When the late emperor was seriously ill, Hu Yingjia, at the instruction of a cabinet minister named Xu, submitted a memorial to impeach Gao Gong for two counts of disloyalty.

First, the emperor was seriously ill, and all the other ministers lived in the Western Garden to serve him, but he moved his family to the vicinity of the Western Garden so that he could go home every night. Second, all the court officials prayed for the emperor's health, but he secretly moved his belongings out of the direct residence. I wonder what his intention was?

Both of these sentences questioned Gao Gong's loyalty to the emperor, and the second one was the most sinister, as it was almost saying "Gao Gong believes that Your Majesty is about to die and is ready to evacuate."

It is clear that censors can kill people with their pens.

The ill Emperor Jiajing was moody. If he saw this impeachment, Gao Gong would probably be dead.

Fortunately, Emperor Jiajing was in a coma and never saw the memorial until his death, which saved him from disaster.

But after Gao Gong was impeached, he had to defend himself. He naturally denied all of Hu Yingjia's accusations, saying that he moved his home closer to the West Garden just to make it easier to get things. He was poor and had no children, nor servants, so he had no choice but to do so.

It was originally just a normal defense, but Hu Yingjia found it and borrowed the words "My family is poor and I have no children" in his defense to fabricate a story that he was absent from work and went home to have a baby with his concubine.

After being secretly spread by a minor cabinet minister who wished to remain anonymous, when the rumor spread throughout the capital, it had become 'Cabinet Minister Gao sneaked home during working hours to play with women, and did not return until almost the end of the work day.'

It is what is meant by 'going out to enjoy the company of ladies during the day and returning to the residence at dusk'.

It can be said that Gao Gong’s notoriety today is largely due to him.

From that moment on, Gao Gong started thinking about him.

So when Hu Yingjia later impeached Yang Bo for protecting his fellow Shanxi natives, Gao Gong couldn't wait to jump out and kill him. The result was the fall of the whole dynasty two years ago...

At that time, Gao Gong and his gang wanted to dismiss him from his post and make him a commoner, never to be employed again. However, in the end, he was only transferred to a seventh-rank official. And in just two years, he was promoted to the fourth-rank Right Counselor of the Provincial Administration.

This was clearly a naked reward for merit, and a slap in the face of Gao Gong. Now that Gao Gong was back, how could he swallow this anger if he didn't beat him to death?

Lord Xu has already fallen, and he doesn't even know any Master Zhao, so who can save him?

The more Hu Yingjia thought about it, the more frightened he became. The more frightened he became, the faster his heart beat. Finally, he was so frightened by the tragic ending he had imagined that his body went limp. He began to foam at the mouth and fell to the ground, unable to get up.

His colleagues quickly helped him to the hospital and called a doctor, who gave him injections and medicine, but it was of no use. He kicked his legs in the middle of the night and died.

~~

When Ouyang Yijing heard the news of Hu Yingjia's death, he was already on his way to resign and return to his hometown in Jiangxi.

Because his reputation of cursing the gods was too loud, he offended too many people, especially his battle with Gao Ge Lao, which was known to almost everyone in the country. Therefore, he was looked down upon along the way, and no official along the way dared to greet him, let alone offer him a ceremony.

Even the little postmaster refused to recognize his certificate and refused to let him stay in the post house. He could only pay for the inn himself. The conditions of the inn were not guaranteed, and sometimes the whole family had to sleep in a big bunk bed. Sometimes there was no room, and he even had to spend the night in the carriage.

It was windy and rainy in July, and the roads were muddy and difficult to travel on. The family suffered a lot.

Ouyang Yijing was already very depressed, and after hearing that Hu Yingjia was frightened to death, he felt even more bored with life.

That night, there were thunder and lightning, and the family stayed in a dilapidated temple. The next morning, the old servant found that he had hanged himself in front of the Buddhist temple...

~~

At this time, Gao Gong had just arrived in Zhending Prefecture and met Yang Bo, who had been waiting for a long time, at Longzang Temple.

Yang Bo lived in Longzang Temple. In midsummer, the temple was covered with thick shade and had a spacious courtyard. It was refreshing and cool to live in, which was indeed more comfortable than an inn.

"Hahaha, Lord Yupo really knows how to enjoy himself." Gao Huzi bowed and laughed at Yang Bo from afar. He was exhausted but in good spirits, and even walked with the wind.

"Mr. Xuan, you have worked hard on the journey." Yang Bo, wearing a straw hat and a loose hemp robe, looked extremely relaxed and at ease. He came down the steps and greeted him with folded hands.

"After two years of separation, we finally meet again!" Gao Gong held Yang Bo's arm and greeted him warmly. "It's a pity that we can't go together. We have to part again after meeting."

"Please." Yang Bo invited Gao Gong into the back garden of his residence and said with a smile, "Yes, it is a pity that I cannot see Mr. Xuan carry out his great plan in person."

"Then go back and rest for a few days, and then come back and we old brothers will continue to fight side by side." Gao Gong said sincerely.

"I am powerless and time is unforgiving. I can only ask Mr. Xuan to forgive me." In the bamboo forest where the cool breeze was blowing, Yang Bo set out a light vegetarian meal to entertain Gao Gong.

This is a Buddhist quiet place, and Yang Bo can finally legitimately treat his guests with noodles.

After the two of them sat down, the servants brought a basin of water and a white towel. Gao Gong did not care about the details and started to wash the table.

"Ah, comfortable." After changing into a new linen robe brought by Yang Junqing and drinking a large cup of herbal tea, Gao Gong finally felt much more comfortable.

"It's really dangerous to travel in this horrible weather..." he couldn't help but sigh.

The next day after he received the imperial decree, he set out on his journey without even taking his wife with him. He traveled regardless of wind or rain, and it was common for him to travel under the scorching sun.

One cannot help but sigh that one cannot generalize the physical strength of one person to another. Even an old man in his sixties can still turn into a speedster when he is extremely excited.

Looking at Gao Gong, whose whole body was overflowing with endless energy, Yang Bo couldn't help feeling a little sour.

He thought that he had passed the imperial examination twelve years earlier than Gao Gong, became a governor in the 25th year of Jiajing, and was promoted to Minister of War in the 34th year. In terms of qualifications and ability, he was unique in the court. Unfortunately, because he was not a Hanlin, he could not go further and become a prime minister.

As a result, he has been the Shangshu for fifteen years, and if he doesn't leave, people will be angry and ghosts will hate him.

Alas, in the face of institutional barriers, what is the use of having extraordinary abilities?

Yang Bo sighed secretly, then put away his sadness. He waved his hand to signal his servants to leave, leaving only Jun Qing to hold the cup.

"This time, Mr. Xuan's comeback is really as powerful as thunder and lightning." Yang Boxian congratulated Gao Gong on his return, and then told him a shocking news: "Ouyang Yijing and Hu Yingjia were frightened to death when they heard that you had come back."

"Oh, really?" Gao Gong was surprised and asked, "They dare to die without my permission?"

"Yes, Hu Yingjia was frightened to death on the spot. Ouyang Yijing heard the news of his death on his way home after resigning from his post. He was so depressed that he hanged himself." Yang Bo nodded. Although he was retired, he was still well-informed.

"It's no pity that Hu Yingjia died!" Gao Gong took a sip of the plain wine, which tasted bland, so he spat it out on the ground and said, "But I still admire Ouyang Yijing very much. I was thinking of recruiting him for my own use, but I didn't expect that he would die like this."

Yang Bo knew that with Gao Gong's current inflated mentality, he would not bother to tell lies. But this was easy to understand. After all, being able to curse a god like Ouyang Yijing, who could bring down anyone who was criticized and never missed a target, was a magical weapon that every ruler dreamed of.

The premise is to hold it in your own hands.

Hearing this, his expression changed and he asked, "Why, Mr. Xuan doesn't intend to take revenge this time?"

"Do you think I'm a gangster? The two leaders are dead, and the real boss is now living a life worse than death. Why would I bother with those insignificant minions? I don't feel any pleasure, and I'm just giving them reputation for nothing." Gao Gong laughed and simply picked up the vinegar bottle on the table. He poured a glass of vinegar, took a sip, squinted his eyes and grinned, "Well, this is more flavorful."

"Hahaha, if those guys who were in a hurry to resign heard what Mr. Xuan said, wouldn't they regret it?"

Yang Bo laughed out loud, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The reason why he was waiting for Gao Gong here was because he was worried that this bandit would come to Beijing and kill people everywhere. Then the court would fight to the death. If the business was not done, Gao Gong would step down for the second time. Wouldn't he lose both his wife and his army?

Now that he saw that Gao Gong was not blinded by the overwhelming power, he felt relieved. As for the things about his Shanxi Gang, he would not even mention them.

When Xu Jie recommended Gao Gong to join the cabinet, he felt that he had done him a favor, but Gao Huzi did not appreciate it at all. In Gao Gong's view, entering the cabinet was a foregone conclusion based on his status. Xu Jie was just doing something unnecessary, just to buy a favor for himself.

Yang Bo naturally had to learn a lesson and not let Gao Gong think that he was also blackmailing him to repay his kindness. He knew that Gao Huzi, who looked rough but was actually very careful, would definitely not let him down.

So the two of them tacitly avoided those trivial topics and talked about the difficulties of the country.

"The Ming Dynasty is really in turmoil." Yang Bo sighed, "The Yellow River is flooded and the grain transport is cut off. The treasury is in great trouble, but the expenditure is increasing. The Tartars in the northwest and northeast are invading the borders, the chieftains in the southwest are in turmoil, and the sea in the south is not peaceful. The country is in such a state of decline, but the officials in the court only know how to make do and deceive themselves, as if the world is governed now..."

"Yes." Gao Gong nodded. Although he had been in opposition for two years, he never relaxed his attention on state affairs. He could not help but say angrily: "Back then, those people chased me away. It would be fine if they could do a good job. I would be willing to fish for the rest of my life. But what have they done in the past two years? Nothing! They just sat there and did nothing, watching the situation deteriorate day by day."

He sneered as he spoke, "A few months ago, the Yellow River flooded and the grain transport was cut off, but the newspapers published the contents of our Prime Minister's lectures. Damn it, what would the people below think if they saw it? Oh, it turns out that the court didn't take it seriously, so we can ignore it too."

"Haha, it's not wrong for the Prime Minister to advocate the Huang-Lao philosophy, but now is the time to make achievements." Yang Boxin thought, well, since he has such a big opinion on Li Chunfang, it seems that there will be a good show when he returns to Beijing. "This time, the cabinet has two more capable officials, Xuan Weng and Zhao Dazhou, so we have to work hard to live up to the expectations of the people."

It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned this. As soon as he mentioned it, his face darkened and he drank three cups of vinegar before he could let out the foul breath.

"Fuck him!"

ps. Chapter 2, please give me your monthly vote!