Chapter 34 Jade Seat Bead Curtain (5-1)

After returning to the south in the middle of the twelfth lunar month last year, Wu Shoubei arrived in the capital again in less than a month.Wu Tang sent a batch of "charcoal tributes" at the end of the year, and there were gifts at the beginning of the year, but they were all "earth rites". Of course, An Dehai had a share, which was the same as the ones sent to the ministers, but there was no greeting Private Letter.Wu Shoubei had been to An Dehai's house, delivered gifts to his family in person, and left a business card of Wu Tang. Another copy was given to Military Aircraft Zhang Jingfang Dingrui.The gift was not as thick as that given to An Dehai, but it was a thick letter.Attached to this letter was the "abbreviation" about Zhao Kaibang that An Dehai handed over to Wu Shoubei. He will report for dismissal and investigate and deal with it.Now that the unsolved case has nowhere to go, he suddenly asked for an open reply, backtracking on what he said, and it was very difficult to find a word. Between the lines, he vaguely pointed out that this is a case assigned by An Dehai under Yi's order, and he felt even more embarrassed, so he specifically asked Fang Dingrui for advice on how to deal with it.At the same time, I repeatedly told you, no matter what, please keep it a secret.

Fang Dingrui was surprised when he read the letter.All the officials in Jiangnan have friendship with him, he knows Wu Tang's troubles, and he can't solve his problems, at least he can't make troubles for him, so he is very cautious, and quietly sent someone to invite Wu Shoubei, together After asking, he understood! I'm 80% sure that it's An Dehai's trick, but this matter has a lot to do with Wu Tang, and I can't be wrong at all. I have to make it clear whether An Dehai is false or not.After much deliberation, I had no choice but to discuss it with Cao Yuying. "Mr. Zhuo, look!" He spread Wu Tang's letter in front of him, and said with a wry smile:

"Weird things happen every year, not as many as this year." After not seeing a few lines, Cao Yuying's complexion immediately changed, showing an air of great importance.After reading the letter, he slapped the table and said, "This must be done!" Seeing such a result, Fang Dingrui was quite regretful, and hurriedly asked, "Who should I do?" "We have to do it all! The first is Xiao Anzi, and the second is Zhao Kaibang." Fang Dingrui was taken aback!It was not Wu Tang's original intention to do this, that is, he had been entrusted by others, so he stayed there without making a sound for a long time.

"Give me the letter." Cao Yuying stood up, with the look of preparing to go out. "Mr. Zhuo!" Fang Dingrui grabbed him and asked, "Where are you going?" "I'm going to pay homage to King Gong." "Mr. Zhuo!" He bowed to the ground. "Begging to be fulfilled." "Huh!" Cao Yuying asked in surprise, "What do you mean?" "The meaning in the letter can't be concealed from the eyes of the eye. Wu Zhongxuan only wanted to be both public and private, and he entrusted me with the intention of doing things well, but the result was worse than not entrusting me. Mr. Zhuo, you leave a person for me to meet Wu Zhongxuan in the future." Room, okay?"

This statement made Cao Yuying sigh, she sat down, pushed Wu Tang's letter forward, and said, "You can take care of it yourself! I don't need to say anything more." So, Fang Dingrui sent a letter back to Wu Tang, telling him that there was absolutely no such thing and that he should ignore it.At the same time, he also told him the news that Mao Hongbin, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, was downgraded. It was a foregone conclusion. An Dehai and Delu didn't know that the matter had run aground, so they asked Wu Shoubei first.He had been instructed by Wu Tang, if An Dehai came to ask, just tell him this: The Queen Mother handed over the order to purchase "Suzhou Embroidery New Sample Clothing Material", and it is currently being processed. Zhao Kaibang has opened a case and has already commissioned another Appropriate people handle it on their behalf.Hearing what Wu Shoubei said, Delu didn't feel anything.Turning to An Dehai, he is better than Delu, and he heard that the words were not good, and he didn't understand who he entrusted to "handle it on his behalf". Could it be that he was looking for someone in Beijing to make a memorial for him nearby?There is no such rule!

In a few days, Delu got the news, asked An Dehai out, and told him that Wu Tang was entrusted by Fang Dingrui. Fang Dingrui discussed with Cao Yuying, and for some reason he wrote back a letter to Wu Tang. "Second Master An!" Finally he said, "I think it's probably blown!" Judging from the situation, An Dehai knew in his heart that it was a blow!It doesn't matter if you blow it up, first, it is known that he has fake Chuan Yizhi; second, Zhao Kaibang's whereabouts have been revealed, and it will be a huge trouble to pursue these two matters.So the expression at that time looked strange, green and red for a while, and did not hear what Delu said.

It wasn't until Delu yelled: "Second Master An!" He could force himself to listen to his words.Delu said with a sad face: "Now, I have a hard time explaining to Zhao Si." "Why is it so difficult to explain? Didn't you say that the money collected at the end of the year is not considered fixed money, and since it is not fixed money, you don't owe him anything, and there is something difficult to explain." "It's not this. I mean, Wu Tang's place and the Military Aircraft Department all know that Zhao Si has shown up. After an inquiry, it falls on me to ask someone like Zhao Kaibang. How can I explain to him?"

"This...," An Dehai still insisted, "It doesn't matter, I'm here!" That's what I said, but my heart was in turmoil, and I couldn't get it right for a moment.It doesn't matter about other things, I can always find a way to encourage the "master" to come out as a shield, but this matter can't be exposed in front of her.Thinking of the majesty of the Empress Dowager Cixi's turning her face and refusing to recognize anyone, An Dehai shivered suddenly, and couldn't fall asleep that night. Thinking hard and anxious, I always feel that I need to clarify the situation first, then I can only ask Fang Dingrui.So I took some time and thought of an excuse to see Fang Dingrui.As soon as he reported at the door, Fang Dingrui knew his purpose and told him to sit in the small study.

Usually, when An Dehai saw Zhang Jing, he acted as if he was an informal friend, and his attitude was extremely casual. Today, when he asked for help, he followed the rules. When he saw Fang Dingrui open the curtain and enter the door, he immediately greeted him. Call out respectfully: "Master Fang!" "Don't dare to be, don't dare to be, please sit down." Waiting for the servant to offer tea and cigarettes, the two exchanged pleasantries for a while, and An Dehai mentioned the purpose of coming: "I received a letter from Mr. Wu, the Governor of Water Transport, saying that he would let me come to see Master Fang, and tell me something."

This kid!Fang Dingrui scolded in his heart, lying to his face!Foreign officials made friends with eunuchs and banned them. How could Wu Tang have a letter for him?But after thinking about it, how could he speak if he didn't use such words?But understanding is understanding, but it can't be too cheap for him.So he pretended to be surprised and asked, "Ah! I can't remember this happening yet." Don't say "I don't know", but say "I can't remember", An Dehai also understands that he is deliberately trying to make things difficult, so he can only blushed and said: "Just open the case for Zhao. Master Fang must know?"

"Oh, this case. That's right," Fang Dingrui said slowly, "Master Wu entrusted me with it, and I have to handle it for him. However, there is a difficulty. The plot does not seem to match." As he said that, Fang Dingrui stared at him calmly, and An Dehai couldn't help lowering his head to avoid his sight.I was thinking about the point that "the plot doesn't quite match"?Is it the plot described in the abbreviation of Zhao Kaibang, or is it referring to his own false edict? Seeing his expression, Fang Dingrui became more and more aware of the truth. His main purpose was to help Wu Tang.The matter was not done for An Dehai, but there was no need to offend him, so he changed the subject and said in a very earnest voice: "You also know that there is always a rule for everyone to do things. The case of Zhao Kaibang is really of no help. How about this, you take back his abbreviation, let’s just treat it as nothing. We don’t care about Zhao Kaibang’s presence and what he’s doing there, and of course we won’t pursue Mr. Wu’s place again. .Does it look good to you?" At this time, Fang Dingrui said that An Dehai was overjoyed that nothing happened, and he quickly agreed: "Yes! Listen to Master Fang's orders!" With that said, he left his seat and greeted him. When I got that abridged copy, it was like taking back a piece of stolen goods, and a stone fell from my heart.Sitting in the car and thinking about it, he found that not only was everything safe and sound, but also that he had gained something. He felt relieved immediately, and went to the House of Internal Affairs to find Delu first when he returned to the palace. "How is it? Mr. An, quite proud of himself." As soon as Delu said it, An Dehai knew the expression on his face. Since he said so, he simply put on a very happy look, and pulled Delu away. "Zhao Si's business is half done." "Oh!" Delu asked in surprise: "What? Could it be..." "Listen to me!" An Dehai rushed to say: "Didn't Zhao Si want to wash his body? This one, I did it for him, isn't it half done?" "That's great. Mr. An, tell me the details, and I'll tell him right away. " "I just went to see Master Jingfang of the Military Aircraft Zhang. He told me personally that there is nothing wrong with Bao Zhao's opening of the list, and he will not chase after Master Wu. You can tell him to rest assured and show up boldly." "Yes! I'll go right away." "Wait!" An Dehai grabbed him and said in a low voice, "The number he promised will be paid!" This time Delu was in a dilemma. He talked in plain language and asked people to hand over tens of thousands of silver, which might not be easy.After thinking about it for a while, I felt that I would be blamed if I spread the word from it. So, he proposed to invite Zhao Si out to eat in a small restaurant, explaining the process face to face, and An Dehai knew his intention, so he agreed. Early the next morning, Delu sent a post, and Zhao Kaibang came forward to invite An Dehai to have a drink at Fuxingju.He went to the appointment on time, exchanged greetings for a while, drank at the table, and after two toasts, Delu pulled the host aside and whispered.An Dehai was drinking alone, but he kept turning his head to peek. First he saw Zhao Kaibang's hesitant look, and after talking, he finally nodded reluctantly, knowing that the matter was a foregone conclusion.Although he looks like he is in a difficult situation, he can't control him so much. When they got out, De Lu told An Dehai the result of his negotiation with Zhao Si in detail.Zhao Si promised that as long as he "washes his body clean", he is willing to reward him with 20,000 silver, but that can only be counted if he is ordered to revoke the punishment of questioning. According to the current situation, there will still be troubles in the future. Hearing this, An Dehai became angry, "Okay!" He said angrily with a livid face, "There is no basis for what you say, so people can't believe it. Let's wait and see." "Second Lord An, Second Master An!" Delu shook his hand and said anxiously: "Don't worry! I haven't finished my words yet. He is not a person who is not breathless. Besides, I can do things for you. You can't go without an explanation. You have to let me finish, and it's never too late to lose your temper." "Okay, okay, say it, say it!" So Delu made an ugly show of his merits, only talking about how he enlightened Zhao Si, and finally persuaded Zhao Si, and promised to give 10,000 silver first, "Then 10,000 is indispensable!" He said: "Zhao Si has something to say, then One day when the decree is fulfilled, the ten thousand silver coins will be compensated on that day." An Dehai felt that this was still reasonable, so he nodded his head in agreement, and asked after a pause, "So what about you?" "Me?" Delu squinted at An Dehai, "I work for Second Master An!" There is something beyond the words, An Dehai understands in his heart.According to the rules, it should be split evenly, but I felt a little distressed, so I decided not to make a decision: "Let's talk about it when we get it. When did he say it will be given?" "Ten thousand silver is not a small amount, and people have to collect it. It will take four or five days to get it." On the fourth day, a "Sula" from the Ministry of Internal Affairs came to the "Imperial Tea House" and asked someone to go in to find An Dehai.He thought it was sent by Delu to ask him to collect the money, so he rushed over excitedly. Nasula bowed to him and said, "Second Master An, the prince is here to invite you, please wait at the Ministry of Internal Affairs." The "Wang Ye" in his mouth naturally refers to Prince Gong. "Your Majesty is here to invite you" these four words are in my ears, I feel so uncomfortable!The eunuchs in the imperial tea room also looked at him more and more differently, An Dehai's face was full of gold, his steps were light, and he followed the visitor to the House of Internal Affairs. Prince Gong was wearing plain clothes this day, but his expression was even more majestic than wearing an official uniform. When An Dehai saw it, he couldn't help but muttered in his heart. He walked to the door, signed up outside the curtain and said: "An Dehai greets the prince!" "Come in." Lifting the curtain and going in, he kowtowed to Prince Gong who was sitting on the kang bed, just when he raised his head, he saw Prince Gong slapped his feet hard, and he couldn't help lowering his head again. "I ask you, you did a good job!" It was even worse when he opened his mouth, An Dehai panicked, not knowing which one Prince Gong was referring to - he had done too many "good things"! "You are absolutely lawless! You still want to keep your head to eat? You are so brave, ah!" What exactly are you talking about?An Dehai bit the bullet and asked: "What mistake did the slave make? Please show me, my lord." "Hmph!" Prince Gong sneered, "You're still pretending to be confused! Let me ask you, why didn't I know that there was a decree passed on to Master Wu, Governor of Water Transport?" broken!An Dehai was so frightened that his hands and feet were cold, he hurriedly took off his hat, and bumped his head on the ground. "What do you think you are? Do you think you can do anything wrong by relying on the Queen Mother?" The more Prince Gong scolded, the more angry he became. He scolded An Dehai for half an hour, and finally warned severely: If An Dehai is found to have committed illegal activities in the future, he must be dealt with severely! An Dehai didn't dare to say a word, and waited for Prince Gong to say: "Get lost!" before he kowtowed and withdrew.When I got outside the door, I could see a lot of people peeping their heads out to watch the commotion. They felt that their faces were dull, and they lowered their heads to their chests, turned their bodies sideways, and hurried back to the palace. The palace has also received news.Although many of his colleagues flattered him, there were also many who discorded with him, so they deliberately held him back and said, "How is it? What did Master Liu tell you?" "It's nothing, it's nothing!" An Dehai forced himself to perfunctory, and walked away, and there was laughter behind him. It just so happened that the laughter didn't stop, just now the little emperor came back from the study of the Hongde Palace and had breakfast with the two empress dowagers.He was ten years old, and he understood the majesty of the emperor quite well. When he saw this, he stared and cursed: "There are no rules!" "Yes! There are no rules." Zhang Wenliang coaxed him along his will: "Turn back and ask the respect room to punish them." He said loudly to the kneeling eunuch: "Get out of here!" However, the little emperor became curious again, "Wait a minute!" He could call out the name of one of them: "Peng Ershun, what are you laughing at?" Peng Ershun knew that the little emperor hated An Dehai the most. According to the facts, Chen Zuo might as well: "Talk to Lord Long Live," he said, "Xiao Anzi let the sixth master scold him." "Oh!" The little emperor also laughed, "Good scolding! Why?" "Because..." Peng Ershun shuddered suddenly after he said a single word. If the reason were to be revealed, the matter would become serious. Who said it?Peng Ershun!With this involved, you have to serve as an army even if you don't die, so you quickly kowtowed and replied: "I don't know." Don't know.When the Empress Dowager Ci'an had dinner at the same table at Spring Coupling Zhai, as usual, she had to ask about homework in the study, the little emperor sometimes responded, and sometimes remained silent, if he remained silent, there was no need to ask further questions, he must have been unable to memorize. The answer was very good that day, and the Empress Dowager Ci'an was also happy. The mother and son talked a lot. After talking, the little emperor suddenly looked back and asked loudly: "Where is Xiao Anzi?" "That's right!" The Empress Dowager Ci'an looked at it and asked, "Why doesn't Xiao Anzi come to serve Chuan Shan?" The Empress Dowager Cixi, who was across a dining table, replied: "I asked for leave with me, saying that I was sick!" "It's not a disease." The little emperor said confidently, "Xiao Anzi must be hiding in his own room and crying." "how do you know?" When the Empress Dowager Ci'an asked this question, the Empress Dowager Cixi was holding a piece of spring bamboo shoots in her hand with gold inlaid chopsticks, she turned her face to look at the little emperor, waiting for his answer. "Little Anzi was scolded by Uncle Liu, shouldn't he be crying?" the little emperor said triumphantly. Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager Ci'an couldn't help turning her face to look at Cixi, her face was ugly, but it was only for a moment, but at this moment, the Empress Dowager Ci'an could see clearly, she felt regretful, she shouldn't have turned her face to look !It should be as if nothing had happened. In order to ease the tense atmosphere, she squeezed the little emperor's hand and said with a smile: "Speaking of children! Do you have to cry when you are scolded?" Although it was "children's words", it was actually right, An Dehai really hid in his own room and cried for a while, his eyes were slightly swollen and he couldn't see anyone.Fortunately, I have already asked for leave, so I simply closed the door and thought about my thoughts, recalling the situation in Rehe, thinking about Sushun and Prince Gong together, thinking about the similarities between them. In the morning of the next day, I still went to the bedroom to serve, and waited for the Empress Dowager Cixi to get up, and went in to kneel down.She looked at him and asked, "Are you cured?" An Dehai had already made up his mind. Hearing this question, he knelt down and replied: "The slave dare not lie to the master, the slave is really not sick." "Oh!" Empress Dowager Cixi asked calmly, "Then, why don't you come in to work?" "Talking back to the master, the slave has suffered a lot of grievances. I know that I don't look good, and I dare not come in for fear of making the master angry, so I complained for a day." These few words were very tactful, and the Empress Dowager Cixi felt pity, but she didn't want to show it on the surface, and at the same time, she didn't want to ask him why he was wronged?Because she already knew that his grievance was scolded by Prince Gong, she could neither comfort An Dehai that Prince Gong was wrong, nor could she say that he should be scolded, it is better not to ask. Seeing this, An Dehai was afraid that she would be in a bad mood, so he didn't dare to say more.The Empress Dowager Cixi has a problem of "being winded by the head", as the saying goes, if the first night, when the lonely lamp is raining at night, or the bright moon is peeping at people, she suddenly feels desolate, so that she tosses and turns, unable to fall asleep, and will have a coma early the next morning. "Being headwind", I don't know who should suffer?So when the eunuchs and maids saw that she didn't like to talk when she got up, they were all worried, even An Dehai was no exception. However, he misunderstood the meaning. At this time, the Empress Dowager Cixi not only would not lose her temper, but also sympathized with him, "Xiao Anzi!" She gave him a small grace: "I will give you half a day off and serve breakfast , go home and have a look!" An Dehai was quite surprised.The eunuch was very suspicious, even though he kowtowed to thank her, he still didn't dare to be happy. He didn't feel relieved until he saw her face clearly and knew that it was a kindness and she had no other intentions. So after waiting for breakfast, I went to the House of Internal Affairs to find Delu.As soon as they met, they could see that Delu's expression was not good. The two met each other and walked to a secluded place together. An Dehai stopped and asked, "How is the 'thing' delivered?" "Alas!" Deluge sighed, "It's really unexpected!" "Why?" An Dehai fixed his eyes on his face, first he had to find out if he was trying to make trouble? "That kid surnamed Zhao has changed his mind. It's abominable!" De Lu said with a sad face, "I don't know what he heard from him. Zhao Si already knew about the tantrum that the sixth prince lost his temper with you yesterday. He Said: "I don't know what's going on? Let's take a look and talk about it." Hearing this, An Dehai's face suddenly changed, but then he remembered Prince Gong's stern expression, and was immediately discouraged, unable to speak for a long time. "I'm also a little scared!" Delu said again, "This prince, which one can be offended? Erye An, bad luck, let's all be careful! If something really happens, I can't bear it." Go, and regret it at that time, but it will be too late." "Hmph!" An Dehai could only sneer, "Okay, 'look and see'! Put his and mine, let's take a look, who can do it and who can't?" Hearing this tone, Delu was a little panicked for fear of forcing an accident.Zhao Si is his good friend, although he has changed his mind on this matter, but if he stays with Qingshan, he will not be afraid of running out of firewood, so he must try his best to protect him.And if something goes wrong, I will definitely be involved in it, which is even more important!So he persuaded him in a low voice: "Second Master An! My lord, don't remember the faults of a villain. You give me a small face, and you must hold your hand high. Zhao Si is not enough friends. When I figure out a way, I have to squeeze something out of him Come out. Mr. An, you have such a high status that you can't compete with him. " "Who is competing with him!" An Dehai blurted out: "I'm talking about others, what does it have to do with Zhao Si?" These two sentences surprised and delighted Delu, but he couldn't help but be confused. Such a magnanimity is not like An Dehai's usual temperament, so he asked suspiciously: "Second Master An, aren't you talking ironically?" "What's the irony?" An Dehai thought for a while, and finally couldn't help but say: "Just wait and see, even if he is a prince, I have to touch him too!" After finishing speaking, he pursed his lips, Just let yourself go. Leaving Delu there alone, he became more and more suspicious.The prince An Dehai refers to naturally refers to Prince Gong. He has the guts to meet the Prince of Discussion who wields the power of life and death?And he didn't believe he had that much power either!Doesn't bumping an egg into a rock with Prince Gong?I was stunned for a long time by myself, and the more I thought about it, the more I couldn't believe it, and I decided that An Dehai was just talking big for a while, chatting to vent, and couldn't take it seriously. Therefore, at the gatherings of those intimate friends, he took Anderhay's "big talk" as a joke.However, there are some people who don't think it's a joke, especially those military officers in the banner camp who are dissatisfied with Prince Gong. Queen Mother.This empress dowager is not in harmony with Prince Gong, everyone knows that, if she had her support, An Dehai might not be able to "touch" Prince Gong. Therefore, the group of people who wanted to defeat Prince Gong often talked about this matter, wanting to find out what attitude Empress Dowager Cixi had towards Prince Gong?Among this group of people, Cai Shouqi is especially active.He was edited by the Imperial Academy, and recently added "Daily Lectures on Daily Life and Annotation Officials". , We must take good care of a few enemies and enemies, and dispel the bad breath in our hearts. Here's your chance!One month ago—the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, it was the day when the lanterns were lit. In Guangping and Shunde, Hebei; Kaifeng and Guide, Henan; and Caozhou, Shandong, there were sudden thunder and hail. "The heavenly phenomenon is a warning", so the imperial court issued a decree according to the censor's memorial, saying: "It is always due to political affairs or lack of harmony, resulting in mutations. In terms of employing people and administering, we should ensure peace; the internal and external ministers, big and small, should also encourage each other, share deep fears, and eliminate disasters with peace and harmony." With this decree, it is just as a The origin of a lack of blunt political affairs. The celestial phenomenon should be used as a warning, and the prime minister of Yin and Yang should be dealt with in Xie. The minister of military aircraft is the real prime minister, and he happens to use it to attack King Gong.However, Cai Shouqi still has scruples after all. If he fails to fight a tiger, his life will be lost. He must stand firm and can advance or retreat, so as not to get burned.After thinking about it for several days, he decided on a way, first take the line of An Dehai, and find out the intention of the Empress Dowager Cixi. After repeated contacts, Cai Shouqi and An Dehai got on the line.However, they did not meet, they just reached a tacit understanding, An Dehai knew that Cai Shouqi was going to join the King Gong, and Cai Shouqi knew that An Dehai would take care of him. The memorial was delivered on February 24th.An Dehai had received the news in advance, so he was extra cautious. When the Empress Dowager Cixi was reading the book under the lamp as usual, he dared not leave.On this day, Xi'an arrived in Beijing on a business trip, and Shaanxi Governor Liu Rong had a lot of things to report. It was a hard job to read those boring battle reports.When the Empress Dowager Cixi was drowsy, she opened a booklet and saw the sentence "Please vibrate Ji Gang to respect the imperial court", she suddenly opened her tired eyes and shouted: "Come on!" An Dehai had been waiting on him for a long time, he promised loudly, and at the same time directed the maid to fetch water, twisted a hot towel, and exchanged hot tea.He himself poured the simmering bird's nest porridge from the small silver pot on the "Wu Geng Chicken" into a bowl, and personally held the imperial case. By the way, he took a sneak peek, and found that what the Empress Dowager Cixi was reading was Cai Shouqi's brochure. The 3,000-word memorial is divided into two parts. The first part enumerates the facts of "Ji Gang's badness" and attacks the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, Lao Chongguang, the governor of Sichuan, Luo Bingzhang, the governor of Liangjiang, Zeng Guofan, the governor of Shaanxi, Liu Rong, the Minister of Commerce of the Prime Minister's Office, and the former governor of Jiangsu. Xue Huan, as well as Zeng Guoquan and Li Yuandu of the Hunan Army, as well as many senior supervisors with military backgrounds, pointed out Chen's dereliction of duty and said that the court "will not dismiss", "will not pursue", and "will not be held accountable". ", "Not in time for review", and "Uncanonical punishment" are the reasons for Ji Gang's failure.Then made the conclusion of this part: "It seems that this famous utensil is not expensive, and right and wrong are reversed. How can Ji Gang be revitalized? How can the court be respected? The ministers do not avoid resentment, are not afraid of execution, and risk their lives to speak out, begging the empress dowager to order a meeting of ministers to choose the one. Those who are extremely evil will be arrested and questioned immediately, and they will be put into law; The ministers of the army, impeach the senior officials below the ministerial level, and learn about the meeting of the six ministries and nine ministers. If everyone thinks it is acceptable, they will be allowed to try it; if they think it is not, they will be dismissed immediately. Seeing this, Empress Dowager Cixi used a crystal paperweight to press Cai Shouqi's memorial. Just as she picked up the tea bowl, An Dehai took two brisk steps and reached out to lift the lid of her bowl. She casually asked: "Do you know that there is a Hanlin named Cai Shouqi?" "I've heard about it, I'm from Jiangxi." "Oh!" She took a sip of her tea and asked again, "How is this man?" "It's quite upright and straightforward." "how do you know?" This question came as a surprise to An Dehai, but he has always been quick-witted, and he answered unhurriedly: "He used to work as a copywriter in Duo Long'a Camp, the Duo Lord. He is very familiar with the generals in the Banner Camp, slave." I heard from those people." He knew that the Empress Dowager Cixi had a very bad impression of Shengbao, so he changed Cai Shouqi's experience and said that he had worked as an errand in the Duolong'a camp. The Empress Dowager Cixi put down the tea bowl, nodded and said, "This person surnamed Cai is a bit knowledgeable. But..." She stopped, and finally whispered to herself, "I'm going to send his brochure, but Someone can't spare him." Of course this refers to Prince Gong.In Cai Shouqi's notes, although his name is not directly mentioned, it is obvious that he accused Prince Gong of taking power and covering up. Seeing that it's time, An Dehai said cautiously: "I don't know whose book the master is talking about? However, the slave advises the master that it's better to pass on the book." "Why is that?" "The slave is afraid that the sixth master will come to ask for the "remaining in China" certificate, so it is inappropriate." Hearing what he said, the Empress Dowager Cixi was furious, "Oh!" she said, "There will be such a thing?" So An Dehai pretended to be terrified and said: "This servant is too timid. Sixth Lord... No matter what, I dare not learn from Sushun!" This hesitant tone, coupled with Sushun's lesson from the past, made Empress Dowager Cixi suspicious, "How is the sixth master?" she asked. "The servant dare not say." "What are you afraid to say?" Empress Dowager Cixi stared at him and reprimanded him loudly, "It's worthless." An Dehai made an expression of being wronged and had to defend himself, took a step forward, bowed his waist and said: "It's not the first time that this slave has been scolded by the sixth master. The slave dare not tell the master because he is afraid that the master will be angry. The master must The slave said that the slave can no longer hide the truth from the master, indeed, the sixth master is not scolding the slave." "Then, who is that scolding? Are you scolding me?" With a "plop", An Dehai knelt down straight, "I have killed my servant, and I dare not say that." He said, "Master, please think about what is the identity of the sixth master, and what is the identity of the slave? One is in the sky, the other is underground, Why does Master Liu bother to trouble his slave all the time? As the saying goes, "Beat the dog to see the face of the master" - the slave knows what Master Liu is thinking, and would rather be wronged than tell the master. wish." After hearing these words, the Empress Dowager Cixi was so angry that her hands and feet became cold, "So that's how it is!" She said, "What did I do wrong to him? Does he always fight against me?" "Master, don't be angry." An Dehai slapped his mouth in self-pity: "Hey, I shouldn't talk too much! Now that I have endured it, I will bear it to the end. Why did you make the master angry again? Damn me, damn me!" "Get up!" Empress Dowager Cixi suppressed her anger and asked calmly, "Tell me, what did he say about me?" So An Dehai intermittently changed the tone of the words that Prince Gong reprimanded him, and fiddled with Empress Dowager Cixi, saying that King Gong accused the palace of wasting money, that Empress Dowager Cixi had no regard for the overall situation, and appointed private individuals, and that the two empress dowagers Being a ready-made empress dowager is not enough, no wonder Sushun expressed his dissatisfaction back then. As he spoke, she sneered.An Dehai saw that the negative article had done enough, and turned to the front to attack Prince Gong.The first thing mentioned is that Prince Gong accepted bribes. The "door bag" in his mansion has a prescribed market, the number of governors, the number of officials, the number of good points, and the number of ordinary points. He used to be hand-like. "I've heard about this too." Empress Dowager Cixi said, "It was Gui Liang who thought of it for him before. But, after all, those people sent door bags." "Yes." An Dehai interjected: "Xue Huan, Liu Rong..." He reported more than a dozen names in one breath, most of whom were mentioned in Cai Shouqi's memorial. The Empress Dowager Cixi's dissatisfaction with Prince Gong has a long history, but she has always relied on him, and she is known both at home and abroad. Touching the grudge that had accumulated in my heart for a long time, I decided to take care of it. "Go down!" she said, "Remember, no matter what you say, don't talk nonsense!" "The slave dare not." An Dehai withdrew, with infinite pleasure in revenge, knowing that there was hope for the matter!But he has also gained some experience in the past few years, and he can see that this major event is also very difficult to handle. Although it is not as dangerous as Zhu Sushun back then, he must not be careless.Cai Shouqi had to be most careful, as soon as the traces of traffic leaked out, King Gong would strike first, and it didn't take much effort to deal with a small Hanlin.Then it will be a failure, and it will be really not easy to find a second person who dares to stand out.Thinking of this, he decided to temporarily stop contact with Cai Shouqi, but fortunately, the memorial "Stay in China", what does the palace mean?The other party can also guess. From this moment on, he was like a little mouse, only hiding in the dark and watching with burning eyes.And Prince Gong never dreamed that someone would plot against him, he still went his own way, he did whatever he wanted with regard to internal and external affairs, and he talked eloquently in front of the empress dowagers of the two palaces without giving in. "Governor Liu Rong of Shaanxi, 'Screen out government, department, prefecture, and county personnel, and persuade and punish them separately'. The minister has drawn up a list of rewards and punishments here. I invite the two queen mothers to look at it." He presented a horizontal sheet to the imperial court. case, one hand was still stretched out, the other was waiting for the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces to nod, and then she wanted to take back the original list. Because of the understanding the night before, the Empress Dowager Cixi refused to "falsely respond to the story" as in the past.Naturally, I moved the horizontal sheet to the front, looked at it, and counted it. Among the local officials in Shaanxi, seven were dismissed, three were "ordered to rest", four were demoted, and there were also two miscellaneous officials. Was dismissed. She has been listening to the government for three and a half years. She has read many memorials of the governors and officials in the assessment. It is rare to punish so many officials at once, so she couldn't help saying: "Isn't it too severe?" "It's not strict," Prince Gong replied, "Why do you have to rectify the officials?" "If it is strict, it must be fair." "Fair and unfair, it's hard to say." Standing beside the royal case, Prince Gong replied casually with his face half upturned, "How can it be as good as you want, but please be worthy of my heart!" Empress Dowager Cixi is usually used to this kind of attitude, but this day she finds it particularly unpleasant, so she intends to make trouble with him. "That's not the way to say it. It depends on whether the person doing the work is willing to be careful. Like this," she pointed to the list and said, "Qiao Jinfu, the county magistrate of Qingjian County, should be dismissed for his 'unclean conduct and heated discussions'; this alternate Jiang Zhen, the magistrate of the county, used the eight-character testimonial of "perverse temperament, unbearable to train" to dismiss his post, which is too much. It seems that the surname Jiang has a bad temper and is not good at flattering, so he probably offended Liu Rong. So he gave him the word 'temperament perverse', and now he has taken off his top hat, think about it, can this be convincing?" "Talk to the Empress Dowager," replied Prince Gong, "The imperial court relies heavily on the governors, and they should not be too serious about everything. Just do what Liu Rong asks you to do!" This is wrong again!Liu Rong just identified the good and the bad, and didn't suggest how to deal with it. How can you say "according to Liu Rong's request"?Empress Dowager Cixi was thinking like this. If the conflict between him was revealed face to face, both of them would be unable to step down. The Empress Dowager Cixi restrained herself very rationally, and turned to ask the Empress Dowager Ci'an in a low voice: "Sister, what do you think?" The Empress Dowager Ci'an listened silently for a long time, and felt that Cixi's views were in line with her heart, and she should not be too strict in dealing with things, but should be fair.However, although she felt wronged by Prince Gong, she couldn't say any words of stern rejection, so she replied expressionlessly: "This time, let's do as Liu Ye wants!" All the ministers of military and aircraft could hear that this was the tone that the Empress Dowager Ci'an had never had before—this was the tolerance of "Gu Yi's permission", and it contained a warning of "Don't make an example".Of course, Empress Dowager Cixi is more sensitive to the word "this time" than others. After the court passed the meal, they should go back to the palace from the Hall of Mental Cultivation after the meal. The Empress Dowager Cixi knew that the Empress Dowager Ci'an had the habit of taking a nap, so she asked, "Are you sleepy?" “倒还好。昨儿睡得早，今儿起得也晚，还不困。” “既这么着，咱们就在这儿聊聊吧！”说着，慈禧太后喊了声：“来！” 把安德海喊了上来，吩咐他回宫去取蔡寿祺那个奏折，同时命令养心殿内所有的太监和宫女都退出去，不准在廊上窗下逗留。 关防如此严密，慈安太后不由得把一颗心悬了起来，猜想着必与那个姓蔡的奏折有关。倒是什么机密大事，值得如此郑重？ “姐姐！”慈禧太后忧形于色地，“昨晚上我一夜不曾好睡。 我没有想到，老六是那么一个人！ " 原来事关恭王，慈安太后心里便是一跳，急忙问道：“怎么啦？” “咱们俩，全让他给蒙在鼓里了。只以为他年轻，爱耍骠劲儿，人是能干的，又好面子，总不至于做那些贪赃枉法，叫人看不起的事。嗨！咱们全想错了。” 这确是想不到的事！在慈安太后的印象中，恭王为人可批评之处，不过礼数脱略，说话随便，那无非年纪轻，阅历还不够之故，品德是断断不会受人褒贬的。因此，对于慈禧的话，她欲信不能，不信不可，只皱着眉发愣。 “就拿今天来说吧，”慈禧太后的声音越发低沉，别有一种慑服人的力量，“那句'照刘蓉所请办理'，就是他把话说漏了，刘蓉想怎么办，谁革职，谁降调，早就私底下写了信给他了。咱们今天看的那个单子，说穿了，就是刘蓉拟上来的。” “啊！”慈安太后觉得她看得很深，“可是，老六这么帮刘蓉，是，是因为受了刘蓉的好处吗？” “那还用说么？回头你看一看蔡寿祺的那个折子就知道了。” 等安德海把那个奏折取到，慈禧太后先命他回避，然后半念半讲解地，让慈安太后完全都明白了。她平常也听见过一些关于恭王的闲言闲语，都不放在心上，而此时搜索记忆，相互印证，似乎那些闲言闲语也不是完全造谣。 “这个折子虽没有指出老六，可是一看就知道。蔡寿祺人挺耿直的，咱们得回护他一点儿。姐姐，你说是吗？” “这当然。”慈安太后踌躇着说，“还得要想办法劝一劝老六才好。” “谁能劝他，他能听谁啊？”慈禧太后停了一下又说：“话说轻了，不管用，说重了，谁有这个资格说他？” “这倒是真的。”慈安太后深深点头，提到故世的惠亲王绵愉：“有老五太爷在就好了！不管怎么样，就那一位胞叔，话说得重一点儿，也不要紧。” “能说他的，现在就只有两个人了。” "Who is it?" “自然是姐姐你跟我。” “我可不成！”慈安太后苦笑道：“我放不下脸来，而且我的嘴也笨，心里有点儿意思，就是说不出来。” 慈禧太后微微颔首，表示谅解她的困难，接着踌躇地沉吟着，故意要让慈安太后发现她有话想说而来问她。 “妹妹！”慈安太后猜到了她所踌躇的是什么，“你倒不妨找个机会劝一劝他。” “这也不光是劝。” “还有什么？” “是保全他。”慈禧太后慢条斯理地，显得异常沉着，“我常看各朝的'实录'，象雍正爷跟年羹尧，跟舅舅隆科多，先是那么好，到头来弄得凄凄惨惨下场，照我说，这是雍正爷的错。” 宫里关于雍正的传说最多，年妃与他哥哥年羹尧的故事也不少，但都是批评年羹尧跋扈，没有说雍正不对的。所以此时慈安太后对她的话，很明显地表示出闻所未闻的困惑。 “这都是雍正爷纵容得他那个样子！”慈禧太后说，“倘或刚见他得意忘形，就好好儿教训他一下子，年羹尧当然就会收着一点儿，那不是就不会闹到那样子不能收场了吗？” 一连用了三个“就”字，就这样，就那样，把慈安太后说得心悦诚服：“一点儿不错，一点儿不错！” “老六到底年纪还轻。”她又换了一副蔼然长者的声音，“现在掌这么大权，真正是少年得志！让他受点儿磨练，反倒对他有好处。” “嗯！”慈安太后口中应声，心里在测度她这两句话的意思。 “我倒是为老六好，想说一说他，不过，这件事，咱们俩总得在一起才办得成。” "of course." 有了这句话，她放心了。事情也不用急，看机会慢慢来，唯一的宗旨是，不办则已，办就要办得干净俐落。当然，这只是她心里的意思，对慈安太后，对任何人都是声色不动。 然而这不动声色，在蔡寿祺看，是个绝好的征象。头一个折子是试探，如果两宫太后交了下来，或者恭王得到消息，有所表示，他便须另作考虑，此刻留中不发，而且别无动静，一切都如预期，那便要上第二个折子了。 一个人抽毫构思，有了全篇大意，便先把案由写了下来：“为时政偏私，天象示异，人心惶惑，物议沸腾，请旨饬议政王实力奉公，虚衷省过。”笔锋针对着恭王便扫了过去。 蔡寿祺使了个借刀杀人的手法。上月间原有一个名叫丁浩的御史，也是为“天象示儆”上了一道“请恐惧修省”的奏折，内中有请告诫臣工“勿贪墨、勿骄盈、勿揽权、勿徇私”的话，他借题发挥，说这是为议政王而言，接下来便大做文章： “夫用舍者朝廷之大权，总宜名实相符，勿令是非颠倒，近来竟有贪庸误事，因挟重资而内膺重任者；有聚敛殃民，因善夤缘而外任封疆者。至各省监司出缺，往往用军营骤进之人，而夙昔谙练军务，通达吏治之员，反皆弃置不用，臣民疑虑，则以为议政王之贪墨。” “内膺重任”和“外膺封疆”，是指通商大臣薛焕和陕西巡抚刘蓉。薛焕“挟重资”而对朝中大老有所孝敬，尽人皆知，中伤刘蓉的话，则是蔡寿祺挟嫌报复，但薰莸同器，相提並论，好的也成了坏的，这是蔡寿祺的“得意手笔”。他略略沉吟，又往下写： “自金陵克复后，票拟谕旨，多有'大功告成'字样，现在各省逆氛尚炽，军务何尝告竣？而以一省城之肃清，附近疆臣，咸膺懋赏；户兵诸部，胥被褒荣，居功不疑，群相粉饰，臣民猜疑，则以为议政王之骄盈。” 这一段话是“欲加之罪”，但算是为妒羡曾氏兄弟、李鸿章、左宗棠和官文等人封侯封伯的旗营武将，发了一顿牢骚。以下“揽权”、“徇私”，照恭王的勇于任事和略嫌任性的性格来说，自然不乏事例，可为攻击的材料。所以这两款“罪状”，写起来不费多大的事。 费事的是既要参劾恭王，又要迎合太后。他写了好几遍总觉得辞意隐晦，怕慈禧太后看不懂，于是放开笔锋，率直写道： “臣愚以为议政王若于此时引为己过，归政朝廷，退居藩邸，请别择懿亲议政，多任老成，参赞密勿，方可保全名位，永荷天眷。即以为圣主冲龄，军务未竣，不敢自耽安逸，则当虚己省过，实力奉公，于外间物议数端，有则改之，无则加勉。” 后面这段话是陪衬，主旨是在“归政朝廷”四字。蔡寿祺心里在想，这句话必蒙慈禧太后激赏，只是“别择懿亲议政”，还要说得清楚些，但也应该有一番小小的曲折，不妨拿第一次所上的折子来做个题目： “至臣前日封奏，如蒙皇太后皇上俯赐采纳，则请饬下醇郡王、大学士、六部九卿，秉公会议，择要施行。” 连改带抄，费了一夜工夫，第二天把折子递了进去。军机处已经从内奏事处得到消息，蔡寿祺头一个折子上去，留中不发，十天以后又上第二个折子，倒是什么花样？须得留点儿心。 因此下一天一大早，军机章京接了折回来，打开折匣首先就找蔡寿祺的折子，而偏偏就少他这一件。 “这事儿好怪啊！”宝鋆接得报告后，悄悄地跟文祥研究，“得要打听一下子才好。” 文祥还来不及回答，一名苏拉掀帘进来禀报，说“恭王有请”。两人到了那里，恭王跟他们商议江宁的善后事宜。陵西道监察御史朱镇有个奏折，说“金陵克复已久，善后事宜，亟应认真办理”，指陈“遣散兵勇，清还田宅，抚恤难民，招徕商贾”四事，请旨饬下两江总督曾国藩切实筹办。恭王认为这是件大事，但所需经费，相当可观，要先替曾国藩设身处地想一想，能不能筹措，有没有困难？ 这一谈，话题扯得极广。突然间听得自鸣钟打了九下，恭王不觉诧异：“怎么，到这时候还不'叫起'？派人去看一看，怎么回事？” 平常总在八点钟“叫起”，这天晚了一个钟头，难怪恭王不解。他不知道，这正因为两宫太后在谈他的事，尚未得到结论的缘故。 蔡寿祺的第二个折子，连慈安太后都觉得有些惊心动魄！她认为这个翰林的胆子太大了，居然敢提出让恭王“退居藩邸”的建议！那么“别择懿亲议政”，是找谁来接替恭王呢？ 听慈禧太后念到末尾，她有些明白了。毫不思索地问道： “是让老七来当议政王？” “他那儿成！”慈禧太后使劲摇着头，“得另外找人。” “另外找人？”慈安太后越发惊诧，“你是说不教老六管事？” 听这口风，慈禧太后未免失望，一时无话可答，便反问一句：“那么你看呢？这个折子总不能不办呀？” “我看小小给老六一点儿处分吧。” “这还不如说他几句。”