high official

Chapter 361

After the three of them came to Beiyuan to ask for an audience, the eunuch sent out an order, ordering Jin Zhong and Yang Shiqi to wait outside the Hall of Yitian, and Jian Yi saw him first.

Jian Yi entered the main hall and knelt in front of Zhu Di. At this time, Zhu Di had already changed into the swallow clothes, his expression softened, and he said calmly, "Give Jian Aiqing a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, the criminals dare not sit down." Jian Yi refused.

"What is your crime that you call yourself a criminal minister?" Zhu Di asked.

"I was ordered to stay in Beijing to assist the prince, but I failed to fulfill my duties, and I also failed the trust of the emperor and the prince." Kowtowing.

"How did you betray the trust of me and the prince?" Zhu Di was still laughing, but his laughter was already a bit cold: "It's not your responsibility to wake up the prince, is it?"

"This is not what I'm talking about..." Jian Yi said with a sad face: "The head of the month before Zhang He was disrespectful, and the crown prince was lenient, so he didn't care about it. Therefore, I also forgive him. Your Majesty asks you to punish me for your kindness and perverting the law!"

"Then kneel down." Zhu Di's smile faded away, "The crown prince claims to be cautious, and you also claim to be cautious, but once I left Beijing, you all became less cautious. It seems that the so-called 'cautious' is just a show. I saw it!" He said coldly: "I have entrusted the task of supervising the country, is this how you bend the law for personal gain?!"

"I'm ashamed, I did break the law, but it wasn't for selfishness." Jian Yi kowtowed and said, "The situation was extremely critical at that time. A large amount of military supplies were stationed in Taiyuan, but the White Lotus Sect rebelled and blocked the way to the Xuanfu. Your Royal Highness Hechen and others were so worried that they had no time for others. Lu Zhen, as the minister of the Ministry of Rites, was preparing for this year's autumn by himself, and his affairs were extremely busy. If someone else suddenly replaced him, he would have to make mistakes in his busy schedule. Therefore, for the sake of the overall situation, the minister advised the prince not to pursue it. ..."

Acknowledging your mistakes first and then defending them is much more effective than justifying them at the beginning...

"For the sake of the overall situation!" Zhu Di's voice became like the cold wind of Sanjiu, and his eyes were as dark as a deep hole: "Dare to say that it is for the overall situation! If King Zhao hadn't taken food from the people of Xuanda and transported the grain and grass to the desert, we and I would have been together." My officers and soldiers have long since become bone-dead, and they will not be able to wait for the crown prince's food and grass!" He said with a smile to the sky, and said, "This is the crown prince's overall situation!"

It was the first time Jian Yi saw the emperor's eyes like this, and it was also the first time he heard such a voice. He seemed to have fallen into a bottomless abyss, and he felt his heart sinking all the time.Finally, he remembered what Yang Shiqi said on the road, 'put him to death and live later', he gritted his teeth and calmed down, looked up at the emperor and said: "I don't understand what the emperor is talking about. It is a fact that the grain and grass were transported to Xuanda. But it is absolutely not true that the prince has the intention of disobeying the prince! The ministers were ordered to assist the prince, but they were actually supervising the prince. If the prince misbehaved, the ministers would report to the emperor! I won’t protect him! But what the officials and the Jin Bingbu saw was that the crown prince was devoting himself to transporting grain, so he couldn’t sleep or eat well! Hearing that the grain road was blocked, the crown prince was urging him several times a day, changing eight grain transport officials, and even officials from Shanxi. As for the poor effect, there are many reasons for this, but it is definitely not due to the prince's ambiguity, I ask the emperor to see clearly, if I have half a false statement, I am willing to be punished by a thousand swords!"

These words, although they are still clearing the prince, but they are very clever, showing that he is supervising the prince, not wearing a pair of pants with the prince.This made Zhu Di feel much better... After all, the minister's buttocks are not crooked yet.The biggest worry in the emperor's heart disappeared like this.

But the expression on Zhu Di's face did not relax at all, and he still said coldly: "I ask you, can the grain and grass be shipped from Beijing through the canal?"

"Reporting to the emperor, since this spring, Shandong's inspector has been reporting continuously that there are signals of troubles from the White Lotus Sect. Shandong is the old nest of the White Lotus Sect, and bandits are rampant. The ministers and others are worried that the canal transportation will be in danger, so they urge the prince to change to Shanxi." Jian Yi said sadly: "Whoever imagined it, in the end there was no riot in Shandong, but there was a riot in Shanxi..."

This move is called 'Causing Water to the East', plus the previous 'Admit Mistakes' and 'Clarify Your Position', Jian Yi finished his combo punches, as for the effect...

"White Lotus Sect!" After a long while, Zhu Difang said bitterly: "It's really disgusting!" He waved his hand and said, "You go down first and let Yang Shiqi come in."

"Yes." Jian Yi secretly heaved a sigh of relief, only to realize that he was already covered in sweat.Supported to get up, he bowed and exited the hall.

.

When Jian Yi came out, he didn't speak to Yang Shiqi, but just gave him a reassuring look, and the latter made up his mind, adjusted his clothes, and entered the Hall of Yitian.

After Yang Shiqi saluted, Zhu Di changed his method this time, instead of calling him up, he immediately asked, "How did the prince behave when he supervised the country?"

This question seems very simple, but in fact it has hidden murderous intentions. If Yang Shiqi answered that the prince is very active, takes care of everything, and has a high prestige among the officials, then the prince must be finished.Because in Zhu Di's view, it means that the prince wants to seize power-your father is still there, why are you acting so hard?Can't wait?
But he couldn't answer that the prince ignored political affairs all day long, alienated the ministers, had no idea of ​​his own, and pushed things to the people below... Then the prince would also be finished.The emperor would think, how can I pass the country to such a waste?

This is the sorrow of His Highness the Crown Prince. It is difficult to be a prince, and it is even more difficult to be the prince of an emperor through the ages. It is impossible to be positive, nor is it negative.

Fortunately, this question was asked by Yang Shiqi, who was wise enough to guess the emperor's mind, and he said without hesitation: "The prince was very diligent in handling political affairs during the period of supervising the country. Whenever there is a major event, he must first report it to the emperor. If there is an urgent matter, there is no time to report it." , he will convene assistant ministers to brainstorm and listen to reasonable opinions from ministers, but he will never agree to wrong opinions casually. He will refute and criticize inappropriate requests from close ministers face to face, and his overall performance is impeccable. "

Although this answer is plain, it takes care of the emperor's emotions... You are worried that the prince will seize power, and you are also worried that the prince will be incompetent, then I will tell you that the prince is diligent but not arbitrary, modest but not blindly obedient, strict self-discipline, duty-bound, What are you dissatisfied with such a son?
After Zhu Di heard this, his expression softened a lot.Although this time the attack was not as fierce as Jian Yi's before, but it was more subtle and dangerous, but Yang Shiqi was able to resolve it perfectly, and undoubtedly pulled the prince on the edge of the cliff again...

"The prince is so cautious, how could he miss the time?" Zhu Di asked in a stern voice: "You should stop putting money on his face!"

"The prince has always been respectful and filial to you. This incident is really unimaginable. I beg the emperor to investigate carefully. I am afraid there is something hidden in it." Yang Shiqi said in a deep voice.

"Then there is something hidden about the fact that the military rations can't be delivered to Xuanfu?" Zhu Di sneered.

"Yes." Yang Shiqi nodded and said: "Shanxi's officialdom is almost out of control, and the crown prince's decree did not work, which led to the subsequent results."

"Why did the officialdom in Shanxi get out of control?" Zhu Di asked in a deep voice.

"This needs to be strictly investigated!" Yang Shiqi said firmly.

"Who will be sent to investigate?" Zhu Di asked sharply, "Is it the prince's person, or the King of Han's person?"

"There is no one in the court, they are all His Majesty's courtiers." Yang Shiqi said with emotion.

"Having said that, it's a pity that everyone has their own plans, and they each have their own masters." Zhu Di said coldly, "I can't see through who's thinking."

"Your majesty can see clearly that those who are loyal to the country do not care about self-interest, and those who are selfish and speculative have no public heart." Yang Shiqi replied.

"It's easy to say..." Zhu Di snorted and said, "Go down first."

"Yes." Yang Shiqi saluted and stepped back.

.

When it was Jin Zhong's turn, Zhu Di switched back to a gentle expression, pulled him up personally, sat down next to him and said, "You are different from others, you are a veteran of my residence, and I was able to make up my mind to raise troops, thanks to That divination you made for me."

"Your Majesty's kindness to my minister is as heavy as a mountain. I want my minister to be a shogunate, let alone gain fame, but he has been able to be a public minister for more than ten years. His holy grace is like a sea. I have to repay it with all my heart." Jin Zhongman burst into tears, Affectionately said.

"Clothing is not as good as new, people are not as good as old, this statement is absolutely true." Zhu Di was also very emotional, holding his hand and said: "I just trust you old brothers."

"I will never dare to betray the emperor!" Jin Zhong said hastily.

"Well, I'm very relieved to hear your words." Zhu Di nodded and said, "Tell me, what's going on during the period when the crown prince supervised the country... You must tell the truth, I was raped by some rebellious sons. I'm so dizzy, I really need to hear the truth."

"I must tell the truth..." Jin Zhong told the emperor one by one what the prince had done when he was in charge of the country.

In fact, the prince is not so clean. Taking advantage of the opportunity of supervising the country, he replaced a group of people from the King of Han and replaced them with his own people. Impossible!

Hearing that Jin Zhong also assured that the crown prince had absolutely no dissatisfaction, Zhu Di's complexion became not so good-looking, and he said in a cold voice: "I never thought that your heart is now with the crown prince!"

"I only have the emperor in my heart!" Jin Zhong hurriedly knelt down and said, "It is because of this that the emperor can't see that the prince has wrongly blamed the prince and doesn't say anything! That's only caring about his own safety and disregarding the emperor's holy name!" He kowtowed heavily. Said: "Your majesty, you and the crown prince are father and son! How vicious he must be to murder his own father?"

"..." Zhu Di's attitude finally loosened a little under the continuous attack of three trusted ministers. He stared at Jin Zhong with complicated eyes, and asked quietly: "So, the prince has no plans?"

"The prince has no plans, I would like to sit down to protect the prince!" Jin Zhong took off the black gauze and kowtowed heavily.

"That's good," Zhu Di said coldly, "Since you are the guarantor, I can't help but give you face. But if it is found out that the crown prince has done something wrong, even though you are an old man, you will inevitably be executed!"

"I understand!" Jin Zhong nodded vigorously.

(End of this chapter)