Chapter 323: The younger brother jumps first as a sign of respect
Author: Silent
Chapter 323: The younger brother jumps first as a sign of respect
Zhang Zhou talked about how to establish himself 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 to treat Xiao Jing as an enemy, and even try 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 be disapproving and said: "I am afraid that what I am doing in the court now is difficult to be recognized by others."
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?
Pushing his daughter into the fire pit, the two families have no contact with each other since then? Doesn’t that mean that he will never even see his daughter’s face 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 China 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 was polite to you, but you classified 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: "That's right. His 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 listened 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 some of them want 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 Confucian 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.
…
…
Check out the yard.
Lin Han had no choice but to go back and prepare to move.
Xiao Jing said to Zhang Zhou: "Your Majesty has already said that 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, and 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 Chief 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 was "overjoyed" 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 the advice of the Ministry of Personnel. Is there any consistency between the recommendation and the results of the imperial court's deliberation?"
"Ah? 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 war? Or was 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. He 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 Saint 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 big. 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 so smart pretending to be so 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, Xueshi Cheng, Shilang 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 Yan Sheng. ?”
Xiao Jing didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Regarding the inheritance of the Kong family, let alone the eunuch Bingbi who is the eunuch of the ceremony, even if he becomes the eunuch of the palm seal or the emperor, he will still have great constraints in determining the order of his inheritance.
Confucianism values etiquette the most, and the Confucian family set an example. The succession of the Confucian family is likely to become a model for the Ming Dynasty in the future.
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 though Duke Yan Sheng has fallen to Kong Hongtai, Kong Hongxu, the eldest brother, basically has the final say 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 big a crime Kong Hongxu committed, 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... Sigh! 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, he must give him a 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 always lie with the emperor?
At that time, whoever the emperor wants you to adopt as your heir will be who?
…
…
Fusi, Jinyiwei North Town.
Xiao Jing, the master of the East Factory, arrived in person, taking Zhang Zhou with him, which made the people of Fusi in Beizhen extremely nervous. Mou Bin, the commander of the Jin Yiwei, came out to greet them in person and led the two of them to the flower hall.
"Mr. Zhang, Eunuch Xiao, was ordered by the emperor to take custody of Kong, the eldest son of the Kong family. He has always treated him well. He has 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 seemed to be in jail, but in fact he was 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."
This 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 did not understand the rules of Dongchang and Jinyiwei's trial, and that Zhang Zhou did not 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. The 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 comes, and he can’t be beaten, nor can he even be frightened. How can he be convicted without any witness and without Kong Hongxu’s confession?
If the case falls to the Third Judiciary Division, the result can only be nothing.
Because the officials of the Sanfa Division are all civil servants, and 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, so why are you detaining people? 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 Zhoudao: "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 imperial court. When outsiders knew that Kong Hongxu was deprived of the title of Yanshenggong, most of them thought that he had exceeded the regulations. This was also the imperial court at that time to protect the Kong family and give face to the Kong family.
Now what Zhang Zhou wants is to write a special 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 petition the court to strictly investigate the crimes this person has committed. Initially, the court wanted to minimize the serious matter and not pursue any charges. 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 make literati have a rebellious attitude in their hearts, 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 a “closed case” here. The case would be transferred to the Ministry of Punishment, so that scholars all over the world would think that Kong Hongxu’s crime was found to be unsubstantiated and released, and the court would no longer be harsh on him.
, under such circumstances, the crimes Kong Hongxu once 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 would have a more direct effect than using a prison sentence to judge him.
Be more straightforward.
Convicting Kong Hongxu and forcing the court to oppose the scholars would be worse than letting him die in society.
Don’t you, the Kong family, want to use the power of public opinion to exonerate you, Kong Hongxu? Who said that public opinion can only be for literati? Public opinion should include the people of the world. When the time comes, you Kong Hongxu will be drowned with the saliva of the people of the world, and then the court will not
Just to be a favor, I will convict you so that the Kong family will never be able to hold their head high again.
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 who I am and I don't have any 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 think about it afterwards.
I'm worried about 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 meet Empress Zhang, and by the way, he showed off to his sister what he had learned along the way, as well as the military merits 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 for your brother-in-law to leave the palace."
Empress 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 comes to see her occasionally. In addition to sleeping alone in Qianqing Palace, he usually goes out of the palace... and sometimes stays 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 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 eldest nephew is not your Majesty’s biological child.”
"Nonsense!" Queen Zhang was annoyed.
It's not okay for others 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 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 did not 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, more coal mines can be opened..."
"enough!"
Only then did Empress Zhang discover that her brother had betrayed her.
For a little profit, even her sister can't control her.
"You don't know why you are where you are today, are 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 eldest nephew will still be the prince, and everything will remain as before."
"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 The Spring and Autumn Period was still in its prime at that time, and when the time comes he will accept it even if he doesn't accept it. It would be better to block it than to open it up."
What Zhang Heling said was exactly what Zhang Zhou said in Jiaofangsi when he first met him.
In the past, he thought it was all nonsense, but now he feels...it is simply a wise saying.
