Time Travel: After Seizing the Throne, I Lead the Ming Dynasty to Take Off

Chapter 1387

"What do you think of them now...?"

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent instantly, and everyone wore serious and fearful expressions, not daring to speak.

For a while.

Only then did someone swallow hard and tentatively ask, "You mean...we're going to get involved with those noble families of Huaixi? Or even...join forces with them to some extent? They...they're rebels!"

And when his voice fell.

Only then did the others dare to speak up cautiously: "No, no... You and I are ministers of the Ming Dynasty, and those arrogant soldiers and generals are never easy to deal with, and they can't stand us scholars."

"Indeed, how can we collude with traitors?"

"Although I don't know what method His Majesty used, he has finally returned from the encirclement of these brutes. This shows that His Majesty is not afraid of these arrogant and fierce soldiers. Even if these brutes are willing to put aside their past grievances, once His Majesty discovers that you and I have any connection with them, they will not be able to protect anyone."

"Exactly, this move was not only wrong, but also too risky."

"..."

Everyone else present shook their heads. The mere mention of "rebellion" was enough to spell the end for anyone.

If the noble families of Huaixi still wield absolute power, even the emperor, both inside and outside Yingtian Prefecture, just as they did before, then the situation isn't so difficult to predict.

But the reality is that they can no longer control the current Emperor Kaiqian.

Everyone was naturally opposed to it.

The next moment, however, the man who had spoken first about the nobles of Huaixi showed a hint of anxiety on his face. His gaze darkened, and he said coldly, "So you and I are just going to abandon Lord Zhan like this? You all saw His Majesty's attitude outside the Meridian Gate just now. He was determined to make an example of Lord Zhan."

He was Chen Zhou, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and also one of Zhan Hui's trusted protégés, having been promoted by Zhan Hui himself. Naturally, he was grateful for Zhan Hui's patronage. That's why he brought it up despite knowing it was somewhat risky.

Or.

As the Minister of Personnel, Zhan Hui certainly had no shortage of people who owed her favors; this was the power she wielded as the head of the civil officials.

Otherwise, Zhu Yunwen wouldn't have been in such a hurry to deal with Zhan Hui today.

After a pause, Chen Zhou immediately emphasized another, even more important matter: "Even if you can abandon Lord Zhan, do you really want to watch His Majesty turn the entire Ming Dynasty's officialdom upside down? Take back all the privileges that the court has granted to us scholars? In this upheaval, how many of you will be able to remain unscathed?"

Chen Zhou is undoubtedly very clever to be valued and promoted by a seasoned veteran like Zhan Hui.

Although everyone present had some favor to Zhan Hui, the Minister of Personnel who was in charge of the overall management of officials' performance, assessment, promotion, demotion, and transfer.

But in the current situation...

What concerns everyone's vital interests most is the latter point mentioned in the words of Chen Zhou, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel—privilege and self-interest.

Therefore, Chen Zhou made this statement.

The crowd fell silent again, some with flickering eyes, others with guilty consciences and fears—the answer was obvious: like Zhan Hui and most of the court officials, they could not remain untainted, and they were unwilling to give up their privileges as superiors.

Seeing that everyone had fallen silent.

Chen Zhou secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then changed his expression and said earnestly, "Now that Lord Zhan is in trouble, His Majesty is even more determined, so we have no choice but to find a way."

"So what does Lord Chen think we should do?" someone asked tentatively, clearly already swayed by his words.

Chen Zhou took a deep breath and said thoughtfully, "We were forced into this situation that neither of us expected. That's why we had no choice but to turn our attention to those arrogant and fierce soldiers in Huaixi. However, we are not on the same side as those brutes. It would be best if... we could use them while also clearing ourselves of any blame."