every spring [comprehensive]

In the autumn of the 18th year of Kangxi, this year's major event, the Beiwei Examination, is about to begin, and the Xiaolians who take the bus examination will come in an endless stream, gathering in Jinghua.

This time is different from the previous ones. In addition to the ten-year cold window, the imperial examination candidates who have been preparing for the bitterness, there are also erudite scholars who have been recommended for the exam.They also come to Beijing to take the exam, but they are very easy to distinguish.The disciples rode all kinds of sedan horses, chariots and boats, and they could be seen everywhere in the streets or at the gates of the Yamen. Temples, restaurants, and teahouses in Beijing and outside Beijing became places for literati to board and meet friends.

However, if the Confucian scholars came by water, they would take the building boats of the officials of the frontier; if they came by land, they would be eight official sedan chairs, and even the bearers who carried the sedan chairs in shifts rode tall horses, shouting in front of each other and huddling behind them. , All the apricot-yellow tiger head signs of "taking the exam by order" and "avoiding quietly" were inserted in front of them.

Erudite Confucianism and Confucianism were held at the same time as the regular course, which caused a sensation in Beijing!This erudite school was opened once in the 19th year of Tang Kaiyuan, and the most recent one was after Song Gaozong went to the south, and it has been more than [-] years since then.It was called "Boxue Hongci" before, but Kangxi changed a word from "Hongci" to "Hongru".No matter whether you pass the test or not, you will have the status of "Hongru". Even if you fail to pass the test, you will be richer and richer when you return to your hometown with this status, which is very honorable.

Recently, whenever Kangxi was free, he changed into casual clothes and took one or two guards with him to go out of the palace. His demeanor of being rich and well-educated made people think that he was also a candidate for the exam, so Kangxi often participated in the meetings of literati candidates who met friends through poetry and prose. to the debate.He changed his clothes and changed his office in this way, went deep into those scholars, listened to their opinions on national policies, and pointed out current problems. These ideas gave him a lot of ideas, so he never tired of it.

Even the crown prince has been taken out by him. He usually wears simple and low-key clothes, so he doesn't stand out among the crowd.But the palace prepared no simple clothes for the prince. When everyone saw him bringing a baby to meet friends, and the baby was also carved in pink and jade, they all speculated which high-ranking official family he was from in the capital.There are often many connections behind this kind of official and rich children, so many people are willing to make friends with him.

Because the current atmosphere is like this, well-connected people often have more resources than poor students, and they can go further.Kangxi had learned from them a long time ago that even if he brought a few thousand taels of silver bills to the bustling place of the capital, he might not see any high-ranking and powerful official after going through various checkpoints and referrals.

Although Kangxi was aware of the fact that his subordinates would receive filial piety before, he did not expect it to be so serious. He planned to investigate thoroughly after the test and kill officials at all levels and small officials who accepted corruption. atmosphere.

The world-renowned erudite Confucianism has finally started the exam.It was just dawn on this day, and the Confucians who came to take the exam gathered at the Supreme Harmony Gate. After Kangxi arrived in person, they knelt down on the ground to listen to the oracle.This edict was promulgated a long time ago, and these Confucians have listened to it several times since they were recruited, but today, listening to the edict in front of the young emperor outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, there is a special kind of solemnity. Feel.

After the edict was read out, Kangxi spoke in a loud voice: "Masters! The country wiped out the rebellion of the San Francisco, the military affairs gradually faded, and the literary movement rose. I hope you and others will advocate the holy way, show what they have learned, and live up to me. The sincere intention of pro-testing."

Everyone kowtowed in unison: "Thank you Long Live Long En!"

All the people entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony one by one. The bellies of the spirit turtles, incense tripods, cranes, and auspicious animals outside the hall were already lit with lily incense, and the mist shrouded them; Brilliantly bright.All this really gives people a feeling of "purple steaming".

Kangxi wrote the questions himself on the spot, and gave them to Zhengqing of Honghe Temple, asking him to copy and compile the questions with everyone in Honghe Temple, and then promulgate them.After the Confucianists finished answering the three test papers on poetry, fu and meaning theory, they would be given a banquet at Tiren Pavilion at noon. This is an unprecedented precedent in the ancient times.

Kangxi originally decided to write the questions himself and invigilate the exam, but he found that his presence might not be conducive to their performance. With the emperor on the side to supervise the exam, they even had very stiff postures when answering the questions, let alone whether their thinking would also be stiff. up.Kangxi saw the plight of the people, and it was inevitable that they would not be able to perform at their true level, so Kangxi left the Hall of Supreme Harmony and returned to the Palace of Qianqing to deal with the memorial.

On the kang, under the desks, and on the top of the gilded cabinets in the West Nuan Pavilion of the main hall of the Qianqing Palace, documents, battle reports, and rain watches from all over the world are piled up like hills one after another.Jianning is prioritizing the excerpts in the box of newly-delivered events from various ministries, and putting them one by one on the desk.

As soon as Kangxi came in, he said: "Finally, all those great Confucian scholars have been placed in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The exam is really not an easy task. I feel so tired for them."

Jianning was stunned and said, "I think they are quite easy, it is the easiest exam. There will be pick-up and drop-off throughout the whole process, so you don't have to worry about anything, as long as you can answer the questions with your brain. And in the future, everyone will become Incomparably noble Hanlin scholars—I hope they will know how to be grateful, and in the future, they will make less trouble for the emperor and contribute more."

Kangxi laughed and said: "This is a kind word of gold and jade. If those old masters hear it, you won't be ashamed of them."

Jianning said: "The emperor's brother came back so soon. I didn't expect you to come back so soon, so today's memorial has not been finished yet." It's time to sort out the memorials, and I will take the exam in the Hall of Supreme Harmony today, and the court will rest for a day.

Kangxi said: "It's okay, I'll help you watch it together. Since Yinfeng was handed over to you, you have never been free for a moment, and I can't do without you here. No princess in the royal family has ever suffered this crime."

Jianning said: "Similarly, no one else has the trust of the emperor's brother. I don't know how many people in this palace envy my job. In fact, life will be more fulfilling this way. I would rather be tired and die." sleep, and don't want to be idle and panic."

In such a vast country, there are tens of thousands of urgent matters every day. Jianning put a booklet at hand and said seriously: "This is from the governor of Henan Province six hundred miles away. Yu Guozhu, the censor, went to the Huayuankou River Peng Xueren's excerpt."

When Kang Zhan opened it, he saw that the Yellow River's Huayuankou broke the embankment, and both the prefect of Zhengzhou and the prefect were buried in the flood, and only Peng Xueren escaped from the river.Yu Guozhu said that Peng Xueren left his post without authorization and caused a catastrophe, and asked the emperor to punish him severely.

Kangxi said with a sullen face: "Peng Xueren, let's go back to Beijing, let him come in, I have to ask about this in person."

Immediately, a eunuch received the decree and passed it on to Peng Xueren.

Jianning looked at the sky worriedly and said: "This year is always rainy, the water level of the Yellow River and the Huaihe River have risen sharply, and more than a dozen places have broken through one after another. The disaster caused is not small. If the rain doesn't stop, it will continue .”

Kangxi said solemnly: "Since the first year of Kangxi, the Yellow River has burst almost every year. I know that river governance is a difficult task. It has been a headache since ancient times. Therefore, although the previous river governors have not succeeded in harnessing the river, I have not severely punished them. , but it has evolved to the point where so many prefectures and counties have been flooded, and it may be impossible to not strictly regulate it!"

Jianning said: "The Yellow River has nurtured countless people and flooded countless people. If the emperor's brother can cure this river, it will be a merit for thousands of years and benefit the people."

Kangxi said: "Jin Fu, governor of Anhui, is quite talented in water control. Several people recommended him to me. I have ordered him to return to Beijing to meet him in person. If possible, let him take over the post of governor of river control." But how can a Yellow River be healed by one person? Now it seems that the most rare thing is not the talents of the generals. If we want to manage a big country well, we need talents from all walks of life."

Jianning said: "Yes, the most urgent thing right now is to find talents who can control the water. Why doesn't the emperor issue a decree to gather talented people who are capable of water control to come to Beijing, which can be regarded as selecting talents for Jin Fuguang."

Kangxi said: "Yes, you can polish this decree. This time I have the determination to cure the Yellow River, and the talents will naturally be assigned to him. In addition, I will draw up another decree, and the provincial officials will visit the talents secretly. It is not limited to governance. He, anyone who knows astronomy, geography, numerology, calendar, rhythm, calligraphy and painting, poetry, machinery, and anyone who has a skill, should be recommended to the secretary to be raised, and if he is good at learning, he can come out to be an official."

Jianning went to the side to draw up the decree, Kangxi looked at the excerpt for a while, Zhang Wanqiang came in and said: "Your Majesty, the examination for the Hall of Supreme Harmony has ended, and the Confucian scholars have all arrived at the Tiren Pavilion, and the slaves came here to ask for the decree."

Kangxi said: "Ah, let's start the banquet immediately, so that they don't have to be formal, and I will go there later."

"Yes!"

Seeing that he didn't leave immediately, Kangxi asked: "What else?"

Zhang Wanqiang said: "Peng Xueren has arrived and is waiting outside."

Kangxi stood up and said, "Let him wait. I'm going to take the crown prince and the eldest elder brother and third elder brother to the Tiren Pavilion to have a look. Let them put aside their homework in the study room and wait outside the Tiren Pavilion." I." He asked Jianning again, "Are you going?"

Jianning was surprised and said: "Me? Let's forget it, maybe those old masters will change their colors on the spot when they see a woman mixed into their Confucianism banquet, chattering, and making a long speech."

Kangxi said: "It's not that exaggerated. You are the honor of the princess. If you can meet them, it's their honor. If you don't go, don't go. Anyway, I don't want to ask more." Jianning's character is quiet and not noisy. She will not attend any occasion unless necessary.

But there is a reason why Kangxi specifically asked her to participate this time. The governor of Huguang recommended a great Confucian named Wang Fuzhi. He has a great reputation and a good background. Brother, in terms of blood relationship, he is still Jianning's uncle.Jianning was working beside him, and she had already read the resumes of those Hongru, so it was impossible that she didn't know about it.Seeing that she refused simply, it was because she was not interested in meeting her mother's family members, and Kangxi did not intend to force her.

It didn't know when it began to drizzle outside again, and the eunuchs held up a big umbrella to block the small piece of sky above Kangxi's head, making sure not to let the raindrops get on the emperor.

Tiren Pavilion has two rows of seats from south to north, with a total of sixty high tables, and three or four people sit in front of each table.The banquet was hosted by Guanglu Temple, and the sixteen-color dishes were piled up high on Jun porcelain plates. The four large bowls in the middle were filled with seasonal fruits such as apples, fresh peaches, lychees and red bayberries. Hazelnuts, pine nuts, and other rare nuts are accompanied by officials sent by the Ministry of Rites to serve wine.

This kind of ostentation has never been seen in the ages, and the faces of these old people are already flushed before they drink, and everyone is dizzy.Some people even secretly picked up what they could carry and stuffed it into their skirts and bags. It wasn't that short of food, but they were brought out from the palace to share with relatives and friends.

At this time, people don't care much about whether they can pass the exam. Having the honor of giving a banquet is more decent and glamorous than anything else.Even if you don't serve as an official, the epitaph after death still has the words of embellishment.

When the last meal—steamed buns, paper rolls, red silk cakes, noodle soup, and white rice—came in, Kangxi brought the Crown Prince Yinfeng and his elder brother San Age in.As soon as he stepped into the door, he told everyone to just eat, don't be rigid, and visit and greet him casually at the table.

How could everyone eat any more, and everyone was so flustered that their hearts were beating.

Those who were present had met Kangxi. Kangxi at the fifth table on the left saw Shi Yushan, the master of Ci poetry of the Xuancheng School, and walked around and said with a smile: "It's been a long time, Mr. Shi! The last time I saw you was in Ruiling On the old pavilion in the garden, there were Hu Quan, Zuo Jingteng, Wu Sangui's eldest son Wu Yingxiong, who else was there—" Kangxi patted his forehead lightly, "By the way, Wang Shizhen. Now he is the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment. "

Shi Yushan never expected that Kangxi would talk to him alone, he stood up hurriedly, blushing and said: "My lord was still in modest clothes that time. It has been six years in a flash, looking at Wansui seems to be a little clearer, but his complexion is much better!"

Kangxi smiled and said: "Ha, I am young, I am better than you after all! You are a poor official who guards the Qingjiang Road and sold all the carriages given by others when you were dismissed. I remember you mentioned Pu Songling from Shandong that day. , very talented, how is he now?"

When Kangxi was young, he often traveled in micro-clothes. At that time, he let Wei Dongting accompany him to stroll around, and he was also a frequent visitor to the gathering places of literati in the capital.

Kangxi has such a good memory, Shi Yushan secretly admired him, he hurriedly smiled and said: "He writes often, and I received an article from him yesterday. This person has bad luck, and he has not been selected yet."

"Oh, is it poetry?" Kangxi couldn't help laughing and said, "Can you take it with you?"

Shi Yushan was taken aback for a moment, and hurriedly pulled out a letter from his boots, holding it in both hands.

Kangxi took it and said with a smile: "You take it with you, it must be good, I will take it down to have a look."

It happened that Wang Fuzhi was sitting next door. Although Kangxi had never seen this person, he had heard his name for a long time. When he walked up to him, Wang Fuzhi quickly stood up and saluted him. This learning is all-encompassing, and it is explained in the "Six Classics". In the south of Dongting, the vitality of heaven and earth, and the learning of sages are only on this line."

Together with Gu Yanwu and Huang Zongxi, he was called the three great thinkers during the Ming and Qing dynasties.He is the author of "Zhouyi Waizhuan", "Shangshu Yinyi", "Yongli Veritable Records", "Spring and Autumn Shilun" and other books.It's a pity that I have been working hard to fight against the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty. Later, after Concubine Jing was selected into the palace for some reason, although Wang Fuzhi did not blatantly fight against the Qing Dynasty, she still refused to be an official in the court. The direct sisters in the palace almost cut off contact.

So much so that Jianning had always thought that Wang was an orphan without a family, and it was not until this time that she saw Wang Fuzhi's resume that she matched Wang's.

Wang Fuzhi said hastily: "I am loved by the Holy Majesty, and Mr. Xiong also exaggerated because of his love for talents. Wang is just a sick old man, useless in the country and at home, and only expresses some literati's emotions."

In fact, Wang Fuzhi really broke off contact with Wang Shi, and she didn't know whether she was dead or alive in the palace.It wasn't until the Ping San Francisco that the only female general of the Qing court, Princess Jianning, became famous all over the world. When someone mentioned the princess's background, Wang Fuzhi discovered that she was actually the daughter of his sister, and Concubine Jing existed like a transparent person in the palace. Without Jianning's fame, Wang Fuzhi might never know what happened to the Wang family for the rest of his life.

Kangxi planned to invite the prince to meet him. After all, he was raised by Jianning, but found that the prince was not around. Yinti and Yinzhi pretended to be nonchalant and were still covering for the prince. Unfortunately, Huang Ama had already found out that he was gone!

Yinzhi hurriedly said with his fingers: "Huang Ama, the second brother is over there."

Kangxi and others looked at his finger, and Kangxi almost laughed.

On a table in the farthest corner to the north, the crown prince half-kneeled on a chair on one knee, tearing off the giblet with his small hands, and pouring it drippingly into a bowl for one person.It turned out that when Kangxi came in, all the more than [-] people stopped their chopsticks, but this person was sitting upright and eating calmly, and this person was familiar. The prince had seen him before when Huang Ama took him out of the palace, so he attracted the attention of the emperor. Prince.

Kangxi quickly walked over and stopped the prince: "Don't play tricks, didn't Wenda teach you?"

Kangxi also recognized him without Mingzhu's reminder. This person is Tang Bin. As early as the ninth year of Shunzhi, he re-entered the imperial examination of the Qing Dynasty and won the Jinshi. He became a priest in Tongguan, Shaanxi. In order not to disturb the local people, he bought three mules. The master and servant sat on one end, and on the other were two sets of shabby quilts and a bamboo bookcase.In the third year of Kangxi, Tang Bin's father passed away, and Ding You went home to observe his filial piety and never came back.

This time Kangxi set up a erudite Confucianism department, and he was also the one who took the initiative to take the exam, so the local officials did not do anything extra except to send someone to escort him to the capital. Kangxi, who traveled in micro-service, got acquainted.And they admired each other, Tang Bin never thought that this Mr. Long, who was talking about the history of literary theory with him, turned out to be the current emperor, and the child he was carrying was the prince.

Tang Bin stood up after leaving the table, and said with a smile: "This is because the prince loves me. The king has a gift, but the minister dare not resign."

Kangxi looked Tang Bin up and down, and said: "Recently, you look pretty good. I think the sequelae of seasickness has recovered. I wanted to ask you a long time ago. When you were an official in Jiangnan, you were dismissed because a prisoner ran away from prison?"

"Yes!" Tang Bin replied: "I have no reason for my duty. The fugitives are not released because of lax collection, but because of my reason."

Kangxi asked curiously, "How do you say that?"

Tang Bin replied: "My lord, that man did not commit any serious crimes, but he was sued by the landlord because he owed the land rent. In his family there was a blind mother in her eighties and a young child in swaddling clothes. One person was arrested and three died. , the laws of nature cannot be tolerated. Based on the emperor's instruction to rule the world with kindness and filial piety, and to lead the way of kingship with benevolent government, I am bold and presumptuous!"

Kangxi couldn't help but be silent when he heard this, the law of the country is inconsistent with reason, is there more than one case like this?But Tang Bin, who is willing to risk losing his black hat, has to exercise the justice in his heart, which is commendable.Thinking about it, I couldn't help but feel moved, if the prince is assigned to be tutored by such a person, are you afraid that you won't be able to teach a benevolent and filial king?Xiong Cilu is good, but he is too busy to get away!

After thinking for a long time, Kangxi smiled heartily and said: "If you talk about this matter, you are too Menglang, and you can't think of a way to get the best of both worlds? I heard that when you dismissed from office, the city went on strike for three days, and the people raised money for you. Tears were shed on the spot. It can be seen that you are a clean and honest person, and the country needs people with such moral character as you, but occasionally you have to know how to adapt, so you can do it yourself!"

After finishing speaking, he took the crown prince and two elder brothers, smiled and nodded to the Confucian scholars, and walked out of Tiren Pavilion slowly.

Asked to send the brothers back to the study room, Kangxi arrived at the Palace of Preserving Harmony, and asked to call Peng Xueren to meet him.

Because it was raining outside, he had been kneeling in the rain in front of the imperial street of the Qianqing Palace before, Peng Xueren's body was already soaked, and the autumn cold invaded his body with the rain, he looked very stiff, I don't know if he was frozen or thinking In response to the emperor's questioning, he was completely unaware of the cold around his body.

Seeing him like this, Kangxi asked, "Do you feel aggrieved by letting you drench in the rain?"

Peng Xueren knelt in front of Kangxi, touched his head to the ground and said: "Millions of souls are still soaking in the river, and I just got a little rain, so I dare not express my grievances."

Kangxi got up angrily, and said: "You know it too! Hundreds of thousands of people were flooded by the breach of the garden gate! The magistrate is dead, and so is the Tongzhi. Why are you all right? Could it be that you are an official on the river, and the river water is very special?" favor you?"

Peng Xueren tearfully reported: "The two of them committed suicide by jumping into the river when they saw that the levee was not safe. The three of us made an agreement. I will return to Beijing to report to the emperor and then receive the death penalty."

Kangxi took a deep breath and said, "Tell me, what's going on."

Peng Xueren said: "At that time, five dikes were breached. Zheng Zhifu and I rushed to the scene and led people to seal up the breaches. Originally, four dikes were blocked, but there were not enough sandbags for the last one. There was really no other way, so the servants who ruled the river joined hands to form a human wall, trying to block it for a while, and the people behind them were all their close relatives, but..."

Peng Xueren wanted to cry, but in front of Kangxi, he could only hold back desperately, tears streaming down his face and said: "But it can't be stopped, another big wave hit, and all the openings were rushed away! Everyone around was drowned in an instant. It became a vast ocean, and because of the mastery of water, the servant was washed [-] miles downstream before he managed to catch a tree and climb up. They were all dead, everyone was dead... The servant dragged this useless body and had to go to the river. The emperor is coming back." His suppressed crying made Kangxi upset.

Kangxi didn't expect the situation to be so bad, even the sandbags were not enough, can it be said that the river is not working hard? He looked at Peng Xueren, who was lying on the ground, silent for a while, and said, "Go back, Jin Fu, the new governor of the river, will I'm going to Beijing, so you can work under his curtain in the future."

The next day, Kangxi and several ministers Zhou Peigong, Xiong Cilu, Li Guangdi and others went to visit Changchun Garden.Accompanied by a group of Hanlin scholars, they recite poems and compose Fu arty.In the end, Kangxi decided to allocate money from the customs of Wei Dongting to rebuild the garden and make it a place for the empress dowager to take care of her.

On the morning of the third day, Kangxi started to work, personally reviewing the examination papers of erudite scholars and Confucian scholars.

When Zhou Peigong came, the Hall of Mental Cultivation was quiet. Kangxi was holding a list, frowning and meditating. Three stacks of papers were pushed aside neatly on the desk. Underneath, Xiong Cilu and Mingzhu Suo'etu sat upright. Waiting quietly on the wooden machine for Kangxi to ask.

Hearing the sound of the curtain, Kangxi turned his face and saw that it was Zhou Peigong who came in, so he smiled and said: "Zhou Peigong came just in time, you kept Wang Fuzhi's paper, is there a page missing?"

Zhou Peigong hurriedly replied: "Returning to the Lord, Wang only wrote one poem and one discussion, but he didn't write "Xuanji Yuheng Fu", so one article was missing-how important is this matter, how dare a slave Hasty."

Kangxi said to Xiong Cilu: "No wonder you didn't put him in the first, second, and third ranks. I thought it was a mistake!"

Xiong Cilu said: "It's not just Wang Fuzhi, other people also have various situations, some rhyme wrongly, some don't know how to avoid taboo...there are endless problems."

Kangxi picked up a stack of test papers and said: "These papers contain mistakes, omissions, ambiguities, and insinuations. They are contemporary great Confucians who know the world poorly. Naturally, their knowledge is very good. How could they make such low-level mistakes? It seems that they This is because I feel that I am forced to take the test and express my dissatisfaction to me."

The three people who were sitting hurriedly stood up, and Kangxi said: "You are sitting and sitting, I am not angry. It's just that the answer to this paper is like this. If I get it, they will laugh at me for not being able to see this problem." , there is no real learning at all. If the questions are distributed according to the papers, then the most famous people will probably fall off the list. Who in the world will believe that their knowledge is not good? And this time, the erudite Confucianism can only accept some second-class talents , and violated the original intention of recruiting talented people. Their intentions to treat me are so mean, it seems that only one exam can't make them submit."

These words also made all the veterans very upset. The court and the emperor have put in so much effort. How can these veterans of the former dynasty be so troublesome? !

Mingzhu said angrily: "The intentions of these people are really sinister. This is called ignorance of flattery! According to my opinion, I copied their test papers intact in the mansion newspaper, published it in every province, and let the people all over the world read it." Look, what level are these so-called Confucians, since they are not afraid of losing face, why does the emperor cover them up for them."

Suo'etu said: "The servant thinks what Mingzhu said is reasonable."

Xiong Cilu really wanted to stand aside and stop him, fearing that Kangxi would really follow Mingzhu's way in a moment of anger, so he hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, the old minister feels that the more they are like this, the more the Emperor can't be fooled by them! It was a momentary gratification in the mansion newspaper, but these people were scattered back to the common people, and those who were picked were really second-rate people, wouldn't it be a pity."

Kangxi asked Zhou Peigong who was silent at the side: "What do you think?"

Zhou Peigong said: "The minister thought that they should all be selected. This was agreed before the exam. The emperor knew that they would not take the exam, so he dragged it out of the way. What good intentions do he have to write poems and articles? But there are occasional clerical mistakes. If Strict selection, all the famous people are all famous in Sunshan, what is the difference from not running erudite Confucianism, all the years of hard preparation, all in vain. Of course they dare not scold the street when they go back, but the emperor has left an ignorant talent It is indeed a waste of talents... So I thought that it was absolutely impossible to use the usual imperial examination system to blame, but all of them got enough places, and even those who were not in the waiting list were awarded officials. Those who do not want to be officials can also be given a name. It's a break..."

Kangxi said: "That's it! You read it again carefully, and mark out everything that is absurd, and double-circle it with a red pen if it is well written! ——Decree, Zhou Peigong wrote the extra name of being a first-class scholar of erudition and great Confucianism! "

Suo'etu and the others were very surprised, but they knew that the emperor was deliberately flattering Zhou Peigong.

Zhou Peigong first thanked you, and then said unexpectedly: "I have been with the emperor for many years, and I don't care about my background in the imperial examinations. I was a failure in the past. The emperor did not give up, so I can serve until now. Today, the emperor gave me such an honor. Your decency, I am really terrified!"

Kangxi was also moved and said: "Pei Gong, I thought you and I could be a royal relative, even if we don't have this kind of relationship between the monarch and his ministers, you have worked hard and dedicated all these years, and I have seen it. You only need to serve the country. Be loyal, I will not treat you badly."

Mingzhu and the others were even more surprised, when did the emperor say such sentimental words to them!Doesn't it mean that Zhou Peigong's position in the emperor's heart is different!It was rumored before that before the three princesses got married, the emperor wanted to recruit Zhou Peigong as his son-in-law, but this matter has been unfounded, and several people involved never mentioned it. Everyone thought it was someone who made up rumors , but the emperor said it himself today, it really proved his words, they couldn't help but be surprised!

From then on, these assistant ministers will treat Zhou Peigong with more attention and caution.Moreover, the officials in the court are all shrewd people. Zhou Peigong has already gained a firm foothold in the upper study with his own strength. His martial arts and martial arts are among the best in the world.When it was the time when he was appointed as the Marquis and paid homage to the prime minister, the emperor gave him kindness based on his birth. This was obviously because he was regarded as a confidant, so he considered everything for him.

For example, Mingzhu is also very favored. It can be said that he is under one person and above ten thousand people. Why didn't the emperor think of changing his fellow Jinshi to be a learned scholar.

Therefore, this decree clearly declared Zhou Peigong's important position in the emperor's heart.

Kangxi knew that Zhou Peigong might really have a deep affection for Jianning, and he was hurt by his affection, as he himself said, he could no longer see others in his eyes.In the past few years, he didn't even have a servant around him, let alone a wife.

Kangxi sometimes saw him in his early thirties, not a few years older than himself.But Zhou Peigong's gaze was full of vicissitudes, sometimes it seemed like an old man who was dying.Kangxi was startled when he saw it, and felt sorry for him. If he hadn't made that proposal at that time, maybe Zhou Peigong would have thought about it sooner or later, and it wouldn't have delayed him for the rest of his life.But things in this world sometimes depend on the arrangement of fate, which cannot be controlled by human power.

At this point, the more than two years of erudition and Confucianism finally came to an end.Kangxi once asked Jianning if he would invite Wang Fuzhi, who had already entered the Imperial Academy, to meet him.Jianning didn't think it was necessary. Even if they were related by blood, they were just strangers, and there was no need to intentionally bring them closer.Jianning only said: "The future will be long, let's talk about it when we see it later."

However, she still made a special trip to Concubine Jing's palace once and told her about Wang Fuzhi's official position in the capital. If Concubine Jing wanted to see him, she would naturally summon him.

Concubine Jing has followed the Empress Dowager all these years to worship Buddha wholeheartedly, and with Jianning's support, no one dares to neglect her.In this palace, the empress dowager, who has no temper and is almost transparent, has the same disease. The more they get along, the more sisterly they become, and they live an unprecedentedly comfortable and comfortable life.As a very decent concubine, she naturally has the right to summon her family at any time.

Let's say, this autumn, the rain fell all over the sky, and God seemed to be crazy, and it kept raining.The water levels of the Yellow River and the Huaihe River have risen sharply, and dozens of holes have been broken.The Grand Canal and the tributaries of the Yellow River and the Huaihe River have all changed their old appearances. The muddy river roars, roars, rushes in, and rushes away. .Standing on a high place, looking around, you can see that the water mist is transpiring, the turbid waves are emptying, and there is a vast ocean everywhere.

Where the Yellow River is flooded, the villages and even the towns are deserted, and the crops are flooded, not to mention the harvest. If they don't leave here to find food, the people left behind will only be trapped and die here.

But at this time, there happened to be a man who did the opposite and walked by the water. His name was Chen Huang, his style name was Tianyi, and he was from Qiantang.Since he was short of water in the Five Elements since he was a child, he loved to circle around the water's edge, and this circling allowed him to figure out some tricks. Now that he has finished investigating the North-South Canal, he is about to enter Jin from Niangziguan and go to the edge of Hequ Town. As the Yellow River went south, his "He Fang Shu Yao" should be completed by how to control the Yellow River and how to find out the source.

He didn't go to the town to supply supplies until the dry food was exhausted. He happened to meet his old friend Gao Shiqi, who happened to be the first in the imperial examination and was appointed to Qingjiang County.

The two met on the street, if Chen Huang hadn't greeted him first, Gao Shiqi would not have recognized him at all.I saw that the visitor was 26 and [-] years old, dry and dark and thin, but with bright eyes and very energetic. He was wearing a tunic-flowered blue silk robe, standing with his legs apart and smiling with his hands behind his back.

Gao Shiqi: "It's Chen Huang! How did you become so virtuous?"

Chen Huang said: "I have been surveying on the levee all day long, and it has become like this in the wind and sun. Let alone you, if I go home like this, I won't even recognize my old lady!"

Gao Shiqi said excitedly: "Brother Tianyi, I sent a letter to Brother Ling to look for you before, and it is just right to meet you here!"

Chen Huang said strangely: "Even if we were childhood friends, we haven't seen each other for a few years. What do you want me to do when you come to the post? Don't you want me to be your assistant? You know, besides playing with water I don’t know anything, and I’m about to go down the Yellow River to survey the water regime there, so there’s no delay!”

Gao Shiqi took out the residence newspaper that he carried with him, stuffed it to him and said, "Of course I know you very well, you read this article, because the Yellow River broke the embankment, the emperor decided to recruit talents for flood control, and asked everyone to go to Beijing as soon as possible to meet the new governor. Mr. Jin Fu, the governor of the river, is discussing the strategy of intelligently governing the river! As soon as I saw this decree, I knew it was tailor-made for you, brother. What is the purpose of you surveying the water regime for so many years? If you can put it into practice It really has a place to use!"

Chen Huang had already finished reading the next article, and his eyes were full of splendor.Gao Shiqi was afraid that this friend would miss this opportunity, so he said: "Find a serious errand first, and you can let go of your survey. When the emperor He Zong approves of your strategy, I am afraid that there will be no chance to conduct a survey. You'll be sleeping on the embankment for years to come!"

These words really hit Chen Huang's heart, and he said resolutely: "Okay! I'm going to Beijing now!"

The highest-level recruitment notice printed in the mansion newspaper and published in various provinces really helped Jin Fu a lot, and successfully sent his good helper Chen Huang to him.

As soon as Chen Huang met, he directly stated his thoughts to Jin Fu, saying: the previous governors of the river had the heart to control the river but had no skills to control the river. As soon as the flood season comes, it immediately disappears.They will only use this old method of Yu the Great to control water, and as a result, the riverbed will be silted up every year, and more and more will be accumulated, causing a situation where it collapses and never returns to the river. The Yellow River wreaks havoc between the Huaihe River and the canal, blocking water transportation.

Chen Huang put forward the idea of ​​"building embankments to collect water and flush sand with water". He strengthened and heightened the river embankment, narrowed the river channel, increased the water potential, and accelerated the flow rate. ocean.The river bed must be getting deeper and deeper, and the river course must be getting lower and lower, so that there will be no danger of breaking the embankment.

Kangxi personally summoned Jin Fu, and the plan that Jin Fu presented to the emperor was carefully deliberated with Chen Huang and a group of newly recruited subordinates. The result of repeated overthrow and reconstruction has formed a very complete and feasible strategy.

The more Kangxi listened to their strategy, the more he listened to it, and the more he listened, the happier he became.

The river affairs are difficult and cumbersome, and the accumulation is hard to return. The river governor has been replaced by one term after another. Both honest and corrupt officials have capsized here. It has long been a serious problem for Kangxi. Now there is a different strategy for river control, and Kangxi is willing give it a try.

Kangxi and Jin Fu finalized the annual river governance silver and the total time spent, and let Jin Fu take the officials he personally selected to go to the river governor