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That night, it was not until three o'clock in the morning that Zhang Decheng finally returned to the Zhao Mansion.
When he returned to Zhao Mansion, Zhang Decheng looked exhausted, but at the same time he was also in high spirits!
This is because, after Zhang Decheng's repeated persuasion and persistent stalking, Wen Caining finally agreed to join Zhang Decheng's medical school as the deputy dean.
Moreover, Wen Caining also agreed to use his connections to find several more lecturers with excellent medical skills for the medical school.
In this way, this medical school not only has Zhao Junchen's strong financial resources and influence as its backer, but also has Zhang Decheng and Wen Caining, two of the world's top players, in charge. To train qualified doctors without fail and benefit countless people - the significance of this matter cannot be overstated no matter how heavy the description is. It can be said to be Zhang Decheng's long-cherished wish in his life!
According to the progress in all aspects, this medical school will be officially opened after the new year. Zhao Junchen even promised to invite Emperor Deqing and several important officials to write inscriptions. The scene will be extremely grand.
Therefore, while Zhang Decheng was extremely excited, most of his resentment towards Zhao Junchen had dissipated over the past few days. He didn't care that Zhao Junchen was busy with his own affairs, and took Zhao Junchen to talk about his future ideas for a long time, which made Zhao Junchen quite excited. It's miserable.
*
Let’s not talk about Zhang Decheng’s excitement and Zhao Junchen’s helplessness, but it is said that in the Dongchang Yamen north of Dong’an Gate in the capital, the second-in-command of Dongchang and the newly appointed eunuch Bingbi Sun He was receiving an important guest at this time.
Sun He is only in his thirties now, and he belongs to the young group among the great eunuchs in the Bureau of Ceremonies. Although he is very capable and smart, his qualifications and connections are far from enough. Logically speaking, it is impossible for him to be admitted. Although he was in a high position today, Dongchang had been purged and rectified by Emperor Deqing many times due to repeated unfavorable affairs. Sun He also had the opportunity to stand out and became a member of Dongchang at a young age. The second-largest figure after the factory supervisor Kong Zhen.
Moreover, Emperor Deqing was also very satisfied with Sun He and used him frequently. He often bypassed the current Dongchang factory director Kong Zhen and directly issued decrees to Sun He. There were many rumors in the inner court that Sun He would soon be Will replace Kong Zhen as the new factory director of Dongchang.
It can be said that among the current twelve eunuchs in the inner court, two rising stars are the most dazzling. One is Sun He, the eunuch of Dongchang Bingbi who was born in the ceremonial department, and the other is Sun He, the eunuch who was born in the imperial horse eunuch and is currently working in Shaanxi. Li Ru'an, who serves as supervisor of the army on both sides of Gan!
However, as the supervisor of the three sides of Shaanxi and Gansu, Li Ru'an has already shared the great victory of Shaanxi and Gansu and the military exploits of regaining the Hetao. It can be said that Li Ru'an is extremely glorious. It is said that Emperor Deqing has not appointed a new eunuch in charge of the imperial study. , just want to leave this position to Li Ruan, and Sun He's limelight is much less popular in comparison.
However, Sun He also has his own advantage, that is, he has a good friend-the eunuch Jia Lun who is the long-term attendant of the seventh prince Zhu Hejian!
Seeing that the seventh prince Zhu Hejian was about to become the new crown prince, Sun He naturally had a bright future through this relationship.
At this time, the important guest Sun He was meeting was also his good friend Jia Lun.
When he saw Jia Lun, Sun He's attitude was very cordial and he said with a smile: "Ja Lun, if you don't stay with His Highness the Seventh Prince, why did you come to me? But what's the matter?"
Jia Lun still looked expressionless and cold, and asked: "Wen Caining, the head of the Royal Hospital, has been dismissed from his official position and kicked out of the palace by Your Majesty. Do you know about this?"
Sun He nodded and said: "His Majesty has always regarded Wen Caining as a close confidant. This time he suddenly punished him severely without any warning. This incident has shocked the entire inner court. As Dongchang Bingbi, I naturally received the news. "
Jia Lun asked again: "Do you know that Zhang Decheng, the miracle doctor in Zhao Junchen's house, has been busy trying to establish a medical school? Moreover, after several exchanges of medical skills between Zhang Decheng and Wen Caining, , quite sympathetic to each other and regard each other as a best friend?"
Sun He was also a smart man. He soon understood the elegant meaning of Xiange and asked, "You mean, after Wen Caining was kicked out of the Royal Hospital, he is likely to join Zhang Decheng's medical school?"
Jia Lun nodded lightly and said: "As far as I know, the two spies placed by Dongchang in the Zhao Mansion have disappeared? This is not a good thing. If Dongchang is completely unable to grasp the secrets of Zhao Junchen's Mansion, His Majesty will definitely be extremely dissatisfied with these developments, and he may take action to rectify the East Factory again... But this time, it is a good opportunity to infiltrate the Zhao family! Wen Caining has an apprentice named Zhang Junhao, and the East Factory can buy him in advance As an informant, Zhang Junhao was used to contact Zhang Decheng, and finally Zhang Decheng was used to spy on Zhao Junchen's movements... As far as I know, Zhao Junchen has never had much defense against Zhang Decheng, and Zhang Decheng also knows many of Zhao Junchen's secrets. This method is far better than It is safer and more effective to directly send spies to infiltrate the Zhao Mansion!"
Upon hearing Jia Lun's explanation, Sun He's eyes suddenly lit up!
Sun He knew very well what Emperor Deqing was thinking about Zhao Junchen, which was to "use and defend at the same time", and "prevention was greater than use"! If an unsuspected spy can be placed next to Zhao Junchen at this time and have the opportunity to gain access to Zhao Junchen's core secrets, it will naturally be a great achievement.
So, Sun He immediately put his hands on his hands and said: "What a brilliant plan! Okay, I will do as you say! I will send someone to secretly contact Zhang Junhao tonight!"
Jia Lun smiled coldly and said: "Actually, I could have directly reminded Kong Factory Supervisor of Kong Town about this idea, but I gave you this opportunity to make a contribution... Do you understand what this means? ?”
Sun He's eyes flashed slightly and he smiled: "Of course! If this matter can be done, His Majesty will trust me more, and my chances of replacing Kong Zhen as the new Dongchang Factory Supervisor will be much greater! This is all because His Highness the Seventh Prince’s full support! Don’t worry, I have always been loyal to His Highness the Seventh Prince, and I will definitely serve him with all my strength in the future! After I became the director of the East Factory, the East Factory became a knife in the hands of His Highness the Seventh Prince. We will stab whoever His Highness the Prince tells us to stab!"
Jialun's cold face finally showed a trace of satisfaction. After nodding, he stood up and said: "In this case, I won't stay any longer. You should seize the time to do things... Remember, this matter is crucial, not only It is related to your merits and important matters related to His Highness the Seventh Prince. You must act with caution and there must be no failure!"
After saying that, without waiting for Sun He to persuade him to stay, Jia Lun turned around and left.
Looking at Jia Lun's leaving figure, the calmness and calmness in Sun He's expression gradually disappeared, showing a trace of awe.
Since Jia Lun followed the Seventh Prince Zhu Hejian, his personality has changed greatly and he has become more cold and vicious. Sun He always feels pressure when interacting with him, but he just doesn't want to show it.
"Jalen and I are considered good friends, but even I don't know how many people like me Jalen has bribed and controlled in the inner court... Over the years, with the younger generation of eunuchs, After taking power one after another, Jia Lun and the Seventh Prince behind him have penetrated the inner court more and more strongly, and their methods of seizing power and eliminating dissidents have become more and more ruthless. This situation always makes me feel uneasy... However, the Seventh Prince has become more and more powerful. The prince is about to become the new crown prince, and he will be crowned a great treasure sooner or later, so there should be no problem, right?"
While thinking about it, Sun He sighed, then stood up and left his office room, planning to handle the tasks assigned by Jalen himself.
Although Jia Lun did not clearly say the price if this matter was failed, Sun He naturally did not dare to try.
*
Let’s not talk about the secret actions of the Seventh Prince Zhu Hejian anymore, but say that it was time to arrive at 9 o’clock in the morning the next day. Just as he promised to Emperor Deqing, Zhao Junchen arrived at the Meridian Gate outside the palace on time, intending to participate in today’s event. Court meeting.
When Zhao Junchen stepped down from the sedan chair, he naturally attracted attention from all parties.
Speaking of which, it has been several days since Zhao Junchen returned to the capital. But on the day of his return to the capital, he appeared in front of Emperor Deqing and other ministers once and reported to them the current situation in Shaanxi and Gansu. , he soon fell ill at the Hubu Yamen and announced that he was ill. He neither participated in any official activities nor contacted anyone. Until today, it was his first public appearance and participation in a court meeting.
In a certain sense, today is Zhao Junchen's true return to the center of the temple, which naturally attracts attention and attention from all parties.
The Gong Gong princes in the imperial court were relatively reserved and only looked at Zhao Junchen secretly from the corner of their eyes. However, everyone in the "Zhao Party" looked surprised and swarmed up to Zhao Junchen.
Zhao Junchen has been away from the center of the temple during this period, and the "Zhao Party" has lost its backbone and leader. It is quite miserable under the pressure of various factions in the court. Now that Zhao Junchen has officially returned to the temple, he It was like seeing the savior coming.
"Zhao Gechen, you are finally going to participate in government affairs, but are you feeling better?"
"I heard that Zhao Gechen fell ill in the Hubu Yamen a few days ago. We were very anxious and worried. Unfortunately, Zhao Gechen has been closed to visitors, so we were unable to visit. Now that we see that Zhao Gechen is in good health, we feel relieved. Got it!"
"Yes, since Zhao Gechen returned to Beijing, things have been going on in the court. We have not yet had the opportunity to celebrate Zhao Gechen's illustrious military exploits, as well as the happy event of joining the cabinet to assist the government and being awarded a noble title!"
Seeing the familiar and attentive faces, Zhao Junchen smiled and nodded gently, cupped his hands and said: "Thank you all colleagues for your care. My body has improved a little. I also heard that the court has many difficulties during this time. No, If you dare to sit back and watch, you will come back to the temple in advance and share your Majesty's worries."
At this point, Zhao Junchen sighed and said: "Alas! Seeing all my colleagues gathered together, I couldn't help but think of Lord Zhan Shanchang. Unexpectedly, he passed away suddenly and can no longer wait with me. It's really sad to get together... In fact, Mr. Zhan has no need to seek death. Even if he encounters a big thing, I am willing to help him tide over the difficulties. Who would have thought that he would commit suicide because he couldn't think about it for a moment? This pavilion didn’t even have a chance to contribute... Alas! Everyone has heard that after Lord Zhan died, a spy from the Royal Guards was discovered in his mansion. Perhaps Lord Zhan committed suicide suddenly because of this. I was frightened for whatever reason.”
At this point, Zhao Junchen wanted to pretend to squeeze out a few drops of crocodile tears. However, although his acting skills were good, he was really not in good condition today, so he refused to squeeze them out. He had to lower his head and pretend to wipe the corners of his eyes with his sleeves.
At the same time, Zhao Junchen also secretly observed the reactions of various "Zhao Party" officials - especially the performance of academic scholar Huo Zhengyuan and general affairs envoy Si Tonghuan - trying to test whether they had any doubts about Zhan Shanchang's death and the relationship between them. I have something to do with it.
The reason why Zhao Junchen assassinated Zhan Shanchang was because Huo Zhengyuan reminded Zhao Junchen that Zhan Shanchang had betrayed the "Zhao Party" and secretly defected to Emperor Deqing. Si Tonghuan, the general envoy, was Zhan Shanchang's brother-in-law and had always had a close relationship. Maybe some clues can also be deduced, and both of them may guess the truth of the matter.
Under Zhao Junchen's probing, most of the "Zhao Party" officials looked sad. Tong Huan's eyes were red and his face was sad, but he did not seem to doubt Zhao Junchen. Only Huo Zhengyuan's eyes flickered and he did not dare to look at Zhao Junchen. He obviously had some thoughts in his mind.
Seeing this scene, Zhao Junchen felt reassured - Huo Zhengyuan was one of the smartest people among the "Zhao Party", but he had always lacked courage, and he was also very aware of Zhan Shanchang's secret betrayal. If he was the only one If doubt arises, the problem can be easily solved.
While thinking deeply, Zhao Junchen took the initiative to raise his hand and patted Tong Huan on the shoulder, and said softly: "Master Tong and Master Zhan are brothers-in-law, and their relationship is closer than that of me. We must express our condolences and accept the change! The most important thing now is , we still have to take good care of Mr. Zhan’s surviving relatives, and we can’t let Mr. Zhan feel at ease under Jiuquan!
Well, after the morning court today, I invite you all to come to my house to gather together. I also want to meet Mr. Zhan’s youngest son Zhan Mingxin and try to find a way to find a good future for him. This can be regarded as comforting Mr. Zhan’s soul in heaven! In addition, as the situation in the temple changes, we should also discuss the future development direction. "
Hearing Zhao Junchen's previous words, all the "Zhao Party" officials became increasingly sad, as if they were still missing Zhan Shanchang's many benefits. However, after they heard Zhao Junchen's last words, they all The sadness faded away, and everyone's expressions became excited.
Yes, the situation in the temple has changed - this change is that Zhao Junchen has made great achievements in Shaanxi and Gansu, and his reputation and prestige are unparalleled! Now, with Zhao Junchen officially returning to the temple, it is also the time when "Zhao Junchen" The best time for the Party to further expand and reap the fruits of victory!
In the past, every time Zhao Junchen expressed his intention to "discuss the future development direction," everyone in the "Zhao Party" would soon reap many benefits. Now that Zhao Junchen mentioned this sentence again, everyone in the "Zhao Party" naturally It’s a matter of hope.
Seeing that everyone in the "Zhao Party" had forgotten Zhan Shanchang's death so quickly, even Tong Huan's sadness suddenly disappeared. Zhao Junchen shook his head secretly because of their cold nature, but also felt in his heart Secretly alert yourself.
The power of the "Zhao Party" seems to be huge, and it can be effective on weekdays by waving flags and raising momentum, but if it comes to a critical moment, we must not expect these people to provide too much help.
*
After chatting for a few more words with the "Zhao Party" people, Zhao Junchen also cast his eyes at the powerful officials not far away.
Seemingly noticing Zhao Junchen's scrutiny, Zhou Shangjing turned around and gestured towards Zhao Junchen, his old face full of appreciation for caring for outstanding juniors.
On the other side, since Zhao Junchen arrived outside the Meridian Gate, Shen Changmao has been secretly looking at Zhao Junchen from the corner of his eye. When Zhao Junchen turned his eyes to him, Shen Changmao looked away with disdain and seemed to snort. There was a sound.
In the end, Zhao Junchen's eyes rested on a group of Qingliu officials.
On this morning, if Zhao Junchen's appearance attracted the most attention, then Li Chengru's sudden appearance also caused quite a stir.
You know, after Li Chengru was dismissed from his official position, he had been idle at home for half a year. Now he suddenly appeared outside the Meridian Gate. It was obviously because Emperor Deqing had recruited him in advance! Taking into account Li Chengru's experience as the Secretary of the Ministry of Household Affairs and the current situation that there is still no one serving as the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, it naturally made the officials have many associations.
Therefore, after Li Chengru appeared this time, he was quickly surrounded by Qingliu people to inquire about the news. Even the leader of Qingliu and the elder Cheng Yuandao expressed cordial greetings to him.
Seeing this scene, Zhao Junchen suddenly smiled and said: "Li Chengru is also my old boss. Now that he is returning to the temple, I should take the initiative to pay him a visit, both emotionally and logically!"
After saying this to everyone in the "Zhao Party", Zhao Junchen walked directly towards where the Qingliu officials were gathered.
Seeing Zhao Junchen taking the initiative to approach the Qingliu people, all the officials outside the Meridian Gate were surprised. Many people were waiting to see a good show, staring closely at the faces of Zhao Junchen and the Qingliu people. trend.
On the other side, when the Qingliu people saw Zhao Junchen walking toward them, their expressions also changed and they looked complicated.
Zhao Junchen persecuted them too hard in the past, and they hated Zhao Junchen to the point of gnashing their teeth. But now Zhao Junchen has become a hero who annihilated the Mongolian coalition forces. The smooth progress of the imperial court's battle to regain Hetao was all because of Zhao Junchen's successful planning. It is said that Zhao Junchen is destined to leave his name in history today, which makes the Qingliu people a little confused about how they should face Zhao Junchen.
Coupled with the sudden alliance between Zhao Junchen and Prince Zhu Heyu, the Qingliu people felt even more complicated and indescribable after seeing Zhao Junchen.
In the end, before Zhao Junchen could walk in front of them, nearly half of the Qingliu officials dispersed on their own initiative. Only the elder Cheng Yuandao, the imperial censor of Zuodu, Lu Chunxiao, and others remained with Li Chengru.
After Zhao Junchen walked in front of Li Chengru, he didn't even look at Cheng Yuandao, Lu Chunxiao and others. He just raised his hands to Li Chengru and said with a smile: "Old boss, I haven't seen you for a long time. Are you still well?"
Li Chengru still doesn't know that Zhao Junchen recommended him to be the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs. He only remembers that he was dismissed from his post by Zhao Junchen. After seeing Zhao Junchen taking the initiative to say hello, he raised his hands with a stiff expression and said: "It's been a while." Unexpectedly, the former Zhao Shilang has become Zhao Cabinet Minister, it is really... people are speechless!"
Zhao Junchen didn't think it was strange, and just continued with a smile: "Here, I also want to congratulate my old boss in advance! Your Majesty, he is worried about the chaos in the Ministry of Revenue during this period, just like when I consulted on the candidate for the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, I also I was a little undecided, so I consulted His Highness the Crown Prince for his opinion, and His Highness the Crown Prince strongly recommended my old boss to me...Now, Old Boss, you have been summoned by His Majesty to attend the court meeting. Apparently His Majesty has made a decision to accept His Highness the Crown Prince and me. suggestions."
After hearing what Zhao Junchen said, everyone's expressions changed.
However, before they could ask further questions, Zhao Junchen said again: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has always treated his old boss well. I hope the old boss will not be like some people who only care about their own reputation and future. Just because His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has declined slightly, He immediately abandoned his old master and went to look for a better branch!"
As soon as Zhao Junchen finished speaking, Cheng Yuandao's face suddenly turned ugly.
Zhao Junchen's statement was obviously referring to him! In fact, it was precisely because he, the leader of Qingliu, was the first to abandon Prince Zhu Heyu and join the seventh prince Zhu Hejian that the Qingliu people did not continue to firmly support Prince Zhu Heyu!
But before Cheng Yuandao could open his mouth to refute, the Meridian Gate bell rang, and today's court meeting began!
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