Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1507 Blame

"Your humble servant Xue Haoyu." The man answered quickly, but Fang Zilan was stunned. "Who is the former Minister of Rites, Mr. Xue, to you?"

"He is my uncle." Xue Haoyu lowered his head. Fang Zilan sighed, "No wonder..."

Shangguan Min was confused when he heard this, but he didn't dare to ask casually. He only heard Fang Zilan said: "Except for the last part of what I just said, please relay the rest to the Shangshu directly."

"Don't worry, Lord Fang. I know my limits." Xue Haoyu bowed solemnly and said, "Thank you, Lord Fang."

After Xue Haoyu left, Shangguan Min finally couldn't help but ask, "Master, why did you target Master Xue just now?"

"I'm not targeting Lord Xue, but the Ministry of Rites. Since I came to Beijing, the Ministry of Rites has always suppressed all the rewards and never dealt with them unless it was absolutely necessary." Fang Zilan said coldly: "If the Ministry of Rites had only treated me like this, I would have found an opportunity to give them a warning, but the Ministry of Rites actually treated Cao Cao like this as well, causing the Ministry of War to not know what to do with Cao Cao after his reward came down."

Shangguan Min asked, "What do you mean you don't know how to place it?"

"After the reward, Lao Cao, as a general, should not continue to stay in my mansion as a palace commander. If the reward comes on time, I can go to the Ministry of War to coordinate in time." Fang Zilan snorted coldly, "But the Ministry of Rites kept delaying, causing the Ministry of War to ask questions in a roundabout way, making it seem that I am relying on my military merits and don't want to let him go. What's worse, I'm afraid I have ulterior motives for keeping high-ranking generals in the mansion."

Shangguan Min was stunned and asked, "Why is the Ministry of Rites like this?"

"At first, they may have seen that although I was in a high position, I was alone and weak and could be bullied." Fang Zilan pondered, "It may not be the case now."

"What do you mean?" Shangguan Min was puzzled. Fang Zilan said, "The former Minister of Rites, Mr. Xue, was born in a commoner family and did not rely on anyone. However, how could the noble families allow the Ministry of Rites, one of the six ministries, to remain unscathed? Mr. Xue was unwilling to take sides, so he was walking on thin ice. When Emperor Ning Shun was still alive, he was demoted and sent away because of the reward for his favorite concubine."

Shangguan Min seemed to understand, "I know, Master Xue was demoted, and as his nephew, Master Xue must have been implicated, and his days in the Ministry of Rites will be difficult."

"It's not entirely because of the implication." Fang Zilan said seriously, "Master Xue is still young. I think he might not have been in the Ministry of Rites when Master Xue was demoted."

Shangguan Min frowned and said, "Besides being implicated, what else is there?"

Chapter 342: Taught

"Background." Fang Zilan looked depressed. "You are far away in the northern border and don't care about government affairs. I guess you have never noticed that there are almost no new officials from poor families in the court in recent years."

"How could this be?" Shangguan Min was stunned. Fang Zilan said seriously, "It's not just the civil officials, it's the same with the military officers. In the battle of Qiluo, how many generals whose names people can call out are not from the families of the nine great dukes and nobles?"

"General Huangfu Xin, General Dugu Ming..." Shangguan Min read two names and then stopped, "But..."

"I know what you want to say." Fang Zilan interrupted him. "Although it is said that after learning the arts of literature and martial arts, one can sell goods to the emperor's family, it is much easier for the descendants of noble families to get what they want than for the children of poor families. If even the children of poor families who serve as officials in the court are suppressed, in the long run, what future will the children of poor families have?"

Shangguan Min finally understood after hearing this, "So the Ministry of Rites deliberately made things difficult for Master because of their different positions? And the Minister of Rites wanted Lord Xue to come even though he knew he might be troubled. Was it to suppress him?" "That's basically the truth." Fang Zilan nodded slightly, "I'm sick now, so some things can't be suppressed. Therefore, I will try to show up at the year-end festivals and New Year's community plays whenever I can, and I have to plan the opening banquet on the fifth day of the New Year well..."

"It turns out that he wasn't just venting his anger on others." Shangguan Min muttered softly, "I thought..."

"Why? Mr. Wen is considerate and thoughtful. I said this just because I'm afraid you'll feel unhappy because I punished you too severely." Fang Zilan said helplessly: "If you drink, I won't stop you, but if you lose your temper and speak without restraint, I won't let you off easily."

"Yes." Shangguan Min stood up and bowed respectfully. "Master, I am not afraid of being punished. Moreover, since Master accepted me as his disciple, he has never punished me. How can I say that the punishment is too severe?"

"You." Fang Zilan smiled and suddenly said, "Master Xue, eavesdropping is not a good habit. I wonder why Master Xue came back?"

Hearing the voice, Xue Haoyu walked in, bowed and said, "I saw that Lord Fang and this young man were having a great time talking, and I was really embarrassed to disturb them, so I stood outside the door for a while. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, so please forgive me, Lord Fang."

Fang Zilan raised her hand to signal him not to be polite, "Master Xue is standing outside, I know everything. Since I haven't said it out loud, there is nothing I can't let you hear."

"Lord Fang is frank, and I am ashamed." Xue Haoyu still maintained the posture of saluting, and said: "I left and came back because I forgot to tell Lord Fang something just now."

"What's the matter?" Fang Zilan took the tea on the table and took a sip.

Xue Haoyu said calmly: "If Lord Fang is able to go out, please go to the Lotus Palace to kowtow and burn incense before New Year's Eve."

Fang Zilan smiled slightly, "I heard that there is a large ever-burning lamp in the Lotus Palace that was lit by Emperor Tai'an himself. At the end of every year, the emperor adds oil to the lamp, and all officials must kowtow and burn incense to pray for peace and prosperity in the world in the coming year. Am I right?"

Xue Haoyu's expression suddenly changed, "Master Fang, you..."

"When Lord Xue left, I was still wondering why you, with your meticulousness, forgot to remind me to enter the Lotus Palace?" Fang Zilan smiled even more. "But Lord Xue also said that the Ministry of Rites was busy at the end of the year, so it's understandable that you forgot. It can't be intentional, right?"

"Master Fang..." Xue Haoyu stammered, not daring to speak. When Fang Zilan said she didn't know the procedures for New Year's Eve, he thought she was just taking the opportunity to make things difficult for him, and he would just deal with it. But he never thought that she knew all the procedures not only for New Year's Eve, but also for the whole process. Didn't she see through everything from the beginning?

Xue Haoyu was so ashamed and angry as if he was being made fun of that he couldn't even raise his head. However, he knew in his heart that if he didn't have ulterior motives, how could he have ended up in such a situation?

"Mr. Wen?" Shangguan Min called out, looking confused. He turned around to look for Lieutenant General Cao. It took him a while to realize that Wen Ya had heard what they said.

He thought, when did Mr. Wen stand there? He was unaware of it, but the master must have felt it. Could it be that the master didn't just say those words to Master Xue?

The more he thought about it, the more confused his mind became. He couldn't make any sense of it, so he simply shook his head and stopped thinking about it.