As soon as Wei Chong arrived, he raised his head arrogantly, and a dozen or so minor officials came forward to greet him under Ye Yongjia's gaze. They said hello and bowed, very attentively.
"We're almost celebrating the New Year, wouldn't it be boring if you still don't express your gratitude?" Wei Chong suddenly stopped and looked at everyone.
"This... of course we know!" A yamen servant took out a red paper bag from his waist, sealed it, and asked Secretary Wei to weigh it. It was filled with money.
"Not bad." Wei Chong had no intention of thanking him and only replied contemptuously.
The man ran down happily, and the group of people swarmed up and brought the money one after another, as if they wanted to stuff it into his mouth.
Wei Chong was working hard to collect the money, when suddenly Ye Yongjia squeezed into the crowd, but he kept a straight face and said nothing.
"I have to give you one too, right?" he said seriously.
Wei Chong's expression became stiff, he coughed a few times, and hurriedly pushed the government servants away: "Let's all go, let's all go."
When everyone saw Mr. Ye here, they didn't dare to be presumptuous and ran away in a hurry, leaving only the two of them standing in the yard.
Wei Chong smiled at him and said, "Master Magistrate, I have been rude just now. Please forgive me."
"As my confidant, you should set an example and not encourage such unhealthy trends." Ye Yongjia turned around and walked into the study. Wei Chong sneered secretly and followed behind.
"What did King Wanjun say?" Ye Yongjia asked.
"Prince Wanjun said that on New Year's Eve, the curfew can be lifted. Let the people have a day of joy, which can ease the atmosphere in Nanjing these days."
"I still need to do this..."
After hearing this, Wei Shuban said on the spur of the moment: "If this matter is done well, it will be a great achievement. If it is not done well, riots will break out, and you are the one who takes the blame. I dare to recommend myself, and I will organize the opening of the curfew on New Year's Eve." .”
"Huh?" Ye Yongjia turned around, as if he thought his words came out of nowhere.
Secretary Wei knew that he would make a mistake and froze there in embarrassment.
"Ah...I need to think carefully and think about it." He pressed his forehead with his left hand, frowned, and a few wrinkles appeared on his face.
He thought like this for a while, then realized that Wei Chong had not left yet, so he pointed to the door and said, "I'm fine. The clerk should go back and have a good rest... I said, think about it."
Wei Chong then said goodbye and walked out of the study.
How to solve Wei Chong's problem has become something that Ye Yongjia has never thought about. He closed his eyes and thought for a while, but his head was still a mess and he couldn't find a place to untie it.
He took a cup of tea and looked out through the paper window at the quiet and deserted courtyard.
He has lived in Nanjing for so long, let alone a think tank, he doesn't even have a confidant he can trust - he has not fully adapted to it even now.
Not only must all the strategies be hidden deep in the heart, but one must also execute them single-handedly. Both of these are indispensable.
Ye Yongjia first thought of Hu Qi. This person deeply hates Wei Chong, which can be seen from his words and deeds. What's more, he showed hesitation when Wan Dang protected Wei Chong in the original layoff incident.
His role now is to attack Wei Chong. But after all, he is a hawk and lackey, and he is flattering Wan Heshun's "Jun Decree". He must first impress Wan Heshun before he can seize power in one fell swoop.
'Since the two Wanlu parties have reconciled, why not promote their union? Ye Yongjia suddenly had this idea and was so happy that he slapped his thigh. 'yes! If the two of them unite, how can Wei Chong be used! '
He almost jumped up and walked around the study room two or three times before slowly calming down and returning to the chair.
New Year's Eve was approaching, and he had to make another preparation: giving himself full authority to prepare for the opening of the curfew.
No matter what, the palace is worth a visit.
Ye Yongjia got off the carriage at the palace and walked into the palace. On the way, he heard that the prince was taking a nap, so he was placed in the waiting room by several servants to wait.
He had just had a few sips of tea when he saw Hu Qi, the Minister of Civil Affairs, also arriving. They bowed to each other and sat down to talk.
"Master Hu, do we still have to continue cutting redundancies?" Ye Yongjia asked with worry on his face.
"If the prince doesn't let go, it will be difficult for me to make the decision." Hu Qi sighed.
Seeing his hesitation, Ye Yongjia complained slightly: "If we continue to cut redundancies, I don't know how much injustice will be caused. Your staff will suffer even more."
Hu Qi smiled bitterly: "Who doesn't want to end the war?"
"Wei Chong is the only one here to ask for credit and reward, and he can't hurt a single hair." Ye Yongjia said through gritted teeth.
When Hu Qi heard Wei Chong's name, he also became a little angry: "This guy is causing trouble in Nanjing and is too arrogant!"
"Moreover, Wei Chong also wants to take the credit for lifting the curfew," Ye Yongjia took the opportunity to fan the flames, "If this happens, will Wei Chong still be an insignificant pawn in the heart of the prince?"
Hu Qi seemed to have been told something in his heart. He stamped his feet and sighed, unable to control himself.
"He will be the most powerful confidant in the eyes of the king! Then you will be pulled off the horse, and the consequences will be disastrous..." Ye Yongjia said in a heavy tone, "Think about it, this is not only for my consideration, but also for yours." future."
After his repeated encouragement, Hu Qi finally couldn't bear it anymore and grabbed Ye Yongjia's arm: "When the prince comes, I will fight to the death to protect the authority of Tinglong, the magistrate!"
"Who's waiting in the living room?"
A lazy voice came from the distance, and Prince Wan Heshun walked over wearing cloth clothes and straw sandals.
"Prince." The two of them kowtowed.
Wan Heshun helped Ye Yongjia up with a kind smile: "Prefect Ye, since I agreed to set the curfew, why bother to come again? Don't you trust Wei Shuban?"
Ye Yongjia was momentarily choked by these words and shuddered all over. Hu Qi was on hand to help him out: "He told me that we have other matters to discuss."
"Then please tell me, Magistrate Ye." Wan He responded.
Only then did Ye Yongjia come to his senses and replied in a panic: "Reduce redundancies! Cut redundancies! I think the redundancy cuts can be stopped for a while to let the officials have a good year and stabilize the political situation in Nanjing. We can discuss it later."
"Then you have to report it to Yue Gong. Depending on his attitude, I have always been determined to avoid disputes." Wan Heshun slowly stroked his beard, looking very kind.
"We all know the temper of the county prince very well," Ye Yongjia said with a smile, "I believe Yue Gong is also the same. I personally think that we should take the opportunity of opening the curfew to clear up some misunderstandings and stop redundancies."
"What does the prefect mean...?" Wan Heshun looked completely clueless.
"Let Yue Gong's soldiers, together with the officers and soldiers, be on duty to detect thieves on New Year's Eve." Ye Yongjia said word by word, fearing that Wan Heshun could not hear clearly.
"Who will direct?" Wan Heshun put away his smile and asked seriously.
"Yamen," Ye Yongjia pointed to his face, "Ye will be in charge of the command."
