When Lu Fang came in to report, he saw such a scene.
I saw the emperor holding a book he didn't know where he got it from, with a sad face. While complaining, he kept writing and drawing on the table, looking like he was going to be possessed.
When Lu Fang saw this, she didn't dare to disturb him, so she had to stand cautiously, not daring to make any noise.
I don't know how much time passed. When Jiajing came back to his senses and put down the formation secret book, he found a figure standing not far away.
"Lu Fang, when did you come?"
"Your Majesty, this slave has just arrived. Seeing that you are so focused, I don't dare to disturb you."
"Ahem, if you have anything to do, just inform me directly. There is no need to do this." Jiajing coughed twice and warned.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Lu Fang said, coming to stand in front of Jiajing.
"Your Majesty, according to the official in charge of the child examination, there are people from the clan participating in the list. Do you want to..."
"Oh, who is it?" Jiajing couldn't help but become interested after hearing what Lu Fang said, and asked aloud.
"Your Majesty, this is a branch of Prince Hui's Mansion that was raided earlier. His name is Zhu Shunxian."
"If you participate, just participate. It is great for a clan member to take this step. It must be dealt with impartially! He cannot be given too much preferential treatment because of his clan status. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand." Lu Fang responded and was about to leave, but she was stopped by Jiajing.
"Oh, by the way! I have something I need you to do. I recently got a book by chance, but I don't know the characters on it. You go and find me someone who can recognize the characters! Don't be too cautious. Zhang Yang, you have to keep a low profile, do you understand?"
"May I ask Your Majesty, are you looking for someone who can recognize this kind of writing?" Lu Fang said, pointing to the tadpole text on the cover, and asked softly.
"Well, that's right." Jiajing said and nodded.
"Then please ask your Majesty to let your servant copy a few words so that we can find someone by then."
"Um."
After Lu Fang left, Jiajing took out a spiritual stone from his storage bag and kept rubbing it.
…
Capital City, Yan Mansion.
After today's duty was over, the father and son returned home and rushed to the study to discuss the next strategy.
"Father, what should we do next, Your Majesty..." Yan Shifan said, paused for a moment, and meant something.
"Hmph, let them stop all their movements, and the next things like collecting the salt tax and converting rice into mulberry must be done beautifully!" After Yan Song finished speaking, he took the ginseng tea handed over by the maid, I rinsed my mouth.
"But, father! If this year's salt tax increases too much, how should we explain it? After all, the salt tax in previous years only collected more than one million taels, and we won't be able to make it up by then!"
"Don't worry, His Majesty won't care about this. He will even find excuses for us! If this year's salt tax is as usual, our end will be miserable."
"Tell Yan Maoqing and others that this year's salt tax or even the salt tax in the future must not be tampered with! Otherwise, don't blame me, Yan Song, for being rude." Yan Song said, turning his eyes to his son, and warned in a deep voice.
"But father, this will..." Yan Shifan said hesitantly with a look of worry on his face after hearing what his father said.
"You worthless thing! How could I, Yan Song, have a son like you? Do you know why I did this? Because His Majesty has found out the truth about the destruction of embankments and flooded fields in Zhejiang. Do you think His Majesty knows nothing? He is telling you We have a chance, understand?”
"If His Majesty tells the truth about the collapse of the dam, do you think we will have a good ending? By then, it will be considered a light thing to confiscate the family and exterminate the clan, and such a record will be recorded in the history books, saying that I, Yan Song, as the chief minister of the cabinet, But for his own selfish interests, he allowed the destruction of embankments and flooded fields, causing disaster to hundreds of thousands of people! This kind of thing will leave an infamy and be despised by the world even for thousands of generations."
"And you, Yan Shifan, can you bear this responsibility? You useless thing, kneel down!"
Yan Song looked at his son who was still hesitant and became furious and scolded him.
"Yes, father! The child has learned a lesson." After being scolded by his father, Yan Shifan understood the seriousness of the matter and knelt on the ground fearfully.
"Okay, get up." Yan Song looked at his son kneeling on the ground and couldn't bear it, so he still asked him to get up.
"Father, what should we do next?"
"What should I do? It's very simple. Just do things well for His Majesty."
…
At this time, the palace of Prince Yu was also not peaceful.
"What should we do next? Father already knows everything! If I had known..." King Yu Zhu Zaijing looked anxious and kept pacing in the room.
"Your Highness, now that the matter has developed to such an extent, there is nothing we can do about it. Who knows that Your Majesty will directly ask Jin Yiwei Zhu Qi and others to investigate the case." Xu Jie's face was no longer as calm as before, and his words were Full of regret.
"The main responsibility for this matter lies with me. It was me who failed to plan accordingly and let the matter be exposed." Gao Gong's face was full of self-blame.
"Have the beginning and end of the matter been dealt with completely?" Xu Jie asked coldly.
"Everything has been dealt with, and those who should shut up have also shut up." Gao Gong couldn't help but look surprised when Xu Jie mentioned the matter again, but he still answered.
"Well, as long as there is no definite evidence, the matter is not irreversible! We just need to be more careful now. Everyone, please be sincere." After Xu Jie confirmed to Gao Gong again and again that it was correct, he slowly said.
Zhang Juzheng, however, sat aside and watched coldly, with no intention of speaking.
…
It was late at night, and Lu Fang looked embarrassed as he took the words he copied from the emperor's book.
"Godfather, what happened? I've seen you feel depressed since just now, but what's bothering you?" Feng Bao, the eunuch of Dongchang, saw that his godfather Lu Fang was in a bad mood, so he quickly stepped forward to comfort him.
"Your Majesty has given me a hard job. Come and see for yourself!"
After Lu Fang finished speaking, he let out a long sigh, then showed Feng Bao the words on the piece of paper, and said helplessly.
"Dad, may I ask that His Majesty asked you to find someone who knows this kind of writing?" Feng Bao looked at the tadpole words copied on the paper, his eyes could not help but shine, and his tone became more urgent.
"Do you know anyone who knows this kind of writing?" Seeing her godson Feng Bao acting like this, Lu Fang couldn't help but ask, her tone full of surprise.
"Yes, godfather! There is a temple in my son's hometown called Qingxu Temple. I even went there to offer incense when I was young! They have this kind of tadpole script there."
"You have helped my godfather a lot. If it is true as you said, my godfather will personally ask your majesty for a reward when the time comes!" After hearing what Feng Bao said, Lu Fang looked ecstatic and looked at the people standing in front of him respectfully. His godson's eyes were full of satisfaction.
"Thank you godfather! The child is very happy to be able to help his godfather, and he doesn't dare to ask for anything else." Seeing this, Feng Bao bowed slightly and couldn't help but refuse.
"I will send you to do this, and let you show your face in front of His Majesty to make plans for the future." Lu Fang said slowly after pondering for a moment.
"Thank you, godfather, thank you godfather! In the future, my child will definitely treat you as my biological father and serve you. No, you are my biological father! From now on, my child will keep his filial piety for you and support you until the end of his life." Hearing Lu Fang's words , Feng Bao was stunned for a moment, and then kowtowed on the ground.
"My godfather's love for you is not in vain." Lu Fang said, his eyes full of smiles.
