Chapter 35 Jade Seat Bead Curtain (5-2)

"Yes!" Empress Dowager Ci'an hurriedly said, "Just say a few words about him." Cixi deeply regretted her slip of the tongue and tried to save her, so she asked again: "Say him, why won't he listen?" "Then do as you wish." This time it was the Empress Dowager Ci'an who made a slip of the tongue. "Okay!" Empress Dowager Cixi readily agreed: "Let's discuss and set the rules like this." So the two "sisters" carefully studied Cai Shouqi's excerpts, and how the two sang one another, and advised King Gong to always be cautious.When everything was in order, Fang Chuanzhi "called out".

After the salutation, as usual, King Gong will play the role. When he stands beside the royal case and clarifies the matters that should be requested one by one. He took out a white book from the drawer of the imperial case, raised it and said, "Someone is ginseng you!" Hearing such an announcement, the ministers should express their panic and plead guilty on the ground. At that time, the empress dowagers of the two palaces can take out the pre-planned lesson.But Prince Gong didn't do that, his face suddenly changed, and he asked loudly, "Who is it?" He changed color, and the empress dowager's rudeness towards him also changed color! "Don't worry about who participates in you. Just say to participate in your terms." Empress Dowager Cixi thought while saying:

"Greedy ink, arrogance, seizing power, favoritism." "Oh! It's Ding Hao." Empress Dowager Ci'an replied with three words: "It's not him!" "Then who is it?" Prince Gong insisted on knowing who was impeaching him. At that moment, he lost the courtesy of the monarch and his ministers, and the rituals of the temple, just like ordinary people's uncles and sisters. They are all anxious in their hearts, but they can't and dare not go forward to persuade them hastily. Because of Prince Gong's aggressiveness, Empress Dowager Cixi had no choice but to say: "Cai Shouqi!"

"Cai Shouqi!" Prince Gong protested, "He is not a good person." "Hmph!" The Empress Dowager Cixi sneered slightly, with a look of disdain. This aroused Prince Gong's unknown anger, and his face was flushed, "This person is bluffing and defrauding in Sichuan, and he still has a case." He said sternly, "We should ask about it." The empress dowagers of the two palaces turned pale with anger.The Empress Dowager Ci'an moved her lips, wanting to say something, but the Empress Dowager Cixi squeezed her hand, signaling that she should not make a sound.She is born with this disposition, the more she encounters this kind of situation, the more decisive she will be, at this moment, she has already decided on a way to deal with it, thus preventing Empress Dowager Ci'an from arguing with Prince Gong which is futile and harmful to the system.

"Get back!" Empress Dowager Cixi made such a declaration, before they knelt down, she glanced at Empress Dowager Ci'an, got up and left her seat immediately, went out through the side door without looking back, bypassed the back porch, and returned to Xinuang Pavilion, which was used for rest before and after listening to the government. .Then Empress Dowager Ci'an also arrived, sat down on the kang, gasped for breath, and kept wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. Inside and outside, there was complete silence, but the eunuchs, maids, and guards outside the door were all engrossed in Xinuang Pavilion.Finally, Empress Dowager Cixi broke the terrible silence, "Is what I said right?" She looked at Empress Dowager Ci'an and asked.

"Alas!" The Empress Dowager Ci'an wiped her tears, shook her head and sighed, "It's unbearable! That's what it looks like! " "Then..." Empress Dowager Cixi said softly with a very serious expression, "I will do it my way!" She slightly raised her voice and asked, "Where is Xiao Anzi?" "The servant is waiting!" An Dehai responded outside the window, then a figure flashed by, the door curtain was lifted, and he entered the room and knelt down. "Who's out there?" This is asking about the ministers in charge of the guards, the ministers in front of the imperial court, and the prince who "walked in the inner court"; An Dehai replied: "The eighth master, the ninth master, and the sixth son-in-law are all here." Jing Shou.

The Empress Dowager Cixi pondered for a while and ordered: "Decree: Summon the great scholars Zhou Zupei, Rui Chang, and the masters in the study. Then look in the court room, who is the official of the Six Departments? Summon together, go!" An Dehai agreed, exited the Xinuang Pavilion, and quickly delivered the decree.He knew that this was a matter that could not be delayed for a moment, and the most important thing was to find the two old Zhongtangs, so Xiang Jingshou volunteered to go to the cabinet to pass the decree. As soon as the Queen Mother summoned them, no one dared to neglect them. Both Zhou and Rui were given the "Forbidden City Riders", and they immediately passed on the sedan chair and carried them to the gate of Longzong.At this time, the chief master of the study room, Zhu Fengbiao, Minister of the Ministry of official affairs, the master of the study room, Sang Chunrong, Yin Zhaoyong, cabinet bachelors, and Wu Tingdong, the servant of the Ministry of household affairs, and Wang Fagui, the servant of the punishment department, who were originally scheduled to be summoned.

The empress dowagers of the two palaces ascended the throne, and they first called out by name: "Zhou Zupei!" "The minister is here!" Zhou Zupei knelt down alone after leaving the class. "Get up, stand up and talk." Zhou Zupei stood up, seeing the tears of the two empress dowagers, he became more and more surprised.Originally, when An Dehai came to pass the decree, he felt that something was wrong. Now that the minister of military affairs was missing, and the queen mothers of the two palaces seemed to have infinite grievances, what must have happened?If the guess is correct, this dispute will never be small. I am in the aspect, standing in a position of mediation, which is of great importance and cannot be neglected.

He was guarding himself in this way, but the Empress Dowager Cixi had already spoken, "Prince Gong's arrogance, you have always seen it on weekdays." She said in an unusually resentful voice, "Now it is getting worse and worse, and no one is affected by it." Can't let him!" Then, Cai Shouqi was impeached by King Gong, and King Gong wanted to ask Cai Shouqi about it, and told him briefly, "You all say, is this still the courtesy of a minister? In the past, he was obedient and domineering, but he didn't dare So presumptuous. What should Prince Gong do? Say it!"

No one dared to speak, they glanced at each other secretly, probably in panic.Of course, the most embarrassing is Zhou Zupei.According to his position, others don't have to speak, but he must speak.However, he really didn't dare and would not offend Prince Gong, but he didn't know what to say to the two empress dowagers?So in the weather in early March, I was sweating profusely, embarrassed, and even regretted that I should not have come to the cabinet on this day. "Say it!" Empress Dowager Cixi raised her voice, encouraging everyone with a very responsible and decisive voice: "You are all promoted by the late emperor, don't be afraid of Prince Gong, who is greedy, arrogant, seizing power, and favoritism. The crime is not light, what should I do, tell me quickly!"

With this urging, everyone cast their eyes on Zhou Zupei's face, which was urging him to answer. Zhou Zupei had no choice but to stand up and report on behalf of the officials. "The two empress dowagers clearly see that this is only the two empress dowagers who are arbitrary, and the ministers dare not make any claims." "Then what do you need?" Empress Dowager Cixi reprimanded immediately, and at the same time warned: "In the future, when the emperor becomes an adult, he will pursue this matter. Think about it, you are so irresponsible now, how can you explain it?" This is a very serious word, and Zhou Zupei knew that he would not be able to stay out of it.But it is impossible to convict King Gong at this moment, so he summoned up his courage and raised his voice and replied: "The items of Cai Shouqi's participation in impeachment of the king must have solid evidence." Empress Dowager Cixi never thought that he would have such a sentence, and she was speechless for a while.Seeing this, Zhou Zupei realized that what he had said was correct, and the next step would be easier, so he quickly said what he had thought. "What I mean, I ask the two empress dowagers to give me a deadline. After I retire, I will check it out in detail before returning to play." It seemed that there was only one result to be obtained, so the Empress Dowager Cixi nodded and said, "Go down and investigate immediately!"Have to hear back tomorrow. " "Yes!" Zhou Zupei thought to himself that this case was too involved to be in charge of it alone, so he said, "Woren, a senior scholar, is experienced and sophisticated. Please let the empress dowagers take charge of the matter, please?" "Okay!" The Empress Dowager Cixi happily accepted this suggestion, "You pass the decree to Wo Ren and let him handle it carefully." Kneeling and exiting, everyone saw sweat on their foreheads.When Zhou Zupei returned to the cabinet, many princes and ministers were already waiting to hear the news. In addition, there were people peeping from the windows in front of the court in every yamen, because a news had spread that Prince Gong would be severely punished, and a big political tide was about to appear! Once this great political tide appears, it will surely be magnificent, and many people who are directly or indirectly quoted by King Gong will be submerged in it.Gains and losses are related to honor and disgrace, so they are like ants on a hot pot, circling around the usually cold cabinet, meeting acquaintances, asking each other, but they are all at a loss and unable to guess.I only know that the empress dowagers of the two palaces were very angry, and Cai Hanlin handed over two notes, what did they say in the notes?What is Zhou Zhongtang's imperial edict?All yamen, including the Military Aircraft Department, are all concerned. Except for Prince Gong who has returned to the mansion, the rest of the military ministers are still in Zhilu, the situation is very embarrassing.The empress dowagers of the two palaces put aside the military aircraft department issued by the great government, and specially summoned the university scholars, as if they had wiped the face of the military aircraft ministers with mud, making them shameless!And they feel in their hearts that they all feel like they are being treated for crimes, so it is inconvenient to come forward to inquire. According to Li Tangjie's intention, they might as well go back to their private houses and wait for the order.But Wen Xiang, Bao Jun, and Cao Yuying disagreed. They believed that it was not an appropriate attitude to deal with possible upheavals, and they believed that they would get news soon. Just like the Xinyou coup and Nawen Shengbao, Zhou Zupei became a figure in everyone's attention again, and the cabinet was surrounded by princes and ministers as soon as he returned.In order to dilute the situation, he had to suppress his anxiety and deal with it in a more calm manner.He said that the empress dowagers of the two palaces were dissatisfied with Prince Gong. Where did this dissatisfaction come from?He didn't understand either.I want to come to Gong Wangyi as a relative, even if there is a fault, he will definitely be able to invite the grace of forgiveness.These words, on the one hand, are to excuse Prince Gong, on the other hand, they imply that the trouble will never be as serious as Zhu Sushun. After perfunctory for a while, Zhou Zupei ordered the palanquin to visit the great scholar Woren.As soon as he got there and saw Wu Tingdong sitting there, he said: "This saves me trouble, I think Mr. Gen will know the details?" "Yes." He pointed at Wu Tingdong slowly and said, "I heard about it." "This matter is under Yi's decree, and Gen Weng will preside over it. Please see the teacher for how to deal with it." "That's nothing more than an order." Wu Ren said it easily, but Zhou Zupei was taken aback. According to what he said, he really wanted to punish King Gong!I really don't know what his intentions are? "Gen Man!" Zhou Zupei's face became heavy, "Everything must be based on facts, Cai Shouqi's tone is very ambiguous, and this person's past behavior may not be credible. In my opinion, we should start with the confession." "This step must be done. However, I don't think Cai Shouqi dares to participate in relatives without real evidence." "Gen Weng sees it!" Zhou Zupei didn't want to argue with him at this moment, stood up and said, "I'll be waiting in the cabinet tomorrow morning." Saying goodbye and going out, I originally wanted to go back to the mansion to rest for a while, but now I saw Wo Ren's attitude was worrying, and I needed to make early preparations, so I changed my mind temporarily and went to see Prince Gong. Prince Gong's Mansion still has its doors like a market, some come to condolences, some come to inquire about news through condolences, and the gates of the Prince's Mansion are all blocked.But Zhou Zupei was naturally different. As soon as the attendant posted a post, an official from the palace rushed to the sedan chair and reported in a low voice, saying that Prince Gong had left a message in Jianyuan in Daxiangfeng Hutong: "If Zhou Zhongtang is here, please excuse me." Please meet there." So Zhou Zupei turned to Jianyuan again.The sedan chair was carried all the way to the dripping eaves of the second hall, and the curtain of the sedan chair was lifted, only to see Prince Gong wearing a foreign wool jacket, standing gracefully on the steps. Zhou Zupei quickly took a few steps, walked up the steps, followed the etiquette of the prime minister meeting the prince, and greeted him with his hands.When he was about to squat down, Prince Gong supported him, "Old Zhi, don't dare to be that!" He turned around and ordered the servant: "Serve Zhou Zhongtang to change his plain clothes." Waiting for the servants of Zhou's mansion to fetch the clothes and bags from the sedan chair, and to serve the master to change the clothes, Prince Gong personally led them, and Su Ke went to a jingshe in the back garden to have a secret talk.Prince Gong's inner feelings were very complicated.Three points of fear, three points of anxiety, three points of resentment, and one point of sadness, but on the surface they seemed very indifferent, quietly listening to Zhou Zupei talking about the summoning process in detail. "More love!" When the guest's words came to an end, he cupped his hands and said, "We still have to rely on our strength." "You can't lose face in everything, otherwise you will be in trouble!" Zhou Zupei frowned and said, "Since following Yi's decree, there must be an explanation for the distinction between monarch and minister. Please forgive me for this little difficulty." Hearing his tone, Prince Gong was a little worried. After thinking about it, he replied neither arrogantly nor humblely: "Sure enough, I deserve what I did, so I will accept it willingly." "It's not that I deserve it or not." Zhou Zupei paused and expressed his attitude: "I always try my best to maintain the prince." "Thank you so much." Prince Gong stood up and clasped his fists again. Zhou Zupei returned the gift, but just as he was about to say something, he saw the door of the Chuihua, with a brilliant plume, and the whole group of military ministers, led by Wen Xiang, arrived together, and followed the master to the corridor to wait. After meeting each other, there was a very short moment of silence, and Bao Jun was the first to speak: "I really didn't expect such a big trouble to happen. Fortunately, there is a middle hall presider, so I can finally rest assured." "Peiheng!" Zhou Zupei immediately asked, "Who did you hear it from? I presided over it? It wasn't me, it was Wogen Weng." "It doesn't matter who hosts it, anyway, what Zhongtang says is what he says." Zhou Zupei shook his head, disapproving of his words, but did not give any further explanation.At this moment, four Miao Nian girls walked in gracefully, holding a large Fujian lacquer tray.On the plate are four bottles of foreign wine, red and green, yellow and white, crystal goblets, eight kinds of dried fruits, wines and dishes on silver plates, and two large plates of snacks, all placed on the marble mahogany round table in the middle, laid out Cup Chopsticks, a 20-year-old girl with a very plump appearance, walked down and greeted with a smile: "My lords, please use some dim sum." "Come on, come on!" Prince Gong walked over first, grabbed a bun with one hand, and poured wine with the other. So some sat down, some said they were not hungry, Zhou Zupei sat in the middle, and waited for a cup of purple wine to come in his slender hand, he suddenly sighed with emotion: "Cough! 'Grape Wine Luminous Cup', these are foreign wines. It's a thing that hurt the prince." The meaning in the words is very deep, but everyone present understands that Prince Gong's daily life and diet are somewhat foreign, which has long been dissatisfied by defenders of Taoism.However, feeling emotional at this time, there must be something wrong, Wen Xiang quickly gave the talkative Bao Jun a wink, signaling him not to interrupt, and let Zhou Zupei continue. "Tomorrow morning, it is said that Cai Shouqi will go to the cabinet to pursue a confession. I don't know what evidence he has to show? Wenyuan!" He looked at Li Tangjie and said, "You and Gen Weng are friends who lecture together. Please persuade him not to add fuel to the flames!" I see!Everyone suddenly realized that Wo Ren, the leader of the conservative faction, was on the side of the queen mother of the two palaces. Zhou Zupei didn't say much, but he explained all of them in the "juncture", and Prince Gong was quite sympathetic.That was enough, he didn't have to and should not stay any longer, so he got up and said goodbye. Seeing the guests off at the Chuihua Gate, King Gong still wanted to see them off, and Zhou Zupei thanked him again and again, so the host said "respect is worse than obedience".However, Wen, Li, Bao, and Cao, who were also guests, sent Zhou Zhongtang to the second gate for the sake of politeness and representing the master, and watched him get into the sedan chair.At this time, Cao Yuying said to Li Tangjie: "Wenweng, I think it's not too late. I should go to Wuzhongtang to say hello." "By the way!" Bao Yun echoed, "I see, Wen Weng will be here right now!" "Alright." Li Tangjie agreed straightforwardly, "I won't resign in person with the master. I'll send a letter later." This is Cao Yuying's "Tune the Tiger from the Mountain".Li Tangjie was rather upright, even though he was both a minister of military affairs, he was not close to Prince Gong, so he was transferred away so that they could talk to their master about everything. "Cough!" Only now did Prince Gong show his true colors: "I didn't expect to fall into such a big somersault!" Everyone wanted to comfort him, but under such an embarrassing and unexpected situation and the relationship of being on the same boat, they couldn't find a suitable word to say. "Let's talk about seriousness!" Wen Xiang took out a piece of paper from the boot leaf—copied by the cabinet, Cai Shouqi's original "Folding the Bottom", and handed it to Prince Gong: "You read this first." Prince Gong looked at it , sneered, and asked after reading: "What can she do to me? Change my title? " "Ge Jue can't." Bao Jun replied, "Maybe it's interesting to let Qi Ye do it!" "That's what Cai Shouqi meant. The higher-ups must know that Qi Ye can't handle this burden." "I have such an opinion." Cao Yuying got up, "It might as well let the outside world say that the superior wants to let Qi Ye do it. Everyone knows who Qi Fujin is. This time, Qi Ye was forced to avoid suspicion. I have to talk." Both Prince Gong and Wen Xiang hadn't spoken yet, Bao Jun stretched out his thumb and said, "High!" Then he volunteered: "I'll go to Wan Oujia and ask him to take that kid surnamed Cai Squeeze it." This is a way to draw salary from the bottom of the pot, and Bao Jun is also a very suitable person to handle this matter. He is the same year as Wan Qingli, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, and Wan Qingli and Cai Shouqi are small fellows. In this way, the countermeasures were successfully developed, dredging up Woren, appeasing Cai Shouqi, first passing through tomorrow's cabinet meeting, and then encouraging King Chun to come out to speak for his brother. This two-pronged approach is enough to deal with the Empress Dowager Cixi. However, they did not expect that the Empress Dowager Cixi had even more powerful methods.She is writing the decree in person. The teacher was in Rehe back then, and prepared a secret decree. When he returned to Beijing, he summoned the ministers to ask the old wisdom of the "three murderers" without going through the military plane. He was going to hand it over to the cabinet the next day to announce the decree. , Deal with Prince Gong. This is her powerful measure to remedy the wrong first step.The mistake in the first step was that she did not estimate Zhou Zupei correctly.The Xinyou coup, the investigation of Shengbao, and Zhou Zupei were all cautious and fawning on the order, so she expected that he would be equally active in ordering King Gong to be punished.When he was summoned and saw his attitude, he realized that Zhou Zupei was not a follower of orders but an accomplice of King Gong. Another incidental move was also not completely correct.She called Zhu Fengbiao, the chief master of the Shangshufang, and the Minister of the Ministry of Officials. It turned out that the orphans and widows of the rich folks were bullied by the clansmen. The purpose of asking the teacher to come out to protect the reason was in it, but in order to avoid the panic of the little emperor who had just become a little sensible, so I don't want to summon the master of Hongde Palace.In fact, Wo Ren is a good helper. First, he has always been "loyal to the emperor and patriotic"; second, he is an old school and does not agree with King Gong.If at the time of the summoning, he had talked eloquently and uttered a great deal of truth, he would have issued an order immediately, first to expel Prince Gong from the military plane, and then discuss the crime, this would be a powerful disarming power. Now the time has passed.She was thinking: Tomorrow the cabinet will pursue the investigation, and Zhou Zupei will play tricks in the replay, and Woren will definitely not be able to deal with them.It will be very difficult for them to find a way to turn the situation around after they send up an understatement memorial! I remembered a saying: "The first is the best!" The Empress Dowager Cixi prepared a "hand edict" from the emperor and waited.This is the first time in her life that she "makes a fuss". She is familiar with the style, tone, and words of the edict, but she can pronounce it out of her mouth. When she writes it down, she seems to have met her childhood playmate who has been separated for many years. I just feel that they look alike, but I can't name them. Knowing that there are many other words in the article, I don't care about the jokes of my subordinates.After writing, put it away, and fall asleep peacefully.This is where she is different from any other woman. The more important things happen to her, the calmer she will be. The deep palace is silent, the forbidden leak is heavy, and everything is as usual.However, the mansions of princes, princes, and ministers are quite lit up all night, and Jianyuan is like this.Both Wen Xiang and Cao Yuying were still there, but Bao Jun left, because he was assigned the deputy examiner of this year's main examination, and the next day he was going to go to the trouble with Jia Zhen, the main examiner. After listening to Wen Xiang's advice, first Go home and rest. At the time of the second watch, a report came in from outside: "Fifth Master is here!" Then he saw King Dun striding forward with his sleeves swung, his face reflected by the palace lantern, and he looked very red, and he seemed a little drunk . Prince Gong stood up together with everyone present, and before he had time to welcome them out, the "Fifth Master", who had always been known for his sloppy manners and rough language, lifted up his clothes, stepped into the door with one foot, and pointed at the door with the other. King Gong said loudly: "Lao Liu, why did you offend the good man's 'Dong Bian' too!" This question was too abrupt, and Prince Gong couldn't answer for a moment, but this was not the time for the two brothers to talk secretly, because Wen Xiang and Cao Yuying rushed to greet him. King Dun didn't sit down, just stood there and made a big discussion, implying that this was "housework", and that the Empress Dowager Cixi should not have summoned the cabinet, but should have summoned the nearby princes to discuss.He also used the idiom "Family ugliness should not be publicized", which was neither fish nor fowl, which made Prince Gong a little bit dumbfounded. However, both Wen Xiang and Cao Yuying think that King Dun's so-called "housework" is just a point of view. The relationship between the Queen Mother and the King of Political Affairs is a major national event. It's easy. Therefore, both of them secretly winked at King Gong, signaling him to take advantage of this to win over King Dun.Prince Gong understood it, and calmly waited for him to sip his tea after his eloquent discussion, and immediately expressed his attitude: "I caused the trouble myself, and I don't need to argue! Anyway, outside, there are military aircraft, there are cabinets, Inside, there are our own brothers. Brother Wu, you are the head of the house, tell me, what should I do?" "It needs to be discussed with everyone." King Dun said, "I want to get Lao Qi back." This idea is not bad. Cai Shouqi's original compromise meant that King Chun would replace King Gong in discussing politics, so King Chun would become a key figure. His attitude could be clarified, which would help stabilize Prince Gong's status.However, King Chun is in charge of the repair project of Dongling, and he cannot come back within a day or two. Even if he can, it is hard to say what his attitude will be.Therefore, although King Dun's suggestion is good, it is not urgent. In order to perfunctory him, Wen Xiang interrogated Prince Gong and said, "You should listen to Fifth Lord, let's send a letter to Seventh Lord first." "That's right! Send a special messenger to deliver a letter to him right away." King Dun said incoherently, "Cai Shouqi is really good at flattering! Call me, so I brought him here, and asked the guards to beat him up first. " Prince Gong, Wen and Cao both laughed.On the one hand, it is King Xiao Dun, on the other hand, it is laughing at Cai Shouqi, which is self-defeating. In the sentence "the king of Chun, the scholar, and the fair meeting of the six divisions and nine ministers", the word "king of Chun" has become a huge failure.Not only did he offend King Dun, but he would also force King Jin to express his support for King Gong in the future.Of course, this has to be put into practice. "This is the only way to do it at the moment." Wen Xiang made a very brief conclusion: "Wait for the replay of the meeting, what does it seem to mean? Then discuss the next step. The fifth master is close to the elder, and when the fifth master speaks, the fifth master Nor is it a fearful person." These two sentences were perfectly flattering, "That's right!" King Dun clapped his hands and said, "I'm not afraid of trouble! I must say something if I have something to say. Bullying is not acceptable!" This of course refers to the Empress Dowager Cixi.There were occasional quarrels among their brothers, unexpectedly at a critical juncture, King Dun had a brotherly bond of solidarity, which was the greatest comfort for King Gong after he fell into a tussle. As soon as King Dun leaves, Wen Xiang and Cao Yuying will also leave. They have already discussed it. King Gong will not go to court, and the rest of the military ministers will still go straight, and all government affairs will be carried out as usual. Only in this way can the gloom of "the rain is coming" be diluted .Therefore, Wen and Cao need to go home to rest for a while, and they have to enter the palace at five o'clock. Entering the palace has never been "called up", which is also expected.All the yamen in the central and central courts focused their attention on the cabinet this day.Cai Shouqi gained a lot of limelight. When he arrived, the people gathered around the cabinet all pointed and whispered, "That is Cai Hanlin of King Shen Gong." Unavoidably nervous, the worst thing is that he never expected the change of being called to the cabinet to "pursue a confession". There are many things he cannot say, and many things he dare not say. I am very sorry. Entering the cabinet lobby, I saw several ministers sitting in a row on the long table in front of me. With a glance, I saw that in addition to the seven people summoned yesterday, there was also a Wenyuan Pavilion scholar Woren.There are two halls, two pavilions and four phases. The order of qualifications is Jia Zhen, a scholar of Wuyingdian University, Wenhuadian University scholar, Zhou Zupei, a scholar of Tiren Pavilion, and Wo Ren, a scholar of Wenyuan Pavilion. Zhou Zupei should also be the leader, but Wo Ren was presided over by order, so he was the first to speak and interrogate. "Cai Shouqi!" Woren asked slowly with his strong Henan accent: "You are Hanlin, do you know the importance of your words?" "If you go back to Wozhongtang, since you are an Imperial Academy, you can't even know about this." "Okay, then I want to ask for advice," Wu Ren said in a prolonged voice in the tone of reading the article: "'There are people who are greedy and wrong, and those who take heavy responsibility because of heavy money; Ren Fengjiang', who are these two sentences referring to?" "Yes..." Cai Shouqi hesitated. "You can't deceive yourself!" Wu Tingdong encouraged him, "You have to tell the truth without any scruples." "I heard that Minister Xue and Liu Zhongcheng from Shaanxi who are walking in the 'General Administration' have this fact." "What are the facts, please tell me the details." Woren said. "It's nothing more than hearing it." "What did you hear?" "I heard... Xue and Liu both have filial piety." "Who do you honor?" Woren asked, "Is it the king who discusses politics?" "yes." "This has to be evidenced!" Zhou Zupei spoke for the first time, "Is it human evidence or physical evidence?" "Not at all." Cai Shouqi answered very bluntly, "I'm just a rumor." "You don't have to have any scruples!" Wu Tingdong encouraged him again: "We will follow the orders of the Queen Mothers of the two palaces, and we will play a fair meeting, and we will never make things difficult for you." "That's true. It is indeed a rumor, and there is no evidence." "Then who did you hear it from?" "There is no need to ask." Zhou Zupei objected to Wu Tingdong's attitude, "Since it is a rumor, it is not appropriate to get involved." "Yes, it's not appropriate to be implicated." The co-organizer, Shi Ruichang, said, "I think let him submit a personal confession, so let's repeat it!" Both Wa and Zhou Ge elders nodded, and the meeting was over.Cai Shouqi borrowed the cabinet's classics hall to write a simple "professional confession", and he passed the test. So after discussing the replay, Wang Fagui, the servant of the Ministry of punishment, drew up a manuscript and handed it to Woren. He read aloud: "The thieves and others were ordered to hand over two memorials to Cai Shouqi. On the sixth day of the first day, Cai Shouqi was informed in the cabinet, and the important conditions in the fold were asked face-to-face, so that he could answer one by one according to the facts and provide the papers in person. After reading the confession in detail, I only pointed out Xue Huan and Liu Rong, and said that they were all rumors. The rest of the arrogance, as well as the three articles of seizing power and favoritism, are said to have been stated in the original document. Prince Chagong is resent , You should be respectful and cautious, clean yourself and serve the public. If you are self-disciplined and respectful on weekdays, why do you repeatedly call for discussions? Read the original papers on corruption, arrogance, seizing power, and favoritism. What's more, the matter of greed and ink is ambiguous, and it cannot be seen by outsiders. To the point of arrogance, seizing power, and favoritism, the clues must be revealed when calling the right to do things, and it is difficult to escape the insight of the sage. From the top of the list, how should Prince Gong be reduced in power, so as to preserve the place of Yiqin, waiting for Chen's decision." After everyone listened carefully, they discussed and edited a few words, signed the copy, and handed it over.The next day, the Empress Dowagers of the two palaces summoned Woren, Zhou Zupei and others. The Empress Dowager Cixi did not mention the replay, but first issued a Zhu Yu by herself. "There is the word '白' in it, and some sentences don't make sense, please correct it for me!" The queen mother, who was just in her early thirties, gave a shy smile.With her status, such a smile is rare to see, so she looks extraordinarily charming.But Wo Ren didn't see him at a loss. He was very short-sighted, and as a rule, he was not allowed to wear glasses in the palace, so he took the Queen Mother's edict and held it with both hands, almost close to the tip of his nose, so that he could see the writing on it. It is very difficult to see things like this, so he said: "Can I ask Zhou Zupei to read the decrees of the empress dowagers of the two palaces, so that all the envoys can hear them?" "Yes!" Empress Dowager Cixi nodded. Zhou Zupei took Zhu Yu from Wo Ren, because he heard from Empress Dowager Cixi that there were some incomprehensible words and phrases in it, so he didn't dare to be rash, so he checked it out for her first.The calligraphy is very clumsy, like a child's graffiti; "Shi" is written as "Yes"; "Ao" is written as "Ao"; "Zhi" is written as "Zhi".There are also very inexplicable mistakes, "si" is written as "si", "zhi" is written as "knowledge", and "dark" is written as "knowledge".But it's just like Meng Tong's daily class, a piece of paper that no one will pick up and look at when it falls on the road, with a pen in the wind and thunder, it's scary.Zhou Zupei was secretly startled, but forced himself to remain calm, and walked to the side of the imperial case. There were still seven people summoned that day, one was missing Sang Chunrong, the deputy head of the entrance, and one more Woren, except Zhou Zupei, the six people knelt down in shifts to listen to Xuan Yi's order. So Zhou Zupei corrected the other characters and read it aloud: "The edicts are viewed equally by the kings and ministers of the court: I follow the orders of the empress dowagers of the two palaces, and according to Cai Shouqi on the fifth day of this month: Prince Gong's affairs, favoritism, greed, arrogance, seizing power, attracting more discussions, and other disadvantages in various situations. Like this Emphasis on love, how can you be able to do business? Although there is no real evidence for the investigation, there is a reason for the incident. Age, many coercion, often secretly make a difference, don't ask carefully. Called every day, arrogant; between words, many tricks, talking nonsense. Like this situation, how can we manage state affairs in the future? If you don't declare it early, I will When I return to the government, how can I use people to administer it? I don’t need to study all kinds of important situations like this, so I can know my magnanimity. Prince Gong said that there is no need to discuss politics at the military plane, and all errands are removed, and no interference in official affairs is allowed. Only then can I preserve it Sincerely, special envoy." After he finished reading, everyone was vigilant, the power of the heroine should not be underestimated.That is to say, during this thought, the authority of the Empress Dowager Cixi had already been established before Prince Gong sent out his military plane. "You all heard," she asked, "We sisters didn't wrong Prince Gong, right?" Everyone was silent, only Zhou Zupei turned around and said, "I would like to add the numbers, please." "Oh! Say it." "The sentence 'Prince Gong has been discussing politics since', please change it to 'Prince Gong was cautious at the beginning of discussing politics'." Before the Empress Dowager Cixi spoke, the Empress Dowager Ci'an agreed: "This is the truth." Since they all said so, the Empress Dowager Cixi also felt that it didn't matter, she agreed to change it, and specially ordered: "The cabinet will issue it immediately, and send it to the provinces as soon as possible, without going through the military plane." "Yes!" This time it was Wo Ren who interjected, and he calmly asked for orders: "Prince Gong has a lot of missions, and you can't let it go for a day, please send someone to take over." The Empress Dowager Cixi hadn't thought of this, and in order not to show that she was unprepared, she immediately replied: "The military plane is very busy, you all should do your best!" As soon as this sentence came out, some were confused, and some were heart-beating. What was confusing was that they didn't know what the Empress Dowager Cixi meant?In addition to Prince Gong, Wen Xiang is the foreman in the Military Aircraft Department, so what is the explanation for the words "all of you"?And the heartbeat is precisely because of these four words, it seems that below King Gong, the whole class is going to have a military plane! "All of you" refers to the people summoned at this moment, instructing "handling with all your heart" is a major policy of the Military Aircraft Department. In this way, there should be a return soon, and the assignment will be "walking" in the Military Aircraft Department. There is a return to order, but it is not to send those who are heart-beating to be ministers of military aircraft.The Empress Dowager Cixi thought of the Prime Minister's Commercial Affairs Yamen, which was in charge of Westernization. It was an important place, and Wen Xiang was more reliable, so she gave special instructions and asked him to be responsible.I also thought of summoning and introducing the princes who led the escort, and ordered the four brothers, King Dun, King Chun, King Zhong, and King Fu to take turns. After finishing speaking, he retreated. The word "all of you" is still a suspense.Wo Ren, Zhou Zupei, and Rui Chang discussed briefly, and invited everyone to the cabinet to discuss, and changed the Zhu Yu of Empress Dowager Cixi to "Ming Fa", which added a paragraph, but lacked a sentence.The extra paragraph was the Empress Dowager Cixi's supplementary instructions, "all of you" was changed to "the minister, etc.", vaguely, I don't know if it refers to Wen Xiang and his four ministers, or the seven ministers summoned that day?As for the missing sentence, it is the first sentence: "The imperial edict is the same as that of the court king and minister".Because there are so many other words in Zhu Yu, if the princes and ministers read it together, they will inevitably spread it as a joke.In order to maintain Tianwei, it is advisable not to be seen by others. When the discussion was over, Zhou Zupei sent someone to invite Wen Xiang to tell him about it face to face.Wen Xiang had a big accident. He thought that Cai Shouqi's confession would be beneficial to Prince Gong in the cabinet meeting. Although the replay failed to do his best to excuse Prince Gong, it was at most "reducing powers" and withdrawing one or two insignificant errands, showing that Empress Dowager Cixi His majesty, who knows that this majesty is so powerful, he is just one step away from condescending to King Gong's title! There was a sense of danger and shock in his heart, but he was still calm on the surface. Wen Xiang didn't say much, and when he returned to the military plane, he sent someone to deliver a letter for King Gong and discussed with his colleagues, feeling that he was in an awkward situation.But Li Tangjie was a true Taoist after all, and he was calm about it. He believed that since he was not dismissed by order, he should still serve as usual, so he still sat quietly and waited for orders. He still had three bells of rice wine and a bowl of rice at noon.After dinner and rest until the beginning of the day, as usual, pass the sedan chair back to the house. Of course Wen Xiang and Cao Yuying had to rush to Jianyuan, and King Dun was also there.Prince Gong's complexion was not very good, he only smiled wryly relatively naturally. "Fifth Master!" Cao Yuying said, "There will be several introductions tomorrow, and it's up to you to lead them." "How can I do this kind of job?" King Dun turned his head, shook his hand and said, "Tell Lao Ba to go!" “闲话少说。”惇王忽又回身拉着曹毓瑛便走，“来，来，你替我写个折子。” 文、曹二人正就是想的这条路子，交换了一个眼色，曹毓瑛便坐到书桌上，执笔在手等惇王开口。 “不能让她说叫谁不干就叫谁不干！也得大家商量商量。 琢如，你就照我这个意思写。不要紧，话要说得重。 " 显然的，惇王由兔死狐悲之感，起了“同仇敌忾”之心，文祥便劝道：“五爷，你先静下来！话不是这么说。” “该怎么说？” “话总要说得婉转。” 不容文祥毕其词。惇王便偏着头，扬着脸，大声打断： “她懂吗？” 这是抬杠，不是办事，恭王赶紧拦着他说：“五哥，你听他们两位先说，有不妥的，再斟酌。” “好，好！”惇王原来就很佩服文祥，这时便把只手临空按一按，“你们商量着办。写好了我来看。” 说了这一句，他从腰带上解下一串小件的汉玉，坐到一边给恭王去赏鉴谈论。文祥和曹毓瑛才得静下来从长计议。 回天之力，全寄托在这个奏折上，所以曹毓瑛笔下虽快，却是握管踌躇，望着文祥说道：“总得大处落墨？” “那自然，朝廷举措，一秉至公，进退之际，必得叫人心服。” “啊，啊！”曹毓瑛一下子有了腹稿，“就用这个做'帽子'，转到议政以来，未闻有昭著的劣迹，被参各款，又无实据。至于说召见奏对，语气不检，到底不是天下臣民共见共闻，如果骤尔罢斥，恐怕引起议论，似于用人行政，大有关系。这么说，行不行？” 文祥把他的话想了一遍，点点头说：“就照这意思写下来再看。” 这样的稿子，曹毓瑛真是一挥而就，用他自己的命意，加上惇王的意思，以“臣愚昧之见，请皇太后皇上，恩施格外，饬下王公大臣集议，请旨施行”作结。 惇王粗枝大叶地看了一遍，没有说什么，恭王却看得很仔细，提议改动一个字：“窃恐传闻于外”改为“窃恐传闻中外”。这是暗示慈禧太后，在京城里的各国使节也在关心这一次的政潮。事实也确是如此，但总有点挟外人以自重的意味，文祥有些不以为然，可是没有说出口来。 这个奏折递到慈禧太后手里，自然掂得出分量。心里气愤，但能抑制，她很冷静地估计自己的力量，决还没有到达可以独断独行的地步，因此，立刻作了一个决定，接纳惇王的建议。 于是她召见文祥、李棠阶和曹毓瑛，除了抚慰以外，把惇王的折子交了下去，吩咐传谕王公大臣，翰詹科道，明天在内阁会议。此外还有许多非常委婉的话絮絮然，蔼蔼然，听来竟似慈安太后的口吻。 这一来，外面的看法就完全不同了。第一，召见三枢臣，把前两天明发上谕中“该大臣等”这四个字，作了有力的澄清；第二，恭王逐出军机一节，必定可以挽回。 因此，这天到内阁来赴会的，特别踊跃，而且到得极早。但是会议却迟迟不能开始，因为倭、周两阁老以及“协揆”瑞常不曾到。再一打听，说是两宫正在召见，除他们三个人以外，还有朱凤标、万青藜、基溥、吴廷栋和王发桂。Why is that?莫非事情还有变化？大家都这样在心里怀疑。 这是因为慈禧太后前一天又听了安德海的挑唆，说恭王不但没有悔过之心，而且多方联络王公大臣，决定反抗到底。她虽不全信他的，但自己觉得对文祥所说的那番话，显得有些怕事，急于想收篷似地。如果这一天内阁会议下来，联名会奏请求复用恭王，不但太便宜了他，以后怕越发难制，而且大家一定会这么说：到底是妇道人家，只会撒泼，办不了正经大事。如果落这样一个名声在外面，以后就不用再想独掌大权了。 为了这个缘故，慈禧太后决定把事情弄复杂些。召见的名单重新安排，在原先召见过的那一班人里面，去了一个无足轻重的内阁学士殷兆镛，另外加了四个人：肃亲王华丰、豫亲王义道、兵部尚书万青藜、内务府大臣基溥。召见两王是为了增加声势，至于万青藜和基溥在慈禧太后印象中，是谨慎听话的人，她轻视满缺的兵部尚书宗室载龄，而载龄是恭亲王力保的，这也成了口实之一。 “象载龄这样的人才，恭王一定要保他当尚书。照我看，载龄不过笔帖式的材料。万青藜！”她问：“你跟载龄同堂办事，总知道他的才具吧？” 万青藜不敢驳回，但也不便附和，而且慈禧太后的批评，多少也是实情，所以只好免冠碰头，含含糊糊地答道：“太后圣明。” “再说惇王。”慈禧太后看着肃亲王华丰说：“在热河的那会儿，说恭王要造反的，不是他吗？现在他又反过来维护恭王。到底是怎么回事呢？回头内阁会议，你们要说公道话！” 到了内阁，随即开会。因为此会由军机处传谕召集，所以由文祥首先述旨：“昨天奉两宫皇太后面谕：恭亲王在召见的时候有过失，因为蔡寿祺参他，不能不降旨；惇亲王现在上折子，也不能不交议，可见，上头並无成见，一切总以国事为重。朝廷用人，一秉大公，从谏如流，亦所不吝；如果你们一定要说，国家非恭王不可，你们跟外廷各衙门去商量，联名写个折子上来，让恭王再回军机，我准了你们的好了。天意既回，该如何仰承上指？请大家定个章程。” 话还未完，吴廷栋站起来说，“这话完全不符。” 文祥述旨，已令人不免迷惑，听得吴廷栋这一驳，越发有石破天惊之感！他怎么可以如此说？照他的话，岂非文祥矫诏，那有这么大胆？真太不可思议了！ 而文祥却比较持重，虽觉吴廷栋的话和语气，武断无礼，但仍旧平静地问：“何以见得？” “刚才两宫皇太后召见，面奉懿旨，全无请恭王复回军机的话。” “那么，上头是怎么说的呢？” “说恭王必不可复用。” “那太离奇了！”李棠阶皱着眉说，“不至于出尔反尔吧？” “此何等大事，敢有妄言？” “不错！”倭仁也说，“面奉懿旨，恭王不可复用。” 以倭仁的年高德劭，而且道学家最重视的是“不欺”，自无妄言之理。照此看来，莫非文祥在假传圣旨？ 正当大家越来越迷糊，也越来越着急的那片刻，李棠阶说话了：“昨日军机承旨，面聆纶音，确如文尚书所说。” “那不是天下第一奇事？”惇王看着倭仁和吴廷栋，大声说道：“上头说了今天的话，就不能说昨天的那个话，说了昨天的那个话，就决不能说今天这个话。艮老，别是你听错了吧？” “王爷！”倭仁板着脸回答：“老夫虽耄，两耳尚聪。” “我们三个人也没有听错。” 文祥接着李棠阶话，补了一句：“昨天押班的八王爷可以作证。” “巧了！”吴廷栋说，“今天也是八王爷押班。” “那好，好，你们不用吵了！找老八来问。”惇王大声吩咐：“看，钟王在那儿，快把他找来。” 内阁的苏拉分头去觅钟王，这等待的当儿，大家交头接耳地小声谈着，虽听不清说些什么，但脸上十九浮现着好奇的神色，好象赌场里有豪客孤注一掷，大家都迫切希望要看那一宝开出来的是什么？ “宝官”钟郡王找到了，这两天他奉旨带领引见，算是第一次当正式差使，打扮得一身簇新，宝石顶、团龙褂，极长的一支双眼花翎，在日影中闪着金蓝色的光芒，衬着他那张皮色白净，微带稚气的脸，益显得高贵华丽。等走进内阁大堂，抬头望一望，立刻放下马蹄袖，向他五哥惇王请了个安。 “老八！”惇王问道，“昨儿个军机'叫起'，是你押班？” "yes." “今儿呢？” "Too." “好吧！”惇王挥一挥手说，“你们问他。” 于是文祥和吴廷栋，又把所奉的懿旨说了一遍，要钟王证明，确有其事。 “你们不错！”他看着吴廷栋这方面说了一句，转脸看着文祥又说：“你们也不错。慈禧皇太后昨天和今天，是这么说的！” 这一下，满堂惊愕，议论纷纷，好久都静不下来。大家都在研究同样的一个疑问：慈禧太后何以自相矛盾？到底她的真意何在？ 文祥一看这情形，知道大事坏了。内中的变化曲折，尚未深知，去打听明白，设法化解，都得要相当时间，此事宜缓不宜急，所以提议到三月十四再议。倭仁和吴廷栋原想早早作一了断，无奈站在恭王和文祥这面前人多，齐声附和，只好算了。 事情看来要成僵局，政务也有停顿的模样，军机三枢臣苦闷不堪，每日在直庐徘徊，要等一个人来，情势才有转机。——这个人就是在盛京的醇王。 不过，军机三枢臣的苦闷虽一，原因多少不同。文祥了解洋务，深知外国使节对于枢廷动态，都有报告回国。大清朝的那面黄龙旗已经有了裂痕了，全靠政局稳定，有位高望重的恭王在上笼罩一切，合力弥补，才可以不使那条裂痕扩大。如果朝局动荡，足以启外人的异心。所以文祥不免有隐忧。 李棠阶的目光是在各省。蔡寿祺的背后有些什么人，那两个奏折是怎么来的？他完全清楚。从咸丰初年的军机大臣文庆开始，以至于肃顺专权，恭王当国，有个一以贯之的方针：泯没满汉的界限，而且要重用汉人。不是如此不能有曾国藩，更不能有左宗棠。如今大功初见，私嫌又生，连慈禧太后都说过“恭王植党”的话，意思是指他外结曾国藩以自重，如今蔡寿祺的折子中，为旗将不平，攻击湘军，挑拨满汉之间的感情，如果由恭王波及到最善于持盈保泰的曾国藩，那对大局的影响可就太严重了。 至于曹毓瑛，一片心思都在恭王身上，恭王一垮，他也要跟着垮，切身利害所关，格外着急。不过，这些纵横捭阖的手法，是他懂得最多。倭仁和吴廷栋的性格，也是他最了解，讲道学的人一钻入牛角尖，简直无药可医，所以去疏通这两个人，不必跟恭王过不去，不但没有用处，说不定还会讨一场没趣。他盘算了好几遍，认为最好的办法，还是联络那些科甲出身的翰、詹、科、道，另外再觅一位够地位的王公出面，到十四内阁开会那天，以多胜少，把倭仁和吴廷栋“淹”了，是为上策。 想定了主意，他跟文祥商议，也认为不错。于是着手进行。这时候那班军机章京可就发生了大作用，他们与翁同和、李文田那些名翰林，都是三四十岁的人，叙起来不是同年，就是世交，平常看花饮酒，总在一起，此时杯酒言欢，一两句话就拉拢在一起了。