Kou Ji was unwilling to judge whether Wang Shu was hypocritical in front of Xiang Minzhong.
Xiang Minzhong was qualified to judge Wang Shu in public, but he was not.
Given Xiang Minzhong's status, even if he spit in the palace, the eunuchs in the palace would come up to him and ask him if he felt good after spitting and if he wanted another bite.
This is the advantage of age and seniority.
Kou Ji doesn't have that status, nor does he have that age or seniority.
He just wrote it down secretly.
In the past, he was mostly honest with Wang Shu, but now he has to be more cautious.
When Xiang Minzhong saw that Kou Ji was silent, he spoke again: "Someone interfered with it before and you didn't know about it. I don't blame you. But today, I told you this in front of you. How dare you say no?"
do you know?"
Xiang Minzhong pressed forward step by step, leaving Kou Ji speechless.
Kou Ji's mind was working rapidly, trying to find a tactful and harmless word of rejection.
But I really couldn’t think of it for a while.
Just when Kou Ji was forced to do nothing by Xiang Minzhong, the girl who had just left the side hall suddenly came out of the back hall.
She cried, "Grandpa, I will not marry him...I will never marry him in this life..."
Seeing this, Xiang Minzhong hurriedly stepped forward to comfort the girl.
It can be seen that Xiang Minzhong loves the girl very much.
Otherwise, the girl would not dare to break into the side hall so openly.
Instead of blaming her, Xiang Minzhong comforted her softly.
The girl made such a fuss and actually helped Kou Ji out of trouble.
Xiang Minzhong no longer forced Kou Ji, but shouted coldly to Kou Ji: "Why don't you get out of here..."
His tone towards Kou Ji was not polite at all.
Kou Ji felt like he was being pardoned, so he cupped his hands and ran outside the Kou Mansion.
As soon as Kou Ji left, Xiang Minzhong pulled the girl and comforted her in a low voice.
After comforting him for a long time, he saw that the girl was still crying.
So he gave up his identity, made funny faces, and made the girl laugh.
The girl is giggling.
Xiang Minzhong was pulling his face and making faces.
Kou Ji's figure appeared again in the side hall of Xiang Mansion by accident.
When Xiang Minzhong and the girl saw Kou Ji at the same time, their expressions froze.
"ah……"
The girl screamed strangely, covered her face and ran into the back hall.
Xiang Minzhong twitched the corner of his mouth, withdrew the hand that was holding his face, glared at Kou Ji with a dark face, and said coldly: "Why are you back again?"
Kou Ji smiled dryly and said: "The boy was just halfway through when he suddenly remembered that he came to Xiang Mansion this time because he had something to ask Grandpa Xiang."
Xiang Minzhong waved his hand and said, "No way, get out..."
After a pause, he stared at Kou Ji and threatened: "Don't tell anyone what happened just now, or I will strangle you to death."
Kou Ji nodded heavily and promised: "I will never tell anyone."
"Get lost..."
"Well, you still owe me a favor and haven't paid it back..."
Xiang Minzhong raised his eyebrows, "So you're here to collect debt?"
Xiang Minzhong slowly sat down and said quietly: "I owe you a favor, and it is right for you to come to collect the debt. But I have ugly words ahead. I will pay back your favor. From now on, you will be with us.
We no longer have anything to do with Xiangfu."
Kou Ji was stunned for a moment and said in deep thought: "Our two families are family friends..."
Xiang Minzhong said calmly: "Your Kou Mansion does not have my son-in-law, nor is it the natal family of my Xiang Mansion daughter, so what kind of family friend is that?"
Kou Ji looked stunned.
Xiang Minzhong glanced at him and said calmly: "Tell me, how do you want me to return your favor?"
Kou Ji hurriedly raised his hands and said, "I would like to ask Grandpa to help me move my official position. Either the Sixth Department or the Yushitai will do."
Xiang Minzhong glared at Kou Ji and said angrily: "Your family runs the court? You can go wherever you want?"
After a pause, he asked doubtfully: "Why did you transfer to the Sixth Department? That's Qingshui Yamen, it doesn't matter what you want. Besides, if you want to transfer to the Sixth Department and sit on the bench, there is no need to ask me. Ask your grandfather,
If you pass me the memorial, the queen will definitely happily agree."
Kou Jiqian smiled and said: "If you don't ask my grandfather, you will have your own difficulties, so I won't tell Grandpa Xiang. If Grandpa Xiang thinks that the six books are inappropriate, you can arrange for me to enter the Yushitai."
Xiang Minzhong stared at Kou Ji and sneered: "Which rank are you a Jinshi in? Those who are not Jinshi are not awarded the title of Orator. Don't you know this rule?"
Kou Ji said with a guilty conscience: "Although I am not a Jinshi, I am a disciple of the Emperor..."
Xiang Minzhong said angrily: "You still know that you are the emperor's disciple. When the emperor's disciple enters the imperial censorship, what kind of official position will you be given? An ordinary censor? Those are all seventh-grade officials. You are worthy of your reputation as the emperor's disciple.
?
Yushi doctor, Yushi Zhongcheng, are you worthy of it?
Where else can you go besides Liubu?"
Without waiting for Kou Ji to speak, Xiang Minzhong said again: "I won't wait for a good punishment. I have to go to the Sixth Department and sit on the bench. You still have the nerve to complain that my granddaughter has a brain problem. I see, you are the one who really has a brain problem."
.”
Kou Jiba clicked his lips and said, "Just tell me if you can do it."
Xiang Minzhong glared at Kou Ji and curled his lips and said: "It can be done, it can be done. You are a judge of the Criminal Division and you have to go to the Sixth Department and sit on the bench. Why can't you do it?
You have to be anxious, I will let you take office tomorrow."
Although Xiang Minzhong does not have much real power in the court now, he cannot stand up to his high qualifications, many disciples, and several sons each occupying high positions.
His words are sometimes more effective than Kou Zhun's words.
After all, he is already in a semi-retired state. If anyone wants to embarrass him, they will not be able to find a way to deal with him.
If someone really could knock him down, he would probably celebrate with joy, and maybe even send a plaque to the person who knocked him down.
He now wants to retire and be overthrown.
Because he knew very well that he had become a stumbling block for his sons to advance.
As long as he is in charge, it will be difficult for his sons to climb up.
All civil and military officials in the dynasty envied the Xiang family, but no one wanted to see the Xiang family full of nobles.
Seeing that Xiang Minzhong had agreed, Kou Jixian excitedly raised his hands and said, "Thank you so much, Grandpa Xiang."
He waved his hand to Minzhong in disgust, "Go away..."
Kou Ji left the side hall of Xiang Mansion without saying a word.
After Kou Ji left, Xiang Minzhong sat in the side hall, thinking to himself and muttering, "This guy is not a good person. He suddenly abandoned a popular yamen like the Criminal Division and went to the Sixth Department to sit on the bench.
There must be a plan.
Let me take a look and see what tricks you can pull off."
"father……"
Just as Xiang Minzhong was muttering to himself, his eldest son Xiang Chuanzheng appeared in the side hall.
Xiang Chuanzheng is fifty-six years old, with black and white beard and hair, and is dressed in Confucian attire. He is a doctor of the Imperial Academy, so he often likes to have a straight face.
When he keeps a straight face, he always has an air of calmness and dignity.
He arrived at the side hall, bowed to Xiang Minzhong, and then said: "Dad, I heard that you have given up the idea of letting Yan'er marry Kou Ji?"
Xiang Minzhong blew his beard and said with a glare: "Who said that? Since I have chosen him as my granddaughter-in-law, I will definitely marry my granddaughter to him."
Xiang Chuanzheng was stunned for a moment, frowned and said, "Yan'er just said..."
Xiang Minzhong squinted his eyes and said angrily: "Who in this house keeps his word?"
Xiang Minzhong hummed and said: "Then we won't get married... If I decide that he is my grandson-in-law, then he won't be able to run away."
Xiang Chuanzheng frowned and said in a deep voice: "Dad, I heard from Yan'er that that boy Kou Ji doesn't know how to show appreciation. You sacrificed your face and asked Yan'er to marry him in person, but he didn't even agree.
If word of this spreads, others will think that my daughter, Xiangfu, will not be able to marry.
When the time comes, not only will my Xiangfu's reputation be insulted, but your reputation will also be insulted.
As far as I'm concerned, it's better to just give up on this marriage."
Xiang Minzhong curled his lips and said disdainfully: "You know nothing..."
Xiang Chuanzheng seemed to be used to being scolded by Xiang Minzhong. He did not pay attention to Xiang Minzhong's abuse, but seriously analyzed: "Now Kou Zhun has lost power and is paralyzed in bed. Under the pressure of the Queen and Ding Xiang, his party members are in trouble."
Defeat and retreat.
The defeat of the Kou government will be a matter of time.
Promising Yan'er to Kou Ji is not a good thing.
Once the Kou government is defeated, Yan'er will have to endure hardships with Kou Ji."
Xiang Minzhong glared at his son and sneered: "You know nothing! A greedy minister like Ding Wei will not be able to stay in the court for long. If the Kou Mansion falls, the next one to fall will be his Ding Mansion."
The Queen is in power and seems unstoppable.
But do you think that the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty will just sit back and wait for death?
Who would want to be straddled by a woman?
Who wants to see Wu Zhao appear?"
Seeing his son's dissatisfaction, Xiang Minzhong added: "Even if the queen takes over the power of the court, it will eventually be handed over to the prince. The official family only has such a son. Even if she wants to imitate Wu Zhao, she can't do it with another person.
arrive.
Therefore, both the queen and Ding Wei just look tall and powerful.
In fact, they are all duckweed on the water.
Once the prince grows up, these duckweeds are destined to disappear with the waves.
Therefore, the only one with a truly stable position in the government and the public is the prince.
It would be better to follow the prince than anyone else."
Xiang Chuanzheng said unconvinced: "What if the queen chooses someone from the clan to replace the prince?"
Xiang Minzhong glared at his son and cursed: "So I said, you know nothing. If she really dares to choose someone in the clan to replace the crown prince, she will not live until the end of the year.
Don't look at the Zhao family members, they are kind to us foreign ministers, and you think they are a good person.
The reason why they are so nice to us is to coax us to help them manage the country well.
But they are cruel to their own people.
Don’t you know how Emperor Taizu came to power?
Don’t you know how Emperor Taizong came to power?
Don’t you know what he did after he took office?"
Xiang Chuanzheng was stunned and murmured: "After the officials came to power, they drove many of the female relatives out of the palace..."
Xiang Minzhong snorted coldly: "I have heard and witnessed the twists and turns in this matter. At that time, there was a popular rumor among the people that Emperor Taizong was lustful. To prove his innocence, Emperor Taizong swore to himself in front of the civil and military officials of the court.
He said that there were not many female relatives in the palace.
But after the official ascended the throne, he expelled thousands of female relatives from the palace.
Emperor Taizong's words when he proved his innocence became a joke.
There are some disrespectful words, I can’t say more, but you should know it in your heart.”
Xiang Minzhong really wanted to say something, if a minister deceives the emperor, if a younger brother deceives an elder brother, if a son deceives his father, they have done all the things they should and shouldn't do. Do you really think that the Zhao royal family is all good?
?
But this was disrespectful, so he could only play Xiang Chuanzheng on demand and let him realize it himself.
Xiang Chuanzheng was not stupid. Xiang Minzhong spoke so thoroughly that he could naturally guess what Xiang Minzhong wanted to convey to him.
Xiang Minzhong saw his son frowning and remained silent, and then said: "In the Zhao royal family, there is no one who can be as kind as the prince. As long as the queen does not want to seek death, she will never do it.
Find someone to replace the prince."
Xiang Chuanzheng pondered for a long time and then said: "Even if the prince's status is unshakable, it has nothing to do with you promising Yan'er to Kou Ji?"
Xiang Minzhong snorted coldly, "You know what the heck, Kou Ji's wisdom is far beyond your imagination. When the eyes of the civil and military officials in the court were still on the official, Kou Zhun, and the queen, his eyes were already on him.
On the prince.
He made a move on the prince in advance, making the prince believe in him.
He was in the palace for only a few dozen days, and the prince regarded him as an elder brother in his heart.
I can't say for sure what he is like now, but once the prince takes charge, he will be in charge.
He will definitely become the most dazzling minister in the court."
Xiang Chuanzheng looked stunned and exclaimed: "How is this possible?"
Xiang Minzhong sneered: "How is this impossible? Do you know that just because he said that he would not let the prince waste his martial arts, he forced the prince to go on a hunger strike for two days."
Xiang Chuanzheng looked shocked.
Xiang Minzhong said coldly: "Kou Ji reminded the prince not to neglect his martial arts. The queen could not see the prince getting close to Kou Ji, nor could she see the prince practicing martial arts. After Kou Ji left the palace, she stopped the prince from practicing martial arts.
The prince went on a hunger strike for two days to protest against the queen.
It was the queen who finally compromised, not the prince.
The Queen issued a hush-hush order about this matter, so not many people knew about it.
I happen to be one of them.
From this incident, it is not difficult to see that Kou Ji's position in the heart of the prince is unshakable.
As long as we can win over Kou Ji as our grandson-in-law, even if I die, the Xiang family can still be wealthy for three generations.
This is why I insist on marrying my granddaughter to Kou Ji."
Xiang Chuanzheng said in disbelief: "People can change. I don't believe it. After Kou Ji leaves the palace, the prince will still trust him as before."
Xiang Minzhong sneered: "The last person who didn't believe that the prince would always trust Kou Ji, do you know who he is?"
"who?"
"Yan Shu!"
Xiang Minzhong said Yan Shu's name loudly and loudly, "He is younger than you, but his official position is higher than you, and he is smarter than you. He doesn't believe that the prince will always trust Kou Ji, so when he is around the prince, he frequently asks
The prince's admonitions and Jin Kou Ji's slanders.
Do you know how the prince treats him now?"
Xiang Chuanzheng shook his head.
Xiang Minzhong sneered and said: "The prince now thinks of him every day except when pouring night incense. The rest of the time, he doesn't say a word to him."