Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 97

Yan Song also supported the short pier and knelt down.

Xu Jie was obviously forcing himself to make a statement. Jiajing looked up, thought for a while, and opened his mouth, but recited the "Book of Songs": "'Shuoshu Shuoshu, I have no food for me! A three-year-old girl, Don’t care about me.’ This song has been handed down for more than 2000 years. Rats are beaten every year, and they can’t be beaten every year. Corrupt officials are killed every day, and there are corrupt officials every day. Mr. Xu Ge, I will give you a sharp knife, You can't kill many. But I will kill those who should be killed. Lu Fang."

Lu Fang immediately replied: "The servant is here."

Jiajing: "What day is today?"

Lu Fang: "Return to master, today is the day of worshiping the heavens and offering sacrifices on the Zhongyuan Festival."

Jiajing: "Then let's not talk about killing people today. Immediately set up an altar, and worship the Qing Ci written by the two elders for me to heaven. Take the incense crown!"

Xu Jie was so disappointed that he could only kowtow heavily and stood up.

Yan Song was expressionless, and also kowtowed to help the short pier stand up.

Lu Fang has already gone to the altar to get the incense crown.The incense crown is woven with vanilla and fragrant flowers, soaked in a special perfume and then infused with a special sandalwood. The incense is indeed incense.

Lu Fang first picked up the largest incense crown from the incense table under the altar, walked up to Jiajing, knelt down on her knees and held it high, and Jiajing also took it with both hands and put it on her head.

Yan Song and Xu Jie walked over by themselves, first took off their official hats, and then each took a incense crown from the incense table and put it on their heads.Then Lu Fang took off the eunuch's gauze hat, held up a incense crown and put it on his head.

The heads of the four monarchs and ministers in the dignified emperor's palace of the Ming Dynasty are now covered with flowers and herbs, just like the characters in Qu Yuan's "Nine Songs".In a piece of Chinese history, 370 six emperors wore incense crowns in the palace and bestowed on ministers wearing incense crowns. It is unprecedented, and I am afraid that only the Jiajing emperor.

Jiajing got off the futon, walked slowly to the altar, and knelt down on the slanted prayer table.

Lu Fang knelt beside Jiajing in front of the altar.

There was no space in front of the altar, so Yan Song and Xu Jie had to kneel down on the ground beside the futon steps behind Jiajing.

Jiajing picked up the two copies of Qing Ci and muttered the words in his mouth.After reading one piece, he lit the green poem on the candle and put it in the golden basin before worshiping a few days ago.The page of green words was originally made of ivy paper, and the words on it were cinnabar. The ignited fire turned green and red, and the smoke that rose also showed colorful lights.

Jiajing read another green poem, lit it and put it in the golden basin after reading, and then admired the colorful smoke of green and red.

If so, several pieces of Qing Ci will be burned.Jiajing kowtowed first.

Yan Song, Xu Jie and Lu Fang all kowtowed.

After kowtowing, Yan Song, Xu Jie, and Lu Fang were waiting for Jiajing to stand up, but Jiajing was still kneeling there.

"Lu Fang." Jiajing suddenly shouted while kneeling.

Lu Fang knelt on one side and quickly replied: "The servant is here."

Jiajing: "Bring me the two memorials from Zhejiang."

"Yes." Lu Fang got up, walked to the imperial case, picked up two memorials, knelt back to Jiajing's side, and put her hands up.

Jiajing knelt up straight, held up a memorial with his left hand, and a memorial with his right hand: "Here are two memorials, both of which are confessions to the case of corruption in Zhejiang Province. One was signed by Zhao Zhenji and Tan Lun, and this I read the copy half a month ago, and you all read it too. The other copy was submitted by Hai Rui recommended by my son, and it was sent to the palace last night. I didn’t open it, and I didn’t read it. Let Yan Ge and Xu Ge take a look at the seal."

"Yes." Lu Fang didn't get up this time, and walked over on her knees to take the [-]-mile express delivery from Jiajing's right hand, and handed it to Yan Song first.

Yan Song slowly lay down: "A monarch is like the sky, if the sky doesn't look at it, how can I dare to look at it."

Lu Fang stubbornly stretched out the urgent letter in front of him: "The emperor has ordered you to check the seal, but he has not asked you to open it."

Yan Song had no choice but to raise his head: "Yes."

Lu Fang had been prepared for a long time, and had already taken out the one-sided flower mirror that Jiajing often used from the sleeve of her robe, and pointed it at the seal where the urgent delivery seal was baked.

Yan Song moved his eyes closer, and clearly saw the six embossed characters "Hai Rui, Magistrate of Chun'an County" clearly through the one-way mirror, and said: "I read it according to the order, and it is indeed unopened."

Lu Fang took another knee step, lay down on the steps and stretched out the flower mirror and the express seal in front of Xu Jie.

Xu Jie had no choice but to move his head closer and read it carefully: "Yes. I read it according to the order, and it is indeed not opened."

Lu Fang immediately stuffed the one-sided flower mirror into the sleeve of her robe, and kneeled to Jiajing's side: "Master, the two elders have checked it and confirmed that it has not been opened." After speaking, he returned the urgent delivery to Jiajing with both hands. .

Jiajing: "Taishang Daojun's mantra is 'Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish'. There are some things that you can't be in charge of, and I can't be in charge. Only God can be in charge. For example, if you read the two memorials, you can also read the one I read. I didn't read one copy, and you didn't read it either. Our monarchs and ministers can decide what we read, and let God decide what we haven't read!" After speaking, he threw Hai Rui's urgent delivery into the brazier !

There is paint and feathers, and when this urgent delivery is thrown into the brazier, a puff of black smoke immediately rises!
Lu Fang quickly picked up the copper tongs that poked the fire, picked up the delivery and put it on the fire, and the delivery started to ignite!

Jiajing was still kneeling upright in front of the altar brazier, still holding up the memorial of Zhao Zhenji and Tan Lun in his left hand: "The memorial of Zhao Zhenji and Tan Lun listed Zheng Michang and He Maocai's corruption of the country's money and plundering of people's wealth one by one. General charges, detailed interrogation, iron evidence like a mountain. Mr. Yan Ge."

Yan Song immediately lowered his head: "The minister is here."

Jiajing: "Because both of them were recommended by Yan Shifan, you don't have to ask."

Yan Song lay on the ground: "The minister is guilty."

Jiajing: "The way to employ people is to know people. Officials in the two capitals and thirteen provinces all rely on your recommendation. Those who are honest are like Hu Zongxian. Those who care about the overall situation are like Zhao Zhenji. These are all good. Like Zheng Michang , He Maocai and other big rats actually recommended Fengjiang, Yan Shifan may not be blind?"

Yan Song had no choice but to reply: "Yan Shifan is ignorant of people, and I ask you to remove him from his post as a hall official in the Ministry of Officials."

Just ignorance?Xu Jie was waiting for Jiajing to express his opinion.

Jiajing's back view did not show any stance, but after a while he said something that made Xu Jie even more disappointed: "The people recommended by Yan Shifan may not all be bad. For example, Gao Hanwen, who went to Zhejiang, did not join forces with Zheng Bichang and He Maocai , but was dismissed and locked up in the Imperial Prison? How did the servants of the Zhenfu Division manage their work by sweeping down a boat of people with a pole?"

This required Lu Fang to reply: "This is the slave's dereliction of duty, and the slave will order the governor to release him. Whether to let him return to the Imperial Academy for reinstatement, please ask the master to judge."

Jiajing: "Of course the official will be reinstated. Xu Jie."

Xu Jie was already lying there, but at this moment he responded, "The minister is here."

Jiajing: "Zhao Zhenji is your student, and Tan Lun is a disciple of King Yu. You will submit their joint memorial to you for approval. Don't draft it in the cabinet. Take it to Prince Yu's mansion and call Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng. How should Zheng Michang and He Maocai draw up the decision, and how should Hu Zongxian and Qi Jiguang be rewarded for their meritorious service? Together, you should come up with a plan and present it to the Supervisor of Rites for approval. To show that I am a righteous man.”

This result was also the result that Xu Jie had expected a long time ago. Although such a result could not directly hurt the Yan family and his son, it had already hurt their faces.

"Yes." Xu Jie replied very solemnly, lowering his head and raising his hands, waiting to receive the memorial from Zhao Zhenji and Tan Lun.

Lu Fang had already received the memorial from Jiajing, and passed it to Xu Jie at this time.

It's time to call it a day.Jiajing still knelt in front of the altar: "Today Zhongyuan, I want to sacrifice to the sky, and you have to go back to worship your ancestors. Step back."

Xu Jie was holding the memorandum and was about to stand up, but found that when Lu Fang came to help Yan Song, Yan Song was still lying on the ground, refusing to get up: "I have two things to ask for your order."

Jiajing was still kneeling at this moment, with such painstaking efforts to adjust yin and yang, no matter what happened, he should not play at this time, with his back turned to him, his tone of voice showed displeasure: "Zuo."

Yan Song: "At present, the overall situation is nothing more than two ends. One is to enrich the national treasury, and the other is to suppress the Japanese in the southeast. Changing rice into mulberry uses non-human beings. The Jiangnan Weaving Bureau will not be able to weave 50 pieces of silk this year. The military supplies in the front and the expenditures of various ministries have been exhausted. The minister invites Yan Maoqing to go south to inspect the salt, to clear the salt tax, and to use it for national use."

Jiajing's face softened a little: "Zunza!"

Yan Song: "Hu Zongxian's southeast anti-Japanese war has come to a decisive battle. I heard that a smuggler named Qi Dazhu was suspected of collaborating with the Japanese. I don't know who sent Xianjin to infiltrate the barracks. He is by Hu Zongxian's side. If this person is really a Japanese spy , the legacy will be huge. Shall I ask Xu Jie and the Ministry of War to investigate and deal with it together?"

The so-called Tongwo plot has been clearly written in Hai Rui's confession and testimony. Now that the confession and testimony have been burned, Yan Song found out about it. Jiajing knew it, and Xu Jie knew it in his heart. He was obviously looking for compensation. Today's game is lost.

A gleam flashed across Jiajing's eyes, and he silently agreed to him for a moment: "Zunzuo. Is there any more?"

Yan Song kowtowed: "I bow to the Holy Majesty!"

Only then did Lu Fang help him up.

Only then did Xu Jie kowtow again and stood up.

Jiajing was still kneeling in front of the altar, and the two could only bow and back away.

Lv Fang supported Yan Song and bowed slowly back to the door.

Xu Jie raised his hands high and Zuo Shu bent over and slowly retreated towards the door.

Jiajing still knelt in front of the altar, slowly raised his head, and looked at the tablets.

(End of this chapter)