Night, in Qianqing Palace.
Zhu Qiyu held the scroll in his hand, but his mind was obviously not on it.
Shu Liang was serving carefully below, and was explaining in detail what happened in the British government today.
"...Your Majesty, that's about it. Xu Xueshi also sent a message, saying that on the way back, he tested Mr. Zhuge's intention. Although I don't know what the reason is, Mr. Zhuge His views on Cheng Guogong seem to have changed a lot."
I have to say that Xu Youzhen is indeed an activist.
Although Shu Liang repeatedly told him that he didn't have to do anything more, he still diligently delivered the news in a timely manner.
However, Zhu Qiyu was not surprised by this news. He gently put down the book in his hand, squinted his eyes and said.
"It seems that Zhu Yi has worked hard this time, but he is also very brave and dares to write a playbook for me..."
These words were spoken so calmly that Shu Liang was a little unsure whether he was happy or angry.
Shu Liang said carefully with a smile on his face.
"Your Majesty is aware of this, and my servants are looking at it. The Duke is also kind-hearted. After all, it's not a big deal that the court is always noisy."
"If we can make the people in the British government live in peace, the emperor can live a more comfortable life."
Hearing this, Zhu Qiyu glanced at Shu Liang, shook his head and said.
"Zhu Yi is a smart man. He knows what he should do. There is nothing wrong with his direction, but he is still a little impatient."
"Forget it, since the script of the play has been written, it doesn't matter if I sing for him in a big play this time!"
The night is long, the sky is filled with yellow sand, and the October border is already as cold as water.
In Xuanfu City, the deputy general's palace was still brightly lit.
"Yang Hou, it's been a hard journey!"
Jin Lian, dressed in a scarlet robe, stood in the courtyard, beside Yang Xin who could no longer contain his excitement.
In front of them was Changping Marquis Yang Hong, who was dusty and dressed in armor.
"It's so late, I'll be waiting for you for a long time."
Yang Hong seemed a little tired after running for a long time, but when facing Jin Lian, he still straightened his back and gave a military salute and said.
"Your Majesty has something to say, and he asked me to bring it to Jin Shangshu personally, so I came here first. The 20,000 troops allocated by the imperial court will arrive at Xuanfu within seven days after preparation."
Hearing this, Jin Lian's face became serious. He didn't say much at the moment, stretched out his hand and said.
"In that case, let's go inside and talk?"
The two of them each bowed and then entered the mansion at the same time.
In the flower hall, refreshments have already been prepared.
Yang Hong took off his helmet and sword and asked after everyone sat down.
"Your Majesty's will, I think, has already been in the hands of Jin Shangshu, right?"
"Arrived yesterday."
Jin Lian nodded, looking at Yang Hongdao with a complicated expression on his face.
"Yang Hou, this young master in your house really impressed me this time!"
Things have reached this point, and many secrets are actually no secrets anymore.
Especially when several tribes came together to Xuanfu City to demand an explanation, Yang Jie could no longer hide what he had done.
Jin Lian said with a sigh.
"At the beginning, before the young master entered the grassland, he only said that he was following His Majesty's order to instigate the relationship between Tuotuobuhua and Aga Dorji and cause them to have civil strife. To prevent unexpected events, I needed to be in charge of the Xuan Mansion. But who would have thought that, The young master’s departure will be earth-shattering!”
"However, now that Marquis Yang has arrived, your Majesty must have made a decision, right?"
Everyone is smart, so there is no need to be secretive. Whether it is Yang Hong or Jin Lian, they basically go straight to the point.
Nodding, Yang Hong took out an imperial edict from the small box carried by the attendant and handed it to Jin Lian.
This imperial edict was naturally the one that promoted Yang Jie.
The imperial edict was not given to Jin Lian, so naturally it was not declared as an edict, and there was not so much red tape.
Jin Lian took the imperial edict and unfolded it. Although he had expected it, he was still quite surprised.
"Comrade, Commander of the Imperial Guard? Captain of the Light Vehicle?"
When he saw these official positions, he was shocked at first, then closed his eyes slightly, nodded slightly, and said.
"Understood."
So Yang Hong opened his mouth and said.
"According to your Majesty's wishes, this time the negotiations with the grassland ministries will be led by Jin Shangshu. Your Majesty sent me here just to frighten the ministries. Please rest assured Jin Shangshu."
This is why Yang Hong rushed to Xuan Mansion in such a hurry.
Although the emperor allowed him to lead troops out of the capital this time, he also clearly told him not to start a war, and specifically asked him to discuss with Jin Lian in case of any problems.
The implication is that among the two of them, Jin Lian is actually the dominant one.
It would be fine if it were normal times, but this time, Yang Jie was involved, so Yang Hong had to be cautious.
He made a long journey to Xuanfu just to reach an agreement with Jin Lian as soon as possible.
Therefore, he made his attitude clear as soon as he came up and gave Jin Lian a reassurance first.
Sure enough, after hearing this, the doubts in Jin Lian's eyes dissipated a lot, he said.
"That's good. Although I'm not in court during this period, I want to come to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Household Affairs. Now, they can't support a big war."
As he spoke, Jin Lian glanced at Yang Xin next to him and said.
"Furthermore, Deputy General Yang should be aware that in recent times, many generals in the border army have stubbornly resisted the imperial government and have been captured and imprisoned by me."
】
"Now the Ministry of War and the Military Government have not yet had time to arrange for new generals to accept them. The morale of the military is unstable across the border. If a war is really going to start, I am afraid that the hard work of organizing the military camps for more than a year will be wasted..."
These words were very sincere, with a hint of worry.
However, after the words fell, Yang Hong frowned and said.
"Jin Shangshu, although His Majesty does not want to start a war according to His Majesty's wishes, it is still necessary to make early preparations. The border army generals also have their own difficulties. If there are those who have committed minor crimes, can you please inform Your Majesty and order them to pay for their crimes and perform meritorious service?"
The flower hall became quiet. Jin Lian looked up at Yang Hong. After a moment, he did not answer his question, but said.
"Marquis Yang just said that Your Majesty has something to say to me. I wonder what it was?"
Yang Hong knew that Jin Lian was changing the subject, but after pondering for a moment, he did not continue to pester, but said.
"Two things. First, regarding the principles of this negotiation, His Majesty said..."
Afterwards, Yang Hong conveyed to Jin Lian exactly what the emperor said.
It should be said that one thing that civil servants are better than military ministers is that ministers who can reach the level of six ministries and seven ministers are all versatile.
Although Jin Lian is good at criminal justice, he is no stranger to military affairs and politics.
After listening to the words relayed by Yang Hong, he quickly understood the emperor's spirit. In fact, to put it bluntly, there were only two points.
First, pretend to be a fool!
No matter what the other party says, insisting that the Ming Dynasty has nothing to do with Tuotuobuhua. The relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the tribes is a tributary relationship. They insist that Yang Jie did not kill anyone. The Tatar civil strife is their own fault. Daming has nothing to do with it.
Second, tough, extremely tough attitude!
It must be shown that Ming is not only not afraid of war, but also waits for these people to provoke, so that he can take the opportunity to teach them a lesson.
Only in this way can they retreat from the difficulties.
However, after digesting these words, Jin Lian frowned, but he couldn't help but feel doubts in his heart, and asked.
"Yang Hou, this time the ministries came to ask for an explanation, what's the secret behind it?"
"Sure enough, I can't hide it from Jin Shangshu!"
Yang Hong smiled bitterly and said.
"This is the second point I want to make. Regarding this negotiation, Minister Jin must be prepared. I am afraid that the difficulties encountered will be much greater than previously imagined."
So, Jin Lian asked: "Why?"
"First, regarding the gathering of these tribes at the Xuan Mansion at the same time, His Majesty suspects that they are also secretly stirring things up behind the scenes."
Yang Hong pondered, and for some reason, he hesitated in a rare way.
"The second is that these tribes may open their mouths to the Ming Lion this time, so Jin Shangshu needs to be prepared in advance."
What he said was unclear, and Jin Lian couldn't help but frown.
He could understand the former. In fact, during this period, he was not idle while waiting for news from the court.
As the governor of both sides authorized by the emperor, Jin Lian had the authority to read military reports from all sides. In addition, Yang Xin had been sending people to the grassland during this period in order to find out information about Yang Jie.
Therefore, he was indeed aware of the reasons for the arrival of various ministries.
but……
"The lion opens its mouth?"
Jin Lian looked up at Yang Hong and asked.
"Yang Hou, what exactly does this mean?"
Yang Hong's expression changed for a while, and he was reluctant to speak. Jin Lian just looked at him, and he had a vague guess in his heart.
In the end, after a fierce inner struggle, Yang Hong finally said:
"The specific information is still unclear, but if nothing else happens, Jie'er may have... given some promises in the process of persuading these tribes."
The words are still not clear, but they are enough for people to understand.
If it were just promises all over the sky, Yang Hong would definitely not be so evasive. With his performance like this, there is a high probability that the other party should not only have empty promises, but something real.
If nothing else, it is very likely... a false edict!
After Jin Lian finished listening, he also fell silent. After a while, he spoke.
"Yang Hou, this young master of yours has really created a big problem for the court this time!"
He finally understood why Yang Hong rushed over in such a hurry.
The imperial edict was issued, and Jin Lian was ordered to preside over negotiations with various Tatar ministries.
The news Yang Hong just said is too sensitive and must not be kept on paper. It can only be passed down by word of mouth.
Therefore, once he arrives late, Jin Lian will definitely be caught off guard.
Moreover, this is not the most serious.
The most serious thing is that once Jin Lian truthfully reports this matter to the court, even if the emperor wants to protect Yang Jie, it will be difficult.
"Jin Shangshu..."
Yang Hong looked at Jin Lian's deeply furrowed brows and felt a rare uneasiness in his heart, even though he had already made so many efforts.
However, when he really faced Jin Lian, he was still not sure.
After all, this is a minister of the Qing Dynasty. No matter in terms of status or power, he will not be weaker than him in the Changping Marquis Mansion.
Now, all he can rely on is the will he asked the emperor for before leaving the capital.
As expected, after looking at the imperial edict promoting Yang Jie in his hand, Jin Lian was silent for a moment and said.
"Forgive me, Marquis Yang. This matter is of great importance. I must report every detail of this negotiation truthfully."
"but……"
Seeing Yang Hong almost standing up, Jin Lian raised his hand to comfort him and said.
"For the time being, it can be in the form of a secret report. As for how to deal with it later, it still needs His Majesty's decree."
After the words fell, Yang Hong breathed a sigh of relief, stood up and bowed, saying.
"Thank you Jin Shangshu."
Jin Lian smiled bitterly and said.
"No need to thank you, but since the matter has reached this point, I'm afraid that pressure alone is not enough."
"Negotiations will start in two days, I'm afraid it will be difficult..."
In the final analysis, although negotiations are more than fists, they must also be reasonable.
Originally, although what the emperor said was somewhat unreasonable, there was nothing wrong with it.
However, if Yang Jie is now in control, then the truth is not so easy to explain...
Especially this time, there may be Ye Xian behind several tribes. Even if they don't know how to use these things, Ye Xian can be cunning and cunning. He will definitely not let go of this opportunity.
Therefore, it is not an easy task to deal with this matter properly.
Seeing this situation, Yang Hong hesitated for a moment and said.
"Actually, I have an idea. I wonder if Jin Shangshu would like to hear it?"
Jin Lian asked: "What can we do?"
So, Yang Hong lowered his voice and said a few words to Jin Lian.
"...If everything goes well, this matter should be able to be properly resolved. However, I'm afraid I will have to work hard for Minister Jin and bear some criticism."
After listening to Yang Hong's method, Jin Lian couldn't help but rub his forehead and went through it carefully in his mind. He sighed and said.
"I'm not afraid of any criticism, but... is Marquis Yang really sure?"
Yang Hong said: "Whether you are sure or not, you must give it a try!"
Seeing this situation, Jin Lian hesitated for a moment, but in the end he couldn't make up his mind immediately and thought about it.
"It's better not to rush. Let's see what cards these people have in their hands in the past two days. In addition, I will also report the situation of the Xuan Mansion to Your Majesty. I will make a final decision after His Majesty's decree is issued."
"That's good, thank you for your hard work, Minister Jin!"
After all, it was already getting late. After explaining the general situation, Jin Lian said goodbye and left.
After sending Jin Lian away, Yang Hong returned to the flower hall, his old eyes looking across the vast night, not knowing where he was looking.
At this time, Yang Xin, who had not interrupted, finally spoke.
"Uncle, do you really want to do this? If it doesn't work, then Xiaojie..."
Before he finished speaking, Yang Hong raised his hand to stop him.
"You saw what happened just now. Jie'er took risks this time because he was too aggressive. So, alas..."
Withdrawing his gaze, Yang Hong leaned lightly on the backrest, seeming to be extremely tired. He raised his hand and asked Yang Xin to come closer and said.
"You have to do one more thing, go to Longmen Guards..."
After listening to his uncle's words, Yang Xin's eyes suddenly widened and he said.
"Uncle, if this happens..."
"Just go and do it!"
Yang Hong closed his eyes slightly and said.
"This matter is indeed likely to lead to impeachment, but... in short, you go and deal with it first. If anything happens, my uncle will take care of it."
"yes……"
