The demon book case disrupted the Shuntian Mansion, and Shen always took the opportunity to dominate the cabinet

At the beginning of May of the 26th year of Wanli, Emperor Wanli was listening to Chen Ju's report on the process of recruiting and reinforcing troops from the Eastern Expedition. I saw that Chen Ju was hesitant, and it seemed that he was difficult to open. After receiving the relief of Emperor Wanli, Chen Jufang spoke.

It turned out that a few days ago, Lu Kun, then a servant of the Criminal Department, warned the Wanli Emperor to save court expenses and stop mining taxes to stabilize the world. Emperor Wanli didn't care at first, but a few days later, Dai Shiheng made a big fuss about it, and Shang Shu impeached Lu Kun in his early years with "Boudoir Fan Tushu" to accept the palace and welcome the concubine, and now he wants to be famous in the world with "Safety and Danger". Many officials in the DPRK and China also subsequently impeached Lu Kun, and Lu Kun was wronged and defended himself, and said that the "Boudoir Fan Tushu" that is now circulating is not his original work, and asked for comparison and clarification.

Emperor Wanli therefore asked Chen Ju, the celebrant of the ceremony, for details, and Chen Ju replied: "Back to the master's words, in the eighteenth year of Wanli, Lu Kun was the envoy of Shanxi, during which he collected the deeds of the virtuous women and martyrs of the past dynasties and wrote the four volumes of this book "Boudoir Fan Tushuo", which was widely circulated. Later, when the slave maid went out of the palace on an errand, she saw this book and brought it back to the palace. The concubine Niangniang happened to see this book and loved it very much, and ordered someone to rewrite this book, adding 12 people, starting with Empress Han Mingde, ending with Niangniang herself and writing a preface herself. Niangniang's uncle Zheng Chengen and brother Zheng Guotai re-engraved a new version of "Boudoir Fan Tushuo", which Dai Shiheng was referring to. ”

Emperor Wanli said: "I also know something about Lu Kun, the world calls him a great Confucian, but he has some practical learning, and he is also honest and competent as an official. This Dai Shiheng really does not distinguish between right and wrong, and impeached him at will without verification, and even pointed directly at the concubine, alluding to the harem, and having ill intentions. ”

Chen Ju replied: "The new version of "Boudoir Fan Tushuo" is roughly the same as the old version, and it has gradually been reprinted and spread more and more widely, so it is no wonder that the world can confuse the two editions. This Dai Shiheng is just crazy, and he is known for his uprightness and outspokenness, but sometimes there will be impeachment. This Lu Kun is really wronged, and the slave thinks that the master doesn't have to care. "Emperor Wanli was inconvenient to investigate and verify this matter involving Concubine Zheng Guifei, so he left the music in the middle and did not send it. However, he was extremely dissatisfied with Dai Shiheng, and instructed Chen Ju to greet the cabinet to first transfer Dai Shiheng to Jizhou judge, and then transfer to other provinces at a later date. Dai Shiheng was released, but Zhang Wei, the second assistant of the cabinet, was impeached and demonstrated, and Zhang Wei was involved in secret correspondence with Yang Hao, accepting bribes, forming a party for personal gain, Zhang Wei defended, Wanli ordered Zhang Wei to be suspended and idle, Zhang Wei was indignant, and he did not leave home after that.

Unexpectedly, a few days later, a person who claimed to be Yanshan Zhu Dongji wrote a special essay for the "Boudoir Fan Tushuo", called "The Discussion of Sorrow and Danger", which was widely circulated in Beijing in the form of leaflets. In the article, he commented on the abolition of the successive dynasties in the form of questions and answers, alluding to the country's foundation. And the article bluntly said that in "Boudoir Fan Tushuo", Empress Han Ming Dema entered the Middle Palace as a nobleman, and Lu Kun intended to marry Zheng Guifei, and Zheng Guifei used this book to build momentum for the emperor's third son, Zhu Changxun, to establish the East Palace. He also said that Lu Kun was in danger in the world, and he did not say anything but did not say anything about the country, and even formed a party with his cousin Zheng Chengen, Zhang Yangmeng, the household servant, and Wei Yunzhen, the governor of Shanxi, and attached himself to Zheng Guifei to give advice to abolish the elder and the young.

For a while, everyone in the streets and alleys of Jingshi knew about it, and there was a lot of discussion about it. Hundreds of officials were alarmed, and Jiuqing Kedao vied with each other to impeach Lu Kun and his henchmen, and even asked for the purge of the harem and issued an edict to regularly appoint the eldest son of the emperor as the prince to determine the country's capital early, which caused an uproar. Lu Kun was criticized by the government and the opposition, and was pointed out, and his colleagues in the criminal department also challenged him, and his former friends retreated, so Lu Kun was afraid day and night, and he couldn't go out.

Emperor Wanli was furious: "Demon book! Demon book! Woe to the world! What the hell is going on! Where did this "Sorrowful Discussion" come from! Who is this Zhu Dongji! Chen Ju replied: "The master is angry, take care of the dragon body, according to the slave maid, this Zhu Dongji must be a pseudonym, which may be the meaning of the prince of the Royal East Palace, and it is completely against the country." ”

Wang Zhizhen pleaded guiltily: "This demon book has sinister intentions, reversing right and wrong, slandering Lu Kun and slandering the emperor and the concubine, inciting public opinion in the world, and being mad and unscrupulous. Just in Lu Kun's "Danger and Danger", there is this demon book in the world in just a few days, and the content of the hundred officials is sparse, and the names of the officials are so clear, it can be seen that someone must be secretly plotting, and the ministers are arrogantly determined that it is someone among the courtiers of the Beijing Division, and the ministers are also worried that this person is extremely secretive, not easy to investigate, it is easier to implicate too widely, and it is difficult to hide the mouth of the world. ”

Emperor Wanli motioned to flatten: "What you say is reasonable, don't track down the culprit with great fanfare." It's the other way around! Wang Zhizhen, I order you Jinyi Wei to secretly track down immediately, and the thief behind this demon book must be arrested! Don't let him escape from the capital, arrest him as soon as possible and settle the matter! Wang Zhizhen received the order. Emperor Wanli also ordered Chen Ju to order Dongchang to summarize and investigate the words and deeds of officials above the fourth grade in Beijing on weekdays, and report it immediately if it is found, and Chen Ju received the order.

At the same time, Zheng Chengen and Zheng Guotai were also pointed out by Qianfu because of this incident, and they specially came to Zheng Guifei for help. Zheng Chengen asked, "Where did this demon book come from?" Who instructed it? Could it be Concubine Gong? She has always fallen out of favor with the emperor, and the eldest son of the emperor has always been in danger. Niangniang, you have always been a stumbling block for her and the eldest son of the emperor, and it is reasonable if Concubine Gong is the mastermind of this matter. ”

Concubine Zheng Guifei disagreed: "Concubine Gong is cowardly and incompetent, she keeps to herself, she has been closely observed by me in the palace, she has never met with foreign ministers, and those slaves and maids have never helped her to contact the outside world." The palace is just for the queen mother to see her, and as for the eldest son of the emperor, it is impossible to plan this matter, so there is no need to doubt it. ”

Zheng Guotai guessed: "Could it be that the cabinet ministers?" Zhao Zhigao, Zhang Wei, Shen Zhengyi. In addition to the three of them, those officials in Beijing who called for the emperor's eldest son to be the prince, whether it was Shangshu Shilang or Kedao Yanguan, those who had such shrewd and vicious methods had been dismissed from their posts and expelled from Beijing in the Jingcha turmoil. Judging from all kinds of signs, the mastermind of this demon book is set in Beijing, and I don't know who else can have this ability in Beijing at this time, except for the ministers. ”

Zheng Guifei said: "There are many people in the capital who have this ability, and the ministers are deeply relied on by the emperor, even if these three people have the intention of establishing the emperor's eldest son, they will never damage the emperor's holy name and disturb the harem." I don't know who the mastermind of Jingzhong is, but I know that it must be related to several people. ”

Cheng Cheng Yan and Cheng Kwok Tai were busy asking who was related? Zheng Guifei replied: "After Lu Kun was on the "The Safety of the World", it was Dai Shiheng who took the lead in impeaching him with "Boudoir Fan Tushuo", and within a few days of him being ordered to be transferred, this demon book appeared in Jingshi, and the content of it was so consistent with what Dai Shiheng said! And at this time, he has not left Jingshi, how can it not be related to him? Before Dai Shiheng, Fan Yuheng of Quanjiao Zhixian County also invited the eldest son of the emperor, and his words were fierce, accusing me, and the content of his words also appeared in the demon book, which shows that these two people must have a lot to do with the demon book, as long as they are tortured, they can find out the mastermind behind the scenes. ”

Zheng Chengen and Zheng Guotai still felt that it was inappropriate to infer based on this alone, Zheng Guifei said: "As long as there are clues, they should be investigated immediately, and the culprit should be taken as soon as possible, and the matter will be quelled. ”

When the Empress Dowager Li suddenly summoned Emperor Wanli and Concubine Zheng Guifei into Cining Palace, Concubine Wang Gong and Zhu Changluo were with the Empress Dowager, and Emperor Wanli and Concubine Zheng Guifei knelt down to say hello. Empress Dowager Li said: "The mourning family has recently heard that there are demon books that are causing chaos, talking about the country's capital, and disturbing the court. Your Majesty, you can't be clearer about the attitude of the mourning family towards canonization, the mourning family is unwilling to supervise you more for this matter, and the mourning family between Concubine Gong and the concubine does not want to be disturbed. But it is also absolutely forbidden for foreign ministers and even ordinary people to talk about the affairs of the palace and the dispute over the country's capital at will and distort the facts! The royal face is thus gone! ”

Emperor Wanli persuaded: "The queen mother is angry, and the minister is also very angry about this matter, and has secretly ordered Jinyiwei to secretly investigate this matter, and the son is scheduled to quell the demon book case within a few days, so that the world can relieve suspicion and return the royal family's innocence." Empress Dowager Li said: "That's good, the mourning family will say another word, the people outside are panicking, the heavenly family has been slandered, and Zheng Guifei is on the cusp of this matter, and she wants to clear her grievances." But it's best not to suspect the demon book case on Concubine Gong's body, if it is instructed by a foreign minister, the emperor will deal with it, and there will be those in the palace who take the opportunity to make trouble, and the mourning family will not be spared. Wanli was ordered to retire, and Zheng Guifei immediately retired and went with Wanli, telling Wanli everything she guessed on the way, and Emperor Wanli thought so.

At this time, Zhao Zhigao and Shen Zheng, the cabinet minister, were also running around, appeasing the ministers and trying their best to refute the rumors, but the ministers did not agree, and the debate between the cabinet and the hundred officials was fierce. And Shen always secretly invited the commander of Jinyiwei to meet with Li Ruzhen, and Li Ruzhen asked Shen Cheng what he had to talk about. Shen has always said: "Jin Yiwei secretly investigated the demon book case and came to assist. ”

Li Ruzhen was suspicious: "This matter is a secret decree of the emperor, and it is a top secret for Jinyiwei, how did Shen Ge know about it?" Shen always said: "The demon book case involves Concubine Zheng Guifei, how can the emperor publicly verify it, it will naturally make Jinyiwei secretly investigate." ”

Li Ruzhen smiled and asked Shen what advice he had for all the time? Shen has always said again: "The Li family is a pillar of the society, because of Yang Hao's incident, thank you for speaking up in front of the emperor and saving us and other ministers from injustice." I dare not forget this feeling. Jinyiwei's every move is the emperor's will, and the cabinet is in a difficult situation, and I hope that he will be able to give advice in the future. Today is to repay the grace of the day, so I am here to help. This Dai Shiheng was on the way to impeach and wronged Lu Kun, just when Dai Shiheng was about to be transferred, this demon book appeared, the content of which was very similar to what Dai Shiheng said, I think it must be difficult to get rid of him, and there will be a breakthrough in interrogating Dai Shiheng. ”

Li Ruzhen replied with a smile: "What the elder said, the emperor has already thought that not only Dai Shiheng, but also Fan Yuheng of Quanjiao County is also very suspicious, and Jin Yiwei will interrogate Dai Shiheng today, and Fan Yuheng will also be secretly escorted into Beijing." Although the elder did not want to be in front of the emperor, it can be seen that the elder is also as wise as a torch if he can be consistent with the emperor. ”

Shen always said with a smile that he didn't dare to be juxtaposed with Wanli, and then asked Li Ruzhen what he thought about this matter? Li Ruzhen replied: "This "Discussion on Anxiety" is brilliantly written, the sentences are profound, the words are ruthless, and the feelings of loyalty and righteousness are vividly displayed on the paper. This matter seems to be a voice for the eldest son of the emperor, but if it is only so, it will definitely trap the eldest son of the emperor in danger, and he will be charged with befriending foreign ministers, plotting against him, slandering his father, etc., if the father and son of the heavenly family are suspicious of each other, but a little spark can cause turmoil in the world. It is precisely because of this that Concubine Zheng Guifei will be involved, which can make the emperor have scruples and be in a dilemma. After that, once the eldest son of the emperor is convicted, and the people of the court are wanted, then Zheng Guifei will be criticized and difficult to preserve, and the third son of the emperor will not be able to take the position of the East Palace. In this way, he not only maintained the eldest son of the emperor, catered to the wishes of hundreds of officials, pulled the people of Beijing, but also alarmed the queen mother to interfere, beat Zheng Guifei and the third son of the emperor, and reprimanded the emperor, so that he could hide in the dark. It's really vicious, I'm really curious about who the master is, and I can't see each other. ”

Shen has always thought that people with such scheming are among the courts, but they don't know who they are, which is really chilling down the spine. After thinking about it, Shen always asked Li Ruzhen if he had ever doubted Zhang Wei? Li Ruzhen was surprised why Shen Cheng was involved in the demon book case?

Shen has always said: "I am just a flash of thought, Zhang Ge Lao is already dissatisfied with the suspension and idleness, and I and Shoufu have been persuaded and enlightened. And just two days before the Demon Book appeared in Beijing, Dai Shiheng, who should have been transferred, and some of the officials who actively responded to the Demon Book this time went to Zhang Ge's old mansion to inquire many times in those two days, and the coincidence couldn't help but make people suspicious. If Zhang Ge is innocent, he still needs to find out as soon as possible to wash away his grievances. ”

Li Ruzhen asked: "Elder Zhang Ge is an important minister in the DPRK and a second assistant to the cabinet, and it will be eye-catching to investigate the cabinet." Does Shen Ge always suspect that Zhang Ge is the mastermind behind this demon book case? Shen has always said: "The old man doesn't know who is behind the scenes in Beijing, and everyone in Beijing is suspicious, including the old man." How to probe freedom, you Jinyi Wei autonomous. It's just that this matter is extremely strange, and it is extremely difficult to find out the mastermind behind the scenes, and the emperor is eager to put down the case immediately, so he has no choice but to have to work hard. Although Zhang Ge Lao is highly talented, he is very reserved, and he is suspicious of his own use, if he delays for a long time this time, Zhang Ge Lao is afraid of being criticized. ”

Li Ruzhen echoed: "What Elder Shen Ge said is extremely true. The cabinet is the center of the Ming Dynasty, and the cabinet elders are also very hard-working. Shen has always said: "It's a shame to say that the second assistant is at home, the first assistant is sick, and only the old man in the cabinet is working hard alone, so it is difficult to ensure that everything is thorough and safe." The emperor has every opportunity, and he works tirelessly in the palace to deal with the world's major affairs, but there are always some officials who pretend to be high-ranking and repeatedly criticize the emperor. Every time I think of this, I always feel ashamed of the emperor's grace, and now there are some officials from Yunnan, Hubei, Shandong, Anhui, Zhejiang and other countries in Beijing who sneer at this, and are willing to help the emperor Kuang to support the dynasty. It's all for the sake of the Daming Jiangshan Society, let alone hard work. Anyway, that's all for now, I wish the commander Tongzhi to solve the case as soon as possible to calm people's hearts. ”

At that time, the East Factory was collecting and investigating the records of the words and deeds of officials in Beijing and found no results, so Chen Jumi ordered the East Factory to disguise itself and search around Beijing for the source of the leaflets, so as to verify whether it was related to the officials in Beijing. And there are more than a dozen places where this leaflet is printed, all of which are customized by people with the pseudonym Zhu Dongji, and the appearance and origin are extremely vague and confusing, the images are different, but the time of visit is roughly the same, which shows that it is not one person. In order to avoid startling the snake, Chen Ju ordered that it should not be publicized, closely monitored, and secretly investigated.

Later, Dai Shiheng and Fan Yuheng were secretly arrested by the Jinyi Weibei Zhenfu Division, and after being interrogated by Luo Sigong, the new envoy of Jinyiwei, Dai Shiheng only admitted that he had indeed mentioned to Zhang Wei that he was preparing to impeach Lu Kun. It just so happened that Zhao Zhihan of the imperial history impeached Zhang Wei and called him the mastermind behind the demon book case, and reprimanded fiercely and turned over old accounts, and hundreds of officials were in an uproar.

Chen Jude was shocked in his heart: "What is the relationship between this demon book case and Zhang Ge Lao?" Although Zhang Ge Lao supported the canonization of the emperor's eldest son, he was by no means a person who used this conspiracy and trickery. Just because you have contact with a suspect while staying at home? Far-fetched, deliberately climbing. He even brought out the old incident of accepting bribes to shield Yang Ho and recruiting power to demonstrate, which has long passed and is now being turned out again in order to provoke the master with sinister intentions, and someone must have instigated it. The mastermind of the demon book case has not yet been discovered, and some people have taken advantage of this to suppress dissidents and take advantage of the chaos. ”

The eunuch said that it is difficult to know who instructed Zhao Zhihan to be instructed by him, and he did not see who he had contacted. Chen Ju analyzed: "Zhang Ge has been impeached and suspended, who wants to chase him quickly, this matter is not difficult to guess." Even if the truth is found out, it is afraid that the gangsters will cause trouble, but it may be used in the future, and there will be traces of secret contact if there is an instigation, and I will secretly order the East Factory to secretly investigate, but this Zhang Ge Lao must be at a loss for words this time. ”

On the other side, Li Ruzhen was not surprised at all after learning that Zhang Wei was impeached again, Luo Sigong asked: "When you interrogated Dai Shiheng, you asked me to confirm the relationship with Zhang Ge Lao in detail, and my subordinates were quite puzzled at that time, but now it seems that it is related to this impeachment?" ”

Li Ruzhen replied: "What do you mean by this? Didn't we find out a long time ago that these suspects had been in and out of Zhang Ge's old mansion many times during that period, and since they were involved, they should naturally be verified. Although there is an official impeachment again, there is no evidence whether Zhang Ge Lao is the mastermind of us, but the old man is still unable to escape suspicion, the stakes are very important, and now it involves the cabinet ministers, the emperor should also be waiting for us at this time, and now we should truthfully echo and ask the emperor to make a holy judgment. You pack up and follow me into the palace. Luo Sigong took the order.

Li Ruzhen led the northern town to envoy Luo Sigong to come and play, and Emperor Wanli didn't know what to do for a while. Li Ruzhen pleaded guilty: "The minister is incompetent, and the mastermind has not yet been found, and even if Zhang Ge Lao is not the mastermind, he knew that Dai Shiheng would be impeached in the "Boudoir Fan Tu Shuo" but concealed it from the emperor, and Zhang Ge Lao has many officials in and out of the mansion, and he may accidentally leak it, and the minister thinks that Zhang Ge Lao is probably not to blame at this time. ”

After thinking about it, Wan Li finally decided to stop here, and was ready to make his own decision, so that Li Ruzhen and Luo Sigong and others stepped back and did not mention the matter again. Wanli then issued an edict, declaring that the "Boudoir Fan Tushuo" was selected by Wanli, and because it was consistent with the theme of "Nujian", he personally gave Zheng Guifei for reading day and night. The officials of the DPRK and China were at a loss for a while, and it was hard to believe it. After the Wanli edict was explained, he ordered Dai Shiheng and Fan Yuheng to be imprisoned and tortured, and degraded the lands of Lianzhou and Leizhou in Guangdong respectively for the crimes of forming a party and making books, falsely pointing to the palace ban, interfering with the ceremony, and confusing the world and slandering people. Lu Kun has fallen ill, and Wanli has cleared Lu Kun's name. The second assistant of the cabinet, Zhang Wei, was dismissed by Emperor Wanli for Yang Hao's affairs and ordered him to return to his hometown.

Zhang Wei dismissed the official, Zhao Zhigao recuperated, and now there is only Shen Cheng alone in the cabinet, and many officials borrow to go in and out of the public office to comfort him. Although Shen has always been surprised by Emperor Wanli's conclusion on the demon book case, after all, Zhang Wei was really implicated in leaving Beijing, and his heart was happy, and he thanked the person and said: "What you said is bad, the second assistant is leaving, the first assistant is seriously ill, and the old man has a heartache. Where is the joy? Before the new cabinet ministers are added, the affairs of the various ministries must not be slackened, and as for the cabinet ministers to choose the emperor's own opinions, we and other courtiers usually pay more attention to it. In short, this period of time still depends on your help, and the old man is grateful. ”

Zhao Zhigao heard that Zhang Wei was dismissed, and was specially invited to the house to say goodbye, Zhang Wei saw that Zhao Zhigao was already sick, and his hands and feet were weak, so he did not dare to make Zhao Zhigao greet him, so he refused again and again and asked Zhao Zhigao to stay in bed and talk. Zhao Zhigao asked him what he planned to do after returning to his hometown? Zhang Wei said: "Now it is an idle cloud and wild crane, and there is no more political trouble, after returning to my hometown, I plan to live in seclusion on the South Lake, build a Xianyun Museum, collect thousands of books, and Tang Xianzu, Liu Yingqiu and other friends with literature. Then I traveled to the West Mountain with my disciples and monks, chanting poems and having fun, and this kind of leisure was really what I wanted. It's just that you have to stick to the cabinet while you are sick, preside over the affairs of the DPRK and China and assist the emperor, and the difficult things will emerge in an endless stream in the future, please take care. ”

Zhao Zhigao said: "I am also sick now, and I am old, I don't know when I will leave." It is difficult for me to get into the details of cabinet affairs, and I have asked for retirement many times, but the emperor has not yet allowed it. You are not in the cabinet either, and before the new cabinet ministers are added, you can only let Shen always have the sole power. Although Shen has always been a bit sinister and sleek, and he is obsessed with power, he also has the talent to slaughter and assist. And now the emperor needs such ministers to resist hundreds of officials. Fortunately, Shen has always been consistent with the public opinion on the affairs of the country, but between the emperor and the hundred officials, he is better at handling things, and he is still safe and sound in the whirlpool, which is impressive. In fact, it is not easy for the emperor, the emperor is gifted and intelligent, and what he learned before he became pro-government has been more perfect than the previous emperors of previous dynasties. Although he is less than forty years old, he is well aware of the major affairs of the military and the people's livelihood, and he has wise and holy judgments, and the emperor's views are far beyond those of ordinary courtiers, and he could have become a generation of holy masters. It's a pity that there is a preference between the princes, which leads to the dispute between the country and the opposition of hundreds of officials, and the emperor is not angry, so there is a lot of slackness in state affairs, and the six departments of the cabinet and the nine secretaries of the cabinet are just trying their best to operate. ”

Zhang Wei praised: "The elder of the cabinet is in power, does not plant the party and does not slack power, is stable and decent, and is lenient and lenient, and the ministers and convicts are tried their best to save them." Although there are people in the court who despise the old man and deal with things softly, but the old man does not have to care, the merit lies in the community, not only we admire him, but the emperor also feels it in his heart, and future generations will always remember what the old man did. Zhao Zhigao thanked him again, and after the two talked for a long time, Zhang Wei said goodbye and left Beijing to return home. ”

In June, the imperial court ordered Wan Shide to replace Yang Hao as the new appointee, Wan Shide was handsome, proficient, good at riding and shooting, tanthropist, shrewd and capable, fair and selfless, whether in the local military affairs or civil affairs or in the military department to participate in the military aircraft are good, so it has won the hearts of the people, famous, and is famous for being proficient in military affairs. It was recommended by the provinces of the north and south to be sealed, and the right to the imperial history of the Imperial Governor of Tianjin, Denglai, Lushun and other places was in charge of coastal defense military affairs. Conscripted troops to build ships, worked hard day and night, but was slandered and dismissed by Yang Hao. Now ordered to be strategic, Wan Shide also rushed to the north, entered Liaodong, crossed the river by boat and met with the governor Xing Jue.