Chapter 102: The death of the rabbit and the grief of the fox, the difficulties and dangers

The Prince of Chu's Palace is going to host a banquet for the imperial envoy!

Just under the premise that the conspiracy case involved the Yueyang Palace and it was obvious that the clan members were involved.

Just as the imperial envoy led his troops into the city with great momentum and knocked off the official hats of the three chief officials.

When everyone wanted to stay away from him, the Prince of Chu's Palace actually held a banquet to welcome the imperial envoy! ?
On the way to the Prince of Chu's Palace, Zhu Changwen was puzzled.

At this time, night falls and the lights come on.

Although it is the rainy season, the long street leading to the Prince of Chu's Palace is still very busy.

Zhu Changwen lifted the carriage curtain, looked at the pretty woman on the road, and said absentmindedly, "Has the imperial envoy left?"

An hour had passed since the imperial envoy demonstrated his authority at the dock, and it was time for dinner.

The imperial envoy might not be too arrogant to accept the invitation from the Prince of Chu's Palace.

Judging from the time, we have to at least set off.

The chief secretary told Zhu Changwen the news he had just heard: "I heard that only the son-in-law Wu Jinghe went."

"The Prince of Chu's Mansion wanted to invite Hai Rui as well, and even brought up the Concubine Dowager, saying that they have admired him for a long time."

"As a result... Nas didn't give me any face at all, saying that he never accepts invitations, and kicked me out."

"Li Zaiting also declined the offer from the Prince of Chu's Palace."

After hearing this, Zhu Changwen snorted coldly.

He kept muttering, "He never accepts invitations... Is he the only honest official and saint in the world?!"

"People who seek fame and reputation!"

If he wasn't born out of wedlock and had a dirty background, he would have to beat up this guy right now.

After making a sarcastic remark, he got down to business: "Zhou Changshi, what do you mean by the Chu Palace?"

The situation in the Chu Palace is complicated now. Even the crown prince has not yet been appointed, and the struggle is quite fierce.

In this situation, it is reasonable to stay away from such right and wrong.

But now they have come together.

Zhou Changshi thought for a moment and said, "General, after all, the Yueyang Palace is also a vassal state of Chu. After being separated from the Chu Palace, it still has some connections."

"If you insist on implicating me, you will get nothing good. I'm afraid you are worried about the imperial envoy's tough attitude and want to test him."

Having said this, he paused and said in a speculative tone: "Besides that..."

"Over the years, ever since the murder of the king and the usurpation of the throne occurred in the Chu Palace, they have been acting cautiously, and the concubine has even reduced the family's assets."

"If we talk about the person who holds a high position in Huguang, the one who is least suspicious is probably Concubine Chu."

"It is also the best choice to mediate between the imperial envoy and Huguang now."

Zhu Changwen suddenly realized.

He murmured, "This is to negotiate the bargaining chips with the imperial envoy and mark out a path."

"No wonder that person refused to see you and asked me to attend the banquet. He didn't want to cause trouble, but he had to show up."

"I'm afraid there are quite a few royal family members who have come to the Chu Palace recently..."

The King of Chu was granted the title as the son of Taizu, and his status was not comparable to that of the sons of Yingzong and Renzong.

Furthermore, the Chu vassal state enjoyed a unique location, with its fiefdom in Huguang Huicheng, and had an extraordinary relationship with the Sansi Yamen and the Governor's Yamen.

It can be said that among all the royal families in the world, Huguang is the most powerful, and among the royal families in Huguang, the Chu vassal is the most powerful.

In this situation, with the Yueyang Palace coming to the surface and the imperial envoy arriving, the pressure on the Chu Palace must be great.

After understanding this, Zhu Changwen immediately felt a little relieved.

By then, it will all depend on the extent of the talks between the Prince of Chu's Palace and the imperial envoy.

In this way, the carriage arrived all the way to the southern foot of Gaoguan Mountain, where the Prince of Chu's Palace was located.

The Prince of Chu's Palace faces south and is backed by Gaoguan Mountain. It is two miles wide from east to west and four miles long from north to south, almost half the size of Wuchang City.

Because it was built in imitation of the Forbidden City in Nanzhili, the regulations were naturally not low.

In addition to the 800 palace rooms, the palace also has high walls, which cannot be described by its grandeur.

The city is twenty-nine feet high, surrounded by towers, with a vermilion gate and armored soldiers standing on both sides, giving it an extraordinary aura.

Zhu Changwen's carriage stopped at the gate of the palace, and he got off the carriage according to the rules.

The bookkeeper of the Prince of Chu's palace came forward immediately and said, "General Fuguo!"

Zhu Changwen snorted coldly: "Let you come to greet me"

Forget about the prince or the crown prince, at least we can have a chief historian, right?
The bookkeeper immediately begged for mercy: "General, we have too many guests today. Not to mention the angel, King Min has also come in person. We really can't spare anybody."

Zhu Changwen's face looked even uglier.

Doesn't this further prove that I am of the lowest status! ?

He was about to have a fit.

A voice came from behind: "Are you Zhu Changwen?"

Zhu Changwen was furious. Who dared to call him by his name?

He turned around and was about to yell when he looked up and saw a handsome, strong, middle-aged man with a beautiful beard getting off the carriage.

Zhu Changwen wilted, and a forced smile appeared on his face: "Zongzheng."

Wu Jinghe nodded: "You actually recognized me. It's worth it that I recorded the clan records for you personally."

"Come on, follow me. I have something to ask you."

After saying that, he led several Jinyiwei and walked straight through the city gate and into the city.

Zhu Changwen looked bitter and followed behind with difficulty.

……

When discussing serious matters with the royal family members, naturally there was the prince consort Wu Jinghe.

If you just want to go to the banquet to eat and drink, it will be a bit noisy and not everyone will want to go.

Just as Hai Rui said, that was not a place to eat, so he did not go there, but just had a simple meal at the governor's office.

Similarly, Li Zaiting also felt that it was not a good place for drinking, and ruthlessly declined the invitation from the Prince of Chu's Palace.

The rolling Yangtze River flows eastwards.

If you want to pay tribute to your relatives and friends and drink together across the yin and yang, there is no better place than the banks of the Yangtze River.

Li Zaiting poured a glass of wine and casually poured it into the river.

He immediately poured himself another glass, raised it across the air, and drank it all in one gulp.

He had been here enjoying the river breeze for half an hour. The pot of wine was empty and he looked a little tipsy.

Just at this moment, a voice came from behind.

"If you want to offer sacrifices to Zhang Chucheng, why don't you go to the coroner's room and drink in person, but run to the riverside alone?"

Li Zaiting turned around and saw Feng Shiyu holding a pot of wine, raising it high and gesturing to him.

The former waved his hand, signaling the Jinyiwei to let the person come over.

He reached out and took off the crown, placing it on the ground beside him, without even turning his head: "They were too cruel. There are more than ten charred corpses in Linxiang County, and they are impossible to identify."

"Rather than offering sacrifices to the wrong person by blindly touching an elephant with clothes, it is better to give drink from the river and sea to express grief."

From his conversation, it was obvious that he had already gone to the coroner's room of the Censorate to see Zhang Chucheng.

It's a pity that it has been completely changed and is difficult to recognize.

His classmate in the same department only came to the local area once, but unexpectedly ended up like this.

Feng Shiyu walked forward, took off the crown, and placed it between the two of them, together with Li Zaiting's.

Then he slowly said, "I arrived in Huguang later than Zhang Liqing. I wanted to take the same exam with him. When he passed through Wuchang before returning to Beijing, I wanted to meet him and listen to his experience of inspecting Huguang."

"I didn't expect it... Alas."

Feng Shiyu, Li Zaiting and Zhang Chucheng all passed the imperial examination in the second year of the Longqing reign and became Jinshi in the same class.

Even before the imperial examination, they were all preparing for the exam in the same guild hall, so it was natural that they had some friendship.

It’s just that after they graduated from high school, the latter two studied under Gao Yi together, and their friendship became even deeper.

Feng Shiyu poured a glass of wine and sighed, "But if my identity is hard to tell, I'm afraid it will be hard for me to return to my roots."

The body in the Linxiang County case has not been dealt with, not only because of waiting for the imperial envoy to investigate the case, but also for this reason.

You can't let your family members guess and claim the child, right?
Li Zaiting shook his head: "The Central Government had anticipated his departure. His Majesty specifically instructed me that if it is inconvenient for him to return to his hometown, I should bring him back to the capital and bury him in Babaoshan for public worship."

Feng Shiyu nodded, not too surprised by this.

The imperial court has never been stingy in posthumously honoring and offering sacrifices to those who died in the line of duty.

The two were silent for a moment.

They poured themselves a glass and clinked glasses together.

Li Zaiting spoke again: "I heard that you did a good job in Huguang. You allocated funds to repair the dikes, organized people to rescue rice seedlings, and provided porridge and clothes to the victims. The people praised you along the way."

"It seems that governing a local government is more challenging than governing a province."

After the Huguang case, the governor was distracted from state affairs, and a flood happened to hit.

On the way, he heard that it was this classmate who pushed Chen Rui to do some practical work, and at least no real disaster occurred.

Feng Shiyu was not pleased when he heard this. Instead, he gave a bitter smile and said, "When I was exiled to Huguang, I was frustrated and angry, and I felt depressed and depressed."

"But seeing the people being displaced with my own eyes, how could I not be touched at all."

"It seems that your Majesty's rebuke to me is actually very accurate."

He was born in Southern Zhili.

After the fire in Ciqing Palace, Hu Qi was sentenced to death. Feng Shiyu submitted several memorials to the emperor, asking him to show some leniency.

Until a few days before Hu Qi was executed, he still refuted the emperor's edict.

This made the emperor very angry, and he scolded him and demoted him to Huguang.

If not for this, he would not have been just a fourth-rank councilor - it was normal for censors to be appointed to local posts to be a third-rank position.

Thinking of this, the bitter smile on Feng Shiyu's lips became more intense.

He poured himself a glass of wine and took a sip.

He suddenly remembered something and reminded him, "Today, Hai Rui knocked off the official hat of the chief of the Third Department. The resistance of his colleagues in the Third Department was almost written on their faces."

"Even if Xu Xuemo was promoted to the position of governor to appease the people, I'm afraid it wouldn't be enough to calm the situation."

No one likes the feeling of having their life and death controlled by others, let alone local officials who are used to abusing their power on a daily basis.

If the imperial envoy was only here to go through the motions and gain some benefits, everyone could still maintain superficial harmony.

But if they were to be so ruthless, it was foreseeable that local officials would make trouble - there was no need to confront the imperial envoy head-on, just non-violent non-cooperation would be enough to deter people from taking action.

The river breeze blew past, lifting Li Zaiting's robe. He turned his head and looked at Feng Shiyu: "So, Huazhi is here to be a lobbyist?"

"Do you want us to give up when we encounter difficulties? Or do you want us to stop while we are ahead?"

Li Zaiting naturally understood what Feng Shiyu meant.

Local officials have too many ways to trip us up. For example, if we really follow the procedures for building the dam, we will have to...

To put it bluntly, if Feng Shiyu had not taken the initiative and illegally misappropriated the fine money for repairs, the dike would have been destroyed and the fields would have been flooded, causing a major disaster.

It's just that in matters like this, there's no way to hold anyone accountable - everyone just follows the rules.

After all, if they are not a chief officer like Chen Rui, the middle-level officials are hidden in the entire system and will not even be noticed, so they are powerless even if they want to attack.

Once a consensus is reached among officials and the corrupt party is used to threaten them, the imperial envoy will have no way to deal with it.

As for Feng Shiyu's stance on this matter, Li Zaiting had to be alert.

The former shook his head: "Ying Feng is too cautious, I just advise you to fight quickly and decisively!"

"If it's delayed too long, I'm afraid the people caught in the middle will suffer... Alas."

He sighed again.

It is really sad that the people have become bargaining chips at this time.

Li Zaiting looked at Feng Shiyu deeply and did not comment.

He is no longer the naive newcomer in the officialdom a year ago. He has his own judgment on what to listen to and what to believe.

Li Zaiting poured another glass of wine and poured it into the Yangtze River.

He said slowly, "If we want to resolve this case as soon as possible, we still need the people of Huguang to work together with us."

He now took the initiative, spoke with ease, and was confident in any way he wanted to test.

Feng Shiyu nodded, expressing his deep agreement: "Attacking the county government office and burning the imperial envoy are such horrific things. Who wouldn't be united in hatred against the enemy if they were officials?"

"Before the angel came, the Sansi Yamen and the Governor's Yamen had already started the investigation, but those who were even slightly suspicious, such as Qiu Qiao, the garrison commander of Dongting Lake, Chen Xiao, the commander of the Jiang patrol, and Ji Ruzhi, the assistant military officer, were all executed first and reported later, and were arrested and imprisoned."

"The incident involved the Yueyang Palace, and the people of Huguang did not back down at all. They immediately sent troops to the gate."

"The clear mind is visible to all."

"But...it is only natural for my colleagues to worry about the imperial envoy being executed without any guilt."

Who doesn’t have any problems these days?
Even if I'm not afraid of you investigating this case, there are taboos in other cases. You can't really open your heart to the imperial envoy, right?

In addition, the three chiefs were removed from their posts right at the start. Who wouldn’t have some ideas?
Li Zaiting finally figured out Feng Shiyu's intention and couldn't help shaking his head and laughing.

Having said that, it is really hard to blame this classmate. He is indeed a mature and prudent person.

Li Zaiting didn't mind expressing this attitude.

He said, "Huazhi, there is no need to test me. I can tell you directly, and you can go back and tell your colleagues in the three divisions."

"Although Hai Yushi is very intolerant, he is a good official who gets things done."

"As long as those who have nothing to do with Zhang Chucheng's case don't seek death themselves, we won't make things difficult for them."

After hearing this, Feng Shiyu no longer concealed his feelings, let out a long sigh, and bowed to express his gratitude.

Let’s get down to business.

The two fell into a long silence again.

Li Zaiting turned his head curiously: "Huazhi, is there anything else?"

The officials in Huguang were all terrified by Hai Rui's power in bringing down the three chiefs, so they sent this colleague to try to build a relationship with him and test his attitude, which was still within the tolerable range for Li Zaiting.

If you continue to push your luck, he will disregard our friendship and turn against you.

Fortunately, Feng Shiyu didn't say anything that would make him angry.

Instead, he looked sad and said, "Zhang Liqing and I are from the same class. Seeing Ying Feng drinking and offering sacrifices alone, how could I not feel a little sentimental."

He poured himself a glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp: "When a rabbit dies, the fox mourns. Being an official is hard!"

This is what it means to simply pay tribute.

Li was silent in the court.

He kept chewing on the eight words "The death of a rabbit makes the fox mourn; being an official is difficult."

When it comes to the grief of the fox over the death of the rabbit, I'm afraid no one can empathize more than him.

He was in the same field as Zhang Chucheng, and was greatly influenced by Gao Yi.

The two men were determined to achieve success and fame, and to leave a significant mark in the history books of the Ming Dynasty.

Especially... when the two of them were recommended to the emperor by Gao Yi, and when they heard Gao Yi praising the emperor to the heavens.

Countless thoughts about wise rulers and loyal ministers, which would be passed down to later generations, flashed through the two men's minds.

They thought that all stories would be like those in history - the emperor used wise people, and the ministers were loyal and sincere in their work, so they could reform the old and establish the new, and rebuild the Ming Dynasty. They would also be remembered in history.

Until this year, what Li Zaiting witnessed and experienced gradually made him feel what it meant to have a hard life...

Money corrupted his family.

The local party shook his position.

Rumors defamed his reputation.

His subordinates resisted his orders.

Countless.

That's all that's fine.

Despite all the hardships and difficulties, he thought he was strong enough to carry on.

Until he heard the news of Zhang Chucheng's death.

This classmate, fellow student and colleague seemed to be shouting at him with his life, saying that reforming the old and establishing the new would really cost many lives!
It’s a fight to the death!
Today it is him, Zhang Chucheng, tomorrow it could be him, Li Zaiting!
Thinking of this, Li Zaiting could no longer hold back the movement in his throat, and his vision became slightly dazed.

Li Zaiting suddenly picked up the wine pot, stood up, and drank from the pot!
The river breeze blew, and Li Zaiting's hair was a little messy. Half of the wine went into his mouth, and the other half flowed down his neck, wetting his clothes.

He took a big gulp and chanted to the Yangtze River: "A golden cup of clear wine costs ten thousand..."

The road ahead is so difficult, yet he is so incompetent.

He could only wave flags and shout slogans about the salt administration in Southern Zhili; he knew nothing about the border troubles in the northwest; and he was powerless to stop the collusion of the Shanxi Party.

Even when he was corresponding with Zhang Chucheng and talking about the Huguang issue, he still felt that no matter how serious the problem was, it could be solved with just one imperial edict.

Feng Shiyu, who was standing by, was slightly moved by this.

Li Bai's Journey is Difficult...

As soon as Li Zaiting said this, Feng Shiyu immediately understood that his classmate resonated with the saying "being an official is difficult".

As for the above, the talent is insufficient.

As for friends, we are separated by heaven and earth.

As for myself, I have not accomplished anything.

Feng Shiyu felt this mentality much more deeply than Li Zaiting. These were the four words he pondered over every night after he was demoted.

Being at the center, I felt that the situation was full of twists and turns, and the power struggles were difficult to cope with.

When demoted to a remote place, one would see chronic diseases everywhere, the people suffering, and be at a loss as to what to do.

It is difficult to be an official. It is difficult to be an official!

Feng Shiyu stood up, seeming to say something but stopping himself.

Li Zaiting showed the arrogance of a scholar-official, and his voice became louder and louder: "It is difficult to travel, it is difficult to travel, there are so many forks in the road, where are we now..."

He was once indignant about why, although they were both Jinshi in the same imperial examination, Shen Yikuan and He Weiyi, who were at the bottom of the top three, were selected as Shujishi and listed as candidates for prime ministers, while he, Li Zaiting, who was at the top of the list, was not?

He was once proud of his talent and thought that people like Shen Yiguan were just supported by their fellow villagers, while he, Li Zaiting, was a pearl in the ocean whose talent was not recognized.

But when he really waited for the opportunity to realize his ambitions and became a close minister to the emperor, he realized that he was so naive and incompetent, and his knowledge was ridiculous.

Now, as the saying goes, when a rabbit dies, the fox mourns. He seemed to see his own fate in Zhang Chucheng.

The phrase "being an official is difficult" made him realize that he was too weak, he was still too weak!
The Jinyiwei behind him took a few steps closer nervously, fearing that it was the reincarnation of Yan Song who had drunk too much and fell into the river.

Many roads diverge... Feng Shiyu chewed over this word with a complicated expression.

He wanted to comfort her, his mouth slightly opened, but in the end it turned into a sigh.

Feng Shiyu silently raised the wine pot, poured out the wine, and murmured: "Ying Feng, you will go further than any of us in your career. The future is long and full of obstacles, so take it slow..."

Li Zaiting paused for a long time after finishing the sentence.

After hearing what Feng Shiyu said, he shook his head and said, "Kuafu chased the sun and died of exhaustion. The road is too long. I may not have the strength to walk all the way."

There were three people in the same subject, one died and one was exiled.

This is why there is a saying that being an official is difficult.

Li Zaiting, the only one still moving forward, is even more afraid of his own lack of ability.

Feng Shiyu shook his head: "You are only thirty-eight..."

After saying this, he stopped talking.

Li Zaiting was stunned for a moment, then he understood what Feng Shiyu meant. He picked up the wine jug and wanted to take another sip.

But then he remembered that he had important things to do tomorrow, so he stopped.

He then wanted to pour it on Zhang Chucheng, but was afraid that too much wine would disturb the deceased.

There was another long silence.

Li Zaiting suddenly laughed and said, "Huazhi has really made great progress. I am impressed by him."

He still remembered that Feng Shiyu was always sluggish and his words were meaningless, which made the emperor dislike him.

It has not been half a year since he left the country, but every word he said hits the nail on the head.

Li Zaiting was enlightened by this, met Feng Shiyu's gaze, nodded, and murmured: "Yes, I'm only thirty-eight!"

"The ministers taught me, the emperor favored me, and even time loved me..."

Li Zaiting spoke more seriously: "I will show Zhang Liqing the way forward!"

He opened his arms and heart.

Facing the Yangtze River, he chanted loudly: "There will always be a time to ride on the wind and waves, and set sail to cross the vast ocean!"

Although we know the road ahead is difficult, we will move forward courageously!

People in the court said that he was the reincarnation of Yan Song, who would do anything to flatter his superiors.

Then he wanted to let these people see what it meant to be looked at with new eyes and what it meant to become a general or a prime minister!

In addition to waving flags and cheering, and watching the fire from the other side of the river, he can also strategize and go through fire and water!
Li Zaiting threw the wine pot into Feng Shiyu's arms, turned around and left, saying without looking back: "We are all in the same class. Since Huazhi's death makes the fox sad, I feel sad too..."

His expression gradually became fierce, and he gnashed his teeth and said, "Then I'll kill a lot of people and make a good sacrifice to his spirit in heaven."

(End of this chapter)