Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 103

On the second day, the road outside Hangzhou was paved with yellow sand, and the holy driver came in mighty form.But a stone's throw away from Shengjia, there are actually two families welcoming the bride, with the sound of suona and bursts of firecrackers.Sitting in the carriage, the emperor poked his head out to take a look, very happy: "Why did I see the marriage?"

Zhang Shande accompanied the carriage, and replied: "Your Majesty, maybe it's a good day."

Gao Shiqi, Ashan and other officials stood solemnly, looking at the banners and banners in the distance.A few feet away, the common people stood with their heads bowed, and no one said a word.Chen Tingjing mingled among the people and did not go up to greet Gao Shiqi.Gao Shiqi wouldn't glance halfway at the people, so naturally he couldn't see Chen Tingjing.

Shengjia gradually approached, Gao Shiqi and others knelt on both sides of the official road.It wasn't until the holy car stopped that Gao Shiqi bowed his head and ran to the middle of the road, knelt down and said: "Slave Gao Shiqi welcomes the holy car!"

Ah Shan also knelt in the middle of the road, and said: "The slave governor of Liangjiang, Ah Shan, led the officials, gentry and people of Hangzhou to welcome the holy driver."

The common people knelt down in unison and shouted: "Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"

At this time, Chen Tingjing walked out of the common people in casual clothes, bowed his head, went to the holy car and knelt down: "Chen Tingjing kowtows to the emperor!"

Gao Shiqi knew that Chen Tingjing had been out of the palace for a long time, so he was not very surprised.Just now Ah Shan saw a person dressed as a commoner walking straight ahead, he was worried that someone would commit a crime, but he didn't expect it to be Chen Tingjing.Li Qilong was startled, he hurriedly raised his head to see who that person was, and wanted to see where Ah Shan was.Seeing Li Qilong looking around, Suo'etu immediately asked the correction officer to come forward and carry him out.

Ah Shan hurriedly kowtowed to the emperor a few times, and said: "I implore the emperor to forgive me! Li Qilong, the magistrate of Yuhang County, was devoting himself to accepting the holy driver, and he forgot the rules just now."

Li Qilong was scared to death, sweating profusely, and was at a loss.The emperor said: "Li Qilong's guilt is spared, let's still be included."

Li Qilong got up, retreated to the end of the shift, kowtowed.Xu Qianxue was standing next to the prince, and whispered: "His Royal Highness, all the local officials have arrived. I checked that only Liu Xiangnian, the prefect of Hangzhou, has not arrived!"

The prince said: "Liu Xiangnian is disrespectful in taking over, Huang Ama already knew."

Just as he was talking, Liu Xiangnian ran over, wet and out of breath, and quietly knelt behind him.The emperor looked up and asked, "Who was that here just now?"

Liu Xiangnian hurriedly kowtowed and said: "The prefect of Hangzhou, Liu Xiangnian, is late to greet you, please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

The prince scolded angrily: "Liu Xiangnian, you are disheveled and look like a drowned rat. It is a capital offense to pick you up like this!"

The prince said, looking back at the emperor.Seeing Liu Xiangnian's appearance, the emperor was naturally unhappy.Chen Tingjing reported: "Your Majesty, Liu Xiangnian prepared for the Emperor to inspect the navy, led the peasants to set up a platform, soaked in the Qiantang River all night, and just climbed up from the river." It turned out that last night, Chen Tingjing knew about the Shengyu Lecture Hall. , Hastily called Liu Jing to find Liu Xiangnian.Liu Jing went to the magistrate's yamen, only to know that Liu Xiangnian had gone to set up a platform on the Qiantang River.

The emperor gave Liu Xiangnian a cold look, then turned around and said to the officials: "You all get up. I won't come down to talk to you right now, let's go."

The officials stood up, bowed their heads and retreated to both sides of the road.Both sides of the road were full of people kneeling, the emperor stopped and got out of the car, and said: "Folks, don't kneel, get up."

The people shouted long live again, but no one dared to get up.The emperor shouted again: "Get up. You are all my good people, and I am happy to see you. Get up."

At this time, Zhang Xiangfu raised a scroll high above his head and shouted: "Hangzhou scholar Zhang Xiangfu has a poem to present to the emperor!"

The prince took the scroll and handed it to the emperor.The emperor was overjoyed, opened the scroll and looked at it, his face changed suddenly.The left and right officials don't know what to do, and they can't breathe.Unexpectedly, the emperor laughed again and praised him.The crown prince reached out to receive the manuscript, but the emperor didn't give it to him, he just said: "Good poem, good poem! I'll take it first, and read it slowly."

Zhang Xiangfu still bowed his head and knelt, not speaking.The emperor said, "Zhang Xiangfu, raise your head and let me see you."

Zhang Xiangfu raised his head slowly, and saw the emperor was smiling at him.But the emperor's smile made Zhang Xiangfu shudder.The emperor turned his head to look at the people, and shouted: "Everyone get up, I feel uneasy if you keep kneeling like this."

Ah Shan looked at Suo'etu and the prince, and shouted: "Get up, the emperor wants you to get up."

The people slowly stood up, but they dared not pat the dirt on their knees.

The emperor smiled and said: "What a wonderful people! Ashan, please drive some people to Xixi Villa, and I will give them a banquet."

Ah Shan hurriedly knelt down and said: "I obey the order, I first kowtow on behalf of the people to thank the emperor for his kindness!"

Ah Shan turned his head and told Li Qilong, whispering: "Go and pick some people, clean ones, not too many, ten is enough."

Then I heard the emperor say: "By the way, call Zhang Xiangfu."

The emperor got into the carriage, and the people knelt down again, shouting long live.Shengjia passed by, and Li Qilong fell behind to pick someone.He was the first to pick Zhang Xiangfu, and said: "Zhang Xiangfu, the emperor wants to give you a banquet! It seems that you are lucky!"

Zhang Xiangfu shook his head repeatedly and said, "I won't go."

Li Qilong's face changed, and he said: "You want to resist the edict? You really don't know what is good or bad! Maybe the emperor has taken a fancy to you. You are really going to develop, don't forget me, Mr. Li."

Li Qilong then picked a dozen or so common people and said: "You follow me to Xixi Villa, the emperor will give you a banquet."

The people who were picked out couldn't come to their senses for a long time, and they didn't know joy or fear.Only Zhang Xiangfu knew that bad luck was uncertain, and he was full of worries.

The holy driver went straight to the Xixi Villa of the Gao family. Gao Shiqi led the whole family to kneel down to meet him, and shouted: "Minister Gao Shiqi led the whole family to kowtow to the emperor, and wish the emperor long live long live long live!"

The emperor had already changed his shoulders, got out of the sedan chair, sat down on the dragon chair that had been placed earlier, and said, "Gao Shiqi, I am very happy to see that your family is harmonious, auspicious and prosperous. Your Gao family can be called a family of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness! "

Gao Shiqi fell down and wept, thanking him endlessly.The emperor said a lot of heart-warming words before he said: "Shiqi get up, tell your family to get up."

Gao Shiqi wiped away his tears and told the whole family to stand up and back down slowly.After seeing the members of Gao Shiqi's family, the emperor ordered Ah Shan to come forward to speak. Ah Shan bowed his head and quickly stepped forward, wiped his sleeves and knelt, and sang loudly: "The West Lake reflects the red sun, and the tide rises in Qiantang. The emperor's grace is mighty, and the East Sea is rising Bibo..."

The emperor couldn't help laughing, and said: "Ah Shan, if you have something to say, just say it, with the little writing in your stomach, you can't say such polite words."

Ah Shan blushed immediately, and said: "Your servant, Ah Shan, had a banquet of two hundred tables, strange stones, pearls, jade, antiques, ancient calligraphy and paintings, all of which were voluntarily presented by the elders in the south of the Yangtze River."

The emperor smiled and said, "Ah Shan, I have come all the way to Hangzhou. It is reasonable for you to invite me to have a meal with my ministers and workers. Why are you giving away those treasures, antiques, and ancient calligraphy and paintings? Is it really voluntary by the people?" Looking at Chen Tingjing, it was Chen Tingjing who said many years ago that most of the people's voluntary things are false.It's just that the emperor was happy and didn't want to take it too seriously.

Ah Shandao: "The common people love and love our emperor, and they are willing to give all they have to the emperor."

The emperor shook his head and said with a smile: "Your words don't make sense again. If the people really give everything they have, will I just watch them starve to death?"

The emperor said what he said casually, but he frightened Ah Shan: "The emperor forgives the sin! The emperor knows that Ah Shan doesn't read much, so he can't speak."

The emperor said again: "Okay, I didn't blame you. Gao Shiqi, I want to look around your house."

The emperor went to Gao's garden and said: "The south has the benefits of the south. Look at the trees and flowers, which cannot grow in the north!"

Gao Shiqi said with a smile: "These trees and flowers will grow even better after bathing in the grace of God today."

The emperor laughed loudly and said, "Gao Shiqi, I want to write you a few words."

Gao Shiqi hurriedly knelt down to thank him, while an eunuch quickly brought the Four Treasures of the Study and placed them on the stone table in the small pavilion.The emperor wrote two characters in a row, one said "loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness", and the other said "bamboo window".Gao Shiqi knelt down to receive the emperor's calligraphy, weeping again.

The emperor toured the garden and bestowed letters here, and a group of ministers including Chen Tingjing and Zhang Penghe followed behind.Liu Xiangnian has a lower rank and always stands at a distance.Seeing Liu Xiangnian's tired face, Zhang Penghe secretly sighed.The emperor was buzzing around, so Zhang Penghe whispered to Chen Tingjing: "A few days ago, the emperor asked me in private which Zhejiang officials had the best official voice, and I told him that Liu Xiangnian, the magistrate of Hangzhou, had the best official voice. But today I feel that the emperor has the best official voice. Liu Xiangnian doesn't seem very satisfied."

Chen Tingjing said: "Master Zhang really has a discerning eye. Liu Xiangnian is upright and unconventional. He has offended many people in the officialdom in Zhejiang."

Zhang Penghe said with a smile: "I remember, you were the one who recommended Liu Xiangnian in front of the emperor."

Chen Tingjing was looking for Zhang Penghe to join forces to protect Liu Xiangnian, so he said: "Unfortunately, Liu Xiangnian will be in trouble this time!"

Zhang Penghe hurriedly asked what was going on, and Chen Tingjing gave a general account of Ashan's close visit to Liu Xiangnian, Xu Qianxue secretly sent someone to ask Liu Xiangnian for money, and Gao Shiqi's intentional choice of a place where the river was rushing to build a platform. About the lecture hall.

Zhang Penghe was angry, but because he was waiting on the driver at the moment, he said softly: "I have been governing the river for many years, and all the governors and counties along the river know that this Ashan official is the worst! Xu Qianxue and Gao Shiqi are also not good. An ambitious reader!"

Chen Tingjing said: "Although I have reported everything I saw and heard along the way to the emperor, I didn't think about who to participate in. According to the laws of the country, everyone can participate, and few are spared. But will the emperor agree? If the emperor knows that there are not many upright officials in the world, I will be finished; if I let the people in the world know that there are few upright officials in the Qing Dynasty, the world will be over."

Zhang Penghe also said in a low voice: "What Chen Zhongtang thinks is exactly what I worry about day and night! I have been dealing with the governors along the river all these years, and I can be said to swallow it! I know their bad deeds too well, and the river can be cured. Relying on them, I dare not say anything about them in front of the emperor unless I have to! The emperor doesn't want to know that most of the officials he uses are corrupt officials! If I had been young and vigorous in the past, I would have joined them long ago."

Not long after, Zhang Shande came over and respectfully invited the emperor to have a meal.The large and small rooms, pavilions and patios of Xixi Villa were all put on a banquet.The emperor sat down in the flower hall, the prince Yinfeng served the banquet in front of him, and the rest of the ministers and entourage sat according to their seats.

The emperor raised his wine glass and said, "I have seen along the way during my southern tour that the management of the Yellow River has achieved results. I am even more pleased that this year's rice growth is very good. It must be a good year. All officials are dedicated to their duties, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. It is a prosperous world. I am happy, come, drink this cup!"

Naturally, long live the thunder, and the toasts are intertwined.The emperor ate something and was a little tired, so he went to rest first.

After the banquet, it was already afternoon, and they went back to their rooms to rest.Chen Tingjing was about to go back to his room, but he saw Zhang Xiangfu came over and said, "Master Zhongtang, you bet that the emperor will return the painting to me. When will you return it?"

Chen Tingjing thought that this Xiang Fu was really stubborn, so he said: "The emperor has just arrived in Hangzhou, and the emperor has not seen your paintings yet."

Zhang Xiangfu said: "I heard that Mr. Ashan has recovered a lot of calligraphy and paintings from Luo Gu. It is difficult to distinguish the authenticity from the fake ones. Mr. Gao has to look at them one by one. I am afraid that he will treat them as fakes and throw them away at will."

Hearing this, Chen Tingjing guessed that Zhang Xiangfu's ancient paintings probably would never come back.Mi Fu's authentic works are very rare, how could Gao Shiqi be willing to present them to the emperor?At this time, seeing Suo'etu talking to someone not far away, Chen Tingjing suddenly had a plan in his mind, and said: "Mr. Xiangfu, that is Mr. Suo'etu, the minister who is in charge of the guard, and he is in charge of all the affairs of the emperor's tour this time." , you go to him and talk about it. You only said that the painting you presented is the authentic work of Mi Fu, and it should be a rare masterpiece today, so be careful."

Zhang Xiangfu hesitated a little, so he went to Suo'etu.Chen Tingjing turned around and walked into the house, not long after Suo'etu scolded Zhang Xiangfu for being so ignorant.Chen Tingjing went back to his room without looking back.

As soon as Chen Tingjing entered the room, Xu Qianxue came in to talk and asked: "Chen Zhongtang, the emperor sent you to visit secretly, but it is extravagant to pick up the driver below. Do you want to know the reason?"

Chen Tingjing smiled and said perfunctorily: "The emperor sent me to make a secret visit first, and he doesn't want outsiders to know."

Xu Qianxue said with a smile: "You can hide it from others, but you can't hide it from the few people around the emperor."

Chen Tingjing asked Xu Qianxue in turn: "Why does Xu Zhongtang know that the following is still extravagant to pick him up?"

Xu Qianxue looked around and whispered, "Suo'etu instructed the crown prince to write secret letters to the governors along the way."

Chen Tingjing said: "The matter involves the crown prince, we must rely on real evidence."

Xu Qianxue shook his head, and said: "To tell you the truth, the emperor has already noticed that Prince Yinreng is secretly making friends with ministers, so I sent someone to watch secretly. I have captured the messenger and have the evidence in my hand."

Chen Tingjing was very surprised and asked: "What does Master Xu want to do?"

Xu Qianxue sighed: "The prince is a prince after all, and what the prince does is all instigated by Suo'etu."

Chen Tingjing pondered what Xu Qianxue meant, and asked in a low voice: "Master Xu, do you mean to refer to the forehead map?"

Xu Qianxue nodded and said, "That's right! Refer to Suo'etu, we all listen to you, Chen Zhongtang! The chief assistant minister is none other than you!"

Chen Tingjing waved his hands again and again: "Xu Zhongtang, please don't say that! I, Chen Tingjing, just do my job well, and I don't have any extravagant thoughts."

Xu Qianxue said sincerely, "I don't want to go around the bush, let's just say it, I want to ask Chen Zhongtang and me to join hands to participate in the Suoertu map!"

Chen Tingjing thought for a while and said, "Xu Zhongtang, it's not wise for you and me to refer to the booklet for the forehead map."

Xu Qianxue was puzzled: "Why?"

Chen Tingjing said: "The people in the court will think that you and I covet the position of chief minister, so that we will not be able to participate in Suoertu."

Xu Qianxue asked: "Are you afraid that the emperor will think so?"

Chen Tingjing said: "Obviously, everyone would think so!"

Xu Qianxue asked, "What do you mean?"

Chen Tingjing said: "There are more suitable people."

Xu Qianxue couldn't figure out what Chen Tingjing was thinking, so he kept silent.Chen Tingjing smiled and said softly, "Gao Shiqi!"

Xu Qianxue patted his thigh and said, "That's right, Gao Shiqi! Gao Shiqi hated Suo Etu for a long time. .”

Xu Qianxue said again in a blink of an eye: "Chen Zhongtang, do Gao Shiqi dare to refer to Suo'etu? He is a slave in front of Suo'etu. He hates and fears Suo'etu. I'm afraid he doesn't have the guts yet!"

Chen Tingjing said: "He didn't have the guts, so we both lent him the guts. Gao Shiqi wished that Suo'etu would fall down sooner, as long as you tell him that we both will help him secretly, he will definitely dare to participate. You and Gao Shiqi have passed From being close, you go and talk to him." Xu Qianxue said yes repeatedly, and went out.

After Xu Qianxue left, Chen Tingjing closed his eyes and meditated, his mind was overwhelmed.When Liu Xiangnian told him that Xu Qianxue secretly sent people to ask for bribes, he had the intention of joining Xu in his heart.Seeing Xu Qianxue's ambition today, he will become a villain in the future, and he will definitely suffer from it.Why not join him now.Ah Shan's misdeeds were really unbearable, Chen Tingjing thought that if he didn't get rid of this person, he would also bring disaster to himself.Liu Xiangnian was an incorruptible official he elected back then. If Ashan Misun Liu Xiangnian had his way, Chen Tingjing would be suspected of neglecting his supervision and acting indiscriminately.Gao Shiqi couldn't tolerate it anymore, but there was no need for Chen Tingjing to join him, Suo'etu would take care of him.After much deliberation, Chen Tingjing decided that he didn't need to show up, and only called Liu Xiangnian to participate.Liu Xiangnian has already committed many crimes, and he is a man who is willing to let go. He may save himself if he fights to the death.

Chen Tingjing thought about it carefully, and felt that the information was very careful, so he asked Liu Jing to invite Liu Xiangnian.When Liu Xiangnian came in and saw the ceremony, Chen Tingjing said: "Xiangnian, you are too reckless in doing things!"

Liu Xiangnian understood what was going on in his heart, so he asked, "Master Zhongtang also knows?"

Chen Tingjing said: "The transformation of the brothel into the oracle lecture hall, I'm afraid everyone in Hangzhou knows about it, only the emperor doesn't know about it."

Liu Xiangnian also had some regrets, and said: "This matter is indeed ridiculous, but what has happened now? I am trying to save some money. Lord Zhongtang, I hope you can save Xiangnian."

Chen Tingjing said: "You might as well save yourself!"

Liu Xiangnian asked, "How can I save myself?"

Chen Tingjing said: "You go to see Ashan and Xu Qianxue!"

(End of this chapter)