It was a good thing that Zhang Mao didn't say anything, but when he came forward, the civil servants felt their heads were as big as a bucket.
Is this a court debate?
It was simply a large-scale family recognition scene.
Zhang Zhou raised his flagpole and waved his arms. "I and the emperor are on the same side. My opinion is to attack Liaodong. Who is in favor of it and who is against it?" Then the civil servants present, Wu Xun, began to find their own teams to stand on.
If Zhang Zhou was still a bit "lonely" before, with only the support of the emperor and no support from the courtiers, but with Zhang Mao coming out, it actually means that the civil servants and Wu Xun have taken sides.
And Zhang Zhou was the trigger of the whole thing.
Xie Qian also had a headache at this time.
He knew this wasn't a debate.
Right now we are just talking about our stance, no reason.
He asked: "Mr. British, based on your many years of experience in guarding the capital, do you think this thing can have the effect of turning the tide of the war on the battlefield?"
It can be said to be a curse word without using curse words.
Isn't your British father an honorable minister who guards the capital? Do you have any practical experience in leading troops? Which war on the border of the Ming Dynasty was involved in? You can even tell me which scene you participated in planning!
The purpose of Xie Qian's words is actually to remind Zhang Mao, you old boy, don't take sides casually. Our civil servants were quite good to you before. Don't mess up the harmony between our civil servants and Wu Xun for the sake of the sudden rise of Zhang Bingkuan. relationship and order.
Zhang Mao said: "I dare not say anything else, but I can be sure of this."
"well!"
Xie Qian sighed heavily on purpose, shook his head and took a few steps back.
In fact, he just wanted to tell those civil servants that you have also been asked to fight, and such a fight is completely meaningless.
He just talks about his position rather than being reasonable. This guy Zhang Zhou seems to have made it clear that he wants to go against us, so if you reason with him, he won't talk to you directly.
What is unclear is that it simply won't work in this matter.
Zhu Youtang was very satisfied with Zhang Mao's appearance. He nodded and said: "When I went out of the city to pray for rain, the British Duke did not go with the civil and military ministers, but went to Zhang Qing's house to watch the ceremony. It seems that he has gained something. .”
"Exactly." Zhang Mao was no longer vague.
As a military officer, why should you consider issues from the standpoint of a civilian official?
There was no way before.
In the past, there were sycophants around the emperor, and they were also Li Guang and his ilk. People like Li Guang could help some ministers, but could they help someone as noble as the British Duke? But now that Zhang Zhou has risen, Zhang Mao is very decisive in making choices.
If you can kick your civil servants away, and you don't kick them away, you'd be called a fool.
Don’t you know what it means to have an iron-clad camp and a flowing soldier? You civil servants are the soldiers in the court, and we, the honorable ministers, are the stable foundation of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Youtang said: "In this case, the war in Liaodong will be judged by the results. Retreat from the court!"
…
…
The emperor didn't want to hear this meaningless argument either.
He felt sorry for Zhang Zhou.
After the dynasty was dismissed, Zhu Youtang called Zhang Zhou to the Qianqing Palace alone, and even Dai Yi and others were dismissed, meaning that he wanted to "apologize" to Zhang Zhou alone.
"Bingkuan, I shouldn't have let you go. I originally wanted you to live in harmony with the ministers of the DPRK, but now it seems... alas!"
In Zhu Youtang's view, in this court meeting, it was Zhang Zhou who nominally shouldered the firepower of the civil servants for him, allowing the civil servants to transfer their doubts about the emperor's use of troops to Zhang Zhou.
Zhang Zhou successfully aroused the hostility and anger of those civil servants.
Although the pressure on him as the emperor has been reduced a lot, Zhang Zhou has been pushed to the forefront and is shouldering the pressure on his behalf.
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "Your Majesty, it doesn't matter. This is the duty of an minister."
Zhang Zhou didn't care.
On the contrary, Zhang Zhou also felt that... today's court debate had reached his position of "building a character".
This persona is not only for civil officials to see, but also for the emperor.
No.
The emperor felt that he was wronged. He could obviously get along with the civil servants with his tail between his legs, but in order to help him as the emperor, he had a serious quarrel with the civil servants, and he might not be able to be a serious official in the future.
As for Wen Chen... did he lose?
Zhang Zhou felt that he had not lost, and of course he had not won. This kind of personal statement would only make the middle- and lower-level civil servants hold a feeling of hatred, thinking that Zhang Zhou was an uncontrollable factor in the court and wanted to destroy him. He suppressed it.
But if it were people like Liu Jian and Li Dongyang, they knew clearly that suppression was not allowed, but they continued to do so. In the end, the person who seemed to be inseparable from the emperor was not Zhang Zhou, but the group of civil servants, right?
Zhu Youtang said: "Maybe it's better to let you serve as an official in the East Palace all the time. Sometimes I can't control the things in the court."
Zhang Zhou said: "Your Majesty, regarding the invasion of Tatars and the three guards of Duoyan, it was brought up by me. If I don't take responsibility for this matter, then I would be very irresponsible. Please don't feel sorry for me anymore. I believe that the cabinet elders and ministers in the court are also people with a broad mind, and they should discuss matters as they arise, and they should not treat people the wrong way."
"Um."
Zhu Youtang thought for a while.
If Liu Jian and Li Dongyang make irresponsible remarks because of Zhang Zhou's behavior, regardless of whether things are right or wrong, then their previous trust in him will be in vain.
Coupled with the fact that he felt guilty towards Zhang Zhou, his tone became much softer when he spoke.
…
…
The three people in the cabinet gradually returned to the cabinet to check the room.
As soon as he came back, before he could sit down, Xie Qian looked very annoyed. Although he usually has a good temper, he was so upset by Zhang Zhou today.
Even he himself didn't know why.
Li Dongyang said: "Yu Qiao, you have fallen into the trap this guy set for you. I can see now that he had no intention of being reasonable with you from the very beginning. He was trying to poke holes in the barriers between our positions with every word he said. , even deliberately showed his incompetence during the court debate to arouse your momentum, but the ultimate purpose is just to let His Majesty know that he is not the same as us."
Xie Qian frowned when he heard this: "Is this good for him?"
Li Dongyang first looked at the silent Liu Jian, then shook his head and said: "Obviously, he puts His Majesty's intentions first in everything, and is even willing to take responsibility for His Majesty in employing people. As a result, His Majesty and his heart are getting closer. , and become more distant from us."
"hiss……"
Xie Qian took a breath through his teeth.
"No wonder. From the beginning, I didn't think this boy was right, but I still felt that I couldn't compete with him. Now that I think about it, it's all because of His Majesty's complete trust and support for him. Isn't he arrogant because of his favor?"
Xie Qian's question was not only asking Li Dongyang, but also asking Liu Jian.
It is difficult for Li Dongyang to answer this question.
The so-called "arrogance based on favor" is also a false proposition. If Zhang Zhou really has the capital to be proud, others can play like this.
Liu Jiandao: "If the battle in Liaodong turns out as he deduced, and An Bianbo and others can even win the battle, then military and political affairs in the court will be detrimental to us."
"Yeah." Li Dongyang nodded, as if that was what he was worried about.
Liu Jian looked at Li Dongyang and said: "Today the British Duke came forward, what do you think?"
Li Dongyang was a little angry at Zhang Mao's betrayal, but he still said seriously: "Zhang Zhou's move is clearly to express to His Majesty that as long as he has his own plans, the people in the Governor's Mansion will cooperate with him, and he will gradually win the honor of his ministers. With the support of the border areas, there seems to be no other way in the future besides participating in his 'unauthorized use of power'."
Xie Qian asked: "Then how should I suppress him in the future?"
"It can't be suppressed!" Li Dongyang changed his previous tough attitude towards Zhang Zhou and stood aside with Liu Jian. It seems that he now understands Liu Jian's previous difficulties when he was the first pick.
Li Dongyang said: "Isn't Zhang Bingkuan's move actually telling us that if we work together, we will both benefit and if we divide, we will lose both?"
"he……"
Xie Qian was speechless.
Xie Qian still has a brain.
After Li Dongyang's prompting, he understood that Zhang Zhou seemed to have said so much in the court, but it was actually all unnecessary nonsense.
The key is not what he said, but the position he expressed, the emperor's attitude towards him, and the position of the North Korean civil servant Wu Xun after he spoke.
Debates are quick to argue with others, and it is meaningless to care about the gains and losses of the scene. The key depends on the purpose of the debate... It seems that Zhang Zhou and them tied or even lost on the court, but off the court , Zhang Zhou won a great victory.
Liu Jian said in a deep tone: "It seems that he had planned everything before he said those words in the court. He didn't take the initiative to show his kindness, but he was actually waiting for us to take the initiative to accept him!"
"If he is the number one scholar, there is no harm in accepting him, but he is an alchemist!" Xie Qian was a little unwilling.
Li Dongyang kept it secret and said: "Actually, what Mr. Liu Ge wants to say is that Zhang Bingkuan wants us to accept his identity as an alchemist. Is that what he means?"
Liu Jian nodded in agreement.
Then Liu Jiandao: "There is still room for relaxation, so don't rush to a conclusion. But don't have any more head-on conflicts with him."
…
…
Zhang Mao waited for Wu Xun to leave the palace. Wang Yong, the uncle of Chengshan, deliberately approached Zhang Mao. Facing an old man Zhang who was overjoyed, Wang Yong couldn't help but ask: "Old Zhang, what are you happy about?"
As the uncle of Chengshan, Wang Yong had previously worked with Sui'an Bo and Chen Shao to supervise the Twelve Regiment Camps in Beijing. He had great powers. However, due to the dissatisfaction of Zhenyuan Marquis Gu Pu, he was impeached and resigned from his post in the 10th year of Hongzhi. Today, they are still unemployed, and in recent years, Zhenyuan Hou Gu Pu's position in Beijing has been growing, posing a great threat to the British Duke Zhang Mao.
Wang Yong knew that his relationship with Gu Pu was not good, so now his goal is very clear, which is to establish a good relationship with Zhang Mao and strive to return to the capital camp as soon as possible.
Seeing Zhang Mao standing in line in the court, of course he had to come and ask what he could do.
Zhang Mao squinted his eyes and looked at him and said, "Isn't it a good thing now that someone can stand up to the old ministers and ministers of the government who are monolithic in the DPRK?"
"Isn't this... a bit difficult? He is the top pick."
Although Wang Yong wanted to curry favor with Zhang Zhou like an ordinary martial artist, he couldn't even find a way out.
For him, it would be good to be able to curry favor with Zhang Mao.
Moreover, Zhang Zhou is still a Jinshi. In his opinion, he may join the civil servants sooner or later... Moreover, the problem with Wang Yong is not that the civil servants target him more. As for the civil and military struggle, it probably only comes to Zhang Mao. Only this class would care. Ordinary ministers have no time to worry about matters of this level.
"The number one scholar? Do you think what he said in the court today sounded like what a champion said? He put himself in the position of opposing the civil servants! What a pity, Xie Yuqiao and the others still want to use the same tactics as before against Li Guang and others. I think that if I continue to participate in the impeachment, I can change His Majesty's mind, but I don't know how capable Zhang Bingkuan is!"
"Their move was wrong!"
Wang Yong was even more puzzled after hearing this: "Even if you are a new rich man, you still can't compete with Mr. Xie Ge and the others, right?"
"Hahaha." Zhang Mao said with a smile, "Whether you are qualified to compete depends on who your Majesty trusts. Do you think I would only help Zhang Bingkuan because of his ability? Ability is one thing, but whether you can gain His Majesty's trust , is another matter. The order of the court is not determined by the preferences of civil servants, and we cannot influence the overall situation. It depends on who your Majesty trusts and who he uses!"
"They can't deal with Li Guang, who has no abilities at all. How can they deal with Zhang Bingkuan, who was born in the top 10, and who has achieved God's will? They chose the wrong path from the beginning, and they didn't even realize it!"
Wang Yong asked: "Then, do you want to catch up with... Zhang Gongsheng?"
"You are still called Gongsheng? You are the number one scholar! Even Dai Gonggong, who is the Supervisor of Ceremonies, they call him Mr. You should put away your contempt and arrogance, otherwise you will be like Xie Yuqiao and others, unable to even do basic assessment of the situation. arrive!"
"The weather is nice today, I want to go back and have two more drinks! Haha!"
…
…
After Zhang Zhou discussed the situation in Liaodong with Zhu Youtang, he left the palace under the guidance of Xiao Jing.
Xiao Jing was also very concerned and said on the road: "Mr. Zhang, what did you say to those senior members of the Pavilion today? Whose side are you on?"
Zhang Zhou was surprised: "Why should I stand aside?"
Xiao Jing seemed to suddenly understand.
Zhang Zhou had no intention of siding with either civil servants or Wu Xun.
"Then you still want to take the Jinshi exam?" Xiao Jing thought for a long time before adding another question.
Zhang Zhou said: "I was originally a Gong student and a Jie Yuan student. It was only after I passed the Jie Yuan exam that these things happened today. If you let me choose, I don't have to take the exam. But if you let me enter the court as a candidate, I want to help your majesty in the future." It’s also difficult to do things. Does taking the Jinshi exam mean that you have to join the mainstream civil servants in the court? "
Xiao Jing was speechless.
He really wanted to say, what you said is so insightful.
You spent a long time taking the joint examination and the palace examination, and won three points in a row. But after you won the first place in the exam, you just wanted to compete with the ministers?
How else to say that you, Zhang Bingkuan, are awesome?
Are you going to fight against the entire civil servants of the imperial court by yourself?
"Mr. Zhang, to put it bluntly, if we don't get along with them, I'm afraid it will be difficult to gain a foothold in the court." Xiao Jing reminded.
This was a kind word from him.
Zhang Zhou said: "In their eyes, I am just a magician. I put my face in front of them and let them beat me. After the beating, they said that my posture was not very good, and they planned to change the direction and beat me again. After the beating, they said... It doesn’t count this time, let’s continue next time. I know they can’t tolerate me. I don’t think about how to do things for His Majesty and the Ming Dynasty, but I think about how to integrate into them... Do you think I am very thick-skinned and can withstand their repeated repeated attempts? What about torture?”
"hehe."
Xiao Jing smiled bitterly.
"Okay, our family understands that you do not intend to join the civil servants of the DPRK. If you have something to do in the future, you can just let us know. We can help you."
Xiao Jing was embarrassed to say that it would be no good to go against civil servants since ancient times.
Because the right to speak public opinion is in the hands of others.
If you don't do what they want, they will ask the historian to label you a rebellious minister. Even if His Majesty trusts you now, he will use various means to pull you down after the new emperor ascends the throne... Wait, the new emperor will Emperor...
Xiao Jing suddenly realized something.
Is Zhang Zhou only doing things in front of the current emperor? The prince's side...
oops.
Xiao Jing understood immediately.
Zhang Zhou planned to engage in a "long-term struggle" with civil servants.
The roads are paved.
First get along with the current emperor, and then teach the prince well. Then in the next few decades... or even when the prince has a child, he will teach him again... What does Zhang Zhou care about what the civil servants think? The emperor's boss, his second son... the civil servants are following behind?
"Thank you so much, Eunuch Xiao, for your concern. I'll just say thank you here first." Zhang Zhou said with a smile, "I've been very busy these two days. I have to express my gratitude today, wait for the crown and court clothes to be given to me, and I have to pay a visit to the Confucian Temple in the past two days. Don’t talk to Eunuch Xiao too much.”
"Please. If His Majesty orders you to enter the palace, our family will come to invite you in person."
"Come as little as possible!"
"Haha... we can't help it!"
…
…
Zhang Zhou was in a good mood as he sat on the carriage going home.
No matter what the attitude of the civil servants was, he was working for the emperor, so he couldn't get along with the civil servants?
Then don't get along.
"Sir, I heard that Mrs. Cheng Guo will be arriving in the capital in the next two days. She sent someone to inform you that she would have a banquet for you. Thank you for seeking a title for Uncle An Bian."
This time the driver was Liu Gui.
After Liu Gui arrived in the capital, he first helped take care of the business, but then he realized that he wanted to follow Zhang Zhou's horse and horse, and soon replaced the honest Jia Laoshui as Zhang Zhou's chief coachman.
Zhang Zhou said: "Mrs. Cheng Guo? No, she's too stingy. She doesn't give you much. What's the use of a meal? If someone comes back later, they'll say I'm busy and don't have time."
Zhang Zhouxin said.
joke.
With my current status, Zhang, do you still want to invite me to have a banquet?
Since you are coming to the capital, just send gold and silver to my house, and find an uncle for your grandson. Now you still have the opportunity to make meritorious service in Liaodong. Even your son was transferred to Yansui because of his relationship with me. Commander-in-Chief, do you want to solve the problem over just one meal?
It’s really a shame for you, Duke Chengguo.
Liu Gui chuckled and said, "How about going to tell me personally?"
Zhang Zhou scolded: "You brat, don't think I don't know that you want to fish in troubled waters. If you want to work as a disciple, then work hard as a disciple. If you want to be a coachman, then be a coachman. Don't be so evil all the time. If your salary is less, you should still be rewarded. Missing yours?"
"Hehe, there are quite a few."
Liu Gui now feels that his investment is worth it.
It was only because I took a second look in the crowd that I discovered Zhang Zhou's gold mine. It was also because I sized up the situation and knew how to sacrifice temporary interests, and that's why I ended up working as a coachman for Zhang Zhou Pidianpidian today.
Zhang Zhou lay on his back on the wall of the carriage and said with a leisurely expression, "But when the old lady from Duke Cheng's residence comes, the Zhu family will soon be busy. What a restless woman."
(End of chapter)
