Chapter 1704 Checking for Gaps and Filling the Gap
After finishing their meal, the two did not return to Chongwenguan. Instead, they placed their writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone in a basket, and went to the observation tower outside while trying to suppress their sleepiness.
The others glanced at the two of them, walked around the yard twice, and then went back to take a nap, not bothering to pay attention to them.
Humph, when they become officials, they will definitely make an additional suggestion to the court: unmarried couples cannot study or work in the same department.
Even husband and wife are not allowed!
Bai Shan followed Man Bao upstairs carrying a pot of water and two cups. They found a place to sit in the attic and couldn't help yawning at the same time.
There's no way. I just had a full meal and it's the beginning of winter, so I feel particularly sleepy.
The two of them sat side by side at the table, staring blankly at the green mountains and palace outside the attic. The cold wind blew, but it couldn't blow away their sleepiness at all.
Bai Shan shook his head, and when he realized it was of little use, he said, "Forget it. Even with the wind it's hard to wake up. Let me see the memorial and we can talk."
Manbao then woodenly took out some from his pocket and gave them to him, about four or five in total.
Bai Shan unfolded the letter and asked, "There are so many. Are you planning to write a long memorial?"
Manbao yawned, a tear welling up in the corner of her eye. She said sleepily, "I've almost finished writing. I can only write two more pages at most."
That’s not a small number. Most memorials are concise and to the point. Who would always write such long ones like her?
Bai Shan scanned the document at a glance and casually asked, "What's the purpose this time?"
Soon, without waiting for Manbao to speak, he knew why, because she mentioned the topic at the beginning.
She told the emperor that she had just finished compiling the list this morning, and before she could submit it, she was shocked to hear that the Censorate had impeached the Crown Prince and Xiao Yuanzheng...
Bai Shan was suspicious. "Did you really compile the list first and then hear the news? Didn't you go to the front hall to watch your three disciples practice acupuncture after reading with me this morning?"
He said, "I haven't even heard about the impeachment from the Censorate. Did you hear it from the eunuchs and palace maids?"
Manbao glanced around and whispered, "Just change the order. As long as the situation remains the same, it's fine. Otherwise, it would seem like I'm being petty and looking for the list to verify based on rumors."
Bai Shan didn't comment, as long as she knew what was going on.
Bai Shan quickly finished reading and woke up, no longer sleepy. He pressed the papers in his hand and said, "You can't write like this."
Manbao tilted his head. "What's wrong with my writing? Is it that I didn't use the allusions well, or that I didn't curse thoroughly enough?"
"You used the allusions well, and your insults were good, but you're insulting the wrong person." Bai Shan looked her up and down and asked, "Are you planning to take on the entire Censorate alone?"
He said, "Don't blame me for not reminding you. Although Old Master Tang's scolding is not as good as Master Wei's, it's not much worse. Think about that mouth of Brother Tang."
When Manbao heard this, he was stunned for a moment and said, "I didn't scold Old Master Tang."
Bai Shan pointed at the words on the paper and said, "The Censorate is headed by Old Tang. You bluntly said, 'The Censors disregard the people's livelihood and national interests for their own benefit.' This is like insulting the entire Censorate. Old Tang will definitely be unhappy. Even if he understands this, he will definitely not let you criticize him like that. You will definitely be in conflict when the time comes."
Bai Shan shook his head and said, "Old Lord Tang has the entire Imperial Censorate behind him, not to mention those officials in the court who dislike the Crown Prince or want to send people to the Imperial Medical Bureau but can't. Will you be able to defeat them then? It's not that I look down on your Imperial Hospital, but your Imperial Hospital physicians are never good at arguing, right? Not to mention that you and Dean Xiao are the only ones in the entire Imperial Hospital who can submit memorials."
Man Bao said with a serious face, "Who said I was submitting this memorial on behalf of the Imperial Hospital? I am submitting this memorial as an editor. I simply cannot bear to see them living off the fat of the land. Not only are they not serving the country and the people, but they are also undermining the country and His Majesty. They are even complaining that the country and His Majesty are not giving them enough. This is simply outrageous!"
Bai Shan raised his eyebrows slightly.
Manbao continued with a stern face, "My superior is Yang Xue... Lord Yang! Above him is Kong Jijiu!"
Humph, when it comes to fighting, who’s afraid of who? Not to mention that there are so many editors in Chongwenguan, Kong Jijiu also has the Imperial College under his control.
We are all literati, let’s come together!
Bai Shan understood and asked with a smile, "Did you think of this a long time ago, or did you think of it now?"
"Of course I thought of it just now," Manbao pulled over the paper he was holding. She also knew that if she was writing the memorial as an editor, she would have to change some of the sentences, otherwise people would know at a glance that she was selling dog meat under the guise of sheep meat.
Manbao sighed and said, "The Imperial Medical Bureau is too small to even have the right to participate in politics."
This forced her to temporarily seek help from Yang Heshu and Kong Jijiu, and she didn't know whether those two adults would be willing to get involved and let her borrow help.
Bai Shan took out the brush and ink from the basket and said, "Don't worry, Kong Jijiu has always been protective of his shortcomings. If anyone in the court can't help but bring up Chongwenguan, Kong Jijiu will definitely protect you."
He poured some water into the inkstone and grinded the ink while saying with a smile, "But we can't wait for others to criticize us, so you have to make a lot of revisions to this memorial. It's better to make fewer enemies than many. Criticize whoever submitted the memorial and whoever came up with the idea, but don't drag the entire Censorate down with you."
He said meaningfully, "Although the Censorate is headed by Old Tang, not everyone within it necessarily obeys Old Tang. Last time, when officials in Daming Palace were fighting and Wang Ji was impeaching the Crown Prince, Old Tang was nowhere to be seen."
Manbao immediately understood what he meant and said, biting the pen, "Only Wang Ji is not enough."
"Didn't you also hear the names of the four adults?"
"But that's just hearsay," she glanced around and lowered her voice, "Eunuch Wu told me that. There's no actual evidence, and I don't know if they followed Wang Ji in submitting the memorial."
Bai Shan said nonchalantly, "What are you afraid of? Just write it down. Although you're not an imperial censor, you're young, and being young has its advantages. You can believe everything you hear, and no one will blame you. If they've been wronged, they can write a letter to explain themselves. The court is different. Now that they've written it down in black and white, are you going to force them to admit that they didn't do it?"
Manbao actually felt that what Bai Shan said made sense. She tilted her head to look at him and asked, "When did your heart become so crooked?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Shan raised his hand and tapped her head, saying with a smile, "We've been in the palace for such a long time. I'm not like you who only thinks about studying and delving into medicine every day. In addition to attending classes, we also have to learn from the lecturers in the school how to be a good person and how to be an official. This kind of thing of leveraging others' strengths is not difficult to figure out. Just stand by the Zhanshi Mansion and listen to their reports on government affairs and you'll understand."
Good night, more updates tomorrow
(End of this chapter)
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