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

Chapter 463: The First Ring of Coercing Queen Xia

Chapter 463: A Step to Coerce Queen Xia

Pei Yuan hesitated and didn't speak easily.

Xia Ru had also seen this before, and quickly assured, "My father and I will keep this a secret, and we will definitely not make things difficult for Captain Pei."

Pei Yuan then slowly said, "It's not difficult. Just let the emperor express his attitude."

Xia Ru said with embarrassment, "The Queen Mother has issued an imperial decree, how can the Emperor express his opinion?"

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "I heard that your Xia family and the Queen Mother's Zhang family have many land disputes in Tianjin Wei?"

After hearing this, Xia Ru was silent for a moment and said, "That's true."

Pei Yuan watched calmly, and was not surprised by Xia Ru's reaction.

The Xia family was obviously dazzled by the Zhang family's template, thinking that since the current queen has become a member of the Xia family, they can also become the next Zhang family.

When the two sides were fighting for land in Tianjin, because they were related to each other, they were relatively restrained and fought back and forth.

This made the Xia family even more arrogant, and they had the illusion that "if the Zhang family can do it, the Xia family can do it too."

As a result, when Zhang Zong, the son of Shouning Marquis, said that he accidentally killed the girl of the Xia family after drinking, and the queen went to the emperor to cry but got no response, the Xia family finally woke up from the dream.

Before they could adapt to the change in their identities, they swallowed their hatred and submitted to the Zhang family.

In order to eliminate the hidden dangers, the Queen Mother has already started working towards deposing the Queen.

The conflict between the two sides had reached this point, and there was absolutely no room for easing. Xia Ru was completely confused.

Following the Queen Mother's order, the palace quickly launched a blockade on the Queen's power, and Xia Ru couldn't even contact the Queen.

It was because of this that he remembered the last time Queen Xia asked her family to seek a breakthrough from Pei Yuan.

Xia Ru asked Xia Zhu about the cause of the last quarrel and decided to come here in person.

He had already vaguely sensed that Pei Yuan did seem to be trying to show goodwill, so he immediately asked, "Why is Captain Pei asking this?"

Pei Yuan said straightforwardly, "Pick a piece of land that is in dispute with the Zhang family and let the emperor decide. If I'm not mistaken, the emperor will definitely side with you."

"As long as the emperor shows his support for the Xia family, this disturbance can be suppressed and others will not dare to act rashly."

Xia Ru couldn't believe what he heard. "How can Captain Pei be sure that the emperor will favor the Xia family? If things don't work out, and the emperor helps the Zhang family instead, then wouldn't I be self-defeating?"

Pei Yuan was quite sure about how this matter would develop.

The reason is very simple.

Zhu Houzhao had just been spanked by the Empress Dowager like a child. How could he not feel ashamed and angry?
He saw himself as the smartest and most ambitious emperor of the Ming Dynasty, but in the eyes of the empress dowager, he was still a child who could be scolded at will and praised by others for his "good upbringing".

Not to mention Zhu Houzhao, even ordinary people would have a strong rebellious heart.

What's more, this matter also involves his inability to give birth to a son, which is simply a thorn in his side.

With so many factors combined, Zhu Houzhao's anger had already reached an unknown level.

But the Queen Mother was his mother, leaving him no way to vent his anger.

At this time, the best targets for revenge were naturally his two uncles.

At this time, Xia Ru ran to the emperor to seek justice. Of course, Zhu Houzhao would strongly side with the Xia family and show his rebelliousness to the empress dowager.

Pei Yuan said to Xia Ru, "It is normal for Lord Qingyang to have doubts. I have a foolproof method. It depends on whether Lord Qingyang is willing to do it."

"Absolutely safe?" Xia Ruxian began to doubt this absolutely safe thing.

Not to mention anything else, the Zhang family has the Queen Mother, so how can we say that it is foolproof?

Pei Yuan said calmly, "That's right. Tonight, you can ask your trusted family members to secretly ask for an audience with Zhang Heling, and then tell him about going to court tomorrow to ask the emperor to decide on the land."

The Xia family's father and son both changed color, "What?!"

Pei Yuan waved his hand, signaling them not to panic, and then said, "You can have someone tell Zhang Heling that he has realized his past mistakes and has repented. But considering the Queen's face, it is not good to give up all the land just like that, so I hope to use the name of the Emperor's decision to give the land to the Zhang family. You can even have Zhang Heling ask the Queen Mother to speak to His Majesty in advance."

"In this way, even if you lose to Zhang Heling in the ruling tomorrow, Zhang Heling will think that you are giving in. Maybe you are giving your family a chance to survive in order to avoid the attention of the government and the public."

"If you win the ruling tomorrow, then everyone in the court will know that you are favored by the emperor, and they will also understand that there is something fishy about Queen Xia's incident. Who would dare to provoke you easily?"

"Even if the Zhang family saw the emperor's decision, they would definitely be afraid and would not dare to anger His Majesty again."

After hearing Pei Yuan's words, Xia Ru's expression changed several times.

Xia Zhu, who had always treated Pei Yuan coldly, now had a subtle look in his eyes.

Pei Yuan: This is indeed a good idea.

If he advances, he can use it to gamble on the emperor's attitude and find out what the Xia family is in. If he retreats, he can also take the opportunity to show weakness to Shouning Hou and seek another chance to turn things around.

But Xia Ru was still a little hesitant, "I'm afraid the Queen Mother won't be able to tolerate it."

Pei Yuan heard this and stood up without saying anything else. "Then get out of here."

Xia Ru was startled when he heard this, but Xia Zhu said angrily, "Pei Yuan, how dare you be so rude!"

Pei Yuan turned around and said disdainfully, "Why should I be polite to two dead people?"

He said to Xia Zhu in a sarcastic tone, "Isn't that right, Commander Xia?"

After saying this, he ignored the two of them and left the Zen room directly.

After going out, Chen Xinjian asked in confusion, "Captain, since you plan to help the Xia family, why do you want to offend them like this?"

Pei Yuan looked at Chen Xinjian, "Didn't I make it clear just now? The current emperor only has one mother, but who knows how many queens he will have. How could the Xia family possibly win over the Zhang family?"

Chen Xinjian looked around slyly and whispered, "Could it be that Qian Hu's words mean that the Xia family should think of a solution based on the emperor's origin?"

Pei Yuan thought to himself, this child has been trained, it’s time to send him to the most important and dangerous place.

Pei Yuan didn't need to hide it from Chen Xinjian. "It's literally true. The Xia family will never be able to compete with the Zhang family. This means that the Xia family will have to passively deal with the bullying of the Zhang family for a long time."

"Now it's the Xia family who's asking me for help, not me asking them for help."

"I have plans to deal with Zhang Heling now. I can use Zhang Heling's hammer to bend the Xia family's hammer little by little until it becomes the shape I want."

Even a close confidant like Chen Xinjian couldn't say much about the subsequent thoughts.

Once Pei Yuan is about to launch the final plan, Queen Xia, the theoretical master of the harem, will play a huge role at the critical moment!
Pei Yuan could take this opportunity to conquer the Xia family and make it part of his plan to coerce Queen Xia.

After briefly ending the topic, Pei Yuan thought of what Chen Xinjian had mentioned before about the Shandong scholar coming.

He also asked people to look for Yun Buxian.

When Yun Buxian came excitedly, Pei Yuan asked him kindly, "Do you have any important errands these days?"

Yun Buxian said quickly, "I have been inspecting various temples and Taoist temples in the city these days, and there is no important errand."

Pei Yuan heard this and said, "That's great. I have something that cannot be helped by you." Yun Buxian felt a little hopeful and said, "Just give me your orders, Captain."

Pei Yuan was very satisfied with Yun Buxian's attitude, so he said, "I have two people I value very much who are coming to Beijing to take the imperial examination. You can withdraw some money from the Qianhusuo account and help me find two houses nearby."

After hearing this, Yun Buxian could hardly conceal the disappointment on his face.

But he didn't dare to say anything more, and could only say, "I obey your orders."

After Yun Buxian left, Chen Xinjian asked curiously, "Is it prepared for Tian Fu and Huo Tao?"

Pei Yuan said, "It's not them. Those two were close to us before, so there's no need to be shy. We can just bring them to Zhihua Temple to study. I did this for the other two."

The other two people Pei Yuan mentioned were naturally the handsome Prime Minister Zhang Cong and his fat brother Ouyang Bijin.

These two, one is a talent for governing the world, and the other is a chosen one.

Of course Pei Yuan had to make good arrangements.

In general, Pei Yuan still makes some distinctions among the people around him.

Some people are used to solve problems, and some people are used to solve people.

What makes Pei Yuan superior to other conspirators is that he understands one thing very clearly.

——Sometimes, even after solving the problem, you still have to face the problem.

Therefore, Pei Yuan attaches great importance to those who can truly solve problems, and tries his best to avoid making them victims in the struggle.

This is also the reason why Pei Yuan strongly supported Zhu Houzhao and looked at Wang Qiong differently.

The mighty general Zhu Houzhao can chase the enemy to the north and create a stable environment for the Ming Dynasty to concentrate on solving internal problems; the Minister of Revenue Wang Qiong can help him promote the Single Whip Law, revive the Ming treasure notes, and seize the economic lifeline of the court.

Zhang Cong and Ouyang Bijin are both people Pei Yuan values, and he hopes to make them part of the solution to the problem.

As for Huo Tao and Tian Fu, this pair of talented people, Pei Yuan was afraid that others would not know that they were his people, so he did not give them any chance to jump off the pirate ship.

After giving Chen Xinjian a brief introduction about Zhang Cong and Ouyang Bijin, Pei Yuan stood there and pondered for a while.

Then he said to Chen Xinjian, "Find a few trusted people to help me find Liang Gu. This guy is now the head of the Ministry of Personnel, so it won't be difficult to find him. But this matter must be kept confidential, and you must not reveal a single word."

Chen Xinjian was startled when he heard this, and quickly said, "I will handle this matter myself."

Pei Yuan heard this and looked at Chen Xinjian, "That's fine."

Things in the capital are now roughly settled, and Pei Yuan has already come up with a comprehensive plan to overthrow the Marquis of Shouning and the Marquis of Jianchang. Since there is no time left now, it would be better to kill a king as a sacrifice and make a good start for sorting out the affairs of Shandong later.

Pei Yuan’s target is Guishan King Zhu Dangluo!

That’s right, Pei Yuan’s idea was to launch the sensational “King Guishan Case” two years later in advance.

King Guishan was the youngest son of King Zhuang of Lu and a member of the huge Lu royal family.

This man was of a very strong and brave nature, and was no less sturdy and brave than Zhu Houzhao.

When the Bazhou bandits attacked Yanzhou, Zhu Dangqie even climbed up the city wall himself and killed the Bazhou bandits with his guard bows and crossbows.

Apart from his love of martial arts and occasional competitive spirit, Zhu Dangqi has never done anything bad.

However, such a prince was eventually killed under the high walls of Fengyang because of the thoughts of a small person.

This little guy was Liang Gu, the head of the Ministry of Personnel whom Pei Yuan was looking for.

Liang Gu was from Dongping. When he was young, he was a wanderer and often served as an accomplice to evil young men.

Later, Liang Gu felt that gangsters didn't need their brains and would be gangsters all their lives.

Being a thug is not a solution after all, I'd better take the exam to get a civil service job.

So Liang Gu just studied it casually, and actually passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi.

This is really fucking ridiculous!
After Liang entered officialdom, he unexpectedly found that he was like a fish in water.

Then, not long after, Liang Gu actually became the head of the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department!

What does the Ministry of Personnel’s Selection Office do?
Responsible for the promotion of local officials in the two capitals and thirteen provinces.

Not to mention the county governors, even an ordinary fourth-rank prefect would come over with a glass of wine to toast this small official from the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department when he saw him.

This is even more ridiculous!
As a result, Liang Gu was immersed in his wonderful life when he was suddenly visited by Yuan Zhi and Zhao Yan, the two evil boys from the past.

One of these two men served as a low-level military officer, and the other served as a servant in Prince Guishan's palace.

The three of them first met on the rooftop, and then Liang Gu said that he just wanted to be a good person. Then Yuan Zhi and Zhao Yan threatened to keep this secret from him for the rest of his life.

Liang Gu was in pain, and felt that his wonderful life was slowly fading away.

At this moment, he suddenly heard a fellow villager tell him that Yuan Zhi and Zhao Yan wanted to rebel with King Guishan.

Liang Gu seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw and quickly told the Minister of Personnel Yang Yiqing.

Yang Yiqing was always decisive. He immediately notified the Ministry of War and gathered troops in Jinan Prefecture to wait for any changes.

Because the matter involved so many people, the news spread quickly.

As a result, Zhu Danglu's father, King Luzhuang, could no longer sit still.

Prince Zhuang of Lu believed the slander of Zhu Danglu by the palace chief historian Ma Kui, and fearing that he would be implicated, he quickly wrote to Zhu Houzhao, "This matter has nothing to do with me! I am not very familiar with him."

Zhu Houzhao saw that things did not seem as bad as he had thought, so he asked the eunuch Wen Xiang, the Shaoqing of Dali, Wang Chun, and the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Han Duan, to investigate.

When asked, it turned out that what Liang Gu said was pure false accusation.

Originally, the matter should have ended here, but Ma Kui, the chief official of the palace who had previously framed Zhu Dangqi, could no longer sit still. He began to implicate more people and wanted to turn the tables.

Ma Kui is known for his quick wit and is known as "Little Guo Jia". He came up with a countermeasure in a very short time.

First, he tricked his good friends Chen Huan and the sorcerer Li Xiu into testifying for him.

——For the sake of our brotherhood, let’s say that Zhu Danglu’s rebellion was real and you were involved.

Then he sent a bribe letter to the eunuch Bi Zhen, who was in charge of the garrison, asking him to help cover up the matter.

——I have arranged everything. Just say a good word for me. It's easy.

Then Ma Kui personally reported the matter to the investigation team.

——There are still two fish that have slipped through the net. Go and catch them, and you will definitely get something!

Perfect closed loop!

(End of this chapter)

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