"Prime Minister Zhao!"
A call came out, with a hint of coldness in the gentle tone. There were only two people who dared to speak to Zhao Pu with this attitude and tone in the political hall, one was Li Ye and the other Wang Pu. Even the prince has always been modest and courteous.
The person who came here was thin, with a pale face, and had some obvious Confucian temperament, which Li Ye did not have. Of course, Zhao Pu didn't need to look at the person, he knew it was Wang Pu just by listening to the voice.
However, at this time, Wang Pu's serious face seemed to be covered with a cloud, and his elegant face looked very sad. Seeing this, Zhao Pu showed due etiquette, smiled, stood up to greet him personally, and said, "The prince is here, please take a seat!"
He personally led Wang Pu to sit down and ordered people to serve tea.
"The prince has so many things to do and so many things to do every day, how come you have time to come to me?" Zhao Pu sat down, rubbed his hands, and asked with a smile.
Although they are both prime ministers of the political affairs hall, their offices are not always in the same room. Wang Pu's work focuses on the court's finances. Apart from related executive affairs or court discussions, the two do not meet that frequently.
Seeing Zhao Pu's indifferent expression, Wang Pu was not in the mood to chat with him. He seemed to admire him, but also said sarcastically: "Prime Minister Zhao deserves to be the prime minister, but his demeanor is worse than that of the ministers of the entire dynasty. All of this At such a critical moment, I can still be so calm and motionless as a mountain. I am ashamed of myself for my determination!"
Hearing what he said, Zhao Pu happily waited for the tea to be served, took a sip, and then said: "Your Majesty is here just to flatter you!"
Faced with Zhao Pu's half-smiling expression, Wang Pu was also cheerful, but his expression was cold. He took out a memorial and handed it to Zhao Pu, saying: "Of course not. I have a copy of this chapter that I would like to present to Your Majesty. I hope that Zhao Xiang will sign it." !”
Hearing this, Zhao Pu immediately showed a strong interest. Ever since Wang Pu returned to pay homage to the Prime Minister, he had never signed a petition with Wang Pu, not to mention that it was Wang Pu who took the initiative. How could Zhao Pu not be curious. Of course, judging from his behavior and listening to his words, even if we cannot understand his purpose, we can still make some guesses. It is nothing more than the ongoing turmoil in the court.
Out of etiquette, Zhao Pu took it personally, opened his hands, and after browsing solemnly, his expression soon changed. The old man's face was still calm and calm, but his attitude was completely different. Looking at Wang Pu, Zhao Pu chuckled and said: "The prince is mature and has a public heart, and I admire him very much. However, if this is the case, please forgive Zhao Mou, no." Dare to share the same office!"
There are not many corrupt words in Wang Pu's remonstrance. The words are very clear and the attitude is very clear. He clearly expresses his concern about the current political turmoil in the court and the panic among the people, so as to avoid causing greater trouble or even turmoil. , Wang Pu hoped that Emperor Liu could take effective measures in time to calm the morale at the top and bottom, so as to calm the people at home and abroad and get the court back on track as soon as possible.
It is not that similar suggestions have not been mentioned before. Of course, others may describe them as having ulterior motives, and Wang Pu can be praised for being mature and seeking a country, which is a double standard.
Although the starting point is good, finding Zhao Pu is destined to only get a disappointing answer. Not to mention that Zhao Pu had his own ideas. Even if he didn't, he would not wading into this muddy water hastily to avoid getting burned when his superiors' intentions were unclear and the situation was strange.
After hearing Zhao Pu's answer, Wang Pu's expression did not change much. He just frowned slightly and stared at Zhao Pu with some pressure in his eyes: "Now the court is unstable and people's hearts are turbulent, which has even delayed the court's progress. Normal operation, as the prime minister, Mr. Zhao should step forward and bring order to the chaos, why should he refuse?"
"The situation in the imperial court is so serious? I'm sorry that I was blind and didn't notice it!" Zhao Pu reacted with a "bewildered" reaction. He twitched the corner of his mouth and said leisurely: "I only see that everything in the imperial court is running well. All the ministries and offices, each Officials at all levels are doing their jobs, so why is there any turmoil? Even if there are some twists and turns, they are within the rules of the court system. The prince is overly concerned!"
Hearing Zhao Pu's perfunctory words, Wang Pu also laughed, almost sneered, stood up suddenly, and stared at him: "Zhao's experience, I have really seen it today!"
"The prince has given you a reward, but you can't bear the loss!" Zhao Pu was very calm.
After looking at each other with Zhao Pu, Wang Pu finally sighed softly and didn't force it anymore. Of course, he couldn't force it. In fact, Wang Pu also knew in his heart that his request was a little reckless and a little rude. However, Wang Xianggong, who was worried about the country and the people, still chose to do it knowing that it was impossible to do, and he was not stingy in his due responsibilities.
As for this exchange with Zhao Pu, it once again proved that this group of people. In fact, as the Huazhou case became more and more involved, Wang Pu was already very dissatisfied with Zhao Pu's silence and watching the fire from the other side.
Noticing the gloominess on Wang Pu's face, Zhao Pu closed the memorial and returned it to him, still smiling: "The prince is upright, selfless, and has the court in mind. He has always been valued by your majesty. Since he has true knowledge and insights, he can report it to your majesty. Your majesty takes it upon himself to do so." If it is adopted, why does Zhao need to leave his name?”
After taking back his memorial, Wang Pu did not lose his grace. He slightly brushed his clothes, as if he had been contaminated with filthy dust in this majestic slaughterhouse, and turned around to leave.
After Wang Pu's figure disappeared from sight, the smile on Zhao Pu's face subsided and gradually disappeared, his eyes became deeper, and a little gloom appeared between his eyebrows.
Since he took office as prime minister, he has partnered with many people. Needless to say, Li Ye is a relative of the emperor and a chess piece played by Emperor Liu. Although he causes trouble for himself from time to time, he himself is uneducated and incompetent. Although he has power, Ambitious but lacking in ability, Emperor Liu did not have high expectations of him and was easy to deal with.
Before Song Qi Er went to Shanyang, the cooperation was relatively smooth. The two had similar origins and experiences, and the trajectory of their rise was similar. Even though they had some differences, they did not feel too much of a threat.
But Wang Pu is different. In terms of seniority, he is more senior than himself; in terms of closeness to the emperor, the minister who also came from Emperor Liu's side is obviously more established and prosperous than him who became a monk halfway; in terms of background, Wang Pu is a high-ranking official. He rose from a humble family; in terms of talent and learning, he was even more knowledgeable. He was one of the first batch of Jinshi in the Han Dynasty. He was famous for his writing and writing, and his prestige among the scholars was even more incomparable...
Comparing the two, Zhao Pu can naturally feel the pressure Wang Pu puts on him at all times. Of course, Zhao Pu is also a confident person, and he does not think that he is inferior to Wang Pu.
However, being in this position, it is inevitable to have some worries. Regardless of some political dissent and power conflicts, Wang Pu's attitude towards him often made Zhao Pu feel dissatisfied. He could clearly feel the contempt for him by courtiers like Wang Pu.
Similarly, the more pragmatic Zhao Pu looked down upon the rotten arrogance of these celebrities. Therefore, there is now a deep gap between the two most powerful prime ministers in the Han Dynasty.
In this unprecedented political turmoil in Dahan, the two people's different opinions were completely exposed. Some people are born unable to get along.
Of course, with Zhao Pu's shrewdness, even if they could have harmonious temperaments and consistent political views, they would not get too close, which would only arouse unreasonable suspicion from Emperor Liu.
How could Zhao Pu not see the purpose of Emperor Liu's appointment of these ministers in the political affairs hall? In today's Han Dynasty, the emperor sits in the court, the prime minister governs the country, and the prince supervises the country. The checks and balances between these powers are clear.
Although his power and prestige are growing day by day and his foundation is getting deeper, Zhao Pu does not think that he can really dominate the government. There is always an invisible thread pulling behind him as the prime minister. Although he is not a puppet on a string, when faced with situations that may break away from the control behind him, the pressure and constraints on him will naturally come. Zhao Pu feels particularly deeply about this.
After sitting down, he took another sip of tea. In a moment, it had become cold, which made Zhao Pu frown. Thinking about Wang Pu's coming and going, Zhao Pu couldn't help but think about it. It was certain that he must have gone to Chui Gong Hall. Even Wang Pu couldn't sit still. Obviously, it was time for this matter to come to an end.
About two-quarters of an hour later, someone came from Chongzheng Palace and Emperor Liu summoned him. Zhao Pu immediately cheered up, stood up, tidied his clothes, found a piece of admonishment from the document, put it away solemnly, and went to see the driver.
It's just a memorial. Mr. Zhao has already prepared it.
