Chapter 80 The Seventeenth Chapter of Jin Wei Zhong Monarch and Ministers Discussing the State is Zaifu and Love Poems in the Flower Hall

During the period from the vernal equinox to the winter solstice, except for one month of dog days, every three to sixty-nine days of each month is the day of Jingyan.The Jingyan is divided into a big Jingyan and a small Jingyan. The big Jingyan is held once a month on the ninth day of the month.This is the big lecture, also known as the monthly lecture.The remaining eight sutra feasts are called small sutra feasts, or daily lectures for short.Except for the cabinet, the Ministry of Rites, the Imperial Academy and other civil servants, the rest will not participate in the daily lectures.On the day of the lecture every month, the princes Qigui and Jiuqing, big and small, in the capital, the lecturers of the Imperial Academy, the lecturers of the thirteen censors, the fourth grade and above, and the six department officials above the matter, all have to attend in shifts. Enter the hall and stand on the hatchback to wait.After the speech, the emperor ordered Honglu Temple to give a banquet as usual. This banquet was not only rich, but also extremely gracious.Not only the officials who participated in the sutra banquet can participate in the banquet, but even the entourage and family members of these officials, and even the bearers and horse soldiers can sit and enjoy the precious feast.Don't say anything after eating, the remaining dishes and snacks on the banquet are allowed to be taken away by the officials.Therefore, the officials who are qualified to participate in the Great Sutra Banquet, on this day, are all rejoicing.They rushed to participate, not so much for "listening", but rather for "eating". As time passed, there was a saying in the capital for this event, called "eating scripture feast".

Today is the ninth day of June, another day of "eating scriptures".Da Nei Wenhua Hall is the place where the Sutra banquet is held.When Emperor Wanli first came to the throne the year before last, Empress Dowager Li listened to Feng Bao's suggestion to decorate the Wenhua Palace while the little emperor was having a sutra feast.At that time, due to the lack of national treasury, Zhang Juzheng tried his best to make a statement.The matter was delayed for some time, and a year later, when the national treasury became more abundant, Zhang Juzheng offered to renovate the Wenhua Palace.During the few months between the last winter solstice and the vernal equinox this year, the Wenhua Hall was renovated, and a plaque was added to the front and rear gates of the hall. The plaque on the front door reads:

error correction These four characters were drawn up by Empress Dowager Li, because there is an ancillary building on the side of the front hall, called "Shengyuju", which was given by the old emperor Jiajing, which means to reflect on mistakes.Empress Dowager Li extended her meaning accordingly. These four characters were written by Du Shi, a scholar in the cabinet.The plaque on the gate of the back hall reads: Learn from the Great Classics and Dafa of Two Emperors and Three Kings to Rule the World This plaque was not only drafted by Queen Mother Li, but also the calligraphy was written by her.The inscription on the plaque is divided into six lines from left to right, with two characters in each line.The characters are in regular script, which has the style of Yan Zhenqing's brushwork, but it is not simple enough but beautiful.From the two inscriptions on the front and back halls, we can see the empress dowager Li's ardent expectations for her son.In the grand lobby of the hall, there are five pairs of steep and high wooden pillars.On each pair of mahogany pillars with soft and luxurious luster, there is a golden couplet with exquisite azurite background.The five couplets were all written by Zhang Juzheng and written by Wang Tingce, the cabinet secretary.From one to five, they are:

The end of the reading and the beginning of the canon in the semester Mai Yinzong Yu Jixi's heart is like the empress of the Zhou Dynasty Pi Huang Tu Kao Emperor Wen Jiuyu formed in a few seats The Six Classics and Taoism of Youli Quexiang Art Garden are displayed on the soup wall Exploring the Six Books of Grace and Grace Thousands of Ching Ching Yao Edited by Yao History of the Vertical and Horizontal Charts Looking up at the past and present Xibazhi Qunyu Peak Dongbi Geng's Brilliance of Twin Stars Precious Qi Gao Teng Book House Xianghui takes Shulin from afar From the poet's point of view, these couplets lack agility and charm at the end, so they can't be regarded as high-quality works.But the royal family has its own royal demeanor. It does not seek to be imaginative and perverse, but always strives for grace and accuracy.From the imperial point of view, these couplets written by Zhang Juzheng are quite satisfactory.Besides, there are five screens on both sides of the altar where the emperor sits in the hall. The left screen is covered with the titles of civil servants all over the world, and the right screen is covered with the titles of military officials all over the world. If there is any vacancy, the name will be removed and left The next block is blank.When the emperor saw the gap, he would ask why the gap was missing, and ordered the Ministry of Officials to find candidates to fill it up as soon as possible.These two fan screens are also Zhang Juzheng's pioneering work. The purpose of listing the world's officials in front of the little emperor is to remind him not to slack off in political affairs, and to develop a good habit of working hard to govern from an early age.Under Majesty Dan, there is also a pair of pure gold cranes standing about three feet high. They are a pair of incense stands. On the feast day, half an hour before the emperor enters the hall, the eunuchs of Siam will light it up to pay tribute to Siam. For a while, the smell of the scent filled the nostrils, and the hall was full of fragrance: beside Lihe, stood a curator of the lecture, when the lecturer talked about a certain chapter and page, the curator walked up to Danbi, and knelt down to translate the lecture for the emperor Page, pressed down with a gold ruler, and then bowed down.The official lectures are placed outside Lihe, facing Danchi.When lecturers are speaking, they all kneel behind the case and face the emperor, with their backs straight and their voices loud.Although it takes a lot of suffering to do so, being a lecturer for the emperor is the honor that all civil servants dream of.As the emperor's teacher, he must be the first choice of the assistant ministers in the future.

But it is said that the lecturer today is Yu Shenxing, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy.He was a Jinshi in the second year of Longyan, and the chief examiner of the Beijing Examination this year was Zhang Juzheng. According to the rules of Shilin, all the Jinshi admitted this year had a teacher-student relationship with Zhang Juzheng.Yu Shenxing's knowledge and character are very good, so he is favored by Juzheng.Zhang Juzheng carefully selected six lecturers for the little emperor, and Yu Shen was among them.Yu Shenxing will talk about the tenth section of "The Analects of Confucius Weizi Eighteenth" today: "The Duke of Zhou said that Lu Gong said: "A gentleman does not treat his relatives, and does not make ministers complain. Therefore, if there is no major reason, you will not abandon it." Also. There is no need to be prepared by one person.” This short 30-odd words, Yu Shenxing’s erudition and quotations, the phrasing was subtle, and the rhyme was sonorous, and it took more than an hour.When the person on duty in the leaking room tiptoed into the hall holding the "Si" signboard and replaced the "Chen" signboard on the copper frame on the right side of the hall door, three loud whips were heard outside the hall. It's the signal that the lecture is over.As soon as the sound of the whip stopped, Yu Shenxing immediately played and said: "My minister, Yu Shenxing, has finished speaking, and there are filthy saints listening, and I am really afraid." The little emperor nodded as if relieved, and said: "Give me a reward." The eunuch carried a wooden tray full of gold, pearls and silver beans with both hands, and walked from the bottom of the altar to the hall. He tilted the wooden tray, and the gold beads and silver beans rolled all over the floor. All the courtiers who attended the lectures rushed to the ground to fight for the rewards. This is also a story, starting from about the time of Emperor Yongle, every scripture banquet, the rewards for the lecturers were sprinkled with pre-prepared gold, pearls and silver beans. On the ground, let the lecturers rob it. Although this action is unrefined, but because it was bestowed by the emperor, the lecturers are all proud of fighting for it.

Just as the lecturers rushed to the ground to scramble for it, the little emperor had already stepped down from Danchi, and went to rest in a tent temporarily set up on the left side of the hall.Under his orders, Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao also entered Jinyu at the same time.Because of Zhang Juzheng's special status as the first assistant and teacher, the little emperor respected him very much.Every sutra feast, he arranged Zhang Juzheng's seat on the side of Danji, served ice next to him in summer, and let the little servant fan him, and spread thick blankets under his feet in winter to keep his feet warm.All of this, the ministers who participated in the sutra feast saw it, and thought it was a special kindness through the ages.

At this moment, in Jinyu, the little emperor took the warm white fungus soup from the servant, adjusted it with his own hands, then handed it to Zhang Juzheng with both hands, and said respectfully: "Please use it, sir." Zhang Juzheng got up to thank him, and took the white fungus soup Taste it in small bites.The little emperor himself tasted a bowl.After the servant cleaned up the dishes and left Jinyu, the little emperor asked: "Mr. Zhang, how is Yu Shenxing's speech today?" "That's right. Yu Shenxing is from Qufu, Shandong Province. He is from the same hometown as Confucius. He studied Confucianism since he was a child. He can be regarded as a master of Confucianism in Qilu."

"What you said is very true," the little emperor paused, glanced at Feng Bao, and said again. "I wrote six pieces of characters yesterday, and I want to give them to the six lecturers. Please take a look at them first." As soon as the little emperor finished speaking, Feng Bao took out a piece of gold-sprinkled rice paper folded four feet from the pineapple wooden box that had been placed in the brocade tent, and opened it for Zhang Juzheng to have a look.On this paper are four fighting characters that are also in regular script: The basics of academic affairs This is a painting given to Yu Shenxing, with a big seal on the signature: "Emperor's Treasure".Zhang Juzheng read the six characters one by one, and saw that all of them were printed with the same seal, so he said:

"Reporting to the emperor, I suggest that these six calligraphic treasures should not be given to the lecturer for now." "Why?" "There is an error in printing." "This is my seal. Yesterday, we asked the eunuch holding the seal to seal it." "The emperor has a total of thirteen square seals. When to use which seals, he is very strict and can't make mistakes at all." "Really?" The little emperor was eager to listen. Zhang Juzheng pondered for a while, and said eloquently: "At the beginning of the founding of the country, Emperor Hongwu investigated the classics and inspected the system. He made a great treasure of seals to show the world and pass them on to future generations. There are thirteen seals of Tianyu, the first one is called ' The emperor's treasure' is also used for amnesty; the second is called 'emperor's travel treasure', which is ordered to be used by the generals; the third is called 'emperor's letter treasure', which is used for conscription; The fifth day is called "Treasure of the Son of Heaven", which is used as a gift to the four barbarians; the sixth day is called "Tianzi Xinbao" to be used by the barbarians; The eighth is called "Gongyu Zhibao", which is used for sealing and offering incense; the ninth is called "Zhizhao Zhibao", which is specially used to make imperial edict documents; the tenth is called "Imperial Order Zhibao", which is specially used for imperial edicts ; The eleventh is called 'Jing Yi Zhi Zhong', which is used for ink in calligraphy; the twelfth is called 'Yu Fu Dan Fu', which is used for seal symbols.On top of these twelve categories of imperial treasures.There is also a treasure seal used to promulgate decrees to call on the world, which is called "the only national treasure of the treasure of condensing life".These thirteen great seals are the system of one dynasty, and they are the talismans of the emperor's orders, which are passed down from generation to generation and cannot be changed.The calligraphy given by His Majesty to the lecturers should be used as "Jing Zhong", but it has been misused as "Emperor's Treasure". Such fallacies must not be spread out of the forbidden court. "

After some instruction from the teacher, the little emperor listened carefully, and deeply felt that being an emperor is not easy, and there are too many things to learn. He recollected it and said: ''It is no small matter for the emperor to use wrong printing. These six characters are invalid. I will go back to Xinuang Pavilion in the afternoon to rewrite and re-seal the seal. " ''That's very good," Zhang Juzheng nodded in satisfaction, looked at the shadowy figures outside Jinyu, and said again, "Your Majesty has heard today's sermon, I don't know if there is anything else you want to ask?"

The little emperor frowned and thought for a while, then said: "The sage Kong said, 'There is no great reason for the old, so don't abandon it', and Yu Shenxing's explanation is very clear. From my point of view, the old, for the court, is Qi Wanxungui, princes and ministers. These people cannot be blamed completely. As long as there is no major fault, the court must be tolerant and kind to them. This is the content of God's benevolent government. Yuansuke, do I understand correctly?" It can be seen from this speech that the little emperor listened very seriously, but Zhang Juzheng was worried that the little emperor would disrupt the law because of "benevolence", so he reminded in time: "There is no big reason for the old. The principle of the court is not to abandon it. Not to give up is to give them the opportunity to serve the court, instead of allowing the court to spend their time and support a bunch of idlers." "Now, among Qi Wanxungui, princes and ministers, is there anyone idle?" Zhu Yijun stared at Zhang Juzheng intently. "Yes, and not a lot." Zhang Juzheng's tone was very firm, "It is said that Xu Congcheng, the captain of the son-in-law, not only eats the salary of the imperial court, but also enjoys the income from the tens of thousands of acres of rice fields bestowed by the emperor. There are farms in the countryside and farms in the city. There are shops in the village, and they are already very rich. In terms of assets, they have long surpassed Li Wei, Wu Qingbo. But such a person, not only can't help the court do anything practical, but also causes trouble everywhere. Not only does he not support the empress dowager's proposal to levy taxes on Zilitian The queen mother is the first to object." Xu Congcheng also participated in today's sutra banquet. Feng Bao looked outside Jinyu and whispered: "Lieutenant Xu still does a little bit of work. Every spring and autumn, he will officiate on behalf of the emperor." Zhang Juzheng smiled and said sarcastically: "I have done these two days of errands in a year, can't this be called an idler?" With regard to the taxation of Zilitian, the interested groups involved are the royal family and princes and nobles.The court ministers who lived only on their salaries would not be affected in any way, so they all actively supported this reform; on the contrary, there were many opponents from those big households with powerful farms.Recently, various rumors have been heard endlessly.The little emperor has heard a lot, and sometimes he can't help feeling compassionate, thinking that these princes who are crying for poverty are pitiful, but he firmly believes that the mother's decision-making is not wrong, and he also bears in mind Zhang Juzheng's teaching that "a sage should not have the kindness of a woman." ", so such complaints are ignored.The Xu Congcheng that Zhang Juzheng mentioned just now really made him difficult.In terms of family relationship, Xu Congcheng is his real uncle, but it is also he who opposes Youlie by taxing Zilitian.According to the interview form submitted by Dongchang, the mysterious assassin discovered in Jingzhou City not long ago may also be related to the captain-in-law.Some officials even submitted memorials based on this rumor, demanding that Xu Congcheng be severely punished.The little emperor thought in his heart: Zhang Juzheng's attack on Xu Congcheng today may be related to these rumors.He knew that if he didn't make a clear statement at this time and allowed the situation to expand, it would definitely be detrimental to the royal family, so he said: "Yuanfu said that Xu Congcheng is an idler. Although it is true, it is not his fault. From now on, we should send him more errands. As for the taxation of Zilitian, he complained a little, and suddenly asked him to take money out, holding his breath in his heart. , It is understandable to say some harsh words. Recently, in the case of Zhao Qian, the prefect of Jingzhou, who was poisoned to death, someone said that Xu Congcheng was related to it. This is completely nonsense." Listening to the drum, listening to the sound, listening to the voice, Zhang Juzheng heard that the little emperor wanted to protect Xu Congcheng, so he immediately turned around and replied: "As for the Jingzhou Assassin, I will obey the Holy Order and will not pursue it." "That's very good," the little emperor said with a smile as if he had lifted a stone from his heart, "Zhao Qian was found out by Jin Xuezeng as a corrupt official, and he deserved to die. It's meaningless to investigate this matter." "What the Holy Majesty said is very true." Zhang Juzheng echoed. The little emperor thought for a while, then returned to the topic just now, and said: "Mr. said that most of the nobles in the court are idlers, but after they are all meritorious officials, if the court does not pay more compensation to the meritorious officials, who will be willing to serve the court in the future?" When the little emperor caught a question, he wanted to get to the bottom of it. Zhang Juzheng also wanted to take this opportunity to teach the emperor clearly some policy guidelines, so he pondered and played back: "Since the founding of our dynasty, civil and military officials who have opened up territories and created Gangzhi have been entrusted with the titles of Duke, Marquis, and Bo according to their performance. These titles have a history. Personal. The so-called world means that titles can be passed down from generation to generation. Regardless of whether it is a generation or a title, once it is granted, the imperial court will issue a gold book and iron certificate as evidence. Zuo Gao appointed the hero of the world, and the iron certificate wrote the words "founding the country and assisting the movement". Zuo Chengzu ascended the Great Treasure, and the iron certificate had the words "Feng Tian Jing Nan" on it. The recipients after these two emperors, the military minister's book "Xuanli Gongchen", and the civil minister's book "Shouzheng Wenchen", these are all customized. The meritorious officials received different rewards and annual salary according to different titles. Emperor Gao stipulated that the land bestowed should not exceed five thousand stones. Now, this number has been greatly exceeded. There are very few examples of Jinjue or Jinjue Jialu. The hereditary titles are usually succeeded by the eldest son. When the emperor became the emperor, he was worried that those who inherited the title would have no merit and would not want to make progress. He encouraged them to ask for careers to earn money. Fu Fu. For those who have both talents and virtues, after the military officials, they will serve as the commander-in-chief of the third battalion of the regiment, or the commander-in-chief of the battalion, or the commander-in-chief of the fifth army. After civil servants, young heirs are sent to the Imperial College to study. Like other students, they wear black clothes and flat scarves and are not allowed to enjoy privileges. If they do not study seriously and make mistakes, they will be punished by removing their crown clothes. All hereditary children, Those who commit crimes and break the law will take their salary if they are light, and those who are serious will take their title. This is a good rule handed down by Emperor Gao and Emperor Chengzu. If it is strictly implemented, there will be so many idlers among princes and nobles." Zhang Juzheng spoke succinctly, and clearly analyzed the pros and cons of this matter. The little emperor secretly admired him for his ability to explain everything logically, and then asked: "Why don't you enforce the rules set by the late emperor?" "Government affairs have been slack for a long time, and some ministers have failed to supervise them. The ministers dare not offend the powerful, so they have developed such a trend of failure." Zhu Yijun nodded frequently, then turned to ask Feng Bao, who had been standing beside him all the time: "Big companion, is what Mr. Zhang said reasonable?" Feng Bao winked at Zhang Juzheng, and complimented: "Mr. Zhang is full of knowledge, his words must be well-founded, and everything he says makes sense." Zhu Yijun sighed: "Zhao Pu in the Song Dynasty said that half of the people rule the world. This statement is not wrong." "False is not false, but later generations learn from it, and there are many ambiguities, so that it is used to govern the country to create side effects, which is far from Confucius' morality." "Sir, I will remember." The little emperor's words had the meaning of seeing off the guests, Zhang Juzheng hurriedly thanked him, and walked out of the Wenhua Hall under the attention of all the officials, and the little emperor also walked out of the apse, and looked at the Qianqing Palace in a chariot.After they left, the eunuch on duty stood on the aisle in front of the hall and announced loudly: "Leave the lecture, all officials, go to Honglu Temple to have a sutra banquet!" In summer, Jixianglu is really a good place to spend summer.The willow colors in the courtyard are varied, the lotus in the pond is delicate and beautiful, and the south wind blowing from the Paozi River sifts through the shade of the willows, cooling and refreshing the skin.Therefore, once June passed, Zhang Juzheng spent most of his nights in Jixianglu.After the sutra feast this morning, in the afternoon, I asked Wang Guoguang, Minister of the Ministry of Households, and Tan Lun, Minister of the Ministry of War, to discuss the matter of exchanging Tunbian and Yanyin for corn to make up for the shortage of military supplies for the soldiers on the nine borders. More than half an hour after the end of work, the three of them finished their discussion. By the time Zhang Juzheng got up in his sedan chair and headed to Jixianglu, it was already the end of Xu.The days are long in summer, and when the sedan chair passes by the Paozi River, the setting sun and sunset glow still reflect brilliantly on the river.Zhang Juzheng was getting off his sedan chair in front of Shanweng Tingyu Building, and was about to go upstairs when he walked through the front hall, when he saw Yuniang's close servant, Xiao Feng'er, the maid, flashing out, squatting at Zhang Juzheng with a blessing, and said with a smile: "Sign up to the master." , Sister Yu Niang has something for you." "What?" Zhang Juzheng stopped and asked with a smile. Xiao Feng'er handed Zhang Juzheng a few rolled up gold-sprinkled papers in her hand, and said: "Sister Yu Niang has corrected a few poems she wrote a while ago, and she wants her servant to pass them on to Zhang Juzheng. Master, and tell Master that you have to add these poems within a stick of incense, otherwise, Sister Yu Niang will not let you go upstairs." "Oh, that's right." Zhang Juzheng felt a little surprised, shook his head and smiled, and went straight to the flower hall on the side of the stairs, where the desks inside had already placed pens, inks, papers and inkstones.Zhang Juzheng sat down in front of the desk, and unfolded the few pieces of paper to read.The beginning topic is: Five Summer Poems Presented at the First Auxiliary Mr. Zhang Suohe Seeing this line of writing, Zhang Juzheng stroked his long beard leisurely, his brows were full of smiles: This is the first time Yuniang called him Mr. Zhang, the chief assistant. meaning.He took pleasure in watching it: In the summer, the guests of the incense house, Where can the jade man get rid of his sorrow? The smoke from the furnace at the bottom of the cold curtain is thin, The dust is clean and the wall is dark and bamboo-colored. The cowherd only lives in Tianjie, It's hard to look forward to the green birds in front of the hall. The mountain moon skillfully peeks at the thin figure, Huawu Lanxie wanders alone. Xiansha blue scarf wine tricks, The confidante failed poor Xiao. Can only be punished as a galaxy magpie, Driving the bridge in vain every year. Gold does not hesitate to teach Chanjuan, Singing and dancing is now a happy youth. Dream grass grows on Fengge painting table, Tin and zither turn into cold smoke. Little white gulls, sunny days and snow, Feifei is a native of Ziyan's hometown. Jiangnan has infinite love, In June, the lotus has a unique spring. After reading these five quatrains, Zhang Juzheng's face suddenly became heavy.The beauty is permeated with helplessness in the poem.The lonely and desolate mood seemed to reveal some resentment towards him.The last song directly expresses the strong homesickness.After reading these five poems several times, he suddenly realized that he had too little tenderness for Yuniang.I seldom come to Jixianglu.Even if it comes.It is also full of chores, either receiving guests, or dealing with letter memorials.There is not much time left for Yuniang.For the wife that Ming Media is marrying, this is nothing, but for Yuniang who has no status.It is inevitable that she will have many conjectures. How to comfort her and soothe her sorrow? Zhang Juzheng stretched out his pen and paper, and wrote down while meditating: Five Summer Poems by Fenghe Yuniang Being in the officialdom is a lonely guest. I'm most afraid of confidante talking about worrying. How can the spring breeze on the pavilion be in vain? Changhuaiyuan dream small window secluded. The world of mortals has nowhere to ask the boy, And the jade girl in front of the curtain is happy to come. The song of the phoenix and the song of the phoenix dissipate the eternal night, Yaoqin caressed and lingered. In order to find the fate of the world, we often see tricks, Lianqing, I am drunk all night. God knows if the world is sick, Spring rain and autumn wind cross the stone bridge. Who is willing to cherish Chanjuan in the painting building? The frivolous Chang'an is a young man. Whoever steals a elixir, Chang'e welcomes me to cut the cold smoke. The setting sun and the mountains are mighty, Jin Ge Tie Ma Chu madman. Concubine Yu accompanied me to commit suicide, One hand and one Yangchun. Except for a poem written by the emperor on the Lantern Festival this year, Zhang Juzheng has never had the leisure to sing the wind and enjoy the moon.But today I really felt it, so I combined these five poems without spending a stick of incense.He asked Xiao Feng'er to take the poem upstairs and give it to Yuniang to see if he could pass the test.When he heard that Yuniang had eaten dinner, he went to the dining room and asked for a pot of flower carvings, and began to drink alone.After drinking three cups, Liu Pu, the director of Jixianglu, came in to report, saying that You Qi had something to report.Zhang Juzheng ordered him to call You Qi in. Today's You Qi is also a person who puts up his arms and claims to be a sage and a sage outside, but when he sees his master, he immediately regains his composure.He called "Master" after entering the door, and then stood respectfully by the door, Zhang Juzheng asked him while sipping wine: "What's the matter today?" "There are two things," You Qi reported, "The first thing is that Eldest Prince Jingxiu received a letter from Jiangxi Tang Xianzu..." "Oh, he replied, what did he say?" Zhang Juzheng interrupted You Qi and asked impatiently. "This kid is so arrogant that he refused the kindness of the eldest son." "what!" If Zhang Juzheng lost something, he didn't say much.He just took a sip of wine sullenly.What You Qi said involved Zhang Juzheng's housekeeping.Zhang Juzheng has six sons in total. The eldest son Jingxiu and the second son Sixiu have passed the provincial examination and obtained the qualifications for the Autumn Grand Ceremony to be held in the capital this autumn.Zhang Juzheng had great expectations for these two sons, and hoped that they would stand out from the crowd and be named in the gold list.Through consultation with the officials of the Ministry of Rites, I learned that Tang Xianzu, a young man from Jiangxi Province, is the master of the southeast in terms of academic articles, and he will also come to Beijing to take the exam this year.After learning that Mr. Shoufu had such intentions, the officials of the Ministry of Rites took over and handled the matter in the name of the Ministry of Rites.Zhang Juzheng resolutely disagreed with Shilin's influence.He ordered Jingxiu to write a letter to Tang Xianzu himself, expressing his desire to make friends with each other.Zhang Juzheng originally thought that Tang Xianzu would be interested in living in his prime minister's mansion after the letter was sent out, but he never expected that he would refuse. "Has Tang Xianzu arrived in Beijing?" "When we arrived, we rented a house near Lu Gong Temple, which is not too far from Ji Xiang Lu." Every time the Autumn Grand Ceremony, thousands of candidates from all over the country have to rush to Beijing several months in advance, because of the high housing prices in the capital.Tang Xianzu would rather spend more money than cling to the powerful. Although Zhang Juzheng was not happy with this kind of celebrity style, he could understand that the most likely thing for young scholars to be contaminated is the habit of cleanliness.He asked You Qi: "Has any of you seen Tang Xianzu?" "I haven't seen anyone," You Qi said angrily, "This kid doesn't know how to lift a sedan chair, who will go to see him!" "You tell Jingxiu to visit Tang Xianzu tomorrow." "what?" You Qi was surprised by the master's decision.Zhang Juzheng explained to him: "Most learned people are arrogant, and asking Jingxiu to visit him is considered a scholarly affair." "I will do it when I go back," You Qi said, touching the cinnabar mole on his face habitually, and said, "There is one more thing, Xu Jue came to tell you." "What's up?" "Hero Shao has arrived in the capital again." "Shao Daxia, which Shao Daxia?" "It's the one who helped Gao Gong make a comeback back then." "Ah, he appeared again?" Zhang Juzheng was slightly excited, but also surprised, "Since Gao Gong resigned, this Shao Daxia has also fled to the south of the Yangtze River. Why did he come to Beijing again?" "He has been here for several days. According to Xu Jue, since he came, he has been under surveillance by the East Factory." "What is he here for?" "This morning, he went to the home of Uncle Wu Qing and Li Wei. In the afternoon, he met with Yuniang in the Suzhou Guild Hall." "Yu Niang?" Zhang Juzheng's shock was no small matter, because he knew that it was Shao Daxia who brought Yuniang from Nanjing to Beijing and gave it to Gao Gong. He was suddenly full of vigilance and asked, "How did Yuniang know?" Shao Daxia has arrived in Beijing?" "This, I'm also very puzzled," You Qi glanced at Zhang Juzheng, and replied, "This Jixianglu is not accessible to ordinary people. Who gave the news to Yuniang? My little guess, it must be Shao Daxia bribed the people in Jixiang Cottage." Zhang Juzheng felt that You Qi's speculation was reasonable, so he ordered someone to call Liu Pu in, and asked him, "Has Yu Niang gone out this afternoon?" "Going out." Liu Pu replied cautiously. "How long have you been out?" "It's not short." "It's not a short time!" Zhang Juzheng pulled his face and asked sternly, "When did you go out, when did you come back, where did you go, who did you see, you have to answer clearly." The first assistant was furious. Looking at his face, he could scrape off a layer of frost with his hand. Liu Pu was so frightened that he was sifting chaff, and he stammered and replied: "Yu Niang was about half past noon when she came back. Go to the meeting. Who, the lowly position dare not inquire." What Liu Pu said was the truth. Everyone in Jixianglu didn't know about Yuniang's special identity. It was too late to hold her with his fingers clipped bare, so who would dare to provoke her? Zhang Juzheng also knew this, although It was an accusation, but it was not serious, and he waved Liu Pu back.Zhang Juzheng no longer had the mood to drink, and ordered You Qidao: "Don't make this matter public. If you have any news from Shao Daxia, you must report it to me at any time." "yes." You Qi stepped back obediently, went out and left in a sedan chair.Zhang Juzheng, who was originally on the top of his mind, suddenly heard the news that Yuniang had slipped out of Jixianglu to visit Shao Daxia, and his heart suddenly felt as if he had knocked over the vinegar jar.At this time, it was the end of the century, and the stars and the moon were dim in the yard. Among the shadowy trees, occasionally three or two fireflies flew by, flickering high and low, adding to the silence of the summer night.Zhang Juzheng was in a depressed mood and wanted to take a walk in the yard, but as soon as he walked out of the dining room, his legs unexpectedly went upstairs. The palace lanterns were shining brightly on the corridor, Zhang Juzheng cut his hands backwards and walked to the door of Yuniang's room, suddenly seeing Yuniang "flying" out of the room like a swallow, hugging Zhang Juzheng's neck, and said coquettishly: "Master, you have eaten this meal for almost half an hour." Because it was summer and there were no outsiders, Yuniang only wore a sleeveless long skirt with a waist, and her two bare jade arms were as warm as jade and tender as fat. They were wrapped around Zhang Juzheng's neck, which had a great impact on him. The irresistible effect, coupled with the fragrant breath exhaled from Yu Niang's mouth, made his body soft.At least at that moment, the unhappiness in his heart dissipated instantly, he took advantage of the opportunity to hug Yuniang, and stepped into the living room.Seeing that he was about to carry her into the dormitory, Yu Niang quickly said: "Master, let me go." Zhang Juzheng was not stubborn, he put Yuniang down on the spot.The house that Yuniang lives in, the entrance is the living room, the bedroom is inside, the makeup room is on the left, and the piano room is on the right. Yuniang pulled Zhang Juzheng and walked into the piano room lightly. There is a qin in the house, and a pot of tea has been brewed on the table of the Little Eight Immortals by the window, with some refreshments on it. "What are you doing?" Zhang Juzheng asked. "What are you doing?" Yu Niang asked delicately. "Go to bed." Zhang Juzheng said jokingly. Yu Niang squinted her mouth and said angrily: "I just know to go to bed, such a bright moon and beautiful night, how can I not do something interesting." "What's interesting?" "Let's have some tea." As Yuniang said, she pushed Zhang Juzheng down on the chair on the left, put two pear flower cups on it, lifted the teapot and poured tea and said, "This is Biluochun from this spring, master, you can try it." Zhang Juzheng took a sip, and it was really fragrant and refreshing, he praised: "This tea is good, but unfortunately the water is a bit lacking." "As soon as you hear this, you know that the master is an expert, unlike Gao Ge." Zhang Juzheng seemed to have been stung by a wasp, and immediately asked with a straight face, "Why, are you still thinking about Gaobeard?" Yu Niang knew she had made a slip of the tongue, and quickly apologized with a smile: "Your maidservant made a slip of the tongue, please forgive me, Master!" Looking at Yuniang's sincere and frightened look, Zhang Juzheng's jealousy was slightly reduced, but he remembered about Shao Daxia again, so he took advantage of the topic and said: "Yu Niang, you're always worried that Bu Gu doesn't love you, so why isn't Bu Gu worried that you won't be dedicated?" "I'm not dedicated to love?" Yu Niang was stunned for a moment, then she pursed her lips and smiled, half confessing and half sarcastically said, "When the servant made a mistake, the master became jealous. In fact, since the servant knew you, he has long been jealous. I think Gao Ge is not worth mentioning." "Is that true?" "That's true," Yuniang said earnestly, "The servant once made up a song to talk about this matter, but I have never had a chance to sing it to you. Why don't I sing it to the master now?" "Okay, Bugu just wants to hear it." Yu Niang ordered Xiao Feng'er to take the pipa, tuned it, played and sang: It's wonderful to think that we didn't meet each other at the beginning, No worries, no annoyances, no worries. Up to now, things have been upside down, I missed my slave's love, so I can't come anymore. Slave haggard and tormented by love, But I never won you a half point. Yuniang sang in the tune of "hanging branches", with a little sadness mixed with the iambic mood, and Wu Nong's soft language is already gentle and pleasant.Zhang Juzheng had heard it, and his frowning brows finally relaxed again. He believed that Yuniang was showing her sincerity, so he couldn't help feeling a little more affection for her. After drinking a cup of tea, he said with a smile: "You sing this song well. Gao Ge was not born to be a person who cherishes beauty and beauty. You can see through it. Since you wrote a song for Gao Ge, you must have written it for me." "The servant never wrote for the master," Yu Niang replied with a twinkle in her bright eyes, "However, the servant made up another piece of nonsense yesterday, not for the master, but for the servant's own." "It's good for your own family, come and sing it to me." Yu Niang plucked the strings and sang leisurely again: Boring and recovering, sitting alone on the tea shelf, Suddenly looked up to see Moonlight Bodhisattva. You are spiritual and holy, tell me something intimate, Moonlight Bodhisattva, take care of him for me: Look at his clothes are not neat, See if he is tired in the duty room. I treat him as a true bodhisattva, Whether he treats me for real or not... Yuniang played and sang, the warbling sound flowing between her lips and teeth, revealing her infatuation.Zhang Juzheng waited for the song to stop, and said: "Yu Niang, you are singing about yourself in this song, but in fact, you are referring to me in secret. Is it true or false that I treat you, maybe you still can't see it?" Yuniang put down her pipa and said shyly: "My servant knows that the master really loves me, but there is one thing that my servant still doesn't understand." "What's up?" "Since the master loves me so much, why doesn't he marry the servant back to the house?" "This……" "The servant girl also knows that she is an inferior material, and the grass and trees are cheap. It is a great fortune to be able to climb up to such a big man as the master. Yuniang didn't dare to think anything wrong, but because of the grace of the master, she was born Get rid of this delusional heart." What Yuniang said, Zhang Juzheng thought about it more than once, this is a tricky matter.According to normal circumstances, it is common for a capable man to marry three wives and four concubines, and no one interferes.But he has something to hide. First, there are many people in the family, and the family rules set by Zhang Juzheng are strict. If Yuniang comes in, he can only respect her with a straight face, and flirting will be inconvenient.Secondly, it is also the most difficult thing to deal with. This Yuniang was originally a concubine that Shao Daxia had found for Gao Gong. If he were to marry him in, wouldn't she give someone a handle to make Shilin laugh at her? This matter was like a stone in his heart, and he I always want to move away, but I can't find a perfect solution. Seeing Zhang Juzheng meditating for a long time without saying a word, Yuniang felt uneasy and said: "Master, did this slave make you angry?" "No, ah, no," Zhang Juzheng tried his best to conceal the contradiction in his heart.With a forced smile, he said, "Yu Niang, reasoning, Bu Gu should have given you the status of a concubine a long time ago, but there are some things that I can't figure out for a while, so I delayed this matter. Don't worry, one day, sooner or later, you won't be a concubine." Gu wants to give you a title." "Really?" Yu Niang was delighted. "Really, but not now." Zhang Juzheng was afraid that if he dragged on this matter, it would cause extra problems, so he changed the subject and asked, "Did you compose those five summer poems today?" "No, it took me more than ten days to write it down intermittently, and I would like to ask the master for advice." "You write well, it's just not good to be too sad." "My servant knows. I have read the master's poems. All kinds of love are reflected in the poem. If I can get the affection of the master, no matter what happens in the future, I will be satisfied now." Seeing Yuniang's pure and lovely appearance, Zhang Juzheng didn't believe that she would do anything unreasonable, but he was very concerned about her going to meet Shao Daxia in private, so he beat around the bush and tried to get her words out: "Your Biluochun is mellow and refreshing, with a lingering aftertaste. It is considered to be the top grade of tea, but where did you find it?" "My uncle gave it to me." "Your uncle? You have another uncle, why didn't I know?" "The master knows everything about the servants' family affairs." "Where is your uncle from?" "Yangzhou." "What is he doing in Beijing?" "Uncle runs a small business, sells goods here and there, and maintains the family's livelihood. It's always difficult." Yuniang composes a temporary lyrics to deal with Shao Daxia's instructions, feeling a little uneasy.But now that he started it, he had to continue, "Uncle knows that the servant and the master are together, so I ask you to do something." 张居正见玉娘张口叔叔闭口叔叔却是不提邵大侠的名字，他本想挑明了追问，想一想又觉不妥，便问道：“你叔叔想办什么事?” “扬州城里有个管盐的衙门，叫……” “两淮盐运司。” “对了，就是这个名，在盐运司里管事儿的官员，叫胡什么来着?” “叫胡自皋。” “对，就是这个人，叔叔说这个人权势很大，想求您替他写个信儿，回去找找这位胡大人。” “找他干什么?” “还能干什么，丁门小户的人家，找个靠山呗。” 张居正“嗯”了一声却是没有下文。玉娘以为他为难，却不知正是她的话勾起了张居正心中的隐情：前年给冯保一个面子，把胡自皋升任为两淮盐运司的巡盐御史，这家伙到任才一年多时间，坏名声就传遍了扬州，与一帮不法盐商称兄道弟，吃喝嫖赌无一样不来。就去年一年，参他的折子就有三份。因有冯保袒护，事情都不了了之。户部尚书王国光恨得牙痒痒的，早就要把胡自皋褫职审查：张居正劝他暂且不要声张，只暗中派人侦伺，一旦抓到胡自皋贪墨实据，再严惩不迟。“对这种人，要么不动，一动就得置于死地，让冯保也救他不得。”张居正面授机宜，王国光心领神会，照此布置下去。如今玉娘又提起胡自皋，张居正断定这是邵大侠的主意。邵大侠之所以要与胡自皋攀援，还不是想通过他弄出盐引来牟取暴利?如此说，邵大侠设法与玉娘联络，原只是为利而来，谅不至与高拱还有什么瓜葛，再来京城滋事。想到这一层，张居正心下稍安，随口应道： “你叔叔一个小生意人，守着本分就是，何必要巴结官府。” “老爷你是大人物，不知道小老百姓过日子的艰难，”玉娘解释道。“扬州城里地痞流氓多如牛毛，这些人三五成群到处搵食儿，能抢则抢，能讹则讹，谁碰上他们，不死也得蜕层皮。叔叔家饱受这讹诈之苦，因此想着找个官府靠山，让那些无常鬼二混子不敢登门。” 张居正仔细听着，觉得眼前的玉娘好像是另外一位女子。他敏感地觉察到。邵大侠对玉娘还有控制力，他平生最不能允许的，就是身边的亲信受制于人。他深爱着玉娘，他绝对不能容忍她的心中还藏有另外一个男人。基于这个考虑，也基于邵大侠在官场上钻天入地翻云覆雨的能力，他决心除掉这个祸害。尽管他内心经历了如此复杂的变化，但他的脸上却挂着微笑，他端详着玉娘．体贴地说： “既是这样，不谷可以写封信给你叔叔带回扬州，不过不是写给胡自皋，而是写给漕运总督王篆。” “漕运总督．也在扬州吗?” "exist." “漕运总督和盐运司衙门，哪个大?” “傻孩子，当然是漕运总督大。” “谢谢老爷。” 玉娘嫣然一笑，晶亮的眸子里射出火一样的热情，张居正瞧着她可爱的脸蛋儿，再一次陶醉了。