Everyone came out of Xia Xun's house to say goodbye and left. Liu Yujue got on his horse and just sat down when a voice suddenly sounded from behind him: "Yujue!"
Liu Yujue turned around and said, "Brother Ji!"
Ji Gang urged him to come up and said with a smile: "The imperial court is in troubled times. The northern and southern governors have just been established. Everything is going on. It is rare for you and me to meet and talk. Let's go and have a chat in my house."
Liu Yujue hesitated and said: "Brother Ji, the firearms craftsmanship camp has just been reorganized. The emperor is eager to establish the magic machine camp. I am here..."
Ji Gang smiled lightly and said: "Let's go, no matter how busy you are, at this moment, there is an old friend waiting for you at my place..." As he urged the horse to move forward, Liu Yujue hesitated for a moment and then also raised the horse.
Followed.
As soon as Zheng Dun, the Minister of Hubu, got on the sedan chair, he kept urging: "Hurry, hurry up, go back to the Hubu immediately."
The bearers didn't know why the master was in such a panic, so they had no choice but to step away and start walking. By the time they arrived at the household department, they were already covered in sweat. Before the sedan could stop, Zheng Dun jumped out of the sedan with a quick stride, walking as fast as flying.
He rushed into the Yamen.
"Hurry up, hurry up, check quickly, have our Ministry of Revenue received any official letters or memorials approved by the emperor about Kaocheng, Henan? In the past two months, we have found all the official documents related to Kaocheng."
Wang Dun called out all the officials of the household and ordered them nervously. The ministers on the left and right, the officials of various departments, and the principals were confused, but they did not dare to neglect. For a while, the entire household department was busy, and all the official documents in the past two months were
All were turned out and all hands were mobilized to check them one by one.
Zheng Dun walked up and down in the lobby holding his wrist. He knew that it was unlikely that Yang Xu, the auxiliary prince, was targeting him, but he was not afraid of ten thousand, just in case. He was really afraid that he would be late in his household department on business.
If it was during the Jianwen Dynasty, it would not be a big deal to neglect an official document. It would not be a big deal if there was an omission during the selection, or if a small official accidentally lost it. However, Emperor Yongle was different. He was tough in doing things.
The style is comparable to that of Emperor Hongwu.
During the time of Taizu, floods occurred in Jing, Qi and other places. The imperial court ordered Zhao Qian, the head of the Ministry of Household Affairs, to go to the disaster relief area. Zhao Qian was unwilling to go to the disaster area. He actually didn't set out for half a year. When Taizu heard the news, he was furious and immediately beheaded him.
His head was exposed to the public, and all the officials above and below who knew the crime but did not report it were all punished and sent into exile.
Later, drought and locust plagues occurred in some places in the Qingzhou area. The local officials did not take it seriously and neither provided relief nor reported the disaster. As a result, many victims starved to death. The local government recommended an elderly and virtuous squire to go to Beijing to complain. After hearing the news, Zhu Yuanzhang again
The butcher's knife was held high, and the few corpses were left with nothing to eat. The local officials who sat and watched the people die of hunger all skinned them and took away the grass to express the anger of the people.
Emperor Yongle ascended the throne and issued three major edicts. One of the edicts specifically stated that whenever natural or man-made disasters occurred in a local area, the local government could open official warehouses to provide relief to the victims without requesting an order. Anyone who delayed in providing disaster relief and appeasing the people would be killed without mercy. Unexpectedly, anyone would dare to resist.
Sir, it happened that Chen Ying recommended himself to this matter again. If another official were to investigate and handle this matter, he might even defend it and give the offending official a chance to make amends. Chen Ying... is the one who fears that the world will not be in chaos.
Son.
"Don't make mistakes because of my household department, don't..."
Zheng Dun's mouth was dry and his tongue was dry, but he didn't even have the heart to drink a sip of water. After waiting for a long time, the chief officials of each department reported back: "Sir, we have not found any official documents related to Kaocheng."
Zheng Dun breathed a sigh of relief, sat down on the chair, and said happily: "It would be great if it didn't exist, it would be great if it didn't exist, Amitabha, thank God!"
The various officials looked at each other, and some couldn't help but ask: "Sir, what happened in Kaocheng?"
"Um?"
Zheng Dun suddenly woke up, stood up and shouted: "What are you doing here? Don't panic when something happens, why are you so restless! Go do something, do everything!"
Ru Chang sat in the official sedan, and as the sedan moved leisurely, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Fuxing Guogong, this is not without purpose. If he wants to investigate such a matter, he should go to Congxin Post Office, General Affairs Department, Internal Affairs Department, etc." The study room can be started, at least there is no need to ask people to check in public when he is hosting a banquet for various officials of the imperial court. Although Duke Fu is young, he should not make such a childish mistake. He meant to tell someone, Or... should we use the public's mouth to spread the word?"
Ru Chang twirled his beard and pondered for a long time, then laughed deeply. He had not yet grasped the key to the matter, but as a seasoned politician who had been in officialdom for many years, he had already felt that the recent series of abnormal behaviors of Duke Fu seemed to have something to do with it. of.
This is by no means a bad thing for him. He often does not have the ability to stand out in the court, but as a veteran of three dynasties and Minister of the Ministry of War, he is a force that cannot be ignored no matter which force it is. What a rare place to live...
Outside the sedan window, a green official sedan rushed past. Seeing the bearer rushing past at a trot, Ru Chang was a little surprised. He opened the curtains and took a look, then smiled happily: "It turns out to be Chen Ying. This Chen Ying is really more impatient than that Ji Gang when it comes to biting people. Little does he know that a big tree attracts the wind and its strength is very easy to break. Such a person will not be arrogant for long in the officialdom, huh!"
Ru Chang sneered, opened the sedan curtain, closed his eyes slightly and calmed down...
※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※
"Brother Ji, who is this old friend?"
As soon as he entered the gate of Jinyiwei Yamen, Liu Yujue couldn't wait to ask.
Ji Gang let him into the living room and said solemnly: "Xian Ning has been arrested and brought to Beijing."
"What?"
Liu Yujue was taken aback. He stood up immediately and said angrily: "Ji Gang, you, me, and Brother Gao were classmates in the past, and we were brothers and sisters. Now, although everyone has his own ambitions and protects his master, we should not forget the old days." Japanese friendship. Why are you arresting Xianning? How much glory can he add to your achievements as a member of the staff of the Chief Secretary of Jinan?"
Ji Gang was not annoyed, but smiled bitterly and said: "Yujue, do you want me to capture him? This is the emperor's order, what can I do?"
"The emperor's order?"
Liu Yujue said in shock and confusion: "Don't lie to me. Brother Gao has a humble position and is not even ranked among the officials of the Third Division of Jinan. How can the emperor care about him?"
Ji Gang sighed and said: "Yujue, can I still lie to you? Yes, Xianning is indeed not ranked high in Jinan, but when the emperor was trapped in Jinan, he once wrote an article for Tie Xuan, "The Duke of Zhou assisted the king. "On" scolded the emperor for his hypocrisy, which was called Jingnan but was actually a rebellion. This article was so generous that I didn't expect that the emperor would remember it."
Only then did Liu Yujue believe it. He couldn't help but turn pale and said in a trembling voice, "Does the Emperor want to kill Brother Gao?"
Ji Gang shook his head gently, and Liu Yujue said in confusion: "So?"
Ji Gang said: "The emperor admires Xianning's writing style very much and wants to call him into the court as an official."
Liu Yujue was stunned for a moment, and then he said happily: "That's a good thing. You and I were good friends, and now we can serve as officials in the same court. This is great!"
Ji Gang snorted coldly: "Don't be wishful thinking. The problem is that Xian Ning refuses to surrender! He refuses to serve the current emperor. I have already made my mouth dry with persuasion, but he is very stubborn and refuses to bow his head.
, The Emperor is still waiting for a reply. I'm afraid that once the Emperor is annoyed that he doesn't know how to praise him, he will really be hopeless. That's why he came to you. It would be best if you can convince him. If you can't
, let’s discuss how to save his life!”
Only then did Liu Yujue understand the whole story, and he quickly apologized to Ji Gang: "Brother Ji, I was just offensive with my words. Please don't blame me. I'm really..."
"Hey~~"
Ji Gang helped him up impatiently: "You and I were our former classmates and we were the most friendly. If you were unmoved by Xian Ning's situation, I would be really heartbroken. It's no big deal to have a few words.
The most urgent task is to persuade Xian Ning to change his mind!"
Liu Yujue clenched his fist and said, "Brother Ji, where is he? I'll go and persuade him!"
Ji Gang took Liu Yujue to the imperial prison. The place was very ghostly, and there seemed to be a lingering smell of blood. However, the cell where Gao Xianning was held was very clean, and it could be seen that someone had cleaned it.
The two arrived at the cell door and looked through the fence. They saw a man wearing a white prison uniform lying on the bed, sleeping with his back to the cell door. His hair was neat and his body was spotless. It was obvious that he had not been tortured*
**.
Liu Yujue rushed to the prison in a few steps, grabbed the fence and called inside: "Brother Gao, Brother Gao, I am Yujue!"
The man on the bed vibrated, turned around slowly, sat up slowly, and when he saw Liu Yujue, a faint smile appeared on his face: "Yujue, you are here too."
"Yes, yes, I'm here to see you. Quick, open the cell door!"
The cell boss quickly opened the cell door, and Ji Gang and Liu Yujue walked into the cell. Ji Gang said: "Xianning, I have also found Yujue. We are two old friends who are sincere. Are you still unwilling to change your mind?"
Liu Yujue said hurriedly: "Yes, Brother Gao, I have heard Brother Ji say it. Think about it, you write a memorandum to insult the emperor, and the emperor does not care about your sins, but appreciates your literary talent, and wants to grant you a high official position and a generous salary. This way
Isn’t the emperor worthy of our protection?
Brother Gao, the current emperor is Taizu’s own son, and he was replaced by Emperor Jianwen. This is just a family matter of the royal family. To submit to the current emperor is not considered a loss of integrity. Many important officials of the imperial court and great scholars of Hongxue have served the new dynasty.
My Lord, when you were in the Jianwen Dynasty, you were just a commoner, and your official career was not smooth. What are you insisting on now?"
Gao Xianning smiled and said: "Yujue, since the first year of Jianwen, you and I have gone our separate ways. This is the first time we are together. I am very happy to see you and Brother Ji. We brothers only have personal friendship, and the country
Don’t talk about big things.”
Ji Gang paused and said: "Xian Ning, if we don't mention national affairs, then we three brothers will soon have no personal friendship to talk about. When you wrote the letter to scold the emperor, the emperor loved your talent and didn't want to pursue it. But if you refuse the emperor's title
Despite the good intentions of the official, can the emperor still tolerate you?"
Gao Xianning laughed and said calmly: "The emperor can't tolerate me, it's just a beheading, what's the big deal?"
Ji Gang was very angry: "What's so great? Yujue, listen, listen, he has such a bad character that he will neither die nor live. I can't wait to wake him up with a big mouth, this stubborn donkey!"
Seeing that he was really worried about her, Gao Xianning couldn't help but feel a little moved, and said to them: "Brother Ji, don't think that I am determined not to bow down because of some ethical principles. In fact, I have already seen through this. In my heart, Emperor Jianwen is Zhengshuo, so I want to serve Emperor Jianwen. Now that Emperor Jianwen has passed away, it is meaningless to persist. Should we ignore the people of the world and persist just for the sake of persistence?"
Liu Yujue said happily: "Yes, since Brother Gao thinks so clearly, how come..."
Gao Xianning waved his hand and said seriously: "Brother Ji, you were expelled from the government school because you often spoke arrogantly. You must be loyal to the new dynasty. You have your reasons. I don't blame you, and I won't treat you as an enemy. Yu Jue , you have become the Jin Yiwei as early as the last years of Hongwu, and the entire Jin Yiwei surrendered to Emperor Yongle, and you have your reasons for being loyal to Emperor Yongle."
"and you……"
Gao Xianning puffed up his chest and said: "I am a natural student. When I was studying in the government, my food and clothing came from the imperial court. I failed many times and could not find an official career. It was Tie Gong who recognized me and used me and entrusted me with important responsibilities. As the saying goes, A man dies for his bosom friend! Now that Tie Gong has died, Gao Xianning cannot follow Tie Gong underground. He is already ashamed of Tie Gong. If he continues to be loyal to the new emperor, how can he go to see God in a hundred years?"
"Xian Ning!"
"Brother Ji, Yujue, please go back and stop trying to persuade me. Gao Xianning can die, but he can't be ungrateful and do things that are sorry to Mr. Tie! Don't mention this matter again!"
Ji Gang and Liu Yujue looked at each other, speechless in the face of Gao Xianning's decisive attitude.
The two left the imperial prison in despair, and stood in the sunshine and looked at each other. Liu Yujue said helplessly: "Brother Gao has always been stubborn. He has always understood the truth and will not come back. We...I'm afraid we won't be able to persuade him. Ji." Brother, what do you think we should do?"
Ji Gang looked up at the sky and was silent for a long time. Then he sighed softly and said slowly: "Now, I have no idea. I have no choice but to reply to the emperor truthfully."
Liu Yujue said anxiously: "Brother Ji!"
Ji Gang glanced at him and said with a wry smile: "Don't worry, at any rate... I led the emperor's horse into stirrups, accompanied him in the charge, and it was a little hard work. I can only tell the truth, but... I will ask the emperor to spare him. life."
Liu Yujue said decisively: "Okay, then I'll go with you!"
Ji Gang stared at him, suddenly smiled, patted his shoulder, and said in a deep voice: "Good brother, let's... go together!"
In the "History of the Ming Dynasty", Ji Gang ranks first in the biography of Ren Xing. Chinese people are accustomed to bragging about a person's flawlessness when praising him; when belittling a person, they say he has no flaws. But human nature is complicated, how can it be like this? Black and white are so simple. At least, when Ji Gang was keen on dyeing his crown red with the blood of others, he still had a lot of loyalty and tenderness towards his old friends.
Ji Gang and Liu Yujue didn't know whether asking for mercy would offend the emperor, so they went to the palace anyway.
At this time, Xia Xun, who had sent the guests out of the house, was supported by Xiaodi and had just returned to the study. Xia Xun was the master and wanted to let the guests enjoy themselves, so naturally he had to drink more. When he returned to the study and sat down, he still felt light-headed and dizzy. Dizzy.
Xiaodi helped him sit down, Xia Xun burped, and the room smelled of alcohol. Xiaodi wrinkled his nose and fanned, turned around and opened the window. It was late autumn, and winter was about to enter. As soon as the window was opened,
The cold wind came in, and Xia Xun suddenly became energetic.
Xiaodi came over with a cup of tea and said angrily: "Master, what are you doing with that extra yellow soup? It depends on how well you drink it. It's so uncomfortable. Drink some tea quickly. It's already warmed."
"Uh-huh!"
Xia Xun was feeling thirsty, so he took the cup and drained it in one gulp. He glanced at her with drunken eyes, and suddenly remembered what was on his mind. In the excitement of drinking, he asked suddenly without thinking: "Xiao Di, what are you doing?"
Do you... like that boy from the Xu Hu family?"
p: He was so angry that he yelled: Please vote! Recommend vote!