Chapter 14 The Thirteenth Episode

Feng Bao blocked the palace gate and searched for the four child molesters in the palace, and someone had already reported it to the cabinet.Gao Gong knew that this matter would cause another disturbance. If it was not done well, Meng Chong's status would be lost. Feng Bao had long intended to replace him, and this created an opportunity for him to take advantage of.Gao Gong felt that the situation was serious, so he called Gao Yi into the duty room to discuss the matter.The two of them hadn't reached a conclusion yet when they received a report that Emperor Longqing was critically ill, asking them to gather with Zhang Juzheng and enter the Qianqing Palace together.

Gao Gong was shocked when he heard this, and quickly asked the eunuch of Qianqing Palace who came to pass the decree: "How is the emperor?" "The villain doesn't know," the eunuch replied out of breath, "Mr. Zhang sent me to pass the order quickly, so I ran here." "Let's go to Qianqing Palace." As Gao Gong said, he lifted his foot and was about to go out.But the eunuch didn't move, and whispered: "Mr. Gao, the order is clear, we have to wait for Mr. Zhang to enter the palace together." "Mr. Zhang is at home, when can I arrive?"

"The palace has already sent people to deliver the decree, so it won't take long." Gao Gong thought that when the emperor summoned him in the Wenhua Palace in the morning, he still hated Zhang Juzheng, why now he insisted on asking him to enter the palace to have an audience?If the emperor is really critically ill, then if he goes this time, he will definitely become the minister who entrusts the emperor with his funeral.That being the case, Zhang Juzheng's arrest of Wang Jiusi caused Holy Wrath, wouldn't it just be a wind blow?Gao Gong felt that the situation was changing too fast, so he asked the eunuch:

"Is it the emperor's will to ask Mr. Zhang to enter the palace together?" "No, it's the queen's order, the imperial concubine's order." "Ah?" Gao Gong was taken aback again, and asked, "Why didn't the emperor issue a decree?" "The emperor can't speak anymore." The eunuch replied, seeing that Gao Gong wanted to continue asking, he was afraid of making a mistake, so he hurriedly said, "Two elders, please sit down, I will wait for Mr. Zhang in the yard." After saying that, he retreated. out. Gao Gong was in a daze for a moment, he pinched his forehead with his hands, collected himself, called in a pawn who was on duty, and ordered:

"You quickly go to the Ministry of Punishment, pass on my instructions to Liu Shangshu, quickly arrest Wang Jiusi, and put him back in prison." The pawn took the order and left.Gao Yi, who had been sitting by the side without saying a word, asked at this moment, "Why did Brother Xuan want to recapture Wang Jiusi?" Gao Gong replied seriously: "I see that the emperor's illness has become so serious that it is Wang Jiusilian's Yin-Yang Great Tonic Pill that is causing the trouble." "So, Zhang Ju is right?" Faced with Gao Yi's questioning, Gao Gong smiled bitterly, and replied: "The first virtue of us as ministers is to be loyal to the emperor, to love what the emperor loves, and to hate what the emperor hates."

Gao Yi heard that Gao Gong's words meant to explain his words and deeds tactfully, but he was a bookish person, and he insisted on asking: "How do you know that the emperor has suddenly changed his mind now and doesn't like this Wang Jiusi?" Gao Gong's recapture of Wang Jiusi was originally a move to deal with the sudden change: if the emperor is really sick, arresting Wang Jiusi can not only win the hearts of the people, but also win the favor of the new emperor.If the emperor is safe and sound, he can also explain to the emperor that this move is a measure to protect Wang Jiusi during the turmoil.This trick can be described as painstaking.When I met Gao Yi, a nerd, I insisted on breaking the casserole and asking the end.Gao Gong didn't want to make a fool of himself, so he could only reply resentfully:

"This matter is done like this. If the emperor blames it, I will bear it alone." After that, he got up and went to the yard. But when Zhang Juzheng received the order, he didn't dare to neglect it even for a moment.Hastily arrived at the cabinet in a sedan chair, and as soon as he stepped out of the sedan chair door, he saw Gao Gong standing in front of him with black hair and black face, complaining that he came too late, and before he could elaborate, the three cabinet ministers trotted in following the eunuch who passed the decree. Clear the door. Zhang Gui, who had been waiting at the door for a long time, led the three cabinet ministers into the Qianqing Palace and came to the east side room of Emperor Longqing's bedroom.The east side room is now immersed in desolation. Emperor Longqing, who had moved back here from Dongnuange, was lying unconscious on the couch, his body twitching from time to time.At this moment, his eyes were closed tightly, his mouth was wide open, and the corners of his mouth were foaming. A young eunuch knelt beside him, constantly wringing a hot towel to wipe it for him.

Inside the imperial couch, hung an apricot-yellow curtain.Empress Chen and Concubine Li Gui sat inside the curtain, next to Emperor Longqing's head.Crown Prince Zhu Yijun was next to Concubine Li Gui, but he was standing outside the curtain, close to Emperor Longqing.He stared at the twitching father, terrified and sad, with tears in his eyes. On the outside of the imperial couch, at the heels of Emperor Longqing, there was another person standing, this was Feng Bao. Gao Gong and his party hurried into the east side room, knelt down in front of the imperial couch and kowtowed.As soon as Gao Gong entered the door, he found that the atmosphere was a bit strange. First, the imperial physician did not come to rescue him, and second, the eunuch, the supervisor of etiquette, who was in charge of the palace, was also not present.

"Your Majesty!" Gao Gong, who was kneeling on the ground, shouted softly, his throat was already stiff.He turned to Empress Chen and said, "Please order the empress to order the imperial physician to come to rescue immediately." Empress Chen was terrified, she choked with sobs and replied: "The imperial physician has rescued her, and she just retreated." "Oh!" Gao Gong agreed, then moved his knees closer to the imperial couch, looking at Emperor Longqing who could only breathe in but not out, his heart felt like a knife for a while.He reached out to hold the emperor's hand exposed outside the quilt, as if he was holding a piece of ice.

"emperor!" Gao Gong couldn't restrain his grief, he yelled, and burst into tears. At this time, Emperor Longqing's eyelids moved, and he opened his mouth slightly as if he had sensed it.This small change surprised everyone present. They held their breath and stared nervously at the emperor, and the room was deadly silent.But after a while, the emperor's body began to twitch again. "emperor!" This time it was Zhang Juzheng and Gao Yi who yelled together, they were not as forgetful as Gao Gong, but sobbed silently. Concubine Li Gui, who had a worried face, had been silent all this time, and then she spoke:

"Please listen to the elders, Feng Bao read out the will." Feng Bao took a step forward, opened a roll of yellow silk stickers that he had already held in his hand, cleared his throat and shouted: "Crown Prince Zhu Yijun please accept the order." Zhu Yijun didn't know what to do in a hurry, Concubine Li Gui gently pushed him from the side, and then he came to his senses, walked out from behind the imperial couch, and knelt down facing Emperor Longqing. Feng Baonian said: The imperial edict, and the crown prince: I don't hesitate, the emperor you do it.As a matter of etiquette, please follow the instructions of the department.You should rely on the three assistant ministers, and be guided by the supervisor of ceremonies, study and cultivate virtue, use the virtuous to enable you, do nothing to idle, and protect the emperor's career. After reading, Feng Bao rolled up the scroll of yellow silk stickers and tied them up, and handed them to Zhu Yijun respectfully.Zhu Yijun kowtowed to his father, and returned to Li Guifei's side to stand still. Feng Bao shook out another scroll of yellow silk to reveal the post, and said: "This is the imperial edict from the emperor to the cabinet. Please listen to the edict, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and Gao Yi." The three court ministers kneeling on the ground stood up and listened solemnly. Feng Bao glanced at them, and then read: My ancestor, Datong, has been here for six years now, and occasionally got this disease, and he couldn't get up suddenly, and he had to bear the entrustment of the former emperor.The East Palace was young, and now Fu Zhiqing and other three ministers, together with the Sili Supervisor, worked together to assist, abide by the ancestral system, and preserve the emperor's image. After reading the will, Feng Bao handed the yellow silk post to Gao Gong.Gao Gong raised his eyes to look at Emperor Longqing, whose fate was like a thread, and asked bitterly: "The emperor's edict to the crown prince and the edict to our three cabinet ministers all mentioned the Supervisor of Rituals. Why was the Supervisor of Rituals not present when Meng Chong was in charge?" Feng Bao's body shook involuntarily, he heard Gao Gong's overtones were directed at him, and subconsciously glanced at Concubine Li Gui.Concubine Li Gui was also looking at him, when her eyes met, Concubine Li Gui slightly nodded and said: "Feng Bao is the prince's great companion, and also the eunuch Bingbi who has been in charge of ceremonies for many years. It's the same with him." "The eunuch Bingbi is not the eunuch of palm printing after all. It seems that it is against the rules for Meng Chong not to come here to listen to the imperial edict." Once Gao Gong got angry, he ignored the occasion and continued with his own thoughts.As soon as the words came out, he realized that he had contradicted Concubine Li Gui, and quickly added, "The emperor is so kind, and I swear to repay it with death. Although the prince of the Eastern Palace is young, he will inherit the great line, and I will do my best to assist you loyally according to the laws of the ancestors. Bullying Donggong's youth and confusing the Sacred Heart, I will uphold justice, safeguard the court, and put life and death aside." Gao Gong's words were soul-stirring, but the "thorn" in his words still made Li Guifei feel unhappy.After a brief pause, she said: "Old Gao Ge's words are very good, just do as he said, the emperor is at ease, the queen and I are also at ease." "The old minister remembers the imperial concubine's order." Gao Gong's original intention was to flatter Concubine Li Gui, but because of her blunt tone, Concubine Li Gui felt that "orphans and widowed mothers are being bullied". Her eyes turned red immediately, and she threw herself on Emperor Longqing, crying with tears streaming down her face. road: "Your majesty, your majesty, wake up, you can't leave us orphans and widowed mothers, your majesty..." Perhaps disturbed by the crying, Emperor Longqing straightened up suddenly, his throat filled with phlegm, and his face turned purple. "The doctor—" "emperor!" Those who save people save people, those who cry bitterly cry bitterly.In the Qianqing palace, there was a sudden chaos. At this moment, Feng Bao and Zhang Juzheng exchanged glances.Although both of them were mourning, behind the tears, there was a trace of relief in the eyes that others couldn't see through.Zhang Juzheng raised the back of his hand to wipe his tearful eyes, knelt down and said: "Please express condolences to the queen and the imperial concubine. The emperor is in the process of treatment and needs to be quiet." After hearing these words, the crying in the east side room stopped abruptly, Concubine Li Gui was sobbing, and cast a grateful glance at Zhang Juzheng. Feng Baonu pursed his lips, and signaled the two eunuchs present to take Gao Gong, who was still lying in front of the imperial couch and sobbing, out of the Qianqing Palace, Zhang Juzheng and Gao Yi also bowed and left. However, after receiving Gao Gong's order, Liu Ziqiang, Shangshu of the Criminal Ministry, immediately dispatched a team of arresters, led by Yuanwailang, a special arrester named Qin Yongxi, to Wang Zhenren's mansion in front of Chongwenmen. At the entrance of the alley, I saw another team of policemen had surrounded the real man's mansion completely.Qin Yongxi ordered his men to run forward.The arresters who came earlier saw another group of slaves with knives and guns coming, so they quickly separated into another group, each with their guns out, blocking the arresters' way. "Who is so bold!" Qin Yongxice immediately stepped forward and shouted loudly.Zaoli didn't buy it, two of them pulled out their guns and forced his horse's head, so that Qin Yongxi took the reins, and the horse barked and jumped up on the spot, grinding a spin and almost killing Qin Yongxi. Yongxi fell off his horse.Qin Yongxi was about to have a seizure when he heard someone say: "Master Qin, you are shocked." Qin Yongxi fixed his eyes and couldn't help being surprised, the person who spoke was actually Xuncheng Yushi Wang Zhuan.It turned out that the eunuch who went to Shamao Hutong to preach the decree to Zhang Juzheng was sent by Feng Bao, so Zhang Juzheng already knew the exact news that Emperor Longqing was critically ill.Before entering the palace, he sent someone to send a letter to Wang Zhuan, asking him to lead someone to re-arrest Wang Jiusi immediately.Wang Zhuan acted immediately after receiving the letter, and finally surrounded the mansion of Wang Zhenren before Qin Yongxi. Seeing that it was Wang Zhuan, Qin Yongxi felt a little relieved.In terms of official rank, the two are of the same level, both fourth-rank officials.But because Wang Zhuan opened the mansion and built the Yamen, he was the official in the hall.However, Qin Yongxi is an official of the Ministry of Punishment, and his prestige in the officialdom is much worse than that of Wang Zhuan.Qin Yongxi jumped off his horse, bowed to Wang Zhuan, and said with a smile: "Ah, it turned out to be Lord Wang, why did you come here?" Wang Zhuan returned the gift, and asked in surprise, "I was about to ask you, what are you doing here with your troops?" Qin Yongxi replied: "At the order of the chief assistant, Mr. Gao, I led a team to arrest Wang Jiusi." Wang Zhuan was surprised again, and asked, "Old Gao Ge ordered Wang Jiusi to be arrested? Is this unlikely?" "How can it be impossible? Look, I have a catch ticket." Qin Yongxi said, took out the catch ticket and handed it to Wang Zhuan, and asked, "I don't know that Mr. Wang brought so many Zaoli here. , What are you doing again, it shouldn’t be protecting the real Wang.” "Protection?" Wang Zhuan sneered, and said, "Lord Qin, don't forget that this Wang Jiusi was arrested and brought to justice by the orders of Mr. Zhang Ge. If he hadn't been released from the prison of your Ministry of Criminal Justice, it would have saved me from another encounter." "So, Mr. Wang is also here to arrest Wang Jiusi?" "Exactly." "That's strange!" Qin Yongxi looked at the ticket in his hand, and asked Wang Zhuan, "May I ask who ordered Mr. Wang?" "Old Zhang Ge." Qin Yongxi smiled when he heard this, and immediately revealed a look of disdain, and said, "In this way, Mr. Wang doesn't need to worry about this matter. To capture Wang Jiusi, it doesn't take two teams of men and horses." "Master Qin is right. In my opinion, you should go back." "Let's go back?" Qin Yongxi immediately put on the domineering style of the big yamen, and replied, "Old Gao Ge ordered to go to the Criminal Ministry to arrest people and handle the case. We are the right ones." Qin Yongxi's words have at least two meanings: first, Gao Ge is always the chief assistant of the cabinet, and his instructions should be given priority; To maintain the law and order in the capital, although you can handle some cases that violate the law and order, you don't have the right to issue arrest tickets.How could Wang Zhuan, a ghostly spirit, fail to understand Qin Yongxi's words?Although he was angry in his heart, he was calm on the surface, and said with a smile: "Lord Qin will never forget that this Wang Jiusi was captured by the lower officials yesterday, right?" "Yesterday was yesterday, and today is today. Mr. Wang, you can see clearly that I have the arrest warrant for Wang Jiusi." "Master Qin, don't forget that you have the right to arrest people when you patrol the city's censor's yamen." "Your rights are limited to maintaining law and order in the capital." "Wang Jiusi's beating to death in the street violated the law and order in the capital, and arresting him was originally within the purview of the lower officials." "Have you already caught him?" "As soon as Mr. Qin came, he argued with the lower official for a long time. I don't have time to do anything." "Since I haven't made a move, I hope Mr. Wang will get out of the way and let my men go over and capture this monster." "Why does Lord Qin have to compete with the lower officials?" "Elder Gao Ge instructed you to go to the Ministry of Punishment. If you arrest him, how can I explain it?" "If you let him catch him, how can I explain to Zhang Ge's old place?" The two couldn't stop arguing like this, because they were eager to strive for success.At this moment, thick smoke was suddenly seen coming out of Wang Zhenren's mansion.Wang Zhuan no longer cared about arguing with Qin Yongxi, and ordered his subordinates to shout open the closed red lacquer gate. Several soldiers beat the gate loudly, but there was no movement inside.Both Wang Zhuan and Qin Yongxi felt bad, so Wang Zhuan ordered someone to break open the door.Two groups of people swarmed in and found that there was no one in the courtyard. The big blue woolen sedan chair and the golden fan ceremonial guard were all quietly placed in the sedan chair hall.There are three large copper stoves in the middle of the courtyard, which are the tools used by Wang Jiusi for alchemy. One of them is still burning, and thick smoke comes out of it.Wang Zhuan took a closer look and saw that a piece of charred meat was burning in the stove, emitting a pungent smell, and a piece of bloody cat skin was thrown on the ground.Wang Zhuan suddenly felt something was wrong, waved his hand and shouted: "Search!" Qin Yongxi was afraid of falling behind, so he also issued an order to his subordinates: "I will search every corner, and don't let anyone go." Immediately, there was a chaotic sound of kicking the door, kicking the door, smashing the jar and smashing the basin.This mansion of Wang Zhenren was originally bestowed by Emperor Longqing, and it is divided into front and back houses.The front yard was searched up and down, but no one was seen.A group of people rushed into the backyard again, but the doors were still locked.After breaking open one by one, they were all empty, and finally broke open a warehouse, and saw more than a dozen virgins inside.These children were terrified by Wang Jiusi's detention here, but now seeing so many soldiers wielding guns and clubs pouring in, they were so frightened that they burst into tears.Wang Zhuan and Qin Yongxi came in after hearing the sound, ordered the soldiers and the police to leave the house, and then tried their best to coax the children from crying, and asked them about the whereabouts of Zhenren Wang.However, these children have never been out of this room since they were locked up, so they don't know anything about it.Wang Zhuan and Qin Yongxi were so anxious that they didn't know what to do. As soon as they walked out of the warehouse, they saw a dry old man brought out by two policemen from nowhere. "Who are you here?" Wang Zhuan asked. The old man's face was bruised and purple, he must have been beaten by soldiers, when he saw the official wearing a black gauze hat, he immediately plopped down on his knees, and replied tremblingly: "Master, the younger one is a torch hired by Daoist Wang. " "Huo'er?" Wang Zhuan sized up the old man, his hair was messy, his face was dark, and there was no sign of his face, so he couldn't help asking suspiciously, "Which kind of man are you?" "Fire those three stoves for Master Wang." "Ah, so you burned those three stoves." Qin Yongxi suddenly became interested and asked, "My lord just came from the front yard and saw thick smoke billowing in one stove, as if burning a piece of charred meat. There is also a bloody cat skin, what's going on?" "Returning to my lord, Wang Zhenren skinned a cat alive, then threw the skinned cat that was still alive into the large furnace, and ordered the villain to add more charcoal to burn the cat." "Why does he hate the cat so much?" "Not just this cat, he hates all cats?" "But why?" "My lord, Master Wang is a rat." "Afraid that the cat will catch the mouse?" Qin Yongxi couldn't help laughing, and turned his head to make a joke with Wang Zhuan, "Master Wang, you and I have become cats." Wang Zhuan forced a smile, then asked the old man coldly, "Where did Master Wang go?" "Go back to my lord, I left an hour ago." "Gone, where did you go?" "It is said that it is entering the Forbidden City to deliver the emperor's medicine." "It's a lie. It's best for Wang Jiusi to talk about ostentation when he goes out. Since he is delivering medicine to the emperor, why is the guard of honor in the sedan chair not used in the sedan hall?" "This... the little ones don't know." "I don't know?" Wang Zhuan scissored his hands, raised two short frowning eyebrows, and shouted sharply, "Look at your ugly face, how dare you fool me. If you don't tell me where Wang Jiusi is, I'll strip you off." off your skin." "My lord, please forgive me, I really don't know..." The old man kowtowed like pounding garlic, and hurriedly begged for mercy.Wang Zhuan saw that the old man was telling the truth, but he refused to let him go easily, so he ordered: "Tie up this old man, take him back and torture him carefully." The two police officers escorted the old man out, Wang Zhuan said to Qin Yongxi: "Master Qin, the errand has gone wrong, let's go back and report to each other." "That's all I have to do." After Qin Yongxi finished speaking, he led the arrester back to the Ministry of Punishment.Wang Zhuan immediately ordered to strictly guard the gates of the various cities, and Wang Jiusi must not be allowed to slip away. As soon as the three cabinet ministers returned to the cabinet from Qianqing Palace, a eunuch came from Qianqing Palace to report that Emperor Longqing had already ascended to heaven.This is the 25th day of May in the sixth year of Longqing, at the turn of Shenyou Shipai in the afternoon.Although it was expected, the three cabinet ministers could not help but gather in the court room and weep bitterly.Then he wiped away his tears and made three decisions: 1. Immediately spread the post for 800 miles and publish the obituary throughout the country; During this period, all the yamen officials in Beijing were on duty in the court room and were not allowed to go home.Yamens all over the country set up mourning halls on the spot to offer sacrifices, so there is no need to come to Beijing.After the discussion is established, the secretary in the cabinet will write a notice according to the meaning of the cabinet ministers, and put it on the cabinet's defense.Order people to send it to the major yamen in the capital, and instruct the Ministry of War to carry out the mail delivery.After finishing these important things, it's time to hold the lights.The officer on duty came in and invited the three elders to have a meal in the dining room.Taking this time, Zhang Juzheng went back to his room.When he came to the dining room, he saw that he had changed into a brocade official gown, and put on a mourning gown with a green belt.Seeing his attire, the two Ge elders who were still wearing auspicious official robes suddenly felt uncomfortable.Before discussing the matter, they had already sent people home to get their clothes and bags, but they did not expect Zhang Juzheng to bring them with them.Gao Yi only thought about Zhang Juzheng's shrewdness, but Gao Gong saw something strange from this trivial incident: The emperor had a sudden illness today, why did he, Zhang Juzheng, know that the emperor would definitely die? After having dinner indiscriminately, the three elders went back to their rooms to rest.The courtyard of the cabinet, which is usually dark at night, is now hung with lanterns at the entrances of each balcony—of course, it is not the usual red palace lantern embroidered with the word cabinet, but a white gauze watermelon with a black word "Dian" pasted on it. lamp.The emperor died suddenly, and it was too late to prepare all the funeral sacrifices.These pairs of lanterns were originally old items from the warehouse, but the officials on duty searched them out and hung them up after a little modification.The pale light set off the black characters of "Dian", and the courtyard was suddenly filled with a solemn and desolate atmosphere. Gao Gong had just returned to the duty room, upset, and was about to drink a cup of tea to calm himself down, when the butler Gao Fu opened the door and came in.He came here just to deliver clothes bags.Gao Gong immediately went to the cabinet to change into mourning clothes, and was about to talk to Gao Fu when he came out, but found that there was another person in the valet room. "Yuansuke." The man yelled, then knelt down towards Gao Gong standing at the door.Gao Gong recognized that this person was Qin Yongxi, so he ordered him to sit down and asked, "What's the matter with you?" Qin Yongxi replied: "In the afternoon, Yuanfu issued a warrant to the Ministry of Punishment to arrest Wang Jiusi and put him in prison again. Shangshu Master Liu handed over this task to the subordinate officials." Gao Gong was so upset that he almost forgot about it. Seeing Qin Yongxi mentioning it now, he hurriedly asked, "Did you get it?" "No." "what happened?" Gao Gong's complexion suddenly became ugly.This was Qin Yongxi's first visit to the chief assistant, and he was extremely nervous.He didn't dare to look at Shoufu's face, so he just lowered his eyelids and told the story in detail. Hearing that Wang Zhuan also led people to arrest Wang Jiusi, Gao Gong knew in his heart that Zhang Juzheng was trying to fight him.In addition to being angry, he was somewhat relieved to hear that neither side had caught Wang Jiusi, so he cursed casually: "It's too cheap for the son of a bitch to let him run away." Qin Yongxi figured out the tone of Shoufu, and he didn't seem to have any more blame, so he asked: "How to deal with the next step, I hope Master Yuanfu will show you." "What do you think we should do?" Gao Gong stared at Qin Yongxi and asked. Qin Yongxi thought for a while, and replied: "According to the opinion of the lower officials, the Ministry of Criminal Justice can issue an arrest report, and the local police will strictly control and arrest this monster." Gao Gong nodded, and said appreciatively: "This is a very good move. You go back and tell Mr. Liu that in the name of the Ministry of Punishments, you will play a book on Ming Wang Jiusi's various illegal acts of deceiving the king and harming the people. Please order to take it down." "Yuanfu's instructions are clear, and the next official will go back and report that Mr. Liu will follow suit, but..." Qin Yongxi hesitated to speak, Gao Gong asked: "What doubts do you have?" Qin Yongxi asked cautiously: "The emperor has already ascended to heaven, who should Zhezi ask for orders when he raises his head?" "Ah, this." Gao Gong felt that Qin Yongxi was very careful, and asked this question very well. After thinking about it, he instructed: "The new emperor has not yet ascended the throne, so this book is written for the queen and imperial concubine. Ask them to decree." "Yes, the officer understands." Qin Yongxi said goodbye and left.When the two were talking, Gao Fu retreated to the outside to avoid, but now he came in again, took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Gao Gong.Said: "This is a letter from Shao Daxia, I received it this afternoon." Gao Gong let out an "ah" and hurriedly took it apart to have a look.The letter was written simply, with only a few words, telling me that I have arrived on the ground in Guangxi, and don't worry about the entrusted matter, and there will be good news in a few days.After reading the letter, Gao Gong crumpled it up and set it on fire. Gao Fu went forward to clean up the ashes.While sipping tea, Gao Gong murmured, "This letter has been on the road for eight or nine days. I think Shao Daxia has already got it." "If there are no accidents, there should be good news for the master in a few days." Gao Fu just finished speaking, but felt that the words were inappropriate, and quickly added, "Shao Daxia has always been bold and careful, and he will not make mistakes in his work." Gao Gong rolled his eyes and asked, "You really trust him that much?" "I really believe it," Gao Fu said with confidence, half sincerely, half to please the master, "The villain has been with the master for so many years, what kind of person has he not seen? People in the officialdom are kind to the master, there is a reason for that." What I want. Shao Daxia is different, this man has the courage and righteousness, but he does not ask for anything in return for helping the master." Gao Gong sighed, and said with emotion: "Your words are reasonable. Now that the emperor has passed away, the political situation in the court can be described as changing. If you are not careful, you will give others a handle. At this time, Li Yan's matter is very important. Let no one know." Gao Fu understood the master's mood, and seeing the master's frowning and troubled expression, he could only comfort him with some reassuring words.Although Gao Gong was mentally prepared for the emperor's death, he still felt that it was too sudden when it happened.When the emperor was alive, he relied a lot on him, and the relationship between the monarch and his subjects was extraordinary.Now that the emperor is doing great things, he suddenly feels that he has lost his support, and his heart is empty, filled with indescribable melancholy and bitterness... Seeing that Gao Gong was still in a daze, Gao Fu said in a low voice: "Master, I don't know what else you have to order. If there is nothing else, I will leave first." "Stay a little longer, Gao Fu, sit down." Gao Fu refills Gao Gong's teacup and sits on the twig.Gao Gong squinted his eyes quietly, and asked after a while: "Gao Fu, did the outside world know about the death of the emperor?" "Master, I already know. On the way I came from the mansion, I saw that some shops had already hung white lanterns." "Ah, did you hear something?" "I was in a hurry, and I was sitting in a sedan chair, so I never heard anything." "What do you think of yourself?" "Me?" Gao Fu was taken aback. The master never discussed business matters with him, but now he was chatting with him about this big matter. After thinking about it, he said boldly, "The emperor died so suddenly. The emperor also received the master in the Wenhua Palace." "Who did you hear that the emperor received me?" "When I came in just now, I met Han Yi at the gate of Huiji. He told the villain." "Yeah, there must be something strange here." Gao Gong got up and walked to the window, looking at the pale lanterns hanging in front of the rolling shed opposite, thinking about what happened inside and outside the Forbidden City in the past two days, vaguely I feel that Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao have joined forces, creating traps and murderous intentions everywhere.And behind them, there is a very assertive concubine Li Gui.He has never attached himself to the emperor's favorite concubine.Because he thought that no matter how much the emperor doted on her, she was just a noble concubine after all, and the emperor had never heard of her involvement in politics during his six years on the throne.It now appears that his idea was wrong.Recalling the few words Li Guifei said to him before the emperor sat on the bed in Qianqing Palace in the afternoon, it seemed to be a compliment, but actually implied the boss's dissatisfaction.Now that the emperor dies, the ten-year-old crown prince is the emperor, and the most influential person in the palace is of course the crown prince's mother... The more Gao Gong thinks about it, the more uncomfortable it becomes, and his heart becomes more and more agitated, and he can't help muttering He said to himself, "It seems that the old man miscalculated another move." Gao Fu, who was waiting by the side and didn't dare to make a sound, thought that Gao Gong was talking to him, but he couldn't hear what Gao Gong said, so he could only yell out: "Master." As soon as Gao Gong turned around, the sad expression on his face just now suddenly disappeared, and the inherent arrogance and self-confidence returned.He whipped his beard abruptly, walked up to Gao Fu, and scolded in a joking voice: "Gao Fu, you are too slack, old man, I sigh on this side, but your hands and feet are cold on the other side. Don't worry, the sky won't fall down. You go back now and let everyone in our house wear filial piety. To mourn the emperor, our family should also make a good appearance for others to see."