There are many subordinate officials in the East Palace. Si Zhi is the seventh rank official and is in charge of some military affairs.
No wonder Cen Rubai has a wide network of people in the Jianghu. Maybe the East Palace was in trouble and many military attachés from the East Palace were living in the Jianghu, and they still have contact with Cen Rubai.
Su Ziji stared at him, then stretched out his hand to help him up, sighing: "I have suffered a lot from you these years."
Just this sentence made Cen Rubai shed tears.
Cen Rubai hurriedly wiped away his tears again, and said as if he was laughing or crying: "I can see you and know that His Highness the Crown Prince still has heirs in this world. Although I will die without regrets, I can wait until this day.
Not bitter.”
"So that's it." Luo Pei and Governor Zhao couldn't help but be filled with emotion when they saw that they had officially recognized their names and asked about the situation.
Luo Pei was even more silent. This kind of situation is actually not uncommon in this era. Although there is talk of loyalty and it is a good talk, it is precisely because of its rarity that it is praised by everyone.
He couldn't help but think: "The prince has been gone for almost twenty years, and there are still many old subordinates who are still clinging to the throne and refusing to serve. Alas, if the prince is here, how can the King of Shu get ahead?"
Seeing that the officials who were picking up the ship were surprised, they looked over from time to time, and knew that they must have something to say, so they said: "Your Majesty, it is not appropriate to announce your identity now, nor to be greeted by greetings. Please take a seat on the official ship."
With that said, the two of them went out directly.
Su Ziji nodded, knowing that his identity was embarrassing now that he had been exposed, so naturally he could not greet him casually. The two of them retreated to the deck of a boat behind them, surrounded by soldiers guarding them, with the river bank in front of them.
The big ship was getting closer and closer to the shore. The same two people in front were silent for a while. Governor Zhao sighed: "I didn't expect that the Crown Prince has been away for so long and there are still old ministers left behind."
Luo Pei was also quite emotional. He had been in a low mood during this period, but because of this encounter, he actually had a good impression of Su Ziji. At this time, thinking of the scene he just saw, he felt a little touched in his heart.
After all, as a minister, who wouldn't want to encounter such a scene where the king and his ministers are in harmony?
But then I thought, although Cen Rubai is an admirable old minister and has never forgotten his old master, why is it possible that today's scene is not because of the prince's disaster more than ten years ago?
If he was given a choice, he probably still hoped to be safe and sound, so that both he and the King of Shu could go smoothly and safely.
Although in this way, the legend of the reunion of the emperor and his ministers that could be passed down was lost, literati just like to express their feelings about such things, and probably few people hope to be the protagonist in such a story.
"It's just that although I am not at fault, the astrological matter is a disaster that fell out of thin air. I don't know what punishment I will encounter when I return to Beijing.
The two were chatting, but they didn't notice anyone following them. At this time, they were also caught in a tangled struggle.
At this time, the sound of drum music started louder again. When the official called the official ship to dock, and heard three more cannon shots, the prefect led dozens of officials to kneel down and signed up to greet him: "I respectfully greet you!"
"Holy Holy Gong!"
Although Luo Pei was in a complicated mood, he still flicked his clothes and got off the shore.
At this moment, Zhang Sui also had a complicated look on his face. He never expected that the Su Ziji he knew was actually the crown prince's surviving son, and was recognized by the emperor.
This is both an opportunity and a danger.
After hesitating for a long time, Zhang Sui made up his mind and went back suddenly. He saw Su Ziji entering the cabin, and Cen Rubaishang wiped his tears. As soon as he entered the cabin, he knelt down and bowed to Su Ziji: "Your Majesty, Zhang Sui is willing to follow you."
You, please also ask the prince to take you in."
"..." To be honest, Su Ziji was surprised. He looked at Zhang Sui and hesitated.
He finally had the spirit of a bastard. When someone greeted him and bowed his head, Su Ziji smiled half-heartedly and reminded him: "If you want to defect to me, you can, but what happens next is unpredictable. Have you thought clearly about it?"
Zhang Sui said seriously: "Zhang Sui has thought clearly, please allow me to follow you!"
He had indeed thought clearly that Zhang Sui was actually just a bachelor, and he only promoted people. When he reached the eighth rank, he still worked on his own.
But if you go up any higher, there is no future, and you can go up to the sixth level at most.
Although it is somewhat risky to worship under Su Ziji's sect now, the prince's surviving son may not be the grandson, and if the kings become emperors, the prince's surviving son may end up in a worse fate than the prince.
However, wealth and honor are inherently sought after danger. Let alone the throne, even if you are granted the title of king according to the convention and become a defective retainer, you can still strive for a future.
Zhang Sui is a person who likes to take risks. Since ancient times, how many famous ministers and generals have risen to the top of the clouds with the merit of following the dragon because of such adventurous things?
If you just want to be safe in everything, then you won’t even be able to drink porridge hot.
Seeing his reaction, Su Ziji nodded. Although he didn't say anything, Zhang Sui knew that this was accepting him and at least giving him a chance.
Just as he was about to speak, a soldier rushed over and reported: "On the pier just now, an official saw that your Excellency did not get off the boat, so he handed over the post and asked me to present it to you immediately."
He said and held it up with both hands.
Su Ziji took it, but felt it was heavy. It was a postcard, more than a foot long and several inches wide, and it was written on red paper.
There is a saying in the post that only Jinshi have the right to use red paper to write big characters. Of course, those with grades above five can take it out at any time and take a closer look.
"This is a greeting from the prefect."
I am only a sixth-rank official now, so why do I need to be appointed by the prefect? Su Ziji hesitated for a while, and sighed inwardly: "There is another one that is even more surprising, even a guerrilla general is included."
Looking at the invitation card in his hand, Su Ziji felt hesitant in his heart. He was considering whether to go and meet these people.
"What do you think?"
Zhang Sui was about to show off, so he hurriedly said: "My lord, your Majesty has sent you to the capital. If you make friends with officials along the way, I'm afraid it will be regarded as collusion, and it may cause the emperor's wrath."
"Even if these officials don't know your identity..."
In fact, it is impossible to come to see Su Ziji at this time without knowing Su Ziji's identity, which is the reason for the hesitation.
The imperial envoy just received the news, and someone knew it immediately?
Cen Rubai was different from Zhang Sui and other low-level officials. Seeing Su Ziji silent, he put forward his opinion: "I think we can meet him once."
Seeing Su Ziji looking over, Cen Rubai pondered for a while and said: "Your Majesty is the grandson of the emperor. He still has certain standards. He naturally has a place in the hearts of the emperor and ministers. Moreover, the king of Qi and the king of Shu are not easy to mess with. If we don't expand, we will not expand."
Yuyi, I'm afraid something big will happen after we go to Kyoto."
"And if we don't meet each other, people who know the inside story will think that the Lord has no ambitions. A good bird chooses a tree to roost. If you look down upon others, there will be no future."
"According to my opinion, whether I accept it or not, I still want to meet, as long as it doesn't spread too much."
As Su Ziji listened to what the two said, he gradually had an idea in his mind.
"It's easy." Su Ziji said: "I only met the magistrate, and the others were accompanied by the imperial envoy to have a banquet. This way, it not only loses etiquette, but also shows how to win people's hearts..."
After hearing Su Ziji's decision, Zhang Sui also felt that it was appropriate: "My lord is wise, I will leave the specific matters to Wei Chen."