Chapter 71 The Eighth Chapter Zhang Zhaikui Receives the Order to Enter the Ancient Temple Empress Dowager Li Coldly Rebukes the Slaves

This morning, Zhang Juzheng had been in the cabinet for less than half an hour, when suddenly Zhou You, the steward of the Qianqing Palace, came to report that the Empress Dowager Li wanted him to hurry up to Dalongfu Temple to meet him, and that he was only allowed to wear casual clothes and not show ostentation. Feeling that this oral order was a bit strange, but he didn't dare to neglect it, he hurriedly changed his clothes, found a small sedan chair carried by two people, and came quietly looking for Dalongfu Temple. After a cold spring, the weather in the capital It got better again, and in a blink of an eye, it was the day when the dragon raised its head on the second day of February, and the east wind was already warm and pleasant.In addition to the Yanjiu Festival on the nineteenth day of the first lunar month, the raising of the dragon's head is also considered an important festival in the capital.When people get up early in the morning, the first thing they do is to pick up a basket of white ash, scatter it into the kitchen in a meandering line from the door, and then go around the water tank, singing "lead the dragon back, Lead the dragon back, lead the dragon back" ballad: Because the Rain Festival has passed at this time, people are looking forward to the rain.If the dragon does not come, the rain will not be applied, and the purpose of bringing the dragon back is to bring back a spring rain.After the ceremony of leading the dragon back, those who like to eat cakes will take out millet noodles and jujube cakes, mixed with thin pancakes, which are called dragon scale cakes; The fried noodles in Daxing County wrapped in dragon-shaped colored paper are called dragon beard noodles.On this day, no matter whether it is in the palace or the common people, female reds are all stopped, for fear that the flying needle will accidentally hurt the dragon's eyes.That is, on this day, all the various flowers and trees that were tightly covered in deep cellars to avoid the cold also opened the cellars and let some warm air in to urge them to recover.In short, as soon as this day comes, people in the capital feel in their hearts that the long-lost spring has crossed the threshold.

In fact, the atmosphere at this time was still thin. Although the majestic Yanshan Mountains blocked the cold wave outside the pass, the warm current from the south was stubbornly resisted by endless frozen clouds after crossing the Yellow River.In the land of Youyan, the first to feel the spring is the livestock.The horses in the pasture began to kick, and they jumped over the wall with agitation, whining.For Lin Ma, how tempting is this majestic neighing! In the wormwood bushes in the field, you can see obscene dogs copulating heartily everywhere.The rooster with the beautiful red crown also often jumps to the tree with a flutter of wings, stretches its neck and looks far ahead, in order to find the "person it likes". A little hen is running wild like no one else around... These natural "erotic pictures" make the vast northern country suddenly full of vitality.The ice balls are broken, the soil is moistened, the roots of the tripod grass are green with stars, and the weeping poplars by the waterside are also bursting out green buds the size of bean grains...

In the capital city, there are high and low houses full of brick houses, and the spring scenery is not as good as ironing posts in the suburbs.However, children from all households have long since ran out of the alleys and started playing 柭柭 in the empty field.This twig is shaped like a jujube stone and is made of two-inch long hardwood.Put it on the ground and hit it with a stick. The first stick hits the twig up, and the second stick follows up and knocks the flying twitter away in the air.Children play this game.The one who hits the farthest wins.The folk song of the Beijing Normal University: "When the willows are alive, spin the top; when the willows are green, let the clock go; when the willows are dead, kick the shuttlecock; when the willows are sprouting, beat the scorpion." Now in the early spring and February when the willows are sprouting, the whole capital is actively playing. Xier's child.The cheers of these yellow-haired children aroused people's mood of looking for spring and victory.

The streets are full of outing people. If you go out of the city, there are many scenic spots in the surrounding suburbs for you to linger, but in the city, people usually go to Dalongfu Temple and Shichahai to find spring. Dalongfu Temple is located in an alley north of the fourth archway in the east of the city. This alley is called Dalongfu Temple Hutong.This majestic temple was built by Jing Zongchi, the sixth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, in the fourth year of Jingtai.The three Buddhas of the third generation and the three great masters are enshrined in the temple. On the left of the entrance gate is the Sutra Hall, on the right is the Wheel Hall, and through the Pilu Hall in the middle, the Dafa Hall is on the fifth floor.The white stone balustrade of this hall was built by Emperor Jing who removed all the wood and stone from the Nannei Palace of the previous Emperor Yingzong.The algae well in the hall is painted with eight Tianlong Huazang boundary tools, and the revolving windows are full of the atmosphere of the Western Regions.Once the temple was completed, it became a great scenic spot in the capital.There are many temples in the capital, but only this Dalongfu Temple and the Daxinglong Temple in Xicheng were built by the emperor and are royal incense houses.The emperor who believed in Buddhism came out to offer incense occasionally, so he went to these two temples.Because of this level, Dalongfu Temple is not only very popular, but also the temple market in front of the temple is the largest in the capital.Every September and October every month, sheds are set up everywhere in the square in front of the temple. In addition to daily necessities, the most attractive things in the temple market here are mostly antiques such as old books, ancient Tuo Xia Ding Shang Yi Chu Ge Han mirror.Later, a flower market was added here. Every February, on the day when the dragon raises its head, the flower market of Dalongfu Temple opens. There are various potted flowers, such as crabapple, winter jasmine, and green peach in spring; lotus, pomegranate, and oleander in summer; Chrysanthemum; winter narcissus, bergamot, plum blossom, etc.; and many southern flowers such as camellia, rhododendron, heavenly bamboo, tiger thorn, crape myrtle, pearl orchid, etc., in this flower market.A group of master flower growers in the capital are able to accommodate the four seasons in one room, and then they all moved to the flower market of Dalongfu Temple, feasting the eyes of many tourists who come to enjoy the spring.

On the second day of February this year, the temple fair and flower market of Dalongfu Temple opened as scheduled, and there was a lot of noise early in the morning with flags and cannons fired.Just after passing the Si Pai, I saw Zhang Juzheng's sedan chair stopped at the entrance of the alley of Dalongfu Temple, and he just opened the sedan chair curtain and walked out.Suddenly, he saw a group of black shadows flying towards him, he dodged quickly, and saw that group of black shadows hit the car curtain with a bang, and a hole was pierced in the dark blue velvet cloth.Zhang Juzheng looked back and picked up a jujube tree from the sedan chair.At this time, a young porter had already rushed over to pick up a child like a chicken, and cursed viciously:

"You bastard, you almost killed my master, kneel down and make amends." As he spoke, he threw the child off the ground, and the child was so frightened that he couldn't kneel down, lay down on the ground and burst into tears. Zhang Juzheng leaned over and took the child up, held the wooden scorpion and asked kindly, "Baby, is this wooden scorpion yours?" The child sobbed and nodded.Zhang Juzheng returned the wooden tree to him, and said: "There are many people here, you can play in another place. If you hurt someone, you will cause trouble. Go." The child took the wooden box and ran away without thinking about thanking him.Looking at his thin back, Zhang Juzheng smiled knowingly, and said to the bearer: "Children are innocent, don't scare them."

The bearer timidly replied with a blushing face, "Yes, sir." The two masters and servants were discussing, when they suddenly saw a person squeezed here in the bustling crowd of people in the alley and shouted: "Zhang Ge... Ah, Mr. Zhang, the temple invites you." The person who spoke was Wan He, originally the eunuch accompanying Empress Dowager Li, now he was also wearing a square horn scarf and a green cloth Taoist robe, pretending to be a servant. Wan He led Zhang Juzheng through hundreds of steps of the alleyway, and then arrived at the big square in front of the mountain gate of Dalongfu Temple.At this time, the square is lined with scaffolding piled with a variety of goods, and nine out of ten are flower bonsai, competing for splendor and beauty everywhere.Tourists crowded the square, and there was an endless flow of red men and dolls.There are a lot of people who neither buy flowers nor pick flowers, but stick in the crowd to watch over those wandering children who behave suspiciously.Zhang Juzheng knew at a glance that these were all plainclothes slaves from Dongchang.Although the Empress Dowager Li's trip did not alarm the government, the defense of Dongchang is absolutely indispensable.Because of thinking about Empress Dowager Li, Zhang Juzheng also had no intention of browsing the flower market, and walked towards the gate of Dalongfu Temple with his head hooked.Suddenly, Wanhe, who was leading the way, stopped, stabbed Zhang Juzheng, and smacked at the row of flower stands next to the mountain gate. Zhang Juzheng looked over there, and was startled. Accompanied by several eunuchs, they were looking at the potted flowers with great interest.

Empress Dowager Li wore a bright red velvet dress today.Velvet is divided into two types: winter and summer. Summer velvet does not get wet in the rain. It is called rain satin, which is more valuable than winter velvet.Due to the lack of velvet in China and the special method of making velvet, it is expensive.It is rare for a wealthy family to be able to wear a velvet dress made in Guangdong.And Queen Mother Li's velvet dress is not only made of rain satin, but also made in Japan.Because of the sea ban, there is no normal trade between this dynasty and the Japanese country. The Japanese products in the stores in the capital are all smuggled from the southeast ocean by some desperate pirates, so the price is getting more and more expensive.The fabric of Empress Dowager Li was purchased by the Inspector of the Inner Court from Hao Yibiao, the boss of Qicaixia, and a bolt of velvet is worth forty taels of gold.Empress Dowager Li wore this long velvet dress, and put on a light green burden cloak from Harlei Kingdom, with a high bun on her head, and three or two emerald moths inserted obliquely.This elegant and luxurious attire made her face white as fat even more.In addition, her clothes have been fumigated with orchid incense in a fumigation cage, and a gust of breeze blows through, and the refreshing fragrance wafts out, and those who hear it will inevitably be tempted to dream about something.

Zhang Juzheng shrugged his nose and was thinking about whether to walk over, but Empress Dowager Li caught a glimpse of him and beckoned to him. Zhang Juzheng then paced over. Empress Dowager Li pointed to a pot of flowers on the flower stand and asked him with a smile: "Mr. Zhang, look at this pot of chrysanthemums. The flowers are as big as a bowl, and the shape of the flowers is also special. I don't know how it was cultivated." Zhang Juzheng looked at the potted flower. It was a single flower, as big as a sea bowl in a Chenghua kiln. The petals were long and thin, the longest one was seven or eight inches long, and the short one was four or five inches. On each golden petal, there were two sides. There is also a faint greenness, and in the breeze, the petals are swaying gently, extremely graceful.

"What a beautiful flower!" Zhang Juzheng exclaimed, "There are many skilled craftsmen in the capital. Shopkeeper, did you grow this flower yourself or did you buy it?" "Master, the hundred pots of flowers and trees on this shelf are all cultivated by the villain himself," said the shopkeeper with a smile on seeing this group of people with extraordinary personalities. There are more than 300 varieties of chrysanthemums, the small ones have cultivated more than 300 varieties. The one that the lady just photographed is called spring and autumn, and the golden color is the true color of autumn. The green traces on both sides of the petals are the sign of welcoming spring. elephant."

"I heard you said it clearly and clearly, how much is this money worth?" Feng Bao intervened and asked. The shopkeeper stretched out his fingers, waved them and said, "That's all." "Five taels?" Feng Bao was startled. "Yes, five taels." The shopkeeper replied, "This is a variant, and it took the old nose to cultivate it." "Flowers are beautiful flowers, but the price is really a price. What do you think, Mr. Zhang?" Empress Dowager Li gave Zhang Juzheng a look. "Yes, a clump of dark flowers, a poem written by one of the ten households, Tang poet Bai Juyi's poem on peony, proves that the ancient and the modern are the same." "Ma'am, look clearly, there is only one pot in the entire flower market, full of spring and autumn fresh air." The shopkeeper said aside. "Why don't we buy it?" Feng Bao asked Empress Dowager Li fawningly. "Forget it, it's too expensive." Empress Dowager Li moved forward as she spoke, and as soon as she walked away, someone behind her said: "I'm wearing this velvet suit, but I can't bear five taels of silver. If she doesn't buy it, I'll buy it." The words were harsh, and Empress Dowager Li turned around abruptly, and saw that the person speaking was a young man in his twenties, wearing a tight gown made of squirrel skin, and a brocade waistcoat with large clusters of flowers on his body. Garigaba's richness.There are quite a few people like this in the capital, and people call them "two hundred and five" behind their backs. He knew that Empress Dowager Li turned around to look at him, and he purposely rubbed his hands in an extraordinary manner, showing off: "Shopkeeper, you have these potted flowers on the flower stand, you can get me a dozen bowls of the ones you choose, and the price is not limited." "How holy is this kid, what a big tone." Feng Baofu muttered softly in Zhang Juzheng's ear. Over there, the storekeeper was already very flattering to this rich and powerful customer, and said with a smile: "You, the owner, are really straightforward. Buy these flowers and give them away from the government?" "Who are you giving it to? Let's use it for ourselves!" Erbaiwu pinched his nose thoughtfully. "You use it yourself?" "Our master ordered us to come and buy it. He said that on the second day of February, when the dragon rises, we need to provide a few bowls of flowers at home to rejuvenate the spring." "Your master is... yo, I dare not inquire about it." "Since you asked, we simply told you, you know who our master is, you can guess." The two hundred and five were talking to the shopkeeper, but their eyes were staring at Queen Mother Li. He had never seen such a dignified and luxurious woman, so his mind was full of thoughts about how to compare the luxury with this lady. "My lord, look at your outfit and spirit, your master is probably a great official." "You guessed it right, how old is our master?" Erbaiwu squinted his eyes and stepped on the flower stand with one foot. The shopkeeper stretched out three fingers: "Sanpin?" Two hundred and five pouted and shook his head, and said disdainfully, "What kind of high-ranking official is the third grade, let's talk about it." "Second product?" The shopkeeper hesitated. Two hundred and five smiled, raised his hand and snapped his fingers, sarcastically said: "You don't dare to guess up, let me tell you the truth, our master is the emperor's country-uncle-ye!" "Uncle Guo?" The shopkeeper was so shocked that he couldn't straighten his waist, and said solemnly, "Master, you mean your master is the uncle of the current emperor?" "Condolence, is this fake? You send these flowers to Uncle Wu Qing's residence, and I will pay you when they are ready." After all, the two hundred and five demonstrators glared at Empress Dowager Li, lifted their robes and walked away with their necks straight. "Master, please go, these flowers will be delivered in an hour." The shopkeeper ran a few steps and shouted loudly towards the shadow behind Two Hundred Five.Turning around and seeing the stunned Empress Dowager Li, she sneered again and said, "I said you, madam, cowhide is not for blowing, and toads are not for flying. You think it is expensive for five liang of silver for a pot of flowers. Look at the status of Uncle Guo's house." Pai, spend a few hundred taels of silver to buy a few bowls of flowers, just treat it as a small amount of money for beggars: " "presumptuous!" Feng Bao stomped his feet and shouted angrily, and more than a dozen plainclothes soldiers from Dongchang had already surrounded him.Empress Dowager Li's face turned red and white, and she could see that she was very uncomfortable inside. She didn't expect the servants in her father's house to be so ostentatious outside.But she is worthy of being the queen mother of the world, and she adjusted her mentality in just a moment. She pursed her lips and smiled, and said to Feng Bao: "Small businessmen, who don't turn somersaults in the eyes of the money hole, we don't need to be as knowledgeable as them." That being said, Empress Dowager Li was stimulated after all, and she no longer had the leisure to visit the flower market. Instead, she made a gesture of invitation to Zhang Juzheng, walked in front of her, and then entered the gate of Dalongfu Temple. After passing through the five-storey hall, the Queen Mother Li and her party came to a grand living room with five couplets behind the Dafa Hall. This is a resting place specially prepared for the royal family members when offering incense, and it is usually not open.Once inside, once Empress Dowager Li sat down, Zhang Juzheng was about to perform the ceremony of meeting with him. Empress Dowager Li quickly waved her hand and said: "Mr. Zhang, you don't have to be cautious. We meet here today in casual clothes, all etiquette will be avoided." "Thank you, Empress Dowager." Zhang Juzheng sat on a chair on the left side of Empress Dowager Li, Feng Bao sat on the right side, and all the idlers retreated. Empress Dowager Li sat under the sunny window, and the sunlight filtered through the window screen filled the room with warmth.Due to the heavy gate, the hustle and bustle of the city outside the mountain gate could not be heard here, and the room was very quiet for a while. The Empress Dowager Li, who took off her burden and cloak, sat there like a blooming hibiscus.She looked at Zhang Juzheng and asked softly: "Mr. Zhang, do you know why we want to meet you here?" This is exactly what made Zhang Juzheng wonder. These days, because of the Zuoyemen incident, the yamen in the capital were indeed boiling for a while.But with Wu He's sudden death, some officials who defended Zhu Heng's injustice also rang the gong to withdraw their troops.They believed that since Wu He had "suicide in fear of crime", Zhu Heng fought back this tone and saved the face of the second-rank minister, so there is no need for this matter to continue.But this is only a superficial phenomenon. In fact, this matter has not really been resolved. One is the issue of whether Zhu Heng will stay or stay. The increase of the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau's use of banks is also pending.As early as a few days ago, Feng Bao had sent him a letter, saying that the Empress Dowager was planning to summon him for the Spring Sutra Banquet.Zhang Juzheng understood that the Empress Dowager's meeting would never just be about the sutra feast, so he had thought about the countermeasures for the recent problems in the capital, especially the financial reform.But he never expected that this time the summoning was not at the platform, let alone Wenhua Hall, but at Dalongfu Temple.There were two other things that surprised him, one was that the little emperor did not come together; the other was that the empress dowager did not wear a phoenix coronet, but wore this luxurious casual dress.Based on this, Zhang Juzheng felt that this summoning was not formal, but extraordinary.Seeing Queen Mother Li questioning at this moment, he raised his head and glanced at Queen Mother Li, but unexpectedly, Queen Mother Li's bright and clear eyes were also staring at him, and there was a tenderness in those eyes that was not commensurate with the Queen Mother's status , causing the "iron-faced prime minister" to panic for a while, he subconsciously lowered his eyelids, stabilized his emotions, and replied: "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, I really don't know why the Empress Dowager chose Dalongfu Temple to summon her." "We know you will be surprised," Empress Dowager Li smiled slightly, glanced at Feng Bao again, and said, "This Dalongfu Temple has an unusual fate with us." "what!" Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao were surprised at the same time. Empress Dowager Li caressed her carefully combed temples, and babbled about her dusty past: When Empress Dowager Li was fifteen years old, her father sent her to Emperor Longqing's hidden residence, Prince Yu's Mansion, to be a maid. Not getting ahead.She knew very well that all her future depended on King Yu.Therefore, she always tried every means to please King Yu.King Yu was not loved by his father, Emperor Jiajing, for a long time. He was imprisoned in Prince Yu's mansion for nothing to do, and could only spend his days in wine and sex. It's too embarrassing to flatter and compete for favor, Yu Wang has long been tired of playing games.The arrival of Empress Dowager Li, the youthful breath that grew up in the mountains, the pair of fiery eyes, the two plump breasts like eggplant melons, and the round, well-proportioned and elastic buttocks all made King Yu's heart flutter. Fantasies.Soon, this low-ranking maidservant became his sleeping servant.Although she can be as happy as glue with King Yu, but her identity cannot be changed.It must be known that the promotion of a member of the royal family is an extremely serious matter, and it was impossible for her to obtain the status based on her background at that time. If she wanted to change her situation, there was only one way: to become pregnant and give birth to a son for King Yu.Previously, King Yu's concubines had given birth to him two sons, but they all died when they were underage.Therefore, all the young women in King Yu's mansion eagerly wanted to conceive King Yu's child, and whoever was able to sleep with him would immediately be envied and cursed by other concubines.In those days, Empress Dowager Li did not lose sight of her eyes, and also suffered a lot.How can the concubines allow a low-level maid to be favored by King Yu? So they all linked up and punished her with one nostril.She didn't give in or resist, everything was resigned.Fortunately, there was another person who sympathized with her and protected her at that time, and that was Queen Chen, the wife of King Yu.Empress Chen has never had an heir since she married into Prince Yu's Mansion, so all the concubines wanted to squeeze her out and replace her.She liked the simplicity of Empress Dowager Li, and hoped that she could conceive for King Yu, so that she could stop the concubines' delusion. This sincere relationship has continued to this day... Soon after Empress Dowager Li entered Yuwang's mansion, Yuwang broke her daughter's body after drinking.Since then, she often went to bed, but she was still unable to conceive a child. Almost a year passed, and there was no news from her womb.Empress Dowager Li couldn't help feeling anxious. Every night she knelt in the house and burned incense to pray to the gods, hoping that the gods would bless her to give birth to a son soon.One day, she heard people say that the Avalokitesvara of Dalongfu Temple is extremely spiritual, and all those who wish to have children will get their wishes if they pray on the day when the dragon raises its head on the second day of February.As soon as Empress Dowager Li heard the news, she began to count the days on her fingers. On February 2nd, she informed Empress Chen, and at dawn she came to Dalongfu Temple alone to offer incense. There are six main halls in Dalongfu Temple dedicated to the three great masters of the third Buddha, and the Dashi hall is the smaller one.Because Mrs. Li came back early, there was still no one in the Guanyin Hall, and she was the first pilgrim.The old nun who was on duty looked at her and asked, "Want a son?" Empress Dowager Li nodded. Pointing to the screen wall outside the hall, the old nun said, "Go touch the nails first." "Touch the nails, why are you touching the nails?" The old nun smiled and said, "Aren't you begging for a son? You close your eyes and walk over. If you can touch the nails right away, and come back to pray to Guanyin, you will definitely be pregnant this year." Empress Dowager Li followed the old nun's instructions and came out to look at the wall, and there was indeed a teacup in the middle of the wall. brass blister nails.So she retreated to the bottom of the wall, closed her eyes and stretched out her hand to touch it slowly, one step, one step, another step... In the short ten steps, she seemed to have walked thousands of miles, and finally, her finger touched the wall, Opening her eyes, she saw that it was only a finger's width away from the copper foam nail. She was very depressed, and the old nun who was leaning on the temple door to watch comforted her and said, "It's only a small difference. If it doesn't matter, you can touch it three times." The Empress Dowager felt a little relieved when she heard this, and started to touch it for the second time. This time, she closed her eyes and silently recited "Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva bless" a dozen times in a row.Stretching out her hand again, after a while, she felt her fingers touch a piece of smooth coolness, she couldn't wait to open her eyes, but when she saw that her fingers were pressing softly on the copper foam nails, she was overjoyed, and turned back to the hall, facing the sitting room. Avalokitesvara on the lotus pedestal performed three prostrations and nine kowtows, and stuffed all the five taels of silver that he had accumulated with his heart into the hands of the old nun.The old nun seldom met such a sincere person, so he couldn't help being moved. He clasped his hands together and said, "Amitabha, with the blessing of Guanyin Bodhisattva, the donor will surely get his wish fulfilled. Today is the day when the dragon raises its head. I wish you an early birth to a dragon son." The divine Empress Dowager Li was elated, and then asked: "The old master said we can give birth to dragon sons?" After asking this question, the old nun felt that he had lost his words, but he couldn't change his words, so he could only falter and say, "Of course you have a good heart, benefactor." Just this time Soon after begging for a son, Mrs. Li became pregnant. Ten months later, she gave birth to a chubby little boy, who is now the little emperor Zhu Yijun. After listening to the story told by the Empress Dowager Li, Feng Bao sighed: "No wonder the Empress Dowager went to the Guanyin Hall to offer incense as soon as she arrived at the temple, and she also took a special look at the big copper nail on the screen wall. It is the lifeblood of our Wanli Dynasty. The slave just saw that there are still some women touching nails there. This is disrespectful and should be stopped immediately!" "Why is this?" Queen Mother Li asked. "The servant heard that there was a Kou Zhun in the Song Dynasty. He went to Beijing to take the exam and stayed in a temple. He wrote a poem on the wall impromptuly. Later, when he became a prime minister, the monks in the temple covered the poem with a green sarong. This is a shocking event. This copper nail is a divine nail. How can these mortal women fiddle with it again? This servant ordered to go on and immediately use Green sarong, no, make a golden silk cover to cover it." Feng Bao quoted scriptures and specialized in flattery, so he stood up to arrange this matter. Empress Dowager Li motioned him to sit down, and said with a smile: "Eunuch Feng is kind, but there is no need to cover the copper nails.,, "Why?" Feng Bao wanted to argue. "You," Empress Dowager Li shook her head, looked at Zhang Juzheng again, and said meaningfully, "You men can't understand women's painstaking efforts. There is no woman in the world who doesn't want to have a child. If you take that copper When the nails are covered, those women who want to touch the nails don't dare to say anything in the open, why don't they scold us in the back, what do you say, Mr. Zhang? Zhang Juzheng, who has been sitting upright and listening quietly, hastily bowed and replied: "The Queen Mother I pray that all mothers in the world will give birth to precious children. This kind of heart to relieve suffering and save the world is really the heart of a merciful Bodhisattva. No wonder inside and outside the palace, it is widely rumored that the Queen Mother is the reincarnation of Guanyin. ,, upon hearing this compliment, Empress Dowager Li suddenly withdrew her smile. She glanced at Zhang Juzheng, then at Feng Bao, sighed deeply, and said: "You all say that we are the reincarnated Guanyin, so what about you two, what are you?" Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao were puzzled by this sudden question, and Feng Bao replied: "We are the Queen Mother's servants." Empress Dowager Li smiled coldly, and then asked Zhang Juzheng: "Mr. Zhang, what about you?" " "Good answer!" Empress Dowager Li raised her eyes, then turned to Feng Bao and said sharply, "You said you are a slave, aren't you insulting yourself? The three-legged toad can't be found, and the two-legged slaves are everywhere. yes." "The queen mother is right, we..." Feng Bao was at a loss for words. Seeing Feng Bao's embarrassment, Zhang Juzheng smoothed things over for him: "Eunuch Feng is not bad. The first thing you need to do for the emperor is to be loyal. Minister Gu often calls himself a servant. This servant, in other words, is a slave. There is nothing wrong with being a slave, but I am afraid that a person can only be a slave without talent." "Hearing what Mr. Zhang said, slaves can understand it separately." Empress Dowager Li pursed her lips and said immediately, "You two, one is for the emperor's housekeeper, and the other is for the emperor to govern the country. Judging from the actual performance of the past two years, the first emperor chose You are the Minister of Gu Ming, and you have not made a mistake." "Being praised by the Empress Dowager, I am ashamed to be a fool." This time, Zhang Juzheng was the first to express his opinion. Empress Dowager Li went on to say: "Today is the day when the dragon raises its head. We summoned you two to Longfu Temple to avoid the emperor and talk to you personally. Jun'er has been emperor for two years. I'm already twelve years old. Although I'm still a child, I've grown up day by day and started to have some thoughts of my own. Mr. Zhang, do you know what you did when the emperor summoned you on the platform that day, when you returned to Dongnuange? " "I don't know." "He ordered Sun Hai to bring back all the collections of poetry from the study in the Wenhua Palace, and said that you, Mr. Zhang, wanted him to learn less of these petty tricks and learn more about economics." "Your Majesty, at such a young age, was able to overcome the desire to play gatha, and learn the fundamentals of governance from remonstrance, and the common people in the world are fortunate." Zhang Juzheng said with red eyes. Of course, the changes in his emotions could not escape the keen eyes of Empress Dowager Li. She didn't express anything, but continued: "Last night, Jun'er told me again that the books that Mr. Zhang asked him to read were all good books, but there was one book that he refused to read." "Which one?" "Zhenguan dignitaries." "This is the integration of Tang Taizong's strategy for governing the country. It is a must-read textbook for future generations who rule the world. Why does the emperor reject it?" "Jun'er said that Emperor Taizong of Tang's Xuanwu sect seized power and even dared to kill his own brothers. Such a person has no filial piety, no matter how capable he is in governing the country, it is not enough, so I don't read his book." Zhang Juzheng did not expect this judgment of the little emperor, and what surprised him even more was that a twelve-year-old child would have such a mature thought. His heart was full of joy, and he couldn't help but praise: "Your majesty can judge right from wrong independently, what a child prodigy!" "What else?" The smile on Empress Dowager Li's white face disappeared suddenly at this moment, "When I got up this morning, the emperor made another amazing move. The eunuch in clothes found him a new one. He refused to wear the black dress, and asked the eunuch to find him an old one." "Why is this?" Zhang Juzheng asked blankly. "He said that he would practice calligraphy in the morning, and he might get ink stains in his new clothes. In fact, we mothers know what this child is thinking. He thinks that the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau has not yet achieved any results in increasing the amount of money, so he only thinks about thrift. Thinking that being frugal is the act of a sage.” Empress Dowager Li burst into tears as she spoke.Seeing her worried look, Feng Bao, who had been sitting withered for a while because of being ridiculed, found another opportunity to speak at this time: "Your Majesty Wan Cheng, you are so wronged for wearing clothes. This servant feels like a knife is pierced in his heart." Feng Baoji was good at acting, and wiped away his tears as he spoke.He said bitterly, "At the end of last year, my slave drew up a plan to arrange for the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau to make a few more sets of dragon clothes for the emperor, but Zhu Heng, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, insisted on not doing it, and it has been delayed until today, which has angered the emperor. sad." Feng Bao deserves to have the means to transfer flowers to trees, and he brought the topic to Zhu Heng without showing the mountains or the water.Zhang Juzheng knew that what we were talking about now was the "main event" of today, but luckily he was well prepared, so he said: "Although Zhu Heng was somewhat impulsive about the use of silver by the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau, I think that Zhu Heng's move was really for the sake of the emperor, but the method was not right." "From my point of view, Zhu Heng's method is not only inappropriate, but he deliberately made things difficult. Otherwise, how did Mo Wenlong's book come out?" "Mo Wenlong's booklet has nothing to do with Zhu Heng. I asked him to write it," Zhang Juzheng replied frankly. "That day, when Mo Wenlong went to the cabinet to report on his work, the servant asked him about the daily operation of the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau, and he said something unknown to outsiders. Concealed, I thought about the emperor's administration and should know more about the real situation, so I encouraged him to write that note to the emperor." "Do you think what the exposition said is true?" Queen Mother Li asked. "Mo Wenlong is a prudent person, and he won't talk about pretentious things." "But……" Feng Bao was about to argue, but Empress Dowager Li reached out to stop him.Her bright eyes flickered a few times, and she said: "We just want to hear Mr. Zhang's opinion on this matter, please continue." Zhang Juzheng nodded and said eloquently: "According to the "Song History" of the Southern Dynasties, Liu Yu, the great ancestor, was born in a humble family. When he was young, he made a living by cutting down reeds. At that time, his wife, who was later Empress Zang, made coarse cloth for him. After wearing the shirt and jacket for many years, it has been patched and patched, but he is still reluctant to throw it away. Later, when he became the emperor, he still treasured this shirt and jacket. When his eldest daughter, Princess Kuaiji, got married, he took the worn out jacket I gave the shirt and jacket to my daughter as the most precious dowry, and said to her, "You must abstain from extravagance, live frugally, and never forget the sufferings of ordinary people. If there are future generations who are proud, extravagant and unwilling to be frugal, just give this dress to him." Look, let them know that even though I am the emperor, I still don't pursue beauty, but simplicity, so that I can share the sorrows with all people.' Princess Kuaiji accepted this ragged coat with tears and made it a family heirloom ever since. The story of Liu Na’s abstaining from extravagance is clearly recorded in history, and the future generations of sage monarchs will all follow suit.” Zhang Juzheng didn't speak out his own point of view straight out of the box, but instead opened his mouth to use the past to explain the present.Empress Dowager Li was so thoughtful, she looked at the velvet dress she was wearing that was made in Japan, and her face turned red.Feng Bao saw it, and immediately said: "The story Mr. Zhang told can be used to warn the world against arrogance and extravagance, but it may be used with consideration for the royal family. After all, the emperor's clothing is not a matter of personal likes or dislikes, but the dignity of a country." "Eunuch Feng understands righteousness, and his words are reasonable," Zhang Juzheng first put a big hat on Feng Bao in order to avoid conflicts, and then said, "I also agree with Eunuch Feng's suggestion, and the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau will make one for the emperor. Appropriate and exquisite garments and fine clothes. As ministers, who would not want to be holy and majestic to the world, and Chunhua Wanfang!" Zhang Juzheng's sudden change of tone surprised Empress Dowager Li.Feng Bao mentioned that the heart in his throat finally settled down again. He smiled and said lightly: "Mr. Zhang, reason is reason, and law is law. Hearing what you said, I finally understand my painstaking efforts." "Eunuch Feng is loyal to the emperor, and everyone in the world knows his love for the emperor. Bugu is very touched by this. But regarding the use of silver by the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau, Bugu also has an idea." "Tell me." Empress Dowager Li ordered. "Mo Wenlong talked about the disadvantages of using silver in the weaving bureau, and we must pay attention to it. In the manufacture of dragon clothes in the past dynasties, some middle-level officials took the opportunity to be greedy for ink, which caused public resentment. How can the new policy be embodied in the old law?" When Zhang Juzheng talked about political affairs, his tone was aggressive, but he did not forget to appease Feng Bao. Extravagance, when Lu Dadang coerced selfishness and absurdity, and pretended his authority to benefit his own selfishness, he was always worried. Since Mr. Feng took charge of the Yinsi Ritual Supervisor, the atmosphere in the inner court has been changed. The use of porcelain for paper saves more than 18,000 taels of silver. Eunuch Feng contributed a lot to frugality and rectification. The reason why the weaving bureau used silver this time caused controversy. The communication is poor, and the second is that the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau made a mistake in calculating the cost of silver. Mo Wenlong’s booklet has made it very clear that the actual cost of making a dragon garment and the cost of applying for silver are too big.” Although Zhang Juzheng tried not to hurt Feng Bao in words, Feng Bao still said angrily because of his interests: "There are many untrue words in Mo Wenlong's booklet. There are many kinds of wages he calculated that he did not include, such as the pearls and gems on the clothes. He couldn't list them.工价银的一多半。” “这正是问题症结所在，”张居正反应极快，立马答道，“杭州织造局归内廷管辖，其用银却是内廷与户部分摊各出一半。历来编制预算都由织造局钦差太监负责，户部插不上手。既出了钱，又不知这钱如何一个用法，因此户部意见很大，为这工价银的问题，几乎年年扯皮。依仆之见，这种管理体制，现在是非改不可了。” “怎么改呢?”李太后问。 “既是内廷织造局与工部共同出银，这每年的申请用银额度，亦应由两家共同派员核查，编制预算，然后联合呈文至御前，由皇上核实批准。” 李太后觉得张居正这建议不错，既照顾了户部面子，又堵塞了漏洞，最后的控制权还在皇上手中，便问冯保： “冯公公，你意如何?” 冯保正在心里头盘算这事儿的得失：他不得不佩服张居正的厉害，如此一更改，虽然名义上是皇上定夺此事，但内阁却可以通过“拟票”来干预。自洪武皇帝到现在，这件事都是司礼监说了算，如今却大权旁落，内阁成了大赢家。冯保心有不甘，却又找不到反对的理由，只得回道： “一切听太后裁夺。” “好，冯公公既无异议，这件事儿，就按张先生的建议办。” 李太后一锤定音，国朝这一坚持了两百年的“祖制”，就这样被轻而易举地更改了。张居正心里头大大松了一口气。但还谈不上高兴，毕竟这件事得罪了冯保。偏这时候，李太后又道： “今年杭州织造局的增额用银，亦可让工部参与重新审核。” 张居正略一迟疑，答道：“今年织造局的用银，就不必增额了。” “为何?”冯保不高兴地问。 “皇上还是个孩子，每年都长个儿，他现在比登极的时候，差不多长高了半个头，如果现在给他多制龙袍，恐怕到明年，穿着又不合身了，这不是白费银子么?” “张先生言之有理，”李太后心中佩服张居正的细心，转而对冯保善意地嘲笑道，“冯公公，你咋就没想到这一层?” 冯保想笑笑不出来，含着醋意答道：“奴才心眼儿实，只瞅着皇上的穿戴，却没想到个头儿。““这么说，皇上今年的龙袍制作，不是要增多，而是应该减少，原来的工价银是多少?” “四十万两。”冯保答。 “咱看就砍一半吧，二十万两怎么样?” 从八十万两一下子降为二十万两．这么大的降幅，连张居正都感到吃惊，因此迎着李太后探询的目光，他答道：“臣谨遵太后懿旨。” 李太后见冯保默不作声，知道他不高兴，便道：“你们两个，是皇上的左右手。咱说话可能不中听，但希望你们记住，你们做一切事情，都要替皇上着想，替国家着想，千万不要打自家的小算盘，更不要为鸡毛蒜皮的事闹别扭，常言道家和万事兴，你们两个都是替皇上当家的，你们之间的和，不单是皇上的幸事，更是天下苍生的幸事。” 李太后高屋建瓴说出这番话来，既有威又有情，既是拉拢又是敲打。冯保越来越感到李太后不是寻常的女人。他觉得这席话虽然是说给两个人听的，但似乎对他的提醒更多一些，心里头便产生了恐惧，赶紧表白道： “太后所言，奴才铭记在心。奴才与张先生两个，都是亲受顾命的老臣，忠心事主是其本分，哪里有个人意气可闹?” “冯公公这样说咱就放心了。”李太后说罢，又问张居正，“张先生，朱衡申请致仕，究竟是恩准还是慰留，你意如何?” 张居正朝冯保看了一眼，答道：“臣以为，皇上可恩准朱衡致仕。” 李太后犹豫答道：“朱衡毕竟是三朝老臣，就这么让他走了，天下人会不会说皇上无情?” 张居正答：“臣也虑着这一点，因此，臣建议皇上开恩，晋朱衡太子太傅，袭一品勋衔致仕，另外再加荫一子，这样，朱衡风光体面的告老回乡，对皇上岂不感激涕零?” 李太后想了想，道：“就依你说的办，朱衡这一走，空下的工部尚书一职，谁来接任?” “臣让吏部举荐三人，再请皇上定夺。” “这是规矩，张先生不说咱也知道，咱想知道的是，吏部举荐三人，究竟哪一个可担此重任，张先生要预先考察凿实，廷推之前先给皇上通气。” 张居正本想趁机举荐李义河，但又怕引起李太后猜忌反而办不成，故又打消了念头。只恭谨言道： “臣遵旨。” 这时候，随堂太监万和进来禀报，说是寺中的素膳已备好，请太后前去享用。李太后便起了身，带着张居正与冯保进了隔壁的膳厅。