Daming talker

Chapter 661: Fatherly Love and Filial Piety at the End of the Year

In fact, a lot of things happened at the end of the year, but against the backdrop of the main theme of "the disintegration of the old party and the reorganization of the new party," they were not so noticeable.

For example, Li Chengliang, the general who had guarded Liaodong for 22 years, was known for dozens of great victories and had great military achievements, was relieved of all his military posts in the last month of his 66th year and returned to the capital only as the Earl of Ningyuan.

Of course, for Li Chengliang, who was born in Liaodong, made his fortune in Liaodong, and had his entire foundation in Liaodong, this was being forced to leave his homeland and go to the capital, a foreign country. It could not be considered a "return."

Li Chengliang was very famous in the Ming officialdom and had been the target of fierce criticism by censors for many years. There was no end to the discussions about him falsely reporting credit.

However, Li Chengliang was wealthy, willing to spend money, and good at making friends with prime ministers, so he lived safely under the protection of successive prime ministers.

After the former Prime Minister Shen Shixing suddenly stepped down, Li Chengliang could not withstand the impeachment and was dismissed for "fraud and false credit".

In a sense, he was implicated in the political changes in the court and suffered the consequences.

Of course, it may also be related to the gradual rise of the eldest son Li Rusong.

If it is a civilian official, it is not a big deal to linger for a few more days after being fired. But it is not the same for generals, who must leave immediately, otherwise they will be accused of plotting against their will.

Therefore, Li Chengliang arrived in the capital very quickly, but also very low-key, which made him even more inconspicuous, especially in the context of drastic turmoil at the top level.

In view of the virtue of Emperor Wanli, even the step of paying homage to the emperor was omitted.

Veteran General Li left his comfort zone and could not integrate into the new circle for the time being. After all, whether it was the civil servants or the hereditary nobles in the capital, they were not the same kind of people as the Li family, which had made its fortune in recent years by relying on martial arts.

As a result, General Li could only live in the very unfamiliar Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion, and inevitably fell into mental exhaustion.

Today, General Li sat in the hall doing nothing, and his eldest son did not come to visit him morning and evening.

After asking, the servant said that the master was still sleeping, and General Li became angry.

Li Rusong, the eldest son of the Li family, is now the Left Commander-in-Chief of the Rear Army Commandery, which is considered the highest level of military rank.

The work of the senior military officers in the Five Military Commandery in the capital was already easy, and it became even more meaningless after the office was closed at the end of the year.

So no one knew where Li Rusong went last night. He didn't say anything when asked. In the end, he came back drunk and was still in bed this morning.

General Li called his eldest son out of his warm bed and into the hall, and severely reprimanded him:
"We are a family of generals and we serve our country with military merits, which is completely different from those nobles who rely on their ancestors for merit!
So you must be diligent at all times, but how dare you be so lazy! When I was not in the capital, did you always spend your days like this?"

Out of filial piety, Li Rusong did not dare to talk back and could only listen to the lecture obediently.

The next day, Li Rusong got up early in the morning and practiced the eighteen martial arts in front of the hall, from sunrise to noon.

Li Chengliang walked over with his hands behind his back, stood in the corridor and scolded: "Our Li family has been safe and sound for many years, and everyone has always maintained a steady and upward trend!

Look at the people in the Ma family of Datong and the Dong family of Xuanfu, they have all had ups and downs, how can they be as stable as our Li family?

What do you rely on? Because your father, I, have more political acumen than them!

You are so stupid that you only know how to practice martial arts behind closed doors and don't even look up at the road. "

Li Rusong: "."

This is not acceptable, and that is not acceptable. This indirectly proves that my father is dissatisfied with me!
I guess my father thought that it was because of his outstanding performance that he had to leave Liaodong.

Then Li Rusong could not help but say, "Father, you are the dismissed Earl of Ningyuan, and I am the Left Commander-in-Chief of the Rear Army Commandery. We are both wealthy and idle, and we don't lead any troops. Why should we be concerned about provoking others?"

Li Chengliang scolded again: "Your brother is still in Jizhen! As the pillar of the family, how can you only think about yourself? Don't be too selfish!"

Li Rusong said angrily, "Father, what do you mean by political acumen?"

General Li said proudly: "Although I have been far away in Liaodong for many years, I can make Zhang Jiangling and Shen Wumen, two generations of Prime Ministers, speak for me. This is my political acumen!

Now that the court has a new Prime Minister, you, as the pillar of the Li family, are useless if you only practice martial arts at home instead of thinking about how to connect with the Prime Minister!"

Whenever Li Rusong heard his father calling him "the pillar of the family", he always felt that his dismissed father was being sarcastic.

So Li Rusong decided to flex his muscles, speak with his strength, and fight for his status in the family.

“There is a secret society in the court now. The name of the society and who is in it need to be kept secret. I cannot tell you.

But father only needs to know that the current Prime Minister Zhao is the second-in-command of this society! And I, Li Rusong, am an honorary member of this society!

Who doesn't know how to build a relationship with the Prime Minister? Father doesn't need to worry about it!"

Li Chengliang was stunned for a moment, then shouted: "Do you think that just because you and the Prime Minister are in the same society, you can be considered to have a relationship?
I didn't expect that you, a man in your forties, are still so childish! You actually regard the strength of the club as your own ability!

The fact that the Prime Minister is in this society only shows how powerful this society is, not how powerful you are, and it doesn't mean that you have established a real personal relationship with the Prime Minister! "

"What is a true personal relationship?" Li Rusong asked unconvinced.

Li Chengliang asked: "I heard that the Prime Minister is older than me. Do you dare to call him uncle?"

Li Rusong retorted, "I dare to call him uncle, but Prime Minister Zhao dare not agree and insists that I call him brother!"

Li Chengliang: “.”

Was I too harsh on my son? He actually started talking nonsense. If this gets out, I'm afraid it will cause trouble!
Seeing that his father did not believe him, Li Rusong said, "I was drunk the night before and went to the club's year-end party! This party should not have been told about!

At that time, I was sitting next to Prime Minister Zhao. When he was toasting, he said that Lin Jiuyuan always called me "old man", so he didn't dare to call himself an uncle, so he asked me to call him "old man" too! "

General Li doubted his life. Was it so easy to curry favor with the Prime Minister? Then what was the meaning of the boxes of gold, silver and ginseng he had given away over the past twenty years?

Li Rusong, who had been scolded since his father arrived in the capital, could not help but challenge him: "When you make friends with Zhang Jiangling or Shen Wumen, do you dare to call them brothers?"

Li Chengliang picked up the Ruyi at hand and started beating him, while he was beating him, he shouted:

"The Prime Minister asked you to shout like that, and you really dare to shout like that? If others see this, they will think that my Li family has no rules! Everyone has their own opinions. Do you understand this principle?"

The first-rank left general, who was in his forties, fled in panic and all the way out of the gate.

He could see that his father was just angry, and he would be scolded even if he stepped forward with his left foot first when he got home.

It was really impossible to stay in this home. Thinking of this, Li Rusong once again thought of going out to serve as a general.

Originally, Li Rusong didn't like being a grandson in the capital, and would rather go out to the town and be a local emperor.

Due to various reasons, it was difficult to achieve his wish. After serving as the general of Xuanfu for half a year, he was sent back.

From this perspective, Li Rusong still understood his father very well.

Now that his father has been dismissed from his post, and he doesn't have to stay in the capital as a "hostage", has his chance to become the general come again?

So Li Rusong turned around and went to the residence of Ye Mengxiong, the Minister of War. The Minister of War was the person in charge of this matter and was the best person to use. After all, he and Ye Mengxiong had a friendship in suppressing the rebellion in Ningxia together, and they were both honorary members of the Renewal Society, so they had a say.

It's the end of the year and there are many visitors at the homes of the big bosses, all of whom bring New Year gifts.

Li Rusong cut in line and went straight into Ye Da Sima's study, and requested: "Now my father has been blessed by the emperor to return home to recuperate, but my Li family's heart to serve the country has not yet rested.

I am willing to continue to go to the border on behalf of my father, no matter how big or small, how far or near!"

Ye Mengxiong smiled and said, "Commander Li, please be patient and wait a little longer."

Li Rusong asked doubtfully, "What are you waiting for?"

Ye Mengxiong replied: "I don't know either. But when Lin Jiuyuan talked to me before leaving Beijing, he specifically mentioned the arrangements for you.

He just said four words - wait for the right time, so I ask you to be patient and wait a little longer."

"Wait for the right time?" Li Rusong pondered for a moment, and suddenly became frightened, "Are you planning to rebel? This is absolutely unacceptable!"

Ye Mengxiong: “.”

You, Li Rusong, have a very rich imagination.

After leaving Ye Da Sima, Li Rusong went to visit Zhao Shoufu again. He planned to ask his elder brother to write a few words and take them home to suppress his father.

At the end of the year, there are many social gatherings, and the visits of the three ministers who have stepped down are also crowded with people.

Although they have stepped down and should return to their hometowns, they cannot travel during the New Year, so they are all preparing to set off after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

It is quite rare that it can still be so crowded. According to the general rule, it is normal for people to get forgotten when they leave.

But behind anything that seems to violate the rules, there must be stronger rules at work.

The former second assistant Wang Xijue was in a depressed mood, but he still cheered up to receive guests, although he rarely smiled.

The fortune teller said that he had the potential to become the Prime Minister, and he had already become the Second Prime Minister, so why did he go home with Shen Shixing?

After seeing off several groups of guests, Wang Heng, who was assisting his father in the reception, said sarcastically:

"I don't know why these people are so enthusiastic. It's not their turn to be cabinet ministers, and my father won't recommend them!"

Although the three cabinet ministers have stepped down, they are allowed by the emperor to recommend one person each to fill the vacancies in the cabinet. This is a great power after all.

Wang Xijue said calmly: "You are wrong, they are not here to ask for recommendations, but to find out who I would recommend.

Knowing who I will recommend, they can prepare for the future cabinet ministers in advance.”

Wang Heng said unconvincedly: "Of course I can think of that, and I also know that my father is not too old and there is still a possibility of his restoration in the future, so they want to continue to maintain the good relationship.

After all, the old man in the cabinet is already 68 years old, and he might die in office any day!"

This is something that many people can think of. After all, Shen Shixing is 57, Wang Xijue is 56, and Wang Jiaping is 55. Their ages are there.

Wang Xijue sighed. He originally thought that his son was smart, had a distinct personality, and was much better than the mediocre and incompetent two brothers of the Shen family.

But now, Wang Cijue really felt like "I only wish my child was stupid and reckless."

You see, although his father, who was also a cabinet minister, stepped down, the eldest son of the Shen family seems to be completely unaffected, and even seems to have freed himself from the shackles that restricted his advancement.

It is because the sons of the Shen family are simple-minded that they dare to put aside their status as prime ministers and hug the thighs as soon as they see them, and they will not let go once they hug them.

And his own son clearly had the opportunity to become classmates with the Immortal Jiuyuan in the provincial school, but in the end he was ruined by the arrogance of the prime minister's son.

Wang Heng had not yet understood his father's worries, and asked with great concern: "Father, who do you want to nominate to the cabinet?"

Wang Xijue replied: "I don't know who to recommend either. I plan to ask Prime Minister Zhao Lanxi to see if he has any suggestions."

Wang Heng was puzzled. Father, did you take the wrong medicine? How could you give up the power of selecting new cabinet ministers?
He questioned, "Don't you want to leave some of your team behind in case you make a comeback?"

Wang Xijue scolded him a little bit out of control: "Your mother is coming back, I gave up the right to recommend you, isn't it for you!"

Besides, given the current situation in the court, it’s still necessary to keep a few capable people!

Is there room for others to stay in the team? Didn’t you see that even the so-called Shen party has been absorbed?
Then Wang Xijue told the servants, "I won't see any guests today! I'm going out!"

Wang Heng was confused. What happened to his father? He rarely had such an emotional outburst.

After Wang Xijue left the house, he went straight to the Prime Minister Zhao’s residence!

Anyway, he has already stepped down, so there is no need to avoid suspicion. As long as he doesn't save face, it doesn't matter!
Zhao Zhigao was talking to Li Rusong. When he heard that Wang Xijue was coming, he quickly invited Wang Xijue in.

It is even more difficult to be disrespectful to the bigwigs who have already stepped down.

"What? You're asking for my opinion?" Prime Minister Zhao and the eldest son of the Wang family were both confused, and they both suspected that Wang Xijue had taken the wrong medicine.

Wang Xijue said firmly to Zhao Zhigao: "I will nominate whoever you ask me to nominate!
But I also have a condition, that this person should be the chief examiner for the imperial examination next year.

I think you won't be the chief examiner, right? It would be better to assign the chief examiner position to someone else."

The chief examiner of the current imperial examination must be a grand secretary. Usually, grand secretaries who have never served as chief examiners take turns to serve, but now there is only Zhao Zhigao in the cabinet.

But Zhao Zhigao had just become the Prime Minister and was accumulating prestige. He certainly did not want to temporarily leave the cabinet and be isolated from the world in the Imperial Examination Hall for a month.

Therefore, the chief examiner for the imperial examination next spring must be selected from among the three new cabinet ministers.

Zhao Zhigao immediately understood Wang Xijue's idea. Wang Heng, the eldest son of the Wang family, is still studying in the Imperial College. It is estimated that he plans to take part in the imperial examination next year with the Imperial College's quota.

Wang Xijue wanted to exchange his son's future for the right to recommend a Grand Secretary, and at least arrange for him to be a Shujishi.

If Wang Xijue was gone, how could there be any progress based on the relationship between Wang Heng and Lin Jiuyuan?

What a sin! Although Lin Jiuyuan is not in the capital, his influence still permeates every corner.

Even though they were more than two thousand miles apart, they could still send the right to recommend a Grand Secretary to Old Zhao.

"It's so pitiful how loving parents are in this world." Zhao Zhigao couldn't help but sigh.

Then he pointed at Li Rusong and said to Wang Xijue: “General Li asked for a name for my father to comfort his depression;
And Wang Taicang, you are willing to give up your power for your son. Your two families are truly loving and filial, and your family tradition is pure and upright!"

(End of this chapter)