"It is said that the secret agents of the Imperial City Department range from the princes to the market people. This statement is indeed true. All your spies have arranged to enter Prince Qin's palace..."
Lying on the chair in a slightly lazy posture, Emperor Liu looked sideways, and his calm tone contained some complicated meanings, which seemed to be surprise and emotion, making Zhang Dejun, who was standing beside him, a little uncomfortable.
"Everything in the Imperial City Division is carried out in accordance with the will of the officials. I always keep in mind that if the officials feel it is inappropriate, they will pull people out!" Zhang Dejun said humbly and cautiously.
Zhang Dejun entered the palace to make his presence felt in front of Emperor Liu for more than half a year. It was no different this time. He reported to Emperor Liu the public opinion inside and outside the court in Xijing that the subordinates of the Imperial City Department had spied on.
But this time, what Zhang Dejun reported was some news in the palace of Qin King Liu Xu. Specifically, it was that Liu Xu had met with his cousin Geng Jixun. This was not surprising. After some thinking, Liu Xu still brought Geng Jixun to the palace.
Transferred back to the capital. What attracted the attention of the Imperial City Secretary's informants was that the two of them had a private conversation behind closed doors for a long time, but the specific content of the secret discussion was never revealed.
Seeing Zhang Dejun's nervous and uneasy look, Emperor Liu smiled and softened his tone, saying: "No, I don't want to blame you. I understand your loyalty to me, and I also understand that you are proactive and thoughtful in doing things."
!”
"The official is a wise man! Thank you very much for the official's trust!" Zhang Dejun immediately looked grateful.
After sizing him up, Emperor Liu sighed softly and said, "I just want to remind you that the imperial court has its own laws, and it is worthy of recognition for being active and conscientious in doing things. However, you must act according to the rules and don't be unscrupulous.
I have heard that your subordinates in the Imperial City Department are often arrogant and wanton! There are not just one or two people who are dissatisfied with you both inside and outside the court.
I trust you and am willing to protect you. However, if you commit public outrage and do something irreversible, even if I intend to protect you, I may not be able to protect you!
I heard that you have adopted four adopted sons and you are quite dependent on them. All of them are officials of the Imperial City Department, which has attracted a lot of criticism. Naturally, I don't care about the slanderous rumors, but you should maintain some respect in your daily dealings with others.
....."
Emperor Liu spoke softly, but Zhang Dejun broke into a cold sweat after listening to it. He lowered his head and his voice was a little passionate: "The officials care about me, and I am grateful. I will keep the officials' teachings in mind. I will definitely discipline my subordinates well."
Don’t let them act recklessly, violate national laws and regulations, and definitely don’t make things difficult for the officials!”
Seeing Zhang Dejun's vow-like words, Emperor Liu showed a smile of recognition, and his expression became warm: "I don't mean to blame you. You are my minions, ears and eyes. Since ancient times, such errands have been caused by trouble."
What people criticize is not easy to do, I can understand it. However, my reminder is to change it if it is there, and to encourage it if it is not. You have to control your own sense of proportion!"
"Yes! I understand!" Zhang Dejun even dared not wipe the sweat from his forehead.
"There's one more thing you have to remember! King Qin is my son after all and the prince of the Han Dynasty!" Emperor Liu's tone became serious.
"Yes!" Zhang Dejun replied instinctively, his heart twitching rapidly. He didn't understand why he seemed to have hit the horse's hoof this time.
"Go ahead!"
After Zhang Dejun retired with a worried look on his face, Emperor Liu regained his composure and calmness again, and the sharpness in his eyes also became calmer.
Yantuo was waiting silently, with a little hesitation on his old face. His eyes looked in the direction Zhang Dejun left, then fell on Emperor Liu, and quickly lowered his head.
He listened to all the conversations between Emperor Liu and Zhang Dejun, and with his shrewdness, he could certainly tell that Emperor Liu was beating Zhang Dejun. As the only eunuch in the palace who could compete with him, Zhang Dejun was embarrassed and rocked. Naturally, I felt a sense of gloating in my heart.
What Yantuo hesitated was whether to take the opportunity to apply eye drops to Zhang Dejun. Although Yantuo's expression did not change much, Emperor Liu was like a beast with a keen sense of smell. He suddenly turned his head and stared at him: "You seem to have What do you want to say?"
Hearing this, Yan Tuo was startled, glanced at Emperor Liu, and quickly lowered his head in fear: "No, no, I have nothing to say!"
"But I look at you, you seem to be hesitant to speak!" Emperor Liu sat up and looked at Yan Tuo playfully: "What do you have in mind, do you still want to hide it from me?"
It was just a movement. Yantuo seemed to feel the pressure Zhang Dejun was facing just now. Under Emperor Liu's gaze, he hesitated and didn't know how to respond.
"Is it related to the Imperial City Division?" Emperor Liu asked again: "Let me tell you, it just so happens that I also want to know what kind of image the Imperial City Division is in your eyes!"
With one sentence, Yantuo almost drove Yantuo to a corner. He hesitated for a while, then slightly cupped his hands. Yantuo had a solemn expression and a low voice, and said: "The official family, the Imperial City Division is very famous in Beijing. No one knows it, no one is afraid of it, almost They are pervasive. I heard that they have spies not only in the homes of princes and ministers, but also in the East Palace..."
After saying this, Yan Tuo shut up and waited silently for Emperor Liu to speak. However, he clearly felt that with these words, the air in the palace seemed to be stagnant and the atmosphere became depressing.
"Oh!" After a moment of silence, Emperor Liu spoke up. He did not move his eyes away from Yan Tuo, but asked curiously: "How did you know? Could it be that there is also an informant of yours in the East Palace?"
These words were a bit heart-wrenching. Yan Tuo suddenly showed fear and almost knelt down on the spot. He hurriedly said: "How can I have the guts to do such an extraordinary thing? It's just that as a chamberlain, I am the leader of the palace. There is no shortage of rumors, and it is inevitable to hear some rumors..."
Yantuo's explanation was a bit untenable, but Emperor Liu didn't mean to go into details. He just said lightly: "Then you still have good ears and eyesight!"
"Young man is lucky enough to serve an official and is always ready for orders. Naturally, he needs his eyes and ears to be clearer!" Yan Tuo was frightened and a little embarrassed.
Emperor Liu was well aware of the conflict between the two eunuchs, and he was happy to see it happen. He also understood that even though Yantuo did not dare to ambush in the East Palace, it was not surprising that there were some informants in the Imperial City Department.
After thinking for a while, Emperor Liu withdrew his oppressive gaze, raised his hand and said, "Just do your job, and don't interfere with things you shouldn't be involved in!"
"Yes!" Yantuo finally breathed a sigh of relief and responded immediately.
A bitter feeling lingered in his heart. Just now, he was gloating about Zhang Dejun's misfortune. Compared with it, he seemed to have nothing to be proud of.
While Yantuo was struggling to calm down, he heard Emperor Liu sigh quietly: "This Zhang Dejun dares to ambush his spy in the East Palace, but what about me?"
Hearing this, Yantuo felt goosebumps rise up in his gut, and panic suddenly arose in his heart. However, when he calmed down, he felt an inexplicable joy. The emperor obviously had opinions about Zhang Dejun.
However, the smart Yantuo did not speak rashly, and his expression did not even change at all. It was as if he had not heard Emperor Liu's muttering, and was just thinking about Emperor Liu's words secretly.
Emperor Liu's attitude towards Zhang Dejun was naturally also complicated. It was obviously impossible to say that he had no opinions at all. Even Li Chongju, who was so diligent and peaceful, had to take the initiative to resign to avoid disaster, let alone Zhang Dejun.
Zhang Dejun's advantage was that he was a eunuch and a servant who went out with Emperor Liu. However, after all, he was in charge of a secret service agency like the Imperial City Department. How could he fully trust Emperor Liu when he was suspicious.
At least the warning of "eunuchs disrupting government" would occasionally linger in Emperor Liu's mind. What's more, Zhang Dejun has been in charge of the Imperial City Division for more than ten years, and he established and developed it by himself, no matter how obedient and loyal he was. , Emperor Liu's suspicion will not disappear, but will become more and more serious as time goes by.
As for the Imperial City Secretary's arrangement of spies in the East Palace, Emperor Liu agreed on the one hand because he needed to have a secret channel to understand the prince's movements. On the other hand, he was inevitably wary of the eunuch Zhang Dejun's wanton overstepping.
It's a bit contradictory, but that's the truth!
Perhaps, the Imperial City Department should also make changes? Emperor Liu couldn't help but have this idea in his mind.