Chapter 558: Being Your Enemy
As the prince's teacher, Wang Bo, the tutor, had a high status. Concubine Lu would send him gifts all year round, and people from Prince Jing's side were also quite respectful when they saw him.
These are nothing. If Prince Jing can counterattack and seize the throne, Wang Bo, the tutor... will be just like the team members who worked for Prince Yu in the palace when he ascended the throne in history, and almost all of them will rise to high positions.
Gao Gong was promoted to prime minister.
Zhang Juzheng was promoted to prime minister... and later he was even closer to regent.
Why has following the dragon been traditionally considered the best way to change one's destiny?
It is because of these precedents.
The people around Prince Jing encouraged him to seize the throne. To be honest, Jiang Qingzhi didn't think there was anything wrong with that.
As the saying goes, everyone serves his own master, and with different interests, their positions are naturally different.
Wang Bo is the teacher of Prince Jing, and it is his job to persuade Prince Jing to seize the throne. Even if he is a Taoist priest, the most he can do is to send him back to the Hanlin Academy.
But this fellow actually dared to sow discord, saying that Jiang Qingzhi preferred the powerless Prince Yu to be the crown prince. This was too much.
Jiang Qingzhi slapped Wang Bo's other cheek, causing it to swell up. He hissed, "Jiang Qingzhi, you bastard..."
Jiang Qingzhi kicked him down and said with a fierce smile, "You bastard, you got humiliated by me in Suzhou Prefecture and are so angry that you want to stab me in the back. Who gave you the courage? Is your surname Liang?"
Wang Bo rolled over on the ground, holding his stomach and screaming.
Jiang Qingzhi slowly looked at Chen Xuan.
Chen Xuan subconsciously took a defensive posture.
"Do you know what I despise the most about you?" Jiang Qingzhi took out his medicinal cigarette and said contemptuously, "In the dispute between Confucianism and Mohism, both sides fought for their own interests, which is fine. But the Confucianists' methods of fighting are mostly despicable. Stabbing in the back, or digging holes, or... Can't you be upright and behave like human beings?"
Chen Xuan's face flushed with shame at these words. He was about to open his mouth to refute, but Jiang Qingzhi pointed at him with the medicinal smoke. "You think that King Jing is definitely plotting to seize the throne. As long as you cater to his interests and even promise to help him, he will be overjoyed. People! If you are dirty, you will think others are dirty too."
……
"...Long Wei Bo said that if a person is filthy, he will think others are filthy as well. The two princes are brothers and sisters, and their filial piety to His Majesty is as solid as a rock. How can a villain like you bewitched them?"
Ever since she learned that Prince Jing had beaten her husband, Concubine Lu Jing has been a little uneasy.
What she was worried about was not the action itself, but the public opinion that would follow.
When she learned that Wang Bo said Prince Jing was violent, Concubine Lu almost bit her teeth and said that this was to destroy the fourth prince.
If the reputation of King Jing's brutality spreads, there will be no chance of succession to the throne, and I'm afraid even his fiefdom will be chosen in a remote place.
What’s more terrible is that once the reputation of brutality is confirmed, no one will join King Jing anymore.
What can a lonely prince do?
Not to mention fighting for the throne, he couldn't even get all the officials to fill his fiefdom.
Isn't this destroying people? Concubine Lu Jing was furious and repeated Wang Bo's name many times with gnashing teeth. But the crisis was imminent, and she had to find a way to stop Wang Bo, or at least delay him, and wait for the Taoist to return to the palace before asking for instructions.
But looking around, Concubine Lu Jing found that the people around her were good at doing things in the palace, but were helpless when they went to the outer court.
The palace and the outer court are two different systems. The people around Dao Ye, such as Huang Jin, can get by because Dao Ye is the giant god behind them. As for the concubines in the harem... to be honest, even if you can run rampant in the palace, no one will pay attention to you in the outer court.
Concubine Lu Jing had no choice but to ask Chen Yan to go to the scene first and comfort Prince Jing. If possible, she should stabilize Wang Bo first.
On the other hand, Concubine Lu Jingfei sent someone on horseback to Xin'an Lane to report to the Taoist priest, hoping that the Taoist priest could come back in time to deal with the matter.
When she learned that it was Jiang Qingzhi who entered the palace, not Dao Ye, Concubine Lu couldn't help but smile bitterly, saying that she didn't know what His Majesty had encountered outside the palace, and actually...
He even ignored the troubles of his beloved youngest son.
So, when she heard the eunuch relay Jiang Qingzhi's words, Concubine Lu stood up suddenly, "Good! Good! Good!"
If you think you are dirty, you will think others are dirty too... This means that Wang Bo, with a mean mind, judged others by others' standards and slandered King Jing.
Jiang Qingzhi first took the blame for his brutality off King Jing's head, and then said that the two princes were friendly and respectful to each other, which was about the fight for the throne.
Regardless of whether King Jing competes for the throne or not, the relationship between the two brothers remains friendly.
If others said this, they would be ridiculed, but Jiang Qingzhi was entrusted with the important task by the Taoist priest and had the responsibility to discipline the two princes. When he said this, no one else had the right to deny it except the Taoist priest.
Finally, there is the filial piety of the two princes!
This is the finishing touch... No matter how tempting the position is, the two princes follow the lead of Emperor Jiajing in everything.
The Taoist said that the third son should be the crown prince, that is, Prince Yu would be the crown prince. Prince Jing would only be happy.
If the Taoist priest said that the fourth prince should take the throne, then Prince Jing would take the throne and Prince Yu would also be happy about it.
These words not only rescued King Jing from the crisis, but also suppressed the undercurrent caused by the ministers' suggestions to establish a crown prince.
Concubine Lu Jing's eyes lit up. "Chang Wei Bo is indeed a minister that Your Majesty relies on. If these words are spread... I want to see what those villains will look like."
Chen Yan came back, "Your Majesty, Chang Wei Bo has expelled Wang Bo and the other two, and is talking to His Highness alone."
"It's a good talk, a good talk!" Concubine Lu was overjoyed that her son's crisis was resolved. "By the way, while you were there, what do you think of Long Wilbur's attitude towards the fourth child?"
Chen Yan thought about it carefully, and looked at the eunuchs and palace maids. Concubine Lu Jing waved her hand, and everyone left.
"When Long Wilbur arrived, he asked what happened. His Highness refused to tell him, so he was slapped by Long Wilbur."
"Good fight!" Concubine Lu Jing smiled and said, "It's not a bad thing to fight, but it's inappropriate not to fight."
"Yes, I felt that at that moment, Chang Wei Bo treated His Highness as a family member." Chen Yan said, "Then when he mentioned Wang Bo's words, Chang Wei Bo flew into a rage, turned around and slapped him, then kicked him over..."
Chen Yan looked up and said, "I saw it clearly. The anger of Lord Wei was so strong that it frightened me. It shows how much he loves Your Highness."
Concubine Lu narrowed her eyes, "Someone has been whispering in my ear... Prince Yu is alone and the easiest to control. If Lord Changwei is not stupid, he will definitely support him. And the fourth son has me, his favorite concubine, as his mother, and the help of the Lu family outside, so he is quite powerful... Lord Changwei will naturally not choose him."
Chen Yan said, "Your Majesty, I see..." She hesitated for a moment, and Concubine Lu frowned, "Just say it."
"I feel that...Chang Wei Bo has never thought about this at all." Chen Yan thought carefully.
"Has he never thought about this?" Concubine Lu raised her eyebrows slightly. "Chang Wei Bo has feelings for the fourth child, but this is the royal family!"
There is no father and son in heaven!
"Everyone says that your majesty is cold-hearted, but who knows that your majesty is the most affectionate. Your majesty did not see the third and fourth brothers because he was worried that the two dragons would not meet. But no matter how affectionate you are..."
Concubine Lu Jing knew that no matter how sentimental an emperor was, he was still an emperor at heart.
It is a blessing for the emperor to have feelings, but that does not touch his roots.
What is the foundation of an emperor?
That supreme throne!
Anyone who dares to covet the throne, anyone who dares to lay a hand on the throne, will surely be dealt a severe blow by the Taoist priest.
"Chang Wei Bo is also a man of love, but after all... who wouldn't want to be a good follower of the emperor?" Concubine Lu Jing smiled bitterly, "The Lu family is trying to test the matter by making indirect insinuations.
The eldest brother has hinted many times that he wants to help the third brother win the throne.
Even though they are relatives, if it involves that position, family affection...I am afraid it will become a joke."
Concubine Lu Jing has been in the palace for many years and has seen a lot of intrigues and tricks, as well as family members turning against each other for power.
Chen Yan raised her head and said, "My Lady, I feel that... Chang Wei Bo really hasn't thought about this matter, or maybe he doesn't care about this matter at all."
"Don't care?" Concubine Lu Jing smiled and said, "He is not a god. Even gods have to breathe wind and drink dew."
"But..." Concubine Lu stood up, "Don't take Chang Wei Bo lightly. Go there and ask him to come over and talk."
"Yes."
……
"You started fighting just because of a few words. This is not your nature."
There were only Jiang Qingzhi and Prince Jing in the study.
King Jing was silent. Jiang Qingzhi sighed, "You are a proud person. Proud people don't bother to explain. But this matter... can be big or small."
"Uncle, are you worried that people will say I'm violent?" King Jing asked with a smile.
"If you laugh again, I'll beat you up!" Jiang Qingzhi said unhappily, "When I was young, I always felt that I was omnipotent and had unlimited possibilities. When I grew up and suffered the beatings of the world, I realized that I was just one of the common people, nothing special. Boy..."
Jiang Qingzhi looked at him and said leisurely, "Wang Bo persuaded you to seize the throne and promised to help you with all his strength. Then he hinted that as long as you nodded, the scholars and Confucians... would support you with all their strength."
King Jing smiled.
"And all this has a premise." Jiang Qingzhi lit up the medicinal cigarette and took a puff. "It was this premise that angered you. Wang Bo said that I liked the lonely Third Brother more. This might anger you, but it wouldn't make you do anything. So, what made someone as proud as you unable to bear it and slap him hard?"
King Jing remained silent.
"Boy, His Majesty is going back to the palace." Jiang Qingzhi said with a smile, "I don't know why you took action... His Majesty must punish you, so as to give an explanation to the outside world. Whether it is house arrest or caning, you can choose."
Seeing that he was silent, Jiang Qingzhi stood up and said, "I have been busy lately. I will go to Xin'an Lane when I figure it out. By the way, I brought some special products from the south. I will send someone to Xin'an Lane to pick them up. Let's go."
Prince Jing is a proud and arrogant kid. It would be fine if he was just proud and arrogant, but he is also stubborn.
Jiang Qingzhi felt that this stubbornness was inherited from Dao Ye's genes.
But Pride is somewhat imitating Dao Ye's intention.
This is the effect of parents' words and deeds.
It would be better to let the Taoist punish him and curb his arrogance.
"Cousin!"
"Yeah!" Jiang Qingzhi stopped at the door.
King Jing's voice came from behind.
"That premise is..."
"What is it?" Jiang Qingzhi didn't turn around.
"I am your enemy."
(End of this chapter)
