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

Chapter 429 I Did It
What surprised Pei Yuan was that Zhang Rong did not retaliate against him, nor did he make another appointment to meet him.

On the surface, the Zhang brothers seem to be planning to wait and see what happens next.

It was Zhang Rui who once again expressed his desire to meet Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan also expressed full respect for this new official.

After all, this man was a ruthless person who forced the commander of Tianjin Garrison to commit suicide in the barracks.

Now Zhang Rui is the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Factory and is definitely in an upward period.

Pei Yuan’s overall approach to Zhang Rui is to seek common ground while reserving differences and develop together.

Anyway, since this guy intends to inherit the will of previous great eunuchs and wants to send tax inspectors to the local areas, someone will definitely come out to deal with him.

Pei Yuan could basically treat him as a dead man.

For an opponent like this who is destined to disappear, Pei Yuan would rather make some compromises and strive for peaceful coexistence for the time being.

Pei Yuan’s current concern is that the Empress Dowager Zhang behind Zhang Rui is not a good person.

Just from the fact that her brother dared to rape palace maids in the palace without restraint, we can tell that the empress dowager was definitely not as wise as described in history books.

In addition to having Hongzhi's old friends to use as running dogs, Empress Dowager Zhang also had the two brothers Zhang Heling, Marquis of Shouning, and Zhang Yanling, Marquis of Jianchang, to support her from outside.

Coupled with the officials of all ranks who are dependent on these people, this force cannot be underestimated.

If he didn't eliminate the power of the "Empress Dowager's faction" as soon as possible and clear the obstacles in the harem, it would inevitably affect his ultimate grand plan.

But things always have their priorities, and now is not the time to start a conflict.

Thinking of the influence of the Empress Dowager on Hongzhi's old friends, Pei Yuan felt that he needed to have a deep talk with his little friend Lu Ting.

Pei Yuan must finally make Lu Ting's position clear.

Only the collaborator who satisfies Pei Yuan the most has the hope of obtaining the seal of the eunuch of Silijian.

On this day, Pei Yuan was hanging up in Zhihua Temple.

Suddenly, someone came to report that the Left Censor-in-Chief Li Shishi wanted to see him.

Pei Yuan quickly asked someone to invite him, and Li Shishi came in with a happy look on his face. He smiled at Pei Yuan and said, "The great thing is done!"

Pei Yuan smiled in agreement and quickly asked Li Shishi to sit down.

Li Shishi had a smile on his face. After the guards had served tea and left, he could not wait to tell Pei Yuan, "The Ministry of War has already agreed on the rewards and will report to the Cabinet soon. The relevant personnel transfers have also been roughly agreed upon, and we just need to go through the formalities of the court recommendation."

"Fu Gui has retired, and my brother will be appointed as the Minister of Rites, and Lu Wan will be appointed as the Left Censor-in-Chief."

"In addition, regarding the matter of opening the Enke, I have also secretly contacted several people. They all praised it and thought it was a great idea."

"Now, we just have to wait for the appointment of the Minister of Rites, and then I can push this matter forward."

When Pei Yuan heard that the Ministry of War had finally come up with a result, he immediately asked, "What about Lu Ting?"

"Lu Ting?" Li Shishi was stunned. Then he remembered that there was someone who divided the cake.

"Oh. Although he has been modest and has not expressed his views, his subordinates are fighting fiercely, so naturally his position has risen accordingly. Originally, he was said to be given two commanders, but now it has been changed to one baron. Gu Dayong has two barons, so it is unreasonable not to give him one baron."

After hearing this, Pei Yuan felt relieved.

The plan went as expected and I could explain it to Lu Ting.

I should find some time to go find Eunuch Lu to find out the truth.

Although Lu Ting was classified as one of "Hongzhi's old men", he was a eunuch guarding the area.

He first guarded the northwest and then Xuanfu.

The foundation within the palace is relatively simple, and correspondingly, the ties with the Queen Mother’s family are not that deep.

Li Shishi was puzzled when he saw Pei Yuan was slow to answer, so he immediately called out, "Captain?"

Pei Yuan came back to his senses and said, "No hurry, this matter is still a little bit off."

Li Shishi was puzzled and said, "But, the conditions you mentioned have basically been met."

"After what happened before, those military officers are now showing off their power all the time. It is time for scholars like us to boost our morale. If we propose to hold an imperial examination at this time, it will surely receive a wide response."

Pei Yuan said, "Dadu Xian will come to see me tomorrow, maybe the situation will be clearer."

Li Shishi was confused. Thinking of Pei Yuan's past achievements, he asked nervously, "Is there any variable here?"

Pei Yuan considered the appropriateness of the situation and said tactfully, "I just heard some rumors and I am verifying them."

Li Shishi was puzzled and said, "The Ministry of War has already agreed on the rewards, and those military officers have also agreed. Regarding the personnel transfer, the cabinet and the seven ministers have reached a consensus. What other variables are there?"

Pei Yuan hesitated and did not speak immediately.

For Pei Yuan, whether or not the problem can be solved has never been the key.

The key is how to make his question become the answer to others.

He could have said a few perfunctory words to Li Shishi at this time, but considering some subsequent things, Pei Yuan did not want to offend the governor of Dadu because of this matter.

Pei Yuan thought for a moment and said, "I am not omnipotent. Let's wait and see."

Although Pei Yuan said modestly that he was not omnipotent, Li Shishi felt a little uneasy for some reason.

He thought for a long time.

Can the result jointly agreed upon by the Ministry of War and military officers be overturned?

Can the common will of the Cabinet and the Seven Ministers be challenged?
But why am I so unconfident?

Am I sick?

Wait until Li Shishi left anxiously.

Pei Yuan called Chen Xinjian over and stretched himself, "Get ready to work!"

The Ministry of War’s opinions have been submitted, and Zhu Houzhao should soon come up with his “adopted son policy”.

Next, Pei Yuan should take advantage of the chaos in the civil service camp, use the camp's emotions, and desperately export his own private goods.

Chen Xinjian was also cheered up when he heard this.

Captain Pei was idle in Zhihua Temple, which made him feel that the struggles in the capital were a bit boring.

Now that Captain Pei is about to take action, the capital city will probably be hit by a new storm soon.

Pei Yuanxian said to Chen Xinjian, "Let Gu Dayong find an excuse to return to Shandong to recuperate. His mission has been completed."

Gu Dayong is a complete waste, but he gained a lot of popularity recently. If he stays here, he may become Pei Yuan's weakness.

This kind of tool should be sent back to Shandong after he has been used up.

Now Pei Yuan has to stay in the capital, and the vigorous development of Luo Sect still needs the protection of this supreme elder.

Pei Yuan pondered for a while, then said, "Write a letter for me to Bi Zhen, the eunuch guarding Shandong."

Chen Xinjian immediately said, "What do you want to say, Captain?"

Pei Yuan said calmly, "Ask him if he wants to see how the new knife cuts people? It has to be fast!"

After Chen Xinjian left, Pei Yuan silently thought about his next plan.

When Bi Zhen's reply arrives, it will be up to the eunuch guarding Shandong to sound the clarion call for the general attack.

By then, Pei Yuan will completely disintegrate the Qingliu alliance and reshape the structure of the court.

What Pei Yuan didn't expect was that he still overestimated Zhu Houzhao's patience.

Only half a day after the Ministry of War submitted the memorial for reward, Zhu Houzhao could not wait to convene an emergency court meeting and announced his "adopted son policy" in public.

To use Zhu Houzhao's high-sounding statement, it was because he could not bear to see the court divided and the civil and military officials jealous of each other, and he was willing to use personal affection to unite the court.

Therefore, he planned to recruit some of the heroes who had suppressed the rebellion in Bazhou as his adopted sons, and grant them the title of imperial illegitimate sons to make up for the lack of rewards.

Zhu Houzhao's sudden decision caught the civil officials off guard, and they didn't know how to respond. The military officials had obviously reached a tacit understanding with Zhu Houzhao long ago, and they responded immediately after this statement was made.

Seeing this unusual scene, many ignorant people immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.

Some politically sensitive people can even imagine how this matter will develop.

Once the emperor leaves the Ministry of War system, he can directly command these military officers.

Then the shackles placed on the emperor since the time of Emperor Yingzong will be in name only.

In a sense, Zhu Houzhao's "adopted son policy" at this time could be described as a hidden coup.

The civil officials remained silent for a long time and no one responded. Zhu Houzhao also became uneasy from his excitement.

The court meeting ended in an extremely depressing atmosphere.

That night, Pei Yuan was secretly summoned into the palace by Zhu Houzhao to ask for countermeasures.

Pei Yuan decisively passed the buck, "This is beyond my humble intelligence, why don't you ask He Huan for advice, Your Majesty?"

Zhu Houzhao was greatly disappointed.

But he was conceited all his life and felt that he couldn't think of any solution, and that Pei Yuan was probably not going to be able to do it either.

It seems that we can only wait for "Xiao Zhongda" to come to Beijing.

Because of the failure of Liu Jin's new policy last time, Zhu Houzhao was unusually cautious this time.

He first pretended to be offline and said he was sick and didn't go to school for three days.

Later, when he couldn't help but go to the Leopard House to play, he was stopped by the ministers and secretaries.

Zhu Houzhao naturally understood that his political adventure had crossed the line.

Faced with Yang Tinghe's questioning, he was at a loss for words and couldn't help but blurt out, "Let's put this matter aside for now. We can discuss it again after He Huan arrives in Beijing."

Yang Tinghe was very displeased when he heard this. "Why don't you consult with the ministers on state affairs, but ask for advice from the military?"

After saying that, he walked away.

Just as the atmosphere in Beijing was becoming increasingly tense, the messenger sent by Chen Xinjian to Shandong returned.

Bi Zhen, the eunuch guarding Shandong, said: I want to be like Gu Dayong.

If you want it, I’ll give it to you.

Pei Yuan immediately wrote a letter and asked someone to send it to Bi Zhen by express horse.

It was on this day that Cheng Leixiang, the commander of Tianjin Guard, urgently sent someone to deliver a message, saying that the team going to welcome He Huan, the commander of Huai'an Guard, had entered Tianjin Guard.

When Pei Yuan heard that his good brother He Huan had arrived, he immediately took his personal soldiers and followed the small flag that brought the letter to Tianjin.

By the time we arrived at the inn where He Huan was staying, it was already night.

Pei Yuan did not delay and quickly asked someone to inform He Huan that an old friend came to see him.

He Huan was summoned to the capital from Huai'an in a daze. Even with his deep calculations, he was still a little confused.

When He Huan saw that Gu Dayong praised him highly in the inventory article, he thought that a big tree attracts the wind, and he would probably become the subject of discussion by people all over the world.

However, he still felt a little uneasy when the emperor directly ordered him to come to the capital just because of an article promoting a product.

No, isn’t Gu Dayong so authoritative now?

Hearing that an old friend was coming to see him, He Huan asserted, "This must be my brother Pei Yuan!"

When the two met, He Huan was filled with sighs.

Just a few days ago, he was still an unknown commander, happily working as a contractor at the Qingjiang Shipyard.

He didn't expect that within a few days, he would become famous all over the world, and now even the emperor couldn't wait to meet him.

The eighty thousand taels were spent...

That’s eighty thousand taels!
He Huan forced himself to forget the eighty thousand taels.

If the sunk cost of falling out with Pei Yuan wasn't too high, he would have planned to throw Pei Yuan into Qingjiangpu.

He Huan took Pei Yuan's hand and asked impatiently, "My dear brother, what is going on?"

Pei Yuan sighed, "It's hard to put it into words."

After that, Pei Yuan gave He Huan a brief introduction of the current situation, and then said, "I heard that His Majesty wants to adopt a lot of sons this time, and I want to seek the position of the eldest son of the emperor for Brother He, so I praised Brother He's talent in front of His Majesty..."

When He Huan heard the words "the emperor's eldest son", his eyes widened.

Even though he was repeatedly reminded to be careful of Pei Yuan's attempt to trick him, He Huan couldn't help but have fantasies.

If he could get the title of the eldest son of the emperor, there would be no ceiling blocking him in the military system where nobility is determined by bloodline.

He Huan saw Pei Yuan stopped talking halfway, knowing that there might be some twists and turns later, and quickly asked, "So?"

Pei Yuan sighed, "Maybe I exaggerated too much and ended up making things worse, so Your Majesty wants to test Brother He in private."

When He Huan heard this, he heaved a sigh of relief and laughed out loud, "I was wondering what it was? If it's a test of wisdom and strategy, I think I have some skills."

He Huan had already guessed that this time it might not go smoothly.

His military exploits were superficial. If there hadn't been such a scene, he would have worried that there was something fishy going on.

Pei Yuan hinted, "His Majesty is a man who values ​​his reputation. He has mentioned your name to many people. If Brother He performs poorly, not only will I be implicated, but His Majesty will also be dissatisfied."

He Huan frowned when he heard this. Just when he was on guard, he heard Pei Yuan say, "Fortunately, I have already figured out what His Majesty wants to test you on."

Is this how the questions can be leaked in advance?
He Huan was delighted, thinking that this good brother would not cheat him?

He quickly encouraged, "Brother, tell me quickly."

Pei Yuan looked around, then stepped forward and whispered to He Huan, "I'll tell you the truth."

"Since the failure of Liu Jin's new policy, Your Majesty has been trying to break out militarily. However, due to the influence of Emperor Yingzong's past, the military power was restricted by the Ministry of War. The emperor has no soldiers at all except the Jinyiwei and the Jingjun of the Imperial Horse Administration."

"Your Majesty is sincere in accepting so many adopted sons this time, just to change the current difficult situation. Therefore, Brother He can stand on the side of the emperor without any scruples."

In order to confirm He Huan's idea, Pei Yuan added, "This time, both the Beijing Army and the Border Army have surprisingly consistent positions."

"Those standing with Brother He include Xu Tai, Jiang Bin, Jin Fu, Shen Zhou and others. Most of them are young and strong people who have made great contributions in suppressing the rebellion. Their strength should not be underestimated."

"If the emperor's plan can be successful this time, perhaps we warriors can recreate the grand occasion of the Yongle period."

He Huan's eyes lit up.

These are all famous heroes and powerful generals!

He Huan also paid attention to Gu Dayong's previous comments in Huai'an, and had some understanding of these guys' performance.

You should know that the fighting power and tenacity of the Bazhou bandits are already stronger than those of the Oirat and Tatar. To be able to achieve a good result against the main force of Bazhou, it really takes some skills.

Jiang Bin pulled out the arrow that had pierced his cheek, his face covered in blood, and shouted loudly about his bravery in battle. All the warriors praised him and were convinced.

With such a lineup, the career I'm involved in sounds very promising!
He Huan wanted to express his opinion immediately.

I did it!

However, He Huan suddenly thought of a key question. If he was the eldest son of the emperor, then they...

Thinking of that possibility, He Huan couldn't remain calm anymore. He asked cautiously, "Good brother, what is the relationship between me and them?"

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "They, they are all your good brothers!"

He Huan stared at Pei Yuan and pointed at his face, looking confused.

"I?"

(End of this chapter)