Search on Alipay to receive red envelopes, and add one cent to recharge your account to Jin-Jiang. It would have been fine if he had objected, but the words that followed to accuse Gu Zheng were heartbreaking.
Gu Zheng was young and decent, but having reached his current position, where every word and action would affect the entire Great Chu, he naturally couldn't act as recklessly as an ordinary person. If the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager heard of this accusation, Gu Zheng's political career would probably come to an end.
No one is stupid. Xue knew that he had some intention of retreating, so Liu Muchuan knew very well why he brought Gu Zheng out at this time.
Originally, his position in the government hall was second only to Xue Zhidao. Logically, with Xue Zhidao gone, he should have taken the top spot. Unfortunately, seniority was never a factor in the government hall of the Great Chu. As long as one was favored by the emperor, even if they were only a councilor, they could still overrule those above them.
But now it seems that Xue knows that he has no intention of recommending him, and the Empress Dowager also clearly wants to promote Gu Zheng.
Liu Muchuan is almost twice as old as Gu Zheng. He watched helplessly as the boy came from behind and was about to surpass him. How could he not lose his balance?
But everyone saw his selfish motives. Even those who disagreed with Gu Zheng fell silent when he spoke out. They simply felt it was inappropriate to release the news, and they didn't want to offend Gu Zheng. If they followed Liu Muchuan's advice, they could easily be labeled as his faction, which was too dangerous.
The result was that after Liu Muchuan finished speaking, no one else followed up and the conversation fell into an awkward silence.
Once they have let out this first breath and recovered, everyone has too many thoughts and concerns, and no matter whether they agree or disagree, they will not speak easily.
We have to see the situation first.
Xue Zhidao saw this and said with a smile, "Master Liu, there is no need to rush to deny it. Listen to Master Gu's reasoning first, and then make a decision."
Liu Muchuan gritted his teeth when he heard this. No one spoke except him, who spoke hastily. Even if it was for the sake of Da Chu and the court, he seemed too impatient and lost his composure, which coincided with his own accusations against Gu Zheng.
But the words have already been spoken and I can't even refute them.
This is the real way to kill someone without a knife. He can be killed here with just a few words. He is really worthy of being called the "tumbler" Xue Zhidao!
Officials have to experience ups and downs in their careers, especially in the past twenty years, with the change of three emperors. The situation has become more complicated and difficult to understand. Even the most experienced court officials would inevitably be affected.
Xue Zhidao was an exception. He served three dynasties and always held a very prominent position, hence the nickname.
Liu Muchuan originally thought that since he had offended the Empress Dowager, she would be more low-key, but he did not expect that she would still act so arbitrarily without any scruples at all.
Little did he know that Xue Zhidao had asked to leave on his own initiative and had recommended Gu Zheng, who was approved by the Empress Dowager. Now a delicate balance had been formed between the three of them, and their relationship was at its most harmonious period. They also had a tacit understanding among themselves: Xue Zhidao would stay in the court for another year or two, and then retire in style.
Now that he had both fame and profit, and the government was entrusted to a reliable person, what else did Xue know to worry about?
Liu Muchuan didn't show his dissatisfaction, because after Xue Zhidao opened his mouth, the Empress Dowager nodded in agreement and said to Gu Zheng, "Go ahead and tell me."
Gu Zheng said in a deep voice, "The imperial court's duty is to educate the people of the world. While ordinary people may be ignorant, they can be guided." He briefly refuted Liu Muchuan's personal attacks before continuing with his own opinion. "Emperor Taizu warned us in a dream, which shows that this earthquake is very serious. With such a disaster, losses are inevitable; it's just a matter of how much."
"Rather than waiting for the earthquake to cause panic, it's better to warn people in advance. While the people might panic for a while, fortunately, there's plenty of time to make arrangements before the earthquake occurs, minimizing the damage. When the earthquake strikes, if we're prepared in advance, we can evacuate in time and avoid loss of life. Furthermore..."
He looked up at Empress Dowager Zhang and said, "The fact that the Empress Dowager is pregnant with a prince and that our ancestors have appeared in her dreams is a good omen for the emperor's destiny. Spreading this news will benefit the court and reassure those who are worried about the young emperor taking the throne."
Although the ones mentioned above were his purpose, it was obvious that this last one would be more likely to convince the Empress Dowager.
Upon Emperor Xian's death, the Grand Empress Dowager, persuaded by Xue Zhidao, was willing to enthronize the Prince of Zhongshan, citing the principle that "the state relies on its long-standing ruler." Later, He Qing's words changed her mind, though she still harbored doubts. However, she felt compelled to do so because it was in her best interests. Now, using this incident to restore the imperial family's reputation and bring peace to the people, she secretly aligned herself with the Grand Empress Dowager's wishes.
The Grand Empress Dowager was about to nod her agreement when the Minister of Rites, Zhao Junyuan, suddenly stepped forward and, with a bow, said, "Master Gu's words are indeed quite reasonable, but all of this is premised on the assumption that an earthquake actually occurs. If the news is announced and nothing happens, how will it end then?"
This Lord Zhao was a man of straightforward character. Therefore, despite having the highest seniority among those present, he was only offered an official position in the Ministry of Rites, a relatively unpopular government office. He was the only one who dared to directly question the authenticity of this dream in front of Empress Dowager Zhang.
Everyone was silent for a moment.
Even if the dream was true, such warning signs were inherently difficult to discern. They had their doubts, but they preferred to believe them. But making the news public was a different matter. If nothing happened, the imperial family would be humiliated, and the court would lose its prestige.
Not to mention that Empress Dowager Zhang didn't have this dream, even if she did, she couldn't help but feel suspicious.
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