Chapter 520: Perverse Actions

Dong Feng.

Throughout the journey, his face remained gloomy.

He was furious!

He was absolutely furious!

As a dignified Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, even in Jinghua, he was used to looking down on others. But this time, he had been humiliated by a young man in his early twenties! And it was the most extreme form of humiliation!

Not just in terms of professional capability, but also in social status!

What was he supposed to do? Work hard for over two months, only to slink back to Jinghua in disgrace?

He was, after all, the nephew of the current Minister of Personnel!

"Quick, quick, quick, send a letter to Jinghua for me. I cannot tolerate this matter at all, not even a little!"

"Yes!"

Jinghua.

Zhu Zhen looked quietly at the letter in his hand and took a deep breath.

This old man, nearly seventy years old, had been a powerful and influential figure in the Longyan Dynasty for many years. As the Minister of Personnel, he was the teacher of all officials under heaven. To say that his students were everywhere was no exaggeration at all.

Therefore.

In the Longyan imperial court, he was already considered the representative figure of the scholar-official class.

The wrinkles on his face seemed to be counting the political enemies he had defeated one by one over the years, only to have their entire families executed. He stood up shakily, leaning on his cane: "Prefect Liu, Prefect Liu..."

Could it be that this time, the Third Prince was going to lose?

If that were the case...

Then their scholar-official class would have truly bet on the wrong horse this time!

As Xie Tianyao's illness grew more severe, the trend of the Noble Class supporting the Crown Prince and the scholar-official class supporting the Empress and the Third Prince had become increasingly obvious. But this time... but this time...

"My Lord..."

Soon.

Many people arrived upon invitation.

Zhu Zhen nodded: "Sit down. I won't waste words; everyone, take a look!"

"This..."

"This Prefect Liu..."

"Preposterous! To show such disrespect to a Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works!"

"This Prefect Liu is far too reckless and insubordinate!"

The group was filled with righteous indignation.

Zhu Zhen smiled faintly: "Everyone, he is currently a rising talent in the eyes of the Emperor, so there is no need to say anything else. Let us all think of a Method."

The group fell into deep thought.

What Method?

Naturally, a Method to strike at Prefect Liu! It was very clear that Prefect Liu stood with the Crown Prince; this could be seen by both the Prince of Qin in Jinghua and the five Feudatory Kings who had come out to acknowledge the legal circulation of the Yinzhou Coin. This Prefect Liu was already in the same boat as the Noble Class.

Although.

Zhu Zhen actually felt a bit of regret now.

If he had put more effort into winning over Prefect Liu back then, instead of just symbolically memorializing the throne to legislate patent protection, and had offered more tangible benefits, perhaps this monstrous existence could have been a great asset to their scholar-official class...

However.

It was useless to regret it now.

Think of a Method.

Strike!

Those present were all people of the scholar-official faction, so there was nothing they couldn't say. One person stood up and said: "Teacher, I wonder if you have heard that a few days ago, Prefect Liu performed the Seven Questions from the Clouds at the Wangbei Academy in Liangshan?"

"Oh? There is such a thing?"

Zhu Zhen frowned.

The others also shook their heads one after another.

It seemed that Liangshan was still considered part of the Southern Barbarian Lands in the eyes of the Longyan people, so Liu Zheng's trip to the Southern Barbarian Lands naturally did not receive much attention.

That person chuckled: "This subordinate has heard a little about this matter!"

Zhu Zhen's spirits lifted. This man, named Meng Fan, was from the Hanlin Academy and had been taught by him personally, though he lacked the qualifications to enter the Inner Court and had always remained in the Outer Court, where he studied academic matters.

"Tell me about it!"

Meng Fan continued: "Teacher, this Prefect Liu, at the Wangbei Academy, spoke recklessly, blasphemed Confucius, openly opposed Confucianism, betrayed his teachers and ancestors, and is suspected of insulting the great scholars of the world!"

"What?"

"Is this really true?"

"Is it for real?"

"This..."

The group was shocked, and their expressions changed one after another.

Meng Fan said with an angry face: "This person is a practitioner of crooked paths, disregarding the Confucianism of the world! His conduct has already ignored the principles of Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Kin, and Teacher. Such a Great Evil, if reported to the Emperor..."

"Rebellious son! A man who forgets his roots!"

"This child acts in defiance of the natural order; he will surely be struck by Heaven!"

This group of people could no longer sit still.

Don't joke around. Since ancient times, Confucian thought had served the imperial family and feudal society. Confucius was a sage! He was a god in the hearts of all scholars! To be sprayed as worthless by you—what are you trying to do?

In the eyes of these officials who grew up reading, this is a major matter!

To attack Confucianism is to attack this society, and to attack this society is to attack the current Emperor!

If they find a Method to make an issue out of this matter.

Then this Prefect Liu will surely die!

Zhu Zhen narrowed his eyes slightly: "Is this really the case?"

Meng Fan perked up: "Teacher, it is indeed the case. Meng Fan believes that although this may be Prefect Liu's way of managing the Barbarian, once this idea of his bursts forth, we can make a great issue out of it!"

"Good!"

Zhu Zhen laughed heartily, unable to stop himself from slapping his own thigh: "Good, good, good!"

"This Prefect Liu really does not know how to fear death!"

"Go, spread this matter far and wide; not only report it to the Emperor, but also inform all the scholars in the world!"

A cold, sinister look flashed in his eyes: "I want to see if his Liangzhou Army dares to bombard the scholars of the world!"

"Yes!"

……

How could Grand Eunuch Zhou, who has been able to manage the palace eunuchs for so many years, be an easy person to deal with? At one glance at the expressions of this father and son of the Liu Family, he guessed what was going on.

And so.

He was both shocked and delighted.

What shocked him was that this Prefect Liu had actually pulled off a switch!

Longyang Princess was actually unharmed?

What delighted him was that if Longyang Princess was fine, on one hand, stimulated by this great news, the Yinzhou Coin would surely skyrocket. On the other hand, he would also have an easier time reporting back to the Emperor.

Liu Zheng and Liu Dahao stopped talking and instead led Grand Eunuch Zhou to the door of that "sickroom" and knocked.

It was still three long knocks and two short ones.

"Ah!"

Has he returned?

Xie Chan in the sickroom had long since learned that Prefect Liu was returning today, so her heart had been fluttering like a deer.

What about that bad man of hers...

With those cheesy love words every day.

How should she face him?

Oh no, this won't do! It's too embarrassing! She couldn't help but cover her face with the quilt.

Feng Sanniang chuckled and opened the door. Seeing three people walk in, she was also startled, but she immediately closed the door.

When Grand Eunuch Zhou saw Feng Sanniang and Xie Chan wriggling under the quilt, he couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Prefect Liu, you have kept this old servant in the dark for too long!"

"Old servant Zhou Xiang pays respects to Her Highness Longyang Princess, may the Princess live for a thousand, thousand, thousand years!"

"Huh?"

Xie Chan's little head poked out from under the quilt.

Her eyes darted around.

Then.

Her gaze met Liu Zheng's smiling face again.

Oh my!

She was so embarrassed that she covered herself up again.

Grand Eunuch Zhou was completely bewildered.

What is going on here?