As soon as the four ministers left, Zhao Benzheng, the eunuch in charge of the Qianqing Palace, came in and said, "Long live Lord, Wei Shanggong has something to ask to see, waiting outside the door!" ”

"Pass him in."

Wei Zhongxian came in to pay homage and said: "These days, the old slave saw that the old slave was dreaming of sleeping at night, worrying about national affairs, and it was difficult to have a moment of entertainment. ”

"Lift it up! I haven't been to Jiangnan yet, so I just happened to enjoy its landscapes. Chongzhen seemed to be extremely happy. Wei Zhongxian waved outward, and the sound of ding ding dong ring sounded outside the door, Chongzhen was surprised, but saw that the four dressed beauties each carried a screen and walked in slowly, put the screen gently, and stepped forward to bow down together, and the etiquette was quite thorough. Wei Zhongxian led Chongzhen to the front of the screen, and said with a smile: "Long live the lord, the paintings on this colorful screen are several famous places in Hangzhou's West Lake and Tiger Hill, which are quite fine. ”

Chongzhen carefully look at the screen is really exquisite, the border is engraved with the fragrant nan of the south of the Yangtze River, the color is slightly purple, the texture is extremely beautiful, the fragrance is pleasant, the middle is the famous Su embroidery that shocks the world, the silk is as thin as paper, the pattern carefully woven with gold and silver thread on both sides, the needle and thread are fine, the needle is painted, the color is exquisite, and the brilliance is eye-catching. The lakes and mountains of Hangzhou are gathered in a brocade, the mountains and rivers are divided into far and near interest, the pavilions are profound, the characters have vivid feelings, and the flowers and birds are extremely full of greed, which is really ingenious. Chongzhen exclaimed: "There is such a divine skill in the world, it is breathtaking. ”

Wei Zhongxian saw Chongzhen's eyes staring at the screen with his eyes, thinking that he liked it very much, and couldn't help but say proudly: "This embroidery is from Gu's Luxiang Garden in Shanghai, Zhejiang, and now the old owner of Luxiang Garden, Gu Mingshi, is dead, and his eldest son Gu Jianghai is at home and married a concubine Miao, and the silk embroidery is extremely fine." Gu Jianghai has a son Gu Shouqian who is good at painting, and Gu Shouqian's wife Han Ximeng also paints flowers, and her embroidery skills are unparalleled in the world, even her mother-in-law Miao is not as good as her. This screen landscape was woven by her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and it is said that it took three years of work. ”

"It cost a lot of money, too!"

"It didn't cost much, it's just a little bit of the old slave's heart, not to mention the old slave's money, that is, the old slave is also long live the lord, and it should be filial piety to the long live lord." Wei Zhongxian pondered Chongzhen's words, whether he was not expensive enough, or was he afraid that he would use the silver of the imperial court, should he just be distressed by the two million and 300,000 taels of silver as the salary of the Liaodong army?

Sure enough, Chongzhen said: "I am frugal by nature, and I don't rarely play with those treasures." Now that the northeast border is restless, Shaanxi is rising again, and the world is not yet peaceful, how dare I indulge in amusement and lose my mind? This screen should be moved back to your mansion, so that the ministers will not follow suit and ruin the world. ”

Wei Zhongxian was not depressed, but he was busy praising him: "Long live Lord Shengming, strict with himself, set an example, it is really the atmosphere of Zhongxing." After that, a few little eunuchs waved in, moved the colorful screen out of the Dongbian Hall of the Qianqing Palace, Wei Zhongxian retreated together, the four women were still waiting on the side, and there seemed to be no intention of retreating, Chongzhen shouted to Wei Zhongxian and said, "Why don't you take these four women away?" ”

Wei Zhongxian said with a smile: "These four women are very familiar with the famous landscapes and scenic spots in Hangzhou, and they can tell the Lord of Long Live about it." And these four people are all talented among women, and they can do everything in piano, chess, poetry, calligraphy and painting, and they can be driven by the Lord of Long Live in the imperial study. ”

Chongzhen knew his intentions, and it was not good to refuse it in person, so he bowed his head and said: "Then leave them behind, place them in the second duty room in Qianxi, and wait in the imperial study tomorrow for sprinkling and sweeping." ”

"Long live you!" The four women knelt down in unison to thank him, and Wei Zhongxian smiled secretly.

Just after a watch, Chongzhen looked at the approved copies piled up on the imperial case, raised his eyes tiredly and asked, "How many folds are there?" ”

Wang Chengen replied: "Long live Lord, there are not many, there are still two copies." ”

"Look at what the subject is, if it doesn't matter, I'll look at it tomorrow, I'm really tired."

Wang Chengen looked at it and said: "One is the governor of Jiangxi, Yang Xianbang, and the inspector Liu Shuzu, who is the imperial historian, asked to build the Longde Temple for Wei Zhongxian, and the other is Zhu Zhijun's ......."

"It's Jiansheng Temple again! Present it to me. Chongzhen went to a lot of sleep, and said unhappily: "Since Zhejiang Governor Pan Ruzhen built the Pude Temple on the bank of the West Lake in Hangzhou, the civil engineering work is all over Jiuyuan, and the whole country has built less?" Xuanwu Gate, Chongwen Gate, Anding Gate, Jinyi Weidu Governor's Mansion, Yaowang Temple, Lugou Bridge, Changping, Fangshan, Tongzhou, and Xifengkou are no less than eighteen places, that is, Nanjing Xiaoling and Fengyang Imperial Mausoleum have been built, and how much silver has been made in vain? How much deficit has been pulled? ”

Wang Chengen saw that his face was full of anger, and said with relief: "Long live the lord to dissipate his anger, this is all a matter of the first emperor's dynasty, no matter how anxious you are, you will build it, and you can't immediately issue an order to teach people to demolish it, then the Pude Temple in West Lake was built by the first emperor, and the plaque is not also written by himself?" According to the slave maid knows that there are as many as 80 ancestral halls in the whole country, in the past few years have been built crazy, open up the atmosphere, more and more intense, who wants to descendants, are vying to choose the treasure land of feng shui, even if they occupy the people's land and tombs, and demolish the people's houses, no one dares to stop them. It is reported that the Qing Dynasty built an ancestral hall and demolished more than 10,000 houses. More than 17,000 ancestral halls were demolished in Henan. Which is not more than laying out, than throwing silver? Which of the ancestral halls built is not splendid, magnificent and solemn? The feudal ancestral hall not only carved beams in Zhuhu, but also built nine palaces, all used glazed yellow tiles, almost the same palace. The statues of the gods enshrined in the shrine are carved from agarwood and made of gold, and the eyes, ears, mouth, nose, hands and feet can be rotated, just like a living person. The clothes of the idol are strange and gorgeous, the court clothes are crowned, the hairpin is worn on the nine-song hairpin, the big red python clothes, the jade belt elephant wat, and even the golden crown hangs down, almost the same as the emperor. What's even rarer is that the statue of the god uses gold and jade jewelry as the lungs and intestines, and there is a hole in the bun, constantly changing the four seasons fragrant flowers. It is the ancestral hall feast, and it is also according to the specifications of the prince. In the words of the sage Confucius, what do you say, 'Sacrifice is like being, sacrifice to God is like God', what kind of system does this become? ”

Chongzhen suppressed his anger and ordered: "Quickly call Wei Zhongxian back, and I will ask him about the establishment of the ancestral hall in person." ”

"Long live the Lord to be patient." Wang Chengen became uneasy.

"I know in my heart that I can't lose my balance." Chongzhen nodded approvingly.

Not long after, Wei Zhongxian followed Wang Chengen into the hall, saw Chongzhen holding a book of music and laughing while reading, and hurriedly stepped forward to salute, Chongzhen said: "Flat." Here's an excerpt for you to see. Wei Zhongxian didn't know a few words, all the criticisms of the celebrant were made by Wang Tiqian, Li Yongzhen, and Liu Ruoyu, and then repeated the general intention to him, and now seeing the new monarch like this, he was terrified, afraid that he would not understand, but he was not flattered, and he did not accept it, so he had to say truthfully: "Long live the old slave, the old slave is rude, and he can't read a few words, for fear of misunderstanding the holy will." If there is any will of the Lord of Long Live, he will order it, and the old slave will do it. ”

Chongzhen said: "This excerpt is a matter related to you, and I want to hear what you mean." ”

"What does it have to do with the old slave? But someone participated in the impeachment of the old slave? Wei Zhongxian couldn't help but feel a little uneasy in his heart.

Chongzhen smiled and said: "It is to praise you for your hard work and achievements, and you want to build an ancestral hall to worship on time!" ”

Wei Zhongxian's face changed slightly, and he said after a while: "This matter is all the selfish intentions of some courtiers below, and the old slave doesn't know about it." The old slave asked the Lord to order the construction of the ancestral hall to be stopped, and all the money and grain for the construction of the ancestral hall were relieved to pay the military salaries of Liaodong. Long live your grace. ”

Chongzhen praised: "Wei Companion has no merit, and he sees the beauty of Lao Qian. I think that the construction of ancestral halls is also expected by everyone, since ancient times, the people's hearts cannot be ignored, and there is nothing wrong with building some ancestral halls in various places to worship and celebrate the jubilee. It's just that Wei Banban is willing to stop construction, worried about the safety of Liaodong, and attaches importance to state affairs, but also sets an example for the courtiers. Then so be it, what the first emperor ordered to build is still being built, and what has not been built will not be built again, so as not to make some unfinished palaces not elegant enough. ”

"The old slave Xie Long Live Lord is considerate, or Long Live Lord understands the old slave's heart." Wei Zhongxian knelt on the hall and couldn't help but whimper.

Chongzhen sighed: "You are the old man of the first dynasty, when the first emperor was dying, he repeatedly told 'loyalty and loyalty should be reused', how can I be sorry for the first emperor, I can't believe you?" I heard that you have changed your shoulders for your waist, and you have also withdrawn your waist in the past few days, which is too modest. In the palace, Li Yongzhen, Shi Yuanya, and Tu Wenfu also have board seats, you are a minister who cares about your life, and even the first emperor also allowed you to sit on the shoulder, why do you need to change it? ”

Wei Zhongxian said with tears in his eyes: "Long live the old slave, although the old slave is not lowly, the old slave should also know his identity, if the old slave has any credit, it is also in the past, how dare the old slave rely on those small merits and mess up the etiquette?" ”

Chongzhen walked down from the Danqi and helped him up with his own hands and said: "You are also sixty years old, and you are extremely tired of running around the palace, where can your body withstand it, or save physical strength, and do less work to run down, and I will allow you to still ride on the waist on those long roads." Let's go down! Wei Zhongxian withdrew in tears.

Wang Chengen saw him go away, and praised: "Long live the lord will be at his mercy in a few words, the slave and maid are really five bodies to the ground." Chongzhen sent Wei Zhongxian away, and he was also happy in his heart, but he said lightly: "It's still early to be at the mercy!" He also quipped: "You just praise me as the first hero of the ages and a living immortal in the world, and I will not promote your official position and add you to your wealth." ”

Wang Chengen was so anxious that his face turned red, and he muttered: "The slave doesn't want any reward from the Long Live Lord, as long as she can accompany the Long Live Lord every day." If you blindly please the Lord and only pick some good things to say, won't you become a treacherous villain? Slaves and maids can't do it. ”

Chongzhen asked rhetorically: "If you say good things, you are a villain?" So which one praises others? If I reward my courtiers, won't I also become a villain? ”

"The slave and maid are not saying Long Live Lord, the slave and maid are afraid that the Slave and Maiden will think that the slave and maid are deliberately flattering the master and will ...... The slave was confused by the Lord of Long Live Lord. Wang Chengen's defense was unclear, and he was so anxious that he couldn't help but stomp his feet.

Chongzhen smiled: "I know you. Present the folds! It's not early, if I don't go back to Kunning Palace, see if the queen doesn't break your dog's legs! Wang Chengen hurriedly put the last fold on the imperial case, and cut the lights on the thick palace candles on the imperial case. Chongzhen looked at the excerpt, and saw that it was Zhu Zhijun, the secretary of the Guozi Prison, who participated in the impeachment of the prisoner Lu Wanling, and said angrily: "A prisoner reads the book of sages, but his conscience is fed to the dog. What factory ministers made "Essentials" class Confucius made "Spring and Autumn", factory ministers Zhu Donglin and Confucius Zhu Shao Zhengmao, factory ministers are high for eternity, it is appropriate to be the king, when the ancestral hall is built to learn the west, to the factory with Confucius, to the factory with the father with the Holy Father. It's ridiculous, it's in vain on the green scarf on the top! The country's prison was originally built by Taizu Hong Wuye, but these thieves hated that they demolished the prison garden and the house. What a hate! "When you mention the red pen, you have to approve it.

Wang Chengen said: "Long live Lord, I heard that the main messenger was this impeached Zhu Zhijun at the East Jiansheng Temple of Guozijian, but I don't know why he falsely accused others? ”

Chongzhen woke up and said: "The day before yesterday I read a volume of Xizong records also mentioned this matter, at that time, the sacrificial wine of the Guozijian was Lin Zhu, Lu Wanling and others wanted to establish a living shrine, Lin Zhu had sternly refused, thinking that Confucius was a saint, and enjoyed the emperor's worship according to the rites, if Wei Zhongxian and Confucius were enshrined side by side, he would be the emperor on the day to worship the saint, the king would worship the king, and the ministers would sit on the top, how could this be true. That Zhu Zhijun didn't say a word of reprimand, but played Lu Wanling's negligence instead, but now he wants to get rid of the crime, how can I allow him? "Bow your head and criticize Zhu, and the guards in brocade clothes will escort Zhu Zhijun and Lu Wanling to Dongchang Prison, and strictly chase and compare, decided? Hearsay. After a slight pause, he thought for a moment, and then added Cao Dai and Li Dai under Lu Wanling? The two names of the day said to themselves: "These two people are both criminals, and they can't be forgiven!" He straightened his waist, leaned on the throne and took a long breath, but he didn't want to smell a soft fragrance of the spleen, and his body suddenly felt soft, and he almost fell on the table. Wang Chengen hurriedly came over to help, and Chongzhen said: "I smell a fragrance, my lower abdomen feels burning, dizzy and sleepy, look where the fragrance comes from?" Wang Chengen knew that it was definitely not the fragrance of ambergris in the mouth of the copper crane, so he didn't dare to slack off, so he took some cold water first, patted his forehead wet, Chongzhen Huo Ran was refreshing, and said hurriedly: "Don't alarm the Jinyi guards outside the palace, you go to the corner of the hall to search, and you must find the fragrance." ”

Wang Chengen wanted to look for it while sniffing, but he knew that the aroma had already permeated the Danqi, and it was difficult to determine the source, so he had to look everywhere at the corner of the hall, under the Danqi, behind the screen, and under the imperial case, but he found nothing, looking at Chongzhen, extremely puzzled. Chongzhen walked to the side of Danqi and said, "Search the Tiger Cave." Stretched out his hand to press the mouth of the gilded lion on the left, and suddenly heard a rattling sound under the Danqi, a small door suddenly opened, Wang Chengen took a candle and shined, and trembled with fright, and there was a little eunuch sitting cross-legged inside, holding a pillar of incense in both hands, red light, fragrant. When the little eunuch saw that he was discovered, he was also taken aback, and he lost the incense and ran away, but Wang Chengen twisted it, pulled it out and asked, "Who taught you to come?" ”

The little eunuch suddenly came to the bright candlelight, and after a while, he realized that there was a man in a dragon robe standing in front of him, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing, and said, "It is the grandfather who taught the slaves and maids to do this." ”

"What kind of place is this? Don't you know that hiding in the palace and stabbing together? Wang Chengen kicked him hard at his vest.

"The slave is convicted." The little eunuch cried.

Wang Chengen was about to fight, and the little eunuch looked at Chongzhen with tears in his eyes, and Chongzhen said, "Okay, I came to ask you what kind of incense you burned just now?" ”

"It's Mei Xiang."

"Mei Xiang?"

The little eunuch said: "This incense is passed down by the Taoist priest Tao Wenzhong during the Jiajing period of the first dynasty, and it is called the red lead method. It is the first menarche of a beautiful and dignified girl, which is contained in a gold bucket and silver pot, and dried in the shade after adding black plum water, and so on seven times. Then add milk powder, cinnabar, Nanban pine resin, and Tongzi urine powder and stir evenly, slowly boil and dry and refine with fire. Whether men and women sniff for a while, they will urge **, irrepressible, and must be happy and then solved. Long live the Lord's determination is not trivial, it is really the purple microstar in the sky. ”

"You treacherous villain, you plotted to kill the Lord of Banzai just now, but you came to flatter and coax the Lord of Banzai, how can I not realize it?"

"We and others who are physically imperfect, but it is useless." The little eunuch's words made Wang Chengen's face pale and speechless for a while.

Chongzhen said: "Since you tell the truth, I don't embarrass you, but you can't stay in the palace, I don't punish you, someone will punish you, you better go out of the palace!" ”

The little eunuch wept and said: "Three watches in the middle of the night, don't say that it is not easy to leave the palace, that is, out of the palace, there are brocade guards and guards everywhere and Dongchang sitting, but where are the slaves and maids going to flee?" ”

"I have a plan to save your life." Chongzhen smiled.

"Long live the grace of the lord."

"Tomorrow night, you will come to the Qianqing Palace as usual."

"The slave doesn't dare anymore." The little eunuch was so frightened that he waved his hand again and again.

"It's okay, I still hide in the tiger cave and burn incense, but I secretly change the fragrance. Let's go down! Chongzhen saw that the little eunuch retreated with great emotion, and said to Wang Chengen: "Spread Zhao's own government." Wang Chengen muttered as he walked: "Just let him go, I don't know if that little slave is reliable?" Chongzhen smiled secretly: How can you be unreliable? If he told Wei Zhongxian, where would he be able to come back!

After half a cup of tea, Wang Chengen and Zhao Benzheng came in one after another, and Chongzhen said: "Xiao Zhengzi, quickly take a few reliable people to the Qianxi No. 2 Duty Room, check what objects are on the four women, don't hurt them, don't embarrass them, make them conscious." ”

In less than half an hour, Zhao Benzheng came back and presented several cyan pills the size of red beans, "These pills are all found from those women's embroidered belts, skirt corners, breasts, cuffs, and collars, and the strong fragrance hits people, I don't know what to do." Chongzhen sniffed closely, a rich fragrance approached the dantian, his cheeks were hot, his eyes were hazy and difficult to open, and he felt that his heart was immediately up, and he was busy staying away, secretly rejoicing: this incense is stronger than the lit incense, if he just approached the four women, I don't know what kind of ugliness he would make. He asked, "How did you find it?" ”

"The slave maid only said that he was serving the Lord of Long Live and bathed and changed his clothes according to the rules of the palace, and led them to the mixed hall division, and carefully touched the clothes they took off up and down, even if they were dirty, they never let go." Zhao Benzheng laughed.

"Well, the errand is well deserved, and each of them will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver. This shall be the case every day from tomorrow onwards, and they shall not be alarmed. Chongzhen let out a soft breath.

"Mother, it's late at night, rest early!" Yang Cuisleeve looked at the listless Zhang Yan and carefully persuaded.

"What time has it been?"

"It's almost the second shift."

Zhang Yan sighed faintly and said, "It's still early!" Just slept like this, when will it be dawn! ”

Cui Sleeves looked at her coveted expression, and couldn't help but feel relieved: "Niangniang still wants to open some, and the days to come are still long!" ”

Zhang Yan smiled bitterly: "What's the use of thinking?" Didn't he see him a few times when he was there? It's just strange to say, I didn't see him before, and I didn't think about anything, and I was gone all of a sudden, but my heart was empty, and I couldn't help but think about him. After a pause, he sighed again: "Don't comfort me, you don't know anything about men and women, how can you understand the sweet and bitter taste here?" Ay! It's better not to know, pure heart and few desires, so that you can't sleep like a pancake at night. ”

Cui Sleeve said: "Where did Niangniang say come from?" It's still good like Niangniang, blessed and noble. ”

"Where am I blessed?"

"To be the queen, how many can there be in the world? Even since Pangu opened the world, there are only a handful of three emperors and five emperors to the present. ”

But this is not a lie. In this way, it can be regarded as blessed. Coming to the capital from a small county like Xiangfu in Henan Province and entering the harem, I am afraid that it is the merits of how many lifetimes the ancestors have accumulated! ”

Cui Sleeve suddenly sighed: "It's a pity that there is no perfect thing in this world." ”

"How?"

"Everyone wants the queen's throne, but I don't know it, but I can't be happier than being a small people, and I can sleep with my lover in my arms every night."

"Since ancient times, women have regarded jealousy as beauty, so can they only think about spoiling the pepper room?"

Cui sleeve said: "The people are happy like flowers, and the emperor's deep palace is like a flowing year. Niangniang doesn't want to be a pet, but she doesn't know the benefits of the folk township. ”

"How don't you know?"

"How can there be a woman like a flower in the folk village who is widowed?" Cui Sleeves teased.

Zhang Yan only thought she was joking, and said: "You slave, where is the reason for the queen to be re-Jiao in all dynasties." ”

"There is no more Jiao, but it may not all be as the predecessors said that the lonely ancient palace and the palace flowers are lonely and red, and a few of them are not looking for some fun!"

"What's the fun? Double-back, Go, calligraphy and painting, silk and bamboo, Keju, swing? ”

"What's the fun of that? If a widow complains about a woman, can she still leave a man for fun? Men and women are happy with each other, only need to say a few words, and the two feelings are tied in an instant, which is generally the same in ancient and modern times. ”

"Presumptuous! You, you don't hold back when you talk like this! It's really a dog's mouth that can't spit out ivory. If you want to talk nonsense again, be careful with your palm. Zhang Yan sank her face.