When Gu Xiancheng came back from the Yamen that day, he saw the township party members gathered at his home again.
Everyone was extremely moved and said: "Brother Gu could have protected himself, but he resolutely stood up for us and did not care about himself at all. This is the righteousness of the ancients!"
Gu Xiancheng sighed: "If the skin is not there, how can the hair be attached? If there are no kings, what can I do?"
Qian Yiben added: "I was on the elimination list before, so it was difficult to speak.
Now I don’t have to worry about much anymore, I will speak out sincerely and advance and retreat with Brother Gu!”
"Don't! Don't!" Gu Xiancheng hurriedly tried to dissuade Qian Yiben, "I am the one who has the biggest responsibility!
We can’t all take risks, so Mr. Qian doesn’t have to be dragged down! If something happens to me, my fellow villagers will still need Mr. Qian to take care of me in the future!”
Qian Yiben still wanted to struggle and said affectionately: "How can I bear to watch Brother Gu walk alone towards the cliff?"
Gu Xiancheng angrily shouted: "Shut up! Are you even unwilling to listen to my dissuasion now?"
It's now time, can you stop trying to steal the limelight with all your money?
You have walked an extremely thrilling track, so don’t mess around with your money!
When Qian Yiben saw that Gu Xiancheng had stirred up the Samadhi True Fire, he remained silent.
Alas, I won't be able to catch the limelight this time. But it's okay, at least I'm safe.
In the court, anything done at the cusp of the storm will be accompanied by huge risks. Not everything can be as safe and secure as the impeachment of Lin Tailai.
In the realm of a quasi-Dzogchen senior censor who has been practicing hard for many years and is about to ascend, safety comes first, and there is nothing wrong with seeking stability.
On this night, most members of the Update Society also secretly gathered in the front hall of Lin Mansion for a meeting.
Gu Xiancheng's flipping of the table was completely unexpected and caught everyone in the update club off guard.
Everyone originally thought that everything would be fine if they subdued the Qingliu Party members with their strength. Who would have thought that a life-threatening Gu Xiancheng would pop up?
The Qingliu forces are really useless, they can’t even control their own backbone!
This method of directly flipping the table made everyone feel troublesome.
Someone said doubtfully: "Gu Xiancheng is the superior, are you sure it was his own behavior? Is it possible that the opponent Qingliu force deliberately pushed him out and was playing some conspiracy?"
Wang Xiangmeng, a doctor in the Literary Selection Department of the Ministry of Personnel, replied: "Today in the Ministry of Personnel, Liu Yukui, the left minister, swore to me that saying that Gu Xiancheng was a scholar was a purely personal act and had nothing to do with them."
Everyone fell into deep thought again, this matter is indeed difficult to deal with.
The Lin party's inspection of the capital this time was originally an upright "using power to suppress others." There is nothing to say about the law of the jungle, which is very common in officialdom.
But Gu Xian became a large group of fellow villagers who fought to the death, and actually established a good image of "loyalty" in public opinion.
If we deliberately retaliate against Gu Xiancheng now, it will ruin the Lin party's popularity too much.
Zhou Yingqiu, secretary-general of the Update Society, didn't have any ideas, so he subconsciously started to make suggestions: "If Duke Jiuyuan is in the capital, how will he deal with it?"
Wang Xiangmeng said fiercely: "Uncle Jiu Yuan will definitely bring people to knock on his door, destroy his courtyard, beat his family, smash his cars and sedans, and insult his poems!"
Zhou Yingqiu: "."
What he said was the truth. I don't know many Yan Guan who have been treated like this by Lin Jiuyuan. Even the gate of the Metropolitan Procuratorate was destroyed by Lin Jiuyuan.
But even if it's the truth, people like them here really don't have the ability to imitate it.
Thinking of this, Zhou Yingqiu couldn't help but sigh secretly. It seemed that others really couldn't say anything.
But in order to consolidate his position, he has to say something.
When Zhou Yingqiu was thinking about how to speak, Gu Bingqian, a scholar who had just passed the exam last year, said: "We might as well start with the consequences."
Huh? Zhou Yingqiu, the "Pig's Trotter General Constitutional Sun Ten Thousand Heavenly Official" in history, looked at "White Beard Chief Assistant" Gu Bingqian, his eyes full of vigilance.
Gu Bingqian was not affected and continued: "There is a possibility that the emperor will ignore Gu Xiancheng's memorial and treat it coldly.
This should be the best result that can be imagined, but I think it is unlikely.
Everyone knows the emperor's nature, after all, Lord Jiuyuan has analyzed it for us many times."
What kind of person is Emperor Wanli? He admires his grandfather, Emperor Jiajing, and is happy to see ministers quarrel with each other as long as it doesn't involve himself.
Regardless of whether the level is high or not, I do have the idea of "checks and balances" in my mind, such as when I allowed officials to attack and liquidate Zhang Juzheng.
Therefore, Emperor Wanli probably would not retain Gu Xiancheng's book "On Major Harms in the Imperial Court" and would probably issue it for discussion.
Everyone knows the above principles, and Gu Bingqian did not need to elaborate. He elaborated: "If it is just sent down to the cabinet, the impact will still be controllable, but the probability is not high.
So in all likelihood, it will be sent to various ministries for discussion, so what will happen?
Whether it is our side or the other side, they will definitely not support Gu Xiancheng, but will refute Gu Xiancheng!
So in the eyes of the emperor, wouldn't Gu Xiancheng's image become that of a lonely minister?
If it works well, a lone minister can also do a lot! For example, Zhang Fujing, the first assistant in the early years of the Sejong Dynasty, started his career as a lone minister, and it only took him five or six years to join the cabinet after being a Jinshi!"
Everyone suddenly realized that maybe this was Gu Xiancheng's idea!
The current situation in the court has evolved into a confrontation between the Lin Party and the Qingliu forces, and Gu Xiancheng wants to take a desperate third path.
This is very risky and can easily lead to death.
But if Gu Xiancheng still wants to make a difference in politics in the future, he seems to have no other better choice at the moment.
Zhou Yingqiu frowned slightly, as expected, Gu Bingqian was his competitor in the same niche.
He must show something, otherwise he will be robbed of today's limelight.
So Zhou Yingqiu said decisively, "If Gu Xiancheng really has this idea, it is not impossible to restrain himself."
Everyone looked at Zhou Yingqiu again. Did Zhou Yingqiu think of a strategy in this short period of time?
Then I heard Zhou Yingqiu say: "It's not easy to be a solitary minister. Zhang Fujing became a solitary minister because he stood out in the ceremonial discussion!
Although our Wanli Dynasty did not have great ritual discussions, there were also disputes over the country's foundation. It was not easy for Gu Xiancheng to be a lonely minister!
All it takes is someone petitioning for permission for the emperor's eldest son to come out to study and give lectures, and then quoting some of Gu Xiancheng's words, the fire will naturally be burned on him.
After all, Gu Xiancheng is known as a true Confucian and has often given lectures over the years. He can quote many words at random!
At that time, the emperor will definitely ask Gu Xiancheng about his attitude, or wait for Gu Xiancheng's statement!"
Everyone had to admire you, Zhou Yingqiu, who was so vicious that you even thought of provoking national issues to reduce the dimension and attack Gu Xiancheng!
The meaning of letting the eldest son of the emperor go out to study and lecture is actually to give the crown prince treatment.
This is to push Gu Xiancheng to death and completely deny him any way to survive.
Wang Xiangmeng still had some doubts, "Then who would ask the emperor to let the eldest son go out to study and give lectures, and be responsible for setting the pace?"
You know, this person in Shangshu will definitely bear the wrath of the Nine Heavens Thunder. Do we have to sacrifice our comrades here for the sake of the crazy Gu Xiancheng?"
Zhou Yingqiu gritted his teeth and said: "Why should we be sent out? This is a problem for the opponent's family, not ours!
They failed to control Gu Xiancheng, and they will be responsible for the consequences! If they are given a way, they should do it!
Otherwise, it will be regarded as Gu Xiancheng provoking a dispute between the two sides, and the two sides will start a war!"
Everyone agreed, "That's right! It is the Qingliu forces that should be responsible for dealing with Gu Xiancheng! There is no reason for us to contribute!"
Anyway, a solution was finally found, and everyone felt relaxed.
Wang Xiangmeng smiled as if he were a senior official: "We have Zhou Yingqiu and Gu Bingqian in our update agency, it's like having a crouching dragon and a phoenix chick!
Today’s discussion can also be called careful planning and careful planning, they really complement each other!”
In the midst of the compliments, Gu Bingqian suddenly laughed bitterly, "Actually, I still have some fallacies, but in order to renew the great cause of the society, I'd rather not vomit them out.
Although the method described by Senior Zhou is feasible, it is not necessarily perfect."
Everyone was immediately confused. Zhou Yingqiu's strategy was already so vicious, and you still said it wasn't perfect?
Wang Xiangmeng glanced at Zhou Yingqiu first, and then said to Gu Bingqian: "Lin Jiuyuan said that comrades should tell each other everything they know. You should talk about it first."
Gu Bingqian then spoke again: "Shangshu's provocation of national issues is a matter of uncovering the dragon's scales.
Successfully setting the fire on Gu Xiancheng was tantamount to taking advantage of the emperor. And the emperor must have realized that he was being used.
Even if the plot succeeds and Gu Xiancheng is deposed, it will leave a big grudge in the emperor's heart. Just think about it, how could the Nine-Fifth Emperor like the feeling of being used?
Check out the correct version one by one!
I don’t know whether this grudge can be eliminated or whether it will turn into a hidden danger. We must figure it out.”
Zhou Yingqiu asked expressionlessly: "Then what do you think we should do?"
Gu Bingqian replied: "Don't you know that the most threatening time for a bow and arrow is when the arrow is on the string but has not yet been fired?
As long as the emperor is informed in advance through some channels, ministers may stir up national issues in order to attack Gu Xiancheng.
So in order to avoid trouble, the emperor probably didn't want to spend any more time on a mere Gu Xiancheng.
After all, Gu Xiancheng is just a foreign minister now, not an important official of the imperial court, so his current value is very limited."
Zhou Yingqiu continued to ask: "The emperor is within the ninth level. How can we let the emperor know?"
Gu Bingqian continued to answer: "Let the opponents of the Qingliu Party first ask the cabinet about the relevant situation with secrets, and then the cabinet veteran will leak the situation to the emperor."
Zhou Yingqiu thought about it silently in his heart, and there should be no problem with what Gu Bingqian said.
If it were someone like Emperor Jiajing, even if he was "reminded", he might be upset or rebellious, and he would continue to act according to his own ideas.
But Emperor Wanli did not have such means and strong will. If he was reminded that it might cause trouble, he would probably avoid it and not want to confront the trouble head on.
The next day, Wang Xiangmeng went to work in the Literary and Selection Department. He met Gu Xiancheng, a member of the Communist Party of China. He couldn't help but persuade him: "Gu Jun, please resign yourself. Only in this way can the peace of the court be guaranteed."
Gu Xiancheng, who made up his mind to take a gamble, said proudly: "I have already ignored myself."
Wang Xiangmeng shook his head and said nothing more.
A few days later, Chen Ju, an eunuch with a pen, suddenly came to the Ministry of Personnel to see Gu Xiancheng.
After the screen retreated, Chen Ju showed a secret letter to Gu Xiancheng and said: "The emperor is consulting you with a secret letter. You can answer it here, and then I will take it back to the palace and present it to you."
Gu Xiancheng took the secret letter, opened it and looked at it carefully.
Seeing this, Eunuch Chen shook his head secretly. He didn't know if Gu Xiancheng was a talented person, but he was definitely not as good as Lin Tailai.
Lin Tailai also encountered such a thing two years ago, but Lin Tailai did not choose to open it in person, but asked himself, the messenger angel, to read it out. This was evident in his caution.
If you read something in writing, you need to answer with a pen; if you hear a message, you only need to answer orally.
Gu Xiancheng looked at the secret letter, and it was written in royal writing: "In the past, I consulted Lin Tailai on the basis of the country, and he suggested that the Yuan Dynasty has no legitimate son, and the future is unknown.
Therefore, you can first make all three princes kings. If there is no legitimate son in the future, you can choose the good one and make him the heir apparent.
Now, based on Lin Tailai’s advice, what do you think we should do?”
After reading it, Gu Xiancheng felt bitter in his heart. Why did the emperor use such a big issue to force him to question him?
Shouldn't you give yourself a smile and encourage yourself first?
When I came up and asked him like this, there was no room to move around! I haven't received any benefits yet, so how dare I express my position?
If the emperor treats your ministers like this, then who would dare to sacrifice their lives rashly?
I am not an important minister, so I can’t decide anything in this regard!
Eunuch Chen urged: "It's late today, don't be in a daze, write a memorial and answer it!"
Gu Xiancheng stared at the name "Lin Tailai" on the secret note, and cursed in his heart, Lin Tailai, you have thick eyebrows and big eyes, you turned out to be such a face in private.
Feeling that the pen in his hand was more than a thousand pieces, Gu Xiancheng couldn't help but ask: "Did Lin Tailai write the memorial and answers by hand?"
Eunuch Chen replied: "He answered orally."
Gu Xiancheng was overjoyed and said quickly: "Can I answer it orally?"
If you just express your position verbally and don't leave any handwriting, you will be much more flexible.
Ever since the secrets of the chief minister were leaked at the end of the 19th year of Wanli, no one could trust the emperor's integrity.
But Eunuch Chen simply refused and said: "No! It must be written by hand."
Gu Xiancheng questioned: "Why can Lin Tailai answer orally?"
Eunuch Chen said disdainfully: "What's your level? Can you compare with Lin Tailai?
With Lin Tailai's status and achievements, as long as he does not openly oppose the third son of the emperor, the emperor will have no other demands!
Besides, Lin Tailai has many great uses, and the emperor is not willing to force Lin Tailai to take a stand on national issues!"
By implication, what ability and merit do you have to demand the same transcendent treatment as Lin Tailai?
In the past seven or eight years, although Gu Xiancheng was tortured many times by Lin Tailai, his mentality has always been tight and he is very tolerant.
But today, after hearing these words from Eunuch Chen, my guard finally broke.
How could the emperor be such an emperor? A foolish emperor! A foolish emperor who does not distinguish between loyalty and treachery!
"If there is a direct descendant, there is no direct descendant. It has been established for eternity and cannot be changed!" Gu Xiancheng shouted crazily, as if he was venting some dissatisfaction.
Eunuch Chen: "."
Fortunately, I deliberately tested it, and found out that this person was not made to be a lonely minister at all, and he was not worthy of support at all.