xymnovel Chapter 110: Why are you hesitating?
Chapter 110: Why are you hesitating?
Li Deyu's feelings were somewhat complicated at this moment.
Although only a short time had passed, it was enough for him to make a clear assessment of the current situation.
He had known all along that the Niu Party had been plotting something for some time now.
However, based on their usual modus operandi, Li Deyu subconsciously felt that these people would focus on how to obstruct the implementation of the Shence reform policy.
Especially after the Du Cong incident, although he vaguely guessed that Du Cong might have acted on his own initiative, he also felt that this might be the Niu Party's initial probing, in order to lay the groundwork for more meticulous steps to follow.
For this reason, he has devoted all his energy to the reform of the Shence system, paying attention to almost everything, big or small, for fear of overlooking something and giving the Niu Party a chance to take advantage of him.
But to everyone's surprise, the other party changed its usual approach this time. Instead of just thinking about going against him, it proposed an even more radical measure.
What surprised him even more was that the other party not only secretly reached an agreement with Yang Qinyi and others, but even Wang Ya, a minister who was always conservative and had previously advised him to be cautious, was also pulled in by them.
While lamenting his miscalculation, Li Deyu did not hesitate for long.
It's obvious that the other side has planned this carefully and is well-prepared. If he were to object in a moment of haste, he might just fall into their trap.
"Your Majesty, I believe this matter is of great importance and should not be decided hastily. I request that after the morning court session, an audience be held in the Yan Ying Hall to discuss this matter in detail."
Li Deyu neither expressed his approval nor his opposition, but instead delayed the issue.
After all, what he needs most right now is time.
He needed time to find out why Wang Ya and others had joined forces with Linghu Chu, and he also needed time to discuss the matter with his ministers.
Therefore, dragging it out is the most appropriate course of action.
However, not expressing one's own opinion in such situations often means abstaining from voting.
With Wang Ya and other ministers already expressing their support, Li Deyu's lack of opposition meant they had already achieved 70% success.
As expected, Li Ang nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
"In that case, after the morning court session, I will summon the Emperor to discuss this matter in detail. As for the specific personnel involved... I will send someone to convey the decree after the court session."
As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of the ministers below changed slightly.
Normally, the Yan Ying Zhao Dui (a type of court hearing) involves the prime minister. Now that the Shence Military Governor's Office has been established, the function of the Yan Ying Zhao Dui has been expanded to include a dialogue between the two parties on confidential matters. However, the participants are still limited to the prime minister and the Shence Military Governor.
In other words, the emperor specifically said that he would issue an edict to summon specific individuals, implying that other ministers would also be involved in this audience with the emperor.
With the two major events concluded, the morning court session should now be coming to an end.
Although the upcoming Yan Ying Conference has been confirmed, it won't be a continuous event, since both the emperor and his ministers usually arrive on an empty stomach before the morning court session.
Therefore, time must always be set aside for breakfast after court.
The Hall of State Affairs was not far from the palace gate, so under normal circumstances, the prime ministers would eat at the Secretariat-Chancellery.
Upon returning to the Hall of State Affairs, servants had already prepared breakfast. Li Deyu and Wang Ya sat down together in the corridor. Soon, Li Deyu asked a question.
"What exactly was the purpose of the Minister's actions in court today?"
Time was limited, so Li Deyu clearly had no intention of beating around the bush and went straight to the point.
At this moment, Wang Ya was holding chopsticks and sipping a bowl of millet porridge. When he heard Li Deyu's question, he slowly put down the bowl, picked up a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, and spoke in a calm tone with a hint of displeasure.
"It's just a routine report; what's wrong with it, Wenrao?"
"I wouldn't dare..." Li Deyu realized that his tone might have been a bit harsh, so he quickly composed himself and asked.
"Minister Sikong, it is certainly a good thing to investigate the military register. I just feel that such an important matter should be discussed in the Hall of State Affairs before you submit it to the emperor."
"The sudden joint petition in the hall caught the officials off guard. With the audience to be held later, I'm afraid there won't be any effective discussions under such circumstances."
Now, Li Deyu has to admit that Niu Dang's move was very clever.
The consolidation of power over the Shence Army was the general direction set by the Sage. So, in a sense, the last time Du Cong was punished, it wasn't that the Sage was on Li Deyu's side, but rather that Li Deyu just happened to be on the Sage's side.
However, the situation has changed. The reform of the Shence Army is to consolidate its power, while the review of military records is to boost its combat effectiveness.
The latter is clearly what the sage would like to see, so if Li Deyu opposes it at this time, then he will be standing on the opposite side of the sage.
Even so, he wouldn't end up like Du Cong, but his life would definitely not be easy.
But this is precisely the problem Li Deyu faces. If he tries to stop the investigation of military personnel, he will offend the emperor, and the consequence of offending the emperor will inevitably be the resurgence of the Niu faction.
But if he doesn't stop it, then if the investigation of military personnel is successfully implemented, this real achievement will fall into the hands of the Niu faction, and they will also be able to use it to make a comeback.
A single-minded person becoming blocked at both ends is...
Seemingly sensing Li Deyu's resentment, Wang Ya's gaze became scrutinizing as he spoke.
"Wenrao, do you still remember when you and Niu Sengru and others were demoted and sent away from the capital, the Emperor said something like, 'It is easy to get rid of the bandits in Hebei, but difficult to get rid of the factions in the court...'"
Li Deyu remained silent for a moment; he could roughly guess what Wang Ya was going to say.
"I remember you have said many times before that you are wholeheartedly devoted to the country and have no interest in factional strife. If that's the case, what harm is there in knowing about this beforehand? Investigating the military register is a great thing for the court. If it can be done properly, it can even promote the reform of the Shence Army."
"Why are you still hesitating about such a beneficial matter for the country and its people?"
Wang Ya's gaze was piercing, as if he could see right through Li Deyu.
His words were very clear: if Li Deyu truly put the country first in everything, as he had always said, then he shouldn't have interfered just because the investigation of military personnel was proposed by the Niu faction.
If he does this, he will be contradicting his previous stance and turning important political affairs back into a tool for factional struggle.
This questioning did indeed cause Li Deyu's mind to waver for a moment, but after all, he was a man who had been through many ups and downs in officialdom. Soon, his eyes became firm again, and he said.
"Minister Sikong, while investigating military records is indeed a matter of benefit to the country and its people, I fear that some are merely seeking personal gain. I myself have the well-being of the nation at heart, but others may not. If they were truly honest, why did you and Minister Linghu deliberately conceal this from me before submitting this memorial today?"