Chapter 14 Prequel to Empress Dowager Cixi (7-1)

Supervising the "Henan Anhui Suppressing Bandit Affairs Minister Sheng Bao", together with the former governor of Zhili, he was dismissed from his post because of the internal crimes of the British and French allied forces, and his defense was weak. Respectfully invite the Empress Dowager to bow to Yian", this is a move that even Cao Yuying never thought of, and I have to admire Shengbao's ingenious move. In Shengbao, this action is easy, but Sushun and Duhan, etc., regard his light yellow zhezi as heavy as the top of Mount Tai, and use the strength of a lion to fight a rabbit to parry it. , you can see the cleverness of Katsuho's move.

Duanhua was the first one who couldn't hold his breath. He shook two sets of please-an brochures in yellow silk hard-mounted envelopes in his hand, and asked Mu Yin loudly: "Old Mu, you have been in the military aircraft for the longest time, have you ever seen this kind of novelty?" trick?" "I've never seen it before." Mu Yin shook his head and said, "In this dynasty, there is only a precedent for ministers to pay respects to the Supreme Emperor, and there has never been a rule to pay respects to the Empress Dowager." "Then what do they mean?"

What means?No one knew that it was intended to flatter the Empress Dowager, especially by putting the notes for the Empress Dowager and the notes for the Emperor together, it could be clearly expressed that greeting the Emperor was just a form of etiquette.The six-year-old emperor didn't know what greetings were meant at all, and paying respects to the queen mother was a real expression of respect. Zanxiang Minister of State Affairs, under the orders of the first emperor, to help protect the young master, they denied the qualifications of the queen mother to accept any salute from foreign ministers, the queen mother is only the "mother" queen, before the little emperor failed to take charge of the government, they had to let them speak for the little emperor , Complete the system of "pro-bong Lunyin".The Queen Mother does not have an independent status. If she has an independent status, she can take over the power of the emperor and make Minister Gu Ming useless for "supporting government affairs"!

Therefore, each of Gu Ming's eight ministers felt the blow, "This case cannot be opened!" Sushun sternly expressed his determination to stop it. position will be shaken immediately. "Yes!" Duhan echoed, "Once this example is opened, there will be speculation, and there may be someone who suggests hanging the curtain. At that time, it will be difficult to suppress it." "Jiyuan's words are good." Zaiyuan made a reminder: "Let's discuss what to do!" "Reject him." Sushun said to Jiao Youying, "You write an edict, and send it to the superior for reading later."

"This...?" Jiao Youying hesitated.Zhang Jing, who has been working in the military aircraft for more than ten years, has drafted many decrees, with various tricks in them, but this is the first time he has broken the question, and he doesn't know how to write? Duhan saw his difficulty and said, "Of course it's not just about rejecting it. If it's not in line with the system, it will be easier for the Ministry to discuss it." "I'm afraid it's not very good?" Mu Yin objected, "I pay my respects to the queen mother. If the emperor wants to punish this minister, it will cause controversy."

"What are you afraid of!" Sushun sneered, "The more you are afraid of things, the more troubles you will have. Jiyuan's idea is good, so I will hand it over to the Ministry for discussion. Also, how can I use Huang Zhezi during this period? Write it down too." This is the crime of wanting to add!Can An Zhe still use Bai Zhezi?Mu Yin was thinking like this in her heart, but she didn't dare to say any more. At this moment, Cao Yuying appeared at the door. He had always been called to the Zhilu Minister of Military Aircraft. Naturally, he had a particularly urgent business at this time and needed to ask for instructions in person, so Sushun left Jiao Youying's side, waved and shouted: "Zhuoru, what's the matter? Come in, come in!"

"Yes." Cao Yuying held a letter in his hand, walked in the door leisurely, greeted the general manager first, and then said: "I have a good news, and I am here to report it to all princes and lords." Everyone was deeply interested in this statement, everyone thought about it for a while, but they couldn't guess it was He Xixin?Only Duhan said: "But what news is there in Beijing? Please sit down and talk. " "There is news from Jingli." He looked at the chair that Su La brought over, and sat on one side, looking at the letter in his hand: "Jingli got the news that An Qingke has recovered..." With just this sentence, Gu Ming Bachen whispered in unison: "Oh!" All of them bent forward.

"It was recovered on the first day of August. Master Wen asked Zhu Xueqin to notify me and pass it on to the princes and lords, saying that the news is absolutely reliable. Since Zeng Guofan has not reported it, it is inconvenient to use official documents." After finishing speaking, he put the letter in his hand , and handed it over to Jiao Youying who was seated next to him. Jiao Youying didn't dare to look at it first, and respectfully forwarded it to Zaiyuan.While passing on the view, everyone looked forward to the future with joy, saying that Anqing was restored, and Jinling went straight to Jinling. It was a serious disaster for more than ten years.Naturally, some people also mentioned Sushun's credit for protecting the Hunan Army, and they poured a meal of rice soup by the way, making Sushun very happy.

Cao Yuying agreed on the surface, but he was deeply vigilant in his heart. He just sent a special person to send a secret letter to Prince Gong, and he was thinking in his heart whether he should also pass on the good news about Anqing to Prince Gong.Therefore, I sat down for a while, excused and had important matters to attend to, so I resigned. As soon as he left, the queen mother immediately sent eunuchs out to "call out".Gu Ming's eight ministers were all in high spirits, the class came to see them, and after the ceremony, Zaiyuan played loudly: "The empress dowager, the emperor is overjoyed!"

The two palaces are stunned, the national funeral is not yet full moon, how can there be a happy event?Saying this, the wording is not good enough, it's just that it's not convenient to hit him face-to-face, so I can only look at each other. So Zaiyuan gave a brief account of Anqing's belief in Kefu.This was indeed a happy event, but the Western Empress Dowager didn't want to show any signs, while the Eastern Empress Dowager felt sad, wiped her eye circles with a plain handkerchief, sighed and said: "This good news, it would be better if it came a month earlier?" One month earlier, Emperor Daxing had to hear about it before his death, and it is unknown whether this happy event might extend his life.Feeling the kindness of knowing you, Sushun naturally understood the Queen Mother's mood best, so he came out of the class and kowtowed and said: "This is caused by Emperor Daxing's silent blessing in heaven. The gods are not happy, and I will look forward to it..." Speaking of this, I choked my throat and couldn't finish my words.

"Get up, get up!" The Eastern Empress Dowager was quite moved, and comforted him and said, "You also have the credit for this." Then she turned to look at the Western Empress Dowager, as if she wanted to discuss something. The Empress Dowager Xi knew what she meant, so she rushed to the front and said, "It's all about working together inside and out to win this battle. The court will naturally reward those who contribute, and let's talk about it when Zeng Guofan's book arrives!" Putting this aside for the time being is the simplest and most appropriate solution in front of the eyes, and both Sushun and Zaiyuan have no objection.So the Queen Mother mentioned the date of returning to Beijing and ascending to the pole. Ascend to the pole is just a ceremony, sooner or later, it doesn't matter. Su Shunyuan said that the date of returning to Beijing would be September 23rd at the earliest, and now it will be accepted. Naturally, he didn't have anything to say, only a lot of details to discuss. "Since the date has been set, everyone doesn't have to crowd together. If you have nothing to do here, you can go first." Sushun thought for a while and said, "I mean, all the concubines, you might as well go back to the city early and settle down first. Waiting to serve the two empress dowagers and the emperor, wouldn't it be calm?" "That's not bad." The Empress Dowager nodded, "Let's go for a while after the festival!" "You can go before the festival. Anyway, this year is only the Mid-Autumn Festival." During the national mourning period, there is no New Year's Day, but there are only a few days, "Is it too late?" The Queen Mother asked. "It's too late, it's too late!" Sushun replied repeatedly, "I will send someone to get two hundred carts immediately, and they will be ready before the tenth day of the Lunar New Year. I will ask the empress dowager to pass on the decree and order the concubines to take care of it as soon as possible. I will leave on the eleventh day." .” "Okay." The Empress Dowager said again, "How about September 23rd? Is the emperor going with Zigong?" The emperor couldn't do without the empress dowagers of the two palaces, if they went with the Zigong, they would all be crowded together, and it would be very troublesome to run errands, so Sushun replied: "According to the rules, the emperor should respect the Zigong and protect him along the way, but the emperor If you are not yet an adult, you might as well follow the authority. The slave asked the emperor to send Zigong away from Rehe, and after the two empress dowagers rushed back to Beijing, the slave personally escorted Zigong and walked according to the station, everything will be safe in this way." The empress dowagers of the two palaces discussed for a while and agreed to his approach. "There is one more thing. I respectfully attend to the funeral ceremony. I am afraid that there will be insufficient manpower. I will also send Prince Dun to help you a little bit." The Empress Dowager looked at Zaiyuan without waiting for him to express her opinion, and said, "Immediately." Write it down." Zaiyuan agreed, and turned his head to wink at Jiao Youying. He didn't look for Zhang Jing, the military aircraft on standby, and went to the court room by the side of the hall, and sent it in with a wave. "Temple" stamp, everything is done in less than a cup of tea. After the Queen Mother finished explaining, it was time for Zaiyuan to make a statement.The first thing is to deal with the case of Shengbao and Tan Tingxiang. After explaining the reasons, Zaiyuan said: "The ministers were ordered by the late emperor to praise the government affairs and assist the young master in everything. Nothing else." This is an explanation that he didn't intend to embarrass anyone on purpose, but the Eastern Empress Dowager still felt surprised, and using the memorial to greet the Empress Dowager was just to show a little respect, why not?Besides, when others respect you, you reprimand them, isn't that ignorant of flattery?Thinking of this in his heart, he turned to look at the Queen Mother, hoping that she could dismiss them. Unexpectedly, the Queen Mother said calmly: "Since it is not allowed by law, let's hand it over to the Ministry for discussion!" As she said, she personally stamped the seal of "Tongdaotang" on the word "Qin this" issued by Daoming. , and took it to the Queen Mother. This is not because she respects the family law. She is angry with the Queen Mother in her heart. She does this because she knows that Shengbao still has an excerpt for asking to visit the Zi Palace, which needs approval, so she made a concession on purpose so that she can be included in this excerpt. There is something to say. As she expected, Zaiyuan suggested "no need to come" to Shengbao's other booklet. His reason was: "Military affairs are important. Besides, Zigong will return to Beijing, so there is no need to go any further." "I'm afraid it's not very good." The Empress Dowager's tone was gentle, but her words were forceful: "I greeted you with a yellow book, and I sent it to the Ministry of Discussions. I wanted to visit Zigong, but I rejected it. The outsiders don't understand the painstaking efforts of the imperial court. It’s as if we’re trying to embarrass others. Now that we’re winning the battle, morale matters! We must not do anything that would teach the military officers to feel that the imperial court doesn’t care about them.” These words left Zaiyuan speechless, Sushun was embarrassed, he felt that he had made a mistake.Sheng Baoyuan was dissatisfied, and today the Queen Mother's words were going to be spread, and it was in vain to form another heavy grievance, which was unwise. At this time, Zaiyuan was determined and tried to argue: "The Holy Mother and the Empress Dowager see it very well. I will not let Shengbao come here because I am afraid that the imperial envoys and governors who are abroad will be like him. It will be very difficult to ask for an invitation. trouble." "What trouble?" "At that time, if it is not allowed, there is an example of Shengbao. If it is not allowed, everyone will come to pay homage to Zigong, which will delay the military." This was a superficial and boring chat with nothing to say. The Western Empress Dowager sneered slightly, but she seemed to disdain to answer. Instead, the Eastern Empress Dowager said: "Shengbao is different from others. He is the favorite of Emperor Daxing. He said that he wanted to cry before the spirit, and it was his intention as a subject, so why not allow him to come?" This is another nail hit, but thanks to this bump, the conversation can be answered, "Yes!" Zai Yuan hurriedly replied: "I will obey the order." When Gu Ming and the eight ministers withdrew, it was time to pass on the meals. The tables were set separately, and the queen mothers of the two palaces ordered to eat at the same table because they had something to discuss.The two sat facing each other, and the little emperor struck horizontally.In the past few days, he has been fascinated by playing crickets. There is a "Purple-headed Long-legged Invincible General" suggested by the little eunuch, which is his "loved general" who is "invincible and invincible". For some reason, he doesn’t think about food and has no fighting spirit. He seems to be suffering from a disease. The little emperor is instructing Zhang Wenliang to “cure it as soon as possible.” After dinner, I ate two pieces of honey cake, drank half a bowl of soup, and left in a hurry. The empress dowagers of the two palaces waited for the little emperor to leave the table before they could calm down and talk. They were talking about how to convey the decree and let the concubines of the palaces return to Beijing first. The main problem was to decide who should go first and who could hold off. The Eastern Empress Dowager has no prejudices except for one person, and this person is Concubine Li. "Concubine Li will go with us." The Empress Dowager Dong said in a decisive tone, "She is not in good health, and she is in a bad condition. You need to take care of her more." Naturally, the Empress Dowager Xi didn't like to hear these words, but she absolutely refused to disagree with the Empress Dowager Dong on these trivial matters, so she quickly agreed. "As for the others, I think," the Queen Mother Dong said after a moment of pondering, "ask them yourself, whoever wants to go first can go first." This is a good idea.So when the meal was finished, he immediately ordered the respect room to inform the palaces, and the reaction he got was beyond the surprise of the queen mothers of the two palaces. No one was willing to leave first, and they answered in unison: "You should serve the two queen mothers and go back together." Beijing." "Then what should we do?" asked the Queen Mother, frowning. "In my opinion, it's not that no one wants to go back first, it's because the time is too hasty." The Queen Mother saw the truth. "Actually, there is no need to be in such a hurry!" The Empress Dowager Dong is the most considerate, and said with a frown, "It's been almost a year since I arrived in Rehe, and this place is like a home, so I can move as soon as I say. Alas... " Under this long sigh, it meant that he was deeply dissatisfied with someone and refused to speak out.The Empress Dowager naturally understood that this person must be Sushun, and she was thinking: You also know that Sushun is hateful, right? However, what she said was the same thing: "Sister, if you think you can let them go later, then you can tell Su Liu and the others tomorrow!" This remark made the Eastern Queen Mother very surprised. Every time you summon the eight ministers, don't you make up your own mind and tell them what to do?Why should someone else say this?I asked the question like this, but couldn't say it, I just looked at her in a daze. So the Queen Mother said again: "It's not for anything else, I refute him every time, I have been a villain too many times, I am afraid that Su Liu will really contradict me, I have to take care of our identities, and return Can you slap the table with him there? So I have to bear it myself, sister, you can tell him, he will listen to you. " "Sister, what you said is wrong!" The Empress Dowager Dong didn't know where her misunderstanding came from, she just wanted to explain quickly, "What do we share between you and me? Su Liu can listen to me, and of course he can Listen to your words. Even if he wants to bear grudges, he must never remember you alone." "That's a good word. But they don't think so." "What do you think? I'm thinking, are you deliberately embarrassing them in everything?" The Empress Dowager smiled wryly: "Sister, who is as loyal as you?" "If they really want to think so, I'm going to say a word to them tomorrow. Once I say this, I'll understand everything." "Sister!" The Queen Mother waited for a while, but seeing that she hadn't said anything, she could only ask: "What do you want to say?" Not speaking is naturally hesitant.She wondered if what she wanted to say was too much, and she felt that she should reconsider.But the Empress Dowager couldn't help staring at her with persuasive eyes, and finally said it intact: "I want to tell them that your words are also mine. Aren't the decree and the reply two seals? Of course they are two seals." personal responsibility." This is an expression of full support for the Queen Mother, she can't help but feel proud that she can get the benefits she wants in exchange for a few words, but she can't help but feel sorry for her for being so honest and easy to be manipulated by others. Therefore, she felt that she should also express something special: "Since my sister said so, I will do as you want. I will tell Su Liu and the others tomorrow. Tell me, when will you let them go?" "This..." The Queen Mother thought for a while and said, "I don't know when is the right time? Let Shuangxi go to inquire about it. It will take a few days before the luggage can be packed?" So Shuangxi was ordered to visit various palaces, and at the same time received special instructions to see how Concubine Li was doing.Everywhere I went, I heard complaints. Eunuchs and maids gathered in groups to yell at Su Shun for being unreasonable. When they saw Shuangxi, they knew that she was a celebrity in front of the empress dowagers of the two palaces. In August and a half, it is best to leave in the early twenties. Shuangxi, who was ordered to visit the six palaces, knew the original intentions of the two palaces early on, and she knew it well, so she put on airs and showed her hand, so whenever she was asked to speak to the two palaces and give a deadline, she always replied with a pomp: " Well, I will go back with the two queen mothers. See if the master rewards me for this face? " So someone always said: "Is there any need to say that? Who doesn't know that you are a famous person who obeys the words of the two empress dowagers? As long as you have a word, you will succeed!" "Then let's wait and see!" In this way, Shuangxi proudly walked from one place to another, and finally arrived at Concubine Li's Palace, quietly.After coughing, a court lady named Fu'er ran out and blurted out, "Shuangxi, who are you looking for? You're not looking for your brother, are you? He's been sent elsewhere, don't you know?" ?” Eunuchs and palace maids like to be brothers and sisters, and being brothers and sisters is a long-standing habit.There is a young eunuch in Concubine Li's palace. When she meets Shuangxi, she always flatters and calls her "sister", but Shuangxi doesn't like him.So some people laughed at the little eunuch, "the toad wants to eat swan meat". This word reached Shuangxi's ears, and she was so angry that she didn't eat for a day.Naturally, she also hated people for bringing her together with that little eunuch. Therefore, at this time, hearing Fu'er making a rash joke, she immediately pulled down her pretty face that had been complimented all the way, she glared at her golden corner eyes, and cursed: "What nonsense are you talking about? Look at you!" Don't put this wave in front of me! I'm not your godbrother, godbrother. " On the one hand, Fu'er knew it was her fault, and on the other hand, she didn't dare to offend Shuangxi, so after being scolded for a while, she could only laugh along with her, and asked embarrassingly, "Then who are you looking for?" "Anyway, I'm not looking for you! You are not worthy! Let me tell you, I have something to tell your master under the order of the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace. If you can bear the burden for your master, I will tell you and leave immediately, so as not to cause trouble." You hate it." Fu'er's face turned yellow with fright, and she hurriedly begged for mercy: "Sister Shuangxi, please forgive me! I don't dare to talk nonsense with you anymore. If you want to talk again, I will have a boil on my mouth!" " "Hmph! You also know that you are talking nonsense? There are a lot of people talking nonsense here! The master is generous and indulges you like this. Either drinking, gambling, stealing when you lose, or chewing your tongue, making some Ruling people with words that have no shadow!" Shuangxi became more and more angry, and added harshly: "Kang Ming'er simply waited for me to return to the Empress Dowager Ming, kicked them out one by one, and let your master have fewer children. Angry!" After cursing, he ignored Fu'er, just raised the curtain and went into the house, just in time to see Concubine Li coming out from inside, so he made up his mind and greeted Fu'er first, when he looked up, Concubine Li, who hadn't seen her for several days, was getting more and more haggard. "Double Happiness!" Concubine Li asked, "Who are you arguing with?" "It's Fu'er. What you say makes no sense." "Don't pay attention to them." Concubine Li shook her head and said weakly: "You are very busy, you must have something to say when you come today?" "Yes! The Empress Dowager asked me to come and see Concubine Li. I'm afraid the Empress Dowager herself will come later." "Ah, I don't dare to do that. I'll go to the Empress Dowager's place!" He touched his face as he said, as if he was going to redress his makeup. Shuangxi then walked over to uncover the brocade covering the mirror, there was a thin layer of dust on it, one could imagine that Concubine Li hadn't used the mirror for several days. Ever since Emperor Daxing passed away and Concubine Li committed suicide and was rescued, she seemed to be a different person, she could often stay silent all day, and when the court lady asked her, she just gave her a blank look.In the past, she was afraid of hustle and bustle and liked to be quiet, but now she is more and more tired of people in front of her eyes, so the maid listened to her voice and ignored her even if she refused to be called.At this time, I saw Shuangxi outside the window serving them, so I had to rush in to work. When the face was flushed, she helped Concubine Li to sit down. She pointed to a stool next to the dressing table and said to Shuangxi, "You sit too!" "Then there is such a rule?" Shuangxi replied with a smile. "You're a guest, so you're different from them. Sit down and let's talk." While talking, she dragged Shuangxi's clothes. Hearing what she said, Shuangxi greeted her and sat down beside her.Reflecting the light from the north window, he looked at Concubine Li carefully, and cheered in his heart: What a beauty!The skin as delicate as ivory, the hair as black as lacquer, and those eyes that frighten the soul between looking forward, are not something that can be changed by a moment of haggardness.But what's the use of being beautiful?Nothing but envy. Just as she was thinking like this, she suddenly heard the voice of reciting a poem, "Who is it?" She couldn't help asking, "So presumptuous!" A court lady tugged at her sleeve, pointed out the window at a parrot, and imitated Concubine Li's voice and chanted: "It is said that Wu's daughter married the grandson of heaven, and she passed the Milky Way to wipe away her tears! But the heavenly family is thousands of years old, so why blame Nagato?" With a strange tone and a serious look, Shuangxi laughed: "You little thing, you are getting more and more ghostly! You also know how to recite poems?" While laughing and cursing, Shuangxi turned to look at Concubine Li.The smile faltered at this sight, only to see Concubine Li who had just wiped her face with tears, and the unknown hatred was piled on the tip of her brows. The other court ladies were speechless, but Shuangxi couldn't help persuading: "Why are you sad again? Concubine Li, don't look at it, don't look at it, for the sake of the queen mother, the queen mother will worry when she mentions it, afraid that she will The old concubine is so sad, because she is not in good health." It’s okay if I don’t talk about it, but when I said it, it aroused her sadness, "It’s also for the Queen Mother, if it wasn’t for..." Halfway through the sentence, she couldn’t go on anymore, and covered her face with a hot towel, and it took a long time to take it off. Although it has stopped, the eye circles are very red. The white parrot was chanting again: "Yinhai is actually jealous of her daughter Jin, and Nanshan is still imprisoning Mrs. Shen; the king has his own life contract, and the only way to go here is to be courteous." This time, Shuangxi had already made up her mind, so she hurriedly interrupted and asked, "What poem are you reading?" Concubine Li shook her head, and then said: "When I'm free, I'll tell you slowly. Actually, I don't quite understand, these are all poems that Emperor Daxing likes to read when he is around." "I see. Emperor Daxing often reads it. Does this little thing understand?" "I didn't learn it from Emperor Daxing." A court lady interjected. But these are the two poems that Concubine Li often read recently, and they always have some meaning, so what are they?Shuangxi became curious, thinking that she must find someone to explain these two poems to her. The white parrot is also strange, I don't know why it can remember so many poems, but at this moment it is reading again: "The tip of the cardamom is red in February, entered the Wannian Palace at the beginning of the thirteenth year,..." Just a few words, Shuangxi caught a glimpse of Concubine Li looking sad again, so she stood up suddenly, clapped her hands, and shouted: "Duh!" interrupting the parrot's "elegant spirit", then turned around and comforted Concubine Li. She was shaking her hands, but before she could speak, a loud voice announced from outside: "Mother, Empress Dowager is here!" So Concubine Li hurriedly wiped away her tears, stood up, and said anxiously: "Hey! How can I look so unkempt?" Shuangxi moved nimbly, took a boxwood comb, and first smoothed her hair, but before she could put on the "two bums", the Empress Dowager had already stepped in. Concubine Li first greeted her face to face, and then offered the Empress Dowager a seat and waited for the big ceremony. "No, no!" Empress Dowager East pointed to Concubine Li's bedroom and said, "I'll sit in your room!" When Shuangxi heard this, she rushed over and drew the curtains. As soon as the Eastern Empress Dowager entered the room, she sat down on the "Western shuttle chair" under the north window where the Emperor Daxing used to sit, and Dowager Li followed in to kowtow. , let her stop. "What about Double Happiness?" "The servant is here to serve you!" Shuangxi agreed delicately outside the door, and then lifted the curtain and entered the room. "It's good for you! Let you go out to do some business, and once you go there, you won't be seen." Shuangxi wanted to show that she was favored by the Empress Dowager Dong, so she smiled indifferently and said, "I am serving Concubine Li, and I am going to pay my respects when I get dressed, but who knows that you, the old man, can't wait and come here instead. " "It's not that I can't wait." The Empress Dowager Dong looked at Concubine Li and said: "I think it's better not to let you go to my place, so as not to meet someone, and someone will be upset and show you a cold face. There are two sentences Well, let me tell you myself." This refers to the Empress Dowager West, when she sees Concubine Li, she always ignores her coldly.The Empress Dowager was so sympathetic, she was both grateful and sad, and she suppressed tears and replied: "The Empress Dowager's kindness is as high as heaven and earth, I am afraid that I will not be able to repay it in this life!" "Don't say that." The Queen Mother's tone was very calm, "I'm not particularly nice to you. I can only keep it in my heart when I'm nice to you. There are so many people in the palace, so people can't say that I'm partial. It's just Daxing Before the emperor died, he repeatedly asked me to take good care of you. You should also think that he will not trust you after death, and take care of your own body. Like the day you died, you had such a stupid idea. I think it's too late, I can't catch it all at once, but you have earned the reputation of being a martyr, how can I have the face to meet Emperor Daxing in the future?" This rebuke was very severe, Concubine Li was very frightened, she knelt down on her knees, blushed and said: "The queen mother taught me the lesson. From now on, I will always remember what the queen mother said." "By the way, you understand this, get up!" The Queen Mother said with great satisfaction, "I'll tell you something else, you will bring Da Gege back to the city with me on September 23. This trip back , it’s the same as when you came here, and the road is not as comfortable as going there. You can take care of your body as soon as possible, so that you can eat this hard trip.” "Yes!" Concubine Li stood up and asked: "What does the queen mother drink? I still have a little good 'Biluochun' left here, brew it for you to taste." "No need! I have to go." The Empress Dowager stood up and said, "I'll leave Shuangxi here and let her talk with you to relieve boredom." This is the Empress Dowager's convincing people with virtue.Concubine Li sent her back, she couldn't help sighing, her heart, which was as dry as wood and ashes, gradually sprouted a little bit of life, she left Shuangxi to eat there.All the concubines in the palace have their own small kitchens, silver and rice food, and set a distribution, which is paid on a monthly or daily basis. Concubine Li has a big advantage because the distribution of the imperial daughter is second only to the prince. Expenditure, quite ample.Moreover, during the day when the Emperor Daxing was in the Imperial Dining Room, apart from the main meals being served by the Imperial Dining Room, he would often serve here for snacks and drinks.This day, in order to curry favor with Double Happiness, a few delicious dishes were prepared in the small kitchen, cooked in a small pot, and served as soon as it was removed from the fire. This alone is beyond the reach of the imperial dining room, which has a large and ostentatious dish. Therefore, As a guest, Shuangxi broke free from restraint and ate a good meal. After eating too much, she had to drink strong Pu'er tea with ginger to digest her food. She only drank a bowl. When the key was laid at the palace gate, it was rare for Taifei Li, who had been silent for too long, to have such a cheerful day to talk with her. So when she heard that Shuangxi was leaving, she suddenly felt sad, and timidly looked at her with a pair of eyes that seemed to be full of parting thoughts. Shuangxi was originally reluctant to leave, but when she saw her expression again, she felt that she couldn't bear it, so she broke her heart and said, "Anyway, I have obeyed the order, so it doesn't matter if I don't go back today. Just go back with the Queen Mother!" " After saying this, Concubine Li frowns, she immediately called an eunuch to report to Yanbo Zhishuang Hall, saying that Shuangxi was accompanying Concubine Li under Yi's order, and she would not be able to go back until tomorrow morning. Maids of honor stayed with the concubines at night in their bedroom, and as usual they would make a bed in front of the bed. Concubine Li refused to wrong Shuangxi and wanted her to sleep in the same bed.Emperor Daxing once slept on this seven-foot-wide carved mahogany bed inlaid with snails, and Shuangxi did not dare to overstep it, so he moved another rattan couch, spread out the bedding, and closed the door. Concubine Li and Shuangxi They all took off their makeup, but still refused to go to bed, sitting and chatting. With a bright light and two hearts, Concubine Li revealed her infinite hatred sadly.Shuangxi couldn't comfort her, and she never hoped to get any comfort from Shuangxi. It was very rare for her to have someone who could listen to her details with a sympathetic attitude.She has long seen that the most snobbish place in the world is the deep palace. When she was favored by grace, no one praised her like a phoenix. , unless there is power, and the power is now in the hands of the "West Side", if it is not for the Queen Mother to take care of it, I am afraid that the fate will be even more tragic. "Alas!" Shuangxi sighed with a gloomy expression, "After all, it would be great if Emperor Daxing died so early!" "This is the two lines of the poem: 'But the heavenly family will live for thousands of years, so why blame Nagato for this body?'" As soon as this was mentioned, Shuangxi's doubts were touched, and he asked, "Concubine Li, don't you want to tell me about those two poems? Listen!" "I don't know what's going on, but I just think that reading those poems makes me feel better." Dowager Li said again, "Emperor Daxing taught me, and I understand it vaguely, but if you ask me to Tell me, I can't talk about it." "Tell me a general idea!" Concubine Li thought for a while and replied: "There are six poems in total. The title is "Ancient Ideas". They were written by a talented man surnamed Wu in the south of the Yangtze River when we first entered the Qing Dynasty. Emperor Daxing told me, These six poems probably refer to an abolished empress of Lord Shunzhi, who intentionally set such a title out of fear of taboo." "What can the poem say?" "Then what else is there? It's nothing more than the four words of beauty and life." Speaking of this, Shuangxi still hasn't figured out what's going on, but the reason why Dowager Li likes to read these poems is clear. It must be the meaning in these poems, which is exactly the same as what she feels in her heart. Use it to tell your own suffering. However, that is a disused queen, and this is a favored concubine, how can one say anything?Shuangxi became more and more confused, and after thinking about it, there seemed to be some similarities, so he asked, "Did Shunzhi die at a young age just like Emperor Daxing?" "yes!" "What a pity!" Shuangxi suddenly felt emotional, "It's a natural blessing to be an emperor, but after a few years in the world, I just let go. It's really meaningless to think about it." "That's it! So," Dowager Li suddenly asked, "Shuangxi, how old are you this year?" "nineteen." "That's a few years away. Still, maybe." "Concubine Li," Shuangxi couldn't help but rush to ask, "What are you talking about?" "I mean, how soon can I let you out of the palace?" Concubine Li held her hand and said earnestly: "The Queen Mother loves you and is the most considerate person, she will definitely not delay your youth, Let you out of the palace early, and most likely will 'point out marriage' for you. At that time, you can make up your mind, don't covet rich and noble people, you would rather be poor, the most important thing is to choose someone who is young and healthy. Painless, monogamous, forever, better than anything else." Shuangxi knew that these were words from the heart of Concubine Li's personal experience, so she didn't care about being shy, blushed, and said gratefully: "Princess Li, these few words you gave me are really more precious than gold! Ask me, what kind of family do you want to choose?" "What do you say?" Shuangxi lowered her head and replied: "I don't want to say, the queen mother forced me to say something, so I said, can you still choose a daughter of a wrapping family?" There are also a lot of children, it all depends on whether there is anyone to take care of them. The queen mother said, if you think the status of the coat is low, I will point you to a "shangsanqi". Very, if you are willing, I will pick one for you. As long as you are willing to make progress, and you will be released as a "general" for ten or eight years, then you will sit side by side with the governor. If you are greedy for immediate comfort, I will The mansion will look for it for you, and send one or two other good errands, that's fine. You can say it yourself!" "What do you say?" Shuangxi raised her head and asked back, "What do you think?" Shuangxi also has a competitive personality, so it goes without saying that she wants to assign a third-class "shrimp" who is "upper three banners" - a third-class bodyguard, who may or may not become a prime minister in the future, so that she can be granted the title of first-rank. So Concubine Li thought about it, and advised her like this: "'Water flows to low places, people climb to high places', I can't say that your plan is wrong. But I always have this idea: Marriage must always match. Whoever If you feel that you have been aggrieved, or overwhelmed, there is a knot in your heart, and sooner or later something will go wrong. If you screw up the relationship between husband and wife, that is a heart disease that even gods can’t save, and in the end, it’s the woman who suffers.” Shuangxi pondered her words very carefully and quite understood.Say you feel wronged, such as a handsome and talented nobleman marrying an ugly wife, or a young and beautiful rich lady marrying a humble man with no outstanding talents. It's a resentment.But if you say that you feel that you have climbed high, you will feel a lump in your heart, and others will not see it.Thinking about it carefully, after I married a famous family of "Shangsanqi", I always remembered that I couldn't get married with others, but because the queen mother pointed out the marriage, I put the duck on the shelf. , this way, I must always feel like I owe someone something, so I still have a comfortable day to live? "Hey!" Shuangxi said in a joyous tone that he was glad that he hadn't made a mistake: "Thanks to your few words, I finally figured it out." This kind of demeanor and language comforted and encouraged Concubine Li, making her realize that her own existence was of some use to others.So he smiled and asked: "How do you figure it out? Tell me!" Shuangxi's idea is actually very simple, it is the word "matching" that Concubine Li said. A person who is willing to make progress.It's just that I'm too embarrassed to elaborate on this thought, so I just blushed and smiled and replied: "Anyway, I understand it myself." She added: "I don't intend to ask for the Queen Mother's grace." With such an expression, it is not difficult to see the attitude she holds in her heart. Concubine Li is not only relieved, but also deeply moved, saying that "unfortunately born in the emperor's family" but not knowing to marry into the emperor's family is even more unfortunate. Both of them were thinking about many things in their hearts, one was recalling the past, the other was looking forward to the future, so the expressions on their faces were quite different, and it was not until the soft popping of the candles that they woke up from their contemplation. "It's getting late! Concubine Li, please settle down!" Concubine Li shook her head: "If you're sleepy, go to bed first! I'll sit still for a while." "Then I'll chat with you for a while." "No!" Concubine Li said, "Leave me alone, I am like this every day, sometimes I just sit all night long." Shuangxi was startled, "How can I just sit all night long?" She said again solemnly: "Concubine Li, you must not spoil yourself anymore!" Be sad, and everyone will be sad for you except one person." These words moved her, and she thought that although she could not fight, and she had no intention of fighting "this person", in any case, she could not make "this person" secretly happy and make many others sad!So she encouraged herself once again to live a good life. "Then go to sleep!" she said, "I'll try and see if I can calm my mind down?" Early the next morning, Shuangxi thanked and resigned, returned to Yanbo Zhishuang Hall, and secretly expressed Concubine Li's gratitude to Queen Mother Dong for her painstaking protection, and her determination to cheer up and live a good life.With such a result, the Empress Dowager Dong has settled one of her worries, so she had to praise Shuangxi again. Then talking about her order to visit all the palaces, the Eastern Empress Dowager discussed with the Western Empress Dowager, and it was decided that starting from August 20, the concubines in each palace would start their journey one after another.Then the head of the respect room was sent, and he was ordered to notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the palaces to prepare separately.There are many trivial details in it, most of which are requests made by the concubines for their own convenience. It needs to be arranged by the queen mother, and it took two full days to sort it out. But this is because the Eastern Empress Dowager is busy, and the Western Empress Dowager deliberately does not ask about these trivial matters of the palace, and what she pays attention to is the court worker Zhang Zuo.On this day, the Memorial Office handed over a yellow box, opened it, and saw the first memorial, titled "Shandong Road Inspector Censor" Dong Yuanchun, who thought it was a dereliction of duty official, couldn't read a few lines, Qu Ran was moved, Can't help but read aloud: "Stealing is the most important thing to follow the power, and it is reasonable to abide by the scriptures. What does it mean to follow the power? It is the autumn of troubled times in the world. His Majesty the Emperor is practicing his old age. All government affairs are dependent on the Empress Dowager. Yes! I thought that it was time to issue a decree to announce it both at home and abroad, so that people at home and abroad would know that although the emperor is young, the empress dowager temporarily governs the government, and the left and right cannot intervene. After a few years, the emperor will be able to personally manage the general affairs, and then take care of all the opportunities to support the world. Isn't it good? Although I am facing the ceremony without the queen mother, I have to judge the situation and have to use the power to make changes. For example, this so-called thing is more important than power!" After reading this, the Empress Dowager stopped to think for a while. Seeing the wording of this memorial, it alluded to the monopoly of the eight ministers of Gu Ming. The reason for the empress dowager to hang the curtain was not thorough enough. Let's see that he "reasonably abides by the scriptures" What are you talking about?Then read on: "What do you mean by keeping the scriptures? Since ancient times, the emperors have always regarded relatives and respecting the virtuous as a top priority. This is a scripture that has not been easy through the ages. Now it is praised for government affairs. Although there are princes, ministers, military ministers, and ministers, I think it is more important to send one or two of them among the princes." , so that he can be of one mind to assist the prime minister in all affairs, so that everyone can plan with all his heart, and then ask the empress dowager to make decisions and implement them. Among the ministers, one or two who are excellent in governance should be selected to serve as masters, to teach the classics day by day, in order to expand the sage, and learn the ways of governing the rise and fall of chaos in ancient and modern times. , this so-called rationale should abide by the scriptures!" After reading this memorial, her state of mind was the same as when she heard the news of being selected into the palace. Apart from bursts of excitement, she only felt at a loss.What kind of person is Dong Yuanchun who presented this memorial?Is the original intention of this memorial to be against the Eight Ministers of Gu Ming, or to speak for King Gong, or is the purpose to spy on the intention?Difficult to tell.At the same time, she didn't know how to deal with this note, whether to distribute it according to the general practice, or to explain the handling method in person when the eight ministers were summoned, and if so, how to explain it? Her heart was very chaotic, and it took a long time to calm down. After thinking about it carefully, she felt that this important matter, no matter what, must be discussed with the Queen Mother first. After explaining the content of this memorial clearly, the Eastern Empress Dowager blurted out: "This memorial seems to be dedicated to the sixth master." This is bystander clear!The Empress Dowager thought to herself, among the three things originally stated, the so-called "reasonable and appropriate to abide by the scriptures" is "more simple than one or two princes", the reason is very far-fetched.However, this is a good proof that it was not Prince Gong's instruction. If he wants to instruct the officials to test him out, he has plenty of good pen and ink, and he will not find such a person who writes without pain or itching to come forward. So she said: "Reckoning, I'm afraid Liu Ye will get Beijing today or tomorrow. This censor surnamed Dong will not be the person Liu Ye found out. Maybe there are already rumors in Beijing, and this person surnamed Dong came here on purpose." Such a discount." "Who is this Dong?" "Who knows?" The Empress Dowager Xi said again: "It's not too hot yet, and the raw stuff is served on the table, it's really unpalatable!" What she meant was that this closed-door discussion was made too early and it would be difficult to deal with it.The Eastern Empress Dowager also thought so deeply, and said after thinking for a while: "Let's 'keep' it first! Let's watch it later." This method is exactly the same as the Queen Mother's plan.Her intention was to wait, to wait for news from Prince Gong's arrival in Beijing, and at the same time to wait for the attitude of the eight ministers Gu Ming to express their attitude, so that it would be easier to be caught off guard. Therefore, in the early morning of the next day, Zhang Jing of the military aircraft went to the internal memorial office to collect the documents. After checking each item, the memorial of the previous day was missing one piece from Dong Yuanchun, and the "reporting document" had a "stay" written on it. The word means "stay in China". Cao Yuying had long expected that the Empress Dowager would do this, so when Zhang Jing, who had been brought back, came back, he first asked, "Has the whole leader returned?" "The piece of 'Thousands of Miles' is 'retained'!" What else did he want to say, in the room where the eight ministers ruled the public, there were already the sounds of walking, coughing and spitting, so he stopped talking, thinking in his heart that when he got back to understand the situation of the collar fold, there would be what a reaction. Sure enough, the other side immediately sent someone to invite him.When Cao Yuying arrived there, he greeted Ann, and then presented the notebook he had received, and said at the same time: "Dong Yuanchun encloses one piece, but it hasn't been handed out yet." Hearing his words, Duhan was the first to get angry, "How can this work?" He shouted loudly: "This book can't be kept!" Zai Yuan also expressed his dissatisfaction: "It's all like this, if we leave the notes, can we still do things?" Sushun was more calm, waved his hand and said, "Slowly discuss! Slowly discuss!" Cao Yuying was very knowledgeable, knowing that they had many things they would not say in front of him, so she took two steps back, asked Ann to turn around and leave.As soon as he returned to his room, Duhan came out and shouted loudly, "Come here!" So a Su La hurried over and shouted with lowered hands: "Lord Du!" "Go to the office and tell them that there is still one piece of paper missing that was sent up yesterday. Ask them to come back." Du Han added two more words: "Hurry up!" Nasura agreed and left quickly, and came back soon to report, saying that the internal affairs office had gone to the Queen Mother to ask for it.Deliver it immediately when it arrives. Not long after, the eunuch from the Neizuo Office came to report: "Keep Dong Yuanchun's book 'Xi Bian'!" Zai Yuan sneered, but remained silent.For the rest of the elders, because Sushun wanted to "discuss slowly", it was inconvenient for them to express their opinions for a while.Government affairs were handled as usual that day, and Dong Yuanchun's note was temporarily put aside. In the palace, the two empress dowagers closed the door and discussed secretly.According to the notice of Minister of State Affairs Chan Xiang, the internal affairs department went to ask for the note, which already annoyed the Empress Dowager West. It is true that the memorial "remaining in China" is not conventional, but it is a kind of privilege of the emperor after all, and this privilege is well used , can turn hostility into peace, of course, the privilege has to be done occasionally.Like Dong Yuanchun's memorial, the result of the Empress Dowager's thinking alone under the lamp the night before passing by, she was going to put it aside for a long time without making any comments, and wait until Prince Gong has news.This "staying in the middle and not sending out" has no results. The term in the military aircraft department is called "flooding". Since it is flooded, no one needs to inquire about the whereabouts. At the same time, no one is responsible, so there will be no The conflict happened. Now that Gu Ming's eight ministers are unwilling to let this book be "flooded", it will force the Empress Dowager to deal with it.According to her idea, she will be summoned the next day, intending to publicly declare that she accepts Dong Yuanchun's suggestion, but the empress dowager, who has always been calm in dealing with things, thinks such a statement is too strong, and I'm afraid "it won't work." When it comes to actual effects, the Empress Dowager has to think about it seriously.Assessing one's own status and strength is not enough to say that one can do what one wants.In this way, we cannot think of a roundabout way of relaxation. So, she thought of Prince Gong, and then thought of a wonderful plan, and said to the Queen Mother happily: "Let's come to a 'carrier in a flower sedan chair'!" This is a proverb in the south. I don't know what it means, the Queen Mother who has only been to Guangxi? Then he said: "Stop playing charades with me, just say it if you have an idea!" "Let's discuss one by one. Let's talk about adding a master to the emperor..." "That's what it should be." The Empress Dowager interrupted her, "There is no need to discuss this, just let everyone recommend someone who can be a master." "Okay!" The Empress Dowager carved a "pinch mark" on the original fold with her long nails, and said at the same time: "This is one piece, it has been negotiated. Let's talk about the curtain--those people just say "ancestral family law" ', the family law is not determined by the ancestors of that dynasty. The times are different, and what should be changed must be changed. We have no opinion on how to change it. Let everyone discuss it publicly. State-owned affairs, the meeting of princes and ministers, no Is it also 'ancestral family law'?" "That's a good point. But there is one thing, there are many 'they', and they are talking all over the place. If you can't fight with them, this method still doesn't work." "It doesn't matter, I have another way." The Queen Mother said proudly, "The authority of the servant is on the top, 'Jane sent one or two princes' to help the Minister of Gu Ming, who can say no? Let's let them Write the decree, leave the name of Prince Jianpai blank, and fill in the name of the sixth master later, or add the seventh master. In this way, when the meeting is held, the sixth master will naturally arrange it, arrange people in advance, and not be afraid of fighting But them." Only then did the Empress Dowager understand the meaning of the saying, which is to lift up Prince Gong first, and then Prince Gong will lift the two palaces.This method of citing each other seems to be more aboveboard, and it is not hurtful. The Queen Mother naturally agrees. So when the meeting was summoned the next morning, the Empress Dowager Xi sent Dong Yuanchun's papers down, explained how to deal with it, and ordered: "Let's take a look at it!" Gu Ming's eight ministers looked at each other pale.Zaiyuan first protested: "Qizou Queen Mother, this book should not be done like this." Just after saying this, the Empress Dowager interrupted him in a very majestic and calm voice: "So, tell me, what should I do?" Du Han had something to say, so he wanted to repeat Chen Zou, when suddenly he felt that someone pulled his clothes slightly, and when he saw that it was Sushun, he kept quiet and let him talk. "The slaves went down to discuss and decide, and wrote an order." This is a feint, the Empress Dowager Xi doesn't know what kind of medicine they sell in the gourd?But since the decree has been stated, there is no need to say more. It is not too late to ask them to write the decree. If there is something wrong, they will give other instructions, so they nodded and said, "Okay!"You go down, according to this meaning, discuss it, and write a "Ming Fa" to see. " When the eight ministers withdrew from Yanbo Zhishuang Hall, their faces were livid and silent, but they had the same thought in their hearts: this was the result of secret discussions between Prince Gong and the Queen Mother.Some people even think that the disposal method instructed by the Queen Mother is also predetermined, because they don't believe that she will be so "expert" and what she says is not only in line with the system, but also in line with the rules. When they arrived at Junji Zhilu, Duhan first ordered to keep vigilant and drive all the servants Sura far away.When the door was closed, Duanhua was the first to yell: "How? I said Mr. Gong's visit this time was for 'the weasel pays New Year greetings to the chicken', and he didn't have good intentions! Sure enough. This is still the first step, no Show me off, there are still many tricks in the back!" "Stop gossip." Zaiyuan said five words angrily: "Write 'Mingfa' to refute." Everyone had no objection, and then they opened the door and invited Zhang Jing, the military aircraft, to write the decree.Today's foreman is Wu Zhaolin, who was recently transferred from Beijing. He is very flattering, but he doesn't know much about the market.He took back Dong Yuanchun's "Respect Chen Guanjian" at a discount, and discussed it with several experts in his class. Everyone was wary and unwilling to handle this hot case, and said in unison that it was not him. The generosity is not enough.So Wu Zhaolin did his part. Holding his pen, he thought to himself, the so-called "refutation" is just a refutation of the truth, and the wording may be tactful. This is also the tradition of respecting officials for many years.Therefore, it is easy to do it in one go, and all the formulas are used.After finishing writing, I asked my colleagues to discuss it. Everyone said it was "very appropriate". Who knew that Z