Zhang Fu, the chief minister of the cabinet, had a smug expression on his face. The scene before him was somewhat beyond his expectation.
In this battle for the No. 1 Scholar, it seems to be a battle between Chen Shi and the Young Master, and it seems to be a battle between Chen Tang and the civil and military officials. But in fact, it is his chief assistant Zhang Fuzheng who controls the situation!
He is the one who really takes control of the situation.
He openly supported Chen Shi and Chen Tang in competing for the top prize, provoking the young master's courage to fight Chen Shi, and precipitating the duel. Chen Shi and Chen Tang would not guard against him, allowing him to approach the Nine Palaces of the True King at any time.
At the same time, he mobilized the Nine Palaces to prevent Chen Shi from killing the young master at the last moment, thus fulfilling the interests of the Thirteenth Family.
In this way, no matter Chen Shifang, Gongzi Fang, or the Thirteenth Family, they will become fearful because of his actions.
He is the backbone of this decisive battle, he is the pillar of the Ming Dynasty, and he is the elder who carries the fifty provinces of Xiniu Xinzhou on his shoulders!
Because of the arrival of Xiaowu, the front cabinet boss, Yan Xianzhi, resigned from his position as chief assistant. He avoided disaster and waited for a comeback, eyeing the position of chief assistant. Zhang Fu took over the position at the time of crisis, but he had insufficient qualifications, insufficient connections, and no Yan Xian
With his majesty and prestige, it would not be troublesome for Yan Xianzhi to regain his position.
But in this battle for the No. 1 Scholar, he, Zhang Fuzheng, handled the three forces with ease. All officials, including civil and military officials, Chen Shi, and the young master, all looked up to him!
His majesty and prestige are bound to reach its peak, and Yan Xianzhi will never be able to regain the position of chief minister! The only problem now is that he failed to control Chen Shi.
The young master is dead.
The moment Zhang Fuzheng activated the power of the Zhongji Palace and shouted "Stop it!", Chen Shi wiped out the young master under the power of the Ten Jue Formation!
Zhang Fuzheng felt like the sky was falling.
In order to assist a true king who can control it, it is not easy for the Thirteenth Family. They carefully selected and cultivated it twenty or thirty years ago. Today, when it comes to flowering and bearing fruits, it suddenly dies.
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his heart felt cold.
His move seemed clever, and it still stabilized his position and enhanced his majesty and prestige, but he knew that he had made a mistake.
At this time, the sky suddenly turned red, and the two suns slowly closed their eyes. The blazing flames in the eyes of the True God outside the sky were squeezed out by the eyelids, forming a sea of ​​​​fire stretching for tens of thousands of miles in the sky eighty miles above Xiniu New Island.
Burning like sunset.
"Darkness has come a moment earlier!" Si Tianjian's five senses Lingtai Lang came in a hurry to report, which seemed to indicate something ominous.
On May 26th, although it was a scorching summer day, it did not feel like a scorching heat at all.
Parked outside the Chenxi Teahouse on Wuchang Street is a carriage, which is extremely gorgeous. Various flying talismans and seals are painted on the carriage. In addition to the traditional divine talisman and armor and horse talisman, there are also dragon and phoenix patterns, thunder and canopy.
It is also extremely luxurious, with necklaces and beads hanging from it, and paintings of the sun, moon and stars.
The legs that pull the cart are also dragons. They are two dragon horses, all green and red, with wings already grown. They are extremely powerful horses.
When this thing runs, it will soar into the clouds, speed through the air, and travel thousands of miles a day.
Xiao Wangsun walked around this precious chariot for four or five times and left reluctantly.
In the teahouse, Yan Xianzhi and Zhang Fu were sitting face to face. The two old men looked at Xiao Wangsun who was dragged away by Jin Hongying, but they did not speak for a long time.
After a long time, when the tea was a little cold, Zhang Fuzheng said calmly: "Old Yan Ge, I won this battle between you and me. Do you admit it?"
Yan Xianzhi activated his magic power, warmed the tea, picked up the tea cup, and said solemnly: "Fuzheng is not very showy on weekdays, but I didn't expect that you can learn a lot, and you are a hundred times better than me. I also didn't expect that you would actually travel among the three forces." In the meantime, you are still at ease. If Chen Shi's last blow had not exceeded your expectations, you would have won completely! I am not as good as you, and I am convinced of my defeat! Here's to you!"
Zhang Fuzheng picked up the herbal tea and said with a smile: "It is enough for me to be praised like this by my brother Xian." The two of them replaced the wine with tea and drank it all in one gulp.
Yan Xian ordered the waiter to change a pot of hot tea, pour tea for Zhang Fuzheng, and said: "However, Chen Shi's murder of the young master is closely related. How to solve it in the future is a big problem. It will test the first assistant's ability." Skill. The Ming Dynasty is riddled with holes. The chief minister of the cabinet would have collapsed long ago without the skills of a paper-pasting craftsman. Can Fuzheng teach me?"
Zhang Fuzheng said with a smile: "Brother Xian has been a cabinet minister for so many years, so he must have some drafts in mind. But since brother Xian asked, let me just say a few words."
He paused and said: "Young Master is dead, the trees have fallen and the hozens have dispersed. Everything is over once and for all. Don't worry about him. The various forces that Young Master has placed in the court and local areas should be pulled out and consolidated. A small fortune."
Yan Xianzhi nodded lightly.
Zhang Fuzheng continued: "Chen Shi was given the title of Number One Scholar without any punishment. The first is to show the justice of the court, the second is to block Chen Shi and Chen Tang's mouth, and the third is the accumulation of three generations of the Chen family. Although the number is small, , but the power can already rival that of aristocratic families. The court must maintain a certain degree of respect for powerful power."
Yan Xian said: "I'm just afraid that the rest of the young master will not give up."
"That's a matter between them and Chen Shi, and has nothing to do with the court. The court still treats the Chen family and his son with kindness."
Zhang Fuzheng was drinking tea and said, "As for the third thing, there must be an explanation for the Thirteenth Family's hard work over the years. Those who caused this situation must face punishment."
Yan Xianzhi sighed: "This is the most difficult point."
Zhang Fuzheng nodded lightly: "This is indeed difficult. Brother Xian, please invite me to this tea." Yan Xianzhi said: "I will."
Zhang Fuzheng stood up, walked down the teahouse, stopped again, turned around and said: "You didn't do anything, I did everything. I win everywhere, I beat you everywhere, I can't understand it, I really can't understand it .”
Yan Xianzhi smiled and said: "In the Ming Dynasty at this time, sometimes if you don't do something, you will win. If you do something, you will be wrong and you will lose."
"Is it right not to do something?"
Zhang Fuzheng shook his head, laughed, turned and went downstairs.
Yan Xianzhi waited for a while, then came to the window and looked down from a high position. He saw the coachman opening the door of the carriage, and Zhang Fu was walking in with his waist bent.
The chariot set off and left Xijing.
This morning, Zhang Fuzheng's resignation was submitted to the cabinet.
Zhang Fuzheng did everything and Yan Xianzhi did nothing. However, Zhang Fuzheng did something wrong and had to give an explanation to the Thirteenth Family and resign as chief assistant.
Yan Xianzhi once again became the chief assistant.
When Yan Xian went downstairs, the storyteller in the teahouse was still talking about the battle between Chen Shi and the young master. He burst into tears and described Chen Shi, the number one scholar, as heinous and extremely evil.
Yan Xianzhi stood in the crowd and listened for a moment, shook his head, and thought to himself: "What these Sheng Dou people know is just superficial, one-sided, and emotional behavior."
He walked out of the teahouse and walked slowly towards the inner city.
People in the streets and alleys were also talking about the battle between Chen Shi and the young master, describing Chen Shi's killing of the young master vividly, as if he had seen it with his own eyes.
All kinds of rumors are flying all over the sky, some are extremely ridiculous, and some are well analyzed. "People take away the tea to cool down, and the trees fall down and the hozens scatter. These criticisms will all subside in a month. The people of Li, what should they do or what should they do?"
What does right and wrong have to do with firewood, rice, oil and salt?" He thought silently in his heart.
He listened to people's discussions all the way, and then calmed down a bit when he entered the inner city. He came to Wenyuan Pavilion, entered the cabinet, and sat down.
At this moment, the other twelve ministers of the cabinet were already waiting for him, their eyes focused on his face.
Yan Xianzhi smiled slightly and said: "Gentlemen, it's time to decide on the title of Number One Scholar." "Mr. Ge, Chen Shi killed the young master..."
"In the battles for the number one scholar in the past dynasties, casualties are inevitable. This is an unfortunate incident. The cabinet expresses condolences to Ren Mu's family and the imperial court shows some sympathy."
Yan Xianzhi said, "Also, Ren Xiao, Minister of the Ministry of War, lost his son. He is grieving in his heart and he is getting older. The court should not delay his retirement. We will go to court tomorrow morning to persuade him to leave."
The twelve ministers nodded silently.
Xia Canghai asked: "So, where is Mr. Chen Tangchen? The right minister of household affairs is in charge of the eight warehouses and four warehouses. He must have made a lot of money in these years, right?"
He couldn't help but feel a little angry and said: "Master Cui, the Minister of Household Affairs, is like a fool and has no idea how much Chen Tang has been greedy!"
Cui Baihe, who was known as the Minister of the Ministry of Finance and was also a cabinet minister, was in the Wenyuan Pavilion. Hearing this, his face turned red and he slapped the table and said angrily: "Xia Canghai, you can be deceived by him if you go to be the Minister of the Ministry of Finance."
You have to look like a fool! Who here doesn’t think that Chen Tang is a powerful minister? Who doesn’t think that he is a pillar? Who realizes that he has stolen the secrets of the thirty-seven Talisman Gods? You all think that he is a great talent!"
Xia Canghai sneered and said: "He doesn't work under my hand, he works under your hand! Your people are so greedy that they have injured hundreds of civil and military officials. Even several ancestors were injured by him, and the ancestors of the Ma family were also injured.
Broken leg!"
Ma Lishu Lord Ma was a little unhappy: "What does it mean that the Ma family's ancestor had his legs broken? The Li family's ancestors did not have their legs broken? The Li family's ancestor was bullied by Chen Wu and was beaten so badly that he couldn't afford it. The injury was just a little bit better, but he was beaten again by Bai Yi.
The fairy was beaten so badly that she couldn't bear it. The injury was just a little bit better, but she was beaten so badly by Chen Tang that she couldn't bear it."
Li Xiaoshuang, Mr. Li, slapped the case and said angrily: "Ma Lishu, what do you mean? Thirteen aristocratic families are in the same spirit. Which ancestor has not been beaten by Chen Wu? Which ancestor has not been beaten by the female fairy in white? If they had not left early,
I’m going to be beaten by Chen Tang this time too!”
The twelve ministers quarreled and almost got into a fight.
Yan Xianzhi left them to argue, feeling quite helpless: "The Ming Dynasty's paper-pasting craftsmen only do these things."
When everyone was tired of arguing, Xia Canghai asked: "Mr. Pavilion, Chen Tang has done many evil things, including corruption and bending the law. How should we investigate and deal with it?"
"Investigation? What to investigate? Who will investigate?"
Yan Xianzhi spread his hands and said in shock, "If I don't investigate, who will? Mr. Xia, you will investigate? Or Mr. Ma, you will investigate? What's the point of being greedy for a little money? Isn't the household department still running smoothly?
Isn’t the imperial court still in good order? Is it you, Mr. Li, who has never been corrupt, or your Mr. Cui, who has not been corrupt? Or is it Mr. Gao or Mr. Fei?"
Everyone stopped talking.
Xia Canghai couldn't help but said: "That won't allow him to continue in this position. Over the years he has served as the right minister of the Ministry of Finance, he has been able to secretly produce thirty-seven Talisman God secrets. If he sits down again, how many Talisman God secrets can he accumulate?
I don’t even dare to think about it! How about moving his position to the bottom?”
Yan Xianzhi shook his head and said: "You are not afraid of his family's thirty-seven Talisman God Tianji, but I am still afraid. Mr. Chen Tang works hard in the household department and has made great contributions. How can he be demoted? He should be promoted! Why not be promoted to honor?"
Doctor Lu, your official position is from the first rank. What do you think?"
The twelve ministers smiled knowingly and nodded in praise. This move was both uplifting and subtle.
The right minister of Hubu, the third rank of the official rank, and the official rank of Ronglu doctor, from the first rank, seem to have been promoted two levels in a row, but the right minister is in charge of eight warehouses and four warehouses, and the Ronglu doctor has a false name but no real power. It can be regarded as an emptying of Chen Tang after his promotion.
Leave him without access to any resources.
"Mr. Ge, what should we do with Chen Shi, the number one scholar? He must also be given an official position."
Cui Baihe said, "Chen Shi is serving as ambassador in Guangjiku. In my opinion, he is not much better than his father. This Guangjiku may become Chen Zhuangyuan's rat barn."
Yan Xianzhi smiled and said: "Of course he should be promoted to an official. The ambassador is only a ninth-grade official. He should be promoted to the third grade first and go to the Hanlin Academy to be a historian and compiler. I will live up to his literary talent."
Everyone praised it.
At this point, the cabinet plan has been finalized.
The next day, the cabinet decree was promulgated in the court, and a large number of officials were dismissed from their posts and investigated. The Minister of War, Ren Xiao, also begged for his remains, retired and returned to his hometown.
In addition, the Fu Zheng Pavilion was abolished and officials of the Fu Zheng Pavilion were no longer employed. This incident caused an uproar in both the government and the public.
In addition, Chen Tang's promotion also caused an uproar.
The Thirteenth Aristocratic Family was caused a headache by Chen and his son, but Mr. Yan Ge took action and calmed down the turmoil gently, which is admirable.
A few days later, the imperial court released the results, and Chen Shi was ranked number one in Jinke, and Zhang You was ranked second.
The third place winner caused quite a stir. It was a female Jinshi named Hu Feifei.
Because the children of the Thirteenth Family suffered heavy losses, and the children of other families could not defeat Hu Feifei, and the fox clan's pillow was blown by the wind, the flower fell on Hu Feifei's head inexplicably.
After the top three, there are two places for Jinshi, and there are three places for Jinshi. Hundreds of people are on the gold list.
Two days later, the imperial court arranged official positions. Many Jinshi were assigned official positions, either locally or as minor officials in Xijing.
Chen Shi also came down from the official position. It was compiled by the historian of the Hanlin Academy. From the sixth rank, he was already considered a big man, but it was just a sinecure and had no real power.
Chen Shi didn't care about this. He went to the yamen of the Hanlin Academy to sign in, then went home to rest and feel at ease.
He took Empress Shiji, the ginseng doll and other elixirs back from Chen Tang, and then took them back to Xiaozhutian. Empress Shiji entered his small temple again, satisfied, and when she saw that her shrine in the temple had already With the sight of a woman in white, his expression suddenly changed and he was about to have a seizure.
However, she felt the woman's aura and suddenly became much calmer, and sat obediently on the third shrine.
Chen Shi was also a little surprised, and thought to himself: "How has Empress Shiji changed her temper these days? She actually didn't kick this female candidate out."
He was also a little surprised that this female scholar had been in a coma for a long time and could not wake up even after recuperating in his small temple for so long.
His soul is sitting on the central shrine, with "Nu Juren" and Empress Shiji on the left and right. The true energy becomes extremely pure, and the Tao body is naturally achieved.
At this time, there was a noise outside the Chen Mansion. Chen Shi went out and looked, but it was Hu Guanghan, Tian Yue'e and hundreds of other scholars who came outside the Chen Mansion to ask for a meeting.
Chen Shi quickly invited them into the Chen Mansion, but there were too many people and the Chen Mansion was too small to stand apart, so they could only talk on Qianyang Street.
"My mentor, students and others have been awarded official positions and will go to local officials to serve as officials. Come today to say goodbye to my mentor."
Everyone bowed down one after another.
Chen Shi hurriedly helped them and said with a smile: "You and I are both candidates in the same year, how dare we be your mentor?"
He asked these candidates one by one. They all had small official positions. Most of them were county magistrates and chief registrars in local counties. The better ones were magistrates, experiencers, and governors in the state capital. They were all positions that did practical things, unlike him. The historian's compilation is so false.
Chen Shi asked them one by one if they had any problems in their practice, answered them on the spot, and left the Thousand Miles Transmission Symbols for them.
When it was time to say goodbye, everyone bowed down together.
Chapter completed!