On July 20th, the day before Zhang Zhou predicted that an earthquake would occur in the capital.
In the early morning court, after everything was discussed, Zhu Youtang specially commended Xu Qiong in court, approved Xu Qiong's request to become an official, and gave him money and silk to allow him to return to his hometown.
At the same time, according to the results of previous court recommendations, Lin Han was almost "accepted by the public" and succeeded the position of Minister of Rites on the spot, not even waiting until Xu Qiong resigned. the next day.
"I have one more thing to say."
Before the court meeting was dismissed, Zhu Youtang said earnestly, "Before Bingkuan left, he prophesied that the capital would be There's an earthquake."
"Ah"
When the ministers heard this, they were in an uproar as expected.
Sure enough, there is something fishy behind the scenes. It turns out that the emperor and Zhang Zhou are waiting here. First, they will deal with an inconspicuous hailstorm. The emperor will send Zhang Zhou to Nanjing and wait for them to leave the capital before the earthquake occurs. This way Others can't rely on Zhang Zhou.
No wonder the emperor was so hesitant when he sent Min Gui to prison. In fact, it was just to show that after Zhang Zhou left the capital, any disasters that occurred in the capital could not be related to Zhang Zhou. On the relationship.
And Min Gui is the one who doesn't play by the rules of the game.
Min Gui has not yet been released from prison.
Zhu Youtang said, "I don't know when the earthquake will occur. Please take precautions tonight. In this way, we will miss the day tomorrow, and at the same time, we will make this matter public so that the soldiers and the people can Everyone be prepared to avoid any harm to humans or animals."
Liu Jian came out and said, "I would like to ask your majesty whether the prophecy of such an earthquake is credible."
Zhu Youtang didn't care at all about other people's suspicions, and said in an indifferent tone, "I can't tell whether it is credible or not. Who knows whether things that have not happened will definitely happen? It all depends on the human heart. That's it. Retreat. "Chao"
The meaning of the emperor.
Believe it or not, I’ve left it here. Zhang Bingkuan did say that. If you don’t believe it, stay in the house tomorrow, or find a dangerous wall to stand next to, or follow Zhang Bingkuan’s side. Zhou's prophecy is true, who cares?
The court meeting is over.
Everyone came out of Fengtian Hall and immediately gathered together again. This time, there were much less startled discussions.
Now the emperor is in a "showdown", and he has set a three-month buffer period for "disasters". As a result, within a few days, Zhang Zhou had just ran out of the capital, and there was an earthquake in the capital.
Who would have dared to believe this in the past
Yuan Shouzhi said, "Zhang Bingkuan is intimidating us. We must not believe his lies."
As a minister who has become an official, Xu Qiong should have gone up to say goodbye after the court meeting, no matter how others had treated him. But suddenly Zhang Zhou predicted the earthquake in the capital, and he became an insignificant person. "Little people".
Lian Shulin, the newly appointed Minister of RitesHan, were all left out.
People are envious.”
To outsiders, this statement seems a bit “insincere”.
If you are envious, you can resign and return home, no one will stop you.
Xu Qiong said, "Everyone, I have served the imperial court. To this day, I still have many regrets that I have not been able to complete. I leave it all to you. I will leave for my hometown in the next two days. You don't have to see me off. Shan Chang Shuiyuan hopes to see him again in his lifetime."
Everyone said goodbye to Xu Qiong.
After Xu Qiong, Lin Han and others left first, a group of people surrounded the three cabinet members and Tu Fu.
"At this time, if there is an earthquake tomorrow, what should I do? Will Your Majesty call Zhang Bingkuan back? The previous efforts will not be in vain." Everyone chattered non-stop.
Tu Jian said righteously, "Let's not talk about whether this earthquake will really come. I don't believe it. God can always follow Zhang Bingkuan's intention. Does Zhang Bingkuan represent God?"
Everyone looked at each other.
This is a bit too much. If Zhang Bingkuan does not have the ability to understand the will of heaven, then why was he accurately hit time and time again?
Tu Yu continued, "If he wanted to use disasters to create strange things, To build a reputation for oneself, there is no need to blame others for the previous hail disaster. Who dares to say that the previous hail disaster was not deliberately attributed to him by His Majesty?"
Zhou Jingdao "That's what I say, but just "Afraid"
"Even if there is an earthquake, does it have nothing to do with him? You have been in the court for many years, how can you be so timid because of a young and energetic young man?" Tu Yu looked very angry.
With Tu Fu coming out to "support the scene", the pressure on the three cabinet members suddenly became much less.
Xie Qian also smiled and said, "That's right. There were many earthquakes in various places last year, and Zhang Bingkuan was not hit in advance every time. Don't worry, everyone."
p>Wang Shi, the Minister of Dali Temple, asked, "Is it possible that the earthquakes in various places in the past were just minor earthquakes and no casualties occurred, so Zhang Bingkuan felt that there was no need to report it?"
A group of people suddenly stared at Wang Shi.
Wang Shi suddenly felt that he was losing face.
Wang Shi’s position in the court is a bit embarrassing. He has been the minister of Dali Temple for several years. He originally had the opportunity to be the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment or the Yushi of Zuodu, but now he can’t even get one. Even though he was not nominated, it seems that he wants to go further, and the only way to develop is to become the Sixth Minister of Nanjing
Tu Yu said, "Then you mean that the earthquake in Shuntian Prefecture will be serious tomorrow"
< p>Wang Shi said helplessly, "It's just a hypothesis.""There is no such hypothesis." Tu Yu said, "No one has ever been able to detect earthquakes in advance, let alone happen at the feet of the emperor. I don’t believe in the earthquake”
After hearing this, many people are actually already muttering in their hearts.
If this is the first time that Zhang Bingkuan has prophesied about an earthquake, then forget it. We can completely regard him as nonsense, but the problem is that he has successfully hit it before, more than once, and this time it is related to his own personal life. Benefit, he would make such a "misstep", saying that there was, but the result was not.
It can even be said that even if he really didn't hit, it might be that Zhang Bingkuan missed on purpose, so that the emperor lowered his trust in him and changed his mind. A chance to live in peace with us.
Otherwise, it would be difficult to believe that he had made a miscalculation.
"Let's go, don't worry about disasters that haven't happened yet. We've all read the books of sages. What's the point of talking about these in advance?" Liu Jian, as the first assistant, can be said to have set a tone. .
Since we are not sure whether there will be an earthquake tomorrow, we will discuss this issue again after tomorrow.
Whether it happens or not, we have to wait until afterwards to discuss countermeasures, otherwise it will appear that we are unfounded.
Then everyone dispersed, and everyone said something close to "Zhang Bingkuan is just deceiving the public with his lies." It seemed that no one was willing to believe that there would really be an earthquake in the future.
Inside Qingning Palace.
Zhu Youtang was greeting Empress Dowager Zhou, but Empress Dowager Zhou blamed her grandson in person for transferring Zhang Zhou away from the capital.
"The Ai family thinks that the emperor is too hasty to abandon a capable minister like Bingkuan just because of some unfounded criticisms from people in the court." Empress Dowager Zhou said.
Zhu Youtang explained, "Grandma Huang, this is what the grandson and Bingkuan have agreed upon. There will be an earthquake in the capital tomorrow. This also shows that the disaster in the capital has nothing to do with him, and he is now Jiangnan still has important tasks, and he will be entrusted with important tasks when he comes back. The position of Minister of War will be reserved for him."
In front of the old lady, he is also a grandson. No more hiding it.
Who said I was going to give up using him?
I also made it clear that I was ready to give him the position of Minister of War
After hearing this, the Queen Mother Zhou felt a little relieved. , asked, "Is there going to be an earthquake tomorrow? Do the Ai family have to move out too?"
Zhu Youtang said, "Bingkuan said that the earthquake this time will not be too serious, as long as the house is repaired firmly enough, Like the palaces and pavilions in the palace, as long as they are not in disrepair, there will be no problem, so the Queen Mother does not need to worry too much."
"That's good," said Empress Dowager Zhou, "but just in case of accidents. , the Ai family should set up a tent outside tonight."
"This"
Zhu Youtang felt that he seemed to have tricked the old lady.
Jiang Lu next to her said, "The Empress Dowager, the heat has just gone, and there are a lot of mosquitoes. If you go out of the palace, you may not be able to protect yourself at night."
"That's better than stepping on the pavilion and suppressing people." Empress Dowager Zhou said, "When there was Li Guang in the past, I was always afraid that he would offend God and cause some natural or man-made disaster. But now with Bingkuan, there is What kind of natural disaster or man-made disaster can he inform in advance?So, Emperor, you still have to have a discerning eye and know who can be used and who cannot be used. "
"Yes, my grandson has learned a lesson. "Zhu Youtang said hurriedly.
"By the way, Emperor, when will your concubine outside the palace give birth to a child?" Queen Mother Zhou asked.
"It's just these two days. "Zhu Youtang said, "Actually, it has already exceeded the expected delivery time. I have sent someone to keep an eye on her at all times.
The Empress Dowager Zhou smiled and said, "If you can give yourself another heir when the world is spinning and the earth is shaking, the Ai family feels that this is a grace given to you by God, and its meaning is extraordinary." . ”
Zhu Youtang said, “Grandmother, is it really okay to give birth to a son during the earthquake?”
Everyone who was the emperor felt that the old lady was “looking for trouble.”
If he had a son born on the day of the earthquake, others would not regard this son as a "disaster", but the old lady would insist on saying that this was a grace, and she probably put the bad things in a good direction. Meaning.
Empress Dowager Zhou sighed, "No matter what, I hope it will be an imperial heir. If it is a little princess, it will always be a little imperfect. You have to bring her into the palace and pay tribute to the Ai family. , Aijia can also help you keep her. ”
This is clearly hinting to my grandson that if you, the imperial concubine, move to the palace, your safety will not be guaranteed because you have a jealous wife.
"yes. "Zhu Youtang agreed.
Empress Dowager Zhou said, "I heard that the Zhang family has returned to the capital in the past two days."
"I have returned, and we entered the palace together today. Come and see the Queen. "Zhu Youtang said, "My grandson doesn't plan to see them anymore. They haven't made much contribution in the northwest and Liaodong. Even if they have, it is the result of Bingkuan's help. I have no intention of granting them a title. "
" Those who have merit must still be rewarded, but they cannot be entrusted with too much importance. You should also know what they look like. But they quickly brought Bing Kuan back. The Ai family didn't see him for a while, and they were still panicking. Bing Kuan was very good at doing things, and the Ai family still wanted his help. "
"If anything happens to the imperial grandmother, you can tell her grandson the same thing. "
"No. "Empress Dowager Zhou said, "There are some things that he must do. "
Zhu Youtang left Qingning Palace.
Jiang Lu looked at the indifferent and leisurely expression on Queen Mother Zhou's face and asked, "What do you want, Queen Mother? I can also help you." Go and do it. "
"In addition to having more great-grandchildren, what other ideas does the Ai family have?" said the Empress Dowager Zhou.
"Then you"
"You I want to ask, what does the Aijia want Zhang Bingkuan to do? The Aijia does not need him to do anything. The Aijia just wants the emperor to think more about what is behind this. "The Empress Dowager Zhou had an old fox smile on her face.
Jiang Lu said, "I don't understand.
The Queen Mother Zhou stood up and said, "You don't need to understand. Zhang Bingkuan's mission has actually been almost completed. If the emperor trusts him more than those ministers, there will be no peace in the court in the future." , the Ai family is actually driving a wedge between their monarch and his ministers, can’t you understand?”
"Ah" Jiang Lu felt that he had asked things he shouldn't have asked and knew things he shouldn't have known.
The Empress Dowager Zhou said, "But Zhang Bingkuan is very good at using troops. In the future, we will give him some kind of northwest general system and let him guard the border. He will not have any conflicts with the ministers of the DPRK and China. After ten years, Twenty years later, he pacified the grassland, and when he came back, he was no longer that close to His Majesty, and he was just an ordinary minister. Haha, the Ai family was gone at that time. After the Ai family was buried, the direction of the Ming Dynasty. The Ai family has nothing to do with it."
Zhang Heling and Zhang Yanling went to Kunning Palace to visit their sister, but they did not see Zhu Youtang, nor did they get the reward they wanted.
The two of them walked out of the palace with unhappy expressions.
"Second brother, please tell me, we have contributed so much, my Duke of Chang and your Marquis of Jianchang have not been found yet, has His Majesty forgotten us?" Zhang Heling looked at him. The younger brother walked with his head down.
Zhang Yanling said, "I just want to spend a few days in the capital and have a peaceful life."
Zhang Heling scolded, "You unsatisfactory bastard, didn't sister say, let us go and check that From now on, my sister will not be the only mistress of the palace. If something happens to our eldest nephew, it will be the person over there who will gain the upper hand in the future."
Zhang Yanling said. Yawning, he was about to say something, but the yawn just opened his mouth and then stopped abruptly, almost staying there.
Because he saw a "malicious" person standing not far away, looking at them with a smile.
"I'll go." Zhang Heling said, "This kid really can't stand talking about it."
It was Zhu Houzhao.
"Two uncles, they are in good health and went to fight in the frontier. It's amazing that they can still come back alive." Zhu Houzhao, with a spring breeze smile on his face, took the initiative to greet them.
Although what he said was not so pleasant.
Zhang Heling said, "Prince, what are you doing? My brother has entered the palace to see your mother. Why are you blocking the road here?"
"Don't be nervous, I'm not here to follow you." Those who want money, besides, you don’t owe me money, right?”
Zhu Houzhao came over. At this time, he was half a head taller than last year. He came over and took an uncle’s hand with one hand, and was about to go Pull in the direction of Wenhua Palace.
Zhang Yanling shouted, "What is the prince going to do?"
"It's not like I'm going to eat you." Zhu Houzhao suddenly became a little angry, "I just have some fun things for you to see. I've been reading this recently." I don’t have a chance to leave the palace. I heard that my two uncles are back and I miss them very much. I just happen to study the military situation with you and share some good things with you.”
“Bah”
Zhang Heling shook off his nephew's hand first.
When I looked at Zhu Houzhao's eyes again at this time, I found that there was a bit of shame and hatred in them.
There is a sense of "you two brothers are toasting instead of eating and being punished with wine".
Zhang Heling said with a smile on his face, "If the prince wants anything fun, I'd better go to Mr. Zhang.", that is Duke Lai Guo. He is very capable, but we are not. "
Zhu Houzhao said, "I can find him, but he has gone to Nanjing to find you. I want to go too. Do you two cooperate?"
""
The two brothers looked at each other and realized why the eldest nephew was so enthusiastic.
It turned out that he wanted to take advantage of their honesty, or stupidity, to help him get out of the palace, and even left the capital to go to Nanjing. Zhang Zhou.
“Looking at you, you are not very cooperative. I also heard that Mr. Zhang said before leaving that there will be an earthquake tomorrow. I have built a house for you and will arrange for you to live in it from tonight to tomorrow. If after tomorrow, you have not been If you smash them to death, I will let you go." Zhu Houzhao threatened.
"What?" When Zhang Yanling heard this, he jumped up on the spot.
With such a threat
p>
Looking towards Zhu Houzhao, several eunuchs in the East Palace were already standing together. Even if there were no palace guards, if there were seven or eight people, and three or four people would catch one, they could be captured and taken to the East Palace. .
Zhang Heling said anxiously, "Prince, what do you want to say? "
While talking, he was looking for a place to run away.
Zhang Yanling said from the side, "Brother, what are you afraid of? Don't believe this kid dares to mess around. My brother-in-law will not let him go." Pass him"
"Go up and arrest the person if you don't realize it yet"
Zhu Houzhao gave an order. The old eunuchs of the East Palace rushed forward first, and there were also ten younger eunuchs. Several people were stunned and chased the Zhang brothers everywhere.
The two of them were obviously not strong enough, and they were quickly captured by a group of young eunuchs who were usually working.
p>
Zhu Houzhao walked over and said with a smile, "I told you to go to the East Palace and show you the good things, but you don't want to go. It's not up to you now. "
"Prince, what are you going to do?" Zhang Heling asked with a sad face.
"Ah, come on!" Zhang Yanling was shouting.
Zhu Houzhao Gao shouted, "Gag his mouth"
Immediately he realized that he didn't have a gag cloth and was not fully prepared. Then he took off his shoes, took off his socks, and handed them to Liu Jin. Then Liu Jin knew what to do. Did
“One is not enough. "Liu Jin said.
"Don't you have it yourself?" Zhu Houzhao said angrily.
Liu Jin was angry.
Your socks can be used as gag cloths, but I Unless he didn’t want to get along with the Zhang brothers in the future.
Zhu Houzhao took off his other sock angrily and threw it to Liu Jin, and then the two brothers were carried by a group of young eunuchs.
< p> "Today has been a fruitful day. "Zhu Houzhao took his East Palace eunuchs and a group of people, carrying two "trophies", and headed toward the East Palace. Please remember to bookmark, the latest and fastest website for free reading without anti-theft