Rule over Ming Dynasty

Chapter 12 The day of enthronement is too beautiful to behold

"Teacher, let's talk about this later!" Li Zhiqing, the envoy who transported salt from both Huaihe Rivers and Huaihe Rivers, first bowed his hands and saluted, then pointed to the following staff and introduced: "Teacher, this is Zhang Yi from Shanxi, he is in the salt business! "

When Xu Pu saw that his favorite student brought a merchant, he immediately felt a little unhappy.

Zhang Yi gave the two accompanying porters a wink, and then respectfully cupped his hands and said, "Xu Xueshi, this is my kindness, please accept it!"

The two porters first put the boxes on the ground, and then opened the four boxes together, only to find that the boxes were full of gold, silver and jewels, and the treasures shone all over the place.

When the housekeeper of Xu's house saw the four full boxes of gold and silver, his mouth opened slightly in shock.

"Member Zhang, you don't get paid for nothing!" Xu Pu was also secretly shocked when he saw the four boxes of gold, silver and jewelry, but he said calmly and calmly.

Li Zhiqing knew that his teacher had often used his ice and charcoal as a warning, but now he was so calm in the face of so much gold and silver, he couldn't help secretly admiring his teacher's determination.

Zhang Yi suddenly thumped and knelt on the ground, crying and saying: "Xu Xueshi, the late emperor rewarded salt quotations excessively. The salt merchants in Shanxi have been trapped by the flood of salt quotations for a long time, and now it is difficult to continue their business! I am rushing to the capital this time, and I implore you to save me." The Shanxi salt merchants are in trouble, so that the new emperor will not repeat the previous emperor's excessive rewards!"

"Zizhi Tongjian" has a saying: Salt is profitable... In the age of Han and Wu, it was used to help the army prosper... Its profit accounted for half of the world's tax revenue.

Due to historical reasons, the current salt profit is owned by Shanxi salt merchants.Only in this dynasty, after Emperor Chenghua realized the value of Yanyin, he used Yanyin to reward his relatives, nobles and relatives.

It's just a large increase in rewards for salt, and the first to bear the brunt is undoubtedly the Shanxi salt merchants who transport grain or directly exchange grain for salt, and the value of salt in their hands is diluted.

Everyone would feel heartbroken when someone snatched a piece of the pie that originally belonged to them.

Although Zhang Yi failed to pass the imperial examination to become an official, he has been paying attention to the Ming Dynasty Hall.After learning that Emperor Chenghua was seriously ill, he used money to settle Li Zhiqing, and then knocked on Xu Pu's door through Li Zhiqing.

As long as this well-responsive prince and emperor takes action, the imperial government's excessive use of salt will be eradicated, and the salt benefits of the entire Ming Dynasty will fall into the pockets of these Shanxi salt merchants.

Li Zhiqing noticed that Zhang Yi was looking at him, and thought of his new house in Yangzhou, which was hidden in a golden house, so he helped to speak authentically: "Teacher, this matter is related to the livelihood of Shanxi salt merchants, please lend a helping hand to Master!"

"The old man knows, let's go back!" Xu Pu made a decision in his heart, and immediately said calmly.

Seeing Xu Pu's ambiguous statement, Zhang Yi couldn't help being dumbfounded for a while, but he didn't know if he had beaten a dog with a meat bun this time.

Li Zhiqing pulled Zhang Yi's clothes, then respectfully said: "Disciple, leave!"

On the day of his enthronement, Zhang Mao, the Duke of Condemnation, sued heaven and earth, Hou Zhoushou of Qingyun sued Taimiao, Bo Tan You of Xinning sued Sheji, etc.

From the death of Emperor Chenghua to the enthronement of the new emperor, the interval was only half a month.

In fact, this is also a helpless thing. If the enthronement ceremony is not held on the sixth day of September, then the next auspicious day will have to wait until October.

Although the time is relatively short, but with the cooperation of all yamen, it is still possible to make it in time.

The Forbidden City is bathed in the rising sun. In front of the Meridian Gate is a "concave" shape. There is a gate tower on the gate, and a bell tower on the gate tower, which is in charge of the bell and drum department.

More than [-] civil and military officials came here early to wait. As soon as the auspicious time came, they entered through the Yemen on the left and right sides and went to Fengtianmen to participate in the enthronement ceremony.

Old and new alternate, between light and dark.

Some officials will welcome the light, while others will face the night, so the various expressions are different.

Due to the stalemate between Emperor Chenghua and the civil official group, the later cabinet had only two cabinet ministers, Wan An and Liu Ji, and these two formed the two most powerful factions in the dynasty.

It's just that now that Emperor Chenghua has passed away, both Wan'an and Liu Ji are affected to a certain extent, and Xu Pu, who represents Qingliu, is destined to rise strongly.

Wan An is wearing a boa robe, which is particularly conspicuous here, but after all, he is 70 years old, so his waist is already bent, but his eyes are still sharp.

He has been fighting secretly with Liu Jiming for many years, but he knows that Liu Ji has coveted his position as chief assistant for a long time. Now that the new emperor ascends the throne, the other party will definitely overthrow him.

Wan An knew that Xu Pu had mastered the new emperor, so he took the initiative to show his favor to Xu Pu: "Bachelor Xu, I heard that you know physiognomy, but I don't know how to stand for the old man!"

"The male bean is on the face!" Xu Pu looked at Wan An who took the initiative to come over, and said with a smile.

Wan An was taken aback for a moment, thinking that he had beans on his face, so he immediately reached out to touch his face.It's just that he couldn't touch Douzi at all, and noticed Xu Pu's playful expression, so he didn't know that the other party was making fun of him.

I am already seventy this year, and I have many dark spots on my face, which really look like beans.

Wan'an originally wanted to share the government with the other party, but the clay figurines are three-pointed. Faced with such humiliation, it is naturally impossible to put a hot face on someone's cold ass.

Liu Ji couldn't help applauding Xu Pu's arrogance secretly, and then leaned over and asked with a smile: "Xu Xueshi, how does this old man look?"

"The public face is like cotton!" Xu Pu turned his head to look at Liu Ji who was approaching, but raised his eyebrows lightly.

Li Yu and other officials behind him couldn't help laughing. The so-called "cotton" naturally didn't refer to Liu Ji's pale face, but Liu Ji was still in the position of second assistant despite repeated impeachments.

Liu Ji's face darkened suddenly, and he stopped talking to Xu Pu, and silently remembered the grudge.

Xu Pu actually knew the truth that the officialdom should be like the light, but now that his goal is the chief assistant, then naturally he doesn't need to make false claims with these two people.

After all, the new dynasty belongs to its own era, and he is the leader of the officials. These two old guys should obediently make way for him.

Forbidden City, Qianqing Palace.

Although civil and military officials gathered in front of the Meridian Gate early, the auspicious time for enthronement was near noon, so Zhu Youtang didn't need to get up early.

Zhu Youtang woke up to the sound of clouds and boards. Although the Qianqing Palace is very large, the rooms are relatively small, but it is more suitable for living alone.

Sitting up from the bed, a group of palace maids waiting outside the door filed in, and each palace maid had clear responsibilities.

There are dozens of court ladies and eunuchs in Qianqing Palace. These court ladies and eunuchs are responsible for Zhu Youtang's daily necessities of life, and they work in shifts.

Zhu Youtang found that besides the good-looking court lady who kept vigil for him last night, there are also many beautiful court ladies here, but he doesn't understand why an emperor would practice monogamy.

"Your Majesty, please sit down!" A beautiful court lady saw that Zhu Youtang had finished rinsing her mouth with tea, Dang even said cautiously.

Zhu Youtang was sitting on the edge of the bed, and several court ladies seemed to have a clear division of labor. One court lady first squeezed the water-soaked silk towel, and the beautiful court lady wiped it for Zhu Youtang. After wiping it again, she handed the towel to another court lady.

The use of towels is very particular. Each silk towel will only be wiped once on Zhu Youtang's face. These towels are all disposable until Zhu Youtang's face is washed clean.

"Help Your Majesty get dressed!" Liang Fang was still in charge of Zhu Youtang's daily life, and then ordered the maid in charge of dressing behind her.

Facing these well-trained court ladies, Zhu Youtang put on a set of filial piety clothes very cooperatively, and then walked to the gate of Qianqing Hall and took a dragon chariot to Fengxian Hall.

Fengxian Hall is the family temple for the royal family to worship their ancestors. It is located on the east side of the inner court of the Forbidden City. There are tablets of the late emperor and empress.

After Zhu Youtang finished worshiping here, he immediately went from Fengxian Hall to Jiyan Hall located in the Outer Dynasty.

Although there are still palace people keeping filial piety here in the Jiyan Hall, they have gradually declined from prosperity to prosperity, and even the incense on those tables has stopped, but today they are grandly redecorated.

Zhou Shoumo, Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, took out a sacrificial oration that he had already prepared, mainly to report to Emperor Chenghua about his ascension to the throne today, expressing grief and accepting entrustment.

Zhu Youtang left the Jiyan Hall, which was considered to have completed the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the ancestors, and then went directly to the Jinshen Hall, which is located at the northernmost of the three halls.

The sun has risen from the east and is now setting in this resplendent palace.

Zhu Youtang took off the filial piety clothes on his body, and put on a set of yellow Yanmian clothes that had just been finished.

Yanmian clothing is the most complicated imperial clothing. The crown worn on the head alone has [-] pieces of jade, and there are [-] patterns on the Yanfu. .

Qin Tianjian did choose a good day. Today's clear sky looks like a piece of blue paper, with a few thin clouds dotted on the sky.

Wearing a Yanmian suit, Zhu Youtang walked into the Jinshen Hall and looked up at such a clear blue sky, just like the moonlight of the lotus pond when he first saw it. The scenery without air pollution had an unreal feeling of beauty.

"Your Majesty, the time is coming!" Liang Fang reminded cautiously when she saw Zhu Youtang who was standing still.

Zhu Youtang nodded slightly, and then sat on the dragon chariot, with a flash of determination in his eyes.

Next, history will not be the "Hongzhi Zhongxing" co-governance with scholar-bureaucrats that the civil official group longed for, but a history of a great country belonging to China that will be written by myself.

(End of this chapter)