In the long river of history, there is an elder brother who regards himself as a "lonely minister", so he did not get much support when he proposed the crown prince. For this man who has a strong desire to win the heir, this is undoubtedly a blow to the head.
However, he did not give up and began to act aggressively. Next, let's take a look at how he successfully subdued hundreds of officials and made up for his shortcomings while maintaining the character of "Lonely Minister".
Shaping the character"This online vocabulary may be new, but it's a long-standing practice. The art of face painting in ancient drama is a typical example, such as "a loyal minister with a red face, a traitor with a white face", and people have to play whatever role they wear.
Let's talk about the drama of nine sons seizing the heir, each elder brother has his own role setting, and the second elder brother is a legitimate wife and son-in-law; The third elder brother is a literati leader, who repairs books and transmits them; The eighth elder brother is a wise leader and is praised by the government and the opposition.
And our protagonist, the fourth elder brother, has always regarded himself as an iron-faced and selfless "lonely minister" who does not form a party for personal gain.
The fourth elder brother unswervingly walked on the road of "lonely minister", and his actions always revolved around solving practical problems for the imperial court. During the flood of the Yellow River, he dared to expose the problem of borrowing from the treasury, so that the rats had nowhere to hide; He went south alone, made enemies of the officialdom and gentry in the entire south of the Yangtze River, and successfully raised money and food for disaster relief; He took over the task of collecting the arrears of the state treasury that most offended the most offenders, and showed a deep sense of responsibility and determination with all his might.
However, what the fourth elder brother did was not understood and accepted by everyone. The powerful ** who have passed the cheese do not appreciate him, and they do not have any good impression of this "cold-faced prince" who has cut off people's money and forced too much debt.
When the "crown prince was discussed", almost all the civil and military ministers of the Manchu Dynasty supported the Eight Sages King, but the fourth elder brother, who was really honest, did not get enough support. Despite this, the fourth elder brother did not give up, and he continued to follow his path firmly and worked hard for the court and the people.
His actions not only show his charisma and courage, but also let us see how a real "lonely minister" persevered in the face of difficulties.
Faced with this situation, the fourth elder brother naturally knew it. Therefore, when the thirteenth elder brother suggested that he actively compete for the throne, the fourth elder brother said self-deprecatingly: "Do you know, people call Lao Ba the 'Eight Sage King', but I, am called the 'Cold Face King'. ”
This shows that the fourth elder brother has realized that he lacks a mass base. So, what action did the fourth elder brother take next? It was really the "enemy" who helped him. After discussing the election of the crown prince, the contradiction between the second elder brother Yinren and the eighth elder brother Yinren has reached the point where it is irreconcilable.
It can be said that it was their intensified contradictions that provided the fourth elder brother with the opportunity to make a profit. When Kangxi started his sixth southern tour, the second elder brother who had just recovered couldn't wait to start "revenge" - as the prince of the prison country, he pursued the ** who had recommended the eighth elder brother, and tried to remove them all.
In the face of the prince's retaliation, the eighth elder brother Yinxi knew that going directly to intercede would only add fuel to the fire. So, he inadvertently gave the fourth elder brother a chance to show himself. The fourth elder brother interceded for the eighth master, although there must be an element of "selflessness", but there were also some "careful thoughts" hidden in his heart.
After all, for those who are about to lose their black yarn hats, this kindness is tantamount to a lifesaver. Why did Ma Qi, who once supported the Eighth Elder Brother, end up becoming an ally of the Fourth Elder Brother?
Perhaps, this favor is an opportunity for the relationship between the two to get back together, after all, Ma Qi is also kneeling outside to plead!
Interceding for the Eight Masters is just a trivial matter, and what really makes the fourth elder brother proud"The fire burned the deeds of hundreds of officials"。When he learned that the crown prince released Liu Ba Nu just in exchange"Hundreds of officials"After that, he immediately decided to let Liu Ba Nu go.
Why? From the subsequent episodes, we can see that his only goal is to get"Hundreds of officials"。So, why did the fourth elder brother get it"Hundreds of officials"This?
Obviously, he would not want to use it to control hundreds of officials like the crown prince. Because that would directly challenge Kangxi's imperial power. Therefore, the fourth elder brother has only one goal, and that is to burn it"Hundreds of officials"。
Hundreds of officials have recorded the criminal evidence of more than 300 **, and if it is handed over to Kangxi for disposal, the consequences will be unimaginable. If Kangxi investigates and punishes, the Qing officialdom will face chaos, and the country will fall into a day of peace; If Kangxi chooses to burn the incriminating evidence, then the supreme ruler will be accused of conniving at corruption, leading to even more corruption.
So, what should be done with this incriminating evidence? The clever fourth elder brother chose to burn it himself. Doing so can not only give Kangxi a step down, but also "save" hundreds of ** and win the hearts of the people.
The fourth elder brother's plan fully demonstrated his wisdom and foresight. Obviously, he must have read "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", because he learned the plot of "Cao Mengde Burning Letters" very well.