Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather

From the official department, Yang Zhengshan rode to the door.

The guard in front of the door quickly stepped forward and asked, "May I ask who your lord is?"

If ordinary officials come to the Ministry of Personnel, these officers will naturally ignore it. The threshold of the Ministry of Personnel is very high. Many officials who return to Beijing to report on their duties must spend money in the Ministry of Personnel. Even if they are just gatekeepers, they will not be given a few taels of silver. You can't even get in with the reward.

However, Yang Zhengshan was obviously not an ordinary official. Although he only brought a few personal followers and his clothes were relatively simple, the simplicity was only superficial.

His robes are made of fine brocade, his belt is woven with gold and jade, and even the saddle on Hongyun's back is made of silk, but the most important thing is the jade pendant around his waist, which is engraved with a unicorn pattern.

With this outfit, anyone with a sharp eye could tell that Yang Zhengshan was an extraordinary person.

This is not because Yang Zhengshan can show his dignity in front of others. In fact, the current status of the Yang family does not allow him to keep a low profile.

The Yang family has no shortage of money, so they naturally have to be more particular about what they wear. There is no need to pretend to be poor or ugly.

"I'm Yang Zhengshan, is Mr. Zhou Ge here?" Yang Zhengshan asked.

Hearing this, the officer hurriedly bowed and said, "I have met the Marquis. If I go back to the Marquis, Mr. Yang Ge did not come to the staff department today. He should have gone to the cabinet!"

Yang Zhengshan nodded slightly, "Then take me to see Minister Zhao!"

If Zhou Yunsong were here, he would have to be more restrained. After all, Zhou Yunsong was not only the Minister of Rites, but also the Second Assistant to the Cabinet. Yang Zhengshan would have to give him some face.

Now that Zhou Yunsong is not here, he can let go and make a big fuss.

He came to the Ministry of Personnel to cause trouble, not only because of Sun Anyang's affairs, but also to express his attitude.

I can ignore what your officials do, but you can't cause trouble for me. If you dare to cause trouble for me, then don't blame me for my troubles.

Without waiting for the officer to speak, Yang Zhengshan strode into the gate of the official department.

The guard was quite smart and trotted in front of Yang Zhengshan to lead the way, while asking his companions to run quickly to report to Zhao Gongqing.

When Yan Zhengshan came to the door of Zhao Gongqing's office and study, Zhao Gongqing had already gone out to greet him.

"Your Excellency, Marquis Yang, is here. I am sorry to hear you come from afar. I hope Marquis Yang will forgive me!"

Zhao Gongqing said with enthusiasm.

Yang Zhengshan returned with his hands over and said, "Master Zhao, I came to the Ministry of Personnel today to ask for an explanation!"

"Ah, well, has Xianguan offended Marquis Yang in any way? If so, Xianguan will apologize to Marquis Yang." Zhao Gongqing said quickly.

Yang Zhengshan shook his head, "Master Zhao did not offend me, but you officials did!"

"Bao Lang, the supervisor of Yanwu Pavilion, has done a good job. Why did you transfer people away? You just transferred people away, and you also arranged for moths to go to Yanwu Pavilion!"

"I haven't been in Kyoto for a few months, and this moron actually embezzled two hundred thousand taels of silver in the Yanwu Pavilion!"

"Is this how your bureau selects officials? Do you select corrupt officials? Or do you mean that your bureau only selects officials based on money, not talent?"

Yang Zhengshan responded mercilessly and shouted loudly in broad daylight.

You must know that at this time, not all the officials in the official office are officials from the official department. There are also many officials who come to the official department to do business, especially those who return to the official department to report on their duties. Many people are secretly looking here.

Zhao Gongqing's face suddenly darkened, "Master Hou, Master Hou, don't say this nonsense!"

"What? I was wrong. That Sun Anyang has been sent back to Suninghou Mansion by me. Damn it, a little brat can actually serve as the supervisor of the Yanwu Pavilion!"

"He is so talented in essays that he can't even calculate accounts. In terms of martial arts, he is just a warrior, not even as good as an ordinary disciple of the Yanwu Pavilion. In terms of virtue, he is proficient in eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling."

Yang Zhengshan had no respect for Zhao Gongqing at all, and his voice got louder and louder, "Master Zhao, have you also accepted money from the Sun family? Huh, why don't you let him, a prodigal, work in my martial arts pavilion!"

"And what about Bao Lang? Mr. Bao has been working at Yanwu Pavilion for three years. He has worked conscientiously and made no mistakes. Why did you transfer him away?"

"By the way, where was Bao Lang transferred to?"

Yang Zhengshan thought of his old subordinate. Although Bao Lang was young, he had served as a judge in Dali Temple before and was a serious Jinshi. Apart from his somewhat rigid temperament, Yang Zhengshan sincerely thought that Bao Lang was pretty good.

"This~~" Zhao Gongqing didn't know what to say for a while.

He generally understood what was going on, but it had nothing to do with him.

He didn't even know who Bao Lang was, or how Sun Anyang entered the Yanwu Pavilion.

Yang Zhengshan did not intend to give him a chance to defend himself, and said directly: "Master Zhao, if you don't give me an explanation today, I will have no choice but to go to the palace and ask your Majesty to administer justice."

He cupped his hands in the direction of the imperial city to show respect, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, how can you allow corrupt officials like you to sell your official positions and get titles?"

As soon as these words came out, Zhao Gongqing's face turned pale, "Master Marquis, Master Marquis, please stop talking. I will go and find out the matter immediately!"

He was not afraid that Yang Zhengshan would go to Emperor Yanping to seek justice. He was afraid that Yang Zhengshan would say something unpleasant again.

Selling an official position and getting a title!

If this word spreads, their officials, big and small, are afraid that they will be reviled by countless people.

Yang Zhengshan really dared to say anything and was not afraid of offending officials, big or small.

"Okay, I will give Mr. Zhao a face today, and I will wait for Mr. Zhao to find out the matter!" Yang Zhengshan said arrogantly.

"Master Marquis invites you to drink tea in the house. I will go and arrange it now!" Zhao Gongqing was about to cry.

"What tea! I'm not in the mood for tea now." Yang Zhengshan glared at him in dissatisfaction, and then ordered Li Chang behind him: "Go and move a chair for me, I'll sit here and wait!"

Li Chang didn't waste any words, and went directly to the next room to find a chair.

Yang Zhengshan sat in the courtyard of the Ministry of Personnel with a big horse and a golden sword.

Zhao Gongqing really couldn't do anything about him, so he could only trot to arrange people to inquire about the specific situation.

Selling official positions and titles!

This is a bit serious, but every official in the Ministry of Personnel has made a lot of money.

When officials from other places return to Beijing to report on their work, they all spend a lot of money to get connections. If they don't have money to spend, they can only wait for a vacancy in Kyoto.

Yang Zhengshan had heard about the style of the Ministry of Personnel a long time ago, but these things should have nothing to do with him, and he was too lazy to pay attention to these messy things.

But Sun Anyang's matter really disgusted him. If he didn't make a big fuss today, he didn't know what the Ministry of Personnel would do in the future.

If they dared to transfer Bao Lang before, they will dare to transfer Hong Yanfeng and Wan Shu tomorrow, and maybe they will dare to transfer Jiang He in the future.

It's okay to transfer them. If Bao Lang and others are promoted, Yang Zhengshan will be very happy to see it.

But the problem is that the Ministry of Personnel cannot arrange some messy people for him to enter the Martial Arts Pavilion.

Soon, Zhao Gongqing came back, and he said with a smile on his face: "My Lord, it's because I didn't control my subordinates strictly, so such a dirty thing happened!"

"I have already checked it out. This matter was done by Li Quan, the head of the Ministry of Literature. Don't worry, my Lord, I will punish this person severely!"

Yang Zhengshan looked at him, this is a scapegoat!

Forget it, Yang Zhengshan glanced at the officials around who were watching the excitement, and he was too lazy to get to the bottom of it with the Ministry of Personnel.

He didn't come to the Ministry of Personnel to fight corruption, he just came to act arrogantly.

"Where is Bao Lang?"

"Uh, Lord Bao was transferred back to the Dali Temple!"

"What position?"

"Still a judge." Zhao Gongqing said somewhat embarrassedly.

Yang Zhengshan glared, "Lord Bao worked diligently in the Yanwu Pavilion, not only was he not promoted but he was demoted? Is this how you do things in the Ministry of Personnel?"

The judge of the Dali Temple is the seventh rank, and the supervisor of the Yanwu Pavilion is the sixth rank.

Bao Lang went from the Dali Temple to the Yanwu Pavilion, which was a promotion, but now Bao Lang was transferred back to the Dali Temple, and he was still a judge.

Yang Zhengshan suddenly felt that he had overestimated the bottom line of the Ministry of Personnel.

This was not even a matter of basic rules.

Originally, Yang Zhengshan wanted to give up, but now he couldn't let it go.

The reason was simple. Bao Lang was his subordinate. If Bao Lang was suppressed, he, as a superior, didn't stand up and say something, where would his face be?

The Ministry of Personnel dared to do this, and it really didn't take him, the Marquis of Jing'an, seriously.

"Lord, calm down, Lord, calm down!" Zhao Gongqing said with a smile on his face.

Yang Zhengshan snorted, "I'm very angry now!"

"I'll see you tomorrow morning!"

He said, and left with a flick of his sleeves.

Damn, a bunch of people who are just sitting there doing nothing, if I don't make a scene, you don't know what arrogance is!

Zhao Gongqing looked at Yang Zhengshan's departing back, his face turning pale.

At this time, he was also full of anger, both at Yang Zhengshan's arrogance and his subordinates' messing around.

Yang Zhengshan didn't hold any important position now, but at the beginning of the year, Yang Zhengshan had just won a victory and was named a first-class marquis.

But the officials of the Ministry of Personnel actually messed around under his hands.

To be honest, Zhao Gongqing wanted to kill those brainless bastards.

But he was the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel after all, and Zhou Yunsong was not there. He had to maintain the face and interests of the Ministry of Personnel, and there were some things he couldn't go into too much.

"Go and tell the old man, forget it, I'll go there myself!" Zhao Gongqing didn't care about anything else and went to the imperial city to find Zhou Yunsong.

It was already evening, and when Yang Zhengshan returned to the Marquis's Mansion, the sky had already darkened.

Yang Zhengshan went directly to the study and wrote a memorial in a flamboyant manner.

He decided to take the opportunity to make a big fuss and stir up the muddy waters of the Darong court.

Qu Changkong's words really came true at the beginning, and he had no choice.

The disputes among civil officials in the court became more and more unruly, forcing Lu Wenyuan to be exiled from Beijing, and someone dared to suppress the officials of the Yanwu Pavilion.

Bao Lang was demoted and transferred back to the Dali Temple, which was suppression.

If Yang Zhengshan didn't stand up today, anyone might come to disgust him in the future.

You should know that Yang Zhengshan has many old friends. From Chongshan Town to Liaodong, civil officials and military generals have a close relationship with him.

Lu Wenyuan and Lin Zhan have the closest relationship with him, but don't forget that the Yang family has some less obvious relationships in the officialdom.

For example, Zheng Xiao is now the governor of Liaodong, the governor of Pingyuan and Liaoyuan provinces, and the supervisor of salt industry, Maritime Customs and other matters.

In fact, Zheng Xiao inherited the political capital of Liu Yuanfu, and many of Liu Yuanfu's disciples are now centered on Zheng Xiao.

Yang Zhengshan and Zheng Xiao have always had a close relationship, and the two families are also considered in-laws. Lin Zhan's wife is Zheng Xiao's youngest daughter.

In addition to Zheng Xiao, another civil servant who is close to Yang Zhengshan is Pang Tang, who has been the governor of Chongshan Town for nearly ten years. He is also the leader of a group of civil servants in Chongshan Town.

However, whether it is Zheng Xiao or Pang Tang, they are far away from Kyoto, so they are not involved in the struggle in the court.

But not being involved does not mean that there is no impact.

Just look at the officials under Pang Tang and Zheng Xiao and you will know that there have been almost no promotions in recent years.

Even Zheng Xiao is now just a censor of the capital of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. As a governor, he is much inferior to Pang Tang. Pang Tang can intervene in all military and political affairs of Chongshan Town, while Zheng Xiao, the governor of Liaodong, is only responsible for the salt industry and The Municipal Shipping Department has no right to interfere in military and political affairs.

If we want to divide the factions, Yang Zhengshan, Pang Tang, and Zheng Xiao are all considered to be from the Liaodong faction. Zheng Xiao is a little bit special. He inherited the political capital of Liu Yuanfu and should have a certain status in the Metropolitan Procuratorate. But in recent times, Nian Zheng Xiao's official career was not smooth, and he had been wandering around Liaodong.

It's not just the Yanwu Pavilion that needs Yang Zhengshan's care, but also Pang Tang and Zheng Xiao. Yang Zhengshan can be their spokesperson in the court.

However, the officials in various departments of the court became more and more unruly. Those who should be promoted were not promoted, and those who should be demoted were not demoted. This was the main reason why Yang Zhengshan wanted to disturb the muddy waters of the court.

If you just want justice for Bao Lang, then Bao Lang can be transferred back to the Yanwu Pavilion, but Yang Zhengshan represents the interests of Chongshan Town and the civilian and military generals in Liaodong. Even if Yang Zhengshan is unwilling to participate in the battle in the court, he I also had to take part in it.

Unless he is willing to sever himself from the Liaodong Clan and completely sever his relationship with Chongshan Town and the civil servants and generals in Liaodong, he must fight for the benefits he deserves for the Liaodong Clan.

Especially the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War. One of these two departments is in charge of the promotion rewards and punishments of civilian officials, and the other is in charge of the promotion rewards and punishments of military attachés. Yang Zhengshan must express his attitude.

The Ministry of War is easy to talk to. Yang Zhengshan has had more contact with the Ministry of War, and the officials of the Ministry of War have a deeper understanding of him.

But the staff department was different. Yang Zhengshan had almost never dealt with the staff department.

So this time Yang Zhengshan wanted to give the officials a stick to let them know that Marquis Jing'an was not someone to be trifled with, so don't disgust him.

…

At night, the Zhou family's residence.

Zhou Yunsong had just returned home from the imperial city when he saw Zhao Gongqing sitting in the hall.

"Gongqing, why are you here?" Zhou Yunsong asked in surprise.

Zhou Yunsong is not young anymore, he will be 70 years old in two years, but his body is still relatively strong and his spirit is also very good.

Compared with him, Song Yuange is older, now seventy-four years old, and frail. He was infected with wind and cold two days ago and is now recuperating at home.

"Mr. Ge, the Marquis of Jingan is going to the Ministry of Civil Affairs today~~"

Zhao Gongqing did not talk nonsense and directly recounted what happened today, "Mr. Ge, tomorrow morning, the Marquis of Jing'an will definitely impeach the officials. What should we do?"

Zhou Yunsong sat down, holding a hot tea bowl to warm his cold hands, and said, "You didn't participate, did you?"

"Mr. Ge, please stop laughing at the students. Students are so busy all day long that they don't have time to care about these things!" Zhao Gongqing said with a bitter smile.

He did not shirk it. Zhou Yunsong also served as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, but his main energy was on the cabinet, and the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel fell on the left and right ministers.

Although Zhao Gongqing does not have the position of Shangshu, he is exercising the power of Shangshu.

The Superintendent of Yanwu Pavilion is only a sixth-grade official, so there is no need for him to handle it personally.