Wang Zhengui raised his head and scanned the crowd with resolute eyes. The noise just now disappeared in an instant, and there was silence.
"Dean, there have been rumors about changes in Nanjing in the past few days, and Wei Jimin will definitely interfere with it. It is very likely that Xia Yuanlong will be summoned back to take charge of important affairs. If we do not act according to the situation, he will be returned easily, and he will have to be controlled by others in the future. , bow to his literary alliance; it is better to follow his wishes first and start asking him to participate in politics, and then let him dig his own hole and jump out of it. This endgame will not be easy to end."
"If it doesn't end well and it's a mess, what's the benefit to me?" Zhu Che still didn't understand.
Wang Zhengui said calmly: "Once he leaves, we will no longer be able to control this place. We can take this opportunity to discuss cooperation with the government and realize your ambition, Mr. Zhu!"
After Zhu Che heard this, he raised his fist excitedly: "Jin Gui is really the academy's think tank! If you are so down-to-earth, you won't have to worry about the people of Suzhou not enjoying the preferential policies."
Then he called on everyone on the spot to follow Wang Zhengui's wishes and go to the study room to write a memorial.
Zhu Che sketched the last stroke and asked the boy to hand over the black and white writing on the paper. Everyone appended their names to the end of the petition, except for Wang Zhengui who did not sign.
"Jin Gui, can you... sign it? Don't offend the government because of this..." Zhu Che asked worriedly.
Wang Zhengui ignored it, calmly wrote, and immediately wrote seven characters: "Suzhou Salt Class Wang Zhengui".
Zhu Che saw that he was not panicked and had confidence in his mind. He immediately admired him and held out his official seal: "Brother Xian is so bold for the sake of the academy. Brother Fool is extremely inferior and feels very guilty. Please join me." Keidai stamps this seal!"
Wang Zhengui was afraid to salute, but Dean Zhu invited him to the chair and took the official seal. He secretly looked at the expressions of all the scholars, and they all looked very approving, so he felt relieved and stamped the seal hard on the paper.
"Ask the salt class guy named Wang to explain what's going on!"
This was the only sentence the prefect left for his subordinates after reading the audacious petition. This group of officials did not dare to neglect, and immediately called Wang Zhengui into the Yamen and said sternly that the matter was serious. Wang Zhengui didn't take it seriously and came straight to meet the prefect.
"Jin Gui, please sit down." The Suzhou magistrate said with a straight face and bowed to him coldly.
"Oh, okay." Wang Zhengui lowered his head knowingly, not looking at him.
"I thought you were a decent person," the magistrate flicked the memorial with his fingers. "You don't have a good family background, and you don't have the rotten spirit of Governor Song. What are you doing to get involved in this kind of thing? I can protect you. , but other people’s eyes are not in vain, paper can’t cover up the fire after all. Where did your ambition go now? "
Wang Zhengui nodded repeatedly: "My lord is blaming me. But even if I block the villain's promotion path, I can't let my lord take the blame and make you suffer criticism again."
"What do you mean by this?" The prefect frowned slightly.
"A few days ago, Xia Yuanlong got Zhu Che and others to conspire to set up a political participation academy. The villain was so frightened when he heard about it that he couldn't go in to eat or sleep on the bed. Now the squires came to discuss the matter of wrapping salt, and I said After testing it, many people agreed with this policy, and I am afraid that they will write a letter soon. Since the people's sentiment is like this, in order to prevent the adults from being embarrassed, the villains signed their names, and then the punishment and accountability will be settled. "
After hearing this, the prefect felt that the fat man in front of him was aggrieved, and showed some pity: "It seems that you people who do practical things all have difficulties and have their own difficulties. I am deeply moved that you can think of this for me!" You have the talent and knowledge to deal with the world, so your promotion position will not be blocked and you will be blamed for anything, just don't worry."
Wang Zhengui pushed away his chair, knelt down and kowtowed three times: "Thank you, Mr. Futai, for your promotion!"
"Get up, get up." The prefect wiped away the unhappiness just now, and a kind smile appeared on his face, "but the government must not be soft on this matter, and the attitude must be tough, so as not to be looked down upon by those rotten people. This is not a deliberate break of the promise, I hope Salt class can understand.”
Wang Zhengui said: "How can I not know the good intentions of Futai? The academy is about to become a powerful force. Zhu Che has long had a desire to compromise. If he uses a plan, even if he fights to the end, it will be difficult!"
"Jin Gui, come quickly!" The prefect's eyes were shining, he couldn't wait any longer.
"The relationship between the two academies in Nanjing and Suzhou is not harmonious. Zhu Che is relatively moderate and plans to unite with the government to strengthen the academy, so I need to mediate among the officials, and there is no one else available. In this way, the safety of the entire academy is at risk If you send it to me, I can trick him into not knowing what he is doing, and I can easily take advantage of him without any bloodshed."
The magistrate put his hands on his hands and laughed. After a moment, he got rid of the extreme joy and said to him: "This plan is great, but the experience department has a governor Song Zhang, which will definitely hinder everything."
"...Well, I will look back and think about it." Wang Zhengui felt ashamed that he had not considered this.
"Song Zhang won't be too difficult to deal with."
The government has indeed been fighting against this petition to participate in politics for a long time. At first the prefect rejected it, so the academy continued to present the memorial, but this time it simply fell into disarray and there was no response. Xia Yuanlong then ordered everyone to post notices in the streets and alleys, explaining the benefits of the academy's participation in politics. Because this academy always spoke uprightly for the people and addressed current issues, it caused a sensation throughout the city. The response from the people was not unusually enthusiastic. Some people were even organized and crouched at the yamen gate all day long to beg for orders.
The noise grew louder and louder, and the prefect realized that it was time to put an end to it, so he sent two envoys to the academy to read the document with his own handwriting.
Xia Yuanlong was burning incense and praying in the lecture hall when he suddenly heard several hurried knocks on the door. He hurriedly went to the outer courtyard and stood in a circle with the two deans, deputy deans, seven counselors and many academy literati, as if they were holding some kind of ceremony.
squeak--
The door opened, and the two envoys seemed to be radiating golden light, and the dazzling brilliance caught everyone's eyes, especially Zhu Che, who was the dean.
Without any explanation, he took just one step forward and then knelt on the ground, his eyes bright and solemn: "I didn't expect to receive such grace from the palace. The two envoys came and really made the academy shine!"
Then, Vice Dean Song Zhang waved his robe and knelt down again, and a large number of people knelt down behind him. Only Xia Yuanlong stood upright like a stone pillar standing tall in the sky and the earth.
He stared blankly at the people kneeling in front of him, and then smiled faintly at the messenger: "Second Master, I'm sorry. Xia is from Nanjing. The Nanjing government can control me, but I don't recognize the government here. I'm afraid Suzhou's registration There is no name on it."
The envoy was furious: "How bold! Everyone in the world is a citizen of the emperor, how can there be any reason why people elsewhere should not kneel to local officials!"
Xia Yuanlong scratched his chin: "I apologize to you again, Xia does not kneel to people he has never met."
