Da Wei Chun

Chapter 311 Everyone is happy
That night, the emperor issued a decree: Nine temples and five supervisors, six provinces and three platforms, 36 Cao and other radicals, deputy, and those of the fifth grade or above, regardless of official status, scattered officials, and comparison officials, must go to the court at Sishi the next day.Those who do not go to court without reason will be demoted, demoted, dismissed from office...

The decree was issued too suddenly, and the scope of the decree was too wide. The Menxia Province, which recorded the affairs of the ministers, and the Zhongshu Province, who was in charge of the king's order, were not usually in a hurry.

The two old men are not only the left and right servants of Menxia Province, Liu Fang is also the supervisor of Zhongshu, and Cui Guang is also the secretary of Zhongshu.They had to crawl out of bed and lead a group of Zhongshu doctors and Zhongshu teaching assistants to draft the edict overnight.

Cui Guang stared at all the doctors, officials, officials, etc., and asked suspiciously: "But where did the war start and the urgent report came?"

Everyone responded: "No!"

Liu Fang pondered for a while, then sighed sadly: "Then it can only be a matter of money shortage..."

……

The wind rises from the moon hidden in the mountains, the stars are clear and the dew is dripping!
A drizzle quenched the heat.The breeze is slightly swaying, the mountains and forests are like waves, and there is a slight fragrance of green grass.

The rain washed away the silt and dirt on the stele, and the water vapor on the stele turned into dew, reflecting the light of the stars.If there is a will-o'-the-wisp, you can still see the words engraved on it.

The forest of steles is dense, the cicadas chirping and the crickets beeping, accompanied by the flashing phosphorous fire from time to time, which is extraordinarily terrifying and strange.

It seems that there is a ghost walking at night, and there is a strange sound in the grave forest: "Baji, Baji... Tululululu..."

Immediately after hearing another "snap", Li Chengzhi slapped the horse's neck, and reprimanded in a low voice: "What is the name of the ghost, the dead will be scared to death by you..."

Baji sound is the sound of a horse's hooves stepping into muddy water, and snorting is the sound of a horse snorting.

It's just a cemetery, Li Chengzhi is not afraid, he is worried about alarming people.

After digging such a big hole, it is impossible for the emperor to understand his hint for a while, and he may have sent someone to look for him when he was suspicious.

Are you kidding me, I am not Gao Zhao, with such a strong head, dare to take any blame for the emperor?Of course, you can hide if you can.

When you get closer, you can already see the light from the lanterns on the attic of the central courtyard. If you listen carefully, you can also hear the sound of ceramic bricks colliding and shattering, and craftsmen shouting and scolding their apprentices.

The craftsmen have not stopped working, and it seems that everything is as usual...

I think it should be like this: it is already midnight, the gate of the palace has already been locked, even if the emperor sent someone, he would have gone back early at this time.

Yuan Ke is not stupid. After thinking about it for another night, he should react...

Li Chengzhi was secretly happy, and took the rein to urge the horse a little. The sound of "crack and clap" suddenly became louder...

As he got closer and closer, he was less than five feet away from the gate of the house, and Li Chengzhi became suspicious.

No matter how hard the guards on the night watch in the attic are, they should be able to hear the noise, but why didn't they see anyone shouting and asking, and secondly, no one opened the door for him?
fraudulent...

As soon as his scalp numb, he took the reins of the horse, ready to hit the horse and run away.But the horse's head hadn't turned around yet, when a "bang" sound was suddenly heard.

As if someone had smashed it open, the two middle doors were suddenly pulled open, and there were only shadows behind the doors, and there seemed to be many people hiding behind them.Suddenly, a light flared up and was held in the hand.

Take a closer look, who else is not Gao Zhan?
Gao Zhan's face was black and blue, and his eyes seemed to be angry: "Li Chengzhi, do you know that grandpa almost turned West Market upside down..."

Did you really go to the West Market to look for it?

"Ah ha ha……"

Li Chengzhi said in embarrassment, "The West Market is too noisy, so I went to the Chengnan Guild Hall to sit down..."

Chengnan Guild Hall... a brothel by the Luoshui River?

Gao Zhan's eyes protruded straight out: "How dare you call a prostitute? Are you afraid that your father and eldest sister (Gao Ying) will find out and break your legs?"

Brainless?If you really want to call a prostitute, how can you come back so late?

Li Chengzhi glared at him: "I just tried Fengyuelou's mutton soup cake (rice noodles)..."

"It's quite carefree?" Gao Zhan sneered, pointing at Li Chengzhi, "Grandpa, come in..."

……

Gao Zhan seemed to be full of anger, but Li Chengzhi was not at all afraid, and brewed tea in a leisurely manner.

After handing over a cup, Gao Zhan spit it out with a "poof" as soon as he took it in.

"What did you give me to drink, soup?"

It's like a cow chewing animal husbandry pills, cooking a crane and burning a zither!
"This is tea, clear tea!"

Li Chengzhi took a sip, and asked again: "What did your Majesty say?"

As soon as he heard this, he became angry, and Gao Zhan said angrily: "Next time you ask me to do such a thing, can you explain clearly first?"

"How to explain clearly?" Li Chengzhi asked quietly, "Can you withstand the anger of hundreds of courtiers?"

Gao Zhan was taken aback.

When he left the palace, he went to see the empress again, and the elder sister also said the same thing: Don't be afraid that you are stupid, the more stupid the better, naturally you won't realize anything.Offer your ice properly, and your majesty will figure it out.

I'm not afraid that you're smart, if you're really smart, you'll know that this matter has a lot to do with it, and you, Gao Zhan, can't handle this matter even if you put together ten of them, so you'll definitely pretend you don't know.

I'm afraid that if you are half stupid or not, half understanding, you will run to find your uncle when you are anxious.What should uncle do then?

If it is reported to the emperor, my uncle will naturally become the person who offers advice, and [-]% of this job will still fall on him, which is equivalent to offending all officials again and again.But if you don't report it, you will be suspected of deceiving the king...

Just like a deflated ball, Gao Zhan sighed dejectedly, and asked in surprise and suspicion: "This is your first time as an official, how do you know so many twists and turns?"

Li Chengzhi was laughed angrily: "Is there a saying that this official will be a second time?"

With a sneer, he sighed again: "Anyway, don't worry, I won't hurt anyone if I hurt you..."

That's right, if he really wants to get married with the third sister, he is a cousin brother-in-law, so how could he harm his uncle?

Gao Zhan let out a sharp breath: "Your Majesty has issued an order to call the ministers for a meeting tomorrow: one is to order the ministers to reduce the number of ice awarded by the palace and officials, and the other is to set up a separate ice department. At that time, the envoy will at least It is also a fifth grade..."

Li Chengzhi was not happy but surprised: "I won't do it, if you want to do it, you will do it!"

"You have only been elected for a few days, you are beautiful?" Gao Zhan glared at him, "Your Majesty has a secret plan, and he will ask all the ministers to recommend talents, and only those who are talented... who has the ability to exchange ice for gold, copper, and five baht , who does this official belong to... nothing unexpected, I should be the envoy in the end..."

Li Chengzhi was ecstatic, and almost shouted "Your Majesty is wise!"

It’s really good to hear the string song, the emperor has clearly guessed his deepest intention: I can give you ideas, and I can help you with things, but I will never take the blame...

Although the battle was huge, and there were decrees and court discussions, the emperor's intention was only to stop the mouths of the officials.The ministers only thought that the emperor was born of poverty and madness, but they could not have imagined that someone behind the scenes gave the emperor a bad idea.

And of course there is no one who can really exchange ice for copper coins.Baiguan will only think that this is hard work, and it's hell to be able to recommend or recommend yourself.

At that time, the emperor will arrange for Gao Zhan, and no one can complain.At that time, when the smoothie is recreated, everyone will only think that Gao was forced to come up with a solution, and they can't even think of Li Chengzhi's head...

The emperor made a lot of money, Li Chengzhi made a small amount of money, Gao Zhan got an official... Everyone was happy.

After being happy for a while, Li Chengzhi exhorted again: "Take it easy, don't miss the trick in advance..."

Gao Zhan gritted his teeth fiercely: "Don't worry, I won't even leak information about my father..."

……

The next day at Sishizheng (ten o'clock in the morning), Taiji West Hall.

Youda's palace was packed to the brim, and there were three to four hundred people as far as the eye could see.

The more people there were, the hotter it was. The emperor ordered the chief of the palace to withdraw the ice prison early in the morning, and a group of courtiers were sweating profusely, cursing their mothers in their hearts.

Liu Teng, an internal affairs officer, has just read the imperial decree: From now on, the number of ice awards in the palace and officials will be reduced... and another ice department will be set up, and Xia Bing will be sold...

Isn't the emperor clearly trying to force the courtiers to pay for ice?
Which bastard gave the emperor the idea of ​​having a son without an asshole, or was it a trick that the emperor gave birth to when he was poor and crazy?
It's not that no one doubted Gao Zhao, but when he looked again: Gao Zhao stared at the emperor with bulging eyes, as if he had seen a ghost.

He was really surprised: I just told His Majesty about Li Chengzhi's making and selling ice yesterday, but today it happened, isn't it a sign that His Majesty wants to steal this business?

But the problem is, if you don't know how Li Chengzhi plans to sell it, you can grab it. If the ice in the palace can't be sold by then, wouldn't you laugh at the big teeth of all the officials?
Most of the courtiers knew that Gao Zhao was not so stupid, and they were [-]% sure that this was another act of masochism on the whim of His Majesty.The courtiers were more like fish in the pond and suffered disaster.

Objection is sure that no one dares to object, at most it is to complain secretly in the heart.

Without it, it is only because the awarding of ice is a reward, and it is an act of the emperor's sympathy for his subordinates. Whether it is a gift or a subtraction, it is all a word from the emperor.

Besides, the emperor set an example, and no matter how much the courtiers complained, they could only shut up obediently.

Many courtiers also became worried: the money shortage is over and over again, His Majesty is already in a mess, and if there is no turning point, he is afraid that he will make a cruel move.

This time the reduction is only ice, and there is no guarantee that the salaries of hundreds of officials will not be reduced next time.But the problem is that His Majesty is not only cruel to his courtiers, but also hates himself even more.Even if the courtiers have complaints in their hearts, they can't speak them out.

Look at what Yuan Ke has done:
In the autumn of last year, the money shortage had already begun to emerge, and the emperor thought it was because the treasury was not profitable.Shi ordered the ministries to save and save, and ordered the palace to reduce expenses.

After learning that it was due to lack of money, Yuan Ke came up with another trick: first, all provinces stopped paying salaries to hundreds of officials and replaced them with silk.Later, it was ordered that the various divisions and palaces should not use copper or money for outsourcing, and instead use silk and millet.

Good guy, the decree backfired as soon as it came out. Before it could be implemented, prices in the capital skyrocketed.However, the price of silk and food plummeted. In just one day, the price of silk fell by more than [-]%.

Yuan Ke had no choice but to withdraw the edict.Then began his path of self-abuse.

Reduce the expenses in the palace again: those who plant flowers, grow grass, repair gardens and raise horses, cooks, musicians, dancers... At least half of them will be sent out of the palace.

All the four dishes and one soup were halved, and the three meat and one vegetarian dishes became one meat and one vegetarian.In addition, it also ordered the inner palace to be self-sufficient: Huangmen, eunuchs, etc. were all driven to farm in their spare time.The royal garden does not grow flowers, but instead grows vegetables... This is why the Guangfeng Garden in the north of the imperial city is full of vegetables.

Take the Yellow Office (Emperor Shang's ride) and don't just drive and raise horses, but also raise sheep and pigs for me...

The concubines and palace maids are not idle either, they have to raise silkworms and weave silk...and it is Gao Ying who takes the lead.

At this stage, the emperor was still masochistic, and after the new year, he began to tease courtiers.

What about reducing banquets and cutting food? After the ban on slaughter in the palace was ordered three days ago, all officials had to graze with the emperor when they gave banquets every day.

And let Gao Zhao blatantly accept bribes on his behalf, accepting the money but not doing anything, that's called Sao...

Withdrawing the ice mirror suddenly, the emperor couldn't bear it.Knowing that too much is too late, even acting has a limit, so I simply let it go.

"It would be best if someone loves you to recommend yourself for this job. If you have a worthy choice in mind, please report it as soon as possible... I also ask you to encourage me. It will be discussed in the third court at the latest. This matter must be discussed in a charter. Today Just go here..."

All the ministers, like Meng Dahe, respectfully sent Yuan Ke off.

Gao Zhao thought that it would be as usual, and the emperor would call him alone to discuss.But Yuan Ke acted as if he didn't see it, and he didn't even glance at him when he left.

Gao Zhao froze on the spot as if frozen: It's so weird, what's wrong?

Many important officials from the left and right squads saw this scene, and they immediately understood: It seems that Gao Shouwen really didn't know.

The ministers were even more worried: even Gao Zhao didn't listen to the news, it can be seen that His Majesty's mind is becoming more and more difficult to guess...

Gao Zhao was full of preoccupations, racking his brains to think about the joints, but he didn't know that he was the last one to leave the palace.As soon as he stepped out of the palace gate, he heard someone calling him, Gao Zhao looked up, and there were several important ministers gathered under the shade of a tree not far outside the palace:
Sizhou Mu, Yingchuan Wang Yuanyong.

Duzhi Shangshu, Jiangyang Wang Yuanji.

Zongzheng Siqing and Shangshu Zuopu shot Yuanqin.

There are also Zhongshu Jian, Taichang Temple Minister Liu Fang, Zhongshu Ling, Guozi Jijiu Cui Guang, and Xuanbu Shangshu Cui Liang.

In addition, as Sikong and Taiwei, his clan, relatives, and civil and military officials gathered here.

Cui Guangsu has always been on good terms with him, and usually calls him only words: "Even the first text has not noticed that His Majesty has revealed anything?"

Gao Zhao smiled wryly: "If I had noticed it, I wouldn't be so surprised..."

"Hey..." Liu Fang let out a long sigh, "Your Majesty's actions are out of order. This is not the way of a king. As a subject, we should advise and advise you...you can go with me..."

Upon hearing this, the hairs of those surnamed Yuan were about to stand on end: You old man wants to die, don't hold us back?

You have been the emperor's teacher, and you are deeply trusted, so you have the confidence.Don't try to persuade us, but if you dare to show the slightest bit of dissatisfaction, believe it or not, His Majesty will let us peel off the skin?
Yuan Ji forcefully forced out a smile: "I forgot that there are still important tasks in the office, so I'll take a step ahead..."

Yuan Qin echoed: "Yes yes yes, go together, go together..."

Yuan Yong originally wanted to flatter the emperor and show his loyalty, and wanted to tell Yuan Ke: If His Majesty sells ice, he promises to be the first to buy it.

At this time, when he heard that Liu Fang was going to force the palace, Yuan Yong was so frightened that his heart trembled: "I won't go alone, everyone, feel free..."

He left as soon as he said that, faster than Yuan Ji and Yuan Qin.

After walking a few steps, Yuan Yong remembered that he forgot to set Gao Zhao's words: Does Li Chengzhi have any relationship with Gao, otherwise why does Gao Zhan hang out with him every day?
Forget it, let's talk about it after tidying up... A house in Yijing is Gao Zhao's own son, and grandpa must say so...

No one expected that Gao Zhao, who always looked up to the emperor and was supposed to be the first to be scared away, was uncharacteristically staying today?
Gao Zhao pondered for a while, nodded his head and said, "Alright, just ask His Majesty if there is a regulation for selling ice..."

There are not only tens of thousands of square meters of ice in the palace and Guanglu Temple, but also hundreds of court officials above the fifth rank, and few of them are willing to spend money on ice to cool off the heat.Who is the emperor going to sell to?

In the end, if it can't be sold, His Majesty can only take it back. Wouldn't it be another joke then?
Still want to persuade...

Liu Fang was a little confused.

He is so full that he would persuade the emperor like this, is His Majesty shameless?To persuade is to whisper in private...

He originally wanted to scare Gao Zhao away so that he could ask Li Chengzhi for an official, but today Gao Shouwen suddenly became so stubborn?

Cui Guang gave him winks, meaning don't worry.

It is not necessarily without reason.

Li Chengzhi said wildly: Both of them are going to marry, but Gao Shouwen can be indifferent, as if he didn't know?
It can be seen that there must be some thoughts...

(End of this chapter)