Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 31

The cinnabar is also red like blood, gently rippling in the purple gold bowl on the desk of the chief assistant Yan Song, and gently rippling in the purple gold bowl on the desk of the second assistant Xu Jie.Two "pivot pens", each dipped in cinnabar in the purple gold bowl of their respective desks, and both of them slowly probed the tip of the pen in the inkstone, a pair of eyes of an 80-year-old man wearing glasses, and a pair of 60-year-old man wearing glasses With dazzled eyes, he looked at the secret blue paper in front of him that was made of various fibers mixed with leaves, looked at the bright red parallel prose that was more than half written, and pondered the words and sentences below.

Green paper, red characters, first-class pavilion style.Let him be in chaos, and the two prime ministers are writing green poems for the emperor in the Xiyuan cabinet at this time!
According to historical records, Emperor Jiajing practiced Daoism and Xuanxuan for decades, and he often ordered academicians Yan Song and Xu Jie to write green poems and burn them to sacrifice to God.The Qing Ci written by the two people is "deeply comfortable and holy", and people at that time called them "the prime minister of Qing Ci".As everyone knows, how many major military and state affairs, how much the king's will and minister's heart, are all foreshadowed in these seemingly absurd green words!

"I'm old." Yan Song finished writing the last word, put down his pen, took off his glasses, and slowly stood up while leaning on the edge of the desk.

Xu Jie still had two sentences to finish, so he had no choice but to put down his pen, stood up, took off his glasses, and looked at Yan Song from the other side of the case: "Old Ge finished writing?"

Yan Song patted his lower back lightly: "It took me an hour to write 160 nine characters, I can't accept it."

Xu Jie: "If Mr. Ge said so, I should really retire. It's also 160 nine characters, and I still have two sentences that I haven't thought through yet."

"Shaohu." Yan Song looked at the figure of Xu Jie standing behind the side case, and called out very tenderly, "You are waiting for me. With your talent and energy, don't say 160 nine characters in an hour. The 690 characters have already been written.”

"Ge Lao." Xu Jie wanted to explain.

"You are kind." Yan Song interrupted him and continued, "It's like I have served the emperor for 20 years, and I am [-] years old, but I still can't get old. I don't get tired after a day alone, but I get tired after ten days. Be careful for a year. It's not difficult, but it's difficult to be careful all your life. You've been my deputy for many years, and it's hard for you to let me go everywhere. "

"Under one person, above ten thousand people; Mingjun is in power, and the court is full of fierce ministers, and the old man is the most difficult." Xu Jie's words are very sincere, and whether they come from the heart, at least they are not all lies to Yan Song.

Yan Song was a little moved, no matter what, it was time to say what he thought about last night.Although he couldn't really see the expression on Xu Jie's face standing behind the desk, he still looked at Xu Jie's face: "Shaohu, Qing Ci will be submitted to the emperor in the afternoon, and you can just wave the remaining few sentences." As for the matter, please move the chair here, I have a few words to discuss with you."

"Yes." Although Xu Jie was in his early sixties, his body was still very strong at this time, he picked up the huanghuali Taishi chair with a light end, walked steadily to the side of Yan Song's desk and put it down.

"Sit down, please sit down and talk." Yan Song stretched out his hand and sat down first.

Xu Jie still bowed and sat down following the etiquette.

"If you take the liberty to ask me, Shaohu, you have to answer me sincerely." Sitting close, Yan Song looked at Xu Jie who was full of humility.

Xu Jie: "Elder Ge just asks, and his subordinates will not say a single false word."

"Okay." Yan Song praised, and then asked, still staring at his face, "Who do you think is the closest person in this world?"

Xu Jie didn't dare to answer rashly when he asked such a question in such a serious manner, he thought for a while before answering: "Of course father and son are the closest relatives."

A trace of bitterness appeared on Yan Song's face, then he shook his head lightly: "Not necessarily."

Xu Jie became more careful, and asked softly, "Mr. Ge, please enlighten me."

Yan Song: "The Book of Songs says, 'Mourning my parents, giving birth to me'. It stands to reason that in life, the kindness that is difficult to repay is the kindness of parents. But how many sons think this way? Nine out of ten sons Thinking that parents should be kind to him, so kindness has become a matter of course. Shaohu, you and I are people full of children and grandchildren, and you should also feel that the only relationship between father and son is father to son. Father?"

These words were not only heart-to-heart, but also heart-wrenching. Xu Jie's old man's sympathy suddenly came to his heart, but he quickly suppressed it.After all, the person in front of him is Yan Song, who has been in charge of the current emperor for 20 years. When the current situation is turbulent, he also knows that he is not his confidant. Why do you say this at this time?And these words are obviously aimed at Yan Shifan everywhere, what's the mystery here?
Xu Jie didn't dare to answer, but just looked at him and listened to him quietly.

Yan Song was also looking at him, thinking that he would continue what he had said, but Xu Jiemo was like a child, listening attentively, knowing that he wanted to change the subject.

"It's not easy for you to answer, so let's talk about another matter." Yan Song still had a warm face, "Why do you say that the word 'zhen' is highlighted in the Qingci that the emperor asked us to write today?"

Xu Jie: "Heaven has four virtues, 'Henry Zhenyuan', this is also the meaning of the title."

"Shaohu." Yan Song said with a sigh, "The old man is so confiding, why do you still have so many doubts. You really don't know the holy meaning of the emperor asking us to highlight the word 'zhen'?"

Xu Jie didn't know the reason, he was still as wise as a fool at this time: "The chaste one is the festival. The holy will should remind you that I should keep the festival."

Yan Song's face lost its gentleness and was replaced by a dignified face, staring into Xu Jie's eyes: "How to keep the evening festival?"

Xu Jie's face also became serious: "Please give me your advice, Mr. Ge."

Yan Song stopped going around in circles: "Use your own people well to survive the crisis!"

Xu Jie: "Please tell the old man clearly."

Yan Song: "Then let me make it clear. Hu Zongxian is my student, and his name is Ruzhen; Zhao Zhenji is your student, and his name also has the word Zhen. The emperor is telling you and me, the overall situation in the southeast wants you and me Make good use of Hu Ruzhen and Zhao Zhenji! Does Mr. Xu Ge think so?"

Xu Jie couldn't help expressing his opinion: "The emperor is wise, the old man is wise, there should be this meaning."

Yan Song: "That's why I just asked you who is the closest person in this world. Sometimes the closest person is not father and son, but master and apprentice! Sons take the kindness of their parents for granted, and disciples take the kindness of the master as repayment. Young Hu, for the sake of the emperor, and for the sake of my country and country, the change of rice into mulberry in Zhejiang must be carried out this time, and it must be carried out well. Yan Shifan and the others have made things out of hand. I can only rely on Hu Ruzhen to maintain it. Yours It depends on Zhao Zhenji to maintain it. In order not to force the people in Zhejiang to rebel, Yingtian must lend grain to Zhejiang immediately. You have to tell Zhao Zhenji to lend grain to Hu Zongxian immediately!"

"Don't worry, Mr. Ge!" Xu Jie said impassionedly, "I will write a letter when I get back today, ordering the Ministry of War to send it to Zhao Zhenji urgently, and ask him to borrow food!"

Yan Song supported the edge of the case and stood up again.

Xu Jie followed and stood up.

Yan Song stretched out his hand and held Xu Jie's hand: "I am already eighty years old, and the position of chief assistant of the cabinet will not be passed on to Yan Shifan, only you can sit."

Over there is the value house of the cabinet in Beijing, and here is the official post of Yingtian in Suzhou.

"Do not move."

Hu Zongxian was leaning back on the chair, his wrists were being held down by several fingers, when he suddenly saw Tan Lun walking in quickly, and just about to sit up, he was stopped by the doctor, so he had to lean back slowly.

Tan Lun also stood at the door, not daring to move, let alone speak, quietly looking at the doctor who was taking the pulse.

The doctor was in his early forties, with a long beard hanging down his chest, so black that it appeared bright, his eyes were slightly open, showing two points of light.He is Li Shizhen, a famous doctor of a generation.

After cutting the pulse of this hand, Li Shizhen said, "That hand."

Hu Zongxian looked at Li Shizhen: "Sir, may I listen to him first?"

Li Shizhen looked at Hu Zongxian, then at Tan Lun who was standing beside him with a lost smile, and sighed softly: "Your illness will never recover. Tell me."

Hu Zongxian looked at Tan Lun solemnly.

Tan Lun: "What the minister said to Gao Hanwen at the post station worked. Gao Hanwen rejected Zheng Michang's proposal as soon as he took office."

"This is expected." Hu Zongxian didn't show any relief on his face, "Is Zhao Zhenji willing to borrow food?"

Tan Lun pondered for a moment: "Crying for suffering. He was trying to save face, and it took us two days to collect less than ten shipments of rations."

Hu Zongxian's face became more dignified: "There will be no food in a few days, and Gao Hanwen can't bear it anymore... Go to Zhao Zhenji and say, I don't want his food either. Tell him to come see me immediately."

Tan Lun: "I'll go right away." He said and walked out.

Hu Zongxian sighed, leaned on the back of the chair, stared out of the door in a daze.

Li Shizhen: "Call me from so far away, will you still be sick?"

Hu Zongxian remembered it now, and smiled wryly apologetically, and put his hand on the pillow in front of him again: "I'm sorry. Sir, please continue to take the pulse."

Li Shizhen looked at his hand and at Hu Zongxian, but did not diagnose the pulse.

Hu Zongxian was puzzled, and also looked at Li Shizhen.

Li Shizhen: "Wrong, it's that hand."

As if deliberately preventing Li Shizhen from finishing his pulse diagnosis, as soon as he laid hands on him, Yingtian governor Zhao Zhenji walked in behind Tan Lun, and Hu Zongxian hurriedly bowed to greet him.

There was apology in Zhao Zhenji's eyes, but there was a tact from the inside.He smiled and said to Hu Zongxian: "If you don't send Zili to find me, I should come to see you too. Minister, let's talk about borrowing food. You have to see the sickness? It's not you, and Li Taiyi doesn't either. I will come from such a long distance. Let Imperial Doctor Li write the prescription first, and we will discuss it later, okay?"

Hu Zongxian closed his eyes.

Zhao Zhenji turned to Li Shizhen who was sitting in front of the case: "Please doctor Li to prescribe a prescription."

Li Shizhen sat there without moving: "I am no longer a doctor."

Zhao Zhenji was stunned for a moment, and smiled apologetically: "I was wrong. There are a thousand imperial physicians, but Li Shizhen has only one in my Ming Dynasty."

Although Li Shizhen still had a stern face, she accepted his offer happily, and her tone became better: "Do you really want me to prescribe a prescription?"

Zhao Zhenji: "Look at what you said, Hu Butang is the pillar of my Ming Dynasty, saving him is a great merit."

Li Shizhen: "Then I prescribed a prescription, will you pick up the medicine according to the prescription?"

Zhao Zhenji: "If it's flying in the sky or swimming in the water, as long as it's not dragon liver and phoenix gall, I'll send someone to pick it up."

Li Shizhen: "Not so famous. I have this medicine everywhere."

Zhao Zhenji: "Then sir, open it quickly, and I will pick it up right away."

"This is what you promised." After saying this, Li Shizhen spread out the prescription paper on the desk, picked up a pen, dipped it in ink, touched the inkstone, and began to write solemnly.

At this moment, Hu Zongxian, who was lying on the chair, coughed again.

Zhao Zhenji and Tan Lun who had been standing by the side walked over almost at the same time.

Tan Lun picked up the water on the coffee table beside him: "Butang, drink some water."

Hu Zongxian was still coughing and shook his hand.

"The prescription is over, let's get ready to pick up the medicine." Li Shizhen put down her pen before the case, picked up the prescription and blew it.

Zhao Zhenji hurried over.

Li Shizhen: "There's no rush. I'll let Master Tan take this prescription first."

Zhao Zhenji stopped there, and Tan Lun hurried over.

Li Shizhen looked at Tan Lun: "Follow the prescription and read it aloud."

Tan Lun nodded, took the prescription from Li Shizhen, took a look, and his eyes lit up.

Li Shizhen: "Read it."

Zhao Zhenji looked at Tan Lun, Hu Zongxian no longer coughed, and was lying there quietly, apparently waiting for Tan Lun to read the prescription.

Tan Lun coughed lightly, and read: "The cause of the disease: official residence of first rank, two provinces in charge, restraints from top to bottom, worrying about slander and fear of ridicule!"

Zhao Zhenji was startled.

Hu Zongxian also opened his eyes.

Tan Lun raised his voice, and then read: "Prescription: [-] boats of rice, shipped to Zhejiang on the same day, for foreign use!"

There was light in Hu Zongxian's eyes, and when he looked at Li Shizhen, relief and gratitude immediately overflowed from his face.

Tan Lun handed the prescription to Zhao Zhenji at the right time.Zhao Zhenji took the prescription but stood there in a daze, and slowly looked at Li Shizhen, and said with a wry smile: "Mr. Li, this joke is too big."

Li Shizhen is very serious: "Li has been practicing medicine for half his life, whether he is in the imperial hospital or in the city and the countryside. To the emperor and the common people, he only knows how to cure diseases and save people. He never jokes. What is it for? If you save a person, you will get a point." Merit, saving ten people is very meritorious. Mr. Zhao, you can save hundreds of thousands of people in a single thought. This kind of merit is as big as the sky, how can it be regarded as a joke?"

"Help me up." Hu Zongxian sat up while leaning on the armrest of the recliner.

Tan Lun hurried over to help him stand up, and Hu Zongxian bowed to Li Shizhen.

At this time Li Shizhen also stood up quickly, and turned her body to one side to show her humility that she did not dare to accept it.

Hu Zongxian looked at Li Shizhen: "Hu has a heartless request."

Li Shizhen: "Hu Butang, please tell me."

Hu Zongxian: "After Chun'an and Jiande were flooded, not only was there a shortage of food, but there may also be plagues. Teaching the people to gather medicine to avoid plagues is also a major event. Can you please go there?"

Li Shizhen immediately responded, "When are you leaving?"

Hu Zongxian: "Can I borrow food, I have to leave today."

Li Shizhen: "I'll go with you."

Hu Zongxian: "Thank you in advance, Mr. Hu." As he spoke, he bowed again.

"Okay, okay." Li Shizhen stopped him, and looked at Zhao Zhenji again, "Zhao Zhongcheng, do you still choose the medicine you promised me?"

Zhao Zhenji smiled wryly at Li Shizhen while holding the prescription, and looked at Hu Zongxian again.

Hu Zongxian no longer looked at him at this time.

Zhao Zhenji: "Butang, I have something to say to the Butang. Can the Butang move and let me talk to you slowly?"

Then Hu Zongxian looked at him again.

Li Shizhen picked up the medicine box: "Let me move." He said and walked towards the door.

Zhao Zhenji: "Doctor Li..."

Li Shizhen: "I told you, don't call me a doctor anymore." After saying this, she walked out.

Hu Zongxian hurriedly said to Tan Lun, "Zi Li, go and accompany Mr. Li."

Tan Lun hurriedly followed out.

There were only two people left in the house.Hu Zongxian was still lying on the chair, Zhao Zhenji sat beside him and held his arm.

"Ruzhen, I won't hide it from you, and I can't hide it from you." Zhao Zhenji said, "One hundred ships, two hundred ships of food should be available every day, but they can't be lent to Zhejiang. You also understand in your heart, it's not that I don't Lend it to you, the court will not allow me to lend it to you. Also, you have managed to hide out, why bother to trap yourself at this time. "

"Even you think I'm hiding?" Hu Zongxian sat up straight, "It's not my original intention to resign to the emperor."

Zhao Zhenji: "I know. If you do that in Zhejiang, whoever is in charge of the cabinet will force you to resign."

This is the theory of killing the heart.Hu Zongxian looked at Zhao Zhenji.

Zhao Zhenji: "I didn't mean to tease you at all. In officialdom, there are always two words of advance and retreat. You and I have been friends for 20 years. I will give you the truth. Someone in the court greeted me and told me not to lend you food. "

"Who?" Hu Zongxian's eyes sparkled.

Zhao Zhenji: "Don't ask me about that."

Hu Zongxian went straight to the point: "Is it Mr. Xiao Ge or Mr. Xu Ge?"

Zhao Zhenji pondered for a while, and said after a while: "Do you really not understand, or are you just trying to drag me into the water?"

Hu Zongxian: "I don't want you to go into the water, as long as you say hello to me on the shore."

Zhao Zhenji: "Then let me tell you, people on both sides don't want me to lend you food."

Hu Zongxian was silent, and it took a long time before he said to himself: "I can think of it if you don't say it. If you say it, I, Hu Zongxian, have not lost your close friend at last."

Zhao Zhenji was a little moved by what he said, and said very earnestly: "Since you come, you will be safe. If you come to Yingtian to borrow food, the higher-ups know it, and Zhejiang also knows it. If you haven't borrowed food, your heart has arrived." , that’s all. Is this not sick? Just stay in Yingtian. I’ll give you a doctor’s notice, and I’ll take care of you and stay in Suzhou.”

Hu Zongxian: "What about Zhejiang? Let it go into chaos?"

Zhao Zhenji was a little anxious: "Things have been seen clearly. If there are no dead people in Zhejiang, this matter will not be over. The world is not benevolent and treats all things as straw dogs, and the saints are not benevolent and treat the people as straw dogs. The dead are like this. 1 people are a number. 10 is a number. Neither you nor I can stop it."

Hu Zongxian's gaze became sharp again, examining Zhao Zhenji like two knives.

Zhao Zhenji felt a little uneasy, more precisely, regretted her gaffe, and immediately said: "Ruzhen, if you don't listen, just pretend that I didn't tell you anything today. Yes, I didn't say anything today. "

(End of this chapter)