hotmtlnovel Chapter 514: A Family of Drama [Happy New Year]
Chapter 514: A Family of Drama [Happy New Year]
Chapter 514 A Family of Drama [Happy New Year]
You can say that the Second Master of Rongguo Mansion is pedantic and stubborn, or you can say that the Second Master of Rongguo Mansion is ignorant of the ways of the world, but you can never doubt his respect and belief in the teachings of the saints.
How can Jia Baoyu, who has a pure heart, and Mr. Zheng's persistence in distinguishing right from wrong and black from white, be compared with those hypocrites?
Facing Dong Guangzhong's threats, Jia Zheng turned into a defender of the Dao and refuted him with a wave of his sleeves: "The Dao of the ancient sages is like the great light of the rainbow, but what you have done is like flies and dogs. How dare you shamelessly threaten me? It's really ridiculous!"
Sunlight shone into the hall through the doors and windows. The sound of beatings and screams outside the main hall did not affect Master Zheng at all. He waved and called the clerk over, and said, "Pass on my order. Imperial College students Dong Jinhui, Shu Le, Du Wenliang... did not concentrate on their studies and stayed with prostitutes for many days. According to the law, they will be beaten with 60 sticks and sent to the Imperial College as cooks..."
Not only was he beaten with a stick, but he was also sent to the Imperial College to be a cook. This would make the fact that Dong Jinhui and others were staying with prostitutes known to everyone. Wouldn't their reputation be completely ruined?
Dong Guangzhong pointed at Master Zheng angrily, his hands shaking with anger.
He shouted, "Jia Zheng, are you really going to take this to the extreme?"
snort!
Unexpectedly, Master Zheng ignored him and bowed to Zhang Bo, the Northern Zhili Provincial Supervisor of Education and the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Metropolitan Censorate, and said, "Master Zhang, these people are insulting the Holy Way. I think they should be stripped of their honors and their salaries should be taken back to warn the world. Otherwise, if everyone does this, our Holy Way will be in danger!"
What Master Zheng said might be an exaggeration, but Zhang Bo knew too well how prevalent prostitution was nowadays, especially among energetic young men. There were countless people with brilliant talents who were addicted to it.
He had always hated the idea of students staying with prostitutes, but in the past he had been forced by the relatives of these people, and was hindered in punishing them.
Since Jia Zheng stood in front of him and took the pressure for him, as the educational commissioner of Northern Zhili, how could Zhang Bo fall behind?
"What the Chief Censor said is true. Such people are not worthy of being supported by the imperial court, let alone being disciples of the Holy Dao!"
Zhang Bo did what he said. He borrowed paper and pen and issued 26 academic orders on the spot, which not only deprived Dong Jinhui and others of their scholar status, but also eliminated their hope of continuing to take the imperial examinations.
Daxia had a "political review", and a provincial education commission personally issued a school order which stated that no one would be admitted. This directly cut off the escape route for Dong Jinhui and others, even if the emperor himself came forward to pardon them.
You said that the emperor, who rules the world, can't even promote people himself? Oh, there are so many stubborn Taoist priests in the imperial court. Believe it or not, they dare to carry coffins and spit in front of the Great Xia Gate.
……
The matter finally became a big deal. The Left Vice-Censor-in-Chief Jia Zheng arrested seven court officials and 27 students from the brothel. According to the "Daxia Law" that people were almost forgetting, they were caned 60 times. He also teamed up with Zhang Bo, the educational official of Northern Zhili, to strip the 26 people of their official titles.
As for those seven officials, let alone complaining, they were afraid that their superiors or people from the Ministry of Personnel would come and report them.
He got beaten, but the matter is not over yet.
The imperial examination is approaching, and who knows what kind of evaluation the people from the Ministry of Personnel will give them.
Apart from anything else, the fact of staying with prostitutes would definitely leave a stain in the assessment, and the future of the seven of them might be in danger.
"Lord Jia wants to be the impartial and selfless Bao Qingtian. I dare not say anything, I can only express my admiration..."
Dong Guangzhong knew that his nephew's future was ruined, and his anger was almost boiling over, but he was helpless against Jia Zheng.
He looked gloomy and said quietly, "But the selfless Jia Qingtian seems to have forgotten one thing. My nephew went to the brothel, and your son was not idle either. Jia Qingtian will not be strict with others and lenient with himself."
Ok?
Everyone's eyes turned to Jia Huan, who was watching the fun on the side. Some people looked at him with disgust, some with curiosity, and a few people looked worried.
However, Jia Huan was not afraid of everyone's different looks. He grinned and laughed.
He bowed to Dong Guangzhong in a standard manner and said sarcastically, "It's true that I went to a brothel, but I didn't sleep with any woman. Can't I go to Hongxiuzhao to have a meal if I'm hungry? There is no provision in the Daxia Law that forbids people from eating at brothels~"
puff~
"Sorry, sorry, even though I'm professionally trained, I just couldn't help it! Hahahaha~"
Jia Cong's perfunctory apology and his behavior of laughing so hard that he held his stomach made Dong Guangzhong and others blush, but they did not dare to get angry at him and could only hold it back.
Only Dong Guangzhong refused to give in and spoke again: "My nephew committed the crime because of your instigation. He was originally a kind and upright person, how could his personality suddenly change and become addicted to this... If I am not mistaken, the money my nephew and his classmates used to stay with prostitutes was provided by you, Jia Huan."
"That's right, how can my son (my grandson) have the money to go to a place like Hong Xiu Zhao that sells money?"
The others also echoed his words. Dong Guangzhong felt that he had finally grasped the weakness of the Jia family and continued his attack.
"Censor Jia, your son is responsible for half of my nephew's crime! If you cannot treat us equally today, I will go before the emperor to seek justice!"
This time, Master Zheng didn't know how to respond. Just as he was about to grit his teeth and take action, he saw Jia Cong quietly kick Jia Huan...
"Dong Guangzhong, it turns out that the person who has been bullying my brother and extorting money from him is your nephew!"
what?
Huan'er was stunned on the spot, but Baoyu suddenly pounced on him, hugged his brother and cried loudly.
"Oh, it's all my brother's fault. I failed to protect Huan'er, so people bullied you like this. Not only did they take your money to go to the brothel, but they also wanted to put the blame on you..."
what?
This time even Master Zheng was confused, but Dong Guangzhong and others were almost laughing out of anger.
What a great Jia family, rehearsing and performing a play in front of us!
When Dong Guangzhong just opened his mouth to expose the truth, Jia Cong rushed over and punched him in the stomach.
vomit~
This time, let alone talking, after Jia Cong's punch, Dong Guangzhong only felt unbearable abdominal pain, and even breathing felt heart-wrenching.
After interrupting Dong Guangzhong's "spell", Jia Cong seized the opportunity and started punching and kicking the hunched Dong Guangzhong.
The sage old man once said that he should let Jia Cong show the arrogance of Master She and perform the role of a dandy to the extreme so that he could catch more big fish.
The Dong family is really full of good people. It would be a huge waste if we don’t make good use of the bait that is delivered to our doorstep.
Baoyu and Jia Huan on the other side hugged their heads and cried, while Jia Cong on this side was never idle. After beating Dong Guangzhong, he ran towards the people who agreed with him, scaring them so much that they ran away.
He had to run away. Jia Cong was a "brutal" guy to begin with, and he had the protection of the retired emperor above him. Not to mention that his father was Marquis Jia En, who was even more brutal and a ruthless man who would demolish other people's houses at will!
The main hall of the Censorate was in chaos. Master Zheng, who was in a daze, finally came to his senses after being reminded by Zhang Bo. He picked up his two sons, slapped each of them on the head, and said in a low voice, "Hurry up and go back. I will deal with you when I return home."
Baoyu had not forgotten his good brother, and looked worriedly at Jia Cong who was chasing someone and yelling.
"Father, what about Brother Cong?"
Jia Huan, who was standing by, pulled Baoyu's arm and walked out, saying, "Second brother, let's go home first and don't disturb Third Brother Cong from stretching his muscles!"
……
After stretching his muscles, the third brother Cong was finally called back by Master Zheng and they rode back to Rongguo Mansion together.
It was already dark at this time, and Master She was holding his adorable granddaughter and playing with her, not bothering to pay attention to his son's affairs.
My son has never suffered a loss in a fight. No matter how high the official’s position or how good his fists and feet are, they will all be impressed by the “golden weapon” in his hands.
Therefore, Master She had already begun to let his son run wild. Unless something earth-shattering happened, he is now in a semi-retired state and seldom takes action.
On the contrary, Master Zheng is very worried now, as the Censorate is littered with corpses, and this matter cannot be concealed at all.
I'm afraid that by tomorrow morning, the Ministry of Public Administration will be filled with memorials impeaching him and his nephew Jia Cong.
"Brother, please say something. Cong has just been dismissed from his post by His Majesty, and the last incident has not been resolved yet. Today, he beat more than a dozen court officials. According to the law..."
"The Daxia Code states that if a person seeks revenge but does not kill or injure anyone, he shall be flogged thirty times."
Jia Cong showed no fear at all, and instead began to comfort Master Zheng.
"Don't be afraid, uncle. It's only thirty lashes. I can bear it. Besides, whether they have the chance to find trouble with me depends on whether they have the energy to do so."
At the grand court meeting the day after tomorrow morning, Sister Lin will detonate a huge bomb. Who knows whether the court will still have the mind to pay attention to such a trivial matter by then.
Even if someone mentioned it, the worst that could happen was that he would just get a few whips. Anyway, Jia Cong had been beaten since he was a child and had thick skin and flesh. His father, Master She, and the Thirteenth Prince Liu Ke, were both often hung on a crooked tree and whipped by the retired emperor.
Keep smoking, you’ll get used to it!
Master Zheng couldn't hear the hidden meaning of Jia Cong's words, but Master She moved his ears.
He finally turned his gaze and raised an eyebrow at his son.
"What are you going to do? The capital is in chaos right now. If you have anything to do, you'd better discuss it with your uncle and don't cause any disaster."
Jia Cong was almost choked to death by his father's words. My goodness, Dad, you don't care about your good son at all now. You just push the problems to your uncle.
He played a game of staring with his niece, and finally said helplessly: "It's about Sister Lin. She encountered a case in Shunyi County..."
After Jia Cong told everyone what happened in Shunyi County and Daiyu's plan, everyone in Rong Xi Tang took a deep breath.
"My niece has such great ambitions. I can't even compare to her!"
Master Zheng suddenly felt that he had lived half his life in vain. In terms of talent and ambition, he was not even as good as his niece.
Master Lian and Master Bao were both stunned. Their cousin was so strong-willed that she actually wanted to fire at the gentry group!
Master She laughed out loud after a brief shock. He picked up his granddaughter and kissed her on the cheek. Then he said to her, "When your aunt marries into our family, let her teach my grandson. By then, our Qiqi will also become a female prime minister!"
"I'm afraid this will offend a lot of people. Boss, please send someone to find Lin the son-in-law and ask him to stop Yu'er..."
The old lady was frightened. In her eyes, behind the gentry group was a huge group of civil servants, the scholars and literati who controlled most of the world's discourse power.
Daiyu used the Shunyi County case to attack the gentry group, which might offend the entire civil service group.
That is a huge force that can suppress the military merits. How can Yu'er, a little girl, withstand their counterattack?
Unexpectedly, Master She waved his hand nonchalantly and said, "Don't worry, mother. My niece is as smart as those old officials in the court. Think about your majesty's reform of the official system and the recent trends in the court. Do you think my niece would act rashly?"
What was the emperor’s purpose in reforming the official system?
Decentralize power, streamline administration, and strengthen the central group.
Daiyu's proposal to crack down on illegal gentry and bring imperial power to the countryside was a perfect fit with the emperor's new legal ideas.
Master She looked at his youngest son and said, "Brother Cong, you have always been cautious. If your young wife has this idea, you must have already made up your mind. Tell me about it and I will give you some advice."
……
On the fifth day of February, the sky was clear and the air was fresh.
As soon as the sun rose, the East Palace was already bustling with people.
The Crown Prince has been busy as hell lately, with the reform of the official system, the imperial inspections, and major plans being carried out simultaneously. The number of memorials sent to the palace by the Ministry of Public Administration every day has more than doubled compared to usual.
As for his father, His Majesty the Emperor, he would only review some important military and national affairs every day, and all the rest of the memorials would be thrown to the East Palace, under the pretext of training the Crown Prince so that he could become familiar with state affairs as soon as possible.
If the Eastern Palace had not already been staffed with assistant ministers and the support of the Cabinet, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would still be able to handle it.
"Your Highness, this is a memorial sent by Princess Wen'an."
Oh?
Liu Hong, who was busy at his desk, looked up in confusion and saw the eunuch bringing him two thick volumes of memorials. He rubbed his swollen eyes, took them and opened them to read.
Huh?
From the initial confusion to the final solemnity, the atmosphere in the main hall of the East Palace gradually became chilly.
"Go and summon the cabinet elders, the Minister of Justice, the left and right censors of the Censorate, the Minister of the Supreme Court, and the governor of Shuntian Prefecture to the palace. I have something important to discuss with them."
……
"So, the saying that the imperial edict does not leave the Forbidden City is essentially the most direct reflection of the sphere of influence of the imperial power."
Jia Cong secretly glanced at the old man sitting on the recliner with his eyes slightly narrowed and his expression gradually becoming colder, and swallowed.
Seeing that the old man was not angry, he continued, "The saint is wise and powerful, and your majesty is diligent and loves the people. Few people dare to disobey the imperial edict. But what about the future? Not every king can be as wise as you and your majesty, and can make decisions on your own. It is easier said than done to command the world. Don't you worry that the imperial edicts of future kings will be treated as toilet paper..."
Snapped!
Jia Cong covered his head and heard the emperor's cold snort behind him.
"If you have an idea, just say it. Don't beat around the bush."
The emperor, who rushed over from the Qinzheng Palace, first slapped Jia Cong on the head to interrupt the boy's nonsense, and then bowed to the old man.
Now that the emperor has arrived and there is someone to share the firepower, Jia Cong no longer hides anything.
He ran to the table, poured tea for the two saints, and said excitedly: "Saints, Your Majesty, I have an idea. Why don't we send the outstanding retired soldiers of the Imperial Guard to various places in the country and let them serve as village elders..."
Monthly ticket recommendation ticket
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, dragons soar and tigers leap. I wish all my readers to be as dragons as you!
I’ll stop here tonight and continue tomorrow. Good night!
(End of this chapter)