The location of the Ming Dynasty's cabinet was often referred to as Wenyuan Pavilion in later generations. In fact, this statement is slightly inaccurate. The fact is that Wenyuan Pavilion is not the same as the cabinet. It is essentially a library at the highest level of the imperial court. However, the valuable rooms of the cabinet ministers are indeed within the Wenyuan Pavilion complex.
Chen Hong led people to the cabinet for duty. According to the rules, he first saluted the statues of Confucius and the Four Couples in the main hall. Then he asked his followers to invite Guo Pu and Zhang Juzheng, while he went to see Gao Gong in person.
Gao Gong is indeed a workaholic. He did not return to the Ministry of Personnel this afternoon because he had to wait for the actual report of the emperor's condition at the cabinet. Instead, he asked the Ministry of Personnel to send a large number of documents to the cabinet for approval. At this time, he was working at his desk.
He was not just showing off. Since Gao Gong rarely took a lunch break, he had made three promotion decisions just after lunch: he was promoted to Zhao Ji, the Shaoqing of Taipu Temple in Nanjing, to the Minister of Taipu Temple; Liu Kan, the chief secretary, participated in politics on the right, and served as the envoy of the Guizhou Province. Chen Shandao, who was promoted to deputy envoy of the Shaanxi Province, participated in politics on the right as the Chief Secretary of Sichuan.
When Chen Hong came to see him, he had just finished writing the ticket proposal.
"Yuanfu, the emperor has summoned the three assistant ministers of the cabinet, Qianqing Palace, to take orders!" The situation was urgent. Chen Hong did not hesitate at all. After entering, he casually bowed his hands and said hurriedly.
Gao Gong's hand holding the pen shook and he quickly put it down. He suddenly stood up and asked, "How is the emperor?"
Chen Hong's face darkened and he sighed: "If Yuan Fu goes here, I'm afraid he's going to be killed... Yuan Fu, be careful!"
His tall and burly body swayed slightly, and he reached out and suddenly grabbed a corner of the table to steady himself and calm down, but a sickly flush appeared on his face.
Chen Hong asked worriedly: "Yuan Fu...are you okay?"
Gao Gong waved his hand towards Chen Hong and walked out with a somewhat hollow look. Chen Hong hurriedly stepped forward to help him and said: "Yuan Fu, you have to be very careful now. If the emperor really... really has an emergency, you are the white jade pillar that holds the sky and the purple golden beam that holds the sea." You must not let anything happen again!"
Gao Gong gently pushed Chen Hong's hand away and sighed: "The emperor is still young, but he is in this situation. As an assistant minister, I, Gao Gong, am guilty and cannot be forgiven."
"Your Majesty..." Chen Hong was promoted by the Emperor. When he mentioned the Emperor's body and bones, he looked sad: "You know about the Emperor's body and bones. He is really born weak. If you want to say that you are If they are guilty, then each and every one of these people I am waiting for is guilty and deserves to die."
Gao Gong stopped talking and walked out, dragging his two legs that seemed to be filled with lead. Chen Hong chased him and continued: "Yuanfu, the situation in the DPRK is now decided. If... you still have to make a plan. .”
After hearing this, Gao Gong suddenly stood still, turned to look at him, and said: "What do I want to do? Wait until you see the emperor and listen to the emperor's orders."
Chen Hong's lips moved, but in the end he didn't say anything more, he just nodded heavily.
After leaving the check-in room and arriving at the central hall, Guo Pu was already there. The assistant's face was also a bit ugly. He was pacing with his hands behind his back, wondering what he was thinking.
Seeing that he was the only one here, Gao Gong couldn't help asking: "Where is Taiyue?"
Just as Guo Pugang shook his head, he heard Zhang Juzheng's hoarse voice from the other side: "Lao Lei Xuan, Lao Dong have been waiting for a long time."
The two of them turned to look, and sure enough, it was Zhang Juzheng walking hurriedly from his check-in room. Zhang Juzheng's complexion was worse than that of Gao Gong and Guo Pu, and his face was pale.
Guo Pu usually pays more attention to health than Gao Gong, and his eyesight is much better. At a glance, he can see that Zhang Juzheng has a layer of powder on his face, but even so, there are still dark circles under his eyes that cannot be covered up. He couldn't help but ask: "Is Taiyue sick?"
Gao Gong didn't pay attention to Zhang Juzheng's face at first, but after hearing Guo Pu's question, he looked at it carefully, and then said in surprise: "You were fine yesterday, why did you get sick overnight?"
Zhang Juzheng waved his hand and said: "You two elders don't need to worry about me. Juzheng just thought about the illness of His Majesty and couldn't sleep well. It's okay."
Gao Gong didn't understand medical science, so he just comforted him: "The current situation is like this, Taiyue should take care of himself."
Zhang Juzheng responded casually.
Guo Pu looked at him for a few times, but there was a bit of hesitation in his eyes, and he asked tentatively: "Taiyue, I see that you sweat even if you move a little, and your eyes are red and yellow, as if you are suffering from yin deficiency and fire?"
Zhang Juzheng was startled and laughed: "Is Mr. Dong still good at medicine?"
Guo Pu took advantage of his opening his mouth, glanced at his tongue again, and said in a deep voice: "If the kidney water is deficient, the mouth will be dry and the throat will be dry, the tongue coating will be thin, black and dry, and the pulse will be thready; Yang will not be able to enter Yin, and Yin deficiency will not I take in the sun, so I can’t sleep.”
Gao Gong frowned slightly, wondering why Guo Pu was so concerned about Zhang Juzheng's minor illness, but Zhang Juzheng coughed dryly and said: "It's just a minor illness, it's nothing to mention... Your Majesty summoned me, I'd better go earlier, don't keep your Majesty for a long time" waited."
Gao Gong thought Zhang Juzheng's statement was reasonable, so he nodded, and the three of them, together with Chen Hong, left the cabinet.
Although the three assistant ministers had a high status, they were still not allowed to ride horses or sedan chairs in the Forbidden City. They had to be led by Chen Hong on foot to Qianqing Palace, followed by several young eunuchs.
Zhang Juzheng was a little afraid that Guo Pu would continue to discuss his "illness", so he subconsciously hung on to the end. Fortunately, Guo Pu seemed to have just said it casually and had no intention of continuing to struggle. He walked forward with a stern face like Gao Gong.
The cabinet ministers were ordered to go from the cabinet to the Qianqing Palace. They did not take the central axis of the Forbidden City on the side of the Huangji Palace. Instead, they went north along the path between the Wenhua Palace and the Chonglou. After passing the Arrow Pavilion, they turned left and passed through the scenery. From Yunmen, walk a short distance to Qianqing Gate and turn right into Qianqing Palace.
The front section was fine. Although Zhang Juzheng was dragged behind and hung slowly, he did it deliberately. After passing the Arrow Pavilion, Gao Gong and Guo Pu had already passed through the Jingyun Gate, but Zhang Juzheng was already panting and full. My head was sweating profusely and my mouth was dry. I had no choice but to bend down and hold on to the white marble railing to take a breath.
Chen Hong, who had been following Gao Gong, had already passed Jingyun Gate at this time. He could not see Zhang Juzheng's condition at first, but the eunuch beside him had been paying attention. Seeing that Zhang Juzheng had fallen behind, he quickly told Chen Hong.
Chen Hong turned his head and looked around, and quickly ordered: "You two, quickly bring some tea to Mr. Zhang Ge."
Only then did Gao Gong and Guo Pu know about Zhang Juzheng's situation. Gao Gong thought to himself: The emperor summoned the three assistant ministers. If only I and the hostage go, but Zhang Taiyue is left behind, he may worry that I am squeezing him out. It's better to wait for him.
So Gao Gong stood still, waiting for Zhang Juzheng to take a breath and come over.
Guo Pu's frown deepened and he said to Gao Gong: "Su Qing, don't you think there is something wrong with him today?"
Gao Gong's mind was not on this. When he heard this, he just said: "Well, yes, the illness is a bit unexpected... He is more than ten years younger than the two of us, why is his body and bones like this? Doesn't he usually look good? Of?"
Guo Pu frowned and said nothing. Gao Gong suddenly felt something strange, and his face became more serious. He turned around and asked, "Brother Zhifu, is there something wrong? What did you say about him when you were in the cabinet just now?"
"He said he couldn't sleep because he was thinking about the emperor's illness. I'm afraid that's not the case." Guo Pu explained: "Judging from his symptoms, excessive yang cannot absorb yin, and yin deficiency cannot absorb yang, so he can't sleep. And today he You sweat when you move slightly, and your eyes are red and yellow. This is a sign of yin deficiency and burning fire. In addition..."
Gao Gong didn't understand what he heard. He stretched out his hand to stop Guo Pu's words and said with a wry smile: "Brother Zhifu, you also know that I don't understand medical science. Can you explain it more simply and clearly?"
Guo Pu smiled to himself and said: "I forgot...I mean, he may have used tiger and wolf medicine yesterday and overdosed."
Gao Gong was stunned for a moment before he realized what Guo Pu meant by "tiger and wolf medicine". The smile on his face suddenly faded away. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth and asked: "Brother Zhifu" Is this true? Are you sure?"
Guo Pu sighed and said: "There are all the imperial doctors in the Qianqing Palace now. If you don't believe in my half-hearted medical skills, just let the imperial doctors take a look later."
What this means is that it is almost certain.
Gao Gong felt his temples jump a few times, and the scenery in front of him seemed to shake a bit.
"It seems that I will really have to ask you a question later when the emperor explains the business!" Gao Gong gritted his teeth.
