Chapter 007: The Raccoon Prince Swaps Places
Watching Gao Gong turn and leave, Zhu Yijun once again felt the immense sense of oppression brought by Gao Gong. This feeling was so intense that it nearly rendered one breathless. The last two young emperors of the Three Kingdoms likely experienced this same sensation when facing Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao.
Feng Bao, while listening, showed an unprecedented astonishment on his face. However, there was no time for him to be astonished, so he hurriedly pulled Zhang Juzheng along, whispering as they walked: "Grand Tutor, I will escort you through the back door"
This Feng Bao, who was included in the will alongside the Grand Minister of Instruction, is unexpectedly a peerless master
Casting a stone to ask for directions
The "intermediary" slowly stepped out of the shadows, wanting to see clearly which direction the official sedan chair was heading. Just at that moment, a yellow and white sedan chair had unexpectedly arrived behind him. Before he had any time to react, a person suddenly emerged from the sedan chair, quickly covered his mouth, and forcibly pulled him inside the chair
Gao Gong, upon hearing these words, chuckled with satisfaction, and unexpectedly accepted this praise without a single humble remark: "I shall dedicate myself wholeheartedly to the Ming dynasty and the Emperor's legacy, sparing no effort!"
The wide robe billowed in the swift wind, resembling a giant flying bat as it soared over the corridors, gardens, and side halls. Before one could even blink, Feng Bao clasped his hands and had already arrived before the Crown Prince's palace, astonishingly without a flush of his face or a breath of exertion.
The sedan curtain quickly closed, and the sedan moved away silently
In the brief span of time it takes to burn half a stick of incense, the atmosphere is tense and filled with urgency, each step fraught with anxiety
Zhu Yijun rolled his eyes; this was not the time to speak reproachfully, and he should resolve the immediate issue as quickly as possible. In that moment of urgency, he suddenly thought of a good idea, tugged at Feng Bao's sleeve, and pointed behind him.
The Cat and the Prince
If there truly are "intermediaries" here, then it is the dereliction of duty by Feng Bao and the library
Dressing Zhang Juzheng in eunuch attire was intended to enable him to swiftly escape and completely evade the surveillance of his opponents
If it were a strong and powerful emperor in his prime, the ministers would absolutely not dare to cast sidelong glances at this moment. He is merely bullying us, the orphans and widows! Zhu Yijun could feel the hand of his mother, gently resting behind him, trembling slightly, surely agitated by that old man with the high arch.
Zhu Yijun, Consort Li, and Feng Bao almost simultaneously noticed this small gesture of Gao Gong
Feng Bao had excellent eyesight; even from a hundred zhang away from the back door, he spotted the two sedan chairs, a subtle smile appearing on his face.
After they left for a short while, a red and black official sedan chair quickly arrived and stopped in front of the back door
Zhu Yijun turned slightly and glanced back; Feng Bao and Zhang Juzheng had long since walked away
Lure the snake out of its hole
It was quite strange where Feng Bao had gone; it turned out he was personally arranging for fresh lychees. Gao Gong then felt somewhat relieved, smiling as he took the plate from Feng Bao's hands and placed it in front of the young emperor: "Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager should please go first! Chief Steward Feng, you even personally urged your subordinates to wash the lychees!" While laughing as he spoke to Feng Bao, he also cast a sidelong glance behind the screen.
The young master is not very clear about this, but both Consort Li and Feng Bao are well aware. In the present Ming Dynasty, the two most important figures are Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng. Although they appear to be on good terms, they have long since developed a deep-seated animosity.
Two people got into two sedan chairs, one in front and the other behind. Zhang Juzheng quietly said in the chair, "Go to Empress Chen's place, Kun Ning Palace!" The sedan chair quickly set off.
In front of the screen, Zhu Yijun and Consort Li had just offered a seat to Gao Gong and were engaged in polite conversation. Consort Li loudly instructed, "Serve the tea and bring the fruits!"
But Gao Gong was still unaware that his first "disciple" was now wailing in the torture chamber of the Eastern Depot, piercing through the heart!
Gao Gong laughed heartily and said: "Alright, alright! However, please invite the Crown Prince and Li Hou to come first! Hahaha!"
As he watched the sedan chair move away, this deeply concealed "spy" slowly emerged from the shadows. However, he never anticipated that while he was fixated on the sedan chair, several pairs of eyes had already set their sights on him.
At this moment, Gao Gong stepped over the threshold with one foot, strutting towards the young master like a proud rooster, exuding an air of grandeur.
As expected by Zhu Yijun, the person playing the role of Zhang Juzheng had just set off in the official sedan chair when a pair of eyes hidden in the shadows nearby began to observe the sedan chair.
He quickly understood that Feng Bao intended to use a substitution trick, so he smiled generously, took two steps forward, approached the table, and pointed at the eunuch's attire: "Chief Feng, you are being too polite! How could I possibly offend? Come, come, Brother Sanbao, please indulge me!"
This meal of lychees was quite awkward, as Gao Gong spoke about some details regarding the reign titles and ascension while eating. There was nothing new to discuss; the earlier conspiracy in the secret chamber had already been made very clear.
Urgent!
This old thing! Is it trying to court disaster
It was these three brief phrases, combined with Feng Bao's exceptional execution ability, that within less than a quarter of an hour led to the emergence of this extremely dangerous "spy"
Upon thinking of this, he immediately turned around, taking three steps at once, as if running, yet also as if flying
Feng Bao was greatly startled by the young master's gaze. After passing the screen, his entire outfit was soaked through. Fortunately, the young master did not pursue the matter further, which somewhat eased his mind, yet he still felt a lingering sense of dread.
To feign ignorance is, in fact, more challenging than being rational or domineering. Moreover, since one is pretending, one might as well commit to the act completely
But flowers do not bloom for a hundred days, and people do not remain in good fortune for a hundred days either. Gao Gong, having transformed from a cautious newcomer into a seasoned veteran, found his conflicts with Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng, his mentor and disciple, deepening. He eventually managed to push Xu Jie out, forcing him to return to his hometown to retire, and ascended to the position of Chief Minister, while Zhang Juzheng held the position of Deputy Minister. The rivalry for the first and second positions has never ceased.
The upcoming matters must not be mishandled again. Just now, the young master specifically instructed that those few words were each a gem, every sentence critical, leaving no room for ambiguity. Thus, he made a firm decision and summoned a young eunuch, whispering a few words to him, after which the young eunuch quickly ran off
In just a short period, two large palanquins in white and yellow were parked outside the back gate of the Eastern Palace
Slow down! It seems that the young master has come up with an even better solution. He gently called Feng Bao and whispered a few words in his ear
The two were originally very close. Zhang Juzheng's teacher, Xu Jie, had even recommended Gao Gong, introducing him to the position of Minister of Rites and concurrently as a Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, thus entering the cabinet
At that moment, Feng Bao had already arrived behind the screen, smoothly taking the plate from the hand of the palace maid delivering the fruit. He then poked his head out from beside the screen and said: "My lord! The Prime Minister! Please enjoy the lychees that have just come in this year!"
After exchanging a few more words, Gao Gong was already overjoyed, feeling a great sense of satisfaction within. The troublesome matter of blocking Zhang Juzheng had long been forgotten, and he stood up to bid farewell to the Young Master and Concubine Li.
Feng Baoxian bowed and spoke quickly: "Sir, I beg your pardon"
Feng Bao stood beside the back door, clearly witnessing this scene. It was quite good; in just a short while, he successfully captured the "spy"! Today, for some unknown reason, the young master had a sudden whim and devised such a clever scheme of "the cat swapping the prince". It was truly incredible
The Director of the Eastern Depot and the Chief of the Imperial Guard was eager to personally interrogate this audacious "spy". However, time was of the essence; if he delayed any longer, Gao Gong would notice the discrepancies. He needed to swiftly return to report to Zhu Yijun.
Indeed, Consort Li is knowledgeable about propriety and decorum, exhibiting a grand demeanor: "We, the young and inexperienced, are aware that the Prime Minister is well-versed in etiquette and procedures. We appreciate the Prime Minister's efforts! Please take charge of the arrangements on our behalf; we will follow the Prime Minister's lead in all matters!"
Finding someone to impersonate him is intended to divert the attention of the opponent's informant, and even to draw him out in order to capture him in one fell swoop
As they approached the back door, Zhang Juzheng was just about to step outside when Feng Bao suddenly grabbed him and pulled him aside, leading him to the door room on the right. The two entered and quickly closed the door behind them
The official attire of the eunuch from the Eastern Depot was quite tight, causing him to break out in a cold sweat
Wang Sanbao quickly helped Zhang Juzheng put on the eunuch's wingless hat and wear the yellow and white eunuch robe, then used his body to shield Zhang Juzheng and hurriedly walked out.
On the way here, Gao Gong received a secret report that after Zhang Juzheng left the Qianqing Palace, he did not return to his residence but headed directly towards the imperial palace, likely intending to take credit before the young emperor. He then decided to intercept Zhang Juzheng on horseback; after so many years as a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, he had not been idle, as he had his own network of spies both inside and outside the palace.
The young master almost shouted out at the same time as Concubine Li
Feng Bao, being an astute individual, quickly understood the young master's intention; he wanted him to take Zhang Juzheng out through the back door. Thus, he hurriedly pulled Zhang Juzheng and made his way behind the screen.
Zhu Yijun kept blinking his eyes, and he absorbed every word spoken by Gao Gonglao. However, he could not show any wisdom or dominance in front of Gao Gong. The best approach was to feign ignorance, so he deliberately appeared distracted and lost in thought.
After taking several steps, Feng Bao turned back and exchanged a glance with the young master and Concubine Li.
At this moment, the tall figure who had just been in the gatehouse had already changed into official attire, impersonating Zhang Juzheng. He walked at a leisurely pace, exited the main gate, lifted the curtain of the sedan chair, and got in to depart
Feng Bao chuckled and said: "The late emperor was wise! We must resolutely prevent 'A rider in red dust, the consort smiles, no one knows the lychee has arrived' from becoming a reality. Therefore, the lychees of our dynasty are only transported by ordinary horse-drawn carts! From Lingnan to Beijing, we pick them when they are just about to ripen, then cover them with ice and transport them by cart. You see, the timing of this harvest has been quite good; when they arrive in the capital, the color of the shell is just right. This is the earliest ripening variety in May; would the Chief Minister like to try one first?" You see, the timing of this harvest has been quite good; when they arrive in the capital, the color of the shell is just right. This is the earliest ripening variety in May; would the Chief Minister like to try one first?
These are the three brief words that Zhu Yijun just whispered to Feng Bao's ear
It seems that Gao Gong has indeed come to confront Zhang Juzheng
He subconsciously glanced at Feng Bao, and that single glance made Feng Bao extremely anxious. The shadow of the assassination in the East Palace at noon had not yet dissipated, and now the "spy" incident had arisen. If either matter were to be thoroughly investigated, it would be difficult for him to escape involvement.
The young eunuch ran swiftly, exiting through the back door of the Eastern Palace. In a flash, he darted into a nearby alley and, with a flick of his hand, surprisingly shot a concealed arrow into the air
Feng Bao could not understand how the young master came up with these three extraordinary strategies. Little did he know that Zhu Yijun had recently developed a passion for "The Art of War" and "The Thirty-Six Stratagems," to the extent that he wished to hold them close while eating and sleeping.
Zhang Juzheng did not understand the meaning of this and simply said, "How could I have offended anyone?" However, he soon noticed that there were already two people in the room: one was Wang Sanbao, the deputy supervisor of the Eastern Factory, and the other was a tall stranger he did not recognize. On the nearby table, there was a set of eunuch attire and another set of official robes.
At the moment he shouted, Zhu Yijun felt a twinge of regret; these people still considered him somewhat immature, including his mother. Therefore, he should strive to present himself with greater composure in the future. As the saying goes, one should be steady when young and bold when older; this is the essence of the matter.
"As long as Qingfu is alive, the troubles of Lu will never cease!" He cursed Gao Gong in his heart a thousand times: "You, you turtle egg, one day I will deal with you mercilessly, leaving you unable to turn over!"