On February 2, the fifth year of Jiajing, the Spring Ploughing Festival, in order to encourage the people of the world to be diligent in farming, the Ministry of Rites held a grand spring ploughing ceremony. On this day, Yan Song in the Ministry of Rites can be said to be out of the limelight, because this spring ploughing ceremony was held in accordance with his share of the song, and he also personally participated in the preparation and presiding. Jiajing personally cultivated the southern suburbs of the capital, while Empress Wu was close to silkworms in the northern suburbs of the capital.

As Xu Jin expected, Zhu Houxi, this kid, also held a ceremony to sacrifice heaven and earth by the way, resulting in the established fact that heaven and earth are divided, and it is estimated that in the future, heaven and earth will be sacrificed every year in accordance with this way of sub-sacrifice, and will gradually implement Yan Song's advocacy of sacrificing heaven, earth, sun and moon in the suburbs of the capital according to the seasonal solar terms.

Xu Jin is very uninterested in this kind of sacrificial ceremony that has its own appearance and costs the people and money, but it is not good to sweep Zhu Houxi's happiness for such an innocuous thing. In addition, these ceremonies are not useless, at least they can enhance a certain degree of national cohesion, just as flag-raising ceremonies can enhance national pride and patriotism.

The most important thing in the way of being a minister is to know how to advance and retreat, Xu Jin will not recklessly restrain Jiajing's behavior because of his great merit and favor. Why did Yang Tinghe step down? It is because he wants to take care of everything, trying to make Jiajing go completely according to the route he set, his starting point may be good, but it goes beyond the way of the monarch and the minister, making Jiajing feel that his monarchy is suppressed by the power of the prime minister, and over time, Yang Tinghe's dismal ending has become inevitable, after all, Jiajing is the Ninth Five-Year Honor.

Therefore, Xu Jin will not deliberately flatter Jiajing, but he will not restrain Jiajing too much, maintain the humility that courtiers should have, and maintain the due distance between monarchs and ministers.

Xu Jin did not come forward to oppose Jiajing's construction of an altar to sacrifice the heavens, the earth, the sun and the moon, but he was very wary of Yan Song, a traitorous minister, taking the opportunity to take the throne, so after the Spring Ploughing Festival, he officially proposed at the court meeting that Yan Song accompany him to the sea to quell the rebellion, so as to take him with him and supervise it.

This matter was mentioned to Jiajing a few years ago, and Jiajing also agreed at that time, so when Xu Jin officially proposed to take Yan Song to the sea to quell the rebellion at the court meeting, Jiajing immediately agreed.

Yan Songdeng's face turned green when he arrived, and he was reluctant in his heart, but the king's order was difficult to disobey, so he could only pinch his nose and admit it.

However, just three days before Xu Jin was about to set off for the south, Lord Yan suddenly fell ill, and it was said that he was quite sick, so he asked the emperor for sick leave, and he couldn't rest at home and couldn't go to court.

On the afternoon of the fifth day of the second lunar month, when the spring was cold, Xu Jin personally brought the imperial physician Li Yanwen to Xiaoyongfang, not to see Yan Song, but to see Yang Yiqing, the first assistant of the cabinet.

It turned out that not long after the Lantern Festival, Yang Ge Lao fell ill, and he was very sick, he hadn't been to the court for half a month, and he didn't even participate in the Spring Ploughing Festival ceremony, so Xu Jin wanted to visit Yang Yiqing before leaving Beijing.

Xu Jin led Li Yanwen to the door of the Yang Mansion and handed a greeting to the porter, and the porter learned that the person in front of him was Xu Jin, the Marquis of Jinghai, who was famous all over the world, and did not dare to slack off at the moment, and let Xu Jin into the front yard living room to sit, and then quickly entered the inner house to report.

After a while, Yang Zhong, the housekeeper of the Yang Mansion, hurriedly came to the living room and said politely: "The master is seriously ill and it is inconvenient to move around, please Lord Xu move to the study to meet him." ”

"It's okay, there's a housekeeper to lead the way!" Xu Jin stood up and said with a pleasant face.

The housekeeper Yang Zhong nodded secretly, this young man is ambitious, although he does not have the power to lean towards the government and the opposition, but it is not far away, it is rare that he is not arrogant or impatient, he is polite and kind, it seems that the old man is indeed not wrong about this son.

Xu Jin followed the housekeeper to the inner house, and Li Yanwen followed without saying a word with the medicine box on his back.

Yang Yiqing, as the head of the cabinet, lived in an ordinary mansion, far less than the Xu Mansion, and the area was much smaller, with only two entrances in front and back, and the paint on the pillars and beams was very old and mottled.

Seeing this scene, Xu Jin and Li Yanwen couldn't help but be in awe, the head of the cabinet was the leader of the ministers, and he lived so simply, it can be seen that Yang Ge Lao is indeed an honest official with clean sleeves.

"Master, Lord Xu brought it!" Butler Yang Zhong stood outside the door of the study to report.

"Please come in, Lord Xu!" Yang Yiqing's voice came out from inside, although he was a little hoarse and hoarse, but his mid-air seemed to be okay.

"Lord Yang, please come in!" The butler pushed open the door of the study and said politely.

Xu Jin motioned for Li Yanwen to wait outside for a while, and then stepped into the study, and suddenly smelled a strong mint smell, and looked up, only to see that the study in front of him was not big, it was estimated to be about fifteen square meters, and the bookshelf behind the bookcase took up most of the space.

At this time, I saw Yang Ge Lao wearing a cotton jacket standing behind the bookcase and waving, the tendons of the hand covered with old age spots were highlighted, and the brush was firmly grasped in his hand, looking free.

"Xu Ziqian is here, come here, see how the old man writes this handwriting?" Yang Yiqing looked up and smiled.

Yang Yiqing raised his head, Xu Jin suddenly chuckled in his heart, he hadn't seen him for more than half a month, Yang Ge Lao had lost so much weight, there seemed to be a layer of skin wrapped around his face wrapped in bones, his eye sockets were deep, and his pupils were cloudy.

"Xia Guan has seen Yang Ge Lao!" Xu Jinxing went to the bookcase and gave a salute, feeling faintly uneasy in his heart, he was very angry when he listened to Yang Yiqing's voice outside just now, but when he saw it in person, he was haggard like this, and he felt that his life was not long in coming.

"Don't be polite, what does Ziqian think of the old man's words?" Yang Yiqing asked with interest.

Xu Jin looked down at the words on the table, and saw that there were eight big characters written on it, "Han Xin points soldiers, the more the merrier".

Yang Yiqing uses a thin gold body, the pen is quite old and spicy, and the end is an iron and silver hook, which is full of strength, and faintly has the momentum of Jin Ge Iron Horse. Xu Jin couldn't help but praise: "Good words, Yang Lao's hand is thin and powerful, smart and fast, to thin without losing its flesh, its big characters can be seen in the graceful place, and it is the essence of the thin gold body!" ”

Yang Yiqing smiled and said: "Ziqian praised it, how about giving this character to Ziqian?" I wish Ziqian a victorious start to the sea to quell the rebellion and return triumphantly! ”

Xu Jin's heart moved, and he arched his hand and said: "Inherit Yang Lao's auspicious words, thank Yang Lao for giving words!" ”

Yang Yiqing smiled and said: "It is said that Ziqian also writes well, why don't you give back a picture to the old man?" ”

Xu Jin said calmly: "Then the lower official is respectful, it is better to obey his fate!" After speaking, he took the pen in Yang Yiqing's hand, spread out the rice paper and waved the pen.

"Since ancient times, no one has died, leaving Dan to take care of the sweat." Yang Yiqing read out the two lines of poetry written by Xu Jin word by word, and his eyes couldn't help but light up, and he said with a smile: "Ziqian's hand and face are also extraordinary!" ”

Xu Jin arched his hand and said, "The lower official is ugly!" ”

"Ziqian is too modest, and the old man will order someone to frame this character." After Yang Yiqing finished speaking, he really called the housekeeper in and took the character written by Xu Jin and framed it.

Xu Jin couldn't help but smile bitterly, literati seem to like to engage in subtlety, and they want to do it in a round and round about it. This can be regarded as a kind of philosophy of life for the Chinese people, because it does not hurt each other's face, leaving enough room for maneuver. However, if you run into a rough person with big nerves, I am afraid that the subtlety will become a pair of cows playing the piano.

Xu Jin is not a rough person, so he naturally understands the meaning of Yang Yiqing's gift of this word.

Who is Han Shin? It is the military god who assisted Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, to win the country, he won a hundred battles, and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is a master of high merit, but this guy is still very high-profile, and even said in front of Liu Bang that Liu Bang's ability can only lead 100,000 soldiers, and the more troops he leads, the better, in addition, Han Xin is also proud of his merits, and wants to coerce Liu Bang to make him the king of Qi.

Aren't you looking for death? So Han Xin's final fate was miserable!

Therefore, Yang Yiqing quoted "Han Xin's soldiers, the more the merrier", on the surface he praised Xu Jin for using his troops like a god, but in fact he reminded Xu Jin not to be arrogant about his achievements, otherwise he would end up like Han Xin.

Xu Jin quoted Wen Tianxiang's two poems "Who has not died in life since ancient times, leaving Dan to take care of the sweat", which is to show Yang Yiqing that he is loyal to the Ming Dynasty, loyal to the monarch, and has no heart of disobedience.

"Ziqian was able to come to see the old man before he left Beijing, the old man was very pleased, come and sit down!" Yang Yiqing staggered out from behind the bookcase, and Xu Jin hurriedly stepped forward to help him come to the coffee table and sit down.

"Elder Yang seems to be very ill, Xia Guan specially brought Imperial Doctor Li Yanwen this time, Elder Yang might as well let Imperial Physician Li diagnose and treat one or two." Xu Jin said solemnly.

Yang Yiqing's eyes were slightly warm, and he smiled open-mindedly: "Life is rare for seventy years, and the old man can live until now that he has earned it, hehe, but since Imperial Doctor Li is here, please come in, so as not to disappoint Ziqian's kindness." ”

Xu Jin hurriedly summoned Li Yanwen in, and the latter gave a salute without asking much, put down the medicine box and gave Yang Yiqing a pulse.

Yang Yiqing looked at Li Yanwen, who frowned deeply, and said with a smile: "Dare to ask Imperial Doctor Li, is there any cure for the old man's disease?" ”

Li Yanjian didn't answer, stood up and said politely: "Lao Yangge has taken off his shirt, and the lower officials have to check the lesions before they can make a conclusion!" ”

Yang Yiqing couldn't help but show surprise, but he still took off his shirt, revealing his skinny upper body. At this time, although the spring is cold, the stove is burning in the study, but it is not cold.

Li Yanwen's eyes fell on Yang Yiqing's back, and his complexion suddenly changed, Xu Jin couldn't help but stand up and take a look, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, it turned out that Yang Yiqing's back actually had a big red and swollen poisonous sore, all of which were suppurated, the size of a child's fist.

Li Yanwen put on his gloves and pressed the surroundings of the poisonous sore with a solemn expression, some places were hard, and some places were sinking when he pressed it, and some pus and blood flowed out from the rotten place, which was shocking to watch.

"Imperial Doctor Li......" Xu Jin looked at Li Yanwen inquiringly, the latter took off his gloves and said with a calm face: "Xiaguan will prescribe a pair of medicine to Yang Lao first, and then make a decision!" ”

Yang Yiqing was calm and said with a smile: "There is Imperial Doctor Lao Li!" ”