"It's understandable, after all, Zhu Ping'an is in Prince Yu's mansion, and he has the job to do. It's normal for him to have some personal opinions when he makes suggestions. Moreover, in Fang Zheng's opinion, Zhu Ping'an's second suggestion is indeed for Jiao Shan's sake. Although it is also like the first suggestion, it is a bit cautious and self-defeating, but Fang Zheng still suggests that Brother Jiao Shan might as well give it some more consideration. According to Zhu Ping'an's two suggestions, even if the impeachment fails, Brother Jiao Shan can still keep his useful position. As long as he is alive, even if the impeachment fails this time, we can continue to fight against the old villain Yan in the future."
After Zhou Fangzheng analyzed Zhu Ping'an's selfish motives, he put himself in Zhu Ping'an's shoes and explained it to him. Then he sincerely suggested that Yang Jisheng adopt Zhu Ping'an's suggestion.
"Brother Wenda, you don't need to persuade me anymore. I, Yang Jisheng, am not a person who values my life. As long as the old thief Yan Song is not eliminated, more people in the world will be killed. It is obvious which is more important, my life or the lives of billions of people in the world. The old thief Yan Song is extremely powerful, has complicated relationships, and has bewitched the emperor's heart, so it is difficult to eliminate him. The key to impeaching the old thief Yan this time is to take him by surprise. We must do our best and make a fatal blow. If we are timid and give up because of fear, and fail to use our best, it will be difficult to succeed. If this memorial fails, it will alert the old thief Yan and make him prepared. If we want to memorialize again in the future, it will be almost impossible to succeed. By then, what's the use of me, Yang Jisheng, even if I keep my life?!" Yang Jisheng shook his head firmly when he heard this, rejected Zhou Fangzheng's suggestion, and insisted on not changing the memorial.
"Hey, Brother Jiaoshan, why don't you listen to my advice?" Zhou Fangzheng sighed.
"Brother Wenda, you said many times last night that if there is anyone in this world who is not afraid of the thief Yan, who else but Prince Yu and Prince Jing? After Sheng's memorial is submitted to the emperor, if the emperor listens to Sheng's suggestion and summons the two princes for questioning, then Prince Yu and Prince Jing will be able to speak frankly about the thief Yan Song's crimes. One word from Prince Yu and Prince Jing is worth thousands of words from us. After the emperor listens to the frank words of Prince Yu and Prince Jing, he will be able to see through the crimes of the old thief Yan Song, and then the people of the world will have a good life." Yang Jisheng said slowly, with a look of longing on his face.
"I—" Zhou Fangzheng stammered, opened his mouth but said nothing.
Then, Yang Jisheng and Zhou Fangzheng discussed the memorial again.
About ten minutes later, Zhou Fangzheng stood up and said goodbye to Yang Jisheng, "Brother Jiaoshan, Fangzheng suddenly remembered that there is an urgent document to be dealt with in the government office today."
"Official business is important. Brother Wenda has been working with Jisheng all night and morning on research, and I am very grateful. I dare not delay Brother Wenda's official business." When Yang Jisheng heard Zhou Fangzheng say that he had urgent official business, he did not try to keep him and stood up to see him off with a grateful look on his face.
"Brother Jiaoshan, there's no need to see me off. If today's official business was not related to the people living along the Shandong River, Fangzheng would be willing to discuss this with Brother Jiaoshan again today." Zhou Fangzheng said with some regret.
"Thank you, Brother Wenda, for your sincere help. This matter concerns the people living along the river, and official business is more important. Besides, Brother Wenda has already studied it with me several times last night, and the memorial has been finalized." Yang Jisheng bowed to express his gratitude.
Before parting at the gate, Zhou Fangzheng once again persuaded Yang Jisheng to consider Zhu Ping'an's two suggestions more carefully, hoping that Yang Jisheng would think twice.
Yang Jisheng smiled but said nothing.
Zhou Fangzheng shook his head and sighed, "Brother Jiaoshan, you have done all the good things in the world."
"Brother Wenda, you are too kind. This is just my job." Yang Jisheng smiled and shook his head, watching Zhou Fangzheng leave.
Zhou Fangzheng left with a wry smile and disappeared at the end of the alley.
Zhou Fangzheng was an official in the Ministry of Education. His government office was in Dongcheng District. After exiting the alley and turning right onto the avenue, he should have walked east. However, Zhou Fangzheng seemed to have lost his way. After exiting the alley and turning onto the avenue, he walked west.
Going in completely different directions.
Going east is Dongcheng District, and only then can you reach Kedao Yamen. Going west is the wrong direction, as that is Xicheng District.
But Zhou Fangzheng never looked back on his way west, and he walked faster and faster, until he was jogging, as if a dog was chasing him. The jade pendant on his waist also jingled and clanged loudly as he ran, making a loud noise that was unbearable to the ears.
The ancients were very particular about wearing jade. The first sentence of "The Book of Rites: Jade Ornaments" says, "The ancient gentlemen must wear jade, with the Zhengjiao on the right and the Gongyu on the left. They would walk in the Caiqi style and move in the Sixia style. They would follow the rules when turning around and the rules when turning around. When they advanced, they would bow and when they retreated, they would raise their hands. Only then would the jade pendants make musical sounds." It says that the ancient gentlemen must wear jade pendants and walk neither fast nor slow, so that the jade pendants on both sides would emit a rhythm that conforms to the music.
Zhou Fangzheng has always been like this, wearing Confucian clothes and jade, and walking neither fast nor slow. People say that he has the demeanor of an ancient gentleman. But today he was very abnormal, running as if he was being chased by a dog, completely losing his gentlemanly demeanor.
What happened to Zhou Fangzheng
Is the business so urgent
But the direction is wrong.
However, maybe I was too impatient and was in the wrong direction.
Zhou Fangzheng just jogged westward without looking back. After running about a hundred meters, he could not run anymore and held on to a tree by the roadside, gasping for breath.
At this time, an empty sedan happened to pass by the roadside. Zhou Fangzheng recognized the sedan's logo and knew it was Liu's sedan shop, which rented sedans in Beijing. He waved and called out, "Stop, I've hired this sedan."
"Okay, where are you going, sir?" When the sedan bearer saw that there was a business coming, he immediately stopped, pushed down the sedan, lifted the curtain, and invited Zhou Fangzheng to sit in.
"Send me to the Yan residence. Run, the faster the better. If you arrive happily, I will reward you handsomely." Zhou Fangzheng gave the order hurriedly after getting into the sedan chair.
Yan Mansion
etc.
Didn't Zhou Fangzheng just tell Yang Jisheng that he was going to the Kedao Yamen to handle urgent official business? Didn't he say it was about the people of Shandong River? Why did he have to go to Yan's house? !
"Sir, which Yan Mansion are you visiting?" asked the sedan bearer.
"Which Yan Mansion? Where else in the capital can be called the Yan Mansion? Of course, it's Prime Minister Yan's Mansion." Zhou Fangzheng glared at the sedan bearer and lowered the curtain.
When they heard that the customer was going to Yan Mansion, the two sedan bearers did not dare to say anything. Yan Mansion was second only to the Imperial Palace in the capital. This customer was going to Yan Mansion, so how could they, as small sedan bearers, offend him
The two sedan bearers put all their strength into carrying the sedan chair and ran all the way. They ran fast but also ran steadily to take the customers' feelings into consideration. They had never felt more tired than this trip. After arriving at Yan's house, the two sedan bearers felt that all their energy for the day had been drawn.
After arriving at the gate of Yan's mansion, Zhou Fangzheng paid the sedan fare and got off. As for the reward that was agreed upon before getting on the sedan, he probably forgot about it.
Of course, the sedan bearer didn't dare to mention it.
After getting off the sedan chair, Zhou Fangzheng ran straight to the gate of Yan's mansion and said to the steward in front of Yan's mansion, "Sir, I have an urgent matter to ask to see Lord Yan and Lord Yan. Please make it convenient for me."
The steward at the gate of Yan's residence glanced up and down at Zhou Fangzheng. Seeing that he had no fan in his hand and no valuable gifts, he could not help but grin and sneer, and ordered someone to drive Zhou Fangzheng away, "Haha, you have an urgent matter to ask to see the Prime Minister? Let me tell you, if that person here didn't say he had an urgent matter to ask to see the Prime Minister, then if I let him in, our Yan's residence would have been overcrowded. Come on, hurry up and drive this person out. What a joke, a nobody wants to see the Prime Minister, haha."
After the steward finished speaking, several servants came over and chased Zhou Fangzheng downstairs.
"Don't you recognize me? I was here last month." Zhou Fangzheng shouted anxiously when he was pushed.
"Many people have come to pay their respects to my master. Who do you think you are? Do you want us to remember you?" The steward and others glanced at Zhou Fangzheng and sneered.
"You, I do have an urgent matter to discuss with the Prime Minister, and this matter concerns the life of the Lord. If it is delayed, I am afraid you will not be able to bear the responsibility." Zhou Fangzheng was so anxious that his neck was stiff.
"Oh, you are so shameless. Who is my master? He is second only to one man and above everyone else. How can his life be at stake and I ask you to save him? Why don't you take a piss and look in the mirror?" The steward and others almost laughed so hard when they heard this, and they were even more sarcastic towards Zhou Fangzheng.