Zhang Wenzheng, courtesy name Changxing, was forty-three years old. After becoming an official, his ancestor served as Qinzhou general and governor. His father was a famous talisman master in Hexi, and his family was also a wealthy family in Qinzhou City.

Zhang Wenzheng is talented and intelligent. He can write at the age of four and poetry at the age of seven. He has a talent that can be remembered and recited. He is also a well-known child prodigy in Qinzhou. At the age of fifteen, he has reached the ninth level of the body training realm.

At that time, Zhang Wenzheng was regarded as a genius who could make the Zhang family prosperous.

Just like Zhao Ning, Zhang Wenzheng was also cultivated by his family. He was favored by thousands of people. He got whatever he wanted. He only hoped that he could become a nationally famous Talisman master, enter the imperial court as a prisoner, become a great craftsman of the dynasty, and bring the family to the forefront.

Brought into Yanping City from Qinzhou.

At first, Zhang Wenzheng behaved very much in line with the family's expectations. Not only did he become more and more skilled in refining talisman weapons, but he was also capable of both literary and martial arts. This won him many praises from the family and the city of Qinzhou. Everyone praised him for his youthful maturity and general knowledge.

, it will become a great weapon in the future.

However, it is not so easy to become a great person. If the so-called youthful maturity is not accumulated through hard work at a young age, but just instinctively listens to the elders, then it is definitely not stable and is not really mature.

The largest family in Qinzhou City is the Guanzhong Pang family. The Zhang family has a good relationship with the other party, because the Zhang family's level of refining talisman weapons is unparalleled in Qinzhou, and the produced talisman weapons are more powerful, so the Pang family invited Zhang

The family's talisman master refined amethyst stone talisman weapons for them.

With this relationship, the two families had increasingly frequent contacts. The Pang family was extremely powerful. How could the Zhang family not intentionally make friends? As time went by, the two families became closer.

Under such circumstances, Zhang Wenzheng met Pang's daughter, Mu Shaoai, who was a young man. It was natural for young people to do this. In addition, Zhang Wenzheng was well-known, so he took a high look at Pang's daughter. As time went by, the two fell in love with each other.

However, this is also the problem. Since ancient times, it has been common for men to marry a wife with a lower family lintel, but it is not easy for the woman to marry down. Naturally, Pang's legitimate daughter has to climb a high tree, so that it is beneficial to the family.

At that time, Zhang Wenzheng and Miss Pang were both young and not very familiar with the ways of the world. They thought together privately that as long as Zhang Wenzheng became successful and had a bright future, the two of them would definitely fall in love and get married due to the close relationship between their two families.

What does it mean to be a distinguished person? The Pang family is from a scholarly family. If Zhang Wenzheng can pass the imperial examination and pass the imperial examination, he will definitely be accepted by the Pang family.

From then on, Zhang Wenzheng gave up studying the art of talisman weapons and devoted himself entirely to reading the books of sages, studying them day and night, forgetting to sleep and eat.

Of course, the Zhang family does not want Zhang Wenzheng to take the imperial examination. The talisman-army method passed down from generation to generation in the family is the foundation. At first, it was persuasion, and later it was family law...

But Zhang Wenzheng is a bastard who has become determined and will never change his ambition no matter how much his family teaches and forces him.

On the one hand, he wanted to stay together with the beautiful woman forever, but on the other hand, he also felt that one more talisman master in the family would not be more than him, and one less than him would be a big deal.

Furthermore, he took the imperial examination and followed the right path, not to engage in crooked ways. He also believed that when he became a high-ranking official in the future, it would also be of great benefit to the family. This was not considered unworthy, so he was determined.

Zhang Wenzheng is indeed a former child prodigy. Even though he had not put much thought into poetry, articles, and current affairs policy before, and even though he did not have the guidance of a famous teacher due to family objections, it only took him two years to obtain the status of Juren, and he had the opportunity to go to the capital to take the examination.

qualifications.

In the early spring of that year, Zhang Wenzheng rode out of Qinzhou City alone, with the reputation of being a rebellious son, without anyone coming to see him off. When he reached Shiliting, he was overtaken by Miss Pang on Pegasus.

At that time, it was the season when the warmth was turning cold and the grass was luxuriant. The two fateful mandarin ducks held hands outside the pavilion and looked at each other with tears in their eyes. They expressed their sincere feelings to each other and made an oath to never betray each other.

Until the sun turned to sunset outside the mountains, and finally had to break off the willows to say goodbye. One person rode a horse for a long distance, constantly looking back, while the other person watched alone, playing the piccolo in the evening wind.

At that time, Zhang Wenzheng did not expect that this would be the last time the two of them would see each other.

Zhang Wenzheng, who had traveled all the way to the capital, was confident and prepared for a long time in the capital. Just as he was about to enter the examination room, a tribesman hurriedly brought bad news.

The head of the Zhang family, who was in charge of the Jiangzuo Mansion in Qinzhou, was imprisoned for corruption. The talisman masters from the Zhang family who worked in the Jiangzuo Mansion were either implicated or dismissed from office.

Feeling deeply wronged, the Zhang family complained to the governor, the Pang family, but were informed by the other side that the evidence was conclusive and that not only the chief Zhang family members were to be executed, but also the Zhang family's talisman masters who served in the General's Office were to be exiled to the misty land of Lingnan.

After the Zhang family members prayed in every possible way, the governor vaguely hinted that in order to save their lives, a large amount of money would be needed to open up the joints.

The amount of money needed was so much that the Zhang family had no choice but to sell their properties. But the strange thing was that no one in Qinzhou City dared to purchase the various properties of the Zhang family, saying that they were evidence of the criminal officials and needed to be seized.

In the end, only Ponzi was willing to acquire it, saying it was out of friendship between the two companies. But the price could only be 30% of the market price.

Unfortunately, the head of the Zhang family was tortured excessively in prison and was on his deathbed. In order to save people, the Zhang family had no choice but to sell all their properties to the Pang family and emptied the family treasury. Finally, they collected enough money.

The head of the Zhang family was already unconscious when he was rescued. The Zhang family tried their best, but they could only let the head of the Zhang family say one sentence before he died: It was the Pang family who framed him in order to annex the Zhang family...

When Zhang Wenzheng returned to Qinzhou City, his home was completely deserted.

Since then, the Zhang family, which was once considered a wealthy family in Qinzhou City, has completely declined.

The Zhang family used the money they got from selling their ancestral home, and asked Zhang Wenzheng and his son to bring them to the capital, and asked an old military friend who had been favored by the head of the Zhang family to help him file a petition.

After they came to the capital, they were told that there was no chance of success, because the current prime minister came from the Xu family, and the Pang family was not only a well-established family, but also an in-law family of the Xu family, with overwhelming power, and Zhang Wenzheng and the others still had in their hands.

There is no actual physical evidence...

In the end, the old friend from the army followed Zhang Wenzheng's father's wishes and used part of the money they brought to help Zhang Wenzheng find a job in the patrolling captain's mansion.

At first, Zhang Wenzheng wanted to rely on his own talents to get promoted step by step, and when he became an important minister of the dynasty and wielded great power, he would then clear the wrongs for the Zhang family and make Pang pay the price for his crimes.

It's a pity that he was too young and thought too simply.

Not to mention that there are so many young men from aristocratic families in the Duwei Mansion that it is not easy for Zhang Wenzheng to be promoted. The Duwei Mansion is also suppressed by the Jingzhao Mansion and has no chance to handle major cases and make meritorious deeds.

Later, Pang Sheng, who came from the Pang family, became Jing Zhaoyin.

In the capital city, a place where princes and nobles gather, Zhang Wenzheng is a lonely and helpless young man. Even though he has three heads and six arms, it is of no avail.

The years have passed by like a fleeting moment, and more than twenty years have passed in just a blink of an eye. The once talented and romantic man has now grown his hair on the temples. Whenever the moon rises in the sky, looking back at the past in a dimly lit simple house, all he sees is wasted years.

.

The unwillingness, grief, anger and self-blame accumulated day after day, in the middle age when there is no hope in life, can only be swallowed into the liver and intestines with the hot bad wine.

…

After listening to Zhang Wenzheng's story, Zhao Ning was silent for a long time.

Happiness in the world is mostly similar, but misfortune is different. There is no doubt that as long as you have more power and wealth, you will have more happiness, and most of the problems in this world can be solved by them.

And if unfortunate people are not bullied and oppressed by people with a lot of power and wealth, their misfortunes and unhappiness will definitely be much less.

Zhao Ning knew what he wanted to know: the Liu family's amethyst stones were basically only sold to family members. As a wealthy family, it was reasonable for the Pang family to own a lot of amethyst stones every year.

"After the Chinese New Year, Mr. Zhang Qi will come to Zhen Guogong Mansion. As long as you can refine amethyst stone talisman soldiers, feel free to ask for it."

Zhao Ning gave his decision. He could verify what Zhang Wenzheng said very quickly, so he didn't have to worry about lying to him.

Zhang Wenzheng looked at Zhao Ning with burning eyes: "If the Zhao family ever overthrows the Pang family, can Zhang be allowed to take revenge? Apart from that, Zhang has nothing else to ask for!"

"If such a day comes, I will not let Mr. Zhang Qi down." Zhao Ning nodded in agreement.

He thought to himself: Zhang Wenzheng could not do anything to Pang in ten lifetimes with his own strength. It seemed that Zhao's unstoppable defeat of Liu had given Zhang Wenzheng some hope, and he had a lot of confidence in Zhao.

Then he took the initiative to come over without losing the opportunity.

Perhaps, the tragic past of the Zhang family may also become a weight for him to deal with the Pang family.

Thinking of this, Zhao Ning couldn't help but sigh to himself. To this day, he still doesn't know if Zhang Wenzheng will ever see his young love again in this life. If he does, he doesn't know what it will be like.

"Thank you, Mr. Zhao Qi!" Zhang Wenzheng stood up, straightened his robes, and bowed solemnly.

…

After Chen Anzhi finished drinking the sobering soup, he put down the bowl, glanced at his stern-faced father at the head of the table, and took the initiative to speak: "Father called my son over late at night, but what did he teach me?"

Chen Xun glanced at Chen Anzhi and said calmly: "From now on, I won't get together with your two general friends. I told you yesterday that the relationship between the Chen family and the Xu family has changed.

The power is the same as fire and water. As the eldest grandson of the Chen family, you need to pay attention to your words and deeds. Even if you want to interact with them, you have to pass this period of time to avoid being criticized by Xu Mingliang... well, to avoid being criticized by Xu Xiang.

Tao four."

Chen Anzhi was scratching his head and feeling troubled.

"Father, we have been at odds with the Xu family for more than a year or two, so why did we end the feud so quickly and turn our hostility into friendship?" Chen Anzhi has been wanting to ask this question for a long time.

Chen Xun sat upright like a clay sculpture, but he snorted coldly and said disdainfully: "Who turned the feud into friendship with this old man... the old prime minister? It's just an expedient measure."

Speaking of this, he glanced at Chen An again with dissatisfaction, "My father has always taught you to be more considerate when encountering problems, why are you still developing in the direction of a reckless man?

"Nowadays, the civil and military disputes are getting more and more intense. The Liu family is so prominent that it will fall down at the drop of a hat. Our Chen family is small and cannot stand the trouble. If the generals see that we are easy to bully and take action against us, the old man Xu Mingliang...

…Xu Xiang is behind the scenes again, aren’t we in danger?”

After hearing this, Chen Anzhi immediately answered and said loudly: "Impossible! Father, Brother Ning and Wei Yezhu will not turn against me, and the Zhao family and the Wei family will not turn against the Chen family! We are from a pure family, and we only focus on

He is knowledgeable and has not done anything evil..."

"Shut up!" Chen Xun was so angry at Chen Anzhi's words that his beard twitched, "I just asked you to think about it, now you say such stupid things to your father, are you going to make your father angry to death?!"

When Chen Anzhi saw that his father was indeed angry, he shrank his neck and stopped talking.

Chen Xun snorted coldly as a warning and continued: "In addition to the civil and military disputes and the internal disputes within the family, which is the general trend in the world today, there is also the dispute between aristocratic families and poor families! This dynasty has greatly promoted the imperial examination, especially in recent years.

Your Majesty continues to expand the scale of imperial examinations, and there are more and more officials from poor families in the court.

"The Chen family originally only focused on learning. The clan members only served in the Ministry of Rites, Honglu Temple, Taixue, and Hanlin Academy. There were not many official positions and limited power. Now they are replaced by Xu Mingliang...Xu Xiang...that, old man

!Squeezed by both sides of the poor family, if we don’t find a way out, our family will really fall into ruin!

"This time, old man Xu was also forced to do nothing. He took the initiative to show his kindness and gave up many official positions left by the Liu family. If our Chen family did not borrow Poxia's donkey, old man Xu would definitely become angry. Then it would be a shame.

Something bad is going on."

Speaking of this, Chen Xun glanced at Chen Anzhi and said, "We are following the trend and seizing the opportunity to seek benefits from Old Man Xu. What happens next will be determined by the situation later. Do you understand?"

Chen Xun spoke eloquently, and Chen Anzhi felt dizzy. Finally, seeing his father waiting for him to answer, he said sheepishly: "You should...understand, right? It's still a bit complicated!"

Chen Xun twitched the corner of his mouth and almost lost his breath. He wanted to point a finger at Chen Anzhi and scold him, but he had to take into account his gentlemanly demeanor as a Confucian scholar. For a while, his beard kept shaking, which was extremely funny. Finally he stood up and fluttered his sleeves.

And went, "You go into seclusion for me, I won't let you out unless I tell you!"
Chapter completed!