Minister

92【Seven years of Jiankang】

The concierge Lao Zhao heard someone announce at the door, the voice was unusual, he smelled the source and hurried out to check, but never thought it was the sedan chair of Yuan Chulian, who was participating in politics.Old Zhao was a little confused, took a breath and saluted the servant.

The servant was also very respectful: "Excuse me, is Mr. Wei at the mansion today?"

Old Zhao is the concierge of the Imperial Academy, not Wei Chi, so he thought about it for a while, and finally said: "This...it's really hard to say, visitors have to be recorded, and adults are not recorded when they come in and out. Famous, the villain still has to go and have a look to get an accurate word."

After saluting, Lao Zhao hurried to Wei Chi's courtyard, knocked on the door and asked Yiqing, "Is your lord there?"

Not knowing why, Yiqing nodded.Hearing the noise, Wei Chi stood up, saw Lao Zhao and Yiqing say a few words, and hurried out, and Yiqing was also in a panic, rushing in with small steps and big strides.

"My lord, it is Mr. Yuan Chulian who participated in the administration of the Ministry of Officials."

Wei Chi put away the pen and ink in his hand, thinking to himself that these people are coming fast!There are still a few days before I take over, and I actually come to visit without any concealment.Laughing, he said to Yiqing: "Let Chen Hu prepare tea and bring out the best."

Yuan Chulian was fifty-one, with a dignified appearance.People from the Ministry of Officials seldom came to the Imperial Academy, and his sedan chair was set up in the middle of the road, and people with discerning eyes took a few extra glances.Mr. Yuan got off the sedan chair, and just happened to meet Dr. Li Xiange, a doctor of the Imperial Academy. Mr. Li looked at this man up and down, bowed his head in etiquette, and roughly guessed who he was looking for. He suppressed a sneer and turned sideways to make a way out: " Master Yuan, please."

"You're welcome." Yuan Chulian smiled kindly and entered the gate of the Imperial Academy.

Wei Chi's courtyard was quite far from the gate of the Hanlin Academy, and it was regarded as the inner courtyard. When this group of people walked over slowly, Wei Chi had already changed into his official uniform and stood in front of the gate.

"Subordinate Wei Chi, pay homage to Master Yuan!" After Wei Chi knelt down, Yuan Chulian hurriedly helped Wei Chi up.

"It's not an official business, don't be too polite." Yuan Chulian said with a smile: "Does Master Wei not try the new official uniform?"

Wei Chi also laughed and said, "My lord, don't laugh at your subordinates."

"Where is it?" Yuan Chulian took the tea served by Yiqing and sniffed it slightly: "Master Wei is not changing his clothes this time, even his robe is new, so he wants to see if it fits?...Hmmm , this tea is good."

Wei Chi also took his seat following Yuan Chulian: "This is before the rain and before the tea."

"Oh!" Yuan Chulian was surprised: "Where did Master Wei get such a good thing?"

Wei Chi said with a smile: "Your subordinates also got it. Only two catties of tea that entered Beijing this year were picked before the rain and dew. The emperor kept one catty, and each gave half a catty to His Majesty King Yan, His Majesty King Qin." .Yan Wang was worried about his subordinate returning to Beijing, so he sent someone to send over three taels. This is the first pot that Master Yuan drank, so I don’t know how it tastes?”

Yuan Chulian was taken aback for a moment, and then regained his composure: "Good tea! Good tea! Good tea!...It's just...it should be matched with a better boy...hahahaha."

Wei Chi also laughed, shook his hand and said: "When my subordinates were still in the academy, the teacher once said that the tea made by my subordinates was the worst in the academy. It can be seen that this teaching is true!"

"I'm rude, I'm rude!!" Yuan Chulian said repeatedly: "Please do it yourself, I can't make irresponsible remarks!"

The two chatted politely again.

Yuan Chulian held the plain white porcelain teacup in his hand, playing with the lid, thinking about how to say that.

"Does Master Wei know about Fenglu?"

Wei Chi nodded: "Tea is often drunk in various yamen."

"How is Fenglu compared to Mingqian?"

"Naturally, there is no comparison. Fenglu can produce 10,000+ catties a year, and the first and last crops of this tea are a total of ten catties."

"However..." Yuan Chulian sighed: "Although tea is rare, it is not tea from the yamen. If you go to the yamen, it will be Fenglu. Does Mr. Wei know that Xiyuan also drinks Fenglu? Good Fenglu is no better than Ming How much was the last time. It’s just that...drinking Fenglu can talk about important events in the past and the present, but...before drinking tea...it’s just romantic after all.”

Wei Chi's face turned red, and he turned his face slightly.

Yuan Chulian took the last sip and sighed: "Good tea! Good tea!... Mmm... Good tea!!"

After sniffing twice reluctantly, he finally put down the bowl, walked silently to Wei Chi's seat, and lightly put a post by Wei Chi's hand: "When the court was in court today, Jing Butang, the official minister, dragged me to take this post. Hand it over to Mr. Wei, if Mr. Wei is free, you can go to this appointment." Yuan Chulian's voice became louder again: "I, who was on the way, got a great benefit today! Jing Butang will regret it if he finds out! Hahaha!" After finishing speaking, he turned around and took the teacup to taste it carefully.

Wei Chi showed joy, and bowed deeply: "Thank you, Mr. Yuan!" Turning around, he ordered Yiqing: "Go and divide the bag of tea in half!"

"Slow down!" Yuan Chulian put down the teacup: "Master Wei, it's better to drink less tea from now on. There are so many kings and heroes in ancient and modern times, which one can be appointed like today's saints? Master Wei, it's better to drink more Fenglu..."

Wei Chi blushed: "Master Yuan taught that."

Yuan Chulian took the two or three cups of tea, and said with a smile: "Thank you, Mr. Wei, for your kind gift. Since I live on the way, when I have good wine and tea to invite Mr. Wei, please don't shirk!"

Wei Chi said yes.

Apart from the Hanlin Academy, Yuan Chulian was followed by someone looking for Geng Bingran. Geng Bingran was doing his homework and came out at noon.The book office of Geng's Mansion hurriedly found a clean place to talk about the matter.Geng Bingran said unhurriedly: "What did Master Yuan say when he came?"

The secretary office sighed: "How can this villain know? It's just that the gate of the Imperial College is not easy to enter. I'm afraid Mr. Wei wants to guard against villains."

Geng Bingran was wiping his hands with a hot towel, and handed the towel to the book office: "Master Yuan is cute, and he doesn't even think about where Wei Chi got it from! He just thinks that young people are easy to bully? Hmph, why not?" I don't know who is the tiger and who is the sheep!"

"Hey!" Seeing his master's nonchalant look, the book office was in a hurry.

"Don't worry!" Geng Bingran patted him on the shoulder: "Don't look at Wei Chi who is ten years younger than me, he is not only ten times worse than me, it's useless for you to be anxious." After that, he laughed and went away .

Wei Chi in the inner courtyard watched Master Yuan and his party go away, smiled slightly, clapped his hands, and ordered Chen Hu Yiqing to pack up the teacups, and went straight to the dining hall to eat without any delay.

After leaving the early court, Chen Xing summoned Guo Taiming in Qingsi Pavilion.

"This morning is really good enough, this little Wei Chi has been weighed in before he took office." Chen Yan pointed to the pen in his hand: "That Jing Yinzhi likes to shoot birds with a gun the most, and now the two Si Ye of the Imperial College was worrying that he had no one to take care of him and panicked, but he never thought that he would be a gun in someone else's hands again... Tsk, I don't know if that bird can withstand these two thick sticks of fire!"

Guo Taiming nodded: "If you go back to the emperor, I think these two may not be the opponents of Mr. Wei."

Chen Xing laughed and said, "Master Guo thinks that those who serve as soldiers in Fengyi must have something to do with those scholars?"

"No way," Guo Taiming said with a smile: "He is also a scholar."

Chen Yan shook his head, with a fold in his hand: "He will be bullied by those people after all, his arms can't twist his thighs."

"At that time, please ask the emperor to protect him."

Chen Xing stopped writing: "The Taifu can't protect him, so I will protect him."

In spring, Empress Wang's fingers developed spring ringworm. In the past, just soaking in medicinal wine was enough for such a trivial matter.This year, because of this hard-won pregnancy, even the prescription specially prescribed by the Tai Hospital dare not use it.This disease is not considered a disease, but it is enough for people to suffer. Queen Wang could only wrap her fingers in white silk and suffer silently until the end of spring.In the palace, Yuxiang and Queen Wang are the best. Yuxiang knows that this disease is the most itchy at noon, so every day after lunch, he takes time to chat with Queen Wang, hoping that she can let go of the pain by being happy .

"Princess Sister!" Queen Wang listened to someone's orders, and hurriedly asked the servants beside her to help her up.

"Sister-in-law!" Yuxiang ordered someone to put the gift away: "Get up slowly."

It's been six months since she was pregnant, and Queen Wang's actions were a bit slow: "It's just in time, let's go to the Pine Age Pavilion. In the morning, I asked some palace people to string beads and flowers, so I just went to have a look."

Yuxiang stepped forward and touched Queen Wang's left arm: "Sister-in-law Huang is really interested. Before you entered the palace, the embroidery and flowers this time were all the work of the sewing bureau. I just wanted to see Can't see it either."

Empress Wang patted the back of her hand: "You can't do it all here, it's all just new flowers for concubines."

"Medicine from Imperial Physician Guan." The personal attendant saw that Queen Wang was about to leave, so he hurried over with the medicine.

"No more." Queen Wang waved her hand.

Yuxiang said strangely: "Emperor's sister-in-law doesn't listen to the imperial hospital anymore! The medicine is for the hands, so what's the matter with the child? What's more, the Imperial Physician Guan is very skilled."

Queen Wang shook her head, and shrank her fingers silently into her sleeves: "Let's go, let's go to Songling Pavilion, where it is more lively and interesting."

Yuxiang sighed, thinking that when she was the elder sister of the Wang family, she only thought of others. Now she is the daughter-in-law of the Chen family, her own sister-in-law, the most respected woman in the world, but she still has such a personality.It's nothing more than accommodating the women in the imperial city, and even the younger sister who is devoted to him is just accommodating blindly.Who knows that inside and outside the palace, the ones who can win are not those who are willing to wrong themselves...

The servants of Songling Pavilion stopped their work late, and they had just had lunch and were about to rest when they saw the queen and princess arriving, they quickly got up and knelt down.

"Get up, you've been tired all morning, those who should rest should go to rest." Queen Wang smiled and said, "The steward will lead us to see Zhuhua."

Everyone kowtowed to thank them, and the consul led them back to rest.

The female officer in charge of the cards presented all the weaved beads to the plate one by one, and the names of the palace servants were written on the red paper at the bottom of the plate.After submitting, he took a pen and stood outside the curtain, waiting for the notes.

"What kind of style is this?" Yuxiang took a bunch of them.

The female officer outside the curtain informed: "If you go back to Her Royal Highness, this string is called White Gourd."

Gourd, which means blessing, white pearls are also suitable for this, and a large string of them is really cute.

"If you go back to the princess, this style can no longer be used as a flower hairpin. It would be good to make tassels on the clothes." Tangtang laughed at the side.

Yuxiang nodded: "This is really pretty! Sister-in-law Huang will make tassels, and it will look good with a dark skirt on the waist!"

Queen Wang took the string of beads in Yuxiang's hand, looked at it carefully, and felt that it was indeed unique: "Remember, this string will be made into a pendant, and given to Concubine Hu Gui, she likes this."

Yuxiang pouted immediately: "What concubine Hu Gui? I think it's better for the empress to make the pendant herself!"

"I have many more."

"What a lot!? Remember, this string will be made into a pendant and sent to the queen." Yuxiang pulled the queen's arm: "She is a domineering person, the more modest she is, the more inappropriate she is!"

"Hey!" Queen Wang waved her hands, "Go down."

"Sister-in-law!"

Empress Wang shook Yuxiang's hand with her backhand: "The imperial court still relies on Concubine Hu Guifei's elder brother to guard Yulong...I'm just a woman, how can I be angry for my own grievances...after all, it's only temporary."

"She has an amazing elder brother. Could it be that the ministers of the sister-in-law's natal family are not as good as them?" Yuxiang was very unhappy. The concubine Hu Guifei became more and more domineering a year ago. It's time and time again!The eldest prince's mother is nothing more than her status, she dared to contradict her in front of the empress!If it wasn't for the fact that he was supervising the First Prince's homework, it would be hard to know these things!

Queen Wang caressed Yuxiang's hand, and said slowly: "You! I have been a caring person since I was a child. The first time I met you, I saw you arguing with Yunmei. The two are unreasonable and unforgiving. !...But that kind of kid's joke is nothing more than that. Now that you are older, you have to be more cautious when talking about these big things. Just now, with so many people in front of you, wouldn't you be complacent if you said that Concubine Hu Gui is not good? ?”

Yu Xiang smiled and said: "The matter between me and that stubborn girl can't get involved. Although we are arguing, it is a good quarrel. We are real sisters. What is that Hu Guifei? And in this palace, if the emperor's wife is here Or if all the servants in my place have other thoughts, then I will be the master of this palace, and if others don’t come to harm me, I will shout shame on myself first.”

"You! You just can't bear it..." Queen Wang knew that she couldn't be persuaded, and she also knew that she was eager to protect people.

"Hmph!" Yuxiang took the feather fan and stroked the Queen's hand: "Who should I bear it for? I don't suffer like this!"

Empress Wang smiled and shamed her: "I heard what the emperor said, that Chen Jingtai?"

Seeing that she didn't answer, Queen Wang felt more and more that what the emperor said was true: "...or that Wei Wei?"

"Oh!" Yuxiang threw the fan: "Sister-in-law Huang is talking nonsense, what Wei Wei can't do?"

"My good sister, if you really have that meaning, don't miss it," Wang Huanghou took Yuxiang's arm: "... If you don't have that meaning, just be your sister-in-law and say nothing."

Seeing that Yuxiang didn't answer, but just covered his face, Queen Wang said, "Is there anything we sister-in-law and sister-in-law can't say? I also asked Mr. Wei, he is a man of both talent and beauty."

Yuxiang was shy for a while, then said: "...I heard that there is a woman in his family who is engaged..."

"Oh?" Queen Wang was quite surprised: "Who did you hear that from?"

"This……"

Queen Wang said: "Don't pay too much attention to these rumors. He is my uncle's subordinate. Naturally, someone knows his details. The team is different from the Hanlin Academy. It only takes one and a half months to know the whole story. When my uncle returns to the court I'll go and ask him myself."

Yuxiang nodded silently.

Empress Wang took a look at the heavy 'white gourd' in her hand: "See if my sister-in-law is right? Can't you bear it anymore...?"

Yuxiang thought about it left and right and could only smile: "Is the sister-in-law also for the sake of the emperor?"

This time it was the queen's turn to blush.

Yuxiang picked up a silver hairpin with two feet from the table: "You can't bear it everywhere! Since you want to reward her, then don't make a pendant, get a big hairpin, I don't think it will break that Unbelievable imperial concubine?!"

Queen Wang couldn't hold back, and laughed amusedly by her.

At night, the people from Beizhen Prefecture brought the secret text into the harem. Chen Xing was changing clothes. He heard Xu Wei reading something outside the house, and seemed to be laughing.Seeing Chen Yan coming out with his pants in his hands, Xu Wei quickly put down the paper in his hand and walked over: "Master, hand towel."

Chen Xing wiped his hands and threw it to the little eunuch beside him. The little eunuch took the towel, bent down and went in to clean the bucket.

"Be gentle!" Xu Wei instructed after listening to the ping-pong-pong inside.

"What were you laughing at?" Chen Yan asked.

"Master, take a look." Xu Wei brought over the report from the secret agent of Beizhen Prefecture.

Chen Xing glanced at it and said with a smile: "This Wei Chi is indeed a bold one. He dared to accept a gift from his boss before taking over! Take a look, is there such a good tea set in the palace?"

"Returning to the master," Xu Wei shook his head: "The white jade cup is not rare, but the teaspoon made of rhino horn is really rare. I'm afraid it doesn't exist in the palace, and it's probably the only one in the world."

"...You said... that bumpkin Wei Chi doesn't understand? Or is he just a little too bold?" Chen Xing took Nuanyu and rubbed it on his hand.

Xu Wei came over with some late-night snacks from the small table: "I used to be a country bumpkin and people believed in it, why have I been taught by King Yan for all these years, what good things don't I know?"

"Is that bold?"

"Master Wei is bold? This is true, and this is not the only thing he dares to do."

Befriend the King of Yan, go on an expedition to Monan, indeed, nothing is more courageous than getting to know that person surnamed Zhang.

"It depends on how he ends up. Zhang Yinzhi is the leader of the Chu Party, and he is extremely difficult to deal with. Wei Chi, don't steal a chicken or a piece of rice...why do you always have these dishes every day?" Chen Xing looked at the plate. , black face.

"Master!" Xu Wei said: "The imperial hospital said that if the master has a cold in his body, he should take some medicines to repel the cold and invigorate Qi at night. These are indispensable."

Chen Yan picked up a vegetable dumpling with chopsticks and threw it on the plate: "It's unpalatable! Don't eat it!"

"I want to eat!" Xu Wei let go of what she was doing, and walked over with her hands together.

"Don't eat!"

"To eat!"

Chen Yan glanced at his mouth angrily, gave the dumpling a hard look, and finally picked it up and put it in his mouth, chewing one bite at a time.Xu Wei said with a smile: "Everyone says Master Wei is a clever man, but my servant thinks he is actually an honest man."

"Where is he being honest? He is simply a master who can't get close! I didn't realize that I was getting closer to King Yan before, but it's okay, I got attached, and now it's only three days before Yuxiang's soul is also taken away." Half of it was ticked off! What kind of evil thing?"

"Master, forgive this servant for talking too much. The servant feels that the master always says bad things about him, but she still likes him in her heart."

Chen Yan managed to swallow the dumplings, and took a sip of tea: "Zhen...why do you like him?"

"Every time the master asked him to do something, didn't he do it quickly and well? This time he went to the Imperial Academy to attack the three parties, and lived up to the trust of the master... What's more, the master likes bold people. "

Chen Xing smiled and said, "Why do I like bold people? What did Huier tell you again?"

Xu Wei knelt down: "It was the servant who asked."

Chen Yan restrained his smile: "You are too straight-hearted. Seeing his humble background, you feel sympathy for him, but you don't know that people's hearts can change. Wei Chi is a monster-like guy. He is too fine. Well, it’s not a good thing to be too smart. I keep him now because he has never thought of disobedience. If he really has any relationship with King Yan and King Qin that he shouldn’t have, then killing him will be regarded as punishment. There are nine clans. Two years ago, it was King Yan, and now it is Xiang'er, if he really has some evil intentions, then I don't blame the Chen family for being merciless."

Xu Wei somehow touched the Emperor's Ni Lin, and answered the words cautiously: "Master is wise, could it be that he took the initiative to touch King Yan two years ago? This... I haven't heard that Master Wei really has such a habit."

Chen Yan sneered: "In this world, the most shameless is the scholar, and the most shameless is also the scholar."

"But now, I don't see him looking for King Yan again. Maybe he has grown up and faded away, and he should be passing the time." Xu Wei was a little flustered: "Master Wei has talent and good looks, if he can be serious Living life, Her Royal Highness is better than marrying a clan child."

Chen Xing ate the last dumpling, propping his chin with his hands: "He is willing to leave King Yan behind, which proves that he has no disobedience at the moment at least. As for Xiang'er, if he dare not agree, then he has a ghost in his heart. If he If you don't want to agree, that means you can't let go of your future. Wei Chi's path is hard to choose..."

Xu Wei couldn't help but shed a cold sweat when he heard what the emperor said, knowing that the more he talked, the harder it would be, so he just exchanged a few words and took the tray back out.I handed over the trays in my hands to the younger ones, straightened my body, and felt that my waist and legs were tired. I sighed deeply, and felt that people in their 40s would be old, so I returned my green shirts and changed into court clothes and went to the Supervisor of Ceremonies. .

On February [-]th of the seventh year of Jiankang, King Qin's troops were about to return to the outside of the pass. After the grand ceremony, they stationed outside the city overnight, and set off in the early morning of the next day.Wei Chi came to see him off on horseback, King Qin said with a smile, "I followed the officials once yesterday, and again today, are you reluctant to go with Yulong too?"

Wei Chi also laughed: "It turns out that His Royal Highness King Qin can laugh too."

Qin Wang immediately pulled his face.

Wei Chi cupped his hands: "When I returned to Beijing, I only saw King Yan. I met Mr. Dai in the middle of the night last night. Mr. Dai asked his ministers to send a message to King Qin—that he could not return to Beijing for this year."

Qin Wang listened, thought for a while, and nodded: "You tell Mr. Dai that it is good to protect Yan Wangfu this year. Wang Yunyi is a powerful character, and there is no need for someone to protect the calf. It is not a good thing for him to be straight, so let him Brother Huang, fight him slowly."

Wei Chi saluted, "It's almost dawn, and I'm leaving."

"Wait!" King Qin said, "Master Wei is really going to the Imperial College?"

Wei Chi turned his head and smiled, "Why not?"

"Can't you see that Brother Huang's move is to use you to kill three soldiers?"

"The end of this story, isn't Yanzi and that Taozi still there? Why is the prince worried about Taozi?" Wei Chi pulled the rein in his hand.

"Who is a scholar and who is a peach?" King Qin frowned deeply.

"I'm a peach. If I want to be a scholar, I'm far from worthy..." Wei Chi laughed.

"I won't quarrel with you!" Qin Wang interrupted Wei Chi: "The three parties have been deeply rooted for more than 20 years. What will you do when you enter the Imperial College?"

Wei Chi laughed loudly: "My lord is confused! No matter how much they make a fuss, I just ignore the word anyway. Don't worry, my lord, if Shaohu is really eaten by those old men, it's because of my own incompetence, and no one will blame me. "

Qin Wang took a step forward and said seriously: "Don't be joking, be careful of the emperor."

Wei Chi bowed his head and was silent for a while: "My lord, please remember Mr. Dai's words, okay? As long as you don't come back at the border for a day, the king of Yan will have no worries, and the world will be peaceful as long as the king of Yan has no worries. Wei Chi... bid farewell!"