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That night, what Emperor Deqing did in Zhao Ying'er's palace quickly spread throughout the harem.
After receiving the news, everyone in the palace had different reactions. Some were worried, some were gloating, and some were envious of Zhang Zhaodi's "luck."
However, the eunuchs in the palace didn't have much idea. They relied on the imperial power. No matter how outrageous Emperor Deqing's actions were, they would turn a blind eye and try their best to cooperate. As long as Emperor Deqing was happy.
In fact, while Emperor Deqing was messing around in Zhao Ying'er's palace, all the eunuchs in the palace gathered together to hold a banquet to celebrate New Year's Eve.
The eunuchs in the palace are also human beings. After serving the emperor and the concubines on New Year's Eve, they also have their own New Year's Eve banquet.
The twelve yamen of the inner court are in constant conflict and struggle for power on weekdays. Among them, the conflict between the ceremonial supervisor and the imperial horse supervisor is the most obvious. These two yamen are responsible for civil and military matters, and they can be said to have high power and position. In 2000, the Chief of Ceremonies suppressed the Royal Horse Supervisor, but in recent times, due to the unfavorable performance of the Chief Supervisor of Ceremonies, he has gradually lost his favor. The Royal Horse Supervisor has gained some achievements in the Shaanxi-Gansu and Hetao areas. The forces of both sides The influence gradually appeared to be balanced.
But every New Year's Eve, the eunuchs of these inner court yamen would temporarily put aside their conflicts and get together to drink and have a banquet. No matter how unhappy they were with each other, they would not show it at this banquet.
This is because the person who hosts this New Year's Eve banquet every year is Liu Qing, the manager of the inner study hall!
Since the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty had the right to participate in politics, an inner library was set up in the palace to teach eunuchs how to read and write. Liu Qing had been in charge of the inner library for more than 20 years. The important eunuchs were all born in the inner study hall and were students of Liu Qing.
Therefore, Liu Qing's high prestige, deep qualifications, and wide network of contacts in the inner court are naturally unmatched by anyone. Anyone who sells to Liu Qing will gain some face.
Every New Year's Eve, Liu Qing would set up several banquets to entertain the great eunuchs in the palace. This was not only to maintain his influence, but also to resolve conflicts in the inner court and unite the twelve eunuchs. The great eunuch did not dare to make mistakes easily at this time, and always maintained the superficial harmony and unity.
This year's New Year's Eve banquet is a little different from previous years. Because of Emperor Deqing's several rectifications and purges, several eunuchs were implicated, and they all died tragically with a stick. Therefore, this year's New Year's Eve banquet is There are a lot of missing familiar faces, but there are also a lot of new faces.
The fact that these newcomers were summoned by Liu Qing to attend this New Year's Eve banquet meant that they had entered the upper echelons of the inner court. Naturally, they were full of pride and excitement at this time.
Among the many new faces, two people stand out the most, namely Li Ru'an, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu who has just returned to the capital, and Sun He, the newly appointed eunuch of Dongchang Bingbi.
Among the many eunuchs in the inner court, the two of them are now the most popular and have the most trust from Emperor Deqing. Especially since they are both young, they can be said to be the new generation leaders of the twelve eunuchs in the inner court.
Liu Qing was also very optimistic about the two of them. He believed that Li Ruan and Sun He were the future hopes of the twelve eunuchs of the inner court, so he deliberately recruited them to sit at the same table with him and talk cordially.
The several eunuchs sitting next to Liu Qing were Wu Xinquan, the chief of the ceremonial department, Xu Sheng, the imperial horse supervisor, Kong Zhen, the factory supervisor of the East Factory, Wu Xinyan, the factory supervisor of the West Factory, and Zhang, the eunuch who accompanied Emperor Deqing. De, Sun Zhong, the eunuch in charge of the inner transport warehouse, and others are all important figures in the inner court. The fact that Li Ruan and Sun He are now sitting at the same table with them means that they have entered the inner circle of the upper echelons of the inner court.
After the banquet started, the conversation among the eunuchs also revolved around these two newcomers.
Sun He was also Liu Qing's student, and the relationship between the two was relatively familiar, so after Liu Qing chatted with Sun He for a while, he quickly turned his attention to Li Ru'an.
Speaking of which, among the great eunuchs, Li Ruan was the only one who was not born in the inner study hall. Therefore, Liu Qing was somewhat repulsive towards Li Ruan and did not want such an "outsider" to occupy a high position in the inner court. However, Li Ruan's rise was rapid. It was too fast. Less than a year after joining the imperial court, he became a confidant of Xu Sheng, the imperial horse supervisor. Later, he followed the imperial army in the Shaanxi-Gansu and Hetao areas and made outstanding achievements. It was no longer possible to suppress him. We can only try to win over them as much as possible.
Therefore, when talking to Li Ruan, Liu Qing deliberately showed some intimacy.
"Our family has heard Xu Sheng explain in detail what you did after entering the palace. Our family has also seen your performance on the border battlefield during this period. It can be said to be an example for the inner court. We I really appreciate it!
In recent years, the inner court has failed to do things well for several times, so it has gradually lost its holy support. It has been rectified and purged many times by His Majesty. Our former disciples have also suffered heavy losses. Fortunately, there are talents like Ru'an who have made great achievements. Finally, It allowed the inner court to save some face... Alas, our professors are also incompetent. Most of the former disciples and students were mediocre. It is also necessary for someone like you, who is not from the inner study hall, to come forward to bring glory to the inner court. Whenever it is Thinking of this situation, our family feels ashamed of His Majesty..."
As he spoke, Liu Qing's old face was full of disappointment.
Li Ruan's mind was exquisite and clear. After hearing Liu Qing's statement, how could he still not understand what Liu Qing was implying?
Therefore, Li Ruan quickly expressed his position: "As we all know, all the eunuchs in the inner court can only take on their own duties and be entrusted with important tasks after being taught by the inner study hall. How can the juniors be an exception? Although the juniors did not really study in the inner study hall. Yes, but the junior has always been with Governor Xu. His achievements today are all because he was deeply taught by Governor Xu’s words and deeds, and Governor Xu is Mr. Liu’s student. In this way, this junior is Mr. Liu’s student of yours. As a disciple, you can also be regarded as coming from the inner study hall, so Mr. Liu, you don’t need to see anyone outside!"
Hearing Li Ru'an's statement, Xu Sheng also looked proud. He felt that Li Ru'an was still loyal to himself and the Royal Horse Supervisor even after he gained power, so he followed up and said, "Yes, Mr. Liu, please don't do too much." Think! Li Ruan is definitely not an outsider. I taught him according to the method you taught me! Therefore, he is your disciple and grandson. If you still feel that it is not enough, Li Ruan has returned to the capital now and will always stay. In the palace, just let him go to the inner study hall a few more times and make up for a few lessons. You can also help me teach him better when the time comes."
Liu Qing's face softened a little, and he nodded: "In that case, I will accept Ru'an as my student. From now on, Ru'an, you will be one of my own. Everyone in our inner court is a pitiful person, not only We were born into hardships in the past, but now we are also precarious, and we need to unite as one."
In this way, with just a few words, Li Ru'an had found his "teacher" and became an orthodox member of the inner court, and Liu Qing had a share of his achievements.
Next, Liu Qing deliberately cared about Li Ruan's family background, and the intimacy in his attitude became more sincere, but his words were full of temptation.
And Li Ru'an was well prepared for such a situation, and his response was impeccable, showing the image of an ordinary eunuch with ambition but no foundation.
Afterwards, Liu Qing quickly got to the point and asked, "After you returned to the capital, have you already paid homage to His Majesty?"
Li Ru'an nodded quickly and said: "After this junior returned to the capital, he reported to His Majesty as soon as possible. He also told His Majesty in detail about the war between Shaanxi and Gansu and the Hetao area during this period. Your Majesty was very satisfied and even rewarded him. Give me a sum of gold and silver."
Liu Qing asked again: "After you step down as the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, does your Majesty have any new arrangements for you?"
Li Ru'an replied: "Your Majesty did not make detailed arrangements. He just asked me to go to the Imperial Study Room to handle matters later in the year."
Liu Qing nodded, his old face full of instructiveness, as if he was wholeheartedly planning the future for Li Ruan, and said slowly: "Some time ago, the imperial study room leaked news about your majesty, and all the relevant eunuchs were killed by your majesty." Well, the position of the eunuch in charge of the Royal Study has also been vacant. According to our family, this position is reserved for you by His Majesty!
Now, His Majesty has ordered you to go to the Imperial Study Room to work, which confirms our guess. After you study in the Imperial Study Room for a period of time and are personally inspected by His Majesty, the position of the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Study Room will soon fall. into your hands...
The Royal Study is no different from other places. Many important matters of the imperial court are decided there, and many of His Majesty's secrets will also appear there. Therefore, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Study must not only have outstanding writing skills, but also know how to observe words and expressions. The most important thing is to be careful with his mouth. You must take good care of the people below, and no more information will be leaked! Some information is insignificant and can only be leaked to court officials to earn some favors and benefits, but there are other pieces of information that must not be leaked to outsiders at all...
You should ask Zhang De for advice on the size of this in the future. He has been following His Majesty for many years and has always been trusted by Your Majesty. At the same time, he can get along well with powerful officials in foreign dynasties. The skill and enthusiasm here are not ordinary people. Comparable! "
Li Ru'an quickly expressed his willingness to be taught, and then expressed his intention to ask Zhang De for advice in the future, and Zhang De also agreed with a smile.
However, when Li Ru'an expressed his stance, he secretly had some suspicions and vigilance in his heart, and felt that Liu Qing's teaching seemed to have a deeper meaning.
According to Liu Qing, it is not that the sensitive and confidential information in the imperial study must not be leaked, but that it cannot be leaked to "outsiders". But who are the "outsiders"? Who are the "own people"?
While Li Ruan was thinking secretly, Liu Qingze immediately revealed the answer.
"Tomorrow is His Majesty's birthday, and there are also all the nations coming to pay homage to the heaven. It's really a lively ceremony... After all this is over, our family will look for an opportunity for you to meet His Highness the Seventh Prince. You should have heard that I have received some news that His Majesty is already disgusted with the current Crown Prince and intends to make His Highness the Seventh Prince the new Crown Prince. This matter will come to fruition soon! This is also a good thing for our inner court, His Highness the Seventh Prince. Unlike the current prince, he has always been kind to us rootless people and is willing to reuse us... Therefore, if you can make good friends with His Highness the Seventh Prince in advance, there will be only benefits and no disadvantages in the future. You must take advantage of it. Take advantage of this opportunity!”
Hearing Liu Qing's remarks, Li Ruan suddenly remembered the message Zhao Junchen sent to him.
After Li Ruan returned to the capital, he naturally could not meet Zhao Junchen openly. The two could only communicate secretly through some notes with unidentifiable handwriting and origin.
After Li Ruan informed Zhao Junchen of his situation, Zhao Junchen's reply to Li Ruan only had five words - "Be careful of the Seventh Prince."
After receiving Zhao Junchen's reply, Li Ruan couldn't help but feel a little strange, because the seventh prince Zhu Hejian had an excellent reputation and was not a ruthless and deep-tempered person. Why should Zhao Junchen make himself wary of him?
At this time, seeing Liu Qing personally coming forward to bridge the gap between himself and the seventh prince Zhu Hejian, Li Ruan finally noticed something was wrong.
Then, Li Ru'an secretly observed the reactions of the great eunuchs around him, and saw the slightly younger great eunuchs among them, such as Dongchang Bingbi Sun He, Inner Transport Warehouse Manager Sun Zhong, and Shangshan Supervisor Zhangyin. Wang Ye and others all smiled and nodded, seeming to agree with Liu Qing's statement; as for the older eunuchs, such as Wu Xinquan, the Chief of the Ceremony Supervisor, Xu Sheng, the Governor of the Royal Horse Supervisor, and Emperor Deqing's The accompanying eunuch Zhang De and others were all looking at their noses, mouths and hearts at this time, as if they had not heard Liu Qing's words at all, nor had they reacted in any way.
Obviously, these eunuchs of the inner court have either secretly turned to the seventh prince Zhu Hejian, or they have acquiesced to the seventh prince Zhu Hejian's infiltration and control of the inner court.
Seeing this situation and thinking of Zhao Junchen's warning, Li Ru'an couldn't help but feel horrified!
The Seventh Prince Zhu Hejian has penetrated the inner court so seriously. This is by no means an overnight success. It must have been arranged many years ago!
In this way, the humility, gentleness, etiquette and propriety displayed by the seventh prince Zhu Hejian are all just disguises!
For so many years, Zhu Hejian's disguise has not been discovered by anyone, and he has gradually controlled the inner court quietly. Such a deep city is extremely scary. It is no wonder that Zhao Junchen wants to remind Li Ruan to be careful about him.
Although secretly horrified in his heart, Li Ru'an felt that this might be an opportunity for him to get rid of Zhao Junchen's control, at least allowing him to fight for his own benefits.
Therefore, Li Ru'an quickly replied: "This junior is a member of the inner court, so naturally he will advance and retreat with the inner court. Everything is left to Mr. Liu's arrangement!"
*
Compared to the excitement and warmth of the Zhao Mansion and the absurdity and undercurrent of the palace, the prince Zhu Heyu, who was far away in Luoyang City to investigate the case, was deserted at this time, and his heart was full of desolation.
It was obviously the New Year's Eve reunion night, and even the eunuchs gathered together, but Zhu Heyu had to stay away from the capital and could only stay in Luoyang City. There were not many close people around him to accompany him, so he could only drink alone. Relieve the sorrow in your heart.
In addition to the misery, Zhu Heyu also felt a little angry and helpless.
He rushed to Luoyang City this time to investigate King Fu's political and disciplinary violations, but everything went extremely wrong.
To this day, everyone knows that he will lose his position soon. Officials at all levels can't help but secretly despise him when they see him. They only show respect on the surface and will not cooperate wholeheartedly with Zhu Heyu.
When Zhu Heyu left the capital, the attitude of the Sansi Yamen and the factory guards was a bit indifferent. They only arranged for some low-level officials who were not taken seriously to follow Zhu Heyu. These officials were also reluctant to follow Zhu Heyu after they left the capital. Full of resentment, they only thought that Zhu Heyu had delayed their New Year's time, and they were also perfunctory and inefficient.
After Zhu Heyu arrived in Luoyang, not to mention Prince Fu's hostility and rejection, Luoyang officials also violated Zhu Heyu's orders and deliberately delayed them until New Year's Eve. Zhu Heyu's investigation was still There is no progress.
Luoyang is a big city. On New Year's Eve, thousands of lights illuminate the whole city. The sound of firecrackers is constant. Occasionally, you can hear some laughter and laughter, which is quite lively.
But in such an environment, Zhu Heyu felt even more desolate, feeling that he was alone in the world.
But loneliness also has its benefits. It allows Zhu Heyu to calm down and think seriously about some things that he has never had the chance to think about seriously before.
For example, official administration!
Among the officials of the Manchu Dynasty, why were there always many corrupt officials and few honest officials? Why do treacherous ministers always succeed and good ministers lose power? I obviously have noble aspirations, why can't I get more help? Why are there so few officials who are willing to sincerely contribute to the country? Why can't I find a few like-minded people?
Regarding these issues, Zhu Heyu once consulted the former Crown Prince and Grand Master, also asked Zhao Shancai, and even deliberately asked Zhao Junchen's thoughts.
Their answers were different, which made Zhu Heyu even more puzzled.
So Zhu Heyu decided to think about it on his own.
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Well, second update.
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