"My husband suffered a fall. It seems that there is no serious problem at the moment. It's just that he is old and has osteoporosis and is easily broken, so his recovery will be slower. He still needs to rest peacefully and stop working hard!" Zhao Mansion, back house, in front of the sick bed
, the old imperial doctor looked kind, climbed on the couch respectfully, and supported Zhao Pu from time to time.
"Thank you!" Zhao Pu was full of patient temperament at this time, and his voice was filled with endless oldness.
As Prime Minister, when Emperor Liu was injured, it was natural for Emperor Liu to send an imperial physician to diagnose, treat, and administer medication. This was the basic treatment for a "favorite minister."
"Your Majesty's words are serious, and this is what they should be!" said the imperial doctor: "Later, I will prescribe a prescription for clothes, and I will use the medicine according to the prescription. I will leave a doctor in the house to take care of me. I will rest for a while, and everything will be fine!"
Hearing this, Zhao Pu showed a smile, looked at the old imperial doctor, and asked: "You said that my injury will take some time to recuperate. I don't know how long it will take."
The imperial doctor only thought that Zhao Pu was worried about his slow recovery, so he thought about it and said, "It usually takes three months to rest for a broken muscle or bone. My husband is old, so it may take longer to fully recover. However, it can be done earlier."
Take care of your daily affairs and treat it as if there is no serious problem!"
Zhao Pu shook his head and said: "What I mean is that it doesn't matter if the disease heals slower, it will take longer to recuperate!"
The imperial doctor couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, and looked at Zhao Pu doubtfully, only to see Zhao Pu say slowly: "According to me, it can take as little as half a year, as long as a year. You should also say the same to others. What do you think?"
He still couldn't react. Although he didn't know what kind of medicine Zhao Pu was selling in his gourd, he had a profound intention and he, a little imperial doctor, didn't dare to offend the powerful prime minister.
Therefore, after thinking for a moment, he cupped his hands and said, "My Lord, I understand! It's just that, this prescription needs to be modified. The severity of the disease and the medication will be different!"
"Very good! Thank you for your hard work!" Zhao Pu smiled knowingly and moved his fingers towards the steward standing beside him.
The steward understood this, immediately called the servants, and personally presented two ingots of silver. Seeing this, the imperial doctor shook his head repeatedly: "I have been ordered to undergo a consultation, but how dare I accept it? This is not appropriate for my husband!"
Zhao Pu smiled when he heard this and said: "I don't have much wealth, and I only have a few small gifts. I'm just kidding. This is a small thing, so don't refuse it!"
The imperial doctor still refused to accept it and kept rejecting it. Zhao Pu arranged for someone to forcefully stuff it into the medicine box. The imperial doctor was helpless and could not control the will of the prime minister, so he had to express his shame in accepting it with a "shy" face.
Silver, a precious metal currency, has a very high value and a strong purchasing power. Even with the large-scale excavation of domestic silver mines in recent years and the inflow of gold and silver from Korea, Japan and Nanyang, the value has depreciated. Today, one or two
Silver can still be exchanged for more than 1,200 copper coins.
And that one hundred taels of silver is also a huge sum of money for an imperial doctor. Zhao Pu's family is not rich, so it obviously needs to be seen dialectically. In the past, Zhao Pu may have been restrained in terms of money, but in recent times,
In one year, a large amount of income was made, and life began to be enjoyed.
To say that Zhao Pu is incorruptible is to tarnish the word. However, in the past, in Zhao Pu's eyes, power was more important than wealth. He wanted to retain power and worry about Emperor Liu, so he could naturally restrain his family and exercise self-restraint.
Nowadays, he has let himself go a little bit. Of course, there may be some intention to protect himself from self-destruction, but it is impossible to distinguish which one is true. Zhao Pu himself is not a traditional upright minister.
As for corruption, a long-standing administrative policy that the court has long adhered to, whether Zhao Pu is afraid of it, of course he is not. Such matters themselves need to be viewed dialectically. The court's anti-corruption campaign mainly targets those in the middle and lower classes. When they reach a certain status,
Power is the best talisman.
When Zhao Pu reaches a position like this, the only one he needs to worry about is Emperor Liu. As for whether Emperor Liu will accuse him of this "trivial matter", Zhao Pu is not that worried, because if the emperor really wants to target him, then he will
There's no point in trying to keep oneself clean, and Zhao Pu doesn't need some reputation of being honest to prove himself.
And Lu Duoxun is a clear proof. So many criminal evidences have been found, but the most critical one is not revealed in the files. The same is true for Zhao Pu. The most important thing is not to offend Emperor Liu.
taboo.
Regarding this point, Zhao Pu is very accurate. Even in the 21st year of Kaibao, he is still in the phase. This is the biggest taboo. This is something that needs to be avoided. As for the other things, they are all trivial and can even cause serious consequences.
Get some miraculous results.
This year, Zhao Pu has tried every means and made several attempts to retire and protect himself. It has to be said that this fall in Chongzheng Palace is worth taking advantage of. It is both an accident and an inevitable one.
After the imperial doctor left, Zhao Pu slowly sat up, an unnatural look flashed across his face. He had been injured in the fall. As for whether it was serious or not, he knew it in his heart. He stared at the outdoors blankly and could feel the constant influx of people.
After sitting for a long time in the cold air, Zhao Pu sighed heavily. At this time, his heart felt a little empty, and it was inevitable that he would feel sad.
If he really took time off to spend time with medicine jars on his sick bed, he would definitely not be used to it. Power is a good thing. Anyone who has tasted it knows that this is true even for minor officials, let alone the prime minister.
"Dad!" In a daze, Zhao Pu's second son, Zhao Chengxu, walked in. Seeing his father's twilight look, he called softly.
After regaining consciousness, Zhao Pu felt that he should not be sitting like this, so he turned around and was about to lie down again. Seeing this, Zhao Chengxu hurriedly stepped forward to help. After lying down, Zhao Pu asked: "Has the memorial been written?"
Zhao Chengxu nodded, hurriedly presented the memorial in his hand and said, "It has been drafted according to dad's request. My sword and pen are immature, so I'm afraid there are some omissions. Please correct me."
Zhao Pu took it, spread it out in front of his eyes, and read it carefully. He quickly frowned and said, "We really need to make changes, big changes! This memorial of yours is not so much a resignation letter as it is a compliment for me."
Praising virtues goes against my original intention and is not what Your Majesty would like to see!"
"But my father has been working hard for nearly twenty years and has indeed made great contributions to the country. Should these be taboo?" Zhao Chengxu was a little confused: "Even if you ask for retirement, you should have dignity!"
Hearing this, Zhao Pu chuckled: "My merits and demerits will be commented on by future generations, and your Majesty knows them well. No one needs to mention them, let alone us taking the initiative to mention them!"
"If you don't describe your merits, how can you describe your past?" Zhao Chengxu muttered.
"Not bad!" Zhao Pu's answer surprised Zhao Chengxu: "I have made a lot of mistakes in politics. At this time, I can focus on the northwest rebellion. Someone has to stand up and take responsibility for this matter.
There is no one more suitable than me!"
Zhao Chengxu seemed a little confused about these things. After thinking about it, he cupped his hands and said, "The son never talks about the father's fault. If so, I'm afraid I won't be able to write!"
Zhao Chengxu showed his filial piety and exposed his father's shortcomings. He obviously had moral scruples and psychological burden.
Seeing his reaction, Zhao Pu was dumbfounded: "Where did you learn to be so pedantic? Are you going to let your father endure his injuries and write in longhand?"
"This" Zhao Chengxu hesitated for a moment and then bowed: "Please forgive me for being unfilial!"
"It's not that serious. Just follow your father's instructions!" Zhao Pu said.
"yes!"
What Zhao Pu didn't know was that after the imperial doctor returned to the palace, he went to see Emperor Liu, truthfully reported Zhao Pu's injury, and even contributed the hundred taels of silver gifted by Zhao Pu. In this regard, Emperor Liu's reaction was worth pondering, almost
He smiled and let the imperial doctor keep the one hundred taels of silver as a reward from Emperor Liu.
They are all thousand-year-old foxes, and Zhao Pu's intentions are clear to Emperor Liu. Now, after the shock after the Lu case, the court has gradually stabilized. The new power structure has been tried for so long, and there seems to be no problem.
This fall seemed to be a good time indeed. And on the second day, Zhao Chengxu was ordered to go to the palace to meet the saint and present the letter of resignation on behalf of his father to pray for his death.
This time, Emperor Liu seemed to be very straightforward and did not hold back at all. He approved it on the spot. However, thinking of Zhao Pu's past achievements, Emperor Liu allowed him to retire in glory and awarded him the title of Marquis of Xunyang. He did not let him return to his hometown, nor did he
He stayed in the capital and found a place for him to retire in Jiangdong.
In this way, very suddenly, Zhao Pu, the prime minister who opened the treasure, officially became history.