Next, Wang Baoren showed Zhu Hejian his trump card. Over the years, Wang Baoren has been obsessed with making a comeback, and after summing up his experience and lessons from his last defeat to Zhou Shangjing, he believed that one of the reasons for his defeat was that his foundation was not solid and his positioning was unclear. The "Zhou Party" is essentially the spokesperson of the gentry class in the world, especially the Jiangnan gentry group. Therefore, as long as the gentry class in the Ming Dynasty does not die out, the "Zhou Party" will be as stable as Mount Tai. At most, it will exist in another form. Zhou Shangjing himself was an example of civil servants and a symbol of ministerial power, so as long as the Ming emperor still needed hundreds of officials to assist him, Zhou Shangjing's power foundation was also unshakable. ¡°Wang Baoren wanted to compete tit-for-tat with Zhou Shangjing for power just by relying on a group of party disciples he had attracted. Naturally, he was defeated but not victorious. Therefore, during the years since Wang Baoren was exiled to the Sixth Department of Nanjing, he has been actively making friends with the wealthy Jin gentry family in Jiangnan, hoping to replace Zhou Shangjing and become the new spokesperson of the Jiangnan Jin gentry group. "It's a pity that because the existence of the Jiangnan Song family and Song Chengren always secretly thwarted Wang Baoren's wishful thinking and assisted Zhou Shangjing in consolidating his influence, Wang Baoren's efforts to pry corners naturally made little progress. But after these years of hard work, Wang Baoren finally bribed a few Jiangnan Jin gentry and collected many secrets and handles about Jiangnan Jin gentry. Today, Wang Baoren no longer expects that he can replace Zhou Shangjing as the new spokesperson of Jiangnan Jinshen Group. Instead, he binds his hope of being a highly respected minister to Zhu Hejian, so he wants to use the money he bought to Several Jiangnan gentry acted as internal agents, and combined with the secrets they had, they coerced the Jiangnan gentry to make concessions and help Zhu Hejian overcome the current difficulties. It is of course a big deal that these secrets and handles can be regarded as one of Wang Baoren's trump cards. When Wang Baoren revealed this trump card to Zhu Hejian, Zhu Hejian was also overjoyed! Since this day, in order to deal with Zhou Shangjing's layout, Zhu Hejian has been unwilling to sit back and wait for death, and has independently formulated a series of plans as a countermeasure. After Zhu Hejian and Lu De met, Lu De also came up with a set of solutions to help Zhu Hejian overcome the current difficulties when he joined Zhu Hejian again. At this moment, Wang Baoren also provided a brand-new plan, which was also of great help to Zhu Hejian. Therefore, in just one day, Zhu Hejian has found three plans to counter Zhou Shangjing's layout. ?Perhaps it is a coincidence, or perhaps it is inevitable, these three plans all have merits, and the plan directions are relatively consistent, and can complement each other and advance simultaneously! As the saying goes, "Three Stooges are better than Zhuge Liang." What's more, Zhou Shangjing is not the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang after all, and Zhu Hejian, Lu De, and Wang Baoren are not ordinary ignorant cobblers! In this way, Zhu Hejian naturally became more confident. He believed that after integrating these three plans into one, even if he could not completely win this game, he could at least successfully solve the dilemma and tide over the difficulties! After being overjoyed, Zhu Hejian's attitude towards Wang Baoren became more and more respectful, and he continued to refer to him as "teacher", which greatly benefited Wang Baoren. But it was just superficial respect. Zhu Hejian had no intention of revealing to Wang Baoren the other two plans he had with Lu De, causing Wang Baoren to mistakenly think that Zhu Hejian was counting on him for help now. * Zhou Shangjing is certainly not Zhuge Liang. Although he is already at the pinnacle of the Ming Dynasty¡¯s civil servants, he does not have the ability to make plans and predict the future. In fact, on the second day after all parties started taking action, two things happened in South Zhili. ¡°These two things were both unexpected by Zhou Shangjing. The first thing is that at Shenshi in the afternoon of that day, the first batch of messengers sent by Li He finally arrived in Nanjing by boat after several days of traveling under the stars and nights, and informed Zhou Shangjing of several things in succession. ¡° For example, in exchange for the antidote and saving Zhou Shangjing¡¯s life, Song Qili had reached a deal with Zhao Junchen, promising that the ¡°Zhou Party¡± would not intervene in the changes in the situation in Xingzhou in the future. For another example, after the "Zhou Party" stopped intervening, Zhao Junchen seemed to have found a way to completely control the situation in Xingzhou, so Zhou Shangjing's painstaking layout in Xingzhou may soon come to nothing. The most important news is that after Li He arrived in Xingzhou City, he had asked Zhao Junchen for an antidote in advance, which could completely solve Zhou Shangjing's stomach disease.??, and this method is surprisingly simple, just drink a lot of oil! After receiving the news, Zhou Shangjing was overjoyed and regretful at the same time. "I am overjoyed because my fatal stomach disease has finally found a cure. Unfortunately, my hard work in Xingzhou has come to nothing. It can be said that my work has been in vain." But overall, the feeling of overjoyment is stronger. As long as there is still a choice, Zhou Shangjing also hopes that he can live for a while. * Still in the secluded study in the East Garden, Zhou Shangjing was, after all, deep-tempered and good at controlling his emotions. After receiving the news, he quickly concealed the change in his expression. Instead, he shook his head and sighed: "You are really smart but you are misled by your cleverness. , I got the antidote, and maybe I can live for a while longer, which is certainly a good thing, but the price is that the Xingzhou layout fell short From a certain point of view, the reason why the Xingzhou layout was completely failed, I He should also bear some responsibility, because out of caution, I not only deceived all walks of life in Nanjing, but also concealed the truth from the supporters of the capital center, so that Li He, Song Qiwen, and Song Qili all mistakenly believed that I was in danger. In order to save my life, I gave up control of the situation in Xingzhou Alas, the reason why I concealed the truth from them was not because I couldn't trust them, but because I was worried that the Seventh Prince would surround them. After all, we don¡¯t know how much strength and trump card the seventh prince still hides, but we didn¡¯t expect that it was because of my caution that I ruined my long-planned layout of Xingzhou" Speaking of this, Zhou Shangjing frowned: "The layout of Xingzhou is extremely critical. Not only does it allow us to seize the power of agricultural reform from Zhao Junchen, it also allows Zhao Junchen to completely turn against the Jin gentry in the world, and Zhao Junchen turns against the Jin gentry in the world. After that, he will gradually lose popularity and find it difficult to move forward. It will be easier to deal with him in the future, but in the end it will all come to nothing because of me As Zhao Junchen makes great achievements again in Liaodong, we will It¡¯s even more difficult to suppress him!¡± At the same time, after Song Chengren received the relevant news, he did not hide his emotions at all and directly showed his surprise. Song Chengren had a close friendship with Zhou Shangjing, so he naturally wanted Zhou Shangjing to save his life as much as possible. What's more, although Song Chengren is Song Qiwen's father and has high hopes for Song Qiwen, he insists that now is not the best time for Song Qiwen to take over from Zhou Shangjing. If you want Song Qiwen to successfully take over the "Zhou Party", you should at least put Song Qiwen into the cabinet first, right? And after Song Qiwen entered the cabinet, who should be in charge of the official office? Before these problems can be solved smoothly, the "Zhou Party" cannot do without Zhou Shangjing's leadership! Even if you want Song Qiwen to take over the "Zhou Party", you can't do without Zhou Shangjing's protection. Otherwise, the "Zhou Party" will only become a incomplete "Zhou Party" without Zhou Shangjing, rather than becoming a party led by Song Qiwen. The new "Song Party". At this time, seeing that Zhou Shangjing was not overjoyed after hearing that he was saved, but instead began to review his mistakes of being too cautious. He was even more disappointed with the failure of the Xingzhou layout. Song Chengren couldn't help but feel angry and laughing. Then, Song Chengren didn't want to listen to Zhou Shangjing's summary of the gains and losses anymore. He stood up and stamped his feet: "You, yesterday, you lamented that you were too deep and had too many calculations, so few people have been willing to make friends with you, but I It seems that you are not willing to correct this problem! Now is the time, shouldn't you be more happy? Compared to your life, what is the Xingzhou layout? As long as you can continue to live, it will be okay sooner or later. Find an opportunity to deal with Zhao Junchen again!" After saying that, Song Chengren turned around and hurried out of the study, saying as he walked: "I will summon Doctor Zhang now and ask him to tailor a method for you according to Zhao Junchen's detoxification method. Formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan. Li He and Qi Li finally found a way to detoxify. We can't waste time" Before he finished speaking, Song Chengren had already left the study and quickly disappeared into the distance of the corridor. Seeing that Song Chengren's legs and feet were still flexible and strong, Zhou Shangjing couldn't help but feel a little envious, and a relaxed smile appeared on his old face. But soon, Zhou Shangjing stopped smiling this time, his expression became serious again, and murmured to himself: "Perhaps, the failure of the Xingzhou layout was inevitable from the beginning Zhao Junchen, Zhu Hejian, these two Young people are all troublesome and hidden dangers. If I personally sit in Nanjing and focus on dealing with Zhu Hejian, I must not care about the changes in the situation in the direction of Xingzhou. Zhao Junchen will naturally find opportunities to reverse the situation. If I focus on The situation in Xingzhou and all-out efforts to deal with ZhaoSir, maybe Zhu Hejian will let Zhu Hejian wait for an opportunity to make a comeback Alas! As my energy is getting weaker and weaker, I can no longer cover everything. I am really at a loss what to do about this kind of situation" As he spoke, Zhou Shangjing fell into deep thought again. "Zhou Shangjing's layout in southern Zhili The arrangement was completely based on his physical condition, and naturally he took into account the worst-case scenario that he would pass away at any time. But now, as his stomach disease is expected to be cured, he may be able to live for a while longer, so Zhou Shangjing believes that. His follow-up plan should also be slightly revised. Song Chengren's legs and feet are indeed extremely flexible and strong, and he does not look like an old man who is already 60 years old. Before Zhou Shangjing could think about it carefully, Song Chengren had already pulled Zhang Decheng back to the study. Then he relayed the detoxification method told by Zhao Junchen to Zhang Decheng in detail. ¡°Drink oil? Drinking a lot of oil? "After hearing this detoxification method, Zhang Decheng's expression changed, and he frowned and kept thinking. After seeing Zhang Decheng's expression change, Song Chengren quickly asked: "What? Is there something wrong with this detoxification method? Could it be that Zhao Junchen used fake methods to deceive us? Does he have the courage? " Zhang Decheng was originally a man of modest means. At this time, he was focusing on thinking about medical issues, and he completely forgot about the virtue of being cautious in words and deeds. While thinking about it, he shook his head and said: "No, this method may be really effective Drinking oil can vomit and excrete small foreign matter attached to the intestines and stomach! If Zhao Gechen determines that this method can detoxify Zhou Shoufu, it means The cause of Zhou Shoufu's stomach disease is not the ordinary poisonous stone, but a large number of small foreign bodies stuck in the intestines and stomach that cannot be digested and excreted But this kind of small What exactly the foreign object is is still confusing! Moreover, Zhao Gechen was thousands of miles away, so how could he discover the real cause of Zhou Shoufu's illness in advance? Speaking of which when Zhou Shoufu first suffered from stomach ailments, Zhao Gechen mentioned this method of drinking oil to treat diseases as if it were a joke. However, I thought that Zhao Gechen did not understand medical skills. Zhao Gechen also said that he had only heard of this method accidentally. It's a foreign method, so I didn't take these words to heart, but I didn't expect that Zhao Gechen actually believed that this method could detoxify Zhou Shoufu" Hearing Zhang Decheng's subconscious muttering to himself, Zhou Shangjing's eyes flashed, His expression became more and more serious. According to Zhang Decheng, Zhao Junchen had already guessed that the cause of Zhou Shangjing's stomach disease was secret poisoning when he first suffered from it, and Zhao Junchen most likely had already done so. We know that the person who secretly poisoned people is the seventh prince Zhu Hejian! At the same time, Zhao Junchen has already mastered the method of detoxification Does this mean that Zhao Junchen has been acquiescing and watching Zhu Hejian poison people everywhere? Or, the reason why Zhu Hejian repeatedly poisoned people was because of Zhao Junchen's secret inducement? Then Zhao Junchen could use Zhu Hejian to kill people and remove certain obstacles for himself. If these speculations are true, does that mean the same thing? - When it comes to cruelty and ruthlessness, Zhao Junchen, who seems to have a bottom line, is actually no worse than Zhu Hejian? And Zhao Junchen is far more sinister and despicable than Zhu Hejian? Thinking of this, Zhou Shangjing? His old eyes narrowed slightly, but the smile returned to his face in the next moment, and he said slowly: "Doctor Zhang, you are Zhao Gechen's disciple. There is no need to worry about these questions. After you meet Zhao Gechen again, , naturally you can ask him clearly in person! As for now, let's focus on diagnosing my stomach disease Hey, I now realize that I still have a lot of things to do, so I am even more afraid to die easily! "One Zhu Hejian, one Zhao Junchen" Thinking that these two young people may become representatives of imperial power and ministerial power in the future, Zhou Shangjing has a sense of crisis that the world will collapse. Therefore, Zhou Shangjing becomes more and more cherished for his life, thinking that he must try his best Live a little longer. Zhou Shangjing had a hunch that if he couldn't eliminate these two hidden dangers as soon as possible, the Ming Dynasty might soon be completely overturned after Emperor Deqing abdicated. On the other side, after hearing Zhou Shangjing's reminder, Zhang Decheng He finally came back to his senses and finally stopped worrying about the doubts in his heart. He nodded and said: "Since Zhao Gechen is convinced that the method of drinking oil is effective, let's try it Zhou Shoufu has always had a poor diet, which may have accelerated the worsening of his stomach disease. One of the reasons is that drinking oil to expel gastrointestinal foreign matter will also damage the intestines and stomach, so it is necessary to cooperate with other medical methods" * At the same time, Zhou Shangjing became more and more cherished for his life and no longer dared to die easily. " SuIn the city, another thing happened that Zhou Shangjing did not expect. But he said that yesterday evening, because of Huo Zhengyuan's order, his attendant Huo Yuanshou left Nanjing City overnight and hurried to Suzhou City where the governor's office of Nanzhili is located. Then, Huo Yuanshou met with Huang Yourong, the governor of Southern Zhili and the elder of the front cabinet, and informed him of the news that Huo Zhengyuan was in danger yesterday evening. He also conveyed Huo Zhengyuan's tough request, hoping that Huang Yourong could fully cooperate with his plan in the future. When Huang Yourong was still a cabinet minister and the leader of the "Yellow Party", Huo Zhengyuan was his confidant, so Huang Yourong was more familiar with Huo Zhengyuan's character traits than anyone else. When Huang Yourong heard Huo Zhengyuan's forced request and barely concealed threat, he immediately realized Huo Zhengyuan's change of heart and was shocked. The "Yellow Party" was a purely corrupt official group at the beginning. Huo Zhengyuan always had a guilty conscience when working under Huang Yourong. He was cautious at all times and did not dare to be caught. This is why Huo Zhengyuan has always been timid. one of the reasons. After Huo Zhengyuan switched to Zhao Junchen, the "Zhao Party" was also a corrupt official group on the surface. However, under Zhao Junchen's skillful guidance, it actually became a radical reformist in the temple. Drastic reforms are all good governance strategies that are of great benefit to the country and the people. Although the members of the "Zhao Party" often take bribes, they are also confident and plausible, saying that they are the ones who truly serve the court and the people. People who do practical things for the people. It¡¯s as if they can do whatever they want as long as they do a few practical things. ¡°As a result, Huo Zhengyuan¡¯s character gradually changed under the influence of what he heard and saw. Since Huo Zhengyuan was appointed as the patrol envoy to the southeast and went south to meet Huang Yourong again, Huang Yourong has already felt such a change. Huang Yourong originally thought that Huo Zhengyuan was currently in the stage of quantitative change, and it would take a long time of continuous accumulation before there would be a qualitative change. But he never expected that just because of an accident, Huo Zhengyuan would undergo a qualitative change in his personality! After discovering this, Huang Yourong couldn't help but feel complicated. Through Huo Zhengyuan's changes, he felt more and more completely different between himself and Zhao Junchen. ?? If oranges grow in Huainan, they become oranges; if they grow in northern Huaibei, they become oranges. It¡¯s nothing more than that. In the end, after careful consideration, Huang Yourong readily agreed to Huo Zhengyuan's proposal, saying that the Southern Zhili Governor's Yamen would fully cooperate with Huo Zhengyuan's follow-up plans. Huang Yourong had already completely collapsed and lost power, and then he was reinstated by the imperial court because of Zhao Junchen's recommendation and served as the governor of Southern Zhili. Now he can only secure his position with the support of the "Zhao Party", so when Huo Zhengyuan used the "Zhao Party" After threatening his follow-up support, Huang Yourong knew that he had no other choice but to fully cooperate with Huo Zhengyuan. After getting an accurate answer from Huang Yourong, Huo Yuanshou still did not dare to waste time and hurriedly found several aides Huo Zhengyuan had left in Suzhou City. While Huo Zhengyuan was secretly lurking in Nanjing, these aides were all left by him in Suzhou to focus on the establishment of the ocean-going fleet. These staff members are Ouyang Bo, Qian Bodao, and Guo Min. They were all originally from Zhao Junchen's sect, but because Zhao Junchen attached great importance to ocean affairs, he lent these people to Huo Zhengyuan, on the one hand, to assist When Huo Zhengyuan does things, he keeps an eye on Huo Zhengyuan to prevent Huo Zhengyuan from losing his tail. Among them, Ouyang Bo ranks second only to Li Chuanwen and Niu Fude among the staff in Zhao Mansion. He has always been experienced, capable, and resourceful, and is now regarded as a powerful assistant by Huo Zhengyuan. Qian Bodao is an old man in the Zhao family. He has always been deeply trusted and is good at accounting. He used to be in charge of the 'Yerongfang' business in Beizhili. Now he is assisting Huo Zhengyuan in managing the astonishing matters related to the ocean-going project. Materials; As for the last staff member, he has the most special origin. He is Guo Min, the younger brother of the former young master Guo Tang and the former boss of the "Sitong Trading Company"! After Zhao Junchen took action to rectify Guo Tang, he originally wanted to wipe out the Guo family, but when Guo Min was desperate, he surrendered to Zhao Junchen at the expense of his business secrets, and even gave away his only legitimate son. Gave Zhao Junchen as a hostage in exchange for Zhao Junchen's favor. After Guo Tang went south with Huo Zhengyuan, he took on a secret mission that even Huo Zhengyuan didn't know about, which was to contact the Nanyang pirates and the Dutch East India Company on behalf of Zhao Junchen. But he said that when Huo Yuanshou found Ouyang Bo and Qian Bodao, he asked themAfter reporting Huo Zhengyuan's near danger and Huo Zhengyuan's urging them to rush to Nanjing to meet up as soon as possible, Ouyang Bo and Qian Bodao were naturally shocked, and they did not dare to neglect. They quickly packed their bags and prepared to go immediately. Rushed to Nanjing City to meet Huo Zhengyuan. However, at this moment, Ouyang Bo and Qian Bodao suddenly discovered that they could not find Guo Min! ?¡ ?¡ ?¡