The heavens set sail from the courtyard

Chapter 397 The Queen Mother
Wang Gang and Hai Chaoyun sweetly left Sheng Mansion after a while, and went to the Ministry of War to report.

He was appointed by the official Zhao Shu as the right servant of the Ministry of War and a fourth-rank official.

When Wang Gang came to the Ministry of War, he showed his official identity directly, and then someone came to receive him, but it was not the Minister of the Ministry of War, but Tan Wenjun, the left servant of the Ministry of War.

The Ministry of War is one of the six subordinate departments of Shangshu Province. It is in charge of the selection of military officers, military registration, weapons, and military orders.

It sounds very important, but in fact, after the founding of the Song Dynasty, the Privy Council and the Sanya were set up, which greatly divided the authority of the Ministry of War.

Now the Ministry of War has become a virtual department, and only has the authority to manage militias in various places. The regular army of the Song Dynasty is all deployed by the Privy Council and the Sanya, and the Ministry of War is not allowed to intervene.

The right servant of the Ministry of War belongs to the adjutant of the Shangshu of the Ministry of War, who is the second in command of the Ministry of War. He is tied with the left servant.

However, the ancients respected the left, and the status of the left servant of the Ministry of War was slightly higher than that of the right servant.

Tan Wenjun is a very gentle middle-aged man, and his attitude towards Wang Gang is also friendly, and he can even be said to be harmless to humans and animals.

After all, after the Ministry of War was divided into powers by the Privy Council and the Sanya, it became a pension department, and there was a lot less competition.

Wang Gang didn't have any complaints about this vacant job department. He had just experienced fighting in the battlefield and needed a free job department to make adjustments.

What's more, Wang Gang also knew in his heart that it was impossible for him to be transferred to a real power department when he returned to Beijing to become an official.

Because of his age, a fourth-rank official in his early twenties is already out of line, if he takes real power again, those big shots in the court will not agree!

After Wang Gang reported, he took his official uniform, but instead of returning to the Sheng Mansion, he was recruited into the palace.

When the official Zhao Shu heard that Wang had just returned to Beijing, he immediately sent eunuchs to the Ministry of War.

This is the third time for Wang Gang to enter the palace. The first time was the palace examination, and the second time he entered the palace to thank the champion. After that, he was released as an official.

This time Zhao Shu did not summon Wang Gang in the hall, but chose to meet in the back garden.

"Sheng Aiqing, you have worked hard all the way!" Zhao Shu was very happy when he saw Wang Gang, took his hand and sat down, and refused to let him salute.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty, I am not working hard." Wang Gang said modestly.

Zhao Shu smiled and said: "I know that you have worked hard in Qingzhou this time, and the right servant of the small military department has wronged you."

"I dare not." Wang Gang replied.

Zhao Shu said with a bitter face: "You shot and killed Xia Emperor Li Liangzuo, which is a great achievement, which is logically enough to be a Marquis, but the Empress Dowager felt that he became famous when he was young, and he was conferred a high position, so he was easy to be complacent, so he suppressed it.

When I first took over the position, I was constrained by many parties, and I couldn't help myself in some things! "

Wang Gang lowered his head and listened to Zhao Shu complaining, but he didn't dare to say a word.

Although he was an official in other places, he also heard about the disagreement between the emperor and the queen mother.

Zhao Shu was adopted by the first emperor as his son so that he could successfully succeed to the throne, and the queen mother was regarded as his adoptive mother.

It's just that this adoptive mother is obviously also a restless master.

At the beginning of Zhao Shu's succession to the throne, the queen mother united with many ministers and asked to listen to the government behind the curtain.

You must know that Zhao Shu is not the son of the emperor. He was already in his 30s when he ascended the throne, enough to be in charge of the government, and he does not need the Queen Mother to assist in the government.

But in the end, the Queen Mother managed to listen to the government behind the curtain, and she always had to intervene in major affairs of the court.

What's even more exaggerated is that the empress dowager is still holding on to the emperor's jade seal, and the emperor must find the empress dowager to use the seal.

The conflict between the emperor and the queen mother became increasingly intensified, and the court gradually divided into three factions.

Pro-Queenists, Royalists and Centrists.

It stands to reason that Wang Gang should belong to the middle school, but he had offended too many gentry and local tyrants on Jiangnan West Road before, and in the end it was Zhao Shu who came forward to protect him.

So many people in the court thought he was a royalist.

Wang Gang himself didn't care.

"You can rest assured to stay in the Ministry of War for a period of time to accumulate qualifications, and when the opportunity arises, I will transfer you to the Privy Council." Zhao Shu promised.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. The minister is actually very good in the Ministry of War, and I just happen to learn from you adults."

Zhao Shu comforted Wang Gang for a while, and then let him go home.

It's just that Wang just walked to the gate of the palace when an old eunuch stopped him.

"Master Sheng, please stop, the Queen Mother is here to invite you." The old eunuch squeezed his throat and said to Wang Gang.

Wang Gang realized that the moment he stepped into Bianjing, he had already fallen into the game between the emperor and the queen mother.

Zhao Shu didn't dare to refuse the Queen Mother's decree, and Wang Gang naturally couldn't either.

He followed the old eunuch to the Queen Mother's Shoukang Palace.

After entering the Shoukang Palace, Wang Gang saw a curtain behind which there was an invisible figure.

"Bold, don't kneel down when you see the queen mother." The old eunuch screamed.

"The empress dowager forgives the sin, but my legs were injured on the battlefield and I cannot kneel down." Wang Gang said neither humble nor overbearing.

A voice came from behind the curtain: "Since Mr. Sheng was injured for the country, he will not kneel down and give him a seat!"

The old eunuch reluctantly moved a chair, and Wang Gang sat down without hesitation.

The Empress Dowager began to say a few insipid words, most of which were to comfort Wang Gang, which was no different from what Zhao Shu said.

Until the queen mother said: "I heard that the six daughters of the Sheng family are gentle and virtuous, with extraordinary talents and looks. I am short of a shrewd and capable female official by my side."

Wang Gang frowned, naturally he didn't want Sheng Minglan to enter the palace to serve an old woman.

"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, the minister's sixth younger sister has been betrothed to someone else and will get married in the near future. I am afraid I will not be blessed to serve the Empress Dowager."

"Oh! Which child is the betrothed?" the Queen Mother asked curiously.

Wang Gang said: "It's He Hongwen from the He family, my grandmother's best friend."

"The He family! I know each other, and the He family even gave me a pulse check." The queen mother said.

"It's just that I heard that He Hongwen's child is a little unstable, so I'm afraid it's not a good match."

As soon as Wang Gang heard it, he understood that it was the queen mother who was threatening him.

Who is He Hongwen, but how could the Empress Dowager know him as a descendant of the He family?

The Queen Mother just wanted to tell Wang Gang that even if He Hongwen and Sheng Minglan were engaged, without her consent, no one could get married.

In this era where imperial power is above everything else, the He family can withdraw their marriage with just one word from the queen mother.

Wang Gang hated being threatened very much. He asked himself why he targeted him like this, since he had never offended the Queen Mother before.

"If the Empress Dowager lacks someone to serve her, I can write to Your Majesty to choose more beautiful women." Wang Gang moved out of Zhao Shu.

"Master Sheng, the Empress Dowager thinks highly of your Sheng family because of your younger sister, why do you still want to resist the edict?" The old eunuch said while pinching his throat.

Wang Gang turned his head to look at the old eunuch, his whole body burst out with murderous aura, the old eunuch staggered and fell to the ground in fright.

This move is an upper-level skill in Neijiaquan. The combination of eyes and boxing intent can steal people's minds. Wang Gang couldn't use it before. The subject is a eunuch.

The old eunuch was taken by Wang Gang's aura, trembling with fright, his pants began to get wet.

The queen mother behind the curtain was very displeased, beating the dog and looking at the owner, Wang Gang's move was no less than openly provoking her.

"Okay! Do you want to rebel? Dare to be violent in the queen mother's palace." The old eunuch became furious and wanted to recruit someone to take down Wang Gang.

Wang Gang said innocently: "Why did this father-in-law fall innocently?"

The old eunuch's face was turning green and turning pale. Wang Gang did not touch him just now. He himself was frightened by the murderous intent in Wang Gang's eyes. When this matter was brought to the official's house, Wang Gang took the lead.

Wang Gang turned his head and said to the Empress Dowager again: "The Empress Dowager has nothing to do to the minister, why bother to embarrass the minister's sister."

"Bold." The Empress Dowager finally couldn't sit still, she stood up and said angrily: "I think you are spoiled and coquettish, thinking that after winning a battle, you can ignore me?"

Wang Gang said bluntly: "I don't dare. I have never considered myself a hero. I was able to win battles in exchange for the soldiers' lives. If the Queen Mother feels that something is wrong, she can take off my official uniform."

After speaking, Wang Gang took off his official uniform in front of the Queen Mother, not only that, but also all his underwear, revealing the hideous scars on his upper body.

There are countless scars on Wang Gang's body, all of which were left when he defended the city. There are new wounds, old wounds, and some have not fully healed.

Standing behind the curtain, the queen mother saw the scars on Wang Gang's body through the gap. She couldn't get angry anymore and sat down helplessly.

The old eunuch felt a little ashamed when he saw Wang Gang's scar.

Because every scar on his body represents his dedication to Da Song.

"That's all, you can step back, I'm tired too." The Queen Mother said in a dispirited manner.

Wang Gang picked up his clothes and wrapped them around his body, then walked out of the palace gate.

After the old eunuch sent Wang Gang out of the palace, he arranged for the young eunuch to send Wang Gang away, and he went back to change his pants.

Wang Gang walked while getting dressed, his mind kept thinking about how he offended the Queen Mother.

But he thought about it all the way, but he couldn't figure out why when he got to Sheng Mansion.

Wang Gang suppressed his doubts for a while, and when he walked home, he found that Sheng Hong and Sheng Changbai had already returned home from get off work, waiting for him to come back for a reunion dinner.

The reason why it is called a reunion dinner is because Hualan, the eldest son of the Sheng family, Molan the fourth, Rulan the fifth, Minglan and Changdong the seventh who returned home, all returned home.

The Sheng family is complete.

(End of this chapter)