Traveling through Du He, Li Chengqian's rebellion begins

As the Chief Clerk of King Jin, Ma Zhou had a very harmonious relationship with the King of Jin in private, to the point where they were very close.

Unexpectedly, the King of Jin had never mentioned such a meaningful book as "The Emperor's Model" to him.

In just a short moment, Ma Zhou's opinion of Li Zhi changed drastically.

Du He smiled and said, "Brother Ma, the King of Jin has grown up now, and his ambitions have also grown."

"It's not strange that I don't tell you, the chief historian of Prince Jin's Palace, about these things."

Although Ma Zhou was the chief historian of Prince Jin, he would never agree with or support Li Zhi in his fight for the throne, so the ambitious Li Zhi would definitely not tell anyone about this.

When Ma Zhou heard Du He's opinion of King Jin, his brows were tightly furrowed.

The trouble with the King of Wei had just ended, and the King of Jin popped up again.

I don’t know whether Your Majesty is really trying to achieve the purpose of checks and balances by doing this, or is trying to force the Crown Prince to lose his patience and do something wrong?

Ma Zhou said in a hoarse voice: "Brother Du, who else knows about this?"

Du He said softly: "At present, only His Royal Highness, you and I know!"

"Of course, as the eldest grandson of the uncle of the King of Jin, Situ might also know."

Although Du He did not have sufficient evidence to prove that Changsun Wuji was secretly supporting Li Zhi.

But if we analyze based on the interests of Changsun Wuji and Li Zhi, they can maximize their interests only by colluding with each other.

As for dragging those people onto the pirate ship, Pei Xingjian needs to send spies to investigate secretly.

After hearing what Du He said, Ma Zhou fell into silence for a longer time.

Although he came from a humble background, he was a minister who was well-versed in classics and historical records, and was well aware of the competition for imperial power.

Since the emperor's uncle, Zhangsun Wuji, has personally intervened, this matter is no longer a trivial matter of His Majesty's favor to Prince Jin, but involves a complex power struggle.

There was silence for a long time.

Ma Zhou looked at Du He with a calm expression and whispered with a complicated look on his face.

"Brother Du, do you need my assistance with anything?"

"If you need my help in guiding the prince, I will certainly do my best to help."

"If it's a faction dispute with Changsun Situ, I'm afraid I can't help you. I hope Brother Du can understand my difficulties."

Ma Zhou came from a poor family and had no strong family support, so he did not have much ambition.

He just wanted to be an honest official who could serve the emperor and the people, and did not want to get involved in such dangerous intrigues.

Supporting the crown prince to ascend the throne was simply because one did not want the dispute over imperial power to cause unrest in the country.

After hearing what Ma Zhou said, Du He knew his decision clearly, so he did not ask Ma Zhou to stare at Li Zhi's words.

Du He smiled and said, "Brother Ma, I invited you here today just to have a chat with you."

"However, regarding the matter of Your Majesty showing the Emperor's Code to Prince Jin, please keep your mouth shut, Brother Ma."

Although Du He believed in Ma Zhou's character, he still had to remind him.

Ma Zhou said seriously, "Brother Du told me this because he trusted me. How could I do such a treacherous thing?"

"Please rest assured, Brother Du, I will keep this matter to myself!"

If given a choice, Ma Zhou would rather not hear this important news.

Now that he knows about this important and private matter, not only does he have to keep it secret himself, he is also worried about others telling others about it, and he also needs to prove his innocence.

Du He nodded slightly, then personally poured a cup of tea for Ma Zhou and said.

"Brother Ma, have some hot tea."

Ma Zhou quickly said, "Thank you, Brother Du."

Then the two of them drank tea and talked about the sufferings of the people, and did not continue to discuss the two princes Li Chengqian and Li Zhi.

During the chat, Du He also asked Ma Zhou about the affairs of the people in other states and counties, and gained a clearer understanding of the miserable lives of ordinary people in the Tang Dynasty.

Because Ma Zhou himself was a poor citizen, he had the deepest feelings about the lives of the lower classes.

Du He, a powerful young man from an aristocratic family, has stayed in the prosperous Chang'an for more than 20 years and has never been to remote areas.

In particular, Ma Zhou talked about the children of ordinary people, who would never have a chance to succeed without the recommendation of powerful people.

Du He said with emotion: "Brother Ma is not only capable, but also very lucky, having a noble person like Chang He recommend him."

"Li Yifu of the Imperial Censorate is also lucky. Now he has an important official like Brother Ma to look after him. His talents will not be buried."

When Ma Zhou heard Du He mention his subordinate Li Yifu, a look of admiration for his talent also appeared on his face.

Ma Zhou smiled helplessly and said, "Brother Du, you flatter me too much. I can't really help Li Yifu much."

"That child is very smart and talented. Even I am amazed by his writings. It would be a waste of his talent to let him be a censor."

"If he can go to the Secretariat to gain some experience, he will definitely have a bright future!"

In fact, Ma Zhou not only promoted Li Yifu to the position of Censor-in-Chief, but also recommended him to Jin Wang Li Zhi, and let Li Yifu work under Jin Wang's palace.

However, Prince Jin was also an ordinary prince, so Li Yifu did not have much chance to stand out in Prince Jin's mansion.

Although Ma Zhou was the Imperial Censor, he was recommended by the military generals group and was always labeled as a member of the military generals group.

Therefore, the people in the Secretariat and the Ministry of Personnel, especially those officials from aristocratic families, would not give him too much face.

Even if Ma Zhou wanted to promote Li Yifu, the people in the Ministry of Personnel would find ways to stop him.

Du He said with a smile: "Brother Ma, since you think Li Yifu is suitable to work in the Secretariat, why don't we give him this opportunity?"

Ma Zhou's hand holding the teacup suddenly paused, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

He asked in astonishment: "Brother Du, do you want to promote Li Yifu?"

Du He smiled and nodded and said, "Since Li Yifu has talent, why don't we give him a chance?"

After getting Du He's affirmative answer, Ma Zhou still felt a little uneasy.

Because Du He would not help someone for no reason, especially since this person is just a minor official with no background.

Ma Zhou whispered, "Brother Du, Li Yifu does not have any family power, and will not be of much help to the prince in the short term. Are you still willing to promote him?"

There is no such thing as a free lunch, and no great benefit will fall on Li Yifu's head for no reason.

Du He shook his head and said, "Brother Ma, I prefer to promote some capable young officials. It doesn't matter whether they have a strong background or not."

"When they grow up, they will be able to assist His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in ruling the country."

Hearing Du He's sincere words, Ma Zhou thought of Xue Rengui and Xi Junmai, who came from humble backgrounds, and also of Pei Xingjian, a talented man from a large family.

These people were recommended to the prince by Du He before they could show their abilities.

Many ministers in the court privately expressed their admiration for Du He's unique vision.

After figuring it out, Ma Zhou did not have any other doubts, but said with emotion.

"That kid from Li Yifu's family is so lucky that he has a noble man like Brother Du to help him!"