Before Song Xiaofei and Emperor Tongzhi entered the palace, Gui Bao told him the rules and etiquette in the palace, as well as the distribution of each palace, where the queen, the queen mother and the concubines lived, and explained to Song Xiaofei in detail.

Second, after the early dynasty, Emperor Tongzhi went to the Hongde Palace, which is the place where he often reviews the general recitals. There is no need to get the recital discussed at the imperial meeting, such as where the unicorn beast appeared, which rooster was egged by the emperor's grace, etc., Emperor Tongzhi used a red pen to criticize a sentence "I know", and it can be sent back to the internal recital office for archiving, which is a rule handed down from the time of Emperor Kangxi. On that day, the Tongzhi Emperor sat on the dragon chair and reviewed the recitals, and his face gradually showed a long-lost smile, and he saw the recitals reported by the Prime Minister Yamen, saying that the British Minister to China, the French Minister to China, Luo Shuya, the acting American Minister Chargé d'Affaires, Williams, and others were willing to participate in the Mulan Autumn Festival in the near future.

Half an hour later, a chamberlain eunuch entered the palace to report, "Prince Yi's eldest son Zai asked to see him." ”

Zai is two years older than the Tongzhi Emperor, the eldest son of Prince Gong, the cousin of the Tongzhi Emperor, known for his debauchery and stubbornness, he has been in the palace since he was a child to study with him, and he used to enter and leave the palace door more casually, and he broke into the Hongde Hall without waiting for the Tongzhi Emperor to summon him.

"Zai, you are so bold, what should you be guilty of trespassing in the Hongde Palace?" Emperor Tongzhi changed his hippie smile and reprimanded him.

Zai Li stepped forward and touched the bright head of Emperor Tongzhi, "Oh, brother Huang, you took the wrong medicine, I said that I will take you to the Bada Hutong to find a girl, why don't you look so serious." ”

"Presumptuous! In the past, I didn't have a pro-government, and I was playing with you, but now what kind of system has I become! ”

"Pro-government?" Zai laughed, walked to Emperor Tongzhi's side, picked up a book on the table, flipped through it, and threw it on the table: "Come on, who doesn't know that the Queen Mother will help you decide all the big and small affairs in the court, and those national affairs should be left to the adults." Today, I was in a good mood, looking for you to go out of the palace to play, I don't want you to be so boring, and I teach me with a straight face, which is really disappointing. After saying that, ignoring the blue tendons on Emperor Tongzhi's face, he swaggered away.

After Zai left, Emperor Tongzhi was so angry that he threw the fold that was being reviewed on the ground, and passed the servant into the hall: "Spread my message, and immediately announce that the Minister of Military Aircraft Wen Xiang will meet you." ”

About half an hour later, Wen Xiang, who was wearing a unicorn official uniform and a red-topped peacock feather, walked into the Hongde Palace, knelt on the ground and bowed three times and nine times, shouting long live. Wen Xiang is in his fifties, born in Hanlin, has been a cabinet university scholar, an official residence, he has a good handwriting, and now his main work includes drafting decrees on behalf of the Tongzhi Emperor.

Seeing Wen Xiang, Emperor Tongzhi said, "Wen Aiqing, let's be flat." I called you here today to discuss important matters. ”

Wen Xiang stood up, brushed the dust on his knees with his long sleeves, and asked, "Why are you in a hurry to recruit Weichen into the palace?" ”

Emperor Tongzhi said, wait a little longer and you'll know!

After a cup of tea, the emperor Li Hongzao, Prince Gong Yixun, and Prince Alcohol Yixun also stumbled to the Hongde Palace.

When Prince Gong saw that the four major military ministers had arrived, he stroked his beard and said to Emperor Tongzhi: "I have already said this morning, although the concubine Jingshou is close to me, he is in charge of the affairs of the Shenji Battalion, and I don't agree. The Queen Mother didn't kill Jing Shou back then, because I didn't want to watch my sister stay widowed at a young age, and intercede for him, which is already an extrajudicial grace. He has been the Minister of the Guard for many years, and he should be content. ”

"He is an old minister of the first emperor, and he has been dedicated to protecting the emperor's safety for many years, I think this Mulan autumn hunt is the first autumn hunt since the emperor's pro-government, and he is in charge of the Shenji Battalion, and he is in charge of the Shenji Battalion, and the foreign guns and artillery teams are dispatched to protect the safety of the emperor and the queen mother of the two palaces, which is very suitable." Li Hongzao, Minister of Military Aircraft, was-for-tat.

Li Hongzao is the leader of the Qing school, and often sings against Prince Gong of the Western-style faction, and if Prince Gong opposes it, Li Hongzao supports it. Whatever Prince Gong wants to do, Li Hongzao will dismantle the stage. The Qing Dynasty still respected teachers, Li Hongzao was the teacher of Emperor Tongzhi, and the queen mother of the two palaces was also very respectful, and Prince Gong couldn't help him.

"Enough, I didn't come to you to hear your quarrel in the court again." Emperor Tongzhi slapped the imperial table, stood up and said, "Today I want to talk about Zaizi. ”

Emperor Tongzhi said how Zai Gang trespassed into the Hongde Palace, said those rude words and the scene of brushing his sleeves away. Prince Gong was sweating profusely when he heard this, this pit father's son has always been his weakness, but he didn't expect to be so ignorant!

Li Hongzao and Wen Xiang also shook their heads when they heard this, feeling that Zai Yi had gone too far.

After Emperor Tongzhi ascended the throne, Cixi also attached great importance to Yiyun in order to balance Prince Gong's power. When the emperor set up a banquet to summon him, he can not bow down, and he can not write his name, he is now in charge of the Shenji Battalion, and the Tongzhi Emperor Ping said that he also listened to his words, and Prince Yiyun came out of the round and said: "Zai Zi this child, I watched him grow up, he was a little stubborn, and he did not lose the blood surname of my bannerman, the emperor should not make a big fuss." ”

Li Hongzao listened, and said: "This is a big fuss, the courtesy, the extreme of governance, the foundation of a strong country, the way of prestige, the total of fame, the reason why the prince won the world, not because of the fall of the society, Zai This does not understand the number of etiquette, the following crimes, the crime of bullying the king, must be severely punished." The son does not teach, the father's fault, Prince Gong's responsibility cannot be shirked. ”

Li Hongzao is worthy of being the leader of Qingliu, and he can be involved in Jiangshan Sheji, but this time Emperor Tongzhi was very satisfied with what he heard, and asked Wenxiang, "What do you think of the scholars?" ”

Wenxiang and Prince Gong had a very good personal relationship during the Xianfeng years, but Li Hongzao was right, he saw that Emperor Tongzhi was angry, and it was difficult to publicly support Prince Gong, so he said a bunch of nonsense: "Prince Gong stayed in Beijing and the foreigner Zhou Xuan, and actively made suggestions to exterminate the Taiping long-haired and twisted thieves, save the crisis of the Qing Dynasty, and opened the general yamen, which made outstanding achievements......

Except for Li Hongzao, no one spoke for himself, and Emperor Tongzhi was so angry that he raised his hand and overturned the ginseng soup sent by the eunuch, and with a snap, the transparent Hetian jade bowl broke, and the soup flowed all over the ground.

Prince Gong didn't say anything anymore and voluntarily accepted the punishment, so Wen Xiang drafted a holy decree according to the meaning of Emperor Tongzhi: "Spread the message to the kings and ministers in the court, etc., since the 26th day of the first month of last year, every time I call the right person, Prince Gong's language, there are many failures, too many to mention, and I will remove the title of prince and demote to the king of the county." His son Zai was rude to me and removed him from the title of king of Baylor County as a light punishment. ”

Wen Xiang completed the draft and submitted it to the Tongzhi Emperor. Emperor Tongzhi nodded in agreement and said to Wen Xiang: "Go ahead, just proclaim it accordingly." ”

After less than a stick of incense, the Empress Dowager Cixi had a decree and passed on Emperor Tongzhi to go to the Qianqing Palace immediately. He changed into a golden dragon robe, wore a dragon crown inlaid with sapphires, and sat on the imperial chariot and went to the Qianqing Palace, while Song Xiaofei, the new eunuch, and nine eunuchs followed the imperial chariot all the way.

When he arrived at the Qianqing Palace, the Tongzhi Emperor got off the chariot in front of the steps and walked into the main hall of the Qianqing Palace from the imperial road. Song Xiaofei stood outside the door, waiting outside with his head down, peeking into the hall from time to time.

Prince Wenxiang, Prince Gong and other princes and ministers and Cixi were in the main hall. Emperor Tongzhi dragged in with a heavy load, and after sitting down, his eyes stayed on Prince Gong, his face was gloomy as if it was about to rain, and he reprimanded Wen Xiang: "You dog slave is so bold, didn't I have issued an order to remove Prince Gong's title, why is his top still wearing a flower feather?" ”

Wen Xiang said: "The Queen Mother has taken back the emperor's order. ”

"Your Majesty, which play are you singing? The mourners are still sitting in this great hall. Cixi's face did not change, and said, "Are you really so angry for Zai? ”

Emperor Tongzhi truthfully told Cixi: "Prince Gong has repeatedly contradicted me and offended me for the matter of the Old Summer Palace and Jingshou's horses. He was redressed by the removal of his title of prince and the title of King of Baylor as a punishment. ”

The Empress Dowager Cixi glanced at Prince Gong and said, "Prince Gong, rebuilding the Old Summer Palace was approved by the mourning family. ”

"The Empress Dowager, the ministers also supported the emperor to repair the garden at the beginning, and also paid a tribute of 20,000 taels of silver to repair the garden. But later, the ministers who repaired the garden reported that the Old Summer Palace was more than 40 miles away from the imperial city, and it had been seriously damaged, and it was probably very expensive to renovate it. The minister has a fold here, and he also asks the emperor and the queen mother to take a look. Prince Gong handed over the fold to the eunuch.

After reading it, Cixi ordered the eunuch to pass it to Emperor Tongzhi for inspection. Emperor Tongzhi opened it and saw that it was "Honoring Chen Xianlie and Asking the Emperor to Make Determination to Use Relief in Time to Help Hardships and Crises", and seconded this fold, as well as more than ten imperial ministers and military ministers such as Wen Xiang, who made a big argument and sprinkled more than 3,000 words with enthusiasm, asking the project of the Old Summer Palace to be stopped.

Cixi said: "Although Prince Gong often goes against the emperor's wishes, the mourning family sees that he is still a great loyal minister, and if he takes off the title, the princes and ministers may have ideas, so forget it." ”

"The emperor said that he had all the opportunities, worked state affairs, and worried about the unscrupulous son of his subordinates, I am really ashamed, after I go back, I will send him to the Zongren Mansion and not let him go out for half a step." Prince Gong knelt on the ground and said: "The third and fourth sons of Weichen are all young, the princess is too doting, he is not educated, offended the emperor, and asked the queen mother and the emperor to remember the suffering of the ministers and open the net." ”

Cixi said: "Prince Gong has said it, they are all children, playing around. The mourning family doesn't need to pursue this matter too much, restore the title of Baylor and deduct him for half a year. ”

Emperor Tongzhi sat on the dragon chair in isolation, like a wronged child, threw the fold to the ground, took off the yellow dragon hat on his head, and cried: "This is not good, that is not good, I can't do anything, am I still the emperor?" What if I give up the throne? ”

Speaking of this, the hall was quiet, and Cixi took a sip of tea and said, "Your Majesty, you are talking angry!" In this way, it just so happens that Prince Alcohol has been ill recently, and he proposed to let Xian and hand over the Shenji Camp, as long as you agree with the Empress Dowager, Jingshou will be in charge of the affairs of the Shenji Camp, and it will be up to you. ”

Emperor Tongzhi realized the first step of his coup d'état, saying: "The son thanked his mother. ”

Song Xiaofei lowered his head outside the hall, taking in all this, looking at Cixi's words and deeds, he had a degree of control over Prince Gong and a group of princes and ministers, in comparison, Emperor Tongzhi was a little childish, no wonder his Shengyu not only couldn't get out of the Forbidden City, but also couldn't get out of the Hongde Palace. But Song Xiaofei didn't know why Cixi still agreed to let the concubine Jingshou take charge of the Shenji Battalion, maybe she was the queen of the East Palace Ci'an, or she also wanted to see what Emperor Tongzhi was going to do.