Eagle-eyed and wolf-watching

Chapter 1711: Conquering the Vice Minister!

With Ye Zaiyuan's deliberate flattery and Zhang Mang's reluctance to offend this member of the Ye clan, the banquet atmosphere was one of merriment for both host and guests. After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Ye Zaiyuan said, seemingly casually:
"Lord Zhang, a few days ago Uncle Kun told the Empress Dowager about your help to the Ye family, young and old. The Empress Dowager was very pleased to hear this and said that you are a good man with a conscience!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Mang's eyes showed no joy whatsoever; on the contrary, a hint of helplessness was revealed deep within them.

Unlike most officials of the Great Qianlong government who came from scholarly backgrounds, Zhang Mang was a constable. According to the rules of the Great Zhou government, Zhang Mang had no official rank, so his career ceiling was very low. If he was lucky, he could become a minor official like a constable head, and if he was extremely lucky, he could become a minor official like a chief constable.

However, the Fengwu Army lacked enough talent at the time, so in order to acquire more talent, it broke many conventions and promoted many merchants and officials who came from humble backgrounds.

It was with this favorable wind that Zhang Mang officially embarked on his official career. Starting from the grassroots level, he was selected to enter the Ministry of Justice, and eventually caught the eye of Ye Mingsheng, becoming the current Vice Minister of Justice.

Zhang Mang, who came from a constable background, was appreciated and promoted by Ye Mingsheng not only because of his excellent work ability, but also because Ye Mingsheng appreciated his sense of justice, his refusal to flatter the powerful and his hatred of evil!
However, people change. While the Ministry of Justice wasn't as important as the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of Personnel in the court, it still wielded considerable power, which attracted temptations. This led to a gradual change in the thinking of the once unyielding and righteous minor official in the Ministry of Justice after years of trials and tribulations in the political arena…
Although he is no longer as righteous as before and can tolerate some darkness, this does not mean that Zhang Mang has completely lost his conscience and moral bottom line!

So, from a conscience's point of view, Zhang Mang was unwilling to help the Uncle Kun that Ye Zaiyuan mentioned. As the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Zhang Mang knew very well what kind of bastard Ye Kun was. This old man, who was almost seventy years old, actually married a seventeen-year-old girl, who was three years younger than his granddaughter!

That's bad enough, but that old bastard Ye Kun also illegally acquired land and became a big landlord, and he also lent money at exorbitant interest rates. Because of these exorbitant interest rates, Ye Kun has driven at least ten people to their deaths!
So if possible, Zhang Mang really hoped that he could personally catch this old bastard and bring him to justice!

However, fate was unkind. This old bastard was incredibly lucky; his surname was Ye, and he was a member of the Ye clan. Someone was there to clean up his mess, so Zhang Mang, lacking solid evidence, had no choice but to release the man under pressure from all sides.

Seeing that Zhang Mang remained silent, Ye Zaiyuan had no idea what the Vice Minister Zhang was thinking, so he could only continue to probe and ask:

"Lord Zhang, I heard that your eldest daughter is already fifteen years old? I wonder if she is betrothed?"

Seeing Ye Zaiyuan suddenly bring up his daughter's marriage, Zhang Mang was somewhat surprised. Not understanding what Ye Zaiyuan was planning, he truthfully replied:
"She is not yet betrothed..."

Hearing Zhang Mang say this, Ye Zaiyuan smiled and said:

"Then, Lord Zhang, what kind of ideal husband would you like to find for your daughter?"

Zhang Mang, somewhat puzzled, said:
"Brother Ye, are you going to act as a matchmaker for my daughter?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Zaiyuan spoke with a serious expression:

"Lord Zhang, you are absolutely right!"

"My nephew, Ye Qiuming, is twenty-one years old this year. He is seven feet tall, handsome, and talented. He is currently serving as a third-class imperial bodyguard in the Imperial Guard. The Empress Dowager also admires this grandson very much, and even the Empress praised Qiuming as an outstanding soldier and a model among the younger generation of the Ye family!"

"Lord Zhang, I'm not just bragging, but Qiu Ming truly has a limitless future. He will definitely be a pillar of our Ye clan and a cornerstone of our Great Qian Dynasty!"

Zhang Mang looked at Ye Zaiyuan, who was beaming with pride, and after a moment's thought, he said:
"Ye Qiuming is indeed a good young man, but if I remember correctly, wasn't he engaged to a girl from the Cui family?"

"My daughter has been spoiled since she was a child and can't bear the hardships of being a concubine!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Zaiyuan quickly explained:

"Lord Zhang, what are you saying? How could I let your daughter be a concubine! Since I'm acting as matchmaker for your daughter, I'll definitely be the legal wife. Otherwise, how could I even ask you for a wife!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Mang was also somewhat puzzled, and then asked:
"What about the girl from the Cui family? Aren't they still engaged?"

When Zhang Mang asked about this, Ye Zaiyuan calmly replied:

"Lord Zhang, I can't say much more about this matter. I can only tell you that the engagement was dissolved a month ago. My nephew is innocent and upright!"

Although Ye Zaiyuan phrased his words tactfully, Zhang Mang could understand his meaning: Ye Zaiyuan was essentially implying that the engagement was dissolved due to problems with the Cui family…

Thinking about this, Zhang Mang also fell into deep thought.

He had met Ye Qiuming before. Although they hadn't had much contact, the young man had left a very good impression on him. He was gentle and refined, like a spring breeze. The Empress Dowager and the Empress also thought highly of him. With these two as his backers, Ye Qiuming's future was sure to be limitless!
If I could marry my daughter to her, it would be a good husband for her, and she would have a place to settle down for the rest of her life. As her father, I could finally rest easy!
Furthermore, if his daughter marries Ye Qiuming, it means that he will have a relationship with the Ye clan, which will have many unspeakable benefits for his career and future entry into the cabinet. At least some obstacles will disappear!
Thinking about this, Zhang Mang was also somewhat tempted!

But upon closer examination, Zhang Mang also felt that things weren't as good as they seemed!

First of all, Ye Qiuming's uncle, Ye Zaiyuan, is a ticking time bomb!

After Ye Qiuming's father passed away three years ago, his interactions with his second uncle, Ye Zaiyuan, gradually increased. It's hard to say that Ye Qiuming was completely unaware of the shady dealings his second uncle, Ye Zaiyuan, had been involved in.

His Majesty has always demanded that the Ye clan members be strict with themselves and abide by the laws of the Great Qian Dynasty. Although Ye Zaiyuan has been very discreet, nothing stays hidden forever. Once the news leaks out, Ye Zaiyuan will surely be beheaded in His Majesty's wrath. Whether Ye Qiuming will be implicated and suffer the consequences is uncertain! Even if Ye Qiuming is innocent, given his relationship with Ye Zaiyuan and the crimes Ye Zaiyuan has committed, Ye Qiuming will inevitably face a cold shoulder once the truth comes out, and his promising future will vanish in an instant…

Secondly, although Ye Zaiyuan meant that the dissolution of the engagement was the Cui family's problem!

However, given this man's character, Zhang Mang dared not completely believe his words. He also needed to investigate thoroughly to see what was really going on, as this matter was rather strange!

After all, it was Ye Qiuming's marriage to that girl from the Cui family that was arranged. The man's side took the initiative, and their idea at the time was for Ye Qiuming to get close to the Cui family and secure his future. So, at that time, the man was in a position to ask the woman for help.

However, the fact that the engagement has been dissolved means that the matter must be quite serious. Otherwise, the man would probably have kept quiet and accepted it because of the power and influence of the Cui family. The fact that the engagement has been dissolved means that this matter is unacceptable!
Thinking about this, Zhang Mang had some guesses. Just as Zhang Mang was about to think about it further, Ye Zaiyuan continued:
"What do you think, Lord Zhang?"

"The news of my nephew's annulment of his engagement with the Cui family girl should be out soon. When that happens, given my nephew's circumstances, many matchmakers will surely come to arrange marriages for him. However, I have always held you, Lord Zhang, in high esteem! So, if we could become in-laws, it would be a great blessing for our family!"

At this point, Ye Zaiyuan looked at Zhang Mang with a smile, his expression full of confidence.

Clearly, although Ye Zaiyuan said that it was a blessing for his family to marry Zhang Mang, he actually thought the opposite: it was a blessing for Zhang Mang to marry his daughter to his nephew Ye Qiuming!

Ye Zaiyuan felt that Zhang Mang should understand the significance of the matter and the benefits it would bring him, so Ye Zaiyuan felt that Zhang Mang really had no reason to refuse!

Just as Ye Zaiyuan was confidently waiting for Zhang Mang to accept the offer, Zhang Mang spoke up:
"Brother Ye, I appreciate your kindness! But this matter is of great importance, and I need to go home and discuss it!"

Upon hearing Zhang Mang's words, Ye Zaiyuan's smile froze, but in this situation, he couldn't show his anger and could only force a smile as he said:

"This is nature! This is nature!"

After saying all that, Zhang Mang changed the subject, and the two chatted about other things for a while before Zhang Mang took his leave. Ye Zaiyuan paid the bill and then sat in the carriage on his way home.

Recalling everything that had just happened in the private room, Ye Zaiyuan was getting angrier and angrier. He really didn't expect that Zhang Mang would be so ungrateful. He had given Zhang Mang a chance to marry his daughter to the Ye family, and Zhang Mang dared to refuse. He was really shameless!

Thinking of this, a murderous intent flashed in Ye Zaiyuan's eyes!
After the failed assassination attempt on Chu Zhiyi, Zhao Jian realized the seriousness of the situation and immediately contacted Ye Zaiyuan, hoping that Ye Zaiyuan could use his connections in Yijing to smooth things over for him.

Although Ye Zaiyuan was surprised that Chu Zhiyi was lucky enough not to be burned to death, he was also prepared to help Zhao Jian, since Zhao Jian, the prefect of Yuyang, was an important part of his plan and could not be easily abandoned.

Although Ye Zaiyuan tried his best to mediate, he underestimated the political impact of the matter, and Zhao Jian was eventually exposed in the winter!
Ye Zaiyuan knew very well that Zhao Jian, in order to save his own life, would definitely implicate him after being arrested. Therefore, he used his connections to postpone the Ministry of Justice's investigation as much as possible, giving himself time to deal with Zhao Jian...

Although Zhao Jian has been successfully dealt with and all the blame has been placed on him, Ye Zaiming feels that the danger has not been completely eliminated. The Ministry of Justice's investigation is still ongoing, and even Chu Zhiyi has not completely given up on the investigation.

Therefore, in Ye Zaiming's view, in order to completely resolve this crisis and ensure his safe landing, he needed to win over Zhang Mang, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice in charge of the case.

Once Zhang Mang is dealt with, the rest is just a matter of Zhang Mang saying a word, and I can easily stay out of it.

Although getting rid of Zhang Mang would solve everything, how to get rid of Zhang Mang was a big problem for Ye Zaiming!

After all, Zhang Mang, as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, was only one step away from the position of Minister of Justice in the cabinet!

It is no exaggeration to say that Zhang Mang has already risen to a high position in the Daqian court, especially considering his age, which makes it highly likely that he will enter the cabinet.

Although Ye Zaiming was a member of the Ye clan and a relative of the imperial family, he was still a commoner in terms of political status. Despite his wealth, there were too many people who wanted to give money to Zhang Mang, and Zhang Mang did not accept just any money.

In fact, Ye Zaiming had previously given Zhang Mang a large sum of money: five thousand taels of silver, a house in Yijing, and three beautiful young women specially brought from Jiangnan. Ye Zaiming thought this combination of silver, property, and women would surely be accepted by Zhang Mang, but to everyone's dismay, Zhang Mang politely declined the generous gift…

Although Ye Zaiming was disappointed and even a little angry at being rejected, it also made him realize that Zhang Mang was different from most of the Party members he knew.

Those people are greedy for money and lust. They swarm around any benefit they can get like flies. Compared to them, Zhang Mang seems more rational. However, this does not mean that Zhang Mang is not greedy; it just means that Zhang Mang's greed is more sophisticated!

Zhang Mang wasn't greedy for money or sex; he was greedy for power and official positions!

Ye Zaiyuan was also very helpless about this. Although he could have some influence on the Empress Dowager's thoughts, the Empress Dowager herself did not have the power to decide Zhang Mang's official position.

If it were just a position like a physician or assistant minister, Ye Zaiming could still pull some strings and find a way. But Zhang Mang is the vice minister of the Ministry of Justice. If he goes any higher, he will become the Grand Secretary and Minister of Justice. In the entire Daqian Dynasty, only Ye Mingsheng himself has the power to decide on such a position. No one else, including the Empress Dowager and the Empress, has the power to decide.

Therefore, how to win over Zhang Mang is a big problem for Ye Zaiming!

Ye Zaiming had pondered for several days before finally deciding on his nephew, Ye Qiuming, as leverage. He had initially thought he would quickly reach an agreement with Zhang Mang, but Zhang Mang's reaction left him somewhat disheartened. Now, the thought that Zhang Mang still held leverage over him filled Ye Zaiming with anxiety. He knew his time was running out; he either had to deal with Zhang Mang quickly, or face utter ruin…