northernbook Chapter 147: Female Dominant Prodigal Son 30
Chapter 147: Female Dominant Prodigal Son 30
In the year when Lin Ruan's eldest daughter returned to her hometown to take the county and prefectural examinations, the mother of Prime Minister Feng Ruyue passed away, and Feng Ruyue observed a three-year period of mourning.
Before she went into mourning, she had recommended to the Emperor that the Deputy Minister Ren Wei be appointed to handle government affairs on her behalf. The Emperor approved, appointing Ren Wei as acting First Minister. However, the Emperor also played a role in this, using Feng Ruyue's influence. On the grounds that the court could not have only two cabinet ministers, the Emperor promoted Qin Xifeng, the Minister of the Imperial Household, to the rank of First Rank Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion, and appointed him as the Deputy Minister. Lin Ruan, taking advantage of the conflict between the Emperor and Feng Ruyue, was promoted to the rank of Second Rank Minister of the Imperial Household.
If Feng Ruyue wanted to come back in the future, Ren Wei would have to leave the cabinet. Would she be willing to do that? The emperor's move not only split Feng Ruyue and Ren Wei, but also planted his own people in the cabinet, killing two birds with one stone.
Lin Ruan also became content. She knew that no matter what, she would not be able to get promoted in the next few years.
But the peace lasted only three years. Feng Ruyue came back and did not start an internal struggle as the emperor had expected. Instead, he found a fault and kicked out the other deputy minister except Qin Xifeng from the cabinet.
Ren Wei is still the chief minister, Qin Xifeng is still the second minister, but the other second minister has become Feng Ruyue.
Lin Ruan believed that Feng Ruyue wanted to kick Qin Xifeng out, but she was afraid that angering the emperor would not be worth the loss, so she had to settle for the second best.
Although the emperor was disappointed, he was not really angry. He only found some mistakes and punished a few officials from Feng Ruyue's faction who were not seriously injured. This was also a warning to Feng Ruyue and others.
These struggles had nothing to do with Lin Ruan, but thanks to them, Lu Zhao and Zhang Yuanyuan both found suitable vacancies and returned to Beijing.
As the night deepened, the candlelight in Lin Ruan's mansion was still flickering, illuminating the faces of the three women, making them look particularly charming.
Lin Ruan was dressed in a deep purple silk gown sprinkled with gold, her hair tied high in a bun, her pearls and jade trembling slightly, giving her the air of wealth and nobility. Lü Zhao, already drunk, tugged at Zhang Yuanyuan's hand and said, "Master Zhang, look at her like this, how can she look like a scholar? Whose family makes silk into casual clothes? Sister Ruan, so it's yours."
Zhang Yuanyuan and Lu Zhao were not very familiar with each other, so she smiled at her reservedly, but that was just what she thought. In fact, in Lin Ruan's eyes, Zhang Yuanyuan's smile was very silly.
She waved to the maid and asked her to prepare a guest room for the two of them so that they could stay in the mansion tonight.
Lu Zhao waved his hand and refused: "No, no, I have to go on duty tomorrow, so I won't stay with you anymore."
Lin Ruan rolled her eyes and said, "You two won't report to the government office until the day after tomorrow. What duty are you going to take tomorrow?"
"Yes, yes," Lu Zhao nodded, then thought of something else, his eyes slightly red, and he choked up, "I feel so sorry for my mother. My grandmother was originally in the capital, and my mother had to serve in the capital because mother and daughter couldn't serve in the capital at the same time. After my grandmother finally retired, she stayed in the capital again for me, her daughter."
Lin Ruan thought Lü Zhao was overthinking things. When Lü's mother returned, she would at least be a third-rank minister of the Six Ministries. Now that the struggle between the emperor and Feng Ruyue was intensifying, Lü's mother didn't want to take sides, so she pushed Lü Zhao, a daughter neither faction was willing to recruit, forward. Furthermore, Lin Ruan was a staunch royalist, and her daughter had a close relationship with her, indirectly siding with the emperor.
There is a motherly love, but it is not much.
After tossing and turning for a while and drinking some tea, Lu Zhao gradually sobered up. The three of them took advantage of the night to talk about the current court.
Zhang Yuanyuan and Lu Zhao were both from aristocratic families, and their families and elders had explained the struggles in the court to them. Lin Ruan said, "Lord Feng is also old. When people get older, they have less control over their bodies and hope to grab other things to supplement it, such as power."
He is talking about Feng Ruyue, but isn't he the emperor as well?
Although he was not yet sixty years old and in good health, his desire for control over power was far greater than before. Not to mention Feng Ruyue, even Qin Xifeng's power had been divided considerably by the emperor. Qin Xifeng could endure this, but could Feng Ruyue?
The facts told them that Feng Ruyue could not tolerate it.
Because she was older than the emperor and more eager for power.
Zhang Yuanyuan sighed, "Every civil servant's goal is to become the Prime Minister and enter the Wenyuan Pavilion. But look at Lord Feng. What's the point of becoming the Prime Minister? He still fights endlessly."
"So all civil officials want to be prime minister, and all military officials want to be crowned the Wolf's Lair," Lu Zhao said. "But even if they reach that position, they may not be happy."
"Human desires are endless," Lin Ruan sighed. "Just like Old Feng, who has reached the pinnacle of his career, he still thinks of those once all-powerful Prime Ministers and desires that kind of status."
Zhang Yuanyuan lowered her voice and said, "I heard that the emperor is looking for new beauties to enter the palace recently."
Lu Zhao shook his head and only said half of his words: "When I was young, I really worked hard to govern the country."
Lin Ruan smiled and said, "After all, His Majesty is still young and strong."
"No matter what, we'd better stay away from these disputes." Zhang Yuanyuan said, "Lü Zhao and I are only fourth-rank officials. We just need to do our own duties. As for you, Ah Ruan, you should be careful in your actions and make sure that no one can use you against us."
Feng Ruyue couldn't do anything to the emperor and Qin Xifeng for a while, so she might as well take action against Lin Ruan.
Lin Ruan nodded in response and said with a smile: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Lin Ruan didn't know if she counted, but she had a cheat. The points that had been deducted from her were then repaid to the system as a separate salary. Now the system was her professional advisor. Whether it was the emperor, Feng Ruyue, or anyone from the Imperial Academy who wanted to take action against her, the system would warn her in advance.
System: (＾v＾)