The incident happened too fast, like a tornado. In the blink of an eye, two bloody corpses were placed in front of them, catching them off guard. Neither the earnest advice from Empress Ma nor the imperial sword given by Emperor Hongwu as a precaution were of any use. Plans can never keep up with changes. Everyone thought that Ma Ye was obsessed with power and had gone astray, but who knew that Ma Ye was just coveting power, and there was someone else who was trying to stir up the conflict between the army and the people
Mu Chun took over Guizhou Guard with an imperial edict and a military token. When Ma Ye died, all 100,000 garrison troops mourned for him, which showed that Ma Ye had always had an excellent reputation in the army. In order to stabilize the morale of the troops, Mu Chun asked a temple to perform a ritual for Ma Ye for three days and three nights, and then transported his coffin to the capital for burial.
Ji Gang led the Jinyiwei to search the residences of Ma Ye and his staff. Ma Ye was indeed honest. Everything he used were second-hand items, even his underwear had patches on it, and he had almost no private property.
Ji Gang found nothing from Ma Ye, but he found a loose brick under the bed of the aide's residence. There was a secret compartment under the brick, and he found some letters written in incomprehensible code. Ji Gang was a spy, and he recognized that this was the code of the Privy Council of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.
The Ming Dynasty's secret agents had infiltrated the Privy Council like a sieve and quickly deciphered the letters, which were all reports from the staff on the movements of the Guizhou Guards. They also had a mission to use Ma Ye's desires to sow discord between the military and civilians in Guizhou, so that when Guizhou was in chaos, the Northern Yuan would take the opportunity to send troops to recapture Guizhou and restore the Yuan Dynasty.
After comparing the handwriting and confirming that it was indeed the handwriting of the aide, Ji Gang was overjoyed that the case was solved so quickly. It turned out that the aide was a spy for the Northern Yuan Dynasty. Seeing that his plan to instigate evil had failed and he could not escape death, he simply killed the general Ma Ye and eliminated a powerful enemy for the Northern Yuan Dynasty.
Ji Gang announced the news that his staff were actually spies of the Northern Yuan Dynasty. The army was filled with grief and indignation, and vowed to avenge Ma Ye. Mu Chun led the troops in training all day long to let them vent their anger, and the army's morale was thus stabilized by hatred.
It was summer and the weather was hot. Ma Ye's body was embalmed by a Yi wizard, and the terrible cut on his throat was sewn up with needle and thread. A special shroud with a vertical collar was made for him so that he would look better lying in the coffin.
On the day when the aide Cheng Pengju was flogged, Hu Shanwei sat in the room with her chin in her hand, thinking. She always felt that things were not that simple. Ji Gang investigated the case, 30% relying on beating, 30% relying on scolding, 30% relying on luck, and only 10% relying on brains. How could the spy's letter be so easy to find? Even if it was written in code, it would usually be burned after reading. How could Ji Gang find it so easily
However, she was not in a position to raise such doubts in public, because at that time the people of Guizhou Wei were very excited and they really needed Ji Gang to "solve the case in time" and give an explanation to the 100,000 soldiers, otherwise it might cause a mutiny.
The name of the aide was very familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before, but the name Pengju was too common, so he did not have a deep impression of it. Hu Shanwei sat there like an old monk in meditation for the whole afternoon, constantly thinking about Cheng Pengju's resume, "He is from Jiangxi, and he passed the imperial examination in the third year of Hongwu..."
Suddenly a light bulb went off in my head. That’s right, this is it!
She ran to Madam She Xiang and asked, "Sir She, can you please borrow the imperial gazette from the third year of Hongwu?"
Local officials were far from the capital, and most of them learned about the court's movements through official reports. As the co-governor of Xuanwei Mansion, Madam Shexiang must have collected official reports. In order to understand the political affairs of the previous dynasty, Hu Shanwei often read old official reports as a pastime. The Ming Dynasty was only founded for fifteen years, and there was only one box of official reports. He read them over and over again, and slowly memorized the contents in his mind.
The aide Cheng Pengju was a juren. After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the government was eager to recruit talented people. In the third year of Hongwu, the imperial examination system was restored, and the first provincial examination since the founding of the country began. It was held in the capital Yingtian Prefecture and in various provinces. Even vassal states such as Annan, Champa, and Goryeo were allowed to hold provincial examinations. Those who passed the examinations were called juren. In the fourth year of Hongwu, new juren from all over the country went to the capital to take part in the joint examination. This subject was called the Xinhai subject, and a total of 120 new jinshi were on the list.
This was the first division of the Ming Dynasty. These 120 new Jinshi are now the pillars of the country, and even Juren are in-demand talents - because the following year Emperor Hongwu suspended the imperial examination because the country's territory expanded too fast and urgently needed a large number of practical national civil servants. The recommendation and assessment system was used to select officials, with practicality as the standard. As long as one has ability, one can become an official regardless of one's background and without relying on imperial examinations. Even monks, Taoists and other outsiders can be appointed as officials as long as they are willing to serve the court. This was the most distinctive officialdom in the early Hongwu Dynasty.
It was not until the empire was initially stabilized that the imperial examination system was restored this year, the fifteenth year of Hongwu.
Therefore, there were no new juren in the Ming Dynasty for a full ten years. In the past, the number of juren who failed in the imperial examinations and did not pass the imperial examinations to become jinshi was not large.
Those who passed the examination for a scholar would have their names recorded in the county annals, and those who passed the examination for a juren would have their names recorded in the official gazette. Hu Shanwei found the list of juren in the Jiangxi examination hall based on Cheng Pengju's hometown, and indeed found Cheng Pengju's name.
In addition, there was a Jiangxi scholar named Liu Hai, who was now an imperial censor in the Imperial Censorate. It was this young imperial censor named Liu Hai who wrote to Emperor Hongwu, asking him to erect a monument for Xuyang Prince Guo Zixing and invite his spirit tablet to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where it would be placed together with the founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty, and would be forever worshipped by the royal descendants.
Emperor Hongwu agreed to erect the monument and wrote the inscription himself, but he rejected the suggestion to move the spirit tablet to the Taimiao.
Because Guo Zixing erected a stele, Concubine Guo Hui in the harem was eliminated from the fight for the position of noble concubine and was defeated without a fight.
Liu Hai and Cheng Pengju were both Jiangxi candidates in the third year of Hongwu. Liu Hai's memorial led to the elimination of Concubine Guo Hui, the silkworm mother who assassinated Empress Ma was also from Jiangxi, Cheng Pengju instigated Ma Ye, and after failing, he killed Ma Ye...
Could it be that Cheng Pengju's lobbying of Ma Ye was actually related to the harem, and Cheng Pengju's secret letters to Tong Yuan were just a cover
Liu Hai, Cheng Pengju and Canmu, what is the relationship between these three people
Which concubine in the harem has such great ability to recruit Canmu, the remnant of King Han, and Liu Hai and Cheng Pengju, two Jiangxi scholars, under her wing and use them for her own benefit
This person had such great influence outside the palace, so her family must be prominent. Among the "two Lis and two Guos", only Concubine Guo Ning fits Hu Shanwei's guess the most. Her two brothers were both marquises and had prominent families.
Hu Shanwei hurried back to the capital to tell Empress Ma her discoveries and speculations. In addition, she also had to bring the bodies of Lady Shexiang and Ma Ye back to the capital to report.
Ma Ye was a military commander, but he was plotted against by a scholar and dismissed from his post before his death. If Empress Ma knew that her nephew died in such a cowardly way, she would be very upset. Empress Ma was not in good health to begin with, and under such heavy blows...
Hu Shanwei didn't dare to think too much and just wanted to return to Beijing as soon as possible.
Liu Shuzhen agreed and caught a pair of green peacocks to present to Empress Ma. "The eighth day of the eighth month is the Empress' fifty-first birthday. I heard that in the Central Plains, you call green peacocks phoenixes. Only the Empress deserves a phoenix. This is a birthday gift from our Shui Dong family."
Mu Chun suddenly took over a garrison of 100,000 troops. All military and national affairs had to go through his hands. He was busy all day long. He felt that it was more exciting to fight a war. He could just pick up weapons and fight, and then return to the court after the battle. Why bother with so many troubles
But since a new commander was not coming, he couldn't just quit and leave. The Ming army continued to advance southward, and he had to stay in the rear and keep it stable.
Hu Shanwei was leaving, and he found some time to see her off. He found that Hu Shanwei not only looked calm, but also had a hint of anxiety in his eyes. He knew that she was in a bad mood at the moment, so it was inconvenient to "make a move" to test her. He immediately restrained his eyebrows and said, "Are you feeling embarrassed to explain to the Queen because of Ma Ye's tragic death? Don't worry, the Queen doesn't vent her anger on others, she won't blame you."
Many things involving the palace cannot be explained to Mu Chun, an outsider, for fear that it would bring disaster upon himself. Hu Shanwei took advantage of the situation and hummed, "I understand. After the trip to Guizhou, I realized how big the world is. Yunnan and Guizhou are not as poor and bad as rumored, with smoke and poisonous fog. This is actually a treasure land. No wonder the emperor wants to march south. When the expedition is over, we'll meet in Beijing."
Mu Chun raised his right hand and said, "We will definitely win. When the southern expeditionary army returns to the capital, we will meet again in the capital. Let's shake hands as a pledge."
Hu Shanwei raised her hand and tapped it lightly like a dragonfly touching the water. Mu Chun was immediately satisfied and decided not to wash his right hand that had been tapped by Sister Shanwei tonight.
The journey was long and difficult. In order to arrive in the capital to present gifts before Empress Ma's birthday, the fleet never docked except on nights with strong winds and waves, and traveled day and night.
When they arrived in the capital, summer had ended and autumn had arrived. It was the first day of August, and in seven days it would be Empress Ma's birthday. When the official ship docked, there were already many large ships of envoys from vassal states carrying tributes and birthday gifts waiting to present to Empress Ma on the Qianqiu Festival.
The ship docked, and Mao Xiang, the commander of the Jinyiwei who had been waiting at the port, boarded the ship. "The queen said that Ma Ye's coffin does not need to be brought into the city, but can be directly transferred to the Ma family's ancestral tomb in his hometown of Suzhou for burial. She Xiang, the Tongzhi of Guizhou Xuanwei Prefecture, can enter the palace to meet the queen."
Why is the Queen so anxious
Hu Shanwei was confused and decided to wait until she saw the queen. She took She Xiang, who had changed into her official robe, to Kunning Palace. In the past three months, Shen Qionglian had replaced Hu Shanwei as Si Yan. When she saw her old friend again, Shen Qionglian was much more stable than before. She did not show her emotions. When she saw Hu Shanwei return, she did not show any surprise. She said as if it was a routine matter: "Please ask Hu Si Yan and Lord She to wait in the side hall. I will pass on the message."
Almost half an hour passed before Shen Qionglian finally arrived. "Please ask Hu Siyan to come with Lord She to see you."
Empress Ma sat upright in her phoenix robe. She seemed to have become thinner after not seeing her for three months, probably because of the shock of Ma Ye's death. However, her eyes were bright and she seemed to be in good spirits.
She Xiang performed the four bows according to the etiquette taught by Hu Shanwei in advance. Empress Ma gave her a seat, and She Xiang explained in detail the causes and consequences of Ma Ye's death.
Upon hearing about her nephew's death, Empress Ma was not moved. "No matter who killed Ma Ye, he was wrong. You are an official of the Ming Dynasty and a lady of the imperial family. How could you let Ma Ye wantonly insult you? Provoking conflicts between the Shuixi family and Guizhou Guard is even more sinful. People are like this. One wrong step leads to another. Fortunately, he still had his sanity in the end and admitted his guilt and accepted the imperial order. The 100,000 soldiers of Guizhou Guard avoided the disaster of mutiny. Therefore, I allow him, a criminal, to be buried in the Ma family's ancestral tomb. I have done my best."
Empress Ma was indeed as kind-hearted as Hu Shanwei described her to be, and she did not protect her own people. Even when Ma Ye was assassinated, she did not vent her anger on others.
She Xiang was very moved and said, "The Queen Mother has given us farm tools, books, spinning wheels and looms, and sent officials and craftsmen familiar with farming to teach the people of Shuixi. These are gifts more precious than mountains of gold and silver. For a long time, the land of Yunnan and Guizhou has been blocked by mountains and the roads are difficult to travel. This journey has touched me deeply. I am the head of the Shuixi family and an official of the Guizhou Xuanwei Mansion of the Ming Dynasty. In order to benefit the people of the Ming Dynasty in and outside the mountains, I swear today that I am willing to open up mountains and build post roads with my whole family to turn natural dangers into thoroughfares. From now on, the Shuixi family and the Central Plains will no longer be blocked by mountains."
A road can change everything. In the past, the Ming army needed a month to reach the place, but now it only takes three days, and they can directly control Yunnan and Guizhou. The Shuixi family is also about to change the state of ignorance and isolation that has remained unchanged for thousands of years.
She Xiang made a vow, and Empress Ma and Emperor Hongwu gave She Xiang generous gifts, naming She Xiang as Lady Shunde and Liu Shuzhen as Lady Mingde.
She Xiang returned to Guizhou and discussed with the envoy Liu Shuzhen about building a post station. The two of them led the Shuixi and Shuidong families to divide the work and build the road together.
Yugong moving the mountains is only a legend, but She Xiang and Liu Shuzhen's massive "mountain moving" is a reality. A mountain is crossed over a river, and walking through thousands of mountains and rivers is not lonely. A highway that crisscrosses Guizhou connects the Qianshu Zhou Road built during the Yuan Dynasty, connecting Guizhou with Yunnan and Sichuan.
They built nine post stations on the road, namely Longchang, Luguan, Guli, Shuixi, Shexiang, Jinji, Geya, Guihua and Bijie. Longchang Post Station was the first one, commonly known as the Nine Post Stations of Longchang. They benefited people for thousands of years and left behind the legend of Lady Shexiang and Lady Mingde forever.
Emperor Hongwu praised: "She Xiang's surrender is better than a hundred thousand soldiers."
Of course, this is all a story for later. Shexiang surrendered and vowed to build roads, nipping the flames of war started by Ma Ye in the bud and turning danger into safety. Shexiang and Liu Shuzhen were about to start the greatest and wisest feat of their lives, while Hu Shanwei in the palace did not complete his mission satisfactorily and was reinstated.
Shen Qionglian, who temporarily replaced her, did not feel relieved. Taking advantage of the handover and the absence of people, she pulled Hu Shanwei and whispered, "The Queen... something bad has happened."
"What do you mean?" Hu Shanwei was very confused. "When he summoned She Xiang, he looked very energetic."
Shen Qionglian sighed, "Originally, he was too weak to get out of bed, but because meeting Madam Shexiang involved military and national affairs, and because she couldn't neglect Shexiang who had come from afar, the Queen forced Ru Siyao to use strong medicine. Needles were inserted into his neck and waist, but they were covered by clothes and couldn't be seen. He didn't need anyone's support for a short time, and he just sat on a chair and talked to Madam Shexiang. Now that his body has been hollowed out by the strong medicine, I'm afraid it's time for him to die."
Hu Shanwei's heart sank suddenly, and he shook his head repeatedly, "Impossible, the Queen's 51st birthday is only in seven days, and she is not that old yet. How come she is already old after just three months of not seeing her? There must be something wrong, I want to see the Queen."
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№17 Netizen: Rongrong Comment: "Hu Shanwei" Score: 2 Published time: 2019-01-31 23:45:35 Reviewed chapter: 101
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