Eunuch Zhong sent Zhang Yuan back to the East Fourth Archway, and then took his godson Gao Qi to sneak to the imperial city, from the Dong'an Gate into the Imperial City, and then into the Dong'an Gate and Dong'an Gate, and then the Donghua Gate of the palace city, it can be said that the door is heavy, this area is guarded by the Tiger Ben Left Guard, Jinwu Avant-garde, Yanshan Avant-garde, Yulin Avant-garde in turn, Zheng Yang's surname is the command of the Yulin avant-garde Thousand Households - Eunuch Zhong paid attention to the guards of each gate, and found that the guards of Dong'an Gate were very sparse, because there were Guanglu Temple, Shangshan Supervisor, Imperial Horse Supervisor, Inner Carrier Warehouse, Magnetic Warehouse, Pachinko room and so on, in and out of the officials, eunuchs, miscellaneous servants are a lot, and for so many years there has never been a case of annihilation mixed into the imperial city to make trouble, the guards naturally have a sluggish heart, when on duty to get together to talk and laugh, and do not check the waist card or survey one by one, and Dong'an Li Gate and Dong'an Gate are even more useless, only the Donghua Gate of the palace is relatively tight, after all, it is the cabinet and the East Palace, but it is still incomparable with the strict guards on the side of the Huangji Gate, there should be loopholes to drill - go north along the right bank of the Royal River, bypass the Wenhua Palace, due north is Ciqing Palace, the first gate is silent, the palace guards are not guarded here, the gate is used to being cold, Eunuch Zhong Ping said that he doesn't feel that there is anything particularly wrong with the gate being unguarded, after all, Donghua Gate is still guarded, but now it seems that this cold and deserted Ciqing Palace gate really makes Eunuch Zhong sad and aggrieved, long live the Lord does not want to see the master, Zheng Guifei is pressing, even the palace guards are very contemptuous of the East Palace, putting the prince of a country in such a dangerous situation, not to mention that people break in from outside, Even if Zheng Guifei sent a few strong chamberlains to rush into Ciqing Palace, it can also pose a fatal threat to the master, maybe such an obvious stupidity Zheng Guifei herself did not dare to mastermind, but Zheng Guifei's subordinates were self-loyal people, and there were rumors last year that the eunuch Jiang Lishan and the people were in a bloody alliance with the manor outside the Fucheng Gate, and they wanted to make friends with confidants and repay Zheng Guifei's kindness - "What kind of kindness, isn't it just to support King Fu." Eunuch Zhong sneered, and thought: "Concubine Zheng may have some scruples, but it is difficult to guarantee that those people under her command will not do anything rebellious, and the master is trapped in the East Palace, so Zhang Yuan's plan is called anti-guest-based, also called fighting grass and scaring snakes, and also called fishing in troubled waters, one plan contains several counts, wonderful!" ”

"Godfather, let's go in."

The little chamberlain stood tall and saw Eunuch Zhong standing in front of the gate of Ciqing Palace for a long time, his face was strange, angry or happy, and he couldn't help but be a little afraid.

Eunuch Zhong came back to his senses at this time, "um" sounded, raised his feet and stepped into the gate of the East Palace, walked through a wide courtyard, in front of the two gates, the second gate is guarded, it is two old eunuchs, both fifty or sixty years old, frail and sickly, what is the use of these two people if something really happens, after these two doors is to pass through the hall, behind the hall is the Fengchen Palace where the master lives, if there is an assassin to break in, it can be driven straight in- Zhu Youxiao, the eldest grandson of the emperor, took a few chamberlains and palace maids to the edge of the big copper jar in front of the hall, and he didn't know what he was doing, and when he saw Eunuch Zhong walking by, Zhu Youxiao shouted happily: "Master Zhong, come and see." Pointing to the big copper jar - Eunuch Zhong stopped, frowned slightly, looked at this unlearned and unskilled emperor's eldest grandson, and sighed in his heart: "If the prince's position is not guaranteed, your future son will definitely be miserable, and King Fu's accession to the throne will not leave you a way to live." ”

I only heard Zhu Youxiao shouting: "Wrench." ”

One of the chamberlains didn't know what kind of machine was pulled by the copper vat, and the water stored in the copper vat for firefighting sprayed out steeply, pouring like a waterfall and scattering like snow, which surprised Eunuch Zhong, and even took a few steps back, and his boots and the placket of his robe were splashed.

Zhu Youxiao said happily: "Oh, it's successful, it's done." He also asked Eunuch Zhong for credit: "Master Zhong, do I do a good job with this water jet?" ”

Twelve-year-old Zhu Youxiao engaged in these strange skills, Yinqiao was very smart, and he was stunned when he read and read, and Eunuch Zhong had no intention of teaching him at this time, nodded his head, and asked those attendants: "Where is the prince?" ”

Those attendants said they didn't know, and at this time, Ke Yinyue came out of the hall and responded: "The prince is in the study of the Xunqin Palace. ”

Eunuch Zhong went to see Wang An alone, but Ke Yinyue followed and asked, "Did Gonggong Zhong just leave the palace to see Zhang Zhuangyuan?" ”

Eunuch Zhong's heart sank, and he replied: "No, the miscellaneous family went to Longfu Temple." ”

Ke Yinyue said: "Today is the retirement of the foreign officials, why didn't my father-in-law find Zhang Hanlin to drink and catch up, I haven't seen him for a long time?" ”

Eunuch Zhong looked at Keyinyue with some surprise, this woman is tall and beautiful, her eyebrows are like green feathers flying obliquely, her eyes are bright in autumn water, her skin is as white as a new gourd, it seems that she can get out of the water with a pinch, Eunuch Zhong thought: "This woman's surname is Shui, she has been thinking about spring for a long time, she still wants to hook up with Zhang Yuan, otherwise why is she so enthusiastic about asking for a banquet for Zhang Yuan, she is going to meet, right, you are too self-conscious, you are just a nurse, you are just a nurse, and it is just a matter of playing with us officials in the palace, and you still want to tempt others. It really doesn't make sense. ”

Seeing that Eunuch Zhong's expression was different, Keyinyue chuckled and said, "Where did Gonggong Zhong go, the little woman wanted to ask Gonggong to help me ask Zhang Zhuangyuan, when will my brother Keguang go to Hanlin Academy on an errand?" ”

Eunuch Zhong smiled and said: "I see, change the miscellaneous family to help you ask, but the guest grandmother has received a lot of rewards in the palace, why let the younger brother serve as a lowly servant, if the younger brother has money, the miscellaneous family can also help." ”

Ke Yinyue smiled and said: "Thank you father-in-law, although the little woman is in the palace now, but my brother is growing up day by day, and when my brother gets married, the little woman will leave the palace, so I have to think about the second half of my life." ”

Saying this, Eunuch Zhong felt a little pity for this woman, and said: "What are you worried about what to do in the second half of your life, my brother is said to inherit the unification, and you are still worried that you will not have food or drink in the second half of your life, even the miscellaneous family can take care of you." "It's a bit of a confession.

Ke Yinyue grinned, squinted at Eunuch Zhong, but looked at Eunuch Zhong a little surprised, Eunuch Zhong coughed, and said: "Xunqin Hall has arrived, Mama Ke stays, and the miscellaneous family has something to say to the prince." "Climb the stairs to the hall, walk to the Danqi and look back, the woman has already walked back, the noon sun is shining, the woman is very bright, the waist and hips wrapped in the palace skirt are twisting, the two long legs move very fast, the wind is hot, there is a hearty and spicy energy-"Gonggong Zhong, what are you looking for me?" ”

Wang An walked out of the palace, Wang An is the companion of the crown prince Zhu Changluo, the chief eunuch of Ciqing Palace, nearly fifty years old, suffering from stomach pain, always frowning, cheeks like shaved, a serious look.

Eunuch Zhong said, "Princess, I have something important to say. ”

Wang An stared at Eunuch Zhong, nodded and said, "Follow me to the master's study to talk." ”

Eunuch Zhong followed Wang An into the prince's study, there was a small chamberlain sorting out the scattered books, Eunuch Zhong frowned, Wang An let the little chamberlain out, and then said, "Gonggong Zhong can speak now." ”

Eunuch Zhong told what he had seen all the way from Dong'an Gate, and said worriedly: "The young master is in a worrying situation." ”

Wang An is a diehard loyalist of the East Palace, and he did not hesitate to protect the prince's surname, and after hearing what Eunuch Zhong said, he was also shocked, and said: "I usually only think about how to justify Zheng Guifei for slandering and framing the young master from the Long Live Lord, but I never thought that they might instruct someone to break into the palace and murder the young master——"

Eunuch Zhong said: "The year before last, Wang Yueqian, a hundred households of Jinyi Wei, fired cannons in the imperial city, and reported that Kong Xue and others were instructed by Zheng Guifei to murder the master, but Long Live Lord refused to pursue it, and instead beat Wang Yuqian to death - if something unexpected really happened in Ciqing Palace, Long Live Lord is afraid that he will not severely punish Zheng Guifei, and in the end he will find a few substitutes for the dead to close the case, and then, King Fu will naturally become the prince." ”

Wang An was drenched in cold sweat when he heard this, what Zhong Benhua said was by no means impossible, and said in a trembling voice: "I'll go and let people immediately strengthen the guards of Cining Palace——"

Eunuch Zhong shook his head and said, "Concubine Zheng's power in the palace is clear, and strengthening the defense is enough to remind the Zheng family to strike as soon as possible." ”

Wang An calmed down, looked at Eunuch Zhong, and asked: "Gonggong Zhong, I know that you are familiar with the books of sages and sages, and you are loyal to your master and brother, do you have a good plan, please speak up?" ”

Eunuch Zhong told him about the plan, Wang An's eyebrows couldn't help jumping, he pondered for a while, and praised: "It's really a good plan, so that the government and the opposition can know the difficult situation of the master, even if they can't bring down the Zheng family, they can also warn the Zheng family not to dare to harm the master again." ”

Eunuch Zhong said: "Since the prince agrees with this plan, will he immediately inform the master?" ”

Wang An shook his hand and said: "You don't need to let the master know about this matter, I will wait for the slave to share the worries of the master." ”

Eunuch Zhong frowned and said, "This matter is not trivial—"

Wang An said solemnly: "Gonggong Zhong rest assured, I will take care of this matter, why do I regret this for the sake of the master, I have been in the capital for many years, there are still some ways, I can arrange it properly, my father-in-law offers this wonderful plan is enough, and other things do not need to be done by the father-in-law." ”

Eunuch Zhong nodded yes, don't want him to be the best, he also knows that Wang An has a lot of dealings with the officials of the Donglin Party, Li Sancai, the governor of Caoyun that year, and Ye Xiangdang, the first assistant, have praised Wang Anzhixian, Wang An's internal official has a good reputation among foreign ministers, Wang Anzhixian is mainly manifested in trying his best to maintain the status and security of the East Palace, which is what the Donglin Party people value the most, and now although the Donglin Party is suppressed by the three parties, there are still strong forces, with their help, it should not be difficult to arrange a dead soldier who broke into the palace - with lunch, Wang An asked his confidants to go to the chessboard street outside the Daming Gate to see Wang Zhihuan, the director of the Criminal Department, and asked Wang Zhihuan to meet in the Thousand Buddha Temple in the north of the imperial city.

At the beginning of the Shen period, Wang An first went to the Thousand Buddha Temple, put on three pillars of incense in the Daxiong Treasure Hall, turned out of the mountain gate, and saw Wang Zhihuan come to the mountain gate by carriage, and Wang An quietly got into Wang Zhihuan's carriage——......

Zhang Yuan returned to the courtyard of the East Fourth Archway, Zhang Lianfang also came, Zhang Lianfang came to congratulate the nephew Zhang Yuan on getting a noble son, at noon, Zhang Yuan set up a table of banquets in the nearby restaurant, and invited Uncle Bao Sheng, brother-in-law Shang Zhou Zuo, clan brother Zhang Dai, Qi Biaojia, and Mu Jingyan, Mu Jingyan refused to sit with Zhang Yuan and others at first, and even called the killing of the villain, and sat down at the request of Zhang Yuan.

In the afternoon, Zhang Lianfang, Zhang Dai's uncle and nephew returned to the Baozi River, Qi Biaojia and Shang Jinglan wrote and painted in the study, speaking softly, Zhang Yuan had a long talk with Mu Jingyan, carefully inquired about the situation of the border guards, Mu Zhenzhen and Xiao Jinghui listened - Mu Jingyan told the truth in front of Zhang Yuan, he said that the border guards were full of businessmen, and there were sergeants who fled, the establishment was negligent, and the arrears of military salaries occurred from time to time. "There are a lot of generals in the border guards, who usually squeeze the salaries of the sergeants, and let their cronies go to the meritorious service to receive rewards, so as to block the channels for ordinary soldiers to be promoted bravely, the sergeants can't see the future and the way out, where will there be morale, Mu Jingyan is still considered to be carried by Juniper, otherwise where can he be promoted so quickly - Zhang Yuan nodded silently, the business trend in the late Ming Dynasty was pervasive, and it had penetrated into the army, and it was taboo for the army to do business, which would make the military discipline sloppy, and the rich military households could pay silver for service, which had a fatal impact on morale, But he can only understand these things now, and he can't change them, he must take power as soon as possible, with his current qualifications, he is still far away from entering the central decision-making, but he must be able to influence the central decision-making, so he must keep Wu Ge Lao's position in the cabinet, because Wu Ge Lao admires him very much and supports his statecraft in ten thousand words, but Fang Ge Lao has a dislike for him——......

At dusk, Mu Zhenzhen accompanied his father Mu Jingyan to play in the lamp market, the Shangyuan lantern will be very famous in the lamp street, and it is usually a place where business travelers gather, the treasures of the barbarian Fujian, the antiques of the three generations and eight dynasties, the utensils of the five and other people, there is everything, Qu three lines, four columns of the city, the so-called nine cities open, from the beginning of the city to the beginning of the city, here is crowded, Khotan Yiguo, Dongcheng women also have a custom, that is, after dinner, they tie the knot together, in order to eliminate diseases, this is called to go away with all diseases, this lamp street is the place where women move the most, not only the common women love to come here, the relatives of the noble eunuchs also often take the luxurious carriage or the green sedan chair to buy items here - after two Mu Jingyan will go back to Yulin, the father and daughter get together and say not much, cherish it, Mu Jingyan wants to buy some clothes and jewelry for his daughter, he now has some savings, Mu Zhenzhen said: "Daddy doesn't have to break the bank, the daughter has jewelry, when the wife of the family in Shanyin rewarded her daughter with a set of silver jewelry, and then the young grandmother entered the door and also rewarded the clothes and jewelry, the young master-" was a little shy, "The young master also bought me a lot." ”

Mu Jingyan hesitated for a moment and asked, "Zhenzhen, are you good at serving the young grandmother?" ”

Mu Zhen really understood what his father meant, and said: "The young grandmother treats her people very well, and her daughter is really blessed to meet such a kind young grandmother and young master." ”

Mu Jingyan laughed happily and said, "Young Master Jie Zi is really amazing, Champion, if it weren't for Young Master Jie Zi winning the champion, my father and daughter would not have been able to meet so soon." ”

A single-wheeled carriage drove through the downtown area, the horse driving lowered its head and sniffed the ground, Mu Jingyan didn't pay attention, when he turned around, the Yanling scabbard on his waist swept to the horse's eye, the horse jumped up, dragged the carriage and knocked down two passers-by, Mu Jingyan was fast, grabbed it and held down the wheel, and subdued the startled horse.

(To be continued)