Chapter 97 History outside the Qing Palace (7-2)

"Tie it up!" So he got a rope, tied up this idiot who didn't know whose surname was Zhang or Liu. "Buddha is frightened! This servant deserves to die." Li Lianying pleaded guilty on the ground, "Bang, bang" Knocking his head. She was frightened but never frightened, but she was quite angry, "It's too insignificant," said the Empress Dowager Cixi sternly, "We must find out who this person is? How did he come into the palace? What are you doing here? Get up." , do it quickly." Li Lianying agreed, got up and left the hall.First, I asked Liu Yuxiang and others to discuss it, and both of them were also surprised. The palace is strictly forbidden, why did this person enter?

"Of course they came in through the corner gate of the West Garden." Liu Yuxiang said, "We can't blame the guards for this matter." The West Garden is in the northwest corner of Da Nei. It is called the Garden, and it has been abandoned. The south side of it was originally the original site of the Xuanji Palace in the Ming Dynasty. There is a corner gate that has been closed for many years. After it was opened from Andehai, it became a place for eunuchs to come and go without permission. shortcut.Judging from the location where this person appeared, Liu Yuxiang's guess was correct.However, upon further investigation, doubts remain.

"But you have to enter the Shenwumen first before you can enter the corner gate. If no one takes him, can he enter the Shenwumen?" Li Lianying's question was equivalent to providing an answer.From the case of Li Sanshun, the guards were guarding the gate of the palace, and they were very careful. No matter what, such a person dressed as a countryman would not be able to get in.However, although the guards guard the door strictly, they are extra polite to the eunuchs, following Li Sanshun's lesson from the past, so if there are eunuchs leading them, anyone can sneak in. "I think someone is doing something wrong here!" Li Lianying looked serious, "We have to investigate first. The gunpowder case has been suppressed, and this strange incident has already reached the heavens! If it cannot be suppressed, send it to the Department of Punishment , everything will be exposed, then we will be untenable."

"That's right!" Liu Yuxiang said, "If you want to investigate, you have to ask that lunatic first. I'm afraid that if you are crazy, you won't be able to find anything out of it." "You can't scare him. If you scare him, you will lose your sanity. I can't ask. He must be scared when he sees me." Li Lianying thought for a while and said, "Go to Cui Yugui, he has many tricks, let him ask." So I called Cui Yugui, the chief eunuch who was in charge of the small kitchen in the Changchun Palace, and told him that he knew the truth. Cui Yugui promised that he would be able to ask the truth, but he said:

"I have to use my own method, Uncle Li, please leave me alone." "I don't care about you. As long as you can ask and understand, you can use any method." Cui Yugui's solution was not to treat that person as a prisoner, but firstly untied him, and secondly went to the small kitchen to get some food, as if entertaining a good friend, and ate with him in a friendly manner.While eating and chatting, the truth was soon revealed.That person's real name was Liu Zhensheng, he was neither crazy nor insane, but a bit silly, so his nickname was "Liu Dasha".

Although Liu Zhensheng's language is messy and upside-down, he seeks common ground in differences, and the truth can be generally understood.He lived in the Ma's compound in Zhuwei Hutong, Xicheng, and in the same courtyard lived a palace servant, Su La, whose surname was Wei and who was on the fourth line. Every time he went home, he always boasted about how rich and prosperous the palace was.Liu Zhensheng often said that living "at the foot of the emperor" and having a neighbor next to the emperor, in this life, he must go to the palace to see it, so that it is not in vain to travel in the world.

So one day——a day not long ago, Wei Si told Liu Zhensheng that if he really wanted to go to the palace, he could lead the way.It's just that first, you have to be bold, and second, you have to listen to him. Liu Dasha didn't know the heights of the heavens and the earth, and he never said anything, but Wei Si didn't take him into the palace at that time.I didn't make an appointment with him until I went home yesterday. This morning, I entered the palace, led into the Shenwu Gate, meandered west, bypassed a rockery, pointed to a corner gate and taught him to go south, and taught him a set of words. Zhang, "come from the sky", "come to set fire" and so on are all taught by Wei Si.

After listening to Cui Yugui's report, Li Lianying gnashed her teeth and scolded, "This damn Wei Si should be cut to death." He asked, "What's Wei Si's name?" "How does he know? Just call him 'Brother Wei'".Cui Yugui said, "Just take a book and look it up, and there is a Su La named Wei who lives in Zhuwei Hutong." "It makes sense." Li Lianying immediately sent someone to the respect room to check the roster. It was found that Su La, whose surname was Wei, lived in Zhuwei Hutong, whose name was Wei Feng, and who was sent to work in the Royal Garden.Li Lianying, together with the head of the respect room, "moved the bottle for advice", found an empty room in the imperial garden and sat down, and summoned Wei Feng.

"Do you want to die or live?" Li Lianying asked in the first sentence, her voice was calm, but there was a murderous look on her face. Wei Feng was also bold and calm, and asked with a smile: "Uncle Li, what are you talking about, I don't quite understand?" "Send you to the Punishment Department, and you'll understand." Li Lianying was a little impatient, "I don't have time to talk to you about mushrooms! You want to live, tell me all the good things you have done, and I will give them to you." You make trouble, hide there for a while. If you want to die, I will give you a good time. I will go up and explain it right away, and I will send you back to grandma's house after a meal. Let me say one more thing, I have no time to grind with you, you just need to Hesitate for a moment, I'll slap my legs and leave!" Then he stood up.

Only then did Wei Feng feel that the situation was serious, so he had to tell the truth that he was instigated by a group of young and good eunuchs, including Li Sanshun, to deliberately trick Liu Zhensheng into the palace, in order to confirm the charge of dereliction of duty by the guards. Li Lianying kept his promise, so he gave him five taels of silver to escape to his hometown in Jingdong, and then wrote down a note in the book of the respect room: "Sula Weifeng will be on leave for ten days from the fifth day of August. At the same time, Liu Zhensheng was sent to the Punishment Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for interrogation.

Naturally, the officials there would not be like Cui Yugui, coaxing him to confide the truth with kind words. Under the harsh words, Liu Zhensheng was frightened even more stupid, talking nonsense without knowing what to say.The Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not dare to carry out the punishment. He was afraid that the punishment would be too heavy and he would die. He couldn't bear the responsibility, so he had to repeat, saying that Liu Zhensheng looked crazy and his confession was unknown, but he was imprisoned in the palace. trial. Before the replay reached the imperial court, the Empress Dowager Cixi had called Li Lianying to ask about the case.Li Lianying's original intention of sending Wei Feng away was to cut off the clues and prevent the situation from escalating, but he had no intention of blaming the guards.Because Wei Feng's request for leave was a fake trick of "reversing the years and months", and he couldn't hide it. If he insisted that the guards' access control was not strict, maybe the guards would report the situation at that time according to the facts. Even in the palace, many people have seen it, one hand can't cover all the eyes and ears, the flaws are exposed, but it seems to be hypocritical. Therefore, the answer was vague, leaving a lot of leeway. "This is a lunatic, I don't know how he got in here?" He said, "The slave is thinking, someone must be negligent and unintentionally bring this lunatic in. It can't be blamed on that one person, if everywhere The eunuchs on duty are able to do things with sincerity, and pay attention everywhere, this lunatic can't get in no matter what. The servant should ask for punishment first." "It has nothing to do with you." The Empress Dowager Cixi said, "The first pass is the guards of Shenwumen, and then the people on duty everywhere should be punished." "Yes." Li Lianying seized the opportunity to seize power, but it was inconvenient to say clearly, "I request that all places in the palace should be thoroughly inspected and rectified, and these accidents must not happen again. If the holy car is really shocked, there is no way for the slave to die. land." The Empress Dowager Cixi nodded deeply: "I'll send you! Check it out, and replace anyone who is incompetent." "I dare not refuse. However, I have the courage to ask the Buddha to tell the chief eunuch of the respect room in person, so that I can let go of the matter." "I know." Empress Dowager Cixi handed him the Ministry of Internal Affairs' replay: "Go to the east and tell me what I mean. Send military planes to interrogate with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Criminal Justice." Li Lianying immediately went to Zhongcui Palace to present the matter.Empress Dowager Ci'an naturally complied, and the next day she gave an order to the military plane.So Liu Zhensheng was transferred from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Ministry of Punishment.Pan Zuyin, Shangshu of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, has a big headache. The Meridian Gate case is still pending, and the Shenwu Gate is in trouble again. It still involves the guards and eunuchs, and it is still a difficult matter. However, the judge at the Qiu Trial Division was overjoyed, thinking that the Wumen case had been settled by a god-given opportunity.Because he entered the palace and went to the Empress Dowager's bedroom, this lunatic must surely die, and as long as the guards and eunuchs did not intend to rebel, they would only be accused of rebelling against the army.But the seriousness of the case is quite different from that of the Wumen case. Compared with the two, the conviction of the Wumen case is too much. If the Empress Dowager Cixi is sensible, she will never be more demanding. When Pan Zuyin heard this, he made a lot of sense, and when he went away with sorrow, he asked Liu Zhensheng to interrogate himself first.The judges of the jury are all good hands, and the questioning is on the knuckles, so in a short while, the truth has been revealed, and I went to Prince Gong's mansion with the statement to ask for instructions. "According to the decree of the interrogation, please give Liu Ye's instructions, which one will be sent on the military plane? The Ministry will send a notice." "Let Peiheng go!" Prince Gong held the statement, but didn't read it, and asked Pan Zuyin, "Is the eunuch trying to harm the guard?" Pan Zuyin smiled, "You can't hide anything from the sixth master." He said, "There is a Su La surnamed Wei who tricked this lunatic into making trouble." "Then we have to chase! Write the text directly from you, and talk to the dignitaries in the respect room." "The Ministry of Punishment has never exchanged official documents with the palace, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs still has to write." "That's fine." Prince Gong specially warned: "The wording must be strict." When Pan Zuyin returned to the Ministry, he told his subordinates that the clerk who was in charge was very experienced, and put aside the fact that the Ministry of Internal Affairs asked Sura, surnamed Wei, to come to the case.He first summoned the guards on duty at Shenwumen on that day, conducted extensive research, and confirmed that it was correct, before notifying the Ministry of Internal Affairs, detailing Wei Sula's age and appearance, and pointing out that he is a very relevant criminal in the case, "Please send him to the Ministry of Criminal Justice immediately. He will be brought to justice." Li Lianying has been inquiring about how the Ministry of Criminal Justice handled this case. At the same time, she also knows that Prince Gong advocates strict handling. It seems that it is not easy to deal with this case according to the original method. What is the purpose of deliberate false cover?It's hard to tell.So he changed the file in the respect room again, indicating that Wei Feng had asked for leave to leave the palace on the day of the accident.This is closer to the truth, even if there are flaws, it is easy to make up for. So when the Ministry of Internal Affairs transferred the official documents, the Respect Office responded accordingly. When the official documents were completed and shown to Li Lianying, he had concerns. "We can't do things without thinking about the past and the future." He asked: "This official matter, when it comes to the Ministry of Criminal Justice, think about it, what will they do?" "Naturally, we should arrest Wei Feng and bring him to the case." Liu Yuxiang said, "If the Ministry of Punishment is going to go to Zhili governor's yamen, it will take some time. I'm afraid that the military plane will directly notify the infantry commander's yamen to send someone to Jingdong. Then you can catch it." "That's it. I don't think Wei Feng can escape! Instead of waiting for him to have a confession in the future and then asking for someone, why don't we send a few first." "That's true." Liu Yuxiang said: "The military plane was ordered to send Bao Zhongtang to interrogate. This old man is easy to talk and can make big things into small things. He always has some confidence." "That's exactly what I thought. Let's do it!" Therefore, according to the truth that Cui Yugui coaxed from Liu Zhensheng, some of the eunuchs who had abetted Wei Feng were found to be ineffective on weekdays, and they were directly transferred to the Ministry of Punishment.Of course, the official document has also been revised, and I played it up for myself, saying how to investigate carefully and find out the root cause, but as for the reason for deceiving Liu Zhensheng into the palace, he repeatedly stated that it was the foolish jokes of those eunuchs, "There is no He agrees." After sending off the official business, Li Lianying personally went to see Encheng, the Minister of Internal Affairs who participated in the interrogation, and said in his words that he should be cautious. If the case is handled too strictly and the implications are too wide, people will be shocked.At the same time, the eunuchs are panicking, and other incidents may also be triggered. I hope that Encheng can speak to Baojun and end it quickly. The eunuchs are under the control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, so Encheng has to obey Li Lianying's words for his own interests, and he takes it seriously when he mentions it to Baojun.In the Ministry of Criminal Justice, it happened that the punishment according to the law was helpful to the conclusion of the Meridian Gate case, so he readily agreed to close the case after arresting Wei Feng and interrogating him twice. This case was divided into three cases. The first case was Zaihe, the commander of the guards who was on duty at Shenwumen that day.The second case was that Wei Feng and instigated him to trick Liu Zhensheng into the palace, as well as the eunuchs who were on duty in various places Liu Zhensheng passed by.After the two cases were adjudicated by Yi's decree, they were executed on the same day, and the dispatched ones were immediately escorted out of the palace by the guards. The third case was designed to deal with Liu Zhensheng alone. He was sentenced to "strangling" for the crime of "always suffering from madness, infiltrating into the palace, and talking wildly, which is completely innocent".In the large prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, a rope was caught three times and released three times, and it was unjustly sent to a life. So the Ministry of Criminal Justice continued to deal with the Meridian Gate case and resumed it as originally proposed.It was already 20 days after the lunatic entered the Changchun Palace. During these 20 days, the Empress Dowager Cixi's illness has subsided a lot, so she personally ruled in the palace. "I really don't understand," she said angrily, "Why is the Ministry of Punishment so stubborn?" "The Ministry of Punishment handles it according to the law. Please let the Empress Dowager learn from you." Prince Gong said good things for the Ministry of Punishment, "The staff of the Ministry of Punishment tried their best to push for it. They dare not break the law, let alone disobey the order. The situation is very difficult." "This is the defense of the army, and we can't compare it to the general situation." The Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "There were always cases of resistance in the past. Let them check it out." King Gong agreed, and immediately notified the Ministry of Criminal Justice to investigate the case. The case will be put on hold for a while to discuss other government affairs.Soon, the Ministry of Punishment had an answer: "There is no rule against the decree, and it is a violation of the regulations", and resistance is violation. Unless the circumstances of the violation are serious, such as leading an army to go out and not following the commanded strategy, thus delaying the military opportunity, losing troops and destroying generals, it is inevitable to die. .Like the Meridian Gate guards in this case, there is absolutely no capital punishment. Due to the efforts of King Gong and the Minister of Military Affairs, the replay of the Ministry of Punishment is pending.After retiring from the court, the Empress Dowager Cixi was very unhappy and couldn't hold her breath. She sent Li Lianying to summon the officials of the Ministry of Punishment and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. "You guys are taking it too lightly." Empress Dowager Cixi said with a serious expression, "It must be more serious! Quickly repeat the replay. " The Empress Dowager Cixi did not follow the regulations, but Pan Zuyin, En Cheng and others did not dare to obey the order rashly, and immediately rushed to the military plane to ask Prince Gong for instructions. If he insists on going back, there will be another uproar. After discussing with Bao Jun, Shen Guifen, and Li Hongzao, Prince Gong decided to take a more relaxed approach. The Ministry of Punishment and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will directly resume the replay. room. The judge of the Ministry of Punishment insisted on the same, but the tone of the replay was very tactful. At the same time, he specially submitted a book of laws and regulations, and noted the relevant provisions and cases separately.On the second day, the Empress Dowager Cixi summoned the military plane and no longer insisted that the guards must be executed, but the charges were aggravated.King Gong saw that it was not easy to achieve this result, so he ordered to issue an edict, saying that in the case of the Wumen Guards beating the eunuch, the Ministry of Punishment proposed: "I have handled it as usual. However, this time when Li Sanshun sent the reward, he was interrogated and blocked by the guards and others. After being informed of Feng Youyi's decree, he still dared to disobey and did not obey it. The contempt was extreme. If it was not handled extraordinarily strictly, it would not be enough to show punishment. Both Yulin and Xiangfu ordered the leather to go to the army, canceled their own flags, and sent them to Heilongjiang to serve as drudgery, and they were not pardoned. Zhonghe sent the leather to the army, and they were imprisoned for five years. Responsibility. The guard commanded Yue Lin, and then handed it over to the Ministry for strict discussion. It should be serious at the forbidden gate, and the inspection should still be carried out with strength. You must not be convicted of Yulin's resistance to violations, and you should relax a little bit. Damn it!" ※ ※ ※ As soon as the imperial edict was issued, there was an uproar in the Qing Dynasty. Those who were loyal to their duties were exiled into the army, abandoned their duties, and allowed lunatics to sneak into the palace.Chen Baochen decided to go to Shushu to try his best. Zhang Peilun heard the news and told Zhang Zhidong. Of course, he would not give up this opportunity to show something, and immediately went to visit Chen Baochen. Zhang Zhidong stated his purpose frankly. He heard Zhang Peilun's words and came to ask for confirmation. "I also want to make a note as a response." He asked, "I don't know what to do?" "Naturally! The more people who speak up, the more powerful they are." "However," Zhang Zhidong lived up to his name, "the knowledge of the world is all knowledge", and he specially warned: "This matter can only ask for attention to the gate control, suppress the words of the eunuchs, and hope that the Queen Mother will realize it by herself, and there is no need to beg for favors for the guards. Otherwise, under the empress dowager's rage, it will be useless and detrimental." "Yes." Chen Baochen said, "It should be as respected." "Then draft them separately, and look at them tomorrow." "No need, it's better in the morning, hand them to each other!" So that night, they each set up remonstrance grass under the lamp. Chen Baochen wrote quickly and vigorously, writing: "Because the Meridian Gate Guards beat the eunuchs, I was sent to the Ministry of Criminal Affairs to interrogate the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Soon after, Liu Zhensheng trespassed in the palace. You should reprimand the Shenwu Gate Guards. Yesterday, the Meridian Gate case was closed, and the court is serious. For the crime of beating and disobedience by the Kewei army, the reply is that the forbidden door should be serious, and it should still be inspected with strength. The sacred consideration is thorough, and He Sheng admires it. The minister Weiwei is responsible for inspecting the access control, and there are special regulations to prevent the entry and exit of internal envoys. This time the Ministry of Punishments condemned Yulin, etc., saying that they should not fight in forbidden places, not that they should not inspect eunuchs. If the decree is aggravated, it is that they should not despise Yizhi, nor that they should not inspect eunuchs. Although, The crime of defiance comes from beatings, and the provocation of beatings starts from inspections. The soldiers of Shenwumen neglected the insane criminals who trespassed, and the crime ended in reprimanding. , risking the transgression of violating Yi's decree, removing names and guarding the border, the crime will not be pardoned, who would not be willing to share favors and stay away from resentment? For fear of disaster, who would not avoid the serious and take the light? What is the deep understanding of the soldiers to resist the words of "slightly slacking off against crimes" and apply them in concrete terms, first to punish severely? It is bound to be punished before the mistakes. Eunuchs. Even if the incident happened, it was only a matter of reducing their nationality to serve the people. After that, whenever an eunuch came in and out, but it was said that there was a decree, they would be released immediately. They dared not check in detail to distinguish their authenticity. There are guards and no guards. The same, with access control and without access control, the same!" After writing the last word, my hands were really sore. Chen Baochen tossed the pen, rubbed his hands, baked them on the stove for a while, and then poured a cup of "thick, hot, full" Wuyi tea to drink.While the tea smoke is wafting, read the written paragraph carefully, and feel that the writing style is like mountains and hills, continuous and coherent, the reasoning is extremely smooth, and the style is not restrained, which is quite pleasant. So, taking advantage of Wen Xing, I picked up the pen and wrote again, from the matter of gunpowder hidden in the ceiling, to the eunuchs, "how can they be so gentle"?After citing the "Linqing Incident" during the Jiaqing period, the eunuchs led thieves into the house and other facts, and then turned to the disaster of the eunuch in the former Ming Dynasty, and the family law of this dynasty's suppression of eunuchs, and then put forward his views: "The minister thought that the emperor's benevolence and filial piety meant that this case had to be handled extra strictly to respect the eunuchs; but because of the empress dowager's generosity, he had to be extra gracious to suppress the eunuchs." Chen Baochen was pleased and quite proud of this up and down, conscious of reasonableness and coherence, and his speech with tact. This should be over. After a little thought, Chen Baochen restrained the eunuchs, followed the order, and wrote another two or three hundred words, which came down to "letting the people in the world know that the soldiers of Chongzhi were not to beat eunuchs, nor did they listen to eunuchs to sue." The word will clear the doubts of the group, and make the judgment fair." After reading it carefully, I am confused, and I feel that I always feel that it is not perfect. After contemplating it carefully, I discovered my fault. This article only talks about black and white, without distinguishing right from wrong.Right and wrong should be compared. In this case, the guard is right and the eunuch is not. Although the memorial has roughly explained it clearly, the truth is not stated, because the guard is still sentenced to a heavy sentence, so it is wrong and not right.Talking about right and wrong without arguing about this point is nothing more than fear of authority and fear of disaster.Chen Baochen was ashamed in his heart, and decided not to listen to Zhang Zhidong's words, but to beg for the guards. This does not need to modify the original fold, just add an "attached piece".But for this "reversal" article, the words must be more appropriate, and the wording should be more eloquent, and it will surely hit the target.Otherwise, if you don't listen to small things, it will be even more difficult to talk about big things. Therefore, he lingered all night until dawn appeared on the window paper, and then he made a final draft, grabbed the pen and wrote it down: "Thinking carefully about the charges of guarding the army in this case again, since the emperor respected the imperial edict, he was extremely strict. However, those who read the imperial edict for a while were all horrified. The people who built the banner were 'removed', and they must have committed treachery, theft and fraud. Those who say: "If you are pardoned but not pardoned", you will definitely commit the crime of ten evil robbers plotting to kill someone. Today, if someone is injured, the crime of love is light, even the crime of violating the system is also very pardoned, and it is not justified. The five-year ban is extremely serious in Jueluo. This case was originally caused by the inspection and beating of eunuchs. I fear that it will spread everywhere and be passed on forever. I don't know the whole story of this incident, which will arouse doubts. The records of ministers' duties and duties have the responsibility of making up for the deficiency and picking up the lost things, so they should resist the sparseness and Chen, but if they linger for a few days and want to stop talking, it is because of the current affairs.I, Empress Dowager Ci'an, can't wait to eat, and I, Empress Dowager Cixi, have not hesitated to bow, and I don't want to use roundabout and fierce words to act sternly, so as to provoke the emperor's overthrow.But think about it again, since my empress dowager hung the curtain, the patriarch has been diligent and generous to accept advice, which is the only thing I have seen in the ages, but it is especially strict in the Yuhuan Temple. Silence, sit and listen to the world and future generations, hold on to this detailed reason to question the holiness, not only have nothing to do with my empress dowager, the emperor, I can't feel at ease when I ask my heart, so I have to attach a secret report. " After writing this, Chen Baochen feels relieved.The most difficult thing to make a statement is this long paragraph, because if you resist sparseness, you must point out the lack of Chen, if the wording is too soft, it will not be powerful enough, and if it is too hard, it will easily arouse resentment.At the beginning, I used the words "I belong to the emperor for the sake of respecting the imperial edict", leaving aside the Empress Dowager Cixi, the starting point is correct, and it is easy to say the following: "The Empress Dowager Fu Qi learned from the foolishness of the ministers. She spent a few moments in the palace thinking deeply about the charges in this case. Is there any wrongdoing? For example, Meng Meng surrendered Yi's decree and gave him extra favors, so that the subjects of the world will know how to despise the soldiers who resisted. The emperor respected Yi's decree. Severe punishment is given to the former, and the empress dowager follows the law of the family to prevent abuses and then forgives it later, it is like the benevolence of heaven, which is more enough to please people's hearts and honor holiness." The text is only a few simple sentences, and it is clear.But just like writing an eight-legged essay, once the "eight comparisons" are finished, you should always summarize the previous article, chant a few sentences, and attach two "small comparisons" at the back, which is a good article with a calm demeanor and complete rationale.Thinking this way, Chen Baochen decided to use two allusions that the Empress Dowager Cixi could understand to complement the style of writing, as well as irony. It's not difficult to find, as long as you read the "Zhiping Baojian" edited by Xu Pengshou and Pan Zuyin, which is specially used for the first time the empress dowagers of the two palaces came to lecture, you can start writing. Chen Baochen had thought of the story of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty and the Empress Dowager Bo, and when he flipped through the "Baojian of Zhiping", he found that there was such a subject, so he continued to write without adding any points: "In the past, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty wanted to punish those who violated Chengyu, and he followed Tingwei Zhang Shi's fines. So far, it has been passed down as a matter of great virtue. The ministers hesitated, but the soldiers dared not say anything, and those who couldn't bear to say it, how could they regret the exile of two or three soldiers? I really hope that my empress dowager will be honored and honored. Infinity. A mere fool, pray for the holy lesson." After finishing writing, I was too tired to read it again. I went to bed with a pen and slept until noon. I didn’t rush to wash up. I thought about the original manuscript first. I thought it was quite beautiful. Twan, then no matter how euphemistic you are, you won't listen. In order to hesitate, Chen Baochen thought that he might as well discuss it with Zhang Zhidong, so he wrote a letter, attached the original manuscript, and sent it by special messenger, stating "Waiting for Huiyu".In the end, the manuscript was returned with a message: "Master Zhang said that there is another letter for Master." Chen Baochen knew that Zhang Zhidong had to ask Li Hongzao first, so he didn't reply immediately.In the middle of the night, everyone in the Chen family had turned off the lights and went to bed. Zhang Zhidong, who lives without restraint, sent a servant to knock on the door to deliver the letter. When he opened it, there was only one line: "One piece of aconite, please do not use it as medicine." This is a cryptic language, those who know will understand.Chen Baochen felt rather lost.After thinking about it all night, I don't know whether to vote for this piece of "Aconite" or not?After much deliberation, it only depends on Zhang Peilun. Zhang Peilun is always with each other, and there is no time when we don't see each other for three days.During the visit this morning, Chen Baochen showed him both the original manuscript and Zhang Zhidong's reply letter. After reading "the emperor severely punished the former because of his respect for Yi's purpose, and the empress dowager was later punished because of the law of the family and the prevention of abuse, it is like the benevolence of heaven, which is more than enough to please people's hearts and show holiness." Wan said: "There is no need to regret Jingyi!" It was decided at one word, Chen Baochen decided to attach the photo and submit it, but Zhang Peilun still had something to say. "You might as well ask, how is Xi Sheng's mood these days? If the anger is not strong, then 'Aconite used as medicine' will definitely work." "Yes!" Chen Baochen was even more relieved, "I mean, it is exactly the same as Shishu." Chen Baochen's family name was earlier than Zhang Peilun, but because Zhang Peilun's nephew Zhang Renjun was the same year as Chen Baochen, so he always used the honorific title of "Shishu". So he talked about the condition of Empress Dowager Cixi.Because Ma Wenzhi used different medicines from Xue and Wang, and the eunuchs had to demand a lot, he couldn't bear the disturbance, so he had already returned to his hometown in Changzhou.At present, Xue Fuchen is completely in charge, and he is quite favored and trusted. He is often rewarded with treasures, and the imperial pen has bestowed a plaque: "Professional Cultivation".At the same time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has found another big house in Dongcheng for Xue Fuchen to live in.Zhang Peilun knew him quite well, so he volunteered to inquire about news for Chen Baochen. When they arrived at Xue Fuchen's place, Zhang Peilun straightened up the reason for his visit. He wanted to inquire about the Empress Dowager Cixi, how is her condition these past few days, how angry is she?Xue Fuchen is straightforward and forthright, so he didn't ask him why he inquired about these things, so he found the latest pulse case draft and showed it to him, which read: "Shenyou has a fever every day, and it's also hot this morning, with dizziness and weakness in the feet. It’s the solar terms, and I seem to have a slight feeling.” The prescription uses: ginseng, Poria cocos, Atractylodes macrocephala, aconite, turtle shell, root ginseng, Ophiopogon japonicus, and donkey-hide gelatin. "Is it still a prescription of great tonic?" "Yes." The answer was simpler. "Qi Huang, I'm a layman." Zhang Peilun said, "As the saying goes, 'the deficiency cannot be supplemented', now it is a good sign that it can be supplemented, and it is a great supplement?" "The same can be said." "Thank you for meeting me!" Zhang Peilun cupped his hands and stood up to say goodbye. From this point of view, all the symptoms of the Empress Dowager Cixi have disappeared, and she has entered the period of recuperation. Once the hot flashes stop, she will not be far away from the recovery period.In this case, there is no need to hesitate any longer, Chen Baochen handed over the folder the next day. When Zhu Zhidong heard the news, he was quite displeased, and complained to others: "If he doesn't listen to his friend's advice, how can he expect his superiors to accept his advice?" Chen Baochen listened and laughed it off. Then, Zhang Zhidong also handed over his notebook, and the next day he met Chen Baochen in the court room and asked about the news.According to the rules, there will be a reply on the same day when the fold is handed over, but there is no follow-up to Chen Baochen's fold. "It's like a stone thrown into water!" he replied to Zhang Zhidong. The same is true of Zhang Zhidong's excerpts, like a stone thrown into water, without a trace, fearing that it will definitely be caught. "Staying in China" is good, but it does not mean "not sending out". The Empress Dowager Cixi really did what Chen Baochen said, "Is it wrong to think about the crimes in this case during the time in the palace?" She is thinking about the matter carefully. Chen Baochen's words naturally moved her, but more importantly, she appreciated it.If he did as he said, wouldn't it be a very satisfying thing if the Chinese and foreign countries praised the Empress Dowager Cixi as a sage and virtuous? At the same time, she also thought of the need to sanction the eunuchs. There were a few lines in Zhang Zhidong's memorial, which were so shocking that she could already recite them: "The change of Lin Qing during the Jiaqing period of the husband, the eunuchs should be the internal response! In the autumn of this year, there was a case of gunpowder found in the ceiling, but the eunuchs were unaware! Liu Zhensheng entered the palace without authorization, and no eunuchs ever reported it! But the eunuchs Are the servants cautious, and are their words faithful and trustworthy? The sage is above, don’t wait for the minister’s words! In case the eunuchs go in and out privately, entrust their orders, or even have something to do with government affairs, they will also believe in their mouths and gossip. Wherever its abuses come, can't it be chilling?" These words are good, and An Dehai is a role model.Li Lianying was still cautious, but there was no guarantee that no one would follow in An Dehai's footsteps.After thinking about it again and again, she gradually calmed down. So she first sent down the brochures of Chen Baochen and Zhang Zhidong, and then went to the palace with Empress Dowager Ci'an to summon the military aircraft, and the first sentence she said was to mention the Wumen case. "The case of the Meridian Guards beating the eunuch was settled according to the original proposal of the Ministry of Punishment." Empress Dowager Cixi specially added: "Don't make it worse!" Prince Gong was pleased to obey the edict.When I got back to the military plane, I first looked for the original music by Chen Baochen and Zhang Zhidong.The two schools have the same order to suppress the eunuchs and clean up the entrance guards, but Zhang Zhidong's excerpts are not as penetrating as Chen Baochen's, and they are vigilant and moving.Prince Gong read a paragraph and praised a paragraph, and clicked his tongue, never seen him fall in love with someone else's writing like this. After reading it, he flicked Chen Baochen's notebook twice, and said "poof, poof", "this is really a memorial." He said to Li Hongzao and Wang Wenshao: "The notebooks written by the masters under our flag are simply laughing stock. !" Both Li and Wang understood that they were talking about a Manchurian censor a couple of days ago, and they were arguing over the rules for buying and selling groundnuts in Dingxing County.It's a joke that such trivial matters are actually listened to by God. "Yes!" The two agreed at the same time, but their inner feelings and superficial attitudes were different. Li Hongzao also worked hard for this case, and he felt gratified with the result, but it was not enough to be proud of. The proud thing is that the two Zhang Zhidong and Zhang Peilun acted according to their own will.Although Chen Baochen seldom goes back and forth, but Qingliu's voice is the same, and he is invisible under his control and command.Once Chen Baochen and Zhang Zhidong's melodies are copied and spread all over the world, they will definitely enjoy a great reputation, but if you look into it deeply, you will know that the secrets are clear and clear, and they have their own suzerain. Wang Wenshao is just the opposite.His status is not comparable to that of Li Hongzao, but he is worried about Shen Guifen. Since Chonghou neglected his duties and humiliated the country, and brought down the leader, Shen Guifen has been unable to hold his head up.Seeing Qingliu's aggressiveness is of course not a taste, but Qingliu's high-spirited remarks and sharp-edged sharpness are nothing more than stinging, but the impact on actual government affairs is slight after all.It is different now, the Empress Dowager Cixi was furious and delayed for several months. The Meridian Gate case, which the princes could not dispute and the ministers did not dare to dispute, could be brought back to heaven with Qingliu's two articles. This is terrible! ※ ※ ※ The dispute between the North and the South has a long history. In the past year, the two factions have faced each other tit-for-tat.At this moment, "when a leaf falls, you will know the autumn in the world," which is a thing that can no longer be denied.Fighting in Qingliu never leaves room for others. He Shouci was attacked and dismissed; Chonghou was attacked and almost lost his life; Governor Li Hanzhang was impeached and condemned, let alone talking about it.The arrogance is already so high, and there is such a sign of returning to the sky, it seems that Shen Guifen's hand is about to be touched. As soon as Shen Guifen collapsed, Wang Wenshao knew very well that his own iceberg had fallen, and he had to be deeply worried.At the same time, what he worried about for Shen Guifen was not limited to his power position, but his body.Since the beginning of autumn, Shen Guifen has been lingering on the sick bed, his air is narrow, seeing this kind of clear aura while ill must be greatly stimulated.It's better to comfort him. Therefore, after going to court, he took a car directly to Shen's house.There is only a small stove in Shen Guifen's bedroom. Although the windows have not been pasted for a long time, the house is not good and old, with cracks everywhere, and the cold air invades.How can one recover from illness in such a place?Wang Wenshao's heart became more and more sad. "Come so early, there must be something important?" Shen Guifen, who was sitting wrapped in a quilt, panted and asked. This reminded Wang Wenshao that he regretted his miscalculation and took this matter too seriously, which would arouse Shen Guifen's doubts even more. Therefore, he hurriedly replied: "It's okay, it's okay. Stop by and have a look." Then Wang Wenshao sat in front of the bed and asked about Shen Guifen's condition. While talking, he picked up the books on the coffee table to read, but he copied a few copies and put them down again. "Kuishi!" Shen Guifen suddenly became angry, "Look at the edict on November 27! What's an 'Iron Man'?" Wang Wenshao was stunned for a moment, and then remembered that he was dissatisfied with Deng Chengxiu in the "Four Remonstrances of the Imperial Academy".This person is good at fighting, and his character is "Tiexiang", so he has the nickname "Iron Man".The person Deng Chengxiu impeached recently was Chang Xu, the right servant of the household department. Although the words were harsh, Shen Guifen's tone seemed to be contemptuous, but he didn't understand why. : "Deng Chengxiu played: The thirteenth day of this month is the anniversary of the death of Emperor Sheng Zuren. The imperial court wears plain clothes, and Bo Hai follows them. It is rumored that the minister of the household department, Changxu, married the second daughter on this day to the son of Baoheng, the governor of Shanxi. Openly posting, the guests are full, and the drums are noisy. Fu read the meritorious decree: On the day of national calamity, even if you are in the mountains and seas, stop the drums and music, and talk about marriage? Today, Changxu and Baoheng are all honored as second-rank officials. The grace of the country, the inner ranks of the two ministers, the foreign appointment of the border, and the defiance of the law to act arbitrarily! It is a crime that cannot be punished if it is known, and it is a crime that cannot be punished. ?Zha Changxu is the son of Yutai, the former governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and the younger brother of Changshan, the current Guangzhou general. Forbearance, which is intolerable? I heard that the rule of the country depends on discipline and discipline. If discipline is not maintained, why is the country? Changxu and Baoheng are married to relatives and bureaucrats. Most of them belong to prominent officials, and they all take it for granted. The one who saves righteousness. Ignore the great righteousness of the king and father. Forget the deep kindness of the king. Although the feelings are different, the deceit is the same. The husband is the deep benevolence of the ancestors, which will never be forgotten for generations. The emperor surrendered Chi County, and the court only suppressed it ，而近在辇毂之下，贵戚之家，伐鼓撞钟，肆筵肃客，公卿百僚，称贺争先，此实中外之骇闻，搢绅所未有。若非明正纪纲，从严治罪，则陵夷胡底等语，本月十三日系属忌辰，户部右侍郎长叙之女，于是日出嫁护理山西巡抚布政司葆亨之子，实属有干功令。长叙、葆亨，均着交部严加议处。” 部议的结果是革职，一时忘却忌讳，竟致丢官，自是过苛。王文韶想起陈、张的奏折，不免忧心，“上头也太纵容这班人了！”他说，“此辈过于质直任性，总要想个法子，压一压他们的气焰才好。” “哼！”沈桂芬冷笑，“你以为只是质直任性？奸诈得很呢！ 劾长叙就劾长叙，何苦又牵出长乐初？又是什么'连姻帝室'，连心泉贝子都中了冷箭。这种鬼蜮行径，算什么铁汉？ " 这一说，王文韶才明白。长乐初就是长善，是长叙的胞兄，奕谟字心泉，是长善的女婿。邓承修把他们无端牵涉在里面，用心确有疑问。 “长乐初总算贤者，在广州力倡文教，以驻防将军肯作偃武修文之举，难道还对不起邓承修他们广东人？” “是的。”王文韶说，“邓铁香的笔锋，原可以不必扫及长乐初的。或者另有嫌隙亦未可知。” “什么嫌隙？无非长乐初打点京官的炭敬，拿邓都老爷一例看待而已。” 原来是长善对邓承修的炭敬送少了！沈桂芬说此话，自然有根据，怪不得看不起邓承修。王文韶怕事，不敢仔细打听，唯唯地敷衍着。 就在这时候，听差送进一封信来，王文韶偷看了一眼，那笔大气磅礴的颜字，一望而知是翁同和的手笔。心念一动，怕信里是提到陈、张两折的结果，便不肯落在翁同和后面。 “老师，”王文韶是沈桂芬在咸丰元年当浙江乡试考官所取中的门生，“午门一案结了，仍照刑部原奏。李兰荪大为得意，陈伯潜、张香涛的两个折子，居然把上头说动了。” 一听这话，沈桂芬一愣，然后拆阅翁同和的信，将信看完，脸色非常难看，仿佛猝受打击，无所措手的神气。 好半天，他恨恨地说：“走着看吧！” “老师亦犯不着跟他生闲气。”王文韶劝道，“上结主知，全在实心实力，光是鹜声气，浮而不实，到头来无非自取其败。” “看人挑担不吃力，那些大言不惭的家伙，几时让他们自己尝尝味道就知道了。” “是啊，可笑的是吴清卿，书生筹边，煞有介事。俄事总算可以和平了结，不然不知道会狼狈成什么样子？” “哼！”沈桂芬又冷笑了，“照他们这样子嚣张，纸上谈兵，放言无忌，搞成一股虚骄之气，总有一天，国事让他们败坏得不可收拾。” “所以，这就全靠老师中流砥柱了。朝廷少不得老师，千万珍摄。凡事放开些，不必过于操心。” “我也看开了。”沈桂芬忽作豁达语。“只等身子稍微好些，我也要求田问舍，略作菟裂之计。” “是。老师也太自苦了。”王文韶看着那个小煤炉，不胜感叹地，“谁想得到，相府寒俭如此！” 由此开始，说了好些无关国计的闲话。沈桂芬以腊八粥飨客，王文韶自奉不俭，但颇善于做作，将一大碗配料不甚讲究的腊八粥，津津有味地吃得一干二净，方始告辞。 辞出沈家，在车中回忆刚才跟沈桂芬的谈话，想起长叙，同为户部侍郎，而荣枯不同，急景凋年，谪居寂寞，应该去探望一番。再说，长叙眼前虽倒霉，而“连姻帝室”，跟恭王亦有渊源，终有复起大用的一日，趁这时候也应该烧烧冷灶。 主意打定，转道长叙寓处。他跟他侄子志锐同住，志锐是新科翰林，而王文韶是本科殿试的读卷官，论起来是师生。老师拜门生，照规矩是“硬进硬出”，所以志锐虽不在家，长叙仍旧很客气地开中门迎接。 但一到书房，却以通家至好，就熟不拘礼了。长叙的两个小女儿，一个七岁、一个五岁，依依客座之间，十分可爱。 长叙倒是很潇洒，绝口不提获谴丢官的事。岁末怀人，谈起许多故旧，特别是长善在广州将军署，辟题“壶园”的后苑，结文社所延的那班名士，番禺的施鼎芬、广西贺县的于式枚，都已跟志锐一样，点了翰林名，独有江西萍乡的文廷式，至今还不曾中举。 “此君我亦久闻他的大名。”王文韶问道：“比于晦若、梁星海如何？” “文芸阁才气犹在此二人以上。可惜场屋赠蹬，同治十二年曾应北闱未售。以后就在家兄署中作客。”长叙又加了一句： “大器晚成！” “如今呢，依然是在令兄署中？” “在南昌。” “何不招之北来？”王文韶有感于李鸿藻的作风，亦颇想罗致才俊，作为羽翼，所以这样试探着问。 “文芸阁赋性不羁，要看他的兴致。后年乡试，大致还是应北闱，说不定作了夔翁的门生。” “不会，不会。”王文韶摇摇头，“我对考差的兴致，不如翁叔平来得浓，顺天乡试的主考，决不会放我。” 长叙也知道不大会放他，因为他不是翰林。说文廷式可能会作他的门生，原是一句恭维的话，说过也就算了。但王文韶的想法却又不同，“有机会，倒很想见见此君。” 他说，“如果他不嫌弃，以师弟相称，亦未始不可。” 这是想文廷式拜他的门，长叙自然表示愿意促成其事。这是很渺茫的一件事，总要到后年乡试，文廷式愿赴北闱，到了京里再说，而王文韶却谆谆叮嘱，显得很认真地。