Zhai Rujing, the member of Jin Yiwei, was also walking towards here personally holding the imperial edict.
But at this time, Zhang Cheng, the eunuch who was responsible for the ceremony, stopped Zhai Rujing and asked, "Where is Commander Ti going with this decree?"
The official in charge of the Jin Yiwei was often called Dajinwu, while other senior members of the Jinyiwei were often called Tishuai, which was considered a courtesy in the officialdom. Therefore, Zhang Cheng also called Zhai Rujing this way.
Zhai Rujing bowed his hands and said, "Father-in-law, you can ask the factory owner directly. Please forgive me for not being able to tell you openly because of my humble position!"
Zhang Cheng nodded, instead of getting angry he smiled: "Tishuai was so tight-lipped when he escorted Yuan Fu back to the capital?"
Zhai Rujing became serious after hearing this: "I wonder what my father-in-law means by asking this?"
Zhang Cheng laughed and said, "It's nothing, I just hope that Tishuai will remember who he is as a close minister! During this trip to Huguang, Tishuai also received a lot of gifts, right?"
Zhai Rujing was startled after hearing this.
Then, Zhang Cheng whispered to Zhai Rujing: "No matter how you say it, Zhang Jiangling is from another country, not one of our own. If Tishuai doesn't tell our family now, how can we protect our family?"
With that said, Zhang Cheng said: "With so many guards in uniform tonight, everyone can guess that something big must have happened!"
"Sorry, I cannot tell because of my humble position!"
"Yu Gong just went to Guizhou because of his carelessness. How can he follow in his humble footsteps again?"
"As for accepting gifts, please have mercy on me, father-in-law."
"But if you reveal the secrets of the imperial edict in your humble position, you will be breaking the rules! You will be disloyal to the emperor! You can still distinguish what is more important in your humble position, so please forgive me again!"
After Zhai Rujing said this, he bowed to Zhang Cheng and walked away quickly.
Zhang Cheng looked at Zhai Rujing's back and gradually lost his countenance. Then he hurried over to the Supervisor of Ceremonies and asked Zhang Hong: "Old Ancestor, a large number of Jin Yiwei were dispatched from the Zhifang by the river tonight. What's going on? Do you know? ?”
Zhang Hong wiped the sweat from his head and said, "Eunuch Zhang should ask the factory supervisor."
Zhang Cheng came over, took a cattail leaf fan, and while fanning Zhang Hong, he also wiped the sweat from his head and said with a smile: "But you are the ancestor after all. Didn't he ask Zhang Jing first what happened?" Let me ask you a question?"
Zhang Hong said: "Meixiang worships me. They are all His Majesty's domestic slaves. Why did he ask our family in advance? Do you think he should come and ask our family?"
As Zhang Hong spoke, he asked Zhang Cheng again: "Eunuch Zhang, doesn't he know that as soon as a bird can fly, it has to leave its nest, and as a person grows up, it has to leave its nest? Although our family is in charge of the Supervisor of Ceremonies, who can we control?" "
Zhang Chengshan smiled and said: "Don't say that, I still respect you."
"Eunuch Zhang, there are some things you don't need to tell me. If you really feel uneasy, just go and confess to the emperor."
Zhang Hongdao.
Zhang Cheng was stunned after hearing this, and then smiled and said: "It's nothing, just asking in vain. However, the people in the Jinyiwei below are becoming more and more confused about their positions. There is a man named Zhai Rujing, whose elbows are turned outward, almost It becomes Zhang family’s personal property!”
"Shuai Youti has offended you. You should tell the factory supervisor, Eunuch Zhang. You don't have to tell our family."
Zhang Hong said again.
"I was just ordered to escort Mr. Yuan Fu Zhang back to Beijing. He became a private member of the Zhang family."
"Isn't your Eunuch Zhang also very close to the scholar-bureaucrats? Why can't he be handsome?"
"Besides, I went there on orders, so who guarantees that there won't be a word or two of conversation along the way?"
Zhang Jing walked in at some point and took off his outer robe. After a servant brought cold water, he washed his face and then said to Zhang Hong:
"It's just that there are a few corrupt officials in the outer court, and they have the will to take them away."
Zhang Jing put down the cotton handkerchief he was wiping his face with, looked at Zhang Cheng, and asked, "It shouldn't have anything to do with our inner court, right?"
Then, Zhang Jing said: "Anyway, as long as it is a cabinet vote, whoever is on duty will approve it."
"There's nothing to worry about!"
Zhang Hong stood up, put on his three-mountain hat and walked out.
At this time, Zhang Jingcai said to Zhang Cheng: "Your Majesty ordered Eunuch Zhang to go to Qianqing Palace to see him too!"
Zhang Cheng collapsed to the ground after hearing this.
…
At this time, the Ministry of War was surrounded by Jinyi guards.
Li Cai, a doctor in the martial arts department, and other officials, accompanied by Fang Fengshi, the Minister of War, and other officials, came out to meet Zhai Rujing, the Jinyi guard.
Zhai Rujing raised the imperial decree and said: "If there is a decree, immediately take Li Cai, the doctor of the Military Selection Department of the Ministry of War, and other officials of the Military Selection Department to jail!"
Li Cai and others were shocked after hearing this.
Fang Fengshi also looked at Li Cai and asked, "Li Bulang, what did your Martial Arts Department do?"
At this time, Li Cai did not answer the question asked by Fang Fengshi, the Minister of War. He only murmured: "How could it come to this! Even if Yin Zhengmao sued me, the Prime Minister would not allow such a decree to appear. It is impossible. This Absolutely impossible!"
When the two Jinyi guardsmen saw Li Cai being called Li Bulang directly when they met, they understood that Li Cai was the doctor of the martial arts department, so they detained Li Cai directly and dragged him out.
After being dragged down, Li Cai struggled and shouted: "You can't take me! Do you know who my support is?! I want to see my master! I want to see my master!"
After Li Cai was taken away, other officials of the Wuxuan Department were also detained one after another.
At the same time, a team of royal guards also came to the Liu Ke Lang Yamen.
When Qin Yao learned that the Jin Yiwei was here to take him, he lost his composure and asked the Jin Yiwei who was taking him: "Is this a dream? How could the Master let you take me!"
Only after a sharp pain came from his shoulder did he wake up and couldn't help but said: "What is going on? Why did Zhang Jiangling let Jin Yiwei come to get me!"
As he said that, Qin Yao started to curse: "Zhang Juzheng! I am not like Liu Ziwei (Liu Tai) or Wu Zidao (Wu Zhongxing). How can you cross the river and demolish the bridge! Unload the mill and kill the donkey!"
After he finished scolding, Qin Yao suddenly realized that it might be because Zhang Juzheng knew what people like him were doing behind his back, which led to him being arrested, so he fell silent again.
Li Cai, Qin Yao and others were taken away by the Jin Yiwei, which indeed caused a lot of shock among the entire Beijing officials.
After all, those who are still in the capital are almost all members of Zhang Juzheng's party, and they all think that everyone is one of their own.
Everyone thinks that they can finally be an official in peace and quiet, and waiting to be promoted as soon as their qualifications are reached will be more difficult at best than passing the exam and implementing the new policies.
But compared to being able to sit back and wait for promotion and make money with ease, it’s nothing.
But now, the officials of Zhang Juzheng's party did not expect that their benefactor or mentor would take action against their own people and clean up the family.
Why doesn't this make people panic again?
Zhang Juzheng's close confidants, such as Zhang Xueyan, the Minister of Household Affairs, Fang Fengshi, the Minister of War, and Li Youzi, the new Minister of Works, all hurriedly came to the cabinet to inquire about the situation.
Especially Fang Fengshi, who was the first to come to the cabinet. After all, the entire Military Selection Department of his Ministry of War was taken over, so he was naturally the most anxious.
"Yuan Fu, what exactly is going on? Why do you resort to such thunderous measures?"
Fang Fengshi asked anxiously after seeing Zhang Juzheng.
(End of chapter)
