Chapter 134 Second History of the Palace Outside the Qing Dynasty (5-2)

On New Year's Eve, Empress Dowager Cixi made two important decisions, that is, two major events to be done in the next year. One is to start with a draft girl to be a queen for the emperor, and the other is to prepare to withdraw from the curtain and return to power. Therefore, on the fifth day of the first lunar month in the twelfth year of Guangxu, the Empress Dowager Cixi summoned the military plane, ordered her face to face, and decided to take the emperor to visit Dongling.There are three major ceremonies in this trip. The first is to go to the Dingdong Mausoleum of the Empress Dowager Ci'an in Puxiang Valley to perform the "earth laying ceremony".Empress Dowager Ci'an collapsed in March of the seventh year of Guangxu, and was buried in September of that year.Empress Dowager Cixi was not able to travel long distances because of her initial recovery from illness, so she was never sent to the mausoleum.The emperor was too young to be buried. "For four years, Empress Dowager Cixi has always believed that this is something she should apologize to Empress Dowager Ci'an, and decided to make up for this apology before withdrawing from the curtain and returning to power.

The second is that after the emperor ascended the throne, he has never paid a visit to Huiling of Mu Zong, so he should do his best this time.The third is to hold a grand banquet for the ancestors in the Longen Hall of Dongling. The so-called "soil-covering ceremony" is a folk tomb-sweeping ceremony, which is suitable for the Qingming Festival, so the imperial edict was issued on the same day, and it is scheduled to start on February 27th, and the soil-covering ceremony will be held on the second day of March in Qingming. Return to the palace on the seventh day of March.In order to accommodate the Qingming Festival on the second day of March, the trip back to Luan was quite hasty, and it was necessary to return to the palace on the seventh day of March. Because of this year's examination, the first session was scheduled to start on the ninth day of March, and the examiner had to enter the palace the day before.Return to Beijing on the seventh day of March, and send an examiner the next day, so as not to miss the test period.

This time, three yamen are going to be extremely busy.The first one is Zhili governor’s yamen, and the main thing is to renovate the roads along the way to run the "ling mission"; the second one is the Ministry of Rites, which needs to prepare various ceremonial notes; the third one is the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which serves the empress dowager and the emperor It is not an easy task to provide car, board and lodging for the palace family members. However, it was neither the Ministry of Internal Affairs nor the Governor's Yamen of Zhili who felt the embarrassment, but the Ministry of Rites.Empress Dowager Cixi's visit to the mausoleum has its own rules. The embarrassing thing is that the first visit to the mausoleum of Empress Dowager Ci'an in Puxiang Valley has no precedent to follow. After searching all the old cases, there is only four years of Tongzhi. The queen example seems to be available.

Empress Xiao Dexian's Sakda family was the son of Jin, who was registered by Yizong when Wenzong was the prince in the 27th year of Daoguang.But this Fujin, Fu Bo, had never been a queen. In the 29th year of Daoguang, Xuanzong's stepmother, Empress Xiaoherui, died, and the next day, this Fujin passed away.And when Empress Xiao and Rui passed away, Xuanzong was already seventy-two years old, and was sick. At the end of the year, it was too sad to suffer successive funerals, so in less than a month, he was also the guest of the dragon. So Wen Zong came to the throne, and Sakda was posthumously named Empress Xiaode, and her funeral ceremony was halfway through, because her status was changed from the prince's concubine to the empress, so it was changed to a grand funeral ceremony, Zigong has been parked in the east. Longfu Temple near the mausoleum.In the fourth year of Tongzhi, Emperor Wenzong was buried. Empress Xiaode was buried together in Dingling, and the empress dowagers of the two palaces paid a memorial ceremony.

This time Empress Dowager Cixi pays homage to Empress Dowager Ci'an's mausoleum, it should also be used as a precedent, Man Shangshu Yanxu advocated the strongest.The reason he held was that the two palaces were honored together during his lifetime, but the situation after his death was different. Until the death of Emperor Wenzong in the eleventh year of Xianfeng, he always had two different identities, the empress and the noble concubine Yi.If it is said that the Empress Dowager Cixi can offer sacrifices with ordinary ceremonies at this time, then it was wrong for the two palaces to pay homage to Empress Xiaode with the ceremony of concubines.

So it was decided to repeat it in detail.The Empress Dowager Cixi first looked at the notes on the etiquette of performing the ceremony, which read: "In the autumn of the ninth year of Kangxing, the holy ancestor Feng Tai and the Empress Dowager led the empress to pay a visit to the Xiaoling Mausoleum. The day before, he bowed to the Taimiao, and the next day Qiluan, Chen Lubo, and no fun. In the Daling House, the Empress Dowager sat on the east side of Fangcheng, offering wine and offering mourning.Empress Dowager Fan of later generations visited the mausoleum to imitate this. "

Empress Dowager Cixi had nothing to say about this ceremonial note. Next, when she saw the empress dowager "declaring the etiquette and etiquette in Puxiangyu to set the Dongling Tomb", she naturally thought of the scene of honoring Empress Xiaode at Longfu Temple. , fell hard to the ground. Seeing this scene, the eunuchs and maids on the left and right were so frightened that they all held their breath and their legs trembled. Of course, Li Lianying was an exception, but she didn't dare to speak casually. She pouted, signaled the eunuchs and maids to retreat, then picked up the memorial, and looked at it quietly. She didn't know what was going on, but guessed that it must be a note drawn up by the Ministry of Rites. , It doesn't suit her meaning.

"Look!" Empress Dowager Cixi pointed at the memorial, gritted her teeth and said, "What ritual note did the Ministry of Rites draw up?" "It's not right there, just tell them to change it." Li Lianying said, "The officials in the Ministry of Rites are all nerds, why should you be so angry about them?" The Empress Dowager Cixi was also angry for a while, and she felt that if she got angry, she would be criticized behind her back for being too narrow-minded, so she held back her breath and accepted Li Lianying's suggestion. So the military aircraft received the decree and informed the Ministry of Rites to re-draft the ceremonial note, which is slightly different from the etiquette used by the empress dowagers of the two palaces to pay homage to Empress Xiaode at Longfu Temple.This is not a big deal in the first place, and if changes are considered at the time of drafting, no one will criticize it.However, this kind of refutation attracted the attention of scholars, especially when the examination was approaching, talented scholars gathered in the capital, and many of them were respected by the elders and scholars, and they took this matter very seriously.Because you look deeply, you also look very seriously.

This can also be said to be a rehash.Back then, because King Chun was the emperor's biological father, he was afraid that the story of "Great Rites" during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty would repeat itself, so he tried his best to suppress King Chun.From relatives and dignitaries down to Hanlin, almost everyone thinks that King Chun must never interfere with political affairs, to prevent him from gradually developing wings due to interference in government affairs.This re-borrowing of the title of Mu Zong's establishment of an heir is actually equivalent to the public case of "struggling for the foundation of the country". It did not come to an end until Mu Zong's funeral and Wu Ke's corpse remonstrance.

At the beginning of the current emperor's entry into the great unification, even King Chun himself knew that he was in a place of great suspicion, and his self-distribution must be cut off from the country's political affairs from now on, and he would be idle for life. Whole, begging for bones, for heaven and earth to accommodate a person who has lost his title, and for Emperor Xuanzongcheng to leave a dull and talentless son" bitter words.Unexpectedly, in ten years, the situation has changed. Now King Chun not only intervenes in political affairs, but also becomes the "Minister of Military Affairs".Everyone also knows that as long as the Empress Dowager Cixi listens to the government behind the curtain, King Chun will never dare to overstep. Alien?Even if he himself had no such intention, who would dare to say that he would not encourage him?Zhao Kuangyin is so cautious and not good at authority, isn't he also "adding a yellow robe", can't he stop?

Therefore, in order to eliminate this hidden worry, today, etiquette and etiquette must be combined. Only etiquette, that is, the family law of the ancestors, can prevent unexpected deviations.If the Empress Dowager Cixi can be allowed to break the etiquette and make laws for the sake of unimportant rituals at this time, it will be a bad example. May I ask how the officials of etiquette can offend Yan Zhizhi? Of course, these discussions are of great importance, and can only be discussed quietly in the gatherings of the closest friends. Of course, the six officials of the Ministry of Rites also understand the importance of this matter, and at the same time they are quite vigilant that scholars' opinions should not be ignored. The revision of Yizhi and the annotation of the instrument caused dissatisfaction among scholars, and they wrote letters one after another. At that time, there will be some expressions on the road of speech, and the officials of the Ministry of Rites will bear the brunt of it. But it seems even more inappropriate to openly violate the order.Thinking about it left and right, there are difficulties, but Qiluan's day is approaching day by day.As a last resort, I had to get an idea from Li Lianying. A secretary in the Ministry of Rites who was related to Li Lianying specially prepared a generous water gift, paid a sincere visit, talked with people in secret, and explained the difficulties in detail. In these places, Li Lianying knew the general situation very well, so she agreed and tried to resolve the matter. When he returned to the palace, it was inconvenient for him to speak, and he wanted to discuss the matter with Princess Rongshou. Princess Rongshou has a special status in the palace because Empress Dowager Cixi has special affection for her.At first it was doting, coupled with the attention she received for her general knowledge of etiquette, and when she was married and widowed early, she was naturally sympathetic, and because her biological father, Prince Gong, was deposed, the Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help feeling ashamed and apologetic.The four words of love, respect, pity, and apology add up to make people feel strangely afraid.When the Empress Dowager Cixi does something that is not in accordance with the etiquette system, or makes a dress that is too bright in color and pattern, and does not suit the status of an old queen, she always tells her left and right: "Don't let Da Gege know, let her say a few words about me, I'm going I can't stand it." Of course, this is also because whenever Princess Rongshou makes admonitions, firstly, there must be an irrefutable reason, and secondly, the words are sarcastic and tactful, secretly pointing out that it never hurts Empress Dowager Cixi's face.Therefore, when faced with such a difficult matter, although she was obliged to take it on her shoulders, she did not dare to worry about it. She just calculated silently and patiently waited for the opportunity. ※ ※ ※ This day is the day of the primary draft girl.There are 96 people in total, and three pairs of sisters are the most eye-catching.The first pair is Dutong Guixiang's daughter.Empress Dowager Cixi has two younger brothers: one is Zhaoxiang and the other is Guixiang.In the autumn of the eleventh year of Xianfeng, after Empress Dowager Cixi's mother valued her son, her father Huizheng pursued the title of Cheng'en Gong, who was inherited by Zhaoxiang as usual, and he passed away in the seventh year of Guangxu.Guixiang is the younger brother of the Empress Dowager Cixi. He is mediocre and worthless. He sits on the salary of the capital and spends all day hiding in Fangjiayuan's hometown in Dongcheng smoking opium.His two daughters are the nieces of the Empress Dowager Cixi's direct relatives. The older one "stayed" and the younger one was married to Zaishu, the heir of the "Nine Masters" Fujun Wang Yizhen. The second pair is Chang Xu's daughter.Changxu is the son of Yutai, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu. He has three brothers. The eldest is Changjing.The second child is Chang Shan, whose style name is Lechu. A few years ago, he was a general in Guangzhou. He opened the mansion and spread the celebrities. Yu Shimei, Wen Tingshi, and Liang Dingfen formed close friends in his shogunate. Changxu Xingsan, as early as the third year of Guangxu, he became a servant. In the sixth year of Guangxu, he married Baoheng, the governor of Shanxi Province. The good day was chosen on November 13th. It is forbidden to have fun, let alone hold a happy event?At that time, Qingliu's arrogance was in full swing, and Deng Chengxiu came to the door in plain clothes to congratulate him.Changxu hurriedly sent someone to inquire about it, and Deng Chengxiu had already submitted a strict offer to participate, but the two relatives were dismissed from office together. After this setback, Changxu was always unlucky, and it wasn't until Empress Dowager Cixi's fifty-year-old birthday the year before last that she was given the blessing of "abandoned staff" with her shift, and she was given grace to restore her punishment.The jewels in his palm, the big one is sincere and the small one is delicate and naive, and they are both studying with Wen Tingshi now.Among the ninety-six beautiful girls, if you want to talk about knowledge of books and etiquette, these two sisters should probably be the first. The third pair is the daughter of Dexin, the governor of Jiangxi Province. She is the most beautiful in terms of appearance. Everyone guesses that she must also be kept.Sure enough, among the ninety-six show girls, fifty-seven were "put down cards"; Drafting girls was originally a very interesting thing. In addition, the weather was sunny and warm, so the Empress Dowager Cixi was in a good mood.Princess Rongshou saw that it was a chance, so she said casually while she was sitting and chatting after dinner: "My daughter has never asked the Queen Mother for anything. I have something to do today. I have to ask Yizhi for permission." "Oh!" Empress Dowager Cixi asked very attentively, "Is it about your Ama?" She refers to Prince Gong.The year before last, in order to follow the class to wish Gu, King Chun begged for him, which hit a big snag. This time, it was King Dun who came forward to visit the mausoleum and allowed him to follow him, but it still hit a snag.Empress Dowager Cixi only thought that Princess Rongshou was going to intercede for her biological father, but she guessed wrong. "Ama?" Princess Rongshou pretended to be puzzled and asked, "Daughter's Ama, isn't Emperor Wen Zongxian?" This is where Princess Rongshou is so powerful. The etiquette system is a good step forward. Since I have been named Princess Gulun, of course I can no longer recognize King Gong as my father.Seeing her reply like this, Empress Dowager Cixi had to change her words and asked, "I'm interceding for your sixth uncle!" "No! Even Uncle Wu is not allowed to intercede, how dare my daughter? But it is also an intercession. The Ministry of Rites drafted a note, not daring to violate the decree, but also not daring to violate the family law of the ancestors, and there are huge obstacles in it. It's really embarrassing. The Queen Mother will allow them to follow the original proposal!" "The great obstacle! What is it?" The Empress Dowager Cixi asked in confusion. "My daughter doesn't dare to say now that Sheng Ming is no more than the queen's mother, and she will gradually understand. All in all, the Ministry of Rites is not wrong. Not only is it wrong, it is really protecting the empress dowager and the emperor." Princess Rongshou knelt down and kowtowed, "The emperor's forehead Mother can trust her daughter, so let's play!" Empress Dowager Cixi pondered for a while and said, "Okay! I can trust you." So the next day, a decree was issued that Puxiangyu determined the etiquette of Dongling's salute, as discussed on the tenth day of February.Having said that, Empress Dowager Cixi has other plans, but the time has not come, so it is inconvenient to disclose. ※ ※ ※ On the twenty-seventh day of the second lunar month, the emperor paid homage to the empress dowager to pay homage to Dongling.The princes and ministers staying in Beijing appointed five people, King Dun, University scholar Encheng, co-organizer University scholar Fukun, Hubu Shangshu Weng Tonghe, Zuodu censor Qi Shichang. When Luanyu left Donghuamen, Empress Dowager Cixi first went to Dongyue Temple to burn incense as usual, and stayed in Yanjiao Palace that day.On the second day, he stayed in Baijian, and on the third day, he stayed in Taohua Temple.On the first day of March, he was stationed at Longfu Temple, and on the second day of Qingming, it was the day when he set up Dongling Mausoleum in Puxiang Valley and performed earth-laying ceremony for the mausoleum of Empress Dowager Ci'an. As soon as she arrived at Dingdongling, Empress Dowager Cixi rested in the side hall first.While drinking tea, he ordered: "Bring the gift list!" The gift list was prepared by the Ministry of Rituals long ago, where and what ceremony should be performed, each item is clearly written, once checked, it is submitted immediately. "What kind of etiquette is this?" Empress Dowager Cixi was furious, and threw the gift slip to the ground, "Let them redo it!" She really didn't want to bow down.It had been planned a long time ago, but when the incident happened, he was furious, so the officials of the Ministry of Rites were flustered and had to submit obediently. However, the situation has changed, and it is inconvenient for the officials to discuss the right and wrong of this matter.Even Princess Rongshou didn't know about this plan. Although Li Lianying had glimpsed the intention, she didn't dare to inquire, so she looked at each other in blank dismay at this moment, not knowing how to deal with it? Of course, this was just a moment of hesitation, how dare Li Lianying resist at this moment?Quickly picked up the gift list, went to the front of the steps and asked loudly: "The official of the Ministry of Rites listens to the announcement!" The six officials of the Ministry of Rites were all present, so they rushed up, knelt down in order, and listened to Li Lianying's preaching of Xuan Yi's decree. Hearing Ming Yi's decree, the two ministers and four servants of the Ministry of Rites who were kneeling on the ground turned pale, only Yan Xu was calmer, but his face was pale, and his voice was already trembling! "We need to fight!" He was furious and couldn't explain clearly. He also felt that he had lost his composure, so he calmed down and said again: "If this is not a fight, what's the use of court officials?" So, I stood up, adjusted my clothes, and stepped up the steps.Seeing that the situation was not good, Li Lianying stopped him and asked, "Lord Yan, what are you going to do?" "I'll play for the Empress Dowager face to face." Yanxu replied, "Director Li, please play for me first, I want to ask for it!" Seeing this scene, knowing that he could not be stopped, Li Lianying could only exhort anxiously: "Master Yan, don't be reckless." "Yes." Yan Xu nodded, expressing his understanding of his kindness, "I will be careful." So Li Lianying entered the palace to play back for him, saying that Minister of Rites Yanxu had something to play back, and then suggested: "Let him talk to Lafayette outside the gate of the palace!" Li Lianying was deeply afraid that Yanxu's words would contradict her, which would anger the Empress Dowager Cixi, and it would not end well.Let Yanxu play back outside the door, the palace is far away, and the voice can't be heard clearly, so he can pass messages back and forth, mediate and move around, and avoid confrontation.It's a good intention, but Yanxu can't understand it. "Slaves cannot obey orders!" Yanxu knelt outside the door and yelled loudly: "The empress dowager is here today, she can't talk about the etiquette of the two palaces listening to the government behind a curtain, she can only act according to the emperor's rites before her death." The Empress Dowager Cixi was furious. Just as she was about to speak, Li Lianying scolded: "Yan Shangshu! No matter whether you are right or not, why are you talking to the Empress Dowager like this!" This is defending Yanxu, his sentence "It's reasonable or not, you shouldn't talk like this", just saying what Empress Dowager Cixi felt in her heart, she immediately calmed down a little, and told Li Lianying: "If you have something to say, let him get up and say it!" Yanxu couldn't afford to kneel down, "The Empress Dowager does not regard her slaves as disrespectful, and ordered her to be in charge of the Ministry of Rites. Now the Empress Dowager is disrespectful, and the slaves do not fight, it is Gu En's duty!" He paused and said: "The family law of the ancestors must not Violation, slaves do not fight, even if they die, they will not see their ancestors. The empress dowager does not allow slaves to play, slaves kneel here and cannot get up!" "Hey!" Princess Rongshou, standing behind the Empress Dowager Cixi, whispered to herself in a funny tone, "You're lying here!" Empress Dowager Cixi's disposition is a bit stubborn and not soft, and at this time she can't help being curious about Yanxu, but it's just a "yellow belt", it's like eating the guts of a leopard, so it's not surprising that she dares to contradict like this?Take a closer look at this man. "Let him in!" Faced with rebuttals when he came in, it would really cause an uproar.Princess Rongshou saw Li Lianying's begging for help, and immediately said, "Let him kneel down! Lafayette should change clothes. " "Cha!" Li Lianying agreed resoundingly, and turned to look at Ruifu, the palace maid who served the Empress Dowager Cixi personally: "serve the dress." It is actually a plain suit, which is called a dress because of the taboo of the word.The preparations had been made long ago, and when the Empress Dowager Cixi was packed into the temporarily prepared bedroom, Ruifu led eleven companions to start together, and it would be over in a short while. Princess Rongshou was also helping to take care of her. As she bent down to tie the clothes of the Empress Dowager Cixi, she muttered to herself: "The strong wind knows the strong grass, and the toughness knows the loyal ministers!" "What did you read?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "Who do you say is a loyal minister?" "Yang Tinghe." "Yang Tinghe!" Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "Yang Tinghe of the Ming Dynasty?" "yes." Empress Dowager Cixi was silent.When Emperor Wenzong died in Rehe, the empress dowagers of the two palaces brought the young emperor back to Beijing. At the beginning of listening to the government behind the curtain, Nanshufang Hanlin Fengchi compiled a book "Zhiping Baojian". Minister, speaking before the curtain.Empress Dowager Cixi had nothing to do in the palace, so she often used this book as a textbook to explain to her concubines and family members, so she remembered Yang Ting and this person.Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty played around too much, died himself, and had no children after his death. From Anlu, Hubei, he welcomed Houwei, the eldest son of King Xingxian, to inherit the Datong, and was named Jiajing.Emperor Jiajing wanted to respect his son, and called King Xingxian "Emperor Xingxian" and "Huang Kao", but the one who insisted that it was impossible was the chief assistant Yang Tinghe. "Who do you compare Yang Tinghe to?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked, "The one kneeling outside the hall?" "Emperor Niang knows, why bother to ask my daughter?" Empress Dowager Cixi shook her head slightly: "He is not worthy!" "Although he is not worthy, he can learn." Princess Rongshou paused for a moment, and said in a low but clear voice: "One day someone here will change the list of gifts, use the words 'Huangsao', I hope the Minister of Rites will still be the same. It's the one kneeling outside the door!" The Empress Dowager Cixi was shocked, turned to look at Princess Rongshou, and said with great confidence: "He dare not!" This "he" is the "someone" mentioned by Princess Rongshou, and they all refer to King Chun.One day, if King Chun wanted to be the "Emperor Supreme", he would naturally refuse to use the rituals of his ministers, and would naturally change the list of rituals.If there is a minister of rites like Yanxu who dares to offend Yan Lizheng, then he is "the grass that knows the strength of the wind". Of course, on the day when the Empress Dowager Cixi was in charge, King Chun did not dare, but what about behind her?It's inconvenient to say this directly, and it's inconvenient to say it outright because there are court ladies around, so Princess Rongshou replied very reservedly: "I'm afraid there are Zhang Zhong and Gui E." Both Zhang Zhong and Gui E started their businesses in the "Great Rites" of the Jiajing Dynasty, catering to the emperor's wishes.It was only at this time that the Empress Dowager Cixi was completely enlightened.Yanxu adheres to the family law and Wenzong's etiquette in Japan, and he can't get up on his knees to fight. He doesn't intend to be against himself, but has the deep meaning of guarding against the passing of time and protecting the foundation of the country with etiquette. "You go out!" Empress Dowager Cixi ordered to the maids. "Yes." Ruifu took the lead in agreeing. "Wait!" The Empress Dowager Cixi slowed down her voice, "Which one of you understood what the eldest princess said? Tell me, if you are right, I will reward you!" This "reward" is not greedy!Rui Fu hurriedly replied: "How does this servant understand?" Empress Dowager Cixi's complexion changed: "Stop talking nonsense if you don't understand. Anyone who talks too much will be beaten to death!" The ladies in the palace were all trembling with fright, and some even quickly covered their mouths and retreated quietly. Soon, the Empress Dowager Cixi, supported by Princess Rongshou, returned to the side hall. Her expression was calm and peaceful, and she ordered Li Lianying to deliver an edict: to salute according to the list of ceremonies entered by the Ministry of Rites. The weather of "mountains and rain are about to come and the wind fills the building" suddenly turned into light and wind and the moon, and the princes and ministers outside the temple were restless and waiting with bated breath, all praised the saint.Yan Xu also immediately became a hero, but they all just cast admiring eyes, but no one dared to talk to him about it, because the deep meaning contained in it is a huge taboo, talking too much about disasters, it is appropriate to imitate the golden man. ※ ※ ※ On the seventh day of March, the two palaces returned to Beijing. The emperor arrived in the early noon, and the Empress Dowager Cixi arrived in the evening.Weng Tonghe, who stayed in Beijing on business and had to stay overnight in the palace, handed over his errand, and could have gone home to sleep soundly, but he kept sleeping restlessly because he had something to worry about.Knowing that there was no "study room" the next day, he still entered the palace in the middle of the night, intending to send a "mistress", then Xie En went out of the palace and arranged to enter the palace, which could save a lot of trouble. At dawn, the decree was announced, and the examiners for this year's examination were appointed. The chief executive was Chongqi who was sick and opened a vacancy. Xizhen, who was recently transferred to be the Minister of the Ministry of officials, and three vice presidents: Shizhang Qi, the censor of Zuodu, and Song Song, the servant of the household department. Sun Yuwen, minister of military affairs and military aircraft of the Ministry of Shen and Ministry of Industry. Weng Tonghe thought with all his heart that he would be selected as the chief examiner of this subject, and he also wanted to be the chief examiner of this subject very much, so that he could recruit a group of famous people such as Zhang Jian, Wen Tingshi, Liu Ruozeng, etc. to his school.So when I saw this list, I was at a loss and felt unhappy all day long. Weng Tonghe was not the only one who was disappointed, but more because he believed in his writing.The so-called "mo essays in the field" roughly refers to the rural examinations. It is not easy to get lucky by gathering the elites of eighteen provinces in the examinations and competing for a day's strengths.Whether the luck is good or bad depends on whether the chief executive has Hengwen's giant eyes?For example, last autumn when the new imperial examination candidates re-examined, Xu Tong, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, proposed a title. The title of the poem for the test post was: "Secret Text of School Management", and the word "secret" was written as "must" next to "clothes", which became a white character. There were more than 200 people in the audience, none of whom knew the source, and they made an appointment to continue writing "Secret".If you encounter such an unreasonable director, even if you have the knowledge of the world, the literary talent of carving dragons and embroidering phoenixes, it is just "pretty eyebrows for the blind to see". Except for Qi Shichang, none of the chief and vice presidents of this department is well-known, and Qi Shichang is also devoted to Cheng Zhuyi's principles, and his papers are thick and simple, and he does not appreciate talented people.Therefore, after "listening to the announcement", Wen Tingshi became cold at first, and when he returned home, he sat in the study without saying a word, in a daze. "What's going on?" Liang Dingfen's Mrs. Gong asked with concern, "Going out happily, and came back like this." "Oh!" Wen Tingshi sighed, "I'm afraid this subject is over again!" "No one said such a thing. Before entering the chamber, I broke my spirit first." Mrs. Gong asked: "Is Weng Shangshu the chief examiner?" "no!" "Where's Pan Shangshu?" "No!" Mrs. Gong knew the reason for his unhappiness.In the usual literary and wine gatherings, she also listened to Wen Ting's talk in the same year behind the screen. Last year, Shuntian Township Examination won more scholars because of pity for Pan Zuyin and Weng Tonghe who loved scholars. If there are still two of them, then Lianjie is hopeful.I don't want these two elders who are looked up to by Shilin, none of them has ever entered the house. She was also worried about Wen Tingshi in her heart, but she couldn't help but say words of encouragement. "Yunge," she raised her face, with the look of an older sister blaming her younger brother, "You can't trust yourself, so how can you let the examiner appreciate you?" "I don't know why?" Wen Tingshi said with a sigh, "This year's gains and losses are particularly haunting, and I am deeply afraid of losing the rank. I am sorry for you." "You are wrong!" Madam Gong, who was moved in her heart, thought for a while and replied: "I remember reading two failed poems in Suiyuan Poetry Talk: 'There should be tears shed on a confidant, and I feel ashamed to treat ordinary people.' It doesn't matter whether you pass the exam or not, anyway, in my opinion, you will always be a gifted scholar who will be proud of you sooner or later." It is one thing to be proud in the future, but another thing to fail in this subject.The "I'm sorry" he said was not the gossip she thought, but the arrival of the creditor.Liang Dingfen left Beijing last year and still left behind a lot of "Beijing debts". In the past six months or so, she has drawn up a lot of losses. If she tries to make a move, the lender of Beijing debts will immediately come to ask for it. Wouldn't it bother her?Even if you can manage to get past it, and "living in Chang'an, it's not easy", how can you stay in Beijing and wait until the next subject three years later?It seems that the unnamed day on the list is the time to go out to Beijing to look for food. These words can only be kept in the heart, at this time, it is in vain.After much deliberation, Wen Tingshi could only cast aside his worries, cheer up, and deal with the exam with all his strength. This is the only way to dispel the situation in front of him, so he changed the subject and said: "When you enter the venue in the morning the day after tomorrow, the exam tools will still trouble you." This is the second time Mrs. Gong has prepared examination equipment for him.Based on the experience of sending him to Qiuwei last year, this time it was taken leisurely and prepared in two parts, a rattan box, horn curtain, horn enclosure, nails, hammers, bedding, clothes, kerosene stove, teapot, rice bowl, etc.; In a three-bar test basket, only the bottom bar is full, containing food such as tea, rice oil, sauce, etc., and the other two bars are empty. "I need you to check the pen, ink, and manuscript paper by yourself. I have washed the pencil case and bag, and here they are!" Mrs. Gong pulled away her first finger and pointed, "I will make the vegetables and snacks for the market tomorrow afternoon. Good can be bad." "You don't need to bother, just buy some ready-made things like mutton in sauce and 'box dishes'. The most important thing..." "'I love red peppers all the way.'" She rushed to read one of his words.Wen Tingshi smiled, "I don't think you will forget." He said, "And don't forget to bring me a bottle of wine." "Forget it!" She replied softly, "You write fast, you come out early, the first scene is over, go home and have a drink." "No!" Wen Tingshi stubbornly said, "I entered the room for half a day on the first tenth day of the lunar new year, and I didn't ask questions until the beginning of the evening. I can definitely finish the whole day on the eleventh day, and I can't leave the room until the twelfth day. Waiting for this One night is too boring, how can I not pass it up with wine?" "That's good! I'll prepare a bottle of wine for you. But you have to promise me that you can only drink after the paper is handed in." "Yes! I promise you." So I was speechless all night.The next morning, after finishing taking care of his pen, ink, paper and inkstone, as well as the books he had brought with him, he went out to visit friends.When he returned home in the evening, Mrs. Gong had already prepared the food to bring into the venue, and also cooked some exquisite Hunan dishes, wishing him the best of luck.When he was drunk and full, he urged him to go to bed early to recharge his batteries so that he could win that "Huiyuan". Wen Tingshi woke up, but it was midnight, and drank a cup of tea. Looking at the partition wall, there was still light and shadow, and she hadn't fallen asleep yet.what is she doingDo you sit alone under the lamp, or lean on the pillow and read poetry?He really wanted to take a look, but he put on his long coat and went to the corner door, but withdrew his hand that was about to knock on the door, just because he was going to enter the room tomorrow, so he should clean up his thoughts and rectify his thoughts. I went to bed again but couldn't fall asleep, I tossed and turned until the dawn, Fang felt that his eyes were heavy and he gradually felt drowsy.I don't know how much time has passed, I woke up with a start, and sat up abruptly, but I saw the dawn through the window screen, and there was the sound of cars rumbling outside the wall. Wen Tingshi calmed down and thought carefully, the dream was vivid in his mind, and he woke up in surprise because of his "first art".The test paper for the first round was labeled as the "Blue List" because what was written on the paper was not stereotyped essays and test post poems, but a poem, which he clearly remembered was "Bodhisattva Man": "The orchid ointment is about to embers, and the curling pot is cracked, and I glimpse Linglong snow when I hang the curtain; but in the middle of the night, Hanjiao resigns. Xu Jiang repairs the ring, and puts the flower shadow in the vase; gathers the mirror and the light is cold, and the hairpin and the jade phoenix are single." "A strange dream!" He whispered softly, "'When the night was helpless, Hanjiao resigned'." Unconsciously, the memories of being together on snowy nights around the winter solstice last year floated up. The memory brought him an indescribably troubled state of mind.In addition to the charming fragrance, there is more remorse and fear. He remembered the saying "one fate, two luck, three Fengshui, four accumulations of yin skills and five readings". Did the unwritten passage between "Zheng" hurt Yin Zhi? For this dream, I kept doing evil in my heart.After three trials, I went to Liulichang to watch the Red Records on April 12th. From morning till night, I only saw 180 people. . When I got home, I was naturally unhappy.Mrs. Gong was suffering without words to comfort her, and she was afraid that it would be a very painful thing for him to wait for the "good news" all night, so she tried her best to persuade him to drink and got him drunk.But he still expected him to wake up and become a new scholar. Waking up is still juren.Last year, Liu Ruozeng, Xie Yuan of Beiwei, lost his name to Sun Shan for the second Zhangjian, which made Mrs. Gong feel better, and she also had words to persuade him, "The boss has no eyes, it's not that the writing is not good." She said, "A great talent is a late bloomer. !" "I hope so!" Wen Tingshi smiled wryly, thinking of leaving Beijing. Of course, this is not something that can be planned in a day or two, and there will inevitably be a lot of entertainment after the list, to congratulate Xinke Jinshi, and to accept Xinke Jinshi's condolences.In a month, there was a big difference between prosperity and decline. Wen Tingshi was not a very open-minded person, so he was naturally in a bad mood and was tired of socializing, so he just hid in Changshan to avoid the noise. "I'll tell you a strange thing." Zhi Rui came back from the Imperial Academy one day and told him, "King Chun is going to inspect the navy..." "That's not surprising. Haven't you been rewarded with an apricot-yellow sedan chair recently?" "Listen to me. It's not surprising that King Chun is on a tour of the navy, but it's strange that Li Lianying goes with him." "Then, isn't that the disaster of the Tang Dynasty's supervisory army, and it's reappearing today?" "That's right!" Zhi Rui complained anxiously, "It's really worrying." "This must be a head-on blow! Once this case is opened, the harm will be beyond words. But you must have a strong pen, and you must make a statement, such as Chen Yu'an and Zhang Xiangtao admonishing the 'Gengchen Meridian Gate Case'. It will take a few days to return." "I think so too. The memorandum must be sincere enough to move people, and reason enough to convince people. Not only must the benefits be explained thoroughly, but also the words must be measured. Otherwise, it will be useless, and the more violent it will be, the worse it will be." Zhi Rui Looking up at the house and sighing: "It's so rare now!" "As long as you look for it carefully, it may not be missing." "Yunge," Zhirui asked seriously, "Can you draw up a manuscript? I'll get someone to submit it." Wen Tingshi replied with a wry smile: "I am in this situation, my heart is in a mess, and the pen is more important than the tripod. What can I do?" "Okay!" Zhi Rui said helplessly, "Wait for me to figure out a way." Zhirui's method is to use words instead of words. He decided to encourage his brother-in-law "Mobeizi" to persuade King Chun to fight.Having made up his mind, he immediately wrote a letter and sent it to Yimo. Yimo also attached great importance to the matter, and when he received the letter, he set up a car and drove directly to Shiyuan. It was for King Chun to go out to sea to inspect the fleet, an unprecedented move in the Qing Dynasty.Some of them had official business to discuss; some were on errands to reply to the preparation of the carriages and horses; some were for the entourage to ask for instructions to check the schedule of the navy's location; Arrangements had to be made in advance, so Yimo waited for half an hour before seeing King Chun. This is the first time they have met in 20 days. When they met last time, there was no order to send King Chun to inspect the navy, so Yimo first asked: "This time, we should send brother Qi to sea. There is such a move, but I don’t understand why Li Lianying is accompanying him?” Why did Li Lianying accompany him? King Chun didn't quite understand. According to his thinking, it was the same as sending eunuchs to Nanyuan quietly to watch the exercise at Shenji Camp.But the eunuch was too ostentatious to go out of Beijing, so he refused at that time.There had to be an excuse for the refusal, and his reason was that Li Lianying was the top-ranked third rank, and his position was too great, which seemed inconvenient.Unexpectedly, Empress Dowager Cixi answered very frankly: "Let him bring the top of the sixth rank." This time, there was no room for evasion, so she had to reluctantly agree. Hearing Yimo's question now, he didn't answer first, but looked at the letter in his hand and said, "What? What's going on outside?" "Look, Brother Seven! This is Zhi Boyu's letter." The letter was written very earnestly, saying that this court will do its best to punish the mistakes of the former Ming Dynasty and not allow eunuchs to leave the capital, which is a very holy family law.During the Tongzhi period, An Dehai was punished in Shandong, and the marriage between the empress dowagers of the two palaces and Mu Zong was admired and admired by all the subjects in the world.Now that Li Lianying is ordered to go out to sea with King Chun to inspect the navy, naturally he dare not act recklessly, but once this example is opened, eunuchs can be sent to various provinces to inspect military affairs at any time, and the ratio of governors to King Chun will definitely not be able to restrain this generation.这样，远则唐朝宦官监军之祸，近则前明“镇守太监”之非，都将重现于今日。最后是劝奕谟：“曷不勿以口舌争之，当可挽回体制不少。” 话是说得义正辞严，掷地有声，无奈到此地步，生米将成熟饭，万难挽回。但如老实相告，说慈禧太后如何如何交代，奕谟或许会责难：当时为何不据理力争？同时也一定会极力劝说，不折不挠，务必设法请上头收回成命，岂不是平添许多麻烦。 这样想着，便不肯道破真相，索性自己承认过错，“是我不好，我自己奏请派遣的。”醇王说道：“我不能出尔反尔。此刻无法争了，以后我想法子把他们压下去就是了。” 这一回答，大出奕谟的意料，骇然问道：“七哥，你怎么想起来的？奏请派太监随行！这不是长他们的气焰吗？” “我亦是一番苦心。”醇王勉强找了一个理由：“让他们在深宫养尊处优的人，也看看外头的情形，让他们知道风涛之险，将士之苦。” 话也还说得通，不过醇王老实，言不由衷的神色却不善掩饰，所以奕谟微微冷笑：“七哥倒真是用心良苦。不过在我看，自以为有了坚甲利兵，或许反长了深宫的虚骄之气。” “不会，不会！你看着好了。” “但愿如七哥所言。”奕谟又问：“七哥是不是要把御赐的杏黄轿带了去？” “那怎么可以？”醇王懔然作色，显得相当紧张郑重，“逾分之赐，恩出格外，为臣下者，岂可僭越？” 对于延煦在东陵争礼的深意，奕谟亦约略听人谈过，很疑心慈禧太后特赏醇王及福晋乘坐杏黄轿，就象雍正对年羹尧的各种“异数”一样，是有意相试，看他可有不臣之心？所以此刻见到醇王这种戒慎恐惧的神情，知道他已深深领悟到了持盈保泰的道理，自然感到安慰。 不过，他也许只是如条几上所摆的那具“欹器”，记取孔子的教训：“虚则欹，中则正，满则覆”，而未见得想到，慈禧太后对他已有猜忌之心。这一层，最好隐隐约约点他一句。这样想着，正好抬头发现醇王亲笔所写的家训：“财也大，产也大，后来子孙祸也大。若问此理是若何？子孙钱多胆也大；天样大事都不怕，不丧身家不肯罢！”便即指着那张字，故意相问：“何谓'天样大事'？” “这……，”醇王为他问住了，“无非形容其大而已！” “'事大如天醉亦休'，是少陵的诗。不过，我倒觉得，出诸七哥之口，别有深意，要让子孙明白才好。” 醇王听他的话，有些发愣，但很快地脸色一变，是更深一层的戒慎恐惧。显然的，他已经领悟到了，慈禧太后始终存着戒心，有一天他会以皇帝本生父的身分，成为无名有实的“太上皇。” “我错了！”他颓丧地说，“真不知道怎么样才能急流勇退？” “存着这个心就可以了。”奕谟反觉不忍，安慰他说，“'上头'到底也是知道好歹的。” 等奕谟告辞，醇王一个人发了好半天的怔，正在心神不定，坐立不宁之时，有人来报：“荣大人来了。” 荣禄现在又成了适园的常客了。他是上年年底，由醇王提携，以报效神机营枪枝的功劳，开复了“降二级调用”的处分，仍旧成为一品大员，但身体一直不好，所以请求暂不补缺，经常来往适园，作为醇王的智囊。这时听得他到，心头一宽，立即延见。 “仲华，”他悄悄问道：“言路上有什么动静？” 荣禄知道，这是指的李莲英随行一事，便从容答道：“此刻还没有动静。不过十目所视，等他回来，也许会有人说话。” “这件事，实在出于无奈。”醇王叹口气说，“现在越想越担心。” “王爷既然已经想到，宜乎未雨绸缪，该透个信给他。” “怎么说法？” “他，”荣禄忽又改口，“其实，我看他也知道，他究竟不比小安子那样飞扬浮躁。” 这是说，李莲英应该以安德海为前车之鉴，醇王深以为然，但不知道这话该怎么透露给本人？便又向荣禄问计。 “我看是小心一点儿为妙！就算他自己知道，也再提醒他一次，总没有错儿。你看，这话该怎么说才合适？” 荣禄想了一下答道：“也不必专跟他说。王爷不妨下一个手谕，通饬随行人员，不得骚扰需索，如敢不遵，指名参办。我想，他总也有数了。倘或不然，王爷不妨拿府里的人作个杀鸡骇猴的榜样。” “对，对！这个法子好。你就在这里替我拟个稿子。” 说着，醇王亲自为他揭开砚台的盖子。荣禄赶紧亲自检点纸笔，站在书桌旁边，为醇王拟了一道手谕，虽是一派官样文章，语气却很严峻。醇王看完，画个花押，随即派侍卫送到海军衙门照发。 “还有件事，我只能跟你核计。昨儿立豫甫告诉我说，上头已有口风露出来：说这多少年真也累了，想早早归政。你看，我该怎么办？” 这句话不能随便回答，荣禄想了好半天答道：“王爷只当没有这回事最好。” “要不要得便先表示一下，请上头再训政几年？” “不必！”荣禄大摇其头，“那一来倒显得王爷对这件大事很关切似地。” “说得是！”醇王深深点头。 “上头到底是怎么个意思，无从悬揣。反正，果然有这个意思，自然先交代王爷，那时再回奏也还不迟。” “是的。”醇王想了一下又说，“最好先布置几个人在那里，到时候合词陈奏，务必请上头收回成命，比较妥当。” “不用布置。到时候自然有人会照王爷的意思办。”醇王点点头，想到另外一件事，“仲华，”他问，“你看，上头要叫皮硝李跟着我去，到底是什么意思？” 李莲英未净身入宫以前，做的是硝皮的行当，所以有这么个“皮硝李”的外号。荣禄心想，醇王这话可是明知故问？ 如果他真无所知，话就只能说一半了。 说一半就是只说一件。李莲英此行的任务，据荣禄所知，一共有二，其中之一是，慈禧太后想要知道，醇王的声望到底如何？这自是“雄主猜忌”之心，说给忠厚老实的醇王听，会吓坏了他，不宜多嘴。 于是他只说另外一半：“北洋练兵，水师也好，海军也好，花的钱可真不少了。上次不有人说，济远舰不值那么些钱？后来李少荃奏复，不如外间的传言，事情算是压下来了。不过上头到底有些疑心，派皮硝李去，我想，就有个明查暗访的意思在内。” “说得有理，倒要留点神。” 于是他第二天便传下话去：这一次校阅，务必大张军威，意思是要让李莲英震眩于军容之盛，好回去向慈禧太后侈谈其事，觉得大把银子花得很值。