Zhang Yan stood in the courtyard, looking at a dead tree in the courtyard.

In his eyes, he was like this dead tree, full of twilight and lifeless.

Think about it carefully, this dead tree seems to be better than him, after all, in another month, this tree will be pulled out of new shoots again, rejuvenated, he himself has to spend decades in Zhongshu Province, on his deathbed, become a scholar of the dynasty, admired by officials, loved by the people.

This is the path of the Zhang family, but it is not the path he wants.

When he was young, he ranked second in the first list of the same class in the imperial examination, and originally entered the Hanlin Academy for two years, and then he was able to enter the sixth department and slowly promoted, because of the Zhang family, he crossed the Hanlin Academy and directly entered the Zhongshu Province, and in a short period of time, he sat in the position of the Zhongshu Shilang.

At that time, he was envied by countless people, and his career was smooth, and no one among his peers could compare.

But more than ten years have passed, and he is still a Chinese scholar.

Now, in the same session of the imperial examination, several people who were not as good as him, some of them were already a book, some of them served in Shangshu Province, and some of them worshipped the history of Shangzhou, and he was still sitting in the position of Zhongshu Shilang.

The Zhang family made him, but at the same time restricted him, he wanted to jump out of the Zhang family's restrictions, but he was bound by countless shackles and couldn't move a bit.

This time the post of secretary of the Ministry of Rites, there is no big accident, and it will definitely not fall on his head.

In the past decade or so, there have been many opportunities like this, and he can only watch them slip away from his eyes.

Zhang Yan sighed, saw his daughter walk in from outside, and asked, "King Run's gone?" ”

The little girl nodded.

Zhang Yan looked at her and said: "If you want to go out to play, you can find other sisters, you are a big girl now, you can't always be around King Runwang like when you were a child, there is a difference between men and women, you must know how to avoid suspicion......"

Zhang Yan doesn't like King Zhao Yuan very much, compared with other princes, he is not motivated at all, he only knows how to play, and under the influence of the Zhang family's family style, he still prefers motivated and hardworking people.

Not only that, as a man......, as a boy, he soaks in the fat powder pile all day long, followed by a group of girls, is this what a big husband should do?

The little girl raised her head and said seriously, "But he said that he would marry me in the future." ”

When Zhang Yan heard this, he was even more dissatisfied in his heart, and said: "Children know what to marry, and you will understand when you grow up." ”

The women of the Zhang family naturally have to marry a scholarly family, even if they marry the royal family, they must be the imperial concubine, not the princess.

The possibility of King Run succeeding to the throne as emperor is the same as the possibility of him succeeding him as the secretary of the Ministry of Rites.

Almost zero.

The little girl didn't care about his words, and pouted: "He will marry me when he grows up, and we have hooked up, and he also said that his father will be a scholar." ”

Zhang Yan shook his head and didn't take his daughter's words to heart.

There is no love for no reason in this world, no hate for no reason, and no book of rites for no reason.

He is not related to Fang Hong, the secretary of the ministry, and there is no friendship at all, there are many people in the court who are suitable for the position of the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, not to mention anything else, just say that Shen Ye, the waiter of the Yellow Gate, is a jinshi in the same year as Fang Hong, and he is a friend of Mo Reversible, why don't you give him this position?

Just because King Run said that he wanted to marry his daughter?

Zhang Yan sighed, didn't think about this matter anymore, walked out of the mansion, and prepared to go outside to relax.

As soon as he stepped out of the house, he saw a eunuch get out of the car and said directly to the concierge of the Zhang family: "Your Majesty, Zhang Yan, the servant of Xuanzhongshu, enters the palace." ”

Zhang Yan was stunned when he heard this.

After being an official for so many years, it is the first time that he has been summoned by His Majesty, and now that the Lantern Festival has not passed, and he is still in the period of recess of the Dynasty, His Majesty summoned him at this time, what will happen?

A bright light flashed in his mind, causing his body to tremble slightly, and the whole person was even a little dizzy.

……

In the Imperial Study.

Emperor Chen looked at Zhang Yan and said, "The Ministry of Rites is the head of the six departments, I will hand him over to Zhang Aiqing today, I hope you will not let me down." ”

Zhang Yan, who had recovered from his shock and disbelief, immediately bowed down and said, "The ministers should do their best, and they will live up to Your Majesty's grace......"

He secretly glanced at Fang Hong, the official secretary who was standing aside, and his heart was full of doubts, Fang Hong really gave him this opportunity?

After walking out of the imperial study, Zhang Yan was still a little confused, and it took some effort to finally confirm that this good thing had indeed fallen on his head.

Fang Hong slowly walked to Zhang Yan's side, arched his hand to him, and said with a smile: "Master Zhang, the two of us will be colleagues in the future, and in the next provincial examination, the Ministry of Officials and the Ministry of Rites will have to take care of each other......

Zhang Yan nodded and said, "That's nature, that's nature." ”

On the officialdom, there are contacts between people, and there are contacts when they come, this time he can become the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, because he inherited Fang Hong's love, and this favor will have to be repaid sooner or later.

He looked at Fang Hong and arched his hand, "Thank you, Lord Fang......"

Fang Hong smiled and said, "Lord Zhang is polite, I don't know how the scholar is when he comes in, the official plans to visit Mr. in the near future......

"My father is in good health." Zhang Yan smiled and said, "Lord Fang can come, the Zhang family welcomes him......"

……

From the first day of the new year to the fifteenth day of the new year, these days of the Xiu Dynasty should have been calm, but this year I don't know what happened, and several major events happened in the court one after another.

King Kang was assassinated, Tang Huai was robbed of the Ministry of Rites, and within a few days, the new Ministry of Rites was on the throne again, no one expected that he finally picked up this cheap, and it was actually the most unobtrusive Chinese scholar Zhang Yan.

The Zhang family has always been high-minded, regardless of court affairs, not involved in party affiliation, and acting in a very low-key manner, there are many party leaders, and they don't even know that there is such a person in Zhongshu Province.

This time, without warning, he sat in the position of the secretary of the Ministry of Rites and appeared in front of everyone.

After learning that Zhang Yan was sitting in the position of the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, Tang Ning was a little embarrassed.

When King Duan and King Kang were fighting for power, they relied on power and silver to win over the party, Zhao Yuan was smarter than them, and he relied on his sister.

The most speechless thing is that his trick actually works.

The Zhang family is an evergreen tree in Shilin, and its influence in the court is extraordinary, this time it must be inherited from Fang Hong, the Zhang family and the Fang family first formed a good fate, and Zhao Yuan had another invisible help in the court.

and his sister of the Wang family, Wang Xiang sits in the center, is really under one person, above ten thousand, and can play a decisive role at critical moments.

is also indispensable to his sister of the Bai family, the Bai family is in charge of the first guard of the East Gate, plus Tang Ning's Zuo Xiaowei, the Ling family is the family of the uncle who died young, this kind of good thing, naturally I will bring them in the future, and Xiao * can't get up * Jue, most of them have to join in this fun.

In this way, Zhao Yuan already has the weight of the Wenchen military generals.

In terms of the six departments, it goes without saying that Fang Hong's Shangshu, plus Tang Ning, can be the master, and in the future, he can continue to increase his bargaining chips.

The household department doesn't have to think about it, with Fang Zhe's old fox here, there is nothing to worry about at all.

The Lu family of the Ministry of War can be handed over to Xiao Jue, Zhang Hao of the Ministry of Industry, Tang Ning can also speak, the Ministry of Rites is Zhao Yuan's future father-in-law's family, can he not help his own uncle?

Among the six departments, Zhao Yuan already has five, and there is one criminal department that does not have a lot of power, so it is not a big problem.

These are Zhao Yuan's capitals, if it weren't for Tang Ning's slightly obsessive-compulsive disorder, and the six parts would be uncomfortable if they didn't get together, they would have been able to do nothing now, and wait for Zhao Yuan to pick peaches after his obscene development was completed.

Speaking of the Criminal Department, I don't know if Song Yi, the secretary of the Criminal Department, has a daughter at home, otherwise Zhao Yuan is working hard to get the six departments together......

Tang Ning came back from the ministry and just walked into the house, Qing'er trotted over and said, "Uncle, there are two guests at home......

Downing asked, "What guest?" ”

Qing'er touched her head and said, "What kind of criminal department is the book, what is the punishment, my uncle will go and see it." ”

Tang Ning walked into the side hall, looked at the two brothers Song Yi and Song Qian who were sitting in the hall drinking tea, and said with a smile: "Why did the two of you come over today......