Should he serve the Emperor and obtain the title of Prime Minister, but he would have to take the risk of his ruling foundation being shaken, or should he resist the Emperor to consolidate his foundation, but he might lose the most important position of Prime Minister?
This was really a dilemma. For Shen Yi, this was really too difficult, and he was stumped.
At this moment, Shen Yicheng looked at Zhao Zhigao, who was pretending to be asleep with his eyes closed. For some reason, he suddenly envied this Buddha that he used to look down on.
Although this great Buddha had no power and was easy to bully, this great Buddha would not be involved in this terrible vortex. In such a cabinet, he could actually guarantee that he could escape unscathed. What kind of great wisdom and great means did he have?
This old man had no power, but he was safe!
What about himself?
Shen Yicheng sighed with emotion at his choice and the future he would face. At the same time, he was very clear that this was a road of no return. For him, who had already been involved in the whirlpool, if he did not firmly grasp the rudder of the only ship and become the helmsman, then he might be kicked into the whirlpool by others, and his end would be miserable.
This was a road with no way out.
Shaking his head, Shen Yicheng threw away some of the emotions that he should not have, and calmly began to think about his gains and losses.
If he served the Emperor, then obviously, he would win the favor of the Emperor. The Emperor's goal would be achieved, and the position of Prime Minister would naturally be given to him. He would have a righteous title, and could do many things. This was inevitable.
But at the same time, if the news that he served the Emperor without arguing for what was right was spread out, it would be a serious blow to his reputation.
The scholars of the Great Ming Dynasty had already regarded the rebellious act of going against the will of the Emperor as a golden rule and as a political correctness. In this era of declining imperial power, this kind of action was tantamount to asking for curses.
The Imperial Censorate, which was controlled by Xu Zuo and others, was already very angry with him because of the storm of investigating the Jin Party. They were looking for an excuse to attack him. Once he served the Emperor's order, the Imperial Censorate would be wild with joy, because they had found an excuse to attack him.
Once he was caught by this group of mouth cannons, they could scold him from the moment he was alive to the moment he died, scolding him from the Great Ming Dynasty to the future generations for countless years. The future generations would definitely know that he was a despicable and shameless villain who fawned on the ruler.
This was the power of moral attacks, and it was also the real reason why countless people with lofty ideals had died since ancient times. They didn't die because of their crimes, but because of their morals. They died because of the moral attacks of countless ignorant people who didn't even know they were deceived.
Shen Yi was not a man with lofty ideals, but he also needed a reputation. He needed it as one of the most important parts of his ruling foundation. If he lost his reputation and became the Prime Minister, the road he had to walk would undoubtedly be much more difficult.
But on second thought, if he could not even become the Prime Minister, what was the point of having a reputation? He would still walk the same path as Zhang Wei. Because he wanted to be the Prime Minister, he offended the Emperor. Because he wanted to be the Prime Minister, he wanted to please the Emperor. In the end, he did not please both sides and died an ugly death.
Zhang Wei was a lesson for him, and he could not forget him.
If he did not have a good reputation, he might face all kinds of censure after becoming the Prime Minister, and his ruling foundation would not be stable.
If he could not become the Prime Minister, everything would be nonsense.
These two thoughts lingered in Shen Yicheng's mind.
Suddenly, Shen Yicheng thought of a problem.
Xiao Ruxun's problem had not been solved, right?
Even if he greeted the Emperor at this moment, it did not mean that there was no chance to save his reputation. Because what Xiao Ruxun was going to do was to fight against all literati, and he would inevitably become a thorn in the side of literati. Even now, there were already many people who were dissatisfied with Xiao Ruxun's approach.
Xiao Ruxun must be eliminated, and the one who eliminated him must be himself.
In order to eliminate Xiao Ruxun, he had to be the Prime Minister. In order to be the Prime Minister, he had to please the Emperor and use the title of Duke Qin to numb Xiao Ruxun, make him arrogant, and eliminate him once he was unprepared.
An image of enduring humiliation and being determined to eliminate the traitor was fabricated. An image of the Prime Minister who turned the tide and saved the Emperor was vividly in front of him.
All the problems would be solved easily.
Shen Yicheng's heart suddenly relaxed a lot.
Therefore, in front of everyone, Shen Yicheng showed an expression of hesitation and struggle in his heart.
"In this case, I will obey the Emperor."
Shen Yicheng's voice was very low.
Zhao Zhigao's breath stagnated, but soon returned to normal.
Shen Li looked at Shen Yicheng with an incredible look.
The leaders of the six departments also looked at Shen Yicheng with a very confused look.
Minister Shen, do you really want to abandon your moral integrity in order to be the Prime Minister? Are you going to accept the Emperor's offer? Do you know what kind of result and trouble will be brought to you after you make this decision? Do you really want to abandon your reputation?
"Minister! Should we continue to discuss this matter? This is not a small matter, and you can't make a decision rashly! "
Zhao Shiqing hurried to persuade Shen Yicheng.
"Yes, Minister, we really have to be very careful about this matter. How can the title of Duke Qin be given to a foreign official? This is totally against the rules! "
Tsai Kuo-chen also followed to persuade.
"In terms of etiquette, this matter is completely the Emperor's idea. Qin is the title of the Emperor. Even if it has to be given, it can only be given to a member of the royal family. Xiao Zhennan is a foreign official. Other dukes can be given, but not Duke Qin! I will never agree with this matter! "
Yu Jideng opposed Shen Yicheng in the name of the Minister of the Ministry of Rites.
Shi Xing and Song Yingchang looked at each other, and they could understand each other even though the expressions on their faces were complicated.
Shi Xing made an obeisance by cupping his hands, "Minister, Xiao Zhennan's contribution is indeed great, but the title of Duke Qin is too sensitive to be given to a foreign official. We'd better be cautious about this matter. Let's discuss it again."
Song Yingchang also made an obeisance by cupping his hands, "Once this matter is spread out, people in the world will talk about it, and we don't know what kind of trouble it will cause. For the sake of the country and talents, we should all think twice before we act."
The people's opposition became more and more clear, which made Shen Yicheng a little proud.
He sighed with a sorrowful expression and shook his head.
"What else can we do if we think twice? It has been ten years since the Crown Prince was elected. The Crown Prince can wait for ten years, but can the meritorious generals and soldiers wait for ten years? The victory is right in front of us. If we continue to think twice, how will the generals and soldiers regard the imperial court? Won't it disappoint the meritorious officials? "
Zhao Shiqing hurried to say, "Minister, it's not that we don't want to reward him, but the standard of reward should be in accordance with the rules of the imperial court. Xiao Zhennan can be given the title of Duke, but he can't be given the title of Duke Qin!"
Shen Yicheng looked distressed.
"But His Majesty wants Duke Qin …"
What should they do?
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