Emperor Yongzheng

Chapter 137: Congratulations to the famous minister, concubine and concubine, analysis of rumors, suspicion between father and son

The butler was beaten to the point where he was stunned. He stared blankly for a long time before he recognized Prince Bao. He hurriedly turned over and knelt down, kowtowed and said, "Young man, you are blind! I didn't see you, Prince... Young man..." Those who grew up eating shit, Master Qiantai, please don’t care about it... The younger one will go in and report... report..."

"Get out!" Hongli was amused by his nondescript words, kicked him and asked, "Is Yin Tai asleep?" "No, no... no!" The housekeeper got up and said, "Yes. Mr. Chen has come to pay his respects and is...talking in the flower hall..." "Lead the way," Hongli said, "hold the lamp for us!"

"Yes Yes Yes……"

The housekeeper kowtowed again, ran away in a hurry, and held a glass ball lamp himself. While leading the way diligently, he muttered: "In fact, the old prime minister is very close to Mr. Yin in his heart. Don't talk harshly - this is the corner." , Good go, Qiantose Master, this is the threshold of Daoyue Cave - our old man is born with a lonely temper. He always gets angry when he sees any of us, and we are all scared to hide away... "As he said that, he had passed through a fence and flower wall, and heard someone talking in the west flower hall next to the study in the north.Yin Jishan suddenly became nervous and stopped.Hongli took his cold hand, lifted the curtain and entered the flower hall, where he saw Chen Shiguan and Yin Tai, who were playing chess with melons and fruits on the plate.

"General!" Yin Tai's "horse" went over and he heard someone coming in. He said impatiently, "I told you that I wanted to play chess with Mr. Chen, but I went to the East Courtyard, why are you here again?" General Chen Shiguan said with a smile, "An order is greater than a military order. You are Fang Xuanling of our court. Let me tell you, madam, that Old Chen will not leave tonight. He will wear a silver-headed face tomorrow." Thank him for setting up the first cannon for you, so you can mislead the veteran!" Yin Tai stared at the chessboard and said, "You don't necessarily want to misrepresent the veteran - Mr. Zhang, the tea has gone cold - change it quickly!"

Hongli couldn't help but laugh when he saw that the old and the young were so addicted to chess. Just as he was about to speak, a middle-aged woman from outside agreed and came in with a tea tray.When she saw Yin Jishan standing aside, she was so shocked that she froze on the ground.Yin Jishan looked pale, shook his head, and called out, "Father, mother!" He knelt on his knees with a plop.

"Your Majesty!" The two chess players turned around and saw Hongli standing with a half-smile, getting up and lying on the ground to say hello.Mrs. Yin and Zhang were busy kneeling together with a plate in their hands.Yin Tai kowtowed and said, "I didn't expect that the prince would come to the minister's house that night. In the morning, I would accompany him to pay homage to the late prince. I originally wanted to meet the fourth master. Later, Brother Zhang said that the fourth master was busy with important things and couldn't even see Zhang Tingyu, so he had no choice but to leave." "

Hongli pulled up the kneeling Yin Jishan, ordered everyone to get up, sat down with a smile, and said: "I just came down from Changchun Garden and met Jishan on the way. He said that he went to Qingfan Temple to pay tribute to his thirteenth uncle. Hello, I want to go back to the inn. I said I want to go to the old Yin Xianggong's house to borrow books. You are not an imperial envoy, why are you visiting that inn? Lun Zhong is not interested in this, so I took him back. When will Chen Shiguan come to Beijing? "?" While speaking, he ordered everyone to sit down.

"My servant came this morning and paid more than 100 million taels of silver to the vassal treasury." Chen Shiguan said with a smile, "Li Zhitai and Fan Shijie both sent letters to me. They said they were going to the palace. They met Mr. Yin on the road. He said that the Fourth Master was too busy to stay at home, so he roped me in to play chess." As they were talking, Mrs. Zhang had already quietly left. She brewed four more cups of tea and brought them to Hongli, Chen Shiguan, and Yin Tai in turn. After setting the tea, Yin Jishan stood up first and bowed his head, then knelt on the ground and took it with both hands. Mrs. Zhang gave two blessings to everyone, lowered her head and stepped aside to listen to greetings.

Only then did Hongli pay attention to her. When he looked her up and down, he saw that she was only 43 years old. Her fair round face had fine wrinkles, her lips were slightly thicker, and there was a bright red beauty mark under her left lip.She was wearing a green cloth shirt and indigo trousers with apricot-yellow plum lace on the edges. They were starched and washed clean. She lowered her head and said nothing.Hongli, a very attentive person, immediately realized something and asked, "Jishan, how do you perform this ceremony?"

"Go back to your lord." Yin Jishan glanced at Yin Tai timidly and said, "She is Jishan's biological mother, Mrs. Zhang."

Hongli Chen Shiguan was immediately startled, and quickly stood up and bowed to Mr. Zhang.Hongli pretended to be panicked and said repeatedly: "We are too careless, please forgive me, madam! This is an errand for the servants, and Xiao Wang definitely dare not take it - madam, please sit down! Jishan, why are you stunned? Quickly move your mother's house." Seat?" Yin Jishan had already stood up, holding an embroidery stand with both hands, placed it next to Yin Tai, and said softly: "Mother, please sit down and have a rest..." Mrs. Zhang burst into tears before she finished listening to the sentence. He stepped back continuously and said to Yin Jishan: "Second Master, I am not the person named on this card. How can this happen?"

Yin Tai's face turned red, and he forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty gives you a seat, so you can sit down!" Mrs. Zhang bowed to her husband, then sat down diagonally.Hongli pretended not to notice, smiled relaxedly, and said to Chen Shiguan: "You are looking for trouble with me, what are you going to do?"

"Go back to your lord." Chen Shiguan was also made uncomfortable. He glanced apologetically at Yin Tai and Zhang, who was embarrassed, and said, "I'm not saying this is a matter of public opinion, nor is it private. Before coming to Beijing. , Li Zhitai gave me a seven-day leave to go back to Haining and have a look. Our hometown is miserable! It’s not like northern Jiangsu. One person can only hold less than two acres of farmland, and there is no wasteland to cultivate. If one person doesn’t cultivate, several people will suffer from hunger. One person did not weave and the whole family had no clothes! The year before last, it was flooded again. Last year, the vitality did not recover. Due to grain requisition from various places, the rice there rose to four cents and two cents a dou." As he spoke, tears had already poured out, "This It's just a state. I'm here to ask Fourth Master to take pity on my hometown elders. Can I be exempted from this year's tax? I'm kowtowing to you on their behalf!" After saying that, he left his seat and kowtowed.

Hongli didn't expect such a topic. Seeing everyone's embarrassment, he also wanted to take this opportunity to relax the atmosphere. He smiled and said: "You can tell the Ministry of Household Affairs about such an idea. There are Li Wei and Yin Jishan in the province, so they can't make the decision." ?" Chen Shiguan said: "We are setting up charity warehouses there. One is the national treasury, and the other is the charity warehouse. It cannot be short in any case. It is a strict order from Li Zhitai. Whoever can't handle it will be removed, and whoever refuses to handle it will be replaced. If you are willing to do it, I went to ask the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Revenue said that the prince would not accept the short supply of one tael of grain treasure, so I have to beg you when I come back. If you loosen your grip and leak a few grains of rice, it will be enough for us Haining people to feed our families... …”

"Okay, okay, don't feel uncomfortable." Hongli said with a smile, "Isn't it okay if I agree?" After saying that, he stood up, pulled out a piece of paper on the desk, wrote a few lines and handed it to Chen Shiguan: "You take it Just leave this to the Grain Recruitment Department and they will take care of it."

Chen Shiguan was beaming with joy. Hongli had already stood up, looked at the bookshelf and searched for a while, pulled out a copy of "Song and Yuan Studies", held it in his arms, and said with a smile: "It's time for me to go too. Shiguan, too! Call him The father-in-law and the son sit down for a while and talk about themselves. When it’s your birthday next day, I’ll come to pay my respects in person!” Yin Tai’s eyebrows were trembling, and he didn’t seem to be smiling. He couldn’t tell whether he was sad or happy, and he wanted to Get up and see him off.Hongli said "no need" and followed Chen Shiguan away.

"Dad!" Yin Jishan glanced at his mother, who had already stood up, and turned around, holding back the sadness in his heart and bowed, "It is your seventieth birthday, and your son is coming to Beijing to report on his work. It is God's gift to reunite our family. It is such a joy! Officer The official from Bu Ma Tang wrote to me, and my brother's work was completed, and the salt road in Jiangxi was repaired. I replied to him, I am in Nanjing, and my brother is in Jiangxi, which is too far away from Beijing. You are already in your seventies. My wife also hopes that someone in her sixties can help my brother to Tianjin or Baoding. It will be convenient for him to meet his parents, and he can also fulfill his filial piety on behalf of his son..." He glanced at his own mother again, "Lao Ma wrote back. If the Tianjin Road is vacant, it can be replaced. However, the Jiangxi Salt Road is in short supply and the Tianjin Road is in short supply. Please ask me to discuss it again. Please discuss it with the eldest wife and I will give him a reply. My son is anxious to come back, and for this reason It's something." Yin Tai's wrinkled face seemed to relax a little, and he said: "This can be regarded as your filial piety. In fact, in my heart, your brothers are the same, and I don't favor one over the other. But you are now the best official, Your brother failed in the exams and his career in officialdom is average, so you should worry more about him."

Yin Jishan felt a little relieved when he saw that his strict father was not angry. He took out a few pieces of paper from his sleeves, held them in his hands, and said, "This is the birthday gift list that my son brought to his father." Ms. Zhang hurriedly came over to catch it and handed it to Yin. Tai, at the moment when mother and son's hands touched, Yin Jishan seemed to feel that his mother's hands were hot, and his heart tightened again, and asked: "Second Aunt, are you feeling unwell?" Yin Tai also said: "Let me see too. You don't look good, why bother enduring like this? You can rest. It doesn't matter who is waiting here, it's the same."

"No, no, I'm not sick!" Ms. Zhang said hurriedly, "I was holding hot tea just now, and my hands felt a little hot because of the warmth. The other aunts had already gone to bed. I'm here to serve the old man!" After saying that, she seemed to be afraid of Yin Tai. Then he drove himself away, twisted a handful of hot towels and handed them to Yin Tai. He stood directly behind Yin Tai and gently beat his back. He only looked at his son intently, tears welling up in his eyes.Yin Jishan avoided his mother's eyes and talked about the circumstances of his appointment, Hongli's interactions with him in Nanjing and the emperor's several commendations to him.As he was talking, he couldn't stand it any longer, so he said: "The emperor is so kind to his son, and he even asks about his mother's well-being. Even my aunt, the emperor also cares about me - mother, don't always stand like that -" I don't know Why, with a sudden burst of courage, he actually moved a chair and pulled his mother over, saying, "My father also said that I won't let you get tired, so just sit down and have a rest!" Then he turned around and shouted: "Come here, two girls, for the old man." Beat your back and slap you!"

Yin Tai was startled by Yin Jishan's series of bold moves, and immediately became furious.He is kind and gentle in dealing with people outside, and he is very nurturing and tolerant. Even the county magistrates and magistrates who are five or six ranks lower than him are also courteous and courteous. But when he returns home, he becomes the emperor. Except for the eldest wife, everyone else is like him. It's a "minion".His eldest wife, Fan, was an aunt from the escort agency he met on the way to transport food with Kangxi during the Western Expedition. She was skilled in martial arts and carried him out of the siege under a rain of arrows when he was surrounded by Mongolian soldiers. Kangxi married her.When he was a second-grade official, his wife had already been granted a first-grade imperial title.The first marriage was still "equality". His wife gave birth to eight children, and he took several concubines, but the love was still there and there was no equality. He became the "Fang Xuanling" known to the whole court? .He originally liked his second son to be gentle, elegant and suave, but unfortunately Zhang was the "happy household"?Born, there is no way to compare with a heroine like "Fan Lihua".The son who was born and raised by an eldest wife had no obvious title, and his own title of marquis was added in a postscript when he appointed Yin Jishan as governor, so it was obvious that he was influenced by Yin Jishan.Yin Jishan was less than 30 years old. He defeated generals and went straight to Qingyun. He became a feudal official. However, his eldest son was almost fifty, and he still had to show favors to others when he was a Taoist priest... With all these reasons, he suppressed the Zhang family more and more. , firstly to calm the madam's anger, secondly to prevent Zhang's tendency to rely on his son to overwhelm everyone, and thirdly, he felt a little better in his heart.Seeing Yin Jishan's actions, the fire in Yin Tai's heart jumped up and down, and he suppressed it again and again with "the measure of the Prime Minister". Finally he couldn't help it, sneered and said: "Don't be uneasy, the right way is that the mother is more important than the son." , you are naturally going to be on the stage! Jishan, now that you have become a big official, you have gained experience and learned how to embarrass your father!"

"Go back to Dad!" Yin Jishan's face was as white as snow, but he refused to surrender. He just knelt on the ground and said, "My son does not dare to be disrespectful. It is the right thing for a mother to stand and serve the old man, but I see that my mother's complexion seems to be... The old man himself said that he is ill. There are rules of etiquette and rights, too? How about a son kneeling down to serve the old man on behalf of his mother? "

Yin Tai was stunned by his son. He was also a great Neo-Confucianist. Regardless of emotion or reason, his son did it impeccably and spoke flawlessly. There was really no way to refute it, because he found fault elsewhere: "I'm not referring to this, I'm asking. It’s your heart!”

"My son has a clear conscience."

"When I sent out troops with the late emperor, you didn't exist at that time. I am now accompanying you to the Eastern Palace, playing chess and reciting poems with the emperor, and you are still wearing crotchless pants!" Yin Tai's words were as sharp as a knife, "Without me, how would you be? , without my yesterday, how could you be today? What has your father never seen before, what can’t he think clearly? Do you think I don’t know the intention of Prince Bao? - You are so filial, but I never expected that you I will ask a prince to suppress your father——" He choked on his breath and immediately started coughing violently.Zhang and Yin Jishan both jumped up and hurriedly beat his back and picked up the basin, but they just advised him not to worry too much.

However, Yin Tai did not accept the mother and son's affection. After taking a breath, he pushed the two of them away and said, "Being a citizen follows the law of the court. Our family has its own rules and laws - you can do it yourself!" He waved his hand away.

"Son!" Mrs. Zhang heard Yin Tai walking away and hugged Yin Jishan, "You - what do you want to tell your mother? You feel sorry for your mother, you still need to say this, do you do this? Your mother is standing aside and looking at you. , my heart is full of emotions, why care about these pretentious things? You are fine at home, but you still have to go to Nanjing after all. My ignorant son..." She was sobbing and shaking all over, lying on her son's solid body He held his son tightly on his shoulders, as if his son would disappear suddenly if he let go, and gently hit Yin Jishan's back with one hand.

Yin Jishan also had tears streaming down his face, and he gasped and said: "Mom, your son is a man of quality, voice, courage, and knowledge. I can carry him on my shoulders! You don't have to be afraid at all. In the worst case, I will take you to the post. My name is You enjoy all the happiness in the world!"

"What if your father refuses to obey?" Mrs. Zhang held his shoulders tightly with both hands, "You know how stubborn the old man is."

"He has to be willing even if he doesn't want to." Yin Jishan said with certainty, thinking of Yongzheng's trust and affection for him, "I will definitely be able to take you to Nanjing. If you go through such hardship, if... I will feel uncomfortable for the rest of my life."

The mother and son were crying and talking when they suddenly heard a rush of footsteps outside the flower hall. Gao Wuyong broke in and said, "Master Yin, there is a will." Yin Jishan stood up hurriedly and said to his mother, "Son, take it." The order will be returned." "No, you are not the only one who accepted the order." Gao Wuyong looked at Mrs. Zhang, who looked pitiful and silent, and said, "There are also Yin Tai, Mrs. Fan of Yin Tai, and Mrs. Zhang who are also accepting the order! In the main hall of the front yard, go quickly!" After that, he hurried away.

The mother and son looked at each other in astonishment. After a moment of panic, Mrs. Zhang was busy looking through her clothes. Yin Jishan said: "Mom, don't show your identity. If the decree calls for you to go, your words will definitely be there. No matter how well you dress, you are better than Can you get there?" After saying that, I supported my mother with both hands and walked to the front yard. I saw that the whole yard was full of lights and candles, and people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs were standing in front of all the steps.The whole family of Hefu was in a panic, preparing wine and tea and rushing back and forth like they were picking up firecrackers.Seeing his mother's confused look, Yin Jishan comforted her in a low voice and helped her into the main hall. He saw that the incense table had been set up, Yin Tai's crown and robes were neatly arranged, and the "Fan Lihua" phoenix crown and Xia Pei were standing beside her.Both of them seemed a little uneasy. When they saw them coming in, Yin Tai said calmly: "You guys should also stand here." Only then did Yin Jishan see that Prince Yi Yunli, the seventeenth younger brother of the current emperor, had come to deliver the order, and he was busy talking to his mother. Standing closely behind Yin Tai.When Mrs. Zhang had passed through such a scene, she was trembling and unable to stand, and could only rely on her son to stand still.

"The people who have received the decree have gathered." Gao Wuyong gave Yunli a thousand words and said, "Please declare the decree!"

Yunli nodded, Gao Wuyong immediately stepped back, and came up again in the blink of an eye, holding a gold plate in both hands. On the plate was a set of splendid and gorgeous Yipingaoming costumes, as well as two shining yellow gold medals. The gold ingot was placed beside the plate, and there was a crown with an engraved gold throne pressed on the royal robe. There was a cherry-sized ruby ​​in the middle of three hazelnut-sized pearls, which trembled and shone brightly under the lamp - this outfit. The whole family knows that it is the proud treasure of the royal wife, Mrs. Fan, so why are they handed another set? ——At this moment, three or four hundred people, including the servant chief and the maid and old woman, stood in the corridor outside, watching the scene intently, so silent that they could not hear a cough.Yunli had just arrived in front of the case and stood facing south, but he pronounced the decree:
"There is a decree: Yin Tai, Yin Jishan, Fan and Zhang will listen to the announcement!"

"Long live!"

The four of them kowtowed together.

"Xiang Yin Tai has been with the late emperor for many years and has made great achievements. He assists me, is respectful and prudent, and he is my heart minister." Yunli coughed lightly, and then recited, "Yin Tai has a good way of training his children. If he has a son like Yin Jishan, he will be impartial. He is fearful of life, sincere to his master, honest and able to love the people. He has handled the important missions of our dynasty's military and state affairs properly since the Jiangnan area was sealed. He is worthy of being a famous official in ancient times. I think of the righteousness of a son to honor his father, and have been favored many times. Father and son are in the same dynasty. The ministers of the Pillar Hall are also a blessing to your family. However, without the Zhang family, there would be no Yin Jishan, and without Yin Jishan, how could Yin Tai's honor and reputation be so prominent? The Zhang family's ability to serve as husband and teach children cannot be forgotten. Today Jishan is already noble, but his mother is still in Qingyi, and she is very obedient to her mother in treating her son as noble. Previously, Fan, the wife of Yin Tai, was given the title of General of the Zhenguo. Prince Yi is now sent to carry the crown to deliver the decree. , that is, the Zhang family would like to accept the imperial edict, and as the wife of the general who governs the country, I will be given a royal imperial edict. If you accept it, you will go to the post with your son, and you will live up to my expectations. I admire this!"

The four of them were stunned together.

"Congratulations to Mr. Yin, Mrs. Fan." Yunli smiled, and bowed to Yin Jishan, "Congratulations to Mrs. Zhang, Mr. Jishan!" Seeing that the four of them knelt motionless, he asked in surprise: "Why, you don't Pursuant to the imperial edict?—I brought my own wine and feast to get drunk before leaving!"

Yin Tai looked around and seemed a little confused. The three people around him all lowered their heads. He knew clearly what each of them was feeling.But this absolutely impossible thing actually happened to him at this time, and he couldn't adapt to it anyway.In a daze, he kowtowed and said, "Old minister, thank you!" As soon as he spoke, Yin Jishan and the other three kowtowed unevenly and expressed their gratitude vaguely.

"This is a great happy event. Xiao Wang is so happy today! Bring up the banquet I brought. I will rejoice with you and your two ladies!" Seeing that Fan and Zhang were paralyzed on the ground without getting up, they walked forward. He took Zhang's arm.Yin Jishan, such a smart man, quickly stepped forward and helped Fan, who was as soft as noodles, with both hands. Yin Tai sat on the chair, and the two first-grade emperors sat on both sides. Yunli opened the bottle to accompany them. Yin Jishan suppressed his excitement. You have to think outside the box, turn the table and pour the wine.Yin Tai was annoyed with gratitude for the mighty emperor's kindness.Fan was shy and angry, jealous of Zhang and fearful of the unexpected fate of the divine life, while Zhang was filled with sorrow, joy, and fear, as if she was confused and had no owner in her dreams.Yunli found it interesting, happy and full of interest.The four people sat at the same table with different thoughts and ideas. They all drank as soon as they came in and drank the wine as soon as they raised their glasses. In less than half an hour, they were all drunk and drunk.Yin Jishan waited for them to rest and almost collapsed on the ground.Fortunately, his mind was still clear and he fanned his sleeping mother for a while.He asked the girl to come over and take his place. He bent over his desk and picked up a pen, and wrote a note of gratitude to Yongzheng with all his heart.

Yongzheng was in a rage at this moment.After listening to the "gossip" from Hongli, he ordered Hongshi and Hongzhou to be summoned to Danning Residence.According to Yongzheng's wishes, he also wanted to call Fang Bao, the "old man, into trouble", and at the same time call Sun Jiagan in for detailed questioning, but Hongli stopped him and said: "These are all details in the palace. They are just fake. It's good to have eliminated it invisible. But when the son met, he would ask for the reason - but it seemed that even if he didn't ask, Sun Jiagan would secretly tell the emperor. According to the son, just ask the brothers here. ”

"That's what the fourth brother said." Hong Zhou said while rubbing his sleepy eyes, "The fewer people who know about this kind of thing, the better. We were surprised at ourselves first, but it only made matters worse. Don't make family scandals public!" He was woken up from his bed with a sleeping look on his face.Hongshi heard what he said was extremely inappropriate and wanted to laugh when he looked at him, so he just lowered his head and pretended not to hear.Yongzheng had always been a man of great authority, cold-tempered and extremely picky, but he was unusually tolerant and gentle towards his youngest son, Hong Zhou. He only glared at him and said, "What nonsense are you talking about! What kind of 'family scandal' do I have?" Don’t tell people? This is someone deliberately spreading rumors! It used to be only in the capital, but now it’s spread to ordinary people. If you catch the leader, I will punish him to death!"

Honglifang was deep in thought, and Hongshi said: "What Ama said is absolutely true. This is not a groundless rumor. There are some things in the palace that outsiders can't fabricate. The emperor has been seeking treatment diligently, and has been sick all over. Some people have ulterior motives. , and such rumors among the common people are really outrageous and hateful!" Hong Zhou immediately retorted, saying: "Third brother, we are all the emperor's sons, need we say 'hate'? Now is not a matter of discussing whether to hate or not. It’s a matter of discussing a solution! Rumors like the Queen Mother’s death are just the gossip of the eunuchs in the palace—no, no, this is not gossip, it is pure fabrication to create trouble and deceive the government!”

"Gao Wuyong!" Hong Zhou reminded Yong Zheng, and he raised his voice and shouted, "Come in."

Gao Wuyong was standing guard at the entrance of the palace. He had never seen the four of them gather together in the middle of the night to talk about secrets. Even Yindi moved away. He felt uneasy and felt that something big was going to happen.Hearing Yong Zheng's scream, his legs trembled, he hurriedly ran in, said "I'm here," and knelt down.

"Well..." Yongzheng felt that there was nothing to talk about at the moment, and he pondered for a long time with a straight face, and said: "Although you are not the eunuch of the Sixth Palace, and your position is not high. But you serve me day and night, and you are actually more important than the eunuch of the capital." Gao Wuyong hurriedly kowtowed and said, "This is all thanks to Lord Long Live -" "Don't talk about this," Yongzheng waved his hand to stop him, "I sometimes meet with ministers, but how come only a few words are spread?" Gao Wuyong suddenly panicked. They met again and again and said: "The slave is a person who has been employed by two generations of masters. He knows the rules of the master, how dare he offend the wife outside? Sometimes the foreign official wants the slave to send a message so that he can come to the audience early and give the slave some red envelopes. It’s true, no matter how bad the slave is, he doesn’t have the heart or the guts to do it... Even the waiters in this palace are all well-behaved..."

"Rules?" Yong Zheng sneered, "The chief envoy from Gansu was transferred to Hunan. How did he know about it first?"

"Long live the return!" Gao Wuyong became more and more panicked, kowtowed and said with a grimace, "That matter has been degenerated. It was reported by Qin Ke'er, and it has been driven to the slaughter... I don't want to do anything like a slave... …”

Yongzheng called Gao Wuyong in for no reason. Seeing him in such a frightened state, he couldn't help but smile. He suddenly stopped smiling and said, "Recently, the palace restrictions are not strict, the doors are not tight, and some things have been spread that should not be known to the outside world! - You Don't be afraid, I know it's not you. But you are responsible!" "Yes, yes..." Gao Wuyong wiped the sweat from his head and said repeatedly, "I will summon them to lecture you when I get up tomorrow morning. Anyone who dares to offend again will be whipped. Get out!"

"It's so easy for you to say that! If he reveals the secrets of the palace, I will definitely kill him!" Yong Zheng gritted his teeth and said in a calm tone, "I will definitely show you how to behave in the next few days. Get out of here!"

Hongli spoke at this time, frowning and said: "There are some eunuchs who go to teahouses to brag and have bad tongues. It is unbelievable that it has spread to the people of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan. Even what the fifth brother said, there is no need to be surprised. Look at it. Let’s talk about the signs. Nowadays, some things are very strange and confusing. It is better to continue the secret a little more than to make any omissions. Long live the Lord is the master of heaven and earth, and it seems that there is no need to worry about these gossips." His words are actually the same as Hong Zhou's opinion, "If you are not surprised by the strange things, you will be defeated by the strange things." Some things cannot be taken seriously and cannot be explained, otherwise they will become darker and darker. Of course Yongzheng understood this.But the more you chew it, the worse the aftertaste becomes.If cliques form among civil servants and military generals, and rumors are spread among party members, they can be summoned and severely reprimanded, and they can be arrested, imprisoned, exiled, or beheaded.People spread rumors without even a chance to explain!What is frightening is that the White Lotus Sect has emerged in some places, and there are many people who have raised flags, fired off cannons, and gathered in rebellion after repeated bans.Every place has its own gangs and power, and the court does not take them seriously to control them, making them easily exploited by bandits.Thinking about it, Yongzheng asked: "Hongli, when you returned to Beijing, you once said that Li Wei recommended a man named Wu Xiazi to follow you. Did he come later?"

"Here we come." Hongli was still thinking about the terrible rumors Sun Jiagan said. He didn't know that Yongzheng had already put so many thoughts on it at this moment. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Now I am living in the Erchen Mansion and teaching Erchen. Please give me some effort, do you want to see him?"

Hongshi suddenly felt disappointed. After Hongli's official duties, he practiced martial arts with several male and female masters in his private residence. He had already heard about it, and was thinking of finding a topic to say that he "privately raises dead men" to give him a hard time. Bad medicine.Now that he has admitted it so clearly, the matter is finally over.After thinking about it, Yong Zheng shook his head and said, "I don't want to see him for the time being. But these characters are able to travel both black and white. They have good information among the people in the world, and they also have control over some gangs. They want to be kind to them, make them righteous, and understand them with reason." With power, it is much easier for them to talk and do things than the court. You first tell the Ministry of War to let him know his identity, and we will talk about the interview later. Just like these rumors, he must pay attention to what is going on in the world. .”

"Yes." Hongli understood Yongzheng's thoughts and said hurriedly.

Yongzheng picked up the tea and sipped it, and said, "Don't take this matter lightly. Rumors can hurt people if they are small, or destroy the country if they are big. I will never let this happen easily. Hongli Now you are in charge of military affairs, money and food, and you can pay attention to politics, which means you have the overall situation. Hongshi, you are in charge of government affairs, and there are thousands of trivial matters, but if there are rumors, you must report them to me in time. Hongshi, I want to see that you are evacuated, and your body and bones are not good. No, so I gave you the idle jobs at Taichang Temple, Taipu Temple, Luan Yiwei, and Taiyuan Hospital, not to provide for you in old age. How can you do nothing and just mess around in the house? The three of you brothers are talented. Everyone has their own virtues, and they should all use their talents to help your old Ama govern this world. Believe in this and let him go in that, you just look at it like that, but in fact, aren’t you the only three of my flesh and blood? You three are one body , Only when we are at peace from the heart can things work. If the fence is tight, wild dogs can’t get in, and if there are no inner ghosts, no evil will come from outside. Do you understand?”

"My sons and ministers, I understand." The three of them kowtowed together.Hong Zhou said: "My son must remember Ama's words. In fact, my son is a bit -" he scratched his head, "a little taboo, but people are more casual when they see my son and can hear everything they say. People like Yang Mingshi and Sun Jiagan Honest ministers, there are still some people who are not happy in their official career, eunuchs in the palace and so on, but my son gets along well. I must pay more attention to the emperor in the future. You can only enjoy the shade if you have a big tree. If you don’t even know this, how can your son still be a human being?"

Hongshi looked serious and said: "After the death of the Holy Ancestor and the rumors at the time of the handover of the throne, I dare to say that it must have been started by that old man Longkodo. He has been imprisoned now, but the rumors The news has already spread, how can we forgive such a person lightly? Killing him to deter those irregulars is not a bad idea." "Third brother, this is the wrong idea." Hong Zhou looked arrogant and half-smiled. Then he said: "I think Longkodo should not die. The emperor succeeded to the throne in a fair and just way. It was the eighth uncle - oh no, it was Aqina and the others who fabricated the rumors behind him, disrupted the affairs of the court, and killed him. There is no proof even if he is dead. He may be useful when he is alive and can serve as a witness to the world." Hongli said: "Fifth brother, this is a smart thing. If you didn't remind me, I almost forgot. Last time, Uncle Yun was critically ill. I went to visit and took a look at the Longkodo Forbidden City. I smelled the stench before I even got to the house. The guard guard quietly came back to me. Longkodo couldn’t leave the house even for defecation. It was such a hot day that I couldn’t get sick. No! Third brother, please change those guards quickly. No matter how serious Long Ke’s crimes are, he still has merit in the past!”

The more Yongzheng listened, the more he realized something was wrong, but he couldn't figure out what was "wrong" for the moment. Even to his own son, he couldn't tell all his thoughts.He sipped tea one after another, his expression was dull and seemed to be deeply melancholy, and he remained silent.Seeing that everyone had run out of words, Hongshi changed the subject with a smile and said, "My father often manages things unexpectedly, and even the most difficult things always end happily. Just like Yin Jishan, he doesn't know how to make the house lively at the moment. Here!" Yongzheng finally came back to his senses and couldn't help but smile as he imagined the situation in the Yin Mansion.The three brothers also joined in the fun and fawned over Cheng Huan, telling him jokes to relieve his boredom. When the clock hit eleven o'clock, he bowed out solemnly.

(End of this chapter)