In the carriage.

Zhao Hao handed a handkerchief to his father to wipe his tears and whispered:

"This morning, the old man received news that several censors filed a complaint yesterday, saying that the earthquake the night before was caused by people mining coal on a large scale in the West Mountain, which damaged the dragon vein and caused the earth dragon to turn over."

"Isn't this nonsense?" Zhao Shouzheng blew his nose hard and said in a muffled voice, "Since the 34th year of Jiajing, Beijing has experienced two earthquakes every year. So it was caused by the Huaxian earthquake. What does it have to do with coal mining?"

"Yeah, if even my father can understand this, how can they not understand it?" Zhao Hao sneered, "It can be seen that they are deliberately trying to get at my father."

"Uh..." Zhao Shouzheng always felt that his son's words were strange, but now was not the time to find fault. He held his son's hand tightly and said:

"Son, isn't it said that those who speak the policy are innocent? Why is it that you are being punished for your words?"

"Because they have linked my father's policy to Xishan Coal Industry." Zhao Hao said with a gloomy face:

"Impeach you for colluding with the princess and representing her Xishan Coal Industry..."

"Collusion." Zhao Shouzheng breathed a sigh of relief and said, "As long as it's not collusion, it's fine."

"Don't worry, father. Even if someone knows about your relationship with godmother, what does it matter?"

Zhao Hao felt that he had to resolve his father's worries first, otherwise if he let him go to the Censorate in this state, those censors would be scared to death.

"What do you mean?" Mr. Zhao looked at his son eagerly. Zhao Hao guessed correctly, he had been acting like a thief recently.

"As long as His Majesty has no objection to this kind of thing, there will be no problem. As for the censors, can they find any evidence? At most, they can just report it based on hearsay, and it will become a scandal."

Zhao Hao sighed and said shyly, "How can a little kid like me say such things?"

"As long as your godmother doesn't care about this kind of gossip, what are you afraid of? Others will only say that you are capable and fierce."

Hey, for the love of my parents, is it easy for me? I have to be a pimp, cover up, and give psychological counseling to the man. I am not pure at all...

"Oh, I see." Zhao Shouzheng finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I was frightened by your grandfather. He told me the other day that seducing the eldest princess is as serious as seducing a chaste widow, which is a third degree heavier crime."

"I'm telling you..." Zhao Hao covered his face with his hands, thinking that his grandfather really spared no effort in breaking up those star-crossed couple.

"Don't worry, you can afford to lose this person, but the royal family can't. They will never go that far."

"Then I feel relieved." Zhao Shouzheng finally put his heart back in his stomach. He put his arm around his son's shoulders and smiled happily: "My son is still on my side, unlike your grandfather, who is mean and mean."

"Ah..." Zhao Hao sighed, thinking to himself, I really don't know what godmother wants from my father? Is it because he can recite poetry?

~~

Putting aside his biggest worry, Zhao Shouzheng asked Zhao Hao: "Then later, when the censor interrogates me, how should I answer?"

"Grandpa said that he had given you the official precepts a long time ago." Zhao Hao said lightly.

"Oh?" Zhao Shouzheng patted his head upon hearing this, and suddenly said, "Yan Yiman?"

"That's right. No matter what they ask you, you know nothing about it." Zhao Hao then taught him earnestly, "I am concentrating on my studies and not taking care of worldly affairs. My son handles all the family affairs, so I don't know anything about it."

"I cannot answer this question right now. I will go back and investigate and then reply to you, my Lord."

"If you can't produce evidence, I will sue you for false accusation."

"With these three golden sentences, we will be able to handle the whole thing."

"Is it that simple?" Zhao Shouzheng stared at his son with wide eyes.

"Father, do you not believe grandpa, or do you not believe me?" Zhao Hao glanced at him nonchalantly.

"I dare not, believe it all! I will do it!" Zhao Shouzheng quickly corrected his attitude and responded loudly.

"Don't be afraid." Zhao Hao patted his father's shoulder and gave him strength, saying, "You are now the top scholar. No one can do anything to you."

"Well, OK!" Zhao Shouzheng nodded and smiled at his son, "As long as you are the backbone, I won't be worried at all!"

"That's good. Go ahead and show your courage like a top scholar!" Zhao Hao opened the car door for his father.

While the father and son were talking, the carriage had already arrived at Xingbu Street in the southwest corner of the inner city…As was the rule in Nanjing, the three judicial offices were all far away from the civil and military offices.

Watching Zhao Shouzheng get out of the car and enter the Censorate, Zhao Hao took a deep breath and punched the wall of the car hard.

"It hurts so much, it hurts so much..." Mr. Zhao, a delicate-skinned man, held his red right hand and blew hard, almost crying in pain.

"What's wrong with my uncle?" Zhao Shizhen quickly lifted the curtain to check.

"It's okay." Zhao Hao was too embarrassed to speak, and said with a grin, "Go to Shiwangfu Street."

~~

In the Censorate, Zhao Shouzheng was taken into the interrogation room.

According to the rules, when the Censorate summoned an official, two censors had to be present, one to ask questions and the other to record.

Right Censor-in-Chief Pang Shangpeng, who was in charge of the interrogation, and Supervisory Censor Wu Xueshi, who was in charge of recording, left the duty room and went to the interrogation room after hearing the clerk's report.

Pang Shangpeng was promoted to the rank of Right Censor-in-Chief, fourth grade, by the young cabinet minister because of his merits after he took the lead in overthrowing Gao Gong's accomplice, Grand Secretary Guo Pu, last year.

Usually, this official position will be transferred to a provincial governor, or a lucrative position such as the salt inspector or the grain inspector.

Now that Pang Zhongcheng's whereabouts are uncertain, he naturally has to continue his efforts and perform his best for the young cabinet minister.

"Just now, did you hear clearly what the Chief Censor said?" He glanced at Wu Xueshi standing beside him. This boy had just been dismissed from the Imperial Academy and was still a bookworm. He needed a good teachable lesson.

"I heard it clearly." Wu Xue Shi nodded.

"Don't treat him well just because he is the top scholar." Pang Shangpeng said in a deep voice, "Many people become weak after entering the Censorate. If you scare them again, they will confess everything."

"Yes." Wu Xue Shi nodded again, not daring to ask. What if the other party didn't hire him?

As they were talking, they arrived at the interrogation room and the clerk pushed open the door.

Then he saw Zhao Shouzheng sitting upright on a stool. After the two imperial censors came in, he stood up to greet them.

Wu Xue Shi couldn't help but look at Pang Shangpeng, thinking that he didn't seem to be soft, but still quite hard.

Pang Shangpeng also grumbled to himself, anyone who was invited to have tea by the Censorate on the first day of work would be scared to death, right?

How come Zhao Shouzheng doesn't know fear?

I had no choice but to suppress my doubts and sit down behind the desk.

Censor Wu sat sideways at another table, prepared his pen and ink, spread out the documents, and nodded to Pang Shangpeng.

Pang Zhongcheng shouted in a deep voice: "Follow the order of the Chief Censor, interrogate the censors Zhou Ying and Feng Bijin about their impeachment of the newly-appointed Jinshi Zhao Shouzheng. If it is true, you must not conceal it!"

"Yes." Zhao Shouzheng nodded, took a deep breath, and then heard Pang Shangpeng take out a letter of impeachment and read it in a bad tone.

The content of the impeachment letter was similar to what Zhao Hao had said, but the wording was very harsh, and Pang Shangpeng deliberately used pressure in his tone, which was indeed frightening.

But Zhao Shouzheng followed his son's instructions and remained unmoved no matter how strong the wind and rain were.

"I am asking you now, is this really true?" After Pang Shangpeng finished reading the impeachment, he slammed the table.

"I am concentrating on my studies and not taking care of worldly affairs. My son is in charge of all the household affairs, so I am not aware of them."

Then Zhao Shouzheng spread his hands and answered in a serious tone.

ps. The third update has been sent. I need to check for typos in the next two updates, so they will be posted a little later.