Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 88

On the way back to Beijing, Chen Tingjing received a letter from his family announcing that Yupeng had won a Jinshi.Chen Tingjing couldn't help being overjoyed, so he ordered his horse to speed up, hoping to fly home.Brothers Yupeng and Zhuanglu were enlightened by their grandfather since they were young, while Chen Tingjing was busy with the affairs of the yamen and never neglected his lessons.Chen Tingjing was rushing home day and night, but a few days later he got a letter from his family, and his father-in-law passed away.Chen Tingjing wept bitterly, urging him to hurry up.

After all, Yunnan was too far away, and it was already July of the following year when I returned to the capital.Calculating with one's fingers, it's been almost a year.Chen Tingjing first handed over Wang Jiwen to the Ministry, and hurried home without thinking about entering the palace.When the family met, they naturally cried with each other.Chen Tingjing went straight to his father-in-law's spiritual throne to light incense and kowtow, and cried a lot.Going back to the main room and sitting down, Yueyuan described in detail what illness her father had, when it was critical, what doctor he called, what he said when he was dying, and who came to the funeral.Chen Tingjing listened and burst into tears.

When Chen Tingjing entered the door, he saw Jiayao and Zuyan were here, he was very puzzled, because he wanted to pay homage to the old man first, so he didn't have time to ask.At this moment, Zu Yan and Jia Yao walked up to Chen Tingjing and knelt down, weeping uncontrollably.

Chen Tingjing hurriedly asked: "Zu Yan, Jia Yao, what's wrong with you?"

Zu Yan choked up and said: "Father, please save our Zhang family!"

Chen Tingjing asked again: "What happened to your family?"

Jiayao cried: "My father-in-law has been ginsenged, and he has been escorted into the capital!"

It's all about old and new entanglements.The house of Zu Zeshen, the god of the capital, was burned down in a fire, so he secretly entrusted Mingzhu to help him, donated money to the official, and within a few years he became the Daotai of Jingnan Daotai.Zhang Qian was promoted to governor of Huguang last year, and his position as governor of Hunan was taken over by the chief executive.Zu Ze took a deep look at the lack of chief envoy, so he asked his old friend Zhang Qian to recommend him.Zhang Qian promised Yucheng, but in the end he couldn't get things done.Zu Ze deeply held a grudge in his heart, and in order to become the governor of Huguang, he took more than 50 taels of silver and went to the scene to manage it.In turn, Zhang Qian joined Zu Zeshen, who was greedy and cool, and the people under his rule were full of resentment.The two participated back and forth, and now they are both in prison.

Yueyuan said: "The case of the in-laws is full of turmoil! The emperor first sent someone to investigate and said that the in-laws are fine. Later, the emperor sent Yu Jackie to investigate, but found out."

Chen Tingjing sighed and said: "Yu Chenglong is upright, he will not have any unjust cases in his hands. Well, I will go to the Yamen tomorrow to inquire about it first. The world is unpredictable! It was Zu Zeshen who showed us scholars back then. .He can tell fortunes by himself, so why didn’t he know what happened to him today?”

Zu Yan said: "My father-in-law, please save my Zhang family. Now there is no news from inside, I don't know what to do. I have made various arrangements, and I can go to the prison to have a look in a few days."

Chen Tingjing had no choice but to persuade his daughter and son-in-law to relax, there would always be a way.But he was not sure in his heart, if something happened to Zhang Qian, if the emperor didn't show extra mercy, he would not be able to escape the guilt.

On the second day, Chen Tingjing went to the South Study to find out when he could see him.His booklet had already been handed in to go to Beijing, and it is expected that the emperor has already seen it.As soon as I entered the door of the South Study, I saw the ministers and workers gathered around Xu Qianxue to talk about things.Seeing this scene, Chen Tingjing knew that after more than ten months, Xu Qianxue became more and more a character.It's just that Mingzhu and Suo'etu are missing.

Xu Qianxue turned around and saw Chen Tingjing, and hurriedly greeted him: "Hey, Mr. Chen, you have worked hard, you have worked hard. You have not returned from your trip to Yunnan, and the capital city is amazing! It is said that you broke the sky in Yunnan. Big case!"

Chen Tingjing smiled and said, "It's not convenient for me to say more because I haven't received a holy order yet."

After a few gossips, Xu Qianxue pulled Chen Tingjing to the side to talk, and said: "Master Chen, the emperor has not been in a good mood these days, you should be careful when you meet with him. It is not good to conquer Galdan, and there is also Zhang Qian's corruption." case, and now you have reported the corruption case of Wang Jiwen. Your Majesty is also a human being!"

Chen Tingjing listened, nodded and shook his head, sighed for a long time, and said: "I will be careful. I wonder if the emperor has read my papers?"

Xu Qianxue said: "The Emperor is in the Changchun Garden, I thought about it. I just came from the Changchun Garden yesterday, and I have to go today. Master Chen is only waiting at home, the Emperor will call you."

When they talked about Zhang Qian's lawsuit again, they just sighed.

Chen Tingjing stayed in the south study for a while, then went to the yamen of the household department.Man Shangshu and his fellow Manchu and Han colleagues all came to talk, drinking tea and chatting.When asked about the errands in Yunnan, Chen Tingjing only talked about the scenery along the road, and did not mention Wang Jiwen's lawsuit at all.There are also those who get to the bottom of it. Chen Tingjing only said that he had the scriptures, and he can only talk about it when he has a holy order.

Xu Qianxue actually told Chen Tingjing half to keep the other half.That day the emperor saw Chen Tingjing's memorial at Tanningju, and he photographed the dragon case like thunder.Zhang Shande hurriedly advised the emperor to take care of his body and not to get angry.

The emperor asked Zhang Shande: "Tell me, how is Chen Tingjing?"

Zhang Shande lowered his head and replied: "Chen Tingjing doesn't show the mountains or the water, the slaves can't see it."

The emperor sneered: "You dare not say it!"

Zhang Shande said: "Your Majesty, I have never heard anyone say anything bad about Chen Tingjing."

The emperor sneered again: "You also think he is a saint, don't you?"

Zhang Shande hurriedly knelt down and said, "The emperor is a saint!"

The emperor said: "Chen Tingjing can regard himself as a saint! Others also regard him as a saint!"

At that time, Xu Qianxue was waiting for the order outside, and he could hear clearly what was said inside.He also heard the emperor say to let Xu Qianxue in, so he deliberately took a few steps outside, not wanting Eunuch Zhang to know that he had heard the words inside.

Every day Chen Tingjing went to the Yamen of the Household Department, and then to the South Study Room, but he never heard that the emperor summoned him.On the contrary, no matter where he went, everyone was talking about Zhang Pan's lawsuit or Wang Jiwen's lawsuit.As long as they saw him, they would immediately talk about other things.The emperor knew that Chen Tingjing was back, but he didn't want to summon him right away.After reading Chen Tingjing's excerpt, the emperor felt very uncomfortable.The emperor didn't want to see anything wrong with Wang Jiwen, so Chen Tingjing went to Yunnan to find out about him.

One night, Zhang Qian was secretly taken to Changchun Garden by the guard fool.Seeing the emperor, Zhang Qian knelt down and wept, tears streaming down his face.Seeing Zhang Qian's disheveled face, the emperor couldn't bear to look at him, so he ordered him to speak.The fool stepped forward and removed the shackles from Zhang Qian.

The emperor said: "You are a guilty minister. Normally, I cannot see you. I think you were a good official in the past. I call you to say a few words."

Hearing the emperor's tone, Zhang Qian thought that maybe he could still be saved, so he kowtowed vigorously to apologize.

The emperor said: "You and Chen Tingjing are sons and daughters by marriage, and you are also a Jinshi of the same discipline. He is a loyal and honest person. Why can't you be like him? Now that you have committed a crime, according to human nature, he will come before me Say a few good words for you. He has returned from Yunnan, and he didn't say a word for you in front of me."

Zhang Qian had told his family to beg Chen Tingjing, thinking that maybe there was still a chance.After hearing what the emperor said, he knew that Chen Tingjing was really unkind, and Zhang Qian secretly resented him.

The emperor said again: "What I want is a good official like Chen Tingjing. But I also wonder whether Chen Tingjing is too upright? Is there nothing wrong with him? After all, people are not gods, so it is impossible not to find faults."

Although Zhang Ban felt resentment, he didn't want to speak against his will, so he said, "The guilty minister has been with Chen Tingjing for more than 30 years, and I really can't find anything wrong with him."

The emperor said coldly: "You also believe that he is a saint?"

Zhang Qian said: "Chen Tingjing is not a saint, but he can be called a perfect man."

The emperor hummed softly in his nose, and spit out two words: "Perfect!"

The emperor didn't speak for a long time, just glanced at the top of Zhang Qian's head.Zhang Qian lowered his head, he didn't see the emperor's gaze, but felt his scalp was on fire.Zhang Qian's scalp seemed to be on fire, and only then did he hear the emperor ask: "You are relatives, so it's natural to speak casually. Did he say anything?"

Zhang Jian didn't understand what the emperor meant, and asked, "What does the emperor want the minister to say?"

The emperor was very impatient and said angrily: "I asked you what Chen Tingjing said about me!"

Zhang Ban vaguely understood, he was secretly startled, he quickly prostrated himself on the ground, and said: "Chen Tingjing is always grateful to the guilty ministers when talking about the emperor!"

The emperor didn't want to hear these words from Zhang Qian, so he said: "He is acting in front of me, but he still wants to act in front of you?"

Zhang Ban's mind was buzzing, he completely understood what the emperor was thinking, and said: "Your Majesty, although Chen Tingjing doesn't show affection to the criminal minister, he is loyal to the emperor, and he wants the criminal minister to make up something to say about him, I can't do it!"

The emperor jumped up against the case: "Damn Zhang Qian! How could I want you to wrong him? I just want you to tell the truth! Chen Tingjing is a saint and a perfect man, so what am I?"

Zhang Jianlian said that the guilty minister deserved to die, and he couldn't say anything else.

The emperor said again: "You are a guilty minister, if you don't say anything today, you will never see me again!"

Zhang Qian fell to the ground and wept, but was dragged out by the guards.

Zu Yan went to visit his father in prison, and quietly passed the emperor's words back.Chen Tingjing fell down on the chair and said in shock: "How can the emperor treat me like this!"

Zu Yan said: "My father's case is probably hopeless, he just told my father-in-law to be careful."

Chen Tingjing was still not reconciled, and asked: "The emperor summoned your father, and he didn't ask half a word about the case, but just instigated your father to tell me what happened?"

Zu Yan said: "That's right. If my father refuses to make up something to say about you, the emperor will be furious!"

Zu Yan has already said many times about how the emperor asked, and how Zhang Qian played it right, but Chen Tingjing still asked carefully.

After a few days, Chen Tingjing was haggard.People are always greedy for life and afraid of death, but their anger and sorrow are more than fear of death.With the emperor's intelligence, he would not fail to see his loyalty, but why does the emperor always find trouble to punish him?Chen Tingjing slowly figured it out, it wasn't that the emperor didn't believe in Wang Jiwen's greed, but that he didn't want his ministers to say behind his back that he was insane.Chen Tingjing found out about Wang Jiwen's corruption, which happened to show that the emperor was not good at knowing people.

A few days later, the emperor summoned Chen Tingjing to the Changchun Garden, and immediately said: "I have read your booklet. You really found out that Wang Jiwen is a corrupt official, and I missed it. You know everything, but I have no eyes; you are jealous, and I hide filth. You are honest and fair, I am narrow and selfish; you are perfect and a saint, and I am a mediocre and villain!"

Chen Tingjing kowtowed again and again: "Your Majesty calm down, all the ministers are for the court and for the Emperor!"

The emperor sneered coldly and said: "You are for me? I said Wang Jiwen is capable, and he was promoted to the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou. You will go to Yunnan to investigate him soon. Didn't you just make trouble for me, and traveled all the way to Yunnan for nearly a year? , what's the trouble?"

Chen Tingjing had no choice but to be smarter, he had already thought of a move, and said: "Qizou the emperor, it is not yet possible to say that Wang Jiwen is a corrupt official."

The emperor didn't even look at Chen Tingjing when he entered the door, but now he slowly raised his head and said, "Hey, this is weird. Get up and talk."

Chen Tingjing thanked the emperor, and still knelt down and played: "The minister checked three accounts in Yunnan: 90. The library bank was short of 78 taels, of which 12 taels were embezzled as the payment of the association, and 3000 taels were embezzled by the staff Yang Wenqi; 5000. Wu Sangui More than 1000 million taels of silver, more than 9 million catties of grain, and more than [-] million bundles of fodder were left behind, all of which were concealed by Wang Jiwen. They were all exchanged by Yicheng Xiangbao with ready-made grain and grass, and he was greedy for the money; third, the over [-] taels of silver left over from the construction of the Grand View Tower was also stolen by Yang Wenqi, the aide. But Wang Jiwen himself did not see any corruption."

The emperor cast a cold glance at Chen Tingjing, turned around and went out alone, walked to the hanging flower door outside Danning Residence, and stood there for a long time.The emperor doesn't really want to do anything to Chen Tingjing at this moment, but just wants to catch him and stop him from being too self-righteous.It is not a good thing for a minister to compare himself to a sage, join whoever he wants to join, and protect whomever he wants to protect.Knowing people is like jade, without flaws, it is not real, it is not good-looking.Zhang Shande followed carefully, waiting for orders.

The emperor closed his eyes for a moment, and said, "Call him out."

Zhang Shande hurried back inside and saw Chen Tingjing still kneeling there.Zhang Shande went over and said, "Master Chen, the emperor has called you."

Chen Tingjing got up and nodded his thanks.Zhang Shande said in a low voice: "Lord Chen, just follow the emperor's wishes and don't admit death." Chen Tingjing nodded silently, sighing inwardly.

Before Chen Tingjing had time to bow down, the emperor said: "So, Wang Jiwen himself is clean on the money?"

(End of this chapter)