Whether in Anshui County or Fengjing, their weak position meant they could only passively defend themselves when faced with danger.
In every instance, they were forced to respond and rack their brains to turn danger into safety.
But this time, with Fufeng laying the groundwork first and the general commotion following, the imperial examination cheating case became a huge uproar, and the Fang family became the center of the vortex.
Whether driven by personal motives to avenge a friend or by consideration for the greater good, taking the opportunity to bring down the Fang family was the best option.
Even if they can't lift up the Weiran family, they should at least pull Fang Yuan down.
But this is like a master training a wild horse; it's very difficult.
"With the Fang family's capabilities, no matter how conclusive the cheating in the imperial examinations may be, they will do everything in their power to overturn the situation. At best, they will use a scapegoat to replace the guilty party; at worst, they will try to kill me." Xu Mo spoke slowly, revealing the experience he had gained from navigating the officialdom.
Chang Yan was slightly taken aback, but quickly realized, "Big brother wants to keep the Fang family in check?"
The Fang family was preoccupied with other matters and couldn't attend to the imperial examination cheating case, so naturally, they couldn't protect Fang Yuan.
The imperial examination cheating scandal, which has been raging for nearly two years, is finally coming to an end.
Between Xu Mo and Fang Yuan, one of them has to suffer disgrace and fall from grace.
"I must live up to my friend's good intentions, and I must walk the officialdom cleanly." Xu Mo's eyes were solemn. "The powerful families control the government, the cabinet has no real power, and the Fang family is even more unscrupulous in supporting the future crown prince. Once the dynasty changes, most of the people in this world will be surnamed Fang."
"Xiao Wu, what's your decision?"
As members of the royal family, they are destined from birth to bear both rights and responsibilities.
Whether he wants it or not, whether he wants it or not, his surname is Zhu.
The "祝" in "祝长宴" (a long banquet).
The boy gave a wry smile, his eyes gradually hardening from a dazed look. "Big brother, I'll help you."
It's not just about helping you, but also about helping the Zhu family's world, ensuring the well-being of ordinary people, and helping honest and virtuous officials live long lives.
From the moment he met a group of brothers who were devoted to their country, responsibility seemed to follow him everywhere.
People have big ambitions; the eldest brother wants to become a just and upright official, and the third brother wants to bring peace to the world.
Human hearts are small; for example, Jiang Sheng only wants to be well-fed and warmly clothed.
And all he ever hoped for was to protect those around him from harm.
“It’s a bit difficult to take the initiative now. We are outnumbered and not strong enough to fight against anyone, but we can’t just sit and wait to die and watch them continue to develop.” Changyan tapped his left hand on the back of his right hand, his tone heavy. “Perhaps, it’s time to bring my elder brother, who has been hiding behind the scenes, to the surface.”
Opposing the Fang family is essentially a power struggle for the throne.
The fifth prince secluded himself for half a year, which lowered the guard of some people, but there were always suspicious and overthinking individuals who tried to probe him.
Instead of guessing, let's give a definite answer.
Incidentally, I'll sit back and watch the tigers fight.
“Neither the second prince nor the fourth prince has enough power to compete with Consort Ju.” Chang Yan narrowed his eyes. “We need to create a reason for him to step forward and compete.”
The Fang family, preoccupied with dealing with two masters, inevitably exposed various flaws and even became overwhelmed with problems.
Xu Mo then took the opportunity to bring down Fang Yuan, thus ending the imperial examination fraud case.
When brothers are of one mind, their strength can break even metal.
They may not be able to overthrow the court or clean up the situation, but they can stir up trouble and launch cautious but proactive attacks.
“It’s just Xiao Wu.” Xu Mo hesitated. “What reason could there be for someone who has been hiding for so many years to step forward and compete for it?”
Although the eldest prince was not very shrewd, with a powerful and capable mother like Consort Ju, his status and position were quite secure.
The prince hiding behind the scenes had the ability but lacked sufficient power, which is why he had to cower in fear.
There are only two possibilities that could make him interested.
Firstly, the imperial family is failing, and if they don't act now to seize control, it will be too late.
Secondly, Consort Ju's power has waned, making it difficult for her to challenge his authority.
Not to mention that the emperor was forty years old, in the prime of his life, it would be extremely difficult for Consort Ju to lose power.
Although the Ju family's social status was not as high as that of the Fang and Jiang families, two members of the Ju family had already entered the Grand Secretariat and obtained the title of Grand Secretary under the careful promotion of the Imperial Concubine.
Most importantly, the Grand Secretary is getting old, and the Second Grand Secretary is also around the same age as Jiang Jizong. It goes without saying what the future holds for the newly appointed Grand Secretaries.
"The Ju family cannot afford to be weak." Chang Yan replied.
So, he was willing to take the risk of poisoning the imperial family?
Xu Mo's pupils suddenly dilated, his face filled with disbelief. He tried to persuade him several times, "Xiao Wu, you can't do anything foolish... This kind of thing is too serious. Although the current emperor can't be called a great ruler of all time, his merits outweigh his faults."
Most importantly, he couldn't let his fifth brother be branded with the crime of patricide and be condemned for eternity.
“In the past, Emperor Taizong of Tang murdered his brother and father, and he is still condemned by people after all these years. Even though he created the Zhenguan era, the Xuanwu Gate Incident is still the most talked about many years later.” Xu Mo said earnestly, “If you succeed, you will be infamous for ten thousand years; if you fail, you will die on the spot. Xiao Wu, you can’t take the risk. Your elder brother doesn’t agree.”
Seeing that he even gave up his official position and even said that he wanted to take his younger siblings to live in seclusion in the countryside.
Changyan quickly explained with a smile, "Brother, wait a minute, who said we were going to kill the emperor?"
“I don’t…” Xu Mo was stunned. “But didn’t you just say that the Ju family is weak and in trouble, so the only thing they can do is tamper with the Tian family’s bodies?”
“It is tampering, but not necessarily tampering with his body.” Chang Yan patted the back of his right hand lightly with his left, his expression turning serious. “You only know that my mother is from the Yan family, and you know that the Yan family has been weak in recent years, but do you know how the Yan family started its rise to power?”
Xu Mo shook his head, indicating his confusion.
“He is a doctor,” Chang Yan said earnestly. “My maternal grandfather was a renowned physician, known as Hua Tuo reborn and Bian Que reincarnated. He was generous and open-minded, and taught many outstanding disciples.”
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