Chapter 249 The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea, Each Showing Their Magical Powers (Part 2)
In the Shen University Scholar's Mansion, Wang Xijue was so angry that he almost lost his usual demeanor as a prime minister. From time to time, he gritted his teeth and reprimanded him.
Shen Shixing himself also had a face as dark as water, and his face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. If it weren't for his natural good temper, he would probably have to scold him now.
The servants had known for a long time that something was not right in the atmosphere, and each one of them had taken the opportunity to run away for fear of hearing something they shouldn't hear or knowing something they shouldn't know. Now there is no one around the study, except for two people.
Each of the husbands was angry.
Wang Xijue turned around for a while and couldn't help but said: "No, this matter must not be let go like this. Gao Rixin has not hesitated to embarrass us even before he joined the cabinet. We must not let him be so presumptuous!"
"
Shen Shixing sighed deeply, shook his head and said: "The truth is easy to say, but the thing is difficult to handle! Now we are facing such a dilemma, one step to the left is a cliff, one step to the right is a cliff, and if you are not careful, you will be shattered into pieces.
What can I do?"
"I have just carefully considered this matter and feel that there are still doubts about this matter." Wang Xijue suddenly stood still and said with piercing eyes: "Yuanfu, think about it, Gao Wu was originally his uncle and brother, and he left with his crown after listening to his instructions.
It's understandable; Wang Zhizhen's relationship with him is much farther away, so he just resigned without taking up the title. He is still waiting for the emperor's reply, which means that his resignation cannot be said to be very firm... which is also reasonable.
.
But, why is Yang Wudi so honest and resigning just as the heavenly official says? In the past few years in the court, although he had no independent opinions because he listened to Gao Rixin in everything, so his reputation was greatly reduced, but at least he did not suffer.
How many impeachments have there been? Since the position of Tianguan is still quite secure, why can Gao Rixin convince him to leave at once? Isn’t there something fishy here?"
Shen Shixing pondered for a moment and asked, "Even if there is something fishy, what can we do now?"
Wang Xijue was startled: "What do you mean by 'what can I do'? A dignified heavenly official just resigns himself because of the naughty talk he had with Gao Rixin in private. This is a taboo in itself. It means treating the laws of the court as nothing, and keeping the affairs of the world private.
Give and take!”
"How can there be any 'giving and receiving'?" Shen Shixing spread his hands: "Did Gao Rixin say that he wanted to be this heavenly official? Or did he recommend his own person to be this heavenly official? None.
He did not express any opinion at all about the vacant post of Heavenly Official, and even happened to thank guests behind closed doors because of an inconsequential impeachment. This was a clever move. After he thanked guests behind closed doors, the court
No matter what happens for a period of time, he can make assumptions and completely pretend that he doesn't know."
"Only a three-year-old child would believe that he is thanking guests behind closed doors!" Wang Xijue said bitterly: "He has some kind of internal affairs department in Beijing. It is rumored that this department is even more powerful than in the past when factory guards were rampant. Although there are no prison sentences, etc.
But he is probably even better at inquiring about information, passing on tongues, etc. than the factory guard of yesteryear... What's the difference between him closing the door and opening the door?"
"There is a difference. The difference is that as long as he does this, we can only treat him as if he is really closing the door and thanking guests." Shen Shixing said with a bitter face: "The Ministry of Internal Affairs and other things, no matter how fierce the rumors are, then
There is no way to talk about it on the stage. He is completely following the rules now. Even if we want to fight back, we can only do it according to the rules."
Wang Xijue snorted hard, sat down, stared and said: "What he is doing now is that he would rather lose his own money than let others make a small profit. I can't swallow this breath. In my opinion
, the inside story of Yang Wudi’s resignation must be investigated no matter what.”
"I don't object to checking. The question is how to check, and what to do after checking." Shen Shixing moved his butt slightly, changed his posture and leaned slightly towards Wang Xijue, and said: "Brother Yuan Yu, you
We also know that according to the practice of our dynasty nowadays, unless a high-ranking official like Yang Wudi commits a major crime such as treason or deceiving the emperor, he can almost be settled by resigning from office.
Now that he has resigned, even if there were any mistakes or problems before, they have all been settled now, and we should not and cannot pursue them. If we insist on pursuing them now, we are afraid that not only will no one respond, but we will be attacked by a group of people.
ah."
Wang Xijue was speechless for a moment. Of course he understood this truth. As Shen Shixing said, if something happens to a high-ranking civil servant, nothing will happen to him. Unless he rebels and conspires, otherwise it will be a big deal and a trivial matter. Resigning from office is even more serious.
It's like a gold medal to avoid death. As long as the person involved resigns, you don't have to worry about anything. At most, you can just pat your butt and go home.
Lower-ranking civil servants may be dealt with slightly more severely, such as those who acted as imperial censors. It is not uncommon for them to be demoted, dismissed from office, or even relocated three thousand miles away, but this is usually the heaviest punishment.
.
Only a very few people were beaten to death by the emperor's imperial staff or sent to prison to wait for death in very specific periods. For example, during the Jiajing period, there were more such things, but during the Longqing period, there were none. Today, after Emperor Wanli took charge, there are currently no cases of being beaten to death.
There are quite a few people who have been imprisoned - some of them were imprisoned for being high-spirited and pragmatic.
Compared with the founding period when the noble military ministers did not regard civil servants as human beings at all, the special treatment given to civil servants today is hard-earned, so the entire civil servant group cherishes it very much and firmly defends it.
Under such circumstances, if a dignified heavenly official is still held accountable for this and that, or even by someone who is also a civil official, it will undoubtedly cause an uproar in the whole court. Even if the person to be held accountable is a certain cabinet minister.
, will also not be forgiven by civil servants.
This is the welfare of the entire civil service group. As a member of the group, you do not cherish it, do not protect it, and even actively destroy it. Where do you stand?
This nature is no different from "self-isolation from the people"!
So when Shen Shixing said this, even Wang Xijue could only remain silent. But he was not willing to remain silent. After thinking about it, he said: "No, after we find out the matter, we don't necessarily have to point the finger at him."
Why would Yang Wudi be attacked by a group of people?"
His eyes flickered, he tapped the armrest of the Grand Master's chair with his finger, and said with certainty: "Based on my understanding of Gao Rixin, what happened this time was that he used money to bribe Yang Wudi, so that Yang Wudi was willing to give up his position as Tianguan.
In this case, as long as the truth is found out, it can be said that Gao Rixin secretly manipulated the affairs and pushed all the blame on Gao Rixin.
As for Yang Wudi, we can even hint to the person who is impeached, help him plead and say something nice... Well, even if Gao Rixin is powerful, he knows that he can't stop it, so he has no choice but to let it go. In this way, even if
Yang Wudi is somewhat responsible, but it is no longer enough to hold him accountable, and we are free from the adverse consequences."
This idea was obviously much more reasonable, and Shen Shixing couldn't help but feel a little moved. He no longer expressed objections, but just asked: "But how can this matter be verified? For such an important matter, the person who handles it will not say that it does not exist, but even if it does, it must be extremely serious."
He must be a confidant of Gao Rixin. We and others say that we don’t even know who this person is. Even if we knew, I’m afraid it would be difficult to get any clues or inside information from his mouth.”
Wang Xijue smiled and said: "Beijing has the Ministry of Internal Affairs, so it will be even more difficult for us to find clues from Gao Rixin. However, even if we can't follow the clues, can't we follow the clues?
Vine?"
"Following the clues?" Shen Shixing was startled for a moment, then he immediately came to his senses and asked thoughtfully: "Brother Yuan Yu said that he wanted to find out the information from Yang Wudi?"
Shen Yuanfu frowned and said hesitantly: "I'm afraid this won't be easy, right? Yang Wudi is not a fledgling. He was born in Dingwei Jinban (Jinshi in the 26th year of Jiajing), earlier than you and me.
He passed five subjects. He was the same year as Zhang Jiangling. Not to mention his seniority, he had been a foreign official for most of his life. What kind of storms and waves have he not seen? If we want to get the news from him, I'm afraid..."
"Why does it have to come from his mouth?" Wang Xijue spread his hands: "According to Gao Rixin's habit, he will either give money directly or give dividends from certain businesses. No matter how he gives it, it will definitely make Yang
The family's wealth suddenly increased significantly.
I know a little bit about the situation in Yang Wudi's family. They are neither poor nor rich. His family owns four to five thousand acres of land, which is considered high-ranking in the local area. But it doesn't stop there, and they don't have much involvement in business.
, it’s just that there are three or five shops in Fucheng and county towns.”
"Then what?" Shen Shixing didn't understand what Wang Xijue meant.
Wang Xijue, as the richest man in Suzhou and most likely the richest man in the South, was much more knowledgeable about these things than Shen Shixing. He immediately said with a smile: "Even if a wealthy family has tens of thousands of dollars, the family will hardly be different from the past; in an ordinary family, even
If you get a windfall, you will be afraid that your whole family, old and young, will suddenly become arrogant."
Shen Shixing suddenly realized: "Oh, Brother Yuan Yu is saying that if Yang Wudi really accepted a large sum of money from Gao Rixin, the whole family would be arrogant because of their sudden wealth...at least they should buy a lot of land and houses."
Wang Xijue just nodded, but Shen Shixing frowned again and said: "But what if Gao Rixin gave him shares in some transactions? This may not allow Yang Wudi to get as much cash immediately as Brother Yuan Yu expected.
The situation may not arise."
"Well..." Wang Xijue frowned, feeling a little tricky.
Shen Shixing added, "Not only that, I also have another worry: Yang Wudi is an old official and is not known for seeking wealth, even if he has not told his clan members about Gao Rixin's loss.
Although he himself is famous for his poetry and prose, several of his descendants are poor at writing and are just mediocre people. If he had hidden this money or dividends and waited until he was old, sick and about to die, he would have revealed everything.
I can’t wait forever, can I?”
This was indeed a big trouble, but there was something in his words that reminded Wang Xijue, who suddenly said with bright eyes, "Thanks to Yuan Fu for reminding me, I might have gone astray just now!
"
Shen Shixing said in astonishment: "Brother Yuan Yu, what do you mean by this?"
Wang Xijue immediately replied: "Just now Yuan Fu mentioned that all Yang Wudi's descendants are mediocre... Yuan Fu, let's put ourselves in Yang Wudi's shoes and think about it: If I am already seventy-five years old, but my descendants are unworthy,
Everyone is mediocre, what should I do as a father?"
Wang Xijue had a problem with this question. He forgot to take into account the difference between Shen Shixing and his family background. Wang Xijue's family was very rich, so it was normal to consider matters about his descendants. He usually tried his best to support his descendants in studying and becoming officials - anyway, his family had good farmland,
There are countless properties, and even if there are one or two prodigal sons, it is probably rare for them to be completely ruined.
But Shen Shixing is completely different from him. There is still no "official" statement about his life experience. Shen Shixing himself is also very secretive and has never been willing to talk about it. So now there are two versions circulating in the outside world.
Folk saying is that the Shen family is also a wealthy family in Suzhou. Shen Shixing's father and his wife had a bad relationship. Once, he accompanied his wife to a nunnery to offer incense. Unexpectedly, he fell in love at first sight with a beautiful nun in the nunnery. Later,
The two had an affair and gave birth to Shen Shixing.
After giving birth, the nun wanted to send the child back to the Shen family to recognize his ancestors, but the Shen family was still a wealthy family. Even because of the family's reputation, it was impossible to recognize the illegitimate child. In desperation, the nun abandoned the child on the streets of Suzhou.
He also wrote a letter in blood with the birth time and life circumstances of the child, and placed it in his swaddling clothes.
The child's cry was discovered by a kind person, so he reported it to the officials. Xu Shangzhen, the prefect of Suzhou at the time, was shocked when he heard the report and decided to try the case personally. However, as the old saying goes, it is difficult for upright officials to deal with family affairs, and in this era there is no such thing
The Shen family insists on not admitting the DNA test. A blood letter alone is obviously insufficient evidence.
Reluctantly, Magistrate Xu thought about it and felt that the child was the most pitiable, so he adopted the child as his adopted son and named him Xu Shixing. Later, Xu Shixing became the top scholar in high school and his status was so high that the entire Shen family could not be tied together.
He was "valuable", so he was able to recognize his ancestors and return to his clan, and changed his surname back to Shen.
One more thing: Shen Shixing's recognition of his ancestors and return to his clan was really not ungrateful in terms of the ethics and morals of the time, because recognizing his ancestors and returning to his clan is the most important thing for a person. In the same way, if he is kicked out, he will not be buried.
Entering the ancestral graves and not being able to offer spiritual tablets in the ancestral temple is also the greatest punishment for a person. It is equivalent to "You are a beast without a father and a mother. God hates you and abandons you!"
Moreover, it is said that the old magistrate Xu was also very broad-minded and supported Shen Shixing in recognizing his ancestor and returning to his clan. Therefore, this incident was even a good story in Suzhou at that time and was praised by everyone.
In addition, the second theory comes from Shen Shixing's genealogy, which says that his grandfather adopted his uncle and changed his surname to Xu, taking his uncle's surname. Therefore, Shen's grandfather and father were both surnamed Xu.
Naturally, the surname is Xu.
But for the same reason, if Shen Shixing won the first prize in the examination, his status would be completely different. According to the customs at that time, it was right to recognize one's ancestors and return to the clan.
But no matter which statement is true, in short, Shen Shixing definitely did not have a very satisfactory life in his childhood. Needless to say about the latter, even if it is the former, it is not that Zhifu Xu has no biological son in his family, even though Zhifu Xu has a broad mind,
They take great care of him, but how can other people in the family do the same? Therefore, as an adopted son, he must be living in trepidation.
People with different family backgrounds must have different ideas, so Shen Shixing was just stunned for a moment after hearing these words, and replied casually: "Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings, and don't work for them. If they are useless, I won't think more about it."
usefulness."
Wang Xijue did not expect this answer, so he was stunned for a moment, but immediately said with a wry smile: "How many people in the world are as open-minded as Yuan Fu? Mr. Kuang is from Hanlin, so there is no need to worry." [Note:
Refers to Shen Shixing’s eldest son Shen Yongmao, who ranked 21st among the top two Jinshi in the 11th year of Wanli, and was selected as a shuji scholar to enter the Hanlin Academy.]
Speaking of this, Shen Shixing remembered a thorn in Wang Xijue's heart. Wang Xijue had only one legitimate son, named Wang Heng. He was talented and wrote extremely well. In the sixteenth year of Wanli, he won the first place in the Shuntian Provincial Examination.
However, after that exam, he was attacked inexplicably. It must be that his poor performance was because Wang Xijue was an important minister of the imperial court. Wang Xijue, who was so angry and had a strong temper and excellent reputation, argued forcefully while swearing to heaven and earth.
On the other hand, he ordered his son to give up the opportunity to continue taking the examination and continue studying behind closed doors.
Speaking of which, Wang Heng's experience was somewhat similar to that of Gao Pragmatic, except that Gao Pragmatic was more proactive and refused to try in order to avoid suspicion.
According to the original history, Wang Heng did not take the imperial examination until his father became an official in the 29th year of Wanli. It turned out that he was really talented and got the second place in the examination. As a result, the Wang family had "three Jinshi in one discipline, and both father and son were in the second place."
——Wang Xijue’s younger brother Wang Dingjue is also a top scholar in Jinshi, and he also did very well in the examination: fifth in the general examination and ninth in the palace examination.
Therefore, now is the period when Wang Heng is bored at home and cannot take exams, so he is naturally in a bad mood. Even Wang Xijue is very angry when he thinks of this.
Shen Shixing hurriedly comforted him: "Chen Yu (Wang Heng) is as talented as you and me. Why worry about not being able to win the gold medal in the future? As for now...Brother Yuan Yu just thinks of it as tempering his character, but that may not be the case."
bad thing."
Wang Xijue sighed softly, waved his hand, and said: "Let's not mention this matter anymore. Let me continue: Although the descendants of this kind of family are mediocre, they have no big faults. If I were the father, I would probably find a backer for them.
. Even if I can’t get into officialdom, I will at least think about preserving my family fortune, so..."
"Oh!" Shen Shixing suddenly realized, and his eyes lit up: "Brother Yuan Yu means that Gao Rixin will accept Yang Wudi's children and grandchildren as his disciples, and will take care of them from now on, whether they are studying or doing business?"
Wang Xijue stroked his beard and smiled: "Exactly."
Shen Shixing thought for a while, frowned and said, "Who is the magistrate of Haifeng County now?"
Haifeng is Wudi. Ming history records: All prefectures and counties were abolished in the early years of Hongwu, and Haifeng County was established in June of the sixth year of Hongwu (another old county record records: Wudi changed Haifeng to Haifeng on the fourth day of September in the fourth year of Jianwen in the Ming Dynasty), because the county borders the sea
Fengxiang, named after Haifengchang in the northwest, first belonged to Binzhou and later to Le'an Prefecture.
In the first year of Xuande's reign, Le'an Prefecture was changed to Wuding Prefecture, and the name was changed accordingly. Since the name of this place changed during the Ming Dynasty, and it has been called Wudi since ancient times, locals and outsiders are more accustomed to calling it Wudi.
Di calls it.
However, as soon as Shen Shixing opened his mouth, Wang Xijue immediately waved his hand: "It will definitely not work to let the local magistrate check it. Not to mention that the magistrates in Beidi are mostly scholars from the north list. Even if the scholars from the south list come to Beidi, there are still many scholars who are educated.
Influencers can no longer be trusted.”
He paused for a moment, narrowed his eyes slightly, and twirled his beard and said, "Why not let Dongchang do this? Our Director Zhang Dachang is so angry right now that he has nowhere to vent his anger."
Shen Shixing laughed when he heard the words: "Good, great good!"
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