[Qing Chuan] Mu Emperor's Grace

Three days after the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, it was the day when Chen Chuzhe and other foreign officials entered the palace to face the saint.

Chen Chuzhe fell on the ground, waiting for Hongli to speak.However, after kneeling for a while, the emperor remained silent.

He secretly raised his eyes and looked up, Hongli tapped on the imperial case with his fingertips, and said in a deep voice: "Chen Chuzhe, I remember correctly. You were born as a number one scholar. take office."

Chen Chuzhe responded: "Go back to the emperor, that's right."

"How much do you know about Cathay Pacific?"

"Your Majesty... this... this..." Chen Chuzhe didn't expect that Hongli would not ask about local political achievements, but suddenly asked about Guotai.

"Let's be honest, the reason you worked so hard to arrange that scene was to expose Cathay Pacific."

"Cathay has a bad record in Shandong. He used his power to extort money from officials at all levels. The officials who were extorted dared to be angry and dared not speak up. They could only exploit the subordinates in different ways, and the exploitation continued layer by layer. The people suffered unspeakably. Officials who do not go along with them will be stumbling in the dark at the slightest, or tortured at the worst. They are absolutely lawless and extremely arrogant.”

Chen Chuzhe complained sternly, but Hongli just glanced at him indifferently, and asked, "He Shen came on stage, did you know about it?"

Chen Chuzhe froze all over, forced a smile and said, "I know..."

"Knowledge without dissuasion, he acted out of line, don't you know how to measure?"

Chen Chuzhe listened to Hongli's reprimand, leaned over and kowtowed: "This time, I acted recklessly, and I am convicted."

Hongli looked at the person kneeling on the ground, and was silent for a long time before he said softly: "At the beginning, in terms of talent and learning, you were the first. Since I took office, it is the first time I have seen someone who can pass the imperial examination and Hanlin final exam. You were ranked number one twice, and you have also been among the best in all previous Beijing inspections. I know that you are talented, and you are really humiliated because you are trapped in this small world of the Imperial Academy."

Chen Chuzhe couldn't help raising his head, and looked at Hongli with astonishment.

"I know that before the Qianlong Dynasty, there was no precedent for the number one scholar to be sent outside, but in the early days, an official could not always be confined to the golden house in the book. Even if he is as knowledgeable as Ji Yun, I will send him every time he tours the south." Take it with you and let him see the local conditions and customs of various places. Only after seeing these, in the temple in the future, can he have the mind to worry about the world's worries first, and enjoy the world's joys later."

Chen Chuzhe's heart was shaken, and all the confusion and resentment these days had disappeared at this moment.Seeing the sudden look on his face, Hongli knew that he had figured it out.

After Chen Chuzhe stepped back, Hongli stared at the memorial on the case, but his thoughts gradually drifted away.In the previous life, Chen Chuzhe took the post of Daoist of Jingyi Shi with a brilliant resume, and news of his passing away due to illness came shortly afterwards, and Hongli regretted it for a long time.Hongli didn't realize that it was a great test for a champion to be sent out to work, not only in terms of talent, but also psychologically.

The gossip above the temple sometimes makes people lose their minds.It wasn't until this life, when He Shen came, that Hongli realized that it was impossible for Chen Chuzhe to resist the order.His unwillingness and anger were all suppressed in his heart.He was naturally envious of those close ministers of the emperor, and He Shen, who was born in the same ranking, became his number one object of envy.

So when He Shen proposed, he turned against the army and asked He Shen to be the early bird.If Hongli rewarded him afterwards, Chen Chuzhe, as an insider, would naturally have a share of the credit.But if he accidentally offended the emperor, He Shen would be the first to suffer.

Hongli wrote the two big characters "Cathay" on the paper with a vermilion pen. When he reached the last point, Wu Shulai's voice came in: "Your Majesty, Mr. Agui, please see me."

Hongli crumpled the rice paper into a ball, and said happily, "Xuan it up."

Agui entered the room to salute, Hongli asked, "Why do you want to see me?"

Ah Gui replied: "The Ding Ji Festival in the mid-winter month is coming soon, and all the ceremonies are already under preparation. This time, this slave wants to ask the emperor if he has any other orders."

Hongli thought about it for a moment, and then replied: "Ding sacrifice is a major event, and it must not be careless. The Han people have always respected Confucius and Confucianism..." He stopped in the middle of the sentence.Hongli realized that going to Qufu Confucian Temple to worship Confucius was a good time to tour Shandong.

"Ah Gui, give me an order: I will come to Shandong in person this time for Ding Sacrifice, to express my determination and sincerity to attach importance to Sinology and the Man-Han family."

Hongli stared heavily at the crumpled waste paper, and murmured, "This farce should come to an end."

The news of the emperor's eastward tour quickly spread throughout the court and the harem.It would be a great honor for the emperor to be on a tour, if concubines, courtiers, and princes can follow him, and it has almost become a kind of proof of favor.Whether it is the court or the harem, there is an undercurrent surging.

On the day Chen Chuzhe left for Shandong, He Shen went to see him off.The Chen Chuzhe in front of him was more energetic than when he first met, completely different from the cautious appearance in Hefu.

"Brother Heshen, thanks to you this time, the emperor can really pay attention to the Cathay case." Chen Chuzhe said with emotion, "It's all right now. I heard that the emperor has ordered an eastward tour, and Cathay's crimes will be exposed in the light of day." down."

He Shen frowned. Although Cathay has done many evil deeds, he is still a relative.Even if they are dismissed from office, there are many people who are reappointed after three to five years.In the end of Qianlong's reign, corruption continued and even intensified. These cannot be solved by getting rid of a Cathay Pacific.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Chen Chuzhe said to himself: "I'm in Beijing these days, thanks to brother Heshen taking care of me. In the future, brother Heshen will accompany you to Shandong, and I will try my best to help you in case of trouble."

When Chen Chuzhe mentioned it, He Shen thought of Hongli's east tour, and he would inevitably choose civil and military officials to accompany him.However, the news had spread for so long, and he hadn't received any orders from his followers.Since Qingyiyuan returned to the palace that day, Hongli never asked him to attend the study by name again, nor summoned him for some reason.Although life is still going on as usual, it is true that I haven't seen Hongli for a long time.

In this temple, temporary gains and losses are not the most important thing, only Jun's kindness is the most important.So many local officials are jealous of Beijing officials, isn't it because Beijing officials can speak in front of the emperor.

He Shen smiled: "Who can say for sure who the emperor chooses or not?"

Seeing that he was not interested, Chen Chuzhe stopped talking wisely.

Seeing that the day of the east tour is approaching day by day, the eunuch who announced the decree has already entered and left the Imperial Academy several times.Ji Yun and others have already received the orders of the followers, but He Shen seems to have been forgotten.

This day, Agui stopped Ji Xiaolan and asked, "Master Ji, you are the most admired scholar in the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty. I have something to ask you."

"Don't dare to take it, my lord, please tell me."

"Master Ji has received the orders from his followers for some time." Ah Gui said with a frown.

Ji Xiaolan was startled, nodded and said: "It has been a while. Why, is there anything wrong with the decree?"

Ah Gui scratched her head, and said hesitantly: "The problem is not the decree. The Ministry of Rites should have issued all the decrees, but there was one order that the emperor ordered to keep it. It has not yet been issued by the Ministry of Rites. It is like a piece of hot hand." Yam, it’s neither advancing nor retreating.”

"Oh?" Ji Xiaolan raised her eyebrows and said, "I don't know which adult this decree is for?"

Ah Gui looked around and confirmed that no one was around, and then said softly: "Speaking of which, he is still a colleague of the Imperial Academy, the one who was in the limelight a few days ago——He Shen."

Ji Xiaolan laughed when she heard the words, until Ah Gui didn't understand, so: "Master Ji, you are..."

Ji Xiaolan laughed for a while, seeing that Ah Gui was getting impatient, she stopped and responded: "As you said, being in the limelight is not necessarily a good thing. The emperor also wants to punish the small ones, so he should be punished."

Ah Gui thought about it carefully, frowned and said, "But this one, he hasn't made any mistakes recently."

Ji Xiaolan couldn't help laughing again, he paused, and said firmly: "Don't worry. After a while, this decree should also be sent out." After speaking, he returned the salute to Agui, and then smiled left.

But it said that Ji Xiaolan returned to the Hanlin Academy, and He Shen was copying the manuscript.Bachelor Ji, who usually buried his head in the pile of books, walked to He Shen's seat for the first time.

He Shen raised his eyes and hurriedly put down his pen to salute him.

"My lord, I can finally be less busy at the end of this year. It's rare for me to find time to come to your place."

He Shen hesitated: "Dare to ask Mr. Ji...how do you say this?"

Ji Xiaolan looked at He Shen in astonishment: "This is a follower on the east tour, so naturally he doesn't have to be entangled in official duties. Civil servants like you and me, when they are on the east tour, they just accompany the emperor to visit mountains and rivers, compose poems and write essays. It's very relaxing."

He Shen smiled awkwardly: "To tell you the truth, I didn't receive the order from the follower, so Lord Ji laughed at me."

Ji Xiaolan raised her eyebrows and said: "It shouldn't be, maybe the emperor forgot in a hurry. And my lord, you have to tie the bell to untie the bell, don't you think so."

He Shen looked at Ji Xiaolan's leaving back, pondered for a moment, and then said to Hanlin who was about to go to attend the study: "Master Xu, counting the emperor's appointment, you have already entered the palace seven or eight times this month."

Xu Huanzhi sighed: "I also don't understand the mind of Lord Long Live. The number of rotations this month is not counted, so I ordered five times by hand. I was thinking which article or section the emperor wanted to hear, but I I also prepared for a long time, but when I arrived at Sanxi Hall, I spent a long time talking and talking, and I didn't feel that the emperor was listening carefully..." As soon as he finished speaking, he realized that he was talking too much.Seeing that the colleagues on the left and right were concentrating on the pile of books, they just relaxed.

"Do you think this is okay? Today, I will be on duty for you for a day, and you just have a rest." He Shen asked with a smile.

"This... can this work?" Xu Huanzhi hesitated.

"Today is not hand-picked by the emperor, but just an ordinary shift. You don't have to worry about it. If anyone asks, I'll tell you that Mr. Xu is unwell, and I'm here to take over."

Xu Huanzhi thought for a while, nodded, handed the book to He Shen, and sat comfortably on the chair: "This is very good, very good, my old bones can't stand the toss."