The Prosperous Era of Longwan

Although Masakata's plan was a bit taken for granted, from the beginning he did not intend to accomplish it all at once, but to proceed slowly.

First, go around the government and the public to win over some people, gain widespread support, and then have people around the emperor repeatedly mention his name so that the emperor intends to re-activate it. Those officials who have previously been attracted by the government can play a decisive role in this public opinion war. role.

After listening to Naofang's ideas, Gao Gong thought deep down that it was very feasible and had a high chance of success.

"Do you want me to give you a list and a token so that you can contact the capital?"

Gao Gong asked pretending to be casual.

He has already considered this matter clearly. He will not lose anything if he fails, and if he succeeds, he will undoubtedly be the biggest beneficiary.

"If we can get help from the elders, this will definitely happen."

Masakata answered decisively, without any hesitation.

He also wants to use this attitude to give Gao Gong a reassurance so that he can fully support him. It is best to leave all aspects of the relationship in the capital to him.

As for the fellow villagers who want to be reinstated, they can only wait for a while. Anyway, they have to be more or less mentally prepared.

As long as Gao Gong returns to the cabinet, it will be just around the corner for these fellow officials to be reinstated or even promoted to a higher level.

Now the only task for him is to return Gao Gong to the cabinet.

Under the influence of Xing Fang, Gao Gong really began to face up to the Qi Fu issue again.

In the past, he thought there was no hope, so he didn't consider it, but now that someone is actively planning and working hard for his reinstatement, he can give it a try.

"Tell me your thoughts in detail"

In the flower hall of Gao Mansion, Xing Fang carefully described his plans after entering the capital this time. This was his original plan, which was to build momentum for Gao Gong's comeback by getting to know officials in the government and prestigious squires among the people through fellow villagers in Beijing.

Then a trustworthy eunuch was used to mention the matter in front of Emperor Longqing, so that the emperor would pay attention and persuade the emperor.

"If we work on both sides, this will happen."

Finally, Nafang promised in front of Gao Gong.

"Um."

Gao Gong nodded, and then said seriously: "In addition to your fellow villagers, I can also give you a list of connections you can use in the capital. Most of them are my disciples and they are trustworthy.

I will also give you a list of my old friends in the capital. If you bring my famous assassin to visit, you should be able to achieve your goal faster. "

Gao Gong stroked his beard and said, "It's just a matter of the palace, I have to think about this."

"Doesn't the Prime Minister have anyone he can trust in the palace?"

When Naofang first heard that Gao Gong said that he would introduce his old friends in the capital to him, he was of course very happy, but when he saw the slightest hesitation when introducing people in the palace, he felt a little uneasy.

You must know that those in the government and the opposition can only build momentum for Gao Gong's comeback, but they will definitely not be the decisive force.

The only people who can really influence the emperor's decision-making are the eunuchs around the emperor, the eunuchs he trusts.

These are actually what those people in Danyang’s hometown said.

Although he didn't believe it, when they told the names of the eunuchs from the Zhengde Dynasty to the Jiajing Dynasty, he had to believe that sometimes the power of the eunuchs seemed to be greater than that of a bachelor.

The power of the eunuchs, with the tacit approval of the imperial power, was enough to arm-wrestle with the cabinet ministers.

Now seeing that Gao Gong seemed unsure about the eunuchs around the emperor, Xing Fang couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

If this place is not chosen well and entrusted to someone else, it will be a mistake that can cause the entire operation to fall short, which he will never tolerate.

Naofang's expression changed, and Gao Gong naturally noticed it.

He shook his head slightly and said: "In the past two years, after I left the capital, the situation in the palace has changed greatly.

Li Fang, the eunuch whom His Majesty trusted most in the past, has been convicted and now seems to be still in prison, unable to influence His Majesty's decision.

As for the most favored eunuchs Teng Xiang, Meng Chong and others, I am not familiar with them either. "

"Isn't there any eunuch in Prince Yu's palace who is still in the palace?"

Naokata asked hesitantly.

"Well, Feng Bao is still the Supervisor of Ceremonies, but he mostly serves the Crown Prince and the Empress. He shouldn't go to the Qianqing Palace much, and he won't have a great influence on His Majesty."

Gao Gong thought about it and still shook his head.

At this time, he quickly went through the eunuchs in the palace in his mind. In fact, he also realized the role of the eunuch position in this plan. It was a pity that he looked down on eunuchs at the beginning, so the contact was not very many.

He had many contacts with Li Fang, mostly because he had to deal with the affairs of Prince Yu's Mansion.

However, if he can successfully return to the court this time, he will consider arranging this relationship with the emperor.

From this, Gao Gong couldn't help but think of Wei Guangde. This boy had been connected with the palace very early and could know the emperor's attitude through Gao Zhong.

These eunuchs have been with the emperor for a long time, and their understanding of Emperor Jiajing is far better than that of Yan Song and Xu Jie.

Suddenly, a name appeared in Gao Gong's mind. This person was Chen Hong.

Chen Hong did not serve in Prince Yu's Mansion, but he was the Supervisor of Ceremonies during the Jiajing Dynasty.

After Emperor Longqing ascended the throne, Chen Hong also gained the emperor's trust and appointed him to be in charge of the East Factory. Now in order to enhance his status in the inner court, he seems to have reached the position of eunuch, eunuch in charge of the imperial eunuch.

"I already have a candidate, but I still have to think about it."

Gao Gong said.

"May I ask, Prime Minister, who is the candidate in your mind?"

Nafang couldn't help but ask.

"His name is Chen Hong. He should be the imperial eunuch now. I don't know if the East Factory will still be under his control."

Gao Gong said: "When His Majesty came to the throne, he and I often discussed and handled affairs together, and we had many contacts after that. In total, our relationship was not bad.

I'll think about it again and discuss this matter tomorrow. "

"It's already very late. I won't delay Prime Minister Gao's rest. I'll come to visit Prime Minister Gao's mansion tomorrow morning."

After hearing Gao Gong's words, Nafang Zhiqu resigned, knowing that Gao Gong wanted to think quietly by himself to determine the candidate for assistance in the palace.

"Well, you can come directly to the house tomorrow."

Gao Gong nodded and said, "I will ask the concierge to bring you in directly."

After Gao Gong called the housekeeper to take Xing Fang away, when the housekeeper came back, he ordered: "When Xing Fang comes to the house tomorrow, you can directly arrange to receive him and send someone to notify me."

"Yes, sir."

The housekeeper knew that this was because Gao Gong had caught the eye of Gao Gong, and the discussion should continue tomorrow, so he immediately agreed.

It was night, and the lights in Gaofu's study stayed on until very late.

In the Qianqing Palace in the capital, Emperor Longqing returned here after having fun in the harem for a while. He looked at Teng Xiang who was serving beside him and asked: "I remember that I asked the Ministry of Punishment to try Li Fang's crime before. Why haven't I seen Li Fang's conviction memorial yet?" ?”

"I don't know, old slave."

When Teng Xiang heard Emperor Longqing ask about Li Fang, he was shocked and his face changed slightly.

In fact, what he was most afraid of was that the emperor would ask about Li Fang. He was worried that Li Fang had served the emperor wholeheartedly in Prince Yu's palace in his early years, and the emperor would call her back to serve him because of his old friendship.

"Go to the Ministry of Justice and ask for help."

Emperor Longqing didn't notice the change in Teng Xiang's face and ordered again.

"The minister obeys the order."

Teng Xiang replied hurriedly.

On the second day, a guest came to Chen Yiqin's duty room in Wenyuan Pavilion in the Forbidden City. The visitor was naturally Mao Kai, the Minister of Punishment.

"Mr. Chen Ge, Teng Xiang came to our Criminal Department today to ask, how do you think I should report it?

He said that Your Majesty wanted to convict Eunuch Li, but I tried it twice and still didn’t know what Eunuch Li was guilty of. "

Mao Kai said to Chen Yiqin.

Speaking of which, Chen Yiqin and others had a great influence on the trial of Li Fang's case. According to their wishes, before the emperor calmed down, Li Fang should be detained in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment to serve him well.

But now that the emperor asked about it, there was no progress at all in the so-called case. Naturally, Mao Kai had no choice but to come to the cabinet to see Chen Yiqin to see how they would handle the matter.

Originally, if the eunuchs in the palace were found guilty, they would usually be dealt with by the inner court, and rarely they would be sent to the Ministry of Punishment for disposal.

And what kind of person Li Fang is, the officials in the foreign court also know that they will never associate him with Liu Jin and other treacherous eunuchs.

"Hey, Master Mao."

At this time, Wei Guangde and Yin Shizhen stepped into the check-in room and saw Mao Kai hurriedly saluting and saying hello.

"Mr. Yin Ge, Mr. Wei Ge."

Mao Kai also stood up hurriedly, and they bowed their hands in return.

"You guys sit down. Shangshu Mao is here this time for Eunuch Li's case. The palace is pressing for the result."

Chen Yiqin said.

"Um?"

Wei Guangde was slightly surprised. No one had mentioned Li Fang for a while. He thought the emperor had forgotten about him and was planning to find an opportunity to mention him to see if he could be released.

Previous attempts had failed, so we had to deal with the matter coldly.

Unexpectedly, the emperor actually thought of the matter again and went directly to the Ministry of Punishments to deal with the results. It seemed that he had no intention of releasing him.

"Li Fang was not guilty in the first place, but she blocked some people's financial path in the palace, so they jointly targeted her. If you have anything to think about, please report it directly to His Majesty."

Wei Guangde didn't speak, but Yin Shizhen said directly.

"We know what the use is. His Majesty is just not happy. Eunuch Li should have offended His Majesty because he was too diligent in admonishing me.

Don't be anxious, Master. We are now discussing how to respond to His Majesty's questioning. "

Chen Yiqin said, and then looked at Wei Guangde.

Obviously, Yin Shizhen only planned to confront Teng Xiang, Meng Chong and others in front of the emperor, hoping that in this way, Emperor Longqing would repent and let Li Fang go naturally if he knew the inside story.

The idea is good, but the actual implementation is another matter.

According to Wei Guangde's original analysis, Emperor Longqing probably didn't want Li Fang to stay in the palace anymore, and felt annoyed. He might even feel that he was arrogant and contemptuous of the emperor.

Although Li Fang denied it when Wei Guangde asked about it many times during private visits to the prison, Wei Guangde still guessed that it might be something he did inadvertently that made the emperor have this opinion.

Later, Teng Xiang, Meng Chong and others tried to put eye drops in front of the emperor. He offended too many people in the inner court and blocked others from getting rich, so no one said good things to him.

"It would be best for Mao Shangshu to come to the palace and explain the trial process to His Majesty. It is up to him whether he is innocent or not. It depends on what crime he wants to convict. Only in this way can we find a targeted solution.

But I still mean it. According to the crime your Majesty has convicted, it would be best for him to be sent to Nanjing. "

Wei Guangde said.

"Li Fang may not be willing to plead guilty."

Chen Yiqin sighed.

He also visited the prison of the Ministry of Punishment and persuaded Li Fang to write a statement of repentance and admit his mistake to Emperor Longqing, but he was rejected by Li Fang.

Based on his understanding of Li Fang, he knew that Li Fang would never compromise on this matter.

"What do you mean, what crime is His Majesty going to charge Mr. Li with? Let's try to reduce the crime, and then sentence him to be sent to Nanjing to serve as a member of the Imperial Guard?"

Mao Kai frowned.

Wei Guangde nodded, "Only in this way can the matter be settled easily. When Eunuch Li arrives in Nanjing, there will naturally be people to take care of him, and no one will dare to be rude to him."

Wei Guangde, the eunuch and garrison guard in Nanjing City, dared to pat his chest and ensure that Li Fang could live a peaceful life there and no one would dare to deliberately make things difficult for him.

"That's all. Li Fang feels a little wronged."

Chen Yiqin thought about it and nodded. Wei Guangde actually thought so when they discussed it before, but because he still hoped that His Majesty would be able to release Li Fang extrajudicially in mind of his old friendship, he kept delaying it.

"Okay, I'll go into the palace and ask for an audience with Your Majesty."

Mao Kai didn't want to drag it out any longer. Li Fang was also a time bomb in the prison of the Criminal Department. It would be best to end this case as soon as possible.

Mao Kai left the cabinet and went to the Qianqing Palace. Wei Guangde and Yin Shizhen did not leave, and they estimated that they would be back in more than half an hour.

Nowadays, the Ming Dynasty has relatively few government affairs, and the cabinet is relatively relaxed.

The three of them sat together and chatted. More than half an hour later, Mao Kai came back. When they met, he said: "Your Majesty said, 'I am rude to you, so I will punish you.'"

"what happened?"

Chen Yiqin asked.

"When I saw your Majesty, I told you about the trial of Li Fang's case. Li Fang's charges were not clear yet, and I didn't know where he was sitting. Your Majesty said that Li Fang was rude and wanted to imprison him."

Mao Kai said.

According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, there were five main punishments for criminals: whipping, cane, imprisonment, exile, and death.

Flogging means beating with a whip, used on criminals who have committed minor crimes.

The cane is beaten with a stick. This treatment is a slightly heavier punishment, because accidents may occur during the execution, and the person will be killed directly with the cane.

A prisoner is usually assigned to a certain place to serve his sentence, which is similar to the fixed-term imprisonment in later generations, and usually has a limited time limit.

Exile means exile, usually to remote areas, often with no return, similar to a life sentence.

The last one, of course, is the death penalty.

"Your Majesty still wants to imprison him?"

When Wei Guangde heard that the emperor wanted to "imprison him", he naturally wanted to imprison Li Fang.

"In this case, let's just sentence him to being rude to His Majesty and serve as a member of the Imperial Guard in Nanjing."

After a while, Yin Shizhen calmed down and expressed his opinion on the news brought back by Mao Kai, saying:

"Since Your Majesty wants to imprison him, let him go to Nanjing. I think Your Majesty will not object.

If Your Majesty had murderous intentions, how could he put the person in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment? "

After hearing Yin Shizhen's words, Mao Kai did not immediately express his position. Instead, he looked at Chen Yiqin and Wei Guangde, and when he saw both of them nodded, he said, "Okay, I will issue a verdict and report this matter tomorrow."