"Master Zhou, my father has been arrested by the factory guards. The students are in chaos right now. I don't know what to do. I hope Master Zhou can give the students some guidance!"
Hou Fangyu, Mao Xiang, Chen Zhenhui and others petitioned outside Xi'an before. He originally thought that if thousands of students went out together, they would be able to gain something, but he never expected that the factory guards would be the harvest!
The emperor was actually able to send factory guards to suppress the scholars, which greatly exceeded everyone's expectations, and the methods were ruthless, just like catching pigs.
If you stood still, you would be caught. Most people were not prepared to be jailed, so they dispersed almost in a rush, making the scene extremely chaotic.
There were many people shouting, cursing, crowding, and trampling, and there was no trace of the gentleness of the Confucian scholars. They were no different from the market scoundrels who were usually suppressed by the government officials.
Hou Fangyu and Maoxiang ran fast and were not caught. Chen Zhenhui and others were knocked down by the soldiers coming from the side. It was too late to get up and run around.
They stood near the front, almost face to face with the factory guard who came out, and had very little reaction time. This time they were in bad luck.
This was not over yet. Hou Fangyu thought that as his father was the left minister of the imperial court's criminal department, the factory guards would not dare to search him unless he obeyed the order.
Then he took Maoxiang home. Before entering the house, he saw from a distance that many factory guards and feudal lords were occupying in front of his house.
The two of them could only hide in the corner and wait and watch. They saw Hou Xun coming out with his hands already shackled.
The astonished Hou Fangyu couldn't believe it. He didn't know what his father had committed, and he was afraid of being implicated, so he didn't dare to ask directly.
This actually saved Hou Fangyu's life, because the factory guard publicly announced to the onlookers that anyone who could report Hou Fangyu's hiding place would be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver!
He actually became a person on whom the imperial court offered a reward!
Not only was Hou Fangyu dumbfounded, Maoxiang on the side was even more inexplicably surprised.
How long has it been since Hou Xun came out?
In the blink of an eye, he was imprisoned for the second time. Things were really strange.
The two of them didn't know why. They thought of a place to go, so they had to cover their mouths and noses and quickly ran away.
The final destination is a secluded house in Nandu, which was purchased by the former chief minister Zhou Yanru. In order to be revived by the imperial court, it is now in use.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of Zhou Yanru becoming the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty. Ironically, it is also the tenth anniversary of his resignation!
Because in the second year of Chongzhen, Zhou Yanru only served as the chief minister for four months before he was replaced by Wen Tiren.
At that time, Zhou Yanru was only in his thirties, and he didn't know enough about the constraints on each other, so he followed Wen Tiren's advice.
Moreover, because he had not used the promised Qian Qianyi before, he was squeezed out in Donglin.
After returning home, Zhou Yanru reflected on the previous gains and losses, weighed the pros and cons, and kept waiting for an opportunity to come.
After waiting for a long time, the opportunity did not come, but the ticket sent by the prince came!
The amount is as high as one hundred thousand taels!
Not only that, the prince also asked him to write a pledge never to rebel against the imperial court!
For Zhou Yanru, it was equivalent to suffering from external injuries and internal injuries at the same time!
Letting Zhou Kui be included in his family's family tree, co-authoring it is of no use, it is really unnecessary!
Later, Zhou Yanru learned that Zhou Kui's house had also been confiscated by the prince.
If he hadn't thought of him as a national warrior and the prince's grandfather, he would have been convicted by now.
Facing the menacing factory guards, Zhou Yanru had no choice but to obey everything.
The one hundred thousand taels of silver were all robbed by the bandits, and the guarantee letter was just a scrap of paper. When he made a comeback, he would no longer be able to count.
His elder brother Zhou Suru was removed from the imperial guard Qianhu, and his family member Zhou Wenyu was removed from the post of deputy commander-in-chief, which made Zhou Yanru look embarrassed.
But now that he has been out of office for ten years, he is no longer the glorious chief minister. Faced with the prince's order, he has no ability to resist.
After reading Queen Zhou's letter, Zhou Yanru realized that it was Wu Changshi and the prince who were working together to murder him.
The prince was still young, so this matter was probably Wu Changshi's idea, otherwise the prince would never have been so clear about his circumstances.
If one day he can regain power, he must first kill Wu Changshi, a white-eyed wolf!
Personal grudges were secondary, the main reason was that Wu Changshi knew too many things.
If such a person betrays the truth and reveals some secrets, it will be too threatening to the parties concerned.
The safest way is to shut him up forever...
The dead will not reveal secrets to others. Zhou Yanru felt that this method was particularly suitable for Wu Changshi!
Whether it's assassination, poisoning, or drowning, as long as it can kill Wu Chang, you can consider implementing it!
Empress Zhou said in the letter that she had appeased the prince, asked Wu Changshi not to cause trouble, and asked Zhou Yanru not to act rashly in the near future.
However, for Zhou Yanru, Wu Changshi had become a thorny problem.
The key is that Wu Changshi knew the relationship between Zhou Yanru and Queen Zhou, Zhou Yanru knew the relationship between Queen Zhou and Wu Changshi, and Queen Zhou knew the relationship between Wu Changshi and Zhou Yanru.
Not only that, the three of them all knew that the relationship between Queen Zhou and the other two was different. One relationship was very special. This was the most important thing!
Zhou Yanru believed that Queen Zhou's letter said that the prince did not know about it, but was comforted by her after he became suspicious. Now as long as there is no extra trouble, everything can return to peace.
No one knows how long this matter will last.
In view of this, Zhou Yanru had no choice but to give up his previous plan and adopt the strategy of caution but patience.
The reason is simple. Once this matter is exposed, if you say it from your own mouth, you will die.
From what Wu Changshi said, that guy must die, and maybe he would be implicated in the case.
The guy chose to remain silent at this time, and he must have known that the power of this matter was very serious.
If you want to survive, you have to shut up, otherwise everyone will be dead!
Zhou Yanru didn't know whether Queen Zhou would be affected, but it was enough to know that he and Wu Changshi would definitely be silenced!
In this matter, Queen Zhou will definitely not say anything. As for the other two, only by keeping their mouths shut can they save their lives!
"Chaozong, the current situation is unclear. If the factory guards do not come as soon as possible, it means that this place has not been paid attention to. Otherwise, I will have to find another place for you two."
Zhou Yanru didn't know the emperor's intention yet. At present, he only knew that Hou Xun was arrested and Hou Fangyu was offered a reward. That's all. This information cannot be used to make a comprehensive consideration.
"Master Zhou, I heard that the Yangzhou salt merchants were arrested by the Yongwei camp, and the salt was robbed worth a million taels. In order to enrich Taicang, the emperor ordered the seizure of Min's wealth. He was unscrupulous, and it was similar to the violent expropriation during the Wanli period. What's the difference?"
Maoxiang felt that if the emperor had not reached out to the people to ask for money, people would not have gone to petition, let alone what happened later. Everything stemmed from the emperor's greed.
"It's not difficult to guess about this matter. According to someone, either Chongzhen is an unprincipled and ignorant king, or there are traitors around him who deliberately do it. In the northern capital, Chongzhen increased taxes on farmers, making Min's life difficult. Now that he has moved to the southern capital, then He increased taxes on merchants and made them miserable. Most of the money they collected was eaten by moths. When the border affairs were in urgent need, the king killed Zhongliang to cover up his mistakes. Such an unscrupulous king first issued the "Edict of Sin", and now If the old plan is revived, what reason do we, the common people, have to support it? All dynasties have perished at the hands of foolish kings, not the common people!"
Hou Fangyu thought that Tianqi was incompetent enough, but he didn't expect that Chongzhen was even more ridiculous than Tianqi.
The one in the front does not go to court all year round, and the one in the back goes to court every day.
But he was defeated repeatedly outside the pass, and made resentment boil inside the pass. It seemed that he was not as good as the previous one!
If this is a sign from God to the mortal world, it means that the Zhu family no longer has anyone who can control the country and it is time to change the dynasty!
Since ancient times, all dynasties have been dominated by capable people. A mediocre ruler will not last long and will give up the throne sooner or later.
As long as it is beneficial to Wan Min and Dong Lin, it doesn't matter if someone else becomes the emperor, just change his surname!
"Chaozong must not say such arrogant words. If factory guards hear it, it will be a death penalty!"
Even though Zhou Yanru was well-informed, he was shocked by Hou Xun's son's words. He didn't expect that the son actually thought this way.
Zhou Yanru longed to relive his old dreams all the time, but there was no such thought in his mind that came from Hou Fangyu's mouth.
It’s enough to deceive the emperor and ignore his superiors, but he keeps saying that he wants to change the dynasty...
Once someone else hears about it and reports it to the factory guards, this is a serious crime against the Nine Clan!
It is true to say that "all dynasties have perished at the hands of faint kings", but this cannot be the reason for your rebellion!
The king is the guide for his ministers, and as the son of his ministers, he actually wants to rebel. This is treason and immorality, and he is reading the books of sages in vain.
"Chaozong, what Master Zhou said is absolutely true. These are extraordinary times, so we must not be so reckless. Master Zhou, Chaozong is also extremely angry. Not long after his father was released, he was imprisoned again unjustly. Li Xiangjun admired Chaozong for this reason. The two were in love, but were snatched away by the prince's men. It was really a violent robbery of love. Now Chaozong is wanted by the factory guards again, and he feels uncomfortable and depressed. He just spoke out without hesitation. I hope Master Zhou will forgive me."
Seeing that there was no one around him, Maoxiang was relieved and then he smoothed things over for Hou Fangyu.
He also knew that Hou Fangyu was suffering from the fact that Li Xiangjun was abducted by the prince, his emotions were hit hard, and he had nowhere to redress his grievances.
This time is even more dangerous than last time. Last time, Hou Xun was imprisoned. But this time, Hou Xun's house was raided, Hou Xun was arrested, and the factory guards were not even prepared to let Hou Fangyu off. The severity was extraordinary.
Maoxiang didn't know if he was also wanted by the factory guards, but given his close relationship with Hou Fangyu, if something happened to Hou Fangyu, he was afraid that he would also be in bad luck.
As the former leader of Donglin, Zhou Yanru still has considerable influence even though his reputation is not as good as before, not to mention his extensive personal connections.
Zhang Pu had already gone north, and the leader Qian Qianyi was afraid that there would be factory guards watching him, but they did not dare to go rashly, so the two of them pinned most of their hopes on this senior.
"Chaozong, don't be impatient. I will do my best for your Majesty's affairs. You must not utter arrogant words anymore. You must know that disaster comes from your mouth. If the imperial court does not aggravate the crime against your Majesty, just because you speak indiscriminately. And be punished. For your family, wouldn’t it mean that one careless move could lead to losing everything? The situation is still unclear at the moment, so you must act with caution!”
Zhou Yanru tried to comfort Hou Fangyu, but he felt very uncomfortable in his heart.
I kindly took in this son, but he ended up talking nonsense in my own home.
Fortunately, he had sent his servants long ago, otherwise if others had heard what Shi Cai said and reported it to the factory guard, he would have been implicated.
Only certification may not be regarded as iron-clad evidence. Thousands of Donglin scholars and the chief minister Qu Shishu can speak for themselves, so they may be exempted from death penalty.
But living sin is unavoidable, being guarded at the border or working in the mines is inevitable, and your dream of regaining power will be shattered...
Zhou Yanru didn't care whether Hou Xun was guilty or whether he would die. What mattered was whether Hou Xun would bite him out and how he would respond.
As for the daring and reckless person in front of him, Zhou Yanru had to find a way to send him away as soon as possible. Otherwise, if he took in a person who was so powerful and stupid, something would happen sooner or later.
"The student was rude and rash just now, and I have offended many people. I hope Teacher Zhou won't hold it against me. The student apologizes to you!"
After Hou Fangyu said those bold words, he felt a little scared. Everyone had thought about this, but thinking about it and saying it were completely different things.
Once said, it is impossible to take it back.
Maybe the speaker didn't mean it, but it sounded intentional.
If Hou Fangyu is reported to the factory guard, he will be sent to prison. Even if he does not die, he will be disabled afterwards.
If he becomes a useless person, not to mention the famous sister Li Xiangjun by the Qinhuai River, other young ladies will also despise him.
It doesn't matter if your family is in decline, as long as you can still have a teacher to help you, and rely on your own knowledge, you can make a comeback.
If you ask yourself, is your biological father more important or your famous sister Li Xiangjun?
Hou Fangyu must be unsure!
Similarly, if we ask whether the dog prince is hateful or the dog emperor is hateful?
Hou Fangyu couldn't compare either...
It would be great if both the Dog Prince and the Dog Emperor, who hated his wife and punished his father, died!
But Hou Fangyu also understood that such an idea was unrealistic. At least he had not heard of the illness of the Dog Prince and the Dog Emperor.
"Master Zhou, I heard that the Northern Capital was surrounded by 300,000 Dongpi troops, and King Qin's army has not arrived for a long time. The emperor suddenly ordered the factory guards to arrest the soldiers. Could it be that the Northern Capital has already fallen into the hands of the Dongpi?"
If Prince Gou is killed with the help of Donglu, will Li Xiangjun return to Jiangnan again?
Although this is Hou Fangyu's wishful thinking, if you think about it carefully, this method is easier to implement.
"Yes! Master Zhou, the battle situation in the northern capital is not optimistic. The southern capital has not received news that Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting's troops are heading north for reinforcements. I'm afraid the night will be long and there will be many dreams!"
Maoxiang didn't know Hou Fangyu's true thoughts, so he just followed his best friend's wishes.
He was purely concerned about the war in Beidu and did not want to see the Donglu succeed.
Dong Xiaowan was taken away by someone sent by the prince, and Maoxiang was also sad for a while.
But as time goes by, the relationship fades, and the destined people disperse...
Maoxiang now devoted most of his body and soul to the cause of petitioning for merchants, and had no time to take care of other trivial matters.
What's more, Maoxiang had only heard of Dong Xiaowan's reputation and had met him a few times from a distance, so there was no way of saying they were destined to be together.
This cannot be equated with the close relationship between Hou Fangyu and Li Xiangjun, although this close friend is far from successful.
Hou Fangyu planned to give Li Xiangjun his favorite ivory bone and white silk fan as a token of love.
The amber pendant passed down from the Hou family's ancestors is tied to the upper fan, which already shows Li Xiangjun's status in Hou Fangyu's heart.
If the father can be persuaded to agree, it will be known that the matchmaker is marrying Li Xiangjun, otherwise he will take her as a concubine.
It's just that this fan didn't have a chance to be given away because the dog prince interfered with it.
Hou Fangyu mentioned this matter to Maoxiang and others in private. He was heartbroken every time and drank to drown his sorrows.
He also mentioned that he wanted to go north alone and go to the Shuntian government office to sue the prince for robbing Min's daughter, but fortunately, he was dissuaded by everyone and came down.
The prince held a high position and had a large number of guard eagles and dogs at his command. Hou Fangyu's only sources of support were his father and Dong Lin.
His father had just been released, and Dong Lin had lost power again. It could not be compared with the past. This matter should be considered in the long term.
Fortunately, the prince is young, only ten years old, so he cannot dominate Li Xiangjun.
This made Hou Fangyu choose to swallow his anger and wait for the opportunity to act.
"You two young men, please be patient. I received a secret letter from the north yesterday!"
Zhou Yanru thought it would be okay to tell these two reckless juniors about the matter, so he revealed part of it first.
