The northwest autumn wind has wrinkled a pool of water in the officialdom of the capital. The wind has passed through the water without a trace, but under the surface of the water, there is already an undercurrent raging.
Sima Puhua, who became Minister of Rites after Lu Daolin and Yuan Guo, greeted the extremely domineering young vassal king, and returned to Zhaojiaweng's yamen adjacent to the Ministry of War.
The Shangshu Province, rebuilt in the early days of Yonghui, had six yamen side by side. In the Liyang Dynasty, the left was superior to the right, and the official department, whose chief official was known as the heavenly official, was naturally located at the far left. It is on the far right, so from east to west, there are officials, households, criminal workers and salute soldiers in order. This shows how the Ministry of Rites was not welcomed during the Yonghui period. In the beginning, the capital had always had "the servant of the Ministry of Rites is as cheap as the foreign minister of other ministries." ", with Lu Daolin and Yuan Guo serving as two ministers in charge of the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Rites has gradually improved, not to mention now, it is an unwritten rule for Guange bachelors to leave the Ministry of Rites.
Since the second year of Xiangfu, Sima Puhua has straightened his waist straighter than the young officials every time he meets, even though it is late autumn, he still gives people a feeling of spring breeze. But today, when the old Shangshu returned to the yamen, in the eyes of the officials of the Ministry of Rites who were like monkey spirits, it was almost as if he had lost his soul. Jiang Yongle came hand in hand, but Lao Shangshu didn't notice it, and he was still sighing there.
Seeing such a scene, Jiang Yongle's heart suddenly became cold. The local officials only knew that he, the official secretary who was originally in charge of ceremonies in the Ministry of Rites, was able to be promoted to be a minister. He got a good test in the evaluation, so he stood out from a group of colleagues with similar rank in the Ministry of Rites, but the Beijing officials who are as big as sesame and mung beans know well that he, Jiang Yongle, can get this right servant who is becoming more and more coveted It's nothing more than the fact that when it came to Xu Laizi's posthumous title after his death, Jiang Yongle was extremely lucky to bet on the late emperor's mind, and the posthumous title of "Wu Li" he proposed was passed. It's just a fig leaf for the imperial court. Some important ministers in the capital who look down on Jiang Yongle would call him a dogshit minister outright! Jiang Yongle was too lazy to care about anything before, and he couldn't figure out a trick. He has been an official in the capital for many years, and he has never had a deep foundation. The official status of the servant is the real deal, if you are not convinced, you can also step on shit, can you turn your official men into embroidered peacocks? It's just that when the Minister's servant suddenly heard that the son of Wu Li's posthumous master, Xu Fengnian, the king of Xinliang, broke into the capital without warning, Jiang Yongle was frightened. At first, he still had the idea of competing with Jin Lanting secretly. , hoping that if he accidentally stepped on shit again, he might be able to become the Minister of Rites. How dare he be so arrogant now? Shangshu's seat is eye-catching, but life is more important. Therefore, walking together along the way, Jiang Yongle's posture was even lower than that of the sixth-rank chief, thinking that today he must ask the left servant for advice, how can he compete with Beiliang everywhere and still have a prosperous official career .
The old Shangshu finally came back to his senses, and stretched out his hand to signal the two assistants to take their seats. Looking at these two servants, Sima Puhua was not very comfortable in the past. One was old enough to be his own son, and the other was too old to be his grandson. But the official The quality is only one rank lower, and when I return to my hometown, the official patch on someone’s chest should be replaced with a second-grade golden pheasant. It’s just that the old man has no such careful thinking today, but he feels some sympathy for each other. Old Shangshu glanced at the door lightly, coughed, moistened his throat, and then slowly said: "Today, the official has suddenly ordered to welcome King Liang into the city, and the two adults must know about it."
Jiang Yongle nodded vigorously, like a chicken pecking at rice.
Jin Lanting, whose facial expression remained unchanged in Tai'an City because of the fact that he grew a beard and made his ambition clear, is worthy of being Jin Sanlang, who is known as "beautiful and graceful".
Next, Sima Puhua said some ordinary officialdom words. If this kind of officialdom is discussed in the yamen on weekdays, the old man can talk for an hour or two without panting. But today the old Shangshu didn’t babble non-stop, he stopped talking, stretched out his hand to caress the Tianhuang paperweight bestowed by the emperor, he was silent for a moment, and it seemed that he had to use a lot of effort to say a word, "When we parted, the vassal king and This officer said that he will come to our Rites Department when he has time."
Jin Lanting took it calmly.
Jiang Yongle was dumbfounded, and he didn't know if it was an illusion. He always felt that Master Shangshu gave him a glance, intentionally or unintentionally, full of pity, as if he was looking at a poor creature on the verge of execution.
Sima Puhua lowered his eyelids, and added in a nonchalant way, "The man also said that he wanted to catch up on the old days."
Jin Lanting narrowed his eyes, stroked his well-maintained beard, and smiled, "Oh?"
Jiang Yongle was sweating like rain, reminiscing about the old days, is he looking for Jin Lanting? Or find yourself? Or is it to give the officials who have been on the table in the Ministry of Rites to one pot
Old Shangshu's two withered fingers subconsciously caressed the moist Tianhuang Ruishi paperweight. I don't know if it was because of the skin similarity with the twenty-eight-year-old concubine Xin Namei, or because he was feeling the mighty grace of the emperor.
It is true that the young vassal king said that he wants to come to the Ministry of Rites for a sit-down, and it is true that he wants to reminisce about the old days, but Sima Puhua missed a word. In fact, the king of Xinliang had a lot of polite greetings with him, a second-rank senior official, besides this. . Gao Tingshu and Fan Changhou now probably don't know about the group of "Xiangfu New Officials". Only the older "Yonghui Veterans" know that there was a big joke in the official circles of Tai'an City in the early years, which was the tribute from Beiliang Road Sima Puhua was a member of the Ministry of Rites at that time, and when he saw that the Beiliang horse was nearly six feet tall, he couldn't help laughing, and immediately followed a large group of horses. Colleagues from the Ministry of Rites shared this anecdote, and Sima Puhua did not forget to comment, "The big horse in Beiliang is really big enough, even comparable to our mules that pull dung in Tai'an city. Beiliang is the most strange", but when the Liangma entered Beijing, Sima Puhua, a scholar who had never held a knife in his life, realized that the height of the horse was not calculated by the head of the horse, but only by the back of the horse!
Making such a big joke made Sima Puhua unable to hold his head up for several years, but as Master Sima's official status became higher and higher, he was less and less mentioned. Unexpectedly, just today, the young feudal king uncovered this scar again, smiled and said to Lord Shangshu, "Master Shangshu, I don't know where there is a dung mule nearly six feet tall in the capital. This king must see it before he can see it." It’s a worthwhile trip, isn’t it?”
How else could Sima Puhua answer at that time, so he just lowered his eyebrows and smiled dryly and said nothing, maybe he just nodded and said yes
At this time, the more the old Shangshu thought about it, the more aggrieved he became. The old man who always thought he was good at nourishing his energy unconsciously clenched the paperweight tightly with his five fingers.
Jiang Yongle had already started to think about whether to ask for leave due to sickness, but if he couldn't, he gritted his teeth and fell firmly, leaving him with a bruised nose and a swollen face!
Jin Lanting finally spoke, but the words made Jiang Yongle confused, "Master Shangshu, I just received a few cages of autumn crabs from Chunshen Lake at the Xiaguan Mansion. They are all good. When will your lord have time to have a taste with the lower officials?"
Old Shangshu hummed, with a smile on his face, "I heard that Gao Bang No. 2, who is known as a ghost in poetry, has recently written a masterpiece of crab tasting that has been spread all over Beijing. It can be called a masterpiece. There are wine, crabs and poems. Two good friends, how beautiful they are!"
Jiang Yongle was lucky to become the right servant of the Ministry of Rites, but he has been in the yamen of the Ministry of Rites for a long time, where everyone is unparalleled in riddles, and his cultivation is not bad. After a little aftertaste, he is only a little slower than Master Shangshu, and he can hear Jin Lanting's implication .
In the poem of Gao Tingshu, the second-best man in the new department mentioned by the old Shangshu, there is a finishing touch: But I will watch the crab with cold eyes and see how long you will run rampant!
It's just that Jiang Yongle immediately became worried again. This is the reason, but the most urgent thing right now is that the arrogant Northwest crab is about to break into the yamen of the Ministry of Rites. status, and Jin Lanting is a big celebrity handed over by the late emperor as a minister to the present day. With the support of His Majesty the Emperor, the two of you can survive, but I, Jiang Yongle, am just a right servant who can't get up or down. Once the vassal king really If you want to fight hard, who will you find if you don't ask me? I don't know how long the surname Xu will run rampant, I only know that I will most likely leave the yamen of the Ministry of Rites very soon!
Jin Lanting took the lead to leave, Jiang Yongle hesitated to speak, the old Shangshu had already waved his hand to the right servant, and issued an order to expel the guest.
The distraught Jiang Yongle didn't know how he left the house, and was in a daze in the courtyard corridor.
It is different from the harsh sound of cicadas that fill the city in summer.
After autumn, the singing of cicadas fades away.
According to the law, the Zhaojiaweng's six yamen do not plant tall trees. At this moment in late autumn, the courtyard has long since heard no cicadas singing.
Jiang Yongle slumped against the pillars, feeling chills and desolate for no reason.
…
Although the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War are neighbors, they are actually not close. For the officials of the Ministry of Rites, it is a blessing in misfortune. Otherwise, there would be disputes. When a scholar meets a soldier, one will reason with his mouth and the other with his fists. Naturally, it will be the latter More "reasonable". As far as the Ministry of War is concerned, for this group of officials of the Ministry of Rites who are of different ranks but are all sour literati, they belong to a group of embroidered pillows who are tired of beating and do not show their ability, so the two military ceremonies have always been the least relevant in the province. The two yamen. However, under the ebb and flow of the two departments, the big boss of the military department who is used to being only willing to look at the official department, is inevitably depressed. Also, in just a few years, three ministers have left, the military department is Gu Jiantang, Chen Zhibao and Lu Baijie, and the ritual department It is Li Gubo, Lu Daolin and Yuan Guo, but the trend in the next few years is obvious. The Ministry of War is now empty even the position of minister, try changing to the Ministry of Rites. If Sima Puhua dies suddenly one day, it will not be the next day The dignitaries propose candidates at the court meeting? What made the Ministry of War feel even more heroic was the fact that Xu Gong, the left servant, was not even in the capital, and was sent directly to Liaodong by His Majesty the Emperor! Only Tang Tieshuang, the right servant who was transferred from the local government, is left. He is an outsider who has never been an official in the capital. In addition, even the common people in the capital knew that Tang Tieshuang was Gu Lao Shangshu's confidant, and the former Shangshu Lu Baijie didn't like His Majesty's wishes. Not really. It is already difficult to hold their heads up in the temple without a leader in the yamen of the Ministry of War. For the time being, the leader can't protect himself. How can he find some favors and benefits for his subordinates? The unfavorable battle situation in Guangling Road adds fuel to the fire.
Military officials really became grandsons overnight.
These days, it's really fucking suffering.
In this critical situation, Gao Tingshu and Kong Zhenrong, two juniors who went against the current, are extremely eye-catching. These two young people who have risen to fame, Gao Tingshu, the second-best Lang, is even more romantic. Jin Lanting and others fueled the flames, and the name of the poem gradually spread throughout the court and the public. Gu Jiantang from the previous Dazhu Kingdom returned to Beijing and revisited the old place of the Ministry of War Yamen. People still vividly remember. There is no doubt that Gao Tingshu's success is so prosperous, now it depends on how many years it will take to accumulate reputation, and which new pavilion will be used as the next step to jump the carp into the dragon's gate. Compared with Gao Tingshu, the taciturn Kong Zhenrong is much more low-key, but it is said that this young man from Beiliang was close to a certain prince in his early years. Moreover, Kong Zhenrong and Yan Chiji are recognized as having a strong relationship, and that Huang Menlang is His Majesty's brother-in-law!
Unlike the other five servants who are not in the same room, the two servants of the Ministry of War have always been in the same room. Even in Gu Lu's era, Gu Shangshu himself was no exception. Later, when Chen Zhibao became the Xia official of Shangshu Province, a single courtyard was opened . Xu Gong and Tang Tieshuang's two book cases are on the left and the right in the lobby of the Ministry of War, presenting a confrontation between east and west. At present, Tang Tieshuang, the servant on the right, is sitting behind the desk on the west side, dealing with government affairs, occasionally looking up at the sky, not caring about the whispers of many officials in the hall. Tang Tieshuang personally took charge of finalizing the mobilization of the seven thousand troops from the three major battalions of the Gyeonggi West Army. Now that the young feudal lord has swaggered into the capital, Anxi General Zhao Gui and Huqi School Captain Chi Changgong's troops became escorts. A funny character, not to mention that Tang Tieshuang is destined to quickly become the laughing stock of the officialdom, and the entire military department will also be embarrassed. It is entirely possible to imagine the strange eyes of the officials of the various ministries tomorrow morning.
As for the real situation of the reckless war, if Tang Tieshuang, the servant on the right, didn't speak up, the others would not dare to talk about it. It involves important military matters. In public, they should obediently practice the subtlety of closed mouth.
Under the leadership of the head of the Ministry of Military Affairs, a few unfamiliar faces appeared in the lobby of the Ministry of War, and they all walked like dragons and tigers, even if they stepped into the important place of the Ministry of War, they would not feel uncomfortable.
Tang Tieshuang, nicknamed the cold-faced Hades, showed a smiling face for the first time. After getting up, he strode towards those people without any introduction from the subordinate official. He punched one of the burly men in the chest heavily, and laughed loudly: "Old Dong, you This group of guys, if you don’t come, don’t come at all, if you want to come, just gather together, did you make an appointment?”
Those people were not wearing official uniforms, and the middle-aged man who was called Old Dong by the right servant curled his lips, "I know you are poor, if they come to you one by one, can you afford a drink?"
A burly man next to the man surnamed Dong joked: "Master Minister, it's really hard to get into the yamen of your military department, it's like guarding against thieves..."
Tang Tieshuang glared at the unrestrained guy, then smiled and said, "Go out and tell me, I'll show you around."
All the officials in the room were puzzled by Monk Zhang Er. I never heard that the Ministry of War had a transfer order to promote officials from the Liao and Liao frontier troops to Beijing.
The driving officer, Wai Lang Kong Zhenrong, was not working in the lobby of the Ministry of War, but just happened to come to the doctor to report a military affairs. After seeing this scene, he was only a little surprised and didn't think deeply.
Suddenly being stopped by someone, Kong Zhenrong stopped and turned his head to look. It turned out to be Gao Tingshu who had just been promoted to Yuanwailang from the head of the Wuxuan Qingli Department. The two had never met before. What's the matter, he asked calmly: "Master Gao, what's the matter?"
The majestic Gao Tingshu said with a smile: "I heard that Brother Kong likes to collect military books. I accidentally picked up a copy of the "Tiger Seal Classic" not long ago. , but Brother Kong took it away and read it for a year or so, I am very happy."
If it was the time when he just left Beiliang and entered Beijing, Kong Zhenrong would have punched him without saying a word. If it was a year or two ago, Kong Zhenrong would not have let the No. Waiting calmly for Gao Tingshu to finish speaking, he shook his head and smiled, "I'm a vulgar man, but I've been in the capital for a long time, and I've also heard that among scholars, borrowing books is like giving them to their wives, and giving books is like giving them to concubines. You can give it away, but you can’t borrow it, what’s the matter, Brother Gao wants to break the rules?”
Gao Tingshu was stunned for a moment, and said with a hearty smile: "Brother Kong is really a wonderful person, that's all, just give the book as soon as you send it, and I'll slap my swollen face once to pretend to be rich, and tomorrow I'll bring the book to Brother Kong's house in person. I also hope that Brother Kong will reward me with a few glasses of wine for the sake of cutting my flesh."
Kong Zhenrong grinned and said: "Reciting poems is wrong, it will kill me. I'm good at drinking. I'm afraid Brother Gao can't drink enough, and he won't be able to enjoy himself enough."
Gao Tingshu laughed out loud.
Gao Tingshu didn't intend to leave immediately, but walked with Kong Zhenrong, and asked in a low voice, "Brother Kong, do you know the identities of those three people?"
Kong Zhenrong shook his head.
Gao Tingshu got closer, and his voice was lower, "I know something, and I can guess something."
Kong Zhenrong said softly: "I would like to hear the details."
Gao Tingshu did not pretend to be high-spirited, and said slowly: "Yongzhou Inspector Tian Zong, Yangzhou Deputy General Dong Gonghuang, Qingzhou Navy Commander Wei Dong. It seems that the imperial court intends to add a servant to our Ministry of War to deal with the Gyeonggi soldiers. Zheng, to put it simply, is to take back a little military power from the hands of some Siping generals in the four towns. Not surprisingly, Dong Gonghuang will take up this position. Although it is only mentioned from the third rank to the third rank, from the local state The second in command of the army, promoted to the capital to become the Minister of the Ministry of War with the sole power over the army and horses, is naturally promoted. The governor Tian Zongtian will most likely be transferred to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Punishment left behind by Han Lin, but Liu Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment is very strong. We all know exactly what the situation is. Tian Zong has a great future, not inferior to Mr. Dong, and even worse. As for Wei Dong, who was supposed to be in the army of the Qingzhou Navy to assist Shu Wang Chen Zhibao, why did he suddenly After leaving Guangling, what will I do, after all, Tai'an City doesn't have a seat suitable for a navy general, so I can't figure it out."
Kong Zhenrong thought for a moment, and said: "Maybe I came to the Ministry of War and the court to have a good time, and I will definitely be promoted, but I will return to Guangling Road soon and become the governor of the Guangling Navy. Maybe I will also hold the old post at the same time."
Gao Tingshu thought about it seriously, nodded, and said with a smile: "That should be the case, Brother Kong, great advice!"
This military officer, Wai Lang, did not let Kong Zhenrong see that he clenched and loosened one hand in an instant.
The two chatted about some irrelevant affairs of the Ministry of War, and Gao Tingshu, who rarely took a break from his busy schedule, said that he would go back to the house to deal with political affairs.
On the corridor, two young men of the same official rank and similar age walked in the opposite direction.
After walking for a while, Gao Tingshu turned his head to look at the tall figure, turned his head again, and said to himself: "Yo, it turns out you're not really short-sighted."
Kong Zhenrong never turned around, his face expressionless.
This young man who was severely reprimanded by his father last night not to go to the Xiamawei Posthouse, the driver of a bright future, Uai Lang, rubbed his cheeks hard.
Young brother.
The former four brothers, Yan Chiji became the uncle of the country, and he started to study literature with peace of mind, just like he hoped when he was a child.
And I, Kong Wuchi, will also be an official.
He and I are still brothers.
Li Hanlin, who used to be most afraid of death, became the captain of the crossbowmen traveling outside the Liangzhou Pass.
Follow you to fight the enemy.
You are still brothers.
I just want to know, are we and you still brothers
Brother Nian, I have collected more than 60 sets of military books for you in Tai'an City these years, do you still want it
…
Just as Gao Tingshu and Kong Zhenrong said, Tian Zong, Wei Dong and Dong Gonghuang entered Beijing quietly, bypassing the deliberations of the Ministry of War.
Tang Tieshuang dragged the three of them around, didn't talk about any national affairs and military affairs, just talked about trivial local customs, and didn't even mention their common benefactor, Dazhu Kingdom Gu Jiantang once.
Tian Zong, governor of Yongzhou, was the first to cross the river when the old Southern Tang was destroyed.
Dong Gonghuang, deputy general of Yangzhou, did not follow the general into Beijing like Tian Zong, but stayed in the local area. When he took office, he killed the third son of the Gumu Xu family and married the daughter of the Yu family, a big family in the south of the Yangtze River.
Wei Dong, the "King of Wei Long" who became an in-law with the current governor of Qingzhou early, has a deep relationship with Wen Taiyi, the servant of the Ministry of officials, and Hong Lingshu, the general of Qingzhou who entered Beijing earlier than them.
If you add Cai Nan, who is already the envoy of Lianghuai Jiedu, and Tang Tieshuang, the servant of the Ministry of War, who is standing next to the three of them.
It should be enough to make the capital officials who saw this scene and thought of this level feel a strong chill.
Gu Lu is gone, but Gu Jiantang still holds the largest border army in the Liyang Dynasty. Unlike Xu Xiao, Gu Jiantang entered the military department almost alone, and the old department was disbanded very early. The four powerful people, as well as more confidantes of the direct descendants of the past, have never surfaced.
Tang Tieshuang fell silent suddenly.
The first emperor of Liyang dispersed the generals of the Ministry of Gu, which is to let go. Today, the old people of the Ministry of Gu are recruited into Beijing, and it is a harvest.
It cannot be said which of the two emperors successively had better wrists, it just varies from time to time.
Solving the Beiliang Road is tantamount to completing half of the great cause of cutting down the feudal clan.
So after the purge of the forces left by Gu Bu in the local area, isn't it that most of the task of suppressing the local generals has been completed
What really made Tang Tieshuang sad but would not reveal the slightest thing was not that His Majesty wanted to use them to check and balance the civil servants of Zhanglu's old ministry, nor was it using them as a group of warriors to deter and block the old officials of Yonghui and the new officials of Xiangfu to a certain extent. The emperor's mind. But among the few old brothers who could change their lives on the battlefield in the early years, except perhaps Lao Dong, Tian Zong and Wei Dong were both personally surprised by this promotion, which far outweighed their worries about the general's situation.
Tang Tieshuang quickly returned to normal and smiled.
This is the temple, this is the human heart.
Knowing that the high places are extremely cold, people still go to the high places.
Many generals on the map of Liyang, from veteran generals like Yang Shenxing and Yan Zhenchun to Tang Tieshuang, have become pawns that a certain hands can play with at will.
The civil servants are not feeling well either.
As soon as Zhang Julu left and Qi Yanglong arrived, it was actually a big change.
As Lu Baijie, who had vaguely become the leader of the Taoist priests in the south of the Yangtze River, went south frustrated, Xu Gong was also hidden in the snow at the border. The northern scholars led by the Peng family in Liaodong began to rise. The incomparably high arrogance of the two years immediately extinguished a lot. There are even Yao Baifeng and his like firmly occupying a place in the center.
The chessboard, where the camps of all parties were originally distinct, was completely messed up.
The only thing that is not chaotic is the chess player behind the scenes.
Order in chaos.
Tang Tieshuang didn't know about this game of chess, Tang Tieshuang couldn't tell who among the four contributed more and who worked harder, among the four of them, the late emperor, today's son, Zhang Julu, and Yuan Benxi.
It's just that the few players who play chess, except for the one surnamed Zhao, what will happen to them
Then Tang Tieshuang thought of a young man, smiling happily.
A chess piece that is placed in a tight position can one day disgust the chess player.
Strange!
What a pleasure!
…
The lobby of the Ministry of War, where Tang Tieshuang was temporarily absent, was in an uproar after hearing the news.
There was a confrontation at the Xiamawei Posthouse? !
Gao Tingshu muttered: "It's a pity that you can't kill people, but if a vassal king who relies on force accidentally drowns in the rivers and lakes, it's justified, right?"
As time went by, the six yamen of the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Punishment, the Ministry of Households, and Zhao Jiaweng were all boiling.
Then there are two provinces under Zhongshumen, Guozijian, Imperial Academy, six pavilions...
Among them, Huan Wenwen and Zhao Youling both gave the word "nonsense".
But Tan Tanweng said that the behavior of the young vassal did not match his status, while Mr. Zhao was annoyed that his youngest son, Zhao Wenwei, went to Xiamawei to watch a play.
Only Zhongshu made Qi Yanglong indifferent and turned a deaf ear to it. In one hand, the old man carried the collection of poems that was listed as a banned book by the imperial court and brought it out for him. It is also eaten with relish.
In the unsigned collection of poems, the scholar Zhang surnamed who has never been in the rivers and lakes all his life can also write wanton poems like "I have a three-foot sharp edge in a box, and there is a dragon to kill the dragon", and it can also be done. There are graceful poems like "I hope the white head will see the white head".
Huh? The saucer is empty.
As for the poet, he is already dead.
The old man felt lost.
…
In a majestic hall of the imperial palace, there was no court meeting and no accompanying eunuchs at this time, but a young man in a dragon robe was sitting on the dragon chair.
In the empty and quiet hall, the emperor sat facing south and said in a voice that he could only hear: "Do you know that as long as one more Dong Zhuo and 200,000 people die in Beimang, and 100,000 more people die in Beiliang, then this The world is peaceful and prosperous."