Li Mao will stand up, and Chu Rui's face is also slightly moved.

If there is a problem with his father-in-law, he naturally wants to fish it out. But because of the "convention" of officialdom, most of the time he expressed his avoidance of suspicion, and then pushed the officials and colleagues behind him to fight a saliva lawsuit, and then used his own strength to put pressure on Yushitai and let them deal with it in a low-key manner.

Yes, this is the "customary" of officialdom.

Even if a family member is punished, he must first show his neutral attitude, and then come to think of a solution, otherwise he will be burned and will not even be able to help.

For a while, Chu Rui felt that Li Mao was very stupid, so stupid that he had been rolling on this hall for three or four years, and he should have seen it, but he still couldn't learn these ways.

But he thinks that this Li Mao is very good. This emperor saw the shadow of the old country's kindness in Li Mao's body.

Li Mao will stand up, not because he can't learn these ways, but because he wants to maintain his father-in-law's dignity at this moment.

If he stands up, everyone's attention will be on him, and all verbal criticism will become a matter of "believing in the country". No matter who instructed him to do this time, it was impossible for him to fall at this moment, the emperor would not let him fall, the courtiers would not let him fall, and even the Jin State Mansion would not let him fall.

That's enough, it's enough for him not to be cheeky and insist that his father-in-law is not guilty.

"Your Majesty, if there is a murder in the backyard, it is the murderer who should be held accountable, not unprovoked. Every adult in the court, which one can manage the affairs of his daughter-in-law's house? Li Mao's sharp eyes shot like knives at the ministers of the Imperial Observatory. Wives and concubines fight, even if the man is really held responsible, it is also Fang Yi's responsibility, why should Master Fang be held accountable? ”

"Li Guogong, what you said is wrong. The backyard of the Fang family was managed by Old Madam Fang, if it was said that Lord Fang didn't know the slightest movement, it would definitely be an excuse. What's more, as Lord Fang's son-in-law, it is unfair for you to argue for him......" Yushi argued fiercely with him in the court.

"It turns out that the old lady is in charge of the house, so the old lady can manage the daughter-in-law's room. Lord Wu, I heard that your mother is in charge of the housework in your house, so will your father care if your daughter-in-law beat the concubine or scolded the girl today? Li Mao said unceremoniously: "If this is the case, then you should check whether your mansion is suspected of chaos." ”

These words were ugly, and this imperial historian's face turned into pig liver color on the spot.

"What's more, whether this official is Lord Fang's son-in-law or not has nothing to do with whether Lord Fang is guilty or not. My nephew was imprisoned in Dali Temple, and he was also the one who was arrested by Lord Fang, according to what you said, my nephew should have been beheaded at that time to show the public, otherwise Lord Fang must be suspected of covering up. But innocence is innocence, and in the law, is it possible that there is a time when you can be charged or exonerated because you are a relative? ”

"This official is first the commander of Da Chu, and then the son-in-law of Lord Fang. I am saying these things now as a minister of the court, and I do not feel that I am bending the law for personal gain. ”

Li Mao's words rang loudly, Fang Xing opened his eyes and looked at them with complicated eyes.

Li Aiqing's words are good. Since there is no avoidance of relatives in the internal movement, there is no situation where the court meeting of the main hall does not dare to speak because it is an in-law. Many of the Aiqing in the court are in-laws, if only because of this point to abolish people's words, then everyone in the last dynasty will not have to speak, first rank the seniors, and then clear up the relationship between relatives and then play. ”

Chu Rui opened his mouth on the throne, which can be regarded as supporting Li Mao's remarks.

Fang Xing is the secretary of Dali Temple, his position is important, and he has been a lonely minister for ten years, Chu Rui is not a fool, how could he be removed from the position of Dali Siqing because his daughter-in-law and concubine were jealous and murdered?

The emperor opened his mouth, and so did Li Mao, and the nobles and neutrals immediately began a heated debate with the courtiers who held the idea of impeachment. After all, Fang Xing has not made a mistake in private morality and official affairs for so many years, and the more the Xungui faction talks, the more confident he becomes.

These people are not face-conscious clans, once they quarrel in the court, what "are you outside* being caught by your wife on the street, is it considered a loss of personal morality and want to step down?" Or "Your daughter-in-law is pregnant during the filial piety period and was secretly shed after being ginseng, is it considered a lax housekeeper or not, is she going to step down" Such old lady scolding street-style arguments also appear repeatedly, making people cry and laugh.

But I have to say that this method is very effective.

Because as Li Mao said, the incompatibility of wives and concubines has always been a problem caused by men, but it is not a problem that men can solve. Because as long as men have a preference, there will be conflicts in the backyard. The fact that the housewife killed the concubine or had sex with the house was not uncommon in Dachu. It's just that everyone doesn't put it on the surface.

If it was not Zhang Ning's subordinate concubine who died in the backyard today, but a woman under her identity, I am afraid that she would be quietly carried out and buried, and she would not even be a talking point.

The matter was debated for two hours, and in the end, even the clan faction didn't bother to get involved in this saliva lawsuit.

They wanted to make the nobles ugly, but now they are involved, and it is they who are ugly. If it weren't for this heated debate, they wouldn't know that their wives and concubines had killed a concubine or rectified a concubine, and the whole world would have known about it. It seems that there are many tongues in the women's circle, and many discussions are true. Naturally, they don't preach these things outside, and it can only be the rumors of the ladies walking around each other.

The emperor of the Empress made a ruling, and the Yang family, who killed people, was given thirty flogs, and the dead Hu family was compensated with two hundred taels of silver. Because of her tyrannical personality, she was finally sentenced to retirement. Fang Yi was demoted by the official by three levels, from the seventh rank to the sixth grade.

The housekeeper's old lady Fang failed to manage the backyard, and the "lady" of the third grade was ordered to drop to the third grade, and was directly reduced to the sixth grade of the Anren, and the third grade of the edict document and the women's crown dress were withdrawn, and there was no chance to enter the palace to see the queen in the future.

Fang Xing's official position was not shaken, and he was only fined for three months. But for this old man, a good family fell apart, his wife's status plummeted, and the marriage of his two granddaughters was afraid that he would be delayed from now on, he still couldn't help but redden, so that when he knelt on the ground to thank him, he didn't raise his head for a long time.

Dali Temple is a third-class position, and it is still relatively high in the Wenchen. Fang Xing's appearance of kneeling on the ground and not getting up for a long time has become a profound mark in the hearts of many juniors.

This low-key old man who has been low-key all his life has set off such a big storm just because of the disagreement between his wife and concubine in his son's room, it can be seen that the Xinguo Mansion is making a big move, even if it is just a small movement in the in-laws' family, it will rise to the level of state affairs.

But officialdom is like this, some people want to go up, naturally some people want to come down, what they can do is not only to be an official and be upright, but more often they have to take precautions and teach their children and grandchildren well.

Fang Xing taught everyone a lesson, a lesson on what consequences a wife and concubine would cause.

After Fang Xing's matter was judged by the emperor, the court quickly dispersed. Fang Xing was still kneeling there, no one knew what he was thinking.

Everyone avoided Fang Xing and retreated from both sides, Li Mao looked up to the sky and breathed a sigh of relief, and stepped forward to help his father-in-law.

Fang Xing was old after all, and Li Mao helped him twice and used some strength to pick him up. There were also officials on the side who wanted to help, but looking at Fang Xing's depressed appearance, and thinking that he always had to leave some self-esteem for others, he just hurried away as if he couldn't see anything.

A Weng and a son-in-law walked side by side outside the hall, which made the palace people left behind in the palace very emotional.

They didn't want to know what the status, means, and position of these ministers were, but they knew at the moment that this Li Guogong was a kind person, a reliable person, and a different person from other ministers.

Perhaps Li Mao was criticized by the world for shielding his relatives in this court meeting, but as a relative or a colleague's subordinate, having such allies and relatives is always much closer than his relatives and friends who protect themselves after the incident.

Who doesn't want someone to reach out and pull them when they're unlucky?

Li Mao helped Fang Xing all the way to the palace gate. Because horses are not allowed to ride in the palace, and now it is the scorching sun of July, and the two of them are already very embarrassed when they walk to the palace gate next to each other. Li Mao took off his official hat halfway through, and his hair was already drenched with sweat.

Fang Xing's situation didn't look very good, and Li Mao transferred a carriage to the post supervisor at the gate of the palace to send his father-in-law back.

Fang Xing stepped on the carriage bench, did not get into the carriage for a long time, just grabbed Li Mao's hand, and said with a choked throat:

"I've never been so glad to have married my beloved daughter to you as I am today."

Li Mao was stunned for a moment, showing a look of shame: "Actually, my father-in-law was also implicated by my son-in-law in this matter, if it wasn't for my son-in-law's incompleteness, I wouldn't be tired of being bitten in your house." Defending you in the court is for morality, not personal feelings, and your father-in-law doesn't have to worry about it. ”

Fang Xing shook his head and patted Li Mao's shoulder.

"I'm not glad that you're defending me today, but because your backyard is clean. If you don't have a concubine, my daughter won't become a pitiful person like Yang, and my grandchildren won't end up with such a pathetic future as my granddaughter and grandson. The Xinguo Mansion is a good family affair, even if you are not the Guogong, my daughter is right to marry. ”

Fang Xing was hit by the situation in the past few days, his granddaughter had just been born not long ago, and he thought that he would live a happy life in the future, but his little granddaughter, whose mother was abandoned, and still carried this notoriety, will either marry low and marry far away in the future, or die alone, which can not be said to be desolate.

And now that he is more than sixty years old, how many more years can he live? His little granddaughter is only four years old now, and when his son sees his granddaughter, will he think of her murderous mother, and will he treat her badly? His youngest son is so young, he will definitely marry again, and how will the remarried stepmother treat his little granddaughter?

As soon as Fang Xing thought of this, his whole person became much older.

Li Mao is neither the expected and amazingly talented boss at home, nor the sickly and well-behaved and valued boss, but this has allowed him to observe words and emotions since he was a child, and he has also learned many other things.

As soon as Li Mao heard Fang Xing's words, he knew what the old father-in-law was worried about. When he thought of his newborn daughter, his heart softened.

Li Mao looked at his father-in-law's wrinkled face, and immediately spoke:

"Father-in-law, don't worry, that daughter of the Yang family, Wan'er and I will take good care of it. When she is older, if the stepmother enters the door, I will ask Fang Wan to take her to our house to raise her. In the future, Fang Wan will find her a good family, maybe not a prominent family, but it will definitely be a generous young man. ”

Fang Xing nodded with red eyes, and said "yes" several times, but the rest of the words still didn't spit out after all, just turned around and entered the carriage.

The time that belonged to him has passed. After this incident, he will soon "say goodbye" to the old age, and he will no longer be able to help Li Mao for half a point. But Li Mao is still young, he is just in his thirties, and his heyday has not yet come.

He will spend the last years of his life watching how he climbs to the top that belongs to him.

Li Mao watched his father-in-law's car gradually move away.

The morning sun was so dazzling that the carriage to the eastern city was galloping in the direction of the sun, and his gaze looked beyond the carriage to look farther away.

Under such bright sunlight, why do so many people have to go to dark places?

Li Mao sent his father-in-law away and turned around and went to the yamen of the ministry.

The little official at the door still greeted him warmly, and smiled at him very flatteringly: "Li Guogong, Director Fang didn't come to work today, and something happened to him at home......

"I know. I'm here to find Zhang Ning. ”

"Ah, Li Guogong is looking for Master Zhang, and the little one will report it!"

Li Mao stood at the door of the ministry under everyone's gaze, pursed his lips tightly and said nothing.

After a while, he was led in, until he was in the back office, and saw Zhang Ning, who was putting down his business.

"Do you know everything?" Zhang Ning spoke first.

"I got it. I don't think that what Fang Wan and I did to Li Rui doesn't need to pay a price, but you did too much this time. Revenge should be avenged against the person concerned, is it the behavior of a righteous man and a gentleman to deal with women and children like this? ”

Li Mao's tone was very calm, and if you ignored the strong questioning context of his words, anyone who watched the conversation between the two Shangshu would think that they were chatting.

"I'm surprised to get this result, but I don't regret it. This time it was just a mistake, and the situation turned out like this, I can only say that it was unexpected. Zhang Ning saw that the words had already been spoken, so he simply made it clear. I admit that I wanted to take revenge in the first place, and making Fang suffer was the least hurtful. After all, my nephew still needs to rely on the Xinguo Mansion, and your family's reputation is ruined, and it will not do him any good. ”

"Why don't you feel guilty, Zhang Ning?" Li Mao squinted his eyes and looked at him with some incredulity. "Why are two human lives like mustard in your mouth? Even if I wanted to raise Li Rui back then, I never thought of letting him die......"

"Do you think it's good that Li Rui didn't die in the first place? What's the difference between being like that and being dead? My sister and brother-in-law are such a pair of good and beautiful talents, but the child born is raised like that, and it can only be said that he is not dead! ”

"Is he dead now? Is he dead now? Does he still hate anyone now? I did make a mistake, but our husband and wife have begun to make amends, our family is now harmonious, and we don't need you to avenge Li Rui again! Li Mao didn't want to bow his head.

"Everyone makes mistakes, but it's cowardly to refuse to admit them. Whatever argument you use to argue it, it's your fault. ”

"In the beginning, I didn't know that the road would evolve like this. You just wanted to disgust the Fang family, so you found that woman to enter the Fang family. Do you think I'm going to be bored enough to assign a woman to compete with the mistress? If Yang himself had been tougher, he wouldn't have gotten this way. ”

"Don't let me look down on you, Zhang Ning!"

"I wanted to communicate with you and be able to untie this knot. I don't think you feel that you are wrong from the beginning to the end, but you feel sorry that you have not been able to control the situation. Ha Lu Ha ......" Li Mao sneered, "You people are all the same. It's all the same obstinacy, the same unscrupulousness, and the same death without looking back. ”

"Is there any difference between you and me? You ......"

"Please listen to me quietly, Lord Zhang."

Zhang Ning closed his mouth. It was not so much that Li Mao's words moved him, but because of his coercive tone, which made him unable to speak properly when he was angry.

Li Mao took a breath and slowly spit it out.

"Li Rui is now the most embarrassing person in the Xinguo Mansion. He has no father or mother, my old lady is old, I have my own children, and the position of the Duke of Xinguo will definitely not be left to him in the future. It is not a blessing that he is outwardly strong and sensitive on the inside because of the wrongs I have done to him in the past, and now his heart is heavy. ”

If you want to help your nephew, you should be more concerned about his growth, both mentally and intellectually, than about avenging him or clearing obstacles. Because Li Rui is not a child who needs others to do this. His future is up to him and the Shinkoku Mansion, and unless you can kill all of my family, it will never be your turn to decide what he should do. ”

"Lord Zhang, you, like all the clans, only think about how to sweep everything away in exchange for a smooth road. But the things that are swept away in your path are sometimes the most important things. You are like a speeding wagon, trying to go faster and farther, and you want to destroy everything that is holding you back. Because they are only insignificant obstacles in your minds. ”

"But then? Having cleared all obstacles, you have finally achieved your goal, and then what? Will this world be better because of you? What's the point of you galloping across a scorched clearing? The way of the world after you have reached your goal is already a world from which there is no turning back. ”

"Because all is gone, only you are left."

Zhang Ning looked at Li Mao like a madman, and his eyes were inexplicable.

"Li Guogong, I don't understand what you're talking about."

Li Mao couldn't see a little emotion on Zhang Ning's body.

Could it be that he didn't know what Boss Zhang wanted to do?

He really didn't know that the Zhang family was already suspected of rebellion?

If this is the case, then he will do all this, except for his cruel character, he really can't find any reason.

"Maybe you really don't understand, maybe you don't understand fakely, but I really hope you can know that what you did didn't give your nephew any relief, it only made him more sad." Li Mao looked at Zhang Ning, "There is still a chance to correct if you make mistakes, but if you think it's right, there will never be any possibility of change." ”

"Did you come here on purpose? Don't let me remind you that I am your sister-in-law's brother, the older with you. I don't need you to teach me how to be an uncle. ”

"You don't even know what Zhang Jing did to my family. What kind of purpose did Zhang Jing enter my house? Let me ask you, is Zhang Jing really your biological sister? ”

As if feeling an extreme tiredness, Li Mao laboriously said this sentence in a dry voice.

Zhang Ning showed the expression of being punched, and asked him with a pale face:

"What do you mean by that?"

"I came today to remember that my nephew is related to your family by blood. But that's all I can say. Master Zhang, I used to want to be good friends with you, but now it seems that I thought it was too simple. ”

"The Tao is not the same, what do I mean by my words, please go back and ask Lingtang."

Zhang Ning's grandfather and grandmother have all died, and his father also died of lung disease, leaving only his mother.

His mother was strong, and she was able to follow her to other places a few years ago. Zhang Ning is a filial son, for so many years, his mother has been in charge of everything in the family, but fortunately, his wife Zhao is quite open-minded, and there have been no contradictions over the years.

Zhang Ning didn't know what Li Mao meant by saying these words, but Zhang Ning knew that Li Mao wouldn't say meaningless words. He is different from Li Shuo and Li Meng, and he has always been outspoken about things he doesn't understand.

So, is this likely to be true?

Zhang Ning returned home with a stomach full of questions, and when he returned to the house, he saw his wife viciously slamming a book on the table, and her eyebrows were upside down in anger.

"What's the matter, the little one in the family is making you angry again?" Zhang Ning's two sons are very naughty, but Zhao is a strict mother, and it is common for the two children's butts to bloom.

Zhao ignored him and shook his face at Zhang Ning.

"What's wrong? Everything can be solved only by discussing and calculating. Why is your beloved wife angry, why don't you speak out and listen to it? ”

Zhao slapped the table and threw the book in front of Zhang Ning.

"Our mother-in-law will get married next year, and when the old lady got engaged, she said that half of the dowry would be paid in the public and half in our room. When our family and daughter get married, why can't it be too ugly, right? The old lady said that she would add makeup well and would not let our family be looked down upon by the Jiang family, but it was only less than a year before the old lady changed her mind. ”

"Look, sir, what is this addition?"

Zhang Ning took the book with a puzzled face, turned a few pages, and his face was not very good-looking.

The things on this are good, but none of them are precious. He even saw a few gold objects that had been sitting for years at home. If the gold is left for a long time, it will turn dark, and such a thing is very ugly to dowry.

But with his mother on one side and his wife and daughter on the other, Zhang Ning could only reluctantly close the book.

"Since my mother didn't want to add some valuables, she took the money from the public school first, and then bought more. The things in the old lady's room are naturally in the hands of the old lady, and the things that are children can still plot against their parents. ”

"But you're the only sister-in-law in your family!" Zhao's tears rolled down, "If I don't leave it to you, to whom?" The eldest lady of our family is married to the Jiang family, and our Zhang family is also a big family, why can't we get some good things? The old lady said that it was so good, it's only been half a year, what did I do wrong, to do this to me? Even if it doesn't please me, her granddaughter is right! ”

As soon as Zhao talked about housekeeping and property, he was aggrieved. She prides herself on being a strong and refreshing person, but she doesn't know how much she is angry with the old lady's tight money.

"There is also the money from the public school, I went to get it not long after the new year, and the old lady said that she spent a lot of money before the year, and asked me to come back in two months. It's summer, I went to ask for it three times, and all three times I pushed it back. I had to use my dowry and the savings in the house to buy new goods as a dowry. Some things take time to buy, and after a while, what good things can be done in a hurry? ”

"If we lose face in front of the Jiang family, what good life will our family have in the future!"

"Didn't give you the money? So you've been using private money? Zhang Ning asked his wife incredulously. Zhang Yuan's dowry has been purchased for her since she was a child, but those are all large pieces, and the really valuable jewelry head and gold and silver in the box can't be too long. Expensive clothes will also be discolored after a few years, and they are generally purchased only after the marriage.

Their family is considered to be a high marriage, and the dowry must be missing, but his wife said......

Zhang Ning thought of Li Mao's words, and thought that his parents and grandfather loved his sister more than him when he was a child, and he had an uneasy thought in his heart. He couldn't help but comfort his wife a few words, and went to the old lady's room to ask in person.

In the old lady's yard, the mother-in-law who was waiting with her first said that the old lady was going to sleep, and then saw that Zhang Ning insisted on seeing her, so she had to inform the old lady and invite Zhang Ning in.

Zhang Ning talked about the difficulties of the Zhao family in purchasing a dowry now, and asked his mother to spend a sum of cash first. As a result, the old lady lowered her eyebrows and directly said that there was no money in the public middle school.

Zhang Ning suddenly felt ridiculous, his family didn't have any expenses, and seven points of his silver in the open and secret were returned to the public, and three points were private. His family has countless Zhuangzi fields and shops in his hometown capital, and he doesn't dare to say that he is rich enough to rival the country, at least he is considered an upper-middle family, but now the old lady says that there is no money in the public school?

Zhang Ning stretched out his palm tremblingly, pointed at himself, and didn't know why he came out with a sentence:

"Mother, did you bring me back?"

The author has something to say: Zhang Ning is indeed biological, don't think about it.

Small Theatre:

Li Mao: Actually, when I was a child, I also wanted to ask my mother if I was adopted.

Li Ming: Actually, when I was a child, I also wanted to ask my mother if I was adopted.