Ming Dynasty: At the beginning, the house was ransacked and the ancestral temple was burned down.

Chapter 215: Testing the Emperor's Obedience! Threatening Concubine Zheng!
When Zhang Chonghui returned to the Zhao Mansion, Zhang Yunxiu was still mocking his father-in-law Zhao Shizhen, who was already in his fifties or sixties but still had to take the imperial examination.

Zhao Shizhen was not someone to be trifled with. Being argumentative by nature, he turned around and mocked Zhang Yunxiu's imperial examination ranking and how the other party was able to enter the Hanlin Academy because of "connections".

Seeing that the two people who were naturally incompatible were getting more and more excited as they talked, Zhang Chonghui happened to come back at this moment.

After Zhang Chonghui persuaded his father-in-law Zhao Shizhen to leave with kind words, Zhang Yunxiu immediately gave him the good news!

"I'm admitted to the Imperial Academy!"

"Oh, I see." Zhang Chonghui looked very happy, but it was not a happy feeling of surprise, but a happy feeling as expected.

Just when Zhang Yunxiu was wondering why Zhang Chonghui was so calm, he saw Zhang Chonghui had already given instructions to the servant beside him, saying:
"Someone, bring some good wine!"

Zhang Yunxiu quickly refused, "No, no, I have to report to the Imperial Academy tomorrow, I can't drink tonight!"

"Just drink a little bit, it won't cause any trouble." Zhang Chonghui advised again:
"Tomorrow is your big day to enter the Imperial Academy. I wish you two cups in advance. Don't refuse."

Zhang Yunxiu really didn't want to drink, and he didn't like drinking, especially since he was forced to drink by the emperor last time, he had some psychological trauma towards alcohol.

But he still couldn't resist Zhang Chonghui's persuasion, and finally had to compromise:
"Okay then, I'll have one drink, just one drink!"

Zhang Chonghui just smiled and didn't respond.

The food and wine were served quickly, and Zhang Chonghui came up and poured a glass of wine for Zhang Yunxiu.

After Zhang Yunxiu drank the wine in his glass in a perfunctory gulp, he got down to business.

"It's really strange. I'm ranked last among the top three, but the emperor actually agreed to let me be selected as a scholar in the Imperial Academy. What on earth was he thinking?"

Zhang Yunxiu really didn't understand what the emperor was thinking. He reinstated him and allowed him to enter the Hanlin Academy. Was it possible that the emperor had been kicked in the head by a donkey?
"Ha, you think the emperor is stupid." Zhang Chonghui replied and poured another glass of wine for Zhang Yunxiu: "He is tying you to the fire and roasting you."

Zhang Yunxiu understood immediately: "You mean, he wants to use my identity as Zhang Taiyue's son and my last place in the top three to make trouble, so that I will be squeezed out by the censors and become ashamed to serve as an official, so that I will voluntarily retire?"

Zhang Chonghui did not answer Zhang Yunxiu, but pointed at the glass of wine that had just been poured in front of him and urged him to drink:
"Have another drink."

Zhang Yunxiu was just talking about something, and was interrupted by Zhang Chonghui so casually. He refused anxiously, "I really don't want to drink anymore."

"Have another drink, just one." Zhang Chonghui still advised.

Zhang Yunxiu had no choice but to drink it all in one gulp.

Perhaps it was because of the two glasses of wine that he was a little drunk, Zhang Yunxiu couldn't help but sigh and said:

"Alas, the officialdom is full of mixed people. If they all target me, I really don't know if I can hold on..."

"Don't worry, as long as Yu Keyuan is here, they can't get rid of you." Zhang Chonghui said as he poured himself a glass of wine, but he didn't drink it.

"So... Yu Shenxing will be our backer from now on?" Zhang Yunxiu asked.

"Of course not." Zhang Chonghui picked up the wine glass and shook it, saying:

"Yu Keyuan is from Shandong. The party behind him is Qi Party, and he will certainly support his followers even more.

But you are a Chu person, and he only saved you because of your father's kindness.

When the critical moment comes, he will definitely choose the people who pushed him and his students to take the position. "

"Then I..." Zhang Yunxiu was a little confused. He was confused about who his 'comrades' were in this long court.

"Don't worry, take your time." Zhang Chonghui said slowly, placing the wine glass in front of Zhang Yunxiu, raising his hand to signal him to drink, and said:

"Now you just need to quietly do your job in the Hanlin Academy. Learn from Shen Shixing. When all the troublemakers have fought and died, it will be your turn to take action."

"But...how many years will it take to wait..." Zhang Yunxiu took the wine handed to him by Zhang Chonghui almost unconsciously, and drank it in one gulp with a lot on his mind.

"In fact, it won't take many years. After all, we don't have much time left." As Zhang Chonghui spoke, he filled both glasses with wine.

Hearing the words "time is running out", Zhang Yunxiu was too lazy to care about the endless flow of wine, and he hurriedly asked:
"Did the Emperor urge you or force you?"

"Yeah." Zhang Chonghui nodded, and the next moment he pointed to one of the two glasses of wine and said to Zhang Yunxiu:

"Have another drink."

"I won't drink!" Zhang Yunxiu was already a little angry: "It's already this late and you're still drinking. The emperor is going to attack you!"

"Drink this cup, and then I will tell you how to deal with it." Zhang Chonghui said.

What else could Zhang Yunxiu say? He could only drink it.

Feeling a little dizzy but still clear-headed, Zhang Yunxiu asked hastily, "What's the solution?"

"Have you ever heard of the term 'compliance test'?" Zhang Chonghui asked.

Zhang Yunxiu shook his head: "No."

Zhang Chonghui began to explain, saying: "For example, at the beginning, our goal was just to survive the house raid. At that time, everyone wanted us dead, but we survived."

"And then?" Zhang Yunxiu didn't know if it was because he was drunk, he felt like he didn't quite understand what was said.

"Then there is the case of the demon book." Zhang Chonghui continued to explain:

“At first, everyone thought that I was involved in the demon book case and would definitely die.

Even later, the emperor suspected that I was the mastermind behind the evil book case, and he even sentenced me to death.

But in the end, I still managed to get out alive. Not only did I get out alive, I also served as an envoy of the Ming Dynasty to Korea and negotiate with Japan.

It was also during that mission that I became more certain of one thing: the emperor's bottom line was gradually loosening and retreating! "

Zhang Yunxiu suddenly understood something: "So... you tested him bit by bit... you then kidnapped the princess and the queen to test the emperor's bottom line... then you reinstated my fourth brother and me... then it was my imperial examination... the provincial examination... now it's... the Imperial Academy?"

"Yes." Zhang Chonghui nodded.
"The emperor's bottom line is retreating little by little. He could have cut off all possibilities of your entering the government from the beginning, and he could have even hired someone to assassinate me long ago!

But he refused to do so, because he knew he was the emperor, and he knew he could take away everything we have with just one word! "

"Is he sick?" Zhang Yunxiu slammed the table in anger: "Is it fun for him to play like this? It's better to just have a good time!"

"Is there a possibility?" Zhang Chonghui looked at Zhang Yunxiu and said:
"The Emperor hasn't realized yet that his bottom line is retreating, nor has he realized that his obedience is being tested? Just like...

Do you know how many drinks you have had, from saying you don't drink at the beginning, to only drinking one glass of wine, to now?"

After hearing this, Zhang Yunxiu was stunned...

Thinking back to the few glasses of wine he drank obediently despite feeling dissatisfied, Zhang Yunxiu suddenly felt numb all over...

"This is a compliance test..." Zhang Yunxiu looked at the last glass of wine in front of him unwillingly, then looked at Zhang Chonghui and asked:
"You're not asking me to drink this cup too?"

"What else?" Zhang Chonghui nodded without any doubt:

"This is the last glass of wine, just drink it, don't waste it." "I won't drink it!" Zhang Yunxiu shook his head firmly. He didn't believe that this obedience test was that powerful. He said he would not drink anything!

However, the next moment, he saw Zhang Chonghui smiled at him maliciously: "Do you know what the word obedience means?"

Zhang Yunxiu was about to say he didn't know, but before he could open his mouth, he knew...

……

Zhang Yunxiu finally drank the last glass of wine, even though it was forced by Zhang Chonghui...

"Do you understand?" Zhang Chonghui looked at Zhang Yunxiu who was doubting his life and said:
“The compliance test should be done step by step. When it comes to the critical moment of the last glass of wine, you can let go and use special means!
Your father also gave the emperor an obedience test, but his method was too direct, which was equivalent to asking him to drink before he could even get two glasses of wine.

You already know what the consequences of doing this are, right? "

Zhang Yunxiu knew that if someone poured him wine and urged him to drink more after he was forced to drink, he would be so angry that he would flip the table!

The emperor... also overturned the table after Zhang Juzheng died.

It was unknown how long it had been, but Zhang Yunxiu, who had finally recovered from the alcohol, asked Zhang Chonghui a question.

——"When can we give the emperor a last glass of wine?"

Zhang Chonghui replied directly: "When the emperor can no longer tolerate it."

"So the emperor is urging you now, and you are also planning to delay for time until he can't bear it anymore before you take action?" Zhang Yunxiu asked again.

However, this time, Zhang Chonghui shook his head and said, "I have already delayed for so long. If I delay any further, even if the emperor is a fool, he will get angry."

Zhang Yunxiu looked puzzled: "So...?"

"So..." Zhang Chonghui said with a smile like a gambler:

"I have to proceed to the next stage of the obedience test!"

……

In Zheng Mengjing's eyes, the relationship between the emperor and the queen has become closer since the queen raised the two princes of the late Royal Concubine Li.

Whenever he thought of this, Zheng Mengjing, who was already worried about gains and losses, would always become uncontrollably uneasy and anxious.

The queen is not an ordinary concubine. Zheng Mengjing did not dare to attack the mother of a country as he did to Royal Consort Li.

Besides, she also knew that the indecisive emperor still had feelings for the queen, and the two of them were just unable to resolve the grudge due to face-saving reasons.

What made Zheng Mengjing feel most desperate was not that the emperor loved her less.

But so many years have passed, and his son Zhu Changxun has not yet become the crown prince!

Zheng Mengjing was very worried, but at this moment, the arrival of something was about to make her panic and unable to rest day and night!

Zheng Mengjing didn't know how Zhang Chonghui bribed the palace and actually sent a letter directly to her, the imperial concubine!

At first, Zheng Mengjing didn't want to read the letter. After all, she was a noble concubine who was high above everyone else. How could she read a letter written by the descendant of a guilty minister?

Zheng Mengjing even wanted to tell Zhu Yijun about this matter, so that her emperor husband could see clearly that Zhang Chonghui actually dared to "tease" her!

However, Zhang Chonghui knew how to manipulate people's hearts, especially Zheng Mengjing's heart.

Because on the cover of the letter, there was a fat raccoon drawn in a very unconventional way.

Such a small detail made the imperial concubine, who had just lost her beloved cat not long ago, unable to resist stopping and looking.

Looking at the lifelike fat cat on the envelope, Zheng Mengjing recalled the fat orange cat she had raised for many years, which was obedient, well-behaved and sensible.

Everything has its lifespan. The obedient and well-behaved fat cat died quietly.

Because of this incident, Zheng Mengjing felt uncomfortable for a long time.

It is worth mentioning that the emperor husband did not comfort her much, leaving her only one sentence:
"It's just a cat. If it dies, it's dead. Just get a new one."

……

Zheng Mengjing finally opened the letter.

The content of the letter is... a poem?

The content of the poem consists of only four short sentences:

"The swan flies high, covering a thousand miles in one flight. With its wings fully grown, it can cross the four seas."

"He is across the four seas, what can we do? Even if we have bows and arrows, what can we do with them?"

Although Zheng Mengjing can read, she usually likes to read folk stories.

As for poetry, she really had no interest in it and didn't try to learn much about it.

What's more, Zhang Chonghui and he have nothing in common at all, so why would he give her this poem?
It just so happened that his confidant Cui Wensheng was standing nearby, so Zheng Mengjing threw the poem in his hand to him and asked, "Cui Wensheng, you have read so many books in the inner book hall, what kind of poem is this?"

After Cui Wensheng took a look, he immediately replied, "My Lady, this is the Swan Song written by Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang."

"Written by Emperor Gaozu of Han?" Zheng Mengjing scratched his face and asked, "What's the story behind this poem?"

After Cui Wensheng sorted out his words, he replied concisely:
"My Lady, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, once wanted to depose his son Liu Ying, who was born to him and Empress Lü, and instead make his beloved son Liu Ruyi, who was born to him and his concubine, Lady Qi, the crown prince.

However, Emperor Gaozu of Han's idea was obstructed and opposed by Empress Lü and countless important ministers. Despite this, he still wanted to appoint Liu Ruyi as the crown prince.

But in the end, Emperor Gaozu of Han had no choice but to compromise. And he wrote this "Swan Song" out of helplessness, leaving behind some emotion. "

This time, Zheng Mengjing was completely dumbfounded...

Although she didn't know much about ancient history, she knew that Liu Bang intended to depose Crown Prince Liu Ying and replace him with Concubine Qi's son Liu Ruyi.

Especially after Liu Bang's death, Liu Ruyi was brutally poisoned to death by Empress Lu!

And Concubine Qi, who was once extremely favored by Liu Bang and whose glory even surpassed that of Empress Lu, ended up being turned into a human pig by Empress Lu, and her life was a horrific fate worse than death!
The same emperor wanted to depose the eldest son and enthrone the youngest, but the same ministers in the court obstructed him at every turn!
Zheng Mengjing was really frightened. She immediately became angry and cursed:

"What does Zhang Chonghui mean? He is trying to scare me and curse me!"

Curse her and her son to have a miserable end like Lady Qi and Liu Ruyi! ?

Zheng Mengjing had no idea what Zhang Chonghui meant. She was so angry that she wanted to hand the letter to her husband, the emperor, and let Zhu Yijun judge the case for her!

However, the fat raccoon cat on the envelope seemed to remind her of something.

Yes, the emperor husband who loved her, just like the obedient fat civet cat, is dead.

(End of this chapter)