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After the dinner, Zhu Hejian originally wanted to send off all the guests as soon as possible, so that he could focus on dealing with the exposure of the "Chaofeng" dead soldier.
However, after Zhu Hejian finally sent away most of the guests, he found that the Crown Prince and Grand Master Wang Baoren was still sitting in his original position, with no intention of getting up and leaving. He was leisurely drinking tea while looking at Zhu Hejian with a half-smile. Obviously, I want to talk to Zhu Hejian privately.
Zhu Hejian couldn't help but frown, feeling secretly annoyed, thinking that this old guy was too much of a bother.
But the next moment, Zhu Hejian once again put on a mask of humility and elegance, walked quickly to Wang Baoren, and said with concern: "Teacher, it's getting late. Although it's summer, the night is still cold and dew heavy. You should also Return to the mansion to rest."
Wang Baoren had a kind expression and said with a smile: "My body is much stronger than that old guy Zhou Shangjing, and I am not afraid of a little bit of wind and cold. Your Highness does not need to worry, on the contrary...
During tonight's banquet, many things happened one after another...such as the public debate held at the Confucius Temple five days later, or the sudden attack on the Song family with heavy casualties...These changes were all unexpected by me. , without receiving any news beforehand, the situation in Nanjing will inevitably change dramatically...
Therefore, I now want to have a candlelit night talk with His Highness to discuss in detail the follow-up countermeasures for the situation in Nanjing... Under the many variables, we should make no reservations, work together, and adapt to changes, otherwise we will not be able to properly deal with the two female cadres of Zhou and Zhao. There is a steady stream of evil plots and schemes, Your Highness, are you right? "
When expressing his stance, Wang Baoren looked sincere and smiled, and seemed to be considering Zhu Hejian wholeheartedly.
But when Wang Baoren's old eyes looked at Zhu Hejian, he was aggressive, obviously implying something, and hiding a hidden edge.
*
Zhu Hejian certainly understood the reason for Wang Baoren's dissatisfaction.
It was because Wang Baoren suddenly discovered that Zhu Hejian had many plans, arrangements, and trump cards that he had been hiding from him, and he obviously had no trust.
In fact, Zhu Hejian had long expected that Wang Baoren would be strongly dissatisfied with his concealment of the affair and create a rift between the two parties. He had also guessed that Wang Baoren would definitely try to beat and warn him after he was dissatisfied.
But Zhu Hejian had no choice.
Under the current situation, it was impossible for him to trust Wang Baoren.
This is not only because of Zhu Hejian's suspicious nature, but also because - before the crown prince Zhu Heyu was officially deposed, before Zhu Hejian officially took over the throne, and before the turmoil of the reserve change was finalized, the status of Zhu Hejian and Wang Baoren was Totally unequal.
In short, as long as the conditions are right, Wang Baoren can abandon Zhu Hejian and switch to Zhu Heyu at any time, but Zhu Hejian has no means to counter Wang Baoren.
For Wang Baoren, it doesn't matter who is the crown prince. There is not much difference between Zhu Hejian and Zhu Heyu. Neither of them will affect his position as crown prince and grand master in the short term. The key point is who can help him after becoming the crown prince. Obtain more benefits and increase his chances of joining the cabinet to assist the government and rule the world.
Under such circumstances, Zhu Hejian naturally had to be reserved and did not dare to reveal more secrets to Wang Baoren.
Although Wang Baoren's vision and wisdom are not as good as Zhou Shangjing's, he is still outstanding. After he knows more of Zhu Hejian's plans, he can easily deduce Zhu Hejian's secrets and tricks.
Then, when Wang Baoren finds out Zhu Hejian's true background and obtains Zhu Hejian's secrets, he will most likely realize that his next best choice is to immediately abandon Zhu Hejian and support Zhu Heyu. Report all Zhu Hejian's handles and secrets to Emperor Deqing, allowing Zhu Hejian to quickly lose the Holy Scroll and help Zhu Heyu consolidate his position.
After all, compared to Zhu Hejian's radicalness and insidiousness, Zhu Heyu is obviously easier to manipulate and has a better bottom line in doing things. Wang Baoren's choice to support Zhu Heyu is also easier to achieve a good death;
The most important thing is that Zhu Heyu's position as crown prince is now in danger and may be deposed at any time, and Zhu Hejian is the first candidate to succeed him, so
Wang Baoren's support of Zhu Hejian was just the icing on the cake, but supporting Zhu Heyu and assisting Zhu Heyu in reversing the situation was definitely a timely help. The impact was completely different, and the ultimate benefit was also different.
Wang Baoren is a pure pragmatist and egoist. When he analyzes the pros and cons and thinks that he can gain more benefits by abandoning Zhu Hejian and supporting Zhu Heyu, then he will definitely betray him quickly and will never do so. I miss the teacher-student friendship between the two in just a few days.
At this moment, Zhu Hejian had no way to prevent and retaliate against Wang Baoren's betrayal.
Under such circumstances, it was naturally impossible for Zhu Hejian to tell Wang Baoren all his plans, and he was not allowed to let Wang Baoren notice any chance of betrayal.
Unless Wang Baoren, like Lu De, surrendered his wealth and life to Zhu Hejian so that Zhu Hejian could have countermeasures, Zhu Hejian would never be able to trust Wang Baoren easily.
But how could an old official fox like Wang Baoren give up his wealth and life to Zhu Hejian? He was also secretly wary of His Highness.
Therefore, the two teachers and students, who seem to be inseparable but have different agendas, will inevitably continue for a long time. Only after the interests of both parties are completely bound will it be possible to work together without any resentment.
Both Zhu Hejian and Wang Baoren knew this very well.
But at this moment, Wang Baoren had discovered that Zhu Hejian had many plans that he was hiding from him in private, such as the public debate at the Confucius Temple five days later, and the specific origins of the mysterious group of people who killed the servants of the Song family. Wang Baoren He didn't know anything about it beforehand, which made him very angry.
On the surface, Zhu Hejian had just accepted Wang Baoren as his disciple. On the surface, he was also a political ally. However, he had a large number of plans hidden from Wang Baoren. It was indeed unreasonable, so Zhu Hejian had to give Wang Baoren an explanation.
This level is not easy to pass, and a slight mistake will separate Zhu Hejian and Wang Baoren.
Once he loses the support and assistance of Wang Baoren, it will be more difficult for Zhu Hejian to deal with the follow-up offensives of Zhou and Zhao parties, and he may lose everything.
But fortunately, Zhu Hejian had already prepared the means to deal with Wang Baoren.
*
At this time, after hearing what Wang Baoren meant, Zhu Hejian immediately showed hesitation, as if he was still unwilling to confess everything to Wang Baoren.
After Wang Baoren saw this, he didn't show any more annoyance. He still smiled and said with kindness, "If His Highness doesn't want to say it clearly, then that's it. I know that His Highness must have his own difficulties and considerations, but …The situation in Nanjing is extremely complicated now. If I don’t know His Highness’s follow-up plan at all, I’m afraid I won’t be able to cooperate tacitly. Maybe I’ll unintentionally help and hinder His Highness. In the end, it’s very likely that His Highness’s overall plan will be ruined. It would be bad if the female gangsters Zhou and Zhao succeeded in their schemes..."
These words already contained an implicit threat.
But Zhu Hejian still showed hesitation and seemed unwilling to confess all his secrets.
Wang Baoren finally frowned and said slowly: "There is one more thing... I am favored by Your Majesty and appointed as the Crown Prince's Grand Master. I not only have the responsibility of teaching the Crown Prince, but also have the right to express my opinion on the Crown Prince's abolition... In the recent period, there have been turmoils between the government and the opposition. Not only is the situation in Nanjing strange, but the capital is also in chaos...
First, the Gonggun princes were arguing endlessly over the merits and demerits of Zhao Junchen's trip to Liaodong; then, several of His Majesty's decrees were firmly opposed by Song Qiwen, the Minister of Personnel, and they were constantly arguing with each other; and the most important thing, The prince was put under house arrest by His Majesty, and the matter of abolishing the crown prince was officially put on the agenda...
Just three days ago, I received a secret edict from His Majesty. Not only did I inquire about the details of the changes in the situation in Nanjing, but I also asked for my opinion on the abolition of the Crown Prince... For example, whether the current Crown Prince should be deposed. , and for example, the character and abilities of the princes and vassal kings, and the specific performance of His Highness the Seventh Prince in Nanjing..."
Having said this, Wang Baoren's expression hesitated, as if he was deeply troubled: "After I received the secret order, I felt deeply that I had a heavy responsibility, and I was also worried that my opinions were wrong and biased, and had misled His Majesty.
Therefore, I dare not report back to His Majesty... But I don't know, His Highness the Seventh Prince thinks, how should I report back to Your Majesty most appropriately? "
Wang Baoren's statement contained a more serious threat. It meant that if Zhu Hejian was unwilling to confess his cards and secrets to him, he would not only "inadvertently" destroy Zhu Hejian's Nanjing layout, but he would also change his position and change his position. Then support Zhu Hejian to take over the position of crown prince.
Zhu Hejian was not worried about these threats from Wang Baoren.
In Zhu Hejian's view, the dethronement of the crown prince has been completed, and Wang Baoren's opinion cannot affect the final result at all. Emperor Deqing asked Wang Baoren for his opinion just out of convention. With Emperor Deqing's character, he would not actually They care about Wang Baoren’s opinion.
What's more, Wang Baoren was not the only one who maintained contact with Emperor Deqing. Zhu Hejian also often received secret orders from Emperor Deqing and submitted secrets to Emperor Deqing. He was not afraid of Wang Baoren speaking ill of himself to Emperor Deqing.
As for the situation in Nanjing, it is too complicated and treacherous. All parties have different calculations, and the variables are endless. Therefore, let alone Wang Baoren, I am afraid that even Zhou Shangjing cannot understand the overall situation, and Zhu Hejian has concealed his secrets from Wang Baoren. The core plan, under such circumstances, even if Wang Baoren wants to hold back and be a disservice, there is a high probability that he will not be able to do it.
However, Zhu Hejian still regards Wang Baoren as a help that can be used. There will be many things that require Wang Baoren's assistance in the future. After the interests of both parties are bound, there will be a chance to become a real political alliance, so Zhu Hejian is not willing to turn against Wang Baoren.
Of course, due to various considerations, Zhu Hejian still did not intend to reveal all his plans to Wang Baoren.
In this way, not only must he continue to conceal his true plan from Wang Baoren, but he must also properly deal with Wang Baoren's entanglement and questioning, and he must also calm Wang Baoren's dissatisfaction... What should be done?
The answer is very simple, that is, let Wang Baoren take the initiative to give up questioning and explore the truth.
In fact, it is not difficult to make Wang Baoren take the initiative to give up questioning and explore the truth.
Wang Baoren is a veteran in officialdom, and he must be aware of one thing - it is rare to be in a bad situation.
Sometimes, knowing the truth is not a good thing;
For some things, the less you know about the inside story, the better;
In some cases, ignorance is the best protection for yourself.
So, under Wang Baoren's scrutiny, after Zhu Hejian hesitated for a long time, he finally spoke again, but changed the subject: "Teacher, what do you think of the word 'at any cost'?" If it is for the sake of the imperial court and the country, if you want to do good in the world, if you have no other choice, can you do it at any cost? "
Wang Baoren narrowed his eyes: "There are rules and conventions for the operation of everything in the world, and the formation of these rules and conventions takes into account the interests of all parties... And the so-called "uncompromising means" actually means doing things Breaking rules and violating conventions will damage the long-term interests of all parties and all walks of life, and is not conducive to the stability of the overall situation. Therefore... once an unscrupulous act is discovered by the outside world, all parties and all walks of life will inevitably be punished. Fear and rebound. "
Wang Baoren's answer is very interesting. He only said that after being discovered, "there will be fear and backlash from all walks of life," but did not express any clear opposition.
Zhu Hejian naturally understood Wang Baoren's true attitude. After sighing and shaking his head, the topic got further and further away, and he asked again: "Students will ask the teacher again, do you think... how long can the Ming Dynasty last?"
Wang Baoren's expression changed and he felt that this issue was too sensitive.
Regarding this sensitive issue, the best answer is to talk high-sounding nonsense.
The reason why nonsense is nonsense is because it is absolutely correct, has no value, and cannot find any faults.
"As long as the king is wise, his ministers are loyal, and the people abide by their duties, then of course..."
Zhu Hejian was not surprised that Wang Baoren said such nonsense in response to him, but he was eager to get rid of Wang Baoren at the moment, but he had no patience to continue listening, so he directly waved his hand to interrupt Wang Baoren's statement, and sneered and said his conclusion: " In the eyes of the students, if the corrupt status quo of our country continues and we fail to make improvements, we will soon face a catastrophic situation.
Worry of destruction! "
Wang Baoren's expression changed slightly again, and he shook his head repeatedly: "Your Highness, I'm afraid that your thoughts are just worrying, right? As far as I know, the Ming Dynasty has been on the verge of revitalization in recent years. Not only has it won successive victories in foreign wars and launched The territory is expanding, the imperial finances are gradually improving, and His Majesty is wise and powerful. In recent years, he has continuously innovated government affairs, all of which are directly focused on the key points. The only thing worth worrying about is that the central political situation changes frequently, but as long as His Majesty is still in office, it will be stable enough. Stay in the situation..."
Zhu Hejian still kept sneering, and finally showed his sharpness and true thoughts: "Teacher, you are a wise man who has insight into the government and the public, so why do you pretend to be ignorant? For more than a thousand years, regardless of the Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, the rise and fall of the past dynasties , what’s the key? It’s just one word, grain! And the root of grain lies in the fields cultivated by the people! As long as the people still have fields to cultivate, the court can collect grain taxes. On the contrary, if the people no longer have fields to cultivate, then the court will It would be impossible to collect grain taxes, and without grain taxes it would be impossible to maintain stability among all parties. At that time, not only the people will rebel, but the army will also rebel!"
"Grain, land, taxes..." Wang Baoren shook his head: "I heard that when Zhao Gechen was in charge of the central government's finances, he always couldn't avoid these three words when he expressed his stance. It seems that His Highness and Zhao Gechen are quite like-minded!"
Zhu Hejian immediately shook his head and said: "The teacher is wrong! The students and that Zhao Gechen have completely different views! In the eyes of the students, the Zhao Gechen seems to be a financial expert, but in fact he is just a charlatan, not only He would treat a headache, treat a sore foot, and often use poison to quench his thirst. Just to tide over the current difficulties, he would not hesitate to drain the Ming Dynasty's family wealth and shake the foundation of the country! Therefore, if students have the opportunity to inherit the throne in the future, He will definitely abolish all his reforms immediately!"
Wang Baoren found that he could not understand Zhu Hejian's true thoughts at all, and couldn't help asking: "Oh? Why do you say that?"
Zhu Hejian said coldly: "In the eyes of students, the matter of land and grain is not only related to the stability of the country, but also to the distribution of power. If we go back to the source, whoever controls the most land and grain will control the most. Power! Even if it is the emperor, if he does not have food to support the army, the army will breed dissent. If the army has dissent, the loyalty of the officials will be out of the question... If this situation continues, the emperor will only be left alone. It’s nothing more than fame! A stable country is nothing more than empty talk!
But teacher, if you think about it carefully, what are the essences of Zhao cabinet minister's policies... commercial tax reform, Sichuan salt development, and new agricultural policies? In fact, it secretly assisted the Jin gentry in continuously expanding their power. The commercial tax reform actually gave the Jin gentry the privilege of being exempted from paying most taxes. The development of Sichuan salt actually handed over all the financial resources of Sichuan salt to Shanxi merchants. As for the new Whether the final effect of the agricultural policy can meet the city's expectations is not mentioned for now, but according to Zhao Gechen's new agricultural policy, after the people plant new crops such as corn and sweet potatoes, they are all purchased by private commercial banks, and the people's grain taxes are exchanged for Pay the silver tax...
[In view of the general environment,
In short, it will greatly increase the financial resources of the Jin gentry in various places. The national treasury seems to have increased a lot of tax money, but the grain collected will be less and less. After the financial resources of the Jin gentry have greatly increased, they will swarm over each other to annex. Land, then the court's food tax revenue will be further reduced... And less and less food controlled by the court means that its power is getting smaller and smaller... What will happen in the long run? "
Wang Baoren was really shocked when he heard Zhu Hejian's remarks.
It's not because of Zhu Hejian's "alarmism", but because of Zhu Hejian's deep understanding of power.
Whoever controls the food controls power - in Wang Baoren's view, this view is a bit extreme and does not apply to all situations, but it does make sense.
But Wang Baoren still couldn't figure out what Zhu Hejian wanted to express.
Under Wang Baoren's doubtful gaze, Zhu Hejian said with a firm expression, "However, Zhao Junchen is indeed very discerning. He finally understood the food shortage dilemma of the imperial court, unlike most officials who were unwary! What a pity. , the student has just said that his solution is just to treat headaches and feet, or even drink poison to quench thirst and kill the goose to get the eggs. If it is not short-sighted, it is harboring evil intentions!
In the students' view, if we want to completely solve our country's food shortage dilemma, we must start from the fundamentals. The Ming Dynasty's territory may seem vast, but it has limits after all, and the number of arable fields within the territory is also limited! The pie is so big, but first a large part of it must be allocated to the vassal kings, then a large part of it must be allocated to the gentry, and then a part of it must be allocated to each major military town, but no matter whether it is the vassal king, the gentry or the military town, it is With the privilege of tax reduction and the ability to conceal the true number of fields, after these fields are allocated, they cannot collect much grain tax. Ordinary people can collect grain taxes, but their fields are getting less and less!
Under such circumstances, there is only one way to solve the dilemma from the root, which is to directly change the distribution of interests between the government and the opposition, reduce the farmland controlled by lords, gentry, and military towns, so that ordinary people can get With more fields, the court can have more grain taxes. With more grain taxes, it will be easier to stabilize the government and the opposition, and only then can the long-term inheritance of the country be ensured! "
After hearing this, Wang Baoren was even more shocked.
After previous contact with Zhou Shangjing, Zhou Shangjing had carefully told Wang Baoren about Zhu Hejian's horror.
According to Zhou Shangjing, Zhu Hejian was extremely talented. When the former crown prince He Ming taught the crown prince Zhu Heyu the art of imperial thinking, he only listened to a very small part and was able to draw inferences from one instance and understand on his own, even if he had incomplete knowledge. , and still cannot be underestimated.
But Wang Baoren still never expected that Zhu Hejian could actually deduce the principle of "land to the tiller" through the perspective of the emperor's mind and the operation of power.
In fact, everyone knows the truth of "land to the tiller", and Confucian scholars would shout this slogan from time to time. However, in the eyes of most people, it is just a truth and a slogan. People only follow morality and morality. Compassion for farmers, preventing refugees from causing chaos, etc. will be analyzed.
Zhu Hejian also stated the principle of "land to the tiller" at this time, but his analytical perspective was completely different. On the surface, the conclusions seemed to be the same, but the core of his thinking was completely opposite.
Zhu Hejian's idea was that by giving more farmland to ordinary people, the court could collect more grain taxes. After the court had more grain taxes, it could ensure the loyalty of the army, and after ensuring the full support of the army, This can ensure that officials do not dare to violate the emperor's laws, and then the emperor can have more power!
Therefore, Zhu Hejian wanted to hand over more farmland to ordinary people, not because he sympathized with farmers and cherished the people, but because he wanted to further centralize power for the emperor!
In a way, this way of thinking is extremely dangerous and extreme.
What's more, Zhu Hejian also concealed a key point, which is what exactly he wanted to use these powers to do after he ascended the throne and centralized power.
After Wang Baoren pondered for a moment, he finally began to look at the prince in front of him who had just walked to the stage from the depths of his heart, and asked again: "In my opinion, there are a lot of biases in His Highness's remarks, but I don't think so. I don’t want to argue with His Highness, I just want to know why Your Highness suddenly made these remarks?”
The reason why Zhu Hejian said these remarks is very simple. In fact, he wanted to stand on a high moral position and make his subsequent statements more convincing.
It would be even better if Wang Baoren wrote Zhu Hejian's remarks in a secret and presented them to Emperor Deqing - Emperor Deqing must have deeply agreed with Zhu Hejian's remarks and would value them more. Zhu Hejian was more tolerant of some of Zhu Hejian's practices and "mistakes" during his stay in Nanjing.
Of course, Zhu Hejian was still full of determination on the surface. He seemed to firmly believe that he was right. He said slowly: "The current situation in Nanjing City is not only complicated and treacherous, but also the enemy is strong and we are weak! Although the students are helped by teachers, they also get The Nanjing garrison eunuch has the support, but compared to the Zhou and Zhao parties, they are still at a disadvantage!
With the teacher's piercing gaze, he naturally understood the final intentions of Zhou and Zhao! They just don't want students to successfully take over the reserve position. Even if the students finally take over the reserve position, they will use this situation in Nanjing to discredit the students, damage their reputation, and be questioned by all parties! In this way, they can weaken the imperial power and encourage the influence of ministerial power and the gentry!
And what students really think
, I just told the teacher frankly that we want to fundamentally solve the predicament of our dynasty and redistribute the cultivated land in the Ming Dynasty! In order to realize such an intention, students must not become princes and princes when their reputation is damaged and their prestige is insufficient! In the future, if you want to redistribute the farmland within the Ming Dynasty, you will need to suppress the vassal kings, gentry, and military towns in various places at the same time. Therefore, students must ensure that their reputation and prestige are not affected at all!
But under the layout and calculations of Zhou and Zhao, such a goal is extremely difficult to achieve, and the chance of winning is extremely low... Therefore, to do extraordinary things, extraordinary means must be used. For the stability and longevity of the country, students can only be Be willing to take risks and do whatever it takes! "
At this point, it was Zhu Hejian who looked at Wang Baoren with piercing eyes and asked: "Student understand, teacher, during tonight's banquet, you found that the students have hidden many things from you. Of course, you are dissatisfied. In fact, the students I also feel guilty... But if you, teacher, are willing to agree with your students’ ambitions, then the students will also be willing to tell you all their plans, so that you, teacher, can share all risks with your students!”
After going in a big circle, Zhu Hejian finally decided to turn his back on the enemy.
Wang Baoren also completely understood what Zhu Hejian meant.
In short, Zhu Hejian frankly admitted that he had done many unscrupulous things during this period, but he found a high-sounding excuse for his unscrupulous actions, allowing himself to stand on the moral high ground, as if he Everything he does is for the country and the people.
At the same time, Zhu Hejian also stated that all the hidden things he had done were of great importance and had serious consequences. If he told Wang Baoren everything, it would be equivalent to letting Wang Baoren bear the responsibility.
Under such circumstances, Wang Baoren only had three choices left, either to know the truth and not report it, to provide assistance, or to expose the truth.
These three options are all harmful to Wang Baoren and have no benefit at all, and there are countless hidden dangers in the future.
According to Zhu Hejian, it is necessary to "share risks."
Therefore, Wang Baoren's best choice was to stop asking about Zhu Hejian's secret plan and pretend that he was completely unaware of Zhu Hejian's private plans.
In this way, when Zhu Hejian's future plans succeed, he will still have the opportunity to reap the benefits. If Zhu Hejian's subsequent plans fail, he can also completely distance himself from the relationship.
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