Chapter 534 Let’s talk reason with Hai Rui!
It's still early.

According to past etiquette, Crown Prince Zhu Zaigui and the princes and nobles who represented the royal family to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth would not be able to arrive at the Huangji Hall before noon.

Yan Shaoting's eyes sank slightly when he looked at Hai Rui, who said that glory belonged to the emperor and power belonged to the Yan family.

Although he was very clear in his mind that he and Hai Rui, and even Zhang Juzheng, were just like-minded at a certain moment.

Now the emperor of the Ming Dynasty has passed away.

The new emperor is about to ascend the throne.

With the change of political situation, past favors have to be recalculated.

But trying to unite more people is what great people teach us.

Yan Shaoting was still unwilling to go his separate ways and cross his own bridges with Hai Rui from now on.

Ever since.

After a long sigh.

Yan Shaoting frowned and looked deeply at Hai Rui, who had a sullen face and seemed determined not to change his official robes as long as they were not torn to pieces.

"Brother Gangfeng may have said these words today based on what he saw."

He spoke very slowly, and when Hai Rui was about to speak, he immediately reached out to stop him.

Then Yan Shaoting continued, "I also know that Brother Gangfeng can still say these words to me today because he actually hopes that my Yan family and I can be dedicated to the public and not go astray because of greed for power. This is good advice, and it also shows that Brother Gangfeng thinks highly of me, Yan Shaoting."

Hai Rui's lips moved slightly.

He was indeed just as Yan Shaoting said.

It was precisely because he did not want the Yan family to go down the wrong path, which would end up causing the entire family to suffer slander and even cause an uproar in the court, that he had repeatedly persuaded, warned and warned them earnestly.

On public.

Since both I and the Yan family are officials in the court, we should put our hearts and energy together.

But if we talk about private matters.

If he asked himself honestly, he, Hai Rui, and Yan Shaoting had a very good relationship, and he also acknowledged in his heart that the other party really wanted to change the world. They could be considered like-minded close friends.

So, both in public and in private.

Only then will you remind yourself repeatedly without getting tired of it and not being afraid of offending others.

What if it was someone else?

There is no need for me to waste my breath on this. I just need to wait for the other party to do something wrong, and then I can write a petition to impeach him.

Seeing that Yan Shaoting clearly knew his intention, Hai Rui's expression finally relaxed a little.

Yan Shaoting continued at this time: "It's just that Brother Gangfeng may not have truly understood the principle of governing according to one's position. Brother Gangfeng sees that my family is now in the court, seemingly powerful, in charge of the central power, and trusted by the late emperor and the new emperor. It is precisely because of this that Brother Gangfeng thinks that my Yan family may become the powerful minister who steals the country."

After he finished speaking, Yan Shaoting looked at Hai Rui with a playful gaze.

The corners of Hai Rui's mouth twitched.

Yan Shaoting smiled slightly.

obviously.

He guessed what Hai Rui was thinking.

Hai Rui smiled helplessly, shook his head and said, "Although Runwu is young, his vision and intelligence are far superior to ordinary people. But since you know these reasons and causes, why can't you correct them to avoid things that we don't want to see?"

"Avoid what?"

Yan Shaoting immediately asked back.

Hai Rui opened his mouth.

But Yan Shaoting also stretched out his hand at the same time: "Brother Gangfeng, I just said that one should do his job according to his position. My family is now in this position, and we are well-known for the new policy faction. If my family takes a step back, others will think that my family is no longer on the side of the new policy. In this case, how do you think the court will change?"

At this moment, it was Hai Rui's turn to frown.

Yan Shaoting then said, "Brother Gangfeng wants my family to give up the power in our hands, fine! My family can submit petitions for resignation one after another, or even stay at home. But what about the court? What about the new policy? Last time, due to Brother Gangfeng's sharp words, Xu Jie and his entire family left the court, and it was at that time that the voice of the new policy overwhelmed the ancestral law. If my family really quits, I'm afraid Brother Gangfeng will understand that by then there will be no one to implement the new policy."

Hai Rui's face was solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "And Prime Minister Gao..."

"High arch?"

Yan Shaoting sneered: "Brother Gangfeng, why don't you finish your words? Do you also feel that if my Yan family does not speak out in support of the new policy, Gao Gong alone will not be able to accomplish anything?"

Hai Rui rolled his eyes and looked away: "Although I have this intention, but..."

Another sneer came from Yan Shaoting's mouth.

He stared at Hai Rui with a scrutinizing look: "Brother Gangfeng knows the truth, and also knows that the new policy cannot be separated from the support of my Yan family in the court, assisting the king and leading the central government officials to work together. But Brother Gangfeng still feels that my family should not hold any power in the court."

Hai Rui had already begun to purse his lips tightly, and his hands were clenched into fists under his sleeves.

Yan Shaoting continued to speak: "Brother Gangfeng, you have your reasons, and you know a lot of reasons. But... there is no such thing as having both! Do you want a new conquest for the country and a revolution in the world, or do you want my Yan family to behave properly and become a noble family?"

Probably the same as Hai Rui's thoughts.

The reason why Yan Shaoting said so much at this moment was because the other party was Hai Rui.

Only if the other party was Hai Rui would he say so much and explain so thoroughly.

What if it was someone else?

Without even saying a word, the censors in the court would be able to make the impeached party feel ashamed to stay in the court, and then they would take the initiative to submit a letter of resignation.

And now.

He simply pushed the issue back to Hai Rui.

But Hai Rui was completely defeated.

Faced with Yan Shaoting's question, he was speechless for a moment.

His brows were furrowed, his skin sunken together.

But no matter how he thought about this problem, he couldn't give an answer at the moment.

Yan Shaoting just smiled coldly: "Brother Gangfeng, you have also been an official in the court for many years. I have always respected Brother Gangfeng's way of being an official and a person. But Brother Gangfeng should also understand that when you are in the court and care about the country, you may not be able to do things according to what you think is right. Sometimes, Brother Gangfeng might as well think about whether the principles you follow are really right, or... just crooked ways!"

this moment.

When Yan Shaoting spoke to Hai Rui face to face for the first time in his life, his words were extremely serious.

So when Hai Rui heard the last four words "evil ways", his face instantly turned red, and he stared at his young confidant in front of him with wide eyes in surprise.

However, today Yan Shaoting wanted to talk reason with Hai Rui, the man who was usually the most reasonable.

He met Hai Rui's angry gaze and asked in a low voice, "Brother Gangfeng, have you forgotten why you were able to carry out criminal prosecutions and bring many officials of Northern Zhili to justice as soon as you took office as the Northern Zhili Provincial Surveillance Commissioner when you were summoned back to Beijing, and then completely overthrow Xu Jie?"

Hai Rui's face was still full of anger.

Yan Shaoting said word by word: "It was because of my instruction that Xu Wei passed those secret matters to Brother Gangfeng!"

Hai Rui's face turned from red to pale.

But Yan Shaoting didn't stop there, instead he continued: "According to the rules, according to what Brother Gangfeng follows, shouldn't you be a gentleman in the officialdom? Each department has clear responsibilities, and if an official violates the law, the three judicial departments will investigate? But Brother Gangfeng took office as the Northern Zhili Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, and he must have known this, but he still chose to accept the secrets sent by Xu Wei in order to overthrow Xu Jie and purge the treacherous officials in the court."

Hai Rui's expression changed countless times in an instant.

Worried that he had said too much and had upset the old man, Yan Shaoting's expression eased a little, and his tone also became calmer: "I know that Brother Gangfeng did this for the sake of justice and fairness in the court. But this is the reason why the Yan family has to do this. I wonder if Brother Gangfeng can understand this reason?"

Hai Rui's eyes flickered, and he said in a low voice, "I know, but... that's not the truth."

Yan Shaoting hummed, and then changed the subject: "Okay! Since Brother Gangfeng said that this is not the case. Then let me ask Brother Gangfeng another question. What should I, Yan Shaoting, and the Yan family do?"

Hai Rui raised his head and looked at the other person: "Go ahead."

Yan Shaoting clasped his hands and bowed towards the Fengxian Hall.

After that, he said, "When the late emperor was dying, he entrusted me with his will in this Huangji Palace, saying that this year, Xin'ai Huang Taiji of the Anda tribe led 100,000 troops to invade Xuanfu and Datong, and then moved to the Hetao area on the southern foot of the Daqing Mountain. Before the late emperor passed away, he was still concerned about the affairs of the border towns, and entrusted me to lead the troops next year to drive out the bandits. He also said that our dynasty should take advantage of the country's prosperity to recover the Hetao area."

Hai Rui and others were not aware of the fact that Jiajing hoped Yan Shaoting would expel the Anda tribe and recover Hetao.

When he mentioned this matter, Hai Rui's eyes flickered.

But Yan Shaoting smiled and asked, "Brother Gangfeng, the late emperor entrusted me with such an important task. And you also know the current situation of our imperial army, border troops and garrisons. Brother Gangfeng, if I follow the late emperor's will, how should I recover Hetao? Should I control the power of dispatching money, food and troops in the court, control the power of commanding the imperial army and border troops, and attack with all the money, food and troops in place? Or... should I, Yan Shaoting, bring my family and rush to that Xin Ai Huang Taiji and chop off his head with a knife?"

Hai Rui almost blurted out: "This is a joke."

Yan Shaoting chuckled: "So Brother Gangfeng also knows that this is something that can only be said as a joke. Then if I want to recover Hetao, interfere in the dispatch of money, grain, and troops in the court, and sort out and master the power of all parties, will Brother Gangfeng say that I, Yan Shaoting, am greedy for power and want to be a powerful official to steal the country?"

What I have to do now.

In fact, it is nothing more than two things: Qiansi Gold Bank and the recovery of Hetao.

As for the New Deal.

Let Gao Gong rush ahead to clear the way.

In order to avoid moral questions in the future, he felt it was necessary to lay these things out to Hai Rui today.

Take a deep breath.

Yan Shaoting looked tired and said in an impetuous tone: "Brother Gangfeng, please teach me how to be loyal to the king and reform the Ming Dynasty without holding power!"

After asking.

Yan Shaoting didn't say another word.

He just stared at Hai Rui with deep eyes, his gaze fixed on him.

Hai Rui is now caught in some kind of dilemma.

He knew very well whether what Yan Shaoting had said to him today was right or wrong.

Yan Shaoting was right.

If you want to be loyal to the king and reform the Ming Dynasty, you must have power in your hands.

No one can reform the country without holding power.

But he also felt that the Yan family should not have so much power and favor from the emperor.

Contradictions began to grow in his heart.

Hai Rui's eyes kept flickering and his expression kept changing.

After a long time.

He spoke in a low voice.

"Perhaps, I may have seen it wrong..."

I saw something wrong.

He didn't say.

But his complexion didn't look very good, and his lips looked particularly pale.

Yan Shaoting glanced at Hai Rui, then sighed softly, "Brother Gangfeng must have remembered the scene when the late emperor led me from the Huangji Gate to the Huangji Palace before he passed away. But do you know what the late emperor said to me at that time?"

Hai Rui shook his head.

"That day, the late emperor's words and deeds were no longer the same as before. He led you on a journey alone. We followed from a distance and were unable to hear what the late emperor said to you."

Yan Shaoting also shook his head: "The late emperor said a lot to me that day, but in the end, it was nothing more than... the late emperor had great ambitions. The late emperor's great favor to me means that after the late emperor's death, I, Yan Shaoting, must do my best to fulfill the late emperor's will!"

I finished explaining the situation to Hai Rui.

Now is the time to talk to him about our grand ambitions and aspirations.

Hai Rui lowered his head and said, "I can trust the good deeds of others, but I cannot trust the hearts of others. You must know... the story of how Emperor Song was crowned with the yellow robe in the past."

He spoke very quietly, and even when he mentioned the words "wearing the yellow robe", he quickly turned his neck to look around.

Yan Shaoting snorted twice.

He naturally understood what Hai Rui meant by saying this.

Hai Rui was worried that even if he had no intention of becoming a powerful official, he could not help but think that one day in the future the officials who followed the Yan family would push the Yan family into the position of powerful officials step by step for their own interests and status.

Yan Shaoting closed his eyes, as if trying to calm himself down.

Not long.

He opened his eyes and spoke again, "Ouyang Bijin, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, is old. Because of his relationship with my family, it is impossible for him to join the cabinet. When he retires, the job of the Censorate will be handed over to Brother Gangfeng."

Hai Rui's eyes flashed.

His eyes, which had originally softened, instantly became sharp again.

But before he started yelling.

Yan Shaoting continued, "This is what the late emperor meant. The late emperor knew Brother Gangfeng's conduct as an official and as a person, and he had already made a plan. Brother Gangfeng is the only one who can take charge of the Censorate in the court. Now that I am talking about this, it is by no means to curry favor with Brother Gangfeng by taking advantage of my position as an official in the court."

But he said so anyway.

Hai Rui, however, remained calm and said, "The selection of officials for the imperial court is all done by the Ministry of Personnel, which will be reviewed by the Cabinet and approved by the Emperor."

Yan Shaoting smiled faintly.

He shook his head and patted Hai Rui on the shoulder.

"I had a talk with Brother Gangfeng today."

"The reason I'm talking about this now is actually because of the principle I'm talking about today."

"Brother Gangfeng will be in charge of the Censorate in the future. He will be the head of the censors in the country. You must keep an eye on Yan Shaoting and the Yan family from time to time."

"If there is any mistake between me and the Yan family, Brother Gangfeng can just file a petition to impeach me!"

"Tang Taizong said to learn from history. From now on, I, Yan Shaoting, will learn from Hai Yushi and abide by the way of being a minister!"

He just finished speaking.

A loud shout came from the right.

"The auspicious time is near."

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."

"All the ministers, enter the palace and accept His Royal Highness the Crown Prince as the Emperor!"

…………

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(End of this chapter)