Chapter 90 Hai Rui Enters the Palace
At Hai Rui's residence.
"Gangfeng!" Wang Yongji, whose clothes were wet by the rain, hurriedly pushed open the study door and said excitedly, "Good news, good news, Lord Zhang just met me!"
The Zhang Ge Lao mentioned by Wang Yongji is naturally referring to Zhang Juzheng. In fact, for a subordinate, I can call all the elders in the cabinet "Ge Lao" in private to show respect.
Hai Rui, who was sitting at the table reading a book, heard the noise and looked up at his excited friend.
"Ming Shou, you are so old, why are you still so impatient?" Only when he is with this good friend can he relax occasionally and not be so serious.
"Huh?" After hearing Hai Rui actually say that he was old, Wang Yongji smacked his lips and said, "How can I be old? I'm only thirty years old."
"But you, Gangfeng, have already passed the age of forty for seven years," Wang Yongji said, gesturing with his hands, and said, "In another three years, you will know the destiny."
"Oh," Wang Yongji said, striding forward, looking a little proud, and said, "That's what it means to be a real old man, right?"
"Know your destiny?" Facing Wang Yongji's ridicule, Hai Rui pretended to be solemn, then walked to the window with his hands behind his back, looked at the heavy rain, and sighed: "Alas..."
Seeing Hai Rui suddenly sighing, as if he was carrying something heavy, Wang Yongji opened his mouth to say something, but at this moment, he heard Hai Rui put his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky.
"Destiny? Although I know about destiny, I don't know how to control the situation. It seems that I still need some guidance from the gods in heaven..." As he said this, Hai Rui turned around and looked at Wang Yongji. On his dark and heavy face, he couldn't stop smiling and teasing.
"You!" Wang Yongji was about to speak to comfort his friend, but when he saw Hai Rui's smiling face, he could tell that he had been fooled. He stared at Hai Rui for a long while, then suddenly shook his head and laughed.
"I can't believe it, I can't believe it," Wang Yongji waved his hands repeatedly, sat down on a chair beside him, and said, "I can't believe that you, Hai Gangfeng, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, can say such a witty thing."
"Hahaha." Seeing that he couldn't even stand up straight from laughing, Hai Rui also leaned back and laughed. Then he put two fingers together and passed them across his green robe from top to bottom, then pointed at Wang Yongji and said:
"A green bamboo hat, a green raincoat, no need to go home in the slanting wind and drizzle."
"Hahaha," seeing this, Wang Yongji clapped his legs with a smile, held his stomach with one hand, and waved the other hand, saying, "Hai Gangfeng, you are using me as a fish to catch, are you having fun?"
For a moment, the laughter of the two people in the room penetrated the rain and floated above the roof.
After a while, the two people in the room finally gave up.
"Gangfeng, there are a lot of things to be conveyed during the Yuxi Palace meeting this time!" After taking the hot tea handed to him by Hai Rui and taking a sip, Wang Yongji started talking about business.
Hai Rui did not say anything, but waited for his next words.
"First of all, all the appointments in the north have been issued. Zhang Gelao said that the emperor personally appointed Tang Shunzhi as the governor of Xuanda, and the former general of Datong was transferred to Ningxia as the governor."
At this point, Wang Yongji's tone darkened, and he said, "This Tang Shunzhi is from the Yan Party!"
"The commander-in-chief of Datong is Wang Chonggu, a member of the Qingliu faction and the former assistant minister of the Ministry of War. Wang Chonggu's family is suspected of annexing land, and you are the governor of Datong!"
Wang Yongji said with a slightly relaxed tone, "You are now the head of the Ministry of Revenue, a sixth-rank official, which is considered a five-level promotion!"
"The governor of Datong?" Hai Rui's eyes flashed with an inexplicable color, and then he looked at Wang Yongji and asked, "What about you?"
"Me?" Wang Yongji pointed at himself and sighed, "Originally I was planning to go with you, but Lord Zhang asked me to stay in the capital and cooperate with you..."
"Don't forget me, I am the scholar of Prince Yu's Mansion, a third-rank official." Just as he said this, Wang Yongji's mouth showed a hint of bitterness, "Brother Gangfeng, do you understand the meaning of Qingliu's move?"
Hai Rui was stunned, and after a moment of silence, he nodded.
"They are forcing you to take sides," Hai Rui said, looking up at Wang Yongji, "You and I are close friends, and although I am now nominally a member of the Qingliu faction, they will not accept me."
"They want to use you to tie me up in name only."
"If I'm not mistaken, you are responsible for the connection between the capital and Datong?" Wang Yongji nodded, picked up the teacup and took a sip, but did not speak.
"In this case," Hai Rui sighed and said, "Everyone in the northern border of the Yan Party will regard me as an enemy."
"They are forcing me to fight the Yan Party. They want to use me as a sword to kill the minions of the Yan Party! This will increase the chances of winning this 'war'."
"Brother Gangfeng, it's my fault that I harmed you this time." Wang Yongji's tone was full of guilt.
"I don't blame you." Hai Rui took a deep breath and sighed, "Behind the dispute between the Qingliu and the Yan Party is the dispute between Prince Yu and Prince Jing for the throne. Mingshou..."
As he spoke, Hai Rui stared at Wang Yongji, and after a while he said in a deep voice: "I originally thought that the greatest danger would be in the northern border."
"But now it seems that the capital is also unsafe!"
"As expected of Gangfeng!" Wang Yongji smacked his lips. "Lord Zhang also said that the Emperor has ordered Prince Jing to return to the capital to assist the cabinet with His Royal Highness Prince Yu!"
"Do you understand?" Wang Yongji asked with a serious expression.
"Let King Jing return to the capital, and the two dragons will fight?!" Upon hearing this news, Hai Rui was stunned at first, and then his brain "buzzed" on the spot. After coming to his senses, he murmured:
"Choosing a crown prince? Or a grindstone?"
"What?" Wang Yongji was puzzled when he heard Hai Rui's words.
Just as Hai Rui was about to speak, there was a knock on the door. The servant opened the door, and then a shrill voice was heard, "Your Majesty has ordered that Hai Rui, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, be summoned to Yuxi Palace."
"His Majesty summoned you into the palace?" Wang Yongji was stunned, but he did not dare to be negligent and hurriedly followed him out.
"Master Hai, I haven't seen you for a long time. Are you doing well?" Huang Jin smiled and bowed to Hai Rui, an old acquaintance, and said, "Master Hai has returned to Beijing and has been promoted to the head of the Ministry of Revenue. I haven't congratulated you yet."
"Thank you for your concern, eunuch. Everything is fine." Hai Rui bowed.
"Well, the master is still waiting," after a brief greeting, Huang Jin smiled and nodded to Wang Yongji, then said: "Come with me into the palace." He raised his hand to signal the eunuch to give Hai Rui an umbrella.
"No need to change into official uniform. Just go as the master ordered." Without waiting for Hai Rui to speak, Huang Jin said with a smile.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Hai Rui bowed and said, then glanced at Wang Yongji, signaled him not to worry, and turned to leave.
Looking at Hai Rui's back as he disappeared into the rain, Wang Yongji's eyes showed a complex and expectant look.
"Gangfeng, you have a strong character. You are a sword in the Ming Dynasty that no one can wield except the emperor." Wang Yongji thought of Zhang Juzheng's evaluation of Hai Rui when they talked.
"Only the Emperor can protect you!"
The carriage hurried along the way, and soon it entered the West Garden and arrived outside the Yuxi Palace.
"Master Hai, let's go out." Upon hearing this, Hai Rui nodded and raised his hand to signal Huang Jin to go in first. After Huang Jin walked out of the carriage, he also lifted the door curtain and looked towards Yuxi Palace.
The rain and fog made Yuxi Palace appear blurry.
"Is this where the Emperor is practicing?" Hai Rui murmured, but he had made up his mind, "Perhaps, I should ask the Emperor to tell me if he succeeded in his practice..."
"..."
(End of this chapter)
