In the Great Zhou Dynasty, those who stand at the pinnacle of power always understand that compromise is the most important thing.
Compared to that, nothing is worth mentioning.
In the struggle for power, no one can always be the winner, and no one can always stand at the top.
This requires compromise and exchange of interests.
And the one who controls the balance is the emperor.
Zheng Jie's birthday seems to be just a birthday banquet, but in fact it is also a stage for competition between various forces.
The attitudes of the left prime minister, the right prime minister, the imperial eunuch, the princes, and even Haoran Academy attracted much attention.
Their every move will even be amplified, interpreted, and derived into something deeper.
Left Prime Minister Chen Liangfu, who has always been in this power vortex, has long been used to it.
To him, this was just an ordinary show.
The stage was set up, all he had to do was get on and perform well.
As for the birthday gift prepared for Zheng Jie, Chen Liangfu had already ordered someone to prepare it.
In his opinion, it doesn't matter what kind of gift you give, the key is the person and his attitude.
As long as he, Chen Liangfu, appears in Zheng Jie's luxurious mansion in Chongrenfang, his attitude is shown.
Although Chen Liangfu and Zheng Jie are not political allies, their relationship is not bad.
In other words, this chamberlain was very cunning, politically impartial, and showed no obvious inclination.
In this way, no matter which faction the boss belongs to, they will not be disgusted with him and will consider him a potential ally that can be won over.
If things go on like this, Zheng Jie will be able to live freely and freely in the muddy water of Chang'an City, and he will be able to remain invincible.
Of course, Zheng Jie was absolutely loyal to the emperor. The emperor was his biggest backer. As long as the emperor's attitude remained unchanged, his position as chamberlain supervisor would be secure.
Therefore, Chen Liangfu did not really think about winning Zheng Jie into his camp.
He knew very well that this was impossible.
To put it bluntly, even if Zheng Jie really agrees to form an alliance with Chen Liangfu, is it necessarily a good thing?
Now that the Emperor is proficient in political power, if he were to know that the internal minister and the foreign minister were colluding together and colluding, would the emperor still be able to sit still?
At that time, either Zheng Jie will be unlucky or Chen Liangfu will be defeated.
The subtlety of power lies in game and balance. Once the balance is broken, what happens next is unpredictable.
"Sir, the carriage is ready."
When the housekeeper saw that Chen Liangfu had finished washing up, he reminded him very carefully in a deep voice.
"knew."
Chen Liangfu responded without any emotion, then walked to the bronze mirror and rubbed powder on it, then left the house with satisfaction and headed towards the gate of the mansion.
He is indeed old. A few decades ago, there would be no need to apply powder, but now it is impossible to cover up the ravine-like wrinkles on his face if he does not apply powder.
Chen Liangfu, surrounded by his cronies, came out of the mansion and headed straight for the carriage.
This is an extremely luxurious carriage. The entire carriage can seat nearly ten people. Chen Liangfu can eat, sleep and even go to the toilet on it. It is not a problem even if he is teasing and having fun with several beauties at the same time.
It's just that Chen Liangfu has been abstinent for many years and has long been away from women. Therefore, this carriage is for him alone.
The carriage was filled with incense.
As soon as Chen Liangfu got into the carriage, he closed his eyes and rested his mind.
The place he wanted to go to was Zhongnan Mountain. It was quite a long way out of the city, so it was not a bad idea to take a short break.
At his age, he attaches great importance to health care.
Only by living longer can we hold power longer.
The carriage quickly galloped through the streets of Chang'an City. As it swayed, Chen Liangfu was in a trance, recalling the scene when he had just arrived in Chang'an City.
At that time, he was just a young man who had just become a Jinshi. Standing on the endless Zhuque Street, looking at the palaces in the distance, he vowed in his heart that he would make a difference in the court.
Now he has indeed done it, but he is no longer the young man he was back then. Now he has too many things to worry about and too many things he is afraid of losing.
It's great to be young.
If God gave him a chance to use everything he gained today to return to his youth, would Chen Liangfu do it?
he does not know.
He only knew that even if he was willing, his family would not be willing, his disciples would not be willing, and his political allies would not be willing.
Can not go back.
There are some things that once you take that step, you can't go back.
...
...
The Zhongnan Mountains are a branch of the Qinling Mountains.
Because it is very close to Chang'an City, it has always been regarded by scholars as a springboard to Chang'an for official career.
Any scholar who fails in the imperial examination is willing to plunge into Mount Zhongnan and consider himself a hermit.
As time goes by, there will always be some fame.
When nobles from the court came to Zhongnan Mountain to worship Buddha or ask questions, they would have the opportunity to make friends.
If you are appreciated by the big guys, it is not impossible to rise to the top in one step.
Therefore, it is also known as the Zhongnan shortcut.
Of course, Chen Liangfu came to Zhongnan Mountain this time not to find a good scholar, but to meet a person.
a woman.
Since there have been so many noble people in Zhongnan Mountain over the years, the road up the mountain has been well built.
Even an elderly person like Chen Liangfu would not find it difficult to step on the neat stone steps.
It is said that going up a mountain is difficult, but going down a mountain is even harder.
Therefore, once some people go up the mountain, they are unwilling to go back down.
The dignitaries of Chang'an City have the habit of building separate courtyards in Zhongnan Mountain.
In summer, they often take carriages to Zhongnan Mountain to escape the heat.
But now it is autumn, and fewer and fewer people are entering the mountains.
Except for some devout pilgrims and believers, there are almost no scattered people.
Chen Liangfu didn't hesitate at all. He climbed up the stairs, taking every step steadily.
He didn't know how many steps he had taken and how many steps he had passed before he stopped in front of a clean and tidy courtyard.
After hesitating for a moment, Chen Liangfu stepped forward and knocked on the door.
After waiting for about a cup of tea, the door slowly opened.
The person who opened the door was a middle-aged maid. She was slightly startled when she saw Chen Liangfu, and then her expression changed drastically.
"Why is Zuo Xiang here? You'd better go back. Layman Yuzhen won't see you."
Chen Liangfu sighed and said: "I know I'm sorry for her, but after so many years, even if she can't let it go, she should give me a chance to explain, right? Excuse me, if layman Yuzhen really doesn't want to see me, I will
I’ve given up too.”
The middle-aged maid hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said in a deep voice: "In that case, just wait here while I go ask Layman Yuzhen."
After that, he closed the door and turned around to leave.
Chen Liangfu closed his eyes and stood there quietly.
Over the years, he has been to Zhongnan Mountain countless times, and he has wanted to step through this door many times.
But this step is like a gap between heaven and man, which cannot be crossed no matter what.
This is a knot in his heart. If it is not untied, he will not be able to feel at ease.