Volume 3: Dragon and Snake Movement Chapter 312 Biased
The emperor came to the Imperial College and directly expelled the two students from the Banshan Hall. At the same time , he issued a bunch of surprising decrees in one breath . The news spread like a whirlwind in all the major government offices and wealthy mansions in the capital. Of course, Zhu Jing, the Duke of Zhao who did not go to court that day, also learned about this.
However, Duke Zhao also received another piece of news, that is, his precious daughter Zhu Ying went directly to the Imperial College in anger!
"How did she sneak out? Who let her out?" Although Zhu Jing had always indulged Zhu Ying, and the marriage certificate with the Zhang family had already been signed, he still felt helpless about his daughter's obvious behavior of protecting her. At this time, he had to ask coldly, "Didn't I tell her to practice archery at home today and not go anywhere?"
However, the steward standing in front of him quickly raised his head, glanced at him with a very strange look, and then lowered his head: "Reporting to the master, the eldest lady informed the dowager and the lady before leaving. She also brought Zhu Hong's dozen guards with her. She left in an open and aboveboard manner, not... not sneaking around."
Very good...it turned out that it was my mother and my wife who released the person! Zhu Jing felt a dull pain in his forehead, and then he asked angrily, "What about Da Lang? Doesn't he keep an eye on his sister?"
The steward felt that the eldest son was really wronged, but he said honestly: "My lord, the eldest son went out to visit Master Ge early in the morning. He said it was for Mr. Liu's matter. I informed you in advance."
My son...did tell him that! Seeing that there was no one to vent his anger on, Zhu Jing took a deep breath and angrily cursed: "Erlang, this useless and worthless thing, really makes me so angry!"
Poor Second Young Master… he was being taken out on again! But even though they were both being taken out on, the steward would feel sorry for the eldest son, but not for the Second Young Master at all. He immediately looked at his nose and looked at his heart, not daring to say a word. Because he was very suspicious that if he said something next, he would be the one being taken out on.
Sure enough, Zhu Jing obviously didn't find it interesting to scold someone who wasn't here at the moment. After a few words, he stopped and said with a stiff face: "Wait for Dalang or Yingying to come back, and bring them here immediately!"
However, just as he finished speaking, a report came from outside: "Master, the eldest lady and Mr. Shou are here. They were planning to come to see you, but it just so happens that the eldest son has also returned, and now they are talking in the front yard."
Zhu Jing was stunned when his son and daughter, whom he wanted to see, suddenly came back together, and brought along Zhang Shou, whom he didn't want to see at the moment. However, when he heard people talking in the front yard, he was afraid that his mother or wife would get there first, so he quickly ordered, "Hurry up and call them over!"
The servant outside responded and left. The steward who had reported also took advantage of the opportunity and hurriedly left, leaving Zhu Jing alone in the study. Zhu Jing knew that something was not right today, so he deliberately did not go to the court meeting, wanting to observe the situation, but he did not expect that the situation would be far beyond his expectations. At this time, he waited and waited, but Zhu Ying and the others did not come, and finally he could not bear it anymore.
He was too lazy to call for help and strode directly to the door. However, when he opened the door of the study, he found that the book boy who was supposed to be waiting in the yard at any time was nowhere to be seen. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then he heard a faint voice in the wind.
"What does this have to do with Ah Shou? I told the emperor myself. Brother, please don't be unreasonable! If I had known, I wouldn't have told you!"
"I'm unreasonable? You're so bold that you dare to make such a request to the emperor! Don't speak for Zhang Shou. He is your future husband. If you said something wrong, of course he should help you make up for it and not indulge you!"
Zhu Jing couldn't help but feel surprised when he heard the quarrel that seemed to be from Zhu Ying and Zhu Tingfang. Zhu Tingfang usually protected his sister, so what could have happened to make him, the eldest son who was more stable than him, lose his composure? Although he even had a mentality of watching the fun subconsciously, he still remembered his duty as a father.
When he arrived at the front yard, he saw that the servants who were watching the excitement had all moved away, not daring to point fingers or whisper, but their expressions were as subtle as when he heard the noise just now, and they were even more reluctant to leave. Obviously, the argument between the eldest brother Zhu Tingfang and the younger sister Zhu Ying was simply a strange story that no one had ever seen or heard of.
Zhang Shou stood helplessly between the two siblings, holding Zhu Ying with one hand and whispering something to persuade her. But Zhu Tingfang did not stop, but angrily threw his sleeves and said, "Well, since you have found such a difficult task for me, don't pretend to be a good person here! Isn't Yingying coming and going for you?"
Zhang Shou was about to speak when he saw Zhu Jing rushing over. He knew that the front yard was not a place to talk, but he did not expect that after Zhu Ying met Zhu Tingfang, she would proudly say what she had said to the emperor, and that a steady person like Zhu Tingfang would suddenly fly into a rage and attack on the spot. Therefore, while Zhu Jing was coming over, he immediately grabbed Zhu Ying without saying anything.
"Okay, Yingying, how can you talk to your brother like this? Look, Duke Zhao is here too, let's go to Qing'an Hall." Seeing that Zhu Ying was still upset, he sighed and whispered, "Your father has already seen you and your sister quarreling, do you want others to laugh at your quarrel?"
Others may not be able to hear Zhang Shou's extremely low voice, but Zhu Tingfang, who was close to him, and Zhu Jing, who had excellent hearing, heard it clearly. Zhu Tingfang was already a little regretful and impulsive, but when he saw Zhu Ying turned her head and glared at Zhang Shou, her anger was accompanied by intimacy, but this was fleeting, and then Zhu Ying came forward and apologized to him in a low voice, and he immediately felt extremely complicated.
His sister was about to marry the man she loved, and as a brother, he should be happy; but his sister really listened to her lover too much, so how could he, as a brother, be happy? He was really worried that one day Zhang Shou would sell Zhu Ying , and Zhu Ying would still help him count the money! So, he was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly as a response, and then turned and left.
But after he took a few steps out, he heard Zhu Ying's unhappy voice behind him: "Brother, are you still angry with me? But he scolded me first! I..."
Although Zhu Ying's voice soon stopped, and it was unknown whether she was persuaded by Zhang Shou or stopped talking on her own, Zhu Tingfang was still in a bad mood. It was not until he took the lead and walked into Qing'an Hall and saw Jiu Niang coming out to greet him that he thought that she must have known about the rumors of the siblings' quarrel outside, and he felt a little embarrassed.
He is such an adult, yet he is still angry with his sister... He knows that she is the kind of person who blurts out what she wants without considering the consequences!
Zhu Tingfang couldn't help but lower his head and said softly, "Mother..."
"Yingying is immature, and Erlang has never acted like a brother. Thanks to you for taking care of them all these years. If Yingying said something wrong, I will ask her to apologize to you later."
At this point, Jiu Niang glanced at the pair of lovers walking side by side not far away, and actually ignored Zhu Jing who was walking in front of them. It was not until Zhu Jing was in front of her that she suddenly woke up.
She ignored Zhu Jing's strange expression, made way for the father and son to go in together, and stayed there waiting for Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying. When they approached, she frowned and said, "Yingying, why did you quarrel with your brother in the front yard? You too, Shou. Yingying is ignorant, and you should have stopped her. Even if the rules at home are strict, there are bound to be people who gossip outside."
Before Zhu Ying, who was pouting and looking unhappy, could speak, Zhang Shou rushed to say, "Aunt Jiu, this is all because of me. Yingying was just angry at the moment and made a very outrageous request in front of the emperor. So when Big Brother heard about it, he got angry."
As he spoke, he explained in a low voice the whole story of what the emperor had said and Zhu Ying's intrusion. However, as soon as he finished speaking, he saw Jiu Niang's eyebrows raised and said, "You are the one who is responsible for their royal family's trivial matters? If the emperor does not give Yingying this promise, then even if Dalang has the ability, he can't go!"
Zhu Ying was overjoyed when she heard her mother say that: "Yes , that's why I said that in front of the emperor because I was so angry! I used to think that the second prince was vicious, but now look at the eldest prince, he is shameless and cruel! He caused such a terrible disaster, but he wants others to clean up the mess for him, of course he has to pay the price!"
Zhang Shou was speechless when he saw Jiu Niang's face full of approval. Like daughter, like mother. Zhu Ying's temper was clearly carved from the same mold as Jiu Niang's! He glanced at the maids and servants in the yard in front of Qing'an Hall, and saw that everyone had their hands down and their heads bowed, with an expression that said, "I saw nothing, I heard nothing." He had no choice but to quickly invite the mother and daughter into the house.
Zhu Jing could hear clearly what his wife and daughter were saying outside. Then he heard Zhu Tingfang explain in a low voice to the lady what Zhu Ying had said and how she had forced the emperor to make a promise. Naturally, he understood why his eldest son rarely got angry.
The emperor had to clean up the mess for his son because of his misbehavior. He felt very aggrieved, but Zhu Ying even forced the emperor to promise to punish him... Although this was reasonable, what if the emperor was in a bad mood and not only refused to agree, but turned hostile on the spot?
Although the emperor has always treated Zhu Ying like his own daughter, some risks must be guarded against!
What a worrying girl... It's also Zhang Shou's fault, he didn't even bother to give her some advice!
When Zhu Jing was thinking this, Jiu Niang and Zhu Ying had already come in, followed by Zhang Shou. At this time, the lady had already listened to Zhu Tingfang's report. Seeing Jiu Niang holding Zhu Ying with a smile, the mother and daughter looked righteous, she couldn't help but shook her head and said, "Although Yingying is a bit reckless, the emperor knows her character. If she runs over and says nothing, it will seem fake."
"That's it. There's no need to worry about a hopeless person like that making a comeback in the future. Knowing the emperor's attitude, Dalang will be able to go to Cangzhou more easily. Although there are many people in the court who can clean up the situation, in terms of status, talent, and character, there is indeed no one more suitable than Dalang. What's more..."
The lady paused for a moment, then said with a smile: "Da Lang, haven't you been running around for your mentor? If you can sort out the situation smoothly during your trip to Cangzhou, it should be almost done."
"It's easier said than done." Although Zhu Tingfang stood silently, Zhu Jing couldn't help but speak, "I've also learned something about the previous situation in Cangzhou. Officials and businessmen colluded, and the eldest prince profited from it. They are simply a nest of snakes and rats, in cahoots with each other. Now in order to cover it up, they will probably use some more shocking means. I don't know if Dalang can get there in time!"
Zhu Jing's judgment was based on his own information channels and experience, so naturally no one present would doubt it. And then, Zhang Shou was glared at by his future father-in-law.
"The one who tied the bell must untie it. Zhang Shou, now that things have come to this, shouldn't you give Dalang some advice?"
"It's not really advice." Zhang Shou knew he couldn't escape this, so he told the emperor all the information he had mentioned in detail, and then he talked about the methods used by Zhang Chen, Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu in Xingtai.
When they heard how Zhang Chen pretended to be the second prince's confidant and deceived the wealthy families in Xingtai, and then transferred money from one hand to the other, everyone in the room was amazed. Jiu Niang couldn't help laughing and said, "When I heard Yingying mention Zhang Chen before, she only said that he only relied on his family background and was a spendthrift second generation ancestor. I didn't expect he actually had such a skill!"
"Isn't it because of Ah Shou's good teaching?" Zhu Ying boasted happily, "Otherwise, Zhang Chen would just be a bully in the capital!"
"It was also thanks to Duke Qin's full support." Zhang Shou briefly mentioned the money and people that Duke Qin gave to Zhang Chen. Zhu Jing and Zhu Tingfang were just surprised, but the Lady Dowager and Jiu Niang smiled at each other.
"I'm afraid it's not just Duke Qin. Although Madam Qin always listens to Duke Qin, how can she, as a mother, not worry when her son is away doing such a big thing? Let alone money, even if she is asked to give everything, she will do her best to help. If Duke Qin really doesn't care about Zhang Chen, do you believe that Madam Qin will scratch her face?"
When she said this, the lady was joking, but Jiu Niang nodded and said, "If it were me, I would not be able to sit idly by and watch Dalang and Erlang suffer outside. Forget Yingying, she will make a fuss, and with Ah Shou, she won't suffer any loss."
"Mom, you are so partial!" Zhu Ying shouted angrily, "What are you going to give to Big Brother when he goes out this time?"
His sister had just been arguing with him, but now she turned around and asked Jiu Niang for a favor for him. Zhu Tingfang felt mixed emotions. When he saw Jiu Niang glance at him and then said something with a smile, he couldn't help but feel a little panicked.
"Just like Duke Qin, he gives money and people to you. Of course, the people belong to your father, but I don't have anyone." At this point, Jiu Niang smiled and said, "Yingying, shouldn't you and Ah Shou turn your big brother into a living person?"
