Niuhang Street is in the easternmost part of Shangjing, which is the cheapest area for rent in Shangjing.

There is a small and inconspicuous courtyard at the end of the street. There are only two rooms in the house, a kitchen and a bedroom.

The yard is not big, seven steps to the end.

Seven steps, Wen Ling measured step by step, she had been waiting here for an hour.

Niuhang Street is the cheapest rent, but it is also the farthest away from Royal Street.

The household department has long been released, and Hua Rongxiu has not come back until now. This commuting time reminded Wen Ling of his previous days as a social animal.

It wasn't until the sunset dyed the small courtyard orange and red that Hua Rongxiu came back.

Wen Ling sat on a bamboo chair under the grass shed in the courtyard, heard the sound of him pushing the door, and looked up.

Hua Rongxiu was wearing a cyan official uniform, holding a roll of paper in one hand and a bag of food in the other, standing at the door and looking at Wen Ling in a daze.

Finding someone's house directly may have scared him, Wen Ling thought to himself.

But there is no way, his current identity is not convenient to summon him directly in the palace.

"Mr. Hua is back, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Why don't you give him a carriage, she thought.

Hua Rongxiu hurriedly straightened his clothes and came over to salute.

He was so thin, like a walking bamboo pole.

Wen Ling stood up and raised his hand to stop: "Mr. doesn't have to be polite, it's really helpless to take the liberty of visiting, I hope Mr. will forgive me." ”

Hua Rongxiu put the things in his hand on the table under the grass shed, stood with his hands crossed, and said with a bow, "Niangniang's words are serious, Niangniang's sudden visit is to inquire about the progress of the matter of hoarding grain?" ”

Wen Ling said: "No, the people below have reported in detail about hoarding grain and investing in business, and Mr. is really a great talent, and he is doing a good job." ”

She has let Hua Rongxiu handle a lot of money these days, but he still lives in such a place, and he doesn't even have a scholar.

"I came to Mr. today for something else," Wen Ling looked at Hua Rongxiu with a smile, trying to make himself appear kinder, "I remember the last time, Mr. said that your father had left something behind when he paid homage to him......"

Hua Rongxiu's expression changed slightly, and he explained: "Niangniang, those are actually-"

"Sir, don't be nervous, I'm not going to investigate, don't say it's a person like Mr. who has a family background, and his father used to be an official in the palace, that is, an ordinary Beijing official, who has no way in the palace, and secretly doesn't say it, aren't all the magistrates on the surface like the Jinjuyuan placed in the inner city? When the water is clear, there are no fish, and when people are observed, there are no disciples. ”

In the past few months, in order to save his life, Wen Ling has studied the bureaucratic system of the great cadres to the bottom.

Seeing the tension on Hua Rongxiu's face disappear, she continued: "However, a few days ago, did you hear that Your Majesty's imperial decree was rejected by Zhongshu Province? ”

Hua Rongxiu said truthfully: "I have heard of it a little." ”

Wen Ling thought, she really didn't guess wrong, since his father was the previous Tongping Zhangshi, then there must be someone from him in Zhongshu Province.

The fan in her hand knocked on the palm of her hand and paced slowly, "Last time I had already told my husband, Yan Si must be established as the prince, after your father's death, Zhongshu Province has not been appointed as a new Tongping Zhangshi, and the position of Zhongshu Ling has been suspended, and now Zhongshu Province is Liu Heng, the waiter of Zhongshu, has the final say, so my Majesty and I have thought of a way, hoping to get Mr.'s help." ”

She suddenly turned around and looked at Hua Rongxiu, waiting for him to answer.

Hua Rongxiu only raised his eyes to look at her, then lowered his eyes and said, "All ministers can do their best." ”

His voice was as dignified and calm as his people.

Wen Ling said with satisfaction: "Mr. Hua, it's really condescending to let you be a small household official, I think you are a very good talker......

Hua Rongxiu raised his head when he heard this, looking dazed.

A few days later.

On the vertical arch hall, hundreds of officials stand in a forest, and there is a dead silence.

Early this morning, the emperor picked up a secret seal and smashed it against Liu Heng, a scholar in the middle of the court.

The secret seal was played by Hua Rongxiu, the new inspector of the household department, who accused him of embezzlement of public funds and improper style.

Gong Yehan stood on the royal platform with his waist crossed, and a pair of eyes full of murderous intent looked condescendingly at the group of traitors below who had read the books of the sages, eager to kill them all.

Liu Heng knelt on the ground to defend himself: "Your Majesty, Weichen has been an official for more than ten years, and he has always been a clean sleeve, and he has never embezzled a penny...... It has always been a practice between the DPRK and China! ”

Although the power of Zhongshu Province is great, it is a clear water yamen, there is no oil and water on weekdays, and the money for the department's team building is paid by the employees themselves or the excess rice paper waste paper collected by the public, and the money sold is saved for tooth sacrifice.

Hua Yaozuo, the secretary of the Criminal Department, also came out to intercede: "Your Majesty, Lord Liu has served as a scholar for many years, and he has worked hard every day for state affairs, and he has eaten and dressed. ”

In fact, everyone knows that the emperor is not because Liu Heng was greedy for a little waste paper money from the public, but because Liu Heng rejected the emperor's edict to canonize the crown prince a few days ago.

also knew that the emperor was not because Liu Heng rejected the edict, but because Zhongshu Province had already been pocketed by King Ping.

I also know that the emperor is not because Zhongshu Province fell to King Ping, but because if the prince is successfully established, the Longyou Army will completely break away from the Pingwang Party.

If Liu Heng is dismissed today, the emperor's people will make up for the lack of Zhongshu Shilang, Gongye Yansi will be established as the prince, the Longyou army will become a princeling, and the court and the central government will be completely three-legged in the future.

It is said that it is three-legged, but Gongye is still young, and this princeling is actually for the royalists.

As soon as Hua Yaozuo came out, other officials immediately helped, because Hua Yaozuo was also a member of the Ping Wang Party.

And King Ping stood in the middle of the line, his face without waves.

Gong Yehan paced back and forth on the imperial platform, and called them one by one: "The secretary of the criminal department, the secretary of the department, the secretary of the department, the secretary of the Ministry of rites, the secretary of the military department, and the secretary of the Ministry of Industry...... Well, well, I'm glad to see you all in one. ”

Embarrassed, smelly, and colluded!

If it was usual, he would still have a lawsuit with these people, even if he couldn't say anything about this group of corrupt people, he would have to fight for it with reason.

But today he doesn't need to waste that tongue.

Today, he has Italian cannons!

He said to the eunuch beside him: "Give me Xuanhua Rong Xiu!" ”

The eunuch dragged a long voice and shouted: "Xuanhua Rong Xiu is here~"

As the eunuch's tail fell, a man in a cyan official uniform appeared at the door of the vertical arch hall.

The cyan official uniform is only nine grades, and it can't go to the palace.

But many of the officials present knew him, and even if they didn't, at least knew his father.

Hua Rong Xiu did not greet Hua Yaozuo when he put on this secret seal, and he did not tell him when he entered the Hajj. Suddenly appeared at this moment, Hua Yaozuo was already angry and turned into a pig's liver face.

I saw Hua Rongxiu walking calmly to the center of the main hall, shaking the hem of his clothes, kneeling down and saluting.

Gongye Han said: "Hua Qingping, just now you were outside the hall, can you hear what the scholars and the adults said?" ”

Hua Rongxiu got up and said lightly: "Weichen heard it." ”

Gong Yehan returned to the dragon chair and sat upright, with a look of anticipation of "then the rest will be handed over to you", and said, "Since you heard it, let's start." ”

Hua Rongxiu shook his head, this look of anticipation that he couldn't immediately throw the burden to others, he seemed to have seen it somewhere......

Hua Rongxiu clasped his hands, and the wide sleeves covered his hands.

He asked Liu Heng, who was still kneeling on the ground: "Liu Sheren just said that this is a custom between the DPRK and China, and since it is a convention, it means that it is not a law, right?" ”

Liu Heng retorted: "Although it is not a law, it is the case for all officials, not only in Zhongshu Province, but also in three provinces and six departments, which yamen is not like this?" ”

The implication is that everyone is like this, why do you punish me with one?

"Oh?" Hua Rongxiu pretended to be ignorant, "The last official has not entered the court in the past few years, and he doesn't know the rules of the court, so please tell me Lord Liu, which yamen is there, and how did he embezzle public funds?" ”

Liu Heng: "This, this ......"

Of course he knew this question, not only he knew, everyone knew it, even the emperor himself knew it.

Those who are in charge of horse politics can sell horse manure, and those who are in charge of pipes can make money, and these gray incomes that are not controlled by the imperial court finally go into the small coffers of various yamen.

But can he say that?!

This kind of thing that everyone knows and conventions can be done secretly, but how can it be said in the open?

Even if he said it in order to relieve himself, it would be tantamount to offending everyone. He is now one step away from the Zhongshu Order, and he can become the next prime minister of Daqian, how can he offend everyone at such a time?

There is already someone in the hall who has a dry cough, and this dry cough is to remind him: You yourself are unlucky, don't pull everyone into the water.

Liu Heng was so anxious that his face was red for a while and white for a while, but he couldn't speak.

Hua Rongxiu said again: "Since Liu Sheren can't say it, it is fabricated out of thin air, framing colleagues, and the crime is added to the first degree." ”

"You ......" Liu Heng was speechless.

Hua Rongxiu said to Hua Yaozuo again: "Hua Shangshu just said that Liu Sheren only embezzled more than 100 taels of silver, which is really a big breath, do you know that this 100 taels of silver is enough for a family of four to eat and drink for several years?" Hua Shangshu has a house and land at home, and he has been in the court for many years, I am afraid that he has long forgotten the suffering of the people, and he can say this kind of thing about why not eat minced meat! ”

Hua Yaozuo didn't expect him to suppress this nephew so much over the years, pressuring him to wait for election in the Shuchang Pavilion, but he could still find a way to take refuge in the emperor.

"Your Majesty, the minister just said that the punishment for dismissal and investigation is too heavy," Hua Yaozuo glanced at Hua Rongxiu with his spare eyes, "Please don't take it out of context." ”

Gong Yehan intercepted Hua Rongxiu, who was about to open his mouth to refute, and said, "King Ping, what do you think about this?" ”

As soon as these words came out, Liu Heng immediately cast a look at King Ping for help.

Although the emperor will not listen to King Ping, there are many people in the six parts who will listen to King Ping. As long as King Ping spoke, the emperor would not go against the will of the people.

Gong Yefeng took a step towards the middle of the main hall and replied, "Your Majesty, the minister also thinks that the punishment for dismissal is too severe, and it is more appropriate to double the penalty instead. ”

Zhongshu Sheren is very important to Gongyefeng's control of the government, and he can't easily give up this chess piece.

Hua Rong Xiu said: "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness King Ping and Hua Shangshu said that Wei Chen did not dare to agree, it is better for Your Majesty to ask the Criminal Department Shangshu, according to the laws of our dynasty, what is the crime of embezzling more than 100 taels." ”