Do you know: I am Yuan Wenshao

Chapter 307 Persuasion

"Father, there is no need to doubt the loyalty of Marquis Zhongyong. The Queen Mother has given him a lot of favors, but he still loves his father. And now there is not so much time to delay. If this matter is not settled as soon as possible, A thorough investigation of the salt affairs has become empty talk, and most people in the DPRK will not agree to it," Zhao Ceying said.

Many people think that the emperor can do whatever he wants, but this is not the case.

Except for the founding emperor, the subsequent emperors were actually very restricted by their ministers.

As powerful as the Wutang Sect of the Han Dynasty, weren't they also forced by their ministers to issue edicts against oneself?

The Sinji Edict is a document for the emperor to self-reflect on his own mistakes when a big problem arises.

For the emperor, issuing an edict to sin against oneself is simply a stain on his life.

The Wutang Sect of the Han Dynasty was such a powerful person. How could he have allowed himself to bear such a stain if he hadn't been forced to do nothing by his ministers.

Naturally, this matter will not force officials to force Zhao Zongquan to issue an imperial edict, but once Zhao Zongquan proposes any decree, these officials will definitely come out to oppose it.

As long as most of the people in the DPRK are opposed, Zhao Zongquan will have no way to enforce it.

After hearing this, Zhao Zongquan was silent for a long time and said, "Then it's up to you to persuade Yuan Wenshao."

"Yes." Zhao Ceying responded.

……

Yuan Wenshao has never figured out why Qi Heng arrested Sheng Changfeng.

Only when Zhao Ceying came to ask him to plead with the Queen Mother did Yuan Wenshao truly understand Qi Heng's intentions.

To be honest, in the original drama, Qi Heng helped the Queen Mother target Zhao Zongquan in various ways, which was abnormal in itself.

After all, one side is the emperor and the other is the queen mother, and the two are not mother and son.

When the two had conflicts, it was really strange that Qi Heng helped the Queen Mother when most of the ministers in the DPRK and the Central Government were biased towards the officials.

To say that Qi Heng is an upright person and stands on the side of reason is a bit nonsense.

It is impossible for the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty not to have an upright official. Why didn't they help the Queen Mother?

Because they actually agreed with the struggle for power between the officials and the Queen Mother.

Since ancient times, there have been many examples of empress dowagers listening to politics behind the curtain, giving priority to relatives, and ultimately refusing to delegate power.

Today's officials are no longer children, so there is no need for the Queen Mother to listen to politics behind the curtain.

It was impossible for Qi Heng not to think of this.

It can be said that from a general point of view, the emperor and the queen mother wanted to support the emperor in his struggle for power.

From the perspective of private interests, one must also support the emperor.

After all, the Queen Mother is so old, she will eventually return to power.

If I help the Queen Mother, what will happen when the Emperor settles accounts with the Queen in the future?

Now Yuan Wenshao finally understood that Qi Heng did not want to help the Queen Mother, but that he had no choice but to do so.

And this time he asked the officials to thoroughly investigate those who rebelled against the king and the party, and he also had no choice.

However, Qi Heng also knew the risks involved, so he seemed to be arresting people, but in fact he did not make the matter a big deal.

So far, he has captured the children of those noble officials and has not touched those officials.

He did this just to force those families who had been arrested to go to the officials and the Queen Mother to plead for mercy, so as to achieve the purpose of the Queen Mother or the officials taking the initiative to stop.

Regardless of who calls it quits, the official or the Queen Mother, as the person who submitted the report and the person appointed by the official to conduct a thorough investigation, he will definitely take the blame.

It seems as if he has plunged himself into despair, but this is not the case.

Because Zhou Dynasty did not kill scholar-bureaucrats, and whether it was the queen mother of the official family or those whose family members were arrested, they all wanted to quell the matter as soon as possible.

In this case, Qi Heng would be demoted at most.

It seemed that Qi Heng took the blame, but he was able to take the opportunity to leave the quagmire of Bianjing and jump out of the chess game.

I have to say that he underestimated Qi Heng.

Zhao Ceying asked Yuan Wenshao to go to the Queen Mother to plead for mercy, but he could not refuse.

He could only come to the palace to see the Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother happily summoned Yuan Wenshao, but when she heard Yuan Wenshao begging for mercy, her face instantly darkened.

"Marquis Zhongyong, do you know what you are talking about?"

"Empress Dowager, I know." Yuan Wenshao cupped his hands and said.

"The Ai family knows that someone from the Wife clan has been arrested, but the Ai family asked people to inquire and found that his crime was not serious. The late emperor had already dealt with his father, so there is no reason to pursue it again. The Ai family will ask people to follow Qi Heng Make it clear that the person will be released soon. You don’t have to worry about the rest." The Queen Mother said calmly.

"I thank the Queen Mother, but I still want to ask the Queen Mother to stop." Yuan Wenshao said.

"Do you know the reason why the Ai family did this?" the Queen Mother said coldly.

"I have guessed something. The Queen Mother probably wants to force the officials not to thoroughly investigate the salt affairs, right?" Yuan Wenshao said.

"No!"

The Queen Mother shook her head and said: "The Ai family has lived in the palace for a long time and is a womanly family. Although they don't know much about government affairs, they also know that a thorough investigation of the salt affairs is imperative. The late emperor also wanted to thoroughly investigate the salt affairs. The Ai family Of course there is no reason to stop it.

But he was too impatient. The late emperor told the Ai family that it was he who was too impatient that led to the failure of the reform. The Ai family did not want him to follow in the footsteps of the late emperor. "

"Empress Dowager, I feel that these two matters are not the same. The reform involves too much, and it should be done slowly. However, the salt issue has become a serious problem, and the sooner it is dealt with, the better." Yuan Wenshao retorted.

"Of course the Ai family knows this, but the official plan was to conduct an investigation in the autumn of next year, but now they have moved it forward a year and are planning to conduct an investigation in the autumn of this year. The preparation is hasty, it is difficult to find out, and it will alert the snake. You said sorry Is it wrong to stop it?" the Queen Mother said.

"Didn't it mean the beginning of next year?" Yuan Wenshao was stunned when he heard this.

Yuan Wenshao was not surprised that the Queen Mother knew Zhao Zongquan's plan.

The late emperor had been in power for ten years and had always been generous to the eunuchs and maids in the palace. Most of the people in the palace had their hearts set on the Queen Mother.

Even after Zhao Zongquan ascended the throne, there were a few changes, but the Queen Mother's informants were still everywhere in the palace.

The Queen Mother sneered: "That was before. He moved it forward to the beginning of next year. Although it was still a bit urgent, the Ai family could barely accept it. But now it has been moved forward to the autumn of this year. Such a change of orders is simply a joke. The Ai family will not watch it. The late emperor's many years of hard work were destroyed in his hands."

Yuan Wenshao frowned slightly, it was difficult to reconcile the conflict between Zhao Zongquan and the Queen Mother.

The conflict between them is not actually about rights, but the Queen Mother's dissatisfaction with some of Zhao Zongquan's practices.

The Queen Mother lacked political vision and did not understand anything about it. She only felt that the late emperor's policies were correct.

I hope that the later emperor Xiao Gui and Cao will follow suit and follow the steps.

As the saying goes, there are three things a new official needs to do when he takes office, let alone an emperor.

Even if he is a foolish emperor, he is full of ambitions when he first becomes emperor. How could he possibly follow the rules step by step?

This is where the conflict between the two is irreconcilable.

The Queen Mother hoped that Zhao Zongquan would follow the steps and the late emperor's policies would not be changed.

Zhao Zongquan wanted to make some achievements and prove himself.

Yuan Wenshao was silent for a long time and said: "Empress Dowager, I feel that a thorough investigation of the salt affairs does not depend on the preparation time, but the most important thing is the attitude. Illegal salt is rampant, and evidence is not difficult to find. The biggest difficulty is not how much evidence to find. , but the resistance they face. As long as the officials have this determination, it doesn’t matter when they start.”

The Queen Mother began to think deeply after hearing this, and she had to say that what Yuan Wenshao said made sense.

But the Queen Mother felt that she was the one who started the incident. If she stopped it, wouldn't it be a slap in the face?

There was some hesitation for a moment.

Yuan Wenshao saw that the Queen Mother was a little shaken, but she couldn't save face, so he said: "Now the people in the government and the public are in panic, which is not good for the country. Even if it is for the sake of the stability of the court and a thorough investigation of the rebellion, it is not appropriate to continue. Please be clear to the Queen Mother!"

The Queen Mother was silent for a while and said, "The Ai family will consider it carefully. You can go back first."

"I excuse you!" Yuan Wenshao bowed and retreated. "The Queen Mother, are you really going to let this go?" Zhu Neiguan said.

The Queen Mother pondered: "One thing he said is right. Nowadays, the people in the government and the public are in panic, which is not good for the country. Forget it, a thorough investigation of the salt affairs should be regarded as a test for the officials."

If possible, she wouldn't want to change to another emperor.

Although many of Zhao Zongquan's actions made her very dissatisfied, after all, it was the late emperor who personally selected him.

Zhao Zongquan did not make any big mistakes. Many ministers in the DPRK and the Central Government were fond of him. It was basically impossible for her to abolish Zhao Zongquan.

At most, it can only be achieved through mutiny.

But if you do this, the court will be shaken.

She still didn't want to use it unless absolutely necessary.

At this moment, a eunuch came in and reported: "To the Queen Mother, Concubine Liu is bringing His Highness Prince Yong to seek an audience."

The Queen Mother's eyes flickered and she said, "Let her come in."

Although she didn't want to launch a mutiny unless it was absolutely necessary, there were some things that needed to be prepared in advance.

The Queen Mother had no experience in this area, but King Yan's rebellion gave her great inspiration.

The reason why King Yan was able to control the palace was indispensable to Concubine Rong and his brother.

Concubine Liu is very similar to Concubine Rong. She is equally favored and has a relative who is the deputy commander of the front department of the palace.

The difference is that Concubine Rong initially wanted to avenge her sister.

In the Queen Mother's opinion, this does not matter.

Concubine Rong avenged her sister, but Concubine Liu wanted her son to become emperor.

Not long after, Concubine Liu came in with her child in her arms.

"I, my concubine, pay homage to your mother," Concubine Liu said in salute.

"Quickly excuse me and sit down."

The Queen Mother waved her hands and said reprovingly: "You said you are holding the child, why are you still doing this?"

Concubine Liu said with a smile: "The Queen Mother wanted to see Yong'er in the Imperial Garden a few days ago. Yong'er fell asleep at that time. Now Yong'er is not as sleepy as before and is energetic, so I wanted to hold her over and let the Queen Mother have a look."

Last time the Queen Mother told her that the official family wanted to establish a crown prince, Concubine Liu quickly asked people to inquire about it.

Concubine Liu Guifei had no foundation in the palace and could not get any useful information at all.

However, although she did not find out whether Zhao Zongquan really wanted to establish a heir apparent, she did find out that Zhao Ceying came to the palace every three days during this period.

Every time, I would chat with Zhao Zongquan alone for a long time before leaving.

This news put a layer of gloom in Concubine Liu's heart.

If you don't see hope in some things, you won't think about it.

Concubine Liu Guifei never imagined that her son could become a prince.

But when I heard those rumors, my heart moved unconsciously.

At first, Concubine Liu comforted herself that it was just a rumor.

But when she heard that Zhao Zongquan was going to establish a throne, she was not as calm as she imagined.

Instead, she felt that what belonged to her was about to be taken away.

Her son was still young, so it was impossible for Zhao Zongquan to establish her son as heir apparent.

Once Zhao Ceying became the crown prince, by the time her son grew up, Zhao Ceying's status was already solid and difficult to shake.

During this period, Concubine Liu could not eat well or sleep well.

However, Concubine Liu was still a bit clever. She knew that the Queen Mother would not tell her about the establishment of a heir apparent for no reason.

Thinking of the discord between the Queen Mother and Zhao Zongquan, she had a guess in her mind.

I came here this time just to test it out and see if my guess was true.

The Queen Mother heard this and said happily: "Brother Yong is six or seven months old. He is really in good spirits at this time. Come and bring him over so that Aijia can see him."

Emperor Renzong had no heirs, which did not mean that he had any health problems.

In fact, Emperor Renzong had several heirs, but they all died in infancy.

The oldest lived to be nine years old, but fell ill and died.

The Queen Mother also gave birth to a child, so she knew some things about the child.

After hearing this, Concubine Liu quickly stepped forward with the child in her arms and handed the child to the Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother carefully took the child, and the child did not cry even if it was someone else. She looked at the Queen Mother curiously with her big black eyes.

"Hey, look at how cute this round little face is, especially those eyes, which are very lively and somewhat similar to the late emperor." The Queen Mother smiled.

"This child is also strange. Except for the concubine and the wet nurse who takes care of him, everyone else will cry whenever they hold him, even the officials. But he didn't cry when he kissed the Queen Mother." Concubine Liu said with a smile.

"Haha, it means that this child is destined to be with the Ai family." The Queen Mother chuckled and said, "The palace of the Ai family is deserted. From now on, you can bring Brother Yong over to sit with you."

At this time, the Queen Mother was not sure whether to launch a mutiny, but if she could train King Yong from an early age, it would not be impossible to launch a mutiny in the future to let him inherit the throne.

Even if Zhao Zongquan can make changes to satisfy her, she can still train King Yong well and make him accept the ideas of learning from the late emperor.

Looking for opportunities to put him on the throne in the future, this will definitely enable the late emperor's policies to be maintained.

The late emperor had no sons and no one to continue his bloodline.

If someone could continue his policy, the late Emperor would be very pleased to know about it.

"I'm just afraid of disturbing the Queen Mother's intimacy, and the officials will blame her," said Concubine Liu.

If she comes once in a while, she can find an excuse, and Zhao Zongquan will not doubt her, but if she comes often, it will definitely not work.

"Hey, what should I do? The Ai family will tell the officials and make sure they won't blame you." The Queen Mother waved her hand.

Even if Concubine Liu didn't say anything, she would go to Zhao Zongquan and tell him so as not to make Zhao Zongquan suspicious.

As for the excuse, it was very simple. He said that he fell in love with King Yong when he saw him, and felt that the palace was deserted. He wanted to take King Yong's only surviving young son to his side and raise him.

Zhao Zongquan would definitely be unwilling to hear this, so he would naturally ask Concubine Liu to bring her children over to accompany her from time to time.

……

"How is Wen Shao?"

Zhao Ceying did not leave and kept waiting for Yuan Wenshao to come back.

"The Empress Dowager still understands the general situation. The Queen Mother agreed after a few words of persuasion. Tomorrow morning, the Queen Mother should take the initiative to give up the investigation of the remnants of the traitor king." Yuan Wenshao said.

"Great, this matter can be solved, thanks to you Wen Shao." Zhao Ceying said with a smile: "I will ask for your credit in front of my father."

"This is what I should do. I don't dare to take credit."

Yuan Wenshao actually wanted to ask why the thorough investigation of the salt affairs was brought forward again, but he hesitated and finally did not ask.

(End of this chapter)