Listening to the heartfelt words of this political advisor, Huang Qiong knew in his heart that these were the words of a mature man who wanted to plan for the country. As for the fact that he said he had been eyeing him since Zhengzhou, Huang Qiong didn't care. After he left Zhengzhou, Su Jin once wrote to him telling him that someone in the same year once asked him for his policy measures in Zhengzhou. At that time, I thought it was that person, but I never thought it was Master Lu.
Just looking at Mr. Lu, he is now the deputy minister of the government. His elder, the same age, had been on the bench for so many years, and now he was the prefect of Zhengzhou, and he was the one who made it. After thinking about it, Deputy Prime Minister Lu Ruwu's silent persuasion, and Su Jin's past when he even contradicted himself. Huang Qiong couldn't help but sigh that the gap between people was really big.
Huang Qiong did not pursue Lu Mengzheng's previous actions, so he naturally did not take this guy's flattery too seriously. In Huang Qiong's view, saying something a thousand times is far better than doing it once. It remains to be seen how this Lu Mengzheng's character and official status are. Thinking of this, Huang Qiong looked at the man kneeling outside and smiled bitterly: "How many officials in this court can understand my hard work?"
Seeing Huang Qiong looking at Zhang Shangshu kneeling outside, Lu Mengzheng also scratched his head. This Zhang Shangshu is unparalleled in talent. As early as he was appointed as the transfer envoy, he was known as a well-known financial management expert, and he was considered to be honest as an official. But there is one thing, that is, his temper is too stubborn. He is the kind of person who, if he doesn't understand, won't drink water even if you press his head.
To be honest, with his character and talent, it is only natural for him to be the Minister of Household Affairs who is in charge of the world's finances. But it's his temper and character that really make people worried. Just when Lu Meng was about to persuade Huang Qiong to get up Zhang Shangshu who was kneeling outside. Huang Qiong felt a little lonely. He waved his hand and said, "Forget it, let that stubborn donkey get up and go back."
After hearing Huang Qiong's words, or indeed hearing the loneliness in Huang Qiong's tone, Lu Meng sighed softly in his heart, bowed and retreated. But to Huang Qiong's surprise, Mr. Zhang just knelt there, unable to get up no matter how Lu Mengzheng tried to persuade him. When Huang Qiong walked up to the two arguing outside the palace, he looked at Zhang Shangshu, who was still kneeling outside the Wende Palace with his neck stiffened and refused to get up.
Stopping Lu Meng's idea of asking for mercy, Huang Qiong raised his head to the eunuch beside him and said calmly: "Since he doesn't want to get up, he is willing to kneel like this. Well, I will grant him a favor today. Come here. Then, just lift Mr. Zhang up and take him to Tianxiang Tower. Let him kneel there until he is done. If he escapes midway, you don’t have to come back to see me."
What the hell is Tianxiang Tower? The eunuchs in the palace are confused. Although Lu Mengzheng seemed to know clearly, he was stunned and didn't know how to persuade him. That Zhang Shangshu didn't seem to know what Tianxiang Tower was. Still holding out his chest, he said: "As long as His Highness asks me to kneel down, there is no problem in kneeling there. Anyway, His Highness is the prince and wants to behave like a minister, so I have nothing to do, right?"
This Zhang Shangshu is still so stubborn. Lu Meng just wanted to persuade him. He didn't know what Tianxiang Tower was, so he sent him there. It was obvious that the prince was playing prank on him and he was still holding on here. , a stubborn donkey who refuses to bow his head. It can be seen that Huang Qiong's face was livid, but he opened his mouth and finally did not persuade him. Both the monarch and the minister were stubborn enough, and no one was willing to give in.
He didn't know whether he should persuade her or not, and he didn't know how to persuade her at the moment. He could only act anxiously. Huang Qiong, however, said calmly to the eunuch beside him: "I don't know where Tianxiang Tower is. Just send someone to Prince Yong's Mansion to ask Prince Yong what he liked before getting married. As for now, find a man. Come up on the sedan chair, put the old gentleman in intact, and send him over with him."
Zhang Shangshu didn't know what the hell Tianxiang Tower was before. He originally thought it was somewhere in the palace. But now, although I still don’t understand what that place is for, when I heard about the place Yong Wang liked before, I immediately understood that it was definitely not a good place. Who can become a Jinshi at such a young age, and successfully become a second-rank official, but who is not that kind of person?
And when she finally got the chance, she whispered in his ear and told him that Tianxiang House was a third-rate family in the outer city, commonly known as the brothel queen who fell in love with the door. No matter how stubborn he is, he is still a second-grade official. If he was really carried there to kneel down and worship a group of brothel girls, the dignity of the Minister of Household Affairs would be completely wiped out. Huang Qiong's behavior made him extremely angry.
He stood up hastily. Although he was trembling all over, he didn't speak for a long time. After a long time, he took off the official hat on his head, put it down heavily, turned around and left without saying a word. Looking at the local official hat, Lu Mengzheng shook his head speechlessly. This stubborn donkey, did he really not see that this was the prince's trick, even though it caused some damage, but it was still a step down for him?
Although Lu Mengzheng's sigh was a little slight, Huang Qiong still heard it. Turning around, Huang Qiong looked at Lu Mengzheng for a long time, until his heart went numb. Huang Qiong chuckled lightly, picked up the official hat, played with it in his hand for a long time, and then said to Lu Mengzheng: "Lv Mengzheng" Sir, I have an errand for you. You will take Zhang Shangshu to visit Tianxiang Tower in the next few days."
"No matter how much you spend, it belongs to me, and you can ask me to reimburse you at any time. But the errand that I told you must be completed by me. Otherwise, some officials will be too big, and they will have to carry eight sedans when they go out, and they will forget something. It's called down-to-earth. He stays aloof all day long and doesn't know what the people really need. Let him understand what the sufferings of the people are."
Huang Qiong's words made Lu Mengzheng stunned. This prince actually asked him to take that old-fashioned Zhang Xianqi there? He also reimbursed the expenses in real terms and could reimburse him when he came back. Zhang Shangshu is as stubborn as a donkey. Although he likes to listen to some ditties on weekdays, he occasionally writes some lyrics when he is interested. But the most I can do is go to a Qingyin class that only sings small songs, or a high-end book apartment.
But what kind of place is Tianxiang House? Even though the name sounds very high-end, it is actually a brothel that can barely be considered a third-rate brothel. To put it bluntly, it is the kind of place where people commonly say that they fall in the door, put on their pants and leave after a while. The quality is different from those with half-closed doors, and those with only fifth or sixth rate, all of which are old and beautiful old prostitutes. The so-called brothels are a little bit better.
He knows this place because he is a scribe who has followed him for many years. Since his family is not around, he likes to go to that place on weekdays. As a result, I contracted some unknown disease and it was very rotten there. It was just a place where some traffickers and pawns in the capital went looking for cheap money. I heard the scribe mention that the women there were almost all refugees from the surrounding areas of the capital.
Either they sold themselves because they could no longer survive, or they were sold there by their family members. Although they are average in appearance or slightly older, they are much better than those with half-closed doors. Among the refugee wives and daughters, the pretty and young ones have long been bought by the high-end brothels and tile houses in the capital with a few buckets of grain or a few dollars. Most of the rest are there.
Letting that Zhang Shangshu go to that kind of place, it would be easier to kill him. He was a dignified second-rank minister, but he went to a third-rate brothel where low-ranking people gathered. Wouldn't it become a big joke if word spread about it? Only after Lu Mengzheng thought for a moment, he understood Huang Qiong's intention. This man wanted to let Zhang Shangshu truly understand the suffering of the refugees and understand his true intentions.
But even though he understood Huang Qiong's intention, Lu Mengzheng couldn't help but reveal a wry smile. Not to mention a person like Zhang Xianqi, if he went to that kind of place, he would be laughed out of his mouth. He is a dignified second-rank official who is involved in political affairs and is the deputy prime minister of the dynasty. Invite him to a high-end bookstore where he spends a lot of money, and there are many people who groom the cages for those pretty and handsome people. There are also many people who send people to his house.
If he went to that kind of place, not only would he be sorry for his beloved wife at home, but he would also become a laughing stock. He was originally a son of an official, but his mother and son were kicked out of the house because his father took concubines. Therefore, I suffered a lot when I was young. And although his wife is also the daughter of an official family, she has been following him through hardships since they got married, and she has never given up even eating chaffy vegetables.
Although he became the number one scholar and received many important positions, since he passed the Enke examination in the first year of Mingde, he successively served as a Hanlin bachelor, under the decree, as governor of the state, as a member of the official department, as a chief official, as an aide to Jiangning Prefecture, as an inspector and as an envoy to appease. However, in just over twenty years, he was able to participate in political affairs. But because of his respect for his wife and the fact that his family was broken up because of his father taking a concubine, he never thought about taking a concubine.
He never messed around with women, and he never entered brothels or alleys. Some people sent him beautiful women, but he never accepted any of them. Sometimes I have to accept it because of face, but I never touch it. When I find an opportunity, I will marry someone off, not only with a dowry. But now this man actually asked him to take Zhang Shangshu to that kind of place. This was a bit embarrassing and made him feel sorry for his old wife.
Even he knows that when he goes to that kind of place, it is impossible to actually operate it, it is just a show. But he is still unwilling to violate his principles. Huang Qiong couldn't help but notice the embarrassment on his face. But Huang Qiong, who was determined, stared at Lu Mengzheng for a long time. Until he saw Lu Mengzheng and felt his heart tingle again, he could only nod his head helplessly.
After Lu Mengzheng left, one of Huang Qiong's eunuchs stood behind Huang Qiong. Perhaps he couldn't bear it, or perhaps he respected a pure gentleman like Lu Mengzheng. Seeing him, he was so tricked by this prince. Although he was a little hesitant, he still took the risk of being killed with a stick and whispered to Huang Qiong: "Sir, I know I shouldn't say anything, but I will still say it even if you kill me with a stick."
"This matter of yours this time is really difficult for Mr. Lu. Our Mr. Lu is a well-known wife-respecting man in the court. He has always been clean and self-sufficient. When he was down and out, his wife accompanied him to eat the chaff. I have never disliked living in a dilapidated cave dwelling like Yancai. A woman from an official family put down her body and spent all day spinning and weaving with her mother for him to study hard."
"So, our Mr. Lu has been treating his wife wholeheartedly since he became the first scholar. Even though he has done it now, he is a second-rank official and is involved in political affairs, but he has never taken a concubine, and he has never entered a study apartment. , Brothel. Even if the girl who is brought to the door by others is kept away temporarily, after she has passed the limelight, she will be given some dowry and married off as a daughter. "
At this point, the eunuch whispered some things about Lu Mengzheng to Huang Qiong. One of his relatives was once a neighbor of Lu Mengzheng. And back then, Mrs. Lu was blamed for the smuggling of one of her own chickens. But after Mr. Lu became the first scholar, the couple did not pursue him at all. Therefore, this eunuch has always respected Master Lu.
