The days when I ransacked the house in Jinyiwei

Chapter 135 Introduction to The Story of Yulu

The capital city of the Ming Dynasty was actually divided into rings.

The first ring is the Forbidden City; the second ring is the imperial city; the third ring is the inner city; the fourth ring is the entire inner and outer city.

The Forbidden City is in the imperial city.The imperial city has twelve gates.Each gate is guarded by standard-bearer guards.

On February [-]th, the second year of Hongzhi, night.

An official wearing a fifth-grade white pheasant green robe sneaked up to the east gate of the imperial city.

Hundreds of gatekeepers saw that his official robes were of the fifth grade, and thought that he might be a counselor or experiencer of the Secretary of General Administration.

At this time, when officials enter the East Middle Gate, there is usually only one situation, that is, the Secretary of General Administration has an urgent memorial to submit to the emperor.

Hundreds of gatekeepers stepped forward.The moon was dark and the wind was high, so he couldn't see the official's face clearly.The hundred households guarding the gate asked: "Which lord is it from the Secretary of General Affairs? Do you have a booklet to send to the palace?"

The official lowered his head and let out an old voice: "Uh!"

After saying that, he turned and left.

The gatekeepers are at a loss.I thought: This is a confused official.I must have arrived at the gate of the imperial city and found that I didn't bring the booklet with me, so I went back to get it.

A general banner came over with a lantern: "Master Lin, what's going on?"

Baihu replied: "It's okay, I met a confused official."

The light of the lantern illuminated the ground in front of Baihu.

Baihu suddenly discovered that there was a letter on the ground where the official was standing just now.

Hundreds of households picked up the letter, only to see on the letter paper that it said "I would like to play a matter of peace and order against the rebellion and imperial captives".

Although the Baihu of the Banner Guards are warriors, they are not unsophisticated old men.

He was puzzled.It looks like this is a memorial.

However, the courtiers of the Ming Dynasty used folding paper to send the memorial to the emperor, so it was impossible to seal it in an envelope.

And the courtiers must have their signatures on the memorial.It should be "the minister of a certain government office so and so official position so and so would like to play so and so".

The letter was not signed and appears to be an anonymous letter addressed to His Majesty the Emperor.

Let's say that the official who left the anonymous letter left the sight of the standard-bearer guard and ran all the way.It took me three miles to catch my breath.

It happened that a gust of night wind blew away the dark clouds.Moonlight shines on his face.This is a boy of eighteen or nineteen years old.The old "uh" just now was deliberately pretended by him.

An anonymous letter addressed to the emperor was found at the gate of the imperial city, hundreds of households did not dare to neglect it, and reported it to the Supervisor of Rituals.

The palm print Xiao Jing and Bingbi Qian can discuss: "Shall we pass this letter on to the emperor?"

Qian Nengdao: "We have to open it first and have a look. If the letter contains treasonous words, it must not be handed over to the emperor."

Xiao Jing nodded in agreement, opened the letterhead, and read it.

The anonymous letter proclaims three thousand words, the writing is brilliant, but the content is very childish.

The general content is as follows: I believe that during the Chenghua Dynasty, the reason why there were continuous rebellions in various parts of the Ming Dynasty was mainly because the world was declining and people's hearts were not old.

The minister suggested that the emperor educate the poor people with Confucianism.If the poor and the poor all abstained from self-denial, there would be no more rebellions.

The northern captives have repeatedly invaded the south in the past dynasties.The main reason is that the northern captives did not study Confucianism.The minister suggested that the emperor send Confucian scholars to the grassland to educate the northern captives about benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trust.

If the northern prisoner is enlightened by the sage, he will put down the butcher knife, become a Buddha immediately, and live in peace with Ming Dynasty forever.

Xiao Jing didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "This is the memorabilia written by the second idiot, Ru Ru! It's extremely childish!"

Qian Neng couldn't help laughing: "Sending a few Confucian scholars to the grassland will stop the northern captives from going south? What a joke."

Xiao Jingdao: "It is estimated that the official who wrote this memorial felt ridiculous after reading it. I am sorry to sign it."

Qian Neng asked, "Did you burn it?"

Xiao Jing smiled and said: "No. I will show it to the emperor. The emperor is very tired when he reviews the memorials every day."

"Show the emperor this letter like a joke. Let the emperor have fun, and it will be considered as a pastime for the emperor."

Xiao Jing took the anonymous letter to Qianqing Palace and presented it to Emperor Hongzhi.

After Emperor Hongzhi saw it, he couldn't stop laughing.After laughing for a while, he asked, "Who is the person who wrote the letter?"

Xiao Jing replied: "He is a fifth-rank civil servant. It was dark, and the standard-bearer guards guarding the imperial city couldn't see the man's appearance clearly."

Emperor Hongzhi suddenly restrained his smile.

Looking at the writing, this person quotes from the classics and has a brilliant literary talent.Looking at the handwriting, it is neat and powerful.Presumably, he must be the top two scholars who have read poetry and books.

However, what was going on in this person's head was childish.

This kind of extremely pedantic and rotten Confucianism would be fine if he held an idle position in an idle yamen.

If you have the opportunity to be transferred to a local government or prefect in the future, you will definitely harm the local area because of pedantry.

Emperor Hongzhi wanted to find out who this person was.Then give the official department a comment that "this person will never be used".

Thinking of this, Emperor Hongzhi ordered: "After tomorrow morning, you give this letter to Chang Feng. Let Chang Feng find out who wrote the letter."

Now that Emperor Hongzhi has errands, he bypasses Jinyiwei's chief treasurer, Zhu Ji, and directly entrusts them to Chang Feng.

In the early morning of the next day, Chang Feng still held the wat board and stood at the end of the military officer to participate in the morning court.

The ministers reported more than a dozen things in a row.Emperor Hongzhi handled everything properly.

Chang Feng sighed in his heart: Three years ago, it was worthwhile to save the prince from a narrow escape.The former prince, the current emperor is a wise king!The people of Daming have hope.

At this moment, Yang Shouchen, the left servant of the Ministry of Officials, came out of duty: "Report to the emperor. The time in the early court is limited. Because all the ministers have to do errands at noon, the time cannot be extended."

"The old minister suggested that the Wu Dynasty should be added in addition to the Morning Dynasty."

Yang Shouchen's personality is a bit like the Hai Rui of later generations.He believes that the emperor should learn from Taizu and Taizong as a model worker.

Xiao Jing's face turned green.Emperor Hongzhi reviewed the memorial until midnight at night.Sleep up to two and a half hours.Every now and then, he would spend time with Queen Zhang.Just pointing to taking a nap after lunch to catch up on sleep.

Yang Shouchen's immediate boss, Wang Shu, also felt that this suggestion was too much.

Wang Shu said: "The early dynasty of Yumen is the ancestral system. Have you ever heard of the Wu Dynasty in the past dynasties? Yang Shilang's suggestion does not agree with me."

Ma Wensheng, Liu Ji, Xu Pu and others agreed one after another, expressing their opposition to Yang Shouchen's suggestion.

Chang Feng thought in his heart: The emperor stepped down from the donkey, expressing that he would listen to the opinion of the majority, and this matter will be over.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Hongzhi actually said: "I deeply agree with Yang Qing's suggestion. The time in the early court is limited, and I have no time to discuss in detail with my ministers many strategies for governing the country."

"In my opinion, Yang Qing's memorial is approved. Add half an hour for the afternoon court outside the morning court."

The ministers looked at each other.

At this moment, they only have two words for Emperor Hongzhi: Admiration!

Ming emperors of all dynasties have two iron-clad standards, one is diligent government, and the other is love for the people.The current emperor has both of them.

Never imagined.Yang Shouchen has gained an inch and will continue to advance.He actually remonstrated: "Report to the emperor. I suggest reopening the large and small sutra banquets."

All the ministers thought at the same time: Old man Yang, you are going too far!

The so-called Jingyan refers to the imperial lecture hall set up by the emperor for lectures on scriptures and history.This is the system of the Tang Dynasty, which has been continued in successive dynasties.

The lecturer is a bachelor or Hanlin bachelor.

The Dajing Banquet is held three times a month.On the second, twelfth, and 22nd day of the junior high school.Two hours each time.

The Xiaojing Banquet is held on a single day from February to May and from August to December every year.Every half an hour.

Few of the emperors of all dynasties did not dislike Jingyan.Regardless of the time-consuming, who can stand a group of rotten old men chattering endlessly in their ears?
As diligent as Taizu and Taizong, at most they only hold a feast of great scriptures.

The first emperor Xianzong was an emperor who liked to lie flat.The first thing he did when he ascended the throne was to abolish the sutra feast.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Hongzhi agreed again: "This suggestion is very good. The opening banquet to discuss the history of classics and reading will be of great benefit to me. Play it! Starting from this month, we will hold large and small events in the West Nuan Pavilion of Qianqing Palace. Sutra feast!"

Xiao Jing's face turned green again.He felt sorry for Emperor Hongzhi terribly.

He knew that Emperor Hongzhi had already arranged a lot of things to do every day.If there is a big or small sutra feast, then you have to take a break.

People in later generations can pick on Emperor Hongzhi's fault, saying that the power of civil servants expanded from the Hongzhi Dynasty, so that it could not be dealt with at the end of Ming Dynasty.

But everyone has to admit that Emperor Hongzhi was an out-and-out model worker.

Looking at the sixteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty, there were only four model workers: Emperor Hongwu, Emperor Yongle, Emperor Hongzhi, and Emperor Chongzhen.

With tears in his eyes, Wang Shu fell to his knees and shouted: "Long live the emperor!"

It is different from Wanan.Wan An shouted Long Live because of the soup.

Wang Shu's cry was from the bottom of his heart, hoping that the model worker on the dragon chair would live forever.

All the courtiers shouted: "Long live the emperor." Without exception, they all came from their hearts.

After the early morning break, Xiao Jing found Chang Feng: "Chang Qianhu, come with me to the office of the supervisor of ceremonies, there is an imperial messenger."

Chang Feng followed Xiao Jing into the duty room.Xiao Jing told him about the anonymous letter.

Chang Feng couldn't laugh or cry after reading the letter: "The person who wrote the letter must be a sour old pedant."

Xiao Jingdao: "The emperor also thinks so. So I want you to find this person and send him to Nanjing to stay in the yamen for the elderly."

Chang Feng asked for instructions: "Eunuch Xiao, this letter is also a clue. Can I take it?"

Xiao Jing nodded: "Well, take it away."

Chang Feng returned to Jinyiwei, and first sent someone to find the bannerman Wei Baihu who was on duty at the East Middle Gate last night.

Originally, he wanted Shen Zhou to draw a picture according to the description of Baihu, and find people according to the picture.

I never thought that Baihu would say that it was too dark.I couldn't see the man's face at all.I only see that the official uniform is the fifth rank.Listen to the voice five 60 years old.

After Baihu left, Chang Feng discussed with Fatty Xu: "There is a stupid way to find someone. It is to check all the official fifth-rank and subordinate fifth-rank officials in Beijing."

"Six doctors, Yuanwailang, left and right concubines, Hanlin bachelors, counselors of the General Administration Department, ministers of Shangbao Temple. There are more than 130 people in total."

Fatty Xu said: "Then look it up. Get a list first, and ask them to come to Jinyiwei for tea one by one."

Chang Feng dispelled this idea: "It's better not to use this benzene method as much as possible. It's a lot of trouble. There are more than 130 civil servants, and there are always some timid ones. When I hear that Jin Yiwei invites you to drink tea, I will scare a few sick people." .”

"Secondly, I have always been very fast in handling imperial envoys. Last year, the arson case at the Tang Mansion in the twelfth lunar month was found out in six hours."

"Finding the sender of the anonymous letter is such a trivial matter, you can't toss it around for three days, can you?"

Fatty Xu asked: "Then what should we do?"

Chang Feng looked at the anonymous letter: "There is a clue in it."

Fatty Xu asked, "What clue?"

Chang Feng replied: "Handwriting. A person's handwriting is like a fingerprint, it cannot be changed."

Fatty Xu said: "You can't recognize the handwriting of more than 130 officials."

Chang Feng smiled and said, "I don't recognize it, but the people from the General Administration Department may recognize it."

General Administration Department, the full name is "General Administration Commissioner".Responsible for the submission of internal and external memorials.Similar to the office of later generations.

There are only two ways to submit a memorial to the Beijing official.Either hand over the memorial to the Secretary of General Administration for transmission.Or submit it directly to the emperor in the early dynasty.

Chang Feng and Fatty Xu came to the Department of General Affairs.

When Zheng Ji, the political envoy, heard that Master Chang of Jinyiwei was coming, he shrank his neck subconsciously, thinking that he was here to trouble him.

Because Li Zisheng had served as a political envoy before, and Zheng Ji was his confidant at that time.

Zheng Ji said to the handyman who came to report: "Please hurry up. Forget it, I will meet Chang Qianhu in person."

Zheng Ji is a civil official of the third rank, and Chang Feng is only a military officer of the fifth rank.He personally greeted Chang Feng, which shows how powerful Chang Feng is in Beijing now.

There are many kinds of power.Obtaining the emperor's favor is the highest kind.

After exchanging pleasantries with Zheng Ji, Chang Feng explained his intentions.

Zheng Jichang breathed a sigh of relief, and thought: I thought I was going to eat Li Zisheng's melons.

Then Zheng Jidao: "There is one of us in the Department of General Affairs who knows the handwriting of the officials of the Manchu Dynasty."

Chang Feng asked, "Oh? Who?"

Zheng Ji replied: "An old scribe surnamed Fu. He has worked in the Department of General Affairs since the early days of Tianshun. He is an old man of the Department of General Affairs."

The number of civil servants in the Ming government is limited.Therefore, each yamen has a large number of scribes.They have no officials and no rank, but every government cannot do without them.

There is a saying that is "a court official with flowing water, and a scribe with iron."

Not long after, Zheng Ji led Fu Shuli to Chang Feng.

Fu Shuli is 70 years old and has lost all his teeth.But hale and hearty, very energetic.

Chang Feng gave the anonymous letter to Fu Shuli: "Look, old man, which official's handwriting is this?"

Fu Shuli looked at the skill of Yizhuxiang, and then said with certainty: "There is no such handwriting among the officials in Beijing."

Chang Feng asked: "The old man is so sure?"

Fu Shuli replied seriously: "Changqianhu doesn't know something. I have been in the General Administration Department for more than 30 years. I deal with the folded names and signatures on the covers of Beijing official memorials all day long."

"Who's handwriting, I can recognize it at a glance."

Fatty Xu on the side was a little disappointed: "Yes, the trip was for nothing."

Chang Feng said: "But the people throwing letters at the East Middle Gate are wearing official robes."

Fatty Xu guessed: "Maybe the official robe was stolen."

At this moment, Fu Shuli twisted the letter paper with his hands.He seemed to have discovered something: "This paper."

Chang Feng quickly asked, "What happened to this paper?"

Fu Shuli said: "This paper is Songjiang Tanjian, which is a tribute to the Eight Classics. Only the inner court and the Imperial Academy have it."

"Last year, the Songjiang Mansion paid [-] knives to the inner court. The emperor gave [-] knives to the Imperial Academy."

Chang Feng was overjoyed.If the scope of the investigation can be narrowed, the Secretary of General Administration will not be in vain.

Targeting the Hanlin Academy will make the job much easier.There are only five fifth-rank officials in the Hanlin Academy: one regular fifth-rank bachelor;

Chang Feng and Fatty Xu turned around and went to the Imperial Academy, where they found the five people.

Among the five, Li Dongyang, a Bachelor of Attendance, and Wang Hua, a Bachelor of Attendance, have the best prospects in officialdom.

Li Dongyang is the vice president of Xianhuang Shilu.After a few years, when the compilation of the First Emperor's Records is completed, it will be the day he enters the cabinet.

Wang Hua, a bachelor of attendant lecturer, was the No. 17 champion in Chenghua's 1th palace examination.

The promotion of civil officials in the Ming Dynasty paid attention to seniority.The ranking of seniority mainly depends on the ranking on the gold list.

Even if Wang Hua, the number one scholar, has no great accomplishments, he will be able to wear the official hat of the second rank at least after 20 years.

Chang Feng said to the five people: "Who among the five has delivered a memorial to the emperor recently?"

The memorials of the Ming Dynasty are divided into four types: Zou Shi Zhe, Zou An Zhe, Xie En Zhe, and He Zhe.Zou Shizhe is also distinct and secret.

Li Dongyang was the first to speak: "I handed over the Zou Shi Bao to report the progress of the compilation of Zou Xianhuang's Records."

Wang Hua said: "I gave a memorial."

The other three also said that they had passed the booklet.

Chang Feng laughed and said, "I'm not talking about ordinary memorials. It's the ones without signatures."

Li Dongyang was puzzled: "A memorial without a signature? Isn't that an anonymous letter?"

"Chang Qianhu, you are too small for the character of our Hanlin officials."

"We Hanlin officials bluntly admonish us, and we don't change our name when we go, and we don't change our surname when we sit. Sending an anonymous letter to the emperor is a petty act."

Chang Feng took out the letter: "Everyone, take a look, whose handwriting is this among you?"

After five people looked at it.Li Dongyang said: "Chang Qianhu, this is not the handwriting of the five of us."

Chang Feng keenly noticed that beads of sweat appeared on Wang Hua's face.

Although it is February, the weather is still very cold.Why are you sweating so much?There must be ghosts in my heart.

Chang Feng said: "Bachelors are bothering you, please go back."

The five turned and left.

Chang Feng suddenly shouted: "Scholar Wang, please stay!"

When Wang Hua heard this, he staggered and almost fell.

Fatty Xu smiled and said, "Why is the champion so panic?"

Wang Hua had a panicked expression on his face: "Ah, I'm disrespectful, I'm disrespectful."

Chang Feng said: "Scholar Wang, you are the top of the gold list in Chenghua for 17 years, and you are quick-witted."

"Back then, my father forced me to memorize your palace examination number one scholar essay within one night."

"I don't think you wrote such a childish letter."

"But why are you so nervous after reading the letter?"

Fatty Xu frightened Wang Hua: "Duke Zhuangyuan, if you have ghosts in your heart, you should recruit them earlier. If a literati like you goes to imperial prison, cough!"

"It's as easy for us rough people to handle you as it is to shake an egg to yolk."

Wang Hua knelt down with a "plop": "You two. Please spare the dog!"

Chang Feng frowned: "Your son?"

Chang Feng suddenly remembered that two years ago when he went to Qufu to take office, he met Wang Hua's eldest son, Wang Shouren, who was starved and fainted.

Chang Feng asked: "Which son are you talking about? Could it be the eldest son Wang Shouren?"

Wang Hua was surprised: "Chang Qianhu actually knows the dog's name?"

Chang Feng laughed and said, "I don't just know. He owed me six pot helmets in Qufu two years ago!"

"Wait a minute, isn't he the one who wrote this anonymous letter?"

Wang Hua said dejectedly: "This is his handwriting. Chang Qianhu, please forgive him. In January of this year, after seven days and seven nights of bamboo cutting, he fell seriously ill with a persistent high fever. I'm afraid he burned his brain. .”

Chang Feng was a little strange: "Bamboo grid?"

Wang Hua told Chang Feng about the "Shouren Gezhu" that was later recorded in the history of philosophy.

Last year Wang Shouren went to Nanchang to marry the daughter of Jiangxi counselor Zhu Yanghe.When returning to his hometown in Yuyao, the boat passed by Guangxin.

Wang Shouren paid homage to Lou Liang, a master of Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism of Guangxin.

Lou Liang told Wang Shouren about the knowledge of learning from things.Wang Shouren felt like a treasure.

After that, Wang Shouren read all Zhu Xi's works.Take Zhu Xi's saying that "everything has its appearance and its interior is fine and rough, and every plant and every tree has the ultimate truth" as the truth.

Theory also needs practice.In the first month of this year, in order to practice Master Zhu's theory, he found a pot of bamboo.Sit with the bamboo in the bedroom for seven days and seven nights, drinking only water during the period.The intention is to clarify the bamboo theory.

However, after seven days and seven nights, Wang Shouren found no "reason".Also had a serious illness.

After a serious illness, Wang Shouren became eccentric.

Chang Feng said: "Understood, Young Master Ling became insane after he became seriously ill. After writing this anonymous letter, he stole your official robe and ran to the Dongzhong Gate last night and threw the letter on the ground."

"Please send someone to invite Mr. Ling. Oh, by the way, ask him to bring six pot helmets back to me."

　There is one more at about 11:30
　　
　
(End of this chapter)