The Concubine Wushuang of Red Mansion

Chapter 227
After a tiring night, Jia Cong just closed his eyes and it was already the fourth watch. Although the Ningguo Marquis Mansion was in the inner city, it would still take some time to go to court. Jia Cong got up from the bed with some reluctance. Daiyu was still sleeping, not knowing what she was doing. Sweet dream, slightly curved lips, and a peaceful smile. For a moment, Jia Cong actually thought of the words "the years are quiet and peaceful."

When Jia Cong came out of the bed, Zijuan was already waiting outside to help Jia Cong dress and wash.

He rushed all the way from Ningrong Street to Linjing Gate. Just as the officials were walking in, Jia Cong got off the horse and saw Zhang Qilin. The two looked at each other and looked away calmly.

Jia Cong took two quick steps and stepped forward. Among the ranks of military generals and nobles, the Prince of Beijing County asked for sick leave. The Prince of Nan'an County heard that he had invited an imperial doctor last night. Liu Fang was already in the cell. The Prince of Xining County was on patrol. , now Jia Cong ranks first.

Standing with Jia Cong in the list of civil servants is Gu Mingchen. The first assistant resigned, and the second assistant was ill. The Prime Minister Otsuka wrote a confession and stayed at home. Gu Mingchen was also ranked first among the civil servants. In terms of seniority, if the cabinet passed forward Presumably, once Zhao Song and Yan Weiyong leave the court, the chief assistant will fall on Gu Mingchen.

In terms of qualifications, Gu Mingchen is quite important.

At this time, Gu Mingchen took two steps closer to Jia Cong, put some distance between his colleagues behind him, and said to Jia Cong, "Mr. Xiong is giving lectures in the south. It is said that he has thousands of followers. He is free in the mountains and fields and is famous in the court. , It’s really enviable! "

Jia Cong listened, smiled and said, "If Uncle Zong wants, he can do the same. It is not easy for people to not be free, but it is easy to be free."

Gu Mingchen also smiled and nodded, "Ning Guohou, your senior brother, the eldest son of the Xiong family, was also a second-ranked scholar back then, but he never served as an official in the court. Do you still have no plans to do so now? A man who is full of literary and martial arts, should think about it To serve the country, why don't the Marquis explain this to Senior Brother Ling? Now is the time to employ people in the court, and one's talent and ambition should not be let down."

Jia Cong said, "Thank you very much for your concern, eldest uncle. I will advise my eldest brother to return to the court as soon as possible and do your best for the country and the people."

Gu Mingchen was very pleased. At this time, Yushi Jiuyi looked over, and Gu Mingchen took two steps to the side, and just followed the steps into Linjing Hall step by step.

The routine discussions in the mornings these two days are about the civil unrest in Henan and the area along the Huanghuai River. Since May, it has been raining non-stop. Now the water level is so high that there is a risk of the bank bursting at any time.

"Previously, the Prime Minister's Minister of Rivers once managed the river like a spring. He advocated opening Huangjiakou and received 60 taels of silver. He tried his best to open a new river. Although the new river was opened, it was both deep and wide, but its south side was shallow and narrow, so the water could not flow." Gu Mingchen said. One stood up and said.

It was Yan Weiyong who recommended Zeng Ruchun to regulate the Yellow River. He spent 60 taels of silver to open Wangjiakou in Yucheng and guide the entire Yellow River to flow eastward to the sea.

Although the Xinhe River is deep and wide, it is low in the north and high in the south. If water does not flow up to the Xinhe River, all efforts will be in vain.

Gu Mingchen said that no one in the court said anything, and Zeng Ruchun died in office this spring. Even if his achievements were of no use, they were not worth mentioning.

Gu Mingchen's move was naturally aimed at Yan Weiyong.

Everyone knows that Yan Weiyong is currently on sick leave and cannot come to the court. Unlike Zhao Song and Otsuka Zai, if Yan Weiyong recovers from his illness, he will still return to the court. Gu Mingchen took advantage of his absence to bring up the issue of river control. , in order to force Yan Weiyong to death.

Just like before, Gu Mingchen and Jia Cong discussed Xiong Bichen's affairs. If Xiong Bichen returned to the court, Emperor Tai Qi would definitely ask him to assist in the government affairs, and it was impossible to say that he would be the first assistant. Gu Mingchen's goal was to be the first assistant.

Gu Mingchen knew that he could not use beatings to deal with Xiong Bichen, so he used wooing methods to tell Jia Cong that he would strongly support Xiong Bichen's lectures in the future, and would also arrange for Xiong Tingyan to be Jia Cong's supporter. condition.

Gu Mingchen's appearance was too ugly. Even the Ministry of Industry told Zhang Wenda, "Although Zeng Ruchun spent a lot of money on the court, his original idea of ​​river control was supported by the ministers of the DPRK and China. It was also an idea after discussion." , now that Mr. Zeng has died of illness while in office, the imperial court should recruit officials to manage the river as soon as possible and agree on long-term strategies instead of pursuing responsibility. In this case, who will dare to take charge in the future?"

Yu Zhongjian, who was on the side, said: "Previously, Zeng Ruchun advocated that the water of the Yellow River has returned and is as powerful as thunder. It can use its water power to wash out the new river, and shallow places can be deepened. Zeng Ruchun ordered waterproofing, but the water column was full of sand and there was little water flow. But it was slow and then silted up. Now, after April, the river water suddenly rose, rushing straight into the fish, single, abundant, and abundant. This was before Zeng Gong's death."

Yu Zhongjian's meaning is also very obvious. Zeng Ruchun's efforts to control the river failed, but instead caused the river water to rise. Yu, Dan, Feng, and Pei counties were all in danger of bursting their banks. Zeng Ruchun died because of depression.

The emperor was naturally well aware of this confrontation. He looked around and asked, "At the moment, who can take the position of Minister of Works and take on the heavy responsibility of river management?"

The minister is a third-rank official and needs to be promoted by the court. This is the responsibility of Otsuka Zai, and Li Jutong is not here. Jia Cong saw Emperor Taiqi glance at the row of civil servants, full of anxiety. He probably thought that he had seen before Li Goudong and others are really not pleasing to the eye, but now, everyone has been driven back, the government is in a mess, and Emperor Taiqi is very worried.

No one stood up to speak, and Emperor Taiqi's face became a little ugly. Seeing this, Jia Cong stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I have a message."

Emperor Taiqi hurriedly said, "My beloved, please speak!"

"I believe that all the princes in the court have different opinions on the matter of regulating the river. However, if the opinions are inconsistent with reality, it will only end up wasting people and money without any results, just like this time the Yellow River is flowing back.

When I went south by boat, I encountered many river workers along the way. I was bored and chatted with them. Their understanding of the Yellow River and their views on river management were refreshing to me.I believe that if we really want to manage the river, we must listen to the opinions of these people. Only when the Prime Minister comes up with a plan that is in line with the opinions of the public and takes into account the opinions of the river workers can we achieve outstanding results. "

Emperor Taiqi also understood what Jia Cong meant. The Yellow River has been managed by all dynasties, and many river workers have been dealing with the Yellow River for generations. Their opinions on how to really manage the river are actually very important. If a capable minister can be sent, If we listen to the views of these people, we will not end up making useless efforts like Zeng Ruchun when we regulate the Yellow River.

Immediately, Emperor Taiqi looked at Pan Chengyi and Chang Songjun, the ministers of the Ministry of Industry, and after asking them for their opinions, Emperor Taiqi had a good idea.

Emperor Taiqi was not one of those arbitrary people. It was a matter of national importance, and he rarely made decisions at the court. He put aside the matter of candidates for river management for the time being, and then discussed the latest case.

Yan Min came out and said, "Du Hui refused to plead guilty and said that the reason why he did not report it to the court was that his wife was detained by the bandits. His wife was a wife of chaff. Her family was so kind to her. How could it be so? Can you easily kill him?"

Before Yan Min finished speaking, Emperor Tai Qi's face darkened. Obviously, he did not agree with the result.

Jia Cong guessed that Emperor Taiqi wanted to use Du Hui to bring down Otsuka Prime Minister Li Jutong. How could he easily spare Du Hui's life? Sure enough, Liu Qi hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I think what Du Hui said is not true." Really. I heard that Du Hui has taken concubines one after another since he became an official. He has more than ten concubines in his family. I really can’t see why Mr. Du has any concerns about his wife.
I believe that Du Hui, as the governor of Shuntian Prefecture, was guilty of neglect when Prince Donglu entered the sacred capital. Since Prince Donglu stayed in his house all night and did not report to the court when he was discovered, he was collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country and harboring the enemy. The crime should be punished according to the law. I ask the emperor to issue an order to give him a clear and canonical punishment! "

Liu Qi had just finished speaking, and during the matter, Cheng Ren came out and said, "I second the proposal! I think that the crime of Li Jutong, the Minister of Rites, should be pursued. I heard that Prince Donglu came to Beijing this time to give gifts to the ministers of the DPRK. With great courtesy, in the past few days, I have gone in and out of the residences of many civil servants and nobles. I ask the emperor to issue an order to investigate clearly. All traitors who collaborate with the enemy and betray the country must be punished together!"

Jia Congxin said, finally here!
When Emperor Taiqi heard this, his expression changed drastically, his eyes fell on Jia Cong, and said, "Is this happening?"

Jia Cong couldn't avoid it at this time, so he stepped forward and said, "Returning to the emperor, I have heard about this news before, and the ministers who took over the Jinyi Mansion also ordered a strict investigation. Although there are indeed people in the court who have contact with Donglu, it is not as people think. It is said that half of the important officials of the dynasty were collaborators with the enemy. Moreover, even if the Donglu visited some mansions, they may not all have entered. Even if the Wei disciples did not know it, and they entered some mansions, it may not be that the elders were ignorant of the decency and accepted bribes. . I think that a lot of the news is groundless." The emperor's face improved a little, and he nodded, appreciating Jia Cong's words, while Cheng Ren was very unhappy.

He was about 27 years old, and he was a student from a poor family. He was born as a Jinshi in Enke in the first year of Taiqi, and later passed the examination as a Shujishi. He first served as a supervisor in the Ministry of Punishment, and then as a minister in the Ministry of Punishment. He was young and promising, full of enthusiasm, and wanted to serve the king. .

"Ning Guohou, since Jin Yiwei has found out, I don't know why Ning Guohou didn't write a memorial to explain the matter to the emperor. Is it possible that Ning Guohou still wants to cover up for these people?" When he spoke, he glanced sideways at Jia Cong, and he could tell at a glance. He looked down upon Jia Cong, a rude warrior.

Jia Congxin said, even though you are 30 or [-] years old, the heart in your chest is still the heart of a teenager. However, above the court, there are swords and swords every day, killing people without blood, and it is difficult to survive on blood alone.

"Even if it is the right of officials to report rumors, it is related to the dignity of ministers. Even if they are ordinary people, it is difficult to accept if someone is unjustly accused of stealing and stealing without any reason, let alone all the princes in the hall who are unjustly accused of collaborating with the enemy. Traitor."

Jia Cong raised his hands to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that when it comes to the crime of collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country, the Jinyi Mansion will investigate and verify it, and strive not to unjustly accuse a good person, and never let a bad person go, to clear the innocent ones, and to give justice to the people of the world. Explain!"

The emperor said, "What Jia Qing said is true. If people learn that the civil and military officials of the entire dynasty were bewitched by the Eastern captives, what will the people of the world think?"

As soon as he said this, Cheng Ren knew that he was being shallow, but he was still unhappy in his heart. He glanced at Jia Cong, with resentment still in his eyes.

This was the first battle he fought since he took office. The purpose was to set off a major case, an important case, for his political achievements. Unexpectedly, he died before he left the army, and was poured water on him by Jia Cong as soon as he started. Went out.

As for Jia Cong, although Cheng Ran was behind him, he had no need to look back at others, but the feeling of a light on his back also made him know that this person must have hated him and offended Ke Daoyan. Being an official is not a good thing, it's like a pair of eyes staring at you all the time.

Yan Min then reported the results of yesterday's interrogation. Li Wu's identity has been verified, and it is indeed Li Wu who once rebelled against Wang Liang. When he was in Liaodong, he escaped with the help of Azige, and later returned to Shandong to promote Baishe's sorcery and was also influenced by Azige. Ji Ge indicated that the crime should be punished with punishment.

"Your Majesty, Liu Fang has also confessed that she was coerced by Li Wu to escape for Azige's master and servant. However, she denied that she knew Azige and said that Li Wu did not tell him who these two people were." Yan Mind said.

Emperor Taiqi then looked at Jia Cong, who came out and said, "Your Majesty, when I took Liu Fang back to the prison at the city gate, I had already taken her personal steward Hu Tan away with me. After interrogation, he had already confessed, Azig came to Beijing this time and sent 5 taels of silver to Duke Li Guo's Mansion, which is half of the annual donation."

There were already denunciations in the court, and no one expected that a Liguo Duke could receive 10 taels of silver from Liaodong Jurchens in a year. What did he want to do with this wild ambition?
The emperor was so angry that he was shaking all over, and he didn't care about his manners. He slapped the dragon chair with his palm and shouted at Jia Cong, "Who else is there besides Liu Fang? I didn't think Liu Fang was the only one! Damn it! Li Guo The government deserves to die! If you punish me, punish me severely, I will punish the nine clans!"

Jia Cong was also startled. Fortunately, Emperor Tai Qi was not angry. Although he was slightly angry at him, he came back to his senses and directed all his anger at Liu Fang.

Yan Min was in a dilemma. It was neither a promise nor a refusal.

Agree, the court has laws, and you have to determine the crime according to the law. If you don’t agree, why bother stroking the tiger’s beard at this time? After hesitating for a moment, he had to say, "I obey the decree!"

The matter involves a distinguished person, and the civil service group has always disliked the distinguished person. Although it was unreasonable, no one stood up to speak for Liu Fang.

The emperor felt a little better because of his anger. He sat on the dragon chair and didn't speak for a long time.

Yan Min waited for a while to see that the color was almost gone, and then continued, "Your Majesty, there is one last person. It concerns Jia She, the first-class general of the Duke of Rongguo. According to his subordinate Zhang Cai, Liu Fang and Li Wu went to the Rongguo Duke's Mansion together and sent Jia She 1 taels of silver to entrust him with him. The next day, they went out of the city to Xuanzhen Temple to introduce Jia Jing to Li Wu.

As for matters related to Azige, Jia She and Zhang Cai knew nothing about it. "

The emperor glanced at Jia Cong and asked, "This is what Zhang Cai said. What did Liu Fang say? And what did Liu Fang's housekeeper say?"

Yan Min paused and said, "Liu Fang said that he was deceived by Jia She. Originally, the 1 taels of silver were intended to be hidden in Jia She's car, but something went wrong. , which led to Azig’s master and servant appearing in his car.”

Jia Cong came out and said, "Your Majesty, Hu Tan explained that because the vehicle to send people out of the city needed to be specially customized, they found a car dealer in the city. As a result, something went wrong when the car dealer delivered the car, so they put the person in the wrong car." Yes. Since this matter involves the Duke of Rongguo, I request an order to hand over Hu Tan to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation."

Emperor Taiqi said, "If you love me, you don't need to avoid suspicion. Regardless of whether he knew it or not, it is true that Jia She received a bribe of 1 taels of silver. Moreover, he had contacts with both Li Wu and Azige. The Ministry of Punishment must seriously determine Jia She's crime." , there must be no mistake!”

"The minister obeys the order!"

This discussion took almost half a day. Jia Cong's stomach growled with hunger. Emperor Tai Qi looked tired and waved his hand to dismiss the meeting.

Jia Cong's legs were numb from standing. He turned around and walked out, wanting to go back early. At the same time, he also realized that it is not easy for a man to support his family. The voice of eunuch Wu Ji came from behind, "Ning Guohou, please stay. The Emperor has an order.”

Jia Cong hurriedly turned around and said, "Father-in-law, please!"

After walking a few steps away, Jia Cong quietly stuffed a red envelope towards Wu Ji. Inside was 5000 taels of silver notes. Wu Ji held the thin piece of paper in his hand. He was very satisfied and said carefully. , "The emperor just said that the matters in the court today have not been fully discussed."

Jia Cong said, "The emperor takes care of everything and completes every day. There are few such diligent and wise kings in ancient and modern times. He is really a blessing to the world."

Jia Cong followed Wu Ji to the side hall and caught up with Emperor Taiqi to have dinner. He took a short rest and seemed to be in better spirits. He greeted Jia Cong and said, "Come and have dinner with me first!"

He was so affectionate that he regarded Jia Cong as his nephew. Jia Cong was also very helpful. After thanking him for his kindness, he took a seat next to him.

　Sorry, it's been a bit late to update these days. I'll rush out the manuscript today and try to update it on time at [-] o'clock tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)