Volume 5 Chapter 19: Temptation
The official must have been overworked and fell ill, and the disease took advantage of his weakness to invade. There had been signs of this before, and now it has become a consensus.
The illness is not serious, actually. It's just that the official is 27 or 28 years old after all, which is considered middle-aged. He can't do whatever he wants like when he was young. Moreover, he spent half of the past seven or eight years in the military camp, so he is somewhat weak inside. In addition, it is winter now, and the weather is getting colder, so it is a consensus that the illness is gradually receding.
Everyone remained calm, but the one person who should have remained calm was a little panicked.
Yang Yizhong told himself again and again that there was no problem. As the person in charge of intelligence, all his intelligence channels told him that no one had any problems.
The Queen Mother continued to watch the show after not sending the parrot away, and she even came to visit once in the middle. The key point is that the Queen Mother did not have any power to mobilize, and she should not be so smart; there was no problem with Pan Guozhang's use of the medicine. When the prescription was taken out, everyone who saw it said it was appropriate. Even on the second day, Yang Yi Zhong was uncharacteristically and took away control of the medicine in an almost rude and impolite manner... He personally asked the squad leader from other places to go to the medicine warehouse in the south of the city to get the medicine, and then he personally took the medicine from the same jar to test it before the official used it.
The result was that even after drinking the medicine, he would feel sleepy, but it was just normal drowsiness with no other adverse reactions. In other words, the only adverse reaction was Father-in-law Pan's anger towards him.
No problem, no problem for anyone.
At the end of the daily secret cabinet meeting initiated after the emperor fell ill, the ministers would send a eunuch to the palace to greet him. Concubine Pan and Concubine Wu, who was not pregnant yet, would take turns to look after him. Even Emperor Zhao would occasionally communicate normally with others when he was awake... But deep in Yang Yi's heart, there was a fear that came from the bottom of his heart, and it was released continuously!
Just like that, on only the fourth day when the emperor began to get tired, this imperial commander, who ranked first among the 108 commanders of the Song Dynasty, could no longer sit still.
He must use a series of means to give himself a sense of psychological security - because that kind of fear cannot be communicated with others.
However, as a member of the Imperial Guard who is in charge of the Imperial City Bureau, he has to operate on the edge of imperial power, and any action he takes could lead to serious consequences... Therefore, he first needs to find a collaborator who is a prime minister.
There are some things that, if done by others, would be considered as going beyond the rules or even breaking the law, but if done by a prime minister, it would be considered as not living up to the overall situation.
"What Zhengfu means is... someone will take advantage of the emperor's bed to do something bad?"
In late October, the air was getting colder. That evening, in the back hall of their home, Zhang Jun and Zhang Deyuan, the prime ministers of the Western Palace, looked up in surprise. The vigilance and doubts they had previously felt because of the sudden visit of Yang Yizhong, who had a special identity, were instantly thrown out of their minds.
"It's not just that." Yang Yizhong replied solemnly. "Even though I can't find any definite evidence about your illness, I still feel that there is something strange..."
Zhang Jun was stunned.
Yang Yizhong did not wait for the other party to question him, and continued to speak: "Mr. Zhang, the emperor is frugal and does not want to add more palace maids, but this also means that all the palace maids are old ones. Later, the palace was cleaned up, and the two concubines had children, so some people were added. They were either old ones or servants in the two fathers-in-law's families. Forgive me for being frank, these people have a myriad of connections, all of which were connected when the harem was prosperous and prosperous, and some of them are resentful of the emperor because of the hardship in the harem now."
Zhang Jun, who had recovered from the shock, did not say anything directly. Instead, he picked up the tea and took a sip before frowning and saying, "Zhengfu, if that's the case, then everything you said is just your own speculation..."
"Mr. Zhang, even if it's speculation, so what?" Yang Yizhong replied solemnly. "Is it not my fault? There are three queen mothers, two emperors, two concubines and two princes. Some things can only be dangerous if you are not prepared! Besides, what if something goes wrong? If something goes wrong, Mr. Zhang, don't say that you are Zhuge Wuhou. You might even be a sinner like me!"
This was to admit that he was making groundless assumptions, and it also revealed who he was targeting... while also secretly pointing out the reason.
On the other side, Zhang Jun heard this and just looked at him solemnly: "Yes, this is related to the safety of the emperor... Then what is General Yang going to do?"
Yang Yizhong quickly stood up and saluted solemnly: "I heard that before the Shenlong coup, Prime Minister Zhang Jianzhi tried Li Duozuo, and Li Duozuo replied that he was grateful for the kindness of the Emperor Tianhuang (Tang Gaozong) and was willing to obey the Prime Minister's command... I also felt the same way today. As a military officer, I am grateful for the kindness of the emperor, but I will never act on my own. I am willing to follow your arrangements."
Zhang Jun was extremely satisfied and nodded in response: "If so, I will go back and give you an answer tomorrow."
Yang Yi Zhong didn't say much, he walked out of the back hall directly and hurried away in the winter night... Of course, if you want to do something big, even if you don't mention the emperor, the empress dowager, the concubine and the prince, just purge the palace maids, it is an extremely serious matter, even Zhang Jun, the husband, must obtain the necessary support in advance.
Apart from anything else, we must reach a consensus with the so-called core members of the Wood Party.
However, just as Yang Yizhong walked out of the backyard, three people hurried out from a side room in the back hall. They were the Minister of Revenue Lin Jingmo, the Minister of War Liu Ziyu, and the Vice Minister of Personnel Lu Zhi.
It turned out that except for Qu Duan, whose identity was sensitive and whom he could not interact with frequently, the other three so-called core members of the Mu Party were at Zhang Deyuan's house.
Of course, they weren't forming any gangs... ahem... they were discussing serious business.
The important post of Governor of the Northwest Route of Beijing was vacant, and the emperor was seriously ill. At this time, Prime Minister Zhao Ding proposed that the Governor of the West Route of Guangnan, Wu Min, the former Prime Minister of Jing Kang, be transferred to this vacancy, and that Lü Zhi be sent as the Governor of the West Route of Guangnan.
From a political perspective, this is undoubtedly a good way to kill two birds with one stone - put your old friend on the traditional prosperous road next to the capital, and then drive the "brains" on the opposite side to Guangxi.
However, this is an open conspiracy that cannot be refuted by anyone.
First of all, without mentioning Wu Min's qualifications, let's just say that according to the court convention, this person should have been given a good job unconditionally after serving as a senior official in Lingnan, not to mention that he had the merit of assisting Yue Fei in suppressing the rebellion in Qianzhou; and according to the same convention that one must be promoted after serving in Lingnan, it is not easy to say that Lü Zhi's decision to go to Guangxi was a wrong place... After some training, he would be the Shangshu when he came back!
What's even more terrible is that this is the responsibility of the prime minister and the province. In the past, he could argue for it directly in front of the emperor, but now the emperor is lying there in a coma, and it is not easy to argue. Then, the emperor may just say "hmm" as usual, and the document will be sent out, and Lu Zhi will have no choice but to take office.
However, due to Yang Yizhong's sudden incident, Lu Zhi's matter had to be delayed.
"What do you three think?" Zhang Jun asked seriously after giving a brief account.
"Yang Zhengfu is confused..."
Liu Ziyu responded on the spot. "His meaning is actually very clear. He is worried that one of the two saints will use the old people in the palace to connect a queen mother and a concubine, and then do something illegal and push a young prince to the throne..."
"Yes." Zhang Jun was not pretending to be serious since everyone present was his own. "In theory, the Empress Dowagers, Imperial Concubines, and the two retired Emperors all have this motive... If this is accomplished, the retired Emperor will be free, and his life will be a hundred times better. He won't have to write a memoir, and the Imperial Concubine will become an Empress Dowager. Even the Empress Dowagers have experienced great enjoyment, so they will be happy to see it happen."
"It is inevitable that they have a motive, but it is nonsense to just rely on the motive. The Jurchens also have a motive, so why don't they come to the palace to assassinate Your Majesty?" Liu Ziyu was increasingly dissatisfied. "The key to the matter is that if you want to accomplish this, you have to go through so many links and so many people. How can you hide it from the world? Do you think that Yang Yizhong's Imperial City Department is just for nothing? What's more, there is also the Military Statistics Department... It just happens to interfere with various Taoist temples and Buddhist temples. I don't believe that the emperor didn't take the opportunity to monitor the two emperors. Finally, with the emperor's prestige, the prime minister and the cardinals are all under his control. The generals and generals of the world all follow him. As for those people in the palace, they don't even have weapons. How dare they do such a big thing?"
Zhang Jun nodded repeatedly, not angry at all: "To be honest with you, Yan Xiu, I think so too. But..."
"That's wrong."
At this moment, Lü Zhi, who had been unable to bear it any longer, suddenly interrupted and shook his head. "My Lord, Grand Marshal, think about it, did Yang Zhengfu really say that this happened? If this happened, he would have eliminated it long ago... He came here today just to remind us, the ministers, that we should take precautions before it happens and deal with these hidden dangers for the emperor as soon as possible... The two saints have been covered up, but the three queen mothers, the two concubines, and the two princes are new troubles."
After these words were spoken, Zhang Jun and Liu Ziyu fell silent... They didn't know if it was because the topic was too sensitive or what.
"What do you think, sir?" Lu Zhi took the initiative to ask when he saw this.
"I..." Zhang Deyuan was speechless for a moment.
"I roughly guess that you are already tempted, right?" Lu Zhi responded with a serious face. "First, the emperor has been very kind to you, and you will not be afraid of any consequences in order to repay the emperor's kindness; second, what Yang Yizhong said actually makes sense. Two princes, two concubines, three queen mothers, and two emperors, has there ever been such a strange situation? As the prime minister and the emperor's most trusted and important minister, if you don't take precautions for the emperor, how can you be worthy of anyone if something goes wrong? Third, the emperor hasn't been sick for six or seven years. If he is bedridden, he should be prepared for the worst!"
Zhang Jun nodded heavily and admitted immediately: "I don't care about my life. If things really change, I will naturally be willing to do it, but I always feel that the current situation is not that serious. Moreover..."
"And I wonder if Yang Yizhong was sent by the government to give a hint?" Lu Zhi couldn't ask any more. "After all, this person has always been gloomy, and he was too abnormal today?"
"no."
Zhang Deyuan waved his hand immediately. "The emperor would not do such a thing as secretly forcing his subjects to bear bad reputation while he himself stood by and watched... This must be Yang Yizhong's own idea."
Lu Zhi was slightly startled.
"If that's the case, then it's really a bit difficult." Liu Ziyu shook his head again. "This matter is not about whether you value your body or not, but if you agree directly, it will inevitably be suspected of being paranoid. Not to mention the wronged people, it may even cause a turmoil in the court. Even if the emperor recovers from his illness, he will think we are acting recklessly when he knows that we did this. But if we don't agree, there will be an explanation in the future. Our timid attitude today will inevitably make people look down on us, and the emperor may even be disappointed."
Zhang Jun sighed immediately, but no one knew what he was thinking.
At this time, Lu Zhi thought for a moment and put forward a new suggestion: "If this is the case, why not agree to it, but don't start it directly, just observe the emperor's condition carefully... If the emperor recovers, don't mention it again. If the emperor is difficult to recover for a long time, or is seriously ill, or if there are some rumors and flaws, then do something thunderous... Whether it's Shaolin Temple, Dongxiao Palace, Nanyang, Yangzhou, and the harem, make preparations early!"
This method is appropriate. Upon hearing this, Zhang Jun and Liu Ziyu nodded almost at the same time.
However, when Zhang Deyuan was about to draw a conclusion, he caught a glimpse of someone beside him and realized that Minister Lin, who always had his own ideas, had not said a word from beginning to end, so he immediately turned his head to look at him.
Seeing this, Liu Ziyu and Lu Zhi also came to their senses and went to see Lin Jingmo together.
Lin Jingmo came back to his senses at this time, but laughed again: "I just remembered a little thing... Everyone, you said that Yang Zhengfu is in charge of the Imperial City Bureau. Does he know that we are meeting here today or not? Is it possible that he came to visit us specially because he knew that all of us are here?"
Several people were stunned.
"This is just a small matter, not worth mentioning, let's talk about business." Without waiting for the others to respond, Lin Jingmo shook his head. "If you ask me, the minister's method is a perfect and good method, but there are still two questions... First, Yang Zhengfu has always been a steady person. Is there something we don't know about his loss of composure today?"
Several people frowned, but no one said a word...Among them, Zhang Jun's lips moved slightly, but he didn't say a word.
After a long while, Lu Zhi couldn't wait any longer: "Let's not talk about this matter, because even if there is any inside story, we won't know it for a while."
"Well, let's talk about Yang Yizhong." Lin Jingmo continued to sit back. "Secondly, if we follow the compromise that Minister Lu just mentioned and drag it out... and Yang Yizhong goes back today and spreads rumors or creates trouble himself, should we go or not?!"
There was complete silence in the back hall for a moment.
"He... where does he get the courage?" After a long while, Lü Zhi finally spoke, but he was a little hesitant. "A warrior..."
Lin Jingmo glanced at Lu Zhi and said nothing.
"If that's the case, I don't know whether to say he is extremely bold or loyal and brave..." Liu Ziyu suddenly sneered at his good friend Zhang Deyuan.
Zhang Jun also sighed slightly, but immediately came to his senses after seeing the look from Liu Ziyu opposite him, and then looked at Lin Jingmo again: "If so, please, Minister Lin, teach me, what should I do?"
"I don't mean to keep you in suspense." Lin Jingmo came back to his senses, shook his head and smiled. "I just remembered something... Mr. Zhang, this matter is actually very simple... May I ask if the emperor is really so ill that he can't speak?"
"How could that be?" Zhang Jun shook his head repeatedly. "The emperor is just tired from taking the medicine and is often bedridden. He can still eat, take medicine, and defecate normally."
"Then why don't you go to the palace and ask the emperor early tomorrow morning?" Lin Jingmo blurts out.
Several people in the hall instinctively thought it was ridiculous - how could such a sensitive matter be known to the government?
But only a moment later, it suddenly dawned on him - how could such a sensitive matter not be known to the emperor? The emperor wasn't really that sick!
Moreover, as the prime minister, Zhang Deyuan's doing such things was not a bad thing at all, but rather an upright and correct thing to do.
As a result, everyone in the hall felt relieved for a moment - the solution to the problem was so simple, but everyone was in the dark, and no one thought or reacted as quickly as Minister Lin!
Only Zhang Jun still seemed a little out of touch, as if he had something to hide. But he soon realized that things were different now. Today he was the prime minister, so why couldn't he just ask? Moreover, according to Lin Jingmo's attitude, if he didn't ask, he would definitely go to other prime ministers to ask!
If this is the case, then the only option is to ask openly tomorrow.
Then, since the agreement had been reached and it was getting late, everyone did not want to stay any longer and so they said goodbye and left.
The next morning, Zhang Jun, the prime minister, did not even go to the Privy Council, but entered the harem directly from the Yiyu Gate, and then came to Gyeongbokgung Palace in a dignified manner...but he did not even ask for an audience, but directly broke into the bedroom of Emperor Zhao.
In the special case of the emperor's illness, the power of the prime minister is unquestionable, and meeting with the emperor and observing his condition is a "legal act" that even Emperor Zhao himself may not be able to stop.
The chief escort Lan Gui was not there, so the second escort Feng Yi could only report the matter while leading Mr. Zhang into the bedroom.
The emperor and his ministers met. Emperor Zhao, who had just finished breakfast and had already consumed 80% of the medicine, was obviously not in good spirits, but was absolutely sober. The emperor allowed his prime minister to drive away his concubine and eunuchs before he stepped forward to talk.
Zhang Jun first reported the events of the previous night in detail, and then calmly asked the emperor whether he should clean up the old people in the harem? Should he restrict the three empress dowagers? Should he appropriately tighten the supervision of the two retired emperors? Finally, and most importantly, should he establish a queen and a crown prince in case of emergency?
What was said was very frank, and it involved Yang Yizhong's extreme behavior, and involved the most sensitive relationship between the emperor, his ministers, and his son.
But unexpectedly, Emperor Zhao sat on the couch and listened to these words quietly. He was neither angry nor disappointed or excited. Instead, he remained silent.
This made Zhang Jun realize that he might have guessed right.
Yang Yizhong came to see him yesterday, not only to be on the safe side, but more because he was one of the people present in Mingdao Palace seven years ago... and one of the first two foreign ministers the emperor saw after he lost his memory.
The other is Lu Gongxiang who has already retired.
In addition, Kang Lu is dead, Huang Qianshan is exiled, Wang Xianggong died for his country, and Wang Yuan has also retired. In a sense, Yang Yi Zhong can only look for himself.
Moreover, it was natural for everyone to express suspicion towards Concubine Pan... Although Yang Yizhong did not say it, there was no doubt that his target last night was towards Concubine Pan... After all, it was Father-in-law Pan who administered the medicine, and Concubine Pan happened to be one of the few parties involved who survived that year.
That incident was when the emperor fell and hit his head, causing him to forget a lot of things. Zhang Deyuan had always believed that it was an excuse the emperor made for himself when he was determined to resist and give up on escaping... The outside world had almost reached a similar consensus.
But right now, it seems likely to be true.
Yang Yizhong's reaction was excessive, but understandable.
The other party wanted to remind himself that if the official got sick and lost his memory again, who would protect him? Protect the results of seven years of hard work?
It was precisely because of this consideration that Yang Yi Zhong did not dare to come and test the emperor in person, but instead came to find me. And it was not easy for me to directly mention this matter to anyone, even Liu Ziyu and Lin Jingmo, so I could only go with the flow.
However, for now, the government is still doing okay.
"Deyuan did a good job." After a while, Emperor Zhao, under the influence of the drug, really managed to keep himself alert and responded. "I am thoughtful, but Yang Zhengfu is not really worried about this. He is probably just worried because I haven't been sick for a long time. I am so sick that he is panicking... You should be the same. Go back. When the time comes, I will tell you about the matter of establishing a queen and a crown prince."
The emperor had no intention of being completely honest, but using "you and I" instead of "my Lord" seemed to be an expression of trust... In a word, the matter was finally explained. Zhang Deyuan, feeling relieved, naturally obeyed the order and took his leave, even forgetting to take the opportunity to mention the matter of Lu Zhi.
Without mentioning what Zhang Jun was thinking, it was only said that since Emperor Zhao had received the news, he simply threw away the remaining medicine soup from the morning and directly asked Feng Yi to call Yang Yi, who was already in the palace... When the latter arrived, he bowed his head on the spot and let the emperor dismiss others.
But unexpectedly, the king and his minister sat in silence for a long time in front of the bed, and both of them looked a little gloomy.
"Zhengfu." In the end, it was Zhao Jiu who broke the silence. "You think too much, and why are you so scared and want to test me through Zhang Jun?"
Yang Yizhong bowed his head and said nothing.
Zhao Jiu had no choice but to nod: "Don't worry, I'm fine... Let me tell you something we have always known. On that day on the Huai River, you put some coins into the orange lamp in front of me and sank it to the bottom of the river. You wanted me to see it with my own eyes, right? Those coins with exquisite craftsmanship and unique patterns, but different from copper coins, were picked up by you at the bottom of Jiulong Well after I was injured, right?"
"I picked it up, but I didn't dare show it to anyone."
When Yang Yizhong heard this, he choked up for a moment, and then couldn't stop crying. "Your Majesty, I really can't bear to think about it. What if this happens? What about the Northern Expedition? Does the talk of national hatred and family feud still count? How should I deal with it? Seven years of hard work, are we going to destroy it in an instant? You must know that these are all the results that the emperor and I have achieved step by step with untold hardships and risks of life and death! How can we give them to others?!"
"Not really." At this point, Zhao Jiu suddenly felt calm. He wanted to explain that the coin was not his, but the well's, but he didn't say it. If he said it, it would seem alienated. "Let alone the fact that the Northern Expedition will fail, I can't rest easy. Even if that day comes, it's not up to you and me to decide. Besides, even if that's the case, I've spent seven years creating an irreversible situation. Even if the Shaolin Temple guy comes back , I'll have to carry out the Northern Expedition to the end... Don't think too much!"
"……yes!"
"Since the fatigue-inducing medicine has caused so much trouble, I will not use this medicine starting from this afternoon. I will switch to something else and take care of it slowly to prevent you from having wild thoughts. It is also just in case... But I have already used it this morning, and the fatigue cannot be avoided."
"yes!"
"Besides, isn't there anything wrong?"
"yes!"
"Tell me the truth. If Zhang Jun didn't come today, would you spread rumors or create a case in the palace to force him to test and act?"
"yes……"
"But you're right!" Zhao Jiu thought for a while, and suddenly sneered again. "This is a situation that you, I, Zhang Deyuan, Han Liangchen, Yue Pengju, and hundreds of thousands of others have worked hard to create... I don't know how many people have lost their lives for this situation... Why should we give it to others?!"
Yang Yizhong, whose emotions had been gradually stabilizing, suddenly became excited.
"Go ahead!" Zhao Jiu said casually while yawning on the couch. "Spread some rumors first, and relax everyone. I want to see if there is anyone who is really so bold, and also to find something for you to do. Don't worry about it all day long. I am so open-minded... Don't forget to say hello to Zhang Jun. You made him think I was crazy."
"I will not refuse even if I die!" Yang Yizhong kowtowed in response.
When he looked up again, he found that Emperor Zhao had already lay down on the couch, but he was just lost in thought and not sleepy. He did not dare to disturb him, let alone guess what he was thinking. He just walked away.
