Emperor Kangxi: Yuyu Chengxiang

chapter 67
Seeing that Kangxi's face was flushed, Axiu hurried over to try to persuade him, but Kangxi waved his hand and said, "I said earlier that you can't interfere in state affairs!"Aunt Su Ma pulled her away, and the two of them crouched down and backed out.Kangxi took a few steps to the hall, and ordered in a sharp voice: "Decree to the Ministry of Punishment, immediately escort Zhang Bonian's father to the willow branch - order Zhang Bonian to come in and listen to Lian's fate!" Kangxi turned to Gao Shangqi and said, "How kind Lian has been to you , It’s really chilling to think about it!”

Gao Shiqi was so surprised that his whole body was sweating, he prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed: "Long live's accusation is true, but everything my slave said is true. Zhang Bonian is indeed a clean official. How dare this slave lie madly and deceive the Lord?"

"Shut up!" Kangxi yelled, turned around and rummaged through the bookshelf with trembling hands, trying to find the case files, and refuted Gao Shiqi on the spot. , How much money did you receive?"

Gao Shiqi was determined at this point, raised his head and said in a loud voice: "I have never asked for money from others, I have never met Zhang, and I don't accept his courtesy! I am asking to see you today, and I am also admonishing the Lord. The Lord is going on a southern tour with a long-term plan. , It is beyond the knowledge of ordinary courtiers, even if it is ugly, you should laugh it off, such a big matter, you should issue a clear edict. All local officials are not allowed to take the opportunity to please you, and practice the palace!"

"So, do you still have objections to my southern tour?"

"The slave did not say that the master should not be on the southern tour!"

"Da Shun also toured the south!"

"Da Shun's tour to the south," Gao Shiqi forced himself to say, "I've never heard of Cangwu building a palace!"

"Okay...you are so good to me!" Kangxi was so angry that he had nothing to say, he walked around the palace like a grindstone, and when he saw Mu Zixu coming in, he asked, "What are you doing here?" He bowed and replied: "Your Majesty, Zhang Bonian mentioned that you are waiting outside." Kangxi waved his hands in disgust, and said, "Tell him to kneel in the rain first—" Before he finished speaking, Kangxi suddenly stopped.The sound of wailing and weeping suddenly came from outside the hanging flower gate, which made everyone shudder.

The gate guard Wu Dan strode in, beat Qian'er and said: "Zhang Bonian begs to see the master, and is willing to die with one word..." Kangxi was stunned for a moment, and said coldly: "Tell him to come in!"

Zhang Bonian was injured as a result of the torture, walking with his hands on the ground and his knees.The cold rain pressed his black cloth robe tightly to his body, and his white hair, which was more than an inch long on his forehead, was covered with water droplets, and he shivered under the steps as if he was too cold.Kangxi sneered and asked: "Zhang Bonian, please see me crying, what do you want to say?"

"The guilty minister wants to know what kind of treatment the emperor will give." Zhang Bonian replied.His voice was loud, without any fear.

"Strengthening the decision." Kangxi said lightly, "You are a senior official, and you are familiar with the national code, so of course you know what it means."

"Strangling is not a capital punishment." Zhang Bonian kowtowed, "Please the emperor's servants to Ling Chi, swear not to frown and bow their heads!"

"what?"

"...But I ask the emperor for one thing - my father is over eighty years old, I beg the emperor to forgive the suffering of the far-off garrison - the death of the minister is also a blind eye..." Zhang Bonian's voice choked up.Kangxi snorted: "He has followed you to the fullest, enjoying so much people's fat and people's ointment, why not take a few steps to digest food?" half wisp..."

Kangxi said with a livid face: "Could it be that so many people are false accusations? From the Taifu, the imperial envoy, down to the common people." "Under heavy punishment, why can't we get evidence, why can't we ask for it?" Zhang Bonian said sadly "...Thunder, rain and dew are all the grace of the king. How to deal with Long live, I have no complaints, and I have no regrets in death. Nian Chen has served for many years, and always asks Wan live to forgive me... Poor my house was raided, and only five taels of silver were found. How can my old father endure the garrison thousands of miles away..."

"Five taels!" Kangxi seemed to be hearing thunder in the wilderness, his face turned pale, his lips trembled twice, he looked back at Gao Shiqi blankly, and asked a bit stuttering: "Lian...why didn't you see...the list? Gao , Gao Shiqi, what he said is...really?"

Gao Shiqi couldn't tell whether it was sadness, joy or shame, he choked up with a mouthful of bitter water, but couldn't answer, he just knocked his head twice, and took out the copied list from his arms Give it to Kangxi.Kangxi took it over, his face became paler and gloomy.There are only a few lines on the fluffy list of house raids:

Two rented houses, the rent will be paid until 25 years in the reign of Emperor Kangxi, and the original owner will get it back now, and the remaining money will be refunded one, two, five; ; Bamboo Liangjiao is worth one tael and five coins for one ride;

Such a small piece of paper, because it was sandwiched in a file that was more than a foot thick, he had never read it!Tears blurred Kangxi's eyes, and the words on the paper became blurred. He took a step forward, as if he wanted to help the guilty minister, but suddenly felt that he had no strength at all, and stopped again. He waved his hands and told Mu Zixu: "Help...Help him in..."

Zhang Bonian was dragged in because he was sick and had a fever. His whole body was shaking, and the water on his body was dripping on the ground.Kangxi sat back on the chair, and after a long while asked slowly: "Why are you not on the list of collecting salt merchants and Longjiangguan silver?" Zhang Bonian calmed down a lot, and hurriedly kowtowed: "Salt merchants sell privately. National law does not allow it. Jiangning Yandao Xia Qitong accepted bribes without investigation, and Chen Yuezu once seized 3000 taels on behalf of him. Longjiang Guanzhou used Zhongtong Tongyan Road to accept bribes. The bribery of 1 taels was intercepted by the officials. Sizhou and Zhili Prefectures were flooded , the governor Ashan borrowed it for disaster relief, and Ashan has not returned it since he was transferred away. For some reason, this IOU was lost after the minister's office was seized-the minister really couldn't explain it..."

"That being the case, why didn't you actually participate in Xia Qitong and Zhou Yongzhong?"

"Return to the emperor." Zhang Bonian kowtowed, "I rank in the third rank, and I am the acting governor. The memorial will be presented by the governor's office as usual. I don't know whether it will be submitted to the imperial court."

"Grey!"

Nothing shocked Kangxi more than this.He didn't understand why Suo'etu and Mingzhu didn't know about such a big matter?Kang Xing took a sip of a cup of tea, found it cold, splashed it, and asked: "What's the matter with the Nanshi Building?" Zhang Bonian said: "I have committed the crime of negligence in this matter. The people in the south of the Yangtze River are not good. The holy decree taught the scholars—but it was not to rebuild the Nanshi Building, but to build a new Shengyu Hall at the former site of the Nanshi Building—because I just came to the post, I only wanted to spend less money, and I couldn’t get a detailed look at the previous situation..." Kangxi listened Then, Zi's face was already flushed, and he restrained himself and asked again: "I sent imperial envoys to interrogate you. Since you have grievances, they can explain these things on their behalf. Why don't you explain it to them face to face?"

"The minister did not meet with the imperial envoy." Zhang Bonian said, "The interrogation was passed on to the governor's mansion for interrogation. My father ordered the minister to die and go to Beijing with his life, so that the lord may know the truth. So The minister went to the Ministry of Punishment to retract the confession, pleaded not guilty to death, and asked the Holy Spirit to learn from the minister's difficulties."

"Borrowing torture?" Kangxi couldn't help being shocked. He had asked Ethan Ah not to be tortured, so he asked after a long time, "Is there a torture?"

Zhang Bonian really didn't understand why he had angered the two powerful ministers, and a group of people raised their hands to put him to death!Thinking up to this point, I couldn't help being hurt, my heart felt sad, sobbing and saying: "Please... my lord... check... the injury..."

Kangxi didn't get up, he was already stunned.There were streaks of blood on Zhang Bonian's naked neck and arms, and his pinched leg, so there was no need to examine it carefully.For a long time, Kangxi Fang gritted his teeth and said with a smile: "A good slave, this is a good imperial envoy and a good governor!" After finishing speaking, Huo Di jumped up, took off a sword from the wall, and shouted: "Where is Wu Dan? "

Wu Dan heard it and agreed loudly.He strode in, arched his hands and asked, "What is the master's will?"

"You go to the south of the Yangtze River with this sword," Kangxi said gloomyly, "Immediately arrest the men and women of imperial envoy Isang'a and governor Ge Li and go to Beijing. If you dare not obey the order, you will be executed on the spot!"

"twitter!"

Wu Dan took the sword, turned around and left.Zhang Bonian took a few steps on his knees and hugged Kangxi's legs, begging: "Long live, calm down—Long live who credulously believes in people's words and wants to punish the minister, and now listens to the minister's words to revive the prison, how rash!"

"Well, good!" Kangxi's eyes lit up, and he said appreciatively, "Sure enough, you have the strength of a border minister! Just to test your heart - Wu Dan rode a fast horse to the Ministry of Punishment to deliver a decree: pardon the old father of Bonian - I still want to meet this old gentleman!" Zhang Bonian couldn't bear it any longer, and wept bitterly while covering his face.Gao Shiqi was shocked and thought hard, but also felt sad, and Kangxi was even more sad.After a long time, Kangxi asked again: "Bonian, why don't you allow the building of an official in Longtan? Is it because of bad Fengshui?"

"Long live this matter, don't ask me, I will play it." Zhang Bonian said, "Longtan is near Mochou Lake. Although the scenery is beautiful, it is not easy to close. Several palaces are close to each other, and the garrison flag camp is tens of miles away. , In case of panic, it will be difficult to take care of the escort. The Holy Majesty is attached to the world, and his ministers are in the local area, so we have to pay more attention."

"Ah."

(End of this chapter)