Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 112

Lan Daoxing bowed to Jiajing, walked to the altar of the abbot, held a god's amulet in both hands, walked in front of Jiajing, knelt down, and held the tablet high.

Lu Fang quickly put down the bowl, washed her hands in the clear water in the silver basin, picked up another bowl of cinnabar from the altar, went to Jiajing and knelt down.

Jiajing pulled out a gold hairpin from the Taoist bun wearing a vanilla crown, stretched out his left middle finger, and stabbed the middle finger with the gold hairpin—blood seeped out, and the blood from the fingertips dripped into the cinnabar bowl.

Jiajing inserted the golden hairpin, picked up the cinnabar pen on the imperial case, dipped it in cinnabar, and wrote on the God's Lord card in Lan Daoxing's hand.

——Several bright red regular script characters of "Qingxu Yuanmiao Zhenjun" are displayed one by one on the god's main tablet.Zhang Sanfeng has another title!
Lan Daoxing stood up holding the badge in his hand, and shouted loudly: "Playing Xianyue! Greetings to Qingxu Yuanmiao Zhenjun!"

The bells and drums in the main hall are ringing together, and the fairy music is ethereal!
Lan Daoxing walked ahead holding the signboard, and Lu Fang held up the half-dried portrait of a real person with both hands, followed closely behind, and walked to the main hall outside.

Jiajing walked to the altar of the jingshe alone, and bowed down to Zhang Sanfeng's scripture that was enshrined in front of the incense burner.After three prayers, he took the scripture box with both hands, stood up, and walked out of the hall.

This side has long been prepared, and with the help of Lu Fang, two Taoist priests have pasted the portrait of Zhang Sanfeng on the main wall under the banner of the main hall and above the red sandalwood altar.

Lan Dao bowed three times, and had already enshrined the brand name on the altar at the foot of Zhang Zhenren's portrait.

At this time, Jiajing came out holding the scripture box, and Lan Daoxing and Lu Fang knelt down on both sides of the altar.

Jiajing walked to the worship mat on the altar, put on the sutra box, and bowed down too.

The sound of bells and drums, and the sound of chanting mantras!
After Jiajing paid his respects, he stood up, turned around and sat down cross-legged on the futon under the altar.

The sound of bells and drums and the chanting of mantras stopped abruptly.

Jiajing closed his eyes slightly, raised the ray of true energy from his dantian, and uttered a voice from his forehead, reciting Zhang Sanfeng's "Love Song of the Dao": "Before refining the alchemy, first refine the nature, before cultivating the great medicine, cultivate the mind. Mind cultivation Natural alchemy is trustworthy, temperament is natural and medicinal materials are born!"

The sound of bells and drums and the sound of chanting mantras are loud again!
Lu Fang got up, went to the gate of the palace and shouted an order: "Congratulations from all the ministers!"

A row of eunuchs at the far end of the avenue held trays with congratulatory forms on them, and they filed towards the main hall of Yuxi Palace.

According to the history of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Houcong, Emperor Jiajing's old age, "seeking long life is more urgent, and he visited alchemists and prescriptions all over the place".On the 40rd day of the twelfth lunar month in the 23th year of Jiajing, Princess Yu suddenly presented a blood scripture that falsely claimed that Zhang Zhenren had come to the world, which convinced Jiajing that the real person had come to the world.This move, which seems to have nothing to do with state affairs, has subtly accelerated the final decisive battle between Qingliu and Yandang!
Amidst the sound of bells and drums and the sound of chanting mantras, two eunuchs knelt down a red sandalwood table in front of Jiajing's futon.Lu Fang forwarded the congratulatory forms to Jiajing.There were too many congratulatory forms, Jiajing only looked at the name of each congratulatory form, and put one on the low table.

The pile of congratulatory forms on the short table got higher and higher, and only the last one was left that Lu Fang forwarded.

Jiajing didn't pick up again, and asked sharply, "Whose is it?"

Lan Daoxing watched the words and expressions from the side, and with a swing of the dust whisk, the two groups of Taoist priests immediately stopped playing music and chanting mantras.There was silence in the hall.

Lu Fang said: "I will play Feiyuan Zhenjun Zhongxiao Emperor Wanshou Emperor Your Majesty. The last congratulatory form is from the Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate Zou Yinglong."

Jiajing's face immediately showed a strange look: "Yan Song, Yan Shifan and his son, and half of the officials don't have congratulatory forms?"

Lu Fang lowered her eyebrows and replied, "Return to Master, the congratulations are all here."

Jiajing's eyes shot towards the sky above the opened palace gate, as if there was a sense of heaven and man, the sun, which was still in the clouds just now, came out of the clouds, and a ray of light shot towards Jiajing's face from the middle of the palace gate .The sun shines on Jiajing's eyes, reflecting two points of light!
Since the year when Yan Song took charge of the cabinet as the first assistant, since the officials did not have to go to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to worship, every year in the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, a group of core ministers of the Yan Party in Beijing would come here to pay New Year greetings to Yan Song. In the past 20 years, some of those who were able to win this honor in the early years were released to the border, or went to work in the six departments of Nanjing, and some were excluded from the core because of the decline of their families. The people who come here change every year.Every year at the beginning of the year and every year, I will come on stage after you pay your respects.There should be about a dozen people who are eligible to come here to pay New Year's greetings this year, but many of them were dismissed by Yan Shifan today, and they only brought Luo Longwen, the envoy of the Tongzheng Envoy, and Yan Maoqing, the Prime Minister of Tianxia Salt Administration and Minister of Criminal Affairs, Ye Ting, Minister of the Ministry of Punishments, and Wan Cai, Minister of Dali Temple.The positions of these people hold the power of life and death.

On an auspicious day, Yan Song was wearing a bright red auspicious suit. He did not sit on the recliner chair he usually sat on, but sat on a real grand master's armchair. The light on his body through the door makes him look much more energetic than usual.Looking carefully, there is still a majestic aura that has never been revealed in his spirit today, which makes people immediately think of Jiajing who is under the sun in Yuxi Palace at this time!
Those who came to pay New Year's greetings were not like New Year's greetings. Yan Shifan was in front, Luo Longwen, Yan Maoqing, Ye Tong, and Wan Cai were behind. The five solemnly bowed three times in front of Yan Song's seat, and then stood up very solemnly.

Yan Shifan sat on the chair beside Yan Song, and the four people sat on the two chairs on the left and the two chairs on the right.

"Today is the first day of the first lunar month. I am 82. You are in your prime." Yan Song revealed a chilly air as soon as he opened his mouth, "Why don't you present a congratulatory form to the emperor?"

"On the congratulatory list is death, if not on the congratulatory list, you may live forever!" Yan Shifan didn't care about today's first day of the new year, exporting is life and death!
"Mr. Xiaoge is right." Luo Longwen continued, "They made up the nonsense that Daoist Zhang was born into the world. If the emperor really believed it, we would all die without a place to die. Don't worry, Mr. Ge, officials of the fourth rank and above in Beijing , All our people greeted each other, but none of them showed up."

At this time, Yan Song was very energetic, and his eyes were not dizzy. He looked at the five people in front of him one by one with enthusiasm, and said: "There are people who can endure things in this world, and there are people who can't. For more than a year, swords, guns, swords and halberds have been blocked by the emperor. If the emperor really wants to abandon the veterans this time, I am afraid that there will be no one to shield the emperor from the wind and rain. Take my heart, the emperor can learn from it! He Xu Jie, Gao Gong , It has not been a day or two since Zhang Juzheng wanted to seize this position. If he really wants to kill me, kill you, we are gone, can they protect the emperor from the wind and rain?"

Yan Shifan stood up abruptly: "It's not allowed to kill anyone! Jing Xiu, Ye Tong, Wan Cai."

Yan Maoqing, Ye Tong, and Wan Cai stood up at the same time: "Ge Lao, Xiao Ge Lao, the humble officials are here."

Yan Shifan: "Tell Elder Ge, have you found out the origin of Zhang Sanfeng's scripture?"

Yan Maoqing looked at Ye Ting: "You talk back."

Ye Ting: "Old Huige, the humble officials have sent many people to investigate these few days, and the origin of the scripture has been found out."

Yan Song: "What eyebrows?"

Ye Ting: "The scriptures were not given to Qi Dazhu's wife by real Zhang at all, but from the prostitute Gao Hanwen married."

Yan Song: "Where did that prostitute come from? How could she have this scripture?"

Wan Cai replied: "Old Ge, do you still remember the weaver Shen Yishi who died in Hangzhou?"

"The prostitute is related to Shen Yishi?" Yan Song perked up.

Wan Cai: "Exactly. The prostitute was originally bought by Shen Yishi as a gift to Yang Jinshui, but she is actually Shen Yishi's concubine."

"Okay!" Yan Song patted the armrest of the armchair, "It's fine if you don't get on the congratulatory form! You should investigate thoroughly immediately. Also, closely guard Gao Hanwen and that prostitute, and don't let them go or die."

Yan Shifan: "Don't worry, I've been optimistic. Not a single fly can fly out of Gao Hanwen's house."

Yan Song looked at Yan Shifan: "Did you meet Chen Hong and Eunuch Chen?"

Yan Shifan: "Not yet."

Yan Song: "I must see Eunuch Chen in the past few days. The emperor has retreated for half a month, and only he and Lu Fang can see the emperor. Let him find a way to let the emperor know about this matter. Tell him, check After getting out of that prostitute, Shen Yishi was found out, and when Shen Yishi was involved, Yang Jinshui was led out. After a thorough investigation, Lu Fang's position is his."

"Father's move is so good!" Yan Shifan praised his father, "Lu Fang, an old fox, has long been unreliable. I heard from the eyeliner in the palace that Feng Bao from Prince Yu's mansion often looks for him. He bets Baodu to the back It's been two generations. I met Eunuch Chen a few years ago. Eunuch Chen had offended him about Yang Jinshui, and he was worried that Lu Fang would punish him. Lu Fang must be involved in this matter, and the seal of the Supervisor of Ceremonies was exposed. Eunuch Chen belongs to the position of eunuch. For this, he will definitely join us this time. I will go find him today."

"Tell him not to reveal the truth too early." Yan Song confessed, "Before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the creditors will not collect debts, and the yamen will not seize people. In the past half a month, the emperor has retreated and recuperated. Serve the emperor for a single day. You tell him that it is best to reveal the origin of the scriptures to the emperor when the emperor leaves the customs on the fifteenth day of the first month. We will see the outcome on the sixteenth day of the first month."

Yan Shifan: "Understood."

Yan Song: "A lot of people are still worrying about it. Don't guard me here anymore. Go and tell those who haven't signed up for the congratulatory form, don't be afraid, don't say anything, live this year well." Yan Shifan and All four stood up.

The New Year's greetings on the first day of the first lunar month here are another scene.King Yu is the heir apparent, and Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng must first bow down and worship.But Xu, Gao, and Zhang are also the masters of Yu Wang. After they performed the ceremony of a monarch and minister, Yu Wang also gave them a half-respect.The group sat down, but they didn't have the joy that a festival should have, and all of them looked solemn.

Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng looked at each other, and in tacit understanding, let Xu Jie speak.

Xu Jie: "Fenyi, father and son, and half of the officials in Beijing did not present a congratulatory form to the emperor today. Does King Yu know?" "I just heard the news from the palace too." King Yu was obviously mean when he said this. I have experienced a lot of tension, but it is still obviously tense at this time.

Xu Jie: "For more than 20 years, when the emperor worshiped the heavens and worshiped the gods, Yan Fenyi and Yan Shifan never once competed for the congratulations and wrote poems. This time they have a showdown with the emperor."

Gao Gong: "There is news that from the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month to the [-]th of the new year, people from the strict party have been investigating the origin of Zhang Zhenren's scriptures everywhere. It seems that they only dare to do this when they have cards in their hands."

"They know the origin of the scriptures!" King Yu stood up nervously.

"Yes." Zhang Juzheng answered, "Outside Gao Hanwen's mansion on Yandai Xiejie Street, there have been many people from the Ministry of Criminal Justice and Dali Temple who have changed into plain clothes and are guarding in shifts."

"If Emperor Father knows the origin of the scriptures, Concubine Li and I have no choice but to apologize." King Yu's face was ashen, and he seemed short of breath when he spoke.

"Of course we can't let them know the origin of the scriptures!" Zhang Juzheng continued loudly, "I have tried to tell Gao Hanwen, and I can't reveal the truth even if I die."

"Let them die?" King Yu looked at Zhang Juzheng absent-mindedly, then shook his head, "You can't do it like this. It's against the laws of nature, and it's against human feelings, and it's even more like killing people to silence them."

"The ministers have absolutely no intention of letting Gao Hanwen and the others die." Zhang Juzheng quickly explained, "I just want them to take precautions. If they fall into their hands, they must hold them first."

"This is the worst policy." Gao Gong continued, "Gao Hanwen and his woman must not fall into Yan Shifan's hands."

"Is there any way?" King Yu asked urgently.

Gao Gong: "They send people, and we also send people. First, they must not be allowed to secretly arrest people before the [-]th holiday of the first lunar month. Gao Hanwen and the others sent them out of Beijing."

King Yu: "What's the reason? How to send it?"

Gao Gong exchanged glances with Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng again.

Gao Gong: "Only Gao Hanwen was wronged. We discussed it and asked Yushi to join Gao Hanwen's memorial. The crime was 'taking prostitutes as wives and violating the regulations of the Great Ming Dynasty'. Violating this regulation, serving officials should immediately Let him be a commoner and never be used again. In this way, we can use our people to send him back to his original place."

King Yu was silent for a while, then looked at Xu Jie: "Master Xu, what do you think?"

Xu Jie didn't answer right away, but after thinking for a while, he said very seriously: "Of course this move should be taken. First, the censors will be impeached, and I can draw up votes, but I have to be approved by Lu Gonggong. Now, the most important thing It's Eunuch Lu!"

(End of this chapter)