The author said: The rhythm of one update per day...
——————————————————
The lake in Yang Yuanzhi's residence was artificially dug. It was shaped a bit like a gourd and was no more than ten feet long and wide. It was no exaggeration to call it a pond.
Boating on the lake is a leisurely and relaxing experience, but the weather is too hot. The sun is high in the sky, and the water reflects the sunlight, creating a hazy atmosphere. Qiu Yizhi has always ridden horses and is not good at swimming. It took him a lot of effort to row the boat carrying an old man and a child into the gourd, and he was already sweating profusely.
Yang Yuanzhi, who was sitting at the other end of the boat, smiled and said, "I don't know how many servants I have recommended from various places in my mansion. With so many people and so many gossips, it is easy for things to go wrong. Therefore, we have no choice but to hold a meeting on this lake! Oh, before the prince left Beijing for disaster relief in Henan, he and I were on this lake and in this boat. We had a deep conversation. It seems as if it is happening right now..."
Qiu Yizhi didn't dare to interrupt Yang Yuanzhi when he mentioned his adoptive father's past. After listening to him, he flattered him: "The old prime minister is mature and cautious in planning for the country. He is a role model for us."
Yang Yuanzhi seemed to have not heard the compliment. He silently opened the letter from Youyan and read it attentively. After reading a few lines, he raised his head, looked at Qiu Yi carefully and said, "It turns out that you are the adopted son of the prince. I didn't recognize you. My eyes are really blurry."
Qiu Yizhi held the oar with both hands, and it was inconvenient to bow, so he just said humbly: "I am just a starving person in the ancient temple. If it weren't for my adoptive father's love, I would have starved to death long ago. Now I have lived two lives, how dare I be so arrogant?"
Yang Yuanzhi smiled and said, "Your Highness and I usually exchange letters. It is said that the young master is naturally smart, but not calm enough. If he is willing to gain experience, he will be a pillar of the country. But from what I saw today, he is very elegant and calm. Could it be that Your Highness is wrong?" After saying that, he laughed.
After hearing this, Qiu Yizi stuck out his tongue and said, "I am usually impetuous and careless in my work. I don't know how many times my foster father has scolded me. But in Luoyang, under the feet of the emperor, and in the residence of the old prime minister, no matter how stupid I am, I dare not be unrestrained!"
"You are too modest. I have noticed that whenever the prince mentions you in his letters, his words are filled with joy and relief, and it is obvious that there is more praise than criticism. In my opinion, young people should have some drive. Do they have to be polished to be smooth and polished without any edges and corners to be considered good? Alas-" Yang Yuanzhi sighed, "There are countless officials in the court who are good at kowtow and flattery, and welcoming and seeing off guests, but how many of them can really get things done?"
Qiu Yizi listened very seriously. He forgot to paddle with the oars in his hands and let the two pieces of wood float on the water.
Yang Yuanzhi pointed at Zheng Rong's letter and said, "Your Majesty's letter is still the best. I was attacked and flattered for no reason. I was so angry that I felt hopeless. I just wanted to take off my armor and dust and return to the capital Luoyang to enjoy wealth and honor. However, I was worried about the heavy trust entrusted by the emperor, and I didn't know who in the court could guard the northern border for me. I had to do it reluctantly and rely on my courage of words."
Qiu Yizhi listened to Yang Yuanzhi's words very respectfully and asked, "Father has always been the cornerstone of the court and has always been well-respected. This kind of collective attack is really unheard of. When I was in Guangyang, I guessed that there must be someone behind the scenes, but I could never guess who this person was. I wonder if the old prime minister has any advice for me?"
Yang Yuanzhi had finished reading the letter while he was talking. He folded the thin pages of paper, put them back into the envelope and hid them in his sleeve. Then he said, "My lord, what do you think of the people of Luoyang after coming here?"
When Qiu Yizhi heard Yang Yuanzhi suddenly ask such an irrelevant question, he could not guess what the old prime minister in front of him meant. He just thought for a while and said, "As soon as I entered Luoyang, I followed my adoptive father's order and rushed to meet the old prime minister. I haven't seen all the cultural relics in the capital. But after a quick look, this capital city is indeed worthy of being the emperor's chariot and the best place, but..."
"Just what? You and I are just sitting on a small boat, and there are no six ears around. Sir, just say whatever you want!"
"Well... I don't know why, the atmosphere around here seems a little tense, and everyone seems to have something to hide." Qiu Yizi said carefully.
Yang Yuanzhi nodded and said, "Young Master is indeed smart. The capital is now a place of right and wrong. You must not take a wrong step or say a word, otherwise you will be doomed."
"Those who commit crimes will naturally be held accountable by the government. If someone speaks nonsense and commits the crime of defamation, he should also be investigated and punished according to the law. Luoyang is the heart of the country, so it is reasonable to have stricter security. I wonder what the old prime minister's words mean?" Qiu Yizi asked tentatively.
Yang Yuanzhi shook his head and smiled bitterly, "My lord, you have been with the Prince of Youyan for a long time, and have been influenced by the prince's noble and upright character. How could you know the insidious tricks? My lord, do you know that there is a man named Wang Zhonghai in the palace?"
"I know. He is the head eunuch in the palace. My adoptive father has also mentioned him before." Qiu Yizi replied.
"Yes, it's this person. The current emperor is tired of working, so he handed over the affairs of the six ministries to the two princes a few years ago. In addition, the eldest prince Zheng Chang is in charge of the security affairs of the capital and nearby areas, while the affairs of the imperial palace and Luoyang garrison are handed over to the second prince Zheng Yao." Yang Yuanzhi paused and said, "I have been given the honorary title of 'Grand Master', so I am not afraid of speaking without restraint. Zheng Chang is okay, but Zheng Yao is dull and does not win the hearts of the officials. All the government affairs in his hands can only be handed over to Wang Zhonghai."
Eunuchs in power will inevitably lead to political chaos. This is common knowledge among scholars since ancient times. However, Qiu Yizi had a different idea and asked, "If Wang Zhonghai can be loyal to the country, or if he really has some talent, even though he is not as famous, it is not a bad idea to let him be in power. It is better than those who are idle and corrupt, right?"
Yang Yuanzhi was startled by his question, then laughed out loud: "In the letter I just read, the prince said that you are very talented, but always like to be different. This is indeed true! Then don't blame me for being a teacher. Let me ask you: Among the eunuchs recorded in history books, how many are honest and capable?"
"It's like the huge waves washing away the sand, and it's as tiny as the morning star." Qiu Yizi answered without hesitation.
"Sir, do you understand the truth? The sage said: There are five human relationships: father and son, husband and wife, elders and juniors, ruler and minister, and friends. But this eunuch entered the palace with his body castrated, and has long severed human relationships. Once he gets a chance, he will disregard propriety, integrity, and honor, and will not care about his reputation after death or the righteousness of his clan. He is like a fly seeing blood, like a moth flying into a flame. He is a hungry tiger, a hungry eagle, and a wolf in sheep's clothing. How can we hand over the country to them?" Yang Yuanzhi asked himself and answered himself. He was still unsatisfied and continued, "It's like Wang Zhonghai. He was the one who lured the emperor into the elixir, he was the one who separated the relationship between the emperor and ministers, he was the one who framed the loyal and good, and he was also the one who was corrupt and perverted the law."
"Wang Zhonghai has behaved so recklessly, is there no upright official in the court who would speak out against him?" Qiu Yizi asked in surprise.
"At first, there were several upright ministers who, seeing that Wang Zhonghai was going too far, wrote to the emperor to request the abolition of the Ministry of Persuasion. But they didn't know that the memorials they submitted would eventually be handed over to Wang Zhonghai, who kept them all and never sent them out, like a stone sinking into the sea." Yang Yuanzhi sighed, "This year, Wang Zhonghai has instigated the emperor to issue an edict to set up a Ministry of Persuasion. Although the name of this office sounds nice, it is superior to the Ministry of Justice and has the power to arrest and interrogate. I don't know how many ministers who spoke frankly were arrested on trumped-up charges, and even the common people with conscience in the market were framed for saying a few more words."
Qiu Yizhi listened with a frown on his face. "The previous emperor was a tyrant. In order to stop the people from speaking out, he set up the so-called 'Thirteen Yamen' to monitor all officials. I don't know how many things he did to destroy the Great Wall. Otherwise, there would be no Han Dynasty today. After Emperor Taizu came to power, he hated the Thirteen Yamen and vowed to return the power of trial and arrest to the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate. What Wang Zhonghai did was to disobey Emperor Taizu's will. He is guilty of the unforgivable crime of being executed by slow slicing!"
Yang Yuanzhi smiled helplessly and said, "In the officialdom today, villains are growing while gentlemen are disappearing. Not to mention the teachings of Taizu, even the teachings of the saints that 'gentlemen should gather but not form parties' have long been forgotten. The ministers in my court have long been divided into three factions. Some have joined the eldest son of the emperor, Zheng Chang, to protect themselves, some have lost their conscience and joined the eunuchs, and the few upright people dare only to be angry but not to speak out. The current court situation is like the pool of water in my house. Although it is calm on the surface, there are undercurrents surging underneath, which lead directly to the Luo River through the underground river."
Qiu Yizhi took a long time to process what Yang Yuanzhi said, and then said, "What the old prime minister meant is that the one who instigated the officials to impeach my adoptive father was the eunuch Wang Zhonghai, right?"
Yang Yuanzhi praised him like a teacher who saw his student answer the question correctly, "Young Master is really very smart and knows how to draw inferences from one example."
Qiu Yizi listened to Zheng Rong and He Zhongli Kuang's analysis in Guangyang City that the mastermind behind the scenes was the current emperor himself. Now the mystery is revealed and it is the "fake" emperor Wang Zhonghai - although he didn't guess it right, he was not far off the topic.
Therefore, Qiu Yizhi was not surprised, and asked again: "Then I have another question. Since the eldest prince and Wang Zhonghai are enemies, why didn't he come out and say something when he saw him doing such evil things? Could it be that as a prince, he is afraid of the Persuasion Department?"
Yang Yuanzhi smiled and said, "I have been in the officialdom for more than fifty years, and Zheng Chang was trained by me. How could I not know what he is thinking? It's just that he sees that Zheng Yao has the support of Wang Zhonghai and holds the military power in the capital, so his power is greater than his, so he dare not act rashly."
When Qiu Yizhi heard this, he realized the wisdom of the plan that his adoptive father and master had made half a month ago. With a hint of excitement in his tone, he said, "My adoptive father sent me here to ask the old prime minister to introduce me to the eldest prince and make his intentions known to him. Once His Majesty ascends to heaven, our Youyan Palace will fully support the eldest prince to ascend the throne. In this way, the eldest prince will have the support of hundreds of officials at home and the Youyan soldiers outside ready to serve the king at any time. Then he can take another step smoothly."
Yang Yuanzhi sighed again and said, "The way of university is to manifest moral integrity, but also to be close to the people and to stop at the highest good. The way of a gentleman is nothing more than moderation and following the right path. Although the prince's move is not upright, it is also a bitter medicine!" At this point, Yang Yuanzhi's eyes lit up, as if he was a few years younger, "I will give up this old bone and do my best to help the prince complete this important task, which will not disappoint the late emperor's trust!" (To be continued)