The journey of the only child of a peasant family to take the imperial examination

Seeing that several colleagues were about to put him on a pedestal, Zhou Ziming and the prince also looked over, Zhang Pingan quickly stepped out and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, a mission to the Western Regions is a national priority and should be handled with extreme caution. I am deeply grateful for your recommendation. I would never decline a chance, but I am still inexperienced and have just returned to the capital. I am not familiar with the affairs of the Privy Council and my knowledge is limited. I am afraid that if I handle the matter inappropriately, I will delay important matters and damage the dignity of the Celestial Empire. I heard that Lord Lu, the Vice Minister of War, has patrolled the borders for many years and is well versed in the situations of the countries in the Western Regions. He is both civil and military and has outstanding abilities. If I can get Lord Lu's assistance, I will be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort."

In just a few words, the core meaning is that he is not capable enough and there are people who are more capable than him, which is a tactful refusal.

The speech must also take into account the four major elements of respecting imperial power, demonstrating loyalty, stating objective difficulties, and proposing alternative solutions, so as to preserve the face of the emperor and colleagues and avoid getting into trouble themselves.

In short, speaking in the court is an art.

Lord Lu, the Vice Minister of War, is the third son of Prime Minister Lu. He is considered the backbone of the Lu family today, and it is not impossible for him to be appointed as a prime minister in the future.

This person is indeed both civil and military, with both military achievements and fame. He is familiar with the situations of the countries in the Western Regions, and what he said is also objective facts.

This kind of job, which was pushed by his colleagues, was naturally not an easy one, otherwise it would not have been his turn, so he could only drag others into it.

The person mentioned, Minister Lu, glanced at Zhang Ping'an but said nothing, remaining very calm.

His father-in-law, Grand Tutor Qian, for unknown reasons, came to his defense. "Your Majesty, I believe Lord Lu is the perfect choice to lead this mission. He has greater abilities and experience, and a better understanding of the countries of the Western Regions. He has his specialties. Why not let Lord Lu take charge of this matter, with Lord Zhang assisting him, organizing the documents and examining the maps, making a thorough plan, and then dispatching the delegation?"

Zhang Ping'an's trick of dragging others into trouble was one of the common tactics in the court. Even though Grand Tutor Qian spoke up to defend him, Prime Minister Lu did not panic too much and gave a wink to the person next to him.

The Minister of War immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, border trade is flourishing between the Great Zhou and the Jinwu Khanate in Zhangjiakou, Datong, and Xuanfu. Lord Lu is about to go on a tour of duty and may not be able to spare the time. We must find another capable minister!"

"A mission to the Western Regions can't be decided in an instant. Preparations will take some time. Winter is approaching, and the Chinese New Year is just a few months away. The Crown Prince will be getting married in the first month of next year. So, the earliest it can happen is next spring or autumn. Lord Lu can't be busy until next autumn, right?"

Since Grand Tutor Qian took the initiative to express his attitude, some of the civil servants who had been silent just now immediately changed their tone and stepped forward to refute.

Before the Minister of War could say anything more, Zhou Ziming waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Everyone has their reasons. Lord Zhao is right. The most suitable time to send an envoy to the Western Regions is spring and autumn. This matter concerns the great affairs of the nation, so we cannot afford to be careless. We should not rush to make a decision immediately. I'm afraid we need to consider it carefully."

This was the signal to suspend the meeting. The eunuch Liang Fu, standing nearby, flicked his whisk with great shrewdness and shrieked, "Retreat! Court!"

After all the civil and military officials knelt down, Zhou Ziming and the prince left quickly.

The remaining people walked together in twos and threes after leaving the court.

Prime Minister Lu, Privy Councilor Guo, and Grand Tutor Qian were standing under the eaves, talking about something, and the others consciously moved away.

Zhang Ping'an originally wanted to have a brief chat with his brother-in-law, but seeing that there were other people around him, it was not convenient, so he had to give up.

At this time, Liu Sanlang quickly took a few steps to catch up with Zhang Pingan and whispered with concern: "Pingan, wait for me. I was really worried just now. Fortunately, His Majesty didn't make a decision today."

"For a major event like the diplomatic mission to the Western Regions, it's not surprising that the court discusses it three to five times, or even ten times. It's also normal that Your Majesty hasn't made a decision today," Zhang Ping'an turned his head and said, his expression as calm as ever.

"Why does Prime Minister Lu want to put you in charge? You are not familiar with their faction. And Lord Guo, the two of them usually have a harmonious relationship. Today, Lord Guo actually supports Prime Minister Lu. It's really strange," Liu Sanlang said in a low voice, quite confused.

He had been in court for some time, and he could roughly see the factions between the civil and military officials. The civil officials were vaguely headed by Prime Minister Lu, Privy Councilor Guo, and Grand Tutor Qian.

It was obviously not normal that Prime Minister Lu and Privy Councilor Guo both recommended his brother-in-law Zhang Ping'an today.

"When the enemy comes, we will fight him; when the water comes, we will block it with earth. What is there to be afraid of? Even if I really take this job, it doesn't matter. It can be solved in the end," Zhang Pingan shook his head and smiled.

He had been mentally prepared for the intrigues in officialdom, but he didn't expect to be caught off guard on the first day.

Then he asked his eldest brother-in-law, "Brother-in-law, how are you? The officialdom is so complicated. Can you handle it?"

Liu Sanlang glanced at his colleagues, who were still far away, to make sure they couldn't hear him. Then he smiled and replied, "Now, in the eyes of others, I'm following Duke Dingguo. Lord Yang is also loyal and straightforward. He usually helps to fend off any problems. So far, it's fine. I usually don't talk much in court anyway, so just listen to them. Don't worry about me."

"It's better this way. I don't have to force myself to be the boss. With Lord Yang around, I won't be too sad." Zhang Ping'an secretly sighed that his brother-in-law was still blessed.

"Then what about your case? This matter will eventually have a result. I think Master Qian is protecting you. Why don't you go visit him after you get off duty today and hear what he says. After all, he is your father-in-law and he will not harm you," Liu Sanlang thought for a while and suggested.

He was really worried about his brother-in-law. It was too difficult for him to encounter such a big trouble on the first day of attending court!

"I will do this. I think my father-in-law is as steady as a rock and should know a lot of inside information. After I get off duty tonight, I will visit him at Qian's house and find out some information." This was what Zhang Ping'an had originally planned.

No matter how smart he is, if the information is not equal, he will always be controlled by others. He still has to go to the Qian Mansion to ask and try to collect more information.

After walking a short distance, the two separated.

The Privy Council is located in the southwest corner of the palace and there is no need to leave the imperial city.

As we walked towards the southwest, there were fewer and fewer people, and the people walking in front and behind were all colleagues from the Privy Council.

Zhang Ping'an deliberately slowed down his pace and walked with a few people. These colleagues were extremely respectful to Zhang Ping'an, but when they wanted to find out some information, these people were very tight-lipped and it seemed that they were also waiting and watching.

Zhang Ping'an was not discouraged by this situation. It was within his expectations. He had always been popular since he started school. He didn't believe that he would make a mistake in the Privy Council.

All of a sudden, a fighting spirit surged in my heart.

In fact, he knew that the root of the conflict was Lord Guo's attitude at the morning court today. Lord Guo was the immediate superior of the Privy Council, and naturally everyone else followed his lead.

Although he was the deputy privy councilor, the higher the rank, the more powerful he was. There was a huge difference between them.

According to the information he had learned about the people in the court before, this Lord Guo was born in the Guo family of Fu County, a truly prominent family. In Zhang Ping'an's impression, the person who was involved with him was Mr. Fan, and Mr. Fan married a girl from the Guo family of Fu County.

However, the relationship was a world apart, and Zhang Pingan still couldn't figure out where he had offended someone.