Jiuxi

Chapter 874 872 [Wisdom]

Imperial Palace, Wende Hall.

Crown Prince Li Daoming sat upright behind the imperial desk, his clear and bright eyes looking at Lu Chen who was sitting not far away, with an unconcealable curiosity and a bit of caution.

Empress Ning sat beside him, coughed lightly, and said slowly: "I urgently summoned the Duke to the palace today because I am really uneasy and want to discuss something with you."

Lu Chen had just come out of the Weaving Bureau when the eunuchs in the palace came to him in a hurry and said that the Queen had summoned him. So he gave up his plan to go to the brave camp outside the city and rushed to the palace instead.

He said calmly, "Your Highness, please speak."

"The real murderer of the regicide has been found, and Li Shizhi's accomplices have also been arrested one after another. I can finally give an explanation to the late emperor, but..."

Queen Ning hesitated for a moment, frowning slightly. "These people hold high positions. Now that four ministers and more than ten important officials have been arrested in one go, the normal operation of the court has been seriously affected. I have no experience in governing, especially in this area, but I also know that this situation cannot continue for too long. The best policy is to fill the position as soon as possible."

This is a serious matter. Lu Chen nodded and said, "Your Highness is right. I think so too."

Empress Ning looked at him expectantly and said, "The four ministers are vacant. Does the Duke have any recommendations?"

Lu Chen's heart moved slightly, and he looked up at the Queen who should not be underestimated.

Logically speaking, a military hero certainly has no right to interfere in the appointment and dismissal of officials in the court, especially high-ranking officials like the Shangshu. However, the situation in the capital is somewhat complicated now. Although Lu Chen did not interfere in the defense of the imperial palace, the two cavalry units under his command are stationed in the city. This is a powerful force that no one can ignore.

In addition, Empress Ning granted him the power to make decisions on the spot, which essentially allowed him to interfere in all matters of the court.

Seeing that he remained silent, Empress Ning further explained, "I will also seek the opinions of the two prime ministers later. I just think that the Duke has never had any connection with the Jiangnan nobles and has a more thorough understanding of the affairs of the court, so I want to hear your opinion first."

I have to say that this is a very frank and clear attitude.

"Thank you for your trust, Your Highness."

Lu Chen thought for a while and said, "In my humble opinion, among the four currently vacant ministers, the Minister of Rites and the Minister of Personnel are the most important. The former needs to preside over the coronation ceremony of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the funeral ceremony of the late emperor, and the latter needs to be in charge of the appointment and dismissal of officials. This time, many officials are involved in the regicide case. The Ministry of Personnel needs to give a detailed and appropriate list as soon as possible to ensure that all ministries can operate smoothly. The Ministry of Revenue is of course also very important, but for the time being, the assistant minister can act as the minister, and the new minister can be decided after the situation stabilizes."

These words are reasonable and logical. Although they cannot be said to be particularly insightful, at least it can be seen that Lu Chen is indeed considering the overall situation.

Empress Ning was quite impressed and asked, "Who do you think can take over the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel?"

Lu Chen said slowly: "The Ministry of Rites has always been noble and solemn, and it may be difficult for ordinary people to convince the public, especially in this sensitive period. I recommend someone to Your Highness, who should be able to convince the civil and military officials."

"Who?"

Queen Ning was a little curious.

Lu Chen said: "The former Imperial Censor, Chu Huaizhong."

Queen Ning was slightly startled, but then quickly reacted.

Chu Huaizhong was a famous official in Jiangnan. Although he came from a noble family, he was different from ordinary aristocratic families. At least he would not harm the interests of the court. Therefore, he was entrusted by the late emperor with the important task of taking charge of the Xiantai. It was not until the late emperor passed away that Chu Huaizhong abdicated to allow the wise man to retire in peace and handed over the Yushitai to Xu Zuo.

Another thing is that Chu Huaizhong has a lot of experience and is second only to Li Daoyan in the court. If he were to be reinstated, he would obviously be recognized by all the civil and military officials in the court.

Empress Ning pondered and said, "Old Master Chu is naturally qualified to be the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan, but I remember that he is already sixty-five years old, and he retired two years ago because of ill health."

Lu Chen said calmly: "It's just a stopgap measure. I think Mr. Chu is willing to use his remaining energy to help the court overcome the difficulties."

Queen Ning suddenly realized that Chu Huaizhong's reputation and ability meant that he could handle the two important matters at hand, and his age was there. As long as she and the court gave him sincere respect, he should not mind being a transitional candidate.

In this way, she can decide more calmly who will be the new Minister of Rites in the future.

With a worry lifted from her heart, Empress Ning's thin face brightened up, and she asked gently, "Then who should take over as the Minister of Personnel?"

"Uh……"

Lu Chen pondered for a moment and said frankly: "Your Highness, I heard that the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Qu Hongyi, is deeply trusted by the late emperor. His loyalty is definitely not a problem. However, he accompanies Li Shizhi every day, but he has no idea of ​​Li Shizhi's ambition. Forgive me for being frank, but the ability of this Vice Minister Qu is questionable. There may be a big doubt whether he can handle the various government affairs of the Ministry of Personnel at this moment."

Queen Ning listened quietly, without showing any inappropriate emotions, and waited patiently for Lu Chen's proposal.

Lu Chen looked into her calm eyes and continued, "The Minister of Personnel is in a high position with great power. If you entrust the wrong person with the position, it will cause endless harm. Li Shizhi is a typical example. I can't think of a suitable candidate for the moment, but I have an idea. Your Highness doesn't have to decide on the candidate for the Minister of Personnel right away. You can let Prime Minister Xue or Prime Minister Xu take over the power of the Ministry of Personnel temporarily, and let the two assistant ministers be responsible for assisting. Maybe it will be safer."

Queen Ning's eyes lit up, and she was surprised. She summoned Lu Chen to discuss matters today, which was not a test, but she was a little curious. With Lu Chen's current status and power, if he was very forceful in placing officials, Queen Ning would not agree to all of them, but she would not reject them all, because she knew very well the power in Lu Chen's hands.

But I didn't expect the other party to be so noble.

She suppressed the turbulent thoughts in her heart and said hesitantly: "This is indeed appropriate, but..."

Seeing that she was hesitant to speak, Lu Chen understood and said calmly, "Your Highness, the two prime ministers are not power-hungry people. I believe they will understand your difficulties and at least ensure that the court can operate normally in the next few months. When the situation stabilizes, both Prime Minister Xue and Prime Minister Xu will decisively hand over power. This is also an emergency measure and will not become a regular practice."

"Of course I trust the two prime ministers."

Queen Ning's eyebrows relaxed and she nodded, saying, "I only knew that the Duke was good at military affairs before, but now I know that you are also good at governing. You are worthy of being the pillar of the country."

"Your Highness is so complimentary."

Lu Chen declined calmly and modestly. In fact, he felt that he was not selfless, but his action of secretly transferring the border cavalry to the south had already exceeded the rules, and there was no need to arouse the fear of the civil and military officials in the court.

Queen Ning took a sip of tea and continued, "Regarding the appointment of the two new ministers of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel, I will seek the opinions of the two prime ministers and obtain their support. By the way, the Duke did not mention the Ministry of Justice just now, but I actually have a suitable candidate."

Lu Chen had a vague guess in his mind, and said calmly: "Please give me your instructions, Your Highness."

Empress Ning said slowly, "The former Minister of Justice Gao Huan was dismissed for corruption. Now the court is in need of talent, and Gao Huan has been punished. I think it is not wrong to reinstate him. What do you think, Duke?"

Although this method is a bit crude and immature, it can be seen that she is returning the favor.

It was not a serious crime that led to Gao Huan's dismissal from office. If the standard for dismissal was used, there would probably not be many officials left in the court.

Lu Chen really needed Gao Huan to help him investigate the regicide case, but he was not impatient and said calmly: "Your Highness, Gao Huan is involved in the imperial tomb assassination case, and this matter has not yet been--"

Empress Ning interrupted him and said firmly, "This is Li Shizhi's false accusation against the Duke and Gao Huan, intending to make the officials believe that the Duke would kill the king. Now that the truth of the regicide has been revealed, the Duke and Gao Huan have been cleared of their grievances. How can we allow those rumors to spread? I will order someone to deal with this matter."

Lu Chen looked into her eyes, then bowed his head slightly and said, "If that's the case, I have no objection."

Whether it was Li Daoming who was sitting obediently and upright, or the female officials and palace maids who were standing respectfully in the hall, they could all feel this harmonious atmosphere and couldn't help but feel quite emotional.

Ever since the conflict between the late emperor and Lu Chen became public, the atmosphere in the palace has been solemn for a long time, and everyone lives in fear, fearing that they would anger the noble and bring disaster upon themselves.

Empress Ning continued, "As for the new Imperial Academy scholar, I intend to let the Secret Chamber Scholar Wang take over. Does the Duke agree?"

This proposal surprised Lu Chen a little.

It was in his plan to reinstate Gao Huan. The other party lost his official position because of him, and later he was able to resist Yuan Yuji's tactics and did not betray Lu Chen. He was obviously a trustworthy partner.

In Lu Chen's plan, Gao Huan's reinstatement as the Minister of Justice was only the first step. Next, he would push him to take over the Ministry of Revenue. No matter how much resistance there was in the court, he would make it happen.

The reason is very simple. He cannot stay in the capital forever. In the future, he will lead border troops to fight bravely in Jiangbei, and logistical supply will be the top priority.

It is difficult to predict the future situation in the court. Lu Chen can choose not to interfere in the defense of the imperial palace and not to directly interfere in government offices such as the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel. Only the Ministry of Revenue must be controlled by someone he trusts.

Queen Ning was very smart. She guessed what Lu Chen was thinking, so she took the initiative to extend an olive branch.

That would have been fine, but I didn't expect her to be so generous and give away the Hanlin Academy, a place for prime minister, and specifically want to promote Wang An.

You have to know that Wang An has been in Beijing for more than two years. Despite his reputation, resume and contributions to Da Qi, he has always been just a scholar in the imperial court waiting for advice and has no real power at all.

If it were in the past, Lu Chen might still have hesitated. After all, the Wang family of Zhailin has a thousand-year heritage and is quite impressive, as can be seen from Wang Chulong. But now he can no longer forcibly block Wang An's promotion. Besides, he also needs someone to help him expand and consolidate his network in the capital.

"Your Highness has a good eye for talent. I believe that Master Wang will do his best."

Lu Chen agreed frankly without any pretense. After all, his relationship with Wang An was no secret, so there was no need to be reserved.

Queen Ning knew that he had accepted her kindness, and she breathed a sigh of relief, with a faint smile on her face.

When you give someone a gift, you naturally have something to ask for.

(End of this chapter)