Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

In the ninth year of Xifeng, on the 18th day of the winter lunar month, Chang Chao was held.

The dynasties of the country are divided into major dynasties and regular dynasties.

The Great Dynasty is the annual New Year's Day, Winter Solstice and Longevity Festival. The Emperor's Palace of Supreme Harmony accepts visits and celebrations from princes and civil and military officials. It is called the Great Dynasty and does not deal with government affairs.

Changchao is a routine system established to handle daily government affairs, also known as "imperial court listening to politics."

Taizu made a rule that on the fifth, fifteenth and twenty-fifth of each month, the imperial palace would listen to government affairs.

During the reigns of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Taishang, government affairs became increasingly busy and the frequency gradually increased.

So far, we have been working harder and more diligently, and we have set a three-day meeting.

The court meeting time starts at Maochu (five o'clock in the morning), so the court officials have to get up at the latest Yinchu (three o'clock in the morning) to prepare for the court.

Jia Cong never slept in, but he never got up so early, and it was the coldest month of winter and he couldn't get up.

"Third Master, it's almost time to get up. Get up quickly. You have to go to court today. What if you miss the court?"

Qingwen was so anxious that she kept urging her. If Jia Cong missed the time, she and Qian Xue would not be able to eat and walk around, and the old lady would not let them go.

Jia Cong suddenly remembered that he had to go to court today to report back to Xue Pan, and he stood up hurriedly.

Under the service of Qingwen and Qianxue, he hurriedly put on his court clothes, drank two mouthfuls of mutton and rouge rice porridge, and then went out.

There was a cold moon in the sky, several inches of snow on the ground, and the north wind was whistling by, chilling his bones. Jia Cong tightened his cloak tightly. Fortunately, he was riding a horse, so he should be able to make it in time.

Dozens of soldiers, holding lanterns customized by Rongfu, escorted Jia Cong into the palace.

There was not a soul on the street, and not long after, they arrived at Chengtianmen.

Jia Cong saw the lights and figures under Chengtian Gate. There were already two to three hundred people standing there.

When I got closer, I saw servants from various families, bearers of sedan chairs, soldiers, etc., who were waiting here after sending their master to the court to pick him up from the court.

Ordering his soldiers to wait here, Jia Cong showed his royal guard badge and entered through the corner gate.

Entering the Chengtian Gate is the Imperial City, and then entering the Meridian Gate is the Palace City, which is commonly known as the Forbidden Palace.

As soon as Miss Jia Congxin got on the sedan chair, she was looking for someone to ask about the rules of going to court. Suddenly she saw two little eunuchs holding lanterns coming to greet her.

"Greetings to my uncle. Manager Dai knows that you are going to court for the first time today. He is afraid that you are not familiar with the rules, so he specially ordered the young man to come and lead the way."

Jia Cong secretly praised Dai Quan for his thoroughness and meticulousness. He cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Thank you, father-in-law."

"I don't dare. Please come with us, uncle."

Jia Cong followed and asked casually: "Why is it so dark in the imperial city? How can those officials see the way when they go to court?"

The eunuch laughed and said: "Originally there were lights everywhere in the imperial city, but now they have been abolished on the grounds of waste.

Don't tell me, some official actually lost his footing and fell into the Jinshui River and drowned. "

Jia Cong was dumbfounded, this is too nonsense.

Another eunuch said: "This is why Chief Dai asked us to pick you up. When you go to court, there are only three types of people with lights to greet you."

Jia Cong asked curiously: "What three kinds of people are they?"

"The first is the cabinet minister of military aircraft; the second is the prince and the ministers and ministers; the third is the reporting officers of the ministries and yamen and the Titang officers of each province stationed in Beijing."

Jia Cong nodded. After all, he had been in the officialdom for several years, so he understood the so-called official reports and officials.

Officials who have decided in advance to report important matters on the agenda of today's court meeting are called transfer officials from the ministry and Titang officials from other provinces.

It would be funny if someone falls to death before things happen.

"Who is going to court today?" Jia Cong asked.

"Generally speaking, the Chang Dynasty is attended by officials from the capital of fourth rank or above, except for officials from the imperial censor."

"The military generals are those with the rank of commander or above of the Beijing Army."

"The honorable nobles are the four great princes from the southeast, northwest, and are qualified to go to court."

Jia Cong nodded. He was a fourth-grade civil servant and a third-grade military general. Logically speaking, he was not qualified to go to court.

Although he is a high-ranking earl, he is not qualified for the military position. Only the commander in the Jinyi Guard is qualified to go to court. He is now an official, so he is qualified to go to court.

Thinking of this, Jia Cong felt lucky that he didn't have to go to court often.

After a while, we walked to the Meridian Gate.

Nearly a hundred officials were already waiting at the door. They were all shivering with cold, putting their hands in their sleeves, chatting in small groups, exhaling like frost, and stamping their feet to keep warm from time to time.

"Uncle, you can enter from the west door later and follow. I'll leave first so as not to attract attention."

Jia Cong took out his banknotes and rewarded the two of them, saying, "Thank you two, father-in-law. Say hello to Mr. Dai for me."

"Thank you, uncle, for your reward. I will definitely bring the message to you." The two eunuchs left happily.

Jia Cong was generous with his gifts. No one in the palace knew that the amount of silver notes he rewarded was never less than 100 taels.

Outside the Meridian Gate, there were a bunch of people standing in front of the east and west gates. On the east side were civil officials, and on the west side were nobles and military generals.

Jia Cong came to the west side to see if there was anyone he knew.

Taking advantage of the snow and the dim light of the lanterns on the city, I took a closer look and saw that among the thirty or forty people, I didn't see any acquaintance, and I felt a lot of cold and hostile eyes.

Jia Cong frowned slightly, he must be from the lineage of Uncle Hou who was in charge of the military. He was born in the Duke's palace, so it was normal for him to be ostracized by them.

Apparently, no one in the eight princely palaces is qualified to go to court on weekdays.

"Brother Cong, you're here." Suddenly someone came over to say hello.

It was the current infantry commander and Yamen commander, Anrenhou Wu Lang, who received the post from Jia Mu and sent people to look for him. This is an acquaintance.

"I have met the Admiral," Jia Cong said, cupping his hands.

The infantry commander's yamen is in charge of public security in Shenjing, so the chief officer is also called the nine-door admiral.

Wu Lang smiled and said: "No need to be polite. We haven't seen each other for three or four years. The former boy has become a first-class gangster. It's really a hero who comes from a boy. I'm happy to congratulate him."

"My lord, I'm sorry. It's just the shadow of my ancestors, it's nothing."

Wu Lang waved his hand and said: "You are too modest. The country never awards titles lightly. If you hadn't established special honors in Liaodong, how could you be here?"

Even if His Majesty wants to show favor, the Governor's Office of the Fifth Army will not let go. "When he said the last few words, his voice was much lower.

Jia Cong's heart moved. Wu Lang showed his kindness to me. Could it be that he intended to break away from Hou Bo's lineage, or that he wanted to keep a distance from the powerful faction in the army.

"Your Excellency, you are wrong about the award. What is a little credit worth? I still haven't thanked you for your enthusiastic help." Jia Cong said with a smile.

Wu Lang said with a smile: "It's just a matter of duty, why are you thanking me? Back then, I saw that you were fearless and outstanding in the face of danger. I originally wanted to put you under my command for training, but now I'm afraid I have to ask your brother to take care of my brother."

At this time, Jia Cong had determined that Wu Lang wanted to get close to the king's family. Although he didn't know the reason, he was happy to make a friend and said: "I don't dare to deserve my love. But if it is useful, just give me your orders."

Speaking of which, I am currently very weak, so I am afraid that I will have a lot to rely on from my elder brother in the future. "

"It's easy to talk about." Wu Lang smiled and nodded. Jia Cong was well informed, no wonder His Majesty liked it.

Suddenly I saw someone waving in front of me and said, "But you're Dang Kou Bo in Rongguo Mansion?"

Um? Jia Cong hurriedly raised his head to look, only to hear Wu Lang whisper: "It's King Beijing calling you, go quickly." After that, he walked aside.

Beijing Wang Shui Rong? This is a celebrity in the Red Chamber.

Jia Cong hurriedly stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, "Cong has met the prince."

I saw that the King of Beijing was about twenty-three or four years old. He was wearing a red-gold emerald seven-treasure phoenix-winged king's cap, a purple-gold dragon-getting-water five-clawed python robe, and a jasper red belt. His face was like jade, his eyes were like stars, and his nose was like a star. His gallbladder hangs and his lips look like they are greased. He is a beautiful figure.

Prince Beijing held his hand and said with a smile: "Since we are family friends, there is no need to be polite. The family of your family has two princes, and now that you have a noble brother, the world brother, it is really a blessing.

Xiao Wang had long known that Brother Shi had made a triumphant return, and now he was leading the Jin Yiwei errand. He was busy with official duties, so he never dared to invite him rashly. He hoped that Brother Shi would not be offended. "

Jia Cong was "flattered" and said with cupped hands: "Your Majesty is too polite, how can Cong be so polite? If your Majesty calls you, how dare Cong not come even if there is something big going on?"

King Beijing smiled and said: "Then it's a deal. After you finish your work for a while, I will buy wine to celebrate for you. I heard that there was some discord between you and Bei Si. Has it been settled now? You have to be careful. You are not naughty when you stroke the tiger beard of the factory guard." Jia Cong sighed: "I am afraid that this is what I am going to court for today. Since Cong has been ordered by the emperor, not to mention the tiger beard, even the tiger's butt I just had to touch it.”

The King of Beijing smiled and said: "Brother, you are a handsome young man. He roams the battlefield, conquers thousands of miles, and defeats Wuhuan. He should be so heroic. Xiao Wang admires him."

Jia Cong suddenly said: "When I go to court, if something happens, I hope that the prince will speak up for the sake of the friendship between the two families."

King Beijing's eyes narrowed slightly, and he nodded: "That's the way it is, don't worry."

In the darkness, there was a glimmer of light in Jia Cong's eyes. He heard Niu Jizong talk about this person when he was in Liaodong.

At that time, the four princes of Dongping, Nan'an, Xining, and Beijing were granted the title of King Taizong for three generations because of their extraordinary merits. Emperor Taizong granted the Prince of Beijing another favor and allowed him to inherit the title for one more lifetime.

Therefore, although Shui Rong is already in his fourth life, he still attacks Wang Jue.

"Although King Shui Rongnian of Beijing is a weakling, he is calm and mature, and he is talented in both literature and martial arts. He is master of everything. He is by no means an ignorant romantic young man or a wealthy grandson."

Thinking of Niu Jizong's judgment of him, Jia Cong had an idea and killed him.

Find out whether his surname is Jiang or Wang.

Although it cannot be completely accurate, it can still give a glimpse.

For a moment, the two of them were speechless, thinking silently.

Jia Cong said: "Your Majesty, this is Cong's first time to go to court. I wonder how long we have to wait? My feet are numb."

King Beijing laughed and said, "You've only been here once and you can't stand it? It's really a hard job to say that it's a hard job to go to court at this time. There are poems from the predecessors that say the moon stands near Yugou Bridge, and the arch is half-opened but the court is not open.

As the saying goes, there are three hardships in life: forging iron and grinding tofu. I think this court was even more difficult than last time. "

"Oh? I'd like to hear the details."

"One sleepy, two hungry, three dark and four cold."

"Congratulations, Your Majesty."

The two laughed together.

Suddenly I heard a clear sound of "dang".

On the Meridian Gate, the court bell in the Wufeng Tower was rung by the eunuch of the Bell and Drum Department of the Inner Court.

The east and west side doors opened slowly.

Everyone was busy dressing up and lining up to enter the palace.

Jia Cong knowingly ran to the last one and stood there. Needless to say, everyone present had a higher title and military rank than him.

After entering the Meridian Gate, the civil and military officials stopped south of the Inner Jinshui Bridge and lined up according to their grades.

I saw a powerful guard walking to the middle bridge holding a long whip. With a flick of his wrist, the two-foot-long whip spread out and flicked in the air like a dragon.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!

Three loud and clear blasts broke the silence of the early morning.

Then everyone filed past the nearby bridge and went straight to the Baohe Hall. They stood neatly and said nothing.

The supervisory censor watched closely, but if there was talk, coughing, spitting, crowding or improper manner, he would write it down in a small notebook for reference.

Jia Cong raised his head slightly and saw that the Baohe Hall was nine rooms wide and five rooms deep. Both the inner and outer eaves were painted with golden dragons and seals, and the ceiling was painted with gold dragons on the front.

The six ceiling beams are extremely unique and harmonious with the red decoration and furnishings, making it appear luxurious and luxurious.

The floor of the hall is paved with gold bricks, and there are carved gold lacquered thrones and imperial cases from north to south. On the left and right of the imperial steps are the bands of the Bell and Drum Division. Between the pillars of the hall are "generals of the Han Dynasty", wearing full armor.

There are many lights in the hall, as bright as day; outside the hall, there are guards standing with swords on the left and right of the royal road and behind the civil and military officials.

Suddenly hearing the sound of ritual music, several royal guards and chamberlains came in from the back of the palace with Emperor Xifeng in their arms, climbed up the imperial steps and sat down.

Just listen to the sound of the silent whip outside the door, the officials of Honglu Temple entered the class singing, and the civil and military officials knelt down together, bowed three times and kowtowed three times, and called long live the three times.

Emperor Xifeng was sitting high on the imperial steps. He could not clearly see the happiness and anger on his face. He gently raised his hands and said, "Everyone, please get down."

"Long live thanks." Everyone then stood up and formally began to discuss matters.

Just listen to Dai Quan shaking his fly whisk at the foot of the imperial steps, and singing in a high-pitched voice: "If you have a foundation, start playing, but if you don't have a foundation, retreat from the court."

"I have this memorial."

"Accurate."

"It's been a severe cold year this year, and there have been heavy snowfalls in the northern provinces for days, crushing countless houses, killing and injuring tens of thousands of people, and leaving countless livestock begging for disaster relief."

"Please allocate the river workers' silver as soon as possible to prepare for next spring flood."

"The food and salary for the frontier army have been in arrears for several months. Please allocate it as soon as possible. In addition, the equipment of the Beijing army is old and the horses are old and thin and need to be replaced urgently."

"The Hanlin Academy has completed the revision of the "Da Wu Huidian". Please give your Majesty's instructions."

……

Jia Cong stood at the end and listened for a long time. Nothing related to him and he couldn't help but yawn.

Suddenly I saw two censors coming out of the queue, I was startled, even if I yawned, would I be punished?

"I joined Du He, the magistrate of Xinzhou, Shanxi Province, and imposed excessive taxes and expropriations, and was greedy and despicable, which provoked a civil uprising. As a result, more than a thousand people attacked the Yamen, killing and injuring dozens of people."

"I joined Xia Qun, the magistrate of Yichang Prefecture in Hubei Province. He embezzled public funds, enriched his own pockets, accepted bribes, sold his official position and received no honors. He was a nepotist. The people complained and the scholars were excited. Your Majesty, please punish him severely."

Jia Cong breathed a sigh of relief, luckily it wasn't him.

After listening to it for a long time, people in the court went back and forth, arguing endlessly, but nothing came up.

The various ministries asked for money in various ways, but Yan Ning, the minister of household affairs, choked to death with just one sentence.

"Colleagues, the Ministry of Revenue has no money. Please think of ways to support it first, and then allocate it after Jiangnan taxes are paid."

Jia Cong saw that Yan Ning had a thin figure, a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks, and his mustache moved up and down when he spoke. He was very funny. No wonder he was nicknamed "Mole".

Feng Yuan, the right minister of the Ministry of Finance, a fat man weighing two to three hundred pounds, helped: "My lords, there is really no money in the treasury of the Ministry of Finance. In order to raise money for you, I am restless and unable to eat. If you don’t believe me, look at it, I’ve lost a lot of weight now.”

Jia Cong couldn't help but chuckle. This fat man was shameless and had a bit of a gentleman's demeanor.

All the officials couldn't help but reprimanded him one after another.

The more fiery person, regardless of the situation, cursed: "Fat Feng, nearly half of the vassal guesthouse in Honglu Temple collapsed due to heavy snowfall. If it is not repaired and allowed to be seen by envoys from other vassals, how will it be done?" ? It’s about the dignity of the country, how dare you not take this money?”

"Fat Feng, Henan has been hit by a drought and locust plague this summer. Thousands of miles of bare land, no harvests, and millions of people fleeing the famine and being displaced. Should we provide relief? If there is a civil uprising and rebellion, your Ministry of Household Affairs will be responsible?"

"According to Qin Tianjian's prediction, the Yellow River is very likely to flood next year, affecting hundreds of millions of people. If we don't spend money to manage the river construction, Fatty Feng is afraid that the money for disaster relief will be far more than the money for river construction."

……

Facing the "encirclement and suppression" by seven or eight important officials of the imperial court, Feng Yuan showed no fear, shook the fat on his face, cupped his hands and said: "My lords, please listen to me.

What you all said makes sense. Our country is a great country and our business is great. There are so many places to spend money. How can we respond to every request? Do you, my colleagues, think of me, Feng Yuan, as Guanyin Bodhisattva?

If you want to repair a house, the vassal hall of Honglu Temple will collapse if it collapses. Not to mention your stubbornness, the Shoukang Palace was struck by lightning and burned down by fire this spring. Your Majesty understands the difficulties in the treasury and has not repaired it until now. Why are you anxious?

People want to provide disaster relief. Henan disaster relief money and food have already been allocated this autumn. Are you here to ask for money again? What do local officials do for food? Is there a cornucopia or a golden touch in the household department? Please ask the Ministry of Personnel and the Supervisory Office to conduct a thorough investigation of Henan's officialdom and seize a few Shuoshu. I think I will have all the money.

We are going to build the river. This year has not even passed yet. What are you anxious about next year? Wait for the water to come out first.

As the saying goes, a good woman can't make a meal without rice. If all my colleagues feel that my virtue is not worthy of my position, you may as well ask your Majesty to swap positions with me. I don't care about my superiority. Anyway, I serve the imperial court wherever I go. "

"You! Scoundrel."

"Scrooge!"

"miser!"

"Stingy little bastard!"

"How dignified is it for a high-ranking official of the imperial court to behave wildly in the Golden Palace?"

……

Feng Yuan snorted coldly and ignored it.

Jia Cong was sincerely impressed, this fat man was a good man, he could be called the best in court. (End of chapter)