Chapter five hundred and seventy seventh multi-party wrestling (three)
When Shen Rui returned home from the Yang family, Shen Li, Shen Jin, and the third master Shen Run had all gone to work early and gathered in the study outside Shen's residence.
Shen Rui went to Xu's place to greet him and hurried over to the study.
After entering the door, before Shen Rui could tell him the news about his visit to Yang's house today, the third master first handed him Zhang Dahong's post. Shen Rui took it and took a look. It was a post from Zhang Hui, the grandson of the British father-in-law, asking him to make an appointment. A brief introduction to the "Huanxisha" teahouse on the 26th.
Shen Rui's heart moved. He and Zhang Hui had no friendship, but Zhang Hui was Brother Shou's personal guard. Could it be that... Brother Shou wanted to see him?
Thinking about it, he actually got a little excited. He had already made up his mind to maintain the relationship with Brother Shou. But, what did Brother Shou mean by seeing him at this time?
Thinking about what Yang Tinghe said just now, Brother Shou had gone to trial the case in person, so coming to see him must be related to Ning Fan and the Shen family's case, Shen Rui could not help but feel his heart beat a little faster.
What should he say at that time? Brother Shou is extremely smart and suspicious, and he is not someone who can easily fool someone with words.
Shen Rui glanced at everyone in the room subconsciously. Shen Cang knew Brother Shou's identity, but he never made it clear to him. He also never told his family that he knew Brother Shou's identity. Now... he thinks about it again and again. , but no words came out.
Seeing Shen Rui's thoughtful look, the third master thought that he also thought this matter was unexpected. He frowned and said, "This is the post that was just sent. Our family has never had any contact with the British government. When my brother left, this Second Young Master Zhang came to express his condolences, so our family prepared a congratulatory gift as usual for the British Duke's grandson's wedding last month. Second Young Master Zhang, are you your friend? Why are you looking for me now? , do you know what you know?" He was quite suspicious whether the British government was involved behind this move.
Shen Rui said: "He is my friend's cousin. I have met him a few times before. He is quite generous. I don't know why this time, but after dating for a few days, I thought it was not a bad thing." After saying this, his heart moved again. , September 24th is the Longevity Festival, which is also the birthday of the emperor. If the twenty-sixth birthday brother also goes, he will have to go through the things Songjiang brought back and look for some exquisite things for longevity. Let me give you a birthday gift.
Shen Li also read the post, but said with a stern face: "The British government is very capable, and the investigation is quite clear." After saying that, he pushed the post in front of Shen Rui and clicked on the address on it.
Huanxisha was a Ci brand, and Shen Ruiyuan didn't pay much attention to it. Only when Shen Li pointed out the address did he realize that this was actually the teahouse that was given to Shen Li by his mother, Sun, who was the birth mother of the Hanlin Academy, and Shen Li was going to give it to him in return.
The teahouse was not a prestigious place. The business was quiet and the prices were cheap. It was mostly a place where poor officials went, and it was impossible for nobles like Zhang Hui to visit.
There is only one explanation. Zhang Hui already knows that this is the property of the Shen family.
Although this is not a particularly important secret, it is hard not to be regarded as a demonstration when someone checks it out and is put in front of you, and you are not a familiar person. Shen Li is naturally dissatisfied.
Is it difficult for the emperor to find out something? Shen Rui murmured in his heart, but on his face he could only say helplessly: "Zhang Hui... belongs to Jin Yiwei." It is Jin Yiwei, and it is not easy to check someone.
Shen Li's face turned even more ugly.
Regarding choosing such a location, Shen Rui was also puzzled. What did Brother Shou want to say? However, he could only explain to Shen Li according to his own understanding: "Although Zhang Hui is the direct descendant of the Duke of Guofu, after all, he is just a junior. , I don’t think I have any reliable property in hand, so I chose this place just to be safe.”
Shen Li only said: "Be careful." But after all, he was on his own territory, so he was much more pragmatic.
Shen Rui responded, changed the subject, and talked about today's conversation with Yang Tinghe in the Yang Mansion. Of course, because Shen Li was there, he would not mention the selfish motives of the three cabinet elders who did not want Wang Hua to join the cabinet, and would only talk about Liu Jian and Yang Tinghe. Wang Hua has always been at odds with each other.
Speaking of Li Dongyang, he also said that Yang Tinghe made himself silent about the Yan family's affairs, which involved Shen Yuan, who was Shen Rui's "birth father" and "hidden for the sake of the venerable".
Shen Jin said with some guilt: "It's all because of me that I'm like this..."
Shen Li said unceremoniously: "Your father is confused, what does it have to do with you?"
Shen Rui also advised: "Things have already happened. It is useless to think about it. Why should Brother Jin suffer from it?"
The chief culprit, Shen Yuan, showed no intention of repenting, but it was nothing to make Shen Jin suffer so much and still feel guilty.
Moreover, Shen Jin's suffering is yet to come. Even if Li Dongyang doesn't hate revenge, his subordinates will give Shen Jin shoes to wear in order to curry favor. I'm afraid Shen Jin's life in the Hanlin Academy will not be easy.
As for Shen Jin's marriage, a person who offended Mr. Li Ge was the new champion, and his future was limited. Families from high-ranking families and even middle-level officials were afraid that they would not come to recruit a son-in-law. And there is a saying that "they regret marrying as soon as they get rich." Salt merchants " Beforehand, it is impossible to marry someone who loves their daughter. Therefore, in this case, what kind of family can we rely on, and how can we get married with such a family.
Shen Jin's foundation is already weak, she offended the boss, and without the help of the Yue family, the future will be even more difficult.
Shen Jin also knew that his official career was going to be bumpy, so he sighed: "Now, I just want to stay in the Hanlin Academy for a few years, and when I find an opportunity, I can find a way to go out and feel more comfortable." .”
Shen Li said in a deep voice: "There is no way to predict what will happen in the future. Who knows what the situation will be like in three years, so there is no need to express such lamentations first."
Shen Jin said yes.
There is nothing much to say about Li Dongyang. They are high-ranking people who cannot even reach him.
Shen Li visited his father-in-law Xie Qian when he came back yesterday. Mr. Xie Ge only comforted him with a few words and told him not to worry too much, but he never said anything about trying to keep the Shen family safe. The elders all have their own reasons. Thinking about it, what can Shen Li say?
But for the He family who were running around, the third master sneered: "He Dongsheng promised me three things at the beginning, but now he has only done one. I paid back 50,000 silver, but I still owe two things."
What he was talking about was that when He Dongsheng wanted to put He Pingsheng to death, He Pingsheng made a plan to divert trouble to the east, making He Dongsheng think that Shen Jin knew the inside story and did not dare to touch him rashly.
Shen Jin didn't know what was going on and came to the Shangshu Mansion to find Shen Rui, thus involving the Shangshu Mansion. It was the third master who came forward to negotiate with He Dongsheng and forced He Dongsheng to promise three things to the third master. The first one was to get five The 10,000 taels of silver went to Sun's weaving factory, which he had deceived in the first place. The third master said that he had not thought about the remaining two items and would "ask for them later."
Shen Rui said: "What is the third uncle going to ask him to agree to? I'm afraid he will turn his back on you."
The third master said, "What on earth could make He Dongsheng attack a promising clan brother?"
They had already analyzed this matter before, but they couldn't come up with a reason.
But if he knew about this now, it would undoubtedly be a big deal for He Dongsheng, and he would not dare to jump around again.
"Uncle Third is planning to deceive him again?" Shen Ruiqi asked. Will it be counterproductive?
Shen Jin thought for a while and said: "Now that He Pingsheng is out in the county, I can't ask him for a while. Of course, he may not be willing to tell. I remember when I went to visit He Pingsheng, I saw that He Beisheng seemed to be very protective of him. Come to think of it, He Pingsheng Beisheng Xu also knows something."
Shen Li said: "A few days after He Nansheng was taken away, He Beisheng went to Beijing to serve Mrs. He and is now living in He Dongsheng's house."
The third master also knew this news, so he nodded and said: "Hebei Shengcheng Mansion is far behind Brother Nai."
Shen Jin immediately volunteered and said: "I went to find out. He Pingsheng and I also said some specious things at the beginning. If He Beisheng really knows, he will be exposed if I mention it."
The third master nodded and said: "You should be more careful, He Dongsheng is a shady and ruthless master." After a pause, he showed a bit of cruelty on his face, and said coldly: "Even if I didn't ask, I still want to scare He Dongsheng. Give him a scare and let him know that the Shen family is not following their brothers' schemes!"
Apart from dealing with the He family, there was no other action as Yang Tinghe said. Although the letters Shen Ying sent to Shen Rui were useless, Shen Rui, after discussing with the Third Master and Shen Li, still prepared a list for each person. A small gift, sent in the name of Shen Ying's mutual respect, can be regarded as maintaining the interpersonal relationship.
*
After seeing off Shen Li, Shen Jin, and Shen Ruicai, they told the third master about the attitudes of several pavilion elders toward Wang Hua.
The third master could only sigh.
Shen Rui couldn't help but mention Yan Yin again. Because the third master analyzed the cause of Shen Luo's death with him and suspected that it was related to Zhang Yanling, Shen Rui paid special attention to the Zhang family.
In front of Yang Tinghe, it was not easy to ask more about the Zhang family, so Shen Rui asked the third master what was going on with the salt bait. He had paid too much attention to the matter in the court before, but salt bait in the past dynasties was a huge profit. Don't even think about it if you don't have a way. Yes, it turned out to be a way for high-ranking officials and relatives to make money.
The third master said: "The late emperor was kind, and in the 16th year of Hongzhi's reign, in the 17th year, he successively promised several honorable nobles to ask for salt. I don't want to know that the honorable relatives have tasted the sweetness and worsened. Before the death of the late emperor, this was the case between Qingyunhou, Zhou Shou and Shouninghou. The amount of salt introduced by Zhang Heling was 170,000, which led to the impeachment of the imperial court. In early September, Han Wenyan, the Secretary of the Ministry of Household Affairs, was called Buying Residue Salt and actually invaded the main course. He wrote a letter asking for the removal of the salt introduced. Your Majesty He only said that the late emperor promised it, but he has not said anything yet. There has been a lot of talk these days."
Shen Rui frowned and said: "How much salt can there be in the world! There is still a fierce war in the northwest, and salt is still needed in exchange for food. These royal relatives don't care about this, how can the princes in the court not care about it!"
The third master sighed and said: "The Zhou and Zhang families have been domineering for a long time. Moreover, the late emperor was also too modest and cultivated their hearts. It turned out that the Zhang family came to ask for help. The Zhou family saw the benefits and came too. The late emperor was afraid Whether it is given to the Zhang family or not to the Zhou family, once this case is started, the salt administration can only be ruined step by step. The late emperor still wanted to rectify the salt administration..."
This Zhou family is the natal family of the late Empress Dowager Zhou, a long-established family of relatives who have lived through three dynasties.
Empress Dowager Zhou, like Empress Zhang, had two younger brothers, both of whom were also given titles. One was Zhou Shou, the Marquis of Qingyun, and the other was Zhou Yu, the Bo of Changning.
The Empress Dowager Zhou was a noble concubine of the Yingzong Dynasty and the biological mother of Emperor Xianzong. She also raised Emperor Xiaozong and Hongzhi for many years. In both dynasties, the Zhou family was extremely powerful. In terms of being domineering and unscrupulous, it can be said that the Zhou brothers were no less powerful than the Zhang brothers.
In the inner palace, Empress Dowager Zhou never looked down upon her grandson-in-law, Empress Zhang, and Empress Zhang was far inferior to the old Empress Dowager in terms of seniority and skills.
You must know that as soon as the Zhou family was promoted to the Empress Dowager, she began to try to take over the position of the direct empress. After being blocked by the court officials, she was able to pull a trick and made the empress Qian and the Yingzong of the same tomb different from each other.
A few feet away, the tunnel was filled with earth, leaving space for her to be buried with Yingzong. It was not until she passed away in the 17th year of Hongzhi that Emperor Hongzhi discovered this when she was buried. However, Mr. Feng Shui said that it was not appropriate to break the ground anymore.
In the end, she was buried together with Yingzong.
Such a ruthless character was deeply respected and loved by Emperor Hongzhi. Even if Empress Zhang was dissatisfied with the mother-in-law, there was nothing she could do. Even though she was favored by the emperor, the matter involved the empress dowager. Emperor Hongzhi, who put filial piety first, immediately
Even if she showed her displeasure, Empress Zhang had no choice but to endure it.
Outside the palace, the two families were constantly fighting, and they once gathered a crowd to fight, causing an uproar in the capital. However, with the Empress Dowager present, the Zhou family still had a slight edge over the Zhang family.
Therefore, in the matter of Yanyin, since Emperor Hongzhi agreed to the Zhang family, he could no longer refuse the Zhou family.
However, as Empress Dowager Zhou gets older, the Zhou family is now showing some decline.
This can be seen from a marriage - the concubine of the eldest princess of Chongqing married Zhang Yanling's nephew.
The eldest princess of Chongqing was the only daughter of the Empress Dowager Zhou. She later married the consort Zhou Jing. Although the consort's surname was Zhou, he had nothing to do with the Empress Dowager Zhou's natal family. Zhou Jing was also deeply loved by Emperor Xianzong and took charge of the clan mansion.
The couple were also Chenghua, a prominent couple during the Hongzhi period. The prince-in-law passed away in the eighth year of Hongzhi, and the eldest princess passed away in the twelfth year of Hongzhi. Now the head of the Zhou Mansion is Zhou Xian, the eldest son of the eldest princess, who was granted the title of Commander of the Imperial Guards.
thing.
Zhou Xian's concubine married Zhang Yanling's nephew immediately after she had fulfilled her filial piety to her legitimate mother.
Although he is not the daughter of a princess, he is still the daughter of the Prince Consort, and Zhang Yanling's nephew is just the son of a squire. There is such a disparity in status, and if we talk about it in detail, there is still a gap in seniority, but he has actually achieved marriage! This is
The marriage was not widely publicized, but the upper echelons of the capital also knew about it. Many people laughed at Zhou Xian's flattering attitude, which was too ugly. Of course, some secretly thought that the Zhou family was declining day by day, and they had to start bowing to the Zhang family.
.
The Empress Dowager of the Later Zhou Dynasty and the first emperor passed away one after another. Now that the young emperor is about to ascend the throne, the Zhou family's relatives are becoming more and more distant, and the Zhang family is the emperor's biological uncle. This is a foregone conclusion.
When Shen Rui and the Third Master talked about the Prince Consort's Mansion from the Zhou family, they naturally mentioned Zhou Mao, who killed Shen Luozhi. This man was the concubine of the Prince Consort's Mansion. The Third Master only learned about the marriage between Zhou and Zhang during the national funeral, and even went there specially
After some research, I found that the concubine who married into the Zhang family had the same mother as Zhou Mao.
It was Zhou Mao who was competing that day, but Zhang Yanling was hosting the banquet.
Afterwards, Zhou Xian personally came to apologize and exterminated his concubine Zhou Mao from the clan for being "unfilial". However, Zhou Mao was "drunk and fell into the water" not long after, fearing that he was trying to silence him and cover up the truth for some people.
The third master's face became increasingly ugly, and he clenched his fists.
Shen Luo, who died after falling from a horse, was once the only child of the second brother and the third brother. He was a child raised and cared for by the three brothers together. He was a 16-year-old boy. If it hadn't been for the accident that year, Shen Luo would have accepted the Spring Festival and would not have been employed.
Open the door.
But if it is really the Zhang family, now that the Zhang family is in great arrogance, it would be a fool's errand to seek revenge and seek justice.
Shen Rui was silent after hearing this. The Zhang family was very happy throughout the Zhengde Dynasty, and it was not repaired until the Jiajing Dynasty.
Shen Rui pondered for a moment and then asked: "Are the interests of these two families consistent in the matter of Yanyin, or are they actually fighting overtly and secretly?"
The third master said: "Originally, I was afraid that my family would be outnumbered by that family. Now, I am facing the cabinet ministers, and I am afraid that they will join forces. However, there are other things that these two families cannot deal with. Now the palace is selecting a candidate for the emperor."
back."
Shen Rui said: "Isn't it that the Zhang family picked up girls from relatives for training early on? Could it be that the Zhou family also had the same idea?"
The third master ridiculed: "It's all relatives who came to the position. They are familiar with this road. The Zhou family has been famous for two dynasties. How can the Zhang family be 'exclusively beautiful'?"
Shen Rui frowned, suddenly feeling sympathy for Brother Shou.
The third master said coldly: "My Ming Dynasty is no better than the previous dynasty. This harem is all selected from the people. The elders will never allow a family of foreign relatives to continue to work together for a long time. The power of foreign relatives is a hidden danger in the court. This matter of salt introduction
, it’s still unclear what the purpose of this visit is.”
*
At this time, in the Forbidden City, someone was also talking about the Yan Yin incident, but it was Brother Shou, who was sympathized by Shen Rui, and sitting opposite him were his mother, Queen Mother Zhang, and grandmother, Mrs. Jin Tai.