Chapter 3 Prequel to Empress Dowager Cixi (1-2)

Empress Dowager Xiaohe was the stepmother of the late Emperor Xuanzong, with a strict and resolute nature, and fearful concubines. Using her as a comparison, it is obvious that the empress ruled the six palaces, lost her tolerance, and thus indulged the emperor invisibly, indulged in sensuality, and gradually became ill. .How can I bear this guilt? The queen finally moved!Surprised more than angry, but all attributed to anxiety, asked Concubine Ji Yuyi and said: "These words outside are a little harsh on me, but they are really good words. Look, what should I do?" "Of course I invite the queen to persuade the emperor more."

"Hey!" The queen sighed heavily, "Isn't persuasion enough? You said it, but he perfunctory it in front of your face, and forgot about it when you turned around. What do you think can be done?" "Of course there is a way. I'm afraid the queen will be generous and won't do that!" The queen was silent again, she understood what she said, but it is really not easy for her to restrain the concubine's inheritance with the authority of the middle palace, considering her character. Concubine Yi could clearly see the doubts in the queen's mind.She always does not say anything about anything, and once she does, she must succeed. After spending a long time in scheming and talking, she has persuaded the queen, and she seems to be wavering if she doesn't want to.If you lose all your previous efforts by a short distance, it will be even more unsatisfactory.But this shortcoming is of great importance, and a few words must be thought out carefully, and they will penetrate into the Queen's heart at once, and the color will be seen immediately.After a moment of hesitation, the queen will think about the width, and then the wind and clouds will disappear, and there will be no tricks.

Turning her thoughts around like this, she quickly thought of a very powerful move. She deliberately recalled the past more than ten years ago. Broken street, the master is dead and no one will carry her." She has no relatives or friends to take care of her, and she has left a large debt. As the eldest daughter, she finally showed her face and said all kinds of good things to scrape together a sum of money to go back to Beijing.I can't forget the night mooring on the Yangtze River, the cold wave whimpering, sleeping with my younger siblings in the back cabin, listening to the sound of my mother caressing the coffin and crying in the middle cabin.

As long as these memories are touched, Concubine Yi can't help but her eyes turn red, and her nose twitches.The queen, who was in deep thought, turned her face when she heard the sound, and was surprised to see her taking out a handkerchief from her sleeve and quietly wiping away her tears. "What's the matter? You!" It's okay if you don't ask, but when you ask, Concubine Yi's face is full of tears, she slips down to the ground, kneels in front of the queen's kang, choked up and said: "The emperor is 'seeing red' again today! How can this go on like this?"

The emperor's "red phlegm is seen from time to time", and hemoptysis is also common, but it seems that the concubine Yi's condition is particularly serious when she cries and reports like this. The empress was flustered, and only patted her on the shoulder, repeatedly comforting: "Don't cry! Don't cry! "But persuading others verbally like this, my own eye circles are also red. At this time, Concubine Yi recalled the happy days when she was in the Yuanmingyuan "Spring in the Heaven and Earth", with bead lamps on the road and jade chariots traveling in the clear, and she often received the favor of the emperor. Years of painstaking efforts, thousands of households, and the royal garden with golden and green buildings have been destroyed by the fire, and the handsome, elegant, and literary emperor is left with only a disjointed and sick bone. How can he not be heartbroken?Therefore, her tears, which originally came from other people's intestines, indeed shed the true feelings of grief and loss, and moved the most soft-hearted queen even more.

"Queen," Concubine Yi cried and said again, "If something happens to the emperor, elder brother is only six years old, and the power falls into other people's hands, will we orphans and widows still be able to live?" The choked and shrill voice completely controlled the queen's emotions, especially the last sentence, which shocked the queen.She remembered that when she was with the emperor, she always sat and talked politely and calmly. The emperor often told her the stories in the "Compendium of Mirrors". I also know a little about the past of bullying orphans and widows and usurping my own generation.It would be an exaggeration to say that Sushun is a traitorous minister, but his domineering is common to all, and he is only against Concubine Yi in front of him. For the face of the emperor?Thinking of this, I broke out in a cold sweat. I never expected that one day, I would face the threat of this "orphan and widow" being controlled by others!

So, the queen picked up Concubine Li's handkerchief, wiped away her tears, blew her nose, and called Concubine Yi's nickname in a deep voice, "Lan'er! Don't cry! Let's discuss it." Then, she got down from the kang and helped Concubine Yi up. Concubine Yi was still sobbing, but she finally put away her tears and walked into the back room suite with the queen.It was the most secret place in the whole bedroom, it was originally the residence of Shuangxi, the queen's close confidant, and the two of them sat side by side on Shuangxi's bed and talked in secret.

"Look at the emperor's illness, how is it?" the queen asked with her brows furrowed.Concubine Yi thought for a while, and replied in a resolute tone: "I have to go back to Luan before I can get well!" "how?" "Hmph!" Concubine Yi sneered slightly, "Didn't the imperial physician's pulse record say 'pure heart'? Here, there are the three of them, Su Liu, changing their recipes to make fun of the emperor. Can you come down? I heard that the emperor thinks Concubine Li is too honest. They even found a widow Cao outside for the emperor. If they are a bit stronger, they say they are going to go hunting. Look, deer. , Rabbit, I didn’t hit it, but I was fascinated by the vixen!”

The empress didn't think much of Concubine Yi's sarcastic tone of satirizing the emperor, but what she said was deeply rooted in the emperor's illness.Zaiyuan and Duanhua are two useless people. Their only ability is to guide the emperor to pay attention to sensuality. If there is a so-called Widow Cao, it must be the tricks of these two people. Therefore, even the loyal queen couldn't help gnashing her teeth and scolding: "Zaiyuan and Duanhua are really nothing!" Concubine Yi immediately interjected: "Without Su Liu's idea behind the scenes, they wouldn't dare to be so bold."

"Hey!" The queen sighed, "I really don't know what to do? If I go back to Luan, I don't even need to mention it!" "Then we can only try to make the emperor 'pure heart and few desires'!" "That's right! This is the only way." The queen paused for a while and then said, "I don't know who else is serving the emperor this morning except Concubine Li." "It's easy to handle. Ask to check the diary file of the respect room, and you will understand everything!" "Yeah!" The queen nodded, got up and walked out, went to the window, and shouted:

"Come on!" The maids of honor came in response to the double happiness.The queen ordered Chen Shengwen, the chief eunuch of the Chuanjing Office, to submit the diary file for review.So the court lady passed on to the eunuch, and the eunuch passed on to the Jingshi room. After about two quarters of an hour, Chen Shengwen, the head of the eunuch in the palace, came to see the queen with three diary files recorded from the first day of the first month of this year. The respect room is dedicated to "handling all affairs in the palace in compliance with the imperial edict", and the diary files are the daily notes of the emperor after he retreated to the harem, sleeping and eating, remembering everything.The queen took the file in her hand and turned it from the back. The previous page recorded everything about yesterday. In one day, Concubine Li was summoned twice to serve in the East Nuan Pavilion in the afternoon and in the imperial study in the evening. The most famous is: "Long Live Lord returns to the palace on the second day of the first lunar month, and Concubine Li is with him." Looking forward, the names of Concubine Li are everywhere, and occasionally there are records of concubines Qi, Concubine Wan and others being summoned. Concubine Li's favor from rain and dew is insignificant. The queen was very calm. After reading the diary, she did not mention Concubine Li, but only asked Chen Shengwen: "What's the matter with the emperor today? Is it important?" Chen Shengwen knew what he was asking, so he knelt on the ground and answered: "I invite you to drive me at the first moment of the morning. I drank the deer's blood and said that I felt uncomfortable in my chest and wanted to vomit. The little eunuch Jin Huan served the spittoon. Is it important or not, the servant dare not say!" "So, what kind of blood did you vomit?" "Maybe it's deer blood." Concubine Yi stepped in and asked, "What kind of blood is it?" Her voice was very firm, and it was clear that she must ask to understand.The eunuchs in the palace were all afraid of this noble concubine Yi, and Chen Shengwen was a eunuch with a brain, and encountered the most obstacles, so when he heard her tone, he panicked, and stammered: "I really don't know what the concubine Yi said. Did the emperor spit out his own blood or the blood of an animal?" As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Chen Shengwen realized that he was incoherent. How could he connect "the blood of the emperor" and "the blood of animals" together?As long as Concubine Yi picks her eyes, although she won't move her head, she will be beaten easily, and she will not be able to escape to Fengtian.Just as he was scaring himself and was almost trembling, fortunately the queen diverted the conversation. What the queen asked was, "Have you ever called the imperial physician?" Chen Shengwen hurriedly replied: "At the moment the imperial physician is asking for pulse at Dongnuan Pavilion." "Let's take a look!" the queen said to Concubine Yi. Arriving at Dongnuang Pavilion, peeping quietly behind the heavy curtain, I saw the emperor lying on a soft armchair, stretching out a hand for the kneeling imperial physician to take a pulse. This person wears a dark blue cap, and is Mrs. Luan, the envoy of the imperial hospital with the title of fourth-rank Jingtang.Just look at him kneeling straight on the ground, looking at his nose and heart with his eyes and nose, with a solemn and respectful face, but there is sweat on his forehead, and the three fingers of his right hand resting on the emperor's wrist are also trembling slightly.This made the queen very uneasy, if it wasn't for the bad pulse, Mrs. Luan would not have to be so terrified. Apart from the emperor himself, the imperial ministers, guards and eunuchs who were standing by almost all saw Mrs. Luan's expression, and had the same feeling as the empress.Therefore, the air in the hall seemed strange, everyone did not even dare to breathe, it was so quiet that they seemed to be able to hear their own heartbeats. The tense silence was finally broken, Mrs. Luan shook her head without the crown: "Your Majesty, Wan'an!" These four words are like the spring breeze blowing, which can thaw the glacier, and the sound of robes and gowns being moved slightly in the hall. First, Sushun came over, looked at Mrs. Luan and said: "The emperor is popular today, what is the reason? If you don't bother to tell the emperor, you can rest assured." Therefore, Mrs. Luan recited sternly: "Now the Grain Rain has passed, Lixia is coming, and the sun will rise in the earth, and blood will overflow. Carefully examine the holy pulse, both left and right are big, Jin Kui said: 'Men's pulse is big and tired', bothering and hurting." Qi is all because the emperor is vigilant day and night, and the troubles are too much." "So, how to cure it?" "Naturally, recuperation comes first..." "Repose, rest!" The emperor suddenly became angry, "I think you can say these two words!" Mrs. Luan didn't know what she said wrong, she was too frightened to open her mouth, she just lay down on the ground and kept bumping into each other. The power of the sky was unpredictable, the emperor often lost his temper for no reason, and his courtiers often received inexplicable reprimands. At this time, someone had to speak up, so as not to cause a stalemate, so Sushun shouted: "Back off! Hurry up and make a plan." Fang Jincheng." With these words, Mrs. Luan came to an end, knelt down and withdrew, her clothes already drenched in sweat.I had to rush to the House of Internal Affairs to gather my mind, write the pulse case, and draw up the prescription. Another official copied it in regular script, put it in a yellow box, and then sent it to the Internal Affairs Office, and presented it to the imperial court. At this moment, the Military Aircraft Department sent someone to invite Mrs. Luan, saying that she had something to ask.When he arrived at Junji Zhilu at the gate of the palace, he saw his subordinate physicians Yang Chun and Li Deli were already waiting.These two people are also well aware of the emperor's condition, and if they are called at the same time, they will know what the Minister of Military Aircraft will ask! So Mrs. Luan took the lead, went up the stairs and entered the hall, and saw Prince Yi Zaiyuan and Prince Zheng Duanhua sitting on the kang bed in the middle, and the other four military ministers were scattered on both sides, according to their titles and ranks, Mrs. Luan led them His subordinates kowtowed to say hello one by one, and then stood down below with their hands down, watching Prince Yi Zaiyuan, the chief minister of military aircraft, waiting for questioning. Zaigaki slowly took out an emerald snuff bottle from his purse, scooped up two spoons with a small ivory spoon, put them on the back of his hand, then touched them with his fingers and sent them to his nostrils, took two deep breaths, and then looked at his side Duhan said: "Jiyuan, you can ask him!" Du Han nodded, turned to Mrs. Luan and said, "Master Luan! My lord has something to ask you, you have to tell the truth, don't be shy!" "Yes!" Mrs. Luan agreed, but she was muttering in her heart, I'm afraid something might go wrong today! If you want to ask, there is only one sentence: "Can the emperor's illness be cured? If not, how many days will he be alive?" Son of Heaven?It's just that the wording is too vague and implicit, and I'm afraid I won't be able to scratch the itch, and I won't be able to ask the truth.Therefore, Du Han, the son of Du Shoutian, who was posthumously titled "Wen Zheng" because of his meritorious service as Yi Dai's assistant, is quite pondering at this moment. After thinking about it again and again, I really couldn't think of any good words that are tactful and dignified, and that don't make words harmful, so I could only think about it and say slowly: "Sheng Gong has been in breach of peace for a long time, and you are the one who presides over the medical care. Since the spring, rumors have spread in the capital, privately speculating about the emperor's illness! So... in your opinion, what's going on?" Luan Taiyuan had expected this question, but he didn't expect the phrase "Medical recuperation, you are the one who presides over the cooking"!It is unavoidable to feel disgusted by the tone that the "big event" has not yet been announced, and the responsibility has been determined.I was thinking in my heart that the imperial doctor was the most difficult thing to do, luck and fortune all depended on luck, the emperor happened to be born with lingering and intractable tuberculosis, and it was just bad luck that I encountered it, and Prince Yi and Prince Zheng specially catered to the emperor, Entertaining and sensual, his luck is even worse.That's all for nothing, but the emperor didn't listen to the doctor's advice and indulged in self-indulgence, and the two kings Yi and Zheng didn't reflect on themselves, but wanted to pass the responsibility for improper care to others, which was really unwilling. Mrs. Luan thought about it for a while. Anyway, in the future, she will not be able to escape from "removing the crown". In case of further investigation of the responsibility, she must first stand firm before she can keep her head!Thinking of this, I unconsciously straightened my waist. "Returning to Master Du, the emperor's illness has a long history. The source has been lost, and it all depends on taking care of it. Today, when I ask for the pulse, the real yin is withered, and the yang is rising alone. It is a dangerous phenomenon..." "Wait!" A loud Tianjin accent stopped him. It was Jiao Youying, who was called "Jiao Dazi" behind his back—a brave newcomer to the army. He consciously grasped Mrs. Luan's handle, So, why do you ask for your pulse today? 'Emperor Wan'an'? " Mrs. Luan couldn't help being amused when she saw his saber-rattling expression, and calmly replied: "For the sake of forgiveness, it is natural to say this. Since ancient times, doctors have been like this!" Jiao Youying hit a soft nail, and he couldn't get off the stage. His face was swollen, and the hemp seeds were shining. He said angrily, "Master Luan, you don't want to say the same thing as before, and another way behind!" "Master Jiao, please tell me what Mrs. Luan said behind her back?" Seeing that there was going to be a conflict, no matter who was right or wrong, it would be an unseemly joke for a fourth-rank official to contradict the Minister of Military Aircraft. Therefore, Du Han rushed to the front: "There is no need to talk about these idle words. Master Luan, How do you take care of the emperor's illness?" "Cultivating righteousness will eradicate evil. Putting an end to worries and tonifying yin and yang, after a hundred days, you will see great results." Mrs. Luan had reservations about what she said, but the words "If you raise the righteous, you will eradicate the evil" were too harsh, and the faces of the two princes became a little ugly. At this moment, Jiao Youying spoke again: "The emperor personally presides over the affairs of the people, and manages a lot of opportunities every day. Besides, the external aggression and internal worries have not been resolved. I want to ask the emperor to 'put away all worries'. Isn't this just for nothing?" Mrs. Luan was stopped by the question, and froze there, very uncomfortable.So Li Deli, the sixth-rank imperial doctor, took a step to the side in order to understand his situation, and stated more and more. "Lord Jiao sees it very clearly." He said, "These are the places where it is difficult to deal with holy ailments." This statement satisfied all the people sitting there, because he revealed a very good statement, and left room for anyone to shirk responsibility. As a result, the medicine stone has no effect, and it is beyond human power to restore it.If it is really "no", you will die of overwork, which should be the memory of future generations of subjects all over the world.Deriving Jiao Youying and Li Deli's words, even the emperor himself can rest in peace. This Li Deli's name is Zhuoxuan, he has mediocre medical knowledge, but his speech is exquisite and decent, he is good at understanding the psychology of the nobleman, and he likes to use ginseng, cinnamon, pilose antler and other precious medicines in prescriptions to cater to the nobleman's favor.Moreover, he has no pretensions as an imperial doctor, he travels to the rich and powerful, and always greets people with a smile, so he is very popular, and the princes and ministers he knows all regard him as a clean-fellow. He does not use his official name, but only "Zhuo Xuan". "Zhuo Xuan," said Prince Yi, "listen to you!" "The envoy's pulse case is very precise." Li Deli took care of his "official" first, and then said his own experience: "Fortunately, the emperor is quite able to take food, although it is well known that 'medicine is not as good as food'. It is often said that it is true. Now that the season is entering summer, the yang energy is rising, and there is a slight hindrance in the holy body. As long as the worries do not increase and the appetite does not lose, the midsummer will be passed in peace, and when the autumn cools, there will be a great improvement." These words are plain and easy to understand, unlike Mrs. Luan's verbal statement, it is also like writing a pulse case, trying to make use of words from medical books, which makes people half-understand and feel strenuous.So look at each other and express our appreciation unanimously! "Okay!" Prince Yi pointed at the three of them with his black, snuff-smearing fingers, "You should do your best! When the autumn coolness returns, I will guarantee you to change your hats!" "Thank you, my lord, for your cultivation." Mrs. Luan greeted her. "Does the lord have anything else to say?" Du Han asked, "If there is nothing else, let them rest!" "I don't have anything to say. Look at the others, there is an adult who has something to ask." Prince Yi looked around for a week, and finally fell on Prince Zheng Duanhua, raised his face and said: "Old Zheng!" Holding the hookah, Prince Zheng rubbed a piece of paper coal back and forth by himself. After rubbing it for a long time, he took the paper coal and tapped Mrs. Luan and said, "I advise you a word: work hard and keep your mouth shut!" "By the way!" Jiao Youying immediately continued: "Master Luan, you should remember that everything you say here, every single word, has something to do with it, and you can't leak a single word." "Yes!" Mrs. Luan agreed calmly, and led his subordinates back. These three people strictly obeyed the warning, and they dared not say anything when they got out of the military plane and went straight to the Lu.But the news leaked out anyway.With the eyes and ears arranged by Xiao Anzi, the words that Mrs. Luan and Li Deli said in front of the Minister of Military Aircraft were quickly transmitted to the inner palace, and passed into the ears of Concubine Yu Yi. The ears are naturally shocking!Concubine Yi paid special attention to Li Deli's words: "Spend the midsummer in peace, and when the autumn cools, there will be a big improvement." Doesn't this mean that this summer is afraid of being overwhelmed?Sure enough, it was a bit of a surprise! She bit her lip and mused, losing her mind for a moment, wondering if she should tell the queen or not?After thinking and thinking over and over again, I finally decided that it would be beneficial to me not to mention it for the time being.Because, this may be a "unique secret". But other than that, you might as well tell the queen about the rest, and you just happened to go and see what happened in person, so you immediately sent a message to enter the Ye Zhong Palace. After listening to Concubine Yi's slightly exaggerated report, the queen was deeply astonished.There is a big discrepancy between the imperial doctor's face-to-face performance and the statement to the Minister of Military Aircraft.Of course, "for the sake of sanctity", the reason for concealing the disease in front of the emperor is obvious, so the empress firmly believes in Concubine Yi's words. After slowly smoking a bag of cigarettes, the queen finally made up her mind, "Go back first!" She said to Concubine Yi, "I'll do it!" Concubine Yi was inconvenient and inappropriate to ask more questions, so she answered "Yes" and withdrew.Before leaving the palace gate, he knew the queen's method. "Chuanyizhi," was Shuangxi's voice passing the message to the eunuch: "Where is Concubine Li? Coming soon! " Concubine Yi was secretly proud, she had been busy all morning, and finally achieved her goal.But there is hope, it is best to be present in person, watching how the queen reprimands Concubine Li, that would be really enjoyable! However, if she was really present, she might not be happy.The empress is naturally generous and peaceful, and never speaks harshly, so summoning Concubine Li is only to persuade her, if she expects her to put down her face and reprimand Concubine Li, then she must be disappointed. "Do you know what I mean by looking for you?" The queen asked the kneeling Concubine Li. "Please enlighten the queen." "Get up! I have a lot to ask you." When Concubine Li stood up, the empress rejected the maid of honor just like she did to Concubine Yi in the morning, and brought her into the bedroom, but she didn't go to sit on the kang—sit by the dressing table, and let Concubine Li stand and answer. "Yesterday you served the emperor all day?" "Yes." Concubine Li replied: "Last night, the emperor approved Liu Ye's notebook, and I was the one who served the pen and ink." "It is said that the emperor chatted with you for half the night, what did you say?" "The emperor told me about going to the study with Liu Ye back then." "Oh!" The queen paused for a moment, and asked again: "Is the emperor still taking that 'medicine' for a while?" Concubine Li knew what medicine she was referring to, she blushed and forced a smile and said, "Where do I know?" The queen thought to herself: There is absolutely no reason why you don't know!But both of them are still young, so they can't talk about the affairs of the house with a straight face, so they can only ask: "Do you know what the imperial doctor said today?" With this question, Li Fei's eye circles turned red!Biting his lip and shaking his head, he replied, "I know without telling!" "Hello?" Her answer caught the empress's deep attention, she thought for a while, nodded her head and said: "You are often in front of the emperor, you should know the most about the emperor's illness, tell me honestly! " "Your Majesty," Concubine Li looked very embarrassed, as if she was suffering from being unable to talk about it, she finally burst out after a long while, "Your Majesty is so skinny!" The queen's heart sank, she stared blankly at Concubine Li, not knowing what to say.Everyone can see the thinness of the emperor's face, so why use Li Concubine to talk about it?It can be seen from this that her words meant beyond words, referring to the fact that the root of the emperor's illness is too deep! The empress bowed her head sadly, looked at the ground and said: "You should also know something! Always advise the emperor, cherish your body, don't let his temperament make trouble!" There was a sense of reproach in the words, Concubine Li was both terrified and wronged, "The empress is wise!" She knelt down on her knees, "Don't I know that the emperor's health is important? I don't know how many times I have persuaded the emperor, please take care of the emperor. Just listen to persuasion. If you speak more seriously, the emperor becomes anxious, blushing and scolding me thickly, "It's so insensitive! I don't know how troubled I am, and I don't want to find a way to relieve my boredom. I just talk nonsense!" Empress, do you think I dare to offend the Emperor?" As he spoke, he took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and covered his sniffling nose. From her handkerchief, the queen's memory was triggered, and by the way, she warned her: "You should also check yourself. Don't throw the things you use around, and let the outside see it. It's not decent." The dressing table drew a bucket, and returned the handkerchief she had lost in Dongnuange. Concubine Li now fully understands that listening to the empress's training at this moment is entirely caused by Concubine Yi.With the emperor in front of me, she is a backer after all, so she won't suffer a big loss. If the backer falls, the mother is more expensive than the son, and she will immediately become the empress dowager. Nothing more than a day of tears!Thinking of it this way, she was so anxious that she fell on the queen's lap, sobbing and crying very sadly. This is the case with Concubine Yi in the morning, and it is the case with Concubine Li in the afternoon!The queen knew in her heart that it was the same tears, which seemed to be sad for the emperor's illness, but in fact she was crying about her own future.How to do it?The queen had nothing to comfort her except to cry with her. While crying, Concubine Li thought, just crying a few bowls of tears won't help, the queen is loyal, she should express it as soon as possible, so she choked up and said: "If something happens to the emperor, I have no choice but to go with the emperor! I beg the queen to make the decision for me." No matter how honest the queen was, she would not believe that Concubine Li would die in the future. Her last words were naturally alluding to Concubine Yi.If there is that unlucky day when the two palaces have the same honor, and he doesn't give all the orders, I'm afraid that he can only protect Concubine Li one point at a time.Therefore, the queen, who felt that she was exhausted, couldn't help but sigh: "Oh! Only blame your own stomach for not living up to expectations! " This said, just hit the saddest part of Concubine Li, she cried more and more.Her pregnancy was still before Concubine Yi, but Xianfeng gave birth to a daughter in the fifth year. If she gave birth to a boy, she would be a big brother. Everything in front of her and in the future will be completely different. The queen was very regretful and should not have touched her hidden pain.Seeing Concubine Li bursting into tears, but she couldn't help persuading her no matter what, I couldn't help feeling anxious and a little annoyed.At this moment, the court lady Shuangxi hurried in to report: "Long live God is here!" This time, Li Fei's tears were immediately blocked back.The queen also stood up, looked at her red and swollen eyes, thought she was not suitable to see her, and said, "Hurry up and avoid it!" Then he went out of the bedroom to meet the emperor. Four young eunuchs carried bright yellow soft sedan chairs and had already arrived in front of the hall. The queen welcomed them in. After seeing the ceremony, the emperor got up and said, "Sit in your small study! Be quiet there." The queen's small study is also a suite, with bright and clean windows, very elegant.The emperor took off his winter hat and slumped back on the soft chair, and the empress quickly took a brocade pillow and put it behind his head. "Hey, I'm so tired!" "Aren't you tired?" the queen interjected, "I'm busy day and night." The words were intended to be ironic and persuasive, but from the Queen's mouth, no matter the tone or tone, there was no sharp edge, so the effect was just the opposite, and it sounded like an extremely considerate sentence.The emperor showed his white teeth and smiled very gratifiedly. At the same time, he stretched out a skinny hand and shook the queen's hand affectionately. So Shuangxi winked, and the maids retreated quietly, waiting on the corridor from a distance. "You sit too!" "Yeah." The queen broke free, pulled a brocade, sat beside the emperor, took an apple from the big ice tray on the coffee table, and peeled it with a small foreign knife with a toothed handle. Seeing her drooping apricot eyes and slender fingers like onion tubes, the emperor suddenly felt touched, and said with a slight sigh: "Oh, unfortunately, I was born in the emperor's family." The queen looked up at him, not daring to reveal the melancholy in her eyes, and asked with a smile, "Where did such a complaint come from?" "Complaints? I have a lot of complaints! Don't mention them." He didn't mention it in his mouth, but he couldn't help yearning for the realm of Mr. Guijie in his heart.What the emperor envied the most was the Red Hanlin from Tsinghua University. He was talented in literature, famous in public affairs, and his family didn't need to be rich. As long as he lived well, he would close the door when he was tired of carrying wine and looking at flowers, choosing colors and soliciting songs. No matter what happens, being accompanied by a gentle and honest wife like the queen, and a considerate concubine like the concubine Li, this is the best chance in life. Thinking like this, he asked, "Do you know who I envy the most?" The queen was slightly surprised, and while handing a peeled apple to the emperor, she said jokingly: "As the saying goes, 'If you become an emperor, you want to be a fairy', I'm afraid it will be the emperor." "'Chang'e should regret stealing the elixir, Bihaiqingtian is heartbroken every night!' What's the taste of being a fairy?" "So, what does the emperor want to do?" The emperor took a bite of the apple leisurely, and said slowly: "Zhengde of the former Ming Dynasty named himself the 'General Soldier'. I used to think he was whimsical. In the past two years, I have understood his state of mind! Yamen, let me choose one, I will definitely choose the Imperial Academy or Zhan Shifu." "Why do you want to come here?" The queen laughed, "Hanlin is leisurely and expensive, but the taste of the 'big exam' is not pleasant!" "The 'Big Exam' is only once every three years..." Right at this point, Shuangxi announced in a very crisp voice outside the door: "Long Live Lord Qizuo, the internal affairs department will enter the yellow box." With a sound of "Dang", the emperor threw the apple he had just bitten into the silver spittoon into the silver spittoon, "Look," he said to the queen, "not even a piece of fruit is allowed to be eaten raw!" As he spoke, he stood up with difficulty , Stepping out of the queen's small study. The yellow box entered by the internal affairs office at this time must be a military newspaper delivered by a special messenger.Sure enough, it was Zeng Guofan, governor of Liangjiang, who played from Qimen camp, saying that Zeng Guoquan's army attacking Anqing was surrounded, and all Qing troops were restrained and could not be dispatched to help. Zeng Guofan decided to move from Qimen camp Dongliu on the north bank of Anhui personally supervised the division to save the crisis.This was a big change in the military. The emperor was meditating in the corridor with his hands behind his back. No one dared to speak loudly in silence, the only exception was the six-year-old prince. The elder brother, who was running, jumping, and screaming, immediately changed his appearance when he saw the emperor. He stopped laughing, knelt down to pay his respects, and called his father in Manchurian: "Ama!" "Well, good! Let's have fun. Don't fall!" The elder brother stood up, took two steps back, and then slipped away quietly. This was all trained by "Ada".But "experiencing" cannot be regarded as a "master" who preaches and dispels doubts. At this moment, the emperor saw the elder brother and remembered a big matter that had been in his mind for a long time, and he had to discuss it with the queen.So, I sent Zeng Guofan's memorial to the Military Aircraft Department, and I will discuss it again tomorrow morning, and I went back to the queen's small study. What he wanted to discuss with the queen was that it was time for the elder brother to go to the study.According to the traditional rule, the prince entered school at the age of six. As early as last year, the emperor issued a decree, ordering "the ministers to select the Confucian ministers who are worthy of being awarded the post." Among them, Li Hongzao, recommended by the scholar Peng Yunzhang, was in the emperor's heart At this time, you might as well ask the queen what she means. The queen also knew about Li Hongzao.He was originally an old man who "studied". King Chun, King Zhong, and King Fu had all read books with him, and they all praised "Master Li's thorough lectures".He once told the queen in private that "Master Li looks like the emperor", so the queen was deeply impressed, and she agreed with the emperor's consultation in her heart. But the empress is cautious by nature, and she has always been reluctant to express overly affirmatively about such important matters, so she replied: "It's not enough to be eloquent. I don't know if you have real talents and practical learning? How about your character?" "Hanlin's background is not far behind in learning. As for character, he has been in Henan's "Xuezheng" for the past three years and has a good reputation, so one can imagine." "That said, it couldn't be better." The queen replied happily. "I think it's him!" The emperor said with a little emotion, "Brother's study of classics should be more grand. I originally wanted to go back to Beijing to do it, but now we can't delay it any longer!" "Then let Qin Tianjian choose a day to open the study." "No, I'll pick it myself." The emperor usually reads a wide range of books, and he also knows a lot about the study of star fate.At that time, I received Shi Xianshu from Shuangxi and chose to enroll on the seventh day of April.After the date was chosen, it was discussed to send someone to take care of the study, and this task fell to the imperial minister Jing Shou.Princess Shouen Gulun, the sixth daughter of Emperor Xuanzong of Jingshou, is the emperor's brother-in-law. Everyone in the palace calls him the "six forehead son-in-law". Interfering with the authority of the master can also make the elder brother feel jealous and dare not be naughty, so he is a very suitable candidate. So the next morning, the emperor drove to the imperial study, first wrote a Zhu Yu and put it away, and then summoned the military aircraft. The ministers of military aircraft, led by Prince Yi Zaiyuan, held the yellow box in their hands, Jiao Youying opened the curtain, and entered the hall to salute one by one. Before they had anything to say, the emperor first handed over a Zhu Yu to Sushun who was standing beside him. Even Sushun didn't know about this Zhu Yu, so he took it in his hand, read it briefly, then stood beside the imperial book case, held it up with both hands, and waited for the military ministers to kneel before proclaiming the decree loudly: "Big Brother started school on the seventh day of April. Li Hongzao acted as the elder brother's master.This! " After reading, put Zhu Yu into the yellow box and hand it over to Prince Yi, so that the military aircraft department can transfer the cabinet, and "send the imperial edict clearly". So Prince Yi made a speech to praise Shengming as usual, he is not very good at eloquence, and these few words that he caught on the spot before Chengcheng, he was swearing at each other, and the praise was not appropriate.Fortunately, the emperor was used to Yourong and the others, when they saw that he couldn't continue, they brought up something else, interrupted him, and resolved his embarrassment. What the emperor mentioned was Zeng Guofan's memorial, and asked what their proposed method was? "The ministers have already met. Ask Du Han to give the emperor a detailed report." Prince Yi said, turning his body slightly so that Du Han could face the emperor. The emperor nodded and granted Prince Yi's request. "Show the emperor," Du Han first congratulated, "Thanks to the emperor's blessing, the siege of southern Anhui has been lifted. Zeng Guofan's original saying in Qimen that 'go this step, there is no place to die', now he asks to move to Dongliu, it can be seen Zeng Guofan has already grasped the situation in southern Anhui." "Hmm, um!" The emperor felt that his analysis of these few words was concise and profound, so he nodded deeply in agreement. Seeing the emperor like this, Du Han became more and more energetic. "As for Anqing, although it is hard to avoid, it is also a battle between the bandits and the beasts. Zeng Guofan personally transferred the supervisor, which is enough to boost morale. In addition, there is Hu Linyi in Hubei. Sitting in the town, food and pay, painstaking planning, and opportunities in the cave, we will be able to fully support Zeng Guofan and Zeng Guoquan. In the future, Anqing's military affairs will definitely change. Once Anqing is over, the flood bandits will not be enough! This is all wise and wise by the emperor, and he will be instructed. Thousands of miles are the merits of seeing. So Zeng Guofan, please move to Dongliu as the governor, and plan to do as you ask." After finishing speaking, he kowtowed on the ground. "Good, good!" The emperor greatly praised, "Write an order to see!" It was not only the emperor who was delighted, but also Sushun who was standing behind the throne.Zeng Guofan, Hu Linyi, and Zuo Zongtang were able to make great use of them, and Sushun did his best to mediate and protect them. Therefore, Du Han praised the emperor for being good at employing people, and indirectly praised Sushun's contribution. "As expected of the son of Du Shoutian, he is very knowledgeable!" Sushun thought in his heart, "If there is a chance, I will promote him well." The six ministers of the military aircraft in Rehe all took Sushun's will as a transfer, especially Jiao Youying, as long as they saw Sushun, they must pay attention to the complexion on his face. , and greatly admired by Sushun, I couldn't help being envious and jealous in my heart, so when I returned to the military plane, I couldn't get interested in writing the purpose and wrote it myself. The minister of military aircraft received the emperor's ruling in person, which is called "Chengzhi". In the early years of Qianlong, the Minister of Military Aircraft "written the decree", and then slowly transferred to Zhang Jing who delivered the military aircraft to write.However, important and confidential instructions are still sometimes carried out by the Minister of Military Aircraft.Jiao Youying was the foreman of the military aircraft Zhang Jing, and was promoted to the Minister of Military Aircraft. In order to repay, he often volunteered for these drafts instructing military strategies, but he kept silent on this day. Du Han knew it well, so he didn't want to break it out, so he only suggested to Prince Yi: "Let Cao Zhuoru handle Zeng Guofan's notes!" The military plane Zhangjing set a rule of eight Manchu and Han people, divided into two shifts, each shift has a foreman, Manchurian dialect is called "Dalami", today's "Dalami" is Cao Yuying, the word Zhuoru, in terms of qualifications Above Jiao Youying, the "Dazi Military Aircraft", which was at the end of the military aircraft minister's shift, should have belonged to him in the first place. In fact, it was Cao Yuying who was protected at the beginning.That was last October.The emperor "toured" to Rehe and was unable to return to Beijing for a while. He regarded "walking in" as a formal court, and many routine government affairs were also moved to Rehe. Among Zhang Jing's foremen, select the senior ones with excellent performance.So Sushun discussed with Yi, King Zheng and other military ministers, and decided to protect Cao Yuying according to the rules.This was a fateful encounter, but Cao Yuying tried her best to confess herself, saying that her talents were shallow and it was difficult for her to take on the important task, so she resolutely resigned, and in this way, Jiao Youying was fulfilled. Cao Yuying's resignation from the appointment of Minister of Military Aircraft can be said to be a surprising and strange event.Therefore, there are many speculations, some people say that he doesn't know how to praise, some people say that he is ashamed to be recommended by Sushun, these are all scratchy words, only those who really understand the court situation can know the reason: Cao Yuying is a person whom Prince Gong admires, He must not be promoted by Sushun to become a "Sudang". Therefore, when Prince Yi heard that Du Han mentioned Cao Yuying, he felt an unreasonable disgust in his heart, and frowned and asked, "Where is Guiqiao? Let Guiqiao write it!" Guiqiao is Jiao Youying's nickname. The ministers of military affairs were all sitting up in the room. Jiao Youying naturally heard Prince Yi's words. He was not as ignorant as Cao Yuying. I have a headache, and I want to hide away. Since the prince ordered, I will write right away." Du Han sneered inwardly, but he didn't show it on the surface. Instead, he said cheerfully, "It's great to get Guiqiao's big pen! And it saves me trouble, so I don't need to say it again." During the conversation inside, Zhang Jing, the military plane on duty outside, could hear clearly, and knew in his stomach that Jiao Youying and Du Han were competing in secret.But no one said a word, everyone was writing quickly, and Zhang Jing of the military machine must have the ability to write a thousand words in one stroke, with a strong tone, and every detail, to be qualified to "state the purpose".Otherwise, you can only do some trivial chores of sending and receiving transcripts, and in the eyes of the Minister of Military Aircraft, you will be a dispensable "black Zhangjing". In just a short while, the drafts of the decree were sent to the foreman one after another. Cao Yuying reviewed them at the speed of a few lines at a glance. The box is presented.The emperor sent them out whenever he saw them, and they were still corrected and proofread by Zhang Jing of the military plane. Some of them were handed over to the cabinet for copying, which was called "Mingfa Shangyu", and some were sent directly to the governors of various provinces or ministers of military command, called "Tingzhi", which was used for cover. The silver seal of the Military Aircraft Department approved the daily travel distance: whether it is "four hundred miles", "five hundred miles", "six hundred miles", or "six hundred miles to speed up", and it was delivered to the Victory Report Office of the Ministry of War.The daily official duties of the Military Aircraft Department come to an end here.After filing and closing the cabinet, everyone can leave work except Zhang Jing who is on duty. These officials who are away from home cannot bring their families with them, and there are no places to visit and entertain in the local area, so after work, they either play cards or drink. If they don't like both, they can only visit each other and talk.Junji Zhangjing is well-informed, so there are the most visitors. Some come to inquire about news with a purpose, and some are just bored and want to hear some insider stories.Especially at Cao Yuying's place, in addition to everything he was doing, there was also news from the capital, so the house was full of guests every day, and at least three tables had to be opened for dinner to be able to handle it. But this day is different from the previous days. In the past, when you get out of the car and enter the door, you can always hear acquaintances chatting and laughing in the hall, but this day it is very quiet, almost no one is heard.Cao Yuying couldn't help being surprised, she stood still and questioned the room: "Is there a guest?" "Master Zhang from the Ministry of Rites, Mr. Hu and Mr. Shen from the Imperial Academy have all been here. Mr. Hu sat down for a meeting and said he was going to congratulate Mr. Li. He just left not long ago." "Oh, oh!" Because of the few guests, Cao Yuying understood. "There is also Mr. Zhang from Beijing in the hall," said the room number, "I have never seen it before. Tell him that Mr. Zhang is not at home, and please leave a message if you have something to do. Mr. Zhang must wait, saying that he is the master's younger brother." Fellow countryman." "It looks like I'm here to ask for help." Cao Sheng, the footman, added in a low voice. Sure enough, he was a little fellow who came from the capital to borrow money.Cao Yuying gave him ten taels of silver to send him away, and then asked Cao Sheng to pass a message to the number room, that all guests would be stopped, and it was rare for him to have such a leisurely day, so he had to calm down and think carefully. Changed into casual clothes, washed his face, drank tea, and played with two newly purchased inscriptions in the study alone. When Xin was in a daze, he heard the curtain hook ding Dong. When he looked up, Cao Sheng was pulling up the curtain. Facing his gaze, he said, "Master Xu!" It's Xu Geng, Zhang Jing of the military plane, who is the best friend of the same officer, familiar with each other informally, so he is not in the number room.He was also wearing casual clothes, stepped into the study leisurely, and said with a relaxed smile, "Qingxing is not shallow!" "'Steal half a day of leisure' is all thanks to Li Lansun." Cao Yuying also replied with a smile. "I just came from his place, and there are so many congratulatory guests, it's very lively." "That's right!" Cao Yuying said hesitantly, "It seems that I should also go to say congratulations!" "No, I've already said it for you. Anyway, early tomorrow morning, he will come to hand over the thank you book, so we can meet him." "Thank you for your concern!" Cao Yuying cupped her hands and said, "It saves me from changing clothes and going out." "Their news is really fast! It is said that before the edict reached the cabinet, there were already rumors outside, 'Brother's master, Zhubi sent Li Hongzao.' I don't know who leaked it?" "Anyway, it's not you or me." Cao Yuying sneered: "Huh! In our class, I heard that some people are not safe, and sooner or later something happens to know the benefits." Xu Geng thought about it and asked, "Could it be 'Burke'?" "Boke" is an cryptic term, and the allusion "Zheng Boke Duan Yuyan" in "Zuo Zhuan" is used, alluding to Zheng Xiying, the military plane Zhang Jing in Cao Yuying's class. Cao Yuying didn't want to talk too much, she waved her hand and called Xu Geng's nickname, "Uncle Xing! How is the brand going? " "Who are you looking for?" "Looking for...?" Cao Yuying pondered for a while and said, "Let's be my own!" So he wrote two small slips and called Cao Sheng to tell him, "Master Wang and Master Jiang are invited to play cards." They all live close to each other, and they can reach each other with one move.Military aircraft Zhang Jing, Wang Zheng, Jiang Jizhu, and Xu Gengshen, accompanied by their "Dalami", sat at the poker table.The servants brought by each stand behind to fill the cigarettes for the master. After eight rounds, Cao Yuying's family was defeated. After the bill was settled and dinner was served, the four guests, each occupying one side, except for the host, Wang Zheng was respected by all generations, so he was naturally the first. Although Jiang Jizhu was young, but his family name was earlier than Xu Geng, he took the second place.The host entertained guests with the Shaoxing flower carvings brought by the water grain ship and the yellow croaker fish, which are considered treasures among the jade food above. There are no outsiders, and there is no need to worry about drinking and talking, and the topic naturally falls on the few ministers in power.There is a set of adages they are accustomed to when nominating Taoist surnames. Prince Yi's "Yi" character is called "Xintai" when taken apart, and "Prince Zheng" is called "Er Jun", which is on the radical of "Zheng". Focus on.Du Han has the most pronouns, one is called "North Wei", which is derived from "Wei Du", and "Wei Qu" in the south of Chang'an City in the Tang Dynasty is in the north, and "Du Qu" is in the south, also known as "Tong Dian". , because the general code was written by Du You, or just use the general name of Du Fu as "Lao Du".Wen Xiang, the only military minister who stayed in Beijing, called it "Huzhou" or "Xingke", because Wen Tong, who was good at painting bamboo in the Song Dynasty, was born in Huzhou, and his characters were similar to Ke. To an outsider, these are all understandable after a little guessing, but some of them are really unimaginable!Sushun's nickname is "Palace Lantern", which is said to be the pictogram of the word "Su", and Kuangyuan is called "Jiaguan". For example, in the play "Dancing Jiaguan", a small gong is used, and its sound is "Kuang, Kuang". As for Jiao Youying, he used to be a colleague. In private, they always called him "Ma Lao" or "Ma Weng", and they have not changed it so far. , Even the palace lanterns have to treat him differently, Ma Lao wants to compete with him, isn't he overthinking his abilities?" "Ah!" Cao Yuying sighed, "It's a pity to pass the code! He is no better than Jiaguan or Ma Lao, and he is promoted entirely by palace lanterns. Why is he willing to be used by others? I think...he will be in trouble in the future!" Those who are guests don't make any noise, but they are all savoring Cao Yuying's last sentence in their hearts, what about the "future"?Is the palace lantern about to collapse?If the palace lantern doesn't break, how can Duhan be "unlucky"? "Ask Zhuo Weng," Jiang Jizhu couldn't help asking, "Look, Prince Gong has read the papers approved by his superiors, but what else will he do?" "What do you think?" Cao Yuying asked back: "What action should be taken? There is no need to mention the return to Luan, and the pilgrimage is not allowed. The palace lantern makes their brothers invisible for a while, this is the most ruthless move!" "I have an idea," Xu Geng said, "Why don't you let Xiubo come?" "That's not a bad idea!" Jiang Jizhu echoed, "On the one hand, let Xiu Bo come and see what's going on, and on the other hand, let us hear the news from Beijing." Cao Yuying nodded and asked Wang Zheng for advice: "Shaohe, what do you think?" "If Xiu Bo comes, the name is justified." Uncle Xiu is Prince Gong's confidant, Zhu Xueqin's alias.The military plane Zhangjing also has a Manchu and a Chinese class in the capital, and Zhu Xueqin is one of the foremen. For the official contact of the military plane department, Zhu Xueqin also needs to come to Rehe, so Wang Zheng said that it is "justified". With this said, Cao Yuying felt that Xu Gengshen's suggestion was feasible, and wrote a letter to Zhu Xueqin that night.On the surface, this letter seems unsurprising, but once the letter is overlaid with a "formula" with many frames dug out, the words and sentences that appear have a different meaning.This is the method of secret communication agreed between Cao Yuying and Zhu Xueqin. In the early morning of the next day, Cao Yuying took a "seal" with the silver seal of the Military Aircraft Department, sealed the letter, and marked it "four hundred miles". It was delivered to Beijing on the same day.