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

Chapter 530 A simple exchange of words

Song Chunniang thought about the scene and it was indeed explosive enough to leave a deep impression on Han Qianhu.

She said excitedly, "Then I will discuss this with Yunjun's mother and get this done as soon as possible."

She asked again, "When will the decree come down?"

Pei Yuan thought for a moment and replied, "I have to ask Qian Ning about this matter. Since His Majesty did not agree on the spot, I guess there will be a need for a reason later."

"Even if His Majesty decides on this matter, I can ask Lu Ting to intercept the imperial decree and bring it out when the time is right."

Song Chunniang breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay, then we'll try to move the date forward."

Pei Yuan asked, "Don't we need to wait for Zhang Lian to come back?"

Song Chunniang said, "Zhang Lian replied to my letter last time and has already agreed. We can go and marry her anytime."

"Although Yunjun's title is with me, everyone knows that she is actually your concubine. It's not a very glorious thing. He is the Shanxi Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, so there is no need for him to deceive himself."

"Besides, you think Zhang Heling and his brothers are just chickens and dogs, but others don't think so. It's rare for someone to dare to marry their daughter. If you make a big fuss and anger Zhang Heling, Zhang Lian is not afraid, but she is afraid that your life will be in danger. Then their daughter will be a widow."

Pei Yuan said decisively, "Captain Han will be able to enter the capital in three to five days. It's best to set a date as soon as possible."

Song Chunniang responded and went to the inner room to tidy up.

Pei Yuan wiped it briefly, thinking that he had not succeeded the last time, but he still had some courage left, so he didn't want to stay in Zhihua Temple anymore and planned to go back quickly before it was too late.

He asked Song Chunniang, who was already weak in the knees and feet, and was ready to stay in Zhihua Temple tonight.

Pei Yuan gave the room to her and went home with a few followers.

After returning home, he asked someone to fetch water for him in the room in the front yard and washed himself thoroughly before returning to the backyard.

Jiao Yan'er had already fallen asleep at this moment. When she heard Pei Yuan knocking on the door, a maid came to open it.

Pei Yuan sent the maid away and went to Jiao Yan'er's room, only to see Jiao Yan'er had just lit the lamp and was about to get dressed to greet him.

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "Since you are asleep, you don't have to worry about me. Go to bed early."

Although Pei Yuan still had some courage left, it was not much. Just as he was feeling guilty, he heard Jiao Yan'er shyly say that she had her period and could let Qingge and Wanyue serve her.

Pei Yuan was secretly happy that he would not be discovered, but he suddenly realized that last night's work was in vain.

Pei Yuan was feeling depressed and had no mood to look for Qingge and Wanyue anymore. He just fell asleep in Jiao Yan'er's arms.

The next morning, Pei Yuan went to Zhihua Temple.

First, he copied the entire text of Zhao Sui's memorial, and then asked Chen Xinjian to deliver the copy of the memorial and the human-skin saddle to Li Shishi's residence.

Li Shishi was on leave at the time, and when he heard that it was Pei Qianhu's general flag-teller Chen Xinjian who wanted to see him, he immediately remembered Pei Qianhu's close follower, who had a brother who was the deputy commander of the Shandong Military Commission.

He immediately welcomed the person in warmly.

After Chen Xinjian and Li Shishi dismissed everyone, they showed him the human-skin saddle and the letter that Zhao Sui had written to the emperor.

Li Shishi sighed for a while and understood what Pei Yuan meant.

This is to completely shatter the fantasy in Zhao Sui's heart.

Now Zhao Sui is working under Prince Ning. It would be beneficial to Prince Ning if Zhao Sui could give up his loyalty to the imperial court.

From now on, Zhao Sui will probably not only no longer have any extravagant expectations of the emperor, but will instead begin to hate him to the core.

Li Shishi was touched and said, "I didn't expect Captain Pei to be so thoughtful. I will definitely report this matter to King Ning and ask him to award the reward."

Pei Yuan took the trouble to destroy Zhao Sui's fantasy, certainly not to help Prince Ning.

Chen Xinjian immediately said calmly, "People like Zhao Sui are always suspicious. The Grand Commander can have someone tell him that this is a reward given to our captain by the emperor himself. We, the captain, also contributed to their escape from Huguang. I'm sure they will believe it a little bit."

Li Shishi didn't know what the name Pei Yuan meant to the commanders of Bazhou yet, so he said happily, "Okay, Captain Pei is thoughtful."

It was not until he heard Chen Xinjian's report that Pei Yuan noticed that today was a day off.

Although Pei Yuan's rank was not high, he was a sitting official and his direct agency was under the jurisdiction of Nanjing. He was very free on weekdays and could not enjoy the happiness of rest days that ordinary officials had.

He was just thinking about whether to go see Zang Xian first and ask him to help solve the trade war problem, or to go find Yun Weilin first and find out Han Qianhu's background from that old dog, when he suddenly heard someone come to report that Liu Pang, a doctor from the Ministry of Rites, was here to visit.

Pei Yuan quickly asked someone to welcome Liu Pang in.

Pei Yuan just talked to Li Shishi yesterday about relocating Liu Pang to another position. Today is a day off, so it may be too late for Li Shishi to take action.

This time, Liu Pang came here probably specifically to thank me for returning those memorials to him.

I guess he would also like to take this opportunity to test his own opinion.

Pei Yuan wanted to make friends with Liu Pang, so he waited in the hall early.

When Liu Pang arrived, before the two sides had even exchanged greetings, Pei Yuan laughed and walked into the hall hand in hand with him.

Liu Pang was happy after receiving those memorials from Pei Yuan last time, but he started to worry again. He was afraid that Captain Pei was a rough and unrestrained warrior who would say things that he shouldn't say.

These things might be a topic of conversation for Pei Yuan, but they are fatal to them.

Seeing Pei Yuan so enthusiastic, Liu Pang was caught off guard.

He immediately agreed with a smile and said, "In the past, I came here for official business, but this time it's because you are so generous and can return those memorials, so I want to make friends with you."

"Memorial?" Pei Yuan paused for a moment, then smiled and patted Liu Pang's arm, "What memorial?"

Liu Pang was overjoyed when he heard this and no longer had any doubts.

Pei Yuan laughed and said, "Do you think I'm the kind of person who would threaten others once I get evidence against me?"

Pei Yuan wanted to bring out Zhang Lian, a man of integrity and conscience, to increase his own value, but his experiences over the past few days had made him realize his previous recklessness.

These civil servants seem to be divided into clear camps, but the internal struggles are everywhere. Before clarifying each other's positions, it is better to avoid building relationships as much as possible.

When Liu Pang heard Pei Yuan's revelation, he said in shame, "I don't have such intention, I don't have such intention."

Pei Yuan knew that Liu Pang was Mao Ji's man. He thought that Mao Ji might be in mourning in a few days. At that time, Liu Pang would have no backing, and would probably be in a passive position when facing Wang Hua, who had just come to power and was eager to place his own people.

So, after the soldiers had finished serving tea, Pei Yuan said to Liu Pang, "In the past, I didn't pay much attention to our official exchanges. Today, I saw that Brother Liu was willing to come to my house to make friends for that matter. Only then did I realize that Brother Liu is also an honest gentleman."

Liu Pang blushed slightly and said, "My dear brother, your words really make me ashamed."

Pei Yuan opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. Seeing this, Liu Pang asked curiously, "Do you have anything to say, my dear brother?"

Pei Yuan looked embarrassed, and after a while he said, "I saw Brother Liu was honest, and I also wanted to make friends with him. So I remembered something, but I was afraid that if I told him something, not only would I not be able to help Brother Liu, but it would implicate me."

When Liu Pang heard Pei Yuan say this, he was a little surprised at first, and then he suddenly remembered the identity of the man in front of him as a Jinyiwei!
This is a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!
Even if he was a captain of the Imperial Guard who managed the monks and Taoists in the temples, he was still a captain of the Imperial Guard!
Could it be?

Thinking of the various legends about the Jinyiwei spies, and thinking of Pei Yuan's hesitation at this moment, Liu Pang couldn't help but feel flustered. He hurriedly said, "What do you mean by talking about deep feelings when we are just strangers? My dear brother, what you said is a bit awkward!"

"Then..." Pei Yuan continued to hesitate.

Liu Pang's hands trembled slightly, and he looked at Pei Yuan nervously, "Brother, just say it clearly. If it concerns me, I will definitely repay you."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan signaled the personal soldiers serving around him to retreat.

Then he whispered to Liu Pang, "Let me ask you first, is Brother Liu someone from Minister Mao's side?"

Liu Pang shouldn't have answered this question, but thinking about what Pei Yuan had said yesterday, and thinking about Pei Yuan's hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said, "Yes. In the provincial examination that year, Minister Mao selected me as the top scorer. Later, when we worked in the Ministry of Rites together, Minister Mao took good care of me."

Pei Yuan was not surprised and asked, "So, the other people in the Ministry of Rites also know about it?"

Liu Pang said, "Yes. There is a pattern to be followed in the promotion and transfer of officials. It is no secret who is behind it."

Pei Yuan then said, "Then this matter has something to do with Brother Liu."

Without waiting for Liu Pang to ask more, he said to him, "A few days ago, I went to Shandong on business, and I remembered that Minister Mao was also from Shandong, so I asked someone to inquire about his family's recent situation."

"According to the information I have received..., Minister Mao may be in mourning in the next few months."

When Pei Yuan said this, Liu Pang felt as if he was struck by lightning, and his hands and feet turned cold.

Mao Ji? Dingyou?!

Of course he understood what mourning meant.

When an official was in mourning, he had to resign from his post immediately and return home to observe mourning for three years.

According to the tradition of the Ming Dynasty, in order to encourage officials to fulfill their filial piety, generally speaking, after an official returns from mourning, he or she will be given a position no lower than the previous one.

But theory is theory, and it may not be appropriate to leave gaps.

Especially for high-ranking officials, as long as a vacancy occurs, there are countless people waiting there.

With Mao Ji's rank as one of the Seven Great Ministers, it would not be easy for him to fight back after the mourning period.

This means that as long as an official is in mourning, he will lose his court position and influence for three years or more.

But let’s not talk about Mao Ji’s matter. Mao Ji was in mourning, so what should Liu Pang do?
Liu Pang's position as Ceremonial Doctor was the most important among the four departments of the Ministry of Rites, and it was also the position to which one was most easily promoted.

It is difficult to jump directly to the position of Vice Minister, but if you are lucky and stay in Beijing, there is still hope to jump up to the fourth rank and other noble official positions such as Junior Secretary of the Honglu Temple, Junior Secretary of the Taichang Temple, and Junior Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat.

If you are a little lower, you can also serve as a fourth-rank official, or a councilor of the provincial government, or a deputy envoy of the imperial court.

The worst case scenario is to go directly to the local area to do practical work and serve as a prefect of the fourth rank.

How could he possibly keep such a crucial position when a new minister took office and his backer was in mourning?
If he were to be directly sent out to be a prefect, it would be many times more difficult for him to move up step by step in the rest of his life.

Liu Pang's forehead was slightly sweaty, and he asked Pei Yuan, "Are you serious, brother?"

Pei Yuan said, "It's absolutely true."

Liu Pang stood up suddenly and said, "No, I have to go and tell Minister Mao about this."

Pei Yuan reached out and tugged at his sleeve. "Brother Liu, are you so anxious that you are confused? Minister Mao is still locked up in the Imperial Examination Hall. And how are you going to discuss this matter with him?"

Liu Pang paused slightly.

Pei Yuan asked him again, "Could it be that if you go and discuss it, then Minister Mao's parents will live a hundred years?"

"This, this..." Liu Pang was speechless for a moment.

Pei Yuan pointed out sinisterly, "Besides, if this matter is made clear, how can Brother Liu plan for himself? And how can he meet Minister Mao again in the future?"

Several thoughts flashed through Liu Pang's mind quickly.

Then his expression changed slightly, and he asked Pei Yuan, "You mean, I, I..."

Pei Yuan sighed softly, "This is why I hesitated just now. It's such a big matter, I really can't talk too much."

Liu Pang was extremely worried at the moment, and he was at a loss. He hesitated and sat down, and said to Pei Yuan earnestly, "I am already confused, and given our friendship, you can tell me everything you know."

Pei Yuancai said, "I heard that you civil officials are fighting fiercely. If Minister Mao goes home to mourn his father, I'm afraid that Brother Liu, a person at the center of controversy, won't have an easy time in the Ministry of Rites."

Liu Pang did not hide it, "Indeed. My position is the most crucial. Whether it is the court's sacrifices or the imperial examinations, they are all within my brother's authority. As long as Shangshu Wang Hua wants to seize the power of the Ministry of Rites, this position must be replaced by his people."

Pei Yuan said, "The reason I told Brother Liu about this is that I hope Brother Liu can seize the opportunity and make plans for himself as soon as possible. If you go and tell Minister Mao about this and then try to protect yourself, how will Minister Mao view Brother Liu?"

"This..." Liu Pang's forehead was slightly sweaty.

He thought for a moment and said with difficulty, "But Minister Mao has been very kind to me. Now that I have heard about this, how can I pretend that I know nothing about it? If so, how can I feel at ease?"

"Even so..., ah!"

Pei Yuan didn't expect that Liu Pang still had some bottom line.

But as soon as he changed his mind, he immediately came up with persuasive words.

Pei Yuan stared at Liu Pang and said calmly, "How do you know that Minister Mao doesn't know about this? Is he not as clear about his own affairs as we outsiders?"

"Are you sure you want to bring this up?"

These three simple questions made Liu Pang feel creepy and his pupils dilated slightly.

As an official himself, he immediately understood the profound meaning of Pei Yuan's words.

Mao Ji's family can contact Mao Ji at any time, so how could Mao Ji's understanding of the family situation be less than that of them?
According to normal etiquette and filial piety, after Mao Ji knew about this, he should have resigned from his official position as soon as possible and returned to serve Tang Yao.

But now Mao Ji remained silent and intensified his plot against the Shangshu Wang Hua.

What does this mean?
If Liu Pang were to expose this matter, Mao Ji would have to resign immediately and go back to take care of his illness!
This move was not only stupid to Liu Pang himself, but also a stab in the back to Mao Ji.

(End of this chapter)