fleeting photos

After breakfast in the morning, Xie Jin led Jiang Han to Wenxuan Hall for class, and Jiang Zhao went to the imperial study to review papers.

After approving for a while, the Ministry of Rites came to meet with the emperor to discuss the year-end matters.

The newly appointed Minister of Rites, Yue Ting, was appointed by Jiang Zhao himself, so he naturally knew his master's attitude towards the current servant, so he didn't take him with him this time, but took Xie Hui, who was obviously more favored by the emperor.

Xie Hui has not long been in the Ministry of Rites, and now he is still learning more than making a job, but he is smart, well-behaved, very studious, and has won Yue Ting's approval. Apart from Jiang Zhao's face, he himself is also willing to promote Xie Hui.

The two invited Ann, and seeing that the royal case was full of papers, they knew that His Majesty was very busy.

Yue Ting hesitated a little, and asked cautiously: "Did the humble minister delay His Majesty's handling of government affairs?"

"It's not a delay, just tell me what you have to do." Jiang Zhao put down the ink brush, rubbed his wrists, and looked up at him.

Yue Ting nodded, bowed his hands and said: "Return to Your Majesty, it is only two months away from the New Year's Eve, and the Ministry of Rites has already started to prepare related matters. In some places, His Majesty still needs instructions."

Jiang Zhao was most annoyed by these cumbersome and complicated etiquette issues. It sounded like a headache, so he directly ordered: "Just follow the previous years, but don't be too extravagant. Save as much as you can. If it's cold today and the barbarians can't stand it, you can do it at any time." It is possible to invade the border, and this year's taxes are limited, so I have to leave more military expenses for me."

"Your Majesty, don't worry about this. Yu Shangshu of the Household Department has already discussed with this official, and this official knows it well."

Yue Ting knew that His Majesty has always been frugal, so naturally he would not come here to scold him with an idea that would waste money and energy. He came here this time, and what he mainly wanted to discuss with His Majesty was not money regulation.

"The local vassal kings, officials, and garrison troops, as usual, want to give New Year's greetings to His Majesty, and ask to come to Beijing to meet the saints. I don't know if Your Majesty has already figured out which ones to announce to Beijing this year. The Ministry of Rites has made preparations early."

According to the rules, local officials and royal relatives who were entrusted with titles were not allowed to enter Beijing without an edict.

And during the holidays, no matter whether they want to come or not, they have to send a note to the emperor to congratulate him. If the emperor likes anyone, he will call him into Beijing to watch the ceremony. Place to be honest.

When the first emperor was in power, King Kang was kept cold in Mizhou by him, and he would not be allowed to enter Beijing during the holidays.

In the first two years of Jiang Zhao's reign, he also thought about whether to let Kang Wang return to Beijing for the New Year, but seeing that the papers he handed over were quite satisfactory, and it didn't look like he wanted to return to Beijing, so he didn't pretend to be affectionate and let him come.

But now that Jiang Han is in the palace, he has something to worry about, and every now and then, he will hand over a booklet to say hello. On the surface, he cares about the emperor, but in fact he still misses his daughter.

This year's New Year's card has not yet started to be handed over, but Jiang Zhao knew without thinking that her uncle might already be packing his luggage.

So he ordered: "Pass an order to Luodi to let Prince Kang and his wife come to Beijing to celebrate the New Year. Uncle Huang is not in good health and the snowy road is slippery so he can't make it on the road. Let them go early."

"As for the others..." Jiang Zhao knocked on the table, and Gao Sheng'an took a booklet from the shelf next to her and gave it to her.

Jiang Zhao opened the booklet, glanced at it briefly, and then ordered: "I heard that King Fuyang is ill, let him take care of him, the son and his family can go to Beijing, and Qiu Wenhe, who is on the inspection tour of Yunyang Mansion, goes to Beijing to report on his work, and the rest Just stay where you are and have fun with the people."

"The humble minister obeys the order." Yue Ting knew this in his heart.

After discussing some other matters, when Yue Ting knelt down to pay his respects, Jiang Zhao gave another order: "I will invite a distinguished guest to the New Year's banquet. You can watch the arrangements, so don't let people neglect you."

"I understand, may your majesty reveal the identity of the distinguished guest?"

The specifications of the palace banquet were all organized according to the system, and Yue Ting really couldn't think of who would be the person who could be called a distinguished guest by the emperor, and he didn't know what rules to follow to prepare, so he tentatively asked.

Jiang Zhao didn't mean to play tricks, and told the truth: "It's Master Yuanying from Huguo Temple."

"Master Yuanying?"

Yue Ting didn't realize it for a while. He had never heard that the emperor believed in Buddhism. He didn't understand why she invited a monk. It was Xie Hui who understood first, and explained softly, "It's Taifu Lin."

Although Lin Guan resigned from office and went back to seclusion, he was never given the title of Grand Tutor by the court after that, and people in the world still use it as an honorary title.

After hearing Xie Hui's prompt, Yue Tingfang came to his senses. Although he was curious about how His Majesty could invite Lin Guan, he also knew that this was not a question he should ask, so he just answered and led Xie Hui out of the imperial study.

After they left, Jiang Zhao read a few more brochures, called Yuan Xiang, and asked him to pass on Zhuo Yun's meeting.

Although Jiang Zhao has been in the palace for two months, it is not that she has no grasp of the capital. She has already ordered Zhuo Yun to send someone to keep an eye on the Zhao family. Really do nothing.

But after hearing Zhuo Yun's report, Jiang Zhao still felt a little puzzled.

"You said they reached out to the clan?"

"The bribe was actually given in the name of the married daughter, but she was just an out-of-reach collateral concubine who was promised to the Zongzheng family's half-breathed sick child. The wedding ceremony was simple, but the dowry was packed into several carts. There are also a few beautiful dowry maids who are arranged to enter Zongzheng's courtyard after entering the mansion, and the humble ministers are kept staring at, and one of them is about to take a concubine."

"Zongzheng is almost sixty years old, right?" Jiang Zhao sneered, and said sarcastically, "You really are growing old and strong."

She pinched her chin and thought for a moment, then told Zhuo Yun: "This matter is a bit strange, I can't guess Zhao Hengze's purpose, but left and right wouldn't be a good idea.

Let someone reveal it to Wang Yin, show him some evidence, and try to get him to read the Zongzheng book. I haven't managed the clan much in the past few years, so I should investigate this dirty place. up. "

"Your Majesty, let's do it."

Zhuo Yun works in a hurry, and today's order will never be left until the next day, Jiang Zhao sighed, wondering if she could finish the batch on the bedroom desk before Wang Yin's new book came up.

I haven't returned to the palace for two months, so the backlog is indeed a little bit too much. Jiang Zhao had dinner in the imperial study at noon, and he was busy all afternoon, reviewing the memorials, summoning the ministers, issuing imperial edicts, and not getting up until the top of the moon. Back to the bedroom.

Compared with her, Xie Jin is much more relaxed here.

There are not many students in the Wenxuan Hall. Apart from Han Xuan and Xie Jin, there are several other gentlemen. Xie Jin went to give an hour-long class in the morning and then returned to Xihe Palace to sort out Wang Yin's pile of memorials.

As she said, it looked chaotic, but it was actually orderly. Xie Jin took care of some unimportant things by himself, and there was not much left for Jiang Zhao in the end, but they were indeed more important things.

But Jiang Zhao had been busy for a whole day, and he really had a headache just watching it, so he lay down on the bed and didn't want to watch it anymore.

"During the two months you were away, the ministers of the court and the central government have been tossing a lot. You really don't want to see how Wang Yushi complained?"

Xie Jin sat by the bed, holding a memorial in one hand, and poked Jiang Zhao's back.

Jiang Zhao turned over to face her, eyes slightly closed, with a lazy expression, "I don't need Wang Yin to sue me for what they are going through, but since you have said so, let's read it and listen to it." .”

Xie Jin read the two notebooks in his hand to her, and Jiang Zhao responded flatly, and asked her again: "Do you have any notebooks to sue the Zhao family? If you haven't caused trouble for Zhao Heng for two months, you have to give me a big gift." give him."

"It seems that there really are." Xie Jin thought for a while, got up and went to the desk to find a memorial.

Jiang Zhao went over to take a look, and what Wang Yin told was that Zhao Zhiyao, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, was indulgent and ineffective in teaching his children, allowing his son Zhao Chengxu to molest good women in teahouses, tarnishing the court's reputation.

"This Zhao Chengxu, I'm afraid he felt that the wind was coming, and he ran out to do his best again."

Jiang Zhao's face was a little cold, and he thought of the dumb girl Song Yuniang who passed away innocently, feeling quite uncomfortable.

She hasn't told Xie Jin that Song Yuniang is no longer alive, and she feels that her laissez-faire strategy is indeed harmful. Seeing Zhao Chengxu's stubborn temperament, before she brings him to justice, she doesn't know how much Song Yuniang will be ruined.

Thinking of this, Jiang Zhao couldn't sit still, and called Yuan Xiang loudly.

Yuan Xiang trotted all the way, knelt on the ground and listened to her instructions: "Send this folder to Wei Liang's house, and tell him that the bronze medal I asked him to take back at the beginning should come in handy now."

"Let's go now?" Yuan Xiang couldn't help asking when it was already dusk outside.

Jiang Zhao nodded solemnly, "Go now."

"The slave obeys the order."

Yuan Xiang stepped forward to take the memorial from her, and trotted all the way to deliver the order.

Xie Jin was a little puzzled and said: "Even if Zhao Chengxu's actions are hateful, there is no need to send someone to pass the decree in the middle of the night, right?"

Jiang Zhao sighed while resting his forehead, and told the truth about Song Yuniang's death.

"I thought that after the previous incidents, he would always restrain himself, but I didn't expect that after such a short period of time, he would commit old problems like a normal person. It seems that he really didn't let me go. It's in my eyes."

It just happened a few months ago, Xie Jin naturally didn't forget who Song Yuniang was, she thought of the delicate and immature girl playing the strings, who had a hard life, but unexpectedly ended up like this again.

It would be fine if they were strangers, but I had met her and remembered her, which made people feel sad.

Seeing that Xie Jin was in a trance, Jiang Zhao knew that she must be feeling uncomfortable, stretched out his hand to comfort her in his arms, and assured him: "Don't worry, I will give Song Yuniang justice .”

"But Your Majesty, the Sri Lankan has passed away, can the belated justice still be called justice?" Xie Jintie asked in her arms.

Jiang Zhao was silent for a while, then shook his head and said, "I don't know either."

"There are gods in the human way, and I can't even the injustices of the world. I'm just an ordinary person, and I can't really help the world.

But the sages of the past, seeking the public and asking questions, are seeking the righteousness of the world, not in the power, but in the hearts of the people.

Song Yuniang died in vain, her father complained of injustice, her father was persecuted by the Zhao family, and Shen Xiuyan wrote a letter. If there is injustice in the world, there will be a prince. As a king, all I can do is to reward praise and destroy it. penalty. "

"There may be no end to the eradication of the world, but it must begin with the imperial court."

Jiang Zhao looked dignified, looked down at Xie Jin, and asked softly, "Are you satisfied with this answer?"

Xie Jin raised his head from her arms, looked at her steadily, his eyes seemed to be shimmering, "How could I be dissatisfied? I always knew that Ah Zhao would never let me down."

"Is this putting a high hat on me?" Jiang Zhao smiled slightly, reaching out to cover her eyes, "I'm not a sage, and I can't live up to the world in my life, so I can only work hard to live up to Jinniang's trust." .”

Her gaze was deep, and she sighed silently where Xie Jin could not see.