Chapter 11 Gangfeng
The memorials from the Qingliu faction did indeed have a profound impact. After learning the exact news, people became particularly worried about the safety of the "Grand Ceremony". After much deliberation, Mu Qi decided to speed up the process of document organization. Not only did he order his housekeeper to select famous business cards, he also wrote a letter to Mr. Gui himself to express his sincerity in inviting talented people.
But history always has some unexpected coincidences. Gui Zhenchuan, who was trapped in Beijing, received this completely unexpected letter, but although he was surprised, he did not feel ecstatic about being favored by the nobles. He carefully saw off the servants of the Duke's Mansion, hesitated for a moment, and knocked on the door of the guest room next door:
"Brother Gangfeng! Brother Runlian!"
The two men in the guest room stood up and bowed to greet Mr. Gui. Mr. Gui exchanged a few pleasantries and then handed over the letter from the Prince of Duke Mu.
"I never thought I would be favored like this!" After a brief explanation, Mr. Gui sighed, "The prince's words are very sincere, and he personally invited me, so it's hard for me to refuse."
The thin, dark man took the letter, glanced at it, and put it aside. Mr. Zhenchuan was right. Judging from the handwriting of the letter alone, it was definitely not written by Qingke Xianggong, but was definitely written by the son of a noble family. A Qingke Xianggong with such poor handwriting would never be able to make a living.
Of course, even among the many uneducated children of nobles, this poor handwriting is truly shocking. Hai Gangfeng couldn't bear to look any longer.
"The reputation of Duke Mu's Mansion in the capital is pretty good, and it doesn't seem to bully people." Hai Gangfeng said, "Living in the capital is not easy. It's very appropriate for Brother Zhenchuan to find a job there."
Wang Runlian on the side smiled: "The word 'very appropriate' is too light. Brother Gangfeng has been in southern Xinjiang for a long time, and may not know much about the situation in the capital. The current Mu family is the first-class noble family in the country! Let's not talk about the merits of the ancestors. When the emperor moved from Anlu to the capital to inherit the throne, it was the grandfather of the previous generation of Mu, the Duke of Mu, who led the team to escort him!"
Wang Runlian had been an official in Beijing for several years, so he was probably more well-informed. He also knew the old Taoist's temperament very well: ordinary integrity, diligence, justice, loyalty and righteousness might not be valued in the eyes of Master Feixuan; but the favor of accompanying the emperor in the past could not be easily erased and he would definitely reward them greatly.
As everyone knows, in the decades since Zhenjun ascended the throne, apart from performing magic tricks and cultivating immortality, he has basically done three major things: proving that he is the legitimate successor; recognizing his own biological father as his father; eating the food of Emperor Wuzong's extinct family and kicking the door of Empress Dowager Zhang, the widow of Emperor Xiaozong. The lineage of Duke Mu is closely connected with the first two major events that the True Lord cares about, so how could it not be in the Emperor's favor and rise to prominence?
None of you here are pedantic. Of course, I know what a great help this noble family can be. Gui Zhenchuan was successful at a young age and submitted a tribute at the age of 18. However, he failed repeatedly in the imperial examinations and wasted nearly ten years. If the prince of the Duke could give some pointers, the road to success would be within reach!
But Gui Zhenchuan was a little embarrassed: "I understand this truth. But I heard that the prince of Duke Mu behaves quite differently from ordinary people. I'm afraid it will be difficult to get along with him."
Gui's family was an aristocratic family in Kunshan. Although they are now in decline, they still have some connections. In fact, what Mr. Zhenchuan called "different from ordinary people" is already quite euphemistic. According to the sayings circulated among the upper class in Beijing, how can the Prince of Duke Mu be called different from ordinary people? That is simply "unreasonable"!
Hai Gangfeng didn't quite understand:
"What's so special about it?"
Mr. Zhenchuan was reluctant to talk about others behind their backs, but he still sighed: "People in the capital say that this prince likes to hang out with witch doctors and craftsmen. He often invites blacksmiths, gardeners, and weavers to his mansion to do some kind of 'experimental' thing. It's really not very decent. It would be fine if he just behaved inappropriately, but he often behaves disrespectfully when he is on duty in the inner court."
He looked around and whispered, "Do you know the 'Seven Remonstrances of Wuzhong'?"
Three years ago, an earthquake occurred in Hua County, Shaanxi, causing heavy casualties. Seven censors submitted memorials at the same time, requesting the emperor to save money to provide relief to the victims and to cancel wasteful projects such as fasting, sacrificial ceremonies, and palaces. The memorials were so painful and intense that they greatly touched the heart of Master Feixuan. It is said that they have pointed out my faults to my face, and the crime should be exterminated along with the entire nine generations of my clan. Yan Fenyi took advantage of the situation and instructed the censor to fabricate charges, slandering the seven people for forming a clique for personal gain, and using wild words and curses, committing treason, and his words were extremely harsh.
The reason why Lord Yan could climb to his current position was not just because of his ability to lick people. The offensive he personally organized was so cunning and vicious that it was impossible to resist. During the debate in the court, Yan Fenyi's side spoke passionately and with great momentum. After only a few exchanges, they were ready to accuse the seven people of treason and the crime of exterminating their entire clan. As a result, the Prince of Duke Mu, who was accompanying him, let out a howl and suddenly fainted and fell down, which frightened the old Taoist priest who was watching viciously.
"…The emperor ordered the imperial physician to revive the man, but the prince burst into tears again, saying that he was so moved by seeing how loyal and devoted Yan Ge Lao was to the emperor and the court, and how he treated the emperor and his father like a father, that he accidentally fell down." Gui Zhenchuan said, "He cried harder and harder, and kept mumbling, saying that he was ignorant before, but now he knows what loyalty and love are, and what the ancient benevolent people's heart is; he must reflect on himself, learn from Yan Ge Lao, and pay tribute to Yan Ge Lao, and kept saying things like 'Yan Ge Lao is so great!' and 'Your kindness is not over yet!' Yan Ge Lao… Yan Ge Lao was speechless at the time."
It is one thing for Yan Dang to lick the Prime Minister in private, but it is another thing to lick the Prime Minister in public. As for "fairness and integrity", even Yan Fenyi himself probably couldn't hold it together.
Besides, Lord Yan had just denounced his political enemies for forming factions, and now someone suddenly appeared out of nowhere and added fuel to his fire. How else could he respond?
Seeing Yan Fenyi speechless and unable to speak due to the chaotic scene, the emperor was so angry that he stormed out without arguing any further. The charges against the seven men were limited to dismissal from office and exile, and their lives were luckily saved.
Such a farce, of course, shocked the entire court, and rumors are still circulating today; but the connections of Duke Mu's mansion were too strong, and the emperor could not possibly deal with the duke's only son; in the end, he was only fined one year's salary and confined to his home for misbehavior in the palace. After this incident became a big deal, Prince Mu's reputation spread far and wide, and one can imagine his reputation.
Wang Runlian and Hai Gangfeng were stunned and finally experienced the so-called "different from ordinary people". But after a brief silence, Hai Gangfeng finally spoke:
"Between this Duke Mu's son and the 'Seven Advisers of Wuzhong', or Elder Yan..."
"There is absolutely no intersection." Gui Zhenchuan shook his head: "Everyone in the capital knows that Duke Mu's Mansion never sees outsiders."
Precisely because of the "absolute lack of intersection", Prince Mu was regarded by the court as "unreasonable" - normal people simply cannot understand his performance!
Hai Gangfeng thought for a moment, then carefully looked at the letter written by the prince, trying to decipher the poor handwriting.
"...In my opinion, people's words may not be completely trustworthy." He said quietly: "Brother Zhenchuan, if you want to meet the prince of Duke Mu, I would like to take the liberty of joining you in the meeting. Is that okay?"
·
Xu Shaohu groaned, finally opened his eyes, and saw the familiar roof. The family members and servants around him immediately burst into tears, and the eldest son Xu Yunyan even knelt forward and called out in a low voice:
“Dad, Dad!”
Xu Shaohu did not answer, but quickly reached into the quilt and checked his lower body. Lord Xu had experienced ups and downs in the officialdom for decades, and his character was very hard, unlike ordinary people. Even at the last moment when he was terrified and about to pass out, Lord Xu made the most correct decision based on his experience - he decisively stuffed the book into his □□.
Looking back now, this operation was truly a wise one. In the chaos, no one dared to take off the elder's pants, so this crucial private information was still kept intact and not leaked.
He felt relieved and spoke hoarsely:
"What time is it?"
Xu Yunyan cried, "Dad, it's already Mao time!"
So he was unconscious for two or three hours in one breath? Xu Shaohu sighed:
"Stop crying... Has anyone come to see you?"
"The West Garden sent a doctor to deliver medicine, and some people from the elders' families also came." Xu Yunyan said carefully, "They all said, please take good care of yourself, Dad. If you need anything, just let me know."
Involving Xiyuan means involving Master Feixuan. In the past, Lord Xu would have carefully pondered and understood every sentence. But now... now, after being shocked by the shocking information in the book that fell from the sky, Lord Xu suddenly felt exhausted and really couldn't fight any longer.
...Destroy it, quickly, I’m tired.
However, although Lord Xu was in a low mood at the moment, there were many people around him who were in high spirits. Yesterday, Zhou Zhicheng, who had just encountered a big incident and stayed at Xu's house, crawled over on his knees, and said excitedly:
"Your Excellency! You may not know that the imperial physician was summoned to the Yan residence yesterday! I heard that Yan Fenyi came back from his duties and suddenly developed some terrible illness. He is still staying indoors!"
Xu Shaohu sighed and was too lazy to correct the "also". Considering Yan Fenyi's current situation, he was actually not too surprised by the "serious illness". Not to mention the efficacy of the elixir, just the emperor's oral order that the budget of Emperor Gaozu must be used to prepare for Goryeo's tribute would cost Yan Fenyi his life, and it might not be possible to accomplish it. Xu Shaohu asked himself and felt that if it were him, the only way out would be a serious illness.
...But we should still be thankful. After all, we are only acting according to the budget of Emperor Gaozu, not the rules of Emperor Gaozu. Otherwise, everyone in the Ministry of Rites, from top to bottom, should prepare wooden racks for drying human skins.
According to legend, drying human skin on a camphor wood rack is the best way to prevent insects, but I don't know if it's true.
Obviously, Zhou Zhicheng took the trouble to inquire about the family affairs of the Yan family because he was ready to prepare for a thorough fight. He ignored Xu Shaohu's pale face and leaned over to whisper, "Lord, now is a good time to submit a petition..."
Xu Shaohu's expression changed slightly: his wronged relative was right, now is indeed a good time to write a letter. Yan Fenyi was ill and unable to attend to official duties, and Xia Yan also had a lot of conflicts with Yan's party; if he instigated the Qingliu to write a petition, he could indeed gain the upper hand in one fell swoop, and at least take away most of the financial power of the Ministry of Revenue...
Then what? Then it will be Qingliu's turn to take charge and prepare to cut spending.
When he thought of this, Xu Shaohu immediately shuddered!
He immediately wanted to refuse and ask Zhou Zhicheng to act cautiously and take care of himself, at least to work out a proper plan before seizing power; to avoid cutting some major artery in the process of cutting spending and sending all nine clans to heaven - of course, it didn't matter if the nine clans of the Zhou family went to heaven; but after all the calculations, he was also among the nine clans of the Zhou family!
But when he saw Zhou Zhicheng's eager expression, Lord Xu fell silent again. Even though they had not been close friends in the past, after two encounters now, he had a clear idea of the intelligence level of his relative. If there is no one to keep a door for him, what he writes will inevitably cause disaster - such as those damn "也".
...But think about it carefully, as long as this disaster does not implicate the entire clan, what does it have to do with Lord Xu? Of course it is shameful to fail to protect your subordinates, but considering such pig-like teammates, it seems that it is not a big deal to lose face.
After all, if what the book said was actually true, he couldn't afford to have a teammate who was such a troublemaker. It is time to make up your mind.
Lord Xu sighed:
"...You can go and submit the petition yourself. I need to take some time off to recuperate and won't be seeing anyone."
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