Yue Huaiyu was a dignified person, and there was nothing out of the ordinary except for having a small fight with her family about her marriage and making her mother almost mad to death.
Now after listening to Zhang Xutang's eloquent remarks, her face suddenly turned red and she put on an impeccable smile.
"That's unreasonable!"
With a straight face, she suddenly felt solemn, and looked at the young lady who was already an excellent housekeeper: "Second Master, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't talk nonsense. I naturally abide by my parents' orders when it comes to marriage. As for
Prince Jin, I don’t have that rich head, and I can’t wear such a heavy phoenix crown. When it comes to love, I can’t fall in love with anyone, including you.”
She was originally extremely afraid of Zhang Xutang, but this clear and angry rebuke reduced her fear a lot.
Zhang Xutang sneered at her high-sounding words, but still smiled sinisterly: "So, you are willing to marry me?"
Yue Huaiyu sneered: "You don't have to test me. I know it in my heart. If I don't marry you, I'm afraid I will have no choice but to die."
At the same time, she said in her heart: "If your Zhang family loses power and King Yan cannot be the crown prince, then I will have a way to survive."
Zhang Xutang's eyes were still staring at her, as if he could hear what she was thinking: "Didn't you play a trick when you were in Tanzhou and let King Jin come to your door so that our two families could dissolve their marriage?
It’s just that you didn’t understand at that time that the two of us must get married.”
The color on Yue Huaiyu's face quickly faded, and the tone of his voice changed: "You are talking nonsense! You still need evidence to decide the case. How can you slander me with such nonsense! If you don't want to marry me, go and tell my parents!"
At this time, the two people entered the glass room one after another.
Inside the glass room, there is a splendid world overflowing with light. Everything you look at is filled with colors that make people lose their way.
Lao Wei put Zhang Xutang in the rose chair. He smiled slightly under the color of the glass and said to Yue Huaiyu: "I don't like being tough."
The bright light shone on Zhang Xutang, adding many colors to his pale face. He looked like a ghost and something like a ghost, which made Yue Huaiyu take a step back.
"What on earth do you want to do?"
Zhang Xutang wanted to kill her and bury her under the glass house, but he still restrained his impulse.
"I want to give you a chance."
Yue Huaiyu had no clue: "Opportunity?"
"Give you a chance not to marry me," Zhang Xutang opened his mouth and softly uttered two words, "estrangement."
"Estrangement?" Yue Huaiyu felt that every word he said today was filled with doubts.
Zhang Xutang, on the other hand, nodded affirmatively, saying that he was sure of victory in what he was planning.
If his enemies want to take action, he will let them take action, and the Zhang family will retreat. But he wants to see how many tricks they can use. When their skills are exhausted, it will be time for him to show off his skills.
While Zhang Xutang and Yue Huaiyu were looking at the glass house, Li Lin, who was worried, finally saw Zhang Rui who had returned home from the capital hall.
The Zhang family's small apartment has a couplet hanging outside: "A peaceful mind and a safe body, a safe room will make you comfortable." There are piles of books inside, and a picture of wild cranes painted by Zhang Rui himself hangs on the wall. On the black lacquered table is a
A Ding kiln red porcelain vase with an old white plum stuck inside, a gold-stitched incense burner on the table burning "Letter of Spring in the Snow". Although the room is not big, it is very elegant.
"Master Prime Minister!" Li Lin bowed his head and bowed.
Zhang Rui helped him up, took his hand and helped him sit down: "Don't panic, kid."
His gentle tone made the anxious Li Lin calm down: "I am impatient. I really didn't know what to do just now. I am hesitant in my heart. Don't blame me, Prime Minister."
Zhang Rui sat down, waved his hand, and said with a hint of vicissitudes in his tone: "It is right to be hesitant. A guilty person cannot be justified. You, Deputy Yantie are guilty, and so am I. I wasted more than 400 lives."
Li Lin was stunned and didn't know how to answer the question.
His loyalty to the Zhang family had been confessed ten years ago. In the past ten years, he had done many things for the Zhang family and King Yan, and he had never heard Prime Minister Zhang say the word "guilty" about any big thing.
Fortunately, Prime Minister Zhang did not let him answer the question, but continued on by himself: "This is not the one thing that makes me guilty. I am already full of sins. Who can stand in the court and call the shots, who is not guilty?
It’s just that things are different now, boy, we have to step back to avoid their sharp edges.”
Li Lin quickly understood that the Zhang family wanted to let King Jin take the lead.
This is the kind of checks and balances that the world would like to see today, but it is not what they want to see.
His tone couldn't help but become excited: "Master Prime Minister! I've bowed ninety-nine times, and this is the only thing missing. Why don't you go forward and go back?"
Zhang Rui stood up and poured him a cup of tea himself: "Don't be anxious. The pursuit of the country is a matter of affecting the whole body. Why are you anxious? I can't live that long?"
As early as Zhang Rui stood up to pour tea, Li Lin also stood up and held the teacup in fear. He whispered: "This is not what I mean. Since I want to retreat, I just obey your order. It's just this."
I would like to ask the prime minister for advice on how to handle the matter of returning to the Zezhou smelting field."
"You'll just do what I said?" Zhang Rui put down the teapot.
Li Lin nodded: "Yes, all the lower officials listen to the Prime Minister."
Zhang Rui smiled, sat down and said slowly: "The King of Jin is in Zezhou, and he has a back-up plan. The back-up plan must be for the salt and iron, and you are the first to bear the brunt."
Li Lin nodded, it was precisely because he thought of this that he was so anxious.
The King of Jin could tolerate it for ten years and then planned to return to the capital. His thoughts were not simple. If he made up his mind to unseat him, he might not be able to resist.
Zhang Rui looked at him with heavy eyes, which made him feel so heavy that he could not get up.
"You go to Jinshang now to plead guilty. Tell Jinshang that there was an explosion in the smelting field and that the judge and others deceived the superiors. You are guilty of an unforgivable crime and are willing to resign. Please be punished by Jinshang."
Li Lin agreed.
To make progress by retreating, this is exactly what he planned to do.
"After pleading guilty, no matter what King Jin's plan is, don't make excuses. Your enemies will definitely seize the trouble caused by King Jin to attack you. Don't make any excuses. Resign and retire for two years. You cannot hold this position.
It’s stable, so it’s better to abandon it.”
Li Lin's eyes widened in horror: "Master Xiang!"
Zhang Rui smiled slightly and said, "Are you scared?"
After a long time, Li Lin said: "Xiaoguan has been sitting in this position for ten years, and he has firmly established it. I know everything about you. Prime Minister Dong Tongying is already an empty shell. I am determined to get it. As long as Dong Tongying
As soon as you retire, the lower official can be promoted, but now you ask the lower official to resign, and the lower official doesn't understand."
He knew he had to retreat, but he didn't know he had to retreat so far.
"Dong Tongying is not as incompetent as you think," Zhang Rui told him patiently. "You are trying to ignore him, and he is also trying to pull you down. Think about Chen Zhigang, without Dong Tongying's encouragement, how could he go to the Hanlin Art Academy?"
Li Lin was still puzzled.
He has sat in this position for too long, so long that he thinks he can make all the changes in this position. What does the old man Dong Tongying have to be afraid of? Behind him is the Zhang family and King Yan.