Chapter 19 The Eighteenth Survey of the Mausoleum and the Secret Letters of the Retainers Visiting Gaoshishan

On the second day after the new emperor ascended the throne, Zhang Juzheng followed the order and went to Tianshou Mountain to inspect the project of Emperor Daxing's bedroom.After going out of Deshengmen, I saw the fertile fields and plains, green and green, and I felt refreshed.It has been almost half a year since Emperor Longqing fell ill and passed away. Zhang Juzheng has been depressed because his relationship with Gao Gong is getting more and more tense.Recently, although Gao Gong repeatedly made reconciliation gestures, Zhang Juzheng knew in his heart that this was just a precautionary measure Gao Gong took to fear that he and Feng Bao would join forces, and it was not a real abandonment of the past, so it was only a superficial coping.The conflict between the two is not only known to the officials of Shuntian and Yingtian mansions, but even those officials who have retired to serve have heard about it.Yesterday when he returned home from court, he received letters from Chen Yiqin and Yin Shidan at the same time.Both of them were cabinet ministers. They worked with Zhang Juzheng successively. Later, because they offended Gao Gong, they were also excluded from their posts and returned to their hometowns to live in peace.One is in Nanchong, Sichuan, and the other is in Licheng, Shandong.In the letter, they expressed concern about Zhang Juzheng's future.Zhang Juzheng was full of complaints, and wanted to sue his former colleagues, not to mention these two people could best understand his current situation.But when I think about it again, if something written in black and white is misrepresented to others, it will become indelible evidence.Therefore, I was careful when writing the reply letter.Yin Shidan has a bad temper and often slips of the tongue after drinking.Back then, he was also in the cabinet, so he didn't dare to have a heart-to-heart conversation with him.The reply to him was just a few words of comfort:

Envoy, Zhitai has returned to Xianli, and I am deeply comforted and contemptuous. There is a couplet in the Song Dynasty: "The prime minister in the mountains has no government office, and the gods in the world have descendants." In the first sentence, the public has already obtained it, and in the latter sentence, I hope the public will encourage it.Make the Xuanpu Festival, hastily attach it.It's unique, but luckily it survives. Chen Yiqin has a city in his heart, so the reply to him was more thorough.He even said such blunt words as "The land of pivots and balances has repeatedly become obscene. The opportunity to open up the wilderness, the phoenix soars to the sky".Before the central decree was issued to the cabinet, he already knew that Feng Bao had taken over the post of chief inspector of ceremonies, and he expected Gao Gong to be furious after receiving the central decree.It happened that the new emperor asked him to come to Tianshou Mountain, so that he could escape the embarrassing scene of the cabinet.

It was mid-June, and the blazing sun poured down unobstructed.The leaves of the willows on both sides of the post road are wilted by the sun, and the cicadas hiding in the deep shade are neighing high and low, making people feel hot and oppressive.When he first left the city, because it was still morning, the wind was cool and the sun was not shining, so Zhang Juzheng felt relaxed and happy.Two hours later, the situation is completely different.The carriage he was riding in was as hot as a steamer.Although the curtains around the sedan chair were all rolled up, there was not a breath of wind. Although the servant standing beside him kept fanning him, he was still sweating profusely. , are already drenched.

The car entered Changping County, and the magistrate of Changping County had been waiting here for a long time.Seven or eight tables of banquets have been set up in the temporary awning on the side of the road to entertain Zhang Juzheng and his party.The steaming Zhang Juzheng lost his appetite, he only drank a bowl of mung bean porridge, ate a few slices of watermelon, and hurried on the road again.Around the end of the day, Zhang Juzheng and his party came to the Dahongmen of Tianshou Mountain. Tianshou Mountain, located in Changping County on the northern outskirts of Beijing, is the mausoleum chosen by Chengzu Zhu Di himself after he announced the move of the capital to Beijing.In order to choose an ideal "auspicious soil", Zhu Di gathered a group of well-known Fengshui masters from all over the country and asked them to travel all over the mountains and hills around Beijing.These Fengshui masters worked hard for several months, eating and sleeping in the open air, trekking across mountains and rivers, and finally selected five mountain tombs and drew patterns for Zhu Di to delineate.Zhu Di asked Yao Guangxiao, the "Prime Minister in Black" he relied on the most, and Yuan Gong, the great Xiangshi, to participate in his opinions. After careful consideration, he finally selected Huangtu Mountain, which was selected by Fengshui master Liao Junqing, as the imperial mausoleum.Zhu Di thought the name of Huangtu Mountain was indecent, so he personally changed its name to Tianshou Mountain.

This Tianshou Mountain is indeed a rare piece of superior auspicious soil.It is eighty miles from the beginning to the end, and it is a branch of the Yanshan Mountains. Its origin is long and long.Surrounded by mountains on the east, north and west sides, the south side is open and unobstructed, like a large courtyard. At the end of the "yard", there is a pair of hills to control the gate. The left side is called Longshan, and the right side is called Hushan.From the back of a village called Kangjiazhuang in the middle of Tianshou Mountain, a clear mountain spring flows from the dense forest, detours through this flat hinterland surrounded by three mountains, and then flows out between Longshan and Hushan to the vast plain.Regardless of the mountain shape, water potential, or soil vegetation, there is nothing to be picky about.After Zhu Di selected this mausoleum, he moved all the villagers in Kangjiazhuang out, and built his own mausoleum next to it. The folk legend "Kangjiazhuang Wannian House" refers to Zhu Di's Changling. After Zhu Di, the Xianling Mausoleum of Renzong Zhu Gaochi, the Jingling Mausoleum of Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji, the Tailing Mausoleum of Xiaozong Zhu Youtang, the Kangling Mausoleum of Wuzong Zhu Houzhao, and the Yongling Mausoleum of Shizong Zhu Houyu, a total of eight emperors' mausoleums are in Tianshou Mountain. .The Zhaoling Mausoleum of Mu Zong and Zhu Zai, which is under construction, is the ninth imperial mausoleum in this mountain.

The sedan chair stopped in front of the Dahongmen between the Dragon and Tiger Mountains, which is the main entrance of the imperial mausoleum.All officials and soldiers were dismounted here, even the emperor was no exception.Zhang Juzheng changed into another set of clean plain clothes in the car and got out of the car.On the second day after Emperor Mu Zong passed away, Wang Xilie, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, and Kong Li, Xia Guan, the Qin Tianjian, who came here to supervise the work, led Zhang Juzheng to enter the mausoleum area through the left gate of Dahongmen, and walked up the long bluestone steps to the Thanksgiving Hall. , this is the place where the emperor came to worship the mausoleum.In the Qingming Festival of the second year of Longqing, Zhang Juzheng came here with Emperor Muzong to worship the mausoleum once.The emperor personally sacrificed Yongling and Changling, and the remaining six tombs were sacrificed and swept by six ministers appointed by the emperor.The Emperor Zhang Juzheng sacrificed to the Emperor Wuzong Zhu Houzhao's Kangling.At that mausoleum sacrifice, Mu Zong also personally determined the place of his mausoleum a hundred years later.Four years have passed in a flash, the mountains and rivers are still the same, and the personnel are completely different.Mu Zong, who presided over the Spring Mountain Mausoleum Festival, has passed away now.Thinking of this level, Zhang Juzheng stroked his beard and sighed, feeling very desolate.

After taking a short break in the Thanksgiving Hall, Zhang Juzheng, accompanied by Wang Xilie and Kong Li, took a board to the construction site of Zhaoling Mausoleum.The Changling Mausoleum of Chengzu Zhudi is exactly on the central axis between Tianshou Mountain and Dahongmen, and there are mausoleums of past dynasties on the left and right.Emperor Sejong's Yongling Mausoleum is close to the "garden", with Yongshan at his feet.The Zhaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Muzong under construction is opposite Yongling across the valley, just facing Hushan.When the abbots of the Ministry of Rites and Qin Tianjian chose "Auspicious Land" for Mu Zong, they also proposed several proposals, and Mu Zong immediately took a fancy to this place.He said: "After a hundred years, I will sleep next to the late emperor and father. I am very relieved." When Mu Zong said this, Zhang Juzheng was standing beside him.At that time, he felt that among the few plots selected by Qin Tianjian, this place was not very good.Although it is also above the dragon's veins, it has a slightly weaker momentum and lacks the momentum of winding and galloping.But the emperor himself liked it, so how could he, a minister, dare to speak "against the holy will"?Four years later, looking at the mausoleum that is about to be completed, Zhang Juzheng's original feeling has not changed much.

After walking around the Zhaoling construction site, and listening to the reports of Wang Xilie and Kong Li, Zhang Juzheng had a bottom line in his mind.According to the date selected by Qin Tianjian, September 11th is the auspicious day for the fall of Mu Zongzi Palace.There are still three full months until today, and the Zhaoling project is basically nearing completion, and it will only take one month at most to be fully completed. At this time, the sun was setting, and the green pine trees around were very eye-catching under the sunlight.The cool breeze that relieves the summer heat, accompanied by the sound of the spring not far from the mountain, makes people feel refreshed.Zhang Juzheng thought of taking a walk, so he stepped on the stone road in the forest and walked towards Deshengkou Village.Like Kangjiazhuang Village, Deshengkou Village was originally a small village in the mountains. All of them were moved out due to the construction of the imperial mausoleum, leaving only one place name.Walking out of a forest and climbing up a sudden rock, Zhang Juzheng saw the Yongling Tomb where Emperor Sejong was buried.From this, he thought of the emperor who believed in Taoist fasting and offering sacrifices. Because of his obsession with cultivating mystery, he lost power. The first assistant Yan Song had monopolized power for more than 20 years, and the second assistant Xu Jie had endured for more than 20 years, waiting patiently to be overthrown. The opportunity for the first assistant... In deep thought, Zhang Juzheng turned around involuntarily. The Kangling Mausoleum where Emperor Wu Zong was buried at the top of Deshengkou Village exuded an indescribable loneliness in the fading sunset.This flirtatious emperor who was obsessed with women and ignored government affairs, hid in the leopard room all day long to have fun, either in the Chu Pavilion and Qin Tower, or chasing the eagle and the dog.The major affairs in the court were actually handled by the eunuch Liu Jin alone.A eunuch full of crimes has been in charge of the country for more than ten years, and the society is in order, and he has been made into a miasma.Liu Jin's disciples can freely comment on the memorial of the chief official of the frontier.A brazen and greedy villain, Liu Jin can make officials and nobles at will.The most famous example is Zhang , the secretary of Dali. Whenever he saw Liu Jin, he fell to the ground from a distance, walked forward on his knees, and called "Grandpa" repeatedly.Liu Jin smiled heartily, and said to his followers, "Look, this is my good son." Soon, he promoted Zhang  to be Minister of the Ministry of Officials.Yan Song and Liu Jin, a chief assistant and a supervisor of ceremonies, are both traitors and thieves of the previous dynasty. They dared to do evil and ruin public property just because they met two foolish emperors.There are good officials in Taiping, and famous ministers in Shunshi.However, it has been more than two hundred years since Ming Taizu established the foundation of the Ming Dynasty. Why are there so many corrupt officials and treacherous officials?

Zhang Juzheng was in love with the scene, his mood just improved, suddenly became heavy.At this time, a sudden noise woke him up from his contemplation.Following the sound, he saw a junior officer of the garrison guarding the mausoleum driving away an old man. Seeing that the old man was pushed and fell, Zhang Juzheng stopped the junior officer and walked over.Only then did he realize that the old man was not old, he was about fifty years old, dressed in linen and hemp shoes, although he was dressed like a villager and wild old man, his vision was deep and powerful. Zhang Juzheng asked Xiaoxiao, "Why did you push him?"

The little school replied: "Master Zhang, the old man in the back room, this person should be punished for trespassing in the mausoleum without permission." The Imperial Mausoleum is guarded by a battalion of sergeants. If idlers trespass into the mausoleum area, they will be punished according to the regulations, ranging from criminal detention to imprisonment.Zhang Juzheng glanced at that person again, he saw that that person was neither humble nor overbearing, and he did not have the vulgar air of vulgarity at all. "Looking at your filial piety, do you mourn for Emperor Daxing?" Zhang Juzheng asked.

"Yes." The old man replied with a nod, "Although the new emperor ascended the throne yesterday, he and Emperor Daxing are father and son after all. The son's joy of enthronement cannot cover the father's sorrow. Therefore, I wear linen clothes and sandals. Through the twenty-seven days of mourning." The old man spoke sonorously and forcefully, and his attitude was neither humble nor overbearing.Zhang Juzheng immediately became interested in him.asked: "The old man has your last name." "No expensive, cheap surname Chang." After a few answers, Zhang Juzheng has concluded that the person in front of him is a scholar.From his demeanor, he suddenly remembered a person, and the two were very similar.But he didn't believe there was such a coincidence, and asked again: "Mr. Chang, why did you break into the imperial tomb privately?" "I want to see the Zhaoling Mausoleum that is being built for Emperor Daxing." Mr. Chang's words surprised all the officials present.Wang Xilie couldn't help but interjected, "Why do you want to see Zhaoling?" "Let's see if the Emperor Daxing is buried properly." "Are you Mr. Feng Shui?" Kong Li looked Mr. Chang up and down with the eyes of an expert. "A villager and a wild old man, he knows a little bit about geomantic omen." Mr. Chang smiled slightly, and turned his eyes to Zhaoling again. "What do you think of Zhaoling's geomantic omen?" Kong Li continued to ask. An elusive look flashed across Mr. Chang's eyes. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't speak. Kong Li glanced at Zhang Juzheng, and felt that the Master Cifu was also interested in listening, so he urged: "Mr. Chang, it's okay for you to say it." Mr. Chang nodded and said, "This land is a good place to bury officials and courtiers, but it is still lacking as the emperor's mausoleum." "Where is the lack?" "The emperor's mausoleum must be arched, courted, served, and guarded. It is like the emperor receiving ministers in the Jinluan Hall. The emperor sits on the throne, with attendants on both sides, a tall and majestic screen in the back, and an exquisite desk in front. There are ranks of courtiers in the distance. Looking at the Zhaoling Mausoleum according to the law of all four, the courtiers and guards are a bit scattered, and its momentum is no longer prosperous." Speaking of this, Mr. Chang pointed out the situation of mountains and rivers around Zhaoling Mausoleum and explained them one by one.All the officials in this line were dumbfounded.Kong Li worked for the Qin Tianjian, and was the orderly official in charge of imperial mausoleum reconnaissance. He had dealt with Fengshui masters for many years, and he had a lot of experience in this regard.He knew that he met a master today.Mr. Chang singled out Zhaoling's fault, in other words, it was his dereliction of duty as an orderly officer.Out of self-protection, Kong Li said: "You are speaking from a family. The Fengshui masters who selected Zhaoling back then were all world-renowned experts. What you said is different from what you said." When it came to professionalism, Mr. Chang became stubborn: "My lord, as I said before, I am a villager and I will not compete with any Feng Shui masters. I only express my own point of view." Zhang Juzheng appreciated Mr. Chang's point of view, and at the same time understood Kong Li's mood, he stood up to smooth things over and said, "The auspicious land in Zhaoling was appointed by Emperor Daxing in the second year of Longqing." "Yes, it was appointed by the emperor." Kong Li yelled afterward, casting a grateful glance at Zhang Juzheng. Mr. Chang shook his head, and couldn't help saying sadly: "In this way, it's God's will!" "How do you say that?" Wang Xilie asked. Mr. Chang looked around Tianshou Mountain. At this time, the dusk was erratic, and above the shadowy pine forest, there were resident birds circling and returning to their nests everywhere.Mr. Chang said slowly: "Tianshou Mountain, water, trees, Qinghua, long veins, impeccable situation. Only my country is so big, it is also a rare auspicious land. However, it is easy to look for the dragon, but it is difficult to know the acupoints. In the Changling of Emperor Yongle, the acupoints were selected. One auspicious soil has only one main point. The main point of Tianshou Mountain is Changling. It has been two hundred years since Emperor Yongle drove Changling. Today, Tianshou Mountain has added Xianling, Jingling and Yuling , Maoling, Tailing, Kangling, Yongling and other seven imperial tombs, and now there is Zhaoling, a total of nine imperial tombs. According to the old man, the caves of the imperial tombs here are not as good as one cave. A thousand feet is the momentum, and a hundred feet is the shape. When the momentum comes and stops, it is called the whole energy, and the acupoint of the whole energy in Longevity Mountain is only Changling." After some analysis, Mr. Chang made it clear.But none of the courtiers who listened to his speech, including Zhang Juzheng, dared to speak up.Who dares to comment on the merits and demerits of the imperial mausoleum for a court official with an official robe?Although they felt that what Mr. Chang said was reasonable, they never dared to follow suit.So it was cold for a while.On the contrary, the clever little principal, seeing that Zhang Juzheng was silent, guessed his embarrassment, so he yelled at Mr. Chang again: "You old man, you're talking all your mother's nonsense, and you're not going fast." "I'm leaving now," Mr. Chang cupped his hands towards Zhang Juzheng, and said, "My lord, I'm sorry to guess that you are here to inspect the Zhaoling Mausoleum. Nine emperors were buried in Tianshou Mountain. The atmosphere of the earth is exhausted. To protect the Ming Dynasty Zuo, we must find a new auspicious land." After finishing speaking, Mr. Chang bowed deeply to Zhang Juzheng and his party, turned around and hurried down the mountain.Looking at his gradually blurred back, Zhang Juzheng suddenly realized something, and he ordered the little principal: "Go and stop that Mr. Chang, I will talk to him at night." As soon as Zhang Juzheng returned to the residence of the Thanksgiving Palace, Xiaoxiao, who served as a guard, came in and reported that his family member You Qi had urgent matters to see.Zhang Juzheng wondered, what happened after only one day away from home?He ordered the small school to lead You Qi in.After a while, You Qifengchen was seen running in sweaty, followed by another person.As soon as the two entered the hall, they called out "Master" and kowtowed to salute.At this moment, Zhang Juzheng saw clearly that it was Feng Bao's housekeeper Xu Jue who came in with You Qi. "Isn't this Xu Jue? Why are you here?" Zhang Juzheng asked. "My master has something urgent to ask Mr. Zhang for advice." Xu Jue replied respectfully. The two butlers each found a chair and sat down.Zhang Juzheng stared at Xu Jue, who was always dressed as an angry horse, but now dressed as a servant, and said with a smile: "It turns out that your master has something to do, I really thought it was You Qi who had something to do." "Master, I really have an urgent letter to send to you," You Qi quickly interjected to explain the reason, "I was about to leave to deliver the letter, but housekeeper Xu came to the house and said he wanted to see you, so he temporarily changed his clothes and told me Come together." "No one recognized you on the road?" Zhang Juzheng asked Xu Jue. "No!" You Qidai replied, then took out a heavy envelope from his arms, and presented it with both hands. Zhang Juzheng took it and unpacked it to see that it was a confidential letter sent by Li Yihe from Hengshan.There are a total of more than a dozen letters, detailing the process of Li Yan's mysterious death in Fuyan Temple and the results of overnight raids on Li Yan's entourage.The most exciting thing is that Li Yan's assistant, Mr. Dong, confessed the fact that Li Yan had bribed some ministers in the capital, and found the two five-thousand-mu land deeds named Gao Fu from Li Yan's luggage. .Zhang Juzheng read the letter at a glance, and then looked at the originals of the two land deeds sent with the letter.Immediately, his heart was full of elation, and he praised Li Youzi's ability to handle affairs in his heart.But on the surface, he didn't show his expression, and slowly folded the letter paper as it was, put it back in the envelope, and put it on the coffee table.Then he asked Xu Jue, "What is your master looking for me for?" You Qi didn't know the content of the letter, and Xu Jue certainly had no way of knowing, so neither of them could guess Zhang Juzheng's mood at this time.Xu Jue glanced at the envelope lying upside down on the coffee table, blinked habitually, and replied, "This morning, two memorials were sent to the emperor. One was from the Ministry of Punishment, and it was about Jiusi, the demon king. It is said that since Wang Jiusi was caught by Dongchang, he should be handed over to the Sanju Judiciary for questioning and conviction..." "What should be the crime?" Zhang Juzheng interjected. "The scriptures say that Wang Jiusi confuses Sheng Cong with sorcery and caused the death of the late emperor, so he deserves to be executed immediately." "Well," Zhang Juzheng snorted noncommittally, and then asked, "What is there another note about?" "It's from the Ministry of Rites. It is said that according to the rule of the new emperor's ascension to the throne, 200,000 taels of silver should be allocated from Taicang, the Ministry of Households, to make jewelry for the concubines in the harem." Zhang Juzheng let out an "oh", this memorial somewhat surprised him.You Qi observed the master's face, and took the opportunity to say: "The intention of this zhezi couldn't be more obvious, that is, his tall beard is trying to please Concubine Li Gui in different ways." Zhang Juzheng's face suddenly changed color, he frowned, glared at You Qi and scolded sharply: "You are a bold dog slave, what right do you have to talk about government affairs, huh?" Zhang Juzheng suddenly became angry, causing You Qi to fall off the chair all of a sudden, knelt on the ground, and replied like chaff: "Master, I am guilty, I am guilty." Zhang Juzheng was still angry, and shouted: "Get out!" You Qi scrambled and scrambled out of the hall, seeing You Qi's embarrassing exit, Xu Jue was also uncomfortable.Although he had heard about Zhang Juzheng's strict family style, he still felt embarrassed by being so ruthless.After all, he and You Qi have the same status and errand, so he empathizes with You Qi, and even feels scolded. On the other hand, Zhang Juzheng, the dark clouds had already receded from his face, as if what happened just now had never happened at all, he turned to Xu Jue, and said with a pleasant face: "Xu Jue, you haven't finished your sentence yet." Xu Jue immediately felt that Zhang Juzheng was really an unfathomable figure, and a kind of awe arose in his heart.He blinked again, and said: "My master received the note, and he didn't dare to neglect it, so he hurriedly reported it to the emperor. The emperor has no idea, and I don't know how to give an answer." "As usual, these two papers should be sent to the cabinet for drafting." "My master understands this, but the reason here is very obvious," Xu Jue looked at Zhang Juzheng's expression, and said cautiously, "Just now what You Qi said, although it violated Mr. Zhang's family rules, he said something. The crux of the matter." Zhang Juzheng kept silent, pondered for a while, and asked: "Does Concubine Li know these two scriptures?" "I know," Xu Jue nodded, his voice lowered, "She has no idea. My master has seen through Concubine Li Gui's mind, and she agrees with what is written in the booklet for the handling of these two matters." "This is exactly the strength of Gao Gong." Zhang Juzheng said in his heart.But he still asked indifferently: "What does Eunuch Feng think?" "My master feels very embarrassed. If the plan is approved, Gao Gong will take the lead. From now on, the matter will be difficult. If the paper is rejected, he is afraid of offending Concubine Li. It will be even more difficult in the future. My master has no good plan. I had no choice but to send me here to ask Mr. Xu Jue wanted to put the matter in a more tactful way, but he couldn't help feeling a little flustered in the face of Zhang Juzheng's hidden eyes, so he blatantly expressed Feng Bao's embarrassment.In fact, even if he didn't say it so bluntly, Zhang Juzheng knew it too well.After listening to Xu Jue's statement, he stretched out his finger, tapped the rosewood coffee table in front of him carelessly, and said in a deep voice, "Actually, these two things are not difficult to handle." Then, he motioned Xu Jue to come closer , Whispered with him in a soft voice.After hearing this, Xu Jue couldn't help beaming with joy, and said again and again: "Okay, okay, follow Mr.'s plan, and he will lose a handful of rice instead of stealing chickens with a tall beard." Zhang Juzheng frowned, lightly patted Xu Jue on the shoulder, and reminded: "Xu Jue, your master has now been promoted to the head of the inner house, you as a housekeeper, you must speak quickly and slowly in everything, as the saying goes, Be careful not to offend anyone." Xu Jueli hurriedly stopped his enthusiasm, and carefully replied: "Mr. Zhang's advice is the most reasonable words, and you should keep it in your heart. There is one more thing, my master asked me to tell you that today the Secretary of General Administration transferred to Li Yihe, the inspector of Hunan Province. This is to report that Li Yan, the former governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, committed suicide in Hengshan." "Oh, is there such a thing?" Zhang Juzheng pretended to be shocked, Xu Jue gloated and said, "This Li Yan is Gao Huzi's favorite student. With his death, Gao Huzi's camp will lose a running dog." "What else did Li Yihe's manuscript say?" "I didn't say anything about the rest, I just reported the news of Li Yan's death." Hearing Xu Jue's answer, Zhang Juzheng felt relieved.It seems that Li Yihe is a caring person. He told Zhang Juzheng all the cards in this matter, and only issued a perfunctory official document to the court. Zhang Juzheng glanced at the back of the empty envelope on the coffee table, as if he was about to say something, the principal knocked on the door again, and came in to report: "Master Zhang, the secretary of the cabinet, Ma Congyun, is asking to see you." Ma Congyun took over from Han Yi to be on duty in Gaogong's office.Why did he suddenly appear here and now?Zhang Juzheng raised his brows, and told the principal: "Let Master Ma sit outside for a while, and listen to my call to come in." "Yes." The little principal bowed and stepped back. Before Xiaoxiao's figure completely disappeared in the corridor, Xu Jue said suspiciously: "Isn't Ma Congyun Gaobeard's confidant? Why is he here?" "Don't mind these nosy things," Zhang Juzheng said with a gloomy face, "This is not a place to stay for a long time, and I won't let you eat anymore, you go and call Shangqiu, there is another door at the end of the corridor, you two leave quickly. " Xu Jue nodded, didn't say anything else, and stepped out to invite You Qi to leave.Zhang Juzheng packed up Li Youzi's secret letter, and then sent a message to let Ma Congyun come in. "Master Zhang!" With this shout, Ma Congyun, who was tall and tall and wearing a sixth-rank official uniform, knelt in front of Zhang Jue to salute. Zhang Juzheng stretched out his hand to signal him to sit down, and Ma Congyun sat on the chair that Xu Jue sat on just now. , a pair of eyes looked around the room, this action aroused Zhang Juzheng's displeasure, he suppressed his temper and asked, "Why are you here?" "Shoufu has an urgent message for me to deliver to Mr. Zhang." After all, Ma Congyun took out a hard-faced title book in yellow silk from the kit he brought with him. Zhang Juzheng took a look, and on the cover was written four vigorous regular scripts the size of quail eggs: "Chen Wushi sparse".At first glance, it was Gao Gong's handwriting.Zhang Juzheng read it page by page, applauding from time to time, but after reading it for a while, he closed the memorial and asked Ma Congyun: "Yuanfu asked you to send it, did you ask for my signature?" "Exactly," Ma Congyun said as if endorsing: "Shoufu said that the emperor ascended the throne at the age of ten, and he was not familiar with the political system. Gu Ming, now, the three Gu Ming cabinet ministers must work together to assist the emperor, clarify the political system, and discern the country's affairs." Zhang Juzheng knew in his heart that this "Chen Wushishu" came in response to the central purpose of appointing Feng Bao as the supervisor of ceremonies yesterday.Together with the two memorials that Xu Jue mentioned just now, they were all attacks planned by Gao Gong.The purpose is to please Concubine Li Gui and bring down Feng Bao.In all fairness, Zhang Juzheng admired Gao Gong's brilliant political skills very much. He wanted to get rid of his political opponents, and he made every step of the way, every step was a good move.If the opponent is not careful, he will fall into his well-designed trap and bow his head and catch him.Based on his past experience, he knows that this is just the beginning, and the storm is about to come, and the good and the bad are still to come.In this situation, it is very difficult for Zhang Juzheng to be an outsider, and Gao Gong does not allow him to be an outsider.No, in the hot weather, Ma Congyun sent this "Chen Wushishu" to Tianshoushan for his signature in a hurry like a law, in order to drag him into this struggle and jointly launch an attack on Feng Bao.Fortunately, Zhang Juzheng had already seen clearly the nature of this struggle, and he had thought clearly about his role in this struggle and how to judge the situation, advance and retreat, and other major issues, so he did not panic when it came to an end.He got up and went to the back room, opened the ink cartridge brought by the book boy, and signed his name after Gao Gong and Gao Yi without hesitation. Ma Congyun got the signed "Chen Wushi Shu" memorial, and without any further delay, he left the Thanksgiving Hall and rode back to the capital. After receiving these two groups of people, I didn't realize that it was time for the You card.Wang Xilie, Kong Li and a group of officials were still hungry and waited for Zhang Juzheng to have dinner together.Because Zhang Juzheng was an old minister of Yipin Pavilion and came here at the emperor's will, Wang Xilie, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites who supervised the work here, did not dare to neglect, and ordered the chef to prepare a sumptuous banquet to welcome Zhang Juzheng.This kind of official entertainment is the most time-consuming, but Zhang Juzheng couldn't shirk it, so he had to put on the first-grade official uniform that he had taken off, and stepped into the banquet hall on the side of the wing room where he lived, to list out delicacies for a while, and raise his chopsticks to fly his glass.Zhang Juzheng worried that Wang Xilie was a member of the Gaogong line, so he just barely dealt with it, and said some rewarding words about the project of the emperor's mausoleum.After a meal, the atmosphere became weaker and weaker.Wang Xilie, who wanted to get close, vaguely felt that Zhang Juzheng was not a good person to serve, so he hastily withdrew from the table and went back to their rooms to rest. But he said that as soon as Zhang Juzheng returned to his place of residence, he ordered the school to find that Mr. Chang.When Mr. Chang came in, Zhang Juzheng had already removed his official uniform, and asked the book boy to make tea for the guests. The host and guest sat down, and Zhang Juzheng said: "At the construction site of the late emperor's mausoleum this afternoon, I think Mr. Chang still has something to say, so I asked the school to keep him here. I still want to ask you for advice on some things." Mr. Chang sat under the bright palace lantern, still dressed in sackcloth, but there was a lively vitality in his brows.He smiled and replied: "Master Ge is a scholar of Wenyuan Pavilion who is well-known in the government and the public. I am just a grassroots. Although I have a little ink, I can hardly accept the words of asking for advice." Zhang Juzheng has been in a high position for a long time, and he has seen a lot of people of all kinds, but he feels that this Mr. Chang has a kind of immortal demeanor that no one can match.From the first time he saw him, the couplet flashed in his mind: "Snow-covered mountain, Gao Shiwo, beauty under the moonlight forest." Seeing that Mr. Chang's conversation is right now, he is not as vulgar as a villager or a wild old man. , and without the pedantic and poor taste of literati and poets, he was even more respectful, so he asked: "Listening to Mr. Chang's accent, he seems to be from Jiangxi." "Master Ge Boss is right, I am from Jiangxi." "Listening to your talk, you are also a person who has read a lot of poetry and books. Why do you want to hide in the grass and abandon your fame?" "I also went to Beijing to take the autumn exam back then, but I was stimulated, and I never took a step closer to the exam room." "Did you take the test? What year?" Mr. Chang put down the teacup in his hand, raised two black silkworm eyebrows, stared at Zhang Juzheng and said, "Master Ge, you really don't know me anymore?" "You are……" Seeing Zhang Juzheng's hesitant expression, Mr. Chang smiled leisurely, stroked his neatly trimmed goatee, and said, "Master Ge, do you still remember Chuyoujia?" "Chuyoujia?" Zhang Juzheng was excited all over. This is his best friend when he was young, and he participated in the provincial and Beijing examinations together.It was the Beijing Examination twenty-six years ago, when he passed the Jinshi examination, but Chu Youjia lost his name to Sun Shan.In order to comfort his classmates for many years, he wrote the Qilu poem "Yan City Comes Back to Early February" which is widely circulated among scholars. Not long ago, Feng Bao specially copied this poem and gave it to him.It's just that time flies, since the 26th year of Jiaqing when he parted from Chuyoujia in the capital, more than 20 years have passed, and he has never heard any news from Chuyoujia again.Now, Mr. Chang suddenly mentioned this name, evoking Zhang Juzheng's endless memories of the past, and he asked quickly: "How do you know Chuyoujia, who are you?" Mr. Chang still smiled and said: "You don't remember me, you should remember those two poems: Chang remembers that when the rivers and lakes were in trouble, sitting on the side of fans did not write poems." After such a reminder, Zhang Juzheng immediately remembered.Twenty-six years ago for the Beijing Examination, thousands of candidates from all over the country gathered in the capital, and one of them was from Jiangxi, named He Xinyin, who happened to live in the same inn as Zhang Juzheng and Chu Youjia.This He Xinyin is suave and suave, but also quite conceited.After getting acquainted with each other, at a family gathering, He Xinyin said at the table: "Although I, He, am not talented, but this time I came to Beijing to take the exam, I ran for the Jia department. The rest are out of my sight." Upon hearing this Zhang Juzheng and Chuyoujia were stunned for a while, neither of them answered.It should be known that the imperial court has a rule that hundreds of Jinshi will be selected for the capital examination once every three years, and they are divided into three levels: one is called Jinshi Jiji, another is called Jinshi Birth, and the third is called Tong Jinshi Birth.Among the top three in the first level, the first is the champion, the second is the second, and the third is Tanhua.Thousands of candidates have studied hard in the cold window for many years, and they have come to the capital to take the examination. Those who get the gold list are very rare, very few.However, few people dare to utter wild words like He Xinyin and only want to be among the top three.For a while, the banquet was a little cold, and after a while of silence, Chuyoujia asked: "Brother Zhugan, what if you fail the exam?" He Xin smiled, and after drinking a full glass of wine, she resolutely replied: "You can't pass the exam. Ke, I, He, will never enter the examination room again in this life." However, after half a month of the Beijing examination, the results were released, and He Xinyin not only failed to be admitted to the first division, but even did not have his share in the second division.At the same time, Chuyoujia also failed the ranking.Originally, He Xinyin and Chuyoujia had developed a friendship during their sojourn life for more than three months, but now they both failed the rankings, and even fell in love with each other, and soon became irreversible friends.Zhang Juzheng, who has already been named on the gold list, has no other choice but to sympathize and comfort these two old and new acquaintances.Three days after the announcement, the two went out of Beijing hand in hand and returned to their hometown in the south.Zhang Juzheng gave them a farewell party and said some words of encouragement to each other.Zhang Juzheng said to He Xinyin: "Brother Zhugan, you don't have to be discouraged. After three years, you will enter the Beijing Qiuwei, and you will definitely have a vacant position on the Jiake list." He Xinyin shook his head and replied nonchalantly: "Brother Uncle, you don't have to comfort me. Fame is a tiring thing, I don't like it, besides, I said at the banquet last time that I will never enter the examination room again in this life." Although Zhang Juzheng slandered He Xinyin's madman style, he still admired him Ren Xia's heroic spirit.So he asked again: "You are a scholar, and you have given up your fame, what can you do?" He Xinyin made a face at Zhang Juzheng, and replied: "The night before yesterday, when all of you new scholars were invited to pay homage to the lord." , Chuyoujia and I had nothing to do, so we went to Huaihua Hutong next to Qipan Street." Zhang Juzheng came to the capital shortly after he heard that Huaihua Hutong was a place where prostitutes lived, and he immediately said with a smile: " You really know how to find a place to enjoy it, is there a night of ecstasy?" Chu Youjia replied: "It's not about ecstasy, but it's also a pleasure to live a life by acting as a courteous guest every time. When I am having fun in the brothel, I hum A few crooked poems." At this point, He Xinyin regained his composure, and then began to chant in a low voice: "I often remember that when the world was in trouble, I would sit on the side of a girl and not write a poem. This person should be a happy guest, willing to exchange his name for jade. As soon as He Xinyin finished reading, Chu Youjia continued: "The female historians in Huaihua Hutong are also proficient in writing and ink. , all the girls clapped their hands and applauded, jokingly said, Mr. Xie wrote a good poem, it would be better if the first line of the poem was changed to "Chang Ji Huaihua Hutong". Brother Zhu Gan said that although the meaning is good, it cannot be changed , Once changed, it is not flat. The female historians laughed and called him Mr. Chang, meaning to let him often visit Huaihua Hutong." After Chu Youjia said, the three laughed again, and then they hugged each other and said goodbye.Unconsciously, time flies, Bai Yun Canggou twenty-six years have passed, Zhang Juzheng has never seen Chu Youjia and He Xinyin again, but He Xinyin's traces are heard from time to time.It is said that because he admired the theory of Wang Gen, Wang Yangming's great disciple, he learned from Yan Jun, Wang Gen's disciple. After many years, he became a famous university student and taught his disciples everywhere.张居正一直苦无机会再次见到这位当年在京师结识的狂人，没想到面前这位私闯皇陵禁区的“常先生”，就是当年的那个风流才子何心隐。 事情既已捅穿，张居正再仔细端详坐在面前的故友，除了偶尔表现出来的神采飞扬的气质，眼前的何心隐，与当年那位风流倜傥的年轻士子实在相去甚远，不由得感慨道： “柱乾兄，若不是你自己说破，我真的认不出你了。” 何心隐笑道：“二十六年前，我们只在京城一块呆了三个月，认不出本属正常。今天，我若不知道新皇上命你来视察先帝陵寝工程，也认不出你来了。” “你怎么知道我来视察先帝陵寝？”张居正警觉地问。 何心隐脸上浮出诡谲的笑容，盯着张居正意味深长地说道：“叔大兄，我来此地，原是为了会你。” “哦？”张居正平息了故友重逢的激动，又恢复他那深沉练达的习性，平静问道：“不知柱乾兄会我为的何事？” 何心隐身子前倾，压低声音说：“叔大兄多年韬光养晦，现在终于有出头之日了。” "how do I say this?" “叔大兄真的要我说明？” 何心隐目光突然变得犀利，张居正看了他一眼，蹙着眉缓缓说道：“柱乾兄不要忘记，此处可不敢胡言乱语。” “是呀，”何心隐踱到窗前，撩开柔纱窗幔，看着月光下的隐隐山林，感叹地说，“这里是大明龙脉之所在，一般人来这里，除了景仰膜拜，又还能说出什么！但你我不一样，你久蓄凌云之志，要当伊吕一样的人物，我何心隐也是生于斯世的狂人。选择这里来谈大明天下，社稷苍生，正是风云际会的上乘之地。” 看着何心隐清癯的背影，张居正忽然感到这位故友身上有着一股磁石般的力量。 “柱乾兄，你再也不是当年的何心隐了。” 何心隐回过身来，反剪着双手说道：“我知道我何心隐在叔大兄的心目中，还是一个寻花问柳的狎客形象。但那个'常先生'早已死去了，这其间的人世浮沉，三天三夜也说不完。这些谈资且留将日后细细道来。今天，我们还是先谈正事。” “你究竟有何正事？” “谈正事之前，我先请你看样东西。” 何心隐说着，便从怀中掏出一份揭帖。