Do you know: I am Yuan Wenshao

Chapter 234: Mr. Han’s wooing

"The Empress Dowager has good intentions, and I shouldn't push them away. But before, I also advised the officials to take more concubines and spread their branches, but the officials have always refused. If I take the people back directly, I might offend the officials. I'm not happy. It's better to wait for my concubine to go back and discuss it with the officials before replying to the Queen Mother." Hua Lan said.

The Queen Mother's face darkened when she heard this. Seeing this, Guan Zhu on the side shouted: "Bold! As the saying goes, thunder, rain and dew are all gifts from heaven. The Queen Mother showed sympathy to the loyal and brave Marquis and rewarded him. Mrs. Yuan did not thank the Queen Mother for her grace and repeatedly pushed back. What’s the point?”

Upon hearing this, Hua Lan quickly stood up and saluted: "I don't dare, I really..."

"enough!"

The Queen Mother coldly interrupted Hua Lan and said, "The Ai family doesn't want to hear this. I just want to ask if you are willing to take him back?"

Hua Lan was panicking. The Queen Mother was obviously really angry now. If she refused again, the Queen Mother would punish her too little. Who knows if Yuan Wenshao would be implicated.

Seeing that Hua Lan didn't speak, the Queen Mother didn't continue to press, giving Hua Lan time to think.

It was impossible for her to really punish Hualan for this matter. She had knighted Yuan Wenshao before, which made the officials alienate Yuan Wenshao. If she punished Hualan, wouldn't she push Yuan Wenshao towards the officials.

The hall fell into silence for a while, and then a young eunuch walked in and saluted: "This is the Queen Mother, the Queen Mother is outside asking for an audience."

The Queen Mother frowned slightly when she heard this, glanced at Hua Lan, who had his head lowered, and sneered: "What a good plan. Do you think that the Queen's arrival will make the Ai family give in? Go and invite the Queen in!"

"Yes!"

The eunuch who reported the news responded and retreated.

After a while, Queen Shen walked in, saluted and said: "Daughter-in-law, pay homage to the Queen Mother!"

"Forgive me as a gift, give the Queen a seat." The Queen Mother said calmly.

"Thank you mother!"

Queen Shen straightened up and saw Hua Lan standing with a bow, and asked doubtfully: "Who is this?"

"This is Mrs. Zhongyonghou, does the Queen recognize her?" the Queen Mother said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Mother and daughter-in-law have heard that Mrs. Zhongyonghou is very virtuous, but she has never seen her before." Empress Shen said with a smile.

The Queen Mother didn't believe what Queen Shen said at all, and she didn't bother to talk nonsense to Queen Shen. She waved her hand and said, "The Queen came to see the Ai family. What do you mean?"

"After returning to my mother, the officials told my concubines last night that the treasury is now empty. They defeated the Xixia before, but they could not get any financial rewards. The officials thought that many of the maids in the palace were of marriageable age. If these maids were betrothed to unmarried women, The meritorious soldiers can win a good reputation for the royal family and win the morale of the military. My daughter-in-law also thinks this method is good, but she is a little undecided, so she wants to ask her mother for advice." Empress Shen said with a smile.

"Okay, so you are waiting for the Aijia here." The Queen Mother said with a pale face.

Queen Shen said that she came to ask her for advice, but how could the Queen Mother not see that she came specifically to help Hualan out of the siege.

Moreover, Queen Shen's purpose was not only that, she also wanted to take this opportunity to clean up some of the maids in the palace.

However, she couldn't find a reason to refute it. The maids in the palace, except for female officials, would be released from the palace after they reached the right age to return home and remarry.

In addition to showing the benevolence of the royal family, this also means that if the palace ladies are not replaced, we cannot keep a group of old women to serve the officials.

Moreover, Empress Shen also used military sergeants as an example. How could she refute this?

Even the Empress Dowager's palace couldn't help but want to get angry.

Empress Shen pretended to be confused and asked: "Why did the Queen Mother suddenly become so angry?"

The Queen Mother took a deep breath and said coldly: "What if the Ai family doesn't agree?"

"Looking at what the mother said, my daughter-in-law has just become the queen and doesn't understand the rules in the palace. She just wants to ask you. You must have your reasons for saying no. Naturally, my daughter-in-law has no objection." Empress Shen said with a smile.

"Humph! It's really good!" The Queen Mother said coldly: "The Ai family is a little tired. If you have nothing to do, please retreat."

Little did she know that she had fallen into Empress Shen's trap. She had already said she would not agree, and it was not easy to mention the concubine for the time being.

"Then my wife resigned!"

Queen Shen stood up, winked at Hua Lan, and saluted.

"The concubine resigns!"

Hua Lan bowed and followed the queen out.

"Empress Dowager, please drink some tea to relieve your anger." Zhu Naiguan handed over the tea bowl.

The Queen Mother took the tea bowl with an ugly expression. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became and she threw it out heavily.

"It has only been a long time since I sat on the throne, but I no longer care about the Ai family. Sooner or later, the late emperor's hard work will be destroyed in their hands!"

"Queen Mother, calm down!" Zhu Neiguan quickly advised.

"Calm down, how do you ask the Aijia to calm down?" the Queen Mother said angrily.

"Don't worry, Queen Mother, you are now behind the curtain to listen to politics and control the jade seal. As long as you are a little bit..." Zhu Neiguan said with a smile.

The Queen Mother took a deep breath and said: "You are right, go and get all the memorials sent here today."

"Yes." Upon hearing this, Zhu Neiguan bowed and went to report the memorial.

After a while, Zhu Neiguan hurriedly met with the memorial in his arms. After putting down the memorial, he leaned into the Queen Mother's ear and whispered: "The Queen Mother, I just received the news. At today's small court meeting, Weibei Hou proposed to attack the western suburbs. The camp is undergoing restructuring.”

"Hmph! I have only been on the throne for a short time, but I can't wait to take over the military power. If they don't let the Ai family get their way, they will never get their way either." The Queen Mother sneered when she heard this.

……

"Okay, the restructuring is no small matter. I have to think about it carefully and continue the discussion at the next court meeting. It's getting late today, so let's stop here." Zhao Zongquan said.

The British Duke's prestige was extremely high, and he took the lead in agreeing with the generals without any objection.

Although many civil servants opposed it, Mr. Han's attitude was unclear, and the opposition from the rest was not strong.

This matter is basically a foregone conclusion. Zhao Zongquan said that he should think about it, but he actually wanted to inform the Queen Mother in advance.

After all, the jade seal is in the hands of the Queen Mother. If the Queen Mother does not agree, it cannot be implemented.

"Sir, please retire!"

After hearing this, everyone stood up, bowed, and retreated.

As soon as they left the main hall, the civil servants gathered around Mr. Han and started questioning him.

Han Zhang's attitude today was so strange. He actually stood up to support the officials in such a matter, which was very puzzling to them.

Yuan Wenshao missed Hua Lan and refused Shen Congxing's invitation to go to Guangyuntai for a drink.

"Everyone, we'll talk about this later. I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."

When Han Zhang saw Yuan Wenshao leaving alone, he spoke to the surrounding officials and chased after him.

When Yuan Wenshao left the palace, Qin Li led his men and horses to greet him.

"Madam has gone back?" Yuan Wenshao asked.

"Back to the Marquis, Madam came out of the palace about halfway before the incense stick, and has already taken the carriage back." Qin Li said.

"Did she come out of the palace alone?" "Exactly."

Yuan Wenshao nodded and breathed a sigh of relief, as long as she didn't take anyone back.

Yuan Wenshao reached out to take the horse and said, "Let's go back home!"

"Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery!"

Just when Yuan Wenshao was about to mount his horse, a shout came from behind. He turned around and saw Han Zhang walking over.

Yuan Wenshao frowned slightly, then quickly relaxed, handed the reins to Qin Li, went up to him, and said with cupped hands, "I don't know if the Grand Prime Minister called me, what's the matter?"

"Haha, I have something to talk to Marquis Zhongyong. I wonder if Marquis Zhongyong would give me the honor to ride with me?" Han Zhang said with a smile.

Yuan Wenshao pondered for a while, then cupped his hands and said, "That's what you wish for."

"Haha, please, Lord Zhongyong!" Han Zhang pointed to the carriage not far away.

"Your Majesty, please." Yuan Wenshao said.

Han Zhang smiled slightly, waved and waited. The coachman drove the carriage over and got on the carriage first.

Yuan Wenshao got on the carriage and sat down opposite Han Zhang.

"My carriage is not as spacious as Marquis Zhongyong's. Marquis Zhongyong must not dislike it." Han Zhang said with a smile.

"The Prime Minister made a serious statement. It is an honor for me to ride with the Prime Minister." Yuan Wenshao said.

"Haha." Han Zhang smiled slightly and said, "What does Marquis Zhongyong think of the restructuring?"

Yuan Wenshao didn't know Han Zhang's intention and said: "Even the British Duke agreed, which is naturally excellent."

Han Zhang shook his head slightly and said, "That's not what I asked."

"What exactly does Mr. Han mean?" Yuan Wenshao frowned.

Han Zhang lowered his voice and said: "Don't you want Marquis Zhongyong to command one of the battalions after the reform?"

Yuan Wenshao was startled, then came to his senses and said: "Haha, of course I think so, but I am also somewhat self-aware. My qualifications are shallow, so I'm afraid I won't have a chance."

He didn't understand Han Zhang's purpose for a while, so he followed his instructions and wanted to see what kind of medicine he was selling in his gourd.

Han Zhang smiled slightly: "The qualifications of Marquis Zhongyong are indeed relatively low, but I can help you."

A trace of surprise flashed in Yuan Wenshao's eyes, and he said a little warily: "Master Han, our relationship doesn't seem to be as good as this, right? Why do you want to help me?"

"It was just a small misunderstanding before. Not only did I not care, but with Yuan Hou's mind, he wouldn't remember those small things, right?" Han Zhang said with a smile.

"Haha, of course I don't care about trivial matters. But I heard that it was Mr. Han who advised the officials that they would focus on my method of making colored glaze." Yuan Wenshao pretended to be angry.

"Don't be upset, Marquis Yuan. I know that the method of making colored glaze is extremely valuable, and it is not an exaggeration to say it is a mountain of gold. But the official family is short of money. Even if I don't say it, others will mention it. And Yuan Marquis has already made a lot of money using this method. If the bowl is full, if you hold it in your hand again, the officials will be suspicious of you, which will affect the future of Marquis Yuan, which is not good." Han Zhang said.

"You're talking lightly. Do you know how much money I've made over the years?" Yuan Wenshao pretended to be angry.

"Although I don't know clearly, I can guess a bit. But no matter how good the money is, it must be able to be saved. I don't know how many people in Bianjing City are very enthusiastic about Yuan Hou's glaze making method. Even the Queen Mother Marquis Yuan was given the title of Marquis, and for a while no one dared to mess around. However, the Queen Mother would one day return the government to the officials, and the officials were unhappy about the Queen Mother conferring a title on Marquis Yuan. By then, Marquis Yuan would still be able to Do you want to keep this money?" Han Zhang said.

"Hmph!" Yuan Wenshao snorted coldly and said, "At the beginning, I sent a blood edict to the officials and protected them against rebellion. Naturally, the officials trusted me."

"Really?" Han Zhang smiled slightly and said, "It has been a while since the official succession took place. Why does Marquis Yuan only have a title and not even an official position?"

"What exactly do you want to say?" Yuan Wenshao asked with a gloomy face.

"Haha, Marquis Yuan is a smart man, and he should be able to feel the suspicion of the officials towards you. I can help you win the position of general of the first battalion, and even help Marquis Yuan win the post of privy councilor in the future." Han Zhang was good at tempting. road.

"Does Mr. Han think I am a fool? The position of Privy Councilor has always been held by civilian officials. Except for the military general who held the position during the founding of the country, have you ever seen a military general serving as Privy Councilor?"

Yuan Wenshao sneered in his heart, he had been trying to win over Han Zhang for a long time.

The Privy Council is the highest official position in the Privy Council and is responsible for the command and dispatch of the world's troops.

However, the position of Privy Councilor has always been held by civilian officials, and the Lord Military Commander can only serve as Deputy Privy Councilor at the highest level.

Let alone Han Zhang, even if the officials wanted to support military generals to serve as privy envoys, the civilian officials would not agree.

"Marquis Yuan said that there was a precedent for this when the country was founded. Since there is a precedent, it means it is not impossible. When I can get the civil officials to agree, the generals will definitely not object. Does Marquis Yuan still think there is no chance? " Han Zhang laughed.

What Han Zhang said is indeed very possible at first glance, but Yuan Wenshao knows very well that it is simply impossible.

Civil servants are not monolithic. The position of Privy Councilor is the basis for civilian officials to dominate military generals.

If a military general is appointed, it is likely to break the situation of emphasizing civil servants over military officers. This is tantamount to digging into the roots of civil servants, and the opposition will be even greater than the reform.

If Han Zhang really had the ability to persuade civil servants to agree, he would have already gained power, so why bother to win over him?

However, Yuan Wenshao wanted to understand Han Zhang's purpose of wooing him, so he pretended to be excited and said: "The Grand Prime Minister shouldn't be so kind to help me, right? I wonder what the Grand Prime Minister wants?"

"It's really easy to talk to smart people. I help Yuan Hou because I just want to be my own person with Yuan Hou." Han Zhang said with a smile.

The officials had evidence of his crime in their hands, but they did not lead to it. He had no choice but to let the officials manipulate it.

But with Han Zhang's intelligence, he could naturally see that a fight would definitely break out between the official family and the Queen Mother.

When the time comes, the officials will definitely ask him to help deal with the Queen Mother.

If it happens, the officials will have complete control over the court, and he will have no use value and will definitely not end well.

If it fails, he is likely to become a victim and end up with a worse end.

In order to protect himself, Han Zhang tried to win over Yuan Wenshao.

The reason why he chose Yuan Wenshao was that he felt that whether Yuan Wenshao had sent blood edicts or helped Zhao Zongquan suppress rebellion, it was all for power.

However, after Zhao Zongquan ascended the throne, he alienated Yuan Wenshao because of the Queen Mother's ennoblement of Yuan Wenshao.

As a result, Yuan Wenshao must be dissatisfied and has every opportunity to win over him.

Seeing Yuan Wenshao's heart move, Han Zhang became more confident.

Although Yuan Wenshao didn't know what Han Zhang was thinking, he naturally understood what he called one of his own.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Can the Grand Prime Minister really guarantee that I will become the Privy Councilor?"

Hearing this, Han Zhang showed a bright smile on his face and said: "If I can't do what I promised Yuan Hou, Yuan Hou will definitely turn against me. What's the benefit of me lying to Yuan Hou?"

"I have to think about this carefully." Yuan Wenshao said.

"Of course, but the government has already decided to restructure the system. I'm afraid it won't be long before it will be implemented. It's better for Marquis Yuan to make a decision early." Han Zhang said with a smile.

In his opinion, Yuan Wenshao was already interested when he said he wanted to consider it, and he was not afraid that Yuan Wenshao would not agree.

(End of this chapter)