"...Then what Master Zhu saw in the Fengtian Palace was that Master Zhu had been ordered to wait for Yuan Bin's return. Zhang Fu and others knew that there was no hope of concealing the situation any longer, so they had to bow their heads and plead guilty. The Emperor took the opportunity to tell the Nine about the case.
"Bian, order the generals along the border and the ministers in the court not to follow the "false edict" of the Supreme Emperor."
"Later, in the Wuying Hall, the emperor took advantage of the Virgin's inadvertence and used the Virgin's mouth to transfer the Lord back to the capital and enter the Honglu Temple..."
In the flower hall of the Zhu Mansion, Jiao Jing described in a calm tone one by one the many major events that happened in the capital after the Civil War.
Of course, there are many so-called "inside stories" mixed in. Although it is not stated explicitly, it vaguely reveals the light and shadow of Tianjia just right, giving people unlimited room for imagination.
Zhu Jian listened on the side, his brows furrowed involuntarily, and he fell into deep thinking.
He did understand some of the situation in Beijing these days, but after all, he was not as good as ministers like Jiao Jing who had been staying in Beijing.
Listening to his narration at this moment, especially the court dance when he first arrived in Beijing, I felt a bit enlightened.
With his eyes flashing, Zhu Jian indeed asked the question he wanted under Jiao Jing's guidance.
"What Consort Jiao means is that the Emperor has been squeezing and suppressing the Supreme Emperor's old ministers these days?"
Picking up the tea cup on the table and taking a sip to moisten his throat, Jiao Jing let out a long sigh and said.
"The Holy Will is unpredictable, so of course I dare not draw any conclusions. However, during the War at Wala, Sun Boring, Shi Heng, Wei Ying and other capable generals who were supposed to stay in the capital were sent out to the capital one after another, and were strictly ordered not to take a step back. In the end,
They all died on the battlefield, no one was spared."
"After that, in the case of King Zhennan, Marquis Ningyang, Marquis Cheng'an, and I were imprisoned one after another. Although they were later released, they no longer had the ability to participate in the court affairs."
"This case of the mission is aimed directly at the British government."
"From mid-level generals like Sun Yi, to nobles such as Ningyang Marquis and Cheng'an Marquis, to the British Duke, they are all people who were promoted with great trust and trust by the Supreme Emperor during his reign. If you say one or two, it is a coincidence, but many things
Taken together, it’s hard not to think too much.”
Speaking of this, Jiao Jing also looked a little gloomy.
I don’t know if I count, but I am shocked if I count. Although I have known for a long time that the emperor is targeting the old ministers of the Supreme Emperor, but counting down, from the Battle of Oara to the present, a lot of losses have indeed been lost from middle and low-level generals to high-level ministers.
.
Zhu Jian pondered, as if trying to discern the authenticity of what Jiao Jing said.
He has been in the official career for a long time, and of course he understands that there must be someone deliberately guiding behind the many coincidences.
In fact, it is not difficult to verify the facts mentioned by Jiao Jing. What is difficult is to verify the vague meaning revealed in his words.
Of course, more importantly, what Jiao Jing said was different from the news he had heard all along.
After a moment, he still shook his head and said.
"The prince-in-law was overly worried. Sun Boring, Wei Ying, Shi Heng and others were killed while defending the city and fighting the enemy. When the two armies are fighting, the general takes the lead, so it is normal to suffer casualties."
"Our army suffered heavy losses in this battle of Oara. Many generals died in the battle, not just a few of them. What's more, I have seen the pension list of the Ministry of War. The imperial court has given generous gifts to these generals."
"As for the case of King Zhennan, it involves the honor of the clan. Many princes put pressure on it. Marquis Ningyang and others are indeed at fault. They did not reduce their titles. The emperor can be said to be lenient."
As he spoke, Zhu Jian paused, as if he was thinking about what to say.
But after a moment, he still said.
"In this court meeting, yes, the emperor's secret edict did instruct me to bring Yuan Bin back. However, after all, everyone in the envoy had done it first. Leaking military information is a serious crime. I have guarded Datong with General Guo for several years.
I am more aware of the weight of this matter.”
"It is natural for the emperor to be angry because of this and refuse to let it go lightly. However, it is not appropriate to inform the border and report the cases related to the emperor to the yamen. It will indeed damage the reputation of the emperor."
However, Zhu Jian did not have enough confidence in what he said.
As Jiao Jing said, in the emperor's secret edict, it was deliberately mentioned that Yuan Bin should be returned to Beijing to prove that the emperor was well. This fact really made Zhu Jian, the person in the situation, have to think more.
Seeing his expression, Jiao Jing knew that Zhu Jian already knew it, but he just didn't want to admit that he was being used by the emperor.
Sighing, he didn't hold on to this matter and turned around.
"Perhaps so. In fact, it is difficult for anyone to make a final conclusion on the affairs of the Heavenly Family. As ministers, we naturally hope that the Heavenly Family will be harmonious and brothers, friends and brothers will be respectful."
"But, having said that, during these days, not only the generals and ministers, but also the Zuo Shunmen incident, several imperial censors and admonishers were demoted to patrol the borders, and many of them died fighting in the city."
"After that, many ministers in the court, including Yang Shan, Xue Xuan, Xu Bin, Luo Tong, Xiao Weizhen and several others, who spoke out about the affairs of the Supreme Emperor, were dismissed or died for various reasons."
"As for the Hanlin Academy and the Academy of Science and Technology, this is even more true. Wang Jianzhai acted ruthlessly. During a Beijing inspection, nearly a hundred officials were criticized for being imprudent. In serious cases, they were dismissed, and in lighter cases, they were transferred out of Beijing."
"He, the official minister, has been impeached by countless people, but he still firmly holds the position of heavenly official and the position of young master. He is extremely honored and favored, and he is constantly given generous gifts. It must be said that he is in the holy heart!"
Of course, Jiao Jing's words were not without purpose. He had done his homework before coming here.
Among the people who were dismissed from the Jingchao this time, two were related to Zhu Jian. One was his nephew, a member of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the other was his student, a censor in the Duchayuan.
The official positions of these two people were not high, but they were both on the list of demotions. One was transferred to a remote place to be a county magistrate, and the other was simply dismissed and returned home.
As for the reason, it is also very simple.
Zhu Jian was a loyal supporter of bringing back the Emperor. These two people had a close relationship with Zhu Jian and were naturally influenced by Zhu Jian. They had come to Japan many times to request the dispatch of envoys to welcome back the Emperor.
Naturally, because of this, he came into the sight of a certain heavenly official, and it was inevitable that he would be dismissed while taking advantage of the opportunity of the Beijing inspection.
Therefore, it is not easy to be a minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. If you are not careful, you may not know who you will become enemies with.
Jiao Jing didn't believe that after these two men were dismissed, they didn't write to Zhu Jian to complain.
Sure enough, when he said these words, he immediately saw that Zhu Jian's face became a little unnatural and his voice became a little deeper.
"I have also heard about the Beijing inspection. It is true that many officials were suppressed for no reason. I have even questioned it in this book. However, it is true that as the prince-in-law said, Lord Tianguan is in the heart of the emperor, so naturally he will not be able to survive in the end.
Of……"
Jiao Jing knew that the fire was almost done, so he immediately decided to add more fire.
Jiao Jing said with another heavy sigh.
"In the capital inspection, many officials have been dismissed or demoted. Now, the Holy Mother is in the palace. She is worried about the emperor. She wants to find some ministers in the court to say a few words to the emperor, but they can't find them."
"If this were not the case, Our Lady would not value a loyal and upright minister like Master Zhu so much. Before leaving the palace, Our Lady repeatedly asked me to convey her apology truthfully."
"She also said that there are very few people in the capital today who dare to work for the Supreme Emperor like Mr. Zhu. Let me thank you on her behalf..."
