Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather

"It's good that you didn't participate!" Zhou Yunsong took a sip of tea to warm himself up. Zhao Gongqing quickly picked up the teapot and poured tea for him again.

Zhou Yunsong said softly: "Your Majesty still has great trust in Marquis Jing'an. When Shangwu Temple was first built, Your Majesty intended to let Marquis Jing'an serve as the minister of Shangwu Temple, but Marquis Jing'an refused. At the beginning of the year, the Navy Commander's Office was established. Your Majesty He also wanted to let Marquis Jing'an serve as the left governor, but Marquis Jing'an also refused!"

"It is precisely because of this that your majesty has more and more trust in Marquis Jing'an. A general who does not fight for power and does not love power is undoubtedly the most reassuring to your majesty!"

"And Marquis Jing'an is also a smart man. The Yanwu Pavilion may seem unimportant, but this year the Yanwu Pavilion's disciples have joined the army one after another. As time goes by, the Yanwu Pavilion's disciples will be all over the Da Rong army, from the border From the army to the imperial army, from Shangwu Temple to various military posts, there are disciples and disciples of Marquis Jing’an everywhere!”

"Now Marquis Jing'an is just raising his hopes. The longer time goes by, the higher his prestige in the army will be. Maybe he will be the number one in the army in the future!"

"So offending Marquis Jing'an now is really not worth the gain!"

As a veteran who has been in the officialdom for decades, Zhou Yunsong understands everything in the court very clearly.

He actually knew what Yang Zhengshan was doing and what he wanted.

And what he said was right. Yang Zhengshan had been deliberately not taking power in order to avoid Emperor Yanping's suspicion.

He even left Kyoto to marry Yang Wanqing and traveled outside for more than half a year, all in order to eliminate the reputation brought by the previous conquest of Xingyue Sect.

Zhao Gongqing also understood this, and he asked softly: "What should the students do? The students are really afraid of Marquis Jing'an!"

He smiled bitterly. He had never been in contact with Yang Zhengshan before, and he had never cared about Yang Zhengshan's temper, but Yang Zhengshan's performance today really made him feel frightened.

Strong, arrogant, unscrupulous, and without any scruples.

These are the impressions Yang Zhengshan left on him today.

Zhou Yunsong felt that his body had warmed up a lot. He put down the tea bowl and said with a smile: "It's okay. If the Marquis of Jing'an is angry, just let him calm down. Tomorrow morning, if the Marquis of Jing'an impeaches you, please take the initiative to plead guilty and ask for help." It’s just a crime to be lax!”

He felt that Yang Zhengshan would not affect him no matter what. As for Zhao Gongqing, this matter had nothing to do with Zhao Gongqing anyway. As long as Zhao Gongqing took the initiative to plead guilty, there would not be much trouble.

"Students are afraid that Marquis Jing'an will cause trouble!" Zhao Gongqing was still a little worried.

"He is a smart man and knows when enough is enough!"

Zhou Yunsong smiled nonchalantly and said, "Let's go. Since you're here, let's stay and eat."

As he said that, he got up and walked towards the backyard.

After hearing this, Zhao Gongqing put Yang Zhengshan's affairs aside and followed Zhou Yunsong with a faint smile.

…

There was no words for a night, and the next day dawned.

Yang Zhengshan came to the door of Tai Chi Hall carrying his own book and wrapped in thick fur clothes.

Damn it, going to court in the middle of winter is really torturous!

In fact, Yang Zhengshan is not afraid of the cold. He has eaten ice heart fruit. Not to mention the winter in Kyoto, he can run around shirtless even in the winter in the snowy land.

However, not being afraid of the cold does not mean that you cannot feel the cold. Being cold on your body is uncomfortable, so it is more comfortable to wear something warmer.

Yang Zhengshan's appearance surprised many people. Some officials did not even recognize him. If you calculate carefully, he has not attended the morning court for more than a year. The last time he attended the morning court was when he was ordered to form the Sihai Navy.

"Hey, why are you here?" Liang Chu asked in surprise when he saw Yang Zhengshan.

Before Yang Zhengshan could speak, Lu Baishu came over and interrupted: "I know, is Marquis Yang going to impeach the officials today?"

After saying that, he winked at Yang Zhengshan.

"Impeach the officials? What's going on? Did the officials offend you?" Liang Chu said in shock.

Yang Zhengshan held up his sleeves and said lazily: "Well, I must make the officials look good today!"

Liang Chu looked him up and down with strange eyes, "Do you really want to impeach the officials?"

"Can't you?"

“It’s not that it’s impossible, I just don’t think it’s necessary!”

"Why?"

"Mr. Zhou Ge!" Liang Chu pursed his lips in the direction of Zhou Yunsong.

Yang Zhengshan glanced at Zhou Yunsong, who was also wearing fur clothes and taking a nap under the eaves.

Liang Chu's meaning is very obvious, that is, it is useless even if you impeach him, and Zhou Yunsong is protecting him, your majesty will not do anything to the officials at all.

How could Yang Zhengshan not know this, but today he just wanted to embarrass the officials.

After a while, the ritual music sounded and all the officials entered the palace.

Yang Zhengshan entered the palace among the military attachés, but after entering the palace, he felt embarrassed.

Where should he stand?

It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the morning court, and I don’t even know where I should stand.

In the early Dynasty of Da Rong, there were civil servants on the left and military officers on the right, each with three columns, arranged in order according to rank.

But there are many duplicates in the ranks. He and Liang Chu are both first-class, so who should stand in the front?

If you come to morning court frequently and the location is fixed, you will generally not change it, and no one will pay much attention to an inconsequential order.

Last time Yang Zhengshan came to court because he had to lead the army on an expedition, he stood at the forefront, next to Ning Guo Gong, but this time he obviously couldn't stand next to Ning Guo Gong.

Just when Yang Zhengshan was thinking about where to stand, Liang Chu said with a smile: "Yang Hou, here, you stand in front of me. It is rare for Yang Hou to come to court. Colleagues, give way to our Yang Hou!"

When all the ministers heard this, they couldn't help laughing.

"Marquis Yang, please!" Lu Baishu also liked to join in the fun and invited Yang Zhengshan forward.

"Ahem, I haven't come to court for a long time, and I feel a little uncomfortable. I've made everyone laugh, haha~~"

Yang Zhengshan smiled awkwardly and repeatedly handed over to the military attache in the palace.

As soon as he stood next to Liang Chu, he heard a eunuch shouting: "Your Majesty is here!"

The ministers quickly silenced themselves and waited with serious expressions for Emperor Yanping to enter the palace.

After Emperor Yanping came to the palace, he bowed again and then began to go through the process, and all the ministers started to play.

Most of the content of the morning court was actually discussed in advance, and the ministers' reporting was just a process to make things public.

For half an hour, it was all about small and medium-sized things, and Yang Zhengshan almost felt like dozing off.

This was the reason why he did not want to come to the morning court.

Most of the things in the court had nothing to do with him. When he came to attend the morning court, he was actually just like the pillar next to him. Nothing happened here.

Just when Yang Zhengshan was wandering around, Liang Chu next to him reached out and poked him.

"What's wrong?" Yang Zhengshan came to his senses.

"Aren't you going to play?" Liang Chu's beard trembled. He wanted to laugh but couldn't, so he could only hold it in.

Because Yang Zhengshan's voice was too loud just now, all the monarchs and ministers in the palace heard what happened.

Everyone looked at him one after another.

"Oh, Marquis Jing'an has also come to attend the morning court!" Emperor Yanping said in surprise.

Your Majesty, you might as well not speak!

Yang Zhengshan suddenly felt like he was caught fishing for fish at work and was caught by his boss.

But he has such a thick skin that it doesn't matter if he gets caught.

He took a step across, walked out of the queue, took out the memorial, saluted and said: "Your Majesty, I have something to report!"

The corners of Emperor Yanping's mouth curled up slightly. He glanced at Zhou Yunsong, then looked at Yang Zhengshan, and said with a smile: "It's accurate!"

What happened in the official department yesterday had already spread, and Emperor Yanping naturally received the news.

In fact, he had already seen Yang Zhengshan, but he just pretended not to see him.

He has been waiting for a good show.

Um!

Yang Zhengshan’s impeachment of officials, isn’t this a good show?

When Zhao Gongqing, who was standing in the ranks of civil servants, saw Yang Zhengshan coming out, he felt depressed and helpless, but he was already ready to apologize.

As soon as Yang Zhengshan finished his memorial, he would immediately stand up and plead guilty.

But what Yang Zhengshan said next made him completely confused.

"I am impeaching Zhou Yunsong, the Minister of Rites, for not being strict with his subordinates, for failing to supervise, for allowing officials of the Ministry of Personnel to sell their positions, steal power, establish a party for personal gain, and let down their appointed envoys."

Yang Zhengshan said in a clear voice.

Before he finished speaking, the hall fell into silence, with only his voice echoing in the hall.

The civil and military ministers looked at him with disbelief.

Even several cabinet ministers, Duan Rui, Zhou Mao and others couldn't help but look back at him.

Selling an official position to win a title, planting a party for personal gain!

This hat is so big!

Maybe the officials really have such a problem, but who in the civil and military dynasties dares to pierce this layer of window paper?

Zhou Yunsong closed his eyes slightly, but his hands were trembling slightly, proving that his mind was extremely unstable at this time.

Zhao Gongqing looked at Yang Zhengshan dumbfounded, wondering if he was dreaming?

Isn't he just a Martial Arts Pavilion Supervisor?

The Ministry of Civil Affairs could just transfer Bao Lang back. Why should Mr. Zhou Ge be impeached for this?

He couldn't figure it out or understand it!

Liang Chu looked at Yang Zhengshan, his eyes flashed, but there was a smile on the corner of his mouth.

Emperor Yanping, who was sitting on the dragon chair, looked at Yang Zhengshan with squinted eyes, his expression becoming calmer and calmer.

After Yang Zhengshan finished speaking, he glanced at Zhou Yunsong in front of him, and then stretched out his hand to hand out the memorial.

Impeach officials?

What a joke!

Who is being impeached when impeaching officials? There must be someone to impeach!

Zhao Gongqing obviously should not be the target of his impeachment. Only Zhou Yunsong is worthy of his impeachment in the morning.

He always cuts only the vital parts of people, either the heart or the neck. Even if he can't kill you, he will still scare you to death.

It was obviously not in line with his temperament to start a small fight.

If you want to make a fuss, then make it a big one. If you want to disturb the muddy waters of the court, then put in all your efforts. Otherwise, do you really think that he, the Marquis of Jing'an, is just a freeloader?

Zhang Mingzhong came and took the memorial from Yang Zhengshan's hand and presented it to Emperor Yanping. Emperor Yanping opened the memorial, glanced at it, and then closed it.

There is actually nothing in this memorial. Apart from explaining what happened to Sun Anyang and Bao Lang, the rest of the content was made up by Yang Zhengshan. After all, he had not conducted a specific investigation and had no evidence in his hands.

"Mr. Zhou Ge, do you have anything to say?" Emperor Yanping looked at Zhou Yunsong who closed his eyes to rest.

Zhou Yunsong opened his eyes and walked out of the queue unhurriedly and said: "I am guilty, please Your Majesty to deal with it!"

He simply said that he was guilty.

"Oh, tell me what's your crime?" Emperor Yanping asked.

Zhou Yunsong said: "I am not strict with my subordinates, which has caused some officials in the Ministry of Personnel to be ignorant, corrupt and pervert the law! I have betrayed the divine grace!"

When Yang Zhengshan heard this, he smiled disdainfully.

If you only admit that your subordinates are lax, then you won't admit other crimes!

Also, how could Zhou Yunsong admit that he planted the party for personal gain?

This old guy is very cunning. It is very interesting to say that some officials in the Ministry of Personnel are stupid because of their excessive power.

Although the Ministry of Personnel is Zhou Yunsong's foundation, not all officials in the Ministry of Personnel are Zhou Yunsong's people. At that time, Zhou Yunsong only needs to push out a few scapegoats, and then his crime of not governing his subordinates strictly will not be established.

Zhou Yunsong can even use this to exclude dissidents and kick out outsiders from the Ministry of Personnel.

However, this matter will definitely not end so easily, and the fun is still to come.

Yang Zhengshan glanced at Song Yuange next to Zhou Yunsong.

Brother, I have handed you the knife, and it is up to you to kill people next!

Emperor Yanping looked at Yang Zhengshan again and said, "Lord Yang, how do you think we should deal with Elder Zhou?"

This statement is also very particular. Although it seems that he is asking Yang Zhengshan for his opinion, Emperor Yanping calls Zhou Yunsong Elder Zhou. Isn't the meaning obvious?

Yang Zhengshan said very sensibly: "Your Majesty, everything is up to you!"

A smile flashed across the eyes of Emperor Yanping, but he said calmly: "Lord Zhou is not strict with his subordinates, he should be punished, and the officials of the Ministry of Personnel who accepted bribes should be strictly investigated!"

"Lord Zhou is dismissed from the post of Prince Tai Shi, and his salary is fined for half a year!"

"The Censorate will strictly investigate the officials of the Ministry of Personnel!"

Guan Wenshuo, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, heard this and immediately stepped out and said: "I obey your order!"

Yang Zhengshan lowered his head and curled his lips. Emperor Yanping was trying to smooth things over!

This punishment was not painful for Zhou Yunsong, and there was no intention to start at all.

Zhou Yunsong was the second assistant of the cabinet, and also the Minister of Personnel, the Prince Tai Shi, the Grand Master, and the Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace.

There are five official titles. The second assistant of the cabinet and the Minister of Personnel are real titles, the Grand Master and the Prince Tai Shi are nominal titles, and the Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace is the standard configuration of the second assistant.

The Grand Master is the first rank, meaning the teacher of the emperor, and the Prince's Grand Master is the first rank, meaning the teacher of the prince. These honorary titles are to indicate the achievements and status of the holders, and have no actual authority at all.

It is said to be the teacher of the emperor and the prince, but in fact it is just a title, and even the prince does not need to be a disciple to Zhou Yunsong.

So removing Zhou Yunsong from the post of the Prince's Grand Master will not affect Zhou Yunsong at all.

As for the salary deduction, it will have even less impact. How many officials in Darong rely on salaries to make a living?

"Your Majesty is wise!" Yang Zhengshan praised.

Let's make peace with it. Yang Zhengshan didn't expect Emperor Yanping to do anything to Zhou Yunsong. He had done what he had to do. After this stick was poked, the rest of the things had nothing to do with him.

After that, Yang Zhengshan retreated to the queue.

However, after he retreated, his eyes kept staring at Song Yuange, but Song Yuange did not express anything, and looked as if all this had nothing to do with him.

"Okay, let's adjourn the court!"

Emperor Yanping stood up and walked towards the imperial study, but when he entered the imperial study, he could no longer hide the smile on his face.

"Haha, interesting, interesting, Jing'an Hou's stick probably knocked out a lot of people!"

Chen Zhongshu next to him frowned, but didn't say anything.

He felt that the fierce fighting in the court was not a good thing, but as an inner court official around the emperor, he was used to being cautious in his words and deeds.

When the emperor asked him to speak, he would think before speaking, and when the emperor didn't let him speak, he never said a word more.