Chapter 176: Who doesn’t know how to play the rhythm?

Spring Festival aftermath is not yet finished, the Da Lisi official office in a vein of laziness, the main official Guan Siqing presided over the opening of the seal ceremony, symbolic instructions after subordinates left, not long after the officials also began to one by one slipped.

Zuo Shaoqing wen zhengyin to find Su Yan pleasantries, the attitude is very warm, openly and secretly prying into the palace, condescending skills are extremely clever.

Su Yan originally felt with each other’s aura is not appropriate, and Shen Qi reminded him that this person is a hypocrite, so secretly vigilant, net with some irrelevant words to play haha, while a smile, but also appear to be more enthusiastic than the other side.

Wen Zhengyin set and set, what useful information did not get, also know Su Yan is not a lamp, so fake smile and leave.

Su Yan was not in a good mood after dealing with his disliked colleagues, so he thought about finding a favorite and washing his eyes.

He went to the Northern Townships.

As for the four great vajra, it has been changed from openly following to secretly protecting. Because Su Yan said that the annual vacation was over, and there was a lot of walking between the official offices, and it would not be a good influence for him, a common fourth rank Beijing official, to keep having the imperial guards follow him.

The more you see no one, the cleaner you will be. Coupled with several contacts with Shen Qi, the emperor’s side did not have any reaction, Lord Su’s guts unconsciously began to get fat, always thinking of finding opportunities to use publicity for private gain.

This is not, as soon as into the northern township, the lobby also do not sit, and went straight to the light house of Shen Tongzhi.

When his carriage just arrived at the street corner, Shen Qi knew about it, and now the fragrant tea was made and the preserved fruits were set up, waiting for him to come to the door.

Su Yan will learn a good lesson, did not dare to wear the imperial cloak, only covered with a newly made blue cloak, with frost after the collection of dry potted zucchini to do cloak buttons, look chic and lining skin color.

When he entered the house, the fire pit was burning warmly, he took off his cloak and hung it on the coat rack, and said smilingly to Shen Qi behind the bookcase, “Is Lord Shen busy?”

When Shen Qi saw him, his heart itched, his hands itched, his teeth itched, everywhere itched, feeling like a volcano that was constantly boiling and constantly suppressed, and would one day erupt without any regard.

“Not as busy as Lord Su, a few places in a row, before finally thinking of your humble office and taking the time to come and see you.”

The words are sour, especially better than the small kumquat. Su Yan nibbled the skin of the kumquat in the fruit plate, and took the meat with the kernel to throw Shen Qi. Shen Qi copied a hand, sent to the mouth to lick, even with the core with meat chewed and swallowed.

Su Yan’s old face slightly reddened as he finished wiping his hands with a wet handkerchief and said, “You’re well-informed, so naturally you know what I’ve been busy with these past few days, and wanted to ask if there’s any relevant information.”

Shen Qi replied, “The intelligence is there, but it’s not free, what do I get in exchange?”

“The Spring Festival has high expenses, and the salary has been spent, so I don’t have any money for the time being.” Su Yan asked in a consultative tone, “Can we get credit first?”

Shen Qi made a fierce face and surveyed him, his gaze could penetrate through several layers of winter clothes, telling him not to shrink a bit. “OK, first on credit, I’ll get it back with interest later.” The head of the secret agent said with a suppressed voice.

Su Yan moved the stool under his butt back and waited for him with a dry smile.

“All the courtiers of Kunning Palace were put down in the torture room of the Secretarial Supervisor and tortured by the governor eunuch himself, but I heard that they didn’t try to find out what the masterminds were behind it.” Shen Qi said.

Su Yan thought for a moment and said, “I don’t believe this was a mere accident, I can only say that the person behind the scenes operated with skill and left no traces. These palace people were just being utilized and didn’t know the inside story.”

Shen Qi nodded: “The governor eunuch reported the same. So the Emperor ordered that the Kunning Palace palace staff who went AWOL on the night of the Lantern Festival, including the two guards who guarded the charcoal fire, were all caned to death.”

Su Yan hissed a breath and slowly exhaled, frowning a little intolerantly, but said nothing.

–

“Is it too cruel of me to do this?” Emperor Jinglong asked.

Lan Xi deeply bowed his waist, “There are naturally reasons for His Majesty to do so. What’s more, those people had already violated the palace rules and should indeed be severely punished.”

The emperor with one hand on the tea cup, one hand on the lid, gently pushed the floating leaves, “You ah, follow me for so many years, or only know to meet and greet, do not know my intentions.”

Lan Xi raised her head, her expression respectful, her eyes actually transmitting some heartache: “The slave girl knows that this is all for the sake of the little master. The emperor ordered the caning, it is the same as to give them a crime unpardonable, then the little master killed three of them, is also regarded as a clear and just punishment.”

The emperor sighed, “In fact, I have never been a lenient ruler. At this moment, I am also nothing more than a father.”

Lan Xi said: “Imperial Master Royal Pole fifteen years, diligence and love for the people, preferential treatment of subjects, the world is recognized. But after all, the son of heaven is the son of heaven, can not always harbor benevolence, otherwise how to govern the great nation of the people. The reasoning of the world is this, as the saying goes, charity does not lead soldiers, righteousness does not raise money, goodness does not serve as an official, love does not establish things.”

The emperor sipped a mouthful of tea, “Since the world says that I treat my subjects favorably, then the speech officers who attacked the Eastern Palace, I should also treat them favorably. Lan Xi, pass the decree, today’s imperial historian in the court admonishing, each person give silver two taels, a pair of imperial boots. You go to write four words again, send to the Duzha Academy, write …… ‘public loyalty to the country’.”

Lan Xi hid her mouth and smiled, answering, “The slave girl accepts the decree, and will go and do it now.”

He was just about to leave when the Emperor coldly asked again, “Where is the Crown Prince?”

“Still kneeling in the Imperial Temple, saying that he wants to copy the scriptures for the former Empress.” Lan Xi asked, “In a snowy day, it’s cold in the Imperial Temple, is it possible for the slave girl to go and invite the young master back?”

The emperor said, “No need, let him copy the scriptures, quiet elaborate or not. Other than that, what else?”

Lan Xi slightly hesitated, truthfully replied: “Su Shaoqing went to the Imperial Temple to see His Highness the Crown Prince. The two were alone in the center hall for a small half hour, the East Palace guards guarded outside the hall, I don’t know what was being talked about inside. Oh yes, when young minister Su went, he was still wearing the cloak given by the emperor.”

As if choking, the emperor coughed hard, put down the teacup, showing a complex look that was neither happy nor angry, and shook his head, “This Su Yan!”

–

“Giving two taels of silver and a pair of court boots? The emperor is really generous!” Su Yan snorted a laugh, “I also don’t know what kind of expression those magistrates had when they got the reward.”

Shen Qi kindly said, “Other than kowtowing to Heaven’s grace, what else can one do.”

The more Su Yan pondered, the more he felt that the emperor’s hand was so detrimental that it could be described as bad taste. “In the opinion of the emperor, they are so hard to perform, but also worth a two silver. The court boots are pink-soled soap boots, which can be interpreted both as complimenting them for being black and white, but because the white soles of the boots are on the bottom and the black sides are on the top, it can also be interpreted as reversing black and white. As for the four words ‘public loyalty to the country’, they are even more intriguing.”

This operation, another kind of tawdry …… Su Yan couldn t help but slap his thighs and hahahaha laughed a whole lot.

When Shen Qi saw him laughing happily because of another man, his gaze flickered like the cold light of a blade tip, and he did not show any displeasure on his face.

After Su Yan finished laughing, he remembered the main thing and said, “There are two other things that I need to trouble Lord Shen to help–“

He got up and walked to the front of the bookcase, pressed both hands on the desktop, leaned forward, approached Shen Qi’s ear, and explained a few sentences in detail.

Shen Qi listened without moving and said, “A favor can be helped, but again, it can’t be done in vain, does Lord Su want to continue on credit?”

Su Yan nodded and looked at him curtly.

There is something to ask for, but it is also because of another man – Shen Qi was on fire from the look, suddenly grabbed his collar and opened her mouth to grips the knot of his throat.

“Pay some interest first.”

Su Yan knew that Shen Tongzhi was a dog, specializing in biting people, so he pre-empted the situation, lowered his head and bit his finger at the collar, and replied, “There is no interest. The note is here, to give you a stamp.”

He drew back, took the cloak on the coat rack and put it back on, smiled and said “Lord Shen, farewell”, and did not wait for a response, walked away.

Shen Qi hung his eyes to gaze at the water stains and faint teeth marks on his fingers, along the traces, re-biting a deeper cover on it, and then the skin was broken and blood flowed.

Looking at the seal of indebtedness, which he could keep for much longer, he ticked the corners of his mouth with satisfaction and licked the remnants of blood clean.

–

After receiving the shabby reward, part of the imperial inspectorate of the imperial censor looked at each other, momentarily confused about the emperor’s intention. But even if it is shabby, it is still heaven’s grace, and one by one, they kowtowed and thanked the emperor. Jia imperial historian was the first to figure out the flavor, palm and said: “His Majesty has always doted on the Prince, I was reprimanded the previous time I submitted a petition to correct the East Palace. This time, His Majesty not only did not reprimand us, but also gave us property, what does that mean?”

“What?” The others asked.

“It means that His Majesty is not happy, but he still has to take into account the face and reputation of the royal family, and has to appease the officials. I believe that as long as we stick to our duties and dare to criticize and admonish, His Majesty will definitely be able to accept our advice.” Jia imperial historian said impassionedly.

“It makes sense, so we must not retreat, when we go forward and die!” The royal historians drummed up their spirits.

After the small gang dispersed, Jia Gongji frowned, carrying a pair of imperial soap boots, secretly annoyed: His Majesty is insinuating ah! However, even if it really offends His Majesty, the words to say, the impeachment, I can not lose a word. This is the true color of a magistrate.

At this moment, a clerk came and delivered today’s report.

Each issue of the Di Di newspaper booklet, Jia Gongji have to read word by word, after all, is an extremely important source of information about the court. He flipped a few pages, suddenly saw a sacrifice, look at the signature from the Prince’s hand, the sacrifice is the first filial piety Hui Ci Queen.

Jia imperial history of the East Palace’s knowledge and literary talent not to report any hope, who expected a glance into, never pull out. He finished reading in one breath, half a long time in a daze, opened his mouth, but unprecedentedly became a mute cannon.

–

The Di Di newspaper copied to the capital of the various government offices, and soon spread from the government offices to the scholar-gentry students, many people read weeping, deeply moved, evoking the memory of their own deceased Yan Ci and friends and relatives, and even spontaneous transcription, reciting more than, and gradually from the scholars spread to the city of the wells.

“The Text for the Sacrifice of the Forefathers and Mothers”. Have you read it? Have you read it? Go and read it, it’s so well written!”

“Although my slave can’t read, I asked Mr. Street to read it for me, but my slave understood every word, and not only did I understand it, but I cried ……”

“It is not easy ah, just born soon after the loss of mother, day and night longing not to see, can only be sent to the palace and relics, who expected to be burned to the ground by a fire, even a thought have no place to send.”

“No wonder in a fit of rage killed the palace people, so it was their dereliction of duty that led to the Kun Ning Palace fire. I a watchman warehouse, Lantern Festival as usual honest shift, but they dare to sneak away to see the lights, really hateful.”

“What drunkenness, chopping and killing a hundred or ten, full of corpses …… turned out to be all rumors. A total of just three killed, or made a big mistake.”

“Didn’t you read the official notice, saying that those palace men were AWOL, violated the palace rules, and were disrespectful to the former Empress, and were all given the death penalty. It can be seen that the ones that Little Master killed were originally the ones who deserved to die.”

“Sir, is there still a copy of the text of the Ritual to the Ancestral Mother? I beg to lend the student a copy of the transcription.”

“Narrative of the first Empress of mercy, a wave of three twists and turns, stumbling; the table left behind the heart of the son of man, the azalea cries blood, tearful. Pin Pin, good Pin Pin, what is called out of the heart of the people, do not seek to work but since the work! You all learn by heart, today’s window lesson, memorize His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s ‘Sacrifice to the late mother’s text’, each student copy it three times, and turn it in tomorrow when you come to the school.”

As if overnight, this sacrificial article in the Di Di newspaper spread all over the city like a spring after the rain. Many people scrambled to copy it, and the demand for paper in the bookstores exceeded the supply, almost recreating the scene of expensive paper in Luoyang in the Jin Dynasty. There were also many more scribes on the streets, charging only extremely meager remuneration to copy this article for others, even for free.

These copyists, as well as some gossipers in teahouses, taverns, and inns, appeared everywhere in the city after sunrise, and after sunset …… changed into the green clothes and caps of the Jinyiwei fangs, and returned to the North Zhenfu Division.

Xian’an Marquis and Feng’an Marquis House, naturally also got this DiBao, heard the scholarly and marketplace on the Prince of public opinion to a big reversal, the front of the thousands of padding, as well as cost a lot of time, manpower, material resources of the momentum, have done a basket of water, WeiYan and QinMadam gas nearly spit blood.

And the same as the wind candle Wei Jun, learned that Su Yan was deposed and then returned to the capital, but also the official reinstatement, has been back over a gas, easy to rescue. This time, the family is hidden, do not dare to tell him to know.

Mrs. Qin came up with a plan: to mend the fold. Rush to send people to all over the Tidang official head of the transcription room, in the second transcription of the hands, the sacrificial text of some of the words and phrases into the words of treachery, after the transmission to the states and counties, triggering local officials and gentry to report, so that the crown prince can not eat and take away.

Wei Yan thought deeply of this, and immediately sent a man to the copy room.

Who knows, each copy room door are guarded by jinyiwei, their people can not mix in, only to gray without success.

What made them even more annoyed was that it wasn’t over yet, the other side had another move after the other.

The capital’s largest temple, Yanfu Temple, held a faire on the twentieth day of the first month, taking advantage of the thousands of people who flocked to burn incense and worship the Buddha to exhibit three rare blood scriptures.

Two of the blood scriptures, from monks and masters who have already been seated, have aged ink that has turned ochre red.

The third blood scripture’s ink was a bright crimson color, mixed with a slight golden light, and all written in Sanskrit, looking at the extraordinarily Buddhist spiritual light.

Devotees and good people couldn’t help but inquire, this third Da Zang Ben Wang blood scripture is from where exactly, can we please go back to worship? But by the temple monks politely refused, said that this blood scripture from the nobleman, is specially enshrined in front of the Buddha, for the deceased mother to pray for blessings, is not written by the master.

It became a mystery as to who owned this blood scripture.

Shortly afterward, word leaked out from somewhere that the Blood Scripture came from the hand of the current Crown Prince.

Kunning Palace fire, the Prince asked to go to the Imperial ancestral temple to the first Empress to thank, mourning clothes Rusu, day and night sleepless blood copying scriptures, only to seek the soul of the deceased mother in heaven to be at peace, so far ten months is still copying unceasingly, has been the appearance of color withered, the body of the disease branching out.

Filial piety is the first of all good deeds, and filial piety can be said to be the most basic moral code in the feudal era. Not only did Confucianism advocate that “filial piety and fraternal duty are the foundation of benevolence”, but the people also simply believed that those who served their relatives with filial piety could not be bad people.

For a time, the Prince’s reputation for filial piety spread throughout the capital, the folk praised, as when “the Royal Gate drumming snow teacher injustice, punish the evil and eliminate the treacherous twelve Chen” Su Qinghe.

This time not only Wei Yan and Qin lady and nearly spit blood, even in the deep palace of Wei Guifei also mad, hard layout into a bubble, and nowhere to complain, only to ruthlessly chastise the palace to vent their anger.

After barely calming her emotions, she told her beloved courtesan to send a letter to her mother, saying that the former plan had failed and that she wanted to see Mr. Crane for a while to ask for his further guidance.

When Mrs. Qin went to find Mr. Crane, he was copying something at the stone table in the courtyard. Mrs. Qin probed and saw that it was that damn sacrificial text, and next to it was a Sanskrit blood scripture from somewhere.

Mrs. Qin held back her anger and asked, “Why is the abbot copying this text as well!”

As Mr. Crane wrote, he said, “I am not copying the sacrifice, but the enemy.”

“What does …… say?”

“This person is good at manipulating public opinion, turning his hand to the clouds and turning his hand to the rain, he is a rare expert in attacking the heart.” Mr. Crane put aside his pen and blew out his ink, folding his hands at the blood scripture, “I have a formidable enemy to congratulate.”