These few simple words sounded like thunder in Zhang Xi's ears.
He never expected that the solution Zhu Yi finally gave would be so completely opposite to his idea.
Here he was still thinking about how to rescue Ren Li, but as soon as Zhu Yi opened his mouth, he immediately sentenced Ren Li to death.
Frowning, Zhang Min looked at Zhu Yi but said nothing.
However, to convince him, there must be an explanation.
Zhu Yi naturally understood this, so after a short pause, he continued.
"Second Master, with all due respect, if everything you just said is true, then both you and Prince Consort Jiao were actually misled by Marquis Ren."
As he spoke, Zhu Yi looked in the direction of the prison from afar, with an elusive look flashing in his eyes, and said.
"Indeed, from the assassination of the minister, we will trace the military garrison in Gansu, follow the clues and lead to the Seven Guards of Kansai, and further investigation will lead to Nangong."
"This is something that none of us want to see. Therefore, in order to prevent the court from finding out about Nangong, we must start handling the situation as soon as possible for Marquis Ren and organize a rescue."
"This sounds very logical, right?"
Zhang Min could tell that Zhu Yi's words were a bit of a joke, but that's what he really thought.
So, after a moment's hesitation, he nodded and said.
"That's true. Is there anything wrong?"
"Of course not!"
Zhu Yi shook her head, turned around and looked at Zhang Shi, a cold look appeared on her face and said.
"Second Master, what we have to do now is to maintain the authority of Nangong, clean up the mess for Marquis Ren, and prevent the court from investigating further. This is just a way."
"But, for the imperial court, it's exactly the opposite!"
Having said this, Zhang Xi finally started to feel a little better.
As Zhu Yi said, the civil and military officials in the imperial court, or to be more precise, the emperor and those civil servants who intended to promote the reorganization of the army and villages, their purpose was to punish people with rituals and punishments, paving the way for the next reform.
As for the crimes of assassinating ministers, invading military camps, and intercepting and killing envoys, these were just ways to send Renli to the guillotine. And the emperor at a deeper level was just a helper to find out the truth about the Seven Guards of Kansai. That's it, it's not their original intention.
But they are different. What they and others want is to cover up the matter of the Supreme Emperor. As for whether Ren Li dies or not, no one really cares.
So in fact, if done properly, both of them may not be able to reach an agreement on this matter.
but……
"I understand what the young master said. Indeed, if the civil servants in the court knew the truth about this matter, they would not want to expose the truth."
"But don't forget, the person who calls the shots now is still the one in Qianqing Palace."
"Furthermore, if nothing unexpected happens, only the Qianqing Palace official has read Yang Neng's confession so far. I'm afraid those ministers only know that they have to investigate further. However, they will find out exactly what they have found out. You may not really know it in your heart.”
"If we really wait until we find out, I'm afraid it will be too late."
Perhaps from the courtiers' point of view, whether the emperor's authority is damaged or the emperor's reputation is not good, it will damage the authority of the court, so it is not what they want.
However, from the emperor's point of view, finding out all the scandals of the Supreme Emperor one by one would be of great benefit to stabilizing his position.
And, more importantly, this was not something the Emperor 'deliberately' investigated, but was discovered 'unintentionally' during the process of investigating Ren Li's crimes.
In this way, the emperor stayed out of the matter from beginning to end. How could the emperor not do this kind of good deed that only takes benefits without paying the price?
Not to mention the current group of civil servants, they probably don't know what the emperor wants them to investigate. Even if they know, they may not be able to stop it.
After hearing this, Zhu Yi raised his eyebrows.
It seems that Mr. Zhang is not useless after all!
However, it is a pity that from the very beginning, the initiative of this conversation has been firmly in Zhu Yi's hands.
With a sigh, Zhu Yi seemed to be hesitant. After a moment, he looked around twice and said.
"Second Master, as I said just now, our two families are now close friends and we should trust and rely on each other. Therefore, I will not hide some things from you."
"Before I came here today, I just visited my father-in-law to discuss the prince's resignation. By the way, I also made some insinuations about Ren Hou. As a result, I learned a piece of news..."
Zhu Yi's father-in-law naturally refers to Hu Hui, the Minister of Rites.
As one of the Seven Ministers of Civil Affairs, this old man is first-rate in terms of information channels and judgment of the situation in the court.
Therefore, as soon as these words came out, Zhang Min immediately cheered up, leaned forward, and asked.
"what news?"
"It is said that in the past two days, Jin Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment has been preparing to go to Gansu to investigate the case personally. If he goes out this time, the Emperor will appoint him as the Governor-General and Minister of Military Affairs for the Three Borders."
Zhu Yi took a sip of tea and said in a rather meaningful tone.
"At the same time, he will also bring an imperial edict. The content is very simple, calling the leader of the Chijin Mongolian Guard to come to Beijing for pilgrimage!"
Of course, this was not news from Hu Hui. After all, Hu Hui was not in the palace during the discussion.
However, this did not prevent him from pulling the skin of his father-in-law. Anyway, it was impossible for Zhang Shi to seek confirmation from his father-in-law.
Sure enough, after listening to this, Zhang Min had no doubts about this. Instead, his eyelids twitched and he said.
"So, the Emperor has indeed found out who the Seven Guards of Kansai are?"
Zhu Yi nodded, but there was no panic look on his face. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and said to Zhang Xi.
"Second Master, don't worry, this may actually be a good thing."
Looking at Zhang Min's confused look, Zhu Yi continued to explain.
"The emperor asked Jin Shangshu to supervise the military affairs of the three sides, which shows that he is very likely to have discovered the truth about the Kansai Seven Guards incident. After all, even if there are no traces of what happened in the local area and the Ministry of War, there must be some left in the palace. Archives and Living Notes.”
"That's why the emperor handed over the military affairs in the Gan-Ning area to Jin Shangshu at his discretion to prevent unexpected events. However, the good news is that the emperor summoned the Seven Guards of Kansai to Beijing, which shows that he actually had concerns in his heart and was worried about this. This matter has become a big deal and has aroused the dissatisfaction of the Seven Guards of Kansai, fearing that they would be angry and betray the Ming Dynasty."
"This is our chance!"
At this time, Zhang Xi finally understood. In other words, if this matter was exposed, it would not only damage the reputation of the Supreme Emperor, but more importantly, it would also make the Seven Guards of Kansai dissatisfied.
Therefore, the emperor may not really have made up his mind as to whether to open it or not.
"Therefore, at this time, what we need to do is not actually to rescue Ren Hou, or even to deal with the aftermath for him, but... to let him die as soon as possible!"
Zhu Yi's eyes flashed with ruthlessness and she spoke.
"As I said before, what the courtiers want is to overthrow Ren Li and build momentum for the rectification of the army. As for the Qianqing Palace, even if they want to thoroughly investigate the case, they have to wait until the Seven Guards of Kansai arrive in Beijing."
"This period of time is our opportunity. As long as we are fast enough, it will be meaningless to let Li die and pursue the crimes he committed."
"If the emperor acts with force, then when the truth comes out, the reputation of the emperor will be damaged, but the government and the public will naturally see that the emperor is deliberately targeting the emperor."
"In addition, if this matter gets serious, the attitude of the Seven Guards of Kansai will be worrying. Therefore, there is a high probability that the emperor will not pursue this matter too much."
"However, if we insist on retaining the title, then whether it is the emperor, the civil servants, or even the Seven Guards of Kansai, I am afraid that the reaction will be very violent, and the matter will become more and more serious. For us, It’s going to be even more disadvantageous.”
At this point, everything is understood.
Zhang Min thought about these words twice in his mind, and finally figured out a line.
I have to say that although Zhu Yi's method is a bit cruel, it is indeed the truth, but...
"Having said that, these are all speculations after all. If the emperor really insists on this matter, then it's impossible for us to really go to prison and force Ren Li to die, right?"
Unknowingly, Zhang Mian actually agreed with Zhu Yi's view and began to shift from rescuing Ren Li to putting Ren Li to death.
It's just that what makes him still hesitant is how to operate this matter.
"What's more, after all, Ren Li is also a dignified prince. It would be a troublesome matter if he died in prison without any explanation."
Seeing Zhang Min's frown, Zhu Yi thought for a while, but looked a little strange and said.
"Second Master, let's talk about it, if Ren Li died inexplicably in prison, would the government and the public doubt that the emperor was responsible for this matter? In this case..."
"no!"
Before he finished speaking, Zhang Mi interrupted him.
It should be said that he had thought about it just now, and even if Zhu Yi hadn't spoken, he might have said it himself.
However, when Zhu Yi said it in advance, Zhang Min subconsciously rejected it.
Perhaps he felt that this method was too risky, so he frowned and thought for a moment, and finally found a reason for himself.
"Young Master, the prison is very strict. Not to mention whether this matter can be done, even if it can be done, we can't do it."
As these two sentences came out, Mr. Zhang's thoughts became smoother and smoother. He looked at Zhu Yi and said sincerely.
"Don't forget, the reason why we want Ren Li to be settled early is to put his case to rest as soon as possible. However, I still say the same thing. If such a prince dies like this, the court will definitely pursue him. After all, especially when the court is discussing whether it was the emperor who did it, the emperor will definitely order a thorough investigation."
"In this case, we are back to the old path. As long as the court investigates Ren Li, the incident back then cannot be covered up. Therefore, if Ren Li wants to die, he can only die in a legitimate way."
It was a bit awkward when he said this, but after he said it, the more Mr. Zhang thought about it, the more it made sense.
Even in this conversation, although he was not passive at all just now, he had been led by Zhu Yi. Now he finally regained some initiative, and his tone could not help but become firmer as he continued.
"Yes, that's right. Although the situation is urgent now, we can't mess around. In Ren Li's case, either he must plead guilty and the court sentences him to death, or it must be proved that Ren Li's death was due to his fear of crime. Suicide' has nothing to do with anyone else."
"Otherwise, we will have been busy for a long time, and in the end, we will still be in trouble all over the city, and the gain will not be worth the loss."
Seeing Zhang Shi's sudden enlightenment, Zhu Yi's eyes flashed, but a bitter look appeared on his face and he frowned.
"If you say that, I'm afraid it will be difficult to handle."
"Whether he pleads guilty or commits suicide out of fear of guilt, he has to meet Ren Li first. But the prison is heavily guarded, so how can he sneak in?"
The dishes that the Duke of Chengguo has been running for many years have been on the side of civil servants, so naturally they are not as familiar with the imperial guards as the British Duke.
After hearing Zhu Yi's words, Zhang Min hesitated for a moment, and finally said.
"Young Master, this matter is not difficult. In fact, when Ren Li sent the message this time, he also borrowed the help of an old man who stayed in Jinyiwei during his early years."
"Although this person is just looking for help from his early friendship and is not really from the British government, but if he is really helpless and arranges for someone to risk going to the imperial prison to meet Ren Li, it is not impossible."
"It's just that even if we meet, it will be very difficult for Ren Li to cooperate with us. After all, we want him to..."
Zhang Min's brows were furrowed tightly, and his face looked distressed.
At this time, Zhu Yi said.
"Second Master, don't be anxious. My nephew has an idea. We might as well do this..."
As he spoke, Zhu Yi lowered his voice and spoke in Zhang Xi's ear, which immediately made the latter's face look a little uncertain. After a moment, Zhang Xi asked hesitantly.
"Is this...is this okay?"
Zhu Yi sat back on the chair and said calmly.
"Second Master, don't worry. Ren Li is in prison now and is almost blind and deaf. Especially after his letter came out, at least in his opinion, even for Nangong's sake, we pinched our noses, I will do my best to save him."
"So, as long as he can cooperate properly, he will not be suspicious, and when... everything will be out of his hands!"
As he spoke, Zhu Yi leaned over and said.
"Actually, having said that, the key to this method is whether I can see Ren Li. Don't worry, Second Master, as long as I can see him, I am sure that I can convince him."
Seeing this situation, even though Zhang Xi hesitated, he could only nod his head and said.
"In that case, I will think of a way to get this matter sooner rather than later. The young master will go back today. I will start making arrangements immediately. When the arrangements are made, I will find someone to inform the young master."
"However, do we need to discuss this matter with Prince Consort Jiao and others?"
In the end, Zhang Xi was still a little hesitant.
But this time, Zhu Yi shook his head and said.
"The fewer people who know about this matter, the better. Besides, has the Second Master forgotten the friendship between Prince Consort Jiao and Marquis Ren?"
"If my nephew remembers correctly, when the third master was still here, Prince Consort Jiao was helping Ren Li inside and out. In fact, the reason why the British Duke was alienated by the Holy Mother was inseparable from the contribution of these two people."
"If the second master discusses this matter with Consort Jiao, there will inevitably be complications. Don't worry, second master, I will find a way to report this matter to the emperor. With his support, the second master doesn't have to worry."
Many things will actually be revealed slowly as time goes by.
In the beginning, it was Jiao Jing who attracted Ren Li, and even the person who introduced Zhu Yi to Empress Dowager Sun was also Jiao Jing.
This led to Zhu Yi actually revealing a lot of things from the mouth of the Queen Mother Sun. Of course, this was also because under the circumstances at that time, the Queen Mother Sun hoped that Zhu Yi, Ren Li, Jiao Jing and others would form a rope to restrict British government.
But now, these things have become Zhu Yi's available means.
Sure enough, even though there were reasons for the British government to drift away from the Empress Dowager Sun, but from the perspective of Mr. Zhang, when Zhu Yi mentioned this matter, he couldn't help but feel a burst of anger in his heart, and he immediately became angry. Dispelling the idea of the reason, he said.
"That's right, that old guy Jiao Jing was the one who helped Ren Li up. It's useless to tell him these truths!"
"In this case, young master, let's go ahead and do it. If you need my help, I will do my best!"
