On the fourth day of the fifth month, Li Zhi's newspaper had been fermenting in the capital for four days. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

It was the time of the court meeting, and on the Imperial Palace, Zhu Youzhen looked at the sparse team of officials in surprise, and he didn't know what to do.

At today's court meeting, one-third of the civil officials were late, and Zhou Yanru, the first assistant of the cabinet, and Zheng Sanjun, the secretary of the ministry, were all absent. What is this? In particular, several officials of the household department and Taifu Temple were all absent! Where are the civil servants? How can we be late together? What do you mean? Collective protests?

Wang Chengen went to see Li Zhi and the nine general soldiers in private, and the civilian officials did not know. At present, Zhu Youzhen has only sent Wu Fu, who has privately transferred troops and horses, to the prison for careful examination, and has not arrested other civilian officials.

Could it be that something happened in the capital?

Zhu Youzhen looked at Liu Zongzhou, the imperial history of the left capital, and asked, "Liu Zongzhou, why are so many Wenchen late today?" ”

Liu Zongzhou hesitated for a while, bowed his hand, and said vaguely: "The ministers may have encountered some problems on the road, and they will be there soon." ”

Zhu Youzhen saw that Liu Zongzhou didn't speak clearly, and knew that there was a problem here, so he asked, "What problems did you encounter on the road?" Can you make it impossible for the ministers to go to court? ”

Liu Zongzhou saw that he couldn't hide it, so he could only say: "Holy Lord, today the people in the city are making trouble, blocking the way of the courtiers and preventing them from going to the court." Hundreds of these people gathered to block the roads. When the minister was in the court, he was stopped in Mung Bean Alley, and it was all up to the family to desperately squeeze out a road before entering the imperial city. ”

Zhu Youzhen was stunned, but he didn't know that such a thing had happened in the capital. The capital is where the Forbidden City is located, and the situation in the capital is very important because it is related to the safety of the Forbidden City. So many courtiers can't go to court, but they are all blocked by the people, which is a big deal.

The people of the capital are accustomed to seeing big officials, the so-called looking up and not looking down, the so-called barefoot are not afraid of wearing shoes, and the people at the feet of the Son of Heaven are not afraid of the courtiers. During the Wanli period, the first assistant Shen Shixing, there was a joke about being blocked by an old woman in the capital when he was in the last dynasty. But that is just an example, and it is the first time that Wenchen has been unable to go to court on a large scale like today.

Zhu Youzhen said very worriedly: "Why are these Diao people making trouble? ”

Liu Zongzhou arched his hand and said: "I'm afraid that when the Duke of Jinguo saw that the Son of Heaven did not agree to his unreasonable demands, he instigated a civil uprising in the capital, and this situation occurred. ”

This Liu Zongzhou avoided the important and light, not to mention the demands of the people blocking the road, but sued Li Zhi. When Zhu Youzhen heard this, he knew that Liu Zongzhou didn't want to tell the truth, so he frowned.

Without so many civil officials, the court meeting could not be held. Zhu Youzhen didn't speak, just looked at the Neijin Water Bridge in the distance and waited silently. The hundred officials stood in the Imperial Palace and looked vigorously to the south, waiting for the other officials.

After waiting for a quarter of an hour, he saw a frightened figure holding a crooked black gauze hat in his hand, turning around through the Fengtian Gate in ten steps, as if he was afraid that someone from behind would rush up and arrest him. When this slightly disheveled man walked to the Dan Fan of the Imperial Palace, everyone saw clearly that this was clearly Zheng Sanjun, the secretary of the ministry.

Getting closer, everyone saw a blood mark on Zheng Sanjun's forehead, and they didn't know whether he fell or was beaten.

The official department is known as the "heavenly official", why is it so embarrassed.

Zheng Sanjun walked to the Imperial Palace, knelt down in a hurry, and sang with a sign: "Holy Lord, Minister Zheng Sanjun is late." ”

Zhu Youzhen asked curiously: "Who dares to hurt Shangshu?" ”

Zheng Sanjun's eyes turned red when he heard this, and he almost cried. He touched the blood marks on his forehead, kowtowed forward, and said, "Holy Lord, if you don't rectify the Duke of Jinguo, the country will not be a country!" ”

Zhu Youzhen asked, "How do you say this?" ”

Zheng Sanjun said loudly: "Holy Lord, Li Zhi is inciting public opinion in the capital and bewitching the people. In the past two days, the Diao people in the capital poured out of their nests to besiege the officials. There are also people who throw stones at the minister's house at night, as if they want to smash the minister to death. ”

"As soon as I walked out of my house today, I found that there were more than 100 Diao people blocking my path on the road. These people shouted and stopped the minister's palanquin. The minister was in a hurry to go to the court, and commanded the sedan chair driver to rush out of a road, but the sedan chair was knocked over by these people, and the minister injured his forehead on the spot. ”

These Diao people relied on the support of the Duke of Jinguo, and they had no fear, and surrounded the ministers and scolded loudly. The wording is unheard of. ”

"The minister is helpless, only when he returns to the mansion and walks the path through the back door, he can walk to the imperial city."

Zhu Youzhen didn't expect Zheng Sanjun to have such a hard time going up last time, it seems that the inside of the capital is exploding.

However, Zheng Sanjun and Liu Zongzhou avoided their words, and they didn't say what these Diao people were doing, these people were so indignant and acted collectively, were they bewitched by Li Zhi? How did Li Zhi have such a great ability?

If it goes on like this, Li Zhi doesn't have to attack the city, and the capital will be in chaos.

Zhu Youzhen looked at Zheng Sanjun and was silent.

Suddenly, a few brocade-clothed guards in flying fish costumes ran outside the Imperial Palace. Several thousands of households walked to the Imperial Palace, knelt down and saluted, got up and shouted: "Holy Lord, the house of Chen Jishan, the former servant of the temple, was set on fire last night, and the fire burned three rooms, almost burning down the entire mansion. ”

Another thousand households arched their hands and said: "Holy Lord, the courtyard of Zhou Yanru, the first assistant of the cabinet, is surrounded by hundreds of people. Zhou Yanru's sedan chair tried to break through the crowd, but the sedan chair man was beaten by the people. Shousuke really can't rush over, and he can't go to court today. ”

Zhu Youzhen took a breath, he didn't expect that the capital was already in such a mess. What trick did Li Zhi use to make the people so indignant?

The collective absence of the officials of the household department and the Taifu Temple must be the same reason. These officials do not know how they are treated by the people.

You won't be beaten by the people, right?

Zhu Youzhen was worried about the situation in the city, but suddenly heard a chorus shouting outside the noon gate. The sound seemed to be made by thousands of people together, passing through the square outside the Imperial Palace and entering the Imperial Palace, but I couldn't hear what was being shouted.

Hearing the shouts, the civil officials in the court looked at each other and changed color.

Zhu Youzhen saw that the officials didn't explain things clearly, and knew that if he didn't send his own people, he couldn't figure out what was going on. He pointed at Wang Chengen and said loudly: "Wang Chengen, you go out and have a look and figure things out." ”

Wang Chengen sang a song and strode out with the two eunuchs.

After a quarter of an hour, Wang Chengen ran back with a sweat on his head, ran to the bottom of the throne and shouted: "Emperor, thousands of people outside gathered outside the Chengtian Gate to shout, men, women, old and young, very excited. ”

"Shouting what?"

"It's shouting to kill traitors! To kill all the traitors involved in the case of the hidden silver of the Taifu Temple! ”