Chapter 1628 Stable
The head cell of the imperial prison.
After Shen Sixiao finished copying the letter of apology, he went out in a daze.
The prison boss asked, "There is one more, shall we pass it on now?"
"Thank you." Shen Shixing nodded politely, but he blew the ink off Shen Sixiao's memorial and carefully put it into his pocket along with the three previous ones. He obviously had no intention of showing it to Ai Mu.
While doing this, he glanced at Zhao Shouzheng, only to see that Mr. Zhao was concentrating on looking at the mouse in the corner, as if he didn't notice his actions.
Shen Zhuangyuan's heart trembled and he said, "Brother Gongming is hiding his incompetence again."
In fact, he also knew that if he was not careful in this kind of thing, he would get burned. Alas, but there was no way, he could not hesitate when it was time to act, because he did not have such a good son.
"But after showing off my skills this time, I have to keep my skills hidden like Brother Gongming, so that I can last long under Prime Minister Zhang." Shen Shixing warned himself.
When Ai Mu was brought in, Shen Shixing began to persuade him to admit his fault to Prime Minister Zhang, but he did not mention that Prime Minister Zhang was determined to return home, nor did he say that the four treasures had already bowed their heads...
Instead, he said, "I heard that during the review of death penalty cases in Shaanxi last year, only two people were executed throughout the year. The censor was worried that he would not be able to complete his task, but you refused to increase the number of death penalty cases. Mr. Zhang even talked to you in person, but you still did not change. In the end, you were fined half a year's salary."
"That's right." Ai Mu nodded and said calmly, "I don't use human lives to gain power."
"It seems that the court has asked you to review the death penalty in Shaanxi again this year..." Shen Shixing said slowly.
"Yes." Ai Mu nodded.
"Are you worried about something?" Shen Shixing felt his throat a little dry. He picked up the teacup and brought it to his mouth, but put it down after thinking for a while.
"What are you worried about?" Ai Mu asked back.
"That's good." Shen Shixing cleared his throat and said with a smile, "I thought you were worried that if you couldn't get the quota again this time, it would make Mr. Zhang unhappy."
"Of course it will make him unhappy, but I would rather be stripped of my position than kill people indiscriminately." Ai Mu said calmly. After saying that, his brows suddenly frowned, staring at Shen Shixing and said:
"What do you mean, Shao Zongbo? Are you saying that I, Ai, wrote a letter to express my opinion because I was worried about being dismissed from office, so I took the initiative?!"
"You see, you are still too suspicious." Shen Shixing sighed and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Zhang is definitely not that kind of person. Of course, you are not that kind of person either."
"Humph, you can't judge a person by his appearance, Mr. Shen, don't be so confident!" Ai Mu snorted coldly. Officials who were born as Juren would inevitably become extreme in temperament in this officialdom where only family background matters.
Since they were no longer on speaking terms, Shen Shixing's earnest persuasion was in vain. In the end, he said helplessly, "Well, since you don't want to admit your mistakes, I can't write one for you. I can only wish you good luck."
"Thank you!" Ai Mu smiled coldly, got up and left.
"Alas, I wanted to have a good start and a good end, but I didn't expect that I still couldn't complete it." Shen Shixing sighed.
"I can't satisfy everyone, but I just want to have a clear conscience." Mr. Zhao is very familiar with the clichés he uses as an official.
"Hehe..." Shen Shixing smiled awkwardly, thinking that Zhao Shouzheng finally couldn't help but mock him. He quickly packed up the briefcase he brought and said to Zhao Shouzheng:
"This is not the place to talk, Brother Gongming, let's go."
"Yeah." Zhao Shouzheng nodded, and left the imperial prison with him.
~~
Zhang Dashou had just seen off the two assistant ministers and returned to the second hall when a guard presented him with the wiretap records.
Although the previous conversation was conducted with the attendants away, this is the East Factory, which has been professionally eavesdropping for 200 years! The eunuchs would never allow anything that they could not eavesdrop on in their own territory, even if it meant risking their lives!
Even in the prison cell, they had buried copper pipes for eavesdropping, so that even Mr. Zhao's farts could be heard clearly in the next room...
Zhang Dashou took the sealed file and looked at the wax that had not yet dried. He said to the eavesdropper, "Destroy the copy. Don't keep what happened in the prison to yourself!"
"Don't worry, godfather. The children know the importance of this matter." The eunuch in the office nodded in response.
"Hmm." Zhang Dashou snorted, then took the file out of the second hall, walked through the long corridor, and came to a spacious courtyard at the back.
In the courtyard, there were rockeries, bamboos, and flowers in full bloom. Incense was burning, tea was brewing, a musician was playing the zither, and a painter was painting. The ground was covered with red leaves that had not been swept away, and white cranes were strolling leisurely.
In the East Factory, which is like a purgatory on earth, there is such a paradise full of humanistic elegance!
This is the residence of the eunuch in charge of the Eastern Depot, and it belonged to Feng Bao eleven years ago.
Eunuch Feng is the most elegant eunuch in the Ming Dynasty, and he likes this kind of style. If the superior likes something, the subordinates will naturally arrange it. Even if Eunuch Feng doesn't come often, this place is cleaned every day and looks new every day.
Besides, Feng Bao is here today.
He was appreciating a long painting with a guest in the winter sunshine.
The scroll is not wide, but more than five meters long. It is painted on silk with colors and the brushwork is both meticulous and freehand. It realistically and vividly depicts the prosperous scenes of Bianliang in the Northern Song Dynasty and on both sides of the Bian River.
"How about this painting of 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' that our family treasures? Can it catch the young minister's eye?" Eunuch Feng asked with a smug look on his face.
"It's simply amazing." The customer was Zhao Hao, who was completely fascinated by the long scroll that killed Wang Shizhen's father. He even took out a magnifying glass and admired every character and every building on it frame by frame... oh no, inch by inch...
"Young Lord likes it so much?" Feng Bao had never seen Zhao Hao like this before.
"Yeah." Master Zhao nodded without moving his eyes.
"Then I'll give it to you." Feng Bao felt a pang of pain after saying this, but compared to the benefits Zhao Hao brought him, a mere painting was nothing. Anyway, there were plenty of them in the palace, so stealing a few more would be... Bah, how can a scholar's work be called stealing?
"Give it to me?" Zhao Hao was delighted when he heard that. He was about to agree, but then he thought of something and waved his hand, saying, "Forget it. A gentleman does not take away what others love. Besides, I'm afraid it will hinder me."
"Oh..." Feng Bao was stunned, and then he thought of the previous owner of this painting, who was the most famous young cabinet minister.
As mentioned earlier, Along the River During the Qingming Festival was originally in the home of Gu Dingchen in Kunshan, but was later seized by Yan Song and his son. After Yan Song fell from power, his family property was confiscated, and the painting was no longer in the palace.
As for the fact that this painting had now ended up in Feng Bao's hands from the inner treasury, that was purely a basic operation.
"Haha, okay, okay, I didn't expect that." Eunuch Feng couldn't help but laugh and said, "Then I'll give you another one. If there is any calligraphy or painting you want, just tell me. As long as it is from the Ming Dynasty, I'll get it for you."
In fact, it mainly refers to the inner treasury. Outside the inner treasury, what can't Mr. Zhao get if he wants it?
"Then I'll have to think about it carefully." Zhao Hao responded with a smile, and then he heard someone approaching.
The two looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Zhang Dashou who came. Eunuch Zhang came forward with a flattering look on his face, first bowed to Zhao Hao, and then handed the file to Eunuch Feng.
"Have the two top scholars gone back?" Feng Bao asked calmly as he scratched the sealing wax with his long little fingernails.
"My son personally sent me to the door." Zhang Dashou replied in a soft voice.
"No one noticed, right?" Zhao Hao asked with a smile.
"I have tried my best to be rude." Zhang Dashou apologized with a smile, "But the two champions are the gods of literature from heaven, especially Zhao, who is so imposing that I dare not even look him in the eye. I am afraid that even without the young master's advance instructions, we have to listen to him obediently..."
"Hahaha, Eunuch Zhang is so good at talking." Zhao Hao knew he was exaggerating, but he still laughed from ear to ear. He took out a ticket and handed it to Zhang Dashou, saying, "It's getting cold, give the brothers some cotton clothes."
"The master usually gives me enough. I don't have the nerve to ask for more money for such a small thing..." Zhang Dashou declined while looking at his godfather.
"Just take it. How can I take back the money given by the young minister?" Feng Bao smiled faintly, handed the stack of wiretap records to Zhao Hao and said, "Take a look. If there is anything inappropriate, just take it out."
"I'm really worried that my father might say something wrong." Zhao Hao was not polite and took the record to look through it carefully.
After he finished reading one, he handed one to Feng Bao, who continued reading.
After a cup of tea, Zhao Hao finished reading the records and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seems that his father is not completely useless. At least he doesn't talk nonsense and knows his limits.
After hearing from Zhang Dashou what his father said in the Second Hall, Zhao Hao felt even more relieved and almost shed tears of joy.
Well, Dad has indeed matured and can show his killer instinct at critical moments! In this way, this pavilion can be entered!
"Mr. Shen is really a man of great skill. I admire him." Feng Bao also finished reading the records, and Zhang Dashou repacked and sealed them.
"That's right. My father doesn't have that ability." Zhao Hao nodded with a smile. He still had to lower his expectations when talking to Feng Bao.
"Young Lord, you are too modest. Who found Shen Zhuangyuan? It was your father who accepted the task. You must know people and assign them to the right positions." Feng Bao praised him, "It's like being a commander and a general. There is a difference!"
"Hahaha, even though I know the adults are teasing me, I'm still very happy." Zhao Hao laughed.
~~
Shen Shixing prepared letters of apology for the four Jinshi officials, but not for Ai Mu, which was obviously not an oversight. Feng Bao was also a thousand-year-old goblin, so he could naturally understand his actions.
Although the emperor was ready to withdraw his order, Eunuch Feng also needed to get out of this big trouble. But the palace didn't care about face? The East Factory didn't care about face? Eunuch Feng didn't care about face?
If these five guys were allowed to walk out of the imperial prison unscathed, and they were allowed to do their jobs and brag as usual, wouldn't the civil servants be so proud of themselves in the future?
Therefore, it is impossible to release all five people in the palace. They must kill one to warn the rest.
But there are too many fellow Jinshis from the same hometown as him, and touching any one of them would offend all of them.
If we move a person who is not a candidate of the same year, the trouble will be much less. Besides, Ai Mu has offended Prime Minister Zhang, so we can reduce the so-called justice dispute to a personal grudge... and minimize the damage to Prime Minister Zhang.
In this plan, the only unlucky one is just one scholar...rounding it off, it's almost like everyone is happy.
Well, couldn't ask for more.
Zhao Hao also looked at Shen Zhuangyuan with new eyes. Not because of his skillful political tactics, but because of the long words he wrote to defend his father-in-law!
He estimated that Shen Shixing probably knew that he was being eavesdropped on, and that the transcript would definitely be sent to Zhang Xianggong for review.
With these words, his position as Grand Secretary was secured!
(End of this chapter)