On the way back, Zhu Yi and Zhang Xi sat opposite each other, and the large carriage did not seem crowded at all.
After a while, Zhang Mian said.
"The Duke was still a little anxious just now. The Supreme Emperor may be unhappy this time!"
These words were spoken very calmly, not as a question, nor with any uneasiness or fear, but with a certain calmness.
However, Zhu Yi's reaction was similar. Although he was on a carriage, he was not afraid of the tea splashing at all. He stretched out his hand to pour a cup of tea for himself and Zhang Min, served it in front of the other, and said.
"But the old man still recognized him, right?"
Zhang Min's expression was a little complicated. After pausing for a moment, he reached out to take the teacup in front of him, took a sip, placed the teacup in front of him, and said.
"Why bother?"
As he spoke, Zhang Xi's expression became a little wistful, and his tone became a little more serious as he said.
"Mr. Guo, we are members of our own family, so I will say it directly if I have something to say."
"The Emperor is right. You are still young and have not experienced some things after all. After all, the Emperor is the Emperor. The distinction between monarch and ministers must be carefully observed. At the beginning... Well, in short, it is better for the Duke to be more cautious."
Zhu Yi picked up the tea cup in front of her, but instead of sipping it slowly, she drank it all in one gulp and then said.
"Sooner or later, Shibo will be a little too cautious. What's more, now that you and I have made a plan, no matter what we say, we have to say it out loud. It's not beautiful to be secretive. What's more, such a thing, What happens after that is inevitable, so instead of mumbling words a second time, why not be aware of it in advance?”
After hearing these words, Zhang Shi knew that his words were in vain.
This time they came to Nangong with one purpose, which was to obtain the Supreme Emperor's consent for the plan they had agreed upon before.
However, this is not easy to handle, because part of their previous calculations was actually reaching a compromise with the emperor. The most difficult thing about this move was the Supreme Emperor.
After all, based on Zhang Shi's understanding of the Supreme Emperor, he is a person who is more emotional than rational. Even if the truth can be explained clearly, the discomfort in the heart can easily lead to serious troubles.
Zhang Xian had made this mistake once before, and it was a big mistake, so he was especially cautious this time.
But he was cautious, but he didn't expect that Zhu Yi didn't care about it. Recalling the duel in Nangong just now, Zhang Min could faintly feel that the Supreme Emperor was afraid that now, a thorn had been pierced in his heart. .
Having learned a lesson from the past, Zhang Xi knew very well that this thorn might be inconspicuous at ordinary times, but at a critical moment, it is very likely to kill someone.
Just imagine, if he hadn't been arrogant and thought he had the Empress Dowager under control, so he sacrificed Huichang Bo at the Ningyang Marquis, the Empress Dowager would not have deliberately promoted Ren Li during the battle at Zijingguan, and ended up causing a scene. A dozen chickens and eggs.
To this day, regrets are useless, but looking at the high-spirited Zhu Yi in front of him, Zhang Xi always feels as if he has seen his past self.
Seeing Zhang Xi looking at him with a worried look across from him, Zhu Yi finally put away his lazy look and said.
"Shibo, I know what you are worried about, but my nephew also has his own ideas about this matter."
As he spoke, Zhu Yi also corrected his attitude, pondered for a moment and then said.
"Of course the distinction between monarch and minister must be respected, but Shibo, today is different from the past. The Supreme Emperor is often powerless in many things in Nangong."
"In the final analysis, the people who are really in the court are His Highness the Crown Prince and ministers like you and me. It is not easy for us to stand on top of the court. If we have to consider how to deal with the emperor's suppression in everything, , and we have to consider whether it will make the Supreme Emperor feel uncomfortable. To say something unpleasant is tantamount to being attacked from both sides."
"Now that we have made plans to hide our capabilities and bide our time, the Emperor will understand sooner or later. My nephew admits that some of the words he said today were indeed rash. However, judging from the results, the Emperor did not say much after all, right? ?”
These words were spoken with sincerity.
However, hearing this in Zhang Xi's ears did not dispel any of his worries. On the contrary, he felt that the Zhu Yi in front of him was similar to him at that time.
This idea is simply copied from the same mold.
Sighing, Zhang Mian also understood that at this time, no more words would be of any use. He thought that Jiao Jing and others had tried to persuade him at the beginning, but wouldn't it be of no use to say otherwise?
To put it bluntly, if you don’t put the facts before your eyes, you won’t learn the lesson.
However, while sighing in his heart, looking at the high-spirited Zhu Yi in front of him, Zhang Min felt a sense of peace of mind for some reason.
Although the two houses are now connected by the same spirit, sometimes an ally that is too perfect is not a good thing.
This youthful madness may inevitably lead to Zhu Yi's failure, but for the British government, maybe...
"Oh, I hope my worries are unfounded."
After sighing with emotion, Zhang Xi changed the topic again and said.
"However, the Emperor's attitude is so firm this time, which makes me a little surprised..."
If we ignore Zhu Yi's slightly impatient behavior in Nangong, in fact, their goal was indeed achieved smoothly this time when they entered the palace.
Even Zhang Xi was a little surprised.
The key question here is actually whether the emperor will fight this battle.
It’s about whether it will happen, not whether you think about it!
Judging from all the current signs, the emperor definitely wants to fight, but there is a gap between wanting to fight and actually being able to fight.
If the emperor just wanted to fight, but due to the pressure from the government and the public, or other factors, he finally suppressed it and would not fight.
Then, there is no need for them to stop it, and all plans will naturally come to nothing.
Only if they can convince the Supreme Emperor that the Emperor will really fight this battle, everything that follows can fall into place.
After all, although they would not say it out loud, they all knew in their hearts that what the Supreme Emperor liked to see most at the moment was the emperor's deflated appearance.
But the problem is that the signs revealed now are just signs, especially during the court meeting. After all, the emperor still did not have too tough an attitude.
Although action has been taken, the pressure from above and below the court, the impact on the people on the border after the war, and the great murder weapon Yu Qian that the courtiers are proud of are all factors that need to be considered.
Judging from the emperor's character in the past, these were all things he would worry about, which is why Zhang Shi was unsure this time.
However, what he didn't expect was that the Emperor seemed to be more sure than they were that the Emperor would go to war, rather than just wanting to go to war.
Even vaguely, Zhang Xi felt that the Emperor seemed to have prejudged that the Emperor would go to war, and then found reasons to support it.
This did make him feel a little strange.
"There's nothing surprising about this. After all, the Supreme Emperor lives in the palace. There are some things that he actually considers more carefully than we do."
After hearing Zhang Shi's question, Zhu Yi shook his head and said.
This time, Zhang Mi suddenly became interested and asked.
"So, the Duke of Guo knows the reason?"
Although this was a question, in fact, it was just a tip of the tongue.
Because when Zhang Min mentioned this matter, it was clear that Zhu Yi must know the reason.
You must know that since the Supreme Emperor returned to the court, he has always relied more on the Duke of Chengguo. More importantly, after the spring hunting, Zhu Yi made his position clear in the court and could often enter and leave the Nangong openly and openly.
Zhang Xian alone knew that Meng Jun, the guard commander of Nangong, and the newly promoted eunuch who served as the Supreme Emperor after Ruan Lang's death, all had good personal relationships with Zhu Yi.
Therefore, if you want to inquire about Nangong's information, I'm afraid no one is more convenient than Zhu Yi.
Looking at Zhang Shi with an inquiring look on his face, Zhu Yi didn't care much and thought for a moment before saying.
"Actually, it's not a secret. It's just that because you and I are outside the palace and the Supreme Emperor is inside the palace, sometimes we focus on slightly different things."
As he spoke, Zhu Yi's expression became cautious. Even though he was in his own carriage, he subconsciously lowered his voice and said.
"East Palace Reserve!"
After hearing these words, Zhang Mi also sat up straight and asked.
"What's the meaning?"
Zhu Yi raised her hand and pressed it down, signaling Zhang Shi not to be anxious, and then said.
"Don't worry, Master. As I just said, this is not a secret. It's just that we and the Emperor have different concerns."
Then, Zhu Yi continued to explain.
"It is no secret that the Queen in the palace is pregnant. Logically speaking, His Highness the Crown Prince has already been appointed as the heir apparent. Moreover, his position as the heir apparent is due to his status as the son of the Supreme Emperor. There should be nothing to change."
"But in fact, you and I both know that the affairs of the Heavenly Family are far more complicated than what meets the eye. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has a current moral order, but after all, he is a concubine, not a direct descendant of the middle palace. He is honorable but not noble. Therefore, the Queen Mother Once a legitimate son is born, the little prince's extremely noble status will most likely make the younger generation in the court have other thoughts."
Zhang Min frowned and said nothing.
Of course he understands these principles.
In fact, this is something they have always been worried about, but as ministers of foreign affairs, it is useless for them to worry about this kind of thing.
Moreover, if the capital reserve is moved, all aspects involved will only be greater, and it is not something that can be used in a hurry.
"So, the Supreme Emperor is here because of this incident?"
Zhang Min vaguely understood something in his heart and said.
Zhu Yi nodded and said.
"In recent days, the Queen Mother has been recuperating in the palace with great care. There are also rumors in the palace that the baby must be a prince. Although no one is sure whether it is a prince or a princess, but the palace has always said that the baby will be a prince. There is no smoke without fire, and since this rumor has come out, it naturally has its origin."
"You mean, the Emperor's side?"
Zhang Xi's face became serious and he said.
"But, you also said, no one can tell whether this is a prince or a princess. How could it be..."
"I can't say for sure, but if it were Shibo, would he wait until everything is settled before making preparations?"
This time, Zhu Yi cut off Zhang Min's words before he could finish.
"Shibo should understand that the crown prince of the East Palace can affect the whole body. If the emperor doesn't want to make a big move, then he can only do it slowly."
"You and I are outside the palace, so we pay more attention to the movements in the palace. But when the Supreme Emperor is in the palace, we will naturally hear more news from the palace."
"And, more importantly, the Supreme Emperor understands the Emperor better than you and I. After all, the Supreme Emperor was also an emperor, didn't he?"
Zhang Min frowned, but gradually understood everything in his heart.
To put it bluntly, this is actually simple.
It's nothing more than creating momentum.
Although the emperor has repeatedly emphasized on various occasions, openly and secretly, that he will not waver in his capital, but only the emperor himself knows whether this is the truth.
Or to put it another way, it doesn't matter whether it is the truth or not. What matters is whether the emperor has the ability to replace the prince.
Of course, this ability refers to the ability to become a prince more easily when the government is stable.
In fact, what the Supreme Emperor said just now in Nangong was right. The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty could do anything he was determined to do, as long as he was willing to pay the price.
Now that the emperor has taken charge of the power, it is not difficult to change the prince and force him to do so.
However, the price to pay is too high.
Changing the East Palace without any reason will lead to antagonism between the monarch and his ministers, and the government will come to a standstill. In the worst case, the society will be in turmoil, and all officials will lose their reputation.
This is obviously not acceptable to the emperor, so in this sense, to be precise, the emperor just does not have the ability to forcibly change the prince without affecting the government.
However, the situation in the court has always changed rapidly.
As the emperor's control over the court strengthens, the emperor's personal prestige increases, and the power of the emperor's party in the court becomes stronger, they will have an indirect or direct impact, allowing the emperor to eventually possess this ability.
In the middle, there are several key nodes, one of which is whether the emperor's legitimate son is born.
The distinction between concubine and concubine in the royal family is much stricter than that of ordinary people. However, sometimes this strictness can be deliberately confused by interested people for profit.
As far as the current relationship between the royal family is concerned, moral order comes first and concubines come last.
To discuss the concubines, we need to first discuss the concubines of the emperor and the emperor. The emperor is the eldest, the emperor is the youngest, the emperor is the concubine, the emperor is the concubine, and then we talk about the concubines among the princes.
But in fact, once the emperor has a legitimate son born, there will definitely be someone in the court who will deliberately ignore the moral order and overemphasize only the legitimate concubine.
From the perspective of the common people, it is easy to be confused about the relationship between them. They think that although the prince is older, he is a commoner, and the emperor's legitimate son is young but he is a legitimate son.
This set of out-of-context gameplay is used a lot in big families, so it is by no means a rare thing.
Zhang Xi had long known this, but, as Zhu Yi said, more of their energy was focused on the court.
After all, even if the emperor's legitimate son is born, it is only possible to shake Chu's foundation. There is still a long way to go before Chu's foundation is really shaken, so there is no need to rush.
However, he overlooked one thing, that is, the emperor's style has always been to plan in advance, which has been reflected many times in the court.
Therefore, from the emperor's perspective, preparations must be made in advance for the birth of the prince.
Judging from the current situation, if this battle is really fought, the price will definitely be paid, but there is a high probability that it will not be defeated.
If the emperor really had something in mind, then it would indeed be appropriate to use a great victory as the background for the birth of the emperor's legitimate son.
With this thought, Zhang Xi finally understood. No wonder he had a preconception that the Emperor would fight this battle just by looking at the Emperor's appearance.
The opposition of courtiers and the safety of the people on the border are all just a matter of weighing the pros and cons.
In a different place, if the Supreme Emperor sat in the position of emperor, the mere reason of being able to add a halo to the birth of the emperor's legitimate son would be enough for him to defy all opinions and make up his mind to go to war...
