Mingzhu's case was put on hold. In the 28th year of Kangxi, Suo Etu was ordered to go to Nibuchu to demarcate the boundary with the Rakshasa Kingdom, during which Kangxi ordered Tong Guowei, the younger brother of his biological mother Tong Jia, to enter the upper study. Tong Guowei is said to be Kangxi's maternal uncle according to his generation, according to royal rules, the emperor does not call him uncle, he can only be "Tong Guowei, the minister of scattered rank". As early as the Shunzhi period, Tong Guowei had already hung the false title of a first-class guard, and he did not agree to withdraw the "three feudatories" with Mingzhu, which provoked Suo Etu, and how many years did he come up after being pressed in Leng Caoguan. He is not as forward-looking as Zhang Tingyu, at the beginning of his tenure, he played again and again, reorganized the officials above the six departments, eliminated redundant and promoted the virtuous, and refreshed the rule of officials for a while, which won the hearts of the people, and several honest officials with outstanding political achievements such as Yu Chenglong, Ma Qi, Wang Luo, Fan Chengxun, Yao Diyu, Guo Xiu and others have added the title of palace protection, rewarded the peacock feather, and promoted to the first grade, but the rank of his son Long Keduo was adjusted from the second rank to the third rank according to the routine. By the time Suo Etu returned from the Nebuchu negotiations, the situation in the DPRK had changed beyond recognition.

Suo Etu came back from the northeast on the tenth day of the first month of the twenty-ninth year, and the crown prince went out of the city to set up a tent to welcome him. After telling Kangxi about the situation of the signing of the treaty with Nebuchu, the kings, Baylor, Beizi, and the chief officials of the yamen all rushed to the Jade Emperor Temple Street, some invited Suo Etu to come to the house to eat and drink, some of them had affairs, and some of the eliminated officials inevitably came to hit the wooden bell and complain about their grievances. Suo Etu seemed calm, ushered in the send-off, and stopped talking, and some people who said bad things about Tong Guowei only laughed at it.

On the fifteenth day of the first month, Suo Etu was ordered to go to the Tianqiong Hall on behalf of Kangxi to make incense. After returning to hand over the decree, he followed Kangxi out of Shunzhenmen to the Great High Palace, Shouhuang Palace, Qin'an Palace, and Doutan to worship with incense, and then summoned the six chief officials to follow Kangxi to the Empress Dowager's spirit to salute and sacrifice. It's been a busy day. When I left the inner hall, it was already dark, and I saw that the sky was overcast, and there were scattered snowflakes.

If in previous years, tonight was repaid? This hour has already boiled, and what social fires, stilts, big dramas, stories, tricks, reckless styles, dragon lanterns, and lions have already been dispatched. But this year is a national funeral, all folk amusement is prohibited, and thousands of households in Beijing are full of white gauze lanterns. In front of the door, only groups of children play hide and seek under the lamps, but there are few tourists. Suo Etu stood stunned for a while under the huge white gauze palace lamp in Xihuamen, took a long breath, got into the sedan chair and ordered, "Go to Tong Guowei Mansion!" ”

Tong Guowei's Xinci Mansion is located along the West River, and it will be there in a short time. As soon as the sedan chair fell, Suo Etu came out of his waist, and saw Jin Fu coming out of it. Jin Fu saw that it was Suo Etu, so he turned his face, wanted to pretend not to see it, and walked to the side of the sedan chair. Suo Etu laughed and stopped: "Zihuan, what are you called?" Don't want to ignore me and ask for the third child? ”…… grabbed it and said in a greeting, "I haven't seen you for a long time, you are so thin, and your hair is all white!" Have you seen Tong Xiang? Jin Fu had indeed become skinny, and his swarthy face had become bluish-gray. He was an official who had been dismissed and lived in Beijing, wearing a gray silk sheepskin jacket, his sparse hair was almost completely white, and he looked old. Seeing Suo Etu's hypocritical face, Jin Fu laughed dryly and said, "Where do you dare to be!" Jin Fu is a body of sin, you are a nobleman, how can you mess with it? Suo Etu laughed, held Jin Fu's hand and said, "You didn't have this temperament in the past, the older you get, the more angry you get!" The scholar is an official in the court, so why worry about honor and disgrace? Maybe I won't be as good as you in the future! Why did the shallowness of human affection come to this point? What kind of nobles am I, Xiao Tong and Tingyu are the upstarts! ”

Although his words were very easy-going, Jin Fu listened to the sound outside the strings, and said with a smile: "I don't care about any new and old nobles." By God's grace, I had to be dismissed, and it was because I was unofficial and light! I came here for Chen Huang's business, and I detained people in the Prison God Temple for a few years, neither convicted nor released, what is the matter? I heard that the emperor intends to use me to serve as the governor of Guizhou, I am asking Tong Xiang to play on my behalf, I am old, please take pity on this old bone and spare this messenger. ”

Suo Etu couldn't help but be stunned, what others wanted, how could this old guy shirk it? After pondering for a moment, Fang said: "There is no need to say anything. I know that the emperor doesn't have anything in his heart for you. That year, several ministers clamored to kill you, and the emperor also said: 'If you want to kill, wait until the river is cured before killing.' Now that the river is cured, why don't you kill it if you can't do it, but don't you faint? He pursed his lips and smiled as he spoke. Speaking of governing the river, Jin Fu's eyes lit up, and then dimmed again, and sighed: "I shouldn't say a word about reasoning." Zhenjia has now opened the embankment of Xiaojiadu, the river channel has been widened, the dam is useless, and the sediment has been silted up within two years. Suo Etu said with a smile: "The day before yesterday, I received a letter from the Criminal Department that Chen was in prison, and he also talked about this matter. You are a dismissal officer, he is a prisoner, what do you do with these idle accounts? Now it's not as good as in the past, the court has money, and if you break it, you can block it again - if you break it, it proves that you are right? ”

When a country's prime minister said such a thing, Jin Fu's heart couldn't help but sink suddenly, thinking about it, he couldn't refute it openly, and he sighed and was about to speak, Suo Etu stretched out his hand and shook it, and said with a smile: "Someone from Tong's mansion has come to pick me up, let's talk about it later." Don't be stupid, if there is a decree to tell you to go to Guizhou, you will go! What is lacking in food, clothing, housing and transportation in Beijing, just send someone to my house to ask for it. Don't say it's you about Chen Huang, even if we go to the study and everyone talks about it together, it won't help - if the emperor doesn't kill him, it's his creation! Jin Fu sneered: "If you don't say it, I still have to say it." It is me who is guilty, Chen Huang, Feng Zhiren, and Peng Xueren are all guilty - the three armies can win the commandery, but the horseman cannot win the ambition, I have decided this! With that, he raised his hand and stepped on the snow, Suo Etu looked at him abruptly, and turned his face. At this time, the door of Tong's mansion was opened, and Tong Guowei and a few masters had already come out.

Suo Etu and Tong Guowei joined hands and laughed until the West Flower Hall in the back hall. It's a very different place than the deserted scene outside. Tong Guowei was entertaining his guest master, and more than a dozen people were sitting and laughing in front of the feast in the flower hall; There are more than 20 long attendants standing under the corridor in the hall, dozens of silver candles are burning, illuminating brightly, the fireworks boxes placed under the corridor are burning one after another, what mud letter sand pots, flower pot fireworks, flower tube fires, ground mice, no sound, no, only spraying colorful bright flames, the courtyard is full of strong ** smell, the house is full of excitement and warm atmosphere. When everyone saw Tong Guowei coming in with Suo Etu, they all got up and stood solemnly to greet them.

"Sit, sit!" Suo Etu smiled all over his face, waved his hand and said, "On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, there are so many friends in my house, I feel that it is too lonely. I've been busy in the past few days, and I didn't bother to come up to see Guowei, don't be surprised! You are good here, there are many people and lively, and there is such a table of good dishes, which is the imperial meal, but that's it! ”

Tong Guowei is in his forties, with a purple face, a shaved beard, and two eyes that are as black as paint, and he is neither angry nor powerful. Seeing that Suo Etu was courteous, everyone sat down diagonally. Tong Guowei poured the door cup for Suo Etu, gently flung the thick black and shiny braid to the back of his head, sat down upright in his robe, and said: "Fang Cai Jin Fu has been here, I am very sorry for him, I have fallen into this fate after all these years, and I have to worry about others." The day before yesterday, the ministry asked him to go to Guizhou to be the governor, and Suo Xiangde told the saint to let him go. ”

"That's it." Suo Etu took a bite of the dish and chewed it slowly, muttering, "I think so too." However, Jin Fu may not have received this feeling. If you really don't want to, we don't want to. There is still a gap in the Hanshangshu of the Household Department, please let him fill it, he is not a layman - speaking of which, let me ask by the way, Geng Suotu has done quite well in the Shangshu of the Military Department, why did he change Xie Chongyi again? I wasn't at home at any time, and everyone was pretty much the same, and I didn't know anyone anymore. ”

Tong Guowei looked at Suo Etu and was speechless. Several doormen saw that the host and the guests were cold, and hurriedly came over to persuade them to drink and eat food. Tong Guowei thought about it, and Fang said: "Xie Jianyi has stayed in Tuhai and Zhou Pei's public camp and understands military affairs. Geng Suotu didn't say anything about the evacuation, it was the emperor's idea, and he and his brother Guogang were both trained in the Feiyang Ancient Department. Suo Etu poured a glass of wine for Tong Guowei, ate it slowly, and said, "That's different." Geng Suotu is the secretary of the Ministry of War, and he is not guilty of demotion, so there is no such example. I played the emperor in the Qin'an Palace today, and I still have to transfer it back. I'm here to say hello to you, we're in the same cardinal, and it's not good for me to tell you when I don't do something. Only then did Tong Guowei know the true meaning of Suo Etu's visit, he sneered in his heart, but said in his mouth: "There are people in the six departments, don't mind Suo Xiang." It's all impeached by the officials, and it was done according to the will of the saints, and I just did it according to the order. Some people can't change it, for example, Xu Qianxue, who sticks out his tongue and licks Mingzhu's ass on weekdays, and falls into the well as soon as he turns his face, what kind of fucking thing is it? I can't ask him to make the sacrificial wine of the Hanlin Temple anymore! ”

"Yanguan only knows how to sell fame and reputation, they know a fart!" Suo Etu's heart was on fire, but he was still smiling on his face, "Cha Shen Xing is a wild scholar, isn't it just that he sang two sentences of the Palace of Eternal Life during the national funeral?" When we go to prison and toss to death, we are not afraid that future generations will say that we don't cherish talents! I have made this clear to the Holy One, and the Holy One called for the release of people. I sent him to be entangled, and he was raised in Nanjing, and when the country was in peace, what were you afraid of if you were afraid of a few nerves? ”

Tong Guowei listened quietly, for a long time, and suddenly sneered, and said: "Suo Xiang is holding back his belly fire, and he came to me to vent." Don't talk about that. You can't listen to the tune tonight, you have just returned from Nebuchu, and everyone wants to know how the peace talks are going, and if you want to do anything, you can tell me how it is. Suo Etu also felt that he was out of shape, and he complained in front of everyone and lost his identity as a minister, and said with a smile: "That's it, I don't know what happened today, I said these unhappy words!" Come on, let's drink and celebrate our Lantern Festival! Listening to the disagreement between the two Zaifu, the Qingke people were already pinching a cold sweat with a prickly bone, and they all got up and gaged from it, and the atmosphere eased for a while.

"The Rakshasa Kingdom entered the field to negotiate peace, and it was with **." Suo Etu drank three glasses of wine, his face was flushed red, Nebuchu and his party were the most proud messengers in his life, so he spoke loudly, and was about to elaborate, when he suddenly saw He Zhu'er, the attendant in the Heart Cultivation Palace, come in, and asked, "What are you doing here?" Suo Etu is now also the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of the Guard, He Zhu'er saw that it was him, he was busy laughing, and replied: "It turns out that Suo Zhongtang is also here, save the slave and then run to the Jade Emperor Temple Street." The master passed the word and told Zhongtang and Tong Xiang to hand over the sign to go in! ”

Sent people to call the ministers separately, Kangxi drove Yikun Palace, Jingqi Mama Han Liu saw that Kangxi came in, and hurriedly picked up the lamp to lead the way, and said loudly: "Your lord, long live the lord is here!" ”

Ah Xiu is teasing his son Yinxiang under the lamp. Since the first day of October in the 28th year of Kangxi, Yinxiang, who was five years old, was taken away by the Internal Affairs Office, and entered Yuqing Palace to follow the crown prince to listen to Tang Bin's lectures. In the first month of this year, Kangxi somehow showed kindness and ordered the princes to stop their studies and reunite with their mothers for half a month, which was already a mighty imperial favor in the palace. Since Handan and Chen Huangqin broke off, Ah Xiu has seen the love between men and women very lightly, and only thinks about being able to guard his son and go back to his hometown one day. After Mingzhu's matter came out, people in the palace said a lot, and Concubine Hui Nalan was naturally swept away, and Ah Xiu was much more affectionate. She saw that Ah Xiu had just gone out, and Kangxi had arrived on his hind feet. Ah Xiu heard Han Liu's report, hurriedly pulled Yinxiang out, knelt at the door of the hall, and said softly: "Slave Zhang Jia's family knocks on the master!" ”

"Get up!" Kangxi smiled and stroked Yinxiang's pigtails, and entered the hall as he spoke, "I haven't turned over your brand for a few months, one is that you are not in good health, and the other is that I am too busy - I still have to see the minister tonight, this is empty, I came to take a look." This time it is not as good as Kangxi for twenty-three years, and I really want to have a decisive battle with Geerdan, I will not break my word, and I will personally conquer Ulan Butong! It's time to take advantage of your wishes! ”

Ah Xiu held the tea and served it, and when he heard this, his hand shook, the hot tea splashed on the table, his eyes jumped, and he asked in a trembling voice: "Really?" ”

"Of course it is!" Kangxi sat down with a smile and took the child in his arms, "King Zhuo Suotu has a way, in the end he lured this big fish to the hook, and Geerdan, a greedy villain, will not escape this catastrophe!" Ah Xiu's heart was beating with excitement, tears still flowed out in a circle in his eyes, and he hurriedly wiped his tears and smiled: "Ulan Butong is only a few hundred miles away from Gubeikou, and the slave doesn't know anything about such a big thing!" "Of course you don't." Kangxi laughed and said: "Don't say it's you, except for Tong Guowei, no one in Beijing knows!" Let those Beijing officials know, and the whole world is uneasy. ”

"Slaves and maids must obey!" Ah Xiu said without hesitation, "Long live the promise at the beginning!" ”

"That's not going to work." Kangxi said with a smile, "What is it like to bring a woman in the army?" It's knives, guns, artillery, and you have to ride a horse, how can you do it? Ah Xiu was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly said: "Long live I don't know, I can dance the knife right away, you saw it with your own eyes last year's Mulan hunting." ”

Kangxi saw that she was awkward, got up and pulled her shoulder, and said: "Fighting is not hunting, it's not child's play, understand?" Ah Xiu twisted his body, covered his face with his hands and cried: "Jun Wu joked, this is not what you said at the beginning?" My father, my brother, my sisters, my family...... It's so miserable, if it weren't for their shame, why did I come to this Central Plains and suffer so much? Banzai...... You...... Why don't you think about it for me......" Kangxi heard her say this, and suddenly remembered the rumors about Ah Xiu and Chen Huang, and couldn't help but change color, Tie Qing stood up with a blue face, paced a few steps, and stopped talking a few times, before he said: "It seems that you still can't let go...... Your hometown grassland! Since entering the palace, why have I been waiting for you, which concubine became a concubine so quickly? …… Well, if you say that, I'll take you with me, and you'll do it yourself! With that, he got up and went.

Kangxi hurriedly returned to the Heart Nourishing Hall with a heart on his mind. Ah Xiu's family revenge, this is a reasonable thing, he is not angry. What is infuriating is that Guo Luoluo and several internal supervisors all said that Ah Xiu also inquired about Chen Huang from the foreign ministers after entering the palace, which shows that no matter in the territory or outside the territory, only women and villains are difficult to raise, and the words of the sage are not false at all.

"Long live, minion Gao Shiqi takes over!"

Kangxi was stunned, only to see that he had arrived outside the hanging flower gate of the Heart Cultivation Palace. Gao Shiqi had just entered the palace after receiving the order, and he met here. Kangxi said angrily: "Come in." So he went into the hospital. Under the bright lights of the courtyard, Suo Etu, Tong Guowei, Zhang Tingyu, Feiyanggu and Li Guangdi had already knelt under the Danqi one after another, and when they saw Kangxi coming in with Gao Shiqi, they each kowtowed to Kangxi, and silently got up and went inside. Kangxi took a look at his mind, wanted to overheat ** and drank a cup, turned his head and asked Li Guangdi:

"Li Guangdi, now that you are in charge of the household department, how much grain is stored in the provinces north of the Yellow River?"

"Back to the Lord," Li Guangdi said busily, "the minister is walking in Wenyuan Pavilion, because he was in charge of the transfer department, but he only ran an errand for the household department. The grain is not very clear, but there are about 15 million stones, scattered in the provinces of Zhili, Shandong, and Shanxi. ”

Li Guangdi is a very shrewd person, and when he saw Feiyanggu coming to see him tonight, it was expected that Kangxi was going to use troops in the west. Most of the courtiers did not agree with this matter, and he did not want the country to act lightly on the day of peace, so he deliberately pretended to be confused. But fifteen million stones is not a small number, it is incredible in the first ten years, Kangxi felt a lot more down-to-earth, and said with a smile: "You are a famous minister of science, and you refuse to meet me sincerely?" I have a plan in my heart; I'm afraid you've set up an ambush, right? "To know is to know, and not to know is not to know." Li Guangdi's face turned red and said, "How dare the ministers deceive? ”

Kangxi stared at everyone for a long time, and said abruptly: "I see that there are more than 10 million stone grains, which is almost enough." Thinking about Ping Wu Sangui back then, there were only 7 million stone grains in Beijing, and the grain in Jiangnan could not be counted on, so he still did things. I promised to be too Jackie Chan, the military rations were sufficient, and I wanted to set a system that would never be increased, and it seems that the time has come. ”

"Never!" The four words were like a huge thunder, which shook all the ministers, and no court dared to announce it like this! Gao Shiqi took a step forward and said loudly: "This sincerity is a rare good governance in the world!" It's just that we have to be careful and thoughtful, what should we do if we raise an army, the grain is not continuous, and there is no room for turnaround? ”

"It is precisely because I want to personally conquer Geldan that I have made this determination!" Kangxi said quietly, "In the past few years, the burden was too heavy, and the people complained bitterly, and the officials also complained. Now, as soon as the announcement of the army is raised for war, I am afraid that some unscrupulous people will take the opportunity to stir up the people's hearts, and this holy decree is a great reassurance, do you understand? ”

"The Lord still wants to raise an army?" Li Guangdi knelt down with a plop, "It is a last resort to withdraw the 'three feudatories' and raise troops, and the army of Pingtaiwan has been exhausted, and now the Central Plains is a peaceful scene, and the people live and work in peace and contentment, but for some reason they want to raise the army again?" ”

"Raise an army for the Chinese Celestial Empire to unify the world!" Kangxi said coldly, "I am the co-master of the world, and I can't rule the Central Plains, so I don't care about the people of the Western Regions who are in dire straits!" I heard that you made a hexagram to Guo Weibu, saying that it is not good for me to go out this time, but there are some of them? ”

Li Guangdi kowtowed and replied, "The minister is asking Guowei to relay these words to the saint!" The minister's day is a bad omen! Knowing that it is unfavorable, how dare the courtiers not speak up? ”

"Li Guangdi's words can be described as biased!" Gao Shiqi interjected and said, "Although there is murder in the 'teacher' hexagram, the general outline says, 'Zhenzhang is auspicious, and there is no blame'!" My emperor is wise and wise, and he is in front of the enemy, and he is the commander of the 'father-in-law', which is the auspicious hexagram! ”

Kangxi's face was ugly when Li Guangdi said something, and after Gao Shiqi's explanation, he spoke well, his face turned color again, and he sneered: "I can't imagine that you Li Guangdi only looks at the eyes and doesn't look at the outline!" You'll have to study for a few more years! To tell you the truth, I am a soldier for the people, and I don't care about any good luck or evil! This is where the 'Yi' Jing Dali lies. If there is any bad luck and great evil, the sky will only fall on Geldan! What's wrong with you Lee Kwang-di, you don't even understand this? ”

"The minister doesn't understand the Book of Changes." Feiyanggu listened to it for a long time, and said slowly, "The minister only knows that the emperor has worked hard for many years to open a net to catch birds, and this opportunity should not be missed!" The emperor will never give more ministers and will be convinced, fifteen million stone grain, because he still has to take out four million stone to support the Beijing division, and seven million stone to help the refugees who fled from Mongolia in Gansu and Shaanxi, in fact, only four million stone can be used for the army, which is very far behind. However, according to the minister's knowledge, there are 2 million stone grain in the treasury of Luoyang and Shaanzhou, 1.4 million stone of grain in the Jingjing Domain, and 5.1 million stone of grain collected by Yu Chengchan this year to travel north along the Cao, all of which are not included in the grain stored in the household. ”

Kangxi couldn't help but laugh secretly in his heart when he heard this, this Feiyang Gu was really not ambiguous, but he didn't know that the four halls he personally set up in Yan'an and other places secretly stored four million stone grains, seeing Li Guangdi's embarrassment, it was inconvenient to say at this time, so he got up and yawned and said: "Whether the main battle is not the main battle, I am not guilty, it is not early, you kneel down." Zhang Tingyu and Gao Shiqi discussed with Suo Etu, which people stay in Beijing, which people drive, call the Ministry of Rites to prepare, on February 2, I will parade in Wufeng Tower, and the royal driver will be in person! ”