"My husband suffered a fall. It seems that there is no serious problem at the moment. It's just that he is old and his bones are easily broken. His recovery will be slower. He still needs to rest peacefully and stop working hard!" Zhao Mansion, back house, in front of the hospital bed , the old imperial doctor looked kind, climbed on the couch respectfully, and supported Zhao Pu from time to time.
"Thank you!" Zhao Pu was full of patient temperament at this time, and his voice was filled with endless oldness.
As the Prime Minister, when Emperor Liu was injured, it was natural for Emperor Liu to send an imperial physician for diagnosis, treatment and medication. This was the basic treatment for a "favorite minister".
"Your Majesty, your words are serious, and this is what you should do!" said the imperial doctor: "Later, I will prescribe a prescription for clothes, and I will use the medicine according to the prescription. I will leave a doctor in the house to take care of me. I will rest for a while, and there will be no worries!"
Hearing this, Zhao Pu showed a smile, looked at the old imperial doctor, and asked: "You said that my injury will take some time to recover. I don't know how long it will take."
The imperial doctor thought that Zhao Pu was worried about his slow recovery, so he thought about it and said, "It usually takes three months to recover from a broken muscle or bone. My husband is old, so it may take longer to fully recover. However, it can be done earlier." Take care of your daily affairs and treat them as if there are no serious problems!"
Zhao Pu shook his head and said: "What I mean is that it doesn't matter if the disease heals slower, it needs to take longer to recuperate!"
The imperial doctor couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, and looked at Zhao Pu doubtfully, only to see Zhao Pu say slowly: "According to my opinion, it can take as little as half a year, as long as a year. You should also say the same to others. What do you think?"
He still couldn't react. Although he didn't know what kind of medicine Zhao Pu was selling in his gourd, he had a profound intention and he, a little imperial doctor, didn't dare to offend the powerful prime minister.
Therefore, after thinking for a moment, he cupped his hands and said, "My lord, I understand! It's just that, the prescription needs to be modified. The severity of the disease and the medication are different!"
"Very good! Thank you for your hard work!" Zhao Pu smiled knowingly and moved his fingers towards the steward standing by.
The steward understood and immediately called the servant and personally presented two ingots of silver. Seeing this, the imperial doctor shook his head repeatedly: "I have been ordered to undergo a consultation, but how dare I accept it? This is not appropriate for my husband to do!"
Zhao Pu smiled when he heard this and said, "I don't have much wealth, and I only have a few small gifts. I'm just kidding. This is a small thing, so don't refuse it!"
The imperial doctor still refused to accept it and kept rejecting it. Zhao Pu arranged for someone to forcefully stuff it into the medicine box. The imperial doctor was helpless and could not restrain the will of the prime minister, so he had to express his shame in accepting it with a "shy" face.
Silver, a precious metal currency, has a very high value and a strong purchasing power. Even with the large-scale excavation of domestic silver mines in recent years and the inflow of gold and silver from Korea, Japan and Nanyang, the value has depreciated. Now, one or two Silver can still be exchanged for more than 1,200 copper coins.
And that one hundred taels of silver was a huge sum of money for an imperial doctor. Zhao Pu's family was not rich, so it obviously needed to be considered dialectically. In the past, Zhao Pu may have been restrained when it came to money, but in the past year, he has made a lot of money and started to enjoy his life.
To say that Zhao Pu is incorruptible is simply to taint the word. However, in the past, in Zhao Pu's eyes, power was more important than wealth. He wanted to retain power and worry about Emperor Liu, so he could naturally restrain his family and exercise self-restraint.
Nowadays, he has let himself go a little bit. Of course, there may be some intention of self-destruction to protect himself, but it is impossible to distinguish which one is true. Zhao Pu himself is not a traditional upright minister.
As for corruption, a political policy that the imperial court has long adhered to, whether Zhao Pu is afraid of it, of course he is not afraid. Such matters need to be viewed dialectically. The anti-corruption campaign in the imperial court mainly targets those in the middle and lower classes. When one reaches a certain status, power is the best talisman.
When Zhao Pu reached a position like this, the only one he needed to worry about was Emperor Liu. As for whether Emperor Liu would accuse him of this "trivial matter", Zhao Pu was not that worried, because if the emperor really wanted to target him, then it would be useless for him to keep himself clean, and Zhao Pu did not need some reputation to prove himself.
And Lu Duoxun is a clear proof. So many criminal evidences have been found, but the most critical one is not revealed in the files. The same is true for Zhao Pu. The most important thing is not to violate Emperor Liu's taboo.
Regarding this point, Zhao Pu was very accurate. In the 21st year of Kaibao, he
Staying in phase is the biggest taboo, which needs to be avoided. As for the others, they are all trivial and can even have some miraculous effects.
This year, Zhao Pu has tried every means and tried several times to seek retirement to protect himself. It has to be said that this fall in Chongzheng Hall is worth taking advantage of. It is both accidental and inevitable.
After the imperial doctor left, Zhao Pu sat up slowly, an unnatural look flashed across his face. He had been injured in the fall. As for whether it was serious or not, he knew it in his heart. He stared at the outdoors blankly, and could feel the constant influx of people. After sitting for a long time in the cold air, Zhao Pu sighed heavily. At this time, his heart felt a little empty, and he could not help but feel sad.
If he really had time to spend time with his sick bed and medicine jars, he would definitely not be used to it, if he thought about it. Power is a good thing. Everyone who has tasted it knows that this is true even for minor officials, let alone the prime minister.
"Dad!" In a daze, Zhao Chengxu, the second son of Zhao Pu, walked in and called out softly when he saw his father looking twilight.
After coming back to his senses, Zhao Pu felt that he shouldn't be sitting like this, so he turned around and was about to lie down again. Seeing this, Zhao Chengxu hurriedly stepped forward to help. After lying down, Zhao Pu asked, "Has the memorial been written?"
Zhao Chengxu nodded, hurriedly presented the memorial in his hand and said, "It has been drafted according to dad's request. My sword and pen are immature, so I'm afraid there are some omissions. Please correct me."
Zhao Pu took it, spread it out in front of his eyes, and read it carefully. He quickly frowned and said, "We really need to make changes, big changes! This memorial of yours is not so much a resignation letter as it is a compliment for me." Praising virtue is contrary to my original intention, and it is not what Your Majesty would like to see!"
"But my father has been working hard for nearly twenty years and has indeed made great contributions to the country. Should these be taboo?" Zhao Chengxu was a little puzzled: "Even if you ask for retirement, you should have dignity!"
Hearing this, Zhao Pu chuckled: "My merits and demerits will be commented upon by future generations, and Your Majesty knows them well. No one needs to mention them, let alone us who should take the initiative to mention them!"
"If you don't describe your merits, why should you tell them?" Zhao Chengxu mumbled.
"Not bad!" Zhao Pu's answer surprised Zhao Chengxu: "I have made many mistakes in politics. At this time, I can focus on the northwest rebellion. Someone must stand up and take responsibility for this matter. There is no one more suitable than me!"
Zhao Chengxu seemed a little confused about these things. After thinking about it, he cupped his hands and said, "The son never talks about the father's fault. If so, I'm afraid I won't be able to write!"
Zhao Chengxu expressed his filial piety and exposed his father's shortcomings. He obviously had moral scruples and psychological burden.
Seeing his reaction, Zhao Pu was dumbfounded: "Where did you learn to be so pedantic? Are you going to let your father endure his injuries and write in longhand?"
"This..." Zhao Chengxu hesitated for a moment, then bowed: "Please forgive me for being unfilial!"
"It's not that serious. Just follow your father's instructions!" Zhao Pu said.
"yes!"
What Zhao Pu didn't know was that after the imperial doctor returned to the palace, he went to meet Emperor Liu, truthfully reported Zhao Pu's injury, and even contributed the hundred taels of silver gifted by Zhao Pu. Emperor Liu's reaction to this was worth pondering. He almost laughed it off. The imperial doctor also allowed the imperial doctor to keep the one hundred taels of silver with peace of mind. It was regarded as a reward from Emperor Liu.
They are all thousand-year-old foxes, and Emperor Liu can clearly see Zhao Pu’s intentions. Nowadays, the imperial court has gradually stabilized after the shock caused by Lu Yu. The new power structure has been tried for so long and there seems to be no problem.
This fall seems to be a good time indeed. And on the second day, Zhao Chengxu was ordered to go to the palace to meet the saint, and presented the letter of resignation on behalf of his father to pray for his old age.
This time, Emperor Liu seemed very straightforward and approved on the spot without any reservations. However, thinking of Zhao Pu's past achievements, Emperor Liu allowed him to retire in glory and awarded him the title of Marquis of Xunyang. He did not let him return to his hometown or stay in the capital, but found a place for him to retire in Jiangdong... ...
In this way, very suddenly, Zhao Pu, the powerful prime minister, officially became history.
