No war in the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 35 Getting involved
Su Ze, who had just returned home from Zhang Daocheng's residence, met Wang Anshi who had hurried over from Dengke Tower.

After Wang Anshi told Su Ze about his conversation with Yang Zong in Dengke Tower, he said worriedly:

"If it's really the Censorate that's behind this, Su Lang should be careful."

Su Ze had already learned the whole story from Zhang Daocheng, but he still expressed his gratitude to Wang Anshi.

His enemies might be the empress and prime minister of the time, and Su Ze was unwilling to involve Wang Anshi.

Su Ze said to Wang Anshi:
"Brother Jiefu, Su Ze already understands the connection between this matter. You should go back and prepare for the exam in peace during this period. Don't delay your future."

Su Ze remembered that Wang Anshi ranked fourth in this imperial examination and entered the officialdom. He didn't want to affect someone like Wang Anshi and ruin his future because of himself.

Su Ze spoke sincerely, but Wang Anshi became even more worried.

Su Ze could only say helplessly:
"Brother Jiefu, Su has a clear conscience. Even if I'm implicated for a while, I can just try again later. Brother Jiefu, even if it's not for your own future, you should think about the old lady and your younger brothers and sisters."

Speaking of family, this is Wang Anshi's weak point.

Now the burden of the family fell on him alone. Wang Anshi had to support his mother and raise his younger siblings.

In the historical timeline before Su Ze traveled through time, because the Song Dynasty provided salary subsidies to county officials, Wang Anshi had been working in local areas since he started his official career. Even when the court asked him to go to Bian Jing to be an official, he would write a letter to refuse.

Wang Anshi was silent for a moment after hearing this, and Su Ze continued:

"The more corrupt the court becomes, the more people like Brother Jiefu should serve as officials to cleanse the world."

Wang Anshi could only lower his head, and he bowed to Su Ze and said:

"Brother Su, Jiefu knows."

Su Ze finally sent Wang Anshi away, but Li Dutou of the Imperial City Division, along with his thin military commanders, came looking for Su Ze again.

After bringing the two into the courtyard, the thin military leader immediately shouted:

"Mr. Su, you have caused us so much trouble!"

Li Dutou glared at his men, then said to Su Ze:

"Mr. Su, this case cannot be investigated."

Su Ze has deduced that the person behind the demon book case is Zhang Xiuyuan, the most favored person in the palace.

The two men were from the Imperial City Bureau and were familiar with the situation within the palace. Naturally, they knew that this case was a hot potato.

Li Dutou said:
"Following your method, we tracked down the tabloid that was privately printed in the Jinzouyuan Gazette and finally found Zhang Dengwen."

Zhang Deng heard this and Su Ze reacted quickly.

This Zhang Dengwen is the distant relative mentioned by Zhang Daocheng, Zhang Xiuyuan's uncle, and now Zhang Yaozuo, the judge of Dengwen Drum Court!

really!

That’s right, only an important court official like Zhang Yaozuo has the resources and ability to obtain the court reports from the Jinzouyuan as quickly as possible.

As the only official from Zhang Xiuyuan's family, the government was quite lenient towards Zhang Yaozuo, so it was not surprising that he could do such a thing.

In fact, Zhang Yaozuo and Zhang Xiuyuan did not have a good relationship.

Zhang Xiuyuan's family background was not high, but her father was also a Jinshi, that is, Zhang Yaozuo's brother Zhang Yaofeng.

However, Zhang Yaofeng died early, and Zhang Xiuyuan's mother took her daughter to seek refuge with Zhang Yaozuo, who had already passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi. However, Zhang Yaozuo refused to support the orphan and widowed mother.

Zhang Xiuyuan's mother was forced to work as a singer and dancer in the household of the Grand Princess of Qi, marrying her as a servant and sending her young daughter to the palace's Xianshao Department, the palace's song and dance troupe. Later, after Emperor Renzong ascended the throne, dissatisfied with several successive empresses, he spotted Zhang Xiuyuan at a palace banquet and learned of her identity as a well-off woman.

Zhang Xiuyuan's outstanding appearance and graceful dancing posture deeply attracted Song Renzong.

Compared with Empress Cao, who always held herself to the standards of the Empress Dowager and treated the Emperor coldly, Zhang Xiuyuan was clever and soon became the most favored concubine in the harem.

At this time, Zhang Yaozuo reconnected with this relative, and Zhang Xiuyuan also demonstrated her political ability. She did not hold grudges against her uncle who was an official in the outer court, and often helped him get promoted and made him a helper of the outer court.

Since the matter involved Zhang Xiuyuan, Li Dutou did not dare to report it and could only find Su Ze again.

Empress, concubines, prime minister, and censors.

These lofty names have involved themselves in it.

Su Ze felt a little angry. If his original self had been exposed to these things, he would have been trembling with fear and would have closed his eyes and waited for death.

However, as a time traveler, Su Ze lacks respect for these high-ranking names. For their plotting against him, he just wants revenge.

Just at this moment, there was a knock at the door.

Su Ze stood up and opened the gate. He saw a black carriage parked at the entrance of the alley. At the door of his house, two ruffians with crooked hats were looking at him sideways.

"But Su Ze Su Langjun?"

Su Ze was prepared for the scoundrel's bad tone. He just said calmly:
"My name is Su Ze, what advice do you have for me?"

One of the ruffians immediately said:
"My Lord Feng wants to buy your house. Come with us to Kaifeng Mansion to sign the contract!"

"Mr. Feng?"

The ruffian said immediately:

"Who in the whole city of Bianjing doesn't know Mr. Feng? Mr. Feng, the head of the shop and house business, half of the houses in the whole city of Bianjing belong to Mr. Feng!"

Su Ze knew that the two men were bragging. There were countless powerful people in the city of Bianjing. No matter how high the status of merchants in the Song Dynasty was, it was impossible for any merchant to occupy half of the houses in the city of Bianjing.

But as soon as he came back, someone came to take over the house. He was afraid that someone had attacked him again.

The two scoundrels were about to start a fight when they heard someone on the carriage say:

"Please come up, Mr. Su."

The two ruffians looked at each other. Two guards from the Imperial City, one fat and one thin, in the yard were ready to attack, but Su Ze suppressed them with a gesture.

Su Ze stepped past the two men and boarded the black carriage.

The interior of the carriage was very spacious, and the interior decoration was not gorgeous. The curtains of the carriage were drawn tightly in broad daylight, but a lamp was burning inside the carriage.

In addition, there were a large number of account books piled in the carriage, and a middle-aged man with a gloomy face was sitting in the carriage.

The middle-aged man said:
"The house on this street was recently sold for eight hundred strings of cash. I'll give you one thousand strings of cash, and you can leave Bianjing City now."

The middle-aged man looked tired. He was clearly in the car, but he was still wearing a Putou hat. He was talking to Su Ze while flipping through the account book.

Su Ze knew that the House and Shop Guild was the chamber of commerce for buying, selling and renting real estate in Bianjing City. Thinking of the Prime Minister's intention to deal with him, Su Ze suddenly asked:
"Has Chief Feng ever worked in Kaifeng Prefecture?"

Feng Shiyuan suddenly raised his head and stared at Su Ze with a pair of vulture-like eyes.

Su Ze knew that he had guessed right.

(End of this chapter)