Feng Bao heard this and looked up at the palace door. Seeing it was Zhang Cheng, he rushed towards the door and shouted: "Shuzi, that's nonsense, nonsense! I am the emperor's companion, the emperor likes me the most, and the emperor will not chase me away!" You’re talking nonsense!”
Zhang Cheng saw that the eunuch who was once in the palm of his superior's ceremonial office and at the peak of his life had gray hair, and his face was full of panic. He seemed to be explaining to himself, a little eunuch who he had never looked at, as if he was pleading, or speaking crazy words like crazy. The sitting python robe on his body could no longer show any majesty of the python robe due to the owner's fear. He seemed to have realized something, but he was still confused. There was only indescribable pleasure left. He was so excited that he wanted to cry, and he felt so good that he felt like he wanted to urinate.
Suppressing the excitement, there was a suppressed viciousness on the young and beautiful face - this face was something Zhu Yijun would never see. Hear him sneer: "The emperor said——"
After hearing these three words, Feng Bao knelt on the ground with a conditioned reflex and lowered his head.
Zhang Cheng said: "The corporal punishment of the eldest companion was spared, and the dignity of the ceremonial supervisor was saved -" He handed over his hand to the side hall where the emperor and queen mother of Qianqing Palace were, and said loudly: "The emperor's grace is really great!"
After hearing Zhang Cheng's words, Feng Bao's face first showed defeat, then turned to shock, and finally turned into a trace of helplessness.
He stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked out of the palace gate under the supervision of the powerful men. He touched his sleeves and took out a land deed. He turned around and said to Zhang Cheng: "I have been defeated. It is useless to gather money. I will give you this four-in-one yard -"
Seeing Zhang Cheng's change of expression and refusal, Feng Bao smiled bitterly and said: "You don't need to go to the emperor to say anything or do anything. I just give you money. I'm afraid that you will follow the emperor in the future and do something wrong to the emperor for a small profit." , you don’t need to repay anything, just take it!”
Seeing Zhang Cheng holding it while looking around, Feng Bao smiled and took out two large, round pearls from the other cuff, giving one to each of the two strongmen, who happily accepted it.
So when Feng Bao made a reasonable request, Zhang Cheng had no choice but to acquiesce.
Feng Bao knelt at the foot of the steps outside Qianqing Palace, banging his head, big tears rolling down his face, and shouted loudly: "Your Majesty, the old slave is gone! I only hope that the Emperor will be close to the virtuous ministers and Yuan Xiaoren in the future. Don't lose your ambition by playing around! Zhang Hong is an upright man and has a good understanding of the general situation. The emperor can reuse him! Chen Ju is honest and quiet and can correct the current problems. The emperor can also reuse him! Both of them are capable ministers trained by the minister to treat your majesty. Your Majesty, take care. Dragon body!" After saying this, he kowtowed three more times, then stood up, took off his python robe, put on a white suit, and staggered away with Zhang Cheng.
After walking less than a hundred steps, someone behind him shouted: "Zhang Cheng, stay!" Feng Bao was ecstatic. When he looked back, he saw Chen Ju wearing a fox fur cloak on his arm, and he quickly chased after him.
When he arrived, Chen Ju said: "The weather is cold, so the emperor asked Feng Bao to wear this cloak." After saying this, he turned around and left without saying a word. Feng Bao opened his mouth to say something more, but it turned into a long sigh.
…
When the lion shows his claws for the first time, all the beasts will be terrified. Before dawn, the inner palace guards came out from all directions, notifying the outer court that the emperor was going to court today, breaking the custom of the emperor going to court early every month. The big bosses then all knew that the reason for sealing the palace yesterday was for Feng Bao. Seeing that the emperor easily beheaded Feng Bao under his horse, everyone became wary. Today, there was not a single voice under the steps outside the Huangji Palace. After hearing the sound of the quiet whip three times, everyone entered the hall one by one. When the throne came down the mountain and shouted long live, many people secretly glanced at Zhang Juzheng. Seeing that Zhang Juzheng had a serious face and his flowing beard was still meticulous, many people felt admiration in their hearts. meaning.
After Zhu Yijun sat down, the eunuch standing under the imperial steps took out a copy of the imperial edict and said sharply: "There is an edict, and all ministers will listen to it." Everyone knelt down and listened to his announcement: "The Chief of Ceremony, the Palm Seal and the Admiral Feng Bao, the eunuch of the East Factory, Wang Qiang, the eunuch in charge of the internal affairs, Lin Quansheng, the eunuch of the direct palace, and Li Dayou, the young eunuch, deceived the emperor and stole palace belongings. They have been expelled. The former eunuch Zhang Hong, the eunuch Bingbi, took over. The eunuch who holds the seal, Chen Ju, the admiral of Bingbi, supervises the East Factory. Yin Xiang, the internal official, takes over the eunuch from the direct palace, and Lin Xiaofu takes the eunuch, the eunuch who holds the seal. I would like to inform the foreign court that I would like to express this." After saying that, he put his hands together and handed over the imperial edict. Holding it with both hands, he handed it to Zhang Juzheng and said, "Mr. Zhang takes the order."
Zhang Juzheng's eyebrows trembled and he bowed to receive the order. He led the ministers to kneel down and said: "I will accept the order!"
After receiving the order, Zhang Juzheng bowed again and said: "The emperor's family affairs are not something that foreign ministers and others can comment on. However, Feng Bao is a legacy of the late emperor. He was expelled today. I am afraid that the government and the public will be suspicious, so I plan to send a report to the residence to clarify his crime." Please make it clear, Your Majesty."
After hearing this, Zhu Yijun said: "Daban stole the late emperor's favorite painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" and wrote an inscription on the picture, which was not respectful. So I asked the queen for instructions and punished him. You will post these in the newspaper at the residence. Come on, let all the officials and people in the world see it."
The corners of Zhang Juzheng's mouth twitched and he said to himself, "I am your father's teacher. I have never seen any famous paintings that the late emperor liked. Your father's favorite is the human body. So what is the interest of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" to him? But there was no point in thinking about this at this time. After hearing this, he bowed and retreated.
Zhu Yijun said: "Where is Zhu Xixiao?"
Zhu Xixiao came out of the class and said, "I'm here."
Zhu Yijun said: "Has the Feng Bao family finished confiscating it?"
Zhu Xixiao replied: "I haven't finished copying the words back to the emperor. The first things I copied out are the gold and silver belongings that can be easily counted: Feng Bao's family has a total of 16,379 taels of gold and 194,880 taels of silver." One hundred and twenty-six taels, fifteen large boxes of pearls, jade, and gems... The remaining assets of my hometown, calligraphy and paintings, land in Beijing, houses, etc. have not yet been counted. The gold and silver furniture in other houses have not yet been counted. I estimate that the total price should not be Less than four hundred thousand taels.”
After hearing this, Zhu Yijun suppressed his strange feeling and forced a smile: "My eldest friend has made a lot of money in the past few years, but he has to set aside a few hundred taels for him to spend on the road." After a pause, he added: "The other three families also If we want to search them all, if they dare to reach out, I will chop off their claws and tear up their nests!" Zhu Xixiao bowed and agreed.
Zhang Juzheng and other ministers felt their livers tremble a few times after hearing this. Everyone looked at their noses, noses and hearts, motionless. The whole hall could only hear Zhu Yijun's childlike laughter full of pride.
After laughing for a while, Zhu Yijun said: "Mr. Zhang has been working hard on state affairs, but the ground in the palace is cold. In the future, Mr. Zhang will stand on this carpet when he goes to court." The eunuch next to the emperor listened and hurriedly took a small piece of carpet that had been prepared earlier. Come out and place it at Zhang Juzheng's feet.
The great surprise flashed through Zhang Juzheng's eyes, and he hurriedly said: "I have no merit, how can I get this great opportunity? Please take back my life!"
Zhu Yijun said seriously: "Mr. Zhang, there is no need to be too humble. The affairs of this country are so complicated that I am tired of you. Don't say goodbye!"
After hearing this, Zhang Juzheng kowtowed to accept the emperor's grace and stood on the small blanket in the envious eyes of the civil and military officials.
When the ministers saw the emperor's behavior, all their thoughts about Zhang Juzheng were cold. Due to the collapse of Feng Bao, the Superintendent of Ceremonies, all ministers and ministers in various ministries who did not have some money or letters exchanged with Feng Bao were playing small drums and had no intention of doing anything. Seeing that Zhang Juzheng was cold-hearted, he asked the Ministry of Rites to report on the final work of the construction of the late emperor's mausoleum. After hearing this, Zhu Yijun said: "But it was done very well. Is Mr. Zhang the boss?"
Zhang Juzheng replied: "The cabinet and the Ministry of Rites take charge of the affairs and dare not slack off."
Zhu Yijun said: "I will reward Mr. Zhang with two pieces of brocade and two hundred taels of silver, and Mr. Lu with two hundred taels of silver. I will reward King Xi Lie with a hundred taels of silver, and all the officials in the Ministry of Rites with twenty taels of silver." Zhang Hong, the new eunuch and eunuch of the Ministry of Rites, bowed in response. , Zhang Juzheng took the rewarded ministers to express his gratitude.
Later, Zhang Juzheng picked a few more things to play. After Zhu Yijun listened, even though he had different opinions, he held back and said: "It's all up to you, sir." Zhang Juzheng was completely relieved.
When the court was about to leave, Zhu Yijun said: "Qin Tianjian will find a day. I will call Mr. Zhang on the platform and pick up a good performance today!" There was a small bang in the Huangji Hall. The easily excited courtier almost burst into tears.
Zhang Juzheng came out and said: "The emperor has worked hard to govern and inspire the government. The ministers are grateful for God's grace and dare not to obey the imperial edict!" Yang Hongliang, an official of the Qintian Prison who was lined up in the queue of fifth-rank officials, also went out to receive the order.
