Chapter 5 The fourth round of Wei Shilang's startling series of surprises, Mr. Feng's sneak visit

After Emperor Longqing had a stroke, he ate the decoction prescribed by the imperial physician to dispel fire and eliminate evil, and sexual intercourse was strictly forbidden. However, within ten days, his condition was significantly relieved. On this day, he even went to Xinuang Pavilion to approve a few papers.When the news came out, the two assistant ministers who stayed in the cabinet day and night and dared not leave for a moment were greatly relieved—according to the emperor's intention, they were supposed to rest in the East Nuan Pavilion.But Gao Gong insisted on the difference between inside and outside, and stated that the cabinet was also in the Forbidden City, only a stone's throw away from the Qianqing Palace, and that they should be called for if something happened, so the emperor agreed that they should return to the cabinet.Now that the emperor's condition has passed, the cabinet issued another message, starting from today, the officials of the yamen don't have to be on duty, they can go home and rest.As mentioned earlier, Gao Gongshen served as the chief assistant and concurrently served as the Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and he worked and studied on weekdays.

It is customary to work in the cabinet in the morning and go to the Ministry of Officials to handle the affairs of the Ministry in the afternoon.Because the emperor fell ill, he had not been to the Ministry of Officials for more than ten days. As soon as the message was issued this afternoon, he got up in a sedan chair and came to the Ministry of Officials. Wei Xuezeng, the left servant of the Ministry of Officials, had been waiting at the door for a long time, and walked into the spacious and bright value room with high arches together.This Wei Xuezeng was a Jinshi in the 29th year of Jiajing. He was an upright character, daring to act out of nowhere. He once went to Fushanxi, Liaodong and other provinces.Wei Xuezeng was highly appreciated by Gao Gong in terms of temper and capable work style, so he was promoted to be his deputy to preside over the daily government affairs of the Ministry of Officials.But said that the two were sitting in the room on duty, and Wei Xuezeng briefly described the affairs of the Ministry of officials in the past ten days.Gao Gong has always been concerned about big and small matters. Although he let Wei Xuezeng handle the departmental affairs, he had to report everything to him clearly.At this moment Wei Xuezeng talked a lot, Gao Gong took the trouble to listen carefully, and when he encountered ambiguity, he would interject to clarify.After Wei Xuezeng had finished speaking, Gao Gong asked, "Does Li Yan have a letter of resignation?"

According to the rules, officials who receive an order to become an official must submit a letter of resignation, and this type of letter must be sent to the Ministry of Officials for forwarding.Wei Xuezeng shook his head and said, "I haven't received it yet. Guangxi Qing is thousands of miles away from the capital. Li Yan's book must still be on the way." Gao Gong frowned, lowered his eyelids to think for a while, and asked, "Qi Guan, you and Li Yan are of the same age, what do you think Li Yan suddenly lost the black hat of governor of Guangdong and Guangxi?" "Then what else do you think, one word, gas!"

Wei Xuezeng was straightforward, and he didn't look at people's faces when he spoke.Gao Gong choked on him, forced a smile, and asked, "He's negligent himself, where does the anger come from?" Wei Xuezeng replied: "Dereliction of duty can be fined, demoted, and changed positions. It is absolutely impossible to become an official. What's more, Li Yan is still a disciple of Yuanfu, and the punishment for his disciples is so severe. Why do they restrain people's hearts? Besides, Yin Zhengmao who replaced Li Yan is also He is not a good official. Now this matter has been heated up in the capital..." Wei Xuezeng was about to continue, but suddenly caught a glimpse of Gao Gong's face stretched, so he stopped talking.

In fact, Gao Gong's expression was not for Wei Xuezeng to see.It was because the yamen servant brought tea in, and when he saw the celadon teacup, he thought of the porcelain in Dongnuan Pavilion full of erotic paintings.Seeing that Wei Xuezeng had stopped talking, he asked, "Why didn't you say anything?" "I'm afraid Yuanfu won't listen." "Where is this?" Gao Gong immediately withdrew his thoughts and sat upright, looking at Wei Xuezeng intently and said, "Go on." Wei Xuezeng's impulsive emotions were restrained because of the "break", and he lost the excitement of making a long speech. He was stunned for a moment, and only said: "According to the opinion of the lower officials, Yuan Fu replaced Li Yan with Yin Zhengmao, and the way to go is A risky move."

Gao Gong laughed and said, "You just said it was a bad move. I didn't know you Wei Dapao, so I thought so in my heart." Wei Xuezeng was noncommittal, and pretended to smile.A bright light flashed in Gao Gong's eyes, and he continued: "I'm afraid there are more public opinions outside. Among the Sangong and Jiuqing, everyone knows that Zhang Juzheng has recommended Yin Zhengmao three times, but I insist on not using it. To be fair, this person is the governor of Jiangxi. During his term of office, he has done a lot of hard work in arresting and robbing the people and collecting taxes. Jiangxi’s tax and bank arrears over the years rank third in the country. Yin Zhengmao went to Nanchang to open a government office for only two years, and the arrears have dropped ten years. Seven, the performance is the most outstanding. However, this person is greedy, and he has been in Jiangxi for two years, and there are as many as twelve papers for his impeachment. Of course, there are local officials who are dissatisfied with Yin Zhengmao's tyrannical government and sued Yin Zhengmao with personal indignation, but According to my judgment, Yin Zhengmao’s misdemeanors of embezzlement are not all speculations, which is the reason why I insist on not using it. I remember that I have talked to you more than once before.”

Wei Xuezeng nodded, precisely because he knew this level, so he didn't understand why Gao Gong suddenly changed his attitude.The emperor appointed Yin Zhengmao as the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi. When Wei Xuezeng complied with the order and quickly handled the commission and customs documents, he felt that the incident was sudden and couldn't help muttering.When he heard the words from the eunuch in the palace saying that the emperor had scolded Gao Gong, "I don't think you are a loyal minister", he thought that Gao Gong fell out of favor and it was Zhang Juzheng's idea to promote Yin Zhengmao.It didn't look like it later, Gao Gong still sat firmly in the position of chief assistant, and this lump in his heart could not be solved.Now it is time to ask in person to clarify this mystery, so he said: "For Li Yan and Yin Zhengmao, Yuanfu's attitude is completely different. This is where everyone is puzzled."

"One moment, another moment, Qiguan, you should understand this truth." Seeing that Wei Xuezeng was still in a daze, with a puzzled expression on his face, Gao Gong continued to explain, "Before making this decision that day, there were two things. Variables, one is that the emperor suddenly fell ill, and the other is that Li Yan reported to the Babaili mansion that the city was lost. When the emperor was eighteen years old, he was named King Yu. I was his teacher. The relationship between the emperor and his ministers is not ordinary It can be guessed and guessed. But when the emperor got angry at the golden platform of Huangjimen that day, he also scolded the old man "not a loyal minister". There is an ominous sign raised on the head. If the emperor's age is not hesitant, and there is a change in the throne, someone will take advantage of the troubled waters and come to grab the position of chief assistant..."

"You mean Zhang Juzheng?" Wei Xuezeng interrupted and asked. "Who else could it be if it wasn't him?" Gao Gong gulped down a cup of tea in one breath, wiped off the remaining drops from the corner of his mouth with his hand, and continued, "In the thirty-seventh year of Jiajing, when I served as the Imperial Academy to offer wine, Zhang Juzheng The editor of the Hanlin Academy was promoted to the Secretary of the Imperial Academy, and became my assistant, and began to work with me. At that time, the chief assistant was Yan Song, and we were both extremely dissatisfied with him, and both had the ambition of being the minister who discussed Taoism, Bangxie, and yin and yang. , and soon we became close friends, and we expected each other with good fortune. Later, he entered the cabinet one after another. In the future, he and I supported each other and cooperated tacitly, and accomplished some great things. But I have long seen that Zhang Juzheng is not a person who is willing to live under others for a long time. Since Chen Yiqin, Yin Shidan and others in the cabinet have left their posts one after another last year, he is the only one left. When he was with me, his desire to seize the throne was already beginning to emerge. On the surface, he promised me as before, but secretly he was gearing up to compete with me. The most obvious manifestation is that whenever the country uses someone's opportunity, he will Trying to recommend his fellow countrymen, the same age and students, this has been done since the beginning of his entry into the cabinet, but it is not as obvious as in the past two years. The recommendation of Yin Zhengmao is precisely out of his selfish desire to cultivate cronies."

Gao Gong pulled the vines and counted the radishes to the cellar, and told a lot about the past.Wei Xuezeng listened carefully and understood the general idea. At the same time, he remembered a past event related to it: in the early spring of the second year of Longqing, at the suggestion of Gaoyi, the Minister of Rites at that time, several university scholars in the cabinet jointly sent Emperor Longqing to the court. It is a fair deal, hoping that the emperor will establish Zhu Yijun's crown prince status as soon as possible.Emperor Longqing had two sons, both born to Concubine Li Gui.Zhu Yijun was the eldest son, who was only five years old at the time. Emperor Longqing liked the eldest son very much.He remembered that one day when he was riding a horse in the palace, Zhu Yijun suddenly appeared on the royal road to stop the horse's head, raised his face and said to his father who was having fun: "Father, what do you do if you fall off while riding a horse alone?" ?" Seeing that his son was so young and sensible, Emperor Longqing didn't like it, so he quickly got off his horse and hugged Zhu Yijun to comfort him.Now that he received the official document from the cabinet ministers requesting the crown prince to be canonized, he immediately approved it, and held a canonization ceremony in March to announce it to the world.At that time, the chief assistant of the cabinet was Xu Jie from Songjiang. As soon as Zhang Juzheng entered the cabinet, he caught up with this important event.However, Gao Gong, who entered the cabinet with Zhang Juzheng first, was impeached by the officials because of a falling out with Xu Jie, and was expelled from the cabinet at the end of the first year and returned to his hometown in Henan.Therefore, he can be said to have "no merits in his hands" in the major event of establishing the crown prince.At that time, there were only four cabinet bachelors who joined Shushu, but now only Zhang Juzheng is left.Throughout the dynasties, when the prince ascended the throne, he would reuse the heroes who supported the prince.Gao Gong was the teacher of Emperor Longqing before he ascended the throne, so he was favored by the emperor.Now the emperor suddenly fell ill, if something unexpected happens, the ten-year-old prince Zhu Yijun will inherit the throne.Traditionally speaking, Zhu Yijun is naturally closer to Zhang Juzheng emotionally.Although Gao Gong was a highly respected minister of the country, he lost this move after all. As the saying goes, "One emperor, one courtier", it can be said to have revealed the mystery.Wei Xuezeng knew in his heart that Gao Gong had lived in the government for a long time, so of course he knew the power of it.Now he suddenly changed his mind to abandon Li Yan and promote Yin Zhengmao, which is a contingency measure at this very moment.But Gao Gong refused to tell the truth, and Wei Xuezeng was inconvenient to ask.However, he felt that Gao Gong's move was too risky. After holding back for a while, he still couldn't help asking: "Since Yuan Fu knows what Zhang Juzheng is thinking, why did he push the boat along the way to make this happen?"

Gao Gong knew that Wei Xuezeng would ask such a question, so he couldn't help smiling triumphantly, stood up and stretched his body calmly, then sat down again and said: "I think Li Yan is also a stinky pig intestine that can't be lifted up, and he has led so many soldiers and horses. Food and pay, but I can't help a few thieves. After the Spring Festival, I wrote three mansion reports, all of which are bad news. If I don't replace him, how will the world think of me? To be honest, if Li Yan was removed a year ago, the situation would be bad. It will be so bad. This is also a selfish old man, taking care of his disciples and delaying the military plane. Now the future of the emperor's illness is uncertain. If something happens, someone will use Li Yan's matter to make a big fuss and trap the old man in a passive beating. Instead of letting others To wash this pot of slush, it is better to clean it up first. As for using Yin Zhengmao, the old man also has a thought. Zhang Juzheng recommended him again and again. If I insist on not using him, others will accuse the old man of blocking the way and refuse to serve the court. Jinxian. What's more, Yin Zhengmao has a lot of disputes between the government and the opposition, and he was originally in a dilemma. I use him now, one can be the mouth of political opponents, and the other is to see the aftermath. If he really has the ability to suppress the rebels, this reputation of knowing people and doing things well, I must have my share, if he is really a silver-like gunhead, I'm sorry, I have to be polite first, and settle old and new debts together!" Gao Gong stretched out his hand, made a "cut" movement, and showed a murderous look on his face. Wei Xuezeng understood Gao Gong's true intention of dealing with it in this way, and couldn't help but appreciate this scheming way of killing three birds with one stone. I was so impressed. "Ginger is still old and hot, as expected of an old fighter in the officialdom!" Wei Xuezeng sighed in his heart, and then asked, "I heard that Yuanfu instructed the Ministry of Households to add an extra two hundred thousand taels of silver to the military budget created by Yin Zhengmao. Let him be corrupt, is it true?" "It is true." Gao Gong nodded and admitted. Wei Xuezeng immediately expressed his opposition: "This is a bad government, and the lower officials dare not agree. In today's world, officials everywhere have become corrupt. Yuanfu's actions are tantamount to fueling the flames and conniving at officials all over the world to be corrupt and pervert the law." "Well, you Wei Dapao, you have given the old man a big crime with ease." Gao Gong almost poked Wei Xuezeng's nose with his finger, and laughed out of his mouth, which filled the room with buzzing echoes. The long sideburns trembled like autumn grass in the wind, "The advantage of you is that you are capable of handling things like hatred and hatred, but what you think is a little lacking is that you don't want to go around in your head a few times when you encounter problems. Don't think about it. Would Yin Zhengmao dare to take ten thousand taels of silver?" "Since Yuanfu gave it to him publicly, how could he not dare to take it?" "Good question - good because of the word 'public'." Gao Gong was already sweating profusely from excitement, he casually picked up the long sleeve of a crane official robe embroidered with a four-clawed golden dragon and raised it to his forehead in a mess Wipe, then leaned over, stared at Wei Xuezeng with piercing eyes and asked, "Throughout the ages, have you ever seen any official who dared to be openly greedy for ink?" Wei Xuezeng also wiped his forehead nervously—in fact, he never sweated even slightly.He felt that there was a mystery hidden in Gao Gong's question, and he hastily replied: "In the past and present, there has never been a chief assistant who dared to allocate two hundred thousand taels of taicang silver to make people greedy." "Look, you're repeating what other people say. It's true that I allocated an extra 200,000 taels of taicang silver, but it was clearly stated in the speech that it was still a military expenditure, and there was no word to say that the 200,000 taels of silver was given to Yin Zhengmao. Greedy." "what?" Wei Xuezeng opened his eyes wide in surprise, and then regretted how he had overlooked this detail, and argued with Yuanfu for a long time without knowing it. Gao Gong went on to say: "Yin Zhengmao dares to embezzle one or two taels of silver here, so I have a reason to punish him." "It turns out that Yuan Fu's extra two hundred thousand taels of silver was a trap?" "What do you think? I Gao Gong, as a minister of the country, am I the kind of fool with an open nose?" "But the officials privately spread rumors that you said it yourself, and that the extra two hundred thousand taels of silver was given to Yin Zhengmao for greed." "I did say it to Zhang Juzheng on purpose, and I knew he would pass it on. However, there is no evidence for words, and words are evidence. In which official document did you see that I agreed with Yin Zhengmao? Embezzling military pay?" "If Yin Zhengmao won the battle and swallowed the two hundred thousand taels of silver, how would you deal with Yuanfu?" "Send him to Dali Temple for felony punishment." Gao Gong replied without hesitation, then his face sank, and he said uneasily, "What I am worried about is not that Yin Zhengmao is greedy for ink, but that he will not be greedy for ink. You know, He and Zhang Juzheng have a bone-to-skin relationship. The bigger Yin Zhengmao's problems are, the more Zhang Juzheng's relationship will be. The Bodhisattva on the shrine cannot be invited down. If he wants to move his seat, there is only one way, move! " After listening to Gao Gong's serial plan, Wei Xuezeng was dumbfounded. He didn't expect such a simple matter to hide such a deep murderous intention, which made him have a deeper understanding of Gao Gong's cunning.Now that the words have come to this point, with his loyal feelings for the chief assistant, he can't wait to fly to Qingyuan Mansion and stuff that two hundred thousand taels of silver ticket into Yin Zhengmao's pocket, so as to become a teacher Xiang's painstaking efforts. "In case Yin Zhengmao is alert, it doesn't matter if he is not greedy for ink." Looking at Wei Xuezeng in a daze, Gao Gong said to himself again, "I still have a hand, and I will send a secret letter to Jiangxi Taoist censor as soon as Yin Zhengmao left. I want him to step up the investigation of Yin Zhengmao's corruption and misdeeds during his tenure in Jiangxi. In short, Yin Zhengmao won the battle in Qingyuan Mansion, and I was guilty of punishing him. If he lost, I was even more guilty of punishing him!" ……… Unknowingly, the two had been whispering in the duty room for half a day, the sunlight through the window had exhausted the afterglow, and the light in the duty room became hazy.It was long past the time for the dismissal of shifts, and because the two hall officials closed the door and whispered in secret, the officials did not dare to leave as soon as they responded.The yamen servant came in to make tea again, and Gu Konger, the official on duty, came in to tell the officials that they hadn't left yet, and wondered if the two officials were summoned for something. "Let's all go back," Gao Gong ordered, "Everyone is tired these days, and should go home and take a good night's sleep." The officer on duty stepped down, and Wei Xuezeng got up to leave. "Qi Guan, don't leave." Gao Gong called to stop him. Wei Xuezeng thought that Gao Gong would have a long talk, so he pulled back a foot that had already stepped over the threshold of the value room, and advised: "Yuanfu, you should go home too. If you haven't gone back for more than half a month, the old lady must miss." Gao Gong has only one daughter who has already been married, and only one first wife in the family stays with her forever.For having no son, nor He used to ask for concubines, and his family always seemed deserted all year round. "My old woman," Gao Gong said teasingly, "has had a long meal more than ten years ago. When I go home, it is like entering a temple. Eating meat and drinking alcohol is like breaking the rules of heaven. Tonight, you will have a meal with me." Rice." After speaking, without waiting for Wei Xuezeng to make a statement, he shouted outside the door: "Gao Fu——" Gao Fu is Gao Gong's chief housekeeper, he heard his master yelling, and rushed in like a gourd.Gao Gong asked him: "Last time, you said, which restaurant serves delicious pork head meat?" "Master, it belongs to Xunfeng Pavilion." "You go ahead and make arrangements, Master Wei and I will be there soon." Gao Fu should go.After a while, Gao Gong and Wei Xuezeng changed into two sedan chairs and came towards the Xunfeng Pavilion located at Dengshikou. They withdrew their guards of honor, but just for safety reasons, they left a team of brocade guards to protect them secretly. But when it came to the Xunfeng Pavilion, Gao Fu had already arranged everything properly. The shop owner came out of the shop to greet them in person. Bowls and eight plates of various dishes were placed on the table in an instant.In the middle is a two-foot-square lacquered wooden box filled with steaming pork heads that have just been steamed. The pieces are bright red and sliced ​​very thin. "Well, it smells so good!" Gao arched his nose, couldn't help swallowing a mouthful of saliva, picked up a small piece and put it in his mouth, it was really fat but not greasy, fragrant and flavorful.He asked Gao Fu to call in the owner of the shop outside Shili's door, and asked, "How do you make your pork head?" The owner of the shop replied: "Sir Shoufu, the pork heads in this shop are all smoked." "I know it's smoked. Hunan's smoked meat is also a famous product, but the smoke is too heavy, and I don't like it. The smoked pig's head in your store suits my taste." "Thanks to the praise of Master Shoufu, if you are always willing to give me face and kiss you to taste it, I will not be in vain to open this shop..." The shop owner was flattered, and he had never seen such a prominent person before, so he babbled and couldn't express his meaning.Gao Fu saw him tearing sheep's intestines, so he shouted from the side: "Don't talk too much, just answer my master directly, what is your secret recipe for smoking pig's head meat?" "Yes, yes," the shop owner nodded and bowed and said with a smile: "Actually, there is no secret recipe. The pork head meat is smoked with Poria cocos, angelica and other medicinal materials. Before smoking, take the fresh pig's head and marinate it for three to five days, then take it out and hang it in the past. Hang it in the wind for ten days and a half months, let it collect water and air dry, and then hang it in a smoker cage to smoke with herbs, light fire and light smoke, and it will take more than a month to smoke a pig's head." Gao Gong was very interested, and asked while eating: "Why is it just a pig's head, pork is not good?" "Pork is a little bit worse, because there are many bones on the pig's head, and there are gaps everywhere. Smoked smoke penetrates in, and then penetrates from the inside to the outside, and the fragrance of the medicinal materials penetrates completely." "Well, that makes sense." Gao Gong nodded in praise, while speaking, the three of them had already eaten most of the plate of pork head meat, but no one stretched out their chopsticks for other dishes.Gao Gong was excited to eat, and said to the shop owner: "You remove all these dishes, and bring another plate of pork head meat. We will only eat this tonight." The shop owner obeyed the order to remove the plate and change the dishes. At this time, someone outside the door was peeping in through the crack of the door.Wei Xuezeng had eye problems, so he shouted: "Who?" "It's me," a man in his thirties who was dressed in a seventh-rank official uniform responded, pushed the door open, and knelt down in front of the table. The person who came was Han Yi, the assistant clerk in Gao Gong's cabinet. "Why are you here?" Gao Gong asked. Han Yi presented a document and said, "This mansion newspaper was delivered after dark. I saw that what was said in the mansion newspaper was a little urgent, so I came here to find it." "Who sent the residence newspaper?" Gao Gong asked. "The governor of Yingtian, Zhang Jiayin, came from Anqing Mansion." Gao Gong took the mansion newspaper, read it hastily, and suddenly his face changed drastically. He handed the mansion newspaper to Wei Xuezeng, and said gloomily, "Look, Zhang Juzheng has already torn his face." "Get off the sedan chair—" With a long yell, eight porters wearing uniforms of the same color of Zhang's residence skillfully parked the big blue woolen sedan chair in the sedan chair hall of Zhang Dashi's residence.An elderly elder was waiting at the side early, and when the sedan chair stopped, he immediately stretched out his hand to open the curtain of the sedan door, and called out respectfully: "Master." Zhang Juzheng got off the sedan chair slowly, as soon as he came back, the entire Zhang family mansion would become silent.No matter in the officialdom or at home, Zhang Juzheng is famous for his unsmiling manner, sometimes for ten days and a half months, no smile can be seen on his face.Therefore, the members of the Zhang family, from the young master to the handyman, were all afraid of him. Zhang Juzheng's Dashifu is located in Shamao Hutong on Dengshikou Street.Exit from the east corner gate of the imperial city, and then enter Dengshikou Street, but it is only a stone's throw away, and Shamao Hutong is not far from the entrance of Dengshikou Street.In February of the first year of Longqing, when Zhang Juzheng was forty-two years old, he was promoted from a bachelor of the Imperial Academy to Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Officials and a bachelor of Wuyingdian.In a few months, he was promoted from a fifth-rank civil official to a second-rank minister.The original residence suddenly looked shabby, so I asked someone to find this new residence.It was originally the residence of a minister of the Ministry of Industry.The servant is from Suzhou and loves to manage gardens, so he made this house look like a garden in the south of the Yangtze River.The compound covers an area of ​​about ten mu, divided into front and back yards, the back yard is the residence of family members, and the front yard is a place for banquets and meeting friends.Separating the front and back courtyards is a garden of about four acres.Pavilions, terraces and pavilions, after all, are home attractions.When Zhang Juzheng was looking for a house, it happened that the servant was going back to his hometown in Suzhou when he became an official.So it was a good idea, the old servant came to rejoice that the famous garden had an owner, and on the other hand, he was also happy to curry favor with the important minister who was about to become the "Ge Lao", so he only wanted Zhang Juzheng 20,000 taels of silver.According to the price in the capital at that time, not to mention one hundred thousand taels of silver, eighty thousand taels would definitely be a good sell.Zhang Juzheng felt very sorry for such a cheap sale, and insisted on raising the price, but the old servant wanted to do this kind of favor desperately, half pushed and half agreed, and the deal was settled.After Zhang Juzheng bought the yard, he repaired it a little according to his hobbies, and then moved here to live in it. Five years later. From the sedan chair hall to the front yard, there is another court.Although the Qingming Festival has passed, the south of the Yangtze River is already a spring scene of wicker, green cauliflower and yellow flowers.But in the city of Beijing, the branches have just broken green, and the old pagoda tree in the middle of the courtyard is only sifting out a little bit of spring.On the contrary, a spring plum blossom in the corner of the courtyard is blooming luxuriantly, and there is a faint fragrance in the courtyard.Zhang Juzheng, who has been trapped in the imperial city for more than half a month and has not returned home, is not in the mood to watch it at the moment.He crossed the courtyard with his head hooked, walked straight to the backyard, took off his official uniform and hat, and changed into a Tibetan blue and green sermon robe that he wore at home, and wore a Mingyang scarf on his head.Sitting down in the living room in the backyard, together with his wife, he accepted greetings from the four sons Jingxiu, Sixiu, Maoxiu and Jianxiu in turn.Zhang Juzheng has six sons in total, besides the above four, there are two Yunxiu, who is seven years old, and Jingxiu, who is five years old.After asking a few adult sons about their studies, they had dinner together. After the meal, Zhang Juzheng went back to the study in the front yard to drink tea. When tasting tea, he asked the book boy to call the housekeeper You Qi.After a while, a middle-aged man in his forties walked into the study. I saw that the visitor was thin and thin, with light eyebrows, small eyes, and long and narrow cheeks. There was a pea-sized cinnabar mole an inch away from the corner of the right mouth.He was wearing a Taoist robe made of blue standard cloth produced in Sanlintang, Shanghai County, a pair of shallow cloth shoes with leather gold lining on his feet, and a sky blue church hat on his head. With a shrewd air, this person is You Qi. You Qi and Zhang Juzheng were from the same hometown, both were from Jiangling County, Jingzhou Prefecture. Zhang Juzheng returned to his hometown on sick leave in the 33rd year of Jiajing, and returned to Beijing three years later to resume his official position, so he brought You Qi to Beijing to be his housekeeper.Sixteen years have passed since then.You Qi and Zhang Juzheng have some distant relatives, so they should be called Zhang Juzheng's cousin, but You Qi sticks to the status of master and servant, and never calls himself a relative, but only a master.This You Qi also likes to read poetry since he was a child. He originally wanted to take part in the provincial examination to gain fame, but after joining Zhang Juzheng, he put that thought on hold.Zhang Juzheng not only liked Zhongyou Qi's elegance, but also felt that he was smart in handling things.Let him be the housekeeper, he manages all the family affairs in an orderly manner, and he is very measured in handling people and things. Sometimes he helps Zhang Juzheng with some things, and he never makes mistakes, so he is very trusted by Zhang Juzheng. At this moment, Zhang Juzheng was sitting on the bamboo couch covered with brocade silk cotton cushions, You Qi stood beside the bamboo couch with his hands down, Zhang Juzheng motioned You Qi to sit down.You Qi mopped the chair and sat down in front of the bamboo couch. Seeing some tiredness on You Qi's face, Zhang Juzheng said: "I'm not at home these days, you've worked hard." "It's all normal, not hard work," You Qi replied respectfully, "It's just that master, you need to pay more attention to your body." "Why, do you see any changes?" "I haven't seen you for more than ten days. The master has lost weight." "Oh, yes." Zhang Juzheng smiled wryly, and asked, "Is there any major event at home during this period of time?" "Half a month ago, the old man wrote a letter, saying that he wanted to go to Yidu to pay homage to the ancestral tomb on Qingming Festival, and explained that the expenses were insufficient. The old man is not at home, so I asked my wife to bring two hundred taels of silver to the old man." Zhang Juzheng said "Oh", and a sense of homesickness could not help but arise spontaneously.Zhang Juzheng's ancestors can be traced back to Zhang Guanbao in the late Yuan Dynasty.Zhang Guanbao was from Fengyang, Anhui, and he was from the same town as Ming Taizu. When Ming Taizu rebelled, Zhang Guanbao also became a soldier, and later became a junior officer under the command of General Xu Da.At the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Taizu rewarded Zhang Guan for his meritorious deeds, and granted Zhang Guan a hereditary thousand households in Changning, the prefecture, and entered Huguang's military registration.The military status of the Ming Dynasty, both soldiers and officers, was hereditary.Zhang Guanbao did not leave any achievements in the annals of history, and was buried in Yidu after his death.Zhang Guanbao had a great-grandson named Zhang Cheng. Because he was the second son and could not enjoy hereditary honor, he moved from Guizhou to Jiangling. This Zhang Cheng was Zhang Juzheng's great-grandfather.When he was a child, Zhang Juzheng followed his grandfather Zhang Zhen to Yidu to visit his ancestral tombs. Forty years have passed since then, and Zhang Juzheng has never been to Yidu again.The year before last, he wrote a letter to Xu Yinfeng, the county magistrate of Yidu, saying that "the tomb of the distant ancestor is humiliated and swept away".Yin Yin filial piety, can only be entrusted to the local officials to complete.Zhang Juzheng has been home for three years since his sick leave in the 33rd year of Jiajing, and he has not been back to Jiangling for 16 years, nor has he seen his parents or adults.Although there are frequent exchanges of letters, the capital is three thousand miles away from Jiangling.Guanshan is separated, family love is hard to find, not to mention serving soup and medicine, even such important events as ancestor worship, I have no time to participate.Thinking of this level, Zhang Juzheng felt dispirited, so he said: "Isn't two hundred taels too little for such a big event as ancestor worship?" You Qi hesitated for a moment, then replied in a muffled voice: "With the status of the master, it's a little less silver to take home, but..." "But what?" Seeing that You Qi hesitated to speak, Zhang Juzheng asked. "The cost of the family is a little tight in the past two months." Zhang Juzheng didn't say a word after hearing this, there were a hundred and ten people in Zhang's house, from family members to servants, so many people were eating, drinking and spending, it was a bottomless pit.It is definitely not enough to rely on Zhang Juzheng's salary alone.Sometimes, the emperor also gave a little extra reward, but it was limited after all.Most of the income of Beijing officials depends on the filial piety of students or local officials.However, Zhang Juzheng didn't like to run a business, and his close official friends usually sent some gifts, money and miscellaneous things.If some people who want to talk about love and get promoted walk through his door, nine times out of ten they will encounter a bad nose.Zhang Juzheng traveled in the officialdom, wanting to do a great job of helping the country and benefiting the world, so he would never give any excuses in front of others.Therefore, his economy is always not well-off.In order to save money, sometimes I want to reduce servants, but it seems that none of the bearers who carry the sedan chair, the gardeners who tend the garden, the chefs who cook, the nurses who take care of the children, the schoolboys in the outer courtyard, and the maids in the inner courtyard cannot be eliminated. .For an official to achieve this position, the necessary ostentation is still necessary.In such a dilemma, Zhang Junormal was often stretched, so what he was most afraid of talking about was the word "money".Fortunately, You Qi is a capable person, because of his planning, the family has never been able to make ends meet and run out of money.Sometimes, Zhang Juzheng also heard that You Qi was taking gift money from some local officials behind his back, so he would inevitably reprimand him severely, but he didn't pursue it further.After all, with such a big family, all the expenses have to be maintained by him.Moreover, without his nod and a slightly larger gift money, You Qi would never dare to make decisions on his own, Zhang Juzheng knew this well. "Expenses are tight, saving is all about." Zhang Juzheng said slowly, and then asked, "Is there anything else?" Before You Qi could answer, another porter came in to report: "Master, Xu Jue is asking to see you." "Please." Zhang Juzheng ordered.You Qi went outside with the concierge to meet the guests.After a while, You Qi led the two of them back to the study, and said excitedly, "Master, Eunuch Feng saw you coming." "Ah!" Zhang Juzheng was taken aback, and quickly got up to greet him.Because of my family's speech just now, there was only one candle in the study, and the light was dim, so I couldn't see who was coming. Now the book boy lights up the octagonal palace lantern.Under the bright light, Feng Bao was dressed in a green cloth Taoist robe and pedantic, and the daunting rigid hat on his head was also replaced by an elegant and amiable Cheng Zijin.He bowed to Zhang Juzheng, said with a deep smile, "Mr. Zhang, Mr. Feng took the liberty to visit, and he still looks at Haihan." "Where are you talking?" Zhang Juzheng replied while giving up his seat, "Just now the concierge only said Xu Jue. If you know you come, I should go out to greet you. I'm rude, I'm rude." Feng Baoti lifted the corner of his robe and sat down, leaning forward, and said: "Sir, you don't need to be too polite, I ordered you to do so, so as not to cause too many people to talk about it, and it is not good to spread it." Zhang Juzheng was secretly surprised, Feng Bao had never been to his house, why didn't he come here today?However, he was not in a hurry to get to the bottom of it, but started talking about wild cotton in a false manner: "A few days ago, I heard something about a woman from Suzhou who claimed to be the number one master of silk and bamboo in the south of the Yangtze River. Qin is here to compete with Eunuch Feng, is there such a thing?" In terms of age, Feng Bao is four or five years older than Zhang Juzheng, but because of his unmasculine body and well-maintained body, there is no trace of wrinkle on his fair and chubby face, making him look younger than Zhang Juzheng.Regarding Zhang Juzheng's question, Feng Bao replied while sipping tea: "There is such a thing, um—it is the third day when Gao Huzi and Gao Huzi had a big disagreement in Dongnuange, what is the girl's name?" ?” He tilted his head and asked Xu Jue. "Jiang Xinlian." "Yes, Jiang Xinlian," Feng Baoyi smiled, "that little girl walks like an autumn breeze, and she looks very good. I heard that she learned the piano at the age of four, and she was a close disciple of Jiangnan piano king Li Hufan. She was able to play it at the age of nine. Good Zheng, she was famous all over the south of the Yangtze River at the age of thirteen. If she can be invited to attend the hall of the princes, nobles, officials, gentry and bureaucrats, it will definitely be a sensational event." Feng Bao really praised the woman a lot, but he kept silent on the matter of the two playing the piano, and everyone in the room was aroused by him.You Qi couldn't help interjecting and asked: "Eunuch Feng, Jiang Xinlian's piano skills are so high, I don't know how you always deal with it." Feng Bao didn't answer, just admired his pair of white hands that surpassed women, and smiled.Xu Jue, who is good at adapting to the wind, stood up and spoke for his master at this time: "On the day of the piano match, there were many elegant and famous people in the capital. At the invitation of my master, Jiang Xinlian played a song first "Chunjiang Flower and Moonlight Night", her tender onion-like fingers just swipe, knead, and swipe on the strings so lightly, everyone present is invited to put their ears on it-oh my god, that's really true. Xianyin, Bai Juyi described the pipa girl as "big pearls and small pearls falling on a jade plate", so far I feel that the words are not enough.When the song is over, no one will let it go.Jiang Xinlian couldn't hold back everyone's praise, so she played eight pieces in one go.Everyone still didn't let it go, these stupid celebrities forgot that Jiang Xinlian came to play piano with my master.Jiang Xinlian refused to play any more, and repeatedly saluted and squatted down to invite my master.The guzheng used by Jiang Xinlian is said to be an old thing handed down by Li Guinian, a court musician of the Tang Dynasty.The qin used by my master was made by himself.The master sits in front of the piano, burns incense and calms down, adjusts his breath and concentrates. The noisy hall just now is suddenly silent.Merry actors, dumb heads and celebrities, all of them have duck necks stretched out like goose necks, and their eyes are staring at my master. "My master calmed down, then lightly stretched out his hand to touch the zither, and there was a long sound, as if someone threw a stone into the 30,000 hectares of Taihu Lake in the middle of the night. Just then, I saw蒋心莲的脸色都变了，她毕竟是江南第一丝竹高手哇，知道这轻轻一拨已入化境。我家主子弹的是《平湖秋月》，他弹完这一曲，众人像被魔法定住了，半晌都吱声不得，蒋心莲更做得绝，当即下令跟随的琴童把那张心爱的古筝摔成碎片，她满面羞愧地说，'听了冯公公这一曲，我终生再也不复鼓琴了。'说完，也不管我家主子再三挽留，径直去了。” 徐爵绘声绘色这一场描述，倒叫在座的人都听得痴了。张居正暗自思忖：“皇上病重，身为秉笔太监兼东厂提督的太监却有闲心来斗琴，而且家中堂会声势搞得如此之大，难道他对皇上就不存点忠心？”心中虽起了狐疑，但表面上却逢场作戏大为赞叹：“蒋心莲的琴艺让众人狂，冯公公的琴艺让众人痴，何为高手，何为大师，区别就在这里。” 冯保虽骨子里头自命不凡，回话却谦逊有加：“先生过奖了，鼓琴如从政，都是要经历的。平心而论，蒋心莲琴艺高超绝伦，冯某自有不及处，但她稍微欠缺的，便是这琴艺之外的人生历练。”冯保悄悄儿引过话题，接着朝尚在兴奋之中的徐爵做了一个手势，徐爵会意，连忙捧上一只红木匣子。 “这是什么？”张居正问。 冯保笑道：“打开看看便知。” 徐爵打开红木匣子，取出一幅装裱精致的立轴，游七帮忙牵开立轴。原来是用皇宫专用的极品四尺宣纸整张书写的一张条幅。张居正站起凝视，竟不住低声吟哦起来： 燕市重来二月初，翩翩意气曳长裾。 金门未售甘泉赋，玄室何人问子虚。 太乙夜燃东壁火，天池时化北溟鱼。 乾坤岁岁浮春色，环佩相将侍禁庐。 诗后有一行题款：敬录太岳先生诗，冯保。保字儿下面，钤了一阳一阴一方一圆两枚图章，阳文方章是魏碑体的“冯保”，二字，阴文图章上的两个字却是有着秦篆字韵的“大伴”。 冯保抄录的这首诗，是张居正二十一年前写的。那是嘉靖二十六年，他和同乡好友初幼嘉两个年轻举子来北京参加三年一度的会试。他考中进士并被选拔为翰林院庶吉士，而初幼嘉却名落孙山。两人于京城客邸分手，张居正写了这首诗送给初幼嘉，现在重读这首诗，张居正不禁感慨万端。那时年轻气盛，初临京城，看到锦衣玉食鲜衣怒马的王公贵戚、文武百官，这一位来自江陵的青年士子，既为自己的穷酸而气馁，同时又为自己的满腹经纶而自信。诗的字里行间，透露出他的远大政治抱负，就是要问鼎人臣之极：环佩相将侍禁庐。 张居正吟诵完毕，心中怦然一动：“这个冯保，这时候把这首诗抄来送我，是何用意？”他又一次端详这幅立轴——这次不是看诗，而是看字。这幅字行草结合，腴而不滞，平中见狂，大得颜真卿《江外帖》的笔意。张居正拈须一笑，说道：“朝野之间，盛赞冯公公琴书二艺冠绝一时，不要说两京大内三万内宦无人能出其右，就是朝中进士出身之人，也没有几个能望其项背，这幅字我将永远珍藏。” “先生如此说，冯某愧不敢当，”冯保指示徐爵卷好那幅立轴装回红木匣中，继续说道，“其实先生的书法在鄙人之上，我见过你的几张送给友人的条幅，至于先生的奏疏条札我就见得更多了，可以用一句话来形容：无意为书而深得个中三昧，随手写来尽得风流。我当了十六年秉笔太监，严嵩、徐阶、高拱几位首辅的字都见过，却没有一个比得上先生。说起书法，冯某怎敢在先生面前班门弄斧，我欣赏的是先生的这首诗。” 冯保说话时，徐爵与游七都知趣地离开书房到外头客厅里拉扯闲话去了。书房里只剩下张居正与冯保，张居正把书僮送上来的一盘南丰贡品无籽蜜橘剥了一个递给冯保，自己也剥了一个来吃，一边吃一边说道：“冯公公抄录的这首诗，原也不值一提，那是仆年轻时张狂不谙世事，诌出的几句妄语。” 冯保回道：“先生真会说笑话，李清照说'生当作人杰，死亦为鬼雄'，那才是妄语。她一个女流之辈，只不过能写几句诗，有何资格谈人杰与鬼雄?先生则不然，你现在已位居次辅，离人臣之极只差一步，只要稍作努力，就能当上一个千古宰相。” “千古宰相？”张居正情不自禁重复了一句，内心一阵激动，他自小的志向就是要当伊尹吕望一类人物，操庙算之权行强国富民之术，“冯公公，你认为在下有这种可能？” “不是可能，只要你愿意，这首辅之位，犹如探囊取物。”冯保口气恳切不容置疑。 张居正脑海里蓦然想起那日东暖阁中冯保与高拱吵架时说的那句话，“是你滚还是我滚，现在尚难预料。”此中已透露出冯保的驱逐高拱之心。“探囊取物谈何容易”，为了探得冯保的全部底细，张居正故意低调说话：“冯公公是不是过于乐观了些，须知高阁老是皇上第一宠臣。” “这一点不假，但凡事都有变数，如今这变数在即。”冯保说到这里，探头看了看虚掩着的书房门扇，压低声音说，“张先生，皇上得的是绝症。” “绝症？不会吧，皇上今天不是已经开始在东暖阁批折子吗？” “这也不假，”冯保冷笑一声，眼神越发难以捉摸，“太医说过，皇上的病，第一要禁的是房事，但今夜里，皇上又命孟冲把帘子胡同里的那个娈童，乔装打扮偷偷摸摸领进了大内。” 张居正大惊失色：“竟会有这等事？” “事情不仅于此，李贵妃也知道了这件事，她顿时盛怒，一跺脚要冲进乾清宫，从万岁爷的龙床上拉下那个卖屁股的东西，一刀割了他的脑袋。” "and after?" “是我拦住了她，我劝她忍得一时之气，免得百日之忧，太子迟早是要接位的，到那时候，贵妃娘娘有什么话不能说，又有什么事做不成呢。” 张居正已经知道徐爵诳胡自皋三万两银子买那串菩提达摩佛珠孝敬李贵妃的事，看来这位大内老臣已完全取得李贵妃的信任。他顿时心中生出隐忧：“皇上的生命，是不是也在他的掌握之中？”因此问道：“听你这么说来，皇上病情还会有反复？” “不是反复，说得刻薄一点，皇上如今是走在黄泉路上的风流皇帝。” 张居正心中一格登：他认识到问题的严重性，同时也看到了千载难逢的机会…… 冯保关注张居正脸上神色的变化，继续摇动三寸如簧之舌，煽风点火道：“还有一件事，我说出来，恐怕张先生会生气。” "What is it?" “今日在东暖阁，我看到高胡子给皇上的密折，他举荐高仪入阁。这个时候增加一个阁臣，明摆着是为了挤兑你。” 张居正点点头：“这事我前两天就有耳闻。高仪与高拱同是嘉靖二十年的进士，已当了五年礼部尚书，资历名望都够了。高仪生性淡泊，对是非之事，避之唯恐不及。” “可是，据我所知，高拱与高仪平日里交情甚好，又都是同姓，不可不防。” 张居正瞟了冯保一眼，没有吭声。冯保接着又压低声音说道：“先生不要忘了，当今太子可是高仪提议册立的啊。现在满朝文武，只有你和高仪是拥立太子的大功臣。高拱这只老狐狸，早不提，晚不提，偏偏在这时候把高仪补进内阁，其用意不是很明显吗？” 张居正是个慎思笃行的人，对高拱此举的用意当然十分清楚。但他仍不想第一次与冯保谈话就过分袒露心迹，因此只淡然一笑，说道：“我说过，高仪为人正派，加之身体又不好，他就是进了内阁，也不可能有什么越格的举动。” “高仪如何是高仪的事，高胡子如此做，却完全是为了制约你。如果这件事还不足以引起张先生警惕，那么高拱突然一改初衷，十万火急起用殷正茂，又是何居心呢？” 冯保工于心计，不但看出内阁两位辅臣间的矛盾，而且蛛丝马迹萍末之风都了然于胸。至此，张居正也觉得再没有什么好隐瞒的了。他思量一番沉吟答道：“高阁老任用殷正茂是醉翁之意不在酒，想让我栽个大跟头，只要殷正茂那头一出事，他就有理由把我赶出内阁，这一招固然毒辣，但尚欠火候。” “先生既已看出个中蹊跷，冯某也就放心了。” 至此，两人心思已经融合一处，当下又说了许多朝廷宫闱秘事，并讨论大政方略，在此按下不表。