The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal wraps up Linqing City like a green ribbon. At the bend of this ribbon, there is an artificially piled green hill that stretches for several miles.
And here is the most famous scenic spot in Linqing, Phoenix Ridge.
Here, there are high hanging waterfalls, gurgling streams, gushing springs, blue ponds, chirping insects and birds, fluttering colorful butterflies, green fields of pines and maples, and brilliant mountain flowers. You can not only admire the strange rocks and famous springs, but also climb up to the Moon Pavilion to watch the pines and waves.
The forest sea, the towering Mount Tai, the scenery is so beautiful that it makes you forget to leave.
When Emperor Deqing and Zhao Junchen got off the carriage and saw the scenery of Phoenix Ridge, they were also very happy. Although due to their talents, they did not write a poem on the spot as a souvenir, but they also took Zhao Junchen with them with great interest.
Junchen and others wandered around and visited most of the scenic spots in Fenghuang Ridge.
On this day, not only was the weather beautiful, the wind was beautiful, the air was fresh, and people were refreshed, but more importantly, the "luck" of Emperor Deqing and Zhao Junchen was also good. When Emperor Deqing was thirsty, nearby
Soon there will be vendors selling sugar water. When Emperor Deqing is tired, porters or carriages will appear not far away. When Emperor Deqing feels bored, there will be impromptu performances by tourists or scholars reciting poems.
Or a girl singing, or an old man telling a story...
Moreover, there were not too many tourists who came to Fenghuangling for an outing on this day. It was just right. Even though it seemed very lively, it did not feel crowded. The tourists were either kind-hearted old people with good spirits, or delicate and beautiful women.
Beautiful girls like flowers, or elegant young scholars, their atmosphere is harmonious, happy, polite, and well-dressed. If you only look at these tourists in Fenghuangling, it seems like the Ming Dynasty today is in a peaceful and prosperous era when the people are safe and the country is peaceful, and people are not picking up lost things on the road.
period!
But in fact, everything shown in front of Emperor Deqing was just a deliberate arrangement by Zhao Junchen and Shandong Governor Lu Yuanan!
While accompanying Emperor Deqing on the trip, Zhao Junchen had been observing the movements of Emperor Deqing and keenly grasped the changes in Emperor Deqing's state. Then, under Zhao Junchen's coded notification, Lu Yuanan arranged for the sugar water vendors, carriage porters, and
Those folk performing artists can naturally show up at the right time.
In Phoenix Ridge, Lu Yuanan also sent people to clean and repair it overnight. The tourists who appeared in Phoenix Ridge today were carefully selected by Lu Yuanan. As for those who were disheveled, rude, and not good-looking.
On this day, it was impossible to get within ten miles of Phoenix Ridge.
In short, this was all a deliberately arranged performance. It was personally planned by Zhao Junchen and carefully directed by Lu Yuanan. During the period, nearly a thousand people and hundreds of extras were used. Such a huge effort was just for the sake of
The performance was shown to Emperor Deqing alone.
Zhao Junchen didn't know if Emperor Deqing had found any clues, but as long as Emperor Deqing did his best, all this was just a trivial matter because as long as Emperor Deqing did his best, he would not pursue the details. In this regard, Deqing
Emperor Qing was a very generous emperor.
When the outing in Fenghuangling ended, it was almost noon as Zhao Junchen expected. Emperor Deqing was also a little hungry.
Then, under Zhao Junchen's arrangement, the carriage appeared immediately and took Emperor Deqing and Zhao Junchen to the Li's Old Restaurant, the most famous restaurant in Linqing City.
In the Li family's old shop, there are naturally careful arrangements made by Zhao Junchen and Lu Yuanan. When Emperor Deqing and Zhao Junchen came here, although there were many diners, they were all like tourists from Phoenix Ridge, all wearing clothes.
Appropriate and polite, everyone gathered together to eat together, no one made any noise, and even though the restaurant was almost full of diners, the best window table in the store was still available!
So, Emperor Deqing and Zhao Junchen sat down at the best table in the store and ordered some of the most famous delicacies here. However, these famous delicacies that originally took a long time to prepare were quickly placed on the table.
When it was placed in front of Emperor Deqing, the taste was much more delicious than usual!
Tasting Shandong delicacies, Emperor Deqing became more and more satisfied. He felt that this private visit in private, accompanied by Zhao Junchen, was the most pleasant of his many private visits in private over the years.
After having a full lunch, Emperor Deqing was even more looking forward to this afternoon's tour.
However, something very disappointing to Emperor Deqing happened unexpectedly under the arrangement of a caring person.
…………
This afternoon, according to Zhao Junchen's arrangement, Emperor Deqing should go to Dasi Street to look for the most famous "Four Linqing Temples" nearby.
Emperor Deqing himself believed in Buddhism very much, so he was naturally looking forward to this.
After leaving the Li family's old store, Zhao Junchen asked: "Mr. Huang, as far as the students know, Dasi Street is not far from here, with only three streets in between. Should we go there by carriage next? Or walk there?
?”
Emperor Deqing was in a good mood at this time. After thinking for a moment, he decided with a smile: "I just had a full lunch, so I'd better walk there. After all, the distance is not far, and it will also help digest food."
Zhao Junchen naturally agreed to all of Emperor Deqing's proposals.
So, with Zhao Junchen leading the way, Emperor Deqing and others walked toward Dasi Street while talking about what they had seen and heard today.
However, halfway through, the cheers from a teahouse on the street aroused the interest of Emperor Deqing.
At this time, the teahouse was crowded with people, and there were many teagoers. They didn't know what happened, but they were all excited and inexplicably.
"This teahouse is very lively. It has a more folk atmosphere than the Li family's old shop just now, but I don't know what interesting things happened inside." Emperor Deqing was attracted by the cheers in the teahouse and stopped to look at the teahouse for a moment.
Then, he turned to Zhao Junchen and smiled.
After Zhao Junchen listened for a while, he explained: "It seems that there is a storyteller inside telling stories, or the stories he tells are interesting, so the people are so excited."
Emperor Deqing nodded and smiled: "Oh? In that case, it is still early, so we are not in a hurry to go to Dasi Street. Let's go in and listen to it, and see what the storytellers in the teahouse are talking about. It turns out that let
The people are so excited, it means that we, the monarch and his ministers, are enjoying themselves with the people today!"
However, Zhao Junchen went against Emperor Deqing's decision for the first time and objected: "Your Majesty, this is not good, right? Such folk teahouses are not only dirty and messy, but also a mixed bag of good and bad, and the folk storytellers are also mixed.
Many of the stories are unpleasant to listen to. If you go in like this, I'm afraid..."
However, before Zhao Junchen finished speaking, Emperor Deqing interrupted unhappily: "What are you afraid of? Is it possible that I can't even stand these little things? What's more, folk teahouses are a gathering place for nine people, and they are also where I am.
I understand the sentiments of the people and go deep into the best places for the people. Do you think that my private visit incognito this time is really just for sightseeing?"
After saying that, Emperor Deqing walked towards the teahouse first. Zhao Junchen seemed very helpless, but he could only follow quickly.
With the help of the Forbidden Army guards, although the teahouse was crowded, Emperor Deqing and Zhao Junchen still arrived at the center of the teahouse smoothly. Looking up, there was indeed a storyteller standing on the stage.
The tea guests in the teahouse were all listening attentively. Perhaps because the stories told by the storyteller were so exciting, not only the teahouse was full of tea guests, but there were also many tea guests standing in the aisles.
However, there was no advance arrangement by Lu Yuanan here. In addition, there were so many teagoers in the teahouse that when Emperor Deqing arrived at the teahouse, he couldn't even find an empty seat and could only stand for a while.
Naturally, Zhao Junchen would not let Emperor Deqing be wronged, so he immediately discussed with those tea guests who had seats, and finally bought two seats with one tael of silver, and sat down with Emperor Deqing.
After sitting down, Emperor Deqing and Zhao Junchen, like other tea guests, began to listen carefully to the stories told by the storyteller in the teahouse.
However, what surprised Emperor Deqing was that the story told by this storyteller was actually about the "Southern Tour Preparation Fraud Case" that Prince Zhu Heyu tried some time ago!
At this time, the storyteller looked excited and spoke loudly: "But it is said that our current Crown Prince is really wise and powerful. It only took three days to prosecute the corrupt officials in Xuzhou, and then he even ignored his body and mind.
Tired, without stopping at all, he hurried to the next stop, Huaiyin. The local official of Huaiyin, named Li Xin, was also a corrupt official. However, this corrupt official was more cunning and good at disguise. His official reputation among the people was actually
He is very good, and is even regarded as the Grand Master of Qingtian by many people. But how can he escape the glare of His Highness the Crown Prince?
After His Highness the Crown Prince arrived in Huaiyin, in order to please His Highness the Crown Prince, Li Xin worked hard to get close to His Highness the Prince. Not only did he express his loyalty, but he even took the initiative to hand over many evidences of crime to His Highness the Crown Prince! However, these evidences were all
Regarding other officials in Huaiyin, none of them was about himself! Obviously, Li Xin wanted to gain the trust of His Highness the Crown Prince, so he betrayed his comrades and took the opportunity to distance himself!
However, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was very strange at the time, thinking that there were so many corrupt officials in Huaiyin, why was Li Xin the only one who was innocent? So he sent someone to secretly investigate, and as a result of the investigation, it was discovered that Li Xin was indeed
Not a good thing, his family property is as much as 70,000 taels of silver! Dear readers, you think, if an official can have so much property, then why is he not a corrupt official? Then His Royal Highness the Crown Prince interrogated other corrupt officials in Huaiyin, and the results are as follows
Corrupt officials all identified Li Xin as the mastermind behind them!
As a result, the truth was revealed. His Highness the Crown Prince immediately sent people to arrest Li Xin and interrogated him in public. Although the evidence was conclusive, Li Xin still wanted to deny it. However, how decisive was His Highness the Crown Prince? He immediately ordered people to torture him with sticks and sticks.
After the combination, Li Xin finally gave up luck and admitted his crime, and the true face of this hypocrite hidden in the court was finally revealed by His Highness the Crown Prince..."
As the storyteller finished telling the story of Prince Zhu Heyu's trial in Huaiyin, the final result was naturally that all corrupt officials were wiped out, and the teagoers in the teahouse also applauded loudly and talked a lot.
Originally, Emperor Deqing listened with great interest. Although the storyteller was talking about the political affairs of the current period, which was a bit unruly, since it was to promote the reputation of the prince, Emperor Deqing did not feel any objection. Instead, he saw the reaction of the people.
He was enthusiastic and a little happy in his heart. After all, Prince Zhu Heyu was his heir to the throne. With such a reputation now, the Ming Dynasty would be more stable in the future.
However, the subsequent discussion among the tea guests around him caused Emperor Deqing's expression to change, and then his expression turned gloomy!