Chapter 117 The twenty-sixth chapter of Feng Bao's visit to the sick, guessing the holy will

Probably because of watching the Aoshan Lantern Festival on the night of the Lantern Festival, Zhang Juzheng occasionally felt the wind and cold. The next day, Zhang Juzheng had a headache, brain stuffiness, night sweats in his limbs, and his whole body was sore that he couldn't get out of bed.Hearing the news, the emperor sent eunuchs to his home to express his condolences, and ordered Zhang Siwei and Shen Shixing, two assistant ministers, to share more of the daily political affairs of the cabinet. For important matters, he should go to Shamao Hutong to ask the chief assistant for a decision.

Today's Zhang Dashi's mansion is not too much to describe it as a mess of people.Four of Zhang Juzheng's six sons have married.His eldest son, Jingxiu, passed the Jinshi examination in the second year of Wanli, and now he is the head of the sixth grade in the Ministry of Rites.The second son, Sixiu, and the third son, Maoxiu, both won the championship last year. One was Tanhua and the other was second in the list. Son, the fourth son, Jianxiu, was awarded the command of Fengzheng's sixth-rank soldier and horse commander, a family of honor and honor! Although the sons have official robes, they don't have their own "official mansions". They are still living in Zhang University In Shifu.This is all because Zhang Juzheng was afraid that they would learn from others, so he refused to let them go out and set up another school.In this way, everyone is covered with a small family, full of children and grandchildren, plus Zhang Juzheng's mother, Mrs. Zhao Tai, there are dozens of people of four generations.In addition, there are more than one hundred male and female servants of various types.More than 200 people were noisy all day long, even if Zhang Juzheng recuperated at home, it was difficult for him to calm down.Therefore, using this reason, he grandiosely moved into Jixianglu and lived there.The superficial reason is that the environment here is quiet and suitable for recuperation. In fact, the real reason is that the two twin sisters, Aguli and Bulia, live in Jixianglu Golden House. Before he knew it, Zhang Ju was in Jixianglu He lived here for more than a month. During this period, although his wife and sons came here to visit every now and then, only his housekeeper, You Qi, stayed with him all the time.It's not that his relatives are unwilling to come to serve the decoction, but that Zhang Juzheng thinks they are an eyesore and forbids them to come often.Look at the end of February, the willow trees by the Paozi River have sprouted green buds the size of beans, and the wind blowing in the sun is very warm and pleasant.However, Zhang Juzheng, who had been treated for more than a month, not only did not get better but worsened, he was bedridden for the past few days and felt powerless even to speak.

In the middle of the morning, Zhang Juzheng, who had eaten the decoction, was sleeping drowsily in the bedroom on the second floor of Shanweng Tingyu Building, when suddenly a slight voice from the living room outside the door woke him up. It can be heard that Feng Bao and You Qi are talking, only to hear Feng Bao ask: "What kind of medicine did Mr. Zhang take this morning?" "The courtyard of the Supreme Hospital is opening. He said that our master's internal fire is too heavy, and his spleen is dry. The kidney is dry, so he prescribed a soup for reducing fire and eliminating evil."

"Is there any effect after eating?" "I don't see any miraculous effect." "I heard that Mr. Zhang..." Having said that, the voice in the hall lowered.Zhang Juzheng suddenly woke up a lot, but when he thought of it, his whole body was soft, so he could only cough lightly, and You Qi hurriedly opened the curtain and came in when he heard the noise. "Eunuch Feng is here?" Zhang Juzheng asked weakly. "Yes." You Qi ordered the maid on duty to tuck in the quilt for Zhang Juzheng. "Please come in." As Zhang Juzheng said, he once again braced himself to sit up and greet the guests.Feng Bao happened to step into the door at this time, seeing this, he quickly stepped forward to stop him, saying:

"Mr. Zhang is just lying there, don't move." Zhang Juzheng didn't insist on getting out of bed any more, the maid found a big welcoming pillow to prop his head up, and he just half-lyed like this.You Qi moved a grand chair and put it down next to the bed, and asked Feng Baoluo to sit down. However, Feng Bao came to see Zhang Juzheng within a few days of his illness. At that time, he felt that although Zhang Juzheng's complexion was bad, his eyes were still bright, and he thought there was nothing serious. He made a report to the queen mothers of the two palaces and the emperor, saying that Mr. Zhang had a seasonal disease, and he would get better after a few days of recuperation.Later, when I heard that my condition was getting worse, I felt worried. I went to the palace early this morning to ask the emperor for instructions, and then I drove the sedan chair to visit Jixianglu.Now seeing Zhang Juzheng's eye sockets sunk into the seals and turning black, not only his complexion is withered, but even his usually long and slender black beard has lost its luster. Seeing this appearance, Feng Bao's mouth shrunk, and he shed tears Come.Zhang Juzheng forced a smile and said:

"Eunuch Feng, thank you for coming to visit." Feng Bao wiped away his tears, and said sadly: "It's the empress dowagers of the two palaces and the emperor, who sent this old man to express their condolences." "Bu Gu's body is not up to the mark, and the empress dowager and the emperor are implicated." As Zhang Juzheng said, tears welled up in his dry eye sockets.Feng Bao shook Zhang Juzheng's hand stretched out from the bed, it was as hot as hot coals, and asked: "I heard from You Qi that all you eat are soups from Taiyuan Hospital?"

"yes." You Qi interjected, "Two doctors are on duty here every day in the Imperial Hospital, and they are not allowed to leave for a moment." "We know this. It was personally arranged by the emperor." Feng Bao frowned and said, "Nine out of ten doctors in Taiyuan Hospital are medicine idiots. There has always been a proverb in the capital, which says "articles from the Imperial Academy, swords and guns from the Arsenal, tea soup from Guanglu Temple, and prescriptions from the Taiyuan Hospital". Having doubts, we heard that you will not be cured for a long time, so we invited a doctor from Datong for you, this doctor specializes in treating difficult and miscellaneous diseases, and is known as the 'Wang Immortal'."

"Where are people?" Zhang Juzheng asked. "Already sitting downstairs." When Feng Bao was speaking, You Qizao went downstairs and invited Wang Shenxian up.I saw that Wang Shenxian was more than seventy years old, but he had a youthful face with white hair and a youthful spirit, which made one believe that he was a person of good morals.After Wang Shenxian entered the room, he made an audience ceremony, and after a few pleasantries, he went to the bed and took Zhang Juzheng's pulse, then looked at his face, and said: "An adult is called yang dryness, but in reality it is yin deficiency."

"How do you know?" Feng Bao asked. Wang Shenxian replied: "If the little old man is not wrong, Mr. Shoufu can no longer see clearly with his right eye." "Yes," Zhang Juzheng replied with a slight nod of his head, "after the Lantern Festival, Bugu's right eye suddenly went bad, and he could see things blurryly. Now he reads memorials and drafts all with his left eye. " "The little old man also said that adults can't defecate all the time. And the stool is often bloody." Zhang Juzheng rolled his eyes, nodded slightly and said, "This is also true."

"Hey, Wang Shenxian, you really have a skill," Feng Bao asked in amazement, "How did you find out?" Wang Shenxian replied: "It's actually very simple. You only need to understand the eight trigrams to understand it. Most people only associate the eight trigrams with mountains and rivers. In fact, the human body is just one eight trigrams. A person's head is round, symbolizing heaven, and his feet are square. , symbolizes Kundi, the ancients said that the sky is round, and people are not like this! Between the head and feet, the human body is like Gen Mountain, the body fluid is like Duize, the sound is like thunder, the breath is like Xunfeng, and the blood is like Kanshui. The energy is like Lihuo. The whole body is full of eight trigrams: In addition, human ears, eyes, and nose are all two holes, and the mouth, urination and defecation mouths are all single openings. Both are Yin. Single is Yang, one Yin and one Yang is called the Tao, so if you want to look at a person’s physical condition, you should first look at the person under the nose and above the mouth. Corresponding to the sixty-four hexagrams, this person’s center point is the Tai hexagram. Master Shoufu is a person with wood life. The middle acupoint should be bright blue, but now it is crimson, which is the symptom of the disease. Crimson belongs to fire. Wood produces fire, which means that Shoufu has lost too much vitality. It is said in "Suwen", "The sky is not enough to the northwest, Therefore, the northwest is yin, and the right ears and eyes of people are not as bright as the left. The earth is not satisfied with the southeast, and the east is yang, and the left hand and foot are not as strong as the right.'Qi belongs to yang, and shape belongs to yin. Actually, Mr. Shoufu is just the opposite now. It’s not Yang deficiency and Yin excess, but Yang excess and Yin deficiency. Therefore, according to the color and pulse of Renzhong acupoint, the little old man deduces that Mr. Shoufu’s right eye can no longer see clearly. It is a manifestation of deficiency of kidney qi and serious deficiency of yin. When yin goes up and yang goes down, water can neither restrain fire, so fire will be hot and dry, and when the stool is stagnated, the skin becomes dry and oozes blood. The water in the stool is also roasted by the evil fire dry, hard to pass out in a plate-like clump."

Feng Bao was fascinated by Wang Shenxian's grand remarks.Zhang Juzheng was overwhelmed by the accurate description of his condition. He seemed to see hope, and asked anxiously: "Mr. Wang, how should Bugu take care of his body?" Wang Shenxian did not answer directly, but asked, "Master Shoufu, did you take a lot of tonics in the past two years?" It was difficult for Zhang Juzheng to answer this question.Ever since he met Yuniang, he has often taken some aphrodisiacs such as sea dog kidney.Before the Spring Festival, when Qi Jiguang gave him two Persian beauties, Aguli and Buliya, he also brought him a box of top-quality sea dog kidneys from Japan.Hearing what Wang Shenxian said now, he felt that the sea dog kidney might have caused harm to his body. Seeing that Zhang Juzheng was silent, Wang Shenxian understood eighty-nine points in his heart, and he tactfully persuaded: "Master Shoufu, don't take any tonic anymore. In those years, the first assistant to the emperor created the Wanli New Deal. The first step was to revive the decline, rectify the bureaucracy, punish the powerful, rectify the Chiyi and check the farmland. One is not a laxative, so after a few years, the effect will be greatly seen. Now, the body of an adult is the same as the state affairs, the only thing that can be done is not tonic, but to purify, which can be regarded as revitalizing and rejuvenating." Zhang Juzheng felt that Wang Shenxian's words were very pleasant, so he said: "Mr. Wang said it very well, Bugu will definitely do what you say." After Wang Shenxian saw his illness, he went downstairs to prescribe soup and medicine under the leadership of You Qi: only Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao were left in the dormitory.Looking at Zhang Juzheng's haggard appearance, Feng Bao knew that his physical strength was hard to hold on, so he thought of leaving.But it is not easy for the two of them to meet each other. They should have so much to say in their hearts, so they are reluctant to leave immediately.Zhang Juzheng saw Feng Bao's contradictory mood, and he also had a lot to say in his heart, so he took the initiative to say: "Eunuch Feng, please stay and sit with Bugu for a while longer." "We are reluctant to leave," Feng Bao said with a sigh, staring blankly at Zhang Juzheng, and said with his heart full of thoughts, "Mr. Zhang, your body must not collapse." "Why do I want to lie on the bed?" Zhang Juzheng smiled wryly, and replied sadly, "From being the chief assistant to now, I'm like a donkey that never sheds the grind, no matter how good my body is, I can't stand it!" "If the Great Ming Dynasty weighs a thousand catties, you, Mr. Zhang, can carry eight hundred catties on your shoulders, so there is no reason why you will not be tired." Feng Bao sighed. "At these times, Bugu has been thinking that the Wanli New Deal has begun to take shape. Perhaps, I should step down as chief assistant." "What, you want to become an official?" Feng Bao trembled. "Yeah, I can't do what I want." "Mr. Zhang, you must not think like this!" "Why?" Feng Bao was stunned for a moment, and said: "Mr. Zhang, you should understand the truth that the tea will be cold when people leave." "Why don't I understand!" Although Zhang Juzheng was ill, his eyes lit up when he spoke about political affairs, and he asked vigilantly, "Did you hear anything?" "The emperor asked about your condition in detail." "He cared." "He is very concerned," Feng Bao said cautiously, with a hint of worry in his eyes, "The emperor asked the old man to come to visit the master's condition. He must find out whether it is serious or not. If it is serious, how serious is it? He needs to know exactly. .” "Oh?" "There is also Empress Dowager Li. She also called the old man to ask questions several times. She personally went to the upright official to instruct the emperor to allocate gold coins from the inner treasury to treat your illness. She also told the old man that she would copy an extra hour every day. "Diamond Sutra", I pray for you." A warm current surged in Zhang Juzheng's heart. He suddenly thought of the meeting in Dalongfu Temple in the third year of Wanli, and his gratitude to Queen Mother Li added a bit of warmth.After thinking for a while, he said: "Please, Eunuch Feng, pass it on to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor on behalf of Bugu. I will pay tribute to the grace of the lotus, and I will be merciful many times. Once it gets better, I will immediately express my gratitude." "Illness? How should we reply to the emperor?" Feng Bao asked. "You tell the truth." "It's absolutely impossible," Feng Bao shook his head immediately, and said decisively, "You can't make people think that you are seriously ill and that your illness is hard to recover. In this way, people will have delusions." "Well……" "According to my observation, although the emperor and the empress dowager are both concerned about your illness, they have different thoughts in their hearts." Feng Bao's words stop at the end, but Zhang Juzheng has already understood the unfinished words.In the past two years, Zhu Yijun treated him more courteously than ever before, but his attitude of sincerely asking for advice was not as good as before. For example, on the night of the Lantern Festival at the Meridian Gate Tower, although Zhu Yijun followed his suggestion to reduce the tax owed by the world, he was obviously absent-minded.Feng Baoben is a formidable person who sees all directions and listens to all directions. He has long seen that the intimate relationship between the emperor and Zhang Juzheng is only on the surface, and cracks have already appeared on the inside.He and Zhang Juzheng are two right-hand men of the emperor, and it would be a misfortune for the other to lose either one.In terms of profit alone, Feng Bao was unwilling to let Zhang Juzheng collapse.Therefore, what he said just now was intended to remind.Zhang Juzheng thought for a while, then tentatively asked: "Eunuch Feng, do you think there is something unfathomable about the holy will?" "Your Majesty has grown up, and the power of the sky is unpredictable!" Feng Bao's answer contained a bit of fear, and then he said worriedly, "Nowadays, the various yamen in the capital seem to be like a mess of sand, and the officials are all guessing what is wrong with you. What kind of disease can it be cured?" "Even if you don't say this, Bugu can guess it," Zhang Juzheng looked disdainful, "Whenever there is a disturbance in the court, the officials will think about their own future and prick up their ears to ask for gossip everywhere." "You're right," Feng Bao replied angrily, "Mr. Zhang, you probably don't know that someone offered a lot of money to buy the prescription for you from the imperial physician." "Is there such a thing?" Zhang Juzheng was surprised, "Why do you buy prescriptions?" "From your prescription, you can guess what kind of disease you have, whether it is a incurable disease or not." "Who is this guy?" "Captain Consort Xu Congcheng." "Him?" Zhang Juzheng's eyes jumped suddenly, "Since the taxation of Zilitian in the fourth year of Wanli, and the clearing of Zhang Tianmu in the ninth year of Wanli, Xu Congcheng has always opposed me. He wants me to die, which is inevitable." "Mr. Zhang, Xu Congcheng is not the only one who hates you." "Bugu knows this. Mencius said, 'It's not difficult to govern, don't offend the rich'. I have been the chief assistant for ten years, and almost all offended are princes and ministers. At the beginning of taking office, Bugu thought of going against the rich. With all kinds of endings, I once said, "Even if a thousand arrows are gathered, it is not enough to be afraid of": Maybe, this statement may become a prophecy." Speaking of this, Zhang Juzheng paused for a while, and then asked, "Xu Congcheng got the prescription?" "No." Feng Bao replied, "As soon as you get sick, the old man will ask the emperor's imperial edict to tell the doctor in the imperial hospital that your condition is the top secret of the imperial court. Those who treat you are not allowed to tell outsiders for any reason. Disclosure of illness. Anyone who dares to violate the order will be severely punished." "Eunuch Feng is more thoughtful." Zhang Juzheng cast a grateful glance at Feng Bao. Feng Bao sighed: "There is another sentence, I don't know if I should say it or not." "Feng Gonggong has something to say, just speak up." Feng Bao narrowed his eyes, as if he had made a lot of determination before he could speak: "Mr. Zhang, I suggest you move home to recuperate." Zhang Juzheng was taken aback for a moment, and asked, "Why did Mr. Feng make such a statement?" Feng Bao asked: "I heard that there is a pair of Persian beauties in Jixianglu?" "Yes." Zhang Juzheng moved under the quilt, with a slightly unnatural expression on his face, and asked, "How do you know?" Feng Bao didn't answer this question, but only answered in a circumvention way: "There are already some rumors about this matter." "What are you talking about?" "Say your illness is the same as that of Emperor Longqing back then. It's all caused by sex, and it's caused by women." "It makes no sense!" Zhang Juzheng's face was a little uncomfortable, Feng Bao looked at him, and continued to say: "Mr. Zhang, don't be excited, we have known you for so many years, and we still don't know your nature? Are you the kind of person who indulges in wine, sex, and lust? Bringing two Persian beauties here to have fun, as a normal man, there is nothing wrong with it. Besides, you are exhausted physically and mentally from all kinds of daily affairs, and at night, you need a young and beautiful girl to comfort you Relieve fatigue. Although Feng is a father-in-law, he can understand you, Mr. Zhang. However, in the imperial court, there are many people who talk to each other, some turn to the light and some turn to the fire. What kind of result would that be?" "What will happen?" Zhang Juzheng asked alertly. "Empress Dowager Li is definitely not happy," Feng Bao said slowly, "Mr. Zhang probably still remembers about Nuer Huahua. When Emperor Longqing pampered her, Empress Dowager Li hated her to the bone. The queen mother's face was immediately pulled down." With a serious face, Feng Bao made the problem very serious.Zhang Juzheng was displeased, and was thinking of explaining himself, when You Qi pushed the door open and came in, reporting: "Master, Qian Pu, the right servant of the Ministry of Industry, is anxious to see you." "Where is the other person?" "It's right at the gate," You Qi replied, "The master doesn't speak, and the gatekeepers refuse to let him in." "What's the matter with him?" "Look at his demeanor, the monkey is in a hurry, as if he has something important to report:" "Even if the sky falls, we can't see him." Feng Bao interjected. "Why can't we see you?" Zhang Juzheng asked. "You see people like this, isn't it leaking the news?" Feng Bao said and reminded, "Mr. Zhang, now we can't let anyone see your sick face." "But, Qian Pu is in a hurry." Zhang Juzheng replied. "Anyway, we've said everything that needs to be said, and what to do is up to you, Mr. Zhang." Feng Bao said and left. Zhang Juzheng listened to the sound of Feng Bao's footsteps going downstairs, thought about it, and felt that what he said was reasonable, he would never see people lying on the hospital bed, so he asked You Qi to help him up, and the two maids were busy dressing him, washing him, He helped him to the living room downstairs.A section of Zhang Juzheng's intestines came out due to defecation, and it was oozing blood from time to time. Sitting down was painful, so the maid put a thick and soft mattress on the embroidered couch where he was sitting. Like a needle prick. Under the guidance of You Qi, Qian Pu hurriedly walked into the living room of Shanweng Tingyu Building. On the way before entering the door, You Qi told him again and again that the report should be concise and to the point, and leave as soon as he finished speaking, and he must not delay the first assistant. rest.Hearing this, Qian Pu's heart sank to Gordon, guessing that the first assistant must be seriously ill.However, the news that Zhang Juzheng was seriously ill and bedridden was widely spread in the capital! But no one could tell exactly how ill he was.Since Qian Pu was promoted from the magistrate of Zhending Prefecture in the sixth year of Wanli and transferred to Beijing as the right servant of the Ministry of Industry, he has been appreciated by Zhang Juzheng and has become a frequent visitor to Zhang Dashifu.Even so, he still couldn't find out the real situation of the chief minister's illness this time, and he was politely rejected several times when he came to the door.Under such circumstances, Qian Pu couldn't help but suspect blindly, and this time he finally took the opportunity to find out the truth in person. As soon as he walked into the living room of Shanweng Tingyulou, he saw the first assistant in robes and neat clothes sitting on the embroidered couch. He didn't look like someone who was seriously ill. Qian Pu immediately felt relieved and kowtowed to face him. Sing here: "Qian Pu, the right servant of the Ministry of Industry, has an audience with Lord Chief Assistant." "Sit up and talk," Zhang Juzheng had just sipped the ginseng soup, and he became calm when speaking, "What's your hurry?" Hearing this voice, Qian Pu believed more and more that Shoufu didn't suffer from any serious illness.He sat on the chair opposite the chief assistant, pressed his hands on his knees, and wanted to play something, but changed the subject as soon as the words came out: "I heard that Mr. Shou Fu is not respectful, and I have always been uneasy. I have visited the house several times, but I can't get in." "It's not just you, but I blocked all the ministers and ministers who wanted to visit." Zhang Juzheng felt that he was at a disadvantage while struggling to speak, and urged, "If you have something urgent, tell me quickly." "That's right," Qian Pu felt that Zhang Juzheng's eyes were as sharp as ever, so he didn't dare to look at them. He just tilted his head and said, "This morning, when the humble official arrived at the yamen, the emperor sent Zhao Fu, who is in charge of the inner court's supply warehouse. Come and find me." "What are you looking for?" "Convey the emperor's will, and go to Yunnan to buy 20,000 catties of brass as soon as possible, so that they can be used to cast money in the palace." "What?" Zhang Juzheng stood up suddenly, and due to the force, his buttocks felt like tearing pain. He gritted his teeth to hold back, stared at Qian Pu with lightning eyes, and asked sharply, "The inner court wants to mint money?" "Yes," Qian Pu raised his face and replied, "The emperor said that the inner court supply treasury was insufficient, and the Taicang silver could not be requisitioned, so he wanted to mint money himself." "what do you say?" "When I thought about it, this matter is related to the court's money law. Even if it is the emperor, it is not legal to make money privately, so I told Zhao Fu that casting money is a big matter, and the humble job cannot be the master." Zhang Juzheng nodded, heaved a sigh of relief, and asked again: "What happened next?" Qian Pu twirled his beard and replied with a mournful face: "Zhao Fu immediately reprimanded his humble post. He said, 'The emperor personally decided this matter. What do you want to do? Your task is to transfer 20,000 catties Buy the brass back.' After finishing speaking, he walked away. As soon as he left, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong, so he rushed to ask you for instructions, what should we do about this matter?" "Alas!" Zhang Juzheng leaned back, sighed, and said, "Why is the emperor so confused?" "That's right, what Zhao Fu meant is that if you want a low-level job, you can transfer the document today, and send it to the Yamen in Futai, Yunnan in an expedited six hundred miles." "Don't do it yet!" "I obey orders," Qian Pu looked at Zhang Juzheng, and then asked hesitantly, "What should I do if the emperor asks you?" "You first write a memorial to the emperor, admonishing the emperor to abide by the court's money law, and to explain clearly the dangers of making money without permission." "yes." Qian Pu agreed, but ignored You Qi's frequent winks to tell him to leave quickly, he was still dawdling, as if he still had something to say. "Do you have anything else to do?" Zhang Juzheng asked impatiently. "There is one thing, and the humble job dare not speak." "you say:" "I would like to ask Mr. Shoufu for a keepsake, a fan, a brush, a scarf, a belt. Anything is fine." "What do you want these things for?" Zhang Juzheng was quite surprised. "The thing is like this," Qian Pu explained, "Being concerned about Mr. Shoufu's illness. If this disease can be replaced, I am willing to replace it with my own body. Two days ago, I suddenly remembered that it is very important After some results, I paid two hundred taels of silver and asked him to hold a seven-day altar meeting for Mr. Shoufu in Zhaoning Temple. It was agreed to open the altar the day after tomorrow. I know that Shoufu has always been unwilling to publicize his actions, so this time the altar will be held. It was not stated that it was done especially for the first assistant. But blessed by the Buddha's power, the first assistant is the person who receives the blessing. If he is not present, there is no way to receive the blessing. After thinking about it for a while, I came up with an idea. If you can beg for a token from the chief assistant and offer it on the altar, then you will be blessed." Zhang Juzheng felt that Qian Pu's idea was weird, so he wanted to refuse his resignation.Thinking about it again, people have good intentions-although praying for blessings cannot be expected to have any effect, it is not a bad thing.Then he casually handed a fan on the coffee table to Qian Pu and said: "I think your mind should be put on the memorial."