Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 745: Filial Son, Loyal Servant?
Did I let my elder brother down again... He had just gotten married, but he only rested for the whole morning and went to the yamen in the afternoon. Even those generals who were sent to the border towns were not as diligent as him.
Now if the emperor really intends to entrust the task of unraveling this series of events to my eldest brother, would it be considered as shooting myself in the foot if I simply say that it is better to get to the bottom of this matter?
When Zhu Ying walked out of the Qianqing Palace, she shook her head in annoyance. When she heard a laugh beside her, she turned her head and saw Zhang Shou laughing so hard that he couldn't help laughing. She said angrily, "Ah Shou, you are gloating over other people's misfortune! I just asked an expert to investigate, why did he have to ask my elder brother? The Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, and the Censorate are all full of talented people who can investigate cases!"
"The Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple and the Censorate are certainly full of talented people, but when investigating such a matter, who wouldn't have many concerns and be hesitant? Unless the Governor of Xuanda, Wang Datou, comes back, is there anyone in the capital who can compare to your elder brother in terms of responsibility? So, Yingying, you can be said to be determined to betray your elder brother and will never waver."
Zhu Ying was finally annoyed and angry by Zhang Shou's teasing. She leaped forward and wanted to teach him a lesson, but she didn't expect that Zhang Shou had dodged and hid behind someone.
At first glance, she saw that it was the Third Prince coming out of the Qianqing Palace . Then she saw that his face was gloomy and he was hesitant to speak. Then she saw Zhang Shou putting his hands on the shoulders of the little prince, and her heart softened unconsciously.
"Your Highness, you have done a great job to get such a result. Let's hand it over to professionals. Although Ah Shou said that I cheated my elder brother, who said that my elder brother has the means and the responsibility? Even if I don't say anything, the emperor will think of him."
Although Zhu Ying's words sounded like she was trying to be stubborn after making a mistake, and was comforting herself while comforting others, Zhang Shou knew that although the emperor still had confidants like Hua Qi, the results of the secret investigation needed the cooperation of people in the open. What's more, this person who cooperated in the open had to be persuasive and bear most of the responsibility.
Duke of Qin Zhang Chuan is certainly qualified for the position in terms of status, position and experience, but he is always gentle. Zhu Jing is of course in a higher position and can be more persuasive, but Zhu Jing is the Minister of War, not the Minister of Justice...
Therefore, noticing that the shoulder he was pressing on with both hands was a little stiff, although he couldn't see the Third Prince's face, Zhang Shou still said gently: "Your Highness, those cases have been quickly closed in order to have a result. Even if they are really reopened now, it is not an urgent matter. So, don't think too much, and don't think that everything is your responsibility."
"What I said in front of the emperor just now was not to excuse you. In fact, I have always felt that your two brothers were not good people, and the late queen deserved to die, but some of the things they did might have been framed by others. Just like many famous treacherous ministers and evil parties in history, they often took the blame for many things that did not belong to them."
At this point, Zhang Shou suddenly thought of something. Many treacherous ministers who were reviled in history were actually scapegoats for the emperor.
Some had a good ending, such as Qin Hui, who at least enjoyed great glory during his lifetime and was even granted the title of a king. Even though his posthumous title was revoked after his death, he was later miraculously rehabilitated by another treacherous minister. However, some, such as Yan Song, who once held great power in the government, did not live to a ripe old age. The emperor pushed the blame onto others, as if he himself was as pure and spotless as a white lotus.
Traitorous ministers, even most of the so-called powerful ministers, unless they succeeded in plotting to usurp the throne, would usually take the blame for the emperor. Although they had unlimited glory, they also bore the resentment of the emperor. Therefore, once they became the target of public criticism, the emperor only needed to accept the advice and get rid of the traitorous minister, and then he would become a wise ruler.
Of course, sometimes it is not easy to eliminate treacherous ministers, such as Han Tuozhou, so the emperor has to use all means...
Ahem, he seemed to be thinking too far ahead. However, from this perspective, the death of the Empress Dowager and the First and Second Princes could also be due to the Emperor's disgust towards the three of them, so he simply indulged them again and again, allowing them to mess things up, and then pretended to be willing to sacrifice his own relatives for the sake of justice, and kicked away these three biggest stumbling blocks?
Just as Zhang Shou was analyzing this problem with the darkest mind, he suddenly felt the Third Prince's body, which he was holding with both hands, tremble slightly. Then he said softly, "Teacher, I regret... I regret saying those words in front of the emperor just now. In fact, I don't want to speak up for those two brothers who are not close to me. I just want to make the emperor feel better."
"If they weren't so bad, would Father feel better? But I was wrong , because Father looked even sadder just now."
Zhang Shou was stunned for a moment, then he couldn't help but smile bitterly, and the bold guess was thrown out of his mind.
If the emperor's loyalty and maverick side was just an illusion, then the emperor was really too good at pretending, because he successfully deceived most of the ministers, and he had been deceiving them for so many years! Forget it, even if the emperor really planned this series of events because he wanted to establish a young prince, it had nothing to do with him. He was just like the third prince, and he was not really speaking up for others.
He was just surprised by the third prince's choice, so he chose to support him.
He reached out and turned the Third Prince around, forcing him to face him. Seeing that the Crown Prince, who was no longer shy, was in tears, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Even though the Third Prince was still young, he came to the throne so quickly. There was still a voice in the streets that the Third Prince sat on the mountain and watched the tigers fight silently until he successfully came to the throne, and then ruthlessly eliminated his mother and brother.
However, just a year ago, he was just a shy child who would be elated when praised, and at most a little more sensible than the naughty child of the Fourth Prince. It was the position of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace that forced the Third Prince to work hard to grow up, but it also brought a heavy burden, forcing him to hold himself to the highest standards in everything. Although, in history, few Crown Princes grew up to be good birds...
"I told you, Your Highness is right."
Zhang Shou laughed, wiped the tears from the Third Prince's eyes, and said calmly, "Don't regret it, because you didn't listen to one side and believed everything you could. So, hold your head high, because you spoke for the First and Second Princes not just to show off your brotherly love to others, but simply because you couldn't bear to see your father sad."
"This kind of unwillingness is more precious than anything else. Because it means that the emperor's efforts to protect you brothers from the beginning have not been in vain. You have always regarded the emperor as the most important person in your heart. This is not only the respect of a subject to the king, but also the admiration of a son for his father... If I were you, I would turn around and go in right now. Even if I don't say anything, it's better to accompany him."
Zhang Shou didn't say who this person was, but how could the Third Prince not know what Zhang Shou meant? He widened his eyes slightly, and then ran back to the main hall of the Qianqing Palace without thinking.
When he left, Zhu Ying couldn't help but stare in amazement, and frowned worriedly for a long time: "A Shou, I know you mean well, but the emperor is obviously angry just now. Are you going to do something good with bad intentions?" Just like when I was kind enough to help him out, but ended up hurting big brother... Although the emperor hasn't issued an order to really throw the matter to big brother, isn't that just a matter of a word?
Zhang Shou did not answer directly, but smiled and asked: "Yingying, when your father is angry about your second brother's matter, if you go in and accompany him, even if you don't say anything, will he be angry with you?"
"Of course not...ah!"
After answering without thinking, Zhu Ying understood Zhang Shou's profound meaning.
She immediately thought of Zhang Chen. Zhang Shou had openly criticized Qin Guogong Zhang Chuan for not caring about raising a child. She also thought of Lu Sanlang. Zhang Shou had once brought her to Lu Wan and bluntly said that Lu Wan underestimated the little fat boy. She also thought of Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu who were not valued by the family. She also thought of her second brother who was like a wilted vegetable and had no idea what his future would be...
As she suddenly realized what was going on, she almost said out loud what was in her mind - you have never seen your father since your birth, but you know how to get along with your father better than those who have a father!
Zhang Shou didn't know that Zhu Ying had already regarded him as an expert in mediating father-son relationships in her heart - he was just a bystander and saw things more clearly, and he was also very disgusted with the relationship between fathers and sons these days, which was either like that of boss and subordinate, or like that of mouse and cat.
Many times, as long as the father puts down his airs a little and the son has more courage, many things can turn around. This situation applies to Zhang Chuan and Zhang Chen, Lu Wan and Lu Sanlang, and of course also to Zhu Jing and Zhu Er. The relationship between the emperor and the third prince does not need to be so troublesome... The third prince just needs to be a sensible son in front of the emperor, and that's enough.
The relationship between the crown prince and the emperor was an extremely difficult problem. He did not expect the harmonious relationship between father and son to last forever, but at least it could last for a while, three to five years would be good, ten to eight years would be even better, because God knew how long the emperor would live.
Therefore, when he and Zhu Ying left the palace and got on the carriage, Zhang Shou did not want to continue the topic in the Qianqing Palace, but talked with Zhu Ying with great interest about their wedding in a few days. Zhu Ying was naturally more concerned about this topic. After all, every girl would pay attention to her wedding, especially when she was about to marry the man she loved.
Therefore, when Zhang Shou mentioned a certain number, she couldn't help but gasp: "Ah Shou, you mean, you asked Aunt Wu how many invitations she had sent out, and the result is that Zhang Garden will have to set up at least fifty tables that day?"
"That's right." Zhang Shou rubbed his brows and said with a distressed look, "I really can't figure it out. Based on the people I know and the people I know, even if we count all the students, there would be at most 20 tables of people. How could there be 50 tables? But when I asked my mother, she said that it was Ah Liu who was in charge of sending the invitations and he was the one who counted the numbers. When I asked Ah Liu, he told me that I would know when the time came."
Zhu Ying was also full of suspicion. You know, yesterday her eldest brother married his eldest sister-in-law, and there were more than a hundred tables in the front and back yards of the Zhaoguo Mansion, but that was because there were more male guests than female guests. Many families whose male members were officials outside also came to have female guests because of the face of the lady. As for the Zhang family, there may be many male guests, but there really won't be many female guests, because they all went to the Zhu family!
"Why is it Ah Liu who is sending the invitations? Doesn't he go out with you every day? How can he have so much free time?"
"This is exactly what I can't figure out the most." Zhang Shou crossed his arms in annoyance. "You see, my mother thinks my handwriting is ugly, and Ah Liu is not much better. But he told my mother that he could find a ghostwriter with beautiful handwriting to write the invitations for free. My mother trusted him so much, so of course she let him do it. Now, except for him, no one in the family knows who the invitations were sent to."
Zhu Ying finally couldn't help but frowned. "Except for those who have always been on good terms with you, such as Mr. Lu Jijiu and Mr. Liu, who are familiar customers who will definitely come, plus the students of Jiuzhang Hall, and perhaps His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who respects you as his teacher and comes in person... But those guys who heard the news will definitely not have an invitation."
"Yes, even if the Crown Prince came, some people wanted to add icing on the cake and came to Zhang Garden to join in the fun, but that should be rare. After all, many officials these days are very concerned about their reputation."
Zhang Shou laughed as he spoke, and said nonchalantly, "After all, for a lucky person like me who got in, it would be too ungentlemanly for those seniors who had fought their way through the imperial examinations to come and congratulate me on my wedding day without an invitation. So, at first I planned to prepare some banquets just in case, but that would only be 30 tables at most."
"The key lies in who did Liu ask to write the invitations, and who did he send them to?" Seeing Zhang Shou nod, Zhu Ying couldn't help but rub her hands and said with a smile, "That's easy. Just arrest Liu and interrogate him! I don't believe he won't tell the truth!"
Facing the eager young lady, Zhang Shou smiled at first, then sighed: "Like your elder brother, I didn't take care of the wedding preparations at home. It was all done by mother and Ah Liu. When I learned the news from mother last night and pressed him to answer but he evaded the question, the boy disappeared. Obviously, he knew I was going to ask more, so he hid away."
"Yingying, didn't you notice just now? He wasn't outside at all."
"He usually cares about your safety the most. How could he abandon you just to keep you in suspense?" Zhu Ying was full of disbelief, but when she leaned outside and looked, she found that the people who came out with Zhang Shou today were Yang Hao and a few other kids, and the coachman was also an acquaintance she had seen several times before. She really didn't know where Ah Liu had gone!
Zhu Ying had no choice but to sit back down. Seeing Zhang Shou's helpless look, she couldn't help but complain, "It's all because of you who indulged him on a daily basis. Now he's keeping us in suspense even until our wedding... I don't believe he can avoid it today and tomorrow... If he can, he shouldn't come out for the next ten days!"
However, as if it was a prophecy, in the following days, Zhu Tingfang reluctantly took over the emperor's extremely difficult task, and he didn't even have time to find fault with Master Kong Jiu, and Hua Qi, who went to Huairou to investigate the death of the eldest prince, had not returned yet. During this period of time, Ah Liu actually completely disappeared from Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying's sight, and they could only hear about his existence from other people, which made the couple very helpless...
Soon, the day for the Zhaoguo Mansion's makeup ceremony arrived.
