Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 106

Back in the capital, the emperor listened to the government at Qianqingmen the first day, and said: "One is Mingzhu, the other is Suo'etu. The two have been fighting back and forth for decades. What they did, I am not I don’t know, and I’m not protecting them. I want them to repent. But they just ignored my words! Suo’etu is especially hateful, he deserves to be killed! I think he is a meritorious person, and I also had military exploits when I was young. Let him be spared One death. There are still a thousand people who colluded with them and did a lot of shameless things. All ministers and workers should be warned!"

The ministers lowered their heads, fearing that their names would be called by the emperor.The emperor glanced at the ministers, and said again: "I am deeply gratified that most of you are loyal, dedicated to your duties, and serve as officials cleanly. Today I will specifically talk about Chen Tingjing. I became the throne at the age of eight, and at that time Chen Tingjing was only 24 years old, and he was in full bloom. Mao is very talented. Since then, Chen Tingjing has been serving me to study with Master Wei. In 48 years, I am already fifty-six, and Chen Tingjing is also an old man in his seventies. I have seen his blue hair with my own eyes. Look at it turning white one by one. It has been 48 years, and now I look back and find no fault of Chen Tingjing! My evaluation of Chen Tingjing is eight words: generous and mature, almost perfect!"

Chen Tingjing hurriedly knelt down to thank him, and said: "I thank the emperor for his mercy! People are not sages, so who can do nothing? I have been serving the emperor for 48 years, and there must be many disqualifications and mistakes. It is just that the emperor is benevolent and cannot bear punishment."

The emperor smiled and said: "Old Xiangguo, you don't have to be humble!"

Chen Tingjing lowered his head and said: "I have heard from the emperor himself that there is no position of chancellor in the country!"

The emperor smiled and said: "I said you are the prime minister, and you are the prime minister!"

There were still many people who were condemned by the emperor today, but they did not hear the names of Gao Shiqi and Xu Qianxue.It turned out that the emperor had cared about the emperor and his ministers for decades, and couldn't bear to pursue their crimes.Afterwards, the emperor rewarded Gao Shiqi with some calligraphy and paintings that he had collected for many years, and sent someone to send them to Hangzhou.What is the profound meaning of the emperor's move is hard for outsiders to understand.Xu Qianxue was depressed at home, but one day he suddenly received a golden plaque from the emperor, which turned out to be the four big characters in the royal script: blaze ten thousand zhang.Xu Qianxue kept these four words and set up a lecture hall in his hometown. He looked like he was bathed in the emperor's favor, but he couldn't tell the pain in his heart.Scholars all over the world are seeing more and more that the emperor treats veterans kindly, which is really like a sage.

When Chen Tingjing returned home, he was very excited and said: "The emperor gave me eight words today in front of all civil and military officials: lenient and mature, almost perfect."

Yueyuan was delighted, and asked: "The emperor said it himself?"

Chen Tingjing laughed loudly, and said: "Yueyuan really lived and went back, the emperor didn't say it himself, how dare I correct it?" He laughed again.

Zhen'er said: "Master is a perfect person. Zhen'er has been with you for so many years, and I really can't find your fault!"

Chen Tingjing said again: "The emperor still calls me Lao Xiangguo!"

It's really strange for Yueyuan to see the master's appearance today.In the past, the master always said that we should not be surprised by favor or humiliation, what happened today?When Mingzhu gained power back then, the Manchu dynasty was vying for Xiangguo, but it didn't take long for Xiangguo to fall.Yueyuan was full of worries, but Chen Tingjing was filled with emotion, and said: "Eliminate the treacherous villain, the monarch and his ministers will live in harmony, and everyone will be united, which will lead to eternal peace! It's a pity that I'm getting old, if only I could be ten years younger. "

Having already fallen asleep at night, Yueyuan still kept persuading her: "Ting Jing, you are really old. Life is rare in seventy years, so I can't be brave anymore."

Chen Tingjing laughed and said, "Where am I getting old? I won't be sitting in a sedan chair, I'll still be riding a horse."

Yueyuan said: "I think you are still healthy, let's go back to your hometown in Shanxi, and let you live a few years of leisure. There are still strong servants in the court, so it can't be said that my family is unfaithful."

Chen Tingjing said: "Yueyuan, I don't like to hear your words. How can I slap my ass and leave because the emperor entrusted me with state affairs?"

One day, when Chen Tingjing went to the yamen, Yueyuan and Zhen'er talked about the master at home.Yueyuan said: "Sister Zhen'er, do you think Ting Jing is a little confused?"

Zhen'er said: "Sister, why are you always picking on the master these days? Why is the master so confused?"

Yueyuan shook her head and said, "Sister Zhen'er, you are also confused! Ting Jing can't continue to be an official."

Zhen'er asked: "Why? The emperor trusts him, the court needs him, why didn't he become an official?"

Yueyuan said: "I've watched it for so many years, and I know that as long as a minister is called Xiangguo, disaster will be imminent. Mingzhu is like this, and Suo'etu is also like this."

Zhen'er said: "But our master is different from them, Mingzhu and Suo'etu are both bad people!"

Yueyuan knew that there were some truths that Zhen'er didn't understand, so she said, "Sister Zhen'er, you only listen to what my sister says, and persuade Ting Jing, now he is becoming less and less able to listen to my words."

Chen Tingjing reads the excerpts in the south study every day, and the emperor often comes here when he is in court.There is an old Mu tree under the wall and window on the south side of the South Study Room. Chen Tingjing occasionally has leisure time after he is busy with work. He likes to sit here and burn incense and play the piano, or drink tea.The emperor admired Chen Tingjing's piano skills very much, and he liked to listen to him play a few pieces when he was free.Although the emperor is also a master of the six arts, the emperor once heard the sound of Chen Tingjing's piano in the Qianqing Palace.

The emperor couldn't help but came out, and waved his hands all the way to tell Chen Tingjing not to stop.The emperor walked over slowly, and after Chen Tingjing finished playing, he asked: "Old Xiangguo, what piece are you playing?"

Chen Tingjing said: "Back to the emperor, this song is called "Oulu Wangji". The emperor knows about the citation of "Liezi". It is about a fisherman who goes to the seaside to fish every day, and plays with seagulls. One day the fisherman's wife said, "Since the seagulls are so fun, you can only catch them and play with me. The fisherman agreed to his wife. The next day, the fisherman went to the beach again, and the seagulls flew away when they saw him. It turns out that the seagulls have seen through the fisherman's plan."

The emperor nodded for a long time, and said: "Ting Jing, what you said made me understand a truth. This is true for humans and birds, and even more so for humans and humans. If you trust each other and don't play tricks, everything is natural and peaceful, and the world is peaceful."

Chen Tingjing smiled and said: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, it is a time of peace and prosperity, and the monarch and his ministers are in harmony. Don't be scheming."

The emperor was very happy, and said: "Old Xiangguo, it is rare for you to have a leisure time. I am very happy to see you playing the piano window, with a young face and a young face, like a fairy. Just call it "Chu Chuang Tu".

Chen Tingjing quickly thanked him, saying that the old minister couldn't accept it.Zhang Shande, who was next to him, was even happier than Chen Tingjing himself when he heard this, and immediately ordered the eunuchs below to go to the Ruyi Pavilion to deliver the decree.Chen Tingjing was busy with his desk and documents for several days, then sat under the mulberry tree and asked the painter to paint for him.After the painting is completed, it is first presented to the emperor for viewing.The emperor was very satisfied, and wrote a poem on it: "The horizontal scripture calls the grass, and records the wings of the feathers. The etiquette and righteousness are passed on to the family, and the purple hair is given in a fresh way. Fang Yao has a rhyme, Li Du and a poet. How is it like Shengping Prime Minister , Kaihuai Palace brocade robe."

Chen Tingjing was very grateful, so he naturally wrote poems to thank him.But after all, the state affairs are heavy and there is little time for Chen Tingjing to devote himself to writing all day long.One day, he looked at the zhezi, frowned, and said: "Your Majesty, I think that when the ministers and governors of the court submit the zhezi, they should be asked to omit the useless text and speak frankly. If you don't move around, it's just that Kunlun is majestic. The Yangtze River is surging."

The emperor smiled and said: "Old Xiangguo, scholars like to write articles that are more beautiful, so let them do it. I naturally know whether I like to listen to it or not."

Chen Tingjing said: "But I feel that flattery is commonplace every day, which is really wrong."

The emperor smiled and said: "It's okay, I understand it in my heart."

Chen Tingjing thought that the emperor's ears would gradually become soft, as the emperor would not listen to flattery in the past.I also thought that the emperor might know how to control people better?Knowing that the words to be said next are some beautiful words, let them say them.To highlight the peaceful atmosphere, nice words are naturally indispensable.

Chen Tingjing was burying his head in writing the draft, when the emperor handed over a booklet and said, "Old Xiangguo, take a look at this."

Chen Tingjing took the notebook with both hands, saw that it was a secret memorial, and hurriedly said: "How can the minister of the secret memorial read it?"

The emperor said: "I thought it was a secret performance that you can see, so you can read it first, and then send it to me."

Chen Tingjing knelt down to thank him, and said: "The emperor favors and trusts the old minister so much, the minister is terrified!"

The emperor quickly helped Chen Tingjing up with his own hands, and said: "There are at least hundreds of ministers who have served me for many years, and most of them will inevitably go up and down. , I have suffered some small grievances, and I will always be upright. I believe in you!"

When the emperor said this, there were still several ministers in the south study, and they regarded Chen Tingjing as the chief assistant and respected him very much.Chen Tingjing thanked him again, and looked down at the secret performance again, only to find that it was written by Dao Canren.After reading the secret memorial, he said: "Your Majesty, the above-mentioned Zhezi ginseng people, especially the secret memorial, should be well-founded. Rumors and rumors are afraid of unjust imprisonment!"

The emperor had a pleasant face and said: "Old Xiangguo, don't you remember things? You probably forgot that rumors and rumors are exactly what I advocated back then. The ministers were not allowed to hear rumors, so they blocked their mouths. I became blind and deaf!"

Chen Tingjing said again: "But I'm afraid that someone will use the rumors as an excuse to fabricate crimes and attack dissidents."

The emperor shook his head and said, "I make my own decision, and I won't listen or believe."

After Chen Tingjing finished reading the secret play in his hand, the emperor handed him another one and said, "Old Xiangguo, please read this one first."

Chen Tingjing knew that it was not a good thing to read the secret music, but he dared not not to read it even when the emperor issued an order.He opened the secret memorial and saw that it was written by Liu Xiangnian.It turned out that not long after Liu Xiangnian returned to Beijing, he was specially briefed by the emperor as the inspector of Jiangsu.After all, the emperor valued Liu Xiangnian's loyalty, but only told him to change his temper.

Chen Tingjing saw that Liu Xiangnian wrote in the secret memorial: "There are a lot of floating expenses for the minister's visit to the Huaihe River and Huaihe River, and the names are listed below. First, the courtyard fee, the old rules of the salt office yamen include birthday gifts, lantern festivals, ghostwriting, post office, family members, etc. , a total of 100 taels. 500. The provincial fee is a total of 600 taels for the governors and governors of Jiangsu, and a total of 500 taels. [-]. Miscellaneous expenses are used for communication between the Huaihe River and the Huaihe River. In addition to the two types of Bie Jing and past scholars, there are still [-] taels. The above four items are all distributed to the merchants, and the official money and grains of the imperial court are often not completed. , the above-mentioned floating fees first went into private pockets. The minister thought that the floating fees should be abolished and the administration of officials should be cleaned up."

Chen Tingjing finished reading the secret memorial and said: "Your Majesty, Liu Xiangnian is really the right person to use as an inspector." After finishing speaking, he presented the secret memorial to the emperor.

Unexpectedly, the emperor saw it, shook his head and sighed: "Liu Xiangnian will not be able to act like this for a long time."

Chen Tingjing said: "Xiangnian is indeed too upright, but if he is not vigilant in what he plays, the wind of greed for ink will not be stopped."

The emperor stopped talking, raised his ink pen and commented: "Understood. There are four floating fees listed, and the second one cannot be removed. There is not much money. Why bother to offend the governor for this, instead of accumulating harm! The key to governing the place is to be quiet, and you don't have to be in trouble. Things are messy. I tell you to change your temper, and you must remember it. Be careful, be careful, be careful, be careful!"

The secret note still had to be returned to Liu Xiangnian, and the emperor issued four warnings, which made Chen Tingjing terrified.He secretly confessed to himself that he would try his best to watch the secret performance as little as possible in the future.

Chen Tingjing's house did not hear the sound of the piano for a long time.He always stayed at his desk until late at night, either writing notebooks or proofreading manuscripts.At this moment, the emperor put the job of the president of "Kangxi Dictionary" on his shoulders.Originally Zhang Yushu was the president and Chen Tingjing was the vice president.But Zhang Yushu passed away not long ago, and all the president's errands fell on him.

Yueyuan had to persuade him several times every night before he was willing to go to bed and rest, but she always said that she wished that one day could be used as two.One day and night, Yueyuan couldn't bear it any longer, and said bluntly: "Ting Jing, the more things you do, the more dangerous you become."

Chen Tingjing said: "Yueyuan, why do you seem to be a different person?"

Yueyuan said: "You will be thankless."

Yueyuan and Zhen'er talked about the master at home every day, and Zhen'er understood Yueyuan's thoughts, so she said: "Sister, what are you thinking in your heart, you can tell it out, it's up to you to make the master anxious!"

Yueyuan said: "You are so tired that you are dying. You think you are doing your best and dying. Others look at you as greedy for power and position, covering the sky with one hand."

Chen Tingjing was furious and scolded: "Yueyuan, you are getting more and more outrageous!" After saying that, he got up in a huff and ran to the courtyard to get angry.

Yueyuan ignored him, Zhen'er chased him out, and persuaded: "Master, it's cold outside, you can go inside."

Chen Tingjing said: "The emperor puts so many things on my shoulders, how dare I be lazy?"

Zhen'er said: "My sister is also doing it for your own good! She has seen so many things, maybe a bystander can tell."

Chen Tingjing said: "What does a woman know?"

Zhen'er smiled and said, "Zhen'er is also a woman! We don't understand, who cares about you!"

Chen Tingjing said: "You also come to anger me!"

Zhen'er pulled Chen Tingjing and said, "Okay, let's go inside, why are you so angry?"

Chen Tingjing shook his head, followed Zhen'er into the room, but complained: "You two, you both know how to make me angry!"

Zhen'er laughed and said, "One day we won't be angry with you, and you will feel bored again!"

In spring, the emperor called Chen Tingjing to visit Changchun Garden.The emperor thought of several southern tours, and said: "Every time I go to Hangzhou, I feel that the richer the gardens of the rich people there, the better they are. It can be seen that Jiangnan is really rich."

Chen Tingjing said: "Qi Zou the emperor, now that the world is peaceful and the people are getting richer, the country's dynasty will last forever. It's just that the world is not as good as it used to be. The world is full of extravagance. Officials are not tired of food and clothing. The joys and sorrows are endless. There are always limits to goods and goods in the world, but people’s desires are unfathomable. I believe that the world’s etiquette system should be re-established, and certain rules should be established for the food, clothing, housing, and transportation of officials and people, so as to promote frugality.”

The emperor smiled and said: "Ting Jing, your wish is good, but the way you came up with is too roundabout. The food is getting better and better, which shows that the country is prosperous and the wealth is rich. Use what you like to eat, and put it on weddings and weddings. There is no way for the imperial court to forcibly change the ostentation that has become a habit for a long time."

Chen Tingjing said: "Your Majesty, what I am worried about is that if the trend of extravagance is allowed to grow, people will not be old. The important thing is that the court officials have become accustomed to extravagance, and they can only be greedy for money."

The emperor said: "Officials dare to embezzle, just investigate and deal with it according to the law. What's the difficulty?"

(End of this chapter)