Chapter 8 Floating Clouds Hanging in Mid-air Name 3

  Shaowu saw the typical ceremony, but suddenly something unexpected happened. It seemed that the officials of the Honglu Temple intentionally made the newly appointed official of the Western Post House in Beijing a scapegoat. Li Ruobing thought that he was also an outstanding young official, and his reputation and evaluation were excellent in both Yuan City and Pingyang where he had served. He wanted to speak up for him, but Vice Premier Zhao Zhifu rebuked: "The national ceremony has not yet ended, how can you start arguing here? This is truly a loss of dignity."

  Grand Chancellor Cai Jing also stepped forward and memorialized: "Your Majesty, this matter concerns the national dignity. You should order Li Ruobing, the surveillance commissioner of the West Township Inn, to await punishment. After the relevant officials have investigated and clarified the details of the situation, we can deliberate on how to handle it."

  Zhao You saw the Liao envoy, Yelü Daishi, standing expressionless on one side, as if watching the joke of the Song Dynasty's monarch and ministers. The anger that had just been suppressed suddenly flared up again. He glared fiercely at the young official from the Western Depot, whose face was somewhat pale, and said in a deep voice: "Let's follow Chancellor Cai's words for now, this matter will be discussed later!"

  In the midst of tens of thousands of military and civilians cheering around Linshui Temple, this brief discordant episode was only a fleeting moment. Afterwards, officials responsible for various celebratory rituals became increasingly nervous, fearing that they would make a mistake and incur the emperor's great wrath. Fortunately, everything went smoothly afterwards, except for Li Ruobing, the newly appointed official of Duting West Post Station, who returned home to await punishment. The Dragon Boat Racing Festival on Dragon Boat Festival ended in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

  After the ceremony, Yang Shi, the newly appointed Guozijian Jiuwu, said: "Your Majesty, for this year's Taixue Shangshe exam, please provide the questions." Because those who scored high in the examination of the upper house of the Imperial Academy could be directly appointed as officials, the questions were all proposed by the emperor himself, and the top scorers were also determined by the emperor personally. It was equivalent to having gone through the imperial examination in the civil service examination system, and it was considered a student of the Son of Heaven.

  Zhao You was considering the matter of building ships to go out to sea and guide envoys from various countries to come to court, when he heard the words and readily said: "Let's take 'Communicating with the Four Seas, Cherishing Distant Countries' as the title and write a policy discussion on it."

  Yang Shi's eyebrows slightly furrowed, but he didn't dare oppose the emperor's personally set topic, so he had to accept the decree and withdraw.

  The emperor suddenly gave the third prince a marriage during the grand ceremony, causing Zhao Qi to enter the East Palace and gain momentum. The officials who supported Crown Prince Zhao Ke couldn't help but become tense, and that night, scholars such as Qin Hui, Taixue Doctor, Luo Ruzi, Xingbu Yewailang, and others gathered at the Crown Prince's mansion to discuss countermeasures.

  After dismissing the servants and maids, Crown Prince Zhao Ke could no longer bear his anger. He stretched out his hand to grab a tea bowl from the stove, shattering it with a loud crash. The veins on his forehead bulged, his face turned cold and gloomy, and he said indignantly: "Giving Cao Di's daughter in marriage to Eldest Third Brother, does Father Emperor really want to replace me?" He didn't care about losing his composure in front of the officials, thinking to himself that since becoming Crown Prince, he had been extremely cautious with every word and action, afraid of being criticized. But why would Father Emperor be so cruel to him? Was it because Eldest Third Brother's appearance and personality were more like Father Emperor's? Or was it because Mother Empress had passed away early, allowing Father Emperor to be bewitched by the cunning and seductive Zhang Guifei? Or was it because Eldest Third Brother had a clever and charming younger sister who spoke on his behalf?

  "Cao Di has 150,000 elite troops from the Western Capital's great camp, and is only a few days' journey away from Bianjing." Lu Ruzhi furrowed his brow, worried and anxious. What he meant was that if Your Majesty were to pass away after ascending to heaven, the Third Prince could ascend to the throne with Cao Di's support, and at that time, even if people wanted to enthrone the Crown Prince, they would have no choice but to sigh in despair.

  "The key is the intention behind the official's move, is it a temporary impulse, or does he hope to win over the Western Capital Cao family, or is it a hint at changing the heir?" Qin Hui turned his head towards the Crown Prince's study companion Zhao Shen, and said in a low voice, "Guang Shi, such a situation cannot be neglected, what strategy do you have, Minister Zhao?"

  Listening to Qin Hui's inquiry, Crown Prince Zhao Ke also showed an expectant gaze. Zhao Yan said: "The meaning of my father is that the key is to make clear the intention of the imperial court. The strategy for responding should be that Your Highness can inform the imperial court and listen to the news that Zhu Bao, the military governor of Wuchang, has a virtuous daughter who is his second daughter, and ask the imperial court to grant her in marriage and establish her as the crown prince's proper consort."

  "Zhu Borna?" Prince Zhao Ke's eyes lit up, this commander of the Wu Chang military was in charge of the imperial guard, and was one of His Majesty's most trusted generals.

  When the current emperor was still in the Eastern Palace, Chancellor Zhang Dun dominated the court. After the death of the previous emperor, Empress Dowager and Chancellor Zhang Dun both believed that although Crown Prince Zhao You had a good reputation, he was frivolous and not suitable to be the ruler of the country, so they opposed his ascension to the throne. Not only that, but Empress Dowager and Zhang Dun also secretly did not announce the emperor's death, first gathering trusted officials, bringing the fourth son of the previous emperor, Zhao Suo, from Xuanhe Gate to the front of Dacheng Hall, attempting to force the fourth prince to ascend to the throne. Thanks to Zhu Bao, the commander of the Imperial Dragon Guard, who led the guards to guard the main hall and not allow anyone to enter, and also had Tong Guan, a eunuch in charge of the imperial seal, secretly handing over the previous emperor's will to Crown Prince Zhao You, he was finally able to wake up from his dream. With the support of his supporter, Zeng Bu, and other officials who supported him, holding the previous emperor's will, they rushed to Dacheng Hall. Empress Dowager and Zhang Dun saw that the situation had already turned against them, so they gave up their plan to support the fourth prince. After the current emperor ascended to the throne, he immediately banished Zhang Dun and rewarded those who had contributed to his ascension, putting Zhu Bao in charge of the tens of thousands of imperial guards.

  "If the imperial court were to grant Zhū Běr Nà's daughter as a wife to the Crown Prince, it would mean that the imperial court does not have any intention of changing the heir. If the imperial court refuses this proposal, then the Crown Prince will need to come up with another plan."

  As soon as Zhao Yan's words fell, Qin Hui and Luo Rujin were both pondering, and Crown Prince Zhao Ke hastily asked: "If Father Emperor does not agree to the marriage, what then?" He was cautious by nature, and having been the Eastern Palace Crown Prince for many years, he had long since developed the habit of thinking about defeat before victory. As soon as he thought that Father Emperor would refuse the marriage, the intention to replace him in the Eastern Palace became clear, and he could no longer hold back.

  Zhao Yan glanced at Qin Hui and Luo Rujin, saying in a low voice: "The Crown Prince has been clean and self-disciplined over the years, which is not bad. But in the eyes of officials, he is indeed overly cautious and lacks ambition. Moreover, the imperial court intentionally allowed King Jing to participate in the imperial examination, with the support of the treacherous minister Cai Jing and his cohorts. It's likely that winning first place in the exam won't be difficult, and when that happens, King Jing's reputation will soar. With Cai Jing and his cohorts stirring up the situation, it's highly possible that the imperial court will take advantage of the momentum to replace the Crown Prince."

  Zhao Yan actually represented his father Zhao Zhi's analysis of the current situation to the crown prince. Every time he said a sentence, Crown Prince Zhao Ke's eyebrows would furrow a little more, until they were almost tied in knots, tightly clenched together, looking extremely tense. However, after a change in tone, Zhao Yan continued: "If you want the imperial family to change their minds, Your Highness needs to show more courage and vitality. The imperial family has long had ambitions for the Youyan region. If the imperial family refuses to grant the marriage, Your Highness should volunteer to take the emperor's place in inspecting the Hebei military camp, observing the frontline situation. It would be even better if you could urge the troops to achieve military merit. We will do our best to demonstrate your great achievements in Bianjing and change the imperial family's impression of you. After all, changing the heir is a major national affair, and Your Highness has not committed any wrongdoing. There are also people who have hopes for you, so I think the imperial family will be cautious."

  Zhao Yan finished speaking and exchanged a glance with Qin Hui. After all, most of the clean officials were in favor of cautious northern expeditions. Qin Hui sighed and spoke out against it. Cai Jing and other treacherous parties had obtained today's power precisely because they catered to the emperor's wishes everywhere. If Crown Prince Zhao Ke did not take some expedient measures, he might really provoke the imperial court to change its heir.

  Crown Prince Zhao Ke also breathed a sigh of relief, nodded his head and bowed to Zhao Yan: "It's good that there is a countermeasure, the detailed arrangement will still have to trouble Prime Minister Zhao."

  After the meeting was over, Luo Rujin slowed down a few steps and stayed by Zhao Yan's side, saying in a low voice: "Zhao Gongzi, Li Bo Shi from the Imperial Academy is really ignorant of courtesy. Today can be said to have suffered retribution. The eldest son of the Li family, Li Ruobing, falsely reported that the Liao envoy wanted to pay homage to the emperor and has been suspended from duty."

  "What?" Zhao Yan was stunned, staring at Luo Rujin, "Li Ruobing has always been clever and capable, how could he make such a mistake? Could it be that someone is framing him?"

  Luo Rujin smiled slyly and said, "Don't ask, young master. Maybe in a few days, the Li family will come to you themselves. Let's see how they'll put on their airs of nobility then."

  Zhao Yan was taken aback and hesitated for a while, but didn't ask any further questions.

  The eldest son of the Grand Master Li Ge Fei, Li Ruo Bing, has always been the pride of the Li family. Even when he was still studying at the Imperial Academy, he had the honor of being selected as an official due to his outstanding performance in the imperial examination. However, he suddenly encountered such a disaster, and now the Li family is shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere.

  "It is said that the clean will be self-cleansing. Brother Wen, you can rest assured, we will work together to resolve this matter." Xiangzi comforted Li Gefei, who had rushed over to discuss countermeasures, "Brother Qing, with his exceptional talent and top grades in the imperial examination, has always been outstanding in his official duties. However, his sharp edges have attracted envy and resentment from others. This setback may not be entirely a bad thing." What he didn't say out loud was that if Li Ruibing continued to perform so exceptionally, she would eventually attract the attention of those in power, and if she were to be envied by the ruling clique, the consequences might not be so simple.

  Hongruo Temple's Zheng Qing and Shaoqing were both eager to pin the blame on Qingwen. The treacherous Premier ordered Hongruo Temple to investigate this case of disrespect during the grand ceremony, clearly with ulterior motives. Brother Wenxun should argue strongly based on reason, it would be best if the Imperial Censorate also sent someone to monitor the investigation, as there are still many upright and honest officials among the censors who dare to defy the treacherous Premier and speak out for justice.

  Xu Bu said on the side: "That's right, Left Censor Chen Yao and Supervising Censor Shao Wu have always been upright and dared to speak out. I'll go ask them to advise the officials not to fall into the trap set by the foreign envoys and treacherous ministers, and not to suppress the new talents of the scholars."

  His words were tinged with a tone of uncertainty. When the Emperor first ascended to the throne, Chen Yao had strongly advised Empress Dowager not to interfere in politics, and the Emperor was quite grateful to him at that time. However, in recent years, due to his being too straightforward, he has been alienated by the Emperor. When Li Ruobing was framed, Supervising Censor Shao Wu was present in Linshui Hall, but surprisingly, he did not utter a single word, which is simply unbelievable.

  Li Ge Fei bowed his hands to Qin Guan and said, "Thank you, Brother Shao You. If there's any news from the government or the imperial academy, please let me know in advance so my family can make some preparations."

  Qin Guan, although only holding the honorary position of Xuan Feng Lang, usually served in the Hanlin Academy, drafting and revising imperial edicts for the imperial court. Although his situation was not ideal due to the oppression by powerful officials in the court, he still had access to information. He had always placed great importance on friendship, so upon hearing this, he immediately said to Li Ge: "Don't worry, brother Wen Shu, I will do my best to help."

  At this time, Song An accompanied Li Ruobing out of the study, his face solemnly saying: "This matter is somewhat suspicious. According to Qing's brother's words, on that day, the officials from the Temple of the Imperial Messenger and the palace eunuchs came together to the West Inn to urge the documents regarding the ceremony, but the documents for arranging the audience ceremony for foreign envoys were intentionally placed by the clerks in a pile of volumes related to imperial ceremonies, so Qing's brother had no chance to verify with the Liao envoy face-to-face and hastily signed them out. The clerk who handled this matter has been missing for ten days."

  "Is it really a case of being framed by others?" Li Ge's face sank, and he said with a sigh: "It's just that we, the Yuanyou Party members, have always been disliked by the officials. Even if we want to defend Qingying, we don't have the opportunity to see the officials." He paused for a moment, and then said with hatred: "In the beginning, the officials allowed us to serve as officials after the Yuanyou period. I thought that these treacherous parties would not let us go easily, but I didn't expect their methods to be so despicable." He said to Li Ruobing: "Since we have taken office, these court struggles and intrigues will come sooner or later. As the saying goes, 'a strong wind knows the resilient grass', the more it is oppressed, the more it advances, that's what a true gentleman is like."

  Li Ruobing nodded and said, "Father's teachings are right. Compared to the predecessors in the Qing government, this little setback I've encountered is nothing." He had already calmed down completely and also cupped his hands to Song An, saying, "Thanks for your trouble, Brother Song. If that escaped official can be found, then it's fine; if not, then it's my fault for being careless, and I should take this lesson."

  Song An shook his head and said, "The matter of etiquette can be big or small, how to punish it depends on the officials. Unfortunately, we cannot see the emperor's face and explain the twists and turns to His Majesty."

  Song An's concerns, it seems that Li Ge Fei, Chong Bu Zhi, Qin Guan and others who have been in the officialdom for many years could not think of anything else. However, among the officials who were on good terms with him, the Yuanyou Party members had always been disliked by the imperial family, and there were hardly a few who could speak to the emperor. Your Majesty has already been surrounded by a group of treacherous ministers known as the New Party, and the court politics are in the hands of these treacherous ministers. People like Li Ge Fei and Chong Bu Zhi, who are full of knowledge and eloquent when discussing state affairs, become helpless when encountering political enemies' frame-ups.

  At this time, Song An broke the news, and suddenly the atmosphere in the front hall became somewhat dull. Everyone's face was like a candle flame, flickering uncertainly. But it was Li Ruobing who laughed and said: "I'm not doing well, I've caused my father and the two gentlemen to worry." He deliberately changed the subject and turned to Zhao Xingde beside him: "This is the first time we met with Yuan Zhi, but it's really laughable. I heard that a new academic society was established in Taixue today, claiming to 'clarify the heavenly principles and expand the teachings of the sages'. Yuan Zhi is one of the initiators, truly admirable."

  Li Ruobing's words were full of praise and admiration, making Zhao Xingde feel embarrassed, so he humbly declined: "It's just a gathering for latecomers to discuss and learn from each other, but big brother is the top scorer in the imperial examination, truly a pillar of the country."

  He wanted to comfort Li Ruobing with a few words, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find the right words. He prided himself on having insight that transcended this era, but when it came to his own specific troubles, he was powerless. This feeling made Zhao Xingde feel humiliated and even fearful deep down. The struggle for power in the imperial court was cruel; once you lost, there was no place to hide in the world, not only could you not protect yourself, but your children would also be affected. If Li Ruobing's experience were to happen to him one day, did he have a way to resolve it? What if he encountered the frame-up of a powerful minister? Would he have to flee to a distant land?

  As he thought of this, Zhao Xingde fell into deep contemplation. The conversations that followed in the hall were barely audible to him, his mind was a jumble of thoughts. This feeling of weakness and powerlessness made Zhao Xingde yearn for control over his own destiny more than ever before, amidst the humiliation and fear.