Chapter 480: Disaster
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
When Yu Zongzheng heard this, he didn’t think that there was anything wrong. Instead, he agreed very much. “Yao Yao is so filial to Mother that even
I, as her father, am a little jealous.”
Of course, this was just a casual remark.
A man should care about the world and aspire to achieve success in the royal court. The elders in the family had to rely on their wives and children to take care of them. Only when Yao Yao took good care of his mother could he feel at ease in the royal court.
Old Madam Yu smiled until her eyes narrowed. She did not say anything else and turned to look at her granddaughter. “Quick, show me what good things you’ve brought me this time.”
Her tone was clearly showing off.
Yu Zongzheng was amused.
Yu Youyao took the box from Chun Xiao’s hand and handed it to her grandmother. “It’s good to nourish the body with warmth in autumn. I’ve made a ginseng nourishing pill to nourish the Qi and blood. It’s very effective in nourishing the mind. This recipe is more suitable for an old person with weak health. I didn’t prepare it for Father.”
Yu Zongzheng did not care about this. “Mother is old, so she deserves more nourishment.”
During this period of time, he had also eaten a lot of medicinal cuisine. How could he compete with his mother for the medicinal tea and medicinal fragrance that Yu Youyao had sent over?
Old Madam Yu couldn’t stop smiling. “I think you’ve spent a lot of effort again.
In the past, I didn’t know how to mix incense and medicine. It isn’t easy either. I just thought that it would be done as soon as I followed the recipes. Later, I asked Nanny Xu and found out that this consumes a lot of energy. You’re still young, so you have to be more careful.”
Yu Zongzheng was also a little surprised. He did not expect that this incense medicine would not be easy to make.
Yu Youyao pursed her lips and chuckled. “The Ginseng Nourishment Pill isn’t difficult to make, and it doesn’t take much effort. Grandmother, don’t worry.”
With that, she asked Bai Kui to pour some warm water and personally took a pill to serve Old Madam Yu. Then, she instructed, “One pill a day is enough.”
After the two of them finished chatting, it was time to talk about serious matters.
Yu Youyao sat beside her grandmother.
Yu Zongzheng said, “This morning, at the court meeting, the Marquis of Ningyuan suddenly participated in the memorial. He’s currently in charge of the capital of Zhejiang and has the general position. He’s in charge of Song Xiuwen, the general of the coastal war in Ningbo, Shaoxing, and Taizhou Prefectures.”
Yu Youyao was stunned when she heard this. Only then did she realize that the small booklet that her grandmother had shown her previously recorded all the influential people in the Song family.
Song Xiuwen was at the front.
Song Xiuwen had previously presided over the war along the coast of Shandong. Later, when the pirates in Zhejiang became a problem, he was transferred to Zhejiang.
Song Xiuwen was a direct descendant of the Song family and held military power. He was a third-grade feudal official.
Old Madam Yu frowned. “What crimes were reported?”
The Marquis of Ningyuan was not a coward. He was bold enough to instruct the Marquis of Changxing to persecute the royal family and it was obvious how ambitious he was.
Even though the Marquis of Changxing had been implicated and demoted, and the emperor was dissatisfied with his refusal to fight in the court, King You’s case had implicated so many people. As the true culprit, he could still sit steadily in the royal court.
It was true that the emperor wanted to protect him, but wasn’t it also because he had his own methods and hadn’t really been caught red-handed?
Since he had brazenly participated in Song Xiuwen’s memorial, the crime he had participated in was not groundless.
Yu Zongzheng said, “There were seven to eight crimes. He colluded with bandits at sea and plundered merchant ships to obtain huge profits. He risked killing commoners and became a pirate to ask the Imperial Court for merits.
He accepted bribes from local officials and nobles and filled his own pockets.
What he said made sense. The Marquis of Zhenguo even quarreled with the Marquis of Ningyuan.”
Old Madam Yu gasped. “This is not a light crime. Many crimes are linked to the
Marquis of Changxing. How did the emperor react?”
Song Xiuwen was not an unknown figure. Instead, he was a border official with a large army. As he was good at water battles, he fought with the pirates all year round and accumulated a lot of prestige and reputation for the Zhenguo Marquis Residence.
It seemed that this time, the Zhenguo Marquis Residence was going to suffer a huge setback.
Yu Zongzhengs expression did not look too good either. “The emperor was furious and appointed the Minister of Official Personnel Affairs as the imperial envoy. The Ministry of War and the Imperial Court sent officials to accompany him and help investigate this case thoroughly. The emperor appointed me.”
Old Madam Yu was stunned for a moment when she heard this. Her expression was solemn. “It’s not easy to get involved in the muddy waters of Zhejiang. As a person in the royal court, one can’t make a mistake. The more crimes one commits, the greater the number of people involved, and the greater the stakes. Jiangnan has always been a wealthy place with heavy taxes. I’m afraid the implication of Song Xiuwen’s case is even worse than King You’s. I’m afraid it’s a blessing or a curse for the emperor to let you participate in this case.”
Yu Zongzheng thought the same. Therefore, after the court session, he did not even go to the government office. Instead, he returned to the residence and discussed this matter with his mother.
However, Yu Youyao, who was listening from the side, did not think so. The first thing she thought of was that he was very involved in King You’s case and there were many vacancies in the court.
Yu Zongzheng had originally been a fifth-grade officer in the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs. Although he had not made much progress, he had not done anything wrong. Later on, when he was transferred to the Imperial Court, it was also because the Xie family was unhappy with his mother’s death and secretly operated.
It could be said that he had ascended openly and fallen secretly.
Of course, everyone in the Yu Residence knew this very well.
However, no one dared to say anything.
This time, Yu Zongzheng’s performance in the trial of King You was commendable. He had received a reward from the emperor, so he was entrusted with an important task to help the imperial envoy with the case.
It seemed that if he could satisfy the emperor this time, Yu Zongzheng might very well be transferred to the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs!
The Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs was the head of the six ministries.
Yu Zongzheng’s status had not only increased, but he had also become a true official.
Her previous guess was right. The emperor indeed had the intention to support the Yu Clan and place them in an important position.
At the same time, Yu Youyao also understood that Song Xiuwen would most likely die.
As she was thinking, Old Madam Yu sighed slightly. “It seems that Song Xiuwen can’t be saved anymore Help the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs handle the case as well as possible…”
King You’s case made the emperor extremely distrustful of the court officials.
Song Xiuwen’s case also concerned the emperor’s money bag.
Cultivation, alchemy, sacrificial offerings, and training halls all required money. The war along the coast directly affected the emperor’s interests. Even the Zhenguo Marquis Residence did not dare to interfere in this case, lest they angered the emperor.
Yu Zongzheng thought so too, but he said, “I understand this, but as for the
Marquis of Zhenguo…”
Yu Zongzheng thought so too, but he said, “I understand this, but as for the Marquis of Zhenguo…”
Her father had looked for her grandmother for a meeting, but her grandmother had called her over directly. Even for such a big matter, her grandmother and father did not exclude her.
Yu Youyao thought for a moment and said, “Father, haven’t you thought about why the emperor wants you to participate in Song Xiuwen’s case when you’re just a civil servant? You just said that the official handling this case is the Minister of Personnel who’s also the imperial envoy?
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