The Qianqing Palace is the largest court palace in the Forbidden City except for the Taihe Palace. Qianlong changed to 36 people to carry the Ming Huang Liang sedan chair and detoured from the main gate of Qianqing Gate, and did not hold Gao Wuyong's shoulders down until the empty field in front of Danqi. Outside the palace, Prince Zhuang Yunlu was the head, and there were dozens of princes' clans, but the civil and military officials were headed by Zhang Tingyu, and there were more than 100 members of the following relatives, Ortai, Liubu Jiuqing, Hanlin of the Hanlin Academy, and His Majesty from other provinces who entered Beijing to see the debriefing, and they were all standing. Or fellow villagers meet, or reunite after a long absence, or close friends, or colleagues and subordinates get together in one place, some greet, some whisper, some squeeze eyebrows and tell jokes, and some do not squint. was waiting impatiently, and saw Qianlong getting off the sedan chair in court clothes. "Wow" the black crow knelt down.

Qianlong walked up the stairs with light and swift steps. In a blink of an eye, he saw Yun Ye kneeling behind Yun Lu, so he smiled and said to Yun Lu: "The imperial uncles are old people, so you don't have to kneel - Uncle Ten, you are weak, you said that you don't need to be formal!" ”

"That'...... That was the emperor's favor. Yun didn't expect Qianlong to speak alone, and stammered, "Minister...... The minister is a useless person who is still in sin, and he is idle at home and abroad. And the minister doesn't go out for many days, and he also thinks about the emperor and the emperor's kindness. Enter...... Come in and say goodbye...... It's still as it should be. He was originally the most arrogant and bold of the Yongzheng brothers, but now he has been imprisoned for ten years and has become trembling and cautious. Qianlong once saw him speak wildly in front of Kangxi, and he was not convinced after being whipped, but now he has become a different person, he can't help but sigh in his heart, and comforted: "Uncle Ten, don't think nonsense, take care of your body, and tell the Internal Affairs Office what you lack." After speaking, he stepped into the main hall, sat down on the Sumeru seat in the center, and commanded, "Call in." ”

So the joy of His Majesty was great, and everyone entered solemnly according to their ranks, the princes and clans in the east, and the civil and military officials in the west. Zhang Tingyu and Yunlu took the lead in throwing the horseshoe sleeves, and everyone saluted with the class, shouting in unison: "Long live!" Qianlong saw the eunuchs outside carrying a large square table, rushing back and forth under the east corridor, only to remember that there was a feast in the ritual note, and he was glad that he did not lose his manners. Thinking about it, Qianlong said with a smile: "On New Year's Day, I have already met Zhongqing in the Taihe Palace, but the virtual pomp is too big, and there are too many people, and it is difficult to talk about it." Today, we specially summoned the adults, and our monarchs and ministers simply had fun. From the first day of the new year to the fifteenth year, it is counted as the end of the year, and after the sixteenth, everyone is busy again. After a year of service, I called in today to give a feast, and I see that I can be informal. He glanced around at everyone with a smile, and the courtiers hurriedly bowed down to thank them.

"I have only been sacrificing to the hall, and I am incense in front of the statues of my ancestors and ancestors, and I think a lot in my heart." Qianlong sat on the throne and said solemnly. In the silence, his voice was unhurried, calm and sonorous, "Fighting the grandfather is counted as me, and it is already the sixth generation." Taizu and Taizong Hongwu Membrane Lie were born and died to create the foundation of the Qing Dynasty, and the ancestor and the Holy Ancestor Cheng Zhao Pixu Shengwen Shenwu only set the world, and the first emperor reigned for 13 years, revitalizing the decadent wind of hundreds of years, rectifying the rule of officials, and refreshing the government. I was young, and I didn't witness the demeanor of the Holy Ancestor leading the three armies and going deep into the desert and the sea to fight against the rebellion. But the two generations of my father and grandfather worked diligently, diligently sought governance, and worked tirelessly all night, and these things are vivid. Qianlong's eyes sparkled, glancing at the ministers, "'The predecessors planted trees and the descendants enjoyed the coolness', I have thought about this sentence carefully, the Yu family is the words of the loser, and the country is the sound of the country. The fifth generation of the gentleman was beheaded, just because he did not plant trees from generation to generation. Once the old trees are cut down, the chilly monkeys will naturally disperse! ”

"I don't want to be an emperor who only takes advantage of the shade and doesn't plant trees." Qianlong gritted his fine white teeth and said with a smile, "Although the ancestors and ancestors built a large forest, which is lush and green, I only regard it as a monument to the ancestors, and I myself will build a forest for my descendants." Therefore, since I ascended to the pole, I have not been greedy for the joy of bells and drums, I have not loved brocade clothes and jade food, I have not loved the beauty of delicate children, and I have been sincere to the world. It is my wish to make the cold get clothes, the hungry to eat, the widows, the lonely and the sick, all of them are supported, and the yellow children and Baisuo share the peaceful and prosperous world, which is my wish! He moved his body slightly and smiled, "I am the last order of the emperor to take leniency as a rule, and it is not lenient and inappropriate to follow the golden mean, follow the golden mean, and achieve the rule of peace and integrity." Looking at the situation for more than a year, the world has been exempted from money and grain, and although the treasury has lost 20 million taels of silver, but the people are rich, the state is solid and the country is peaceful, the people are sufficient, and the monarch is insufficient? Last year, more than 100 prefectures and counties in seven provinces were hit by floods, and although some cults were bewitched by them, not a single one of them made trouble and rebelled. Because they're not hungry! Some people say that there is no effect of free food, but in fact, this is the effect! As I have seen with my own eyes, every year the state tax is levied, and there are tens of thousands of poor and small landowners in all provinces, who are brutally whipped and blackmailed by the cruel officials. Instead of spending money on slaughtering bandits, why not be gracious so that they don't rebel in the first place? ”

When Qianlong said this, his face turned pale: "About the time I have implemented this good government and pinched the financial channels of some dirty officials, naturally, if I don't pay the amount, there will be no way to send the harsh faction - so such good politics is actually troublesome from time to time." There are those who say that I am selling my reputation and reputation, there are those who say that I have violated the teachings of my father, and there are those who have strange thoughts, who say that I am 'full but not hungry', and there are even those who exploit money in the name of exploitation of money - they think that I am a cowardly and deceitful lord in my benevolent government. Now I tell you, I am determined to create a very prosperous world in the Qing Dynasty, follow the Holy Ancestor as a generation of commanders, obey my heart, and make a direct admonition by Deer, and criticize the dragon scales by Deer, and go against my will, then the three-foot ice is set up for you! ”

Yongzheng in previous years of the Lantern Festival feast, the ministers to the Qianqing Palace but as usual to read the "Ode to Longevity without Borders", the monarch and the minister to the Bailiang style poem, kowtow to the banquet, quietly stuffed some fruit snacks into the sleeve of the arms to go home and share with the old and young, this year is the first time for the new monarch to feast the ministers, and Qianlong advocated "to be lenient for the government", since the pole to meet with the ministers, always pleasant, gentle and earnest, who wants this handsome and elegant emperor like a handsome son brother turned his face, not only majestic and terrifying, its tone is also sharp and poisonous, like a knife like a sword, is not inferior to the cold and mean Yongzheng. This tirade was said so forcefully that more than 200 people in the huge Qianqing Palace heard the trembling color, kneeling upright, coughing up and not hearing a phlegm.

"Today's holiday is a happy day, and I wanted to wait a few days before saying these words." Qianlong slowed down and smiled with satisfaction, "It's rare that the people are complete, and they will be busy again after the New Year, and it seems that there is no need to convene a special court meeting." So casually talk about it - give a feast! ”

In the middle of the clock, the bell rang in unison, the hundred officials kowtowed in the music and got up, the deacon and eunuch of the imperial dining room commanded the errand soldiers, and the eunuch Xiao Sula carried more than 20 tables of water and land that had been neatly arranged into the hall, and the seat was set up, Qianlong held Zhang Tingyu with one hand, and Ortai with a smile on the other hand, Prince Zhuang Yunlu, Prince Yi Hongxiao and the Minister of Military Aircraft were accompanied by the first minister, and sat at the first table together, Qianlong only bowed his head, Hongxiao hurriedly stood up and said loudly: "Stop music - the monarch and the minister to the poem!" ”

The spring of the Zhongyuan Festival is rising,

Qianlong smiled, raised his glass, groaned, turned his face and said to Zhang Tingyu and Ortai with a smile: "You are the elders of the Three Dynasties, and the Bailiang style poems are familiar with the road, so I will reward you with a glass of longevity wine, so how about the young people about the poems?" The two old ministers got up with a smile and said, "The ministers obey the order." Qianlong looked at his relatives. Ne Qin hurriedly said: "The minister is not long here, just reluctantly obey the edict." "Moan:

Taihe spring breeze is really mighty!

"That's it, give wine!" Qianlong said with a smile. Gao Wuyong hurriedly came over to pour wine. Qianlong searched with his eyes, because he saw Sun Jiagan sitting at the sixth table, and said by name: "Jiagan, I thought that your body and bones might not be able to support it, but you still came." Is your complexion okay? Here you go! ”

Sun Jiagan didn't expect Qianlong to call his name, stood up in a panic and said: "It's really mediocre to be subordinate to poetry. However, the ministers received the favor of the country and did not dare to disobey the will. Then he also chanted:

Grace is now rainy and dewy,

He turned the rhyme like this, which was inconsistent with the practice of Bailiang style in previous years, and the courtiers who had always rhymed and rhymed were stunned, and no one came out to join the sentence for a while.

"You don't know this man." Qianlong smiled and pointed at Sun Jiagan and said: "This person is nineteen years old to avenge his father, he walked 300 miles at night to punish the enemy, and he became an official for three years to avoid disasters. He said that the grace of rain and dew is a portrayal of his life, and I respect an old minister like him! Jia Gan can't drink alcohol due to illness, Gao Wuyong-" He pointed to the imperial case and smiled: "Reward him with that pearl and jade wish!" ”

The hall was immediately filled with envy. But the poem still no one came out right. Suddenly, an official in the Hanlin who wore a six-rank top, who was dark and tall and very burly, raised his square face, raised his wine glass and said:

Sprinkle to the world!

Qianlong looked at it, but he didn't recognize it, and when he looked at Yunlu, Yunlu also shook his head slightly, Zhang Tingyu leaned closer and said softly: "It's the new Jinshi of Enke last year, called Ji Yun." ”

"Yes, Ji Yun." When Qianlong stared at Ji Yunyi, he saw Ji Yun's body burly and bright, and he had a calm and calm attitude under everyone's eyes, and he suddenly felt good in his heart, and said with a smile: "Poetry has ups and downs, you are not bad, I see that you are not thin, like a martial artist, can you eat meat?" ”

"The spirit of the minister's martial arts, the heart of Wenxiu, likes to eat meat the most." Ji Yundun said, "As a Beijing official, self-abstaining, one meat in ten days often suffers less." By God's grace today, may I be satisfied! ”

Qianlong saw that he was neither humble nor arrogant and dealt with orderly, he couldn't help but be overjoyed, beckoned and smiled: "Come here, come here!" Ji Yun hurriedly kowtowed, got up, walked to the side of the throne, and bowed to stand. Qianlong pointed to a large cloisonné plate in the middle of the dining table and asked, "Can you finish eating?" When Ji Yun looked at it, it was a goat's milky red stewed elbow, because it was fat, no one had touched it yet, about three catties, and said with a smile: "Yes." And it is given by the monarch's father, and the courtier dies without resignation, let alone eating meat? Qianlong stood up happily, and actually brought it over with a smile: "In this case, reward you!" At this time, the civil and military forces in the hall had already stopped, and they were all stunned.

"Shane." Ji Yun didn't catch it immediately, he knelt on the ground with his knees first, and only held it with his hands, but he ate it on the ground, but he was not ashamed to pretend to be pretentious, and grabbed the fat and oil-stained elbow meat with his hands, and didn't raise his head to tear and bite, and in an instant, a huge piece of elbow was already in the lower stomach. Ji Yun drank the remaining goat milk soup again, and said: "The grace of God is now rainy and dewy, and poetry can also be blessed with meat - this meal can be full for three days!" Qianlong couldn't help laughing, and while ordering the waiter to give water to Ji Yun to clean his hands, he looked at Ji Yun with appreciation, and said: "It seems that he is a scheming person, his heart is wide, good!" Ji Yun said: "People can't have scheming in Wulun. The amount of blessing is also great, and the disaster is also deep! ”

Qianlong became more and more happy, but he didn't expect to find a witty, quick-witted, and experienced young Hanlin at such a banquet, so he had the heart to compare, ordered everyone to eat as usual, and laughed at Ji Yun: "Do you have words?" ”

"Long live back," Ji Yun said busily, "The word Xiaolan, the 'dawn' of the breeze and the sun, and the 'Lan' of Lanqi." ”

Qianlong raised his face and thought for a while, and said: "You are very agile, I want to try your poetic talent - the style of Fang Cai is too good, you can't write any good poems, you can be casual." ”

"Yes, please give me a question."

"Last night, the Internal Affairs Office came over, and Concubine Mi gave birth to a child for me, so you try to compose a ...... on this topic."

"The king got the golden dragon last night!"

"Well—I'm not done, it's a girl."

"Turn into a fairy and go down to the ninefold."

"It's a pity that I didn't keep it."

"I can't keep it in the world."

"I ordered the people to be thrown into the river of golden water."

"Roll over and jump into the Crystal Palace!"

At this time, although the people in the palace ate according to the order, Ji Yun's agile talent was too eye-catching, and everyone listened with their ears pricked up, and couldn't help but be envious and jealous and couldn't disobey his talent. Ne Qin originally suspected that Ji Yun took the liberty to invite the pet to Xingjin, and he couldn't help laughing with relief at this point. Qianlong's heart moved, and he wanted to immediately summon him to the upper study to do something, but he couldn't help it, and only smiled: "What a good showman!" Do it yourself, I can use it for you. Stand down. When I turn around, I will order someone to give you some beef. After Ji Yun retreated, Qianlong turned his face to Yunlu and said, "You accompany these people on my behalf." Some old ministers should not be reluctant to use wine. After that, he got up and walked out of the hall, turned around and asked Gao Wuyong: "Didn't you ask Liu Tongxun to hand over the sign yesterday?" Did no one come, or were they kept out? The minions are becoming more and more careless. ”

"Back to the master," Gao Wuyong said with a smile, "Liu Tongxun has been here for a while. He met a sedan chair on the road to complain, and went to visit Li Wei and Master Li, but he missed the hour. When he came in, he asked the minions, and the emperor was happy. The servant took him to the house next to the transcription office, and was about to ask for his master's order. Qianlong smiled: "Oh, please see and ask me if I'm happy!" What do you say? Gao Wuyong hurriedly said: "The slave said that the master was very happy, and since the slave followed the master, I have never seen such joy." ”

Qianlong didn't speak again, and was led by Gao Wuyong to the next door of the transcription office, without notifying, he stepped in, and saw Liu Tongxun lying on the desk and said with a smile: "Seeing that you Liu Tongxun can't come out, you can also dance and play smart, what do you want to say when your master is happy?" ”

"Your Majesty!" Liu Tongxun looked up and saw that it was Qianlong, he didn't seem surprised, threw his pen and got up and said, "The minister does have a secret performance." But I don't want to play it when my master is happy. This is a disappointment, the master is easy to be idle, and it is not good to play when he is happy. Qianlong's face sank, and he was moved. He didn't say anything, just sat opposite Liu Tongxun, with no expression on his face, and said lightly: "What's the matter?" Let's play. Liu Tongxun bowed slightly and said: "It was the Texas Mansion that investigated the suicide case of He Luying, a deficit Taoist. Now He Luying's wife, He Li, sued, saying that her husband did not commit suicide, but was assassinated by Liu Kang, the former governor of Texas. ”

Qianlong's eyes jumped, and he stared at Liu Tongxun without saying a word.

"Just now, the minister beat the sedan chair to go to the court, and He Li stopped the sedan chair in the fourth archway to shout injustice." The muscles on Liu Tongxun's black and red face twitched, "The minister immediately stopped the sedan chair and asked as usual." He Li looked haggard, skinny, and had two children, and had not eaten for several days. When the minister saw that it was the official of the court, he thought that it was a poor woman who climbed the rank and became a big man, so he immediately warned him. 'If you sue the official for the crime of the people, you will have to be exiled for thousands of miles if you win the lawsuit. Listen to my advice, take your children back and educate them well, and your life will naturally be better. At that time, He Li scolded the ministers for 'protecting officials and officials', and said that she was not a people, but a four-grade order. ”

"The minister was taken aback, and then he took a closer look at the paper, it turned out that the person who wrote the complaint did not understand the rules, and at the beginning he said, 'The people's woman He Li killed the former Texas prefect Liu Kang for fear of the law', while inviting her mother and son to eat nearby, and carefully studying the case, not only involving Liu Kang, but also implicating the former Shandong governor Yue Jun, the political envoy Shanda, the former governor of Liangjiang and Li Wei, who led the arrest of Shandong, and Qian Du were also involved in the case!"

When Liu Tongxun said this, he breathed a sigh of relief as if he was about to sigh out the cold in his heart. Qianlong couldn't help but be shocked when he heard that the case was so big. In fact, he knows a little more about the relationship between the silk and the vine than Liu Tongxun, Yue Jun was originally the favorite general of the former Prince Yi Yunxiang, Hongxiao also had a "Brother Yue" when he saw it, and Shanda was Yunlu's subordinate clothed servant, and the relationship with Prince Li Honghui was also extraordinary. Qianlong only wondered how Li Wei could also be involved in the case, so he said: "To put it this way, this case is simply affecting the court!" You pick it up. ”

"It not only affects the situation of the DPRK, but also affects the political situation." Liu Tongxun seemed to have another way of thinking, frowned and muttered, "As He Li's accusation is true, the reason for Liu Kang's murder is that Liu Kang had to take risks because He Luying pursued the deficit in Texas. This Liu Kang committed the ten heinous crimes, and the law is not lenient, so it must be punished. But there was a slight disagreement with the emperor's 'leniency', the reason why Li Wei did not have a strict trial at that time, and why did Qian Du stay silent in the emperor's que. In addition to insufficient evidence, he was also worried about disturbing the emperor's overall situation. Now that the bitter lord has come out, it is unreasonable to cover it up, how to deal with it, Fang Caichen went to see Li Wei, and Li Wei said that he could only ask the emperor to break the sacred heart. ”

Qianlong didn't speak for a while, stood up and paced slowly in the small room. Liu Tongxun stared at Qianlong intently. He met Kangxi when he was a clerk in Changchun Garden, and when he met with ministers, he often wandered around and thought about things. Yongzheng is impatient, often pacing and thinking quickly, and then suddenly stops and decisively makes a ruling. This Qianlong is different, whenever he sees him, he has a graceful and generous demeanor, sits upright, listens to the deliberations of the courtiers below, and sometimes does not move for an hour or two. Today, I was wandering around the room unusually, which shows that my heart is extremely unsettled. Liu Tongxun was thinking about it, Qianlong was already standing at the door, looking at the layers of frozen clouds in the east, and asked dryly: "Have you seen Li Wei?" That's not all he has to say. What is the charter of himself? ”

Li Wei said that regardless of whether Liu Kang is guilty or not, he himself is already guilty. It is necessary to have a penalty for a discount. Liu Tongxun said slowly, "This case has not been handled, he thinks that he is indeed selfish, and wants to wait to see what happens after the new monarch takes office." In any case, it is time to give the master a secret fold. ”

"Hmm."

The minister asked Li Wei, what is his opinion now? Li Wei said that he still had to ask for a decree. If the emperor consults him, he only has one word - do! ”

A cold smile flashed on Qianlong's face: "It seems that I still don't have enough strength!" The first emperor had three models in his hands, and Tian Wenjing didn't talk about him; Ortai is not a pure minister; Li Wei has gotten along well with me since he was a child. Thinking about it, he must have nothing to hide, but he also has so many hearts! After that, he glanced at Liu Tongxun and said coldly, "People are really the spirit of all things, just like Qian Du refused Liu Kang's gift, he originally thought that he was selfless, but he didn't know that he killed two birds with one stone, and reserved a place for his future?" Are you Liu Tongxun like this?! ”

"I don't dare." Liu Tongxun didn't expect Qianlong to draw inferences from one another, and the number would fall on him, so he suddenly broke out in a fine sweat, and hurriedly knelt down and said: "The minister knows that he is not a saint or a sage, and he cannot be without fault, and he is willing to accept the emperor's teachings and be a pure minister." ”

"Of course, this case must be handled, and there can be no ambiguity at all." Qianlong said coldly, "Liu Kang's murder is strictly true, since he is so cruel and beyond the norm, I can't deal with him with ordinary law!" Didn't someone say that everything was in the way of the government of the previous emperor? I'm going to refute him! Isn't someone secretly still dreaming about what is wrong? I can also slaughter a chicken for these monkeys to see! He smiled, "This case will be handed over to you, and it is up to you what to do, you don't need to ask for a decree again, while secretly sending people to recover human and physical evidence, and at the same time, arrest Liu Kang first!" Hear me? ”

"Wow!"