Zhang Zhou was ordered to enter the palace to pray for blessings.

Led by the eunuch Yang Peng, Yang Peng has been promoted to the eunuch of the Imperial Horse Supervisor, and his status is second only to the palm print eunuch of the Imperial Horse Supervisor.

Because Xiao Jing is likely to be promoted to the eunuch of the seal of the celebrant immediately, Yang Peng is also actively courteous to Zhang Zhou, so as to obtain the qualification to enter the eunuch of the celebrant as the eunuch of Bingbi and the commander of the East Factory.

During the Hongzhi period, except for a very small number of times, the Admiral Dongchang was concurrently served by the eunuch Bingbi, Yang Peng wanted to become the second person in the real power of the Ming Dynasty, and he must also want to climb up into the priest, but he also knew that there were two big Buddhas in front of him, Wei Bin and Chen Kuan.

As for the eunuch Ning Jin, the eunuch of the imperial horse eunuch's palm print...... It has the authority to coordinate the four major guards of the palace, and it is responsible for the power of the army, and it will not drill into the celebrant supervisor, and it will not be able to drill into it.

Ning Jin has his own faction in the palace, even Zhang Yong was only Ning Jin's younger brother during the Hongzhi period, and he was also a eunuch who was valued during the Chenghua period, and had a good relationship with the Empress Dowager Zhou, the Empress Dowager and Zhu Youji.

He Ding, who had to beat the two of them with a golden gourd because the Zhang brothers tried on the crown and watched the inner curtain, was Ning Jin's person, but when He Ding was killed by Li Guangcane, Ning Jin did not come forward to save him.

The factions in the palace are like this, each has its own belonging, and it is really impossible to make a name for itself in the palace without a backer.

“…… Grandpa, today's presiding prayer is Taichang Temple Qing Cui Zhenren, he has admired you for a long time, has always said that he wants to meet, now you don't take care of the affairs of Taichang Temple, and he is more in charge. ”

Yang Peng took Zhang Zhou to the palace back garden, and saw from a distance that the things for the blessing had been arranged.

A man in his fifties in a bright red official uniform with a bit of fairy wind and bones, holding the dust in his hand, gestured to Zhang Zhou's head from afar.

Zhang Zhou had actually met Cui Zhiduan, but he had not dealt with him before, and when he walked over at this time, Yang Peng was introduced.

Cui Zhiduan, as the secretary of Taichang Temple, was originally only a part-time job, or an honorary position, and the previous affairs had always been in charge of Li Wen, who was born in Jinshi, but after Zhang Zhou was promoted to the third Taichang Temple, a position could not accommodate so many people, and Li Wen was sent to Nanjing as Honglu Temple, and he was basically one step away from retirement.

Cui Zhiduan jumped, from a Taoist priest, to the Ming Dynasty Taichang Siqing, not to say that it is a jinshi, he is not even a tribute or a student, he used to be just a Taoist priest in the Shinto temple full of dancing and music.

"I've seen Master Zhang." After Cui Zhiduan saw Zhang Zhou, even if he was old and dignified, the respect he showed was different from that of ordinary people.

There is probably a kind of meaning that a fake real person meets a real half-immortal.

Zhang Zhou also greeted Cui Zhiduan with a smile.

He knows the history very well, Cui Zhiduan, as the "Taoist scholar" of the Ming Dynasty, did not take charge of the Taichang Temple until the seventeenth year of Hongzhi as the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, but because of the appearance of his Zhang Zhou, Cui Zhiduan realized his wish to take charge of the Taichang Temple in advance, but he was far from being promoted to the Shangshu...... That's a long way off.

Cui Zhiduan took Zhang Zhou to visit the site of the blessing ceremony.

Cui Zhiduan said, "I am fortunate to have seen the blessing ceremony of the Guru, and I am very eager to see it, and I hope to be fortunate to learn more from the Guru today. ”

Zhang Zhoudao: "Have I prayed for blessings? ”

"This ......"

Cui Zhiduan just wanted to be polite to Zhang Zhou, but who knew that Zhang Zhou was directly scolded back.

Yang Peng hurriedly reminded: "Lai Guogong, have you forgotten?" It was also here before, and it was last year's autumn newspaper to pray for blessings, and there were many women who entered the palace at that time. ”

Zhang Zhou smiled and said, "Oh, I almost forgot about it." Your Majesty will come today, right? ”

"No...... Didn't say. Yang Peng looked embarrassed.

The people below do things, and they still want to know the meaning of the people above? Yang Peng himself seems to be a superior person, but in fact, he is not even qualified to have direct contact with the emperor, which is why he desperately wants to climb up.

"Let's go, let's get started." Zhang Zhou urged.

Zhang Zhou was also thinking that he was just praying for a blessing, and he said that he wouldn't, but the emperor still insisted on letting him come to observe in person, as if he was asking for peace of mind.

If you have peace of mind, then hurry up and finish it so that you can go out of the palace to do your own business.

……

……

The blessing ceremony is in progress.

Zhang Zhou watched Cui Zhiduan and a group of people dancing on it, looking at the palace garden that was withering in autumn from time to time, and wondered why everything looked different from the first year.

"Grandpa." Yang Peng came over when he was in the hustle and bustle, leaned into Zhang Zhou's ear and said, "The Empress Dowager just sent Gonggong Jiang to pass the word, saying that after you are done here, go over and take a walk." ”

"Dream interpretation?" Zhang Zhou frowned.

Yang Peng said: "I don't know. ”

Zhang Zhou nodded.

It wasn't until Cui Zhiduan finished the scene on the stage that Zhang Zhou went over to say goodbye to him, and then walked to the door of the palace back garden, but saw Jiang Luzheng standing there in a bloated winter coat, smiling at him.

Yang Peng originally wanted to ask about Yu Sheng, but when he saw that Zhang Zhou was going to Qingning Palace, he only said that he would wait for Zhang Zhou to come out of Qingning Palace and accompany Zhang Zhou out of the palace, and then watched Jiang Lu and Zhang Zhou leave.

All the way to the Qingning Palace.

Jiang Lu went in to spread the word, and Zhang Zhou found that there were many eunuchs and palace maids standing next to him, and this group of people were all peeking at him, probably thinking he was interesting.

When Jiang Lu came out to lead the way, Zhang Zhou asked, "But there are others?" ”

Jiang Lu said: "The Queen Mother is also there." ”

The so-called queen mother, there is only one queen who is not favored by Xianzong, in fact, in terms of intimacy with Zhu Youji, the queen mother is not as good as the abolished queen Wu when Xianzong, don't look at the Wu family does not have the name of the queen mother, but because of the kindness of secretly raising Zhu Youzhu after Zhu Youzhu was born, Zhu Youzhu raised Wu as a mother, and Zhu Youzhi is more respectful to the queen and queen.

……

……

Inside the Qingning Palace.

Zhang Zhou saw the queen mother, who looked very ordinary, even a little old, who was around fifty years old but sixty years old.

"Minister Zhang Zhou, I have seen the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager."

Zhang Zhou saluted and thought at the same time.

Just looking at this appearance, it won't be too good when you're young, and I don't know what this old lady thought at the time, this is to uphold the principle of "marrying a wife and marrying a virtuous person", and find ugly things for your son? But I know that your son is fond of Wan Zhen'er, and he is still looking for such a ...... It's no wonder that your son wasn't interested in a woman other than Wan Zhen'er in the first place.

Empress Dowager Zhou smiled: "Bingkuan, I haven't seen you for a long time, I think you seem to be thinner, is it because you went to the northwest and didn't recuperate well when you went back and forth?" The emperor is also yes, he should give you more supplements, so that when you leave, the mourning family will give you more and take them back to make up for them. ”

Don't care about the court, care about the body first.

Zhang Zhouxin said, old lady, you are really thoughtful, and I don't have anything to do with you, why are you so polite?

"The Empress Dowager smiled, in fact, she has recently been on the scale, and the minister has grown three or four catties of meat, and the minister also told His Majesty that the water and soil of this Beijing division are easy to raise idlers like ministers." Zhang Zhou responded with a smile.

Empress Dowager Zhou pointed at Zhang Zhou with a smile, and said to the Queen Mother on the side: "You don't know him, he usually talks like this, not only does the mourning family like him, but even His Majesty can't do anything about him." They all came into the house, so why did they wear so much? Take off your coat, otherwise you will sweat and go out to get a cold. ”

Hey.

Zhang Zhouxin said that the old lady was really thoughtful.

Why do you take such good care of my body?

Immediately, a delicate little palace maid came over and helped Zhang Zhou take the big curtain, and she didn't hang it aside, and directly took it to the back curtain.

Zhang Zhouzheng pondered that the palace maids of Qingning Palace seemed to be replaced with young and beautiful women, whether they wanted to take advantage of Zhu Youji's visit to force it when they were forced to do it, and then found out that the little palace maid's actions felt as if they had been pitted.

He was thinking about what was wrong, but he heard the Empress Dowager Zhou greet him:

"Throne!"

Zhang Zhou is still thinking about it.

Calling me here, maybe to discuss things, but let me stand and listen? This treatment is obviously not good.

Did you forget to get someone to assign you a seat?

Wait for the chairs to be arranged...... Zhang Zhou was instantly embarrassed, and the chair was arranged at the door.

Theoretically, it is right for the two "mourners" to summon him to a man outside the palace and deliberately keep a distance from him, but this distance is ......

Zhang Zhou sat very stiffly by the door, with the cold wind whistling behind him, and he felt that the big air was deliberately taken away.

Zhang Zhou was still thinking, I installed the heating for you, you enjoy the warmth there, and let me blow the cold wind by the door?

Empress Dowager Zhou said with a smile: "Bingkuan, Your Majesty has been in and out of the palace gate a lot recently, and I heard that there is a confidante around me, do you know?" ”

"I don't know." Zhang Zhou's answer was very direct.

Do you know, anyway, I'm a needle-threader, the matter is up to the emperor to do it himself, the emperor wants to hide from Empress Zhang, but also doesn't want people to think that this matter has something to do with me, how can he tell me if he doesn't tell others?

Empress Dowager Zhou said: "You're wrong, what is the emperor's matter, will he hide it from you?" ”

Is it strange to hide it from me?

Zhang Zhouxin said, don't you still know?

Zhang Zhou said in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant: "Maybe Your Majesty just doesn't want the minister to know?" ”

"Hmm."

Empress Dowager Zhou understood Zhang Zhou's hint.

The emperor didn't want people to misunderstand Zhang Zhou and give him an affair.

"What's going on? The door is not closed, and the warmth is floating out of the door, close! Empress Dowager Zhang gave an order, and then the little eunuch standing by the door shivered and closed the door.

Zhang Zhou finally felt that his back was not so cold.

Zhang Zhou scolded in his heart.

The old lady really hides a knife in the cotton, and she also brings a whole person!?

Empress Dowager Zhou said again: "I heard that the emperor has been unwell recently, and he hasn't been to the court for several days, haven't you taken good care of the emperor's body?" ”

Zhang Zhou said: "Heart disease also requires heart medicine, and the minister can help His Majesty regulate his body, but he can't regulate His Majesty's heart." ”

This will Zhang Zhou seem to understand why the Empress Dowager Zhou gave him a period of "punishment", he said in his heart, don't the old lady think that I deliberately let the emperor alienate the court and treat me as a chaotic minister and thief who caused trouble to the court and government, right?

"Where's the heart medicine?" Empress Dowager Zhou asked.

Zhang Zhou sighed: "In Liaodong, or in the grassland, a war has not been fruitful for a long time, Your Majesty is worried, and his mood drives the bowing body, and he has not been healed for a long time. ”

"In that case, it's up to you." Empress Dowager Zhou sighed with emotion, and said to Jiang Lu on the side, "It's too far away, I can't speak clearly, help move Bingkuan's chair to this side." ”

Now Zhang Zhou can finally sit in a relatively warm place to talk.

Empress Dowager Zhou said earnestly: "Bingkuan, your ability to endure the mourning family has been seen, you want to support the society, and the ministers of the court and the central government are to work together, not to go to the power alone, Your Majesty wants not only the achievements of governing the country and the country, but also the stability of the court." People's hearts are very important. ”

With you say?

Zhang Zhou was contemptuous in his heart, and said: "The minister has always felt that in the matter of Kuang Fu Sheji, the minister's ability is weak, and it is difficult to achieve anything. Therefore, the minister has been focusing on making some firearms and teaching the prince recently. ”

"It's good, it's good." Empress Dowager Zhou said, "What about the queen?" ”

Zhang Zhoudao: "The minister doesn't understand the meaning of the Empress Dowager. ”

Empress Dowager Zhou said with a smile: "I heard that the two of the Zhang family are very beautiful now, they all rely on your help, and now they are about to become capable ministers of the Ming Dynasty." The two of them, who were the initiators of the chaos in the past, were called the silverfish of the court, why did they show their power in your hands? ”

Zhang Zhou shrugged: "Probably everyone has potential." ”

"Open the door, it's a little dry......," Empress Dowager Zhou said immediately.

Zhang Zhou knew when he heard it, and let me come today to let me feel your "cold wind" and let me understand your state of mind, right?

In the past, I used to use code language to communicate, but now it is for me to "judge the situation", but whenever my body is cold, it means that you have an opinion about me and let me correct it, right?

"The Empress Dowager is very old, and this cold wind can't blow at will." Zhang Zhoudao.

Originally, Jiang Lu had arrived at the door and was about to open the door, but was stopped by the Empress Dowager Zhou.

Zhang Zhoudao: "In fact, recently, Shouning Marquis and Jianchangbo have not only made achievements in governing the army, but also brought them with them when they opened mines, making them profitable. ”

When Empress Dowager Zhou heard this, she was annoyed.

I thought you kid was enlightened, but your feelings were deliberately angry with me, right?

With a wave of his hand, this time Jiang Lu had already put his hand on the doorknob.

Zhang Zhoudao: "They are already a little happy now, and they don't want to go back to Jingshi when they mention it." ”

Jiang Lu is also a person who understands the direction of the wind, and when he heard this, he immediately looked at the Empress Dowager Zhou.

It means that you are asking for instructions, can this door be opened yet?

"Oh, speaking of which, the two boys of the Zhang family are in the border town, and I haven't heard of them doing evil for a while, and Jingshi seems to have been a lot more peaceful recently. However, with their ability, the mourning family has always been afraid that the overall situation of the stability of Daming Border Town will be affected because of the misdeeds of the two of them. Empress Dowager Zhou seems to mean something else.

Squinted at Zhang Zhou.

As if to say, you said that you transferred the two of them out of Beijing, wouldn't you secretly take this opportunity to show the queen?

Now that even my granddaughter-in-law doesn't bother you anymore, the Zhang family is about to treat you as a benefactor.

Which side did you Zhang Bingkuan form an alliance with?

"There have been merits, and now the two of them are quite good, who knows what will happen in the future? If there is really any fault, it will still be dealt with by military law. Zhang Zhoudao.

"Oh." Empress Dowager Zhou seemed to be stunned, but continued to ask, "When?" ”

Hey.

Zhang Zhouxin said, the eldest and second eldest of the Zhang family, such stupid people, even if they do stupid things, what's the matter with an old lady who lives in a deep palace?

Don't take the opportunity to retaliate, okay?

I think ...... His brothers are quite cute, and they are so smooth and handy to use.

Who let all the Wenchen from all over the court pick their noses and eyes, but these two brothers, who give a three-melon and two dates, follow the back of the buttocks?

"At what time it is, it depends on the timing." Zhang Zhou said, "The Empress Dowager is a little restless. ”

The Zhang brothers are quite honest now, but with the urine of the two of them, your old lady is still afraid that they won't cause trouble?

Empress Dowager Zhou said: "The mourning family also thought so, but until now, I haven't waited for the opportunity, and if you can't meet the opportunity, you have to create the opportunity." ”

"Yes, yes."

Zhang Zhou also understood.

Empress Dowager Zhou was urging him to quickly bring the Zhang brothers to a catastrophe.

"Li Guang's matter, you did a good job, that guy always used some providence and the like to deceive people's hearts, but he couldn't always fulfill it, but he also tossed the government and the opposition, attracting a lot of criticism." Empress Dowager Zhou smiled and said, "Unlike Bingkuan, you are calm and methodical, and you have won the heart of the emperor and the heart of the mourning family." ”

Yes, it just doesn't win the hearts of the government and the opposition.

So old lady, you are threatening me, tell me, you can use the topic to play in Li Guang's matter, if I don't listen to you, you also want to play on me, right?

Aren't you afraid that I'll recruit you with another thunderbolt?

Of course, I don't have the skills.

But you also have to see if your borrowing is good or my borrowing is effective.

"The Empress Dowager woke up so much, and the ministers must remember it." Zhang Zhou said casually.

In fact, Zhang Zhou also understands that he and the Empress Dowager Zhou also know in their hearts that no one can deal with anyone, the exchange of interests is acceptable, and it makes no sense to engage in any small actions to blow the cold wind.

Empress Dowager Zhou looked at the Empress Dowager with a smile and said, "Let's not talk about my Zhou family, it's the Wang family...... Rui'an Hou and Chongshanbo also have talents, you pay more attention to them, and take them to Yanwutang to mention it. ”

Wang Yuan, the younger brother of the Queen Mother, is Ruian Hou, who was sealed for the twentieth year of Chenghua; The younger brother Wang Qing is a good uncle, and he was given a knight after ten years of Hongzhi; There is also a younger brother Wang Jun, who was not crowned An Renbo until the second year of Zhengde.

But the Wang family itself has no powerful position, let alone compared with the relatives of the old Zhang family, even if it is compared with the Zhou family, it is far behind.

Zhang Zhoudao: "The minister also wrote it down." ”

"That's good." Empress Dowager Zhou said, "You should also pay more attention to the emperor's affairs, neither can you only take care of the court affairs and break your body, nor can you ignore the court affairs because of recuperation." You usually walk in front of the palace, so I need you to mention it more. ”

"Yes." Zhang Zhou: This will be enough.

"It's getting late, let's go back."

Empress Dowager Zhou also stopped mentioning the matter of Concubine Zhu Youzhi, and immediately issued an expulsion order.

Zhang Zhou stood up and saluted, "The minister's clothes?" ”

"Oh, you don't say that the mourning family has forgotten! Take it out! Empress Dowager Zhou said.

There was no movement inside.

Jiang Lu said with a smile: "The slave went in to talk about it, but I was afraid that the people inside had their ears behind their ears and didn't hear it." ”

Empress Dowager Zhou glanced at him and said: "That's to find a few clever people, otherwise Bingkuan would think that the mourning family would let him go out to blow the cold wind and get cold." ”

(End of chapter)