Yongzheng period

The emperor was annoyed by my brother's inappropriate words," Hua Guifei said helplessly, "now the emperor is angry, I am afraid that no matter what my brother says or does, the emperor will only get angrier. " Then he said sadly, "Earlier, the people under my brother still wanted to hide it for the servant of the screwdriver, can they hide it!The emperor thought that the people under his elder brother's hands were officials protecting each other and forming a party of their own!Even Bengong was angered by the emperor, so he didn't come to Yikun Palace recently. "

Speaking of this, Concubine Hua Gui couldn't help but choked up, Zhou Ninghai hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, don't be sad, it's hard for your Majesty to see the Emperor now, so I will not be able to defend the General in the future."

Concubine Hua wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, and asked, "Then what do you say? What everyone can say, I can't say to avoid suspicion."

"Here," Zhou Ninghai said, "Your Majesty, this servant thinks that for the present plan, Your Majesty can no longer let the Emperor take his anger out on you."

"Then, let Xianggui speak for me?"

"That's not bad," Zhou Ninghai analyzed carefully, "Princess Huaike has been gone for less than a year now, and although Mrs. Xiang is not the most favored or the emperor's favorite person, fortunately Princess Wen Yi has won the emperor's favor. Divide thin noodles—and everyone in the palace knows that Mr. Xiang and Your Majesty have a good relationship, so it would be best for Mr. Xiang to speak on behalf of Mrs. "

Concubine Hua felt thoughtful when she heard the words, "So, Songzhi, go and invite nobleman Xiang to come and see me."

"Yes."

*

Qianqing Palace, Xinuang Pavilion

Yongzheng leaned back on the chair and looked at the memorial in his hands, while Daiyu studied the ink without looking sideways.

After a while, Su Peisheng walked into the room and opened the curtain to ask for instructions, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty Xiang has brought Princess Wen Yi here."

"Oh?" Yongzheng couldn't help but stop turning Zhezi's hand, and said in a deep voice, "Let her in."

The nobleman Xiang has always been on good terms with the noble concubine, and the noble concubine has been neglected recently because of Nian Gengyao's incident, the nobleman Xiang came so abruptly that he might be acting as a lobbyist for the noble concubine.Thinking of this, Daiyu heard the string song and knew the elegant meaning, put down the work in her hand and said in a blessing manner, "The concubine suddenly remembered that there are still affairs in the palace, so I don't bother."

Yongzheng didn't want her to be involved in this matter either, so he nodded and said, "Then I will visit you at night."

"Chen and concubine retire."

Daiyu walked out the door just in time to see nobleman Xiang holding Princess Wenyi waiting, so she said with a smile, "Go in, nobleman."

"Concubine pays respects to Empress Hui Concubine." The nobleman hurriedly gave a salute, and said, "Concubine, are you disturbing your empress and the emperor?"

"That's not true, it's just that my palace is haunted by vulgar things." Daiyu didn't want to say much, and said, "This palace will take the first step, and the nobleman should not make the emperor wait any longer."

"The concubine sends the empress respectfully."

"The concubine respectfully welcomes the emperor's peace."

"No gift, get up."

After nobleman Xiang entered the Nuan Pavilion, Yongzheng hugged Wen Yi from his mother's hand, and said with a smile, "Ama's Wenyi is so good, let me see, he has grown a lot." Then he asked nobleman Xiang , "A while ago I heard that Wen Yi cries every night and spits up milk from time to time—how is it all right now?"

"Yes, Your Majesty is worried," the nobleman said respectfully, "The imperial doctor said that the princess has a weak spleen and stomach, so she ate some cold food for a while."

"Those servants are not careful to serve the princess, so change another batch." Yongzheng rubbed the Buddhist beads on his wrist, and said lightly, "You were frightened before giving birth to Wen Yi, and Wen Yi is inevitably weaker, not to mention the daughter's family, who should be carefully protected." gone."

"What the emperor said is that the concubine is also very frightened when she thinks of the danger when she is pregnant with Wen Yi." The nobleman paused when he said this, raised his head and carefully looked at Yongzheng's face, and then said, "There is a noble concubine." Only when the empress protects each other can the concubine give birth to the princess safely."

"Well," Yongzheng said calmly, "How does the imperial concubine treat Wen Yi?"

"It's as if it's my own." The nobleman Xiang couldn't help but feel secretly happy when he heard that he was finally willing to talk about the imperial concubine. "A while ago, when the princess was crying, the imperial concubine also cared about the princess and couldn't sleep at night. She even went to coax the princess to sleep. Only after the empress is willing to sleep."

Hearing that Yongzheng's tone was very gentle, "It's rare for a noble concubine to have a motherly heart."

After Yongzheng talked to the noble concubine, he issued an order to expel the guests, and after the nobleman left, he continued to approve the papers until the evening.

Seeing that night was approaching, Su Peisheng stepped forward and asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, what are you at night?"

Yongzheng threw away the pen, heard the words without even raising his eyes, and said, "Didn't you say to see Concubine Hui during the day, and put on Changchun Palace."

Su Peisheng didn't dare to say more, "Yes."

*

Yikun Palace

At night, the Yikun Palace was still brightly lit, Concubine Hua Gui sat in the palace and counted the shadows of candles on the wall one by one.

Zhou Ninghai walked in and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, don't wait, the Emperor is going to Changchun Palace."

Only then did Concubine Hua move her body, and laughed at herself, "In the past, I was the only one who laughed at others and waited for the emperor, but today I finally let me have a taste of it." Gradually, she murmured, "Your Majesty After all, he is still angry with Bengong."

"Songzhi, turn off the lights." Concubine Hua looked lonely.

"Yes, ma'am."

For the first time, Yikun Palace also fell into dead silence.

【21】

By mid-October, after Nian Gengyao was transferred, officials both inside and outside saw the situation more clearly, so they exposed his crimes one after another.

One, in order to be a good fortune, he presented the objects to his subordinate officials, asking them to "order the north to kowtow and thank you"; Subordinates; even the forehead of the king of Zhasak County of Mongolia had to kneel and salute when he saw him.

The second is to form a party for personal gain. In the selection and appointment of civil and military officials, all those recommended by Nian Gengyao will be given priority in hiring by the Ministry of Officials and the Ministry of Soldiers, which is called "annual election". , with Sichuan and Shaanxi officials as the backbone, including small groups of officials from other regions.

The third is to amass wealth. Internal and external officials have reported that Nian Gengyao had "corrupted bribes and eroded money and food" many times during his tenure. Yao introduced him to be an official again.

The so-called wall falls and everyone pushes it, but that's it.Yongzheng was furious because of this, and at the end of the month, in the name of obeying the invitation of the officials, he cut Nian Gengyao's official position, and ordered Nian Gengyao to be arrested and sent back to Beijing for interrogation as soon as possible. Ask to see and avoid.

Because of Nian Gengyao's incident, even the New Year's banquet at the end of December was boring.

Now that the decline of the Nian family has been decided, the Xiang nobles are silent and no longer help Concubine Hua. Concubine Hua is isolated and helpless, and wants to offer Songzhi at the New Year banquet to indirectly intercede for Nian Gengyao.Naturally, Yongzheng would not accept Songzhi, and he didn't reprimand Nian Shilan because of his past affection, he just put a restraint on his feet and couldn't easily leave Yikun Palace.

In the twinkling of an eye, it was the first month of the fourth year of Yongzheng, and Concubine Jin gave birth to her sixth elder brother safely. In the aftermath of the happy event of the royal heir, the court minister submitted the trial results of Nian Gengyao to Yongzheng.There are 92 serious crimes: five crimes of treason, nine crimes of deceit, sixteen crimes of trespass, thirteen crimes of arrogance, six crimes of arrogance, six crimes of taboo, four crimes of cruelty, eighteen crimes of greed, and fifteen crimes of corruption Article, all the ministers requested to set up an official sentence.

*

West Warehouse

Yongzheng sat on the couch to review the indictment of Nian Gengyao, the minister of state affairs, while Gong promised to copy Buddhist scriptures.Because of Nian Gengyao's incident, the ruling and opposition parties were not at peace. The queen mother always believed in Buddhism, so she copied a volume of scriptures and sent them to Baohua Palace, and then the queen also sent a copy.

"Handwriting is good," Yongzheng commented in his spare time, "Have you ever practiced it?"

"The servants copied some when they were at home, but it was just for fun. Later, I was fortunate to be the concubine and empress empress to point out a few times." Xue Baochai made a sense of presence for the queen without any trace.

"The empress's handwriting is indeed quite strong." Speaking of calligraphy, Yongzheng also had some fun, and said, "Dong Qichang's calligraphy is very charming. If you want to practice, you can learn from his calligraphy."

Hearing this, Baochai took the opportunity and said, "The servant girl will have to ask the emperor for advice, as long as the emperor doesn't think the servant girl is stupid."

Yongzheng smiled, but only said, "I am busy with government affairs, even if you are stupid, the empress has to worry about it."

Baochai knew what he meant, so she had to follow the current and said, "The servant girl will go to trouble the queen for advice." Before he finished speaking, he heard a commotion outside the Nuan Pavilion.

Outside the Nuan Pavilion, Su Peisheng saw Concubine Hua rushing over and greeted her, "Good luck, Concubine Hua."

"Excuse me, is the emperor there?" Nian Shilan looked anxious.

"Go back to your mother, Gong Xu is accompanying you."

Nian Shilan paused when he heard the words, and thought about his brother who was about to be sentenced in the prison, so he gritted his teeth and rushed over, "Get out!"

Su Peisheng took a step back and hurriedly stopped her, and said calmly, "Besides, the emperor has ordered that the empress doesn't have to come to see you these days."

Nian Shilan didn't care, went around and asked, "Why didn't the emperor see me?"

"This, the emperor's holy will, how dare a slave speculate," Su Peisheng followed closely, fearing that the master would really rush in, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, think twice—"

Nian Shilan rushed up but was blocked by the little eunuch in front of the palace door. She thought for a while and knelt down and begged, "My concubine's elder brother didn't intend to offend Tianwei, and his words and deeds were purely unintentional mistakes. I hope the emperor will read it again." Concubine elder brother's credit, forgive him, Your Majesty—!"

"Oh, ma'am," Su Peisheng kept persuading, "You can only embarrass yourself more, why bother—"

"I must kneel," Concubine Hua Gui murmured, "Kneel until the emperor sees me—" Then she begged loudly, "The emperor—! The concubine's elder brother has no intentions!"

Inside the Nuan Pavilion, Yongzheng closed his eyes, clenched the Buddhist beads in his hands, and heard a loud begging in his ear,