Emperor Qianlong: the beginning of his glory

Chapter 48
Liu Kang has been unhappy since he went to the banquet tonight.His own official fortune is prosperous, but his family fortune is in a mess.Cao Rui, Rui Er, and Li Ruixiang, the three servants, have followed He Luying as his long-term follower since his death. At first, they were afraid of committing a crime, but they lived in peace.Later, when they were transferred to Shanxi, Cao Rui and Rui Er were a little unsteady. First, they fiddled with the girls, and later they took turns to rape each other without any fear.Seeing that Liu Kang favored Sanrui, the maids and wives sued Liu Kang's wife, Liu Qiaoshi. The wife didn't know what her master had done, so she ordered Cao Rui and Rui Er to draw twenty strips each. , It was said that it would be spent, but it took a night.The next day, I called the five girls who had been ruined to give them a severe reprimand, saying that the girls have no self-respect, and they don't believe that responsible people like Cao Rui and Rui Er would do such a thing, so they promoted Cao and Rui again. Became a deputy housekeeper.Then Cao Rui and Rui Er became more and more arrogant, and took Liu Kang to Datong for a business trip, so they even joined Liu Qiao's family, taking turns to have fun in the upper room, and asked the maid to accompany them in bed.As a result, Liu's mansion became a romantic den for two devils.Because Li Ruixiang is an old servant of his own family, he still cares about his old feelings. Seeing that Er Rui is making a scene, and the master can't control it, sometimes he backs the scene and quietly advises, "Everyone is a boat, you can't capsize the boat by yourself. .” It’s just to tell Er Rui to restrain himself a little on the surface.This time Liu Kang went to Beijing and refused to return to Shanxi. First, he was running the capital, and second, he was really afraid of going back to that muddy den, so he ordered Li Ruixiang to find a house in Beijing and buy a concubine. Yanyan, although the house is simpler and has fewer servants, compared to the Shanxi mansion, it already feels like the joy of heaven.Who wants to see Yanyan lying on the bed and crying when she returns from a visit in the morning.When I asked, it was Li Ruixiang who took her afternoon nap, quietly came up to hold her down, and also imitated Rui and Cao.It was so easy to comfort her all afternoon, and she promised Yanyan to expel Li Ruixiang, and promised Li Ruixiang 3000 taels of silver to live on her own, which settled the matter.He was dragged to Prince Zhuang's mansion for a banquet, so how could he have the heart to laugh and laugh with everyone?Zhen Cuoyu can't swallow a mouthful, and the left glass and the right glass are just eating wine.At this time, Liu Kang, who was so drunk and dazzled by the crowd looking at the painting, was just about to get up to perfunctory, when Liu Tongxun came striding in along the veranda with several yamen servants.Liu Kang was silent, and laughed quickly, "Brother Yanqing, you are guilty of being late, and you will be punished with three glasses of wine!" Just as he was about to go up to him, a young man of eighteen or nineteen next to him supported him tightly, and said: "My lord, don't fall down, you have wine."

"It's Liu Yanqing!" Yun Lu heard Liu Kang talking behind his back, turned his head and said with a smile, then his face changed color, and he said, "Why, come into my house with water and fire sticks?" Hundreds of officials were stunned at this time.Under the eyes of everyone, Liu Tongxun took a step towards Yunlu, bowed his hands to the ground, and said: "Tongxun is on a mission at the moment, so he has committed many crimes, but the matter is of great importance, so he has to do it. He will definitely come to the palace to plead guilty some other day." " Yunlu said in amazement: "What's the matter? Why don't I know?"

Liu Tongxun only bowed as an answer, then turned to smile at Liu Kang, and said, "Brother Kang, there are many people here, and everyone is having a good time, and it is inconvenient to speak, please take a step to speak." The matter was rushed, and Liu Kang almost fainted from fright at first. The wine in his stomach was dripping out with cold sweat. Seeing the young man clung to him tightly and tried to free himself, as if he had been bound by an iron hoop, he knew that something was wrong, so he said stiffly: "Liu Kang has never done anything wrong in his life. Talk about it. Yanqing has something to say, please speak face to face." Liu Tongxun sneered, and said, "Brother Kang, you've got something wrong!" Then he turned his face and shouted at the yamen servant:
"Take it!"

As soon as the words fell, Huang Tianba tore off Liu Kang's official hat, and shoved Liu Kang out of his arms like a bullet, and several yamen servants rushed up like hungry wolves. Liu Kang was tied up like a duck in cold water.Everyone was dazzled, startled, and suddenly, with a sound of "huolang", an iron chain was wrapped around Liu Kang's neck.Liu Kang jumped on both feet, and then he was still in his mind. He looked up to the sky and sighed: "The villain mistakenly trapped me, and the sky has eyes - I am wronged!" Kang pulled it out.

At this time, more than 100 people in the banquet hall were astonished like wooden sculptures and clay sculptures. They watched this short black man doing what he did, and they were so silent that they could hear a needle drop.Liu Tongxun left at last, and then he slapped Yunlu, whose hands were cold with anger, and said, "This slave is rude. I really have to do it. I pray for forgiveness, my lord! The slave said that I must apologize someday!" After saying that, he got up and got up With another bow, he hurried away.Yun Lu froze on the spot, and gritted his teeth for a long time before saying with a smile, "Speaking of which, Liu Tongxun is still a student of my slaves, really good! - Prepare the sedan chair. I'm going to the palace now!" Then he descended the steps Come.Old Master Yao quietly left the chattering crowd, took a few steps to get ahead of Yun Lu, bowed and said, "My lord, do you have official business in the palace?"

"No." Yun Lu said angrily, "I want to ask the Ministry of Criminal Justice to punish this bastard who has no law!"

"Liu Tongxun didn't say that he served as an imperial envoy or a ministry envoy!"

Yun Lu hesitated and stopped.Old Master Yao said euphemistically: "Think about it—if Shi Yizhi sent him, Liu Tongxun wouldn't dare to be so reckless if I lent him a gut! Liu Kang, a third-rank officer, how dare the Ministry of Criminal Justice take the decision? Liu Tongxun is not here. Xuan imperial envoy, either to save the prince from saluting, to take care of the dignity of the prince, or to make it more embarrassing for you to announce it when the prince comes forward to stop him. The emperor is also having fun with Lafayette at the moment. You have been in the past Nao, to spoil his interest? Isn’t it the same as Liu Tongxun? Fujin is also in it, and if there is a half-word apologetic, you and Fujin will not be able to face it!” Yunlu felt that what he said was reasonable: He broke into the Palace of Compassion and Ning to question Qianlong.He didn't know what crime Liu Kang committed, nor who sent Liu Tongxun, so he had to ask questions in a few words until he was speechless.Qianlong has always flaunted his filial piety, which made the Queen Mother unhappy, and he still has good fruit to eat?After thinking about it, he was discouraged, sighed and said: "Now it's a bastard world! You, Liu Tongxun, can't tell you before you get someone? It's okay for me to take it down and send it to the Ministry of punishment! I'm still a nobleman of Tianhuang, you It's so arrogant! You don't know what to do with the people below! ——You tell the prince, invite these people to drink and get drunk. I'll go to the study to have a rest."

Old Master Yao's persuasion is still correct.The banquet in the Palace of Compassion and Ning was ten times more lively than in the palace, but the keys had already been unlocked everywhere in the palace gate, and they were really notified layer by layer, thinking that some important military affairs happened, and Qianlong would naturally want to meet him. If you can't get it on the table, you will definitely be in big trouble.

At this moment, thousands of huge candles were burning brightly in the main hall and side halls of the Compassionate Ning Palace, illuminating the bright and bright inside and outside of the hall. The princes, Fujin, dozens of big and small unmarried aunts, princesses and princesses, were listed in front of the main seat according to their seniority. There are five seats in a row.Hundreds of first-rank wives, wives of honorable ministers and wives, all dressed up and sat in the group seats.The Empress Dowager Niu Hulu, who is less than 50 years old, is radiant and sits high in the middle seat. On one side is Empress Fucha holding the pot, and on the other side is the empress dowager's niece and imperial concubine Niu Hulu holding the pot behind her.Qianlong and the queen sat on both sides to serve.Because the royal banquet has not yet started, the table is full of precious water and land fruits piled high. One hundred birthday peaches are steamed with flour, and they are as big as bowls. They are piled high in front of the Empress Dowager. The branches and leaves are particularly bright and eye-catching among many fruits.The Xu clock rang, and the bells and drums in the hall were full of masterpieces. The Zhonghe Shao music, composed by Zhang Zhao, was exciting and melodious, with gorgeous words. More than a hundred Changchun Garden worshipers sang with the music, and the noble ladies in the hall left their seats immediately. Kneel solemnly and listen:

The benevolent drapery blesses Kang, and Ruiyun carries the chariot to offer Jiaxiang.The treasures of Huiliu are light, and the jade food is full of joy.The rising sun is just right, Sui Mei Shou, happy and healthy.The leaves of Yaochi are square, like mountains and hills, without boundaries.

As soon as the singing fell, Qianlong, the empress, and the noble concubine left the table and knelt down in front of the table, kowtowed three times to the empress dowager, and said: "The emperor respectfully kowtows to the empress dowager, the holy mother, long life is boundless!"

Tang'er saluted along with a group of wives from her relatives, and looked eagerly at the suave Emperor Qianlong. Since entering the palace in October last year, she had "contact" with Qianlong. The queen, who is very kind to herself, misses her husband and hopes that her husband will stay outside for a while. Every time she enters the palace, she wants to see Qianlong, but she is afraid of seeing Qianlong, so she meets Qianlong again.Qianlong in front of him had a sincere and solemn face, and he and the queen paid respects to the queen mother solemnly.Tang'er thought of the lingering feelings and words of the two people's private tryst, her heart couldn't help jumping wildly, she blushed and lowered her head, not knowing what was going on in her heart, she just said to herself: "Men are really..." Just thinking wildly, she was already polite. complete.Niu Hulu held the pot and poured wine into the cup in the queen's hand.The queen solemnly held the cup to Qianlong.Qianlong knelt down on the ground, held the wine glass high in both hands and brought it to his mother, saying: "My son knows that mother can't drink. Today is a good day, and the moon is full outside. It's time to add to my mother's birthday. This cup of birthday wine must be full. .”

"Okay!" The queen mother took the wine and drank it down, sipping her mouth and shaking her head slightly, and said with a kind smile: "The moon is good today, the wine is good, and I am also happy in my heart. The emperor, the empress and you all get up, I'm only happy when I often joke with Le'er. I'm old and don't want to stick to so many rules." When Qianlong got up, the Empress Dowager ordered a feast, and said to Qianlong: "This feast today is different from previous years. I heard it very well. Into the ear." Qianlong laughed, "The Lafayette's favor means that the son's filial piety has arrived. This is a Yuping song. Zhang Zhao hand-decided, Nanlu Qingzheng established the palace, Zhonglu Qingjiao the main tune, the most peaceful and noble." The queen mother smiled. Said: "How do I know these things! ——I know that Zhang Zhao is a talented man in the hands of the late emperor. I heard that he made a mistake and hasn't recovered yet? According to his grandson, the eunuchs in the palace don't respect him. It's not good."

Qianlong was taken aback, bowed again hurriedly, and said with a smile: "What mother said is true. My son will call the military plane to discuss this matter tomorrow. He is quite qualified to be a minister of the Ministry of Rites." On a table, there is a Shoushan Fuhai Dazuan plate in the middle, two hot pots, one sliced ​​pheasant, and one sliced ​​mutton.A plate of roasted venison with deer tail, a black fork with mutton, and a plate of duck with green onion and pepper, fried shredded chicken, stewed kelp shreds, shredded mutton, burnt pork, small steamed buns with bamboo joints, snail buns, etc. All kinds of delicate and small palace dots are scattered around the table, and the yellow label next to it is marked "Zheng Erte presents the empress dowager Lafayette".Looking at the other tables is similar, only there is no "Shou Shan Fu Hai", but there are four more plates of meat.Qianlong said: "I am only here to accompany my mother. The empress and noble concubine will walk around each table on my behalf. If there is something you can't drink, don't force it."

Empress Fucha and imperial concubine Niu Hulu took orders, squatted down to salute the queen mother and the emperor, and persuaded each other with wine at the table.At this moment, the pearls in the hall are shaking and the jade is shaking, Yan's language is gentle, and the wives are all excited, no matter whether they can drink or not, it is a rare thing to be decent and enjoy the grace of the emperor, who is willing to resign lightly?When they persuaded Tang'er to be at the table, Niu Hulu, who was holding the pot, said with a smile: "Ma'am, Tang'er should have a double cup." As he spoke, he looked at Tang'er and pursed his lips and smiled.The queen didn't care, and said, "Fu Heng didn't come back from an errand, you really should drink a glass of Fushou wine for him." Tang'er had no choice but to drink two glasses in succession.It is already blush and moisten cheeks.The empress had already moved to another table, Tang'er glanced at the chief with her eyes, and it happened that Qianlong's eyes were fixed on this side, and both of them avoided it.Tang'er said it was convenient, and slipped out quietly when no one was paying attention.

"Mother," Qianlong graciously persuaded the Queen Mother to have a sip of wine, glanced at Tang'er, and said with a smile: "There is an urgent note, my son has read it, and it will be sent to the Ministry of War tonight, and my son will write it. A red batch will come to serve. Here, the queen and concubine will wait first?" "Go, go." The queen mother smiled and looked at the women in the palace. "Is this a serious matter? If it's late, I don't need to come here. I still need someone to serve me?" Qianlong looked at the empress and Niu Hulu who were persuading him to drink, and left the hall without saying a word.

(End of this chapter)