Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 75

As the year approaches, the Forbidden City is festively decorated with lanterns and festoons.It turned out that there was good news a few days ago that Taiwan had recovered.The emperor chose an auspicious day, and set it up in Changchun Garden to live in Danning, and envoys from all over the world rushed to congratulate him.The emperor ordered the envoys to meet one by one, each with a reward.

At the end of the ceremony, Mingzhu played: "Qizhu the emperor, now is the prosperity and peace, and all nations are coming to the court. Taiwan's recovery is another joy. According to the comprehensive examination map, it reaches North Korea and Ryukyu in the east, and Siam and Jiaozhi in the south. From Qinghai and Wusi Tibet in the west to Khalkha, Elut, and the Russian tribes in the north, as well as the Hani Fanyi tribe, the areas where deer and dogs are used, all pay tribute every year and compete to win. The distance of sound teaching has never existed since ancient times.”

The emperor nodded and said with a smile: "I have been in power for 22 years, and I dare not slack off for a moment. The San Francisco was flattened the year before last, and the surrounding areas have been stabilized. Now that Taiwan has been recovered, I have no regrets!"

The Russian envoy knelt down and said: "The emperor of the Qing Dynasty is wise, although he lives within the Jiuzhong, he shines thousands of miles away."

The North Korean envoys also came forward and knelt down and said: "The King of North Korea wishes the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty a long and boundless life!"

The envoys shouted: "I wish the emperor a long life!"

The emperor said with a smile: "The country's dynasty is virtuous to the world and friendly to all nations. It is willing to live in harmony with all countries and communicate with each other. Give us a banquet!"

Not long after, the banquet came up.The emperor set up a table in front of the throne, and the envoys, princes and ministers all sat on the floor in the hall.The emperor raised his wine glass and said: "All envoys, all ministers and workers, everyone drank this glass of wine!"

Everyone thanked him for their kindness, and after watching the emperor bow down, they toasted together.Zhang Shande peeled a pomegranate and carefully handed it to the emperor.The emperor chewed the pomegranate carefully, and said: "It is very rare for Dongyue in Beijing to eat such a good pomegranate. This pomegranate is a tribute from Siam. I have tasted it. It is sour and sweet. Try it."

The envoys and princes and ministers thanked each other again before they began to eat pomegranates.The emperor suddenly saw Chen Tingjing staring at the pomegranate in a daze, and asked, "Why doesn't Tingjing eat it?"

Chen Tingjing replied: "Your servant sees the pomegranate seeds lined up in rows, like all nations coming to court, and like a hundred officials facing saints. I am secretly amazed."

The emperor laughed loudly and said, "Well said! Does Chen Tingjing want to compose a poem?"

Chen Tingjing hurriedly cupped his hands and said: "I wish to obey, so I will write a poem on this pomegranate and present it to the emperor."

The emperor was overjoyed and said, "Okay, let me have a look."

Zhang Shande immediately ordered his father-in-law below to bring the Four Treasures of the Study and put them in front of Chen Tingjing.Chen Tingjing knelt down and wrote, which soon became a poem.The father-in-law hurriedly took the poem draft and presented it to the emperor.

The emperor began to read softly: "Immortal ban clouds are deep and clusters are low, and at noon, under the curtain, Ban Qi is reported. The courtiers are named Wang You, and the envoys have been to the west of Daxia. An Shi planted red cardamom, and fire pearls burst into red glass. After the wind and frost, there are buds and fruits, only the heart is old and not fascinated."

The emperor finished singing, nodded for a while, and said loudly: "Good poems, good poems! I especially like the last two sentences. After the wind and frost, there are buds and truths, only the heart is always loyal. This is about the old minister's ambition to seek the country, and his loyalty is commendable. !"

Chen Tingjing hurriedly knelt down and said, "I thank the emperor for your commendation!"

The emperor was very interested and said: "Today is a day of great joy. I order all the ministers who are good at writing and poetry to write poems and record today's grand occasion!" All the ministers shouted and obeyed the order.

Gao Shiqi still had to accept the booklets sent by Nan Study Room, so he came out first after drinking a few glasses of wine.Just in time, Suo Etu hurried to Danningju, stopped to pay his respects: "I have seen Lord Suo! Your Majesty will use you again, congratulations!"

Suo'etu asked coldly, "Why aren't you living in Danning?"

Gao Shiqi said: "Nanshufang sends booklets every day, where is the servant going to get them?"

Suo'etu asked again: "Is there anything going on with the emperor today?"

Gao Shiqi replied: "I met with the envoys from all over the world, gave a banquet, and ordered the ministers and workers to write poems to record today's grand occasion. The emperor is reading the poems of the ministers and workers. Chen Tingjing wrote a few poems about pomegranates. The emperor is very pleased. like."

Suo'etu snorted and said, "I just can't see the problem of you scholars, write a few lines of poems, and your tail will go up to the sky!"

Gao Shiqi hurriedly lowered his head and said, "Master Suo has taught you a lesson!"

Suo'etu glanced at Gao Shiqi, then flung his sleeves away.Gao Shiqi arched at Suo'etu's back, secretly gnashing his teeth.

When Suo'etu arrived outside the Danning residence, the father-in-law said: "The emperor is reading the poems of the ministers, Mr. Suo just go in, there is no need to invite Sheng'an."

Although the father-in-law is low-browed and pleasing to the eye, his tone of voice is that there are stones wrapped in cotton.Suo'etu hated in his heart, but only smiled on his face, bowed his body and quietly went in, and knelt quietly aside.

The emperor glanced at Suo Etu, ignored him, and said: "I have read all the poems and chapters of the ministers, and Chen Tingjing's "Poem of Giving Pomegranate Seeds" is the best! It is elegant and mellow, and it is not a collection of words and sentences!"

Chen Tingjing kowtowed again to thank him, and he couldn't help feeling panic in his heart.The emperor mentioned many times today that his poems are good, he is afraid that others will be jealous, and he will not be a good man in the future.

The emperor said again: "Chen Tingjing has done a great job in supervising Qian Fa! If Qian Fa is still a mess, sooner or later the world will be in chaos, how can we talk about recovering Taiwan!"

Chen Tingjing became more and more panicked, kowtowed and said: "I just follow the order to run errands, the emperor is wise!"

The emperor chatted with his ministers and workers for half a day, then he looked at Suo'etu and said: "Suo'etu, you are almost free, you should still come out to work."

Suo'etu knocked his head loudly and said, "I would like to do my best for the emperor!"

The emperor said again: "You are still the minister in charge of the guards, walking in front of the emperor!"

Suo'etu kowtowed endlessly: "I thank the Lord Long En!"

Mingzhu was secretly shocked, but looked at Suo'etu with a smile.Suo'etu ignored Mingzhu's kindness and pretended not to see it.

After a few days, Suo'etu took time to call Gao Shiqi to the mansion, and asked, "Tell me, how did the emperor think of letting this old man go out?"

Suo'etu leaned on the kang, smoking a hookah with his eyes closed.Gao Shiqi stood with his hands down, looking at Kang Yan'er in front of him, Suo'etu didn't mean to tell him to sit down.He just stood there and said: "The emperor is unpredictable, and Shi Qi can't figure out his old man's mind."

Suo'etu still kept his eyes closed, and asked, "Shiqi? What kind of son is Shiqi?"

Gao Shiqi hurriedly lowered his head and said, "Shiqi is a slave, and a slave shouldn't speak so presumptuously!"

Suo'etu opened his eyes and scolded: "You can call Shiqi in front of the emperor, but you are a slave to this old man! I put you by the emperor's side just to be your eyes and ears, otherwise what use is this old man to you! "

Gao Shiqi hurriedly knelt down and said: "The slave is useless, let the master down!"

Suo'etu took pictures of several cases and scolded: "Go away, you dog slave!"

Gao Shiqi returned home and angrily slapped the table and chairs.The maid brought the tea and told him to knock it back.The maid was so frightened that she didn't dare to breathe out, so she knelt down to apologize.

Gao Shiqi yelled sharply: "Go away, you dog slave!"

The maid backed away in fright.Mrs. Gao said: "My lord, don't be so angry! My lord, I don't understand, you are not even afraid of the emperor, why are you afraid of Suo'ertu?"

Gao Shiqi gritted his teeth and said, "How many times have I said this before you still don't understand that the emperor will not kill me casually, but Suo'etu can remove my head casually!"

Mrs. Gao said: "How dare Suo'etu have such courage?"

Gao Shiqi said: "Suo'etu is a reckless man! With Suo'etu's background, if he kills me, the emperor will not ask him to pay for his life."

Mrs. Gao said: "In this case, let's take advantage of the fact that the emperor favors you now, so why don't you take Suo'etu to death!"

Gao Shiqi shook his head and said: "A woman's opinion! Our emperor seems to like to listen to advice, but in fact he has his own opinions on everything. Only when the old man really wants to get rid of Suo'etu, I will add fuel to the fire. Only then will it be useful."

Mrs. Gao cried and said, "I'm afraid that before that day, you will be killed by Suo'etu!"

Gao Shiqi heard his wife's words, slapped the table and shouted: "Suo'etu, sooner or later, I will eat his flesh and sleep on his skin!"

Xu Qianxue came out of the yamen of the household department and was about to go to the Qianqing Palace when he ran into Gao Shiqi.The two met and walked side by side.Gao Shiqi asked in a low voice: "Master Xu, why did our emperor suddenly use Suo'etu?"

Xu Qianxue said with a smile: "Master Gao has been in the South Study Room much longer than I have. If you can't tell, how can I tell?"

Gao Shiqi said: "Master Xu, you don't need to be humble. After you entered the South Study Room, you were promoted repeatedly. You became the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment and then the Secretary of the Ministry of Accounting. Why? Your brain is better than mine, and the emperor favors you!"

Xu Qianxue hurriedly said: "Where is it! Since Mr. Gao is trustworthy, I might as well make a wild guess. I think it may be that Ming Xiangguo is about to fall out of favor."

Gao Shiqi asked: "Could it be that the emperor wants to remove Mingzhu and reuse Suo'etu?" Seeing Xu Qianxue nodded, Gao Shiqi said bitterly, "I would rather Ming Xiangguo be in power!"

Xu Qianxue said with a smile: "Master Gao's words are not the ambition of a husband!"

Gao Shiqi tilted his head to look at Xu Qianxue for a long time, and asked, "What is Master Xu's plan?"

Xu Qianxue said in a low voice: "Neither can Mingzhu continue to control the government, nor can Suo'etu be domineering."

Gao Shiqi asked: "Then who do we listen to?"

Xu Qianxue shook his head and smiled, then sighed.

Gao Shiqi knew that Xu Qianxue still had something to say, so he asked, "Master Xu please advise!"

Xu Qianxue paused for a while, and whispered word by word: "You and I will replace it!"

Gao Shiqi was stunned for a while, then sighed and said: "Oh, Shiqi is really ashamed! I have been walking in front of the palace for more than 20 years. I have been favored by the emperor, and I have made some petty profits, so I am complacent. I am not promising!"

Xu Qianxue said: "As long as you and I are of the same mind, we will be able to serve the emperor well!"

Gao Shiqi nodded and said: "Okay, I will stay with Mr. Xu and serve the emperor well!"

Xu Qianxue said: "When dealing with Mingzhu and Suo'etu, you should not be too hasty. You should watch the situation quietly and act accordingly. The most important thing right now is not to let one person stand out."

Gao Shiqi asked, "Who?"

Xu Qianxue smiled and said, "I don't need to say it, you understand it in your heart."

Gao Shiqi immediately thought of Chen Tingjing, and smiled at Xu Qianxue.The two were talking, when they suddenly saw the towering palace gate in front of them, they hurriedly put aside the topic, bowed their bodies, and entered with sleeves folded.

The two entered the south study, where Chen Tingjing and others were already busy.After seeing the ceremony, each went to work.

After noon, the emperor summoned the ministers of the South Study to perform duties in the Qing Palace.Mingzhu, Chen Tingjing, Xu Qianxue and Gao Shiqi hurried into the palace.Naturally, the South Study Room received a number of notebooks, together with the ticket plan, to give a brief summary of them one by one.The emperor listened carefully, nodded if he got it right, and listened to what the ministers had to say if he didn't get it right.The emperor was very happy when he read the excerpt from Wang Jiwen, the governor of Yunnan.It turned out that Wang Jiwen wrote in the booklet that since the pacification of Yunnan, the people have lived and worked in peace and prosperity, and the weather has been peaceful. Please build a pavilion on the shore of Dianchi Lake. It is proposed to be called "Grand View Tower", and the immortal deeds of the emperor will last forever!

The emperor nodded and said: "Although Wang Jiwen is a scholar, he went out with the army five years ago and was responsible for supervising the transportation of military pay, food and grass. Should it be built?"

Mingzhu heard what the emperor meant, and she clearly thought of Wang Jiwen's words, so she said: "Show the emperor, Wang Jiwen dredged Dianchi Lake, which not only cured the flood in Dianchi Lake, but also benefited the water transportation in Yunnan, and gained thousands of hectares of fertile land. It is a multi-benefit. Wang Jiwen is really rare. Talent, I think his excerpts are feasible."

Of course, Chen Tingjing also understood what the emperor meant, but said: "According to the court regulations, any repairs that use more than 1000 taels of treasury silver need to be reviewed by the Ministry of Industry and approved by the emperor. Therefore, the minister believes that whether the Daguanlou is built or not It should not be decided rashly."

Xu Qianxue said: "I think that my emperor is extremely wise, and he is not the master of great achievements. However, the construction of the Grand View Tower is not only for the glory of the emperor's achievements, but also for the spread of the imperial court."

Chen Tingjing said: "Whether the Daguan Tower is repaired or not, please ask the emperor to judge. It's just that I think Yunnan has been burned by Wu Sangui for many years, and the vitality has just recovered, so we should be cautious in building the Daguan Tower!"

Although what Chen Tingjing said was reasonable, the emperor was not happy when he heard it, but it was inconvenient for him to have a fit, so he had to ask the ministers to discuss it.But in a few days it was almost the Chinese New Year, all the yamen were sealed, and all matters to be discussed were delayed.

(End of this chapter)