Chapter 261 The Battle for the Longevity Palace (Part 2)
Shen Shoufu's enemy Li Zhi suddenly felt that the emperor on the throne had become very strange, which made Li Zhi feel very uncomfortable!
Li Zhi claimed to be the person in the imperial court who could best discern the emperor's mind. Three years ago, he was the first to see through the emperor's mind and took the lead in attacking the late chief minister Zhang Juzheng and the still-in-power eunuch Feng Bao. He became the first to liquidate Zhang and Feng's power.
pioneer.
Then Li Zhi gained the favor of Emperor Wanli, and was directly promoted from the seventh-rank censor by the emperor to the fourth-rank Taipusi Shaoqing.
At that time, Li Zhi had been promoted to the fourth rank only six years after entering the officialdom.
Similar to Li Zhi's situation, there were Jiang Dongzhi and Yang Keli, who were the three most famous people in the dynasty.
Of course, Li Zhi's promotion was a promotion by decree of the emperor and was not a formal promotion channel in the bureaucracy, so he was not considered highly by the mainstream official circles represented by Shen Shoufu.
This contrast is like the contrast between Yeluzi internet celebrity and a star with a professional background hundreds of years later.
Even the emperor had to follow the rules and could only promote the Sanhong people to yamen such as Guanglu Temple, Taipu Temple, and Shangbaosi, which were used to support idle people.
All in all, understanding the emperor was the basis for Li Zhi and other celebrities to establish themselves in the court.
If the emperor's words and deeds become difficult to understand, it means that the situation is out of control for Li Zhi and other celebrities!
After thinking for a while, Li Zhi decided to change his mind. Since the frontal attack on Shen Shoufu was ineffective, he would attack the side and the rear in a roundabout way.
Then he reported to Emperor Wanli: "Li Rusong is in the capital camp, and his younger brother Li Rubai is in Jizhen. It is inappropriate for brothers to be cardinals of the capital.
What's more, Li Rusong's memorial shows that he has some connection with Lin, a retainer of the Shen family.
Lin has a bad nature, and he broke Cheng Yibo's right leg the day before yesterday. He is really a cruel person!
But Li Rusong, as the patrol commander, shielded and connived at Lin!"
Emperor Wanli sighed, "Why are you talking about this now?"
Li Zhi said reluctantly: "With the character of these two people, what true knowledge and insights can they have?
Therefore, some of their arguments are completely untrustworthy, how can Your Majesty listen to them?"
Li Zhi planned to attack the character of Li Rusong and Lin to deny Li Rusong's memorial, and then further dispel the emperor's tendency due to this memorial.
After hearing this, Emperor Wanli sighed: "Uncle Chengyi only broke a leg, but it does not hinder Li and Lin's true knowledge of Dayu Mountain."
Li Zhi: "???"
Your Majesty, what's wrong with you? Did you really take the wrong few kilograms of medicine, or is it a ghost?
"It's just a broken leg." If your views are so shattered, can you, Your Majesty, say it?
Not to mention Li Zhi, even Shen Shoufu and others on the other side were stunned.
What is the magic power of Li Rusong's memorial that could make the emperor so blatantly partial, just to maintain the accuracy of this memorial?
Emperor Wanli obviously did not want to continue to struggle with the issue of Longevity Palace, and immediately made a decision:
"I deeply agree with what Li Rusong said! I will handle it according to Li Rusong's memorial!"
Li Zhi suddenly became anxious and begged: "Your Majesty, think twice! Dayu Mountain is really not auspicious soil!"
Wanli did not want Li Zhi and other favorites to continue to oppose, which would lead to them not being able to step down, so he emphasized:
"I have made up my mind. There is no need to choose another place for the longevity palace. It is here in Dayu Mountain. No need to say more!
After the preparations are complete, construction will begin, and Xu Wenbi and Shen Shi will take charge of the matter!"
After hearing this, the ministers all understood that the emperor had made the final decision to adopt the Dayushan plan, and there was no point in opposing it.
Everyone had different feelings. Shen Shoufu only felt that he had done nothing today, as if he had won by lying down.
Others felt that this trip was in vain, and none of the ministers could impress the emperor.
Li Rusong wasn't here, but a memorial came from a hundred miles away and snatched away all the opportunities!
The most important thing is that everyone still doesn’t understand or figure out why.
Why did the emperor immediately seem to be a different person after reading Li Rusong's memorial?
Before Emperor Wanli retired from the court, he issued another decree: "Li Rusong has made meritorious contributions and will be promoted to the rank of governor and co-president. He will receive a double salary and be given a flying fish suit. Lin."
The eunuch holding the memorandum next to him quickly reminded him: "Lin Tailai, a martial arts examiner from Wu County, Suzhou Prefecture."
Emperor Wanli continued: "Lin Tailai will reward you with a hundred taels of silver and fifty pieces of silk!"
For the Ming Emperor, a reward of this level to ordinary people was considered a "generous act".
Li Zhi was still unwilling to give in. What he experienced today was like an unexpected defeat. The experience was really bad.
To use the terminology of five hundred years later to describe it, it was like being "demonstrated by a deus ex machina".
"Since His Majesty has commended Lin Tailai, how should we deal with the fact that this person caused Uncle Cheng to break his leg?" Li Zhi vented his anger.
Emperor Wanli responded casually: "Reward when necessary, and investigate when necessary. This is called clear rewards and punishments."
The matter of selecting the location of the longevity palace is finally settled and over.
But in the minister's mind, it seemed that it was not over, because the real answer was not revealed. Why did the emperor appreciate Li Rusong's memorial so much?
Outside the palace, Shen Shoufu's biggest party member, Yang Wei, the Minister of Civil Affairs, asked Shen Shixing very curiously: "What kind of plot is hidden in Li Rusong's memorial?"
Shen Shixing shook his head helplessly, "Whether you believe it or not, I really don't know."
Even Shen's biggest party member couldn't get a clue, and the others could only make random guesses.
But Shen Shoufu didn't care about what others thought at this time. He just wanted to return to the city as soon as possible and find the man named Lin and ask him.
Changping Tianshou Mountain Palace is a hundred miles away from the capital. The huge team moved slowly and it took two days to return to the capital.
But while the emperor was still on the road, the news had already reached the capital.
When the emperor returns to the capital, he must organize hundreds of officials to greet him at the city gate. The Ministry of Rites, which is responsible for etiquette, is the first to get the exact news.
After Wang Zhiyou, a member of the Ministry of Rites, arranged the affairs at hand, he hurried home.
At this time, Wang Zhiyuan Shao Situ, the left minister of the household department, the head of the Wang family, was in a bad mood and was talking to his nephew Wang Xiangmeng.
As for the reason why Mr. Wang and Situ were not in a good mood, even an outsider named Lin Tailai could guess the reason.
A sixty-year-old official is equivalent to standing at a crossroads. Should he continue to work for the Ming Dynasty, or should he retreat bravely?
If you try again, is there any chance to go further? For example, be promoted from minister to minister.
Originally, Wang Shao Situ was very sensitive at this time, but the emperor went to Tianshou Mountain for inspection and summoned a group of ministers and retinues, but Wang Shao Situ was not there. How could he not be heartbroken?
Young Situ Wang Zhiyuan, fifteenth sister Wang Zhiyao, and nephew Yushi Wang Xiangmeng were sitting by the pond talking, when Wang Zhiyou, the official of the Ministry of Etiquette, walked over quickly.
"There is news from Tianshou Mountain!" Wang Zhiyou shouted, directly interrupting the rhythm of the other two people's previous conversation.
Nowadays, Li Rusong is indeed the envy of most officials. This reward is so simple and easy, just a memorial!
Wang Shao Situ commented with bright eyes: "Rewards are trivial matters, the key is to obtain the holy family through them, which is a big benefit.
It’s the metaphor of this memorial that really eludes me.”
Wang Zhiyou added: "I also heard that a man named Lin Tailai received a reward together with Li Rusong."
Wang Shao Situ frowned and asked, "Is this Lin Tailai the Lin Tailai we know?"
Wang Zhiyou nodded and said: "Judging from various signs, it should be the same person.
I heard that at the Tianshou Mountain Palace, someone impeached Lin Tailai for breaking Uncle Cheng Yi's leg. This was something no one else had done.
Besides, Lin Tailai did appear and leave together with Li Rusong a few days ago."
After Wang Zhiyuan was stunned for a moment, he suddenly reached out and slapped the stone next to him!
There are a lot of upset emotions in my heart, what’s going on?
Wang Zhiyou felt that the second brother's mood was fluctuating. In order to calm the second brother, he turned around and shouted to Wang Xiangmeng:
"That day when you went out to greet Lin Tailai, why didn't you invite Lin Tailai into your home?"
Wang Xiangmeng: "."
Didn't you follow your second uncle's instructions? How could it be your own fault again?
As the youngest nephew, Wang Xiangmeng shouldered everything and did not dare to talk back.
Besides, he didn't know at the time that Lin Tailai was so good at fighting, and without saying a word, he immediately verified the success.
I recalled that before Lin Tailai left, he said, "I will give you some wealth to the Wang family," and he also said, "One of the ministers of your Wang family is gone."
At that time, he only thought that these words were extremely ridiculous. Only now did he realize that these words were not exaggerated at all and were all facts!
Li Rusong took this memorial and was promoted not only to one level, but also to a double salary and a Feiyu uniform.
If the memorial was written by my second uncle, it is not impossible to be promoted to minister.
Wang Zhiyou, who came to deliver the news, became more and more irritated as he thought about it, and said again:
"If Lin Tailai had given guidance at that time, and the three of us in the Wang family had jointly signed the petition, wouldn't everyone have been promoted?"
Wang Xiangmeng didn't want to continue this heart-wrenching topic, "It's useless to think about this, let's just look forward!"
At this time, Wang Shao Situ suddenly said to Wang Xiangmeng, "Lin Tailai is still in the capital. No matter what means you use, go and invite him back!"
Thinking of Lin Daguan's face, Wang Xiangmeng said reluctantly: "The matter is over, why should we ask him to do it?"
Wang Shao Situ said: "You can ask for advice without being ashamed. If you can decipher the metaphors in the memorial and understand the truth, it will be a gain."
Wang Zhiyao, who had been silent before, said to Wang Xiangmeng: "You were really wrong that day."
Wang Xiangmeng, who was the lowest in the hierarchy, felt hopeless and muttered: "Even you blame me?"
Wang Zhiyao said: "On the first day when Lin Jieyuan came to the capital, he could guess the second brother's heart disease without having much detailed information. Is this what ordinary people can do?
So what he said next must be on target. You should at least listen to what he has to say instead of rejecting him directly.
In the final analysis, you still despise others in your heart, which leads to missed opportunities.
If you still have this mentality, it is impossible to invite people over again."
The four people present and the other three "elders" were all openly and secretly complaining about themselves. Wang Xiangmeng really couldn't bear it.
He couldn't bear it and explained: "You just haven't seen Lin Tailai's face with your own eyes, so you only blame me!
If anyone else dared to point fingers like him in front of our Wang family, he would have been kicked out by me long ago!
So when I gave Lin Tailai a gift, I showed enough patience and restraint, not a lack of etiquette!"
Wang Zhiyou urged: "No one blames you. Don't talk about useless things first. You should think about how to invite people here first."
Wang Xiangmeng said helplessly: "Wait until I find out where you live, then I'll come and invite you!"
Wang Zhiyao added: "It's useless for you to invite him like this. You have to do what he likes."
Wang Xiangmeng said in surprise: "What is his hobby?"
Wang Zhiyao recalled the letter written by his brother, the tax envoy, and said: "This person has a good reputation, is lustful, and likes to trample people with poetry.
So you should organize an elegant gathering, invite a few famous talents and beauties from the capital, and then invite them to participate."
Wang Xiangmeng listened silently, but he was made a little rebellious. So what if Lin Tailaimeng was right once? As for whether he wanted to be invited over as a guest?
Finally, he came down and said: "After I find out where he lives, I will pay him a visit first."
In fact, it is easy to find out where Lin Tailai lives. People of some status usually have two choices of accommodation when they first arrive in the capital. One is to stay with relatives and friends, and the other is to stay in a local guild hall.
Wang Xiangmeng sent a servant to inquire and found out that Lin Tailai was currently staying in the Sanwu Guild Hall in the southeast of the city.
But Wang Xiangmeng did not go to Lin Tailai. Instead, he took his second uncle's post and went to visit Li Rusong.
In his opinion, the memorial was written by Li Rusong. If he wanted to decipher the mystery, he might be able to find out from Li Rusong, so why bother asking Lin Tailai?
But outside the gate of Uncle Ningyuan's mansion, a "war-free sign" was hung up, and Li Rusong saw no visitors.
After sending Mr. Wang Situ's post in, I got a message.
Li Rusong said that he didn't understand what he wrote, and only Lin Tailai knew the secret. So he kindly asked everyone not to ask again, because he really couldn't answer it.
So Wang Xiangmeng had no choice but to take a few more servants to the Sanwu Guild Hall to visit Lin Tailai.
Wang Xiangmeng himself is the censor, and the Wang family is considered powerful and can gain access to the palace wherever he goes.
Coming here in Lintai was no exception. I was invited in directly and sat on the table to drink good tea.
It was when Wang Xiangmeng proposed to invite Lin Tailai to visit the Wang family, Lin Tailai declined.
Lin Daguan said calmly: "I have been busy with many things these days. When I get some free time, I will pay you a visit again."
This tone is almost the same as the way Wang Xiangmeng spoke outside the gate of the Wang family a few days ago.
Wang Xiangmeng questioned: "When you first arrived in the capital, you had a lot of things to do?"
Lin Tailai said helplessly: "Wang Yushi, you are late. Many people have posted messages to me, including literary and military invitations. I have to respond to them one by one."
Wang Xiangmeng said subconsciously: "Could it be that you want to wait for a price and sell it?"
Official Lin said "Haha", "Wang Yushi thinks too much. I am too kind and don't know how to reject people, so I have accepted so many posts."
The status is very bad today, and it was hard-written for the sake of updating, and there is no time to modify it. Sometimes the mode of online writing is really helpless.