They ran out of the door in surprise when they heard the sound of cannons, and were driven home by the brocade guards who suddenly appeared in the streets and alleys like cats and dogs, and after waiting for most of the hour, there was no movement, and they took off their clothes and went to sleep on the kang with confidence.

But tonight there were no watchmen, no more drums urging people to get up early to go to court, but there were few officials who could sleep.

Liu Jian, a university scholar, sat in the middle hall of the reception hall with a crown and a neat official robe, and the two golden and red candles behind him were about to burn out, and the dying wick was like an old man in the last years of the wind and candles, flickering and dimming, and could be annihilated in the copper cup full of candles and tears at any time.

After a long time, the closed door sounded a few times, Liu Jian opened his eyes and shouted, "Didn't you say that you were not allowed to disturb me?" Is it that Jinyiwei has come to get someone? Call them to call me! ”

The old housekeeper outside the door said timidly and softly: "Master, the brocade guards on the street have all been withdrawn, and now it is time to go to court."

Liu Jian let out a long sigh and stood up blankly: "Jinyi Wei withdrew?" No one takes me? ”

Hearing the rumbling sound of Dong'anmen cannon last night, Liu Jian was startled when he heard the sound, and climbed the pavilion at home to look at it from afar, just as Feng Tang's second [***] cannon was fired, and the flowering shells blew up the two houses on fire.

Liu Jian saw that there was an accident in the East Ji Factory, and he hurriedly ordered his family to go out to investigate, but he was blocked by Jinyiwei, Liu Jian knew that something was wrong when he heard this, and he was dressed neatly and solemnly sitting in the middle hall waiting for the emperor to take people.

What's going on? Isn't it that the emperor was angered by the admonitions of the hundred officials and wantonly hunted down Zhongliang?

Liu Jian was dazed for a long time, and his confidence gradually returned to his body: "Although the Son of Heaven is young, he also knows the importance of the country's society, how dare he be so reckless?" Now even if the emperor arrests people under the cannon fire in Dongchang, it must be to kill chickens and monkeys, so as to intimidate hundreds of officials.

As a scholar of the first auxiliary university of the current dynasty and an important minister of the first emperor Tuogu, how can I care about personal fame and fortune and ignore the Ming Dynasty? The emperor can do without Dongchang, but he can't do without us, otherwise who will help him protect the country? Can his power deal with Dongchang, can he deal with the fierce loyalty of the Manchu Dynasty's civil and military forces? I want to rush to the palace gate immediately, gather all the officials to advise and eliminate the annihilation, the success or defeat of the victory, the national fortune and career are all in one fell swoop"

Liu Jian puffed up his chest, regained his majesty, coughed clearly, and shouted categorically: "Take the old man's wat board and prepare the sedan chair to go to court!" ”

The jade step Dan Majesty, the yellow tile and the eaves of the vermilion, the stone pillar of the double dragon with the white marble, the towering dragon and phoenix pattern carved stone archway show the mighty and solemn emperor. When the first rays of morning light reflected on the top of the splendid Fengtian Temple, the hundred officials went to court.

On the Jinshui Bridge, the first three people had white hair fluttering, wide robes and big sleeves, holding jade wat in their hands, and stood tall. The second row is the six departments and nine Qings wearing black yarn square horns and wearing sauce-red official robes, and the second row are the officials wearing green robes and blue robes, and the rows of officials who do not squint and go straight to the palace.

In the short period of exchange outside the noon gate, the news obtained from all parties converged, and the officials already knew the general details of what happened in the palace and Dongchang, and everyone knew in their hearts that this young emperor, who had always only known how to be stubborn and playful, had taken the lead.

The Son of Heaven is angry, so what? The emperor took a group of domestic slaves from the factory guards, didn't he dare to touch a single hair of the civil and military officials? Scholars, the basis of the society, hundreds of officials work together, this morning the dynasty will admonish and fight, do not get rid of the annihilation of the vow not to give up.

On the Jinluan Palace, facing an empty dragon chair, hundreds of officials stood with high morale, waiting for the little emperor to ascend to the court

On the third pole, the hundred officials who had been suppressing their anger and waiting silently were exhausted, the queue was no longer neat, and many people quietly changed their posture of standing with their legs, relieving their painful heels, and the momentum had quietly dissipated.

The crowd began to stir, and Xie Qian impatiently said to the eunuch on the station: "The time for the early dynasty has already arrived, please urge the emperor to ascend to the palace quickly!" ”

As if he had been waiting for the hundred officials to be impatiently urged, the eunuch Tian Gonggong walked out of the apse in response, slowly ascended to the Dan Majesty, swept the dust, slowly glanced at the hundred officials in the hall, and said loudly: "The emperor ascends to the palace, and the hundred officials take over!" ”

"Hooray! Banzai! Hooray! The roar of hundreds of officials shook the palace tiles, and it seemed that they sincerely wanted to give the emperor a dismissal.

Overnight, Emperor Zhengde, who had collapsed the powerful forces in his heart who didn't know how to deal with them, was confident and believed in Yang Ling's instructions and judgment when he left.

The man is pretty, and he is dressed in soap. Today, the hundred officials came so neatly, but Emperor Zhengde wore a black dragon regular clothes, lined with red lips and white teeth, and his face was like a crown of jade.

He walked out gently and skillfully, calmly ascended to the Dan Majesty under the secretly looking gaze of the hundred officials, looked at the hundred officials kneeling on the main hall, and for the first time felt that he was really standing in front of them, and did not have to be afraid of the sharp mouths that followed them.

Emperor Zhengde walked to the back of the dragon book case and sat down slowly, a pair of bright eyes slowly glanced around, his straight nose raised to Tian Gonggong, and the corners of his lips showed a hint of a smile.

Tian Gong Guild took a step forward and raised his voice: "The three adults of the Hundred Officials, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Dali Temple and the General Administration Department have stepped forward to listen to the order!" ”

The ministers got up, and the officials of the third division of Jiuqing were stunned, and inexplicably stepped forward to kneel down again with their robes, and said, "The minister receives the order!" ”

Tian Gonggong said: "Holy oracle, the ceremonial supervisor Wang Yue and the leaders of the eunuchs are jealous of the virtuous and jealous, in order to seek the tax supervisor to send envoys, spread rumors and slander, slander the minister, after the leakage of the Fan Ting incident in the East Factory, even more plotted against the enemy, the emperor has ordered the West Factory, the Inner Factory, and the Imperial Horse Supervisor to quell the rebellion, and now the prisoners will be handed over to the three divisions for interrogation, and the West Factory and the Inner Factory will be supervised and interrogated, and this is admirable!" ”

When the hundred officials heard this, there was a commotion, and Father-in-law Tian swept his eyes coldly and shouted: "Silence! If there is any more noise and rudeness, the samurai in front of the palace will be expelled from the palace! ”

The officials of the three divisions such as the Metropolitan Procuratorate looked at each other, and the emperor was caught off guard and ordered them to handle the case, and the Golden Palace could not discuss with the officials, so he had to bite the bullet and say: "The ministers will take the order!" ”

Tian Gonggong said again: "Holy oracle, internal supervisors Liu Jin, Gu Dayong and others have made meritorious contributions in reporting and quelling the rebellion. That is, Liu Jin is in charge of the ceremonial supervisor and the commander of the regiment battalion, Gao Feng is the eunuch of Zhangyin, Luo Xiang is the eunuch of Bingbi, Qiu Ju and Wei Bin are the eunuchs of Suitang, Zhang Yong is the commander of the Beijing battalion of soldiers and horses, Gu Dayong is in charge of the Dongji Factory, and Ma Yongcheng is in charge of the internal affairs office.

When Li Dongyang heard this, his heart couldn't help but sink, the emperor wiped out all the officials in the inner court, and in addition to slandering and framing the ministers of the court, he actually added another charge of failure and rebellion, and forcibly isolated them from the matter of exterminating Yang Ling and the Eight Tigers.

What's even more worrying is that the celebrant and the four chief eunuchs have all been replaced by the Eight Tigers, and the Beijing camp and the regimental camp are also in their hands. This celebrant is in charge of etiquette, punishment, and access control in the imperial city.

What is still important is that they are in charge of the internal and external chapters and the imperial front survey, and according to the cabinet vote, they plan to "approve the red", and the real power is greater than that of the first assistant of the internal department, and now it is extremely impossible to impeach them.

When did the emperor become so old and spicy? Can you come up with this idea based on the few pieces of material from the Eight Tigers? Li Dongyang, Xie Qian, and Liu Jian quietly glanced at each other, and they all thought of someone.

The Eight Tigers are no longer eliminable, and now they can only avoid their edge and attack their point, as long as they open a gap, things are still promising. Liu Jian made a decision immediately, and he didn't have time to discuss with Xie Qian and Li Dongyang, so he immediately went out to play and said: "Your Majesty, the minister has a play."

Yang Ling, the inner factory, was ordered to tour the south, resell the goods for profit with the private storage of official ships, and accept bribes on a large scale, in order to cover up his sins, he put on the tricks, the silver is on the heart, and there is a suspicion of killing the court officials, he has returned to Beijing, and asked the emperor to send Yang Ling to the three divisions to punish him, so as to eliminate the trouble.

Emperor Zhengde pursed his lips and said in his heart: "These people really don't give up", he was quiet for a while, and said slowly: "Scholar Liu, Yang Ling just took some royal procurement items for the Internal Affairs Office, and this matter has already been reported to me to know, how can you say that you can resell the goods for profit?" As for the bribery, it was for the purpose of confusing the convict to be investigated, and these things are now presented in the Great Interior.

Yang Qing's clever plan to expose Mo Qinghe and Yuan Xiong, the two eunuchs who corrupted the dynasty and committed heinous crimes, don't you know? As the head of the cabinet, the university scholar must have real evidence. ”

Liu Jian was stunned when he heard this, Yang Ling's three ships of goods were really huge, and they were transported into Beijing only one ship, and the big cars and small cars were mighty, and he knew exactly whose mansion they were sent to, but they were all relatives of the emperor and the country, and they were all meritorious heroes, could they be listed? As for Yang Ling's own things, if the emperor covers it up for him, can he still find out clearly?

Xie Qian immediately went out and said: "Your Majesty, the minister heard that Wang Shangshu of the Jinling Rite Department had a dispute with Yang Ling, and he was murdered that night, Yang Ling has a major suspicion, and he should be questioned immediately to find out the facts."

Emperor Zhengde had a smile on his face, and sighed lightly: "I heard? It's wind news again! I have real evidence here, in order to frame Yang Qing, the celebrant and a group of servants designed to kill Wang Shangshu and Yang Qing, this matter has the confession of the ceremonial supervisor Dai Yi and the letter found in the Dongchang Fan Ting, I am going to investigate the case with the three divisions together, Xie Aiqing may as well go to the trial if he is interested."

Another heavy blow, Xie Qian was also stunned with his mouth open, he originally suspected in his heart that it was a poisonous plan by Dongchang in order to win over more officials, but he was forced by the situation and had to make mistakes.

With a preconceived opinion in his heart, he was naturally convinced of Zhengde's words, and for a while, Xie Qian couldn't say whether he should sacrifice Wang Qiong with his conscience and continue to frame Yang Ling for all righteousness, or avenge this colleague who died in vain to fulfill his personal friendship.

The hundreds of officials in the palace are like a fried pot, and they don't care about the loss of honor in front of the king, the former ally is actually the real murderer who designed to frame Wang Shangshu, could it be that the series of rumors is really the annihilation plan of Dongchang? Some officials began to waver, and the resolute momentum of vowing to eliminate the annihilation was gone.

Li Dongyang lowered his eyes, took a breath and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, Dongchang is thousands of miles away, how did you know in advance that Wang Shangshu would entertain Yang Ling?" How do you know that the two sides will fight each other at the table? This matter is too strange, and there are many doubts about the details, can you Xuan Yang go to the palace to inquire? ”

Emperor Zhengde frowned, a trace of anger overflowed on his handsome face, and he said loudly: "There are many suspicions? Why did Zhang Xiu, Jinyiwei, set up an ambush in Tianjin? Why did Dongchang send more than 20,000 fans to intercept them everywhere on the road to Beijing? They repeatedly prevented Yang Qing from returning to Beijing, obviously because they had a ghost in their hearts, lest their evil deeds be exposed! ”

He slammed the table and said angrily: "Yang Qing is still on the way back to Beijing, I have just issued an edict ordering Liu Jin to lead the officers and soldiers of the Shenji Battalion to respond, if Yang Qing makes a mistake, I will definitely pay for the lives of that group of minions!" ”

"Yang Ling hasn't returned to Beijing yet?" Li Dongyang was taken aback when he heard this, and captured the master of ceremonies and a number of important members of the inner court, secretly transferred troops to annihilate Dongchang, and suppressed the capital camp of Jiucheng, is this series of steady and ruthless actions all the idea of the emperor today?

The original tacit plan of the celebrant and them was that at the same time as Yang Ling returned to Beijing, hundreds of officials admonished him, and then killed Yang Ling on the charge of resisting arrest. Dongchang suddenly changed its plan and did its best to prevent Yang Ling from returning to Beijing, is it really a ghost in his heart?

Li Dongyang is the concubine of Emperor Zhengde, and he knows this little emperor very well, and the little emperor is smart and brave, but he definitely does not have the scheming to use this method.

If Yang Ling has not yet entered Beijing, then yesterday's action must have been at the behest of the Eight Tigers, could it be that these eight eunuchs who only know how to flatter and bewitch the king are actually pretending to be pigs and eating tigers, first deliberately arousing the anger of hundreds of officials, and then inducing Dongchang to move Yang Ling, divert the attention of hundreds of officials, and at the same time force Yang Ling to get on their boat, and finally when several parties have ignored their role, they suddenly take power to seize power?

Li Dongyang is working hard to seek the country and clumsy at seeking his life, how can he see this kind of intrigue and trickery clearly, the more he thinks about it, the more reasonable he feels.

The biggest beneficiary of this accident is the Eight Tigers, Yang Ling not only did not get the slightest benefit, it is hard to say whether he can come back alive under the encirclement and interception of 20,000 horses, is it possible that Yang Ling and we have become chess pieces at the mercy of other people's chessboards, and have been used?

Zhengde said, as if the remaining anger was not subdued, he stood up angrily, and said: "Yesterday, the priest and the eunuch made a disturbance in the palace, and the empress dowager and the empress dowager were also frightened. ”

Emperor Zhengde did not wait for the officials to bow, so he walked off the imperial platform and flashed behind the screen and disappeared.

Liu Jian turned around in astonishment, only to see hundreds of eyes focused on him, waiting for him to make a decision. He is the leader of a hundred officials, and if such a big battle is made, if the impeachment matter is stopped, his popularity will plummet, and his reputation in the officialdom will be discredited.

The inner court was bulldozed in the name of rebellion, which has nothing to do with their impeachment of Yang Ling and the Eight Tigers, and this road of "eradication" has to go on.

But now that the Eight Tigers are in power, without the cooperation of the Inner Court, can they still be impeached?

From the eyes of many officials, he saw a strange taste, it was no longer his trust that followed him without hesitation, and many people had shaken their views on Yang Ling.

It seems that it is difficult to be bold in denouncing Yang Ling. Denouncing the Eight Tigers, who are in power, have the merit of counterinsurgency, and are in the limelight at this time, is another very stupid political decision, what should he do?

Liu Jian showed a bitter smile on his lips: Strength is a double-edged sword, if you can't hurt people, you have to hurt yourself. He relied on his surname and virtue to gain the trust of hundreds of officials, and if he wanted to maintain this kind of character and reputation, he could not retreat in the face of difficulties and make a wise move to protect himself.

The power that once gave him the power to call for wind and rain is now pushing him onto a political cliff without hesitation

The banks of the wine river are dangerous, sorrowful, there is no way forward, and there is no way back

Yang Ling, Cheng Qiyun and Gao Wenxin are on their way back to Beijing.

He went out of Beijing overnight, but he couldn't catch up with the spread of the news of the collapse of the Dongchang factory that came out of Beijing early the next morning, and the fans of the Dongchang who heard the news were panicked and at a loss.

The people from the rivers and lakes who have always been recruited began to secretly disperse halfway and re-mingle into the three mountains and five mountains to make a living.

When Yang Ling found them, there were only twenty-six of the forty guards left, and more than half of them were wounded, and the carriage, which was originally extremely sturdy and luxurious, was also squeaking and staggering and almost falling apart, and the sedan car was shooting some carved arrows everywhere, you can imagine how many cruel battles they experienced.

Yang Ling's heart lifted up when he saw it, and he hurriedly jumped off the horse and rushed to the sedan car. After riding a horse all night and a day, he staggered and lost his strength when he walked, and when he saw that Gao Wen, who had heard the sound of breaking out of the car, was safe, he almost collapsed and fell to his knees at once.

Gao Wen ran two steps in a hurry, no longer caring about so many people around her, she threw herself into Yang Ling's arms, she couldn't help but tears on her cheeks, she was not afraid of dying for Yang Ling, but she cried with joy to see him alive.

Cheng Qiyun also took a few steps forward relentlessly, before she stopped with a smile, pursed her lips, and showed a faint and gentle smile on her face. The feeling of wanting to die and reuniting is so heartwarming.

They had a very thorough plan, but they forgot one thing, which was the car.

Dai Lou'er and Gao Wenxin can't ride horses, and it is safer to sit in a sturdy sedan chair, but how long can a sturdy carriage, pulled by eight horses, bump and gallop in the wilderness without roads?

Because of this small negligence, they almost lost their lives. It was fine for the wheels to sway and move slowly, but the wheels did not have time to turn at a gallop, and the cart was dragged by eight horses in the dirt, and it was only two miles away, and the whole car would fall apart.

Dai Lou'er had already ordered a retreat and retreated into the Shijiazhuang Officers and Soldiers Guard, but she had to stop halfway, and was caught up by several fans who gathered together and started hand-to-hand combat with each other.

They fought and retreated and finally escaped here, there were still five miles away from the guard, and suddenly heard a sudden sound of horses' hooves in the distance, and thought that there was a large group of Dongchang fans chasing after them, and when they saw that it was Yang Ling's people, they couldn't help but be ecstatic.

Yang Ling was also tired and exhausted, so he had to get into the carriage that walked and twisted left and right like a Yanggeer, and prepared to change another one when he went to the town in front.

The twenty-six guards were exhausted and had some injuries on their bodies, but this situation was just right for them to show after returning to Beijing, so Yang Ling had no choice but to take them on the road with him, and then recuperate and rest after returning to Beijing.

In the past few days and nights, Cheng Qiyun and Gao Wenxin have not rested well even if they have temporarily escaped from the enemy and avoided in the wilderness, their eyes are red, Yang Ling couldn't bear to see it, hugged Gao Wenxin's shoulder, and said softly: "Wenxin, rest on my shoulder, wait until you get to the town in front of you and change the car, you can rest well."

Gao Wen's heart was so close to him, and he was so gentle and considerate by him, he couldn't help but be full of joy, he felt that all the hard work was worth it, at the beginning he was just resting next to Yang Ling's shoulder, and gradually was shaken around by the car, sleepiness rose, and slowly fell into his arms and fell asleep really sweetly.

Cheng Qiyun sat on the other side of Yang Ling, seeing that he carefully took Gao Wenxin in his arms and cared for him, her eyes couldn't help but show a trace of envy, and when Yang Ling turned her head, her expression regained her calm.

Yang Ling smiled at her and said, "Let's take a rest at the head of the second gear, there is a town three miles ahead, and we will talk about it in detail when we get there."

Being called an official position was originally such a pleasant thing, but Cheng Qiyun felt a little harsh now, and felt a little lost in her heart, she smiled forcefully, remembering that since Yang Ling had arrived, the overall situation in Beijing must have been decided, and utilitarianism had the upper hand.

She cheered up and said, "My lord, but the overall situation in Beijing has been decided?" ”

Yang Ling nodded and said: "Well, all those who can move their hands have been cut off, and as for those who can move their mouths, they don't have to worry about it, and they will slowly recreation after returning to Beijing."

Cheng Qiyun couldn't help but smile when she heard Yang Ling's witty words, she raised her jade shoot-like fingers and took off her official hat, tied up the messy sideburns that had fallen from the running and shaking, and then stuffed it back into the official hat.

Years of habit, so that although she has just experienced a bloody battle of life and death, and her body is tired, her long white and tender jade neck is still very elegant when she is raised, and her ten fingers are also moving like orchids.

She straightened her official hat, and when her eyes turned, she saw Yang Ling watching her movements, her face couldn't help but heat slightly, and she hurriedly smiled in disguise: "My lord, the celebrant has the right to 'approve red', Mo Qinghe used to say that every time he thought of the official position of the celebrant eunuch, he was envious, this is a high position that is enough to confront the outer court, and it is also the most important position vacant in this operation, when you returned to Beijing, you did not agree on these candidates when you returned to Beijing, who is doing it now?" ”

Yang Ling said: "It is an internal supervisor who served by the emperor's side when he was the crown prince, named Liu Jin, when I left the palace, I and the emperor had already agreed on this matter, and as soon as the East Factory was destroyed, he would take this position."

Cheng Qiyun said happily: "Oh? When the emperor was the crown prince, he was by his side? That's a competent person, we have such a person by the emperor's side, and it will be much more convenient to act in the future. ”

Yang Ling thought for a while, shook his head and said, "This person may not be our person."

Cheng Qiyun was anxious when she heard this, and blurted out: "What? How can this be? Once he has power in his hands, what if he is ambitious and fights with us for power? Your lordship should be in your own hands."

Yang Ling rolled his eyes and said, "Then unless this seat immediately swings a knife from the palace." ”

Although Cheng Qiyun was cold, she was a little embarrassed when she heard it, she blushed and said: "The humble position means that the lord should put the celebrant in the hands of a person who is willing to listen to you."

Yang Ling sighed and said, "I still don't understand this truth? But I don't know a few people in the inner prison, so I just proposed a person, do you think the emperor is willing to let him hold such an important position? If there is a gap in power, the emperor's close attendants must add it, and instead of fighting for power and profit, let them know that I am guarding against them, it is better to show generosity."

Cheng Qiyun was silent, and said after a while: "After entering Beijing, the adults seem to have thought it through and made some changes to the plan, what about the regimental camp and the Beijing camp?" It's not in the hands of someone who can absolutely control it? ”

Yang Ling heard the slight resentment in her tone, and couldn't help but say: "These people will at least not be embarrassed by us at the moment, and they may also play a big role in the future, it's not that I don't want to control it, but there is no suitable person to recommend at all."

He sighed lightly and said leisurely: "When the official and the emperor discussed these candidates, it suddenly occurred to me that I didn't have so many people available, and I was promoted too quickly, like a tree that grows fast.

In such a short period of time, I have no time to establish my own connections, my root system is too shallow, I can't grasp the soil, my branches are too thin, and I can't withstand the wind and waves.

His eyes flashed, and he said softly: "The wood is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it." Lift these people up to form a forest, and we can safely hide in it and grow stronger."

After Yang Ling finished speaking, seeing that Dai Lou'er didn't say a word, he couldn't help but turn his head to look at her, only to see that she was looking at herself with interesting eyes, and couldn't help asking, "What are you looking at?" ”

Dai Lou'er smiled and said in a glutinous and sweet tone: "What the adults said is that you will only reach the crown after the New Year, and you will still grow very long, and you shouldn't be so anxious about your humble position."

Yang Ling hadn't heard her speak in such a greasy tone for a long time, and he didn't understand what she was talking about.

He twisted his body uncomfortably, and suddenly remembered the period of the year that he couldn't figure out now, and couldn't help but sigh again.

Yang Ling sighed, Dai Lou'er's head had been attached to his shoulder, yawned, and said softly: "My lord, I am very tired of my humble duties, I borrow your shoulder."

(To be continued)