Things change, powers change, and friends turn into enemies.
Time is like the water of a great river, rolling forward and never going back.
For the next two years, Chang Feng seemed to be idle.
His friends Ma Wensheng, Li Dongyang, Xie Qian and others did not want a strong figure to appear in the factory guard who represented the imperial power.
They repeatedly suggested that Emperor Hongzhi should send Chang Feng to do some idle errands, such as going out to offer sacrifices and care for the people on behalf of the emperor.
Mou Bin is a good person, but he cannot be a qualified commander of the Royal Guards. Too indulgent to civil servants.
Of course, Mou Bin was the leader of Emperor Hongzhi's domestic slaves. He bowed to civil officials. In the final analysis, Emperor Hongzhi was too indulgent and dependent on civil officials.
The prosperous age of Hongzhi continues.
There is a group of historical nihilists in later generations.
In their mouths, the prosperous age of Hongzhi was blown out and made up by Zhang Tingyu, a man of Qing Dynasty. Emperor Chenghua was a wise king through the ages, while Emperor Hongzhi was a prodigal.
If you told them that "Ming Shilu" was compiled by Ming people, you wouldn't brag for Emperor Hongzhi, right?
They will also tell you that the "Records of the Ming Dynasty" was compiled by civil servants. Emperor Hongzhi indulged the civil servants, so the civil servants had to say good things for him.
According to their logic, all history books are false. China has no real history. From now on, everyone should stop reading history books and rely on their own imagination or read sensational street stall literature.
Data doesn't lie.
In the 20th year of Chenghua, the registered population of Ming Dynasty was nearly 63 million.
By the 23rd year of Chenghua, before Emperor Chenghua's death, the population dropped off a cliff to 50.2 million.
During the reign of Emperor Hongzhi, by the 18th year of Hongzhi's reign, the population rose to 60 million.
But in prosperous times, hidden dangers are also real.
Emperor Hongzhi's health was getting worse and worse. A person who is not yet thirty years old has a body that looks like he is sixty years old.
He had too much to do and he didn't want to die young.
Once people don't want to die, they will hope for help from gods.
So he followed the old path of his father, Emperor Chenghua, and believed in Buddhism.
The civil service group gradually grew bigger. It is also a fact that the gentry class who are attached to the civil servant group are more unscrupulous.
But this is not inconsistent with the growing national power of the Ming Dynasty. Xie Jia Bao's tree occasionally has yellow leaves; green Cong Junqi, small flaws are inevitable.
No dynasty has a completely bright side or a completely dark side. Fully cleared.
In the cabinet, the chief assistant Xu Pu was old and his eyesight problems prevented him from reviewing official documents, so he had to take a long leave of absence.
Liu Jian, the second assistant, and Li Dongyang and Xie Qian, the cabinet members, became the core of the three people in the central power level of the Ming Dynasty.
As for the Supervisor of Ceremonies, Li Guang was even more favored.
Emperor Hongzhi restored a position he had personally abolished, the "salary official". And this position was awarded to Li Guang concurrently.
The duty of the stipend officer, to put it bluntly, is to present delicious and fun things outside the palace to the emperor. Introduce the "eminent monks" and "Shinto" outside the palace to the emperor.
Relying on the favor of the emperor and the empress, Li Guang arbitrarily collected the "yellow rice" and "white rice" paid filial piety by officials, and became a giant beetle in the court.
The civil service group tacitly turned a blind eye to Li Guang's greedy behavior. Unwilling to upset the balance of the government.
In the eleventh year of Hongzhi, spring. Princess Wanping's Mansion.
Chang Feng, who was thirty-three years old, entered his sister's house covered in dust. He had just finished his journey to the west to promote the army.
Huang Yuan, Fatty Xu, Liu Jin, and Chang Ponu stood in front of Chang Tian's bedroom door. Xiaohu lay on the side and stuck out his tongue.
From the bedroom came Chang Tian's heartbreaking moans of pain, as well as the comforting sounds of his two sisters-in-law, Liu Xiaoyan and Mrs. Jiu.
Chang Feng came to the crowd and asked anxiously: "Have you given birth?"
Huang Yuan had a worried look on his face: "It's been six hours since Wen Po came in the palace. She still hasn't been born yet."
Fatty Xu said: "Empress Zhang sent three groups of children to stabilize the mother-in-law, but they were all helpless."
Chang Feng was shocked. He grabbed Fatty Xu's neck and asked, "What's going on?"
Fatty Xu smiled bitterly: "Mr. Chang, do you know what's going on when a woman gives birth to a child?"
"Ah!" Chang Tian's scream was like a knife piercing his brother Chang Feng's heart.
Liu Jin comforted Chang Feng: "Don't worry, little uncle. Taoist Zhang once said that my little aunt's luck will increase from the age of six to ninety-six. She will not be in danger."
Chang Feng had no choice but to stand in front of the bedroom and wait with everyone.
Waited for another two hours. Chang Tian's shouting has disappeared from the bedroom. The female officials sent by Empress Zhang hurried out of the bedroom and returned to the bedroom with basins of hot water.
Chang Feng grabbed a female officer and asked, "How is my sister?"
The female officer said: "I can't tell. Sir, please don't hinder us from doing things."
Then the female officer went to the bedroom holding a basin of hot water.
It's getting late.
Chang Feng was so anxious that he knelt directly to the west: "Dad, you must protect Tangtang as long as you are alive!"
Eleven-year-old boy Chang Ponu also knelt down beside his father: "Grandpa, you must protect my aunt from danger and turn her into good luck!"
The little tiger is very humane, and also faces the west, raising its front paws, as if kowtowing to its old master in the sky.
The prayers of the Chang family and his son seemed to have an effect.
Suddenly Chang Tian's scream sounded again in the bedroom: "Ah!"
Then came Liu Xiaoyan's voice: "Good sister, try harder. It's coming out soon."
Madam Ninth's voice also came out: "Tangtang, keep shouting, and shout as hard as you can."
It took another two moments of fussing. Chang Tian's shouting suddenly stopped.
Chang Feng's heart skipped a beat: Could it be Tangtang?
At this moment, a loud baby cry sounded in the bedroom: "Wow, wow, wow!"
Chang Feng's brows soothed: "I'm pregnant! I'm pregnant."
He excitedly hugged his brother-in-law Huang Yuan's neck. Because of the excessive force, Huang Yuan rolled his eyes.
Liu Jin took out a string of Buddhist beads and recited devoutly: "Amitabha, Buddha bless you."
A female official came out: "Congratulations to Huang Yibin, the princess is happy to have a son. Mother and son are safe."
Chang Feng let go of Huang Yuan, and Huang Yuan let out a long sigh of relief.
Chang Feng said: "Huang Yuan, you have to give my nephew a good name quickly."
Huang Yuandao: "I have chosen a name in advance. It is called Huang Chengen. It means 'indebted to the emperor's favor'."
"You, the uncle, gave me the nickname."
Chang Feng thought for a while and said, "Let's call it Jianjian. Jianjian grows up vigorously."
That night, Queen Zhang heard the news of Chang Tian's birth and sent Li Guang to deliver festive treasures.
Li Guang came to the princess's mansion.
Li Guang said to Chang Feng half-heartedly: "The queen is so kind to the Chang family! As soon as the princess gave birth, she sent me to deliver the longevity lock and gold Ruyi."
In Li Guang's eyes, Chang Feng is an enemy. But because Chang Feng held his hand, he never openly opposed Chang Feng.
Chang Feng said: "The empress's kindness is so great. It is hard to repay the Chang family's death."
Li Guang handed the festive treasure to Huang Yuan. Then without saying a word, he turned and left.
In Chang Tian's bedroom.
Chang Tian's face turned pale, but there was a smile on his lips.
Liu Xiaoyan placed the infant Jianjian next to Chang Tian.
Liu Xiaoyan smiled and said: "Look, it's exactly the same as when you were a child."
The woman who turned around to be the sister-in-law wiped away tears again: "It seems like yesterday I was still the little chubby girl holding the honey in her hands every day. Today I am a mother."
Chang Tian, a first-time mother, caressed her chubby son, with a smile on her face, but she was too weak to say a word.
Women are weak by nature, but mothers are strong.
Chang Tian secretly made up his mind to protect his fat son from growing up.
In the hall, Chang Feng became an uncle and couldn't help himself.
He ordered someone to go back to Chang Mansion to pick up a large silver box. One hundred maids and servants in the princess's mansion are each rewarded with twenty taels of silver.
Chang Tian was happy to have a son, so the two brothers Zhang Heling and Zhang Yanling naturally wanted to join in the fun.
This pair of living treasures are already in their twenties, and they still do mischief in the capital on weekdays. They range from beating officials, amassing money, and occupying people's fields to kicking down widows' doors and digging graves of dead families. It can be said that he does no evil.
Relying on the favor of Emperor Hongzhi and Empress Zhang. From the Sanfa Division to the Shuntian Mansion, no one dared to care about these two living kings of hell.
In other words, the civil servants don't want to care. As long as these two people don't fight for power, it doesn't matter if they do evil.
Zhang Heling said with a smile: "Congratulations to Brother Chang for becoming an uncle! Ah, and congratulations to my brother-in-law for becoming a father!"
Chang Feng smiled and said: "Same joy!"
Zhang Yanling and Huang Yuan hooked up and said, "Brother-in-law, our nephew is born and we have nothing to give him."
"We are not like those acid writers who just give you nonsense. We give you something real."
After speaking, the servants of the uncle's house brought up a large wooden tray. On the wooden tray was a longevity star made of pure gold.
Zhang Yanling said: "The birthday boy made of two hundred taels of gold is considered as a meeting gift from our two uncles to our nephew."
Zhang Heling said: "That's right, I wish our little nephew good luck and long life."
These two people are bad and evil, lawless and lawless. He treats the Chang family sincerely.
The Chang family and the Zhang family had already broken their bones and connected their tendons.
Thinking back to the time when their eldest sister participated in the selection of the Crown Princess, if Chang Feng hadn't changed her name on the spur of the moment, she would have been kicked out of the roster long ago, and she would not even be able to meet the Crown Prince Zhu Youtang.
Later, the demon monk Jixiao pretended to be a demon fox and abducted the candidate for the crown prince. Chang Feng rescued Empress Zhang from the underground palace of Dayongchang Temple.
If Chang Feng had been a step too late, Queen Zhang might have been drained of her blood to make Concubine Wan Gui's longevity pill.
The Vulture Club kidnapped the Zhang brothers, and Chang Feng solved the case in time and rescued the two of them.
In a word, Chang Feng was very kind to the Zhang family.
The two Zhang brothers are people who know how to repay kindness.
After sending the gifts, everyone drank tea in the hall.
Chang Feng scolded the Zhang brothers: "You two are too shameful. You have monopolized the overseas business in the capital for two years."
"Dignified uncle, I am not ashamed of making money by digging out excrement. That's all."
"I also heard that Li Guang played a trick on you two. If any merchant on the street dares not to pay you double the amount of money for sea travel, you will pile up the excrement in the cesspool in front of their store."
"Also, when I went to Xuanda University this time, I found that Xuanda's military rations were all provided by you two brothers."
"It is taboo for relatives of the emperor to monopolize the military grain procurement business. The wheat and rice you provide are still old wheat and inferior rice."
Chang Feng kept talking and scolded the Zhang brothers for a while.
The Zhang brothers have long been immune to Chang Feng's scolding, and their ears are calloused, but they just don't listen and ignore it. Chang Feng had no choice.
Zhang Heling said with a smile: "Brother Chang, please don't lecture us two on this happy day!"
Zhang Yanling said: "That's right. Let's talk about those messy things later."
Chang Feng sighed earnestly: "Oh. I advise you to stay away from Li Guang! Don't always make money in partnership with him!"
"You two were used by him as a banner to make money, you know?"
Zhang Heling is a fool. Zhang Yanling is very scheming. He knew Li Guang's intentions. But Zhou Yu hit Huang Gai, and everyone was willing to hit and others were willing to suffer.
Zhang Yanling said with a smile: "Brother Chang thinks Li Guang is taking advantage of us? I can't tell who is taking advantage of who!"
Chang Feng said: "You always like to be smart. Sooner or later you will suffer a big loss."
At the same time, Li Guang's residence.
Li Guang is meeting with an "eminent monk" named Facai. He is said to be an eminent monk, but he is actually a monster monk.
Li Guang smiled and said: "Master Facai, I will take you to see the emperor tomorrow. Show the emperor your ability to turn an empty basin into a snake."
Fa Cai handed over his hand and said: "Amitabha, thank you very much Eunuch Li for your support."
Li Guang changed the topic: "I know all your abilities. The emperor will definitely respect you very much."
"When the time comes, you ask the emperor for a signature. He said that the eastern foot of Yuquan Mountain is the place where Buddha's light gathers. A large Buddha's Light Temple must be built."
"If the emperor can go to the Foguang Temple every year to burn incense and pray for blessings, he will be able to live a long life!"
In the past two years, Li Guang's favorite thing was to encourage Emperor Hongzhi to build Taoist temples and temples.
Since ancient times, civil engineering has been full of oil and water. Li Guang made a fortune by relying on Taoist temples and temples.
For example, last year we built the Jingtian Temple in the eastern suburbs of Beijing. Emperor Hongzhi handed the matter over to Li Guang.
Jingtian Temple actually uses 23,000 taels of silver. Li Guang was stunned and spent fifty thousand taels.
The extra twenty-seven thousand taels were all put into his own pocket.
Monk Facai smiled and said: "Don't worry, father-in-law. This matter is all on the shoulders of the poor monk. The poor monk will definitely convince the emperor to build a temple on Yuquan Mountain."
Li Guangdao: "Well, I can rest assured that you will do the job. After the job is completed, I won't be able to treat you badly."
After seeing off Monk Facai, Li Guang met another masked man in black.
Li Guang asked: "Have you figured out all the rooms in Chang's Mansion?"
The masked man replied: "I figured it out."
Li Guang ordered: "Princess Wanping is giving birth tonight. My family will be staying in the princess' mansion for the next few days, so this is a good opportunity for you to take action!"
"You must help me find those two confessions!"
The two confessions of Zhao Xiangfo and Liu Ping have always been a worry for Li Guang.
The handle to frame an important minister was in Chang Feng's hand, like a sharp sword hanging in the air, which might fall on Li Guang's head at any time.
The masked man said: "Yes, father-in-law. I will go to the Chang Mansion tonight and secretly search for confessions in various rooms."
Li Guang smiled slightly: "As long as you get the confession from me, the three thousand taels of snowflake silver I promised you will be cashed in immediately!"
The masked man took the order and left.
Let’s talk about the princess’s mansion.
Huang Yuan asked his servants to clean up several bedrooms for Chang Feng, Liu Xiaoyan, Mrs. Jiu, and Chang Ponu.
Chang Feng had just returned from a business trip to Beijing, so he naturally wanted to sleep with his wife Liu Xiaoyan tonight.
The couple entered the bedroom, finished washing, and lay down on the couch.
Liu Xiaoyan said: "I heard that when you were in Datong, the local military commander gave you an aunt to warm your bed? Why didn't you bring her back?"
Chang Feng was surprised: "Why are you better informed than Nan and North Town Fusi?"
Liu Xiaoyan said: "Don't worry about it. I asked you why you didn't bring it back."
Chang Feng smiled and said: "How dare I."
Liu Xiaoyan didn't take it seriously: "I have no objection to bringing her back as a concubine. You have taken Jiu Mei for so many years, and she has not given birth to a son or a half."
"It's not a problem that you only have one son, Zhuang Zhuang."
"There are no high-ranking officials in the capital who don't have ten or eight concubines. You only have one wife and one concubine, so it's not out of the ordinary to have more than one concubine."
(End of chapter)
