Ancient promotion routine

"Your Majesty, this is the feedback from the people of Zhongzhou and Zhihu. It is said that foreigners are not afraid of the cold if they have spirits, and they are not afraid of disease invasion if they have snow medicine. They come in and harass my border trade."

"Really, Mr. Qian sees more with his own eyes?" The emperor looked at the newly appointed Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and said with a smile on his face.

Qian Hai thought that the emperor agreed with his statement, so he nodded and said: "Although I didn't see it with my own eyes, it is better than what I saw with my own eyes. The words on the book came from the bottom of my heart, and I couldn't bear to read it."

The emperor laughed back in anger, and said to the self-righteous Qian Hai: "Since Mr. Qian wants to meet the people of Zhongzhou so much, in my opinion, I will send Mr. Qian to Zhongzhou to ask the people of Zhongzhou himself."

"Emperor, Your Majesty..." Seeing that the Emperor suddenly became angry, Qian Hai was a little confused.

"Come on, hurry up and send Master Qian to Zhongzhou." The emperor gave an order, and someone sent Qian Hai out of the imperial study.

Seeing this, the rest of the people did not dare to speak again.

The slander did not stop because of Qian Hai's departure, but became more and more serious after Qian Hai left.

The emperor didn't call Zhang Yanjin into the palace because of this matter, Zhang Yanjin just stayed at home honestly and leisurely.

During this period, only Li Liu, Li Ying and others came to Zhang's mansion, and the other ministers who came to please Zhang Yanjin every day were all gone.

Qian Hai was sent to Zhongzhou, and no one in the court dared to speak well of him, but a dignified fourth-rank official didn't know right from wrong, and dared to gossip in front of the emperor, if this kind of person still stayed in the court, how could he Block Yoyo's mouth.

Zhang Yanjin couldn't help smiling when he saw Li Ying talking with gusto.

This Qian Hai is just a pawn sent by the family to test the emperor's bottom line, if it is useless, it is naturally a useless pawn, how could those people speak for Qian Hai.It's just that some people are self-righteous, and they help count the money when they are sold. Not only that, but they also dislike the low price.

"Li Ying, the Ministry of Rites, please pay more attention to see if there are any strangers coming in and out." Zhang Yanjin asked people to search all the pharmacies in the capital, but they didn't find any medicines like Mihunsan. He suspected that Mihunsan It is not the property of Wei.

"There are a lot of strange faces from the Ministry of Rites recently, so it's a bit difficult to check," Li Ying touched the bones in his hand. A few days ago, Zhou Qiye took the opportunity to rectify himself, but Li Ying suffered a dumb loss, but he thought of Zhou Qiye. What the kid said.

"Zhou Qiye told me before that the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Household Affairs are preparing something recently. He said that he was too busy for a while and lost his sense of proportion. Do you think this has something to do with them?"

Hearing Li Ying's words, Zhang Yanjin also had doubts about Zhou Qiye, but Zhou Qiye was a considerate person, and he couldn't easily keep the handle. He deliberately sent Li Ying to the Ministry of Punishment, probably for other purposes.

"By the way, do you still remember that little fat man? He went to the Ministry of Household Affairs, under Gao Shijie's subordinates, and he seemed to have lost weight a few days ago." Li Ying said.

"Although Gao Shijie is a bit stubborn, he hasn't done anything. It's just that he has stricter management over his subordinates." Zhang Yanjin analyzed Gao Shijie after hearing what Li Ying said.

Zhang Yanjin knew something about Chen Su's father, Chen Derang's art of manipulating people. A brat like Chen Su could be taught to be obedient. It is impossible for grown-ups to ignore it.

"I'll go to Mr. Chen's house, and you can go and see how the downstream preparations are going?" Zhang Yanjin thought that if Gao Shijie and others were doing something, Chen Su's father should know something.

"Don't worry, I will definitely obey their discipline." Li Ying patted his chest and said.

After the imperial examination, more than half of the establishment of the ministers of the court and central government fell on Zhang Yanjin's Ministry of Rites, and more than half of them were in the imperial examination department. Every year, the provincial examination will go to the spring examination and the palace examination. There are too many things to prepare and evening. Zhang Yanjin's request was approved, and the imperial examination department was set up outside the Ministry of Rites. It was indeed acting alone and directly managed by the emperor.

Zhang Yanjin was in charge of the Imperial Examination Department, so she didn't need to report to the emperor in the court, but just met and reported in private. Because of this, Zhang Yanjin's privilege became more and more prominent, directly or indirectly affecting the development of others.

Most of the newly recruited officials in the Imperial Examination Department are commoners of beryllium copper, at most they are the sons of squires, and they have no unnecessary ties to the aristocratic family and the royal family. Slowly start to build up.

When Princess Yuyang received the news, her face was ruthless, and her eyes looked like she wanted to eat people. She gave the resources of spirits and coal mines to those foreigners, but she wanted to see Zhang Yanjin be dealt with. Every day is not comfortable, if this person is not eliminated, how can she feel at ease.

Zhang Yanjin's appearance and behavior broke the balance of power among the noble families in the court. Now Princess Yuyang and Wei Wang are one faction, Ruiguo Duke's faction, Jin Wang, Zhao Wang, and Mingzhe's self-protection faction, as well as Zhang Yanjin's Ningguo Mansion and others royal party.

Each of them is slowly competing in secret. On the surface, the court is peaceful, but in fact it is already undercurrents. , and Zhang Yanjin's accident this time was just a fuse.

Zhang Yanjin went to Chen Su's house, but it was all in vain. There was no one in the Chen family, Master Chen was in the household department, and Mrs. Chen took Chen Su to the temple to offer incense.

Just as Zhang Yanjin stepped into the gate of the Zhang Mansion, she saw Zhang Wuyi running from outside.

"My lord, my lord, the Duke said that he wants you to come back and go to the Duke's mansion." Zhang Wuyi looked nervous and was short of breath. Panting like this.

"What happened?" Zhang Yanjin asked.

Zhang Yanjin always puts the affairs of Ningguo Duke's Mansion first. Zhang Wuyi's expression and demeanor made Zhang Yanjin feel that the matter was unusual, and she couldn't help feeling nervous.

Zhang Yanjin hadn't had such emotions for a long time, he tried his best to control his emotions, waiting for Zhang Wuyi's answer.

"Old madam, it is said that old madam is ill." Zhang Wuyi said hastily.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yanjin hurriedly prepared to go back to Duke Ning's mansion.

……

In Ningguo Duke's Mansion, Zhang Zhongqian was sitting beside the old lady's bed, surrounded by some close people. Seeing that his grandmother was in good spirits, he was relieved and thought he was seriously ill.

After talking with his grandmother, Zhang Zhongqian motioned for Zhang Yanjin to follow.

"I found this in your grandmother's Yu Ruyi." Zhang Zhongqian held a small bead in his hand.

Zhang Yanjin frowned a little, and when she took it, she found that there was something unusual about the bead, it actually exuded a fragrance.

"Although your grandmother has some old illnesses, but relying on the prescriptions prescribed by the imperial physician these years, nothing happened. Today, the maid accidentally hit and smashed Yu Ruyi, only to find out that there is something hidden in it. I asked the imperial physician who I am familiar with I checked and found nothing, but once this thing is taken away, your grandmother will be much better."

Zhang Zhongqian said, it is indeed strange that Yu Ruyi hides this thing inside.

Holding the beads in her hand, Zhang Yanjin felt cold in her heart.

"I'll go check it out."

Although Zhang Yanjin knew that it was impossible for the emperor to do this, but it was hard to get rid of the grudge in his heart. If the emperor hadn't rewarded Yu Ruyi, how could he have brought it to the old lady without any doubt in his heart? If he didn't have Yu Ruyi, The old lady will be fine.

About one month later, Zhang Yanjin searched secretly, and before Yu Ruyi got into his hands, she passed through the hands of no less than ten people.

From the person who picked up the goods from the warehouse to the person who registered and compiled the book, and then to the transportation, etc., there were no less than five hand transfers. It is said that it took almost half an hour from the warehouse to the emperor's hands.I don't know how much I can do in just half an hour.

Zhang Yanjin took the small bead in her hand and came to Zhou's house in the south of the city.

In front of him was a small cloth shop, and on the left and right were the top cloth shops in the capital, but the engraved Zhou family cloth shop was sandwiched in the middle, which looked like a substandard fake.

When Zhang Yanjin entered the door, she hung the token on her belt.

What Zhang Zhongqian gave him was not so much a token, but a large piece of jade, without any decoration on it, but with two red hearts in the middle. In the eyes of people who understand jade, this is just a piece of miscellaneous jade.

The reason why Zhang Yanjin was sure that this was the place he wanted to come to was because this was the only family surnamed Zhou in the south of the city.

All kinds of people and colorful fabrics greeted the eyes. This store is not big, but the business is indeed busier than the other two.

"Guest officer, do you want to see the new arrivals? This way please?" Xiao'er is very enthusiastic about every customer who enters the store. It will allow guests to find what they need and go back satisfied.

Like other guests, Zhang Yanjin was taken to a small room by the child, saying that the room was only separated by wooden boards, but Zhang Yanjin was a little different, he saw the door in the partition.

Subconsciously, Zhang Yanjin pushed open the door.

Shopkeeper Zhou looked at Zhang Yanjin with a smile. It was another big deal. He inquired about the son in front of him from beginning to end, but his eyes were attracted by the jade pendant on Zhang Yanjin's waist.

Zhang Yanjin put the jade pendant and small beads on the table, the meaning in her eyes was self-evident.

Shopkeeper Zhou originally thought he was here for a big deal, but he didn't expect that he was here to collect debts. He was very excited, and his face became more and more unpredictable.After waiting for so many years, he finally had the opportunity to repay the debt.

"You want to ask about the origin of this bead?" Shopkeeper Zhou picked up the bead and asked.

He put the beads under the sun, and looked at the mottled brilliance through the beads, as if he was identifying something.

"Yes, I came here just for this bead." Zhang Yanjin said.

The person in front of him seems to be full of philistinism, but once he opens his mouth, you dare not treat him lightly.

The person in front of Zhang Yanjin is a well-known know-it-all 20 years ago. People who don't know each other come here, they can only lose their money and not get the real thing.

"Who are you from this jade pendant?" Shopkeeper Zhou asked.

"My uncle gave it to me." Zhang Yanjin said bluntly. He has done so many things in the capital, not to mention that he is a household name. Basically, all the big families in the city have heard of or seen him. The boss obviously knew his identity but didn't mention it, whether he really didn't care or something else.

"No wonder, no wonder, you put away that jade pendant, I can only come here once in three months, remember, you came today to know the origin of this bead? Originally, I couldn't tell you according to the rules, but since you got it With my blood jade, I will make an exception today."

Shopkeeper Zhou slowly came to the origin of this small bead.

It turns out that this little bead is called Blood Pearl, which is one of the most overbearing poisons in the world, also known as the past life. If it is used together with chronic poisons, it is a perfect match. Even the most powerful pharmacist in the world can't crack this thing. , because this reincarnation is a great inner secret medicine, which has disappeared for many years.It is rumored that the favorite concubine of the former court used her death to confuse the emperor, leading to chaos in the government, dictatorship by relatives, and the defeat and disintegration of the court.

Zhang Yanjin's holding this pill is a past life that has no medicinal properties. If a person is next to the past life all day, not only will he be easily flustered and fascinated, but he will also be prone to hallucinations.

"Are you saying that folks don't have this thing?" Zhang Yanjin asked.

What a big internal secret medicine, even if it is a poison from the sky, he will find out the person behind it.

"Da Nei's secret medicine is naturally only available in Da Nei. In the past, when this thing appeared, the government would inevitably be in chaos. Now that it has reappeared in the world, I am afraid it will be another bloodbath."

Shopkeeper Zhou stroked his beard and said with emotion, he has said so much today, he is afraid that he will go out to avoid the limelight, it just so happens that the boy at home is not willing to go out these days, and this cloth shop doesn't have to close the door.

"Thank you, shopkeeper Zhou." Zhang Yanjin stood up and said, since she is a member of the palace, it must not be aimed at herself.

In order to seize power in the palace, the biggest enemy is your own family. Zhang Yanjin is just a foreign minister, at most, it is to make them afraid. I am afraid that this medicine was used on her by mistake.

"Go back and dispose of this bead. It's a disaster if you carry it on your body." Shopkeeper Zhou warned, there was only so much he could say.

When Zhang Yanjin returned to Zhang's mansion, he did not throw away the beads as Shopkeeper Zhou said. Instead, he asked people to find rough stones and carved out exactly the same beads in the mansion, from the size to the fineness to the cracks on the beads.

Zhang Yanjin knew that the row of cracks was originally the place where the medicine was stored, and now that the medicine has been used up, the cracks will naturally stand out, so he asked Zhang Wuer to send these beads to each prince's mansion, but Zhang Yanjin did not send them to the East Palace and the emperor. .

"Young Master, King Zhao threw the beads into the lake, King Jin put the beads away, but Princess Yuyang and King Wei were indifferent when they saw the beads, so they just asked the servants to clean them out." Zhang Wuer came back and explained the situation Inform Zhang Yanjin.

The reactions of these people seem to be that King Zhao and King Jin are the most suspicious, while Princess Yuyang and King Wei seem to be ignorant of the Zhuzi matter.

Zhang Yanjin then asked Zhang Wuer to send the remaining beads to the residences of several princes, but the news Zhang Wuer brought indeed made Zhang Yanjin lock on a person.

Since Han Gong received the bead, he has been terrified. He dared not even go to court, and the emperor didn't bother to pursue him. But on the day Han Han didn't go to court, a big event happened in the court.

It turned out that the doctor Yushi read this Korean official book, saying that he usually searched for people's fat and people's anointing, and bullied the people.

The emperor was furious and punished Han Gong's salary for three years, making him think behind closed doors for three months, and ordered the household department to use Han Gong's salary to compensate the people.No one in the court spoke for Han Gong, and Chen Guogong, who was usually in the same boat with Han Han, also pretended to be deaf and dumb in court.

It is not the first day that these aristocratic families have used their power for personal gain in the local area. The emperor usually opened his eyes and closed his eyes. Now someone opened up and said that the emperor is naturally willing to show some color to the aristocratic family.

And this doctor censor is usually just playing tricks in court, but today he knows that he has evidence in his hand.

I'm afraid that these things were not delivered to the door by someone, otherwise, with the pedantry of those old doctors, where can I find these witnesses and evidence.

Seeing this, Zhang Yanjin sneered in her heart. Is this going to lose the army and protect the commander?

He has already asked his uncle to help write a letter to Lin Xing, presumably what he wants will arrive soon, and he will see how the old fox is still digging holes.

People from these aristocratic families look united, but they are actually people who can harm others at any time for their own benefit.

The prince has been listening to the emperor's handling of political affairs in the court these days, which is a treatment that other princes do not have.

Zhang Yanjin originally wanted to take the bead to the East Palace, he wanted to see if the crown prince knew about it, but for some reason, Zhang Yanjin couldn't take this step.

Perhaps it was because the crown prince was different from other princes, Zhang Yanjin thought in his heart, hoping it was what he thought.

The prince only felt dizzy today, and he couldn't even hear what his father said clearly. He said that the old disease had recurred, so he took the medicine from his purse.

At this time, Zhang Yanjin was watching the prince from behind, seeing that the pendant on the prince's purse was inlaid with "blood pearls", his pupils could not help but shrink.

The prince was so far away from him, and he watched helplessly as the prince fell down before he could take the medicine.

"Come here, imperial doctor." The emperor shouted.

Mr. Li, the first-rank imperial doctor in the imperial court, happened to be in court. He is the director of the imperial hospital. He is over sixty years old, but his steps and body are very healthy. When Zhang Yanjin saw him walking over, he could only feel the smell of medicine .

"My majesty, my condolences." Doctor Li stepped forward to check the prince's condition carefully, but he couldn't find any signs of life.

Hearing this, the courtiers knelt down one after another, not daring to look up at the emperor's expression.

How could the emperor accept that the dignified prince died suddenly after he came to the court early.

Seeing this, Zhang Yanjin couldn't help but grieve in her heart, but right now she couldn't be immersed in it.He took the purse still clutched in the prince's hand, handed it to Li Yuyi and said, "Master Li, I just saw the prince holding this purse, it seems that he wants to get something from it?"

In Zhang Yanjin's heart, she only hoped that this rank of imperial doctor didn't have a name, and she had delivered everything to her hands. If she still couldn't find something strange, the prince would have to die suddenly instead of being murdered today. Big wrong.

"Your Majesty, there is something wrong with this purse." Doctor Li said with trembling hands, "Please report privately, Your Majesty."

At this time, the emperor was still immersed in the death of the prince. Hearing the words of Li Yuyi, he was naturally furious. Zhang Yanjin saw that something was wrong, and he didn't care if the fire would burn himself.

"The emperor calm down. Li Yu said that there is something wrong with the purse. The prince must have been murdered by a traitor. We will definitely find the murderer for the prince."

As soon as Zhang Yanjin said this, Chu Chigong, Li Lian, Chen Derang and others also helped to persuade him.

Although the emperor wished to throw all these people out, he saw that even the ministers who did not speak on weekdays were speaking for Li Yuyi, so he asked everyone to wait outside and asked people to arrange the prince well, so he gave it to Li Yu. The imperial doctor gave him a look.

"Your Majesty, the blood pearl has appeared." Li Yuyi's voice was full of fear. When this thing appeared back then, it had harmed many people. Now it reappeared in the palace, and it was still on the prince. then.

"What?" The emperor pinched the dragon's head and said sternly, "Who is it, who is it?"

It looked as if he wanted to tear that person into pieces.

"I don't know." Li Yuyi shook his head, he was also a little at a loss, those things were completely burned by them back then, and they haven't reappeared in the past few decades, who made this thing out again now , I don't know where this investigation started.

The prince's original old illness was not healed, and he was dragged by the blood pearl for an unknown how long, which actually caused poison in the body, resulting in the inability to recover.