serious man in the red chamber

Chapter 224

The sky in the twelfth lunar month turned dark in a blink of an eye.

In the snowstorm, Song Chengliang was wearing a thick fur cloak, holding Mrs. Tang in his arms, coughing all the way to the study.

Dai Quan, holding a lantern, followed closely, and said, "The Duchayuan, Hanlinyuan and Guozijian, who impeached Ning Guogong, are all writing memorials, and they want to jointly persuade the emperor to establish a prince early."

Song Chengliang stopped in his footsteps, and shook his head: "School business is angry, scholar business is angry, Mei Changwen has ulterior motives in inviting the crown prince to be appointed at this time!" After speaking, he sighed deeply.

Dai Quan: "An hour ago, the housekeeper of Prince Zhongshun went to the Metropolitan Procuratorate."

Song Chengliang's face darkened, and he hurriedly stepped forward again.

The upper study was brightly lit.

Emperor Jianwu sat on the dragon chair without saying a word, and Mei Changwen's memorial to invite the crown prince was placed on the imperial case.

Elder Yang Ge, Zhao Zixun and Qian Shangshu sat there without saying a word.

There was silence in the hall.

At this time, the voice of the eunuch on duty came from the outer hall: "Your Majesty, the Chief Assistant is here."

Without saying a word, Dai Quan walked in with the chief assistant Song Chengliang.

Elder Yang Ge, Zhao Zixun and Qian Shangshu stood up together.

Song Chengliang bowed and saluted: "I see Your Majesty."

Emperor Jianwu came back to his senses and looked at Song Chengliang: "From now on, these vain rituals will be avoided."

Song Chengliang hurriedly knelt down: "I'm only in my sixtieth year, how can I be treated so politely by Your Majesty? I absolutely dare not be a minister."

"You can take it."

Emperor Jianwu said to Dai Quan: "Help the chief assistant to sit down."

"Yes." Dai Quan agreed, and helped Song Chengliang to sit down on the chair beside the case.

Emperor Jianwu said to Dai Quan again: "Show it to the chief assistant."

"Yes." Dai Quan held up the memorial on the imperial case with both hands, turned around and walked up to Song Chengliang to hand it over.

Song Chengliang took out a pair of glasses from the wide sleeves of his robe, put them on, then took the memorial and looked carefully at the light.

After reading the last word, Song Chengliang breathed a sigh of relief, closed the memorial and handed it to Dai Quan.

Emperor Jianwu had already stood up from the dragon chair, started to pace up and down the hall, and said as he walked, "Do you think I'm being too tolerant?"

As soon as this remark came out, Song Chengliang and the others looked at each other, but did not dare to say anything.

Emperor Jianwu walked to the imperial case and stopped in his tracks: "It's good to say 'the prince is the foundation of the country'. Hmph, I think they have ulterior motives!"

Song Chengliang sighed. Proposing to appoint a crown prince at this time is in the back of the nobles. If the crown prince is elected ten years later, the Ninth Prince may still have a chance, but now he is out of the game.

This plan is not innocuous, it not only makes the Qingliu people sink deeper and deeper, but also drags more civil officials into the water. As the matter intensifies, the Jia family and nobles will definitely get involved, which will once again stir up civil and military conflicts Regardless of the outcome, the emperor is the biggest loser.

Emperor Jianwu glanced at them and asked, "Do you have any good ideas?"

Song Chengliang stood up: "This matter is a bit troublesome"

Zhao Zixun immediately stood up: "What's the trouble? Your Majesty should decide when and who should be the crown prince. Now it's not suitable for the crown prince, just refute it."

Qian Shangshu nodded: "The minister seconded the proposal."

Elder Yang Ge answered, "And then? What the chief minister said is right, this matter is not that simple. Sure, there will be a dispute. If it is refuted, some rumors will spread. In addition, if there are more rumors at this time Unexpectedly, things will be even more troublesome!"

Emperor Jianwu turned his gaze to Dai Quan.

Dai Quan nodded to Emperor Jianwu.

After being silent for a while, Song Chengliang continued, "The real backer should be the Kong family."

Emperor Jianwu was moved by these words, looked at Song Chengliang, and waited for him to say the following.

Song Chengliang: "Maybe I'm wrong. People like the Kong family who are so favored by the emperor shouldn't do anything out of the ordinary. It's just that people's hearts are sinister and we have to guard against them!"

At this time, the deputy head of the Qianqing Palace was standing outside the palace door, poking his head and gesturing with Dai Quan.

Emperor Jianwu sensed it from the corner of his eye and asked, "What's the matter?"

The deputy chief knelt down outside the door: "If you want to return to the emperor, the memorial passed by the Secretary of the General Administration." He said and raised the two chapters above his head.

Emperor Jianwu glanced at Dai Quan and motioned him to put it away.

Dai Quan hurried to the door, took the two chapters from the vice-manager, and forwarded them to the emperor.

Emperor Jianwu took the smaller memorial on it, unfolded it for a look, then sneered, and said, "Mei Changwen is scared, and he will learn from Li Shouzhong and the others to recover from his illness." After speaking, he threw away the memorial of Mei Changwen's illness, Then he picked up another memorial that was much bigger, unfolded it for a closer look, and his face changed when he saw it, and then smashed this memorial on the ground fiercely!

Song Chengliang asked tentatively, "Your Majesty."

Emperor Jianwu's face turned livid: "The Book of Filial Piety."

Song Chengliang frowned, and asked urgently, "The Kong family?"

There was a fierce light in Emperor Jianwu's eyes: "It seems that I can't do without leaving a bad name. Come!"

Four eunuchs from the Criminal Division ran in.

Emperor Jianwu: "The southern sect of the Kong family is disobedient and guilty."

"Your Majesty!" Song Chengliang interrupted Emperor Jianwu without hesitation: "Punish the Confucius family just because of a "Book of Filial Piety". This will offend all scholars, and it will not do any good."

Speaking of this, he knelt down: "Your Majesty not only can't punish the Confucius family, but also rewards the Confucius family generously, and sent this hand-copied "Book of Filial Piety" to the officials and officials of the six departments and nine ministers to read through it, and let them read it." Each write a memorial and submit it. The previous rumors about His Majesty imprisoning his biological father are self-defeating!"

Elder Yang Ge, Zhao Zixun and Qian Shangshu had already knelt down and said loudly together: "I wait for the second!"

Emperor Jianwu understood that the officials and officials of the six ministries were all from the imperial examinations, and they could not draw conclusions that were not conducive to the Confucian family. The Confucian family could only use the "Book of Filial Piety" to praise their filial piety.

At this moment, the eunuch on duty at the Meridian Gate hurried in with a memorial, and said: "Your Majesty, this is the memorial presented by the civil servants."

Emperor Jianwu: "Would you like to set up the crown prince?"

The eunuch on duty replied: "Yes."

Emperor Jianwu smiled: "It's rare for them to be so caring." Then he asked: "What time is it?"

Dai Quan glanced at the chiming clock next to him, and replied, "Return to Your Majesty, the application time is almost over."

Emperor Jianwu nodded, and then said: "The officials and officials of the six ministries are not in the office at this time, you go to pass the decree and tell them to go to the side hall of Wenyuan Pavilion to wait."

The chief eunuch on duty was stunned for a moment, and when he saw Dai Quan looking at him, he came to his senses and quickly replied: "Yes." He bowed and retreated.

Emperor Jianwu said to Dai Quan again: "Let the officials and ministers of the six departments enter the palace and ask them to review this "Book of Filial Piety" together, and write the memorial overnight. I will read it tomorrow morning."

Dai Quan: "Yes."

"Tell the imperial dining room to prepare dinner and night food, so as not to starve my loyal ministers." Emperor Jianwu added.

Lanterns were hung everywhere in the backyard of Rongguo Mansion, shining dimly in the heavy snow.

The thick cotton curtain was lifted, and Jia Hu came out from the flower hall with a lantern, looked at the dim night sky, and said to Hu Po: "Xue Da, you don't want to go back tonight."

Amber smiled slightly, and handed the umbrella to Jia Hu.

Jia Hu took the umbrella and strode out.

At this time, there was a crisp sandalwood board from behind, and then the small hall drum sounded again.
In the distance, a lantern glowed dimly in the heavy snow and floated towards Jia Hu.

It was Jiao Da, Jia Hu walked up quickly and asked, "What's the matter?"

Jiao Da: "The news came from Director Dai that the Kong family was trying to find a way to anger His Majesty, so they published a "Book of Filial Piety". At this time, the officials of the six departments and the nine ministers, as well as the officials who submitted the memorial to invite the crown prince Qingliu were locked in the palace to examine the "Book of Filial Piety" written by the Confucius family, and rushed to write the memorial all night, which will be submitted tomorrow morning."

Having said that, he looked around and said in a low voice: "I just got the news that Yizhong County King is going to assassinate Mei Changwen."

A light flashed in Jia Hu's eyes: "Let's go, let's go to the camp first."

(End of this chapter)