Tianshou Mountain, in the side hall of Thanksgiving Hall.
Shen Shixing had just put down the letter and was about to think about it when he suddenly heard the accompanying housekeeper outside reporting that Zhang Bingbi, the Superintendent of Ceremonies, had come to visit and asked if he had seen the master.
At this moment in the Ming Dynasty, there is only one "Zhang Bingbi", and that is Zhang Cheng, who came with him to Tianshou Mountain to defeat the emperor's longevity palace.
Shen Shixing was moved in his heart and asked, "Did Duke Dingguo come with you?"
"Sir, no."
Shen Shixing nodded slightly and said, "Please come in Zhang Bingbi... don't be too arrogant." The latter sentence was obviously an order to the housekeeper, and the housekeeper responded.
However, when Zhang Cheng arrived, Shen Shixing realized that his explanation just now was completely meaningless, because Zhang Cheng had no intention of hiding anything from others. He walked in swaggeringly wearing a red silk flying fish suit of eunuch style.
Seeing him acting like this, Shen Shixing felt a little disdainful in his heart, but it didn't show on his face. Instead, he stood up and took two steps forward to greet him.
Fortunately, Zhang Cheng finally remembered that the person in front of him was the chief minister of the dynasty, and took the initiative to say, "Yuanfu didn't take a lunch break either?"
Shen Shixing returned the greeting casually and smiled slightly: "I have just taken on a big responsibility. I am afraid that I will make mistakes in assisting the government. How can I have time for a lunch break?"
Zhang Cheng smiled and said: "Yuanfu's hard work is noticed by the emperor and our family."
Shen Shixing smiled and said nothing. He just waved his hand and asked Zhang Cheng to sit down. He sneered secretly in his heart: Are you worthy of chanting with the emperor? Do you see it? What use do you see?
Zhang Cheng didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said. He was the emperor's personal attendant, which meant that he could turn a deaf ear to the emperor at any time. This ability itself was enough to make no one in the outer court dare to look down on him.
However, Zhang Cheng had forgotten the special nature of Mr. Shen in front of him. Mr. Shen was not only Zhu Yijun's "head teacher" when he was still the prince, but also the chief assistant of the dynasty. According to the tradition of the Ming Dynasty, no matter how powerful the eunuch was, he could not prevent Mr. Shen's voice from reaching the emperor's ears. It was still very difficult to frame the chief minister by deceiving the emperor.
Because of this, Shen Shixing didn't think there was anything remarkable about Zhang Cheng, and he was even more surprised by Zhang Cheng's carelessness. It's just that Mr. Shen is a master of psychology after all, and he pays attention to a calm demeanor. Even if there are a million people who look down on him in his heart, he usually doesn't show it directly on his face.
"I'm here, I wonder what I can teach you? But for the sake of your majesty's longevity palace?" Shen Shixing's butler sent the tea at the most appropriate time, and Shen Shixing also asked appropriately.
Zhang Cheng immediately waved his hand: "What can happen to the Shougong Palace? How can something happen to the place that so many experts have selected after inspecting it for several years? Besides, if this is really the case... Haha, can our family still see any tricks? Can't you come? Our family is just following Yuan Fu for a while."
Shen Shixing said secretly: You still have some self-awareness.
"Then Bingbi is here..." Shen Shixing asked pretending to be confused.
Zhang Cheng pointed to the writing desk next to Shen Shixing and said, "The letter Yuan Fu has in hand must also be talking about the platform calling for the right, right?"
Shen Shixing smiled slightly: "If there is something going on in the court, someone will inevitably inform the cabinet."
Zhang Cheng chuckled softly and said: "As expected of Mr. Yuanfu, what I said is so easy - don't you think this is a bit strange?"
Shen Shixing looked surprised: "Oh, really? I would like to ask Bingbi why this matter is so strange?"
Zhang Cheng didn't even realize that Shen Shixing was trying to trick him. Hearing this, he thought that Shen Shixing, the former number one scholar, was stupid at studying and couldn't even see this problem. He couldn't help but feel a little proud and said: "Yuan Fu should You know, this platform has told the truth, and almost always asks the border ministers to answer the emperor's questions... However, this Gao Qiuzhen is not from the border, he is the superior of the Ministry of War!"
Shen Shixing chuckled and nodded: "Although Gao Gongbao is the young Sima now, didn't he also Fengjiang a month or two ago? He also knows what Fengjiang knows. What's more, since the emperor has announced that he will conduct a platform summons Yes, nine times out of ten, it is to know the situation in Liaodong. Currently, both Zhou Yanjin (Zhou Yong, from Yanjin County, Kaifeng Prefecture) and Li Dacheng (Li Song, from Dacheng County, Bazhou) are not in the capital, so the emperor asked Gao Gong for advice. The government is taken for granted, what’s so weird about it?”
Zhang Cheng finally felt that something was wrong and frowned: "It seems that Yuanfu is not at ease with our family and refuses to tell the truth..." He frowned and shook his head and said: "Yuanfu doesn't have to be like this. Our family Although it may not be the same as what Yuan Fu wants, one thing is the same: there are people who block our way."
Shen Shixing laughed: "But I don't understand what Bingbi said. How about I ask Bingbi to explain it clearly?"
Zhang Cheng curled his lips and raised his eyebrows slightly: "Yuanfu, our family is really not afraid to tell us clearly: Although the people blocking our road are not Gao Gongbao himself, if he were not here, those blocking the road would be in the eyes of our family. , but it’s nothing. As for Mr. Shen, although you seem to have reached the top of the world, you might as well ask yourself about the current situation... You really have the ambition to be at the top and see all the small mountains. What?"
When he said this, he smiled: "Yuan Fu, let me ask you two questions: Now that you are in the cabinet, do you have even one person who can help you? Now that you are in the inner court, do you have even one person who can help you?" assistant?"
The smile on Shen Shixing's face finally couldn't be maintained, and he pondered: "So Bingbi came here to seek allies?"
Zhang Cheng smiled and said: "Don't Yuan Fu need an ally in the inner court?"
Shen Shixing's smile was a little cold, and he said calmly: "Zhang Jing also used this rhetoric to cooperate with my brother Bingzhong in the previous series, but Bingbi should be very clear about his ending."
"Of course we know it, we know it too well." Zhang Cheng snorted and shook his head: "The reason Zhang Jing is ineffective is not because he chose the wrong allies, but because he found the wrong helpers."
Allies and helpers?
Shen Shixing secretly tasted the meaning of these two words.
However, Zhang Cheng seemed to be very "sincere". He did not need Shen Shixing to taste it himself, but gave a straightforward conclusion: "Although it is better for him to go to Mr. Yu Ge directly to Mr. Shen, it is still right after all. Wrong What's more, he found Liu Shouyou at the same time. Mr. Shen, do you know where his mistake was?"
Shen Shixing frowned and said, "I would like to ask Bingbi to give me some advice."
Zhang Cheng chuckled, shook his head and said: "Zhang Jing thought that because Liu Shou had control of the Jin Yiwei, he could secretly investigate Gao Gongbao's dirty information, but he didn't know how thoroughly the emperor trusted Gao Gongbao. Our family Let’s put it this way, in the heart of the emperor, even if all the civil and military officials in the dynasty failed him, Gao Gongbao will not fail him!”
Shen Shixing was horrified and moved.
However, Zhang Cheng seemed not satisfied and continued: "Liu Shouyou found some arrangements made by Gao Gongbao in Annan, and then used them to scaremonger the emperor - Mr. Shen did not see the emperor's expression at that time. It happened that the emperor was waiting on the emperor at that time - the emperor looked disgusted at that time and just asked Liu Shouyou to go down. But after Liu Shouyou left, the emperor looked at his back and said two words: 'Idiot' .”
Shen Shixing's face became more solemn.
"Alas..." Zhang Cheng looked sighing, and shook his head as if he was gloating: "We think Liu Shouyou's evaluation is really appropriate."
However, Shen Shixing really didn't understand why this was appropriate. He frowned and said, "How can you see it?"
Zhang Cheng chuckled and said, "Yuan Fu doesn't know something. Gao Gongbao never lies in front of the emperor."
Shen Shixing's frown deepened: "This is the duty of a minister."
"Is it your duty?" Zhang Cheng laughed: "How many people can do such a duty?"
Shen Shixing's face became even more grim, but he stopped talking.
Zhang Cheng waved his hand and said: "But we haven't finished talking yet - although Gao Gongbao never lies in front of the emperor, our family's observations over the years have found that although he does not lie, there are many times when he does not lie. I’ll finish the sentence.”
Shen Shixing thought to himself: Isn't this also nonsense? Who dares to say everything clearly to the emperor? It is human nature to avoid the important and take the easy. This is true for Gao Pragmatism. Isn’t this the case for others? Even if I am Shen Rumo, do I really dare to tell you everything I know?
Who knew that Zhang Cheng hadn't finished speaking yet? Shen Shixing could only hear him continue: "And Gao Gongbao has a particularly good thing about his work, that is, no matter what, he can always find someone who suits the emperor's wishes. Use principles to persuade the emperor to support him, instead of using great principles to force the emperor to agree with his approach - Mr. Shen, do you know the difference between the two?"
Shen Shixing could understand the difference, but for some reason, he suddenly felt very angry and couldn't help but say: "This is what the sycophant did!"
These words made Zhang Cheng unhappy, because he actually felt that Gao Pragmatic's skills were very subtle, just like their senior eunuchs who secretly controlled the emperor, quietly letting the emperor accept his opinions, instead of Like those self-righteous civil servants and officials, they talk about big principles all day long and use Confucius to suppress the emperor.
If you were the emperor, you wouldn't like this kind of person, right? Who has a brain convulsion and likes to be lectured all day long? Even ordinary people and ordinary people are not happy, let alone the emperor!
But Zhang Cheng was not here to discuss academic matters with Shen Shixing, so he put aside his displeasure and changed the topic: "If you are a sycophant or not, it doesn't matter if we talk about it, so we won't mention it." Anyway, after Gao Gongbao used this method, and he and the emperor grew up together... the little things Liu Shou was looking for were simply not enough! Let’s make it clear to our family, Liu Shou It is completely impossible to shake Gao Gongbao's position in the eyes of the emperor over such a matter."
Shen Shixing narrowed his eyes: "Then in Bingbi's opinion, what kind of things can shake Gao Gongbao's holy family?"
"Yuan Fu's question is on point." Zhang Cheng laughed loudly: "But we haven't finished what we just said - about the origin of Gao Gongbao's holy family."
"Oh?" Shen Shixing slightly arched his hands: "Please tell me."
"The Emperor Fa Xiao, Wen Zheng's nephew, the Sixth No. 1 Scholar... we won't talk about these advantages that everyone in the world knows." Zhang Cheng suddenly stretched out his finger and said sternly: "Gao Gongbao has been blessed by the Holy Family forever. The real root of this lies in one sentence: He can always solve the emperor's troubles."
When Shen Shixing heard this, he couldn't help but become serious.
It seems... is this really what happened?
Zhang Cheng added: "And Yuan Fu, you see, when Gao Gongbao solves the problem of trouble for the emperor, he doesn't have to wait for the trouble to appear before solving it. Sometimes, the trouble has not even appeared, or it is the trouble in the first place. While it's still being covered up, he might take the initiative to find out the trouble and then solve it!"
Shen Shixing asked thoughtfully: "For example?"
"For example, Annan!" Zhang Cheng said seriously: "Our family remembers when he was in Guangxi. At that time, no one in the court cared about Annan's affairs. But what about Gao Gongbao? He was just the patrol commissioner of Guangxi at that time. , Logically speaking, Annan's matter has nothing to do with him, but he took the initiative to intervene - tell me, why did he do it?"
Before Shen Shixing could speak, Zhang Cheng added: "To others, this may seem like looking for trouble, but... haha, it's nothing if you can find out the matter, and you can solve it cleanly after you find it. That’s awesome, I can’t help but make the emperor unhappy.”
"As for the Annan incident, the matter was suppressed long ago when the temple was announced. Everyone is already used to it, but when I think about it occasionally, I still feel regretful - so Gao Gongbao stood up. Not only did he stand up, The matter was solved without using any soldiers from the imperial court and without spending a penny and a half from the imperial court!
Tell me, in this case, he has some back-ups in Annan. What will the emperor say? No, because to the emperor, this Annan was just picked up on the road! In the heart of the emperor, the biggest benefit of the so-called recovery of Annan is not the benefits that Annan can bring to the court, but the joy of not losing money - the ancestors abandoned it, but I have taken it back today! Think about it, how did the emperor feel about Gao Gongbao at that time? "
Shen Shixing's face was as sinking as water but he was thoughtful.
Zhang Cheng added: "Next, Gao Gongbao just returned to Beijing and immediately went to Tumote. There is no need to go into details. Gao Wenzheng made a good start back then, and Gao Gongbao came for him. It was perfect. This Mongolian trouble had harmed the Ming Dynasty for more than two hundred years, but the uncle and nephew actually solved it in more than ten years, and even gave the emperor hope to completely eliminate the Mongols! Yuan Fu, you can imagine how strong the emperor’s trust in Gao Gongbao was after the Battle of Monan, right?”
Shen Shixing said with a gloomy face: "I think this is also the case of 'what is good from the top will be bad for the bottom'. There is a saying that 'although the country is big, if it is warlike, it will perish', like him..."
"Hey, Yuan Fu, it's boring to talk about this now." Zhang Cheng waved his hands and said: "What we need to focus on right now is not these principles, but how to break Gao Gongbao's holy family! Now we know that his holy family is How to maintain it? Shouldn’t we think of something from this point of view?”
Shen Shixing frowned and said: "How do you think about this? He encouraged the emperor to fight the Mongols. How can I still say that Mongolia is an ally of the Ming Dynasty and should not be used with weapons? It's a joke. The Yuan Dynasty is our feud with the Ming Dynasty. The Yuan Dynasty will never be destroyed. , I can’t stop hating you!”
Hmm... Gao Pragmatic may not agree with this. Of course, that doesn't matter, at least that's what the Ming Dynasty thought at this time. No one would have expected that in the late Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty actually bribed Lin Danhan to fight against the Jurchen Tatars, and that feuds could turn into allies.
Zhang Cheng smiled and said: "He encouraged the emperor to attack Yuan Ting. There is definitely no way to stop him. After all, the emperor also wants to fight. But, we can think of a solution from another angle."
"Oh? Which angle?" Shen Shixing asked.
Zhang Cheng smiled even happier, raised his eyebrows and said, "If he wants to fight, let him fight. As long as we can make him lose this battle, that's fine."
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Thanks to book friend "Cao Mianzi" for your reward and support, thank you!
Thanks to book friends "The Old West of Altay", "Ling Qi Zhao Bi Xin", "Qin Chao Xiao Zhu", and "Yuntianwei 2008" for their monthly ticket support, thank you!
