Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Daiyu glared at him and said, "Bah, what if... what if the medicine doesn't work and something goes wrong, it would be very troublesome. If it gets out, will you still have a good reputation?"

Jia Cong spread his hands and said, "What should we do?"

Daiyu blushed slightly and said, "Of course... I want you to be pure-hearted and aloof from women, so that you can be filial."

Jia Cong sneered and said, "Who invented this bullshit rule? If you stand up, I promise I won't beat him to death. I insist on taking a concubine and giving birth to a child during the mourning period, so what?"

Ruyi rolled her eyes at him and said, "Those who have lost their parents or children or brothers and have different household registration or property will be sentenced to one year in prison. If the child born in mourning is not discovered, he will be pardoned if he surrenders himself."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "That's enough. It's just a one-year sentence. It's a small matter. I am a Duke, exempted from the eight-party judgment. You can have children as much as you want. It's not a big deal. Can my great military achievements not make up for this little crime?"

Baochai said shyly, "If this gets out, it will be bad for your reputation."

Jia Cong said shamelessly: "You let me be a monk for three years, aren't you afraid that it will harm my health?
What about reputation? When the time comes, I can just give Old Wu a message and ask him not to write these nonsense in history books, right?

Besides, I'm not in the civil service, so why would I need such a good reputation? Right, Yan'er?"

"Bah, you filthy bastard, why are you asking me this?" Ruyi was a little embarrassed and spat, "I'm not even twenty yet."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Isn't this a discussion? You just said that as long as you surrender, everything will be fine.

Then I will save my face. If you give birth to a child, I will go to Shuntian Prefecture to surrender myself. After all, the current prefect is Pin'er's cousin-in-law." He winked at Daiyu.

The girls were delighted. This bastard was actually able to exploit loopholes in the law.

Daiyu sneered and said, "It's fine for our family, but if Sister-in-law You or Brother Rong's wife gave birth, would you also go and turn yourself in?"

Jia Cong froze for a moment. Seeing the girls looking at him mockingly, he smiled awkwardly and said, "Ahem, well, this is not such a coincidence. I'll ask Mr. Ye to prescribe a good prescription. I guarantee that everything will be fine. If something really happens, just... just say it's a posthumous child."

"Bah! How dare you say that." The girls all laughed and scolded in unison. How could there be a posthumous child after a few years?
"Of course there is. The world is so big that there are all kinds of wonders. Hasn't Nezha been pregnant for more than three years? Who can prove it? Who dares to prove it?" Jia Cong laughed.

Ruyi said angrily, "Asshole. You thought it was the past. Now there are many people watching you. Mother has told me twice to be more careful and not to give them a handle. But you delivered yourself to them. Do you really think your title of Duke is indestructible?"

"Okay, let's not talk about this. I'm not a child and I know what to do. My dear wives, don't worry." Jia Cong waved his hands impatiently.

Seeing that he was unhappy, the girls didn't dare to say anything. Ruyi glared at him and turned away sulking.

Suddenly, a maid came to report that Feng Yuan wanted to see him.

Jia Cong took the opportunity to escape and came out of the study to meet the guests.

"Brother Zhengfang, I heard that the court is recommending people for the nine frontiers. How come you have time to come to my humble home?" Jia Cong said with a smile.

Feng Yuan glared at him unhappily and sighed, "Don't mention it. We've been discussing this for days and our lips are worn out. Among the list of more than 400 people, the New Party accounts for nearly 300 people. With Zhun Gong here, the New Party is really unscrupulous in recruiting its followers.

Your father-in-law, Lord Lin, may seem like a modest gentleman, but he is actually a ruthless person. He uses his power in the Ministry of Personnel to appoint people based on personal connections and doesn't leave us any chance to survive. Once this list is made public, won't there be an uproar?"

Jia Cong was "astonished" and said, "How could the New Party be so powerful? I had no idea." He then comforted him, "The Nine Borders are bitter and cold, and may not be a good place. If they want to fight for it, let them fight for it. As long as the situation in the court is stable, that's enough."

Feng Yuan hurriedly said: "How can this be possible? Their greed is insatiable. They want more. Today they demand a few prefectures, and tomorrow they will drive us out of the court.

My dear brother, don't underestimate these county officials. In the next 20 to 30 years, some of them will become high-ranking officials in the imperial court. How can our lineage compete with them by then? Today's failure will not only bring disaster today, but tomorrow. "

Jia Cong said: "That makes sense."

Feng Yuan added: "Besides, Prime Minister Jiang and Prime Minister Guan are also old. Once they retire in a few years... Zilong, who else in the court can speak for you?"

Jia Cong nodded slowly. He knew that the New Party would definitely try its best to seize a share of the court and drive out all other parties, which would be obviously disadvantageous to him.

Yin asked, "What do you two ministers mean?"

Feng Yuan said: "Zilong, you just stay at home and observe the mourning period. You don't have to worry about the court. You just need to lend us a helping hand secretly." As he said that, he took out a list and handed it over.

When Jia Cong took a look, he saw that the officials nominated by the New Party and the neutral party and the Academic Society party were marked with red and blue pens. As expected, the whole list was red. It seemed that Lord Taishan, the heavenly official, was really powerful and had made great contributions to the expansion of the New Party's territory.

Yin smiled and said, "I have already reached a gentleman's agreement with Lords Jiang and Guan, so I will do my best to help."

Feng Yuanxi asked, "How is Zilong going to attack?"

Jia Cong said: "This is easy. I will just ask the Jinyiwei to investigate the background of these people. If there is any crime, you can just impeach them and put pressure on them."

"Okay, this way we can at least turn the situation around."

Jia Cong smiled and suddenly asked, "Brother Zhengfang, I have a question for you."

Feng Yuan smiled and said, "Just say it, why are we brothers being so polite?"

"What do you think I should do if I give birth to a child during the mourning period? Is it a big deal?" Jia Cong asked shamelessly.

Feng Yuan laughed and said, "It's no big deal. If we really follow the etiquette, I think no one should live this life anymore.

During the time of Confucius, rituals and music were in disarray, and have been in disarray for more than two thousand years. Even up to now, they have almost completely collapsed. It is enough for everyone to save face. Who dares to pursue the issue?

Is he a saint? He has a lot of shit on his butt, and he dares to control whether others have children or not? "

Jia Cong nodded repeatedly and said with a smile: "Brother, your opinion is very reasonable."

Feng Yuan laughed for a while, then suddenly came over stealthily and whispered, "Zilong, tell me the truth, do you have great ambitions?"

Jia Cong was stunned, then smiled faintly and said, "Brother Zhengfang, what do you mean by this? I don't quite understand."

Feng Yuan whispered, "I received a letter from my brother from Liaodong the other day, saying that Zilong is blessed with great fortune, long-lasting luck, and indescribable wealth. He advised me to bet all my treasures on Zilong, saying that there will be great rewards, but he was vague about it. I am completely confused. Can you help me solve this puzzle?"

Jia Cong laughed and said, "You should have asked your brother about the letter he wrote. Why are you asking me?"

Feng Yuan smiled and said, "I know my brother. He is not a fool. This letter must have a great origin, but he is not willing to say it clearly."

Jia Cong glanced at him and said, "Brother Zhengfang, do you believe in your brother's judgment?"

Feng Yuan chuckled and said, "I don't trust him. He only eats and sleeps all day, he doesn't know shit. But... I always believe that Zilong will not fight a battle without confidence."

Jia Cong said: "Brother Zhengfang, as you said, Jiang and Guan are old and will retire eventually. In the future, we will have many opportunities to cooperate with each other in the court. If we are lucky enough to go together, we will be able to make it clear."

Feng Yuan said solemnly: "Don't worry, Zilong. I am not a man who will waver in two directions. As long as you hold your head high, I will definitely help you with all my strength, even if it means risking my official hat and my life."

Jia Cong bowed and smiled, "Thank you very much. No matter what, I will not let you shed your blood."

Feng Yuan smiled and said, "That's exactly why I said that." The two looked at each other and laughed. They were both shameless, and everything was self-evident.
-
Under Jia Cong's secret instructions, clues of corruption and law-breaking by officials nominated by the New Party were continuously sent to Feng Yuan and others, and then distributed to the censors.

The list that had been approved by Emperor Xifeng was impeached and dismissed by one-third within a month. All of them were core members nominated by the New Party.

The New Party naturally understood the other party's strategy. Since they couldn't beat the other party, they decided not to get entangled in the list and instead stabbed them in the back.

In the Military Affairs Office, Jiang Feng and Guan Pu acted as if nothing had happened. They drank tea calmly, and occasionally looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

The other Grand Secretaries looked a little unhappy. Except for Duan Zhun who remained calm, Huo Peng and Dong Yi looked at the report with ashen faces, wishing they could chew their political enemies into pieces and swallow them.

"Mr. Zhun, look..." Huo Peng couldn't help but stand up and walked to Duan Zhun and whispered.

Duan Zhun smiled faintly and said, "I am tired from sitting for so long. My dear masters, let's go to the courtyard and have a cup of tea."

Huo, Dong and Gu quickly stood up and agreed with a smile.

Jiang Feng smiled and said, "Prime Minister, please do as you please. I have some official business to attend to."

Guan Pu also knew that the New Party was going to hold a small meeting, so he declined politely.

"Okay, you two go ahead and get busy."

Duan Zhun smiled and nodded, then stood up and went out, sitting down in the small courtyard next to him.

Huo Peng was the first to speak in a deep voice: "Zhun Gong, our people have suffered heavy losses in recent days. Since the other party has resorted to such a shady trick, I think we don't need to be polite."

Dong Yi also sneered and said, "The other party suddenly became so well-informed that many officials received dismissal documents while they were still on their way to take up their posts. I'm afraid that Shao Bao also played a big role in this."

Gu Tao and Jia Cong had worked together in Jinling, and they had some friendship. He said, "Now that the Grand Guardian has just been relieved of his duties and is in mourning, and has made great contributions to the country, it is not appropriate to confront him head-on. Why don't we follow his example?"

"Yes, he is investigating our people, so why can't we investigate his people?" Huo and Dong both nodded in agreement.

Duan Zhun smiled slightly and said, "This makes people look down on us, thinking that we can only copy others and cannot come up with our own ideas.

Even if we fall into the eyes of the present emperor, he will think that we are ignoring the overall situation, stirring up factional disputes, and delaying important matters of the court. After all, those officials who were implicated were not upright, so it is not their fault that others caught them.”

"Does Mr. Jun have any good ideas?" the three asked hurriedly.

Duan Zhun twirled his beard and smiled, "Beijing inspection."

The three of them suddenly understood, clapped their hands and laughed, "Great, it is really great. This year is the once-in-six-years Beijing inspection year. Now that the Ministry of Personnel is in our hands, are we still afraid that the scoundrels will fly to the sky?"

Dong Yi's eyes suddenly flashed, and he said with a smile: "It turns out that Jun Gong had already planned it out, and had already placed Fu Shi in the Censorate as the Chief Censor of Henan Province. What an ambush."

Everyone laughed and praised Duan Zhun for his foresight.

Huo Peng smiled and said, "Besides this, there is another person who can help us and serve as our eyes and ears."

"Who?"

"Prime Minister Dai. The Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard have always been at odds. Helping us now will also be a good thing for him. Otherwise, those officials under Prime Minister Dai will not be able to keep their jobs." Huo Peng said.

Everyone nodded. Although it was not a good idea to cooperate with eunuchs, when it came to profit, they didn't care and could only keep it secret.

Originally, the imperial examination was jointly conducted by the Ministry of Personnel and the Censorate, that is, "the Ministry and the Censorate presided over it from above, and the Ministry of Personnel, Henan Province, and the Ministry of Examination assisted from below." The examination was held every six years to decide the promotion, demotion, dismissal, or retention of officials below the fifth rank in the capital.

The Ministry of Personnel would make recommendations on the fate of officials in the capital above the fourth rank, and the emperor would decide based on their personal statements and their usual performance.

Generally speaking, except for officials of the first and second ranks and some ministers who are favored by the emperor, the emperor will seriously consider the rest of the people and the emperor will follow the advice of the Ministry of Personnel.

Huo Peng smiled and said, "Let's not delay any further. Let's get Ru Hai and Fu Yushi here. Whether we can clear up the world depends on the skills of these two uncles."

Everyone smiled and nodded.

Fu Shi has been doing very well in the Censorate these days. His original position as the Tongpan of Shuntian Prefecture was only of the sixth rank, a minor official in the capital. Unexpectedly, he was not only reinstated but also promoted to a higher rank.

Moreover, he was transferred to a noble government office like the Censorate and became the fifth-rank censor of Henan Province. This was a position of real power. Who among the officials in the court dared to underestimate him?
In addition, his "brother-in-law" Lin Ruhai was a high-ranking official, and he was also Jia Zheng's disciple. Who would dare to offend him, whether inside or outside the court?

After Fu Shi received the imperial edict from the ministers in person, he came back and sharpened his knife, ready to take action against the Jiang and Guan clans.

"You all should be more careful. Mr. Jun has ordered that this year's inspection in Beijing is different from the past. It must be strict. No one is allowed to make excuses or cover up mistakes. Once discovered, severe punishment will be imposed." After Fu Shi returned to the Censorate, he called over his censors and gave them a lecture.

Everyone bowed their heads and said, "We will follow your instructions and make fair decisions."

"Go ahead," Fu Shi said calmly, waving his sleeves, deeply intoxicated by the pleasure of being a "high-ranking official in the court."

The words of several ministers just now have hinted that as long as he makes great achievements in this imperial examination, the next step will be promotion to "Small Nine Ministers", and the next step will be to become the Vice Minister of Six Ministries, and step into the core circle of the court.

The road has been paved and the future is bright, so he can't help but be excited. With the support of the ministers, he even ignored his immediate superior, the Left Censor-in-Chief.

At the same time, Lin Ruhai also gave detailed instructions to the Ministry of Examination and secretly made up his mind to request a transfer to another place after the Beijing inspection.

Now, the factional struggles surrounding the personnel of the Nine Border Regions are becoming increasingly fierce. He has long intended to leave and has just expressed this intention. However, Duan Zhun, Huo Peng and others have urged him to complete this year's Beijing inspection before considering being sent to another post, so he had no choice but to give up.

Just as Feng Yuan and others were celebrating the "recovery of lost territory", the first round of Beijing inspections stunned the Neutral Party and the Academic Society Party.

Looking at the thirty or forty people on the list who were to be demoted, almost all of them were his own people. Some retired due to old age and illness, some were demoted for their incompetence, and some were dismissed for being lazy, greedy, cruel, and misbehaving.

Feng Yuan slammed the table and stood up, angrily saying: "How can this be justified? Using public resources for personal gain is despicable and shameless."

Then he glanced at the Left Censor-in-Chief Tan Cheng and said, "Old Tan, the Censorate must keep a close watch. How can we let the New Party do whatever it wants?"

Tan Cheng was also a little embarrassed. He didn't expect that his subordinates would dare to make decisions on their own and draft a first draft with the Ministry of Personnel without submitting it to him for approval. He frowned and said, "How dare you, Fu Shi!
I know nothing about this matter. I am ashamed. I will go back and check it out. I do not agree with this conclusion at all."

Jiang Fengwei hesitated for a moment and said, "I heard that Fu Shi and Lin Butang are uncles?"

"What uncle-in-law? He is just trying to curry favor with the powerful. He gave his own sister to Lin Ruhai as a concubine and followed his relatives to rise to prominence." Tan Cheng sneered.

Guan Pu twirled his beard and said, "It seems that the New Party has been planning this for a long time. It will happen whether there are nine borders or not. We still need to make plans early."

"What does Minister Guan think?" Wu Zizhen asked hurriedly.

Guan Pu was about to speak when he heard the doorman come hurriedly reporting. (End of this chapter)