Old Zhou looked at all this with curiosity, feeling quite amazed.
Who was Wei Zhi? As he approached, he noticed there were other people in the carriage. He couldn’t help but take another glance, and he t the gaze of Old Zhou.
Wei Zhi was slightly surprised, "Old Zhou?"
Old Zhou was also surprised and couldn’t help but pull the curtain open a bit more, saying hesitantly, "Are you Mr. Wei?"
Wei Zhi had once stayed in Qili Village for a few days. He had even visited the Zhou Family, eaten with them, and spoken with them.
Since it was rare for outsiders to enter Qili Village and the Zhou Family had a certain secret, they paid special attention to people coming into the village.
It wasn’t many years ago, and Wei Zhi’s appearance hadn’t changed much, so Old Zhou still rembered him.
Libationer Kong squinted his eyes, his gaze sliding back and forth between Wei Zhi and Old Zhou. Rembering Wei Zhi’s impeachnt during the case against the Prince of Yizhou last year, he had a vague understanding.
Wei Zhi didn’t mind Libationer Kong’s gaze, smiling as he spoke to Old Zhou, "Old Zhou, have you co to the capital to see Lord Zhou Junior?"
Old Zhou took a mont to realize that "Lord Zhou Junior" referred to Manbao, then he nodded repeatedly and laughed, "My sixth son is getting married, so I also ca to the capital to prepare a wedding feast for him. Mr. Wei, do you also work in the palace?"
Wei Zhi nodded with a smile.
Old Zhou imdiately said, "Then when my sixth son gets married, you must co to have a drink. Oh, rich people like you usually send invitations; I’ll have Manbao send you one later."
It was clear that Old Zhou wasn’t trying to curry favor but simply inviting him because they knew each other. Wei Zhi, smiling, agreed, "Just have Lord Zhou Junior send it to . I’ll definitely co to share in the joy."
Old Zhou quickly agreed.
Libationer Kong also smiled kindly at Old Zhou before entering the palace with Wei Zhi.
Libationer Kong didn’t imdiately go to the Eastern Palace. There was a small morning court session today, and the Emperor had returned from the Daming Palace to handle matters here, so they were going to the Taiji Hall to see the Emperor.
On the way to Taiji Hall, Libationer Kong looked straight ahead and said, "Last year, I found it strange. Although everything was reasonable, it was so coincidental that when the Emperor wanted to bestow favors upon ritorious officials, Bai Shan’s father happened to be on the list. Zhou Man indeed has talent, but just because he saved Su Jian’s life, he was imdiately brought before the Empress to treat her. I know the Crown Prince; he is straightforward, and without soone hinting or advising him, he wouldn’t have thought of letting Zhou Man treat the Empress."
Wei Zhi remained silent.
Libationer Kong stood at the steps of Taiji Hall, adjusted his hat, and gravely said, "The Emperor is lacking in benevolence with this action."
Wei Zhi also looked up at Taiji Hall and solemnly said, "Lord Kong, for those wronged fourteen years ago and the Jiannan populace who died due to the Yizhou flood, the Emperor’s action is benevolence."
"Lord Wei only looks at the result and not the process?" Libationer Kong said angrily, "The Emperor could have reprimanded the Prince of Yizhou and sent soone openly to investigate..."
Wei Zhi interrupted him, "The Empress Dowager is still here."
Libationer Kong sneered, "The Emperor’s action isn’t filial. The Empress Dowager isn’t feeling any better now. In the end, it’s just for his own reputation, lacking in both benevolence and filial piety."
Wei Zhi furrowed his brow. Though he disagreed with the Emperor’s actions at the ti, it was a settled matter now; bringing it up again was not beneficial to either the deceased or the living.
So he frowned and looked at Libationer Kong, "Lord Kong, do you intend to impeach the Emperor?"
Libationer Kong snorted, "I’m not a fool. Rest assured, Lord Wei, I won’t openly impeach the Emperor, just advise him privately."
Wei Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn’t made a public issue.
As for the Emperor being privately criticized, he didn’t mind. Let him be criticized; perhaps it would prevent the Emperor from making similar mistakes in the future.
Libationer Kong, sowhat displeased, went to the small morning court session, and afterward, he made an excuse to speak to the Emperor and told him two fables.
The Emperor was confused after listening, and even after Libationer Kong left, he didn’t understand his point. But he realized from the fables that Libationer Kong was admonishing him.
With a head full of question marks, the Emperor reviewed the state affairs he had recently handled, trying hard to think of any issues but found none.
Unable to resist, he also examined his family affairs, confirming that nothing had happened in his family.
Recently, the Crown Prince was diligently handling state affairs, and their father-son relationship was quite harmonious. Third was focused on his health and losing weight, causing no trouble. The rest of his sons and daughters were behaving very well, though there were minor squabbles. Those were small matters, well handled by the Empress, and Old Kong wouldn’t be so petty as to find fault over these trifles...
Thinking it over, the Emperor found no fault in himself, concluding that the problem must be with Old Kong.
Once he figured it out, the Emperor blew his whiskers in anger and instructed Gu Zhong, "Libationer Kong seems to be quite heated lately. Send him so winter lons to cool down."
Gu Zhong replied with a smile.
The Emperor asked, "Has the Waterlon Frost being developed by the Imperial Hospital been completed? If it has, send him so as well."
Gu Zhong bowed and said, "I hear it works well, but it’s still in trial, so we haven’t dared to use it on the sovereigns yet."
Only then did the Emperor dismiss the idea.
Manbao first put things away in her room before going to the Chongwen Pavilion to write. Just as she was imrsed in it, Director Xiao ca over and handed her a morial, saying, "A minor censor impeached you today for neglecting duties and corrupting the students of Chongwen Pavilion. Find ti to respond to the Censorate."
Manbao was bewildered, "Who? I’ll admit to neglecting duties as I was indeed late today, but how did I corrupt the students of Chongwen Pavilion? How am I related to them?"
Director Xiao said, "You and Bai Shan and Bai Cheng are from the sa sect and even live together. Do you think there’s no relation?"
"Why is it that they didn’t corrupt , but I corrupted them?"
Director Xiao had almost turned to leave, but hearing this, he stopped and turned back, laughing, "You could indeed respond to the Censorate like that."
Manbao was choked by her words, knowing that if she really submitted a morial like that, it would end up as a lawsuit between her and Bai Shan and Bai Cheng. She’s not foolish, unwilling to drag herself and her two friends into trouble.
Manbao pouted, feeling that she had suffered a great injustice for her sect.
anwhile, she was unaware that Bai Shan and the others were also suffering.
Unluckily, besides the impeachnt against Zhou Man, there was also one against Chongwen Pavilion.
The morial impeaching Zhou Man never made it to court, going straight to Director Xiao. But the one against Chongwen Pavilion landed on the Emperor’s desk.
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