The Prosperous Era of Longwan

"Feng Bao, say what you said before again.

Concubine Li suppressed the excitement in her heart and looked at Feng Bao and said.

"Your Majesty, this slave is wronged"

Feng Bao immediately fell to the ground and burst into tears. He looked so pitiful and pitiful.

"Sister, this is"

Queen Chen looked at Feng Bao, looked at Concubine Li in confusion, and asked.

"Sister knows that many officials from other dynasties have recently filed lawsuits against Feng Bao, a slave, including embezzlement and extortion of bribes. She also said that he hooked up with the alchemist to offer the late emperor the medicine, and brought the late emperor's death to light. They all put it on his head."

Concubine Li had no choice but to explain.

"I have also read some of those memorials. They are all fabricated things. You and I are in the palace. Don't we still know who instigated those things?"

After finishing speaking, he pointed at the slave and said, "Is he frightened now? Do you really think we want to punish him for not knowing the truth?"

"Empress, no, this is Gao Gong who wants to eliminate the people around the emperor. The old slave was just used by Gao Gong to perform surgery because he occupied the position of Gu Ming Minister."

Feng Bao stopped crying at this time and defended loudly.

"What did you say?"

Queen Chen was shocked and asked.

"Mother, I have been in the palace for so many years. I still know what kind of money I can take and what kind of money I can't take. Otherwise, I don't know how many times I have died in the palace after my godfather left.

The old slave is indeed not clean. They impeached the minister to save some money by taking advantage of his power. The old slave did not hide this from the empress. There is something. The people below are filial to the old slave.

The old slave has to accept this money, otherwise the people below will be worried and will not work seriously.

But to recommend alchemists to the late emperor, to offer elixirs and so on, that would really be an unjust death of a slave.

At that time, the old slave was devoted to serving the emperor, so he had no time to compete with them for the late emperor's favor."

"Tell me the key points."

While Feng Bao was arguing and defending himself, Queen Chen said impatiently.

In fact, she already knew that the eunuch was greedy for the money in Mo Palace.

What happened to Li Fang in the first place?

It's not just that I can't stand the old people in the palace tampering with the palace's purchases and construction projects. It can only be said that Yu Zhuan didn't have many people in those years, so his mind was simple, not at all as complicated as this palace.

After an incident, Empress Chen also knew about the habits of the eunuchs in the palace, but seeing how much the emperor favored Teng Xiang, Meng Chong and others, she had no choice but to do anything.

Later, he was thrown into the cold palace again, and he couldn't care less about it.

In fact, even if she was asked to clean up, she asked herself that it would be difficult to clean up, because everyone below was doing this, so she couldn't replace all the eunuchs.

So Feng Bao defiled himself in front of her and admitted that he was making money in the palace, but she didn't take it to heart at all.

Everyone does this, and even if you don't take it, others will take it. As long as things are done well, she will turn a blind eye.

"Yes Yes Yes"

Feng Bao hurriedly stopped, thought again in his mind, and organized his words again: "Gao Gong maliciously framed the old slave, he has no good intentions.

Not only did he want to cut out the loyal people around the emperor, but he also poured dirty water on the late emperor.

Now that the late Emperor has just entered into power and Mingjia is still in the palace, there are so many dirty words mocking the late Emperor as his old servant.

The innocence of a slave is a trivial matter, but the late emperor's eternal reputation is a big matter.

If this matter was really determined by the foreign dynasty, then the late emperor would become a romantic and absurd emperor in their writings, and they would really like to punish him. "

"You said those memorials were sent by Gao Gong? Is there any evidence? Why did you offend Gao Gong?"

Empress Chen was in a state of confusion at the moment, and she didn't want Emperor Longqing to be labeled like that. Although it was true, she couldn't write it like that.

What was announced at the beginning was that Emperor Longqing died of a serious illness. If the emperor's death was really related to the alchemist and those medicines, it would indeed be detrimental to Emperor Longqing's reputation.

"Although Lao Nu has no evidence to prove that it was Gao Gong who instigated it, Dongchang and Jinyiwei had a secret report. Those people who collaborated with him often went to the residence of the Chief Assistant before taking action.

As for the old slave offending Gao Shoufu, this is even more unfounded.

The old slave worked conscientiously and fulfilled his duties in the palace, but there would be resentment between him and Gao Gong. Gao Gong had ulterior motives and wanted to cut out the people around the emperor who were loyal to him.

Previously, Zhang Juzheng was suppressed in the cabinet, and Gao Yi was bribed through recommendation, making the cabinet his own.

The old slave was appointed as a minister before the death of the late emperor, so he became a thorn in Gao Gong's side and wanted to pull it out quickly.

Gao Gong has the reputation of the late emperor, and he is also a minister of Gu Ming who has cut off his relatives. His ambition is obvious. "

Feng Bao didn't even raise his head at the moment, just burying his head there and sobbing.

"Okay, the Ai family knows about this, just feel free to do your work.

The Ai family were always present in the Qianqing Palace that day, so they naturally know what is going on. You can go down first. "

Queen Chen needs to calm down now and think carefully about what she heard today.

Her heart is really messed up now.

Due to her special status, she was destined not to trust anyone. She needed to observe to see if Gao Gong was really what Feng Bao said.

Moreover, given the current situation, it would be really difficult to explain to the late Emperor if he were to capture Gao Gong at this time.

Taking down Gao Gong is actually not too troublesome in the eyes of the current Empress Chen.

After all, she can now command the palace guards, as well as the Dongchang and Jinyi guards.

The leaders of these people are the brothers Cheng Guogong. They are the family that has received the emperor's favor since the Jiajing Dynasty. It is absolutely impossible for them to get involved with Gao Gong.

Empress Chen needs time now, firstly, to think calmly and observe quietly, and secondly, to wait for Zhang Juzheng and Wei Guangde to return to the court.

If Gao Yi is really bribed by Gao Gong, if the decision they make is not beneficial to them, it will inevitably cause an uproar in the outer court.

Naturally, we cannot do anything that is not conducive to the stability of the court.

"Sister, I'm afraid the palace won't be able to keep the news about what happened today."

Just when Feng Bao stood up and was about to exit, Concubine Li suddenly said.

"Huh? What do you mean by this, sister?"

Queen Chen looked at Concubine Li in confusion.

"Meng Chong and Chen Hong in the palace should have gone to Gao Gong's side."

Concubine Li said bluntly, "Sister, didn't I ask the Supervisor of Ceremonies to bring some memorials to me so that I could look at them.

When I saw those impeachment memorials, what Chen Hong explained to me was not good. I wonder what my sister said here? "

Concubine Li's reminder made Empress Chen react.

She did ask at the time how the foreign court could make up such nonsense, but Meng Chong and Chen Hong were perfunctory, saying that the officials did not know the truth, but they also said that Feng Bao had indeed done those things.

But because the speakers were Meng Chong and Chen Hong, Queen Chen would certainly not believe their lies.

As for Feng Bao's fault mentioned in the memorial, it seems that these two people were even more guilty.

Looking at Feng Bao, who was hunched over, Queen Chen understood the purpose of the two men in an instant, and naturally she also hoped to overthrow Feng Bao.

Although it cannot be said that the two of them turned their elbows outward and leaned on the high arch, it is true that they cannot be fully believed.

"How about that?"

Queen Chen asked.

"Let the two of them be locked up first and not have any contact with the outside world. They will be released after the situation subsides."

Concubine Li said that she could not let go of anyone who might threaten her son's throne now.

I had listened to Feng Bao's story in the palace before and asked many questions on the way here. I knew that Feng Bao was on the same level as the two eunuchs in the palace, and that Chen Hong was Gao Gong's ally.

It was Chen Hong who mentioned Gao Gong to Emperor Longqing in the first place, and Gao Gong was reinstated.

As for Meng Chong, Feng Bao also told the story about Wang Jiusi.

Feng Bao said that he thought Wang Jiusi should be arrested secretly and silenced directly to prevent the news from the palace from leaking out. However, Meng Chong was worried that Wang Jiusi would drag him into trouble, so he begged Gao Gong to let him go.

Previously, Feng Bao asked Dongchang to dispatch Wang Jiusi, but the news leaked, and the final arrest alarmed people from the Military and Horse Division, and he was imprisoned in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment.

Feng Bao guessed that the news was leaked by Chen Hong's original person in Dongchang.

After all, when Feng Bao took over Dongchang, it was impossible to replace all the people. There must be people planted by Chen Hong who slipped through the net.

For those alchemists, executing them secretly is the best option, so that their past entanglements with the palace will not be revealed, and naturally the late emperor's reputation will not be affected.

This led to the paragraph just now. Concubine Li mentioned that Meng Chong and Chen Hong were imprisoned.

"The Ai family asked them to come to my place. Feng Bao, please arrange for some people to come and watch them. I'm sorry they don't dare to cause trouble in my place."

Meng Chong was the chief minister of etiquette in the palace. Although he did not last long, he was not replaced after all. Chen Hong was also an old man in the palace, and he had his godson everywhere.

It may not be safe to trap the two of them somewhere else.

Only by keeping it under their noses would no one dare to cause trouble. After all, Empress Chen is present in Ciqing Palace.

"Wang Zhen, you can bring someone to do this. Feng Bao, just send a reliable person to Wang Zhen."

Wang Zhen is the eunuch beside Queen Chen. He has been serving her since Yu Zhuan and has never left her over the years, so Queen Chen also trusts him very much.

Of course Gao Gong didn't know that his two major allies in the palace had been secretly imprisoned. He was still thinking about the development of the present tense in his residence.

The momentum for impeachment of hundreds of officials has taken shape, so naturally it is time to deal with Feng Bao.

Of course, he would not be naive enough to think that he could get rid of Feng Bao in this way. As long as the two people in the palace knew the details, it would be impossible to do so.

"Have Cheng Wen and the others arrived?"

Gao Gong has rehearsed all the plans in his mind several times.

That is to first arouse the indignation of the officials in the outer dynasty, and then have the officials from the Six Branches gather outside the Huangji Gate to request the palace to deal with the traitor Feng Bao.

Whether it is Empress Chen or Concubine Li, they are just members of the female class. As long as the civil servants get together and make a big fuss, they are not afraid of disobeying them.

Gao Gong was preparing for the final blow in an orderly manner, while Zhang Juzheng was braving the hot June sunshine and inspecting the Zhaoling construction site under construction accompanied by Zhu Heng.

The Changling Mausoleum of Zhu Di, the founding ancestor, is right on the central axis between Tianshou Mountain and Dahongmen, and there are tombs of previous dynasties on the left and right.

Emperor Sejong's Yongling Tomb is close to the "courtyard", with Longshan Mountain at his feet, while Emperor Mujong's Zhaoling Tomb, which is under construction, is across the valley from the Yongling Tomb, just facing Hushan Mountain.

When the Ministry of Rites and Qin Tianjian presided over the selection of "Ji soil" for Mu Zong, they also came up with several plans, and Mu Zong immediately took a fancy to this place.

He said: "I am deeply relieved to be able to sleep next to my late emperor and father a hundred years later."

When Mu Zong said this, Zhang Juzheng happened to be standing by his side.

At that time, he felt that among the several plots of land selected by Qin Tianjian, this place was not very good. Although it was also on the Dragon Vein, it was slightly less powerful and lacked the meandering momentum.

But the emperor himself likes it. How can he, a minister, dare to speak "against the holy will"?

The inspection work lasted for two days. Zhang Juzheng went around the entire construction site, doing everything personally and knowing what he was doing.

In order to bury Emperor Longqing at the auspicious time chosen by the Qin Tian Jian, the Ministry of Works went ruthless this time and mobilized almost all the civilian workers in the surrounding area, just to complete the project as soon as possible.

Therefore, the entire inspection work was actually a mess in Zhang Juzheng's eyes, but in Zhu Heng's eyes, the project progressed in an orderly manner.

"It will take at least half a month to take shape. Mr. Ge, do we still need to stay for two days?"

Zhu Heng had already looked around the construction site, so he asked this question.

After all, he left all the work at the Ministry of Industry behind to follow him, so he was worried after a long time.

"I've seen everything I need to see. Come back tomorrow."

Zhang Juzheng thought about it and then spoke.

In fact, this trip was not easy for him. After all, Zhang Juzheng was actually quite old, almost fifty.

It was fine when he arrived the day before yesterday, but after yesterday and today, Zhang Juzheng felt slightly unwell. He didn't know if he had a heat stroke, and he felt a little dizzy from time to time.

"Okay, I'll make arrangements to return to Beijing tomorrow."

Zhu Heng heard Zhang Juzheng's reply and immediately agreed.

Early the next morning, a group of people got on the carriage and headed for the capital.

When Zhang Juzheng rushed to a post station to rest and have a meal at noon, he learned that his housekeeper Yao Kuang had come from the capital to ask for a meeting.

"Let him in."

When Zhang Juzheng saw Yao Kuang in a remote room of the post station, he couldn't help but ask: 'Why are you here? ’

"Sir, something is going on in the capital today. Dozens of Liu Ke officials gathered at the Huangji Gate, demanding to see Empress Chen and to deal with the traitor Feng Bao. Butler You saw that something was not right, so he asked me to come to the master and report the matter. .”

Yao Kuang briefly told Zhang Juzheng the news about the capital today and asked him to make a decision.

In the past few days, Zhang Juzheng was on a business trip, and You Qi and Yao Kuang were handling matters in the city.

What happened today was clearly a sign that Gao Gong was going to take action, so he came in a hurry.

"What did the palace say?"

What Zhang Juzheng is most concerned about is not who is causing trouble, but how the palace handles it.

"The palace has already replied, saying that the empress is already aware of the matter and is considering how to punish her. She asked the officials to return to the Yamen first and not to delay the official business."

Yao Kuang replied hurriedly.

"Feng Bao, has there been any action in the past two days?"

Zhang Juzheng also became a little anxious and asked.

"I'm not sure about this. I haven't received any news from the palace in the past two days. The guards are tight, so it's hard to inquire."

Yao Kuang wiped the sweat from his forehead and said.

This was not because he was anxious, but because it was too hot today, and he would sweat profusely even if he moved a little, which was really sad.

Zhang Juzheng was about to say something, but suddenly his body shook, he felt like the world was spinning, and then he fell unconscious.