Chapter Eight hundred and Thirty Nine: Intimacy and Righteousness
In the study room of Yu Mansion, Yu Shiyue and Yu Qian were sitting opposite each other, and the purple smoke from the incense burner rose up.
After a long time, Yu Qian opened his mouth and said.
"It is the Ministry of War's responsibility to rectify the army. Your Majesty loves me more than me and has blocked many disturbances for me. However, Your Majesty is not omnipotent. For the kings and clans, His Majesty's status can only be used to intimidate, but not to overdo.
Take full responsibility."
"Therefore, someone is needed to break down the barriers everywhere and truly carry out the imperial government's policies."
"This person can only be Yu!"
Yu Qian said these words categorically without any hesitation.
Yu Shiyue was silent, of course he understood the truth.
Since ancient times, reform has inevitably been accompanied by life-and-death bloodshed and sacrifice. Although, strictly speaking, rectifying the military settlements cannot be considered a real system reform, but more like bringing order out of chaos.
However, the fact that it touches the interests of a large number of people makes no difference.
In this case, it is impossible to solve the problem through peaceful means.
In fact, after inspecting the borders and seeing the scenes of corruption on the borders, Yu Qian made up his mind to rectify the military garrison.
It was at that time that he had already planned to risk everything, his life, his official position, and even his reputation, to eradicate this cancer for the imperial court.
Therefore, he could ignore the opinions of the government and the public, put the Ministry of War in his own hands, ignore the nobles' impeachment and criticism, take the risk, and decide to go to Yifan in person.
However, as Yu Qian said, although he was determined to sacrifice himself, the emperor was obviously unwilling to treat him as a victim, so he repeatedly protected him and took on most of the pressure for him.
The Ministry of War was reorganized, and while the emperor approved it, he also added Li Shi and others to calm the public opinion in the court.
The title of Duke Cheng was restored and the prince was allowed to leave the cabinet and prepare for the government.
This time when the vassal kings rebounded, the emperor also used King Min and King Xiang to fight, and also summoned King Yi to the capital to frighten the kings...
Each of these incidents was of course the emperor's order to organize the military camp more smoothly, but it was also an expression of his love for Qian.
However, after all, manpower is sometimes limited, and as the ninth-level emperor and the lord of ten thousand chariots, there is also helplessness.
Just like a noble family, after all, they are the heroes of the country and the representatives of the military officials. If they are suppressed too much, the civil and military affairs will be imbalanced and no one can use them. If there is a war, the country will be in danger.
Therefore, it is difficult to determine the right balance between maintaining stability in the court and letting the honorable nobles spit out the benefits they have swallowed.
If we had not taken advantage of the situation, using the power of Marquis Ningyuan, the title of Duke Chengguo and the young army of the East Palace as inducements, we would have attracted the two princes and the Supreme Emperor's party to run around, trying to get those nobles to give in. It would be extremely difficult to do so.
But when you get to the feudal lord, the difficulty will only increase.
After all, the foundation of the lords and relatives is still in the capital, but the vassal kings are scattered all over the place. The strong dragon cannot suppress the local snakes. In his own fiefdom, no matter how many restrictions the vassal king has, he is still a local snake.
What's more, the righteousness of the clan can restrain the emperor's hands.
As the emperor, it is natural that you cannot be overly partial to your relatives. However, if you do not even protect your own relatives and criticize them too harshly, how can you make the people of the world believe that the emperor is affectionate and righteous?
Not to mention, most of today's kings are the elders of the emperor. Even if there is a distinction between seniority and inferiority, the distinction between elder and younger cannot be completely ignored.
Therefore, when King Yi made such a big fuss, the emperor could only summon him to the capital to reprimand him. King Xiang was jointly impeached by the clan members, and the acting king and King Min complained, and the Ministry of War provided evidence. He was only deprived of his position as Da Zongzheng.
Banned from the ten princes' palaces.
There were so many vassal kings in each vassal territory. It was impossible for the emperor to summon all of them to the capital like he did to King Yi, and it was even more impossible for each of them to have the same scheming as King Xiang.
The emperor's attitude has been made clear, but this can only be done...
"The king should act like a king, and the minister should act like a minister."
After a while, Yu Shiyue breathed out softly and said a few words.
As Yu Qian said, when it comes to rectifying the military and military garrison, the emperor has already shouldered the responsibilities that a king should have, and even exceeded it.
The rest should be done by the ministers below, and it can only be done by the ministers. As the minister of the Ministry of War, Yu Qian will do his duty!
Seeing that Yu Shiyue finally recognized his idea, Yu Qian showed a smile on his face and said.
"Yes, it is said that the king is wise and the ministers are virtuous. Your Majesty is a wise king through the ages. Now that the king is wise, how can he be unworthy of his ministers?"
"That being said, you..."
The truth is the truth, but thinking of Yu Qian's temperament, Yu Shiyue is still a little worried.
Yu Qian is a man of upright character and has never been good at compromising. He is usually fine in the court. He has prestige, meritorious service, and the emperor's love. He has almost no taboos. Well, although he is often scolded, grounded, and fined...but everything is fine.
Don't hurt the roots.
However, once you leave the capital and face the vassal kings, it will be different.
Clan clan and civil servants are two completely different systems. How much influence Yu Qian has among the vassal kings needs to be questioned.
If his behavior is too tough, these feudal princes will become bolder and may do something extraordinary.
Yu Qian saw Yu Shiyue's worry at a glance, smiled bitterly and said.
"Brother Shi Chao, don't worry, is Yu such an impulsive person?"
"Your Majesty, you dare to provoke me every day, let alone these vassal kings..."
Yu Cifu curled his lips, looking like you didn't know what to do.
Yu Qian was stunned for a moment, then sighed and said.
"How can your Majesty and these vassal kings be compared?"
"Yu did it to rectify the military camp, not to rectify the clan affairs."
"Your Majesty has the world in mind, is merciful and forgiving, and occasionally gives direct advice. Although he is angry, he always leaves room for it. This is clear to me. The vassal kings in various places have occupied their fiefdoms and have been operating for many years, and their temperaments are different."
"Your Majesty reminded me of the Yi Fan incident. Now that Yi Fan has become domineering, we can also summon the king of Yi and his son to the capital to resolve Yi Fan's predicament. Naturally, there is no fixed method for the other vassals.
.”
"So, brother Shi Chao, don't worry. If Yu can leave the capital, he will naturally be both strong and soft, and will have a well-founded approach and will not act recklessly."
These words are quite reasonable, but...
Yu Shiyue frowned, glanced outside the study, and said.
"If that's the case, then why did you call Xuanying back?"
this……
Yu Qian was speechless for a moment. After a long time, he sighed and said.
"Sure enough, nothing can be hidden from Brother Shichao's discerning eyes."
"To be honest, brother Shichao, this trip to Beijing will be dangerous and unpredictable. Although I am not completely sure, I also think that if I can serve the imperial court wholeheartedly, the children like Junying, Mian'er and Kang'er will not be able to escape.
I haven’t entered the imperial court yet, but I’m afraid that after I leave the capital, I will be involved in imperial disputes.”
"So I thought that in a few days, I would ask Mian'er to take Kang'er and Luanying back to the old house in Santaishan to live for a while. Then I would tell the public that the old lady was sick, and let the children go back to visit. Jingzhong
Just leave a few people to guard the mansion."
Yu Qian's ancestral home is West Lake, Hangzhou, and Santai Mountain is the ancestral home of the Yu family.
So, this is the benefit of getting married.
If the marriage in the Yu family was in a mansion of the same status, how could the daughter-in-law of that family return to her parents' home or her hometown?
After all, no matter how dedicated Yu Qian is to serving his country, he is still a flesh-and-blood person.
He himself has been in the court and has experienced countless open and covert attacks. However, his children have never wanted them to get involved in the court and suffer from the intrigues.
After hearing these words, Yu Shiyue felt complicated in his heart. He seemed to have thought of something and asked.
"So, you've been keeping Yu Mian from taking part in the examination because you're worried about this?"
Yu Shiyue never understood this matter before.
Although Yu Mian's talent and academic ability are not considered to be a top choice, there is still a possibility of passing the test.
Ever since he passed the Juren examination, Yu Qian has not allowed Yu Mian to take part in the examination.
The two had discussed this topic before, but since he was Yu Qian's own son after all, Yu Shiyue could not interfere too much.
After asking this question, a trace of guilt flashed across Yu Qian's face and he said.
"Mian'er has an upright personality, but is not adaptable enough. He is pure and filial, but too kind and has no means. If he is from an ordinary family and passes the Jinshi examination, it would be okay to become a county magistrate. He can always be a pastor."
"However, he has a father like me. Once he enters the officialdom, countless pairs of eyes will be staring at him. His career will inevitably be surrounded by dangers. His character cannot cope with it. It is better to get the title of Juren and work in the government with peace of mind.
Very knowledgeable."
Therefore, every family has sutras that are difficult to recite.
If they were children from other families and reached Yu Qian's position and entered the officialdom, they would be like a fish in water and receive support.
However, Yu Mian is different, or in other words, Yu Qian is different.
With his character, if Yu Mian really enters the officialdom, he will only demand Yu Mian with his own requirements. Moreover, he will never violate his principles and give Yu Mian any support or help, even from the old days.
Yu Qian will always refuse any support from his friends.
Therefore, for Mian, when he enters the officialdom, he will not get any help from Yu Qian. On the contrary, as Yu Qian said, he will be made things difficult or even framed because of his status as Yu Qian's son.
There are countless tricks in the officialdom, but with Yu Mian's character, he cannot cope with these tricks. Once Yu Qian helps him, even if it is a legitimate counterattack, it will play into the hands of other political opponents.
The dangerous situation in the DPRK is not just a matter of words.
Yu Qian was honest and upright, dedicated to serving the country, and had no defects in his private virtues and even more in his great virtues.
But he is also a human being and he also has personal affairs. If Yu Mian enters officialdom, it will become his weakness.
Therefore, Yu Qian could only keep Yu Mian in the palace and not allow him to serve as an official.
But even so, once Yu Qian leaves Beijing, there will definitely be people who make fuss about Yu Mian and others.
Because of this, Yu Qian thought about letting Yu Kang take Yu Xuanying back to his hometown to stay for a while, but...
"Tingyi, I think you are worrying too much."
Yu Shiyue put the tea cup on the table, looked at Yu Qian and said.
"If you leave the capital, it will definitely be a dangerous journey. It is inevitable that someone will try something in the capital. However, can you guarantee that Yu Mian and the others will be safe and sound when they return to Hangzhou?"
Hearing this, Yu Qian's eyes flashed, and his aura surged out, and the atmosphere in the study suddenly became a bit intimidating.
"They dare!"
According to the rules in the court, no matter how life-and-death the fight is, family members are not allowed to be involved. This is why Yu Qian has never allowed Yu Mian to become an official.
As long as Yu Mian is not an official, he will not be involved in court struggles.
In fact, if it weren't for the wide-ranging political implications of the military rectification, too many people secretly watching, and Yu Qian would definitely be away from the capital for a long time, he would not have asked Yu Mian and others to send him away temporarily.
Plans to return to Hangzhou.
And if what Yu Shiyue said happened, that is, if Yu Mian and others returned to Hangzhou and someone still made a fuss about them, it would be a taboo in official circles.
Since ancient times, family inheritance has been a brand engraved in the bones of every Chinese person.
Yu Qian's great-grandfather, great-grandfather, and grandfather all served as officials. Although the Yu family in Qiantang was not a big and powerful family, it was still a scholarly family with a large number of members.
When they arrived in Qiantang, as long as Yu Mian and others lived peacefully, even if something happened, their clansmen would naturally come forward to help.
And if someone is so bold that he dares to attack the clan, then he will be completely ruined.
Once this situation occurs, the person who takes action will not only offend Yu Qian, but also the entire officialdom.
After all, in the court, no one has a clan origin, and no one wants to return to their roots after serving as an official for decades. If they attack each other's clan, it will be considered as a true violation of the taboos of the court, and they will fight until death!
Therefore, Yu Qian did not think in that direction.
However, facing Yu Qian's doubts, Yu Shiyue shook his head and said.
"Tingyi, don't forget that when you leave the capital this time, you will not only face the feudal kings from all over the country. Do you dare to guarantee that the officials from all over the country are under pressure, so they let the feudal kings do whatever they want?
?”
"Among these people, are there any bold ones?"
"If Yu Mian and the others stay in the capital, they still have many ministers to take care of them. But when they go to Hangzhou, the sky is high and the emperor is far away. If something happens, it will be too late to save them."
"What's more..."
As he spoke, Yu Shiyue's expression became strange.
Yu Qian frowned and asked.
"Besides what?"
Yu Shiyue hesitated for a moment, blinked and said.
"What's more, your relatives in the capital are not limited to the children Mian. Your son-in-law Zhu Ji is still serving in the Jinyi Guards. Without transfer orders, he cannot leave the capital. If Junying leaves, wouldn't it mean that the husband and wife are separated?
?”
"Also, Yu Mian's daughter-in-law's natal family is also in the capital. Even if he brings his daughter-in-law back to Hangzhou, can he take away the whole family?"
"As long as you are intentional about targeting someone, there are endless ways to hide. In short, going to Hangzhou to avoid trouble is not a good idea."
After listening to Yu Shiyue's analysis, Yu Qian also seemed a little distressed.
Of course he understands this, but at the moment, there is no other way. He can entrust an old friend like Yu Shiyue to take care of him.
However, this is a court dispute after all. Once they take action to protect the Yu family, they are afraid that it will also have adverse effects on the court.
This is something Yu Qian doesn't want to see.
Seeing Yu Qian's appearance, Yu Shiyue rarely felt very happy. Is there something that you, the omnipotent Yu Tingyi, can't solve?
After pondering for a moment, Yu Cifu coughed lightly and said.
"Tingyi, since you are serving the country, how can the imperial court sit back and watch a fire in your backyard? You can go out with peace of mind. Yu Mian and others will be safe and sound in the capital. I guarantee you this!"
"real?"
Seeing Yu Shiyue's vow, Yu Qian also hesitated for a while. He knew that Yu Shiyue would not give such a guarantee easily. As the saying goes, a gentleman must keep his promise.
As long as Yu Shiyue says this, he will definitely do it even if his official position is not guaranteed.
But in this case, the favor will be greatly owed...
After hesitating for a moment, Yu Qian still wanted to refuse and said.
"Brother Shichao, I..."
"Okay, it's settled. You can leave the capital without worry. Yu Mian and others are in the capital, and I will be responsible."
Before he finished speaking, Yu Cifu stopped Yu Qian's words with a wave of his hand and said.
"I see that the housekeeper has been waiting outside for a long time. The food must have been prepared. Although it is a family banquet, since I am here, I will not hesitate to give you a meal. Let's go!"
As he spoke, Yu Cifu took Yu Qian and stood up and walked out, leaving Yu Shaobao with a wry smile on his face and said.