A few simple words fell in Zhang Xi's ears, but they were like thunder.
He never expected that the method Zhu Yi finally gave would be so completely opposite to his idea.
Here he was still thinking about how to rescue Ren Li, but as soon as Zhu Yi opened his mouth, he immediately sentenced Ren Li to death.
Frowning, Zhang Min looked at Zhu Yi but said nothing.
However, to convince him, there must be an explanation.
Zhu Yi naturally understood this, so after a short pause, he continued.
"Second Master, with all due respect, if everything you just said is true, then both you and Prince Consort Jiao have actually been misled by Ren Hou."
As he spoke, Zhu Yi looked in the direction of the prison from afar, with an elusive look flashing in his eyes, and said.
"Indeed, from the assassination of the minister, we will trace the military garrison in Gansu. If we follow the clues, we will lead to the Seven Guards of Guanxi. After further investigation, we will implicate Nangong."
"This is something that none of us want to see. Therefore, in order to prevent the court from finding out about Nangong, we must start handling the situation as soon as possible for Marquis Ren and organize a rescue."
"This sounds very logical, right?"
Zhang Min could tell that Zhu Yi's words were a bit of a joke, but that's what he really thought.
So, after a moment's hesitation, he nodded and said.
"That's true. Is there anything wrong?"
"Of course not!"
Zhu Yi shook her head, turned to look at Zhang Shi, a cold look appeared on her face, and said...
"Second Master, what we have to do now is to maintain the authority of Nangong, clean up the mess for Marquis Ren, and prevent the court from investigating further. This is just a way."
"But, for the imperial court, it's exactly the opposite!"
Having said this, Zhang Xi finally started to feel a little better.
As Zhu Yi said, the civil and military officials in the imperial court, or to be more precise, the emperor and those civil servants who intended to promote the reorganization of the army and villages, their purpose was to punish people with rituals and punishments, paving the way for the next reform.
As for the crimes of assassinating ministers, invading military camps, and intercepting and killing envoys, these were just methods to send Ren Li to the guillotine. And at a deeper level, the Supreme Emperor only helped to find out the truth about the Seven Guards of Kansai.
That's it, it's not their original intention.
But they are different. What they and others want is to cover up the matter of the Supreme Emperor. As for whether Ren Li dies or not, no one really cares.
So in fact, if done properly, both of them may not be able to reach an agreement on this matter.
but……
"I understand what the young master said. Indeed, if the civil servants in the imperial court knew the truth about this matter, they would not want to expose the truth."
"But don't forget, the person who calls the shots now is still the one in Qianqing Palace."
"Furthermore, if nothing unexpected happens, only the Qianqing Palace official has read Yang Neng's self-statement so far. I'm afraid those ministers only know to investigate further, but they will find out exactly what they have found out. You may not really know it in your heart.”
"If we really wait until we find out, I'm afraid it will be too late."
Perhaps from the courtiers' point of view, whether the emperor's authority is damaged or the emperor's reputation is not good, it will damage the authority of the court, so it is not what they want.
However, from the perspective of the emperor, finding out all the scandals of the Supreme Emperor one by one would be of great benefit to stabilizing his position.
And, more importantly, this was not something the emperor 'deliberately' investigated, but was discovered 'unintentionally' in the process of investigating Ren Li's crimes.
In this way, the emperor stayed out of the matter from the beginning to the end. How could the emperor not do such a good deed that only takes benefits without paying the price?
Not to mention the current group of civil servants, they probably don't know what the emperor wants them to investigate. Even if they know, they may not be able to stop it.
After hearing this, Zhu Yi raised his eyebrows.
It seems that Mr. Zhang is not useless after all!
However, it is a pity that from the very beginning, the initiative of this conversation has been firmly in Zhu Yi's hands.
With a slight sigh, Zhu Yi seemed to be hesitant. After a moment, he looked around twice and said.
"Second Master, as I said just now, your family and I are now close friends and we should trust and rely on each other. Therefore, I will not hide some things from you."
"Before I came here today, I just visited my father-in-law to discuss the prince's resignation. By the way, I also made some insinuations about Ren Hou. As a result, I learned a piece of news..."
Zhu Yi's father-in-law naturally refers to Hu Hui, the Minister of Rites.
As one of the Seven Ministers of Civil Affairs, this old man is first-class in terms of information channels and judgment of the situation in the court.
Therefore, as soon as these words came out, Zhang Xi immediately cheered up, leaned forward, and asked.
"what news?"
"It is said that in the past two days, Jin Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment has been preparing to go to Gansu to investigate the case personally. If he goes out this time, the Emperor will appoint him as the Governor-General and Minister of Military Affairs for the Three Borders."
Zhu Yi took a sip of tea and said in a rather meaningful tone.
"At the same time, he will also bring an imperial edict, the content is very simple, summoning the leader of the Chijin Mongolian Guard to come to Beijing for pilgrimage!"
Of course, this was not news from Hu Hui. After all, Hu Hui was not in the palace when the discussion was held.
However, this did not prevent him from pulling the skin of his father-in-law. Anyway, it was impossible for Zhang Shi to seek confirmation from his father-in-law.
As expected, after Zhang Xi heard this, he had no doubts about this. Instead, his eyelids twitched and he said:
"So, the Emperor has indeed found out who the Seven Guards of Kansai are?"
Zhu Yi nodded, but there was no panic look on his face. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and said to Zhang Xi.
"Second Master, don't worry, this may actually be a good thing."
Looking at Zhang Xi's confused look, Zhu Yi continued to explain.
"The emperor asked Jin Shangshu to supervise the military affairs of the three sides, which shows that he is very likely to have discovered the truth about the Kansai Seven Guards incident. After all, even if there are no traces of what happened in the local area and the Ministry of War, there must be some left in the palace.
Archives and Daily Notes.”
"That's why the emperor handed over the military affairs in Gansu and Ningxia to Jin Shangshu at his discretion to prevent unexpected events. However, the good news is that the emperor summoned the Seven Guards of Guanxi to Beijing, which shows that he actually had concerns in his heart and was worried about this.
This matter has become a big deal and has aroused the dissatisfaction of the Seven Guards of Kansai, fearing that they would be angry and betray the Ming Dynasty."
"This is our opportunity!"
At this time, Zhang Xi finally understood. In other words, if this matter was revealed, it would not only damage the reputation of the Supreme Emperor, but more importantly, it would also make the Seven Guards of Kansai dissatisfied.
Therefore, the emperor may not have made up his mind whether to open it or not.
"Therefore, at this time, what we need to do is not actually to rescue Ren Hou, or even to deal with the aftermath for him, but... to let him die as soon as possible!"
Zhu Yi's eyes flashed with fierceness and she spoke.
"As I said before, what the courtiers want is to overthrow Ren Li and build momentum for the military reorganization. As for Qianqing Palace, even if they want to thoroughly investigate the case, they have to wait until the Seven Guards of Kansai arrive in Beijing."
"This period of time is our opportunity. As long as we are fast enough, it will be meaningless to let Li die and pursue the crimes he committed."
"If the Emperor acts out of force, then when the truth comes out, the Emperor's reputation will be damaged, but everyone in the government and the public will naturally see that the Emperor is deliberately targeting the Emperor."
"In addition, if this matter becomes a big deal, the attitude of the Seven Guards of Kansai will be worrying. Therefore, there is a high probability that the emperor will not pursue this matter too much."
"However, if we insist on retaining the title, then whether it is the emperor, the civil servants, or even the Seven Guards of Kansai, I am afraid that the reaction will be very violent, and the matter will get bigger and bigger. For us,
The more disadvantageous it is.”
At this point, everything is understood.
Zhang Min thought about these words twice in his mind, and finally figured out a line.
I have to say that although Zhu Yi's method is a bit cruel, it is indeed the truth, but...
"Having said that, these are all speculations after all. If the emperor really insists on this matter, then we can't really go to prison and force Ren Li to die, right?"
Unknowingly, Zhang Mian actually agreed with Zhu Yi's views and began to shift from rescuing Ren Li to putting Ren Li to death.
It's just that what makes him still hesitant is how to operate this matter.
"What's more, after all, Ren Li is also a dignified prince. It would be a troublesome matter if he died in prison without any explanation."
Seeing Zhang Min's frown, Zhu Yi thought for a while, but looked a little weird and said.
"Second Master, let's talk about it, if Ren Li died inexplicably in the imperial edict, would everyone in the government and the public doubt that the emperor was responsible for this matter? In that case..."
"no!"
Before he finished speaking, Zhang Shi interrupted him.
It should be said that he had thought about it just now, and even if Zhu Yi hadn't spoken, he might have said it himself.
However, at this moment, Zhu Yi said it in advance, but Zhang Xi subconsciously rejected it.
Perhaps he felt that this method was too risky, so he frowned and thought for a moment, and finally found a reason for himself and said.
"Young Master, the prison is very strict, let alone whether this matter can be done, even if it can be done, we can't do it."
As these two sentences came out, Mr. Zhang's train of thought became smoother and smoother. He looked at Zhu Yi and said earnestly.
"Don't forget, the reason why we want Ren Li to be settled early is to put his case to rest as soon as possible. However, I still say the same thing. If such a prince dies like this, the court will definitely pursue him.
After all, especially when the court is discussing whether it was the emperor who did it, the emperor will definitely order a thorough investigation."
"In this case, we are back to the old path. As long as the court investigates Ren Li, the incident back then cannot be covered up. Therefore, if Ren Li wants to die, he can only die in a legitimate way."
It was a bit awkward when he said this, but after he said it, Mr. Zhang felt more and more sense that it made sense.
Even in this conversation, although he was not passive at all just now, he had been led by Zhu Yi. Now he finally regained some initiative, and his tone could not help but become firmer as he continued.
"Yes, that's right. Although the situation is urgent now, we can't mess around. In Ren Li's case, either he must plead guilty and the court sentences him to death, or it must be proved that Ren Li's death was due to his fear of crime.
Suicide' has nothing to do with others."
"Otherwise, we have been busy for a long time, and in the end, we will still be in trouble all over the city, and the gains outweigh the losses."
Seeing Zhang Shi's sudden enlightenment, Zhu Yi's eyes flashed, but a bitter look appeared on his face, and he frowned.
"If you say that, I'm afraid it will be difficult to handle."
"Whether he pleads guilty or commits suicide out of fear of guilt, he must first see Ren Li. However, the prison is heavily guarded, so how can he sneak in?"
The dishes that the Duke of Chengguo has been running for many years have all been on the side of civil servants, so naturally they are not as familiar with the imperial guards as the British Duke.
After hearing Zhu Yi's words, Zhang Xi hesitated for a moment, and finally said:
"Young Master, this matter is not difficult. In fact, when Ren Li sent the message this time, he also borrowed the help of an old man who stayed in Jinyiwei when my brother was in the early years."
"Although this person is just looking for help from his early friendship and is not really from the British government, but if he is really helpless and arranges for someone to risk going to the prison to meet Ren Li, it is not impossible."
"It's just that even if we meet, it will be very difficult for Ren Li to cooperate with us. After all, we want him to..."
Zhang Min's brows were furrowed tightly, and his face looked distressed.
At this time, Zhu Yi said.
"Second Master, don't be anxious. My nephew does have an idea. We might as well do this..."
As he spoke, Zhu Yi lowered his voice and spoke in Zhang Xi's ear, which immediately made the latter's face look a little uncertain. After a moment, Zhang Xi asked hesitantly.
"Is this...is this okay?"
Zhu Yi sat back on the chair with a calm expression and said.
"Second Master, don't worry. Ren Li is in prison now and is almost blind and deaf. Especially after his letter came out, at least in his opinion, even for Nangong's sake, we pinched our noses,
I will do my best to save him."
"So, as long as he can cooperate properly, he will not be suspicious, and when... everything will be out of his hands!"
As he spoke, Zhu Yi leaned over and said.
"Actually, having said that, the key to this method is whether I can see Ren Li. Don't worry, Second Master, as long as I can see him, I am sure that I can convince him."
Seeing this situation, Zhang Xi hesitated, but he could only nod his head and said.
"In that case, I will think of a way to get this matter done sooner rather than later. Young Master will go back today. I will start making arrangements immediately. Once the arrangements are made, I will find someone to inform Young Master."
"However, do we need to discuss this matter with Prince Consort Jiao and others?"
In the end, Zhang Xi was still a little hesitant.
But this time, Zhu Yi shook his head and said.
"The fewer people who know about this matter, the better. Besides, has the Second Master forgotten the friendship between Prince Consort Jiao and Marquis Ren?"
"If my nephew remembers correctly, when the third master was still here, Prince Consort Jiao was helping Ren Li inside and out. In fact, the reason why the British Duke was alienated by the Holy Mother was inseparable from the contribution of these two people."
"If the Second Master discusses this matter with Consort Jiao, there will inevitably be complications. Don't worry, Second Master, I will find a way to report this matter to the Ming Emperor. With his support, the Second Master does not have to worry."
Many things will actually become apparent as time goes by.
In the beginning, it was Jiao Jing who brought Ren Li in, and even the person who introduced Zhu Yi to Empress Dowager Sun was also Jiao Jing.
This led to Zhu Yi actually revealing a lot of things from the mouth of the Empress Dowager Sun. Of course, this was also because under the circumstances at that time, the Empress Dowager Sun hoped that Zhu Yi, Ren Li, Jiao Jing and others would form a rope to restrict
British government.
But now, these things have become Zhu Yi's available means.
Sure enough, although the British government had their own reasons for drifting apart from the Queen Mother Sun, but from the perspective of Mr. Zhang, when Zhu Yi mentioned this matter, he couldn't help but feel a burst of anger in his heart, and he immediately became angry.
Dispelling the idea of the reason, he said.
"That's right, that old guy Jiao Jing was the one who helped Ren Li up. It's useless to tell him these truths!"
"In this case, young master, let's go ahead and do it. If you need my help, I will do my best!"
This chapter has been completed!