Zhengde said unhappily, "As a son, filial piety comes first. The Former Emperor's mausoleum is flooded. Isn't this inauspicious? Isn't it a big deal? "
Li Dongyang saw that Emperor Zhengde was extremely displeased. He hurriedly reported, "Your Majesty, when any part of the earth is moved, it is against the way of nature. How can there be so many mysteries? Moreover, even in terms of Fengshui, there is a saying that people's misfortunes and fortunes are determined by heaven.
As the saying goes, 'A good and auspicious place can only be inhabited by virtuous people.' Tailing was originally a good place. Why did the Golden Well suddenly flood and become an ominous place? The Former Emperor was the leader of Ming Destiny's resurgence. He was a rare wise ruler since ancient times. Did the Former Emperor not have the fortune to live there? "
He refuted Fengshui with Fengshui. In fact, his meaning was the same as Liu Jian and Xie Qian. He still thought that Xu Guan and Wang Qiong were making a mountain out of a molehill. Ma Wensheng was a little restless after hearing this. Although he had always respected the three Grand Scholars, it did not mean that he would listen to their words.
There was a rule since ancient times that officials could not be officials in their own places. However, this system had long existed in name only. Ever since Yang Ling and Liu Jin suggested to the Emperor to follow this rule, Ma Wensheng was very troubled by the officials. He was extremely dissatisfied with the chaos that Yang Ling had caused in the court. Therefore, when he heard the three Grand Scholars defending Yang Ling and the others, he could not help but say, "Grand Scholar, you are wrong. There is a saying from ancient times: 'First, fate, second, Fengshui, fourth, Yin De, fifth, study. These are all variables that affect one's fate and the safety of the court. How can we belittle them?"
The Minister of Revenue, Hangul, was in charge of Ming Destiny's purse. Now the news that the imperial court was going to increase taxes spread quickly among the people. It was fine for the rich people in the capital, but in some places, the people could not fill their stomachs and could only drag out an ignoble existence. If this decree was really carried out, he would be the first to bear the brunt of it. Therefore, he was the one who was most afraid of moving the mausoleum.
He hastily stepped out of the room and presented a memorial, "Your Majesty, the Sages have said: 'Precious is not in one's place, it is called the Mandate of Heaven'. I, Ming Destiny, am the Mandate of Heaven, the Path of Fortune is prosperous. What is so special about Feng Shui?"
The three Grand Scholars and the Minister of Revenue were of the same opinion. They talked about the righteous path of the mandate of heaven. The four ministers of the Ministry of Appointments, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Punishments were discussing Fengshui and filial piety with a common enemy. For a moment, they were arguing back and forth in the hall.
Emperor Zhengde was confused by their argument. He could only helplessly ask Liu Daxia, "Minister Liu, what do you think?"
Liu Daxia bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I also think that the fate of a country and Fengshui are extremely ridiculous. If Fengshui can determine the fortune of a country, then there is no need for a virtuous ruler and clean officials to govern the country. There is also no need for the Way of the Sages. When the Song Dynasty was conquered by the Yuan people, as long as the Former Emperor was moved to a place with good Fengshui, the Yuan people would obediently retreat." The civil and military officials could not help but snicker when they heard this.
Liu Daxia waited for the officials to calm down a little before he said, "Therefore, I think there is no need to worry about the Golden Well not being touched. We can send the officials of the court to inspect it. Whether the Golden Well has been tampered with will be clear at a glance."
Emperor Zhengde did not know whether he should believe in Fengshui or not, but he felt that it was better to believe it than not. Hearing Liu Daxia's words, he was about to summon the Sky Observing Officials to the hall to ask if they could inspect the Golden Well when the Minister of Ministry of Rites, Wang Qiong, said, "Your Majesty, I heard that I was beside the Golden Well at that time and witnessed the accidental death of seven soldiers at the Golden Well when they were building the Emperor's mausoleum. Isn't this the greatest evidence to cover up something that only makes it more obvious? Why do we need to send people to the mausoleum to inspect and cause the Former Emperor to feel uneasy in the afterlife? I think that even if the claim of damaging the fate of the country is too exaggerated, it is still true that these people have deceived the Emperor and offended their superiors. They should be punished severely and I will be worried about them! "
Zhengde made up his mind after hearing this. He slapped the imperial table and said, "Good! Let's see how long they can still be stubborn when the Ministry of Punishments carries out the punishment! "
※ ※ ※
On the second day of June, there was a burst of thunder early in the morning, but the rain was not heavy. When it was almost noon, a small sedan appeared in the muddy countryside in the rain on the Taoist's Mansion.
The Weiwu Mansion had been shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere for the past few days. When Han Youniang heard that something had happened to her husband, she was scared out of her wits. She had gone to the Ministry of Punishments many times, but the entrance was strictly guarded and she was not allowed to enter at all.
After the incident in the Tailing Mausoleum, the Emperor of Zhengde had sent people to supervise the mausoleum and did not allow anyone to go down the mountain. The father and son of the Han family were also trapped in the mountain and could not come down. Han Youniang was a weak woman and had no one to turn to for help. She had been rushing to and fro outside the prison of the Ministry of Punishments all day long, but she could not find a chance to see her husband. She was mentally and physically exhausted and was heartbroken.
Fortunately, she had inquired about it and knew that although her husband had been to court twice, he had not been punished. None of the four ministers had confessed either. Only then did she feel slightly relieved. At this time, Young-niang had just returned to the mansion accompanied by Yutang Chun and Sheridan. Gao Wenxin heard the news and hurried over. As soon as she entered the door and saw Young-niang's expression, she knew that she still did not see Mr. Yang today.
Gao Wenxin held the door and was silent for a long time. She could only sigh softly and walked into the room to grab a piece of clothing and put it on Young-niang. She comforted her softly, "Madam, don't worry too much in case you hurt your body. These two days, the people outside have been saying that the imperial court wanted to increase taxes, so they used the excuse that the mausoleum was not auspicious as a pretext. The old master was imprisoned for the sake of Ming Destiny and the people. This is what the people want. The old master is blessed by heaven and will definitely be able to turn the situation around. "
Han Youniang's beautiful face was gloomy. Hearing this, she could only force a smile. Tears were rolling in her eyes, but she could not say a word.
At this moment, a maid dressed in green quietly stood at the door and said in a low voice, "Madam, the third son of Official Wang's family is here." She also knew that the atmosphere in the house was different these two days, so she did not dare to speak loudly.
Hearing this, Sheridan raised her eyebrows and said angrily, "What is he doing here? My old master is in such a serious situation, who has the leisure to treat his wife? Chase him out! "
Yutang Chun hurriedly stopped her and said, "Wait, he is the son of the Minister of Ministry of Rites. Perhaps we can ask him to ask Official Wang to come forward and plead for Daren."
Sheridan sneered and said, "Why do you think he has not come to visit these few days? The common people all over the world are saying that the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works are working together to frame our old master. His father is the one who framed our old master. Will he save our old master? "
The maid dressed in green timidly interrupted, "Madam, Young Ladies, the third son of Wang … has come alone. He did not bring Madam with him."
"Huh?" Han Youniang, Yutang Chun, and the rest looked at each other, looking somewhat puzzled. Han Youniang thought for a while and gritted her teeth as she stood up and said, "We are a group of women, so we can't come up with an idea. I will go see him and see what his motive is."
Gao Wenxin hurriedly stopped her and said, "Madam, please wait. Daren is in trouble and the Wang family is still somewhat suspicious. It is not appropriate for Madam to appear directly. In this maid's opinion, it is better to send someone to find out his intentions first."
Sheridan angrily said, "I will go see him. The Wang family is biting the hand that feeds them. I want to see what the third son of Wang has to say."
Yutang Chun rolled her eyes at her and said angrily, "With that temper of yours, you will only spoil things if you go." She consulted Young-niang and said, "Madam, why don't I go take a look? The third son of Wang has come many times and this maid is more familiar with him. I will first find out his intentions before making a decision."
Han Youniang nodded and said, "Sister Su San has a calm temperament. I will have to trouble you to go."
The low and oppressive sound of thunder rolled across the sky. Wang Jinglong stood at the entrance of the central hall and looked at the gloomy sky. He then looked at the old housekeeper who was standing at the side with his hands hanging by his side. The old housekeeper's expression was wooden. Today, he did not invite him to the study and did not serve him a cup of tea. Wang Jinglong could not help but smile slightly, but his heart was extremely carefree.
He and a few of his friends had originally wanted to bring down Yang Ling, but in the end, they could not find any evidence to use against him. Zhao Yong suggested that he go to the Yang House and find an opportunity to frame him. For example, when he came to the Yang House to seek medical treatment, he would bring some illegal or illegal items as a gift. In their view, Yang Ling was a country bumpkin and would not necessarily understand these things. Wouldn't he just obediently fall into the trap?
However, Wang Jinglong was not stupid. Zhao Yong suggested that he secretly bring bright yellow cloth with his gifts. However, this method was too conspicuous and would be easily discovered. Moreover, if something were to happen, he would not be able to escape responsibility. Therefore, he had always been timid and did not dare to do it.
These people pointed out the abuses of the government and spoke eloquently as if eradicating evil was a matter of a snap of the fingers. The funny thing was, these few young masters were like the genius mouse who wanted to put bells on the cat. The idea was not bad, but when it was really done, they were at their wits' end.
Later, from the back window of the study, Wang Jinglong saw two artificial mountains on the left and right of the pond in the garden. Suddenly, he had a brilliant idea and wanted to persuade the Yang Family to build another artificial mountain in the pond. One must know that one pond with three mountains was a copy of the overstepping of the Emperor. Moreover, when the time came, there was no evidence to implicate him.
Unfortunately, although this method was ingenious, he had not been able to see Yang Ling. If he let his wife take the liberty of discussing the garden with Madame Yang, he was afraid that it would arouse suspicion. It was not until Wang Qiong and the others suddenly made their move and took down Yang Ling with lightning speed that he did not need to show up.
However, these days, the rumors of the increase in taxes in the capital became more and more outrageous. The common people almost regarded Wang Qiong, Xu Guan, and the others as treacherous officials who sucked at the people's fat and cream. On the contrary, Yang Ling had a clean reputation among the people and became a loyal official who pleaded for the people.
When Wang Jinglong found out, he was furious. Coincidentally, at this time, Yichang Jin of the Shihua House heard that Yang Ling had fallen. In a moment of excitement, he told the Minister Counsellor of the Ministry of Rites about the three prostitutes who had been forcibly bought away. Wang Jinglong's wife was often ill and he did not have a concubine. He was also a frequent customer of the brothels and had some friendship with the Minister Counsellor of the Ministry of Rites. After listening to him, he thought that this was a rare commodity worth hoarding and immediately had an idea.
He thought that if he could incite Yutang Chun and Sheridan to bite back at Yang Ling and shape him into a hypocrite who bullied the good and forced himself to buy beauties, then the good image he had left behind for his wife to resist the imperial edict would come crashing down. As long as he had this as an excuse, he could fabricate even more stories to frame him and ruin his reputation. Who would believe that he was pleading for the people and his father's reputation would not be affected.
Therefore, Wang Jinglong did not discuss it with his friends and hurriedly ran to the door. In his view, based on his looks, talent, family background, and identity, to win the heart of a beautiful woman from a brothel was an easy matter.
Yutang Chun arrived at the central hall. When the old housekeeper saw her, he hurriedly said, "Miss Su has come."
Yutang Chun waved her hand at him, indicating that the old servant should withdraw. She quietly walked behind Wang Jinglong and bowed gracefully. In a soft voice, she said, "This servant Su San greets Young Master Wang."
Wang Jinglong paused for a moment before turning around. He said in surprise, "Aiya, it's Miss Su. My apologies, my apologies."
Yutang Chun said, "Young Master Wang, please take a seat in the hall. Did Furen not come with Young Master? Young Master, there are some matters in the Yang Family right now. Wen Xin jiejie has the status of a criminal slave. If Young Master wishes to bring her back to treat Furen, my family's Furen would not dare to accept it. "
Wang Jinglong walked to the central hall and sat down. He said with a sigh, "Wang did not come because of my lowly wife's illness. Wang has also heard of Yang Ling's mishap. Ai! Yang Ling is deeply favored by the Emperor and has a bright future ahead of him. To think that he would collude with some corrupt officials to deceive the Imperial Court. It really makes one's heart ache. "
Anger appeared on Yutang Chun's face. However, she did not know why he suddenly braved the rain to come here alone, so she could only suppress her anger. Wang Jinglong saw that she was standing in front of him without making a sound. He hurriedly said, "Miss Su, please take a seat."
Yutang Chun bowed and said indifferently, "In front of Young Master, where is there a seat for this servant?"
Wang Jinglong waved his hand and said, "What is Young Miss saying? Young Miss is well-educated and polite. You are a natural beauty. Wang has never seen Young Miss as a servant. "
Yutang Chun smiled faintly and avoided the topic. She said, "Today, Young Master braved the rain to come here. Since it is not for Furen's illness, what is it? If it is a serious matter and it is not convenient for this servant to know, this servant will go and invite Furen out. "
Wang Jinglong quickly stood up and stopped her. He said, "Young Miss, please wait. Since Young Miss has asked, then Wang will be presumptuous. I dare not hide anything from Young Miss. Wang came today for … for Miss Su."
"What?" Yutang Chun's pretty face was filled with astonishment. She said in disbelief, "Young Master Wang is … is here for this servant?"
Wang Jinglong saw that there was no one else in the hall. He smiled strangely and said, "Is Young Miss really just a servant in the Yang House?"
Yutang Chun's eyes moved. Her face was filled with confusion. She said, "Young Master Wang's words … what do you mean?"
Wang Jinglong laughed coldly. "Hypocrite. Truly a hypocrite. Since he covets Young Miss's beauty and has brought Young Miss home, he should properly cherish Young Miss. It is hateful that for the sake of his good reputation of valuing relationships, he bought such a beautiful and charming woman like Young Miss home to be his concubine. Yet, you are only a servant. It really makes one's heart ache! "
From his tone, Yutang Chun seemed to think that she was Yang Ling's concubine. However, she was usually ordered around like a servant. She did not know whether she was a concubine or a servant. What concern did she have for him in the rain? She was bewildered and did not refute.
Wang Jinglong saw that she wanted to speak but hesitated. He was even more certain that his guess was correct. He said proudly, "Yang Ling spent ten thousand taels of silver to redeem Young Miss from the Shihua House. Yet, you are only a servant. Who would believe this? Does he think that everyone in the world is blind? Humph! He still wants to put on airs. It is a pity that you, Young Miss. With such talent and beauty, you should have been cherished like a pearl or jade by others. Yet, you have ended up like this. "
Yutang Chun blinked her beautiful eyes. She saw that this young master was deeply grieved. He was just short of beating his chest and stomping his feet in tears. However, he did not get to the point. She could only mutter, "Young Master Wang … why do you say this? Actually, my family's daren treats me … treats me very well. He doesn't mistreat me."
As she said this, she thought about how Yang Ling had offended the Son of Heaven this time. Perhaps he would be beheaded and his possessions confiscated. She had just found someone to entrust her heart to, yet she ended up like this. People say that beauties have a short life. She really did have a lot of bad luck. Her eyes involuntarily reddened.
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