Chapter 23 Prequel to Empress Dowager Cixi (10-1)

On the ninth Jiazi day of October, the six-year-old emperor, with the support and assistance of the imperial ministers, held his ascension ceremony in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, followed by the Empress Dowager Cixi's longevity. The bureaucrats are celebrating again, and the yamen are seeing off the old and welcoming the new, which is very lively. Most of the emperor and courtiers in this dynasty were arranged by Prince Gong.For this big mobilization, he and Wen Xiang and others have worked hard to appease the hidden factions one by one, and Qing Yi cannot ignore it, let alone talk about talents. In addition to these, Prince Gong has another level The selfishness that he and a very few confidantes only know, before the curtain is drawn, he must first establish his own power.

Princes and ministers, six ministries and nine ministers, and Han Zhan Kedao have held several meetings in the cabinet in order to propose the "draft charter".Undoubtedly, this is a major event with the highest priority in the world. No one dared to speak rashly, so the progress of the meeting was extremely slow, and even because of being too serious, the atmosphere in the room seemed quite dull.But in private, the three numbers are friendly and the study is open. The situation is completely different. Quoting scriptures and refuting each other, many profound insights are presented by expressing what they see and comparing similarities and differences.

Prince Gong and his confidants valued these relatively frank discussions. The most frank opinion in the discussion is that in the memorials of Jia Zhen, Zhou Zupei and others, there is already a saying that "power cannot be transferred downwards, and if it is transferred, it will be replaced day by day". It is from the top, it is not obtained by the subordinates, and the distinction between the monarch and the ministers in our court is extremely strict, especially not comparable to the previous court." If this is the case, the empress dowagers of the two palaces are listening to the government behind the curtain, and they are actually acting on behalf of the emperor.What's more, the Empress Dowager Cixi's behavior has been shown quite clearly in these short ten days. She must be as powerful as Empress Zhangxian Liu of the Song Dynasty.

Sure enough, several times the regulations of "considering the past, judging the present, and making compromises" were sent up, and all of them were sent down for the Empress Dowager Cixi to find a small problem at will, and she was ordered to re-draft. This repeated pickiness forced the important ministers of the Military Aircraft Department and the cabinet to follow the story of the curtain in the Song Dynasty.Song Zhezong's grandmother, the Empress Dowager Xuan Rengao, was known as "the daughter of Yao and Shun", which is nothing to worry about.Song Renzong's mother-in-law, Empress Zhang Xianliu, was praised as "Contemporary Rensi", but she was actually a formidable character. The character of Empress Dowager Cixi was quite similar to her, so Prince Gong had to be concerned.

At that time, officials from Kejia often talked about the history of the Song Dynasty, and the deeds of Zhang Xian and Xuan Ren were often talked about in the history of the Song Dynasty, so the legendary story of "the civet cat for the prince" was often mentioned. Some people talked about this story, saying that "civet cat for prince" was a slander against Empress Zhang Xian and Liu, but Song Renzong never knew that his biological mother was Li Chenfei and that Zhang Xian had treated Li Chenfei badly before Zhang Xian died. It's all true.When Concubine Li Chen died of illness in Shouling, Prime Minister Lu Yijian proposed to Zhang Xian, advocating a generous burial. Zhang Xian was furious and asked Lu Yijian, why did he say this?Lu Yijian's reply was: "The minister treats the sinful aspect, there is no inside or outside, and you should know it in advance."

From this, it can be inferred that Song Renzong came to the throne with Chongren, and Zhang Xian listened to the government behind the curtain. If it weren't for the ministers such as Li Di, Wang Zeng, Zhang Zhibai, Du Yan, Lu Yijian, and Fan Zhongyan, who stood upright and suppressed them when things happened. Then, driving a halogen book with a car, the same as the emperor, riding a jade scorpion, and visiting Empress Zhangxian Liu of the Taimiao, may become Wu Zetian's second. these discussions.It was a great stimulus and inspiration to Prince Gong.Killing Sushun was just an obstacle that he had to get rid of before he regained his power, and the condition that he had to fulfill when he regained power was to promote the curtain, but in the end, it violated the ancestral system, so He has long been guilty of God.As for self-sufficiency and obedience to the law, public opinion changed drastically almost overnight. Those who used to say that Su-shun was domineering and domineering are now thinking about his good side, and think that his opposition to the curtain is not wrong. Now, it is those who are in favor of the curtain that seem to be wrong.As a result, not only did Prince Gong feel guilty, but he also had to discuss it externally and try to make amends.

The remedy is to try to find a way to suppress the Empress Dowager Cixi before she takes over the power in view of the past of Empress Zhang Xian and Liu.According to the tradition of the Qing Dynasty, even if you are the king who discusses politics, you can't hold the same power as the Tang and Song Dynasties. In this way, you can only install people who you trust in many ways. On the one hand, it is for the sake of synergy Dealing with the Empress Dowager Cixi, on the other hand, is also a necessary means to cultivate one's own power. At this time, the Empress Dowager Cixi still couldn't see through this layer.On the pillow in front of the lamp, I thought about and thought about two things, one is how to make King Gong agree on the regulations for the curtain according to his own wishes?One is how to hold on to the power that has been obtained after waiting to listen to the government behind the curtain, so as not to fall.

For the former purpose, she won over Prince Gong in every possible way. Every time she summoned, "Six Masters" were long and "Six Masters" were short, and they couldn't stop shouting.Often after the whole class of military planes met, they summoned Prince Gong alone, and talked for a little longer, and when it was time to pass on the meal, they would pass an order to withdraw some dishes from the imperial meal to reward the King of Political Affairs. Apart from these details, and because of the involvement of the late emperor and Prince Gong's siblings in business, Prince Gong's biological mother had never been honored, and it was only before her death that she reluctantly obtained the title of "Empress Dowager Kangci".When Kang Ci passed away, the late emperor could not let go of his regrets. On the one hand, he ordered King Gong to withdraw from the military plane and go back to his study to show punishment. On the other hand, he only gave the posthumous title of Empress Dowager Kang Ci. "That's called "Xiaojing becomes a queen", which means that they are both queens, and they are still divided into concubines and concubines.This point just violated the taboo of Empress Dowager Cixi, and just by showing favor to King Gong, she persuaded Empress Dowager Ci'an to pass on the decree and order the court officials to discuss the ceremony of empress Xiaojing's promotion to the Tai Temple.

For the latter purpose, Empress Dowager Cixi felt that it would be best to read some books to see how the ancestors, as well as the virtuous monarchs and hostesses of the previous dynasty, handled government affairs and controlled their courtiers?It's just that although there are many history books in the palace, they suffer from insufficient level and cannot read a sentence.So I came up with an idea, and sent an errand to the Hanlin in the upper study room and the south study room, asking them to choose from the words and deeds of the emperors of the past dynasties and the deeds of the history behind the curtain to learn from, extract them, and give concise annotations , The chief scholar of the cabinet compiled it into a book, and then submitted it to the king of politics and the minister of military affairs for review, and then wrote it into a report for reference.

Thinking about it day and night, Empress Dowager Cixi's wish finally came true step by step.Although the curtain-draping charter has not yet been finalized, the cabinet has a meeting and a concession once, which is generally acceptable, so she can privately plan the day for holding the curtain-draping ceremony. The days have been working together very well, on the ninth day of the ninth month of October, the emperor ascended the throne, and the next day is her birthday, and the day when the curtain regulations are agreed upon, it happens to be the hundredth day of the first emperor's day.The national mourning clothes are filial piety, white cloth gowns have been worn for a long time, and they are not gray or yellow, so ugly!In addition, within a hundred days, he was not allowed to shave his head, and his hair was disheveled, and then he wore that gray and shabby white cloth jacket, not like a prisoner, but also like a beggar, so dejected!After a hundred days, when the gown is still mended and the face is radiant, it will be a dignified and happy event to be congratulated by the officials in the curtain ceremony!

Therefore, the Empress Dowager Cixi looked through the Shi Xianshu herself and chose the date of the first day of November, which also hinted at Gui Liang. He was ordered to manage the Qin Tianjian. . In order to get rid of the clothes, the palace is naturally busy. In addition to everyone preparing their own winter clothes, the door curtains, curtains, chairs and cushions have to be replaced with the original ones before the national funeral. There are many decorations, or the colors are wrong, or the materials are different. , Stored because of filial piety, it must be replaced at this time. Those are all missions of eunuchs and palace maids. They have their own rules and regulations, and they don't need to be instructed. The empress dowagers of the two palaces are required to personally check and clean up the relics of the late emperor and distribute them to the officials. According to the rules at the beginning of entering the customs, all the relics of the emperor Daxing, according to the customs outside the customs, were burned outside the Qianqing Palace on the day of the big funeral and funeral, called "big throwing paper" and "small throwing paper". That's what Zhang Huangzong did when he died of smallpox.It is said that the flames when "throwing paper" were brilliant, how many rare treasures were burnt?It may be a pity to think about it in the future, but in the holy ancestor Bintian, it will not be done this way. The clothes, shoes and hats of the emperor Daxing, as well as the utensils for daily use, will be distributed to ministers and close ministers, which is called "rewarding memorials", as usual Held before de-serving. The list of recipients of the "Remembrance" was issued by the Military Aircraft Department in advance, including relatives and noble ministers inside, governors and generals outside, and former emperors and old ministers who have retired and retired. There are more than fifty people in total.As a rule, each person should have four items, and as a rule, one or two items are valuable, and two or three items are just to make up the number.Of course, special characters are not limited to this. The one for Prince Gong was handpicked by the empress dowagers of the two palaces. A sable warm hat and a black fox stone green jacket were worn by the late emperor in the weather when the dripping water turned into ice.The other two are also treasures that were often by the late emperor's side, a string of many treasures and a green emerald seal with the words "four sons of the emperor" written on it. On the fourth line, Xuanzong gave this emerald jade as a gift, and now it is used as a reward to King Gong of the sixth line. Although it is impractical, it is really a kind of memory for the recipient.When Prince Gong and the first emperor were studying together in the study room, they never saw Fang Cuiyin. Thinking of the late emperor's class, when he was proud of his writing, he would take out this Fang Cuiyin and seal it with his feet. in front of you.Reminiscing about the present and recalling the past, he hesitated endlessly, and Prince Gong couldn't help crying bitterly. On the two days when the memorial was bestowed, Prince Gong received a report from Rehe that part of Sushun's property was hidden with Chen Fuen.This is very possible, but if Chen Fuen is questioned, there will be no results, because it can be expected that he will never admit it. So when the military plane was discussing this matter, Fei hesitated a lot.Chen Fuen's fox tail, after investigating Sushun and copying out the correspondence and accounts, gradually revealed his original shape, but this person is smooth and sophisticated, and he has the greatest ability to speak people's words when he sees people, and he is not easy to expose. his tricks.Therefore, some court scholars thought that Chen Fuen was a talented person, and even thought that he was not a Sudang, not only not a Sudang, but also a figure whom Sushun feared.When the late emperor died in Rehe, only Chen Fu'en, who was sent to attend the funeral in Beijing, was called to go to the funeral. Su Dang's behavior was so obvious, yet someone said that Su Shun wanted to call him to the funeral. It's a plan to divert the tiger away from the mountain. I'm afraid that he will play tricks in Beijing and oppose Sushun. This is the rumor that Chen Fuen himself released. For this reason, since King Gong and others, although they all advocate strict punishment, they have to be cautious because they are afraid that Qingyi's support of Chen Fu'en will cause unexpected disturbances.However, just as Zaiyuan, Duanhua, and Sushun must be executed before the grand ceremony, Chen Fuen's case must also be concluded before the curtain ceremony. , and a meeting was held just for this purpose. No one advocated frivolity, and the meeting went smoothly.The Curtain Ceremony will be held on the first day of November, and the case has been finalized. In this way, there are only nine days to deal with the case.At the same time, according to the rules, a dismissed minister like Chen Fu'en must appoint a minister and convict him at a meeting. At that time, it was decided to send Shangshu Ruichang of the Ministry of Households and Linkui, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, to hand over Chen Fuen to the Ministry of Punishment, and to closely search the family property.At the same time, Zhou Zupei and Wen Xiang were sent to discuss the crime with the Ministry of Punishment.Entering the palace early the next morning, the performance will be right. Once the announcement is approved, it is time to write an edict and transfer it to the cabinet to issue an edict, but in that case, Chen Fuen may have transferred and dispersed his property before the edict has been issued, so he must take lightning-fast measures .As soon as King Gong returned to the military plane, he sent someone to invite Rui Chang and Lin Kui to announce his order and ask them to follow it immediately. So the two ministers dispatched officials and servants, led them personally, and went to Chen's house to post a post to visit.Chen Fuen used to be a high official, but he was no different from a commoner when he was dismissed. When he heard that the two current ministers came to worship, he opened the middle door and greeted him personally. When they got to the hall, they gave up their seats to serve tea as usual, and exchanged greetings, then Ruichang stood up, cupped his hands first and said: "Old Crane, I have a will." "Yes!" Chen Fuen was quite calm. Hearing this, he left the main seat and walked down. When Ruichang stepped up, he knelt down. After the decree was passed on, Chen Fuen thanked him as usual, and then stood up and shouted loudly: "Come on! Take that box out!" There were already crying in Chen's house, but Chen Fuen's face was still calm, and he just waited quietly for the footman to bring the box, which made Ruichang and Linkui feel unfathomable. When the box was brought up, Chen Fuen lifted the lid of the box with his own hands, and there was a lot of cash in it.What is this for?Is it necessary to bribe?Isn't that less brazen?When Ruichang and Linkui were surprised, Chen Fuen uncovered the mystery. "All the money I have accumulated in my life as an eunuch is here. The total is more than nine thousand taels." He pointed to the silver and said, "Please collect it." These two simple words caused great doubts in the hearts of Ruichang and Linkui.From this appearance, Chen Fuen had prepared in advance, and the news of the house raid might have leaked out, but this man was scheming, or he had expected it, and this fate was inevitable.Sure enough, this person is really powerful. Seeing that Rui and Lin looked at each other without expressing anything, Chen Fuen shook his head sadly, and told the servant: "Pack up your clothes and luggage!" This reminded the two officials who were following the order, lowered their voices, and talked a little bit, and Ruichang still spoke. "Crane man!" He asked bluntly: "There are a lot of rumors outside, saying that Suyu Court has something stored in the place of honor. The relationship between this matter is very important, and Crane Man must not be mistaken." "Why did you say that?" Chen Fu'en shook his head vigorously and said, "I say it's absolutely nothing, Er Gong may not believe it, please search it, if there is any trace of Wei Su Yuting's hidden property, Fu'en will be severely punished. " Having said that, there is no need to waste any more time, "Since this is the case, I have to wrong the old man!" Rui Chang yelled: "Come on! Please come, Mr. Wu from the Ministry of Punishment!" Mr. Wu is the officer of the Ministry of punishment. He came to arrest Chen Fu'en with him. He came up at that time, saluted and waited for his orders. "Do you know the will?" Rui Chang asked. "Yes. I have listened to the orders of our yamen hall official." "Very well. You take the man away, and lose an errand." "Yes!" The surname Wu bowed his knees to invite Ann, and then waited to do it. "Wait!" Rui Chang said again, "Master Chen is guilty or not, it has yet to be finalized, you can clarify the errand." "Make it clear," the one surnamed Wu replied, "Let's invite Mr. Chen to stay in the 'Fire Room' of the Ministry of Punishment for a few days." "Huofang" is not a prison, and the treatment is very different. When Chen Fuen heard this, he knew that Ruichang had helped him, and then he bowed to thank him, but Ruichang refused to accept the help of the house, and avoided it. So amidst the crying of Chen's family members, the officials of the Ministry of punishment took Chen Fuen away in a mule cart.At that time, the important access roads of the Chen family had been tightly guarded. Rui Chang and Lin Kui sat in the hall and the study respectively, and began to search the house. If you follow the property, it is all false. In the morning of the next day, University scholar Zhou Zupei sent someone to invite Wen Xiang, Minister of Military Affairs, Zhao Guang, and Mian Sen, ministers of the Ministry of Punishment, to the cabinet to draft charges against Chen Fuen.Because Chen Fuen, Huang Zonghan, Liu Kun and others were dismissed from their posts or never reassigned for the investigation of the party aid case, it has already been completed, so to bring up the old matter again, and bring him alone to deal with it again, it is necessary to have a new one. In addition to "confiscation of Sushun's family property, there are many letters written by Chen Fuen, with ambiguous words in them", and he was accused of using "absurd and unfounded words" when "the emperor's examination of Daxing emperor's suburban sacrificial match" at the Rehe meeting. Words", to meet the meaning of Zaiyuan and others, denounced as "absurd and despicable".This is more or less a crime, but "the coordination of the suburban altar is a matter of great importance."To imitate that crime is too light. Due to the discrepancy between the surface and the reality, what was discussed at the meeting was another set. First of all, Wen Xiang released a batch of secret documents, which are the so-called "ambiguous words in them". Chen Fuen's "personal letters", in addition to those seized by Wen Xiang, the imperial guard Xi Rabu was officially sent to copy Sushun's family. Many people were found one after another. It was the first time for Zhao Guang and Miansen to read these letters. After reading them, they were both a little nervous. very heavy. "Based on these few letters, it's not an exaggeration to put Chen Fu'en on the wrong foot. However, the overall situation is important!" Zhao Guang looked at Zhou Zupei and asked, "Zhongtang, what do you think?" "Your words are right. This case must be handled with caution, and the handling is not good, and the attention is not careful." Wen Xiang also knew that if the word "obscurity" was investigated strictly, it could develop into a major case of "rebellion". In that case, not only the people mentioned in Chen Fu'en's letter would be involved, but many ordinary people would also be involved. The internal and external officials who have letters and letters with Sushun will also put everyone in danger, making the political situation that has just stabilized turbulent, enough to endanger the country.He has always advocated leniency and prudence, and he has secretly negotiated with Prince Gong a way to cut the bottom line. Seeing that the three people present were all worried about this, he revealed the way first, so as to reassure everyone. "What the two princes see is very true." He was inconvenient to speak clearly, but only encouraged Zhou Zupei to say, "Why don't Zhongtang suggest to the sixth prince that all letters received from Sushun do not need to be submitted to the imperial court, and the cabinet will cooperate with the military aircraft department. Burn it with fire!" "Excellent! This is clean." Zhou Zupei praised greatly, but he couldn't help but wonder, "If Prince Gong sees something else, then...?" Then it will hit a snag!As Zhou Zupei, he had to be cautious. Wen Xiang understood what he meant, and immediately patted his chest to guarantee: "Zhongtang keeps his promises, and the sixth prince must respect him! I won't lose face with Zhongtang." "Okay, okay! I'll tell you tomorrow." "This is really a benevolent government!" Zhao Guang said lightly, a stone fell from his heart: "Let's get down to business, please discuss the case of Chen Fuen." "It's your turn to speak first." Zhou Zupei asked back, "How about Yilu?" "Since it is 'ambiguous', it can be light or serious. But no matter how light it is, it cannot escape the charge of exile." "In addition to this, there is also a case of discussing the coordination of suburban sacrifices, which is not true." Miansen reminded everyone. "Based on this, the crime is really not light!" Zhou Zupei pondered for a while, then turned to look at Wen Xiang and asked, "Bo Chuan, what do you think?" "Capital crimes are never enough. Live crimes...," Wen Xiang said slowly, "It's better to charge farther away." Everyone felt that this had a lot to say.With Chen Fuen's method of turning his hands over to cover the clouds and rain, if he is nearby, he might be the "conspiracy" for someone and come up with some tricks. "'Respect ghosts and gods and stay away'. Send them to Xinjiang to serve as atonement!" The two officials of the Ministry of Punishment and the Minister of Military Affairs all agree with each other. Based on Zhou Zupei's words, the case is considered settled.But as soon as the news was revealed, it caused a lot of gossip, which was beyond the expectation of the four people at the meeting. Therefore, the agreement had to be shelved for the time being, and we had to try to quell those gossip first. The way to quell the rumors is also very simple, just send two more ministers, together with the original staff, to draft Chen Fuen's charges.This is a matter that Prince Gong can decide, but since the decree should be issued, it must be played. In order to prevent Shen Zhaolin, another minister of military affairs, from hearing many words, so after the daily meeting with the whole class as usual, he handed over the speech again. The sign asks for a separate call. When we met again, King Gong first asked Tian to send Shen Zhaolin and the new minister of the Ministry of War, Wan Qingli, to propose charges against Chen Fuen.The Empress Dowager Cixi knew something was different, so why should she play a separate secret for such a thing?So he asked: "What? Can't Chen Fuen be convicted?" "It's decided. It was originally proposed to 'send to Xinjiang to serve as atonement'." This is even more strange: "Since you have already been convicted, why send another person?" "Because there is a lot of gossip outside. At this moment, the most important thing is to seek peace of mind, so these two people are added. Both are Han Chinese, and Wan Qingli is Chen Fuen's fellow Jiangxi. The Empress Dowager will play." "Yes, of course." The Empress Dowager Cixi replied, "However, I would like to hear what gossip is going on outside?" These words made Prince Gong feel the pain of not knowing where to start to answer.After hesitating for a while, he felt that it was not easy to mediate and do things even if the empress dowagers of the two palaces understood the situation outside.With this change of mind, he decided to reveal all the prejudices and barriers between the Man and the Han. "Some people outside don't understand the inside story, and think that the banner people deliberately make things difficult for the Han people." "Then there is such a thing?" The Empress Dowager Ci'an lost her voice in shock, "Why are Manchus and Hans divided? I never thought that there should be any difference between Han people and banner people?" "The empress dowager is holy. But some people want to stir up trouble for nothing. But then again, the people sent this time are really not suitable. It seems that they intend to punish Chen Fu'en." "What's the matter?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "It's because there are too many bannermen? Zhou Zupei and Zhao Guang, aren't they Han Chinese?" "Zhou Zupei and Zhao Guang are known by everyone to have always opposed Sushun. Now, even if it is fair to accuse Sushun of the party, in the eyes of others, it is still prejudiced." "Why, do you have to say that Chen Fuen is innocent?" "How can Chen Fuen be innocent?" Prince Gong said confidently, "Just show Wan Qingli those letters, and he must have nothing to say." Can say." "Okay then! Write the decree." "Yes!" Prince Gong withdrew, and immediately sent military plane Zhang Jing to write the imperial edict, which was sent up by the internal affairs office, and it was stamped and issued at that time. Sure enough, Prince Gong's prediction was exactly as expected. Wan Qingli was notified to go to the cabinet meeting. He had planned to say something. This was because he was under pressure from his fellow countrymen in Jiangxi and those who had friendship with Chen Fuen, so he had to strive for it.The four of them, Zhou Zupei and Wen Xiang, also knew that Wan Qingli was the only one to deal with in the meeting, so they had discussed it long ago and decided to follow the instructions of King Gong to show him Chen Fuen's letter first, to see what he said, and then make sense. Wanqing's name is Oujie, so Wen Xiang called him: "Ouweng, you should read these letters first, and you will know that Chen Fuen deserved what he deserved." The pressure on Wan Qingli's shoulders was extremely heavy. In order to explain to his fellow countrymen and all those who urged him to fight for reason, he read the letters very carefully. If Chen Fuen "understands Hui Zou", it is difficult for him to defend himself. The crime of "sending to Xinjiang to serve as atonement" may seem too heavy, but it is actually quite cheap. If it were during the Yongzheng and Qianlong years, Chen Fuen's own leader would not be safe after all. . When he was concentrating on reading the letter, the other five pairs of eyes were fixed on his face. Seeing his tightly shut mouth and frowning expression, everyone felt relieved.So they looked at each other, reached a tacit understanding, and insisted on the originally agreed result.This was also instructed by Prince Gong in advance, as a last resort, Chen Fu'en's charges may be slightly reduced, according to the current situation, it is no longer necessary. "Sure enough, Chen Fu'en deserved what he deserved." Wan Qingli put down the letter in his hand, wiped his big sunglasses with a handkerchief, breathed into the mirror, and blinked his eyes, obviously, he was still there. He hesitated to say something. Seeing this situation, Zhou Zupei refused to let him utter the words of pleading for Chen Fu'en, and deliberately preemptively said, "Ouqi," he said, "is such a person considered an 'upright and good minister'?" The four characters "Qingzhengliangchen" have a source.Since the reign of Daoguang, Wang Ding bitterly impeached Mu Zhang'a for wronging the country, and Chen Fu'en managed to hide the matter with death remonstrance, and saved Mu Zhang'a from a catastrophe. The governor was said to be quite clean when he was in office. With the praise of Mu Xiang, Emperor Xuanzong awarded a plaque with the words "Qingzhengliangchen" on it. This plaque was confiscated when the house was confiscated, and Xuanzong's reputation as an "upright and good minister" was completely wiped out. Wan Qingli had no choice but to reply: "He was praised by the heavenly language in his early years. Can't it be extra reserved? Please discuss." "It's good not to mention this, but it's even worse if you mention it." Zhou Zupei immediately retorted, "Chen Fu'en was once known by Xuanzong Teda, and what he has done now has hurt Xuanzong's knowledge of others. ?" "That's right!" Zhao Guang said, his academic name is very old, he has been a minister for many years, and he has never been in the cabinet to pay homage to the prime minister, so he can't help complaining: "Chen Fuen, who was born in Bagong, actually walks on the 'Minister of Military Aircraft', As it is now, I don't know how he can be worthy of Xuanzong's spirit in heaven?" "That's because of Mu Xiang's promotion." Mian Sen commented, "This talent has some qualities, but he is too enthusiastic." "If you're not too enthusiastic, why are you so flattering Zaiyuan and Sushun?" Zhao Guang finished his complaints, and complained on behalf of his contemporary Xu Naipu: "In order to get 'co-organization', he forced Xu Diansheng's official The Minister of the Ministry has been squeezed out. It has always been impossible to be a member of the Ministry of Officials; Sushun dared to ignore him and protect him in front of the late emperor. He really deserves death!" This broke the topic, and talked about Chen Fuen's grievances with Zaiyuan, Sushun and others, as well as many past events in which he used their power to exclude his fellow officials.Wan Qingli could only listen silently, unable to say a word. "It's getting late!" Wen Xiang finally interrupted their conversation, "Please make a decision!" "According to the original proposal." Zhou Zupei looked at Wan Qingli and said. Wan Qingli felt very embarrassed, and according to her position, she still had to fight hard, but if she said it lightly, it would not help the matter, and if she said it too seriously, it would hinder her future. Even desperately trying, it may not be useful. While hesitating so much, Wen Xiang urged again: "If Ouweng has no objections, then let's make a decision like this!" "I have no other opinion." Wan Qingli replied with great difficulty, "The new emperor ascends the throne, the two palaces are curtained, and there are many happy events. I feel pity for Chen Fuen's white hair and garrison far away. I am afraid that there will be no hope of returning home in this life. Why don't you give me a special gift?" grace." This can be regarded as a very euphemistic remark that came up out of nothing to say, but the people present did not have a good impression of Chen Fuen, so the mourning words of "white hair far away" could not move their hearts.As for Wan Qingli's words, she made an impersonal mistake on the way of reasoning, so she easily excused it for Zhou Zupei. "Grace comes from above." He swept his gaze across the room and landed on Wan Qingli's face, "Whether the superior shows grace to Chen Fuen depends on his own good fortune. We can't talk about it now." Wan Qingli was speechless.Anyway, what should be said has been said, and it can be regarded as an explanation, so he continued to remain silent.Chen Fu'en's crime was settled at this point. When the memorial goes up, it will be approved naturally.The crime of exile is carried out immediately as usual, and the Ministry of Punishment consults with the Ministry of War to send personnel to escort, but extrajudicial grace is given, and there is another practice of accommodating.As long as you get out of the country and go outside the Nine Cities, you can stay temporarily. Therefore, Chen Fu'en temporarily lives in Sanliu Nunnery outside Zhangyi Gate, so that he can take care of all his private affairs in Beijing and say goodbye to his relatives and friends.There were quite a few people who went to see him, and they all said that Xinjiang was using troops, and it was a good opportunity to make amends.Chen Fuen is a very clever person, knowing that complaining at this time will only increase the disadvantages, so he maintained an excellent demeanor, thanking you, and praising the saints constantly, saying that thunder, rain and dew are all the grace of the king. Except for people like Chen Fuen and Huang Zonghan, as well as several eunuchs in the palace who had contacts with Sushun, it was considered unlucky, but everything else was prosperous.King Gong's approach can be regarded as quite enlightened, retaining many of the advantages of Sushun when he was in power.The governor of Liangjiang, Zeng Guofan, was formally ordered to take charge of the military affairs of the four provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang.The southeast half of the wall leans against the Great Wall, which is tantamount to the responsibility of the "general" at the beginning of the founding of the country. Except for Wu Sangui, the Han people have never held such a large military power.The difference is that Wu Sangui is his own expansion, while Zeng Guofan is entrusted by the court. As for Sushun's grievances, it just opened a way for Prince Gong to win people's hearts, and a group of old officials who were excluded by Sushun were reappointed.Weng Tonghe is also running with all his strength, taking this opportunity to eliminate the punishment of dismissal for his father Weng Xincun.He stumbled in the case of Wuyu Ziguan Qianhao in the Ministry of Household Affairs. This case was considered too harsh, and now he is preparing to be rehabilitated according to the memorial requested by Shao Zhan Shi Xu Pengshou to "clean up the prison".As the news spread from the military plane, more and more people praised Prince Gong. This thriving reputation, in Prince Gong's mind, can more or less make up for the guilt and depression that caused the curtain to be bent on the Empress Dowager Cixi's will and violated the ancestral system. During the meeting, the main manuscript of Prince Shiduo was promoted. This memorial was prepared as early as October 16th, but it was not submitted until ten days later, when the hundred days of national mourning were over.There are a total of eleven articles in the regulations. Except for the various ceremonies that require the emperor to be present in person, or to send a prince or county king to honor him, or to resume holding after he becomes an adult, there are only three most important ones. One is the etiquette of "introduction of officials from outside Beijing": "Please invite the empress dowagers of the two palaces and the emperor to join the Imperial Palace of Mental Cultivation and Ming Palace, and the ministers in front of the emperor to discuss politics, and lead the guards in front of the imperial court and Qianqing Gate to stand in line as usual. The empress dowager set up a case in front of the curtain, and entered a list of all the members, and made a note of the draft decree. The emperor set up a case in front of him, and led the officials to enter the green head lottery. How can it be used in a simple way? The Empress Dowager was appointed in Dannei, with the imperial seal, and handed over to the King of the State Council, the Minister of Military Aircraft, to issue an edict, and the official of the hall will state the edict as usual." All kinds of errands", bills were issued in advance, and the regulations of the imperial seal were combined, so that the empress dowagers of the two palaces actually became emperors, and they had complete power to employ people.At the same time, just like the emperor, she can summon any officials inside and outside of Beijing to listen to the government affairs report in person. Before that, the queen mother could only deal with the Minister of Gu Ming or the Minister of Military Affairs, and could not summon other ministers. The Empress Dowager Cixi was quite satisfied with the draft regulations, and immediately summoned the king of politics and the minister of military affairs.A hundred days have passed, everyone from the emperor to the common people had their heads shaved, and at the same time they no longer needed to wear plain clothes. They took off the old white filial robes and put on blue gowns. Their feathers were still brilliant. In the eyes of the Empress Dowager Cixi, His eyes lit up, and his heart became happier. "Sixth Lord!" She eagerly handed out Prince Li's memorial: "Let's do it!" "Yes!" Prince Gong accepted the scripture and said: "The ministers proposed that hanging the curtain is an extraordinary act at an extraordinary time, and there should be an edict to inform the world, affirming the original intention of the empress dowagers of the two palaces to accept the curtain." "That's right!" The Empress Dowager Ci'an followed up his words, "This was a last resort. When the emperor reaches his age, he will naturally return to power." Cixi was very vigilant, and quickly said: "I also mean the same thing. The emperor is too young, and we sisters have to ask questions, but thanks to the concerted efforts of the internal and external ministers, there is such a peaceful situation today. Now we only hope that the emperor Study hard, after seven or eight years, and be able to take on big things, we sisters can be regarded as having an account of our ancestors and the subjects of the world. At that time, we sisters will have a few days of leisure. You just follow This meaning, write the purpose to see!" Prince Gong originally had a draft of decree on his body, ready to submit it immediately, but now hearing Cixi's words, it is naturally inconvenient to take it out again.Please an exit, go back to the military plane, take out the original manuscript, add the Empress Dowager Cixi's meaning, re-edit and revise the final draft, and then send it up from the internal affairs office after careful consideration. This edict was written in the emperor's tone, but it was actually the empress dowager's affirmation that the curtain "did not do what he wanted to do" and had to do it. Although the Empress Dowager Cixi was shrewd, her ink was limited and her experience was still far from enough, so she couldn't understand the circumflex tone in this edict, so she happily stamped it with the seal of "Tongdaotang".This is the first time she has used red inkpad since she obtained this seal. On the first day of November, it was a rare good weather since the beginning of winter. People were refreshed on happy occasions, and everyone was full of energy. Bathed in the rising sun, they entered the palace through the Donghua Gate.A group of older ministers were given the grace of "riding horses in the Forbidden City" in advance, and they could get off their sedan chairs and cars near the Longzong Gate.Walking around, I saw that the top of the head is either a gemstone or a coral crown, and on the chest and back, there are either crane patch or unicorn patch.What I am most proud of is the group of Hanlin servants who work in the South Study Room and the Upper Study Room. Although their grades are low, they can still hang court beads, wear mink coats, and enter the inner court proudly. The venue for listening to politics is still in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, where military planes and officials from the capital are summoned every day, and in Dongnuan Pavilion, when there are ceremonies, they come to the Ming Hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.At this time, it has already been cleaned and neatly arranged. In the middle, there is a mahogany imperial table more than ten feet long, tied with bright yellow satin, and surrounded by dark flowers of "Liu Tong He Chun".Behind the imperial case, there are two imperial seats, one east and one west. In front of the imperial case, a yellow gauze with square eyes is hung, which means hanging curtain.In the center in front of the curtain is the little emperor's imperial couch, covered with brand new yellow satin leather mattresses. When the clock struck nine o'clock, civil and military officials entered the hall one after another, and the deacons and officials from the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple took care of them and arranged their shifts.It was the third quarter of the lunar month—a quarter of an hour before ten o'clock, and the eunuch passed on a report, saying that the emperor had served the two palaces and drove from the palace. Then the whip was sounded, and there was no sound, only the rustling footsteps were heard from afar. The sound, from hidden to obvious, finally saw the shadow of King Chun, who was also in charge of the "Minister of the Former Yin", so he walked in the front, followed by Jing Shou, Bo Na Mo Gu, and the group of princes. The imperial ministers, divided into two rows, led the little emperor's bright yellow soft sedan chair into the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The officials who stood on their shifts all knelt down to receive the driver.After the emperor, there are the soft sedan chairs of the empress dowagers of the two palaces, and after that are the "reign ministers" and accompanying eunuchs. The most eye-catching one is An Dehai, dragging a shiny new blue feather behind his head , holding a handful of pure gold hookahs, followed the soft sedan chair on the west side, raised his little Dan-like face high, with such pride, as if he had become an emperor. After the empress dowagers of the two palaces and the emperor were ascended to the throne, the praise officers of Honglu Temple sang loudly, from the hall to Danchi, all officials, big and small, knelt three times and kowtowed nine times, got up and left in groups.After preparing for the grand ceremony for many days, this is the end.But at this moment, the Empress Dowager Cixi officially took over the political power, the dust fell, and the rumors died down. Of course, those who are enthusiastic are climbing the dragon and the phoenix. , The political position has returned, thinking about his fame and wealth, not only dare not have private discussions behind his back, but also changed his wait-and-see and reserved attitude, and went to order congratulatory forms from the yellow-faced and red-faced empress dowagers of the two palaces. The empress dowagers of the two palaces accepted the court congratulations, and continued to deal with government affairs, and instead summoned the king of politics and the minister of military affairs in Dongnuange.The layout has been changed, the royal table is facing east and west, the two empress dowagers, Ci'an is in the south, and Cixi is in the north. There are eight foldable bright yellow gauze screens in front of the case, and the little emperor still sits in front. Prince Gong and the Minister of Military Aircraft saluted, and once again knelt down to congratulate the two empress dowagers. The Empress Dowager Cixi puts the most emphasis on grievances. Thinking of today's feng shui, it is naturally the work of Prince Gong's transformation, followed by Cao Yuying's mediation and planning, so I greatly praised the two of them. The grievances suffered by He, looking back at the present and recalling the past, although there is emotion, it can't hide the smug mood. Then, the Empress Dowager Ci'an also said a few words, which seemed to be superficial talk, but in fact, she wanted to keep her words out of the way. She told Prince Gong to put state affairs first, not to be afraid of complaining, and not to avoid suspicion in small details.These words refer to something. Zaiyuan, Duanhua, Sushun, and Duhan, in order to isolate Prince Gong and the two queen mothers, have repeatedly threatened that young uncles and sisters-in-law must avoid suspicion, and now Prince Gong is alone. There are many opportunities to meet, the Empress Dowager Ci'an was afraid that someone would gossip again, so she made this special order.Prince Gong naturally claimed yes, seeing that the empress dowagers of the two palaces had finished speaking, he followed up with Chen Zou, saying that the curtains of the two palaces were closed, the government order was renewed, and he asked for lenient handling of the case of punishing the party. The Empress Dowager Cixi was in the best mood, and she generously replied: "Yes!" But I can't help but wonder, "Is there anyone who should have done it but hasn't done it?" "What I mean is that Zaiyuan and the others have been on missions for many years, and Sushun and others have even more missions. Officials, big and small, in and out of Beijing, naturally have correspondence with them, and there are inevitably things in the letters that agree with them." Prince Gong said Here, after a pause, he explained his method, "It's best to burn these letters with a fire, but it can prevent future troubles forever. Please issue a decree today, and don't blame the past, as a show of generosity." "This can be regarded as a kindness from the curtain." The Empress Dowager Cixi asked sideways: "Sister, I think we should do it like this!" Empress Dowager Ci'an naturally agreed.So he immediately wrote the Mingfa Shangyu and issued it with a seal.Prince Gong originally wanted to make a statement about the emperor's study, but when he saw the little emperor sitting alone on the imperial couch in front of the gauze screen, turning his head around, he looked very impatient, afraid that the first The sky is hanging behind the curtain to listen to the government, so he will make some jokes about disrespect, so let's not say anything for the time being, kneel down and quit. The empress dowagers of the two palaces and the emperor passed on meals in the Xinuang Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.When setting the dining table, An Dehai brought in a yellow box slowly. It was the box for the memorials in the internal affairs office. The Empress Dowager Cixi just waved her hand and said: "What is it? Come and see!" An Dehai put the yellow box on the kang table with a smile, opened it, and found that there were more than a dozen yellow-faced blush inside, congratulating the two palaces on the governance. "Is there 'that side' too?" "There are all of them. One for the empress dowager, one for the emperor." An Dehai replied: "The master's share was shown to me at the internal affairs office. reward." "Reward!" Empress Dowager Cixi scolded with a smile: "Have you received less rewards these days?" "I don't ask for any reward from the master." An Dehai knelt on his knees, "From today onwards, the master spends a lot of time in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, so I beg the master to transfer the slave to the Hall of Mental Cultivation so that I can serve the master." "This..." Cixi looked at An Dehai, pondered for a long time, and said decisively: "No! You are not the material to serve the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Get up!" "Yes!" An Dehai kowtowed and stood up aggrieved. "I have another errand for you." Hearing this, I don't know what a good job it is?An Dehai quickly responded loudly: "twitter!" "You go to Liu Ye's mansion." The Empress Dowager Cixi ordered leisurely, "I said that I miss Da Gege, and I want to see her, so that her nuns can accompany her to the palace right away." It turned out that it was such a temporary errand, An Dehai couldn't help being disappointed.But after thinking about it, when he arrived at Prince Gong's mansion, he happened to show that he was a celebrity in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi who was in power, so the reward would definitely not be less.And you can go home and take a look when you find time, this trip is not bad. So he happily received the decree, went to the respect room to explain the reason, took the ticket for permission to leave the palace, and was released from the palace by the guard of Shenwumen. For a cup of tea, the original car went to Prince Gong's mansion to deliver the decree. Prince Gong's Mansion was originally imposing, but recently added the title of King of Discussion, and "Double Salary for Food and Beverage", so the officials, guards, and eunuchs in the Palace became more and more arrogant.Although he knew that An Dehai was the favored person in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi, he didn't pay much attention to him. As soon as he climbed into the high threshold, he was immediately stopped by the "door" with a protruding chest. "Second Master An!" The address was very polite, but the demeanor was that of rejecting people thousands of miles away. "Men Shang" looked up and said coldly, "What's the matter, you can tell me." Looking at the taller and bigger figure, An Dehai was a little discouraged, so he repeated the words that Empress Dowager Cixi wanted to meet Da Gege. "Okay, I'll go in for you." The door pointed to the two-foot-long black lacquered stool tied with an iron chain and said, "Just wait there!" An Dehai's face turned pale, and he was about to curse, but finally held back.He knew that he couldn't offend Prince Gong at this moment, so he sat on the bench aggrieved, sulked for a long time, suddenly realized, slapped himself on the face, and cursed fiercely: "Damn it! What's wrong?" What is the difference?You should tell the door: "Pass the decree!" When you say these two words, you are an imperial envoy, you should enter the middle gate, stand on the hall facing south, and let Prince Gong come to hear the decree. Prince Gong Fujin came out to listen to the announcement.An Dehai felt extremely sad for making himself so useless after a good job. He was left alone outside, but the upper room inside was busy and chaotic, and it was very lively.Prince Gong was not in the mansion, and Prince Gong Fujin couldn't help being confused when he heard the words from the door. The Empress Dowager Cixi summoned Da Gege to enter the palace. Big Gege, but why didn't they invite their mother and daughter into the palace together, and only ordered the nanny to accompany them. Could it be that the doorman misheard the words? "That's right," replied through the window on the door and under the corridor: "The people sent by the palace said so." "Who was sent by the palace?" "Anderhai." If it was him, Prince Gong Fujin didn't bother to send him in for questioning.After thinking about it for a long time, I always felt that asking the nuns to send Da Gege into the palace was not reassuring, so I hurried to inform the prince while ordering the waiters to make up, and decided to take my daughter to see the Empress Dowager Cixi. The noble lady was meticulous about dressing up, and she even paid more attention to grooming when she entered the palace for pilgrimage. This delay made An Dehai, who was sitting on a cold bench, in a dilemma, and he was so angry that he didn't know what to do.If so, after waiting for more than half an hour, only hearing the horse's hooves falling, mixed with the sound of rumbling wheels, there was a loud noise in the long alley paved with bluestone slabs, and the gate of Prince Gong's mansion immediately became tense. When the guards were on duty to drive away the idlers, An Dehai also stretched his neck to see if it was the nobleman who came. Eight "top horses" led an unusually gorgeous "rear carriage" to the gate of the mansion. The car rolled over the wooden saddle bridge on the threshold and drove directly to the second gate.In the car was Prince Gong, who was rushing back from "Jianyuan" in Daxiangfeng Hutong. He got out of the car and went to the upper room. Prince Gong Fujin was combing his hair, unable to get up, so he looked at his husband in the mirror, and put An Dehai The words that came, were repeated, and then she explained the reason why she decided to bring the daughter into the palace herself. Prince Gong didn't answer immediately, and continued to pace around, as if he had encountered a difficult problem. This made Prince Gong Fujin very puzzled, and couldn't help asking with his face turned sideways: "What's the matter? Sixth Lord!" With servants nearby, it was inconvenient for Prince Gong to talk deeply, so he stood still and thought for a while before answering, "You comb your hair first! I'm in the study." He sat down in the study alone and thought about it quietly. He had a different opinion from his wife. She only thought that the Empress Dowager Cixi really loved her daughter, but he knew that there was a lot to it.Empress Dowager Cixi once revealed that she would raise Da Gege in the palace. Obviously, with today's call, Da Gege might be left in the palace. However, his consideration was not that he was reluctant to part with his daughter's fraternal affection, but he was just thinking about how to deal with this unusual kindness.Gege of the palace was raised in the palace since childhood.It has been a tradition since the founding of the country to be named a princess like the emperor.At first, perhaps because some princes and county kings led troops away, or were killed in battle, they were honored and favored for their kindness.In the Yongzheng Dynasty, Sejong regarded his three nieces as his own. He was extremely lonely, but of the four princesses, three died young and one married early, so it was a great comfort to him to have several clever nieces at his knees, talking and laughing with him. At this moment, Empress Dowager Cixi wants to raise Da Gege, most of which is to win over Prince Gong, which he himself knows very well.And whether to accept the win over or not is exactly the problem that he is hesitating at the moment. The problem has not been solved yet, the well-dressed Prince Gong Fujin has arrived, and Prince Gong ordered the maids to retreat, and then said in a low voice: "You don't know, let me tell you, 'West Side' plans to keep the big girl By her side." Da Gege was born by Prince Gong Fujin, she was bright, wise, and loved very much, so when she heard this, her face immediately changed. "Don't be reluctant." Prince Gong persuaded her, "If she really likes it, she won't give it up. Fortunately, this is no better than 'picking a beautiful girl'. If you pick one, you can't go home. In the future, when the big girl comes back, Or it is convenient for you to go to the palace to see the big girl." "Cough!" Prince Gong Fujin sighed, "I hope she doesn't like it!" "If you don't like it, you have to do it this way. The superiors must give our family grace!" Prince Gong Fujin is Gui Liang's daughter, and she followed her father as a governor since she was a child, traveled to many places, and also had some experience, so when she heard this, she could understand that it was Empress Dowager Cixi's intentional way to win over, just like It is the same reason to watch the hereditary king in the early days. That being the case, "Shouldn't I also thank you for this kindness?" she asked her husband. "I can't resign. It's as if we don't know how to flatter and are reluctant to part with our children." Prince Gong immediately lowered his voice and said, "I really don't want to curry favor with her, so what I mean is that you don't have to enter the palace, just Let the big girl's nanny accompany you." "That's not good!" Prince Gong Fujin categorically objected, "Nurse can only stay outside the palace, and I don't feel relieved to let the big girl go to that kind of scene with a small person." This is also the truth, Prince Gong had no choice but to give in, and then walked out of the study, calling An Dehai up, saying that Prince Gong Fujin was going to the palace to pay his respects to the two empress dowagers, so he would take Da Gege with him, and told him to go back to the palace to play Report to Empress Dowager Cixi.After explaining the words, he asked the servant to pay ten taels of silver to An Dehai in the account room. At this moment, Mammy is braiding Da Gege's hair and changing clothes.The queen mother's call to enter the palace, no matter it is a big event, the mothers gave thousands of instructions, how to kowtow, how to greet, how to answer the queen mother's questions, to be obedient, to obey the rules, and to chatter endlessly, which made Da Gege impatient up. Da Gege was born in the fourth year of Xianfeng. He is eight years old this year. Although he is small and very sensible, he also has a big temper.At this time, her face tensed up, her small mouth puffed up, and when Mammy saw her expression, she quickly shut up, otherwise there would be trouble. "What's the matter?" Prince Gong Fujin couldn't help but be surprised, "It's fine, but I'm not happy again! Don't act like this, the Queen Mother will be angry when she sees you later, saying that you don't understand the rules! " Da Gege is really sensible and knows what attitude to use to meet the Queen Mother.Immediately he relaxed his tense face, with a charming smile on his face, obediently followed his mother into the palace. When they got into the car, An Dehai had already returned to the palace.This errand made him angry. Not only was he left out, but the reward of ten taels of silver was not enough. The power of the king, don't cause trouble!But he couldn't swallow his breath.After thinking about it, I always feel that I have to put a cold shot in order to be able to sleep at night