Chapter 264: The prototype of Zhang Dang

"We hired three famous doctors, all of which said that although Cui Xiong's broken leg is sustainable, the egg pill has been destroyed and he has been unable to recover. I am afraid that it will be disabled for life. In addition, Wang Ang has transported his daughter's body back to his house and said that he was unable to kill Cui Xiong on the spot, which is very regretful."

In Xuanrenfang, Pei Jun's study, Pei Danming was reporting to Pei Jun an incident that happened an hour ago. In fact, he hid aside when Wang Ang ordered people to smash the building, but he never showed up. He watched Liu Xia'er beheaded and Cui Xiong was crippled. He felt deeply guilty about this. After telling the story of the incident, Pei Danming knelt down on his legs and apologized to Pei Jun: "My subordinates have failed to stop the situation from getting worse, and the responsibility cannot be shirked. I will apologize to the head of the family!"

Pei Jun listened to the report calmly. Pei Jun did not take the loss of Li Du Restaurant and the death of Liu Xia'er, but this would cause a confrontation between Wang Ang and Cui Qinggong, and he was mixed. It was a joy and sorrow that Wang Ang would inevitably worry about Cui Qinggong's attack on Xiangyang afterwards, and thus relying more deeply on himself. It was a pretext for Cui Qinggong to get a military move. A little carelessness would be very likely to cause another turmoil in the Jianghuai region, especially the canal transportation is preparing to change its route to Danshui. If Xiangyang is in turmoil, the canal transportation would have to detour through Bashu. Not only will it be consumed by manpower and material resources, it will eventually be controlled by Zhang Huai, which is something he doesn't want to see.

Perhaps because he realized that he had been thinking for too long, Pei Jun immediately intimidated his mind and waved his hand gently and said, "You can't hide, this is a good thing. There is also Manager Wang. He is calm in the face of danger and has not brought the Pei family into the incident. He also needs to be commended. Get up! I won't blame you."

"He Xie's head of the family is not responsible!" Pei Danming stood up, hesitated and said, "There is still something to report to the head of the family."

"Tell me!"

"I am worried that Cui Qinggong might retaliate against Li Du Restaurant after entering Beijing and cause losses to us, so I want to close the restaurant and open another place to ask the head of the family if he allows it."

Pei Jun nodded slightly, "Your worries are right, so you can leave this matter to you. Write a report to me later. In addition, you need to send someone to pay attention to this matter. Do you understand?"

"Yes! My subordinates understand." Pei Danming bowed and hurried away.

Pei Jun briefly sorted out his chaotic mood. The Cui Xiong incident was just a small episode at the end of the year. It was like a light snow in winter and could not change his main layout. At present, Pei Jun was concerned about personnel changes before the arrival of the seventh year of Xuanren and the direction of the new canal transportation route. These are the top priority.

He sat down slowly and took a "whethering record" on the table. This was the whereabouts report of important figures compiled by several spies under his command. It was originally only targeted Zhang Huan, but it soon developed into other cabinet members. There were reports every day. Pei Jun opened the first page, and the first person was Zhang Huan. The record was very simple. He went to the Ministry of War in the morning and met some important officials in the Ministry of War. At noon, he had a meal with Chu Xingshui at the urging farmhouse. In the afternoon, he went to Li Mian's residence to visit his condition. There was nothing special. He turned a few more pages and found Cui Yu's record. There was only four words, "I can't leave the deepest".

Pei Jun seemed to have thought of something, and then took out a record of yesterday from a stack of documents. On a page of Zhang Huan, it was recorded: "I went to Cui Yuan's mansion alone in the afternoon." In Cui Yu's record, there were only four words "I can't live in a deep place".

Pei Jun closed the whereabouts and frowned. It was reasonable for Zhang Huan to go to Cui Yuan’s mansion. After all, he had already married Cui Ning as his wife, but he went there single yesterday afternoon, but it was beyond Pei Jun’s expectations.

Especially when the Ministry of War was reorganized, Zhang Huan went to Cui Yuan's mansion. He was most likely to want to persuade Cui Yu to send the Ministry of War through Cui Yuan. Pei Jun didn't care much about how Zhang Huan got the Ministry of War. After all, Fengxiang Incident was ahead, and no matter how he played chess in the future, it could not be compared with his method of seizing Feng Xiang. The key is Cui Yuan, this old opponent who is in dispersed, did the Cui family and Zhang Huan reach another agreement?

This is what makes Pei Jun the most worried. Cui Yuan fell, Cui Yu lost power, Cui Dang mutiny, Cui family split, almost everyone thinks that the Cui family has completely lost, but Pei Jun knows that the Cui family has lost only its gorgeous coat and bloated appearance, and its inner strength has not been lost. On the contrary, after Cui Qinggong's cancer was cut off, the Cui family is likely to be full of vitality. In Shandong, the Cui family still has 40,000 elite soldiers, tens of thousands of acres of land, controlling nearly 100,000 slaves and countless tenants, and there are also several

With hundreds of children in the court, in Shandong, and in various places in the Tang Dynasty, Cui Yuan has been pacifying his family traditions for three years and spared no effort to cultivate new family members. The number of children and disciples of the Cui family who passed the Jinshi exam last year alone was as high as twelve, four times more than the three of his Pei family on the list. After the old tree was reborn, he received a brand new life. In contrast, the Pei family was truly beginning to fall, and there was even fraud in the imperial examination. It was a great humiliation. Is power really a breeding ground for decay?

Pei Jun was confused because of this. For this reason, he saw that the family was full of crisis, not just the family, but also the entire Tang Dynasty. When the aristocratic government gradually declined, the poisonous weeds that were originally suppressed by it began to grow wildly, which was the increasingly fierce local warlords. Zhu Li, who was not afraid of being an ambition to be the emperor, Cui Qinggong, who was becoming increasingly ambitious, and Li Huaixian and Li Xilie who were split from him. These warlords who could cause turmoil and war at any time made Pei Jun lose one's attention, but at this time, a stronger and more threatening Zhang Huan appeared.

The possible alliance between Zhang Huan and Cui Yuan on the opposite side, Pei Jun felt helpless for the first time. The increasingly serious chaos in the Tang Dynasty forced him to start facing the reality. The power was too concentrated, perhaps the root of disorder. Pei Jun stood up, walked slowly to the window, and gently pushed the window open. A cold and fresh wind suddenly cleared his mind.

Ten days later, the New Year's Day will be a court meeting for the reintegration of power order. In ten days, how should Pei Jun play this game of chess? Pei Jun stared at the heavy night sky, his eyes full of doubts and confusion.

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At this moment, the mansion of Yang Yan's salt and iron supervision was very lively. Yang Yan set up a table of ordinary home-cooked banquets to invite guests specially. The new Minister of War Zhang Huan, and two guests at the same table were accompanied by Yuan Zai, the former Minister of Rites, and the other was Zhang Yanshang, a living man. They were all known.

The four of them sat down, Yang Yan poured a glass of wine for Zhang Huan, and said apologetically: "It's all home-cooked side dishes. Zhang Shangshu must not complain that I am not well-received."

"Where? Where? Yang Zhijun is so polite." Zhang Huan lightly clicked the table with his fingers, thanking him for pouring the wine himself. "Actually, I'm afraid of going to someone to have a meal. Not to mention the cumbersome etiquette, eating a meal is more tiring than marching for three hundred miles. Yang Zhijun treats it simply, so that it makes people feel comfortable. I'm not too happy yet!"

"Shangshu Zhang, don't underestimate this table of wine and food." Yuan Zai smiled and said, "It seems ordinary, but several dishes are cooked by Brother Gongnan himself. If I remember correctly, the last time I tasted the vinegar fish made by Brother Gongnan was eight years ago. Yang Gongnan made five dishes in one breath, but it is rare to see once in a century!"

Yang Yan smiled helplessly and pointed him with his chopsticks, "Do you guy harm me or praise me? What does it mean to be rare in a century? I cook every one in a century, what will it become?"

Zhang Huan was solemn. He didn't expect Yang Yan to attach so much importance to him. He quickly stood up and bowed, "Envoy Yang treats Zhang Huan with sincerity, but he really dares not take it!"

"Yuan Datou, you're too much!" Zhang Yanshang, who had not spoken, complained to Yuan Zai: "Just now, Zhang Shangshu has said it, just now, beg for freedom when eating, you are so happy, fearing that the world will not be in chaos. Brother Gong Nan, how do you think you punish him?"

"Five glasses of wine!" Yang Yan laughed, took four more cups and filled them side by side, and ordered him to say, "No need to say anything, those who talk too much should be punished!"

"Okay! OK! OK! I'll drink, I'll drink it." Yuan Zai drank three cups in one breath, lowered his head and waved his hand and smiled, "Eat a few sips of vegetables before drinking, otherwise you will not have this rare opportunity in a century."

"And said! Three more cups of fines."

Seeing that their relationship was harmonious, Zhang Huan couldn't help but smile. He poured Zhang Yanshang a glass of wine and said, "I remember the last time I drank with Mr. Zhang was in Xishoujiang. The late emperor invited you, me, Duan Xiushi and the other two to celebrate the celebration wine. It took five or six years to come, time is coming! I'll give you a glass."

Zhang Huan stood up. "Cheers to our fate today!"

There is something to say without further ado. When the court's forces were sensitive to reintegration, several people gathered together to drink and reminisce about the past. In the eyes of ordinary people, isn't this a suspicion of Zhang's establishment? The three of them naturally knew it even more. They stood up with their glasses and slapped them all with a smile.

Zhang Yanshang held the wine glass and pondered without saying a word, as if he was still recalling the past. After a while, he sighed a little: "Yes! At that time, Shangshu Zhang had just broken the capital of the Uighurs, and was full of energy. He was a young man and was the most respected general of the late emperor. The late emperor once told me that those who were at peace with the Tang Dynasty in the future must be Zhang Huan. Now it seems that the late emperor has indeed had foresight. General Zhang became the Minister of War of the current dynasty, entered the cabinet as prime minister, and had hundreds of thousands of powerful soldiers in his hand. He regained the former territory of the Western Regions for the Tang Dynasty. When he thought about it for a moment, he felt like he was in a dream."

"If you don't talk about these heavy topics, the dishes will be cold. How can Zhang Shangshu come to try my skills?" Yang Yan interrupted his dream words with a smile, and ordered the maid beside him to cloth some dishes for Zhang Huan. The few people drank two more glasses of wine. Yuan Zai put down his chopsticks and smiled: "When I just passed by Pingkangfang, I heard about a great thing. Do you want to know?"

Zhang Yanshang slapped the chopsticks on the table, "You still owe five glasses of fine wine to drink. If you keep it in your mouth, you'll drink it now!"

"What are you anxious about? After hearing this, I'm afraid you won't let me drink a drink."

Yuan Zai gently stroked his long beard and smiled, "I heard that Wang Ang's daughter died bizarrely. He broke Cui Xiong's leg in anger and injured his life. In this way, Cui Sanei can only do Cui Erei in the future. Do you think this is a great pleasure?"

"Hmph! That bully is worthy of death, I'm happy to beat him to death!" Zhang Yanshang was obviously not satisfied with the result.

Zhang Huan was naturally aware of it. He only stroked his beard and smiled without saying anything. After a glance, he saw that Yang Yan's face was a little wrong, so he asked him, "Does Yang Jun think there is something wrong?"

Several people looked at Yang Yan, and Yang Yan smiled bitterly and said, "I am worried that Cui, Wang will get into trouble with Danshui's canal transportation plan. I just wrote to the court to clear the Danshui river channel and change the way of transportation, but in this way, this matter may change again."

"Envoy Yang doesn't have to worry about this matter at all." Zhang Huan smiled slightly and said, "Do you think Pei Xiangguo can't think of it? Don't forget that he has an army of 80,000 on Cui Qinggong's back! If I'm right, these 80,000 troops will stay in the Nanyang area in the name of protecting the canal transportation."

Speaking of this, Zhang Huan suddenly had an idea in his mind. He asked Yang Yan quickly: "Envoy Yang, I wonder if the person responsible for clearing the river this time is Envoy Yang?"

"It seems to be." Yang Yan hesitated and said, "I heard Pei Xiang's tone that I would change to the Shannan Transportation Commissioner and the Governor of Shangluo County, and be fully responsible for the dredging and renovation of the Danshui canal channel. What does Zhang Shangshu mean?"

"Nothing!" Zhang Huan was slightly disappointed. He was no one in the court, and Yang Yan had always been a neutral faction. He was demoted by Pei Jun three years ago, so he could be brought into his own party. But now he is going to serve as a local official, which really makes Zhang Huan feel regretful.

Yang Yan seemed to understand Zhang Huan's thoughts. He pointed at Zhang Yanshang and smiled and said, "Has Zhang Shangshu forgotten? What the late emperor said when he was in the Western Suspension City to invite you three."

At that time, the Li clan said that he wanted to establish the Conglong Sect. Duan Xiushi, Zhang Huan and Zhang Yanshang were the first ones. This matter had long disappeared with the death of Li clan. Duan Xiushi was still in the west and led 7,000 defenders to guard the border for the country. Zhang Huan became the most powerful local warlord in the Tang Dynasty. However, Zhang Yanshang was very unsatisfied because he was originally a Pei Jun person, but later changed to the Conglong Sect of the Li clan. After Li clan died, he remained neutral. After Pei Jun was in power, the first thing he was to demote him from the Honglu Temple to the Julang. The Julang was responsible for recording the emperor's edicts, which was originally a very important position, but the emperor was young, and the person who recorded the orders of the Empress Dowager was Li Fanyun, so this Julang was actually just a false position.

At this moment, Zhang Huan was completely sure that Yang Yan's real intention of treating himself to dinner and pulling the other two to accompany him was actually to defect to him. Since Cui Yuan had Cui Dang and Pei Jun had Pei Dang, his Zhang Dang was about to come out.

Thinking of this, Zhang Huan smiled at Zhang Yanshang and said, "Since I have the same friendship as Mr. Zhang, how can I sit and see the dignified minister of the third-rank Honglu Temple who was demoted to a small sixth-rank living man? I have agreed with Pei Xiangguo that I will recommend the Chief Censor of Liao Hui after him. If Mr. Zhang does not dislike him, what if he is given up on this position?"

Zhang Yanzhang was overjoyed. He had been depressed for three years, so why didn’t he refuse? He quickly stood up and bowed to Zhang Huanshen, “Thank you, Shangshu Zhang for his support!”

"You don't have to be polite." Zhang Huan's eyes fell on Yuan Zai again, and he was even less an outsider. His wife was Zhang Ruohao's sister. To put it strictly, he had arranged for himself to replace Jiang Huan as the Minister of Rites. Now he was dismissed from the position of Minister of Rites due to the fraud case of Pei Mingdian's imperial examination and demoted to Sima of Jiujiang County. He will take up his post in office after the New Year. How could such a useful person let him leave?

Seeing that Yuan Zai could no longer hide his longing in his eyes, Zhang Huan smiled and said, "Brother Yuan, I don't have to be polite to you. I'm the Minister of War. I wonder if you are willing to take office?"

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The night was as dark as water, and Zhang Huan's carriage slowly walked on the Zhuque Street, and hundreds of personal soldiers were guarding the left and right. Today, Zhang Huan was in a particularly happy mood. He successfully cut off the bond of the alliance between Wang Ang and Cui Qinggong and made the two turn against each other. This would play a vital role in the division of the imperial power, and greatly reduce the pressure he faced.

Secondly, tonight, his Zhang Party had already formed a prototype. Yang Yan and the other two, including Chu Xingshui, Zhang Potian, and the Longyou Group's children in Beijing, such as Dali Temple Shaoqing Xin Gao, Military Art Supervisor Li Feizhi, etc., as well as his old friend, Song Lianyu, the Shaoqing of Taichang Temple, he counted carefully and was actually strong.

Zhang Huan couldn't help but breathe a long breath into the air, as if all the depressions of years had been vomited out at this moment.

The carriage turned into Yonglefang and gradually arrived at the mansion. Suddenly, a personal soldier shouted loudly: "Governor! Look."
Chapter completed!