In the Han Palace, Shangshe Bureau, in front of the main hall, several eunuchs bowed their heads and tied their hands, waiting respectfully and carefully in the corridor, enduring the cold wind. The outside was desolate, but the indoors was as warm as spring. There were fruits, snacks, wine and food on the table.
The dishes were all available. The imperial envoy Zhang Dejun, who was becoming more and more powerful in front of outsiders, was serving an old eunuch with respect and gentleness.
In the entire Han Palace, the only people who were qualified to have Zhang Dejun serve him so lowly were the nobles in the palace, except the emperor. Of course, after more than ten years, except for the queen mother and the emperor, no one else, including the empress, had been served by him like this.
.
The special status of this old eunuch lies in the fact that he is Zhang Dejun's adoptive father, who provided shelter for Zhang Dejun when he entered the palace as a young boy. He was lucky enough to become a chamberlain next to the Queen Mother, and then even luckier to be recommended to serve the emperor.
After so many years, Zhang Dejun was deeply valued by the emperor, entrusted with important responsibilities, and his authority gradually increased. As his adoptive father, he naturally also grew up with the tide. His life in the Han Palace was always nourishing. He was responsible for the Shangshe Bureau, and his real power and status in palace affairs were great.
Not low.
"You are busy with official duties, so you don't have to take time to come to me!" Looking at Zhang Dejun who was pouring wine for him, Zhang's father said with a smile on his face: "If the official summons me and I am delayed, then I will
Oh no!"
"My father and I may not have talked to each other for a long time, so it's time to come and visit! The weather is getting colder now, so you always need to be more careful and take care of yourself!" Zhang Dejun chuckled, took out a box from his arms, opened the lid, and revealed the inside.
He said, "I brought you a piece of old ginseng to replenish your health!"
The shape and charm of this old ginseng made it look like a precious treasure from a long time ago. Father Zhang was slightly surprised and said, "This is a top quality thing. How did you get it?"
A little worry could be heard in Zhang's father's tone. Zhang Dejun acted calmly and comforted: "Father, don't worry. This is a tribute from the Jurchens. The officials gave it to me. My son is strong and strong, so he doesn't need this thing.
Take one and enjoy!”
After listening to Zhang Dejun's explanation, Zhang's father breathed a sigh of relief, placed the old ginseng on the table, bowed respectfully, and said: "How can I enjoy such rare treasures?"
Of course, he did not refuse Zhang Dejun's kindness and kept it away, but judging from his performance, he would probably keep it well.
"The luckiest thing in my life is to recognize you as my adopted son!" The father and son drank together, and as soon as their emotions were in place, Zhang's father couldn't help but express emotional emotion to Zhang Dejun: "In the future, you will be there to see me through my death, and there will be nothing to worry about in the future."
Worried!"
"Father, your words are serious. Without your protection and care, my son would not be where he is today!" Zhang Dejun's attitude was very cordial and he comforted him softly: "By the way, I intend to adopt one or two orphans from the private sector to continue the Zhang family.
Incense!”
Hearing what Zhang Dejun said, Zhang's father's face flashed with excitement, but he quickly calmed down, shook his head resolutely, and said: "No!"
Zhang Dejun was slightly stunned by his reaction. As eunuchs like them, as rootless people, in addition to pursuing wealth and power, perhaps the most important thing they care about is the inheritance of incense. I originally thought that his idea would make Zhang's father happy, but he
I didn't expect him to refuse so bluntly.
"Why?"
Looking at Zhang Dejun, Zhang's father said: "Those of us who are slaves are able to serve the palace because we have no roots. We have no roots, so we have no other thoughts and serve the Lord wholeheartedly. You are now in charge of the Imperial City Department, attracting attention both inside and outside the palace.
, was originally sent by jealousy. Since ancient times, eunuchs raising sons have often attracted criticism and are prone to disaster..."
Hearing Zhang's father say this, Zhang Dejun frowned slightly, thought about it seriously, and said: "My son has learned a lesson! However, if you find an opportunity, make achievements, and ask for the official's favor, you will not be afraid of criticism from others."
Got it!"
Hearing this, Zhang's father also nodded. As long as he didn't fall out of favor with the emperor, it wouldn't be a big problem. Therefore, there was a little expectation in his eyes.
While the father and son were having a harmonious exchange, a eunuch, covered in frost and cold, hurriedly entered, saluted both of them, leaned into Zhang Dejun's ear and reported something to him, while Zhang Dejun's expression changed significantly.
Seeing this, Zhang's father immediately said: "If there is an emergency, you can do it yourself!"
"It's not a big deal!" Zhang Dejun smiled at Zhang's father, but stood up and saluted: "Father, please sit down and take your leave first!"
...
"When did it happen?" Zhang Dejun asked his subordinate on the way back to the Imperial City Office.
The person replied: "Just now, the officials suddenly issued an order to detain me to the Si Yamen for your personal review. I dare not neglect you, so I came to report immediately!"
"Where are the people?"
"Locked in the office for the time being!"
"Go back to Siya quickly!" Zhang Dejun's expression was a little serious.
What happens in the palace is nothing to the country, but to some people, it is a matter of life and honor. Sun Yanyun, the leader of the emperor's chamberlain, was ordered to be taken down for questioning.
For the eunuchs in the palace, especially those with a certain status, this is a big deal. The same is true for Zhang Dejun. Since he was assigned to be responsible for the affairs of the imperial city, he has gone from being in charge of the imperial palace to being in charge of a department. Although he has great power,
The status is one step closer, but Zhang Dejun always has a sense of crisis and feels uneasy.
He knew very well how his current position came from. It was the trust he had gained after working hard by the emperor's side for ten years without making any major mistakes. However, after leaving the emperor's side, although he was still responsible for the secret affairs of his confidants,
After all, he became distant. What he worried about was that over time, his status in the emperor's heart was reduced.
Because, Zhang Dejun has always been more concerned about the servants around the emperor. In the early years, Emperor Liu had trouble using several people in succession. At that time, Zhang Dejun felt very gratified and happy. After all, he was still able to serve the emperor, so that he could serve the emperor.
The emperor was satisfied.
Later, when Sun Yanxi came to power, Zhang Dejun felt pressure for a while. That guy was a little older than him, looked mediocre, but had a deep mind, and was a bit sinister. He was also able to please Emperor Liu and make him feel comfortable, and he once had signs of breaking up with Zhang Dejun.
, replacing the words and deeds that influenced his influence around the emperor.
For a long time, Zhang Dejun was very afraid of Sun Yanxi and was very vigilant. But later, Sun Yanxi got out of his way. During the Northern Expedition, he returned to Tokyo to recuperate due to illness and was not with the emperor. He gradually revealed his true colors and never appeared again.
Be cautious, because for supervising the construction of Zhaolie Temple, he was directly arrested and executed.
Sun Yanyun, who had served the emperor for several years, was a senior eunuch with profound experience and a good command of life. The key was that he had a relatively good relationship with Zhang Dejun. However, now he was suddenly taken down by Emperor Liu's order. Zhang Dejun really couldn't think of it.
Come on, what can an old eunuch like Sun Yanjun do to anger the emperor?
The most important thing is that under normal circumstances, when a chamberlain breaks the law, the palace has its own bureau to deal with it, so how can it be specially taken to the Imperial City Department for interrogation? After years of development, the two agencies, Wude Division and Imperial City Division, have
It was formed that the Wude Secretary was in charge of the surveillance of Daozhou all over the world, while the Imperial City Secretary was in charge of the palace and public opinion in Kaifeng. Of course, there was some overlap, but that was generally the case.
Unlike the Wude Division, the Imperial City Division's main power is surveillance and spying, but does not have the power to arrest, interrogate, or imprison. However, this time Emperor Liu asked the Imperial City Division to interrogate Sun Yanyun. Zhang Dejun would not think that this was the case.
It was to give him more authority. I thought a lot along the way, but couldn't figure out a clear idea. When I was going back to the Yamen and climbing the steps, I tripped and almost fell.
In a quiet side room of the Imperial City Office, Zhang Dejun sat down, screened away the others, and interrogated him alone. He looked at Sun Yanjun, who had gone to the palace uniform, and raised his eyebrows and asked, "What's going on? Why are the officials so angry?"
Upon hearing this, Sun Yanyun also had a look of aggrieved face, and sighed worriedly: "I am guilty of talking too much!"
With that said, Sun Yanjun explained some of the situations during this period. The problem also occurred that day, in the Guangzheng Hall, Sun Yanjun took the initiative to scold Dou Yi. From then on, Emperor Liu did not like the old eunuch.
, when the emperor had a thorn in his heart, it is not surprising that such an ending would occur.
"How could I have imagined that just speaking for the officials in a moment of anger would actually arouse the officials' anger and lead to this trouble! Today, I just beat and scolded that ignorant servant, and I was detained here for the crime of being domineering!"
Sun Yanyun lamented.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Dejun couldn't help but said: "You are also an old man. You have served the officials for so long, how could you commit such a taboo? If it is in private, it still needs to be considered. In the Guangzheng Palace, how can people like you and me talk too much?"
"It's too late to regret it!" Sun Yanyun said.
His face changed for a while, and Zhang Dejun calmed down. He stared at Sun Yanyun and said, "The officials asked me to interrogate you. What do you think I should do?"
Upon hearing the question, Sun Yanyun immediately said: "As of now, I have nothing else to ask for. I just hope that I can save my life and die in peace in the palace! Secretary Zhang, because of our past friendship, you still hope to save me!"
"Oh, you think so highly of me. I am just a slave. How can I influence the will of the officials? If the officials want to know that they are guilty of you, what can I do?" Zhang Dejun said with a bitter smile.
Hearing what he said, Sun Yanyun was a little panicked. He knelt down and said, "Please think of a solution for me!"
Under normal circumstances, Zhang Dejun had a good grasp of the emperor's thoughts. However, this time, perhaps because he had some connection with himself, Zhang Dejun seemed very hesitant. While Sun Yanyun was asking for help, he even had murderous intentions and tried to punish Sun Yanyun.
Some capital crimes were severely punished to suit the emperor's wishes.
But perhaps out of soft-heartedness, or for some other reason, he decided to keep things official and investigate and interrogate the case normally. Sun Yanyun did not have any major problems. When he finally reported to the emperor, he only came to a conclusion similar to this: Treating his subordinates harshly, There are frequent exchanges of rituals during the New Year holidays.
The final result was that Sun Yanyun was demoted to Yeting to take charge of some affairs. Then, the emperor's head of chamberlain was replaced by someone named Yantuo. This was an old man who grew up in the Peking Palace in Jinyang. The key thing is that he doesn't have much dealing with Zhang Dejun.
During the whole process, the emperor did not express much to Zhang Dejun, but afterwards, Zhang Dejun felt a strong sense of fear.