Inside a small dark room surrounded by sandalwood.

"Alas... There is such a big thing in this harem, Your Majesty didn't even look for us, it seems that Your Majesty is suspicious of us! ”

Zhang Cheng sighed sadly.

Zhang Whale, who was sitting on the side, glanced at Zhang Cheng slightly, didn't he know that Zhang Cheng was testing himself, and said with a smile: "I guess the prime minister already knew about this matter." ”

The implication is that you also know, why don't you doubt yourself.

Zhang Cheng smiled: "But it's too early for the Duke!" ”

This Zhang Whale and Zhang Cheng are the two major eunuchs in the palace, and their power is monstrous, and whatever happens in the palace cannot escape their ears and eyes, and the next hour when Princess Yongning falls into the river, they have actually learned the news.

It's just that they pretend not to know.

Zhang Whale said again: "So, does the internal minister think that I passed the news out?" ”

Zhang Cheng hurriedly said: "Heaven and earth can be learned, our family really doesn't think so." ”

After a pause, he said again: "Although our family also knows that the Duke has always been at odds with Guo Dan, the Duke will not risk offending the Queen Mother for the sake of him Guo Dan. But we want to ask the Governor, can the Governor know, who did this? ”

Zhang Whale smiled: "It was Guo Dan's doing." ”

Zhang Cheng couldn't help but be shocked, and said, "How can the governor say this?" ”

Zhang Whale said: "If Guo Dan hadn't offended so many relatives and powerful people, this incident would not have happened at all. ”

Zhang Cheng frowned and said, "In other words, the Governor can't find out who is the real mastermind behind the scenes?" ”

Zhang Whale said: "It's not that I can't find it, but the people who are currently related to this matter are all people around the Queen Mother, and I don't know at the time, whether any monks in the past have seen it, how can you let me check?" ”

After this incident, Empress Dowager Li asked for secrecy.

So the insiders are all eunuchs and palace maids around the Empress Dowager Li, including the guards, all of them are the Empress Dowager's cronies, if Dongchang wants to investigate, the basic routine is to arrest them all, and then review them one by one, he doesn't dare to arrest all the cronies around the Empress Dowager.

But if this happened in the palace, there was still a way to investigate, after all, the palace was completely closed.

But the problem is that this incident did not happen in the palace, but in the Pure Heart Temple, within the scope of the Royal Horse Farm, where there are many idle people, etc., and these people must have been connected with the outside world, it is very likely that a monk passing by at that time saw it, or it may be that the people from the Royal Horse Farm saw it.

If it wasn't for the Queen Mother's people who leaked out, Dongchang would have beaten all the people around the Queen Mother Li again, how could this be explained to the Queen Mother Li.

Zhang Cheng sighed and said, "This is really difficult to check!" ”

Zhang Whale said: "Don't worry about it, anyway, according to this situation, Your Majesty will not come to us to investigate, let's take care of ourselves first." ”

......

"Your Majesty has also rushed to the Pure Heart Temple immediately, it seems that some unknown things have indeed happened in it." Xu Guo said with a solemn expression.

"It's really a tree that wants to be quiet and the wind doesn't stop!"

Shen Shixing closed his eyes and sighed.

Finally, Wanli cheered up and focused on governing the country, and it seemed that everything was back on track, but there was such a thing, which made him very depressed!

Wang Xijue said: "I believe that no matter how cunning Guo Dan is, he will not do this kind of thing, this is obviously someone slandering Guo Dan and wanting to take the opportunity to kill Guo Dan." ”

"It's a pity that it's too late now, this matter has already spread here, and I think it won't be long before everyone knows about it." Shen Shixing sighed with a sad face: "In this way, everything is full of variables. ”

......

Anything related to etiquette is a very troublesome matter, especially when it comes to the royal family.

If this matter is not handled well, the royal family will be ridiculed by the world.

Scholars all over the world will also attack it in groups.

Because in the face of etiquette, there is no right or wrong, only the sage cloud.

For example, in political struggles, there are supporters and opponents, and everyone can show their abilities and form gangs, but no one dares to talk nonsense about etiquette and religion, this is a faith, and it cannot be touched.

......

And Wanli and Empress Dowager Li know this better than them, and now that this matter has not been ascertained, they can't believe who their mother and son are, and even the eunuchs around them don't dare to use it.

And this is the aftermath of tariffs.

This is also why, many Ming monarchs, even those who are eloquent and strategic, do not dare to deal a heavy hand with interest groups, because interest groups infiltrate all aspects, and you cannot know all the enemies.

Their usual means is to pull one faction to fight another, and change the soup without changing the medicine, in fact, Wanli is also pulling one faction to fight another.

First of all, he stabilized the cabinet first, otherwise, he would not dare to move, but the problem is that the cabinet has not been good, Wanli is using the cabinet to support Guo Dan, a non-traditional interest group, to win people, which will inevitably attract the attention of traditional interest groups.

Now the only thing Wanli and Empress Dowager Li can rely on is Guo Dan and Zhu Yihua.

Zhu Yihua doesn't need to say much, and Guo Dan's words, he is now the biggest victim.

Wanli now doesn't even dare to use Zhang Cheng and Zhang Whale, because he is not sure that those two are innocent.

After all, the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty were powerful, especially in the harem, Feng Bao dared to sell Princess Yongning and Empress Dowager Li's pearl as goods, and the palace maid dared to beat the horse to death.

It can be seen that in the Ming Dynasty, the relationship between the royal family and the eunuch was really not a master-servant, in fact, it has developed to the present, and it has become an ally, and the great eunuch can also be attributed to the interest group.

Eunuchs bullying the royal family are really everywhere.

And if this thing is not played well, the consequences may be far more serious than they think.

Wanli was also very nervous.

On the one hand, it is his sister, and on the other hand, it is Guo Dan, and now many of his interests are tied to Guo Dan, and he doesn't want either side to lose.

Therefore, Wanli immediately summoned Guo Dan and Zhu Yihua to the Jingxin Temple to discuss countermeasures.

Guo Dan only learned at this time that it was aimed at himself again, and Princess Yongning was just a butcher's knife aimed at him, which was really galloping in his heart, but he couldn't complain that Empress Dowager Li didn't cover up this matter, and at the same time he felt that it was not a big deal, so he said: "According to the humble opinion, as long as you don't admit it, they can't come up with evidence to prove those rumors." ”

Empress Dowager Li smiled bitterly: "If you say it is so simple, then it would be good." I believe that someone will soon come to accuse you of bullying Princess Yongning, and they will also know which palace maid was injured, so His Majesty will be forced to send someone to investigate this matter, once the matter is filed, it will be impossible to say. ”

Now that this matter is spreading from the palace, the eunuch will be sent to investigate, and there may be gossip every day, maybe it will be true.

If you want to investigate Dali Temple and the Criminal Department, all interest groups will intervene, such a good opportunity, don't kill you Guo Dan, and wait for the New Year!

The other party's trick is very cheap, leaving a breakthrough for everyone, this is a crime, not only about etiquette, you have to investigate, Empress Dowager Li and Wanli have been on the battlefield for a long time, and they all know that once this kind of investigation is investigated, it may really be self-defeating.

Once the inner court cooperates with the foreign ministers, it will be very troublesome, and the officials will not be afraid of so much, just shout loudly, you kill, you kill as much as you want, see how much you can kill.

Zhu Yihua said eagerly: "Then tell the truth, the fact is that Guo Dan saved my sister." ”

Wanli frowned and said: "You are confused, don't you tell the world that it was Yongning who knocked the palace maid unconscious, and then committed suicide by jumping into the river." ”

Empress Dowager Li also frowned.

This is the most headache for her, this is related to her daughter, she doesn't want to push Princess Yongning to the front, then she can't tell the truth, and if she wants to say it, it will also damage the royal reputation.

Guo Dan was always depressed in his heart, because he had a clear conscience, but if you don't tell the truth, then he will have a guilty conscience, and he thinks that if you cover another lie with one lie, unless everyone in the world is stupid, otherwise, it will only get worse and worse.

In fact, this kind of thing happened a lot in the capitalist society, and I should be able to think of a way to deal with it.

Guo Dan began to search his mind for some cases similar to this matter.

After a while, he suddenly said: "Queen Mother, Your Majesty, have you ever thought about the princess?" ”

Wanli was puzzled when he heard this, and said: "If it weren't for the princess being implicated in this matter, I and the Queen Mother wouldn't have had such a headache." ”

Guo Dan shook his head and said, "Humble duty refers not only to this matter, but to the princess." ”

Empress Dowager Li was curious: "What do you mean by this?" ”

Guo Dan said: "Why did the princess commit suicide by throwing herself into the river?" Who caused this tragedy? ”

Wanli immediately said: "You mean Zhang Juzheng?" ”

Guo Dan shook his head and said: "In fact, man-made disasters are inevitable, there are always bad people in this world, but I think that the real tragedy of the princess is precisely public opinion, that is, those so-called etiquette."

I believe that even if Sage Kong is here, he will sympathize with the princess, the princess is innocent, she was victimized, but now she is asked to bear all this, today is a humble duty to save the princess, but the princess obviously has the heart to seek death, next time, next time?

Tragedy may happen again. ”

Empress Dowager Li also seemed to understand when she heard it, and asked, "What do you want to say?" ”

Guo Dan said: "The meaning of the humble position is that the princess is innocent and the princess is the victim, so why let the princess do all this, the humble duty feels that the queen mother and His Majesty have the responsibility to avenge the princess and let the princess be freed." ”

Empress Dowager Li and Wanli glanced at each other.

Now the culprit is dead.

Guo Dan continued: "I think that covering up will only make things more complicated, and instead of doing this, it is better to speak out loud, say the grievances of the royal family, and say the tragedy of etiquette." ”

Empress Dowager Li said: "This is not good, do you know the consequences of doing this?" ”

For etiquette, did you eat the bear's heart and leopard gall?

Guo Dan said: "But I also know that everyone has compassion, and there will be many people who will sympathize with the princess, and there will be people who will reflect on it, and only by doing so can we truly remove the shackles on the princess." ”

Wanli's eyes suddenly flashed, and he asked, "Guo Dan, are you sure?" ”

Empress Dowager Li glanced at Wanli slightly, but she didn't make a sound.

Guo said lightly: "Your Majesty, there are seven points of certainty in the lowly position, and this matter can be reversed, but there are two prerequisites, the first is to act quickly, after all, people have preconceived notions, once the other party's public opinion rises first, then our rhetoric will become an excuse, and then we will really be powerless."

Second, the lowly office needs the support of the Queen Mother and Her Majesty, after all, this involves the royal family, and it is difficult to be convincing without the affirmation of the Queen Mother and Her Majesty. ”