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Part One: Penghu Chapter 540: The Emperor and Ministers

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    "Xuan all the ministers are approaching to listen to my instructions."

    After hearing the call, all the civil and military officials walked to the railing silently.  The relatives, cabinet ministers and six ministers stood close to the railing, and the remaining officials stood in sequence, so the order was inevitably a little chaotic.

    The censor and Honglu officials held their breath and forgot to correct their rituals.  All the courtiers made no other noise except the sound of their robes and the very slight sound of their boots scraping the floor.  Chongzhen looked at everyone's downcast faces and did not speak immediately.

    Just now, his eyes were so angry that they seemed to be on fire. Now, although the anger has not subsided, there is more pain and melancholy in his eyes.  He knew in his heart that he had previously executed Huang Daozhou and Ye Tingxiu, who were opposed to his own national policy, and handed Liu Zongzhou, another one who was also opposed to his own national policy, to the Ministry of Punishment for discussion, although he could also see that he was standing respectfully in front of him now.  Most of the civil and military officials were so frightened that their faces turned gray and they did not even dare to express their anger. However, he knew that the power of his thunder did not overwhelm Huang Daozhou and the other three people, nor did he win the sincere admiration of the officials.  He felt that he was isolated from everyone's looks, and it seemed that most civil and military officials could not really understand his difficulties.  He usually spoke in a dignified tone when he went to court on weekdays, but now he suddenly changed from usual and said in a rare tone of weakness and self-reproach:

    "Since I ascended to the throne, there have been internal and external strife, wars, floods and droughts, and disasters have occurred one after another. I have been thinking to myself all night long: I am not talented, and cannot inspire the loyalty of the ministers to serve the country; I am not wise, and cannot distinguish right from wrong.  Honest, treacherous, virtuous and foolish; without martial arts, it is impossible to quell the rebellion as soon as possible, and my people are on the throne. This is because I am weak in virtue and incompetent, and I am ignorant of the affairs.  I bow'!

    Officials rarely heard the emperor blaming themselves when he went to court, and many people were moved.  But everyone also knew that if he was like this at this moment, he would be completely different another time, so only one courtier said a few flattering words to Chongzhen.  No one else said anything.

    Chongzhen took a sip of tea and said: "The human heart is related to the destiny of the country, so sometimes the human heart is more terrifying than the heart of heaven. There is a class of people. They are cunning and deceitful. They can't share the worries of the king and father. They only like the party and fight against differences. They pretend to be public and benefit their own interests. The court has no choice but to implement a new policy.  They don't think about the country's difficulties at all, and they obstruct and slander people like this. What should we do if we talk about the laws of our ancestors? It seems that these thieves are easy to control, but it is very difficult to get rid of thieves like this in the future.  Wait, set up a heavy ceremony. All ministers should cleanse their lungs and intestines, eliminate their dissent, and praise me for the rejuvenation and enjoy the blessing of peace."

    All civil and military personnel knelt and chanted: "I will obey the imperial edict!"

    Chongzhen called everyone up and warned them not to be hijacked by Huang Daozhou and Liu Zongzhou. Like them, they had no father and slandered the court.  Obstruction in increasing training rates will result in severe punishment.  Finally, he asked:

    "What else do you ministers have to say?"

    Several cabinet ministers took the opportunity to kneel down and plead for Liu Zongzhou, saying that he had lived in Jishan, Jishan, Shaoxing for many years - in the northern suburbs of Shaoxing, there was Jishan Academy, where Liu Zongzhou gave lectures.  Lecture.  It's just that he is a scholar and is not of the same party as Huang Daozhou. Please forgive him.  Chongzhen said:

    "Since Wanli, scholar-bureaucrats have used lectures to build up party members to fight against the court, which has formed a very hateful atmosphere. Liu Zongzhou has been giving lectures in Jishan for many years. Is there any situation of forming a party?"

    A cabinet minister reported: "Although Liu Zongzhou has lectured in Jishan for many years and is respected by scholars all over the world as Mr. Jishan, he has never heard of any party formation."

    Chongzhen thought for a while and said: "I think he is old and ignorant, so I will defer the prosecution at the request of the gentlemen. He lives in Duxian, and is so rude to the emperor and father. He has forgotten what he has learned in his life. I hope he will reply. If you are still  If you don¡¯t know the crime, you will definitely be punished and will not be tolerated!¡±

    He wanted to say a few words about Ye Tingxiu, but just as he opened his mouth, a gust of wind suddenly came with scattered heavy raindrops and hail.  On the Wufeng Tower, there was thunder and lightning.  A thunder exploded and knocked down the owl kiss at Huangji Gate, causing the doors and windows to shake.  The throne called the Golden Platform shook violently, and at the same time, the strong wind blew back the yellow umbrella hanging on the throne.  Chongzhen's expression changed, he quickly stood up and ran back to Qianqing Palace in a chariot surrounded by eunuchs.  The officials disrupted their shifts and rushed out of the Meridian Gate in panic.  The majestic guard of honor also ran away in the wind, rain, hail, thunder and lightning.

    After returning to the Qianqing Palace, Chongzhen regarded the accidental phenomena such as the thunder that shook the emperor's gate, shook the throne, and the strong wind blowing down the yellow umbrella as very unlucky.  His mood was very gloomy and heavy, so he had no choice but to go to the Fengxian Hall to pray to the gods of his ancestors.

    Liu Zongzhou was lucky enough not to go to the Ministry of Punishment for discussion and returned home.  Many colleagues, disciples and old friends in the imperial court were afraid of trouble and did not dare to come to visit; some only sent family members with greeting cards to inquire about the situation and express their concern.  But there were still many people who came to see him in person.  Some of these people were motivated by righteous indignation, and had infinite admiration and sympathy for Liu Zongzhou, and were emboldened by righteous indignation; some of them had close relations with Liu Zongzhou on weekdays, and planned to come to persuade Liu Zongzhou not to arouse his anger again, and try to turn this incident into a disaster.  forlucky.  Liu Zongzhou was well aware that the emperor was suspicious and kept a close eye on him. He did not see anyone who came to see him and returned all invitations to him, indicating that he was acquitted and kept behind closed doors to reflect on his mistakes.

    After returning from court, he meditated alone in his study.  His family brought a simple lunch to the study for him, but he ate very little and carried it away almost in its original form.  Liu Zongzhou usually took a nap on weekdays, so a small bed was placed for him in the study.  Today, he lay down unable to fall asleep, and soon got up, sometimes sitting in front of the case, sometimes pacing back and forth with faltering steps, not allowing his family to disturb him.  At first, his family thought he was thinking about how to write a book and did not dare to disturb him. Later, when they saw that he had not yet started writing, the whole family became anxious and scared.  His son Liu Zibo Sheng, about forty years old, was somewhat famous among scholars at that time and was accompanying him in Beijing.  Before dusk, he came to the study at the order of his mother, stood respectfully in front of the old man with his hands lowered, and said:

    "My lord, my mother has asked her son to come and have a look. It is not advisable to delay in replying to the order. It is best to complete the book today and hand it to the palace to relieve her anger."

    Zongzhou sighed and said, "I came back from the court today. I wanted to close my door to save myself from mistakes and quickly write a reply. However, I thought about current events silently, and my heart was burning and restless. You go back to the back house and say to your mother: I have already decided how to reply.  . It¡¯s not too late to write the book tonight and send it to the palace tomorrow morning.¡±

    Liu did not dare to urge his father, and added: "My mother was very worried because the emperor was angry and scolded the Lord for his anger. She wanted to come to the study to see her father in person, but her son had to catch a cold because of her. It was windy and rainy today, and there was water in the courtyard.  She told her son, "Since ancient times, there has been no wrongful father. I hope you will blame yourself and never defend yourself against the corruption of the country. At present, you can't do anything wrong."  But after reading the book, God¡¯s power will be a little stronger, and he can still give advice slowly in the future.¡±

    Zong Zhou glanced at his son painfully: "I understand how a scholar behaves in the court and serves as a king. You don't need to worry about it, your mother."

    Liu lowered his head and agreed with the word "yes" twice, but did not withdraw.  He had something on his mind and didn't know whether he should tell his father.  The old man saw that he seemed to be hesitant to speak and asked:

    "What else do you want to say?"

    Liu took half a step forward and whispered: "Sir, starting from the second half of the day. There are often suspicious people near our mansion and in the teahouses and restaurants at the intersection of East and West Streets."

    The old man was startled, but then he calmed down and asked slowly: "How do you know?"

    "My son went out to see off guests. I saw my family going shopping on the street. Neighbors on the left and right also whispered to each other and told them to be more careful. My son has ordered his family to close the door tightly. In the future, any gentleman from the court will come to the mansion to pay a visit, or  Send someone to deliver the greetings, but don¡¯t open the door.¡±

    Liu Zongzhou nodded.  He said with emotion: "They must be from Dongchang and Jinyiwei."

    "Definitely yes."

    "The emperor is so suspicious of his ministers and relies so much on Xinchang and Wei. What hope can there be in the affairs of the world!" After a pause, the old man said to his son: "Sheng is so angry. Today I am not worried about myself, but Huang and Ye.  Worried about their lives. After dinner, go to the Zhenfu Si Yamen in person to find out how they are doing after their punishment."

    "My lord, since the Holy One is suspicious and hates his subordinates for having cliques, how about my son go to the Zhenfu Division?"

    "Everyone in the court knows that I have no party. I have a bright mind and can face the sun. You just go to see whether Mr. Shi Zhai is alive or dead, so why be afraid!"

    Seeing that his father was determined, Liu did not dare to say anything and respectfully withdrew.  As for Uemoto's reply, he had no choice but to ask his mother to persuade him.

    In the evening, Liu Zongzhou began to draft a memorial.  The windows were closed tightly.  The wind blew in through the cracks in the paper, causing the lamp to sway.  His eyes were already blurry, but because the light kept flickering, it became increasingly difficult to write.  If it were another minister, he would definitely ask a staff member or retainer who was good at writing to write a manuscript. He only had to think about it, revise it, and hand it over to the scribe for revision.  But Liu Zongzhou refused to do this.  Every time he wrote a book, he always wrote it himself with infinite sincerity. He would first cleanse his hands and burn incense, then sit upright and start the draft meticulously.  What's more, this seal was of great importance, and he was not willing to leave it to anyone else.

    He had just struggled to write two paragraphs when his wife braved the rain and came to the study with the support of her maid Mei Xiang.  He stopped writing, raised his head, looked up, and asked:

    "It's raining so hard and the whole courtyard is full of water. You just have a cold. What are you doing here?"

    The old lady walked tremblingly to the desk and sat down. She sighed softly and said, "Oh, I'm not worried! Fortunately, all the officials came to my rescue today. The emperor was so gracious that he didn't punish the crime immediately. He asked you to come down and answer. You  How do you plan to reply?"

    "Don't worry. I would rather cut down my position to serve the people. I will never flatter and seek favor, fail what I have learned in my life, and be laughed at by future generations."

    The old lady is sadSaid: "Oh, my God, I knew you would be stubborn to the end! Wouldn't this make the emperor even more angry?"

    He deliberately comforted her and said: "The emperor is a wise master. He was temporarily deceived. After reading this, he will suddenly wake up."

    "Even though the emperor is a sage, he must beware of the unpredictable power of heaven. What if he doesn't wake up?"

    "A loyal minister should only ask whether what he says is good for the country, not whether it is good for himself. When the country is in danger, he should speak out and give advice without caring about his own honor or disgrace, so as to correct the mistakes of the court. This is what we scholars do when we set up the government.  The way of the king. The imperial court established the official position of the Censor of the Capital, which was dedicated to correcting the 13 officials and 13 officials in the country.  As an official of the emperor, I am the emperor's hearing and discipline officer. If something happens, I will be obedient and timid. I will not be able to advise the emperor on correct rewards and punishments. I will not be able to save innocent ministers from being punished. I will not be able to make the emperor give up his advice and implement a lenient policy.  "To win back the lost hearts is not only a debt of gratitude to the country, but also a debt to the people."

    "What you said is right, but I'm afraid Well, you are already over sixty years old, how can you withstand another setback? How can you survive if you are severely punished?"

    "Just because I don't have much time left in this life, I can't help but give you loyal advice."

    "I'm afraid that if you write this book in the morning, you will be like Mr. Shizhai by night. In the second half of today, people from Dongchang and Jinyiwei who are investigating the incident have been snooping nearby; I heard from the servants that until now, the night is quiet and sparsely populated.  The wind and rain are not stopping, and there are still suspicious people acting in front of the door. The Holy Heart is suspicious of this, and it has no intention of being a graceful minister. I advise you to stay away and save your life. There will be a day to report to the Lord.  ¡±

    "Nonsense! Even if I die under the imperial staff, I will tell the emperor about the current situation. You and I have been husband and wife for decades, and we usually study and understand. Why are you so ignorant today? Go ahead and stop talking about it!"

    Seeing that he was angry, the old lady looked at him in silence for a while, wiped her tears with her sleeves, and stood up.  She still wanted to persuade her husband, but she swallowed the words as soon as they reached her lips. She shook her head and sighed deeply. Then she supported the maid's shoulders and left the study tremblingly. She thought in her heart: It seems that a big disaster is coming.  There is no escape!

    Liu Zongzhou turned on the lights and continued drafting.  He knew that the Ming Dynasty was in danger, and he would rather die than sit back and watch the situation deteriorate and remain silent.  He thought that in recent years, the emperor had reused eunuchs as his eyes and ears; he sent his trusted eunuchs to supervise the army and used them as a national garrison; and he also used the study of severe punishments and names as the way to govern the country. This not only failed to make politics clear, but also made government orders cumbersome.  In this way, the state affairs will only become worse day by day, and the situation will be so bad that it cannot be rectified today Thinking of this, he was indignant and heartbroken, as if his bones were lodged in his throat, and he couldn't help but vomit, so he wrote bluntly:

    The ears and eyes are with the close servants, the heart and soul are with Qiancheng; the administrative skills are mixed with the names of punishments, and the political system belongs to Congyu.  Things in the world are getting worse and worse!  The sound of rain outside the window became louder.  The thunder was so loud that the houses and the ground were shaken.  Lightning flashed from time to time, causing the window paper to suddenly light up.  The lights swayed.  Liu Zongzhou put down his pen, stood up slowly, and walked around in the simple and elegant study room.  Many major problems came to his mind, which made him very excited. He sighed in his heart: "If this continues, the country will have no hope of rejuvenation!" The more he thought about it, the more determined he was to write out all the major malpractices of the imperial court, even if the emperor could adopt them.  A tenth is also good.  While pacing with staggering steps, he wondered whether this letter would be accepted by the emperor after it was submitted. Unknowingly, he stopped in front of a bookshelf, as if he saw himself being dragged outside the Meridian Gate and beaten to a bloody mess.  He died under the imperial staff, and when his body was carried home, his wife lay over the body and cried bitterly, complaining that he did not listen to dissuasion, which led to this disaster

    After a while, he waved his right hand holding the white beard, and the phantom in front of him disappeared immediately.  He walked around for a few more steps, then returned to the table, sat down, picked up the pen, and felt a sting in his heart.  A kind of secret pain that may destroy the country and destroy the family has appeared in the past, but it is more intense now.  He couldn't help but blurt out in a low voice:

    "Write! I must write it truthfully!" Piaotian Literature registered member recommends this work
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