Although he has returned to work, after the blow last year, Prime Minister Hu's work enthusiasm has plummeted, and he takes sick leave every now and then.
On this day, he was recuperating from an eye disease at home, so Wu Liang, the Marquis of Jiangyin, and Lu Zhongheng, the Marquis of Ji'an, came to visit him.
The housekeeper led the two people into the inner room and saw Hu Xiang lying on the rocking chair, with a cotton towel that smelled of heat and medicine applied to his eyes.
There was a musical girl sitting next to him, playing the pipa to relieve his boredom.
"Oh, Mr. Hu, do you really have an eye problem?" Lawrence Lu clicked his tongue, "I thought you were just faking it."
"What are you talking about?" Hu Weiyong took away the cotton towel covering his eyes, slowly opened his eyes and said:
"I have worked hard for the Ming Dynasty for half my life, and I have become sick all over. I just used to support my sick body and work hard for the emperor. Now, I am old, tired, and can't fight anymore."
"Listen, listen." Lu Zhongheng patted Wu Liang's shoulder and said, "This is sad. Even Hu Xiang is sad."
"Oh, I understand, I understand so much." Wu Liang nodded and sighed.
Compared with two years ago, he was in high spirits when he was showing off with Lao Liu at the Longjiang Bao Shipyard. In less than two years, Jiangyin Hou's hair has turned white and there are more wrinkles, as if he has aged ten years.
In the past two years, his life has been too difficult. Ever since he failed to instigate Chen Shanghai and Fang Datong to attack the King of Chu, Wu Liang has been living in fear. Later, his younger brother Wu Zhen was transferred to Peking by the emperor to serve under Wei Guogong.
It made Wu Liang feel that the emperor was about to take action against him.
Unexpectedly, after two years of panic, the emperor still did not touch him, and even chose his daughter as Princess Qi. This finally made Wu Liang feel at ease.
But it was just a little peace of mind. He knew very well what kind of temper he had with the superior he had followed all his life, and he must avenge himself. If he didn't avenge him, it was just that the time had not come yet.
So he still has to fight for a chance of survival for himself.
"In the past two years, the emperor has increasingly indulged your highnesses and violated us old brothers." Wu Liang sighed and said: "Xiang Hu, Mr. Han handed us into your hands, you can't ignore us."
"Yes, Prime Minister Hu, the superiors are becoming more and more harsh on us old brothers." Lu Zhongheng nodded and said: "When I returned to Beijing last winter, I just asked the stations along the way to arrange carriages and horses, but the superiors reprimanded me and asked me to
Close the door and think about your mistakes. Don’t give any face!
"There is also Lao Fei, who was ordered to recruit and surrender the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty. This kind of thing is inherently bad luck. Lao Fei returned without success and was severely criticized by the superiors. He was also fined with half a year's salary and said that he was mediocre.
Inaction, unwilling to do the job with all one's heart.
"Not to mention that Marquis Jinghai was deprived of the military power to prepare the Japanese navy for no reason. He worked as a navy all his life, but his superiors were transferred to Peking to eat sand." Lu Zhongheng couldn't hold back his words as soon as he complained. He had obviously been holding it in for a long time.
.
"So Mr. Hu, you have to stand up for us, otherwise we will have no way to survive." After saying that, he looked at Hu Weiyong pitifully, and complained a little:
"When the Korean father was here, we were not so miserable."
"Why are you talking?" Wu Liang glared at him.
However, Hu Weiyong waved his hand and said not dissatisfied: "Old Lu is right, the truth is of course not as good as the Korean prince. My benefactor is the butler who accompanies the emperor to start a business. The truth is that the emperor doesn't want to use him.
A makeshift replacement.”
"Hu Xiang, I was wrong, we didn't mean it that way." Lu Zhongheng quickly stood up and bowed: "I, Old Lu, have such a bad mouth, don't take it to heart."
"I didn't take the truth seriously." Hu Weiyong slowly sat up and said: "You are all famous generals in the world. Naturally you know that in a war, you need to know yourself and the enemy. If I don't even know how much I weigh, how can you still follow me?"
"Hu Xiang is too humble." The two men hurriedly put their hats on his head and said, "Over the years, the brothers have been very impressed by Hu Xiang. Xie has also won a lot for us, and has also made the relationship with the emperor tense."
"It's good to know." Hu Weiyong patted the armrest of the seat and said with a wry smile: "If I had known that this chair was so difficult to sit on, I would never have agreed when Mr. Han asked me to take over his shift."
"Over the years, how many times have I fought against the emperor overtly or covertly for you, the civil servants, and the local powerful?" He sighed:
"My relationship with the Crown Prince is even more intense. He regards me as a thorn in his side and a thorn in his flesh. I put my words here, but the Emperor can tolerate me. If one day the Crown Prince ascends the throne, the first thing he will do is to kill this annoying person like me.
If the prime minister is replaced, it will be good if he can spare my life."
"Hu Xiang is really not easy..." The two of them came to Hu Weiyong to complain, but they didn't expect that he spit out their bitterness all over them.
"Those who know me say that I am worried, but those who don't know me say that what do I want?" Hu Weiyong sighed and said, "The situation last year was already very dangerous. The truth is that I just want to escape unscathed, but the emperor will not let me go."
"Because the imperial court can't live without Zhongshu, and the Zhongshu can't live without Hu Xiang." Wu Liang said hurriedly.
"That's not the case," Hu Weiyong shook his head and said, "It's because apart from the Korean father-in-law, I am the only one who can make all parties sell their side and help the superiors control the situation."
As he spoke, he chuckled and said: "The superior originally wanted Wang Guangyang to replace me, but this old man is quite self-aware and knows that he doesn't have the diamond, so he doesn't want to do the porcelain work at all."
"I heard that he is in Zhongshu Province and has a bunch of national players playing chess with him all day long. It's really enjoyable." Lu Zhongheng said with a smile.
"Wang Guangyang won't take this job, and Liu Bowen is a coffin," Hu Weiyong chuckled and said, "If the emperor doesn't need me, who else can he use? We can't invite the Korean prince out again, right?"
"That's definitely not possible. The superiors have gone to great lengths to force the Korean father back to his hometown. They will never let him make a comeback again." Wu Liang shook his head.
"So I have to do it now even if I don't do it. But I know in my heart that the emperor already has a grudge against me. The crown prince's knife has already been placed on the prime minister's neck. I can survive until I reach the end of my career safely, it's just a person
A miracle." Hu Weiyong sighed and said:
"I really don't dare, and I can't do anything to fight for you anymore."
"Hu Xiang, that's not what it is, is it?" The two of them didn't expect what he said to be so serious, and they both couldn't believe it.
"You think I'm being alarmist?" Hu Weiyong sneered, pointing to the pipa girl outside the bead curtain, who kept playing the pipa, and said, "Do you know why I didn't let her stop?"
"Hu Xiangya is elegant." Lu Zhongheng said with a smile.
"Elegant ass." Hu Weiyong spat: "There are spies planted in my family. Otherwise, I wouldn't dare to talk to you."
"Ah?" Lu Zhongheng and Wu Liang said in shock: "Who instigated this?"
"Who else?" Hu Weiyong said calmly: "His Royal Highness King Yan, he took over the third brother's royal guard and made it even more prosperous. From opening a brothel to eavesdrop, he has developed to actively placing spies and eyes in ministers' homes."
As he spoke, he looked at the two of them and said, "Be careful when you two go home. There is a good chance that you will have one at home."
