Chapter 3 The second time, Empress Wei forced her confidant Li Lingyue to occupy the water mill

Li Longji looked back and found a smiling face facing him.This person's name is Wang Chongye, and he is currently serving as Shangyi Fengyu of the Shangyi Bureau of Dianzhong Province.Ordinarily, a fifth-rank official is not included in today's court meeting. However, the Shangyi Bureau is in charge of the emperor's imperial service. Today, Princess Anle is newly married and pays homage to her parents. There is no slight difference in the imperial service. Wang Chongye has been working hard to serve here since Pingming. . Wang Chongye said softly: "I heard that Brother Aman is returning to Beijing, and I just saw him today. After the ceremony, Brother Aman must come to our residence for a drink."

Li Longji saw that Princess Taiping and his wife danced, and the scene was a little hectic, so he took two steps back and stood side by side with Wang Chongye, holding his hand and said, "I remember you every day in Luzhou, and I wanted to get together this time when I returned to Beijing, but I was caught by the grand ceremony. Body, offended offended." Wang Chongye said with a smile: "To each other, the princess is busy with things, after all we can't get together with peace of mind. Brother Aman, brother Yu recently moved to a new house, well, I will make a special trip to invite you tomorrow night, let's have a good time happy."

Wang Chongye was a close friend of Li Longji when he was in the capital. He was a suave and heroic man, light on money and indulged in alcohol. All young people in Chang'an were proud to have known him.Li Longji is good at riding and shooting, loves to play, and has the taste of reciting poems for fun. He is also a royal prince. The two of them became friends immediately after a little contact.In the process of contacting Li Longji, Wang Chongye found that he still cherishes words like gold, and if he does not speak, he will be dead. conceal".After all, Li Longji has a young heart and is very happy to accept this title.

At the end of the court meeting, everyone dispersed, and Li Longji returned to the mansion.After taking a nap in the afternoon, I remembered the monk Purun of Baochang Temple mentioned by Zhang Wei, so I found Zhang Wei's book in my luggage, and called Wang Maozhong and Li Yide to accompany him.The three of them set off from Longqingfang on horseback, and headed for Baochang Temple in the southwest of the city with a clatter of hooves. When Li Longji arrived at the gate of Baochang Temple, he asked the two to wait with their horses in front of the gate, and entered the temple alone. Hearing that the novice preached the news that King Linzi, the prime minister's mansion, was visiting, Purun, the abbot of Baochang Temple, rushed out to greet him.Purun Wu has a short stature, tight muscles, a large head and broad forehead, and bright eyes, giving people a strange initial impression.Li Longji looked at Purun and thought that this person is suitable to be a farmer, but he is a bit reluctant to be a monk. How did Zhang Wei get to know this treasure?While he was thinking wildly, Purun came to him and put his palms together in salute: "Amitabha, the king of Linzi came to our temple, and the temple is full of splendor. Please come to the quiet room and serve tea to the king of Linzi."

Seeing that Purun didn't talk much nonsense, Li Longji returned the gift and entered the room with him. Li Longji also inquired about the origin of Pu Run, who is the junior of Pu Ji, a disciple of the seventh generation of Zen Buddhism.Puji, known as Dazhao Chan Master, currently lives in Luoyang and has hundreds of disciples.Since Bodhidharma created the lineage of Zen Buddhism, until the era of the fifth patriarch Hongren, his disciple Shenxiu inherited his mantle and opened temples in the capital and other places to accept disciples. The incense was very prosperous, and he was known as the sixth ancestor of Zen Buddhism. After Shenxiu passed away, Puji became the seventh generation of Zen Buddhism Representatives.Although Purun is a younger brother of Puji, he does not focus on Buddhism like his senior brother, but likes to associate with dignitaries and dignitaries, and he is well-versed in other sects. When the imperial court moved back to Chang'an from Luoyang, Purun resolutely left his senior brother and entered Chang'an alone, becoming Baochang Temple the abbot.

The little novice offered fragrant tea, which was far from the taste of Li Longji's daily drink.Purun finished reading Zhang Wei's letter, waved the little novice to quit, and said: "The king of Linzi has arrived in Luzhou. After all, the place is desolate. With Zhang Wei's company, the king of Linzi can save a lot of loneliness. Seeing that the king of Linzi returned to Beijing this time, about You don’t need to go back to Luzhou again.” Li Longji returned to Beijing to participate in the grand ceremony. According to regulations, after the grand ceremony is over, at most he can spend the New Year in the capital, and then he needs to return to the government office.Li Longji hadn't thought about this issue before, and now Purun didn't mention divination, and now he brought up the issue of staying in Beijing. Li Longji couldn't figure out why Purun made this a topic, because he asked: "I am currently in Luzhou, don't drive, The imperial court has not been changed, so it should return as usual. Could it be that there is another kind of karma for Zen master to say so?"

Purun smiled slightly, and said, "Nowadays the 'Xianfeng officials' are gathered in the court, how can there be another idle official in Beijing?" Li Longji immediately understood.The so-called "Xianfeng officials" means that Empress Wei, Princess Anle, Shangguan Wan'er and others bypass the normal selection process. Whether they are butchers, wine shop gangsters or slaves, as long as they can offer 300,000 yuan, they They can find the emperor Li Xian and ask for a letter of conferring an official, and then seal it obliquely and hand it over to the Ministry of Education for execution.Due to the excessive appointment of officials, the total number of the three official positions of prime minister, censor, and relics increased greatly, and there was nowhere to sit in the relevant government offices, which was ridiculed as "three no seats" by the people at the time.

Purun is right, Luzhou Biejia is only a fifth-rank official, and the government is currently in chaos, and new "Xianfeng officials" are emerging one after another. Who would pay attention to where a Xiazhou Biejia is? Purun is well-known among the officials in the capital because he understands Buddhist principles and is also a bystander.When people encounter problems or ask about their future, they often like to ask monks and Taoists for advice. Purun can observe words and demeanor, and he often walks through the homes of officials and officials, and is familiar with the affairs of the world and the truth of various forces. From the ambiguous words, the good parts were picked out, and many people responded later, so Purun gradually gained the reputation of being a fortune teller.Purun did not explain the divination to Li Longji today, but instead urged him to stay in Beijing. His idea was this: Bu Achilles standing up three times is auspicious. .

Li Longji is so smart, he understood the true meaning of Purun's words, so he said with a smile: "Chan Master Baocha is really a good place to go. Longji will spend more time in the capital in his spare time. I'm afraid he will come to Baocha to bother him more. What does Zen Master think?" "The king of Linzi doesn't think the monastery is simple, and the poor monk is so lucky. It's just that the journey is far away. If the king of Linzi wants to study Buddhism, he doesn't mind the poor monk's chatter. The poor monk can come to the palace to ask for a cup of tea."

"Welcome, welcome, five brothers in my family live together, and it is time to ask the Zen master for advice." Purun took a sip of tea and said slowly: "The journey of Buddhism lies in discernment and enlightenment, and there are not many people who can understand its principles." When we met for the first time, Li Longji didn't want to talk too much, and seeing what Purun said was mysterious, he thought it was the same reason, and it was also the same reason for reflection, and it was not easy to ask deeply, so he got up and said goodbye: "Longji's first visit, don't Knowing the etiquette of Guisha, only ask the servants to bring 10,000 coins as a gift, let Longji say goodbye, and then go out to offer it."

"Amitabha, the king of Linzi worships the Buddha so devoutly, the merit is immeasurable." Purun sent Li Longji out of the temple, and saw Wang Maozhong and Li Yide stamping their feet in the cold.Li Longji asked Wang Maozhong to take the money from his horse and send it to the temple, and then saluted Purun as farewell. The three of them walked slowly in their bridles, and Li Yide, who was full of beards, asked in a rough voice: "Your Highness, there are many big monasteries in the city. The slave thinks it is unnecessary to send such a large sum of money to such a small monastery." Although Wang Maozhong is from Korea, he mainly focuses on martial arts daily, but he has more scheming than Li Yide, and said: "Master does things, there is nothing wrong. Yide, we must not disturb the master's mind." Li Yide didn't make a sound anymore, they were all Li Longji's personal bodyguards, but after a year of contact, Li Yide had already admired Wang Maozhong's mind very much, and he always listened to his command when he acted, and he had a distinction between primary and secondary. Wang Maozhong said: "Your Highness, when Yide and I don't have to wait on the master, recently we often go to the Wanqi camp to build up our strength, and sometimes compete with the Wanqi soldiers in martial arts, is this good?" Wanqi Battalion belongs to a relatively independent force in the northern army defending the palace city. When Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty chose a hundred strong men to accompany him, he named it "Hundred Riders". Thousands of riders, when Li Xian became emperor, simply expanded to "ten thousand riders", and became an important force guarding the forbidden garden.Although it belongs to the Northern Army, the generals of Wanqi are all appointed by the emperor, and their close relationship is even stronger than that of the ordinary Northern Army. Li Longji had a flash of light when he heard the words, he understood the importance of Wanqi very well.My great-grandfather Tang Taizong was able to become emperor only with the help of part of the northern army, especially the Xuanwu gate guard. As for the recent Shenlong coup and Prince Chongjun's coup, it was only possible to act with the help of part of the northern army. Li Chongjun Therefore, the coup failed because he only won part of the strength of the northern army but did not win over Wanqi soldiers.Li Longji didn't have any attempt to rebel at this time, but felt that Wanqi was very important, and it was not a bad thing to make friends with him, Yin praised: "Very good! The generals and soldiers of Wanqi are superb in martial arts, and you will be able to grow more capable if you associate with him. Very good! Mao Zhong, the soldiers of Wanqi don’t have much salary, they are bold by nature and are fond of drinking, you can spend some money from the mansion to socialize with them, don’t let them say that the people in my mansion are stingy, so as to stain my reputation title." Wang Maozhong knew early on that his master has the characteristics of ignoring wealth and valuing friends, and also knew that his master has a corresponding food for a king. Recently, Zhang Wei has given a lot of gifts. It is nothing to spend a little money for his master, so he agreed wholeheartedly. Let's say Princess An Le's big wedding is a sensation in the capital, letting the whole city know that Princess An Le is the most beloved daughter of the emperor and empress today, and it is a shortcut to ask her to do it.As a result, entrusted people flocked to Jinchengfang in an endless stream, and the value of ordinary servants and maids in the princess mansion increased greatly. The entrusted people often needed to apply for officials through them, and they could also benefit from it. On this day, Princess Anle took the drafted edict and entered the palace, and went straight to the side room of the Wude Hall, where Li Xian often handled official documents after the meeting.When Princess Anle entered, she saw her mother, Empress Wei and Shangguan Zhao, talking to her father. Wan'er reported: "Your Majesty, Zhao Luwen is really capable in handling affairs, and has already tidied up the place for the poetry meeting. The concubine wants to go out of the palace and arrange it in the past few days, so I came here to inform Your Majesty." "Okay, this is another place to have fun, you can go." Li Xian said with a smile. "My concubine thinks that when the poetry meeting is held, there must be people with outstanding literature to join Fang Xian's poetry meeting. In this way, the world's poets and writers must be selected to enter Beijing, and some of the relegated people must be allowed by Your Majesty." "You can figure it out, I agree." Empress Wei took over the conversation: "Wan'er, why bother Your Majesty with such trivial matters? I have already informed the Ministry of Officials that they will not hinder your selection of talents, and they can be transferred according to the rules." "Yes, yes, the queen is more thoughtful." Li Xian echoed the words. Back then when Webster married Li Xian for the first time, the couple had a deep affection, and Li Xian devoted all his love to this lovely girl.Webster's incomparable beauty and insight made Li Xian admire him so much that he felt a determination in his heart that "their knowledge and vision are higher than mine, and they are completely devoted to me, so they should obey their orders", so when he first became emperor Regardless of the strong mother's side, she decided to promote her father-in-law to the position of prime minister, and even said angry words about giving up the world to her father-in-law, but was kicked out of the throne.In the days when he was demoted later, Li Xian's mind was on the verge of collapse. It was Webster who became the pillar of his heart, so he was able to persist in being emperor for the second time, so now when he sees Webster, he respects him a lot. It was under the nourishment of Li Xianjing's love psychology that Webster gradually formed an authority over the emperor, and even had contempt for Li Xian. Wei Shi didn't continue this topic anymore, looked directly at Li Xian and said: "Your Majesty, I think that some duties in the court need to be moved." "It's fine now, why do you need to adjust it again?" Li Xian asked confusedly. "There is a saying that we must bring forth the new through the old, and Wei Anshi is getting old. He is the order of Zhongshu, and he has made the political affairs hall dull. The position of Zhongshuling urgently needs to be replaced." Wei Hou said insincerely, she was not interested in Wei Anshi, because of the reason Yu Wei Anshi served as the governor of Xiangwangfu, and he has a deep relationship with Xiangwang Li Dan.After Prince Chongjun's rebellion, Empress Wei was very wary of King Xiang and Princess Taiping. Recently, some people around her urged her to replace Wei Anshi, so she had this idea. Li Xian said hesitantly: "My mother is in Japan, and she relies heavily on Duke Wei, and Duke Wei is cautious. If he is not appointed by Zhongshu Ling, what position will he be given?" Empress Wei said categorically: "Duke Wei is cautious and meticulous in his affairs. It is best to give the Minister of the Household Department instead." Zhongshuling was a second-rank official, while Hubu Shangshu was demoted to third-rank. Wei Anshi's demotion without fault was indeed a bit abrupt.However, any rare thing can happen at this time, and this kind of change is also normal.Wan'er understood what Empress Wei was thinking, and knew the pros and cons of it, so she didn't dare to intervene, but felt sorry for Wei Anshi in her heart. "The empress said so, Wan'er, you can draw up an edict." Li Xian really didn't have any ideas, he would do whatever the empress said. However, if Wei Anshi is not appointed as the order of Zhongshu, who will take over?Empress Wei had already made up her mind, so she turned to Wan'er and said, "If that's the case, you can draw up an imperial edict. Wei Anshi was assigned the Minister of the Household Department, Zong Chu guest moved to Zhongshuling, Taifu Qing Ji Chuna also knew the third rank of Tongzhongshuling's family. " Wan'er glanced at Li Xian quietly, seeing that he was squinting his eyes and didn't respond, she hurriedly smiled at Empress Wei, and replied: "I understand, I will draw up an imperial edict immediately." She understood the purpose of Empress Wei's appointment this time , is to increase their right to speak in the court, and Zong Chuke and Ji Chuna have always obeyed the queen's orders, and they should be promoted. Princess Anle was staying aside, but when she saw Wan'er entering the back room to draw up an imperial edict, she trotted behind Li Xian, covered Li Xian's eyes with her hands, and shouted: "Father, father, don't sleep, don't sleep!" .” Li Xian pushed Princess An Le's hands away, and said with a smile, "You're making trouble again. Now that you have a new home, why don't you just stay at home and run into the palace so often?" Princess An Le pursed her lips, and said: "My queen, my daughter just got married, and my father disliked her. In this way, I will not dare to enter the palace in the future." Li Xian stretched out his hand and pulled Princess Anle from behind to the front, and said, "Nonsense, how could anyone dare to despise Bao'er?" Empress Wei looked at her bright daughter and saw that she looked good after she got married, and said with a smile: "Girls are extroverted, your father is right, you enter the palace every now and then, just to do some entrusted things, it is rare that you make a special trip to say hello." Princess Anle pursed her lips and said, "Hmph, you all have to do some important military affairs, and Bao'er is just doing some trivial things, so you won't be bored." The husband and wife love and pity the little daughter very much, and there will be no hindrance to what she wants. Princess Anle suddenly turned angry and turned to Li Xian and said, "Father, here is a piece of imperial edict, please sign it." After speaking, she took out the imperial edict drawn up at home from her sleeve, and put it on several cases for Li Xian to sign . Li Xian saw that Princess Anle was still in the old posture, that is, he covered the upper part of the edict with his hand, and there was the name of the official who was sealed there, leaving only a blank space at the bottom for signing, so he said with a smile: "Who do you want to confer?" People? You can't let me be a foolish emperor, not even letting me see my name." Princess An Le said repeatedly: "If you are confused, you will be confused, and Bao'er is not confused. Don't worry, Father. Sign quickly." Seeing this, Li Xian no longer persisted, so he picked up a pen and smiled. Princess Anle rolled up the imperial edict with satisfaction and put it in her sleeve.After that, she sent someone to send the imperial edict to the relevant government office, and the name of the person written on it will soon become the crown official of the court. Seeing this situation, Empress Wei turned cold, and reprimanded Princess Anle, "Gu'er, things have obviously become more complicated after your new marriage. Is there any credit for Yanxiu? Hmph, there are more than a few hundred officials who have been sealed by you. How can others talk like this?" Princess Anle disagreed, and argued: "Huh, how do others talk? Then Shangguan Zhaorong, Mrs. Pei Guo, Shangguan Chai, He Lou, Fifth Ying'er, and Mrs. Longxi were awarded Less? Recently, Aunt Taiping has sealed many people, don’t think that Zou’er doesn’t know about it. Queen Mother, if you go to Zou’er’s book case and look at it, there are very thick piles of petitions for officials, and Zou’er only draws from them. Choose someone who is outstanding and come to ask your father." The several people mentioned by Princess Anle are all noble ladies who are close to Empress Wei today. Mrs. Lou and Mrs. Zhao of Longxi are all the followers of Empress Wei, and Fifth Yinger is a witch whom Empress Wei regards as her confidant. Her daughter hit the nail on the head like this, Empress Wei couldn't say anything more.After all, how many officials you get means how much money you get. Those people are all outsiders, and it's the daughter who earns the most money. Princess An Le finished her own business and was about to leave, but suddenly remembered something, she turned her head and said softly: "Father, what do you think about that matter?" "what's up?" "Kunming Pond. Although my daughter has a new house now, there are fake mountains and fake waters in the courtyard. How can it compare to the scenery of Kunming Pond? Father, please do me one more favor and give Kunming Pond to my daughter as a private garden." Li Xian, who has always been obedient to his daughter, finally disobeyed his daughter this time, and said resolutely: "No! I thought about it, since Kunming Lake is a place for the people of the capital to visit, the imperial court also has to train there. The navy and many common people live there by fishing and hunting, if they are private, how can it be done?" Princess An Le felt aggrieved immediately, her eyes were a little red, and she shouted: "Father, you don't love your daughter, what is such a trivial matter, you still don't love your daughter..." It was Empress Wei who broke the deadlock. She stepped forward to caress her daughter's shoulder, and said softly, "Wu'er, don't embarrass your Majesty. The Kunming pool is fine. You can choose a new pool." Princess Anle was overjoyed through tears, and said: "It is the wish of the queen mother that my daughter can build a pond like Kunming pond? Father, do you agree or not?" Li Xian nodded and said, "Yes, it's okay if you build a new pond. Zhao Luwen is capable in handling things, and you will be satisfied if you let him do it." "Well, I'll be patient and build another pool. Father, my daughter can't get the money needed to build the pool. Don't make things difficult for her. Let Zhao Luwen get it from the treasury." "It's natural." Princess Anle suddenly became joyful. When Wei Anshi saw that he was changed to be the Secretary of the Household Department, he didn't feel any resentment in his heart, but a feeling of relief.When he returned to the mansion after the court meeting, his family already knew the news of his change of office, so they didn't ask, and let him sip a few cups of tea in the hall alone, and then strolled around the flowers and trees in the courtyard. Wei Anshi shook his head while walking: "She is also a queen, and she also has the power. This woman is far worse than her mother-in-law." The woman Wei Anshi was talking about was the current queen Webster. Wei Anshi has been an official in Beijing since the first year of Jiushi, and he is highly relied on by the empress. The court situation during Li Xian's reign as emperor.He knew that no matter how the personnel changes, there will always be a group of loyal people like himself in the court to maintain the overall situation.Those who are far away are Di Renjie, Lou Shide, Wang Jishan, Tang Xiujing, etc., and those who are close are Yao Chong, Song Jing, Zhang Jianzhi and myself.Empress Wei's change of office this time has completely broken this pattern. Right now, only Wei's cronies are left to control the position of prime minister in the court. People like Zhang Shuo and Wei Zhigu whose mother died and Ding You were at home, Guo Yuanzhen served as the governor of Anxi, and was far away in the Western Regions. Looking up at the court, they are all a group of people who are stalking people, Wei Anshi really has no common language with them, plus a confused emperor and a strong and incompetent queen, Wei Anshi feels that it is a matter of luck that he is not the prime minister. "Whoever sees alone because of sorrow will teach the bright moon to shine yellow." Wei Anshi thought about this, and suddenly recited two lines of poems casually.Thinking of the source of this poem, Wei Anshi smiled and sighed: "It's strange, it seems that it is difficult to have both virtue and ability, and such a man with so little virtue can have such a wonderful sentence!" The poems recited by Wei Anshi were written by Shen Quanqi in exile in the south of the Five Ridges.Because the poems are so beautiful, they even flowed into Beijing and recited them.Shen Quanqi is as famous as Song Zhiwen in his poems and essays, so he is called "Shen Song".The two poets are very good, but unfortunately their character is too bad. Both of them flattered the Zhang brothers in order to get promoted. All because of the great anger of the people, they were exiled to a despicable place. Thinking of this, Wei Anshi recalled Yao Chong and Song Jing who were far away in the south, and sighed: "There are fewer and fewer people like this who don't follow others." At this time, the porter came to report: "Master, the servant, Mr. Xiao, has come to the house." Hearing Xiao Zhizhong's visit, Wei Anshi hurriedly said: "Please." He walked forward while speaking.As soon as he arrived at the second gate, he saw Xiao Zhizhong had already stepped into the gate, and said with a hearty smile: "Duke Wei, Zhizhong came to worship suddenly, don't blame him, don't blame him." Wei Anshi saw two servants holding a brocade box behind Xiao Zhizhong, he didn't know what they came for, he suddenly became suspicious, he stepped forward and took Xiao Zhizhong's hand, exchanged a few words of greeting, and walked into the hall together. The two sat down as guests and hosts, and the maid served tea.Xiao Zhizhong asked his servant to put the brocade box on the table, waved him back, and said: "Duke Wei, Zhizhong is entrusted by someone, please take a look." Among the two brocade boxes, one was filled with money, and the other was filled with jewellery, Lu silk, etc. Wei Anshi widened his eyes and asked, "Xiao Shizhong, what do you mean by this?" With a mysterious look on his face, Xiao Zhizhong motioned for Wei Anshi to speak softly, and then said softly: "Someone must be in a bad mood when they know that Mr. Wei has been appointed this time. They also know that Mr. Wei has always been clean and honest, and his family has a large population. home use." "Who is this person?" Xiao Zhizhong moved his mouth to Wei Anshi's ear, and softly uttered four words: "Princess Taiping." Wei Anshi stared straight at Xiao Zhizhong, thinking: "When did this person join Princess Taiping again?" Xiao Zhizhong is currently serving as the provincial servant under his sect. When Wei Anshi was serving as the secretary of the Zhongshu Province, the two cooperated very tacitly.Xiao Zhizhong was an official cautiously all his life, especially when Li Xian was suspicious of King Xiang and Princess Taiping, Xiao Zhizhong gained a good reputation for his righteous words, and Wei Anshi valued him more.But there was one thing that made Wei Anshi very uncomfortable. Empress Wei had a younger brother Wei Xun who died early, and it happened that Xiao Zhizhong had a daughter who died early. In order to get closer to Empress Wei, Xiao Zhizhong took the initiative to ask Empress Wei to marry his daughter to his dead brother, and married him in the dark. Empress Wei remembered that her younger brother who died early was really lonely in the underworld, and now she married a wife, of course she agreed wholeheartedly.This time, Empress Wei installed her confidant as Chancellor, and she did not hesitate to take away Wei Anshi and others who were in plain clothes, leaving Xiao Zhizhong alone. Now that Xiao Zhizhong came to be Princess Taiping's envoy, the relationship between him and Princess Taiping is naturally extraordinary.Wei Anshi, as a veteran minister in the DPRK and China, although he did not participate in crony matters, he had a detailed understanding of the dynamics of the various forces in the DPRK and China.He knew that Empress Wei and Princess Taiping would not have any common interests. After the empress gained power, she attacked the Li family and reused people with the Wu surname. Today, Empress Wei seems to use her mother-in-law as a model. If you want to put cronies in the middle and try your best to promote people with the surname Wei, then Princess Taiping and her close people will definitely be included in the separate book.Now Xiao Zhizhong is not only following Empress Wei's influence, but also secretly fighting with Princess Taiping. Wei Anshi thinks that what he is doing is like taking chestnuts from the fire, and if he doesn't do it, he will burn himself. Wei Anshi pondered for a moment, and said: "Xiao Shizhong, please pay my respects to the princess for me, thank her for her kindness, please return these gifts, I have a national salary, and there is enough for my family. The so-called no reward for no merit, such property must not be accepted!" Xiao Zhizhong said: "The princess also knows that Duke Wei is clear and bright, and she told me earnestly that Duke Wei has been diligent all his life, and that the country has given her a lot of food, wealth and silk to hide, but it is useless, so I would like to thank Duke Wei on behalf of the country." The princess surpassed Zhishiyi, and Li Xian came to the throne, and named her Princess Taiping of Zhenguo, and awarded him many rewards. In addition, Princess Taiping was good at collecting money, and her family's wealth was overflowing, so she was actually the richest person at that time. Wei Anshi resolutely said: "Although the princess is a relative of the emperor, how can she represent the country? Xiao Shizhong, we have worked together for many years, you know my temper, so don't say this again, please return this thing to the princess. If it is inconvenient for you, I can send someone People are enshrined in the princess' mansion." Xiao Zhizhong closed the brocade box awkwardly, and sighed: "Oh, Duke Wei, I won't say any more, and I will send this thing back unopened. Duke Wei, it's a troubled time right now, if you keep being rigid, you will suffer in the end. The princess is not the only one who gave this gift to you, but everyone else is happy to accept it, and you are the only one who doesn’t accept it, thus disobeying the princess’s kindness.” Now Wei Anshi learned from Xiao Zhizhong that Princess Taiping donated a lot of property to the courtiers recently, obviously for the purpose of cultivating her own power, so Princess Taiping has a lot of ambition.After Wu Sansi's death, all the forces of the Wu family were attached to Empress Wei and Princess Anle, and Empress Wei wantonly promoted people close to her.Princess Taiping did this secretly, and her goal was obvious.Although Wei Anshi thought of this, after all, he has been an official for many years, and he knows the reason not to stretch out his hand to hit a smiling person, not to mention that he is still sending gifts. Shi Shen thanked him for his kindness. As for the gift, An Shi would never dare to accept it, but the princess has orders, as long as it does not violate the court rules, An Shi will definitely run for it." Hearing this, Xiao Zhizhong felt that it was not easy for Wei Anshi to have such an attitude since he was always blunt and upright. He felt that he could explain something to Princess Taiping, so he put a smile on his face. At that time, Princess Taiping was feeling idle about a trivial matter.It turned out that one day Princess Taiping led her entourage out of Chang'an to play in the suburbs, and she walked to the west of the capital.At this time, the wind is cold and the weather is cold, and the trees are withered. There is really no good scenery to see. Princess Taiping doesn't like the way of hunting, so she goes to visit the nearby Jiyun Temple.She offered incense and worshiped in the temple, and when she stepped out of the main hall, she found a water mill in the southwest corner. She saw that the water mill was made of bluestone. , ordered the servants to unload the mill and transport it back to the mansion. How much is a bluestone water mill worth?Since it is the famous Zhenguo Princess Taiping who wants it, just take it.Unexpectedly, the monks of Jiyun Temple are a bunch of brainless people. After Princess Taiping left, they felt unwilling, so they wrote a petition and sued Princess Taiping to Yongzhou Mansion, intending to file a lawsuit to get Shuinian back. Although this place is in the suburbs of Beijing, it belongs to the land of Yongzhou after all. Li Yuanhong, the secretary of Yongzhou, felt that this was a very common case when he received the complaint.Without hesitation, he felt that the water mill belonged to the Cumulus Temple, and Princess Taiping should not take it by force, so he sentenced Princess Taiping to return the water mill. When Princess Taiping learned that Li Yuanhong had sentenced Shuimian back to the monk, Fengyan was furious, and sent people to ask Dou Huaizhen, the governor of Yongzhou, to interrogate him one after another. Dou Huaizhen waited cautiously at the concierge of the princess mansion, he has been waiting here for nearly two hours. Princess Taiping obviously wanted to leave this third-rank official alone. Dou Huaizhen came to the mansion twice before, and Princess Taiping angrily refused to see her. As the governor of Yongzhou, Dou Huaizhen knew very well that this was a very difficult job.Chang'an is the capital and belongs to the ground of Yongzhou, so the disputes of people in the capital are handled by the Yongzhou government.But there are too many dignitaries in the capital, a small case, there is some powerful force behind the case, if it is not handled properly, it will cause fire.For example, in this water grinder case, it is reasonable to say that the water grinder is a monk's property. If someone else snatches it, the order should be returned. However, this "other person" is the famous Princess Taiping, so it is not easy. As the highest official in charge of the capital, Dou Huaizhen has experienced both ice and fire in recent years.When he first came to office, he completely upheld a business-like attitude. After several incidents, all parties were unhappy. Several major events were delayed, and Dou Huaizhen passed the test passively. One day, a close friend of Dou Huaizhen's childhood came to Beijing. He was well aware of Dou Huaizhen's embarrassing situation, so he decided to teach Dou Huaizhen a lesson. The close friend said: "I want to say seven things, do you want to answer?" "Willing to answer, willing to answer." "First, are you willing to uphold the principles of sages and sages?" "Wish to hold on, I will cultivate my body and cultivate my character, and I will study the truth thoroughly, so as to conform to what the sages said." "Secondly, the sage said, 'A gentleman takes righteousness as his pledge, conducts it with propriety, embodies it with grandchildren, and fulfills it with faith'. Are your words and deeds consistent?" "Of course, if you want to be a gentleman." "Thirdly, the sage said, 'Smart words make you beautiful, but you are not benevolent'. What do you think?" "If people are flattering, what are they for?" "Fourth, what is the purpose of people being officials for thousands of miles?" "Day is good for the world at the same time." "Fifth, you are the governor, how do you govern?" "Be loyal to the monarch, uphold the monarch system, and be cautious." "Sixth, shouldn't there be any deviation in the national system?" "certainly." "Seventh, are you eager to be promoted? What should be done?" "I am a Jinshi, so of course I want to accumulate merit and get promoted. As I said before, as long as you do it carefully, you should accumulate a small amount of merit, so why not worry about not being promoted? I have been in politics for many years and enjoy a good reputation. Old Di Ge once asked Empress Zetian You recommend me to join the cabinet, don't you know?" When my close friend heard this, he burst out laughing, and then said: "My good governor, it's hard for you to get to where you are today. I'm surprised that you haven't been exiled for acting like this. Congratulations." Dou Huaizhen was puzzled, and asked: "We used to study in the same room and listened to the teachings of sages. Is it wrong for me to do this?" The close friend said sternly: "That's right. You're very wrong! Emperor Wu still treats scholars with respect and rewards and promotes talented people when he is in Japan. After the current emperor ascended the throne, the atmosphere in the court has changed greatly. Don't you understand it?" Dou Huaizhen nodded. "The seven things mentioned above, you should think about them from another place. Otherwise, I don't know where to meet you next time." My close friend said earnestly, "Would you like to listen?" Dou Huaizhen nodded again. "First, the principles of sages and sages are what the sages said, and they should be explored by the doctors of the Imperial College. When we studied in the past, we were born with a doctorate background. Now that we are officials, we should forget those principles. The study of officialdom is very different from it. "Secondly, words and deeds are the same. That is the sage's ravings. It shows that there are too many people who have different words and deeds. Anyone who follows the sage's words must be a fool. You have to tell lies as the truth on different occasions. A stepping stone in officialdom. "Thirdly, you have to be flattering and despise being a scholar. However, the people who can promote you in the officialdom are not the common people, but the saints and powerful people. If you resist stubbornly according to the principles taught by the sages, your official path will be blocked. Remember. , whatever is beneficial to oneself is the most reasonable, and in this way, what the good people say is the most reasonable. "Fourth, people travel thousands of miles to be officials, not to help the world, but to gain status and wealth. You should read more "Historical Records" and "Hanshu" to understand this truth. If you are an official together, if you have wealth Goods cannot be enjoyed by one person alone. Your mentor promotes you, he wants to get eternal respect and convenience in the future; your subordinates respect you, it is because they are eager to get your promotion; your colleagues associate with you, they want mutual convenience To communicate with each other. Remember, these people must not refuse what they ask, otherwise they will block a channel. "Fifth, do you want to rely on your own reputation and ability to govern? Wrong, this is second. The first thing is to learn how to communicate with others, which is the key to being an official. You should meet such people, they Literary is not literary, military is not martial, but they still occupy high positions. Why? It is because they can have both sides, and can please the good people, so they have low political ability, and they can also reach high positions. "Sixth, can't there be deviations in the national system? Wrong, of course it can. These laws are for the people. If you follow them carefully, you will be the people. "Seventh, to rise through accumulating merit? That's the fantasy of a scholar after being poisoned by a sage. It's true that Mr. Di Ge recommended you, but time has changed. If you just stick to the weak and stick to the weak, wouldn't you be a stickler?" What the close friend said made Dou Huaizhen dumbfounded.It's not that Dou Huaizhen didn't understand the principles he said before, it's because she despises them.Abandoning the principles of sages and sages, that is, whoever has a milk is a mother, and then resorts to 18 kinds of martial arts, such as flattery and lying, to flatter the master, so as to achieve his goal of promotion and wealth. In this way, people become like animals, because they deviate from the principles of sages and sages, people will be unbearable!Dou Huaizhen knows that if she wants to become the person her close friends say, the first step is to throw away the routines formed over the years and break with the past; the second step is to forget the principles of sages and become a person she despised before. If you want to complete these two steps, the most important thing is to practice a thick skin, just put your head down and do it, no matter what others say.After his close friend left, Dou Huaizhen thought alone for several days, and at dusk the next day, he finally suddenly realized, and secretly made up his mind: Yes, this is the way to go! This time when Princess Taiping interrogated her, Dou Huaizhen waited on her attentively, obviously following what her close friend taught her. When Dou Huaizhen was thinking wildly in the concierge, she heard a shout from outside the door: "Master Dou, please move into the mansion." Princess Taiping sat at the head of the middle hall, seeing Dou Huaizhen approaching quickly, her face was gloomy and she did not speak. After entering the hall, Dou Huaizhen stood still, facing Princess Taiping and said: "Your Majesty, Dou Huaizhen, is here to pay a visit to Princess Zhen Guo. I have something to report." Princess Taiping snorted, and said coldly: "Master Dou, I took a water grinder in the suburbs, and you Yongzhou Mansion is not forgiving, do you want to bully me to the end?" Seeing Princess Taiping get angry, Dou Huaizhen hastily stepped forward and kowtowed again: "I don't dare, I came here just to explain this matter. I should die, I shouldn't disturb Princess Tianwei." "Forget it, you are a third-rank official, don't go beyond the court etiquette, get up. I'm a weak woman, how can I talk about Tianwei? When the news spreads, the officials will say that I don't know the rules. Don't you sit for Mr. Dou? " With the help of servants, Dou Huaizhen just sat on the seat tremblingly. “那件事怎么样了？” 窦怀贞急急忙忙又复立起，拱手言道：“禀公主，那李元纮太过无理。下官多次令他改判，然此人置若罔闻。前日，他将判纸送来，上面仅多了八个字。” "What word?" 窦怀贞期期艾艾不敢说，双手捧着判书趋前数步，将之交给太平公主。 太平公主接过一看，只见判纸上方写着八个浓黑之字：“南山可移，此判无动。”太平公主读完顿时无名火起，挥手将判纸掷于地上，喝道：“你巴巴地来府数次，莫非就是想让我看这八个字不成？窦怀贞，看来雍州府要和我作对到底了。一个芝麻小吏，现在再加上你这位三品大员，你们一唱一和，想要气死我呀？” 窦怀贞“扑通”一声跪在地上，叩首道：“下官不敢，公主，就是有人再借给下官一个胆子，下官说什么也不敢忤逆公主啊。” 太平公主余怒未息：“你没胆子？那李元纮无非是一个司户小吏，你为他的主官，他若没有你撑腰，焉能如此无礼？哼，你们唱了一出好戏呀！” “公主冤枉下官了。下官看到判词，也是七窍生烟，正要下令让那李元纮回家。谁知这厮写完判词之后，已然扬长而去，还留下话儿，说不待上官来免，自己先把自个儿免了。公主，看来这厮实为一榆木脑袋，受人指使不太可能。” 太平公主闻言沉吟道：“唔，看来此人是一个认理不认人的主儿。也罢，你起来吧。”其停顿片刻又复问道，“窦大人，你准备如何处理此事呀？” 窦怀贞再拜道：“禀公主，下官想好了。那李元纮已然离衙而去，下官另嘱他人再写判词，说什么也要让公主得了这水碾。判词已然写好，请公主过目。” 太平公主读罢判词，看到水碾果然判给了自己，眼珠一转，脸上有了笑意，又问道：“窦大人如此判，不怕那积云寺僧人再复聒噪吗？” “不妨。下官已然知会积云寺僧人，由本府置钱为其再造水碾，他们也愿息事宁人。” “如此甚好。看来还是窦大人处事干练，不愧为能臣。上次安乐公主大婚，你为礼会使，将婚礼办得妥妥帖帖，圣上皇后很满意，多次夸奖你会办事呢。左右，赶快为窦大人看茶。” 窦怀贞的一颗心方才踏踏实实跌入肚中，其用手轻抚额头上的虚汗，心道只要太平公主满意，自己就除去了一桩心事。 太平公主又问道：“那个司户李元纮到底是何来历？其背后果然没有别人指使吗？”太平公主当初移走水碾时，确实没有太多心思，不料僧人较真告状，李元纮又秉公处置，她当时顿生警惕，心想事情背后可能有其他文章。现在看来，事情还算简单，不过她终归不放心，方有此问。 “禀公主，李元纮当初在雍州小有名气，其耿直公正，颇有民望，下官到任后觉得此人不错，因而擢拔为司户。下官知道此人平素交往，担保他不会受人指使。”窦怀贞当初任雍州刺史时，很想有所作为，因依自身标准选才任能，李元纮即为其当时授任的小吏之一。不料窦怀贞今日心思已变，可见世事变幻，人所难料。 “嗯，李元纮回家最好。此等榆木之人，不知变通，不懂转圜，其再任司户乃至升迁，不知道又会惹出什么大乱子！好呀，他这一走，与人方便，也保护了自己。窦大人，此人若升至你现在的位置，又处京城，旬日间定会得罪诸路神仙，弄不好会尸骨无存，你认为如何？” “公主所言极是，此类人不善为官，其归家后弄田养殖，了其残生，最为妥帖。唉，想想也是，上天怎能降生此类人种，他们到人群之中只会碍手碍脚，与人添乱。”窦怀贞自从悟得官场门道，已然脱胎换骨，将早年信奉的圣贤言语抛到九霄云外，现在已视李元纮等人为异类。 “好哇，还是窦大人有趣。窦大人，此事多劳你费心费力，你今后但凡有空，请入府内为客。听说你的夫人新逝，所遗儿女有人看顾吗？” “家里甚好，不劳公主费心。”数月前，窦怀贞夫人因病而逝，太平公主近日方得其消息。 “嗯，内宅无人主事，终为不美。我此后为你留心，争取及早为你访得一位新夫人。左右，去后堂中取出一些小玩艺儿及糕饼，带给窦大人的儿女。” 窦怀贞急忙起身谢道：“谢公主赏。”窦怀贞久居京城，消息还算灵通，知道太平公主近来出手大方，所赏物品价值不菲。因想自己顺手替太平公主办了一件小事，顿时与太平公主拉近了距离，由此结交上这样一位大人物，心里不免得意。 其实，太平公主以水碾之事大动干戈，只不过是想把事儿弄得沸沸扬扬，由此除去韦皇后等人的猜疑。事儿很明显，韦皇后竭力整合韦氏与武氏的势力，其所忌为李唐势力。李唐势力的代表人物为安国相王和太平公主，那个安国相王日日躲在府中吟诗弄乐，基本上不问世事，唯有忌惮太平公主一人而已。现在太平公主竟然为水碾一事如此倾注心力，则其心无旁骛，那是不足为虑的。 看到窦怀贞的背影消失在大门之外，太平公主的嘴角漾出了微笑。她也没有想到，自己本来无心为之的一件小事，竟然收到如此奇功，确实心甚慰之。 过了数日，这件事情传遍京城。人们纷纷痛斥太平公主的霸道与窦怀贞的无耻，对李元纮寄予了满怀的同情。李元纮的八字判词“南山可移，此判无动”竟然成为佳话，渐渐地，这八字判词又演化成为“执法如山”的成语，成为乱世中人们心间的强烈希冀。 太平公主认为此事已达到满意的效果，遂决定次日找皇帝李显，她还有第二件事要去办。 次日起床洗漱之时，方知一夜瑞雪，将房屋、街道、树干皆蒙上一层洁白。太平公主踏出门外，就见院内已积有半尺厚的雪层，天上还在飘着鹅毛大雪，心道这雪下得真大，今日若去见皇兄，最好寻一只精致的手炉作为小礼物。 她返回房内，婢女已从后面库房内寻来两只手炉。此为铜镀银镏金雕龙暖手炉，银色的支框分出六个独立的空间，上面各用纯金镶出一条活灵活现的金龙。太平公主看后很满意，说道：“好，就是它了。” 这日非朝会之日，太平公主知道慵懒的哥哥惯好晚起，又是下雪天，恐怕又要更晚一些。太平公主想得不错，李显这日果然近午时方才起来，再慢腾腾洗漱一番，恰是太平公主进宫的时候。太平公主一入殿，看到李显睡眼惺忪，遂笑道：“我的好皇兄啊，皇嫂不在，你的日子怎可过得如此懒散？” 其话音刚落，就听殿门处有人说道：“谁说我不在呀？”自是韦皇后接踵而至。 李显“嘿嘿”一笑并不言声。太平公主作为则天皇后的唯一女儿，又是幺女，极得则天皇后的钟爱，四个亲哥哥也对这个小妹妹怜爱有加。 太平公主转对韦皇后道：“皇后来了呀，你该多劝劝皇兄。现在我们年岁渐长，最该爱惜身子，皇兄如此颠倒日夜，对身子极为有害。” “哼，你这位皇兄，现在早不听劝了。其饮食无节，御女无度，我名为皇后，焉敢多嘴？”韦皇后口里虽这样说，其实她平日里压根不管，她自己的事儿，已经很忙乱了。 太平公主不愿继续此话题，拿出带来的两只手炉道：“今年比较寒冷，妹子寻来高手匠人做成一对小手炉，眼下雪急风寒，正是皇兄皇嫂用得着的时候。此物还算精致，请予笑纳。” 韦皇后接过一只细细观看，赞道：“难为妹妹的一片心意了，果然不错，人言妹妹府中多宝贝，如此寻常物件堪为精致，看来所言不假。” 太平公主听出了韦皇后话中的弦外之音，微微一笑不做辩解。 李显忽然想起了太平公主强夺僧人水碾的事儿，说道：“对呀，你府中财物甚多，缘何夺人水碾？还被僧人告到官府里，弄得沸沸扬扬。你是金枝玉叶，奈何不顾自己颜面？又是我的亲妹子，如此输了官司，连我的面上都不好看。” 韦皇后也笑道：“不错，妹子这件事儿办得确实不够周全。” 太平公主道：“你们是我的皇兄皇嫂，妹子受人欺负，你们该来替妹子撑腰，不该来数落妹子。哼，我不过看那水碾顺眼，因而拿回去使用，又成了什么大事了？”说到这里，太平公主忽然眼圈一红，抽泣道，“皇兄皇嫂，现在外人欺负我，家里的小辈也不把我放在眼里，你们要替我做主啊。” 李显急忙道：“别哭，别哭，有什么事儿好好说。” “家里小辈谁欺负你了？”韦皇后问道。 “还会有谁，即是你们的宝贝女儿裹儿呀。” “她能怎么样？”李显问道。 太平公主擦了把眼泪，说道：“皇兄，近日裹儿是否找您为人谋官，一个王姓之人被您授任为左拾遗？” 李显“嗯、嗯”两声，伸手挠了一下脑袋，吞吞吐吐道：“许是有吧。” 韦皇后在一旁心中暗笑，裹儿每次来请署官，皆用手掩住被授任人名，李显如何能知所授何人？ 太平公主愤愤说道：“这王姓之人确实惫懒无比，他来托妹子请求左拾遗之职，我一直未向皇兄提起。不料此人又走了裹儿的门路，那日他扬扬得意到我府中，说已然被授左拾遗，要把当初送我的钱再要回去。你们说，裹儿这不是气我么？” 李显打圆场道：“此事与裹儿无涉，她焉知王姓之人也托了妹子你呢？这王姓之人实在可气，钱不能退回给他，还要好好骂他一顿。” 韦皇后道：“对，钱不能退回去。不过，我说妹子呀，你不比我们。当初母后对我们一家非常苛责，赶至蛮荒之地受苦受穷，哪儿像你呀，母后给你食邑甚多，赏赐甚厚，如今的家底儿盆满钵溢，不该看重些许小钱。” 太平公主哭穷道：“皇嫂有所不知呀，妹子现在名声在外，其实难副啊。不错，妹子的食邑比一般公主多了一些，然府中下人多开销也大，若不弄些外快，很快就会入不敷出。” 李显喃喃说道：“妹子的食邑不少呀，母后在日，你的食邑已达三千户，我即位后，又加至五千户，又为你开府置官属，其府属皆有俸禄，你实同亲王啊，比裹儿她们多得多。” 太平公主不愿继续纠缠此话题，说道：“也罢，那王姓之人的事儿就不说了。妹子还有一事想请托皇兄。” "what's up?" “中书舍人卢藏用想升职，皇兄皇嫂，不瞒你们说，此人也给妹子送了点礼物，皇兄这次说什么也不能让妹子的面子落在地上。” “卢藏用想升何职？” “卢藏用看到尚书省的右丞位置空缺，因想填此位置。” 李显知道中书舍人为五品官员，尚书右丞为四品官员。心想，太平公主求职仅求升一级，看来胃口不大，有心答应，遂用目光探询韦皇后的意思。 韦皇后问道：“这个卢藏用就是那个隐居终南之人了？” 卢藏用年少时走科举道路，然屡考不中，最后选择隐居终南山，在那里搞些辟谷、练气之术，偶尔写些《芳草赋》等文章，渐渐引起朝廷的注意被征为官。时人讥此入官方式为“终南捷径”。 “不错，就是此人。”太平公主答道。 “哈哈，此人善于独辟蹊径，先走'终南捷径'，再走妹子门路，实在有趣得很呀。”韦皇后想想有趣，“扑哧”一声笑出声来。 李显看到韦皇后如此神情，知道妻子并不反对此人任尚书右丞，遂说道：“也罢，我午后即让人草诏，妹子尽可放心而去。” 太平公主走后，韦皇后摇摇头，笑对李显道：“你这个妹子已然变成一个铜钿脑瓜子了，府中钱货充盈，犹不放过任何小钱进账。如此下去，她与农夫之妻有何区别？” 李显还算比较憨厚，说道：“一样都是至亲，你与裹儿办十件事儿，也总该让妹子成一件嘛，否则如何有面子？” 韦皇后忽然想起一事，说道：“对，我们还要办一件事儿。我那乳母王氏，已近七旬，她这些年跟随我们，也吃了不少苦。” “是呀，她家中已然无人，一个人孤苦伶仃，我们好好待她吧。” “她孤身一人，就是锦衣玉食供奉她，终究难耐寂寞。我这几日一直在想，应该给她找个伴儿，这样最为妥当。” 李显一听，顿时大笑，说道：“她已近七旬，如何找伴儿？总不成再给她寻来一老翁，两人到底谁照顾谁呢？” 韦后道：“你这人死脑子，为何不能替她寻来一个壮年官宦之人呢？你娘在日，便寻年轻小哥，她怎么不去寻一老翁呢？” “罢了，罢了，你又扯到什么地方了？也罢，就按你说的办。有合适人选吗？” “我若有合适人选，还用向你讨主意吗？你好好想想，哪个人比较合适？” 李显寻思了一会儿，忽然击掌道：“好，就是此人。”