Chapter 38 Chapter 38

Qianlong saw that the empress was about to withdraw, and hurriedly said: "Don't go, I didn't know you were here. I planned to see Lafayette and invite you to come here!" The empress stopped, staring at Qianlong with concern, without Say what.Seeing his serious face, the queen mother ordered all the eunuchs and maids in the palace to stand down, looked at Qianlong carefully and said, "I didn't pay attention, the emperor's expression seemed to be frightened, or something evil in the palace was overwhelmed? Or else Just what's on your mind?" "I have something on my mind." Qianlong took a cushion himself, walked behind his mother who was sitting in the armchair, padded her waist, and signaled Empress Fucha to sit down. He said the "gossip" he heard from Shi, and only avoided the part of "wearing a green turban" for Fu Heng.He said with a gloomy gaze: "This is actually about the fact that the late emperor's position was not right. If the first emperor's position was not right, I would also be wrong. There are indeed big articles in it. I have thought a lot today. If it weren't for Zhang Guangsi's great victory in Miaojiang, Yin Jishan, Gao Heng, and Fu Heng succeeded in suppressing thieves in Jiangxi and Shanxi. I don’t know why the rumors have spread all over the city! Since I ascended the throne, I have gotten up at four o’clock in the morning to do business, read books every night, and slept for less than three hours. Diligence is nothing more than that, right? Besides, it was the eighth, ninth, tenth, and fourteenth uncles who competed with the late emperor. The eighth and ninth uncles have long since died, and the tenth and fourteenth uncles have no ambition at all. Ten Uncle now gets a stomach ache from fright when he hears my invitation, and Uncle Fourteen volunteers to help with military affairs, they will definitely not fabricate these rumors—but these rumors are like undercurrents under the ice, they seem to be very urgent and violent, yes Who is making waves behind it?"

The queen mother and queen didn't seem surprised.The queen stared blankly at the candlelight without saying a word. The queen mother spread out and closed the cards in her hand, closed and spread them out, and said back and forth several times: "Wind has a source of wind, but this 'Qingping Zhiwei' is not so easy to break, listen to you." The tone seems to be to get to the bottom of it? This is absolutely unacceptable. Whoever is charged with this kind of crime will have the disaster of extermination. You can’t find out! According to me, keep quiet in your heart, and you will not be surprised, and it will Self-defeating. You issued an edict to investigate with open flames, which frightened people's hearts and made them uneasy, and other troubles might arise. The late emperor suffered from this loss, and could not hear the slightest unclean words in his ears. He argued with the death row prisoner Zeng Jing and wrote After reading the book "Da Yi Jue Mi Lu", all the affairs in the palace are so turbulent that the whole world knows about it. When you ascended to the throne, you burned the book and killed Zeng Jing. You did it very cleverly. How could things fall on your own head so that you can't be so heavy? Hold on? Besides, if you find out who made the rumor, it’s not a case of treason after all, so what should you do? It might be a royal family member, should you deal with it or not?”

"In short, this matter cannot be left alone." Qianlong felt that what his mother said was reasonable, but he thought it would be too useless to ignore it, "I treat people with benevolence and treat people with leniency. , Standing in front of Confucius, can you say that what I did is wrong? But people are indifferent and the world is bad. It is really puzzling to do anything good." The Queen Mother sighed, threw away the cards in her hand, and said: "The Emperor Ah, even though I am a woman, I also know how difficult it is to be in power. Emperor Daxing said at that time that there are many people who hate him. From foreign officials to Beijing officials, from brothers and nephews to foreign relatives and relatives, following him as a courtier will not be hungry. He can't be idle, but he can't make a fortune either. It's just that his temperament can't tolerate any miscellaneous things in his eyes and heart. People are afraid of him. He also has a secret system, and people dare not say anything about him even behind his back. Dare not say , It’s not necessarily that there is nothing to say. Do you think so?” Qianlong nodded and said, “I can see you, mother.”

The Empress Dowager stood up, walked to the entrance of the hall, looked at the night outside, and said, "It seems easy for you to change from strict to lenient. Actually, have you ever thought about it? How many people have been cut off from getting rich by suddenly exempting the world from money and food? Don’t those outsiders get rich just by extorting money and food from them? Traveling thousands of miles to become an official, for the silver money, you are exempted from the tax every three years, and he will pay less for three stops for ten miles, so what you do is God is happy, the ancestors are at ease, and the common people are happy. The real officials are like dumb people eating coptis!" Qianlong laughed and said: "If you eat it, let them eat it. I will also take a few people who have made clever names to strip people's wealth and kill them. They! Although the son is young, he has seen the style of the holy grandfather governing the country, and he wants to govern the country better than the holy ancestor! To take such a bet—some people have nothing to say!" His heart suddenly moved: these rumors are all old accounts, Could it be Prince Li and the others, who turned out to be the sons of the crown prince.Now he is just a powerless vassal king, with strange thoughts to make trouble?He opened his mouth, but didn't say the words.But he laughed and said, "My son thinks I'm a bit too immature. The holy grandfather visits in low clothes several times a year, or else he goes to Fengtian to worship his ancestors, or to go hunting in Mulan, and he goes to Jiangnan six times, not to mention Gyeonggi. I have to go out and walk around at both ends of the three days. My son sits in the pile of memorials and reads square characters every day. The late emperor and the holy ancestor are different. They never leave the Forbidden City. But when they arrive... it is not a good death. The son's body is stronger than his grandfather and Huang Ama. I have to take care of both ends. However, Lord Kangxi has many courtiers who protect the sky, but few of his sons can really trust him. When I go out, I am afraid that my mother will worry about it, so I should go out more often..."

"Of course I don't worry about it." The queen mother said: "These guards are different from their ancestors at that time. They are 'lords' themselves. Look slowly, don’t worry. I see that Liu Tongxun, just ask him to take care of you.” She took a breath, and changed the subject with a smile, “This is what we girls are talking about. I think you are an infatuated person. Women are It’s not too close. There are still few stunning people in the Sixth Courtyard of the Harem? You’re still pestering Tang’er—don’t blush, no one told me, I’ve seen it a long time ago, I just opened and closed my eyes and pretended to be confused. I'm not talking about Tang'er, I'm talking about a woman. Grandpa Sheng actually married your auntie. Master Yongzheng fell into the hands of a woman. This matter should not be taken too seriously. Women, when you are in a place, let go of what should be done. , this is a man, it’s not good after a long time, if anything happens, what do you want me to do?”

After hearing this, Qianlong really had a hard time answering, from Shunzhi to his fourth generation.Shunzhi fell in love with Dong E's family, and Dong E's family died young, but Shunzhi died of depression.Kangxi fell in love with Axiu, but Axiu had another love, and it was difficult for her to become a monk in Huanggutun.Needless to say, the father, but he fell in love with the married woman Tang'er deeply in his heart - it was the seed of infatuation.But can this kind of feeling be dispelled by one or two quotes from a sage and a few words of persuasion?Qianlong thought.It was difficult to answer, so I had to bow and say, "Yes. It's getting late, my son should go back, and my mother will go to the theater tomorrow, so my son will not disturb me. How many people will my son meet tomorrow? , if the time is still early, my son will also go to have fun." After saying that, he retreated and went back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to lie on the couch, tossing and turning just thinking, until the clock struck one o'clock before Zi Wei Chou fell into a deep sleep.

Sigege Aixinjueluo Qingying's fiftieth birthday was arranged with unusual excitement.From the three old aunts of Shunzhi to more than 30 daughters of Kangxi, only 13 or 14 princesses lived past the age of 50. She is considered a "longevity" princess.Seventeen Gege and the others came last night and passed on the Queen Mother's order: not only the Queen Mother must watch the play, but the emperor must also come. No princess Gege has ever had such dignity.Several of her sons and daughters-in-law stayed up all night, canceled the church meeting, and set up a platform on the waterside pavilion.The theater viewing place on the shore is low, fearing that the Queen Mother might not be able to see clearly, all the servants were sent out overnight, and the loess was used to raise it three or four feet higher, and more than a dozen weeping willows with a thick bowl mouth were transplanted and planted on the loess platform. A layer of fluffy green grass.When the day was approaching, the actors from Luqingtang came, and one after another, Princess Gege went to the hall to pay their birthday wishes, but no one came to greet them, and they dared not ask.Just when he was wondering, a housekeeper rushed over and pulled Wang Xiong, the head of the Luqing Hall, and went to the west corridor room to put a large ingot of silver on the table, saying: "This is Dingyin, tell the actors, take out Be energetic and work hard, the Empress Dowager Lafayette will come to see the play immediately, and the emperor will come too!" Wang Xiong was overwhelmed when he heard it: "This time I will go to sea in person, sir, please give me the order of the play!" The butler handed it over for a while A piece of paper, when Wang Xiong watched it, the hat show was "Magu Offers Her Birthday", and the following is:

"Burning Red Lotus Temple" (full bed wat) "Golden Bough" "Mulian Rescue Mother" "Wang Xiang Lying Fish" "Pick the Pulley" Wang Xiong murmured: "This is a common play, it's not difficult. But my lord, "Picking the Tackle" is about the battle between the Yue family army and the Jin soldiers, which is not in harmony with the national system, what should I do if I annoy the master? Besides this "Hitting the Golden Bough", look at the little ones today, all the princesses here, why did you choose this play? Don't you want a little eater?"

""Picking the Pulley" was ordered by the sister-in-law of the twelfth forehead. She didn't understand it, and she was not an important person. I decided to delete this one." The housekeeper pondered: ""Da Jinzhi" was ordered by Shiba Gege himself. , she is the sister of the mother and compatriots of the current Long Live Lord, if you act like a spoiled child, you have to let her take care of you even if you live Long Live, so you don’t have to worry about it—that’s it.” After saying that, he hurried away up.All of a sudden, I heard calls from outside:

"Lafayette is here!" A group of princesses heard this, and the chatter and laughter immediately calmed down.Wang Xiong peeped through the window, and came out one by one in order of seniority, and the exquisite nuns guarding the porch hurriedly followed their masters to meet the queen mother—each princess brought four nuns, all of whom looked solemn , with a calm demeanor.After a while, I heard the Empress Dowager and some old concubines chatting and laughing as they entered the second door, the princesses kowtowed together, the princesses greeted An and got up, and the nuns also greeted each other.They were all married by the old palace people who had served the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, and they cheered in unison: "The old master is healthy!"

"Forget it, get up." The queen mother seemed to be smiling.Looking at the thirty or forty princesses who came to celebrate the birthday, some of them are recognized, and some are not very familiar.Smiling, she said to Qingying who was by her side: "Last year you brought Gege from Lao Jiu's family, a very smart girl, I love her very much, but she didn't go to the palace again after that, is she here today?" Qingying was stunned. After a while, she lowered her eyebrows and said: "She is not blessed. She passed away after the Lantern Festival this year. I was afraid that Lafayette would be sad, so I didn't dare to say it." Let's watch a play, the emperor said, he will come in a while." As soon as she said this, everyone was in awe, and respectfully retreated to the seats to watch the play according to the order of the class.Sitting with the queen mother under the weeping willows on the Shitaizi, Gege Qingying watched the actors performing on the waterside pavilion from the other side.The queen mother sat in the middle, Sigege and Qigege sat side by side on the left side, and the empress sat on the right side. There was also a carved dragon chair vacant, waiting for Qianlong to sit with her.Seeing that everything was in order, Si Gege got up and said with a smile: "Lafayette Queen Mother, although today is my birthday, in fact, you have already given me a long life when you come. After a while, it will be "Magu's Birthday", I wish you a long life, old man , Long live the emperor. Let's have a good time, what do you want to eat, I'll ask them to arrange it for you." "What is a thousand years old." The queen mother smiled and narrowed her eyes. "Who has lived a thousand years? There are dozens of them here today, a large group of old aunts and younger aunts. Some of them know each other, some I don't know, this way of sitting, no matter how you look at it, it looks like we are arranging a women's court meeting, so uncomfortable. According to me, whoever knows someone well and gets along well can sit in one place, and there is no need to fix a room. One, it’s about seniority, closeness, and status, so you’re afraid of being impolite when watching a play, don’t you think so?” Sigege and Shiqigege laughed hurriedly: “Yes! Lafayette It’s called empathy for human nature and natural justice!” The group of princesses was so eager for this edict, they immediately became a chaotic group, calling sisters and sisters, looking for aunts and nephews, each looking for their acquaintances, crowded and crowded, so lively, that kind of solemn and solemn The atmosphere suddenly disappeared, and only those old and strange mothers stood in place as if they were still logs. With the sound of gongs and drums, it has begun.The one playing Magu is Xiaodan Xiangyun, who is well-known in Beijing, and her sleeves are dazzling.A group of female fairies danced to the music, ribbons fluttered all over the stage, and cigarettes curled up. It really felt like being born in the air. The Magu sang: Worship the Queen Mother, leave the Yaotai, and step on the colorful clouds in the sky.When I look back suddenly, I can see the majestic tower of the sky, and the emperor's kindness and fate are still in my arms.Overlooking the majestic mountains and rivers in the world.I would like to offer these thousand-year-old flat peaches to the Buddha and the Tathagata, and pray for millions of surnames, good men and believers, to carry this blessing together, and wish the world, the virtues of Emperor Yao and Shun, and the grace of mothers all over Caolai... Wang Xiong pretended to be an ugly boy, dressed like a butterfly among the "fairies", turned somersaults and made funny faces, and joked: "Now the World Buddha is sitting opposite. Since your old man has just been to the Peach Blossom Festival, why don't you take advantage of the peach blossoms?" Erxian, don’t you hurry up and offer it to Lafayette?” "It is also!" That "Magu" flicked her long sleeves, and immediately the stage was filled with white mist.When the fog cleared, each fairy had a small plate of peaches in their hands—although it was not the season, the Beijing Fengtai florist Liu's family had already planted May fairy peaches.The green leaves are paired with the big fairy peaches with red tips, which are fresh and delicate. Each person has a plate, and floats along the long bridge of the curved corridor next to the waterside pavilion, until they reach the bottom of the earthen platform, and salute upwards, saying in unison: "Congratulations to the old man. The Buddha, the master and the wife are as blessed as the East China Sea and Shoubi Nanshan, and I wish Sigege a thousand years, a thousand years!" The queen mother smiled happily: "Princesses, two each, put a plate here, and we will enter when the emperor comes!" Pointing to "Magu" and laughing: "Reward them!" "Yes" Si Gege agreed, the family members had already prepared, and the money made by Qianlong was carried out and sent to the water pavilion, and fell on the stage with a "bang", and the actors didn't care about "immortals". He kowtowed his head and dispersed, lying on the stage and desperately hugging the money in his arms.The Empress Dowager, Empress Fucha, and a group of concubines from the Nala family below them, and all the princesses, big and small, were laughing. Then he began to sing the main opera, singing according to the point.The monsters danced wildly, the monks cast spells, and the smoky atmosphere was very lively.When it came time to perform the second piece of "Wat on the Bed", it was quieter.The queen sighed beside him: "For someone like Guo Ziyi, there are really not many officials who are rich and honored, and the seven sons and eight sons-in-law are full of blessings." Si Gege smiled and said: "This is all a play, why take it seriously? Guo Ziyi is not so big in history. Credit, the emperor gave him a favor once, and he was worried, is the emperor's favor so easy to bear?" "Fourth Sister's words are interesting. Everyone and ministers think so, the monarch and ministers live in harmony, and the country is in great order!" Suddenly, someone behind him interrupted. When Si Gege and Qi Gege turned around, they saw that it was Qianlong who had quietly come up from behind at some point, and everyone was so absorbed in watching the play that they didn't even see it!At this time, "Full Bed Wat" has been sung.The princesses in the audience knelt down one after another, and the actors also knelt and kowtowed on the stage.The Empress Dowager ordered the emperor to be seated without courtesy, and said with a smile: "Even I was taken aback, have you seen anyone? Why didn't you bring your Sixteenth Uncle, Hong Xiao, Hong Sheng, Hong Xi? Today is Our natal family has no taboos about seeing our aunts." Qianlong laughed and said, "There is no meeting in the military aircraft department of the study room, and they each have errands, so they can't come. I followed the train of thought when I met my mother last night, and met a few of them. Little minister, people like Liu Tongxun rushed over after a few words of confession. This is the first time I have seen a play since I took the throne!" He made a fuss at Gao Wuyong, saying: "How should we act? Go ahead and sing, Don't jump into the rank of official, I don't like to watch hat shows." Gao Wuyong agreed, and went to pass the decree. The play started again, that is, "Beating the Golden Branch" Guo Ziyi tied his son to the palace and folded. He played it to the fullest.Xiao Guo Ai is exactly his son's disguise, but he has a depressed and fighting spirit on his face.Guo Ziyi shook his head and trembled, and asked regretfully: "My child... Aren't you afraid of death?" "My child, I am not afraid of death!" "Hey... You ignorant and bold bastard, follow my father to face you!" Qianlong laughed and said, "It's a pity that we don't have such a son-in-law! This play is so interesting. There are a large group of golden branches sitting under the stage, but there are golden branches on the stage! Who ordered this play?" "Your Majesty," there was a table next to the concubines in the audience, suddenly a 20-year-old Gege got up and left the table, went to the front of the stage and knelt down, raised his face and did not kowtow, and said, "It's my show! I have something to report." play!" Her echo immediately caused a sensation in the audience.The princesses whispered, and the eunuchs and mothers all looked at each other in dismay.The queen mother was also stunned, and then she smiled and said, "Isn't this the 18th grid? Good boy, can you play the emperor after you have something to say?" Qianlong also laughed and said, "It's my little sister! Let's watch the show first, this is your order." Yes, if you have something to say, we can talk about it after the play, okay?" "After the play, the empress dowager, Lafayette, has gone back to the palace. Your majesty, you are busy with business again." Shibagege kowtowed and said, "After I finished speaking, the emperor killed my golden branch. I really can't stand it!" This Shiba Gege is Qianlong's youngest sister, she is very shy, gentle and polite when we meet occasionally, what's wrong today, she has become so stubborn?Qianlong thought for a while, then apologized to the queen mother with a smile: "I will talk to the eighteenth sister first, and see what she plays." The queen mother sighed and said: "I know what she wants to say. It's what Qi Gege cried last night. You came here to comfort Da Tong's "make military achievements, confer titles and worship generals". The words are not right." Qianlong asked in surprise. Said: "Eighteen sister, is it because your son-in-law has no errands?" "That's not what I want to talk about." Eighteen Gege said, "I want to ask, who is my man? Where does he live?" Qianlong's face became gloomy, and he said: "I should have asked you this. You have been married for five years, right? I usually see you as peaceful, why are you making trouble for no reason? Today it's not just the fourth aunt's. Birthday, and the Queen Mother and I are all here, don’t you care about the laws of the country and the family?” "I'm asking the truth!" Eighteen Gege immediately pushed back, "I am twenty-three years old, and I have been married to Ge Xinting for six years, and I have only met him ten times. He enters Gege's mansion at night and leaves when it is dark. I stayed in one place for three days for the wedding, and I didn't know why the late emperor married me into an empty house! To be honest, we met every six months, and it was night, and I couldn't recognize my man in the crowd during the day!" Qianlong smiled and said: "Sister, maybe he has been released on a foreign job? Don't be so angry. If you really miss him, you can just transfer back to Beijing tomorrow." "Your majesty, brother, you are wrong!" Eighteen Gege said in shock again, "He is working in the clan's mansion, and he lives next door to my mansion. It's quiet at night, and I can hear my man talking over there." Bird brand, guess the sound of the song after eating wine. Just don’t meet each other!” She pointed to a large group of princesses and said, “Look at us hard-working prisoners who are proud of the spring breeze, golden and precious Coptis people! How many of them are married before the age of forty They all have gray hair. Tailao aunt, old aunt, aunt, and little Gege like me, ordinary people call them aunts. Counting from Lord Shunzhi, there are hundreds of them. There are only thirteen ten-year-olds. A man has a wife and a daughter has a family. This is human relations. Why can’t I live with my man? I order this "Hitting the Golden Branch" today, and I also desperately eat puffer fish. The emperor and I are the same mother , is a holy grandfather. Pointing to the holy grandfather, I will play a copy. If you don’t listen to me, read it next year. Half of the "Golden Branches" here will die—Aunts, sisters, who dare to stand up Let me tell you, I'm not telling the truth, and I'll pay my death for this crime of deceiving the emperor!" After saying that, Tao burst into tears!She started to cry, and the group of princesses below were touched, some sobbed at their desks, some hid their faces and wept, and some burst into tears. After a good birthday, they turned Sai Ruxin's mourning shed! Thinking about her words, Qianlong saw a group of aunts, elder sisters, and younger sisters crying heartbroken. He couldn't help being furious, and asked, "Why is this so? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" "Ask these nurses!" Eighteen Gege wiped away tears, pointed to the ashen-faced and delicate nurses standing behind them, and said, "I didn't bring my nurses with me today, I just wanted to offend you." They!" She swept across the group of people with contemptuous and arrogant eyes, "You are old maids and old widows, so you prevent our husband and wife from reuniting! ——In terms of status, you are just lowly old palace people, just because you have ancestors If you teach us, you will become overlords! Didn’t you ask, Your Majesty, and talk with shame, we want to see our husbands, we have to bribe them first, otherwise she dares to say that we are 'shameless'! A princess is three thousand taels a year In the monthly example, more than half of it is used, and you have to pretend to be decent, generous, and luxurious! Why didn't you tell you earlier, because we are women, can you say these words to your son, the emperor?" Even the guards, eunuchs, maids, and a large number of nurses, maids, and old ladies in the courtyard were stunned by Shiba Gege's stupidity and boldness.It's not because she dared to be such a "brother emperor" and completely disregarded the courtesies of the emperor; it was her words that were astonishing, and it was tantamount to asking the husband and wife to live together in the same room in broad daylight and to stay with her husband every night. !Si Gege suddenly thought of himself, her husband in his fifties was close at hand, and at the moment he could only have a drink with a group of concubines outside the second door, "congratulate" his birthday, and he couldn't even see each other after the banquet, so he had to He went back to his "Consort's Mansion" and spent only ten nights in the same place for a whole year. He couldn't help feeling sad, and he was afraid that Qianlong would punish Shiba Gege, and he was afraid of causing trouble for himself, so he looked at the Queen Mother and Empress for help. .The queen muttered for a while, wanted to get up and talk, sat back down again, sighed and said to the queen mother: "Eighteen grid words are reckless, if the emperor is angry, I beg the queen mother to save you." The queen mother said: "The emperor may not be angry. These nuns sent out from the palace are too outrageous, the master took a few sips of milk from her, and just rely on this "credit" to overwhelm the master!" Qianlong stood at the entrance of the platform, glanced around with a livid face, and asked: "Are you guilty?" "Convicted!" Eighteen Gege kowtowed, "Your Majesty, just punish him!" "It's you who I'm asking!" Qianlong raised his voice sharply, and forced to ask the nuns standing behind Gege: "Aren't you guilty of deceiving the master with your slaves?" More than a hundred nuns trembled from his persecution, and immediately knelt down, begging for forgiveness while kowtow, in a mess, and couldn't hear what the group of women said. "Get out!" Qianlong shouted angrily, and this group of high-ranking servants who were pretending to be self-satisfied hurriedly kowtowed and stumbled out.Only then did Qianlong turn his eyes to his aunts and sisters, stared at them for a long time, and sighed: "No one can blame, and I will not blame anyone. Some of these nuns are good, and some are kind. In the future, the princess Ge Ge got married, and the House of Internal Affairs no longer sends nuns. The existing ones are considered your domestic slaves. The princess will live in the same courtyard with her son-in-law in the future—that’s the deal. If there are nuns, they will still receive the punishment money from the palace. Boy, you can just fight out, just send it away—" He suddenly chuckled, "This is your family business, as sung in "Hitting the Golden Branch", it has nothing to do with my country, I don't care!" The princesses Gege and the princesses were like rain and dew, but it was difficult to say thank you words, so they left the table together, and everyone kowtowed with suppressed smiles.The queen mother said with a smile: "My son, this is a good emperor who is physically and naturally conscientious, and this is a great family like a family! - It is also a happy day for the fourth brother-in-law to ask all the brothers-in-law outside to come in." , wouldn’t it be more interesting to watch a play as a couple?” "Success!" Qianlong returned to the queen and sat down, "Follow the mother's order. Eighteen princesses will be granted the title of Princess Heshuo!"