Autumn in Guanzhong was slightly cold, especially with the light rain that had just fallen in the morning. It was even colder. When the sun rose, there was still a wisp of mist lingering between the mountains, causing the distant mountains, the nearby water, the blue sky, and the earth to look like an ink painting of appropriate shades.
A Nu was used to this kind of scenery and did not find it strange. She accompanied Gu Zhuting, who was pregnant, to sit in a light car covered with soft leather mattresses. The windows on both sides were only slightly open. The two of them didn't look at the scenery but just talked about pregnancy and childbirth in the car.
This kind of Guanzhong autumn scenery was a rare sight for Shangguan Wan 'er, who had grown up in the palace. Qi Province had hundreds of acres of fertile land of the Shangguan family, but she had never been there. For Wan' er, it was just a line of numbers on an account book. But at this time, she had no time to enjoy the scenery because her beloved daughter was in the same carriage.
The little girl had to drink milk, pee, and occasionally cry for her mother to play with her. Fortunately, there was Xiao Man to help. Wan 'er's hands, which were used to playing with the four treasures of the study and only knew how to write poems, were clumsy when she served the child, but she could handle it.
Yang Fan sat in the first carriage with Nian Zu and Si Rong. The windows on both sides were tightly blocked by the two children. They leaned against the window and poked their heads out, excitedly looking at the scenery along the way, and occasionally shouting. Yang Fan sat in the carriage and could only occasionally use their little butts as a hand drum to beat them to relieve his boredom.
The vegetation on both sides of the mountain gradually became colorful, tinged with yellow and green, red and purple. The colors were distinct and varied like a painting. The autumn wind sent the reed flowers into the blue sky. A line of wild geese spread their wings and flew past …
Yang Fan had a pair of small feet on each of his legs. He lazily leaned against the cushion of the seat. He could not see the scenery outside the carriage, but he could hear the calls of wild geese flying in the sky and the loud and clear Qin accent coming from the fields.
Days like this were as free as immortals! Far away from the chaos of the court, with less scheming and scheming, Yang Fan's body and mind were at ease and unusually relaxed. This kind of life was what he truly wanted. Now that he could spend a few days with his family like this in a year, Yang Fan could not help but feel homesick.
Entering Qi Province, Wan 'er and Yang Fan sat in the same carriage. Yang Fan was half-paralyzed in the seat like an old man. Yang Daier lay between his chest and abdomen and climbed up. She used all her strength but could only occasionally reach out a small hand and touch her father's cheek.
Then she slid down. But Yang Fan used his belly to bounce her, stopping her of sliding and allowing her to continue. Daphne was very energetic. She never got tired of this seemingly boring little game. She would giggle happily whenever she touched her father's cheeks.
Wan of Wan sat to the side and smiled as she watched the intimate game between the father and daughter.
"Langjun, from here onwards, this is our family's land."
Wan 'er looked out of the window and said softly.
Ever since Wan 'er was favored by the Empress, she was given back her family's land. However, she had never been here before. She could only see the changes and harvest of the land in the account book every year. However, on this trip to Qi Province, the steward who was in charge of the land in Qi Province had accompanied her all the way. He had already introduced the situation here to her, so she was very clear about it.
Yang Fan hugged his daughter and tilted his head to look outside. Daier took the opportunity to grab his beard and jumped up and down excitedly. Yang Fan was already twenty-eight years old. According to etiquette, he could grow a beard. His beard had just grown and was trimmed very neatly. Daier grabbed her father's beard and laughed happily.
Yang Fan held her little butt and lifted her up a little. He said to Wan 'er, "Are all our lands in this area?"
Wan 'er said, "Not all of our lands are in the same area. Only those that are close to the water source are of the best quality. However, this is the most complete piece of land we have. There are more than a thousand temples. Based on our current speed, it will take us until noon to finish walking from here. "
Yang Fan grabbed his daughter's naughty little hand and made an angry gesture at her. Unfortunately, the little girl was not afraid at all. Instead, she was amused by him. Yang Fan said, "Look at our precious daughter. She is so beautiful. In the future, she will have such a generous dowry. I wonder which family's son will benefit from it."
Wan 'er rolled her eyes at him and took her daughter from his hands. She said, "Our daughter will naturally have a generous dowry in the future. But how can we give our land to an outsider? Moreover, our daughter will marry a capable man. Are we going to find a useless man who depends on his father-in-law? "
Yang Fan laughed, "That makes sense! Our precious daughter will find a good son-in-law in the future. "
Wan 'er wrinkled her nose at him and snorted, "You're already thinking about using the land as a dowry. Do you not want people to have more children in the future?"
Yang Fan smiled. "I was just speaking thoughtlessly. How could I have thought so much about it? Have children! Of course have children! Give me a few more sons, and then a few more daughters. The sons will all be taught skills, and the daughters will all be married to capable son-in-law. Haha! At that time, if I, Old Man Yang, get into trouble with my neighbors, I'll lead a group of capable sons and capable son-in-law to fight and scare them to death. "
Wan 'er giggled and pouted, "You, you're not serious at all. In the open, you are the mighty General of Loyal Martial. So young and already a fourth-grade official, your future is bright. In the dark, you are the Sect Master of the Xian Clan and hold great power. Which neighbor dares to get into trouble with you? "
Yang Fan grimaced and said, "Why wouldn't I dare? My neighbor on the left is the beloved daughter of the Prince of Liang and the current Crown Prince. My neighbor on the right is one of the five Junwang of the Prince of Xiang's estate. Tell me, which one of them is easy to provoke? I, the General of Loyal Martial, am not enough in front of a bunch of princes and princesses. The power of the Xian Clan is also not good to show, so I can only rely on my son and son-in-law to help me vent my anger. "
Wan 'er couldn't help but laugh again. "Now that you say it, it really is like this. When you built your house, did you not choose a good day? Look at your neighbors, even if they aren't golden branches and jade leaves, they are still princes and marquises. Also, the two families will have to fight sooner or later. You are stuck in the middle, your fengshui is really good. "
Yang Fan sighed and said, "Forget it! If it's a blessing, it's not a curse. If it's a curse, it can't be avoided. Second Zhang lives in the palace and doesn't have any neighbors. Isn't he just inviting trouble to himself? That's why I say, if it's something that belongs to you, you can't avoid it even if you hide in Mount Zhongnan. "
Dai 'er lay comfortably in her mother's embrace, but her mother didn't play with her like her father did. She found it very boring, so she stretched out her little arms and leaned toward Yang Fan, wiggling her little butt for her father to hug her. Wan 'er angrily said, "You little heartless thing. Mother doesn't even want to hug you for a while."
Although she said this, she still handed her daughter to Yang Fan. As soon as Dai 'er was in Yang Fan's embrace, she beamed with joy and stroked the short moustache on his lips. Wan 'er glanced at Yang Fan and teased, "You didn't come out this time to escape the storm caused by Second Zhang, did you?"
Yang Fan said, "What does Second Zhang's matter have to do with me? There's nothing to escape from. This time, I came out with you to relieve your boredom and let you, mother and daughter, get closer. As for the battle in the capital, there's really nothing to see, because … victory and defeat have long been decided! "
…
The three brothers, Zhang Tongxiu, Zhang Changqi, and Zhang Changyi, were all arrested by the Censorate. The Censorate was very well prepared. Faced with a mountain of ironclad evidence, the three could not deny it and could only admit that they had taken bribes of more than four thousand yuan.
One yuan was equivalent to ten strings of coins, which was a shocking forty thousand strings of coins. Forty million yuan. Zhang Tongxiu was the Assistant Minister of Rites, Zhang Changyi was the Assistant Minister of Shangfang, and Zhang Changqi was the Governor of Bianzhou. Among the three, only Zhang Changqi could be considered an official with real power. Not long after he took office, he was able to take bribes of forty million yuan. What could they do for others?
In reality, the people who bribed them were targeting Second Zhang in the palace. Most of the money fell into Second Zhang's hands. The Censorate's ultimate goal in arresting them was to prove Second Zhang's corruption. But the three brothers were not stupid. They knew one thing: As long as Second Zhang did not fall, they would be fine.
Other people's bribes were all sent to them. The only people who had direct contact with Second Zhang were the three brothers. The three brothers gritted their teeth and refused to admit that this matter had anything to do with Second Zhang. The Censorate did not dare to torture them, so the case reached an impasse when it came to them.
The crimes committed by Zhang Tongxiu and his brothers could not be directly linked to Second Zhang. The Censorate could only think of another way. They really did find a way. Because according to the laws of the Great Zhou, with the crimes committed by Zhang Tongxiu and his brothers, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, who recommended them to be officials, should be punished together.
Thus, during the morning court session, Vice Minister Zhi Yanfan reported the results of the corruption case to the Emperor: "Your Majesty, the corruption case of Zhang Tongxiu, Zhang Changqi, and Zhang Changyi has been concluded. The three of them took more than four thousand yuan and should be punished severely according to the law. These three were recommended by Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong. According to the punishment, they should be exempted from punishment. "
Vice Minister Zhi's method was similar to Disciplinary Judge Jia Jingyan's method of confiscating Zhang Changzong's twenty jin of copper. Now that Second Zhang was a Duke, his original official position was not worth mentioning. He asked the Emperor to remove Second Zhang from his official position and not his title. Removing his official position would only mean losing a portion of his salary. To Second Zhang, it was not a big loss.
But if the Emperor agreed, it meant that the Censorate had won this confrontation. At the same time that Second Zhang's prestige was damaged, the Censorate not only cut off three of their important henchmen, but also scared away some monkeys who were not very loyal to Second Zhang.
It was not easy to destroy Second Zhang. It was like trying to topple a big tree. One needed to cut off its roots one by one. When all the roots and branches were cut off, all it would take was a slight breeze to make it fall to the ground.
Wu Zetian said loudly, "Zhang Tongxiu, Zhang Changqi, and Zhang Changyi have committed serious crimes. They will be removed from their official positions immediately!"
Wu Zetian's expression was stern. Fighting corruption was a basic national policy that she had been working hard to implement since she ascended to the throne. She would not slap herself in the face on this kind of matter. If she followed her personal interests, it would be her own prestige that would be shaken. The Censorate had played a fatal move and forced her to fight within the rules. She could only sacrifice her pawns to protect her general.
However, the Censorate hoped to eliminate her general as well. Zhang Tongxiu and the other two were led out of the hall. When the three left, they were fearless and had arrogant expressions. As long as Second Zhang was fine, they could make a comeback at any time. The Censorate's methods only made them feel disdain.
Vice Minister Zhi took a step forward and said aggressively, "Your Majesty, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong have been punished by the law and should also be removed from their official positions."
Wu Zetian glanced at him indifferently and said to Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong who were kneeling on the ground without their hats, "Did you hear what Vice Minister Huan said? State Duke Heng, State Duke Ye, do the two of you know your crimes? "
Zhang Yizhi bowed his head and said, "I know my crimes! However, I and Changzong have done meritorious deeds for the country, so according to the law, we can atone for our crimes. "
Wu Zetian raised her brows slightly and asked, "What meritorious deeds did the two of you do? Tell me face to face."
Zhang Yizhi said, "I and Changzong were in charge of compiling the 'Pearl of the Three Sects' and have done meritorious deeds for educating people!"
Wu Zetian said, "Prime ministers, Second Zhang has done meritorious deeds for writing the book. Can they be absolved of their crimes?"
When the Censorate was handling this case, they had just made some progress when they encountered Second Zhang's letter. They also knew that this matter was very disadvantageous for them to pursue Second Zhang's crimes, so they had already thought of a countermeasure. Prime Minister Wei Yuanzhong immediately reported, "Your Majesty, although Second Zhang has done meritorious deeds for writing the book, Second Zhang has already been conferred the title of nobility. Their merits have already been rewarded. How can they atone for their crimes?"
There was a slight commotion in the hall. Although the officials looked down on Second Zhang, very few people dared to openly call him Second Zhang with contempt. Moreover, Second Zhang had already been conferred the title of State Duke. In terms of nobility, he was even higher than the Prime Minister. However, Wei Yuanzhong actually called him Second Zhang in front of the Emperor and Second Zhang. The smell of gunpowder in his words was already very thick.
Second Zhang angrily raised his head to look at Wei Yuanzhong. However, there was not a trace of joy or anger on Wu Zetian's face. She only lightly turned to Second Zhang and said indifferently, "According to Prime Minister Wei, the two of you have already been conferred the title of nobility for writing the book. Therefore, your merits cannot atone for your crimes. Do the two of you have any other merits? If not, I will punish you according to the law."
Zhang Yizhi coldly stared at Prime Minister Yang Zaisi. Yang Zaisi flattered Second Zhang as if he was his disciple. Being stared at by Zhang Yizhi, Yang Zaisi couldn't stand still. He could only bite the bullet and report, "Your Majesty, I heard that Duke Heng and Duke Ye created a divine pill together. When Your Majesty consumed it, your body became healthy and healthy. This is a great merit and can atone for your crimes."
Wei Yuanzhong was both shocked and angry. He said, "Prime Minister Yang, how come I have never heard that the two of you created a divine pill together to cure Your Majesty's illness?"
Yang Zaisi avoided his angry gaze and stammered, "Uh … this is something I happened to hear Duke Heng mention at the banquet. Duke Heng and Duke Ye are not proud of their merits and have never made it public. Prime Minister Wei does not know what is so strange about this matter."
Wei Yuanzhong wanted to say more, but Wu Zetian already said, "That's right! What minister Yang said is true. I am old. If minister Yang did not mention it, I would have forgotten. I was once ill. It was Duke Heng and Duke Ye who created a divine pill together. I only recovered after consuming it. Prime Minister Wei, do you think this merit can atone for your crimes? "
Wei Yuanzhong knew that the Emperor was determined to protect the two Zhangs. What divine pill? Other than pleasing the Empress in bed, these two brats don't know how to create a divine pill. But the Emperor had personally admitted that it was true. They couldn't say that the Emperor gave false testimony. Wei Yuanzhong could only bow his head and say, "In that case, it can atone for your crimes!"
"Hahahaha …"
Wu Zetian suddenly laughed. She stood up and swung her sleeve. The golden dragon on her sleeve drew a dazzling golden light on the imperial table, "Court dismissed!"
Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong quickly put on their hats and stood up. They looked at Wei Yuanzhong, Zhi Yanfan, and the other ministers with provocative eyes. They ran up the imperial stairs and helped Wu Zetian up. They walked away like generals returning to the court after victory. Zhi Yanfan and Wei Yuanzhong looked at each other and felt sad.
When the court meeting was over, Princess Taiping heard about the details of the Zhangs' crimes. She stood by the pond and threw a handful of fish food into the water. She watched the fish fighting for food in silence.
Mr. Mo consoled him, "In this attack, under the circumstances that the two Zhangs have made great contributions in writing the book, we were able to remove Zhang Tongxiu, three people, from their official positions, and also fine Zhang Changzong. It can be considered we have achieved something."
Taiping sighed, "After so much effort, we finally solved this corruption case. In the end, the board was raised high and fell lightly. It still can't shake the two Zhangs. With the protection of the Empress, the two Zhangs have nothing to fear. After today's attack, they will definitely think of revenge in the future. From now on, the imperial court will have a lot of trouble. "
Mo Yuhan was silent for a moment and said leisurely, "Selling official positions, bribery, and bending the law harms the country. The Emperor is the master of the country. If he still protects them like this, it can be seen that he cares for them. But if the two Zhangs usurp the country, will Her Majesty still protect them? "
Taiping was startled; he turned his head around and saw Mr. Mo was smiling as he watched the school of fish fighting for food, his expression was tranquil.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
