The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 625 Unique Advantages

It was very lively in the capital that day, and many officials were rushing for this good news. However, in fact, everyone did not know much about the details of this good news. They only knew that they had won the battle, and they probably knew that they had killed more than a thousand enemies. People, that's all.

Not much is known, but it does not prevent many neutral fence-sitting factions from moving closer to Zhang Zhou's faction. This is also the reason why Lin Han and Cui Yuan can gather many people in the mansion, because they know that no matter who is close to Zhang Zhou or not, , these two people must be close. Being close to the people of Zhang Zhou's faction is equivalent to receiving a certificate of surrender.

Some are happy and some are sad.

Traditional factions, especially those who are deeply involved in traditional factions, such as mid-level officials promoted by officials from traditional factions such as the Hanlin Academy and the Six Ministries and Cabinet, as well as most officials in the Five Temples, have a tough time.

Seeing others running for a good news, they themselves can only hold on to one-third of an acre, and it is useless to change the flag...

It’s not that they don’t want to, it’s that they know that once they take the first step towards such bad principles, they will easily be unable to take it back later. Politicians whose positions are uncertain do not seek to please both sides, but rather do not please both sides.

Li Dongyang went to Xie Qian's house that night.

Although the snow had stopped, the snow had not gone away. Li Dongyang stood in the deserted courtyard, looking at the people passing by, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Only then did Xie Pi, who had been studying in the inner courtyard, come out to see him with a feeling of sincerity and fear.

"Within..."

When Li Dongyang saw Xie Pi, he wanted to comfort him, but he didn't know where to start.

Xie Qian was initially sentenced to prison, and even Xie Pi and other family members were not spared, but Xie Di was not affected. Recently, Li Dongyang wanted to discuss Xie Pi's situation with Xie Di, but he resisted. This time he only I can come to Xie Qian's house to provide some comfort.

Xie Pi invited Li Dongyang to Xie Qian's study, which is now also used as a temporary study room for Xie Pi to prepare for exams.

Li Dongyang looked around and asked, "Is everything okay at home now?"

Xie Pi said: "My mother has returned to Zhejiang with her sister and others. The students are studying here and preparing for the next spring exam. The relatives in Yuyao are all fine, but they are all worried about my father. Recently, local people from Yuyao often come here. When asked, few dared to get involved too deeply, and many people just chatted for a few words and then left."

"Yeah." Li Dongyang nodded, "At this time, it's already good that they can come."

Xie Pi looked somewhat comforting and said: "Mr. Li is right. After my father's accident, the family wanted to have some relationships. I also advised my mother that this matter is a matter of the Tian family and cannot be moved. My mother was worried. , please send me any news as soon as possible. If there is a chance, I also hope to visit my father."

"It should be soon." Li Dongyang said, "Did you go out today? Have you heard about what's going on outside?"

"Yes. I heard that the great victory in the north of Ji Town was led by Anbianhou and Jingshanbo. But I don't understand how this has anything to do with my father's case." Xie Pi is not a politician after all. , don’t understand so many causes and consequences.

Even the Xie family couldn't explain clearly what Xie Qian was convicted of.

Li Dongyang said: "With Zhong, with your knowledge, after you enter the court in the future, you can also be a part of the government and contribute to the Ming Dynasty. You can ask what you need to ask. Some things you shouldn't know will wait until you serve more as an official." In the future, you will understand."

Li Dongyang was not here to be Xie Pi's teacher, or to answer Xie Pi's questions.

"Yes." Xie Pi accepted sincerely.

"Fortunately, your Majesty did not involve anyone else in your house in this matter, and it will not affect your preparation for the exam. If anyone comes recently, just close the door of your house tightly, and everyone else will disappear."

"Yes."

Li Dongyang was about to take a seat, but when he looked at the surrounding environment, he was easily touched by the scene.

Thinking of the good relationship he had with Xie Qian and the years he had worked with Xie Qian, he felt a little regretful.

The scene in front of me was a bit unbearable to witness, so I turned around and left.

"Sir, do you want to go back? Let the students see you off." Xie Pi came over in a few hurried steps, with some guilt on his face. "All the servants in the house who can be dismissed have been dismissed. Now they can't even cook the stove. It's neglectful." Yes sir."

Li Dongyang said: "Then what do you eat and use?"

Xie Pi said with a wry smile: "Just deal with it casually."

Li Dongyang nodded and said: "I'll ask you to bring some to you later. Don't be too harsh on yourself for things like food, clothing, housing and transportation. Wait a minute, your father's affairs must have been settled years ago."

"The student is not in a hurry, I just hope everything is well with my father." Xie Pi was eager. In fact, he wanted Li Dongyang to help visit Xie Qian.

But Li Dongyang himself couldn't see Xie Qian, so naturally he couldn't make any promises in front of the younger generation.

In the end he left hastily.

Originally, he wanted to comfort Xie Pi more, but in the end he realized that Xie Pi might have a better mentality than him. Don't wait for Xie Pi to comfort him.

Because it seems that Xie Qian's imprisonment harmed the interests of the Xie family, but in fact it is more like the emperor's beating of the traditional civil servant faction. Li Dongyang was even more heartbroken outside the prison cell.

When everyone in the capital was celebrating the great victory in the north, Li Dongyang seemed even more lonely and seemed a little disheartened about politics.

……

……

Near sunset.

In the imperial palace, Kunning Palace, the Zhang brothers came into the palace early in the morning, but they refused to leave. They wanted to see Zhu Youtang, but they were told that the emperor was recovering from illness and would not come to Kunning Palace. The last two I just wanted to get some benefits from my sister.

Empress Zhang also wanted to pay respects to her husband several times, and also wanted to invite Zhang Zhou back to Kunning Palace. She was also told that Zhang Zhou had left the palace early, and was conveyed by the eunuch that no one was allowed to disturb Zhang Zhou's rest. .

"How's it going? Sister, are you willing to meet with Your Majesty?" Zhang Heling saw Queen Zhang return to Kunning Palace. He stood up quickly and pulled Zhang Yanling who was dozing next to her.

Zhang Yanling stood up in confusion, but could barely stand still and had to hold on to the table.

Empress Zhang walked in angrily and said with a bit of anger in her tone: "Is Your Majesty recuperating from illness, or is he avoiding people and refusing to see people? Why is it okay for Zhang Bingkuan to see you, but not me?"

The Zhang brothers looked at each other.

They heard what the eldest sister was saying. It seemed that the queen went to see the emperor, and the process was not smooth. Is this because she was full of cowardice?

"You two haven't left yet?"

Just when Zhang Heling was about to say a few words of comfort, Empress Zhang turned her anger on them.

Zhang Heling said: "Queen, please calm down. Your Majesty is not well. We just want to come and greet you. If we can't see you, that's okay. There is really no need for the Queen to be angry over such a trivial matter."

Empress Zhang sat down and said coldly: "Do you think I am angry about you? You two have been neglecting your duties all day long. I have obviously arranged for you to go to the northwest. You came back to the capital by yourself. You won the battle this time. Is it the east side? After the battle is won, do you remember that I wronged you before? Who wronged whom?" Zhang Heling said anxiously: "Queen, why are you blaming your brothers? Even if you want to blame... It's all the blame on the second brother! I've been teaching him a lesson, telling him to serve the Ming Dynasty wholeheartedly and not to think about taking advantage of others. Look at him...Besides, this time it was obviously Cai Guogong who deliberately favored the Cui family and the Zhu family. Will he give it to us if he sows good things? He went to Jizhou, and then he won a great victory in Jizhou. This clearly means that the rich water will not flow to outsiders... In the eyes of Cai Guogong, we are outsiders."

"Humph."

Empress Zhang was still angry about her husband, and seemed unwilling to pay attention to her brother's instigation and sarcasm.

Zhang Yanling also came out to help: "Sister, if my brother-in-law sends us to Jizhou, we have no objection, but if I go to Liaodong, it is too far and too hard. There is no oil or water in Liaodong, and there are still mean people. us."

Queen Zhang said: "Now I ask you to go to Jizhou, will you go too?"

"Go, of course." Zhang Heling laughed and said, "But if there is another good place, we can go to the next place. It is best that Cai Guogong has arranged our future. But we listen He said that the capital camp has been heavily preparing troops recently, and there is talk of a war at the beginning of the Spring Festival. Our two brothers have even been dismissed from the errands of the capital camp. Recently...it has been boring."

"Are you bored?" Queen Zhang almost wanted to curse.

The two younger brothers spent the whole day eating and drinking at home, waiting to die. They did a lot of debauchery, but they were still bored?
Zhang Heling said: "I have nothing to do, so I am naturally bored. Sister Huang, we also want to serve the imperial court. Our brothers have also made military exploits before, why can't good things happen to us? We also heard that we are all shouting. To become a member of the Zhang Party is actually to become a member of Cai Guogong’s party, but Cai Guogong won’t accept us.”

Empress Zhang said disdainfully: "You two alone are not qualified."

Zhang Heling said: "We are not qualified, but a dandy like Zhu Zhijie is qualified? Why can he? And Cui Maoren, we all see how much he weighs. We used to drink with him and thought he was not good enough." Mesa, it's good now, the pheasant has turned into a phoenix, just because the one in his family is capable and can seduce Cai Guogong? "

"What are you talking about?" Queen Zhang frowned.

"That's what everyone else said. They said that Cui Maoren had a good wife and a princess. He was the one who was waiting to die, but the princess came out for a walk and even went to Cai Guogong's house. Somehow Cai Guogong put him Her husband-in-law was promoted, who knows what happened behind the scenes?"

Zhang Heling casually told his sister what he heard.

Queen Zhang looked a little angry and said: "Who is Yongkang? I know she won't do this."

Zhang Yanling said with a sneer on the side: "Sister, you know people but don't know their hearts. Usually when I see that princess, she is arrogant, but this time things are unusual. From the beginning when she came out to speak for Cui Maoren, We believed she wouldn't do anything, but then...she was determined to become Party Zhang. Such a big contrast, she is still a woman, so if there is nothing behind her back, we don't believe it."

"You know what you're talking about?"

Empress Zhang continued to say angrily, "You are criticizing the reputation of a princess, and His Majesty knows about it... You have taken the courage of a bear and a leopard."

Zhang Yanling curled her lips and said: "If you don't know, you have to do nothing but yourself. She used to be picky and picky about Cai Guogong, but then she became extremely flattering. Cai Guogong was so full that he wanted to help her? If there is no benefit, who will help whom? She The family has no money and no connections. They say she relies on her mouth to get around, but I think...it's really not necessarily...that's right!"

Queen Zhang was so angry that her nose was crooked.

But at one point, she began to feel that what her brother said seemed to make some sense.

Princess Yongkang was very fond of Zhang Zhou at first. At that time, she even tried to dig holes for Zhang Zhou. Later, she became a big fan of Zhang Zhou for some reason. She praised Zhang Zhou in front of the emperor and even wanted to protect her family. My sister-in-law is married.

At first, she thought it was just because Cui Yuan benefited from Zhang Zhou's advice, but now she thought about why, as a queen, she couldn't let Zhang Zhou bring his two younger brothers to great success.

Now I seem to have figured it out.

It turns out that my sister-in-law has a "unique advantage".

"Sister, we can't let those surnamed Zhu completely suppress our surnamed Zhang. We are no less than them. My brother-in-law used to take such good care of us surnamed Zhang. Why is it now the turn of our surnamed Zhu to be careless? ?”

Zhang Yanling was dissatisfied and a complainer.

Queen Zhang said: "Who's surnamed Zhu? Who's surnamed Zhang? Do you know what you're talking about?"

"Why don't you know? My brother-in-law used to use people from our family, but now he uses his own. Isn't this the difference? My sister seems to be having a hard time now." Zhang Yanling spoke with a somewhat narrow-minded tone.

Zhang Heling quickly gave his younger brother a hand.

He also glared at me fiercely, as if to say, are you missing a chord in your head? Are you talking nonsense like this?
But Queen Zhang didn't seem angry either.

On this topic of "making progress and retreat together", Empress Zhang actually felt that her two younger brothers were on her side. Even if the words were harsh, the younger brother's malice was the least.

Empress Zhang's tone was still very cold and she said: "Go back and think about it. I want His Majesty to arrange errands for you. What should I arrange for you? Should you stay in Beijing and continue to hang out in the camp, or go to the northwest to fight, or go to Liaodong or Ji?" State. Don’t look down on others.”

"Yes Yes."

Zhang Heling responded on behalf of his younger brother.

"Come here, give them a box, pack their things, and go back early, otherwise they won't be able to get out."

"Thank you, Queen." This time the two brothers followed the same pace.

……

……

Wait until the Zhang brothers leave.

Queen Zhang sat there alone and sulked.

After a long time, she came back to her senses and said, "Go and invite Concubine Xian here."

"My lady..."

The palace maid was not willing to accept it, because Zhu Youtang had said before that no one from Kunning Palace was allowed to disturb Concubine Xian unless it was an emergency.

"go with!"

"Yes."

Not long after, the wise concubine stood outside the palace gate.

Empress Zhang changed her expression and walked over. She smiled brightly and said to Concubine Xian: "My sister is here. Let's have a meal together. If you have time, we will go to Xinuang Pavilion tonight to pay your respects to His Majesty."

No matter how unwilling she is, Empress Zhang must learn to accept this "sister" and rely on her to bridge the gap with her husband.

(End of this chapter)