Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 16

The melody was being held in the hands of Lu Fang who was standing quietly at the moment.

After being silent for a long time, Jiajing slowly stood up on the round bright yellow cushion.Yan Song hurriedly stood up on the short pier next to him with difficulty.

Jiajing walked slowly, and Gu Zi said: "Chapter 58 of the "Tao Te Ching" has a cloud: "The government is boring, and the people are honest; The day will last for a long time.' It is lenient but also wrong, and strict is also wrong. Are the people confused? I am also confused. Are you not confused?"

Yan Song supported the short pier and knelt down slowly, and Lu Fang also knelt down.

Yan Song: "The mistakes of leniency and strictness are all the fault of the ministers. Of course, Hu Zongxian knows best about the Zhejiang matter. The minister thinks whether to call Hu Zongxian to Beijing immediately, one is to relieve disasters, and the other is to change rice into mulberry. Is it possible to take care of both? Let’s discuss a proper solution together.”

Jiajing had already walked to the row of large bookcases at this time, and stopped in front of the bookcase with the label "Zhejiang" on it: "The gods came down to earth to ask the land. Please invite the land master."

Yan Song: "Yes."

Jiajing: "There are two more people, please come together."

Yan Song and Lu Fang, who were kneeling on the ground, knelt silently, waiting for the next sentence.

Jiajing: "These two people, one whose surname is Yang and whose name is Jinshui is Lu Gonggong; the other whose surname is Tan and whose name is Zili is Zili, is a man of King Yu. Come along with Mr. Yan Ge, your Hu Zongxian, the princes of the Three Routes, and the land of the mountain god!"

Yan Song couldn't help being startled, and looked at Lu Fang.

Lu Fang knelt there innocently, neither looking at him nor showing any expression.

Yan Song had no choice but to answer again: "Yes."

The sun is still high in the afternoon of May in the lunar calendar, and the light reflected from the lofty towers of Qianmen in Beijing is still dazzling.

Although the Nine Gates in Beijing are guarded by officers and soldiers from the beginning of Chenshi to the end of Shenshi, they are open to all who enter and exit.It's just that when there are royal guards of honor and senior officials above the second rank, other people will be temporarily prohibited from entering and leaving, and the ban will be lifted after the guards of honor or officials pass by.In the late afternoon of May 40, 21 Jiajing, the officers and soldiers at the front gate began to evacuate people in and out, and the postman of the Xianliang Temple had already brought four postmen and a big green woolen sedan chair to welcome here.According to the regulations, this is the entry of the governor-level official of the frontier to Beijing.

However, not only the Yi Cheng from the Xianliang Temple was waiting here, but also a fourth-rank eunuch from the palace leading four young eunuchs, and a big blue sedan chair beside them was also waiting here.

Not far away, a group of horses was approaching with a cloud of smoke and dust.Hu Zongxian's captain led the four cavalry in front, followed by Hu Zongxian, followed by Tan Lun, followed by Yang Jinshui, and behind them were Hu Zongxian's other eight soldiers and Yang Jinshui's four followers.

When they arrived at the front gate, the captain of the guards, all the guards and four followers got off their horses.

Hu Zongxian and Tan Lun also dismounted, threw the reins, and walked towards the welcoming Xianliang Temple Yicheng and others.

Only Yang Jinshui was still sitting on the horse, still panting at this moment, the two attendants took great pains to help him down, but they still couldn't move their legs.With the support of his followers, he limped along.

With a smile on his face, the Yi Cheng accompanied Hu Zongxian to the green woolen sedan chair, and opened the curtain of the sedan chair himself.Hu Zongxian lowered his head and got in.The big sedan chair was immediately lifted up and walked towards the city gate.Tan Lun and the guards led the horses and walked into the city gate.

At this time, the fourth-grade eunuch who was waiting for him personally walked to the big blue sedan chair with Yang Jinshui, and lifted the curtain of the sedan chair for him.

But Yang Jinshui didn't get on the sedan chair, held his wrist and approached him, and asked in a low voice: "Why did the emperor ask me to come too? What did the ancestors say?"

The fourth-rank eunuch shook his head: "The old ancestor is a Bodhisattva, you know it, but it's us, and those heads of the chief of ceremonies couldn't hear a single bit of holy meaning from him."

Yang Jinshui was at a loss, and stood there in a daze, unable to get into the sedan chair.

The fourth-rank eunuch: "Eunuch Yang, the ancestor is waiting for you at the Rites Supervisor."

Only then did Yang Jinshui suddenly save himself, and strenuously climbed into the sedan chair against the arm of the fourth-rank eunuch.

In a quarter of an hour, Yang Jinshui's sedan chair was carried to the courtyard of the supervisor's office.

"Godfather!" He was still at the door, Yang Jinshui gave a heartfelt cry, stepped into the door of the duty room, went straight to Lu Fang who was sitting there, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed three times.

"Get up." Lu Fang's voice was still very peaceful.

Yang Jinshui got up, picked up the tea bowl from the coffee table beside Lu Fang, and handed it over. The inquiry in his eyes seemed to be waiting for a trial.

Lu Fang sat quietly, but it wasn't long after that, but Yang Jinshui's hand holding the tea bowl began to tremble slightly.

"Drink it." Lu Fang finally said this sentence.

These words fell into Yang Jinshui's ears like Lun's voice!Foreign eunuchs who come to Beijing to see Lu Fang usually know their favor when they offer this bowl of tea: if Lu Fang does not pick up the tea after passing it over, he will be punished, whether it is demoted, shut down or killed. In Lu Fang's next words: if Lu Fang passed the tea to Lu Fang and drank it, it would be safe and auspicious, and then he would go back to work; It's a courtesy to be treated like a son!So when Yang Jinshui heard Lu Fang tell him to drink the half bowl of tea, his eyes immediately lit up, his hands trembled uncontrollably when he lifted the lid off the bowl, his expression was very excited, and he drank the tea in one gulp.

After drinking the tea, Yang Jinshui slowly squatted down next to Lu Fang's legs, and began to beat lightly and heavily. His face looked up at Lu Fang with infinite attachment: "Godfather... It's been four years... You see the old man again It's..." At this point, he really started to cry.

Lu Fang sighed softly: "One day is one day. Go wash your face and change your clothes. I will take you to see the emperor right now."

Yang Jinshui trembled in fright: "Now, see the emperor now..."

Lu Fang: "You didn't hide anything from me, so naturally I wouldn't hide anything from the emperor. The emperor knows about the destruction of embankments and flooded fields. You go and tell him the details in detail again."

Yang Jinshui is still confused: "The son's crime this time..."

Lu Fang: "You are also doing it for the good of the palace. It's rare that you don't hide it. This is the greatest loyalty. One or two counties, the emperor has Kyushu and Wanfang in his heart."

Yang Jinshui was still hesitating: "Godfather... son..."

Lu Fang: "Don't say anything, get ready to see the emperor."

It's called seeing the emperor, but actually seeing the emperor is invisible. Yang Jinshui could only kneel outside the veil between the main hall and the monastery. Maybe it was because he had washed his face and changed his clothes, but also because he had confidence in his heart, he knelt there. It appeared upright and solemn.

"Have you seen Yan Shifan's letter with your own eyes?" Jiajing's questioning voice came from inside.

Yang Jinshui: "Back to the master, the servant saw it with his own eyes. The letter was written to Zheng Michang and He Maocai, telling them to simply flood the fields and change the rice to mulberry."

"Have you seen Ma Ningyuan's confession with your own eyes?" Jiajing's questioning voice came from inside again.

Yang Jinshui: "Returning to the master, Hu Zongxian asked the servant, Zheng Michang, and He Maocai to watch it, but the servant and neither of them watched it."

"What do you think Hu Zongxian did this for?" Jiajing's question was obviously louder.

Yang Jinshui shuddered, and couldn't help looking at Lu Fang who was standing beside him.

Lu Fang: "Answer whatever you have."

"Yes." Yang Jinshui also raised his voice, "Returning to master, this slave thinks that Hu Zongxian has at least three intentions in doing this."

"Which three thoughts?" Jiajing asked next.

Yang Jinshui: "Master, first, Hu Zongxian has a heavy burden on his shoulders, and the Japanese pirates are making troubles. He is afraid that the people will lose their land and make trouble again. Internal and external troubles are added. At that time, he can't afford the crime. That Tan Lun was by his side, so he should have been affected. Third, he still has deep feelings for Mr. Yan Ge, but he always disapproves of what Mr. Xiao Ge does."

"Lu Fang." Jiajing called Lu Fang from inside.

Lu Fang quickly lifted the veil and walked in.

Yang Jinshui's head was still lowered, but his ears stood up.

Jiajing's voice came from inside again: "The Yang Jinshui you used is still capable. Don't reward him in the open, give him something in secret."

"Yes." Followed by Lu Fang's reply.

Although Yang Jinshui's face was lowered, the excitement could be seen just by looking at his back.

"Inform Yan Song to bring Hu Zongxian into the palace tomorrow. Also, ask King Yu to come with him."

Jiajing's voice hovered in the hall in a neither high nor low voice.

The big sedan chair and the cavalry team stopped more than thirty feet away from the gate of Yan Song's mansion, and Hu Zongxian opened the sedan chair curtain and walked out.

That is, at the beginning of Xu Shi, the sky will be dark.Hu Zongxian didn't even eat dinner, and came here after changing into casual clothes in Xianliang Temple.After getting off the sedan chair, he stopped, looking at the mansion he had visited many times from afar.On the four red lanterns under the eaves of the porch of the mansion, the two big characters of "Yan Fu" are still the same.The vicissitudes of the world, when Yan Song was just a Jinshi 20 years ago, the situation of summoning himself here is like yesterday.But this time, the distance ahead was less than thirty feet, but he felt that it was so far away.He decided to walk this distance alone, and the coming accusations and unforeseen plots also required him to complete the final psychological preparation.

"You guys just wait here." After finishing speaking, he took a four-square bag from the captain of the personal army, and walked towards the gate alone.

"Yo, it's Master Hu." The concierge standing at the door was obviously an old friend, and the long-lost kindness could be seen in Hu Zongxian's voice, but this kind of kindness was obviously unfamiliar this time.

Of course Hu Zongxian could feel the long-lost and scrutinizing look in his eyes, and asked with a smile: "Is Mr. Ge okay?"

The concierge: "It's okay."

Hu Zongxian: "Please take me to visit the old man."

The concierge pondered for a while before saying: "It's really not good to say this to Mr. Hu. The old man will have an order in the afternoon. Mr. Hu was summoned by the emperor. He should not see you first."

Hu Zongxian was startled.Along the way, he had imagined all kinds of embarrassing and embarrassing situations after arriving at Yan's mansion, but Yan Song didn't see him, which was really unexpected.Suddenly there was an unspeakable sadness in his heart, he was silent for a while, looked deeply at the concierge and said: "Please go and tell the old man, whether it is public or private, I should see the old man first."

The concierge hesitated for a while, and then reluctantly said: "Then Master Hu will wait here first."

In fact, Hu Zongxian no longer knows the changes in the structure of the Yan Mansion in the past two years.Due to his old age and weakness, Yan Song has lost the energy that he used to control all situations. In the cabinet, the actual power has been replaced by Yan Shifan, let alone at home?In the whole family, all the people do everything, but they actually have to listen to Yan Shifan's arrangement before they dare to do it.It was Yan Shifan's order not to let Hu Zongxian enter the mansion, so of course the concierge got Yan Shifan's reply at this time.

He came to the door of the study hesitantly, and called softly: "Old Xiaoge."

Yan Shifan was walking back and forth in the middle of the room, dictating at the same time; Yan Maoqing was sitting in front of the desk and quickly recording what he said.

Yan Shifan just cast a blank glance at the porter standing at the door, and continued to dictate: "I can't go up to the body, but I can't go down to the people of Su. The crimes of the minister can no longer be called faintly, and the country and the people are wronged. How can they be sealed off? Appointment? If, with the grace of God, the quasi-minister is resigned to the post of governor of Zhejiang Province and governor of Zhejiang Province, I will be very grateful! Hu Zongxian kowtows and bows again." After saying this, he looked at the concierge: "Isn't it? Hu Zongxian is here?"

The concierge: "If you go back to Xiaoge, it's Hu Zongxian who has come."

Yan Shifan: "You didn't tell him what I taught you?"

The porter: "The villain said, he told me to report to the old man, he should come to see the old man first for both public and private purposes."

Yan Shifan picked up the resignation letter recorded by Yan Maoqing and read it, and said to the porter: "Go and tell him, just tell him that this is a private residence. If you want to discuss business matters, you can go to the court tomorrow. The cabinet can also send people to Xianliang Temple to talk to him." Talk. If you talk about private matters, the Yan family will be selfless with him, Hu Zongxian!"

The concierge hesitated a little, and said softly, "Isn't it hurting him a bit to say that..."

"Hit your mother's head!" Yan Shifan almost roared, grabbed the inkstone on the desk and threw it at the door!
The concierge was so frightened that he quickly hid: "The villain will go and say..." while rushing outside.

When he smashed it, Yan Maoqing who was writing ran out of ink. Fortunately, he was used to such things, and he was not panicked or embarrassed, and murmured: "I have to regrind the ink..."

Yan Shifan: "It's not enough to ask someone to grind it, so I have to ask?" He said, and walked out.

Although the concierge hid quickly and was not hit by Yan Shifan's inkstone, he was so frightened that his heart was pounding, he hurried back and answered Hu Zongxian's words according to the original statement.

Hu Zongxian stood there in a daze, with sadness in his eyes.

The concierge couldn't bear it any longer, and said softly: "Anyway, the old man will go to see the emperor with Mr. Hu tomorrow. If you have something in your heart, you can say it when we meet tomorrow..."

Hu Zongxian looked at him slowly: "Thank you for your kindness... If it is convenient, please report to Elder Ge again. It may be too late to say some things until tomorrow."

The concierge: "Okay. I will definitely report."

"Farewell." After saying this, Hu Zongxian strode out of the porter's room.

Yan Shifan blocked Hu Zongxian's drive here, while Yan Song, who had always kept quiet over there, was obviously a little out of order tonight.

He was lying on the recliner in the middle of the study room. His eyes, which were usually closed when listening to reading, were still open at this moment, looking at the beams on the roof, as if he was listening to the sound of reading next to his ears, or in a trance. thinking about something.

Luo Longwen sat beside him under a pole lantern, and was reading Chapter 58 of Tao Te Ching: "When the government is dull, the people are honest; when the government is inspected, the people are deficient. When misfortunes come, blessings depend on them. Blessings come with misfortunes! Who knows its extremes? There is no good or evil. The good turns into wonders, and the good turns into demons. People’s delusions also last forever..."

Hearing this, Yan Song raised his hand, and Luo Longwen stopped.

Yan Song's eyes were still looking at the roof: "Tell me, when the emperor said this, did he hear the wind of the embankment being destroyed and the fields flooded..."

Luo Longwen was startled, and then replied: "I probably don't know. The yamen at all levels in Zhejiang are all from us, and the Shibo Division of the Weaving Bureau is all from Lu Gonggong. I must not dare to reveal the slightest thing about what they do. Others don't know the inside story, and they don't have evidence, so no one dares to hear the rumors."

Yan Song: "Then why did the emperor say these words..."

"If the emperor is suspicious, he must have stabbed it through Hu Zongxian's line!" With a shout, Yan Shifan has strode in, "Hu Zongxian and Ma Ningyuan were arrested after returning to Hangzhou from Chun'an with Tan Lun. Ma Ningyuan Tan Lun knows about this confession. If he knows, he will tell King Yu that if the emperor really hears something, it is from this line!"

Yan Song shook his head: "No... Hu Ruzhen has been cautious all her life. Even if Ma Ningyuan was interrogated, she would not let a second person be present, let alone show Tan Lun the confession."

Yan Shifan: "It's this time, and you still trust him so much."

Yan Song: "Anyway, I brought Hu Ruzhen here with me alone. I know more about him than you. Besides, the emperor really knew about this from King Yu. Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and Xu Jie, they It’s not that I don’t know, and it’s not that I don’t move.” At this point, he sat up on the armrest.

Luo Longwen quickly helped him sit up.

"After Hu Ruzhen comes, I will understand everything when I ask." Yan Song looked outside the door, "He should have arrived by this time. Go ask the concierge, is he here? As soon as he arrives, immediately take He came to see me."

Yan Shifan: "The concierge I just asked didn't come. Dad, the matter is clear, so don't hold back your old thoughts when you get old, okay? Hu Zongxian won't come."

Yan Song was silent for a while, and then said with certainty: "He will definitely come..."

In Prince Yu's Mansion.Gao Gong is sitting here, Zhang Juzheng is also sitting here, only Xu Jie is not here.

King Yu was obviously also in a very disturbed state at this time, walking back and forth in the middle of the room alone.

"At this time, we can only wait and see." Gao Gong said, "The emperor openly named Tan Lun to go to Beijing together, and he has already settled the blame on us. Before the prince meets the emperor, he cannot see Tan Lun."

(End of this chapter)