The dignitaries in the Ming Dynasty’s capital mainly burned charcoal for heating in winter. Last year, the Imperial City's inner court consumed 20 million kilograms of charcoal a year.
It's the middle of winter. The business of Yu Ji Tan Shop is booming.
Even though it was evening, servants and servants from various wealthy families were still pushing out carts of red charcoal from the charcoal shop.
Suddenly the servants and busboys with their carts scattered like frightened grasshoppers.
Just now, dozens of Jinyi guards poured into the charcoal shop. Chang Feng, the leader, shouted: "Jin Yiwei is handling the case, and the rest of the people are waiting to avoid it."
At this moment, Chang Feng and Fatty Xu were standing in the charcoal shop. Opposite them knelt shopkeeper Yu from the charcoal shop.
Shopkeeper Yu was about to cry, and he was puzzled: I just secretly sold some fierce oil, how could I have provoked Jin Yiwei? If you want to provoke him, you should also provoke the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Division.
Chang Feng said: "As long as you admit that you sold the official's fierce fire oil privately. You are really courageous. How dare you accept and sell Miss Jiu's goods?"
Shopkeeper Yu kowtows like he is pounding garlic: "Sir, a strong fire will ignite the charcoal very quickly, and it will catch fire at a moment's notice. I have been buying and selling goods from Miss Jiu for two or three years."
Chang Feng thought: It seems that those oil rats who come to the oil depot are habitual criminals.
But none of this matters. Chang Feng is not interested in sneaking around.
Chang Feng asked: "Who did you sell the two barrels of fierce oil that you bought two months ago?"
Shopkeeper Yu's answer made Chang Feng take a breath: "They are all sold in bulk. Customers usually buy a cart of charcoal and a pot of oil. There are always hundreds of pots sold."
Fatty Xu said: "Master Chang, it's not easy to check! We can't have hundreds of people go through the sieve one by one. The emperor only gave us three days."
Shopkeeper Yu suddenly said: "There is something strange."
Chang Feng asked: "What's the matter?"
Shopkeeper Yu said: "Two women came here three days ago. They bought a whole barrel of fire oil. The two women were dressed very cleanly. They looked like official wives. But there were no servants following them."
"The two of them personally took the trolley to push away the fierce oil."
"The younger one was still surprised at that time. Why do you need a whole barrel of fire oil to start the charcoal? But they gave the money happily, so the younger one didn't ask any more questions."
Chang Feng asked: "Can you still remember their faces clearly?"
Shopkeeper Yu was a little embarrassed: "I can't remember clearly. There are countless customers coming in and out of this small place every day. How can I remember the appearance of each guest clearly?"
Fatty Xu scolded: "You are in trouble, you know? If you can't remember clearly, you will have to go to jail and eat."
Chang Feng told Commander-in-Chief Shi Wenyi: "Go back to Jinyiwei and call Shen Baihu."
Shi Wenyi took the order and left.
The name of Shen Baihu mentioned by Chang Feng is Shen Zhou. This person is good at portraits. Jin Yiwei's sea fishing documents were all painted by Shen Zhou.
After a stick of incense, an old man in his sixties, wearing green brocade clothes, walked in.
Almost most of the 100 households in Jinyiwei were given Feiyu uniforms. The old man was wearing brocade clothes, which meant that he did not do well in the guards and had not made any great achievements.
This old man is Shen Zhou.
Shen Zhou was unknown in Jinyiwei. In the history of ancient calligraphy and painting written by later generations, he is a well-known figure.
He is the founder of Wumen School of Painting. Later generations will call Shen Zhou, Wen Zhengming, Tang Yin and Qiu Ying the "Four Ming Dynasties".
There is such a story. There was a fat internet writer in later generations. His father was a low-level peddler who traveled the streets collecting antiques in the 1990s.
In the 1990s, there was no Internet and no treasure appraisal programs. This kind of low-level antique dealer from the countryside doesn't know anything about calligraphy and painting, and has no knowledge or vision. Just want to buy and sell quickly. Just make a little money.
At that time, collecting antiques was similar to collecting old appliances.
One time, the fat writer's father collected a painting of Shen Zhou's "Spring Rain with Flowers" in the village where Zhang Zongchang's old house was located in Laizhou. In those days, there was no such thing as fake items collected by such "households".
He had just been in the industry for a year. He had no idea who Shen Zhou was.
He received it for 20 yuan and sold it for 100 yuan the same day. Extremely happy. I spent thirty yuan to buy two Laizhou sea bass to satisfy my craving, and the family improved their meals.
Twenty-five years later, around 2017. Entering the year when he knew his destiny, he saw on the Internet that Shen Zhou's "Spring Rain with Flowers" was sold at Sotheby's autumn auction. The price is HK$112 million
In the following years, he would say to everyone he met: My family also has eaten good food. I ate two sea bass worth 30 million.
Naturally, this is beside the point.
Shen Zhou was a typical frustrated scholar. He has been seeking to become an official. However, he had a rough life for most of his life, and by the age of thirty he was just the grain chief of the county government.
The grain director is not even an official, he is just a handyman.
In the first year of Tianshun, his fortune changed, and his calligraphy and paintings were accidentally seen by Xu Youzhen, the chief minister, and he was very appreciated.
How great is it to be appreciated by the chief minister of the cabinet? Entering the officialdom, the sky is right in front of you.
However, there was a slight change in the court in the first year of Tianshun. Shi Heng framed the chief assistant Xu Youzhen, and Xu Youzhen was demoted to Yunnan
Shen Zhou's great career as an official came to an end.
As an aside, both the person who painted the painting and the person who collected it five hundred years later had a miserable life.
Shen Zhou was frustrated for more than twenty years. In his late sixties, he no longer had the ambitions of his youth and had given up the idea of becoming an official.
I don’t want to be an official anymore, but an official career is coming my way! In the 20th year of Chenghua, Shang Ming accidentally saw Shen Zhou's figure paintings. It feels lifelike. He was directly recruited to Jinyiwei, where he specialized in painting and catching documents.
This is really unintentional. You know, Shen Zhou's specialty is landscape. In his opinion, figure painting is just a small skill that cannot reach the level of elegance.
In the twenty-third year of Chenghua, the dynasty changed. Shang Ming's cronies in Jinyiwei were wiped out.
Not only did Shen Zhou fail to take advantage of Shang Ming's melons, but he was promoted from a trial of 100 households to 100 households.
Because no matter who is in power, he will need professional and technical talents like him.
Shen Zhou cupped his hands towards Chang Feng and said, "Chang Qianhu."
Chang Feng respected Shen Zhou, an inconspicuous subordinate, because of his age: "Old Shen, I invite you here to draw two portraits."
Shen Zhou nodded: "General Manager Shi told me."
He took out pen, ink, paper and inkstone from his backpack.
Chang Feng ordered shopkeeper Yu: "Tell the Shen family the appearance of those two women."
Shopkeeper Yu almost burst into tears: "I really can't remember what they look like."
Shen Zhou was used to this situation. He comforted Shopkeeper Yu: "Don't be impatient. Let's talk slowly and you can recall slowly. Think about the face shape first. What does their face look like? Oval face? Horse face? Round face."
Industry specializing in surgery. Shen Zhou persuaded Shopkeeper Yu carefully and slowly drew the outlines of the two women's faces. Then came the facial features.
Half an hour later, it was already Xu time.
Shen Zhou completed two small portraits.
Fatty Xu took a look: "The painting is not good-looking! These two women are average-looking."
Shen Zhou smiled slightly: "Master Xu, describing the appearance is not about whether the person you describe is good-looking or not. It's about the resemblance."
Chang Feng picked up the two portraits and looked at them, and was shocked: "These two people are actually the wife and concubines of the supervisory censor Tang Nai?!"
"Did Tang Nai himself set fire to his courtyard house?"
Fatty Xu was a little surprised after hearing this: "How is that possible? Who would burn down their own house when they have nothing to do?"
Chang Feng asked Fatty Xu: "How is it impossible? Tang Nai set a fire and burned down the courtyard of his house. Everyone in the court thought it was Liu Ji who did it!"
"This is a frame-up! Damn it, I didn't expect Qing Rumor Officer to have the expertise of Jin Yiwei!"
Chang Feng suddenly remembered that when he went to visit Tang Nai last night, Tang Nai's last words were: "For the people of the world, I would rather burn myself in fire!"
What a Tang Nai! Just as strong as my son! Zhuang Zhuang gets so cruel that he even beats himself. He was so cruel that he even burned his own house!
Chang Feng said to Shen Zhou: "It's really hard work to call you here so late at night. I'll treat you to a drink another day."
Shen Zhou held up his hands and said, "It's just my job. If there's nothing to do, I'll go home and rest first. People get old and go to bed early."
After saying that, Shen Zhou left.
Shopkeeper Yu said tremblingly: "Sir, I am willing to go bankrupt and pay a fine. Please."
Chang Feng said, "Silver fine? You didn't commit any crime, so why should you pay the fine?"
Shopkeeper Yu said: "The young man resold the fierce fire oil from the Ministry of War's arsenal."
Fatty Xu said from the side: "Shopkeeper Yu, why can't you understand the voice? Our Master Chang has spared you."
Shopkeeper Yu kowtows after hearing this: "Ah? Thank you, Sir, for being accommodating."
Chang Feng is a fierce and kind person. When he became fierce, he could massacre hundreds of people from eight households of gentry and wealthy merchants in one night.
When he is kind, he will never make things difficult for a small businessman who is trying to make a living in the capital.
Chang Feng told shopkeeper Yu: "You should buy less of Miss Jiu's goods from now on. It's easy to get into trouble."
Chang Feng and Fatty Xu went out to the charcoal shop. He looked up at the moon in the night sky and stretched: "Let's go into the palace."
Fatty Xu said: "Do you want to go to the palace to see the emperor? It's not too late at night."
Chang Feng did not remain silent. Get on the horse.
He was anxious to enter the palace to see the emperor for two reasons.
The first reason: eager to show merit.
Look, the emperor set a three-day deadline for me to solve the case this morning. I solved the case that night. If the emperor finds out, he will at least give me a good compliment.
The second reason: This arson case involved political issues in North Korea and China. The emperor does not necessarily want to make it public.
We have to tell the emperor the truth before tomorrow morning. Give the emperor a night to decide how to deal with it.
Chang Feng once served as a personal guard beside Emperor Hongzhi for several months. He understood Emperor Hongzhi's daily routine. The diligent Emperor Hongzhi would never sleep well until his son's time.
So Chang Feng and Fatty Xu entered the palace overnight.
The emperor's celebrity has the benefits of the emperor's celebrity. Being able to enter the palace at any time is one of them. None of the Han generals dared to stop him.
In front of the main hall of Qianqing Palace.
Chang Feng happened to meet Xiao Jing, the palm print of the Supervisor of Ceremonies who came to exchange his duties.
Xiao Jing is now also the governor of Dongchang. Dongchang supervises Jin Yiwei, and he is Chang Feng's immediate boss.
Xiao Jing asked: "Chang Qianhu. If you don't go and investigate the case properly, why are you coming to the Qing Palace in the middle of the night?"
Chang Feng held up his hands and said: "Eunuch Xiao, the case has been solved. Due to the complexity of the case, it needs to be reported to the emperor in time."
Xiao Jing was stunned for a moment, and then a smile broke out on his face: "The case has been solved? It only took six hours from being ordered to solving it!"
"Chang Qianhu, you really give face to our factory guard! You are worthy of being someone valued by the emperor!"
"Wait here for a moment, I will inform the emperor that you are here."
Xiao Jing, the boss, felt proud when his subordinates solved the case so quickly.
He entered the main hall and knelt down in front of Emperor Hongzhi: "Report to the Emperor. Chang Feng has solved the arson case. Please see the Emperor to report the case."
Emperor Hongzhi was surprised: "I was just thinking whether the three-day limit was too short. Did Chang Feng solve the case in one day?"
Xiao Jing said proudly: "The old slave dared to correct the emperor. It was not a day. To be precise, it was only six hours."
"Our factory and guards are loyal to the emperor, and we dare not delay for a moment the errands assigned by the emperor!"
Emperor Hongzhi smiled and said: "Chang Feng is so easy for me to use! Oh, you, the governor, are also meritorious. Let him come in quickly."
After a while, Chang Feng entered the hall and saluted Emperor Hongzhi.
Emperor Hongzhi asked: "Is Liu Ji the murderer of the arson case?"
Chang Feng replied: "Your Majesty, the real culprit in the arson case is Tang Nai."
Emperor Hongzhi frowned: "What? Chang Feng, aren't you fighting with me?"
Chang Feng explained: "I don't dare. The arson case is a bitter trick of Tang Nai's envoy."
He told Emperor Hongzhi the details of the investigation.
After hearing this, Emperor Hongzhi sighed: "I didn't expect that Tang Nai, a self-proclaimed Qingliu man, would be so treacherous."
Chang Feng said: "Your Majesty, when dealing with treacherous ministers, you must be more treacherous than treacherous ministers."
Emperor Hongzhi was stunned: "Do you also think Liu Ji is a traitor?"
Chang Feng replied: "If Liu Shoufu is not a treacherous minister, then there will be no treacherous ministers in the world, but all virtuous ministers."
Emperor Hongzhi asked: "Do you also think that I should remove Liu Ji and punish his crimes?"
Chang Feng replied: "Your Majesty. It is inconvenient for me to say more about important court matters involving the appointment and removal of prime ministers and ministers."
Emperor Hongzhi said: "You are my dragon's personal guard when he lurks in the East Palace. If you have anything you can't tell me, feel free to tell me."
Chang Feng cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty. Loyal ministers have their own uses. Traitor ministers have their own uses. When the water is clear, there will be no fish."
Chang Feng was telling Emperor Hongzhi tactfully: Liu Ji, you must continue to use it.
Emperor Hongzhi was surprised: "Did you figure this out yourself?"
Chang Feng answered truthfully: "Your Majesty. This is what the old minister told me before he died."
Emperor Hongzhi nodded slightly: "The old minister is a sensible person."
He changed the topic: "The adopted grandson whom the old cabinet minister values most should also be a sensible person."
After speaking, Emperor Hongzhi picked up the joint impeachment memorial from the Long Case and handed it to Chang Feng: "Look at this memorial carefully. Tell me what you saw."
Chang Feng picked up the memorial and read it word by word.
Tang Nai and others' reasons for impeaching Liu Ji were very general and were standard hearsay. There is no specific crime or evidence.
It was just empty talk that Liu Ji was incompetent, that his corpse was a plain meal, and that he encountered the emperor's evil in the Chenghua Dynasty.
This impeachment letter has no solid basis.
Chang Feng thought to himself: The emperor asked me what I saw. I never want to hear the simple answer "there is no evidence for this".
Any Jinyi Guardsman who knows Chinese characters will answer after reading this memorial: "There is no solid evidence for this statement." Do you still need me, a famous person trusted by the emperor, to speak?
Chang Feng's eyes suddenly fell on the hundred or so names at the end of the list.
After careful consideration, he gave his answer: "Your Majesty, this statement contains more than ten thousand words. But I only saw two words."
Emperor Hongzhi became interested: "Oh? Which two words?"
Chang Feng said seriously: "Form a party!"
Emperor Hongzhi's face once again showed the knowing smile of meeting a confidant: "Explain explain."
Chang Feng said: "Tang Nai ascended to the throne and shouted, and more than a hundred Qingliu signed up. This is a typical clique."
"Those who form factions will attack dissidents in groups. They will protect their comrades whenever possible."
"No matter whether their initial purpose of forming a party is good or bad, in the end they will become a hilltop of the imperial court that cannot be penetrated by a pin or poured by water!"
"Moreover, those who form factions will rely on the saying that 'the law does not punish the public' and use the public to bully the emperor. This bullying is not deception, but bullying."
"It has only been one year and four months since the Emperor ascended the throne, and there are already signs of a faction of corrupt officials in the court. We must not tolerate it!"
Emperor Hongzhi seemed to be testing Chang Feng. He deliberately said: "But Ouyang Xiu once said - a gentleman has a party, and a villain has no party."
When Chang Feng said goodbye to Kong Hongtai in Qufu, Kong Hongtai once told him to read more.
In the evenings on weekdays, Chang Feng does nothing but read a book besides doing some important things with Liu Xiaoyan. Especially history books.
All the hard work and hard work we put in on weekdays came in handy now.
Chang Feng said seriously: "Your Majesty, forming factions will lead to factional disputes. All the prosperous times of the past dynasties have been ruined by factional disputes!"
Emperor Hongzhi sat back on the dragon chair, as if he was discussing knowledge with a friend: "Oh? Please tell me carefully."
Chang Feng talked eloquently: "In "Zi Zhi Tong Jian", crony disputes run through it."
"In the prosperous period of the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, the Anshi Rebellion was triggered by party disputes among many prime ministers. Bai Juyi once said in a poem: The fishermen stirred up the earth and broke through the colorful clothes and feathers."
"In my opinion, the prosperous Tang Dynasty was destroyed by factional disputes!"
"The dispute between old and new cronies during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty, both sides sang songs and came to the stage, and the parties were united and opposed. This made the court busy with internal strife. Many famous officials became prisoners."
"The Song Dynasty began to decline from then on. Important ministers said that it was the feud between factions that led to the Jingkang humiliation decades later!"
"The emperor has just ascended the throne and worked hard to govern. He should learn from the lessons of the Tang and Song Dynasties. Strictly guard against his officials forming cliques. Only then can peace be achieved for all generations!"
Chang Feng's grand theory is well-founded and shows his vision and structure. Therefore, people should read more, especially history books.
After hearing this, Emperor Hongzhi said three good words in a row: "Good! Good! Good!"
Then Emperor Hongzhi walked up to Chang Feng and said, "You are going the wrong way!"
Chang Feng kowtowed: "Please make it clear, Your Majesty."
Emperor Hongzhi sighed: "You should not have joined the Jinyi Guards as a military officer. You should have continued to study and take the imperial examination."
"As long as you have a second-ranking merit list, it doesn't matter even if you rank low. I will let you go to the Hanlin Academy to be a concubine now. After twenty or thirty years of experience, you will be able to join the cabinet sooner or later."
"But then again. If you weren't from the Jinyi Guards, I wouldn't know you."
This is already the emperor's highest evaluation of his ministers.
Chang Feng's next words were very appropriate: "Whether you enter an official position in the imperial examination or take a military position in the Imperial Guard, you are all serving the emperor, and you will achieve the same goal through different paths."
"I will wear a grass ring in this life to repay the emperor for his kindness."
The way Emperor Hongzhi looked at Chang Feng at this moment was not the way the emperor looked at his ministers. It's the way a close friend looks at a close friend.
Emperor Hongzhi pointed to the memorial: "What do you think I should do with these people?"
Chang Feng said: "Hit the snake seven inches. Among the more than a hundred famous officials, the leaders are Tang Nai, Zou Zhi, Ji Ren, and Li Wenxiang."
"I will go to persuade them tonight and ask them to request the withdrawal of impeachment at court tomorrow morning."
Emperor Hongzhi was full of confidence in Chang Feng: If this smart and capable guy can say it, he will definitely do it.
Emperor Hongzhi said: "Well, you can go. I will wait for good news tomorrow morning."
Chang Feng left the hall. Fatty Xu fell asleep standing in front of the main hall and snored.
Chang Feng patted Fatty Xu on the shoulder: "Don't sleep, it's time to run an errand! Go find Tang Nai!"
(End of chapter)
