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"Because of the symptomatic prescription gifted by Zhao Gechen and the wonderful rejuvenation of Dr. Zhang...compared to when I first came to Nanjing, my physical condition has improved a lot, and the root cause of the stomach disease has been gradually removed. It's just that Zhao Gechen and Dr. Zhang The treatment methods... are really torturous and make me miserable, so my mental complexion actually seems to be getting worse..."
While speaking, Zhou Shangjing still looked calm and smiling as always, but the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably for a moment.
Recalling all the unbearable painful experiences he had these past few days, including constant oil filling, nausea, vomiting, and urination, and night after night of nausea and insomnia, even though Zhou Shangjing had always been calm and composed, claiming to be well-informed and composed, he couldn't help but Feeling timid.
For Zhou Shangjing, who has always had three mediocre meals, the method of detoxifying with oil is nothing short of torture.
Thinking that this treatment method has not yet completely ended, and that the next course of treatment will be entered in a few days, Zhou Shangjing's face turned slightly pale uncontrollably.
Huo Zhengyuan is a very smart person and is good at observing people's emotions. After seeing the change in Zhou Shangjing's expression, he cautiously asked: "Zhou Shoufu's physical condition has improved significantly, which is undoubtedly a good thing worthy of celebration, but junior Judging from your expression, you seem to be...not very happy?"
Zhou Shangjing shook his head and smiled, mocking himself: "This person, once he gets old, everything will be sad. Not only will his body become weak, but his will will also become weak. He will no longer be as firm as he was in his prime, but only slightly stronger." When you suffer a little bit, you are like a child who can't help but cry out incessantly! Alas, as long as you can save your life, it is worthwhile to suffer more, but I just can't bear it. I still remember back then..."
Halfway through, Zhou Shangjing suddenly paused, and a trace of self-mockery flashed across his expression.
But Zhou Shangjing suddenly thought of it - he was born in a Jinxi family, and he has been pampered since he was a child. After entering the official career, it has always been smooth sailing. It is true that he often walks on thin ice and works conscientiously, but he has never suffered too much in his life. , and there is no suffering experience worth mentioning. At most, it is just too much energy and not enough rest when the court affairs are heavy.
Therefore, Zhou Shangjing originally wanted to recall the bitterness and sweetness, talk about how much he could endure suffering and endure it in his youth, and praise Huo Zhengyuan a few words, but in the end he was embarrassed to find that he had no such experience.
Thinking of this, Zhou Shangjing's expression became even more self-deprecating. After muttering "That's hypocritical," he changed the topic and talked about business, saying: "Of course, in the eyes of the outside world, I am still seriously ill and do not have much time to live. , I also want to take advantage of the situation to paralyze some people, so I will only tell you the truth frankly to Zigu. I hope Zigu will not leak this matter casually. The situation in Nanjing is about to be settled, and I still need to continue to pretend for a few days. Time, and then you have the best chance of taking control of the overall situation.”
After Huo Zhengyuan nodded solemnly in agreement, Zhou Shangjing added: "Actually, at my age, even if there is no such calamity, the days are approaching and time is running out. This calamity has given me great strength. The injury will definitely shorten your life... Hey, I received news a few days ago that my eldest grandson's daughter-in-law is finally pregnant, but I have a vague premonition... I'm afraid I won't be lucky enough to see the Zhou family around. The day comes when generations live together!”
As he spoke, Zhou Shangjing's expression seemed calm and yet sad.
However, before Huo Zhengyuan could express his words of relief, Zhou Shangjing smiled and returned to his usual calmness. Then he changed the subject and said slowly: "As the saying goes, seventy years old, I can live to such an age smoothly, and my life will be smooth. By the way, I have been a very popular minister for decades, and there is a high probability that I will die of old age. Logically speaking, I should be content, but I am still a little greedy and always hope that I will not leave any regrets or care when I die. Knot……"
Huo Zhengyuan's eyes flashed, and he finally had the opportunity to speak, and asked: "Junior believes that you will live a long life... But I don't know, Zhou Shoufu, what other regrets and knots do you have?"
Zhou Shangjing smiled slightly: "There are many, and one of them has a lot to do with you, Zi Gu! In fact, if you, Zi Gu, had not come to visit me today, I would have tried to get in touch with Zi Gu before the situation in Nanjing settled. Let's talk in depth... In my opinion, Zigu, you are one of the wisest people among the officials of the Manchu Dynasty. Now you hold such an important position as the Southeast Patrol Envoy, with full power in charge of overseas affairs. It can be said that you have a bright future. Especially in the future, the imperial court's finances will definitely have a decisive influence... Therefore, I can't help but develop a desire to cling to you and want to establish a good relationship with you."
Obviously, Zhou Shangjing was very optimistic about Huo Zhengyuan's prospects, but after Huo Zhengyuan heard this, he couldn't help but feel shocked. He felt that Zhou Shangjing obviously wanted to sow the trust between himself and Zhao Junchen.
In fact, Huo Zhengyuan himself knew very well that although he was able to serve as the Southeast Patrol Envoy only because of Zhao Junchen's strong recommendation, after he became the Southeast Patrol Envoy, he had full control over ocean trade. This power was Putting him in an embarrassing dilemma.
Next, if Huo Zhengyuan fails to do a good job in ocean trade, he will be incompetent and incapable, which means he will betray Zhao Junchen's trust and make Zhao Junchen criticized by his political opponents in the temple.
On the other hand, if Huo Zhengyuan fulfills his duties well and makes the ocean trade outstanding and makes money every day, it will definitely alleviate the financial constraints of the imperial court and greatly shake up Zhao Junchen's indispensable role in the imperial financial affairs. Huo Zhengyuan's Southeast Patrol Envoy Yamen will inevitably compete with Zhao Junchen's Hubu Yamen.
Huo Zhengyuan is a smart man, and he has already figured out these situations.
However, Huo Zhengyuan has not had any thoughts of competing against Zhao Junchen in the future. At least so far, Huo Zhengyuan has not wavered in his loyalty to Zhao Junchen.
Such loyalty stems from Huo Zhengyuan's character on the one hand. Although he himself has aspirations and ambitions, he is unwilling to become a mortal enemy of Zhao Junchen for his own ambitions. On the other hand, it stems from his admiration for Zhao Junchen. , Zhao Junchen obviously knew that Huo Zhengyuan would threaten his position after serving as the Southeast Patrol Envoy, but he was still willing to entrust Huo Zhengyuan with important tasks, and this approach was not only to expand his power, but also to take advantage of the ocean. The trade matter tried to alleviate the food shortage situation in the Ming Dynasty and strengthen the national power of the Ming Dynasty. It can be said to be selfless and sacrificing oneself for the country.
Therefore, when Huo Zhengyuan heard Zhou Shangjing's words at this time, which seemed to want to bet on himself and help him increase his strength, Huo Zhengyuan was not only not secretly happy, but also became very vigilant.
After a moment of silence, Huo Zhengyuan did not answer the question at all. He quickly changed the subject and asked: "I didn't expect that you, Zhou Shoufu, would value this junior so much. It really flatters me. Logically speaking... Zhou Shoufu loves this junior and is willing to marry him." The younger generation should be grateful and accept the good fate, but now...
The situation in Nanjing is still confusing. You, Zhou Shoufu, have chosen to confront the Seventh Prince. The Seventh Prince is very likely to become the next Crown Prince, and even the future Supreme Being. If you end up losing in this dispute, Your Highness, the Seventh Prince, may not even be able to defeat His Highness the Seventh Prince, so that he still has a chance to successfully take over the throne. Once that junior accepts your kindness, I am afraid that His Highness will be resented by the Seventh Prince!
I am not worried about my personal future, but as you said, my responsibilities are very important and sensitive, and I am easily resisted and obstructed by all parties. Naturally, I dare not accept your kindness easily. , letting one's own rights and responsibilities become complicated. "
At this point, Huo Zhengyuan changed the topic again and said: "Unless, Zhou Shoufu, you can give this junior a reassurance and make him believe that you can win undefeated in the chaos of Nanjing, or at least avoid all future troubles, otherwise ... This junior can only be insensitive to your kindness."
Huo Zhengyuan was indeed a smart man recognized by all officials in the court. When he noticed that Zhou Shangjing seemed to be trying to drive a wedge between himself and Zhao Junchen, he neither blindly accepted it nor refused it directly. Instead, he used it as a bait to find out what Zhou Shangjing would do next. overall plan.
Although Zhou Shangjing is now aware of Jiang Xiao's whereabouts and may take the opportunity to obtain evidence that the seventh prince Zhu Hejian secretly raised dead men, this matter is not foolproof. With Zhou Shangjing's caution and thoroughness, he must have arranged various secret back-ups and A backup plan, and Huo Zhengyuan now just wanted to take the opportunity to pry out something.
Zhou Shangjing obviously saw Huo Zhengyuan's true thoughts, and couldn't help but show appreciation on his face, and then shook his head slightly, regretting that he could not accept a smart man like Huo Zhengyuan as his disciple.
Finally, Zhou Shangjing nodded and said with a smile: "Since Zi Gu wants to take reassurance, I will give you a reassurance now! I can make it clear to you that no matter what happens next, no matter what the seventh prince is, How to deal with it? The direction of the situation in Nanjing is already determined. I am already sure of victory and there is absolutely no possibility of failure. His Highness the Seventh Prince will definitely fall into a big trap next. Even if he can barely get up again, he can barely get up again. After taking over the position of Crown Prince, he will definitely not be able to secure this position. At that time, he only needs to look for opportunities to push the situation a little, and he can easily be deposed again!"
Huo Zhengyuan frowned and asked: "His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince is very scheming, and he has the strong support of His Majesty, the Crown Prince and Grand Master Wang Baoren, and the Nanjing garrison eunuch Xi Cheng. Among the Jiangnan aristocratic families, the Lu family seems to have rebelled." As for his secret trump card, there is no need to mention it... In this case, why can Zhou Shoufu still be so confident?"
Zhou Shangjing smiled again, seeming to answer the question head-on, but also seeming to be arrogant, and asked: "Everyone in the world says that I am good at scheming, and that Zhao Gechen... uses more conspiracy methods, and that guy is Gu Qian. Do you know what is the biggest difference between conspiracy and conspiracy?"
After Huo Zhengyuan thought for a moment, he replied: "The conspiracy is bright and unstoppable, but it needs to follow the trend; while the conspiracy cannot see the light, and once it sees the light, it will suffer backlash, but after success, it can achieve the goal of defeating the weak." A powerful, miraculous effect in turning the situation around."
Zhou Shangjing nodded lightly, then shook his head slightly, as if he was teaching a student and was full of kindness towards Huo Zhengyuan, and patiently explained: "Although this statement is not wrong, it still fails to touch the essence! In my opinion, conspiracy and conspiracy are The biggest difference between conspiracies is whether communication is required!
A conspiracy requires all parties to deliberately maintain communication, and relevant people also need to explain in detail, and then they can understand what they need to do specifically. If any party does something wrong, the entire plan may be lost. There is no need for communication at all, and the relevant parties can know exactly what they should do without any explanation, and just let them follow their own positions and intentions! "
After a pause, Zhou Shangjing's expression became calmer and calmer, as if he was evaluating a common thing, and he slowly said: "Now, with the situation changing, all parties involved have understood their positions and are very clear about it. No matter how you want to act, I can completely change the direction of the situation with just a little push at a certain opportunity... Zigu, you seem to want to find out my follow-up plan, but I can tell you clearly, I We didn’t arrange any specific plans, we just arranged for several groups of people to watch at the inns along the way and slightly controlled the speed of conveying an imperial edict.”
Although Zhou Shangjing's explanation was unclear, Huo Zhengyuan quickly understood Zhou Shangjing's true meaning. He was stunned for a moment, then stood up, bowed to Zhou Shangjing, and sighed: "So that's it, you are indeed To ensure victory, this method can be said to be a spring breeze. It seems very ordinary, but in fact it is extremely clever, and the younger generation will admire you!"
Zhou Shangjing nodded with a smile and asked, "Now that Zi Gu has tasted the efficacy of this reassuring pill, are you willing to accept my kindness and form a good relationship with me?"
"But I don't know, Zhou Shoufu, what do you mean by your kindness and good karma?"
Zhou Shangjing's tone was calm, as if he was telling an insignificant matter, and he said softly: "Well... from now on, I will clearly instruct all the officials in the coastal provinces, prefectures, counties, and yamen to go to From now on, as long as it is within the authority and responsibility of the Southeast Patrol Envoy, they will be completely under your control and will fully cooperate with you without any reservation. There is no need to communicate with the central government or obtain permission from the central government, how about that?"
Although Huo Zhengyuan had known for a long time that Zhou Shangjing would definitely give him a sweet date, he never expected that the benefits Zhou Shangjing gave him would be so great, and his expression changed drastically.
Where are the sweet dates here? It’s clearly a ginseng fruit!
Zhou Shangjing has been running the government and the public for many years. He has disciples and old officials all over the world, and his influence is intertwined. Once he fully supports Huo Zhengyuan, it will undoubtedly be a huge help.
In fact, the focus of this benefit is not just the strong support of the "Zhou Party" forces, but the other two aspects.
One is the words "It is within the powers and responsibilities of the Southeast Patrol Envoy".
You must know that in order to allow Huo Zhengyuan to take full charge of ocean affairs, Emperor Deqing temporarily set up an official position of "Southeast Patrol Envoy". The scope of this position's powers and responsibilities is vague but extremely broad, including not only civil affairs but also finance. It involves and can even interfere with the military affairs of various places to a certain extent, so it requires the cooperation of officials from all parties. Once Zhou Shangjing gives such an explanation, coupled with the support of the "Zhao Party", Huo Zhengyuan is equivalent to an overview of the military and political affairs of the southeastern provinces. First things first.
The second is the sentence "no need to communicate with the central party", which is even more significant.
Considering that the southeastern provinces are thousands of miles away from the capital city and communication is inconvenient, this means that Huo Zhengyuan, while accepting the full support of the "Zhou Party", does not need to be constrained by the core figures of the "Zhou Party" to a large extent, at least in Within the scope of the southeastern provinces, Huo Zhengyuan is equivalent to Zhou Shangjing's personal visit. Many urgent matters, sensitive matters, and even things that go against the interests of the "Zhou Party" can be dealt with first!
After his expression changed drastically, even Huo Zhengyuan, who was wary of Zhou Shangjing's alienating methods, couldn't help but be tempted at this time. He hesitated and asked: "Then... Zhou Shoufu, what kind of reward do you want from this junior?"
Zhou Shangjing smiled again and shook his head: "I don't need any repayment. I've said it before. I just want to consolidate the next good relationship with you! In the future, after your son has established a successful career, if you want to find an opportunity to repay this good relationship, I will naturally I'm happy to see it happen, but if Zigu doesn't have such thoughts, I will never force it!"
After hearing this, Huo Zhengyuan couldn't help but fell silent.
He suddenly thought of something Zhao Junchen once said accidentally.
"Anything given by others for free has a price secretly marked on it. Free is the most expensive thing."
Huo Zhengyuan could probably guess Zhou Shangjing's true intention.
But...the benefits were so great that Huo Zhengyuan really didn't have the courage to refuse.
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