At the beginning of the watch, the sound of wailing came from the back hall of Qianqing Palace. Liu Jin and others, with their faces swollen and purple, were crying to Zhu Houzhao about being beaten by Zhang Yanling at Jinshui Bridge in the evening. Gu Dayong, Ma Yongcheng and others on the side Also adding fuel and jealousy to the situation.
Zhu Houzhao was sleepy. He drank wine at noon and just woke up after a nap. Liu Jin came in with a group of servants to complain, crying about the beatings by Zhang Yanling and others, which made Zhu Houzhao very irritable.
"Your Majesty, Zhang Yanling is very cruel. In front of so many people, he beats people at will and shows no mercy. After all, the slaves are also people around the Emperor. What is the difference between what he did and Xie Qian's beating before? Your Majesty. We have just promoted this slave and others to work. If he does this, how will we do anything in the future? Aren’t we becoming the laughing stock of others? Your Majesty, you have to make the decision for this slave. If this slave does not take the overall situation into consideration, give him the face of Jianchang Hou. If so, with so many people around me at that time, how could I be beaten by him?"
"Your Majesty, he even used firearms. In front of the Gate of Supreme Harmony, he actually dared to use firearms. That was in the palace. He brought firearms into the palace, which is already a violation. Not to mention that he dared to use firearms. It was simply ignored. Rules. Fortunately, the slaves restrained themselves, otherwise he would have shot the slave in the head, and the slave would have died by now."
"Also, he was obviously looking for trouble on purpose. He made an appointment with several other young gentlemen to come with him. He beat people without explanation. Ma Yongcheng's arm was almost broken, and Gu Da kicked Zhu Lin with his chin. The jaw bone was almost broken. Zhang Lun also threw a few punches. If the slaves hadn't run fast, they would have beaten them to death outside the Taihe Gate today."
Liu Jin and others were crying and complaining.
Zhu Houzhao was indeed a little angry at first. Zhang Yanling and three young masters actually committed a murder outside the Taihe Gate. This was really a bad thing. Looking at Liu Jin's swollen eyeballs, Ma Yongcheng, Gu Dayong and others also had mottled bruises on their heads and faces. He looked both funny and angry.
"Why is my uncle so bold? How can he do such inappropriate things? How can he beat the inner court and others without permission? This is too outrageous. Logically speaking, it shouldn't be like this, right? My uncle doesn't seem to be the kind of person who acts without thinking. "Zhu Houzhao frowned.
"Your Majesty, this is coquettishness. The Marquis must now think that he has done a good job in protecting him before, so he is arrogant. It's okay for the slaves to be beaten down, but if he is allowed to do this, he will be wild in the palace in the future. Before The two uncles of the Zhang family have caused rumors because of their inappropriate behavior. Look, slave, aren't they back to their old ways?" Liu Jin shouted.
Zhu Houzhao's face turned darker, and he felt even more annoyed.
Zhang Yong said softly from the side: "Your Majesty, in fact, this matter is not too serious. There is no need to make a fuss."
Liu Jin said angrily: "What? Zhang Yong, what do you mean? This is not serious? You haven't been beaten emotionally, have you? Yes, you have been watching the fire from the other side and stood aside. When Jianchang Hou beat people, you were watching the joke. What?"
Zhang Yong frowned and said: "Eunuch Liu, what you said is wrong. Why did Mr. Zhang hit me? Our family didn't provoke him. It was you who provoked him. You didn't give him face. Mr. Zhang was drunk again. He only took action after he choked twice. You can't completely blame Mr. Zhang."
Liu Jin jumped up and said: "Zhang Yong, are you eating everything?"
Zhang Yong sneered and said: "Eunuch Liu, are you crazy? Mr. Zhang is an outsider? He is a relative of the emperor. He tried his best to protect the emperor's family in Dushi City, but you treat him as an enemy? What a joke. You are saying this,
Fortunately, you can tell it."
Liu Jin regretted his mistake and said hurriedly: "I mean, how can you be biased? It was us who were beaten by the Marquis, but you said it was our fault? Is it reasonable for someone who steals something and beats someone to see someone else?"
Zhang Yongdao: "I didn't say that Mr. Zhang was justified in beating people, but it's not as serious as what you said. It's like relying on pampering to be spoiled. It's not like you didn't notice that Mr. Zhang drank too much. He didn't come to invite you.
Just give me some face, it doesn't matter if I leave one
You want to criticize someone who is important to you. He is drunk, and he is young and energetic. If he disagrees with you, why don't you just take action? Mr. Zhang is one of your own, why do you make this matter so big?
Is it something that worries the emperor?"
Zhu Houzhao frowned and said: "Zhang Yong, what's going on? From what you mean, it seems that the Marquis of Jianchang is not for nothing?"
Zhang Yongdao: "Your Majesty, this is what happened. Today, Eunuch Liu read out the list of traitors at Jinshui Bridge and asked the officials in the outer court to acquit themselves..."
"List of traitors? What list of traitors?" Zhu Houzhao frowned.
Liu Jin hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, you don't remember. I gave it to you at noon. This is the list of punishments drawn up by the slave. Those who followed Liu Jian, Xie Qian and others in the outer court stormed the palace and tried to coerce them.
The emperor's officials are the accomplices of Liu Jian, Xie Qian and others. The emperor agreed to this slave."
Zhu Houzhao raised his head and thought for a while and said, "It seems that I have some impression. Do I agree?"
Liu Jin breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Of course the emperor agreed, otherwise I wouldn't have the courage to do this."
Zhu Houzhao nodded and said to Zhang Yong: "Continue."
Zhang Yongdao: "When Mr. Liu was reading out the list of traitors, Mr. Zhang heard the news from someone and came over. Mr. Zhang drank wine and staggered as he walked, as if he had drunk a lot. Zhang Hou
I came to ask Eunuch Liu to let go of an official who was on the list. Eunuch Liu felt it was inappropriate and did not agree. The two of them had a few words.
They had a falling out, and as a result, Mr. Zhang took action. Eunuch Liu asked Eunuch Gu and Shi Wenyi to come up to help. Seeing the large number of people, Mr. Zhang used firearms. In fact, it was just a small thing. Gu
If my father-in-law and the others had not taken action at that time, and if my father-in-law Liu had not called for help, this matter would not have reached this stage. Alas!"
Liu Jin was extremely angry, looked at Zhang Yong and nodded: "Okay, Zhang Yong, you mean it's still my fault, right? You can't fight back after being beaten, right? Let Zhang Yanling let him go if he wants our family to let him go, right? Your Majesty,
He can take away the traitors designated by the emperor as he pleases?"
Zhang Yongdao: "That's not what I meant. Eunuch Liu is very good at putting people's hats on others."
"You..." Liu Jin was about to retort loudly. Zhu Houzhao shouted: "Stop arguing. What are you arguing about? Who is the Marquis of Jianchang going to save? Who is he willing to fight Liu Jin for an outer court official? Who is that?"
Liu Jin said: "He is a small official. A doctor from the Yu Heng Qing Li Department of the Ministry of Industry is named Xu Gao. What relationship does that man have with the Marquis of Jianchang? He said he was his friend. The slave felt that the Marquis was deliberately looking for trouble.
"
Zhu Houzhao frowned and muttered: "Xu Gao, Xu Gao...is that Ministry of Industry official who is proficient in smelting institutions?"
"That's him." Liu Jin said.
Zhu Houzhao suddenly burst out laughing. Everyone was confused and didn't know why the emperor was laughing.
"It turns out to be Xu Gao, hahaha, oh, Liu Jin, Liu Jin, you probably don't know the relationship between this Xu Gao and the Marquis of Jianchang. Xu Gao has a daughter in his family, and she is a woman that the Marquis of Jianchang likes.
Beat people
The Marquis of Jianchang wants to marry her as his concubine. How can he not save Xu Gao? That’s why he came to you to let him go. The father of the woman he likes has been taken away by you, how can he not come to trouble you? Haha
Haha, interesting, interesting.”
Liu Jin said in astonishment: "How did the emperor know about this?"
"Jianchang Marquis told me personally. When we were in Dushi City, I asked Jianchang Marquis how the firearms were made to be so exquisite. He told me this. Didn't you hear? He dedicated it to me.
The double-barreled firearm was made for him by that woman, and he gave it to me. I remember you were there. The woman who made the firearm is Xu Gao's daughter." Zhu Houzhao said with a smile.
Liu Jin also remembered that Zhang Yanling had indeed said this. It turned out that he and Xu Gao still had this relationship.
"Your Majesty, even so, he can't beat a woman just to please her, right?" Liu Jin muttered.
Zhu Houzhao said in a deep voice: "Liu Jin, that is not just a woman, that is a woman who can make firearms. The Marquis of Jianchang told me that he wanted to further improve the firearms and reduce the manufacturing cost of the firearms. In this way
Then it can be presented to the imperial court for large-scale manufacturing of this equipment. I think his idea is very good, and I agree with him and allow him to continue manufacturing research firearms. If you arrest Xu Gao, wouldn't it be a big deal? Can he not make trouble?
What?"
Liu Jin was stunned and speechless. He didn't know about this. He originally wanted to make a fuss about Zhang Yanling's private manufacture of firearms, but he didn't expect that Zhang Yanling had already obtained the emperor's permission. Liu Jin suspected that Zhang Yanling was telling lies, but he also
Don't talk nonsense rashly. If it were for such a reason, both Yu Gong and Zhang Yanling would go to save Xu Gao. He obviously got into trouble and made him anxious.
"By the way, Xu Gao participated in the impeachment? Isn't that man an honest man?" Zhu Houzhao asked.
Liu Jindao: "He signed the joint impeachment document."
Zhu Houzhao said: "Are you just signing autographs? Are you making a fuss? Are you jumping high?"
Zhang Yongdao: "Your Majesty, this Xu Gao has never participated in this matter from beginning to end. He just signed his name."
Zhu Houzhao frowned and glared at Liu Jin and said: "Don't you mean that the people on the list of traitors are all people who have made trouble and need to be severely punished? Xu Gao didn't participate, so why is his name included? The outer court participated in the impeachment signatures.
There are one or two hundred officials, and there are more than a hundred people present, how come you got an irrelevant person on the list?"
Liu Jin was startled and didn't know how to answer for a moment. The list of traitors he listed was nothing more than two principles. One was the main figures involved and those who danced happily. These people will naturally be severely punished. The rest
In fact, those officials are not important, but some officials have used various channels to plead with him and give him bribes. These people are naturally excluded. The remaining ones are naturally the best candidates on the list to punish and establish authority.
Xu Gao was the kind of official who signed a joint letter even though he was not involved in the matter. However, he had no reaction at all afterward, nor did he accept the request and send gifts. Naturally, he was included in the list.
"You deserve to die, this slave. It seems that there was a mistake. Xu Gao must not be on the list. Eunuch Ma, you copied the list, how come you didn't notice this fallacy?" Liu Jin said hurriedly.
Ma Yongcheng cursed in his heart, but he could only follow Liu Jin's words and said: "I deserve to die. It's my fault. I'm afraid I got the wrong person. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
Zhu Houzhao rolled his eyes and said in a deep voice: "That's all, I have to be more careful when doing things in the future. How can it be done with such carelessness?"
"The servants know, thank you, Your Majesty." Liu Jin and others said hurriedly.
Zhu Houzhao waved his hand and said: "The matter has been clarified. No matter what, it is wrong for them to beat people in Jianchang. Let's do this. I will ask them to apologize to you and give you some compensation later. Let this matter be over.
Yes. You are all trusted people around me, so don’t get grudged over this. You have suffered a loss, and I know it. I will remember it."
Liu Jin was helpless, knowing that this matter would never go on, so he simply became a bachelor. He kowtowed and said: "The emperor can be so considerate to the slaves, and the slaves will be satisfied. There is no need to compensate. As long as they apologize, this matter will be over."
It’s over. Are slaves so stingy?”
Zhu Houzhao stood up and said with a smile: "I'm very happy that you guys understand the general situation. Let's go, I'm hungry and I'm going to have a meal. I'll give you a banquet today, which is a relief."