Bachelor

Chapter 243 Sun Jingyuan's Opinion, The Emperor's Attitude
Xiyuan, the Abode of Yuxi Palace.

Sun Dan never thought that the emperor would be so unafraid of the cold.

The room was empty, with nothing in it except a futon.The emperor was sitting cross-legged on a futon, with a tulle curtain hanging over his head, fluttering gently in the cold wind.

The doors and windows were all wide open, and the biting cold wind passed through the hall one after another, blowing the faces of the eunuchs standing beside them as green as the roof tiles.

The emperor wore very little, only a close-fitting white cotton shirt and a blue wide-sleeved Taoist robe. When the wind blew, he seemed to be flying into the air.

Such a scene is indeed a fairy tale, but in the eyes of Sun Dan, Huang Jin and Bi Yun, they shivered at the same time: It's really freezing!
Thinking about it, it was understandable that the emperor took Taoist elixir every day. Those elixirs made of lead and mercury were originally hot and dry things, and they didn't feel cold after taking them.Of course, the damage to the body can also be imagined.

Bi Yun and Huang Jin both have martial arts skills and are physically strong. Sun Dan has also practiced boxing and kicking for more than a year, but the cold was still unbearable when he entered the ashram.

The emperor seemed to be in a good mood today. Seeing the three people coming in, he had a rare smile on his face: "It's coming, isn't it cold?" grace.In addition, this is the first major event that the emperor has done after he ascended the throne, so he was a little excited.

After all, Bi Yun is an old man in the palace who is used to serving people, and he answered very decently: "Long live is a half-immortal body, so it is naturally invulnerable to cold and heat. How can ministers and other mortal bodies compare with immortals."

"You, Bi Yun, can talk." The emperor nodded towards the eunuchs, and the eunuchs quickly closed the doors and windows as if they were being pardoned, and brought out four large pots of burning silver charcoal fire.The two incense burners were also lit, and the sandalwood rose densely.The room immediately warmed up, allowing Sun Dan and the others to relax at the same time.

"The three of you are old people from the time when I moved to the mansion. Huang Jin and Bi Yun were still in charge of the supervisor of ceremonies. This time they came together. Could it be that something serious happened? Tell me." The emperor and the other three warmed up. Come down and finally start asking.

"Something happened." Bi Yun presented the memorial in his hands with both hands, and explained: "This is a book written by Mao Cheng, Minister of the Ministry of Rites. "

The emperor accepted the memorial and did not read it, "Mao Shangshu's memorial is so full of nonsense that I don't even bother to read it. You, the supervisor of ceremonies, have read it all. What's your opinion?"

Bi Yun is much more shrewd than Huang Jin. Seeing Huang Jin's lips moved to answer, he stepped forward and said: "Returning to the words of the Lord Long Live, all the people in charge of ceremonies have read it. Bi Yun is an eunuch who holds a pen. He dare not say more. Everything is fine." Listen to Eunuch Huang. Eunuch Huang has an opinion on how to deal with it."

The emperor said casually: "You have also read Huang Jin, what do you think?"

Huang Jin seized the opportunity to speak and hurriedly replied: "Long live, the slave's opinion is to stay in the middle."

"Oh, stay in the middle, so the memorial of Mao Shangshu should have something to say." The emperor said lightly.

Bi Yun hurriedly gave a wry smile: "The paper is full of wild and rebellious words. I shouldn't have used this memorial to stain your majesty's eyes. But it's a big deal. From my point of view, I should have sternly reprimanded you. But Mr. Sun suggested giving it to Lord Long Live to have a look at. I will be punished with death." After speaking, Bi Yun pretended to be panicked, knelt down and kowtowed.

Seeing Bi Yun's strange behavior, Huang Jin was surprised, and suddenly had an ominous premonition.

The emperor was a little surprised: "I want to see what Mao Shangshu said?" He stood up from the futon, holding the memorial in his sleeves fluttering and reading as he walked.After just a few glances, he suddenly sneered: "Mao Shangshu really wrote a good article, citing scriptures and allusions, eloquently, as expected of being a Jinshi! Huang Jin, you are the eunuch who is in charge of ceremonies, and you mean to stay in the middle school?"

Huang Jin felt a little fearful in his heart, knelt down as soon as his feet softened, and said in a trembling voice: "What I mean...is...is to stay in the middle school, anyway...anyway..."

"Anyway, what?" The emperor stopped suddenly, and slowly lowered his head to stare at Huang Jin, his eyes seemed to be like a knife, wanting to tear Huang Jin apart for a look: "Liu Zhong, is that your opinion, Huang Jin? Liu Zhong, could it be that I am still wrong and need to endure? Could it be that you, Huang Jin, acquiesced in Mao Cheng's rebellious words?"

These words were said very harshly, Huang Jin raised his head in astonishment, before he could say anything, the pistol in the emperor's hand was thrown towards him, hitting him right in the face.The emperor's cold voice came from next to his ear: "What a dog slave, take a closer look."

Huang Jinxin yelled that something was wrong, hurriedly picked up the memorial, and read it carefully.When he saw the end, he finally understood the meaning of Mao Cheng's memorial. He panicked, and cold sweat the size of soybeans broke out on his forehead.

As the emperor said, the core content of this memorial is that the emperor cannot recognize his biological father. If he keeps this memorial and does not make any suggestions on how to deal with it, isn't that acquiescing to Mao Shangshu's opinion?

This is an extremely serious matter, if one is not handled well, one is afraid that the emperor will lose the trust of the emperor.

He kowtowed and wailed: "Long live Lord, please forgive me, please forgive me! This servant has never read this memorial, so how can he know what Mao Cheng said in it? If you neglect your duty, you will die! "

He kowtowed continuously, his feet were already wet, and the tears and snot dripped down his cheeks, dripping down.

Sun Dan and Huang Jin watched with joy, and a faint smile appeared between Huang Jin's brows.And Sun Dan still maintained a calm expression, a face that was calm and unwavering, even he admired his skill in nourishing qi so well.

"As the eunuch who is the supervisor of rites and seals, he doesn't even read the memorial of the foreign minister. Will anyone believe it?" The emperor yelled sinisterly: "Get out!"

Huang Jin finally cried aloud, and scrambled back out.

Seeing that Huang Jin was unlucky, Bi Yun finally couldn't help but burst into a smile on his face.

But all of this could not escape the emperor's eyes, the emperor was not happy, and said coldly: "What are you laughing at, as the chief eunuch holding a pen, if you don't discuss it with Huang Jin, you can bother me, so get out too."

Bi Yun's sweat also seeped out, so he had to retreat slowly.

There was no third person in the room, only the emperor and Sun Dan stood quietly.

The emperor fell silent, staring out the window.Outside, Bi Yun and Huang Jin were standing in the snow in an orderly manner, waiting for the order: "Sun Dan, let me ask you, is it his intention to stay in China that Huang Jin said just now, or did he not read that at all?" A memorial?"

Hearing this, Sun Dan felt a little disappointed in his heart.It seems that the emperor still cares about Huang Jin's old relationship!

After all, Huang Jin is the emperor's playmate, and his personal feelings are unmatched by anyone.If you want to defeat Huang Jin with this matter, it probably won't work.

A pity, a pity.

However, Sun Dan thought about it again, and this matter is not worth regretting.First of all, paper can't cover fire, even if Huang Jin is planted today, with the shrewdness of the emperor, he will definitely be able to find out the truth of the matter in the future.At that time, it would be him and Bi Yun who would have nothing to eat; moreover, even if the emperor's personal relationship with Huang Jin was not mentioned, it would be impossible for the emperor to see that Bi Yun was dominant and powerful in the palace. .

The emperor wanted to play balance, so naturally he refused to let Huang Jin fall.

Sun Dan thought he had figured out what the emperor was thinking. He looked at the emperor calmly, and replied frankly, "Yes, Eunuch Huang didn't read that memorial at all. The things written by Mao Shang are long, smelly, and empty. Eunuch Huang got annoyed when he saw it, so he let it go. But he didn't want to imply the sharp edge in Mao Shangshu's article."

"It's not just a hidden attack, it's just a stick and a gun." The emperor snorted, and when he heard that Huang Jin had nothing to do with it, his mood improved, and he had such an expression: "It's understandable that Bi Yun and Huang Jin have conflicts. You, Sun Dan, and Huang Jin also had a quarrel some time ago, but I didn't expect you to not make trouble."

Sun Dan said quietly: "The minister has always been open-minded in his life and actions. One is one, and two is two."

"What a gentleman is magnanimous, and you, Sun Jingyuan, really deserve the word "gentleman." The emperor sighed: "It seems that I have chosen the right person for letting you teach in the inner school. I just want you to teach me a group of minded people." People around you who do things frankly and honestly come.”

Sun Dan didn't speak either.

Seeing that Sun Dan didn't show any expression, the emperor gave another compliment in his heart, and suddenly said: "There are only two of you here, the monarch and my ministers. After reading Mao Cheng's memorial, my heart is a little confused. Sun Dan, you are the late emperor's think tank, and you are always quick-witted. In your opinion, how should this be handled?"

Sun Dan also knew that the matter of the ceremony was of great importance, and the emperor also knew that he was a person with certain influence. At least for now, Sun Dan also had a certain reputation among scholars and could represent the wishes of a large number of scholars.The emperor is forcing him to stand in line!
But Sun Dan also knew that he couldn't answer rashly at this time. The result of the grand ceremony ended in the failure of the officials, but in the eyes of the world, justice belonged to Yang Tinghe and Yang Shen.If you choose to stand on the side of the officials, you can win a good reputation, but you will offend the emperor to death.

If you choose to stand on the side of the emperor, although you will live a lifetime of glory and wealth in the future, you will have to carry a lifetime of infamy, and you will not be able to hold your head up in front of scholars for the rest of your life.For example, Zhang Cong later, although he held a high position, was a villain in the eyes of the world.

After a little thought, Sun Dan decided to play with soy sauce: "The universe is in His Majesty's hands, and His Majesty's heart is brighter than the sun and the moon."

The emperor looked at Sun Dan fiercely: "I know what I'm thinking. I use you, Sun Dan, with your resourcefulness and honesty. Now I want to listen to you."

Sun Dan had long expected that the emperor would say such a thing, and he was not afraid in his heart. He only pretended to have considered it for a long time, and then said solemnly: "Sun Dan believes that a person can only have one father. Be careful with things."

"Yes, I knew Sun Qing's family that you would not let me down." The emperor couldn't hear the meaning of Sun Dan's words, nodded, and finally roared: "How could father be mistaken? You told Wang Xianchang before. That sentence, I came to Beijing to be the emperor, not to be someone's son!"

He yelled loudly, his face contorted: "I can't even recognize my own father, and I have to ask them to appoint one for me. Such a strange thing has never been heard of in the ages. What did he Mao Cheng say that his proposal could be a father?" Divide concerns, be sincere, if there is any opposition among the ministers, it is a traitor, and the crime should be beheaded... In my opinion, Mao Cheng should really be beheaded."

After venting the anger in his heart, the emperor didn't feel that he had lost his composure, and waved his sleeves: "Sun Dan, the person in charge of ceremonies also said just now that Mao Cheng's memorial should be severely refuted. What's your opinion? ?”

Sun Dan drooped his eyelids: "Everything is judged by the Holy Spirit." It is better to be silent than a thousand words, and let's not go to this muddy water.It is still important to be a seventh-rank magistrate quietly, and then teach the little eunuchs to read.

"You..." The emperor laughed out of anger at Sun Dan: "Sun Dan, don't pretend to be confused, I want to listen to your truth."

Sun Dan felt a bit of a headache, so he didn't talk about it directly, but said: "How does Your Majesty view the relationship between the monarch and his ministers, or how do you view the relationship between the power of the monarch and the power of the prime minister? By the way, there is no prime minister in the Ming Dynasty, but As far as the present is concerned, the cabinet scholars and eunuchs in charge of ceremonies actually also perform the duties of the prime minister."

The emperor was a little strange, knowing that Sun Dan would not be aimless, so he calmed down: "Of course I have an opinion, Sun Qing has something to say." He sat down on the futon and pointed to the floor: "Sit down and talk, Today I will sit down and discuss with you."

Sun Dan said: "Since ancient times, the relationship between the monarch and his ministers has been a check and balance relationship based on the power of discourse in governing the country. It is like a seesaw. The emperor's side is high, and the minister's side is low; and the minister's side is high. The emperor's head is low. Therefore, when the emperor is famous, there are usually few good ministers;

Since the moment His Majesty entered Beijing from Daming Gate and stayed in Fengtian Hall, he has been at the high end in this seesaw-like game.

His Majesty and his courtiers had the right to speak on state affairs from that moment on. Now, His Majesty and his courtiers will inevitably have some contests, and the starting point of this contest is the dispute over the imperial examination.When His Majesty entered Beijing, although he entered the Daming Gate and stayed in the Fengtian Temple, he only bypassed the core of the Huangkao dispute, and did not solve the substantive issues of the Huangkao. "

The emperor listened quietly, nodded and sighed: "Since I ascended the throne, I have always felt that I can't perform well, as if I was tied up, but I never thought about the reason for all this. Listening to Sun Qing now After a few words, I finally understood. What do you mean..."

Sun Dan said: "Judging from the memorial of Shangshu Mao, on the surface it is the words of Mao Cheng's family. But when I came down to think about it, the cabinet had read this memorial, but did not write any opinions on how to deal with it. I think that although the cabinet did not give instructions, Not criticizing is also an attitude.”

The emperor suddenly came to his senses and sneered: "Yang Shoufu and the others are throwing stones to ask for directions. They really regarded me as a bird hiding in the grass beside the road. But I don't know how many Yingyingyanyans will be scared away when this stone is thrown out?"

At this time, Sun Dancai finally said: "So, I think that His Majesty cannot keep this memorial, nor can he express his attitude. It is better to send it back to the cabinet, let them discuss and come up with a specific opinion." This is also true history. In fact, Emperor Jiajing's only means of handling this matter.

Sure enough, the emperor took Sun Dan's words very seriously, and also understood the meaning of Sun Dan's words: "They are throwing stones to ask for directions, and I will come to throw stones to ask birds. I still can't understand the thoughts of the cabinet ministers, and I can't understand the meaning of Sun Dan's words." I don't know what they think about this matter. Let them discuss it first and let them all express their attitudes, so that I can judge the situation and take the next step."

Sun Dan: "What Your Majesty said is true." In fact, he also knew that after this memorial was issued, all the ministers supported Mao Cheng almost overwhelmingly.It was only at this time that Emperor Jiajing realized what it means to be united, what it means to speak in unison, and the horror of Yang Tinghe behind Mao Cheng.That experienced politician is not comparable to Jiajing, a newcomer in the political arena.

Of course, this is not what Sun Dan needs to worry about.No matter which side he, Sun Dan, takes in the matter of great ceremony, the result will not be very good, and there will be no practical benefits.

He said so many words today, but no one can catch him. If he passes the test, it can be regarded as a happy ending.

After the emperor made this decision, he seemed to be relieved, his expression relaxed, and he said with a pleasant face: "Sun Qing's family, you came today at a good time, and what you said has benefited me a lot. You and my monarch and ministers get along well. You should speak like this. Don’t be afraid of saying the wrong thing, I promise you that you won’t have a third pair of ears when you talk to me.”

"Yes." Sun Dan had no choice but to answer.

The emperor went on to say: "Yang Shen and Qiao Yu are really, they handed over places like Fangshan to you, and forced you to agree to a tax of 5 taels a year. Is it difficult for you to do this, but have you already thought about it? "

Sun Dan said: "Sun Dan also answered casually that day, but he had no other plans, so he could only take a step forward, hoping not to embarrass His Majesty, and prevent the tax reform plan from being unfavorable. The minister is also the senior of the inner school. , running at both ends, I am afraid that I will not be able to take care of it.”

"Don't worry." The emperor thought for a while and said, "Fangshan is not far from the capital, only a hundred or so miles away. After I come down, I will give you a letter from the post station and ask them to provide you with post horses so that you can come and go. convenient,"

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Sun Dan felt very satisfied in his heart.He has three classes every month in the inner school, and it would be convenient if the state can provide transportation.

"Okay, you go to Neishutang to report." The emperor waved his sleeves: "Go and call Huang Jin and Bi Yun in."

"Yes." Sun faded out of the room, walked to Huang Jin and Bi Yun, and said softly, "You two father-in-laws, Your Majesty wants you to come in."

Bi Yun and Huang Jin asked at the same time: "What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

Sun Dan smiled: "Your Majesty means that Shangshu Mao's memorial will be sent back to the cabinet for the cabinet ministers to discuss."

Bi Yun has read the imperial decree and knows the key points.He frowned: "Mao Cheng's memorial must have been read by the cabinet ministers. I'm afraid they still support Mao Shangshu in their hearts and send it back for reconsideration. I'm afraid it will be the same result. If that time comes, what should I do?" What to do? Bi Yun can't think of any way, Jingyuan, you have a good brain, talk about it."

Huang Jin also stretched his neck and pricked up his ears.

Sun Dan: "Send back the reconsideration, of course there will be no results, but it is also good to let His Majesty know the attitude of the cabinet. If it is not possible, this memorial will be made public to the world, so that all courtiers can discuss it."

Bi Yun said in surprise: "It's not very good."

"Maybe." Sun Dan smiled mysteriously.He was in a hurry to go to the inner study hall, and he didn't dare to delay, so he cupped his hands and walked straight away.

(End of this chapter)