Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 80

"There is a war ahead, and the national treasury is empty. I really don't understand why they are still fighting like this at this time." Another eunuch Bingbi also said very angrily, "Even if the old Yan Ge and the small Ge are doing something outrageous At this time, they still have to rely on their people to stand in front. Zheng Michang and He Maocai have been used for surgery, and what is going to be chased after destroying dikes and flooding fields, chasing after Shishiro Inoue, killing them all, and dragging Hu Zongxian into it , the battle in Zhejiang is over!"

"It's too late to get angry." After these people made a fuss, Lu Fang quickly calmed down, "Such a confession must not be submitted to the master. Tell me what to do."

There is no cost to make a statement, and you will be responsible for making an idea in the future. The few Bingbi eunuchs who were very righteous just now fell silent.

Only Huang Jin was honest, looking at Lu Fang: "Godfather is right. Presenting such a confession to the master, Long Live, is to force the master to make a decision to raise a big prison, but how can the master make such a decision at this time. To make things difficult for the master like this, all of us really deserve to die. Godfather, it’s hard for us to take on this.”

Lu Fang looked deeply at Huang Jin, with three points of gratitude and seven points of sadness in his eyes: "They have big families and great careers, they are not as good as you, a person without a family!" He sighed and raised his voice: " But we can't involve all five of us, the master entrusted me with the supervisor of ceremonies, and I should take care of this difficulty. Listen carefully."

The four Bingbi eunuchs all looked at him deeply.

Lu Fang: "Master, I haven't trimmed my hands and feet for 21 days. Jin'er, go and trim my nails this morning. The finer the job, the better. Give me two hours, and don't let the master call me. .”

Huang Jin: "Son, let's go."

"No rush." ​​Lu Fang slowly picked up the two confessions in the big case, folded them and stuffed them into her sleeves, "I have to show the two confessions of Hai Rui and Wang Yongji first. When I come back, I will send it back to Zhejiang immediately, ordering Zhao Zhenji to retry. Eunuch Chen."

"Godfather." Chen Hong bowed quickly, "You should always call me son."

Lu Fang took a look at him, and said after a while: "That's right. You are the chief of the father and son soldiers. I usually have to respect you a little. Today I will call you Hong Er."

Chen Hong immediately answered, "The son is here."

Lu Fang: "You should write the court letter to Zhao Zhenji immediately, and ask him why he submitted such a confession! After finishing writing, wait for me to come back and deliver the two confessions of Hai Rui and Wang Yongji together eight hundred miles away." Zhejiang, order Zhao Zhenji to call Hai Rui and Wang Yongji to retrial."

"Son understands." Chen Hong replied, but then asked again, "If Master Long Live asks about this matter before Father returns, how will the sons answer?"

Lu Fang glanced at him: "These few confessions can't be kept from the master. If the master really wants to ask, he will submit the two confessions interrogated by Zhao Zhenji and Tan Lun. At that time, my business should be over. Whatever it is, you can’t answer and just push it on me.”

Chen Hong looked at the ground with both eyes: "Godfather, don't worry, if you can drag the sons, you will definitely drag the godfather back."

Lu Fang looked at the other two eunuchs holding pens: "Say hello, if there is one word about the matter here, kill them immediately!"

The two eunuchs holding pens: "My son understands!"

"It's almost time." Lu Fang stood up, "Immediately ask the Wine and Vinegar Noodle Bureau to find a jar of flower carvings from the first year of Jiajing's cellar, and put them in my sedan chair. I'm going out of the palace."

It is said in history that Yan Song has controlled the government for more than 360 years, but outsiders do not know that this control was obtained early in the dark.[-] days a year, Yan Song must get up early for at least [-] days, rush to the Xiyuan cabinet at the beginning of Chenshi, and wait for Jiajing's summons at any time. up.There are so many memorials and remonstrances to reprimand Yan Song. According to statistics, the most frequently used words are eight words: "Blocking the way of speech, not separating the monarch and his ministers!" It refers to this phenomenon.

Because of Yan Song's early court, it became the rule of Yan's mansion to get up early.At Xia Maoshi, it was the time when hundreds of roosters raised in the mansion crowed three times.Hearing the crowing of roosters everywhere, the people of 81 walked out of the living room with sculpted python robes, supported by two maidservants, and the eight-carried sedan chair in the yard immediately dumped there, and the curtain of the sedan chair was lifted from the side. opened.

Yan Song was helped slowly to the side of the big sedan chair. The porter who was on duty that day rushed in from the courtyard gate, went straight to Yan Song, and knelt down on one knee: "Mr. Ge, Eunuch Lu is here!"

Yan Song was a little deaf at this time, but he still seemed to hear the words clearly: "What did you say? Which Eunuch Lu is here?"

The concierge had no choice but to stand up, bowed his body obliquely, covered his mouth with one hand, and leaned into Yan Song's ear: "Master Ge, it's Lu Fang, Eunuch Lu."

"Open the middle door and welcome in!" Yan Song ordered immediately without having time to think about it.

Lu Fang had already appeared in the courtyard gate, smiling, followed by an eunuch holding a jar of 40-year-old flower carvings.

Xu Jie also arrived not long after, and it was Lu Fang who sent someone to call when he left Xiyuan.

All the attendants were dispatched, Yan Song was seated at the square table in the dining room next to the large living room, Lu Fang was seated at the top, and Xu Jie was at the bottom.

In fact, Yan Song had already used his breakfast, but Lu Fang and Xu Jie still came with an empty stomach.Fortunately, there are cooks on duty [-] hours a day in the kitchen of the Xiangfu, no matter the delicacies at the banquet or casual snacks, they can do it all.In a blink of an eye, there are exquisite four-meat and four-vegetarian cold and hot dishes on the table again. The small steamer with three overlapping drawers is steaming. From the first drawer, you can see six small steamed buns of different shapes and colors: the white one is fine Noodles, black buckwheat, yellow glutinous millet, fine grains and coarse grains, meat and vegetarian stuffing, and omnivorous food, it can be seen that this kindness of the old will preserve health.

In front of each person is a pair of ivory chopsticks, a blue-glazed wine cup from an official kiln of the Yuan Dynasty, and a blue-glazed dish from an official kiln of the Southern Song Dynasty.

Just last night, none of the three of them expected to have breakfast here at this time; at this moment, each of the three knew that this breakfast was like six steamed buns in a drawer, and none of them would eat it before they bit it. I don't know whether it is meat or vegetarian.

The altar of 40-year-old wine brought by Lu Fang was placed in front of her table.Without an attendant, he happened to stand up by himself and held up the wine jar.

Xu Jie immediately stood up, and Yan Song supported the edge of the table as if he was about to stand up.

"Mr. Yan Ge, please sit down." Lu Fang stopped Yan Song, but Xu Jie stood opposite him, holding the wine jar and standing too, "This wine jar was stored in the first year of Jiajing, and the emperor was born in that year. Datong, our family also started to follow the emperor that year. In the blink of an eye, it has been 40 years." After finishing speaking, he poured a full cup for Yan Song, but only half for Xu Jie, and only half for himself when he came down. Cup, put down the wine jar.

As the saying goes, the wine is full of tea, and the two elders have already pricked up their ears after some pretentious opening remarks.Both Yan Song and Xu Jie looked at Lu Fang.

Lu Fang: "The emperor's 40 years have not been easy, Yan Ge's past 20 years have not been easy, Xu Ge's entry into the cabinet was late, it has been more than ten years, it is not easy. As for our family, the emperor is just a slave , that’s not enough. Although the three of us have different positions, what we drink is the emperor’s wine. Whether it’s bitter or sweet, sweet or astringent, we don’t tell our guts. Mr. Xu Ge.”

Xu Jie still stood there: "Eunuch Lu, please enlighten me."

Lu Fang: "Our family poured a full glass for Mr. Yan Ge, half a glass for myself, and only half a glass for yours. Don't you mind?"

Xu Jie: "Yan Ge is always the first assistant, and he always bears the burden of the court. It is too much for me to drink half a cup with me. But the burden of the palace is all on Lu Gonggong's shoulders. It shouldn't be too much. Pour half a glass."

Lu Fang just wanted to tease him, and after he finished speaking, he picked up his half glass of wine and put it down in front of Xu Jie across the table: "Old Xu Ge said that, our family even drank half a glass I have no qualifications. This half cup is a toast to you. Two and a half cups add up to one cup. Elder Xu Ge and Elder Yan Ge are also tied."

No matter how deep Xu Jie was, he was shocked at this moment: "Eunuch Lu's words are hard for me to accept. If there is any fault of Xu, and what is the emperor's will, please declare it, Eunuch Lu." He left the seat, lifted his robe and To kneel down.

"Don't pay!" Lu Fang has worked for Jiajing for decades, and her agility is far superior to ordinary people. She walked around the table in one step and grabbed Xu Jie before he knelt down. The emperor didn't know about it earlier."

Xu Jie half-bent, turned from startled to stunned, and looked up at Lu Fang.

Suspicion also appeared in Yan Song's eyes, and he looked at Lu Fang across the table.

"Please sit down, sit down." Lu Fang helped Xu Jie, put Xu Jie on the chair, walked back to the chair without sitting down, and took out Hai Rui and Wang Yongji from her sleeve. The two confessions of Zheng Michang and He Maocai said, "Here are two things that were urgently sent to the palace by eight hundred miles from Zhejiang last night. They did not dare to submit them to the emperor. Please take turns to read them first, and then talk about them." He then handed one of the two confessions to Yan Song and the other to Xu Jie.

The two immediately became serious, took the confession with both hands, and then each took out their own reading glasses from their sleeve robes, and looked at it solemnly.I don't know how long it took, but the two pairs of presbyopia finally read the two confessions of Hai Ruishen Zheng Michang and He Maocai.Yan Song slightly raised his head and looked up and down in a daze, while Xu Jie lowered his head slightly and stared at the two and a half glasses of wine on the table in a daze.

"Let's play." Yan Song withdrew his gaze, did not look at Xu Jie, but only looked at Lu Fang, "As Zheng Michang and He Maocai said, it was Yan Shifan who told Zhejiang to destroy embankments and flood the fields. cut!"

Lu Fang turned her gaze to Xu Jie: "Mr. Xu Ge, did you hear what Mr. Yan Ge said?"

Xu Jie raised his head slowly, and the head was raised very heavily: "But I don't know what evidence is there for He Maocai to say that Yan Shifan told him to destroy the dikes and flood the fields and tell him to master the Japanese?"

Lu Fang: "That's a good point! He Maocai brought up Yan Shifan and Yang Jinshui in his confession. He asked him for the evidence, but he said it was burned. This is obviously a gossip! One made him crazy, and the other made him There is no evidence. Zhejiang has presented such a confession. Mr. Xu Ge, the emperor has read this confession, if I ask you to investigate thoroughly, can you find anything?"

Xu Jie: "Without evidence, no one can thoroughly investigate."

Lu Fang: "That's the same sentence. In May, the Xin'an River flooded and the dams in nine counties collapsed. The reason was that the Hangzhou government, Jiande County of Chun'an County, and Hedao Yamen embezzled public funds for embankment repairs. In order to divert the flood, Hu Zongxian had to go to the Chun'an and Jiande made a decision, flooded one and a half counties, and saved seven and a half counties. At that time, there were confessions by Ma Ningyuan and Li Xuan, and the case had already been settled. Now those people have been beheaded, and Zhejiang has There is another theory that involves Yan Shifan and Yang Jinshui, which can be investigated slowly. But what about Hu Zongxian? There is a war in the southeast, and thousands of people and tens of thousands of Japanese pirates are fighting. Send the capital to answer clearly, and let the Japanese pirates occupy Zhejiang!"

Yan Song held the card of Hu Zongxian in his hand, but at this time Lu Fang played it out, and he was even more certain in his heart, instead he said: "This matter has absolutely nothing to do with Hu Zongxian! There is no need to involve people in the palace. Check Yan Shifan."

I have repeatedly greeted Zhejiang, and the Zhejiang case cannot involve these things, but these two confessions have involved everything in black and white!What is Zhao Zhenji doing?What is Tan Lun doing?Could it be that even the two magistrates can't control it?Xu Jie was also in a state of confusion at this time, but he couldn't find out what happened for a while.Lv Fang concealed from the emperor and came to see herself and Yan Song with these two confessions at this moment. It was clear that she suspected herself and King Yu, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng instigated Zhao Zhenji and Tan Lun to deliberately disrupt the court situation in order to overthrow Yan.If this suspicion reached the emperor's heart, it would definitely not be Yan Shifan, let alone Yan Song, but himself. I'm afraid it will involve King Yu!Justify!At this time, I must immediately defend myself!

Thinking of this, Xu Jie looked at Lu Fang and Yan Song and said solemnly: "These two confessions were presided over by juror Hai Rui and recorded by juror Wang Yongji, without the signatures of Zhao Zhenji and Tan Lun. This is not normal. I agree with Lu According to the father-in-law, such a confession must never be submitted to the emperor. Not only can Hu Zongxian not be involved, but Yang Jinshui cannot be involved, and Yan Shifan has no reason to be involved. The cabinet of the Ministry of Rites and Supervisors should immediately question Zhao Zhenji and Tan Lun, how did the case end like this! What are you going to do!"

Lu Fang was naturally satisfied with such a firm attitude, and Yan Song also slowly looked at Xu Jie, although his eyes were dim, there was a look of discerning the truth from the false.

Xu Jie: "Eunuch Lu arranges the court mail for the chief inspector. If it is difficult for Yan Ge to write the court mail for the cabinet, I will write it."

Needless to say, Lu Fang stretched out her hand and poured her half glass of wine in front of Xu Jie into Xu Jie's half glass, and Xu Jie's half glass became a full glass.

Lu Fang: "Speaking of this point, our family also expresses our heart. Yan Ge has been drinking a glass of wine for decades, and that is the emperor's glass of wine. Xu Ge is more difficult. He wants to drink the emperor's wine and If you want to drink the wine of a hundred officials, two glasses of wine are not good. It is better to drink the same glass of wine as the emperor. Both elders should drink."

Xu Jie's embarrassment was hard to describe, his eyes were on the glass of wine in front of him, but he didn't know how to handle it.

Yan Song had half-closed his eyes at this moment, apparently waiting for Xu Jie to pick up the wine glass.

Lu Fang: "Did you two elders think that our glass is empty, so you don't want to drink this glass of wine?"

The two remained silent there.

Lu Fang: "The two elders of the court are people with great fortunes and five blessings. Our family has no family, and many godsons have been recognized as fake. Yang Jinshui is already on the way to the capital. After arriving in Beijing, the emperor will interrogate him. At that time, our family might not even be able to serve empty cups. But the Ming Dynasty cannot live without Mr. Yan Ge, and Mr. Xu Ge. As long as the two elders work together, the world will not be chaotic. Even if the two elders Don't you want to drink this glass of wine not for your own wealth, but for the emperor and the Ming Dynasty?"

Xu Jie slowly picked up the wine glass with both hands, and raised it towards Yan Song.

Yan Song also raised his wine glass, facing Xu Jie.

Lu Fang's eyes were fixed, and both of them drank their glasses full of wine.

"I have been to the hurdles in the palace these few days, and I have to keep the two elders. I also hope that the two elders will not see anyone these few days. If you don't speak, the people below will not dare to make trouble!"

Lu Fang smiled after speaking, but that smile was full of bitterness.

(End of this chapter)