Upon hearing this, the Donglin officials all nodded in agreement.
"That makes sense!"
"Master Qian truly lives up to his name; he sees further than we do!"
Although some ministers from the Donglin Party still had some doubts in their eyes.
I feel that this statement is somewhat wishful thinking.
But then they thought again, they were still planning to tie themselves to Qian Qianyi and have him take the fall for the plot to kill the emperor.
"In that case, let's just let it be for now."
Anyway, I have nothing to do with Zhou Yanru.
Upon realizing this, these people fell silent and, along with the other Donglin officials, cupped their hands in greeting.
“Lord Qian is right, we will reconsider.”
Zhu Youjian sat on the dragon throne, his feelings were very complicated.
"No, are the Donglin Party really that easy to deal with?"
He had expected that if he were to take action against Zhou Yanru today, the Donglin Party would launch a fierce opposition.
Even with Qian Qianyi as an inside man, and even with Wei Zhongxian leading the charge,
This fire will surely reach the emperor as well.
To everyone's surprise, the Donglin Party offered absolutely no resistance.
Even Zhou Yanru, the person involved, was as honest as a sheep.
"This is really..."
Zhu Youjian shook his head slightly, then sighed inwardly.
"Could this also be part of Master Gao's plan?"
"Sending a hero to investigate another hero seems to have been the right decision!"
He gradually became excited and said loudly:
"Since all of you ministers have said so, then I will follow your advice."
"Guards, throw Zhou Yanru into the imperial prison, and then order the three judicial departments to conduct a joint trial to discuss how to deal with him."
"Court adjourned!"
After saying this, he happily left the dragon throne and jogged away.
Staring at the emperor's retreating figure, Wei Zhongxian's eyes were full of sneers.
"This little emperor is easy to deal with."
"But that so-called Master Gao is probably still a problem. I need to find an opportunity..."
Just as he was thinking, Qian Qianyi came closer and whispered to him:
"Wei Zhongxian, I never expected that His Majesty would still trust you!"
Last night, Wei Zhongxian took Zhou Yanru away and immediately sent someone to contact Qian Qianyi.
Tell him the emperor's edict, requiring him to cooperate with him at the morning court session the next day.
Qian Qianyi sighed: "We did have some misunderstandings in the past, but that's all in the past."
"From now on, under His Majesty's rule, we must unite as one!"
Wei Zhongxian sneered inwardly.
"Heh, do you think I'm as easy to fool as the little emperor?"
“You, Qian Qianyi, are the leader of the Donglin Party. On the surface, you appear virtuous, but in your heart, you are only interested in power struggles and personal gain.”
"I brought you down back then, forcing you to resign and go home. You probably hate me to death!"
"What they just said must have been a lie. I'd be a fool to believe it!"
However, his face was full of sincere smiles.
"Lord Qian, what you said really resonates with me."
"From now on, we will work together to assist His Majesty, and the Ming Dynasty will be blessed!"
Qian Qianyi felt the same cold smile as Wei Zhongxian.
"That old eunuch, does he think I'm some kind of emperor?"
"We'll settle our score sooner or later."
"Hehe, although Donglin hasn't discovered yet that I'm cutting ties with them."
"But if this goes on for too long, it will eventually be exposed. Then, the Donglin disciples and their followers in Jiangnan will be cursing me!"
"Fortunately, there's still you, old castrated dog."
"After I've dealt with the Donglin Party, I'll find an excuse to pin all the blame on you, saying that the Donglin Party's downfall was all because of you."
"I'll just wipe you out while I'm at it! Then I'll be a great hero to the literati of Jiangnan again!"
Although the two had their own ulterior motives, they exchanged a glance and then burst into laughter.
Moreover, the laughter was particularly genuine.
It seemed as if they were truly amicable and committed to protecting the Ming Dynasty's empire.
Wang Chengen, who was watching from a distance, felt a burning rage.
"No, the waters in this imperial court are getting deeper and deeper."
"Even with Master Gao around, Qian Qianyi and Wei Zhongxian certainly wouldn't have had a good ending."
"But even if they're finished, it doesn't mean I'm smart!"
"The people in this court are all shrewd. If I rely on myself alone, I'll inevitably fall from grace sooner or later."
"No, we still have to invite our godfather to the palace!"
He rolled his eyes, then trotted out and asked Zhu Youjian for leave.
Then he hurriedly left the palace and went to a private residence in the south of the city. After entering, he knelt down and paid his respects.
"Godfather, you're finally back!"
His godfather smiled and waved his hand.
"Alright, things are different now than they were a few years ago."
“You are His Majesty’s favorite, while I am just a eunuch guarding Jinling.”
"Don't flatter me."
Upon hearing this, Wang Chengen quickly stood up, walked behind his godfather, and cautiously said:
"Godfather, aren't you slapping me in the face with those words?"
"You were already burning the candles for His Majesty even before he ascended the throne."
“If Wei Zhongxian hadn’t insisted on driving you away, my current position would be yours.”
Only then did his godfather show some sincerity.
"You've finally grown a bit more shrewd, kid."
"Alright, tell me, what's the situation with Wei Zhongxian?"
"When His Majesty first ascended the throne, didn't he already arrest him?"
"Why was he released later?"
Wang Chengen hesitated, as this matter involved the later history revealed by Gao Qingyun.
If he were to say it, it might be considered taboo.
After a moment, he still shook his head.
"Godfather, the source of all this is in the palace."
"Come with me to the palace to meet His Majesty first, and then His Majesty will tell you."
His godfather was slightly displeased, but still nodded.
"That's fine too!"
Soon, the two entered the palace.
Upon hearing this news, Zhu Youjian was overjoyed and took the initiative to come out to greet Wang Chengen's godfather.
"Cao Daban, you're finally back!"
Their words conveyed a great deal of intimacy.
But Cao Daban was extremely respectful.
"Now that Your Majesty has ascended the throne, how can you treat this old servant with such courtesy?"
Zhu Youjian was taken aback at first, then shook his head: "You're still the same as before, my dear companion."
Cao Daban chuckled and said, "Then does Your Majesty think it's better for this old servant to have changed, or not to have changed?"
Zhu Youjian nodded in agreement.
"Of course, it would be best if nothing changed..."
"By the way, Cao Daban, I know you have a grudge against Wei Zhongxian. In fact, I originally planned to kill him as well."
"After Master Gao's explanation, I decided to squeeze every last bit of value out of him before killing him."
Zhu Youjian hesitated slightly when he said this.
Because Wei Zhongxian always pretended to be very respectful in front of him, he originally intended to let Wei Zhongxian off the hook.
Cao Daban noticed the emperor's hesitation, but did not mention it.
He asked with a hint of doubt, "Master Gao? Could you be the one who presented the medicine to His Majesty?"
Zhu Youjian burst into laughter.
"Master Gao is not that simple."
"Come, I'll introduce you to him right away."
As he spoke, he asked Cao Daban to come with him to see Gao Qingyun.
"Master Gao, I've brought you an old friend this time."
"His name is Cao Huachun..."
"Wait, what did you say his name was?" Gao Qingyun was stunned, tilted his head, and looked in Cao Huachun's direction.
"Old man, do you know martial arts?"
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