[On the third day of the third month of March in the seventy-first year of the Great Qiankang Dynasty, in the study of the Jin Dynasty's mansion]

At this time, Li Ci, the king of Jin, was sitting in front of a bookcase, drinking tea while flipping through an ancient book with an unknown name. Sitting below him was a gray-haired man of about fifty years of age, with a slightly bloated build.

"Your Highness really thinks there's nothing wrong with my steward?" asked the gray-haired man.

"Hey, when did you become so verbose? This king has made it very clear that the head manager of your family has no problem at all!" Li Ci looked quite impatient on his face, he didn't raise his head, took a sip of tea, and replied casually.

"Your Highness! My subordinates just feel that the life of my Pan family's cheap son-in-law is really not worth mentioning like a pig and a dog, and I wonder why His Royal Highness King Zhao would work his daughter-in-law's body and personally perform magic for my cheap son......-in-law to diagnose the disease? ! Could there be any other reason?"

......

It turned out that yesterday evening, Li Yi, the king of Zhao, did not hesitate to consume the true yuan in his body, and personally cured Zhang Bo's illness, and then left the Pan Mansion by himself. That Pan Wenjuan returned to the mansion and listened to the whole process, but he couldn't figure out the inner reason after thinking about it.

Pan Wenjuan remembered the words left by Li Yi when he left, so he asked Li Mochou when he met King Zhao? Li Mochou was just a mere governor of Pan's Mansion, and how could he have had half of an intersection with King Zhao, who was famous all over the world, and Li Mochou replied truthfully at that time that he had never known King Zhao.

Pan Wenjuan has been climbing and rolling above the court for 30 years, not only scheming, but also suspicious, the more Li Mochou denies it, the more suspicious Pan Wenjuan becomes. Later, Li Mochou was forced to be helpless, so he had to fall to the ground on his knees and cry to his old master, he really hadn't even seen half of King Zhao.

Unexpectedly, the more Li Mochou cried bitterly, the more Pan Wenjuan didn't believe what the manager said. When he saw that the steward's eyes trembled slightly as he spoke, and his eyes always flickered, he became more and more suspicious that the steward had a ghost in his heart. So, Pan Wenjuan ordered Li Mochou to be locked up in a firewood room and interrogated by himself. Naturally, Pan Wenjuan interrogated for a long time until late that night, and the manager was still as he said. Even though Pan Wenjuan ordered people to whip him with dozens of sticks, Li Mochou still shook his head and denied it, insisting that he had never met King Zhao.

It's not that Li Mochou is strong-minded, but even if the chief manager wants to admit it, he can't talk about the details......

Pan Wenjuan saw that he couldn't ask the clue, and he was angry in his heart, so he wanted to impose a heavy punishment on Li Mochou. It was still his daughter Pan Yanfang, who remembered Li Mochou's usual benefits, and this time her husband was rescued, also thanks to Li Mochou's contributions. Therefore, Pan Yanfang personally rushed to the firewood room and pleaded bitterly in front of her father, which saved Li Mochou from torture.

Pan Wenjuan originally planned to interrogate Li Mochou before interrogating his son-in-law Zhang Bo. Pan Wenjuan knew Zhang Bo's temperament very well, as long as he said a few words to intimidate, he didn't need any torture tools at all, and his precious son-in-law would immediately tell him what he knew and confessed......

Hearing that Pan Wenjuan was going to ask Zhang Bo for questioning, naturally, his daughter Pan Yanfang was eager to protect her husband, so she resorted to another method of crying and making trouble, which made Pan Wenjuan finally dispel the idea of forcing Zhang Bo to interrogate. In the entire Pan Mansion, everyone knows that the old man has only such an only daughter in his life, and that Pan Yanfang was born smart and dignified, so she was deeply favored by the master. For this precious daughter's request, Pan Wenjuan almost never refuses.

However, after Pan Wenjuan thought about it, he felt that there must be something strange about this matter. He didn't dare to slack off, and after the second day of duty, he hurriedly ate dinner and came to the Jin Wangfu alone.

After entering the study of the Jin Wangfu, after retiring from the entourage, Pan Wenjuan personally brought Li Yi, the king of Zhao, to Pan's mansion to treat Zhang Bo's illness before and after, including the parting words of the king of Zhao, all of which explained the king of Jin in detail. However, what Pan Wenjuan didn't expect was that King Jin couldn't help laughing when he heard Pan Wenjuan's doubts:

"I said Lao Pan, you are also a third-grade master, how can you make such a fuss?"

"What a fuss?" Pan Wenjuan raised his head, unconsciously puzzled.

King Jin took a sip of tea and said slowly: "You don't know my third brother's temper, he said 'thank you if you want to thank you', the phrase 'thank you as your manager' is nothing more than his joke, but you take it seriously?"

"Jokes, my subordinates are terrified, I really don't know what kind of joke there is ......?" Pan Wenjuan was even more puzzled.

"Hey, I'll tell you that......" Li Ci had to explain patiently:

"My third brother's heart is like this, although he has passed the age of not being confused, but his nature is like ...... Although he looks like he is high above and rejects people thousands of miles away, he loves to joke with people the most in his daily actions, and it is always unexpected words that come out of his mouth, and there are always boundless words in his mouth...... He's not just for you, he's for everyone!"

Seeing that Pan Wenjuan was still thinking, Li Ci said again:

"It's no wonder that you misunderstood, if someone like my third brother hadn't stayed by his side for a long time, how would he know that a person as noble as him often acts like a child......"

Pan Wenjuan thought about it for a long time, and it seemed that he still couldn't accept the explanation that Li Ci said, as the Prince of Qizhu and the deputy head of the Great Qianshen King Pavilion, Li Yi, the king of Zhao, actually made a completely marginal joke with him, which was unimaginable in Pan Wenjuan's heart anyway......

"Could it be that what His Royal Highness King Zhao and his subordinates said was just his joke?

"Oh! How many times do you have to tell this king to you before you are willing to believe it? My third brother is a prince with a big job, even if he wants to be the crown prince, no one dares to fight with him! Is it necessary for him to intervene in your mere Pan Mansion? I said Lao Pan, you have such a brain...... Can you think of something serious?" Seeing Pan Wenjuan so stubborn, Li Ci couldn't help but feel a little unhappy, and he said a little impatiently.

Pan Wenjuan hurriedly replied: "Yes, yes, yes, my subordinates know!" After a pause, Pan Wenjuan said: "My subordinates just didn't figure it out for a while, why would His Royal Highness King Zhao personally treat his son-in-law at the cost of a thousand dollars and precious body? Moreover, I heard from my subordinates that in order to cure the illness of the dog, His Royal Highness King Zhao would order everyone in my house to avoid a hundred steps away, and Prince Zhao was busy in the dog's room for half an hour...... If Li Mochou has nothing to do with His Royal Highness King Zhao, could it be that Zhang Bo, the dog's son-in-law, is actually His Royal Highness King Zhao's eyeliner......?"

Li Ci really couldn't cry or laugh in his heart, he said in his heart, even if this Zhang Bo and Li Mochou are my third brother's eyeliner, how can my third brother do everything to show you, and tell you everything? In vain, you Pan Wenjuan has been in the officialdom for decades, and he can't even understand such a simple truth! He immediately slapped the table and scolded:

"There are so many things you can't figure out! Can my third brother's reasoning in doing things be something that you ordinary people can figure out? This king will tell you again, no matter what it is called...... Li Mochou's manager, or your bullshit son-in-law Zhang Bo, and anyone in your family, will not have anything to do with my third brother!"

Pan Wenjuan was busy standing up in his seat, and said with sincere fear: "Your Highness is training! Your subordinates understand! Your subordinates ...... The subordinates are just worried...... I am worried that if my subordinates mishandle it and tire up His Highness's reputation, it will be an unforgivable crime for my subordinates! After all, ...... Now up and down the court, everyone knows that Pan is a ...... of His Royal Highness Personally. ”

Li Ci, who was sitting in front of the bookcase, looked at Pan Wenjuan with a panicked look, and shook his head in his heart, he said in his heart, how did I find such a waste to be my subordinate?

However, Li Ci thought again, hey! Now that the second brother has been abolished, the eldest brother has been imprisoned again, and most of the official positions in the DPRK and the Central Committee are vacant, there are not many people who can use them in my hands, so I have to settle for a while.

Thinking of this, Li Xi had no choice but to wave his hand at Pan Wenjuan, motioned for him to sit down, and said softly:

"Lao Pan, this matter is over, don't mention it again from now on! After you go back, immediately release that Li Mochou to me, still let him be the head of your family, and reward him with some silver, don't spread this matter to me, if it reaches my third brother's ears, won't you give him a joke ......?!"

Pan Wenjuan had just sat down, and when he heard Li Xi's words, he hurriedly stood up again, bowed down and replied, "Subordinates obey orders!"

"Hmm......" Li Ci nodded, and then asked: "This king heard that your precious son-in-law went out to prostitute in the middle of the night, and not only went to Cuiyun Tower, but also prostituted a goblin in the dense forest in the suburbs?"

Pan Wenjuan was immediately frightened when he heard this, and some fine beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead, he didn't care about wiping the beads of sweat, and hurriedly replied: "The subordinates have no way to discipline them, so that the cheap son-in-law violates the ban late at night and openly prostitutes...... After his subordinates go back...... Pan Wenjuan thought for a moment in his heart, immediately gritted his teeth, and then said: Let's taste the book

"After the subordinates go back, they should immediately think about the aftermath! Tomorrow morning, the dog-in-law will 'die of illness', please rest assured, after the death of a person, he will naturally be ignored for all his previous things......

In Pan Wenjuan's heart, even if he put what he just said into practice, he would not feel the slightest guilt towards Zhang Bo. What he couldn't get away with was his beloved daughter Pan Yanfang, and at this time, Pan Wenjuan was already thinking about how to appease his daughter, and how to help his daughter choose a better son-in-law.

"NO, NO, NO!" LI CI WAVED HIS HAND AND SAID, "IT IS SAID THAT YOUR PRECIOUS SON-IN-LAW REALLY HAS NO NEED TO LIVE......! Since he is the person my third brother bothered to save again, it would be a pity to die like this again. After you go back, don't embarrass him, and discipline him strictly in the future!"

"But ......," Pan Wenjuan was still a little worried.

"Don't worry!" Li Ci knew what Pan Wenjuan was worried about, and smiled indifferently: "I, Li Ci, sit up straight, how can you be corrupted by a son-in-law?"

Pan Wenjuan leaned over to the end and thanked him earnestly: "Your Highness is benevolent and virtuous, and your subordinates are inexplicably admired!"

"Sit down!" Li Xi waved his hand to order Pan Wenjuan to sit down again, and then asked:

"Lao Pan, you have been in the household department for so long, how are you getting along with Qiu Mingli?"

"This ......" Pan Wenjuan didn't understand what Li Ci meant by asking for a while, he hesitated for a moment, and then replied: "Lord Qiu, as the head of the household, behaves decently, behaves properly, wins the trust of the Son of Heaven, and wins the hearts of the people, and his subordinates are the deputies of Lord Qiu, and he has always been conscientious and does not dare to slack off......"

"Hmm...... It seems that there is a Qiu Ming ceremony in this household, and you have no drama!" Li Xi took a sip of tea and said casually.

Pan Wenjuan was in a panic again, he hurriedly put down the tea cup he had just picked up in his hand, and was about to get up to defend himself, but he heard another sentence from Li Ci that made him even more unexpected:

"Then how about you go to the Ministry of Officials and be a scholar?"

Just now he was still ashamed of his gaffe, but now he heard that Li Ci was going to recommend him as the secretary of the ministry, Pan Wenjuan immediately turned his worries into joy:

"Your Highness, it has only been less than two months since my subordinates were promoted to the position of Household Servant, how can he suddenly be promoted to the secretary of the Ministry of Officials?"

Li Xi said indifferently: "This king said that if you can do it, you can do it!"

Pan Wenjuan got up when he heard this, and hurriedly thanked him: "Your Highness is very kind, even if your subordinates are broken, it will be difficult to repay Your Highness's kindness!"

Li Ci waved his hand and said: "Don't rush to thank you first, there are a few things, this king must tell you first......"

After Pan Wenjuan sat down, Li Ci took another sip of tea and said slowly:

"Now in this court, the second brother has long been abolished; the eldest brother has been imprisoned for life; although the third brother is a civil and military all-rounder, everyone knows that he is a person who has no intention of holding a big position. Although the sixth brother also has some ideas, he is just a straw bag, and he knows all day long, so there is no need to worry about it. Only my fourth brother is now the Prince of Jiuzhu, and he is one step away from the crown prince......"

Seeing that Li Ci talked about his brothers, Pan Wenjuan's face immediately straightened, and he sat there listening attentively, not daring to say a word, only to hear Li Ci drink a big sip of tea, and then said:

"If you want to talk about my fourth brother, he is much stronger than my eldest brother, second brother, and third brother! Don't look at him, he is everywhere worried about the country and the people, and takes the world as his own responsibility, but he is the most moody, what he thinks in his heart, who can know?!......

Li Ci squinted at Pan Wenjuan, who was sitting in front of him, and saw that he didn't dare to answer, so he spoke again: "My father said that he was 'too straight', in my opinion, he may be a bit harsh, but where is there half a point of 'straight'? The twists and turns in his stomach are hundreds of times better than ordinary people!"

"My father ordered me to be in charge of the household department by order, and he was ordered to be in charge of the ministry of officials. But he was good, and he also stuffed a Qiu Ming ceremony into my household department! At this moment, both the household department and the official department were all occupied by him! The household department is in charge of the world's money and grain, and the official department is in charge of the appointment and dismissal of big cadres, if these two departments are occupied by his fourth child, then what else will I do?!"

By this time, Pan Wenjuan had to say:

"Please rest assured, after your subordinates arrive at the ministry, you will do everything you can to firmly grasp the ministry in your hands for Your Highness!"

"Hmm......" Li Ci looked at Pan Wenjuan, with a slight look of approval in his eyes, he took another big sip of tea, and ordered:

"Lao Pan, after you arrive at the Ministry of Officials, this first task is to resettle those local officials, and all provinces, prefectures, prefectures, and counties in my world must have our people......

......

Immediately afterwards, on Pan Wenjuan's next plan after being promoted to the secretary of the ministry, Li Ci gave detailed instructions. At that moment, Pan Wenjuan hurriedly got up and gave up his hand, and agreed in his mouth. Li Xi saw that the time was almost over, and what he should say had been said, so he served tea and sent it off, and waved his hand to let Pan Wenjuan go out of the house through the back door.

After Pan Wenjuan left the Jin Palace, he felt a little uneasy in his heart, and he was still thinking about his son-in-law Zhang Bo.

"What should I do with this person?" Pan Wenjuan racked his brains and thought, he thought to himself, according to the will of the King of Jin, he could not kill his son-in-law, but he could not let this person seize the opportunity to go out again to "look for flowers and sleeping willows" in the future.

"It's better to ...... Just ...... this person like this" Pan Wenjuan suddenly thought of a way, as long as he went back to cast a spell like this on his son-in-law, Guan Bao made that Zhang Bo no longer have a way to go to Cuiyun Tower freely and happily. Thinking of this, Pan Wenjuan couldn't help but feel a little proud in his heart.

Pan Wenjuan quietly walked in the night of Chang'an City, at this time Chang'an City has strengthened the curfew, from time to time there are various teams of forbidden soldiers and Tsing Yi guards striding through. Although he is a member of the three grades of the dynasty, he really doesn't want people to know his whereabouts tonight, so he can only sneak into the night and try his best to hide his whereabouts from being discovered. Fortunately, Pan's Mansion and Jin Wang's Mansion are only separated by three streets, and Pan Wenjuan walked for half a moment before coming to the door of his house.

"Butler...... Mo Chou!" Pan Wenjuan whispered in front of his house. Only then did he remember that the manager of Pan Mansion, who had accompanied him for many years, was still imprisoned by him in the firewood room at this time, and he didn't know whether he was alive or dead!

The porter recognized the voice of his master, and hurriedly came to open the door for Pan Wenjuan. After Pan Wenjuan walked into his mansion, his heart began to feel a little calmer. At this moment, the night is deep, it is already the middle of the day, Pan Wenjuan looked back at the night of Chang'an, only to see a crescent moon hanging in the sky, next to the crescent moon, only a few lone stars faintly flickering......

The waning moon and the lonely star, the bleak wind and cold trees, the murmuring of the night, the loneliness of the city, in such a night, I don't want my Pan to learn such a great news! Pan Wenjuan was still immersed in the joy of his imminent promotion, so much so that when he walked towards his bedroom, he couldn't help humming an unknown little song in his mouth.

Pan Wenjuan himself has long forgotten that this little song is still the most famous Cuiyun Tower in Chang'an City, and the top brand Mingyue once taught him to sing......