prosperous age

Chapter 185 Chapter 184
Wei Guangde, Lao Kan, and Zhu Shilong went to see the yard together.

To be honest, it is indeed small, but the location advantage is also great, it is really close to the Hanlin Academy, a 10-minute walk away.

Perhaps this is also the reason. I learned from Yaren that the owner of the yard killed 500 taels of silver and refused to let go.

For such a high price, Lao Kan, Zhu Shilong and others didn't say much, and let Wei Guangde decide whether to buy it or not.

It was already afternoon when they returned to the Jiujiang Guild Hall, and Zhang Ke and Xia Kefan also returned from the yamen of the Ministry of Rites.

When the two returned to the guild hall and didn't see other people, they were still very strange. After seeing them and asking about them, they realized that they followed Wei Guangde to the inner city to look at houses.

“House prices in the inner city are not cheap.”

Xia Kefan has been in the capital for a long time, so he naturally knows that the housing price in the inner city is several times the housing price in the outer city.

In fact, he also planned to buy a house in the outer city at the beginning, but the cheapest yard cost tens of taels of silver, and it was very remote, it was not convenient to travel, and his financial conditions did not allow it, so he gave up.

Well, now Xia Kefan can't even afford a house in the capital, but this doesn't affect his envy of Wei Guangde's financial resources.

"One thousand and five hundred taels, without any counter-offer, but the house is really well-built."

Zhu Shilong said behind him.

The Zhu family is rich, but they don't have the financial resources to buy a house in Beijing.

Of course, if necessary, the family should be able to scrape together the money, but the business of the family will definitely be greatly affected.

"By the way, when you got the note, where did you go to observe politics?"

Lao Kan sat down and asked, today these two are going to the Ministry of Rites to get a note, and he is also very concerned about the whereabouts of these two fellow villagers.

"I'm like you. The Ministry of Punishment observes politics. It is estimated that I will be released in half a year."

Xia Kefan shook his head and said, but then his spirit shook, he looked at Wei Guangde and Lao Kan and laughed, "Guess where Jinqing went?"

Jinqing is Zhang Jinqing, also known as Zhang Ke.

Hearing what Xia Kefan said, Wei Guangde and Lao Kan blinked and stared at it, and Zhu Shilong and others also became interested.

"It's not true that the cabinet observes politics."

Then Lao Kan joked, "Guanzheng college student, hehe. But Jinqing's calligraphy is really good, if you work harder, you may become a generation of calligraphy masters."

Zhang Ke's handwriting is the best among this group of people, but his ranking in the general examination and palace examination is a little bit lower, otherwise he is really one of the strong contenders for the Shuji of the Imperial Academy.

It's just a pity that this year the Imperial Academy is not recruiting, and Wei Guangde doesn't know what kind of shit luck it is, so that Emperor Jiajing admired him and sent him to that place.

"Jinqing, tell me, where did you go to observe politics?"

Zhu Shilong interrupted and asked.

Outside, Wei Guangde, Lao Kan, Zhang Ke and others wanted to pay homage to the genealogy of the Jinshi master, so naturally they couldn't pretend in front of their fellow villagers.

"It's a bit of a surprise, I'm going to the Zhongshu Department."

Zhang Ke didn't make any detours, and directly stated his whereabouts.

"Zhongshu Division? I'm a good boy, Zhongshu Sheren?"

Zhu Shilong screamed when he heard the words.

"Are you really in the cabinet?"

Lao Kan was also very surprised. He didn't expect that he would go to the cabinet to observe politics casually. It seems that Zhang Ke really went there.

The Ming Dynasty Scholars were divided into Zhongshu Kesheren, Zhiwenhuadian East Room Zhongshusheren, Zhiwuyingdian West Room Zhongshusheren, Cabinet Imperial Office Zhongshusheren, and Cabinet Zhichifang Zhongshusheren 5 kinds, all from Qipin.

What needs to be explained is that the Chinese book is not called a subject, but it should be called the Chinese study room, but because it is outside the Meridian Gate and connected to the government office with the six subjects, everyone is used to not calling it the Chinese study room, but the Chinese study room. It's called Zhongshuke.

There is a quota of 20 people in the Zhongshu Department, and there is no difference in size, but generally the elders with seniority will hold the seal, called "Yin Jun", and become the de facto chief of the Zhongshu Department. Their job is to write imperial edicts, make edicts, and bank Books, iron coupons, etc.

"Looking back, I'll also practice my handwriting well, and I'll be a Jinshi in the future, maybe I'll be a colleague of Jinqing."

Zhu Shilong joked.

Wei Guangde didn't expect that Zhang Ke's destination was actually there. The cabinet and the Sixth Division were dealing with all the year round. It was a very important government office. Most of the documents handed down by the cabinet were written by the Zhongshu Division.

Here, it is a place where you can often see high officials of the imperial court. If you perform a little better, you can expect a bright future.

Although Zhang Ke has just arrived, he can't even be regarded as a member of the Zhongshu Department, but only a member of the Zhongshu Sheren, but in the future he can transfer to the Department of Science, which is a good place for Beijing officials.

Wei Guangde didn't expect that a good handwriting would have such great power, and he let Zhang Ke directly into this yamen, he could only envy him in his heart.

Well, he is envious of other people who have an official position. It can take two years or half a year to be awarded an official position, but he has to stay in the Hanlin Academy for three years before leaving. At that time, he will be sent abroad It is still uncertain whether the local people will be promoted to academic officials or awarded to the Imperial Academy for review.

Wei Guangde's envious thoughts dispelled in the evening, when Lao Kan and others started to join the game, Zhang Ke rarely did not participate, and only said that he had something to go out for.

At the door of the house, Wei Guangde saw with his own eyes that Zhang Ke went out with his entourage, holding a bulging package.

Everything fell into his eyes, Wei Guangde just blinked, then shook his head slightly.

If it weren't for Chuanlu's identity, Wei Guangde himself would be the same as Zhang Ke.

It's just that I don't know whose family he went through?

In fact, it's easy to guess, in the capital, the only way for Zhang Ke to walk around is the fellow from Jiangxi. He may not be able to enter the mansions of adults in other provinces.

After seeing Zhang Ke out of the small courtyard, Wei Guangde went to Lao Kan's side, where the battle had already started
Just when Wei Guangde was about to go to the Hanlin Academy for school when it was time, a piece of news made him petrified instantly.

In April of the 35th year of Jiajing, Dingsi, Xiyuan issued a decree: Wu Shan, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, was promoted to the Minister of the Ministry of Rites and a Bachelor of the Imperial Academy, Mao Zan, the right servant of the Ministry of Officials, was the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, and Yuan Wei, a lecturer of the Imperial Academy, was promoted to the right servant of the Ministry of Rites Each is also the original official.

At the same time, the decree came out that Yan Na was promoted to the Hanlin Academy, and Li Chunfang was a bachelor of the Imperial Academy.

Regarding Yan Na and Li Chunfang's promotions, Wei Guangde belatedly discovered a trick of the Imperial Academy's promotion.

Well, there is a clear statement in the decree, "Youchunfang Youzhong allows Dong's share to write Xuanwen, and above all to offer his services, and specially told the assistant ministers: Today, officials, big and small, take advantage of the air to eliminate countless people, and those who serve their superiors It is one or two ears among thousands of people.

Ne and Chunfang each promoted to a bachelor's degree, and those who served in Chongxuanchang.Of course, most of the official Ci Lin writers give up their supplementary essays, and their job is often devoted to mystic writing, so that they can be used in hope. "

Both of these two were promoted because of the favor of Emperor Jiajing because "the one who waits on you is one or two out of thousands of people". As for how they served them, they wrote Xuanwen.

The two Hanlin wrote Xuanwen to ask for the emperor's reward. As for what this Xuanwen is, it is naturally the Qingci of Taoism.

Qingci, also known as "Qingci", "Lvsu", or Lvzhang, is a Taoist salute to heaven during Eid al-Fitr, requiring neat forms and gorgeous words.

Qingci, as a means for people to pray for blessings, has two functions: one is to pray to God to change the bad celestial phenomena, and the other is to pray to God to bless oneself with peace and happiness.

For Emperor Jiajing, who was superstitious about Taoism, a good Qing Ci would naturally please him.

From the emperor's point of view, once the Qing Ci was written, perhaps someone would fall in love with him as the emperor if he fell into the eyes of a certain god, and he would use means to allow him to obtain the Taoism he dreamed of and the way of longevity.

For those who help him practice, in the heart of Emperor Jiajing, they are naturally loyal ministers.

At this time, the people who hindered his cultivation were the speculators who wanted to climb the dragon and become the phoenix. They wanted to bet on the new emperor to gain their future. They hoped that he would die early so that the prince they bet on could ascend the throne.

At this time, Emperor Jiajing was 49 years old and almost 50 years old, but he still failed to achieve anything in his 20-year monastic career, with no hope of success in sight.

At this time, he didn't have any doubts about Taoism's practice of longevity and Taoism. He also believed that Taoism is natural and cannot be forced, but he still felt anxious.

This anxiety is naturally due to his growing age.

Emperor Jiajing is not confused, how long can the emperors in history live?

Long live?
His remaining time is running out, and he must seize the last time to win that chance.

It is also for this reason that the closer he was to the end of his life, the harsher he was to punish the ministers who advised him to practice.

From the inappropriate things he did when he was young, to now he can't wait to kill all these guys with ulterior motives.

The decision to appoint Wei Guangde as a biography was just a whim, but when Jin Yiwei sent someone to post a post for Wei Guangde in the next few days, Emperor Jiajing had other ideas. He wanted to know what the current ministers were holding. Thoughts, including his two sons.

Since he didn't catch any big fish by ordering Wei Guangde to be a passer-by, he chose to try again.

Naturally Wei Guangde didn't know this, he was sending a new guest out at this time.

Back in the house, Wei Guangde sighed, finally he was in trouble.

What he sent away just now was King Jing's official book, a junior official of the ninth rank, but the trouble still lies in the fact that he represents King Jing.

When Wei Guangde was in Jiangxi, he knew that King Yu and King Jing co-existed in the capital. Although he had never heard of them fighting each other, he thought it would happen in private, and it was impossible to put it on the table.

Now Prince Jing's Mansion sent gifts and invited Wei Guangde to visit the Palace if he had time. Wei Guangde didn't want to go through this muddy water, but he still had a flattered expression on his face to appreciate King Jing's attention.

Looking at the name card on the table, Wei Guangde shook his head, he is really not a competent actor.

He casually picked up the book "Supreme Huanglu Da Zhai Li Chengyi" on the table and continued to read. Ever since he knew that Emperor Jiajing liked to promote Hanlin who could write Qingci, Wei Guangde's mind became more active.

Nonsense, who doesn't want to be a high-ranking official, Wei Guangde also wants to use Qingci to soar into the sky.

With a few days of free time left, Wei Guangde went outside to bookstores to look for teaching materials for writing Qingci, but he couldn't find it. Finally, he saw some Taoist books in Taoist temples with related records.

These books are not cheap. Wei Guangde's house has not yet decided whether to buy them, but first spent hundreds of taels of silver to buy books to study how Qing Ci is written.

The book he is reading now, "Supreme Huanglu Dazhai Li Chengyi", according to the words of the Taoist priest, was compiled by Jiang Shuyu in the previous dynasty.

The whole book is divided into 24 chapters, and there are many details under each chapter, detailing the rituals of various rituals, trying to expand the ancient rituals of Lingbao. , very rich.

A very comprehensive book, dozens of volumes, and the price is not cheap, just this set of books is worth hundreds of taels of money.

Qing Ci is actually used in fasting ceremonies. It is necessary to communicate with the gods and let the gods read the articles. Naturally, gorgeous rhetoric is a must.

Then, Wei Guangde was a little dumbfounded after reading the part about Qing Ci. He found that it was a bit difficult to piece together the things that he had to deal with the imperial examinations to come up with an eye-catching Qing Ci.

Writing Qingci seems to require a lot of imagination, and then pile up rhetoric, which is different from his initial idea of ​​setting a center and then extending it, and finally adding and modifying it with rhetoric.

Although it is very difficult, Wei Guangde still intends to study the writing skills of Qing Ci during his time as a concubine in the Imperial Academy. He might not be able to write a work that the emperor is satisfied with. Guise's hat, wear a real official hat.

Although it is said in the book that the writing of Qingci is simple but not flashy, realistic but not redundant, and the writing is mainly plain, mainly antithetical and allusive, but Wei Guangde holds the opposite view after reading several Qingci that have been circulated.

Qing Ci, at least the Qing Ci that Emperor Jiajing likes, is flattering and bragging, saying that Emperor Jiajing is a good emperor, long live long live.

Wei Guangde didn't know about it in Jiangxi before, but he didn't know until he arrived in the capital that his fellow chief assistant also had an "elegant name" in the capital called "Qingci Chancellor".

Well, in fact, it is not only Yan Song who can afford to be the Prime Minister of Qing Ci, but there are many others. Xu Jie is also a good hand at writing Qing Ci. It is said that he could not do it before, but now he is very good at it.

Therefore, at this time, Wei Guangde didn't think there was anything wrong with Taoism's "Supreme Huanglu Dazhai Li Chengyi". He, Xu Jie, probably also learned it after discovering Emperor Jiajing's hobby.

Xu Jie was doing the same thing, and he was doing the same thing, it was the same.

But no matter what, when the day came, Wei Guangde could only put down his books, pack up his clothes and report to the Imperial Academy.

Wei Guangde got up early in the morning and put on the seventh-rank official uniform he made himself, because only the number one scholar has the imperial court's uniform, and the other Jinshi who started from the second place had to find a tailor to order official uniforms and go to the Yamen to watch the government.

Although Shujishi is not an official position, Jinshi has its own seven-rank attribute.

Wei Guangde still exited from the Jiujiang Guild Hall. In that courtyard, Wei Guangde was still instructing Zhang Jihe Yaxing to talk to the landlord again, hoping to save some money.

Although Wei Guangde could afford 500 taels, he didn't have much money after he bought the yard.

After becoming a tribute scholar and a Jinshi, he received gifts worth several hundred taels of silver. He gave them out again during his visits, and even paid in a few hundred taels, and also spent a lot of silver on buying books.

So far, things in the yard are still not optimistic, and the landlord will not let go.

After buying a house, Wei Guangde only had a few hundred taels of silver left.

Yes, although the price of that yard is much higher than that of other houses, Wei Guangde really liked it.

As Zhu Shilong said before, the house was carefully built, and it was a bit like a Chinese-style villa in later generations. Wei Guangde felt that the living experience should be very good.

In these years, houses in the capital are not expensive in terms of land and labor. What are expensive are the materials and the layout of the yard.

Zhang Ji couldn't see anything about the rockery pool, and neither could Wei Guangde, but Lao Kan could see it. Taihu stones, stones are worthless in the place of origin, but it's different when they are transported to the capital.

In addition, the bricks, stones, wood and workmanship used to build the house are not materials that can be used in ordinary houses.

(End of this chapter)