Chapter 7 Embarrassed

Although the turmoil that occurred in the imperial court was not considered major, because it alarmed the imperial court, those Manchu officials who were overly arrogant and domineering were "strictly punished" afterwards, so they are still accumulating anger. It caused a sensation and excitement among the long-standing Han officials. Gong Dingzi was the first to stand up at that time, which made him praised by people.As for Xu Zuomei's "achievements" that made the Manchu officials stunned and retreated with her courage and composure, it was even more embellished and passed on as a good talk for a while.And the arrogance inspired by this made Sun Zhixie's act of shaving his hair on his own initiative more violently attacked.It is considered deceitful to seek favor, especially shameless.In addition, there was news from Gong Dingzi that Chen Mingxia had visited Hong Chengchou two days ago for this matter, and tried to explain the serious consequences, but Hong Chengchou talked about him, noncommittal.So everyone further suspected that because of Sun Zhixie, similar considerations had been triggered in the decision-making circle, but it was only because Hong Chengchou had not yet made a final decision that it was inconvenient for Hong Chengchou to express his attitude prematurely.This made the Han officials not only angry, but also nervous.Because the vast majority of them, like Chen Mingxia, knew that this matter was no small matter, and if things went wrong, there would be big troubles.It is really stupid to do so when the world has not yet settled down and the rule of the Qing Dynasty is far from being consolidated.Although they are all Han officials, since they surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, they wholeheartedly hope that the new dynasty can quickly unify the world and the imperial foundation will last forever, so that they can share the prosperity and prosperity; It happened that the power of the Ming Dynasty made a comeback.Therefore, in order to prevent possible wrong decisions and prevent problems before they happen, some hardcore members of the Han officials finally decided to bring Sun Zhixie into the public and punish them severely, so as to serve as an example to others , Second, it is also implicitly expressing the attitude of Han officials to the regent and Manchu princes.As for the officials in charge of the specific implementation, they have also been determined. They are Zhongzhuang Xianzu, Yushi Wang Shoulu, Luo Guoshi, Deng Fuhuai, and Xu Zuomei and Gong Dingzi.

Speaking of Gong Dingzi, it can be said that he has been particularly excited and active in the past two days. This is naturally due to his unexpected praise from public opinion.In fact, after thinking about it again and again, he finally felt that it would be more cost-effective to stay closer to the Han officials.Because firstly, the relationship between each other is much deeper than that of the Manchus; secondly, it can be seen from the "strict decree and severe punishment" of those Manchu officials that although the Manchus are in the world now, the court wants long-term peace and stability. Don't offend the Han officials too much, but try to win over them as much as possible.Therefore, instead of being the tail of the Manchus, it is better to be the head of the Han officials, so that you can show your weight in the court.It was based on this calculation that when Xu Zuomei finally found out some Han officials' plan to punish Sun Zhixie from Xu Zuomei, he immediately joined in and became a core member of it. "Sun is not a Manchu, so why should I be afraid of him!" This time, he thought confidently.

Right now, they have drawn up a plan, which is to attack Sun Zhixie outside the Meridian Gate while all the officials are gathered during the imperial court today, making him make a big fool of himself; When scheduling shifts, they took the lead in resisting, and Sun Zhixie was not allowed to enter the Han shift.Since the person surnamed Sun is not Manchu, it is estimated that he cannot enter the Manchu class.In this way, he has no class to join, and he is extremely embarrassed.In the end, Wang Shoulu, the censor who was in charge of supervising and correcting court rituals, impeached him for disorderly shift and misconduct, and asked the emperor to issue a decree to punish him.For such a plan, they thought it was extremely ingenious, and they estimated that even if they couldn't put Sun Zhixie to death, they would at least leave him bruised and swollen, and be unable to recover for a few years.However, just to be on the safe side, and also considering that once they arrived at the imperial court, there would be too many people and it would be inconvenient to get together to discuss it, so it was decided that everyone would gather at Gong Dingzi's house first, and then go to the imperial court together.

Now, several accomplices have arrived one after another.Gong Dingzi saw that it was the fourth watch and it was still early, so he lit a bucket-colored crystal lamp in the inverted seat on the west side of the front yard, ordered his servants to make a pot of strong tea, and brought some breakfast, but nothing more than It is sesame seed cakes and steamed buns, let everyone talk while eating. "Hey, have you heard?" Luo Guoshi with a face like a frightened bird said hurriedly as soon as he sat down, "Recently, the imperial court has surrendered due to the south of the Yangtze River. Defeated to death, the rest of the provinces no longer need to spend more weapons, so they decided to change from "suppression" to "comfort". However, this place in the south of the Yangtze River is bound by the country's money and food, and the responsibility is heavy. It is difficult for non-extremely shrewd and capable people. Smell Someone has to recommend Chen Baishi, and the kings and the inner court also quite agree, now it is up to the regent to decide!"

Chen Baishi is Chen Mingxia.Because he is not only shrewd and capable, but also dares to speak out and speak forcefully, and is not afraid of power, he is one of the pillars of the Han officials. Therefore, when I heard that he might be sent to Fujiang, Zhuang Xianzu, who was born with thick eyebrows and big eyes, nodded first. , Said: "Chen Baishi, naturally he is a suitable choice. He has good words and means, and he is also from Liyang. He has many connections in the south of the Yangtze River! This line of 'caressing' is no worse than fighting a war." , relying on subduing the enemy without fighting, how can we take it without contacts and affection!"

"Also, he hasn't shaved his hair yet, which is very important!" Deng Fuhuai, who was busy eating snacks, echoed. Unexpectedly, Xu Zuomei shook her head, frowned her stubby eyebrows and said, "Because I haven't shaved and refitted, I'm afraid he won't be able to go!" "Oh?" "As Brother Luo said, the south of the Yangtze River is tied to the country's money and food, and the responsibility is the heaviest. Only in this way, the person who can be selected for this election must be smart and capable, and the most important thing is that he must be trusted by the court. The old man Chen hasn't shaved his hair so far, so he's one of the losers; I heard that he went to visit Hong Hengjiu a few days ago, openly discussing the inevitability of shaving his hair, which is especially misguided—well, from my point of view, this matter is probably hanging in the balance!"

"That's right," Wang Shoulu said from the sidelines, "I've heard about the idea of ​​changing from suppressing to Fufu. However, the appointed person is none other than Hong Hengjiu!" Hong Chengchou, who had surrendered before the Qing Dynasty entered the customs, needless to say, had his hair shaved and refitted long ago.Like Chen Mingxia, he is also a southerner, but in terms of qualifications, experience, relationship and influence in the officialdom, he is more than a head stronger than Chen Mingxia.What's more important is that he also won the trust of the regent Dorgon.So hearing what Wang Shoulu said, everyone was immediately speechless.But even so, Zhuang Xianzu seemed unwilling, and after a while, he still shook his head and said:

"Hong Hengjiu is naturally incomparable. But it's a pity that he has shaved his hair. In the future, when we meet Jiangnan's elders, I'm afraid there will be a layer of separation after all!" Xu Zuomei snorted: "What's the point of being separated from the elders in Jiangnan? The most important thing is not to be separated from the imperial court!" "Hey, you can't talk like this. If you don't shave your hair, it doesn't mean you are separated from the court!" "Just look at it. In the end, I'm afraid that even that dog thief and hozen will be able to get the fat vacancies outside; as for you and me, I can't even think about it!"

"But……" Zhuang and Xu started arguing over and over again.Gong Dingzi was listening, but felt a little uncomfortable.In fact, he had heard from Chen Mingxia a long time ago about the news that the imperial court planned to suppress Jiangnan.And as a close friend, he also knew that after Chen Mingxia hit a wall with Hong Chengchou, he didn't stop there and was still active.Just now Luo Guoshi said that Chen Mingxia was also recommended, which is the result of hard work in recent days.Gong Dingzi naturally hopes that his old friend can take charge of the Fuzheng in the south of the Yangtze River so that he can support himself in the future.However, what Xu Zuomei said about being separated from the imperial court touched his mind.Indeed, there are good reasons for insisting on not shaving hair and changing clothes, whether it is in terms of national plans or personal feelings, but if Chen Mingxia—and of course his own future is included, is it wise to do so?It was reminded by Gu Mei that this question resurfaced at this moment, which disturbed Gong Dingzi's mind, so that for a while, the arguments with his colleagues became blurred in his perception.

"Hey, it's getting late, let's get back to the topic! Regarding today's matter, everyone, can you see if there are any omissions and deficiencies that need to be remedied as soon as possible?" Luo Guoshi's shrill voice pierced his ears. Gong Dingzi was apprehensive for a moment, and when he came back to his senses, he found that everyone had calmed down and was looking at me and you.However, no one opened their mouths, as if they couldn't think of anything else to talk about. Finally, Xu Zuomei made a resolute gesture: "There is no need to talk about it anymore! All in all, today's matter has already progressed and there is no retreat. Whether it is success or failure, I can't care much about it!"

"Yes!" Wang Shoulu also became angry, "What the dog thieves and hozen have done is really a disaster for the country and the people! Even if we risk offending people, we will do our best to stop them!" "Yes, yes!" "Not bad!" Several voices echoed. "However, looking at this matter, brother, it may not be as dangerous as brother Xu thought." Zhuang Xianzu said lightly, then paused, and waited for everyone's eyes to turn to him, before continuing: "Think about it, everyone. The king clearly forbade his subjects to shave their hair in the south of the Yangtze River. This matter must be announced first and approved by the regent before he dared to implement it. Then what Sun Zhixie did was actually a blatant violation of the order! Maybe after we do this, the court It’s not known if it’s really going to kill a hundred people!” Deng Fuhuai slapped the table and said with a sneer, "It's not just one person who violated the order, he violated the order by the whole family, and everyone should be accused of crime!" "Yes, yes! The whole family is accused of crimes! The whole family is judged of crimes!" Everyone echoed.So the atmosphere suddenly became lively again. Gong Dingzi turned his head to look at this and then at that.As an accomplice who joined later, if his mood is more like investing in shares and betting, and thus he is more concerned about the fluctuation of the market, then Zhuang Xianzu just mentioned the practice of King Yu in Jiangnan, which made him savor , and then feel that this matter is still quite sure.He couldn't help but get excited too, pushed the chair away with a "crash", stood up, and said, "Okay, if that's the case, then it's better to go up early and keep an eye on that dog thief hozen first, so that he won't escape." Everyone had no objection, so they all stood up and planned to go out. At this moment, a slender figure appeared at the door, "Master, master!" She called repeatedly. Gong Dingzi looked back and found that it was Xiaofeng, the maid, so he said "um", "What's the matter?" "The madam invites the master to come in and talk to the master if she has something to say." Xiaofeng approached and said politely. "I'm about to go out, what else do I have to say?" Gong Dingzi frowned and asked impatiently, his eyes fixed on the guests who had already come out one after another. Xiaofeng shook her head: "My servant doesn't know." Gong Dingzi pondered for a while, remembering that he was happy last night and talked to Gu Mei about today's plan.At that time, Gu Mei didn't think so, and talked a lot.What she wants to say now, presumably, are still those words.So he waved his hand and said, "There is no time to go in right now! You go back and tell your wife that I know what she has to say, and ask her to wait at home and wait for my good voice!" After finishing speaking, he Turning around, striding to follow the guests, hurried out. Xiaofeng naturally didn't dare to stop her.She leaned against the door in a daze, her eyes wide open, looking at the master's back.It wasn't until the sound of the rattling official boots disappeared at the corner of the vertical flower gate, and then the sound of people and horses starting outside the courtyard wall, that she turned around and walked slowly back to the upper room. "Oh, did he say that?" After hearing Xiaofeng's reply, Gu Mei raised his eyebrows and said.At this moment, she had finished grooming in the dormitory, and was putting the last phoenix hairpin on her bun. "Ma'am, that's what the master said." Xiaofeng replied timidly, obviously afraid that the hostess would blame her for her ineffectiveness. "Well, give me the fan." Gu Mei said, yawned involuntarily, and then covered her mouth with her hand. Xiaofeng quickly held the fan in front of her, and said cautiously: "Now, the genius is shining! How about Madam just sleep a little longer?" Last night, Gu Mei really didn't sleep well all night because she learned of the plan of her husband and his followers to punish Sun Zhixie.I always felt that something was wrong, and I tossed and turned on the pillow thinking about it, and didn't fall asleep until after the third watch; so my head was really heavy at the moment.But she still shook her head and said with a strong voice: "Go, see if they are all up? Tell them to do whatever they should do. The master is going to court, so it's okay to sleep in!" After the maid agreed to go out, she was still sitting by the bed, stroking the cloud-covered and snow-covered Persian cat, while looking at the lamp flame on the dressing table, thinking silently... As a famous courtesan who has spent half of her life as a joker and was once very popular, Gu Mei has always been a practical woman.It is precisely because of this that she resolutely decided to marry Gong Dingzi when her social status was still at its peak, so that she could finally have a reliance in this great change of national ruin and family destruction; He cared that her husband had pushed the responsibility for not committing suicide and martyrdom on her.Years of experience in dealing with various people told her that if she wants to survive and live better than others, she must adapt to the current situation and change her foothold in time.For now, since Beijing is occupied by the Manchus, and it looks like it will continue to be occupied for a long time, then, as the courtiers who have submitted to the Qing Dynasty, the husband and his colleagues should live in peace, at least on the surface. The boss should try his best to pretend to be loyal and obedient, so as to make the new master happy.This is beneficial to both parties. "Xinchao has only known us for a few days? We haven't gotten to know each other well yet! Even if we're going to be awkward, this shouldn't be the right time!" Last night, she also persuaded her husband in the same way.But the husband kept saying that she was a woman, and that today's matter was a big deal, and he couldn't deal with it like she did in Qinhuai River back then. "Who knows, maybe it's him, right? After all...they are masters...well, they have seen a lot...knowledge..." Thinking of this, gradually, Gu Mei began to feel that her thoughts became blurred, her eyelids twitched It also became heavier and heavier, and finally leaned on the pillow and fell into a deep sleep... I don't know how long I slept this time.She only felt that she was awakened suddenly, and when she opened her eyes, the room was brightly illuminated by the shining white sunlight. At the same time, there were strange noises from the yard outside, human voices, and hurried footsteps.As soon as she turned over and sat up, she was in a daze when she saw Xiaofeng stumbling in, pointing to the door with a pale face and saying: "Too, too, madam, no, it's not good, sir, master, he, he, he, he..." Gu Mei was in a daze at first, not understanding why the maid was so panicked, then suddenly remembered what happened to her husband this morning, she jumped up and asked: "Master, what's wrong with Master?" But Xiaofeng seemed too frightened to say anything, just pointed at the door, and stammered: "It's, it's nothing, it's, it's..." Gu Mei was on fire.She opened her eyes, and was about to yell at her, when she heard hurried footsteps coming to the door. Suddenly, the curtain was lifted, and a man with shaved hair and braids came in! Gu Mei's surprise was extraordinary, she instinctively backed away, quickly pulled up the mattress to cover her almost exposed chest, and let out a scream of fear at the same time. But the man did not approach.I saw him walking towards the chair, sitting down, lowering his head, and said in a deep voice, "What are you panicking about, it's me!" Gu Mei collected her concentration, only to realize that the other person looked very familiar, blinked her eyes, and looked carefully again, suddenly her heart lit up, she couldn't stop raising her neck, and burst out laughing. "Msg... ouch, sanggong!" She fell on the bed, pointing at him, and burst into tears while laughing, "You, you, ouch! How did you become like this?" Indeed, the person who came in was none other than Gong Dingzi.It's just that now his head has been shaved off around his head, and a big braid is combed behind him.That appearance is no different from that of the Manchus! After the initial startled laughter passed, Gu Mei finally figured it out: So after going to court today, the plan of Gong Dingzi and others has been going smoothly, and Sun Zhixie was indeed left without a class, and he was so ashamed that he wanted to die.Unexpectedly, things changed dramatically later. When the regent listened to the impeachment of the correcting officer, instead of blaming Sun Zhixie, he issued a harsh decree on behalf of the emperor, saying that the reason why Han officials and people were not forced to shave their hair in the past was because the world was uncertain.Now that Nanjing has surrendered, Jiangnan will be pacified in a short time. If Han and Manchu are not united, they will become two countries.Therefore, it was decided: from now on, all officials and people will shave their hair and change their clothes.Inside and outside the capital, all provinces in Zhili have to be shaved within ten days.Dare to evade, argue cleverly, and never lend lightly!Seeing this momentum, Gong Dingzi and his party dare to make a strong point?I had to kneel down and kowtow together with all the officials, calling for compliance.Moreover, after they came to Sanchao, the more they thought about it, the more flustered they felt. In order to show that they knew their mistakes and corrected them, they hurriedly went to the nearest barbershop, shaved off their hair immediately, and then went home... That's how things happened—as expected, what Gu Mei said was right, and the Han officials made a fuss in high spirits, and what they got was such a result. "We have come to this point anyway," Gong Dingzi finally spread his hands, and said helplessly, "It doesn't matter whether the hair is shaved or not. I am afraid that Jiangnan will be full of disasters from now on! In the future, this will be the governor. Yes, no matter who it is, facing a game of chaotic chess is enough for him to scratch his head!"