After the morning court the next day, Zheng Cheng stood guard at the door of the imperial study.
In the room, a man in Guards uniform whispered:
"In the past few days, I have been following Yuan Dao. Last night, at the right time, Yuan Dao left the back door of Yuan's house with two jars of fine wine. He didn't return until three o'clock in the afternoon."
The Emperor: "But you went to the General's Mansion?"
"I went to the second prince's residence."
The emperor was surprised and said: "Cheng Yao? What about the General's Mansion?"
"Since the last time the general has been keeping an eye on Yuan Dao, I have never seen anyone from the general's palace interact with Yuan Dao, and other officials rarely meet with him. Only the second prince has a close relationship with Yuan Dao. He often chats with Yuan Dao all night long about friendship. Qian, since learning that Yuan Dao took over as Minister of Rites, the second prince has had little contact with Yuan Dao. Yesterday, almost all officials from the Ministry of Rites went to Yuan Mansion to congratulate him."
The Emperor: "Could it be that Cheng Yao and Yuan Dao have the same mind? Seeing that Yuan Dao was promoted, he was afraid of being suspected of forming a clique for personal gain, so he stopped interacting with him? This kid has always been so careful not to fight or grab."
"When the last general went to keep an eye on Yuan Dao, the second prince and Yuan Dao met at night. After Yuan Dao was promoted to Minister of Rites the day before yesterday, the second prince stopped meeting. Instead, he sent his confidants to follow Yuan Dao every day. And yesterday before Yuan Dao left the house, Zeng Yan went to thank the second prince, and seemed to think that the second prince helped him plan the promotion."
The emperor was full of doubts: "Are you saying that the second prince's friendship with Yuan Dao was intentional? But Yuan Dao has been demoted to the fifth rank a few days ago. How did he know that Yuan Dao would become prosperous again?"
"I don't know. I just tell His Majesty the truth about what I saw and heard."
After the emperor thought for a moment, he said with deep eyes: "Go and keep an eye on the second prince in person to see if he has any dealings with the General's Mansion. Yuan Dao continued to stare, and someone was posted outside the General's Mansion to guard him. I want to know what he is doing. Who does the General’s Mansion have any dealings with?”
In the Ning Hui Hall of the General's Mansion, Gu Hongzhang, Gu Qingyun, and Gu Ruizhou were also having a secret conversation.
Gu Ruizhou: "My grandfather and father were absolutely right. Although the emperor promoted Mr. Yuan to a higher position, he did not allow Mr. Yuan to continue to stay in the Ministry of Household Affairs."
Gu Qingyun: "The Household Department is in charge of military pay and rations. The Gu family intercedes on behalf of Yuan Dao. If your Majesty has doubts about the Gu family, he will never let Yuan Dao stay in the Household Department again. Father, using Yuan Dao to test this time shows that your Majesty cares about the Gu family. Got defensive."
Gu Hongzhang: "His Majesty only stated the matter in the court after six or seven days of intercession in Zhou'er. He also happened to choose the day when a few of us went out to patrol the city and did not go to court. He just didn't want Yuan Dao to know about it. In this way , which not only fulfills Zhou'er's desire to serve the country, but also allows Yuan Dao to appreciate the emperor's kindness. The emperor's heart is not unkind."
Gu Ruizhou: "Among the six ministries, the affairs under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Industry are all more or less involved in the army. Only the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Punishment are not helpful to the Gu family. Your Majesty has seriously considered this."
Gu Hongzhang: "Now that I know His Majesty's thoughts, the Gu family should act more cautiously in the future. Avoid unnecessary interactions with the princes and ministers, especially Yuan Dao, and stay away from them."
After seeing Gu Qingyun and Gu Ruizhou agree, Gu Hongzhang sighed and said:
"Zhou'er, there is no need to tell Chen'er about Yuan Dao. Although he is smart, he is still young and has a simple mind. Please help pay more attention to his usual friends."
Gu Ruizhou: "Grandpa, don't worry, I will pay attention."
Gu Hongzhang let out a long sigh with a lonely tone.
"I thought I would serve as a soldier of Tianchu for half my life, but now I have to be cautious and vigilant at every turn in the capital of Tianchu."
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