Shao Xi saw that Zhao Hongjin finally asked about him. It seemed that half of the purpose of the trip had been achieved. All that's left is to see if we can convince the little emperor.
"I actually knew some things about the Southern Zhao court before I came to Southern Zhao. As far as I know, when you ascended the throne at a young age, you were always assisted by two ministers, Han Zeng and Fu Zuoliang, one civil and one military. And you were appointed two or three years ago. It should be time to take office, but it has been delayed until now. If I guess correctly, there are people in the government who are unwilling to give up power and have been blocking you from taking office. Is this possible? "
Zhao Hongjin hesitated when he heard this. After all, this was the inside story of Nan Zhao Chaotang, and the person in front of him was an envoy of Jing Yuanguo. At this time, Zhao Hongjin was so frank about the matter of Nan Zhao Chaotang. Zhao Hongjin couldn't help but feel a little wary. He I really don’t know what Shao Xi’s purpose is.
Shao Xi saw the hesitant expression on Zhao Hongjin's face and knew his inner concerns at this time. Now that the matter has been discussed, there is no need to be secretive anymore. It is better to talk openly.
"There is no one else here today, so I might as well make acquaintance with you, the little emperor. This pilgrimage sent me as envoy to Nan Zhao for two purposes. The first is to establish friendly diplomatic relations with Nan Zhao. From now on, the two countries will not have to If we continue to be wary of each other, the southern border of Jingyuan will be stable for a long time. The second purpose is for me to come to Southern Zhao to investigate who is colluding with some people with ulterior motives in our Jingyuan Dynasty. I believe you have also done this before Have you ever suspected someone in the DPRK? It’s just that there’s no evidence and it’s difficult to investigate publicly.”
When Zhao Hongjin saw that Shao Xi had told him the purpose of his mission so frankly, his doubts were relieved a lot. The first purpose of the mission mentioned by Shao Xi is well known to everyone and is not a secret at all. However, the fact that the second purpose of the mission can be told to him so bluntly shows that Shao Xi intends to join forces with him to eliminate The traitors in their respective courts who collude with foreigners.
"Shao Xi, it seems that you are well prepared for coming to our country as an envoy this time! Tell me honestly, did you make these plans before coming? And what is the final outcome of your opportunity to talk to me this time? Is this the only purpose? As a minister of Jing Yuan Kingdom, it is not an exaggeration to want to get rid of the traitors in your court. But now that you have mentioned this matter to me, it seems that you want to join hands with me to eliminate the traitors in my court. Except, I have reason to doubt whether you are so kind."
Shao Xi had long expected that Zhao Hongjin would ask this question, and said to Zhao Hongjin confidently: "You are the emperor of Southern Zhao, and I am a minister of Jingyuan. There is nothing wrong with us each safeguarding our own interests. But now our court A group of people appeared in Zhonghe's court at the same time. They colluded with each other to mess up your court and our Jingyuan's court, and wanted to seize power and benefit. Faced with this situation, you said Should we join forces to deal with them? Since they have colluded and cooperated with each other, no matter which side is eliminated, their cooperation will be destroyed, which is beneficial to both you and me, so I will help you eliminate them. The court is also helping ourselves. Similarly, your cooperation with me can also help me eliminate hidden dangers within Jingyuan Kingdom. This kind of thing is beneficial to both you and me, why not do it?"
Zhao Hongjin nodded silently. He had to admit that what Shao Xi said made sense.
Since someone in his own court colluded with someone in Jingyuan's court, killing one of them would destroy their cooperative relationship and avoid bringing disadvantages to both countries. In fact, when the DPRK and China disagreed over the issue of diplomatic relations with Jing Yuan Guo, he began to suspect that some of them were colluding with Jing Yuan Guo, but he was never sure which party it was and what the purpose was. So I kept this matter in my heart and didn't reveal it, so as not to alert the enemy.
Seeing Zhao Hongjin nod, Shao Xi knew that he had persuaded Zhao Hongjin. The next step was to find out what he thought about Han Zeng and Fu Zuoliang.
"You and I, the people in the two countries, colluded with each other for no other reason than for power. I am now firmly on the throne of the dragon in Pilgrimage. No one can shake it. The person I hide will not be easily exposed. But it is obvious from your side. , the people who obstruct your pro-government are the most suspicious people. Currently, there are only two people, Han Zeng and Fu Zuoliang. I don’t know which one is the most suspicious in your mind? What is the reason? "
Zhao Hongjin pondered for a long time, and finally shook his head and said helplessly: "Oh! I'm still not sure. On the surface, Fu Zuoliang has always been arbitrary and likes to make his own decisions no matter what. To be honest, I have always had a crush on him. He was dissatisfied, but he had the military power of Southern Zhao in his hands, so he could only adopt a tolerant attitude for a while. Han Zeng, on the other hand, was a man of sophisticated means and a deep city. Although he seemed to have been advocating for me to take charge of the government in recent years, he could not do anything. He asked me for instructions, but in fact the power in his hands has not been weakened at all, and he still has disciples all over the court. I always feel like he is under his control. But because he is cautious and leak-proof, even if I have that I still feel like I can’t get to his painful feet.”
After hearing Zhao Hongjin's thoughts, Shao Xi, as a bystander, already knew what he was thinking.
It can be seen that Zhao Hongjin has a grudge against both Han Zeng and Fu Zuoliang, but the concerns are from different angles.
Regarding General Fu Zuoliang, Zhao Hongjin only worried about the military power in his hands and his daily behavior, while what he worried about Han Zeng was his ability to control government affairs and his protégés and followers throughout the country. And although I have suspicions about both of them, so far I am still not sure which one is loyal and which one is traitorous.
In fact, this is not to blame for Zhao Hongjin's inability to clearly distinguish. It is really because he is too young. One of the two veterans he is facing is too careless about his words and deeds, and the other is too good at pretending. As a young emperor, It is indeed very difficult to fight with these veterans of the court.
"To tell you the truth, before I came to the palace today, I visited both of these two people in their homes. As you can probably imagine, I didn't simply visit them. My main purpose was to explore these two people. The truth and falsehoods to see who is really obstructing your pro-government."
Zhao Hongjin shook his head helplessly and said: "I can imagine it even if you don't tell me. I am in this palace, and there are many things outside that I can't control much. When you come to Nan Zhao this time, I can guess them. What actions will they take? I can also imagine that you will meet with them before coming to see me. But I know that I know, and I can only pretend to know nothing in front of you. But now that you have met with me Being honest with each other turned out to be a good thing, and you helped me find out the details about these two people."
Shao Xi also secretly admired Zhao Hongjin. He ascended the throne at such a young age. Although he could not get rid of the two auxiliary ministers for the time being, he was already aware of it. He was indeed thoughtful and patient.
"If I told you that people from Jing Yuan Dynasty had contacted these two people, would you dare to believe it? Based on your understanding of these two people, do you think these two people are receiving secret messages from Jing Yuan Kingdom? How will everyone react after that?”
Zhao Hongjin was silent again. This time he meditated longer than last time. He seemed to be carefully trying to figure out whether the two people's personalities and daily behavior and conversation revealed any relevant information.
After thinking for a long time, he finally gave his answer.
"Based on Fu Zuoliang's temperament, I'm afraid he may not be easily bribed. Although this person is usually a bit domineering and likes to control power, I have no doubts about his loyalty to Nan Zhao. The only thing that bothers me about him is the pinch in his hands. He has power and likes to make his own decisions. I can't control him very well, so I have always been a little dissatisfied with him. But if it is said that he will be bribed by foreign countries, I think it is unlikely, and he has always been a hard-liner on foreign affairs. The main fighting party. As for Han Zeng, I am not sure. He is also an old minister left by the late emperor, and he is also full of desire for power. However, this person acts secretly, and it is really difficult to judge whether he will be bribed. But at the moment On the surface, it seems that he has been advocating for peace, which is in line with Nan Zhao's interests. As for what he will do privately, it's really hard to say."
After hearing what Zhao Hongjin said, Shao Xi smiled.
"It seems that I have made mistakes in judgment. Before I came to see you, I always thought that you and Fu Zuoliang were incompatible, and I wished I could kill him quickly. I didn't expect that you had your own judgment in your heart, and you were so incompatible with Fu Zuoliang. It’s not as hateful as the outside rumors say, but on the contrary, Han Zeng, who always seems to be harmonious between the monarch and his ministers, puts more thought into it.”
Zhao Hongjin also laughed when he heard what Shao Xi said.
"Although Fu Zuoliang is a bit domineering on weekdays, his temperament is not difficult to guess, and Han Zeng happens to be the opposite of him and can be used to temporarily check and balance him. I have no choice but to go with Han Zeng on the surface. Closer, after all, there are traces of what an enemy like Fu Zuoliang wants to do, but if a person like Han Zeng becomes his enemy, it will be too difficult to predict, and it can be said that it is impossible to guard against. Rather than becoming an enemy with such a person, It is better to keep him by your side and study it slowly, knowing yourself and the enemy, then you can have a better plan."
Shao Xi clapped softly. He really didn't expect that the strategy adopted by a teenage emperor between the two people coincided with his own.
Didn't he also adopt the strategy of stabilizing Han Zeng and cooperating with Fu Zuoliang? The reason is the same. This enemy who is difficult to predict and full of uncertainty must be eliminated first. The little emperor also realized this when he used the two people to check and balance each other, and also stabilized Han Zeng for future plans.
Now that the two of them have coincided with each other, the next step will be easy. As long as they tell the truth about their plans and convince the little emperor to cooperate with him and Fu Zuoliang, then the whole plan will be carried out according to his own ideas.
"Little emperor, I have a plan here for Han Zeng. I wonder if you would like to hear it?"
