Kangxi's nine years passed smoothly. Wu Ciyou's strategy of "calming down" is very smart, and the rumors circulating around in the spring have quietly disappeared; The activities of the Zhong Saburo Incense Association have also been greatly reined in; Almost all the incense halls in the Gyeonggi area are closed. Mingzhu went to Shandong and Anhui for a while, and Luzhou, Fengyang, Yingzhou, Jinan, Dongchang, Wuding, and Linqing were all very quiet, and there were no bandit activities. Mingzhu couldn't find Wu Ciyou, so he returned to Beijing in April to resume his purpose, and Kangxi didn't blame him. According to the secret performance of Bian Sanyuan, the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, Wu Ciyou was not robbed to Yunnan, and Kangxi was relieved. A few days ago, Yu Chenglong reported good news that the silt of the Yellow River at the mouth of the Qingjiang River had been cleaned up, and the water transportation had been dredged. Kangxi felt that everything was easy, so he issued an edict to stop the election of the king of Pingxi, and began to rectify the rule of officials in the north, and clean up the backlog of cases, money and grain. When he had a little spare time, he had to summon Zhang Cheng, Chen Houyao, and Mei Wending to lecture on mathematics, geography, astronomy, meteorology, poetry, songs, calligraphy and painting, and music. It's just that after the beginning of Xia, there were rumors circulating secretly in Jingshi, saying that the Hui people wanted to gather people to rebel, destroy Jingshi, and establish another country of Hui. This has become a matter of Kangxi's heart.

The university scholar Mingzhu was ordered to send students from various provinces, and the traffic in front of his house was busy, and a green sedan chair was lined up from the door of the official residence to the entrance of the single pailou. Since the bad incident, Mingzhu has been thinking about the important position of the secretary of the ministry, but he has no choice but to let go of it. This spring, the governor of Henan begged for relief due to the spring famine, and Kangxi ordered Suo Etu to go to Henan to inspect, and then handed over the affairs of the ministry to him. He got 30,000 silver for the selection of the school alone, and at this time he understood why Suo Etu refused to leave Beijing.

Sending away a large group of resignation township examination examiners, Mingzhu stared blankly at the outside of the courtyard. Time flies so fast, and before you know it, the moss on the wall has changed from dark red to bright green, and the delicate vines of He Shou Wu and morning glory have climbed up the wall from the corner of the wall, and the peach and plum outside the wall have become a piece. Seeing that the Dragon Boat Festival is coming, the lady in the palace, as well as a few Prince Jinzhi and Wei Dongting, who are close to the courtiers and guards, should be taken care of. Each has its own temperament, and the gift cannot be the same, which requires a little thought, and after being busy for a few days, I didn't bother to think about it.

After a long silence, Mingzhu suddenly remembered that it was time to hand over the sign to the palace, so he stood up, stretched his waist, and was about to order the sedan chair, when he turned his face to see that Zuo Bixian, the chief examiner of the Shaanxi Township Examination, was still sitting on the chair next to him, looking at himself intently, and asked: "What else do you have to do?" Haven't I already said everything I need to say? ”

"Ming Zhongtang," Zuo Bixian bowed carefully, his ears were a little back, Mingzhu's words were only half clear, and he smiled and said: "Master Ming's words are all in mind, and he must be impartial, do not deceive the monarch's father, and have a good conscience." But I am afraid that the humble profession is shallow and the knowledge is shallow, and the real talent and learning are mistakenly missed, will it not live up to the cultivation of adults? Although Mingzhu was impatient, she didn't know what to do, so she said, "You just need to do it with your heart." Brother is still going to Hajj, if you want to be fine, come back another day! Zuo Bizhen hurriedly said: "The humble position understands, because Lord Ming has inspected Shaanxi before, he must have met some talents, please tell me the name of Lord Ming, and the humble post will go this time, and he will definitely work for the adults and select them." ”

Mingzhu listened, rolled her eyelids and thought about it, she really didn't ask him for help, but she was forced to breathe in her stomach, and let out a loud fart, feeling indecent, and smiled awkwardly.

"Huh?" Zuo Bizhen turned his ear sideways and asked, "My lord, you mean, who ......?"

"I didn't say anything!" Mingzhu said, "Fang is the next breath!" ”

"Oh! Summer Instrument ......"

Mingzhu was so angry and funny, she didn't know how to get rid of this living treasure, so she raised her voice again and said: "There is nothing to entrust to you, only then can you breathe!" So saying, he went to order the sedan chair to be prepared. This time, Zuo Bizhen heard him very well, and when he saw that he was gone, he took a pen and wrote the words "Xia Qitong" on the case in the corner of the house, folded it and tucked it into his boots. He went to Shaanxi to be the chief examiner this time, and he must bring this Xia Qitong back.

After entering the Great Interior, he met Suo Etu head-on in the Pearl of Longzongmen, and hurriedly stood up and smiled: "Suo Gong, where are you going in a hurry?" Suo Etu shook a roll of paper in his hand and said with a smile: "I'm looking for you to see it, please do something trivial." - This is the list of Jinshi who have been tried by the palace, and there are two people in the second class who must be transferred to the Hanlin Academy. Mingzhu listened to his tone, as if he was ordering himself, and the anger in his heart rose, but he took the paper with a smile, browsed it casually and asked, "Which two people are you talking about?" ”

Suo Etu pointed with his finger and said, "Oh, these are the two who draw circles, Li Guangdi and Chen Menglei." Mingzhu took it in his hand, weighed it in his heart, and was looking for an excuse to excuse himself, when he suddenly saw that it was a Zhu pen circle added to his head, and his heart moved, knowing that it was Kangxi's circle, but why did he say this, it was obvious that he wanted to put a trap for himself to drill, and it was a painstaking effort, so he smiled and said: "Well, it's done!" The comic said that there was a royal pen on it, and it was you who said it, and Mingzhu couldn't refute it. Haven't you heard people say, 'If you want to be an official, find the third child'! Suo Etu was stunned, and replied with a smile: "Yes, there is another sentence: 'If you want to intercede, look for Lao Ming!'" That's it. The two looked at each other and laughed tacitly.

The two were talking, and when they saw Kong Sizhen coming out of Yongxiang, they both stood sideways, and when Sizhen came over, they called Qian'er together to say goodbye. Suo Etu saluted and said with a smile: "Fourth princess, I heard that you are going back to Guilin with General Sun, the road is far away, you have to take care all the way!" ”

"Well," Kong Sizhen agreed coldly, not looking at the two of them. After walking a few steps, Kong Sizhen seemed to remember something, and beckoned and shouted, "Mingzhu, come here!" ”

Mingzhu glanced at Suo Etu blankly, and hurriedly responded, then took a few steps and stood solemnly in front of Kong Sizhen with his hands down.

"I'm just going to see Aunt Su Mala." Kong Sizhen said coldly. "Oh!" Mingzhu's heart sank, and she smiled busily, "I haven't seen her for more than a year, how is the master?" Kong Sizhen's lips were tense, and she replied after a while: "It's okay!" ”

"I'm relieved!" Mingzhu sighed, "I would never have expected her back then...... Now everybody...... It's just her...... Alas! ”

Kong Sizhen stared at Mingzhu with a knife-like gaze and sneered, "I don't want to hear your words. I know a little bit about the past, too! I don't want to theorize about these things. Yesterday, I took a detour to Shandong to visit Mr. Wu and return to Beijing. Mr. Wu returned to Beijing, what do you think? ”

Mingzhu replied: "Mr. Wu is my life-saving benefactor, and I froze down in the Yue Peng store back then......"

"Good!" Kong Sizhen cut off Mingzhu's words in one mouthful, "The Buddha says that the sea of bitterness is boundless, and turning back is the shore, I hope your heart and mouth are the same!" You must know that Aunt Su Mala and I have been good since we were children, and you expect your aunt to have such a good sex, do you think I can't cure you? And when he had said that, he walked away.

Mingzhu was reprimanded by her for no reason, and she didn't even have time to tell the difference. He remembered that Suo Etu set up a circle to drill for himself, and these prominent people were also jealous of him, and he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. When Suo Etu returned, he saw Mingzhu still standing in a daze, so he shouted from afar: "Old Ming! There was a word from the outside, I don't see us today, let's go back! ”

Mingzhu agreed, looked at Suo Etu in the distance and was speechless, at this time Fang knew that the scorching sun was on his head, and he was sweating.

Kong Sizhen went out of the noon gate, and wanted to go back to his mansion, but at a glance, he saw Xiao Maozi holding a yellow box in his hand and a bundle of green green mugwort under his arm, and rushed out excitedly. When Xiao Maozi saw her, she hurriedly stood up and smiled: "Fourth princess, you are auspicious!" Kong Sizhen smiled: "Don't you think I'm my godaunt, why do you call me 'Fourth Princess' again!" If you don't prepare to dine for the emperor at this time, where are you going to be lazy? ”

"Although I recognize your godaunt, this is outside, and there can be nothing wrong with this gift." Xiao Maozi grinned, approached Kong Sizhen and said, "Long live the master went to Wei Junmen's house today, and asked the servants to go back to the palace to get some male huang and Ai Yezi to reward him." Now that I'm older, how dare I be as naughty as when I was a child, what time is this, I dare to dig into the sand to hide from idle? Kong Sizhen listened, smiled and nodded, because he saw that there were two officials kneeling next to the right door, and they had been taken off their tops, so he raised his chin and asked Xiao Maozi: "What's the matter with those two adults?" Xiao Maozi turned his face to look at it and said with a smile: "The one in the north is called Guo Xiu, I heard that he extorted other people's money, and the minions don't know the details; The one in the south is called Yao Diyu, which is an imperial history. Today, in the upper study, Guo Xiu was sent down, but he stepped in to do something. Long live didn't say a word about him, he actually contradicted two sentences. Long live the Lord simply punished him for the two of them to bask in the sun together. ”

Yao Diyu and Kong Sizhen don't know each other. Previously, when he was in Zhaoling, Guo Xiu was the local county magistrate, and later transferred to Hubei Yandao, he was extremely straightforward and courageous, emphasizing righteousness over profit, why did he commit the crime of corruption all of a sudden? Kong Sizhen thought about it, took a few steps forward, and then turned to Xiao Maozi and smiled: "I haven't seen Sister-in-law Jianmei for a long time, I heard that she is about to give birth, I should also go and take a look, let's go together, okay?" Xiao Maozi called a sedan chair and let Kong Sizhen ride, and he rode a horse to follow.

Today's Wei Mansion has changed. The houses and courtyards are tall and neat. The people on the door all knew Xiao Maozi, and when they heard that the fourth princess was coming, they were busy going in, Kong Sizhen waved his hand to stop, and he and Xiao Maozi went straight in, and saw Mu Zixu, Wolf Blind and Donkey Several guards were waiting in the gatehouse.

As soon as I entered the second door, I heard someone talking in the upper room, but it was Xiong Cixu's voice: "...... Judging from these rumors, the rebellion of the Hui people and the third prince of Zhu are the same thing......" Kong Sizhen guessed that Kangxi was also inside, so he lifted the curtain and walked in. Kangxi sat cross-legged on the big kang, shaking a fan in his hand and listening attentively, when he saw Kong Sizhen come in to salute, he owed a bow and smiled: "You have such long legs, I heard that I came here, and I thought that Wei Dongting would definitely have something good to eat, so I hurried here, right?" Kong Sizhen smiled and said: "The slave came, not for food, I heard that Jianmei's sister-in-law was happy, but really, the slave will go south in a few days, one to meet the long live lord, and the other to say hello to the two people in Dongting." Kangxi glanced at Wei Dongting, and when he saw Wei Dongting nodding and smiling, he turned his face and asked Xiong Cixu again: "How did Li Guangdi break the rumors?" ”

"If you go back to long live," Xiong Ci replied, "Li Guangdi thinks that 'curved ruler carpenter' is a curved ruler hanging on the wood, which is combined into the character 'Zhu'; 'Tianyang Qianxiang' is a ' on the gossip map, which resembles the character 'three'; 'dog on the dripping down' is the dot on the top of the word 'dog', and when moved to the bottom, it is the word 'Tai'; 'grandson' is 'son of a woman', which should be a 'good' word, and 'no female grandson' is the word 'son', and those four nursery rhymes are combined in one place, which happens to be 'the third prince of Zhu sits on the dragon gate'......"

Kong Sizhen listened, a little confused, and turned his face to look at Wei Dongting. Wei Dongting hurriedly handed over a piece of paper, and when Kong Sizhen looked at it, it wrote:

The curved ruler carpenter is not separated, and the skyyang dry elephant is the most realistic.

The roaring dog drip down, and there is no female grandson sitting on the dragon gate.

Kangxi half-leaned on the big pillow, closed his eyes and touched his head, thought for a while and asked: "That--the rumors of 'four mouths are anti' that I heard in Gu'an, have you broken it?" Xiong Cixu hurriedly smiled and said, "The minions are stupid, and they haven't solved it for a while——"

"The minion has a little insight," Xiao Maozi next to him interjected, "The minion used to guess riddles with his brother when he was a child......

Before he finished speaking, Xiong Ci broke off and shouted: "What you said here?" Retire! "He is a Taoist master, and he is most jealous of eunuchs interfering in politics, and he is very disgusted with Xiao Maozi's mouthy and tongue-in-cheek, so he took out his identity as a minister of the interior to reprimand Xiao Maozi. Kangxi smiled and said: "Let's listen to what he says as a joke, what are you afraid of?" Can this little devil still be able to do politics? Xiao Maozi stuck out his tongue in fright and said with a smile: "The slave almost scared away the true soul!" Let's talk about it, if it's not right, the saint and Lord Xiong should just fart - these 'four mouths' are like the word 'Huihui', which seems to have something to do with the rumors that the Hui people in the city want to rebel? ”

Xiong Cixu couldn't help but be stunned, he had already consulted the words of "Five-Star Alliance", but the deeper he thought about the "Four Mouths", the more he couldn't understand the essentials, he couldn't guess it, and after Xiao Maozi broke this, he smiled and said to Wei Dongting: "The skin of Niu Pu Ma Bo and the drum can be used in medicine, this little thing really breaks this mystery!" When Kangxi heard this, his eyes flashed with a strange brilliance, and he smiled: "Very good!" The affairs of the Hui people will be discussed after the Dragon Boat Festival, and I came out today to be idle, but I actually discussed things here, not to mention these annoying things. Dongting, I heard that your family Jianmei can cook a good dish, I want to bother and bother, since there is joy, today is not a bother......"

"Come on!" Mingzhu deliberately shouted outside, and came in with a plate in both hands, and everyone was stunned at first, not knowing when he arrived. His demeanor was like a cousin, and he said to Kangxi with a grin: "Please have a meal!" ”

"You slave is quite good at tricking and pleasing people," Kangxi said with a smile, "I will use it, and I will only accept Mei's love!" Mingzhu hurriedly said: "Of course, this is all concocted by Jianmei's sister-in-law." The slave came to give a gift to Dongting, and it happened to be the master's light......"

The table is full of dishes, although there are not many categories, but the workmanship is extremely exquisite, making people salivate. Kangxi couldn't help but praise repeatedly, so he ordered Xiong Cixu, Kong Sizhen and Mingzhu to dine together, and Wei Dongting only stood and waited.

Gentlemen and ministers ate at the same table, chatting while eating, and they were very cordial. Suddenly, a trembling voice sounded outside: "The old man is here?" I want to die of the old minion......" When Kangxi looked, Shi Jianmei held her stomach and helped her white-haired mother-in-law and grandma Sun to come in, Xiong Cilu and Mingzhu were busy standing up, Kangxi also left his seat, approached Mama Sun's side, and said loudly: "Eminem, I see you're here!" Before Kangxi came over, Sun had already kowtowed. Mama Sun stood up and squinted her eyes and looked Kangxi up and down, "The master's complexion is fine, but he has lost weight again!" Those thieves in the Heart Cultivation Hall are not good to serve! …… The first few times I went in to say goodbye to Lafayette, I didn't see my master, saying that I was busy...... I said even if I was asked to hide and take a look, who would have thought that the master would still think about me, an old mother, and actually came in person......" He wiped away his tears as he spoke.

Kangxi sat back, let Grandma Sun sit where Mingzhu was originally sitting, pointed to the dish with an ivory chopstick, and said loudly: "You can eat some too, this is made by your daughter-in-law!" ”

"I can't chew anymore!" Mama Sun smiled, "The master is only useful, and the slave is also useful in his heart while watching...... she was Kangxi's nurse, and she has been thinking about Kangxi for more than a year...... Now that I'm old, there is no sun, I have nothing at home for a long time, I always think about the old man, I should wear cotton for orders, I should eat, how can I know those people clearly! Now that the minions are back, Banzai himself has to be careful......"

Kangxi nodded with a smile while listening, and saw that Grandma Sun was wearing an embroidered eight-regiment auspicious gown, hanging pearls and pearls, and only one ruby was decorated on the embroidered gold throne, so he asked Xiong Cixu: "Sun Emu is my nursing mother, this kind of life is not very suitable, right?" You draw up another title. ”

"Yes!" Xiong Ci pondered for a moment and said with a smile: "The minister thinks that Sun Mama should be named the holy lady, but I don't know what the holy will is?" ”

"Mrs. Fengsheng," Kangxi was very satisfied when he heard this, nodded and smiled: "Very good, I will be named Mrs. Fengsheng - there will be such a situation in the future, this is the case - Shi Jianmei is promoted to Mrs. Yipin!" ”

"Thank you, master!" Shi Jianmei first helped her mother-in-law salute, and then kowtowed herself, Wei Dongting next to her was very moved, tears welled up in her eyes, and secretly wiped it again. Kong Sizhen saw that it was a seam, and hurriedly asked: "Long live, the slave just came out of the Great Interior, and saw Guo Xiu and Yao Diyu kneeling outside, I don't know what happened?" ”

"Both of these are pearl ginseng." Kangxi said casually, "Yao Diyu last time he asked for a map, and he also participated in the political Wang Jieshu, and asked people to check it, but it was all untrue. As the imperial history of Hanchen, he took some things that he heard to play, which made the ministers uneasy. I scolded him a few words, and he actually contradicted me. Can you not deal with such a wild minion? He took a sip of wine and said: "This Guo Xiu is not a thing, the fire consumes silver to five yuan, and he makes money saying that he is honoring his parents and wants to have a good reputation. As he spoke, he slammed his glass on the table.

Mingzhu saw Kong Sizhen staring at him, and said to Kangxi with a smile: "These two people are out of place, but Yao Diyu has no malice, just rude in front of his master; I heard that Guo Xiu only added fire consumption this year, and his parents were indeed very sick, which seems to be understandable. The servants thought that it would be enough for the emperor to punish them lightly. Sun Amu also said: "Amitabha! Although it has only arrived in Duanyang, but today's sun is poisonous, and it is long when it is sun, it is also terrible, the old man has been benevolent and generous since he was a child, and he has to spare it! ”

Kangxi looked at Mama Sun, thought for a long time and said with a smile: "Look at your face, Yao Diyu was fined for three months, Guo Xiu was dismissed, stay in office or not, wait until I see him and ask carefully, and then say - Xiao Maozi, pass on the decree!" ”