The cunning Cai Jing and his four sons were in a secret room, plotting together. How could everyone in the Taishi Mansion escape this catastrophe?
"Alas!" Cai Jing, seventy-three years old, sighed, and said in a low spirit: "The current situation in the temple not only reminds my father of the two lines in the poem "East Tower of Xianyang City" by the Tang Dynasty poet Xu Hun,
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‘The clouds in the stream first rise and the sun sinks into the pavilion,
The rain is coming and the wind is blowing all over the building.’”
"Father, there is no need to be sad!" Cai Jing, the fifth son of Cai Jing, who was in charge of Xuanhe Palace, advised:
"My son thinks that the situation is not that bad yet. Although Gao Qiu and Wang Fu have been sent to Dali for trial,
However, in recent years, after the villain Wang Fu gained power, he has turned against his father. Our Cai family has not had any personal contact with the villain Wang Fu for several years.
Therefore, when Wang Fu was tried in Dali Temple, his random bites could not affect our Cai family.
As for Gao Qiu, his relationship with his father has always been as gentle as water, and there is not much overlap of interests. Therefore, it is impossible for Gao Qiu to have any control over his father.
The officials will also remember that my father has worked hard for the country in the past twenty years, accompanied the officials to have fun in private, and helped the officials to write and write elegantly, so they will not punish my father."
Cai Jing's other four sons echoed Cai Chi's point of view and advised them to relax and not to become ill with worries...
"Haha..." Cai Jing sneered: "Chi'er, you only know one, but not the other.
Our current official family of the Song Dynasty has become incomprehensible to me.
When it comes to having fun with Zhao Guan's family, are Gao Qiu and Wang Fu inferior?
What will happen now?
The two of them are being tried in Dali Temple.
As the old saying goes, "There is no doctor in punishment",
However, according to what I heard, the eunuch Liang Shicheng, who was ordered to stand trial, passed down the official instructions and was tortured Gao Qiu and Wang Fu to extract confessions!
Alas! The torture and torture of the two civil and military officials of the court can be said to be the first of its kind in the Song Dynasty to insult scholar-bureaucrats!"
Cai Jing's sons knew that their father had many eyes and ears in the court, and even in the palace they were bribed by their father Cai Jing's eunuchs to pass messages for them.
Upon hearing this, they all felt that what their father said was reasonable, and they couldn't help but worry about the fate of their father Cai Jing and their respective futures.
Cai Jing's third son, Cai Jing, who is currently the Minister of Rites and a bachelor of Baohe Palace, consoled him:
"According to what I have seen and heard, the official family has not taken any action against my Cai family. Please comfort me, father!"
"Huh!" Cai Jing snorted coldly, stared at Cai Yi and said:
"Now among my father's sons, except for the rebellious son Cai You, and my father's second son who died young, you, the third son, are the oldest and have the highest official position among the sons.
However,
Pei'er, because of your husband's support, your career has been smooth, and you have not gone through ups and downs like your father.
Therefore, Pei'er, you don't know the depth of the officialdom and the moodiness of the official family.
Contrary to what you said, the officials did not take any action against our Cai family, so our Cai family is safe and sound.
Have you ever seen that the Zhao Guan family today uses lightning-fast methods to deal with the national counselor Lin Lingsu, the Taiwei Gao Qiu, and the young commander Wang Fu?
At that time, who could have expected that Zhao Guan’s family would attack these favored officials?
If we, the Cai family, don’t make preparations earlier, I’m afraid we will be like fish on the chopping board!”
Cai Chen, the Minister of Rites and the Grand Scholar of Baohe Palace, is also nearly forty years old. He is usually a very powerful person in the officialdom, but now he is scolded by his father Cai Jing like a child with a yellow mouth.<
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This made Cai Yi lose face in front of his four younger brothers.
Cai Yi was embarrassed, blushing, and argued:
"Father, this is too much!
If our Cai family is related to Zhao Guan's family, how can we compare with Gao Qiu and Wang Fu?
The two of them are nothing more than hawks and dogs raised by officials!
As for father, the current Zhao Guan family is the in-laws of his children!"
When Cai Yiyan came here, he glanced proudly at Cai Chi, his fifth brother who was waiting to be made in Xuanhe Hall, and then said:
"The year before last, the Zhao Guan family married their favorite fifth daughter, Emperor Maode, to their fifth brother Cai Ji.
The mother of Emperor Maode is Empress Liu!"
Cai Jing reminded: "Don't you remember? A few days ago, Zhao Guan's family issued an edict to change the emperor's concubine to a princess. If you continue to call her like this, you are failing to follow the official's preferences."
"My father taught me a very good lesson." Cai Chen continued:
"Princess Maode is the beloved daughter of the current official family and Concubine Liu.
On November 18th of the first year of Chonghe, the 28-year-old Princess Maode married her fifth brother Cai Ji. How glorious was the wedding?!"
When Cai Chen said this, he gave his fifth brother Cai Chi a wink, indicating that he should advise his father not to worry about others...
Cai Chi understood immediately.
In front of his father and brothers, his third brother reminded him of his extremely glorious wedding to Princess Maode. His confidence and glory returned.
Cai Wei bowed to Cai Jingshen and said:
"Just like what the third brother said. My son and Princess Maode are in love with each other. They have a husband and a wife, and they have their eldest son Cai Yu, who is now more than one year old.
His son Cai Yu is the grandson of the current official family.
Just because the Zhao Guan family cares about the family ties between their wife, Princess Maode, and their son, Cai Yu, the Zhao Guan family will not touch my Cai family like they did Gao Qiu and Wang Fu."
"Haha..." Cai Jing sneered again and sighed: "Emperors have been so ruthless since ancient times! As my father and Zhao Guan's family are sons and daughters, what can I do?
As far as my father knows, after the Zhao family visited Genyue and pledged part of their family property, they separately summoned my father's rebellious son Cai You.
What exactly the secret conversation between the official family and Cai You, the traitorous son, was, my father never found out.
However, for my father's concern, did the officials ask Cai You, the rebellious son, about some shady matters about our Cai family?
The only person who worries about his father is his rebellious son Cai You!
I hope that Cai You, a traitor, will be able to speak with restraint and never forget the principle of ‘when a tree falls, the hozen will scatter’.”
The disciples looked at each other, and for a moment they didn’t know how to persuade their father to relax. After all, they were all people who had read poetry and books, understood history, and knew the dangers of officialdom...
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Cai Jing changed the subject and said: "Don't be alarmed, gentlemen! As a father, this is also to think about the worst case scenario in advance, so as to make a complete response."
The disciples nodded and said yes...
Cai Jing said again: "For my father, think of a plan to deal with it from top to bottom. Chi'er, listen carefully."
Cai Wei immediately put on a posture of listening respectfully. He said nervously: "Father, please make it clear!"
Cai Jingdao: "The next best thing is, Chi'er, when you go back to your room, you must tell Princess Maode about the current situation that is unfavorable to our Cai family.
Chi'er, you have to kneel down and beg Princess Maode to agree to something!"
When Cai Jingyan reached this point, he paused and did not finish his words. Instead, he closed his eyes and sighed. It was as if he didn't want to use this last resort.
Cai Chi seemed to have realized something, but the tutoring and etiquette in Taishi Mansion were very strict. He did not dare to make any wild guesses until his father, Cai Jing, had finished what he said.
Cai Wei asked cautiously: "Father, please give me a clear explanation?!"
Cai Jing opened his eyes, with tears in his eyes, and said leisurely:
"This is the last resort a father would want to take.
Chi'er, go back to your room and kneel down to ask Princess Maode to agree to this:
If Zhao Guan's family wants to punish the father or you, Princess Maode must hold your couple's youngest son who has just turned one year old and go to the palace to see the official and beg for their forgiveness..."
As soon as Cai Jing said these words, everyone was devastated.
These sons of Cai Jing are accustomed to the incomparable glory of Grand Master Cai in the past. Even after their father became an official, he was still treated by the officials with the courtesy of the original Grand Master, allowing him to attend the ceremony on the first and fifteenth day of each month.
, listen to the government...
They also know that this is an emergency measure taken by their father, who has been good at planning all his life, and they also do not want to see the official's crime of punishing the Cai family happen.
However, their father, whom they admired, was able to plan ahead, think out the worst things first, and make targeted plans.
Moreover, using Princess Maode, the favorite of Zhao Guan's family, to enter the palace with her one-year-old child in her arms and kneel down to beg Zhao Guan's family to forgive the Cai family, this is definitely a good strategy to save the lives of the Cai family. However, in this way, even though their lives can be saved.
, However, he should be relegated...
Cai Jing's sons all praised their father's thoughtfulness and good strategy...
Cai Jing added: "The best way to deal with the crisis is for my father and you to resign together, and be willing to donate your family wealth and return to your old home in Hangzhou where you once worked...
To show that the officials, my father Cai Jing and his disciples are not greedy for power and money, they just want to be like those generals who were drunk by Taizu to give up their military power, and live in peace and quiet and become rich."
As soon as these words came out, Cai Jing's sons all expressed their unwillingness to give up the high-ranking officials and generous salaries they had received.
Cai Jingdao: "As a father, why would you want to use the middle strategy? As a father, you will definitely use the best strategy first. If it doesn't work, then use the middle strategy. If the middle strategy doesn't work, then use the lower strategy."
Cai Jing’s sons all asked what was the best solution?
Cai Jing looked in the direction of the palace and said:
"My father, tomorrow morning, I will go to the palace in person to meet the Holy Spirit and act according to the opportunity. It would be best if the above concerns of father and son are unfounded.
When my father enters the palace to meet the saint, he can tell whether the Zhao Guan family will really attack my Cai family by observing his words and expressions.
If this is all a false alarm for us, now there is another young prime minister Wang Fu missing from the group, and the grand prime minister Yu Shen is old and sick and has reached the time of retirement;
This is also the best time for my father to come back and take charge again.
Even if the official family does not allow my father to come back, then, in terms of qualifications, my son Cai Chen, who is the Minister of the Ministry of Rites and a bachelor of Baohe Palace, is also qualified to fill the position of the young prime minister left vacant by the criminal prisoner Wang Fu."
Cai Yi was very happy when he heard this.
Cai Chen's four younger brothers are also very happy. If their father's plan can work, whether his father returns to the position of prime minister again or the third brother can become the young prime minister, it will be a blessing for the Cai family.
A great thing.
After all, except for the eldest brother Cai You who rebelled and left the family, the third brother has the largest official position now except for my father. If my father's plan succeeds, it will be a good thing for everyone to prosper!
Cai Jing and the five conspirators have been determined, and the disciples have resigned...
When Cai Jing returned to his study, he was thinking about how he would go to the palace to meet Zhao Guan's family tomorrow morning?
……
"Alas!" Cai Jing sighed: "So far, I have been in officialdom for fifty years!"
Looking back on the past, it’s vivid in my mind.
Fifty years ago, in the third year of Xining, I was only twenty-seven years old at that time, so he was young and promising; my younger brother Cai Bian was only one year younger than me;
My brother Cai Bian and I traveled all the way from our hometown in Zijinshan Village, Chiling, Yirenli, Tang'an Township, Xinghua Junxianyou County, Fujian Road, to Bianliang, Tokyo in the Song Dynasty, to take the exam...
Heaven favored my brothers during the twenty years of hard study. My brother Cai Bian and I passed the same imperial examination, ascended to the Jinshi rank, and were named by Song Shenzong as a disciple of Donghua. At that time, my brothers were so high-spirited... After I was promoted to official career, I was transferred to Qiantang Lieutenant, promoted to official in Shuzhou, and moved to Lilang.
After that, I returned to Beijing as an envoy to the Liao Kingdom and was appointed Zhongshu Sheren.
At that time, my brother, Cai Bian, was already a member of Zhongshushe. According to the rules of the court, officials should be appointed in order. I, a member of Zhongshushe, must be ranked after my virtuous brother.
But your worthy brother, Cai Bian, requested to be ranked behind Brother Yu.
At that time, my two brothers were responsible for writing edicts together, and the court was proud of it...
Cai's siblings, brothers and sisters, were all called to the Donghua Gate by the officials, and they were all responsible for writing imperial edicts. They became the talk of the world and attracted thousands of scholars to bend their backs...
"Hehehe..." Cai Jing smiled infatuatedly. The first thing he thought of was the most memorable event of the year. It was really not when he was in a high position. Instead, it was when the two brothers studied poetry and books and won the exam together.
, together they were called by Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty to be under Donghua’s sect, and together they were in charge of writing imperial edicts during that wonderful time.
However,
Brother Yu was afraid of poverty in his early years. After becoming an official, Brother Yu only wanted to work for the country and make his family rich earlier...
But after you became an official, you did not change your original intention. You were an honest official, worked diligently and loved the people, and had an outstanding political voice. The Yi people knew that your good brother was honest and "sent him with roses as a gift." Your reputation as a good brother spread to the Liao Kingdom... It is precisely because of this that Wang Jiefu (name: An Shi) married his beloved daughter to your wise brother.
Brother Cai Bianxian, Brother Yu at that time thought that being an upright official was just for fame and reputation, and it was really unworthy of him and his family.
Now it seems that when officials want to severely punish corrupt officials, Brother Yu is really flustered!
"Alas! But the foolish brother didn't listen to the wise brother's advice. Now, the voice of the wise brother can no longer be heard!"
Cai Jing burst into tears when he thought of his deceased brother, and said to himself:
"What a pity, brother Cai Bianxian! You passed away three years ago, leaving you as a brother, and you have been working hard for the country until now!
Brother Yu is greedy for money, and he is also greedy for public use.
However, Brother Yu is loyal to the current Zhao Guan family.
Brother Fool served as prime minister, worked diligently in government, changed the salt law and tea law, and minted ten large coins...
Brother Yu has said so much, hoping that brother Cai Bianxian’s spirit in heaven will protect Brother Yu from this calamity..."
Cai Jing, who was in a state of confusion, could only ask for blessings from ghosts and gods.
"Whoosh..." A gust of autumn wind blew open the ajar doors and windows.
Blow the paintings and calligraphy hanging on the wall in the study room until they sway a few times.
Cai Jing had a cold war and was a little timid.
In the blink of an eye, Cai Jing shouted happily: "Thank you, brother Xian, for making it clear, brother Yu has found a stepping stone to the palace!"