Tang Dynasty Little Godfather

Chapter 199 Absolutely Flawless

For Wang Xi, a man determined to become a favored minister, this was merely a small test. Although it was very successful, it was also very limited. He couldn't possibly control the overall situation, after all, he was still so young. This was both his advantage and his disadvantage.

The overall situation, and how it should be carried out, still needs to be controlled by Li Longji himself.

As for Zhang Jiayou's embezzlement and bribery, the person who knew about it first was Yuwen Rong, but this matter made Yuwen Rong very conflicted.

The main reason is that, although Zhang Jiazhen never gave him a kind look, the problem is that Zhang Shuo is even more hateful and more targeted at him than Zhang Jiazhen.

If Zhang Jia-zhen is replaced, then Zhang Shuo may become the Grand Secretary.

This was something he didn't want to see.

On the other hand, his confidants are currently very dissatisfied with the On Yip Department because they are working so hard while the On Yip Department staff are just lying around, resulting in the On Yip Department gaining more popularity.

Who can bear this.

This is an excellent opportunity to suppress the Wang family.

Of course, this was secondary. Yuwen Rong was still clear-headed. He knew very well that this land investigation was crucial to his career. If he succeeded, he would rise to prominence; if he failed, he would definitely be purged.

From this perspective alone, this was a very good example of making an example of someone.

However, the Zhang family and the Wang family have a very good relationship, and the On Yip Department plays an important role in this.

It is best to avoid direct conflict with the Wang family at present. Therefore, after weighing the options, Yuwen Rong finally decided to inform Wu Xin about this matter and ask the Wu family to report Zhang Jiayou.

He, on the other hand, remained uninvolved and focused on the task at hand.

That's some serious business acumen!
But to everyone's surprise, Li Longji suddenly sent a secret letter, ostensibly blaming him for his poor performance, ordering him to investigate the land, asking what he was investigating, and how he knew about such a huge bribery case that even he knew about it.

But his words implied that the matter must be thoroughly investigated and that no leniency should be shown.

After going around in circles, it all came back to him.

This left Yuwen Rong quite confused; what exactly had happened in Chang'an?

If Wu Xin had impeached him, the imperial edict would have been issued, not a secret letter, and there would have been no strong suggestion for him to investigate the matter.

Even if he were incredibly smart, he could never have imagined that Wang Xi had secretly gone to report him.

At this point, he dared not make any more moves. After all, it was a secret letter from the emperor, which meant that the matter had to be kept confidential. So he quickly ordered his trusted confidants to investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, Wang Shouyi couldn't hold back any longer. He was afraid that if he continued to delay, someone would find out and he would be finished. So, disregarding Huangfu Shangde's advice, he secretly ordered someone to send a message to Zhang Jiazhen.

Upon learning of this, Zhang Jiazhen was terrified.

Unfortunately, just when he had threatened to severely punish Pei Zhouxian, the governor of Guangzhou, he was immediately found to have embezzled funds. The key point is that he was the one who recommended Liu Daoyin, the magistrate of Luoyang, to be appointed as the governor of Taiyuan. This time, the boomerang arrived not late at all, but even early.

Pei Zhouxian's case is still unresolved.

This is really dangerous.

He immediately ran to find Zhang Jiayou.

"Why are you here, elder brother?"

Zhang Jiayou was a little confused when Zhang Jiazhen suddenly rushed into the room.

Zhang Jiazhen first dismissed his attendants, then asked Zhang Jiayou, "How did you acquire those thirty acres of land in Luoyang?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiayou was immediately dumbfounded.

Zhang Jia-zhen said, "Speak up! How did you obtain that land?"

Zhang Jiayou knew his elder brother's fiery temper well, so he dared not hide anything and could only tell him the truth.

However, there was actually a slight twist to the story, and it wasn't as simple as it seemed on the surface. After Zhang Jiazhen came to power, he promoted his confidants without any hesitation. Liu Daoyin, the magistrate of Luoyang County, was originally one of Zhang Jiazhen's men. It was only after this matter was settled that Liu Daoyin gave the land to Zhang Jiayou in order to thank Zhang Jiazhen.

Because everyone knows that Zhang Jiazhen does not own any land.

Zhang Jiazhen was furious. "How many times have I told you that with our current status, as long as we're alive, we don't need to worry about hunger or cold. If we commit a crime, even if we own a lot of land, it will be confiscated. Why won't you listen?"

Zhang Jiayou hurriedly explained, "Brother, you are wise. I didn't intend to accept it, but Liu Daoyin insisted on giving it to me, and since everyone does it, I did."

"Even now, you're still trying to argue."

Chang Chia-chen angrily pointed at Chang Chia-yu, "Why didn't he just give it to me directly? If you don't accept it, no matter how much he wants to, he can't give it to you."

Seeing his brother lose his temper, Zhang Jiayou quickly begged for mercy, saying, "Brother, spare me! I know I was wrong."

"I...I'm so sorry, you've really ruined me."

Zhang Jiazhen lowered her hand, and said angrily, "If I had known this would happen, I really shouldn't have transferred you back to the capital."

Zhang Jiayou panicked and, disregarding everything else, hurriedly asked, "How did you find out about this, brother?"

Zhang Jiazhen took a deep breath and said, "Someone reported it to Shouyi, and he sent someone to inform us."

Zhang Jiayou immediately breathed a sigh of relief, "The Duke of Qi and my brother have a deep friendship. Why don't you ask him to turn a blind eye?"

Zhang Jiazhen said, "He does want to help us keep it a secret, but the problem is that someone reported it, not that he found out. Who can guarantee that it can be kept secret? You know, Yuwen Rong is currently investigating land in Luoyang. If I ask him to help me cover it up, I'm afraid it will also harm him."

Zhang Jiayou had a sudden thought, "I have a plan."

Zhang Jiazhen looked at him.

Zhang Jiayou said, "While no one was looking, I secretly changed the land to an unnamed place. If anyone reports it, I will say that Liu Daoyin wanted to thank me, and that I did not take his land. My brother was just promoting people based on their talents."

Zhang Jiazhen frowned and asked, "Would Liu Daoyin be willing?"

Zhang Jiayou said, "If we don't do this, we will all die. Now that he has taken the blame alone, we can at least keep his life safe."

Zhang Jiazhen pondered for a long time, then sighed, "This is the only way we can do it, but this is the last time."

Zhang Jiayou nodded hurriedly and said, "Brother, rest assured, I will never do it again."

But alas, it was too late.

Ministry of Rites.

Zhang Shuo held a white cloth in his hand, intently reading the words on it, sometimes frowning slightly, sometimes nodding slightly.

After a while, he raised his head and said to Han Xiu beside him, "This play script of the Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng is written in an extremely ordinary style. It doesn't seem like the work of a virtuous scholar!"

Han Xiu laughed and said, "Indeed, it was not written by me, but by Li Linfu."

"No wonder!"

Zhang nodded, glanced at it again, and said, "Perhaps it wasn't written by him either. I think he had someone else write it."

“I think so too.” Han Xiu nodded with a smile, and added, “However, this is a play script, not an article. The writing style is secondary; we can help revise it.”

Zhang then asked, "Do you want the music academy to also rehearse operas?"

Han Xiu hesitated for a moment, then said, "To be honest, my lord, some people have suggested that I reform the Imperial Music Bureau and introduce opera, but I still have doubts. After all, His Majesty's great cause is not yet accomplished, so how can he indulge in pleasure? It was Li Linfu's play script that moved me!"

I had spoken with him before, and he believed that although the last singing competition was a sensation, its impact was far less than that of traditional opera, and now no one talks about it anymore.

It's clear that opera is more popular, so why don't we use opera to promote the spirit of our Great Tang Dynasty? This would not only implement the Prime Minister's policies on literature and art, but also correct the decadent music brought by the nameless academy.

Little did people know that Lady Zixia played a crucial role in this. In fact, she was the one who first arranged for someone to persuade Han Xiu, but Li Linfu found out about it and quickly offered his advice.

In fact, Li Linfu was not interested in these things. What he was doing now was to curry favor with these people and lay the foundation for his future rise to power.

Zhang nodded and said, "Although Li Linfu lacks talent, he is quite capable."

After saying that, he added, "But who understands this opera?"

Han Xiu hurriedly said, "Li Linfu understands. Besides, the female students of that nameless academy are all courtesans from the brothel. They were sent there to learn opera. Now we can just recall them."

Zhang Shuo pondered for a moment and said, "If it is a play that promotes the spirit of our Great Tang Dynasty, I support it. Just as you said, the great cause has not yet been achieved, and it is not the time to indulge in pleasure. We cannot allow decadent music to corrupt the court and the people."

Han Xiu immediately replied, "Please rest assured, my lord, I will keep an eye on things."

Just then, a servant came in and whispered a few words in Zhang Shuo's ear.

Zhang Shuo opened his eyes wide and suddenly stood up. "Really?"

Han Xiu asked, "My lord, what has happened?"

Zhang Shuo glanced at Han Xiu, seemingly deep in thought. After a moment, he said, "Someone has accused Zhang Jiayou, the Left General of the Golden Guard, of embezzlement and bribery."

"what?"

Han Xiu was startled and asked again, "Who reported this?"

Zhang narrowed his eyes and said, "Yuwen Rong."

Because Yuwen Rong is currently investigating land, his every move is under close scrutiny. Therefore, once he made the accusation, the matter quickly spread, and everyone was discussing it extensively.

However, most of the comments were very unfavorable to Zhang Jiazhen. Yuwen Rong only accused Zhang Jiayou, but the ministers were talking about Zhang Jiazhen.

It was Zhang Jiazhen who recommended Liu Daoyin for promotion, and Zhang Jiayou was also promoted to the position of Left General of the Golden Guard by Zhang Jiazhen.

This one behavior alone has already drawn the ire of many people.

It is clear that Zhang Jiazhen was indeed unpopular.

Upon learning of this, Li Linfu rushed to the Wu family in a great hurry.

"Li Zhongyun, you've come at the perfect time. I was just thinking of looking for you," Wu Xin said hurriedly upon seeing Li Linfu.

Li Linfu asked, puzzled, "How could this be? Wasn't it supposed to be that we leak this information to Wang Shouyi? How did it turn out that Yuwen Rong was the one to report Zhang Jiayou?"

Wu Xin said blankly, "I don't know either."

Li Linfu then asked, "Did you inform Yuwen Rong about this?"

Wu Xin nodded and said, "Of course I told him. I sent someone to inform Yuwen Rong a long time ago."

Li Linfu frowned and asked, "Then what exactly is going on?"

Wu Xin said, “No matter what, we’ve already reported it, so why don’t we stir up trouble outside and direct the fire towards the Wang family?”

Li Linfu hurriedly said, "It's still unclear at the moment, so it's best not to act rashly."

Wu Xin said, "We just need to secretly release the news. Even if it has nothing to do with Wang Shouyi, it will still prevent him from staying in Anye Bureau."

After Gao Lishi's guidance last time, he was completely awake. He didn't ask about the nameless academy or care about Wang Xi. He focused all his attention on Wang Shouyi. Now that such a great gift had been delivered to his door, he was not going to let it go.

“That’s true.” Li Linfu nodded, but in his heart he was reassessing his cooperation with Wu Xin.

Given his personality, he would never act rashly. It would be unwise to rush into stirring up trouble before even understanding the actual situation.

But Wu Xin didn't care about all that. He was very clear that Wang Shouyi must have known, but he was either hiding it or had secretly informed Zhang Jiazhen.

Regardless of the reason, it proves that Wang Shouyi had ulterior motives.

How could he possibly let him go?

So he immediately ordered someone to spread the word that Wang Shouyi had covered up Zhang Jiayou's involvement in this matter.

The fire quickly ignited and spread like wildfire.

Although Zhang Jiazhen already knew beforehand, he should have been mentally prepared, but he never expected that the rumors would spread so quickly, and that most of them were directed at him, not at Zhang Jiayou.

For a moment, they were at a loss.

Just then, Zhang Shuo suddenly arrived at the door.

Zhang Jiazhen thought Zhang Shuo had come to interrogate him, and he panicked. He hurriedly asked, "Daoji, did His Majesty send you?"

Zhang Shuo shook his head and said, "But His Majesty is furious about this matter. I don't blame you for saying this. You two brothers are both high-ranking officials of the third rank, which is the envy of many. Is it really worth it for a mere thirty acres of land?"

Zhang Jiazhen sighed, "I knew nothing about this; my younger brother secretly accepted them."

After saying that, he added, "No, I have to go and explain things to His Majesty."

He started walking out, but as he passed Zhang Shuo, he noticed that Zhang Shuo was silent and standing there quietly. So he turned back and asked, "Why isn't Daoji saying anything?"

Zhang then said, “His Majesty is currently very angry. If you try to explain now, I’m afraid he won’t listen. Moreover, there are rumors that Duke Qi is also involved in this matter. If you try to argue, I’m afraid you will implicate Duke Qi and the others.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiazhen was immediately thrown into disarray. He had a very good relationship with Wang Shouyi, and more importantly, he knew that Wang Shouyi had indeed been tipping him off. So he asked, "Then, according to Daoji's advice, how should we respond?"

After pondering for a while, Zhang said, "In my opinion, why don't you stay at home in plain clothes and await punishment? When His Majesty sees your sincere attitude, I will speak a few words on your behalf with Yuan Xiangong. Considering your merits, His Majesty will not punish you."

After listening, Zhang Jiazhen felt that it made a lot of sense. The emperor was in a bad mood, and if you went to explain, you might get into an argument and say the more you said, the more mistakes you would make. You might even implicate Wang Shouyi and the others. He cupped his hands and said, "This time, we are all grateful for Daoji's help. If we can get through this calamity, Jiazhen will definitely repay you handsomely."

Zhang hurriedly replied, "To be honest, I also have my own selfish motives."

Zhang Jiazhen asked in surprise, "Personal reasons."

Zhang nodded and said, "Yuwen Rong said he was impeaching Zhang Jiayou, but in reality he was targeting you. He didn't investigate all the illegal land in Luoyang. Why would he do this? Isn't it because he wants to become the Grand Secretary? I certainly don't want to see such a villain become the prime minister."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiazhen was immediately enraged. "I will never let this scoundrel get away with this in the future."

After leaving the Zhang family, Zhang stroked his beard and smiled slightly, "In this way, we can ensure that nothing goes wrong!"

(End of this chapter)