Daqian Night Emperor

Chapter 301 Dean An wants to be the Prime Minister, who dares to fight? (6K)

This sudden noise really scared Qin Weiyuan.

He looked at his father with lingering fear, only to see Qin Desheng's body shaking a few times and he almost fell down.

Qin Weiyuan hurriedly supported him and helped him to the chair: "Daddy, daddy, are you okay?"

He helped to pinch the Ren Zhong point and fanned Qin Desheng.

My goodness, Dad’s health is not good. I was hoping to outlast Wu Xiang, but I don’t want Wu Xiang to be so energetic while I fall ill first.

Qin Desheng felt dizzy and his vision went dark, and he kept muttering:

"This is too much... this is too much..."

"Dad, wait for me, I'll go get a doctor for you now..."

Seeing him like this, Qin Weiyuan hurriedly walked out of the hall, not forgetting to turn back and give instructions.

But when he turned around, he happened to bump into someone who was walking in from outside the hall.

Qin Weiyuan almost fell to the ground, cursing, "You're blind, don't block the road!"

The person who came in was the Qin residence's doorman. When he saw his own young master, he was so frightened that his legs went limp and he knelt on the ground: "Master, please don't blame me. I really have something urgent to report. I, I..."

"Can you be as anxious as I am?"

"I dare not lie, it's really urgent... A man with a hideous face came to the door and said he was the one who sent the third young lady back home!"

As the doorman finished speaking, the sickly Qin Desheng suddenly came back to life, stood up, walked over quickly, grabbed the doorman and shouted, "Where is that person?!"

The concierge was so frightened that he stammered, "Right outside the gate!"

"Please come in quickly!"

"Yes, yes, I'll go right away!"

Qin Weiyuan looked at the doorman who was tumbling away, then looked at Qin Desheng who was standing beside him, and said in amazement: "Dad, are you okay?"

Qin Desheng flicked his sleeves and snorted heavily: "Go and ask the doctor to come to your house, don't be an eyesore here!"

"Hey."

Qin Weiyuan responded angrily and left quickly.

……

A moment later, in the lobby of Qin's mansion.

"Master, people are here."

Qin Desheng heard the housekeeper's words behind him, and then he turned around and was about to greet him, but when he raised his eyes, he was shocked: "It's you!"

Gou Xiangxi smiled slightly and bowed to Qin Desheng: "Brother Qin, how are you?"

Qin Desheng looked at Gou Xiangxi in front of him and felt a little confused.

He knew the person in front of him very well!

Gou Xiangxi was the third place in the imperial examination in the 36th year of Tianwu, and Qin Desheng was the first place in the imperial examination that year. The two of them were classmates and after passing the imperial examination, they served together in the Hanlin Academy and had worked with each other.

Later, Gou Xiangxi entered the Censorate as a censor, and he entered the Six Ministries as an official. Both of them became famous in the capital and were the most powerful.

At the beginning, Gou Xiangxi offended Prime Minister Wu because of his "daring to speak", and Qin Desheng had thought about extending an olive branch to him. However, he was concerned about the hyena official's character of biting everyone he saw, and his own official position was not so honest, so he had to give up in the end.

"Brother Qin, won't you treat me to a cup of tea?"

It was not until Gou Xiangxi spoke again that Qin Desheng came back to his senses and hurriedly said, "It's my fault. Sit down, sit down."

The two of them sat down. Qin Desheng looked at Gou Xiangxi again and said, "Since the incident in 1947, I have rarely heard from Brother Gou. When did Brother Gou return to Beijing?"

Gou Xiangxi smiled and said, "I have been in the capital all these years. It's just that Brother Qin is too high up and didn't notice a commoner like me."

Qin Desheng was suddenly embarrassed, and he coughed lightly and said, "Brother Gou, you are joking, but when did you join the Astronomical Survey?"

The reason why he mistakenly thought Gou Xiangxi was an official from the Astronomical Observatory was because Qin Hongzhao said that it was someone from the Astronomical Observatory who rescued her.

Gou Xiangxi waved his hand and said, "Brother Qin, you misunderstood. I am now a staff member of Viscount Haiqing and also work as a clerk in the Zongzheng Temple."

"Viscount Haiqing? Zhao Qi'an?"

Qin Desheng frowned immediately.

The prince consort Zhao Qi'an had been in Beijing for ten years without making any noise, but recently his reputation has been rising. He is said to be the most popular figure around the second prince. Before the birthday banquet, the ships loaded with treasures made the people of Kyoto realize the financial strength of the Zhao family of the East China Sea.

But Qin Desheng felt a little uneasy, because although Prince Consort Zhao had not publicly taken sides, he had shown signs of leaning towards the Second Prince. His people coming to pay a visit at this critical juncture... might not be a good thing.

Thinking of this, Qin Desheng's attitude also turned cold: "Prince Consort Zhao put you in the position of clerk, which is a bit of a waste of talent. If Brother Gou is willing, why not come to work for me?"

Gou Xiangxi's smiling eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Qin Desheng, his eyes were ambiguous, and he said with a fake smile: "Brother Qin, are you willing to bear the pressure of Prime Minister Wu for me?"

"Although Prime Minister Wu is second only to the emperor, he is still a mortal after all. He will have to retire one day. How about waiting for a few years?" Qin Desheng suggested tactfully.

Gou Xiangxi nodded, agreeing: "Prime Minister Wu is eighty-three years old this year, it's time for him to prepare for retirement..."

The smile on Qin Desheng's face suddenly deepened.

He was about to speak, but Gou Xiangxi's next sentence suddenly changed the subject:

“But if I were Prime Minister Wu, before I retired, I would devote all my energy to one thing—supporting my confidants to take over the throne and clearing away all possible obstacles in the court for my successor!”

Gou Xiangxi looked at Qin Desheng and said coldly: "The first thing is to eliminate you, Qin Tianguan, at all costs!"

"you……"

Qin Desheng was stunned for a moment, but then he denied it outright: "Impossible, if Prime Minister Wu could eliminate me, the position of the official in the Ministry of Personnel would have been occupied by someone from Wu's party by now!"

"Just because there was no such thing before doesn't mean there won't be any in the future. What if the Second Prince becomes the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace? By that time, the neutral officials who are still wavering, and even the civil and military officials who originally served the Third Prince... they have already chosen the wrong side. In order to protect themselves, will they spare no effort to deal with you, just as a letter of surrender to Prime Minister Wu?"

Gou Xiangxi's words left Qin Desheng speechless.

The serious expression on Gou Xiangxi's face gradually disappeared, and he regained his creepy smile: "I heard that Brother Lin, who was on the same list as you and me, has now become a disciple of Prime Minister Wu and is highly valued by him."

His meaningful words made Qin Desheng purse his lips gradually, and a trace of solemnity and tension appeared on his face.

Of course he knew who Gou Xiangxi was talking about. Wasn't it Lin Wenxu, the runner-up in the 36th year of Tianwu?

When Princess De Ling issued a list of candidates to capture husbands, she originally wanted to capture him, the number one scholar. However, after he got to know the news, he asked Lin Wenxu out for a drink. After he got drunk, he spread the news that he was drinking in that restaurant, causing Princess De Ling, who heard the news, to kidnap the wrong person.

Later on, the matter was done and settled.

Princess De Ling did not bear a grudge against him. She was already satisfied with her husband Lin Wenxu, who pleased her with both his literary talent and appearance.

But Lin Wenxu hated him so much that his back teeth were almost broken. Becoming a royal consort was almost equivalent to ruining his career. Now, even if he surrendered to Prime Minister Wu, he could only be an idle official. The fifth-rank Zhongshu Sheren was the end of his career.

Qin Desheng really wanted to say, "Since the founding of Daqian, there has not been an official who was selected from the elite to serve as prime minister."

But if the second prince really becomes the crown prince, can't Prime Minister Wu do it?

I'm afraid it can be done!

Even if he can't do it, there are so many talented people in the Wu Party. Can't Wu Yong pick out a successor?
No matter who is chosen as the next prime minister, the first person Wu Yong wants to get rid of is Qin Desheng!
Qin Desheng felt a sense of crisis, but he remained calm, even with a bit of disdain: "Brother Gou still likes to exaggerate. Even if Prime Minister Wu really wants to deal with me, am I Qin Desheng a piece of clay? I have the support of the Yangzhou clan behind me, and I have roots among the officials of the entire Daqian Jiuzhou. If Prime Minister Wu wants to fight to the death, I can also deal with him. As long as it drags on, it will always be in my favor."

He never thought about winning. As long as he could delay Wu Yong for a few years, until his body could no longer bear it and he was forced to step down, that would be his victory!
If it just delays for a few years, then even if the second prince really becomes the crown prince, he will be able to do it!
Gou Xiangxi smiled and said, "No matter how strong the armor is, it can't withstand the continuous attack of the sword. Brother Qin has a deep foundation, but if he loses soldiers and generals, his vitality will be greatly damaged. By then, Brother Qin, can you be sure that there will be no newcomers rising in the court?"

Qin Desheng tried his best to remain calm, but the water surface in the teacup in his hand was slightly rippling, which was enough to show that he was not at peace.

He said calmly: "What's the point of saying all this? Brother Gou is no longer in the court, so how can he still help me?"

"I am of low position and my words have little influence, so naturally I can't do that. But my benefactor behind the scenes can help Brother Qin." Gou Xiangxi replied.

It was not until now that the topic really got to the point.

Qin Desheng asked: "What about Zhao Qi'an?"

"Exactly."

Hearing this, Qin Desheng directly put the lid on the tea bowl and said with a dull look: "I am very grateful to Brother Gou for finding my daughter. I will also give him a generous gift. As for the other things... don't mention it anymore."

This clearly means to send the guest away.

Gou Xiangxi pretended to be surprised and asked, "Brother Qin, what do you mean?"

"Brother Gou, don't pretend to be confused." Qin Desheng simply made his point clear, "Zhao Qi'an is just a junior. Even if his father Zhao Wanjin came to Jingdu City, would he dare to be an enemy of the Left Prime Minister? What do you mean by helping me? Zhao Qi'an is now standing beside the Second Prince, who is the grandson of Prime Minister Wu. Is he here to help me, or to harm me?"

"Brother Qin, do you think that I came here today just because of my benefactor?"

"Is not it?"

"But what if I say this is also what the Second Prince meant?"

Qin Desheng was stunned and said in disbelief: "The Second Prince wants to help me deal with Prime Minister Wu?"

He found it funny when he said this.

Gou Xiangxi said calmly without smiling: "It's not dealing with it, it's checking and balancing it."

"Checks and balances?"

"Brother Qin, don't you think... that the court is too dominated by one family?"

Qin Desheng said with a smile: "Your Highness, you haven't even become the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace yet, and you're already thinking about balancing your backers? Isn't this going to make people laugh?"

Gou Xiangxi also smiled, picked up the teacup and drank tea, looking calm and composed.

Qin Desheng felt a pang in his heart when he saw his calm and composed appearance.

The Second Prince must have some reason to do this.

Could it be that the Second Prince's side also knew that something had gone wrong with the Third Prince?

If something happened to the Third Prince, then it would seem reasonable that the Second Prince had already started making preparations to check and balance Prime Minister Wu...

The smile on Qin Desheng's face faded, and he fell into deep thought. He started to imagine the whole thing in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was the case.

After a moment, he said, "My family alone is powerless to check and balance Prime Minister Wu, and the Zhao family of Donghai is also powerless. The Zhao family of Donghai has financial resources but no foundation in the court, so they can't help much."

"What if we add the Marquis of Jibei Weiwu?"

"Marquis Weiwu?!"

Qin Desheng looked up at Gou Xiangxi in surprise, but Gou Xiangxi still looked confident and confident.

He thought for a moment and said, "Although the Marquis of Weiwu is well-known, he is far away in Jibei. I am the one who is left in the capital facing the pressure from Prime Minister Wu... What is the Second Prince willing to promise me?"

Having said this, Qin Desheng's heart had actually relaxed.

And what remains is the time for bargaining.

Gou Xiangxi smiled slightly: "The position of the left prime minister..."

Qin Desheng nodded silently, with a matter-of-fact look on his face.

Unexpectedly, Gou Xiangxi's second half of the sentence surprised him: "...It's impossible to give it to you."

Qin Desheng stood up suddenly: "What do you mean?"

Gou Xiangxi remained unmoved even in the face of his anger: "Brother Qin, don't worry. I could have pretended to be nice to you today, promised you the position of left prime minister, and tricked you into coming here, so that it would be too late when you realize it. But I came here with sincerity today, so naturally I can't promise you something I can't do."

Qin Desheng pointed at him and said angrily: "After all this talk, didn't the Wu party member succeed him as the left prime minister? If this is the case, there is no room for cooperation between us!"

Gou Xiangxi faced the finger Qin Desheng pointed at him and said calmly, "President An will be taking up a government post next year."

Qin Desheng was stunned, and the anger on his face visibly dissipated.

He seemed to think he had heard it wrong, and couldn't help but ask again: "Which Dean An?"

Gou Xiangxi immediately laughed: "Who else is Dean An in Kyoto? Of course it's that 'greatest scholar'!"

The word "zhiru" completely dissipated the anger in Qin Desheng's heart.

Gou Xiangxi asked with a smile: "Are you going to compete with Dean An for the position of Prime Minister?"

Qin Desheng smiled bitterly and said, "I have also heard Dean An's lectures. I am also Dean An's disciple. I don't dare to have such thoughts."

This is just like when you are taking the imperial examination and you are so confident that you will get the top score, but when you turn around you see the person who set the test is packing up his things and entering the examination room with you to take the exam.

This is how Qin Desheng feels now.

Gou Xiangxi said: "After the spring imperial examination next year, President An will return to the officialdom. All forces that hinder him from becoming the prime minister will be eliminated. President An must become the prime minister. This is our condition. Therefore, we, like you, have irreconcilable conflicts with Prime Minister Wu."

He looked at Qin Desheng and asked again: "So what you are facing is not the question of whether to stand on the side of the Second Prince, but the question of whether to stand on the side of Dean An!"

Qin Desheng hesitated for a moment, and then he gritted his teeth and said, "But am I just working for nothing?"

Gou Xiangxi smiled and said, "President An is not Wu Yong. Wu Yong cannot tolerate others, fearing that someone will threaten his position, but President An will not suppress others. He just hopes that there will be more capable people in the court. If someone is more capable than him, he will give up the position of prime minister to others."

If someone else said this, Qin Desheng would think it was hypocritical.

But Dean An... is just that kind of person.

The greatest scholar in the world!

Gou Xiangxi paused for a moment and then put forward the real conditions: "You can't be the left prime minister, but how about the right prime minister?"

"The position of Right Prime Minister has been vacant for many years..."

"That was done intentionally by Wu Yong. In name, he was keeping this position open until Dean An returned to the government, but what qualifications does he have to let Dean An be below him?" Gou Xiangxi directly blasted, "He wanted to disgust Dean An, and at the same time, he wanted to use Dean An's name to hold the power of the prime minister in his own hands. Ugh! Disgusting!"

He spat a mouthful of thick phlegm on the ground, his face full of disdain.

Qin Desheng looked at the thick phlegm on the ground and the muscles on his face twitched.

This is his home...

But now he could only pretend that he didn't see it, lowered his head in hesitation, and sighed continuously: "I'll think about it again, I'll think about it again..."

In fact, he had been persuaded in his heart, but the conditions offered by Gou Xiangxi were too few.

Although the Right Prime Minister and the Left Prime Minister are both prime ministers, their powers are vastly different. Not to mention that if the Left Prime Minister is a capable person like Dean An, then even if I really become the Right Prime Minister, I can only do some assisting work for Dean An.

But if he becomes the right prime minister, he will have to give up his position as the official in the Ministry of Personnel. Is this... really a good deal?
This is the point where Qin Desheng hesitated.

This is enough to show that he has completely trusted Gou Xiangxi, and he also feels that the strategy of "checking and balancing" Wu Xiang has great potential.

Gou Xiangxi stood up and said, "I will not interfere with your decision, but you have to do something first in this battle for the crown prince."

"This……"

"This is your token of loyalty. If you miss this opportunity, you will never get it again."

Qin Desheng's arrogance suddenly dropped, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay."

He sat back, took a sip of tea, but couldn't suppress the heat in his heart, and suddenly asked: "Is your idea today the idea of ​​your benefactor? Or is it the idea of ​​the Second Prince?"

"Who knows? How would I know about the affairs of the people above me?" Gou Xiangxi looked indifferent and answered ambiguously, "Maybe the Second Prince has long been fed up with Prime Minister Wu and wants him to fall."

Qin Desheng immediately understood.

He sighed again and said, "I really underestimated him."

……

In the backyard of the Qin Mansion, there is a separate courtyard.

"Don't be afraid, Mommy, Mommy is here, Mommy is here..."

There was a woman sitting beside the well.

Although she is in her early thirties, her beautiful face cannot be concealed.

But at this moment, although her clothes were clean, her hair was extremely messy, her eyes were dull, and saliva was oozing from the corners of her mouth from time to time.

She was holding a dirty doll, patting its back gently and humming a nursery rhyme in her dialect.

There were two maids watching nearby, their eyes full of pity when they looked at the beautiful woman.

Ever since the Third Miss was thrown into the well by the First Lady, Aunt Li has gone insane. She has been acting crazy all these years, which is really pitiful.

At this moment, the gate was suddenly pushed open.

"mother!"

With a cry, the voice that had appeared in her dreams countless times rang in Li's ears, making her unable to distinguish between dreams and reality for a moment.

She was stunned for a long time before she slowly turned around and looked at the gate with her mouth open and empty eyes.

When she saw Qin Hongzhao standing at the gate of the courtyard, she slowly stood up from the well, and the doll in her hand, which she usually treasured, fell to the ground without her noticing.

She just stared at Qin Hongzhao blankly and slowly walked towards him.

step……

step……

step……

She walked slowly, she felt that it was time for her to wake up. Every time in her dream, she would wake up when she was approaching her daughter, before she could see her face clearly.

But this time...she saw it clearly.

She saw her daughter's appearance clearly. She had grown up, was taller than before, very thin, and her appearance had become more mature.

Li stood in front of Qin Hongzhao and raised her hand tremblingly, as if she wanted to touch Qin Hongzhao's face.

But the next moment, she wanted to pull back, fearing that when she reached out her hand, the person in front of her would turn into bubble and fly away.

But just when she was about to retract her hand, Qin Hongzhao grabbed her hand with both hands, and then gently placed her hand on his face.

The moment my fingers touched my cheek, I felt a warm touch.

Li's dilated pupils gradually regained their luster.

She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to make some sound, but she could only make "ah" and "ah" sounds.

She looked at the people around her, as if she wanted to hear an answer from them.

The two maids couldn't help but shed tears when they saw this. They wiped their eyes and choked up:

"Aunt Li, Miss Hong Zhao is back."

"It's Miss Hong Zhao. She's really back."

“You’re…back…?”

Li tried hard to make a sound, but her voice became hoarse and unpleasant.

The maids said in unison: "Yes, I'm back."

Li looked at Qin Hongzhao again.

Qin Hongzhao cried, "Mom, I'm back."

The next moment, she was already tightly embraced in his arms.

The embrace was so tight, as if he was afraid that if he let go, she would disappear again.

"came back!"

Li finally cried out: "My daughter is back!"

"My...my daughter!"

"my daughter!"

The crying finally turned into wailing, even shrill, echoing throughout the Qin Mansion.

……

At the gate of Qin's mansion, Qin Desheng personally escorted Gou Xiangxi out the door.

"Anyway, my daughter's return home this time is all thanks to your benefactor. I owe him a favor."

At the gate of the mansion, Qin Desheng spoke politely to Gou Xiangxi.

Gou Xiangxi didn't know what politeness meant, so he nodded and said, "In that case, I'll remember this for my benefactor. When it's your turn to repay the favor in the future, you can't delay and owe it."

"You, you've suffered a great crime, but you still can't change your mouth!"

Qin Desheng sneered and shook his head, also helpless.

But they had already become much closer through their conversation.

While the two were talking, Li Yulu, who was not far away, had already seen Gou Xiangxi coming out, driving a horse-drawn carriage to the gate of Qin's mansion.

Gou Xiangxi bowed to Qin Desheng and said, "In that case, I will take my leave. Brother Qin, please stay."

"Walk slowly."

Qin Desheng watched Gou Xiangxi get on the carriage. Only when the carriage disappeared at the end of the street did he look away and sigh.

This time he was dragged into this situation by Gou Xiangxi, but he didn't know whether his ending would be good or bad in the end.

Qin Desheng was about to return home when he saw the housekeeper rushing over again:
"Master, Master, Aunt Li is fine!"

He was stunned for a moment, and asked hurriedly: "What? What happened to Su Qing? How did she get better?"

"She's recovered from her illness, her madness has been cured!" The housekeeper also had a happy look on his face. "As soon as Aunt Li saw Miss Hong Zhao, her madness was cured. Now the mother and daughter are talking in the backyard!"

Qin Desheng was overjoyed: "Hahaha, great!"

He was so excited that he walked towards the backyard with big strides without waiting for the butler to catch up.

From this point of view, Gou Xiangxi’s arrival today is a good thing!
Great thing!
(End of this chapter)