Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 301: Trap and Countertrap
Judging from Zhu Houzhao's expression, he obviously wanted to hear some of Zhang Rong's little secrets.

But how could Pei Yuan dare to do that now?
Facing Zhu Houzhao, the master of decompression, Pei Yuan would have to reveal countless lies if he said anything.

Besides, Sun Bo’s departure didn’t mean that other people couldn’t hear their conversation.

What if Zhang Rong misunderstood that I was reporting Zhu Houzhao for something bad? What should I do then?
Pei Yuan decided to avoid this risk. Even though Zhang Rong had just been hit by a flash bomb by him, the two sides had not yet reached the point of a fight to the death.

Pei Yuan pretended to be hesitant, but in fact he was stalling for time.

Zhu Houzhao looked at Pei Yuan happily, without any embarrassment of having cheated someone.

Seeing Pei Yuan remained silent, Zhu Houzhao's eyes moved slightly, and he suddenly raised his voice slightly, "What did you say?"

His voice was so loud that the candidates who were talking loudly and noisily couldn't help but look over here.

Pei Yuan was startled and his heart almost jumped out.

He suddenly had a bad idea.

Then Zhu Houzhao was seen leaning towards Pei Yuan, putting his ear close to Pei Yuan as if listening.

Pei Yuan happened to see Zhang Rong striding towards him from the far end of the long street. Their eyes met from afar, and Zhang Rong immediately stared at Pei Yuan intently.

Pei Yuan really wanted to fuck Zhu Houzhao's mother at this moment.

You're not just playing me, you're trying to kill me!

Pei Yuan gritted his teeth and quickly whispered to Zhu Houzhao, "Last year, after your Majesty went to Zhihua Temple, Zhang Rong secretly spied on the emperor's words and deeds, and I happened to be there at that time."

"It's just that at that time, I was seconded from the Beijing Jinyiwei to the Nanjing Jinyiwei, so I ignored him."

"Your Majesty just asked me about my concerns, and I answered your concerns."

"Your Majesty asked me if I wanted to lie, and I told you the reason why I wanted to lie and cover it up."

"I hesitated because I did not want to deceive the emperor, but I was afraid that speaking frankly would put the emperor in even greater danger."

"I stayed at home to avoid alerting the enemy, and I was also afraid that your majesty's thoughts would be discovered by others."

"As for who is the snake, I think Your Majesty knows for sure."

As Pei Yuan spoke quickly and quietly, the mischievous smile on Zhu Houzhao's face gradually froze.

He seemed stunned for a moment, and looked at Pei Yuan in disbelief. Then his eyes flashed as if he was looking at the scholars who were arguing fiercely behind him, and then he looked at the roof with a complicated look.

Pei Yuan bowed slightly calmly and humbly, but there seemed to be a voice roaring in his heart.

——Why are you fucking laughing!

Why the hell aren't you smiling?
Do you think it's fun to play around with my life?

You are playing with fire, Hou Zhao!

Damn Zhu Houzhao, you want to play, but you can’t afford it every time!
What can your cleverness bring you?
What did the innovations that you spent all your time thinking of, the 85 articles that left the court ministers speechless, bring you in the end?
They cut Liu Jin, who was working hard, into pieces, boss!
You don’t even know what kind of enemy you are facing!

Pei Yuan tried his best to look at Zhu Houzhao calmly, and when he saw him look away in panic and hiding his expression, Pei Yuan's eyes suddenly became fierce.

You have no fucking idea what kind of me you are facing!
Seeing Zhang Rong approaching, Pei Yuan had to remind Zhu Houzhao in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the brother of the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department is here."

This time, Pei Yuan deliberately did not mention Zhang Rong's identity as the deputy commander of the Jinyiwei, but addressed him as the younger brother of the eunuch who held the seal of the Silijian.

Zhu Houzhao, a master of decompression, naturally understood what Pei Yuan meant.

Zhang Rong's intention to spy on the emperor must have been instructed by Zhang Yong.

As the Prime Minister, Zhang Yong got along well with the Minister of Personnel Yang Yiqing, and the inner court and the outer court were one.

The closest and most important armed force to Zhu Houzhao, the Jinyiwei, was in Zhang Rong's hands.

He just wanted to tease Pei Yuan deliberately and see how embarrassed Pei Yuan would be when he was eager to explain himself.

However, he did not expect that Pei Yuan really had a shameful secret about Zhang Rong. He almost revealed the most dangerous bit of decency between the monarch and his subjects with his own hands.

Zhu Houzhao asked in panic, "What should I do?"

Pei Yuan pursed his lips and said calmly, "If I can survive Zhang Rong's revenge, I will come back to tell your majesty about this."

Zhu Houzhao was a little nervous, "I said now!"

Pei Yuan immediately said, "Laugh."

When Zhu Houzhao turned his head, there was already a smile on his face, and he waved to Zhang Rong casually.

Zhang Rong's gaze shifted away from Pei Yuan, and the gloomy look on his face instantly disappeared.

Zhang Rong quickly took a few steps and entered the tea shop.

He had accompanied Zhu Houzhao on many incognito visits, and when Zhu Houzhao called him, he sat down on the other side of the table without making a sound.

Together with Zhu Houzhao and Pei Yuan, there was a situation where three were missing one.

Zhu Houzhao had sorted out his thoughts by now, and with a forced smile, he introduced him to Zhang Rong, "Pei Yuan, do you know him?"

Zhang Rong hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Logically speaking, such a person is not worthy of my attention. But I was involved in his going to the East Factory last year and being sent back by Eunuch Qiu of the East Factory, so I have some impression of him."

Zhu Houzhao seemed to have completely forgotten the panic just now, and asked with interest, "Is there such a thing? How did he go to the East Factory?"

"Well." Zhang Rong hesitated for a moment before saying, "I heard that Captain Pei liked to make money, so I was afraid that he would do something bad in the Jinyiwei. However, it is not easy for him to pass the martial arts exam, and it is not easy to directly ruin his future, so I planned to arrange for him to go to Eunuch Qiu to train."

Zhang Rong didn't mind exposing Pei Yuan's evil deeds, including how he bribed himself to get the position and how he cheated in the military examination.

It’s just that there are too many people involved in these things.

At that time, it was the military examination presided over by Gu Dayong, the governor of the Western Factory, before he left the capital to quell the rebellion. The examiner who accompanied Gu Dayong was now in control of more than half of the troops of the Ming Dynasty.

For example, Bai Yu, the deputy governor of the rear palace, Mao Rui, the earl of Fuqiang, and Lu Wan, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War.

Zhang Rong didn't dare to offend so many bigwigs because of this matter.

Therefore, we can only look for the black spot in Pei Yuan’s greed for money.

Zhu Houzhao's emotions had calmed down, and he looked at Pei Yuan as usual with a smile, "Are you greedy for money?"

Just now, when Zhu Houzhao asked Zhang Rong, Pei Yuan, a minion, had no chance to interrupt. Even if he had the opportunity to clarify now, Pei Yuan did not want to dwell on the matter.

No matter how good Zhu Houzhao was at decompression, it would still take a lot of time to explain the cause and effect clearly.

Besides, the grudge he had just caused by firing a flare over Zhang Rong's head could not be resolved with just a few words.

The explanation cannot change Zhang Rong's attitude, and probably cannot influence Zhu Houzhao's attitude either, so what's the point of the explanation?

Then Pei Yuan said with a blushing face, "I am ashamed to disappoint your majesty and the commander-in-chief."

Pei Yuan acted like this, so Zhang Rong didn't want to continue to pursue the topic.

After all, he himself said that he was arranged to train in the East Factory because he felt sorry for him and didn't want to ruin his future.

Since he didn't hold anyone accountable in the first place and put on a high profile, what else can he say now? Zhu Houzhao was in no mood to ask more questions at the moment. He controlled his emotions and smiled, "I originally asked Pei Yuan to find out some strange stories about Wang Zhen back then, but he was afraid of provoking Zhang Yong, so he made excuses and didn't dare to do it."

"Tell me, is this true?"

Zhang Rong's eyes swept across Pei Yuan like a sharp knife, and then said, "This is just groundless speculation by a scoundrel. It is absolutely not true."

Zhu Houzhao looked very proud and said to Pei Yuan, "How is it?"

Zhang Rong also looked at Pei Yuan coldly.

Under the gazes of the two men, Pei Yuan felt a lot of pressure, but he still had the mind to make malicious guesses about Zhu Houzhao.

This kid looks calm, but he must be panicking inside.

It's like a little kid who suddenly wants to play a prank and shouts loudly, "Wolf, wolf!", but suddenly realizes that the one he is playing a prank on might actually be a wolf.

So the child was very scared, and the wolf was also very scared.

Pei Yuan saw that both of them were looking at him and knew that what he was going to say next was very important.

Zhang Rong didn't know that Pei Yuan had taken the opportunity to tell Zhu Houzhao the truth. He stared at Pei Yuan, fearing that he would talk nonsense and say something inappropriate.

Zhu Houzhao was also a little nervous, fearing that Pei Yuan was too honest and that if he really said it out loud, it would cause some trouble.

If Zhang Yong is punished, it will involve a series of changes in the situation and may even cause the situation to deteriorate in an unimaginable direction.

If Zhu Houzhao ignored the inquiries into his private matters, his dignity as the emperor of the Ming Dynasty would be destroyed.

Of course Pei Yuan would not do anything stupid at this time.

Now Zhu Houzhao had basically known what Zhang Rong had done, but Zhang Rong didn't know that Pei Yuan had already sold him out completely, and still thought that it was just the superficial things that Pei Yuan had just mentioned.

The best way now is for Pei Yuan to take the blame and stabilize Zhang Rong.

So Pei Yuan said, "I have something to say."

Zhu Houzhao stared at Pei Yuan, "Speak!"

Pei Yuan said sincerely, "If the emperor had not just spared me from five deaths, I would not have dared to speak out my heartfelt words."

"In fact, for small people like me who work at the bottom, let alone such noble people as the emperor and the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, even a person who is one level higher than a fifth-rank official like me may hold the power of life and death over me."

"I can even say that if a fourth-rank official can make me die without a burial place, then even the emperor, how can he do anything else?"

"So in my humble opinion, no matter if it is the emperor, the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, or the deputy commander of the capital, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, or any other superior, I cannot afford to offend them."

Pei Yuan said a lot this time, and Zhu Houzhao was obviously slow to decompress.

Pei Yuan looked at Zhu Houzhao and said, "I will use it twice to avoid death."

Zhu Houzhao thought to himself angrily that based on what this guy said before, he deserved to die as many times as he wanted.

His face remained calm and he said, "Okay."

Pei Yuan explained, "I am a small person like you, and I have never seen such a noble person as the emperor. Seeing the emperor's words and deeds, I can't help but speculate in my heart."

Having said that, Pei Yuan glanced at Zhu Houzhao and indicated that he wanted to use it once.

Then he continued, "I have privately guessed the emperor's thoughts and thought that the emperor was using Wang Zhen to insinuate the eunuch Zhang Yong, the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department..."

When Pei Yuan said this, Zhang Rong's face changed slightly and he was about to stand up and apologize.

Zhu Houzhao said flatly, "Absolutely not!"

As if to appease Zhang Rong, Zhu Houzhao added, "Back then, Wang Zhen was able to work with the Three Yangs in the cabinet and help Emperor Yingzong with government affairs. He did have some ability."

Zhang Rong had been suspicious about Zhu Houzhao's visit to Zhihua Temple for some time.

After hearing Zhu Houzhao's personal explanation, everything suddenly became clear.

It turned out to be the case.

At that time, the Three Yang Cabinet almost suffocated the young emperor, and it was Wang Zhen who helped Yingzong regain power bit by bit.

The current situation of the emperor...

In this sense, comparing Zhang Yong to Wang Zhen doesn't seem to be a bad thing.

Thinking of this, Zhang Rong stared at Pei Yuan even more viciously, fearing that he would say something he shouldn't.

Pei Yuan saw that the two people's attention had returned to him, so he continued, "The emperor asked me to investigate Wang Zhen's past, but Sun Bo, who was with him at the time, was the confidant of the commander-in-chief."

"I am worried that the deputy commander will think too much, so I dare not interfere in this matter, so I can only delay it for the time being."

Zhu Houzhao added at the right time, "So you ignore your official duties and concentrate on repairing your house at home?"

Pei Yuan didn't dare to say anything.

Zhang Rong was furious.

Through this series of conversations and what Sun Bo had just reported, he had a rough idea of ​​what was going on.

The emperor arranged for Pei Yuan to investigate the incident involving Wang Zhen. However, Pei Yuan was only concerned with repairing his house and did not take the emperor's affairs seriously at all.

Today the emperor happened to meet him and asked about it. Pei Yuan was speechless and could only make excuses by saying that he could not afford to offend him and Zhang Yong, so he did not dare to investigate.

As a result, this led to the emperor's inquiry.

Zhang Rong said viciously, "You neglected your duties and neglected your duties, but you relied on your imagination to try to slander others and get away with it. It's really despicable."

After saying this, he looked at Zhu Houzhao and said, "Your Majesty, why don't you kill this villain and set an example for the world?"

Zhu Houzhao seemed to have figured it out, and said with a smile, "I see. I often saw memorials in the past saying that there were cunning clerks in the localities who were stirring up trouble. I guess this must be the case."

After that, he said to Zhang Rong, "I spared his life, so he dared to speak freely, and that's how I knew what the outside world was wondering about. Now he's honestly speaking, and I know the whole story, so how can I take his life?"

When Zhu Houzhao said this, he had more thoughts in his mind.

He took the opportunity to protect Pei Yuan, "You are the deputy commander, why bother with such a villain? I still have some things for him to do, so let's exempt him from punishment for now."

Zhang Rong said quickly, "I will obey your orders."

After saying that, he looked up and glanced at Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan felt the coldness in that gaze and secretly cursed in his heart.

I didn't expect that I would offend such a person just after I settled down in Beijing.

Moreover, when Zhu Houzhao wanted to play a prank and deliberately make things difficult for Pei Yuan just now, Pei Yuan decisively fought back and dragged him into the water.

It is still unknown what kind of counterattack Zhu Houzhao will make after alleviating the current troubles.

(End of this chapter)