While Ling Ruo was looking through the daily notes, the ministers heard the news from the streets and alleys, and wrote letters to advise Hongli, thinking that Hongli should not accept such a woman, which was really disrespectful to the monarch. Just when the matter was making a fuss, Ren Hu
He Kun, the Minister of Finance, stood up and said that Guangxiu Garden was given to him by Hongli, and Wei Xiuyan was also accepted by him, and had nothing to do with Hongli.
The ministers didn't believe it, but He Kun swore that Wei Xiuyan was his. As for placing him outside the mansion, he was afraid that his wife would be jealous. In the end, he took out a land deed as proof. Seeing this scene,
Although the ministers are still in their hearts
He had doubts, but had nothing to say, so he wrote to Hongli instead, thinking that Guangxiu Garden occupies a huge area, comparable to a palace, and He Kun was only a second-grade minister. Hongli should not have given him such a house, and
Attack him based on his acceptance of Wei Xiuyan.
Regarding these rumors, Hongli ignored them, neither talking about the officials who impeached He Kun, nor about He Kun. Under this situation, Wei Xiuyan's matter gradually faded away.
On the last day of April, after the morning court, Hongli left He Kun alone. After all the officials left, Hongli looked down at He Kun and said indifferently: "Do you know why I want to keep you?"
He Kun heard this and immediately knelt down and said: "I am guilty, please punish me!"
Hongli raised his eyelids and said in a cold voice: "Tell me what the crime is."
"I should not have spoken rashly, saying that the emperor bestowed upon me the Guangxiu Garden, and that Wei Xiuyan was the concubine whom I kept outside my house. I should not have forged the land deed to make the emperor's reputation of being too doting on me. I really deserve death."
!”
Hongli stroked the gold-painted dragon head on the armrest, and said in a subtle and cold tone, "Since you know that all this is a sin of eternal death, why do you still tell such deceptive lies? Are you really not afraid of death?"
He Kun, who was wearing a second-grade golden pheasant patchwork uniform, lowered his head and said: "To be honest with the emperor, I am afraid of death. I am very afraid of death, but no matter how afraid I am, I must do this."
Hongli's eyes circled around He Kun, and it took him a long time to say two words, "Why?"
He Kun raised his head and said sincerely: "Because I can't just watch the emperor's troubles and turn a blind eye. If so, what qualifications do I have to be the emperor's minister and wear this court uniform?"
"So you took everything on yourself?" Before He Kun could say anything, he added, "In that case, I still want to thank you?"
He Kun said quickly: "Your Majesty said this, you are really insulting me. I have been blessed by the Holy Spirit and am ranked in the second rank. The Emperor's kindness to me is as great as a mountain. Even if I repay you with my life, it is not enough to be safe, let alone this."
Little things.”
He Kun's answer made Hongli's face lighten slightly, and he turned to ask, "What reward do you want?"
He Kun leaned over and kowtowed, "Everything I do for the emperor is what I should do. I will never dare to be rewarded by the emperor again. If I have to make any request, please forgive me for this crime of deceiving the emperor. Let me forgive you."
I can continue to serve the Emperor and relieve His worries."
"Okay!" Hongli nodded with satisfaction, and said sadly to Xiao Wu, who was standing aside with his hands down: "Go get the pen, ink, and my imperial seal!"
After Xiao Wu took it as instructed, Huang Ying walked up to Hongli, held the braid to his chest, bent down and used his back as a table for Hongli to write. After a lot of dancing, Hongli took it.
After putting down the imperial seal, he said: "Give it to him."
"Hey!" Xiao Wu handed it to He Kun, who carefully took it in his hand. After taking a look, he turned pale with shock. He held the paper in both hands and raised it above his head. "I have no merit and no virtue. I dare not accept this from the emperor."
Huge reward."
After signaling Huang Ying to retreat, Hongli said: "You have already said in front of so many people that Guangxiu Garden was given to you by me. Even if I want to give it to others in the future, I will not be able to give it to others. In this case, it is cheap."
You are."
"But..." He Kun said tentatively: "Didn't the Emperor give Guangxiu Garden to Madam Wei a long time ago?"
Hongli's eyes were slightly cold and he said coolly: "I didn't give it to her, I just allowed her to live there temporarily, and... she won't live there for too long. You can move in in the future."
I won’t live there for too long...Why does this sound so weird? Could it be that Hongli plans to move the second lady of the Wei family to a larger garden in the future? But looking at the entire capital, it is difficult to find a garden that is better than Guangxiu Garden.
A bigger and better garden that is uninhabited, or... Hongli plans to connect her to the Forbidden City when he finds a suitable opportunity?
Although he was curious, He Kun knew the way of being a minister and did not ask any more questions. He just refused to accept Guang Xiuyuan until Hongli was a little annoyed by him, so he accepted it in fear. He hesitated for a while, and then
He whispered: "On Madam Wei's side, would you like me to try to go over and take care of her?"
Hongli thought about it and said, "That's fine. After all, you said that. If you don't go to Guangxiu Garden once, it will arouse suspicion. If you find anything missing in Guangxiu Garden, tell me."
He Kun quickly bowed and agreed, "I said that I will obey the imperial edict!"
After He Kun exited the Yangxin Hall, Huang Ying chuckled and said: "This Master He is really smart. The emperor only mentioned it a little before, but he understood the emperor's thoughts and took down everything.
The Emperor has many worries."
Hongli glanced at He Kun's retreating back and chuckled: "He is a smart man. He not only knows how to figure out my thoughts, but also knows how to measure things. He will neither say a word more nor a word less."
Xiao Wu whispered: "I'm afraid that if he thinks too much and relies on his cleverness, he will cause trouble in the future."
"If that's the case, then let's find another person." As he spoke, Hongli's smile did not change, but there was a hint of coldness in his words.
Wei Jingxuan originally thought that she could use this incident to force Hongli to bring Wei Xiuyan into the palace, or at worst, make Hongli admit Wei Xiuyan's existence. Unexpectedly, Cheng Yaojin came out halfway and ruined her overall plan. She was furious.
She can't do it.
After this incident, the inspection of people entering and leaving Guangxiu Garden was particularly strict. Anyone who came in or out of Guangxiu Garden except the Wei family was subject to strict interrogation. As for the servants in the garden, they were also banned from revealing anything about the garden.
Otherwise, the lives of yourself and your family will be in danger.
As the storm caused by this incident gradually subsided, another incident quietly occurred...
Yongxuan saw the bow and arrow made by Yongxuan before and liked it very much. He pestered Yongxuan to make one for him. The two brothers went to practice archery together after class. They won and lost each other. It happened that Yongxuan had
Empty, just three people
We went to practice archery together. Yong Xuan is now able to shoot no arrows within a hundred meters. Yong Cang and the two are still a little behind. At most, they can only shoot no misses within fifty meters. Within a hundred meters, ten arrows can be shot.