Chapter 47 royal melee

The news that Ruan Dacheng was granted the imperial approval to "see your Majesty with the crown" not only shocked the scholars who were rehabilitated, but also aroused a great commotion in the imperial court.On the eighth day of June alone, there were as many as thirteen courtiers involved in the impeachment of Shangshu.They are: Jiang Yueguang, a scholar of Dongge University; Among them are Chen Zilong, Yushi Chen Liangbi, Wang Sunfan, Mi Shoutu, Zhou Yantai, Zuo Guangxian, and Huaiyuan Hou Chang Yanling, commander of Jinyiwei.There has never been such a concentrated and strong opposition to the summoning of a dismissed official since the establishment of the Hongguang court.Those Shangshu not only attacked Ruan Dacheng extremely violently, but also directly pointed the finger at Ma Shiying, the recommender and drafter of the decree.It seems that after repeated concessions and silences, the upright people among the courtiers have reached the point where they can't bear what Ma Shiying and others have done.The anger that had been pent up for a long time finally broke out violently.This time, they brought up the "reversal case appointed by the first emperor" as the most holy and supreme basis, which not only won the support of a considerable number of courtiers, but also made it difficult for Ma Shiying and his allies to argue with them.Originally, Ma Shiying had always pinned his hopes on Emperor Hongguang's "arbitrary policy".However, this young emperor who had already sat on the dragon chair and could exercise his "absolute authority" seemed to have never thought that things would turn out like this. .He did not "strictly punish" Jiang Riguang and others as Ma Shiying had hoped, and he never mentioned the matter of using Ruan Dacheng again.

With such an ending, Ma Shiying was naturally very frustrated and annoyed.Undoubtedly, before Shangshu recommended and blatantly drafted the decree, he had already estimated that the matter would be difficult, but he did not expect that the momentum of the protest would be so fierce, the number of people would be so large, and that Emperor Hongguang, who had worked so hard to win the throne, would again Such pustules can't do anything!However, then again, Ma Shiying is not a person who easily admits defeat. Since he has decided to do something, even if he has to bite the bullet, he will try his best to carry it out to the end.Therefore, when the wave of impeachment in the court was the most violent, he really gritted his teeth and endured it for a while.But on June 20, when he was ordered to come to the Wenhua Hall in the Forbidden City to participate in a "calling for a match", he had regained his energy and planned to make another effort.

Now, Ma Shiying has knelt down inside the gate of the temple, holding the wat board with both hands as usual, knocking down his bald forehead to the square brick in front of his knees again and again.Kneeling and kowtowing beside him was Gao Hongtu, Chief Assistant of the Cabinet.And at the top, a few steps away from them, facing south is a carved dragon chair covered with yellow satin.The newly enthroned Hongguang Emperor Zhu Yousong, a white and fat young man, wore a black gauze folded upper towel and a yellow dragon robe with a collar and narrow sleeves embroidered with dragons. He was served by the eunuch Han Zanzhou, Sitting on the dragon chair full of thoughts.

The official who was "summoned" by the emperor today is Huang Shu, the inspector of Huguang and the supervisor of Zuo Liangyu's army.Since Xunguan, as a subordinate official of the central supervisory agency-the Metropolitan Procuratorate, is sent to various places as an "imperial envoy", although the official rank is only seven ranks, it has a lot of power in the local area, and can Asked to report matters to the emperor face to face.However, this type of face-to-face performance has the nature of individually reflecting the situation, so it is arranged in a "convenient hall" such as the Wenhua Hall as usual, and all civil and military officials do not need to participate.Ma Shiying and Gao Hongtu, as the two main ministers of the cabinet, were temporarily summoned to observe.Right now, before Huang Shu shows up, the emperor still intends to inquire about his ministers.

After Ma Shiying kowtowed, he followed the emperor's instructions and stood up together with Gao Hongtu.Just now, they walked in with their heads down, and then they knelt down and kowtowed to salute, so it was only at this moment that Ma Shiying had the opportunity to raise his eyelids a little and take a peek at the emperor on the dragon chair.He found that Emperor Hongguang was sitting motionless with his head slightly lowered, as if in meditation. A ray of sunlight slanted in through the gap on the roof of the hall, illuminating his big nose and casting a small shadow on his upper lip. .Perhaps it was because he supported him on the throne with his own hands. Whenever Ma Shiying saw this hesitant and cowardly face, Ma Shiying could not help feeling a kind of fatherly pride. We must do our best to support this person, loyally maintain this person's dignity and status, and not allow anyone to damage or endanger it; Any sign of indifference and alienation made him feel unbearably angry.Therefore, Ma Shiying couldn't help being surprised when he found that Emperor Hongguang was sullen and preoccupied.

After a moment of silence, Emperor Hongguang raised his head. "Mr. Gao," he looked at Gao Hongtu, with a bit of bitterness in his voice, "I have read Mr.'s memorial. Now is the time when Shenjing is restored and the robbers are defeated. How can you say goodbye lightly?" The burly Gao Hongtu has big sharp eyes and a snow-white beard.He seemed to have expected the emperor to ask this question, and his wrinkled rectangular face suddenly flushed red.He knelt down again, held the imperial wat above his head with both hands, and said loudly in a Shandong accent: "Long live Qizuo, I dare not ask rashly, but it is only about employing people. The minister said it was okay, the honorable minister said it was not, and the minister said it was not allowed." , Xunchen insisted that it is possible, right and wrong are confused, and there is no scale. A few days ago, there was another incident of insulting the magistrate, and openly chasing and killing him in the court. Destroy the country!"

Ever since the turmoil of Ruan Dacheng's "grand belt majesty's view" occurred, although Gao Hongtu did not impeach him immediately due to his status, he was obviously very dissatisfied with Ma Shiying's practice of drafting his own decree by taking advantage of his absence in Nanjing.Ma Shiying knew about this situation.However, he did not expect that the other party would actually submit his resignation to the emperor.Just now, Gao Hongtu only talked about Liu Kongzhao's abuse of Zhang Shenyan, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and did not mention Ruan Dacheng, it was nothing more than taking care of each other's face.However, he specifically pointed out the issue of "employing people", which is still very obvious.Ma Shiying couldn't help getting angry and wanted to speak out to argue, but because of the situation at hand, it was inconvenient to be too rash and impetuous, so he reluctantly held back.

Emperor Hongguang glanced at Ma Shiying with an embarrassed expression.He said hesitantly: "When I first ruled the court, I was not familiar with the court system, employment and other matters. You and others said everything that you said. Don't doubt him!" He avoided answering Liu Kongzhao's matter, but took all the responsibility on himself, naturally he didn't want to pursue it.As for Ruan Dacheng's public case, his answer was also very vague - "You will follow what Qing and others say." This promise is certainly to comfort Gao Hongtu, but why can't it be used on Ma Shiying?Obviously, there is still a way out.So when Ma Shiying heard this, he felt relieved. "Hmph, after all, the emperor was supported by me, so there is no reason why he should not follow me!" He thought, under the goatee, he couldn't help showing a smug smile.

Gao Hongtu obviously also sensed that the emperor's words were ambiguous, so he didn't relax, and then said: "The official Zhang Shen said that he is upright and of good character, and he is impartial and responsible when it comes to employing people. Liu Kongzhao yelled vicious words at the front of the honored ministers, and then chased after him with a knife. The court system was trampled on. Without punishment, how can we establish the prestige of discipline and solve the danger of affairs! Besides, Ruan Dacheng is ranked first The case of court rebellion is not comparable to that of ordinary abolished officials. It is only based on the recommendation of one or two people, and it is suddenly revived. It is inevitable that there will be shocking audiences. It is also reasonable for Zhong Chen to advocate prudence. Unexpectedly, he was insulted like this, and I am afraid. It will be difficult to be loyal to His Majesty in the future."

Seeing Gao Hongtu's insistence on punishing Liu Kongzhao, Ma Shiying was secretly surprised.Of course he wanted to defend Liu Kongzhao.But after the incident of making a big disturbance in the morning shift, it was difficult to come up with a reason to maintain it.Therefore, he decided to start with Ruan Dacheng's matter, on the one hand disturbing the other party's topic, and on the other hand he turned the defense into an offense, so as to achieve the goal of recommending Ruan Dacheng again.After making up his mind, Ma Shiying took a step, knelt down on the ground, and said loudly:

"Long live Qizuo, there is actually no evidence that Ruan Dacheng was Afuke and Wei. The minister has found out that those who entered and exited Wei Eun's gate were all there at that time, but there was no name of Dacheng. This matter is purely Eastern. Lin Luo weaved the case, causing Dacheng to be wronged and abandoned for more than ten years. The reason why the minister risked his life to recommend him was that Dacheng was brave and knowledgeable, and wanted to add a useful talent to the country. Today, Donglin is obstructing him with old grievances. The heart of the minister is very unfair!" At first, Gao Hongtu kept avoiding mentioning Ma Shiying because he was in the way of his colleagues' face, but he was taken aback when he saw him rushing out from the side.But after listening to Ma Shiying's words, this honest and loyal minister was enraged, so he also prostrated himself and said: "The minister is not Donglin, and I don't know if Dacheng knows the soldiers. There is absolutely no doubt about it. As far as the matter is wronged, it cannot be determined in a word. In the opinion of the minister, it is better to have the decree issued by the sage, and the Jiuqing, Ke, and Dao will discuss it. If the cause is found out Injustice cases, then Dacheng will be used, and it will also be bright." This suggestion certainly makes sense.In addition, what Emperor Hongguang was worried about was that Gao Hongtu insisted on punishing Liu Kongzhao. Now that he heard this, he was happy to back down.So, he nodded and said, "What Mr. Gao saw is true!" As a result, Ma Shiying was in a hurry.He couldn't help but said loudly: "Nowadays, most of the ministers and workers in the court belong to Donglin. If a meeting is called, how will Da Cheng's injustice be cleared? How can it be used? Kuang Chen's special mention of Da Cheng is purely public and What's not so bright? Could it be that the minister was bribed by Dacheng? I hope His Majesty will make a decision!" Gao Hongtu did not back down.He retorted: "The so-called light does not mean not being free from bribes. The meaning of the minister is that once the court discusses it, everyone in the country will call it a sage, and then use it. In this way, Dacheng will never be ridiculed by others in the future. What's wrong? " After a pause, he blushed again, and said, "If Dacheng is employed without public discussion, I can only ask myself to dismiss it, and thank the world!" While they were arguing, Emperor Hongguang opened his small eyes wide, looking at this and then at that, as if he had lost his mind.In addition, he was clearly afraid that if Gao Hongtu left, the ministers would resign one after another, so when he heard Gao Hongtu suddenly mentioning this matter again, he immediately frowned, waved his hands hastily, and said: "Hey, the two gentlemen don't agree, so let's talk about it later!" After stopping the topic like this, he seemed afraid that the two would continue to argue, so he quickly turned around and asked Han Zanzhou, the eunuch who was standing next to him, and said: "That Huang, Huang...is Huang here?" "Long live the report, Huguang inspector Huang Shu and Chengtian garrison eunuch He Zhikong are waiting for the order." Han Zanzhou answered with a bow. "Well, let them in--ah!" Now that the emperor had given such orders, and Gao Hongtu had already bowed and stepped aside, Ma Shiying had no choice but to shut his mouth and stand up, although he was unwilling. The eunuch delivering the decree had been out for a while, and Huang Shu appeared in Dan Chi outside the palace gate.He is a quick-moving middle-aged man with regular features, and he can even be said to be quite handsome. His strong eyebrows, flowing beard, and piercing eyes give him a shrewd and capable look. breath.Behind him, followed by the short and fat He Zhikong.The two majesty's witnesses first knelt down on the altar, and performed the usual ritual of worshiping and kowtowing three times.They didn't get up until they heard the call to enter the hall, held the ivory wat in both hands, bowed their bodies, and quickly climbed up from the steps on the left.As soon as they entered the hall, they knelt down to salute again, and then prostrated themselves on the ground, waiting for the emperor to speak. Ma Shiying was very annoyed because what Emperor Hongguang said just now to stop the fight between Ma and Gao was actually tantamount to putting Ruan Dacheng on hold.Because after experiencing the uproar more than ten days ago, he came here today with the purpose of making another effort to urge the emperor to make an early decision to restore Ruan Dacheng to his official position as soon as possible.This is not only to settle the debt of favor, but at the same time, he himself also hopes to add another arm to the court.Unexpectedly, after making a fuss for a long time, the result was still put on hold.How could Ma Shiying be willing to teach this?Don't say that you can't pay your dues in front of Ruan Dacheng, and you will lose face in the court, so what will you rely on to gain fame in the future?But since the emperor said so, it is inconvenient for him to fight again in person, so he has to find another way.But what to do, I can't think of a good idea for a while.He was a self-willed person, and when he encountered this kind of situation, he could only feel angry in his heart. He didn't listen much to the initial conversation between Emperor Hongguang and Huang Shu, but only vaguely heard the emperor asking some questions about Wuchang. Regarding the situation, Huang Shu answered them one by one. In addition to asking the court to pay him, he also tried his best to publicize Zuo Liangyu's loyalty to serve the country. "Hmph, what is Zuo Liangyu, a vicious housekeeper in Donglin! Just wait, don't look at his 800,000 men, I'm going to get rid of him sooner or later!" Angry, Ma Shiying thought vaguely.However, at this moment, his ear drums slammed like thunder, and the veins on his forehead suddenly tensed, because he clearly heard Huang Shu saying: "...The treacherous minister Ma Shiying has been serving as the governor of the Feng Dynasty until now. He has been guilty of deceiving the emperor and wronging the country. He is punishable by death. This humble minister is willing to risk his life to hear the news!" Ma Shiying was a little suspicious, thinking that she had heard wrong.He turned his eyes and looked around the court, only to find that no matter whether it was the emperor, the eunuch, or Gao Hongtu, everyone's expressions became extremely serious and nervous, and they were staring intently at Huang Shu who was kneeling on the ground. "Come and play!" Emperor Hongguang's voice sounded in the dead silence.Because of the brevity, I can't hear his emotional bias. "I obey the order!" Huang Shu agreed, and then paused, as if he was sorting out the content of the introductory performance, and seemed to be gathering strength.Then he said loudly and with an angry expression: "1. The ancestral mausoleum in Fengyang is the birthplace of the country. Ma Shiying, as the governor of Fengyang, shirks the responsibility of guarding with excuses. This is disloyalty and can be executed. , but always sighed in front of His Majesty. This is arrogance and can be beheaded. 3. He was ordered to hunt down the thieves, but he surrounded the soldiers and waited and watched, so that the thieves were rampant and out of control. This was a false seal of borders and could be beheaded. After Xian Zhong was defeated by Qi and Huang, Zhou Wenjiang, Minister of the Bandit War Department, bribed a large amount of money, and Ma Shiying went to the imperial court and recommended him as a general. This is a thief who can be killed. Fifth, he privately cast a silver seal for the thief, Deceitful words seized from the hands of thieves to invite court rewards. This is deceiving the emperor and can be beheaded. Sixth, His Majesty Zhongxing is a return to heaven, and Ma Shiying is greedy for his own merits. He has no court and the people of the country are angry. This is a loss. If the people are dead, they can be killed. Seventh, he insulted the previous dynasty, falsely accused the late emperor, and recommended Ruan Dacheng, a concentric rebel party, with the intention of controlling the government with him. It is for rebellion, and he can be killed. Eighth, the soldiers in the front are loyal and self-sufficient, everyone I would like to report to the Lord. The emperor recited the hard work of the army and rewarded him exceptionally. Ma Shiying threatened: "I played it all in front of the emperor." Allocating soldiers and horses to guard private cemeteries for them. It is immoral and can be beheaded. Ten. Ma Shiying offended the three ancestors at the top, and offended the people of Zhaomin at the bottom. , can be cut!" Huang Shu spoke eloquently, his expression becoming more and more angry.He obviously had the determination to risk his life to do it, so his tone was extremely sharp, and his words were extremely sharp. He never gave Ma Shiying the slightest bit of face, and he didn't make any devious cover-ups.Speaking of emotion, he even burst into tears, sobbing hard. Emperor Hongguang listened quietly all the time, without interrupting him once, with a look of horror and shock on his fat and white face.When Huang Shu's statement came to an end, the emperor who had always been in the hands of Ma Shiying in people's minds turned around and said to Gao Hongtu who was standing beside him: "Huang Shu's words are justified, sir, I have to write it down!" After finishing speaking, he nodded to Huang Shu who was kneeling on the ground: "Well, Qing can come forward and speak more carefully!" Huang Shu kowtowed, moved a few steps forward with his knees, and said: "Shiying has committed these ten crimes, which cannot be tolerated in the world of Yao and Shun for a day. Your Majesty Fuqi will work hard, and your ministers will Speak to the Five Governments, Six Ministries, Nine Ministers, and Ke Dao, and discuss with the public. If a minister has a word that involves deceiving the emperor, he will be punished by the minister, thinking that it is a precept to slander the minister and slander the minister! If the minister's words are not wrong, he will be punished Shiying, I think it is a precept for treacherous people who harm the country and those who are rebellious and disloyal!" As soon as he finished speaking, He Zhikong, who was kneeling behind, suddenly echoed loudly: "Ma Shiying deceived the emperor and exercised power, the court and the public will see each other, what Huang Shu said is true, and this servant is willing to risk his life..." He Zhikong is currently in charge of guarding Chengtian, but in the end he is an eunuch sent by the inner court.For him to go along so openly, he somewhat exceeded the scope of his own authority.So before he could say anything, Han Zanzhou, the eunuch who was standing next to the throne, immediately scolded: "It is the responsibility of the censor to speak and speak. He Zhikong is a minister who impeaches and deliberates, which is a disrespect to the state. You can step down immediately!" However, despite this, Ma Shiying was already confused by what happened in front of him.It is very strange that Huang Shu, a mere seventh-rank inspector, dared to come to the court to speak out and attack and slander himself viciously.However, it can also be understood that he relied on Zuo Liangyu's support behind him, and expected that he would not dare to embarrass him, so he pretended to be not afraid of death.Then, the behavior of Emperor Hongguang cannot be explained anyway.Didn't he obviously rely on his own strength to become the emperor?How could he tolerate Huang Shu attacking him?Why didn't he immediately reprimand him severely, instead claiming that his words were justified, and asked Gao Hongtu to write them down?Could it be that he really planned to adopt Huang Shu's idea and behead himself?Could it be that because of his high merits and weight, the emperor had suspicions and fears, so he secretly colluded with Gao Hongtu to arrange today's scene, deliberately causing Huang Shu to make trouble, so as to create an excuse to kill him?Actually, it's not impossible.The honorable ministers who caused the disaster of death because of their high meritorious deeds are really unknown in all dynasties!The Emperor Taizu of this dynasty did it once, and the later Emperor Yingzong did the same!Thinking of this, Ma Shiying felt a shiver from the bottom of his heart, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his legs trembled accordingly.He couldn't help but knelt down on the ground with a "plop", and said tremblingly: "The humble minister is guilty, please punish him, please punish him!" Just after saying a few words, there was a sudden "snap", a violent blow was taken from the back, and a loud cry was heard in severe pain: "Wish to die with the traitor!" It turned out that he happened to be kneeling in front of Huang Shu.That desperate guy beat him from behind with an ivory chaohu.As a result, his hat was knocked askew, and his back hurt like it was about to split.He was afraid that Huang Shu would fight again, so he hurriedly crawled away desperately, yelling loudly: "Look, Your Majesty, look, Your Majesty!" However, what shocked Ma Shiying was that even at this point, the emperor still didn't say anything, just shook his head slightly, and after a while, he said to Huang Shu: "Well, Qing, let's go out first!"