Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

Li Shanchang and others felt as if they had been pardoned. They kowtowed and expressed their gratitude, and then left the Taile Palace in disgrace.

After everyone left, Zhu Yuanzhang sat back in his chair, sighed, and whispered to himself: "These old ministers are becoming more and more unrestrained. Ouyang Lun, Ouyang Lun, you have to withstand this pressure and don't let me down..."

After Li Shanchang and a group of Huaixi old officials left Taile Palace, they all looked solemn and uneasy. They did not disperse immediately, but quietly gathered in Li Shanchang's mansion and closed the door to discuss countermeasures.

The atmosphere in the room was depressing, and several old officials couldn't help but whispered:
"Lord Li, the attitude of the Emperor today is really chilling! Is our Huaixi clan really going to fall from grace?"

"Yes, the emperor obviously favors Ouyang Lun. If we continue like this, I'm afraid we won't even be able to protect ourselves!"

"Mr. Li, please tell me what we should do next? Will the Emperor and His Majesty be angry with us and get rid of us completely?"

Everyone was talking at once, their voices full of anxiety and uneasiness. Li Shanchang, however, sat in the main seat, looking calm, as if he didn't care about the predicament at all. He took a sip of tea, slowly put down the teacup, glanced at everyone, and said calmly, "Everyone, please be patient."

Although his voice was soft, it carried an unquestionable majesty, and the room suddenly became quiet. Everyone looked at Li Shanchang, waiting for his next words.

Li Shanchang smiled slightly and said calmly: "Don't worry too much. The Emperor and His Majesty will not do anything to us for the time being."

"Oh? Why does Lord Li say that?" an old minister couldn't help but ask.

Li Shanchang stroked his beard and analyzed slowly: "First, although the emperor spoke harshly to us today, he did not really take action. This shows that he still has concerns in his heart. After all, our Huaixi faction has made great contributions to the Ming Dynasty. The emperor will not easily take action against us because of our old friendship."

He paused and continued, "Secondly, although His Majesty is young, he is not an ignorant person. He knows that the forces in the court are complicated and intricate. If he rashly attacks us, it will inevitably cause turmoil in the court. At present, the Ming Dynasty is facing internal and external troubles. His Majesty will not want to see the court fall into chaos."

"But, Ouyang Lun is such an arrogant guy, are we just going to let him suppress us?" another old minister said indignantly.

Li Shanchang sneered, with a gleam in his eyes: "Ouyang Lun? He is just a knife in the hand of His Majesty. No matter how sharp the knife is, it is still a knife after all. After it is used up, it will naturally be put away. We don't have to confront him head-on, just wait and see. "

"What Mr. Li means is..." Everyone looked puzzled.

Li Shanchang slowly stood up, walked to the window, looked at the sky in the distance, and said in a deep tone: "Ouyang Lun's rectification of the administration seems to be very successful, but in fact, he has made countless enemies. There are more people in the court who are dissatisfied with him than just our Huaixi faction. As long as we secretly unite with other forces and slowly accumulate strength, we can naturally strike back when the time is right."

He turned around and looked at everyone with a sharp gaze: "Everyone, the most important thing right now is to keep our footing and not panic. The Emperor and His Majesty will not take action against us for the time being, but we cannot let our guard down. We should be low-key when we should be low-key, and show weakness when we should be weak. We must not give them any more leverage."

After listening to Li Shanchang's analysis, the anxiety in everyone's heart gradually subsided. An old official could not help but exclaimed: "Mr. Li, your opinion is brilliant! We are enlightened!"

Li Shanchang smiled slightly, sat back in his chair, and said calmly: "Everyone, remember this sentence - 'If you are patient, the wind will be calm; if you take a step back, the sky will be wide open.' As long as we can stay calm, this storm will eventually pass."

Everyone in the room nodded, and confidence reappeared on their faces. Li Shanchang picked up the teacup, took a sip, and a hint of deep meaning flashed in his eyes.

Although Li Shanchang's words made everyone feel a little relieved, soon, the old officials of the Huaixi Party began to worry again. One old official frowned and whispered, "Old Prime Minister, you are right, but this time we jointly wrote a letter to impeach Ouyang Lun, but it didn't work. If we let his assessment continue, I'm afraid our Huaixi Party's position will still be lost!"

Another old minister also echoed, "Yes, old Prime Minister! Ouyang Lun's assessment this time is clearly intended to completely suppress our Huaixi faction. If we allow him to continue, we old bones may not even be able to keep our idle positions!"

The room fell silent again, and everyone looked at Li Shanchang, waiting for his next instruction.

Li Shanchang's expression remained calm. He slowly put down his teacup, glanced at everyone, and said calmly, "Everyone, don't be too anxious. Although Ouyang Lun's assessment is fierce, it is not flawless."

He paused and continued, "First, although Ouyang Lun's assessment seems to be vigorous and resolute, it has actually caused dissatisfaction among many people in the court. In addition to our Huaixi faction, officials from other factions also have complaints about Ouyang Lun's arbitrary behavior. We only need to secretly contact these dissatisfied officials and form a joint force to create greater resistance in the court."

"Secondly, although Ouyang Lun's assessment is strict, it is not without loopholes." Li Shanchang's eyes flashed with a gleam of light, "Many of the officials he promoted have little experience and no outstanding military achievements. We just need to seize this point and secretly collect evidence to prove that these people's promotions are not in accordance with the rules, and there is even suspicion of favoritism and fraud. When the time comes, we will present the evidence to Your Majesty, and Ouyang Lun's assessment will naturally be questioned."

"But, old Prime Minister, Ouyang Lun is, after all, a close confidant of His Majesty and the Emperor. If we do this, will we bring disaster upon ourselves?" an old minister asked worriedly.

Li Shanchang smiled slightly, with a hint of deep meaning in his tone: "Everyone, we don't have to show up in person. The imperial censors in the court usually like to impeach officials. We just need to give them the evidence and let them impeach Ouyang Lun. In this way, even if His Majesty and the Emperor are dissatisfied, they will not directly blame us."

After hearing this, everyone nodded with approval on their faces. An old minister couldn't help but exclaimed: "The old prime minister is indeed far-sighted! In this way, we can strike Ouyang Lun and protect ourselves at the same time. It's really a great plan!"

Li Shanchang waved his hand and said calmly: "This is just the first step. Next, we need to create public opinion in the court to make more people aware of the problems in Ouyang Lun's assessment. At the same time, we must also do some work at the local level to let those demoted generals and officials jointly write a letter to complain to Your Majesty. In this way, even if Your Majesty trusts Ouyang Lun again, he will have to consider the opposition voices in the court." "The old prime minister has a good idea!" Everyone echoed, and the worry on their faces gradually dissipated, replaced by a hint of expectation.

Li Shanchang stood up, walked to the window, looked at the sky in the distance, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, remember one thing - no matter how favored Ouyang Lun is, he is just an ordinary minister. As long as our Huaixi faction unites and secretly arranges, we can eventually turn the situation around. The most important thing right now is to stay calm and not lose our composure."

Everyone in the room stood up and bowed to Li Shanchang: "Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Li! We will definitely follow your instructions!"

Li Shanchang turned around with a faint smile on his face: "Okay, everyone, go back and act accordingly. Be sure to be careful. This game has just begun."

Everyone nodded and then quietly dispersed. Li Shanchang stood alone in front of the window, his eyes deep, and whispered to himself: "Ouyang Lun, Ouyang Lun, do you think you can cover the sky with the favor of His Majesty? It's not that simple in the court..."

Soon, it was the day of the court meeting. In the Jinluan Palace, all the ministers stood in silence, and the atmosphere was solemn. Zhu Biao sat on the dragon chair, his eyes swept over the ministers in the palace, and said lightly: "My dear ministers, do you have any important matters to report today?"

Li Shanchang stood at the front of the civil service queue, bowed his head slightly, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes. He walked out slowly, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to report."

Zhu Biao looked at Li Shanchang, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said calmly: "What do you want to report, Li Aiqing?"

Li Shanchang raised his head, his expression respectful, and his tone steady: "Your Majesty, I think that the Beijing-Pingcheng Railway has been built to a large extent, and the project is progressing smoothly and has achieved remarkable results. The officials who were sent to build the railway have worked diligently for many years and have made great contributions to the court. Now that the court is in need of people, I suggest that these officials be transferred back to the capital to serve and be given important positions. On the one hand, it can commend their achievements; on the other hand, it can also inject fresh blood into the court and alleviate the shortage of officials."

As soon as he finished speaking, the officials in the hall began to discuss in low voices. Some nodded in agreement, while others looked puzzled, especially the officials of the Huaixi Party, whose eyes flashed with anticipation.

Zhu Biao listened, pondered for a moment, and slowly said: "What Li Aiqing said is indeed reasonable. The Beijing-Pingcheng Railway is a national treasure, and the officials who built the railway have indeed made great contributions. However, this matter still needs to be considered in the long run. After all, the railway has not been fully completed. If the officials are transferred back rashly, it may affect the progress of the project."

Li Shanchang smiled slightly, his tone respectful but firm: "Your Majesty is wise. I think that the main construction of the Beijing-Pingcheng Railway has been basically completed, and the remaining part can be taken over by local officials. Most of the officials sent to build the railway are experienced and capable. If they can be transferred back to the capital, they will surely help the court solve problems. Moreover, there is a shortage of officials in the court now, and it is time to recruit people. If these talents can be transferred back in time, it will be twice the result with half the effort."

Zhu Biao's brows relaxed slightly when he heard this, and he seemed to be a little moved. He turned to look at Ouyang Lun and asked, "My dear Ouyang, what do you think?"

Ouyang Lun stepped out of the group, his expression calm, and he said, "Your Majesty, I think what Lord Li said makes sense. The officials who built the Beijing-Pingcheng Railway have indeed made great contributions. If they can be transferred back to the capital, they will surely serve the court. However, I suggest that these officials be assessed before being transferred back to ensure that their abilities match their positions."

When Li Shanchang heard Ouyang Lun's words, he sneered in his heart and said to himself: "Ouyang Lun, Ouyang Lun, you are indeed cautious. But you can't stop me this time."

He remained calm and continued, "Your Majesty, Lord Ouyang is right. I also think that officials should be assessed before they are transferred back. However, these officials have worked diligently in the local area for many years, and their achievements are obvious to all. The assessment is just a formality. I think the most urgent task is to transfer these talents back as soon as possible to solve the urgent needs of the court."

Although his face was calm, he had already made plans in his mind. He thought to himself: "The proposal to transfer back the officials who built the railway is ostensibly to relieve the court of worries, but in fact it is to check and balance Ouyang Lun's assessment. Most of these officials are my old subordinates in Huaixi. After being transferred back to the capital, they will surely be able to occupy important positions again and weaken Ouyang Lun's influence."

The corners of his mouth slightly raised, and he sneered in his heart: "Ouyang Lun, Ouyang Lun, do you think you can completely suppress our Huaixi Party by relying on the assessment? Little do you know that in this court, every step is a chess game. This move of mine can not only legitimately transfer back the old subordinates, but also make His Majesty and the Emperor speechless. Even if you are favored again, it is difficult to stop the trend of the times."

Thinking of this, a hint of pride flashed in Li Shanchang's eyes: "Next, we just need to secretly contact these officials who have been transferred back and let them form a joint force in the court, and then we can gradually reverse the situation. Ouyang Lun, I'm afraid your good days are numbered..."

I was secretly planning my next plan.

Zhu Biao nodded after listening to it, and said firmly: "In this case, then according to Li Aiqing's suggestion, the officials who built the railway will be transferred back to the capital first, and then they will be assessed and appointed. This matter will be handed over to the Ministry of Personnel, and it must be implemented as soon as possible."

Li Shanchang was delighted when he heard this and immediately bowed and saluted: "Your Majesty is wise!"

After the court meeting, Zhu Biao returned to the imperial study, still feeling conflicted about Li Shanchang's proposal. He knew very well that Li Shanchang's move was not simply to promote talents for the country, but that the Huaixi Party must have been plotting behind it. However, Li Shanchang's proposal seemed reasonable on the surface, and if he rejected it directly, it would probably cause criticism in the court.

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment and finally decided to hand the matter over to Ouyang Lun. He summoned Ouyang Lun and said bluntly: "Brother-in-law, Li Shanchang proposed to transfer back the officials who built the Beijing-Ping Railway. I think this matter is quite difficult. You are the general of the military cabinet and the host of this rectification of the administration. This matter is up to you to decide."

Ouyang Lun heard this with a calm expression. Without the slightest hesitation, he cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I think Lord Li's proposal is very good. The officials who built the railway have indeed made great contributions. Transferring them back to the capital to serve can not only commend their achievements, but also inject fresh blood into the court. I agree with this proposal."

Zhu Biao was stunned when he heard Ouyang Lun's answer. He originally thought that Ouyang Lun would firmly oppose it. After all, many of these officials were former members of the Huaixi Party, and transferring them back to the capital would inevitably weaken Ouyang Lun's rectification results. However, Ouyang Lun agreed so readily, without even proposing any additional conditions.

Zhu Biao could not help but ask: "Lord Ouyang, do you...really agree to this?" (End of this chapter)