Chapter 172 Killing Two Birds with One Stone
Early morning, Zhao family.
"Huh -" Zhao Duan stretched his limbs, opened his eyes, lay on the bed and looked at the curtain above his head, not wanting to get up.
After returning from the Xiuwen Museum last night, I felt tired when I arrived home. Not even a visualization practice.
"It's more tiring to talk than to fight with others... I understand, meeting at work syndrome." Zhao Duan complained silently, and stood up.
After a simple wash.
When I walked to the dining room, I found my beautiful stepmother playing with a vase and filling it with water.
The jade hand holds a lotus stem with a good stem. Looking up, there is a huge, blooming pink lotus head.
He seemed to be hesitating whether to stuff it into a vase.
"Where did the lotus come from?" Zhao Duan asked in surprise.
Eugene Hua was startled, clapped her chest with her hand, turned around, and smiled when she saw it was her stepson, and happily shared:
"It was sent by a neighbor early in the morning. It was said to be from Shenlong Temple. It can pray for blessings and keep the family safe."
Behind Zhao Duan, Zhao Pan walked in lazily.
The girl's hair was braided into two rings at the back of her head today. She puffed up her cheeks and said crisply: "Mother, do you believe those lies? They are all a way for the monks to make money. Every year during the Ghost Festival, It has been sold before, and it has been exposed by others. "
Eugene Hua glared at her daughter and said:
"I dare not say that about the Buddhist mage."
Zhao Pan sighed, not wanting to explain and feeling tired.
"Hungry Ghost Festival?" Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment before he remembered that Dayu's Ghost Festival was different from the one in his previous life.
It is later in time, but it is a festival to "sacrifice the gods".
Because there are gods in Dayu, there are activities and traditions to worship the gods every year during the Ghost Festival, making it a particularly lively festival.
The monks of Shenlong Temple have a strong presence during the Hungry Ghost Festival, and it is said that there are some celebration activities.
A high-status mage will appear and invite some high-status "celebrities" in the capital to gather.
However, Zhao Duan's rise to power was short-lived, and he did not know much about some activities of the upper class, and he had never been invited.
My stepmother is a believer in God, but she is very practical.
Believe in whatever god you belong to, what if it works?
It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t work...
"Brother, you came back very late last night." At the dinner table, the girl suddenly asked.
She was a little suspicious that her eldest brother was out fooling around again.
Eugene Hua also remembered that her stepson was picked up by the carriage last night, and looked over with soft eyes: "But what's the matter?"
She was a little worried that her stepson was hostile to some court official again.
Don’t I have a positive image in your hearts? Where has all the trust gone? ...Zhao Duan put down his chopsticks, picked up the style of the head of the family, and threatened:
"Do your business at home, don't ask questions that shouldn't be asked."
Then the mother and daughter fell silent.
…
…
The residence of Li Yanfu, the prime minister of the current dynasty, was located in the best area of the capital, not far from the imperial palace.
It is a rather grand mansion, and the entire surrounding streets are the residences of prominent figures in the court, and ordinary people dare not approach it.
early morning.
A sedan chair arrived outside the prime minister's residence.
"Master, you are here." The servant on duty at the gate of the mansion hurriedly walked down the steps and saluted respectfully.
Li Yinglong, who is nearly forty years old, has a feminine appearance, a high nose bridge, and sunken eye sockets. He said "yes", stepped out of the sedan, and said as he walked: "Father, are you up?"
At this age, father and son have already separated, but the distance between their houses is not far, and they move around frequently.
Li Yanfu was old and was unable to do many things. As his most important heir, Li Yinglong was responsible for many affairs in the "Li Party".
If Xiangguo is the "leader" of Li's party, then Li Yinglong is the hand of the party leader.
"Master got up early and has already had dinner."
The servant said.
The empress has recently gone into seclusion, and the ministers do not have to attend the morning court.
But Xiangguo, who was used to getting up early, still woke up before dawn.
Li Yinglong nodded and walked through the front yard to the garden courtyard full of rockery ponds, pavilions and pavilions.
From a distance, I saw the maid at home standing sideways.
The Prime Minister of the current dynasty, wearing loose casual clothes at home, holds great power, and the "party leader" Li Yanfu, whose roots extend all over the Yu Dynasty, is throwing a pot.
On the blue brick floor, there is a copper kettle with three ears and a narrow neck.
About two feet away, Li Yanfu held an arrow with tail feathers in his hand and was taking aim.
Although he is old, this old man with sideburns like a hedgehog, eyebrows like purple stone ridges, and messy stubble spreading along both sides of his cheeks, intersecting with his sideburns, still has a restrained ferocity in his eyes.
"Father."
Li Yinglong approached respectfully, stood aside, glanced at the maid holding the quiver beside him, and took the initiative to take it.
The maid walked away quickly and sensibly, and the servants also retreated to a distance where they could not hear the conversation between the two.
Li Yanfu didn't seem to see his son's arrival and focused on taking aim.
Suddenly, he threw it hard, and the arrow crossed an arc, but hit the edge of the copper pot.
"I'm old..." Li Yanfu sighed lightly, not disappointed at all.
Li Yinglong flattered:
"Father is always getting stronger. From such a distance, it is difficult for a warrior in the army to hit him."
Li Yanfu ignored his flattery and reached out to draw a new one from his quiver without looking at him, still aiming:
"What's the matter with coming here so early in the morning?"
Li Yinglong said respectfully:
"Yesterday, the Xiuwen Museum opened for the first time. My son waited all day and went to inquire about the situation at night. Because it was too late, I was afraid of delaying your rest, so I came early in the morning."
Li Yanfu paused for a moment, turned his head, looked down at him expressionlessly, and said coldly: "Why are you trying to stir things up?"
Li Yinglong, who went to inquire secretly behind his father's back, hurriedly said:
"Father, the Xiuwen Museum has just opened. I'm afraid that the new policy will be put on the agenda. My son is also worried about it, so... besides, we are not the only ones who have gone to inquire more."
Li Yanfu was a little unhappy, but he didn't say anything and picked up the arrow again:
"Go on."
"Hey," Li Yinglong said vividly:
"My son went to block Wang You, the son of the Minister of Civil Affairs, and wanted to ask, but it turned out that Wang You was a very strict man and did not want to have contact with his son. He even retorted and left quickly."
"..." Li Yanfu put down the arrow for the third time and looked at him: "So, I didn't find out anything."
The atmosphere was a little tense.
Li Yinglong said hurriedly: "Father, the more they don't say anything, the more it proves that something big is going on. Moreover, Wang You's face was extremely bad. He even returned from the Xiuwen Museum late at night. On the first day of the opening, he summoned two people. Discussion, this is not unusual!
In my opinion, if the new policy is to come out, the first one to be affected will definitely be the officials under you, even if it is coming in force.
Over the past year, His Majesty has frequently attacked us. Especially in the past six months, Pei Kaizhi and Zhou Cheng have both been overthrown by Zhao Duan.
His Majesty's intention behind this was obviously to clear the way for the Xiuwen Guan... He had previously dissolved the cabinet and taken away our power.
Now, together with the elimination of war, a new cabinet has been established, but we are completely excluded... We cannot sit still and wait for death. "
He had obviously been holding back his words for a long time.
Li Yanfu listened quietly to what he said, and then said calmly:
"Are you done? Go back when you're done."
Li Yinglong was stunned and said anxiously:
"Father, why are you still so calm? It's already burning. Your Majesty hit us before, and you said you'd endure it. Then Pei Kaizhi fell, but you still didn't say anything. Now Zhou Cheng has fallen again... we Li Within the party, people's hearts are floating.
You don't care about this and may not know it, but my son, I know it all too well.
A few days ago, when Zhao Duan was busy arresting people, the public was furious, but I suppressed it.
In the past few days since Zhou Cheng collapsed, I don’t know how many people came to me to express their dissatisfaction and everyone was in danger. I was able to resist the pressure and comfort them one by one...but it’s not all of them. "
Li Yanfu seemed to turn a deaf ear and still focused on throwing pots.
When Li Yinglong saw this, he took a deep breath and said earnestly:
"Father, don't you think about your son, but also think about yourself. If the New Deal is to be implemented, officials must be investigated. Will His Majesty hold you to account? Don't you feel that you are wronged?
Yes! The administration of officials in the Nine and Eighteen Prefectures of Dayu is terrible, but it’s not your responsibility to bear the blame.
Isn't it because the late emperor was indifferent and worried about the climate among his subordinates, so he forcibly split one official position into two? Leading to redundant officials?
The late emperor wanted money to build palaces, refine elixirs, and create ostentation. He spent countless amounts of money on just one sacrifice to heaven. What should we do?
How about you find a way to make money? As a result, we took the blame, and now the new king hates us again. What do you mean..."
"clang!"
Suddenly, Li Yanfu threw the arrow in his hand and accurately hit the copper pot, making a crisp metal collision sound.
Immediately, the prime minister who had experienced two dynasties looked over indifferently.
Li Yinglong immediately stopped and did not dare to say anything.
Li Yanfu seemed to sigh softly, a little angry that he could not argue, and said slowly: "Now that you know this, you should understand that your father and I have been able to hold the position of prime minister over the years, and not someone else. , just because as a father, I can help the late emperor with things and take the blame.
Now that the new king has ascended the throne, he is afraid of being his father, so he will naturally beat him. When your majesty is angry, she will beat him.
The more we hit, the more the anger will dissipate. In this way, we will suffer the least damage, and retreat is the way to advance. Why don't you understand this principle after I have been with you for so long? "
Li Yinglong said:
"Father, I understand the truth. But when will this end?
Besides, the people below are in a state of flux, and many high-ranking officials are being screwed around all day long by a mere lackey, a sixth-grade military attache. We may not compete with His Majesty, but we cannot let a bastard ride on our head. "
Li Yanfu snorted coldly: "How do you know how to argue with a sixth-grade official all day long? You are just a pawn. There are no people surnamed Zhao, there are people surnamed Wang, and people surnamed Li. Your Majesty is the key to giving orders. ”
His voice was clearly unhappy.
In the eyes of the current prime minister, even though Zhao Duan had recently defeated two of his own generals and was in the limelight, Li Yanfu had never looked at him seriously.
Because he knew very well that Zhao Duan was not the key, the empress was the master behind the dog.
There is no point in fighting a dog without solving the empress.
"Father……"
"Go away."
"……well!"
Russian qing.
Li Yinglong walked out of the Prime Minister's Mansion angrily and returned to the sedan chair, still feeling furious.
"Master, what do you mean..." his confidant asked carefully.
Li Yinglong shook his head irritably, thought for a moment, and said coldly:
"My father is confused and has lost his energy for a long time. He only thinks that he can survive by cowering and letting others beat him... We can't just sit back and wait for death. We must do something, otherwise the hearts of the people underneath will be shattered."
"Master, are you planning to..."
Li Yinglong's eyes flickered and his face was soft:
"Zhao Duan has repeatedly caused trouble, and now that His Majesty is in seclusion and unable to take care of him, it is the best time.
I heard that Grand Master Dong hated this person very much, and so did the scholars in Beijing...
It's possible to make some fuss. If you can use some means to drive away tigers and swallow wolves, and provoke the bunch of scholars in the Xiuwen Hall to conflict with Zhao Duan...
In this way, it can not only calm the anger of the people below, but also let people know that we will not just sit back and wait for death.
It can also create a rift and distrust between His Majesty and the scholars in the Xiuwenguan... To hinder the implementation of the New Deal, it should be a plan to kill two birds with one stone. "
As he said this, the "Xiao Ge Lao" seemed to have seen the scene after success.
And Li Yanfu had no idea why Li Yinglong mentioned Zhao Duan frequently today.
But last night, Wang You was annoyed by his questions. He retorted and laughed at the Li family for being useless. He was ridiculed by Zhao Duan and did not dare to say a word.
…
Kavin, late update
Thank you Huang'er for the 500-point reward~
(End of this chapter)