IBTSOME Chapter 90 Part 1

I BECAME THE STEPMOTHER OF MY EX-HUSBAND

 

Chapter 90 Part 1: Doubt

 

^^

 

At the end of September, without warning, the conflict between the Emperor and First Assistant Zhang broke out.

 

It started with a scholar who had just entered officialdom and was full of the righteousness of the world. He actually gave memorial to impeach Zhang Xiao Lian for dominating the court, wantonly embezzled and formed parties for personal gain. Zhang Xiao Lian was dominating alone for ten years, and never thought that someone would dare to impeach him. Zhang Xiao Lian snorted and naturally pressed down this memorial. He didn't think it was a big deal.

 

It was unprecedented to dare to impeach First Assistant Zhang. This scholar was beaten twenty times with the crime of slandering First Assistant. His superior was afraid of getting involve, no one would protect him, and the scholar soon lost his post. The scholar was only a bookworm all of his life, and his physical condition was not good. Now he was injured and lost his official position. In grief and anger, he even developed a high fever, and died within a few days.

 

After his death, the matter finally became big. After the incident reached the imperial censor’s table, more and more talkative officials were impeached in the morning court, only then the Emperor aware about this matters.

 

Now half the court was Zhang Xiao Lian’s people, Zhang’s party naturally tried their best to refute, and then the impeacher was demoted or lost their job within a few days. This increasingly confirmed Zhang Xiao Lian’s dictatorial and forming a clique reputation. The scholars in this dynasty paid attention to moral integrity, if they you were beaten or even went to jail because of these impeachment, it was not a disaster, it was a good reputation. The court was completely in shambles arguing about this, and Zhang Xiao Lian suppressed it strongly, while other literary officials continued to impeach him with enthusiasm.

 

In the carnage of morning court, Zhang Xiao Lian's power was still strong. After a period of time of troubles, the incident was finally suppressed. Instead, it was the people who impeached Zhang Xiao Lian who lost their post or suspended. In short, none of them had a good end. After this incident, Zhang Xiao Lian showed his power and might to the whole world. Although his title was First Assistant, but in reality he was the real power regent in this world.

 

The Emperor supported First Assistant Zhang in the morning court, and according to the teacher's wishes, sent off all officials who dared to say that First Assistant had embezzled, accepted bribes and manipulated power. However, there was a faint rumbling in the inner palace. It was heard that the Emperor said to the eunuch close to him that First Assistant Zhang was too powerful, and the Emperor seemed to be unhappy.

 

The wind rises at the end of Qingping¹. Although this incident was finally suppressed, everyone could tell that the Emperor and the First Assistant had a conflict, and the outbreak of a political crisis was only a matter of time.

 

Duke Yingguo Mansion was also terrified by this incident. A junior from the Gao family wanted to enter the six departments, but in terms of qualifications he was insufficient. According to the unspoken rules in the officialdom, the Gao family gave the First Assistant some filial piety, and the junior of Gao family also had his wish fulfilled by squeezing out his colleagues, and got the lucrative post in the six departments.

 

Such things were not uncommon in officialdom. Which nobility had never done this kind of thing in the overcrowded imperial court? Only Duke Yingguo Mansion slammed into the wind, and when the imperial censor wantonly impeached First Assistant Zhang, the Gao family was also found out, and they were labeled as Zhang’s party. Although in the end it was only a false alarm, First Assistant Zhang used his iron fist to settle all this, and naturally Duke Yingguo Mansion also cleared from impeachment, but this incident scared the Gao family.

 

They were used to easy life and had not experienced such big battle for a long time. And because Yan Wang wanted to accompany the pregnant Wangfei, he frequently took leave from the court in the past few days, and perfectly missed the impeachment storm. Without Yan Wang in the front, the Duke Yingguo Mansion could only endured the entire political storm head-on.

 

Duke Yingguo was so frightened that he trapped himself in the study for several days and kept calling his advisors to discuss matters. Although Duke Yingguo Mansion was unscathed in the end, the Duke well aware that they were lucky this time. But what about next time? Seeing the Emperor was about to be in power, even if Zhang Xiao Lian was powerful, could his energy compared to the young Emperor? Duke Yingguo Mansion was labelled as a Zhang’s party in this turmoil. If they didn't do anything, afraid they would suffer in the future.

 

The Emperor was fifteen this year, some people in the morning court had already mentioned the election for the empress. The Emperor's big wedding was followed by the young Emperor personally govern the court. If there was no accident, this matter would be officially handled next year.

 

Duke Yingguo Shizi had unexpectedly passed away, and the shu eldest son Gao Chen was only nine years old this year. Duke Yingguo could wait, but could the current political situation wait for Gao Chen to grow up?

 

Duke Yingguo sat in the study all night, boiling almost half his remaining hair white. The next day, he summoned the Gao family’s elders to come in to discuss the matter of Gao Ke’s adoption under Shizi Consort Wei.

 

In the face of the entire family’s survival, even the blood line would have to make way. Although Gao Chen was the grandson of Duke Yingguo, the difference between Gao Chen and Gao Ke was like heaven and earth, no matter in age or intelligence, the difference was too large. The second-generation pillar of Duke Yingguo Mansion had unexpectedly died. Duke Yingguo Mansion urgently needs an heir who could support the entire family as soon as possible.

 

Gao Ran had been paying attention to the news of her maiden family. When she heard that her grandfather was going ahead with the adoption, she was so angry that she threw a tea set.

 

"Is grandfather stupid? Chen boy is his real grandson. We have a huge family business, why he want a cheap outsider?"

 

Tao Mama hurriedly stepped forward and covered Gao Ran's mouth: "Oh miss, you can't say such things, it’s a taboo word. Duke Yingguo is your grandfather, you can't speak like this about Duke Yingguo."

 

Gao Ran was still very angry. Once Gao Ke adopted under Wei shi, Gao Ke was the son of Wei shi and Gao Xi’s younger brother, and he was the di son of Duke Yingguo Shizi. Moreover, he was older than Gao Chen, so wouldn't Gao Ke become the eldest brother? With the di eldest son, how could the title of the Duke fall to Gao Chen?

 

What's more, in this case, Gao Ke would inevitably enshrine Wei shi’s incense. Han shi cautiously accept a compromise her whole lifetime, did she still have to look at Gao Ke's attitude in the second half of her life?

 

Why was Gao Ke, a different branch’s child whose parents had both died, stole the things from their family?

---

1 The wind rises at the end of Qingping, the original meaning is that the wind is generated from the ground. At the beginning it whirls gently on the grass and it will eventually become a strong and sturdy gale, and that gale develop into a small wind. This metaphor indicates that the big influence and big thought originated from subtle and difficult to detect things.^↩

Prev     TOC     Next