After hearing what Ouyang Xiu said, how could Master Qin still not understand that this matter had been planned by Ouyang Xiu a long time ago.
Just thinking about it carefully, this matter is indeed beneficial to the court, and it can also help Li Hao.
Since you can get the best of both worlds, Master Qin has no reason to refuse.
But Master Qin didn't want to agree so easily, otherwise it would be difficult to get rid of the anger of being deliberately deceived by Ouyang Xiu.
So he said: "This plan of yours is not a day's work.
Tell me, when did you come up with this idea, and whether Li Hao knew about it. "
When Ouyang Xiu heard that Master Qin did not refuse on the spot, he knew that the matter had been done.
Then he smiled and said, "I've been making plans since I knew you were going to Beijing.
As for Li Hao, he knows that I have something to do with you, but I haven't told him what it is specifically. "
Master Qin nodded and said, "I knew you had bad intentions and had been plotting against me all along. I agreed to this, but you have to punish yourself three times first."
After hearing this, Ouyang Xiu said: "I am helping to pave the way for your proud disciple again, and you still want to punish me with drinking. This is unjustifiable."
After hearing this, Master Qin disagreed: "It's true that this can help Li Hao, but it's hard to say that it's only Li Hao who can be helped."
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Xiu had no choice but to agree: "Okay, I'll punish myself with three cups. That's okay."
Saying tons, tons, tons, he drank three glasses of wine and accepted the punishment.
Then Master Qin said: "In this case, I will not hold you accountable for deliberately plotting against me.
But don't talk to Li Hao about this matter, just let us handle it. "
After confirming this most important thing, the two started chatting.
So Master Qin asked about the court situation, because Li Hao was still a little immature and couldn't sense some things.
But Ouyang Xiu is different. For this old fox who has experienced changes in the court situation for more than 20 years, it is really difficult for Ouyang Xiu to escape the eyes of Ouyang Xiu.
Moreover, Master Qin also worked with Han Qi during the Qingli period, so he naturally knew Han Qi's temperament well.
If he is a deputy and has a boss who can suppress him, then he can really show his talents.
But if he is the right hand, then based on his nature, he may not tolerate voices in the court that are different from his, even if others are right.
"Since Prime Minister Fu Bi left the court, you and Prime Minister Han Qi have jointly managed the government. He is not as easy to talk to as Prime Minister Fu Bi, so what are your plans next."
It seemed that this question was really difficult to answer. Ouyang Xiu was silent for a while and then said: "Now that Grand Prime Minister Fu Bi has just left and many things have been sorted out, how could I have so many plans.
Let’s take a look first and wait until this period of time has passed. "
After hearing what Ouyang Xiu said, Master Qin also understood. It seemed that Ouyang Xiu had doubts about the prospects of the next reform.
So next, Master Qin didn't ask any more questions, and just drank and talked about poetry with Ouyang Xiu, so happily.
After returning the wine, Master Qin went back to Li Mansion to rest.
In the days that followed, Master Qin began to look for old friends in Bianjing, and visited all his friends from the Qingli period.
It also helped Li Hao reconnect with many relationships and added a lot of help to Li Hao.
Until one day, when Ouyang Xiu entered the palace for an audience, he accidentally mentioned Master Qin's name and said that he had gone to Beijing to attend Li Hao's wedding banquet and was staying at Li Hao's house.
And Zhao Zhen is indeed someone who misses his old feelings for this minister who made great contributions to the Qingli New Deal, but resigned and returned home because of it.
Zhao Zhen was really impressed, so he decided to invite Master Qin into the palace to talk, and by the way, he wanted to understand the situation among the people.
This played into Ouyang Xiu's plan, so soon Master Qin entered the palace under the leadership of the internal officials and arrived in front of Zhao Zhen.
I saw with my own eyes that this veteran minister from that time had changed from the young and handsome young man back then.
Zhao Zhen was really touched when he turned into an old man with gray hair at the temples.
He said: "In the Qingli New Deal, I later considered the stability of North Korea and China and did not continue to support it.
It led to the ultimate failure of the New Deal and forced you to resign and return home. Here, I deeply regret what happened back then. "
Hearing Zhao Zhen's review, Master Qin couldn't help it. After all, this was an emperor who had been in power for nearly forty years and could apologize to a minister.
Master Qin was still very touched, so he said: "There is no need to worry about officials. Resigning from office and going into seclusion was the choice of ordinary people and had nothing to do with officials.
Moreover, Cao Min has been teaching and educating people in Yangzhou these years, which can be regarded as serving the imperial court. "
Hearing this, Zhao Zhen also smiled and said, "Yes, it seems that the three disciples of the Qing family have already become officials.
Li Hao, in particular, was able to help the king in times of crisis, and now he has recovered more than half the year's taxes for the court.
Now he has participated in the new coup law and inherited the mantle of the Qing family. The contribution of the Qing family is indispensable. "
As he was talking, Zhao Zhen came up with an impromptu idea and said, "How about I grant an official position to the Qing family again, and you continue to serve as an official in the court and serve me."
When Master Qin suddenly heard this, his heart was really beating fast. This was not part of his original plan.
And if you become an official, then from what standpoint will you say the next words.
So he quickly refused: "The common people have not set foot in officialdom for more than ten years. It is really that they are not strong enough."
Fortunately, Zhao Zhen was also on a whim. When Master Qin refused, he didn't say more, but asked about the specific situation among the people.
Knowing that the matter of the crown prince mentioned later played into Master Qin's hands.
So Master Qin took the opportunity to mention that the position of the crown prince was unstable, and the people were talking about it.
Although Zhao Zhen brought up this topic himself, Master Qin's answer still touched Zhao Zhen's sensitive nerve.
I saw Zhao Zhen saying: "Who are the Qing family trying to help by saying this, Grand Prime Minister Ouyang or Grand Prime Minister Han? The Qing family seems to be quite familiar with them?"
Master Qin saw this and said quickly: "This is what the common people say from the bottom of their hearts, and they are definitely not meant to help anyone.
Fan Wenzhenggong said back then that if you live high in a temple, you worry about your people; if you live far away from the rivers and lakes, you worry about your king.
Although the common people are living in the world, they are still thinking about the officials all the time, and there is absolutely no other meaning in this matter.
Speaking of which, a minister without children is worse than an official. "
After listening to what Master Qin said using himself as an example, after all, this person is afraid of comparison.
After all, at least he still had his daughter alive, which was much better than the childless Master Qin, so Zhao Zhen's expression softened a little.
Master Qin then quickly continued: "The common people also understand the concerns of the officials and are concerned about the orderly inheritance of the family ancestral hall.
But officials are different from ministers. Officials are the most important person in the world and are not as carefree as ordinary people, so they will inevitably do something against their will. "
Zhao Zhen was also a little in love at this time and said, "I know what the Qing family is thinking, but that's my child."
Seeing that Zhao Zhen was already interested, Master Qin took the opportunity to say, "Actually, if the officials are not willing to immediately enthrone the crown prince, there is still another position that can achieve the goal."
Zhao Zhen's political wisdom naturally understood that the position Qin Master mentioned was referring to the post of Kaifeng Yin.
From a practical point of view, Zhao Zhen has already understood the fact that he has no children. Now he still vacates the position of prince and refuses to grant it. It is just because he still has a little inner struggle.
After listening to Master Qin's advice, Zhao Zhen had already made a move, but he did not make a decision in court.
Instead, he changed the topic and talked about Li Hao's marriage.
Master Qin happened to be living in the Li Mansion during these days, so he could speak fluently.
Then Zhao Zhen was very considerate and allowed Master Qin to stay in the palace to eat, and then let Master Qin leave the palace.
After leaving the palace, Master Qin looked back at the palace gate and knew that Zhao Zhen had already made up his mind.
, it’s just a matter of choosing the right time.
Therefore, after leaving the palace, Master Qin told no one what happened inside the palace.
After all, the Imperial City Department still plays a role. Who knows if anyone from the Imperial City Department is in Li Hao's house? Don't turn a good thing into a bad thing in the end.
As for Ouyang Xiu, Master Qin is also confident that this old fox will not reveal his flaws.
In fact, Master Qin's response was correct. Zhao Zhen was indeed on guard, so he did not announce this order for a long time after that.
Of course, Zhao Zhen also stayed away from all the candidates for Kaifeng Prefecture reported by the Political Affairs Hall.
As this matter dragged on, some people gradually seemed to have caught wind of the situation, including Mr. Han.
So Mr. Han told Zhao Zongquan privately, which meant that it was not the right time to enthrone the crown prince, but there was a better opportunity at this time.
As long as you are appointed as the Kaifeng Yin, it is still a symbol of the reserve position, and Zhao Zhen also served as the Kaifeng Yin before he ascended the throne, which makes this position even more symbolic.
It's just that Han Qi is naturally extremely shrewd, and of course he won't lead the way stupidly.
So he began to arrange for his officials to go there, from the original proposal to persuade the crown prince to the current appointment of Kaifeng Yin.
However, Zhao Zhen, an emperor who has been in power for forty years and has been in charge for thirty-one years, can naturally change twice and guess that there are people behind the scenes who have not yet shown their faces.
So he just ignored it and kept dragging this matter out.
Anyway, Li Hao didn't know whether Han Qi and Zhao Zongquan were anxious in the end.
But Li Hao was a little impatient, so he thought about going to Ouyang Xiu to ask about the situation and see how far he had progressed.
But before Li Hao could set out, Master Qin stopped Li Hao and said, "You only have a few days to get divorced, so don't get involved with other things.
After all, you are marrying a British only daughter, so you must be considerate in etiquette.
You should also take a leave of absence from your third job and concentrate on getting married. "
Li Hao was a little surprised when he heard this, because Master Qin would never interfere in official matters.
Today, he suddenly said these words, which made Li Hao confused.
But based on his trust in Master Qin, Li Hao didn't ask any more questions.
Because Li Hao believed that Master Qin would never deceive him.
Since I can't tell you now, there must be a reason why I can't tell you.
So the next day, Li Hao went to Sansi Yamen and found Chen Shengzhi to ask for leave.
Chen Shengzhi was not embarrassed by this, after all, he was also one of the people going to the banquet.
So Chen Shengzhi said: "Originally, if you didn't come today, I planned to go find you.
Getting married is a big event, and you should take a few days to get ready.
In addition to nine days of wedding leave, I will allow you another six days of leave. After you have a good rest, you will come back to work. "
Hearing this, Li Hao was very happy. After all, who doesn't want to take a few more days off?
He said, "Thank you so much, Mr. Chen. Please remember to come early on the day of my wedding."
Chen Shengzhi also agreed immediately and asked Li Hao to quickly hand over the matters at hand before returning home.
So when Li Hao arrived at the Salt and Iron Division, he gathered all his subordinates.
He said that he was going to take a break for fifteen days, so that they could be more honest recently and do their own thing with peace of mind.
Then he called Sheng Hong out alone to explain the matter.
There is nothing we can do. The people of the Household Department and the Duzhi Department have failed to live up to their expectations. More than half a month has passed, and the account books they are required to submit have not been sorted out. I don't know how efficient they are.
So this matter had to be left to Sheng Hong to keep an eye on: "Uncle, my uncle also knows that Master Chen wants the general ledger for three years.
Originally, I planned to hand it in with the Household Department and the Duzhi Department, but now that I'm on leave, I'll leave this matter to my uncle.
After watching them prepare it, you can help them hand it over when the time comes. "
Sheng Hong naturally had no problem with this and agreed immediately.
Li Hao then asked Sheng Hong to help take care of the affairs of the Salt and Iron Division. If there was anything that couldn't be handled, he would talk to him in time.
Of course, in the end, Li Hao still told Sheng Hong to come over early that day.
After finishing the official business, Li Hao returned to the house by himself.
But when Li Hao came back, he found that he really had nothing to do.
Madam Song and the Wei family were busy with all the arrangements in the mansion, and Li Hao actually had no way to get involved.
Even if they were brought in, there was no need for Li Hao to come forward. For a while, Li Hao could only talk to Master Qin and play chess to pass the time.
Such boring time passed quickly, and soon the day came for Li Hao and Zhang Guifen to get married.
On this day, the houses of Li Hao and the British Duke were very lively. The British Duke's Mansion gathered many families of Duke Wuxun, including Marquis Ningyuan, Duke Lingguo, Marquis Huining and others.
As for Li Hao, although Han Qi did not come in person, he sent someone to send a congratulatory gift.
As for Ouyang Xiu, he naturally arrived early to help Li Hao hold up the scene.
Then there were Chen Shengzhi, the envoy of the Third Division of the Prime Minister, a group of people from the Privy Council and the Third Division, and many people from the other Nine Temples and Five Supervisors also came.
Anyway, for a large part of this, Li Hao may have only met twice.
It's just that the composition of these personnel is also very uniform, most of them are civil servants.
A few generals had also worked with Li Hao, such as Yang Wenyuan, Gu Tingye, and Zhang Wen.
Even Bi Zhongyou and Song Chaozhong sent people to deliver gifts in advance, while they themselves went to the British Duke's Mansion to have a drink.
But these people were enough. Anyway, even if Bi Zhongyou and Song Chaozhong came, they would not be able to follow him to the British Duke's Mansion to welcome his bride.
Moreover, this group of people has both civil and military personnel, and the military commanders have an obvious advantage in numbers. As for the civil servants, including himself, Yan Fu, Gu Tingye, and Sheng Changbai, it is enough to cope with them.
After all, there is only one girl in the British family, and she has no brothers or sisters, so she should be able to pass this obstacle easily.
So when the calculated auspicious time came, Li Hao took Gu Tingye and the others out of the mansion, got on their tall horses and headed towards the British Duke's mansion.
At this time, Li Hao was really nervous. Although Li Hao had already experienced wedding reception twice, when it was his turn, he felt really different.
But regardless of whether Li Hao was nervous or not, as the wedding team was chatting and chattering all the way, everyone arrived outside the British government palace.
It turned out that the formation blocking the door was much larger than he expected. Just when Li Hao was curious about who was there.
Gu Tingye stepped forward and whispered: "The people here are all from a branch of the Zhang family. They are Zhang Guifen's cousins."
Then he pointed at the people and introduced them one by one to Li Hao, which person belonged to which house and what official position they held in the court.
After this introduction, Li Hao was really surprised and sighed: "This is indeed a British family with veterans from three dynasties. Although these people do not have very high official positions.
But they are basically the grassroots backbone of the Fourth Army, which clearly shows the background of the British public. "
But today, these are not important. The first thing that matters is how to break through this door that is blocked at all levels.
So at this time, Li Hao stepped up to the challenge. Surrounded by Gu Tingye and others, he arrived outside the mansion and confronted Zhao Guifen's cousins.
While Li Hao was dealing with the people blocking the door outside the mansion, Zhang Guifen was also saying words of respect in the Zhang family ancestral hall:
"Ancestors all over the family, please listen: I am getting married today, and I don’t dare to be independent; I smoke cigarettes continuously during the four seasons and eight festivals; tell the gods, all hope will show mercy; it is natural for a man to marry and a woman to marry; there will be good luck and celebration, and both husband and wife will be happy; there will be no disaster or disaster. , will last for hundreds of years; like fish and water, sweeter than honey."
After saying that, the two maids hurried in and took Zhang Guifen back to the house to dress up.
While Zhang Guifen was dressing up, the maid Biying came to report that Li Hao had arrived outside the house and was being stopped by his brothers. Should we go over and tell them not to embarrass my uncle too much?
"
Hearing this, Zhang Guifen said nothing, but her personal maid Qiu Yun said directly: "Biying, go and have a look outside the house. Of course you can't make it too difficult for my brothers to make things difficult for me."
After Biying left, Qiuyun saw that Zhang Guifen was almost done dressing up, so she pushed the others away.
He said: "Girl, you are going to marry into the Li family today. You can't treat your husband like this. I think your attitude towards my uncle's mother is very good."
Seeing that Zhang Guifen was still silent, Qiu Yun added, "Our new uncle is a serious new talent scout and a great contributor to King Qin's rescue.
He is both civil and military, even our father-in-law always praises him when he talks about him. The father-in-law will never help him lie.
Moreover, he is a clean and tidy person. I heard that he doesn't even have a girl with whom he is married. Why don't you want to marry him, girl? "
After hearing this, Zhang Guifen said: "I have nothing against it, it's just..."
