A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 318 The crime of deceiving the king
Changan.

On the court, more than 20 horses galloped vertically and horizontally,

In order to avoid disturbing the sight of the golfers when the horses are running, the horses have their manes cut and their tails tied.

The vigorous players on horseback, all wearing long boots with Futou on their heads, and holding crescent sticks in their hands, chased the polo.

On the sidelines, there was also a band of musicians beating drums and blowing horns to cheer.

In the stands, under the service of the ladies, the nobles drank tea wine or buttermilk, tasted fruit snacks such as lychees from the southern country, and leisurely enjoyed this pleasing and intense polo.

This is a polo match held near the Dragon Boat Festival at the Kaiguogongfu Stadium in Shouyang County, Yongxingfang, Chang'an. The two competing polo teams are from the family of Qin Qiong, the Duke of Qi, and the family of Li Jing, the Duke of Yongkang.

Wu Huaiyu's wife, Fan Xuanfu, was watching polo with a seven-month-old belly, and her sisters-in-law, Cheng Shi, Chen Runniang, Gao Hui'an, and Irina, were also standing beside her with big bellies.

Qin Qiong's wife Li Xianzhu was a little envious. Qin Qiong moved to Bailuyuan for recuperation. A child, but still young, still want to have a few more.

A group of noble ladies are drinking tea, eating fruit, watching polo, and chatting about homework, which is quite pleasant.

Wei Zheng's wife Pei, Wang Ji's wife Pei, Zhang Chuchen from the Yongkang mansion, Li Jing's sister-in-law, the eldest Sun family, and the family members of the Fan family from the Yingguo mansion were also there.

Li Sanniang ran to Lingzhou, and then had a big scandal with Wu Huaiyu, which once made Yongkang Gongfu very angry, and also made Shouyang Gongfu a little embarrassed. Fortunately, Li Sanniang has taken back to Beijing and is being locked up in the mansion for self-reflection .

On the court, the competition between the two teams was fierce and the atmosphere was tense. It was not much different from the battle on the battlefield. The players fought fiercely and even saw blood very quickly.

Even the rattan protective gear couldn't stop such a fierce fight.

Both the polo teams of Duke Qi's Mansion and Yongkang Mansion are very famous in Chang'an. After all, the two patriarchs, one is known as the number one fierce general in the Tang Dynasty, and the other is known as the number one wise general.

They have been battle-tested, and they are also very good at playing polo. Anyway, there is one word that stands out, which is fierce.

In comparison, Qin Qiong's players were more aggressive, with an unstoppable and indomitable momentum, while Li's players were more strategic, interspersed with roundabouts, outflanked the pass, and played well together.

Both teams are very good, and the collision is naturally more exciting.

At the end of the game, the Qin team is even better today.

The Li family refused to admit defeat, and agreed to fight again. Under Fan Xuanfu's help, the Chang'an Polo League that Huaiyu had mentioned to her before is now slowly working on it, and has contacted many wealthy nobles. Dozens of teams.

Today's game is a qualifying match, a group match, played at the Wu family's stadium, although the audience is not too many, but the game points are counted, and when the group knockout round is played, it will be played at the big stadium.

The noble ladies gave rewards to the players after the game, and the maidservants brought all kinds of rewards, such as gold leaves, money, gold beans, silver coins, and even silk. Mrs. Li Ke’s wife, Zhang Sun, even directly gave her the most promising A player from the Li family rewarded a maid.

The next game of the two teams will be played at the Yongkang Mansion. After an agreed time, each uttered harsh words and disbanded to go back.

Wei Zheng's wife Pei also left and went home.

Back at the Wei Mansion next door, Wei Zheng was busy making realgar wine and Changpu wine for the Dragon Boat Festival.

Planting willows in the Qingming Festival, hanging moxa in the Dragon Boat Festival,
Tang people also drank realgar wine and Changpu wine on the Dragon Boat Festival. Tang people believed that it could ward off evil spirits and eliminate epidemics. They even said that Changpu wine could cure 36 winds, [-] numbness, unblock blood vessels, cure bone impotence, and make eyes and ears smarter after taking it for a long time.

Wei's home brewing has always been famous in Chang'an, and the Jiao family's wine was once the most famous home brewing in Chang'an, but since the Wu family brewing wine next door, especially the spirits they brewed, they have come from behind.

After Chang'an lifted the ban on grain wine making, Wei Zheng also restarted home brewing. He gave the secret recipe of home brewing to Wu Huaiyu, but he can still make wine himself. Even many wine lovers in Chang'an recognize his craftsmanship and come to order wine .

However, I heard that the wine shop of the Wu family used his secret recipe to brew Weigong wine, and the quantity was very large. He even secretly asked his servants to buy some Wei Gong wine made by the Wu family's Bingyufang, and found that it was no different from his brew.

This made Wei Zheng a little disappointed, but fortunately, many people still prefer to buy his, even though his is more expensive.

"Today the polo next door is very nice, but it's a pity you didn't go."

"A group of women are watching the game, why should I join in the fun?"

"There are so many people watching football today, and it's not just women,"

Wei Zheng busied himself with serving wine, "These rich and powerful families are really extravagant and enjoy themselves blindly. Not only do they play polo themselves, but they also set up a polo team, and even now they want to hold a polo league. This kind of atmosphere is not good,"

Pei Shi couldn't see his attitude.

"You still brew and drink, why don't you quit? There are still many people in the world who can't afford to eat, but you drink every day?"

Wei Zheng was so blocked that he was speechless, so he had no choice but to shut up.

Don't look at him who is usually invincible in court, but he is often irritated by his wife at home and has nothing to say.

"I heard that Wu Erlang got into trouble in Lingzhou?" Pei asked.

"It's nothing troublesome, but the second child of the Qiu family was so vicious and cannibalized in the street, Wu Huaiyu arrested him and put him in prison. Good job, that kind of humanity has been wiped out, and he is long ago unworthy of it. I'm an official."

"Are you going to join in the fun again? Are the Qiu family ordinary people?"

Wei Zheng ignored his wife. In fact, after receiving Wu Huaiyu's letter, he did not act rashly. Instead, he understood the matter seriously and collected a lot of information. Then he also found Wang Gui, the servant of Huangmen, and jointly wrote a Memorial.

The reason for joining forces with Wang Gui is that Wang Gui is also an old cannon in the court. They were building the East Palace together back then, and the impeachment of the two together is more weighty.

After all, Qiu Xinggong's younger sister is Gao Shilian's concubine, and his daughter is Changsun Wuji's concubine, both of whom are ministers in court.

Now wait for this memorial to be presented to the emperor, and then wait for the emperor's reply.

He didn't believe that the emperor would shield Qiu Xinggong this time, and Wei Zheng would not give up easily this time. It was impossible to just dismiss Qiu Xinggong from his official position. In that case, Qiu Xinggong would definitely return to his post in a short time. The crime of Qiu Xinggong, who is devoid of humanity, is truly punished by law.

"It's almost Dragon Boat Festival, and the Wu family has already sent us rice dumplings. Let's also buy a sheep and slaughter it, buy some glutinous rice, make more mutton rice dumplings, and give some to the Wu family, and some to the Xue family of the Wang family. " Pei said.

Wei Zheng didn't have time to deal with these trivial matters, and waved his hand, "You can make up your own mind about such trivial matters." Although last year, because he wanted to marry the Wang family, he mortgaged the house and collected books, and ended up in debt, but fortunately now Everything is getting better.

Wei Zheng was promoted to the third-rank secretary supervisor, and began to participate in central government affairs. His epitaph inscription embellishment, and home brewing, etc., can now bring a lot of income, and his salary is also high, and he can get rewards from time to time.

The Pei family makes mutton dumplings every year, but they used to make less. I bought some mutton dumplings, which tasted like the Dragon Boat Festival. But this year, the conditions are good. The Pei family plans to make more. The family can eat more, or they can give it to others. .

"Wu Family's Zhang County Ham Dumplings, Yanzhoutan Lamb Dumplings, Sanyuan Salted Egg Dumplings, etc. are all delicious..."

Now the relationship between the two neighbors is good, and Wei Erlang is officially engaged to Wu Siniang, although the child is still young, but the marriage letter will be married.

Now not only neighbors, but also in-laws.

During the incident, Ma Zhou's wife, Aunt Wu, returned to her natal family to give a festival gift, and even specially sent some gifts to Pei's family.

·······
In the morning, Wei Zheng went to court.

He greeted Wang Gui, the servant of Huangmen, in front of the palace gate.

"Wang Shilang, why hasn't there been any movement in our memorial for so many days?"

"Your Majesty won't reply?"

"I gave the secret document to Gao Shizhong and asked him to forward it to His Majesty. I also asked Gao Shizhong yesterday, and he said that he had already presented it to His Majesty."

Wang Gui was the servant of the Huang family and Gao Shilian's subordinate. Wang Gui was not the prime minister. He and Wei Zheng wanted to submit a secret letter, so naturally they did not go through the normal channels.

But after so many days with no results, Wei Zheng couldn't help but suspect that Gao Shilian didn't forward it.

"Gao Shizhong really said that he has forwarded it?"

"Ah."

"Then let's ask His Majesty face-to-face later, and we'll know as soon as we ask. If it is really forwarded, then we have to ask His Majesty why he didn't reply. If he didn't forward it, hum."

Wei Zheng hummed, Wang Gui also understood.

It is not a small matter to withhold the secret performance for the emperor without permission, even if it is the prime minister, if he is honest, he will not be able to bear it.

In particular, this secret memorial also involves Gao Shizhong and his relatives, the Qiu family.

At the end of the early dynasty, Wei Zheng went out to ask for a memorial.

He first asked Gao Shilian face to face, and Wang Gui asked him to submit the secret performance on his behalf.

"Gao Shizhong, may I ask if Wang Shilang asked Gao Shizhong to forward the secret performance to His Majesty, has it really been delivered?"

In front of the emperor and all the officials, Gao Shilian couldn't lie.

It can only be said that he seems to have transferred, but also doesn't seem to have transferred. There are too many things and he may be negligent for a while. He will find out when he goes back and checks.

As soon as these words came out, everyone knew that Gao Shilian had lied.

Wei Zheng was even more aggressive, bluntly stating that the secret memorial was written jointly by him and Wang Gui, impeaching Gao Shilian's concubine brother Qiu Xinggong for crimes.

Now Gao Shilian has privately seized the secret memorial, and lied to Wang Gui that he has reported it.

"Your Majesty, Gao Shilian, the servant, is protecting his relatives and deceiving the emperor. He is not worthy to be the prime minister at all!"

The emperor sat there with a gloomy face and asked Gao Shilian face to face.

Gao Shilian knew he was in the wrong, so he had no choice but to ask for his resignation.

Later, the emperor obtained from Gao Shilian the secret memorial written jointly by Wei Zheng and Wang Gui, which had been seized by Gao Shilian privately and opened to read.

The content inside is indeed to impeach Qiu Xinggong.

Gao Shilian's behavior touched the root of the emperor.

As a prime minister, this behavior of deceiving and covering up relatives has crossed the red line.

"Let Xu Guogong Gao Shilian be the Duke of Yixing County, dismissed from the position of minister, and demoted to the governor of Anzhou."

If it wasn't for him being the queen's uncle, he might even be executed for such a serious problem. The emperor demoted him from the Duke of the State to the Duke of the County, from the Minister of the Prime Minister to the Governor of Anzhou, which is considered very polite.

However, because of Qiu Xinggong, Gao Shilian's dismissal and demotion shocked many officials.

What happened to Qiu He who made this incident made all the officials curious.

Originally, the reason why Wei Zheng and Wang Gui played secretly at the beginning was because Qiu Xinggong, Prime Ministers Gao Shilian and Changsun Wuji were all relatives, so they played secretly first, just to avoid these two prime ministers and not want to be interfered.

Unexpectedly, Gao Shilian still intervened.

When Gao Shilian was dismissed, Wang Gui of Wei Zheng began to impeach Qiu Xinggong without any scruples. Wei Zheng even said bluntly in the Golden Palace, please punish Qiu Xinggong to rectify the law of the country.

(End of this chapter)