Chapter 337 Three Strategies [Two in One]

When Liang Fuguo returned to his mansion, as soon as he got off the carriage, the housekeeper came to report that a young man had been waiting there for a long time. Does the Left Prime Minister want to see him?

When Liang Fuguo first heard the name Liang Peng, he was stunned for a moment, "Which lineage is this disciple from?"

"Uh..." The housekeeper hesitated, "He is not a descendant of our clan. No, even if he is not on the family tree, it does not necessarily mean he is not..."

Hearing him say this, Liang Fuguo immediately remembered after a moment of confusion, "Liang Yue's younger brother?"

"That's right." The butler nodded.

The people who heard the most rumors about the Liang family in Ping'an Alley were the Liang family members. Whenever someone heard some gossip, if they knew any of the Liang family members, they would always ask about it.

I heard that Lord Zuo Xiang has an illegitimate child. Does your clan know about this?
Over time, the Liang family had heard of that family.

The clan leader Liang Fuguo, who holds great power, has no children so far, and some clan elders are worried about this. They even thought about persuading Liang Fuguo to bring back the children he raised outside.

However, in his early years, when Liang Fuguo was fighting for power with the clan elders, he treated them very badly. The elders were all very afraid of him, so no one dared to speak up first.

Because of this, the clan members have already been more or less familiar with the children in Ping'an Alley who also have the surname Liang.

What’s more, he is an old butler who holds an important position.

It is no exaggeration to say that the position of the butler of the Zuo Xiangfu is no lower than that of an ordinary fifth-rank official, and sometimes the power is even greater. Of course, the old butler had already investigated the possible illegitimate child of the head of the family.

When Liang Peng arrived at the gate of the mansion and gave his name, he immediately invited him in.

If you come to see the Left Prime Minister at home without making an appointment in advance, you may have to wait from half a day to a lifetime depending on the rank of his official position.

After all, the yamen at the Xiangguo Gate is where official business is done. If you come directly to his house, whether he wants to meet you or not depends on the mood of the Left Prime Minister.

However, this young man was invited to the reception room in the mansion as soon as he arrived, and was treated with fine tea and water, fearing that he would be neglected in the slightest. This was a treatment that was rarely seen among the high-ranking officials in the court.

The old butler thought secretly in his heart, this person came directly to the door, maybe he is here to ask for status?
You must send the servants away later to prevent the family scandal from being heard by others.

This young man is quite handsome, and has a lot of the demeanor of Lord Zuo Xiang when he was young.

Judging from his appearance, it’s 80% certain.

If it was just a child who had a father-son scandal with him, Liang Fuguo would definitely not meet him. But this was Liang Yue's younger brother, and now he and Liang Yue already had a deep interest relationship... Mainly because the sunk cost was too high, and he simply couldn't cut it.

He had to listen to whatever Liang Peng had to say. Liang Yue was concentrating on preparing for the battle to capture the city, so there couldn't be any trouble at home.

As soon as he entered the living room, the old housekeeper stepped out in small steps. Then he heard the old man shouting at the servants, "Move away, go clean the porch. Have you finished cleaning? Then spread some dirt and sprinkle some water on it, step on it a few times, and then clean it up."

"..."

He had already lowered his voice, but Liang Fuguo's cultivation was not weak, and his words were transmitted to his ears without him using his spiritual sense.

The Left Prime Minister was speechless.

He first turned his attention to the young man in front of him, looking at him sharply twice without saying a word.

Liang Peng was not afraid of the scrutinizing eyes of the Left Prime Minister at all. He stood up calmly and bowed loudly, saying, "Junior Liang Peng is presumptuous to ask for an audience. If I have disturbed you, please forgive me, Lord Left Prime Minister."

……

Of the three Liang brothers and sisters, Liang Fuguo was most impressed by Liang Yue, a genius in the Xuanmen sect and a rising star in the court, whom he regarded as a talented candidate with the potential to take over. The second was his younger sister Liang Xiaoyun, who entered the Wentian Tower. Although he had not seen her many times, she was highly praised by the priests in the tower, which showed that she was equally talented.

As for the third brother Liang Peng, although he was the first to have a "father-son scandal" with him, Liang Fuguo actually didn't know much about him.

It was just a brief encounter today, but Lord Zuo Xiang already made his judgment in his heart that none of these three siblings were mediocre.

Not to mention anything else, among so many young people in the tribe, not one of them could keep a calm face, neither humble nor arrogant, and keep a cool look after seeing him.

This can't be faked. Even if you try to be calm, your aura will be noticed if it's a little messy. Liang Peng was like a calm lake. The arrival and scrutiny of the left prime minister didn't make him agitated at all.

Liang Fuguo had a tentative intention, and with a thought, his own pressure increased, making the young man opposite him feel a suffocating sense of oppression.

In an instant, Liang Peng felt that the person in front of him was like a mountain or sea wave, as if he was going to strangle him in the next moment.

But he was still not panicked, instead he showed a smile.

Liang Fuguo removed his pressure and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

"I have heard of Zuo Xiang's great name for a long time. When I met him today, I found that he is indeed a majestic and stern elder. I was not disappointed at all. Although I am in a humble position, I can see that Zuo Xiang is like seeing a mountain. He sees exactly what he wants to become. I can't help but feel happy." Liang Peng answered calmly.

"Heh." Liang Fuguo couldn't help but chuckle and waved his hand to signal the other party to sit down.

After he sat down, he continued, "You three children from the Liang family are all outstanding people. It's really enviable."

Liang Fuguo was not complimenting, because at his level he didn't need to say such things. Instead, he sincerely felt that the Liang family in such a small Ping'an Alley had produced more talented people than the entire Liang family in the Capital of Gods.

This is indeed a bit outrageous.

"I can't compare myself to my brothers and sisters. It's because of them that I can see Lord Zuo Xiang today." Liang Peng was not proud at all in the face of praise, but just calmly stated his purpose, "I came to ask Lord Zuo Xiang for help."

"Help?" The other party came straight to the point. Liang Fuguo didn't waste any words and said directly: "Just tell me."

"The autumn exam is approaching, and I have also signed up for the imperial examination. I know that I am young and have little experience, and I just want to see the world." Liang Peng said slowly: "But today I ran into a former classmate. He was born into a wealthy family and used his family's power to force me to take the exam for him, otherwise it would be bad for my whole family. My eldest brother is not in the capital, and my mother and sister are both women. I really don't know what to do, so I came to ask for help from Lord Zuo Xiang."

Liang Fuguo looked at Liang Peng's slightly childish face and remained silent.

If he really came for help, then of course this matter would be easy to handle. If it was cheating in the imperial examination, just let the Ministry of Justice arrest Mo Xiaohu. Whether to exile him thousands of miles away or confiscate his property and behead him all depends on Liang Peng's mood.

But does this kid need to ask me for help for this matter?
Obviously not necessary.

Not to mention his own Confucian cultivation and magical powers, how could he be easily bullied by a playboy from another place? If he looked for background, he had the support of the Sword Academy and his sister was a priest of the Heavenly Questioning Tower. He could easily call two teachers to make that person kneel down and beg for mercy.

So what does this kid want to do by coming here specifically?
After a brief thought, Liang Fuguo asked, "Your elder brother is preparing for war for the country, so I naturally have to protect you. How do you think I should handle this matter?"

Liang Peng looked calm and said directly: "If you follow what I said, there are three strategies: good, medium and bad."

Liang Fuguo smiled slightly. You kid really came with an answer, so he said, "Tell me about it."

Then Liang Peng said, "The worst option is to arrest him directly, investigate the case, and punish him. But we only talked verbally, and without evidence, I'm afraid it will be difficult to impose a heavy punishment. At most, we can make him not dare to commit the crime again, and I can take the exam safely." "The middle option is to play along with him and pretend to agree to get evidence later. Then I can impose a heavy punishment on him, behead him, confiscate his property, and use this as a warning to the students of Yin Dynasty."

"The best strategy is to follow the clues. Imperial examination fraud has a long history. He is not the only one, and this is not the only trick. Start with his relatives and officials, investigate the entire line of imperial examination fraud, kill them all, and have the Ministry of Justice take action to rectify the administration. My eldest brother is preparing for the battle to seize the city, and I am being coerced. It is legitimate for the left prime minister to take action at this time."

As he talked about the best strategy, Liang Fuguo's eyes lit up slightly. After he finished speaking, Liang Fuguo smiled and said, "You think deeply. Did your elder brother ask you to come to me?"

Liang Peng's words really touched his heart.

Now he knew what this guy was here for. He was clearly here to show his loyalty!
Everyone in the court knew that Liang Fuguo was decisive in killing people. If he could find an opportunity to kill an official, he would probably hum in his dreams.

When the imperial examination was about to start, Liang Peng suddenly brought up this matter, clearly giving Liang Fuguo the opportunity to intervene. Liang Fuguo had just been thinking about doing this recently, and it was like a pillow was delivered to him just as he dozed off.

This point was so good that it made him doubt whether Liang Peng had calculated his thoughts correctly.

He asked this to see if it was a plan from Liang Yue. After all, the eldest brother of the Liang family would know him better. If not, this kid named Liang Peng would be a bit scary...

"My eldest brother did say before he left that I could ask Lord Zuo Xiang for help if I had any problems. However, we haven't been in touch during this period. I took the initiative to come and bother Lord Zuo Xiang." Liang Peng replied.

"Okay." Liang Fuguo nodded with satisfaction. "I'll take care of this matter. You can go home first and concentrate on preparing for the exam. Someone will come to question you again later. Apart from that, there shouldn't be anything else."

"Thank you, Lord Left Prime Minister!" Liang Peng stood up and bowed to say goodbye.

When he saw Liang Fuguo's expression, he knew that this time the matter was successful.

It seemed that Liang Fuguo helped him solve Mo Xiaohu's trouble, but in fact, he handed the matter of Mo Xiaohu to Liang Fuguo, and now Liang Fuguo owed him a favor.

At least in this imperial examination, he has been given the opportunity to compete fairly.

As for what happens in the future, it depends on subsequent developments.

After Liang Peng left the Zuo Xiang's residence, he slowly walked back home. It was already getting dark when he got home.

Nowadays, Liang Xiaoyun and Liang Peng can only go home once every ten days or half a month. Liang Yue has been busy outside and has not returned for many days. Li Caiyun is alone at home most of the time.

When Liang Peng returned home, he found his mother sitting on a chair at the door of the room, with her hand on her forehead, looking a little weak.

He quickly stepped forward and asked, "Mom, what's wrong with you?"

"Xiaopeng, I'm fine." Li Caiyun heard her youngest son's voice, raised her hand to support him, and replied, "I was just standing under the tree just now, and suddenly I felt a little dizzy."

"What's going on?" Liang Peng said anxiously, "I'll go find someone to ask for a doctor."

"No need." Li Caiyun said, "I should just be caught in the wind and have a cold. There's no need to make a big fuss."

"Mom, your health is important." Liang Peng advised.

Li Caiyun smiled, "I know. I am confident in my health. If I were really ill, I would have gone to see a doctor long ago. Now you three children are all busy. You are about to take an exam, your sister is practicing in Wentian Tower, and your eldest brother is the worst off. He goes out to practice with those people every day. I don't know how much he has suffered. Sigh..."

She sighed and continued, "Even though my mother can't help you, she will definitely take good care of herself and won't cause you any trouble."

……

"Oh, that's a bit bitter."

Liang Yue picked up a piece of fresh and tender Jiaolong companion melon with chopsticks, dipped it in the steaming hot chili oil pot in front of him, and then said.

In the attic on Yujing Peak, Wen Yifan, Liang Yue and Chen Xiaodao's family of three were happily eating hot pot. The meat around them was from spiritual birds and beasts, and the vegetables were cut into pieces from spiritual plants. It was extremely sumptuous.

I've been eating delicious food with Chen Xiaodao these past two days, and I've gotten a lot of good food. My waistline has increased as I eat with two people.

It's normal that this kid can't remember other things. His mind is full of recipes. He can prepare seventeen or eighteen rare side dishes for a hotpot meal, and they taste really good.

Chen Xiaodao's mouth was full of oil, and he smiled and said, "Brother Liang, what else do you want to eat? I'll ask them to add more dishes."

"Don't." Liang Yue held his hand, "Xiao Dao, you are my brother, there is really no need."

It was already too much for them to eat and drink for free with the children. If they secretly added more dishes, the Yin-Yang School masters who were watching outside might rush over and punch them.

In the past, Wang Rulin had to steal the spiritual plants, but now he can eat them all by just rubbing them on his own. This is a way of surpassing his predecessor.

Chen Xiaodao patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I'll protect you on Yujing Peak. I've discovered these past two days that they are all afraid of me. If anyone dares not to give you delicious food, I will jump out of the second-floor window headfirst!"

Liang Yue patted the little boy's shoulder, saying that he was really a man of honor.

After the meal, there was another knock on the door.

When I went out to take a look, I saw that it was Taoist Feng and Zen Master Yun who had returned. They looked exhausted, as if they had just arrived back.

"Master Feng, why did you ask us to gather as soon as you came back?" Liang Yue asked.

Taoist Feng glanced at him subtly, "The last trial has been moved up."

"Why?" Everyone was puzzled.

Normally, there would be a gap of ten days between each trial, giving them time to practice and make up for their shortcomings.

This time, only three or four days have passed, which is indeed a bit rushed.

"There are some troubles on Mount Sanqing as well, and if you stay here any longer, I'm afraid you will bankrupt this place." Taoist Feng looked at Liang Yue, his expression seemed to be saying... Don't you know what's going on?
Liang Yue and Wen Yifan blushed at the same time.

After a while, everyone was called over, but upon checking, there were only eight people.

"Who else hasn't arrived yet?" Master Yun glanced around and asked, "Where is Qi Yingwu?"

"He..." Everyone looked towards Qi Yingwu's residence, and just in time they saw a ray of light rising straight into the sky. In an instant, it turned into the shadow of a man in Confucian robes and holding a sword. His figure was like the Confucian sage outside the Kendo Academy, but his face vaguely looked like Qi Yingwu himself.

"Is this... the sixth realm of Dharma?" Everyone was shocked.

"He broke through!"

　Good morning.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)