In the twenty-three years of Chenghua, many major events have taken place, almost dizzying everyone's eyes.
As a market neighborhood, the common people who rush to make a living every day will not know the thrilling upheaval in the palace, much less the upheaval that the upheaval almost caused the change of the throne.
All they can know is that Concubine Wan died, and the emperor originally argued with the ministers on the grounds that he wanted to make Concubine Wan the queen, but it suddenly stopped for some reason, and no sound was heard again.
No matter what kind of person Wan Guifei is, as long as the people in the capital are not too ignorant, they all know that she is the favorite concubine of the emperor.
Don't think that it is difficult for the common people to inquire about Tianjia's affairs. The farther away they are, the more they can pass it on with gusto. Thinking about the story of Song Limao's replacement for the prince, it was not because it was widely circulated among the people that it was finally written. Into the play? It is a pity that the empress Xian Mingsu's generation of female heroes was actually blackened by jealousy and murdered a woman whose concubines and concubines gave birth to children.
But where ordinary people manage so much, they will not have no interest in going to the bottom of the story to find the historical truth to overturn the case for Empress Liu. As long as the storyline is pleasing enough, they will relish it.
After all, the civet cat changing the prince is a story in the play, but the love between the emperor and the noble concubine Wan is a contemporary legend. , Many elderly people still remember that now I heard that the emperor had a falling out with the ministers in order to pursue the Wan family, so he brought this anecdote out again.
If it was in the Yongle period of Hongwu, everyone would never dare to take out such palaces in private to discuss and amuse children, but today is different from the past, and the people are talking and discussing in private, and who is in the way? If it were a few decades earlier, Jinyiwei or Dongchang might have arrested people for this kind of thing, but now, no one has the spare time to manage this kind of thing. I can't control anyone else's words.
Although most ordinary people do not read much, their imagination is not inferior to that of the scholar-officials. It didn't take long for someone to associate the famous "Evil Fox Night Out" case in the thirteenth year of Chenghua with Concubine Wan, saying that Wan Guifei The concubine was transformed by the demon fox, so she was able to fascinate the emperor, and she obeyed the words of the concubine Wan.
There are also good people who speculate in private whether the emperor can make Wan's empress in the end, and even opened a black market for this. Note, the end is very lively.
However, in the palace, it is a different scene that ordinary people can't imagine.
After the shocking change at the last court meeting, the emperor finally stopped talking about the abolition of the crown prince, and the matter of chasing the Wan family. Mingjun weather.
This is undoubtedly a spectacle, because many people have never seen the emperor go to court for five consecutive days - I don't know since when, the emperor will always be absent every three or five days, and everyone has long been used to it.
But those old officials should still remember that when the emperor first ascended the throne, such a situation was actually quite normal. Twenty-three years ago, before the emperor had buried his late emperor, bandit disasters occurred one after another in Huguang, Sichuan and other places, causing great harm. Tired of running, he had to submit to the court for help. At that time, the emperor appointed Zhao Fu, Zhu Yong and others to quell the rebellion in various places. It took three years to pacify the bandits one by one, and the people became stable, and they no longer had to worry about being affected. Afraid, this was one of the most praiseworthy things of the new emperor at that time.
Not only that, the emperor also showed leniency different from the previous emperor. Not only did he restore his uncle's title of emperor, but when some officials said that when Emperor Jing was going to abolish the crown prince, he did not speak up and took the initiative to ask him to apologize. Relieve him that all these things have passed. At that time, this kind of thing was not something you should discuss as a courtier, so it is normal for you not to open your mouth, and you don't have to worry about it.
It's a pity that in the middle and late stages of Bianchenghua, those who once placed high hopes on the emperor can no longer see such a spirit of striving and progress in him. Instead, he is replaced by the emperor who is becoming increasingly lazy and sullen. He did it for this. A lot of confusing things, even thinking about making mistakes again and again, abolishing the prince.
Today, the transformation of the emperor is unbelievable to many people.
Is there really a saying in this world that there is repentance and enlightenment
How can a person who was already living and messing around suddenly seem to have regained the shrewdness and ability of the past
The courtiers who do not know the inside information naturally celebrate with their foreheads, wishing that the emperor's "abnormal" state could be maintained for a longer time, but those who know the inside information understand that the emperor may have come to an end. , he is trying his best to make up for the mistakes he has committed.
But the emperor himself knew very well that it was too late.
I didn't want to do it before, but now I finally want to work hard, but it's too late.
His body was weakening day by day, and even cultivating immortals could not save the emperor's life.
People are always like this, until they are cornered, they will not regret
The emperor is not a man without self-knowledge.
He also knew that something like Wantong would happen, and in the end the root cause was him.
If Wantong didn't know his sister's status in the emperor's mind, he would never dare to do such a thing.
But now there is no need to worry about these things anymore.
Wan Shi died, Wan Tong also died, Wan An was about to defect, and the rest of Peng Hua, Li Zisheng, etc., were nothing but grass. Whichever side the wind was stronger was not enough to affect the overall situation. The obstacles in front of the prince were finally cleared one by one, and they no longer threatened him.
This year, the emperor was only forty-one years old, and he had just passed the age of confusion.
He's been dreaming all the time these days.
I dreamed that when I was a child, the emperor at that time was not an emperor. He was even just a waste prince. He was placed under house arrest in a deep palace. Every day he could see nothing but an inch of the world. of.
Because someone is with him.
That person is Wan Zhener.
Wan Zhener, who is in her teens and twenties, is in the best years of her life. The emperor still remembers that her white and greasy skin seemed to have a milk-like luster, and her slightly round face smiled sweetly.
Never forget in a dream.
Now, never forget.
The fact is that Wan Zhener is dead, and there is no such person in this world anymore.
So the emperor knew that this was not a good sign and that he might be dead soon.
"Are you resenting me?" He called the prince and asked.
The prince said: "The son has never complained about the father."
"Why?" the emperor wondered, he could see that the prince was sincere in saying this, rather than deliberately behaving in front of him.
This piqued his interest a little.
Because the emperor himself knew that what he did to the prince was indeed too much.
The prince thought for a while and said: "Resentment can't change anything, except to make myself more unhappy, my mother hoped that I could live happily and not resent anyone. She said that the reason why her son was able to survive was because of many refugees. People's kindness and helping hands, if you ignore these people who risk their lives to help themselves, but always think about bad things, what a person can see and think of is only the heaven and earth above his head, no more already."
The emperor was slightly moved: "Your mother... Concubine Ji, did she tell you that?"
Prince: "Yes, mother only said not to be happy with things, not to be sad about herself, and the rest is her son's own speculation. If there is anything inappropriate, please forgive me."
After a moment of silence, the emperor sighed: "Nothing wrong, Concubine Ji... she taught you very well."
Back then, the beautiful and gentle hidden female official seemed to gradually become clear in the depths of her memory. The prince's face contours followed her somewhat, but her thick black hair was something that the prince did not have.
When the emperor recognized the prince back then, the latter's hair was already thinner than ordinary people. The emperor also heard that this was because Concubine Ji was given an abortion pill while pregnant with him. At that time, he didn't think so. Looking at the prince's calm face, the emperor was inexplicably sad.
"I'm sorry for you... Concubine Ji." He sighed again. "But Concubine Ji is right, what a person can do depends on his mind and vision. If you are not here, you are the emperor, you should think about your relatives and worthy ministers, and don't repeat your actions. In the past, it was my fault that I believed in madness, listened to the nonsense of Li Zisheng and Jixiao's demonic monks, and built Taoist temples.
This tone seems to be explaining the future.
After all, the prince is not a saint. His feelings for this father are equally complicated. Even if he doesn't hate him, he still has resentment in his heart, but this resentment, when he heard him say such words, surged up a lot. Inexplicable taste.
"Father..."
"Nowadays the court is full of smog. Even though Wantong is dead, there are still many remaining parties, waiting to be opportunistic and make a comeback. You must distinguish right from wrong, and must not be deceived by flattery."
"Yes, remember, son."
"In the cabinet, Liu Ji's ability is actually very strong, but he doesn't put his heart into business. If you think it's useful, use it. If you think it's not good, replace it. Liu Jian has a broad temperament and does not hold personal grudges. , there is Zai Fu's temperament, Xu Pu is also, these two can be reused. And Tang Fan... "
The emperor breathed a sigh of relief: "Tang Runqing is a talented person, and this time it was thanks to him that a catastrophe was avoided. This man is thoughtful, good at making decisions, and can be very useful. And your Master Li, Li Dongyang. …”
The prince replied, "Master Li is still keeping his father's mourning."
"Yes." The emperor nodded, "When he expires, he can be used, but his temperament is smooth and cunning. You need to observe more. You can let him go to history first, and then decide whether to reuse it or not."
It's weird.
Before Li Dongyang served his father's funeral, he was just a servant in the East Palace, but the emperor remembered clearly the origin of his name and his strengths and weaknesses.
It can be seen that he is actually clear in his heart. Who is right or wrong, he has his own judgment. Previously, he just didn't want to do it, not because he didn't know how to do it.
But that's what made the prince even more aware of what path he was going to take.
After saying a lot of words in succession, the emperor was a little weak, and he slowly closed his eyes, as if he needed a rest.
Seeing this, the prince was ready to exit lightly.
Suddenly, the emperor opened his eyes again: "Prince, don't blame the noble concubine."
The prince was taken aback.
The noble concubine in the emperor's mouth was naturally the concubine Wan who had just passed away.
Before the prince could react, he heard his father say: "I will not pursue her as the queen, but I hope she will be safe behind her. Can the prince agree?"
The prince sighed in his heart, and bowed his hands respectfully: "My son obeys the Holy Order."
What can you do if you don't agree, people are already dead, should you dig a grave and whip a corpse
Or many people in power like to do this, and even behead Wan's entire family, Fang Jue is enough to dispel the resentment in his heart.
But in that case, can the mother survive
Hearing his assurance, the emperor seemed relieved, slightly relieved, and fell into a drowsiness again.
In his dream, there may still be that smiling girl who gently stroked his hair and said to him gently, "Don't run away, be careful that I can't find you".
But those are no longer the prince's concern.
He also breathed out silently, turned and walked out of his father's bedroom.
The darkness of that room seemed to be left behind in an instant, and the sun shone on his shoulders, as warm as the whispers his mother once whispered in her ears.
Outsiders don't know about this conversation between father and son, but the emperor's physical weakness day by day is obvious to all. He lamented that his life was not long because of the death of Concubine Wan, many people have heard it, civil servants. They will not follow him to praise the preciousness and greatness of the love between the two of them. Everyone will only feel that the emperor finally stopped tossing, which is really gratifying.
The cabinet ministers were afraid that the emperor would do something unreliable if he was too sad, so they quickly took advantage of the opportunity of the emperor to be sick in bed, and petitioned the prince to enter the cabinet to observe politics and participate in major events, and the emperor agreed.
Although he is only in his teens, the young and mature prince is obviously more popular than the emperor. Before the cabinet has made a decision, he basically does not point fingers. Only when the cabinet has disputes and cannot make a choice, he will put forward his own opinions, which is even more commendable. The thing is, no matter what time or what you are doing, whenever there is a major event that requires the prince to participate or make a decision, the cabinet ministers can always see him as soon as possible.
Such a gentle and kind prince, no minister would not welcome him.
Just when everyone was busy cleaning up the mess of Wan Dang, the 23rd Chenghua Ding Weike Palace Exam was also held as scheduled.
Lu Lingxi participated in the imperial examination of this subject.
Although he was born into an aristocratic family, and there have been many high-ranking officials in the family, he himself did not want to take the imperial examination, because in his heart he yearned for the unrestrained life of the Han and Tang Rangers. He would go to the Shaolin Temple to learn martial arts, and after passing the examination for a scholar's reputation, he began to travel around.
But all these thoughts changed after he met Tang Fan.
He found that people are not actually becoming rich and famous because they become officials, but because their hearts are restrained, so people are not free and easy.
Tang Fan's heart is like a fairy, so whether he is in court or in opposition, whether he is proud or gestured, he does not make people feel down and embarrassed.
If Lu Lingxi had to describe it, he could only think of one sentence.
Delightful people are like jade, walking in search of seclusion, looking forward and stopping, and the sky is blue and green.
God is out of the ordinary, and it is unacceptable. Like the dawn of the moon, like the autumn of air.
This was originally used to comment on poetry, but when applied to him, it was so appropriate.
By the time the two worked together to solve the case in Suzhou, Tang Fan managed to break through the siege, and Lu Lingxi's impression of Tang Fan had risen from ordinary favoritism to a mixture of admiration and admiration.
But that's not enough, now he is only a scholar, and he has no chance to have more contact with Tang Fan. Lu Lingxi thought to himself, even if he visits Tang's house, he can't just stay and stay away, right
Besides, if you like someone, you must try to find a way to help him and become his indispensable existence, so that the other person will also have your presence in the eyes of the other person.
Lu Lingxi decided to try to catch up with Tang Fan's pace, not to mention being on an equal footing with the other party, but at least let the other party realize his importance one day and distinguish himself from other ordinary friends.
If there is any more...
Lu Lingxi didn't think about it any further, but such a secret and vague idea made him feel a sweetness in his heart.
With this idea in mind, Lu Lingxi also turned his back on his wandering life, settled down and concentrated on preparing for the exam, and was finally named a top 26 jinshi in the palace exam.
Although this ranking is not as eye-catching as the second place in the champion list, it is still very good.
Lu Lingxi successfully entered the Hanlin Academy, became a Hanlin, and settled down in the capital.
This made Lu Lingxi happy and disappointed.
He was happy that he was finally able to see Tang Fan every day. Tang Fan naturally did not forget Lu Lingxi, and was very enthusiastic about him. He even greeted him for dinner several times. .
But what he lost was that every time he finally got a chance to be alone with Tang Fan, there would always be people who had nothing to do with him. The most frequent of them was Sui Zhou, the commander of Jinyiwei who lived next to Tang's house.
This is really an annoying person, Lu Lingxi thought.
But he did not rashly show his displeasure.
Because he found that Tang Fan and Suizhou really had a good relationship, and if he rejected Suizhou, he would probably also arouse Tang Fan's disgust.
Lu Lingxi didn't want to do things that made Big Brother Tang unhappy.
It happened that at this time, there were too many things in the cabinet, and Wanan, Penghua, Yinzhi and the others were still at home because of Wantong's affairs. Even if Tang Fan returned to the cabinet, there would only be four people working, and they couldn't be too busy. A group of new Hanlins were recruited from the Hanlin Academy to help in the cabinet.
Naturally, it is impossible for these people to enter the cabinet as a scholar, and they are not cabinet ministers.
Being able to watch the operation of the cabinet up close and get along with the cabinet minister Zaisuke closely is a good job, no matter how hard it is, so it is definitely not something you can go to if you want, and you have to pass the exam.
Lu Lingxi also wanted to go, but he didn't go to Tang Fan's relationship, so even if Tang Fan helped him, he would feel that he was useless.
His own knowledge is good, and in the end, he really let him win a spot.
Brother Tang, here I come!
The night before he took office in the cabinet, Lu Lingxi thought beautifully, turned over and fell asleep.
He plans to give Tang Fan another big surprise tomorrow morning.