71. Who Is the Corrupt Official? (Please Read On)

"Pan'an, you are a girl, why do you think so much?

"Your father has his own considerations, it's not your turn to worry about it."

Another soft female voice came from inside the carriage.

Looking through the gap in the opened reed curtain, one can see that inside the carriage, in addition to Ouyang Pan'an who spoke just now, there is also a beautiful middle-aged woman in her thirties.

Ouyang Zaizhi is nearly seventy years old.

But he is still old-hearted. After his wife passed away at the age of fifty, he took another wife.

"Mom, what you said is wrong."

"If you don't understand the world, you will have trouble getting ahead in your life if you marry a military general in the prosperous times. If you don't marry a scholar, you will be romantic and understand poetry and calligraphy. But if you are in troubled times, you should marry a military general. At least you can guarantee peace and quiet for a while..."

Ouyang Pan'an defended himself.

However--

Before she could finish her words, there was a clatter of horse hooves behind her.

Immediately afterwards, a group of Tiqi from the Night Patrol Division surrounded them.

"Master Ouyang..."

"The Emperor asked you to submit a letter of national policy before leaving."

Facing the former Prime Minister, even the Night Watch Division did not dare to show any slightest care. Therefore, the Tiqi leaders who came to Zhaomayi this time were not hundreds or thousands of households, but dignified commanders of the night patrol department.

"national policy?"

Ouyang Zaizhi was stunned for a moment, then a sarcastic smile appeared on his lips.

He reached the pinnacle of civil service.

When it comes to scheming, no one in the world can compare with him.

Therefore, after Commander Liu only said a few words, he guessed what the national policy that Emperor Chongming wanted was.

It's nothing more than asking him, the former prime minister who abandoned his official position, to take responsibility!

"His Majesty said..."

"After you leave, you will be given the posthumous title Wenzhong. In the three hundred years of our country, only a few people have received such an honor."

"Thunder, rain, and dew are all gifts from God."

Having said that, Commander Liu glanced at the female scroll on the carriage and said in a low voice: "Master Ouyang, please don't make the mistake..."

"I remember……"

"When the emperor was the crown prince, I served as the prince's young tutor and lectured on classics and history..."

Ouyang Zaizhi slowly walked down from the old cow's back and said this unreasonable remark.

After becoming a bachelor of the cabinet, he also served as the first-rank official of Prince Shaofu.

The late emperor wanted him to become the future prime minister, so he allowed him to enter the East Palace to assist Prince Zuo, with a view to becoming a minister of Conglong in the future.

More than twenty years have passed.

The prince succeeded to the throne and became Emperor Chongming, but the river was in decline.

"I have also listened to Master Ouyang's lectures on Confucian classics..."

Commander Liu nodded slightly, dismounted from his horse, held the disciple ceremony, and stood up to serve on the left and right, serving Prime Minister Ouyang.

The two looked very much like a master and disciple.

The spring rain in February was as thin as an ox's hair, and it didn't know when it would fall.

Two hundred steps ahead, there is a resting pavilion.

The two of them walked towards the resting pavilion one behind the other.

Ouyang Zaizhi held his hands in front, and Commander Liu held his umbrella behind him.

"Back then, when Academician Su left Beijing..."

"Here too."

"I persuaded him."

"He was holding a piece of paper in his hand, with an anti-poetry written on it, and showed it to me. I read the poem, and after reading it, I decided to kill the person who wrote the anti-poetry. Su Xueshi advised Live with me..."

"This anti-poem should be very appropriate for the occasion."

Sitting on the stone bench, Ouyang Zai held the pen, but he didn't start writing for a long time. He looked at the rain waterfall flowing down from the corner of the pavilion, and then he started writing. While writing, he read: "Look at the world, there are all thieves. What is missing in the way of heaven can only be made up for by a man. A good man, no matter his parents, is just for the sake of the common people and not the master. He will kill all the officials before he stops. How can I, a decent man, be imprisoned for making a crime?" prisoner?"

“A strong man drinks all the wine in his bowl and never looks back after a thousand-mile journey.”

"The golden drums are beating together and the crowd is roaring, and the yellow dragon will not stop until it is defeated."

After writing, the pen stops.

He closed his eyes, and a few drops of old tears wet the newly dried ink.

Commander Liu remained silent.

After a long time, he spoke, "This poem is an anti-poem written by Xu Xing. My disciple has seen and read it. However, in my eyes, he is just a prisoner. He can't get out of prison, and he can't turn into a dragon. He’s just a poor man who’s trapped in a corner but still trying to fight..."

"But now he slaps you in the face!"

Ouyang Zaizhi opened his eyes and smiled, "After he was released from prison, he became the majestic King of Punishers. He is on the right path. The people of Guanxi Province have complained about the imperial court for a long time. After entering Guanxi Dao, he is like a fish in water." , the gentry quickly supported him and established a firm foothold..."

"At this moment, he has forced me to write national policies for His Majesty."

He seemed to be mocking and pleased.

Xing Tianwang's anti-poetry also has something to do with him. At the beginning, if he had not responded to Su Xueshi's request and given Xu Xing the privilege of using pen and ink in Tianlao, I am afraid that this anti-poetry would not have come out at the right time.

"Master Ouyang..."

"Your Majesty is still waiting in the palace."

Seeing that it was not long, Commander Liu no longer had the patience to wait, so he gave a reminder.

Only important ministers like Ouyang Zaizhi can take this blame.

"No rush, no rush."

"I'll start writing now."

"As for this poem, I'll give it to Commander Liu."

Ouyang Zaizhi rolled up the calligraphy and handed it to Commander Liu.

"Thank you, Mr. Ouyang."

Commander Liu was stunned for a moment and took the scroll.

Ouyang Shuda, the chief minister of the cabinet, not only ranked first among civil servants in the court, but was also a famous writer in the literary world. His words are worth a thousand dollars.

There are countless people who admire Ouyang Shuda's calligraphy works.

It's just that as the prime minister, Ouyang Shuda knew how to avoid taboos and rarely gave people calligraphy and paintings.

However--

Today, Commander Liu did not want to accept this scroll.

It was not because Prime Minister Ouyang lost his power and his family was deserted. But this scroll was too eye-catching and too glaring, and it was a hot potato.

If he accepted it, he would be punished if he collected anti-poems and Emperor Chongming knew about it.

If he did not accept it, if Xu Xing's army invaded Shenjing in the future, he would not have this scroll... and he might not be able to save his life for a while.

Su Xueshi and Prime Minister Ouyang had a favor to King Xingtian.

He knew this matter clearly.

"It seems..."

"Commander Liu is not a fool, he thinks and sees well."

Seeing this scene, the experienced Prime Minister Ouyang instantly understood what Commander Liu was thinking.

He stroked his short beard and smiled.

"The rebels of the Green Forest can be destroyed by the imperial court in a snap."

"But he is an official, and he has become a rebel, and he has done so much. Who wouldn't be afraid of him?"

Liu Zhihui took the scroll, shook his head, and smiled bitterly.

As the brother of Emperor Chongming, he knew the character of Emperor Chongming very well. With Emperor Chongming around, the possibility of the court's fall is not small.

For everything, you have to prepare for it.

Before today's court meeting, his night patrol learned that many officials in Shenjing had secretly sent letters to Xu Xing. However, he did not stop this, nor did he report it to the emperor.

Because most of the officials who sent the letter were from his party.

They were allies with him.

Just like Emperor Chongming wanted to kill a few corrupt officials to fill his own treasury and internal treasury.

But how to kill them?

It's impossible to kill them!

Under his "reversal of black and white", honest officials and officials who did practical things became corrupt officials, while corrupt officials were shaped into honest officials. Killing honest officials is constantly cultivating corrupt officials.

Of course, it is not unfair to kill these honest officials.

For example, Xu Xing, the king of Xingtian, was also an honest official, but he also took some money and stood in line.

Corruption and bribery are the tickets to enter the high-level positions.

The civil and military officials in the court are divided into big corrupt officials and small corrupt officials.