Like the last time, Liu Ziguang's threat did not achieve the expected effect. The character of the Donglin Party members was not something ordinary people could understand. Hou Xun looked at Liu Ziguang calmly, took off the black gauze from his head and slowly raised it: "Your Majesty,
You have also heard the words of Marquis Zhenwu. The superior marquis is roaring at the court like this. It is no longer necessary for me, the minister in charge of the Ministry of Rites, to continue working. I ask the emperor to allow me to retire and return to my hometown."
"I'm sure, you can go down." Zhu Youxiao waved his hand in disgust. He didn't take Hou Xun's threat seriously at all. He was not an important figure who could not function without the court. He actually took himself seriously.
Come on, it’s hard to find a strong general like Liu Ziguang who can defeat ten thousand people. There are sour scholars like Hou Xun who have read a few books everywhere. Without him, Zhang Butcher will still be able to eat pigs with hair on them. Just find someone to take charge of the Ministry of Rites.
.
Zhu Youxiao winked, and Wei Zhongxian stepped forward to take Hou Xun's black gauze hat. Wei Eunuch, who was young and well-connected, was happy to see the dispute between Liu Ziguang and the Donglin Party. He saw clearly that this fight would definitely end in the end.
Liu Ziguang's victory ended because he had the support of the empress and the emperor behind him, but even if he won, it would be a tragic victory, and Liu Ziguang's reputation would be damaged. Wei Zhongxian, an all-rounder, took the Wu gauze and said with a smile: "Master Hou, Wu
Our family will keep it for you first, and when the emperor's anger subsides, you will naturally be reinstated."
Hou Xun nodded slightly to Wei Zhongxian to express his gratitude, then he kowtowed to the concubine and the emperor three times on the ground, and then proudly left Cining Palace.
Dark clouds were covering the sky outside, and gusts of cold wind blew by, stirring the gray hair on Hou Xun's head. Hou Xun straightened his back as straight as a javelin and walked away without looking back.
After Hou Xun made such a fuss, everyone was in a bad mood. The other ministers did not dare to speak. They resigned one by one and left. Only Liu Ziguang and the emperor's mother and son were left in the palace. They were silent for a long time. Empress Nangong said leisurely
Said: "The Ai family knows why Cheng'er put on the previous clothes before she cut her wrists. She doesn't care about the princess's identity at all. In her eyes, life in the palace is not as free as the lake. In this case, Huang'er, please go down.
I want to strip your sister of her title of princess. Letting her live a happy life is better than anything else."
"This is the only way." Zhu Youxiao sighed. As an emperor, he can't do whatever he wants. With such a group of tough ministers, what can the emperor do? He has to give in.
After making a plan, Liu Ziguang and Empress Nangong went back to Xuanwu Lake. Zhu Youxiao transferred back to Qianqing Palace and asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to draft a document depriving the eldest princess of her status. The marriage between Zeng Cheng and Liu Ziguang could not be delayed any longer, because such a happy event was like a wedding.
It can have a significant curative effect on her condition. This is the so-called happiness principle.
The news that Hou Xun was forced to dismiss from office quickly spread throughout the capital. As a veteran figure of the Donglin Party, Hou Xun had strong mobility and connections. The young Donglin scholars were already holding back because of Hou Fangyu's castration.
The anger in the stomach finally found an outlet to vent, and those mad dog-like censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, as if they had discovered meat and bones, screamed with excitement, and wrote excerpts all night long to consult Liu Ziguang.
At the court meeting the next day, all the officials of the Donglin Department stood up to intercede for Hou Xun, and all the censors took out memorials to ask Liu Ziguang to participate, and Zhu Youxiao walked away angrily.
The emperor hid in the harem, but the censors refused to give in. They ran to the Qianqing Gate in groups and knelt down, holding the memorial above their heads, forcing the emperor to punish Liu Ziguang. Many scholars also gathered outside the Meridian Gate. The princes, including many newly minted scholars, all protested against Hou Shangshu's unfair treatment and Liu Houye's arrogant behavior. According to their opinions, the eldest princess could not marry Liu Ziguang even if she never married. In the face of royal dignity, any personal happiness can be sacrificed.
The intensity of the protests this time was not very high. After all, it was just a trivial matter. The emperor's family was just marrying a princess. It was not the Qing army going south and the Western Xia Eastern Expedition. Regarding the ministers and censors outside the Qianqing Palace, the emperor quickly made a decision. In response, the eunuch read out an imperial edict: Hou Xun retained his position as Minister of Etiquette, took a three-month holiday to recuperate, and resumed his duties after recovering from his illness. The eldest princess, Zhu Cheng, was demoted to a commoner and was to be married to the Marquis of Zhenwu on a certain date. .
In this way, it not only silenced the censors, but also gave face to the Donglin Party. After the imperial edict, the officials left the Qianqing Palace angrily. As for the demonstration outside the Meridian Gate, an official from the Ministry of Civil Affairs was The suppression continued. This young official named Shi Kefa was the Yuanwailang assigned to the new officials by the Ministry of Personnel. He was regarded as the immediate superior of the Jinshi. He sternly accused the Jinshi. Now the powerful enemies of the Ming Dynasty look around, and there is still so much land. It has not been recovered, and there are still so many people of the Ming Dynasty living under the tyrannical rule of foreign races. Instead of thinking about how to serve the country, they, the Jinshi, are messing around at the gate of the Forbidden City for things that have nothing to do with the national economy and people's livelihood, such as marrying daughters for the royal family. It is really Reading the books of sages is in vain.
The Jinshi came to make trouble, originally to please Dong Lin and plan their own future. Now that someone from the official department came out to talk, everyone dispersed. The Nanchang fan was hiding aside and had already made plans for the trouble. The names of all the Jinshi were recorded in order to settle accounts after the fall. What is surprising is that Sun Qichao, the orphan of Sun Chengzong who Liu Ziguang came from Shandong to find, was actually among the troublemakers, and was waving flags and shouting, as if he was a core figure.
Through this moderate incident, we can see the current political landscape. Although the Donglin Party is generally united, it is not monolithic; Liu Ziguang's power within the civil service system is still weak, and there are not enough people to help speak at critical moments. , Eunuch Wei is a low-key person and cannot offend either side, but the more low-key he is, the more unsettling he is. It is not easy for the 20-year-old eunuch, chief eunuch and admiral of the East Factory, to be all-round. This person is either a great good or a great evil. person.
Hou Xun's position as minister was saved, and the dignity of the royal family was also preserved because the princess was demoted to a commoner. The Donglin people went back to celebrate with satisfaction. Several protagonists in this operation received praise from within Donglin, especially Sun Qichao. Endowed with the reputation of being able to fight back with an enemy, and having a sharp eye to distinguish between loyal and traitorous people, he successfully ended his relationship with Liu Ziguang and was officially accepted by Donglin.
Regardless of how the Donglins celebrate, the princess's wedding here is also in urgent preparation. Since she is already a commoner, there is no need for extravagant events, and all activities are limited to the small island in Xuanwu Lake. , In addition to the emperor's family, those who attended the wedding were a group of Liu Ziguang's brothers. Zhamuhe, Anthony, Duncan, Li Yan, Wu Sangui and others all brought their wives to congratulate them. The middle-level generals of the red shirt regiment also participated. Everyone dressed up as ordinary farmers and fishermen, carrying gifts such as pig heads, ducks, carp, and fat chickens. Even the red envelopes were sealed in copper coins, and half a coin was considered a big deal.
The island in the middle of the lake was bustling with people and guests. Red double happiness words were posted on the outside of the thatched shed. Children were running around excitedly. Dozens of Eight Immortals tables were set up in the open space of the village. Candy and melon seeds were placed on the plates for the guests.
To use it, two old gentlemen wearing pince-nez were sitting behind the table and using writing brushes to help the guests pay the accounts. Someone gave three hundred copper coins as a congratulatory gift, and someone gave a fat duck as a congratulatory gift. One sang and the other wrote down, as if they were serious.
Yes, in fact, these two old men are senior technical bureaucrats transferred from the Ministry of Household Affairs. They are usually responsible for calculating customs duties and salt taxes, which are worth several million taels. Now they actually keep a small account of several hundred taels.
The old man obviously didn't adapt well and always pronounced three hundred wen as three million taels.
The fishing village also invited a troupe for three days and three nights. This was the top theatrical troupe of the Ming Dynasty. Normally, the princes and nobles would have to make reservations in advance if they wanted to invite them. Now that they were dragged into such a weird small fishing village, the actors were all full.
Doubtful, you must know that they were snatched directly from the home of an elderly minister by Nanchang Fanzi, and after arriving on the island, they paid the money in advance, a full three thousand taels! It is better than their usual troupe appearance
The fee was ten times higher, and they were told not to worry about anything, and not to worry about whose family held the meeting, as long as they sang a good show.
However, the astute troupe manager still saw some clues. There was a running banquet in the village, and the chefs under the greenhouse looked familiar. He carefully recalled that they were chefs he had met in a certain prince's palace. I heard that this person later entered the palace as a royal chef.
The executive chef went to the room….
This is the hall of a noble family, and a super noble one at that. The troupe manager knows it well and dares to show no signs of neglect. He secretly warns the actors that they are absolutely not allowed to be lazy and slippery. They must use all their special skills and sing at the risk of their lives!
The cooks under the greenhouse are indeed top chefs transferred from the imperial kitchen. The fishermen's stoves, pots and pans are all ordinary folk goods, but the raw materials are all first-class.
It needs to be too elaborate, as long as it tastes good, so as not to ruin the authenticity of the fisherman's wedding banquet.
Zeng Cheng sat in the newly decorated new house, a little nervous and shy. She kept looking at herself in the small egg-shaped mirror, for fear that the place was not tidy enough. Her bridal makeup was painted by Peng Jinrong, with the right shades.
The princess looks even more beautiful like a hibiscus emerging from the water.
The new house is covered with brand-new large green tiles, which were laid yesterday with the help of a group of Liu Ziguang's friends. The exterior walls are also painted with lime water, making them look very clean. In addition, there are bright red characters like "Happy" and various exquisite window grilles.
A burst of joy came over me.
"The men in my family are capable." Zeng Cheng thought happily. You know, this is the first house with tiles in the fishing village.
There was the sound of gongs and drums outside from far to near, followed by a knock on the wood door of the small courtyard, and a group of rough men shouted in unison: "Bride, the door is open."