On 22 June, the Qing army recovered the whole island of Penghu, and the door to Taiwan was suddenly opened. When Li Guangdi got the news of Penghu's victory, he was relieved and almost fainted, because Shi Lang said in the chapter that there was still a shortage of 9,000 taels of silver, so he hurriedly moved to consult the Yamen of the Fujian Domain to transfer the silver to Penghu. The next day, he received Shi Lang's book, saying that Zheng Ke had sent someone to ask for surrender. Now that the front line has been completely victorious, Lee Kwang-di decided to go to Beijing immediately and ask for a request to handle the surrender.

The news of the reconquest of Taiwan immediately caused a sensation in the city of Beijing. At this time, it happened that Italy, France, and the Netherlands in Europa were sending envoys to the court, and they all followed the fun, and congratulated the emperor on recovering Taiwan. Suo Etu and Mingzhu searched for dry intestines, and picked out all the good words to praise the emperor for his "holy civil and military"; Gao Shiqi impromptu poems and essays, offering longevity without borders; Even Xiong Cixu also gave the princes a holiday, rushed back to the Ministry of Rites by order, and took the official Lian Ming to draft the edict all night, formulate the etiquette of surrender, and send it to Fuzhou with 600 miles after presenting it to Kangxi.

On the second day, He Guizhu went to Li Guangdi's mansion to issue an edict of grace, and crowned Li Guangdi as the crown prince, Wenyuange scholar, and secretary of the Ministry of Rites. He Guizhu has been promoted to the rank of fourth-rank Beijing, his white beard shook with a smile, and he greeted Li Guangdi with a red face, and said: "I have entrusted the blessings of the Wu family in my life. In the first year, the second master was the master's teacher, and I was the companion, so I became an official. Second Master Wu is about to cultivate to become a Buddha, and here you are again, but it is the high feet of Old Master Wu, you can take care of it more! Li Guang was calm on the ground, his heart was beating a drum, he was pounding with excitement, and said with a smile: "I have never believed in the theory of good fortune, but it seems that you He Guizhu is blessed." I heard that the eunuch He Zhu'er was originally called Ah Gou, but he changed his name because he was envious of you. With that, he burst out laughing. He Guizhu was comfortably greeted by Li Guangdi, and leaned closer and said, "I heard the rumors inside, my lord wants to enter the study!" Master Li, you really have yours! When I said that I would take Taiwan, even Suo Zhongtang didn't dare to say tough words, but you must fight against it - this is the ability! Lord Xiong now also says that you have the demeanor of a famous minister! He Guizhu said, shaking his head and smacking his tongue, admiring again and again.

Li Guangdi's eyes jumped when he heard this, and he breathed a sigh of relief for a while, smiled faintly, and said: "A gentleman knows his fate, and if he is good, he will help the world, and if he is poor, he will be good alone." Famous ministers are not famous ministers, I didn't think about it, and deliberately seeking fame would go into obscenity. The emperor is so gracious, I am already a very human minister, how dare I think anything wrong? He Guizhu couldn't help but smile when he heard him clear up. He has been on an errand with the emperor for many years, and he knows the habits of literati, the more enthusiastic he is, the more serious he is. Hearing Li Guangdi say this, it was not good to get close to it again, so he got up with a smile and said, "I believe what my lord says, you are a great Confucian of science!" It's getting late, I have to go back to the decree - you might as well go and meet Suo Zhongtang, he is well-informed, maybe the emperor will be gracious! He smiled and went away.

In the afternoon of the same day, Li Guangdi took a four-person official sedan chair to Suo'etu's mansion on Yuhuangmiao Street. The person on the door saw that he was coming, and called Qian'er to say goodbye, so he ran in to report, and saw Chen Tiejia and Chen Xijia, the prime ministers of Suofu, who were all out of the house, and laughed all the way into the West Flower Hall.

Suo Etu was playing against Wang Mingdao, and when he saw Li Guangdi coming in, he put down his chess pieces and got up and said with a smile: "The new upstart is here, I haven't been feeling well these days, and I haven't been able to greet him, so I won't be worried about Jinqing, right?" ”

"Teacher, where are these words?" Li Guangdi swung forward, sat upright, and said with a smile, "There are too many things after returning to Beijing, you know everything." So I didn't come to the house to say goodbye, and I have to ask you Haihan! ”

"Get some food!" Suo Etu casually ordered, "And Elder Wang, let's talk while eating-Jin Qing, have you received the holy decree?" Li Guangdi said: "He Guizhu came to deliver the decree this morning, it is really a holy grace, and he deserves it!" After that, he stroked his knees and sighed. Wang Mingdao stared at Li Guangdi in contemplation, and said halfway: "Holy grace is a layer, and there is also the meaning of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince here." Zhongtang also said in the morning, the little prince has asked for long live several times, and wants you to go into the study to do something! Suo Etu saw that the housekeeper Lao Cai had sent the banquet over, so he said, "Cai Dai, what are you afraid of?" Why don't you hurry up and send the jar of Moutai given by the Holy Lord? Seeing Lao Cai agreeing to go down one after another, the three of them took their seats.

Suo Etu rummaged through the plate with chopsticks for a long time, picked up a crab, twisted his legs and said: "Rongcun (Li Guangdi), you don't know, today's things are not as difficult as Kangxi twelve years ago!" In peacetime, who doesn't want to go up? What do I not know about your mind? With your character, heart, and talent, isn't it logical to enter the study? Damn, someone is doing it! As if he had an appetite, he stopped talking again, dug out the crab roe and dipped it in ginger vinegar and tasted it slowly, and said, "You have been going for a few months, there has been a lot of gossip, Chen Menglei has also been transferred back, because no one can extinguish your credit, this is why you are rewarded, if you talk about the articles here, there are many!" ”

"Dare to ask what kind of gossip?" Li Guangdi's heart sank suddenly, but he had always been extremely self-contained, and quickly regained his composure, "I don't care, the Emperor knows me." But I served in front of the army, but there are people behind me who make 'articles', isn't it a strange thing? As he spoke, Cai Dai came in and poured the wine. When Wang Mingdao saw him go out, Fang sneered: "You are still a well-educated person." How many such things have happened since ancient times! There is no shortage of people who have made meritorious contributions and killed their heads! ”

Suo Etu said: "There are four or five references to your films. Yu Guozhu, Xu Qianxue, and Guo Xiu all participated, this is all an open-faced matter, and I don't want to hide it from you. Some say that you are in mourning in Fujian, and you are also in collusion with Geng Jingzhong, and you are a traitor. Some people say that your wax pill book was sent a year late, and it is difficult to ensure that it is not a reputation and a wait-and-see situation; There are also those who say that you are a false Taoist, that you are not careful, that you fool around with prostitutes - you say that you are not angry! Li Guangdi listened, sparks were already bursting out of his eyes, he didn't expect that he would go to the front to comfort the army, and there would be these nonsense words behind him! After a while, he took a breath and said, "My heart, God knows!" ”

"The emperor also knows." Suo Etu said calmly, "So it's all deducted, and it won't be released!" Wang Mingdao said: "But it's hard to say after a long time." Zeng Shen is a sage, Zeng mother is a good mother, with the love of mother and son, can you say that you don't know your son? reported three times that she had participated in murder, but she didn't believe it? ”

Li Guangdi "Geden" in his heart, of course he knew this allusion, and he transferred back Chen Menglei for no reason, which was a bad omen. After a pause, he asked a little reluctantly, "Brother Chen has been transferred back?" In which ministry do you run errands? ”

"If it's in the ministry, that's fine!" Suo Etu sneered, "Now in the Third Master's Mansion, it is the prince's master!" ”

The third master Yinzhi is still young, and it doesn't matter, but he is the newly entered Baylor, who is on the same level as the eldest brother Yinzhi, second only to the prince, Kangxi lifted Chen Menglei, who was poor in learning, from a prisoner to this position at once, which is indeed surprising. Li Guangdi thought about it, this was Kangxi's intention, it was hard to say anything, sneered, picked up Moutai and drank it all.

"To be honest," Suo Etu glanced at Wang Mingdao, poured wine for Li Guangdi with his own hands, and said, "Mingzhu still has the final say in the study." Old Master Xiong is cautious and cautious, and the two do not mess with each other; Gao Shiqi can't stand on the top of the mountain by himself, in the final analysis, he is the pearl party. If I hadn't had the prince in it, I would have been squeezed out a long time ago! Hum! Mingzhu is a person, everyone says that he is smart, but in fact, who can he hide from the little Jiujiu he played in his heart? ”

"What little ninety-nine?" Li Guangdi listened quietly and asked with a faint gaze.

"Big Brother Yinyu!" Wang Mingdao leaned back, leaned back in the chair and said.

"Agori, he's the first to be named Baylor, what else does he want?"

Suo Etu looked Li Guangdi up and down, and when he saw Li Guangdi's face, he suddenly burst into laughter and said, "You, I don't know if you're really stupid or stupid?" Extravagant hope that there is an end to this stuff? Ao Bai is no more than the position of a grandfather, and once he has the power, he wants to sit in the Dragon Court. What's more, Yinyu has golden branches and jade leaves, is respected Baylor, the favor of the Nalan clan inside, and there is a pearl outside to control the government and the Forbidden City guards, and the power is in his hands! ”

Li Guangdi suddenly shuddered, he never dared to think about this matter, if there was really a disaster to take over the heir, the first one would bring down Suo Etu, and the second one would be his turn! What is the eight seats, the glory of the ancestors, what is the planning of the temple, for the benefit of Li Shu, all the brains are gone! After thinking about it, Li Guangdi smiled and said, "Zhongtang is a little alarmist today!" I heard that Mingzhu was a beggar who froze to death on the street back then, not Wu Ciyou and He Guizhu, and he would have been sent to Zuojiazhuang to turn into a human field. He was born like this, and he received the emperor's immortal grace, how dare he think of anything wrong? If that's really the case, I, as a courtier, will only have my head hung on the door of the country to repay the grace of God! ”

"He's already doing it. Thirteen years after Kangxi, he went to Baoding five times and replaced the eunuchs in the palace one by one, all of which he single-handedly operated. He became the minister of the guard, and the soldiers above the camp officer in the Forbidden City were personally selected by private individuals, and there were a lot of guards stuffed into it! Do you have to wait for a day when the disaster breaks down the wall, and you are willing to fight to the death to protect it? Suo Etu had eaten a lot of wine, but his expression remained unchanged, and he said, "You said that he was born as a beggar and almost burned it." This is just a one-sided reason, what Mingzhu said, he said: 'If you don't die in a big disaster, you will have a blessing in the future!' 'He is already the number one person in the sky, what else do you want'? Is this intention terrible? ”

Wang Mingdao listened, and felt that Suo Etu's words were too explicit, Li Guangdi listened to it reasonably, and after thinking about it, it was inevitable that he would be discounted, so he interjected and said: "It's rare for the saint to understand in his heart that the transfer and replacement of personal guards are all made by himself, and no one asks or relies on." He let out a long sigh. Suo Etu also came back to his senses and said with a smile: "Yes! After Wei Dongting left, Mingzhu asked for instructions several times to transfer Mu Zixu to be the political envoy of Jiangning, and later said that let Mu Zixu make up for the lack of General Fuyuan in Tuhai, but the emperor only didn't spit out, and he couldn't do it! The emperor is prosperous in the Spring and Autumn Period, the sky is mighty, the saint is wise, and the treacherous villain will not have any delusions for a while, but it is another matter to seek the position of the East Palace. Jin Qing, you have to be clear in your heart, look at it from a distance, prince, but you don't have a mother! ”

"I'll write a book to refer to his pearl!" Li Guangdi thought that Mingzhu was hindered everywhere, embarrassed by himself, and actually harbored the intention of seizing the heir, is it tolerable? clenched his fist and slammed it on the table, saying, "If you knock him down, you will melt the iceberg of Yinyu, what is the prince worried about!" ”

After going around in circles for a long time, Li Guangdi was finally led to this question. On the day of Geng Jingzhong's rebellion, he took 300,000 taels of military salary from the treasury and fled, sent wax pills to secretly report the military situation, and all kinds of meritorious deeds plus the strength of the public to plan for Taiwan, and he was already a pillar of the government and the opposition. With his identity at this time, Kangxi will never be indifferent and stay in the middle of the book; As long as it is sent to the ministry, it will definitely rise up in a hurry and besiege it; Even if he can't be sent to the rope maker alley all at once, he will definitely not be able to keep his position in the study. Suo Etu and Wang Mingdao exchanged glances and said, "I have long seen that you are a bloody son, the pillar of the country!" Otherwise, I would rather die than dare to say anything today. You just have to participate, you don't have to look ahead, I have you in it! It's the case of Nanjing Science Field, even Mingzhu took Xu Qianxue with a bag, and Yu Guozhu, what are they! If these thieves don't go, how can the court live in peace? Your move to enter the study is no longer worth mentioning. At that moment, the three of them were eating and discussing at the table, and it was not until it was dark that Li Guangdi resigned.

Suo Etu sent Li Guangdi directly to Yimen before returning, and asked Wang Mingdao to rest in peace, because he saw Cai Dai and the servants picking up the remnants of the mats, sweeping the floor and wiping the table, so he said: "These livelihoods tell them to do." Cai Dai, you come with me, I have something to say! Cai Dai hurriedly agreed, and followed Suo Etu out. Seeing that Suo Etu did not return to the main house, he stepped on the water pavilion in the west of the garden, Cai Dai couldn't help but be stunned, and hurriedly walked a few steps to keep up.

It was the middle of July, in the autumn season, the cool breeze gradually rose, and the thin clouds covered the moon. The shadow of the pond lotus is swaying, the fragrance is refreshing, and the surrounding is silent, only the chirping of crickets and the echo of frogs.

"Cai Dai," secretly, he couldn't see Suo Etu's face clearly, and could only see him sitting on stilts on the gazebo, "You are from my house in the past ten years from Kangxi, right?" ”

"Yes......" Cai Dai replied blankly, "the slave is from Shandong who fled the famine and came to Beijing." In the first year of Kangxi, he encircled the land of the slaves, and there was nothing to eat, so he couldn't go into Beijing to mix bowls of rice to eat, so he planted vegetables in the East Garden,...... Later, Lord Xiong saw that I was pitiful and recommended it to you......" Suo Etu smiled: "You are so familiar with your resume!" I'm just afraid that when I was planting vegetables, I was on an errand in the Thirteen Yamen, right? When Cai Dai heard this, he was almost frightened, and it took a long time to come back to his senses and say: "The little one doesn't understand what the master means, how can the little one know what the Thirteen Yamen is about?" ”

It turned out that after the founding of the Qing Dynasty, it followed the Ming system, imitated the Jinyi and Wei system of the former Ming East Factory, and set up thirteen yamen to specialize in detecting the actions of various ministers. Suo Etu revealed that Cai Dai was sent to his side by Emperor Kangxi, and when he heard Cai Dai's frightened voice, he prevaricated, and said: "Listen to me and tell me about your resume: In the sixteenth year of Shunzhi, you fled to Beijing and planted vegetables in the East Garden, Xiong Cixu lived nearby, seeing that you were young and capable, recommended to the Thirteen Yamen on an errand, and later the Thirteen Yamen were withdrawn, you went to the Internal Affairs Mansion with Wei Dongting, and pretended to be an old man in his fifties in his mansion, until Ao Zhongtang was bad, and your "errand" was completed. Well...... Nine to ten years...... You've been growing 'vegetables' for another year, and the old bear has called you to come to me again—I'm right, right? After Suo Etu finished speaking, Gege smiled and observed Cai Dai quietly.

Cai Dai was completely stunned, such a confidential matter, no third party was allowed to know between granting and receiving, except for the special order to consult the archives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, that is a permanent secret. But a minister like Suo Etu is aware of his identity, and he will die if he goes back according to the rules! Cai Dai Muran stood for a long time, and said in a snort: "Zhongtang has uncovered this layer of paper, and it is meaningless to hide it." However, you said that Xiong Zhongtang sent me, but I misheard what people said, but in fact, I don't know who sent the envoy. That being the case, tomorrow I will ask Zhongtang to resign from me. Over the years, the court has treated me like a mountain, and I have never seen any misconduct in you, and it is useless to poke it out to you. There is a way that the mountains are high and the water is long, and the peak is turning, and Cai Dai will repay your kindness in the future. ”

"I never do anything in secret, so I'm naturally not afraid of a villain like you suing." Suo Etu sneered and said, "You are diligent and diligent here, and there are no mistakes, won't I make people suspicious if I resign you?" You have to stay, in addition to running errands for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, you also have to really run errands for me, and I will triple the monthly rate for you, how about it? ”

"This is an inadmissible decision!" Cai Dai was frightened by his gloomy voice, thinking of the "seizure of the heir" that the Qing guests of Suofu said these days, even if he did not dare to report to the Internal Affairs Office truthfully, he would never dare to inquire about the news of the Inner Court for Suo Etu. He knelt down on his knees in a panic, waved his hands and said: "This is a prohibition, if you are not careful, even the middle hall will be ......" It seems that he is just kowtowing when he is smashing garlic.

Suo Etu stood up with a "sigh", gritted his teeth, and said from between his teeth: "You refuse? Well, let me tell you, I'm the best prime minister! The emperor has issued a Ming edict since the third year of Kangxi, in view of the disaster of the Ming Dynasty in Dongchang, and forever abolished the thirteen yamen of the monitoring minister, I don't know who dares to dare to be bold and pretend to be a member of the internal affairs government to sneak into our house for 12 years! It is not difficult for me for you to investigate this matter from above, and it is within my authority! "Then he walked away.

"Zhongtang, Zhongtang!" Cai Dai climbed and knelt a few steps, hugged Suo Etu's leg tightly, and cried and said, "Ask for Zhongtang...... Superbirth! I listen to my lord's orders...... It's just ......" for a long time, only then did he take a long breath and said, "You get up, I won't play!" I support the emperor, protect the prince, I am a loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty, and I don't ask you to rebel, what are you doing with a pretentious attitude? But I asked you to inquire for me, so I am afraid that the villain will harm me and mislead the country! Didn't you take a fancy to the fourth grandmother's roommate, Mingjue? You've got a reward! ”

Li Guangdi hurried back to the mansion, and there was already a long follower on the door, leading the way, and while walking, he replied: "Master, Li Fu is here from Fujian, and there is a letter from the master." I told him to wait at Diecuixuan. Will you see him now, or will you call him after dinner? ”

"Hmm." Li Guangdi was working on the draft of the impeachment of Mingzhu all the way, and at this time Fang came back to his senses and said, "I have already eaten, so call him to the study!" With that, he entered the study in deep thought, and his eyes were blazing to conceive the aphorisms in the recital. For a while, Li Fu came in, hurriedly knocked on Li Guangdi, presented a letter to his family, and asked casually: "This is written by the third master?" Granny ** no? ”

"Old lady...... Dead! Li Fu looked crying, plopped down and knelt on the ground and said: "The third master is afraid that the old man will be sad and anxious, so he doesn't ask me to wear filial piety clothes to report the funeral, but asks me to go to Beijing to face the old man, and the affairs of the family are presided over by his old man, and he must have done the old lady's funeral affairs in a beautiful way......" Before the words were finished, Li Guangdi had already fallen into the chair, and cried bitterly: "Mother, mother!" You...... It's bitter...... If you don't enjoy a day of happiness...... Went to ...... Li Guangdi is really the most unfilial rebel in the world...... This time I went back to Fujian on an errand, and I only stayed at home for half a day...... Gone—I'm so muddy! I ......" he slapped his hand on the door of his head, trembling uncontrollably.

Li Guangdi was not born in a scholarly family, although his family was rich, he was a businessman. The youngest of the four brothers, because of his cleverness and love of reading, he was often looked down upon by his father, but Mrs. Tai, who was born in a country eunuch, loved this seed of reading the most. Appropriate years ago, the old Wu Zhixun traveled to Fujian, occasionally lacked funds, and came to the Li family to teach, Li Guangdi has today's glory, thanks to the old lady's full support. Now that the bad news came suddenly, Li Guangdi was really like five thunderbolts, where could he stop the tears from rolling down like beads?

"Fourth master, you have to mourn ......" ** tearfully persuaded, "The third master said, the master is now a product in the cabinet, maybe the emperor wants to win love, since he is the emperor's person, it is inevitable that loyalty and filial piety cannot be both, please think carefully - the old lady has something to say on her deathbed, saying, 'Si'er doesn't have to come back, he just needs to worry more about the emperor's people, and I am also happy in my heart under Jiuquan...... Hi. ’”

Li Guangdi listened in a daze with teary eyes, and when he heard his mother's last order, he hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed to receive the order, but before he finished listening, he was already crying on the ground: "...... Li Guangdi is not filial to the sky, and the disaster is prolonged...... What's the use of the emperor asking me to be an unfilial person......"

When he was crying profusely, the family members outside came in, saw Li Guangdi kneeling on his knees, and hurriedly knelt down and said, "Master, the grandfather of Gao Shiqi outside is visiting......