On December 28, the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, the snow began to fall at some point last night, and the city of Beijing was dressed up in plain white. Because of the weather and the approach of the New Year, there are obviously many fewer people on the streets than in the past, and even if someone appears on the street at this time, it is still in a hurry.

Caishikou, located outside the Xuanwu Gate in Beijing, is not only the capital used as a place of execution in the past, but also an extremely lively commercial district in the outer city area. Different from Qianmen Dashilar, there are most restaurants, restaurants and teahouses that operate food and beverages here.

Taibaifang is a very ordinary teahouse around the entrance of the vegetable market, which not only operates a tea business, but also operates ordinary dim sum and pasta. However, on such a day, everyone is probably too lazy to go out, and even when it is time for lunch, there are very few guests in the teahouse.

The shopkeeper of Taibaifang beckoned the guy to change the briquettes, and wiped the blackboard behind the counter and sighed: "The days can't be passed, it's only been three days, and the price of flour has risen again. ”

A few guests who had just walked in from outside the door happened to see the price list that the shopkeeper was changing, and they couldn't help but complain while being afraid of the snowflakes on their bodies: "This rotten meat noodles yesterday were only 22 big men a bowl, and today it will become 24 big sons, the shopkeeper, you are too black-hearted, how much money do we only earn this day?" If you continue to rise like this, we will really have to go back to the countryside to farm. ”

"That's it, that's it, I remember that at the beginning of this year, this bowl of rotten meat noodles was only 12 big people, and the price doubled this year, but unfortunately our wages haven't gone up at all..."

These guests are all regular customers of Taibaifang, and they are also big guys in the nearby shops, although they keep complaining, the shopkeeper Mao is not annoyed at all, but said slowly: "You are content, you don't go out to inquire, the teahouse restaurant in the capital, and only I am here to increase the price."

Besides, you should be grateful that you still have a mouthful of food to eat. That is, at the feet of the Son of Heaven, you can still eat enough if you sell your strength. Back to the countryside to farm? How many people have starved to death in Henan this year, and the governor of Henan has been involved in the Kaifeng gentry and the clan I don't know how many books, I heard that the court and the central government are making trouble for this matter, and even several cabinet elders have been implicated. Hey, I don't know what next year will bring..."

After listening to the conversation between the shopkeeper and the guests downstairs, a young man couldn't help but say with emotion: "Even these small people in the market know that the court and the central government are arguing for Wang Hanru Wang, which shows that this matter is really difficult to get right, and I don't know if Lord Wang can pass this hurdle." ”

Another person beside him said hatefully: "Wang Qi, a thief, robbed the people in the city to achieve his false name. A gentleman is deceitful and good, which is no different from the wanton evil of a villain; The gentleman changes the festival, which is not as good as the villain's self-reform. That's what he's talking about. ”

Several people present nodded in agreement with the opinion of the latter companion, believing that Wang Qi was a hypocrite who was good on the outside and evil on the inside. Zhang Huangyan was about to persuade his companion and distinguish a few words for Wang Qi, but he heard someone next door suddenly reprimand loudly.

"It's really nonsense, there were hundreds of thousands of refugees outside Kaifeng at that time, but these big profiteers were hoarding grain, completely ignoring the life and death of the people. If Wang Hanru hadn't taken the opportunity to confiscate these people's food, Kaifeng would have been eroded a long time ago.

Listening to what you just said, I am also a scholar who is going to Beijing to prepare for next year's spring examination, and as a talent who will manage the country in the future, it is really okay to talk about the minister of state just by relying on a few words from hearsay? ”

Listening to these official words, the scholars in the room suddenly asked unconvinced: "Who is Your Excellency?" Why bother us to talk? ”

There was silence next door for a moment, and then a voice sounded: "Yiling Wen Anzhi, as the dean of education at Yenching University, can't you correct it when you hear your ridiculous remarks?" ”

Although everyone had never heard of Wen Anzhi's name, the title of Yenching University's dean of education still suppressed them. The imperial examination has now been more and more mastered by universities, and even the "Annotations on the Collection of Four Books and Chapters and Sentences", which was used as a textbook for the imperial examination of the Ming Dynasty, has gradually been replaced by the study of neo-Confucian theory that has emerged in universities, and of course this substitution has changed bit by bit.

Whether it is the power to issue questions or review examination papers, it has been transferred from the original officials of the Ministry of Rites to the hands of university professors. The dean of education at Yenching University could theoretically be the invigilator who reviewed their imperial examination papers. Therefore, after hearing this answer, the faces of the people drinking tea in the room suddenly changed, and they did not dare to continue to reply.

Everyone looked at each other, and finally lost interest in continuing to drink tea, and got up one by one and quietly slipped downstairs. Only the scholar and Zhang Huangyan, who had just distinguished Wang Qi, did not go downstairs directly, but went to the next door to sign up and apologize.

Wen Anzhi didn't care much about himself, taught them two words through the door, and let them leave. When Zhang Huangyan and his companion walked downstairs, their companion couldn't help complaining that the dean of Yenching University was so arrogant that he didn't even let them in. Zhang Huangyan smiled and said: "Maybe this Master Wen is trying to avoid suspicion, after all, if he is included in the list of invigilators, it is really inappropriate to see us at this moment..."

After listening to Zhang Huangyan and the others go downstairs and leave, Wen Anzhi said to the friends in the room: "The area affected by the disaster this year is much wider than last year, and the extent of the disaster is much more serious than that of Chongzhen's three years. However, this year, except for the Kaifeng area, the extent of damage in other areas has not exceeded the situation of Chongzhen for three years, which is a happy thing.

But now because of Wang Hanru's incident, the court is torn apart, and Qian Muzhai's second term of office is about to expire, some people really can't hold back their ambitions and are about to move. Even if these scholars start to stand in line, I really don't know how this battle in the court will end..."

"Why interfere with them?" Looking at the heavy snow fluttering outside the window, Zhu Youzhen said casually with a cup of hot coffee: "It's not easy to get through this whole year, so let me spend the New Year quietly." These people are actually no different from huskies, and the more you try to persuade them, the more they will quarrel. If you let it go, they will find a staircase for themselves with a weak heart. ”

Regarding the emperor's evaluation, Wang Chengen, who sent Chongzhen, was also speechless. He had no choice but to say carefully: "This Kaifeng incident is also the work of the governor of Henan himself.

It is clear that His Majesty has issued instructions to the military and civilians in Henan through the Disaster Relief and Emergency Affairs Committee, asking all counties in Henan to control all transportation arteries and not allow the free movement of disaster victims. However, Wang Qi believed that the imperial court's instructions were contrary to the way of benevolence, and the blockade of the main transportation routes in various counties was undoubtedly to make the victims starve to death at home, and resolutely demanded that the blockade of the army and militia around Kaifeng Mansion be lifted.

As a result, the victims of the disaster in Henan flocked to Kaifeng, causing the local food prices to rise sharply, and finally even the local victims in Kaifeng lost control. If he hadn't come to his senses later, mobilized the army to suppress the displaced people who intercepted the Yellow River boats outside the city, and forcibly requisitioned the grain stored by the wealthy families in Kaifeng, Kaifeng would have really been captured by the victims.

This Wang Qi has always been close to the new Donglin Party, and he was impeached by the Henan gentry and the Zhou Dynasty and other clans. But who would have thought that just because Wang Qi, the old gang of Qian Ge, said a few words, the Qingliu people actually pointed the finger at Qian Ge Lao.

Looking at the discussion caused by these clear streams, Qian Ge Lao became timid again, and wanted to change his attitude to investigate and punish Wang Qi. But in this way, another group of personnel within the New Donglin Party quit and began to accuse Qian Ge Lao of not taking responsibility.

However, Wen Tiren, Choi Chengxiu, Feng Quan, and others took the opportunity to fall into the trap, believing that Qian Ge Lao was not only incompetent in governing the country, but also could not even do a good job in the party affairs of his new Donglin Party, causing the DPRK and Chinese officials to not do their jobs properly and quarrel all day long, and they should take the initiative to resign to settle the dispute between the DPRK and China.

Now that Qian Ge Lao simply said that he was sick and rested at home, and the cabinet lacked anyone to preside, many affairs began to pile up. The minister is also in a hurry. ”

Chongzhen glanced back at him and said, "Did Old Qian give you any benefits?" Even you said good things for him. ”

After hearing this, Wang Chengen hurriedly clarified for himself: "How dare the minister accept the benefits of the first assistant, but Qian Ge Lao did inquire about His Majesty's intentions from the minister several times, and the minister did not dare to reveal anything. However, His Majesty was working hard every day in the military affairs, and his body was getting thinner and thinner, and the minister really couldn't bear to worry about His Majesty anymore about these things that were fighting for power and profit, so he couldn't help but say a few more words, and the minister was willing to be punished. ”

Chongzhen shook his head, put the cup in his hand on the coffee table on the side, walked to his desk, and said to Wang Chengen: "Get up, it's freezing this day, and it's easy to hurt yourself when you kneel on the ground." I also know that you are well-intentioned. However, the current Internal Affairs Office is no longer the twenty-four prisons of the past, you can take care of the money bag for me and take care of the affairs of the palace. Lu Qi, go downstairs to see if Gong Yu is back, let him come up when he comes back..."

Under the emperor's orders, Wang Chengen and Lu Qi agreed and exited the room. After walking out of the door, Lu Qi couldn't help but complain a little Wang Chengen and said, "Knowing that Your Majesty is in a bad mood during this time, why do you want to go to the muddy water outside the court?"

Wang Chengen said with a wry smile: "With so many industries in the hands of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, how can it be said that it has nothing to do with the foreign dynasty. Although Qian Muzhai's ears are softer, he finally cooperates well with us. If this is replaced by another person, many industries of the Internal Affairs Office will inevitably be allocated to the name of the imperial court by some people as political achievements, how can I not say a few words for Qian Muzhai, lest some people say that we are unkind in the future..."

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