The identity of the direct son - Xu I's prosperous world

When Ji Chaozong and Ji Daohuai came to the Ji Mansion in Little Magpie Alley, Master Ji and Ji Heng hadn't come back yet.

Although Mrs. Xu was in the inner courtyard, she was always paying attention to the rural examination, so she also learned the news when the imperial court actually dispatched the Imperial Army to arrest people after the rural examination was over.

The younger uncles and nephews from the family came, Xu thought about it, and let them entertain them in the front yard.

She didn't know that the two of them failed to take the exam, and thought that they did, so it was something she came to see Master Ji after the exam.

Ji Chaozong and Ji Daohuai greeted Mrs. Xu, and Ji Daohuai said, "I'm bothering my sister-in-law. I don't know when Fifth Brother will come back."

Mrs. Xu said, "I'm a woman, but I don't know about the master. Sometimes he comes back early, sometimes he comes back late. If you have something to do, you can leave a letter here. When the master comes back, I will also come back." Let him watch and deal with it."

Ji Daohuai said, "Then let's wait for Fifth Brother, I'm afraid we will bother my sister-in-law."

Mrs. Xu said, "It's a family, so why bother. I don't know if you can have a meal. I'll ask the kitchen to prepare some."

After Mrs. Xu ordered her to prepare the meals for the two guests, she didn't want to stay any longer and left the front yard to the back yard while the servants waited on her.

After walking a few steps, she heard voices in the carriage yard. She was actually worried about Ji Heng. During the recent period, both Ji Heng and Mr. Ji were a little nervous, and Mr. Ji was always called to talk in the front yard by Mr. Ji , she knew that the emperor was going to make a big move here.He wasn't worried about Master Ji, he was just worried about his son, afraid that nothing would happen to him in the palace at such a young age.

She didn't go back to the backyard, but went directly to the chariot and horse yard, and when she arrived, she saw that it was Ji Heng who had returned.

Although it was mid-February, the weather was still quite cold. Ji Heng got out of the carriage wrapped in a sapphire blue cloak, and Xu took it up, saying, "My son, why did you come back so late today."

Ji Heng smiled at him and said, "Something happened in the court, the emperor kept us in the palace, and now he let us come back."

Mrs. Xu came up to hold his hand and said, "Hurry up and go into the backyard with your mother, and tell me about it."

Ji Heng said helplessly, "Actually, there's nothing wrong with it."

The two entered Xu's room together, where Xu Qilang was waiting for Ji Heng to come back, and was playing Huarong Road with the maid Lizhi, when he saw Ji Heng coming in, he got up with a smile and said, "Why did you come back so late today?" , we are all waiting for you to eat."

Ji Heng took off his cloak and said, "You can just eat, I'm late because I have something to do in the palace today."

Xu Qilang is also well-informed. Before Xu asked questions, he had already approached Ji Heng and asked in a low voice, "I heard that there was a serious fraud case in Chunwei this time. Before it was over, the investigation had already begun, and many people were arrested as soon as the exam was over, what's going on here."

This case was planned by the emperor last year, and the fraud in Jiangnan Township Examination last year was very ugly, but it was a place under the control of King Wu, and Mr. Li Ge in the middle of the court was colluding with King Wu at that time, so the emperor was completely helpless It's okay, so it would be better if the trial fraud case will become big this year, and by the way, it will muddy the water and remove some people, which can be regarded as the emperor's first preparation for the pro-government.

Although Ji Heng arranged to participate in the whole process of the case, he lied in front of Xu Qilang and Xu at this time, but he didn't show any clues, and said unhurriedly, "How do I know this, I'm afraid I have to wait for my father to come back and ask my father about it." Yes. But my father is in charge of the criminal department, I think I have been busy recently, I don’t know when I will be back today, and maybe I won’t come back.”

He said he didn't know, so Xu Qilang had no choice but to stop asking, but Xu said, "If he doesn't come back, I have to ask someone to see if he wants thick clothes and some food. That's all. Ji Shisan and Chaozong of the family are still waiting for him in the front yard."

When Ji Heng heard these two people, he said, "Are they here?"

Mrs. Xu nodded, "Yeah, I just came here not long ago, I'm afraid I came here right after the exam."

Ji Heng was stunned for a moment, "Mother, let me go and see them. It would be good for you to send someone to ask father what is needed, but if father is not allowed to communicate with him internally and externally, then there is no need to ask again. Take care of it, I think this case will not be easily let go."

Mrs. Xu also knew the taboo of investigating cases in the officialdom, and after agreeing, she said to Ji Heng, "They want to eat at this time, and we will eat first before you go. It's not an urgent matter."

Ji Heng saw that he didn't eat, and Xu Shi and Xu Qilang didn't eat either, so he had no choice but to agree. He washed his hands and face, changed his clothes, sat down and had dinner, and then went to the front yard to meet Ji Chaozong. They are gone.

At this time, Mr. Ji really hadn't come back, and the person Xu sent to the yamen to inquire, didn't get any news, saying that the yamen was already guarded by many soldiers, and the inside and outside were not allowed to communicate with each other.

It can be seen from this that the imperial court handled things very quickly this time.

Ji Heng greeted Ji Chaozong and Ji Daohuai in the reception hall of the front yard. Although Ji Heng was young, the two of them didn't dare to push too much in front of him. Ji Chaozong even stood up and returned the greeting to Ji Heng. Then they sat down again.

Ji Heng said, "Uncle Thirteen, big brother, it is said that there was a fraud case in this scientific examination, and the result is not counted. I am afraid that you will have to stay in Beijing for a while. Maybe the emperor and his cabinet ministers will set another date to take the examination again. .”

Ji Daohuai said, "I don't count this time, I and Chaozong are not at a loss. We ate something wrong before and had diarrhea for a day, so we couldn't refer to it."

Ji Heng pretended to be surprised, "This kind of thing actually happened. It seems that the fraud case is a good thing for you, uncle and brother, and you can take another exam to make up for it later."

Ji Daohuai smiled, and said, "Ji Heng, you are reading in front of the emperor, do you know any news? It is said that the emperor has come forward to handle this case, is it true or not?"

Ji Heng said, "Earlier Li Ge and the Marquis's Mansion had a fierce quarrel with each other before, but this time there was a fraud case in the examination room, and both parties probably couldn't get rid of it. Lord Ouyang reported the case directly to the emperor. It is best not to preside over this matter. It would be good for the emperor to preside over this matter. At least the emperor is young and will be lenient. Just give Enke another exam. If the scholars staying in Beijing can submit a joint letter requesting the emperor to handle this matter, This is a good thing for the emperor and the scholars of the world."

Ji Heng's words were very clear, and Ji Daohuai was very good at franchise, so he naturally knew how to do it.

In order to investigate the fraud case in the examination room, Mr. Ji did not come back to the mansion for four consecutive days. On the third day, only two soldiers came to the Ji mansion, and asked the Ji mansion to collect warm clothes and send them over.

After several days of trembling and panic among the scholars in the capital, hundreds of people jointly signed a letter, asking the emperor to handle the case himself.

Although the emperor also participated in the handling of the case, he sat in the Wenyuan Pavilion and listened to the report. After the scholars jointly signed the letter, the cabinet ministers could not let the emperor make a decision.

So the emperor was not polite, saying that last year's Jiangnan rural examination fraud case would also be thoroughly investigated.

In the investigation of the fraud case in the examination room, it can be said that there were not many people involved. At first, only scholars in the examination room were arrested, and later many officials were arrested.

At the moment, people in the officialdom were panicked, and the situation in the capital was chaotic and unclear, but there was one sign that became more and more obvious, that is, the emperor began to take power, and many officials were already directly on the emperor's side.

It was late March, and the capital had already warmed up. The fields were green, the trees were green, and the willows along the river bank were spreading their green leaves like smoke.

After more than a month, although many people were arrested in the fraud case in the examination room, the results were not found out. It is uncertain who leaked the exam questions. It was denied, and it was also said that Mr. Zhou leaked it, but there was no result.

The emperor said that he didn't want anyone to be wronged, so he had to continue the investigation.

It was said before that there would be a re-examination, because it was too late to find out why the fraud case missed the questions in the first place, so the re-examination matter was gone. After discussing with the cabinet, the emperor decided to postpone the exam until next year, and never The treasury allocated money to subsidize the scholars who stayed in the capital.

At the beginning of April, the peonies in the garden next to the Empress Dowager’s Fengyu Palace were in full bloom. There were dozens of varieties of peonies in it. There were more than a dozen gardeners working here to take care of these peonies. Peonies are the Empress Dowager’s favorite flower. During the open season, she likes to linger in this peony garden the most, as if she can absorb the spirit of these peonies, and can also keep this graceful and luxurious beauty forever.

Yang Qinji played truant from school this afternoon and hid in the garden in a daze.

He wanted to go home, just to go home.

He could see that the emperor was not as simple and incompetent as the rumors said, on the contrary, he was too capable.

Yang Qinji felt afraid of the emperor when he saw him recently.

After all, Yang Qinji grew up in the palace, so he still has some political foresight.

His father wanted to enter Beijing to be the emperor, but it would be very difficult.

Unless he really came to Beijing and succeeded in seizing the throne like Ming Chengzu, his father had money, food and soldiers. .

Yang Qinji now only wants to live, not to die, so he has developed a cowardly heart, and doesn't want to be his father's victim; if his father doesn't come to Beijing, then the emperor will have to die suddenly, then his father can unite Minister, let the queen mother appoint him Yang Qinji as the new monarch. Of course, he may also appoint his elder brother as the new monarch, but his father can only be the emperor; these two are better possibilities. Now that the political situation in the capital is changing rapidly, his My father is far away in Hangzhou, so I can't control it.

Marquis Dingguo accompanied the Empress Dowager for a walk in the peony garden. There was not even a cat in the peony garden at this time, and there were guards guarding the entrance, so it was a good place to talk. After hearing about the situation in the homes of several other vassal kings, what was the result?"

Ding Guohou said, "The King of Shu in Chengdu is the best choice. His youngest son is a legitimate son, only seven years old. I heard that he has a good personality, but he can support him. There is a saying that Yangzhou is the first and Yizhou is the second. Now Yangzhou Although we lost to Suzhou and Hangzhou, Yizhou has been prosperous since ancient times. The king of Shu has stayed in Yizhou for a long time, and he will not have wolf ambitions like the king of Wu. Besides, he has ambitions, and it is not easy to travel thousands of miles to attack the capital. So I think, The youngest son, the King of Shu, is the most suitable."

The empress dowager sighed heavily, and said, "That's the only way to go. The Ai family didn't see that the emperor had such a deep scheming before. If we don't take action, we can't control him. Besides, King Wu has too much heart. , is also a curse."

Yang Qinji hid in the flowers, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he didn't dare to move.

Although the empress dowager and Marquis Ding spoke vaguely and out of context, Yang Qinji still understood what they meant. They were planning to get rid of the emperor and help the youngest son of the king of Shu to take the throne, and the queen mother was going to deal with his father. king.

It's not easy to deal with his father, after all, his father is far away in Wu, and he has money, food and soldiers, but he and his sister will be miserable, and I'm afraid there will be no good results.

At this time, his second brother had already returned to Wudi, and he didn't have anyone he could completely trust and rely on.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but use another brain.

After a while, the female official Jiexiang appeared at the entrance of the garden to look for the queen mother. The queen mother and Marquis Dingguo were already sitting in the pavilion, so she ran in. Yang Qinji was about to move, when Jiexiang suddenly glanced at him, but didn't stay, and walked away. After entering the pavilion, Yang Qinji didn't know if she saw him, and could not help but sweat again on his forehead.

After bowing outside the pavilion, Jie Xiang hurriedly said, "Madam, Mr. Guojiu, someone from Mr. Guojiu's house came to report and told the story."

The two people in the pavilion had been plotting something, and when they heard what happened, they were all shocked, "What's the matter?"

Jie Xiang said, "It is said that the princess had someone tie up an actor, broke his hamstrings, and scratched his face, so His Royal Highness fought with the princess and beat the princess to the ground. Miscarriage."

The two were even more shocked now. Although the queen mother was surprised in her heart, her expression was calm, and she frowned and asked, "I didn't hear that I was pregnant, why did I have a miscarriage?"

Jie Xiang said, "The person who came to report said that it was indeed a miscarriage. The doctor came to see and checked it out. Princess Xiang'an was three months pregnant before, and Princess Xiang'an didn't notice it herself."

The empress dowager and Marquis Ding couldn't maintain their calm masks any longer, they quickly got out of the gazebo and walked out of the peony garden.

Jie Xiang walked behind, Yang Qinji didn't hear what Jie Xiang said to the Queen Mother and the others in the pavilion, but he could clearly feel that something serious happened.

Otherwise, it is impossible for a woman like the queen mother to change her complexion suddenly.