Chapter Thirty-eight: Being demoted from the capital
Within the palace, Cide Palace is the residence of Queen Mother Xiang.
In the evening, in Ci De Palace, Queen Mother Xiang was sitting in front of the small Buddhist hall, holding a copy of the Diamond Sutra in her hand and reciting, with a pious expression. She was wearing a gray robe, short-sleeved plain clothes, and a necklace on her head.
She has a hairpin, no makeup, and a fair and plump complexion. Her fifty-two-year-old age does not seem to have left many traces of time on her face, except for a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyebrows and a few strands of white hair on her temples.
Outside, it doesn't look that old. It is graceful and charming. It is surrounded by smoke and shadows, but it looks a bit graceful and moving.
Empress Dowager Xiang is also a tragic and strange woman. She is the daughter of Xiang Jing and the granddaughter of Prime Minister Xiang Minzhong. She is smart and beautiful. She married Zhao Xu when she was twenty and was made queen at the age of twenty-one. In the same year, she gave birth to a daughter.
The daughter, Princess Yanxi, died after only twelve years of life. She gave birth to a son when she was thirty-two years old. However, the younger son Zhao Shen died just after he was born. The pain of losing her daughter and son left her heartbroken.
When Shen Zong Zhao Xu died at the age of nineteen, she was left a widow all her life, and the pain of losing her husband was made worse. From then on, there were no more flowers before and after the moon, only a green lamp to accompany the ancient Buddha. She enjoyed all the glory and wealth in the world, but she still tasted
After all the sadness and misery in this world, as I get older, my temperament begins to become a little extreme.
After Zhao Xu succeeded to the throne, Empress Dowager Gao came to the court to listen to the government. Empress Dowager Xiang has always lived in seclusion and never participated in government affairs. She has always lived a life of seclusion and seclusion. The biggest thing she usually does, apart from eating fast and chanting Buddha, is to care about and
Take care of your natal family.
Her parents have passed away many years ago, and her only living relatives are her elder brother Xiang Zonghui and younger brother Xiang Zongliang. She cares for them with great care and honor them.
"Your Majesty, the Prince of Handong County and the Young Master are here to see you!" The Empress Dowager Xiang was in the midst of chanting sutras. At this time, the eunuch Li Deshun walked in softly with small steps, came to the Empress Dowager Xiang, and bowed.
After saluting, he said respectfully.
"Oh, why are they here at this time?" After hearing this, Queen Mother Xiang put down the scriptures in her hands and stood up to ask.
"I don't know!" Li Deshun lowered his eyebrows and lowered his head. He stretched out his hand to support Empress Dowager Xiang's left arm and led her to the embroidery bench. He is the godson of the eunuch Li Xian. He is in his forties and has served Empress Dowager Xiang for more than 20 years.
At this age, he is shrewd, capable, and clever, and has won the favor of the Queen Mother.
"Xiao Shunzi, go and invite them in!" Queen Mother Xiang sat down, rubbed her dry eyes, and then ordered Li Deshun to go out and invite people. She was already used to calling Li Deshun "Xiao Shunzi", even in her old age.
Change.
"Aunt, my nephew misses you! You have to make the decision for my nephew!" As soon as he entered the door, Xiang Huaiyu rushed to the Queen Mother Xiang, hugged her thigh, and started to cry.
"Sister, I see you're here. You have to make the decision for Yu'er!" Xiang Zonghui followed him into the Cide Palace and said pretending to be angry while saluting the Empress Dowager.
"Oh, Yu'er, what's wrong with you?" Queen Mother Xiang looked at Xiang Huaiyu who was kneeling in front of her, noticed the scars on his face, and was shocked and asked quickly.
I saw that his face was red and swollen, and there were numerous palm marks on the left and right sides of his face. His already round and fat face looked even more swollen. There was also a crack at the corner of his mouth and some blood oozing out. He looked very miserable.
Li Deshun stood aside, looking at Xiang Huaiyu's miserable state, pursed his lips tightly, wanting to laugh but not daring to laugh, feeling extremely uncomfortable. "What kind of person did this little bully offend? He was actually beaten. Such a pig-headed look!" Li Deshun thought to himself, feeling a faint sense of joy in his heart.
But what he never expected was that this was actually a cruel trick co-starred by father and son Xiang Zonghui and Xiang Huaiyu!
Before entering the palace, in the corner of the palace, Xiang Zonghui slapped Xiang Huaiyu more than a dozen times according to the plan they had conspired with last night, trying to create the illusion that he was being bullied, but he didn't know the severity of the attack. , actually slapped Xiang Huaiyu into a pig’s head shape again!
Xiang Huaiyu cried out in pain when he was slapped, and Xiang Zonghui felt distressed when he saw it. But it’s okay, the fake has become real, it’s very realistic, and the effect is there!
Sure enough, when the Empress Dowager Xiang saw Xiang Huaiyu's miserable appearance, she felt heartbroken and became angry. She asked again and again: "Who dared to beat you like this after eating the courage of a bear and a leopard?"
"It's that damn Wu Zhi! Look how much he beat me! Auntie, you have to make the decision for me!" Xiang Huaiyu began to pretend to cry, howling and forcing out a few tears. As soon as he twitched, the fat on his face was pulled in pain, and his mouth was so painful that he gritted his teeth. He quickly covered his cheeks, and the Queen Mother felt even more distressed when he saw this.
"Which Wu Zhi? So bold!" Queen Mother Xiang asked angrily.
"Sister, it's Wu Zhi who was the top scholar in both civil and military affairs! He is so arrogant that he doesn't even look down on our Xiang family!" Xiang Zong stood aside, observing his words, and hurriedly interjected.
"How could it be him?" Queen Mother Xiang was stunned when she heard this, thought for a moment, and then continued: "It shouldn't be! He is the new champion, the imperial official, and knows our Xiang family, how could he hit someone for no reason? ?”
Although Empress Dowager Xiang is old, she usually focuses on her family and dotes on her nephews and nieces, but she is not confused at all!
"Yu'er, tell me, what's going on? Tell the truth!" Queen Mother Xiang thought for a while and said to Xiang Huaiyu in a deep voice.
"Aunt! That's what happened..."
Therefore, Xiang Huaiyu quickly made up his pre-written remarks and cried with tears dripping from his nose. He tried his best to exaggerate, completely treating himself as a weak and good old man who could be bullied and a victim who suffered a lot. Wu Zhi A scholar turned into a hideous-looking villain, extremely arrogant. The more he listened to the Queen Mother, the more gloomy and ugly his face became.
Li Deshun stood aside and listened. He couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth and get goosebumps all over his body: "Isn't this nonsense? When did the evil wolf transform into a little sheep? The bad guy became a good guy?" He could only think in his heart. I thought to myself, I dare not say these words out loud.
"Auntie, this Wu Zhi also said, also said..." Xiang Huaiyu looked at the increasingly ugly face of the Empress Dowager, pretending to hesitate to speak.
"What else did he say? Come on!" Empress Dowager Xiang, with a frosty face, picked up the tea cup on the table and took a sip.
"Wu Zhi also said, what is the Xiang family? They are just a bunch of rough people who only know how to eat and drink based on their relationship, and have no knowledge or skills! I, Wu Zhi, am very talented, and I disdain him!" Xiang Huaiyu pretended to hesitate for a moment. , and then spoke out as if he had made up his mind.
"How brave!" After hearing this, Empress Dowager Xiang became furious. The tea cup in her hand was hit hard on the table, then it broke into two halves, and the tea spilled on the floor.
Li Deshun was also shocked when he heard this. This sentence was too cruel and hit the Queen Mother's vital points. It is estimated that Lord Wu Zhi will shed his skin even if he does not die!
"Sister, look at how arrogant this Wu Zhi is! Not only did he beat Yu'er, but he also uttered such arrogant words, humiliating our Xiang family and you, the Queen Mother!" Xiang Zong replied, taking advantage of the opportunity and adding another sentence.
One knife. Li Deshun was standing by and his eyes trembled when he heard it.
"This abominable Wu Zhi! What a daring person!" Queen Mother Xiang was still angry. After saying this, she waved her hand towards Li Deshun to signal him to avoid it.
Upon seeing this, Li Deshun quickly bowed out of Cide Palace, leaving space for the three Xiang family members. He knew in his heart that Empress Dowager Xiang and Xiang Zonghui and his son were discussing how to deal with Wu Zhi.
Although Empress Dowager Xiang was also very wise, she was also a believer! Li Deshun sighed softly in his heart and couldn't help but sympathize with Wu Zhi.
The Xiang family father and son not only went to the Empress Dowager to complain, but also went to great lengths to find some high-ranking officials and petty officials.
A few days later, unfavorable rumors about Wu Zhi spread everywhere in the palace and Bianliang City. Rumors spread everywhere: he did not follow the education, disrespected his teachers, had bad conduct, despised the royal family, was arrogant, and even copied his poems from others.
You have to wait, that’s all!
All kinds of rumors were rampant. For a time, the capital was in an uproar. Wu Zhi went from a talented scholar to a liar who deceived the world and stole his reputation! Every day, there was an endless stream of literati who came to the door of the Wu family to abuse and denounce.
This is fun, this is how you become famous.
When the warrior heard the news, he could only shake his head and smile bitterly. This was all Xiang Jia's trick. He couldn't argue, so he could only wait and see what happened, comforting everyone in the family in every possible way.
However, the sales of the Zhuangyuan series of wines were greatly affected! When Qian Mu hurriedly came to him to complain that sales had dropped sharply, Wu Zhi could only comfort him, explaining that this predicament was only temporary, and asked him to rest assured and wait and see what happens.
Okay. Qian Mu was doubtful and could only return to Zhuangyuanlou listlessly. Nowadays, the income from the exclusive agency of Zhuangyuan series of wines has become Zhuangyuanlou’s largest source of income. Can Qian Mu not worry? Wu Zhi and Zhuangyuanlou can now be said to be in the same boat through thick and thin.
We share weal and woe.
Various memorials to impeach Wu Zhi also flew into the palace and piled up on Zhao Xu's desk. Zhao Xu looked through several books, but they were all the same, with the same tone, and they all spoke ill of the warrior. After reading it, Zhao Xu was very happy
Out of anger. The other memorials were probably all about the same, so Zhao Xu simply stopped reading them and shelved them all.
In the early court, Cai Jing, Xing Shu and others also took the opportunity to add insult to injury, impeached Wu Zhi one after another, and petitioned the court to convict Wu Zhi. The people's words were so fiery that Zhao Xu could not resist.
"What kind of enemies has this Master Wu provoked, so that he is so hated by everyone? A small eighth-grade deletion official has actually aroused public anger and caused so many people to impeach him. This can be regarded as a start.
Is it a precedent set by the DPRK?”
After retreating from the court, Zhao Xu walked slowly in the imperial study, thinking to himself. After a while, he quickly ordered Hao Sui beside him: "Go and find Lord Wu!"
Hao Sui went out in response and hurried to the Privy Council Office. He was also quite worried about Wu Zhi.
After drinking tea, Wu Zhi followed Hao Sui to the imperial study room.
"I have met your Majesty! Good luck to your Majesty!" When Wu Zhi saw Zhao Xu, he quickly bowed and saluted.
"Wu Qing's family is here, do you know your current situation?" Zhao Xu stared at him closely and said in a deep voice.
"Return to your majesty, I know!" Wu Zhi said calmly.
"Then tell me, what happened? Who did you offend?" Zhao Xu said straight to the point.
"That's it, Your Majesty..." Upon hearing this, Wu Zhi told Zhao Xu exactly what happened when he had a conflict with Xiang Huaiyu and taught him a lesson.
"That's it! No wonder..." After hearing this, Zhao Xu suddenly realized, and then he finally understood that when he went to Cide Palace to greet Empress Dowager Xiang a few days ago, Empress Dowager Xiang told him, "This Wu Zhi has bad behavior and is embarrassing.
The true meaning of the sentence "Da Yong" appears. It seems that Mr. Wu has provoked Shang Xiang's family!
Zhao Xu couldn't help but feel confused, and he really didn't know what to do. One was a relative of the emperor, and the other was the number one scholar he was optimistic about. It was difficult to handle!
After this period of meditation and boxing practice, Zhao Xu has become much stronger physically, and his energy and energy are much more abundant than before. This is all the result of Wu Zhi, and he cannot bear to punish him. Besides, this matter should be reported to his family.
The mistake came first, but he was also in a dilemma. After all, he still had to give the Queen Mother face, so he was in a dilemma!
The warrior quietly looked at Zhao Xu, who was pacing back and forth in the royal study, contemplating and silent. His intuition told him that Zhao Xu would not punish him too severely for this, and he felt a little relieved.
"I understand, Wu Qing's family should retreat first!" Zhao Xu thought for a moment, glanced at Wu Zhi who looked calm, and then ordered him to go back.
"I excuse you!" Wu Zhi bowed and saluted, turned around and slowly exited the imperial study. Zhao Xu stared at Wu Zhi's back with a myriad of thoughts.
A few days later, the imperial edict came down: Wu Zhi was removed from the post of official and transferred to the county magistrate of Weishi County, and he took office immediately!
Weishi County is the capital county of Kaifeng Prefecture, and the county magistrate level is also the eighth grade. However, although both are eighth grade, it seems to be a transfer at the same level, but the deleted official is a capital official. In fact, Wu Zhi was demoted from the capital.