Zhuque Street in Beijing.
This is the most prosperous long street in the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and it is mainly inhabited by high-ranking officials and important ministers of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
At the very end of Zhuque Avenue stands a magnificent mansion with vermilion gates and red paint, the plaque of which was personally inscribed by the late emperor: "Grand Scholar's Residence".
There was more than one Grand Scholar in the Great Zhou Dynasty, but only one person's residence could be called the Grand Scholar's Residence.
This person was Zhang Xiren, the Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion and Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince.
This Grand Secretary was known for his integrity and uprightness. In his youth, he once angrily cursed the current emperor's grandfather in order to eliminate a treacherous official. He was almost beheaded and was only saved when he was dragged to the execution platform.
He later served under three emperors and could be considered a veteran of three dynasties, enjoying great fame both in the imperial court and among the common people.
This magnificent Grand Secretary's residence was built during the reign of the late emperor, but it was only magnificent on the outside. Most of the rooms inside had windows made of paper, which was far inferior to the colorful glazed tiles in the homes of other officials.
These rooms are even lacking in furniture and benches.
Because Zhang Xiren donated most of his salary to poor scholars, he himself only ate simple meals and had a cotton quilt.
At this moment, in the somewhat simple lobby, Zhang Xiren sat on a small stool, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan.
Jiang Xuerou was standing beside him, talking to Zhang Xiren about what had happened during the day.
It wasn't that she didn't want to sit, but rather that it was somewhat indecent for a young woman to sit on a small stool while wearing a skirt.
After Jiang Xuerou finished speaking, she looked furious: "Senior brother was seriously injured by the guards of the Imperial Guard, and even the Wind-Following Sword bestowed by Master was cut in half by them."
Fearing that my senior brother might have some old injuries, I sent him back to the Heavenly Sword Sect to heal.
"My lord, the Imperial Guard is so arrogant, committing murder in broad daylight on trumped-up charges. Are we really powerless to stop them?"
Although Jiang Xuerou remained rational during the day and did not continue to clash with Yang Sheng and the others, she still couldn't swallow her anger.
Zhang Xiren took a sip of the tea leaves that had been steeped in hot water, and gently shook his head, saying, "Brother Yunchang has really gone too far these past few years."
He wants fame; I can help him open Qinghu Academy in several prefectures and counties throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty.
He wants an official position, and I can recommend him for one, as long as he can start from the bottom.
However, he relied on his reputation to comment on the government and insult ministers, especially since he had previously forced the Northern Army general Gongsun Ju to commit suicide.
Our Great Zhou Dynasty uses civil officials to govern the army in order to prevent border generals from evolving into warlords and causing rebellions.
Although the military is in a weak position under these circumstances, it is not a pushover to be slaughtered.
After this incident, most of the civil officials in the court did not speak up for Yunchang, and the military took advantage of his misfortune.
His Majesty uttered only one sentence: Such a villain deserves to die!
His Majesty is benevolent and filial; in any matter involving the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager, his stance will certainly be on the side of the royal family.
Those people from the Imperial Guard were too ruthless. A fabricated charge not only killed Yunchang, but also shattered the reputation he had built up over the years.
Even the entire Qinghu Academy was destroyed. The disciples dared not admit to being from Qinghu Academy, lest they be purged in the future.
At this point, Zhang Xiren's face was filled with sorrow and regret.
It was he who invited Huang Yunchang to the capital to open the Qinghu Academy, hoping to strengthen the literary atmosphere of the capital and let the scholarly spirit of Jiangnan take root in the capital.
I never imagined that years of hard work would vanish in an instant.
Zhang Xiren looked at Jiang Xuerou and said, "Please pass on a message to the leader of your Heavenly Sword Sect and say sorry."
Young hero Yue Zhongli worked under me, yet I failed to protect him; it is my incompetence, Zhang Xiren's fault.
Jiang Xuerou quickly said, "My lord, please don't say that. The sect leader said that my senior brother was too reckless and attacked without finding out the enemy's information, which led to his current predicament. It is our Heavenly Sword Sect that has dragged you down."
"Rest assured, sir. Until my senior brother has fully recovered, our Heavenly Sword Sect will send another senior uncle to assist you."
The martial world and the imperial court are two separate worlds, yet they are inextricably linked.
These powerful martial arts sects, wanting to gain a foothold in the martial arts world or to get a share of the spoils in this chaotic era, naturally need to choose a powerful and reliable partner to cooperate with.
Just like how the Hongmen supported Sun Yat-sen back then.
The Heavenly Sword Sect is a righteous sect, so it's natural that they would never choose to cooperate with traitors like the Thirty-Six Great Bandits or the Holy Duke of Miao Jiang.
Zhang Xiren, as a high-ranking official and prime minister, held a high position and enjoyed a great reputation, making him the perfect partner.
Therefore, the Heavenly Sword Sect had contact with Zhang Xiren several years ago. At first, they only sent people to protect Zhang Xiren personally, but later they sent many disciples to directly obey Zhang Xiren's orders.
Zhang Xiren downed the glass of Gao Sui in one gulp, let out a long breath, and said, "In chaotic times, who knows what kind of monsters might emerge."
That Holy Duke Zhang Liang also claimed to have seventy-two supernatural powers, capable of moving mountains and filling seas, and recreating heaven and earth.
Previously, Han Jin, that old eunuch, was only cunning in his actions, but he was petty, narrow-minded, and short-sighted, so he was not a threat.
But according to what you said, Yang Sheng, who just joined the Guardian Division, is no ordinary person. He might become a major threat to us in the future.
In short, proceed with extreme caution during this period.
"Yes, sir."
Jiang Xuerou took her leave, but she couldn't forget Yang Sheng's ruthless methods.
These young talents, fresh out of school, seemed to be experiencing the harsh realities of life for the first time, far surpassing the experience of killing a few bandits or wiping out a gang of mountain brigands during their training.
After receiving the order from Eunuch Han, Yang Sheng first tried to get on Zhang Meng's good side, asking him about the duties and responsibilities of the Imperial Guard and the tasks they usually performed.
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