"Oh, but I don't know how His Highness the Seventh Prince evaluates me."
After hearing Zhao Junchen's inquiry, Qin Xi's expression became more serious and his tone was very sincere, and he said: "His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince has mentioned to me many times that among the civil and military officials of the entire dynasty, the one he admires most is Mr. Zhao. I think Mr. Zhao is a pillar-like figure of the country, important and indispensable."
On the other side, Zhao Junchen laughed and shook his head: "His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince is indispensable to the pillar of the country. It is really too much. I am too ashamed to deserve it. I am too ashamed to deserve it."
Qin Xi said: "Mr. Zhao, why do you have to belittle yourself? Over the years, if it weren't for your financial management skills, Mr. Zhao, the court would have been in chaos, and even His Majesty would have been in trouble. The seventh prince once said personally that today's Ming Dynasty , You can live without Zhou Shangjing, but you must not live without Master Zhao. If there is no Zhou Shangjing, the situation will be a little chaotic at best, and it will return to normal sooner or later. But without Master Zhao, the court will be full of thorns and it will be difficult to move forward. "
Zhao Junchen still shook his head and said: "I dare not compare myself with Mr. Zhou Ge. If these words of the seventh prince are spread, I am afraid people will laugh at me."
Qin Xi smiled softly, with a somewhat meaningful tone, and said: "I think that these words of the seventh prince are not wrong. Whether it is the food, salt, sauce and vinegar of the common people, or the emperor's governance, all big and small things require money. However, everyone has the ability to spend money, but few people are proficient in the ability to make money. If you can manage the court's money in an orderly manner, both increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, it is rare to see people with such skills in a hundred years. This shows how rare Mr. Zhao is. The Seventh Prince also once said that governing a country is not an easy task. Regardless of civil and military skills, official salaries, and the comfort of the people, a large amount of money is needed. Therefore, any ambitious emperor must have people around him. We need the assistance of someone like Mr. Zhao, otherwise it will be difficult to even defend Chengdu."
When it comes to the last sentence. Qin Xi's tone became slightly heavier, as if he was emphasizing something.
Zhao Junchen remained humble, as if he didn't understand Qin Xi's hint at all, and just said: "Oh, the seventh prince's evaluation of me is so high, but I am a little flattered."
Qin Xi changed the subject. Suddenly he shook his head and sighed: "His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince's regard for Mr. Zhao cannot be overstated. He has mentioned Mr. Zhao's benefits to the prince many times. Unfortunately, the relationship between the prince and Mr. Zhao is not harmonious. Seventh Prince Although the prince has persuaded and explained the truth many times, the prince's temperament is a bit stubborn and it is a pity that he does not listen to the advice of the seventh prince. If His Highness the prince can value Mr. Zhao as much as the seventh prince does, there may be a period of harmony between the monarch and his ministers in the future. It is possible that Mr. Zhao will become the youngest chief minister of the cabinet in the history of our dynasty by that time, and Mr. Zhao will only serve as the chief minister of the cabinet for longer than Zhou Shangjing today."
While talking. Qin Xi's tone became more meaningful, and after finishing speaking, he sighed regretfully, as if he was very sorry.
But in fact, the seventh prince Zhu Hejian is definitely happy to see the hostile relationship between Zhao Junchen and Prince Zhu Heyu, otherwise Zhu Hejian's chances of competing for the throne will be greatly reduced.
Zhao Junchen was well aware of this, and naturally he would not believe it. He just said: "It turns out that His Highness the Seventh Prince has defended me many times, but I only know the news now. It is a pity that I cannot thank the Seventh Prince in person. Please also ask Mr. Qin to convey my gratitude to the Seventh Prince."
Qin Xi did not say anything, but just shook his head and said: "If there is a good story about the harmony between emperor and minister, it must be Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong in the Spring and Autumn Period. Guan Zhong was certainly a saint with both talent and virtue, but that was also because he met Duke Huan of Qi. Otherwise, we will not be able to use our skills. It can be seen that although a wise minister like Guan Zhong is very rare, a king like Duke Huan of Qi is also rare but not sought after."
Finished. Qin Xi looked at Zhao Junchen meaningfully, with scrutiny in his eyes.
This time, Zhao Junchen did not continue to be self-effacing, but his eyes were thoughtful.
Qin Xi's words contained quite a few hints, but the hints were very clever, making it difficult for people to grasp anything.
First of all, Zhu Hejian should have guessed Zhao Junchen's fear of him, so he expressed to Zhao Junchen through Qin Xi, "Any ambitious emperor needs the help of people like Mr. Zhao, otherwise he will not even be able to defend Chengdu." The words "difficult" have repeatedly emphasized the importance and scarcity of Zhao Junchen. The implicit meaning is that if Zhu Hejian can ascend the throne as emperor in the future, he will definitely continue to reuse Zhao Junchen and will never do anything like burning bridges. Obviously, like this The statement was made to reassure Zhao Junchen and lay the foundation for future cooperation between the two parties.
Secondly, the metaphor of Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong implies that, except for Zhu Hejian, neither Emperor Deqing nor Prince Zhu Heyu would be Zhao Junchen’s Duke Huan of Qi, nor would they give Zhao Junchen full trust and trust. Let Zhao Junchen do whatever he wants, so Zhao Junchen's best choice is to seek refuge with Zhu Hejian.
Finally, naturally, Zhao Junchen was promised a huge profit. Not only was he promised Zhao Junchen the position of chief minister of the cabinet, but he also guaranteed that Zhao Junchen would never serve as chief minister of the cabinet for a shorter time than Zhou Shangjing.
The various promises were carefully thought out, taking into account all factors, including benefits, coercion, persuasion, and temptation. Although they were just a big pie, they were enough to make people tempted.
Of course, Zhao Junchen would not believe these hints.
After all, promises made by politicians are always unreliable, not to mention that now they are just hints and not said by the seventh prince Zhu Hejian himself, so they are even more unreliable.
However, Zhao Junchen did not show his distrust. He just looked thoughtful, as if he was seriously considering it, but did not give an accurate answer.
Of course, this is just a disguise and perfunctory. After all, the real purpose of Zhao Junchen's trip is to test the truth and foundation of the seventh prince Zhu Hejian. If he directly expresses his distrust, then he will not be able to continue the conversation.
While pretending, Zhao Junchen seemed to be very hesitant and said: "Unfortunately, His Highness the Crown Prince's views are completely different from those of the Seventh Prince. Due to his status, the Seventh Prince cannot participate in government affairs, otherwise I would not have to walk on thin ice every day. Speaking of which, the Seventh Prince has always won the favor of His Majesty and the respect of everyone in the inner court. Although he lives in seclusion, all the officials from the outer court who have had contact with the Seventh Prince are also full of praise for the Seventh Prince. In a certain way, It is a pity that the Seventh Prince's reputation is not inferior to that of His Highness the Crown Prince at all."
Hearing Zhao Junchen's sigh, Qin Xi's eyes flashed slightly and asked: "Oh, I don't know what Mr. Zhao is so sorry about."
Zhao Junchen said: "It is a pity that His Highness the Seventh Prince is frail and sick, and he is jealous of talents; it is also a pity that His Highness the Seventh Prince is in the royal family and was born two years late. From now on, he can only be an idle prince and cannot display his talents. The most pity is that the Seventh Prince is unable to display his talents. His Royal Highness’s character, reputation, and reputation are really excellent.”
"Oh, His Highness the Seventh Prince's character, reputation, and reputation are so good, is it still a bad thing?"
Qin Xi was slightly stunned and asked.
With Qin Xi's rhetorical question, Zhao Junchen finally took the initiative in the conversation.
ps: The state is still very bad, but I still managed to write a chapter, so I will post it first. If the writing is not good, please forgive me.
I just hope I can return to form tomorrow
But regardless of whether the status can be restored, we will continue to update tomorrow
To be continued.
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