Brother Shunqing and Marquis Ren were both there at the time. After successive blows, Zhu Yi was obviously disheartened. He refused directly without even listening to our conditions."
Zhang Min sneered and said: "The Duke of Chengguo has a new funeral. Zhu Yi can't protect himself. He offended the emperor again about the draft. At this time, when you come to the door, you ask him to stand up for the British Duke who has never dealt with him. , it would be strange if he didn’t refuse.”
Jiao Jing's face turned dark and he almost blurted out, "Why didn't you stop me then?" But when the words came to his lips, he still didn't say them out.
What Zhang Fu just said was obviously not what Zhang Fu could have come up with. It was most likely Zhang Fu who said it to him in prison.
Suppressing the unhappiness in his heart, Jiao Jing asked: "Then what should we do according to the third master's wishes?"
There was Zhang Shi sitting in front of him, but Jiao Jing was talking about "Third Master", and the meaning was self-evident.
Zhang Xi's face turned dark, but he didn't have an attack, but when it came to his words, it turned into something.
"Tomorrow, please ask your consort to go to Chengguo Duke's Mansion with me. Everything will be clear by then."
Seeing that Zhang Xi was deliberately trying to pass things off, Jiao Jing's expression froze and he said, "Okay, in that case, I'll wait and see."
As a result, the atmosphere became cold.
Seeing this situation, Chen Mao and Ren Li looked at each other in confusion. After a moment, Ren Li forced out a smile and spoke.
"Since the third master has made arrangements, it is naturally the best. But second master, apart from these, has the third master ever asked us how to cooperate with him outside?"
When this matter was mentioned, Zhang Xi finally softened his expression, thought about it, and lowered his voice.
"After we go to the Duke Cheng's Mansion tomorrow, we will..."
After listening to Zhang Min's words, Jiao Jing also put away his anger and looked a little surprised. After a while, Chen Mao asked.
"Second Master, is this okay?"
Zhang Min asked with a stern face: "Why, are you still afraid that such a trivial matter can cause you to lose your title?"
Chen Mao was also choked. Looking at Zhang Min's obviously irritable eyes, he wisely did not say any more and nodded lightly.
At this time, Ren Li cupped his fists and said, "Don't worry, Second Master, I will definitely cooperate when the time comes."
So, after everyone agreed, they dispersed.
However, when Ren Li and Jiao Jing both left, Chen Mao was left behind by Zhang Shi...
