Winter and October pilgrimage. Pen, fun, and www.biquge.info

For the more than 1,300 Beijing officials in Beijing, it was just an ordinary day.

But yesterday's fire in the imperial city made today's court a little different.

Standing on the noon gate square, the officials could see the temple not far away, a few places of black smoke rising, and the smell of burnt wood could be smelled between their noses.

After learning that the Son of Heaven, the Queen Mother, and the Queen were unharmed, the hearts of the officials finally let go of a little.

However, many officials present were also worried about whether the Son of Heaven would not appear at today's court ceremony due to the impact of the fire, so that the preparations that had been carefully planned for many days fell short.

The imperial history of picketing etiquette has not yet arrived.

The officials were also reluctant to wait in the court room at the noon gate, and although the Son of Heaven was fine, they still had to show their courtiers' concern when they encountered the fire.

Officials holding a hat wat and wearing tooth tags on their waists gathered in the square.

"This palace was robbed by Zhurong, but fortunately it was not as good as the heavenly fire during the Jiajing period. At that time, the three halls were burned, and the Fengtian Gate, the left and right Shun Gates, and the left and right corridors outside the noon gate were burned. This time, it can be said that it depends on Your Majesty, the Queen Mother Hongfu, and it is such a fire without brewing. ”

"I heard that the temple decreed that the cost of rebuilding the three major halls would be apportioned to the provinces, and the imperial court spent more than 10 million taels of silver before repairing the three halls. If the three major halls are really burned this time, where will the money come from? So this time it's a blessing in disguise. ”

An official's voice was several degrees higher and said: "Even if you don't burn the imperial court, there is no money, the Yellow River has just been flooded, and yesterday it was rumored that Su and Song had another flood, and the household department is not out of money, but the money is diverted to other uses." ”

Immediately, an official ripped the words away: "At present, the longevity of the Queen Mother is important, and the construction of the Shou Palace is not counted for other purposes, this is a major event related to the fortune of the country." Besides, His Majesty's benevolence has stopped building the palace. ”

Everyone laughed haha, and one said: "I heard that the Son of Heaven and the Queen Mother all pray to the Taimiao for blessings, which is also thinking of the people in the world." ”

Listening to the discussions of these officials, Yu Shenxing, Wang Jiaping and others watched coldly.

They can see clearly, but all officials always say things that don't look like flatterers, and say things that don't look like words.

The officials are angry and dare not show what they dare to do, and they do not dare to say it. If you say something meaningless, the officials won't say it, but it's not like some impassioned and unscrupulous scholars who speak generously in the restaurant and teahouse.

As an official, we all know how difficult it is to get mixed up today, and we must be cautious in our words and deeds in officialdom, so as not to cause trouble from our mouths.

Yu Shenxing didn't say a word, Zhang Jiaping nodded at him, and then said: "When it comes to the end, don't think too much." ”

Yu Shenxing's tense expression relaxed slightly, and he nodded to Wang Jiaping.

At this moment, the three auxiliary ministers had arrived.

The Jingyang bell rang leisurely, and the officials immediately stopped talking and lined up in front of the noon gate.

The clouds are rolling in the sky, and at first glance, the clear weather seems to be about to come with a storm.

As soon as the iron lock fell, the door of the prison prison opened.

The sun poured into the corridors of the prison.

Lin Qianqian stood in front of the prison gate and looked at the road that went deep into the ground, thinking that this edict would not see the light of day, which was really good.

A brocade guard gave Lin Qianqian a torch to please her and said: "The supervisor has already explained, let you have a good talk with the champion father, and no one will come to urge you then." ”

Lin Qianqian nodded, remembering the rules mentioned by Chen Jichuan, took out some broken silver from his purse, and stuffed it to the other party with an unfamiliar movement: "There is Brother Lao." ”

The brocade guard hesitated, but still accepted the money, and then led the way with a torch.

Lin Qianqian walked in the dim corridor, and his whole heart was raised, but thinking that Lin Yanchao was in the edict prison, he couldn't care about it at the moment, and followed closely with his steps.

In the middle hall.

Before going to court, the Son of Heaven will rest here for a while. Feiyun Yuan also stopped aside.

The eunuchs and maids in the palace all stood with their hands down, and they didn't dare to come out of the atmosphere, for fear of disturbing the emperor.

Last night the Imperial City was on fire. Although the Son of Heaven was not frightened, he always delayed his rest, and only closed his eyes for a moment when it was almost dawn.

On this day, the Son of Heaven is still in poor spirits. But after a while, the minister still had to greet the Son of Heaven, so the Son of Heaven did not want the officials to see his tired appearance.

The palace maid brought him ginseng tea.

The Son of Heaven disliked the smell of ginseng tea too strongly, and wanted to spit it out when he drank it, but he thought that there would be many things for a while, so he forcibly drank it.

Then the Son of Heaven sat on the throne and closed his eyes to recuperate.

At this time, Zhang Whale came, he was in a hurry, and when he saw the Son of Heaven resting, he immediately changed his hands and tiptoed to the bottom of the throne.

Before he got close, the Son of Heaven closed his eyes and said, "Is Zhang Whale coming?" ”

Zhang Whale smiled flatteringly: "Long live the Lord is really a holy ear, and the voice of the slave can't hide it from you." ”

The Son of Heaven opened his eyes and said, "I can't hear your footsteps." ”

Zhang Whale laughed a few times, and then handed over an official letter.

The eunuch handed over the official document to the Son of Heaven. The Son of Heaven glanced at it a few times and said, "Can you see who is behind it?" ”

Zhang Jing said a few names, and the Son of Heaven sneered: "These officials are just Hanlin, outsiders, and they can call on courtiers?" ”

Zhang Whale lowered his head and said: "The slave will continue to investigate, but Your Majesty will not go to the Huangji Gate in the name of the dragon's body is sick." ”

The Son of Heaven waved his hand and said, "No, I want to see this good show, and I will drive it immediately." ”

After speaking, the Son of Heaven got up from the throne and sat down on the flying clouds.

At this moment, the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs Yuguan opened the door from the left and right of the noon gate, and entered the front of the Huangji Gate through the white marble golden water bridge.

More than 500 officials were arranged in front of the imperial gate according to the dynasty cards of one to nine grades.

The officials hung their heads and held their breath.

At this moment, the silent whip sounded three times, and together with Shao Le, the Son of Heaven came to the Emperor's Gate to ascend to the throne.

After the three auxiliary ministers led hundreds of officials to salute the Son of Heaven, they then greeted him.

The ministers looked at the Son of Heaven, although his appearance was a little tired, but his spirit was okay.

Last night, it was the eunuchs and palace maids who set off fireworks in order to rehearse the Queen Mother's birthday, causing the Forbidden City to catch fire. Now that the person has been disposed of, it is not easy for the officials to continue to investigate the matter.

But at this moment, an official suddenly came from the class to the side of the imperial road and knelt down to the emperor, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the fire in the imperial city is not without reason, this is a warning from heaven to your majesty, warning your majesty that if you do not cultivate virtue and politics during your reign, you will be angry and resented by heaven and people in the future." ”

As soon as these words came out, hundreds of officials were in an uproar, and the Son of Heaven had also seen the impeachment of many ministers.

Ming Dynasty officials have always been known for their fierce rhetoric and exaggeration. Of course, the civil officials have their own set of rhetoric, saying that the rhetoric in the recital is not fierce and exaggerated, and it is not enough to impress the Sacred Heart.

Therefore, the Son of Heaven sitting on the throne has long been immune to such 'alarmism'.

This is also a characteristic of the Ming Dynasty, which is unimaginable in the Qing Dynasty.

The Son of Heaven didn't move and said: "This time the fire in the palace is a man-made disaster, not a natural disaster, not a warning from heaven, don't speculate for no reason." ”

The official did not hesitate and said: "Your Majesty, Shangshu Hongfan has clouds, and God has given Dayu Hongfan Jiuchou to govern the world." If the country has a way, the wind and the sun are beautiful, and the sea is clear and the river feast, if the country has no way, then the flood and drought. Therefore, the Son of Heaven should be punished and virtuous, and go to heaven with things. ”

"It is the will of heaven that affects personnel, this time the unprovoked fire in the palace, coupled with the disaster of Su and Song, and the flooding of the Yellow River, are all warnings from God to the Son of Heaven, please Your Majesty cultivate virtue and politics to calm the anger of the sky."

This set is Dong Zhongshu's theory of heaven and man induction that has been used to this day.

No matter how high the imperial power is, it is also a son of heaven, and it must be restricted by heaven.

The fire in the Forbidden City was sensitive, and Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing and built the imperial city, but a natural fire burned the imperial city to ashes.

Zhu Di, who launched the Battle of Jingjing and killed people without blinking, thought that he had been convicted of the heavens, so he issued an edict to review his mistakes to the world.

So this official took advantage of this matter to play, and the Son of Heaven was helpless, and immediately said: "I know." ”

Seeing this, the official said: "The minister thinks that the current disaster of the country lies in the fact that the court has not finished committing treachery. Although Zhang Juzheng has been decided, many ministers in the court still secretly sympathize, and even the remnants of the Zhang Party. ”

"There are even ministers who hold themselves as close ministers of the Son of Heaven, and they do not hesitate to write a book to borrow the wedding of King Lu to attack the government, and they have ill intentions to divert the public and the public, disturb the Queen Mother's birthday, and divide the love of the heavenly family, these people must be dealt with strictly."

"I beg Your Majesty to uphold righteousness and dispel evil, eradicate evil, and appease the wrath of heaven with righteousness and goodness."

After the official finished speaking, the officials present couldn't help but look at Li Wei, the Marquis of Wuqing, frequently.

But seeing that Li Wei was silent, there was a faint look of pride.

The edict is dark.

Lin Qianqian heard the sound of shackles and shackles colliding from time to time, presumably the prisoner imprisoned here turned over and moved.

From time to time, there are short, or extremely long, moans of pain.

Lin Qianqian had never seen this scene since he was a child, so he could only follow closely behind the torches, and occasionally the torches lit up the place for a while, shining the empty and helpless eyes behind the wooden fence, which made Lin Qianqian shudder even more.

Lin Qianqian couldn't help but say in his heart, Xianggong, Xianggong, you must be safe and sound.

When he reached a corner, the brocade guard in front of him stopped and said with a smile: "Madam, it's here." ”

Lin Qianqian's heart was relieved, and then she raised it again, she was afraid of seeing a flesh and blood blurred Lin Yanchao.

The brocade guard ordered the cell to unlock and open the door. Lin Qianqian looked in with wide eyes, but saw Lin Yanchao wearing a clean blue shirt, sitting on the edge of the couch for a long time, holding a scroll in his hand.

Lin Qianqian looked at Lin Yanchao's appearance, but he was shocked, and the package he was holding fell to the ground.

When Lin Yanchao heard this, he looked at Lin Qianqian, and he couldn't believe it for a while, and stood up from the bed in surprise.

The two of them didn't know what to say, and they couldn't move their feet, but they just stood and looked at each other.

The prisoner playfully closed the door.

Lin Yanchao then asked, "Qianqian, why are you here?" ”

As soon as the words fell, I saw Lin Qianqian muttering and pounced on Lin Yanchao's body fiercely.

Holding Lin Qian's shallow and soft body, Lin Yanchao, who did not know how many years had passed in the edict of the day, suddenly came from a barren place to heaven on earth.

Lin Yanchao also hugged Lin Qianqian, and suddenly countless feelings burst out in his chest, and he was filled with tears unconsciously.

Lin Qianqian raised her head from Lin Yanchao's arms, and tears kept sliding down from the corners of her eyes. Lin Qianqian's sparkling eyes contained all kinds of tenderness, which almost made Lin Yanchao unable to help it.

Just when Lin Yanchao lowered his head and wanted to kiss, he felt a pain in his mouth.

Lin Yanchao couldn't help but raise his head, but saw Lin said lightly: "Such a big matter, why don't you discuss it with me, do you still think I am your wife?" ”

After speaking, Lin Qianqian cried.

Lin Yanchao can turn over the clouds and rain in the court, but he is a little helpless against Lin Qianqian.

In the square, after the official spoke out, he was instantly supported by several officials. They also asked the Son of Heaven to continue to liquidate the Chu Party and punish Lin Yanchao severely.

The Son of Heaven sat on the throne and did not say a word.

But the ministers below were sneering, disappointed, and distressed.

With the help of the fire in the palace and the matter of the Yellow River, attacking Lin Yanchao and continuing to liquidate the Chu Party was a clever move by Li Wei, the Marquis of Wuqing.

In fact, he knew that if there was a fire in the palace today, it was likely to be used by the people of the Chu Party to admonish the Son of Heaven and ask for a clear name for grievances.

At this moment, he felt that he had held the commanding heights of public opinion in his hands, and smiled proudly at the moment.

"The state affairs have come to this point, do you still want to persecute Zhongliang?"

The clear voice echoed in the square, but when I saw an official stand up, several officials around him tried to pull his sleeve, but saw the other party's sleeve robe flicked and forced out of the crowd.

The official kowtowed heavily to the Son of Heaven on the throne: "Gu Xiancheng, the head of the Ministry of Ministers, has the courage to speak out, and I implore Your Majesty to be rude. ”

The Son of Heaven glanced at Wu Qinghou, and then said, "What does the Gu Qing family want to say?" ”

Gu Xiancheng said: "The Yellow River flooded, millions of people were homeless, and last month, Susong had another flood, but some people in the court didn't think about how to stabilize the society for His Majesty, and they focused on harming people and persecuting loyal ministers. ”

Yushi once said to Zong: "Gu Xiancheng, are the loyal ministers you are talking about Zhang Juzheng and Lin Yanchao who are rebellious and deceitful and mislead the country?" ”

The wind in Huangjimen Square stopped suddenly. Many officials sweated for Gu Xiancheng in their hearts.

But seeing that Gu Xiancheng didn't look at the other party, he said categorically: "Exactly." ”

Zeng Xiangzong immediately said to the Son of Heaven: "Your Majesty, as the minister said, there are really many remnants of the Chu Party in the court, today there are people who do not recruit themselves, and take the initiative to jump out, and the minister implores His Majesty to take down this person, go to the punishment department, and ask who else is his comrade?" ”

Gu Xiancheng laughed when he heard this: "The same party? To say a good word is to be in the same party? ”

"When Zhang Juzheng was alive, I once called him a powerful minister, do you dare? Although Lin Yanchao is my friend, he is for the country's social affairs and does not hesitate to die, but I can only stand by and watch, I dare not say a word, what kind of friend is this. ”

Zeng Xiangzong was overjoyed when he heard this: "Your Majesty, Gu Xiancheng is the same year as Lin Yanchao, this person is a traitor, please take him down quickly." ”

The Son of Heaven's lips moved, and he was about to order the Jinyi Guard to take down Gu Xiancheng.

At this time, an official came out and said: "Your Majesty, the minister is trying to protect Zhang Juzheng, Lin Yanchao is not a traitor!" ”

Wu Qinghou Li Wei's face suddenly changed.