Jiuxi

Chapter 987 985 [The Future of Da Qi]

As early as five years ago, when Lu Chen led his troops to attack Heluo for the first time, Su Yunqing tactfully expressed his intentions to him.

Perhaps at that time he was just pinning his hopes for the Northern Expedition on Lu Chen, and was not yet willing to be loyal to Lu Chen. However, after all these years of ups and downs, Lu Chen has proved that he has the ability to change this world, and Su Yunqing has also remained steadfast, becoming one of Lu Chen's most trusted confidants.

Therefore, the moment he entered the study, Su Yunqing immediately bowed down with great ceremony and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Lu Chen did not stop or avoid it. It was not because he was still brooding over the little thing that happened when they first met, but because he had to do so in order to show his attitude of acceptance.

"Please get up."

Lu Chen stepped forward and held Su Yunqing's arms. The deep meaning of this action was self-evident. Su Yunqing naturally understood it, so he stood up with a smile on his face.

The two men sat down, the servant served them fragrant tea, and then withdrew respectfully.

"Mr. Qin has returned to Beijing?"

After the greetings, Lu Chen asked calmly.

Su Yunqing knew that this was not what Lu Chen wanted to know. If Lu Chen had to wait for a meeting with Qin Zheng before knowing such important news as his return to Beijing, wouldn't all the people the Lu family arranged in Jiangnan be useless?
After thinking for a moment, he said, "It is expected that Lord Qin will take over the Weaving Department again. Although the Queen Mother has been weakening my power in the past two years, it is not enough to just advise Deng Junfei and others. Lord Qin is different. When the court moved south, the Weaving Department was in name only. He built up the current Weaving Department bit by bit, so he only needs to show up to rally people's hearts. Coupled with the power he secretly controls, the Weaving Department is now back to its heyday."

"A powerful warp weaving department..."

Lu Chen hesitated for a moment, then asked, "What do you think of Mr. Qin allowing you to leave Beijing and go north?"

"In fact, this matter is not complicated. The Queen Mother trapped me in the Weaving Department because she didn't want me to serve the prince. Moreover, she never used those cruel means on me. From this point alone, she is better than the late emperor."

Su Yunqing smiled and continued, "As for Lord Qin's intention, firstly, he has worked with me for more than ten years, and my performance has satisfied him. There is a certain friendship between us. Secondly, since he knows the relationship between the prince and me, allowing me to escape from the mud pit in the capital is naturally to show the prince that the court should not start a war and fall into civil strife, and it is better to maintain peace."

"Harmony is the most important thing?"

Lu Chen's face remained calm, but his mind was filled with thoughts.

Of course he understood the struggles in the minds of old ministers like Qin Zheng.

On the one hand, they all have big minds and ambitions, and they know clearly which is more important, a family or the overall situation of the world. But on the other hand, Li Duan has left too deep a mark in their hearts, and no matter what, they will not easily abandon Li Duan's grandson, the young emperor who is currently sitting on the dragon throne.

"Your Majesty."

Seeing Lu Chen fall silent, Su Yunqing secretly gritted his teeth and said calmly: "The situation in the world today is becoming clearer. Only the prince can unify the world and create a prosperous era that has never been seen before! I dare to ask the prince to ascend to the supreme throne as soon as possible for the sake of the people of the world!"

"I've been wondering who would be the first to say this to me. I thought it would be one of those rude and straightforward generals, but I didn't expect it would be you."

Lu Chen smiled faintly and shook his head, saying, "If those great scholars knew what you said today, your reputation would be ruined within three months."

Su Yunqing couldn't tell Lu Chen's true mentality, and he didn't want to make random guesses, so he smiled and said, "I have a strange personality and I'm not afraid of what people say. Besides, I think many people don't want to persuade the prince to take a step forward, they just don't have the opportunity."

Lu Chen picked up the teacup and took a sip. Then, under Su Yunqing's expectant gaze, he said calmly, "There's no need to mention this matter again. You should also suppress this thought."

Su Yunqing knew his limits and replied respectfully, "Yes."

Lu Chen then changed the subject and said, "I have someone prepare a house for you. Now you can move in with your wife and children. There is also 10,000 taels of silver. You can buy some furniture and furnishings. Rest for a few days, then start working. The secret guards in Jiangbei really need an experienced person to take charge."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward."

Su Yunqing naturally would not refuse in a pretentious manner, and then said seriously: "Please let your Highness know the details of the mission."

"You know that the Lu family's secret guards in Jiangnan are divided into four groups, and now in Jiangbei they are divided into three groups, led by Nan Yi, Yin Shangfu and Qi Lianfu respectively. You are more familiar with the latter two, and Nan Yi is someone my old man brought in."

Lu Chen gave a brief introduction, then whispered, "I will now hand over all the people to you as the general manager. In addition to your original duties, you have to do one more thing, which is to ensure that there are enough spies in the palace after the capital is moved. No matter how the situation develops in the future, I don't want to capsize and be plotted against in this capital."

Su Yunqing nodded and said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

"Of course I trust you to do the job."

Lu Chen nodded slightly and said bluntly: "I won't hide it from you. Nan Yi and others will obey your orders, but the three of them also have the responsibility to supervise you."

Su Yunqing said cheerfully: "Since Your Majesty has made such arrangements, I no longer have to worry."

The two of them smiled at each other, and everything was said without words. …

The time is September, and the order belongs to the third autumn.

The earth is flowing with gold, and all things are calling for clear weather.

Amid the charming autumn colors, the plan to move the capital entered its second phase.

The right prime minister Xu Zuo will lead the deputy officials of various ministries and some officials north to Heluo to set up the framework of the court first.

Ruikangfang, South City, the residence of the Right Prime Minister.

This is an official residence granted by the imperial court. The Xu family consists of only Xu Zuo, his wife, and their youngest son Xu Zhengde who has not yet married. Their eldest son Xu Zhenglun is now an exiled magistrate of Qingding Prefecture in Luzhou as a Jinshi.

There is a waterside pavilion in the southwest of the palace, where you can see the gurgling water, which has a unique elegant charm.

Two middle-aged men were sitting in the pavilion, with a pot of tea and two plates of snacks on the table.

"In the seventh year of Jianwu, Fang Kai, the then Minister of Personnel, was an incompetent official. Because his wife was from the Deyang Guo family and Guo Congyi was his brother-in-law, no one in the court was willing to provoke him. Even Prime Minister Li turned a blind eye. That day, you stood up in front of all the civil and military officials in the court. I still remember your sharp letter of criticism."

The left prime minister Xue Nanting looked relaxed, and said slowly: "Only when the name and reality are not verified, the selection is not precise, the use is not urgent, and the use is not what is desired, then the scholar's rank and salary are not important, and people have a lucky heart, and the ox and the horse are tired when they are driven together, and the workmanship and clumsiness are mixed and cannot be distinguished. Talents are not lacking, and things are not getting done! It can be said to be a wake-up call, like the sound of a Huangzhong Dalu, which makes Fang Kai ashamed and cover his face. If it were not for the magnanimity of Emperor Gaozong, Fang Kai would probably have cut himself off from the court."

"Brother Zhang Xian is indeed a man with a photographic memory. In fact, I don't remember much about it anymore."

Xu Zuo smiled and said, "Emperor Gaozong appointed me as the Chief Censor. During those years, I impeached too many court officials. If it weren't for Brother Zhang Xian's repeated help, I would have been tricked by them. It's strange to say that only twelve years have passed, but I feel like it was a lifetime ago."

"Because so much has happened over the years, not everyone can have this experience."

Xue Nanting shook his head and said, "As you said, looking back on the past is like a dream. Even when I was most optimistic, I never thought that we would be able to return to the old capital in our lifetime."

"The state capitals below have been much more peaceful recently."

Xu Zuo seemed unwilling to let his old friend indulge in such complicated emotions, so he took the initiative to change the subject.

Xue Nanting didn't care either, and smiled, "Li Chengen is the top general under the command of the Prince of Huai'an. He personally led 10,000 elite cavalry to the south to take charge. Who would dare to stand up and cause trouble? Besides, this time the land tax is targeted at those officials, the rich, the nobles, and the wealthy. It is a good thing for the common people. Even if those people want to cause trouble, they can't."

Xu Zuo took a sip of the teacup and said admiringly: "After all, the Li and Xue families set an example, otherwise those people below would not be so honest."

"The young man from the Li family is very good. It may be that the old Prime Minister Li gave instructions before his death. The efforts made by the Li family this time are obvious to all. There will definitely be a turnaround in the future. As for the Qingyuan Xue family——"

At this point, Xue Nanting couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly, sighing, "To be honest, I would rather stay in the Zhongshu office for the past two months, otherwise I would have to face my old wife's bitter face when I go home, or those trembling elders in their seventies and eighties in the clan. They won't listen to nice words, and can't say harsh words. I'm just upset."

Xu Zuo couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing this, and said with emotion: "I never thought that the once cold-faced prime minister would be so helpless."

Hearing him mention the nickname that was secretly circulated in the officialdom when he was the right prime minister, Xue Nanting was also a little dazed, and then said: "I'm old, and my sharpness is gradually losing as I grow older."

"That's too much. You're only 52 years old this year. How can you be considered old?"

"My state of mind is no longer what it used to be, so I can't help but worry about gains and losses."

Xue Nanting's eyes dimmed slightly, and he said softly, "When the late emperor passed away, I knew that the Empress Dowager played an ignominious role, but I remained silent for the sake of the overall situation. Looking back, I was ultimately timid. If I had spoken frankly about the situation at the time, the situation would not have escalated to the point of fighting, and I could have put things right before the Prince of Huai'an took action."

Xu Zuo put down the teacup and looked at the other person quietly.

As for the regicide case which had a direct impact on the court structure of the Great Qi Dynasty, he actually did not think that there was anything wrong with Xue Nanting's handling of the matter. At that time, Empress Dowager Xu held the righteous status and tens of thousands of imperial guards, and Empress Ning and the young royal heir were in danger. What was wrong with Xue Nanting pretending to be friendly and preventing the other party from taking risks?

If he insists on being tough and ends up destroying himself and the enemy, he himself can go down in history, but who will protect the orphans and widowed mother in the palace?
It is true that Empress Dowager Xu's various behaviors afterwards proved that she had no courage and determination to risk everything, and she also lacked keen judgment. She even fantasized at the last moment that Lu Chen would let her continue to hold power. However, no one could predict the future, and Xue Nanting's initial choice was impeccable.

Thinking of this, Xu Zuo consoled him, "Brother Zhang Xian, I also supported your decision at the time, because forcing the Empress Dowager to hand over power was too risky and not something a wise person would do."

“Having said that, it’s still hard to let it go.”

Xue Nanting forced a smile, then stared into Xu Zuo's eyes and said, "Today, there is another test before me. I wonder if Brother Yanbi is willing to teach me?"

The autumn wind blows gently, just like waves rising.

(End of this chapter)