Volume 4 Chapter 5: Correspondence (Part 2)
The Palace Attendant Censor Wanqi Xie has become famous! And he is very famous!
Some of his words of advice to Emperor Zhao were polished by an unknown close minister, sent to Hu Quan through the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and then urgently published in the palace bulletin the next day.
According to the above description, when Zheng Yinian returned south, Emperor Zhao believed that he was most likely a spy for the Jin people. However, Yushi Wanqi argued with reason, analyzing everything from the conviction and pardon decrees issued by Emperor Zhao himself to the hearts of the people in the north. He pointed out that Zheng Yinian had made meritorious contributions and no faults in his trip to the south, and the emperor should not doubt him.
As a result, the Emperor Zhao, who was annoyed by Wanqi Yushi, immediately said, "Even if the spy matter is unclear, it can also be called false accusation." Wanqi Yushi took off his hat and proudly replied, "How can false accusation convince the world? How can false accusation rule the world?"
After hearing this, the emperor suddenly came to his senses and stepped forward to hold Wanqi Yushi's hand. He expressed his shame and praised Wanqi Yushi's defense as a model of loyalty.
Regarding this matter, Hu Quan, the editor, could not help but write his own feelings before publishing it in the newspaper. He said that of course, Wanqi Yushi deserved respect, but it should be remembered that this kind of thing happened in the harem, and no one knew about it except for a few imperial attendants. However, the emperor did not care about his own face and took the initiative to let his attendants report the matter to the imperial court to publicize Wanqi Yushi's "loyal minister model", which was also a very generous thing in itself...
In short, as the official bulletin with an increasingly large circulation was issued, Wanqi Kaimo was destined to become famous throughout the country. In fact, when he was riding his donkey home that day, countless people he knew or didn’t know bowed to him in the street, making him feel a little elated and a little frightened... He didn't expect that the emperor had this trick, right?
Of course, Emperor Zhao also received a lot of praise, because since ancient times, the emperor who was willing to accept advice seemed to be the best emperor.
However, apart from them, there was one person who was caught in the crossfire and was so frightened that he lost his soul... Yes, this person was Zheng Yinian, who returned with a loyal heart and a personal letter from the Second Saint and Empress Dowager Ningde.
The former "model of loyal minister" Zheng Yinian, who was full of energy and energy in the past two days, visited old friends everywhere, and even cried and told stories of the North in the homes of several important officials. As soon as the official report came out today, he claimed to be sick that night and refused to leave his old house.
Come to think of it, if it weren't for the stubbornness of Wanqi Yushi, Emperor Zhao would have already regarded him as a Jin spy and "falsely accused him". The emperor's likes and dislikes and intentions were clear, so how could he dare to show his face? Only Wanqi Yushi became a role model, and the emperor admitted his mistakes, so he didn't dare to hide like this... So, his brother Zheng Xiunian, who had just returned from Yangzhou and found a job in the capital, had to continue to travel around to deal with those things for his brother.
Two days later, an official document was delivered to the Chongwenyuan where the capital province and the Privy Council were located, asking Zheng Yinian to explain the documents from the two emperors and the empress dowager. Zheng Xiunian had to bite the bullet and go there on behalf of his brother who had "experienced the hardships of the north for a long time" and was "seriously ill and unable to get out of bed."
This trip will take a whole day.
After dark, Zheng Xiunian, who was about 40 years old, returned to the old house. He was already exhausted, but he forced himself to go straight to see his second brother. After driving away the maid and closing the door, he could not help stamping his feet and said:
"Once the emperor reveals his likes and dislikes towards you, even if there is a stubborn person like Wanqi Yushi, it will not prevent others from targeting you a long time ago!"
"Need I say this? Since ancient times, people like Wanqi Yushi are rare. Most people are those who are devoted to trying to figure out the emperor's intentions."
The person who answered his brother Zheng Xiunian by the candlelight was Zheng Yinian himself. He was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old. At this moment, he was sitting on the couch, covered with a quilt, but his face was ruddy and his words were smooth. He didn't look like he was seriously ill at all. "I just don't know who is so impatient, regardless of reputation and grudges, to target me now?"
"It was Zhang Jun, the Prime Minister of the Privy Council." Zheng Xiunian sat down on the stool beside the bed, shaking his head more and more. "He almost believed that you were released by the Jin people to negotiate peace... In my opinion, you should not think about becoming an official for a few years."
"How can you say within a few years?" Zheng Yinian also smiled bitterly. "I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to enter the government in this lifetime... In the final analysis, it's not that Zhang Xianggong looks at me coldly, but that the emperor is suspicious of me! And how old is the emperor?"
Zheng Xiunian was silent at the bedside for a while, but suddenly whispered: "Second Brother, tell me the truth, how did you come back? Did you really escape back on your own, or did the Jin people give you a word and let you go?"
Zheng Yinian hugged the quilt on himself and said nothing.
After a while, Zheng Xiunian could not help asking, "We are brothers, can I sell you out... If this kind of thing is really confirmed, do you think I can get away? Or are you in the north, and you actually think that the official's deeds from Huaishang to Yaoshan are all fake?"
"How could it be?" Zheng Yinian saw that he couldn't escape, so he said in a slightly dry voice. "It's just that the people in the north have suffered more than you can imagine, brother. So what can I say if I have the chance to come back this time? Even if the Jin people really told me to stop and not get involved in this matter, can the Jin people still cross the river to testify? I can stay in the old house and be a rich man..."
"That's true, but you have to be careful." Zheng Xiunian's words became dry. How could he not hear that his brother had simply admitted it? Fortunately, this matter was just a false accusation. "But don't think too much, rich man... Our family is a native of Bianjing. During the Jingkang Rebellion, most of our wealth was lost. When we returned from Yangzhou, only some of the businesses we had set up in other places were still profitable..."
"Where are the Zhuangzi?" Zheng Yinian couldn't help but ask, "Where are the Zhuangzi in Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, Yingchang, and Chenzhou?"
"They were all taken by the government for military settlement." Zheng Xiunian was frank. "At that time, we were all in Yangzhou, the government was in the north, and the Central Plains had suffered several wars. No one could say anything about using these lands for military settlements. It was indeed impossible to say anything."
"That's true... But can't we take it back? After all, it's our family's legitimate property?"
"Two months ago, when we came back from Yangzhou, we happened to see Xu Jingheng distributing the land to the meritorious soldiers and soldiers who died in battle. At that time, some people had tried to curry favor with Madam Pan, so they wanted to follow her path and take the opportunity to curry favor with the emperor, so that they could get the land back." Zheng Xiunian twisted his beard bitterly. "As a result, as soon as the emperor came back, he threw all the things that Madam Pan had collected back to everyone. Everyone was trembling with fear, and no one dared to breathe, for fear that the emperor would mistake it for a gadfly and shoot it... Did you know that the emperor shot a gadfly?"
"How could I not know?" Zheng Yinian shook his head. "The Jin people in the north also spread this as if it were a ghost or a god. That was Wanyan Loushi. To be honest, brother, life in the north is worse than that of pigs and dogs. And it's strange to say that after the battle of Yanling last year, we knew it was a big victory, but the treatment was not that good. On the contrary, it was much harsher. But in the battle of Yaoshan this year, the Jin people were much more polite to us. The food and expenses were much better..."
"There is still a big difference between these two battles." Zheng Xiunian nodded. "In any case, you have suffered a lot to come back, so don't think too much. Even if your home is no longer the same as before, isn't it better than the north?"
"That's right." Zheng Yinian nodded, but frowned slightly. "I can't help but feel a little sorry for my cousin. I have been in the north for many years, and I have actually benefited a lot from the care of my cousin and her husband."
Zheng Xiunian also nodded, but suddenly frowned again: "Which cousin is the one in the north?"
"My fourth uncle's sister, the one who married Brother Huizhi..." Zheng Yinian hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke out. "In fact, I came back this time because of Brother Huizhi's strength. He is very useful to Wanyan Talan, and he can also talk to the Pseudo-Qi, Nianhan, and Wushu. The so-called servants around me are actually arranged by him... According to his intention, he wanted me to come back to explore the way for many people. If it works, he will let this person go to Jinan to report the news. But I didn't expect the emperor to be so determined."
Zheng Xiunian was stunned for a moment, then immediately stood up and left, and then there was a commotion in the yard.
But a moment later, Zheng Xiunian came back in a hurry and told his brother something that made the latter panic: "The trusted servant of your cousin's family that you brought with you disappeared this afternoon!"
The two were still panicking, but there was nothing they could do. They could only wait anxiously for another two days. However, there was still no news, and they were still worried.
However, after all, a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Two days later, Zheng Xiunian went to another cousin's house, that is, Li Qingzhao's house, and found another cousin's husband, Zhao Mingcheng. He used the excuse of his awkward identity to ask Zhao Mingcheng to help inquire in various government offices to see if there was any "news about the treatment of his brother Yinian".
By the way, Zhao Mingcheng had an extremely bad impression of the emperor... because whenever the emperor wrote poetry, he always used his wife as an excuse, which caused their thirty-year relationship to gradually become strained. But in fact, Zhao Mingcheng should be grateful to the emperor, because if the emperor had not done many things personally, then in another time and space, Wang Gui's grandson-in-law would have died of malaria in the chaotic south as early as last year.
And now, he was working as an idle official in Bian Jing, and he had not been bitten to death by a mosquito carrying pathogens.
Of course, Zhao Mingcheng was destined to be unaware of this enormous favor. On the contrary, he had long known that his own relatives had also been harmed by the capricious officials, and he had long been indignant in his heart. However, as soon as Zheng Xiunian opened his mouth, he immediately patted his chest and promised to be a "gossip boy" for the other party.
However, this nosy behavior made Emperor Zhao, who was originally ready to let the matter go, pay some attention again. However, this official did not have the keen awareness of a famous detective who could see through layers of appearances. On the contrary, as an ordinary college student, he was immediately attracted by some gossip.
"Zheng Yinian is the cousin of Mr. Yi An?" Zhao Jiu, who was reading memorials by a dilapidated pond somewhere in the harem, stopped temporarily and looked curious.
"Yes, their mothers are sisters, both daughters of the former Prime Minister Wang Gui." As the gossiper of Emperor Zhao, Yang Yizhong didn't even need to inquire about such things, as he already knew them by heart.
"I still remember..." Zhao Jiu couldn't stop laughing. "Han Xiaozhou's grandmother is Lu Gongxiang's aunt?"
"yes!"
"Is Ye Mengde's mother the sister of Chao Buzhi, one of the four scholars of Su Shi's school?"
"yes."
"Anything else like that?"
"Your Majesty, there are endless things like this... Cai Jing is also related to Wang Shu and Wang Wang, and the children of famous families like the two Chengs are even more widespread." Yang Yizhong responded helplessly.
"I know." Zhao Jiu shook his head and smiled again. "It's nothing more than choosing a son-in-law from the list, plus a match of equal status..."
"That's right." Yang Yizhong nodded quickly.
"It's only because of the Jingkang Incident. Otherwise, if it goes on for another hundred years, he might have become a noble family." Zhao Jiu suddenly sighed. "Is Zhao Mingcheng working in the Taichang Temple now?"
"Yes." The second half of Zhao Jiu's sentence was actually directed at Lan Gui on the other side. The latter's heart skipped a beat and he quickly responded.
"Please ask Officer Lan to go to the capital to pass on an oral order to send this person away." Zhao Jiu said calmly.
Lan Gui was stunned for a moment, but immediately nodded his head and responded, then went to do it.
Zhao Jiu continued to look back at Yang Yizhong: "Have Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun had any private conflicts these days?"
Yang Yizhong quickly shook his head: "Both ministers can discuss the matter at hand."
"That means there are a lot of conflicts, but not to the point of attacking each other?" Zhao Jiu looked at the note in his hand thoughtfully. "From the inside out, from the south to the north, there is nothing that is necessarily the same between the two of them..."
Yang Yizhong didn't say anything else.
"The Imperial City Department needs to be expanded." Zhao Jiu basically said whatever came to his mind. "Once the Dongting Lake rebellion is quelled, the court's finances will be completely relaxed. I have asked several ministers to approve money and staffing for you... Not to mention that Tokyo is getting more and more busy, and there may not be enough manpower. Once Hebei is at peace, I'm afraid people will be able to travel freely there, so we need to be more secure there."
Yang Yizhong bowed slowly but did not respond.
"What?" Zhao Jiu looked at it curiously, obviously confused for a moment.
"I am afraid I am not capable enough." Yang Yizhong answered seriously. "Sir, since the situation is different from before, it is better to restore the old system for some things..."
"There are some old systems that I don't want to restore." Zhao Jiu certainly understood what the other party meant, but he stopped writing and sighed at the dilapidated scene in front of him. "Once I start this, many things can't be stopped... But more importantly, I still don't trust them. A dilapidated palace with hundreds of people living in spacious rooms is actually pretty good. I'm not uncomfortable."
Yang Yizhong remained silent.
Zhao Jiu continued to sigh, "I probably understand what you and many other people are thinking. You always feel that I say this, but in reality I always live in comfort. For example, you are all waiting for Concubine Pan to give birth, and I am waiting too. You all feel that whether Concubine Pan gives birth to a prince or a princess, I have to add more people, right? I have to change my temperament, right? This is a gap, and it will get bigger sooner or later... The logic is right, and I don't have the confidence to say that I won't be soft in the future, but it's not like this now... You have people tell those people outside the palace who castrated themselves that there is no way out for them here, at least not now... You have to be ruthless about this kind of thing."
Yang Yizhong could only lower his head.
Zhao Jiu also lowered his head and prepared to continue reading the notes, but he put them down for a moment and continued to sigh: "Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun did not quarrel. Maybe they are waiting for news about Concubine Pan's pregnancy and don't want to act rashly at this time. Even some of the Jin people who have ideas may be waiting for this time to discuss with me."
Yang Yizhong was no longer silent this time: "Your Majesty, the others are not waiting for news about the royal heir, but they all know that you are waiting for news about the royal heir, so they are waiting for news from you."
Zhao Jiu nodded heavily, and couldn't help but smiled at the withered yellow in front of him: "It won't be long anyway."
It is said that on October 22, the fourth year of Jianyan, the Yellow River froze early, and Concubine Pan gave birth to a daughter at full term. The emperor was so happy that he ignored the rules and directly named her Yiyou.
Lü Haowen, the Minister of Military and State Affairs, and other ministers from the capital and the Privy Council jointly requested amnesty for the entire country on the grounds of the birth of the princess, the great victory in late summer, and the gradual stabilization of the country.
Emperor Zhao readily agreed, but he also issued a special decree that those who served the Jin people and were traitors to the Song Dynasty would not be included in the list.
