Emperor Ming Dynasty

"A family of merchants, how can the daughter of a merchant get the stink of copper?"

Opening the window, feeling a cool breeze, Zhu Yixi said calmly: "Nowadays, the imperial court promotes agriculture and business simultaneously, and there is no distinction between business and agriculture in household registration. They are all private households."

Although the queen nodded, her eyes were still stubborn, obviously not convinced.

Seeing this, the emperor continued directly: "What is a businessman? Which gentry in the world does not do business?"

"Even if you are a wealthy person, it is normal to own one or two shops. Could it be that the gentry's family is also a businessman?"

"Besides, which of those merchants has no land, and which family's children don't study, aren't they also private households?"

"The four peoples are one, so why should we be divided?"

As soon as he ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, Zhu Yixi abolished the cheap registration, and unified the division of various household registrations into private households, which made many people rejoice.

Equality in politics is something that many people have been looking forward to for a long time.

Therefore, there are no merchants at this time, and the boundaries can be large or small, which are all determined by human subjective.

Besides, the rich daughter knows the rules better and is more beautiful.

After all, rich people optimize their genes, but they continue to marry beautiful women.

The queen couldn't say no to the emperor, so she puffed up her face angrily and turned her head away.

Seeing this, Zhu Yixi turned her head around and said with a smile: "Although people are divided into high and low, in the eyes of the royal family, how expensive can it be? Fifty steps laugh at a hundred steps."

In front of the imperial power, all families are like dust, they are not worth mentioning.

The queen muttered, unable to make out the words.

However, up to now, she was no match for the emperor, so she could only submit.

Among the three, the family of the wealthy businessman is the most humble in theory, but in fact the family of the scholar is the weakest.

But compared to the small households of common people in the past two hundred years, the threshold also seems to be higher.

There is no way, harem concubines, although virtuous and virtuous are more important, but knowledge must be lacking, otherwise it will be very easy to be fooled by the outer court.

In the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, imperial examinations were popular, and the literati ate all the power cakes, and their power completely overwhelmed everything. The harm of foreign relatives was limited to harming the people, and thus became the emperor's help.

It is precisely because of this form that Zhu Yixi is no longer afraid of the influence of foreign relatives when the threshold of the harem is raised.

Moreover, considering the enfeoffment of the princes in the later period, it is also reasonable to give them a relatively strong natal family.

If the queen succumbs, then it is easy to discuss.

The couple worked on the bed until midnight before they began to rest.

The next day, a new selection system was born.

First of all, Xuanshu no longer sends envoys to visit, and is no longer limited to the three places in the south of the Yangtze River. Instead, it requires families of nobles, families of Juren, and families of wealthy merchants to sign up independently, and they will be screened by the palace. .

The age range, girls between thirteen and 16 years old, is not limited to concubines.

Among them, honorable families, from the Duke of the state to the hundreds of households who have been reduced to grace, are also included.

Juren's family doesn't mention it.

As for the family of wealthy merchants, they are required to be innocent, and those whose family property is more than [-] yuan must be counted.

A rough calculation shows that there are more than [-] families that can be included in the scope, and [-]% belong to Juren families.

One election every three years, plus women of the right age, there can be three to five thousand in one round, which is not bad.

Then choose the best among the best, pick out 500 people, and let the emperor accept some as concubines.

In addition, pick some for the princes and grandchildren as concubines and concubines.

The rest of the hundreds of people are selected by the concubines and female officials in the six bureaus.

The clever and clever ones are female officials, and the rest are court ladies.

Supplementing three or four hundred people into the palace at one time can be regarded as replacing those old people.

Because of the election every three years, except for becoming a concubine, the inner court will give her a dowry, or let her go home, or marry an officer, which can be regarded as finding a home.

Like the Qing Dynasty, I wish to trap people in the palace from young to old. This is not only a disaster for others, but also for the emperor.

"Marry those officers? Qiu Ba?" The queen was quite hesitant about this matter:
"Your Majesty, this group of people learned about the secrets in the palace, and they are used to being dispatched by others. I'm afraid it's inappropriate to let them go hastily."

"What's wrong?" Zhu Yixi said coldly: "The one who can survive is the tight mouth, otherwise he would have died."

"Ask how the canal is so clear, because there is flowing water from the source, and it will be replaced every three years, and the grievances will go away, and it will just wash away the evil spirit of the palace."

"In terms of employing human beings, those female officials are 40 years old, just raised in the palace, and they are smooth in doing things, wouldn't it be convenient?"

"If you give it to the officers, I'm afraid they won't..."

Sun Xueniang sighed: "I know them. After entering the palace one by one, their vision is higher, so naturally they look down on others..."

"Didn't you say you can let them go home?"

Zhu Yixi patted Qi Lan, causing the latter to groan, and his whole body was as loose as flesh.

"Just go home, if you get married, there must be a dowry there, let them choose!"

It is definitely inconvenient to marry at 19 years old, it is better to choose a military officer to marry, and the emperor and empress bestow a marriage, which is considered decent.

"I've done my best..."

Zhu Yixi sighed.

Whether it is a court lady or an eunuch, they are all poor people, but they are much better than peasants who are hungry and full.

This damn feudal society.

After sighing, the emperor turned his head and forgot, and started his morning exercises.

Any system is gradual and orderly, and the selection system is the same.

In the harem, the first thing to do is to dismiss the maids.

"aunt--"

"Good morning, Auntie—"

Dressed in a blue and white plain robe and a simple copper hairpin on his head, Gu Chanyi walked all the way, expressionless, but with majesty, it is hard to measure who nods and bows.

As one of the "six bureaus and one division" of female officials in the harem, Shanggong Bureau Shanggong, a fifth-rank official, is the top existence among female officials.

She is responsible for guiding the middle palace, mainly responsible for managing documents, conveying the imperial edict of the queen or queen mother, and taking charge of various celebrations in the harem.

For the queen, she is the right-hand man.

Although she is famous, she is only 23 years old, and she was promoted from among the maids by the empress.

"What's wrong with the Empress?" When she came to Kunning Palace, Gu Chanyi frowned and asked about another Shang Palace, Sun Yuru.

It was brought over by the queen from her natal family, and she was in charge of the Kunning Palace and served the queen, which was very different from her being in charge of foreign affairs.

"Just go in."

Sun Yuru smiled and said, "It's a benefit to you."

Gu Chanyi was suspicious, and then slowly walked into the hall.

"Chanyi, come and sit down."

The queen's legs were a little weak, she was sitting on a chair, her face was full of peach blossoms, it used to be white and red, but now it is red and white.

Gu Chanyi was well aware of this, it was the result of the emperor's anger last night, and it had already spread throughout the court.

"Mother--"

Gu Chanyi didn't dare to be presumptuous, she saluted respectfully, and then stood there respectfully, not daring to exceed the rules.

The queen asked again and again, but she could only sit down slowly.

"Closer, closer—"

Helpless, she could only sit next to the queen.

A pair of hands groped around her face, occasionally hitting her breasts, her waist, her buttocks.

Then, the queen asked softly, "How old are you?"

"Go back to your mother, the slaves are twenty-four."

Gu Chanyi didn't know what to say, but still replied respectfully.

"Not too small."

Sun Xueniang sighed: "When I was about the same size as you, the King of Wu could already run and call A Niang."

Gu Chanyi's face was full of embarrassment, and her butt was particularly awkward.

"Have you ever thought of going out of the palace to marry someone?"

Sun Xueniang looked at her seriously, and then asked seriously.

married?

Gu Chanyi asked herself, how long ago did it think like this.

Which girl is not pregnant.

But a few months after being elected to the palace, she gave up.

In terms of appearance, it is also top-notch among the people, but compared with the concubines in the palace, it seems to be overshadowed.

However, due to her outstanding ability, she chose to be a female officer.

The emperor has always respected these female officials, and he will not be lucky easily, or there has been no such case in the past few years.

Therefore, she could only give up this shortcut.

As for marrying someone outside the palace, she thought about it, but in the end she chose to give up.

Without it, in the imperial palace, she is the fifth-rank Shanggong, and among the female officials, she can be said to be below one person and above ten thousand people.

Thousands of court ladies and female officials in the palace all obey her orders, this kind of power is addictive.

It is absolutely impossible for her to give up easily and become an ordinary woman and obey men.

Moreover, after staying in the palace for a long time, her vision has been raised very high.

Shang Gong of the fifth rank, although wearing plain clothes, is also silk and satin, and he can enjoy endless shark fin and bird's nest, which is not much better than those officials and lords.

Unless she married those princes and nobles, she couldn't adapt at all.

And more importantly, she became a Shang Palace. Although she was only a fifth-rank official, and she was in charge of female officials, her parents and brothers all benefited from her.

For example, those wives who enter the palace want to please the queen and concubines and do their best for their husband's family, but first of all they have to please her, the palace.

Relying on the care of these high-ranking officials and nobles, the family is living a prosperous life.

Once she leaves the palace, she can clearly see that when the power is gone, who wants to marry an older woman?

She is not willing to be a concubine.

But at this time, without the care of the powerful, the wealth of the family will disappear, and the blame and complaints of the family will overwhelm her. How can there be a pension?
Dazed, she said decisively: "Return to your mother, the servant does not want to go out of the palace."

"Oh?" Sun Xueniang was puzzled at first, then remembered her identity, and sighed: "Why do you have to take into account the opinions of those family members?"

"You are still young, and you can still bear children. You have accumulated a lot of money over the years, and my reward, a generous dowry of twelve loads, no one can say anything."

"I found a good husband for you again, can't you live a good life?"

"Your Majesty, those men married me just to have a relationship with you, your Majesty. When the time comes, they will definitely force the slaves to beg you to do something—"

Gu Chanyi gritted her teeth, knelt down and said firmly: "This servant never wants to implicate the empress."

"You are not such a person..."

"When married as a woman, a servant must be involuntary..."

"That's all."

Sun Xueniang sighed and helped her up: "Since you don't want to, I don't want to force you either."

"How many people are there in the court today?"

"There are more than 500 people in the six bureaus and one division. There are [-] people in the Shu Palace and Qiandi, and only about [-] people in Nanjing and Beijing."

"There are quite a few people." The queen frowned, and said softly: "Yesterday, the emperor discussed with me, thinking about dismissing some of the court ladies and letting them marry officers or go home."

"Elder and those who are not in good health can go to the nursing home to recuperate, so as not to delay..."

"Of course, it's best to marry an officer, it's the best of both worlds."

Empress, you are forcing them to die!
Gu Chanyi felt helpless in her heart, suddenly she had a flash of inspiration, could it be that it is emptying out and entering again?

"Of course, if you don't want to, you can also go to Nanjing, where you can retire and make do with it."

Hearing this, Gu Chanyi could only bite the bullet and say, "I think it's better to go to Nanjing!"

"No, you have to marry someone."

Sun Xueniang said softly but firmly: "Don't worry, I will definitely choose some kind people, and the inner court will give a dowry again, who dares to bully them?"

"Empress Shengming."

At this moment, the queen hesitated and said: "Let's abolish three 500 people!"

After Gu Chanyi received the order, she immediately went down to act.

There are about [-] maids serving in the summer resort, which is just right for the not-so-spacious villa.

"Those who are over 22 years old will be abolished."

From top to bottom, Gu Chanyi's heart is extraordinarily hard.

For a while, the maids talked a lot and couldn't stop crying.

For them, their families were ruined in troubled times, and only the imperial palace was their last place to live. If they were driven out, it would be a real death penalty.

"Auntie, we did not make a mistake." An elderly court lady gritted her teeth and clutched a handkerchief, suppressing her fear.

"Even if we did something wrong, we should be punished. Why do you want us to leave the palace?"

"This matter is customization."

Gu Chanyi said with a cold face: "But don't worry, those who have a home can return home, if they are homeless, the inner court will naturally arrange a marriage with you."

Hearing the words officer and dowry, all the court ladies cried again.

Although the palace is cold and dangerous, but there is no need to worry about food and drink, food and clothing, and now it has lost color, how can it be so good to marry someone from the palace?

However, for those palace ladies who are weak and have no pursuit, it is not bad to spend their days in a nursing home.

Stepping on the cold floor, Gu Chanyi returned to her small courtyard.

The faces of the three or two little maids who were serving were pale, and they dared not ask if they wanted to ask.

"elder sister--"

At this time, the 17 years old sister, Gu Qiuyue, asked cautiously:
"Am I leaving the palace too?"

"Do you want to leave the palace?"

Gu Chanyi squeezed out a smile.

"No, I just want to be with my sister."

"No, you have to leave the palace." Gu Chanyi said firmly: "You have to get married and have a pair of sons, and then you can wait for me to leave the palace and provide for me in the old age."

"Sister..." Gu Qiuyue broke down in tears.

"You don't know, I asked those old people."

"The palace is too bitter. Serving those empresses all night, I have been tense all the time, and I have to hold back my urine and stool. It's okay for three to five years. After ten years, people will be useless, and they can only live like cold corpses." .”

"Only half of those who lived past thirty, only ten percent lived to forty, and in the end they became those mean and cannibal mothers..."