On the second day of the Lantern Festival, Zhang Wen wrote a book of recitals, wanting to show his presence in the imperial court; He really wanted to be summoned by Zhu Youzhen, relieved of the heavy responsibility hanging over his head, and wanted his credit to be recognized.

The book had little substance, so it passed through the General Administration Department very smoothly and reached the hands of Wang Tiqian and Wei Zhongxian.

Wei Zhongxian was illiterate, and Wang Tiqian read it again. Although Wang Tiqian is the palm seal of the celebrant supervisor, one level older than Wei Zhongxian, his attitude towards Wei Zhongxian is very respectful. Because Wei Zhongxian has a good relationship with the Hakka clan and is closer to the emperor, these Wang Tiqian all understand.

The two sat opposite each other, Wei Zhongxian was tall, had a long horse face, liked to half-squint his eyes and pretend to be profound, but in fact he was just illiterate; And Wang Tiqian is proficient in writing and ink, but he is short in stature and has no imposing appearance. So the two were together, and Wei Zhongxian looked like he was one level higher than Wang Tiqian.

After Wang Tiqian finished reading the fold, he asked respectfully: "Duke Wei, this fold doesn't say anything, do you want to show it to the emperor?" ”

Wei Zhongxian squinted his eyes and said in a slow tone: "The minister's excerpt is naturally for the emperor to know......"

Wang Tiqian reminded in a low voice: "Zhang Wen is the brother-in-law of the queen's mother. ”

Wei Zhongxian's small eyes glanced at Wang Tiqian, and after listening to his words, he remembered what happened not long ago. That day, Zhu Youxiao went to Kunning Palace and saw that Queen Zhang Yan was reading in the palace, so Zhu Youxiao asked Zhang Yan what book she was reading, and Zhang Yan opened the cover and said that it was "The Biography of Zhao Gao". There are many people in the palace, and Wei Zhongxian soon knew about this. Although Wei Zhongxian is illiterate, he also knows who Zhao Gao is. He understood that the queen was blowing the wind on Zhu Youxiao's pillow and wanted to be unfavorable to him. Wei Zhongxian was a little puzzled, Zhang Yan was a teenage girl, how could she think about doing it against herself?

Wei Zhongxian thought that Zhang Yan couldn't have complicated thoughts at all, and it was estimated that she couldn't even tell who was loyal and who was traitorous, so he thought that someone instructed Zhang Yan to say this. Citing some historical allusions, Wang Tiqian believed that his relative Zhang Wen was the operator behind the scenes. Wei Zhongxian then had a precautionary heart for Zhang Wen.

At this time, Wang Tiqian mentioned that Zhang Wen was the queen's brother-in-law, and Wei Zhongxian suddenly came to his senses, so he said: "Give it to our family, and our family has its own opinions." ”

Wei Zhongxian took the fold and went to the Heart Cultivation Palace, and asked the eunuch at the door, and Zhu Youxiao really tinkered with the "copper cylinder fountain" designed and manufactured by him himself. Wei Zhongxian immediately walked into the Heart Cultivation Palace, only to see Zhu Youjiao concentrating on his work, while looking at the drawings on the case, he was using a folding ruler to compare a copper cylinder.

Wei Zhongxian bowed down and walked in front of Zhu Youxiao, held the fold with both hands, bowed down and said, "Emperor, the imperial history Zhang asked about the fold." ”

Zhu Youxiao was on the rise, but when he heard Zhang ask, he couldn't help asking, "Zhang asks?" What did he say? ”

Zhu Youxiao is sometimes thinking about Zhang Wen these days. After considering all aspects, he decided not to mix it for the time being, because he couldn't figure out whether the responsibility of Liaodong's hundreds of thousands of teachers was Zhang Wen's share. Zhang asked if he didn't get involved in the military, how did he lead the army to defeat Jianyu at Qinghe Fort? In case I really have responsibility, I protected him, didn't I let Donglin come to me?

Whenever he thinks of the Donglin Party, Zhu Youxiao has a feeling that someone is holding a sword against his neck. He is afraid of humiliation, abuse, and attack, so he is unwilling to work against the Donglin Party, so he will be directly scolded as a faint tyrant, and it will be passed down in the history of all generations. So under the connivance of Zhu Youxiao, the eunuch party gradually formed, which could balance and even suppress the Donglin party. Zhu Youxiao is very satisfied with the current situation, I am a harmless emperor.

Therefore, Zhu Youxiao was even more reluctant to trap himself in fighting with Donglin for the sake of Zhang Wen. Zhu Youxiao said in his heart: Zhang Wen, I promoted you so quickly, you should go and fight with Donglin for a round to repay the grace of the saint.

Zhu Youxiao fiddled with his copper cylinder while pondering, and didn't even look back, as if he had forgotten Wei Zhongxian's existence.

Seeing this, Wei Zhongxian said softly: "Emperor, there are many ministers who have made a mistake about Zhang Wen's matter, how should the celebrant approve the red?" ”

Zhu Youxiao sighed, turned around and said, "I know everything, you can just watch it." Wei Zhongxian was overjoyed when he heard this, what he was waiting for was this, whenever he encountered political affairs, Zhu Youxiao would generally say so.

Wei Zhongxian thought proudly: Zhang asked, Zhang asked, you want to yin Laozi, see who is yin.

Soon, in accordance with the emperor's holy decree of "you look at it", the celebrant ordered Jinyiwei and the three law divisions to jointly review Zhang Wen's guilt. Zhang Wen was very depressed when he knew this result, and Jin Yiwei said that he had not offended Jin Yiwei; But the three law divisions can't put themselves to death? The three legal divisions include the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Dali Temple, and the Criminal Department, and at present, the three yamen are all members of the Donglin Party.

After the New Year, all the yamen opened their offices, and Zhang Wen frequently went to the Metropolitan Procuratorate, he was a member of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and he could learn some information in real time when he walked around the Metropolitan Procuratorate. He wanted to figure out what was going on in the palace, and why didn't he care whether Lao Tzu was dead or alive?

Zhang Wen finally heard about "the queen reading "The Biography of Zhao Gao". Somehow, that incident spread to the outer court, and the ministers spread it loudly, especially the people of the Donglin Party, who used this as a model to shape the image of Wei Zhongxian. Because of this incident, Donglin officials once again expressed their favor towards Zhang Wen, and there were signs of wooing. Not long ago, it was an enemy, and this will be won over again, so there really is no eternal enemy in the court.

This time, Zuo Guangdou did not go out in person, but let his protégé Su Cheng go out, Su Cheng and Zhang Wen also had some personal friends, and they had eaten "Buddha jumping over the wall" together before.

There are calligraphy and paintings with the theme of honesty and nobility everywhere in the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and the environment is very upright; The people inside, whether they were officials or soaps, behaved very decently. Su Cheng was no exception, he was neatly dressed, spotless, and very personable, greeting Zhang Wen.

Su Cheng expressed great admiration for Empress Zhang Yan's righteous deeds, and praised the mother's etiquette in the world, knowing the general and understanding of etiquette and music, which means that Zhang Wen, as the queen's brother-in-law, cannot be shameless and Wei Eunuch mixed together, and joining the Donglin Party is the road to prosperity.

Zhang Wen was very depressed in his heart, he knew Zhang Yan, she was a kind little girl, where did she have the scheming to admonish the emperor and go against Wei Zhongxian? He really didn't understand what was going on, he only understood that Zhang Yan had added a block to himself, and he had nothing to do to offend Wei Zhongxian. It's good now, the road on the emperor's side is blocked, can you only take root in the Donglin Party?

To be honest, Zhang Wen didn't want to join the Donglin Party at all. There are two reasons: one is that Zhang Wen thinks that the big backstage of the eunuch party is not Wei Zhongxian, but the emperor, and being an enemy of the eunuch party is an enemy of the emperor; Second, the position and camp often change, which is easy to give people the impression that the wall is grass and unreliable.

Zhang Wen thought of Qian Ruogeng, who had been imprisoned in the edict for nearly forty years, and his heart trembled, and he was unwilling to be a Donglin party when he died.

Su Cheng saw that Zhang Wen was slow to express his position, so he said in a low voice: "Master Zuo said that Master Zhang has a righteous heart, as long as he is lost and knows his way back, and is dedicated to the court and society, the previous things will be turned into small things and small things." Lord Zhang's hard work in Liaodong, the elders must do their best for Lord Zhang. ”

Su Cheng seemed to be afraid that Zhang Wen would not understand, and said it very bluntly. Zhang Wen groaned: "Yiyi's kindness, I understand it." Anyway, you and I are still friends in private, aren't we? ”

"Alas......" Su Cheng sighed when he heard this, glanced at Zhang Wen very incomprehensibly, and said, "Since Lord Zhang regards Xia Guan as a friend, why don't you work together and work together to do your best?" He lowered his voice and said, "Now Wei Gelding has a deep hatred for the queen, and Lord Zhang is a relative of the queen, I am afraid that Wei Gelding will be unfavorable to the Lord." Adults are both enemies of the eunuchs and our friends, so why should they put themselves in the middle? ”

Zhang Wen was silent and did not agree to Su Cheng's wooing. The reason is very simple, as long as you don't offend the emperor, no matter how big the crime is, the emperor will save Zhang Wen's life for the sake of his relatives; But once you get involved with Donglin and oppose the emperor, it is very likely that you will die in the mutual tilting of the eunuch party and the Donglin party.

Zhang Wen felt that his life was the most important thing, but he was inconvenient to say it clearly, so he was silent.

Su Cheng couldn't persuade Zhang Wen, so he gave up. At this time, two other ministers passed by in the corridor, and Zhang Wen and Su Cheng both saluted. The two officials were both members of the Donglin Party, and Su Cheng was very familiar with them, so they exchanged pleasantries.

Somehow, the topic of the chat turned to the eunuch party again, and I only heard an official laugh and said: "I heard people say, no matter what you commit, as long as you call Wei Zhongxian an ancestor, or a grandfather, you can be exempted, haha, calling dad depends on the official position, not anyone who wants to shout can shout." ”

After that, the three of them laughed. Su Cheng echoed: "I don't know if the two adults have heard about it, Cui Chengxiu, the governor of Zhejiang, will replace the vacancy left by the resignation of Zhang Heming, the secretary of the Ministry of War." It's not clear that Cui Chengxiu called Wei Zhongxian's father a few times. ”

"Haha......"

Zhang asked his heart to say that Cui Chengxiu was also a second-grade member, a sixth-grade petty official in Sucheng, and he actually called him by his name in a public venue, and the crime was in the party dispute.

Su Cheng glanced at Zhang Wen meaningfully, as if to say: I hope Zhang Wen will not be a shameless eunuch and tarnish the queen's reputation.

Zhang Wen lost interest in the Donglin Party members who were happy to fight, and immediately gave his leave. He returned home slowly, his face was not very good, and the people in the family were cautious, and he spoke very quietly, for fear of annoying Zhang Wen.

No matter what Zhang Wen thinks, this kind of thing is very unhappy and very disturbing. He ate supper, sat in the east wing of the inner courtyard, and stared at the candle flame for a long time.

It stands to reason that Zhang Wen is the head of the family and should live in the upper room on the north side. But when Zhang Wen's father was alive before, Zhang Wen had always lived in the east room, which became a habit, and he never moved after that; In fact, in this room, many small things happened that Zhang Wen will never forget.

He sat sadly and depressed for a long time, and when he looked up at the window, the night had already fallen, and the red lanterns of the New Year were still hanging under the eaves, which looked very festive.

Zhang Wen didn't feel sleepy, so he got up, opened the door, and walked in the yard. He walked out of the door of the inner courtyard, and there were two female guards standing at the door, and when they saw Zhang Wen, they all bowed down to Zhang Wen and saluted. Zhang Wen didn't pay attention to it, pacing by himself, he was thinking about the best way to crack this game.

He thought about it for a while, and then he returned to the matter at hand. Obviously, now the power is greater than the truth, so the fact of merit and demerit in Liaodong is not important, the important thing is who can speak for himself in the DPRK? At present, there are two factions in the DPRK and China, the Donglin Party and the Eunuch Party, and Zhang Wen of the Donglin Party is unwilling to join, so the Eunuch Party is left, and he offended Wei Zhongxian.

At this moment, Zhang Wen suddenly remembered that the Hakka family and Wei Zhongxian were not the same people who breathed out of their nostrils?