[Ming History + Legend of Lu Xiaofeng] Ninety-five Supreme

In the tenth year of Wanli, on June [-], Zhang Juzheng, who had been suffering from illness for nearly half a year, finally passed away sadly with endless worries and uncompetitive careers.

Civil and military officials stopped the court for one month, and ordered the Ministry of Rites to set up nine altars for sacrifices-the state funeral standard.

On the second day after Zhang Juzheng's death, Zhu Yijun ordered to give him the official title of Shangzhu Kingdom, and gave him the posthumous title "Wenzheng".

At the beginning of July, the coffin was moved to the south, and the coffin cover was sent away from the Beijing city amidst the cries of mountains and seas. Tens of thousands of people knelt down and cried bitterly, and the whole city mourned.

"Feng Bao went to Baiyun Temple again? Tell him to drink less of the fairy soup from Laoshizi. You see, as soon as Mr.'s coffin leaves, he will fall ill."

"The queen is not in good health. I have a lot of things to do recently, so she has to pay more attention to herself."

"Liu Dadao is coming back. This battle has been fought for a long time, but it's a pity that the master can't see it."

"Pan Sheng was impeached when he joined the cabinet. The cabinet drafted the vote first, and Yu Shenxing has been the chief assistant for half a month. Why are you asking me?"

"Princess Liao wrote a letter to redress her grievances. The Liao Palace confiscated countless family properties, and according to investigations, all of them went to the Zhang family."

"Is this delivered this morning?"

Liang Yong nodded and said, "Yes."

Zhu Yijun tapped the center of his eyebrows with two fingers, and there were many memorials on the imperial case, most of which were small green leather books.

In the past, Zhang Juzheng in the cabinet had the final say, and he was consulted on any major issues.Now that the three members of the cabinet made a decision, it was inevitable that they hesitated.Zhang Siwei has been in the second assistant for a long time, although he is full-fledged, he can't take over as his substitute.Shen Shixing has an iron pot on his head, peeks at the direction of the wind and never speaks nonsense, but the memorials that have been published in recent days are not easy to make decisions.

"what is this?"

Liang Yong said with a smile: "The empress has brought the Sydney pear soup, and specially asked the servants to remember to let you taste it."

Zhu Yijun didn't even raise his head, he was already irritable, but hearing this made him even more headache.Many of the piles of memorials are about drafting a concubine again. The emperor and empress have been married for three years, and they still have no heirs. He is not in a hurry, most people can't sit still.The first to bear the brunt were the two empress dowagers in the harem, they wanted to have grandchildren too much.

After a while, Zhu Yijun looked at the endless documents, with a trace of fatigue in his eyes.The gold pen in his hand carried a strong fragrance of ink and never fell down. He sighed, snapped it shut and put it aside together with the newspaper.

Glancing over those memorials, his eyes flickered.Secretly made up his mind that the New Deal must not be abolished.If the ministers keep the impeachment memorials, it will obviously damage the image of the emperor, but if they are annotated and take advantage of their wishes, they will definitely make more progress. At that time, how to stop it.

Liang Yong hurriedly sorted out the palace report and memorial on the imperial case, and hugged Zhu Yijun out when he saw that Zhu Yijun didn't respond.These are all to be returned to the Cabinet.

Three days later, those repelled memorials were concocted again and sent to the East Pavilion.

Yang Keli, the censor of Yunnan Province, impeached Zhang Gou and framed the Liao king. His family property was missing, so he asked the procuratorate for a thorough investigation.

Li Zhishangshu, the censor of Jiangxi Province, impeached Feng Bao for twelve major crimes.

Yang Yinqiu, the imperial censor of Guangxi Province, made six charges against Wang Guoguang, Minister of the Ministry of Officials.

Among the affairs of the military department, Gu Yun has the most important military power in Shangshuji Town, and he is the head of the general army in the world.Qi Jiguang's long-term appointment as a general should be transferred elsewhere.

……

Zhang Juzheng has been in power for ten years, and almost all the important positions in the yamen have his cronies, but only Qi Jiguang and Wang Guoguang are the two most favored by him.Just like what he said, he offended too many people from a wealthy family.

Things changed, not because of Zhang Juzheng's lack of control, but because everyone has their own needs.Even national laws and regulations are often changed when passed down to the local area, and his will cannot block other people's way of making money.

Two days later, Yang Keli, Yang Yinqiu and others were deposed one after another, and Qi Jiguang was left in the capital. Zhang Juzheng, Zou Yuanbiao, Shen Sixiao, Ai Mu and others rose up again. Among them, Qiu Xiao, whom Zhang Juzheng hated the most, was promoted to deputy envoy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.

During this period, the people of the major yamen in the capital were panicked, and almost all the officials were closely watching the emperor's every move.However, the old party and the anti- Zhang people seem to have reached a certain tacit understanding. The impeachment papers come one by one, and as long as the papers are verified and confirmed by the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the emperor will come and approve one paper.

They plan to remove the 'cornerstone' left by Zhang Juzheng one by one like this.

The New Deal continues.

After a short period of half a month, the number of officials hovering outside the palace gates increased day by day, and the officials who tried to beat drums to make trouble recently were also taken down by Jin Yiwei.Since Zhang Juzheng's death and Zhu Yijun took charge, the Empress Dowager Cisheng seldom interfered with state affairs when she stayed in the Palace of Compassion and Ning, and Zhu Yijun no longer needed to ask her for instructions when reviewing memorials.

And when Zhu Yijun mobilized the officials aggressively, the Empress Dowager Cisheng only asked Qiu Deyong to send a meaningful sentence.

"Your Majesty, you need to think more about everything."

A few days later, another explosive news spread in the capital: the great eunuch Feng Bao requested an order to return to Nanjing to guard the Xiaoling Mausoleum.

In this extraordinary period, Feng Bao is the person who can most feel the dangers lurking from all kinds of details.This old man who has been in the internal battle for decades has been able to do a job with ease, this time he really felt that the end was imminent.After thinking about it for a while, he understood: the emperor made such a big move.It turned out that the target was still him, and in the end they just swallowed him alive.

Feng Bao's heart was like thunder, and one thought after another flashed through his mind, thinking of Zhang Juzheng's extreme anxiety before his death, thinking of the Cisheng Empress Dowager living in a secluded palace, and thinking of the scene of being impeached by officials in the seventh year of Longqing.

In an instant, he seemed to understand everything.

He guessed the ending, but he couldn't do Zhang Juzheng.Not reconciled to being at the mercy of others like this.Thinking that before the emperor made an order to take him, you might as well give it a go, and then...

Then he was damned.

Feng Bao sighed, glanced at the magnificent Feng Mansion, then left the mansion and walked slowly towards Qianqing Palace.

That afternoon, the sky was covered with dark clouds, and after a few thunderclaps, the rain began to patter down.The wind is pulling, and the raindrops are beating the bricks, tiles and glass of the palaces in the Forbidden City, as if the rain doesn't like the accumulated dirt on these pavilions, and wants to clean them well.

Holding an oil-paper umbrella, Shen Shixing entered the Meridian Gate and came to the cabinet office.The cabinet was empty and there was no one there. Shen Shixing was not used to it. He came early.Staring blankly at the empty chairs in the room, he let out a long sigh.

On the cabinet table, there were many memorials, and beside it was a mansion newspaper pressed with a pen and inkstone, which was just copied from the Sixth Division. After copying several memorials, they were all about the impeachment of Zhang Juzheng:

Shen Youyu, who was in the middle of the engineering department, impeached Zhang Juzheng for dictatorship, disrupting the court, subverting the ancestral system, saying that he deceived the superior and concealed it, and suppressed the officials. The court has long complained.

During the incident, Wang Pei was impeached by Huke to impeach Zhang Juzheng, relying on his own power to make many relatives and disciples high-ranking officials, and even You Qi, a domestic slave in his hometown, donated money to become the left-behind secretary of Xingdu.

All the officials sent Ge Jin a report, reporting Zhang Juzheng's life of corruption, rich clothes and fine food every day. Among them, Qi Jiguang, the general soldier of Jizhou, once presented him with five beautiful women.

During the incident, Xu Changzhen from the official department reported that Zhang Juzheng lived a luxurious life. He went out in a large sedan chair carried by 32 people, called "Ruyizhai". A servant serves.

……

After Shen Shixing finished reading, cold sweat broke out on his forehead. So many officials went to impeachment together, it must be premeditated.Yu Shenxing is Zhang Juzheng's student, so he can't say anything. Zhang Siwei has always been opposed to the New Deal and will definitely run it wildly. As a cabinet minister, what should I do? What advice should I give the emperor with so many memorials.

While he was still thinking, he heard someone shouting outside the house: "The emperor is here—" Shen Shixing was taken aback, and quickly knelt down to salute.

Zhu Yijun entered the cabinet office, looked around before sitting down, and said, "I'm free to take a look, but I didn't expect Shen Aiqing to be the only one in the cabinet."

Shen Shixing didn't understand, so he said, "It's my minister who came early today." Speaking of this, he paused and said, "The emperor came here in person. I wonder if there is something important?" Zhu Yijun seldom came to the cabinet. They are all negotiated and resolved in Yuntai.

Zhu Yijun glanced at the memorials on the table, and said with a smile: "Shen Aiqing must have read the recent memorials. I have doubts in my heart, and I don't know how to criticize them."

What he said meant something, Shen Shixing frowned, hesitated for a long time, and finally said with a low eyebrow, "I don't dare to speak nonsense..."

Zhu Yijun was a little disappointed when he heard that, it turned out that Mr. Zhang was right, Shen Shixing was too cautious and conservative, and made him timid in his work.

In the past few days, he has received these expected memorials. The number of crimes listed by Feng Baozhang and Zhang Juzheng is simply appalling, and everyone knows that most of these crimes are true. Don't send those who have evil intentions just around the corner.

Everyone knows the truth that no one is perfect, no matter how powerful Zhang Juzheng is, he still has shortcomings. He is arbitrarily arbitrary, treats people badly, lives a luxurious life, has duplicity with his appearance, and is a man of low morals.Zhu Yijun was also disappointed, for example, Zhang Juzheng is not Kong Ming after all, he also has the common faults of bureaucrats of past dynasties.He may not be a good person, but he is not a bad person either. He is just a complicated person, and the ancient standards for evaluating people have always put moral judgment first.

"Mr. Zhang is the Minister of Gu Ming left to me by the late emperor, and he is also my teacher. He has assisted me wholeheartedly for many years, and he has made great achievements. Now he has just died of illness, and someone came to impeach him. I think there must be someone behind the scenes with evil intentions. These memorials..." Zhu Yijun's tone was steady, he looked at Shen Shixing, glanced at the table full of memorials, and said in a deep voice: "If you really want to judge Zhang Taiyue, you should put the merits and demerits of the matter first."

As an emperor, Zhu Yijun was not suitable to participate in the court struggle. He had to find a capable minister. He first thought of Huayulou, but unfortunately he was too young.And most of the courtiers who were implicated with Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao were impeached. Now the most suitable one is Shen Shixing, but to his disappointment, although he hinted so clearly, it seems that Shen Shixing didn't stand up. out of ideas.

"Shen Qing, I hope that in a few days there will be someone who can..."

"Emperor" Shen Shixing did not wait for Zhu Yijun to finish, and interjected: "Master Zhang has devoted himself to the court for many years. Now my Ming Dynasty can live all over the world and the treasury is full, and Master Zhang has contributed a lot. Will speak up and defend Master Zhang."

Zhu Yijun was surprised, Shen Shixing's attitude changed too quickly, and he still said, "I'm relieved by Youqing's words. I believe in Mr. Zhang's merits and demerits. It's getting late, so I'll go back first."

"Congratulations to the emperor!"

Zhu Yijun left the cabinet, sat on a dragon carriage, and fell into deep thinking. In his mind, Shen Shixing was not the best candidate, and Jin Yiwei just got the news that Zhang Siwei's father died, and the cabinet was about to be reshuffled, and... …

As he thought about it, he saw a person kneeling in the Qianqing Palace. From a distance, the person shrunk into a small ball, but his spine was still straight. Outside the door, no one dared to enter the hall.

"Your Majesty, it's Eunuch Feng." Liang Yong said.

*

Zhu Yijun quickened his pace, stepped forward and stretched out his hands to help him up. Feng Bao was too old to kneel for an unknown amount of time, his legs trembling and unable to stand up. Zhu Yijun couldn't bear it, and ordered Liang Yongdao: "Don't give Eunuch Feng a seat yet."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Feng Bao bowed slightly, carefully supported the low chair, and sat on half of it without daring to sit down.

Zhu Yijun caught a glimpse of him as pale as paper, with bright eyeballs, which seemed a little swollen and sickly.Can't help but ask: "Is the father-in-law's illness cured?"

"Report to the emperor, the old servant has recovered from his illness."

Zhu Yijun heard that Feng Bao was trying to force him. The old man who was almost eighty was tossed like this, and he couldn't help saying in a deep voice: "If I don't return to Qianqing Palace today, you will kneel for a day! You have just recovered from a serious illness, and your legs and feet have always been bad. A 75-year-old person should take care of his body in everything."

Hearing these compassionate words, Feng Bao's eyes were moist, and he said, "It's a blessing that its legs are crippled. From now on, this old slave will not have such a blessing."

Zhu Yijun sat on the throne, his heart skipped a beat when he heard this.Zhu Yijun's health was not good when he was a child, and he could not sleep at night because of whooping cough or nightmares.At that time, Feng Bao carried him on his back and turned around on the ground all night, until his knees were bleeding.Over time, the root cause of the disease has fallen.

Zhu Yijun thought of something, and said in a warm voice: "You are also sick as soon as the master leaves. Recently, there are many affairs in court, and I forgot to see you."

At this time, Liang Yong took the tea that the waiter had made, and handed it to Feng Bao, which was Miyun Long tea.

Feng Bao sniffed lightly, the last time he drank this tea was at Zhang Juzheng's residence, with mixed feelings in his heart.After a while, he sighed: "The emperor is considerate, and this old slave is very grateful. I will not hide it from the emperor, but this old slave is getting old and often gets confused. Thinking about doing some things, I have really become a burden to the emperor."

He spoke sadly, his thin body trembled, and wanted to kneel down on the ground again, but Liang Yong held him back.

Zhu Yijun's eyes flashed, he was a little uncertain about Feng Bao's meaning, whether he came to him at this time to tell the truth or to test.

"Big Companion, why do you think so, you helped me take care of the Supervisor of Rituals."

Feng Bao glanced at the emperor, shook his head, and said with a wry smile: "The emperor must have read those memorials, and now there is no need to bother the court, the old slave recognizes it."

He added: "I know I am ashamed of the emperor, and I am willing to go back to Nanjing to guard the Xiaoling Mausoleum for the late emperor." After speaking, his body leaned on Liang Yong like a reed that had lost its strength.

Zhu Yijun's heart skipped a beat when he saw it, and he felt a little inexplicable.He thought Feng Bao was here to explain to him, but he didn't expect to ask for dismissal and return to Nanjing.Zhu Yijun Erlang was in power at the beginning of the year, and if he wanted to establish his prestige, he had to kill others to scare others.

He won't liquidate Zhang Juzheng.Then Feng Bao is left, the two extremely powerful and powerful people in Wanli ten years.

"Big companion..."

Feng Bao grasped the gap between the words, and without waiting for Zhu Yijun to open his mouth, he said: "Your Majesty, this is the heartfelt words of this old slave. My companion is old and older than Mr. Zhang. I had a serious illness last month, and my physical strength is not as good as before. Disposal A few chores are exhausting. After Mr. Zhang left, our hearts were empty, and we went to Nanjing to guard the late emperor and not cause trouble to the emperor."

After Feng Bao finished speaking, he looked up at Zhu Yijun, and couldn't help but his eyes were red, and tears fell down.He stayed in the palace all his life, serving several generations of emperors, and Zhu Yijun was brought up by him.If Zhang Ju is the No.1 in the dynasty, Feng Bao should be the second person.

He is not Zhang Juzheng, he is afraid of death, but he is even more afraid of the emperor.

Diwei is unpredictable.He was afraid that one day Zhu Yijun really couldn't tolerate him anymore, that would be life would be worse than death.

Sure enough, Zhu Yijun watched him tearfully, kneeling on the ground, feeling sore in his heart, but secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

At the corner of the east wall is a bright red rose plant in full bloom. Zhu Yijun's eyes were clear, as if there was water, and he forced himself to smile, and suddenly said: "Mr. Zhang has gone, and now even my big companion is leaving."

Feng Bao's heartfelt words were mixed with sadness and joy, but he didn't answer.After a while, he choked up and said: "The old slave is guarding the emperor just like in Nanjing."

Zhu Yijun stopped talking, closed his eyes, and stopped looking at him.

I don't know how long it took before he said firmly: "From today, I will be exempted from the seal of the Supervisor of Rites, and I will go to Jiangnan to live idle, and I will not be allowed to return to Beijing for life."

Feng Bao paused when he heard the words, fell down, knelt on the ground and did not get up for a long time.

Your Majesty, the old slave taught you so many things with Mr. Zhang, why did you forget it? The old slave still remembers that Mr. Zhang told you in the fifth year of Wanli.

He said, when a generation is enlightened, you must not have the benevolence of a woman!

Go live in Jiangnan and return to Nanjing to grow vegetables, my lord.

He knew that this emperor was different from Emperor Jiajing and Emperor Longqing. Feng Bao really wanted to stay in the palace and watch how the young emperor he had taught would make the country rich and the people stronger, and how he would create a 'Wanli Prosperous Age'...

If three months ago, he could easily kill the officials who impeached him, but now he can't, he even has to do everything possible to make a living for himself.

Feng Bao bowed again to the emperor, saying goodbye to Zhu Yijun, and withdrew from the palace, the "golden palace" where he had worked hard all his life, and also from the sight of his student and the current emperor.

The next day, Feng Bao left without any luggage, and took a few servants to Jiangnan by boat.

He left in such a hurry that no one even knew about seeing him off, let alone dared to enter the palace to bid farewell to the Empress Dowager Cisheng.

He knew the kindness of his master and servant for decades, and the bones would never come back. If he wanted to say goodbye and see the Empress Dowager Cisheng, he would definitely not let him go.