The Jinxiu River at the east corner of Chongwenmen is not far from the Observatory. There is a flood, and there is a bank in the east and west, and there are tall locust trees and weeping willows planted on the shore. The water surface is full of reeds, fishes and birds on the bottom, and the clear water is clear, and the dust is rare. The north and south are gardens for nobles, with trees, water, pavilions and corridors, and winding paths. It is a famous scenic spot in the capital.

After the Eastern Palace edict was released, several scholars with Confucian sermons arrived by the Jinxiu River. These scholars with Confucian sermons were all unusual people, all of them were court officials, among which Yang Sichang, the head of the Fujian Department of the Ministry of Revenue.

Yang Sichang was from Wuling, Huguang. He was successful at a young age. In the 34th year of Wanli, he was 18 years old. Four years later, he was the Jinshi at the age of 22. He served as a professor of Hangzhou Prefecture and a doctorate in the Imperial College in Nanjing. After that, the Ministry of Personnel issued a transfer order to be appointed as the head of the Fujian Department of the Ministry of Revenue, and thus he joined the ranks of Beijing officials from the local area.

Although he is just a small matter, he is less than 30 years old and his future is bright.

Yang Sichang came to the Jinxiu River to meet the appointment of Hong Chengchou, the head of the Qing Literature Department of the Ministry of Justice.

Hong Chengchou is from Nan'an, Fujian Province. This person is also a young talent. In the 43rd year of Wanli the previous year, 23-year-old Hong Chengchou went to the province to participate in the provincial examination and was the 19th Chinese-style juren in the Yimao Department.

Last year, he went to Beijing for the imperial examination and passed the imperial examination. He was ranked 14th in the second place in the Bingchen examination. He was awarded the title of Jinshi and was appointed as the head of the Qing Lishu Department of the Ministry of Justice.

Yang Sichang and Hong Chengchou did not know each other, but they both lived in Xijo Hutong and could meet each other every day. In addition, they were similar in age and became friends over time. However, if there was nothing wrong, they would always find two drinks of wine.

When his friend invited him, Yang Sichang would not refuse. He hired a carriage and horse to go straight to Jinxiu River. When he arrived at the place, he saw Hong Chengchou and several others standing in a pavilion looking forward to it.

Seeing Yang Sichang's carriage from afar, Hong Chengchou immediately came out of the pavilion, and a cheerful laughter came: "Brother Wen and Wu, why are you taking your time so slowly? Let's wait."

"Okay, Hengjiu, I didn't send someone to notify me earlier, but now I think I'm late."

Yang Sichang jumped out of the carriage with a smile, and after giving a bow, his eyes fell on the people behind Hong Chengchou. One of them shocked him. Who wasn't it that the palace test was Qian Qianyi in the same year? The other three faces were all born, and he didn't know them.

Hong Chengchou smiled and said, "Tanhualang is not necessary for me to introduce it again, right?"

Yang Sichang laughed and stepped forward to salute Qian Qianyi. Qian Qianyi nodded and replied with a smile.

Hong Chengchou pointed to the longest beard and oldest among the people and said, "This is Lord Miao Changqi, a Shuji Shi from the Hanlin Academy!"

"It turned out to be Xiximu at that time, and I admired him for a long time!"

Yang Sichang hurriedly gave a gift, and had a thought in his mind, because Miao Changqi was the former chief assistant, the student of Ye Xianggao, the leader of Donglin, and was very important in the Donglin Party.

"We are weak but not weak. I admire you when I look so literary and martial! "Miao Changqi also smiled and returned the courtesy. This is true. Although Yang Sichang is the head of the Ministry of Revenue, his face is firm and has a very general and ministerial style.

Hong Chengchou introduced three other people to Yang Sichang, namely Zou Zhilin, the head of the Ministry of Works, Li Binggong, the head of Guanglu Temple, and Mao Shilong, the chief of the Criminal Department.

Zou Zhilin is not small. He was Jie Yuan, the Nanjing Provincial Examination in the 34th year of Wanli. He was both the 38th year of Wanli. He was a Jinshi in the 38th year of Wanli. He was in the same year and is currently the head of the Ministry of Works.

However, although it was the same year, Zou Zhilin and Yang Sichang were not close, and the two had no relationship. Instead, they had a very good relationship with Qian Qianyi, the Tanhualang of the same year.

Li Binggong was a Jinshi in the 34th year of Wanli, and Mao Shilong, like Hong Chengchou, was a Jinshi in the 44th year of Wanli.

Among them, Li Binggong is Hong Chengchou's friend, Mao Shilong is Hong Chengchou's colleague, and Miao Changqi is Mao Shilong and Li Binggong's friend. Qian Qianyi and Zou Zhilin are Miao Changqi's friends.

They were able to gather here, but they responded to the call of friends.

Everyone had no relationship with Yang Sichang, and only knew that he was the head of the Ministry of Revenue, so they didn't know much about him, because they were just polite to him for Hong Chengchou's sake.

Especially Qian Qianyi believed that he was the editor of Tanhua in the same year and served as an editor of the Hanlin Academy. He would be the candidate of the cabinet minister in the future. Therefore, he was not enthusiastic about Yang Sichang, who was just a small matter, even if the other party's father was Yang He, the right assistant minister of the Ministry of War.

Yang Sichang was also a very cunning person. He ignored him and politely treated everyone. Then he looked at Hong Chengchou calmly, not understanding why he had made an appointment with these people here.

Although the weather is stuffy, it is really a cool place by the Jinxiu River. Hong Chengchou is not in a hurry to explain to Yang Sichang. He just smiled and took his hand and greeted everyone for a walk along the river.

Everyone did not object, and the few people were walking along the dike of the Jinxiu River. Along the way, Hong Chengchou looked for some interesting things from time to time to say, and the few people had a harmonious conversation.

Because Yang Sichang was not familiar with everyone's background, he didn't talk much, so he just smiled and agreed a few words occasionally.

When he walked to a beautiful embankment with trees and trees, he looked at the water scene in the distance and night. Zou Zhilin suddenly said to Miao Changqi with some resentment: "The Ministry of Personnel originally asked me to transfer me to the Wenxuan Department, but I didn't expect that there would be rumors that Zhang Fengxiang was the candidate. If this is the case, it would be too bullying."

Miao Changqi laughed in his heart. Zou Zhilin was actually a member of the Zhejiang Party. When he heard that the Ministry of Personnel's Wenxuan Department had a vacant vacant, he tried his best to walk around and prepared three gifts to the cabinet minister Fang Congzhe, the Minister of Personnel Zheng Jizhi and Qi Shijiao, the real power figure of the Qi Party.

According to Zou Zhilin himself, Fang Congzhe accepted his gift and did not object to his request. After all, they are all comrades in the same party. The position of Wenxuan Shishi is vacant. Who will the comrades of his party give to him if they don’t give it to him?

Although Zheng Jizhi did not immediately express his opinion after receiving the gift, as long as the Qi Party did not object, the Chu Party would not offend the Zhejiang Party and Qi Party.

I never thought that yesterday there was a rumor on the Ministry of Personnel that the position of the Department of Wenxuan Department was mostly on Zhang Fengxiang, the head of the Wenxuan Department. This was called Zou Zhilin's willingness. He didn't think about why he couldn't do what he wanted. Instead, he immediately passed his friend, Donglin Party member Qian Qianyi, who wanted to take the line from Miao Changqi to see if he could borrow power from the Donglin Party. If it really doesn't work, he could just Zou Zhilin change his position and could not be bullied for nothing.

Miao Changqi also has his own plans. Earlier, Wang Wenyan predicted that the position of the Ministry of Personnel's Wenxuan Department would cause internal conflicts among the three parties, but now it seems that it may come true.

Therefore, if you use Zou Zhilin well, you can really use the power to fight, weaken the three parties and divide them, and then it will be much easier to deal with.

"It's just a rumor, it may not be taken seriously. Brother Chenhu doesn't have to worry. Although you and I are not a member of the party, Brother Chenhu's ability is obvious to all. How can Zhang Fengxiang compare with you?" Qian Qianyi smiled and said with a smile at Miao Changqi's eyes.

Miao Changqi said meaningfully: "Wait, don't worry, they really don't need you, they are blind. Our party's door is open to Brother Chenhu."

After hearing this, Zou Zhilin did not say anything. He had already decided whether he would change to Donglin.

"You heard that the Eastern Palace was circulating, isn't it related to Concubine Zheng?" Mao Shilong, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.

Hong Chengchou nodded and said, "This matter is known to everyone, who doesn't know about it?"

Miao Changqi turned his attention to Yang Sichang: "I wonder what brother Wenwu has to think about this?"

Yang Sichang pondered slightly and said, "This is a major event for the court. I am just a mere chief. I can't really see you. I'd better listen to you."

Hearing what he said, Miao Changqi looked unhesitant and said lightly: "Mr. Yang is humble."

When Hong Chengchou saw this, he shook his head secretly, and was quite dissatisfied with Miao Changqi's attitude. However, the other party was a general of Donglin, so it was not easy to offend him.

The person invited to this party today is not actually what he meant by Hong Chengchou. To be honest, it was Miao Changqi who proposed it.

Judging from everyone present, Miao Changqi and Qian Qianyi were both Donglin Party members, Zou Zhilin was a member of the Zhejiang Party, while the rest of them were not in the same party.

This was strange, and Hong Chengchou didn't know what medicine was sold in Miao Changqi's gourd.

With Hong Hengjiu's personality, he only drank two cups with Yang Sichang, who was like a person, and he was very happy after a while. He really didn't want to get involved in the messy things of the party.

Li Binggong pretended not to know, smiling without saying a word and only looking at the scenery in the distance.

"Brother Yan Yan, you are from the Ministry of Justice. What do you think about this?" Miao Changqi asked Hong Chengchou again.

Hong Chengchou smiled bitterly and said self-deprecatingly: "Brother Miao, don't ask me. You know, you have never liked to argue next. Besides, the three courts are not deciding such a big matter. What's the truth? How can I be good at it?"

Upon hearing this, Miao Changqi frowned slightly and stopped asking. He turned his eyes to Mao Shilong behind him and said, "Mr. Mao, you are the criminals. Now your criminal is in charge of the Ministry of Justice. According to you, is that Zhang Baku a madman or is there someone instructing him behind him?"

"Well..."

Mao Shilong hesitated for a moment, but said: "Just judging from the results of the two trials at present, it is true that Zhang Ba is a madman, so his crazy yell should not be true... Nowadays, only people are worried that the court will not be in chaos, and want to use the madman's mouth to implicate the innocent in order to achieve their unspeakable purpose. If a prison is launched, it will be even more terrible than a party struggle."

As soon as this statement was made, Miao Changqi and Qian Qianyi's faces suddenly became ugly, because according to their understanding, although Mao Shilong was not a member of the Donglin Party, he had visited Donglin Academy before, so strictly speaking, this Mao was from the Donglin lineage, but why did he speak invisibly attack Donglin?

Mao Shilong didn't say anything anymore. He had already expressed his attitude. If Miao Changqi knew it, he would not take it before him.

There is one thing Miao Changqi didn't know, that is, although Mao Shilong was a Jinshi last year, he had participated in a study class in the Jiangnan Maritime Special Zone before. At that time, his team leader was Huang Zunsu, who was rated as the best student by the Admiral Maritime Eunu and Wei Liangchen, the chief magistrate of Jiangnan.

"If you insist on being a good official, you will definitely be opposed by bad officials. They will unite to deal with you and isolate you until you force you out of the officialdom.

What should I do?

The bad officials objected, so why didn't this official do it?

cannot!

Only by uniting, uniting, relying on each other, helping each other, forming a force, a force that is feared by bad officials, can you keep this good official at peace and steadily doing it!"

After Mao Shilong passed the Jinshi period, he always remembered what Eunuch Wei said at the teacher-student meeting.

Only by twisting together can we form strength and form a force called fear of bad officials!

This power is the tacit consensus among the members of the study class - Wei Dang.
Chapter completed!