Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 20

That day and night, Mingzhu Suwei guarded the Qianqing gate, and the emperor called him into the palace to speak.Seeing Mingzhu on her knees, the emperor stared silently for a long time, and only handed him a booklet without making a sound.

Mingzhu took the notebook, which turned out to be a secret melody written by Wu Daoyi, the governor of Shanxi. It said: "On the day Chen Tingjing returned to his hometown, Fu Shan went to Chen's house for a secret visit. Chen Tingjing went to Beijing to visit the guilty officials in Taiyuan, and immediately visited Yangqu Wufeng Temple Meeting with Fu Shan. Because Fu Shan was very secretive and surrounded by party members, it was impossible to find out the details. The criminal minister thought that Fu Shan was proud of his talents, pretending to be aloof, and secretly forming a party organization. With ulterior motives, we have to guard against them. How to deal with Fu Shan, I respectfully invite the Holy Judge! Wu Daoyi, the governor of Shanxi Province, made a secret report."

After Mingzhu finished reading the scriptures, the emperor said: "Chen Tingjing had contacts with Fu Shan when he returned to Shanxi. You have dealt with Chen Tingjing. I want you to keep an eye on it. Fu Shan is very prestigious in the hearts of scholars all over the world. It is a last resort not to touch him." .In order to protect the country and the country forever, what I need most are scholars. This matter is very confidential, so don't tell anyone!"

Mingzhu said: "I know how to act."

Mingzhu just noticed the date of the booklet, and saw that it was half a year ago.Why did the emperor show him the book at this time?With this doubt in her heart, Mingzhu guessed that the emperor was jealous of Chen Tingjing.

The emperor said again: "The imperial family of the former Ming Dynasty has already cut off the remaining veins, but some scholars are ignorant of current affairs and go against the sky. What I worry about is not their rebellion, but they are not capable of rebellion; what I worry about is that they are not going well. It’s about the overall situation of people’s support.”

Mingzhu said: "I believe that the emperor's benevolence and virtue will spread widely and benefit the world. As long as it takes time, all people will return to their hearts. As for the few scholars, the emperor does not need to take it to heart."

The emperor shook his head and said: "Mingzhu, there are few scholars like you among the Manchus, but you haven't read the books of the Han people well after all! The scholars among the Han people boast that they have the heart of heaven and earth as their heart, and the people also take their heart as their heart." Treat it as the heart of heaven and earth. Although there are not many scholars, none of them should be underestimated!"

Mingzhu hurriedly pleaded guilty and said: "I am confused, thank the emperor for teaching me a lesson!"

The emperor sighed: "Although I am not afraid of their rebellion, but then again, the strong wind starts at the end of Qingping, and we still need to guard against it. If Fu Shan and the others want to connect, let them connect. Don't disturb them, just watch secretly. Once If you dare to act rashly, you will be severely punished!"

Mingzhu retreats out of the palace, but sees Master Wei Xiangshu waiting outside.He thought to himself that the emperor seldom summoned his servants at night, it must be because of Prince Zhuang's matter.He also thought that Oboi must have played the emperor, otherwise the emperor would not be in such a hurry to summon Wei Xiangshu.I just don't know how the emperor will deal with this troublesome matter.Mingzhu said hello respectfully to Wei Xiangshu, and went back to Qianqing Gate by herself.

Wei Xiangshu bowed into the palace, and the eunuch led him into Xinuang Pavilion.The emperor was sitting on the kang, looking at Wei Xiangshu and smiling.Wei Xiangshu knelt down and bowed, the emperor nodded slightly and said, "Get up and sit down."

The eunuch moved a chair over, put it beside Wei Xiangshu, and said, "Master Wei, please sit down."

Wei Xiangshu felt very strange, and looked at the emperor in fear, still kneeling.It turns out that what the emperor said about granting a seat, the ministers and workers didn't really get to sit on the chairs, but they still knelt and sat on their heels.Seeing that the eunuch really moved the chair now, how could Wei Xiangshu dare to stand up?
The emperor smiled and said: "Wei Xiangshu, you are an old minister, you don't need to be formal, just get up and sit down."

Wei kowtowed to the book to thank him, got up from the ground, and half sat on the chair.The emperor spoke warmly again and again, slowly talking about Prince Zhuang's nonsense.When speaking, the emperor was sometimes angry and sometimes sighed.Wei Xiangshu gradually understood what the emperor meant, so he got off the chair, still knelt on the ground, and said, "Your Majesty, they want to accuse you of a crime and want the head of the minister. No words! It's just that I think that the world of the Qing Dynasty should be worthy of a clean character!"

The emperor sighed and said: "Wei Xiangshu, if others say this, I can take his head. But if you say it, I understand your loyalty. To speak from the bottom of my heart, I also hate those arrogant and domineering princes. But they are either my clan relatives, or they are heroes who followed the former emperor in many battles. I am really in a dilemma! Now the world is not peaceful, and I have a lot of things to do, and I must not cause accidents in my own family first Come."

Wei Xiangshu understands that the holy will has been determined, but he is unwilling to die in vain, but the so-called king and minister have to die, instead of begging the emperor to spare his life, it is better to speak generously.He went all out, and said: "Your Majesty, for the sake of peace in the world, I am willing to suffer a hundred years of injustice!"

After Wei Xiangshu said it, he fell on the ground and let the emperor say what he said.But the emperor said: "They still want to kill Chen Tingjing and Mingzhu!"

Wei Xiangshu bowed his head and asked, "What's the matter with Chen Tingjing and Mingzhu?"

The emperor said: "You don't know, it was Mingzhu who got the clues from Chen Tingjing's mouth, and Li Zhenye's affair came to light!"

Wei Xiangshu suddenly realized, and said: "No wonder Chen Tingjing hid in Tibet before the Dabi, so that's how it is! When I tried the case with Soni and Aobai, I only said that the emperor was aware of Li Zhenye's misconduct, and Li Zhenye also confessed. I didn't think about how the crime happened. Your Majesty, I don't approve of Chen Tingjing being the No. [-] scholar just to keep him safe, but I didn't expect him to escape the catastrophe."

The emperor said: "I remember you said that God's grace was too great, and it was not a good thing for Chen Tingjing. Today, please tell me in detail."

Wei Xiangshu replied: "The minister remembered the story of the Su Dongpo brothers. At that time, the Su Dongpo brothers both won the Jinshi, and the Empress Dowager Renzong of Song Dynasty was very happy, saying that he had found two prime ministers for his descendants. The Su brothers' article The famous book has been spread all over the world long ago, but now the empress dowager said this, which hurt the Su Dongpo brothers. There are many officials in the Manchu Dynasty waiting to be prime ministers! The Dongpo brothers became the target of public criticism. Neither of his two brothers made it Prime Minister, Dongpo has been exiled for the rest of his life!"

After hearing this, the emperor sighed and said, "Oh, it's really a disaster that depends on a blessing, and the world is unpredictable!"

Wei Xiangshu said again: "Your Majesty, this time the Dabi other Jinshi only took the essay test, but Chen Tingjing also took the test of character, courage, strategy, and city government. This person is really extraordinary!"

The emperor said: "Hearing what you said, I feel more and more sorry for Chen Tingjing! I really should choose him as the number one scholar."

Wei Xiangshu cupped his hands and shook his head, and said: "I think that if Chen Tingjing can be kept, he is only in his early twenties. If it is really good material, the emperor is not in a hurry and can use him slowly."

The emperor felt a little pain in his heart, he helped Wei Xiangshu up, still told him to sit on the chair, and then said: "Well, take your time! It is said that time is like an arrow, time does not wait for me, I really hope that time will be faster."

Wei Xiangshu understood the emperor's subtext, the emperor wanted to tell the years to kill those faint princes quickly, so that the court could be quieter.This is something that neither the monarch nor his ministers dared to say out loud, it's really unfilial!
The emperor paced slowly, circled around Wei Xiangshu a few times, and said: "You are my most trusted veteran, and I will not let them do anything to you. You go home and stay away for a few years. will call you back."

Wei Xiangshu knelt down again, and said: "Thank you, the emperor, for not killing me. I have long thought of the countryside, and the emperor will allow me to beg for my return, so there is no need to call me back."

The emperor heard that what Wei Xiangshu said was angry, and he didn't blame him, but still comforted him with kind words.

On the second day, the emperor called Obai into the palace, and Mingzhu was by his side.Seeing Aobai's audience, Mingzhu wanted to avoid him, but the emperor told him not to go away.After Oboi kowtowed, the emperor didn't go into details, he just said: "You and Soni came to join the guard to write a letter."

Aobai was confused and asked, "Your Majesty, why is this?"

The emperor said: "Let Prince Zhuang and the others come to participate in the letter of defense, I agree, if it is not true, I will be at their mercy? Besides, if they come to participate, they must kill him!"

It was only then that Aobai understood the emperor's deep meaning, and said, "The emperor's ministers have already understood, it's just that Sony always acts like a turtle when he is in an emergency!"

The emperor said: "This time he wants to back down and I won't let him back down! You go and convey my will to him! Oboi, you are a good minister, you are very much in my heart. Sony is a peacemaker, and I have to use him too. The imperial court can’t do without you, and it can’t do without Sony and Si Ni.”

Aobai cupped his hands to thank him, and praised: "The emperor's way of controlling people is the ultimate sage!" He hesitated for a while, "What about two people?"

The emperor knew that Ao Bai was talking about Ming Zhu and Chen Tingjing, so he said, "Those two people can't reach you to participate!"

Mingzhu secretly understood everything, but pretended not to know.He knew that Oboi deliberately detected the holy will, and what he wanted was the emperor's words.I thought to myself that Wei Xiangshu had finally become the meat of the ancestors, it was really unreasonable.At this time, I suddenly saw the emperor's face was sad, and there seemed to be tears in his eyes.

Obai also felt that the emperor was sad, he hid his face first and started to cry, saying: "The founding of the country was difficult, the emperor had to bend his will, endure things, and I deeply feel that I am incompetent. If I get the emperor's order, I will not be afraid of breaking my body." Wan Duan, just go and clean them up!"

The emperor sighed: "Ao Baixiu said this, I can't bear to see the flesh and blood being mutilated again. Prince Su Haoge relied on his meritorious deeds. He was deposed as a commoner, but he was reinstated as a noble after a little regret, but he He reverted to his old ways, so he had to be punished again. Hauge finally died in the prison, and I couldn’t bear it when I thought about it. Prince Zheng Jierhalang was arrogant and overstepped, and he was still lenient after being convicted. He was punished. The regent made great achievements in the country, but after his death, he asked people to report his crimes against the sects. How could I ignore him? Now that Prince Zhuang is like this again, although I hate him, I don’t want to punish him anymore But how could I let myself be manipulated, so I had no choice but to make a compromise and stop their mouths.”

Hearing what the emperor said, Aobai was heartbroken and burst into tears.The emperor himself was also very sad, but persuaded Oboi, "You are a seasoned general, why are mothers and mothers getting up? Get up."

Obai said: "I'd rather fight on the battlefield than get entangled in the officialdom! It's a pleasure to see blood on the battlefield! I have a straight heart, and I can't make so many detours in the officialdom!"

Mingzhu was listening, feeling quite sad in her heart, but she always felt that Oboi's tears were squeezed out with all his life.

Sony got up early, there was a big event in the court today.Suo'etu also got up early, he packed up and went to serve Ama.Knowing that the emperor wanted him, Ama, to report to the guards with Oboi today, he felt useless in his heart, and said, "Ama, aren't we shooting ourselves in the foot with a rock?"

(End of this chapter)