Wanli Xinming

Chapter 15 The Clock

Seeing the question, Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "Does the mother still remember the clock designed by her son during her tour of the palace that day?" Queen Mother Li nodded and said she remembered.

Zhu Yijun said: "Zhang Jing has been busy supervising the construction recently, but he has already made it." After that, he ordered someone to ask Zhang Jing to bring the clock to show the Queen Mother.Empress Dowager Li stopped and said: "It has been very busy for a few days, and today I have time to spare. I have already made an appointment to go to the Ciqing Palace to wipe the cards. I will watch this clock another day. Tell me what is the relationship between this clock and the ills in the palace. ?"

The first time Zhu Yijun heard that Empress Dowager Li was going to wipe out the poker show, his eyes lit up and said, "But the horse hangs? My son also wants to go to Ciqing Palace. Let's talk about it on the way, I don't know if it's feasible?"

A month ago, when Empress Dowager Li saw the emperor to watch a card show, she would criticize him seriously, or punish him for kneeling, just because he had the idea of ​​​​playing.

But today, Empress Dowager Li has been completely "conquered" by her son, and her heart has been filled with warmth by the emperor's words "two of our mothers", so she nodded with a smile.

This is also what Zhu Yijun did intentionally. When he talked to Empress Dowager Li, he gradually changed his title, which gave her psychological hints, gradually weakening her identity as Empress Dowager, and gradually increasing the weight of the role of "Zhu Yijun's mother". , now it seems to work well.

So the two packed up and sent someone to tell Sili Jian that the empress dowager would not read the memorial today.If major military affairs are reported to the Ciqing Palace, Chen Hong and the others will make an abbreviated review at night.The two of them were so excited that they didn't sit on a chariot and walked to find Empress Chen.

Zhu Yijun saw Empress Dowager Li's gait when she visited the palace last time, and she was graceful, knowing that she had bound her feet.Seeing that she was walking faster than before, she asked, "Can the queen mother use shoes for her left and right feet?"

Seeing the question, Empress Dowager Li smiled and said, "My son, it's rare how your exquisite heart was born. This shoe is divided into the left and right feet, so it is really comfortable. Now the Ciqing Palace and the officials and women who often come to the palace have taken them. Go back as your shoes look, and do the same."

He smiled and said, "The masks, nail clippers, gloves, glazed lamps, incense sticks, etc. that you asked them to donate are very useful."

The objects mentioned by the Queen Mother were all made by Zhu Yijun this month by asking the craftsmen in the inner government to make them according to his instructions. They just used the knowledge of later generations to uncover a layer of window paper.

For example, glass lamps, in fact, can be made of glass during the Spring and Autumn Period in China, but like the Arab countries, they have always been fired in various colors as handicrafts, called medicinal jade, fake jade or colored glaze.If glass craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty burned a piece that was nearly transparent, it was usually thrown away as a defective product - but unfortunately, they never thought of blowing the molten glass with a pipe.

So in the Ming Dynasty, when you saw a scholar with a piece of glass attached to his belt, it did not mean that he was a traveler, but that he was poor.

Zhu Yijun said in a low voice, "Empress mother, in fact, these things and practices were all learned by my son in his dreams. Now in the world, only our palace can do them." Queen Mother Li nodded after listening.

Zhu Yijun continued: "The son wants to use these things, plus the clock and other ideas of the son, to arrange the guard eunuchs to open imperial stores in various places. Shall we open it?"

After listening to this, Empress Dowager Li wanted to laugh and stern her face, but sighed helplessly: "The emperor has stopped doing such childish words recently. I don't say whether this matter will be successful or not, only the officials of the foreign court are sad. "

Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "My boy has an idea of ​​what to give first. The eunuch in charge in this place doesn't have much business. It's better to abolish the eunuch and build a store inside."

Empress Dowager Li said: "This is a big deal. We have to discuss with Zhang Hong, Chen Ju and others."

Seeing that Empress Dowager Li didn't spit, Zhu Yijun said anxiously, "My son has asked Zhang Jing to conduct market research. If it is rolled out, the profit in the third year can reach one million taels."

Empress Dowager Li didn't understand what "market research" was, but the three words "million taels" were clear.He was stunned, and asked with a smile, "Half of Taicang Yin's money?!"

Zhu Yijun said: "The way of heaven is to make up for what is lost and what is lacking. Those who can afford internal-made objects are nothing more than nobles, wealthy businessmen, and high-ranking officials. These people may not be as meticulous as our mother-in-law— —One of them doesn’t care about money, and the other has a heart for comparison. If one has one, can others watch it? It must be bought soon.” In this way, Zhu Yijun popularized the monopoly industry in the market economy with Empress Dowager Li on the way. tips.

Empress Dowager Li didn't understand, but the million taels of silver moved the most honorable woman in the world.In the end, she hesitated for a long time and said: "I'm not in a hurry at this moment, wait for me to think about it."

Zhu Yijun said obediently, "Son must not be reckless. I have to ask Mr. Zhang these days."

Empress Dowager Li got this sentence and was completely relieved.She was worried that the emperor would gradually become pro-government, but she couldn't help but imagined it, and even shook the leadership of the dynasty.Seeing that he was still thinking of himself and Zhang Juzheng as before, his only doubt was dispelled.

While talking, the Ciqing Palace arrived, and when the inner supervisor praised the name, Zhu Yijun took two quick steps and opened the curtain himself to let Empress Dowager Li enter the door.

In the warm pavilion where Empress Dowager Rensheng lived, Concubine Wen Gui, Concubine Shang Shou and Empress Dowager Chen of the Jiajing Dynasty were sitting gossiping.After listening to the praise of the inner supervisor, Concubine Wen and Concubine Shang hurriedly stood up, and Empress Dowager Li was only revealed, and they immediately paid a homage.

According to the rules of the royal harem, the concubines of the old emperor were not regarded as concubines or concubines by the new emperor, but were placed under the new emperor's queen and above the other concubines.If you are named a concubine or concubine, you are above the empress and below the empress dowager.

Concubine Wen Gui and Concubine Shang Shou were both over forty at this time, but they were not crowned concubines by Emperor Longqing. Although they were a generation older than Empress Dowager Li in folk etiquette, they had to pay state gifts to Empress Dowager Li and Empress Chen. In the future, these two empresses who meet Zhu Yijun will also salute.

The Empress Dowager Chen also stood up and said with a smile: "My little sister is not busy today, we have to—" Suddenly, her eyes widened, she called out, "It's really the sun coming out of the west, why is the emperor here at this time?"

The second concubine Wen and Shang were busy meeting Zhu Yijun again.Zhu Yijun saw the two "little grandmothers" of the Jiajing Dynasty, and he hurriedly called out without taking it big.With a smile, she said to the Queen Mother Chen: "The Queen Mother gave the emperor's leave today, and came here to play with the Queen Mother."

The crowd chatted for a while, but Empress Chen couldn't wait. She asked Empress Li to sit at the kang table with Concubine Wen and Concubine Shang, and asked the maid to take out the cards and play.

When Zhu Yijun looked at it, it was indeed the horse hanging recorded in history.Later generations have different opinions about when the horse hanging originated. The earliest record about the horse hanging is in the 15th year of Wanli, and it is also said that it was in the Chongzhen period.

Today, Zhu Yijun saw the attitude of the four women in the harem to Ma Hang, and it can be seen that this game has been popular in Ming Dynasty for at least ten years, and it may be even earlier.Carefully study the cards, although there are only forty cards, but there is already a prototype of later generations of mahjong.

Zhu Yijun smiled slightly, secretly negotiating, but at this time he didn't say it.After watching for a while, Zhu Yijun said that he would go back to practice big characters. Empress Dowager Li reassured: "Yesterday, the Wenhua Palace Day lecture was suspended for a day, and tomorrow is not early, but we must not slack off in the lecture."

Zhu Yijun twitched the corners of his mouth and agreed.

　Sorry, I wrote it after 0:11. I wanted to finish it before [-]:[-], but after checking the information, the time soon ran out. This is not good for writing historical articles - the time for checking the information is longer than the time for writing.

　　Ask for recommendations, collect!

　　


(End of this chapter)