Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 775: The memorial shows the determination to die
The noise in front of the Meridian Gate,

The sound of the Dengwen drum also reached the Hanyuan Hall.
At the entrance of the palace, Zhang Jinyu accompanied the three princes to drink tea and eat cakes. He was very comfortable. He deliberately forgot what he had just talked about with the eldest prince, Prince Jin, and only talked about some idle words.
Just when he was happy, he heard the sound of drums and trumpets from the palace gate. Zhang Jinyu didn't pay any attention to it.
Only the third prince was curious and asked;

"Lord Luo Yun, why are there drums and horns? What happened?"

Zhang Jinyu, who was still drinking tea, didn't really listen to the horn and drum sounds.
"Your Highness, I really don't know. The beating of drums and trumpets at this time, could it be that the Imperial Guards are training?"

Thinking about the conversation in the imperial study last night, it is possible that Marquis Baoning is serious and has started training the troops today. As for the other things, especially the matter of reporting to the emperor, who could have thought of this?
"That's true. When the Imperial Guards were training, I followed Father and watched them. The training was majestic and magnificent, especially the ones holding shields, standing in a row, with great momentum."

The second prince, Zhou Chong, gestured and described the situation with his hands and feet as he spoke.

The Third Prince Zhou Long also followed suit, holding up his shield with both hands. Zhang Jinyu was stunned and said,

"Your Highness is talking about training a shield formation to prevent the enemy from charging, and it also provides considerable protection against cavalry charges."

Zhang Jinyu did not explain in detail when the random voices came. He just interrupted with a general sentence, causing the Second Prince to yell.
"Yes, that's the shield formation. I remember when I was in the military camp, I was so amazed by it. At that time, that was what I liked to see the most."

Seeing the second prince's silly look, Zhang Jinyu didn't say much. To train soldiers is to practice the formation and the use of weapons. Otherwise, when they arrive on the battlefield, they can't even use weapons and military equipment. Then they are just bandits. No, they are even worse than bandits. After all, those bandits are people who dare to fight to the death.

Without the supply from the imperial court, these soldiers in the capital would be almost the same as the provincial troops.

But at this moment,
In the palace,

Lord Shen Zhongxin came out in a hurry. Not only was his face anxious, but he didn't even tie up the hem of his official robe. As soon as he reached the palace gate, he saw Marquis Luo Yun chatting with the three princes.

He walked over quickly, bowed,
"Your Highness, I am Shen Zhongxin. I greet the three princes and Marquis Luo Yun."

The Second Prince, who was speaking excitedly, was interrupted and his face instantly turned unhappy. However, when he saw that it was Lord Shen, he swallowed his words of rebuke. After all, Shen Zhongxin's name was well-known in the court. He was a rising star among the civil officials.

So, when the words are at the tip of your mouth, they disappear as soon as you numb your mouth.

Zhang Jinyu also knew that Shen Zhongxin would not come to visit without a reason, so she asked.
"Master Shen, what happened again? Could it be that someone was causing trouble at the last moment?"

It's already this late. If you endure it a little longer, you will have to hand in your paper. If you endure it a little longer, you will have to leave the examination room. It's almost noon now. It's so close to noon. Unless there is a candidate who is "stupid", he will come out to cause trouble.

"Your Majesty, you have misunderstood. Everything in the palace examination went on as normal. I came here to tell you that the drum and trumpet sounds just now were extremely unusual."

Shen Zhongxin was just guessing and didn't know the exact answer. However, the sound he heard seemed to be exactly the same as when Yan Cong beat the drum before. Especially after the drum sounded, Shen Zhongxin quickly looked for Yan Cong, and saw that Yan Cong's expression changed, so he knew something was wrong.

Therefore, in case something unexpected happens at the court, or teacher Gu Yichen encounters something unexpected, it is better to ask. If it is really impossible, I can leave the dragon gate together with the candidates, and hope that the marquis will be magnanimous about the marking of the papers.

Zhang Jinyu looked at Lord Shen in front of him. The drum sound was strange. What could be strange? It was not coming from the Imperial Army camp. The only thing that could be heard in the palace was the drum for reporting news.
Thinking of this,
Zhang Jinyu couldn't help but sigh. As expected, once there is a beginning, there will be a second one. However, Shen Zhongxin was able to come and talk about this matter. There were really few officials who could compare with him who could think of this. In the room full of censors, except for Yan Cong, the person who beat the drum before, few people could hear the difference.
Besides, even if they could hear it, few people could tell the cause and effect.
"Master Shen, don't be anxious. Have a sip of tea and sit down to rest. The drum sounds and trumpet blowing have nothing to do with our examination room. Even if he really has something important to do, he has to wait until the examination is over. After sending the candidates off, the remaining officials must finish reading the papers before they can leave."

Although Zhang Jinyu didn't know what Lord Shen meant, the examination hall was the most important thing. He had to follow the rules. Scholars have eight hundred minds, and it's no joke. He could only use the overall situation to pressure others. He had to do his job well and not think about other things.

Luo Yunhou's words made Shen Zhongxin hesitate. It seemed that the Marquis had anticipated this and was reminding him that he might not be able to leave the palace.
He bowed slightly and explained,
"Don't blame me, my Lord. I was just anxious when I heard the drumbeats. I thought too much. The court has been unstable these days, and now someone is causing trouble. I don't know who is so bold as to beat the drum at this critical juncture. What is his intention?"

The three princes sat there listening in confusion. What drums and trumpets? Aren't they just for the Imperial Guards to use for training?
It sounded like something big had happened, so how could it become someone beating the drum to report the incident and causing trouble for the court?

He wanted to ask more, but was stopped by Zhang Jinyu.

"Sir Shen, as the saying goes, one should govern according to one's position. You are meddling in too many matters. It's just like a broken drum. Anyone can beat it. As long as they are officials, they can beat it however they want. It's impossible for some people to beat it and others not to. As for the court, the ministers and the prime minister are there. It's not our turn to worry about it. Sir Shen, just focus on reviewing the papers of the special examination."

I was not polite and gave a reminder.
Shen Zhongxin was speechless. He understood the Marquis's warning and had no choice but to clasp his fists and say;

"Your Majesty, what you said makes sense. I am sorry for saying too much."

No seat either.

He turned around and went back into the palace. The Third Prince was still a little confused, the Second Prince seemed to be thinking about something, and only the First Prince asked in a low voice;
"My Lord, that drum sound just now was the drum for reporting news. Could it be that someone is beating it again?"

"Hush, Your Highness, please don't say too much. We can discuss everything after the Enke is over."

"Well, that's true."

Although he was curious, he also knew that Luo Yunhou had good intentions. At the critical moment, no accidents could happen. He endured it again and again, but when he couldn't bear it anymore, he could only drink a lot of water.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart,
Emperor Wu no longer looked nervous. The drum had been struck once, so there was no guarantee that it wouldn't happen again. Today, he would have to see whose affairs were worthy of the beating of the drum.
After thinking about it, he looked at Li Shoufu, who looked calm, and asked:

"Li Shoufu, guess whose memorial the censor sent?"

Hearing the emperor's deliberate question, Li Chonghou smiled and stroked his beard.
"Your Majesty, you are joking. I don't know who sent it. It's just that the officials were wronged and had nowhere to seek justice. So they took the risk and beat the drum to report the matter. Who could it be?"

Tilting his head, with a puzzled look on his face,

Only Emperor Wu sighed in his heart, what an old fox, who else could come to knock on the door in a Taoist robe except the man from Ningguo Mansion? He ignored Li Chonghou who was taking advantage of his age and shouted,
"Let him roll in,"

Being in a bad mood, naturally there was nothing nice to say, Xiao Yunzi quickly retreated and shouted to the censor Zhong Yugu outside the door;

"Tell the censor, Mr. Zhong, to come in."

The censor who was waiting outside the door was already trembling with fear. When he heard the emperor's words, his legs went limp and he fell to his knees. He crawled into the imperial study. As soon as he entered the door, he lay on the ground and rolled around and around until he actually rolled in.

The noise was quite loud. Prime Minister Li turned around to take a look, then turned his face away. He didn't feel ashamed at all. I don't know what he was thinking.

Is there any official in the imperial court who can do this?
Even Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong was a little surprised and immediately winked at Dai Quan. After receiving the letter, Dai Quan hurried down and helped Master Zhong up in the middle of the hall.
"Master Zhong, why do you have to do this? Even if someone else beats the drum, it is the court's business and has nothing to do with you."

Dai Quan's mind was full of changes. He immediately said that the Censor's rolling into the Imperial Study was a sign of someone beating the drum to report the incident, which was a sign of the Censor's self-blame.
"Thank you, Minister Nei. I was so weak in the knees that I accidentally bumped into someone and rolled over,"

Then he looked at His Majesty sitting behind the imperial desk, and hurriedly knelt on the ground, shouting loudly,
"Your Majesty, I, the Imperial Censor Zhong Yugu, pay my respects to His Majesty. Long live His Majesty, long live His Majesty."

"Love, from now on, walk more carefully, don't be impatient,"

Emperor Wu asked knowingly and tried to comfort him, which made Zhong Yugu's eyes turn red.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I will remember this in the future. I just fell down accidentally."

It's interesting, if all the censors were like this, the court would be stable.
I glanced at Prime Minister Li, who was still sitting on the stool with his eyes slightly closed. He looked very old and it was unclear whether he was real.

"Tell me, who submitted the memorial and what is it about?"

"Your Majesty, the person beating the drum to report the news is Jia Jing, the abbot of Xuanzhen Temple outside the city of Ningguo Mansion. He is dressed in Taoist robes and pretends to be a monk. I asked him what official position he held to be able to come here to beat the drum, and he, he, actually said, said."

Censor Zhong hesitated and stammered, unable to speak. Emperor Wu sat on the dragon chair and pursed his lips, asking,

"Tell me, what did he say?"

Zhou Shihong was also curious. Only people with official positions or titles could beat the Dengwen drum. Jia Jing had practiced Taoism for many years, and his title was passed down, but he didn't seem to have an official position. How could he dare to do it?
Only the Prime Minister Li Chonghou half opened his squinting eyes and thought to himself, Jia Jing is here.

"Your Majesty, Jia Jing actually said that he was the tutor of Prince Zhongyi and held a position in the Hanlin Academy. He had never held an official position. I checked and found that when Jia Jing was a tutor, he once served as the groom of the crown prince in the Eastern Palace and was also registered as a major in the Hanlin Academy."

I don't know if it was because he was anxious or panicked, he even mentioned the Crown Prince of the East Palace. After he finished speaking, he seemed to react and immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and apologized;

"Your Majesty, I apologize for my words. I apologize."

Not to mention the ugly face of Emperor Wu, even Prime Minister Li, who was watching the fun, could not help but frown. A useless person, he couldn't even speak well. Looking at the censor, his forehead was red. Helpless, Prime Minister Li could only speak out to stop him.

"Okay, stop kowtowing and just hand over a petition. It's not that big of a deal."

He gently rebuked the censor, who was still kneeling, and made him stop and look at His Majesty cautiously.

Emperor Wu fumbled with the tabletop and nodded.

"Get up, where's the folding paper?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you, Prime Minister."

Censor Zhong Yugu stood up tremblingly and handed Jia Jing's memorial to him with both hands. Dai Quan came over, took the memorial, and handed it to His Majesty. Seeing the familiar yet unfamiliar handwriting, he felt a little bitter in his heart.
"His Majesty,"

"Um,"

Zhou Shihong did not say much. He took the letter and opened it. He had beautiful handwriting. The strokes were sharp, but also seemed very gentle. Moreover, there was a kind of charm in it. Could this be the spiritual energy of Taoism?

Look closely.
The memorial written by Jia Jing was nothing more than an apology. Although every sentence did not contain any request for mercy, it was a plea. The last sentence was particularly touching.

"Your Majesty, I respectfully present this to you. I thank God for His Grace. I, the old minister Jia Jing, would like to make a report. Your Majesty, I know that many things are my fault. I just mentioned this today. I used to be the groom of the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace. I just want to say that it is the fault of the retired emperor, not the loyal prince. No matter how I defend myself, the history books will record it one by one. Cultivating Taoism is nothing more than cultivating the mind. However, my heart has been loyal to the court. I am worthy of the court, the emperor and my father. I have no regrets. Today, I come to pay my respects to Your Majesty and greet the retired emperor. I, the old minister Jia Jing, kowtow!"

Emperor Wu's face was gloomy. He immediately thought whether Prince Zhongyi was still alive. But it didn't make sense. One day, the prince burned himself in the Eastern Palace. Everyone knew about the rest of the people. His body was taken away for burial. How could he still be alive? As for the fault of the retired emperor, who dared to say it? If he admitted his fault, wouldn't his throne also be wrong?

"Hmph, it seems that Jia Jing has not been able to cultivate the Taoism well in these years. Let him go back and continue to cultivate the Taoism. The affairs of Ningguo Mansion shall remain the same."

"Yes, Your Majesty,"

Censor Zhong Yugu responded and quickly stood up to go back and pass on the emperor's order.

Emperor Wu was extremely angry. Thinking of Prince Zhongshun's words, he became extremely alert and threw the memorial into Dai Quan's arms.
"Look, look at them all. The Jia family is still so arrogant. After you read this, show it to Prime Minister Li. Is this something that a minister like him can interfere with?"

His Majesty was angry, which puzzled the two men. If they were asking for mercy, how could they anger His Majesty? Dai Quan quickly looked through the memorial and saw the last few words.

Who would have thought he was so bold and reckless? This matter would only expose the court's scars. How could he dare to do that? He sent the memorial to Prime Minister Li in confusion.
Li Chonghou unhurriedly opened the letter and took a look. It was written by Jia Jing. However, others read the letter from top to bottom, but Li Chonghou read from back to front. After reading it,
He immediately closed the book and shouted loudly;
"Quick, send someone to bring Jia Jing in. If he resists, arrest him immediately. Don't let him get carried away."

A loud shout,
Dai Quan beside him was stunned, not understanding what the Prime Minister meant.
"Master Prime Minister, why is this?"

"Alas, Your Majesty, although Jia Jing's memorial was written concisely, the inner meaning was extremely strong. Although Jia Jing was a member of the imperial examination, he was after all a descendant of military merit and still had blood and spirit. The memorial was written in a tactful way, but the case of Prince Zhongyi had already been closed, and the rest of the generals were almost all killed or injured. Even Su Yuankui, Marquis of Jingnan, did not escape that night. Only a few civil servants survived. Later, these people all committed suicide in the prince's mansion, and only Jia Jing left the city to practice Taoism. Now, there is a sense of embracing death in the memorial. It is better to be safe than sorry."

Li Chonghou said it clearly. Jia Jing came at the wrong time and was determined to die. If he really caused a big commotion and disturbed the nobles, Wang Ziteng was still in the south.
We must not be careless about this matter. His Majesty's decree is still too hasty. But on second thought, Marquis Luo Yun is in the special examination, and Wang Ziteng can go south. Lu Wenshan and Gu Yichen will not let go of this opportunity. If the two of them join forces, how can Ningguo Mansion survive?

After hearing Li Shoufu's explanation, Emperor Wu's face changed drastically. He hadn't thought of such a thing. Looking at Dai Quan who was still in a daze, he immediately ordered;
"What are you still standing there for? Go and get someone to stop him and bring Jia Jing in."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will go right away."

Dai Quan was panicked and stumbled out the door. He quickly arranged for Xiao Yunzi to take people to chase after him.

But don't know,
The Imperial Censor Zhong, out of fear, wanted to get the matter over with quickly, so after leaving the Yangxin Palace,

He began to jog all the way out of the Meridian Gate. His plump body was no longer tired. He was wearing a scarlet court robe embroidered with cloud and dragon patterns. His wide sleeves fluttered in the wind.

With a face full of sweat and a clear red mark on his forehead, he hurriedly crossed the corridor, walked along the stairs, and headed straight for the palace gate.

behind,

Xiao Yunzi and his men chased after him, but when they left the courtyard and looked around, they could not see the censor anymore. The eunuch behind him asked,

"Eunuch, this man ran so fast that he disappeared in an instant. Should we chase him?"

"Nonsense, of course we're chasing them. Split into two groups and head outside the city gate. I'm in a hurry to get you all. Whoever falls behind can't blame me for coming back to punish them."

Xiao Yunzi was anxious and slapped him. Then, many eunuchs lost their dignity and started to chase after him. When they saw that everyone was chasing after him, they quickly followed.

Coincidentally,

It rained a lot yesterday, but today the sun is shining brightly.

It was almost noon.
More and more people came out to eat and drink tea. Although ordinary people were not allowed to enter the Meridian Gate, more and more people gathered at the spacious street opposite. No one knew who spread the news.
It was said that he was a Taoist priest who had suffered a grievance and came to beat the drum. Some people also said that he was a Taoist master invited by the emperor. Some people also said that the monk brought elixirs and miraculous drugs and was praying for reward.

Anyway, there are all kinds of people talking about it, and more and more people are watching the fun.

On the second floor of the tavern, there were still three people sitting around, eating and drinking. Their faces looked familiar, but as soon as they opened their mouths, their identities were exposed.

"Brother Fu, look who that person is. Does he really have an elixir to offer to His Majesty?"

Zhou Lianghao, the prince of Wu, stretched his head and looked outside. He could not make out a vague figure, but the Taoist robe he was wearing could not be fake.

King Zhou Yewen of Song, who was sitting at the head of the east side, snorted coldly and muttered;

"Humph, I'm just kidding you. If you want to practice Taoism, it must be the retired emperor. Well, how could it be the one sitting there? Besides, there is nothing new in the capital. The man wearing the Taoist robe is Jia Jing from Ningguo Mansion."

There is still some doubt in his eyes. You must know this, kid.

Being stared at like this by his brother, Wu Wang's son Zhou Lianghao blushed instantly.

It seems like I really don’t know!
(End of this chapter)