After the catastrophe in Tongzhou, it was delayed for another five or six days, and seeing that Yuanxi's body had completely recovered, Rong Zhan did not plan to stay any longer. I only had a brief rest for one night in Yuexi, and I was ready to start the next day. The Li Ji Pharmacy in Ankang Town, Yue's An, has been emptied by Imperial Physician Wang, leaving only one house, Rong Zhan asked someone to clean it briefly, and rested there.

Doctor Wang gathered a fire and roasted potatoes in the courtyard, filling the courtyard with aroma. The aroma attracted a group of greedy cats, Qin Shun skewered a fish on the skewer and came to the fire: "In the past few days, there have been more and more chaotic people. ”

The royal physician withdrew the potato, peeled off the skin and took a bite, feeling that it was not yet ripe, and stretched it out into the fire to roast it for a while.

"I've settled down for a while. ”

As soon as he said this, several people around the fire were stunned.

The fish is easy to cook, and it can be eaten after a while of grilling, Qin Shun sprinkled a handful of pepper and salt and took a bite.

"It's only been less than half a month, why is it messing up again?" Rong Zhan asked, several people stared at each other, and no one could say why.

Among the several people, only Imperial Physician Wang has lived in Donglin for a long time, and even he doesn't know, and the others are just black-eyed. Qin Shun took a bite of the fish: "Your Highness, I have already sent someone to Donglin Prefecture to inquire first, if there is any news, I will know tomorrow." ”

Yuan Xi sat by the fire and roasted the fire, the night of the early autumn weather was still a little chilly, the fire jumped and jumped, and it was very comfortable to roast on his face.

"What are you eating?" Rong Zhan turned his head and asked Yuan Xi.

"That. Yuan Xi pointed to the leg of lamb that Rong Zhan had cut into small pieces.

"I'll bake it for you. Rong Zhan took one and sprinkled some salt and pepper on the side of the fire to roast it.

Ling'er pursed her lips: "We don't have anyone to love and no one to love." ”

Qin Shun smiled: "You girl still eats the master's vinegar, can I help you bake it?"

Ling Er glanced at him and pointed at the dog-like fish in Qin Shun's hand: "you, look at how ugly you are grilled." ”

Rong Zhan roasted the mutton and tried the temperature to send it to Yuan Xi's lips: "Taste it." ”

The lamb is very tender, the heat is mastered very well, there is no aroma of smoky fruit wood, just a rich aroma of meat, and the gravy drips into the fire, making a beeping sound. Coupled with the salty aroma of salt and pepper, it also seems that the mutton is not so angry.

"The sixth brother often roasted meat like this in the army, a whole leg of mutton. On the fire, there is no condiment, just eat meat, cut with a knife and eat it. ”

Qin Shun also said kindly: "If you can eat enough in the barracks, but the sixth master is not, he not only wants to be full, but also eats well, and often brings a cook to the camp to open a small stove." He said that only by eating well can you fight a good war. In the barracks, we didn't eat a leg of lamb roasted by the cook. ”

While eating, a sturdy pigeon suddenly flew into the yard, Qin Shun stretched out his hand, the pigeon flashed its wings and grabbed one of his fingers.

"What's the matter?" asked Rong Zhan, looking up.

Qin Shun took out a note from the small wooden tube on the pigeon's leg, and as soon as he raised his hand, the pigeon flew to the open space on its own. Qin Shun gave his subordinates a look, and the subordinates grabbed a handful of corn kernels from their bags and threw them to the pigeons.

"It's Donglin's letter. Qin Shun raised his head and said solemnly: "There has been a change in Donglin. ”

The news of the civil uprising in Donglin Prefecture spread far and wide, and the government and the opposition were in an uproar. The new faction declared that the people were bewitched by others and asked for appeasement, while the old faction insisted that the remnants of the Shangguan Mansion still existed and asked for an order to exterminate it.

The emperor was also embarrassed, and the old ministers had been sitting hand in hand in front of the Qinzheng Palace for a whole day. The old man was old, and he couldn't keep the wind and sun at all, and before noon, several old ministers had already suffered from heat stroke.

The old school refused to go to court and repeatedly put pressure on the emperor. The emperor refused, so they incited the people and spread rumors that the remnants of Donglin were coercing the Jingshi. The new courtiers sent people to hunt down the initiators of the rumors again and again, but to no avail. Rumors continue to circulate in waves, but the perpetrators are never caught.

The great eunuch Xu Wenliang brought a cup of tea to the emperor's table, and before half a minute, the teacup was thrown to the ground. Xu Wenliang sighed, this is already the fifth teacup that has been broken today.

The reason why the emperor lost his temper so much was, in the final analysis, that the old school forces were too rampant. A few days ago, Prince Duan privately raised the "Ming and Sanwei" recital, and he still did not press it, and now he dared to gather people to sit in silence and protest.

A few of the new courtiers were too young, and they were righteous gentlemen, and if you asked them how to settle the country, they could say more than a dozen suggestions in a tea time. But if you ask them how to deal with the old school, they don't have a charter.

The emperor waved his hand: "Let's all step aside." ”

Xu Wenliang stood aside speechless, and the emperor turned his head and asked him, "Where is Prince Duan?"

"Your Majesty, you have already arrived in the west of Yuexi, and the people of Donglin have changed, and the prince and Sect Master Wei are afraid that it will be difficult to enter the city. ”

The emperor sighed: "The old ministers of Donglin Prefecture are crazy, and they dare to incite a civil uprising. ”

Xu Wenliang smiled helplessly: "Your Majesty, the law does not blame the public, besides, people put on a posture of being held hostage by the people, and we have no evidence, how can we punish them?"

"It is imperative that someone enter the city to defuse the anger of the people. "The emperor flipped through the new manuscripts at will, and they were all unrealistic admonitions, thinking that the thinking of these scholars was too rigid, and it was the consequence of reading dead books.

I heard that the people of Donglin Prefecture have gone up to the city tower, taken axes and kitchen knives, and have already cut down five or six new officials. Xu Wenliang sighed, those young people died really pitifully, and now even the bones are hanging on the city tower by the common people, unable to enter the ground.

"What do you say about thoroughly investigating the remnants of Shangguan among the people, and what do you say about the nine clans. This kind of nonsense can also be made up in a good way, which is really unusual. The emperor threw the notebook aside with hatred and vented his anger at Xu Wenliang: "Tell me, what kind of heart do they have? What good will it do them to incite the people to revolt?"

Xu Wenliang smiled bitterly and said: "Your Majesty, what do the common people know, or do they not listen to the nonsense of those officials? This Donglin Prefecture is the fief of the Shangguan family, and the common people and slaves all listen to the Shangguan family, and it has nothing to do with which of their families has anything to do with the Shangguan Mansion? If they really get involved with the Shangguan Mansion, they will punish the nine clans, and I am afraid that Donglin Prefecture will be killed into an empty city." ”

"But the common people believe it, after a big battle, the court also wants to rest with the people, but those old ministers in Donglin Prefecture still want to restore the previous taxes, the rent was set during the Shangguan Mansion, that is Donglin Prefecture is rich, and it is not necessary to have higher taxes, but now it is different, now let the people pay those taxes, where can they afford to pay?" the emperor sighed.

But the people didn't understand, and thought that the emperor's new policy was harmful to them. Xu Wenliang said that he was also a little sad in his heart: "Your Majesty, do you want to send a message to Prince Duan?"

The Emperor shook his head: "I haven't thought about it yet. ”

Xu Wenliang picked up the emperor's messy notebooks one by one, stacked them neatly, and placed them on the emperor's table.

"Your Majesty, in the opinion of the little slave, the emperor might as well make the situation more chaotic. ”

The emperor looked up: "Huh?"

Xu Wenliang said slowly: "Isn't the emperor going to support Prince Duan and Sect Master Wei at the moment? The emperor can drag the situation out a little more chaotic, and when the chaos is so chaotic that even the old faction can't clean it up, and then issue an edict, whoever can quell the chaos will be the crown prince." ”

The Emperor pondered for a moment. If you want to talk about quelling chaos, Xiao Rongzhan is a first-class good player, which Xiao Rongshen can't do. Rong Shen is accustomed to muddy the water, but he does not have the wrist to solve the problem.

"That's a good idea. The emperor's face finally showed some joy.

Xu Wenliang responded and said: "The little slave thinks that the thankless task of countering the rebellion should not be taken down by the king of the county." ”

The emperor thought, and felt that the price was too great. You can't starve thousands of people to death in vain just to support the crown prince, right?

"Establish the crown princess first. The emperor said firmly.

"What?" Xu Wenliang was also a little confused.

"I said, first set up the crown princess. The emperor smiled slyly: "Send a message to Wei Yuanxi and let her stay in Donglin first." I have granted her the right to arbitrarily decide on the spot, and if she can appease the people's grievances, she will be the future crown princess. ”

"But who is the prince?" asked Xu Wenliang.

"Is it important?" the emperor asked rhetorically: "If Wei Yuanxi becomes the future crown princess, then her marriage will indicate the candidate for the crown prince, and even those who covet the throne will not dare to touch her easily." In this way, won't my new faction have a double guarantee?"

Xu Wenliang's eyes flashed, and he couldn't help but praise: "Your Majesty, this move is really amazing." Killing two birds with one stone, not only solves the difficulties of Donglin Prefecture, but also makes those old-school forces afraid of hurting the jade bottle by beating mice, and they are in a dilemma!"

After a while, Xu Wenliang sighed again: "I'm afraid that those old schools will be right and wrong again." ”

"Over the years, everything I have done for the new policy, I haven't let the old derivation of right and wrong, are you afraid of one more?" The emperor picked up the pen and smiled smugly: "This time they don't dare to make trouble, the position of the crown prince has been revealed, they are afraid that they can't fight, where is there that leisure." ”

A muffled cry outside the study interrupted the emperor's thoughts, and he frowned, "Who's outside?"

"It's Concubine Liu, Niangniang has been here for a while, she doesn't speak, she just cries. Xu Wenliang replied softly.

The emperor sneered: "It's still not for those broken ornaments, I want me to say, Zhan'er smashed it well." If you hurt someone, you won't allow others to fight back? How can there be such a beautiful thing? This kind of person is hateful, and he comes to chew his tongue after suffering a loss. ”

Xu Wenliang didn't speak, the affairs in this palace are the emperor's family affairs, and he is always a eunuch who is not good at interjecting. Liu Guifei cried for a while, but the emperor still ignored her. Xu Wenliang looked at the door: "Your Highness, do you want the little slave to pass the word and let the mother go back first?"

"Don't, just let her cry. There is a cry she has here today, and I see who will dare to spread bad words about the prince tomorrow. "After the emperor wrote the secret edict, he sealed it with wax and stamped it with a large seal.

Xu Wenliang lowered his head, with the emperor's cold reception today, I am afraid that no one will dare to sit in Liu Guifei's palace tomorrow.