I was given the contraceptive soup and became the emperor's white moonlight

The door was knocked again and again, and Li Zhao finally waited until the door opened. A man in his fifties walked out of the door. Judging from his clothes, he should be a confidant of the master's family.

"I am the steward of the Feng Mansion. You must be Lord Li Zhao, the Minister of the Dali Temple, right?"

"It's me." Li Zhao nodded slightly. Through the housekeeper's body, he could see a rockery standing in the middle of the yard. He didn't know much about such strange stones and plants, but this one was indeed a rare and good thing.

"The master is waiting in the main hall. Please move." The housekeeper followed Li Zhao's line of sight and explained, "The stone was found by the master when he was working in Jizhou. He left it in Jizhou when he returned to Beijing to report on his work. It was one of the master's nephews who brought it back to the capital from afar on the master's 70th birthday."

"For this reason, the master cherishes it very much."

"It seems that Mr. Feng is a respected elder in the family?" Li Zhao raised his eyebrows. Except for this rockery stone, there was nothing valuable in the whole yard. It was not the first time he dealt with Feng Ji. The old man's reputation for integrity was known to the whole court, and the late emperor also praised him.

"Master Li, please come this way." The butler stopped at a corner. Hearing this, Li Zhao withdrew his gaze from the stone and followed the butler all the way to the main hall.

The Feng Mansion is not large and is located in the west of the city. It is one of the few large and powerful families in the west of the city, but its courtyard is not even half the size of those of the aristocratic families.

The butler led Li Zhao all the way to the main hall. He did not go in to announce him, but invited him in directly. It was obvious that Feng Ji had known about his arrival.

As soon as you enter the house, you will be greeted by the scent of ink. In the main hall hangs a landscape painting in ink, with family mottos and rules written on both sides, and a set of tables and chairs made of elm.

This kind of wood, which is produced in abundance in the north, is not precious, and its patterns are not even as rich as the beech wood commonly used in the south, but it is simple and strong. However, ordinary people do not have the habit of making armchairs, so a set of elm armchairs placed in the main hall seems a bit out of place.

Feng Ji saw that he didn't say anything and was busy finishing a painting on his hand. Li Zhao waved his hand to signal the butler to go out. He didn't speak first but walked to the long table to admire Feng Ji's calligraphy.

Feng Ji was born a scholar, and worked his way up from a ninth-rank county magistrate to a third-rank official in the court. Now he is the Grand Historian, in charge of literature, history, and astrology. Since ancient times, historians have not been easy to be officials. People require them not to flatter the emperor, but no one cares how they survive under the pressure of imperial power.

At least Feng Ji did a pretty good job as a historian, and he never showed mercy in his writing.

Thinking that such an upright and selfless old minister had raised such a grandson, Li Zhao felt a little ashamed and more helpless.

"People's interpretation of a character is like the person who wrote it. I have seen this today."

As Feng Ji wrote the last word, Li Zhao's praise followed.

However, his praise did not win a good look. Feng Ji put the brush back into the pen holder and quickly distanced himself from Li Zhao. It was obvious that this senior official was extremely disgusted with the corrupt official in front of him.

"How come Lord Li has time to come to my place today?" Feng Ji asked with a stern face.

Li Zhao did not answer his question, but instead asked, "Master Feng, living here alone, do you feel lonely on weekdays?"

"Mr. Feng is over seventy but not yet eighty this year. You really shouldn't worry so much."

"Don't worry about it, Lord Li." Feng Ji snorted.

Li Zhao was not angry in the face of the cold face. He was very clear about his position and the role he played. Moreover, even though he had always disdained the old scholar's style of doing things, he still had awe for ministers like Mr. Feng.

"Master Li, why don't you just speak frankly?" Feng Ji turned around and said with his hands behind his back, "I just don't know what leverage Master Li has on me?"

"I, Feng Ji, have been an official all my life and I deserve the title of clean and honest. I have governed the city for many years and there has never been a single wrongful case!"

"Even if Your Majesty stood before me today, I would never hesitate!"

"Of course, of course!" Li Zhao nodded in agreement. He took out a document with an official seal and placed it on the table. "Mr. Feng's reputation is well known to the world. Even if I rack my brains, I can't find any reason to convict you."

"Humph!" Feng Ji looked at the thing he had pressed on the table and snorted disdainfully, "No matter what you take out, unless it is ordered by His Majesty himself, I will not recognize anything!"

Li Zhao shook his head and asked, "I really don't know how I offended Mr. Feng?"

"So you don't like me?"

Feng Ji glanced at him and remained silent.

"In fact, I did find something in my hand, but I respect Your Excellency and do not want to end up in a quarrel." He dragged a chair over and sat down, saying righteously: "Every word of the memorial submitted to Your Majesty is true. All the convictions involving the people in the Imperial City Bureau were written by Your Majesty. As for the matter of Feng She, I can only say sorry."

"Zi Cai is definitely not a person who sits in office and does nothing!" Feng Ji's anger was instantly aroused. He slammed the table hard and pointed at the door to drive people away. "This temple of Feng is too small to accommodate a big Buddha like Lord Li. Please go in!"

"If Lord Feng didn't believe me, why would he so rashly drive me away?" Li Zhao waved away the servant who was trying to pull him away and walked towards Feng Ji. "Lord Feng has been in a high position for so long, I'm afraid you have forgotten the suffering of the people?"

"Does Lord Feng want me to cite all the absurd things Feng She has done?"

"The grandson I raised with my own hands has a mean character and is uneducated. Could it be that Mr. Feng didn't know anything about this?"

Li Zhao took a step closer with every sentence he spoke, until he stood in front of Feng Ji, with only three inches between them.

Li Zhao, a tall and strong man, stood in front of the thin old man and looked down at him. "Mr. Feng said that he had been honest and upright all his life. Didn't you rely on your fame to send Feng She to the Imperial City Bureau?"

"With Feng She's abilities alone, he can't even touch the door of the Imperial City Bureau!"

"If Lord Feng really believes that his grandson is capable, why doesn't he make a suggestion to the emperor? When Lord Feng recommended his disciple to serve as an official, didn't he say that the wise should be promoted regardless of their relationship?" Li Zhao paused, then suddenly laughed, "It's just that he doesn't have the capital."

"Mr. Feng knew that Feng She's ability meant he would never be able to take the imperial examinations. I wonder if Mr. Feng could have slept well the night he sent Feng She to the Imperial City Office?"

"You!" Feng Ji was choking, and staggered towards the table, holding his chest. The housekeeper quickly stepped forward to separate him and stroked Feng Ji's chest.