First Minister of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 485
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Hearing Zheng Shanguo's rambunctious talk, Zheng Rentai, who was only 25 years old, was stunned, scratched his head and said, "It's so complicated. The prince and Gao Youzhi are the same age as me, and they think so far?"

Zheng Shanguo rolled his eyes when he heard the words, ignored this fellow, and just waved his hands and said: "Go back to the military mansion and wait, and tell the old man as soon as Gao Youzhi arrives."

It seems that this nephew is only suitable for the army, not for staying in the court.

"Gao Youzhi may not come here to inspect the states?" Zheng Rentai said nonchalantly: "After all, I am an old man from the Qin Palace, so he can't come here to investigate me."

Hearing this, Zheng Shanguo couldn't bear it anymore, and reprimanded: "Do you think the prince is deaf or blind? How can the old man not know that he has been here for more than a month."

Zheng Shanguo got up and left, he was really disappointed with this straightforward nephew.

Suddenly, Zheng Shanguo paused, and asked with a frown: "You have been in the Qin Palace for many years, but you don't know the pervasive and detailed work under the Prince's command?"

Zheng Rentai blinked, "I have heard of it occasionally, but it has nothing to do with me, so I have never contacted it."

"Do you know who the leader of the fine work is?" Zheng Shanguo asked.

Zheng Rentai just shook his head.

Seeing this, Zheng Shanguo was thoughtful, just patted Zheng Rentai on the shoulder, then turned and left, leaving Zheng Rentai alone, puzzled.

That night, when Zheng Rentai returned to the military residence, he heard the guards report: "Commander, someone outside the camp wants to see you."

"Who is it?" Zheng Rentai was startled.

"Just say that he is an old man in Taiyuan, and the commanding army will know it at the first sight."The guard answered truthfully.

"Playing with mystery", Zheng Rentai muttered, so he got up and went to the gate of the camp.

Under the gate of the camp, dozens of cavalry stood in uniform. The leader was dressed in a moon-white robe, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked up at the three words "return to the government" on the camp gate above his head.

"Yuzhi?" Zheng Rentai blinked and shouted in surprise when he saw this person.

"Rentai, long time no see." Gao Chong turned around and smiled heartily.

"Yuzhi, you are really here..." Zheng Rentai asked in surprise, and then reacted and stepped forward to hold Gao Chong's hand: "Come, come, sit down and talk."

"You just said that I really came?" Gao Chong raised his eyebrows and asked with a smile, "What? You know I'm coming here?"

Zheng Rentai paused, just waved his hands and smiled: "How do I know, I just guessed."

"Duke Xingyang told you, right?" Gao Chong continued talking with a smile.

"Why do you..." Zheng Rentai only felt that his head was not enough, and when he saw that he had slipped his mouth, he just smiled wryly: "You all are so good at predicting things, it seems that I am like a fool."

Gao Chong burst out laughing when he heard the words, and when he came to the camp and sat down, Gao Chong asked with great interest, "How's the harvest in the paddock today?"

Zheng Rentai was completely convinced, and said directly: "Tomorrow I will take you to the Changchun Palace, and you can talk to my uncle by yourself."

"Alright, today I only talk about brotherhood." Gao Chong nodded in response, and then sighed: "The prince has high hopes for Rentai, and ordered you to guard the Changchun Palace, and then he will be promoted to the fourth-rank army. Rentai must not disappoint His Royal Highness the prince." ah".

"What are you talking about?" Zheng Rentai immediately said seriously when he heard the words: "Zheng Guang also came from the Qin Palace, how could he live up to the high expectations of the prince."

Gao Chong laughed loudly when he heard the words, "What Rentai said is that we two are the same age as the prince, and we fought side by side in Jinyang, so we have a deep friendship."

Now Gao Chong somewhat understands why Zheng Rentai, the minister who has the hidden residence of Conglong Zhigong, did not have much reputation during the Zhenguan period.

This is not only because Zheng Rentai is the nephew of the former princess Zheng Guanyin, but also because of Zheng Rentai himself.

Li Jiancheng's official wife, Zheng Guanyin, came from the Zheng family in Xingyang. Zheng Guanyin's father was Zheng Jibo, the former governor of Tanzhou in the Sui Dynasty. Zheng Rentai's grandfather was Zheng Jishu, the former governor of Zhengzhou in the Sui Dynasty. Zheng Jibo and Zheng Jishu were brothers. .

Although Zheng Rentai participated in the Jinyang uprising at the age of 16, it can be said that he was the first group of people to follow Li Shimin. During the Xuanwumen Incident, he was even more active as a pioneer, ambushing his uncle Li Jiancheng, and thus became a county marquis. His reputation is really not as good as the later Yuchi Chengqin and others.

The reason for Zheng Rentai's low sense of existence, originally Gao Chong thought that there were many famous generals in the Zhenguan period, which made Zheng Rentai useless. Now it seems that there may be reasons for Zheng Rentai's background and his own position.

Throughout the Zhenguan period, Zheng Rentai's political status was always very low, and his reputation was not obvious. He basically stayed in the Imperial Palace until he conquered Goguryeo. The tribes of Tie Le have made great achievements, but they are still the Dukes of the county until their death.

Although the prince of the county is noble, it must be known that Zheng Rentai participated in the Jinyang uprising, participated in the conquest of Dou Jiande, Liu Wuzhou and other unification wars. Gong, I have to say, there must be another reason.

The next day, Zheng Rentai took Gao Chong into the Changchun Palace, and saw Zheng Shanguo who was like a wild crane in the clouds at the back mountain.

Zheng Shanguo, holding a bamboo pole, was leisurely sitting by the lake fishing.

Seeing Gao Chong's arrival, Zheng Shanguo got up slowly, straightened his clothes and said: "The guilty minister Zheng Shanguo, I have met Gao Siqing".

Gao Chong turned his body sideways to avoid it, and said with a smile: "I dare not accept this gift from Patriarch Zheng."

"Gao Siqing is joking," Zheng Shanguo shook his head and said with a smile, "Since Gao Siqing is here, the guilty minister is willing to return to Chang'an and let him be dealt with."

"His Royal Highness has issued an edict to pardon the two culprits. Don't blame the past. Master Zheng is serious." Gao Chong waved his hands and smiled, turning his head to look at the beautiful lake and mountains. "However, Master Zheng trespassed on the imperial forbidden garden. , I will definitely play it truthfully."

Zheng Shanguo smiled knowingly, "Leave Gao Siqing to deal with it."

Gao Chong smiled, but he was very displeased with Zheng Shanguo's pretentious gesture.

Obviously he is a criminal official, and the investment and construction failed. If he were to be another emperor, not to mention beheaded, at least he would be dismissed from office and never hired.

Now that Li Shimin seeks stability for his reputation, he does not blame Jian Jian as an old minister. This guy is still putting on airs here, trying to return to Chang'an on the charge of trespassing on the royal enclosure. This is really a shame for this guy.

Seeing Gao Chong's deep smile, Zheng Shanguo's heart skipped a beat, and he said bluntly, "I don't know how His Highness the Crown Prince plans to deal with the criminals?"

"Dali Temple has a quota of two young ministers, and now there is only the number one scholar, Sun Fujia. I heard that Patriarch Zheng served as Minister of Dali Temple in the former Sui Dynasty.

Gao Chong looked at Zheng Shanguo with a smile, telling you to rely on your old age and put on a pretentious posture. When you become a low-ranking official, there are plenty of ways to punish you.

Zheng Shanguo's expression changed, but since he claimed to be a criminal officer, he couldn't refuse, so he just smiled and said, "Then I will rely on Qing Gao Siqing."

"Don't dare dare", Gao Chong waved his hand and said, "Since that's the case, Patriarch Zheng should set off for Beijing immediately, His Royal Highness has been waiting for a long time."

Zheng Shanguo had quite a lot of political achievements in his early years, and he was known for being honest and self-disciplined. But after his mother Cui's death, Zheng Shanguo began to indulge and become extravagant day by day, and his reputation was not as good as before.

(End of this chapter)