The first heavy snowfall in the eleventh year of Kangxi's reign was falling quietly. First there were snow particles like broken rice, and then they whirled like flakes of goose feathers, dressing the entire capital into a dazzling array of silvery buildings and jade buildings.
Zhou Peigong and Xiao Suo hadn't seen each other for a long time. When he came to Lanmian Hutong again to look for A Suo, he couldn't help being surprised. Her house was filled with dust and cobwebs covered the windows. After several inquiries, he finally got the truth.
After the two broke up, her father died of illness soon after, and her brother went to Heilongjiang to dig ginseng, but was not at home. She had no choice but to sell herself with a straw tag on her head and bury the old man. From then on, the neighbors no longer knew her whereabouts...
… Zhou Peigong felt dizzy and his legs were filled with lead. He dragged heavy steps in the snow back to the patrol yamen and stood in a daze beside a stone lion as tall as a person. The street had been paved with an inch of
There was so much snow, and the melted snow on his head flowed down his neck drop by drop. He seemed completely unconscious.
"Pei Gong, I can't find you anywhere, why are you standing here?"
Zhou Peigong suddenly heard someone talking, and he woke up with a start. When he saw that it was Tu Hai riding out from the side door, he changed his face and said with a smile: "I went out to see the snow scene. I came back late. The snow at the entrance of the Yamen was very snow falling on the ancient temple."
I was dumbfounded by the smell of "no one scanning" - where is the military gate going at this moment?"
"Give your horse to Mr. Zhou." Tu Hai turned around and said to Goshiha, then turned to Zhou Peigong, "The Holy One has summoned us by decree. Hurry up and get on the horse! Let's walk slowly first, wearing our clothes and shouting at the pearls.
They’ll deliver it later!”
Zhou Peigong got on the horse, looked around in confusion, relaxed the reins slightly, and the two mounts were slowly moving forward surrounded by more than a dozen gesheha. At this time, Zhou Peigong collected his mind and breathed a silent sigh of relief.
"Why, you found nothing again this time?" Tu Hai turned around on his horse and said with a smile, "It's strange that such a big living person can be lost. I'll ask Shuntian Mansion to help you check it tomorrow!"
Zhou Peigong nodded and said: "Junmen, I appreciate your concern. However, I don't want to make this matter public." Tu Hai smiled and said: "You are such a weird person. You can't let go all day long, and you don't ask for help.
This Asuo is also very strange. Since he is in love with you and knows that you are an official here, why didn't he even send me a message?" Zhou Peigong smiled bitterly and said: "Military, don't misunderstand, it is true that Asuo is kind to me.
, I can’t say that I have an affair, and now I don’t want to see her suffer poverty.”
"You are a close friend in the world!" Tu Hai said, "Repay the kindness of a drop of water with a spring of water. This is the true nature of a man. If she doesn't come to see you, she may have something unspeakable, so I have to ask carefully." Zhou Peigong
He nodded and asked, "What's the matter with Your Majesty calling us in so late?" Tu Hai shook his head and said, "I don't know, it must be a matter of defense in the capital. I heard that Wu Yingxiong and Yang Qilong got together.
Maybe there will be a large-scale killing!"
Zhou Peigong reined in the reins, raised his face to think about it, and said with a smile: "No, if it was based on what Yang Qilong and the others did, we should have taken them long ago. He didn't move them for so long because he was afraid that they would be too closely connected with Wu Yingxiong."
Deep. If you pull it out, Wu Yingxiong committed the crime of mutilation. If we really punish him, we are afraid of giving Wu Sangui an excuse - the master's thoughts are always deeper than ordinary people! However, this is indeed a dangerous move."
While the two were talking, they unknowingly arrived outside the Meridian Gate. Geshiha, who was delivering Zhou Peigong's robe and coat, chased him on horseback in the snow and dust. At the gate of Youye, Xiong Cilu, Mingzhu and Suo'etu were already waiting.
Seeing them coming, Suo'etu complained: "Master Tu, thanks to your brother's background as a general, and because he was ordered to enter the court, he came sooner or later! If we didn't wait for you and went in directly, the Holy Master asked you,
How do you say that?" Mingzhu smiled and said: "Anyway, the emperor is still in the Qinzheng Hall and has not returned to the Yangxin Hall, so we might as well pass the signs there and wait." After saying that, the five people handed the signs in, and sure enough, Kangxi hadn't come back yet, so they
According to his rank, he knelt down and waited under the Danqi. Suo'etu smiled and whispered: "Old Tu, I was wrong to blame you. You can still stomp your feet to keep warm outside the Meridian Gate. It's good, it's freezing!" Xiong Cilu said
But he knelt down straight, turned around and glanced with his eyes, and everyone stopped talking.
"Three quilts covered with wheat, sleeping with steamed buns on your head - Huang Jing said it well!" About half way through the meal, Kangxi's voice was heard coming from outside the hanging flower door of Yangxin Hall. He was talking and laughing loudly, and seemed very happy.
Happy. Zhang Wanqiang took the lead, Huang Jing and another eunuch held Kangxi's arms on the left and right, and marched through the snow. Kangxi saw the five of them kneeling in the snow and kowtow to greet him, and he hurriedly laughed and said: "It's snowing.
Forgive it! Xiong Cilu is old, so he won’t be exempted from this gift in the future - it’s snowing well, well, it’s not snow, it’s flour, it’s white flour!”
Maybe they were infected by Kangxi's mood, or maybe they entered the palace from the snowy courtyard, and all five people felt warm. Seeing that the sky was getting dark, Kangxi called for candles repeatedly and ordered his guard Wei Dongting
, Wolf, Donkey, and Mu Zixu all went to the corridor for duty. He also ordered Xiong Cilu and other five people to sit on the chairs one after another. He pointed to a stack of documents more than two feet high on the dragon table and said with a smile: "I have ascended the throne since then.
Since then, I have never accumulated so many case files. They are all from the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Punishment, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Household Affairs. You can go through it separately. After I approve it, I will review it and have it edited by Zhou Peigong. How about we, the emperor and his ministers, sit there all night long?
If we can’t finish it, we’ll do it tomorrow night!”
Xiong Cilu laughed after hearing this and said: "It is good for the emperor to be diligent in his work, but accumulating so many case files is not a big deal. It is better to let the ministers read it first, write down the reasons, and abridge the reply, so that the master can save the trouble of reading it later.
It's too much. Master, just sleep peacefully, and I will wait until tomorrow morning to finish the work before alerting the Holy Master."
Kangxi smiled, did not answer, and took a copy for review. Zhou Peigong rolled up his sleeves, polished his ink, and prepared to revise. The four people looked at each other and hurriedly took a copy each and sat down. The palace maid holding the lamp was added in front of everyone.
There was a big candle, and behind Kangxi there were two more palace lanterns than others. The palace suddenly became quiet, and only the rustling of paper could be heard.
At about the end of the second watch, the five people each completed their approval. Xiong Cilu, Mingzhu, Suo'etu and Tuhai got up gently one after another and quietly returned the case file to its original place. Kangxi handed the approved files to Zhou Peigong and said with a smile
, "It's your turn to be busy. Let them take a nap for a while. If I have any doubts, I will ask them to discuss it together!" As he said, he took all the things approved by the ministers to his desk and looked at them carefully one by one.
The main hall fell silent again. Only Kangxi and Zhou Peigong kept looking and writing with one hand. The other four dared not to "feign sleep" and sat aside to watch Kangxi. Everyone was very moved. Kangxi's diligence had long since
I heard the eunuchs say that I felt the same on a daily basis, but I didn't expect that he would be so meticulous. Xiong Cilu couldn't help but think to himself: "Even Zulong and Emperor Taizong, the two most diligent emperors, may not have worked hard to achieve this!"
The snow is still falling slowly, covering the century-old palace layer by layer like throwing cotton wool. Nights like this are the easiest to make people reminisce about the past. Wei Dongting stood on the corridor, looking at the white sky, and suddenly remembered Wu Ciyou. It was also such a night, dark and cold, but it was autumn, with drizzle. Wei Dongting was reading the "Book of Changes" and asked for advice on the principles of the mutual generation and restraint of Qian Yao and Bagua, but Wu Ciyou refused to teach him and said with a smile. : "Although Xiong Dongyuan and I often have different opinions, we only share the same goals on this point. What you are asking about is the 'Yi' of the Shu, not the 'Yi' of the Confucianists. I think it is better not to understand it - for the sake of ministers We must establish the foundation of loyalty and filial piety, be diligent and prudent in serving the king; as a king and father, we must have the heart of the world at heart. Otherwise, when trouble occurs, he will act out his tricks, stick to his own personal honor and disgrace, avoid evil and seek good fortune, and promote and depose. Retreat, then, who cares about the country's affairs?" It would be great if Mr. Wu was present in the scene in front of the hall! Four years have passed since the incident, and Wu Ciyou's words and his voice are still fresh in my mind." The sand path wanders the ancient Yellow River, where are the fluttering stars today?" This is the poem Wu Ciyou presented to the pearl when he was leaving. The more he chews it, the harder it becomes... The Zhou Peigong in front of me, I heard that Mr. Wu also recommended him, is indeed a pillar. Talent. Although Mr. Wu is in the world, his heart is concerned with important affairs of the imperial court. Wei Dongting was thinking wildly when he suddenly heard Kangxi in the palace say:
"This case in Zhili is serious. I will forgive him, Mingzhu."
"This is Long Live Mercy." Mingzhu replied, "However, according to the case, Cui Duping entered the house with a knife at night and injured the landowner. He should have been sentenced to abandoning the market. The slave saw that there was a reason for the incident, and there was a filial daughter. The surrogate father died, so he was only sentenced to two thousand miles of exile." After thinking for a while, Kangxi said with a smile: "This landowner named Zhang is very hateful. It was originally a land that was renamed, but it was so fierce to seize the tenants! The Cui family has Such a filial daughter is really commendable. Just take it easy!" Mingzhu smiled and said: "I can only judge according to the law, but I am benevolent and can show kindness as much as I can."
Kangxi sighed after hearing this: "That's it, the next special order is to be fettered on the spot for three days. The old man is over seventy years old and the youngest is only eight years old. Punishing one person and taking two lives is certainly understandable according to the law and reasonable. It’s too much!”
After saying this, there was no sound again. After a long while, Wei Dongting heard Xiong Cilu say slowly: "They were hit by a flood, and everything was flooded in the autumn. Although the owner of this family is reasonable, he is really rich and unkind."
"Ask the Ministry of Household Affairs to provide relief." Kangxi yawned sleepily, "Can you see if you can exempt the grain tax there?"
"If you wish," this was Zhou Peigong's voice, "seven of the case files that I have copied tonight have been exempted from money and food. This is a medium-sized province. In my humble opinion, we should not be too lenient in this matter."
Kangxi didn't say anything after hearing this. He seemed to be very conflicted in his heart. He took a sip of tea and then said: "I am not just seeking fame and reputation. I wish that a few warehouses of food would fall from the sky! But seeing that the spring famine is approaching, the people must have something to satisfy their hunger. , If there is food, there will be laws, otherwise, there will be bigger troubles - the people cannot be offended!"
Because it was quiet at night, Wei Dongting and others who were on duty outside the palace could clearly hear these conversations between the monarch and his ministers. Wei Dongting couldn't help but feel warm in his heart. A strong gust of cold wind blew against his face, making him shiver, and then he wanted to go into the east chamber to get it. Several cloaks were put on the brothers, and suddenly they saw a figure flash on the roof of the west corridor, and fell to the ground with a "pop", lying motionless on the snow. Wei Dongting shouted with all the hair on his body standing on end:
"Take! The bold thief dares to enter the palace and assassinate!"
The guards were suddenly startled, and with a "swipe" sound, they all pulled out their swords. The stubborn donkey jumped into the courtyard with a single stride, preparing to fight. Lang Ling and Mu Zixu flew up the steps and sealed the door of the palace, shouting:
"Your Majesty, don't panic, there are servants waiting to escort you!" A dozen guards guarding the door of Chuihua had already sealed the door with a "bang" sound, and entered with sharp blades, guarding the Yangxin Hall tightly, staring closely at Fu
The assassin who is motionless on the ground.
The six emperors and ministers of Kangxi were having a lively discussion when they suddenly heard something happened outside the palace, and they all jumped up in shock. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, this was the first time such a thing happened in the palace. Kangxi was also frightened and doubtful, and his heart was beating wildly for a long time.
Hearing that there was no movement outside, he slowly walked out of the palace. Xiong Cilu and Suo'etu hurriedly stepped forward to dissuade him. Mingzhu, Tuhai and Zhou Peigong hurriedly took a step forward and covered themselves in front of Kangxi. They came down from the room.
The man had been lying motionless. At this time, Kangxi came out, knelt on the snow, kowtowed repeatedly, and shouted: "Long live!" As soon as the assassin raised his head, Zhou Peigong was shocked. He turned out to be an acquaintance! Kangxi had been shocked for a long time.
exhale:
"Baozhu, it's you who came to assassinate me!"
Everyone was even more stunned when they heard this, wondering how Kangxi knew this assassin. Wei Dongting was stunned, and then he recognized the warrior who was playing chess in Wu Yingxiong's mansion. The walls in the palace were high, the courtyard was deep, and the guards were like a forest.
It was snowing, and he was able to sneak here!
Baozhu looked pale, murmured for a long time, cried loudly, took out the sharp knife from his arms, the darts from his sleeves, the velvet rope, and the grappling hook, and threw them on the ground, saying: "Huangfu Baozhu is not a seven-foot man in vain.
I have no vision and I don’t know the Holy Lord. I mistakenly fell into the owl’s nest and served the thieves. I will no longer have the face to live in the world!" As he spoke, he raised his body and held the sword under his neck, "I am willing to kill myself in front of you today to warn those who come after you!"
"Slow down!" Kangxi shouted, "I still have something to say, and you will die before you hear it!" After saying that, he continued to say one sentence after another like a barrage: "If you kill yourself with a sword under the locust tree, you will be a martyr for the ages.
, But, what benefit is it to the great cause of Jin? - Xiaobai did not remember the hatred of Shegou, and died as the first of the five hegemons; Yingbu was once a minister of the enemy country, and once he returned to the emperor, he became famous throughout the ages; Liu Xiu's twenty-eight generals
There are mostly bandits, and the image of Ling Yan Yuntai will be admired by all future generations!"
Kangxi told these allusions in a clear and concise way, each sentence was shocking and every word was resounding. Even a learned man like Xiong Cilu secretly praised him: This is not like the king of Yi and Di, who spoke so sharply in a hurry!
Kangxi said again: "Although I am not as good as the ancient sages, how can I not know these principles? - Strong men, rise up! - Anyone who touches a hair of Mr. Huangfu's body will be killed!"
Baozhu was sent by Wu Yingxiong to steal the gold-medal arrows from the Qianqing Palace. He already had the silver medal given by Prince Zhu San. With this thing, he would be able to go back to Yunnan smoothly. But Wu Yingxiong never dreamed that he had been in
Baozhu, who had rescued Wu Sangui from a tiger's mouth, had greatly changed his state of mind from when he left Wuhua Mountain. Having spent time with Wu Ciyou twice in Yanzhou Prefecture, Baozhu had realized that something was wrong with him. A scholar with such a good conduct,
General was also a Han Chinese. Although he suffered a lot of torture, he was loyal to Kangxi without a second thought. Why? At first, he always explained that Wu Ciyou was the emperor's teacher*, but along the way, he visited not only scholars but also woodcutter in the mountains.
The traders all privately praised Kangxi's virtues, but their benefactor Wu Sangui was ignored like shit. Baozhu became even more confused: Did his bird stand on the wrong branch? He saw it with his own eyes at the Wu Mansion that day.
When he saw Kangxi, he was impressed by the charm of this young emperor.
He came to steal the command arrow but failed. According to Wu Yingxiong's instructions, he first went to the Qianqing Palace, but the guards there were very guarded and the candles were brightly lit inside and outside. He sneaked into the Yangxin Palace again, and he was already listening on the roof. for more than an hour.
Kangxi managed the government day and night, which even the energetic ministers in their prime found it too much. He had heard about Kangxi's diligent administration before, but when he saw it with his own eyes tonight, he realized that it was indeed true. He couldn't steal the arrows, so he I planned to go back first, but then I heard Kangxi's emperor and ministers discussing Cui Duping's case and famine relief. Kangxi was concerned about the sick and wounded people - where could the people find such an emperor again? He lay on the roof of the stone house and thought Wu Sangui got a lot. When Wu Sangui was drunk and drunk, he poured a large plate of pearls, jade, and a box full of gold and silver into the ground, and let the singers and guards fight for it. He and his concubine applauded and laughed. Compared with Kangxi, he even Not as good as a pig or a dog! Baozhu really regretted that he was a bandit, but he regarded himself as a national scholar. When he thought of this, he felt ashamed, so he had the idea of following the example of committing suicide under the locust tree - just die here silently. !
Kangxi's thundering words left Baozhu speechless. He had no choice but to sigh, abandoned his sword, knelt on the ground with his hands behind his back, and cried out: "Brother Dongting, please come over and tie up my brother!"
Wei Dongting was really filled with emotion at this time. He put away his sword and slowly stepped forward to use the rope.
"Tiger minister, get out!" Kangxi said sternly. He personally walked down the steps and took Baozhu with both hands, and walked into the palace step by step with his hand. Baozhu had already shed tears like rain, and gently broke away from Kangxi's hand, but I was sobbing and couldn't say a word.
Xiong Cilu was still a little suspicious at first, but now he was moved. He sat aside and said softly: "Mr. Huangfu, you have to think carefully about what the emperor just said. You died in front of the steps today. Of course, you sacrificed your life for righteousness, but the culprits are all the same." Now, if the root of the world's troubles has not been eradicated, just letting go of it can't be considered loyal!"
"My lord, that's what you said." Baozhu said tremblingly. He had always seemed to be in a nightmare about his actions tonight. Now he woke up and looked around in confusion. An inexplicable sadness hit his heart. He couldn't help but burst into tears. .
"Don't fall in love with Wu Sangui's kindness." Kangxi seemed to have guessed what he was thinking, and smiled and said, "His hypocrisy and hypocrisy can only win over the hearts of brave people. People with true moral integrity will never be able to win over others." The one who was deceived! He is just a walking corpse who can only use money, beauty, and small favors to win people's hearts! I was in the Wu Mansion a few days ago. As soon as I saw you, I felt sorry for you!"
To Baozhu, these words sounded sincere and sincere. They were more cordial and warm than what Kangxi had said urgently when he had just pulled out a knife to kill himself. Baozhu felt a surge of sour and sweet heat in his heart, and the ice and snow outside seemed to be absorbed by it. The hall filled with warmth melted.
"Long live my words, I have all kept them in my heart." As soon as he returned to reality, Baozhu was a little embarrassed again, and sighed, "Life is like chess, just like the game between Mr. Zhou and Wu Yingxiong, they turned over and over again before they saw each other. Truth. The emperor’s words of enlightenment today have made me think hard all my life—but what should I do now?”
Kangxi stroked his chin, looked at Deng Yan'er and said thoughtfully: "It's not good for you to stay in the capital. If I keep you by my side, it will easily arouse Wu Sangui's excuses. I might as well give you a job to avoid it. In the future, you will be on the battlefield." ——I’m not talking about the battlefield against Wu Sangui—there are still many places where you can be used!”
"Congratulations on getting another general!" Mingzhu said with a smile on her face, "But according to my opinion, Mr. Huangfu would be better off going back. With him in the mansion, he won't do any errands. There will always be one of us there.
There can also be some support.”
It's not that Kangxi didn't think about this, but he knew that Baozhu was deeply favored by the Wu family, and it was too difficult to do such a job. After hearing Mingzhu's words, he felt that it was reasonable, so he just lowered his head and pondered. Xiong Cilu then asked Wei Dongting:
"Huchen, have you made public what happened tonight?"
"No." Wei Dongting said, "The door was sealed at the beginning, and there was no action from inside..."
"I'll give it back!" Baozhu said with gritted teeth, "Baozhu has no merit, so how can he repay the Ming Lord? Seeing Wu Yingxiong's intention, there is another move. It would be better for the emperor to have someone in front of him. I heard
Many of the eunuchs are from Zhong Sanlang's Xiangtang, and some of them have connections with Wu Yingxiong. Your Majesty, you must be careful with everything you drink, eat, and do!"
This letter was what Kangxi was most concerned about, and Xiao Maozi didn't even inquire about it. Hearing Baozhu reveal this letter, Kangxi couldn't help but shudder. The more he felt that Mingzhu's words made sense, he said: "Okay, you can go back. I feel embarrassed.
Don't do anything if it's not necessary. Don't report it. If you have urgent matters, please contact Wei Dongting!" After that, he turned around and entered the west pavilion, took out a gold medal arrow from a gold lacquer box, and said with a smile, "You are not here to steal.
Does it belong to this object? You can’t go back empty-handed—take it!”
"Long live thanks!" Baozhu burst into tears when he saw Kangxi treating him so sincerely. He took the command arrow with both hands, kowtowed and stood up, bowing his head and saying, "That's it, the guilty minister is gone!" He turned around and strode out of the palace, twisted his body, and
The swallow pierced through the clouds and disappeared silently into the snow and mist. This extraordinary feat of lightening one's body made everyone stunned.
"Zhang Wanqiang!" Kangxi shouted loudly.
"The slave is here!"
"Is Huang Jing here?"
"He asked for leave."
"Be on guard! All the eunuchs present tonight have been accounted for by the palace officials. If any of them leak out, huh!"
