Chapter 6, A Sleepless Night

I went to get a quilt for my father. Zhao Shouzheng then carried his own bedding from a nearby small room to his father, helped him settle in, and only then returned to his room to sleep

"Ah, have they gathered that fifty thousand?" Zhao Shouye was stunned upon hearing this

When the five members of the Lao Zhao family finished speaking, the drum outside had already sounded twice

Old man will sleep here?" Zhao Li stood up and pointed to the kitchen where the fire had not yet gone out, saying: "It is warm here

Seeing that he passed so easily, Zhao Hao felt a sense of relief, yet he couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment as if he had thrown a punch that missed its target

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hao glanced at his uncle and thought to himself that he mainly believed you could be reinstated to your original position

Hehe, take a look at what this is

As a result, the father and the uncle, this pair of lively brothers, did not notice any abnormalities at all. However, Zhao Liben, being shrewd and experienced, was clearly not someone who could be easily deceived.

The so-called "Jingcha" refers to the assessment conducted by the court every six years on officials in the capital. Officials who are dismissed during the Jingcha are never reinstated, which makes it a matter of life and death for every official in the capital. However, precisely because of this, the high-ranking officials overseeing the Jingcha generally do not act too harshly. This is especially true in Nanjing, as everyone is in a similar predicament, so why make things difficult for one another

As for the corrupt accounts of the Southern Ministry of Revenue, how could they withstand a thorough investigation? This is the first time in years that a serious audit has been conducted, and within just a short time, a deficit of one hundred thousand taels was uncovered. This is no small amount; if this were to be reported to Beijing, not only would the Southern Ministry of Revenue face dire consequences, but the Southern Procuratorate would also suffer repercussions!" Zhao Liben chuckled self-deprecatingly and concluded his statement.

"It is better to go to bed early; otherwise, be careful of waking up hungry in the middle of the night," Zhao Shouye advised with considerable experience

Sigh, this can be considered a small piece of luck for my old Zhao family amidst misfortune. However, Zhao Liben seemed completely unconcerned about this and instead, with a sense of relief, stroked his beard and said: From now on, it seems our family will have to rely on you, young man

"What the hell are you so happy about!" Zhao Shouye was photographed in pain, and he pushed his brother's hand away forcefully

However, this time, it has nothing to do with the surname Gao. This is merely an excuse for them to use me as a scapegoat!" Yet Zhao Liben spat fiercely and said, "Otherwise, how is it that as soon as you all grit your teeth and refuse to pay, they obediently gather the money and release me?

"Returning to my official position is nonsense! After such a huge blunder this time, if I can just get demoted to a commoner without dragging my descendants down with me, I would consider myself fortunate." Seeing that his eldest grandson was bringing up topics that he preferred not to discuss, Zhao Liben felt a surge of anger. It took him a while to calm down before he asked his sons and grandchildren:

Hmm. Zhao Hao smiled wryly and nodded. Originally, there wasn't much for dinner, and the old man had eaten three bowls, so of course, he wasn't full.

... ...

Zhao Hao, being a specialist in Ming history, naturally understands what Zhao Liben is saying

Indeed, seeing that Uncle was so distressed he was about to faint, he murmured, "That is twenty thousand taels, where else can I earn that..."

"You are still growing, it would be a waste for me to eat it." Zhao Shouzheng swallowed hard but unhesitatingly stuffed the duck leg into his son's hand

Zhao Hao's heart was in his throat as he prepared to face Zhao Liben's interrogation

Child, you haven't eaten enough, have you

Zhao Shouzheng endured until the early hours of the morning, listening to the thunderous snoring from next door, before finally sitting up and quietly saying to Zhao Hao, who was wide awake with his eyes open.

"Let's eat together." Zhao Hao swallowed hard, having been drinking vegetable porridge every day for the past few days, his eyes had turned green.

Oh? Good grandson, you can hardly recognize a few characters, yet you possess such insight? Zhao Liben, upon hearing this, looked at Zhao Hao in astonishment. He did not expect that this unworthy grandson could actually see through the underlying principles.

The hole must be filled, and someone has to take the blame to ensure that the majority can pass through safely. At this moment, some bastard has brought up the grievances between me and Gao Gong from back in the day. Those people have determined that I am bound to face great misfortune, so they devised such a sinister scheme to trap me in the southern courtyard, in order to deceive you two fools

... ...

The two individuals tossed and turned, causing the bed boards to creak increasingly, making it even more difficult to fall asleep

"Not at all, I have indeed offended the one with the surname Gao terribly." Zhao Liben chuckled lightly, his tone revealing a sense of desolation as he continued, "Who would have thought that with his foul temper, he could rise to the position of Deputy Minister in the cabinet!"

"I must leave the capital within three days. Consider whether to stay or go."

"Shut your mouth!" Zhao Liben glared at him, but he no longer had the strength to get angry. He sighed and said, "They originally intended to deceive as much as they could. Alas, it is also our fault for being so deeply bonded as father and son..."

These days, he has been drafting his remarks, preparing a complete set of statements, in order to smoothly navigate through any suspicions that may arise.

"Where did that come from?" Zhao Hao was greatly astonished

Of course! If they do not bleed, they will all be unfortunate! Zhao Liben sighed in frustration and said: In the past, the inspections in the capital were mostly just a formality, which is why this time in Nanjing, we originally intended to follow the usual practice. Unexpectedly, the situation in the capital has changed dramatically, with unprecedented intensity; in just one month, more than one hundred officials of the seventh rank and above have already been dismissed... Unexpectedly, the situation in the capital has changed dramatically, with unprecedented intensity; in just one month, more than one hundred officials of the seventh rank and above have already been dismissed...

Zhao Liben finally sat on the threshold, holding his belly in satisfaction after eating three bowls of porridge, no longer angry at his eldest son

"Shh! Hurry and eat..." Zhao Shouzheng quickly made a gesture for silence and whispered, "I sneaked out to buy this at noon. Hurry and eat, don't let your uncle catch a whiff of it; his nose is quite sharp..."

Zhao Xian, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up: "Grandfather, are you saying... that you have not been reinstated to your official position?"

According to convention, the two sets of officials in the two capitals of the Ming Dynasty, the southern capital Nanjing and the northern capital Beijing, had their inspections conducted by the Ministry of Personnel and the Censorate in Nanjing, with the final results only reported to the capital for acceptance of any omissions. Initially, this was the case; however, who would have thought that a storm of blood and chaos would erupt in Beijing, leaving Nanjing with no choice but to act with utmost seriousness

Zhao Shouzheng, like a magician, pulled out an oiled paper bag from his bosom, gently unfolded the oiled paper, and a golden-brown roasted duck leg appeared before Zhao Hao

Zhao Shouzheng hurriedly defended himself, saying: "Father, I truly know nothing at all..."

Oh, one must grow up eventually... Zhao Hao thought, it's here!

Zhao Shouzheng was somewhat indecisive. He looked at his son and, seeing that Zhao Hao had not spoken, quietly said: "It doesn't matter if we wait another night; I will discuss it with Zhao Hao when we return."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shouzheng became invigorated and vigorously patted his elder brother's shoulder, saying: "Just enjoy your secret delight. If it weren't for my son Mingli's earnest persuasion, the two of us would still be burdened with a colossal debt of fifty thousand taels..."

Zhao Liben nodded and did not discourage him

The two brothers, Shouye and Shouzheng, exchanged a glance. The elder brother spoke first, saying: "Father, since the court has not dismissed me from my official position, I fear I cannot return home with you."

Uh, well... Zhao Shouye's mouth twitched; this was originally the place where he and his son slept.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hao was so frightened that he shuddered...! Gao Gong is indeed an almost invincible figure during the Longqing era?! It is currently only the second month of the first year of Longqing, how will that old man have any chance to rise again?

"What does it matter to be a mere official? If they don't leave, then so be it!" Zhao Liben scoffed, thinking about how he had become an ordinary commoner, and couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness.

At night, Zhao Hao and his son were wrapped in a single quilt, lying on the broken wooden bed left by the servant

Zhao Shouzheng finally mustered the courage to tentatively ask in a low voice: "Father, they say you have wronged Gao Gong, could it be that you are deceiving us as well?"