Chapter 771: The negotiation between the father and the son
In the end, Qu Yang, the second son of the Qu family of Chu State who was deceived out of the negotiation bottom line, under the guidance of Zongwei Lu Mu, left Su Prince's Mansion hesitantly and worried about gains and losses.
At this time, Zhao Hongrun was still sitting in the banquet, holding the teacup in his right hand, drinking sip after sip.
It has to be said that the Qu family really came with great sincerity this time, so much so that Zhao Hongrun suspected that the other party had already been mentally prepared to be brutally killed.
The problem at hand is that Zhao Hongrun is very satisfied with the sincerity shown by the Qu family, but he has always been hesitant about whether to assist the Qu family and intervene in Chu's civil war.
Therefore, Zhao Hongrun did not reply directly to Qu Yang, but only said that he would "consider it".
"It would have been better if Luo Yao had been willing to defect to me..."
Zhao Hongrun couldn't help but think of a certain East Palace aide who secretly supported him.
To be fair, he is not a dictator nor should he be one. After all, he knows the truth that "when everyone adds more fuel, the flames will rise." If he has a wise man like Luo Yao around him, he doesn't mind listening.
Listen to the opinions of think tanks.
But the problem is, he doesn't.
However, all scholars with real talents and knowledge all have lofty goals, and those who regard the realization of their lifelong ambitions as their greatest wish, how can they defect to a prince who has already withdrawn from the struggle for the throne?
"Alas." Zhao Hongrun sighed silently.
Seeing His Highness sighing, Wei Jiao, the chief of the imperial family, was puzzled and couldn't help asking: "Why is Your Highness sighing?"
So, Zhao Hongrun told Wei Jiao about this matter.
"Is it like a counselor like Luo Yao?" Wei Jiao thought for a moment, then seemed to think of something, and said quickly: "Your Highness, isn't there a scientific examination this year? Why don't Your Highness choose a few people from them? Luo Yao, Zhou Min, no
Are they all students taking the science examination?"
"Huh?"
Zhao Hongrun was stunned for a moment, but then he shook his head regretfully: "It's already too late to act now... Those scholars with real talent and knowledge have probably been 'divided up' long ago... Let me, the King,
Go pick up the rest?"
Wei Jiao scratched his hair when he heard this and was speechless.
Because it was in Daliang, the royal capital, both Zhao Hongrun and Wei Jiao knew a little bit about the imperial examinations. After all, the most critical part of the examinations, the "competition examination", took place in Daliang.
Only those who stand out from the general examination and are on the high school red list are eligible to participate in the palace examination.
But the problem is that the start time of each general examination is around March or April, and now it is June. Not to mention the general examination, even the palace examination has ended.
Now, are you thinking of selecting a few talented and knowledgeable scholars as your staff? The day lily is already cold.
Perhaps seeing that His Highness was a little depressed, Wei Jiao advised from the side: "Otherwise, let's ask Gao Kuo to go and find out. Maybe there are talents like 'Zhou Min' among the students who failed to occupy the top spot?"
After hearing this, Zhao Hongrun couldn't help but feel a little moved.
You must know that Zhou Min is said to be only a candidate who ranked around 20 or 30 in Hongde's 16th year examination. Whether he is qualified to participate in the palace examination depends entirely on the mood of Emperor Wei - it depends on Emperor Wei's ranking among the top candidates to participate in the palace examination.
As for the opponent Zhou Min wanted to defeat, Luo Yao, this person was the second place in that examination and was a scholar destined to be qualified to participate in the palace examination.
But what’s the result?
Zhou Min's three clever strategies overwhelmed Luo Yao and left him breathless.
It can be seen from this that the performance ranking of the general examination cannot be regarded as a standard for measuring the true talents of each scholar.
Thinking of this, Zhao Hongrun nodded and said: "Forget it, you can ask Gao Kuo to try his luck."
"Yes." Wei Jiao clasped his fists, turned around and was about to leave, but Zhao Hongrun called out to him again: "Ask the guards in the palace to inform Gao Kuo. You come with me to the palace."
"Imperial Palace?" Wei Jiao looked puzzled and said to himself: Doesn't His Highness go to Ningxiang Palace every day around dusk? Why is it so early today?
Perhaps he guessed Wei Jiao's confusion, Zhao Hongrun didn't hide it and said truthfully: "Go to Chui Gong Hall, I have something I want to hear the old man's opinion on."
After that, he ignored Wei Jiao's surprised expression as if he saw the sun rising in the west, and walked out of the study on his own.
After a while, Zhao Hongrun rode his carriage from Prince Su's Palace, walked through the streets and alleys, and went straight to the palace.
The guards guarding the palace saw the carriage of Prince Su's Mansion from a distance, and quickly came forward to greet it, lining up to salute.
Then, when they saw Zhao Hongrun coming out of the carriage, the guards quickly let him go without even asking for a token to enter and exit the palace.
But think about it, according to Zhao Hongrun's current status in Wei State, no matter whether he brought a pass to enter or leave the palace, the guards did not have the guts to stop him.
After passing through the square paved with white bricks and bypassing several large and small gardens, Zhao Hongrun went straight to the Chui Gong Hall. The guards guarding the outside of the Chui Gong Hall quickly went inside to report.
After asking about it, I found out that it was because Zhao Hongrun had frightened him so much when he returned to Daliang a few days ago. His father had ordered Lang Wei outside the Chui Gong Hall: Whenever the Eighth Prince comes to the Chui Gong Hall, he should immediately enter the hall and report.
.
In response to this, Zhao Hongrun curled his lips secretly, feeling amused by his father's nervous attitude, while secretly regretting that he would not be able to surprise his father again in the future.
"His Majesty has spoken, and His Majesty Prince Su is invited to enter the palace."
In just a moment, the eunuch Tong Xian came out in person to welcome Zhao Hongrun into the palace.
Following the old eunuch, Zhao Hongrun walked to the inner hall with ease. At a glance, he saw that his father had already put down his pen for reviewing memorials, and was holding an exquisite tea porcelain with a black dragon carved on it, watching his arrival with a smile.
.
"My son's arrival today is a bit strange, and I can't figure it out." Emperor Wei said with a smile, but his tone was not that at all, as if he had already guessed why his son came to Chui Gong Hall.
Perhaps it was not the first time he had dealt with his father. When Zhao Hongrun saw Emperor Wei's demeanor and tone, he had a vague understanding in his heart, so he asked tentatively: "Father, please tell me in detail in the court?"
Emperor Wei was stunned for a moment, then nodded, put down the teacup in his hand, and walked straight past Zhao Hongrun: "Come with me."
During this period, the three Secretaries of State in the palace looked at each other, and they somewhat guessed in their minds: Your Highness, Prince Su, must be discussing some important matters that cannot be leaked to others.
The father and son came to an imperial garden not far from the Chui Gong Hall. The great eunuch Tong Xian stepped back first, and with the two young eunuchs behind him and the imperial guards who followed them, they sealed the garden tightly.
stand up.
Wei Jiao, the chief of the Zong Guard, stood about five or six feet away, monitoring the activities around him with a serious expression.
"Sit." Emperor Wei sat down on a stone bench and pointed to the stone bench opposite the stone table.
Zhao Hongrun was not polite and sat down directly on the stone bench without bowing or thanking him.
However, Emperor Wei was used to his rude behavior, so he didn't pay attention to it. He just laughed and joked: "I thought, Hongrun, you would have to wait for some time and wait for your anger to subside before you would talk to me...
…”
Of course, Zhao Hongrun could hear the teasing tone in his father's mouth, rolled his eyes and said: "It's never too late for a gentleman to take revenge. I will keep the accounts of the past few days in my heart for the time being, and I will definitely repay you generously in the future."
Emperor Wei was a little surprised when he heard this, and then said with a smile: "It seems that you are in a good mood today, Hongrun."
"Hmm." Zhao Hongrun snorted, then frowned and said, "Father, please don't change the subject again. I came here today because I want to discuss something with my father..."
"Qu Yang?" Emperor Wei asked seemingly casually.
"..." Zhao Hongrun opened his mouth, quite surprised. He frowned and looked at his father up and down, and said with a strange expression: "It seems that my father has been spending a lot of time in serving as a supervisor recently..."
Emperor Wei chuckled when he heard this and said: "Who told me that in recent years, there has been an undercurrent in the beams?... No, last year, a few green crows from the south openly robbed the staff of the East Palace. What do you think?
Isn’t this strange?”
Zhao Hongrun rolled his eyes secretly, but was secretly surprised.
He originally thought that the Blue Crows had done a very secretive job in kidnapping Luo Yao, but he didn't expect that his father had actually known about it for a long time.
Perhaps noticing Zhao Hongrun's expression, Emperor Wei waved his hand and said, "Okay, I'm just joking with you. I won't go to war for a few little crows."
"Who is your father targeting?"
Zhao Hongrun was just about to ask when he heard Emperor Wei say to himself: "As for Qu Yang, didn't those little crows under your command tell you? This man came to my Daliang and visited me everywhere, giving gifts and bribes, and smoothing his joints...
…Yesterday, your Third Prince brother Hongjing introduced this person to me, and I don’t know how much benefit he got from him.”
Recalling the gifts given by Qu Yang when he came to visit today, Zhao Hongrun's expression was slightly unnatural.
He thought he was the only one.
Zhao Hongrun curled his lips rather depressed, and then asked curiously: "My father's absence from this person means that my father does not want to intervene in the civil strife of Chu State?"
Emperor Wei did not answer his son directly, but asked: "Do you think the Qu family can win?"
"Difficult!" Zhao Hongrun shook his head.
"That's it." Emperor Wei said seriously: "The Xiong family has been in power in Chu for hundreds of years. Even though the reputation of King Xiong Xu of Chu has plummeted and he may be forced to abdicate, in the final analysis, this throne is still
It just belongs to the Xiong clan... The Qu clan wants to fish in troubled waters and steal the royal power. It is really a foolish dream."
Speaking of this, Emperor Wei glanced at Zhao Hongrun and reminded him intentionally or unintentionally: "This battle is completely different from your crusade against Chu a while ago... You and King Lu Xi of Qi crusade against Chu. Even if Chu is defeated,
The royal power also belongs to the Xiong clan. Therefore, unless the Xiong clan is forced into a desperate situation, they will not wait for you to die. ... But what about this time? The Qu clan is trying to shake the foundation of the Xiong clan. If you intervene rashly,
, the Xiong clan hates you far more than you captured the capital of Chu State, because in this battle, the Xiong clan has no way out... Do you understand?"
"Even if the Qu family is willing to share the Chu Kingdom equally with me, the Wei Dynasty?" Zhao Hongrun asked tentatively with a bit of unwillingness.
Even the Emperor of Wei could not help but be moved when he heard this, but after a brief moment of confusion, he shook his head firmly and said: "In order to win the internal struggle, the Qu family did not hesitate to split the land and divide the territory. In this way, they won the victory."
Even if I, the great Wei Dynasty, take the land that comes from us today, we will still lose it in the future.
Being captured and taken back by the angry Chu people will be of no use... In fact, Xiong Xu will even be caught and transfer the internal conflicts of the Chu State to our great Wei... You should know best that although the Chu State has already
There is one person to vent the emotions of his people, but there is no shortage of one more.”