Ge Fengnian retreated outside the store, and after waiting for a long time, he didn't see Hongxiao and the others coming. He was an anxious person, so he asked Bu Ren, who was guarding the door, to go in and ask if he could be allowed to return to the camp to gather the men and horses first. After a while, Bu Ren came out and said, "No. Later, Minister Wang passed through the Fengtai camp, and he will do it. Ge Fengnian had to wait patiently outside the door, and after nearly an hour, he heard the sound of horses' hooves, Hongxiao, Neqin, Zhang Tingyu, and the commander of the Nine Gates because of the vacancy, and the soldiers were temporarily appointed by the military department Lang Yingnuo,—— and several people did not bring anyone and rode over. When Bu Ren and Bu Li saw them coming, they secretly asked, "Is it Bu Yi?" ”

"It's me." Bu Yi replied, "A few of them have been invited!" After saying that, he leaned over and lay under Zhang Tingyu's horse, and Bu Ren and Bu Li also came over to help Zhang Tingyu step on Bu Yi's back and get down. A few people quietly entered the store. As soon as I entered the upper room, I saw Qianlong, who had been absent from the moon, led by Zhang Tingyu, and knelt down together to say goodbye.

Qianlong raised his hand and said, "Get up." It's not bigger than Ouchi, the house is small, you can't sit all of them, except for Tingyu, let's all stand and talk. Zhang Tingyu thanked him on a stool against the wall and said, "The emperor looks very good, but he has slightly reduced it. Now that you have arrived in Fengtai, you can go back to Da Nei or Changchun Garden only in a place close by, and this place is not easy to close. Qianlong didn't answer this and said: "Your minister Wang in Beijing did a good job - have you seen the excerpts in Shanxi?" ”

"See." Prince Yi Hongxiao hurriedly said, "This is really a matter of humiliating the imperial court. However, Sun Jiagan handled it too recklessly, and the evidence of the death of the person was destroyed, how to investigate? The younger brother was very useless in his heart. I didn't know Yang Sijing, so I asked Hongsheng if he had ever written to Shanxi, and Hongsheng said, 'What's the matter, I'm so stupid?' Speaking of which, it is getting more and more confused. Qianlong had no expression on his face, and turned his face to ask his relatives: "Look! ”

Neqin was stunned for a moment and said, "According to the minion, this is the same as the pseudo-manuscript case, and it is not appropriate to investigate it deeply. It's better to cut through the mess than to find out what you can't find out. Hongxiao sneered: "Then Yang Sijing openly said that Hongsheng wrote a letter on my behalf, how can I be cleared of this wrong?" It's none of your business, you're so cool! He said, "Don't be suspicious of me, prince." We are responsible to our masters. What do you think in your heart, it should be no deception and no hidden. When the master returns to the palace, there will naturally be a pre-imperial meeting. Let me explain slowly. ”

"Now it's the Imperial Council." Qianlong smiled and said, "Isn't the discussion in the palace the same as now?" However, this is not to be discussed tonight. As I said, you have done a good job in Beijing. I've been out for so long, and even Admiral Fengtai doesn't know that your mouth is very tightly sealed and things are done very tightly. He said with a pun, "I want to ask, what's going on with the Seven Divisions Yamen?" ”

Hongxiao said calmly: "It was the younger brother who asked Prince Zhuang to set up the Seven Divisions Yamen. The emperor knows that it has been a hundred years since the founding of the country, and there are two or three thousand people in the generation of his ministers, and there are two or three generations younger than his brothers. Every day, carrying a bird cage to the teahouse, gossiping, raising dogs, and planting pomegranate trees, it is better to arrange a serious messenger for them, and it is easy to be restrained. When the princes of foreign domains enter Beijing, they take care of them, so that they can get some income, and second, they will avoid some right and wrong. Qianlong asked kindly: "Who is in charge of this Seven Divisions Yamen?" Hongxiao said: "It's Hongsheng of the fifth master's family, who is smart and capable." Recommended by Prince Li Honghui and Yi Belle Hongchang. I didn't feel at ease, so I added another Hongpu as a co-organizer. Qianlong asked, "After it was established, didn't you ask about these things again?" Hongxiao said: "I was in the military aircraft department, and I didn't take care of this matter." Zuo is just paying money and food every month, and taking care of some housekeeping every day, which is a trivial matter. ”

"A trifle?" Qianlong sneered, "They have already taken over the guards of the Great Inner Palace, and even the eunuchs who were ordered to return to the palace have been blocked." You are in charge of the 'big things', I ask you, what could be more important than that? - Is it the greetings that you turn to me every day, the sticks that don't hurt or itch, the messy barometer? Have you given me a copy of the fold solemnly? There is such a pile of dry firewood in this backyard, and you don't say a word? Unconscious! ”

The emperor's face changed suddenly, and several people turned pale with shock, and could no longer stand, so they all knelt down together. Zhang Tingyu couldn't sit still, knelt down, and said: "The ministers and relatives know about this matter, and they have also asked about it. Because he said that he was asking for permission to do so, he did not delve into it...... The minister is old and faint, please ask the master to surrender. The relatives also said: "It is difficult for the ministers to commit crimes, and I ask the emperor to punish them severely." ”

"I will punish no one." Qianlong suddenly changed his smile, "I just called you here to take care of your decency." The bell must be tied to the bell. That's it tonight. The inner city is full of Inno's people, and it's still so far from the city, ask Ge Fengnian to escort you in—that's all! Hongxiao said with a little embarrassment: "This is a matter of will." Why be in such a hurry, leading troops into the city, the alarm is too great. Qianlong smiled and said: "Your name is Hong 'Xiao', but you don't know things, take care of your decency, you still have to rap!" You step down, go to the West Wing and go into the city with me tomorrow, I don't want you to do this errand!" As he spoke, he went to the table again to write an edict, and said as he wrote: "If there is sand in your eyes, you should rub your eyes again 'tomorrow'!" He handed the oracle to Ge Fengnian. You sent two envoys, escorted a few ministers to the Great Interior, and then immediately went to King Yi's Mansion to take down Hongchang, as well as Hongpu and Hongsheng, and handed over the Zongren Mansion to the relatives to take care of! ”

"Your Majesty!" Hongxiao called softly in pain.

Qianlong's expression was gloomy, he waved his hand, and said, "You go down, I will have a will." ”

The Yamen, which had been established for less than half a month, collapsed within two hours, and disappeared completely as abruptly as it appeared. According to Honghui's plan, more than 2,000 children of the imperial family and idle clan relatives and nobles in Beijing will be organized, plus their respective domestic slaves, this is a formidable force, quietly controlling the internal affairs government (the Zongren Mansion is also self-evident), and gradually grasping the power of the guards, the right to receive foreign domains, and the right to liaise with the Eight Banners,...... Even if he can't abolish this emperor with "dubious origin and improper reputation", at least he can cut off his dictatorship and restore the situation of the first eight kings of Emperor Shunzhi. But when things are done, I know that it is not easy. It turned out that the plan that had been secretly discussed many times to "not show the dew for the time being, but only stand firm" failed to materialize. These days, all the nobles are not fuel-efficient lamps, and they are said to be the "seventh division" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs does not dare to provoke them at all, and even Hongpu, Hongchang, and Hongsheng can't control it. These "soldiers" of the Seven Divisions and Yamen are all terrifyingly big. This one went to the household department to find his protégé to approve money and food, and the one who went to the arsenal of the military department to find his own slave to borrow weapons - all surnamed Aixin Jueluo, no one dared to provoke. Later, he simply occupied the Donghua Gate and Xihua Gate, saying that it was "to help the guards guard the inner garden", and the Internal Affairs Office knew that it was inside, who dared to come out and speak? This momentum is developing so quickly that even Honghui himself is surprised.

But the next morning, Honghui got up without knowing anything. He planned not to eat even early, so he hurriedly called Hongsheng and Hongpu to come over to discuss how to rectify the "Seven Divisions Yamen", but before he finished washing, the palace officials came in in a panic and said: "Lord, I don't know what's going on, there are soldiers outside our door!" It was like something was going to happen. ”

"Bing?" Honghui spit out the green salt water in his mouth and asked, "You didn't ask, which yamen is from?" Who sent it? What do you do at the door? The doorman said, "The servant asked, and said that it was from the Yamen of the Admiral of the Nine Gates, and he was ordered to guard it." Couldn't ask anything else. Honghui stood like a log, didn't speak for a long time, his face was blue and gray, and suddenly an ominous premonition hit his heart, and he couldn't help but shudder: "It must be that the emperor has returned, and he found out about the affairs of the Seven Divisions Yamen." He sat down in the easy chair, stroked his bright head and thought for a while, then suddenly jumped up and said, "Ask them to prepare a sedan chair for me." I'll go to Ouchi and take a look. ”

The doorman promised to go out, and Honghui changed his clothes here, wearing a lavender marten crown, wearing four five-clawed golden dragon stone blue court gowns, wearing a sable cloth with golden satin, and a cat's eye stone gold and jade square belt around his waist, wearing a slight dew, decorated with four eastern pearls - neatly dressed, out of the palace, and saw three steps, one sentry, five steps and one post outside the wall and along the wall of the palace, all of them were saber military attachés, and the smallest grade was also Qianzong, standing majestically without squinting. He knew that something was wrong, took a breath of cold air, calmed himself, went down the steps to the sedan chair, but no one stopped him, so he commanded loudly:

"Go to Donghua Gate to hand over the sign!"

It's business as usual at Donghua Gate. The doormen, guards, and eunuchs saw that Prince Shili had arrived, and greeted him as usual. handed the sign in, and there was a decree for a while: "Meet you in the Honghui Heart Palace." ”

Honghui's heart went up and down, thinking that he was "not afraid of taking cold medicine if he was fine", and he was inexplicably nervous for a while. There was light snow in the sky, thin ice on the ground, and I wandered so many times that I almost slipped...... In a trance, I came to the door of the hanging flower of the Heart Cultivation Palace. The eunuch Wang Li then asked him to say goodbye, and said, "Long live the lord said, when the prince arrives, he will be called in immediately." Honghui nodded and came in, and saw Qianlong sitting in the Dongnuan Pavilion, discussing with his relatives, Ortai, Yunlu, and Hongxiao, and was busy kneeling forward to perform three kneels and nine bows, and said: "The minister doesn't know that the imperial driver has returned with honor, and he has not been greeted, so he begs the emperor for forgiveness." ”

"Looks like you're in good spirits." Qianlong said with a smile, "It's just that I'm getting thinner, so I cherish myself a little bit!" Then he got up and sat down, and then said, "The matter of the temple test can no longer be delayed." Beijing is so cold that some poor scholars can't get by. In this way, I asked the Ministry of Rites to check that there were tribute students who could not afford to live in the store and lived in the temple, and each person would be subsidized with five taels of silver. Those who came from Guangzhou and Fujian in the south must have not brought cotton clothes and quilts, and took some from the munitions depot and distributed them. You know, there may be future generals here, and it is not a sin to freeze to death here? ”

Ortai, who was sitting next to Honghui, hurriedly said: "The master is thoughtful, according to the slaves, last night the seven divisions of the yamen were raided, there were five or six thousand taels of silver, and there were a lot of things such as clothes and charcoal. It is better to send these to the poor tribute students, which will save a lot of things. He immediately objected, saying, "It is better to do the will of the Lord." The things that were confiscated were originally messy, and they were directly taken to reward people, and there was not even an account, and it was not good to encounter this kind of thing in the future. The things that should be copied should be put into the warehouse, and the things that should be rewarded should be out of the warehouse, and the rules can not be messed up. It is necessary to prevent villains from cheating. Only then did Honghui know that something really had happened, and his head "buzzed" to the boss, and his mouth moved: "...... Plagied? ……”

"The temple test will be set for the twenty-sixth of October." Qianlong looked at the puppet-like Honghui with a mocking gaze, and said to himself, "It will be presided over by Hongxiao and Honghui, and they will be in prison." In previous years, there were frostbite patients in the palace examination every year, this year it is called the Ministry of Rites, each person gives a copper hand stove, and the hot water is replaced at intervals. What do you think? Several ministers immediately joined the hymn and praised it in unison. Qianlong smiled and asked, "Honghui, why don't you say a word?" ”

"Huh? Yes! Honghui was startled and hurriedly said, "The Lord is very right, I have long looked at this Seven Divisions Yamen, and I should copy it!" This sentence made several ministers stunned.

Qianlong Gege smiled and said, "You think that the great bird is coming!" I don't dare to worry you about the palace test. Honghui's face turned red and said, "The Seven Divisions Yamen is actually not a minister's itch. However, Hongsheng, Hongpu, and Hongchang are all brothers, and at first glance, they were shocked and inexplicable. Ask the master subnet to open up and give some decency. You know, the people in the Seven Divisions Yamen are all children of the royal family! Qianlong snorted and said, "It's a soldier!" This soldier is placed in the palace, and I naturally have some heart barriers. It is a matter of affection for you to intercede for them. Hongsheng, Hongchang, and Hongpu were all pulled up from the hot quilt last night, and they were already imprisoned in the Zongren Mansion, waiting for torture by the Shen Criminal Division of the Internal Affairs Bureau. How to deal with the law of the land? If it is concerning you, who will call on you? ”

"Your Majesty!"

"It's a loud scream." Qianlong gritted his teeth and smiled sharply, "When did you really think of me as the emperor in your heart?" I'll tell you the truth, Hongpu and Hongchang recruited everything last night. What kind of hard bones? Not even thirty whips! ”

Honghui couldn't sit still anymore, and as soon as his body was weak, he knelt on the ground and just kowtowed, and couldn't say a word.

"It's strange to be human." Qianlong stood up and walked in the warm pavilion and hall, pondering, as if muttering to himself, and as if reprimanding: "The Holy Ancestor abolished your father's crown prince, and abolished it twice!" The second Ming issued an edict, 'If you dare to say that Yinren's illness is cured, but you can be re-crowned as a prince, I will not be forgiven' - this is a Ming Fa edict, not in the secret room, it is known to the whole world, but how can you forget. The first emperor said that he was mean, but it was the first emperor who forgave your father, did not shy away from it, did not call himself a minister, and buried it with the prince ceremony when he died. I treat the world with mercy, make you a prince, and run in front of the emperor. You actually remembered that your father was originally the crown prince, and this Heart Cultivation Hall and that Taihe Hall should be yours! Honghui's face was as ugly as incense ash, and his whole body trembled when he kowtowed, and he stammered: "Minister, minister...... The minister does not have this heart...... Really, really ......" Qianlong simply ignored him and continued: "Alas...... My heart is too kind, and I have to be a little benevolent. So much so that the subjects of the world thought that I didn't even dare to kill chickens! - How did Yang Mingshi die? Qianlong suddenly approached Honghui, stood beside him, looked at Honghui who was shaking with disdain, and said, "You don't have to be afraid, Yang Mingshi's death is not directly related to you." But you're in league with them, and you don't know it! And when they were deliberating about it, the river spoke, and the fish in the water listened. Even the case of Sahaliang in Shanxi, I don't want to investigate it in detail. If you do, I'm afraid some of you will not be able to admit your guilt! He suddenly burst into a burst of laughter nervously: "God, you tell me to rule the world with benevolence and filial piety, can you be benevolent to such a person who is inferior to pigs and dogs?" Sun Jiagan went to the book of three studies and one cheat, and asked me to be a gentleman and get rid of villains, if I am surrounded by villains and there are no gentlemen, what should I do? Sun Jiagan said that he wanted to break the thief in his heart, how difficult it was! ”

As soon as he said this, he swept everyone present in, and none of them could sit still, so they all knelt down together, and Hongxiao kowtowed: "The emperor said this, it really makes the ministers embarrassed, and the ministers are not attentive in Beijing, and they should respond——"

"I'm going to talk about you." Qianlong smiled viciously, "Where are you 'not paying attention'?" You're a promiscuous person! Uncle Thirteen is a world-famous chivalrous king, how can he raise you? You are in the study, and you are in the military aircraft, Hongchang is your own brother, he is doing nonsense, are you deaf or blind?! Yang Sijingtun's letter, saying that you wrote it at your behest, I still don't believe it, but Hongsheng, Hongchang, and Hongpu, the three evil species, are secretive, and it's not a day or two, do you have a word to stop them? Have you ever played me in secret? Hongxiao was sweating all over when he heard this, and he hit his head on the ground with a "bang", and he couldn't get a word back. Yunlu hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, the minister is in charge of the East Palace, and he is indeed guilty of negligence——"

Qianlong waved his hand angrily and shouted, "Shut up!" So lightweight, you're just a 'guilty of oversight'? You're suffering from a disease of low feelings! What Hongsheng and they really want is to 'discuss politics of the eight kings', which is also exactly what you want, and you hit it off tacitly. I won't let you enter the plane, and you don't even think about why! ”

Ortai and Neqin had never seen Qianlong so angry and excited, and they wanted to say a few words of gentle persuasion, but as soon as the two princes opened their mouths, they were scolded bloody, and their hearts were pounding with fear. For a while, the eunuchs and palace maids in the hall were stunned, and the hall was full of Qianlong's roar: "What 'Eight Kings Discuss Politics'?!" If it is really a good system, why is the Holy Ancestor abolished? Why did the Shangsanqi directly govern the emperor? Why did the first emperor strip them of all the military power of the Iron Hat King? I think it's really satisfactory - first 'discuss politics', and then force the palace! All right! Aren't they all in Mukden? Invite them to come, and I will give them the government, and let them discuss! Do they have that guts? You say! As long as one person suggests, I will make an order! ”

He had a seizure for a while, his stagnant qi disappeared a little, he slowly turned around and sat on the kang, stretched out his hand, Bu Ren hurriedly stepped forward and handed him a cup of **, and said cautiously: "Master, ** hot, master use it slowly." Qianlong took a sip and said, "It seems that you still have shame and fear. If you have this heart, you can be saved. I have forgiven you, get up! ”

"Shane!" Yunlu, Hongxiao, Ortai and Neqin kowtowed and got up, and everyone was already sweating and wearing heavy clothes. Only Honghui crouched on the ground, crying and said: "The crime of the minister is particularly serious, please ask the emperor to kill him to thank the first emperor." ”

Qianlong looked at this skinny brother, who had been imprisoned in the high wall with his father since the fifty-first year of Kangxi, and spent almost his whole life in prison, and couldn't help but feel emotional. He sighed from the bottom of his heart. was thinking about how to deal with this matter, Wang Lian came in and said: "Zhang Tingyu has come in, and he is waiting for the decree outside the hanging flower gate, can the master see it?" Qianlong sneered: "You are so forgetful! Zhang Tingyu is licensed not to hand over the brand, the sword is incomprehensible, as long as the palace gate does not give the key, you can see me at any time! ”

"Wow!" Wang Lian turned his back and stuck out his tongue, and went lightly. After a short pause, he heard Zhang Tingyu's cough, and Qianlong said gently: "Hengchen, come in!" Bu Ren, Bu Yi, you help Lao Xiangguo to sit on the porcelain pier here! ”

Zhang Tingyu sat down tremblingly under the support of the two eunuchs, and said with a smile: "The slave is old, I thought I would come in early, but I didn't struggle to get up." When I was young, I was with my holy grandfather, and it didn't matter if I didn't meet my eyes for three or four days. I slept a little late last night, and I can't support it today. Qianlong smiled and ordered someone to give Zhang Ting jade ginseng soup, and said: "This is a rehash of the old saying." I still say the same thing, I won't let you go back to the mountain. You can do as much as you can. They--I have been beaten today, and this time they are discussing how to deal with this case of the Seven Divisions Yamen! Zhang Tingyu pondered for a moment and asked, "What is the opinion of Ortai and Neqin?" ”

"Old Zhongtang," said Neqin, sweating, "I'm just busy reflecting on myself, and I haven't even thought about it!" Ortai has always been at odds with Zhang Tingyu, and when he saw him selling deeply, he became even more disgusted, coughed, raised his face and said nothing.

Zhang Tingyu frowned and sighed: "The old slave of the Seven Divisions Yamen has long known about it. But the slave really didn't take it seriously, and asked the Lord to be considerate. Now the minions still don't think it's a big deal. As soon as he said this, everyone was shocked, compared with Qianlong's roar and anger, the disparity was too great, and even Honghui, who was lying underground, couldn't help but glance at Zhang Tingyu. Qianlong was not angry, and asked, "What do you say?" ”

"The seven divisions of the yamen are full of golden branches and jade leaves," Zhang Tingyu said eloquently, "It's true that it's not easy to discipline, if you really do big things, forgive the ministers for being rude, and it's just a rabble; To do the little things, they don't bother to do them. At the end of the day, nothing can be done. This is one. Speaking of the Eight Kings to discuss politics, it was the ancestral system before the Qing Dynasty entered the customs, and it was said in the "Lü's Spring and Autumn Period" that 'Shanghu is not the law of the first king?' Answer: 'Cause it not to be obtained.'" The situation has changed. Look at this couplet, 'One man will rule the world, not one man will serve the world,' and this is the situation today. Even if the eight hereditary princes have this heart, they may not have the courage. At that time, it was the government of the eight kings, and it was difficult for the monarch to dictate power. Now it's a holy decree that will remove his iron hat. The hat is iron, and it can be passed on to children and grandchildren. The head, but it is fleshy, a knife is gone, compared with the hat and the head, it seems that the head is still important, the most important is the third, the Lord ascends to the extreme, with wide government, the world returns to the heart, the court and the field are served, and there is no discord inside and outside. I'm not a sycophant, watching the Qing Dynasty's heyday coming, not to mention righteous people, good people, even rebellious ministers and thieves must have a chance to 'rise up from time', there is no such opportunity at all, neither taking advantage of the time, location, nor people. Why do you need to take this little Qisi Yamen so seriously? ”

Speaking of this, Qianlong was already smiling. The rest of the people also laughed, but only Honghui couldn't smile, and his heart became heavier and heavier. Zhang Tingyu's words changed sharply, and he said: "What I just said is okay, if you talk about the heart, the person who makes this Qisi Yamen can be punished." The slave asks himself, and the slave's heart can also be punished. The slave wanted to wait and see what kind of medicine was in the gourd of this yamen, and if it came out, it could be caught in one net. The Lord is benevolent, eliminated in the early sprout, fixed the chaos in Russia, and saved many dragons and phoenixes from falling into the disaster of extermination. The minister tossed and turned last night, pushing the pillow and hesitating, in fact, he was uneasy about his original intentions; The minister is not guilty, and the minister can be killed. The beggar master's holy candle shines. He hung his head and said nothing. Zhang Tingyu's words were clear and coherent, and the following words were sincere and painful, and there was praise in the self-blame, and there was a hint that there was no need to severely punish the case of the Seventh Division Yamen, and it was so clean that the four sides were as clean as a mirror, and the dust was clean. Even Ortai couldn't help but secretly admire: "This old man of the Han dog, how can he come up with this right performance!" ”

"Filial piety is the first, no matter what is in the heart, all evil and fornication are the first, and there is no matter in the heart." Qianlong said, "Shifting filial piety to loyalty, Zhang Tingyu can be regarded as deep in this samadhi." He looked at Honghui and frowned, "Get up, I forgive you." ”

Honghui got up with difficulty, he was really ashamed at the moment, and he wanted to get into a crack in the ground, and he was just about to thank him, but Qianlong said: "You are mistaken by the group." No matter what you think in your heart, this matter is intolerable to the law of the land. Take off the pearl from your head as a punishment. Hongxiao stopped. When I have a credit to the community, I will be rewarded again. Uncle Sixteen, I feel very sad when I think of you, but when it comes to uncles and nephews, I often played around my knees in front of you when I was young, and I can't bear to add sin to you! His eyes were red, and tears seemed to be about to gush out, so he hurriedly wiped them and said, "However, where the law is, there are no similarities and differences between princes and concubines, and I can't help but be a little vigilant." After three months of thinking behind closed doors, I went on my errands as usual. After that, he said to Zhang Tingyu and his relatives: "Those who are close are strict, and those who are negligent are lenient, and I will not pursue you." ”

"Shane!" Everyone bowed down in unison.

Qianlong also stood up, looked proudly into the distance, and said: "Hongsheng is the first evil, the scum of the clan, and he will be banned forever. Hongpu aided the abuse, and the crime was unpunished, so he was stripped of his title of Viscount Bei and demoted to a commoner. Hongchang - Alas, forget it! ”