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Chapter 419 Becoming the target of public criticism again
Imperial City, inside Funing Hall.

Wang Zhong bowed slightly, cupped his hands and said, "The Imperial City Department is supposed to be His Majesty's eyes and ears, but now the Imperial City Department has long been in decay.

Bianjing is the headquarters of the Imperial City Division. But last year, the Imperial City rebelled against the king and blocked the entire imperial city. However, the Imperial City Division did not receive any news, not even a hint of trouble. How can such an Imperial City Division be called His Majesty’s eyes and ears! "

"Besides, now that His Majesty has just ascended the throne, the situation in the DPRK and the Central Government has not yet completely stabilized. There may be remnants of rebels in the DPRK who have not yet been eliminated. There is another war in the south. There are Khitan and Liao people in the north who are eyeing him. The Xixia people in the northwest have always been ambitious. , intending to invade our land in Guanzhong.

At this time of internal and external troubles, only by keeping one's ears and eyes open, and having sufficient control over both inside and outside Bianjing, can one stabilize the court and concentrate on dealing with the chaos in southern Xinjiang! "

Wang Zhong added another sentence: "There must still be remnants of the rebellion against the king in the capital, but now they are shrinking and hiding somewhere. We may not even know their identities. Now they are lurking as minions and hiding in the dark.

But there is no guarantee that one day, they will stand up again and cause trouble to His Majesty and the court.

If the Imperial City Division can be reorganized, the secret piles of the Imperial City Division can be buried in every corner of the city, and hidden among the three religions and nine streams, then the Imperial City Division will be His Majesty’s eyes and ears, and even if those remnants want to take action, they will definitely not be able to escape His Majesty. His Majesty can handle it calmly! "

Emperor Jiayou's eyes lit up when he heard this, and a smile appeared on his face, but he regained his composure in an instant. He nodded and glanced to the side, and said: "Reorganizing the Imperial City Division, Aiqing's suggestion is good, but I I am new to Dabao, I have little experience, and I don’t know much about everything in the court. For such a big matter, I have to ask the Queen Mother!"

Although Zhao Zongquan has become the emperor now, it does not mean that he can exercise the rights of the emperor. As early as last winter, not long after Zhao Zongquan took the throne, he went to the Taipei Palace in person, surrounded by Han Zhang and other important officials of the court. In the harem, Empress Dowager Cao was respectfully invited to come out and listen to the government behind the curtain to calm people's hearts and ensure peace of mind. Even the jade seal was personally delivered to Empress Dowager Cao by Zhao Zongquan.

Now it seems that the emperor Zhao Zongquan is the one who calls the shots in the court, but in fact the one who really has the final say is the Queen Mother Cao sitting behind the curtain.

After coming out of Funing Palace, Wang Zhong looked northwest of the imperial city and couldn't help but shook his head. That direction was where the Empress Dowager Cao's palace was.

After leaving the palace, I waited outside the palace for a long time before I saw Minglan and Wang Qier being led out by several maids.

On the carriage, Wang Zhong looked at Wang Qier who was smiling and asked, "What reward did you get for being so happy?"

It's not surprising that Wang Zhong thinks so. In fact, this girl Wang Qian'er has always been like this. She is used to being carefree and careless. Everything is written on her face.

Wang Qier said with a smile: "The Queen Mother rewarded me with some fine pieces of Sichuan brocade, and the Queen Mother also rewarded me with some jewelry. They are all very valuable!"

Wang Zhong asked: "You also went to see the Queen Mother?"

Ming Lan, who was next to her, said: "After we sat in the Queen's Palace for a while, we followed the Queen to visit the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother seems to like Sister Qian very much!"

But Wang Qier said: "I don't like the Queen Mother, I prefer the Queen Mother!"

"Oh? Why?" Wang Zhong looked at Wang Qier and asked.

Wang Qian'er thought for a while and said: "The Queen Mother seems to have a kind of... well... there is a kind... How should I put it? On the surface, she does seem approachable and speaks very well. He is gentle and has a kind smile on his face, but I always feel that this feeling is unreal!”

"Seemingly approachable, but actually arrogant?" Wang Zhong asked tentatively.

"Absolutely!" Wang Qian'er nodded and said, "On the contrary, the Queen, being with her, Mrs. Zou and Mrs. Shen makes people feel more comfortable and comfortable."

"The Queen Mother was born into a noble family, and she sat in the position of empress for more than 30 years. Now she listens to politics from behind the curtain, holds the jade seal, and has to ask her opinion on all matters in the court. She is now the most powerful person in the Song Dynasty. It’s not surprising that some of these people are aloof." Wang Zhong said.

"As for Queen Shen and the others, they have just arrived and have not yet established a stable foothold. Although they have a noble status, they still have to bend over backwards and win over the courtiers in order to gain a firm foothold quickly!"

After listening to Wang Zhong's words, Wang Qian'er couldn't help but said: "No wonder the Queen said today that she would choose a son-in-law who can ride a dragon for Mrs. Shen!"

"Could it be that Zhong Huai was chosen?" Wang Zhong joked.

Wang Qier was also surprised: "Second Uncle Gu?"

Minglan took Wang Qier's hand and explained: "Among all the nobles in Beijing today, the British Zhang family and the Ningyuan Hou Gu family are the most prominent. Among the generals, they hold heavy troops and have great prestige in the army. The tall ones include General Zheng and General Gan, who have been guarding the border for many years. General Gan has no suitable heirs. The British Duke's sons have already married and established businesses. They are of the right age and are motivated and competitive. The only ones who are not married yet are the second brother of the Gu family and the second son of the Zheng family!"

"It must be Uncle Gu!" Wang Qier said directly without thinking.

"Why does it have to be your Second Uncle Gu?" Wang Zhong asked.

Wang Qier said: "Everyone with a discerning eye knows that the person who will inherit the title of Marquis of Ningyuan in the future will definitely be Uncle Gu. Since we want to win over him, we must win over the entire Ningyuan Marquis Mansion. Although General Zheng has prestige in the army, But Marquis Ningyuan's prestige in the army is no worse than his, and the Marquis Ningyuan's mansion has been run for generations, and his foundation in the army is not much deeper than that of the Zheng family. Why didn't the Queen choose Uncle Gu instead of choosing someone who would never succeed him in the future? Where is Zheng Erlang from the Zheng family!"

"You are quite smart, but this matter may not be as simple as you think."

"Why? Is there any hidden secret?"

"Do you still remember the last time Marquis Ningyuan came to visit our house?" Wang Zhong looked at Wang Qier and asked.

"Remember!" Wang Qier just nodded and reacted instantly, saying excitedly: "Third Uncle, you don't really plan to marry me to Second Uncle Gu, do you? I'm only 15 years old this year!"

"What's wrong with marrying your Uncle Gu? Didn't you tell me that it will definitely be your Uncle Gu who inherits the title of Marquis of Ningyuan in the future? If you marry him, you will become Madam Hou in the future, and Gu Er's seniority is very high. He is shorter than me. Whenever you see me in the future, you will have to greet me and call me uncle!"

As he spoke, Wang Zhong closed his eyes and made a look of enjoyment, as if the scene he just mentioned had appeared in front of his eyes.

"Auntie! Look at Third Uncle!" Wang Qier immediately took Minglan's hand and started acting coquettishly, with a look of aggrievedness on her face.

Minglan said helplessly: "I can't make the decision in your life. If your third uncle really marries you to your second uncle Gu, I can't stop him."

"Auntie!" Wang Qier's face drooped, and she became more and more aggrieved: "You and your third uncle teamed up to bully me!" Wang Zhong said: "Look, I scared you. Why, your second uncle Gu's character, intelligence, and martial arts are still there. Isn’t it worthy of a little girl like you?”

"Of course not!" Wang Qian'er sighed and said, "Although Uncle Gu is kind, the Gu family is a den of tigers and wolves, and there is a lot of chaos. I don't have the heart to scheming with such a big family. , Besides, I may not be able to fight them!"

"Third uncle, do you want to push your lovely and obedient niece into the fire pit with your own hands?"

"You still have some self-awareness!" Looking at Wang Qier, Wang Zhong smiled and nodded: "The Gu family's messy things are indeed not something ordinary people can get involved in!"

"I really can't understand. As for the Gu family, except for Mr. Gu and Uncle Gu, the rest of them only spend their days drinking and sleeping in flowers and willows. They don't even have serious errands. They don't talk about peace. Second Uncle Gu has built a good relationship and is still trying every possible means to frame him. Aren't they afraid that one day Uncle Gu will inherit the title of Marquis Ningyuan and turn against them?"

Wang Qier didn’t understand.

Wang Zhong said: "There are many smart people with long-term vision and unique vision in this world, but there are more stupid people who only see small profits and only look at the present when doing things, never caring about the consequences and not thinking about the future."

"Third uncle is saying that all the Gu family are idiots?"

"Absolutely!" Wang Zhong said: "If they were smarter, how could they do such a stupid thing?"

"Yes!" Wang Qian'er nodded subconsciously: "You think you are looking down on them if you buy a coffin and return a pearl. The only person who can take over the burden of Marquis Ningyuan and support the Marquis's family is either stupid or stupid. "

Half a month later, Enke's results came out, and Changfeng failed again.

Enke was much simpler than the ordinary Chunwei Examination, but despite this, Chang Feng still failed, and Sheng Hong couldn't help but be a little disappointed.

And knowing that his biological mother made a big mistake and was sent to Zhuangzi by his father to recuperate and no one was allowed to visit, Chang Feng naturally ran to Sheng Hong to intercede with his biological mother Lin Sushuang.

It's just that Chang Feng didn't expect that his move to go to Sheng Hong and kneel down to plead for mercy, instead of making Sheng Hong feel any softer, actually made Sheng Hong regret even more, regretting that Chang Feng and Mo Lan were raised by Lin Sushuang's side. Regret that I didn’t discipline Chang Feng strictly.

In a blink of an eye, the day of Mo Lan's wedding came. The soft-hearted Sheng Hong couldn't resist the pleading of Chang Feng and Mo Lan, so he sent someone to pick up Lin Sushuang from Zhuangzi and let her watch Mo Lan get married with her own eyes.

It's just that on the day of Mo Lan's wedding, there were a lot of guests, but there were not many good looks on the faces of the Sheng family, and the atmosphere was far less joyful and festive than other families' weddings. Hualan, Rulan, Minglan The three sisters only showed their faces and returned to the back house. Only Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu forced their smiles to go outside to receive the guests.

The wedding was held like a funeral, and it was considered a unique one.

In the afternoon of the same day, Lin Sushuang was sent back to Zhuangzi and imprisoned again. Wang Ruofu only ordered two bowls of lard rice to be given to Lin Sushuang every day, and no other food was allowed.

In the princess's mansion, in the bedroom in the side courtyard!

On the bed, Wang Zhong held Minglan in his arms and was covered with a quilt. Minglan, whose face was still flushed and had not completely faded, said with emotion: "The fourth sister has finally got her wish!"

"I'm afraid her life in the Liang family may not be easy!" Wang Zhong said.

Minglan said: "Whether she lives well or not is her own choice!"

Wang Zhong sneered and said: "Actually, besides being a bit greedy and lustful, that boy Liang Han is also quite real. If he is like me and marries a wife as virtuous as the eldest lady, he may not be unlucky in the future." There will be some achievements, but now that I have married your fourth sister, it is hard to say!"

"It's a pity that Mrs. Wu worked so hard to plan for her, but Liang Han refused to appreciate it!" Minglan said with emotion.

"Perhaps this is the fate between your fourth sister and Liang Han!" Wang Zhong said: "Last year, Mrs. Wu helped Liang Han search for more than half a year in Tokyo. Just as the marriage was about to be decided, she met Such a thing, a good marriage, almost turned into a disaster."

Minglan suddenly asked curiously: "I heard that the fourth lady of the Qian family was appointed to the Jiaofang Department?"

"It is indeed Jiaofangsi!" Wang Zhongdao: "But he is not in Tokyo, but was demoted to Daming Mansion. Not only Qian Si Niang, but all the female relatives of the Qian family were transferred to Jiaofangsi and demoted to various places! I heard the youngest one is only four years old.”

"Hey!" Minglan sighed: "Shiye! Fate!"

"How can it be so easy to obtain the power of a dragon?"

A few days later, Wang Zhong was summoned to the palace again by Emperor Xining. After coming out of the palace, Wang Zhong immersed himself in the study and gave various suggestions about the Imperial City Division and a letter of salt affairs. The book with mixed accounts was handed to the palace.

The letter from the Imperial City Department was actually used, but the letter about salt affairs was suppressed by Emperor Xining.

The memorial was sealed, and Wang Zhong continued to write. It had been a few months since he joined the Salt and Iron Division. Wang Zhong also had a certain understanding of many matters of the Salt and Iron Division. For more than ten years, the salt tax sent by Jiangnan was getting less and less every year. , if Wang Zhong had not built a salt drying field in Quanzhou a few years ago and vigorously promoted it in coastal areas, I am afraid it would have been declining in recent years. However, despite this, the annual growth in recent years has been extremely limited.

There are some things that you really can’t know without checking. Once you checked, you were shocked to find that the degree of corruption in the salt affairs in Jiangnan, Huaihe, and Sichuan and Shu regions was far beyond Wang Zhong’s imagination.

After the Zhezi was suppressed, Wang Zhong continued writing, and even visited the Prime Minister Han Zhang in person, explaining the corruption of salt affairs and requesting a thorough investigation of salt affairs across the country.

Unexpectedly, not even ten days later, there were rumors about Wang Zhong’s impeachment once again. Someone from Yushitai, Jianyuan, even the Third Division, and even the Salt and Iron Division wrote a letter to impeach Wang Zhong. Fortunately, Wang Zhong didn't have any pain in being caught in someone's hands. The stories used to impeach Wang Zhong were all about Wang Zhong's past when he was in Quanzhou, and they were all nit-picking clichés.

Just for a while, Wang Zhong inevitably became the target of public criticism.

Salt and iron are the pillars of the imperial court, and salt tax is the bulk of the imperial court's tax revenue. It is unknown how many people and the interests of many wealthy families are involved. It is not unusual for Wang Zhong to be impeached.

(End of this chapter)