Chapter 469 Bullying the soft and afraid of the hard
Yang Fan was a little confused as to what had offended the Crown Prince.
You must know that during this period of time, I was so busy preparing for the imperial examination that I had no time to talk to him.
However, after thinking about it, Yang Fan quickly understood the reason.
Obviously, Li Chengqian's old sweetheart Hao Ruixin was killed. It's no wonder that His Highness the Crown Prince is in a good mood!
Then Yang Fan felt a little depressed again.
The wrongdoer and the debtor have their owner. It was His Majesty Li Er and Changsun Wuji who killed his old sweetheart. What does it have to do with him?
Although he suffered a terrible disaster, Yang Fan still saluted and said: "I have met His Highness the Crown Prince."
Li Chengqian snorted coldly in return.
Yang Fan didn't take it seriously and bowed his hands to Kong Yingda and others: "I'd like to meet you, sirs."
Kong Yingda, Li Xiaogong and others were very polite and smiled in return.
As for other people with whom he has no friendship or acquaintance, Yang Fan will certainly not stick to his cold butt with a hot face.
While Yang Fan and Kong Yingda were chatting animatedly, Xu Jingzong standing aside looked a little dark.
Just now when Yang Fan was bowing and saluting, he happened to miss his position. If he said it was not targeted, even a fool would not believe it.
Kong Yingda was once the eighteenth bachelor of the Qin Dynasty with him. Yang Fan respected Kong Yingda so much but treated him so coldly. Of course Xu Jingzong was angry.
What's more, his son Xu Zhang had just passed away, and now he was being targeted in such a way, Xu Jingzong's anger became even more uncontrollable.
Seeing that everyone had no intention of helping, Xu Jingzong glared at Yang Fan and shouted: "Zhongyihou, although you have a high and powerful position, you are irreverent and rude, how can you stand in the world?"
Yang Fan was a little surprised. This guy's son was killed by a noble family, but now he still has trouble with him. Isn't he a pig?
However, Yang Fan didn't want the family to take advantage of others, so he had no choice but to remain silent, not even raising his eyelids, and completely regarded him as an invisible person.
Xu Jingzong only felt a surge of anger rushing into Tianling Gai, and his old face turned red. This kind of ignorance even made him angrier than the retort!
But Yang Fan just ignored him, what could he do?
Of course, Xu Jingzong has been able to rise and fall in the officialdom for so many years, and he can also gain the trust of His Highness Li Er, so he still has good vision.
He naturally knew that his son was just a victim of the struggle between the aristocratic family and the imperial power.
Although his heart felt like a mirror, Xu Jingzong was not someone he could afford to offend, whether it was the aristocratic family or the imperial power.
Therefore, we can only vent our anger on Yang Fan, who was the one who proposed the reform of the imperial examination!
Seeing that Yang Fan didn't talk at all, Xu Jingzong changed the topic.
"Marquis Zhongyi, don't rely on His Majesty's trust to become lawless!"
"The imperial examination is a national policy for selecting officials in the imperial court. If future imperial examinations cannot be carried out normally because of your lack of rigor, I will see how you can explain it to your majesty."
"This time, because of your random arrangements, my son died tragically. If you don't give me a satisfactory answer, I will definitely complain to His Majesty."
Although he was extremely angry, Xu Jingzong still tried his best to lower his voice.
After all, this is outside the Tai Chi Hall. If you make a loud noise, you will be caught by the censor and punished for the crime of disrespect.
Yang Fan raised the corner of his mouth, it turned out that the crux was here.
However, Xu Jingzong's behavior is nothing more than the roar of an incompetent person.
If this guy is really tough, why not just go to the Aristocratic Family and cause trouble?
The case has been investigated to a close, although His Majesty Li Er said that it was enough to stop the investigation and not allow further investigation.
In any case, the existing evidence is enough to prove that his son has nothing to do with him.
When the evidence is presented, we will see if this old guy still dares to cause trouble for him.
Do you have the ability to find a noble family?
What's the point of howling in front of me?
Logically speaking, it is not too much for Xu Jingzong to lose his temper with himself.
After all, it was his suggestions for reforming the imperial examination that led to his son's death.
But every wrongdoer has his own debtor!
It's a bit too much for this guy to keep staring at me!
After all, Xu Zhang is not himself.
The reason why I didn't want to talk to him just now was because we were all colleagues and it would be nice to let him vent his anger.
But Xu Jingzong obviously doesn't know the principle of giving up when things are good.
People are always like this, they always like to pick soft persimmons.
Xu Jingzong takes his tolerance for granted, which is a bit too much. He is not a soft persimmon!
Xu Jingzong has now been promoted to Zhongshu Sheren, which is equivalent to being a close minister of His Majesty Li Er. Of course, he also has reasons for pride.
But no matter what, his son's death had no direct relationship with him.
It's a bit too much to target yourself like this!
Of course, this is also related to the reason why he can't offend the noble family and the emperor.
The backer behind Xu Jingzong is the prince Li Chengqian, but now that Li Chengqian is also involved in this matter and is already very distressed, how can he think about standing up for him?
As a last resort, Xu Jingzong just had to bite the bullet and go find trouble with Yang Fan.
Now Yang Fan swallowed his anger and ignored him at all, which made him a little proud.
Of course, Yang Fan was very disdainful of Xu Jingzong's selfish behavior.
If Xu Jingzong dared to attack the family directly, Yang Fan admired his courage and would even give him a thumbs up.
But this old man only dares to shame himself, and Yang Fan is not ready to coddle him!
Looking at Xu Jingzong, Yang Fan said calmly: "I just rely on your majesty's trust to act recklessly. What can you do?"
"Pfft..."
Some officials nearby burst into laughter on the spot!
After laughing, he pretended to apologize quickly: "I'm sorry! I thought of a joke..."
The officials on the side who did not laugh were also very lucky to endure it.
Even Kong Yingda, who was usually stoic, Yang Fan saw that he was biting his back teeth hard, and the beard under his jaw was trembling.
However, Xu Jingzong almost went crazy!
But when I think about it carefully, there is nothing wrong with what Yang Fan said!
Yang Fan has always been trusted by His Majesty Li Er, which is obvious to everyone.
Before Xu Jingzong could speak, Yang Fan continued with a smile: "I am the consort, and I am a family member with Your Majesty. If you don't accept it, do you have the ability to ask your son to marry a princess?"
These words made Xu Xu Jingzong even more confused about how to refute.
After all, Yang Fan was originally the consort, and he and Li Er were supposed to be a family.
What's more, Yang Fan is the first person to marry a princess. Even if he has such ability, why can't he show off?
At this time, Xu Jingzong's face was red with embarrassment and his eyes were bloodshot!
It’s so deceiving!
How can there be such a shameless person?
So Xu Jingzong gritted his teeth and rebuked angrily: "Marquis Zhongyi, you are so arrogant, do you still have any sense of shame?"
Several officials who were watching also felt that Yang Fan's move was inappropriate.
If you have connections and people, you can just keep quiet and make a fortune, why bother showing off.
At this time, everyone also knew why Xu Jingzong deliberately made things difficult for Yang Fan.
No one can bear the thought of his son dying like this.
Besides, given Xu Jingzong’s qualifications, he can be your father at such an age, so it’s really too much to deny him face.
But then, they knew there was something even more extreme.
Yang Fan's smile did not change: "You said that I would only rely on His Majesty's trust to act recklessly. Then you said that if I beat you up here, guess what the consequences would be? Will Your Majesty blame me?"
Li Chengqian on the side couldn't stand it any longer, frowned and shouted: "Marquis Zhongyi, you are too presumptuous! Is this a place where you can act recklessly?"
Yang Fan was not afraid, he just smiled and said: "His Royal Highness taught you a good lesson, but don't worry, I will be careful to be gentler."
When he said this, his eyes were fixed on Xu Jingzong. The meaning was obvious. Do you want to try it?
Although Li Chengqian was very angry, he could only smile, no matter what he was saying.
Once Yang Fan, a bastard like him, gets angry, no one can control him except His Majesty Li Er.
If I keep saying it, I'm afraid this guy will even beat me...
Xu Jingzong was completely shocked.
He has been an official for most of his life, and has seen loyal and upright people, greedy people, and treacherous people, but he has never seen such reckless behavior.
Yang Fan is so stupid!
Only then did Xu Jingzong remember that Yang Fan was a famous mallet in Chang'an. He even dared to hit the prince when he got angry!
If he really beat himself up outside the Tai Chi Hall, he wouldn't really dare...
As for what the consequences will be?
Let's not talk about anything else for the moment, I am an old man, and Yang Fan may have to tear apart my bones.
You don't need to think about it to know that His Majesty Li Er will be furious.
Where is Tai Chi Hall?
How dare you ignore such a solemn place, you are looking for death!
As for whether Yang Fan dares to beat him to death, that's not necessarily true...
But my career as an official in this life has ended here.
Moreover, if there was a conflict here, it would be a minor offense for him to be sent to Lingnan, and the children of his relatives would also be implicated.
And what about that bastard Yang Fan?
Xu Jingzong thought about it seriously and finally came to the conclusion that nothing would happen to him.
Even if he is punished, at best he will be beaten by Li Er, and at worst he will be dismissed from office.
But does Yang Fan care about this?
Obviously not!
But I was miserable. It took me half my life to reach my current position.
Yang Fan was only eighteen years old, and he was already far behind him.
Besides, Yang Fan is Li Er's son-in-law, so it's not easy to get him back.
So Yu Xu Jingzong sadly discovered that it seemed that he was deliberately looking for trouble, which was not a wise choice.
The two are not at the same level at all.
Officials who had not had much contact with Yang Fan before had finally understood the character of the Marquis.
This guy is indeed as rumored and unreasonable at all.
As he said himself, he relied on having an emperor to protect him.
The prince doesn't dare to speak out, what can you do to him?
With such a free-spirited character, it would be best to stay away from this guy in the future.
We can't afford to offend him, but we can always hide him!
At this moment, fortunately, the chamberlain of Taiji Hall opened the palace door at this time, and the ministers entered one by one in order, which relieved Xu Jingzong's embarrassment.
Xu Jingzong felt that he had lost all his face today, and in front of all the fifth-rank officials in the court. He wanted to turn around and leave, he really couldn't stay any longer.
But he couldn't leave. Today was a discussion about his son Xu Zhang's case, and it was impossible for him, the father, to be absent.
What's more important is that he wants to see how to deal with the aristocratic family. If he is not present, wouldn't he not be able to see Yang Fan making trouble?
So I could only walk into Tai Chi Hall with my head hanging down.
The sky was still dark, and the Tai Chi Hall looked a little dark.
There were quite a few officials here today, and as soon as crows and crows walked into the hall, the atmosphere became more and more heavy, with a feeling of dullness before a storm.
Yang Fan consciously followed Kong Yingda. In his opinion, the protagonist today should be Li Ji and His Majesty Li Er.
Turning around and taking a look, he saw that the old man Xu Jingzong was standing next to Kong Yingda, but now he was a few positions away from him.
Yang Fan smiled.
A good person will be bullied by others, and a good horse will be ridden by others. This kind of idiot who bullies the weak and fears the strong should be ashamed of himself.
Hundreds of people poured into Nuo Da's Tai Chi Hall, but no one said a word. You could hear a needle drop in the hall.
He stuck his head out and looked ahead, and saw that old man Li Ji was stroking his beard, seemingly resting his mind.
Juxtaposed with them are Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji, Wei Zheng and others.
I didn’t see many people just now. It turned out that they had entered the palace beforehand.
For some reason, several people seemed to have telepathy. As soon as Yang Fan stuck his head out, Li Ji glanced over and met Yang Fan's eyes.
Seeing Yang Fan hiding behind him, Li Ji gave him a fierce look, as if to say, you are too cunning.
Yang Fan grinned, showing his big white teeth. It's not that we don't want to take the responsibility, it's just that this matter is too big and we can't handle it!
Xu Jingzong has been paying attention to Yang Fan's every move, and he was very envious when he saw the interaction between the two.
Yang Fan seems to be a very good guy. Not only does he have the trust of His Majesty Li Er, but he also has a very good relationship with several ministers in the DPRK.
Yang Fan seems to be disobeying the rules and hitting people at every turn, but in fact he sticks to the bottom line of being an official and is versatile in the officialdom.
I usually act very stupidly, but everything I do is within the scope of my abilities, and I never do things that I can't finish.
The whole person is not as stable as he should be at this age.
Moreover, this guy has only been in the officialdom for two years, and he has already managed to get along with most officials. His ability is astonishing.
After a while, His Majesty Li Er, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and a crown, walked in and sat on the throne with a solemn expression and a domineering look!
At this time, Wei Zheng came out of the queue and shouted tremblingly: "Go to court!"
As the minister's minister, he presides over all court meetings of this level.
The ministers solemnly performed a head-turning salute. His Majesty Li Er looked serious and shouted in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, please be free!"
Only then did the ministers assume their respective positions.
Due to the large number of people, no seats were arranged for this meeting.
Then, Wei Zheng took out a memorial from his sleeve and read it out in a measured tone.
Although Yang Fan's level of classical Chinese is not high, he still understood it.
The content is nothing more than explaining the purpose of holding this court meeting.
So after Wei Zheng finished reading the memorial, His Majesty Li Er spoke from the throne:
"In this imperial examination, student Xu Zhang faced difficulties for no reason. I am very sad."
"However, this incident has caused rumors to spread and people are panicked. I am afraid that the court will be turbulent and the society will be uneasy, so I have convened this court meeting to discuss with all the ministers how to deal with Xu Zhang's case."
His Majesty Li Er did not throw out the evidence he found as soon as he opened his mouth, obviously in order to let the person behind the scenes jump out.
After all, if this incident does not give the family a warning, these people will definitely come out to stop it again in the future.
If it weren't for the sake of saving Li Chengqian and the royal family's face, His Majesty Li Er would have investigated everything directly!
However, due to Li Er's forbearance, the major families thought that there was no evidence, and the officials of the various families were ready to take action.
Cui Yongping went out to the class and said: "Your Majesty, Xu Zhang's incident is a warning from God to vigorously reform the imperial examination. We should follow the mandate of Heaven. Please obey the mandate of Heaven, listen to the people's sentiments, and restore the original imperial examination system."
Your Majesty Li Er looked displeased.
If it hadn't been for prior consultation with Li Ji, Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji and others, the evidence might have been produced long ago.
According to his intention, he was to throw out part of Wang Dachui's confession to seize the opportunity to block the mouth of the noble family.
At this time, Fang Xuanling stood up and said loudly: "The Holy One is the Son of Heaven, and represents the law of heaven. As the saying goes, the sky is overthrown, and even if there is any warning, it should be conveyed to His Majesty."
"The death of a student during the imperial examination is a loss for our dynasty. However, the existing evidence shows that Xu Zhang's case was not a natural disaster, but a man-made disaster!"
"Now that your majesty is kind and kind, you have ordered people to investigate this case. Now that you have finally found something, why are there still people who blame it on heaven for no reason? Such arbitrary and vain actions are destructive. Please punish your majesty severely."
After hearing this, His Majesty Li Er took a few deep breaths and his expression eased slightly. It was obvious that it was not time to get angry with aristocratic families like Cui Yongping.
Yang Fan, on the other hand, was not concerned about the contest that had already begun, which involved compromises between all parties.
In Yang Fan's opinion, it would be better to go to the battlefield to fight!
What's more, with people like Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji standing in front of him, it was never his turn to take the lead.
Therefore, Yang Fan didn't bother to pay attention to the intrigue from the beginning.
So he stepped back slightly and leaned against the pillar in the Tai Chi Hall. Seeing that he had just blocked the view of the throne in front of him, he relaxed and lowered his head slightly, closing his eyes to rest.
During this period of time, I have been busy with the imperial examinations and have not dared to slack off at all, so I am still very exhausted physically and mentally.
Now when I close my eyes, I feel a little groggy, my eyelids become heavy, and my head starts to doze off little by little.
This appearance directly attracted the attention of many officials in the hall.