Chapter 505
King Donghai hadn't been to Cui Mansion for a long time. He walked all the way and felt that everything was so unfamiliar. He couldn't believe that he had lived here for more than ten years.
"Is this yard always this small?" Donghai King asked.
Cui Teng walked towards him and looked left and right in confusion, "It's always been like this...Why are you here? I didn't invite you."
"I'm here to talk to you about something. I'll talk about it alone." King Donghai looked at the two followers behind Cui Teng.
Cui Teng shook his head, "It's a business matter, I'll tell you in person, a private matter, I don't want to hear it."
The East Sea King smiled and said, "Your Majesty asked me to come."
Cui Teng didn't quite believe it, "Really?"
"No matter how bold I am, I would not dare to lie about this kind of thing."
Cui Teng still didn't want to invite the King of the East Sea into the room, waved his hand, and screened his followers, "Tell me."
Although it was early spring and the weather was still very cold, King Donghai tightened his robes and waited for a while. After confirming that there was no one around, he said, "Cui Er, you have done something stupid."
"Don't do this, are you trying to bluff me again?"
King Donghai walked up to Cui Teng and said sternly, "Remember, we used to play together when we were young?"
Cui Teng nodded hesitantly, "What did you bring him up for in the past?"
"Who would have thought at the time that the changes would be so great? The Cui family is still the Cui family, and I'm still the King of the East Sea, but we go our separate ways, as if even relatives can't do it."
Cui Teng couldn't help but sarcastically said: "That's because you are incompetent, the Cui family has ups and downs, and it can always rise again, but you are slumped. Of course, you have to go your own way. Will the Cui family still decline with you?"
"Of course not." The King of the East Sea didn't change his smile. "I'm doing fine now. I don't have any desires, I don't fight, I don't rob, and I live a steady life."
"If you have something to say, I don't have time to listen to your poetry."
The King of the East Sea laughed, and quickly put away his smile, "Your Majesty knows."
"what do you know?"
"I know that the Cui family is behind the scenes."
Cui Teng's face flushed, "Blood-spitting - I'm talking about you, not Your Majesty - the Cui family has nothing to do with sabotage."
"I asked, and they all said it was the Cui family's idea. They said that your Cui family swears that your Majesty will make concessions on this matter. If something goes wrong, the Cui family is willing to take responsibility."
"Who did you listen to? Find him to confront him." Cui Teng blushed even more.
The East Sea King was silent for a while, "You didn't discuss it with your uncle, did you make your own decisions?"
Cui Teng grabbed the collar of the East Sea King, his face was red and his ears were red, and his eyes were fierce, "Don't play tricks with me, and want to take revenge on the Cui family, you don't have the ability, let's go, let's go see Your Majesty together."
King Donghai didn't struggle. When Cui Teng let go, he straightened his clothes and said plainly, "You don't need to see your majesty, let's go see your uncle first. If he says this has nothing to do with the Cui family, I'll believe it."
"No need, let's go to see His Majesty, let's go now!" Cui Teng took the East Sea King and walked out.
"Your Majesty will issue an imperial decree tomorrow to replace a group of new officials."
Cui Teng stopped, "Your Majesty said it himself?"
"The imperial decree has been prepared, and it will be announced after the three-day vacation. All the fourth-rank officials of each department will be replaced and promoted from the fourth-rank officials. If the new officials continue to fall ill, they will be dismissed and re-elected until someone Willing to serve."
Cui Teng's face turned from red to white.
The King of the East Sea continued: "How many times can the officials be dismissed? I guess it is only once. There is another article in the imperial decree. This time, the dismissed officials will never be used."
"Your Majesty... Really won't give in?" Cui Teng murmured.
"Your Majesty does not need to make concessions. There are a group of officials who support His Majesty. The current official position is not high, and it is just a chance to be promoted. We all know those people in the DPRK. Once they are removed from office, and they will never be used, they will hate you to death. , when the time comes, you don't have to confront, the people who betray you will line up in a long queue."
Cui Teng's face became even paler, "They will hate me..."
King Donghai patted Cui Teng on the shoulder, "I understand what you're doing..."
Cui Teng shook off the East Sea King's hand and roared angrily, "Understood, you don't understand anything!"
The King of the East Sea sneered, "Don't I understand? You are now the only son of the Cui family, and one of the emperor's most trusted close officials. You have made great achievements many times. In the past, you were a genuine and powerful minister, even more so than when your uncle was in charge of the Southern Army. You want to be majestic. But that's not the case. Your Majesty trusts you, but doesn't pay attention to you. Every time His Majesty summons advisors to discuss important matters, you stand by the side, rarely interjecting a sentence, and occasionally only to make everyone laugh. In the eyes of outsiders Cui Er Gongzi, who is very favored, is actually just a jester."
The word "Jester" deeply hurt Cui Teng, his face turned red again, and he shouted, "That's better than you."
"Of course he's better than me. No matter how hard I try, I can't wash away the stains that I fought for the throne with Your Majesty. Even if Your Majesty already believes in me, he is still afraid of the people in the world and will not really reuse me. I have no hope, but you have , so you are not convinced, you have to find a way to prove your ability."
Cui Teng was full of fear and anger, and was still confused, "Why did Your Majesty want to find you? Just say a word to me, and I will be able to settle the situation overnight."
"I don't need a reward, but it's getting harder and harder to use you."
"I've even lost the title of marquis, what's the problem?" Cui Teng was furious, as if the emperor was right in front of him, and the words in his heart that had been suffocated for many days rushed out, "Life and death! How many people can do it? I will do it. It's here, and it was done when Your Majesty was in the most dangerous situation, what did you get in return?"
Cui Teng scolded fiercely, "The Cui family is the first to do everything. What did the Cui family do wrong? Is it because my sister didn't give birth to a prince? Is it because I'm not loyal enough? I'm not convinced!"
Cui Teng couldn't bear it any longer, swearing one after another, jumping and jumping, as if there was an enemy lying on the ground, and he had to step on the crumbs to vent the anger in his heart.
King Donghai understood Cui Teng's character and did not persuade him. He watched and listened quietly.
In the end, Cui Teng was tired and finally stopped, breathing heavily, the anger in his heart gradually disappeared, he began to panic, his face was pale, and he asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty asked you to come?"
East Sea King nodded.
"Your Majesty... what did you say?"
"Your Majesty didn't say anything, just let me talk to you."
Cui Teng was almost unsteady, but there was no place to sit in the courtyard. He took a deep breath, tried to stand still, and said blankly, "What are you talking about?"
"Well... Let's talk about how you did this. I'm a little surprised that so many officials listen to you."
"It's not all my words, mainly..." Cui Teng sighed, "And the Chai family and the Xiao family."
"I understand, the Chai family once supported His Majesty when they seized the throne, and the Xiao family had a Xiao Sheng who was martyred in front of the enemy, but as a result, they did not gain His Majesty's trust and reuse. People didn't benefit."
Cui Teng nodded, "They came to me and asked if I would like to send a message to them and ask His Majesty to make some concessions, I think...I think..."
"You want to keep your Majesty in the dark and know nothing, you might as well spread the word, so that you can show your status to outsiders and make a contribution."
Cui Teng hummed.
"Hey, Cui Er, Cui Er, you really... Uncle really didn't know about it?"
"Father didn't know, he obeyed his sister's suggestion and planned to retire for a while. He reminded me to stay by His Majesty's side and not to participate..." Cui Teng's heart was empty, "I'm so stupid to go against His Majesty. , Your Majesty must be pissed off."
Cui Teng was really stupid. King Donghai buried this sentence in his heart and said, "Think about what to do next."
"Your Majesty...will you forgive me?" Cui Teng asked expectantly.
"I don't know, but I think that since His Majesty didn't confront you directly, but sent me to talk to you, he probably wanted to give you a chance, and it's up to you to seize it."
"Catch, I will definitely catch it, but... King of the East Sea, you teach me what to do?"
"Will you listen to me?"
"Listen, I listen to everything you say, just like when I was a child."
The King of the East Sea snorted, "Your Majesty can replace some officials, but that means that the relationship between Your Majesty and the court will become more deadlocked. No need to replace anyone."
"I'll tell you, whoever dares not go to the yamen tomorrow morning, I'll go to the house and drag him out in person."
The King of the East Sea smiled, "Then you still plead guilty. If you sincerely plead guilty, you have to accept any punishment. Even if your majesty wants to chop off your head, you have to kowtow to thank you."
"I made a mistake, His Majesty wants to chop off my head?" Cui Teng covered his neck, a little reluctant to let go of this head.
"Look at your good fortune, don't guess what Your Majesty thinks, remember one thing, you deserve it."
"I... I... deserved what I deserved." Cui Teng bowed his head in despair, and his determination was gone.
"The rest is up to fate, Your Majesty decides everything."
"Do I really have a chance?"
"Your Majesty decides everything." The King of the East Sea handed his farewell and left the Cui Mansion.
He persuaded Cui Teng. In fact, Cui Teng also "convinced" him. As the emperor's only younger brother, the King of the East Sea, and the Great Sima of the Suwei Army, all he has is a bunch of false titles. No matter how hard he tries, he can't win it. With real power, Cui Teng still has a chance. Where is his chance?
The King of the East Sea jumped on the horse's back, sadness came from it, and when he was about to reach the palace, he adjusted his mood.
The emperor was still in Lingyun Pavilion and was talking to Kang Zijiao. No one else was present. King Donghai waited for a while before being summoned. He was a little jealous, smiled at Kang Zijiao, and saluted the emperor.
"How about it?"
The emperor didn't turn off the outsiders. The King of Donghai was slightly surprised and replied: "Everything went well, according to Cui Teng, he was bewitched by the Chai and Xiao families and spread the word for them. He also said that Mrs. Cui didn't know about it. ."
"So I don't need to replace officials?"
"It shouldn't be necessary. How does Your Majesty intend to punish Cui Teng?" The King of the East Sea asked cautiously.
"Send to the frontier for a few years." Han Ruzi paused and added, "Perhaps the Ugly King can teach him something."
The King of the East Sea was taken aback. The emperor had to use a Jianghu person to teach Cui Teng.
The emperor waved his hand, the East Sea King resigned, and before leaving, he smiled at Kang Zijiao again, wondering in his heart, how could a little consultant who does not even have a formal official position have any important things to occupy the emperor's time for so long?
The King of the East Sea exited the room, Kang Zijiao continued: "Your Majesty, like the officials of the Manchu Dynasty, does not really understand the suffering of the people, and thinks that he is doing good deeds, but in the end it hurts the people."