In the spacious carriage, Xue Tingxiang wore a black crane cloak on his shoulders and sat cross-legged on the green carpet.
In the corner of the carriage was a gilt smoked cage, which was burning with fine silver wire charcoal, which made the whole carriage feel warm.
He held the curtain of the car with one hand, the wide black sleeves drooped down, with a smile in his eyes, and a trace of doubt: "Who are you?"
Amber lowered his eyes halfway: "Your Excellency should have seen this old man, when he was in Dinghai City..."
"If you talk about Dinghai City, this official will meet a lot of people. I don't know you. If you have nothing to do, back away and don't block my way." Xue Tingxiang interrupted him.
"grown ups… "
"Have you heard, don't leave quickly, my lord is an official of the imperial court, if it's abrupt again, I'll send you to the Wucheng Soldiers and Horses Division."
"Master Xue, this old man is a servant of the Wu family. He accompanied the girl to meet the master." As a last resort, Amber didn't want to pretend to be lofty, so he could only hurriedly report to his family.
"Wu family, but the old Wu family of Wu Ge? What's the matter with you?" Xue Tingxiang's eyes fell on him again.
"It's not convenient to speak here. I wonder if the adults can find a place to talk to the old man alone." Amber said.
He expected that Xue Tingxiang would not agree easily, but the other party raised his hand and pointed to a teahouse not far away, and said, "That's it."
The two entered the teahouse one after another and chose a private room to sit down.
Xue Tingxiang took a sip of the tea and said, "If you have something to do, tell me. I don't have much time to spend with you."
"Sir, it's because of my master."
"If you are here to intercede for Mr. Wu Ge, you'd better not open your mouth. First, we don't know each other well, and secondly, this case is not now under the jurisdiction of the judge."
"The old man has something to ask the adults, and I hope the adults can help my girl."
Xue Tingxiang raised his eyebrows to look at him, and suddenly laughed, full of sarcasm and ridicule: "You people from the Wu family are really ridiculous. Is this what you usually ask for help?"
He ignored Amber's ugly face, and his face became cold: "I made it very clear before, firstly, we are not familiar with each other, and secondly, this case is not under the jurisdiction of the judge. To put it more plainly, your Wu family has a relationship with me. Accumulating grudges, why should I help your Wu family?"
"Master Xue..."
Xue Tingyan twitched the corner of his mouth: "Would your Wu family forget what you did?"
"Master Xue..."
He stood up and pulled on his hood: "I have finished drinking the tea, and I have finished what I have to say. I think Butler Wu is a smart person, don't take it for granted."
You have already humiliated yourself!
If there was another way, Amber would not come to Xue Tingxiang, but there was no way.
After Amber left that day, he went to Wu's house.
But the Wu family is now closely guarded by Jin Yiwei's people, and they are not allowed to enter or leave.
He has been away from the capital for a few years, and he has been different from before. He has tried to find out some of Wu Ge's disciples, but no one dared to see him at all.
In the past few days, he heard that the power of interrogation was transferred to Jin Yiwei, and Amber knew that the Wu family was completely over this time.
The Wu family can be finished, but the girl can't, especially when he went to the Tao family again this morning, just in time to meet Tao's widow who was making a fuss to let Tao Yi divorce Wu Wanqiong.
He was furious and quarreled with Widow Tao, but he was no match for the old shrew at all.
In desperation, he finally decided to implement the previous idea.
Unfortunately, it was self-defeating. He angered Xue Tingxiang because he couldn't really bow his head for a while.
As soon as Xue Tingxiang walked to the door, he heard a thud and turned to look, but it was Amber who knelt down.
"If Mr. Xue's previous attitude makes Mr. Xue unhappy, please don't tell Mr. Xue, Mr. Xue is sincere to ask Mr. Xue. Mr. Xue knows that the past is unbearable to look back on, and Mr. Xue also asks Mr. Xue not to remember Mr. Xue. However, don't make common sense with the little ones."
Xue Tingxiang looked at him with gloomy eyes.
Seeing that the other party was a little shaken, Amber said: "My master has always acted cautiously, even with his disciples, there are very few correspondences, and occasionally letters are written by others. Nothing, even if he confessed his guilt, there is no evidence to prove that it was my master. And my master is a veteran of the two dynasties, and he is highly valued by the Taizu. There is no real evidence. At most, he was dismissed from office for the people."
Xue Tingxiang's eyes became interesting, he returned to the table and sat down, looking at Amber: "If I'm not mistaken, you are the housekeeper of the Wu family, and you are deeply trusted by the old Wu Ge, just because you caused a disaster before. , was snubbed. What? You were snubbed and resentful, so you want to take revenge on the master?"
Amber's face darkened with embarrassment: "Lord Xue can say whatever you want, but the little one came here today to make a deal with Sir Xue. As long as the lord can keep my girl safe, the little one will offer something, this is the case. It's enough to make grown-up people's dreams come true."
Xue Tingxiang laughed inexplicably, his eyes full of coldness: "Do you want to protect Wu Wanqiong? That day my wife was attacked by pirates. You and Wu Wanqiong did it, right? Why do you think I will protect an enemy?"
"Don't you want Wu Ge to die of old age?" Amber asked anxiously.
"Whether I think about it or don't want to, what's the matter with you?" Xue Tingxiang stood up and looked at him coldly, "The tree fell and smashed, a person who is destined to fail, this official will not take it to heart. ."
Anbo was silent for a while, and said, "The girl is just a woman, and now she is not doing well. If Mr. Xue has any resentment in his heart, he can directly spread it on the little one, and what happened that day was also done by me, and it has nothing to do with the girl. big deal."
"This official can't figure it out. People in the world have the instinct to seek benefits and avoid harm. It's good for you, you can take any crime on yourself, and it's rare for a servant to do something like you. Could it be that Wu Wanqiong is actually yours? Daughter, that's why you take care of her so hard?"
Amber's face froze for a moment: "Master Xue is a scholar who knows the book and is reasonable, so don't make guesses, it will make you lose your demeanor and bearing."
"I'm from the countryside, I don't have any bearing, but I'm very curious about this." Xue Tingyan smiled and glanced at him: "I'm not afraid to tell you, I'm small-minded and love to hold vengeance, but I don't What is the habit of not caring about women, if Butler Wu has no reason to convince this official, then please redeem this official and cannot agree."
After a suffocating silence, Amber said, "The girl was actually born by the wife and the youngest."
Xue Tingxiang's eyes lit up immediately. It had nothing to do with anything else, but it was beyond his imagination.
In fact, based on the memory in that dream, he has been speculating about this, but he never expected such a bloody thing to happen.
"... Madam is not favored by the master because of her weak body, and there are many concubines in the back house of the master, and the wife has been unhappy... Later... "
In fact, no matter how you cover it up, you can't hide that Amber is a despicable person.
He only paid attention to Mrs. Wu because he hated Mrs. Wu, and even some incidents that happened later, which seemed to be accidents, were actually arranged by him deliberately, just out of a dirty mentality that could not be shown.
What kind of insult is the biggest to a man, nothing more than his wife being prostituted. He approached with such thoughts in mind, but accidentally fell in. In particular, Mrs. Wu unexpectedly learned that it was not Mr. Wu Ge but Mr. Wu An that night. She was furious, and her body collapsed faster, and finally passed away.
All this has become a disease in Amber's heart, a disease that cannot be cured.
In fact, he died long ago on the day that Mrs. Wu died, and the reason why he survived in the world was nothing more than because of Wu Wanqiong.
"Then Wu Ge has been old and childless for many years, and it is also because of you?" Xue Tingxiang had long suspected this matter, and he had doubts in that dream, but at that time he hated Wu Ge very deeply, and naturally he did not. will take care of this.
Amber froze for a moment, then nodded: "The little one is a servant, the madam is just a girl. A child without a mother has no protection. If the father doesn't care, life will be extremely difficult." So he borrowed With the trust of Mr. Wu Ge, he has been putting medicine in his tea or food, so Mr. Wu will have nothing to do for many years.
"Originally, this official would not agree to you, but the story you told made me feel good, and I would like to hear your so-called method of killing Wu Ge."
Xiang Long moved.
Du Jipeng came to Xue Tingxiang for the first time.
As Xue Tingxiang thought before, although Xiang Rong could come out and identify him as being under Wu Ge Lao, there was no direct evidence to prove that it was Wu Ge Lao.
Xue Tingxiang whispered to Du Jipeng, and Du Jipeng immediately took someone to Wu Mansion.
In fact, when Wu Ge was taken into custody, the Wu Mansion was taken many times inside and out. Except for some servants and women and children, there is no one in the house who can manage the house.
Aunt Feng was a woman after all, and she had long been frightened by the wolf-like Jin Yiwei. The house was in a state of unease, for fear that one day the imperial decree would cause him and others to be beheaded or sold.
When Jin Yiwei came to the door again, it caused them a burst of fear, but Jin Yiwei didn't stay for too long and left after taking the things.
Things are hidden in a rockery in Wu Wanqiong's yard, but Amber has followed Wu Ge for many years and recorded what he did through his hands.
To determine who and what happened in a certain day and month, of course, there are also a few letters that should have been destroyed, but were hidden by Amber.
With these things, it is enough for Wu Ge to die of old age countless times.
After the things were handed over, the court and the opposition shook.
However, this thing was not publicized by Emperor Jiacheng. It only publicized how the old Wu Ge instructed Xiang Long to dig the river bank of the Yucheng County river section, and how he planned to return to the court, as well as the smuggling part of the Wu family in the coastal area. information.
This information alone is enough to shock people.
The nineteenth year of Jiacheng was destined to be a year of precariousness, and the end of the nineteenth year of Jiacheng also ended with bloody killings.
Wu Gelao and Xiang Long and other officials involved in the case were sentenced to be beheaded and their property confiscated. Other officials who were less involved in the case were dismissed from office for the people, or exiled into the army.
On the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, Caishikou was overcrowded, and they all came to see the beheading.
With an order, the knife fell and the head was broken, which also broke the practice that since the establishment of the Dachang Dynasty, high officials or civilians would not die for crimes.
Since it is full of censorship, it means that young and old will not let it go.
Tao Yitong really hurried Wu Wanqiong to rest before the emperor's order came down, and even took the initiative to send Jin Yiwei. Not to mention how his actions were ridiculed by others, since Wu Wanqiong has been abandoned, she is no longer the Tao family's wife, but the Wu family's daughter.
She was also in the ranks of being copied this time, but no one knew that she had already been replaced.
Just when Caishikou was overcrowded, a small car quietly drove out of the capital.
Their direction may be Jiangxi, maybe Jiangnan, but who knows? Destined to cause no waves.
The nineteenth year of Jiacheng is destined to be a year full of new atmosphere.
With Henan and other places, as well as people from the Wu faction in the DPRK and China, many positions were naturally vacated. Emperor Jiacheng promoted many officials, creating a new atmosphere in the DPRK.
And because Emperor Jiacheng was holding the booklet copied from the Wu family, no one knew what was written in it and what else was in it. Therefore, the officials who had contacted with the Wu clan before were all in danger.
Under the situation that everything was very quiet, Emperor Jiacheng naturally held the power of the court, and the court was like an arm and a finger, and it was indescribable that he was happy.
Taking this opportunity, the cabinet has also changed.
With Wu Gelao being beheaded by the whole family, Xu Gelao, who was the first assistant, could finally retire.
In fact, at his age, he should have retired a long time ago, especially in the past two years, he has been forgetful, and he has entered the palace and came to the cabinet only a few times.
The reason why Emperor Jiacheng did not allow him to retire was just to occupy the position of the first assistant.
The cabinet originally consisted of eight people, but this time two people went down, and they were still the first and second assistants. On the surface, everyone is no different from ordinary people, but in fact, they are already ready to move.
Emperor Jiacheng's arrangement completely dispelled this impatience.
He mentioned Ye Ju, the former governor of Zhejiang Province, and Lin Miao, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, to join the cabinet, and he also mentioned Tan Liang and Tan Ge Lao as the first assistant.
After the order was issued, there was an uproar in the court, but it was not surprising that Emperor Jiacheng would do this.
How could such an arbitrary emperor give up the position of first assistant to a talented person. Of course, it doesn't mean that Tan Liang is not talented, but Tan Liang is only a few years younger than Xu Ge, and now he is in his seventies. What he can do at such an age is just to occupy a position.
In fact, there are already signs of Emperor Jiacheng's various arrangements. Ye Ju is a person of Emperor Jiacheng and a capable minister. Because of his lack of qualifications, he was first released to preside over the township examinations in various places to accumulate contacts for him, and then he placed Zhejiang, a crucial place. .
Now that the gilding is back, it is time to enter the cabinet.
However, Lin Miao's entry into the cabinet made many people in the court somewhat confused.
Because this person has always been unknown, although he entered the Hanlin Academy, he was promoted to be a member of Zhongshushe, and then he was promoted to a bachelor's degree in lectures, and then he became a right minister of the Ministry of Rites.
This is indeed the route for the courtiers to enter the cabinet, but it is not that there are no courtiers who are superior to him in the court, so why did it happen to him.
Only those Xu Ren understood that this person was able to enter the pavilion probably because he accepted two good students.
A Chen Jian, obviously the successor of Xu Gelao, but he is not qualified and old enough. He is still serving as a bachelor in the Hanlin Academy and teaching several princes to read.
It is a noble errand, and it is conceivable to enter the cabinet after enough years.
A Xue Tingxiang. Although this teacher and student have stopped coming back since they entered the court, but this kind of no longer coming and going is obviously just pretending, who knows what's going on inside.
In terms of names, these two are mentors and apprentices.
This Xue Tingxiang is incredible, Zhejiang is in chaos and Kaifu, but in less than ten years, he has taken the high position of the second grade. This trip back to Beijing was crowned as the Prince's Young Master, and he went to Henan for disaster relief, and directly pulled all the Wu lineages off their horses. There are hundreds of military officials in the court, and no one else has this kind of skill.
Such a pillar of the country, coupled with the halo of Liuyuan and the first, will be a cabinet minister in the future, and a person who will be remembered in history.
Therefore, it can be imagined that Lin Miao will enter the cabinet.
No matter how the following people guess, in a word, the court has experienced a new shuffle. After the shuffling of the cards, no one knows what the situation in Chaotang will be for the time being.
On this occasion, Xue Tingxiang also had a real vacancy and was appointed as the right servant of the Ministry of Housing.
Its qualifications, and even credit, are enough.
A thirty-year-old household official? It is also a new example.
Xue Tingxiang once again made a big splash, and the details are not listed for the time being.
For Zhao'er, whether a man is promoted or not, it doesn't seem to make any difference to her.
She now faces a problem, which is moving.
Moving may seem inconspicuous, but in fact, there are too many things to take care of inside and out. In addition, when Zhao Di is about to give birth, Xue Tingxiang has been promoted, and he always has to set up a bar.
These are all things, all on her head.
After busying for more than half a month, these things were finally settled, and the whole family moved to Xue's house near Donghuamen.
In the end, it is the house of Yuci, how could it be bad.
It seems that there are only three-entry houses, but because there is a large garden, it is not small compared to those five-entry houses. Before the handover, they were all newly renovated, brand-new, and carved, which made people feel comfortable.
The most important thing is the location.
Now that Xue Tingxiang has a real shortage, he has to go to court every day. If you change to the place where you lived before, it is estimated that you will be up at the third watch, and now at the fifth watch, you will go to court at the 9th hour, and you are not afraid of being late.
It was early morning outside, and Xue Tingxiang was still lying on the couch.
"You can't afford it? It's too late if you can't afford it. It's time to record the name of the imperial censor who is supervising the court ceremony. What a shame."
Zhao'er is very tired.
Raising a man is no different than raising a child. On weekdays, he is very serious, but when he is not serious, he is more tiring than a hairy child.
It's not that she wants to go to court, making herself more tired than him, waking up on time every day, and then calling this living ancestor to go to court.
In fact, Xue Tingxiang was not too late for so long, but Zhao'er blamed her hard work, and naturally felt a great responsibility.
Xue Tingxiang rubbed her face on her chest, her eyes still closed: "Sleep a little longer, I didn't sleep until midnight last night."
"You also know that you only went to bed in the middle of the night, who made you make trouble so late last night." When he mentioned this, Zhao'er was angry and hated, and while rubbing his waist, he lifted him away.
He also rolled under the quilt and continued to fall asleep, not at all conscious of being a courtier as a father, a husband, and a courtier.
Zhao'er put on her clothes and looked back at the man in the mattress, helpless.
She raised her voice and told the girls to prepare water. When the kettle and the veil were brought in, she waved the person back, twisted the veil, and came over to wipe Xue Tingxiang's face and body.
Wipe hard without complaint.
After wiping, he took out his coat and put it on for him.
This fellow didn't feel guilty at all, with his eyes closed, he knew that he should raise his legs, raise his hands, and raise his hands. After finally wearing it, Zhao'er was too tired, and slapped him on his waist and buttocks.
"Get up quickly, or I'll call Ning Ning over later and make you shameless as a father." After speaking, Zhao'er turned his back to wash up.
When she finished washing, the man was already up, just yawning and not waking up.
"What have you been doing these days? You always seem to be very tired. Has Your Majesty asked you to be a coolie?"
Zhao'er was just a joke, in fact, she really got it right.
Xue Tingxiang was dragged to work as a coolie.