My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 80: Undercurrent Rises Again (Additional Update)
Su Ze didn't know that Zhu Yijun used the method of holding an imperial lecture to force Yin Shidan to let him attend the lecture.

What he didn't know was that a bigger trouble was quietly approaching the court under deliberate manipulation.

In the capital, on the Dengyue Tower, today is a gathering of Jinshi who passed the imperial examination in the second year of the Longqing reign.

Gatherings of people of the same year were a common practice in the Ming Dynasty officialdom, and the year in which one passed the imperial examination was the most frequent.

The reason is very simple. In the first year after passing the imperial examination, the new scholars often observe government affairs in the capital. When the observation is over and they are appointed as officials, they will go their separate ways and it is difficult for them to get together again.

Of course, not everyone likes to party. For example, Luo Wanhua, Huang Fengxiang and Zhao Zhigao, who are among the top three in the imperial examination, do not like to attend parties.

For example, Su Ze, who is currently in the limelight, is also unwilling to attend such gatherings.

Shen Yi Guan loved socializing the most. He arrived at the Moon Tower as scheduled, bowed to all his classmates, and then apologized for being late.

The newly-minted Jinshi Zhu Geng immediately stood up and pulled Shen Yiguan to the table. He was about the same age as Shen Yiguan, and he was from Shaoxing, Zhejiang, and the same nationality as Shen Yiguan. He was also a Shujishi like Shen Yiguan.

Being of the same age, hometown and school, they had a very close relationship and naturally became good friends.

Zhu Geng was an honest man. After being awarded the title of Shujishi, he studied diligently in the Hanlin Academy. He did not catch up with the selection of the Zhanshi Mansion and always kept a low profile among his peers.

In comparison, Shen Yikuan followed Su Ze to do a lot of things, and he was much more successful in the same year. Now, there are rumors in the Hanlin Academy that Shen Yikuan will complete the selection and become a regular employee ahead of schedule.

Among his peers, apart from the top three, Su Ze is the only one who has been converted to a regular employee ahead of schedule. The peers present looked at Shen Yikuan with envy in their eyes.

However, the imperial examination had been over for almost half a year, and the new scholars had already formed their own circles. To curry favor with Su Ze at this time would seem too despicable, which was also what these new scholars disdained to do.

Of course, there were also some of the same age present who were dissatisfied with Su Ze.

For example, at this time, Shen Sixiao, who was sitting in the main seat, spoke eloquently:
"I have been observing politics in the Censorate these days, and only then have I come to understand the importance of the clean government of the Ming Dynasty!"

Shen Yiguan frowned and looked at Shen Sixiao. Shen Sixiao was younger than Shen Yiguan, only 26 years old this year, only one year older than Su Ze. To be able to pass the imperial examination at this age was definitely a young man's success.

It’s a pity that Shen Sixiao’s ranking in the imperial examination was not high, so he failed to be selected as a scholar and could only observe politics in the Censorate.

Shen Sixiao was from Jiaxing, Zhejiang. He was the same age and hometown as Shen Yikuan and Zhu Geng. Logically, they should have had a good relationship.

But since Shen Sixiao observed politics in the Censorate, he has become a "clean stream blower".

Shen Sixiao always talked about the importance of censors, and like the other upright censors, he had the habit of complaining about everything. He often attacked high-ranking officials in the court and criticized the court's policies in private, which made Shen Yiguan distance himself from him.

Of course, the more important reason was that Shen Sixiao and the censors stood on the same front and often attacked Su Ze, which made Shen Yi always dislike him.

However, at the reunion of classmates, Shen Yikuan didn't know what to say and could only listen to Shen Sixiao praising the censors again.

After another round of drinking, Shen Sixiao suddenly lowered his head and said:

"It's a pity, Lord Zhan, that such a loyal minister who served the country and the people was suppressed and exiled. How could Lord Gao have known what would happen to Yan Song?"

This sentence was a bit harsh, and the classmates present reminded Shen Sixiao to be careful with his words.

Gao Gong was in charge of the Ministry of Personnel. Soon everyone would finish observing the government and go to the Ministry of Personnel to wait for the imperial court.

Although all Jinshi can be appointed as officials, if Lord Gao gives you a hard time and sends you to Yunnan or Guizhou to serve as an official, then the newly-appointed Jinshi will be powerless to resist.

Shen Sixiao's friend Zhang Wei immediately said:
"Jishan (Shen Sixiao's pen name), you've had too much to drink today. Let me take you home."

Shen Sixiao said without any appreciation:
"Yesterday, when Censor Zhan was exiled from the capital, only a handful of people from the six departments and thirteen offices came to see him off! Have all the officials of the Ming Dynasty been broken by the Prime Minister?"

"Back when Yan Song was in power, Lord Shen was murdered by a treacherous group. The six departments and thirteen ministries set up a mourning hall outside the capital to keep vigil for Lord Shen!"

After saying that, Shen Sixiao looked at Shen Yikuan. The Mr. Shen that Shen Sixiao was talking about was Shen Lian, who was killed by Yan Song during the Jiajing period.

Shen Lian and Shen Yiguan's uncle Shen Mingchen, Xu Wei, and Zhu Dashou were collectively known as the Ten Sons of Yuezhong. They were good friends of Shen Yiguan's uncle.

Shen Sixiao compared Zhan Yangbi to Shen Lian and Gao Gong to Yan Song, and the newly-appointed Jinshi around him were all silent.

A classmate asked:
"Brother Jishan, did you also go to see Censor Zhan off?"

Shen Sixiao raised his head and said:
"Of course! Even if the cabinet ministers are extremely powerful, our Ming Dynasty has its own righteous path!"

Then Shen Sixiao said sarcastically:
"It's a pity that some of my peers are willing to become the pawns of the powerful and corrupt. Isn't this the result of Zhao Wenhua's illness?"

Shen Sixiao was naturally referring to Su Ze, and Zhao Wenhua was a close confidant of Yan Song. He was dismissed from his post for failing to repair the city gate for Emperor Jiajing, and later contracted a strange disease that caused his abdomen to rupture and his liver and intestines to spill out, and he died suddenly.

When Shen Sixiao said this, it seemed like he was cursing Su Ze. Shen Yikuan was about to slam the table and stand up, but was stopped by Zhu Geng beside him.

But having said that, the banquet could no longer continue, and the newly-minted scholars went home.

However, Shen Sixiao, under the influence of alcohol, did not go home directly, but went to the home of the Censor Luo Zun.

Although Shen Sixiao was only a Jinshi who was observing politics in the Censorate, he had great reputation and influence, so Luo Zun still opened the door to welcome him and welcomed him in.

Shen Sixiao looked at Luo Zun. He knew that this Luo Yushi also opposed Gao Gong and also participated in the farewell event for Zhan Yangbi.

Moreover, Luo Zun was very opposed to the border policy that Su Ze was promoting, and was also one of the advocates of relocating the border and banning the border.

Luo Zun was also punished like Zhan Yangbi and fined for three months. Shen Sixiao was sober at this time and said to Luo Zun:

"Censor Luo, I have a plan that will make the court stop the plan to pacify the enemy!"

Luo Zun looked at Shen Sixiao. In fact, the other party's behavior was very presumptuous. He obviously didn't have much contact with him, and he came to his house at night after drinking. If Luo Zun hadn't taken Shen Sixiao's reputation into consideration, he would have driven him out long ago.

Now hearing Shen Sixiao's outrageous remarks again, Luo Zun felt even more unhappy.

Seeing that Luo Zun was silent, Shen Sixiao told him all his plans.

The more Luo Zun listened, the brighter his eyes became. At the end, he bowed to Shen Sixiao and said:

"Mr. Shen! If this strategy can bring down the corrupt official Gao Gong, you will have accomplished a great feat!"

When Shen Sixiao heard Luo Zun call him "Sir", he knew that his plan had convinced Luo Zun.

In fact, this plan was not something Shen Sixiao came up with on the spur of the moment, but had been planned for a long time.

His observation period was about to end. If he could overthrow a prime minister before the end of the period, he would be able to surpass Su Ze and become the first among the new Jinshi. Maybe he could stay in the Censorate and become a censor in one step.

Otherwise, according to the promotion path of the lowest-ranking newly-appointed Jinshi, he would have to serve as a county magistrate and pass the examination before he would have the opportunity to be transferred back to the court to serve as an imperial censor.

More importantly, once Gao Gong falls, Su Ze, who is clinging to Gao Gong, will also be implicated.

Shen Sixiao has long regarded Su Ze as a competitor of the same age. This time, let Gao Gong and Su Ze become the sacrifices of his Chuming sharp blade!

Tongguan, the selection of Shujishi is called Guanxuan, so the Shujishi of the same year are called Tongguan.

This part of the plot is transitional, so I will add more chapters and ask for votes after it is put on the shelves.

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(End of this chapter)