Zhong Yucun is the new magistrate of Yangzhou Prefecture. On the ninth day of the seventh month, Zhong was watching the imperial guards leave at the wharf outside Yangzhou City, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It is said that Emperor Jiajing Zhu Houcheng arrived in Yangzhou City on the third day of the seventh month and has been here for five days. As the head of the local area, Prefect Zhong has to wait in front of the road every day. The key is that Emperor Jiajing also likes to inquire about local government affairs and understand people's livelihood and people's conditions. Therefore, Prefect Zhong's pressure is not very high. He is walking on thin ice every day, for fear of doing something wrong and saying something wrong, which will ruin his career.

In addition, something that happened yesterday also made Prefect Zhong a little scared. It turned out that just yesterday, the accompanying censor Ji Tang suddenly proposed to agree in advance the etiquette used by the emperor to worship his biological father Xingxian. Therefore, the debate between the Puyi faction and the upstart sect once again ignited.

The upstart faction led by Zhang Cong and Gui E advocated the ritual sacrifice of Huangkao, while the Puyi faction led by Yang Tinghe was strongly opposed and advocated the ritual sacrifice of Huang Shukao. Therefore, the "powder barrel" that should have been detonated before he arrived in Nanjing was detonated in advance, and the two sides cited the classics and quarreled.

As a neutral sect, Zhong Yucun, the prefect of Yangzhou, was immediately hit by an unpredictable disaster. He would express his support for the Puyi faction, and would offend Emperor Jiajing and Empress Dowager Jiang, and would express his support for the upstart faction, and would offend Yang Tinghe, the chief assistant of the cabinet, who was not a human inside and outside!

Fortunately, the Imperial Veteran finally left Yangzhou and went to Nanjing today. He said he had to thank the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Sun Jiao. If Sun Shangshu had not suddenly suffered a stroke, the emperor would not have rushed to Nanjing to visit. So although he was very unkind, Prefect Zhong still said in his heart: Sun Shangshu is good in this style, wonderful in the face, and quack in the face!

Yangzhou City is not far from Nanjing, only about two hundred miles away, so the imperial guards and his party left Yangzhou in the morning and arrived at the Yangtze River Wharf outside Nanjing in the afternoon.

It was a great event for the emperor to come in person, not to mention that Empress Dowager Jiang and the two princesses were accompanied, so all the government departments in Nanjing were operating. The whole city of Nanjing was boiling, more lively than the New Year, and even the business of those sisters on the Qinhuai River was almost more popular than usual.

At this moment, all the officials who were ranked in Nanjing went outside the city to welcome him, including Xu Jin.

First of all, the Tengxiang Guards and Yulin Guards with fresh clothes and angry horses, followed by the Jinyi Guards. But when the tigers and leopards were in the way, the flags were waving, the king of a country was traveling, and the pomp was extraordinary.

After the grand guard of honor, a yellow Ming umbrella finally got off the ship under the strict protection of the Jinwu Guard. The Ming Emperor Zhu Houn stepped onto the dock with a spirit, followed by a large group of "beasts in clothes" (the civil servants' official uniforms are embroidered with birds, and the military officers' official uniforms are embroidered with beasts, collectively known as beasts in clothes). The person in charge is Yang Tinghe, the chief assistant of the cabinet, and Fei Hong, the second assistant of the cabinet, is also listed.

Wang Shouren, Secretary of the Ministry of War in Nanjing, Wang Jun, Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing and other top leaders of the department heads knelt down and bowed, shouting: "Long live the emperor's sage!"

Zhu Hougui is already seventeen years old this year. It is probably because of his frequent exercise. His body is very high. He is tall and vigorous. In addition, he has been in more than three years of Yuji, and his every move shows an emperor's majesty. He is no longer the prince who was walking on thin ice back then. The young emperor is about to be prosperous.

"You all have a flat body!" Zhu Hougui raised his hand slightly and said loudly, his eyes quickly found Xu Jin in the crowd, and a hint of joy flashed across his face.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The ministers stood up, and Xu Jin had the time to look at Emperor Jiajing in front of him. The two of them met, and the latter blinked inadvertently.

Xu Jin and Xu Jin smiled knowingly and nodded intently. Lu Bing was a mean guy. He couldn't help but feel a little discouraged when he saw this scene. He thought to himself, it seemed that the last provocation was not very effective.

Next, surrounded by a group of ministers, the imperial guards entered Nanjing City and settled in the palace. When they were sent to the palace gate, all the officials stopped at the same time. The palace gate was not allowed to enter unless they were ordered, and it was about to get dark. According to regulations, the gate of the palace gate must be locked and no one was allowed to enter or exit.

The officials began to disperse and settled their accommodation. Only then did Xu Jin have the time to go to Fei Hong, bowed respectfully and said, "Students have met their mentor."

Looking at the proud disciple in front of him and adding the two-produced niece son-in-law, Fei Hong nodded gently and said, "Ziqian, come to my teacher tonight for a drink and talk to you. I have something to talk to you."

Xu Jin quickly agreed respectfully, and the master and apprentice chatted for a few more words and parted ways, and settled down.

"Please stay, Lord Xu!"

Just as Xu Jin arrived near Dong'anmen, he suddenly heard someone calling him behind him. When he looked back, he saw three officials chasing him quickly. Two of them were Zhang Cong and Huo Tao. The third person Xu Jin did not know him, but as the saying goes, people are divided into groups, and birds of feathers flock together. This third person is probably Gui E, the second-ranked figure of the upstart faction.

Sure enough, the three of them came to see each other and Huo Tao smiled and introduced: "Mr. Xu and Mr. Zhang are friends of the same year, so there is no need to introduce them to me. This is the chief of the Criminal Department. "

Gui E is about the same age as Zhang Cong, both of whom are in their early fifties, but this Gui man has a long and narrow face, a pointed chin, and a slightly yellow face, and seems to be in poor health.

Xu Jin bowed his hand and smiled and said, "It turns out it's Lord Gui, I'm lucky to meet you!"

Gui E hurriedly returned the court and smiled, "You are polite, Lord Xu, I am ashamed of being a lie, I dare not take it, I dare not take it."

Zhang Cong's face was full of spring breeze at this moment, completely gone from the decadence of the past, and still maintaining a neither humble nor arrogant smile in front of Xu Jin. It's no wonder that since he was recalled to Beijing last year, Zhang Cong has become more and more dependent on Emperor Jiajing. Although his official position has not been promoted, Emperor Jiajing often consults him in terms of political affairs, so Zhang Cong has now become a celebrity around the emperor.

Zhang Cong became more and more confident, and did not feel that he was inferior to Xu Jin. Moreover, Zhang Cong thought that as long as he helped the emperor defeat Yang Tinghe, his position could even surpass Xu Jin in the future.

"Brother Ziqian, after leaving for many years, taking advantage of the good weather today, why not find a quiet place to sit for a few drinks and gather together for the same year?" Zhang Cong smiled and sent an invitation.

Xu Jin could not guess Zhang Cong's intention to invite him. The gathering was just an excuse, but in fact he was afraid that he would join him to fight against Yang Tinghe, so he pretended to be regretful and said, "I'm afraid it won't work tonight, and my mentor will be invited!"

Huo Tao and Gui E couldn't help but look disappointed when they heard this. Zhang Cong frowned slightly, but he was just doing what he wanted to be a teacher for life and be a father for one day, and respect the teacher and respect the teacher. He could not let Xu Jin turn off his mentor's dinner, so he said regretfully: "So that's the case, so I have to make another appointment."

The four of them were talking, but they saw three people passing by. The leader was not the other one, but the cabinet chief Yang Tinghe, and the Minister of Rites Mao Cheng, and the Hanlin Bachelor Shi Yu.

Although the upstart faction and the Puyi faction are having a big fight, there is still a need to do the superficial skill. Zhang Cong Gui E and others hurriedly greeted him. Xu Jin also politely bowed and bowed: "The official has met Mr. Yang, Lord Mao and Lord Shi."

Yang Tinghe nodded indifferently, but Mao Cheng snorted coldly. Hanlin scholar Shi Yu had a famous bad temper. He glanced at Xu Jin and the other four and said coldly: "Birds of a feather!"

Zhang Cong and the other two showed anger on their faces, but Xu Jin looked calm and silent. It was not because he was afraid of the other party. He really disdained to spray stones like Shi Yan, which was a waste of saliva.

Yang Tinghe glanced at Xu Jin with a silence, and finally said nothing, and walked straight away with a brush of her sleeve. Shi Yu had already tried his best to wait for Xu Jin to squirt back, but Xu Jin didn't accept the move at all. Lord Shi, who had hit the empty one with one punch, had to leave in disappointment.

Huo Tao stared at Shi Yu's back and said angrily: "The self-righteous old guy."

Zhang Cong glanced at Xu Jin with a calm expression and deliberately lowered his voice: "I heard that Mr. Yang had complaints about Brother Ziqian's sending troops to Manlaga, and was even very dissatisfied with the establishment of the Nanyang Protectorate. Some censors even wrote memorials to impeach Brother Ziqian for making a fuss and respecting his own troops. Brother Ziqian had to guard against him."
Chapter completed!