As Yang Zhi sold the knife, someone impeached Yang Yizhong for abusing his power;

Even after the Red-haired Ghost Liu Tang brought Chao Gai out, someone actually impeached the family of Direct Sheren Chao Gongwu for misconduct in Jeju?

Poor Chao Gongwu, he had only been back in Beijing for two months when he received the first impeachment in his life. It was so inexplicable, it was like a bolt from the blue.

Instead, they impeached him for not reporting Zhang Jun's maritime trade activities?

Of course, Emperor Zhao also realized the problem at this time. This kind of story about officials forcing the people to rebel was really not easy to put in the official gazette, because many ordinary people really didn't understand that this was a story... So, he immediately accepted Ma Shen's suggestion and reprimanded Hu Quan, who was in charge of the gazette affairs. "Water Margin" was also taken off the shelves from then on.

However, just when everyone was breathing a sigh of relief, the people of Tokyo were shocked to discover that although "Water Margin" had been removed from the official gazette, it had not stopped being serialized. Instead, it was printed and nailed to the back of the notice of the opening of the Cuju League in Tokyo City.

Everyone in Tokyo City knew who owned the Cuju League, so they naturally knew that this was a pirated version of the game... That was fine! The point was that seeing that Liang Yangzu, the recently retired Liang Xiangye's father, had become Cai Jing's son-in-law, and then the 100,000-gu birthday gift given to Cai Jing was robbed, everyone in Tokyo City who had anything to do with politics couldn't sit still.

Because by this point, everyone realized that the government was indeed trying to express some specific messages through this "Water Margin"! This "Water Margin" was indeed hinting at something!

But no one wrote to the emperor or made a public appearance, not because it would make them look ignorant, but because since it was a hint, it would be something that was not easy to say in public, otherwise why would the emperor Zhao use this method? Wouldn't it be better to make it clear?

For a while, Prime Minister Zhao took advantage of his work and privately summoned several Shangshu, Shilang, and Temple Ministers during lunch break for several consecutive days to inquire about work in related fields. Then, Prime Minister Zhang Shu finally couldn't hold back and held a banquet to entertain a group of old friends and colleagues on his day off at the end of the ten-day period.

This was a formal banquet. It was said that the emperor had left the capital before, and Prime Minister Zhang Shuxiang and several ministers took turns guarding the palace, so the eldest son's full moon wine was delayed. Now it was made up... Therefore, there were quite a lot of people coming, even Prime Minister Zhao came in person, but after the afternoon banquet, he left again in a dignified manner.

More than 90% of the guests, including two other prime ministers, also left with him. For a moment, only a dozen people remained in the Prime Minister's residence.

Of course, after Prime Minister Zhao played such a trick of pulling out the heart of a black tiger with an antelope hanging on a horn, it was already very good that there were still more than ten people left, especially since among them there were two Shangshu Liu Ziyu and Lin Jingmo, one assistant minister Lu Zhi, and Qu Duan, the commander-in-chief of the imperial camp cavalry who would return after the new year to take up his post.

In fact, after a few words of casual chatting, everyone sat down again. Zhang Shuxiang went into the back hall with several senior officials, while the rest, such as Mei Sheren, the newly-risen celebrity who came with his uncle to broaden his horizons and pay homage to the leader of the faction, were not people who could be on the stage, and could only serve as gatekeepers outside with Xiahou Yuan, the commander of Qu Duan's personal guards, and Liu Zihui, Liu Ziwu's younger brother.

Fortunately, Xiahou Yuan was also a half-civilian and half-military man. He was in the same year as Liu Zihui, who had a family background in learning, and they could chat.

However, let's not talk about what happened in the front hall at this moment. Let's just say that everyone in the back hall sat down. Before the host Zhang Jun could speak, Qu Duan couldn't help but sneered:

"Mr. Zhang, you are still the same person as before. It has only been two or three years. Do you have to act so arrogantly? You even have to go to the inner hall to rank again? If the emperor hears about it, will he laugh at you?"

If this gets to the ears of the government, who will laugh at you?

Two Shangshu and one Shilang went to see Qu Da together. Zhang Jun was also at a loss whether to laugh or cry: "If that's the case, why did Qu Jiedu come in?"

"Because the emperor will only laugh at me for making a scene, but he won't kill me for it." Qu Duan said proudly. "As a minister, I am not able to share the worries of the emperor, which is the biggest disaster! Otherwise, what does Zhang Xianggong think I am here for? Am I here to steal the throne?"

Everyone was stunned, and then they all had different thoughts:

Zhang Jun and Liu Ziyu both laughed, while Lü Zhi remained calm but sneered in his heart - Qu Da was a well-known foul-mouthed man in the court, but he came here today to make a fuss, wasn't it because he had supported Wan Qi Xie in the court and was exiled, and the lone minister who had partnered with him in the past could no longer serve, so he came here alone to pay homage to the leader? I just didn't expect this guy to be so thick-skinned that he could actually say it himself on the spot, saving the embarrassment, and he was considered a character.

However, Minister Lin Jingmo looked at Qu Da seriously again, which was rare for him, and then he sat down again.

"Qu Jiedu, you are in the army, it is better." Zhang Jun came back to his senses and smiled bitterly. "From the perspective of sharing the worries of the emperor, it is us who have a harder time..."

"What if it's better?" Qu Duan continued to face him proudly. "I haven't been to the capital for a long time. When encountering such a thing, I have to make it clear, right? How about this, all the superiors, just treat me as a subordinate and bring only a pair of ears... You talk, and I listen... Don't waste time."

"cough!"

Zhang Jun coughed dryly upon hearing this, and indeed felt that there was no need to make a scene with Qiao, so he went straight to the point. "Have you all read "Water Margin"?"

“I saw it!”

Qu Da, who came with only a pair of ears, quickly took out a bound book from his arms, and spread it on his knees, flipping through it and talking. "Before Liang Xianggong's father gave the gift to old man Cai Jing, he read the manuscript on the road. The latest story about Leopard Head Lin Chong fighting with White-clothed Scholar Wang Lun was read from the Cuju match list... My superiors, do you think this fight is a hint?"

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It’s even more exciting later!