At this thought,
Xu Jie became afraid, and exceedingly so.
For it must be known,
He was a Grand Scholar of the Wenyuan Cabinet, having read the Twenty-Four Histories! Since antiquity, when a monarch treated his subjects in such a manner, that subject would often meet a fate worse than a pig, even if they were the Crown Prince! How did Emperor Wu of Han treat Crown Prince Liu Ju?
Moreover,
For the Emperor to act this way was tantamount to treating his officials as enemies. To treat him, Xu Jie, and Li Chunfang, as enemies, and to treat his only son with the same approach…
What was this approach?
It was to alarm the snake, to lure the snake out of its hole…
The Emperor deliberately stating, "The Franks are a great Western nation, with powerful ships and cannons, not to be underestimated. Moreover, matters of state are of great importance," was a deception! Recalling that time, he, Xu Jie, had at least held his ground, and the cabinet's decree had expressed a reluctant compromise. He felt a surge of relief at this moment… otherwise, it would be impossible to explain himself now…
He had a strong intuition—
The Emperor was about to make a move!
He took a deep breath and slowly said, "Your Highness, Brother Shilu, Zili, let us in the Cabinet not express our opinion on this matter for now… let's wait a bit longer…"
Wait?
The three could not understand, what was there to wait for?
Li Chunfang had not anticipated the Emperor's tactic of "alarming the snake, luring the snake out of its hole" last time and had taken his words at face value. However, he knew Xu Jie deeply and had rarely seen him exhibit such panic. His heart immediately grew solemn—
Even if waiting for the Emperor's will, it wouldn't be like this?
Could it be…?
He, too, was a highly intelligent civil official. Seeing Prince Yu's ambitious demeanor, and recalling Prince Yu's triumphant air after successfully protecting Yan Song's faction, which suggested he believed the world was in his grasp, Li Chunfang immediately felt a sense of foreboding—
Could it be,
That when the Emperor had previously told them to "devise a proper plan to pacify the people," there was indeed a hidden agenda? Was it meant for them to understand the Emperor's feelings? Then why not have an eunuch convey it…
The more he thought, the more confused he became, and finally, his back broke out in a sweat—
"It's over, it's over…"
"I, Li Chunfang, cautious my entire life, have still stumbled…"
Thinking of this,
He couldn't help but say,
"Yes! What Shao Hu said is right. Your Highness, you absolutely must not refuse this matter rashly… I think we should wait a bit longer…"
Prince Yu, seeing that both old drivers looked strange, asked curiously,
"Eh? Masters, this state letter has issues from the start. A vassal state presenting it directly, and the meaning not being clear, how can the Cabinet handle it? Even if not refusing, we must make them clarify their words. Otherwise, if something is implicated, we won't be able to clear ourselves…"
Xu Jie and Li Chunfang looked at his still proud expression and sighed deeply in their hearts—
This Prince is also pitiful. To have such a suspicious and cunning father, he is still in the dark at this point…
The atmosphere in the hall became very delicate,
And also very mysterious.
And precisely at this moment, the eunuch delivering the imperial decree arrived—
"Xu Jie, receive the imperial edict…"
Xu Jie was surprised that only he was summoned. He immediately knelt.
"The decree states:
Korea is considered a vital vassal state by the Grand Ancestor. The vassal ruler, Li Xian, is respectful and virtuous, and has repeatedly mentioned the decay of his court music, wishing to obtain a set of Yongle court music. His Majesty, valuing the vassal ruler's loyalty, is greatly pleased. Hearing that a Korean envoy is in the capital, it is hereby ordered that the Cabinet select a set of court music as a reward, and bestow upon the envoy the honor of an audience with His Majesty in the Yuxigong Palace. Respect this decree."
Hiss!
Hiss!
Xu Jie's scalp went numb—
The Emperor had indeed made his move!
Directly supporting Zhu Mo!
First, saying that the Franks were a great nation and caution was needed, and now agreeing to Korea's request for troops…
With such a sudden reversal,
We have become treacherous officials…
His legs felt a little weak. He struggled to get up and sat in the grand tutor's chair, feeling as if he was about to collapse. After taking several deep breaths, he calmed himself. He closed his eyes, contemplating what to do next.
Li Chunfang,
His face was also covered in sweat, and a single thought kept circling in his mind—
This Emperor is truly ruthless. This reversal is soul-piercing and lung-cutting!
Today, I truly understand that serving a ruler is like accompanying a tiger…
Prince Yu's face was also ashen.
Even if he was foolish, he now understood the Emperor's intentions—
Last time, he was given an opportunity to understand the Emperor's thoughts… But why didn't the Emperor speak plainly? Why did he have to say the opposite? If he was unhappy that I shielded Yan Song's people, he could have had someone say it! Why treat his own son this way? Am I truly so lacking in virtue?
Waves of weakness and fear surged through him. He suddenly felt dizzy and cursed inwardly: That foolish and wicked woman misled me! How could I be so stupid? I didn't understand the Emperor's mind? But the Emperor, he, the Emperor, he… alas…
Tan Lun, at this moment, was naturally extremely embarrassed—
If the Emperor uses cunning schemes against his officials, how can the officials survive? I, the Commander of the Grand Canal Military Affairs, have now become the most idiotic position in the land… Elder Xu warned His Highness that day, but why didn't His Highness awaken? And Elder Xu, why didn't he explain things clearly? He always speaks in riddles, who can guess?
The hall was unusually quiet. All four men had ashen faces. The atmosphere, amidst the mystery, exuded a strong sense of unease. The oppressive feeling made their hearts shatter!
After an unknown period of time,
Xu Jie had recovered—
The Emperor only mentioned my name this time, which is a good thing… It means the Emperor knows that I was considerate of his imperial will last time, and he is aware of my predicament…
Since this is the case, there is still room for salvage. After all, Prince Yu is the Emperor's only son, and he will be the successor. Even if it is a heart-piercing admonishment, it is ultimately a warning and not a capital offense… Alas, Yan Song, Yan Song, your wickedness almost caused Prince Yu's death!
Thinking of this,
Xu Jie's breathing eased slightly, and he said solemnly,
"Your Highness, let us not be too alarmed… Even if we misunderstand the Emperor's imperial will, it is a common occurrence. All great and heroic rulers are like this! This old minister believes there is still room for salvage…"
Oh?
The three looked at him, thinking that what he said was not wrong. The Emperor deliberately tested his officials, which was indeed true, but did the Emperor not severely reprimand them?
Xu Jie cleared his throat and continued,
"Your Highness, the Emperor's decree is very clear and expresses no blame! The decree shows great favor to the King of Korea, so we can start from here… This old minister believes that Your Highness should personally visit the Directorate of Official Hospitality and meet the envoy. Speak kindly and comfort him, talk more, express the Emperor's care for his vassal state, and inquire about Korea's situation…"
Mhm, mhm, mhm,
The three nodded simultaneously.
But Prince Yu thought for a moment, then said,
"Elder Xu, if I go like this, wouldn't it lack a proper reason?"
Xu Jie nodded and smiled gently,
"Your Highness, the Emperor mentioned the matter of court music. Your Highness can talk about other things… For instance, for instance, the 'Huidian.' It has been compiled for several years, and it mentions the Li Dynasty of Korea, but the ancestral origins are unclear… Hmm, Your Highness can go and inquire about this matter of ancestral origins and lineage."
Good!
Excellent!
All three revealed expressions of joy: Fortunately, we still have Elder Xu…