Chapter 36 Thirty-third round in June, Zhongcheng in Qiu, accepting bribes from the armed forces and acting in a play by Baylor

Xiangzicheng received a spy report early in the morning, knowing that Baofen was coming, so he dispatched troops and generals, and all preparations were made to stop and stop.Poor Baofen and Li Zhixian, in this hot summer, sang and toured the garden, in front of the mountain and behind the lake, left and right of the lake, ran back and forth for more than ten miles, tired from the heat, and sweated through heavy clothes.A bright gauze robe, all stained on the flesh, can not let the wind through.Later, thanks to Li Guangdian's hiring of the fishing boat, it went straight to the back of the mountain and blew the whistle, and someone responded, only then did they know that Xiang Gongbao's hiding place was under a banana tree.Now that it had a destination, the fishing boat moved faster, and within a short time, it came to the side of the small boat. At this moment, Baofen stared at him, looking for Xiang Gongbao, but he and Gongbao had never met before. , so no one introduced it, and I didn't recognize it.Although Li Guangdian had been here twice, he never saw him, so he didn't recognize him either.The two people stared blankly, and saw two country old men sitting in the small boat, about fifty years old, wearing straw hats on their heads, coir raincoats on their bodies, barefoot, sitting cross-legged on the bow.Each held a fishing rod in his hand, and under the shade of the plantain, he concentrated on fishing.Meet Boffin.He thought it was a countryman coming to fish, so he asked loudly: "Hey, you two villagers, have you ever seen Gongbao?" He asked, but he didn't even lift his head.Baofen became anxious, and called out loudly, and Li Guangdian, the county magistrate, also called out for help.An old man over there just raised his head slowly and looked at the boat over there.Baofen met his eyes, then unconsciously lowered his head, not daring to look at him again.Only now did he wonder, is this Gong Bao?Originally, there were photos of Xiang Gongbao everywhere, but those who had never met with him could be seen at a glance.However, since he left the field, he has grown his beard and beard, which is unkempt, similar to the painting of Zhong Kui.He also spends all day long irrigating the garden, fishing along the river, and the wind and sun have covered his once white face with a layer of black oil.The clothes on his body are all wool blue coarse cloth, and the blue cloth single beam shoes made at home are fat and big.He was barefoot, and he didn't wear socks. When he looked suddenly, he was an old farmer who had been farming for many years. Who could tell it was Kung Pao?So looking at it from a distance, Bao and Li didn't recognize anyone.It was only after a pair of glances did Baofen realize that there was no such prestige in the eyes of the peasants in the countryside, it must be Kung Pao.But what a status Kung Pao is, how can he wear this set of clothes, it is too demeaning.He was suspicious in his heart, but asked over there: "Sir, you asked what Gongbao is doing, do you want to meet him?" Baofen said, "This court is the governor of Henan, and I came here to pay a visit to Gongbao. We are discussing the matter, but I did not expect to find it after searching for a long time in the garden. You need to know where the palace guard is, and guide you quickly, so as not to worry the court." Hearing an oops from over there, he said: "It turns out that it is the Grand Duke. When you arrive, Zhiwan really deserves to die. Why didn't you send a letter earlier, so Brother Yu can welcome you at home. How can I receive such an unexpected guest?" Said, he jumped over the boat and shook hands with Baofen.At this time, Li Guangdian was frightened. While adjusting his hat, he took out his notebook, took a few steps forward, held the notebook high, and called himself: "Li Guangdian, the magistrate of Hui County, kowtow to Gongbao." kneel down.Recklessly, he frightened Zicheng for a moment, and hurriedly lifted Li Zhixian from the ground with his left hand, just like an eagle lifting a bird.He laughed and said: "My father did not do this gift on purpose to embarrass me? Even the imperial court sympathized with my foot disease and let me go back to the mountain. Why do you have to ask me to accompany you to kneel and worship? This is too unreasonable." . " Li Guangdian took this touch for nothing, and instead of flattering, he slapped the horse's feet backwards.He had no choice but to reply coyly: "It's right to refer to the palace guard for a humble position. How dare you be a palace guard to pay back the courtesy?" Zicheng laughed and said, "How dare you. You are our parent official in Henan, and I am under your rule. How dare you be rude. "

At this time, Xiang Zijie also came over and greeted them again.Zijie had been a county magistrate in the south of the Yangtze River for many years. He was honest and caring for the people. Everyone called him "Xiang Qingtian".Later, Guoban Daotai was on standby in the provincial capital, just in time for Xiang Gongbao to return home.Originally, the official relationship is as thin as paper. Liangjiang Zhitai and Zicheng were originally allied brothers. Forgive me, try my best to perfunctory him, and when I saw him, my younger brother was superior to my younger brother, so I called my younger brother very affectionate.He also said: "You and I are my own brothers, so you don't need to be polite. I will choose one or two leisurely and profitable jobs for you, because you are sick, so you can rest in peace." Who knows that the spring breeze in the mouth is beneficial No, after waiting for two or three months, there was no sound at all.Zijie also understood, so he took half a year's leave, went back to his hometown to visit his relatives, and spent a few days with Zicheng.This time in Huixian Garden, climbing mountains and playing in water is very interesting.Baofen came to visit his brother, so of course he had to come and see him too.

However, there are many small people on the boat, and it is wobbly and about to capsize.Zicheng laughed and said, "Let's leave the boat and go ashore." Everyone agreed with this, and one by one they stepped up to the shore of the lake and rested under the banana tree.Taking advantage of the situation, Baofen spied on Zicheng and said: "The old man returned home this time, and the late student was very upset. The two palaces passed away, the young lord ascended the throne, and when the court was employing people, the old man turned his back on the pillars of the two dynasties. It's really embarrassing. Solution." After hearing this, Zicheng was so frightened that his countenance changed, and he said in a low voice, "Don't say that. We are courtiers, and we have received the emperor's grace. No matter how the court treats us, we are all grateful. Is there still Do you mean that it is insufficient? Besides, the treatment of late foot disease is very serious, and walking is difficult. It is rare for the prince to be so considerate and allow me to go back to my hometown to recuperate. Ghosts and gods are also not tolerated." Zicheng said this, showing a kind of righteousness.Baofen unconsciously admired secretly, Xiang Gongbao really deserves to be a pure minister!Why is the lord so foolish, and still insists on getting him out of the way?Zijie interjected: "my brother's foot is very bad, and he has to be supported by someone even when he walks. He can live for two years in the outside of the border. If he serves as a military minister in the court, it will be a tyranny. Although he rewards him with two shoulders Yu, but when he reached the inner court, he still had to walk. How could he do it. The prince asked him to return to his hometown, which was exceptionally fulfilled, and the sky is high and the earth is thick. Now he is traveling in the forest. In the hot summer and hot sun, stay for a few more days, and also appreciate the flavor of the mountains. Why don’t we go to the water pavilion in the lake and have a romantic chat. Come, come, ask them to change to a flower boat, and the four of us can enjoy the lake.” As he spoke, he took out a flute and blew it a few times.In the distance, I saw a flower boat protruding from the reeds. The cabins on the boat are all glass windows.Hanging on the bow of the boat is a plaque with silver characters on the black ground. It is only seen when you get close that it is the three characters "Xiao Canghai".Baofen praised: "The name is novel and broad, and we are going to travel here, it's really a small sea."

When the boat came to the shore, Baofen jumped on first, and then Zijie supported his elder brother, and slowly boarded the boat, Li Guangdian followed.The boat is well-equipped. In the middle of the cabin, there are square nanmu tables and small nanmu chairs, and on the tables are powdered teacups and tureen bowls.On the other side is a wooden bed covered with mattresses and pillows.Xiang Gongbao cupped his hands towards Baofen and said with a smile: "Grandfather has worked too hard these days, let's just lean on the bed, Zhiwan can't sit for long because of foot disease, we can lie down and talk." Baofen didn't agree either. Being polite, he lay down opposite Xiang Gongbao.Xiang Gongbao babbled, only talking about how beautiful the scenery in the countryside is, and how delicious the game from this garden is.When he was young, he wandered among the lotus bushes, and Zijie took a lot of lotus pods, water chestnuts, etc., and presented them to the two guest officials, inviting them to try something new.

At this time Baofen wanted to find out whether Kung Pao had any ambitions, but he couldn't open his mouth.I had nothing to talk about, so I remembered being teased by Kezhong, and told Gongbao everything.Gong Bao apologized and persuaded: "Grandpa, don't be angry, children, they don't know the rules. When Zhiwan sees him, he must ask a monk to come and give him a heavy responsibility." Baofen said again , who came from Dingzhi, Hangzhou. After a kneeling ceremony, he was reduced to mud, and his words expressed regret.Zicheng said: "It's no wonder Gongzu, we people in the officialdom have to be careful about our clothes." This sentence hit Baofen's heart, and immediately attracted Gongbao as a confidant, and they talked about clothes with each other. Come.Zicheng said: "Don't underestimate this question. As the saying goes, three generations of officials also know how to dress and eat. Don't talk about anything else, let's talk about leather clothes. The grandfather's leather clothes must be complete. Zhiwan said two things to ask Gongzu, I wonder if he has seen it before?" Baofen was asked this question, and he replied coldly: "I dare not say that I have studied other things in Wansheng, but as for leather clothes, it is specially Knowledge, from Tanyang to Hailong, Japanese Sword, Xuanhu, almost all of them, I don't know what Gong Bao wants to ask?" Zicheng laughed and said: "These few clichés, Zhiwan asked him What are you doing?" Baofen was very surprised, and said in her heart: Why do you even regard Xuanhu as a cliché?After all, their Xiangzhai is a family with a lot of experience and knowledge, and they are different, so I have to ask for advice.Thinking of this, he suddenly stood up, greeted Gongbao, and said solemnly: "Late birth is like a frog in a well, please ask Gongbao for advice, don't be too polite." Zicheng didn't think it was funny seeing him like this, Bannerman, if you are willing to put so much effort into military and state affairs, the country will not be in such a bad state.While thinking about it, he asked him to sit down, and said with a smile: "The clothes Zhiwan mentioned are not new, they are golden monkeys and silver monkeys, Gongzu must have seen them all?" Baofen heard this. A noun, and he gasped in fright.Quickly asked: "What golden monkey, and silver monkey? It's strange, I lived forty-eight years later. Although I have never seen the clothes of the golden monkey, this term is familiar to me for a long time. As for the silver monkey, not only have I never seen the clothes. , I have never even heard of this term. Since Gongbao has seen the teacher, he must have this clothes, so why not take them out, so that Wan Sheng can feast his eyes, this life is not in vain." Zicheng said: "Don't be too busy, Let me tell you in detail. The clothes of the golden snub-nosed monkey rule our China, but there are only a few. There are three or four in Da Nei, one in old Gong Gong, and one in old En Wang. I don’t know about the rest. I have one, which was given to me by Mr. Dayuan that year when I went to Korea as an envoy. I have never worn it. It was originally a robe with a round neck and wide sleeves, but later it was changed into a leather robe, and only a Shandong native cloth mask was hung on it. , put it at the bottom of the box, and put it in the sun every year, but never wear it." Baofen said regretfully beside him: "It's such a good thing, but Gong Bao keeps it for use. It's a pity." Zicheng said: "It will be used more in the future. Don't worry about it, common people eat vegetables and live in Linquan, why waste such a precious product." Baofen took advantage of the situation and said: "Kongbao is past his destiny, and his energy is still strong. The imperial court must use it. How could he end up in Linquan? "Zicheng shook his head and said: "It's useless. The ambition to build a strong country back then has long been exhausted. Now we can only grow vegetables behind closed doors to preserve the rest of the year. The great cause of rejuvenating the country can only be hoped by the kings. Old farmer, my wish is enough." After saying that, he laughed again.Baofen continued to ask: "The origin of the golden monkey, under the guidance of Gongbao, has benefited a lot. What about the silver-nosed monkey? Why doesn't Gongbao explain it clearly, so that Wansheng can get over his problems immediately." Zicheng said: "This It’s a long story. When Mr. Wen Cheng was Zuo Shuai Pingxi, he was in charge of the grain platform and accompanied him to the Xinjiang region. It was just catching up with the continuous rain and snow, and the weather was very cold, and he suffered from severe finger and cracked skin. Mr. Xian Bo My body is weak, how can I stand such severe cold. At that time, I brought a lot of leather clothes, such as lynx, Japanese sword, sea dragon, and black fox, I wore them all, so I couldn't help. People bought leather clothes to keep out the cold locally. I bought a few pieces, and they were all common. There was a lama monk, and he secretly said to his uncle: "The imperial envoy wants to find clothes to keep out the cold, unless it is the big lama who is in charge of this temple. He has a silver coat." The silk monkey monk's robe is a priceless treasure. This robe is so big that it has to be wrapped up, including the head and feet. Not to mention that you don't know the cold in the house, you can sleep peacefully on the slopes and snowy roads. After waking up, I’m still sweating.” Uncle Xian heard that there was this kind of warm clothes, so he asked the lama monk who spoke for money to buy it. No matter how much money you spend, you can’t buy the thing that the lama loves. The uncle was very embarrassed, and said, what should I do? The lama monk secretly offered advice, saying that unless the imperial envoy can do something for me, I can sell it. The thing was taken. The uncle said, as long as you can take it, no matter what, as long as it is harmless to others, I can help you do it. The lama monk said: "It's not because of my original wish that I became a monk. It's just because all the people in this place are here. Monk registration, whoever the big lama took a fancy to, he would force him to become a monk. No matter who he was, he dared not disobey him. The young monk was originally a minister, but because he offended the emperor, he was stationed in Xinjiang, thousands of miles away, and came here. Later, the minister died The descendants have settled here for four or five generations. Although they have been reduced to poverty, they still study for generations. The pitiful one is the generation of junior monks, but they are forced by the big lama to become monks. Lifelong hatred. The imperial envoy, if you can show the kindness of the parents of heaven and earth, pull out the monk's registration, and bring my family back to the Central Plains, the young monk is willing to steal the silver monkey skin robe and offer it to the imperial envoy as an insight After hearing this, the uncle was very appreciative and said that it is rare for you to be so ambitious. You really went down the deep valley and rose up the arbor. Regardless of whether this thing can be brought or not, I will definitely bring you back to the Central Plains and take you back. The whole family took them together. The lama monk thanked him repeatedly, and he just went. This morning, the lama monk led his parents, a younger brother and a younger sister, and came to visit the uncle. The uncle met him at that time, and only then did he know that the silver The silk monkey fur robe had already been brought with him. The uncle was overjoyed, and hurriedly took it out for a closer look. It was a yellow serge monk robe, and the leather bucket hanging inside was as white as silver, with very thick bristles, knotted together like a seamless garment. I can't tell the strands. Pick out a monkey hair with a needle, it's six or seven inches long, pull it straight and let go, it still retracts, united in one place, without the slightest trace. The uncle saw it and couldn't put it down. , and immediately put it on the body. After a short time, I felt a warm air penetrate into the skin, refreshing the heart and spleen, and all the internal organs were warmed up in an instant. In fact, thisI have worn this piece of clothing once, after all, its warmth is different, and it really deserves the four characters of peace and profoundness.As for the golden snub-nosed monkey, it was a bit more violent. Baofen then asked how the lama monk would be arranged later. Zicheng said, "This man's surname is Chen Guohua. Later, the uncle appointed him as an escort committee member, and he also grew his hair."However, his family members sent four guards to escort him to our hometown and asked them to take him to find a house for temporary placement.When Xixia was flattened, Chen Guohua also saved the county magistrate and returned to Henan as an alternate.He also served as a Huixian!If you don't believe me, please ask Mr. Li to go back and look up the county annals. There must be this person in the name list of previous county magistrates.He reported Zhejiang nationality. Li Guangdian hurriedly continued, "That's right, there really is such a person." "

At this time, Baofen's mind was full of golden monkey and silver monkey, and he wished to ask Zicheng for these two clothes immediately, and put them on his body, so as to fulfill his wish.But I couldn't open my mouth, and then I was really anxious, so I had to say with an old face: "As the saying goes, the house of the gods in the sky is the house of the prime minister in the world. After all, there are generations of hairpin tassels in the old man's house, so there is such a rare treasure. It's a shame to be born late. Da, where have you seen such a good thing. Today is also the fate of the holiday, so you can feast your eyes." Zicheng stroked his beard and smiled: "Grandfather is really blessed. He is not busy. That golden monkey fur coat exists exactly in this In the garden of Hui County, I will send someone to bring it here, and ask the grandfather to appreciate it." Saying this, Zijie issued a secret order and called a family member, who was Xiao Xing'er who used to serve Zhuang Zhongtang.Zicheng ordered: "Xing'er, you go to No. 13 of the back building in the north of the garden, look for Qiujuan, the maid of the sixth concubine, and ask her to open the leather suitcase, take out the golden monkey coarse cloth leather jacket on the bottom of the suitcase, and wrap it in a bundle. Alright, send it to the gazebo immediately. Hurry up and go." He said and handed him a small key with him.Xiao Xing'er agreed and turned her head away.It didn't take much time to get the clothes as expected.Zicheng opened it with his own hands and showed it to Baofen.I saw the golden light shining, illuminating the eyes.He held the fur in his hand and showed it to Baofen, saying: "Look at this hair, it's as thin as silk, as soft as fat, and as yellow as gold. A single hair is seven or eight inches long, but it's not scattered or messy. It's really a priceless treasure!" Baofen looked at it again and again, but couldn't answer a word other than tsk-tsk admiration, wishing he could put this dress on his body immediately, so that his wish would be fulfilled.Zicheng is so shrewd, there is no reason why he can't see it, and said deliberately: "Hey, this clothes is not the owner. I am a person who hides from the world, why do I wear this kind of clothes? It's a pity I can’t meet a confidant in clothes. If I meet a confidant with this dress, I’d rather give it to him with both hands, and I’ll never be stingy.” At this moment, Baofen couldn’t bear it anymore, and made a deep greeting to Zicheng, hehe He laughed and said: "Old Gong Bao, old senior, old uncle! Since you old man wants to find a confidant for this precious dress, my nephew will recommend himself. My nephew dare not take on other things, if you want to do it for the clothes My confidant, but my little nephew is confident that he deserves it. If the old uncle is willing to give this clothes to his little nephew, and the little nephew takes it home, he must pay homage every day and night, offer flowers, and make a golden silk nan for him. Box, so I can store this golden monkey fur coat. Please think about it, old uncle, it will be more worthy than this dress." Zicheng laughed loudly and said, "In this case, why didn't the old ancestor tell you earlier, I will give it to you directly and happily You are finished, why do you have to go around so many detours?" Baofen said anxiously: "Old Uncle, why do you keep calling your grandfather and grandfather, isn't this intentional to shorten my life?" Zicheng had to change his name and call him by his name. Said: "Shufang, you must not misunderstand, who told you to be the chief executive of our province? How dare I lose my manners to the chief executive of this province!" Baofen said: "Our banner people are not so particular. You are a group of Han laozi , always sour and sour, making people feel nauseous." A few words made the Zicheng brothers and Li Guangdian laugh.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Baofen took the leather jacket from Zicheng's hand and wanted to put it on.Zijie hurriedly stopped him and said, "My Dazhongcheng, why are you wearing fur in June? Besides, you are sweating all over your body. If you wear it on your body, won't you ruin this dress?" Baofen stopped, But he hesitated, and still wanted to put it on.Zicheng suggested for him: "We brought a raincoat. You put on the raincoat first, and then put on the leather jacket, so you won't be afraid of sweating." One sentence reminded Baofen, and it was very wonderful.At this time, Li Guangdian flattered his boss and was willing to fulfill his duties as the leader of the shift. First he took the raincoat and put it on for Baofen, and then put this fat and big golden monkey on Baofen.Baofen's figure is three inches taller than Xiang Gongbao's, but he is not as big as Xiang Gongbao, and the drape is a little shorter, but he can still wear it.Zicheng watched from the side, amused in his heart.In this hot weather, wearing a golden monkey fur coat is really an unprecedented anecdote. It shows that your level is ten times higher than that of Hanba.But I don't know what it's like in my heart to wear it, or I don't feel the heat when I'm proud, and I don't know.Thinking of this, and looking closely at the expression on Baofen's face, he was sweating profusely, all the size of a bean, as if wearing a crown of beads, panting like a cow, and kept shaking in the pavilion, expressing His pride.The people watching beside him, even Xiao Xing'er who was in charge of the boat, all kept their mouths covered, as if watching a monster in a movie, compared with Chaplin, they found it ridiculous.After all, Xiang Zicheng is very knowledgeable about great gifts, I am afraid that he will die of heat in his own garden, how can a member of the frontier be able to afford it?If the court suspects that I killed him, it will be very inconvenient in the future.Why should I look for this opponent with nothing but right and wrong?He hurriedly said to Li Guangdian: "Hurry up and take it off for Fu Shuai. In such hot weather, if you cover up something good or bad, can you afford it?" One sentence reminded Li Guangdian, and he hurried over to unbutton and strip his clothes, Xiao Xing'er also help.When he took it off, Baofen felt his head sink, his eyes darkened, and he fell to the ground.All of a sudden, everyone panicked.Zicheng was very calm, and said, "It's okay. You can carry him outside the pavilion, blow him with cool wind, and he will be fine immediately." Everyone obeyed.Sure enough, it didn't take long for Baofen to wake up.Xiao Xing'er opened another bottle of Dutch soda, poured out a cup, and asked him to drink it, and immediately regained his energy.

From then on, Zicheng stayed with him in the garden for two days, using words to explain his reason for coming, and begged him to say a few more good words when he played again.When Baofen got the bribe from the golden monkey, he naturally agreed with all his heart, there was nothing wrong with it, and he drew up the refolding in Hui County, and presented it to Xiang Gongbao for review.Zicheng changed a few sentences about the inappropriate parts of his original compromise, and then saw that he wrote it clearly.Fortunately, during Baofen's tour this time, he originally brought out the seal to investigate Zicheng, and if there is anything wrong, he can be punished immediately.I didn't expect to actually use it, but it was for others to use, not for himself.Xiang Zicheng took out a golden monkey leather jacket, and turned this big event into a cloud of smoke. It is true that the means of a tyrant are unattainable.However, it is conceivable that the bannerman's greed for small profits and forgetting about big things is completely useless.

Gossip less.But he said that Baofen had completed the double folding in the garden of Xiangzi City, so he sent it from here immediately.Seeing that the booklet had been sent out, Zicheng was relieved, and after two days of dealing with Baofen, he returned to Kaifeng with his entourage.The regent received Baofen's refolder and read it carefully.Seeing his internal narration, he always said that Xiangzicheng's foot was very serious and needed people to walk. Recently, he was thinking about his mistakes behind closed doors at home, and never communicated with the outside world.Moreover, his family was depressed, he lived by raising fish and vegetables, clothed himself with vegetables, and died in Linquan. He had no thought of being an official for a long time.The servant tried at any time, and every time he mentioned the court, the minister was very grateful, and said that he had received the state's grace, and he hadn't done his best to repay him.The slaves saw what the minister said, out of sincerity, and never stopped hearing about it, and so on.When the regent saw him, he was skeptical, and finally reduced his jealousy by half.When Zhuang Zhishan came to see it when he was young, he showed him the refolding.Zhishan finished watching, and sighed: "Zicheng has been favored by the emperor all his life, no matter how heartless he is, he will not have any ambitions for me, Shengqing. The prince asks Wanan himself, and my minister Zhishan dares to protect him with his family." After hearing this set of words, the regent's suspicions had already gone to eight or nine points.

After Unexpected Mountain left, Tie Muxian, Secretary of the Ministry of War, and Shanfu, Minister of the Ministry of War and Commander of the Infantry Army, met with the Regent because of the command of the Imperial Guard.Because the two of them are his confidantes, the prince handed Baofen's refolding to them to watch.Tie Muxian finished reading, snorted through his nose and said, "Baofen is really trash! Not only can he not consider the court's wishes, but he is acting as a defender for Xiangzicheng. This kind of person is really heartless. He dared to make a judgment, saying that Xiang Zicheng thought about his mistakes behind closed doors and died in Linquan. May I ask where he got it, isn't this a child's talk?" Shanfu continued: "It's no wonder. Baofen was originally a mediocre person. With Xiang Zicheng's cunning and ingenuity, if you want to play with him, isn't it right in the palm of your hand? You only need to pour a few bowls of rice soup down, and you can say whatever you want him to say. According to the slave, this book may not be Xiang Zi. The handwriting of the city, but let him be famous and stamped." The regent was provoked by the two people's words, and he became angry again, patted the table, and said: "It's okay, it's okay! I Here is an order to change Baofen's position." Shanfu hastily remonstrated: "My lord, please appease the anger of the thunder, this matter should not be too serious. Although Baofen is confused, he is always a member of Manchuria, Since there is no major fault, how can you cut your own wings? Both of them frightened the snake, which made Xiangzicheng feel uneasy. There is no doubt that it is the best way to put all the military power in the hands of the Manchus, so that the Han people have no room for rebellion. It must not be obvious and make enemies of the Han people.” Tie Muxian also agreed with this proposal, saying "The servants came to see the prince today because Feng Guohua, the commander of the imperial guards, was originally a subordinate of Xiangzicheng. This man is proficient in the art of war, brave and good at fighting, and is Han Xin in this life. He leads the imperial guards. It may be inconvenient in the future. Although Shanfu has the right to control the army, no one can be sure that he will be controlled or not, and he should always think of a way early and replace it." The regent heard this and asked hesitantly: "Replace Who is it? Among us, is there anyone who is competent?" Shanfu said: "Feng Guohua is good at buying the hearts of the soldiers, and the more than 10,000 imperial guards have a very good relationship with him. If we want to change people suddenly, I'm afraid we won't be able to take them with us. .According to the slave's idea, there is no need to change people for the time being. It is best to send one of the relatives to be the supervising army envoy and take charge of the food and salary, so that he can control everything, and he is not afraid that he will not be under command." The regent said: "This idea is good. Just send Zaitao there." After finishing speaking, he picked up his pen and wrote an edict: Zaitao will also serve as the supervisor of the imperial guards, and be in charge of food and payment matters, hereby.

Do you know who Zai Tao is?It turned out to be the regent's younger brother.The Prince Regent has four brothers in total, the eldest is Emperor Guangxu, born of Prince Chun Zhengfu Jin, the second is the Regent Zaifeng, the third is Baylor Zaixun, and the fourth is Baylor Zaitao.The three brothers were born to King Chun Fujin.Zaifeng had been Minister of Military Aircraft for several years, although he was cowardly and incompetent, he behaved well and did not dare to do anything willful.When it comes to Zai Xun and Zai Tao, it is very different.Zai Xun's temper is that money is like his life, he is always planning and calculating, he will make money, even ten yuan or eight yuan, he refuses to let it go.Zai Tao's temper is completely opposite to his, he regards money as dung, and wastes it at will without any restraint.Both of them have a hobby.Zai Xun focuses on appetite, and he is very particular about three meals a day.He has to taste all the famous Chinese and Western dishes in various provinces and even countries to compare the quality.And he also has one special skill, all the blending of the five flavors, frying, frying, man-han banquets, Chinese and Western feasts, all the knowledge and skills that a cook should have, he is proficient in all of them, and knows everything.Whenever there are weddings and funerals held in the mansions of the Manchu officials, he always wears a jewel cap, a robe with eight balls of dragons in four directions, and a gown of apricot yellow satin and eight balls of dragon horses. He is dressed very powerfully.Anyone who saw it would know that this must be Prince Baylor, so how dare they not be extra compliments.Unexpectedly, after the master entered the door, he circled around with the master for a while, so he wanted to find out where the kitchen was.The guards who served the Lord knew his temper well, and they came back and forth without waiting for him to ask. Is the kitchen in the east courtyard or the west courtyard, and who is in charge of the kitchen.He didn't even sit down when he heard this, he just ran straight, didn't even care to take off the hat on his head, and went into the kitchen.All the Manchu cooks in Ninetowns recognized him, and when they saw the master came in, they hurriedly greeted him, and said hello to him loudly.He asked in the first sentence: "Is everything ready?" The cook replied as usual: "The reconciliation is ready, and the master is here to show you how to start." Then he took off the yellow jacket and asked the guards to wrap it up.At this time, the guards had already taken out his oil skirt and tied it to Tuanlong's robe.He said to the cook: "Boys, the order of reconciliation is ready, wait for me to do it myself." At this time, he heard the sound of knives and spoons.This big Baylor is in the kitchen, practicing the skill of this proxy, and it turns out that the fried dishes are delicious.After frying a few dishes, he was too addicted, so he put the frying spoon aside and took off the oil skirt.The guard hurriedly put the hat on for him, and the mandarin jacket for him, and he staggered into the living room as usual.At this time, the people who were sitting and drinking in the hall saw him coming in, and hurriedly left their seats and said: "Thank you for your hard work, we don't know where the good fortune came from, today we have to taste the taste of Lord Baylor's own blending. We are here Thank you!" After hearing this set of flattery, he immediately danced with joy.In fact, everyone was appetizing with him, because a dignified Baylor, the younger brother of Emperor Guangxu, and the uncle of Emperor Xuantong, wanted to be a cook. Isn't this self-deprecating and self-deprecating?However, if you like sex, you will never tire of it.Ordinarily, since the regent knows that his younger brother is such a material, it is best to assign him to manage the imperial censorship, so that he can be regarded as his talent; but this prince is really whimsical, and he insisted on assigning this younger brother to manage the Navy Department.At that time, there was no Ministry of the Navy, because Xiang and Zhuang, the ministers of military and aircraft, strongly advocated the reform, thinking that the world's transportation could not be established without the navy, so they insisted on setting up a navy department to take charge of the national navy affairs.Ask Regent Jane to send a minister to manage this institution.The regent thought about it, this was related to the military power of the whole country, and the Han people must not be in charge. Only a person from the close branch of the Manchus must be selected, so that this matter feels appropriate.After much deliberation, he thought of his brother, who appointed Zai Xun as the minister in charge of the Navy Department.In fact, he didn't even know what a navy was and what it was useful for. Since I took this job, I have been paying attention all the time, trying to gain some naval knowledge, so that I can be an expert in the Navy Department.Instead, they recruited a few veterans, all of whom were students sent by Mr. Li Wenzhong to Britain and the United States to study in the Navy and return home after graduation.There are quite a few outstanding people here. After returning to the country, the pitiful imperial court does not know how to cherish talents. All of them are either using their talents for what they are not, or they have nothing to do when they are idle. Some were also sent to the provinces to serve.The most famous among them is Yan Fu.When this old Mr. Yan was studying the navy in the UK, his academic performance was much higher than that of the students from the UK and other countries, and he ranked first in the examination.Unexpectedly, after returning to China, the imperial court foolishly rewarded him with a family background and the title of secretary in the cabinet.He doesn't even know Chinese characters, but now he is assigned to be in charge of imperial edicts, isn't this a joke?Unexpectedly, it was so difficult for him, but it made him a success in his studies.Whenever he went to the yamen, his colleagues all treated him as a foreigner and appetized with him everywhere.Sometimes I bring a few books of official titles and ask him to write four or six essays on the proposed imperial seal; sometimes I bring a cabinet order and ask him to work on the official draft.It's a pity that he can't read, but where to start?You can only bow to say hello, say a lot of good things, and ask your colleagues to do the hard work for you.Helpless for a long time, always feel very shameful.Fortunately, this gentleman was originally from a family in Fujian, and his family had a lot of money, so he determined to study, and first quit his job completely, and specially invited a learned Confucian who was proficient in Chinese to teach him Chinese. Word.He suffers day and night, and has no leisure in cold and heat.God paid off, after reading it for ten years, he managed to comprehend the classics of Shi Ziji, and wrote it into an article, which is profound and beautiful.How many famous teachers have stayed in Confucianism, they all thought it was beyond their reach.Since then, Mr. Yan has become a great writer who has penetrated both Chinese and Western cultures, but he put his naval studies aside, and no one mentioned it. He donated an alternate Taoist platform and went to Jiangsu to wait for a mission.That year Fushuai sent him to Shanghai to welcome a British rear admiral.This rear admiral is a young recruit, and when it comes to studies, he is still Yan Fu's younger generation.His name was Bai Deng, and he did not know Yan Fu well. This time, he traveled to Shanghai in a No. 3 cruiser.The provincial capital knows, because the major general has been honored, so of course he will send someone to welcome him.Fu Shuai remembered that Yan Fu was from the navy and was proficient in English, so it was very appropriate to send him on this errand.So he took five thousand silver from the treasury and handed it to him to go to Shanghai to welcome Major General Bai Deng.Yan Fu got this unexpected good job, so he came to Shanghai diligently to find out where Major General Bai Deng's cruiser was moored, and he himself sat on a sedan chair to pay his respects on board the ship.Hearing that he was the representative of Fu Shuai, Bai Deng didn't dare to be negligent, and hurriedly ordered to raise the cannon to welcome him, but he himself came out in the uniform of a major general.At this time, Yan Fu was a member of the supervisory department, wearing a second-rank top-wear, a blue Ningxia silk gown, and a green Ningxia silk mandarin jacket.When Bai Deng saw this corrupt look, he looked down upon him a little, and Yan Fu had a deep addiction to opium, so his face was gray and ugly.The two met and shook hands, let them into the living room, and talked a few words in English with each other.Yan Fu asked him what was the setup on the warship?Bai Deng said with a smile: "Mr. Yan, how can the settings on this warship be explained clearly in a few words? You need to know the details, unless you go to the driver's cab, compass room, fort and other places to conduct on-the-spot investigations. Fan, of course I know it well. If you want me to tell you, it will be difficult for me." After hearing what he said, Yan Fu laughed loudly and said, "That's great, great, please ask the major general and his subordinates to go around and have a look. When Bai Deng said this, he was trying to ridicule him, seeing that he was a smoker-like bureaucrat, not to mention going up the rope ladder, he just put it on the deck of the boat for nothing, and it was expected that he would not be able to stand stably if there was a little wind and waves.Unexpectedly, he wanted to conduct an on-site investigation, which frightened Bai Deng, so he had to stand up and say please.Yan Fu was not polite either, and immediately took off his boots, cap, gown and coat, but he was wearing a navy uniform underneath, with only a piece of green crepe handkerchief covering his head, and a pair of navy soft leather boots on his feet.扎束停当，便随白登出来。此时白登心中，却有些拿不定了，他既穿海军的制服，当然不是外行，到底他那种孱弱样子，纵然学过海军，也未必有甚出色的艺业。二人出来，白登先将他领至了望台下。这了望台足有五丈多高，是孤孤零零一根绳梯，从船面直通到台上。在不曾学过海军的人，对于这种梯子，不要说盘到顶上是做不到的，便是上三两蹬，也绝对立不住脚。二人来至梯边，彼此逊让。白登却执意请严复先上，他所为是看一看严复的本事。严复也不推辞，说：“这样吧，我在前你在后，咱们一同到台上去，省得耽误工夫。”白登点头赞成。严复拱手说一声请，那身子已经盘到梯上了。白登也随着上去。但见严复身轻如燕，矫捷如猿，好似一般炊烟，随风直上，转眼已到台上，却将白登落后有两丈多远。及至白登上来，人家在台上已经从容眺望，意态安闲。这位白登少将，却有些吁吁作喘。严复笑道：“少将青年，何至如此？”白登此时，却惭愧得无地可容，只得老着脸向严复道：“严先生真是绝技。似你这样身手，在我国海军界中，非前二十年老班毕业的，再也寻不出了。”严复此时绺着小胡子笑道：“岂敢岂敢，在下便是前二十年在贵国毕业的。”当时又将同班的人，说了几位，也有做海军总长的，也有做海军大将的。白登听了，不觉向严复行了极敬的海军礼，笑道：“晚生真是有眼不识泰山，原来是老前辈降临，多多亵渎，求你海涵吧。”严复见他认错，自己也不好再说什么，彼此又参观了一回，方才告辞回寓。可怜前清有这样人才，偏偏不肯用，屈在末僚，做了一个无声无臭的候补道。直到北京成立海军处，才想起他来，特地调到京城，派在海军处差遣委用。载洵格外提拔他，叫他在土木处作提调，他便终日哄着贝勒爷，在处内玩耍。载洵也不时地问他，海军是一个什么东西？这位老先生，便从外国洋行里，买了几只军舰的模型，赠给载洵，做玩耍品，放在水中。将煤油汽锅点起来，也能呜呜地响，在池中飞行自如。载洵见了，欢喜得手舞足蹈，问严复道：“这就叫海军吗？”严复道：“规模虽有大小，道理却是一般。爷看见这几条军舰，那英美的海军，也不过如此。”载洵信以为实，从此便在海军处掘了一座大方池，从各洋行中搜寻了几十条军舰模型，终日领着本处人员在池子旁大演海军。他还对摄政王说：“海军这一门学问，我可毕业了。”摄政王不问所以然，还以为自己兄弟真能专心考究，学有心得呢。 二人正谈着，四爷载滔从外面进来，贸然对他哥哥道：“我同猴子鳔了三天三夜，可把艳阳楼的几套家伙学会了。敢情好难，一抬腿一动手，全得有锣鼓点儿。就这一样，非有过人聪明，是学不会的。”言下很露着洋洋自得的神气。摄政王听了，却有些不耐烦，拧眉叹气地问道：“老四，我从上月就叫你到通州去一趟，阅一阅毅军的操法。你搁了这许多日子，不去做一点正事，却鳔着杨小楼学艳阳楼，也未免太不长进了。”载滔受了他哥哥的教训，很不自在的，便发话道：“阅操有什么用处？练的是真才实学。就凭我这手底下那些扛洋炮的大兵，有个三十五十的，到不了跟前。我们旗人，要人人学得同杨猴子一样，不要说大清的天下准保得牢，便是那外国的洋鬼子，也得甘拜下风。”摄政王听他的话，越说越不像了，便着实地又申斥了几句。载滔偏不服，弟兄二人不免口角起来。后来载洵将四爷劝开，背地抱怨他，说：“咱二哥现在代理着皇上，乃是一国之主。咱们是他的亲弟弟，怎好倒先拆他的台呢？他叫你到通州去，你乐得逛一趟。阅操不过是个名儿，你想怎样玩，便怎样玩，谁还敢拦你吗？”一句话提醒了载滔，立刻便去见他哥哥辞行。摄政王很是欢喜，以为兄弟肯听话，是真有志气了。立时下一道手谕：“特派载滔为检阅毅军大臣，善辅为副大臣，由军咨处、陆军部各调随员八名，即日驰往通州检阅。由该军统领姜桂题敬谨预备，钦此。”这道旨意下去，陆军部即刻通知邮传部预备专车，又一面打电报给姜桂题，叫他伺候接差。 第二天一早，载滔、善辅全坐着马车，到车站来。北京文武官员到车站送行的，也很不少。一时人声嘈杂，军乐飞鸣。十六名随从，还有三四十荷枪挎刀的护兵待卫，如流星捧月一般，捧着载滔、善辅步上花车。只听汽笛一声，鼓号又狠敲起来，转眼车已开行。好在北京距通州才四十里的路程，又是专车，路上不停，转瞬已到。姜桂题带着军乐队，还有营官统领，全带着大帽子，拿着手本，乌压压地站满了站台。更有本城的州道府各文官，也是靴帽整齐地来接钦差。少时花车到了，军乐大作，这些文武官全抢着递手本。只见一个侍卫带着四品顶儿，先下车来，对大家说：“贝勒爷有谕：着毅军统领姜桂题、通永兵备道衡吉上车接见，其余留下手本，俟到行辕后，再按班次传见。”众人应了一声。姜桂题、衡吉上火车见过载滔、善辅，然后一同下车。行辕预备在东关教场演武厅内。这座演武厅，还是当日马忠武公亲手建筑的，形势非常雄壮，房间又大又多，钦差住在里边，仍然绰有余裕。至于饮食铺垫，全由通州知州备办。早晚两遍燕菜席，贝勒爷吃着，十分可口，很夸奖通州的厨役烹调得法，却忘记这一天的嚼用，便是中人十家之产。姜桂题因为这两位钦差，全是为看操来的，他只得早晚伺候，请示某日大阅。按说阅操的事，善辅本是行家，到底他不敢自主，一者载滔是正钦差，他是副钦差；二者载滔是当今皇叔，他虽然也是宗室，可是较比载滔却晚着两辈呢，他怎敢做主？只得帮着姜桂题催问载滔，到底何日开始阅看？载滔大不耐烦道：“你忙的是什么？咱们来到通州城，闷在行辕里，大门不出，三门不迈，却一个劲地逼着阅操阅操，有什么要紧的！常言一京二卫三通州，我们来到这里，难道也不逛一逛吗？”善辅无法，只得陪着他出去逛。逛了几天，觉得没有什么可开心的，只得定日阅操。阅了两天，姜桂题在旁边陪着，总不见这位钦差说好说坏，心中不免打起鼓来，不知他对于本军的操法，到底是赞成是不赞成，自己却又不敢动问。 到了第三天，钦差传谕，说不要看了。这一来，把老姜吓得手足无措。心说可坏了，一定是看不中，只得硬着头皮上来请示，说：“敝军操法生疏，诸事得要求贝勒爷海涵。有甚欠缺地方，还得求爷指教。”此时善辅坐在旁边一声儿也不响，只用眼看着载滔，倒看他怎样回答。只见载滔不慌不忙地对姜桂题道：“你们这操法，是向哪一国学的？”老姜回道：“这的的确确是德国操。”载滔摇头道：“这就错了，我们中国的人，凭什么要练德国操呢？难道本国的操法，就一点也不会吗？”老姜倒吸了一口凉气回道：“爷高明，请示这本国操，是怎样练法？以后敝军好一律改良。”老姜这话，以为回得极得体了。哪知载滔听了，蓦地跳起来喊道：“蠢材蠢材，你真是个老废物了，连本国操也不晓得。常言没吃过猪肉，也没看过猪跑？你纵然没练过本国操，难道还没有看见过吗？”老姜吓得诺诺连声，忙请安谢罪，求爷的指示。只见载滔喊一声来来来，早有几名侍卫围拢上来。只听他吩咐道：“快把我的枪刀、软靠、英雄帽、薄底靴全取过来，再传谕他们把锣鼓家伙一齐拿出，就在这演武厅前陈列好了，好等我演中国操，给他们大家观看。”他这一声令下，姜桂题茫然不知所云。善辅在旁边，羞得面红过耳。各军官及州府道各官，也全白瞪着眼，不知他要变什么戏法儿。善辅实在忍无可忍，只得硬着头皮到载滔面前，深深请了一个安，回道：“爷所练的中国操，系别成一家。军营中全是些粗笨人，急切间不能学会，请爷休息休息，俟等他们走后，再练不迟。”载滔正在高兴，被善辅迎头一拦，不觉勃然大怒道：“胡说，我的操法，乃防身之宝，人人可学，你怎敢胡言乱语，摇惑军心？我若不看你父亲面上，立时推出午门问斩。”善辅又是气，又是怕，又是臊，赌气退到自己房里，任凭他出乖露丑，再也顾不得了。 少时，侍卫将衣服、靴帽、刀枪一律取来，全是簇崭新、平金绣花的英雄氅，恰是艳阳楼高登四场更换的行头，连靴子、帽子、大刀、大枪也是那一套。当时七手八脚，替他换起装来。内中一个侍卫叫查良武，尤其会捧场，低声问：“爷还上脸不上？”载滔还算明白，说这是演操，并不是唱戏，勾脸做什么？少时扎束妥当，步至演武厅前。姜桂题同一班文武官僚，如众星捧月随在后边。这时候锣鼓齐鸣，催他上场。这位贝勒爷，先操起金背刀来，大踏步趟马式地跑了几个回合，然后将这刀舞上舞下，一招一式的，练了许久工夫。果然抬腿动脚，全与锣鼓点相合，一切姿势非常好看。看的人不知不觉齐齐喊了一声好。贝勒爷从叫好声中，将家伙收住。然后又换了一条大枪，也照样练了一回。姜桂题领着一些官上前说道：“爷的操法，果然与众不同，我们今天得开眼界，真是见所未见。请爷休息休息吧，倘然累坏了御体，我们大家实在担当不起。”载滔将枪往地上一扔，哈哈大笑道：“你们要学操法，得跟着我学。凭这样手眼身法步，要冲锋打仗，同那些直腿直眼的洋鬼子打在一处，还有他们的活路儿吗？”众人齐声应道：“是是。”姜桂题心想：他这种小孩子儿戏举动，虽然可笑可耻，但是他乃当今的皇叔，摄政御弟，倘然不把他哄欢喜了，转脸回至北京，他不定说些什么，那时连自己的前程全怕有碍。只得昧着良心，先对众军官演说一回：“像贝勒爷这样纡尊降贵，亲自教操，这真是我军莫大的荣誉。从今以后，要一律改练贝勒操，不得有误。”众军官诺诺连声。旁边却笑坏了一班文官，心想这老头子真有架哥儿的本事。载滔自然是非常满意，又传谕：明天仍在教场看操，要一律改良。 当日晚间，姜桂题将众营官叫至自己公馆，对他们宣布：这叫无可奈何。只得屈尊你几位，各由本营中挑选少年精壮，或学过把式的，或学过演戏的，一律用假枪假刀，到教场合操。如能寻得几件英雄靠，穿戴起来的，尤为特别奖赏。众营官各个撅着嘴，不大乐意，说：“我们在军营多年，从来没见过拿唱戏当演操的。这种儿戏玩耍，哄小孩子的事情，我们不能帮着大帅去做。”可怜姜老头儿，作揖请安，说了许多好话，众营官才答应下去。到了第二天七八点钟，每营选了二十名演戏队，预备来学贝勒操。一个个全穿着花花绿绿的衣服，也有拿藤子枪的，也有拿竹片刀的，也有拿金鞭、银锏的，也有拿虎头勾的，等等不一，全等候贝勒爷传令下操。载滔既预备教操，自然是穿着短靠，披着英雄氅，倒好像莲花湖韩盛比武的神气。可怜此时把一位胸怀大志的善辅，气倒在床上，哪里能动得一动？及至开操之后，不过是乱打一阵。内中有两个唱过戏的，当然会打出手儿。载滔十分欢喜，便派他二人做了全军教练。正在兴高采烈、以军为戏之时，忽然北京来了一封电报。随员译出来，呈与载滔观看。载滔不看犹可，看了不觉哎呀一声，立时传谕：“当日专车回京，一刻也不得迟延。”若问北京发生什么变故，且看下回分解。