Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 4817 Threats and Intimidation
Liu Li frowned. He couldn't stand Fang Jun's arrogance, and even more so Zhang Liang's spinelessness...

"Why is Duke Yue so aggressive? Duke Yun is in dire straits in the Right Jinwu Guards, and everyone knows the reason. Now that they have retreated and are looking for other ways, you are still pestering them. Isn't that too much?"

"Excessive?"

Fang Jun snorted and said, "If you say it's too much, I have to argue with you. It was you who urged His Majesty to appoint the Governor-General of Luzon, right? The Governor-General of a place has the power to control and command the army, but you, a civilian official, have your hands in the military field. Are there any rules?"

Liu Li looked ugly. He was the Minister of the Central Secretariat and the Prime Minister of a country, but he was scolded for being "unruly". It was a great shame. However, if the person who scolded him was Fang Jun, he was indeed qualified, because there was a fierce struggle between the civil and military officials in the court, but both sides had limited the struggle within a certain scope and did not want the situation to escalate. The most obvious sign was that the civil and military sides did not interfere with each other. They could criticize and impeach each other, but could not interfere with each other's personnel appointments. This was approved by His Majesty.

So strictly speaking, Liu Li did break some "rules".

He could only shirk responsibility: "This is your Majesty's appointment, what does it have to do with me? I am not so arrogant as to accuse your Majesty of employing the wrong people in person like you do."

Fang Jun was a little surprised. The news spread so quickly. He hadn't even left the palace yet, but Liu Li, who was standing outside the palace gate, had already known what had just happened in the imperial study...

He turned around and glanced at the faces of several eunuchs standing near the palace gate. The eunuchs said nothing, but their lowered heads and slightly trembling bodies spoke volumes.

Fortunately, Fang Jun did not intend to argue with them. The palace is where all the power in the world is located. It is always the core where various forces gather and compete. If this group of people is eliminated, another group will join in within two days. Where there is power and profit, people will come one after another and it will never stop.

Fang Jun sneered and said, "So, I have wrongly blamed the Minister of the Central Secretariat?"

Liu Li's heart skipped a beat when he was touched by his smile, and he subconsciously felt a sense of crisis. He said to himself, "It's not wrong. I should be more careful about my words and actions in the future, and always put Your Majesty in a high position without any disrespect."

"Haha, well said, you are worthy of being the Minister of the Secretariat," Fang Jun nodded with a smile, but suddenly said, "I hope that when I ask His Majesty for permission to arrange a few of my men to study with you in the Secretariat, you will also put His Majesty's orders in the supreme position and do not disobey His Majesty, otherwise I will smash your Secretariat office."

Liu Li was shocked, and then he understood why Fang Jun smiled so sinisterly. He was going to place spies in the Secretariat! Fang Jun was famous for his ability to "judge people". All those recommended by him were outstanding and capable. Wang Xuance, who came from a humble background, could make Zhang Liang lose face. If he really picked a few smart people and asked His Majesty to transfer them to the Secretariat, His Majesty would definitely not refuse.

Was he going to repeat Zhang Liang's mistakes, with his every word and action being watched by people in the Secretariat, with people opposing every decision, and the slightest mistake being magnified and condemned?

Just thinking about the days Zhang Liang had suffered in the Right Jinwu Guard, Liu Li shuddered subconsciously, no...

However, Fang Jun's meaning was very clear. Since you have broken the rules by inserting your hands into the navy and trying to seize the navy's military power, don't blame me for following your example and dealing with you from within the Secretariat.

Liu Li now really wanted Zhang Liang to stand up and say a few words to "stand up for justice" to attract Fang Jun's attention, but out of the corner of his eye he noticed that Zhang Liang was standing aside with his head down, not saying a word, as if he was staying out of the matter... He couldn't help but grit his teeth in hatred.

Liu Li was indeed in the wrong in this matter, and once Fang Jun advised His Majesty to arrange people to the Secretariat, His Majesty would most likely agree, because His Majesty has been having a lot of fun playing the "art of balance" recently, and everything must be balanced. Since he had placed Zhang Liang in Luzon to balance Fang Jun's influence in the navy, Fang Jun could naturally get a few people into the Secretariat to balance his authority as the Minister of the Secretariat.

Everyone was fighting and arguing, and no one could do anything about it. So they could only ask His Majesty to "administer justice." As a result, His Majesty's imperial power skyrocketed, and he reaped the benefits...

Taking a deep breath, Liu Li could only give in. "If there are any sons or nephews in the family of Duke Yue who are entering the government, you may as well send them to the Secretariat and I will take care of them. We are all colleagues in the government, so we should take care of each other... As for the matter of Duke Yun, I can only say that there are many reasons behind it and I have no choice but to do so. But please rest assured, Duke Yue, this will not happen again."

The words were spoken very beautifully and the attitude was very sincere. The step was ready for Fang Jun, it just depended on whether Fang Jun could come down or not.

Fang Jun naturally stepped down. The military and political parties could compete and fight, but they had to fight without breaking up. They could not tear their faces openly and damage the authority of the court.

He took two steps forward and held Liu Li's hand, looking very sympathetic: "Some small misunderstandings are not a big deal as long as they are explained. Since the Minister of the Central Secretariat has said so, I will also express my attitude. If any of my relatives want to join the army for training, you can tell me directly. Whether it is the Left and Right Jinwu Guards, the Anxi Army, or even the Navy, they all open their doors to the Minister of the Central Secretariat. I, Fang Yiai, am famous for my righteousness, and I will definitely treat your relatives well! But they have to be talented people who are worth training. Don't waste your time on people like Duke Yun who just eat and wait to die."

Liu Li's mouth twitched, he was not used to Fang Jun's attitude, he could only nod: "I will remember this, I will trouble Duke Yue in the future."

Zhang Liang was almost mad at being mocked in person as a "living idler waiting to die", but he didn't dare to say anything.

He didn't say anything, but Fang Jun didn't let him go. He sneered and said, "The sea is full of waves and winds, and ships may capsize at any time. Luzon is an uncivilized land with snakes and insects rampant and miasma everywhere. Duke Yun should take good care of himself at his age. Otherwise, if something goes wrong and he has to be buried in a foreign land, hundreds of adopted sons will not be able to find his grave even if they want to burn a few pieces of paper. That's really sad and lamentable."

Zhang Liang's face turned from red to blue with anger. This guy actually threatened and intimidated him in front of him. Is there any law? Are there any rules in the officialdom?
Finally, he could no longer hold back his pride and replied coldly, "A real man dies on the battlefield. If he really dies in Luzon, it is his fate. I have no regrets!"

Fang Jun looked at him with deep eyes, and a strange smile appeared on his face: "Duke Yun is indeed a good man. I admire him very much. To show my respect, I will send a few boats to protect you and send you off when you go out to sea."

After saying that, he walked away.

Zhang Liang looked at Fang Jun's back, his lips trembling with anger, but more of it was fear, especially the words "I'll give you a ride" that made him feel an inexplicable chill in his heart...

"Minister of the Central Secretariat, this fellow wouldn't really dare to do anything reckless, would he?"

Generally speaking, at their level, no one would resort to despicable means such as assassination and poisoning, but Zhang Liang had little confidence in Fang Jun. This guy was a fool. He was gentle and generous when he was flattered, and almost no old friends who came to him for help returned empty-handed. But when it came to picking on others, he was ruthless and unscrupulous.

The real cause of death of Qiu Shenji and Zhang Sundan remains a mystery until now...

Liu Li rubbed his temples and felt a headache. He now really regretted accepting Zhang Liang's surrender, and even more regretted seeking the positions of General of the Right Jinwu Guard and Governor-General of Luzon for him. Although this man was known as "the only remaining meritorious minister of Zhenguan in the court", neither his talent nor his courage were worthy of the title of "meritorious minister of Zhenguan"?
It is simply a "shame for the nobles"...

However, since things have come to this, he still comforted her, "He is just talking. If a Duke and the Governor of Luzon were to die suddenly in an accident, he would definitely be responsible. So he is more afraid than anyone else that you would really suffer an accident."

This just sounds nice, he himself doesn't believe it.

If he really killed Zhang Liang and threw a small soldier to take the blame, could Your Majesty still ask him to pay for Zhang Liang's life?

Zhang Liang didn't believe it. He swallowed his saliva and regretted seeking the position of Governor-General of Luzon.

I thought it was a ladder to get close to His Majesty and serve His Majesty, but now it seems that if I’m not careful, it will become a rope to my life...

……

"Your Majesty, I, Liu Li (Zhang Liang), come to see you."

"No need to be polite, just stand up and sit down to talk."

Li Chengqian returned to the imperial study to meet the two of them. After the greetings, he very kindly invited them to take a seat.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The two of them knelt respectfully opposite Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian looked at the two men's expressions and asked curiously, "Did you run into Duke Yue at the palace gate just now? Did you talk? What did you talk about?"

Liu Li's mouth twitched, and he said, "Duke Yue and Duke Yun had a colleague relationship in previous years. This time Duke Yun is about to go to Luzon, and Duke Yue is worried about his safety, so he passed on some tips for survival overseas to Duke Yun, such as staying away from snakes and insects, staying away from miasma, and being careful of hurricanes and waves when sailing on the sea, so as not to die from snake bites, die from miasma, die in the belly of fish, and... "

"Alright, that's enough. That sounds pretty creepy."

Li Chengqian looked strange. This was not teaching survival skills at all, it was clearly a naked threat...

Ignoring Liu Li's complaint to Fang Jun, he looked at Zhang Liang, whose face was even uglier, and felt a little sorry for him. He comforted him, "Don't be afraid, my dear. You are going to Luzon to do something for me. No matter how lawless the Duke of Yue is, he will not harm you. You don't have to worry about your safety."

Zhang Liang was speechless, not knowing what to say. He thought to himself, listen to what you said, it seems like you don't have much confidence in that mallet...

"Although Luzon is a barbarian land, it has fertile soil, warm climate and rich mineral resources. You should settle down and manage the people's livelihood, develop agriculture and commerce, and transform it into a place suitable for survival. If it can become a vassal of the empire in the future, you will have made an indelible contribution."