Chapter 3 The third time entrusts the southeast to marry the fourth princess Gu Northwest rewards the horse kite

In February, the solar terms of the second dragon raising its head have passed, and the snow on the palace of the Forbidden City has not yet begun to freeze.There is a thin layer of frost hanging on the rim of the large gilt copper vat. Although the water in the vat is changed every day, it is still covered with spider silk fine lingering. After serving Kangxi's breakfast, Xiao Maozi, the chief eunuch of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, was ordered to go to the West Pavilion of Qianqing Palace to exchange for the casket that Kangxi had reviewed at night. When he came back, Kangxi had already gone out.I saw Zhang Wanqiang, the eunuch of Liugongdu, with Hou Wen, Gao Min and other eunuchs sweeping the floor, dusting and wiping the table.He rolled up his sleeves to help tidy up, and asked Zhang Wanqiang with a smile, "Eunuch Zhang, where is Long Live?"

Zhang Wanqiang took a Duan inkstone, rubbed the ink and replied: "Si Gege came back from Zhaoling, the Long Live Lord was very happy, and ran away without waiting for the sedan chair. Now that he is in the Chuxiu Palace, I am afraid that the Lafayette will also go Woolen cloth!" This Sigege is the daughter of Kong Youde, the king of Dingnan who was enfeoffed in Guangxi, and her real name is Kong Sizhen.After King Dingnan died, the Empress Dowager adopted her into the palace and treated her like a daughter.Like La Aunt Su Ma, she watched Kangxi grow up.For some reason, after Emperor Shunzhi's visit, Kong Sizhen, who had a strong temperament, suddenly became depressed.She was originally the daughter of a general and possessed martial arts skills, so she asked to be allowed to live in the mausoleum of the former Emperor Wei.The empress dowager couldn't help it, so she was promoted as a first-class bodyguard, and she went to Zhaoling for nine years.It is a rare thing to come back suddenly today.

Xiao Maozi didn't know the root of this matter, he adjusted the cinnabar and said with a smile: "The emperor should be more relaxed. Since the bad incident in Ao Zhongtang last May, he has been meeting people, approving memorials, writing, writing, etc. for seven hours a day. Doing arithmetic, the past few days is one thing and another thing, even the fifth watch dusk, it is harder than Xiaojiazi to earn a living, and you are covered in iron, how many nails can you drive?" Zhang Wanqiang smiled with his bare chin: "You don't have to be smart, don't expect me to deliver these words to you in front of the emperor-it's true to say that last year and today, who of us would dare to think that such a tyrannical figure like Ao Zhongtang , Hulabah is gone! Even the books told by Guer Xianer in the teahouse outside may not be as lively as this."

Xiao Maozi was still listening with a smile at first, but when he looked back, the hour hand on the chiming clock had already pointed to the early noon, and it was time for Kangxi to read the memorial: "Ouch, I almost missed it when I was talking." He ran out and went straight to Chuxiu Palace, the Queen's main hall. Chuxiu Palace was very lively.The Empress Dowager was sitting on the soft chair commonly used by Empress Hesheli's family, and the imperial concubine Niu Hulu, Wei Gongren, and several promises and constant presences stood beside her.The high-ranking maids Mo Ju, Xiao'e, Channi, and Hongxiu waited behind them holding the middle bar.Kangxi stood behind the Empress Dowager and gently beat the old man's back.Aunt Su Ma is a monk, and the queen is the master, who gave her a seat below her.Only Kong Sizhen was a distant visitor, and Da Huang'er sat opposite the Empress Dowager, holding a teacup, listening quietly to what the Empress Dowager said:

"You've been here for so many years. Others don't know what to do. I can see that your temper has not changed at all. How can a woman be an official and never marry for a lifetime? The only girls in front of me are you and Sister Man In particular, they are even more arrogant than the princess. Sister Man doesn't talk about her anymore. Although she has grown her hair, she is already a Bodhisattva. How can you be an old girl in her twenties without getting married? No, I’m not afraid that people will scold me behind my back. My own daughters are all married, and none of the adopted ones are married. As I was talking, I turned around and saw Xiao Maozi coming in, and said: "Little Maozi, the boss, come again Urge your master to suffer? "

Xiao Maozi heard this as soon as he entered the door, he quickly knelt down to pay his respects, and said with a smile: "How dare a slave? This is all the regulations set by the Long Live Lord!" "It's up to me to make the decision today. It's rare for the fourth girl to come back. Ask their aunts and nephews to sit down for a while. You stand aside." The little Maozi kowtowed, and it was inconvenient to say hello one by one, so he went up to greet Kong Sizhen, and said with a smile: "Little Maozi greeted Si Gege——Master Lagu Su Ma is my aunt, and I heard about Si Gege a long time ago." Like the master's sister, and a visitor from afar, I have to kowtow to you more! You should also be a servant's aunt." In a short while, he recognized another aunt.

Seeing that Kong Sizhen didn't know Xiao Maozi, the queen laughed and said: "This is the chief eunuch in front of the emperor. He is a fine hoxen. He saved Sister Man's life, and he is the best at climbing poles. Fourth aunt beware of him." Laughed. Kangxi didn't smile, but accompanied Xiaoxin and said to Kong Sizhen: "The young hero Sun Yanling mentioned by Lafayette just now is also someone who was used by King Dingnan. I have met him a few times, and he speaks and behaves politely, which is very good. Now Lafayette is in charge, pointing out Fourth Aunt to him is really a perfect match. Fourth Aunt will know when she sees him!"

Only then did Xiao Maozi realize that he wanted to assign Kong Sizhen to Sun Yanling, Kong Youde's subordinate, so he didn't make a fuss, but he heard Kong Sizhen reply: "Lafayette, the emperor and the empress have already said a lot, and they are all for my own good. If I refuse again, it's like I don't know how to flatter. Then...then... just resign yourself to it. Think about me, Kong Sizhen, who has been supported by Lafayette since his father died. Like a daughter, I shouldn't..." "By the way, that's what you said!" The Empress Dowager knew that Kong Sizhen had always been in love with Emperor Shunzhi in the past, and she was afraid that she would bring up the old affairs with Shunzhi again. Seeing her agreeing, she couldn't help but look very happy, so she stopped her and said, "It's basically the same as my daughter. Well—Emperor, I mean Jin Sizhen is Princess Heshuo, what do you think?"

"That's the way it is." "Did you hear me, little boy? The fourth princess wants to marry, and the dowry must be generous." "Take it! It's all on the servant. According to the princess's example, add five thousand silver—" "Ten thousand!" Kangxi said loudly. "Zha—ten thousand." La Aunt Su Ma was sitting by the side, but when she heard this, she couldn't help laughing and said: "Si Gege, I don't care whether I am a monk or not, so I want to laugh at you. Everyone is a husband and wife, and you are a husband and wife." It's expensive." Kong Sizhen blushed and didn't speak.

"It's time," Kangxi turned to the front with a smile, and said with a bow to the Empress Dowager, "Grandson is going to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. There are a few papers that must be approved today. I was scheduled to see Shaanxi today. Admiral Wang Fuchen, see Sun Yanling tomorrow..." Before he finished speaking, he heard a faint sound like a cow roaring from the southwest direction outside the palace. The palace lanterns in the corner of the hall swayed like a swing.The doors, windows, and couches shook like swings. "God..." Xiao Maozi cried out, "what's the matter?" His face became pale, and his father Hulu staggered a step, his body shook and fell down.

"Earthquake!" Empress Hesheli stood up in shock, and said sharply, "Little Maozi, Mo Ju, protect Lafayette and the Emperor and get out!" The empress dowager ran into the yard without touching the ground.Only then did Niu Hulu wake up, and was about to go to help Kangxi, but Kong Sizhen was the first to tuck Kangxi out.The two commanded the eunuchs and maids to work together to lift a few chairs and follow them out, and put the chairs on a piece of blue brick floor that was not against the walls. At this moment, two more violent tremors were heard from the center of the earth, and houses in the distance collapsed, raising yellow fog all over the sky, covering the Forbidden City in darkness.The beams and columns of the palace creaked.The empress, imperial concubine, and all the deacons and eunuchs stood silently in the violently shaking courtyard.The Empress Dowager and Aunt Su Ma put their palms together and closed their eyes, and sat down with their palms together, chanting Buddha in their mouths. Only Kangxi sat in the middle calmly and looked up at the sky. "Long live," Xiong Cilu's resonant voice came from the flower gate of Chuxiu Palace: "Long live, Xiong Cilu, Suo'etu, and Prince Kang Jieshu are here to serve you." "Come in!" The three ministers bowed in. Seeing that the Empress Dowager and Kangxi were safe and sound, they could not help but breathe a sigh of relief and knelt down one by one. At this time, just after the noon card, the earthquake hit even more fiercely. The majestic Wufeng Tower and Dianzi Pavilion, as well as large and small private houses, and shops in one street and two rows danced with the sky and the earth; Colorful red clouds roiled together, covering the universe in darkness; after a while, wind, hail, thunder and lightning broke out together, and the purple-blue lightning illuminated the panicked faces on the street.In the densely populated areas from Yongdingmen, Hademen to Dongzhimen, people support the old and the young together. The children are struggling and crying in the arms of their mothers, but the adults are looking up at the sky with dull eyes, praying for safety. .From time to time, the sound of tall and dangerous buildings collapsing could be heard in the distance, and the whole capital was screaming and panicking. When the earthquake first struck, it had only been three days since we waited for the wedding ceremony of Wei Dongting, chief of the Weishanpu camp, and his cousin Shi Jianmei.Since there was no one in Shi Jianmei's natal family, Mrs. Xiong Cilu took her to Quan Zuo and returned home.It was originally agreed that I would go home tomorrow.When something like this happened, how could Shi Jianmei care about it?Then he pulled out a frenzied bay red horse from the stable of Xiong's family, pulled the rein and flew up, twitching wildly and galloped back to Wei Dongting's mansion on Hufang Bridge.Just after passing the Xihua Gate, he saw his husband Wei Dongting waving a sword and fighting with a red-capped military officer holding a halberd in both hands, so he reined in the horse and watched intently. The white-faced and beardless military officer with brows like crouching silkworms was over forty years old. He was a head taller than Wei Dongting. He sat on a war horse like half an iron tower.Wei Dongting was the guard with the highest martial arts before Kangxi, but because he was not good at horse fighting, no matter how he stabbed and stabbed, he could never gain the upper hand.Shi Jianmei didn't have time to think about it, so she pulled out a silver hairpin from her head, used it as a hidden weapon, and flew towards the back of the man with a flick of her hand.Unexpectedly, the man was really good, Jing immediately turned backwards out of thin air, the silver hairpin shot straight at Wei Dongting's sword, and was beaten without a trace.Shi Jianmei couldn't help being furious, she untied the gold belt around her waist with a swipe, and jumped into the battle group.Just as they were fighting hard, they suddenly heard a roar of laughter from the gate of the palace: "Hahahaha... Brother Huchen, newlywed Yan Er, the husband and wife are so interested in fighting the Guanxi horse kite together!" Hearing a cry, the three of them stopped their hands together. It turned out that Tuhai, the admiral of the nine gates, was wearing a sword in uniform, holding an edict in his hand, and shouting loudly: "Imperial decree, Wang Fuchen will see you immediately!" Wei Dongting hastily stepped forward and bowed his hands to Wang Fuchen: "The tiger minister is a guard, and he doesn't know how to handle the military, so I pray for forgiveness." "Where, where, there was a collision just now with a martial artist." Tuhai laughed loudly at the side, "Hahahaha, we don't know each other without fighting. Let's go, the Holy Majesty is waiting for you. Hu Chen, come too." Wei Dongting greeted Shi Jianmei to go home first, and then entered hand in hand with Wang Fuchen.At this time, the major earthquake had passed, and the vicinity of Chuxiu Palace had completely returned to calm.Aftershocks hit from time to time, although the windows and doors of the main hall still made cracking sounds, they were no longer so scary.Twenty court ladies and forty eunuchs outside Danchi lined up in order, and the stars guarded Kangxi around him.Two precious fans and a long gauze screen surround the back.Jie Shu, Xiong Cilu, and Suo'etu stood up and knelt aside, and everything was no different from the daily court meeting. After saluting, Wei Dongting stood up and stood beside Kangxi.Because it was the first time for Wang Fuchen to enter the pilgrimage, when he was chatting in Shanxi, he also heard some rumors about the palace troubles, how the Holy One privately hired Wu Ciyou, a failed candidate, as a teacher, and how he used Wei Dongting's new recruits to capture Oboi. , but now I really meet these people, I am excited and a little curious.While kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times to meet the audience, he sneaked a peek at him and saw that Kangxi was wearing blue satin cool-leaf soap boots, wearing a caramel-colored river silk cotton gown, and an azurite single-gold dragon jacket. Standing tall, with elegant demeanor, one can't help but be in awe. Kangxi looked at him with a smile and saluted and said, "General Wang, please get up and talk." "Zha!" Wang Fuchen agreed loudly and stood up. "What a good-looking man! I have long heard that the general has a strong back, and his reputation is indeed well-deserved. I just heard that because you didn't follow the special order, you were blocked by Wei Dongting in Xihuamen diplomacy. I don't know how the outcome will be?" "General Wei is a holy majesty holding up the jade pillar in front of the sky, how can I do it." Wang Fuchen didn't expect Kangxi to be so easy-going, and his tense heart relaxed. "That's not necessarily true." Kangxi looked up at the yellow sky, and sighed softly.Kangxi knew in his heart that Wang Fuchen had already been moved, so he changed the subject: "I commissioned Nalan Mingzhu to go to Shaanxi, and the governor of Shanshan and Shaanxi, Mo Luo, and the governor, Bai Qing'er, went to Beijing to question the crime. Where did you come from? How is it going?" Wang Fuchen couldn't figure out the meaning of Kangxi's question, so he didn't open his mouth for a while, and then he played back after a while: "Bai Qing'e has been dismissed from his post as guardian. Mo Luo went to inspect Shanxi before the imperial envoy arrived. Master Ming has sent someone Go tell him." "I didn't ask this. The people of Xi'an handed over Wanmin Zhe, praising the two of them for their honesty, and imploring the court to spare them serious crimes. You have been in Pingliang for many years, and Lenovo asked if this matter is serious." Wang Fuchen and Mo Luo have always been at odds, but Mo Luo is an upright official, and the two provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi are well-known, so he can't tell lies.He swallowed a mouthful of saliva, cleared his voice and said, "Mo Luo has been an official for many years, and he borrowed fifty taels of silver for his mother's birthday. This time, when he checked Baiqing's balance, he only had sixteen taels of silver. These are the facts. , I dare not lie!" "I heard that you are at odds with Molo?" "Return to the emperor's words. The matter between me and Mo Luo, General Walger, is a personal grievance, and what the emperor asks is a state matter. I can't abolish private interests because of public affairs, and I dare not abolish public affairs because of private interests." "Okay, Minister of the State, a heavy weapon in the country, should have such courage, what is your background?" When asked about his background, Wang Fuchen trembled, kowtowed repeatedly and replied: "My ancestors are humble, but I came from Kubing." Ku Bing guarded the treasury for the imperial court. Although he was rich, he was looked down upon by others.Wang Fuchen has always regarded it as a great shame and a great shame;But the emperor had to answer the question truthfully, so as soon as the words came out, tears filled his eyes and his voice seemed a little choked up. Kangxi was also surprised, and he sighed for a moment: "I don't know that you come from such a humble background. But since ancient times, the great husband, Lie Lie, and Hero have more humble backgrounds than Qing! The trouble of a great hero is that his career is not established, and other things are insignificant." .Zhang Wanqiang!" "The slave is here!" "Let the decree be passed on to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Wang Fuchen's family will leave their nationality and raise the flag, and change to be a subordinate—" Kangxi pondered for a moment, and felt that it would be better to make it bigger as a human being, so he said decisively, "The Han army is raising the red flag." "tie!" In order to appease Wang Fuchen, Emperor Kangxi carried his whole family into the flag registration, and it was "the Han army is facing the red flag." This special kindness moved Wang Fuchen to tears. If he was not afraid of being rude in front of the emperor, he would really speak loudly. Cried. Kangxi said calmly: "You take care of yourself. I wanted to keep you in Beijing, and we could see each other day and night. But in Pingliang, without a capable general like you, I am even more worried. There are many troubles in the west and south. I have to rely heavily on your horse kite." The people next to him listened to these words easily and plainly, but the word "west side" sounded like thunder to Wang Fuchen.He, a despised untouchable who was born in the Kubing army, first followed Hong Chengchou in the southern expedition after joining the army, and after the peace of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, he returned to Wu Sangui's temperance.In a few years, due to his military merits, he was promoted from an ordinary soldier to a governor and a key official in the frontier.Wu Sangui treated this Wang Fuchen who was transferred to him as undressing and feeding him, which was better than treating his own children and nephews.Later, Wang Fuchen was transferred to Pingliang, and Wu Sangui had to give him tens of thousands of silver every year.Therefore, in the past few years, Wang Fuchen still stepped on two boats between Kangxi and Wu Sangui, and neither side dared to offend.Now that Kangxi mentioned the "west side", he was obviously worried about Wu Sangui, and Wang Fuchen had to express his attitude. Thinking of this, Wang Fuchen hurriedly kowtowed and said: "The emperor entrusts the ministers to seal the border, and sends the ministers with the heart. The kindness to the ministers is as high as the sky and the sea is deep. If the ministers are ungrateful, they will not only have no face in the world, but also despise the ancestors! Please rest assured, my lord." .Once something happens in the west or the south, even if the minister is heartbroken, he will not fail the grace of God!" Kangxi seemed a little excited, his eyes sparkled, and only now did he see your sophistication and maturity, which is no match for his age: "It's not that I don't trust anyone, it's just that I really don't want such a person to stay away from Beijing and endure hardships in the border court." As he spoke, he picked up a pair of four-foot-long silver-made Bolong and Leopard-tailed spears from behind his seat, thought for a while, then put one back, and said emphatically, "These pair of spears were left by the late emperor. My bodyguards, I have to list them before the horses every time I go out. You are a servant left behind by the late emperor, and nothing else is worth giving. I will give you a gun here, and you will bring it to Pingliang. Seeing a gun is like seeing me; I keep one by my side, seeing a gun is like seeing you." Wang Fuchen's complexion was pale, and he couldn't help sobbing with excitement: "The Holy Grace is so great! Although the slave is so heartbroken, he can't repay the Holy Grace. Dare to use all his strength to repay the Holy Grace." After speaking, he took the gun with trembling hands, and slowly He stepped back and resigned, and just after leaving the Chuhuamen, he couldn't control his gratitude anymore, so he covered his face and burst into tears.