Volume 4 Chapter 26 A Smile (Part 2)
That afternoon, Yanjing was still in a state of chaos. Qin Hui followed Wushu back to the Fourth Prince's residence. When they reached the backyard, the other followers left immediately. However, the two did not go into the house to talk, because when they reached the open space in the middle of the backyard and in front of the back house, Wanyan Wushu suddenly stopped with the whip in his hand, and without turning his head, he turned his back and asked:
"Master Qin, tell me again what you said three nights ago."
Qin Hui was stunned for only a moment, then he immediately stood with his hands clasped behind him and spoke behind Wuzhu:
"The prestige of Taizu's founding of the country is the foundation of the people's hearts and the legal system of the Jin Dynasty. As early as when Taizu was in power, the Grand Marshal Nianhan was removed from the succession sequence in exchange for the sole command of the Western Route Army. This is known to the world. Therefore, the Grand Marshal can only be a powerful minister, but cannot vie for the position of the ruler. Once he has the intention of being the ruler, the people of the Jin Dynasty will be suspicious... This is one of the reasons."
Perhaps because he often read the outdated official bulletins, Qin Huizhi was accustomed to talking about serious matters in a one-two-three-four manner.
"And the reason why the Grand Marshal was able to establish himself before Taizu and was known as the first meritorious official of the founding of the country was that he was good at fighting in the Western Route Army. Unfortunately, the battle at Yaoshan half a year ago caused a turmoil, Lou Shi was killed in the battle, and the Western Route Army was divided into two. Although he temporarily controlled the troops of Daming Prefecture, he only controlled them superficially and could not convince them, so his foundation was damaged... This is the second reason." Qin Hui continued to speak with his hands folded. "With no name and no substance, the Grand Marshal's power has been greatly reduced. At this time, he should have retreated and rested... Even the Grand Marshal himself understood this, otherwise he would not have returned north with the Fourth Prince that day, but..."
"But the king suddenly had a stroke, and with so much power in front of him, the Grand Marshal couldn't help but reach out. In addition to monopolizing power, it also caused panic inside and outside the country, and people were uneasy. Since the Grand Marshal knew that he was weak inside and knew that people were dissatisfied, he pretended to be unbridled and quickly seized military power and stabilized the situation in order to maintain stability." Wuzhu suddenly interrupted, but still didn't look back. "So, in the end, that means that the Grand Marshal seems to be at his peak at this time, but it is actually the weakest time. Is that what you mean?"
"Yes...Since ancient times, there have been many powerful ministers like this in the Central Plains dynasties. It's the same principle. Once they reach out, the prosperity will decline. But no one can resist reaching out."
"Well said...Once you cross the line, there's no turning back." Wuzhu sighed to the sky.
"The Fourth Prince is Taizu's biological son, and is different from the Grand Marshal."
"Not much different." Wushu came back to his senses and continued. "Let's not talk about this. You said the other day that if you want to get rid of such powerful officials, you must dig out their confidants, just like getting rid of Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu in the Three Kingdoms... I also agree with this principle, but why do you want me to choose Yin Shuke between Wanyan Xiyin and Yin Shuke?"
Qin Hui knew that this was a key question, so he did not dare to neglect it. He took a half step forward and answered seriously, almost sticking to Wushu's back: "Fourth Prince, I know that you have a better relationship with Wanyan Xiyin, and both of you have the ambition to reform the country and make the Great Jin Dynasty last for thousands of years... But what we have to do now cannot be about comrades, but about interests; we cannot talk about the long term, but about the present... Although Xiyin was somewhat dissatisfied with the Marshal's imprisonment of the king's sons, he did not have any real and imminent disputes with the Marshal at this time. But Yin Shuke was different. He had been staring at the living girl in Yan'an, not because he was dissatisfied with the living girl, but because after Lou Shi's death, he wanted his younger brother Balisu to control the Western Army to make the family rich and prosperous, but the Marshal could not satisfy him!"
"When the Grand Marshal went south to Daming Prefecture that day, he originally wanted General Yin Shuke to return to Taiyuan to take charge of the Western Route Army, but General Yin Shuke refused." Wuzhu sighed again.
"That's because General Yin Shuke is the same as General Talan. He's getting old and doesn't want to live in the open anymore... I'm afraid General Loushi's death in battle has also shocked him a little. If there is a major war in the future, it will probably start from the Western Route Army. But his eldest son died in battle, and his children will have to be taken care of by his younger brother in the future, so he is particularly concerned about Balisu's affairs."
"Yes, I think he lost his edge when he was the governor of Yanjing. He just wanted to play tricks in the central government and seek long-term wealth and honor."
"It is precisely to take advantage of his desire for wealth and honor. As long as people have something to ask for, they can... The Grand Marshal cannot satisfy him, but the Fourth Prince can." Qin Hui hurriedly persuaded again. "Anyway, it's just empty talk. We can talk about it later."
"We still have to keep our word." Wuzhu finally laughed.
And Qin Hui was completely relieved... This was the promise.
However, at this moment, the pale-faced Wanyan Wushu turned around and asked Qin Huizhi in front of him curiously: "Little Scholar Qin... You said that everyone has something to ask for. Nianhan wants to hold power in a stable and monopolized manner. I want the Great Jin Iron Cavalry to be re-established. Xi Yin wants to unify the Great Jin Kingdom and govern it. Yin Shu wants to be rich and powerful for his family. Even Balisu is asking for power over the Western Route Army. Even Zhao Jiu from Cangzhou in the south is asking to drive us across Yanshan Mountain for revenge. The people in Wuguo City in the north are also asking to return to the south. But what are you asking for? Why are you so concerned?"
Qin Hui was silent for a moment, then slowly raised his head, met the other's gaze, and said through gritted teeth: "Fourth Prince, I don't want to walk with my head down anymore. I also want to seek wealth and honor in Dajin!"
Wanyan Wushu stared at the other person's eyes for a long time. Seeing that the other person did not waver at all, he threw away the whip on the spot, pressed his hand on the other person's shoulder, rubbed it, and then smiled again: "Xiao Qin Xueshi has the ability to be a prime minister... After the matter is settled, we will also set up a province. I will be the boss, Xi Yin will be the prime minister, and you will be the deputy prime minister!"
Qin Hui instinctively wanted to thank him, but when he heard the word "prime minister", he was speechless and unable to respond.
When he came to his senses, his heart was beating wildly, and he was about to bow his head to express his gratitude, but unexpectedly, the other party turned around and went into the house: "Mr. Qin, don't walk around for the next two days, and don't worry about other things. Just bring your wife here and let her stay at my house!"
Qin Huizhi could only bow his head hastily.
The next day, the city of Yanjing was calm, but in the afternoon of that day, the fourth prince of the Jin Dynasty, Wanyan Wushu, suddenly took the initiative to come to see the commander-in-chief Wanyan Nianhan. Nianhan was trying to win over and promote Wushu in order to suppress others, so he naturally welcomed him warmly.
When the two sides met and sat down, Nianhan heard a proposal from Wuzhu that caught him off guard, and he was so shocked that he exclaimed:
"Respect the ruler as the Supreme Emperor and support Anban Bojilie (Wanyan Hela, Wuzhu's nephew, who lost his father at an early age) to ascend the throne?"
"That's right." Wushu said sternly. "The current situation is chaotic and people are uneasy because the king suddenly suffered a stroke and is unable to manage affairs... Even you, the Grand Marshal, have attracted a lot of discussion because of this."
"Who is talking about this?" Nianhan smiled awkwardly and twirled his beard.
"Everyone in the world is talking about it!" Wuzhu remained serious. "Not only the Great Jin is talking about it, the Great Song is also talking about it, the upper and lower levels are talking about it, the Zhao Song officials asked the king whether he really had a stroke in court, which is a clear proof! Not only that, these days, I have received letters from my old subordinates in Daming Prefecture and old friends in Liaodong, asking me for details, asking whether the king really had a stroke or was harmed by the Marshal?"
Nianhan sighed and sneered again: "What did the Fourth Prince say?"
"Of course I told the truth..." Wuzhu said calmly. "But so what? When the king had a stroke, we were there, so of course we knew what happened, but we were the only ones who knew. When we returned to Yanjing, the people in the city didn't dare to believe it! Marshal, I don't believe you don't know this, otherwise how could you have locked up Puluhu (Wuqimai's eldest son) and others? You knew in your heart that you would bear this bad reputation whether you did it or not."
"So you want me to just help that kid Hela?" Nianhan said with a smile.
"Hela was originally Anban Bojilie, so it is legal for him to succeed to the throne. Moreover, supporting Hela to succeed to the throne will have three benefits for the Grand Marshal." Wuzhu continued calmly, as if he was well prepared. "One is that Hela is young, and the Grand Marshal can continue to be in power... We don't need to act like the Song people and pretend; the other is that if Hela is promoted, everyone in the world will know that the Grand Marshal has no intention of usurping the throne, and people's hearts will be at ease; the last one is that if Hela is promoted, the king will become the Empress Dowager, and the Grand Marshal will not have to keep Puluhu and others locked up... We are all relatives, why is it necessary to make such a fuss?"
Nianhan was very moved, but he didn't show it on his face. He just asked, "Did Lao Si come up with this idea himself?"
"I detained the young scholar Qin at home and forced him to think of a solution." Wanyan Wushu was not at all panicked.
Nianhan nodded and chuckled, "I was wondering what you meant by bringing Mr. Qin and his wife to your home... Turns out they were waiting here!"
"That……"
"There's no rush for this." Nianhan waved his hand. "Let me think about it for a while."
Wuzhu had no choice but to say goodbye.
After Wuzhu left, Nianhan thought about it and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was the right path. However, at this time, he was inevitably sensitive and suspicious, so he did not sleep well that night. On the second day, he even summoned Wanyan Xiyin and Wanyan Yinshuke, his two right-hand men, to ask questions.
But unexpectedly, one of his two trusted aides felt something was not right, and the other directly opposed it.
"Captain Marshal, the king has suffered a stroke, so it is appropriate to support Anban Bojilie to succeed to the throne. What the Fourth Prince said makes sense, but this kind of thing still requires the king's consent... If the king agrees, then it will be to protect the country. If the king disagrees and you do it directly, that would be called arbitrary dethronement and enthronement, which is inappropriate." Wanyan Xiyin frowned in response.
"How can we agree to this when the king is in that state?" Yin Shuke sneered.
"So what if it's inappropriate?" Nianhan stopped Yin Shuke and they twirled their beards.
"When the new king grows up, he will still have trouble with Marshal Du." Xi Yin was completely helpless.
"How can I care so far?" Nianhan finally sighed. "What about Yin Shuke? What do you think?"
Yin Shuke, who had long been impatient, blurted out: "The Fourth Prince has no good intentions..."
"What do you mean?" Nianhan perked up.
"Hela is Taizu's grandson after all, and Wuzhu's nephew." Yin Shuke shook his head. "If Hela succeeds to the throne, not to mention the three older princes, Taizu's other sons, as well as the Meng'an and Mouke of the Eastern Army, will all gather around the new king and form a group without any grudges. By then, not to mention that the Marshal's plan to promote the Fourth Prince to suppress the others will fail, I'm afraid that before Hela grows up, the Marshal will also suffer a stroke... At that time, we can only come here to serve the Marshal with medicine."
"Nonsense!" Nianhan scolded immediately, but then he began to think seriously. "So, you mean, it's best to just keep going like this?"
"It would be best if the king could stay in bed for ten or eight years!" Yin Shuke ignored Xi Yin's angry eyes and did not hide his own thoughts. "Then if Hela died of illness again, it would be best if Sheyema (Nianhan's eldest son) was directly appointed as Anban Bojilie."
"You are talking more and more nonsense..." Nianhan immediately scolded again, but shook his head helplessly. "The key point now is that no matter what, Lao Si's people are going to frame Hela. They came here yesterday to talk about it, which is considered to be the most righteous... Lao Si is a capable person."
Wanyan Xiyin and Yin Shu were silent...it was obvious that they also felt that Wanyan Wushu was becoming more and more mature.
"Wu Shu told me about this yesterday, and this morning he invited his brothers to come to his house for a gathering. I'm afraid he wanted to discuss this matter privately and get the brothers together again." Nianhan explained the current situation a little more. "In my opinion, if they really make a fuss about this matter, everyone will be interested, and we will be in trouble."
Wanyan Xiyin and Yin Shuke remained silent. After a while, Xiyin sighed and said, "That being said, I really can't think of a solution. We can only wait and see what Wushu and the others come up with before we respond."
Nianhan was completely helpless and could only let the two go back, and then he became more and more suspicious.
But not long after the two men left the Marshal's Mansion, Wuzhu's trick came directly, and Nianhan hurriedly sent someone to call back his two confidants.
"Go see Anban Bojilie first?" Xi Yin frowned.
"Yes, Wuzhu's intention is to let me meet Anban Bojilie in person and test his ability and character..." Nianhan also frowned. "This is too much."
"But it's not good not to see him, right?" Xi Yin shook his head. "If we don't even see him, then what's the point? What will the superiors and subordinates think?"
"Yes, this old man is really powerful. He chased me inside step by step." Nianhan said unhappily. "I have to meet him at least."
"If we must meet..." Yin Shuke suddenly interrupted. "Should we let Hela come here, or let the Marshal go to meet Hela? What I mean is, after all, we just locked up Puluhu and the others, so we should be careful. We must not go to Hela in person! We can't go to the Fourth Prince's or anyone else's house to meet him!"
"But what's the point of letting Anban Bojilie come to see the commander-in-chief?" Xi Yin said angrily. "If I were Wushu, I would just disagree and start a fight to see who would criticize more?"
Nianhan finally spread his hands and was about to make a decision.
But at this moment, Yin Shuke suddenly made a suggestion: "How about going to the Shangshutai? The King's Palace is the most embarrassing, and you can't go there. It's the only place in Yanjing that looks decent."
Xi Yin's eyes lit up: "Not bad!"
Nianhan also nodded suddenly.
Soon, Yin Shuke frowned again: "Now that Hela has appeared, what words can I use to get rid of him?"
Xi Yin was furious again.
Nianhan twirled his beard and laughed: "What are you thinking? Let's not talk about the matter of dethroning. I also want to take a good look at what Hela is like... After all, he is Anban Bojilie, the next ruler."
Yin Shuke then stopped talking, while Xi Yin seemed to be hesitant to speak.
In this way, Nianhan also sent someone to write back to Wuzhu directly, and agreed that tomorrow, all the Bogile and the marshals and the Secretariat would meet with Anban Bogile Wanyan Hela, who was not yet an adult, to make an explanation together.
After learning that everyone on Wuzhu's side had also dispersed, there was no talk that day. Nianhan even had the leisure to write a diary at home... This was a method learned from the Song people. According to some Han staff, the officials of the Zhao Song Dynasty liked to write diaries. Of course, this diary is not the same as that diary. Nianhan was not so despicable as to describe his personal mental journey in the diary. Moreover, he learned to read late and did not have such cultural level.
In fact, the Marshal only wrote a few words on this page - Xi Yin has not been well recently and is close to Wuzhu.
Then, he tore it up again.
