Volume 3: Dragon and Snake Movement Chapter 287 Taking Advantage of the Issue
For a dignified Minister of War to resign, it was naturally not something that Lu Wan could easily decide by simply submitting his resignation at a court meeting.
Although Emperor Taizu hated red tape the most, such as promotion required the court to issue decrees many times, and the person being promoted had to decline repeatedly before the person could finally be promoted to that position; and to resign, the person had to resign many times, and the emperor had to retain him many times before the court could finally release him; but today, these old customs and practices that were once hated by the efficient Emperor Taizu are once again popular.
Therefore, even though Lu Wan even proposed his retreat plan after resigning in public, the emperor still retained him as the Minister of War. Moreover, after the court meeting, the emperor even personally summoned someone to the Qianqing Palace for a long talk, but the result of the long talk was also spread from the Qianqing Palace in an instant, saying that the Minister of War, who was once keen on fame and fortune, was still determined to resign.
As to whether this news was released at the emperor's instruction, no one else had any way of knowing.
Lu Wan, who came out of the palace, didn't care about the various looks, and calmly got on his horse and returned to the Ministry of War. When he entered the gate of the Ministry of War and saw his main hall from afar, he saw Minister Zhao, who had a grudge against him, standing in front of the door, looking at the room with an unclear expression. This time, even though he had originally calmed down, he couldn't help but get angry and his evil heart was filled with anger.
I'm still the Minister of War, and you're coveting my territory? Even if I leave, it won't be your turn!
Thinking of this, Lu Wan quickened his pace and rushed over. When he got close, he said with a fake smile: "Minister Zhao, do you want to see me for something?"
"Haha, it's okay. I just came to take a look." Ever since his son Zhao Ying failed to be selected for Jiuzhang Hall and he himself was humiliated by Zhang Shou and Lu Wan, father and son Lu Sanlang, at the court meeting, Minister Zhao began to keep a low profile and tried his best to reduce his presence. Therefore, although Chen Zhushi, who had lost his job as the Minister of Personnel, went back to his hometown to farm in misery, he was still in office.
Although everyone said that he had lost the emperor's favor, and he had once had a hard time in the Ministry of War, he was able to wait until Lu Wan resigned, and he naturally saw a ray of hope. At this moment, his resentment finally had a place to vent. How could he be willing to be humble like he had been in the past few months? Therefore, he simply smiled and pushed back Lu Wan's words without giving in.
"I just didn't expect that under such circumstances, the Shangshu-sama would actually end up like this."
"Hehe." Lu Wan sneered, and looked away casually with his eyes that had just narrowed slightly. He saw that there were clerks and officials from various departments not far away, who obviously wanted to find out what he and Minister Zhao had talked about. He took a step forward directly, shortening the distance between himself and Minister Zhao to less than three steps, a distance where he could hit someone with a punch.
"Minister Zhao, have you made a mistake? No matter what happens to me, you will not be able to sit in the main hall of the Ministry of War! What's more, why do you think I resigned in the court today? Duke Zhao won the battle in the front, so those of us who were holding him back and who should be held responsible, can we still sit there with such thick skin?"
As he spoke, he almost poked his finger directly into Minister Zhao's eyes: "Do you think I don't know? Back then, at least two censors in the Censorate were instigated by you. It was because your son Zhao Ying, that idiot, sneered in front of Zhu Ying that he almost got whipped. As a father, you can't swallow this breath!"
The louder Lu Wan spoke, the louder he became. Not only those people who were watching the excitement blatantly not far away, but even those who were still in the house could hear it clearly. And Minister Zhao in front of him turned pale instantly, regretting his irrational decision to come here and provoke him. Unfortunately, there is no medicine for regret in the world, and he provoked Lu Wan, who was furious and had no place to vent.
"The soldiers were bleeding and crying in the front, and we in the back should have tried our best to allocate military supplies and provide them with solid support. However, I was deceived by temporary rumors and daily prejudices, and thus did something to slander the general. If it were not for the emperor's wisdom, the outcome of this battle would be unknown! So I want to resign, at least to take responsibility with actual actions... But!"
After saying the word "but" in a stern voice, Lu Wan's voice had already turned into a roar: "But a cowardly rat like you has the nerve to laugh at me. Is your face made of cowhide? I know how to feel ashamed and guilty, and feel embarrassed, but you, you gloat over other people's misfortunes, jump up and down, and even don't repent, coveting the position of Minister of War. Who do you think you are?"
Minister Zhao was so angry that he was shaking, but Lu Wan's reason was so powerful and hit him right where he felt most vulnerable, so he had no way to retort. Knowing that if he stayed, this cunning old man would only get more excited, he could only flick his sleeves in anger.
"You are totally unreasonable! Humph!"
Seeing Minister Zhao leaving in a hurry, Lu Wan chuckled, then looked around and said word by word: "The Emperor Taizu of this dynasty has always hated the censors' reports on rumors, but out of the awareness of correcting the trend, he still asked to verify the evidence before reporting. If you speak without thinking, you will be held responsible. I made a big mistake in a moment of confusion, so I wrote a letter to resign. I just hope that everyone will learn from it!"
The disturbance in the Ministry of War spread quickly. By the evening, even ordinary people were talking about it. The seven words "Lu Shangshu admits his mistakes and can correct them" became a catchphrase for many people after being spread by people with ulterior motives. In restaurants, food stalls, and even brothels, countless people praised Lu Shangshu for being a good role model and a clear stream in a turbid world.
Therefore, the censors who had thrown mud at the Duke of Zhao's mansion during the New Year's holiday and resigned hastily after being discovered by Wang Jie became negative examples. The censor Chen, whose case has not yet been concluded by the three courts, has been stabbed in the back by countless people. As for those who have slandered Zhu Jing in the past and the possible masterminds behind the scenes, they are all on pins and needles.
If they could, they would have carved a figurine of Lu Wan and stabbed him to death! Now that you have stepped forward to admit your mistakes, take responsibility, and resign as the Minister of War, how can others survive?
Even in the Qing'an Hall of the Duke of Zhao's mansion, Zhu Er treated today's incident as a joke. He was naturally very happy. Fatty Lu used to pretend to be a pig and eat the tiger, and then he turned into a genius. As a result, he was beaten by his grandmother, his sister, and his elder brother at home. He was beaten into a fool even though he was not a fool. Of course, he couldn't stand Fatty Lu.
Now that the fat little guy’s father is about to fall, let’s see if he can still be so proud in the future?
Zhu Er was laughing, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that he had gotten rid of his anger. But suddenly he realized that he was the only one laughing, and there was no other sound. When he looked at others, he saw that the lady was leisurely fiddling with her Buddhist beads, Zhu Jing was talking to Zhu Tingfang in a low voice, and Jiu Niang was angrily blaming Zhu Ying for something. He felt that the atmosphere was a little stiff, and he quickly sat down carefully.
No matter what, Lu Wan was the one who was behind my father's death, so why was he resigning and no one in the family was happy? Could it be that just because that damn fat boy became Zhang Shou's student, they would forgive the Lu family?
"To be honest, Lu Wan's resignation today was beyond my expectation. Because from the attitude he showed when he was the first to come to my house that night, he has a strong desire to protect himself and is not willing to give up the position of Minister of War easily. His attitude is that if we get along, we will both benefit, but if we don't, we will become mortal enemies, using both soft and hard tactics."
Seeing his second son's foolish look, Zhu Jing didn't want to say anything, but seeing his mother nod to him, he still gave a reminder. Then, he said thoughtfully: "Moreover, Lu Wan is a man with a strong desire for fame and fortune, and he won't do anything without profit. In addition, everyone outside is praising him for admitting his mistakes and correcting them. I don't know if he wants to use this to induce the emperor to keep him."
"Yes, he also proposed a grand but ineffective plan in the court." Zhu Tingfang nodded in agreement with his father's judgment, but he always felt that something was wrong. "But if he just pretended to admit his mistakes and take responsibility, he wouldn't have to mention this. I think Lu Wan might have used this as an excuse to give in and force you, Dad, to stop retaliating against him."
Zhu Ying lowered her head and snuggled in her mother's arms, listening to her second brother's nonsense and her father and eldest brother's analysis of Lu Wan's purpose. She finally couldn't help but yawn, then sat up straight and said unhappily, "A Shou is moving the day after tomorrow, but he can't get away. He seems to be busy all day. I'll go ask him if he is really willing to let me do everything that day."
As she spoke, she stood up from her seat and said listlessly, "Anyway, I don't bother to listen to what you guys are saying. I only know that Lu Sanlang's father is an extremely cunning man. I'm leaving now, you guys can continue to discuss this!"
Seeing Zhu Ying making a face at Madam Tai and Jiu Niang, and then running out like a gust of wind, Zhu Tingfang could only smile bitterly: "Before, when I saw Yingying and Yang Yiming arguing with each other, I thought she had improved, but I didn't expect she was still so willful!"
"Zhang Shou just needs to use his brain, Yingying should be a little confused." Jiu Niang said nonchalantly, and then glanced at Zhu Jing again, "Don't be too smart, the couple will guess and guess, and finally have suspicions."
However, when Zhu Ying, who was considered willful and confused by her relatives, walked out of her back door, the yawning fatigue disappeared without a trace, and was replaced by a lively look. She happily walked into the Zhang family's gate and when she saw Zhang Shou, she smiled and said, "A Shou, I will keep your secret. Dad and Mom are trying hard to guess the reason why Lu Wan resigned from office!"
While staring at the escapement structure drawing that was somewhat similar to his memory, thinking hard whether there was anything to add, Zhang Shou, who was thinking about Guan Qiu's crude prototype machine tools, didn't pay much attention to what Zhu Ying said. But when Zhu Ying curiously leaned over, he suddenly came to his senses and asked her to repeat it again. He rubbed his eyebrows with a headache.
"Yingying, if your father and elder brother knew about this , they would definitely say that you have a husband and have forgotten about them. Now that things have come to this, it's okay to tell them."
"No, let them guess first. They will be surprised when they find out it was you who did it." Zhu Ying shook her head stubbornly, then smiled and said, "Who would have thought that you could make Lu Sanlang's father resign without saying anything?"
It's just about appealing to their interests and explaining the reasons to them.
Zhang Shou thought to himself, this has always been the only way to move people, not to mention that Lu Wan was not afraid of him, but Zhu Jing's methods and the emperor's heart. The most important thing is that the truth cannot be hidden, and someone must be held responsible.
Zhu Ying, however, was still looking at the drawing Zhang Shou had just drawn with great interest, and suddenly asked, "Ah Shou, why do you always draw those weird things? I've been to your workshop several times, and Guan Qiu told me privately that he admires you very much. There are some things he has thought of before, but there are others he has never thought of."
She paused, and suddenly said hesitantly, "But why do I feel like you seem to be in a hurry and anxious?"
"Really?" Zhang Shou didn't expect Zhu Ying to see through his mood. He was slightly stunned and then laughed. He was actually a slow-tempered person and didn't like to rush to do things. However, the seemingly peaceful capital city always made him feel that it was not so peaceful, so he finally chose not to keep a low profile.
Moreover, if he couldn't give out anything and could only live on his salary, why would he marry Zhu Ying?
Zhang Shou dropped his pen and stood up. He pulled Zhu Ying to the wall with one hand, and then pulled open a blanket hanging on the wall, revealing a map. This was roughly drawn based on the globes he had seen in the Military Equipment Bureau headed by Weinan Earl Zhang Kang. However, his map skills were far from perfect, so he could only barely take a look.
As the daughter of a military family, Zhu Ying had seen many maps since she was a child, but this was the first time she had seen a map with different colors. At this moment, she saw Zhang Shou pointing out the capital, Xuanfu, and Datong, and then pointing to the names that she had heard of before, or were very unfamiliar with, and said that these were the countries that Emperor Taizu had dreamed of. Her eyes suddenly lit up.
"I've heard before that this world is actually very big, but I didn't expect it to be even bigger than I imagined..."
"Yes, the world is very big. During the Yuan Dynasty, their army once reached as far as here."
Zhang Shou pointed at a few places in the far west, and then said softly, "But now, the descendants of the Mongols who occupy the north and are despised by us as the Northern Barbarians have stolen the method of making firearms from our dynasty and tolerated many rebellions, but they are actually declining. I heard that your father's greatest achievement this time was not winning the battle, but killing that Gule Khan due to illness and anger?"
Seeing Zhu Ying nodded, he smiled and said, "Unlike the Zhengshuo Dynasty that occupies the Central Plains, there are at least some rules. For these border countries, a powerful and wise ruler is everything. Because other weak monarchs cannot control their subordinates, it will bring endless covetousness and disputes. And they are close to us, so most of us can only look so far."
"But there are many other countries in this world. While we are fighting with the Northern Barbarians or fighting among ourselves, they are also gradually growing. Maybe one day, they will have ironclad ships that can sail on the sea. They will have huge steel cannons that can fire dozens of miles at a time. They will be able to bully the Celestial Empire with their tiny land..."
Zhang Shou sketched out a picture in a few words, and then continued calmly: "So, in addition to those who study the saints' knowledge, this world needs more people who can learn the principles of all things, build strong ships and powerful guns, build spinning and weaving machines, and make sophisticated tools. Of course, Minister Lu may not be convinced by my big talk, but he may want to give it a try."
