Hundreds of households in Liaodong, covering the light with one hand

Chapter 275 Three Questions to Duke Qi

"I just don't know, what does the emperor want to ask?" Liu Ruoyu raised his head and asked cautiously.

To be honest, this kind of conveying oral instructions to ministers is generally a treatment enjoyed by close ministers.

But sometimes, it's a chore.

Oral instruction, why?
  The command of the superior!
  But people often say: there is no basis for what you say.

When conveying oral instructions, every punctuation is extremely subtle.

If someone fails to understand the actual thoughts of the superior and conveys the wrong meaning, especially the oral transmission between the emperor and the powerful ministers, if a mistake in tone leads to the wrong intention of both parties, it will be fatal.

Therefore, Liu Ruoyu, who was kneeling on the ground, looked longingly at the aloof Emperor Chongzhen, fearing that if he missed a word, he would get the wrong idea.

On the dragon chair, Zhu Youxiao raised a finger slightly.

Wei Zhongxian, who was standing aside and focusing on the emperor, immediately bowed, took two steps, and sent away all the rest of the idle palace maids and eunuchs in the palace. Even the guards outside the palace left the hall.

Not long after, the entire Wenhua Hall was empty with only the monarch and his ministers left.

"Qi Guogong," Zhu Youxiao, who was sitting on the dragon throne, raised his eyes with faint eyes: "I have three sentences that I want you to bring to me."

"Your Majesty, please give me an edict." Liu Ruoyu pressed his head tightly against the ground, feeling a slight chill.

"The first sentence is to ask Wang Qi, if he kills a few people outside Xuzhou Mansion, will he be able to relieve his unhappiness?"

Is the Duke of Qi unhappy?

As soon as these words came out, not to mention how frightened Liu Ruoyu was, Wei Zhongxian's body standing aside trembled.

Could this be a question from an emperor to his ministers?
  They are completely equal, even to the point of being somewhat disadvantaged.

Wei Zhongxian quietly raised his eyes and looked at the little emperor. His opponent was really scary: the general who commanded the most powerful troops in the empire, whose prestige among the people was comparable to that of a saint, and the Duke of Qi who was feared by everyone in the court.
  Has the young emperor finally given in?
  Ignoring the reactions of the two servants in the palace, Emperor Tianqi breathed slowly, his chest rose and fell slightly, and he thought for a long time before saying: "For the second sentence, help me ask him, how would he like to be with the country's wealth and honor?"

With the country's wealth?
  Liu Ruoyu suspected that he had heard wrongly - the official position of the Duke of Qi was already at the highest level of human ministers, and he had no title. What does this mean with the wealth of the country? Do you want to grant a king with a different surname?
  Very possible!
  You have something to do with it!
  Behind the wealth of the country is the withdrawal of military power. It doesn't matter in exchange. It just depends on how the Duke of Qi chooses?
  The question is, how to surrender military power?
  This is an extremely slow process. If you accidentally offend those soldiers, the emperor's face will not be so easy to do.

"Do you understand?" On the throne, Zhu Youxiao, who had not heard a response for a long time, lost his patience.

"Your Majesty, this servant is confused." Liu Ruoyu felt that he still had to ask clearly.

"Ok?"

"Is this related to the country's wealth? I dare to ask, what is the explanation?"

Liu Ruoyu asked.

Then there was an uncomfortable silence.

Outside the hall was the howling north wind. Inside the hall, apart from the crisp sound of burning candles from time to time, there was the sound of Liu Ruoyu's very subtle breathing.

"If he dares to ask," Zhu Youxiao almost gritted his teeth and said, "just answer, the king with a different surname will exchange military power in Liaodong!"

Boom!
  Liu Ruoyu's head hit the floor of the hall heavily: "I'm talking too much!"

Now everyone knows that the emperor wants to surrender the military power of Duke Qi, but what method can be used to make the transition smooth?
  The group of soldiers in Liaodong recognized Wang Qi but not Zhu Youxiao.

No wonder Zhu Youxiao asked everyone else to leave the palace before speaking. If these words were spread today, it would be equivalent to Zhu Youxiao admitting his mistake and apologizing to Wang Qi in front of the whole world. After a long while, Zhu Youxiao didn't speak again, so Liu Ruoyu quietly raised his head and looked at Wei Zhongxian.

Wei Qiansui nodded, indicating that he could thank him and leave.

"Slave Liu Ruoyu takes the lead." Liu Ruoyu received Wei Zhongxian's signal and immediately spoke, wanting to retreat.

"If everything goes well, you can ask me one more question," another faint voice came from the throne.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Youxiao spoke again, making Liu Ruoyu swallow the words on his lips alive: "Listen to the holy will!"

"You can ask him, where did he go after Xuzhou Mansion? Who did he meet? What did he say?"

Zhu Youxiao always felt that the time and location during the few days when Wang Qi disappeared were too subtle, which made him feel a little inexplicable.

You know, Huzhou Prefecture still has his younger brother Zhu Youjian.

Although there were many conflicts between Wang Qi and Zhu Youjian, Zhu Youxiao shuddered when he thought of Wang Qi's smiling face that remained unchanged for thousands of years.

Some people, especially people like Wang Qi, don't care about old grudges. At any time, interests are the only driving force for their behavior.

He is far away in the capital, and Jiangsu and Zhejiang are the source of wealth for the Ming Dynasty. He must not be tampered with by Wang Qi. Zhu Youjian is really his beloved brother. Zhu Youxiao does not want to do anything to Zhu Youjian unless he has to. .

"Did you hear all three sentences clearly?" Zhu Youxiao spoke again: "Get up and repeat it again!"

"Slave, I obey," Liu Ruoyu stood up slowly, bowed his body and said, "First I ask the Duke of Qi: Can you explain the unhappiness in your heart about the affairs of the Xuzhou government? Then ask: Are you willing to exchange for the wealth and honor of the country? Third question: Can you travel south to Xuzhou? Visiting others?"

"Well," Zhu Youxiao nodded with satisfaction. He was very satisfied with Liu Ruoyu's answer. He is a person who works and can be promoted through training. Wei Zhongxian is old after all, and sometimes he is not so comfortable: "Go down. Bar."

"My slave, please step back." Liu Ruoyu bowed again, then slowly walked away.

"correct."

As soon as Zhu Youxiao spoke, Liu Ruoyu stopped: "Your Majesty, do you have any other instructions?"

"Take the Sanwu Jinyi Guards with you," Zhu Youxiao didn't know what he thought of: "Ask the deputy commander Ji Shou to accompany you!"

You know, Wang Qi had just been relieved of his post as commander of the Jinyi Guards. The emperor must have wanted to show Wang Qi that he still had the final say south of Shanhaiguan.

"Slaves follow their orders."

Liu Ruoyu slowly retreated, with a creak. As the door to the palace closed, the cold wind howling outside made Liu Ruoyu shudder violently, and the cold sweat caused by nervousness dissipated all over his body in an instant.

Companion to a king is like companion to a tiger, nothing more than that.

With a gentle breath, Liu Ruoyu wrapped his brocade robe tightly and left quickly.

At this time, only Wei Zhongxian was left in the palace to accompany the emperor.

"Your Majesty, why are you doing this?"

As a true close minister, Wei Zhongxian still has some say in front of the emperor. This sentence is to advise Zhu Youxiao: He has already done the apology and tea service, why send Jin Yiwei out to embarrass Wang Qi again?
  "What, I can't do it?" As if fighting, Zhu Youxiao slapped the armrest suddenly: "I bow my head to Wang Qi, why can't I embarrass him?"

Hearing Zhu Youxiao's childish answer, Wei Zhongxian was silent for a while: I'm afraid in Wang Qi's eyes, the tricks of children like Zhu Youxiao are like a joke, and he won't care at all.
  Just adding to the laughing stock.

(End of this chapter)