One night passed in the blink of an eye, early in the morning, Yan Mansion.
Since he didn't have to get up early to go to court as usual today, Yan Shifan slept in his room for the first time in a long time and woke up naturally.
Then, Yan Shifan was seen yawning and coming out of the room.
The weather is still so hot, and the chirping of cicadas seems to penetrate the whole world, long and persistent.
"Damn it, I keep shouting all day long, and the noise started in the morning!"
Yan Shifan complained with black lines on his face after hearing the intermittent chirping of cicadas.
After Yan Shifan entered the hall of Yan Mansion, Yan Song was already sitting at the table and enjoying breakfast.
The dishes in front of Yan Song did not change much from before. They were still a few plates of Liuxinju pickles and an egg.
Seeing this, Yan Shifan quickly stepped forward and saluted Yan Song respectfully.
"Father!"
When Yan Song heard this, he just nodded slightly to Yan Shifan in response.
When Yan Shifan saw this, he didn't say much. He took a bowl of thick porridge from the maid on the side and started to drink it.
For the next period of time, neither father nor son spoke, and they just focused on the food on the table.
Time passed by slowly. I don’t know how long it had passed. Yan Song and Yan Shifan put down their bowls and chopsticks one after another. When the maid waiting at the side saw this, she immediately stepped forward and began to take the food off the table in an orderly manner.
"Father, you don't have to go to court today, what are you going to do?"
Hearing this, Yan Song glanced at Yan Shifan and responded unhurriedly.
"The weather is perfect today. I plan to take out all the books in the study and dry them out!"
"Father, do you need your help?"
After Yan Shifan heard Yan Song's plan, he immediately plucked up the courage and cautiously confirmed it to Yan Song.
After hearing this, Yan Song waved his hand and gave the order.
"No need, I will do it myself, you can go and do your work!"
"Yes, father!"
Seeing that Yan Song had made up his mind, Yan Shifan no longer forced himself. He planned to make good use of this rare rest time.
…
On the other side, inside the Forbidden City.
Lu Fang was following Jiajing's footsteps and walked out of the Ganlu Palace. Last night, Jiajing went to visit the imperial concubine Shen. Later, seeing that it was getting late, he simply stayed in the Ganlu Palace.
After walking out of the Manna Palace, Jiajing looked at the rising sun in the distance and said with emotion.
"Well, it seems that the weather today is still unbearably hot!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, it has never been so hot in the past years!"
Lu Fang, who was on the side, heard Jiajing's words and responded without hesitation.
Afterwards, the master and servant walked along the path paved with neat stone slabs in the direction of Qianqing Palace.
On the road, there are many eunuchs and maids, who are busy all the time. The weather is hot now, and the whole capital is like a furnace.
They must seize this gap before the sun comes out and complete the job at hand!
When the busy eunuchs and maids saw the holy driver coming, they all stopped what they were doing, retreated to both sides of the road, and saluted respectfully.
"I have met His Majesty!"
"Um."
When Jiajing saw this situation, he responded in a subtle way and glanced at the eunuchs and maids.
Then, Jiajing turned around, looked at Lu Fang and gave instructions.
"Lu Fang, when you arrive at Qianqing Palace later, you can go back and rest!"
"As you command, Your Majesty!"
Lu Fang on the side heard Jiajing's words and immediately leaned down and responded respectfully.
Shortly after returning to Qianqing Palace with Jiajing, Lu Fang said goodbye and left. After all, he didn't get much rest last night.
At this moment, Lu Fang was seen walking slowly in the Forbidden City on the road paved with neat stone bricks.
Everything that happened in the Amrita Palace last night kept replaying in his mind like a slideshow.
Last night, while Lu Fang followed Jiajing to the Ganlu Palace to visit the Imperial Concubine Shen, she learned from the imperial doctors stationed in the Ganlu Palace that in less than a month, the Imperial Concubine Shen would... The child in your belly will be officially born!
Before this, Jiajing had said in front of Lu Fang more than once that he wanted to canonize the imperial concubine Shen as queen.
"It seems that the day when the imperial concubine will become the new queen of my Ming Dynasty is not far away!"
Lu Fang looked away from the distant scenery and said with emotion.
Since Queen Fang's death, Jiajing has not appointed a queen, and the position of queen has been vacant for many years.
Lu Fang was also very pleased to be able to witness with her own eyes that the long-vacant position of Queen was filled.
"My Lady, you must ensure that the child in your belly is born smoothly!"
Lu Fang thought so and couldn't help but quicken the pace.
…
Forbidden City, inside the Prison of Ceremonies.
At this moment, Feng Bao, the eunuch who was responsible for the rites and eunuchs, was in the duty room, dealing with the backlog of memorials.
Because the weather was too hot, Jiajing gave officials a day off for the first time.
Except for a few officials who must be on duty, most of the officials are not required to be on duty today. Therefore, there are no new memorials from the Supervisor of Ceremonies.
Today, it happened to be Feng Bao's turn to be on duty in the supervisory room.
I saw Feng Bao put aside the completed memorial in his hand and said to himself.
"Well, I just need to deal with the remaining memorials, and then there will be nothing wrong!"
After Feng Bao finished speaking, he began to deal with the remaining memorials.
At this moment, there was a burst of hurried footsteps from outside the duty room, and not long after, a subordinate staff member was seen hurriedly walking in.
When the subordinate official saw Feng Bao, who was still criticizing the memorial in the duty room, he seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw. He hurried forward and breathlessly reported the report.
"Meet...meet Eunuch Feng!"
Seeing this situation, Feng Bao put aside the ink pen in his hand and asked.
"Why are you so frizzy? What happened?"
"Eunuch Feng, we have sent an urgent battle report from eight hundred miles away, but today the cabinet is..."
After hearing the words, the subordinate official organized the words in his mind and reported it like this.
After listening to the subordinate's account, Feng Bao instantly understood the whole story.
Since His Majesty gave all the officials a day off, there was no cabinet minister on duty today at all.
It happened that at this time, an urgent battle report eight hundred miles ahead arrived. Since there was no cabinet minister on duty, this subordinate official was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot and ran to the cabinet. The Director of Ceremonies is here to ask for help.
After thinking about all this, Feng Bao calmed down, looked at the subordinate official, and gave instructions.
"Where are the battle reports from the front line? Can you show them to me?"
"Eunuch Feng, here is the urgent battle report from Eight Hundred Miles from the front!"
When the subordinate official heard this, without any hesitation, he immediately took out from his sleeve the battle report that had been rushed eight hundred miles from Bozhou to the capital, and respectfully handed it to Feng Bao's hands.
Feng Bao looked at the battle report sent from the front line in his hand, opened it without hesitation, and read the contents with unusual concentration.
When General Feng Bao finished browsing all the contents recorded in the battle report, his pupils suddenly shrank, and his face was full of ecstasy.
The reason why Feng Bao felt so happy was because it was mentioned in this battle report.
There were 120,000 imperial troops commanded by Feng Yue, the governor of Huguang, and 50,000 troops organized by seven local chieftains of different surnames in Bozhou.
These 170,000 troops attacked Hailongtun, the home base of Yang Lie, the Bozhou Xuanwei envoy, from three directions: Suiyang, Renhuai, and Tongzi!
The extremely strong city wall of Hailongtun collapsed under the bombardment of Ming army artillery regardless of cost!
In the battle, most of the 50,000 Miao soldiers under Yang Lie were killed or wounded, and even the remaining 20,000 Bozhou soldiers were annihilated in the battle.
After more than ten days and nights of fierce fighting, the imperial army successfully captured Hailongtun!
Yang Lie himself was killed in the battle. His family members, relatives, and even his newborn child Yang Yinglong were all charged with treason by the Ming army after the surrender!
Not only that, the imperial army also confiscated 29.62 million taels of silver, and countless other items such as antiques and curios, house deeds and land deeds.
The Yang family has been operating in Bozhou for hundreds of years, but in the end, they still ended up dead and their property was confiscated!
After this, Feng Bao's breathing gradually became rapid. He wanted to run to Qianqing Palace immediately and report the good news to Jiajing in person.
Then, he suppressed the excitement in his heart, looked at the subordinate official, and gave instructions.
"Wait here for a while. Our family will go to Qianqing Palace to hand over the battle report from the front line to His Majesty in person!"
"Thank you, Eunuch Feng!"
When the subordinate official heard what Feng Bao said, his face was full of gratitude, and he immediately leaned down and said respectfully.
"Um."
Feng Bao just responded in a subtle way. After explaining the precautions, Feng Bao unconsciously accelerated his pace and headed in the direction of Qianqing Palace.
…
At this moment, looking at the Qianqing Palace so close in front of him, Feng Bao's face was full of yearning.
He knew very well that his Majesty would be very happy after seeing the battle report sent from the front line. And I can also take advantage of this opportunity to perform well.
Just as Feng Bao's thoughts were racing, he saw the guiding eunuch quietly coming to him and saying respectfully.
"Eunuch Feng, His Majesty said you can go in!"
"Well, I'm sorry to bother you, father-in-law!"
When Feng Bao heard this, he suddenly came to his senses and immediately bowed his hands to the guiding eunuch to express his gratitude.
After that, Feng Bao didn't hesitate at all, and stepped onto the stairs of Qianqing Palace with firm steps.
After entering the Qianqing Palace, Feng Bao knelt on the ground with a plop, looked at Jiajing who was sitting on the dragon chair, and said respectfully.
"My slave, please see Your Majesty, long live my emperor!"
When Jiajing heard this, he glanced at Feng Bao, nodded, and gave instructions.
"Well, get up!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After receiving Jiajing's consent, Feng Baofang slowly stood up from the ground. At this moment, his face was full of excitement that could not be concealed.
After that, Jiajing looked away from Feng Bao and asked instead.
"Feng Bao, you said the battle report from the front line has been delivered?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Upon hearing this, Feng Bao immediately took out from his sleeve the battle report that had been rushed to the capital for 800 miles while responding, and raised it high above his head.
"Well, bring it over!"
Seeing this situation, Jiajing nodded and gave the order.
"As you command, Your Majesty!"
When Feng Bao heard this, he immediately looked happy, and then took silent steps, cautiously came to Jiajing, and handed over the battle report.
After Jiajing took the battle report from Feng Bao, he opened it and began to read the contents carefully.
Feng Bao was waiting on the side, with an uneasy look on his face.
"Only a godfather can be so close to His Majesty. I never thought that one day, I, Feng Bao, would be able to..."
At this moment, Jiajing had already read through all the contents of the battle report. He put aside the battle report sent from the front line and laughed loudly.
"Okay, okay, this Feng Yue really didn't disappoint me, haha!"
For Jiajing, Feng Yue not only successfully completed the set strategic goals, but also brought an additional income of 30 million taels of silver to the court!
The Yang family has been operating in Bozhou for hundreds of years, and their property must be more than 30 million taels!
But don't forget that the imperial court sent a total of 130,000 troops to participate in the Pingbo War, and there were countless people who indirectly participated in this war.
Therefore, even if Jiajing sees the clues, he has to turn a blind eye. If you don't let everyone take advantage of this opportunity to make a good profit, who will work hard to fight for you in the future?
When Feng Bao, who was waiting beside Jiajing, saw this situation, he immediately reacted and saw him kneeling on the ground and said in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty, the Yang family of Bozhou has committed treachery, killed the loyal and upright, ignored the general principles, and deliberately conspired to rebel. His shameless behavior has already made heaven and earth angry, and both humans and gods are angry!"
"This time His Majesty sent a large army to attack, which is actually in line with God's will and in line with the people's support. The people are all eating pots of pulp to welcome the king's master!"
"Your Majesty, your Majesty, long live my emperor!"
After Feng Bao finished speaking, he bowed to the ground three times with great solemnity.
When Jiajing heard this, the smile on his face became even bigger. He looked away from Feng Bao and turned to speak.
"Well, that's right, Feng Bao, you've worked hard on this trip too. I'll reward you with three thousand taels of silver and one hundred pieces of silk!"
"Thank you for your grace!"
When Feng Bao heard what Jiajing said, he immediately looked happy and bowed to the ground respectfully.
Then, Jiajing glanced at Feng Bao and gave instructions.
"Get up, Feng Bao, I still have things you need to do next!"
"As you command, Your Majesty!"
When Feng Bao heard Jiajing's words, his face showed a look of expectation at the right time, and he responded in a deep voice.
After Feng Bao got up from the ground, Jiajing's voice sounded.
"Go and call Yan Song and the others right away, and tell them that I have something important to discuss with them!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will go right away!"
After hearing this, Feng Bao saluted Jiajing respectfully and left immediately without any hesitation.
After Feng Bao walked out of Qianqing Palace, his face was filled with a smile that couldn't be concealed, and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised uncontrollably.
At this moment, Feng Bao's heart was full of joy. If it hadn't been his turn to be on duty at the Ceremony Supervisory Office today, and most of the officials in the court were on holiday, how could such a good thing like pie in the sky have happened? Maybe it’s my turn?
"As the saying goes, heaven and earth all work together when good times come. It seems that I, Feng Bao, will soon have good times come true!"
In Feng Bao's view, the rewards given by His Majesty are secondary. The most important thing is that His Majesty actually left the task of informing Mr. Yange and them to him.
And usually, His Majesty would leave matters like this to his godfather!
"It seems that because of this incident, my status in His Majesty's heart has improved."
"But Feng Bao, you must not slack off. There are countless pairs of eyes behind this, staring at you!"
After Feng Bao warned himself, he quickly put away his previous complacent look and quickened his pace.
…
Beijing, the mansion where Xu Jie lives.
Since he has a day off today and does not have to go to the cabinet for duty, Xu Jie has slacked off a lot compared to before.
At this moment, Xu Jie was sitting in the study, sipping tea very leisurely. On the desk, there were case files that had been suppressed by the Ministry of Punishment.
Xu Jie was seen putting the teacup in his hand aside, looking away from the case file, and muttering silently to himself.
"Hmph, this Ma Ningyuan is really arrogant. A small prefect of Hangzhou actually dares to mobilize the soldiers of the guard without authorization!"
"But that's okay. If the evidence is solid, I'll see how you deny it. I'll take the knife to you first when the time comes!"
Not long after that, there was a knock on the door. Seeing this, Xu Jie frowned slightly and gave instructions in a deep voice.
"Come in!"
When Xu Jie finished speaking, there was only a "squeak" sound, the door of the room was pushed open, and the housekeeper walked in and reported respectfully.
"Master, someone is coming from the palace!"
"Oh, someone is coming from the palace, who is coming?"
After hearing the butler's report, Xu Jie raised his eyebrows, his face full of curiosity.
"Sir, the person who came is Feng Bao, the eunuch who is responsible for the ceremony!"
"Feng Bao, what is he here for?"
After learning the identity of the visitor, Xu Jie couldn't help but have a look of confusion on his face. After all, this Feng Bao was Lu Fang's godson, so he couldn't be ignored!
Then, Xu Jie came back to his senses, looked at the housekeeper, and then gave instructions.
"Well, I know, I'll be there right away!"
"Yes, sir!"
Upon hearing this, the housekeeper responded and left immediately.
Shortly after the housekeeper left the study, Xu Jie stood up from his seat and walked towards the hall specially used for entertaining guests.
When Xu Jie came to the hall specially used for entertaining guests, Feng Baozheng picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip.
Seeing Xu Jie's arrival, Feng Bao quickly put down his teacup, stood up from his seat, and bowed to him.
"I've met Mr. Xu Ge!"
"No, Eunuch Feng, there is no need to be so polite, sit down!"
After Xu Jie finished speaking, he waved his hand and sat down on the main seat. Feng Bao did not refuse and sat back on the chair again.
Immediately afterwards, without waiting for Xu Jie to ask, Feng Bao took the lead and explained his purpose.
"Mr. Xu Ge, I'll tell you the truth, our family came here this time in compliance with His Majesty's order. We came here specifically to invite Mr. Xu Ge to Qianqing Palace to discuss important matters!"
When Xu Jie learned that Feng Bao was here under His Majesty's order, the look on his face suddenly became extremely solemn. After organizing the words in his mind, he tentatively asked Feng Bao.
"Eunuch Feng, Your Majesty, this is..."
Feng Bao saw the expression on Xu Jie's face, chuckled, and explained.
"Don't worry, Mr. Xu Ge. To tell you the truth, not long ago, a battle report came from the front line. It was said that the imperial army was divided into three groups. After more than ten days and nights of fierce fighting, they successfully broke through Yang Lie's lair, Hailong. Tuen!"
"Yang Lie himself, as well as his family members, relatives, etc., have been punished by the court for treason!"
"His Majesty summoned you here this time, presumably to discuss the next countermeasures!"
After Xu Jie listened to Feng Bao's explanation, he couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief. Immediately, he stood up from his seat, bowed his hands to Feng Bao, and said respectfully.
"Thank you, Eunuch Feng!"
After Xu Jie finished speaking, he called the housekeeper and whispered a few words in his ear. After receiving Xu Jie's instructions, the housekeeper quickly left.
When Feng Bao heard what Xu Jie said, a look of panic suddenly appeared on his face. He suddenly stood up from his seat and returned the courtesy to Xu Jie.
"No, no, Xu Ge's old words are serious. Our family came here this time just to convey a message for His Majesty!"
Soon, the butler returned to the hall. When the butler came back, he was followed by two slaves holding trays filled with gold, silver, jewelry, and large amounts of silver notes.
"Mr. Xu Ge, what are you..."
When Feng Bao saw this situation, a look of embarrassment appeared on his face. He looked at Xu Jie, who was calm and relaxed, and asked.
Xu Jie didn't seem to care about this, he just waved his hand and said calmly.
"It's just a trivial thing. It's not a sign of respect. Please forgive me, Eunuch Feng!"
Seeing that Xu Jie had already said this, Feng Bao didn't dare to refuse anymore. After all, there is some money that you can't just accept if you don't want to!
Then, a bitter expression appeared on Feng Bao's face. He stepped forward, grabbed the gold and silver jewelry on the tray, and the large silver notes, and stuffed them into his sleeves.
Seeing this, Xu Jie on the side squinted his eyes unconsciously, with a smile on his face.
After that, Feng Bao looked back at Xu Jie and suggested this.
"Mr. Xu Ge, without further ado, shall we set off now?"
"Um."
Then, Xu Jie followed Feng Bao's steps and left the hall, got on the sedan that had been prepared, and headed towards the direction of the Forbidden City.
…
After the sedan stopped, Xu Jie was seen getting out of the sedan unhurriedly. Soon after, the remaining people in the sedan also arrived one after another.
Xu Jie looked at Yan Song, who was tremblingly getting off the sedan with the support of Yan Shifan not far away, and a cold look flashed in his eyes.
Immediately, Xu Jie came to Yan Song in three steps and two steps at a time. With a smile on his face, he saluted him respectfully.
"I've met Mr. Yan Ge!"
After Yan Song heard this, he looked up and down the steps with cloudy eyes and then said slowly.
"Oh, it's Mr. Xu Ge, are you here too?"
"Exactly, Mr. Yan Ge, let's talk while walking!"
Yan Song did not refuse Xu Jie's proposal, and then the two walked side by side.
Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng and Yan Shifan, as usual, followed closely behind them, lowered their heads and said nothing.
In this way, under the leadership of Feng Bao, the group headed towards the direction of Qianqing Palace.
(End of chapter)
