Chapter 1446 Official Secretary
Power is the most incurable poison in the world.
Everyone advocates power in their bones, but some people can suppress their desire for power, while others cannot. Especially when the supreme power is at their fingertips, they can despise the law, abandon family ties, and ignore all public order and good customs in the world.
Since ancient times, the position of emperor has been stained with blood, and that position is full of temptation, enough to make everyone willing to do whatever it takes to defeat their opponents.
His Majesty Li Er himself has a deep understanding of this matter. At the beginning, the Xuanwu Sect just wanted to spare Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji and others, even if he cared about brotherhood. He was surrounded by Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Cheng Yaojin, Will Li Jing and others agree?
Cutting the weeds without removing the roots is what only fools would do...
There was a steady sound of rain outside the palace, and occasional thunder could be heard faintly. His Majesty Li Er became increasingly restless.
In the past, whenever he had something to worry about, he always liked to come here to find peace and quiet. Although Zheng Guanyin hated him universally, but because of this, he didn't have to worry about all his worries at all and could open his heart here.
I already wanted him to die immediately, so how could I care about anything else about him?
But today, His Majesty Li Er's mood could not be calm. He stared at the charming sister-in-law in front of him, wondering if he should pounce on her and tear her clothes apart at this moment. Fight hard under the pressure, let out the depression and irritability...
Wang De's voice sounded at the door of the palace: "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the King of Jin has entered the palace to report to you..."
His Majesty Li Er took a breath, suppressed the annoyance in his heart, stood up and walked quickly to the entrance of the palace, and left under the umbrella held by the chamberlain.
Calm returned to the main hall again, sandalwood scented the air, and rain pattered outside the hall.
Zheng Guanyin turned her head and looked at the rain outside the window, with a faint smile on her beautiful face.
No matter how hard His Majesty Li Er tried to isolate her from news, how could there be no one to inform her, the former Crown Princess, in this palace built during the Sui Dynasty?
She naturally knows everything about Prince Li Chengqian, King Wei, and King Jin.
It was raining heavily, and Zheng Guanyin's thin figure was sitting in the hall, just murmuring in her heart: Is that day really coming...
For a moment, I didn’t know whether I felt relief, ecstasy, or the emptiness after achieving my tenacity to survive. I just stared at the continuous rain outside the palace, and my mind seemed to go back to that night of blood and fire in the ninth year of Wude.
Along with the news of her husband's defeat and death, came the soldiers who were like wolves and tigers. They killed everyone they saw in the East Palace, leaving corpses everywhere in rivers of blood... The scenes seemed like just yesterday, and every scene was stained with blood. It was covered with bright red blood stains, like knives buried deep in her heart. If she moved, it would make her heart gnaw at her bones, and she would be in pain.
Perhaps, the torture of so many years is about to end?
Then let’s end it together with this beautiful body that has been tainted by insults...
*****
The heavy rain poured down, and the ground in the courtyard of the Military Department Yamen had already gathered into a stream. Fortunately, the green bricks laid on the ground were at a good angle. After the rainwater gathered, it flowed to both sides and poured into the drainage ditch buried at the root of the wall. Therefore, there was no accumulation of water in the courtyard.
In the duty room, Fang Jun asked the clerk to make a cup of tea, sat down behind the desk, drank two sips of strong tea to cheer him up, and continued drafting the plan for the "Disaster Rescue Command Yamen".
As long as this kind of rain continues for a day or two, flooding will inevitably occur in many places in Guanzhong, and it is possible that the Yellow River will burst its banks again. Once there is a disaster in Guanzhong, the command yamen will perform its functions and mobilize troops to provide disaster relief. However, the command yamen has just been established and all the regulations are still blank, so he, the chief officer, has to work hard.
Taking the opportunity to increase the power of the Ministry of War and seizing part of the military power was just a matter of convenience. Fang Jun's main purpose was to provide disaster relief.
In later generations, thanks to the development of communications, whenever there is a natural disaster, you will see long and lengthy reports in newspapers and television. Disasters all over the country and even in every corner of the world are shown to the world. Various emergency response methods for disaster relief emerge in endlessly. Disaster relief, resettlement of victims, post-disaster reconstruction, etc. are all done quickly and effectively. We have seen it so much that we naturally take it for granted.
However, in this era, Fang Jun realized how great the harm caused by natural disasters to the people.
Poor transportation, backward communication, and backward production technology have led to many disasters happening right in front of our eyes, but we can only watch helplessly.
Houses collapsed, rivers poured in, corpses were everywhere, and it was tragic...
In later generations, he is used to "when one side is in trouble, all sides will support him", and is used to every natural and man-made disaster, soldiers will rush to the disaster area immediately to rescue. Now this kind of sadness that can only turn a blind eye to the disaster makes Fang Jun unacceptable.
The army is not allowed to leave the defense area without permission to prevent chaos?
In Fang Jun's opinion, this is just nonsense. The emperor comes every year, and everyone takes turns. It's you today, who knows who will be tomorrow? Relatively speaking, the disaster caused by the military's coup to the people and the country is far less than the disaster caused by the people gathering in chaos because they cannot survive.
The former is premeditated and organized, and will be controlled within a certain scale regardless of victory or defeat, while the latter is blind. Once launched, it will be a disaster that affects the entire country...
He does not have the idea of "loyalty to the emperor" that was influenced by Confucianism. He can be patriotic and love the people, but he cannot be "loyal to the emperor". He admires His Majesty Li Er and is willing to do his best for him. He is even more willing to devote himself to the Tang Dynasty, but he will never die for the sake of his family and his family.
When it was time to go off duty, the right servant Guo Fushan walked in. When he saw Fang Jun was writing at his desk, he gently put the food box he was carrying on the low table by the wall, took out the food and laid it out one by one. , there was also a pot of old wine, and he softly ordered the clerk standing beside him to get the bowls, chopsticks and dishes.
Fang Jun was startled by the rustling sound. He stopped writing and looked up. When he saw it was Guo Fushan, he was slightly surprised and said: "Why is Guo Shilang here?"
Early this morning, Guo Fushan's family came to the Yamen to ask for leave, saying that they had distant relatives coming to visit and they wanted to stay at home to entertain the guests. He didn't expect to come to the Yamen again when he was almost off duty.
Guo Fushan chuckled and said: "After all, we are distant relatives. We haven't interacted with each other for a long time. This time they came to Chang'an for business, so they came to visit my mother at home, but I have never seen her in my whole life. What can I say? That's probably it. Help if you can, as long as you are a relative.”
While talking, the clerk had already brought the bowls, chopsticks, cups and plates. Guo Fushan called Fang Jun to come over and sit down. He patted open the mud seal on the porcelain altar, and a sweet and fragrant aroma of wine floated out.
Fang Jun sniffed it and said with a smile: "Brother Guo actually entertained me with the fine wine from my winery?"
Guo Fushan poured a glass for Fang Jun and praised: "I just passed by the gate of Songhe Tower. I thought that Erlang must still be doing official business in the Yamen at this moment. As the elder brother, I was lazy instead. I felt sorry, so I ordered someone to go to Songhe Tower." I sorted out a few side dishes and bought them A pot of old wine to comfort Erlang. But although Brother Yu knows that this wine is brewed by Erlang himself, it is one of the best wines in Chang'an City. You can't just take some with you. Just drink it.”
During the conversation, the atmosphere was very harmonious.
Guo Fushan has a soft character and is smooth in dealing with things. He does not offend anyone and is very popular in the Yamen of the Ministry of War. Fang Jun, on the other hand, is much stronger. Although he will not take the initiative to stir up trouble, he is a person who does not rub dirt in his eyes. In the yamen, there is quite a sense that those who obey me will prosper and those who go against me will perish. All the officials are concerned about him. Respected and feared.
The two of them are strong and soft, but they have been getting along very harmoniously for these days. In addition, Liu Shi and other trash with low emotional intelligence dare not even step in the door of the yamen. The whole yamen is springy and sunny. Unprecedented harmony.
Especially after Fang Jun secured the limited but extremely important right to mobilize troops for the Ministry of War, the entire yamen followed Fang Jun's lead and there was not even a trace of discord.
The wine is good wine, and the food is good food. Guo Fushan is also a son of a famous family, and his family background is well established. Fang Jun is also knowledgeable and unique. The two of them drank slowly and lightly, and had a great time talking.
After changing the cup, Guo Fushan drank a little and his face was a little red. After looking at no one around, he leaned forward and asked: "I just heard some news at home... His Majesty ordered His Highness the King of Jin to thoroughly investigate Erlang and Changle. Erlang doesn't know anything about princess matters. Aren't you afraid? Normally, this matter is just a matter of mutual consent in private, and no one can care about it, but now that it has been brought to the table, it is no small matter. If His Highness, Prince Jin, finds out something, His Majesty will almost certainly be furious. …”
Another person who is lonely and intolerant of gossip...
Fang Jun smiled bitterly, shook his head and said: "It's true, what's there to be afraid of?"
Guo Fushan blinked and asked: "Really?"
Fang Jun said: "Really not!"
"Oh my! I always thought that this was really the case. Erlang is amazingly talented and extremely handsome, and His Highness Changle is gentle, virtuous, and beautiful. They are truly a match made in heaven. It's a pity, it's a pity... But even if you two If he is really innocent, doesn’t Erlang care who spread the rumors about this affair?”
"You know?"
Fang Jun was slightly startled. It is said that this kind of thing has been circulated from city to city, passed down thousands of times, spread through the mouths of countless people, and the source has long been unidentifiable.
"Haha," Guo Fushan smiled triumphantly and lowered his voice: "This is the news I just heard at home... What do you think? Then His Highness the King of Jin traced the source of this rumor and actually found out that a steward of the Shen Guogong Mansion was outside the house. on my body, that But Duke Shen! With his identity and status, how could he do such a silly thing? What’s even more amazing is that when His Highness Prince Jin arrested the steward at Duke Shen’s Mansion, the guy actually admitted it..."
Fang Jun was completely stunned.
That rumor was actually spread by Gao Shilian?
Although it is a bit unbelievable, it is not like Guo Fushan thought that Gao Shilang had no motive at all. At least "avenging Shilang's broken leg" makes sense, although it really cannot withstand scrutiny.
After all, with Gao Shilian's prestigious position, it was impossible for him to be so narrow-minded.
However, the most serious thing about anything is to be serious. If someone just wants to get an excuse, then they can completely ignore the rationality of the matter itself and just say it with a big hat. Even if Gao Shilian has a hundred mouths, he can't explain it clearly.
Your own servant confessed, what else do you have to say...
Fang Jun knew that Gao Shilian was finished.
A seemingly inconspicuous thing, but combined with the current turmoil in the DPRK and China, is enough to have extremely serious consequences.
It's not that Gao Shilian himself was at fault, but since the King of Jin targeted Gao Shilian, it's obvious that the real purpose must be Gao Shilian's official position as Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and he was guilty of carrying a jade...
The Ministry of Personnel is known as the first department in the world, and controls the promotion assessment of all officials in the imperial court. Its importance needs no elaboration. If the King of Jin wants to compete for the throne, having the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in his own hands will naturally greatly increase his chances of winning.
The key to the matter is that since His Majesty Li Er allowed King Jin to thoroughly investigate the rumors, it was naturally equivalent to acquiescence that King Jin would take this opportunity to make some small moves.
Fang Jun sighed slightly. After all, history has its own inertia. The river is too wide and the water is too fast. It is really difficult for Li Chengqian to struggle out with his body.
It’s really hard to be a prince...(End of Chapter)