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Although the Imperial Procuratorate's Yamen is the headquarters of Qingliu, because the censors have a great degree of freedom, they also have a large number of informants from various factions in the temple.
For example, Du Bai, the censor of the right capital of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, is one of Zhou Shangjing's favorite disciples, Gu Quan, the censor of the left capital, is a confidant of Zhao Junchen, and Wang Youlun, the deputy censor of the right capital, is ostensibly a confidant of the new crown prince and grand master Wang Baoren. .
Therefore, the Metropolitan Procuratorate is a leaky house, and it is difficult to hide anything.
Just as Lu Chunxiao hurried to the Prince's East Palace, various factions soon received more or less relevant news.
Among them, Wang Youlun was ostensibly a confidant of the new crown prince Wang Baoren, but in fact he had secretly taken refuge with Zhou Shangjing.
Nowadays, Wang Baoren is still staying in Nanjing to deal with the mess of Nanjing Sixth Division, while Zhou Shangjing ordered Wang Youlun to use Wang Baoren's relationship to get close to the seventh prince Zhu Hejian as soon as possible.
However, the seventh prince Zhu Hejian has not officially come to the stage yet, and has always been reclusive and low-key. Even if Wang Youlun wanted to complete the task assigned by Zhou Shangjing, he never found any chance.
On this day, when he saw Lu Chunxiao hurriedly left the Metropolitan Procuratorate's Yamen and rushed to the Prince's East Palace, Wang Youlun couldn't help but feel moved in his heart, thinking that this was a great opportunity for him to get close to the seventh prince Zhu Hejian.
Therefore, not long after Lu Chunxiao left, Wang Youlun also hurriedly left the Metropolitan Procuratorate Yamen, but rushed to the residence of the seventh prince Zhu Hejian.
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At the same time, after more than a day of rest, Zhu Hejian had regained some strength and was finally able to show up to meet people.
After learning that Wang Youlun asked to see him, Zhu Hejian hesitated for a moment, but still invited Wang Youlun to the study to talk with him.
Zhu Hejian is about to become the new crown prince, and Wang Baoren is the prince's imperial advisor specially arranged by Emperor Deqing. Before Zhu Hejian officially ascended the throne as emperor, the interests of the two were basically the same, and they were a relationship of common prosperity and loss. Wang Youlun Since he is Wang Baoren's confidant, he can also be regarded as Zhu Hejian's confidant.
So, under the leadership of Jia Lun, Wang Youlun quickly came to the study.
When Wang Youlun saluted and said hello, Zhu Hejian carefully observed Wang Youlun for a moment with a scrutinizing gaze, but after Wang Youlun raised his head and stood up, Zhu Hejian's expression had returned to kindness and gentleness.
Then, Zhu Hejian took the initiative and asked with a smile: "Speaking of which, this is the first time I have close contact with Mr. Wang, but I have admired Mr. Wang for a long time! I remember that Mr. Wang was the proud disciple of Taishi Wang. Back then, After Grand Master Wang was demoted to serve in the Sixth Department of Nanjing, many of his disciples looked for retreats and dispersed, but Master Wang has never left him. This loyalty is really admirable!"
Wang Youlun said quickly: "It's just a human duty, His Highness the Seventh Prince is really over-praised!"
Zhu Hejian shook his head with a smile and said: "It is the duty of a human being... In today's world, there are only one out of ten people who can do this. Lord Wang, you don't have to be too modest!"
There is no word "duty" in Zhu Hejian's eyes, so he likes people who stick to their duties, not because he admires such people's persistence, but because he thinks such people are easy to take advantage of.
Therefore, when Zhu Hejian praised him, his expression became more sincere, and he asked: "But I don't know why Mr. Wang met me here?"
Wang Youlun's expression suddenly became serious and he said: "Just now, a big event happened in the Metropolitan Procuratorate! Because this matter will soon be related to His Highness the Crown Prince, I thought about it and thought that I should Report this matter to His Highness the Seventh Prince in a timely manner."
Zhu Hejian raised his brows, his eyes flickered slightly, but his expression was calm, and he asked: "Oh? What is it? Is it so important?"
Wang Youlun immediately told Zhu Hejian in detail that the Metropolitan Procuratorate had received the secret letter reporting Zhan Shanchang and the vassal kings, and also said that Prince Zhu Heyu would most likely take over the matter personally.
When telling the story, Wang Youlun told the truth without adding any personal bias or speculation. After speaking, he showed a look of hanging his hands and lowering his head, waiting for the seventh prince Zhu Hejian to make his own judgment.
After listening to Wang Youlun's story, Zhu Hejian's expression flashed solemnly for a moment.
For Zhu Hejian, Wang Youlun's information was not only important, but also very timely.
In this world, Zhu Hejian is definitely the person who knows Zhu Heyu best. He is very aware of Zhu Heyu's strengths and weaknesses.
Zhu Heyu couldn't tolerate sand in his eyes, and he had a character that never looked back. Once the case between Zhan Shanchang and the feudal kings was handed over to him, Zhu Heyu would definitely pursue it, and maybe he would... It will yield miraculous results and make great achievements.
By that time, Zhu Heyu might be able to gain a foothold again, and Zhu Hejian's plan to become the heir apparent would also suffer setbacks. This is something Zhu Hejian absolutely cannot tolerate.
Therefore, after Wang Youlun finished telling the information, Zhu Hejian was silent for a long time.
Suddenly, Zhu Hejian looked at Wang Youlun again and asked with a smile: "I don't know why, Mr. Wang, you want to inform me of this news? And why do you think I need this news?"
Wang Youlun was also prepared and replied: "I don't know whether this news will be useful to His Highness the Seventh Prince. I just feel that if His Highness the Seventh Prince doesn't need this news, I will just It's an extra trip, but if His Highness the Seventh Prince needs this information, he can prepare early, and this attempt by the official will not be in vain."
After hearing Wang Youlun's explanation, Zhu Hejian nodded thoughtfully.
Wang Youlun's actions seemed to be just for speculation. This situation made Zhu Hejian's doubts slightly lessened.
Therefore, Zhu Hejian did not ask any questions, but showed a happy attitude and said: "This matter may be a good thing! If the third brother takes the opportunity to make some achievements, maybe the situation can be reversed." , To restore our reputation, Third Brother and I have always had a close brotherhood, and naturally we are happy to see the outcome... But no matter what, I would like to thank Mr. Wang for his timely reporting of the news, and I will definitely repay you in the future."
Although Wang Youlun was eager to gain Zhu Hejian's trust, he also knew that going too far was never enough, and he immediately said goodbye.
"For this trivial matter, I don't dare to expect anything in return. Since His Highness is the Seventh Prince, I already know it, so I won't stay any longer. I'll leave now!" When he stood up to say goodbye, there was a hint of meaning in Wang Youlun's tone. Shen Chang added: "However, I also know that the relationship between His Highness the Seventh Prince and His Highness the Crown Prince is deep, but I have always believed that some things are unavoidable after all. Even if His Highness the Seventh Prince cares about brotherhood, he still can't. You can't go against the trend, otherwise you will only harm others and yourself...Xiaguan's mentor also thinks the same way!"
After saying this, Wang Youlun bowed to the seventh prince Zhu Hejian again, then turned and left.
Zhu Hejian glanced at Jia Lun, and Jia Lun quickly left the study to see him off.
After Wang Youlun and Jia Lun left the study one after another, Zhu Hejian's expression was full of contemplation.
After Jia Lun sent Wang You Lun away and returned to the study, Zhu Hejian raised his head and asked, "Did you get anything from him?"
Jia Lun shook his head and said: "This person's words are impeccable, and it is impossible to find out his details in a short time. However, the way he reported the news today seems to be not only because of Wang Baoren's gesture, but also because of his own judge."
Zhu Hejian nodded and said: "Wang Baoren is still in Nanjing now, so naturally he can't make a decision. This should be because Wang Youlun has determined in his heart that the third brother will not succeed in the future, so he came to me to place a bet!
After Wang Baoren left Nanjing, his cronies either changed their families or were dismissed from their posts. Only Wang Youlun remained standing and escaped Zhou Shangjing's suppression many times. His methods and scheming were all good, but he was also a Rare talent...
For such a talented person to be just a disciple of Wang Baoren is really too humiliating! We will explore his details in the future. If there are no problems, we can take him for our own use to alleviate our current shortage of talents! After I become the Crown Prince, I will have to have a few capable people under my command! "
After Jia Lun nodded in agreement, he then asked: "Your Majesty, what do you think of the information sent by Wang Youlun? Your Majesty, he feels deep hatred for those princes. If the prince really lets him seize the opportunity, After establishing great achievements, even if His Majesty still does not change his mind, the Crown Prince can take the opportunity to restore the confidence of the Qingliu people, and maybe they will be able to survive for a while. If Your Highness, you are unable to officially become the Crown Prince, there is a risk that things will change if you are too late. You must prepare early!”
Zhu Hejian sneered: "This matter is indeed a threat, but it is also an opportunity! My father has long wanted to depose the third brother, but he has never found a suitable opportunity. Why? It's because of my father The emperor suppressed the third brother too hard and repeatedly banned the third brother in the East Palace. This certainly greatly damaged the third brother's reputation, but it also gave the third brother no chance to do anything wrong!
As the saying goes, if you do more, you will make more mistakes; if you do less, you will make fewer mistakes; if you do less, you will make more mistakes! If the third brother is allowed to take over the case of Zhan Shanchang and the feudal princes this time, he will have to borrow the power of the factory guards when investigating the case! At that time, as long as we use our hands and feet a little bit, we can make the third brother do something wrong and ruin everything! At that time, the father will further confirm the third brother's incompetence and find reasons to formally depose him! Then, I can officially go to the stage! "
After Jia Lun thought for a moment, he quickly had a rough plan in his mind and asked: "Your Highness, are you saying that we are secretly fueling the flames, expanding this turmoil, and taking the opportunity to let the prince make some unjust, false and wrong cases?"
Zhu Hejian nodded lightly and said: "I remember that Zhao Junchen also used this method when he dealt with the third brother, but the method is not afraid of old age, as long as it works!"
Jia Lun immediately said: "We also have many of our own people among the factory guards. I will inform them right away and ask them to prepare early. Once the prince starts investigating the case, they will try to participate as much as possible."
After saying that, after seeing Zhu Hejian nodding in approval, Jia Lun immediately turned around and left again.
After Jia Lun left again, Zhu Hejian's expression once again became thoughtful.
He began to think about the next question - "Who sent that letter of report to the Metropolitan Procuratorate? And for what purpose?"
Zhu Hejian vaguely realized that he was not the only player on this chessboard.
*
Just as Zhu Hejian was launching his plan, Zhao Junchen sent a message to all the core members of the "Zhao Party", telling them to go to the Zhao Mansion in three days to gather and discuss matters in the name of visiting patients.
After everyone in the "Zhao Party" received the news from Zhao Junchen, they all breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Zhao Junchen was about to make his next move.
However, among all the members of the "Zhao Party", only one person received somewhat different news.
That person is Zhan Shanchang.
The news that Zhao Junchen sent to Zhan Shanchang was to ask Zhan Shanchang to rush to the Zhao mansion immediately to discuss matters, saying that something urgent had happened.
Zhan Shanchang only received an order from Emperor Deqing yesterday to find out whether Zhao Junchen's condition was true or not. Zhan Shanchang didn't know how to check it at first, but now after receiving the news from Zhao Junchen, he immediately thought that this was the case. a chance.
At the same time, the news that Zhao Junchen said that something important had happened also made Zhan Shanchang feel a little uneasy.
Therefore, Zhan Shanchang did not dare to be negligent and hurried to Zhao Mansion.
When Zhan Shanchang arrived at the Zhao Mansion, it was already evening and the sky was getting dark.
The meeting place between Zhao Junchen and Zhan Shanchang was in Zhao Junchen's bedroom. Since he knew that Zhan Shanchang had become Emperor Deqing's spy, Zhao Junchen still pretended to be seriously ill when they met with Zhan Shanchang. Terrible look.
But he said that after Zhan Shanchang entered Zhao Junchen's dormitory, he was shocked when he saw Zhao Junchen's serious illness.
According to Zhan Shanchang's inner thoughts, he had always been inclined to think that Zhao Junchen's illness was just a way to retreat in order to advance, a disguise to paralyze various factions, but he did not expect that Zhao Junchen was really seriously ill.
However, before Zhan Shanchang could express his concern, Zhao Junchen raised his hand to stop Zhan Shanchang's words, and said in a weak and anxious tone: "Master Zhan, something bad has happened! Gu Quan just left the capital." News came from the Procuratorate that someone had sent a secret letter to the Procuratorate, reporting your secret collusion with the feudal princes, and listing in detail the details of how you had tampered with the household records for the feudal princes over the past year. Evidence from the atlas!”
After hearing what Zhao Junchen said, Zhan Shanchang's expression suddenly changed.
Since Zhan Shanchang secretly surrendered to Emperor Deqing, he confessed many secrets of the "Zhao Party" to Emperor Deqing. However, he could also distinguish the seriousness of the matter, but he never said that he tampered with the household album for the vassal princes. matter.
The secret collusion between court officials and the vassal king was definitely the biggest taboo in Emperor Deqing's heart! Once this matter was revealed, even if Zhan Shanchang had secretly surrendered to Emperor Deqing, Emperor Deqing would never let him go.
Therefore, Zhan Shanchang no longer cared about Zhao Junchen's health, and quickly asked: "Master Zhao, you asked me to do all these things in the first place! You must make the decision for me!"
Under such circumstances, Zhan Shanchang did not dare to count on Emperor Deqing's magnanimity, and could only continue to count on Zhao Junchen's protection.
Zhao Junchen nodded lightly, as if he had already thought of a way, and said: "I will naturally find a way to protect you, and I will never let you take responsibility! Fortunately, we received the news in advance, and there is still room for redemption!" Come on, I have expressed to Your Majesty many times that the vassal princes have become a nuisance to the court and must find a way to solve it, otherwise the court's finances will not be completely reversed no matter what. However, Your Majesty has always had some scruples, saying that it was the vassal prince's policy. It is the ancestral teaching that the court cannot cut down vassals without any reason...
Therefore, in this matter, we can say that the Ministry of Revenue deliberately cooperated with the feudal princes in order to collect the crimes of the feudal princes for annexing land and oppressing the people! Well, you go to the study room of the Zhao Mansion now, write a confession of guilt, and confess your crimes to His Majesty. But while confessing your crimes, you must also defend yourself and say that these things were all collected by the Ministry of Revenue. The evidence of guilt was deliberately done!
After you write this confession, I will go to the palace overnight to ask for an audience with Your Majesty! Before this matter is revealed, clean up all your crimes! "
After hearing Zhao Junchen's statement, Zhan Shanchang immediately felt that it made sense. After nodding his thanks repeatedly, he hurried to Zhao's study under the leadership of his servants.
Looking at Zhan Shanchang's leaving back, the weakness in Zhao Junchen's expression gradually disappeared, but a hint of sarcasm flashed in his eyes.
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