Chapter 68 Jade Seat Bead Curtain (22-1)

At this time, there was only more than a month before the auspicious wedding date, and the capital city hadn't been this lively for 80 years since Emperor Gaozong's 80th birthday in the 55th year of Qianlong.Some are local bureaucrats like Peng Yulin who congratulate your majesty on the occasion of their marriage; Some are businessmen who want to seize the opportunity to make a good business; lively.Therefore, large and small inns, guild halls, temples, wherever you can board, there is no dissatisfaction. However, there are also those who have fled.Zhili was hit by floods the year before, and the disaster area was so extensive that it hadn't been seen in decades. The imperial court specially issued an order to encourage donations from all provinces. Hu Xueyan, a wealthy businessman from Hangzhou alone, donated 10,000 cotton coats.Li Hongzhang, the governor of Zhili, was doing relief work while asking for funds to start the renovation of the Yongding River. He had already reported that "the embankments on both sides of the river have been repaired and strengthened", and he was doing "protection cases" as usual to reward those who contributed.Unexpectedly, in late summer and early autumn, after several storms, the north bank of Yongding River collapsed, and Baoding and Tianjin's counties also flooded.Where there is no water, there are locusts again, but this can't be like last year, you can ask for relief, because once the incident breaks out, it is necessary to investigate the responsibility of killing the river, so we have to suppress it as much as possible.So suffering the victims, helpless, fleeing everywhere, some fled to the capital to beg for food.

However, the wheat in Qingyuan County grows particularly well. There are two spikes on one stalk of wheat.Li Hongzhang wanted to use it to counteract the flood of the Yongding River, so he picked up a sample of "Rui Mai" and specially folded it into the play. This annoyed a censor, Bian Baoquan, and taught Li Hongzhang a lot of trouble. Bian Baoquan belonged to the Han army and belonged to the inlaid red flag. He was the descendant of Bian Dasui who was the magistrate of Mizhi County in Shaanxi in the fifteenth year of Chongzhen and was famous for digging Li Zicheng's ancestral grave.In the second year of Tongzhi's Enke's Hanlin, Zhang Zhidong and Huang Tifang were both talkative and self-proclaimed people in the same year. Their dissatisfaction with Li Hongzhang had a long history.However, if Hanlin didn't fill in the "Daily Talking and Zhuguan", they couldn't directly play the speech. Bian Baoquan happened to make up for the supervisory censor of Zhejiang Province.

This memorandum was passed through several red Hanlins with great literary names, and the words were carefully considered. The words were not deep but the meaning was deep, so as soon as it was in the hands of the emperor, he was immediately attracted by it.At the beginning, "the theory of auspiciousness is not spoken in prosperous times, that is, the phrase 'a good year is auspicious', it also means that the year is smooth and the people are safe, so it is auspicious! I have never heard of frequent floods and droughts, and the people's livelihood is declining. Jiaxiang and Tanrui are the ones who respond!" The emperor blurted out his praise:

"Tell me the truth!" Looking at it further, it is not surprising to cite historical facts that one stalk of wheat has two divergences, or even seven or eight divergences. This happened in the second year of Zhenghe in the Northern Song Dynasty.The emperor thought to himself, Zhenghe is the reign title of Song Huizong, the king who subjugated the country. According to this, what kind of auspicious is it that Maixiu is at odds?So he unconsciously said: "How unreasonable!" Then he shouted: "Xiao Li, look up this year's 'Jin Gentleman', where is Bian Baoquan from?"

Xiao Li checked and replied: "It's the Han army with red flags." "Where did he live since he was a child?" The emperor pointed to the memorial and read: "The minister lives in the village, and every time he sees Mai Fei, he apologizes, and there are often double differences. 'Where is this' Shaoju in the village'?" Xiao Li was in a dilemma, but he was quick-witted. After thinking for a while, he replied, "It's not Shandong, it's Zhili. Anyway, it's definitely not Jiangnan." "how do you know?" "Wheat doesn't come out of Jiangnan."

"That makes sense." The emperor expressed his satisfaction, and returned his gaze to the memorial. Here is another citation of the scriptures, saying that Ma Duanlin’s "Benwen Tongkao" cited the auspiciousness of the past dynasties, collectively referred to as "objects and differences". Talking about the floods in Zhili, after asking the question of "the auspiciousness of double divergences, what can we do to suppress them?" For mediocre officials and gentry, it is advisable to know clearly that they take the commonness of physics, not to be different, and deny their selfishness, how can they be extravagant for Jiaxiang, and be sued based on it?" Worried, "Once this end is opened, the local officials will be efficient and effective, and they will do it for whitewashing. There are indescribable abuses!" Therefore, "Please order and discipline, and all provinces should be vigilant, so as not to be too exaggerated and absurd in real politics."

In addition, a clip was attached, requesting that Yongding Hehelong's "protection case" be revoked.When the emperor saw it, he raised the ink pen without hesitation, and waited for approval. "Long live!" Xiao Li suddenly knelt down and said, "Slaves have something to say!" The emperor was surprised, put down his pen and said sternly: "What do you have to say? Don't worry about me approving memorials!" "How dare you slave!" Xiao Li took two steps on his knees, approached the emperor, and said in a low voice: "The former Empress Dowager Ci'an found the slave, and asked the slave to return to the Lord Long Live. How should the memorial be approved? It is best to talk to Cixi first." The queen mother will understand and do it again."

The emperor didn't speak, and his face gradually became gloomy.Xiao Li naturally understood his mood, and had already thought of a sentence that could comfort the emperor. "Long live Lord, bear with it, anyway, it will only take half a year at most." Half a year later, that is, the twelfth year of Tongzhi, the emperor will be able to rule in person.The two major events of big marriage and pro-government are like the "big and small entrance" of scholars in the emperor, and they are the proud moments of life.But for the Empress Dowager Cixi, it was really "come together if you are not interested"!

Empress Dowager Cixi was heartbroken for the emperor's choice of Arut as empress. If it was purely due to the emperor's intention, she could tolerate it. What made her most distressed was that the emperor actually followed the instructions of Empress Dowager Ci'an.Shiyue conceived her own son, and her heart turned to outsiders. From her point of view, this was rebellion!And there are hardships to speak, and it is even more angry, so I can only confide my grievances to the confidant maid: "I have been so strong all my life, but my son didn't fight for me!" To live up to expectations or not to live up to expectations is just a feeling in my heart, so it's fine to look at it a little bit.Putting aside the bead curtain, handing over the great government, and empty-handed "power" is what worries the Empress Dowager Cixi the most.Whenever she thought of the emperor's personal governance, she would think of Xiao Anzi being killed, the emperor was unfilial, and he would openly oppose her like this before he was in the personal administration. "One dynasty, one courtier", Jiaqing killed Heshen by himself; Throw everything away, don't know but that's all.Now that I am still here, if the emperor is desperate, for example, to use Wu Tang to "operate", how can I save my face?At that time, the emperor only listened to the words of the "East", and did not do what he wanted, and was angry all day long. How could he survive this day?

For this reason, from spring to summer, Empress Dowager Cixi often suffers from anger and cannot look at the court.It got better after autumn, but recently I felt mentally tired and worried about everything, so I simply shirked and let the emperor do it himself. However, the Empress Dowager Cixi is really suspicious. The Empress Dowager Ci'an has always been worried about killing An Dehai and setting up the empress.The emperor also often felt guilty and apologetic, so when he heard Xiao Li's advice from the Empress Dowager Ci'an, although he didn't take it seriously, he had no intention of disobeying it, so he immediately took the memorial and went to Changchun Palace to ask for instructions.

"If you speak the words of the official, you must listen to the truth, and the governor can't help but give face." The Empress Dowager Cixi complained a little, "You always have to think about it, how did we get to where we are today? We escaped to Rehe. Once Zeng Guofan died, talents should be cherished even more. Nowadays, Wenxiang and Shen Guifen are responsible for foreign affairs, and Li Hongzhang is on the outside. Some things are inconvenient for the General Administration to say. Not good looking!" "Yes." The emperor replied: "Son, discuss it with Uncle Liu first." "By the way! Notes like these are best discussed." So I handed in Bian Baoquan's paper on the same day, and the next day when serving the Empress Dowager Ci'an summoned the military aircraft, the first thing I did was to talk about this paper. "Of course the insurance case must be revoked." Prince Gong said, "As for not saying auspiciousness, the next step is to make it clear and order the provinces." "What do you say about the Yongding River breach?" the emperor asked, "Why didn't Li Hongzhang report it?" Prince Gong thought to himself that relief would be provided as soon as the performance was played, and the Ministry of Households would be in a dilemma. The cost of the wedding was huge, and it would be too much for the Ministry to distribute funds for relief.So if you don't play, you're pretending to be confused.It's just that it's inconvenient to report this truthfully, so I had to answer like this: "Then Li Hongzhang should check the report." "This is the right thing to do. Let him act as soon as possible." The next thing is to talk about a dispute between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Household Affairs. From the day when preparations for the wedding ceremony began, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has become a greedy place that cannot be filled. One hundred thousand taels of silver.The ministers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Chonglun, Mingshan, and Chunyou who were in charge were all directly and indirectly able to speak in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi. Prince Gong and Bao Yun had to find ways to perfunctory, and they managed to get out 600,000 taels by patchwork. The replay said that this number could be dialed out in July and August.I have always asked the Ministry of Households for money, even for military expenses, and there is room for bargaining. On the one hand, I say how much I want, and on the other hand, I say how much I can give, what is not enough, and how to get it. The House of Internal Affairs naturally knew about this vague practice.Unexpectedly, in July, the Ministry of Households notified that there were 600,000 taels of silver to be transferred. When the Ministry of Internal Affairs was requested to collect it, the secretary in charge of the bank added a sentence at the end of the "print collar": "800,000 taels owed. Bao Yun was very displeased when the official business was sent to the Ministry of Household Affairs. Accepting this "seal" was tantamount to admitting that the Ministry of Household Affairs still owed the Ministry of Internal Affairs 800,000 taels of silver. This is not a child's play.Fortunately, Gui Qing, the Minister of the Household Department who also walks in the Hongde Palace and teaches Manchurian, has been recruited as the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Bao Jun entrusts him to expose this case from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. So Guiqing wrote a memorial, blaming the secretary for adding the words "due to transfer silver taels" without the consent of the court officials when handling the manuscripts of the counseling and household department. Although the manuscript was drafted by the secretary, it must be judged by the court official when it is sent out, which is called "standard painting". Guiqing has another attached piece, which is dedicated to this matter.There are a total of six ministers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Chong Lun "wears the seal key" and naturally ranks first, followed by Ming Shan, Chun You, Kui Ling, Cheng Ming, and Gui Qing.On the day of the drawing, Ming Shan did not enter the party. Chunyou and Kui Ling said that although they had drawn the drawing, they could not find out for a while. The words, "It was my idea". "What does he mean by this idea?" said the emperor sternly, "hasn't he hugged enough?" It was inconvenient for Prince Gong to say this, so he paused for a moment and said, "I want them to understand what I mean, and then ask for an order, or discuss it, or reprimand it." "Hmph!" the emperor sneered, "These talents don't care about reprimands, and the discussion is even more of a trick to deceive people. If there is a demerit, there will be merit. If the merit and demerit are more than offset, they still have to be promoted." The emperor's words were sharp, and Prince Gong felt very embarrassed. The matter must be settled, and it is not a big deal to just listen to the emperor's complaints.So he said Weiwei in his mouth, but looked at the Empress Dowager Ci'an, hoping she would say something. Even if King Gong didn't have this begging wink, Empress Dowager Ci'an would say: "For these things, people must always have a chance to appeal." This is what Empress Dowager Ci'an taught the emperor, and then made a verdict: "Just Let Chong Lun and the others understand the echo!" "Yes!" King Gong agreed and asked for instructions: "The secretary in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is really bold and self-reliant. Please submit the order to the Ministry of Officials first." This is of course allowed.When she retired from the imperial court, the Empress Dowager Ci'an specially found the emperor and told him that he should not act too hastily when listening to the government.Years of accumulated abuses cannot be rectified all at once.For things like today, it is enough to give the Minister of Internal Affairs a nail and make them vigilant.He also said that the superior should be considerate of the difficulties of his subordinates. Although Gui Qing accepted the discount, he actually didn't want Chonglun's face to be too ugly. It's hard.Therefore, for the sake of Gui Qing, it is not appropriate to deal with it too strictly. The emperor thought to himself, those people in the House of Internal Affairs were exhausted. At the end of May, because of the censor's participation in the performance, Mingshan's son, Zhong Wenxi, the Tang Lang of the House of Internal Affairs, was removed from all errands. Such a severe reprimand was not enough to warn the rest , if things are lenient, this generation of villains will become more unscrupulous.In any case, it should be strict rather than lenient! Therefore, he didn't feel that every word of Empress Dowager Ci'an was audible.But since you have knowledge, have you never disobeyed her meaning?So he didn't take it seriously in his heart, but he still agreed docilely in his mouth.But I can't help feeling a little bit in my heart, it is really difficult to be an emperor, I can't act according to the words in the book, all kinds of constraints, I have to wrong myself, these difficulties are beyond the understanding of outsiders. "And your mother," said the Empress Dowager Ci'an again, "it's really not easy after so many years of hard work! You have to coax her more." Hearing this, the emperor felt infinitely wronged again.After killing Xiao Anzi, there were gossips about the emperor not being filial to his biological mother. These words were passed around and finally reached his ears, and he lost his temper with Xiao Li for this.After this year's election, Fengxiu's daughter could not be in the middle palace, and these rumors became more and more popular. There was even Wang Weizhen, the deputy envoy of the General Administration, who actually made a statement, saying, "First will and will, and several remonstrances will not violate; , based on the courts", the unexpected meaning, as if the emperor is really unfilial.At that time, he wanted to punish him because the Empress Dowager Ci'an was lenient, and she only asked the Ministry for strict discussion, but Wang Weizhen's official still couldn't forgive her hatred.Now hearing the words of the Empress Dowager Ci'an, she immediately replied: "As long as it can make the two empress mothers happy, my son will do whatever he wants. However, I really don't know how to make my mother happy? " Empress Dowager Ci'an was silent.If you don't mention it, you don't feel it. When you mention it, think about it, the emperor is really embarrassed.The Empress Dowager Cixi will be happy unless she obeys everything regardless of whether it is right or not.Helpless, this is impossible. If she wants to take power, should she hang the curtain for the rest of her life and prevent the emperor from governing? So she had no choice but to answer like this: "Son coaxing mother, just go and see more, talk with him, have fun or something. If you go to Changchun Palace more often, your mother will naturally be happy!" Mentioning this level, the emperor couldn't help feeling ashamed.He himself knows that since he was a child, he has always been with the Empress Dowager Ci'an more than he has been with the Empress Dowager Cixi. Although he has his reasons, this reason cannot be explained clearly to others, and he is unwilling to say: The Empress Dowager Cixi has always been there. Look down on my son!In front of her, she was either scolded or taught a lesson, making people afraid to get close. This reason can be said to the Empress Dowager Ci'an, but this is not the time to judge whether she is wrong or not.Now we are talking about filial piety, and obedience is filial piety. Since the Empress Dowager Ci'an said so, let's do it accordingly. So he stood up and said, "I'm going to Changchun Palace now." "That's right!" Empress Dowager Ci'an happily said, "You go first, and I will go to see your mother later." As soon as he had invited Ann to the Changchun Palace, the emperor told the Empress Dowager Cixi all about the summoning of the military aircraft that day.Halfway through the talk, Empress Dowager Ci'an also came.It just so happened that the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent a wedding gift from the Guangdong Customs to supervise Chongli's tribute, so the empress dowagers of the two palaces carefully admired the wonderful curios, which were mostly from the West, and then resumed the topic, suddenly talking about the past in Rehe. "At that time, I didn't expect to be able to have today!" Empress Dowager Cixi touched the wrinkles on her forehead and said with emotion, "In a blink of an eye, next year will be the next year again!" "How many great things have happened in the past eleven years!" Empress Dowager Ci'an was more pleased than sighed, "Now I can take a breath!" The person who said it was just expressing his feelings directly, but the person who listened seemed to feel that there was something beyond the strings. Empress Dowager Cixi thought that Empress Dowager Ci'an was persuading her to give up everything and take care of herself.Thinking of the Palace of Compassion and Ning, she felt disgusted. It was the place where the empress dowagers of all dynasties lived for the elderly. There was a bottle and a few, and they would never move.People are not old, they will be old once they live in that place! What she saw suddenly in her eyes was such a decayed and sluggish scene, and she seemed to smell stale and foul breath in her nose. Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help shaking her head.In the eyes of the Empress Dowager Ci'an and the emperor, this is naturally not the case with the words "take a breath". So what to say?The emperor didn't dare to say it, but the Empress Dowager Ci'an had to say, "You should be more open!" Her words were very straightforward, "After so many years of worrying, don't you feel bitter? People who worry about it are the easiest to grow old!" It was the last sentence that made the Empress Dowager Cixi feel unpleasant. Do you really look old?At that time, I wished I could take a mirror to take a picture. "Take advantage of these few years, before you reach your seventies and eighties, your teeth haven't fallen out, you can still walk, you can eat more, you can go shopping more, let's enjoy a few years of happiness!" In these few words, the meaning of Yin Yin's persuasion is obvious.The Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help laughing, "We will be just like those old ladies in the future!" She said, "Drinking a short cigarette pouch all day long, wearing reading glasses and wiping cards, from morning till night, dangling on the kang Just the whole day." "There's nothing wrong with that." Empress Dowager Ci'an said, "I'd rather live that kind of leisurely and peaceful life." "You have to be in peace!" The Empress Dowager Cixi looked at the emperor after saying this, "I will count on you from now on! Ama said that you are born with good fortune, so you must be a prince of peace." These two sentences seemed to be expected, but also seemed to be ridiculed. Anyway, the emperor felt that it was not in the taste, so he quickly knelt down and replied: "No matter what, the son must ask the two queen mothers to teach and teach every moment!" "I can't help my mother! You say that, I listen to you, let's see yourself in the future!" "You!" The Empress Dowager Ci'an tried her best to win them over for their mother and son, so following the words of the Empress Dowager Cixi, she warned the emperor: "Always remember that this situation is thanks to your mother! Many grievances and sufferings, I am afraid You may not know." "Yes." The emperor replied respectfully, "Son dare not forget." "It's true that the emperor might not know about it." The Empress Dowager Cixi said to the Empress Dowager Ci'an, "Of course all ministers, big and small, don't know! Now that the emperor has grown up and established a queen to take charge of the government, we sisters are finally worthy of the late emperor and the world. Later generations also have an explanation. I think, I have to find a day to summon the six chief ministers and Han Zhan Kedao, and tell everyone about the painstaking grievances of the first emperor from Bintian to the present. Sister, what do you think?" "OK!" "However," Empress Dowager Cixi suddenly had another desire, "The Hall of Mental Cultivation is not big enough." "Then find another place." Empress Dowager Ci'an replied without hesitation. So, within a few days, before convening the "Qu Banquet" with King Dun and other close relatives, the Empress Dowager Cixi said this, and everyone said that it should be done this way. "Where should I be summoned? The Hall of Mental Cultivation is not big enough..." As soon as he said this, Prince Gong stood up abruptly, and replied loudly: "Zha!" After interrupting Empress Dowager Cixi, he continued, "The Palace of Compassion and Peace is where the Empress Dowager belongs." This is because King Gong is extremely vigilant, he has seen through the intention of Empress Dowager Cixi, and he wants to summon the ministers to the Imperial Palace.The Qianqing Palace is the main office of the inner court, and there is no reason why the empress or the empress dowager is in the imperial court. Although the two empress dowagers used the Tianjin religious case to convene an imperial meeting in the Dongnuang Pavilion inscribed with the "Greenhouse" of the Qianqing Palace, but it is not correct, it is another matter .It would be a great violation of the ancestral system if the main hall where the ancestors inscribed the plaque "righteousness and lightness" could be visited by the empress dowager.Listening to the government behind the curtain is a last resort. At that time, it caused a great disturbance. Now that the emperor is about to take charge of the government, if the empress dowager still has this act of arrogating the etiquette and violating the constitution, it is still a trivial matter that arouses remonstrance and ridicule from the government and the public. In case the emperor From then on, the Empress Dowager's power began to expand, interfering in government affairs with Yizhi, and she was not careful!In the future, from the beginning of the original theory, the responsibility will be returned. He himself ruled the country as a relative, and he could not be dissuaded in a timely manner. He became a sinner for all ages in the Qing Dynasty. Just block it head-on. Sure enough, Empress Dowager Cixi really thought that way.After Prince Gong said this, he kept his mouth shut, unable to bring up the words of the Zhengda Guangming Hall of Lin Yuqianqing Palace, and immediately lost interest and didn't want to speak. ※ ※ ※ With the autumn wind, the palace went up and down, and the spirit was particularly vigorous.Empress Dowager Cixi personally delineated Linggui, Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, and Xu Tong, minister of the Ministry of Rites, as the principal and deputy envoys of the "Da Zhengli" with a red pen, asking for auspicious words of "Guizi Tongsun". "Da Zheng" is the "Na Zheng" in the six ceremonies, and the dowry should be given.The day was on August 18th, and the dowry was prepared by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to the rules of the Kangxi period, it was two hundred taels of gold, ten thousand taels of silver; gold and silver tea pots, silver cups; one thousand horses of satin; and twenty matching saddles. Horse with a bridle.The dowry gift is not considered heavy, but the wealth of the heavenly family is not calculated in terms of money. The 10,000 taels of silver alone are specially cast in the furnace room of the Ministry of Household Bank, fifty taels of large ingots, with dragon and phoenix patterns protruding , The silver light is shining, reflecting the sun.The twenty fine horses are also pure white in color. They are the so-called "alcohol horses" driven by the ancient emperors. Red tassel, the color is extremely bright.For these 20 horses, the Siyuan was reimbursed 80,000 silver, and it took three months to train the horses to be very obedient. Ideas that work with the advocacy.Just this horse team, the old man in his sixties and seventies couldn't help but nodded, saying, "I've lived for so many years, this is the first time I've seen you!" In addition, gold and silver clothing for the queen's grandfather, parents, and brothers were also sent along with the dowry.When they arrived at the Houdi, the empress' respected brother had already been waiting outside the gate.Sai Shang A came out to thank En Zhezi on the second day after Li Li, and after hitting a wall, he already knew that there were three things that he could not match his son in any case, one was the title of number one scholar; Sanqi's status, so it was very interesting to let Chongqi take the lead, and she knelt under her son's shoulders. Waiting for the envoys and deputy envoys who hold the Festival to welcome them into the gate, there is still a group of people kneeling in front of the main hall to meet them. They are Chongqi's wife, Guerjia, and her sister-in-law and daughter-in-law.The queen was not among them, and she would not show up until the time of Nazheng. The etiquette of the "Da Zheng" is of course grand, but for the sake of a happy event, naturally it will not be too serious, while arranging the betrothal gift, Linggui and Xu Tong congratulated Chongqi first. At the moment when they were exchanging greetings, the betrothal gifts for Dazheng had already been set up, and there was a table in the middle, enshrining the imperial edict in red satin and gold letters and the dragon festival for the envoys.There are two long tables on the left and right, one is empty, the other is displaying ceremonies, and twenty horses, like the "horses" of Chaoyi, stand facing each other in the yard, staying still. So the queen came, and from the day the emperor granted Ruyi to be the queen and preached to send her home, Arut and her grandfather, parents, brother-in-law and sister-in-law abolished the family rituals.First of all, the whole family knelt outside the gate to greet her, and she had to pretend to be a queen, and she must not return the same greeting to her kneeling parents, at most nodding.After entering the gate, he was immediately sent to the main room, where he lived alone in the second hall with five rooms. At the same time, there were maids to serve him personally, and guards from the Qianqing Palace class outside to guard the gate. The gate control was extremely strict, especially for young men, no matter how It is difficult for close relatives to enter the door.So for more than half a year, except for offering sacrifices and eating meat, Chongqi's family has almost lost all relatives on weekdays. Inside, it is not easy for Chongqi to see her daughter, once she sees her in a few days, she will be respectfully dressed.Her mother and sister-in-law met every day, but they entered the palace like a married woman to serve the queen.Twice a day, "Shangshi" is held. The queen occupies the front alone, and the food is sent out from the kitchen.In the first few days, Alut's back was like a thorn, and he couldn't eat. After half a year, he got used to it, but because he couldn't bear to let his mother stand for a long time, he always ate a meal very fast, but there were always 20 or 30 dishes in each meal. The time it takes to send everything to the table is considerable. Of course, except for the second hall, the queen never left the door, and she only went out of the second hall once in half a year, which was the day when she accepted the lottery.This day is the second time, accompanied by a maid, came out of the hall to receive the imperial edict. After listening to the edict of envoys sent by the imperial court to carry out the grand conquest ceremony, the queen still retreated to the second hall.So Linggui and Xu Tong stood on the east and west sides of the table in the middle, and Chongqi led his whole family down to his father, Sai Shang'a, to kneel in front of the table. , Chongqi knelt down to take over, passed on to the eldest son, holding the long case in the west, and after the assignment and acceptance, Chongqi led the whole family to the northwest direction where the Forbidden Palace is located, and bowed three times and kowtowed nine times to thank him.Then, he hurried to the door and knelt down to see off the envoy.The ceremony is now complete, but there are still many troubles. The main trouble is for the reward.On the day of accepting the bride price, there was already a lot of trouble.As usual, Nacai gave a banquet to the Hou family, which was jointly organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Guanglu Temple. Four taels of silver, a total of more than two thousand and two hundred taels of silver, the latter must pay another sum as usual.In addition to rewarding deacons and miscellaneous servants, a chief of the House of Internal Affairs who made the whole effort came forward to negotiate and negotiated five thousand taels of silver to "wrap round children".When asked about the handler, he said that the five thousand taels of silver was "wrapped" by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and that he had no control over other yamen, nor did he dare to do so.This was obviously a scam, but the trouble became unbearable, so the Chong family had to swallow their anger and spent another three or four thousand silver to get it done. Because of the lessons learned this time, the Chong family's "counterhouse" no longer dared to trust the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and decided to separate the expenses. The tent was set up in the Xihua Hall, and many officials were sitting there at this time, begging for advice. The person the Chong family invited to help with general affairs was a donating class leader named Rong Quan, who was on the fourth line. In bustling places like Dazhalan and Zhushikou, there were many city houses with a large amount of rent income every month, and his life was very comfortable. .He is a warm-hearted and good friend, has three teachings and nine streams, and makes friends with everything, so tea houses and taverns are all well-known when they mention "Rong Si Ye".Because he is enthusiastic and likes to be lively, he specializes in helping people organize weddings and weddings, and promotes festive hall parties. Over time, he has become a big expert.Admiring his family, he entrusted others to extend his invitation, and Rong Quan also gladly accepted his order. He consciously helped people organize a lifetime of happy events, and finally managed to make a name for himself. Host, the Queen's House is run by Fourth Master Rong!" It was such a delicious and glorious thing. However, once you get started, you don't know that this happy event is difficult, not because of its large scale, but because it is fundamentally different from any happy event.What he has to deal with is not the restaurant and bar room, nor is it difficult to serve the famous actors who go out of the court and put on airs and become popular in Nine Cities, but for the masters of the big and small yamen!The people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs tricked the people of the Ministry of Internal Affairs by accepting the betrothal gift, causing Chong's family to spend thousands of silver, smashing his "golden signboard" that "the fourth master of Rong specializes in weddings and weddings" to pieces, and then "take the blame" to the master's family. resignation".The Chong family was very considerate of him, the matter was originally difficult to handle, and he found someone before he could find it, and he found it, with a lot of clues, and he couldn't figure it out for a while.It doesn't matter if you spend more money, it's not important for the wedding ceremony to go wrong, so after repeated comfort and persuasion, Rong Quan had no choice but to resign himself to it. The name of "Fourth Master Rong" can't be shouted at this time, and it's useless, so there is only soft grinding. He and his assistants separately spoke good words to officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Rites, Honglu Temple, Luan Yiwei, and Shangsi Academy , Grinding from noon to three o'clock in the afternoon, it is considered that the expenses are completed. After this negotiation, Rongquan was exhausted, but he couldn't take a break for two days. Once the big ceremony was over, he had to prepare for the celebration of the big wedding day.Just the queen's dowry entering the palace is no small matter. There are countless jade objects, glass vessels, large and small mirrors, and it is unlucky to break even a little bit. How can I explain to the Chong family?For this reason, Rongquan was worried day and night, and Hunmeng was uneasy! But officials, big and small, are beaming and relaxed.Although the yamen are not as leisurely as after the "seal", they are by no means as serious as usual, and all business affairs that can be put on hold are put on hold until the wedding day is over.When friends get together, they always talk about how to find a suitable place to see the queen's dowry, or how to enter the palace together to celebrate.In this way, at the end of August, officials who were admitted to the pilgrimage came to Beijing one after another, and there was another round of entertainment waiting for them, and the yamen, big and small, became more and more deserted. It was at this time that Peng Yulin arrived in the capital. As soon as he entered Chongwenmen, he first went to the palace gate to pay his respects. On the same day, he rewarded the "Chaoma" and summoned him the next day. The meeting was held in the East Nuan Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Although the emperor had not formally taken charge of the government, he had actually begun to take charge of government affairs.Therefore, the emperor asked a lot of questions on this day. He inquired about the date of departure from Hunan, and reviewed the situation in various places along the Yangtze River. The emperor said: "Your spirit is not bad!" Peng Yulin replied bluntly: "I have a problem with vomiting blood, and I can't sleep well at night. It's hard to overcome trouble." "You have worked very hard on this trip to the Yangtze River. It shows that you are still in good health." "Yes!" Peng Yulin replied, "I don't dare not to follow suit." "That's right! The imperial court depends entirely on your veteran generals." The emperor was a little excited, "Now the foreigners are very arrogant! Peng Yulin, you want to do things for me, organize the Yangtze River Navy, and plan coastal defense for me!" When the emperor said this, Prince Gong, who was leading the class, was quite disturbed.Because coastal defense is another matter, the Beiyang Minister who is also in charge of Zhili Governor and the Nanyang Minister who is also in charge of Liangjiang Governor are responsible respectively, especially the Beiyang Minister Li Hongzhang. In fact, he is in charge of coastal defense affairs, which involves Westernization and Shipping administration has nothing to do with Peng Yulin.If the emperor was young and impulsive, and rashly asked Peng Yulin to plan coastal defense, then he could neither obey the imperial edict, nor should he not. Wouldn't it cause countless troubles? Fortunately, Peng Yulin is very measured, "Jiangfang in the south of the Yangtze River is closely related to Haiphong. Jiangyin and Wusong are two places, and defense is more important. The minister has already guarded the general, so be extra careful." He paused and said: "Everyone Jiangnan, Jiangfang, and various places related to coastal defense, I request that the new admiral of the Yangtze River Navy, Li Chengmou, be ordered to rectify. As for the northern and southern ocean defenses, I have never asked about it, so I really have nothing to offer. I met Li Hongzhang once, and I also heard him talk about Beiyang coastal defense, and he handled it very well. Please ask the emperor to still order Li Hongzhang to step up the process. After a few years, there will be results." This statement reminded the emperor, he nodded again and again, and stopped mentioning Haiphong, "How is the talent of Li Chengmou you recommended?" "Li Chengmou is Li Chendian's younger brother. He has a good official reputation in Fujian. He is not ostentatious, and he is willing to do things with sincerity. At present, the habits of the Yangtze River Navy are very deep, and there must be honest and honest people to rectify it. Therefore, I recommend Li Chengmou." "Hmm, um!" The emperor asked again: "Did you have any contact with Zeng Guoquan when you were in Hunan?" "The minister lives in the tomb of Xianglu, and his footprints do not leave the door. It is rare to meet Zeng Guoquan. But we often exchange letters." "How's his spirits, isn't he fine?" "Yes!" Peng Yulin replied: "Zeng Guoquan has led troops for many years, he is accustomed to hard work, and he is in good spirits." "Since you are in good spirits, you should come out and do things for me." After saying this, Prince Gong muttered in his heart again.Zeng Guoquan was very dissatisfied with him because he participated in the official document, and he was very dissatisfied with him, so he had no possibility of using him for a while.The emperor didn't know about these grievances and grievances. He thought that whoever would use whom would cause many troubles in the future, so how could he understand the obstacles and concerns. "Where's Yang Yuebin? Do you see him often?" the emperor asked again, "You have worked with him for many years, so you must have frequent contacts?" This question also showed that the emperor was not familiar with the past. Both Yang Yuebin and Peng Yulin started as sailors, Yang was in the front and Peng was in the back. Later, Peng Yulin changed his civil service position, so he could control Yang Yuebin, so they had opinions.Even the Empress Dowager Ci'an knew that Yang Peng was at odds. It was because the emperor was ignorant, and asking such a disagreement made people laugh after the meeting. However, Peng Yulin was not funny, but a little confused. He didn't know what the emperor meant by asking this question?Of course, at this time, he could only answer simply, saying that he and Yang Yuebin did not see each other often. The emperor's question was inappropriate, and the Empress Dowager Cixi had already noticed it, and she didn't know what jokes would be made if she continued to ask, so she took the words at this time and comforted Peng Yulin, saying that he is really commendable for his hard work.He also persuaded him to save labor and take care of himself, not to let the court rely on him, and then ordered: "Kneel down!" It was the first time for Peng Yulin to see him, and he had already consulted others, knowing that this was a sign that the summoning was over, so he immediately met with his hat off.And because he had heard the joke about Zuo Zongtang forgetting his big hat in front of the imperial court, he was very careful, and finally successfully completed a major event of "face saint". Back at Songyun Nunnery, where he stayed, several Beijing officials from his hometown were already waiting. After socializing for a while, they sent them off separately.He just changed his official uniform and wanted to rest, so someone came to report: "Master Shen, the military aircraft, is here to pay respects!" Of course, this will not be a general courtesy.When Peng Yulin passed through Tianjin, he already had a very in-depth understanding of the "market" in the court from Li Hongzhang.It seems that Li Hongzao's momentum came strong, and he advocated "orthodox learning" as the emperor's teacher, especially after the death of Woren. ", the results are not the same, so the defenders of the Tao, the ministers of direct admonitions, implicitly regard Li Hongzao as the suzerain.However, this strengthens his position, not increases his power. Li Hongzao got a false name, but his real power is far inferior to that of Shen Guifen.Shen Guifen was recommended by Wenxiang, and Wenxiang's people and Zhengtong were not only trusted by the empress dowagers of the two palaces and relied heavily on by Prince Gong, but also respected by the generals outside and the ministers inside.With this support, Shen Guifen devoted herself to supporting Bao Jun and protecting Dong Xun in the Zongli Yamen. Therefore, in addition to foreign affairs, taking care of military affairs was almost Shen Guifen's sole responsibility, just like Bao Jun was in charge of finance. For this reason, Peng Yulin attaches great importance to the visit of the Minister of Military Aircraft. Please meet Yang Jisheng at the "Admonition Cao Pavilion" where Yan Song was impeached.Although Shen Guifen is from Wujiang, Jiangsu Province, his native place is Wanping, and he grew up in the capital city. With his deep and magnetic Beijing accent, coupled with his elegant appearance, it makes people feel amiable.He is also well-known for his incorruptibility, and his clothes are poor when he is in the court. This is more to Peng Yulin's appetite, so he fell in love with him when he saw it. Shen Guifen first conveyed the meaning of Prince Gong, and wanted to invite him to dinner and have a long talk, but her wedding was coming soon, so she was too busy!I specially asked Shen Guifen to apologize, and after the celebration, I will post a post to invite you to talk freely.Then he said that King Gong respected him very much, so he obeyed all requests. When mentioning this, Peng Yulin was really grateful. Please accept the regulations for the rectification of the Yangtze River Navy, the officials to be impeached, and the candidates to be recommended. Except for Zeng Guofan, the imperial court has not given such face.Of course, there is Shen Guifen's power of mediation in it, and now that I think about it, I just take this time to express my thanks. "It's all thanks to Weng Yucheng." He arched his hands and said, "What a feeling!" "Don't dare, dare not!" Shen Guifen replied calmly, "You're done, the morale of the army will inevitably relax, and the arrogant soldiers will become increasingly difficult to control. The court wants to use Xue Weng Qing's reputation of uprightness to rectify an example. That's the holy intention, on the military plane Of course, he strongly approves of its success. The emperor attaches great importance to Xue Weng, and just now he told you that no matter what, you should not go too high. I'm afraid there will be a discovery within a few days." "This...," Peng Yulin asked tentatively, "I don't know what it means, Your Majesty?" "I want to keep Xue Weng to work in Beijing. But there is no suitable vacancy at present, I'm afraid I will wrong Xue Weng." Shen Guifen said: "Today's list of deacons for the big wedding, Xue Weng was sent as a 'palace suppression minister'. There is going to be a ceremony tomorrow, and when we are done, please come and sit on the military plane." Peng Xueqin knew what was missing, and tomorrow would be a foregone conclusion.Judging from this tone, he probably returned to serve as the Minister of the Ministry of War.It was impossible to do it before, and naturally it is even more impossible to do it now, and we will talk about it when the time comes.