Pei Ju's Deep Scheme, Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors

"Your eye is sharp."

"It cannot compare to yours, Foster Father. I fear you had already anticipated today's events before the first month of the year. Otherwise, how could you have had me prepare in advance and uncover the identities of Dragon Guard Manor's Four Great Secret Agents?"

"Hehehe..."

Pei Ju chuckled softly.

As Grand Secretary and concurrently Minister of Personnel and Minister of Justice, he was the foremost civil official at court.

He could not claim that every civil official at court belonged to his faction, but at least eighty percent did.

Of the remaining twenty percent, ten percent were upright and loyal officials like Yang Yuxuan.

However, although Pei Ju wielded vast power, he had never acted recklessly. Moreover, with the great scourge of the Eastern Depot still at court, those officials were not his enemies either.

The final ten percent were Zhu Wushi's followers.

As for followers of the Eastern Depot... there were none.

After all, the Eastern Depot's reputation was far too foul. Anyone at court with a choice would never choose the Eastern Depot.

That was why, once Cao Zhengchun lost the power in his hands, he would have nothing left apart from the Eastern Depot.

Given Pei Ju's position, how could he possibly not know that Yang Yuxuan had contacted the assembled officials and prepared a memorial requesting that power be returned to the Emperor?

Although Pei Ju had not controlled this incident, he had understood it thoroughly from beginning to end.

During this matter of returning power, he appeared to have lost authority, but in truth, he had gained the Emperor's trust.

Of the three great mountains beside the Emperor, two had disagreed and coveted power. Only Pei Ju had calmly let it go.

With that being the case, whom could the Emperor rely on but him?

Furthermore, by calmly relinquishing power, he had earned a fine reputation throughout the realm and the esteem of the assembled officials.

If the subsequent plan proceeded smoothly, they might even uncover the identities of Dragon Guard Manor's most crucial figures—the Four Great Secret Agents.

He had made an absolute killing.

By comparison, although Zhu Wushi had agreed afterward, his earlier hesitation had already made the Emperor suspicious.

Though circumstances had forced him to stop in time, and he had responded decisively by trying to save Yang Yuxuan and win over the officials' hearts, it was already too late. The effect would likely be limited.

Last came Cao Zhengchun.

He had lost the greatest power in his hands, earned the Emperor's disgust, and utterly ruined his reputation.

He truly had suffered a disastrous loss.

"Foster Father, since Cao Zhengchun has already made his move and begun retaliating against Yang Yuxuan, could Zhu Wushi truly have done nothing?"

"Perhaps he already has."

Pei Ju said, "Zhu Wushi appears upright and impartial, but he is treacherous within and possesses immense ambition. If he acts, he certainly will not make a grand spectacle like Cao Zhengchun. Instead, he will conceal his schemes in darkness. Like a venomous snake, once exposed, his strike will surely be earth-shattering and aimed straight at the vital point... Hm?"

As he spoke, an idea suddenly stirred in his heart.

Ever since Yang Yuxuan had submitted his memorial, all manner of affairs had arisen at court, while Zhu Wushi's moves had always been deeply concealed.

Even Pei Ju could not immediately determine which matter concealed Zhu Wushi's scheme behind it.

But just as he had said moments ago—

The most important thing was... the vital point!

Whose vital point would Zhu Wushi be certain to attack?

Naturally, it was the current Emperor!

After all, returning power meant returning it to the Emperor.

If something happened to the Emperor, then there would be no need to return that power, would there?

Thus, any imminent matter closely connected to the Emperor might be Zhu Wushi's scheme.

"On the fourth day of the first month, the Country of Izumo submitted a memorial requesting to send Princess Lixiu to form a marriage alliance with His Majesty. Could it be this matter?"

Pei Ju immediately tore off a strip of paper from before him, picked up his brush, and wrote several lines. "Someone!"

A gray-haired old man entered. He was Steward Fu, the manor's chief steward.

"Master."

Pei Ju handed the note in his hand to Steward Fu. Without even looking at it, Steward Fu accepted it and turned to leave.

Zhou Ming watched the entire exchange, but Pei Ju clearly had no intention of explaining it to him.

But if Pei Ju did not tell him, did that mean Zhou Ming could not see it?

Pei Ju bore no ordinary number of marks.

The Izumo princess... it seems this part of the story is about to unfold as well.

Zhou Ming thought, Right. There is profit to be made from this part of the story!

It was more than merely profitable. It could even be called a tremendous opportunity.

"The next few days will be extremely crucial. Do not slack off again."

"Yes, Foster Father."

Zhou Ming said, "Cao Zhengchun and Zhu Wushi have both responded. What response are you preparing, Foster Father?"

"A response?"

A smile surfaced in Pei Ju's eyes. "I intend to relinquish one ministerial post and ask the Emperor to decide."

"A ministerial post?"

Zhou Ming considered it. "A brilliant plan, Foster Father."

Yang Yuxuan's position was Minister of War, and Pei Ju was offering up another ministerial post.

That would leave two ministerial positions vacant at court.

Naturally, both positions would have to be decided by the Emperor.

The Emperor had only just regained power and was still young. Clearly, he was full of ambition and eager to expand the authority in his hands.

Yet Cao Zhengchun and Zhu Wushi had lost power and were now seeking ways to reclaim it.

Thus, these two ministerial posts created a situation of Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors.

No matter who ultimately gained or failed to gain them, one person would certainly lose out.

And throughout the competition, the hostility among the three would only grow more intense.

If Zhou Ming had guessed correctly, the ministerial post Pei Ju intended to relinquish should be that of Minister of Justice.

First, in terms of authority, the Ministry of Justice was inferior to the Ministry of Personnel.

Moreover, the Ministry of Justice had two major departments beneath it: Six Doors and Divine Marquis Manor!

Neither of those organizations was easy to deal with.

Although they belonged to the Ministry of Justice, the late Emperor's arrangements before his death had greatly elevated both departments' status.

This made it appear as though the Ministry of Justice governed them, when in truth, it could not govern them at all.

Furthermore, the Chief Constable of Six Doors and Divine Marquis Zhuge of Divine Marquis Manor were no ordinary men. Naturally, they could see Zhu Wushi's ambition beneath his upright exterior.

As for Cao Zhengchun, there was even less need to mention him.

In any case, whoever obtained the Ministry of Justice would face tremendous obstruction from those two organizations.

In fact, even the current Ministry of Justice was not particularly obedient under Pei Ju's command.

Giving it away could barely count as discarding a hot potato.

Sure enough, Pei Ju said, "From now on, stop going to the Ministry of Justice so often. The position I intend to relinquish is Minister of Justice."

"Yes, Foster Father."

"Good. Handle this next matter well. I will not hide it from you: apart from you, I have arranged for others as well."

Pei Ju said, "But I hope the true identities of those four people will be delivered before me by you."

Although this was training arranged for Zhou Ming,

it truly was no minor matter.

Therefore, it was only natural for Pei Ju to have made other arrangements himself.

Zhou Ming clasped his fists. "Rest assured, Foster Father. This time, I guarantee that I will uncover the identities of all four of them for you!"

"Good."

After leaving the study,

Zhou Ming wore a thoughtful expression.

Of course, he was not considering his next actions or the identities of Dragon Guard Manor's Four Great Secret Agents.

After all, he had long known the identities of those four... no, at present, it should be said three people.

Dragon Guard Manor supposedly had the Heaven, Earth, Black, Yellow Four Great Secret Agents, but in truth, it only had Heaven, Earth, and Black. The fourth had yet to be found.

What was there to ponder about something whose outcome had long been decided?

What Zhou Ming was considering now was... a force he had thought of that he could win over and use temporarily.

It was the assassin organization... Black Stone!