Zhang Zhou talked about how to gain a foothold in front of Lin Han.
This is what annoys Lin Han. Even if you and I are about to become Weng's son-in-law, and even my promotion depends on you, you just told me directly that you want Xiao Jing to be an enemy, and you even want to influence the court situation. You are preparing to commit suicide and let me treat you as a traitor.
"snort."
Lin Han snorted lightly and almost sneered at Zhang Zhou's words.
Zhang Zhou seemed to disagree and said: "I am afraid that what I am doing in the court today will be difficult for others to recognize."
Lin Han said: "Then you shouldn't be on the opposite side of Chaozhong Qingliu."
Although Lin Han looked down on Zhang Zhou, he was not the kind of person who wanted to directly establish a relationship with Zhang Zhou. Even though he had judged Zhang Zhou as a "near sycophant" in his heart, as an educator, he The first idea is to bring his future son-in-law to the "right path."
What else?
Push your daughter into the pit of fire, and the two families will never have contact with each other again? Doesn't that mean that he won't even be able to see his daughter in the future?
Zhang Zhou said with a smile: "To others, having many friends in the DPRK and China can lead to many paths, but from my point of view, only having many political enemies in the DPRK and the CPC can brave the wind and rain, otherwise it will be really difficult."
Lin Han frowned.
He probably understood that Zhang Zhou had no political enemies, and he had to face difficulties even if he created political enemies... But the problem was that Zhang Zhou had enemies in both the government and the public, so he still had to find enemies for himself?
Xiao Jing is polite to you, but you classify him as an alien? Just to cause trouble? Is this called being born in sorrow and dying in happiness?
Lin Han thought to himself, I see you are just looking for trouble.
Just as he was talking, Xiao Jing was already greeting the two of them from a distance.
Zhang Zhou came over and changed his previous words to Lin Han that he would treat Xiao Jing as a political enemy in the future. As if the two of them were close, he looked happy and polite and said: "Eunuch Xiao, we have finished talking. Is there something wrong?"
Xiao Jing said: "Exactly. Your Majesty just sent an order to ask you to deal with the affairs of the Kong family. Previously, Duke Yansheng also wanted to see you, but Dongchang blocked your way. Now there are different opinions about the arson of Xuansheng Temple. I'm afraid it's too late. I need you to come out and take charge of the situation."
Lin Han was listening and frowned: "Is it his turn to deal with such matters?"
Xiao Jing smiled and said: "Mr. Lin, please forgive me. This has nothing to do with Mr. Zhang. However, Mr. Zhang was the first to warn about this matter. Outsiders will also suspect that someone among them wants to set fire and blame the Kong family. Mr. Zhang will come out." Reconciliation is also the best."
Originally, Lin Han, as a scholar, was naturally resistant to the imperial court's desire to investigate the Kong family.
But when he heard that the emperor asked Zhang Zhou to come forward to mediate on his behalf, he nodded and said nothing more.
…
…
After reading the yard.
Lin Han had no choice but to go back and prepare to move.
Xiao Jing said to Zhang Zhou: "Your Majesty has something to say first. As long as there is nothing wrong with Mr. Lin's eyes, the courtyard will be transferred to his name in the future. From now on, he will live in the capital permanently. Your Majesty will not transfer him to other places for the time being. He will treat you the same in the future." Kind of help."
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty." Zhang Zhou sighed with emotion.
Xiao Jing smiled and said: "His Majesty's trust in you is really increasing day by day. However, I heard that you previously submitted a memorial to His Majesty, but I don't know... what it said?"
After Zhang Zhou arrived in Beijing, he gave a secret report to Zhu Youtang in his private capacity. Not to mention the contents of the Guan Bai Cabinet, even the Supervisor of Ceremonies did not know what it was about.
Because this memorial does not seem to need the emperor's approval at all.
When Xiao Jing and others thought about it, it was probably Zhang Zhouyou's prophecy about what was going to happen in the future. At least the emperor felt "long-faced joy" after reading it.
Zhang Zhoudao: "Others are very doubtful about my ability to manage the affairs of the ministry, so I made a memorial and made some bold predictions about the future personnel arrangements of the court. I also wanted to see if I could follow up with the officials. Is there any consistency between the recommendation and the results of the imperial court’s deliberation?”
"Huh? Just...that's it?"
Xiao Jing thought it was some big deal, but this time it had nothing to do with predicting the outcome of the battle? Or is it an advance insight into natural and man-made disasters?
Just to prove that you have great vision and can even hit the officials recommended by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Imperial Court in advance?
Zhang Zhou sighed: "Your Majesty has too high expectations of me, and always wants to ask me for some earth-shattering information. But you know that I am only a minister of the Ming Dynasty. Such secrets are often encountered but not sought."
"hehe."
Xiao Jing was smiling bitterly.
Zhang Zhou asked: "Are you going to see Duke Yan today, or the former Duke Yan?"
"You make your own choice. If it's convenient for you, you can both meet." Xiao Jing said, "In His Majesty's opinion, you made a prediction earlier that the arson of Xuansheng Temple has achieved the expected effect. It's time to do something serious. Turn small things into nothing.”
Zhang Zhou pretended to be confused and asked: "What expectations?"
Xiao Jing smiled and did not answer.
He was also thinking, Why are you smart people pretending to be stupid? The expectation was of course to suppress the prestige of the Kong family, and at the same time reverse the Kong family's decision that Kong Hongxu's son Kong Wenshao would be the heir.
Zhang Zhoudao: "Previously, Bachelor Cheng, Minister Lin and others proposed to change the rules for the inheritance of titles, especially the inheritance rights of the heirs of those who were deprived of titles due to crimes. Is that what they said?"
"Yes." Xiao Jing nodded.
Zhang Zhou sighed: "It's a pity that the two brothers of the Kong family can't choose a third person. Do they have to inherit from a side branch? Or... let's choose some other adoptive heir for the current Duke Yansheng. ?”
Xiao Jing didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Regarding the inheritance of the Kong family, not to mention that he is now just the eunuch Bingbi, the eunuch of the ceremony. Even if he becomes the eunuch of the palm seal, or even the emperor, he will still have great constraints in determining the order of his inheritance.
Confucianism values etiquette the most, and the Confucian family should set an example. The succession of the Confucian family is likely to become a model for the future Ming Dynasty.
Kong Hongxu was deprived of his title for a crime, but the problem was that Kong Hongxu’s father, Kong Chengqing, only had two sons. Kong Hongtai lost his father in the seventh month after he was born. As the eldest grandson of the Kong family, the relationship between the two brothers could be said to be very close since childhood. Well, now even if Yan Shenggong has fallen to Kong Hongtai, Kong Hongxu, the eldest brother, is basically the one who makes the final decision on all matters of the Kong family.
It’s just that the title is gone, but as the eldest brother and father, Kong Hongxu has this kind of arbitrary power. In addition, he has many sons. In the eyes of outsiders, no matter how sinful Kong Hongxu is, as long as Kong Hongtai has no sons, the title will still be The news reaches Kong Hongxu, otherwise the title will fall to other branches.
Zhang Zhou said: "That means that even His Majesty has not made a decision?"
"yes."
Xiao Jing nodded, "Actually, no matter how you look at it, it seems that... this Duke Yan has to... alas! As long as the goal is achieved, some things should be allowed to take their course."
Zhang Zhou wanted to say, why is it called letting nature take its course?
If Kong Hongxu cannot inherit the title, must he give it to his son? Even if it is too late for Kong Hongtai to have another son now, it is not impossible to give him an adopted son. Who said that the stepson must be chosen from Kong Hongxu’s sons?
After the rules are set, doesn't the initiative lie with the emperor?
When the time comes, whoever the emperor wants you to adopt as your heir will be who?
…
…
Jinyiwei North Town Fusi.
Xiao Jing, the master of the East Factory, arrived in person, taking Zhang Zhou with him, which made the people of Fusi in Beizhen very nervous. Mou Bin, the commander of the Jinyi Guards, came out to greet them personally and led the two of them to the flower hall.
"Mr. Zhang and Eunuch Xiao were ordered by the emperor to take custody of Kong, the eldest son of the Kong family. They have always treated him well. They have not issued any prison edicts or used any punishment. In addition to not being allowed to go out, even members of the Kong family are not allowed to go out. If you come to see me, you will be allowed to go."
Kong Hongxu seems to be in jail, but in fact he is on vacation.
Xiao Jing asked: "Where is the person who set the fire?"
Mou Bin said: "I have committed suicide out of fear of sin."
Xiao Jing smiled bitterly, then looked at Zhang Zhou, and then said: "Does that mean there is no proof of death?"
"This... you can say that." Mou Bin said, "But this person is Kong's domestic servant and has worked for Kong for many years. To say that there is no connection between the two is not convincing to the world."
It means that even if the person dies, but the person is the person around Kong Hongxu, it is actually obvious whether he was appointed by Kong Hongxu or not.
If you insist that there is no connection between the two, you will be treating the world as a fool.
Zhang Zhou said: "That's easy to say. Can't we just inform the Ministry of Punishment of the result?"
Xiao Jing was afraid that Zhang Zhou didn't understand the rules of Dongchang and Jinyiwei's case trial, and that Zhang Zhou didn't understand the details of the connection between the imperial edict case and the three law divisions. He explained: "Unless there is a confession from the former Yan Shenggong , otherwise neither the Ministry of Punishment nor the Dali Temple will be able to continue investigating. This case may have to be dropped."
Xiao Jing has never been so embarrassed before when anyone fell into the hands of Dongchang and Jinyiwei.
Because Dongchang and Jinyiwei have ten thousand ways to make each other submit, even if they do nothing, it can still become an ironclad case.
But the problem is, this time it’s Kong Hongxu who is here. He can’t be beaten, and he can’t even be frightened. With no witnesses and no confession from Kong Hongxu, how can he be convicted?
If the case falls to the Third Law Division, the result can only be nothing.
Because the officials of the Third Law Division are all civil servants, even Dongchang and Jinyiwei dare not use torture, let alone they don't know how to use torture, then this case is a mess no matter how you look at it.
Zhang Zhou said with a smile: "In my opinion, there is no result anyway, why are you still holding people captive? You can let them go! Handing it over to the Ministry of Punishment will just hand over the troublesome matter to the Ministry of Punishment. Even if the Ministry of Punishment continues to protect the Kong family, is it possible? How could they hide the case of arson and not report it? The case should be as it should be!"
"What does Mr. Zhang mean?" Xiao Jing asked on behalf of Jin Yiwei.
Zhang Zhou said: "It doesn't matter what the outcome of this case is. Even if there is sufficient evidence to prove that this person did it, will this crime be greater than the crimes he committed before?"
"That...no way."
Xiao Jing also answered for Mou Bin this time.
It’s just a fire, and it’s the Xuansheng Temple. It sounds very serious, but no matter how serious it is, rape, robbery, and murder are even more serious?
It's just that Kong Hongxu's crime was suppressed by the court. Outsiders knew that Kong Hongxu was deprived of Yanshenggong, and most of them thought that he had exceeded the regulations. This was also the court's purpose to protect the Kong family and give face to the Kong family.
Now Zhang Zhou wants to write a big book about Kong Hongxu's crimes. It would be best to give the world the impression that Kong Hongxu was guilty but the court did not dare to punish him.
Mou Bin was puzzled and said: "If the situation is serious, I'm afraid it will damage the prestige of the imperial court, but it will not cause any major harm to the Kong family..."
Zhang Zhou said with a smile: "Then find someone and ask the court to strictly investigate the crimes this person has committed by petitioning. Initially, the court wanted to minimize the serious issues and not pursue them. However, the crowd was so excited that your Majesty would have to reluctantly do so. Conduct a thorough investigation. At that time, if a Qianyan Shenggong who has no reputation can be tortured and interrogated at will... will it be difficult to get results? "
Xiao Jing and Mou Bin looked at each other.
Both of them understood.
The previous arrest of Kong Hongxu gave people the impression that the emperor was too anxious.
It seems that the emperor was very anxious to convict Kong Hongxu. Even now, Kong Hongxu has been detained. Even after the arsonist died, the emperor did not pardon Kong Hongxu.
This will create a rebellious mentality among literati, and they will unconsciously side with the "weak".
Zhang Zhou's suggestion was that the case would no longer be handled by the imperial edict, and would be regarded as "closed" here. The case would be transferred to the Ministry of Punishment, so that the world's scholars would think that Kong Hongxu's crime was found to be unsubstantiated and released, and the court would no longer be harsh on him. , in this case, all the crimes Kong Hongxu had committed and the details of this arson should be made public.
That is to say...
Using the power of public opinion to judge Kong Hongxu is more direct than using a prison sentence to judge him.
Be more explicit.
To convict Kong Hongxu and force the court to oppose the scholars, it would be better to let him die in society.
Don’t you, the Kong family, want to use the power of public opinion to exonerate you, Kong Hongxu? Who says that public opinion is limited to literati? Public opinion should include the people all over the world. At that time, you, Kong Hongxu, will be drowned with the saliva of the people all over the world. At that time, the court will do a favor and convict you, so that the Kong family will never be able to hold its head high.
Xiao Jing said: "Mr. Zhang, it is good to do this, but I am afraid..."
"Eunuch Xiao, it's okay to say that. You know I am a person with no taboos." Zhang Zhou said.
Xiao Jing understood it as soon as he heard it. He said: "Our family was originally worried that you would put yourself on the opposite side of Confucianism, but I think you are mentally prepared, so let's treat it as too much talk. I hope you will understand everything and don't worry about it afterwards. I am troubled by this.”
"Haha." Zhang Zhou said with a carefree smile, "Since I wrote to Your Majesty that someone would set fire to Xuansheng Temple, I have been prepared for all this. A real man has nothing to fear."
…
…
Inside Kunning Palace.
After Zhang Heling returned to the capital, he finally had the opportunity to enter the palace to see Queen Zhang. By the way, he showed off to his sister what he had learned along the way, as well as the military exploits he had obtained, and his "making a fortune" in the northwest.
Queen Zhang said: "I didn't expect that Bingkuan would take such good care of you. Finally he still has some conscience."
"Sister, what do you mean by this?" Zhang Heling said, "Actually speaking, this Mr. Zhang is no different from the previous Li Guang. He should also be aware of current affairs and know that there will be no good consequences for offending our Zhang family."
Empress Zhang said angrily: "But your brother-in-law often comes in and out of the palace now. What he is doing outside, I can't even ask."
"ah?"
Zhang Heling did not expect that his sister, as a queen, would complain to him about this.
"So you hurry up and check, especially your brother-in-law's whereabouts after leaving the palace, where he went, who he met, and whether he met anyone secretly. The most important thing is that he met people other than Zhang Bingkuan... But think about that Zhang Bingkuan has never been in the capital before, so it is very strange that your brother-in-law leaves the palace."
Queen Zhang has the sensitivity of a woman.
Her husband has become more and more indifferent to her, and she once used some tricks to make her husband obsessed with her.
But now, Zhu Youtang only came to see her occasionally. In addition to sleeping alone in Qianqing Palace, he was out of the palace... and sometimes stayed up all night.
Even though Zhu Youtang didn't tell her about any women outside, nor did he propose to make anyone a concubine, she still felt that she had fallen out of favor.
Zhang Heling said: "Sister, that won't work. I'm going to Liaodong soon to be the chief military officer."
"Are you...are you crazy?" Queen Zhang was so angry that she almost vomited blood.
This younger brother was simply obsessed with military glory. It was already too urgent for her at this time. His brother actually only wanted to gain military glory?
Zhang Heling said righteously: "Sister, I am not trying to persuade you as a younger brother. Since ancient times, no king has been monogamous. In recent years, my sister has not been able to give birth to a prince. How can my brother-in-law not be anxious? There are even many unhappy people outside. There are good rumors that my nephew is not your Majesty’s biological son.”
"Nonsense!" Queen Zhang was annoyed.
It’s not okay for anyone else to say this, but you, a younger brother, actually talk nonsense in front of me?
Zhang Heling said: "There is also the matter of my brother-in-law leaving the palace. Don't say that I am incapable of investigating. Even if I can investigate, the results are not what my sister wants. What do you want me as a younger brother to do? To stop it? Or to help my sister. ...Kill people to death?”
Queen Zhang had a sullen face and didn't say anything, but she meant that she wanted both.
"Sister, I heard from Mr. Zhang that there is a large iron mine in Yongping Prefecture. As long as it is mined, tens of thousands of taels of silver can be made in a year. If it is better, we can open more coal mines..."
"enough!"
Only then did Empress Zhang realize that her brother had betrayed her.
For a little profit, even her sister can't control her.
"You don't know why you have the status you have today, do you? If your brother-in-law had a concubine, do you think you would be able to sit here like he is today? Do you still have a chance to win Zhang Bingkuan's favor?" Zhang The queen angrily lectured her brother.
Zhang Heling said in surprise: "So, brother, I have to work hard too. What does Zhu Zhijie mean? He can prosper, why can't I? By then we will have money, military merit, and military power in the northwest. It’s all in Trillium and I’s hands, what else does my sister have to worry about then?”
"Sister, you are at peace! Even if your brother-in-law takes a concubine, you will still be the queen, your nephew will still be the prince, and everything will remain the same."
"Unless my sister thinks that she can keep her brother-in-law by her side for the rest of her life, but what is the saying? This woman's youth is short. In a few years, my sister will be old and sallow, and she won't even be able to have children. Brother-in-law At that time, the Spring and Autumn Period was still in its prime, and when the time comes, he will accept it even if he doesn’t accept it. It’s better to block it than to open it up.”
What Zhang Heling said was exactly what Zhang Zhou said in the Jiaofang Division when he first met him.
In the past, he thought it was all nonsense, but now he feels...it is simply a wise saying.
No matter what you think, sister.
The younger brother jumped first and went backwards.
Jump first as a sign of respect.
(End of chapter)
