Reader ID-563743675
Xu Jie, Li Chunfang, and Tan Lun arrived quickly.
To Li Chunfang, the imperial decree was somewhat unexpected, but it also made sense.
Since the Emperor had agreed to let Tan Lun oversee the canal transport military affairs, it meant he basically approved of Prince Yu's attitude towards Yan Song, and that he did not intend to pursue them relentlessly for the time being. Therefore, with Zhu Mo being an imperial envoy and being assassinated by people hired by Suo Zha, and with the Franks being so aggressive, Prince Yu had to have a clear, even very stern, attitude towards the matter to appease Zhu Mo. However, at the same time, he could not really escalate it, and this was the true intention of the imperial decree.
In advance, it was thought that the Emperor would completely side with Zhu Mo and relentlessly pursue Yan Song and his faction. But unexpectedly, considering the subtle attitude of the noble officials, the Emperor ultimately adhered to the imperial art of balance and let Yan Song off the hook.
Therefore, it can be assumed that:
This round of turmoil has temporarily passed, and the general attitude is to appease and resolve disputes.
For this reason,
As soon as they were seated, Li Chunfang got straight to the point:
"Your Highness, the Emperor has asked us to devise a proper plan. What is proper? That is what we must understand first... Well, this old minister believes that the imperial decree also provides a hint. The Emperor said in the decree that 'the Franks are a great country in the West' and that matters of state diplomacy must be handled with caution. This means that if we understand this, we can be proper."
Mm-hmm,
Tan Lun agreed wholeheartedly and said:
"Your Highness, your minister agrees with Grand Secretary Li's view. We can sternly reprimand the Franks and demand that they clarify all issues, but that is where it should end. There is no need for further drastic actions. This point must be made clear to Jiangnan."
He already had some understanding of Zhu Mo and knew that this young man would likely not let Suo Zha off easily and might cause some trouble.
Although Prince Yu agreed with their words, he felt something was not quite right, so he asked:
"Grand Secretary Xu, what do you think?"
Xu Jie was not so easily fooled. When the imperial decree was announced by the eunuch in the Grand Secretariat, he felt his hair stand on end. He was a man who understood the intricacies of affairs, and over the decades, he had thoroughly grasped the Emperor's temperament—
This Emperor never spoke ambiguously, nor did he ever consider the Franks to be so important and inviolable. As long as he suffered a loss, this Emperor would always retaliate tenfold. How could this Suo Zha, who had sent people to assassinate a reformist minister, be easily let off by the Emperor? It could be seen that the imperial decree was entirely in reverse! But why did he not say it clearly?
All the way, Xu Jie was trembling and racking his brains. It was not until Li Chunfang spoke his piece that he finally understood: the Emperor was testing Prince Yu...
At this thought,
He felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar!
Discussion group 563743675
What a terrifying Emperor!
To play such mind games with his only heir?
This showed his extreme dissatisfaction with Prince Yu's agreement to recommend Tan Lun; it also indicated that the Emperor was determined to achieve his reform goals no matter what!
Because Yan Song involved some noble officials, the Emperor temporarily had no other recourse, and thus reluctantly agreed to let Tan Lun oversee the canal transport military affairs. And then, with this imperial decree, it was asking Prince Yu, and him, Xu Jie, and Li Chunfang, to show their stance: were they siding with Yan Song, or siding with the Emperor?
Thinking of this,
He suddenly felt his head was about to explode. It was all his fault for believing that the Emperor did not have such great determination, and thus he had muddled through and agreed to Wu Peng's recommendation... Compared to Yan Song, he, the junior Grand Secretary, was indeed far behind...
After thinking for a while, he finally said in a hoarse voice:
"Your Highness, this old minister disagrees with Brother Shilu and Zili... This imperial decree is no small matter. We not only need to present a good plan, but Your Highness must also personally present it at the Yuxi Palace..."
Oh?
This?
Discussion group 563743675
The three of them immediately looked at each other.
Xu Jie sighed deeply and said:
"Please Your Highness immediately report to the Emperor that the Franks should be thoroughly expelled! That Suo Zha, if he can be apprehended, should be apprehended... Zili, please exert yourself and write it now."
This?
Why was Xu Jie so intense?
In the impression of the three, this old man was always gentle and amiable, how could he suddenly go berserk?
Prince Yu was very dismissive, thinking—
If this were truly done, wouldn't that offend Yan Song? The Princess Consort's words were very reasonable. To ascend the throne in the future, he would need the support of all officials and gentry. Doing this would put him in the same position as Zhu Mo! If he completely sided with Zhu Mo, wouldn't that offend all the officials, gentry, and noble officials in the world?
Moreover, it was still unclear whether Zhu Mo was truly the heir apparent of the Prince. If he were, and the Emperor were to give the throne to him, wouldn't that be terrible? And even if the Emperor gave him the throne, as long as all officials and gentry supported him, he could still defeat him...
Thinking of this,
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Prince Yu said firmly: "Grand Secretary Xu, this Prince believes that this is too extreme and not the way of diplomacy... Even if that Zhu Mo was assassinated, and even if Suo Zha instigated it, it must be resolved according to diplomatic etiquette. There is no need to talk about apprehension..."
Alas...
This?
This...
Xu Jie was instantly choked.
He knew that,
Xu Jie himself did not pursue any achievements in his life; he only privately wished to be the Grand Secretary and serve as a proper prime minister. Every time he encountered storms, he never expressed his stance, nor did he ever choose a side. This way, he had managed to reach the present day smoothly.
This time, with a slight oversight, he was ensnared by Yan Song. To put it simply, Yan Song was more skilled and had precisely grasped Prince Yu's thoughts and the Emperor's pulse. But in doing so, he, Xu Jie, was in a dilemma. If he reported to the Emperor, he would be alienated from Prince Yu. If he ignored it, he would be completely tied to Prince Yu, indirectly siding with Yan Song, and thus standing against the reform...
But he was, after all, the most tactful person. Seeing Prince Yu's firm stance, he had already understood the general situation: Prince Yu did not want reforms, but wanted to consistently stand with the officials and gentry...
Of course,
It was also understandable. After all, Zhu Mo's reforms were too radical, no different from Shang Yang and Wu Qi. Even if they were effective for a time, after Prince Yu ascended the throne, they could no longer continue...
Thinking of this,
He decided to compromise, so that the Emperor would understand his good intentions without offending Yan Song. He heaved a sigh of relief and slowly said:
"Your Highness, what you say also has merit... Since that is the case, this old minister thinks it would be best to do this—we send a letter of state to all countries, asking that Suo Zha personally come to the capital to explain to the court what he has been doing all these years? What is the matter with those Frankish pirates? And so on... The letter of state must clearly state that if Suo Zha cannot explain clearly, our Great Ming has the right to have the vassal state of Ryukyu expel Suo Zha from the territory within a specified period..."
Mm-hmm,
All three nodded, feeling that this was the most appropriate. It showed the importance they attached to the assassination of the imperial envoy while also taking everyone's feelings into consideration. If Suo Zha could indeed explain clearly and provide a reasonable explanation for all parties, then the siege of Zhoushan would naturally be lifted, and everyone would be able to save face.
This was indeed a compromise.