After Zhang Rong learned from the housekeeper that Jiajing had sent out Jinyiwei and Dongchang at the same time, he felt a little relieved and said with emotion.
"It seems that in His Majesty's heart, there are still members of our clan and nobles!"
Then, Zhang Rong came to his senses, looked at the butler beside him, and gave instructions in a deep voice.
"Now immediately send someone to invite Duke Chengguo, Duke Dingguo, Marquis Wuqing, Marquis Xincheng, and people from the Duke of Guizhou's mansion to come to your house. Tell them that I have something important to discuss with them. Go quickly. !”
"Yes, sir, let's go right now!"
When the housekeeper heard this, he suppressed the horror in his heart, leaned down, and responded in a deep voice.
The reason why the housekeeper was so shocked was because the names mentioned by Zhang Rong were all from the top clans and nobles of the Ming Dynasty.
Just when the housekeeper was about to leave, a servant hurried into the room, leaned down and reported respectfully.
"Old... Master, Duke Cheng is waiting outside. He said he has something important to discuss with you!"
Not long after, several more slaves ran in and reported respectfully.
"Sir, Duke Dingguo is here too!"
"Sir, the Marquis of Wu Qing, the Marquis of Xincheng, the Duke of Guizhou, and other clans and nobles have all sent people here!"
After listening to the reports of the servants, Zhang Rong's face was filled with relief. After glancing around, he gave instructions in a deep voice.
"Bring them in right now!"
"Yes, sir!"
After hearing Zhang Rong's instructions, the servants turned around and left the room without any hesitation.
After that, Duke Chengguo Zhu Xizhong, Duke Dingguo Xu Yande, as well as the Marquis of Wuqing and the Marquis of Xincheng and other clans and nobles gathered in the hall of the British Duke's mansion for entertaining guests.
Zhang Rong looked around and saw that almost everyone had come. After clearing his throat, he immediately chose to get straight to the point.
"Everyone should know about the incident that is currently spreading in the court, right?"
As soon as Zhang Rong finished speaking, Duke Chengguo Zhu Xizhong stood up and said angrily.
"These bastards, how can there be such a coincidence in the world? His Majesty the front foot just announced that an examination specifically for the clan and nobles will be held in the Gongyuan, and there is news of ghosts and gods at work in the Backfoot Gongyuan!"
As soon as Zhu Xizhong finished speaking, Xu Yande, the Duke of Dingguo on the side, also expressed his thoughts.
"Hmph, I see, this is obviously a trick played by those officials behind the scenes. From the bottom of their hearts, they don't want to see us clan members and nobles being used by His Majesty again!"
"These damn insects, if this had been the case during the reign of Taizu, every one of them would have been skinned and used as grass!"
The words of Chengguo Gong Zhu Xizhong and Dingguo Gong Xu Yande successfully aroused the resonance of all the clans and nobles present. For them, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
If you miss this opportunity, you don’t know when it will be until the next opportunity!
After all, the clan and nobles have been silent for too long, and their comfortable and leisurely life is gradually eating away at their will.
Let me ask you, when you are born into a noble position, have no worries about food and clothing, and can spend your life in wealth and leisure as long as you don't make big mistakes, will you still choose to take up arms and fight the enemy to the death?
As long as they have a choice, most people will not choose to pick up weapons, go to the battlefield, and fight the enemy desperately!
At present, the clan and nobles of the Ming Dynasty are in this state. Their pampered life has gradually eroded away the remaining blood and courage in them.
As time went by, they gradually became cowardly, short-sighted, and stupid, and naturally they forgot what they relied on to achieve their current status.
This is what it means to be a noble man and behead him for five lifetimes.
During this process, many knowledgeable members of the clan and nobles realized that they could not continue like this. If this continued, the clan and nobles would quickly deteriorate and become "pigs" who only knew how to enjoy themselves. There is no way to restore its former glory.
At this critical moment, Jiajing proposed to hold an examination specifically for the clan and nobles in the court, which gave them a glimmer of hope. After all, with His Majesty's support, everything would be much easier.
Even if you just let the descendants of the clan and nobles start from the lowest level, it will at least give them the opportunity to hone themselves!
After all, there are so many clans and nobles in the Ming Dynasty that they can only produce a few useful talents. Only then will the clans and nobles have the opportunity to gradually restore their influence in the court.
Immediately, Zhang Rong looked around and then spoke.
"Although at the moment, His Majesty has dispatched Jin Yiwei and Dongchang to arrest those officials who spread rumors!"
"But this is still a drop in the bucket. After all, there are so many officials in the DPRK and China. It is impossible for His Majesty to put them all in jail, right?"
"Mr. British, what do you mean..."
Zhu Xizhong, the Duke of Cheng State on the side, heard a look of confusion on his face when he heard Zhang Rong's words, and turned to ask.
Facing Zhu Xizhong's extremely puzzled gaze, Zhang Rong organized the words in his mind, then faced everyone and spoke out all his inner thoughts.
"What I mean is that we clan members and nobles cannot just watch. We must also do our part to share the pressure for His Majesty, right?"
Zhang Rong's words quickly won the recognition of other clans and nobles present.
"Yes, that's right, that makes sense!"
"Yes, after all, His Majesty is doing this for us, we can't just watch!"
After that, Duke Chengguo Zhu Xizhong, Duke Dingguo Xu Yande, as well as Wu Qinghou, Xinchenghou and other clan nobles present expressed their attitudes.
"That's it. You guys go down and make your own preparations first. I'll make plans after I go to the Forbidden City to meet His Majesty. What do you think?"
After Zhang Rong finished speaking, he glanced at Chengguo Duke Zhu Xizhong and Dingguo Duke Xu Yande respectively, as if he was seeking their opinions.
"Well, I have no objection. If His Majesty has other plans and we act rashly, wouldn't it make His Majesty's previous efforts in vain?"
"Well, I don't have any objection either!"
As soon as Zhang Rong finished speaking, Chengguo Duke Zhu Xizhong and Dingguo Duke Xu Yande expressed their attitudes.
Many clans and nobles present saw that Duke Cheng and Duke Ding had expressed their opinions, and one after another they expressed their agreement with Zhang Rong's proposal.
Seeing that the matter had been settled, many of the clans and nobles present did not stay in the British Palace for too long, but took their leave one after another.
After sending away the last guest, Zhang Rong turned his eyes to the butler aside and gave instructions in a deep voice.
"Prepare the sedan and go to the Forbidden City!"
"Yes, sir!"
…
Forbidden City, Ministry of Punishment.
At this moment, Zhang Runde, the Minister of Justice, was sorting out the backlog of case files in the room.
Zhang Runde kept a respectful distance from the news that there were ghosts and gods in the Gongyuan, which was widely circulated in the court.
His years of experience as an official told him that doing more is worse than doing less. Besides, this is a very sensitive topic.
On the surface, the whole thing was due to a murder occurring in Gongyuan, and the Taoist priest responsible for exorcising evil died suddenly, which caused the news that there were ghosts and gods in Gongyuan to be rampant.
But in fact, it was those officials who wanted to take this opportunity to make His Majesty postpone the examination that was about to be held in Gongyuan and was specifically for the clan and nobles.
After all, this is a confrontation between civil servants and clans and nobles!
"Oh, it's been such a troubled time lately!"
Zhang Runde sighed with emotion, and then continued to sort out the backlog of case files.
At this moment, there was a rapid knock on the door. Seeing this, Zhang Runde couldn't help but frown slightly and ordered in a deep voice.
"Come in!"
After the words fell, there was only a "squeak" sound, the door of the room was pushed open, and an official ran in in a hurry, with a look of fear and uneasiness on his face.
"Sir...Sir, what's wrong, suddenly a lot of people from Jinyiwei and Dongchang came outside. Right now, they are arresting people everywhere in the Criminal Department according to the list!"
"What!"
After listening to his subordinate's report, Zhang Runde suddenly stood up from his seat, with a look of horror on his face.
At this moment, Zhang Runde didn't care about the unfinished case files in his hand. He looked at the subordinate and asked closely.
"What happened? How come people from Jinyiwei and Dongchang are arresting people in the Criminal Department?"
When the subordinate heard this, he didn't dare to show any slightness, so he had to tell everything he knew.
"Sir, according to the information heard by the officer, the cause of the matter seems to be that the Ministry of Punishment sent a memorial to Ouyang Yijing, the person involved in the incident, on the grounds that there were ghosts and gods in the Gongyuan, asking him to postpone the exam!"
"This memorial made His Majesty furious, which in turn caused Dongchang and Jinyiwei to dispatch to arrest those officials who spread rumors!"
"Sir, what should we do next!"
After the subordinate told him everything he knew, he looked at Zhang Runde with pleading eyes.
"Damn it, this Ouyang Yijing is really a bastard. He committed a rebellion by relying on his status in the criminal department!"
"You can just walk away from the trouble you caused, but in the end, we still have to bear it for you!"
Zhang Runde became angrier as he talked, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Although the Criminal Division that Ouyang Yijing serves is located under the Ministry of Punishment, it is actually not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Punishment and is an independent agency.
Not only that, although Ouyang Yijing, a member of the criminal department, was only in the seventh rank, he had great power. He was in charge of attendants, admonitions, repairs, relics, and inspections of six departments and hundreds of affairs. Even the minister of the criminal department had to temporarily avoid the spotlight. , I dare not offend him at all!
After Zhang Runde vented the anger in his heart, he quickly calmed down.
Then, he discovered a problem that he had ignored, and saw him react, look at the subordinate angrily, and question him.
"By the way, didn't Lord Shangshu give orders many times before that no officials, big or small, in the Ministry of Punishment are allowed to discuss what happened in Gongyuan?"
"Why, is it possible that you took the words of Lord Shangshu and turned a deaf ear?"
When the subordinate heard Zhang Runde's words, he suddenly became extremely guilty and hesitated.
"Sir...Sir, I...we didn't expect that things would be like this. We just used this matter as a talking point. Who knows..."
Before the subordinate finished speaking, he was coldly interrupted by Zhang Runde.
"Humph, you all asked for this!"
When the subordinate heard what Zhang Runde said, he became even more panicked. He fell to his knees on the ground with a thump and begged in tears.
"Sir, you can't just wait and see. Right now, those people from Jinyiwei and Dongchang are trying to get involved in the Criminal Department without explanation. If this continues, everyone will be ruined!"
"You are one of Yange Lao's people, Jinyiwei and Dongchang will give you some thin noodles!"
When Zhang Runde heard what the subordinate said, he suddenly had a dark look on his face: "Idiot, those are Jin Yiwei and Dongchang. Mr. Yan Ge is nothing in front of them, let alone me, a little minister of the Ministry of Justice!"
Having said that, Zhang Runde decided to stand up for his colleagues in the Ministry of Punishment.
No matter what the final result is, in short, you must do this, otherwise, if Jin Yiwei and Dongchang are allowed to be involved in this way, people's hearts will be scattered!
Thinking of this, Zhang Runde couldn't help but take a deep breath and force himself to calm down. After that, Zhang Runde looked at the subordinate and gave instructions in a deep voice.
"Well, take me there!"
"Yes, it's adults, please come with me!"
Under the leadership of that subordinate, Zhang Runde walked out of the room and walked straight to the lobby of the Criminal Department.
As soon as Zhang Runde arrived near the lobby of the Ministry of Justice, he saw such a scene, only a man with a bruised nose and swollen face. The injured official from the Ministry of Justice was kowtowing on the ground: "Sir, I don't even know about the person behind the scenes you mentioned!"
The officer-looking guard next to him seemed unconvinced by his statement, and turned to give instructions to his subordinates.
"Damn it, he should be so stubborn. If he is detained and sentenced to death, I don't believe he won't speak up!"
"Yes, sir!"
After that, the Criminal Department official was dragged down like a dead dog.
Zhang Runde couldn't help but feel frightened when he saw this situation. At the same time, his heart was full of regret.
"Oh, if I had known better, I wouldn't have come into this muddy water!"
Soon, the Jin Yiwei present noticed Zhang Runde who appeared in the lobby of the Criminal Department. The Jin Yiwei next to him was about to step forward for questioning, but was stopped by the eyes of the officer on the side.
The officer came to Zhang Runde and his tone softened slightly.
"Jinyiwei is handling the case. What is Mr. Zhang doing here?"
When Zhang Runde heard this, he couldn't help but feel panicked. Immediately, he leaned down and said bravely.
"Sir... Your Majesty, I know that you, Jinyiwei and Dongchang, are acting on orders, but if you continue to be involved like this, the daily operations of the Criminal Department may be affected..."
The officer of the Jin Yiwei could naturally hear the meaning of Zhang Runde's words: "Let's end the matter here. Don't involve yourself too much. Just be able to communicate. If this continues, everyone's face will not look good!"
After hearing Zhang Runde's words, the chief of the Jin Yiwei turned around and glanced at the subordinates around him one by one.
Anyway, Jinyiwei has gained a lot from this operation, and he can still communicate with the superiors no matter what.
Just when he was about to agree to Zhang Runde's proposal and take the people away, he saw a Dongchang officer coming over with several Dongchang factory guards.
"Hey, what are you Jin Yiwei trying to do? Is it possible that you want to protect the criminals?"
After the Dongchang officer finished speaking, he glanced at Zhang Runde and the Jinyiwei officer respectively, his tone full of joking.
When the Jin Yiwei officer saw the people from Dongchang arriving, he couldn't help but lower his head and cursed secretly.
"These damn Dongchang fans!"
Not only the chief of the Jin Yiwei, but also the other Jin Yiwei at the scene looked at the Dongchang factory guards with an extraordinarily hostile look.
Those Dongchang factory guards, after noticing the unkind gaze from Jin Yiwei, also stared back.
The atmosphere between the two sides suddenly became tense.
Immediately, I saw the Jinyiwei officer from earlier looking at the East Factory officer, and then spoke.
"Hmph, why do I need to explain to your people in the East Factory what I, Jin Yiwei, do?"
The East Factory director was not annoyed at all when he heard this. After looking at the Jin Yiwei officer up and down, he immediately spoke.
"Huh, having said that, I'm afraid that some people will take this opportunity to protect those who are suspected. Come on, take him down here and interrogate him strictly!"
After the East Factory manager finished speaking, he pointed to Zhang Runde who was standing aside and gave these instructions to his subordinates.
"Yes, sir!"
As soon as the Dongchang officer finished speaking, the Dongchang factory guard on the side immediately stepped forward and wanted to take Zhang Runde away.
Hearing this, the Jin Yiwei officer on the side sneered, swept his eyes from the East Factory officer, and gave instructions in a deep voice.
"Hmph, today I want to see who dares to steal someone from our royal guards!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Jinyi guards who were waiting with eager eyes immediately surrounded him. The few Dongchang factory guards saw that there were so many people on the other side that they did not dare to make any move.
Seeing the overwhelming power of the other party, the Dongchang officer knew that nothing could be done, so he had no choice but to order his men to let go of Zhang Runde.
"Hmph, just wait and see, I, Dongchang, will take note of this grudge!"
After scanning everyone present with a selective and devouring gaze, the Dongchang officer put down his harsh words and immediately left the Criminal Department lobby with the Dongchang guards.
…
The Forbidden City, outside the Qianqing Palace.
At this moment, Zhang Rong looked at the Qianqing Palace so close in front of him, feeling increasingly uneasy in his heart.
"Alas, I don't know what the current situation is. I heard that there are many officials in the court. Shangshu is asking Your Majesty to postpone the exam that will be held in the Gongyuan!"
"What if His Majesty cannot bear the pressure and agrees to the officials' proposal? We clan members and nobles are just counting on this opportunity to turn around!"
Immediately, Zhang Rong looked away from Qianqing Palace, took a deep breath, and comforted himself.
"No, it won't happen. No matter what your Majesty says, he is someone who has experienced great ritual discussions. This trivial matter should not be enough to sway His Majesty's will!"
At this moment, Lu Fang quietly came to Zhang Rong and bowed to him.
"Mr. British, you can go in, His Majesty is waiting for you inside!"
When Zhang Rong heard what Lu Fang said, he suddenly came back to his senses and nodded slightly to Lu Fang to express his gratitude.
"Well, I'm sorry to bother you, Eunuch Lu!"
When Lu Fang heard Zhang Rong's words, a flattered expression suddenly appeared on her face, and she couldn't help but humbly said.
"Where, where, the British prince comes with our family!"
"Um."
After that, British Duke Zhang Rong, led by Lu Fang, stepped onto the stairs of Qianqing Palace.
After the two of them entered the Qianqing Palace, they saw Lu Fang turning her gaze to Jiajing, who was sitting on the dragon chair, leaning down to report respectfully.
"Your Majesty, the British Duke has arrived!"
"Um."
When Jiajing heard the words, he just responded in a subtle way. Immediately, Lu Fang came directly to Jiajing and stood next to him, like a sculpture.
"I bow to your majesty, long live my emperor!"
After Zhang Rong finished speaking, he planned to kneel on the ground, but unexpectedly, he was stopped by Jiajing.
"Okay, Sir, there is no need to salute me!"
After Jiajing finished speaking, he waved his hand again without waiting for Zhang Rong to respond, and then gave instructions.
"Come here, give the British Duke a seat!"
As soon as Jiajing finished speaking, a eunuch came forward, brought a seat for the British Duke Zhang Rong, and covered it with soft cushions.
Seeing this, Zhang Rong immediately bowed his hand to Jiajing and expressed his gratitude.
"Thank you so much, Your Majesty!"
"Well, sit down!"
Jiajing didn't care about this, just raised his eyebrows and motioned for Zhang Rong to sit down on the seat.
"As you command, Your Majesty!"
When Zhang Rong heard this, he didn't refuse and sat down on the chair. Not long after, Jiajing's ancient well-free voice sounded in his ears.
"Mr. British, do you have anything to tell me when you come to see me this time?"
Zhang Rong heard Jiajing's words, organized the words in his mind, and then spoke carefully.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, to be honest, I have received some news recently. It is said that Yan Shifan, the elder of the small pavilion, invited some Taoist priests to go to Gongyuan to exorcise evil spirits for the upcoming exam. Later, these Taoist priests all died unexpectedly!"
"Since then, the rumor that there are ghosts and gods in the Gongyuan has become very popular, spreading in the court and the capital!"
"There are even some officials who took this opportunity to go to His Majesty Shu to ask you to postpone the exam that will be held in the Gongyuan. Wei Chen feels..."
After listening to Zhang Rong's narration, Jiajing had a warm smile on his face. He looked at Zhang Rong and comforted him unhurriedly.
"Mr. British, you can rest assured about this. Could you please go back and tell everyone later that the exam will still be held normally no matter what!"
Jiajing's words were undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the anxious British Duke Zhang Rong.
Let me ask, in this world, is there anything more reassuring than the emperor's promise?
After that, Zhang Rong summoned up the courage to turn his gaze to Jiajing, who was sitting on the dragon chair, and continued.
"Your Majesty, to be honest, everyone was quite indignant after learning about the actions of those officials, and wanted to do something for His Majesty. You see..."
When Jiajing heard Zhang Rong's words, after looking Zhang Rong up and down, his face was filled with relief and he immediately spoke.
"Well, I'm very pleased that you have such a heart, but right now your focus should be on the upcoming exam!"
"But you must never abandon the good and chase the bad!"
Hearing this, Zhang Rong did not show any disappointment on his face. He immediately lowered his head and responded respectfully.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will convey your words to everyone!"
"Um."
(End of chapter)
