Emperor Kangxi: The First Rule of the Palace

Chapter Ten
The secret of Shunzhi's death was no longer mentioned.The big and small things that happened in the court at the beginning of Kangxi's accession to the throne were quickly forgotten by people.The officials in charge of the daily life of the inner court still wrote superficial articles in a serious manner according to the situation: "Renzi in the first month of the first month of the 18th year of Shunzhi... collapsed in the Hall of Mental Cultivation"; ; "Shangju eunuch Wu Liangfu Yu Yuehuamen"... At that time, only a few careful people kept it in their hearts and thought about the mystery.In fact, Sony's illness was a barometer of the government at that time.If his illness is a little more serious, something will happen to the inner court.Right now, Sony's illness is getting worse and worse, and the situation in the palace is getting more and more tense.

That Oboi saw that his power was getting bigger and bigger, and he had subdued Ye Bilong recently, he didn't pay much attention to Sukesaha at all.He used the excuse that Dorgon favored Zhengbaiqi in the land enclosure 20 years ago, and he wanted to take advantage of Kangxi's young age and Sony's serious illness to exchange for the good land that Zhengbaiqi had forcibly exchanged, so as to expand himself manor.So people are even more panicked and restless.In a blink of an eye, it has been the sixth year of Kangxi, and Kangxi has been in power for more than a year. Due to the opening of a department to obtain a scholar, some unexpected disturbances have occurred.

The day's examination was over, and Wu Ciyou left the examination room and walked to the street, feeling really recovered from a serious illness.The strong sunlight shone on the pale faces, as if the whole street was shaking, making people dizzy.People on the street looked at this group of "students of the son of heaven" who came out of the examination room with speculative eyes, wondering which of them would become the Optimus Prime of the Qing Dynasty.They look forward to the prosperity of the country and the safety of the people.

Wu Ciyou stumbled back to Yuepeng's shop, it was already the time when he was not licensed.He Guizhu led his staff to greet him at the door of the store. When he saw him, he hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Congratulations to the second master, this time I will be the champion—why didn't you sit in a sedan chair and just walked back?" Said while asking the guys to bring hot water, let him wash his face and feet.Wu Ciyou forced a smile, then sat down next to the counter, and said, "Thank you Jiyan, I've been bored for a few days, and I wanted to get some ventilation, so I walked back." Just as he was talking, Mingzhu came out from behind with a smile, He hurried forward and met Li.

Wu Ciyou said with a smile: "You have such fast legs and feet - are you proud of the article?" Mingzhu frowned, and said: "My writing is ordinary, I wrote a random policy, and I just handed it in for blame." Wu Ciyou laughed. : "Twice in a row, our brother didn't win the lottery. This time I broke the pot and I really gave him an article "On the Enclosure and Chaos of the Country"."

When everyone heard what he said, they couldn't help being stunned.He Guizhu hurriedly said: "Okay, my second master, why are you poking a hornet's nest? Then the chief examiner of Jishi is Oboi's cronies! You get fame, and don't care if he encloses land or not!" Mingzhu stumbled and said: "Brother is too honest, This will be a loss!"

Wu Ciyou, on the other hand, wiped his face with a warm towel and said casually, "The country seeks talented people, so it should be allowed to speak up. What are you afraid of? I didn't slander the imperial court!" Ao Zhongtang is the imperial court! But Sukesaha Zhongtang is the main examiner. Such a cursing official may not dare to show it to Ao Zhongtang!" Wu Ciyou soaked his feet in the basin and sneered: "I want him to read Read, this kind of disorderly exchange of people's fields, forcing people to go to the mountains to become thieves, and to enter the city to become thieves, is it a disaster for the country and the people!"

The more he spoke, the more twisted he was, Wu Ciyou's face became gloomy again.To be honest, he himself was a little uneasy after his appearance.He originally wrote "Jing Tian" in his stomach-beating manuscript, and wanted to insinuate about the enclosure, but he broke the title and quoted a sentence from "Lushi Chunqiu" "The law of the king who violated the laws of Shanghu", and then transferred to the enclosure after writing. This extremely important national policy came up and got out of hand. "The well field cannot be restored", the proposed topic, when it was written at the end, it was wrong no matter how you looked at it.With a sudden heart, he simply wrote "On the Enclosure and Chaos of the Country".I was very proud at the moment, but I didn't think much about the consequences.Now the listeners are a little confused when they talk about it.

After being dazed for a while, when he came back to his senses, Wu Ciyou smiled and said, "This is time, luck, fate, so do what you want, let it be!"

There was no news for five or six days, Mingzhu felt very uneasy, she didn't sleep all night, got up early the next day, washed herself clean, knocked on the door of an incense store in Dongshi, bought a pack of letter incense and came back.After it was lit, I took down a bronze mirror hanging in the room, knelt down on the ground and prayed, chanting words in my mouth.

After praying, he quietly took the mirror and opened the door to come out.

This is called "mirror divination".The next procedure is to go out with a mirror in your pocket, and take back the first paragraph of the person you meet for analysis.This is the enlightenment of "Mirror God" to you.

It was just after dawn, and there were few people on the street, and no one chatted.He turned a corner, but saw a man arguing with a leek seller: "It's a bargain, why can't it work? Your leeks are not very fresh after a night!"

"Tsk tsk! Look at this stubble, look at this dew! One was cut yesterday, and you kicked my ass!"

"Haven't eaten pork, haven't seen a pig go? Wuwen! You cool off!" The buyer said and walked away.The leek seller picked up the burden and said, "Don't worry, this vegetable can't be fed to rabbits! If you can't sell it for yourself, I don't believe it! Grandma's."

After hearing these few words, Mingzhu seemed to be in a fog, and walked back thinking all the way: "The leeks were cut...but the crops were yesterday...you are cool...you can't sell yourself to eat-chaos Dead, what are these tricks? Every sentence seems unlucky, but it seems to be nothing. I don't believe it, it seems that I have some thoughts, but it may not be..." Mingzhu was so dizzy, Still can't figure it out.

When I returned to the store, I saw Wei Dongting and He Guizhu were also at Wu Ciyou's place.The three of them were talking happily, when they saw Mingzhu come in, they hurriedly got up to give up their seats.Wei Dongting smiled and said, "I went out early in the morning, why is it so urgent?"

Mingzhu smiled and told everyone what "Jing Ting" had said.He Guizhu laughed with a "puchi" first: "Mirror listening is a game for old women. How can a big man eavesdrop on others with a mirror in his pocket like a thief? I know what's on your mind, and I just want to ask you a question." Fame, and second, if you want to predict good or bad luck, I think it is worse than Fushi."

For the existing burnt paper for incense burners in the store, the guys carried the sand table and hired a wooden pen. A wooden pen was suspended under a stick like a big T-square.Mingzhu burned incense and prayed seriously, and said, "I'll beg for elder brother first!"

Wei Dongting and He Guizhu supported the frame one by one, and saw that the wooden pen moved as if it was flying, drawing several circles on the sand table, and then pulling it horizontally.This picture touched Wu Ciyou's mind, so he couldn't help but pay attention to it, only to see that the pen stopped and wrote the words, but it was a song "Recalling Qin'e":
〖Guan Shanyue, the straight road is difficult to walk, the road is like iron, the road is like iron, every step comes, every step stumbles.Yulou Zhaodrinking Dream He Jie, it is hard to say goodbye to the ancient road.Difficult to say goodbye, sons and daughters love each other, bright and self-cleaning! 〗

Wu Ciyou looked at it and said with a chuckle: "This elegant fairy is really a bosom friend. Whether it is good or bad, it really suits my interest!" Then he looked at Mingzhu, but it was just a word "catch", and he couldn't ask for it anymore. Words come.

Mingzhu knelt down anxiously and said: "Please give me a few more words from the Great Immortal, this word is really difficult to decipher." After speaking, she smoothed the sand table with her hands, and looked at the ghost with longing eyes.The shelf only moved slightly, but when I looked at it, there was still the word "catch", but it didn't move.Mingzhu wanted to ask again, but He Guizhu persuaded: "Don't ask any more, it must be this word, and you will never use it in your life."

So everyone surrounded Wu Ciyou and asked him to solve it.Wu Ciyou said with a smile: "I have never believed in these tricks. Life and death are destiny, wealth and honor are in the sky, how can we entrust them to ghosts and gods?" He pondered for a while and then said, "But it might as well be a joke. "Recalling Qin'e", the second half of the poem does not talk about it, but the first half of the poem "step by step, step by step" sets the tone. Since the "queen is like iron", of course it cannot be pushed away. The second half of the poem spreads across the five lakes, It doesn’t seem to be a big harm, but it’s nothing more than fame. ——As for the word “catch”, it can be disassembled into the meaning of “hands and feet together” or “hands and feet dancing”. Wu, do I rely on fighting for a living?"

Wei Dongting interjected from the side: "It's hard to say—Mr. Wu, my brother thinks the words 'Jade Tower to drink' and 'Bright nature and self-cleaning' are very interesting."

Wu Ciyou said with a smile: "'Jade Tower Edict Drinking' is the most inauspicious of Li Changji's deathbed 'Jade Tower Going to Summon'. What's so good? 'Bright and self-cleaning' just means 'like the moon in your arms' or 'breeze in your sleeves' ’, it fits the identity of a Confucian scholar.” The words made everyone laugh.

Wei Dongting smiled, and said: "Mr. Wu, it seems that you have no intention of fame?" Wu Ciyou said with a smile: "It's just detachment, if you say you don't care about fame, what am I doing in this bustling capital? In a gentleman, you can only take what is straight, not what you want to hear!"

Wei Dongting arched his hands and said again: "Mr.'s magnanimity is admirable. But Mr. Chen Shizheng is straightforward, aren't you afraid of offending the powerful people in the court?" Wu Ciyou sneered: "Fame, worthless ears! The worst thing is to be like Brother Mingzhu" 'Come on, tell them to cut the 'leeks' and go!"

Everyone listened to this talk very seriously, although they were humorous, they didn't dare to make jokes and laugh casually, so they couldn't help feeling a little awe-inspiring.Wei Dongting remained calm and asked, "What's your plan for the next step, Mister?"

Wu Ciyou was about to answer when he suddenly heard the sound of announcing the gong outside the gate. A few street bastards rushed in with wedding invitations in their hands and shouted, "Which one is Master Mingzhu? Congratulations on high school!"

Mingzhu got up hastily when she heard the report, suddenly felt flustered and her legs were weak, she fell down on the chair again in a daze.Wu Ciyou was so happy that he stood up and greeted: "Bring some wine, congratulations to Brother Mingzhu!"

Wei Dongting stepped forward, held Mingzhu's shoulder with his hands and said, "Biaotai, congratulations!" He Guizhu cried out inwardly, "I'm ashamed! It's the second master who has eyesight, and almost ruined the nobleman at the door of this shop!" Step forward in three steps and kowtow in two steps, and said in his mouth: "Master Mingzhu, I give you a happy congratulations!"

Only now did Mingzhu wake up from her intoxication, and hurriedly rolled up He Guizhu and said, "Happy, everyone is happy! You have a kindness with me, so you can't do this great gift." The newspapers were already shouting: "Please, sir! Wine reward money!" Wei Dongting took out an ingot of about five or six taels of silver from his body and said, "Let's exchange it for money and let's go!" The leader took off his felt hat and received the reward money, and led the bastards away happily.

The clerks had already arranged the vegetables and vegetables, and everyone took their seats, Wu Ciyou sat on top, Wei Dongting and Mingzhu Dahenger sat down, and He Guizhu sat down with a cup.After drinking for three rounds, Wu Ciyou's face was radiant, and he said: "Ciyou originally planned to prepare a banquet to invite friends today. He thought that he would bid farewell to everyone in the next few days and return to the south with Brother Mingzhu. Now Brother Mingzhu has passed away. Now, I will hang around for a few more days, and everyone will go again when they are happy." Mingzhu said with a smile: "I am lucky enough to have today, thanks to my elder brother's blessing! My elder brother's moral writing is well-known all over the world, so why not wait for one more subject, that is a must. Undoubtedly!" Wu Ciyou smiled but didn't answer, but saw Wei Dongting, who was seated next to him, lowered his head and pursed his lips and smiled, so he asked, "Brother Wei Xian, what are you laughing at?"

Seeing the question, Wei Dongting hurriedly said: "I think what my cousin said is very true. What's the problem with Mr. Wu just waiting for another subject?" Wu Ciyou said: "Is Mingzhu brother very lucky? I think he must pass this subject. Wait. I haven’t seen any news in the past few days, so I thought it was all right, but if I didn’t think about it, I guessed it. One thing on my mind. When it comes to the morality of the article, Brother Yu is very ashamed. Don’t you know that there are also some people who died because of the article, so I don’t think about it anymore. .”

Wei Dongting said with a smile: "Sir, what you said is nothing more than 'step by step, step by step'? These nonsense words are probably true." When everyone saw Wei Dongting talking about the "Recalling Qin'e" just now, they couldn't help but look a little solemn.He Guizhu was pouring wine from the pot while looking at Mingzhu, and saw that his face was full of spring; seeing Wu Ciyou's expression was calm, but his brows were unavoidably sad, and he thought: "This god and Buddha's business can never be wrong again. ', a 'step by step'!" But Wei Dongting said again: "Mr. is waiting here, I foolishly thought that there must be some opportunities." Mingzhu also hurriedly said: "Brother, just wait for another subject!"

Wu Ciyou slowly raised the wine, drank it all in one gulp, and said with a smile, "Okay, brother, I'll listen to you!"

On the second day when he was on duty, Wei Dongting came to see Kangxi, and as soon as he entered the hall, he smiled and said, "Long live, I got Mr. Wu's paper!" He took out a roll from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.Kangxi hurriedly unpacked it, unfolded it and read it.At the beginning of the volume, the words "On Encirclement and Chaos of the Country" were impressively written in thick ink and heavily moistened, with black and bright circles. He couldn't help raising his eyebrows and said, "Good words!"

"It's dangerous to say," Wei Dongting said hastily, "Su Zhongtang lied to the deputy chief examiner, and went to investigate one room after another privately. Even the room officer was screened out before he was pulled out..."

(End of this chapter)