Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 41

The emperor had breakfast in the Xinuan Pavilion of Qianqing Palace, and Zhang Shande led a few servants to serve him carefully.Zhang Shande secretly counted what the emperor entered.The emperor's appetite is so good today that he got three yuan for the stewed elbow in wine alone.Zhang Shande was a little anxious, he winked quietly, and the little father-in-law came over with a plate of meal cards.Zhang Shande took the plate of Shanpai and respectfully placed it by the emperor's hand.The emperor stopped eating, and looked at the officials' meal card requesting an audience.Seeing Chen Tingjing's meal card, the emperor asked casually: "Chen Tingjing has returned to Beijing?"

The emperor didn't wait for Zhang Shande's reply, so he put Chen Tingjing's meal card on the plate.Zhang Shande couldn't figure out what the emperor was thinking: why doesn't the emperor want to see Chen Tingjing?After reading the meal card, the emperor wanted to summon them, so he left their meal card.

Just as Zhang Shande was about to take away the meal card that had been left behind, the emperor raised his hand again and said, "Leave the meal card for Chen Tingjing."

Zhang Shande handed over Chen Tingjing's meal card.The emperor said again: "I will meet him in the South Study Room."

Zhang Shande nodded in response, but he was confused.It stands to reason that when Chen Tingjing came back from a long trip to Shandong, the emperor should have summoned him alone in Xinuange.

After breakfast, the emperor went to the Palace of Compassion and Ning to greet the Empress Dowager as usual, and then returned to Qianqingmen to listen to the government.After the morning court, go back to Xinuang Pavilion to drink some tea, and then summon the ministers and workers one by one.It was nearly noon after the summoning of the ministers and workers.Passed a bowl of bird's nest and lotus seed soup in, and then drove to the South Study Room.Mingzhu, Zhang Ying, and Gao Shiqi had already arrived, and now they all retreated outside.It was still the fool and Zhang Shande who accompanied the imperial court, while everyone else stood under the eaves of the Southern Study.It was hot and stuffy, and the emperor was sweating profusely, but he was still calm and relaxed.Sweat dripped down Zhang Shande's face, but he didn't dare to raise his hand to wipe it.

Suddenly, the emperor slapped the yellow case on the kang again, and Xiao Shenfeng fell to the ground with a bang, which made people's hearts jump.The fool immediately stepped forward, bowed his waist, picked up Xiao Shenfeng, and put it back to the emperor's hand.Zhang Shande didn't dare to show his anger, he just stood with his knees down and his head bowed.The emperor was angry for a while, and said: "Call them in." Zhang Shande promised softly, and retreated out.

The emperor wiped off his sweat in a hurry, and heard the servants coming in, without raising his head, his eyes looked away, and said: "Chen Tingjing just returned to Beijing, and the complaint against him has arrived first."

Mingzhu said: "I played to the emperor, I thought it was better to ask Chen Tingjing carefully after seeing Chen Tingjing, so the emperor doesn't need to get angry."

The emperor asked: "Tell me, will Chen Tingjing come back from Shandong?"

Zhang Ying replied: "I thought Chen Tingjing wouldn't do it."

The emperor listened without saying a word, and glanced at Gao Shiqi.Gao Shiqi hurriedly said: "I think that Chen Tingjing is an old man and cautious in his actions. Even if he is suspected of being greedy for ink, he will not be easily detected. Whether this claim is credible or not is unknown."

The emperor said: "What do you mean, Chen Tingjing may still be greedy?"

Zhang Shande cupped his hands and said: "The emperor has left Chen Tingjing's meal card, and told the South Study Room to meet you." The emperor was not in a good mood, and said: "I know!"

Zhang Shande hesitated a little, and said again: "Chen Tingjing was waiting outside the Meridian Gate before dawn, and now he is waiting for an order outside the Qianqing Gate."

The emperor said coldly: "Call him in."

Zhang Shande pouted at his little father-in-law.After a while, Chen Tingjing followed the little eunuch into the south study room, bowed his head and walked in front of the emperor, knelt down three times and bowed nine times, saying: "Chen Tingjing kowtows to the emperor!"

The emperor nodded slightly: "Get up. The trip to Shandong has worked hard!"

Chen Tingjing said: "I don't think it's hard work. The governor of Shandong Fu Lun's book, I sent it to Nan's study!"

The emperor remained silent for a long time, Chen Tingjing was secretly startled.His meal card was handed in yesterday, and he is waiting for the emperor to summon him after hearing the court today.He waited from Maozheng time until [-]:[-] p.m., when a message came from inside, telling him to wait outside the gate of Qianqing.Several ministers waiting to be called stood outside the gate of Qianqing. They went in one by one and came out one by one.Every time a minister came out, Chen Tingjing thought it was his turn.But I just didn't see my father-in-law greeting him.Until just now, only the father-in-law came out to pass the decree, asking him to meet him in the South Study Room.Although the South Study Room is a secret place, the emperor usually summons his ministers and workers in the Xinuang Pavilion of Qianqing Palace.Chen Tingjing faintly felt that the emperor felt uncomfortable with him.

The emperor didn't speak for half a day, and suddenly asked: "Chen Tingjing, someone accused you of taking money in Shandong, is there such a thing?"

Chen Tingjing said calmly: "I went to Shandong. There were 29 people including my ministers, attendants, bearers, and my family. When I came back, I had an extra mule and two large boxes. The extra mule and two The big box was given by Mrs. Fu Lun. I brought two boxes today, and I want to present one to the emperor and keep the other for myself."

The emperor felt strange and asked, "Really? What baby?"

Mingzhu and the others also looked at each other, wondering what kind of medicine Chen Tingjing was selling in the gourd.The emperor nodded, Zhang Shande understood and went out immediately.Not long after, the four father-in-laws brought in two boxes, opened them, and saw that they were just two stones.

Gao Shiqi said: "Your Majesty, how dare Chen Tingjing bring such an inconspicuous Mount Tai stone into the palace, it's like a joke!"

The emperor remained silent, waiting to see what Chen Tingjing had to say.Chen Tingjing then went to Shandong to do business, and Fu Lun's book was robbed by bandits when he came back. He answered all the important things and made it clear, and then said: "Your Majesty, these two stones almost killed me!"

Chen Tingjing spoke dangerously, but the emperor's face was very flat when he heard it, and he just said in confusion: "The complaint against you has a certain amount of money from the gentry in Jinan, and there is no official. It is reasonable that such a complaint will not reach my hands. of."

Chen Tingjing said: "There is no one in the imperial court for the imperial petition of the people to sue the officials, so there is no way to listen to it. And the so-called common people jointly sue the officials in Beijing, no one will be the leader, and it is impossible to do it."

The emperor asked: "What do you mean, someone from all over the world teamed up to frame you? You were robbed by gangsters in Dezhou, and someone secretly informed you?"

Chen Tingjing replied: "Your minister is not damaged, so I won't talk about it. The important thing is that the Shandong errands are over, and the people can live in peace of mind."

The emperor sneered and said: "You are really good at predicting things! You said that most of the people below say that the people are voluntary and spontaneous, and most of them are false. No, it is true!"

Chen Tingjing heard that there seemed to be something in the emperor's laughter, and hurriedly prostrated himself on the ground, saying: "It's all because the emperor is wise, and he didn't trust Fu Lun's invitation."

The emperor's eyes were a little empty, and he sat upright.The academician of the Hanlin Academy kneeling in front of him has always been favored or annoyed by the emperor.In the summer of the year before last, the heat was unbearable. A minister asked to choose a place with cool mountains and rivers outside the city to build a palace.Scholars were full of moral articles, but the emperor's mouth was blocked, so he had no choice but to do good.But the emperor was very annoyed in his heart, thinking that no matter how hard the court was, it would not be so poor that it lacked these few silver coins.This summer is even more scorching hot, and there is no way for people to live in the palace.No matter how unbearable the heat was, the emperor had to show the might of a dragon and a tiger in front of his ministers, and he couldn't even wipe off his sweat.Chen Tingjing went back to Shandong on business, and things went well.The emperor knew that Chen Tingjing had done nothing wrong, but he just felt awkward.If Chen Tingjing really turned Fu Lun down, the emperor would have a very hard time.The emperor played with Fu Lun since he was a child, and he somewhat protected him in his heart.Chen Tingjing did not participate in Fulun, so it can be seen that he understood the emperor's mind.The emperor didn't want Chen Tingjing to see through his thoughts, and he couldn't help feeling an unknown fire in his heart.

Chen Tingjing was still kneeling on the ground, with big beads of sweat dripping down the ground.Seeing that the golden bricks in front of Chen Tingjing were wet, the emperor was secretly pleased.After a long silence, the emperor said, "Bring it here and let me have a look."

Zhang Shande was confused when he heard that, Yuan Liu stared blankly, and immediately understood that the emperor wanted to see the stones, so he ordered the little father-in-law to carry the two stones onto the kang.The emperor stood up and looked at the Taishan Stone carefully.Chen Tingjing raised his head slightly, and he also felt strange, seeing these two stones in Jinan for the first time, he simply marveled at them.Now in the palace, this stone looks very vulgar.I really shouldn't be smart enough to say that I want to present a stone to the emperor.

Unexpectedly, the emperor suddenly said in amazement: "It looks like a tree somewhere in the palace! Come, you all have a look."

It turned out that there was a piece of Taishan stone that was light yellow like old jade, but had a black tree-like pattern on it, and the tree was tall and straight.Mingzhu and the others came over and nodded in amazement.Zhang Shande finally saw something strange, knelt down and bowed, and said: "Congratulations to the emperor, this stone is really auspicious!"

The emperor turned around and asked, "How do you say it?"

Zhang Shande said: "Back to the emperor, the tree on the rock is the same model as the old catalpa tree in the imperial garden!"

The emperor was overjoyed, looked down carefully, raised his hand to rub it again and again, and said: "Oh, no wonder I think I've seen it before somewhere! It looks, it really looks like it! Look, the soil under the tree looks like it!"

Chen Tingjing had never seen the old catalpa tree in the imperial garden. It was the forbidden garden of the harem, and it was not a place where the ministers and workers could go.He only heard that there is an old catalpa tree in the imperial garden, which is a sacred tree enshrined by the royal family. Every year, sacred soil must be transported from Fengtian to cultivate under the tree.Naturally, Mingzhu and the others had never seen the sacred tree, and only the eunuch Zhang Shande was present.

The ministers all congratulated the emperor, and Gao Shiqi said the most, nothing more than the auspiciousness of the sky, the emperor's blessings and so on.The emperor smiled and said: "Gao Shiqi, you were still talking about Chen Tingjing playing the king just now!"

Gao Shiqi chuckled, not feeling embarrassed.The emperor looked back at Chen Tingjing and said, "Chen Tingjing, I accept this stone of yours. It's really auspicious! I want to keep it well and let it remind me all the time! Get up."

Chen Tingjing thanked En and stood up, secretly exhaling.The emperor became happy and thought of the benefits of Chen Tingjing.Not long after Chen Tingjing entered the Imperial Academy, he accompanied Master Wei to wait on him to study, almost killing Aobai.After he came to power, Chen Tingjing continued to give lectures day and night, all year round.

The emperor didn't sit down again, but said: "I've read Fu Lun's papers, and he's quite sensible, and he knew he was wrong. The papers he submitted this time seem reasonable." After the emperor finished speaking, he got up and drove back to Qianqing Palace .

After sending the emperor back to the palace respectfully, Mingzhu and others just said goodbye to Chen Tingjing.Mingzhu cupped her hands repeatedly at Chen Tingjing, and said: "Thanks to Mr. Chen, Fu Lun, otherwise he wouldn't know if he was killed! You and Fu Lun are old friends, thank you very much!"

Before Chen Tingjing had time to be polite, Gao Shiqi spoke beside him: "Yes, Mr. Chen accidentally saved Mr. Fu Lun."

Chen Tingjing smiled and said: "Shi Qi has something in his words! It doesn't matter whether it is intentional or not, once the matter is clarified, Master Fu Lun will know what to do. After all, he is the governor appointed by the emperor!"

Gao Shiqi also smiled and said, "How can I mean what I said? Master Chen dares to swear to the sky that you intend to save Master Fu Lun?"

Zhang Ying came out to smooth things over: "Shiqi speaks straightforwardly, but Mr. Chen has a kind heart."

Chen Tingjing didn't want to argue with Gao Shiqi at first, but after hearing Zhang Ying's words, he passed away laughing.

At this time, Zhang Shande led several father-in-laws back to fetch stones.Zhang Shande looked at Chen Tingjing and said with a smile: "Master Chen really hurts little ones. There are so many strange things in this palace, but you still have to bring in a worthless stone. I really don't know where to put it."

Gao Shiqi laughed and said, "Mr. Zhang, don't talk about it. The emperor ordered this stone to be left behind. You just said it was auspicious from heaven! If you talk too much, you will be disobeying the order."

In fact, Zhang Shande had no fear in his heart, but he quickly turned livid and said, "Lord Gao, you can't make jokes like this, you should keep your head and serve the emperor!"

(End of this chapter)