On that day, Zhao Hongxuan and Prince Zhao Hongli were talking, when the latter's aides Zhou Min and Luo Yao came to the side hall.
When they saw Zhao Hongxuan, His Highness Prince Huan, Zhou Min and Luo Yao were both a little surprised. After all, His Highness Prince Huan in front of them was someone who "shouldn't" appear in the East Palace.
However, neither Zhou Min nor Luo Yao said much. After a brief exchange of greetings, Zhou Min asked about business matters.
"Your Highness, I wonder if there has been any reply to what I said yesterday?"
"How can you get a reply so quickly?" Prince Zhao Hongli said with an irritated face as soon as he heard Zhou Min's words.
After hearing this, Zhou Min's face straightened up and he said eagerly: "Your Highness, this matter cannot be delayed! ... King Yong made a statement yesterday that he is willing to hand over everything in northern Xinjiang to the court. If the prince has nothing to do with you,
If there is any movement, people's hearts will turn towards King Yong..."
"I know!" Prince Zhao Hongli interrupted Zhou Min's words impatiently, and said angrily, "We have to wait for the Wang family to discuss with those nobles, right? At least inform the other party..."
After hearing this, Zhou Min said with a serious face: "Your Highness, if you delay for too long, even if we turn over the income to the court, public opinion will no longer favor us... The people of the country will think that Your Highness is the
Reluctantly. In addition, King Yong's people are obstructing it. When the time comes, Your Highness, the Crown Prince, will lose both people and money. Not only will you not be able to keep your income in northern Xinjiang, but you will also be able to restore the hearts of the people..."
"Then what do you think we should do?" Prince Zhao Hongli said impatiently.
Zhou Min lowered his voice and said softly: "Behead first and then play..."
Before he finished speaking, Luo Yao interrupted in shock: "No!"
"Why not?" After hearing this, Zhou Min turned to look at Luo Yao and said seriously: "Luo Yao, disaster is imminent, do you still want to embarrass Zhou because of your selfishness?... Forget it, I will simply give it to you.
"The seat" is returned to you, I hope you will put the overall situation first!" "Note: The east seat is equivalent to the chief; similarly, the teacher's staff is equivalent to the second-in-command."
"You!" Luo Yao pointed at Zhou Min and was speechless. Then he suppressed his anger and sneered: "You and I both know who has selfish motives... You are not making suggestions for His Highness the Crown Prince at all.
Push His Royal Highness into the fire pit!"
"Joke!" Zhou Min sneered twice and said sarcastically: "You mean, this matter can be postponed? Silly! For something like this, the earlier it is decided, the more sincerity the Crown Prince can show. If it is delayed for a few days, even if it is delayed for a few days, even if
What's the point of donating it all? Don't you, Luo Yao, understand this truth?!"
Luo Yao's face turned red with anger.
It has to be said that as the second placer in Hongde's 16th-year scientific examination, Luo Yao was extremely afraid of the scholar of the same year who was named after him.
There is no doubt that Zhou Min is a far-sighted man on the same level as Luo Yao. His sharp words, vicious vision, and deep scheming are all superior to others. What's more terrible is that this person is the best at scheming.
Take the matter of donation as an example. In fact, Luo Yao also felt that Donggong must donate, and the sooner the better. On this point, he and Zhou Min agreed.
But in Luo Yao's view, the prerequisite for this matter is that it must reach an agreement with the nobles of the East Palace Party. At least, they will be informed and explain the difficulties of the East Palace to them, so as not to arouse the resentment of those nobles and aristocratic families.
.
But this time, Zhou Min knew everything. He just focused on "solving it as soon as possible" and forced the Prince of the East Palace to "kill first and then show off." However, Luo Yao still couldn't catch Zhou Min.
Even Luo Yao admired this kind of conspiracy method.
He even wondered whether Zhou Min did not do well in the exam on purpose.
Of course, he misunderstood Zhou Min on this point. After all, the scientific examination is just one of the criteria to measure a person's talent. If he does not do well in the test, it does not mean that the person really has no talent.
For example, Wen Qi, now a retainer of Prince Su's Mansion, cheated in public on the scientific examination and was expelled from his grades that year. Do you dare to say that this person has no talent?
You must know that this Wen Qi pushed several people who were not originally ranked in the top list to the top list. What's terrible is that the officials of the Ministry of Rites had no idea.
For a mediocre person who received help from Wenqi, no one knew that such serious fraud had occurred in that scientific examination.
As the chief culprit of the "Wenqi fraud case", who dares to say that Wenqi has no talent?
Therefore, the results of the scientific examination cannot truly represent a scholar's talent and talent. Zhou Min did not do well in the examination that year, perhaps just because the invigilator who reviewed his examination papers did not like his articles.
While Zhou Min and Luo Yao were arguing, Zhao Hongxuan stood aside and watched, muttering secretly in his heart.
It has to be said that what Zhou Min and Luo Yao said were reasonable, as if they were all thinking about the Prince of the East Palace.
But Zhao Hongxuan knew that Zhou Min was a man of King Yong's reputation.
Because when Zhao Hongrun reminded him to stay away from the Crown Prince of the East Palace, he told him so that he could understand that although the Crown Prince seemed to be in a good position and overwhelming King Yong, in fact, he had always been under the control of King Yong.
between.
Zhao Hongxuan dislikes such people who play tricks and tricks very much. Whether it is King Yong or the Zhou Min in front of him, in his opinion, a man should be like his brother Zhao Hongrun, King Su. No matter whether he is good or bad, he should put everything on the table to speak.
!
It's a pity that he has a reserved personality and cannot imitate his brother's sharpness.
Suddenly, Luo Yao, who was arguing with Zhou Min, suddenly closed his mouth because he noticed the cold and disgusted look on the face of King Huan Zhao Hongxuan when he looked at Zhou Min.
At that moment, Luo Yao had countless thoughts in his mind. Finally, he ended his quarrel with Zhou Min and stood calmly between Zhao Hongxuan and Zhou Min, making Zhou Min unable to notice the look Zhao Hongxuan was looking at him.
"Are you speechless?"
Zhou Min looked very proud. He didn't see through Luo Yao's thoughts. He just thought that he had once again made the second-place candidate speechless. He was quite proud of himself: What did the ranking of the scientific examination that year mean? He was ranked far in the tens.
Even though he is famous, he can still beat Luo Yao, who is in second place, out of breath.
After secretly sneering twice, Zhou Min turned to face Prince Zhao Hongli, cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, please make a decision early!"
Prince Zhao Hongli thought for a while, then finally nodded and said in a deep voice: "Then... let's do it this way. Zhou Min, I'll leave this matter to you."
"Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince." Zhou Min smiled slightly and bowed and retreated.
Before leaving, he still did not forget to provoke Luo Yao in a subtle way with his eyes, but Luo Yao had no expression on his face.
At this time, Zhao Hongxuan saw that Luo Yao was still standing in the side hall but did not speak to the prince Zhao Hongli, so he misunderstood and wisely said goodbye and left.
Unexpectedly, he had just walked out of the palace gate when Luo Yao's voice came from behind him: "Your Highness, King Huan, please stay."
Zhao Hongxuan looked back and saw Luo Yao walking in a hurry, feeling a little puzzled.
Luo Yao glanced at the clan guards around Zhao Hongxuan, and then whispered: "Your Highness, King Huan, can you lend me a moment to speak?"
After hearing this, Zhang Ao and other Zongwei frowned. Although they were a little unhappy, they still took the initiative to walk away.
Seeing this, Luo Yao lowered his voice and said: "Your Highness, King Huan, you know that Zhou Min is a member of King Yong, right?"
Zhao Hongxuan was startled when he heard this and pretended to be confused: "What are you talking about, Mr. Luo? Mr. Zhou is the right-hand man of His Highness the Crown Prince..."
Luo Yao laughed bitterly when he heard this, and then said seriously: "His Royal Highness King Huan, Luo wants to ask His Highness King Huan to do a favor."
Although Zhao Hongxuan is not as smart as Zhao Hongzhao and Zhao Hongrun, he is not stupid. He knew what Luo Yao meant when he heard it. He shook his head and said: "Mr. Luo, I can't help you with this matter... Otherwise, my brother really knows how to do it."
Beat me to death."
"His Royal Highness Prince Su?" Luo Yao chuckled, and then led Zhao Hongxuan for a walk in the garden of the East Palace, saying: "Yesterday, I heard from His Highness the Crown Prince that King Huan thought that His Highness the Crown Prince was superior to King Yong? That's because King Huan
Does His Highness want to be in charge of the Northern First Army?"
After hearing this, Zhao Hongxuan's face darkened, and he frowned and said displeasedly: "Mr. Luo has said this, does Mr. Luo think that this king is a flatterer?"
Seeing that Zhao Hongxuan was a little sullen, Luo Yao was not in a hurry and asked with a smile: "In other words, are you speaking from the bottom of your heart?"
Zhao Hongxuan was stunned when he heard the words, as if he had guessed something, and said with a wry smile: "Mr. Luo, those words are indeed from the bottom of my heart, but I will not interfere in the affairs of several royal brothers... This is
I promised my brother."
Hearing this, Luo Yao let out a long sigh, and Gu Zuoyan said: "The current situation of His Highness the Crown Prince... is very worrying. I only focused on staring at Zhou Min, but I ignored that there are still resourceful people on King Yong's side.
He made suggestions...Have you ever heard of Zhang Qigong, a native of Huangchi, His Highness King Huan?"
"It seems that he was ranked third in the new class last year?" Zhao Hongxuan asked in surprise.
"Yeah." Luo Yao nodded, and then said seriously: "I met Zhang Qigong once. This man was born into a public official's family. He was inherited from his ancestors and his father Yu Yin. At the age of fifteen, he became a public official in Huangchi. He has served as a public official successively.
As a prison clerk and a judge, this person is more scheming than Zhou Min... I'm worried that His Highness the Crown Prince won't be able to survive this time."
"Is it so serious?" Zhao Hongxuan asked in surprise: "Didn't His Highness the Crown Prince already agree to the donation? Although it's a little late for King Yong, it's not as bad as what Mr. Yong said, right?"
"This is just foreplay." Luo Yao looked at Zhao Hongxuan and said sternly: "The donation is just an introduction. The real cruel move from King Yong's side has not been made yet... Once King Yong starts to exert his strength, His Highness the Crown Prince may not be able to escape.
This time, I may be deprived of the title of Crown Prince..."
Zhao Hongxuan gasped in shock and said in horror: "How is that possible?!"
"This is the fact." Luo Yao said sternly: "Zhou Ming and Zhang Qigong, we scholars, kill people without a knife... Although I have vaguely guessed the conspiracy of the two of them, but the East Palace was deceived by Zhou Ming, I don't
Dare to reveal it, otherwise it will alert the enemy."
Speaking of this, Luo Yao glanced at Zhao Hongxuan and said sincerely: "I heard that when the East Palace and His Highness Prince Huan were in Northern Xinjiang, they were as close as brothers. Could it be that Your Highness could not bear to watch His Highness the Crown Prince lose power?"
Zhao Hongxuan opened his mouth and shook his head hesitantly: "Mr. Luo, I can't..."
"Let's make a deal with me, Your Highness King Huan." Luo Yao interrupted Zhao Hongxuan's refusal and said seriously: "If this matter can be accomplished, not only will the East Palace be safe and sound, but it can even counterattack King Yong; and Your Highness, King Huan, will also
We can take advantage of this opportunity to truly take charge of the Northern First Army and establish prestige in the army."
"...What does this matter have to do with the First Army of the North?" Zhao Hongxuan was surprised and confused.
Luo Yao didn't think too much and said with a smile: "If the East Palace falls, will the Beiyi Army still be there?"
"..."
Zhao Hongxuan's expression changed slightly, and he couldn't help but think of his brother Zhao Hongrun's attitude yesterday.