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, looking at the curtains above his head, not wanting to get up.
Last night, after returning from Xiuwenguan, I arrived home and felt tired. I didn't even do any meditation.
"Why is talking more tiring than fighting with others... I get it, it's the work meeting syndrome." Zhao Duan complained silently and stood up.
After a simple wash.
When I walked into the dining room, I found my beautiful stepmother fiddling with a vase and filling it with water.
The jade hand was holding a lotus stem with an impressive root. Above it was a large, blooming pink lotus head.
It seemed to be hesitating whether to put it in the vase.
"Where did the lotus come from?" Zhao Duan asked in surprise.
Eugene was startled, slapped her chest, turned around, and saw that it was her stepson. She smiled and shared happily:
"My neighbor brought it to me early this morning. He said it was obtained from the Shenlong Temple. It can be used to pray for blessings and protect the safety of the family."
Behind Zhao Duan, Zhao Pan walked in lazily.
The girl had her hair braided today and tied into two rings at the back of her head. She puffed out her cheeks and said crisply:
"Mom, do you believe those nonsense? They're just a way for those monks to make money. They sell them every year before the Ghost Festival, and they've been exposed long ago."
Eugene glared at her daughter and said:
"I dare not speak of a Buddhist monk in that way."
Zhao Pan sighed and didn't want to explain. He felt tired.
"Zhongyuan Festival?" Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment before he remembered that the Zhongyuan Festival in Dayu was different from the one in his previous life.
It is held later in time and is a festival for "worshiping gods".
Because there are gods in Dayu, there are activities and traditions of worshiping gods every year during the Ghost Festival, making it an exceptionally lively festival.
The monks of Shenlong Temple have a strong presence during the Ghost Festival, and it is said that there are some celebratory activities.
A high-ranking mage will appear and invite some influential "celebrities" in the capital to a party.
However, Zhao Duan had only been in power for a short time, and he knew little about some of the activities of the upper class, and had never been invited.
My stepmother is a believer in God, but she is also very practical.
Just believe in every god you belong to, what if it works?
It doesn't work, but it's not a loss...
"Brother, you came back very late last night." The girl suddenly asked at the dinner table.
She was a little suspicious that her elder brother was out fooling around again.
Eugene Hua also remembered that her stepson was taken away by a carriage last night, and her eyes looked over tenderly: "But what happened?"
She was a little worried that her stepson might be at odds with another high-ranking official in the imperial court.
Don’t you have any positive image of me in your hearts? Where has the trust gone? Zhao Duan put down his chopsticks, put on the airs of the head of the family, and threatened:
"Just do your own thing at home and don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."
So the mother and daughter kept silent.
…
…
The residence of the then Prime Minister Li Yanfu was located in the best area of the capital, not far from the imperial palace.
It is a rather grand mansion, and the entire street around it is also the residence of important figures in the court. Ordinary people dare not approach it.
early morning.
A sedan chair arrived outside the Prime Minister's residence.
"Master, you are here." The servant guarding the gate hurried down the steps and saluted respectfully.
The "young cabinet minister" Li Yinglong, who was nearly forty years old, had a feminine appearance, a high nose bridge, and deep eye sockets. He said "yes" and stepped out of the sedan chair, saying as he walked:
"Is father awake yet?"
At this age, the father and son had already separated, but their houses were not far from each other, so they visited each other frequently.
Li Yanfu was old and had no time to spare for many things. As his most trusted son, Li Yinglong was in charge of many affairs of the "Li Party".
If the Prime Minister is the "leader" of the Li Party, then Li Yinglong is the leader's hand.
"The master got up early and has already eaten."
The servant said.
The empress has been in seclusion recently, so the ministers do not need to attend the morning court.
But the prime minister, who was used to getting up early, still woke up before dawn.
Li Yinglong nodded, walked across the front yard, and came to the garden courtyard inside the house which was filled with rockery, ponds, pavilions and towers.
From a distance, I saw the maid standing sideways.
The Prime Minister, wearing casual home clothes, the powerful "party leader" Li Yanfu, whose roots extend throughout the Dayu Dynasty, is playing the game of touhu.
On the blue brick floor, there is a three-handled, thin-necked copper kettle.
About two meters away, Li Yanfu was holding an arrow with tail feathers in his hand and taking aim.
Although he is old, this old man with sideburns like hedgehog skin, eyebrows like purple stone edges, and messy stubble spreading along both cheeks and intersecting with the temples 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 quiver from her.
The maidservant sensibly left quickly, and the servants also dispersed, moving away from the two men so that they could not hear their conversation.
Li Yanfu seemed not to notice his son's arrival and focused on aiming.
Suddenly he threw the arrow with force, and it flew in an arc but hit the edge of the copper pot.
"I'm old..." Li Yanfu sighed lightly, but he was not disappointed.
Li Yinglong flattered:
"Father is old but still strong. Even soldiers in the army would have a hard time hitting him from this distance."
Li Yanfu ignored his flattery and took out a new quiver from his quiver. Without even looking at him, he continued to aim:
"What's the matter with you coming here so early in the morning?"
Li Yinglong said respectfully:
"Yesterday, Xiuwenguan opened for the first time. My son waited all day and went to inquire about the situation in the evening. Because it was too late, I was afraid that it would disturb your rest, so I came back early this morning."
Li Yanfu paused, turned his head, looked down at him expressionlessly, and said coldly:
"What are you going to mess with?"
Li Yinglong, who secretly went to investigate without telling his father, hurriedly said:
"Father, the Xiuwen Hall has just opened, and I'm afraid that the new policy will be put on the agenda. I am also very worried, that's why... Besides, if there are too many people who go to inquire, it won't be just us."
Li Yanfu was a little displeased, but he didn't say anything. He picked up the arrow again:
"Go on."
"Hey," Li Yinglong said vividly:
"My son went to stop the Minister of Personnel's son, Wang You, and wanted to ask him questions, but Wang You was extremely tight-lipped and unwilling to interact with my son. He even retorted and quickly left."
"..." 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 awkward.
Li Yinglong said hurriedly:
"Father, the more they keep quiet, the more it proves something serious is going on. Furthermore, Wang You's face looked extremely grim, and he returned from Xiuwenguan late at night. On the first day of opening, he summoned two people for discussions. This is definitely not normal!"
In my opinion, the new policy will come with great force. If it is to be implemented, the first one to be affected will definitely be the Ministry of Personnel under your command.
Over the past year, His Majesty has frequently taken action against us, especially in the past six months, when Pei Kaizhi and Zhou Cheng were both overthrown by Zhao Duan.
It is obvious that His Majesty is behind this, clearing the way for the establishment of the Cultural Heritage Institute... He dissolved the cabinet and seized our power before.
Now, after a mixture of fighting and self-defense, they have formed a new cabinet, but have completely excluded us... We can't just sit there and wait for death."
It was obvious that he had been holding back these words for a long time.
Li Yanfu listened to him quietly before saying calmly:
"Are you done? Go back when you're done."
Li Yinglong was stunned and said anxiously:
"Father, how can you still be so calm? The situation is urgent. Before, His Majesty warned us, and you said to endure it. Later, when Pei Kaizhi fell, you still didn't say anything. Now Zhou Cheng has fallen too... People in our Li Party are uneasy.
You don't care about these things and may not know them, but I, your son, know them very well.
A while ago, Zhao Duan was jumping around and arresting people on a large scale, which caused public outrage, but I was the one who suppressed it.
In the past few days since Zhou Cheng collapsed, countless people have come to me to express their dissatisfaction. Everyone is worried, and I have been bearing all the pressure, comforting each one one by one... But this is not the end."
Li Yanfu seemed to ignore it and continued to concentrate on playing the pot.
Seeing this, Li Yinglong took a deep breath and said earnestly:
"Father, don't you think about your son? Think about yourself too. If the new policy is to be implemented, there will definitely be an investigation into the administration of officials. Will His Majesty hold you accountable then? Don't you feel wronged?"
Yes! The administration in Dayu's nine prefectures and eighteen cities is rotten, but you shouldn't be blamed for it.
Wasn't it because the previous emperor didn't care about things and was worried about his subordinates becoming powerful, so he forcibly split one official position into two? This led to redundant officials?
The late emperor needed money to build palaces, refine elixirs, and create a grand ceremony. A single sacrifice to heaven would cost countless silver. What should we do?
Didn’t you find a way to get the money? In the end, we took the blame, and now the new king is holding a grudge against us. You say this…”
"clang!"
Suddenly, Li Yanfu threw the arrow in his hand, which hit the copper pot accurately, making a crisp metal collision sound.
Immediately, the prime minister who had served in two dynasties looked over coldly.
Li Yinglong suddenly stopped talking and dared not say anything.
Li Yanfu seemed to sigh softly, as if he was angry at his son for not fighting back, and said slowly:
"Now that you know this, you should understand that the reason your father has been able to hold the position of Prime Minister for so many years, instead of others, is because I can help the late emperor with his work and also take the blame.
Now, the new king has ascended the throne and is wary of his father, so naturally he will fight back and attack her. If His Majesty gets angry, she will beat him.
"After fighting more, the anger will subside. This way, we will suffer the least damage. Retreat to advance. You have been with me for so long, how come you don't understand this principle?"
Li Yinglong said:
"Father, I understand the truth. But when will this end?
Moreover, the people below are in turmoil. Many high-ranking officials have been driven to suffer by a mere concubine and lackey, a small-time sixth-rank military officer. We will not challenge Your Majesty, but we cannot let a gigolo ride on our heads."
Li Yanfu snorted coldly:
"Your vision is limited to arguing with a sixth-rank official all day long? He's just a small fry. If there's no Zhao, there's still Wang and Li. Your Majesty is the one who issues the orders."
His voice was clearly unhappy.
In the eyes of the prime minister of the current dynasty, even though Zhao Duan had recently defeated two of his own generals and was in the limelight, Li Yanfu had never looked at him in the eye.
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 with a dog without dealing with the empress.
"Father……"
"Go away."
"……well!"
A moment later.
Li Yinglong walked out of the Prime Minister's Mansion angrily and returned to the sedan chair, still feeling very angry.
"Master, what the master means is..." the trusted follower asked carefully.
Li Yinglong shook his head irritably, thought for a moment, and said coldly:
"My father is confused and has lost his fighting spirit. He just thinks he can get away with it by hiding and letting others beat him... We can't just sit there and wait for death. We have to do something, otherwise the people below will lose their morale."
"Master, are you planning to..."
Li Yinglong's eyes flickered, his expression was soft:
"Zhao Duan has been causing rebellions repeatedly. Now that Your Majesty is in seclusion and unable to look after him, this is the perfect time.
I heard that Grand Tutor Dong hated this man very much, and so did the scholars in the capital...
I could make something of it. If I could use some tricks to drive the tiger to devour the wolf, I could provoke the scholars in Xiuwenguan to come into conflict with Zhao Duan...
In this way, we can calm the anger of our subordinates and let them know that we are not just going to sit there and wait for death.
It can also create dissension and distrust between Your Majesty and the scholars at the Xiuwen Academy... hindering the implementation of the new policy would be a two-pronged approach."
As he spoke, the "young cabinet minister" seemed to have already seen the scene after the success.
And Li Yanfu would not know the reason why Li Yinglong mentioned Zhao Duan frequently today.
It was last night when Wang You was annoyed by his questions and had retorted, mocking the Li family for being cowardly. But Zhao Duan, a pretty boy, took advantage of him and he dared not say a word.
…
Kavin, the update is late.
Thanks to Huang'er for the 500-point reward~
(End of this chapter)
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