Back to Daming to be a genius

Chapter 158
At [-] o'clock in Shenshi, Zhang Weixian followed Young Master Zhang into the study of Zhang's mansion. Like other rich and powerful mansions, the master's study is usually the most closely guarded place for secret talks, especially Young Master Zhang's study, which is uncomfortable if you don't engage in conspiracy.Before Master Zhang and Zhang Weixian entered, Zhang Shitou led more than a dozen soldiers and servants from Linqing to rush into the study room, and methodically checked every corner of the study room where people might be hiding, such as under the bed, bookshelf, under the table and behind the window. Even the beams of the house were not spared. After the two entered the house, Zhang Shitou went out with his soldiers and servants, guarding the doors, windows, and nearby trees, so as not to give anyone a chance to eavesdrop.

"No wonder the Empress said that only you can do this." Seeing the professional anti-eavesdropping level of Young Master Zhang's personal soldiers, Zhang Weixian nodded repeatedly, and sighed: "Only a cautious and intelligent person like Tanhualang, Only then can we deal with Wei Zhongxian."

"Zhang Guogong won the award. The late student just wanted to live a few more years. He was forced to this point by the situation and had to be more careful." Young Master Zhang shrugged his shoulders, invited Zhang Weixian to sit down, and asked tentatively: "Zhang Guogong, what do you think this time? It was your intention that the emperor called me back to Beijing to report on my duties, so did you ask the emperor directly? Didn't it go through the cabinet and the supervisor of rituals? Do Jiu Qiansui and the others know the news of my return?"

"Yes, the matter is urgent. We were afraid that Wei Xun would cause trouble, so we did not go through the cabinet and the ceremonial supervisor, and directly asked the emperor for the decree, without letting Wei Xun and his group know." Zhang Weixian nodded frankly.When Young Master Zhang heard this, his eyes almost went dumb, he jumped up and shouted: "What? Didn't go through the cabinet and the chief inspector to invite Zhongzhi directly? Who came up with this idea? He wants my life?"

"It's the empress's intention. She also knows that this move is risky, but the matter is urgent..." Zhang Weixian still wanted to explain.But Young Master Zhang jumped three feet high and scolded angrily: "This stupid woman, why is she so impatient? Last time she compared Nine Thousand Years to Zhao Gao in front of the Emperor, Nine Thousand Years has already endured it." She has lost her temper, and she still doesn't know how to restrain herself? This time, does she still want to pull me in and be buried with her?"

"Zhang Haogu, please be more polite! Who are you calling a stupid woman?" Zhang Weixian was furious, his face changed color and shouted.Young Master Zhang was not afraid, and contradicted: "I'm scolding that queen! Does she know that once I am dragged into the water by her, not only her and my family's lives will be ruined, but also the entire Daming country! Nine Who is Chitose? I returned to Beijing suddenly without his knowledge, and I was recalled to Beijing by the emperor's Zhongzhixuan instigated by the empress. What would Chitose think? Cooperation sincerity, do you want to join forces with me, or do you want my life?"

Zhang Weixian was speechless, and after a while he said in a low voice: "The empress's move is ill-considered, but she is really in a hurry, and she has no other channels to contact you directly, so she has to take the risk of doing this—even we are I only found out after the fact, and it was too late to persuade her. How to explain it to Wei Xie, you have to work hard to figure out a way."

"Oh, forget it, it's my fault for being too careless. I went back to Beijing rashly without knowing the actual situation in advance. I will learn this lesson next time." Young Master Zhang waved his hand sullenly, and also took the beautiful, glamorous, dignified Empress Zhang, who is upright but stubborn and inflexible, has nothing to do.Glancing at the sun outside the window to estimate the time, Eldest Young Master Zhang asked again: "The Empress is so anxious to call me back, what's the matter? Don't tell me, she has provoked Nine Thousand Years or Mrs. Fengsheng again, Those two plan to abolish her queen position?"

"Wrong, the empress's position is not only not dangerous, but more stable." Zhang Weixian shook his head, and said in a deep voice: "The empress is pregnant with a dragon son, and she is afraid that Ke Baba and Wei Yan will attack her child again, so Urgently calling you back, let you find a way to save the dragon child in her belly!"

"The Empress is pregnant?" Young Master Zhang turned pale with shock, and blurted out, "How many months?"

"According to the imperial doctor, it's been about three months." Zhang Weixian didn't notice the abnormal expression on Young Master Zhang's face, but said seriously: "In the third year of Tianqi, the empress once conceived a dragon species, but Ke Baba was afraid After the empress gave birth to the prince, it was not good for her, so she sent someone to massage the empress, which caused the empress to miscarry. There is a way to call you back to the capital, and I hope that through your special relationship with Wei Yan and Ke Baba, you can save this child of the Empress Empress and let him be born safely..." Speaking of this, Zhang Weixian asked Young Master Zhang strangely: "Tanhualang, what's wrong with you? Why are you in a daze? Did you hear what I said?"

"Listen... I heard it." Young Master Zhang quickly withdrew his thoughts and said with a forced smile, "This is a great thing. The emperor seems to have had three dragon sons one after another, and they all died unfortunately. I hope the queen can give birth to the emperor smoothly this time." A son of a dragon, let 'me' be a successor to the Ming Dynasty."

"If Ke Baba and Wei Yan continue to make trouble, this is impossible." Zhang Weixian shook his head, then lowered his voice and said, "So the empress empress will give you an original sentence - if you still think that you are a courtier of Ming Dynasty, As a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, you have to protect his children at all costs! In the whole world, only you can do it, and only you will risk it at all costs!"

"What does Zhang Yan mean by this? Put a high hat on me, or give me a hint...?" Young Master Zhang was very suspicious, but the time is tight right now, so Young Master Zhang can't allow him to think too much. After a quick calculation, Young Master Zhang is rude The order said: "Mr. Zhang, time is urgent. Jiuqian usually leaves the palace to go home at Xu time according to the usual practice. I have to deal with my own danger first. I know you are in contact with Feng Quan, so you go right away...... "

………………

At the time of You, Zhang Weixian hurriedly left Zhang's mansion, and went straight to his British mansion in a sedan chair in a hurry.

Not long after the first quarter of the unitary hour, Zhang Weixian returned to his mansion. A moment later, a servant of the British government quietly walked out of the house and rode straight to the yamen of the household department.

At three o'clock in the unitary hour, Feng Quan, Minister of the Household Department, happily rushed out of the hall of the Household Department, took a sedan chair and went straight to Chengtianmen.

At Xushizheng, Wei Zhongxian left the palace on time as usual. As soon as he arrived at Chengtianmen, Wei Zhongxian saw Feng Quan spinning on the Jinshui Bridge with his hands behind his back. Wei Zhongxian was very strange and shouted to Feng Quan: "Feng Zhenlu, why are you here? Entering the palace, why don't you ask for an order?" Hearing Wei Zhongxian's voice, Feng Quan rushed up to kowtow to Wei Zhongxian as if he had met a savior. ?”

"No, I don't want to enter the palace to report to the emperor, but I want to report a confidential matter to you, Nine Thousand Years Old." Feng Quan replied mysteriously.Wei Zhongxian froze for a moment, and asked, "Then why don't you go to the palace and report directly, or go to our house and wait?"

"Nine thousand years old, the matter is very important. This person is very powerful in the capital, and he has a very close relationship with Cui Chengxiu and others. I am afraid that the news will be leaked, so I can only show nine thousand years old face to face." Feng Quan replied more mysteriously, and got After Wei Zhongxian agreed, Feng Quan looked left and right first, and then whispered in Wei Zhongxian's ear, "Nine thousand years old, Zhang Haogu returned to Beijing today! And I also received accurate news, Zhang Haogu just returned to the capital, Zhang Weixian Just go to his house and meet him!"

"What? That little monkey Zhang Haogu returned to the capital and met Zhang Weixian immediately?" Wei Zhongxian's mung bean eyes flashed fiercely, and he asked Feng Quan viciously: "Who told him to return to the capital? Why did our family Don’t know about this? He returned to the capital, why didn’t he come to greet our family? Dongchang, why didn’t the people from Dongchang report to our family?”

"As far as I know, it was the empress who persuaded the emperor to bypass the supervisor and the cabinet this time and recall him back to Beijing in the name of returning to Beijing to report on his duties!" Feng Quan, who had long hated Young Master Zhang, took the opportunity to slander , said gloomily: "As for Zhang Haogu returning to the capital, why didn't he come to greet you, old man Jiuqian, I don't know about this humble job. And why Dongchang didn't report to you old man Jiuqian, maybe this It is related to the deputy admiral of Dongchang, Mr. Song Jinsong, and Mr. Xiao Chuanxiao, who is in charge of thousands of households in Dongchang—you know, Jiu Qiansui, their friendship with Zhang Haogu is extraordinary."

Wei Zhongxian's old face stretched even longer, and after a moment of consideration, Wei Zhongxian rushed onto his sedan chair, shouted to an eunuch who was waiting beside the sedan chair with a livid face, "send someone to the alley of Prime Minister Wen, and call that little monkey Zhang Haogu to Our mansion, we have something to ask him!" The eunuch respectfully agreed, and then reported to Wei Zhongxian: "Old Ancestor, I have one more thing to report to you. Send someone to send an urgent letter, saying that they found Master Zhang Haogu returned to the capital. As soon as he arrived at his home, the British Duke Zhang Weixian followed him. He also rode out of the house on a fast horse in plain clothes, and there is no news about where he got there."

"Oh." Wei Zhongxian's ugly face finally slowed down a bit, and he beckoned Feng Quan to him, and asked, "When did you know that Zhang Haogu returned to the capital?"

"Back to the nine thousand year old, when the third quarter of the unitary hour is approaching, the humble official will know the news." Feng Quan replied respectfully.Wei Zhongxian nodded, thinking that it was okay, Dongchang was always reliable, and the news was much faster than others.Thinking of this, Wei Zhongxian waved his hand and shouted: "Let's go, go back home."

Wei Zhongxian took the sedan chair back to the gate of his house in Wei Ran Hutong. It was almost [-]:[-] o'clock in the morning. After getting off the sedan chair, Wei Zhongxian asked the eunuch guarding the gate: "That little monkey Zhang Haogu, has he been here?" The eunuch guarding the gate respectfully replied: "Back to the ancestors, Tanhualang has been here for a long time, and now he is waiting at home for the ancestors to come back. I heard from people in the mansion that Tanhualang is in the courtyard of my uncle, with my uncle, Miss speak."

"Oh." Wei Zhongxian heaved a sigh of relief, and when he turned his head to look at Feng Quan's expression again, he found that Feng Quan's face was ashen, and he was sweating profusely.Finding that Wei Zhongxian was looking at him, Feng Quan hurriedly asked the gatekeeper eunuch: "When did Zhang Haogu get here?" "It probably arrived at the beginning of Youshi, but it was not too late. At that time, Tan Hualang rushed here on a fast horse, and he was still covered in sweat. Because the servants were changing shifts at Youshi, they were very impressive."

Hearing what the gatekeeper eunuch said, Feng Quan's expression was naturally more depressed, but Wei Zhongxian stretched his face and shouted: "Feng Quan, don't provoke the relationship between our family and Zhang Haogu in the future, Zhang Haogu is a relative of our family. Son, you are more loyal to our family than you are to our family!" After that, Wei Zhongxian flicked his sleeves and entered the door with his head held high, and said coldly: "Why should you go? Don't come in. Our family doesn't want to see you get along with Zhang again. Gu bickering face to face!"

"Strange? Is Zhang Haogu's little bastard really so loyal to old eunuch Wei? When he found out that something was wrong, he immediately came to report to old eunuch Wei?" Young Master Zhang, who is like an oiled loach, actually has such a firm stand?But Feng Quan soon became happy again, and murmured in his heart, "Well, since you dare to tell the old eunuch Wei, then I dare to leak this to Zhang Weixian, and let Zhang Weixian and his gang find you to settle the score!"

………………

Moved by Young Master Zhang's preconceived 'loyalty' performance, Wei Zhongxian's anger at Young Master Zhang's return to Beijing without his permission has basically dissipated, but Wei Zhongxian still has some doubts—that is why the queen bypassed himself to call for Young Master Zhang I'm back in Beijing.So after entering the mansion, Wei Zhongxian walked directly into the Dongkua courtyard where his daughter and son-in-law lived. When he entered the courtyard, he found that Master Zhang was sitting with his daughter and son-in-law under the grape arbor and chatting. Wei Liangqing and Fu Yingxing were also present beside them. There was a small wooden box on the stone table. It was obvious that Young Master Zhang had continued his good habit of never going to the Wei Mansion empty-handed.

"Father is back." Wei Zhongxian's daughter was the first to notice Wei Zhongxian's arrival.Young Master Zhang, Yang Liuqi, Wei Liangqing and others did not dare to be negligent, and hurried over to kowtow to say hello, Wei Zhongxian waved his hands and said with a smile: "Forget it, get up, Zhang Haogu, when will you come to the capital, you little monkey? Why didn't you let us know beforehand?" Send a message home?"

"Crack!" Eldest Young Master Zhang slapped himself, kowtowed and said, "Father, the child has mishandled the matter, and the matter is not clear, please punish the child for the crime of infidelity!"

"Oh, what's your crime?" Wei Zhongxian asked knowingly.Young Master Zhang raised his head and replied with a dejected expression: "Godfather and the emperor issued an order to reward Xifengkou's meritorious soldiers this time, and it was sent along with the official document of the Ministry of War, and there was also an imperial decree calling for the child to return to Beijing to report on his duties. The child does not argue." True and False went back to the capital directly. But after arriving in the capital, the boy realized that this imperial decree bypassed his father's edict, and it was not the father who summoned the boy to return to the capital, but the queen who persuaded the emperor to summon the boy. The boy was confused, Please punish my father!"

Young Master Zhang confessed so happily, and Wei Zhongxian's doubts about Young Master Zhang's loyalty completely disappeared without a trace - after all, admitting that he was deceived by the queen to return to the capital also requires a certain amount of courage and loyalty.Wei Liangqing over there also pleaded: "Father, Brother Zhang is really loyal to you. When he found out that he had been fooled, he didn't even care about his wife and children, so he rushed here to report to you immediately. Father, you think he is unintentional." For the sake of loss, let Brother Zhang be spared this time."

"Father, please forgive my younger brother. He really didn't know beforehand that the queen tricked him back." Wei Zhongxian's only daughter also pleaded for mercy—in order to pay for this sentence, Young Master Zhang sacrificed a set and snatched it from Shengjing City. Emerald jewellery.Yang Liuqi and Fu Yingxing, who were short-handed over there, also interceded together, while Wei Zhongxian said with a smile: "Who said our family is going to clean up this little monkey boy? A few days ago, this monkey boy didn't eat mooncakes with our family in Beijing during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Our family I still have some regrets, it is rare for him to come back, how can our family blame him? Well, you go to prepare the banquet, and our family will have dinner with you tonight, so as to welcome this monkey boy." After finishing speaking, Wei Zhongxian made a gesture to Young Master Zhang With a wink, he shouted: "Monkey boy, come with our house."

"I obey." Young Master Zhang understood, got up and followed Wei Zhongxian into the backyard.When he got to the secret room in the backyard, Wei Zhongxian chased away the servants, drinking tea and casually asked Young Master Zhang who stood respectfully in front of him: "Monkey boy, why did the queen bypass our house and call you back to Beijing?"

"The queen is pregnant with the emperor's dragon species. In order to keep her child, she asked the child to intercede with his own father." Young Master Zhang was very frank and explained in detail: "As soon as the child came home today, Zhang Weixian suddenly visited the child's home. The queen asked Zhang Weixian to tell the baby that as long as the baby can persuade the father to agree and ask the father to protect the baby in her womb, she can make concessions to the father."

"The queen is pregnant again? Why didn't our family know?" Wei Zhongxian's mung bean eyes flashed, but thinking of Zhang Yan's last miscarriage, Wei Zhongxian immediately understood the reason - Zhang Yan was trying to win his agreement to protect her Before the fetus, in order to avoid Kebaba's murderous hands, of course, one has to be cautious.After some calculations, Wei Zhongxian asked again: "Then why would she think of you as a middleman? If she wants to make concessions to our family, why doesn't she say these things to our family in person, or ask Zhang Weixian to contact our family? Why? To spend a lot of trouble to lure you back to the capital to be the middleman?"

"She is afraid that you will not only refuse to agree, but also leak the news to the godmother." Young Master Zhang replied with a smirk: "The last time I believed in Wang Mizhao, she played a very disgraceful role in the middle, of course I am afraid Daddy, you attack her! This time she wants to give in to you, and she is afraid that you will hold grudges and lose face, so she thought of finding a middleman, but finding ordinary middlemen, including Zhang Guogong, would only She was afraid that she would not be able to speak, nor would she be able to persuade her father, so she picked and chose, and chose me, the child whom you love the most." After finishing speaking, Young Master Zhang took out a small wooden box from his bosom, and held it in both hands. In front of Wei Zhongxian, he respectfully said: "Father, this is given to you by the empress."

Wei Zhongxian took the wooden box and opened it, picked up a night pearl the size of a pigeon egg stored in the box, hesitated for a long time before playing with it, and Wei Zhongxian said in a deep voice: "To be honest, our family didn't have any objections to the queen before. I remember when the emperor chose When she was the queen, our family brought her into the palace. Hmph, it’s just that this little girl doesn’t know how to flatter her. When she became a queen, she raised her tail to the sky. She dared to say in front of the emperor that our family is the reincarnation of Zhao Gao. The one who harmed Daming! It was she who went too far, the last time your godmother attacked her child, our family didn't stop her..."

"Father, since this empress is so ignorant of flattery, why not just follow the same pattern and take her current child...!" Young Master Zhang suggested sinisterly: "The left and right emperors are still young, and they can still be reborn with other concubines." Longzi, dear father, you and godmother can also support the children of other concubines to succeed to the throne."

It’s good that Young Master Zhang didn’t mention Ke Baba, but when he mentioned Wei Zhongxian’s old friend with a heart like a snake, Wei Zhongxian, who knew about Ke Baba and Mingxi Zong, immediately calmed down—with Ke Baba’s character, other concubines wanted to go to Ming Xizong Getting a bed once is harder than going to heaven, even if you are lucky enough to get favored once and conceive a child, Ke Baba will try every means to stop it, even get rid of the mother's belt.So after thinking about it, Wei Zhongxian still asked tentatively: "Did Zhang Weixian say that the queen plans to make those concessions to our family?"

"Okay, the old demon Wei has started to fall in love." Young Master Zhang was secretly happy, but said calmly on his face: "Zhang Weixian said that as long as the blood of the emperor and queen is preserved, the condition will be with the father. The child does not know what the father means. So I didn't dare to discuss with him in depth, let alone set any specific conditions, but just said that the matter is too big, and I need to think carefully for a few days before I give them an answer. ——Later Zhang Weixian also agreed, as long as I To help facilitate this matter, he promised his niece to be his second wife."

"The conditions are free for our family to open?" Wei Zhongxian was even more tempted - he had long wanted to send Wei Liangqing's 13-year-old daughter into the palace as a concubine.Blinking his mung bean eyes and thinking for a moment, Wei Zhongxian looked at Young Master Zhang and asked, "Monkey boy, what do you think about this matter? Do you think our family should make this deal with the Queen and let her give birth to this child? "

"My son thinks that whether my father agrees or not depends on the queen's attitude." Young Master Zhang said cautiously with a sinister face on his face: "If the queen just wants to keep her child, she will change her ways from now on and stop talking nonsense about her father in front of the emperor." , and no longer engage in petty tricks in the dark, so what's the point of keeping her child? Besides, her child is also the blood of the emperor. Father, you have kept the blood of the emperor, and you have an explanation for the ancestors of the Ming Dynasty and the emperor. .”

"What if the queen just compromises temporarily, and when her child is born, she starts to be mischievous again?" Wei Zhongxian asked with mung bean eyes blinking.Young Master Zhang respectfully replied: "Father, my son heard that there is a habit in the Ming court, whether it is a prince or a princess, when they are young, they usually have to find a wet nurse to help breastfeed, and they also need to send a big escort to wait on them. My son I also heard that the emperor has already lost three princes..."

"Monkey boy, it's your brains!" Wei Zhongxian laughed, stood up and patted Young Master Zhang's lowered head, and said with a smile: "Don't be in a hurry to reject them, and don't be in a hurry to agree, your own father is alone in this matter I can’t make the decision, but you have to nod your godmother, and we will talk about it after our family and your godmother have discussed it carefully, do you understand?”

"My child understands." Eldest Young Master Zhang respectfully agreed, but muttered in his stomach: "Trouble, it seems that I have to persuade that little girl Zhang Yan to give Ke Baba a little sweetness and make a temporary compromise. Convince that stubborn girl! But it's okay, when I meet her, I have to stick out her mouth, that child..."

Note: Ming Xizong once had three sons, the eldest son Zhu Ciran, the second son Zhu Cixuan and the third son Zhu Cijiong, but the three sons all died under one year old. History books generally speculate that Wei Zhongxian or the Hakka family were killed, and the most suspected one is the Hakka family.

(End of this chapter)