After Zhang Siwei returned to his hometown, because his reputation was already bad, not many people came to greet him. Only Wang Chonggu waited for his arrival by an abandoned pagoda beside an official road outside Puzhou City.
"uncle!"
The fragrant grass and wives are kissed by the spring breeze.
Zhang Siwei, who had messy white hair, bowed to Wang Chonggu as soon as he saw him.
Wang Chonggu helped him up and said with a smile: "You are finally back."
Zhang Siwei said with a lonely look on his face: "Unlike my uncle who retired after his success, my nephew returned in frustration!"
"When there is a conflict between righteousness and profit, not everyone can be upright. It would be nice to come back."
Wang Chonggu said.
Zhang Siwei nodded: "That's what my uncle said."
Then, Zhang Siwei said: "If my nephew hadn't been in court, my uncle might have been able to become the Privy Council's Taibao now as an official."
Wang Chonggu smiled slightly: "There are so many officials in the Holy Dynasty, what do I think?"
With that said, Wang Chonggu said: "It's you, no matter whether it is a disaster or a blessing, you must accept it calmly!"
Zhang Siwei nodded and sighed: "That's all. My nephew still underestimates Jiang Ling's knowledge and the majesty he trained. No matter what the outcome is, it's my nephew's own fault."
"Xu Huating ended up with a broken family, not Zhang Jiangling! This is something I didn't expect!"
"However, things in the world sometimes do not go according to common sense."
"Each generation of kings has their destiny. Just like in the time of Shimiao, Yang Xindu (Yang Tinghe) might not have thought that the emperor he chose would be such a smart emperor!"
"No matter what, thunder, rain, and dew are all for your kindness; people like you and me are not just hooligans after all. No matter what, we can't do anything that goes against ordinary ethics!"
Wang Chonggu started talking again, then looked at Zhang Siwei and said with a smile: "Hurry back and see your father!"
Zhang Siwei suddenly looked sad, and then he said goodbye to Wang Chonggu. Then he went home and cried in front of his father's body. After changing clothes, he met relatives and friends again. For a while, he saw his younger brother Zhang Siwei was still there. In the future, I will ask my son Zhang Jiazheng in a deep voice:
"Where is your second uncle?"
Zhang Jiazheng replied: "Second uncle hasn't come back yet, he should be on his way back!"
Zhang Siwei's expression darkened after hearing this, and he ordered: "As soon as he comes back, come and tell me!"
Zhang Jiazheng raised his hand and said yes.
And that night, it was when Zhang Siwei's father was being placed in the coffin. Zhang Siwei had just finished watching the funeral and glanced at his father. His student Yin Chang, the former left minister of the Ministry of Rites in Nanjing, came to see him and said: "Master, these days , I have been asking you something."
Zhang Siwei nodded after hearing this: "Ask me!"
"Why does the Master take personal gain so seriously?"
Yin Chang suddenly asked directly.
Zhang Siwei immediately raised his eyebrows and looked at him: "Are you here to ask me on behalf of Shenwu County?"
Yin Chang immediately knelt on the ground: "Master, please calm down! Disciples are naturally not appointed by others; but if Master is not a self-interested person, then it can only be as they said, you are a person who sees great righteousness and cherishes his own life! So, So that you will not be loyal to the party, will not rebuke the traitors, and will not remonstrate with the king and father!"
Zhang Siwei grinned and looked at Yin Chang: "Why do you have to fight each other so hard?! You might as well just kill me with one knife!"
"Why would Master say that?!"
"Although, no matter what, the emperor will still put scholars in high regard, but things have changed with the trend. Why didn't the prime minister do this and let the southerners rule the country now?"
Yin Chang said with a sneer.
"Then what are you going to do as a teacher?"
"Is it possible to follow Zhang Jiangling's example and just make a straw mat for the people of the world to sleep on safely, even if in the future this straw mat will be burned as firewood once it can no longer be used?!"
"Even if I do this, will there still be that time?!"
Zhang Siwei gritted his teeth and continued speaking, and then said again:
"We are different from Shen, Wang and others!"
"Their industry is a workshop, and we are a Yahang bank! They can continue to restructure in the future. Even if they increase business taxes to benefit small farmers, they can accept it. The method is nothing more than improving their skills or making small profits but quick turnover; but we We are just Ya people, every point of official profit is one point less for us!"
"It's not that you don't understand!"
With that said, Zhang Siwei asked Yin Chang again: "Even if my Zhang family is willing, are you all willing? Do you also understand that you are a teacher?!"
Yin Chang didn't say anything more after hearing this.
At this time, Zhang Jiazheng ran over: "Father! The second uncle is back! But him."
"What's up with him?"
Zhang Siwei asked hurriedly.
At this time, Zhang Jiazheng looked back.
Zhang Siwei also looked over, and then he saw that Zhang Sijiao had walked in at this time, but he was wearing a prison uniform and a pair of shackles. He was as skinny as a stick and looked much haggard.
Zhang Siwei was stunned when he saw this scene.
Zhang Sijiao walked towards his father's soul, and immediately knelt on the ground, crying: "Father, my son is unfilial and failed to guard the family with virtue! Wow!"
"There is a will!"
After Zhang Sijiao finished crying, Chen Zheng, the eunuch and eunuch in charge of rituals, took out the imperial edict and shouted.
Zhang Siwei came to his senses and knelt on the ground.
His student Yin Chang and other people who came to pay homage to Zhang Mansion also knelt down with astonishment on their faces.
Zhang Sijiao then turned around.
"The imperial edict says: Grand Tutor Zhang Siwei has betrayed my kindness and secretly harbored different ambitions, and conspired to frame our late master Gu Ming. He wanted to frame me for injustice. He allowed his disciples to pervert the law and to steal salt and money from barbarians...even if there is an amnesty first, but The crime he committed is still unforgivable and cannot be forgiven for a while, so he has been stripped of his official title and reward, and he has been sent to the official school by the imperial government to have him and the whole clan sent to the capital for trial and hearing. His family property has not been recovered, so I appreciate this!"
After Chen Zheng finished reciting the decree, he looked at Zhang Siwei: "Your Majesty's special decree is to wait until you see your father at the funeral and your father has placed the coffin before he announces this decree. That's why we delayed our visit until now. Please accept the decree." !”
After a long while, Zhang Siwei replied feebly: "The guilty minister accepts the decree! Thank you, Your Majesty, for being so benevolent as heaven, and for your filial piety!"
】
So, Zhang Siwei took over the decree and then glanced at Zhang Sijiao.
"copy!"
At this time, Zhai Rujing, the official of Jinyi Guards, also immediately waved his hand. Immediately, a large number of Jinyi Guards officers rushed in with open fire. They ransacked Zhang Siwei's house in Nuo University, five steps to one post and ten steps to one row.
Wang Zhuan, the left minister of the Ministry of Punishment, also ordered at the same time: "All members of the upper and lower clans will be imprisoned in an empty room first! Non-family relatives and friends can only leave after being registered. All members of the same clan are waiting to be locked up and taken to the capital!"
After Wang Zhuan finished speaking, the sergeants from the Criminal Department immediately came over and began to detain Zhang Siwei's son Zhang Jiazheng first, shouting: "Let's go!"
"Presumptuous, what are you doing?!"
Zhang Jiazheng was very surprised and hurriedly shouted to Zhang Siwei: "Father, what on earth is going on?! Didn't you say that the only ones whose homes were ransacked could be Huating or Jiangling?"
Zhang Siwei did not answer.
Gao Weisong, the chief of the Criminal Division who was in charge of the inspection, also came to Zhang Siwei at this time: "Please hand over the list of members of the noble family and the list of servants, so that it can be convenient for me to name!"
Zhang Siwei nodded, went to get the roster in person, held it with trembling hands, and gave it to Gao Weisong: "My foreign relatives don't know the sinner's family affairs, so please be lenient and let them leave as soon as possible to avoid being greatly frightened."
Gao Weisong nodded: "Don't worry!"
Next, Gao Weisong shouted to the screaming women and the panicked men: "Don't panic. When I am almost named, anyone who is not from this clan can leave!"
Here, Zhang Siwei walked towards Zhang Sijiao, who was not in custody because he was a prisoner, and asked: "What on earth is going on?"
"My brother was in jail last year!"
"Not in Yangzhou."
"In addition, I have also brought in everything, including the fact that you asked me to arrange for people to criticize Jiangling, and you also bribed Qiu Li to prepare to be sent to Jiangling's family, and you borrowed money to seek an official position to prepare for stealing Jiangling's stolen goods, as well as buying The matter of secretly giving salt to Beilu."
Zhang Sijiao replied in a deep voice at this time.
Zhang Siwei was stunned on the spot after hearing this.
"Why?!"
"Why did you recruit all of these?"
"You don't know what the consequences will be if His Majesty knows this?!"
Zhang Siwei gritted his teeth and shouted.
Zhang Sijiao hurriedly replied: "First, it's not me they hate, but you!"
"Secondly, you and I are both prosperous and devastated. Since they have found out my brother's crime, how can you, brother, be immune alone!"
"Third, why should I have to bear all these sins alone? Most of the profits from my business these years have gone to your elder brother. The hard work is ours, but in the end, how can it be that only my second wife has to shoulder everything?!"
