Ji Yuan transmigrated to an unknown dynasty. He woke up to find himself poked by a calf. After he came to his senses, he realized that he had become an eight-year-old orphan cowherd. The resounding...
Chapter 109
Chapter 109
In the thirty-eighth year of Huayuan, winter.
The weather in November was so cold that people in and outside the capital didn't want to go out.
Large flakes of snow fell, and even the government office was freezing cold. Although there was a charcoal fire in the house, the heat would escape if the door was opened slightly.
Everyone was still laughing. Fortunately, their Historiography Office had finished all the previous work and everyone had been assigned official positions. Now they just had to wait to leave after the New Year.
Otherwise, it would be too hard to work in such cold weather.
As he was speaking, Ji Yuan, covered in snow, came back from outside.
While his subordinates were idle, Ji Yuan was working for Prime Minister Li.
Li Shoufu was both a Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy and the Minister of Personnel.
Everyone knows how busy the Ministry of Personnel has been recently.
At the end of the year, officials from all regions and officials in the capital are evaluated.
In addition, the promotions and demotions of officials, as well as their outstanding achievements this year, all must be sorted out and sent to the emperor.
It is said that the Ministry of Personnel is the most important of the six ministries, but it is also a burden to the six ministries.
As an "honorary" student of Prime Minister Li, Ji Yuan had helped to organize teaching materials, so it was only natural that he was called to the Ministry of Personnel to help.
There is another obscure reason that few people know.
That is the nephew of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Magistrate Nie of Zhengrong County.
Because of this relationship, Ji Yuan felt more at ease in the Ministry of Personnel.
So everyone in the Historian's Office was lazy and he was the only one who was busy running around.
Ji Yuan also asked the left and right classics to take a break, as it was a personal errand and it would not be good for them to be implicated as well.
This kind of behavior is really admirable.
Someone said: "Ji Yuan really has endless energy."
"It's so cold outside, doesn't he feel cold?"
"I heard that he grew up in a poor family and didn't even have thick clothes when he was a child. I guess he can withstand the cold."
"By the way, have the top three in the first class been assigned?"
"It seems to be settled."
The other party sighed: "They are all good places."
The third place in the first class, also known as the Tanhualang, will go directly to Suzhou.
Xie Zhifu, the second place, went to Yangzhou.
As for Ji Yuan, it is rumored that he went directly to Yingtian Prefecture!
Look at other people’s positions, each one is more powerful than the other, and each one they hold is better than the other.
But there is nothing we can do about it, because they have different identities and abilities.
Ji Yuan took the things and went to the cabinet minister.
Ji Yuan brushed off the snow on his body when he entered the door, but his colleagues still saw him and asked in amazement, "Is the snow so heavy outside?"
After saying that, he looked outside again.
They were so busy with their work that they had no idea what was happening outside.
This year seems to be even colder than last year.
Li Shoufu also looked out the window. Seeing Ji Yuan coming, he nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for your hard work recently."
The era is not bad.
His hard work is worth it.
No one noticed that Ji Yuan's fingers were trembling, not because of fatigue or hard work.
But it's serious excitement.
He came into contact with the documents of the Ministry of Personnel today, to be more precise, the promotion documents of recent years.
Ji Yuan now perked up, replying to Prime Minister Li while quickly thinking about what he had just seen.
Seeing that Ji Yuan had explained clearly, Li Shoufu said, "Sit down and rest for a while. You have been busy for a long time."
"Has the dispatch of an official been confirmed?"
Ji Yuan nodded: "Yes, Yingtian Prefecture is very good."
Yingtian Prefecture is indeed good, with a good economic and political environment.
This is a pretty good starting point.
Prime Minister Li was just a little confused. It had not been decided before, but how come it was decided this morning?
However, after much consideration, Ji Yuan believes that his vision is indeed good.
That’s right, it was Ji Yuan himself who chose to be sent to Yingtian Prefecture.
He was close to Prime Minister Li and was considered half a student of him.
When helping the Ministry of Personnel, the relationship was good, so it was naturally easy to find a place to be transferred to.
As for why we should go to Yingtian Prefecture.
Ji Yuan couldn't help but laugh when he thought of the experience of the man he saw.
Ji Yuan replied and went to sit in the Historian's Office.
It's both a rest and a way to organize your thoughts.
Wang Changdong is from Beijing.
When he was 25, that is, in the 20th year of Huayuan, he passed the examination and became a scholar, but failed in subsequent examinations.
With the help of his family connections, he got a job as a minor official in Shuntian Prefecture in the capital. Finally, he found an opportunity to go to Zhengrong County in Jianmeng Prefecture, which is relatively remote but has development potential.
Why is it said that there is development potential?
At that time, the court said that a canal should be built nearby. After it was completed, the area along the way could at least be developed.
Even the Meng Mansion was built relying on the canal.
But the news was not released, and that place was still poor, so a scholar could be arranged to be the county magistrate there.
Although this situation is rare, it does exist.
I went to Zhengrong County, and then that incident happened.
After clearing himself of all blame, he became a seventh-rank official.
In the 32nd year of Huayuan, he was a civil official of the seventh rank.
From then on, there was nothing that Lord Lin and his men could find out.
Ji Yuan finally saw the promotion in the Ministry of Personnel.
In the thirty-sixth year of Huayuan, Wang Changdong was transferred to Yingtian Prefecture and went directly to the household department where there was a lot of money.
He is also the acting head of the household department.
It is said that he holds an official position of the sixth rank, but he actually holds the power of the sixth rank.
What a great road to promotion, what a smooth road to promotion.
Ji Yuan clenched his fingers, his eyes calm and steady.
He should be happy.
Wang Changdong.
The Ministry of Revenue is acting in charge.
The person is in Yingtian Prefecture.
He had intended to go to the Ministry of Personnel, and when the list of promotions in the Ministry of Personnel came out at the end of the year and a large amount of documents needed to be reviewed, he took the initiative to go and help.
Documents from recent years are not difficult to find.
Knowing that the other party had been in the Civil Affairs Department of Huguangsi in the 32nd year of Huayuan, he quickly found out the follow-up situation.
It can be said that the other party has been careful enough.
That year in Zhengrong County.
At first, he was proud of his status and people called him County Magistrate Wang. Those who really knew his name were either beheaded by the court or simply fled when they saw that the situation was not right.
Also, even if I know something, I don’t dare to say it out loud.
Lord Lin is no longer in Zhengrong County, making it even more difficult to investigate.
As a teacher, Mr. Cheng rarely interacted with them, and it took him some effort to find out the man's name.
Fortunately, now we understand.
The household department is a lucrative one, and sooner or later I will find something to hold against them.
On the third day of November, the weather was getting colder.
The weather was different enough last year.
It seems to be even colder this year.
Ji Yuan left the office and walked all the way back home.
When I came back this time, I saw the lights were on inside.
What's wrong?
Monk Bai held the letter in his hand, his eyes red.
Monk Bai would never act like this. He advised everyone not to worry when nothing was wrong.
He had the manners of a monk, and when he was in the Ministry of Justice, he could even advise his superiors.
Ji Yuan had only seen someone this anxious once.
That time when Qingyun Temple almost encountered an accident.
But now he looks obviously much more anxious.
Did something happen in Qingyun Temple?
Ji Yuan’s guess turned out to be correct.
"Qingyun Temple, Qingyun Temple has been sealed off."
Monk Bai took a deep breath and said, "It is said that many temples in the Meng Mansion have problems. Monks are forcibly buying land and forcibly collecting incense money."
"After being reported years ago, Qingyun Temple was also closed down."
Senior Brother Bai from Qingyun Temple quickly wrote a letter to Monk Bai. As of now, almost ten days have passed.
Ji Yuan read the letter and breathed a sigh of relief: "It's just sealed. I'll check it slowly after it's sealed."
"Your senior brothers and their friends probably didn't do it, right?"
Monk Bai shook his head at first, then hesitated.
He is not quite sure.
If we "run" Qingyun Temple according to the previous method, there will definitely be no problem, and we can also make money with the surrounding villagers.
But it is hard to say whether his senior brother did as he was told.
The letter asked him to think of a solution.
He really wanted to.
This matter has been reported to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Revenue, and it depends on the opinions of both sides.
However, there are too many temples and Taoist temples involved. If we investigate them one by one, we don’t know when it will be Qingyun Temple’s turn.
Ji Yuan said: "I think Qingyun Temple also learned from other temples at that time."
"But we have given you some advice. Your senior brother knows the seriousness of the situation. Most likely, it will be fine."
Monk Bai also felt so, but he was still worried.
In the next few days, the emperor was indeed dissatisfied with this matter and ordered a thorough investigation.
The emperor cannot tolerate occupying people's land and deceiving villagers into paying incense and offerings.
At this time, Monk Bai, who was originally prepared to send an official, was also implicated.
He is a Confucian monk, and everyone knows that.
When the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Revenue found out that he came from one of the temples involved, his assignment was postponed.
The incident involving Monk Bai caused panic among the people in the Imperial Academy and the Historian's Office.
The drafted overseas assignment will generally not change.
Who knew such an accident would happen?
But then again, it was just a draft, so who knows what might happen.
Moreover, it is normal to investigate such cases at the end of the year.
Besides, now it is just said that we will talk about it later and it has not been finalized yet, which is already a great favor.
Looking back, didn’t the Historian’s Office still have Shujishi who passed the imperial examinations in the past, but they were not assigned official positions until this year?
Ji Yuan and his men inquired about the situation at the government office, and finally analyzed: "The problem with Qingyun Temple should not be serious. It is currently closed for rectification. As long as the investigation is thorough, Qingyun Temple will be cleared of all charges."
"I think Monk Bai's dispatch will have to wait until the matter of Qingyun Temple is thoroughly investigated."
"You are a scholar, and most of the people in the court will not make things difficult for you."
Gao Laosi was also silent for a while and patted Monk Bai on the shoulder.
Dong Kang stirred the charcoal fire in the house to warm everyone up, and told them what he knew: "Every year when we send officials, there are always problems of one kind or another."
"I used to complain to my family about why I always had problems with every exam and every task."
"My family says that everything going smoothly is an illusion. The same is true for their business. They have to solve problems all the time. This is everyone's job."
Everything goes smoothly is a beautiful wish.
All we can do is to sort things out one by one.
When taking the examination for the scholar, if your insurance book fails temporarily or you buy a pen that does not work well, those would be a big deal.
When I was taking the imperial examination, I memorized the Four Books and Five Classics and read countless contemporary essays. As the examination time was suddenly changed, I naturally felt that the challenge was extremely overwhelming.
The further you go, the more things happen.
Human existence is to solve problems.
Dong Kang said a lot in one breath.
A lot of Dianzhou idioms were also used; the people there seem to be naturally optimistic.
These words were also used by his family to comfort him.
Ji Yuan nodded in agreement.
That's true.
But no matter how big the problem is, it will pass. It will definitely pass.
Monk Bai recited a few sutras and managed to calm himself down. Finally, he said helplessly, "It seems that I will continue to live in this house."
He might stay in the capital for a long time like the two scholars who passed the imperial examinations in the past.
Fortunately, among the Shujishi, there were seven or eight people who were not satisfied with the official positions assigned this year and were prepared to wait a little longer.
Ji Yuan smiled and said, "That's great. Just think of it as you looking after the house for me."
Everyone calmed down and looked at the heavy snow outside.
I always feel that the sky is gloomy.
I felt everything was going well some time ago.
How could this happen in just half a month?
The winter weather in Beijing this year seems even more gloomy and terrifying.
I always feel like the sky is going to fall down. It’s so dark and makes me feel uncomfortable.
This discomfort became even more obvious when houses in the suburbs of Beijing collapsed under the weight of snow, killing three or four people.
The officials in charge of repairs from the Ministry of Works arrived before dawn. If Lord Cheng had not insisted on going earlier, even more people would have died.
Lord Cheng held the dying child in his arms, looked at the collapsed house, and put his finger inside.
Wood is hollow.
How could this be possible.
Lord Cheng couldn't let go of the children in his hands, and at the same time he wanted to see what had happened to the houses he was responsible for repairing.
I can't even take care of both.
He checked all these woods one by one.
He personally supervised the use of every material, how could this happen?
When the doctor arrived, Lord Cheng quickly checked all the houses.
Half of the material is solid.
The other half is all hollow wood, a thin layer.
Even if the snow doesn't collapse, the people inside will freeze to death.
Lord Cheng felt cold all over when he touched the wood chips in his hands.
This part is not his responsibility.
Shuntian Prefecture.
At first, it was people from Shuntian Prefecture who were repairing the houses that collapsed in the suburbs of Beijing last year.
When the construction was halfway done, a quarrel broke out in the court. The Ministry of Revenue said that people from Shuntian Prefecture had built it without permission.
The quarrel lasted from the beginning of the year until August.
As the weather was getting colder, the task was assigned to the Ministry of Works and I became responsible for it.
Time was tight, and Lord Cheng's subordinates also said that the previous house was built very well.
He then focused his energy on speeding up the renovation of houses for the people.
The time was too tight for him to even look back to see what the people in Shuntian Prefecture had done.
Mr. Cheng coughed violently.
He suddenly thought of what happened more than ten years ago.
He had just celebrated his daughter's first birthday and was thinking that next year would be the year of the imperial examination, and he would definitely get good grades and bring honor to the Cheng family.
There is no need to say more about what happened next.
The Cheng family became the target of public attention because of the poem praising the prince.
The family members who died were degraded.
It has been more than ten years, and I finally got a break this year.
At that time, it was said that the Cheng family had him as the third place in the imperial examination, which helped them to maintain some foundation.
As for the residential areas in the suburbs of Beijing, I’m afraid that not even a single foundation can be preserved.
No, there is also his cousin, who has gone out and is not involved in the dispute here.
Lord Cheng's subordinates also realized something.
They seemed to have inadvertently taken the blame for someone else.
So many ingredients mixed together.
Who knows which ones they built and which ones were originally there?
In other words, who knows whether the people under them will replace the original with the original when they take over.
Each one is possible.
Mr. Cheng took a deep breath and said, "Next, there are many lawsuits to fight."
The subordinates shared the same honor with Lord Cheng and nodded vigorously.
The case was won and they were found not guilty.
If you can’t play well, it depends on the mood of the person above.
They are also stupid. How can they do a good job of maintenance?
Why do I still feel that the higher-ups value me?
They were even more confused, thinking that they were in a hurry, so they did not check every house, let alone check thoroughly.
In officialdom, if you are careless in one step, everything will be over.
Lord Cheng said: "First settle the victims, and immediately check all the houses that have been repaired this year. No more accidents can happen."
Four people have died.
He was sure that there was absolutely no problem with the house he handled.
But the job was indeed given to him.
He has an unshirkable responsibility.
Imperial Palace, Qinzheng Hall.
The emperor was furious.
"Collapse again?"
"Good, very good indeed."
"Do I support you for free?! Hundreds of houses collapsed last year and were rebuilt this year under the emperor's feet. How many troubles have you caused?!"
"Built in August, collapsed in November, good, really good."
The emperor couldn't even catch his breath as the cold air that had just come in from behind the screen made him suffocate.
The Qinzheng Hall was suddenly in chaos.
The young eunuch who arrived quickly knelt down and kowtowed.
The prince took a step forward, but the emperor stared at him closely and did not let the prince get closer.
The emperor suddenly thought of the official in charge of renovating residential houses in the suburbs of Beijing. His surname was Cheng and he was also a third place in the imperial examination.
Back then, it was the Cheng family who praised the prince, saying that he would become a wise ruler in the future.
Is there any connection between these two things?
No.
Not at all.
But it just made the emperor angry for no reason.
He was coughing violently at this moment, and looking at the prince who was in his prime, he felt indescribably angry.
Why.
Why is this person here?
How come I am so sickly?
I am the emperor, and I am the only one in this world who can control everything.
The emperor coughed more and more violently, pointing at the prince's face: "Get out! Get out!"
Why are you angry?
There was also a strange kind of anger.
If you look closely, you will find that this anger is powerless.
He is an aging man who cannot control what he wants.
Looking more closely, he is just like countless middle-aged and elderly men in the countryside who want to beat their children and wives.
Anger comes from fear, anger comes from weakness.
He is old.
He is really old.
The prince is still young.
The emperor spat out a mouthful of blood, which was particularly conspicuous on the memorial.
The people in the Qinzheng Hall became even more panicked. The imperial physician had already arrived and hurried to give the emperor acupuncture.
The corners of the prince's mouth twitched, but he couldn't smile and had no expression.
Over the years, he has become accustomed to his father's mood swings, and he even knows the source of the emperor's anger.
Generally speaking, he hides.
Try to keep a low profile.
The prince sighed, looked at no one, and did not tell the imperial doctors to get busy.
The imperial concubine and the fifth prince came hurriedly over.
The emperor is willing to meet these two people.
The imperial concubine is truly gentle, and the fifth prince is stupid.
The emperor was even gentle to those who posed no threat to his power.
Prime Minister Li looked at all this and felt that a storm was about to come.
Last year, the Emperor’s dissatisfaction with the Crown Prince was indeed the source.
What just happened in the Qinzheng Palace spread quickly throughout the capital.
There was a lot of discussion about this in the government office.
It's snowing heavily outside now, and I heard that someone died in the suburbs of Beijing.
Here in the Hanlin Academy, things are becoming quieter.
Especially the Historian's Office, this matter has nothing to do with them.
Most people were preparing to be sent abroad, and what they were talking about were mostly the emperor, the crown prince, and the fifth prince.
Someone asked, "Could it be that the Emperor has his eyes on the Fifth Prince?"
"It's possible. I heard that before the Emperor fell into a coma, he told His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to get out."
The words were spoken in a hushed voice, but how could they not know what was going on.
Many people looked at Xie Zhifu's position.
Xie Zhifu is the imperial concubine's nephew. At this moment, he is already waiting outside the Qinzheng Palace. There is nothing he can do except show his face.
His seat was naturally vacant.
Some people also said: "What are you thinking? His Royal Highness has been the Crown Prince for many years, his position is stable, and he even performed sacrifices for the Emperor at the beginning of the year."
This is evidence that the emperor has no intention of deposing the crown prince.
The main thing is that the prince has done nothing wrong.
Ji Yuan thought to himself, there are so many deposed princes in history, could it be that they were all wrong?
It’s simply because it doesn’t meet the emperor’s wishes.
Trying to please someone is simply a fallacy.
This person is still the emperor.
No matter what you say or do, you can't tell right from wrong.
The prince suddenly felt a little tired. He had really tried his best over the years.
I'm afraid it won't be possible for me to ask to pray for my father again this year.
Naturally, the people in the Hanlin Academy's Historian Office did not know what the Crown Prince was thinking.
Things in the court are changing rapidly.
They had already felt it before they actually entered officialdom.
Ji Yuan listened to everyone talking, hoping that this winter would pass quickly.
It is best to stay away from the capital.
In Ji Yuan's hands are the customs and culture of Yingtian Prefecture.
Since you are going there to work, you must understand the local situation.
Many people still envied him and asked, "On November 15th, are you going to the Prince's Mansion to accompany him in his studies? Is this the last time this year?"
Ji Yuan nodded, not only for the last time this year, but also for his last time.
He will take office in the first month of the new year.
It’s a pity that the semi-teacher-student relationship with Prime Minister Li didn’t last long.
The last class of this year is about the contents of Zizhi Tongjian.
As usual, Prime Minister Li gave him an outline and asked him to complete the content.
Among the Five Classics of the Anniversary Period, the one we studied was the Spring and Autumn Annals. The Spring and Autumn Annals is a history book, as is the Zizhi Tongjian.
As a chronological historical book, it is naturally particularly important among the vast sea of classics.
Song Shensong wrote a preface for this, saying: "Learn from the rise and fall of the past and examine the gains and losses of the present."
Such a great book, have you read it before the Epoch Times?
Of course I have read it. If you read history books without reading this book, then your learning would be in vain.
Ji Yuan also discussed this book with Dr. Yin.
But when I learn it again now, it seems to feel even more different.
What Ji Yuan was reading at this time was not the content he was about to learn, but an article that many people were familiar with, The Changes of Xuanwu.
There is no need to say much about this part. Back then, the Qin Palace had powerful troops and suppressed my father's prestige. There is no need to say more about the story after that.
Ji Yuan didn’t know whether Tianqi Kingdom would do so, but it was inevitable that people would think too much.
Ji Yuan shook his head and decided to just do his job well.
Maybe it will be fine after this winter.
The elderly are more likely to get sick in winter, and are also more likely to have wild thoughts when they are sick.
As long as the weather gets warmer, the emperor should regain his sanity.
It all depends on the prince's patience.
As long as nothing goes wrong, the crown prince shouldn't be deposed, right?
Facts have proved that Ji Yuan still underestimated the alienation of imperial power on people.
He also underestimated the pressure the prince was under and the suspicion that had lasted for more than a decade.
This time the prince really angered the emperor.
Ji Yuan didn’t quite know what exactly happened, but he heard that someone suggested that the prince pray for the emperor again.
The emperor refused outright, and asked if he would offer sacrifices to heaven and earth for him again? Did he think the prince was already the emperor?
Elderly people on sickbeds are no exception, even the emperor.
Speak evil words and bluff.
Ji Yuan thought to himself, if the prince really thought so, the emperor probably wouldn't dare to say so.
The emperor was both suspicious and trusting, which was why he behaved like this.
I thought this matter would end with the prince giving in.
Unexpectedly, the prince gritted his teeth and said that he didn't dare.
After that, he seemed to say some extremely aggrieved words, and finally said: "If it doesn't work, you can just take away the position of Crown Prince."
Ji Yuan's face was filled with shock.
But the rumors outside are really like this.
This, what is going on!
The natural result was that the prince was confined to the prince's mansion, and the entire prince's family was forced to reflect on their mistakes.
In an ordinary family, the natural thing to do is to let the child reflect on himself.
If it were placed in the heavenly family, it would arouse countless speculations.
In addition, the ones who have been taking care of the patient recently are the Imperial Concubine and the Fifth Prince.
Rumors spread everywhere for a while.
Why does Ji Yuan know so much?
Of course, because tomorrow is November 15th, the last scheduled tutoring class.
Prime Minister Li said that he didn't need to go, because he was afraid that if he went directly to the Prince's Mansion, he would be targeted.
The people around Prime Minister Li are familiar with Ji Yuan, so they said so much.
In short, there is chaos in the palace now.
Prime Minister Li couldn't say anything to help the prince.
But as the Prince's tutor, and even the tutor of the Emperor's eldest grandson, he would definitely feel uncomfortable as long as he appeared in front of the Emperor.
Ji Yuan felt that if the emperor was given a device to measure his blood pressure, his blood pressure would probably soar when he saw anyone related to the prince.
You don’t have to go to the Prince’s Mansion to attend classes, you still have to go to the Hanlin Academy.
The Hanlin Academy was also in a state of panic.
There are quite a few people inside, and they are vaguely divided into two camps.
On one side they supported the crown prince, and on the other side they secretly sided with the fifth prince.
Last year, when the emperor was seriously ill, this kind of atmosphere existed in the court.
At that time, the Fifth Prince even stopped playing Cuju.
He also officially came into contact with government affairs this year, and relatively speaking, there are obviously more people standing on his side this year.
There is a storm coming in the court.
The Shujishi could only try their best to stay at home.
Ji Yuan went to the Ministry of Personnel less often.
They wanted to keep a low profile, but the turmoil in the court had not subsided.
The fire finally burned on Prime Minister Li's head.
Prime Minister Li is sixty-three this year.
After the new year, it will be sixty-four.
The retirement age stipulated by the Tianqi State was sixty-five.
Some special ones are granted by the emperor.
For example, the emperor once said that he wanted Prime Minister Li to work until he was 75 years old.
Normally speaking, since Prime Minister Li was expected to retire at the age of 75, there was no need to mention the so-called successor to the Prime Minister.
But the emperor did mention it and even selected the candidate.
The Emperor has already indicated that at the beginning of next year, Grand Secretary Chu will take over some of the responsibilities of Prime Minister Li.
Once this news came out, it was a real blow to the prince's lineage.
Although it was tense that the prince was under house arrest, it was not a big deal.
The emperor has no intention of deposing the crown prince.
But it's pretty much the same as last year.
But the most terrifying thing is that Li Shoufu, the pillar of the prince's lineage, retired.
Should Scholar Chu support the crown prince or the fifth prince?
On the surface, he doesn't support anyone.
As a result, the emperor trusted Lord Chu even more.
Waves of news came in.
This made these scholars feel a little uneasy.
Everyone knows that whirlpools cause ripples on the water surface.
But they were all students before, or they were not from the capital.
I don't feel deeply about this.
But now they are in the center of the vortex and are almost being swept into it.
Some people also asked Ji Yuan what he thought.
Ji Yuan didn't intend to speak.
He just wants to spend the New Year in peace.
In the winter of the thirty-eighth year of Huayuan, life was extremely difficult for everyone in the capital.
In the fight between the Fifth Prince and the Crown Prince, the latter has a greater chance of winning.
Among the court officials, Grand Secretary Chu and Prime Minister Li were competing with each other, and the former clearly had the upper hand.
At night, Ji Yuan suddenly sat up.
Good job.
The emperor is still playing a balancing act.
The situation in the court was already like this, and he didn't believe that the emperor couldn't see that although Grand Secretary Chu was neutral on the surface, he was actually secretly on the side of the Fifth Prince.
For Academician Chu, the prince already has Prime Minister Li, whom he can trust enough.
Prime Minister Li is seven years younger than Grand Secretary Chu.
Even if he surrendered to the prince, he would only be number two, and always number two.
But if he tries to get close to the Fifth Prince, he may be able to take the top spot.
The longer Prime Minister Li stayed in the position, the more he wanted to start a new business.
Who would like to be the second place forever?
But is this really the case?
The Fifth Prince has very little chance of winning. Could it be that Grand Secretary Chu can't see that?
It seems that he pretended to support, but in fact he was using the Fifth Prince to gain political resources.
He wants to be the emperor's balancer.
That's right, he just wanted to be a balancer and squeeze out Prime Minister Li.
To put it simply.
The emperor knew that the crown prince's position was stable, and taking his youngest son to handle official duties was just to put a little "pressure" on the crown prince.
The Crown Prince also knew about this, but he was under great pressure from his father's fickleness.
Prime Minister Li, doesn’t the Grand Secretary Chu know?
I know.
From this point of view, Prime Minister Li's position is very stable, as long as he can hold out until the emperor's anger subsides.
As the Prince's tutor, he is still the chief minister.
However, Grand Secretary Chu was unwilling to do so. He took the initiative and seemed to be helping the Fifth Prince.
In reality, he was using himself to help the emperor weaken the prince's power.
Once he weakens the prince's power, I can make up for it!
Of course, after the prince actually ascends the throne, he will still remain "neutral".
Will the prince feel unhappy?
Most likely not.
Even if Prime Minister Li was invited back, the Grand Secretary Chu at that time knew a lot of things. After all, he was still seven years younger.
This matter seems to be a game between the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince.
In reality, it was just a fight among court officials.
Looking at the end, Prime Minister Li firmly sat at the top of the Hanlin Academy, and it was Chu Daxueshi who succeeded him, allowing Prime Minister Li to retire "on time".
The Grand Secretary of Chu can be loyal and even more loyal to the Crown Prince.
In short, you have to struggle, only by struggling can you have a future.
This is quite consistent with Mr. Chu's personality.
What the emperor wants is to warn the prince and ensure that the prince will not have any other thoughts while he is in power.
But he never thought of replacing the crown prince.
What Grand Secretary Chu wanted was for Prime Minister Li to leave so that he could take his place!
As for whether Prime Minister Li will be driven away, that depends on the game between the two sides.
As for the Fifth Prince?
It was no use for the Fifth Prince to jump up and down.
Not to mention that the Crown Prince is well-known for his virtue, the Emperor's eldest grandson is already eleven years old and his position cannot be more secure.
Furthermore, the emperor is sometimes clear-headed and sometimes confused.
But he was able to develop the Tianqi Kingdom to its current state, sit firmly on the throne for thirty or forty years, and even had relatively few wars.
Could he really be confused?
Obviously not.
Now, these things are just an elderly father competing with his son.
They are a family.
Are they these low-level officials?
It doesn't matter if they are affected, no one cares anyway.
Just like no one cared about the Cheng family back then.
Even though the emperor later gave the third place as compensation, the prince also secretly helped the Cheng family.
But that's what happened to the Cheng family.
It was even recently involved in the collapse of residential buildings in the suburbs of Beijing.
If Lord Cheng hadn't rescued him in time, he would have been imprisoned by now.
But it’s almost the same now. I have to report to the Ministry of Justice every day, and the work of the Ministry of Works has also been suspended.
For those in power, anything they do to maintain the balance of power may become a death rope for those below them.
so.
The emperor and his son played house.
Is it really not a big problem?
Not big for them.
To the people below, it was like a storm.
Ji Yuan fell asleep.
The world is in chaos and I am sleeping!
The capital city is really extraordinary.
There are new surprises every day.
Ji Yuan feels that anyone who can survive here is very cunning.
Fortunately, other things haven't changed much.
Ji Yuan went to the Cheng family several times. Mr. Cheng was still under investigation and his emotions were still stable.
After all, this matter is also related to Shuntian Prefecture, and both sides will argue about it.
The actual review will probably have to wait until after the New Year.
December 25th was the last day on duty for officials in the capital, and everyone was feeling lazy.
I came to work on the sixth day after the New Year.
After the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, official documents of assignment will be handed to them, and then they can leave the capital.
The Shujishi all breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally I can leave the capital.
The waters in Beijing are still too deep for them today.
I thought that after reading thousands or tens of thousands of documents, I had some understanding of the affairs in the court.
Only now do I understand that it was just the tip of the iceberg and the rest I have to experience on my own.
The one who knows the most about this is another person.
Magistrate Nie, Lord Nie.
I thought he would come back after the New Year.
But the successor official left early and he returned early as well.
Having not been home for four years, he and the officials around him must want to come back.
However, on the day he returned, Magistrate Nie handed Ji Yuan a letter and invited him to a dinner.
After all, they came from the same place.
Zhengrong County had a profound impact on Lord Nie Shiming.
Moreover, Ji Yuan was the top scholar among his students, and now they are his colleagues. It would be strange if he didn't invite him to dinner.
It would be fine for others, but when the local officials came to invite him, Ji Yuan would definitely go.
Nie Shiming himself is considered a young talent. He passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi at the age of 23. Now he is 27 and has had four years of experience in overseas assignments.
Although I will be sent abroad after reporting back this time, the place I will go to will definitely be good.
This is indeed the case.
Nie Shiming said: "If nothing unexpected happens, I will also go to Yingtian Prefecture, and we will still be colleagues then."
Nie Shiming's uncle worked in the Ministry of Personnel, and they had had contact before the era.
Given this relationship, it's not surprising that Nie Shiming knows where he's going after the New Year.
It seems that Yingtianfu is indeed a good place.
Nie Shiming's uncle paved the way for him to a good place like Zhengrong County.
The second time I was assigned abroad, it definitely wouldn’t be bad.
Ji Yuan looked at Lord Nie and said with a smile, "I will continue to rely on Lord Nie in the future."
Ji Yuan smiled sincerely.
Things on his side are going a little too smoothly.
Nie Shiming laughed: "With your intelligence, it's not certain who will rely on whom in the future."
Nie Shiming served as a county magistrate for four years and admired Ji Yuan even more.
Ji Yuan's intelligence and wit are unmatched by others.
The two had a very pleasant conversation. Although Ji Yuan didn't drink, Nie Shiming drank a lot. He was very happy to finally return to his hometown.
The court officials in the capital finally had their winter vacation.
There was no big celebration this year as the Emperor was still ill, the Crown Prince was under house arrest, and many matters in the palace were handled by the Fifth Prince.
The fight between Prime Minister Li and Grand Secretary Chu has really reached a fever pitch.
The teams in the court were somewhat clearly divided.
Fortunately, these have little to do with the officials who are to be sent abroad.
The people around Ji Yuan also have their own places to go.
The Liu army of Wuying packed their things and set out before the 15th day of the lunar year. They were in good health and could hit the road even in freezing weather.
Wu Renhao will stay and follow Ji Yuan when the time comes.
Gao Laosi was finally assigned an official position and went directly to the Ministry of Works of a state. Gao Laosi was very good at math and was exactly the right person for the job.
It seems that the Ministry of Personnel does not assign positions randomly, but still takes these things into consideration.
The White Monk was not so lucky.
As long as the situation in Qingyun Temple is not clarified, he cannot be assigned an official position and will remain in the Hanlin Academy as a Shujishi.
Ji Yuan said: "You can go back home before being assigned abroad. I will go to Jianmeng Mansion to check the situation after the New Year and send you a letter then."
Ji Yuan went to see it in person, there must be no problem.
If Qingyun Temple really did something bad, Monk Bai planned to take up a teaching position in Jianmeng Mansion and tidy up Qingyun Temple at the same time.
If the temple doesn't do anything else, then he can just wait and see.
Monk Bai breathed a sigh of relief: "If you go and see, that will be a great help to me."
"There's no need to talk about this between us friends."
Ji Yuan also smiled: "I'm still waiting for you to show me the yard. I hope you don't stay there for too long and the matter will be settled soon."
The white monk nodded. He also wanted to do so.
In the first two months, everyone was happily preparing for the future.
I didn't expect that such a mistake would happen in Qingyun Temple in such a short time.
All I can say is that things change.
That being said, we still have to celebrate the New Year.
Ji Yuan also prepared some New Year gifts and went to visit the Cheng family.
I felt relieved after confirming that the Cheng family didn't have any serious problems.
Teacher Cheng has helped him so much, and the Cheng family's affairs are his affairs.
Lord Cheng was deeply moved.
When he ran into problems on his mission, many people in the court avoided him. Only Ji Yuan was willing to visit him again and again, and that was only after Ji Yuan had dissuaded him.
Back in the next yard, the hot pot was ready.
On the last day, Wuying went to the street to buy fresh mutton, so that everyone could have a good meal this time.
Who doesn't like fresh lamb?
The smoky aroma of hot pot makes the room warm and lively.
The room was filled with the aroma of delicious food.
Another year has passed.
Thirty-nine years in Huayuan.
Ji Yuan was fifteen years old, or sixteen, anyway he always liked to make up one year.
Others try to make themselves look younger, so only he is willing to talk more.
It’s really hard to say about age.
On the sixth day of the first lunar month, after the normal work of the court.
The issue of Prime Minister Li’s age has been discussed endlessly.
Prime Minister Li is sixty-four years old this year.
I'll reach that age in one or two years.
It is just as the Emperor said before, that Prime Minister Li should be kept until he is seventy-five.
Or is it like the rumor from a few years ago, that Mr. Chu will replace him?
This is an extremely difficult question.
Ji Yuan walked into the cabinet again.
On the left is Wenyuan Pavilion, and on the right is Jixian Palace.
Now people on both sides are glaring at each other, neither willing to submit to the other.
Ji Yuan's slight pause was surprisingly obvious.
He is going to Wenyuan Pavilion!
Ji Yuan was about to leave, only to see Chu Daxueshi waving at him with a smile.
We can't just ignore this situation.
Chu Daxueshi smiled and said to Ji Yuan: "It is said that you are half a student of Prime Minister Li. Is it true or not?"
There is no need to say more about this.
Say it's true.
That's the person from Wenyuan Pavilion.
It's a lie.
The Jixian official opened his arms.
The Hanlin officials on both sides actually pricked up their ears.
"Ji Yuan, aren't you going to the Ministry of Personnel to help? Why are you standing here?"
Lord Nie, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel who came out of Wenyuan Pavilion and the third-in-command of the Ministry of Personnel, rescued Ji Yuan.
Lord Nie nodded at him and asked him to follow him.
Ji Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed.
That question is really hard to answer.
Chu Daxueshi looked at the back of Nie Shilang of the Ministry of Personnel and wondered, "Why would this person meddle in other people's business?"
Someone nearby naturally answered: "His nephew seems to have a good relationship with Ji Yuan."
After checking, they said, "The county where his nephew was sent is Ji Yuan's hometown."
Chu Daxueshi frowned, stared at his subordinate and said, "That county was one of the counties where the canal accident happened that year?"
"Yes, Minister Nie specifically picked one of them, saying that the officials later managed it well, so he let his nephew take advantage of it."
"You are amazing, Grand Secretary. There are so many small counties in the world, but you still remember this."
"You handled the corruption case so beautifully. Even now, it is your credit."
Other counties may not remember.
I still have some impression of those counties.
The huge canal corruption case back then involved too many people.
Not to mention that this matter was handled personally by Grand Secretary Chu.
The case was handled quickly and well, which made the emperor very satisfied.
Chu Daxueshi said again: "Jiyuan's parents are both dead. How did his parents die?"
My subordinates only know the former and not the latter.
Fortunately, this matter was handled by the Grand Secretary Chu, and all the files are in the Jixian Hall.
After some verification, Mr. Chu no longer had the smile on his face.
Ji Yuan's parents both died in the huge corruption case of that year, or were affected by the huge corruption case.
Logically, the matter is over.
The county magistrate of the neighboring county had all died, and countless minor officials in his own county had also died.
Only one person was left out.
The county magistrate of Zhengrong County at that time was Wang Changdong.
And Wang Changdong is from his wife’s family.
The man fled to the inn where he was staying overnight, and there is no need to say what happened next.
Scholar Chu’s eyes turned cold.
I actually raised a tiger to harm myself.
If he had known Ji Yuan's background earlier, he would not have been able to pass the imperial examination, let alone become an official in the court.
If Ji Yuan was an ordinary smart person, this matter would be easy to handle.
But this person is really capable and is the only one that Prime Minister Li and I have taken a fancy to in recent decades.
I thought it would be my "student" t.
It seems that there is no need to win them over now.
How could a man like Ji Yuan forget such a deep blood feud?
He even found out where Wang Changdong was currently working.
Yingtian Prefecture.
This time, Ji Yuan is being sent abroad to Yingtian Prefecture.
Is he going to be an official?
No.
He did it for revenge.
Scholar Chu, one of the four grand secretaries of the Hanlin Academy and the master of the Jixian Palace, pointed to a place at random.
"Yingtian Prefecture cannot achieve any political achievements."
"Let him go to Dianzhou Prefecture."
Dianzhou Prefecture?!
Are you sure?
That place is extremely poor.
Moreover, there is a lot of miasma in it, and many people who went there would suffer from acclimatization and die.
There is at least five thousand miles between Yingtian Prefecture and Dianzhou Prefecture.
This, this difference is too big.
Scholar Chu looked at his subordinates.
What we want is the discomfort caused by the local climate and water.
If an ordinary person wanted to take revenge, he wouldn't take the person so far away.
There is always a way to make it work, whether through coercion or inducement.
But for the era.
The only way is to kill them all.
This is the greatest respect for the enemy.
Even if this enemy has just grown up.
For that Wang Changdong?
Not really.
He protected a little Wang Changdong just to protect his own power.
Just like he wanted to eradicate the roots of the problem, it was also for his own safety.
Ji Yuan is not only not an ally, but also has a blood feud with his own forces.
He can find Yingtian Prefecture to take revenge.
We must also know who protected Wang Changdong.
This is a hidden danger.
Only get rid of it.
Scholar Chu sighed.
Who could have thought it would be like this.
This is the fate of the Jiyuan family.