After Kou Ji left the Bamboo Garden, Bao Zheng appeared in front of Kou Ji with a complicated expression, as if he was hesitant to speak.
Kou Ji stared at Bao Zheng and said, "I know you have a lot to say in your heart, but I don't think it's necessary to say it. You, Bao Zheng, can give up his official career for him, and she can give up her noble status for you.
If you give her one step, she will give you half your life.
If you don't treat such a strange woman well.
Then you deserve to die."
"Student...understand..."
"As long as you understand, get in the car and enter the palace. I'm afraid the officials have been waiting for you in the palace all night. If you can't give them a satisfactory answer, I won't care if they deal with you."
"Students know what to do..."
"..."
The master and the apprentice hurried to Donghua Gate in a carriage.
At the gate of Donghua, the civil and military ministers who were waiting for the morning court were leaving in twos and threes.
Taking a closer look, I saw Chen Lin standing on the Jinshui Bridge, instructing the eunuch to send a message to the civil and military ministers.
Kou Ji knew without asking that Zhao Zhen was not in the mood to go to court today, so Chang canceled the meeting.
As Kou Ji's carriage approached the Jinshui Bridge, Kou Ji clearly heard the eunuchs whispering to the civil and military ministers.
"The official has a purpose, and he has to leave the government for a day..."
"..."
When Kou Ji's carriage arrived in front of the Jinshui Bridge, Chen Lin announced from outside the carriage and opened the carriage curtain. After seeing Bao Zheng sitting next to Kou Ji, she lowered the curtain.
"The officials have been waiting for a long time..."
Chen Lin whispered something and led Kou Ji's carriage across the Jinshui Bridge and into the palace.
All the way to the Chui Gong Hall, the carriage stopped.
Kou Ji opened the curtain of the carriage and took a look. He was slightly stunned and said, "Cui Gong Hall?"
Chen Lin nodded on the side of the carriage and said: "The official chose the place himself."
Kou Ji turned back to Bao Zheng with a look of emotion on his face and said, "You deserve it. Chui Gong Hall is the first place where an official stabbed someone."
Bao Zheng smiled bitterly and had no words.
Kou Ji took Bao Zheng out of the carriage and prepared to enter Chui Gong Hall.
But Chen Lin stopped in front of Kou Ji and whispered: "The official please stay and let Bao Zheng go in alone."
Kou Ji sighed and gave Bao Zheng a helpless look.
Bao Zheng nodded at Kou Ji and walked into the Chui Gong Hall.
Seeing Bao Zheng's thin body walking into the big door.
Kou Ji felt that Bao Zheng was a bit like a sheep in a tiger's mouth at this moment.
After Bao Zheng's figure disappeared from Kou Ji's eyes, Kou Ji turned to ask Chen Lin, "Did the eldest princess suffer yesterday?"
Chen Lin shook her head, "The eldest princess is the only sister of the official family. How can the official family be willing to let her suffer?"
Kou Ji nodded, thinking to himself, it would be nice if he didn't suffer.
Kou Ji didn't intend to speak again, but Chen Lin said quietly: "I just cried for a long time. The officials' hearts were broken by crying, and our family's hearts were cut into pieces by crying."
Kou Ji sighed: "She asked the officials to help her get rid of her citizenship, but the officials refused, so she started crying?"
Chen Lin nodded and said: "When I first entered the palace, I took a brocade box with me. There was a set of gold-covered jade jewelry in the brocade box. Our family has seen it. It was made by a great craftsman who worked in the palace and is of great value.
The eldest princess said that it was a token given to her by Bao Zheng.
The officials were overjoyed.
I feel like Bao Zheng is enlightened.
But the eldest princess then asked the officials to remove her from the imperial family, saying that she did not want the officials to lose a talented person, and she did not want to see her husband become unknown.
So I am willing to give up my royal status and fight for an official career for Bao Zheng..."
Kou Ji smiled bitterly and said, "Silly girl..."
Chen Lin nodded and said, "She's a little stupid. If she said she wanted to retain a talented person for the official family, the official family would feel better. But if she said she would help Bao Zheng fight for an official career, how could the official family not be angry?
Who gave him the civil and military career in the Manchu Dynasty?
Given by the Zhao family.
Given by the officials.
Do you still need to use the Zhao family’s lowered status to fight for the things belonging to the Zhao family?”
Kou Ji sighed: "But the officials agreed after all."
Chen Lin said quietly: "The Guan family only has such a girl, and she is too old. It is difficult for the Guan family to find a suitable husband. How can the Guan family refuse?
As soon as the eldest princess burst into tears, the officials' hearts softened and they gritted their teeth and refused to agree.
Wait until the eldest princess’s eyes turned red from crying.
The officials have no choice but to agree."
Kou Ji nodded and said: "As soft-hearted as the officials are to Xu'er, they are as hard-hearted to Bao Zheng."
Chen Lin said calmly: "This is natural. Marrying a princess is a gift. If you lower your status, it will be over. If the officials don't deal with Bao Zheng, they will never get rid of the anger in their hearts."
Kou Ji also knew Zhao Zhen well and knew that Chen Lin's evaluation was very pertinent.
Kou Ji couldn't go into Chui Gong Hall to see how Zhao Zhen dealt with Bao Zheng, so he chatted with Chen Lin outside Chui Gong Hall.
About an hour passed.
Bao Zheng staggered out of Chui Gong Hall, his clothes were a little messy, his nose was bruised and his face was swollen.
After walking up to Kou Ji, he had a wry smile on his face.
Kou Jixiao asked: "Did you get beaten?"
Bao Zheng shook his head.
Kou Ji was stunned and stared suspiciously at the bruises and redness on Bao Zheng's face.
Bao Zheng whispered: "Skills are not as good as others..."
Kou Ji was stunned again, and then laughed.
Although Bao Zheng did not say it clearly, Kou Ji already knew what Bao Zheng had experienced in Chui Gong Hall.
It's obvious that Zhao Zhen knows that it's wrong to hit someone for no reason.
He also knew that it was wrong to vent his personal anger on Bao Zheng.
So he chose to fight Bao Zheng one on one.
He gave Bao Zheng a chance to beat him.
But Bao Zheng is obviously not his opponent.
The final result was that Zhao Zhen beat Bao Zheng severely.
Bao Zheng looked at Kou Ji laughing and his face became even more bitter.
After Kou Jichang laughed heartily, he said to Bao Zheng: "If I were you, I would inflict a wound on the official family anyway."
Bao Zheng said very frankly: "The story of Mr. outsmarting the Liao warriors in the Daqing Palace is still widely circulated to this day. Students cannot compare to Mr. Students will only clench their fists and rush forward, and they are bound to be beaten."
Kou Ji patted Bao Zheng on the shoulder and said, "This spanking is worth it."
Bao Zheng solemnly said: "This is a competition, not a beating."
Bao Zheng still defended Zhao Zhen very much, so he emphasized that it was a competition, not a beating.
After all, Zhao Zhen competed with him and injured him. It can only be said that his skills are not as good as others.
If Zhao Zhen beats him, it will be a big incident.
The civil servants will definitely write to Zhao Zhen together to ask for advice on what "respect" means.
Kou Ji smiled and said: "You said a martial arts contest, that's a martial arts contest. After you competed with the officials, what did the officials say?"
Bao Zheng hesitated for a moment and said: "The officials said that the members of the textile workshop will be owned by Princess Dachang..."
Kou Ji nodded and asked, "What then?"
Bao Zheng said with a grimace: "He told the students not to worry about it, let alone use the money to go out to help people... If the students use the eldest princess' personal money to help people, he will allocate one to each one."
Kou Ji smiled all over his face, "It should, it should..."
Seeing Bao Zheng hesitating, he seemed to have something to say but couldn't.
Kou Ji asked curiously: "What else?"
Bao Zheng hesitated and had no words.
Chen Lin said calmly from the side: "What else can be done, of course, sending two sensible palace ladies to test whether Bao Zheng can be humane."
Speaking of this, Chen Lin said with a smile but not a smile: "The officials said last night that there must be a trial marriage. The officials said that Bao Zheng is so old and has not yet gotten married, so he will not go to the place of fireworks and willow lanes.
Is it inhumane?
So I have to ask Gong'e to give it a try.
If you are really inhumane and yet you deceive the princess, it will be a capital crime."
Kou Ji laughed so hard that he couldn't stand up straight.
If Kou Ji hadn't known that Bao Zheng had a son in the history books, Kou Ji would have had the same doubts.
Bao Zheng's face turned red and he whispered to Kou Ji: "Sir, can you tell the officials not to have a trial marriage? The student will guarantee with his life that the student will never have any hidden diseases."
Kou Ji said seriously: "I understand... I understand... you want to leave your first night to Xu'er..."
Bao Zheng was ashamed for a moment.
Kou Ji smiled and said to Chen Lin: "Just tease her a little, and then send the imperial doctor to check it out. Don't pretend to be real. Bao Zheng is not a lustful person."
Chen Lin frowned and said, "How dare we change the things ordered by the officials?"
Kou Ji glanced at Chen Lin and said, "Then I'll go find the official?"
Chen Lin rolled her eyes and said, "That's all, we will report it to the official family soon, and then ask the imperial doctor to go to Bao Mansion."
Kou Ji reminded: "By the way, go to the Qintian Prison and let the prisoner check the auspicious time."
Chen Lin nodded.
Kou Ji led Bao Zheng out of the palace.
He ordered people to send Bao Zheng back to his house.
After Bao Zheng returned home, he was surrounded by Xiang Yan and his men.
After Kou Ji returned home, he wrote a Geng letter according to Bao Zheng's birthday and asked Yang Wenguang to send it to the palace. It was returned not long after.
Kou Ji asked Fan Zhongyan to send it again, but it was returned again.
Then he asked Qi Shunbin, a great scholar from Yingtian Academy, to send Gengtie to the palace.
Yingtian Academy can be regarded as the training base for important ministers of the Song Dynasty.
Many celebrities in the history of the Song Dynasty came from Yingtian Academy.
Among them is Fan Zhongyan, who now heads the Political Council.
If Kou Zhun hadn't cut him off halfway and opened Wenchang Academy, I'm afraid that more than half of the talents given by Wenchang Academy would have entered Yingtian Academy.
For such a character, the weight is naturally heavy.
Zhao Zhen finally accepted the Geng Tie, and after Qin Tianjian combined the eight characters, he handed Zhao Xu's Geng Tie to Kou Ji.
After Kou Ji got the Geng Tie, he wrote a marriage letter and sent it to the palace.
Then Zhao Zhen remained silent for a long time.
There is a story circulating in Bianjing City about the eldest princess Zhao Xu giving up her royal status for love.
Everyone in Bianjing City praised it, and scholars even wrote lyrics and poems about it.
After Kou Ji knew this, he shook his head and smiled.
The rumor was obviously spread by Zhao Zhen.
Kou Ji could probably guess Zhao Zhen's purpose.
Zhao Xu lost her identity as a princess, so Zhao Zhen had to find a way to add another identity to Zhao Xu.
The identity of a strange woman who values love and justice.
With this identity, if Zhao Zhen occasionally takes care of Zhao Xu in the future, there won't be too many complaints from the public.
Of course, the more important thing is.
If Bao Zheng was not good to Zhao Xu, the people would probably eat Bao Zheng alive before Zhao Zhen could take action.
Such a strange woman who valued love and justice married Bao Zheng. If Bao Zheng didn't treat her well, how could the people not scold him?
In the bamboo courtyard.
Kou Ji sat on the recliner and stared at Bao Zheng sitting beside him with a smile: "Listen to the rumors among the people. Do you feel like your scalp is numb?"
With a smile on his face, Bao Zheng said calmly: "I won't let her down, so what do I have to fear?"
Kou Ji nodded and smiled: "That's very good."
Bao Zheng hesitated and asked: "When can we get married?"
Kou Ji didn't know whether to laugh or cry and said, "Are you in a hurry?"
Bao Zheng hurriedly shook his head, "That's not true. The main reason is that Xu'er is confined in the palace. With her temperament, she can't get used to it."
Kou Ji joked: "I'm anxious just because I'm anxious. Why make so many excuses? Go back and wait. When people among the people urge you to get married, that's when the official family sends the marriage certificate."
Bao Zheng nodded, took out a small box and sent it to Kou Ji.
Kou Ji opened it and took a look. He immediately found the land deed, the house deed, as well as some scattered gold and silver and Jiaozi.
Kou Ji couldn't help but said: "Spend everything?"
Bao Zheng smiled and nodded.
Kou Ji curled his lips and said, "You are so poor..."
The land deed is the property left by Bao Zheng's parents, and the house deed was given by the court. Until Bao Zheng is dismissed from office, it will all belong to him.
Only the scattered gold, silver and Jiaozi are Bao Zheng's own things.
Kou Ji calculated it and found that it was not much, less than Bao Zheng's monthly salary.
Bao Zheng said calmly: "That's all I have..."
Kou Ji stared at Bao Zheng and said: "In the future, we can provide appropriate financial support to poor students who want to go to school, but not too much. Don't show mercy to those who can't afford food.
You are also a smart person. You should know that in today's Song Dynasty, anyone with hands and feet can afford to eat.
Those who cannot afford to eat are gamblers.
The poor have long been moved to the borders."
Bao Zheng nodded and said with a smile: "Students naturally know. Students are not generous enough to pity those who should not pity. It is useless for students to ask for money. When Xu'er enters the house, she will provide for her own food and clothing.
I can’t move the money.”
Kou Ji smiled and scolded: "Are you really not ashamed?"
Bao Zheng smiled and said: "There is nothing to be ashamed of. If you save one more person and one more scholar, the student will feel at ease. Shame is nothing compared to human life and future."
Kou Ji said disdainfully: "When I first came to Beijing, I was still in love with myself in my house, saying that I couldn't bring happiness to others, but now I'm talking about being affectionate."
Bao Zheng looked a little embarrassed.
Kou Ji glared at Bao Zheng, "Although your betrothal gift is a little thin, the officials can feel your feelings. Go back and prepare."
Bao Zheng nodded and left Kou Mansion.
Kou Ji took Bao Zheng's belongings and entered the palace.
Zhao Zhen was speechless about Bao Zheng's shabby betrothal gift, but he also knew that this was all Bao Zheng could offer.
Inside the meeting hall.
Zhao Zhen casually played with the betrothal gift given by Bao Zheng, and said angrily and funnyly: "I have never seen an official poorer than him."
Kou Ji smiled and said, "I have seen Zhang Zhibai poorer than Bao Zheng."
Zhao Zhen rolled his eyes, "Zhang Zhibai helped poor scholars, and the people he helped were also fellow villagers. Although he had no money or merit, he was able to gain fame.
What about him?
They helped poor scholars everywhere without leaving their names.
I really like such a minister, and even give him a few palace dishes every day, and I won't find it troublesome.
But as a sister-in-law, I always feel that my heart is filled with panic."
Kou Ji said with a smile: "Then I will take this betrothal gift back to prevent him from dying of poverty."
Zhao Zhen decisively refused and said: "Let him die poor. Anyway, Xu'er has the money I gave him, so he can't do anything evil."
Kou Ji said funnyly: "How can the official family be interested in such a trivial amount of money?"
Zhao Zhen hummed and said, "His house is worth a lot of money."
Kou Ji said dumbfounded: "That's an official residence, and he can't sell it."
"Chen Lin, take the things to Concubine Du to see. If Concubine Du keeps it, let the man named Bao die in poverty."
Zhao Zhen handed Bao Zheng's betrothal gift to Chen Lin, and then said to Kou Ji: "Fourth brother, I cannot be the master of the concubine, because she is the concubine's daughter.
So if the concubine accepts the betrothal gift, I can’t get it back.”
Kou Ji shook his head and said with a smile: "The official's move is a bit evil."
Zhao Zhen said with a smile: "The deed to the official residence is gone. I would like to see how he will explain to me later."
Kou Ji smiled bitterly and shook his head.
Kou Ji could see that Zhao Zhen loved and hated Bao Zheng at the same time. Love was because he was such a minister and he should be loved, and he was hated because he was such a sister-in-law and he should be hated.
He couldn't find a chance to deal with Bao Zheng for a while, so he could only cause Bao Zheng a little trouble in a bad way.
About half an hour after Chen Lin left with Bao Zheng's betrothal gift, she returned to the meeting hall with the betrothal gift.
Seeing that the box seemed untouched, Zhao Zhen asked, "Has the concubine confiscated it?"
Chen Lin smiled bitterly and said: "Not only did they confiscate it, but they also refilled it."
"Open!"
"Here..."
Chen Lin opened the box, which was full of stuff.
There is a stack of money, and the amount is not small.
There are also some priceless little things, such as a round walking ball.
Zhao Zhen stared at the box and felt that the girl had failed in her marriage and had lost money to her grandma's family.
After all, Concubine Du was the elder. Not only did she confiscate the betrothal gift, but she also gave it back ten times as much, so Zhao Zhen couldn't do anything about it.
Kou Ji saw Zhao Zhen's embarrassment and said with a smile: "If I had known that marrying a princess would make me rich, I should have married a princess when I first entered Bianjing City.
Then I can just lie in the house and eat and wait to die."
Zhao Zhen glanced at Kou Ji and said angrily: "You are deliberately trying to make me angry."
Zhao Zhen ordered Chen Lin to hand the box to Kou Ji, left the meeting hall without saying a word.
"Since Mrs. Du has already added a dowry, I will not add any more..."
Zhao Zhen's words were particularly grand.
But that night there were eunuchs using a cart to pull thirty carts of things and deliver them to the Kou Mansion.
Zhao Xu was stripped of her status as a princess, and Zhao Zhen was unable to marry her off according to royal etiquette.
So Zhao Xu was asked to recognize Kou Ji as his adopted brother, and the dowry was sent to Kou Ji's house, and Kou Ji, his adopted brother, added to it.
Just as Kou Ji said.
After the incident of Bao Zheng and Zhao Xu spread among the people for more than ten days, an old man rushed to the Dengwen drum in front of the imperial city and beat the Dengwen drum.
Rui, who is over eighty years old, beats the drum, but no one dares to stop him, let alone hurt him in the slightest.
After beating the Dengwen drum, people would stand in front of the Dengwen drum and remain motionless.
In the end, Chen Lin drove the car and personally invited the people into the palace.
After the old man entered the palace, he strongly urged Zhao Zhen to marry his lover so that he could finally get married.
So a popular story came out from the palace.
Roughly speaking, Ren Rui, who was in his eighties, persuaded Zhao Zhen to marry Bao Zheng and Zhao Xu.
Zhao Zhen was moved by Ren Rui and agreed to marry Zhao Xu to Bao Zheng.
When the people in Bianjing learned about this incident, they applauded loudly.
There is a saying that a phoenix cannot fall unless it is a parasol tree. Nowadays, a strange phoenix falls into the grass nest, which is the most popular sight among the people.
The royal family gave the common people charcoal fuel for decades, but it did not bring the royal family closer to the common people.
On the contrary, marrying off a daughter brought the royal family and the people closer together.
The day after Zhao Zhen agreed to Renrui, he sent officials to deliver the marriage certificate to the Kou Mansion.
After Kou Ji got the marriage certificate, he spread the word without hesitation.
After the people in Bianjing learned about this incident, they applauded even louder.
A sentimental wealthy woman made bold statements, claiming that the princess was a talented person to marry. She gave up her status as a princess and lost her princess etiquette. She was willing to add a lot of red makeup to the princess.
If someone starts something, someone will naturally respond.
Ever since, the most grand and lively wedding in the Song Dynasty appeared.
Qin Tianjian selected a day, after the ceremony.
The lively wedding unfolded.
When the sky is bright and bright.
One after another, fiery red lanterns were lit in Bianjing City, and the red enveloped the entire Bianjing City.
Looking down from a high place is a sea of lanterns.
When the first firecracker sounded.
The sound of firecrackers never stopped.
Amid the shouts of thousands of people, Bao Zheng rode out on a tall horse and dressed in auspicious clothes.
The streets were lined with people.
Bao Zheng wandered around Bianjing City until the sky became bright, then he arrived at the palace gate.
After Bao Zheng entered the palace, the sky was completely bright.
On the winding streets of Bianjing City, red gauze appeared one after another.
The wealthy woman who made the bold statement did not just say it casually. She said that she would lay out ten miles of red makeup, and then she laid out ten miles of red makeup.
If you just look carefully from a high place, you can see that the red makeup is all over Bianjing City, far beyond ten miles.
On top of the imperial city.
Zhao Zhen and Kou Ji stood side by side. Zhao Zhen stared at the red gauze covering Bianjing City, and the corners of his mouth twitched and said, "Is it too exaggerated?"
Speaking of this, Zhao Zhen turned around and said to Kou Ji: "I said ten miles, and I won't buy it for one more mile."
Kou Ji shook his head and smiled, "I did prepare ten miles according to the official's instructions."
Zhao Zhen raised his eyebrows and asked, "You mean, the rest was prepared by the common people?"
Kou Ji smiled and nodded.
Zhao Zhen said in disbelief: "Why do the people voluntarily put out so much red makeup? It can't be that Bao Zheng and Xu'er are more popular than me, right?"
Kou Ji laughed and said: "The officials are just joking. I sent people to check carefully. Some of them are the friendship that Bao Zheng forged when he was investigating old cases in the Ministry of Justice. Some of them are big families, and some of them are businessmen."
Before the advent of the new law, businesses were the least favored, so there were many unjust cases.
Bao Zheng investigates old cases and overturns them.
So when they learned that Bao Zheng was getting married, they came here to repay their favor.
There are also some who just come here to join in the fun."
Zhao Zhen took a deep breath and said, "There aren't many people who repay kindness, right?"
Kou Ji nodded.
Zhao Zhen said again: "Are there too many people joining in the fun? I want to know the reason."
Kou Ji sighed and said: "Ever since ministers and officials began to change laws and official systems, Bianjing City has been in a depressive atmosphere.
Now the restructuring of Bianjing City has come to an end and is being implemented at the local level.
The depressing atmosphere in Bianjing City has dissipated a lot.
People need to join in the fun and vent their emotions.
Xu'er's wedding happened to happen at this time, and the officials had released so many rumors before.
The common people were moved by the rumors and released their emotions, which led to today's scene."