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

Chapter 302 Zhu Houzhao

Zhu Houzhao waved his hand as naturally as possible, signaling Zhang Rong to leave.

Zhu Houzhao saw Sun Bo sitting back in his original seat and knew that this was not the time for a deep conversation.

So he naturally continued the previous topic, "I will not bother with you about your laziness for the time being. Why is it such a coincidence that you met me again today?"

Pei Yuan had taken advantage of Zhu Houzhao's interruption to quickly think of an excuse.

So he said, "I heard that those scholars were fighting each other, so I came to see the fun."

When Zhu Houzhao heard this, he couldn't help but laugh.

The laughter here once again attracted the attention of the candidates who were arguing fiercely, and many of them looked over with unfriendly expressions.

Zhu Houzhao had his own agenda when he came here, so it was not a good idea for him to make enemies with those candidates. He immediately bowed to both sides to show that he had nothing to do with them.

When the candidates turned around and started talking, Zhu Houzhao smiled at Pei Yuan and said, "So you also like to watch the fun."

Pei Yuan was really speechless at Zhu Houzhao's jumping thoughts.

Where is that flustered look in your eyes just now?
Why are you laughing so quickly?
Pei Yuan was just making a few random complaints, but when he thought about it silently in his heart, he suddenly had a strange feeling.

Pei Yuan discovered that Zhu Houzhao seemed particularly intelligent. Just from the brief conversation today, his aggressiveness and oppression made Pei Yuan feel a little overwhelmed.

He has an active mind, his topics jump back and forth, and he is particularly good at attacking other people's weaknesses when communicating.

Pei Yuan always regarded himself as a devil with skills in languages, but in front of Zhu Houzhao, he once felt suffocated.

Pei Yuan thought about the political maturity Zhu Houzhao showed when they last communicated, as well as his overall view of looking at problems from the perspective of the overall social structure.

Think about it again, Emperor Wuzong has a physique that can fight tigers and leopards, has the will to patrol the border in the snow, and has the courage and ability to subdue the troops of the three borders and repel the northern barbarians.

The strange feeling in Pei Yuan's heart became more and more serious.

The man in front of him was so outstanding that he seemed like the son of destiny who had been taught with all the wisdom in the world, but Pei Yuan had a feeling that he could easily defeat him.

This is why?

Pei Yuan thought quickly, trying hard to grasp that intuition.

But before Pei Yuan could think further, Zhu Houzhao asked again, "What do you think about this matter?"

Pei Yuan came back to his senses, thinking about what Liang Ci's actions had done, and answered according to his heart, "Liang Ci's murdered hundreds of people, the court should give him justice."

Zhu Houzhao smiled and shook his head slightly, but said nothing.

Pei Yuan immediately remembered that Zhu Houzhao promoted Liang Chu's children and grandchildren to higher positions during this critical period of the crisis.

When Yun Buxian reported to him before, Pei Yuan thought that Liang Chu was the one who covered up the matter and made the emperor completely unaware of Liang Ci's affairs.

But looking at the way Zhu Houzhao was watching the fun, it was obvious that he had been paying attention to this matter for a long time.

So, Zhu Houzhao made his attitude clear, intending to protect Liang Chu?

Pei Yuan's heart moved slightly, and he immediately adjusted his position.

"Of course, putting aside the facts, isn't it wrong for these candidates to ignore the judiciary and discuss state affairs?"

"The court set up three judicial departments to maintain discipline, and there were also censors responsible for impeachment, so the system was already complete."

"If the voice is loud enough to threaten the court, the whole country will be in turmoil and chaos will occur."

Zhu Houzhao looked at Pei Yuan in surprise. He didn't expect this guy to be so flexible in his stance.

He asked tentatively, "So what do you think we should do?"

Pei Yuan was a little unsure of what Zhu Houzhao meant.

He got involved in this matter just to win over a few talents to work for him, and he didn't particularly care about the right or wrong of the matter.

Thinking about his own plans, Pei Yuan thought to himself, "If you can't pull, then push." ​​If Huo Tao and Tian Fu are difficult to win over, it is better to take them to prison first and hold them in your hands.

Pei Yuan is not someone like Han Qianhu who can let Yue Qingfeng go. If he really meets a talented person, he can do what "Brother Gongming" can do.

When he was pulling Ouyang Bijin into the water, wasn't he also holding a knife to his neck and forcing him hysterically?
As long as we cut off his way back, we will eventually become good brothers who love each other.

perhaps.

Pei Yuan suggested, "I can ask someone to investigate a list, and then lead the Jinyiwei to directly block the streets near the Da Ci'en Temple, and then arrest the people on the list and interrogate them strictly."

Zhu Houzhao was speechless for a long time, then asked, "The evidence is solid about Liang Ci's case. Even if the court protected him for the sake of Grand Secretary Liang Chu, it would never punish these candidates. How can people in the world be convinced if you do this?"

Pei Yuan thought Zhu Houzhao was worried about his reputation, so he explained, "It's okay. We can split the case into two. Let's put aside the matter of Liang Ci's murder and try the case of the candidates trying to coerce public opinion separately."

Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but sigh after hearing this, "No wonder people say that Jinyiwei is not a good thing."

Pei Yuan then realized that although Zhu Houzhao tried his best to protect Liang Chu, he might not agree with the Liang family's actions.

Pei Yuan was not panicked by Zhu Houzhao's words. Instead, he calmly asked, "Your Majesty, haven't you heard a saying? The reason why the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty likes the Jinyiwei is because the Jinyiwei does not follow the rules."

Zhu Houzhao's eyes widened when he heard this. "Is this what the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty thinks?"

Pei Yuan was also stunned, and then asked, "Isn't that right?"

Zhu Houzhao was stunned for a moment, then said, "No one has taught me this before, but now that you said this to me, I think it makes sense."

Pei Yuan thought for a moment and asked Zhu Houzhao, "I think when Your Majesty was the crown prince, you learned a lot of skills and understood a lot of rules in the world, right?"

Zhu Houzhao raised his head slightly with confidence, "Of course, the teachers in the Zhanshi Mansion and the Hanlin Academy are the smartest people in the world, and I am the smartest emperor since ancient times."

Pei Yuan praised, "No wonder your majesty knows so many principles of governing the country and maintaining peace."

Pei Yuan changed the subject and said, "Then I hope Your Majesty can remember that if you want to obtain things outside the rules, you can only use us Jinyiwei who don't follow the rules. The methods within the rules cannot do it."

Zhu Houzhao thought this was very interesting, so he smiled and said, "Do you also want to be my teacher?"

Pei Yuan quickly apologized, "How dare I."

Zhu Houzhao smiled again and directly pointed out Pei Yuan's previous thoughts, "You have been jumping back and forth in your stance before. I'm afraid you are deliberately trying to cater to my ideas, right?"

Pei Yuan heard this and replied, "I am a member of the Imperial Guard, the emperor's personal army. Is there anything wrong with catering to the emperor's ideas?"

Pei Yuan then continued, "Your Majesty wants to hear correct opinions, so there will naturally be censors to check for deficiencies and fill in the gaps. But Your Majesty..., if you want to do something that everyone thinks is wrong, then you will need someone like me."

Zhu Houzhao was moved when he heard this.

He looked at Pei Yuan carefully for a few times, then said with a smile, "Your name is Pei Yuan, right? I remember you."

Zhu Houzhao had an extraordinary memory. When he said he remembered it again, it was obvious that he really remembered it. Pei Yuan was relieved when he heard him say that.

Now that he has offended Zhang Rong, and there is a possibility that he may even offend Zhang Yong behind him, Pei Yuan has to take a slightly radical approach.

After Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, he looked at the sky and said, "By the way, when did you start to pay attention to these scholars?"

Pei Yuan immediately gave a more reasonable answer, "It was during these few days, because I heard that there are many Dharma Kings in Da Ci'en Temple, and their forces are intertwined. So I want to understand the situation first, and then decide how to get along with them."

"When I came to this shop, I heard people talking about the Liang family."

"Yes." Zhu Houzhao nodded. "Since you know the cause and effect of this matter, you will be responsible for keeping an eye on any unusual movements here and remind me in time if anything happens."

Pei Yuan was a little surprised.

Didn’t Zhu Houzhao come here to have fun?
Can this kind of thing be done by humans?
Pei Yuan asked tentatively, "Your Majesty will not come again in the future?"

Zhu Houzhao glanced at Pei Yuan and said with a smile, "Yes, I have a new problem to face now."

There was a smile on his face and he looked confident.

Pei Yuan was confused again.

Zhu Houzhao looked at him deliberately, obviously implying that the matter just now needed to be resolved.

But why is Zhu Houzhao, who was retreating just now, now brave again?

Pei Yuan's mind was in a mess and he couldn't help but think wildly, could it be that a child who grew up in the palace is like this?

The thought flashed through my mind.

Several thoughts suddenly popped up in Pei Yuan's mind.

- Smart mental reactions, active thinking, aggressive and oppressive words, mature political thinking, a big picture view that surpasses everyone's IQ, a strong physique, a tenacious will, a powerful skill in commanding troops and personal charm.

——The teachings of the smartest people in the world in the Hanlin Academy.

——The smartest emperor.

But this emperor was particularly easy to accept failure.

When his reform plan was frustrated, he abandoned Liu Jin and focused on gaining military power, but he did not care that there were still a large number of Liu Jin's remnants who could counterattack.

With the might of the army in hand, he came to Nanjing and was about to bring the whole world to its knees. But he had to leave Nanjing in disgrace because he was pelted with pig heads and human heads. On the way out of Nanjing, he not only did not order his troops to march south to massacre the nobles who insulted him, but instead went fishing happily.

In the ninth year of the Zhengde reign, fireworks set off during the Lantern Festival caused a fire in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. After seeing that rescue efforts had failed, the Emperor Zhengde actually said to his attendants cheerfully, "What a great fireworks display!"

Just now, he noticed that his subordinates were spying on his thoughts and offending his authority, but he still did not get angry. Instead, he smiled and chatted with Pei Yuan about those candidates.

Pei Yuan looked at Zhu Houzhao, and the vague things in his mind gradually became clear, and he suddenly had a very bold idea.

This is a child of destiny who grew up in the deep palace, is extremely intelligent, and was taught by the smartest person in the world.

and so.

The abnormal growing environment may cause him to have a deformed personality.

——It’s like putting a lot of things that look good together with great effort, so that at first glance, they seem so powerful and perfect.

But this kind of abnormal thing must have some inharmonious and abnormally weak points!
and so.

After meeting such a powerful child of destiny, I still have the inexplicable confidence to defeat him.

So what is the weak point of this extremely outstanding child of destiny?

Pei Yuan looked at Zhu Houzhao, as if there was a key there, a key that would allow him to firmly control the world.

Zhu Houzhao frowned and looked at Pei Yuan, "What are you thinking about?"

Pei Yuan came back to his senses. He tried hard to look frightened, but the expression that had come out so easily before suddenly made him unable to say anything.

Pei Yuan had no choice but to lower his head and answer, "I'm thinking, I'm afraid I don't need to pay attention to this place anymore."

"Oh? Why?" Zhu Houzhao asked puzzledly.

Pei Yuan replied, "Because these scholars will not come here again soon. The scholar who originally promoted this matter will leave Beijing soon, and the others will also disperse."

Zhu Houzhao was a little surprised. "How could this happen? I heard that there was a lot of public opinion in the court and the public. These scholars have already caused a great influence, and the censors are helping and fanning the flames."

"Now that Liang Ci's actions have been investigated and proven, Liang Dashi has become very passive."

"Now is the time for those scholars to make a concerted effort and create a greater momentum. How could they give up halfway?"

Pei Yuan explained, "These candidates only have some achievements. Compared with the great scholar Liang Chu, they are completely different. Your Majesty, do you know why they dare to stand up and compete with Liang Chu?"

Zhu Houzhao thought about it and did not answer, still looking at Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan did not dare to keep the secret and answered directly, "Because they believe that what they did is right, and the court will give them justice."

"And your majesty only sees those who speak out when they feel unfair, but not the many more who remain silent."

“Although those people did not express their opinions, it does not mean that they do not have opinions.”

“Those silent people, they are not here, and they are everywhere.”

"These people knew that the majority of people who remained silent were on their side, so they shouted out with confidence and loudly."

"But now the situation has changed."

Zhu Houzhao was thinking about Pei Yuan's words, and subconsciously asked, "Why has it changed?"

Pei Yuan bowed slightly to Zhu Houzhao, "Because Your Majesty supported Liang Chu, Liang Chu's son and grandson were both granted the positions of patronage. Those who were originally reluctant to stand up due to concerns have become silent."

"Without the support of these people, these angry scholars will soon become discouraged and scatter."

"Is that so?" Zhu Houzhao frowned slightly.

Pei Yuan pursed his lips and still answered Zhu Houzhao's question.

"Just now I asked Your Majesty that Liang Ci'an had killed hundreds of people. The court should give him justice."

"Your Majesty smiled but said nothing."

"So I know that there is no justice in this world. People in this world are not blind."

(End of this chapter)