Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 110

The twelfth lunar month is the busiest peak season for Riyuexing Restaurant.At the end of the year, people from the two capitals and the thirteen provinces who sent New Year's greetings to the Yan Mansion had to come here to book private rooms a few days in advance, drinking wine here while waiting for the concierge of the Yan Mansion to summon them in order.Therefore, in this month, the price of this restaurant has doubled compared with usual, whether it is wine, food or private rooms.White snow fluttered outside the gate, and large and small ingots of silver flowed into the counter.The sun disappears during the day, and the moon disappears at night, but the sun and the moon are extremely prosperous.Old Beijing preached that the word "Ming" in the Ming Dynasty was eaten by this restaurant.

A man in a cloak and still with his cloak showing only two eyes was led by a mistress of "Ri Yue Xing" in front, followed by two attendants in casual clothes, passed through the crowd of drinkers, and squeezed into a crowd. He stopped in front of the private room door.Above the door of the private room was a red poster with the word "Military Department" written on it.

The waiter said, "My lord, the call from the Ministry of War was late, so I spent a lot of time to transfer this private room from the person who had been appointed by the governor's yamen in Guizhou. It's a little smaller. Please forgive me."

"It doesn't matter. You can go." The man in the cloak and cloak spoke, and the voice turned out to be Zhang Juzheng.

Of course the waiter didn't know him, so he still didn't leave. He bowed half of his body to block the door of the private room, with a smile all over his face: "My lord, your old appointment has arrived early. I'll go in and report for you." Yishen grabbed the door knocker of the private room but did not push it open.

Zhang Juzheng knew that he was asking for a tip, a trace of disgust flashed in his eyes, and he looked at the followers behind him.

An attendant took out a piece of silver from his sleeve, and his face was full of displeasure: "Remember, what you took this time is the silver from the Ministry of War."

That Xiao Er was not at all stage-frightened, and with a smirk on his face, he stretched out his hand and took the piece of silver: "The villain wishes all the masters of the Ministry of War every year to win every battle, and return every victory." Then he pushed open a door of the private room .

Seeing that he was still blocking the door of the private room, Zhang Juzheng became angry: "Do you expect the Ministry of War to fight every year?"

The Xiaoer's smile gradually faded, but he was still not too scared: "The villain will wait for the master to ascend to his seat." He reached out and grabbed the knocker of the other door as if he wanted to push it or not. Obviously, the two doors required two tips. .

"Tell him to get out!" Zhang Juzheng pushed open the other door that Xiao Er was holding on to, and walked in.

The little girl was pushed almost to the ground, and stood at the door with a puzzled look on her face.

"Aren't you going to wait for us to throw you down?" The two attendants couldn't bear him long ago, and with the words of the hall official, one of the attendants finally showed a fierce look, and reached out to grab the young man's collar.

In fact, many people know that this restaurant has elements from Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing, so even the waiters are very arrogant.That Xiao Er is used to officials from other provinces, and even the officials from the five prefectures and six divisions of the capital are not in his eyes. He has been frightened like this several times before, and now he also showed his rudeness, and raised his hand to go Grabbing the entourage's wrist, I suddenly saw the embroidered wrist of a fourth-rank general exposed from the sleeve of the casual clothes raised by the entourage. Then I suddenly felt that the person who entered was very powerful, and that hand did not dare to stretch it out again. As soon as he retreated, he bowed and turned around in a hurry to leave, but his shoulder was grabbed by the attendant's big hand, making him unable to move.

At this time, many guests came in and out of the private room one after another, and the waiter was forcibly turned around by the attendant's big hand.Immediately afterwards, the attendant pinched the back of his neck with his other hand, turned his head, and whispered in his ear: "Master knows that there are members of Luo Longwen, Yan Maoqing in your restaurant. You can do it now." Immediately go and tell Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing that there is still some military pay in the Ministry of War for money, how about taking away all the military pay from the Ming Dynasty?"

That Xiaoer was scared now, and he grabbed his collar and strangled his neck, and the words that came out of his throat were already very awkward: "Little, how dare a villain..."

The entourage was still pinching him: "Men, I'm still worried that you dare not dare. You'd better chew your tongue when you leave here, and say that the people from the Ministry of War have smashed the signboard. Is this okay?"

That Xiao Er: "Of course not...Okay, the villain knows it's wrong...I definitely don't dare to say a word..."

"Go away." Then the attendant pushed the waiter with all his strength, and the waiter almost bumped into several other guests, and hurriedly turned sideways to let the other guests pass by, while tilting his strangled neck to the side. Go up the stairs.

A follower in plain clothes immediately tore off the red lettered poster with the word "Military Department" pasted on the door, and the two stood outside the private room one by one.

The person Zhang Juzheng met in the private room was actually Gao Hanwen.At this moment, Gao Hanwen poured the wine in the thermos for Zhang Juzheng, and said softly, "I didn't expect my lord to meet you here."

Zhang Juzheng looked at him: "If you didn't think about it, they wouldn't think about it either. Sit down and talk quickly if you have something to say, after all, you can't stay here for long."

Gao Hanwen sat down opposite him, and lowered his voice: "The Yan family has already sent someone to watch over the humble man's house. Yesterday Luo Longwen also sent someone to say hello, blatantly threatening the humble, and wanted to send Yun Niang and Qi Dazhu's wife away immediately. Otherwise, they would immediately call the Yushi Zoushu, and join the humble office to 'take prostitutes as wives and secretly inform the Japanese criminals'. It is really unreasonable!" At this point, Gao Hanwen was a little angry, calmed down his emotions, and then continued: "Today, the humble official will go first. The Imperial Academy, and then directly from the Imperial Academy to here.”

Zhang Juzheng looked at him: "What do you think?"

Gao Hanwen leaned back in his chair: "It's just the second time in prison."

"If you can think like this, you won't be afraid of anything." Zhang Juzheng raised his wine glass.

Gao Hanwen also picked up the wine glass, and the two drank.

Zhang Juzheng: "I was ordered to deliver a sentence to you, the original words, you heard clearly, 'Gao Hanwen is a man of conscience, the emperor let him go, we will protect him.' Do you want to know who said this? "

Gao Hanwen was already a little excited, he only looked at Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng: "Tell you, this is what Prince Yu said personally. I, Mr. Gao, Mr. Xu Ge, and Prince Yu will not let you go to prison for the second time."

Gao Hanwen stood up slowly, and when he went to take the jug again, his hand was already trembling slightly, so he added another hand, holding the jug with both hands, poured wine into Zhang Juzheng's cup, and poured wine for himself , holding both hands: "With the words of Prince Yu, Gao will die without regret." He drank the wine in one gulp.

Zhang Juzheng picked up his wine glass but only took a sip this time: "No one can put you to death. Today is the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month, and what we are worried about now is that Qi Dazhu, the Zhenfu Division will kill people on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. , from now on it will be an inexplicable case."

Only then did Gao Hanwen seem to think of something, and immediately bent over from the side where he was sitting to lift up a bundle, which was clearly square and angular, and obviously contained a box.

Gao Hanwen solemnly placed the burden on the corner of the table with both hands: "I did not intend to see Mr. Zhang today to say what I said just now, but to give Mr. Zhang something very important."

Zhang Juzheng glanced at the burden, and said calmly, "What is it?"

Gao Hanwen: "It's something that can turn things around!"

Zhang Juzheng's eyes brightened with suspicion, and then his expression became solemn, staring straight at the baggage.

Gao Hanwen then went to untie the knot on the burden, revealing a rusty box, and then solemnly lifted the lid of the box.

Zhang Juzheng asked in a low voice: "Take it out, tell me first, what is it?"

Gao Hanwen replied in a low voice: "Blood classics!"

Zhang Juzheng: "What blood menstruation? Whose blood menstruation?"

Gao Hanwen was already very excited to get a copy written in red letters on yellowed paper in the box, and his voice was lowered: "Zhang Sanfeng Zhang Zhenren's blood classics!"

Zhang Juzheng stood up abruptly, pushed away Gao Hanwen's hand, and slammed the lid on the box!

Zhang Juzheng's eyes were shining brightly: "Is it true or not? Where did you get it?"

Gao Hanwen: "It was brought by Yunniang and Qi Dazhu's wife from Jiangnan. Before coming here, I have found some handwriting left by Zhang Zhenren and compared it carefully. These are indeed the two blood scriptures written by Zhang Zhenren when he was 120 years old!" "

Zhang Juzheng took the box and hugged it tightly in his arms: "I'm leaving first! You will leave here later." After speaking, he took off the cloak from the hanger and did not put it on his body, but tightly Wrapping the box tightly, he walked quickly to the outside of the private room.

There was a lot of snow, and there was a vast expanse of whiteness everywhere, and the two black lacquered gates of Beizhen Fusizhao Prison became even darker.

The winter in Beijing in the 40th year of Jiajing was really a snowy year. After the early snow in early November of the lunar calendar, there were several snowfalls one after another.Today is the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, and tomorrow is Xiaonian, which is the day when the people give away the Kitchen God.The rules of Zhenfu Sizhao Prison are different. According to the decree of grace, many prisoners were executed on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month.

The small door on the big door on the right was opened, and two brocade guards came out, each with a long hanging firecracker in his hand, walked to the door and lit it, crackling flames blazed and exploded.

Suddenly the two Jin Yiwei opened their eyes wide and were stunned.

It turned out that a string of firecrackers was lit by a Jin Yiwei, and then casually threw it on a snowdrift under the eaves of the main porch. The firecrackers exploded in half, revealing that the snowdrift turned out to be a person kneeling there!

The firecrackers continued to explode, and the "snowman" was still kneeling there motionless.

After the firecrackers were finished, the two Jin Yiwei walked over.

Only then did I see clearly that it was a woman holding a food basket in her arms. Since she was squatting under the eaves of the corridor, her body was only covered with a thin layer of snow, so she was not frozen, her eyes were still open, looking at the food basket. two people.

"It's Qi Dazhu's woman." A Jin Yiwei recognized her, "I came here at noon, and I'm still here."

"I've never seen such a daughter-in-law." Another Jin Yiwei approached her and stood in front of her, "I told you that this is the edict that you are not allowed to send things. Even if you kneel until next year, you will not be able to send things in. Be obedient and go back Bar."

"I want to see Master Qi." Qi Dazhu's woman spoke, her words were already not very fluent.

A brocade guard: "The Seventh Master was hurt badly by that guy in your family. He almost had his head beheaded by the Long Live Lord. Are you still looking for the Seventh Master?"

The eyes of Qi Dazhu's woman showed deep disappointment, so she had no choice but to stand up, and took out a jug of wine from her arms: "I don't give away anything else, please ask the two military masters to bring this jug of wine to my husband. "

The two brocade guards stood there silently.

Qi Dazhu's woman: "My husband is also a person who has fought for the court and made great achievements. He will leave tomorrow. The two military masters will send this pot of wine for me. He also knows that I am with him."

The two Jin Yiwei glanced at each other, and one Jin Yiwei quickly took the pot of wine from her hand: "Go back." Saying that, the two walked into the small door, which was closed.

Qi Dazhu's woman stood there, looking at the two pitch-black gates, but did not leave, and crouched down in front of the gates again with the food basket in her arms, looking at the snowflakes that gradually turned black in the sky at dusk.

The snowy sky in the twelfth lunar month turned dark in a blink of an eye, only the two lanterns above the black-lacquered gate that reflected "Beizhen Fusi" were lit there, dimly shining the snowflakes that floated down from the black sky and floated towards the person sitting there. Qi Dazhu woman.

At this time, there were the sound of horseshoes and wheels pressing snow.A lamp glowed dimly in the heavy snow and floated here.

It was a carriage, which stopped in front of the prison gate. The driver brushed off the snow from his body, put on his whip, jumped down from the front of the car, took down the low stool he was sitting on and put it beside the handlebars, Opened the thick car curtain: "Here we are, ma'am."

A woman appeared from the car, and the coachman helped her get off the carriage on a low stool.Even though the light on the carriage was not very bright, and the woman was also wearing a cloak and cloak, one could still tell that she was Yun Niang!
Yunniang saw Qi Dazhu's woman squatting in front of the door at a glance, and walked over quickly: "Did you see Master Qi?"

Qi Dazhu's woman looked up at her and only nodded.

Yun Niang also squatted down: "Go home if you don't see Master Qi, we'll find another way."

Qi Dazhu's woman shook her head: "Madam, you can go back."

Yunniang: "You won't be able to save him even if you squat here, and you won't be able to see him."

Qi Dazhu's woman: "Although I can't see him, he knows that I'm spending the last year with him when I sit here."

Tears flashed in Yunniang's eyes, and she held Mrs. Zhu's hand: "As long as the execution is not executed, we will always have a solution."

A light flashed in Mrs. Zhu's eyes: "Madam, who can save him?"

Yun Niang: "Go back, you will know when you go back, Mr. Gao is thinking of something."

"Cold." Aunt Zhu was disappointed again, and slowly withdrew her hand from Yunniang's grasp, "Ma'am, you go home."

Yunniang was a little angry: "What do you have to say before you are willing to go home with me."

Mrs. Zhu: "Ma'am, I know that you and Mr. Gao are good people. Mr. Gao's position can't save him. He can't get out. We can't see each other, we have changed ghosts, my soul can always see him .”

Yunniang is a temperamental person, seeing that this sister-in-law of Zhu is more determined than herself, she was shocked and moved at this moment, she pressed it to her ear and whispered: "He will definitely come out. It's not easy to talk here. When you go home, you will You know, we have another way."

Mrs. Zhu's eyes lit up again, then darkened again: "I know Madam's heart, there is nothing I can do about it."

Yunniang: "If I lie to you, you can sit here again. Okay? Come home with me first." As she spoke, she struggled to pull up Mrs. Zhu.

Mrs. Zhu stood up dubiously.

"Let's go." Yun Niang took Mrs. Zhu's hand and walked towards the carriage.

Yunniang got into the car first and held Mrs. Zhu's hand. Mrs. Zhu was still standing under the car, her eyes fixed on the black door.

Yun Niang hurriedly told the coachman, "Bring her up."

The driver couldn't care less, he picked up Aunt Zhu from behind and sent her to the car, Yun Niang pulled her into the car.

The coachman put the curtains on the carriage, put the low stool up again, pulled out the whip, raised it up and was about to shake it, but immediately stopped in the air, glanced at the gate of the prison, and lightly tapped the whip on the horse's buttocks. With a light pat, he shouted in a low voice, "Drive!"

The horse pulled the cart and walked slowly on the snow.

Under the light, the box that Gao Hanwen handed over to Zhang Juzheng was already placed on King Yu's desk!

King Yu looked suspiciously at Zhang Juzheng beside him: "What is it?"

Zhang Juzheng: "Tianwu! The prince will know it after opening it."

King Yu was even more puzzled. When he stretched out his hand to the lid of the box, he suddenly became a little scared, and stopped: "What kind of heavenly thing, pretending to be a ghost, tell me."

Zhang Juzheng smiled solemnly: "Grandpa Cheng sent many people to look for such things, but they have not found them. God has eyes, let us get them today. Tomorrow let the princess and the prince bring them into the palace to present to the emperor, the emperor Longyan must be overjoyed."

King Yu gradually became excited, thinking there, and suddenly shouted to the bedroom: "Concubine Li!"

Concubine Li had obviously been waiting inside for a long time, but at this moment she came out pretending to be formal: "Master Zhang is here?"

Zhang Juzheng bowed deeply: "See Wangfei."

Yu Wang: "Master Zhang brought a rare thing, and said that you can present it to the emperor tomorrow, let's take a look together."

"Yes." Concubine Li walked over and leaned against King Yu.

King Yu said to Zhang Juzheng, "Open it."

Zhang Juzheng first lifted the copper buckle on the box, and lifted the lid with both hands.

King Yu and Concubine Li looked over at the same time, and there were actually two yellowed manuscripts in the box!
King Yu's eyes were puzzled, and Concubine Li's eyes were also puzzled, and they looked at Zhang Juzheng at the same time.

Zhang Juzheng gently picked up the thin manuscript above, and carefully opened the first page.

——On the first line of the page, the title "Lao Tzu Tai Shang Dao Jun Tao Tao Zhen Jing" stands out in large characters. The characters are not written in ink and are dark red.Below is the text of the "Tao Te Ching" line by line!

King Yu and Concubine Li are still puzzled, waiting for Zhang Juzheng to answer.

Zhang Juzheng: "The real Zhang Sanfeng Zhang more than 100 years ago, the prince and princess should know."

King Yu immediately realized: "This is Zhang Zhenren's handwriting!"

Zhang Juzheng: "It's not just handwriting. This "Tao Te Ching" and the "Nanhua Jing" were all written by Zhang Zhenren with the blood of his fingers when he was 120 years old."

King Yu's eyes lit up, and so did Concubine Li's.

(End of this chapter)