In the study room of the Zhao family, Mr. Shen called out tentatively. Mr. Zhao slowly lowered his head to drink tea and ignored it.
Shen Yi coughed and spoke again, this time slightly louder: "Uncle."
"I can hear you."
Mr. Zhao put down the tea in his cup and said with a smile: "I'm not deaf."
When Shen Yi entered Jiankang in the sixth year of Hongde, Zhao Changping was still a young official in his forties and under fifty. Now it is the twenty-ninth year of Hongde. More than twenty years later, Mr. Zhao is already seventy. How many years old.
Everyone in the court said that Mr. Zhao was old and could not hear clearly what he was saying most of the time.
However, his mental state is still very good. Just looking at his mental state, he looks like a man in his sixties, not seventy at all.
But after all, he is old. At his age, even if he is the prime minister, he is considered very old.
His political career has reached its final stage.
Mr. Shen poured him a cup of tea and said with a smile: "Uncle, he is still in good spirits. It seems that he can be in charge of the center for a few more years."
"Not deaf though."
Mr. Zhao sighed: "But my hearing is indeed not as good as before."
As he said that, he looked up at Shen Yi and said with a smile: "But it's not completely inaudible. When I was on duty in the court, I couldn't hear it if I liked it, and pretended not to hear it if I didn't like it."
"You probably don't know that after learning to pretend not to hear, Shu Shoukui's job has become much easier to do."
Mr. Shen smiled hoarsely: "When you are in charge of the family, you often have to turn a blind eye. Master, I think you have understood the essence of it."
Xianggong Zhao lowered his head and took a sip of tea, shook his head and sighed: "After all, at this old age, I often cannot keep up with my energy. I wanted to retire a few years ago, but Your Majesty has always refused, and I don't know how old I am. There is still a day when I can return to my hometown alive."
He looked at Shen Yi and said: "Your Majesty has always obeyed my advice. This time I come back, why don't you say a few good words for your uncle and ask your Majesty to let him return home?"
As the saying goes, fallen leaves return to their roots, the older you get, the deeper you will understand these four words.
In the early years, Xianggong Zhao might have been half-joking when he said this, but now, it is indeed true.
Shen Yi shook his head and said, "Uncle, I am a local official. I am not in the imperial court, and I am not in Zhongshu. It is not easy for me to talk about the affairs of Zhongshu, the prime minister."
"but…"
Shen Yi smiled and said: "After Senior Brother Zhang has completed his term as Minister of Household Affairs, he may have the opportunity to be promoted to the Central Secretary. By then, Senior Brother will be able to return to his hometown."
"There are no people left in my hometown."
Mr. Zhao sighed: "The Zhao family has been declining since my generation. I am the only son in the family and there are no close relatives. After I retire and return to my hometown, I will settle in Jiangdu."
"Be company with your father-in-law."
Shen Yi thought for a while and said, "I have a house in Jiangdu. If my uncle really wants to go to Jiangdu, he can live in my house."
"I know, I know."
Xianggong Zhao said with a smile: "During the war more than ten years ago, you asked Xu Fu to take part of the money from Liulichang to build a big house in Jiangdu."
"This matter has been brought up and discussed over and over again by countless people in the past ten years or so. Some young people are filled with indignation when mentioning this matter, saying that you, Mr. Shen, drank the blood of soldiers during the war. "
Mr. Shen lowered his head to drink tea and said slowly: "I have not lost a cent of the money that should be paid to all the soldiers of the Huai'an Army. For this matter, I have some conflicts with the Ministry of Household and Military Affairs, and I will not let them take advantage of it." I won't let the local government get involved, so they won't be able to reach in and take the money, so they will naturally hate me."
"As for those young people..."
Mr. Shen smiled calmly: "I have a stake in Liulichang. I haven't received any dividends in these years. If I take some money out of it, no one can say anything about me."
"If they want to scold me, just let them scold me."
Mr. Zhao smiled and said, "Didn't you do this just to give those people some reason to scold you?"
Shen Yi smiled and said nothing.
This kind of thing involves the emperor in many twists and turns, and he is a bit sensitive, so it is not easy to admit it directly.
"Come back this time."
Mr. Zhao said softly: "I'm afraid there are some important things that need to be done?"
"Um."
Shen Yi said: "Tomorrow there will be a court meeting, my nephew will go to court."
"I have prepared everything in the north, but the matter of moving the capital has been delayed again and again."
"Your Majesty is also worried and asked me to come back to report this matter."
"well."
Mr. Zhao sighed: "This matter is very difficult to handle."
"Even though Beiding has been in Beijing for ten years, there are not many northerners present at every court meeting."
The court meeting is a meeting between the third-grade Beijing officials. Currently, there are almost no northerners participating in this grade. If there are, there is only one.
Zhou Yuanlang, Minister of Industry.
Zhou Yuanlang was already the minister of Taichang Temple ten years ago. During these ten years, he has been working diligently in the court. No matter how smooth his official career was, he was only promoted two levels and one rank in ten years. However, his starting point was too high. Now he has been ranked among the Great Nine Ministers.
As for the newly promoted scholars in the north in the past ten years, I am afraid it will take another ten years before they can make their mark in the court.
Shen Yi looked at Zhao Changping and asked, "Master, is there anything you can do?"
"I am already a deaf prime minister."
He shook his head: "I can talk, but I can't lead many people."
"and…"
He looked at Shen Yi and said: "I am neutral on the matter of moving the capital. Moving to the north is too troublesome. Firstly, it will waste people and money, and secondly..."
"The northern border is undecided."
Shen Yi rubbed his eyebrows and said nothing.
If the imperial court does not move the capital, then Shen Yi will be the de facto "King of Yan".
In his generation, the conflict between him and Emperor Hong De will not break out. The Shen family can guard the north and ensure that the northern border is safe, but hidden dangers will definitely be laid. When Shen Yuan and the next emperor come, this conflict may break out.
You don’t even have to wait until the next generation.
Master Shen and Emperor Hong De, if only one of them is gone, the conflict may not be able to be suppressed.
"Since my uncle said this, my nephew won't say anything more. Everything..."
"We'll talk about it at the court meeting tomorrow."
Zhao Changping nodded silently, patted Shen Yi on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, no matter what my uncle's heart is, I will still be on your side."
Mr. Shen stood up, bowed his head and thanked me, and then said with a smile: "Brother Song has done a good job in Beizhili. After completing this term as governor, he will be able to return to the court to take over from his uncle."
"he?"
Zhao Changping shook his head: "He can't take over my class."
"The only person who can really take over my class is Yi An."
"almost."
Shen Yi smiled and said: "It's just a matter of front and back. In my opinion, Brother Song has a great chance of becoming prime minister in the future."
"Even if he becomes prime minister..."
Mr. Zhao paused and said, "It's also based on your uncle's reputation, not his own ability, but Yi An is different."
"Senior Brother Yi An, you have become the Minister of the Ministry of Finance step by step. It can be said that you are down-to-earth and climbed up bit by bit."
"Senior brother, he..."
Mr. Shen was silent for a while and nodded silently: "It is indeed admirable."
…………
The next day, outside Deqing Hall.
Mr. Shen, who never likes to get up early, got up early and went to the court meeting.
When Shen Yi arrived, most of the civil and military officials had already arrived. Mr. Shen, dressed in a purple python robe, stood out among the crowd.
Regardless of whether they are officials of various ranks, when they see Shen Yi coming towards them, they must bow their heads respectfully, or bow their hands, or bow.
Either he calls him Lord Marquis, or he calls him Taibao.
However, the officials of the Ministry of War are relatively special. When they see Shen Yi, they all call themselves "Budang".
Among the civil and military officials, there was a middle-aged man with a beard who was relatively special. After seeing Shen Yi, he hesitated for a long time, then lowered his hands and lowered his head deeply: "I have met Sizheng."
Hearing this title, Shen Yi was startled, looked at the middle-aged official, and then recognized him.
"Lin Sheng?"
"yes."
Lin Sheng lowered his head and sighed: "Sizheng still knows how to handle a humble position."
Mr. Shen patted the shoulder of this old subordinate of the Di Di Reporting Department and said with a smile: "You've made your mark, you've become a fifth-rank official in the capital."
"The one assigned by Si Zheng back then was a fifth-grade official."
Lin Sheng lowered his head and said: "In ten years, I only barely climbed up to the imperial court from a humble position, and I am still in the fifth rank..."
"It's already very difficult."
Mr. Shen patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "If I had no luck, I would probably be at your level now."
Lin Sheng lowered his head and said: "Sizheng Tianzong's talent cannot be compared to a mediocre person like Hsiao Shi."
Master Shen smiled.
"Okay, let's talk about gossip later. If you say a few more words to me, maybe someone will notice and affect your job."
"Let's get together in a few days and talk."
Lin Sheng lowered his head in agreement and retreated.
Mr. Shen searched among the crowd and finally found Zhang Jian's voice. He stepped forward, stood beside Zhang Shangshu, and said with a smile: "Didn't Senior Brother write to me and say that many people in the court said bad things about me? How come I see today that there is no one outside the Deqing Hall who is not a good person?"
"In front of you, unless I don't want to be an official anymore, otherwise..."
Zhang Shangshu turned around, looked at Shen Yi, and laughed dumbly.
