The air suddenly became quiet.
All the servants left the pavilion.
The Minister of the Central Secretariat, Lord Li, had a dark complexion and anger was burning in his eyes.
Liu Zhao looked calm and relaxed, sipping tea leisurely.
"Your Highness, please explain your words clearly."
Liu Zhao smiled, put down his teacup, and asked a question, "How old is your Excellency this year? Which of the first and second rank officials who have retired gracefully in this dynasty is not in their seventies or eighties? For example, the Minister of the Imperial Household, it is foreseeable that he will be able to make a dignified exit.
As for you, Lord Li, you are only in your early sixties and in good health. You can still be active in the court for at least another ten or twenty years. It will not be easy for you to make a dignified exit."
Lord Li snorted coldly, "It is precisely because it is not easy that I came to ask you for help. Otherwise, why would I waste my time talking to you?"
Liu Zhao said, "You asked me for help, which shows that you trust me. I will not play tricks. To be honest, it is almost impossible for you to make a decent exit.
It's clear that the Emperor is settling old scores and seizing the opportunity to suppress your former students and officials. Under these circumstances, how can you make a dignified exit? Master Li, you're probably overthinking it, thinking you can leave the court as Grand Tutor.
Lord Li's expression changed repeatedly, "Are you sure I can't make a dignified exit?"
Liu Zhao smiled and said, "There is a way. You can help your father share his worries by taking the initiative to suppress your former students and officials and drive them out of the court. In recognition of your hard work and great achievements, your father may allow you to leave the court with dignity and retire with grace."
Lord Li's face twisted. "Asking me to be the executioner who wipes out my students and former officials is simply appalling. If I take on the task of executioner, even if I can make a dignified exit, I won't have a good life for the next ten or twenty years."
No one likes an executioner, let alone a traitor.
If Lord Li accepts Liu Zhao's suggestion and personally takes up the butcher knife to speak for the emperor and "slaughter" his students and former officials, he will surely be infamous for eternity and be despised by the world.
When he retires, everyone from the imperial court to the local government will suppress him intentionally or unintentionally.
The Li family will suffer the most difficult years in their history.
For the sake of himself, his family, and future generations, Lord Li would never resort to violence against his own people.
Why were the Jinwu Guards reviled by the world as the emperor's lackeys?
Because they are indeed the emperor's running dogs, acting according to the emperor's will.
Betray your own people?
As long as the emperor needs them, they dare to sell them out.
Not afraid of being spitted on, not afraid of bearing the infamy for generations, not afraid of bringing disaster to future generations.
Their principles of action are contrary to those of civil servants and scholars.
Therefore, once they get the chance, the civil officials will insult the Jinwu Guards and all the emperor's lackeys.
It is not enough to just insult them, they must also be recorded in history books so that future generations will curse these emperor's lackeys for generations to come.
Who put the pen in the hands of civil servants?
Even the Jinwu Guards had to accept this situation.
The Jinwu Guards are the ones who truly live in the present.
Posthumous infamy?
No one cares.
Even if you care, once you are the emperor's lackey, you will be the emperor's lackey for life. You can only endure it silently and be prepared to be infamous for eternity.
As the head of the civil servants, Lord Li has been active in the officialdom for decades, and what he cares most about is his reputation before and after his death.
I am about to retire, so how can I leave a bad reputation behind?
He shook his head repeatedly and rejected Liu Zhao's suggestion.
Liu Zhao had known that he would object, so he was not surprised.
He smiled and said, "Lord Li is afraid of dirtying his hands, and I understand. However, when the emperor takes action, it will be difficult for Lord Li to make a dignified exit."
Lord Li's face turned pale and his beard trembled.
Liu Zhao hit the nail on the head.
He asked, "Your Highness, is there nothing you can do? I have shamelessly sought your help, and you are just going to brush me off like this?"
"What benefits can I get from helping you?" Liu Zhao asked directly.
Lord Li immediately laughed, "So Your Highness really has a solution?"
"Whether there is a way or not depends on what price Lord Li is willing to pay." Liu Zhao looked at the other party with a smile.
Lord Li said loudly, "Everyone knows that my students and former officials are spread throughout the court and local government offices. If Your Highness is willing to help me, I promise that they will be your supporters and help you ascend to the throne."
Liu Zhao did not comment.
Lord Li frowned, "Your Highness, are you not moved?"
Liu Zhao laughed heartily. "Your Excellency's promise is like a flower in a dream or the moon in the water to me. It looks beautiful, but unfortunately, I don't care about it."
"Then what do you want?" Lord Li was puzzled.
Liu Zhao asked, "How much does Lord Li know about trade in the Western Regions?"
Lord Li said, "I know that the trade with the Western Regions was initiated by the Northwest Army, and it seems that the Shaofu also participated in it."
"Then, Lord Li, do you know the emperor's attitude towards trade with the Western Regions?"
"Your Majesty turned a blind eye, only instructing the Minister of the Interior to focus on trade in the Western Regions, without paying excessive attention. In recent years, natural disasters have been frequent across the country, and the court has been overwhelmed with affairs of state. The Northwest Army is of paramount importance. It's fair to say that in the past few years, Your Majesty has had no energy to pay attention to the situation in the Northwest. Especially since it involves the Northwest Army, he dared not act rashly."
Liu Zhao nodded. "Then, Lord Li, do you know how much the trade volume in the Western Regions is in a year?"
Lord Li hesitated and asked, "One million taels?"
Liu Zhao lowered his head and smiled.
The Northwest Army’s methods are indeed extraordinary.
The annual trade of tens of millions of taels was instantly reduced to a million taels by the imperial court. Not even a fraction of that was enough.
No wonder Xiaojiu insisted on cooperating with the Northwest Army.
Sihai only needs to supply goods and ensure that the goods reach the Xiliang Royal City smoothly. The Northwest Army will handle other matters.
For example, how to shut up the court and how to deceive the emperor's sight and hearing were all things that he and Xiao Jiu didn't need to worry about. The Northwest Army solved all of them silently.
In the northwest, the Northwest Army is all-powerful, and this is not groundless.
It is almost wishful thinking to send any information about the Northwest Army to the capital without the permission of the Northwest Army.
Even Liu Zhao didn't know how many spies the Northwest Army had planted in the capital, and how deep those spies were hidden.
He and Xiaojiu knew part of the inside story.
Because of vested interests, it is impossible for me to confess to Your Majesty on my own initiative.
In addition, the Shaofu also participated in the business, and all kinds of jewelry and jade shipped from the Western Liang Royal City were sold all over the world through the Shaofu, making huge profits.
So everyone is happy to maintain this situation.
It is normal for Your Majesty to be blinded by the sight and hearing while sitting in the palace.
In fact, the Shaofu was also deceived.
The Shaofu believed that the scale of the Northwest Army's trade with the Western Regions was about one million taels, and at most no more than two million taels.
Little did they know that this was all a false illusion created for the Shaofu by the Duke of Lu following Gu Jiu's advice.
The large-scale trade in the northwest cannot be hidden from the eyes of those who are interested.
Instead of being secretive, it’s better to be open about some things.
Pulling the Shaofu into this plate and sharing the profits is equivalent to adding an extra layer of protection.
People naturally believed that the business in which the Shaofu was involved had the emperor's tacit approval.
Since the emperor acquiesced, it was legal trade.
Everyone turned a blind eye.
The emperor did not move the Northwest Army, and everyone maintained a good relationship with the Northwest Army.
It won’t be too late to kick someone when they’re down when the emperor decides to liquidate the Northwest Army.
Liu Zhao told Lord Li, "Lord Li, if you want to make a dignified exit and let the emperor give you some face, there is only one way, and that is to the northwest!"
Lord Li frowned.
Liu Zhao asked, "Sir, have you ever thought about why the emperor would move against you at this time?"
"Of course it's to pave the way for Minister Lu."
"Why do we need to pave the way for Minister Lu?" Liu Zhao asked again.
Lord Li suddenly understood, "Your Highness means that His Majesty is planning to take action in the northwest?"
Liu Zhao smiled and said, "It's only a matter of time before your father takes action in the northwest. He would definitely be worried if he handed this matter over to someone else. Your father has placed Minister Lu in the court for so many years to train him. Perhaps all this is in preparation for solving the northwest issue. Of course, this is all my speculation."
Lord Li shook his head and nodded again, "Your Highness's guess is likely to come true. In recent years, the court has been plagued by internal and external troubles. Neither the court nor Your Majesty has been able to help the northwest.
After a few years, the Ministry of Revenue has finally achieved a balance between revenue and expenditure, and this year has been blessed with good weather and abundant harvests. If this favorable situation can be maintained for three to five years, Your Majesty will attempt to make a move in the northwest. As for me, I am the one being blamed."
Lord Li sighed, feeling very sad.
He said sadly, "The court is plagued by internal and external troubles, and natural and man-made disasters are constantly occurring. Your Majesty promoted me to the position of Minister of the Central Secretariat because, firstly, Minister Lu lacks experience and needs to be tempered. Secondly, someone has to take the blame for natural and man-made disasters, and I am the perfect choice."
Now that the crisis has passed and the weather is favorable, it is time for me to step down and let Minister Lu take over, shouldering the reputation of reviving the imperial court. All of this was clearly the foundation I laid. Without my years of dedicated effort, there would be no balanced Ministry of Revenue, no favorable weather, and no favorable harvests.
In the end, all my efforts were in vain for Minister Lu. In the future, when history books mention the two of us, I'm afraid I'll be labeled an unlucky person. Minister Lu, on the other hand, is the chosen one and the minister who brought the country back to its former glory. How unfair!
Lord Li saw through the truth, but he did not feel any resentment. He was just unwilling to accept it, and more importantly, he was discouraged.
All efforts are to help Minister Lu.
All the good reputations have nothing to do with him.
The more I think about it, the more sad I feel.
He picked up the teacup and drank it in one gulp. Then he said dejectedly, "Tomorrow I will submit my resignation and help Your Majesty with his worries."
"Master Li, this is wrong!"
"Your Highness, there is no need to persuade me. I have seen through it all. There is nothing to remember."
“There may not be any hope.”
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
There is a third
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