Jiuxi

Chapter 786 [Smoke Locks the Tower]

Pingkangfang, Shangshufu.

Ever since Li Daoyan went to Jinlin's ancestral home to spend his remaining years in retirement, this mansion covered in smoke and fog can no longer be called the prime minister's residence.

However, for the managers and servants in the mansion, there was not much change. Old friends and officials still came to visit in an endless stream, especially as the New Year was approaching, and the gifts sent by various mansions had even increased compared to previous years.

Perhaps this was because the Right Prime Minister had already resigned, and the court and the public tacitly agreed that Minister Li would inherit his father's career and become the prime minister of the Great Qi.

Compared with the servants in the mansion who held their heads high and chests puffed out, there was not a trace of complacency on Li Shizhi's face.

Even though the person sitting opposite him at this moment was his close confidant, Minister of War Ding Hui.

"If it weren't for my brother's planning, Yang Jing would never have been able to become a high-ranking official in his lifetime."

Ding Hui had a flattering smile on his face, and his words seemed to show disdain for the new Minister of Justice, Yang Jing.

Li Shizhi said calmly: "Although Yang Jing has little experience, he is quite capable. It is natural for him to be promoted this time, and it is not entirely due to my help."

Ding Hui quickly said, "Brother is right."

In fact, he didn't really look down on Yang Jing, but out of his own needs, he had to express his attitude.

He has been in the position of Minister of War for seven years. It is well known that among the six ministers of the Great Qi Dynasty, the position of the Ministry of War is the most embarrassing. On the surface, it is in charge of the military affairs of the world, but in reality it can only take care of some miscellaneous affairs. It is under the dual jurisdiction of the Secretariat and the Military Academy, and the four major frontier military governorates below will not obey the orders of the Minister of War.

Everyone has selfish desires, and Ding Huizi is no exception. Seeing that even Yang Jing, a latecomer, could hold real power, he remained standing still. Even if he believed that Li Shizhi would not treat him unfairly, he could not enjoy himself like a fool all day long.

Li Shizhi knew his thoughts very well, and didn't mind him expressing them in a tactful way, so he slowed down his tone and said, "The relationship between you and me is known to the whole court, and His Majesty has also seen it. It is safer to be content with the status quo at this time. This is also the reason why I declined the position of Right Prime Minister. If I accept Your Majesty's appointment, the Ministry of Personnel and the Hanlin Academy must be given to others. If I recommend you to His Majesty, it will easily arouse His Majesty's suspicion, which is inappropriate."

Ding Hui smiled and said, "Brother, please don't worry. I have been waiting for so many years. I will not be in a hurry to lose the big picture for a small moment."

"That's great. There will always be opportunities for you to realize your ambitions in the future. Just don't complain about being tired when the time comes."

Li Shizhi tried to appease him, and then said, "Actually, I did think about asking you to move to another position two years ago, but something happened later that made me change my mind, just like I asked Qi Weili to stay in the Dali Temple."

Qi Weili is currently the Minister of Dali Temple. The reason why the emperor was able to successfully dismiss Gao Huan, the former Minister of Justice, was that the evidence provided by the Dali Temple was very important.

Ding Hui's mind moved, and he said very perceptively: "Brother, are you referring to Li Liangyu being transferred to the Ministry of War?"

Li Shizhi said: "Yes, what do you think of this person?"

Ding Hui pondered and said, "Although this Minister Li is young, he is very calm and experienced. To be honest, I thought it was difficult to get along with this general at first, but later I found that he is not a reckless person. His words and actions are very careful, and it is difficult to find any fault with him."

"Duke Wei has taught his son well, and Li Liangyu has been in charge of military logistics for many years, so it is impossible for him not to be cautious in his actions."

Li Shizhi raised his hand and tapped the table lightly, saying slowly: "Since he has no flaws, let's dig a hole for him."

Ding Hui said without hesitation: "Okay, I'll arrange it."

Li Shizhi smiled and said, "Thank you."

Ding Hui did not think this was a difficult task. Although Li Liangyu was upright, he was still his subordinate after all and he could always find an opportunity to set a trap for him.

However, he still had doubts in his heart, so he said carefully: "Brother, Duke Wei will not live long, and now he is not paying attention to the affairs of the court. Why do you want to..."

"Dealing with Li Liangyu is for the same reason as sending Gao Huan back home. It is to cut off Lu Chen's hand in the government. There is another important point. We must follow the trend."

Li Shizhi took a sip of tea and said calmly: "Let me ask you, what is the current situation?"

Ding Hui pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized: "The fourth prince of Jing State failed in his rebellion, the Emperor of Jing was seriously injured, and the Jing army turned to retreat across the board!"

"The Kingdom of Jing has been in trouble in recent years. Now that Emperor Jing is injured, it will inevitably lead to internal strife. For our dynasty, at least it means that the borders will be safe and we will not be involved in war in the next few years."

Li Shizhi paused for a moment, then continued, "The conflict between your majesty and Lu Chen was suppressed because of the previous war, and this peace will not last long. It can be predicted that after Lu Chen returns to the capital, your majesty will appropriately weaken his power. As ministers of the Great Qi, you and I have an unshirkable responsibility to share the worries of the king. Of course, we must prepare for the rainy day, and maybe we can help your majesty someday."

Ding Hui said thoughtfully: "I understand. As long as your majesty wants to deal with Lu Chen, the hidden chess pieces arranged by my brother can be used at that time."

Li Shizhi's eyes were deep. It could not be said that Ding was wrong to understand it this way, but he just did not think deeply enough. However, this was also the effect he wanted to achieve.

Even when facing Jing Qingshan, Li Shizhi would not tell all his thoughts, but would only reveal part of them selectively.

He followed Ding Hui's thoughts and said, "In short, you can start planning now. Remember to be careful and cautious, and don't let Li Liangyu find out. You must be fully prepared within three months at the latest. When the time is right, I will let Li Jinshan notify you to take action."

Ding Hui patted his chest and said, "Please rest assured, brother. I promise I won't make any mistakes."

The two talked for a long time, and then Ding Hui stood up to say goodbye. In the quiet study, Li Shizhi raised his hand and pinched his brow, looking a little tired.

After an unknown amount of time, he said to the outside of the window, "Let Li Yunyi come over."

"Yes, sir."

A deep voice responded immediately.

Li Yunyi is the arrogant and domineering third son of the Li family outside, but he is as well-behaved as a quail when he returns home. Especially in this inner study room which he usually dares not approach, he can increasingly feel the majesty revealed by his father without any expression, which is much stronger than when he was not exiled.

"Did you see Li Bingxue in the city today?"

"Yes, Father."

Li Yunyi did not dare to hide anything and told the truth about how he sent people to secretly monitor the Duke of Wei's Mansion, followed Gu Wan'er all the way, and finally had a brief confrontation with Li Bingxue, even including Li Bingxue's words "Look for your father".

"It's true that rolling around in a pile of dead bodies makes a difference. Even women have a much sharper spirit than you."

Li Shizhi's expression was indifferent, and this sentence made Li Yunyi even more ashamed.

He said ashamedly: "I am an incompetent son and have brought shame upon my father's reputation. Please punish me."

"This is to be expected. Your performance today was not too bad, and it is not a sin."

Li Shizhi brushed it off and then asked, "Based on what you saw with your own eyes, Li Bingxue's concern for Gu Wan'er is not just a pretense?"

Li Yunyi was full of surprise. He looked up and saw that his usually strict father actually showed some encouragement. He almost burst into tears and said quickly, "Yes, father, I can guarantee that if Gu Wan'er gets into trouble, Li Bingxue will do everything she can to help her."

Hearing this firm answer, Li Shizhi fell into deep thought. After a moment, he said calmly, "Although Gu Wan'er is a prostitute, she was born in a place of prostitution after all. Such a person definitely cannot enter the Li family. Choose a candidate with a decent family background from among her crazy admirers back then. Don't act rashly. I will tell you when to make a move and how to do it in the future."

Li Yunyi agreed with some excitement.

It's not that he is obsessed with Gu Wan'er, otherwise he would not have given her to Lu Chen. It's just that after two years of miserable exile, he would remember the past humiliation whenever he thought of Gu Wan'er.

If he couldn't vent his anger, he would never have peace in his life.

Seeing the middle-aged man sitting on the armchair with his eyes slightly closed, Li Yunyi said respectfully: "Please take care of yourself, father."

Li Shizhi waved his hand and he retreated quietly.

After a while, the confidant Li Jinshan walked into the study, but did not disturb him by making a sound, and stood solemnly half a meter away.

Li Shizhi slowly opened his eyes and said calmly, "Speak."

Li Jinshan stepped forward, bowed his head and whispered, "My Lord, the palace lady sent a secret letter. She followed my Lord's instructions a few days ago and hinted in a subtle way, successfully arousing the Queen Mother's sympathy for her son. There should be some movement in the next two days."

"Li Zongjian had done something to the Third Brother, but now I'm helping him. Things in the world are just so weird sometimes."

Li Shizhi stood up, walked out, and said with an inexplicable smile: "Do you think he will be grateful to me?"

Li Jinshan followed closely and said thoughtfully: "The Third Prince has been through great suffering over the past year. Now that he can see the light of day again, he must be ecstatic."

Li Shizhi came to the corridor outside, looked at the bleak winter scenery in the courtyard, shook his head and said: "If he has made some progress in the past two years, he should be fearful rather than happy. Although he has lost his freedom by being imprisoned, he can at least save his life. If Your Majesty agrees to release him, then his death will not be far away."

Although Li Jinshan was Li Shizhi's most trusted confidant, he still couldn't understand the deep meaning of these words.

He has been very busy in the past six months and has done a lot of things according to Li Shizhi's instructions, but he also knows that he is only responsible for a small part of Li Shizhi's plan and has no idea of ​​the whole picture.

So after hearing this sigh, he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"As a middle-aged person, I still feel this kind of anxious and eager emotion. Now I don't understand why I am looking forward to someone's arrival so much."

Li Shizhi looked up at the dark sky in the north and said self-deprecatingly, "Just like the women in the poems about women complaining about their love affairs in the boudoir."

Li Jinshan knew that the person he was talking about was Lu Chen, the Duke of Shanyang County, and he could not help but muster up the courage to remind him: "Master, the Duke of Shanyang County is definitely not someone you can easily deal with."

"If not, why would I rack my brains to plan it?"

Li Shizhi moved his gaze and looked towards the south. His sight seemed to be able to pass through the heavy clouds and fall on the deep palace, and then he smiled faintly.

"This fight between dragons and tigers is bound to be very interesting. It's a pity that I am just a spectator. At most, I can only play a supporting role for Your Majesty."

(End of this chapter)