Wen Xiang, Wang Naizeng, and Qingxian had never told the interpreters in the court about the court, but the people below still felt that something was not right, and they became cautious one by one, not only rarely asked for leave to go out, but they didn't even dare to speak loudly. Coupled with the bad news in Guangdong one after another, the atmosphere in the bookstore became more and more tense and depressing.

Zhang Zhidong's mood was even more grief-stricken, yesterday evening received the bad news that his father Zhang Ying died of illness in office and his wife and brother Shi Jun, the acting prefect of Duyun, were martyred, like a thunderbolt on a sunny day, he almost fainted, although everyone was comforted, but he still cried a lot.

When encountering such a thing, you have to petition for a vacancy and return to your hometown to worry about it.

But he is different from others, his father died of illness in Guizhou, and his hometown is in Nanpi, Zhili, whether this mourning is running to Guizhou or to Nanpi's hometown, he is stumped by crying. It wasn't until Wen Xiang rushed back to the bookstore when he heard the news and enlightened him with emotion and reason that he decided to go back to Nanpi's hometown first.

The official learning and teaching can't be done, Zhang Zhidong doesn't feel much regret, after all, it's just an expedient measure.

The only regret is that in line with the idea of preferring shortage to excess, he patronized and observed those officials and students, so that after nearly half a year of teaching, he did not help the "Houyi Tang" find a talent.

Looking at Zhang Xi's packed luggage, thinking of Wen Xiang, Wang Naizeng and Qingxian's care for him for most of the past six months, Zhang Zhidong felt that he couldn't just go, weighed it again, and resolutely turned around and said: "Master Wen, Mr. Wang, Uncle Qingxian, there are a few words in Zhidong that I don't know whether to say or not." ”

Wen Xiang subconsciously said: "It's not an outsider, what can't you say." ”

Seeing that Zhang Zhidong wanted to speak and stopped, Wang Naizeng proposed: "It's not a place to talk outside, why don't I wait to go to the flower hall?" ”

"Okay, let's go to the flower hall first." Wen Xiang reacted and led everyone to turn around and walk towards the flower hall.

Datou realized that they were going to get down to business, so he hurriedly asked Yu Youfu and Xiao Shandong to help send the luggage to the carriage at the door first, while he stayed at the door of the flower hall for fear that others would approach.

Wen Xiang was a little strange and didn't know what Zhang Zhidong wanted to say.

Wang Naizeng and Qingxian were also confused.

Just when the three of them were puzzled, Zhang Zhidong respectfully bowed to the juniors, and then raised his head and said: "Lord Wen, Mr. Wang, as the saying goes, the bystander is clear, and in the opinion of the bystander, the 'Houyitang' has not been smooth in the past few months, but you two don't have to worry about the future of the 'Houyitang'." ”

"What do you say?" Wen Xiang couldn't help asking.

Zhidong thought that no matter whether the court liked it or not, the foreigners were there. They won't leave because the court doesn't like it; It's not like they will come because the court likes it. In other words, no matter what time it is, as long as the foreigners are not condemned by heaven and do not die, the imperial court cannot be without people who specialize in probing and sorting out and verifying the situation. ”

Wen Xiang didn't expect him to say this, and felt that these words sounded reasonable, but it was more like comforting, and he didn't know how to pick it up, Zhang Zhidong said again: "And the current 'Houyi Hall' is not the 'Houyi Hall' when Lord Han was preparing to set up, nor is it the 'Houyi Hall' when you first took over, it can be said that it has changed from a sapling to a big tree, and no one can cut it if they want to!" ”

People are almost still those people, things are still those things, Wen Xiang felt that it was no different from before, and asked puzzledly: "Xiaoda, where did you start with this?" ”

Zhang Zhidong has read all the official documents in the past two years of "Houyi Hall", and I have heard Wang Naizeng, Qingxian and Ji Lu and others say that they have heard Wang Naizeng, Qingxian and Ji Lu and others in the hall in the past two years, and they can not help but say: "My lord, 'Houyi Hall' can have today, and Lord Han naturally has contributed a lot, but with his opinion, I should thank Lao Cheng for the country's Wenzhongtang!" ”

"Wen Zhongtang has helped us a lot, but he can't afford to be sick, so to speak...... To say something disrespectful, whether his old man can survive until the New Year is a matter of two words. ”

"If Zhidong is not mistaken, not only does his old man not want my 'Houyi Hall' to be abolished, but he even helps arrange the future affairs a long time ago."

"Scheduled?"

"If he didn't have the foresight, how could he bring Lord Chongshi and Lord Chonghou here?" Zhang Zhidong asked rhetorically, and continued: "If it weren't for his old man's strong recommendation, how could Lord Chongshi, who was only the acting left waiter of the household department, so smoothly teach the waiter of the Ministry of Works, and also take charge of the affairs of Qian Fatang; How could Lord Chonghou be so smoothly released to Tianjin, acting as the chief Lu Yan envoy? ”

Wang Naizeng reacted and blurted out: "Wen Zhongtang is worried that we don't have money!" ”

"In my opinion, Wen Zhongtang is not only worried that my 'Houyi Hall' has no money to turnover, but also worried that Master Wen will not be able to support you alone." Looking at Wen Xiang's thoughtful appearance, Zhang Zhidong's words changed: "Lord Wen, we Han officials pay attention to the friendship of the same year, and with the help and even support of the same year, the career will be much smoother, and it will be much easier to get things done." Although you are the same year, you are not very close to each other because of the prejudice between the Manchus and Hans. But you didn't suffer, you have the same race, the same race! ”

This is really the first time I have heard of this statement, and Wen Xiang was stunned for a while.

Wang Naizeng was also confused.

Qingxian's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help muttering: "If you want to talk about enlightened people, there should be a lot of ministries and institutes, no wonder Wenzhongtang doesn't bring others, but wants to bring Chongshi!" ”

"Brother Qingxian, I still don't understand." Wen Xiang said with a bitter face.

Qingxian didn't want to rob the scenery of Zhangzhidong, so he smiled and said, "Xiaoda, you think of it first, you tell the adult." ”

"Yes."

Zhang Zhidong arched his hand and said: "Some people don't know that the capital is not small, and the Jinshi and even the master of Hanlin, who are rarely seen in the capital, can be seen everywhere in the capital. But how many people have really calculated, and how many people are there who are from the Jinshi of Zhengke? ”

Wen Xiang muttered: "If you don't count the translation department, but only the main department, it's really not much." ”

"Not much, but very little!"

Zhang Zhidong actually thought of it a long time ago, but he felt that he was so young because he was "newcomer" and so young, and it was not good to wake up alone like everyone was drunk, but now it is different from before, if you don't say it again, you won't have a chance to say it, staring at Wen Xiang and then said: "Zhidong has checked the list of Zhengke Jinshi since the first emperor ascended the throne, and found that there are only seventeen Manchurians from the Daoguang Dynasty to the present. ”

"No, it won't be sixteen or seventeen." Wen Xiang was a little unconvinced.

"If you don't include the Han army, only the clan and Manchuria, there are really only seventeen!"

Zhang Zhidong paused, and said as if he had a few family treasures: "There are thirteen people in the Daoguang Dynasty, including two Jinshi in the second year of Daoguang, one is Wen Zhongtang, and the other is Engui, who has been moved to the cabinet for nine years, but he has already died of illness while serving as the Minister of Internal Affairs; There is only one Daoguang in the sixth year, that is, Lin Kui, who has been in the military aircraft department four years ago. In the ninth year of Daoguang, there were two, one was Lord Quanqing and the other was Lord Wuren; A ...... in the thirteenth year of Daoguang"

Without waiting for Zhang Zhidong to finish speaking, Wen Xiang said in a low voice: "Fuji! ”

"Exactly," Zhang Zhidong nodded, and continued: "Lord Chongshi is a thirty-year Gengxu Jinshi of Daoguang, in short, as long as most of the people who are alive are in high positions, even if they are dismissed, they will be dismissed in the governor's office or even Shangshu." My lord, you are one of them, how can the emperor not reuse you. With so many people from the same background and in high positions, what do you have to worry about? ”

Wen Xiang is really a fan of the authorities, listening to Zhang Zhidong say this, he suddenly realized why Wen Qing was dismissed so many times and was able to recover, one is because Wen Qing is a rare person among the Manchus, and the other is that there are Manchu people who are also from the Manchu people to help take care of him.

Qingxian took over the conversation and said meaningfully: "Although Su Shun always scolds us for being bastards, he only knows how to make money. But after all, this Qing Dynasty is our Manchurian country, and the emperor cannot use all the Han people, and not a single Manchurian. And the emperor wants to use the full people, if you don't use an adult, who else can you be the first? ”

Wang Naizeng reacted and couldn't help sighing: "Xiaoda, you are really a bystander." ”

Wen Xiang even groaned: "So I have to move around more with Quan Qing, Wu Ren and other adults in the future." ”

"This is natural," Zhang Zhidong couldn't help but say: "Zhidong thinks that the emperor will not use Bai Zhongtang again for no reason, now Bai Zhongtang is in charge of the household department, and Su Shun is the household servant and the imperial history of the left capital, and the fighting method between them cannot be divided into winners and losers in a year or two, so there is no need to worry about Su Shun." ”

It's really lively in the court during this time.

Bai Ye, who had been sitting on the cold bench in Rehe for two years, had just been promoted to the head of the household, and he was impeached because there was a sentence in the excerpt of thanksgiving, and it was the imperial historians who were very close to Su Shun who impeached Bai Ye.

Thinking that Bai Ye is not a vegetarian, he will definitely fight back next, Wen Xiang felt that Zhang Zhidong's words had a certain truth, and was thinking about finding a reason to go to meet the Ministry of Industry Shangshu Quanqing and other members of the Zhengke Jinshi, Enjun rushed back in a hurry to hand over the folds in the morning, and said eagerly when he saw everyone: "Congratulations to Lord Wen He Xiwen, the emperor has not forgotten you, the emperor has not forgotten you!" ”

"What congratulations, don't worry, say slowly." Wen Xiang subconsciously stood up.

Eunjun wiped his sweat and grinned: "As soon as I handed over the fold and was about to come back, Gonggong Liu pulled me to congratulate me, saying that the emperor promoted you and Lord Han to be the servants of the young secretary, and said that the Military Aircraft Department was drafting the decree, and when the emperor's edict came down, you and Lord Han would be the second officials!" ”

Wen Xiang couldn't believe that this was true, and asked, "Which Lord Han?" ”

"Master Han, he is now a four-grade top belt, why don't you shout Lord Han?"

"My fourth brother is coming back?" As soon as Eun Joon's words fell, the big head guarding the door asked eagerly.

Eun Jun confirmed with a smile: "I'm coming back soon, I heard that Gonggong Liu said that the emperor asked the Military Aircraft Department to draw up an order and ordered Lord Han to return to Beijing immediately to take office." The emperor not only did not forget Lord Wen and Lord Han, but also did not forget our 'Houyi Hall', otherwise he would never have promoted Lord Wen and Lord Han to be the Shaoqing of Taifu Temple at the same time! ”