Though he didn't understand how Master Zhong had offended Bai Shizhong, since Bai Shizhong had emphasized the two words "again", Xin Zhuo, as his confidant, naturally understood what Bai Shizhong meant. No matter how good Master Zhong's reputation was in the imperial court, he wouldn't risk his position to offend Bai Shizhong.
"Alright, you can all get back to work!"
Seeing the memorial turn to ashes in the brazier, Xin Zhuo personally stepped forward to scatter the ashes with the poker, then turned and left with satisfaction.
"Dong—dong—dong—"
"What's that sound?"
Just as he sat down to have another cup of tea, Bai Shizhong heard a drumming sound from outside the door.
"Replying to the Prime Minister, the sound seems to be from the Dengwen Drum Bureau!"
"The Dengwen Drum Bureau?"
Hearing this, Bai Shizhong was stunned. How could this be possible? This era was not like the past. If in the previous dynasty, a day went by without hearing the Dengwen Drum, all the officials in the court would probably think the Dengwen Drum in the Dengwen Drum Bureau had been worn out. But ever since Cai Jing came to power, especially after the incident of the Party Members' Tablet, it was considered rare to hear the drum sound even once a year. Less than two months had passed since the last time someone had beaten the Dengwen Drum, and now to hear it again, Bai Shizhong was truly curious.
"Send someone to inquire and find out what's going on!"
Since he had nothing else to do, Bai Shizhong's interest was indeed piqued by the sound of the Dengwen Drum.
"Yes!"
As one of the most powerful departments among the Six Ministries of the imperial court, the Ministry of Personnel was not far from the Dengwen Drum Bureau. Just as Bai Shizhong's water began to boil, a young eunuch ran over with a strange expression.
"Prime Minister, His Majesty requests your presence in the palace as soon as possible..."
"Did something happen?"
Although Bai Shizhong was now a Shao Zai, besides the fixed time to meet the emperor every day, the emperor usually did not summon him alone at other times. All the matters that needed to be handled for the day were almost done, and he had returned to the Ministry of Personnel after reporting to the emperor. In less than an hour, the emperor had sent someone to summon him again, which made Bai Shizhong feel quite strange.
"Replying to the Prime Minister, someone has lodged a complaint against you before His Majesty?"
"Pfft—"
The mouthful of tea Bai Shizhong had just taken was immediately sprayed out.
"What did you say? The one who beat the drum earlier?"
"That's right..."
Seeing Bai Shizhong's peculiar expression, the young eunuch also looked embarrassed. Damn it! To be watching a show and have it turn onto himself, Bai Shizhong felt like crying and laughing at the same time.
"Prime Minister, His Majesty is waiting..."
"Lead the way!"
Now Bai Shizhong was truly a bit angry. At this moment, he really wanted to see who dared to cause trouble for him at this juncture. Since Li Bangyan came to power, Bai Shizhong had become a close ally with his greatest political rival, Wang Fu. At least so far, he hadn't found any conflict of interest between himself and Wang Fu. On the imperial court, apart from Wang Fu, Bai Shizhong truly feared no one. Even the remaining remnants of Cai Jing's faction were not taken seriously by him now. After all, although those people from Cai's faction knew many of his secrets, Cai Jing himself was involved in those matters. If he were to fall, Cai Jing would inevitably be implicated. Cai Jing would never do something that would harm a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of his own men. As long as the two of them didn't make a move, in his eyes, the rest, even Li Bangyan, were nothing more than buffoons.
Following the young eunuch, he hurried to the Fuming Hall. As soon as he entered, he saw a strange-looking Wang Fu and a smiling Li Bangyan.
"Greetings to His Majesty!"
Looking at Zhao Ji, who sat on the throne with a stern expression, Bai Shizhong immediately felt that something was amiss.
"Prime Minister Bai, someone has accused you before the court. This is his petition, please explain it!"
As Zhao Ji spoke, he waved his hand sharply and threw a petition onto the ground. Although it was a very ordinary gesture, it made Bai Shizhong panic.
"Let our Prime Minister pick it up himself!"
Just as a young eunuch was about to step forward to pick up the petition and hand it to Bai Shizhong, Zhao Ji suddenly said. Bai Shizhong's mouth twitched. If this were in the previous dynasty, as the Deputy Prime Minister, he would have pointed at the emperor's nose and cursed. After all, the Prime Minister had his dignity. As a teacher of a hundred officials, even a Deputy Prime Minister was not a slave that the emperor could order around. However, in the current situation, even Bai Shizhong himself did not feel anything inappropriate about this. Although he felt some shame, he absolutely refused to scold the emperor and give up his power.
Under Li Bangyan's faint smile, Bai Shizhong stepped forward a few paces, bent down, picked up the petition from the ground, and read it carefully. After just a few lines, Bai Shizhong immediately smelled a conspiracy. The matters listed were completely fabricated, yet the evidence he had listed was actually hanging in his study... His mind immediately conjured the image of Yuan Xingchi. Could it be him?
"Prime Minister Bai, do you have anything to say?"
After about the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, seeing that Bai Shizhong still had no intention of speaking, Zhao Ji couldn't help but ask.
"Your Majesty, this subject has never met this person, let alone agreed to anything for him. As for the words about making things difficult for Master Zhong, this is pure slander!"
Bai Shizhong naturally understood what the emperor was angry about, but at this moment, he was more concerned about the origin of that mysterious Mr. Yuan! Although his study was not a secret place, besides his close friends and a few intimate ministers, no one else, not even his household servants, had the chance to see the layout of his study! Not to mention the hidden switch he had made in his study!
"Is it really not true?"
Emperor Huizong had also been to Bai Shizhong's study. Based on the description in the petition and the person's earlier oral statement, Huizong already believed about 80% of the matter. Now that the national war was about to begin, yet Bai Shizhong, the Deputy Prime Minister, was making things difficult for Master Zhong, who was leading troops on the front line, because of a mere sum of money. How could he, the emperor, tolerate this...
"Prime Minister, you cannot speak falsely with your eyes open! My unfilial son personally told me last night that he had a disagreement with the young Master Zhong, and was instigated by someone, so he took all five famous paintings, including the "Court Ladies Wearing Flowered Headdresses" painting, to offer to you, Prime Minister, hoping you would vent his anger for him!"
"Although I am just a merchant, I also know that the old General Zhong is fighting for the country. Doing such a thing is asking for divine retribution. I failed to discipline my son properly. Last night, I beat the unfilial son until midnight, and only then did he confess. This morning, he swallowed poison and committed suicide!"
"Prime Minister, my unfilial son deserves to die. I do not ask you to return the ancestral treasure to me, but I only beg you not to harm the old General Zhong and the soldiers on the front line!"
As soon as Zhao Ji finished speaking, the middle-aged man kneeling in a corner suddenly got up, rushed forward, grabbed Bai Shizhong's leg, and began to wail. Looking at his tearful and snotty appearance, Bai Shizhong felt ten thousand alpacas stampeding through his heart. The "Court Ladies Wearing Flowered Headdresses" painting and those famous paintings were all hanging in his study. Although as Prime Minister his salary was indeed not low, if Huizong sent someone to check his study, they would discover that the value of the famous paintings in the study alone of the seemingly unassuming Prime Minister Bai would exceed three million guan! Now, he was like mud that had fallen into his pants; whether it was shit or not, it was still shit.