Chapter 37 Section thirty-seven

On the twenty-seventh day of the second lunar month, the emperor paid homage to the empress dowager to pay homage to Dongling.The princes and ministers staying in Beijing appointed five people, King Dun, University scholar Encheng, co-organizer University scholar Fukun, Hubu Shangshu Weng Tonghe, Zuodu censor Qi Shichang. When Luanyu left Donghuamen, Empress Dowager Cixi first went to Dongyue Temple to burn incense as usual, and stayed in Yanjiao Palace that day.On the second day, he stayed in Baijian, and on the third day, he stayed in Taohua Temple.On the first day of March, he was stationed at Longfu Temple, and on the second day of Qingming, it was the day when he set up Dongling Mausoleum in Puxiang Valley and performed earth-laying ceremony for the mausoleum of Empress Dowager Ci'an.

As soon as she arrived at Dingdongling, Empress Dowager Cixi rested in the side hall first.While drinking tea, he ordered: "Bring the gift list!" The gift list was prepared by the Ministry of Rituals long ago, where and what ceremony should be performed, each item is clearly written, once checked, it is submitted immediately. "What kind of etiquette is this?" Empress Dowager Cixi was furious, and threw the gift slip to the ground, "Let them redo it!" She really didn't want to bow down.It had been planned a long time ago, but when the incident happened, he was furious, so the officials of the Ministry of Rites were flustered and had to submit obediently. However, the situation has changed, and it is inconvenient for the officials to discuss the right and wrong of this matter.Even Princess Rongshou didn't know about this plan. Although Li Lianying had glimpsed the intention, she didn't dare to inquire, so she looked at each other in blank dismay at this moment, not knowing how to deal with it?

Of course, this was just a moment of hesitation, how dare Li Lianying resist at this moment?Quickly picked up the gift list, went to the front of the steps and asked loudly: "The official of the Ministry of Rites listens to the announcement!" The six officials of the Ministry of Rites were all present, so they rushed up, knelt down in order, and listened to Li Lianying's preaching of Xuan Yi's decree. Hearing Ming Yi's decree, the two ministers and four servants of the Ministry of Rites who were kneeling on the ground turned pale, only Yan Xu was calmer, but his face was pale, and his voice was already trembling!

"We need to fight!" He was furious and couldn't explain clearly. He also felt that he had lost his composure, so he calmed down and said again: "If this is not a fight, what's the use of court officials?" So, I stood up, adjusted my clothes, and stepped up the steps.Seeing that the situation was not good, Li Lianying stopped him and asked, "Lord Yan, what are you going to do?" "I'll play for the Empress Dowager face to face." Yanxu replied, "Director Li, please play for me first, I want to ask for it!" Seeing this scene, knowing that he couldn't be stopped, Li Lianying could only exhort anxiously: "Lord Yan, don't be rash."

"Yes." Yan Xu nodded, expressing his understanding of his kindness, "I will be careful." So Li Lianying entered the palace to play back for him, saying that Minister of Rites Yanxu had something to play back, and then suggested: "Let him talk to Lafayette outside the gate of the palace!" Li Lianying was deeply afraid that Yanxu's words would contradict him, which would anger the Empress Dowager Cixi. If it was difficult to accept, Yanxu would often let Yanxu play outside the door, and the palace would be far away, and the voice could not be heard clearly. , so that there will be no direct conflict.It's a good intention, but Yanxu can't understand it.

"Slaves cannot obey orders!" Yanxu knelt outside the door and yelled loudly: "The empress dowager is here today, she can't talk about the etiquette of the two palaces listening to the government behind a curtain, she can only act according to the emperor's rites before her death." The Empress Dowager Cixi was furious. Just as she was about to speak, Li Lianying scolded: "Yan Shangshu! No matter whether you are right or not, why are you talking to the Empress Dowager like this!" This is defending Yanxu, his sentence "It's reasonable or not, you shouldn't talk like this", just saying what Empress Dowager Cixi felt in her heart, she immediately calmed down a little, and told Li Lianying: "If you have something to say, let him get up and say it!"

Yanxu couldn't afford to kneel down, "The Empress Dowager does not regard her slaves as disrespectful, and ordered her to be in charge of the Ministry of Rites. Now the Empress Dowager is disrespectful, and the slaves do not fight, it is Gu En's duty!" He paused and said: "The family law of the ancestors must not Violation, slaves do not fight, even if they die, they will not see their ancestors. The empress dowager does not allow slaves to play, slaves kneel here and cannot get up!" "Hey!" Princess Rongshou, standing behind the Empress Dowager Cixi, whispered to herself in a funny tone, "You're lying here!"

Empress Dowager Cixi's disposition is a bit stubborn and not soft, and at this time she can't help being curious about Yanxu, but it's just a "yellow belt", it's like eating the guts of a leopard, so it's not surprising that she dares to contradict like this?Take a closer look at this man. "Let him in!" Faced with rebuttals when he came in, it would really cause an uproar.Princess Rongshou saw Li Lianying's begging for help, and immediately said, "Let him kneel down! Lafayette should change clothes. " "Cha!" Li Lianying agreed resoundingly, and turned to look at Ruifu, the palace maid who served the Empress Dowager Cixi personally: "serve the dress."

It is actually a plain suit, which is called a dress because of the taboo of the word.The preparations had been made long ago, and when the Empress Dowager Cixi was packed into the temporarily prepared bedroom, Ruifu led eleven companions to start together, and it would be over in a short while. Princess Rongshou was also helping to take care of her. As she bent down to tie the clothes of the Empress Dowager Cixi, she muttered to herself: "The strong wind knows the strong grass, and the toughness knows the loyal ministers!" "What did you read?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "Who do you say is a loyal minister?"

"Yang Tinghe." "Yang Tinghe!" Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "Yang Tinghe of the Ming Dynasty?" "yes." Empress Dowager Cixi was silent.When Emperor Wenzong died in Rehe, the empress dowagers of the two palaces brought the young emperor back to Beijing. At the beginning of listening to the government behind the curtain, Nanshufang Hanlin Fengchi compiled a book "Zhiping Baojian". Minister, speaking before the curtain.Empress Dowager Cixi had nothing to do in the palace, so she often used this book as a textbook to explain to her concubines and family members, so she remembered Yang Ting and this person.Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty played around too much, died himself, and had no children after his death. From Anlu, Hubei, he welcomed Houwei, the eldest son of King Xingxian, to inherit the Datong, and was named Jiajing.Emperor Jiajing wanted to respect his son, and called King Xingxian "Emperor Xingxian" and "Huang Kao", but the one who insisted that it was impossible was the chief assistant Yang Tinghe.

"Who do you compare Yang Tinghe to?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "The one kneeling outside the hall?" "Emperor Niang knows, why bother to ask my daughter?" Empress Dowager Cixi shook her head slightly: "He is not worthy!" "Although he is not worthy, he can learn." Princess Rongshou paused for a moment, and said in a low but clear voice: "One day someone here will change the list of gifts, use the words 'Huangsao', I hope the Minister of Rites will still be the same. It's the one kneeling outside the door!" Empress Dowager Cixi was shocked, she turned to look at Princess Rongshou, and said confidently, "He dare not!" This "he" is the "someone" mentioned by Princess Rongshou, and they all refer to King Chun.One day, if King Chun wanted to be the "Emperor Supreme", he would naturally refuse to use the rituals of his ministers, and would naturally change the list of rituals.If there is a minister of rites like Yanxu who dares to offend Yan Lizheng, then he is "the grass that knows the strength of the wind". Of course, on the day when the Empress Dowager Cixi was in charge, King Chun did not dare, but what about behind her?It's inconvenient to say this directly, and it's inconvenient to say it outright because there are court ladies around, so Princess Rongshou replied very reservedly: "I'm afraid there are Zhang Zhong and Gui E." Both Zhang Zhong and Gui E started their businesses in the "Great Rites" of the Jiajing Dynasty, catering to the emperor's wishes.It was only at this time that the Empress Dowager Cixi was completely enlightened.Yanxu adheres to the family law and Wenzong's etiquette in Japan, and he can't get up on his knees to fight. He doesn't intend to be against himself, but has the deep meaning of guarding against the passing of time and protecting the foundation of the country with etiquette. "You go out!" Empress Dowager Cixi ordered to the maids. "Yes." Ruifu took the lead in agreeing. "Wait!" The Empress Dowager Cixi slowed down her voice, "Which one of you understood what the eldest princess said? Tell me, if you are right, I will reward you!" This "reward" is not greedy!Rui Fu hurriedly replied: "How does this servant understand?" Empress Dowager Cixi's complexion changed: "Stop talking nonsense if you don't understand. Anyone who talks too much will be beaten to death!" The ladies in the palace were all trembling with fright, and some even quickly covered their mouths and retreated quietly. Soon, the Empress Dowager Cixi, supported by Princess Rongshou, returned to the side hall. Her expression was calm and peaceful, and she ordered Li Lianying to deliver an edict: to salute according to the list of ceremonies entered by the Ministry of Rites. The weather of "mountains and rain are about to come and the wind fills the building" suddenly turned into light and wind and the moon, and the princes and ministers outside the temple were restless and waiting with bated breath, all praised the saint.Yan Xu also immediately became a hero, but they all just cast admiring eyes, but no one dared to talk to him about it, because the deep meaning contained in it is a huge taboo, talking too much about disasters, it is appropriate to imitate the golden man.