It had already been ten days since the King of Beiliang, Xu Xiao had arrived in the capital. In these ten days, Xu Xiao had not paid a visit to anyone, nor had anyone come to the Demawei Courier Station to present their name. Logically speaking, as a king with a different surname, Xu Xiao should not be restricted by the rules and regulations of the 'Clan and Vassal Law'. Of the tens of thousands of officials in the capital, it would be best for them to curry favor with those in power. Even on the day when the results were released, quite a few officials would use the pretense of being from the same hometown to get close to those new Grand Scholars. Why was it that when it came to Xu Xiao's side, not a single one of them showed up?
In truth, with just a bit of thought, it was clear. In the imperial court, Grand Secretary Zhang led the civil officials, Gu Jiantang led the military generals, and the Green Faction formed their own faction and roped in a group of 'stragglers'. The remaining elders of the eight perished countries supported each other, so it could still be considered a clear division.
However, as the second generation of 'remaining young masters' gradually rose to prominence, the earlier hostility and antagonism began to fade, and they began to integrate into the earlier tripartite balance of power. Among the eight old countries, there were splits. Western Shu was the closest to Qingzhou, so most of them were absorbed by the Green Faction. Many scholars in Western Chu naturally had a favorable impression of the current Grand Secretary Zhang Julu, who hailed from the Great Yellow Sect. As for the valiant Dongyue and other barbarian lands, they preferred Great General Gu Jiantang. The latter also felt that this group of youngsters who could ride a saber and spear, as well as write poetry and literature, was more to his liking. As a result, the old Grand Secretary and the other pillars of the country of the older generation did not see eye to eye with Xu Xiao. The new generation of popular officials, influenced by their ancestors and the Spring and Autumn War, would not take the initiative to side with the remote King of Beiliang. Most of them were divided between the four factions on the surface.
Of course, if the Pillar of Beiliang took the initiative to favor them, it was likely that no one would refuse this enormous honor. Hadn't the minor official of Yongzhou, Jin Lanting, relied on a letter of recommendation from the Pillar of Beiliang to become an extremely noble member of the Great Yellow Sect?
Xu Xiao was not late for today's morning court session. When he stepped out of the carriage, he was already wearing a blue satin robe embroidered with dragons. In the past, it had always been Grand Secretary Zhang Julu who was the earliest to enter...... and Great General Gu, who had always been the last to enter, and no one daring to overstep...
Apart from this, as for who would be the second and third to enter the palace, it wasn't too particular. Generally speaking, it should be based on seniority and rank. However, as the struggle between the factions in the court grew increasingly intense, it became increasingly unruly. The Gu faction was mostly martial artists, and they looked down on the remnants of defeated and perished countries. They also didn't have much respect for the Green faction. The Zhang faction, which had the most influence, had always been gentle and respectful. If the four factions were to include the two variables of the foreign relatives and eunuchs, in general, it was truly a chaotic and endless entanglement. In today's court session, most of the officials learned that Great General Gu had gone to the Liao two days ago and was destined not to return in a short amount of time. This made many of the spectators who were looking forward to the two famous generals of the Spring and Autumn Period fighting fiercely in Baohe Palace feel extremely disappointed. Perhaps because the group of tigers had no leader, the Gu faction, who were originally used to being unreasonable and fighting to enter the palace, was extremely low-key today, not in a rush to pass South Taianmen. They only eyed the old cripple in the blue satin robe covetously.
The Gu faction didn't make a move. The Zhang faction, because Grand Secretary Zhang stood at the door with his hands in his sleeves, as if waiting for someone, also didn't enter the palace. Known as Zhang Faction's trusted civil official and conscience, the newly promoted Wuying Palace Scholar Wen Shouxin, stood next to the Grand Secretary. His forehead was covered in sweat, because the Grand Secretary didn't enter the palace. In front of him, a hunchbacked old man was currently walking over.
The embroidered embroidered robe Xu Xiao chuckled and asked, "Scholar Wen, why aren't you carrying a coffin to court today?"
Wen Shouxin still had some courage and insight. With a heavy cold snort, he didn't pay any attention to the mockery and ridicule. Earlier, he had his old servant carry a coffin to court to ask for death, impeaching the King of Beiliang, Xu Xiao, for the ten great capital crimes, begging the emperor to pay with his life, only asking for Xu Xiao's death. It could be said to be a magnificent feat. Which of the officials and common people of the capital didn't raise a thumb? Originally, some of the colleagues within the Zhang faction who had been silently criticizing him for being promoted to Wuying Palace Scholar also became completely silent, tacitly agreeing with Grand Secretary Zhang's arrangements. The Zhang faction's influence was the most profound and vast, so if they lost anyone, they wouldn't lack anyone. As a result, the internal strife was often the fiercest. Zhang Julu surprisingly didn't care too much about this type of internal strife. As long as it didn't touch his bottom line, he never interfered. During these years, only a few people were expelled from the Zhang faction, their fates all dismal, if they weren't banished to the border, then they would never be employed again.
When Xu Xiao saw that this Wuying Palace Scholar was pretending to be deaf and mute, he patted his shoulder, saying with an amiable laugh, "The imperial court needs loyal and righteous subjects like you. I heard that when Scholar Wen was a county official, his sleeves were clean and his hands were clean to the extreme, even starving two of his daughters to death. When I first heard this news in Beiliang, I was already bewildered. How could this type of official only be an eighth-rank minor official? This is our Grand Secretary Zhang's mistake. Who would have thought that in just a few years, after Scholar Wen's two daughters died, in the blink of an eye, he would become a Wuying Palace Scholar. What rank does he rank among the three halls and three pavilions? It seems like Scholar Wen should still have a few fewer daughters. If he had two more, wouldn't Grand Secretary Zhang have nothing to do with it? Forget about Wuying Palace Scholar, even that Preservation Palace Scholar would similarly be in Wen Daren's bag. However, it's hard to say, it's hard to say if Grand Secretary Zhang doesn't have many teachers. Just the death of an old Grand Secretary, yet he already has his current glory, Wen Daren still can't compare. Yi? Doesn't this mean that you two daren are both profiting from the dead? Ha, these words are nonsense, the two daren are both magnanimous prime ministers, please don't take it to heart. "
Wen Shouxin's face flushed completely red, he wanted to curse out, but he didn't dare, feeling extremely sullen.
There were a lot of Zhang Faction officials who pretended to be angry, but there weren't actually that many who were truly angry.
To the side, Grand Secretary Zhang Julu was over fifty years old, but he didn't look old. This current number one person's appearance was especially praised by others, with a purple beard and blue eyes, extremely imposing. When he was young, he was nicknamed 'Blue Eyes' er '. When he worked as an aide for the old Grand Secretary, he was greatly valued. However, the old Grand Secretary was patient, willing to spend thirty years to carve this piece of unpolished jade. He didn't pull up seedlings to help them grow, refusing several promotions in the bureaucracy on behalf of his beloved disciple, to the extent where he didn't even care about the opportunity to be sent out to become a border official. Meanwhile, Zhang Julu was even more patient, spending thirty years of his life in the imperial family, neither arrogant nor impetuous, always patiently watching the court's political affairs with the cold eye of a bystander, only watching and listening, the only thing he didn't say. As soon as he left the imperial family, he became a dragon. Within two years after his respected teacher's death, he continuously rose eleven levels, taking over the old Grand Secretary's empty position, so much so that his position of authority even surpassed the old Grand Secretary's.
Zhang Julu was ridiculed by Xu Xiao, but he didn't show the slightest bit of abnormality. With an expressionless face, he said, "Yang Guoshi once said that if you have Buddha in your heart, you will see everyone as Buddha. If you have feces in your heart, you will see everything as feces. It is said that Da Zhuguo was also present when Yang Guoshi said this. I don't know if Da Zhuguo heard it in his ears or in his heart."
Xu Xiao laughed out loud and said, "Whatever Yang Taisui said, no matter what you all think, except for the good things he said about me, I'll just treat it as bullshit."
Zhang Julu dismissed it with a light laugh.
The main buildings behind the Imperial City's south gate were the three outer court halls and the nine inner court halls. Among the three halls, the Palace of Preserving Peace was the most expensive. The common people in the marketplace called it the Hall of Golden Imperial Audience. They thought that all court meetings were held there, but that wasn't the case. The Palace of Preserving Peace was usually used for all kinds of major ceremonies. His Majesty would usually hold court in the Tianqian Palace or the Hall of Cultivation Spirit. It was probably to show his respect to the King of Beiliang, Xu Xiao, that the two morning court meetings were held in the Palace of Preserving Peace.
The roof of the Palace of Preserving Peace had a total of eighteen thousand dragon patterns. The roof of the Palace of Preserving Peace, the roof of the Palace of Preserving Peace, the roof of the Palace of Preserving Peace, the roof of the Palace of Preserving Peace. This was only the scale of the Palace of Preserving Peace. Spread out, the number of dragon patterns in the Imperial City was innumerable.
The huge platform of the Palace of Preserving Peace had the character "Earth" facing the south.
Starting from the south of the Imperial City, the central axis of the Palace of Preserving Peace, the three halls were lined up in a row. Not a single tree was planted. To meet the Son of Heaven, the imperial road was long. The eunuchs and Imperial Bodyguards were hidden in the shadows of the strictly guarded buildings on both sides of the road. It was as if they were the only ones walking in the world.
Therefore, when the blood-soaked Xu Xiao met the Emperor for the first time, he was counting the number of steps to dispel his fear. If Xu Xiao was like this, it was needless to say that the other courtiers who attended court for the first time were trembling with fear. Accompanying the Monarch was like accompanying a tiger. Especially since the two successive Emperors of the dynasty were both heroes and great strategists. The Monarch's scheming had reached the peak of perfection. No one dared to say that they were familiar with figuring out the Emperor's will. This made the courtiers feel as if they were walking on thin ice.
Today, the blue-eyed Zhang Julu intended to let Xu Xiao be the first to attend court. Xu Xiao also did not decline his responsibility and took the lead to walk through the towering Palace Gate.
It seemed that other than Zhang Julu, everyone had forgotten that as long as the Palace of Preserving Peace's Grand Secretary was empty, the civil officials had to respect the Great Pillar State as their leader.
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