Chapter 4704 Loss of Face
The atmosphere in the main hall was serious. Li Ji remained silent with a sullen face. Li Jing, Cui Dunli, and Zheng Rentai lowered their heads to drink water. The sounds of "Fu Liu" and "Fu Liu" could be heard one after another, but in Pei Huaijie's ears, they heard one after another mockery. ……
After all, he was once a figure in the border area. Not to mention other things, he still has the ability to "control anger". Since others have seized the opportunity to criticize him, he can only endure this tone and prevent the other party from taking advantage of the situation to pursue him.
Taking a deep breath, Pei Huaijie blushed, turned around and left, stood outside the door, gritted his back teeth and said: "I am late, please forgive me."
An embarrassing scene occurred.
In the hall, Fang Jun lowered his head to drink water and turned a deaf ear.
Li Ji didn't say anything. If he opened his mouth to let Pei Huaijie in, his momentum would be completely at a disadvantage, and Fang Jun would lead him away.
Li Jing, Cui Dunli, and Zheng Rentai looked at each other in confusion. Chief Li Ji and deputy Fang Jun did not speak, and the three of them could not speak...
As a result, Pei Huaijie stood outside the door with fists in his hands and a salute. No one in the hall paid any attention to him. His face was as red as blood, and he was ashamed and angry.
Many scribes from the Ministry of War came and went and noticed the situation here. They didn't know why Pei Huaijie was standing outside the door, and they were all amazed and talking...
Fortunately, Fang Jun didn't go too far. He put down the tea cup, glanced at Li Ji, and said, "Come in."
Then he showed a bright smile of success.
Li Ji became angry, glared at this guy, and secretly cursed "childish"!
Seeing Pei Huaijie walking in with a blushing face, he waved his hand: "Take a seat."
He was afraid of Fang Jun's rogue attitude. If he continued to pester, Pei Huaijie would have to turn around and retreat on the spot...
Pei Huaijie was so angry that he could only hold it in and sat down under Cui Dunli.
He is Liu Ji's man, and is actually responsible for reporting the news here to His Majesty, so no matter how angry he is, he can only endure it. After the discussion, he will find a way to meet with His Majesty with Liu Ji, and while reporting the situation here, he will sue Fang Junyi. shape.
If in the past, it was natural to be "estranged and not close", suing Fang Jun in front of His Majesty would not only be useless, but might even cause backlash. However, as there has been constant trouble between His Majesty and Fang Jun, perhaps we can take the opportunity to get close to His Majesty...
< br>
Cui Dunli asked: "The reform of the military system involves all aspects. In my opinion, we should formulate a charter first, outline the contract and talk about it, and then discuss the details."
Pei Huaijie cheered up.
Your Majesty will definitely have some questions after he returns. If he misses the mark or is negligent, then something will be wrong...
Zheng Rentai nodded and said: "That's right, otherwise it will be a mess and I don't know where to start."
Because the sources of troops of the "Fu Army System" come from various Zichong Prefectures, they farm during farming and enlist in the army during war, and they bring their own horses, armor, and weapons. This has a lot to do with the local government, and it is impossible to clarify the equipment, food, etc. If they cannot be separated one by one, how can we talk about military reform and separation of military and political affairs?
Fang Jun also agreed: "Then determine a program first and then implement it carefully, but..."
He changed the subject and said: "...The reform of the military system is of great importance and involves many things. It cannot be promoted without urgency. It requires extensive discussion and careful demonstration. It is bound to be a long-lasting matter, so there is no need to rush it. Today is the first day of the event. It’s worth it. Just familiarize yourself with the situation. There’s no need to be impatient. How about making a decision?”
Pei Huaijie: "..."
I'm trying my best to remember every word, but you're going to put in the effort? !
Then wasn’t the humiliation I endured today in vain?
If I had known this, I might as well not have come...
Li Ji was also a little speechless. He really couldn't accept Fang Jun's unbridled style and scolded: "Military and national affairs are naturally more urgent. How can you be so negligent?"
Cui Dunli interjected: "Speaking of it, I do have important matters to deal with today. The battle report came back from the Anxi Protectorate, saying that the remnants of the Turks sneaked into the Luntai area and attacked and killed many of our army's scouts. I'm afraid there may be a secret gathering. , we need to send an additional group of soldiers and horses to prevent any unexpected events. The military situation is so intense that we cannot delay.”
Fang Jun looked at Li Jing: "What does Duke Wei think?"
Li Jing simply stood up: "This military reform must be rigorous and thorough. Naturally, it cannot be achieved in ten days, and you cannot abandon government affairs and procrastinate here. Let's leave it like this for today. We will finalize the regulations and discuss it another day."
After saying this, he stood up, saluted everyone, and strode away.
He has now retired from office and joined here in the name of "consultant". His status is aloof and cannot be restricted by anyone.
You don't have to care about anyone's face, and you won't have any scruples just because it was Li Ji who "visited the thatched cottage three times" and asked him to come out.
……
The meeting place was within the yamen of the Ministry of War. First, Pei Huaijie was late, and then the "committee" adjourned in less than half an hour. A group of big shots walked out of the yamen one after another. The officials of the Ministry of War were surprised and immediately asked the person in charge of cleaning and serving in the left courtyard. The officials were surprised and honored by the results they obtained.
"As expected of the Duke of Yue, he is tough and firm enough!"
"Tsk, tsk, I gave that Pei Fuyin a blow on the first day. It's really impressive."
"What does Pei Huaijie mean? He went toe-to-toe with the British Duke from the very beginning. Only the Duke of Yue has the ability and qualifications to do this."
"Haha, Mr. Ying is too old and confused. Where our Duke of Yue is here, when will it be someone else's turn to take the lead?"
"The worst thing is Pei Huaijie. He returned to Beijing as Henan Yin. After debriefing, can't he serve as Shangshu Zuocheng honestly? He has to get involved in the military restructuring. He is asking for trouble."
"Who says it's not the case? After today, I'm afraid I will become a laughing stock."
……
People in the yamen of the Ministry of War were talkative, and anything that happened in the yamen was quickly spread as long as it did not involve secrets. In just one morning, the story of Pei Huaijie being ordered to leave the door and call again was almost spread throughout Chang'an City.
For a time, Zhang Liang, who went to Youjinwu Guard to take up his post two days ago and returned disgraced, and Pei Huaijie, who was severely humiliated today, became famous. Some people with good intentions even dubbed these two people as "Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Young" and "For a Time Yuliang" ”, became a laughing stock.
……
Liu Mansion, study.
Liu Ji looked helpless as he looked at Pei Huaijie, who was furious in front of him and kept cursing and condemning Fang Jun.
First it was Zhang Liang, and then Pei Huaijie. He relied on these two people as his humerus and had high hopes, hoping to open a gap in Fang Jun's position. Who expected that he wasted countless resources to push them up, and he didn't even get a round. If you block it, you will be defeated.
I can't help but feel a headache. After this incident, both Pei Huaijie and Zhang Liang have lost their prestige and face. How can they compete with Fang Jun in their respective positions in the future?
This is no longer a question of whether he is an opponent, but that he is not qualified at all.
After scolding for a long time, Pei Huaijie was out of breath and realized that he had lost his composure. He took a sip of tea to cover up his embarrassment and said helplessly: "That guy is too arrogant and domineering. Duke Ying can't do anything to him. Duke Wei pampers him and Cui Dunli treats him as a leader. , Zheng Intae is nothing There is no room for speech... If things go on like this, the Lao Shizi 'committee' will become his voice, and it is not good for the country to discuss such a major matter as the reform of the military system! Zhongshu Ling should advise His Majesty to take action as soon as possible!"
Liu Ji nodded: "Your Majesty really needs to make a decision on this matter."
What His Majesty cares about is that the reform of the military system cannot be outside of his control, and he cannot allow the imperial power to be restricted, so he arranged for Pei Huaijie and Zheng Rentai to enter it. But now it seems that these two people are not Fang Jun's opponents at all. They must Just make new arrangements.
Pei Huaijie hurriedly said: "If Zhongshu Ling mentions Fang Jun's various evil deeds, it will inevitably be suspected of criticizing his colleagues, and may suffer Fang Jun's revenge afterwards. It is better for me to accompany Zhongshu Ling into the palace to meet His Majesty!"< br>
Liu Ji glanced at him, thought for a while, nodded and said: "Then let's enter the palace together."
Pei Huaijie suppressed his joy: "Thank you Zhongshu Ling for the promotion!"
Although he was once one of the best feudal officials in the world, in the final analysis he was not Li Chengqian's team, and now he could not be said to be in His Majesty's camp. It was not easy to enter the palace. Liu Ji could see that he was eager to get close to His Majesty, but he had no objection and was willing to introduce him. This was considered a blessing.
People outside say that Liu Ji is narrow-minded, but it seems that what he hears is false and what he sees is true. Isn’t this quite courageous...
……
The two of them saw that it was still early, so they went out together, took a car together into the imperial city and arrived at Chengtian Gate. After reporting, they were led by the chamberlain to the imperial study room to meet the driver.
After hearing Pei Huaijie's full of grief and indignation about what happened in the military office in the morning, and his tearful accusation of Fang Jun being arrogant and domineering, Li Chengqian did not show any disappointment, but was comforted by the words.
"It is not a big deal to suffer some losses at the hands of the Duke of Yue. Over the years, there are not only one or two civil and military ministers who have become disgraced in front of him. At that time, Emperor Taizong praised him as having the talent of being a prime minister and an assistant. He trusted and relied heavily on him and favored him very much. , so don’t underestimate him just because he is young and has little qualifications. He has little qualifications but many achievements.”
But I feel quite dissatisfied in my heart. You were disgraced by Fang Jun at your home court in Luoyang and had to return to Beijing with your tail between your legs. Why didn't you remember the lesson but still didn't know how to speak and behave prudently? As a result, you were pressed to the ground and rubbed with your face again. ?
If you can't defeat Fang Jun in Luoyang, why do you dare to challenge him when you return to Chang'an?
I asked you to go to the "Committee" to investigate and report the situation in a timely manner. Who asked you to go and rub Fang Jun's beard?
Pei Huaijie's face was filled with shame: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding."
Liu Ji was very embarrassed. The two people he recommended were disgraced one after another. This made him feel that His Majesty might be very disappointed with him, so he could only change the topic: "Fang Jun is also young and energetic. On the first day He was eager to take the initiative when he had a conflict with Ying Gong, but what kind of person is Ying Gong? He is usually calm, low-key and peaceful, but once he is provoked, Fang Jun has nothing to gain. "
What His Majesty fears most is that everyone in the "committee" will work together to evade the military power of the emperor bit by bit. As long as Li Ji and Fang Jun are not of the same mind, the emperor can balance the situation and control the situation. Thinking of this, a thought suddenly arose in my mind: Could it be that Fang Jun did this on purpose to dispel His Majesty's fear?