Donggong Zhangjiao

Huaguo Duke's Mansion, Lu Family.

After Prime Minister Lu came back, his face looked a little heavy.

The two sons had been waiting at home for a long time. When their father came back, they immediately gathered around and asked about today's situation.

Many people were killed in the north. Although the emperor wanted to follow the clues and investigate the officialdom of Kyoto, people with a keen sense of smell had already anticipated what was about to happen.

Prime Minister Lu didn't want to talk outside, so he asked his two sons to follow him to the study.

"Now because of this case, the emperor has begun to investigate the officialdom in the north. Most of those investigated are from high-ranking families. In Daqi, there is no rule that merchants cannot study and become officials. In the north, there is collusion between officials and businessmen, and fraud in scientific examinations has occurred. , Your Majesty, I am afraid that you are extremely angry."

Hearing this, the eldest son frowned.

"Although these northern officials can influence the local examination results, they cannot reach out to the scientific examination in Kyoto. Therefore, if you want to make a fuss about the final list, you have to rely on officials in the capital. This is the first time that the scientific examination has been held since the emperor ascended the throne. When selecting talents, we will definitely not be able to tolerate this."

"Yes, when the late emperor was still alive, in his later years, the court was controlled by the then Queen Li family. Nepotism and fraud in scientific examinations were everywhere. The scientific examinations became a private matter run by the Li family, let alone In the north, even in Kyoto, there are many young men from high-ranking families who have no talent or knowledge, or wealthy merchants, who use money to buy their rankings. This is a problem left over by the late emperor."

The second son standing next to him also spoke in a deep voice.

As a family that had been fighting against the Li family for many years, how could the Lu family not know these things?

They wanted to take action, but Emperor Chengjing didn't want to investigate at that time, so the Lu family had no choice.

Even though the Lu family has never done this kind of thing, some families who have good relations with the Lu family have taken this path because they are short of money.

If you follow along, you will definitely find a lot of people with unclean hands and feet.

After all, during the late emperor's later years, the court was really in chaos.

Now Pei Yao has to clear these things up before his first Enke begins, which will inevitably touch the interests of many high-ranking families in Kyoto.

The Lu family is a royal minister, but it is also a high-ranking family.

Although Pei Yao's spearhead was not aimed at the Lu family this time, Prime Minister Lu had already thought about the future.

As Pei Yao's tutor, he has assisted Pei Yao to this day, and he still has some understanding of Pei Yao's character.

Pei Yao wanted to break the status quo of the aristocratic family's monopoly on officialdom left by the late emperor, so that students from poor families could have the opportunity to become officials.

And this group of poor families will be the first team that Pei Yao personally cultivates after he ascends the throne.

It is true that veterans are useful, but to put it worse, they are slaves who deceive the master. Now the veterans who follow Pei Yao have gained seniority, have the weight of their words, and the ability to influence the emperor's decisions. How can they be obedient in everything? The basic Shinchen is easy to use.

"Dad, the emperor is now going to take action against the noble family. How should we deal with it?"

Prime Minister Lu's eldest son asked in a low voice after a moment of silence.

The second son pursed his lips and said, "Dad, my son knows that ministers must obey the king's orders, but he is afraid and his lips are dead and his teeth are cold."

Other high-ranking families have been weakened or even wiped out. So if the Lu family made Pei Yao's sword first, will they face the situation of being hated by other families and being abandoned by the emperor?
The various high-ranking sects in the capital are intertwined and interdependent.

Once anyone touches the collective interests, they will naturally be isolated and hated. When difficulties arise, there will be no one to help them.

Listening to the words of his two sons, Prime Minister Lu's face showed exhaustion.

"Let me think again."

Such a decision is not easy to make, after all, it concerns the future of the entire Lu family.

A century-old family was ruined by one's own hands. This was a responsibility that no one wanted to bear.

Outside the palace, the Lu family was thinking about their choice. Inside the palace, the queen had already sensed uneasiness.

Although the queen does not care about asking questions about government affairs, there is still news about such major events, and as the mother of the country who was trained by a noble family, her mind is naturally sharp enough.The emperor took action against the noble families in the north, but what about Kyoto?Or even, what about the entire Daqi officialdom?
The rules and regulations in her heart told the queen that she should not get involved in this, but as the daughter of the Lu family, she did not want to see her mother make a wrong choice, causing huge losses, or even ruining the family, so she felt restless.

My chest felt stuffy, so I went out for a walk in the Royal Garden.

Unexpectedly, I happened to meet Fang Yun.

"I, my concubine, meet the Queen." Fang Yue saluted.

The queen waved her hand, "No need, are you bringing the children to play?"

Looking at the fourth prince who was picking flowers with his maids not far away, the queen exchanged greetings.

"Yes, spring is just in time, and the children feel like grass is growing in their hearts. They are clamoring to come out all the time." Fang Yun said with a faint smile on his face, "The fifth prince is about to turn one year old. He will be one year old by then. Now that he can walk, he must be more lively."

When the child was mentioned, the Queen's face couldn't help but feel a little soft, and she nodded with a smile.

Fang Yun saw that the queen seemed to have something on her mind, so she took the initiative.

"Spring is warm and the flowers are blooming. When the emperor comes back, the newlyweds will also enter the palace. By then, in this palace, there will be people who are more beautiful than Hua Jiao."

What worries the Queen is nothing more than what Pei Yao is doing in the north, or the newcomers entering the palace. With this sentence, both issues can be explored.

Sure enough, let Fang Yun hit one.

After hearing her words, the queen's eyes darkened slightly and she whispered.

"Yes, things in the north are finished, and it's time for the emperor to come back."

After hearing this, Fang Yun knew in his heart that it was about the affairs of the court.

So then, Fang Yun said, "I have heard a little bit about what happened in the north this time. I heard that high-ranking families colluded with wealthy merchants to cheat on scientific examinations. It's just that the local officials in the north were acting evil and making a fortune in the local area. I'm afraid there are still people in Beijing who are continuing to investigate. This year is the first time since the emperor ascended the throne that he will conduct scientific examinations to select talents. Such matters must be resolved before the Spring Festival can be held with peace of mind."

When she said this, the queen subconsciously frowned and was about to reprimand the harem for not discussing politics, but she thought of the Lu family's situation and held back her words.

At this time, the queen wanted to hear Fang Yun's opinion.

Beholder knows better, right?

So, after calming down, the queen spoke in a low voice.

"Kyoto is not as good as the north. The high-ranking and powerful people who can gain a foothold in Kyoto all have a century-old foundation. Each door can influence the whole body. I'm afraid it's not as easy to track down as it is in the north."

"What you say makes sense, but I feel that it would be easier if someone from these aristocratic families is willing to stand up and help the emperor to clean up the moths."

Fang Yun seemed to be chatting and talking about his own opinions.

Hearing this, the queen was a little disappointed and narrowed her eyes.

"But who wants to be the one to stand up? The risk is too great."

Seemingly sensing the queen's thoughts, Fang Yun paused and continued.

"The emperor has not been on the throne for a long time, and he still needs to employ people. Even if the newly selected officials have not received experience for a while, those people cannot take charge alone. They have to have experienced officials. From dynasty to dynasty, there must be aristocratic families. Even if the emperor wants to Cleaning out the moths will also leave behind the true ministers of the humerus. If we cut them all off with one knife, wouldn’t it mean that there would be no one left in the government and the public?”

"Then once the newcomers can take charge of their own business, won't the veterans be afraid of burning bridges?"

The queen narrowed her eyes and asked.

Fang Yun smiled and said, "Isn't your Majesty the one who has gone too far? Only those with power will be feared. The newcomers will grow up. As long as the old ministers retire peacefully, how can they cause trouble? The emperor is a wise king. Naturally, he will only kill treacherous ministers. If the old ministers If they are all slaughtered, the new ministers will also be heartbroken." (End of this chapter)