Shaodi Chunxin

Before Yin's time came, someone entered the courtyard and knocked on the door of the main hall. Fu Yuanqing had already woken up from a shallow sleep.

Chen Jing beside him was still asleep, and his face, which looked like the late emperor's, was now pressed sideways on the pillow, showing some traces.

He was brought into the palace first, and he worked hard last night.

Fu Yuanqing didn't have the heart to wake him up, so he got up and put on the palace clothes, washed, tied his hair, put on a black gauze hat and pushed the door out.Fang Jing was waiting in the yard with his hands in his hands.

In the cool breeze of early spring, his little face was flushed red from the cold. When he saw Fu Yuanqing coming out, he took a few steps over and kowtowed: "Godfather is up."

The palace uniform he was wearing had been changed into a red one, and he was patched with a pen.

"You are an eunuch holding a pen now, and your rank is not too low. Don't always kneel to me." Fu Yuanqing helped him up, Fang Jing's eyes were already red.

"I got this pen by stealing my godfather's right. My son is not doing a good job." Fang Jing said, "Your Majesty, too. Why did you do this? Only then did I take away the right to approve red, and now even Dongchang ..."

"I voluntarily gave up the power of Dongchang." Fu Yuanqing said, "Besides, Dongchang has been handed over to you for many years, and it was originally intended to give you a promotion. Now there is no difference."

"But Liu Jiu will be able to intervene in Dongchang's secret report later." Fang Jing worried, "It's so annoying, my son hates that old dog. Why is Master Long Live so confused."

Fu Yuanqing tidied up his neckline, raised his eyes when he heard this sentence, and said, "God's will is unpredictable. How do you know that His Majesty's arrangement has no deep meaning?"

Fang Jing was speechless.

"Let's go, go to Huangji Gate." Fu Yuanqing said, and walked out of the courtyard.

Fang Jing glanced at the still dark windows of the main hall, shook his head, and went out.

Outside, the strong eunuchs under the Supervisor of Rituals had already lifted the stool back and forth, Fu Yuanqing sat on it, and Fang Jing took the lamp from the hand of the attendant next to him: "Godfather, my son will lead the way for you."

"It's almost time for His Majesty to listen to the government, let's go, don't be late."

Fang Jing responded, and yelled at the group to go to Huangji Gate. At the end, he muttered privately: "What's the hurry, the Lord is still asleep, it won't be too late."

However, Fu Yuanqing's worry was not wrong, when he arrived, it was already a quarter of Yin time, and the gate of Huangji was crowded with officials.As soon as his stool turned a corner, the crowd separated naturally. In the darkness, the long lights scattered scatteredly. The stool walked on the stone road, and in the darkness around him, the eyes of unknown people shot over, layer by layer, with a sense of excitement. Looking at him unscrupulously with strange alienation and hostility.

These lines of sight are invisible.

But the imperceptible malice was making people breathless.

Fortunately, the ancestors have gotten used to it over the years and don't take it seriously.

The stool went all the way to the steps of the Huangji Gate, and there was a dragon chair inside the door, and the cabinet and six ministers stood at the nearest position to the dragon chair.

Fu Yuanqing went down and bowed to salute: "My lords, Antai."

All the ministers were indifferent, only Yu Ruicheng replied: "I heard that the palm print was unwell a few days ago, is it better now?"

Fu Yuanqing bowed his head and replied: "Returning to my lord, Yuan Qing just felt a cold occasionally, and he is already much better."

Yu Ruicheng's expression seemed to be relieved: "That's good. In recent days, it has been rainy and sunny, and the changes have been great. You should pay more attention to Fu's palm print."

"Yuan Qing accepted it. Thank you for your concern."

Before he finished speaking, Yan Jifan, Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice, had already asked: "Old Ancestor, I want to ask when Hou Xinghai will be handed over from Fusi of Beizhen to the Ministry of Punishment? And what about his family?"

"Master Yan, you are polite. Hou Xinghai is involved in a lot of things, and there are still important criminals who will come to Beijing from Yingtian Mansion to confront him." Fu Yuanqing still replied cautiously, "I am afraid it will take some time. A few days ago, Master Pu has brought his family members Leave. Please rest assured, my lord."

"I have nothing to worry about." Yan Jifan smiled, "It's just that it was originally a matter of the Ministry of Punishment, and the Beizhen Fusi wanted to rush to do it. It didn't work well, so far I can't make a conclusion. Immediately choose , the Ministry of Rites is in a hurry."

"That's right!" Jianyi, the Minister of Rites, couldn't help but came out of the crowd holding the wat board, "Many students are waiting for the recommendation of officials in the court before they can participate in the benevolent election. Some of them have come from afar and have been waiting for dozens of days. The matter of Hou Xinghai has not been settled for a day, and it is difficult to clean up the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty. It is impossible to start the examination relying on the favor selection recommended by officials! Whole body. Which officials can recommend students and who can’t?! When will there be a conclusion?”

"This year's situation is special. Enxuan has all kinds of human disadvantages." Fu Yuanqing said, "It's better to push the boat along the way, cancel Enxuan, and change to all imperial examinations."

Shi Jianyi almost dropped the wat board when he heard this, and his voice trembled with anger: "You, you, Fu's palm print... Enxuan has lasted for 300 years since the founding of the dynasty, you, you are waiting for Xinghai. Are you going to shut out all the students who have gone to Shuntian Mansion? You...I...you...let me ask you, did you break into the palace gate last night!"

"It's me." Fu Yuanqing replied.

"Is it you riding a horse outside the three halls!"

"it's me."

"Fu Zhangyin, you sit in the hall for the chief inspector, and you should have paid the most attention to the etiquette of the ancestors. Daduan has been in power for more than 300 years and has served as 22 emperors. Have you ever heard that the locked gate of the palace was opened by a middleman? How have you ever heard that someone Dare to ride horses outside the three main halls? The tens of thousands of forbidden troops in the Forbidden City are guarding the emperor of Daduan, the emperor, and the real dragon! You are so presumptuous to regard the inner court of Daduan as your inner court alone. If you humiliate the emperor, you are humiliating me Courtier! Fu Yuanqing, do you still have the etiquette of the ancestors in your eyes, and your Majesty?" Shi Jianyi was heartbroken, wept on his chest, and raised his head to mourn, "God! How can there be such a day in my great country, the country is not the country, Where is home?!"

Shi Jianyi's old face was pale, and he was holding his chest and panting heavily, looking at the old man who was about to turn his back.

It's like opening a valve.

The Qingliu faction below immediately mobilized and attacked them.

"Fu Yuanqing, why are you so arrogant?! Knocking on the palace gate at night is a capital offense!"

"Fu Yuanqing is a traitorous minister!"

"Fu Yuanqing pleads guilty!"

Then, there were more ugly words, and there were more and more unbearable insults, and there were many people who spoke casually and opened their mouths.

Fu Yuanqing stood with his head slightly lowered, and refused to refute.

In the past, he seemed a little aggrieved.

But I don't know when it started, it doesn't matter.

"Hou Xinghai—" he raised his voice.

People are still making noise.

He raised his voice again: "Hou Xinghai's case has implicated hundreds of officials, and everyone present is not innocent!"

The noise of the people faded away.

Fu Yuanqing took out a thick memorial from his bosom, and raised his hands up: "Here is the list of Xinghai's confessions that have been interrogated by the Fusi of Beizhen!"

Finally, everyone fell silent.

"Today is the first court meeting after the Beginning of Spring." Fu Yuanqing said, "Although the case of Hou Xinghai has not been finally closed, after today, everyone on this list will go to Beizhen Fusi for interrogation! The Ministry of Punishment and the Ministry of Officials are the first. After the Ministry of Punishment and the Ministry of Officials, go to the Sixth Department, and then to the Sixth Division! After the Ministry of Punishment and the Ministry of Justice are sorted out, the follow-up will naturally be handed over to the Ministry of Punishment. After the Sixth Department is sorted out, Dali Temple and the Metropolitan Procuratorate will be available. Then the San Judiciary will sort out the other departments of the Yamen."

"All the ministers are the pillars of the country. Fu Yuanqing is just a slave and maidservant. His humble body is not worthy of doing this. But the former emperor entrusted him with the responsibility, and Fu Yuanqing has a heavy burden on him. I hope you will understand."

"Fu Yuanqing, you are arrogant and domineering!" another boldly cursed.

Fu Yuanqing didn't take it seriously, and said: "Last year, I intended to suspend the Enxuan. This year's Enxuan is still more than three months away, so let's stop it. Students who have arrived in the capital and are willing to take the imperial examination this summer, the Ministry of Rites will send them to the academies and the Imperial College Practice. For those who do not want to stay in Beijing, the imperial court will give them money and let them return home."

Shi Jianyi was furious: "The old minister disagrees! The old minister wants to submit a memorial to express his love to His Majesty!"

"Master, please do whatever you want." Fu Yuanqing said, "Yuanqing has no right to criticize people, and what he says may not be true."

"Okay, you wait, you wait!" Shi Jianyi pointed at him with shaking fingers.

All the adults stared angrily.

But surrounded by brocade clothes and guards, with spring knives embroidered on their waists, staring at them.

The literati flinched.

The sky is slowly getting brighter.

In the dark, there are civil and military officials on one side, and an internal official in palace uniform on the other.The two sides confront each other with extremely unequal forces, but it seems to have formed some kind of evenness.

After a while, the Huangji Gate opened, and Debao came out holding a lamp, looked at the situation, bowed and said: "My lords, the holy bow violated the peace, and today the Imperial Gate will listen to the government."

The courtiers who were waiting to face Sheng Shenben were angry.

"How many days has it been! Why didn't Your Majesty go to court?!" A remonstrant official who was not afraid of death said.

Debao bowed with a smile: "Ministers, let's go, let's go."

Fu Yuanqing sighed, and bowed: "Fu Yuanqing has stepped back."

Then he got on the stool, left first, and went back to the Supervisor of Rituals.

After a while, the boiling crowd slowly dispersed and headed towards the Meridian Gate.On the way, Shi Jianyi was still angry, but he was already so angry that he was carried out by several students.

Yan Jifan and Pu Ying Chuaihu walked slowly behind the crowd, Yan Jifan suddenly looked at Pu Ying strangely: "Master Pu is very hot-tempered, and I don't like Fu Yuanqing's domineering, why didn't he even say anything today?"

Pu Ying shook her head slowly.

"What's wrong?" Yan Jifan asked.

Pu Ying looked at him and sighed: "Last night, when Fu Yuanqing knocked on the palace gate at night, the story of riding horses in the inner court got out. I also knew about it. Then there was news that His Majesty was furious because of this, and his power in the East Factory was lost. snatch."

"That's right." Yan Jifan said, "In the past, no one dared to attack him at the court meeting. Now that his power is gone, and he has done some outrageous things, naturally..."

"I asked Mr. Debao. Fu Yuanqing went back to the palace last night because His Majesty was ill, so he could only knock on the palace gate in a hurry. After the young emperor ascended the throne, he gave him the honor of riding a horse in the inner court. These two things are not counted. He crossed the line." Pu Ying said, "It is also said that His Majesty seized the power of Dongchang because of this. But... Isn't Fang Jing the most trusted person around Fu Zhangyin? Do you think this is a real power grab?"

"It seems to make sense."

"I'm thinking..." Pu Ying said, "Just what happened today, what we see is far from the truth. What about the past? Am I being too arbitrary... I am blinded by preconceived ideas?"

Yan Jifan was startled, and became thoughtful.

"Is it because the palace slaves have always been humble and flattering, that they are not good people, but greedy people? Maybe it's wrong, not the palace servants in the inner court. Maybe it's those of us who call ourselves loyal courtiers who are wrong?"

Pu Ying stopped and turned to look at the Huangji Gate in the dark.

After he said these words, there was no answer.

There were only two of them left in the bleak square.

On the other side of Huangji Gate, further away, Fu Yuanqing's stool had already arrived at the gate of the Prison of Rites.

You Kuan, the steward of the Compassionate Palace beside the Empress Dowager, was already waiting outside the Sili Prison, and when he saw him coming, he bowed to him and said, "Old Ancestor, the Empress Dowager told you to go over and ask questions after you descended to court."