Jinyi Town Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 237 The Taoist Robe's Trick

Inside the main hall of Yongshou Palace.

Emperor Jiajing sat in the green gauze curtain.In the main hall, stood Xu Jie, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng.

Emperor Jiajing raised He Liu's memorial in his hand: "He Liushen Hu Zongxian privately embezzled more than 200 million taels of silver from the Japanese pirates, what do you think?"

As the chief assistant, Xu Jie remained silent.

Gao Gong said: "Your Majesty, according to the "Law of the Ming Dynasty", 1 taels is a death penalty if it is embezzled in battle without permission. Hu Zongxian embezzled a total of 220 million taels, which is simply appalling! Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, there has never been such a precedent. The minister remembered a past event in the Hongwu Dynasty."

Emperor Jiajing asked, "What happened in the past?"

Gao Gong replied in a loud voice: "When Lord Hongwu founded the country, the emperor's nephew Zhu Wenzheng was in charge of the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion, and made great achievements in the First World War in Hongdu. Zhu Wenzheng privately embezzled 40 taels of silver seized from Chen Youliang. Lord Hongwu gave him death. Hu Zongxian embezzled more than five times as much money as Zhu Wenzheng, so he should be beheaded for public display."

Gao Gong is not greedy for money or fame, but only for power.He knew in his heart that if he wanted to succeed Xu Jie as chief assistant in the future, he had to take the lead in cleaning up the strict party.Hu Zongxian is the largest strict party, and now he wants to put Hu Zongxian to death and then hurry up.

At this time, Zhang Juzheng stood up and said a fair word for Hu Zongxian: "Report to the emperor, the minister thinks that Gao Butang's words are inappropriate. Hongwu Lord killed Zhu Wenzheng not only because he embezzled the war captured, but also because he relied on his meritorious deeds. And arrogant, he insulted all the officials, and even secretly communicated with the rebel Zhang Shicheng. Besides, Zhu Wen just put the war capture into his own pocket. Hu Zongxian embezzled the capture, but distributed it to the people to rebuild their homes. The two are essentially different."

The old fox Xu Jie finally opened his mouth: "My Majesty, the money was originally plundered by the Japanese pirates. Hu Zongxian used the money on the people, it was taken from the people, and used for the people. His mistake was I didn't submit a booklet to ask the emperor for instructions in advance. I see that Hu Zongxian's crime is not to death. Youdao is the law of heaven, the law of the state and human feelings. In terms of emotion and reason, what Hu Zongxian did is reasonable. It's just that the law of the country cannot be violated. According to my humble opinion, I will dismiss him from his official position It’s enough to warn the officials of the world.”

Gao Gong looked at Xu Jie, then at Zhang Juzheng.He didn't understand why these two people wanted to keep Hu Zongxian, the political enemy of Yuwang Party, alive.

Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng are different from Gao Gong.They are people who care about fame.They were afraid that if they made trouble for an upright official like Hu Zongxian, they would be criticized in history books thousands of years later.

Besides, Xu and Zhang are kind in nature.They know what kind of person Hu Zongxian is and what kind of official he is.They also couldn't bear to see the heads of such a country fall to the ground.

Emperor Jiajing did not express his position on how to convict Hu Zongxian, but deliberately changed the topic: "He Liu, this guy, has become more and more domineering since he became the governor of Shangbei! The governor of Zhezhi is the head of the world's governors, and his status is noble. He Liu actually If you don’t ask for an edict to play, you will take Hu Zongxian’s seal on your own initiative and lock him into Beijing. When He Liu returns to Beijing, I will beat him hard.”

On the fourth day of March in the 42nd year of Jiajing, He Liu, the governor of Jinyiwei North Town, returned to Beijing and entered the palace to meet him.

Emperor Jiajing sat in the green gauze curtain and closed his eyes to rest.He Liuze knelt in the hall holding the Dragon Birthday incense wooden box with both hands.

After a long time, Emperor Jiajing opened his eyes: "Where is Hu Zongxian now?"

He Liu replied: "Hu Butang is now placed in the imperial prison by the minister. Don't worry, the emperor, the minister has ordered his subordinates to take good care of Hu Butang. He will not suffer much in the imperial prison."

Emperor Jiajing said: "Well, you did a good job on this errand. It is also appropriate to accuse him of crimes."

Emperor Jiajing glanced at the Longdan incense wooden box in He Liu's hand: "What is that in your hand?"

He Liudao: "Report to the emperor, before Hu Butang was convicted, he prepared three things to present to the emperor. One is a dragon's birthday incense wooden box that is rarely seen in a thousand years, and the other is an egg-sized rare treasure night pearl."

Emperor Jiajing became interested: "Oh? Present it."

He Liu knelt and moved to the green gauze tent, offering the wooden box and the night pearl with both hands.

Emperor Jiajing picked up the luminous pearl, looked at it carefully, and said, "It's really a foreign object!"

After finishing speaking, he sniffed the dragon-birth incense sandalwood box again: "This is the dragon-birth incense sandalwood recorded in the history books? The Dragon Birthday incense sandalwood that Emperor Xiao Daocheng of the Southern Qi Dynasty exchanged six cities with Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty?"

He Liudao: "Your Majesty's Mingjian, it is exactly this thing. Hu Butang's heart is attached to the Emperor, and as soon as he gets these treasures, he will immediately prepare to bring them to Beijing."

Emperor Jiajing ordered in a loud voice: "Lu Fang, come into the palace!"

The chief inspector of ceremonies, Lu Fang, took a whisk and walked into the hall: "Your maidservant is here."

Emperor Jiajing said: "Send this luminous night pearl to Lingji Palace, and honor it in front of the celestial tablet of Taishang Laojun. Send this dragon birthday incense wooden box to Chaotian Temple, and respect it in front of the celestial tablet of Yuanshi Tianzun. "

Lu Fang stepped forward, took the Ye Mingzhu and the Longdan incense wooden box, turned and left.

Emperor Jiajing asked He Liu: "Didn't you say that Hu Zongxian would present three treasures to me? Where is the third treasure?"

He Liu kowtowed: "Forgive me for your courage. Such a treasure...in fact, it cannot be said to be a treasure, but a heavenly thing! The emperor must take a bath, change clothes, burn incense, and then come out of the palace in person to welcome this heavenly thing!"

Emperor Jiajing wondered: "Heavenly things, what kind of celestial things?"

He Liudao: "After the emperor bathes, changes clothes and burns incense, he will know as soon as he comes out of the palace."

Emperor Jiajing was a little displeased: "Mystery! Well, I will go to take a bath, change clothes and burn incense first. If you let me see some ordinary objects, I will punish you for deceiving the emperor."

Half an hour later, Emperor Jiajing finished his bath, dressed in Taoist robes, and walked to the entrance of the main hall of Yongshou Palace.He Liuze followed Emperor Jiajing with his hands down.

A little eunuch led the white deer towards the entrance of the main hall of Yongshou Palace.

Emperor Jiajing looked up and was immediately stunned!
white deer?Daoist sacred object White Deer?Sanqing Shangxian's mount White Deer?An auspicious white deer from heaven?A white deer with a half-immortal body?
Emperor Jiajing devoted himself to seeking Taoism and cultivating immortals, and the White Deer held too much weight in his heart.He looked at the white deer, as if he saw himself riding the white deer, soaring to the sky, getting the immortal position, living the same life as the sky, and enjoying immortal blessings forever!

Emperor Jiajing walked quickly towards Bailu.In front of the white deer, he bowed his hands reverently towards it: "The emperor Zhu Houcong, pay homage to the White Deer Immortal!"

Strange to say, Bailu was not afraid of Emperor Jiajing, a stranger, raised his hooves, walked to Emperor Jiajing, and kept rubbing his head against his Taoist robe.

This is a little trick played by He Liu.From Zhejiang to Beijing, Xiangxiang was feeding the white deer all the way.When he asked Xiangxiang to feed the white deer, he changed into a black Taoist robe that had been reduced in size.Therefore, Bailu was very kind when he saw the black Taoist robe.

Although Emperor Jiajing is the king of a country, he has converted to Taoism these years and wears black Taoist robes in the palace every day.

The white deer is now rubbing against Emperor Jiajing's dragon body, because it thinks that Emperor Jiajing is the little master who has been feeding it these days!

He Liu was on the sidelines and took the opportunity to pat Emperor Jiajing's dragon fart: "The emperor is the son of destiny! God first sent loyal ministers and good generals to assist the emperor, and then sent a white deer to serve the emperor. This is God's favor for the emperor! In the future, the emperor will definitely be able Under the guidance of the white deer, he attained immortality!"

How smart was Emperor Jiajing?He naturally understood that the loyal minister that He Liu said meant Hu Zongxian.A good general refers to Qi Jiguang.

All the eunuchs nearby also said in unison: "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

Emperor Jiajing, Longyan Dayue, ordered: "Vacate Jingren Palace and let the Bailu Shangxian live! You must take good care of the Bailu Shangxian."

(End of this chapter)