Chapter 936: Night Banquet (Part 1)
"Minister of Rites?!"
Although it was a private dinner, the first thing they talked about was business.
The prince had obviously received the news and knew that Xu Furen had been to Sun Shaozong's house yesterday, so he couldn't wait to ask for details as soon as he sat down.
Although the need to continue the offspring is also very urgent, it is not something that can be accomplished overnight. On the contrary, Xu Furen's "end" after being implicated is the top priority for the princelings at the moment.
When the prince learned that Xu Furen had been exiled to the Ministry of Rites and became a small third-rank minister, he was immediately shocked and blurted : "Is my father so afraid of me?!"
Then, it was as if the god of misfortune possessed me, and my whole life seemed to lose its color.
It's not his spine that is broken, so why does he always look like he's about to collapse at any moment?
Sun Shaozong was secretly complaining in his heart, but he said sternly: "Don't worry, Your Highness. In my humble opinion, the appointment of the Minister of Rites may not be intended to target you."
At that moment, he gave a brief and concise account of himself and Xu Furen's upcoming mission to the Later Jin Dynasty .
Finally, he concluded: "While the imperial court is continuously deploying troops in the south, the Jurchens are allying with the Tatars in the west and pressing on Korea in the east. They have gradually become a serious threat to our dynasty."
"Now they have usurped the throne and want to learn from China's centralization of power. Although their momentum is unmatched, their internal strife has reached an unprecedented level."
"This time the imperial court sent... people to patrol Liaodong, most likely to take the opportunity to stir up greater disputes among the Jurchens, so as to weaken their strength and prevent them from continuing to grow."
"This way, when the imperial court is free, we can destroy them with a thunderous force in one fell swoop!"
"For such a big event, only someone can take charge!"
"Since the imperial court is unwilling to recognize the Later Jin Dynasty, it is naturally difficult to appoint important officials to go there. At present, Mr. Xu, who has no real job, has become the cheapest candidate."
"I'm sure that after this is accomplished, the court will have other important positions for Old Xu."
After listening to Sun Shaozong's eloquent analysis for a long time, the Crown Prince only grasped one key point: "Is there another important position? According to your guess, what position would it be?"
How could Sun Shaozong guess this?
But the prince was staring at him eagerly, as if he would not give up until he got an answer. Sun Shaozong had no choice but to rack his brains and try his best to deduce the situation in the court.
Xue Pan's father-in-law, the Minister of Personnel Wang Zhe, will most likely replace Xu Furen in the cabinet, and the position of Minister of Personnel will naturally have to be handed over at that time.
But considering the emperor's current attitude towards the prince, it is unlikely that he will let Xu Furen take charge of the Ministry of Personnel. Otherwise, wouldn't it be obvious that he wants the prince to place his cronies there?
The qualifications, talents, and reputations of the two assistant ministers of the Ministry of Personnel do not seem to be enough to take over the position of Shangshu...
The Minister of Rites already served as a cabinet minister, so naturally he could not be transferred to the Ministry of Personnel.
The Minister of Works Zhang Qiunian had just taken office at the beginning of the year, and the possibility of him being transferred to the Ministry of Personnel was close to zero.
The Ministry of War is too professional, and now is the time to deploy troops abroad, so the possibility of replacing it is unlikely.
Ministry of Justice...
Ministry of Revenue?
The face of Zhou Chang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, flashed through Sun Shaozong's mind, and his heart couldn't help but move.
Although the Minister of Revenue is also an important position, judging from the current situation, even if the prince can get financial support, there is no possibility for him to successfully usurp the throne.
As for the Minister of Revenue Zhao Hong, he has only been in office for a year, so it is not time for him to move out yet.
But the emperor appointed him as the Minister of Revenue because he was expected to eliminate corruption in the Ministry of Revenue.
But this Minister Zhao was a steady man. After taking office, he simply took down a few petty officials and rectified the work style of the Ministry of Revenue. He did not seem to have any intention of settling old accounts.
The emperor was probably quite dissatisfied with this.
It’s just that Zhao Hong used to be his teacher, so compared to others, he has to be more cautious and it’s not easy to demote or transfer him openly.
But if this steady old man is transferred to the Ministry of Personnel, and Xu Fu-ren is appointed to head the Ministry of Revenue to oversee the elimination of corruption and malpractice, wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?
Sun Shaozong carefully considered it several times in his mind.
In particular, he recalled in detail the attitude shown by Emperor Guangde when he entered the palace to report the case of the poisoning of the Ministry of Revenue's Secretary. Gradually, he became 50% sure in his heart - for multiple-choice questions, being 50% sure is not a low number.
So he folded his hands and said solemnly: "I dare not make a rash judgment, but Mr. Xu may be in charge of the Ministry of Revenue - after Minister Zhao is transferred to the Ministry of Personnel."
"Zhao Hong is going to the Ministry of Personnel?"
The prince asked in bewilderment, "What about the Minister of Personnel Wang Zhe?"
"Minister Wang will naturally join the cabinet."
Before Sun Shaozong could respond, a gentle voice came from outside the door.
Sun Shaozong subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice and saw the Crown Princess coming gracefully. She was wearing a royal blue cloak with a fur collar, and a goose yellow and purple tasseled palace dress. She had a phoenix and a golden hairpin on her head. Although she was holding a wine jar in her hand, she was still indescribably graceful and dignified, gorgeous and not vulgar.
The Crown Princess walked over and said, "This is the aged wine that my father collected. I brought it here for Your Highness and Lord Sun to drink together."
Seeing her getting closer, Sun Shaozong didn't dare to look at her any longer and quickly stood up and stepped aside.
"Ai!"
Upon seeing this, the prince slammed the table in displeasure and scolded, "Since you two are from the same clan and this is a private banquet, why do you have to be so hypocritical? Come on, come back and have a few drinks with me!"
Then he turned to the Crown Princess and said, "Don't be in such a hurry to leave. Fill up my and my beloved cups first!"
Although she was forced to come, the Crown Princess did not show the slightest reluctance or embarrassment on her face. She nodded to the Crown Prince, opened the mud seal with grace, picked up the jar of wine and filled it for the Crown Prince, then went around to Sun Shaozong and did the same thing.
"How can this be possible? How can this be possible?!"
No matter what he thought in his heart, Sun Shaozong could only act flattered and fearful at this time. After the Crown Princess filled the glass with wine, he thanked her repeatedly.
"Alright, alright, I told you there's no need to be polite!"
The prince shook his hands impatiently, pointed to the opposite side and said, "You should sit down too, otherwise I'm afraid Sun Aiqing won't dare to take the seat."
this……
Sun Shaozong widened his eyes in astonishment. Asking the Crown Princess to pour wine could be considered as a way to win people's hearts, but what did it mean to ask her to sit beside him?
The Crown Princess stole a glance at the astonishment on his face, and her jade-like face finally couldn't help but blush with embarrassment.
But she did not refuse after all. She put her hands behind her hips, combed her cloak and palace skirt into a juicy peach-like outline, and then slowly sat down on the round stool.
Then she suppressed her pounding heart, raised her snow-white neck and smiled softly, "Your Highness is in such a good mood, so there is no need for Second Brother Shaozong to be too restrained. Just treat it as a family dinner."
Hearing this gentle and graceful "Second Brother", Sun Shaozong felt a little overwhelmed.
"Sit, sit, sit, sit!"
With the prince urging him again and again, Sun Shaozong had no choice but to sit down again carefully.
The prince then laughed and raised his glass, saying, "Come, I will cheer you on first. When you arrive in Liaodong, you must let those barbarians see the style of the most powerful general in the Great Zhou!"
Seeing that the Crown Princess also raised her teacup to join in the fun, Sun Shaozong naturally had no way to refuse, and he drank the whole cup generously. However, he was full of doubts and confusion in his heart: What exactly is this play today about?
