Jiuxi

Chapter 984 982 [Returning Home]

From ancient times to the present, moving the capital has undoubtedly been a very troublesome thing for all dynasties.

For the current Great Qi, moving the capital means a certain degree of turbulence in high-level power, so officials in the south of the Yangtze River naturally would not agree.

Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo were ordered to convene all officials to discuss the details, but they were opposed by many officials at the beginning.

If we go back ten years, the two prime ministers might not have been able to accomplish this task, but now the Jiangnan aristocratic families are in disarray and have become powerless.

Among the nine major families in Jiangnan, the four families of Guo, Wang, Ning and Le had long since disappeared. The Jinlin and Li families faded out of the court, especially after the death of Li Daoyan. The children of the Li family almost stayed indoors and no longer had much contact with other aristocratic families.

Of the remaining four families, the Xue family of Qingyuan could not resist the decision of the left prime minister Xue Nanting, and could only accept the result of moving the capital reluctantly.

The Ningtan Ding family and the Longlin Gao family clearly stood on Lu Chen's side because of Ding Hui and Gao Huan, so they naturally would not oppose the relocation of the capital at this time.

In this way, there was only one Chen family of Boyue, plus other noble families such as Wang family of Yongxin, Wu family of Queshan, and Kong family of Pingjiang. Although they repeatedly persuaded the two prime ministers to be cautious, they were ultimately unable to change the overall situation.

After more than ten days of discussion, all the ministers in the court were almost exhausted from talking, and finally reached a resolution with great difficulty.

The relocation of the capital will be divided into three steps. The court will first send the Minister of Rites Kong Yingdong and the Minister of Works Zhu Heng to lead hundreds of officials and clerks north to Heluo to conduct a detailed inspection of Heluo City, including the inspection and division of the imperial palace, government offices, and official residences, the starting, traveling, stopping, and resting of the imperial carriage along the way, and the repair of key places such as the imperial mausoleum, the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and the Temple of Heaven.

The second step is expected to be in early September this year, when the right prime minister Xu Zuo will lead the deputy officials of various ministries and some officials to Heluo to set up the framework of the court.

The third step was scheduled for early November, when the royal family, clan members, and civil and military officials set out for Heluo under the escort of the imperial guards to offer sacrifices to their ancestors at the imperial mausoleum before the New Year.

At that time, Yongjia and its surrounding areas will be upgraded to Nanzhili, and its political status will be second only to the capital Heluo.

The imperial court will establish the post of Governor-General of Southern Zhili, who will be responsible for maintaining stability in various parts of Jiangnan together with the provincial governors of other states and the commander-in-chief of the Jiangnan camp.

As the capital relocation began, Yongjia City became extremely busy. In this slightly chaotic atmosphere, an ordinary-looking horse-drawn carriage quietly drove into the city.

"and many more."

An old and calm voice came from the carriage.

A white-faced, beardless man in his thirties stepped forward and asked, "What do you want, Lord Qin?"

The man in the car said, "Your Majesty wants me to enter the palace immediately?"

The man's name is Lu Wei. He is currently the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and one of the eunuchs trusted by Empress Dowager Ning.

Although he was highly regarded by Queen Mother Ning, Lu Wei was extremely respectful in front of the man in the car. He immediately bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty did not say it clearly. I wonder if Lord Qin has something to do?"

The man in the car said, "Since it's on the way, let's go to the headquarters of the Jingzhi Division first."

Lu Wei was stunned for a moment, then looked embarrassed. He had already received an order from Yuan Yuji conveying the Queen Mother Ning, asking him to conceal his whereabouts and not let too many people know that Qin Zheng had returned to the capital.

Inside the carriage, Qin Zheng's face showed no sadness or joy, and he said calmly: "Your Majesty summoned me back to the capital, I think it's not just to see me, so why hide it? The Weaving Bureau certainly doesn't follow the principle of being aboveboard, but there's no need to deliberately take a shady approach, which will only make people suspicious. Let's go, I will explain to Your Majesty in person later, and you can't be blamed."

Lu Wei did not dare to hesitate and quickly responded, "Yes."

About a quarter of an hour later, the carriage arrived in front of the gate of the blue-gray building. At this time, Lu Wei suddenly found many figures appearing around him.

The moment Qin Zheng came out of the carriage, the figures in the distance did not approach rashly, but Lu Wei clearly felt the excitement in the air.

The headquarters of the Weaving Bureau responded quickly.

Qin Zheng walked up the stone steps and stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the plaque of the Weaving Bureau. A moment later, a group of officials rushed out, led by none other than the current supervisor Su Yunqing, the two supervisors in Beijing Deng Junfei and Shi Haoyang, as well as the chief escort officers, signing officers, contract surveying officers, escort officers and commanders.

Most people showed surprise and excitement on their faces, and then, led by Su Yunqing, they saluted and said, "Greetings, Master Qin!"

"You don't have to be polite."

Qin Zheng smiled and said, "I am here to see you in the capital at the order of His Majesty. I missed the capital a lot after being away from it for the past few years, so I came to see you."

This short sentence made everyone feel different.

Although the Weaving Bureau was not established after the imperial court moved south, it did grow and develop step by step under Qin Zheng's leadership.

From the eleventh year of Yuankang to the fifteenth year of Jianwu, Qin Zheng single-handedly supported the backbone of the Weaving Bureau. Talented people like Su Yunqing were trained and taught by him, and then became Li Duan's most reliable eyes and ears.

During those years, Li Duan faced a difficult situation with internal and external troubles. The Weaving Bureau was his key arm, helping him to suppress the Jiangnan clans bit by bit.

Without Qin Zheng, there would be no Weaving Bureau. This is a fact recognized by the vast majority of people.

Even though he had been away from the capital for three years, no one dared to underestimate his influence on this special government office, let alone how many of his confidants were hiding beneath the surface.

Su Yunqing knew this very well. For example, except for Lu Chen, he still found it difficult to fully understand the background of the eleven secretaries.

Qin Zheng looked at Su Yunqing, whose face was filled with fatigue, and said seriously, "You have worked hard these past few years."

Hearing this, Su Yunqing felt mixed emotions.

In fact, he had a hard time in the past six months, because his relationship with Lu Chen was already exposed. No matter what kind of temperament Empress Dowager Ning had, it was difficult for her to accept that the head of the Weaving Bureau and the military leader were in cahoots with each other. If the Imperial Guards were not still under the control of Shen Yulai, she would probably not dare to let the young emperor sleep alone at night.

Therefore, marginalizing Su Yunqing was an inevitable process. For Lu Chen's sake, Queen Mother Ning took Su Yunqing's dignity into consideration in many of her arrangements. She tried her best to let the three people below take charge of the work, and still gave Su Yunqing enough respect on the surface.

But this will eventually make Su Yunqing's situation more and more embarrassing.

Thinking of this, Su Yunqing said with a sigh: "It's not hard, I'm just doing my job."

"There's no need to be so stiff."

Qin Zheng shook his head and said gently, "I know you are not reluctant to give up this position. Lu Chen must have reserved a position for you. I will petition His Majesty to dismiss you from your position as the head of the Weaving Bureau. You can go and help Lu Chen in the future. Yun Qing, ever since you joined the Weaving Bureau, I have admired your talent and loyalty. You have contributed a lot to Da Qi over the past decade. There is no need for you to continue to be stuck in the middle."

There was silence.

Su Yunqing looked at Qin Zheng's sincere and gentle eyes, and the burden in his heart gradually dissipated. He bowed and said, "Thank you for your help, sir."

Qin Zheng said no more, looked at everyone and said: "I am going to the palace, you can go and do your work, there is no need to see me off."

The officials of the Weaving Bureau were not at all surprised that he decided the future of the current supervisor Su Yunqing with just a few words. On the contrary, they seemed to think that this was a very common thing.

That's how it should be.

"Congratulations, my lord."

Everyone saluted in unison and watched Qin Zheng board the carriage.

The spies from the Weaving Bureau who were hiding in the corners followed the ordinary carriage with their admiring eyes.

Not long after, the carriage stopped at the edge of the square outside Hening Gate. Qin Zheng took a look at the magnificent imperial city, then straightened his clothes and stepped forward.

When he arrived at the Hening Gate, Yuan Yuji, the Junior Supervisor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was already waiting there.

Walking in the familiar yet unfamiliar palace, Qin Zheng looked straight ahead and followed the same rules as before.

When they arrived at the side hall of Wende Palace, Empress Dowager Ning had already dismissed all other palace maids, leaving only her trusted female official Ruolan.

"Old minister Qin Zheng pays respect to His Majesty."

Qin Zheng saluted meticulously.

Queen Mother Ning did not wait for him to kneel down, but watched Yuan Yuji support him, then stood up and said, "Qin Qing, there is no need to be so polite."

Qin Zheng did not force himself to pay his respects, but simply stood up.

Empress Dowager Ning found that he did not look much older than when he left the capital three years ago, which showed that he had lived quite comfortably in his hometown during the past three years.

Thinking of this, she smiled and said, "I haven't seen you for three years, but Qin Qing is still as charming as ever. I am very relieved."

Qin Zheng replied calmly, "To be honest with you, Your Majesty, I have enjoyed the happiness of family life in the past few years. I also learned that our border troops defeated the powerful enemy and recovered the country. I feel like I have become several years younger."

After the greetings, the king and his ministers sat down.

Empress Dowager Ning was such a sensitive person that she could naturally feel the alienated atmosphere, and her mood became even more complicated.

While she was thinking about how to start, Qin Zheng took the initiative to talk about the episode that happened in the general office of the Weaving Department, and finally said respectfully: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I, an old minister, have taken the initiative to agree to Su Yunqing's request to resign."

Queen Mother Ning said with a bit of embarrassment: "It's okay. In fact, I also know that Su Yunqing is not suitable to continue to be in charge of the Textile Bureau. Even if I believe in his loyalty, he will feel tortured. I originally wanted to find a suitable time to summon him to the palace for a meeting, but in the past six months, major events have been one after another, so it has been delayed."

Qin Zheng was silent for a moment. He knew why Queen Dowager Ning wanted to keep Su Yunqing in the capital. In the final analysis, she just didn't want such a talent who was familiar with the secrets of the weaving brocade and well versed in the operation procedures of spies to leave and become Lu Chen's right-hand man.

Therefore, even though Su Yunqing had been gradually excluded from the core of the Weaving Bureau, Empress Dowager Ning still refused to give in.

From the perspective of Empress Dowager Ning, she did not treat Su Yunqing badly, nor did she intend to harm his life. She just wanted to keep him for as long as possible, at least until the capital was moved before letting him go. What was wrong with that?
Seeing the uneasiness and nervousness in Queen Mother Ning's eyes, Qin Zheng stopped talking about the previous topic and said slowly, "Your Majesty, I know it's not easy for you."

Empress Dowager Ning subconsciously clenched her hands in her sleeves and forced a smile, "I didn't do anything. It was the Prince of Huai'an, the two prime ministers, and the civil and military officials at court who took care of state affairs."

"That's not what I'm referring to."

Qin Zheng shook his head and then asked softly, "Your Majesty, you summoned me back to the capital. What do you need me to do?"

Queen Mother Ning looked at him steadily.

It seemed as if he wanted to see through the true intentions of this veteran official who had served three dynasties.

But she could only see the other person's eyes as deep as the sea, with a hint of compassion.

At this moment, all the pain and bitterness seemed to burst out suddenly. The pressure that had been accumulating for three years was like a mountain collapsing. Empress Dowager Ning's eyes turned red unconsciously.

Yuan Yuji and Ruolan were horrified, but did not dare to speak rashly.

Qin Zheng still sat quietly, and after a long time he let out a soft sigh.

(End of this chapter)