After returning from Daxing, Hai Rui suddenly fell ill and fell unconscious, which was the first time in Haimu's memory for nearly 50 years. A mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law have no children who answer the door, and the poor two women, one old and one pregnant, moved Hai Rui to the nearest bed of Hai Mu, and covered him with the thin quilt that Hai Mu usually covers. In a hurry, the wife of the sea begged the neighbor opposite, and the neighbor knew that the old man of the sea was a clean official, and immediately sent someone to inform Wang Yongji. Wang Yongji took a long entourage to Yuwang's Mansion first, called out Li Shizhen, and rushed to the sea house, which was already in time.

Hai Rui lay on the bed still unawake, his eyes closed and his teeth clenched. Li Shizhen sat on the stool next to the bed and put three fingers on his wrist.

Hai's wife couldn't avoid suspicion at this time, standing aside and crying, Hai's mother sat on the edge of her son's bed, holding her son's hand with one hand and wiping her tears with the other.

Wang Yongji's face was also full of anxiety, staring at Li Shizhen to diagnose Hai Rui's pulse.

Li Shizhen let go of his hand: "Prepare a few things." ”

"What's that?" Wang Yongji hurriedly asked.

The mother and wife of the sea all held back their tears and looked at Li Shizhen tightly.

Li Shizhen: "Bring all the quilts at home to cover him, and then move a brazier to make a big fire." ”

"I'll get the quilt!" The sea wife hurriedly walked away.

Wang Yongji immediately said to the long entourage standing outside the door: "Go to the kitchen, carry the brazier and carry firewood!" ”

The chief immediately ran out to the main door of the living room.

"He's fifty years old this year, and he's never been like this." Hai Mu said and looked at Li Shizhen with tears in her eyes, "How could you suddenly become sick like this?" ”

Li Shizhen: "Don't worry, Mrs. Tai. Brother Gangfeng was originally an extremely yang body, and he was extremely resistant to wind and cold. But suddenly I arrived in a place of extreme cold, because I didn't eat or sleep for a few days and nights, the extreme yang was exhausted and the extreme yin was born, and the wind and cold invaded the muscles and bones, so it was like this. ”

Hai Mu's face immediately changed: "Does it matter?" ”

Li Shizhen hurriedly continued: "With me, don't worry." First sweat profusely, then prepare a bowl of hot porridge, drink it and then slowly recuperate for him. ”

"There's porridge in the kitchen now, I'll heat it." Hai Mu immediately stood up.

Wang Yongji helped her up: "Mrs. Tai, I'll go." ”

Hai Mu: "The porridge is hot for me, I know where it is." Please help me accompany Imperial Doctor Li. ”

"Then Mrs. is gone." Wang Yongji had no choice but to let go of his hand and let Hai Mu go out.

While speaking, Hai's wife had already moved a quilt, and Wang Yongji hurriedly took it and covered it on Hai Rui.

"Not enough." Li Shizhen said, "Please bring as many futons as you want." ”

The sea wife stood there with her head down, tears streaming down her eyes again: "This bed is ...... at home."

Li Shizhen and Wang Yongji met their eyes, and both of them felt sour in their hearts.

Wang Yongji was about to rest on the chair, and his cloak and Li Shizhen's cloak were copied and covered on Hai Rui's quilt.

The chief came in with a lit fire.

"Make the fire bigger!" Wang Yongji said to the long requisition, and at the same time went to untie the cotton robe on his body.

The chief hurriedly leaned down and blew the fire, and the fire was blazing.

Wang Yongji had already put the cotton robe on Hai Rui's body again. I only wore a long shirt with an inner cloth and a thick cloth jacket.

"Bring some more firewood, and burn it bigger." Li Shizhen said loudly.

The chief ran out again.

Li Shizhen also took off the cotton robe on his body at this time and covered it on the cotton robe of Wang Yongji.

The sea wife's tears flowed straight down, and she also went to untie the belt on her body.

"Never!" Wang Yongji hurriedly stopped his wife, "Sister-in-law, who is pregnant, can't feel the cold anymore." Let's go to the kitchen and help Mrs. Tai, I'm here. ”

The sea wife still had to take off the coarse cotton shirt on her body.

"That's enough." Li Shizhen also stepped forward to stop it, "My sister-in-law is going to get sick again and hurt the fetus, and I have no way to save you." Listen to Lord Wang, go to the kitchen to help Mrs. Tai. ”

Only then did the sea wife shed tears and walked out with her head down.

The king's retinue came in again, but he only carried a few chopping sticks in his arms.

Wang Yongji: "The firewood is gone?" ”

Na Chang nodded casually: "There are still a few left, Mrs. Tai wants hot porridge." ”

Wang Yongji looked at Li Shizhen, and Li Shizhen also looked at Wang Yongji.

The eyes are worried, and the eyes are gloomy.

"Gangfeng is so cold, my friend didn't do his best!" Wang Yongji blamed himself, and turned to the long follower, "Hurry back, bring more oil, salt, firewood, rice and quilts!" ”

"Yes." The entourage immediately ran out again.

Li Shizhen looked at Wang Yongji with emotion and appreciation.

"It's going to be fine, right?" Wang Yongji avoided his gaze, looked at Hai Rui, who was still unconscious, and asked in a low voice.

Li Shizhen: "It's hard to say. The body is well treated, but the heart is difficult to heal. I only told Mrs. Tai just now about half of the cause, and Gangfeng's disease is more caused by heart disease. ”

Wang Yongji: "How do you say this?" ”

Li Shizhen: "After he woke up, you asked him who he was." ”

About two quarters later, Hai Rui still didn't wake up, but there were already dense beads of sweat on his forehead.

Hai Mu sat by the brazier, holding the bowl of porridge in both hands and stretching out by the fire, Hai Wife stood behind her mother-in-law and supported her armpits with both hands, Wang Yongji stood at the head of the bed at his feet, and the three of them saw Hai Rui lying on the bed sweat on his forehead, and their eyes couldn't help but light up.

The king took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and went to sweat him.

"Don't touch him." Li Shizhen said. While reaching into the quilt, he took Hai Rui's vein, opened his eyes for a while, took out a roll of moxibustion from the doctor's bag, walked to the brazier and lit the moxibustion, returned to the bedside, pulled off the hairpin on Hai Rui's bun, brushed away the hair on the top of his head, looked at the Tianling acupoint, went down with moxibustion, and then withdrew the moxibustion.

Jellyfish gasped.

All eyes were on Hai Rui's face.

Hai Rui's mouth slowly opened, as if he had exhaled a long breath from the depths of his abdomen, and that long breath was accompanied by a deep sigh! Then, his eyes slowly opened, and he gradually saw Li Shizhen standing beside him: "Mr. Li." ”

When he woke up from a serious illness, he still spoke with no loss of breath.

"Don't be so loud." Li Shizhen smiled, turned to Wang Yongji and said, "Wipe the sweat for him." ”

Hai Rui saw Wang Yongji again: "Brother Runlian is also here." ”

The sea wife had already helped the sea mother and hurriedly walked to the bedside.

"Mother!" When Hai Rui saw his mother, he struggled to sit up, raised his head, but couldn't get up.

"Lie still!" Hai Mu hurriedly said.

Hai Rui had no choice but to put his head back on the pillow, and when he saw that his mother's face was full of tears and her eyes were full of concern, he forced a smile from the corner of his mouth: "My son is fine...... Don't worry, Grandma. ”

Hai Mu held the bowl of porridge in both hands and looked at Li Shizhen: "Imperial Doctor Li, can you give him a drink?" ”

Li Shizhen let go of the stool he was sitting on and moved to the middle of the bed: "Mrs. Tai, please sit here and feed him slowly." ”

Hai Mu sat down on the stool, scooped up a spoonful of porridge, and sent it to Hai Rui's mouth.

Hai Rui opened his mouth to take the spoonful of porridge, swallowed it, and then looked at Wang Yongji: "Brother Runlian, help me." ”

Wang Yongji hurriedly walked to the head of the bed: "What can I help you?" ”

Hai Rui: "Please help me sit up." ”

Hai Mu: "Don't sit up." As he spoke, he brought the second spoonful of porridge to his mouth.

Hai Rui no longer took the spoonful of porridge, and forced a smile: "My son is fifty years old, mother, let my son sit up and drink it by himself." ”

Li Shizhen answered: "Mrs. Tai, let him sit up and drink by himself." ”

Hai Mu didn't stop it, and asked Wang Yongji to hold Hai Rui and sit up.

Hai Rui took the porridge bowl in his mother's hand with both hands, and his hands were still a little trembling when he held the bowl, and Wang Yongji hurriedly helped him hold the bottom of the bowl with one hand.

Hai Rui brought the bowl to his mouth, opened his mouth and drank the bowl of porridge in one go.

Several pairs of eyes were fixed on him.

Hai Rui stretched out another hand, and Hai Mu hurriedly handed him the spoon in her hand, and Hai Rui scraped the porridge remaining at the bottom of the bowl to the edge of the bowl with a spoon, and ate it again. Then he handed the clean empty bowl to his mother: "Mother, my son is all right." ”

Hai Mu took the bowl with tears in her eyes: "It's okay, it's good, it's good......"

Hai Rui then said to Wang Yongji: "Brother Runlian help me get out of bed." ”

"Lie down!" Li Shizhen shouted on the side.

Hai Mu immediately followed: "Lie down!" ”

Li Shizhen looked at his wife who was already in tears at this time, and Wen Yan said to her: "Mrs. Sister-in-law, you go over and cover the quilt tightly for him." ”

It was her turn to take care of her husband, so she quickly wiped away her tears, walked over, and carefully covered the quilt around her husband.

Taking advantage of his wife's body to block his mother, Hai Rui glanced at her deeply at this time, and nodded his head slightly.

The wife glanced at her husband quickly, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Look at the car, things are moved the same!" At this time, there was a faint sound from the door outside the courtyard, followed by the sound of many people greeting and moving things, obviously Wang Yongji's entourage led people to move things.

"Master, everything has been moved!" Sure enough, there was a long report from the door of the main house in the north room.

"Move in!" Wang Yongji said loudly.

The sea mother and the sea wife didn't know what to do, and looked out of the door.

The king brought another one with him, one carrying two thick quilts, and the other carrying a large bundle of chopping wood.

"Add to the fire first!" The king commanded with a loud voice.

The chief who carried the firewood put down the chopping wood and hurriedly added firewood to the brazier.

It turned out that the long retinue stood beside the bed with two thick quilts in his arms.

Wang Yongji first lifted Li Shizhen's cotton robe from Hai Rui's quilt and instructed the long follower: "Put on the clothes for Mr. Li." ”

The long man who was holding the quilt put the two quilts at the foot of the bed, and was just about to pick up the dress.

"No, I'll do it myself." Li Shizhen took the clothes and put them on herself.

Wang Yongji had no choice but to pick up his clothes again and put them on while saying, "Take off the cloak and cover the quilt." ”

The chief immediately took away Li Shizhen and Wang Yongji's cloaks and put them on the side of the bed, shook off a thick quilt and covered Hai Rui.

Hai Rui lay on the bed and watched them do these things silently, only to realize that after he fell asleep, his two friends had taken off their clothes and covered themselves, and his eyes could no longer be moist with a smiling face. Reading all his life, he thinks he is very good at understanding, and then he knows what it means to "undress and spit food!" ”

Hai Mu was not favored by others in her life, but at this time, she was helped by her daughter-in-law and sat by the brazier, and she was only moved and didn't say a word.

Today, seeing that her husband and mother-in-law are silent, she can't help but swallow tears and give her husband and two friends a deep blessing: "Mr. Li and Lord Wang treat my family so kindly, how can we repay ......?"

"Sister-in-law, don't say such unfamiliar things." Wang Yongji replied, turned to the two long-term followers and said, "Move this bed to Mrs. Hai's room, and move everything else to the kitchen." ”

The long suisage who followed him picked up the remaining bed and handed it to another long suisier, and the long suisage walked out with the quilt in his arms, and this long suiser was still standing in the room looking at Wang Yongji.

Wang Yongji immediately knew that he had something to say, "What else is the matter?" ”

The chief follower: "Go back to the master, someone from the Metropolitan Procuratorate has come, inform the master to go to the ministry immediately." ”

Wang Yongji: "Do you know what's going on?" ”

That long follow: "It seems to say that except for those who go out of Beijing on errands, all officials in Beijing must give congratulatory watches to the emperor overnight." ”

Wang Yongji shook his head gloomily, and couldn't help but look at Hai Rui and then at Li Shizhen.

Hai Rui only looked back at him, and said nothing.

"There you go. Here I am. Li Shizhen told him to leave.

Wang Yongji sighed lightly and glanced at Hai Rui again: "The household probably doesn't know that you're back." As he spoke, he turned to Haimu and arched his hands: "Mrs. Tai, my late nephew has to be lost." ”

Hai Mu immediately stood up: "Business is important, I have already tired you." ”

Wang Yongji waved his hand to Haimu again, and then waved to Li Shizhen: "Mr. Li is tired. Saying that, he walked out of the door, and the long man followed him, but Wang Yongji said to the long man as he walked: "You two don't have to follow me, you two will stay here today to accompany Mr. Li to take care of Master Hai." ”

Both the mother and the wife were sent out.

Li Shizhen's words were already obeyed by the Hai family, and that night, Hai's mother went to her daughter-in-law's room to rest, and the two entourages were also arranged to go to the west house in the north, and they took a nap there with a fire and waited for the dispatch.

A pot of fire, a chair, and a cloak on his body, Li Shizhen sat on the chair next to the bed facing Hai Rui, holding the iron tongs and keeping his head down and fiddling with the fire in the brazier, obviously in a very complicated and heavy mood.

Hai Rui was still covered by the quilt, but he was already half-sitting and leaning on the head of the bed, looking at Li Shizhen tightly.

"Life is less than 100, and I often have a thousand years of worries." Li Shizhen finally spoke, "Since you are determined to go up and sacrifice yourself, I can't stop you, and no one can stop you." ”

"That gentleman is in favor of me going up!" Hai Rui then asked.

"I didn't say yes." Li Shizhen put aside the tongs and looked up at Hai Rui, "Shangsheng Shu is like prescribing a doctor." The upper medicine heals the country, the Chinese medicine heals the people, and the lower medicine heals the sick. The Ming Dynasty is already terminally ill, do you want to heal the sick, the people, or the country? ”

This is already the right conversation, Hai Rui's eyes flashed: "The country is sick because of people!" To heal the sick is to heal the man, and to heal the country can the healer. ”

"Something is right." Li Shizhen's eyes showed approval, "What is the root of the disease?" ”

Hai Jui: "Regard the country as home, rule alone, take what you take, ignore all officials, and ignore the people in the world." This is the root of the disease! ”

Li Shizhen couldn't help but clapped his lap: "Well said!" Go on. ”

Hai Rui: "A history of China, the Xia Dynasty and the Shang Dynasty are the world where there are only kings and no people. At that time, there was a cloud in the "Book of Shang": 'Time is lost? I am dead with you! It can be seen that the people are not happy, and the people of the world have the heart to die with Xia Wei. The Shang Revolution Xia Life, hundreds of years ago, also took into account the common people in the world, and when it came to the king of Zhou, he simply regarded the people as grass mustard and died in an instant. Confucius was born and taught benevolence to love others. Succeeded Mencius, and said that 'the people are the most important, the society is secondary, and the monarch is light'. The Qin Dynasty did not respect Confucius and Mencius, and died in the third generation. When Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty really understood this truth, he was frugal and frugal, the monarch and the minister ruled together, and the people were the foundation, and I really had the prosperity of Qingping for the first time in China, which was known as the rule of Wenjing in history. Tang Taizong followed suit, ruled the world with virtuous ministers, and had the rule of Zhenguan. After that, how many times did the dynasty change, where the monarch and the minister ruled together, and the people were the foundation, the world was peaceful, and where the monarch ruled alone, abandoned the virtuous ministers, and disregarded the people's livelihood, they would decline and die. In the Ming Dynasty, my Taizu Emperor Gao was born poor and immediately won the world, still knowing the suffering of the people, punishing corruption and evil, lightly punishing the meager endowment, and benefiting the world with virtue. But it was from Emperor Taizu Gao who planted the evil fruit, and at that time he actually moved the Mencius tablet out of the Confucian Temple, that is, he did not agree with the principle of "the people are the most important, the society is secondary, and the monarch is light". Strictly enforce the rule of one monarch, treat the cabinet as a servant, and set up a hundred officials as the same enemy, and fight when they say they will be beaten, and they will be killed if they want to be killed. Authorize the authority of the eunuchs, and rule the world with domestic slaves. The two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty are regarded as the private property of the Zhu family. It has been passed on to the eleventh emperor today, especially the current emperor! For more than 20 years, he did not go to court, called Xuanxiu, and ruled alone. Externally, the party is strict, and the eunuchs are used internally, and they are bent on looting the world's people's wealth. How many officials with a conscience fought desperately and lost their lives. Officials without conscience simply meet the evil of the king and obey the emperor. The royal family is greedy, they are greedy, and they are all bent on scraping all the wealth of the people in the world, and the poor people of my Ming Dynasty are suffering even more, how many have died of harsh government, how many have died of hunger and cold! ”

At this point, Hai Rui's throat choked.

Li Shizhen looked at him, and he was already indignant, and he was excited.

Hai Rui swallowed a mouthful of tears: "This time I went to Daxing, at the feet of the Son of Heaven, at the time of the New Year, the people who died of hunger and cold were poured into the heavy snow!" The magistrate turned a blind eye, and the Beijing officials who were close at hand did not pay a blind eye, and the cabinet and the household department had to allocate some military rations, which was also a false story, and repeatedly instructed that the emperor must not know, so as not to defeat the joy of the emperor's housewarming! This is especially true under the imperial city, and there are still many miserable creatures in the whole world! In the past few days in Daxing, all I can do is save one person, and in front of those who have no heart and liver, there is no place to cry. Mr. has spent his life curing diseases and saving people, but those of us who eat the court's money can only watch the people die one by one in front of our eyes......" Speaking of this, Hai Rui, who has always been as hard as a stone, has burst into tears and swallowed.

Li Shizhen is also a person as hard as stone, and he has tears in his eyes at this time.

The two of them were relatively sad for a while, and each of them wiped away their tears.

Li Shizhen: "Let's go up!" Even if he can't rain for the common people in the world, he will be thundered in the government and the opposition of the Ming Dynasty! ”

Hai Rui's eyes flashed: "How to go up, I'm just about to listen to Mr.'s opinion!" ”

Li Shizhen: "You already have your own opinions. Brother Gangfeng, if you really want to go to this sparseness, you have to point to the root of the disease! If you are like those ministers in the past, although they are sloppy, they have scruples, they only talk about things and don't care about people, and only scold the ministers and not the king, it is better not to do it. If you want to denounce, you will denounce the rule of one person, and if you want to admonish, you will admonish the monarch and the minister to govern together! Eternal articles, even if the current emperor can not repent, but also make another person frightened, if my Ming Dynasty serves one person in the world, the country will die one day, and the world will rebel! Brother Gangfeng, if you can do this, you will have great merit in the world. Any idea who I'm talking about? ”

Hai Rui: "King Yu! ”

Li Shizhen: "Exactly. Therefore, you must take into account two points: one is Mrs. Tai and Mrs. Sister-in-law. When Emperor Wen was established, Fang Xiaoru was a loyal name for Bo, implicated ten clans, and more than 800 relatives and friends died innocently, and they did not take what they stole from. This should not endanger the old mother and the pregnant wife. It's not that I don't want to do my best, you know that my life's wish is to retake the "Compendium of Materia Medica", and the itinerary is uncertain. Therefore, all I can do is to take Mrs. Tai and Mrs. Sister-in-law out of the capital as soon as possible, and the only person who can take care of them in the future is to ask the king to use Ji. Therefore, before you go to the sparse, you must find a way to get him off the hook and don't implicate him. ”

Hai Rui nodded heavily: "What else must be taken into account?" ”

Li Shizhen: "It's King Yu." I have been friends with King Yu for many years, and I know that he is a person with a benevolent nature, respecting the virtuous and loving the people. If you are negligent, the emperor will inevitably suspect that you are being instructed by someone. You were the person recommended by King Yu at the beginning, if the emperor suspects King Yu, it will be a fundamental matter! Therefore, you can't interact with anyone before you go to this recital, and you can't involve King Yu or anyone in the recital, so that the emperor really knows that you are selfless! ”

Hai Rui was in awe, sat up straight, and arched his hands: "Be taught!" ”

The ministers did not go to the congratulatory table, the emperor was unwilling to relocate, and although the relationship between the monarch and the ministers was like a feud, it was already close to fire and water. King Yu was so worried when he got the news that he took Xu Jie, Li Chunfang, Gao Gong, Zhao Zhenji, and Zhang Juzheng to the imperial medical hall where the officials who had been severely beaten years ago were treated.

The officials who were lying on the sickbed could not have imagined that Prince Yu would appear here in person at this time, and those who could turn all struggled to sit up, and those who broke their legs and feet could not sit up, and they also raised their heads, most of them looked very excited, and some of them still had blank faces.

"Lie down, lie down!" Yuwang's eyes were wet, and before these people could speak, he stood in the middle of the lobby and pressed his hands to everyone, looked at a pair of excited eyes and said loudly.

"Lie down, please lie down!" Xu Jie helped to go over and helped an official to lie down first.

"Please lie down."

"Please lie down."

Gao Gong, Zhao Zhenji, and Zhang Juzheng all walked to the beds of some officials and helped them lie down.

Li Chunfang helped take a chair brought by the imperial doctor and put it behind King Yu: "Lord Wang, please sit down." ”

Yuwang waved his hand.

Zhang Juzheng: "Move away." ”

The Imperial Physician moved the chair out of the way again.

Although the officials on the sickbed all lay down, their eyes all looked at King Yu.

"I came to see you by the emperor's order." Although he is good at telling no lies, when King Yu said this, everyone could still hear his benevolence and sorrow, "The emperor also thinks about everyone in his heart." ”

An official of the Hanlin Academy, who was lying on the innermost hospital bed, couldn't help but cry.

Then several officials shed tears, but there were still some officials with blank expressions, among which Li Qingyuan was particularly prominent, his eyes were indifferent, and he looked extremely discouraged.

Yuwang was silent.

Xu Jie's people stood behind him and were silent.

Zhang Juzheng was standing next to King Yu, and at this time, he secretly nudged him behind him.

King Yu swallowed the tearful saliva and cleared his throat: "I want to say a few words, I hope you will listen quietly." This sentence was said both to the officials on the sickbed and outside the door.

It turned out that several cabinet ministers and Zhang Juzheng who were standing behind King Yu hurriedly moved away and showed the door of the Imperial Medical Hall - it turned out that many Beijing officials had already come outside the door, and it seemed that the entire courtyard was standing in the night.

King Yu leaned sideways, so that his words could be heard by both the officials on the sickbed and the officials in the courtyard: "Sage Yun, the parents who are all in the world." By inference, there are no more monarchs in the world. When Emperor Taizu Gao taught hundreds of officials to judge lawsuits, he also said that the lawsuit between father and son is in the son and not in the father; Brother lawsuit, Qu is in the brother but not in the brother. That's the same thing. There is only one monarch father for the hundred trillion subjects that I protect in the Ming Dynasty, and there is only one monarch father for the people worshiped by the hundred trillion subjects. Build a place for your father from all over the world, and you should not make trouble at this time. ”

This is a great truth, it is irrefutable, after listening to King Yu's words, those officials on the sickbed and those officials standing in the courtyard were silent.

King Yu continued: "As for the deficit of the treasury and the hunger and cold of the people, this fault is first of all my fault, the fault of the cabinet, and the fault of the officials of the six ministries and nine ministers. It is not the fault of the monarch. I have brought all the members of the cabinet today, and I have confessed to you and to the subjects of the world! At this point, he first gave a deep bow to the officials in the courtyard outside the door, and then turned to the officials on the sickbed and bowed deeply.

Xu Jie and the others followed him first to the hundred officials in the hospital, and then to the officials on the sickbed.

The officials in the courtyard all knelt down.

The officials on the sickbed who had been moved were already in tears at this time, and the officials who had been looking blank finally let out their grief at this time, and Li Qingyuan rolled down from the sickbed regardless of the pain and knelt there facing King Yu. Those who could struggle to get out of bed rolled out of bed and knelt down to King Yu.

Accompanied by Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng, King Yu returned to the palace and it was already time. The cold wind night number, the air turned into ice, many eunuchs were waiting here with lanterns, and when they saw King Yu out of the sedan door, they immediately hugged him, someone hugged him with a fur coat, and someone handed him a hot white copper soup woman, King Yu was still cold in his arms, and he coughed all the way from the front yard to the inner courtyard.

Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng also put on thick fur coats and followed him towards the inner courtyard.

Yuwang's touching persuasion in the Tai Hospital moved the Qingliu Beijing officials who had been beaten like ashes, and everyone immediately expressed their attitude and was willing to rush to write a congratulatory note overnight to comfort the monarch's father's heart. Xu Jie immediately ordered Li Chunfang, Gao Gong, and Zhao Zhenji to gather the officials of various ministries and halls to quickly notify the officials in Beijing to go to their subordinate ministries and offices to write congratulatory sheets overnight, and be sure to present the congratulatory sheets to Yuxi Palace on the sixth day of the lunar calendar.

There were two large pots of white clouds, copper, silver, charcoal, charcoal, and charcoal burning in the study early in the study, and as soon as they stepped into the study from the extremely cold outside, the heat was blowing, and King Yu was coughing, and he felt that his throat was suffocating, and he was a little out of breath.

Zhang Juzheng hurriedly helped him: "The prince turned his face first." ”

King Yu turned his face to the open door, and Zhang Juzheng stroked his back for him, and he felt that his breath eased. The eunuch on duty hurriedly took off his cloak for him, and helped him sit down in front of the bookcase with Zhang Juzheng.

The eunuch on duty gave a cup of hot tea to King Yu, and let King Yu take a few sips, King Yu felt relieved, and was still very aggrieved, but the matter was not finished, and he had to discuss with Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng, and said in a hoarse voice: "Two masters, please sit down." ”

Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng looked at King Yu with pity and sat down.

The eunuch on duty brought hot tea to Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng.

"Let's get out." King Yu said to the eunuch on duty, "Close the door." ”

"Yes." The eunuch on duty crossed the threshold with one leg and pulled one door first, and then pulled out the other leg and pulled another door.

"Can the congratulatory watches of the Beijing officials be presented at dawn?" King Yu asked Xu Jie.

Xu Jie bowed: "Don't worry, the officials of all the ministries have said hello, and if the congratulatory table of any yamen is not on the line, the hall official of which yamen will be removed." As soon as the morning dawns, the congratulatory watches of the officials in Beijing can be presented to the emperor. ”

King Yu looked at the ground gloomily: "It's hard for everyone." The arrears of officials must be made up for the beginning of the spring, and the victims and refugees should try not to die again. Did the cotton merchant in Songjiang call? ”

Zhang Juzheng replied: "Back to the prince, when I left the house, the minister arranged with Xu Ge Lao." Just now the minister asked the eunuchs on duty, they came early, one was accompanied by Xu Shilang to wait in the gatehouse, and the other was in the dormitory to return to Concubine Li's question. ”

King Yu was taken aback at first, and his face immediately turned ugly: "What did Concubine Li ask about Songjiang cotton?" What's more, in the middle of the night, how can you let a merchant go to the dormitory! ”

Xu Jie glanced at Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng continued: "The strange ministers and others didn't make it clear. These two people are known to the prince, and they are Gao Hanwen and his wife. ”

"Is that them?" King Yu was a little surprised, "The two big businessmen you invited to do cotton cloth business in Nanzhili are Gao Hanwen and his wife?" ”

Zhang Juzheng: "Back to the prince, exactly." Gao Hanwen couldn't go home after resigning from the official, and he lost some savings to that Yun Niang, and he also had some relationship with various commercial banks in Zhejiang in Nanzhili, so the two started a business. I don't know how they operated, and in the past four years, half of Songjiang's cotton industry has been done by them. Now it is Gao Hanwen's wife who is going back to Concubine Li in the dormitory to ask questions. ”

Yuwang's unhappiness disappeared, and then he was a little curious: "How did you find them?" ”

Xu Jie replied: "Back to the prince, the minister's younger brother planted a cotton field in his hometown of Songjiang, has been operating the cotton industry, and has often had contacts with Gao Hanwen. The minister once reported to the prince that if he wanted to make up for the deficit of the national treasury, the most practical way at present was to expand the cotton fields in Songjiang and weave more cotton cloth, and the merchants appointed by the imperial court to unify and monopolize them, which could not only stabilize the market price, but also collect the taxes that were usually stolen by those merchants. This profit should be more than five million a year, half of which goes to merchants and cotton farmers, and half goes to the household department, and the state treasury can increase its tax and silver by two to three million taels a year. Benefiting the country and the people is indeed a practical and feasible national policy at present. ”

"Master Xu." Yuwang immediately became wary, but he was also sincere, "It's better not to let your family do such a thing." ”

"The prince's teachings are extremely true." Xu Jie immediately replied, "It was precisely in order to avoid suspicion that the minister discussed with Taiyue and asked Gao Hanwen and his wife to do this." ”

"And." Zhang Juzheng continued, "This strategy was also mentioned to the prince last year. At that time, he did not tell the prince the details, in fact, this idea was put forward by Gao Hanwen when he wrote a letter to his minister. ”

Yuwang pondered, and suddenly remembered something: "I remember that in the forty years of Jiajing, in Zhejiang, the rice was changed to mulberry, and it was that Gao Hanwen who proposed a strategy of 'changing and rescuing, and solving the dilemma', and in the opinion of a scholar, he made things out of control at that time." Isn't it going to be the same mistake this time? ”

"This time, that time." Zhang Juzheng replied firmly, "The strategy that Gao Hanwen proposed at that time was not wrong in itself, but it was only because the party was in power strictly and each sought his own interests that the situation was out of control. The minister thought that as long as the imperial court held the pass, effectively received the silver that should be handed over to the national treasury, and returned the profits that should be given to the cotton merchants and cotton farmers to benefit the people, this strategy would still work. ”

King Yu looked at Xu Jie again.

Xu Jie continued: "Shang Ying's method of standing wood, Qin Guoguo sees wealth and strength. With a good national policy and reliable people to do it, it should work. ”

"Then call them in." Yuwang said.

The ancients paid attention to thirty and mustaches. Four years of rivers and lakes, four years of business, Gao Hanwen has grown a long beard, black soft and soft fluttering on his chest, the original bookish air in his bones with five locks of beautiful hair, compared to when he was a scholar, he added a bit of dust and elegance, which is like a businessman. The two eyes that have been reading the famous mountains and rivers and rivers and lakes in the past four years have also added a lot of light than before, and they give people a kind of spirit that can achieve great things. Lao Mou is as deep as Xu Jie, shrewd and wise as Zhang Juzheng is all overwhelmed by his appearance and temperament, not to mention King Yu.

King Yu looked at him at this time, and his fatigue disappeared a lot, and he leaned in front of the bookcase and listened to him quietly.

Gao Hanwen sat on the chair against the wall opposite King Yu, Xu Fan sat beside him, Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng were still sitting on the chairs by the south window, and they could clearly listen to him and see his expression.

"What I talked about just now was the annual output of cotton cloth in Songjiang, and the annual cotton output that Songjiang can increase after the implementation of the new strategy." Gao Hanwen ended the previous introduction and moved on to the next topic, "In ten years, 500,000 cotton cloths can be produced every year. Next, I will talk to the prince and the elder Ge, Lord Zhang, and Lord Xu about how to sell cotton cloth after the increase in production. At this point, he was visibly thirsty and swallowed lightly.

"There's no hurry. Take a sip of tea first. King Yu obviously had a very good impression of him and said with concern.

Gao Hanwen stood up and bowed his hand to King Yu: "Thank you, Lord Xie." He sat down again, took a sip of the tea bowl on the coffee table next to him, put it down, and continued.

At this time, there was also a large pot of silver charcoal with green fire in the bedroom of Yuwang's Mansion.

Two women, one is a princess, and the other is a merchant woman, but because of her bizarre background as a courtesan, she has become famous in the government and the opposition.

"I also came from a poor family." Concubine Li had obviously asked Yun Niang a lot of questions, in order to let her let go of her inhibitions, and even more so to continue to say what she wanted to talk about, she first said this very easily, and then said, "I asked you something, just tell me, don't worry about any taboos, and don't be embarrassed." All right? ”

Yun Niang: "Niangniang, please ask, the women will tell Niangniang truthfully." ”

"That's good." Concubine Li smiled and showed a look of concern again, "You look so outstanding, and you don't look like you're from a poor family, why did your family let you be a courtesan?" ”

Yun Niang was silent for a while, and then raised her head: "Niangniang, can I not talk about this matter?" ”

Concubine Li: "Why? ”

Yun Niang: "As Niangniang said, it is a taboo for the court to say the life experience of the people's women. ”

Concubine Li was even more curious: "There is no taboo in my place, don't worry, just say it." ”

Yun Niang looked at Concubine Li: "The father of the folk woman was also an official of my Ming Dynasty, and Jiajing served in the Nanjing Hanlin Academy in the thirty-first year. ”

Concubine Li was a little surprised: "Later, she died of illness?" ”

"Not due to illness." Yun Niang had some tears in her eyes, and turned around to look away, "It's the incident that was sparse in the 'Four Commandments of Yuezhong' back then, my father was implicated and died in the edict." At that time, my home was raided, and my mother and I had to stay at my uncle's house. Half a year later, my mother also died of illness, and my uncle and aunt sold me to Yingtian's yard. ”

Concubine Li stood up, looked at Yun Niang steadily, and immediately changed her gaze, full of sympathy and a little respect: "I didn't expect you to be loyal and good." As he spoke, he handed over his handkerchief.

Yun Niang also hurriedly stood up, took the handkerchief with both hands, printed her eyes, and said with a smile: "Let Niang Niang smile." ”

"Come, sit down, sit down and talk slowly." Concubine Li no longer had a trace of reserve at this time, so she took her hand and sat down together.

After sitting down, Concubine Li looked at the woman in front of her again, and suddenly said, "I understand." A child of a family like Gao Hanwen, who finally became a Jinshi on the two lists, why would he give up his official position and marry you. ”

Yun Niang was already enduring it, Concubine Li's words were like an awl, cone to her most distressed place, and also to her most worried place, and knelt down to Concubine Li with tears: "Niangniang, the folk woman has a reluctant request, and she wants to ask Niangniang to be the master." ”

Concubine Li: "Just say, if I can make decisions for you, I will make decisions for you." Arise, arise and speak. ”

Yun Niang didn't get up, but raised her teary eyes: "Niangniang, the person who is reluctant to give up from the heart of a woman in this life is my husband." He was originally from a family of eunuchs, and he was a very talented person, for me, now he has lost his career, and he can't go back home. The woman knew that he came this time to do something big for the court, and finally let the Gao family recognize him as a descendant and let him recognize his ancestors and return to his ancestors. ”

"To call him here is to let him work for the court, and you don't need to ask for it." Concubine Li misunderstood what she meant.

Yun Niang: "Niangniang, the folk woman doesn't mean this, the folk woman begging the maiden means the opposite." The woman begged the lady to intercede with the prince and not let him run a cotton merchant with the government and the court. The water of the court and the government is deeper than the sea, and the waves are bigger than the sea, and the husband of the people's wife does not have this ability, he cannot drive this boat, and he cannot cross this sea. begged the mother to be gracious and let the woman accompany him back, he couldn't bear to fall anymore. As he spoke, he kowtowed to Concubine Li.

Concubine Li never expected her to have this request, she was stunned for a while, and then looked at her deeply: "How can you have this thought?" ”

Yun Niang ignored everything, and looked directly at Concubine Li: "Do you remember the blood meridian of Zhang Zhenren that the folk woman dedicated to her mother four years ago?" ”

This is an extremely sensitive topic, Concubine Li didn't answer, just looked at her.

Yun Niang: "After seeing Niangniang, the women are like seeing relatives, and they don't hide anything from Niangniang." Before marrying my husband, the woman was with the largest silk merchant in Yingtian and Zhejiang at that time. That person is Shen Yishi, who is doing business for the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau, and the blood meridian is what he gave to the people's women. ”

Concubine Li's expression suddenly became solemn, and she looked at her seriously, waiting to hear her continue.

Yun Niang: "In terms of scheming, in terms of strategies to deal with the court and officialdom, and in terms of means to reach the sky, the husbands of the people's wives are less than one-tenth of Shen Yishi." In the end, Shen Yishi was forced to burn himself to death, and countless family fortunes were turned into ashes in an instant. Niangniang, think about it, if the husband of the folk woman comes to help the court and the government run the cotton industry, can he do better than Shen Yishi? Not only does he not have Shen Yishi's methods, but he also does not have Shen Yishi's ruthlessness. He is just a scholar, a scholar whose heart is higher than the sky but does not know the height of the sky, but he doesn't know that he doesn't have this talent. Except for the people's women, no one understood that he was jumping into the abyss. When the time comes, you will not only harm yourself, but also miss the affairs of the court. Niangniang, the women have taken out their hearts, I hope that Niangniang will understand, and beg Niangniang to be fulfilled! After saying that, he bowed down deeply.

Concubine Li was stunned for a moment, not knowing how to answer her. Stretched out his hand to help Yun Niang up. Yun Niang sat back in her chair and looked at Concubine Li with begging eyes.

"I understand your heart." Concubine Li obviously thought clearly, and only then began to answer her, "But your thoughts may not be all right." ”

The little light that had just appeared in Yun Niang's eyes was immediately dimmed by her last sentence.

Concubine Li: "As the saying goes, 'this time and that time'. And he said, 'It is man-made.'" It's not right for you to compare the present with the past. In the past, it was the Yan Party who used the country for personal gain in Jiangnan, and they did so many bad things, so naturally they would not end well. It's even more wrong for you to compare Gao Hanwen with Shen Yishi. Shen Yishi is a businessman who only knows mercenary. Gao Hanwen was born in the two lists, at least he was in the rivers and lakes and thought about the imperial court. Since he wants to do things for the court, the court will not treat him badly. How could it be like what you feared, and end up with Shen Yishi. ”

These words were so magnificent, and Concubine Li said so decisively, Yun Niang knew that it was wrong in her heart, but she had nothing to say back, and her heart was cold all of a sudden, so she had to be stunned.

Concubine Li Zhengyan said the big truth just now, smiled again, and said warmly: "You have helped the imperial court in the forty years of Jiajing, and I will write you down at that time." Today, Gao Hanwen wants to do things for the court and the prince, and you are willing to say everything in your heart to me, and the prince and I will take care of you and Gao Hanwen in the future. The prince is the prince, and the world of the Ming Dynasty will one day be governed by the prince. Work hard, work for a few years to help the court tide over the difficulties. When the time comes, I will make the decision for you, give you an edict, and let Gao Hanwen also return to the court to re-serve. Let your husband and wife go back to the Gao family in style, and see who dares to disown you as a daughter-in-law and not let you recognize your ancestors and return to your ancestors! ”

No matter how smart Bingxue is, after all, she is a woman, after all, she is facing the concubine of the prince of the Ming Dynasty, after listening to her words, Yun Niang's eyes slowly brightened, and she seemed to really see the hope of a few years later.

Concubine Li took her hand again, smiled and lowered her voice: "You just said that you asked me, I really have one thing to ask you, it depends on whether you give me the affection." ”

Yun Niang was frightened, and she quickly stood up by her hand, and was about to kneel.

"Don't kneel." Concubine Li grabbed her, "Sit down and listen to me." ”

Yun Niang had no choice but to slowly sit down next to the chair: "What does Niangniang command, but that is, the women must obey their fate." ”

Concubine Li smiled again: "This matter can't be said to be obedient or disobedient, it's just a private matter that I want your help with." ”

Yun Niang saw that Concubine Li was so considerate of herself, and she was immediately moved: "Niangniang, please speak." ”

Concubine Li sighed lightly: "I have already told you that I am also from a poor family. The rules of the ancestors and ancestors are big, and all the maiden family members of the harem are given a knighthood at most, never given a real position, and are not allowed to do business, let alone ask about the political affairs of the court. You outsiders don't know, it's just a lot of ladies in the palace now, and their mothers are so poor that they don't look good. ”

"The women know. If there is any difficulty in the mother's family, it needs to be spent, and the woman can send it over tomorrow. Yun Niang immediately expressed her position.

"Who do you think of me?" Concubine Li's face sank.

Yun Niang was stunned.

"You're kind, I don't blame you." Concubine Li softened her face again, "I have a younger brother who was made a lieutenant by the emperor's grace, and he can't hold a real position in the imperial court, I want him to go to Nanzhili and take up a tax collection errand, which is still okay." You went to Songjiang to run the cotton industry for the imperial court, and my younger brother can also help you do something. First, let him experience the experience, and second, if you have any difficulties, he can also write to me directly, and I can help you. ”

Yun Niang stood up suddenly, and most of the heart that had been hanging was put into her cavity at this time, and she replied excitedly: "Niangniang, this is begging us, this is really taking care of the women and husbands of the people." Rest assured, Uncle Guo will be with us for a day, and we will respect him for a day. ”

Concubine Li also stood up and smiled brightly: "Now you won't worry about what kind of sea your husband is, right?" ”

Yun Niang also smiled, but for some reason, a chill suddenly appeared in her heart when she smiled.

Last night, the holy driver was reluctant to move, and the capital shook. Yuxi Palace Jingshe, Huang Jin, who was waiting for the holy car that night, also didn't dare to close his eyes all night, and finally knelt down and begged Jiajing to lie on the dragon bed, worried that he would be angry and hurt his liver and catch the cold, so he took out the brocade quilt and covered him, but was thrown out of bed by Jiajing. Thanks to his identity as a little stupid loyalty, he threw it down and covered it again, going back and forth several times, and Jiajing had to bear it.

Huang Jin added some sandalwood and some agarwood to several incense burners, all of which lit an open flame to make the house warm as spring.

When it was the darkest day, Huang Jin knew that Chen Hong was going to take a turn at the end of the day, so he quickly decocted the medicine, decanted it into a bowl, and held it in front of the bed: "Long live the master, it's time to take the medicine." ”

"I'm not going to eat it from today." Jiajing lay facing the bed and took out this sentence.

"Master." Huang Jin knelt down in front of the bed with the medicine bowl in his hand, "They can't get along with us, we can't get along with ourselves." After these forty-nine days, the master was free from all diseases, and then slowly disciplined those people. The immortal body is not in harmony, and the master doesn't even have the energy to be angry with them. ”

Jiajing's body moved slowly, but he still didn't turn around, and suddenly called, "Lu Fang." ”

Huang Jin was stunned for a moment, and then replied: "Master, Lu Fang is in Nanjing." ”

Jiajing was also silent for a moment, knowing that he blurted out that he was wrong, but he stubbornly continued: "I called you Lu Fang, you should respond, how can there be so much verbosity!" ”

Huang Jin was stunned again, so he had to reply: "Yes." Back to the master, the slave Lu Fang is here. ”

Jiajing: "Did you say that the congratulatory watches of the Beijing officials will be presented at dawn today?" ”

Huang Jin: "Long live the master, I will definitely present it." ”

Jiajing was silent for a moment: "Yes, King Yu personally went out, which is more effective than me." Lu Fang, you have so much contact with King Yu, don't you say? ”

Huang Jin wanted to cry, and had to answer: "Master, we slaves are all people with broken roots, and since we are loyal to our masters, we must be loyal to our masters' sons, father and son are the same, and there is nothing wrong with being loyal to King Yu." ”

Jiajing turned over and sat up, looked at Huang Jin directly, and smiled: "You are not Lu Fang after all, if Lu Fang can't say this." Seeing that you said straightforwardly, I entered this bowl of decoction. ”

"Long live the master!" Huang Jin smiled and lifted the medicine bowl with both hands.

Jiajing took the medicine bowl and drank it in one gulp, seeing that Huang Jin brought warm water again, he directly took a mouthful of warm water in his hand and spit it into the medicine bowl, handed it back to him, and took the face towel presented and wiped his mouth: "What time is it?" ”

Huang Jin: "Long live the master, it's almost the end of the time, Chen Hong should have led the congratulatory watch of the veteran of Xu Ge to send the hundred officials." ”

Jiajing: "Hurry up and clean up the medicine jar, open a window, and let the medicine out." ”

"Then the master has to put on his coat first." Huang Jin replied, took the cotton coat that had been prepared on the side a long time ago, and put it on him, and then he cleaned up the medicine bowl and medicine jar and hid it in a cabinet in the corner and locked it. Then I went and opened a window on the east side.

When it was the coldest time, the night wind blew in, and Huang Jin shivered: "It's too cold, the master has to add a piece of clothing." While chattering, he took out the leather robe from the wardrobe and put it on Jiajing.

Jiajing also felt cold, grabbed the placket of his clothes with both hands and tightened it inside.

"Slave Chen Hong is waiting for the master, long live the master!" Chen Hong's voice sounded a moment earlier outside the door of the main hall!

Jiajing frowned.

"Haunted!" Huang Jin couldn't help but scold, so he had no choice but to close the window, and then blew up the fire of several incense burners with a copper pipe blower, and then went over to take off the leather robe on Jiajing's body and hurriedly folded it and put it in the closet. walked back to the bed, put on Jiajing's shoes, helped him stand up, walked to the futon and sat down.

Jiajing began to take off the cotton coat.

"You won't take this one off, will you?" Huang Jin wanted to stop Jiajing.

Jiajing had already taken it off: "Take it." ”

Huang Jin sighed, so he had to take the cotton coat to the cabinet and put it in.

Jiajing only had two silk coats left on his body, and Huang Jin moved the two copper incense burners forward to the futon.

"Slave Chen Hong is waiting for the master, long live the master!" Chen Hong's voice called out outside the door of the main hall again.

"Open the door." Jiajing closed his eyes.

Huang Jin took a lot of sandalwood and agarwood and added them to the incense burner, and then knelt down and kowtowed: "Master, the slave has gone." ”

Jiajing still closed his eyes: "Go ahead." ”

Huang Jin pulled the latch from the inside and opened a heavy door, Chen Hong was already impatient, and pushed his foot into the inside from the outside, and the door pushed Huang Jin stumbling.

Huang Jin was angry, and just wanted to compete with him, but he couldn't compete anymore.

But I saw Chen Hong standing at the door with a stack of congratulatory watches as high as a hill in both hands, looking anxious to ask for credit.

"All the congratulatory watches of the officials are here?" Huang Jin lost his breath and looked at the stack of congratulatory watches and asked.

Chen Hong: "Why am I in such a hurry not for this?" ”

Huang Jin looked out of the door again: "Xu Ge didn't come?" ”

Chen Hong had already stepped into the door: "You are too careful, right?" Go yours and close the door. ”

Huang Jin endured that breath, went out, and closed the palace door.

"Really!" Chen Hong muttered again, holding the stack of congratulatory watches, just like holding the Ming Dynasty and walking towards the door of the house.

Chen Hong neatly placed the stack of congratulatory tables on the imperial case. Then he took out the copper kettle from an incense burner with a smile on his face, poured hot water into the golden basin, twisted a hot face towel, and then walked to Jiajing and knelt down: "The master is very happy, first warm the holy face." As he spoke, he shook off the hot towel and wiped Jiajing's face, and couldn't help but say: "The master opened the dragon's eye and looked, the congratulatory watches of the Beijing officials have come all night." ”

Jiajing still closed his eyes: "What about Xu Jie?" ”

Chen Hong had already thought about it, and then replied in a low voice: "I was about to play the master, but the slave didn't ask Xu Ge to come with him, let him wait in the room first, because there is something to play Master Chen first." ”

"What's the matter?" Jiajing opened his eyes at this time.

Chen Hong: "Last night, those people in the cabinet went to meet those officials with Yu Wangye, and all those officials cried. ”

Jiajing: "That's it?" ”

Chen Hong: "There is another strange thing. At the time of the sub-card, Xu Jie, Zhang Juzheng accompanied Yu Wangye back to the house to meet two people. ”

Jiajing: "Go on." ”

Chen Hong: "How does the master know that that person is Gao Hanwen, and his wife who is a geisha - the geisha who once had a leg with Yang Jinshui and Shen Yishi." ”

Jiajing: "Do you know why you saw them?" ”

Chen Hong: "The slave is arranging for someone to investigate." ”

Jiajing glanced at him: "Check it slowly." ”

"Yes. The minions must find out! Chen Hong replied loudly, "You can't let those people involve Prince Yu in right and wrong." ”

Jiajing stared at him: "It's rare that you are so concerned." ”

Chen Hong: "The master must not say this, the master's slaves should watch for the master." ”

Jiajing: "Good heart." Now I'm going to do something for me. ”

Chen Hong: "The master commands." ”

Jiajing: "Go to Chaotianguan immediately, send that Feng Bao back to Yuwang's Mansion, and go on an errand as usual." ”

"Master......" Chen Hong was not stunned, and some did not believe his ears.

Jiajing closed his eyes again: "Go immediately." ”

"Yes......" Chen Hong climbed up and down with the bucket in his heart, and when he withdrew again, his feet were a little like stepping on cotton.

After working for most of the night, King Yu did not go to bed to rest until the beginning of the night, and his body, which had just been better, felt weak again. There is a word in King Yu's mansion that it must be quiet this morning, and everything must be told to the prince until the afternoon except for the will of the palace.

At this time, it was the time of Chenpai, and the eunuchs and palace maids who got up early on errands in the front yard all tiptoed to each other, signaling to each other and beckoning each other to be quiet. Even the eunuchs who shoveled and cleared the snow did not dare to use shovels and brooms, and one by one they squatted on the ground and held the snow from the main entrance to the stone road inside.

At this moment, the sound of firecrackers sounded outside the gate!

The eunuchs and palace maids in the front yard were all frightened, and a steward eunuch immediately ran out of the inner courtyard: "What's the matter!" said that the prince is resting, who will set off firecrackers! ”

Before the words fell, the leader of the forbidden army guarding the door hurriedly ran in: "There is a will!" Open the middle door! Open the middle door! ”

The eunuch in charge came to his senses and shouted, "Open the middle door quickly, and welcome the order!" ”

Several eunuchs hurriedly ran to the middle gate and lifted down the thick door bar, and the two of them opened the two heavy middle doors.

- Chen Hong appeared outside the middle gate with a few eunuchs!

The palace steward and eunuch hurriedly knelt down with a pair of eunuchs: "Slaves meet Grandpa Chen!" ”

Chen Hong smiled all over his face: "Get up, get up." Tell the prince, the princess and the prince that there is a great event, and I will send Feng Daban back to the prince! ”

The eunuchs of the palace raised their heads and stood up, only to see Feng Bao wearing a new robe, standing behind Chen Hong!

This surprise and joy are not trivial, the eunuch in charge: "Father-in-law Chen, please come in, the slave will go to report to the prince!" ”

Chen Hong personally took Feng Bao's arm and walked into the middle gate, followed by several eunuchs into the middle gate, and stood still in the front yard.

In King Yu's bedroom, several palace maids and eunuchs were busy dressing King Yu in robes. Concubine Li had already put on her dress and came out of the bedroom with her son in her arms.

King Yu looked at Concubine Li: "You and the prince are waiting here, and I will take the order." ”

Shizi immediately shouted: "I'm going to pick up the big mate!" I'm going to pick up my partner! ”

King Yu shouted: "Shut up! Stay here! ”

The son was still afraid of his father, so he kept his mouth open, but tears flashed out.

Yuwang strode out.

Concubine Li coaxed the prince: "Wait, the eldest companion will be here soon." ”

Looking at Chen Hong from a distance leading Feng Bao and others to stand in the front yard, King Yu ran over quickly and immediately knelt down.

"Lord Wang!" Chen Hong hurriedly hugged him, "There is no will, Long live the Lord is to ask the slave to send Feng Bao back, and the prince does not have to kneel." After saying that, he knelt down.

Feng Bao saw that King Yu was already kneeling there, and the other eunuchs who came with Chen Hong also knelt down with Chen Hong at this time, and kowtowed to King Yu three times together.

King Yu in turn helped Chen Hong up: "Please get up." ”

Chen Hong got up, and the eunuchs who followed him also got up, only Feng Bao was still kneeling there.

King Yu looked at him: "This is the emperor's great grace, thank you Gonggong Chen, go inside to see the prince." ”

Feng Bao moved to kowtow to Chen Hong on the spot, Chen Hong pulled him up, took his arm, and turned to look at King Yu: "The slave also learned when he went to Chaotianguan to pick up Feng Bao today, and the Long Live Lord also asked him to go there to serve the Sanqing Shangxian and accumulate some merits to come back to accompany the son. Lord Wang, the minions brought all the dog minions who had wronged Feng Daban, please don't stop the minions, the minions will punish them in person and apologize to the prince. ”

King Yu was anxious by him for a while, and before he could calm down, he heard Chen Hong shout again: "Kneel down!" ”

Three eunuchs who came with him immediately knelt down, and among them was the one that Jiajing saw whipping Feng Bao.

Chen Hong didn't wait for King Yu to speak, and immediately instructed the other eunuchs: "Smoke! Give me a hard pump! ”

The other eunuchs were obviously prepared, and at this time they all untied their long leather whips from their waists and whipped them violently at the three kneeling eunuchs.

Feng Bao seemed to be a different person at this time, he was held by Chen Hong's arm, and his eyes were lowered there, neither persuading nor speaking.

King Yu had already understood Chen Hong's trick, so he allowed him to whip the three eunuchs in front of him with more than a dozen whips, and then said, "That's it! ”

Chen Hong: "The prince has a life, that's it!" ”

The whip stopped.

King Yu pretended to look at Chen Hong with a warm face: "If Gonggong Chen is not in a hurry in the palace, please go and sit inside?" ”

Chen Hong: "The slave has thanked the prince." There is indeed an urgent difference in the palace, and Xu Ge Lao and they are all waiting for the servants to play the credit of the prince Chen last night to the long live master. ”

King Yu smiled: "What credit do I have." Then Father-in-law Chen should hurry back to the palace. ”

Chen Hong knelt down again, and the attendant eunuchs all knelt down, and kowtowed to King Yu: "Slave knock farewell to the prince!" ”

Seeing Chen Hong walk out, King Yu looked at Feng Bao with a trace of concern in his eyes.

"Let's go meet the son."

Before King Yu's words fell, Concubine Li had already come to the courtyard with her son in her arms. The prince raised his hand towards Feng Bao and shouted happily: "Big companion! Big Companion! ”

Feng Bao knelt down towards Concubine Li and the prince.

A large fire burned in Feng Bao's bedroom, and by this time he had taken off his clothes and lay on the kang, his bare back showing bruises everywhere.

King Yu didn't come, Concubine Li stood by the kang with her son in her arms, looked at Feng Bao who looked like this, and clenched her silver teeth.

But the prince cried out: "Big companion! Who hit you! Otomo ......"

Concubine Li remembered, turned her head and asked the eunuch who was standing in a room, "Where is Imperial Doctor Li?" Don't invite Dr. Li yet! ”

The eunuch hurriedly replied, "Yes! Minions, let's go find it! ”

What a glorious sunshine!

When the Qijiu River opened, the willow trees on both sides of the Tonghui River spit out green shoots as big as beans. The boats that have been waiting here for the winter are ready to set sail for the south today.

On this day, the yamen, who was in charge of river transportation, had made strict arrangements, and according to the survey of the military departments sent by various departments a few days before, they sent ships one after another according to which part was the most urgent and which part sent out the officials had the highest rank.

The first big ship leaned against the dock of the wharf, and there were two flags floating on the two big masts in front and behind the big ship, and the two big characters "Hubu" were embroidered on the front flag, and the two big characters "Ministry of Industry" were embroidered on the back flag. On the wharf, there were many officers and soldiers who were in command of the yamen and the river yamen standing down from the stone steps. So much so that the people on the other boats looked at the boat, at the two carriages and a few sedan chairs coming slowly from the docks.

The carriage stopped, and so did the sedan chair. The curtains of the first and second sedan chairs were lifted almost simultaneously. The first sedan chair came out of the military department and Zhang Juzheng, who was also the servant of Yu Wangye and the prince of the world, and the second sedan chair came out of the current Shoufu Xu Ge's eldest son, Xu Fan, the waiter of the Ministry of Works. - Those eyes understood, of course this is big enough.

No one knows the person who can come out of the third sedan chair, that person is wearing a cotton robe and a long shirt, with beautiful hair and floating chests, who knows that he is the Gao Hanwen back then.

The curtain of the second carriage was also lifted, and a junior who was wearing the uniform of a lieutenant jumped down, the official was not high, and not many people knew him, and that person greeted Zhang Juzheng, Xu Fan, and Gao Hanwen who came over.

Zhang Juzheng, Xu Fan, and Gao Hanwen were also very polite to him, they all smiled and nodded, and the group of four walked towards the first carriage together, and then stood there respectfully.

In the sedan tent of the first carriage sat Concubine Li and Yun Niang.

Concubine Li stretched out her hand and took Yun Niang's hand again: "Don't worry, help your husband do some practical things for the imperial court and the local people, I promised you that I will do it for you one day." ”

Yun Niang was about to kneel down again in the sedan car, but Concubine Li grabbed her, turned her head and called out of the car: "Is Li Qi here?" ”

"Sister, my brother is here." The sedan curtain opened from the outside, revealing the descendant wearing the uniform of the lieutenant, who turned out to be Concubine Li's younger brother.

Concubine Li looked at her younger brother inside: "This Yun Niang, your sister has regarded her as her own sister, and you should also treat her as a sister." There is also Mr. Gao, who has a stomach of talent, follows others to learn hard, tempers his personal appearance, and fights for our Li family. ”

Li Qi replied by the sedan curtain: "Don't worry, eldest sister, the younger brothers have all remembered." ”

Concubine Li turned her head to Yun Niang again and said, "My younger brother will be entrusted to you husband and wife." ”

Yun Niang's eyes had tears: "Don't worry, don't say that Lord Li is my uncle of the Ming Dynasty, and we will do our best for Niangniang's grace." ”

Concubine Li: "I'm relieved." I can't get out of the car and show up, so you can board the ship. ”

Yun Niang took Concubine Li's hand with tears and slowly moved to the side of the sedan curtain, that Li Qi was really well-behaved, and he did not hesitate to reach out and hold Yun Niang's arm: "Eldest sister go down slowly." He lifted her out of the carriage.

Under the carriage, Zhang Juzheng, Xu Fan, Gao Hanwen, plus Yun Niang and Li Qi, who had just gotten off the station, bowed down to Concubine Li in the carriage.

Concubine Li lifted a corner by the car window and looked at them: "Come on board." ”

After everyone finished talking, Zhang Juzheng and Xu Fan accompanied Gao Hanwen, Yun Niang, and Li Qi to the big official ship under the dock.

The officers and soldiers on both sides of the stone steps of the pier saluted together!

All eyes of the people on the other boats were on the man who walked down the dock.

Under a willow tree on the dock, there were also two people in civilian clothes, one of whom was the eunuch who whipped Feng Bao in Chaotianguan and was beaten in Yuwang's mansion. The gloomy gaze looked at Zhang Juzheng and Xu Fan, who sent the three of them onto the boat, and looked gloomily at the first carriage parked on the dock.

The eunuch who had been beaten said to the other eunuch: "Concubine Li must be in the carriage, and her brother has followed." Let's go, report to Gonggong Chen. The two of them walked slowly along the willow trees by the river.

Zhang Juzheng and Xu Fan walked back to shore from the official boat.

The planks were drawn, the sails were raised, the oars swayed, and the boat slowly left the dock.

The officials of the river yamen watched Zhang Juzheng and Xu Fan walk up to the dock from a distance, and watched the carriage and sedan chair leave the dock from a distance, and then ran to the dock and shouted: "The boat of the second military department is coming over!" ”

Another official ship then approached the berth of the dock.

There were also a number of boats, large and small, lined up in the back.

Not far from Gao Hanwen's boat, there was a small boat. Sitting inside were Li Shizhen, Hai Mu, Hai Wife and Hai Rui.

A few people sat in the cabin and were relatively speechless, only hearing the shouting and shaking of oars from far and near outside.

It was Li Shizhen who broke the silence: "Brother Gangfeng, didn't you say that the household department still has to discuss matters in the future?" Don't wait here, it's important. ”

Hai Mu also looked at her son: "It's just two months before you go to Nanjing." Your daughter-in-law and I have Mr. Li to take care of you all the way, what else do you have to worry about? Let's go to the yamen to do something. ”

Hai Rui: "The son will accompany his mother again." When he said this, his throat choked.

Li Shizhen hurriedly looked out of the cabin, and her eyes were already wet.

At this time, Hai Mu is a son who is wide-hearted: "It's not the first time I've turned back twice." Since he came out to be an official, it is common to be transferred back and forth. This time it's so much better than the previous ones, why are you like a child instead? ”

Hai Rui couldn't help but smile a little: "This time, my mother is also older than usual...... Besides, the daughter-in-law is also pregnant. ”

Hai Mu was also moved and looked at her daughter-in-law: "It can be seen that your husband is still concerned about you, so go over and say a few words to him." Hai Rui hurriedly took the initiative to walk towards his wife, bent down to support her, asked her not to get up, and then held her hand: "If you are pregnant, you must know to take care." You are a virtuous person, serving your mother-in-law is filial piety, and keeping my Haimen incense is also a great filial piety, you have to remember my words. ”

Hai's wife squeezed her husband's hand violently: "Don't worry, official, I will be worthy of Haimen." The official should take care of himself alone in Beijing, and my mother-in-law and I are waiting for you in Nanjing. ”

Li Shizhen turned his head out of the window suddenly, wiped his eyes dry, and stood up: "You should go, our ship is about to set sail!" As he spoke, his eyes looked deeply at Hai Rui.

Of course, Hai Rui knew that he was afraid that he would not be able to leave if he was suspicious of his mother, so he let go of his wife's hand, walked to his mother and knelt down with his legs: "Mother, my son is not filial, you have to take care of yourself!" He knocked his head on the board three times, and immediately turned and walked out of the cabin as soon as he stood up.

Hai Mu looked at his rapidly disappearing back, and a wave of uneasiness appeared in her eyes inexplicably: "Ruxian! ”

The sea wife also felt a little uneasy and came over to help her mother-in-law.

There was no longer a reply from Hai Jui outside the cabin.

Li Shizhen strode out of the cabin and shouted, "It's time to start the boat!" ”

The ship shook and the ship started. The sea mother and the sea wife were shaken and sat down.

At this time, Hai Rui was walking up the slope to the top of the pier, and tears flowed down his face.

One step further up the road on the pier, Hai Rui stopped and looked back.

- But I saw Li Shizhen standing on the bow of the boat carrying his mother and wife, looking at him from a distance.

Hai Rui faced Li Shizhen from a distance and bowed down.