Ning Yunzhao not only said this without changing his expression, he actually walked out.

Colleagues inside couldn't stand it anymore.

"Alright, alright, Master Ning, stop pretending." He stood up and walked over quickly to hold Ning Yunzhao, and said to the people who came in, "What were you talking about outside? We can't hear clearly in the room."

The visitor and the people outside the door were stunned for a moment, then smiled meaningfully.

"Lord Ning is oblivious to what is happening outside the window," one person said.

Ning Yunzhao smiled.

"What you turn a deaf ear to is what's happening outside the window that has nothing to do with you." He said in a low voice.

The people inside and outside were startled for a moment, then they all laughed and were quite touched.

This is the truth, without any hypocrisy or pretense. Everyone says they are selfless, but who can be truly selfless?

"Master Ning, please stop eavesdropping like this." Suddenly, someone stepped out and said, "We are about to go out for a quick meal. Why don't you join us, Master Ning?"

When he said this, the people behind him became agitated.

"Okay, let's go together." Ning Yunzhao's roommate took the initiative to say.

Ning Yunzhao also nodded.

"Okay, let's go together," he said.

Watching Ning Yunzhao and a few others walking forward, the people who fell behind had complicated expressions.

"How should we call him? His last name is Ning." Someone whispered, "Ning Yan is the one who protects Duke Cheng."

But the other person immediately shook his head.

"Young Master Ning is different from Master Ning," he whispered.

"How are they different? We are all family, can we really turn our elbows outward?" the first person said with a frown.

"No, no, it doesn't turn outward, but it turns towards itself." Another person whispered.

"Yes, last time Lord Ning opposed peace talks, Young Master Ning said nothing." Someone came over and whispered, "And thanks to his reminder, several people were spared from the disaster, not only those who advocated war but also those who advocated peace talks."

After hearing what everyone said, those who had doubts at first looked surprised, but soon felt relieved.

"It seems that Mr. Ning is very wise. Let's discuss it with him. Maybe he can come up with some good suggestions." He said.

…

Located in the most prosperous area of ​​the capital, Zhang's Restaurant is bustling day and night.

At this time, a spacious private room was full of people. Although each of them looked simply dressed, there was a sense of majesty in their gestures. The sharp-eyed receptionist recognized at a glance that they were all Beijing officials.

Of course, the receptionist also noticed that these people did not hold high positions. There were many officials like them in the capital, and many of them were just clerks at best.

But Beijing officials are Beijing officials after all. They are huge in number, have been entrenched in the capital for many years, and have complex relationships that should not be underestimated.

They talked and laughed leisurely, their words were simple but full of wit, and after a few cups of wine and tea, they discussed a few things.

"Now everyone is on the same page."

A man in his forties stood up and spoke. His gestures and words were skillful, and it was obvious that he had been in officialdom for a long time.

"Duke Cheng wanted to reward people, even to the point of emptying the national treasury, forcing merchants to pay money and officials to pay salaries. This is truly an act of arrogance and dominance."

Everyone present nodded.

"Yes, he is ambitious, greedy, and hurts the people."

"Now all the generals are following his example, blindly seeking credit and reward, like a rogue tiger or wolf."

"If we let him succeed this time, we will be in even greater trouble in the future."

"Today they plunder the profits of merchants and the salaries of officials for a few hundred taels, tomorrow they will be able to plunder a hundred, two thousand taels, and by then, I don't know how many merchants will be ruined."

For a while the conversation continued.

The man who stood up was very satisfied with everyone's reaction. He raised his hand to signal everyone to stop, with a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

"The merchants who have been bullied have decided to file a joint complaint. As officials, it is not convenient for us to act, so we have to persuade students to speak on behalf of the merchants, sign a joint letter of advice, and boycott classes collectively to set things right," he said.

It doesn't matter if the merchants file a lawsuit, but this student strike is a big deal. Students are scholars, future officials and scholars, and they represent the orthodoxy of the country. If they come forward to respond, it will definitely cause a big storm.

The room suddenly became even more lively.

"What do you think?" the man asked again. It was just a question because he was sure that no one would object. After all, this thing has been running for a while.

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a clear voice.

“I feel bad.”

The sound made the hall suddenly quiet down. Who is this? How did someone get in so chaotically?

Everyone looked towards the source of the voice, and saw a handsome and elegant young man sitting on a cushion, with an upright posture and a warm expression, which made people feel happy at the sight of him.

Judging from his appearance and expression alone, it is difficult to associate him with someone who is deliberately causing trouble.

Did I say that wrong?

"Everyone, I don't think this is a good idea." Ning Yunzhao said again.

There was a commotion in the room, and the person who brought him here became even more panicked.

Fortunately, the man in the lead was accustomed to storms, and although he was angry, he soon calmed down.

"Master Ning, what's wrong with speaking up for the people?" he asked back.

"It's good to speak up for the people," Ning Yunzhao said, "but this is the emperor's order. Are you guys going against his orders?"

Did Ning Chang, a top scholar, become stupid because of studying? They certainly did not intend to disobey the emperor's order, so they targeted Cheng Guogong.

"Your Majesty was forced and deceived by Duke Chengguo to issue such an order." The leading man said patiently, "That is why we want Duke Chengguo to listen to the voice of the people and turn back."

Ning Yunzhao shook his head.

"But this is not the right time." He also said patiently, with a calm expression and a gentle tone, which made people feel very sincere. "It is His Majesty's order to flatter Duke Cheng. If something like this happens, what will the princes who come to greet him do? What will the emperor who is waiting at the gate of the imperial city do? All the people are waiting to see it. What they want to see is not only Duke Cheng, but also the glory of His Majesty the Emperor. If something like this happens, it will be a slap in the face to Duke Cheng, but it will also be a slap in the face of the emperor."

If you think about it carefully, this is indeed the truth. The reason why they planned to do this was because the emperor was there. They wanted to arouse the emperor's wrath and punish Cheng Guogong.

However, this is indeed a slap in the face of the emperor. When the time comes to punish Duke Cheng, I am afraid that these troublemakers will not be able to escape...

There was a murmur of discussion in the room.

"Public opinion is paramount. Your Majesty will not be angry because of public opinion..." The man raised his hand and spoke loudly.

Ning Yunzhao took over his words.

"Your Majesty is sympathetic to the people's opinions, and we should also be sympathetic to Your Majesty," he said. "So I think that we should ask for permission, but a gentleman should do what he should do and not do what he should not do. This matter is not Your Majesty's fault, and Your Majesty should not be embarrassed like this."

As he spoke, he stood up and walked a few steps to the center of the field.

Compared to the man in his forties, Ning Yunzhao had a clear voice and elegant posture, which immediately attracted everyone's attention.

"We should be loyal to the emperor and choose a more appropriate time to do this. To put it in a more vulgar way, we should not offend His Majesty when he is in a good mood."

"The peace talks have been concluded, and the country is peaceful and the people are safe, because the worries about war have finally dissipated. It is a rare time for the country to celebrate, and Your Majesty is also happy. I hope you will consider it."

Ning Yunzhao finished speaking and bowed to everyone in the room.

The discussion in the room became louder, many people looked hesitant, and some nodded unconsciously.

The leading man was furious when he saw this scene.

Yes, what Ning Yunzhao said was all right, but there was only one thing wrong. The emperor was not afraid of being humiliated. The emperor did not want this glory. The emperor would rather see everyone slap him in the face.

However, this matter cannot be talked about because the emperor's scene was so complete and perfect.

The man stared at Ning Yunzhao fiercely.

It's really infuriating. How could Ning Yan, such an upright minister who likes to go against the emperor, raise such a fawning nephew?

I wish I could always keep the emperor's face in my heart.

What a loser!