Originally, he had always thought that he was mature enough and cautious enough to be able to move around on both sides.
But it was only now that he finally realized how far apart he was from these important officials in the imperial court.
No wonder Chen Xun kept reminding him not to get too close to Zhu Jian. Compared with such an old guy, he was still too young.
In the past, although he didn't say it on the face, he always felt that Zhu Jian was a bit reckless. Moreover, he repeatedly failed in the court and made himself infamous, so he couldn't help but feel a bit of contempt in his heart.
Of course, Xu Xueshi's disguise was very good and he didn't show it at all.
However, what he just said made him truly realize that no simple person could sit in this position.
Although Zhu Jian and Zhu Yi didn't say anything explicitly just now, by this time, Xu Youzhen still couldn't understand their subtext, so he didn't have to hang out in the court.
Zhu Jian's goal from the beginning was not Du Ning, but Chen Xun.
He did not place any hope on being able to recruit Du Ning into the East Palace. He just hoped that Chen Xun could help and recommend some talents to the East Palace.
This is what Zhu Yi said just now, Zhu Jian deceived them all.
You must know that Radu Ning's entry into the East Palace was Zhu Jian's request when Zhu Yi asked Zhu Jian to help him regain his title.
In other words, Zhu Jian had already had this plan from that time on.
However, after such a long time, until the results came out, he didn't realize at all that Zhu Jian had played such a big game.
And, more importantly, in this game of chess, Xu Youzhen had unknowingly become Zhu Jian's pawn.
You know, from the beginning, because he was Chen Xun's student, he was the one who spread the word about the whole thing.
Recalling the conversation she had just had with Chen Xun in the mansion, Xu Youzhen suddenly realized that her teacher still looked after her.
To put it bluntly, the reason why he was willing to discuss with Yu Shiyue and recommend people to enter the East Palace was not only to give Zhu Jian an explanation, but also because Xu Youzhen, a student, came to ask for help in person.
Otherwise, purely from the perspective of interests, Chen Xun could actually ignore everything. At most, he would only completely offend Zhu Jian.
However, with his status as the leader of Qingliu and the minister of Qiqing, how can he be afraid?
For a moment, Xu Youzhen's mood was a little complicated.
But at this time, the two people opposite him obviously had no time to care about his emotions.
Faced with Zhu Yi's faint ridicule, Zhu Jian shook his head and said.
"My lord, you might as well guess which candidates Chen Xun will recommend to the East Palace?"
Zhu Yi frowned and thought for a while.
If you ask other nobles this question, they might feel confused, but Zhu Yi is the special one.
When his father Zhu Yong was alive, he liked to make friends with civil servants. In addition, he had a father-in-law like Hu Hui, so he knew much more about civil servants than ordinary nobles.
Looking at Zhu Jian's expression, Zhu Yi knew that there must be something he hadn't thought through.
Bah, these eight hundred thoughtful scholars!
"This time in the palace, the elder suddenly helped Chen Shangshu impeach the chief minister. Anyone who is interested will definitely guess that you are secretly involved."
After pondering for a moment, Zhu Yi looked at Zhu Jian and analyzed.
"Chen Shangshu has a distinguished status. Although he wants to overthrow the chief minister, no..."
While talking, Zhu Yi couldn't help but glance at Xu Youzhen before continuing.
"In fact, he may not have thought about overthrowing the Chief Minister. He just wanted him to hand over the Imperial Academy's errands so that he could use the Imperial Academy as a favor to the emperor."
"In this case, it means that Chen Shangshu has been thinking about getting rid of you, Mr. Ge, from the very beginning..."
"Therefore, the candidates he recommends to the Prince's Mansion this time must not be officials who are closely related to the elder."
This conclusion made Xu Youzhen's face even more complicated.
However, Zhu Jian nodded slightly. Apparently, he agreed with Zhu Yi's conclusion.
Zhu Yi frowned a little tighter and continued.
"If this is the case, then Chen Shangshu has only two choices."
"The first is to choose his own students. Although the Hanlin Academy is now depleted of manpower, there are still some people available. He recommends these people to find a future for future generations of students. There will be no objections from the government and the public."
"The second thing is..."
"Recommend old ministers of Prince Tan's palace like Yi Ming to enter the East Palace!"
Zhu Jian took the words calmly.
"But in this case, we will face two difficulties."
"Firstly, although Prince Nie's Mansion was opened at that time, it did not have a complete organizational system, and most of them were not from the right background. Firstly, there were few people, and secondly, they had young qualifications. Even if they were all transferred to the Prince's Mansion, it would not be enough."
"Moreover, Yi Ming is considered to be quite capable among the old ministers of Prince Xi's Palace. At most, he can be joined by Yu Yan. As for the others...hehe..."
Obviously, Zhu Jian had some contempt for these ministers who were hiding in the Prince's Palace.
However, this statement is obviously mixed with personal color.
Although these potential ministers in Prince Xin's Mansion may not be particularly talented, most of them have fairly acceptable abilities.
Of course, it is true that they are not from the right background, let alone Qingliu. This is a big flaw in the court.
Following Zhu Jian's words, Zhu Yi spoke.
"Now that Yu Yan has served in the Prince's Mansion, and Yi Ming has also taken over the Hanlin Academy, if at this time, Chen Xun continues to infiltrate these old ministers of the Prince's Palace in the Prince's Mansion, then the government and the public will definitely talk about him flattering the emperor."
"good……"
Zhu Jian nodded and continued.
"In the final analysis, Chen Xun is from a clean background and values reputation. He still wants this face. After all, Yi Ming has made political achievements. Recommending him is barely out of public interest. However, if a large number of former ministers of Prince Tan's palace are recommended, then Chen Xun’s old face is about to be completely disgraced.”
"Another point is that our emperor has always had a good reputation. When he promoted and released all the old ministers of Prince Xi's palace, he just wanted to tell the government and the public that he would not be nepotistic."
"At this time, if he crams all these people from the Prince's Palace into the East Palace, wouldn't what he did in the past become a joke?"
"If that's the case, that would be great..."
This principle is actually the same as when the emperor did not touch the personal servants of Nangong. The status of Donggong is special. Looking at it now, the emperor has a strong intention to protect and care for the prince. However, it is precisely because of this that this image is It must be maintained.
Therefore, the people who enter the East Palace must go through strict assessments, and all the ministers feel that their qualifications and talents are sufficient, and they cannot be people who just rely on connections.
Otherwise, Mandong Palace would be filled with former ministers of Prince Tan's palace, and if the prince made any mistake, the whole court and everyone would argue that it was the emperor who was behind it, deliberately leading the prince to make mistakes and shake the foundation.
Even if no one explicitly mentions the emperor's faults, these old officials of the Prince's Palace will definitely be caught and violently impeached. In the end, the emperor will have to deal with the trouble they cause. There is no need.
Hearing this, Zhu Yi also smiled and said.
"In addition, there is one more thing that Mr. Ge didn't mention..."
As he spoke, the Duke turned his attention to Xu Youzhen, leaving the latter confused.
Zhu Jian pondered, looking at Zhu Yi with more fear, but in the end, he still nodded and said.
"Chen Xun has a calm and gentle personality. He is neither as stubborn as Wang Wen nor as radical as Yu Qian. Like Shen Yi of the Ministry of Revenue, he will not easily fall to either side. Otherwise, if he makes a wrong bet, , the Qingliu family will follow him and ruin their future."
"He will try his best to win the emperor's trust, but he will not be willing to offend the prince and the emperor. This is why he will give me, the down-and-out elder, a little face this time!"
Feeling Zhu Jian's gaze, Xu Youzhen couldn't help but panic for a moment and said.
"Ming Gong said, ah, no, not..."
Xu Youzhen originally wanted to agree with Zhu Jian's statement, but halfway through her words, she remembered Zhu Jian's self-deprecating words just now, so she changed her words temporarily. This look was quite embarrassing.
Zhu Jian, on the other hand, didn't care about his gaffe and said gently.
"You don't have to worry. These things are not something you need to worry about in the first place. You just need to listen, learn, and do things well."
"yes……"
Xu Youzhen nodded, not knowing what she was thinking.
"So, Mr. Ge thinks that Chen Xun will recommend people from the Hanlin Academy this time?"
Zhu Yi thought for a while and quickly listed a few names.
"Liu Dingzhi, Chen Wen, Li Shao?"
As he spoke, Zhu Yi shook his head and said.
"What use can these old scholars do if they enter the East Palace? Are they really going to teach His Highness the Crown Prince to be a nerd?"
Although there were two civil servants in front of him, Zhu Yi's words did not hide his contempt for the civil servants as an honorable nobleman.
Of course, the Duke would only act like this in front of them.
However, Zhu Jian and his two men had no way of knowing this.
Facing Zhu Yi's questioning, Zhu Jian's eyes flashed with helplessness and anger, but in the end, he suppressed it and explained.
"Being an old scholar has the advantages of being an old scholar!"
"Liu Dingzhi, Chen Wen, and Li Shao have been serving in the Hanlin Academy all year round. They are very famous in the academic circles and are quite famous among scholars. This is one of them."
"The more people who are so dedicated to learning, the more they accept death. For the sake of the righteousness in their hearts, they will naturally risk their own lives. Once they enter the East Palace, they will definitely do their best to protect the crown prince. This is the second point."
"besides……"
At this point, Zhu Jian stopped.
Zhu Yi's eyes flashed, as if she suddenly realized something.
"So, is this why Mr. Ge is willing to help Chen Xun like this?"
"After all, you are still thinking of Qingliu!"
Facing Zhu Yi with stern eyes, Zhu Jian remained calm and said.
"The Duke of Guo is indeed extraordinary, and he speaks the truth."
"Yes, it's Qingliu!"
His eyes fell on Xu Youzhen intentionally or unintentionally, and Zhu Jian's expression became solemn as he explained.
"My lord, you should know that although the factions in today's court are complicated, they are all afraid of the power of the emperor. Especially with Wang Wen and Yu Qian looking at each other, all the ministers in the court are silent and dare not speak."
"Only the Qingliu lineage has the chance to ensure the stability of His Highness the Crown Prince."
"The emperor suppresses Qingliu and has always disliked Hanlin, but the Qingliu lineage is an excellent manpower for His Highness the Crown Prince."
"They stick to their true intentions, abide by etiquette, value reputation and virtue, and have extensive connections in the court. Once they can be brought under the banner of the East Palace, they will definitely come forward if there is anything that endangers His Highness the Crown Prince."
After hearing this, Zhu Yi also showed a look of contemplation on his face and said.
"But it's not easy to do this. The biggest difficulty lies in Chen Xun."
"good!"
Zhu Jian nodded and said.
"Chen Shangshu is the leader of Qingliu. Most of the Qingliu in the court today are either his disciples or have some involvement with him. Therefore, if you want to win over Qingliu, you cannot avoid Chen Shangshu."
"However, with Chen Shangshu's character, it is impossible for him to express his position directly. In fact, even if we resort to the next best thing and allow Du Ning to enter the Prince's Mansion, it will be difficult to achieve success."
"So, this matter can only be discussed in the long term."
"Just now the Duke asked me, is it worth paying such a high price just to stuff a few officials who have nothing to do with me into the East Palace?"
“Of course it’s worth it!”
"Everything is difficult at the beginning. Now that the Hanlin family is being suppressed and panicked, what they need at this time is a way out."
"However, only Chen Xun can provide this way out. Others come to you rashly. Even if Chen Xun doesn't stop them, they will not accept it rashly."
That is……
After all, not everyone has the courage of Xu Xueshi.
Zhu Yi complained silently in her heart, but she didn't show anything on her face and just continued.
"So, what Mr. Zhu Ge actually wants is to let officials from Qingliu enter the East Palace on the recommendation of Chen Xun. The initial proposal to let Du Ning enter the East Palace was just a false shot."
"That's quite clever!"
"It's a pity that Chen Shangshu planned carefully, but in the end, he was tricked by the elder..."
This sounded awkward, but Zhu Jian didn't care and said.
"No matter how scheming Chen Xun is, as long as he is a human being, he will always have shortcomings."
"As the leader of Qingliu, Chen Xun's biggest shortcoming is that his disciples have too many old friends, which is both a good thing and a bad thing in the court."
"With these people around, Chen Xun's position cannot easily be shaken. However, since these people are taking shelter under his sect, Chen Xun will naturally plan for them."
"Of course, Chen Shangshu has always done this. This is our opportunity."
"Now Qingliu is at a loss and is taking refuge in Chen Xun, so he doesn't dare to try it easily."
"However, once someone enters the East Palace and becomes an official of the East Palace, other people will inevitably follow suit. When the time comes, facing the favor of these disciples, Chen Xun will not be able to push it away."
"When the prince's palace is mostly clean, even if Chen Xun wants to stay away from both sides, he can't help it..."
Hearing Zhu Jian express all his thoughts, Zhu Yi couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"Just now Mr. Ge Cai said that Chen Shangshu is an old fox. In my opinion, this title is more appropriate for Mr. Ge!"