"As a result, Gao Huzi was led into a trap by a letter of revelation from your father-in-law. Not only did he temporarily put his attack on Feng Bao on hold, but he also had to hold you and your father-in-law together to avoid making too many enemies. He wanted to concentrate his forces and eliminate the Xu-Zhao alliance first."

In the Zhao family residence in Zhaojia Hutong, Zhao Liben was smoking a cigar rolled from Tanmei's thigh while reviewing Zhang Juzheng's entire actions to his grandson.

"So far, all your father-in-law's actions since March 12 have come to an end. It can be said that all his previous arrangements... whether it was personally revealing his true intentions, betraying Feng Bao, or fooling people into writing three books, were all preparations for this letter of revelation. It seems that Gao Huzi was easily led by a letter, but in fact, before that, he had already been thrown into disarray and confused by your father-in-law's combination of punches!"

After that, he shook his thick and long cigar and said, "Gao Huzi has tremendous power and unparalleled royal favor, but he is played around by your father-in-law. This only shows that his level is too low. I think he is definitely not your father-in-law's opponent!"

Zhao Hao supported his chin, carefully recalling every step his grandfather had said, looking like he was sincerely willing to learn.

"My dear grandson, if you don't understand anything, just ask." Zhao Liben knocked off the ash from his cigarette and said with a smile.

"The first question is, grandpa just returned to Beijing the day before yesterday, how do you know so much?" Young Master Zhao raised his hand and asked.

"That's a good question, but you don't need to know the answer." Zhao Liben blew a puff of smoke in his face and said, "Next question."

"Ahem..." Zhao Hao fanned away the white smoke. In fact, even without his grandfather telling him, he knew that facing Gao Gong's aggressive offensive since last year, he was able to remain calm, but others might not be able to keep their composure.

For example, grandpa and father-in-law.

Before the wedding last year, when the old man came to Beijing in advance, he probably took the opportunity to discuss the marriage with Mr. Zhang to conspire with his idol. That's why the old man knew his father-in-law's actions very well and came to Beijing to take charge at the critical moment, so that he would not be too young to cooperate with his father-in-law, or be used as a gun by his father-in-law...

After thinking for a while, Master Zhao asked again: "Okay, then does the 'Xu-Zhao' alliance exist?"

"It depends on the need." Zhao Liben walked to the window with a cigar in his mouth, looking around proudly and said: "If he believes it, it doesn't exist. If he doesn't believe in evil, it's not difficult for it to exist."

After a pause, the old man said in a domineering tone: "Besides, who said 'that Zhao' is not 'this Zhao'?!"

Mr. Zhao suddenly remembered the famous saying, "If you feel like the king of the world, go enjoy a cigar." The old man's image really fits this saying. If he combed his hair back, had a wider chin, and held a cat in his arms, he would be even more charming.

It's a pity that the old man is bald and can only hold a girl in his arms...

"One last question," Zhao Hao asked, "What if Lord Gao soon finds out that it was my father-in-law who did it?"

"No one will find out." Zhao Liben shook his head and said, "Wang Wenhui's family is poor. Since he entered the government school, I have been supporting him until he passed the imperial examination. He is completely trustworthy. As for Liu Fenyong, he is from the Taizhou School. The Taizhou School produces lunatics and fools, but not weaklings. The only one I am worried about is Cao Daye, but his family has been 'protected' by the East Factory, so I don't think he would dare to say anything nonsense."

"Why do they have to say it themselves?" Zhao Hao asked quietly, "Since my father-in-law can fake the imperial decree, won't others fabricate their confessions to mislead Lord Gao?"

"Oh?" Zhao Liben froze for a moment. This was something he had not thought of when he made the plan with Zhang Juzheng last year.

Yes, since Lao Gao is a fool who is easy to deceive in their eyes, then isn't it the same in the eyes of the people around him?

"If Han Ji and his gang continue to say bad things about your father-in-law, Gao Huzi might not believe it easily." Zhao Liben explained with two coughs.

"What if there is someone more trustworthy than Han Ji? For example, Yang Bo." Zhao Hao asked: "I'm not trying to argue, I just think that when making a plan, we must consider the worst case scenario."

"That... I'm afraid it's going to be troublesome." Zhao Liben's forehead was sweating, and he argued stubbornly: "But Yang Bo has a good relationship with Mr. Zhang and me, so he shouldn't say anything."

"That's different. Elder Gao is almost alone. The benefits of cooperating with him are far greater than the benefits of cooperating with my father-in-law." Zhao Hao shook his head slowly and said, "Yang Bo is extremely smart and has always been well-prepared. We have to be on guard."

"Hmm..." Zhao Liben was finally convinced, nodded, and said in a deep voice: "What you said makes sense. Hurry up and go to Dashamao Hutong to remind your father-in-law and ask him to think of a countermeasure in advance."

"Okay." Zhao Hao nodded in agreement.

Because of his great prophecy, he was far more vigilant and hostile to the Shanxi Gang than his father-in-law and father-in-law. If he didn't take this opportunity to completely ruin the relationship between the two sides, there was no guarantee that his father-in-law, who was good at jumping around and lacked integrity, would make peace with the jealous gang in the future.

Including this time, Mr. Zhao has already taken Zhang Siwei down three times. He is really tired and annoyed and doesn't want to do it again.

~~

At the Sanjin Guild Hall, it’s time for the much-loved noodle-eating occasion again.

The lineup of the noodle-eating group today was very large. Almost all the Shanxi officials in Beijing came. Even Han Ji did not avoid suspicion and squatted in the yard to eat noodles.

Seeing a braid of garlic being taken out and peeled clean in a blink of an eye, Yang Bo cursed with some heartache: "Qiu Shi, don't even know to leave two ends for me."

"Mr. Po, there's more." Han Ji quickly handed a head of garlic he had peeled to Yang Bo, and took advantage of the situation to squat beside him.

"That's pretty good. Let me tell you, if you don't add garlic to noodles, the flavor will be half gone. Eating noodles without vinegar is like eating a rag." Yang Bo contentedly ate the noodles with garlic.

When he finished his noodles, he threw the big porcelain bowl into the big wooden barrel, wiped his mouth, and said to the younger generation of fellow villagers squatting under the eaves at the foot of the wall: "Those who were eating the knife-cut noodles just now, stand up."

Nearly half of the Shanxi officials stood up at once, which shows that knife-cut noodles are the most popular.

"Go back and present your letter to ask Prime Minister Gao to stay. Go ahead." Yang Bo waved his hand, and the knife-cut noodle group responded and dispersed.

"The one who was eating ramen just now, stand up." Yang Bo said again.

Half of the remaining half stood up.

"You just follow Master Shu'an, and do whatever he tells you to do." Yang Bo waved his hand again.

The quarter of the people responded and followed Wang Guoguang.

Then Yang Bo told the rest of the people, "Go back and do nothing but sleep."

"Yes." The rest of the people happily agreed. Well, a bowl of noodles for free.

Soon, only Yang Bo, Han Ji and Wang Jiaping were left in the yard.

"Bo Tong, is this enough for you to report to Lord Gao?" Yang Bo looked at Han Ji with a smile. This guy came here today to recruit people to support Gao Gong, otherwise he would not have made such a big scene.

Han Ji knew that Yang Bo was a little unhappy because this did not conform to the strategy he had set for the Shanxi Gang to 'make a fortune in silence'.

"Uncle, please forgive me. Originally, it was said that each government office would only need to submit a copy. However, the situation of the Prime Minister is quite critical, so we have to make a big noise to deter the villains." He explained hurriedly, "Besides, we can't just sit back and watch the fire. In Cao Daye's impeachment, Ziwei was mentioned by name, and he bribed the Prime Minister with 800 gold coins to be reinstated."

"Haha, eight hundred gold, who are you humiliating?" Yang Bo snorted, and he got angry when he mentioned this. Because the situation in the capital has reached a critical juncture, at this critical moment when the situation can change at any time, how can Zhang Siwei, as the leader of the jealous party, not be in the capital?

So Yang Bo, despite the fact that he had just been impeached and returned home at the end of last year, personally went to Gao Gong and requested that Zhang Siwei be reinstated.

Who would have thought that Ziwei was impeached again just after he left Shanxi, and had to return home for the third time. Yang Bo was really worried about whether this young man with a weak will could withstand these consecutive blows.

"Brother Bo Tong, it seems that you are also mentioned in the impeachment." As the future Wang Jiaping of the Jin Party, he is asked to stay out of it at this stage, so he is still in the mood to joke.

"It's my honor!" Han Ji raised his head and said, "It's not shameful to live and die with my master!"

It is true that he is a jealous person, but he is also a proud person. He is sincere to both sides and is not a traitor in the general sense.

"Okay, you don't have to beat around the bush. I know what you mean." Yang Bo said calmly, "Don't you just want me to come forward and enlighten Mr. Yuan that the so-called 'mastermind Zhao Dazhou' is probably a smokescreen released by Zhang Jiangling?"

"I can't hide anything from my uncle." Han Ji smiled awkwardly, "Master let the people of Jing drink a drug, and he didn't like to hear my nephew say that the people of Jing were not good."

"I can't show up." Yang Bo said slowly.

"Ah?" Han Ji stared in amazement, "Why, uncle?"

"What?" Yang Bo said coldly, "If I come forward directly, will there be any room for maneuver in front of Mr. Zhang?"

"Why would we need any more time? Let's just kill all the people from Jing right away!" Han Ji said gritting his teeth.

"You can think so, but I can't just bet on one side, otherwise if I make the wrong choice, I will lose everything." Yang Bo was unmoved. In fact, he has been watching from the sidelines for a while and is no longer as optimistic about Gao Huzi as before.

"Uncle, you can't just stand by and watch me die!" Han Ji knelt down in front of Yang Bo. The relationship between him and Gao Gong as a teacher and student was not just a formality.

"At most, you can remind him in my name." Yang Bo reluctantly gave in and reminded Han Ji, "Besides, don't Yuan Fu have some petty thieves under his command? Let them take action! Isn't Cao Daye still transferred out?"

Han Ji's eyes lit up. How could he forget about Master Shao? !

"Uncle, I'll take my leave first!" He immediately jumped up from the ground and ran away.

"No progress." Yang Bo shook his head somewhat dissatisfiedly and said to Wang Jiaping, "Uncle Zhong, how is your relationship with that number one scholar Zhao?"

"Not bad." Wang Jiaping replied quickly: "In the second year of Longqing, he was the leader of this department."

"Write more warm letters recently and try to take our relationship to the next level." Yang Bo sighed regretfully, "Alas, it's a pity that your daughter is still young..."

"Yes, it's a little small..." Wang Jiaping was sweating. Their two daughters, the older one was only eight years old...

ps. I have a deal with everyone. This is the only chapter tonight. Let His Majesty live one more day... Well, actually I am not in the right state. I just don't feel like writing. I just want to watch a game.

Okay, okay, I’ll make it up tomorrow. I’ve escaped shamefully.