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After hearing Zhao Junchen's suggestion, Emperor Deqing subconsciously wanted to reject it directly.
According to Emperor Deqing's opinion, Zhu Hejian is the future prince, and he must protect himself wisely and be spotless. He should not be allowed to participate in this discussion at all.
Summoning Zhu Hejian specifically to ask for his opinion at this time will only put Zhu Hejian into a dilemma - if he agrees to Zhou Shangjing's proposal, he will undoubtedly be asking for trouble and have endless troubles; if he rejects Zhou Shangjing's proposal, it will inevitably affect the The ruling and opposition parties commented that it was considered a shirk of responsibility and a lack of responsibility.
However, just as Emperor Deqing was about to refuse, he suddenly remembered the great momentum of the "new princelings" just now, and he couldn't help but feel moved in his heart.
Emperor Deqing was a very greedy emperor, so his demands for the crown prince were full of contradictions.
In the eyes of Emperor Deqing, a perfect prince should be like this - he should be praised by the world and convinced by all officials, but his reputation should not be too high to overshadow his own limelight; he should build the party's momentum and have stability. The ability of the government and the public, but not too powerful to threaten one's own status; one must be ambitious and dare to take on responsibilities, but one must also know how to hide one's capabilities, bide one's time, and stick to one's duties...
Zhu Hejian was able to deal with Emperor Deqing with ease in the past, just because he had not really taken the position of crown prince. Emperor Deqing did not have high requirements for him. He only needed to prove that he had a certain degree of loyalty, filial piety and political wisdom. It was enough to satisfy Emperor Deqing.
But today, Zhu Hejian is already the quasi-prince, and his position in Emperor Deqing's heart has quietly changed. He must satisfy Emperor Deqing's various and contradictory requirements, and he may violate them if he is not careful. Taboo of Emperor Deqing.
For example, this time, Zhu Hejian's operation of temple power clearly had the tacit approval of Emperor Deqing. However, when Emperor Deqing saw that Zhu Hejian's temple power had developed beyond expectation, he would instinctively feel uneasy and suspicious, and seeds of suspicion would arise. It also sprouted and grew rapidly. I couldn't help but want to test Zhu Hejian's true nature and see if he was hiding anything from me.
It was precisely because of this thought that Emperor Deqing's words of rejection had just come to his lips, but he suddenly changed his mind and said slowly: "In this case, according to my decree, I have summoned the Seventh Prince Zhu Hejian to come to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to answer. "
*
After Emperor Deqing passed the decree, the officials did not wait quietly for Zhu Hejian's appearance. They were still arguing over Zhou Shangjing's proposal, and the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony was still in chaos.
Many officials of the "New Prince Party" have realized that once Zhu Hejian appears in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, he will be in an awkward situation. They hope to completely veto Zhou Shangjing's proposal before Zhu Hejian appears, so they still Holding high the banner of "ancestral teachings", they all reported to Emperor Deqing, saying that Zhu Hejian's status as a prince was by no means suitable for taking on important responsibilities.
At this time, many officials of the "Zhou Party" also reacted and began to stand up to support Zhou Shangjing's proposal. They believed that the Ming Dynasty's ancestral system only said that "princes cannot interfere in politics", but clan affairs and court affairs are completely different things. Zhu Hejian is fully qualified to investigate the crimes of clans in various places.
In this way, a huge head-on battle began between the "New Prince Party" and the "Zhou Party". Both sides were firm and refused to give in.
In a certain sense, this battle heralded the official debut of the "New Prince Party", which was quite a blockbuster. In competing with the "Zhou Party", they actually did not fall behind in the slightest.
It can even be said that from now on, the basic situation of the three pillars of the "Zhou Party", "Zhao Party" and "New Prince Party" has been formed in the temple.
However, the establishment time of the "New Prince Party" was too short after all. It seemed to be huge, but it was far less than the cooperation and tacit understanding of the "Zhou Party". Moreover, the vision and means of Cheng Yuandao, Lin Wei, Lu Chunxiao and others were also quite poor. They are not as good as Li He, Song Qiwen, Zhang Boxhong and others of the "Zhou Party". When the two parties competed, they seemed to be evenly matched, but they were soon manipulated by the old foxes of the "Zhou Party" to control the topic.
Several important ministers of the "Zhou Party" were also unable to guess Zhou Shangjing's true plan, but they also understood Zhou Shangjing's intention to suppress Zhu Hejian. They had always been extremely convinced of Zhou Shangjing's political wisdom and believed that Zhou Shangjing's actions must be intentional. The profound meaning is that now there is not much hesitation, and they are all cooperating secretly.
Therefore, under the deliberate guidance of several core figures of the "Zhou Party" and adhering to Zhou Shangjing's instructions to suppress Zhu Hejian, the core topic of this debate gradually changed from "whether Zhu Hejian is qualified to take on important tasks" to "whether Zhu Hejian is qualified to take on the important task" Are you capable of taking on the important responsibilities?”
However, there are still many "New Prince Party" officials who only want to suppress the "Zhou Party" and actually jumped into the trap. They all said that Zhu Hejian's lack of experience and ability had not been tested. If he were to be in charge of the clan, It is very likely that the matter will be completely messed up, maybe it is not as good as Prince Zhu Heyu... who was calculated and didn't realize it.
If this debate continues, I am afraid that the view that "Zhu Hejian is insufficient" will soon become the consensus of all officials.
Fortunately, just before the "new princelings" completely destroyed Zhu Hejian's evaluation of his ability, Zhu Hejian finally arrived in the Hall of Supreme Harmony in time with the sound of "Seventh Prince Zhu Hejian comes to visit."
*
In fact, Zhu Hejian was very aware of the importance of today's court meeting and had been paying close attention to it. Before he received the imperial edict from Emperor Deqing, he had already grasped the general situation. After receiving the imperial edict, he quickly rushed to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Delay any time.
But after Zhu Hejian rushed to the palace, he still wanted to continue to observe the changes in the situation, so he hid outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony and listened to the debate between the "new prince party" and the "Zhou party".
However, because the performance of the "new princeling" was too poor, Zhu Hejian soon couldn't stand it any longer. He was almost furious and had to show up in advance - if the officials really believed that his ability was not enough Without Zhu Heyu, even if he succeeds in becoming the new crown prince, it will be difficult for him to gain a foothold in the temple.
After stepping into the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Zhu Hejian first took a deep look at Zhou Shangjing. There was both anger and confusion in his eyes. He didn't understand why Zhou Shangjing would deliberately target him without warning;
Then, Zhu Hejian turned his head slightly and looked at Zhao Junchen carefully. There was a hint of fear in his eyes, and he was obviously worried about Zhao Junchen's next attitude.
But from the beginning to the end, Zhu Hejian did not even look at the "new princelings" - the poor performance of these people really disappointed Zhu Hejian. It seemed that they were quite powerful, but they were "censored" from the beginning to the end. "Zhou Dang" leads us by the nose, but they are all nothing but wine and rice bags!
"If I want to gain a firm foothold in the temple in the future, I must search for some real talents as soon as possible for my own use! These clean streamers and former 'sinking party' officials are all wastes who fail to achieve anything but fail. They have always been Being played around by Zhou Shangjing, Zhao Junchen and others with applause, from now on I can only use it to wave the flag and boost momentum, and I will never take on important responsibilities!"
As he was thinking secretly, Zhu Hejian's heart was full of resentment, but his expression was as elegant and gentle as ever. He walked quickly to the steps of Emperor Deqing and paid homage: "My son, I would like to say hello to my father, and pay my respects to my father. Emperor."
Emperor Deqing had been silent for a long time. After seeing Zhu Hejian saluting and saying hello, he finally spoke slowly and asked: "Old Qi, do you already know what happened in court this morning?"
Zhu Hejian sighed, nodded and said, "On the way to the palace with the order, I had already inquired about the relevant information from the angel who delivered the order, and I also roughly understood the current situation."
Emperor Deqing took a deep look at Zhu Hejian and asked again: "Zhou Shoufu proposed that you take over as the crown prince and be responsible for investigating the various crimes of clans in various places. What do you think about this?"
Zhu Hejian obviously had a countermeasure in mind, and said directly without any hesitation: "As long as I can relieve my father's worries, I am willing to do anything, even through fire and water! If my father, do you think it is a good thing for me to be responsible for this matter?" It is a good thing for you to share your worries, and your son is naturally responsible for it; but if you, the emperor, think that your son's taking over this matter is against the ancestral precepts, your son will naturally take the initiative to avoid suspicion and dare not go overboard!"
After hearing Zhu Hejian's words, all the officials secretly praised him, thinking that Zhu Hejian's speaking skills were very superb.
Through these words, Zhu Hejian not only avoided the dilemma, but also showed his loyalty and filial piety.
At the same time, Zhu Hejian also handed over the decision-making power to Emperor Deqing. He recognized that he was the future prince that Emperor Deqing had high hopes for, so Emperor Deqing would never let him fall into the mire of rot!
Sure enough, after hearing Zhu Hejian's statement, Emperor Deqing nodded gently with a pleased expression, obviously very satisfied with Zhu Hejian's answer.
"You understand the two words of loyalty and filial piety, and you understand my difficulties and never make things difficult for me! If all the officials were like you, why worry about the instability of the country? If an important minister of the court doesn't care about the emperor's favor and power at all, he only cares about the emperor's grace and power. He knows how to plot everything and go against me, so what's the use of keeping him?" As he spoke, Emperor Deqing glanced at Zhou Shangjing, obviously meaning something.
After a pause, Emperor Deqing turned his eyes to Zhu Hejian again and continued to praise: "It's no wonder that all the officials in court this morning praised you. Their attitudes and positions are different, and they are arguing among themselves. But everyone thinks that you are noble in character, fair in stance, and able to convince the public, and all kinds of praises are endless... Haha, when the prince had the highest reputation in the government and the public, I'm afraid he can't be as good as you!"
On the surface, Emperor Deqing's words seemed to be just to slap Zhou Shangjing, but when Zhu Hejian heard it, his heart tightened and he immediately replied: "The Tao Te Ching says, 'One who is good at winning without fighting will be able to win without fighting. Respond well to what you say, come without being called, be calm and good at planning'; it is also said that 'the way of heaven is to benefit but not to harm; the way of man is to act without fighting'; these are the warning words of the sage Laozi, and they are correct. As the saying goes, 'If you don't fight with the world, you can't fight with anyone else', and I deeply believe this! Therefore, I always take care of myself and don't fight with others, so naturally I have no one as my enemy."
Zhu Hejian was indeed extremely knowledgeable and immediately quoted words from the Tao Te Ching to imply that he had never had any ambitions.
The implication of these words is that the reason why hundreds of officials praised him with one voice was just because he had no conflict of interest with anyone else. This is the so-called "good at winning without fighting"; at the same time, , because Zhu Hejian is already the quasi-prince, naturally a large number of political speculators will actively support him. This is also the so-called "come without being called" and "benefit without harm".
In short, Zhu Hejian hinted that he had never deliberately sought fame and fame, and he had never formed a party for personal gain without the knowledge of Emperor Deqing.
These words were still very beautiful, and Emperor Deqing nodded with satisfaction again.
Emperor Deqing specially summoned Zhu Hejian for questioning. Originally, it was just to test whether Zhu Hejian had any hidden ambitions. He did not really want Zhu Hejian to take over the clan's mess. Zhu Hejian's several answers now satisfied Emperor Deqing. His previous suspicions His enthusiasm dissipated a lot, so he planned to drop this topic and find a reason to reject Zhou Shangjing's suggestion.
However, before Emperor Deqing could express his attitude, Zhou Shangjing, who was extremely active in the court this morning, stood up again, changed the topic again, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, His Highness the Seventh Prince's loyalty, filial piety, courage to take responsibility, Intelligent and wise, they are all role models for all officials, and they are deeply admired by the veterans!
But the current situation has become obvious. None of the officials or factory guards are suitable to come forward. His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince is the only candidate. Moreover, he himself has no intention of refusing and is eager to share His Majesty's worries. It can be said that they hit it off immediately.
The veteran also hopes that Your Majesty will act decisively and resolutely, and appoint the seventh prince to be the imperial envoy to investigate the crimes of clans in various places! Your Majesty knows clearly that the clan crime must be resolved as soon as possible, otherwise the impact will only become worse, and there must be no further delay! "
After hearing Zhou Shangjing speak again, the expressions of Emperor Deqing and Zhu Hejian changed again.
At the same time, Zhao Junchen stood behind Zhou Shangjing and almost laughed out loud.
Zhu Hejian was indeed a master of words and successfully fooled Emperor Deqing, but if he wanted to use words in front of Zhou Shangjing, it was obviously a trick in front of Guan Gong - Zhao Junchen never dared to use words to deal with Zhou Shangjing. ——This old guy is not only a great figure in the contemporary literary world and has rich experience in party struggle, but his quick thinking does not look like an old man who is about to reach his octogenarian age at all.
At this time, Zhu Hejian suffered. His various statements were obviously just clever words to protect himself, but they were immediately misinterpreted by Zhou Shangjing and turned into "no intention of rejection" and "eager to share the worries of His Majesty". Zhu Hejian immediately sat on the wax again.
As a result, even with Zhu Hejian's quick wit, he didn't know how to best react for a while.
On the other side, the anger in Emperor Deqing's heart, which had gradually subsided, rose again. He felt that Zhou Shangjing had gone crazy and was always against him. Is Zhou Shangjing really not afraid that he would not end well after overturning the table?
However, Zhou Shangjing's statement was still watertight. Emperor Deqing couldn't find a reason to get angry for a while, so he had to suppress his anger and find another way to deal with it!
*
The current situation is obvious. No one among the officials in the dynasty dares to take over the mess of the clan. They are afraid that they will make themselves smelly, so they all avoid it!
Under such circumstances, Zhu Hejian seemed to be the only suitable candidate. Even if Emperor Deqing wanted to oppose Zhou Shangjing's proposal, he would have to find an alternative.
So, after Emperor Deqing gave Zhou Shangjing a hard look, he turned his attention to several important ministers in the temple, hoping to force a certain important minister to stand up and take over the affairs of the clan, and replace Zhu Hejian to resist this thankless task. Black pot.
In addition to the chief ministers of the Ministry of Rites and the Department of Three Laws mentioned by Zhou Shangjing, there are actually several ministers who are qualified to take on such an important task.
Subconsciously, Emperor Deqing's eyes first stopped at Zhao Junchen - it had become Emperor Deqing's instinct to make Zhao Junchen take the blame.
But soon, Emperor Deqing shook his head slightly, thinking that Zhao Junchen was not a suitable candidate, because Zhao Junchen once formed an alliance with the prince Zhu Heyu, and he was responsible for investigating the clans in various places. He was afraid that the clans in various places would be dissatisfied and rebound, and The court's money and food still need Zhao Junchen to come forward to maintain operation, and he cannot escape.
Then, Emperor Deqing's eyes rested on Ge Lao Li He, wanting to hand over the blame to the second-in-command of the "Zhou Party", which could be regarded as revenge for Zhou Shangjing's misfortune to him today.
However, Emperor Deqing was still a little hesitant. As the saying goes, there are policies above and countermeasures below. Although the emperor can force his ministers to take the blame and take responsibility, the ministers also have a way to deal with the emperor, and that is to pretend to be sick! Moreover, the older and more prominent the ministers are, the more adept they are at using such methods!
Li He is not young anymore and is still a senior pavilion elder. If Emperor Deqing forces him to take over the affairs of the clan, he will probably become seriously ill and unable to afford it. Emperor Deqing will really have nothing to do with him then. The most solution can only be to reduce his official position, but the clan matter will continue to be delayed and cannot be resolved - Zhou Shangjing is at least right in one sentence. The investigation of the crimes of clan clans in various places cannot be delayed any longer!
Next, Emperor Deqing turned his attention to Cheng Yuandao, Lu Chunxiao, Lin Wei and others, but also quickly withdrew his gaze.
These people are the core figures of the "new princelings" and their official positions are high enough. They are forced to take over the investigation of the clan affairs. There is no need to worry about them using "pretending to be ill" to deal with Emperor Deqing. After all, if they escape , Zhu Hejian must be allowed to take over, and by then they will no longer have a foothold in the "new princelings".
It's a pity that these people are not capable enough, and Emperor Deqing really can't trust them to take on important tasks.
In this way, Emperor Deqing looked around, but could not find a suitable candidate for a long time. He couldn't help but secretly resented him, thinking that all the officials in the dynasty were unfaithful, unfilial, and useless. At this time, no one could be counted on. Not on.
And when Emperor Deqing was in a dilemma over suitable candidates, Zhu Hejian secretly turned his head and winked at several core figures of the "new princelings", signaling them to take the initiative to take responsibility.
As long as they stand up and recommend themselves, even if they are rejected by Emperor Deqing due to lack of ability, Zhu Hejian's pressure will be reduced by half!
It's a pity that everyone knows that the investigation of the clan is a mess. From now on, he will definitely have to take the blame and take responsibility. Cheng Yuandao has always cherished his own life and will never take the initiative to take responsibility; Lu Chunxiao is still thinking about the benefits of Prince Zhu Heyu. , the position of supporting Zhu Hejian is not firm; Lin Wei is a selfish person, and will not take the initiative to take the blame...
Therefore, these "new princeling" officials who are qualified to take the blame are all looking at their noses and mouths, and have no intention of taking the initiative to stand up. It is as if they did not notice Zhu Hejian's eyes at all.
Seeing this scene, Zhu Hejian secretly hated these people for being useless, and became increasingly determined to find some real talents for his own use in the future.
At this moment, someone suddenly came out from the middle of the line of officials and said: "Your Majesty! I still believe that His Highness the Seventh Prince is not suitable for taking on important responsibilities. This is the law of the ancestors and cannot be violated! But since it is now Among the hundreds of officials, no one is willing to take on the important task of investigating the affairs of the clans in various places. If Your Majesty does not dislike the humble position of this humble minister, I am willing to recommend myself and share your worries for you!"
After hearing these words, all the officials were shocked and looked at the speaker one after another, only to find that the speaker was Wang Youlun, the right deputy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate!
Seeing Wang Youlun's initiative to apply, all the officials in the court felt incredible. They did not expect that Wang Youlun, who had always been a secretive person, would take the initiative to step forward. However, Emperor Deqing and the seventh prince Zhu Hejian were overjoyed and also Secretly relieved!
The appearance of Wang Youlun undoubtedly broke the deadlock caused by Zhou Shangjing.
Then, Emperor Deqing and the seventh prince Zhu Hejian quickly and secretly recalled Wang Youlun's career experience in their hearts.
Speaking of which, Wang Youlun is the favorite disciple of Wang Baoren, the current crown prince. Emperor Deqing recalled Wang Baoren to the capital some time ago just to let him assist Zhu Hejian. From a political standpoint, Wang Youlun and Zhu Hejian have the same interests, just because they are separated by Wang Baoren. At this level, Wang Youlun cannot be regarded as a direct force of Zhu Hejian.
After Wang Baoren and Zhou Shangjing failed in the party dispute, he was demoted to Nanjing to serve as the Minister of Civil Affairs in Nanjing. Then Zhou Shangjing couldn't wait to purge all the cronies Wang Baoren had left in the center of the capital. However, only Wang Youlun could stand up despite Zhou Shangjing's repeated suppression. Instead of falling, he was promoted step by step to the rank of third-rank official of the right deputy inspector of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, which is enough to show that this person has superb methods and extraordinary abilities!
With such a person taking over the investigation of the clan, Emperor Deqing could feel at ease.
On the other side, while Zhu Hejian was secretly happy, he also secretly made up his mind, thinking that Wang Youlun was willing to take the initiative to defend himself. He was obviously loyal, and his past experience was enough to prove his ability. Such a person was exactly what Zhu Hejian wanted to find. Talents must be reused in the future, or even given a helping hand!
In fact, since the signs of Zhu Hejian's rise to power have become more obvious, Wang Youlun has repeatedly expressed his kindness to Zhu Hejian. However, Zhu Hejian is worried about Wang Baoren's reaction and does not dare to blatantly poach others. His attitude has always been aloof. Now after seeing Wang Youlun's performance, Zhu Hejian discovered that I shouldn't have scrupled too much and ignored Wang Youlun in the first place, but I almost missed a talent.
In this way, probably because Zhou Shangjing pressed too hard before, Emperor Deqing and Zhu Hejian now only felt that Wang Youlun was becoming more and more pleasing to their eyes.
Just when Emperor Deqing and Zhu Hejian were each thinking, Zhou Shangjing's eyes flashed with inexplicable meaning after seeing Wang Youlun's statement, but he once again expressed his opposition: "Your Majesty, it is certainly courage for Mr. Wang to take the initiative to ask for help." It's commendable, but after all, he is only the right deputy inspector and censor, and the number of deputy inspectors and censors in the Metropolitan Procuratorate has always been unlimited. Now there are as many as eleven. Their status and reputation are not prominent, and the same is true for clan affairs. It’s important. If he is in charge, I’m afraid he won’t be able to hold his position or convince the public! The old minister still believes that it is most appropriate to leave the investigation of the clan to the seventh prince!”
Emperor Deqing looked at Zhou Shangjing, then at Wang Youlun, with a smile on his lips, and said: "I am very pleased that Wang Yushi is willing to share my worries! Zhou Shoufu thinks that Wang Yushi's official rank and reputation are not enough, and he is not able to take on important tasks. It reminds me, speaking of which... Wang Youlun's qualifications and abilities are sufficient, and now he has proved his loyalty and willingness to share your worries. It's time for him to be promoted!
In conveying my will, Wang Youlun is loyal, diligent and courageous in his responsibilities. He can set an example for all officials. I hereby be promoted to the position of Yushi of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate! Choose a day to leave Beijing and rush to Luoyang to take over the crown prince's adjudication of the case of King Fu's disorderly government and discipline!
In addition, Du Bai, the censor of the left censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and Lu Chunxiao, the censor of the right censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, were mediocre and incompetent and used to push the envelope. They should be punished as a warning to others. Du Bai was fined for one year and was reassigned as the censor of the right censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. In the history, Lu Chunxiao was fined half a year's salary and demoted to the right deputy inspector of the Metropolitan Procuratorate! Admire this! "
After promulgating the imperial edict, Emperor Deqing only felt that his approach was very clever. Not only did he find suitable candidates to investigate the crimes of clans in various places, but he also took the opportunity to beat the officials who had been evading responsibility, shirk and retreat this morning. Most importantly, The thing is - Wang Youlun is the "political enemy" that Zhou Shangjing has been trying to deal with for many years. After Emperor Deqing took the opportunity to promote Wang Youlun, he also punished Du Bai, one of the core figures of the "Zhou Party", thus taking revenge on Zhou Shangjing. The things that went against him many times in today's court meeting - it can be said that he killed three birds with one stone!
After Wang Youlun quickly accepted the order to thank him, and Du Bai and Lu Chunxiao also accepted the punishment with a sad face, Emperor Deqing was so happy that he felt a breath of bad breath and asked Zhou Shangjing with a smile: "In this case, Wang Youlun has already He has become a second-rank supervisory censor and one of the leaders of the Three Law Departments. Does Zhou Chief Assistant think he is qualified to investigate the clan affairs?"
Zhou Shangjing seemed not to have expected that Emperor Deqing would be so decisive, and promoted Wang Youlun without any hesitation. He could not help but look solemn, lowered his head and said slowly: "With His Majesty's arbitrariness, the veteran is naturally speechless." It can be said."
When Zhou Shangjing was left speechless, Emperor Deqing felt even more relieved and declared again: "In this case, I will pass on my decree again and appoint Wang Youlun, the censor of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, as the imperial envoy. He will leave tomorrow at the latest." Luoyang, I will take over from the crown prince to investigate Prince Fu’s irregularities in government and discipline. All local governments must cooperate fully to investigate the crimes of various clans as soon as possible without any delay. I appreciate this!”
After hearing the conclusion of Emperor Deqing's coffin closure, Wang Youlun looked fiercely loyal and went out to receive orders again, while Zhou Shangjing continued to lower his head and returned to the line of officials, saying nothing again.
On the surface, it seems that Zhou Shangjing's plan failed. His attempt to suppress the seventh prince Zhu Hejian failed, but he lost all the money. Instead, he allowed his political enemy in the DPRK, Wang Youlun, to take advantage.
Therefore, after seeing Zhou Shangjing's silence, most people thought that Zhou Shangjing had miscalculated and was frustrated.
However, no one saw that there was a hint of stratagem on Zhou Shangjing's drooping old face.
*
In fact, few people know that after Wang Baoren failed in the party struggle and was demoted to Nanjing, Wang Youlun quickly switched to Zhou Shangjing's disciples and had already become Zhou Shangjing's crony!
However, Zhou Shangjing had already guessed that Wang Baoren would return to the capital sooner or later to compete with him again, so he deliberately concealed the matter, so that Wang Youlun was still loyal to Wang Baoren on the surface. In fact, it was a move arranged by Zhou Shangjing. When Wang Baoren After returning to the center of the capital, Wang Youlun will become Zhou Shangjing's informant ambushing Wang Baoren!
This is also the real reason why Wang Youlun has been "suppressed" by Zhou Shangjing repeatedly over the years, but is still rising rapidly!
After Zhu Hejian became the quasi-Crown Prince, Zhou Shangjing was reminded by Zhao Junchen and gradually noticed some signs. He found that Zhu Hejian's character was too sinister and did not seem to be a suitable candidate to inherit the throne. However, he only found some clues and no clues. Finding evidence, Zhou Shangjing arranged for Wang Youlun to use Wang Baoren's relationship to get close to Zhu Hejian and find out Zhu Hejian's background. Unfortunately, Zhu Hejian's character was extremely cautious, and he had always been lukewarm to Wang Youlun's proactive overtures.
So, under such circumstances, the scene of going to court this morning happened!
The reason why Zhou Shangjing repeatedly deliberately angered Emperor Deqing and blatantly suppressed Zhu Hejian was to make them impulsive and have no other choice. In the end, not only would Emperor Deqing make an exception and promote Wang Youlun to take on important responsibilities, but Zhu Hejian would also be grateful. Wang Youlun stepped forward, and Wang Youlun is now an important prosecutor, Zhu Hejian will definitely use Wang Youlun as a confidant in the future!
At that time, Zhou Shangjing will be able to clearly see Zhu Hejian's true nature!
In fact, although Zhou Shangjing's plan was successful, it was not without cost. His actions today would inevitably arouse the hostility of Zhu Hejian, and also break the tacit agreement between him and Emperor Deqing not to interfere in the succession of the throne. It can be said that he has offended the current emperor and the future prince at the same time, and there will definitely be great hidden dangers in the future.
Zhou Shangjing originally had more suitable means to achieve such a goal, and there was no need to take risks - but Zhou Shangjing was too old, and his energy had become increasingly weak during this period. At this time, he had no choice but to take risks and take shortcuts. .
"I only hope that Wang Youlun can take advantage of this opportunity to quickly gain Zhu Hejian's trust and verify Zhu Hejian's true nature as soon as possible... If Zhu Hejian is really as deep and vicious as Zhao Junchen suggested, I must rush in. I can't bear to solve this hidden danger before... Sigh! I don't know how many more years I can hold on..."
Zhou Shangjing stood in front of the line of officials, feeling the fatigue of his body and mind, and thought to himself.
*
After the final candidate for investigating the clan affairs was determined, the court meeting finally returned to normal procedures.
After Emperor Deqing and the officials spent more than half an hour discussing some details and follow-up plans, they finally announced that the morning dynasty was over.
In today's morning court, due to Zhou Shangjing's repeated disruptions, the development of the situation has completely exceeded Emperor Deqing's expectations.
According to Emperor Deqing's expectations, today's morning meeting should first be to fully implement King Fu's charges, and then use the evidence of King Fu's crimes to find out all the relevant clans, and finally let Zhao Junchen come forward to impeach Zhu Heyu, thus causing various feudal vassals to The king and the prince Zhu Heyu were both in a lose-lose situation.
But now, because of Zhou Shangjing's interference, the crimes of various clans still need to be further investigated. Prince Zhu Heyu was only scolded a few words and then recalled to the capital. Zhao Junchen, who was supposed to come forward to impeach Zhu Heyu, was still there all the time. Neither had much chance to speak.
Such a gap can be said to be huge. If Emperor Deqing hadn't thought that he had successfully counterattacked Zhou Shangjing in the end, he would have exploded with rage at this time.
But he said that after the morning dynasty, Emperor Deqing was the first to leave the Hall of Supreme Harmony. His expression was not gloomy when he left, and he obviously had other plans for the follow-up.
After Emperor Deqing left the Hall of Supreme Harmony, just as Zhou Shangjing had expected, the seventh prince Zhu Hejian quickly walked up to Wang Youlun, and made various gestures to quickly close the relationship. It was obvious that he had made up his mind to take Wang Youlun away. Taken as a confidant.
However, before Zhu Hejian and Wang Youlun could talk more, the eunuch Zhang De appeared again in the Hall of Supreme Harmony and summoned Wang Youlun to the imperial study to meet Emperor Deqing alone. It seemed that Emperor Deqing had other instructions for Wang Youlun.
Seeing this situation, Zhou Shangjing's expression remained calm, but a trace of satisfaction flashed through his old eyes again, and he slowly left the Hall of Supreme Harmony surrounded by officials from the "Zhou Party".
On the other side, Zhao Junchen, who spent most of this morning just watching the show, suddenly discovered something after observing the performances of Emperor Deqing, Zhou Shangjing, Zhu Hejian and others.
It is rare for Zhou Shangjing to take the initiative to charge into the battle at a court meeting. It is even more unimaginable to see Zhou Shangjing take the initiative to charge into the battle but still end up stealing the chicken and losing the rice!
Moreover, Zhou Shangjing repeatedly angered Emperor Deqing today, which was actually very unnecessary. It was completely unlike Zhou Shangjing's usual style of going with the flow.
The most important thing is that Zhou Shangjing's various abnormal performances today seem to have finally helped his political enemy Wang Youlun?
Thinking of this, Zhao Junchen saw several Zhao Party officials coming to him, and suddenly asked: "This Wang Youlun has always been secretive. I have always ignored him in the past and didn't know him well. Who of you can Tell me about him?"
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A chapter of nearly 10,000 words!
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