Zhang Erye has already learned many times about Zhu Yi's political ability.
It can even be said that he watched Zhu Yi grow step by step from a child of a noble family to the Duke Cheng who can now take charge of his own affairs.
After the civil war, Chengguo Duke's palace was neglected. At that time, Zhu Yi was still an extremely immature young man who was forced to get involved in the court affairs for the first time. He ran around trying to find friends, hoping to keep the family.
But it turned out to be in vain. If his old father-in-law hadn't been guiding him from behind, Zhu Yi wouldn't have known how many more looks he would have received.
Later, after repeatedly hitting the wall, Zhu Yi finally realized that the problem of the Chengguo Palace could not be solved simply by someone asking for mercy. It involved many interests in the court, and was even closely related to the brothers of the Tian family.
At this time, it should be said that Zhu Yi had already touched the threshold of politics and was able to realize that in the court of the Ming Dynasty, the most important thing was stance. Only by standing on the right team can you get what you want.
Therefore, he turned to please the emperor. First, he generously donated money and materials to the court, hoping to win the favor of the emperor. Later, he even tampered with the draft and secretly found connections to send his cousin to the imperial court. In the palace, to show surrender to the emperor.
However, at this stage, although Zhu Yi had some understanding of court politics, he was still too young.
Standing is certainly important, but because of this, people in the court cannot help themselves.
Whether it was the fault of the Duke of Chengguo in the civil war or the emperor's tendency to get close to civil servants for various reasons at that time, it was actually destined that in a short period of time, the emperor would not reuse Zhu Yi, and would not even express it. Showing trust in Chengguo Duke's government.
Not to mention, Zhu Yi was too eager for quick success at the time, and with the help of Zhang Shi and others, using the draft incident as the trigger, the emperor officially expressed his stance, which sealed Zhu Yong's battle at Yao'erling.
What makes people grow is never time, but the number of changes and setbacks they experience.
After this, Zhu Yi completely gave up hope of seeking refuge with the emperor. Although he was attracted by Zhang Shi and others, he was obviously not as impulsive as usual.
This was most evident when Zhang Shi first got married to Zhu Yi. At that time, Zhu Yi had become much clearer in the face of interest disputes in the court and no longer had unrealistic illusions.
Although at that time, they wooed Zhu Yi and promised to help him get his title back, Zhang Shi could see that Zhu Yi did not believe it at the time. The reason why he chose to join forces with the British government was more based on At that time, Duke Cheng's government was in a difficult situation, so it just wanted to find strong support.
Because of this, Zhu Yi kept a very low profile for a long time after getting married. She didn't care about many of the things they planned. She only did her job and occasionally took risks when necessary. He can avoid it whenever he can.
Being so timid and cowardly in the dignified government will inevitably be looked down upon by others. However, Zhu Yi did not care about this at that time. It was his behavior that made Zhang Shi understand that this nephew was finally Mature.
As for the subsequent return of the Supreme Emperor, among the series of events surrounding the Prince's resignation, Zhu Yi saw the hope of regaining his title, and his courage and courage were finally brought into play. Success after success finally turned him into the person he is today. In front of him, Duke Cheng Guo was unfazed by anything!
Normally, Zhang Mian thinks this is a good thing. After all, the marriage between the two palaces, coupled with the position that the Chengguo Palace has already expressed in the court, has made the relationship between the two families inseparable. The better the Chengguo Palace, the British The more power the government can draw on, the stronger it will be.
but……
At this point, Zhang Mian had to admit that the emperor's methods were really clever. Even though he knew he was trying to sow discord, after what happened today, he still couldn't help but start thinking that although the two houses were already married, what Zhu Yi had done Is all that done really wholeheartedly to help him rise to power?
Or to put it another way, does the growth of the Chengguo government really mean that the British government is also growing?
In the past, Zhang Xi knew that he was not good at resourcefulness and political fighting, so he was willing to listen to advice on many matters.
From Zhu Yi's suggestion.
However, what happened this time had to make him hesitate, because he suddenly discovered something, that is, basically every time, he had to pay the price first, and then fight for the possible gains.
Just like now, the British government has put in a lot of energy and benefits, but the harvest has not been obtained. In fact, it even ended up in the hands of Wang Qin by mistake...
Therefore, even if he still believed that the two governments were united, Zhang Xi had to weigh more at this time whether he should continue without reservation.
However, in the face of Zhang Shi's doubts, Zhu Yi did not give in, but said.
"The second master should know how much risk I am taking this time. Yes, I do hope that the second master can help my uncle stabilize his footing, but this is not just for my uncle."
"Since we have decided to take the risk this time, the greater the influence we can have in the court, the more stable the Chengguo Palace will be. Therefore, the second master is helping my uncle and the Chengguo Palace, but more importantly The important thing is to help the British government."
After saying these words, Zhang Xi also fell silent. This is actually right. Zhu Yi's plan just now did take a lot of risks. If you are not careful, you may completely anger the emperor. Therefore, you must strengthen your strength. Guaranteed, it is not without reason.
However, despite saying this, Zhang Xi still looked slightly hesitant.
Seeing this situation, Zhu Yi thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said.
"Forget it, I know that the second master still has some grudges in his heart about this matter. Now that he is asking the second master to continue to present evidence, it is indeed suspected of deception."
"In that case, then Second Master might as well make an agreement with me."
"What agreement?"
Zhang Xi looked up at Zhu Yi and his expression became serious.
"This time, Duke Chengguo took the lead in taking action in the court, so wait..."
As he spoke, Zhu Yi lowered his voice, but what he said shocked Zhang Min.
"... After that, the second master will bring out evidence to help my uncle gain a foothold in the military government, and then you and I will join forces to take the next step. How about that?"
After hearing these words, Zhang Shi's expression changed, as if he was having a fierce struggle in his heart.
However, in the end, he gritted his teeth and raised his head.
"Since the Duke dares to take this risk, how can I let the Duke bear the risk?"
"As long as the Duke can do what he just said, then the British government will do its best to cooperate. Even if something unexpected happens in the end, they will still not be able to regain control of the military government. I admit it!"
"Okay, thank you so much, Master!"
Seeing that Zhang Min finally expressed his stance, Zhu Yi smiled heartily, exchanged a few words of greetings, and stood up to leave.
Outside the window, the snow was still falling. Zhang Min sent Zhu Yi out of the door and looked at the back of the carriage as it drove away, with a complicated look on his face...
As the night grew darker, Zhu Yi returned to Chengguo Palace, only to be told that someone was already waiting for him in the study.
So, he quickly changed into casual clothes and came to the study.
As expected, Eunuch Shu was still dressed in Tsing Yi and a small hat, but he was respectfully served in the study to drink tea.
"I've met the Duke!"
Seeing Zhu Yi push the door open and come in, Shu Liang didn't show any airs. He stood up and came over to greet her, politely bowing his hands in greeting.
It should be said that with Zhu Yi's current status, even if Shu Liang is the admiral of Dongchang, he still has the qualifications to be arrogant. However, it is precisely because he knows enough things, or as Zhang Shi thought, because he has experienced too many things. , so Zhu Yi became more and more careful.
Zhu Yida also returned the salute to Shu Liang.
"I've kept my father-in-law waiting for a long time. The British government is actually getting more and more difficult to deal with, so I've been delayed a lot of time. Please forgive me, father-in-law."
Hearing this, Shu Liang's eyes flashed and he smiled.
"The Duke is out of touch when he says this. We are all doing things for His Majesty. We are just waiting for a while, so it doesn't matter."
So, the two of them exchanged a few words and then took their seats. Afterwards, Shu Liang was the first to ask.
road.
"I just heard from the Duke that things are getting more and more difficult over there, but what difficulties have they encountered?"
Shu Liang asked directly, Zhu Yi said without being secretive.
"I don't have to hide it in front of my father-in-law. It is indeed getting more and more troublesome."
"Although the second master of the Zhang family says he has no ability, he is not stupid after all. When the Chengguo Palace was not restored, I relied on him. There was no conflict of interest and it was easy to talk to."
"However, now that I have been reinstated, I am more and more trusted in front of the Supreme Emperor. Moreover, in the end, many things have benefited the Duke of Chengguo. He will inevitably have doubts, although he will not suspect that he and I are not on the same page. The people on the boat, but after all, will be a little more defensive."
"Now, I can still cope with it, but in the future..."
After saying this, Zhu Yi saw a slight change in Shu Liang's face and explained quickly.
"My father-in-law Mingjian, I don't mean anything else. I just want to say that this is not the way to go. Last time I advised these nobles to think more about themselves and not to go against your Majesty. If they don't go against your Majesty, then some people are already very fond of me." Complaints."
"Now, because my uncle was promoted, the second master of the Zhang family may also be dissatisfied. If this continues, I'm afraid I will spend most of my energy fighting with them. There is nothing else. I was afraid of delaying His Majesty’s orders, so I rashly said these words to my father-in-law today.”
Zhu Yi said these words very sincerely, because they were indeed his true words.
In fact, Zhu Yi once seriously considered why the emperor wanted him to infiltrate the Supreme Emperor's party.
Logically speaking, the emperor's prestige in the court is now rising, and everything is under control. On the contrary, the emperor has retreated to the Nangong, and it is even more difficult for him to interfere in the affairs of the court.
In this case, the emperor has the upper hand, and there is absolutely no need to engage in these small tricks in private. Even if the status of the emperor is difficult to change lightly, it is very easy for the British government to deal with them, and there is no need to do so. It would be enough to deliberately find any reason and send these people home to retire.
However, the emperor not only did not do this, but instead kept them jumping around in the court. Zhu Yi was puzzled by this for a long time.
It wasn't until major events happened recently, and he secretly affected the development of the situation in the court in accordance with the emperor's instructions from Shu Liang, that Zhu Yi slowly got a taste of it.
Take the preparation of the prince's palace as an example. Under normal circumstances, the most active people should be the civil servants who abide by the etiquette. Take Zhu Jian as an example. The reason why he works so hard is actually because he initially took a fancy to the position of emperor's master.
Although the relationship between the Tian family is bad, this is a secret that only the important ministers know well. For most of the courtiers, they still trust the emperor's character. Therefore, the establishment of the East Palace is a big deal for them. A good entry point.
However, since this matter was promoted by the Supreme Emperor, its nature has changed a bit. It was originally a matter of etiquette, but now it has been mixed with the struggle between the Tian family. Then, when expressing their attitudes, it is difficult for many ministers to express their opinions purely. Consider it from the perspective of government affairs.
In this way, the emperor can make use of Beifu's achievements, which will be much greater.
Another example is the rectification of the army. If the preparation of the prince's palace is closely related to the Tian family, then the rectification of the army is purely a matter of court affairs.
Under normal circumstances, if you want to promote the military settlement, you will encounter unimaginable resistance. After all, it involves the interests of various mansions, even local lords, generals, and even many civil servants. These people are united together. It was enough to strangle this decree in the cradle, and even the emperor had to avoid its edge.
However, if the opposition to this matter is raised by the Supreme Emperor's party, it will return to the old issue, involving the position of the relationship between the Tian family. At least, many civil servants will not be able to oppose so blatantly on this matter. .
At this time, in order to "help" Duke Chengguo regain his title, many nobles from the Emperor's party, especially the British Duke, had to make concessions and even help persuade other nobles. This objectively On the contrary, it promotes the smooth implementation of major policies.
Just imagine, if the emperor had sidelined this group of people from the beginning, and even used various means to suppress them, then the one facing the pressure of the entire Xungui Group at this time would be the emperor himself.
Therefore, the existence of this group of people, on the one hand, helps the emperor attract firepower, and on the other hand, it also allows the emperor to use their hands to complete certain things.
After thinking about this clearly, Zhu Yi gradually had ideas about the direction of his work.
To put it bluntly, his existence was, on the one hand, to help the emperor grasp the conspiracy of the Supreme Emperor's party; on the other hand, he also guided them from the side, and unknowingly became the emperor's assistance in certain political affairs.
It's not easy, but after mastering the trick, Zhu Yi has always done well.
Taking this border incident as an example, Zhu Yi didn't know the emperor's specific plan. He only saw the slightest clues from Yang Hong's dispatch of troops and the preparation of silver coins by the Ministry of Revenue.
Therefore, he boldly took action and guided Zhang Shi and others to remain silent in the court to help the emperor build momentum.
In this matter, he took a risk and did not say hello to the emperor in advance. It should be said that if he guessed wrong, it would probably disrupt the emperor's arrangement.
But, it turns out, he was right!
After experiencing this time, he also knew better what he wanted to do in the future. However, the problem was that there were no flaws in the things he did.
Therefore, if he wants to hide these flaws, he must gain the trust of the Emperor or the British government. If this trust collapses, it will be even more difficult for him to play his role...
