RPAGF Chapter 919, 7 points is acceptable.
Chapter 919, 7 points is acceptable.
After tonight's dinner, there's not much to worry about regarding Cui Ling anymore.
Zhang Ping'an's next step was to consider how to persuade Zheng Ping. Just as Cui Ling had said, this person was often elusive and not easy to deal with.
Moreover, they were always part of the eunuch faction, and since they had different principles, they could not work together. In general, important officials in the court rarely had much open interaction with these kinds of eunuchs.
Given the current special circumstances, it was even more impossible for Zhang Ping'an to openly send out invitations.
Therefore, after weighing the options, in order to avoid attracting attention, Zhang Ping'an decided to have Green Bean Eyes convey his message.
If you were to ask who he trusted most in the capital, it would undoubtedly be Green Bean Eyes. Although Green Bean Eyes wasn't particularly literate, he had extremely high emotional intelligence and was very good at handling people and situations.
With him in charge, things will be much more efficient.
When Xiaoyuer heard Zhang Ping'an's arrangement, he also thought it was ingenious.
However, he was somewhat worried. "Father, Uncle Ge is from a merchant family. Can he handle such a big matter? Rescuing His Majesty is no small matter, and there is the powerful Prince Qin in front of us. If things go wrong... it would be bad if word got out."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping'an glanced at his son and said gently, "Trust those you employ, and don't employ those you don't trust! A person's ability to do things is always limited. You must learn to ask others for help. Your Uncle Ge and I are sworn brothers, and I trust him!"
Moreover, he has extensive experience on long sea voyages. Don't underestimate his courage and spirit. In any profession, those who reach the top are truly exceptional individuals.
At this point, Zhang Ping'an shook his head and said, half admonishing and half joking, "Your personality doesn't seem like mine or your mother's at all. Instead, it's more like your maternal grandfather's. You look honest and open on the outside, but you're actually very suspicious. You're deep in thought at such a young age, which is both good and bad."
Little Fish smiled, not denying it, but instead asking, "Dad, what do you mean by that?"
“You are my only son, so naturally I hope everything is well for you,” Zhang Ping’an said slowly.
"However, people with deep thoughts, although they can often consider things more thoroughly and do things more perfectly, and their lives seem outstanding to outsiders, most people of this kind are extremely self-suppressed."
This will cause you to miss out on a huge part of life's joys. If you're not sincere to others, they naturally won't be sincere to you either. Not even having a single close friend is actually a very pitiful thing. You're still young now, so you probably can't understand yet, but you will in the future.
Xiaoyuer didn't care about this. "As long as I have power, money, and status, making friends is easy. As for the close friends you mentioned, Dad, I don't think they're that important. The most reliable person in this world is yourself, followed by your parents, and then your friends!"
Zhang Ping'an immediately recognized this as his father-in-law's motto.
So he countered, "Then tell me, since your maternal grandfather saw life so clearly, why did he choose this crucial moment to resign from his official post and make way for the younger generation of the clan?"
"So human nature is complex, and I can't fully understand it yet," Xiaoyuer said calmly, shrugging his shoulders.
"With your temperament, you still have a long way to go," Zhang Ping'an concluded.
The father and son talked all the way back to their residence.
Zhang Ping'an didn't linger. After the meal, he went to the Ge residence to deliver an invitation and invited Green Bean Eyes to go to the outskirts of the city the next day to have tea and chat.
When he returned to his room that evening, the servant who had been serving him had changed; it was no longer Li Mingxuan.
Thinking of the treasure map in Li Mingxuan's hands, Zhang Ping'an also had a headache. This matter would definitely not be able to be kept secret in the end.
Although he didn't care much about this windfall, that didn't mean others didn't.
How to resolve the matter while simultaneously saving Li Mingxuan's life and freeing him was also a question he needed to consider.
Zhang Ping'an didn't sleep well that night because he had too many things on his mind.
He seemed a bit listless during the morning court session the following day.
Fortunately, he had nothing to report today.
After the morning court session ended, Zhang Ping'an was about to head to the Privy Council when he saw Qin Chaowang walking towards him.
His expression was open and his attitude humble; he didn't seem to have anything shameful to say.
"Lord Zhang, you didn't sleep well last night, you look a bit tired today?"
Zhang Ping'an politely cupped his hands in greeting and replied, "It's alright. That's how it is when you get older. You tend to overthink and have many dreams at night, and your sleep isn't as good as when you were younger."
"Yes, we're all getting old, and we have to accept it," the King of Qin said, seemingly quite moved.
He then said with a half-smile, "I have a lot of high-quality calming incense from the Western Regions in my residence. I'll have someone deliver some to your residence later. Lighting the calming incense tonight will help you sleep much better."
"Although we are old, we still have to serve the country. The court can't do without us. We mustn't forget what we told Lord Zhang before!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping'an knew that the Prince of Qin was indirectly reminding him to fulfill his previous promise to him as soon as possible and to deal with the Fourth Prince.
He has been using the excuse of the long distance to delay this matter for some time.
Now, we can no longer simply shirk responsibility.
So he could only smile and nod in agreement, saying casually, "Of course! How could I easily forget what the King of Qin entrusted to me!"
Seeing that Zhang Ping'an's attitude was quite good, the King of Qin was satisfied and did not press him too hard.
After offering a few more words of encouragement, he drifted away, heading towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Zhang Ping'an breathed a sigh of relief.
After finishing their shift, they boarded a carriage and went to the outskirts of the city.
Green-eyed boy finished his shift earlier than him and lived closer to the outskirts of the city; he was already waiting at the teahouse.
Seeing Zhang Ping'an's anxious and serious expression, he was still a little confused: "What's gotten into you? Why do you look like this? What serious thing happened?"
After ordering his men to guard the door carefully, Zhang Ping'an sat down and replied, "It's a matter of great importance concerning the royal family!"
"What do you mean?" Upon hearing this, the man with the beady eyes immediately put down the teapot and tangerines in his hands, picked up a handkerchief to wipe his hands, and his eyes became serious.
Zhang Ping'an recounted in detail the recent events and his plans, and concluded, "That's how things have gone. That's why I'm here today to discuss something important. I need your help to find Zheng Ping and send a message so we can join forces to rescue His Majesty and restore legitimacy to the court."
After hearing this, Green Bean Eyes remained silent for a long time.
Then he looked up and said seriously, "Ping An, we've known each other for many years. There's something I'm not sure if I should ask."
"Go on!" Zhang Ping'an gestured that he was all ears.
"Actually, since the die is cast, why don't we just go with the flow? There's no need to be the one to stick our necks out and expose the truth; the risk is too great! Sometimes it's better to be a little oblivious. We're all past that impulsive age."
After hearing this, Zhang Ping'an smiled bitterly and sighed, "Brother Ge, I won't talk about national righteousness or anything like that in front of you. To tell you the truth, I've also thought about the situation you mentioned. Why not just go with the flow?"
However, the Second Prince is far too autocratic and tyrannical, and the Prince of Qin harbors treacherous intentions. Now he's forcing me to be the executioner to deal with the Fourth Prince. I fear I won't fare well under their combined rule! I am the Privy Councilor, and the tiger tally and seal in my hand allow me to command the armies of the realm. This position is of paramount importance. Even if I turn a blind eye and submit to them, it's only a matter of time before they take me down. I don't want to passively wait for that day to arrive.”
“I understand, you’re trying to turn the tables,” said the beady-eyed man.
“Yes,” Zhang Ping’an nodded emphatically, picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for the green-eyed man, and continued to explain, “Moreover, we are not without a chance of winning this matter. With the addition of Cui Ling, Zheng Ping, and Li Chong, and with Brother Lin and my brother-in-law in the Northwest keeping things in check, we have a 70% chance of success.”