Shipin Dalizheng

Chapter 371 Part 6

After being distracted for a while, Zheng Jiuan did not say that Rong Tang might be Gongsun Wuji. This was still too unbelievable. Because he was too young, many black market rumors did not match his life trajectory.

(Rong Tang: Thank you for your respect. The black market power is now in my hands.)

"Then I will go to the palace immediately to receive the order."

"This is also your opportunity. His Majesty's willingness to employ you means he has decided to allow you to enter the Ministry of Justice. Of course, you don't need to overthink it. Whatever you find out is what you find. There's no need to deliberately hide or change it."

"You have to carry your father's burden alone."

"Don't worry, he and the Cui family want to protect the reputation of the Cui family. They don't want me to expose the family scandal, so they must agree to all my conditions."

Before he finished speaking, the old housekeeper brought the family seal and a large box. When they opened it, it was full of land deeds, house deeds, various family shops and properties, and a bunch of warehouse keys. The two brothers smiled at each other.

Ever since Zheng's father and son threw a poisonous melon in front of officials and their wives half a month ago, they have been caught in a silent struggle.

Prime Minister Zheng didn't particularly favor Little Cui, but her status was such that he couldn't let her reputation suffer. The Cui family was even more conflicted. While it was clear that the eldest Cui was the legitimate daughter of the Cui family, there was now evidence that Little Cui had her elder sister killed to ascend to the throne. Yet, for the sake of their daughter's reputation, they dared not investigate. And so, faced with the Zheng brothers' aggressive pressure, they were stuck, unable to either advance or retreat. Ultimately, they had no choice but to put all the pressure on Prime Minister Zheng, arguing that the twins were the legitimate sons and that the family fortune rightfully belonged to them.

Inside the box were Zheng Changzhi's demands: 80% of the Zheng family's human and financial resources, and two of the three official positions held by Prime Minister Zheng. After struggling for half a month, Prime Minister Zheng finally agreed.

At this point, the prime minister only had an official position in name only, and his two sons had already taken over his power.

Li Dequan went to the Jian'an Earl's Mansion to inform Rong Tang that he must attend court tomorrow, and then he made faces and acted weird.

Rong Tang couldn't help but laugh and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Aren't you curious about which one His Majesty will let you enter?"

"Tobe."

Li Dequan tutted his words, "Young Master, you're such a smart guy. When you were in the palace, weren't you really afraid that His Majesty would assign you to the Ministry of Works?"

“No.”

He can be in the Ministry of Works and do the work of the Ministry of Revenue, but the money will not enter the national treasury. His Majesty and the officials will find that the finances of the Ministry of Works are free and cannot be manipulated. In the end, they will only beg him to join the Ministry of Revenue and collect the money into the national treasury.

As soon as Li Dequan left, Rong Zhan and others surrounded him. Now they decided to be brothers, and their relationship became closer. Rong Tang had to discuss many important matters with them instead of deciding and telling them himself.

"You all currently hold nominal military positions and won't be effective unless a war breaks out. I plan to have you take up real positions in the six ministries. Brother Zhan, you'll be assigned to the Ministry of War. Actually, you're now also part of the official staff of the Ministry of War. I plan to have you manage the armory and handle daily operations with the Ministry of Works' weapons workshop."

The weapons management department of the Ministry of War is also responsible for the research, development and manufacturing of weapons. However, it has been overshadowed by the Ministry of Industry in the past year, and the department can only ask the Ministry of Industry to do some work that does not require any technical skills.

“When you first get in, your position won’t be very high, but it will be very useful.”

Tang Fuyun and Sima Xin are both his own people. He will go to contact them and the cooperation between the two sides will be very pleasant.

Rong Zhan was used to following orders, "Yes."

"Uh...Brother Zhan, if you have any ideas, you can express them freely. For example, if you don't want to join the Ministry of War..."

"I want to come in."

Just kidding, he can tell the difference between officials with nominal military posts and those with real military posts.

"Brother Shen is very thoughtful, so he should go to the Ministry of Justice. It doesn't matter whether he holds an official position for the time being. The key is to be able to see all the files. I suspect Zheng Jiuan will be sent to the Dali Temple in the future. If that's possible, you should go in first. Our goal is not to make him an enemy, but to know everything he knows so that we can avoid trouble in advance."

The Dali Temple took over all local cases in Dai Viet for review. Sometimes, the slightest sign of trouble could be used to predict the future of a court official.

Rong Shen naturally had no objection.

"Brother Qianqi has inherited family skills, and he should have great development in the Ministry of Works. You can assist Tang Fuyun and become a great craftsman in the future."

Rong Qianqi's eyes were slightly red. He went from being a secret guard who was not allowed to see the light of day to being in the light of day in less than two years. He got married and had children, and was able to do what he was good at. How lucky he was.

Rong Wanli couldn't sit still any longer. "What about me? What about me?"

He is the youngest among the guards and also the most impulsive and not very patient.

"Brother Wanli, you have a special status, and your base is the military camp. I'm sorry that the title of Earl of Jian'an can't be returned to you. You need to earn a new title on your own. The Rong family's new army is your trump card. Whether you need money, food, or weapons in the future, your brothers will do their utmost to support you. I believe this is also the spirit of the old Earl of Jian'an."

Rong Wanli was stunned for a moment. "Why do you say that? This title was never mine in the first place. Without you, the title would have disappeared. You're right. If I want to gain power and status, I should rely on myself. My grandfather came from the village alone, with nothing, and yet he still earned a title. I have the new army, and you guys are supporting me. If I still can't do it, I have no face to live."

"So starting today, I will strive for every opportunity to help the Rong family's new army succeed. Brothers, governing a family is like governing a country. It doesn't rely on any one person, but on everyone. I hope we can work together to carve out a place for ourselves in Shangjing."

He was the first to bow and said, "Big brother, second brother, third brother, fourth brother, from now on we are brothers."

The four of them returned the greeting together, "Fifth brother."

Then several people were stunned, as if something was wrong.

brother?

Rong Tang said before they could react, "Seven days from now will be an auspicious day. Let's choose that day to have the brothers included in the Rong family tree. What I mean is that the eldest and fourth brothers will be listed under the name of the eldest uncle, the second brother will be listed under the name of the second uncle, and the third brother will be listed under the name of the third uncle."

Rong Wanli is the biological son of Rong Lao Da, so he must be registered under the name of the eldest wife. Rong Zhan is the oldest and can be the son of the old uncle, but in this case, the generations are different, so he can only be registered under the name of the eldest wife to avoid it being too embarrassing.

Rong Zhan felt a little embarrassed, "Wanli, I stole your title as the eldest son."

Rong Wanli knew that in order for him to return to the Rong family smoothly, his brothers were only his successors. In order to protect him from rumors, they were not afraid of being ridiculed for their shamelessness.

He bowed deeply and said, "Thank you brothers for your help."

At the court meeting the next day, Emperor Xuanning issued an edict, appointing Rongtang as the third-rank Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and Zheng Changzhi as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. The two old ministers who were temporarily holding the positions resigned.

The court officials had long been prepared for Rong Tang to be given an important position, but they did not expect that he would start as a minister, a height that others could not reach even if they worked hard for half their lifetime.

Someone came out to stop him, saying that he was still young and had no experience in being an official, and most importantly, he had no official achievements.

You must know that even in the official recommendation system, the person being recommended must have some achievements or be famous for being virtuous and filial.

Rong Tangxian?

He was notorious and was said to be able to stop children from crying at night.

Is Rong Tangxiao?

Jin Shizhao, who was once his father, expressed different opinions.

Tang Xunze, his father-in-law, expressed reservations.

For a while, the court became a criticism meeting for Rong Tang.

Rong Tang remained silent the entire time. From the moment Emperor Xuan Ning announced the decree himself, his saliva was already flying everywhere before he even expressed his gratitude. He was just there in a good mood, not in a hurry.

Until Zheng Changzhi spoke, "The Earl of Jian'an is appointed as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, which is well deserved."