Rule over Ming Dynasty

Chapter 26 Thousands of officials listen to the government, the new emperor's edict

The west corner gate is three rooms wide and two rooms deep, with a single eaves resting on the top of the mountain, and the roof is covered with yellow glazed tiles.

It is connected with Fengtianmen and Dongjiaomen, and it is located on Yuntai. It is one of the three gate towers across the square in front of Fengtianmen and Fengtian Temple.

Although Xijiaomen is not as imposing as Fengtianmen, the single-eave gable roof covered with glazed tiles and white marble steps on three sides also reveal the majesty of the emperor.

More than 1000 civil and military officials, holding tooth cards, came to the west corner gate in an orderly manner and stood opposite each other, waiting quietly for the arrival of Emperor Hongzhi.

The eastern sky has become bright, and the morning dew is still fresh in the square in front of Fengtian Gate.

The early morning in September was obviously chilly. Many officials stood in the vast square in front of Fengtianmen and were blown by the east wind. They were suddenly shivering with cold.

This is the environment for Ming officials to go to court in the morning. If they had a choice, they actually didn't like to go to court every day, but hoped to hide in the bed with the bed warming maid.

Of course, this is the mentality of low-level officials who do not want to make progress. Officials with high ambitions have already looked at the gate tower hopefully, but their sight is blocked by the collapse of the central gate tower and this case.

The imperial couch, which is actually a throne with low screens and beds on the back and left and right sides, is standing on the golden platform at this time.

The guards in brocade clothes holding the umbrella cover and the eunuch holding the canopy are already in place, guarding the throne, and another eunuch is standing in the middle behind the throne holding two arms.

As the left servant of the Ministry of Officials, Xu Pu stood in the rank of officials of the Ministry of Officials on the east side. As cabinet ministers, Wan An and Liu Ji ascended the Yuntai from the white marble steps on the east side, standing respectfully and respectfully on the west side of the throne. Note.

Not long after, there was movement behind the gatehouse, and the dragon chariot came from the direction of the inner court.Since it was the mourning period, there was no palace music in the early court this time.

Zhu Youtang purposely went to bed early last night, and today he looked in a good state of mind. Wearing a worn Yi Suyi Shanguan linen robe with a waist tie, he walked out of the west corner gate and went directly to sit on the throne in the imperial couch.

Unlike civil and military officials who rushed over from all over the capital, he can be said to have come to the "Second Gate" from his own "main room", but this home is a bit shitty.

The emperor stands on the throne of the imperial couch in the gate tower, and all the officials stand on both sides of the square. This is the "Imperial Gate Tingzheng Yi" that began in the Ming Dynasty.

Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang did not believe in the Song Dynasty's political philosophy of "ruling the world with the scholar-bureaucrats and the emperor".

After all, more than 1000 officials participated in the early court every day, and even the largest Fengtian Hall could not accommodate so many officials. Therefore, the early court of the Ming Dynasty was not located in the Fengtian Temple, but in the square in front of Fengtian Gate.

The Ming Dynasty stipulated that civil and military officials came to Fengtianmen every day at dawn, and the emperor personally accepted worship and handled political affairs.

In addition to the Changchao Yumenyi, there is also the Changchao Yudianyi on TV. The location of the Chaoyudianli is in the Fengmen Hall and Huagai Hall, and you can also choose the Wenhua Hall and Wuying Hall in the Outer Dynasty.

Changchao Yudianli is aimed at the great dynasty, and it is only held on Zhengdan, Winter Solstice, and Wanshou Festival. All officials congratulate the emperor instead of discussing politics.The location is generally set in the Fengtian Hall, only officials of the fourth rank and above enter the hall, and the rest of the officials only salute outside the hall.

Zhu Youtang sat on the throne, looking down at the crowded officials in the square from a high position, and finally ushered in the first morning court of his ruling career.

Liu Jin held an incense burner in his hand, engraved with patterns of Qingshan, Shoushan, and sea patterns. At this time, incense was already burning, and he placed it carefully on the treasure table in front of him, and reported to Zhu Youzhang: "It's stable!"

This ceremony originated from the Yongle Dynasty and heralded the stability of the country.

Etiquette has already penetrated into the bone marrow of this dynasty. The warriors of the Jinyiwei stood on the edge of the Yubaishi steps in the south, waving their whips at the civil and military officials.

"I pay my respects to Your Majesty, long live my emperor!" All civil and military officials headed by Wan An turned to the north, and knelt down and kowtowed three times to Zhu Youtang who was sitting on the throne.

Zhu Youtang looked at the civil and military officials who bowed to him, and when the ceremony was over, he said lightly: "Pingshen!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, long live my emperor!" Wan An and other officials thanked him again.

Because there are too many officials here, low-ranking officials can only look at Zhu Youtang on the imperial couch from a distance, as the saying goes, "Today, with an official title as big as a sesame mung bean, you can see the holy face from afar."

It's just that the distance is too far, and they can no longer see the face of the great man, and some officials with bad eyesight can only see a silhouette.

Today is Zhu Youtang's first court meeting, so the process is still different.

Liang Fang looked up at Zhu Youtang who was sitting on the throne, and after getting a rebuttal, she held up the imperial decree in her hand and said: "Your Majesty, please listen to the decree!"

"Hear the decree, long live my emperor!" Wan An and Liu Ji silently exchanged glances, and immediately led all the civil and military officials to greet the decree.

Liang Fang opened the bright yellow imperial decree in his hand, and immediately read it in the eunuch's unique voice: "I only believe that the king's country is nothing greater than serving the heavens, and nothing is more important than the ancestors in keeping the success; the way of being a minister is not to be loyal to the king and love the people. My heir Inheriting a great career, only the heavens are paid by the ancestors, and the night is only respected... Now I am in charge of the government, and the court is a new one, and all the civil and military officials are all appointed by the previous emperor. Those who leave me will have the hope of serving as my deputy ...Looking up to the emperor who studied the great line of the emperor, he is the best of the ancients, the sage is from the sky, the innocence is noble, and he gave me a volume of good policies for governing the country at the end of his life. I have benefited a lot from reading it. Be virtuous and slow, indulge in selfishness, the ancestral rewards and punishments are in place, I dare not be selfish! Don't be ignorant, so I tell you!"

Zhu Youtang listened to the edict he concocted, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but slightly raised.

Since these civil and military officials like to use the ancestral system, only magic can defeat magic. Now I take the opportunity to give them eye drops first, so that I can make use of it later.

"A volume of good policies for governing the country?"

Wan An and other officials were not impressed by Zhu Youtang's previous remarks, but they couldn't help but looked at each other when they heard that Emperor Chenghua had left Zhu Youtang a policy for governing the country.

"So that's how it is! Hehe... Let me tell you, it is impossible for this crown prince to become so holy and enlightened!" Xu Pu looked at the student who had obviously changed, and suddenly realized.

Since the death of the first emperor, the prince who had always been well-behaved seemed to have changed. He not only alienated them, the old people of the East Palace, but also revised the "Edict of Enthronement" he had drafted.

Especially in the revision of the Salt Law, it did not adopt its own proposal to rectify the excessive use of salt, but instead pointed the finger at the core of the collusion between the government and businessmen.

Out of his understanding of the prince's ability, he believed that there was an expert behind him, but after several investigations to no avail, the mystery was finally solved.

It's not that the blunt prince has opened his eyes, but the deceased Emperor Chenghua gave advice. I am afraid that only Emperor Chenghua could have such a vicious vision.

The sky in the east was already white, and the entire west corner gate became very bright. Emperor Hongzhi sitting on the throne no longer seemed so mysterious.

Being guided by others and comprehending by oneself are completely different things. As long as the new emperor believes in the idea of ​​"governing with the arch", then Emperor Hongzhi will be dominated by their civil officials.

"If you have something to play, leave the court if you have nothing to do!" Liang Fang put away the imperial decree and sang to the civil and military officials in the square.

There is already a fixed sequence of events for thousands of officials to discuss politics.

The Zongren Mansion starts playing first, followed by the Li, Hu, Bing, and Gong ministries in turn, followed by the Ministry of Punishment and the Three Jurisdictions, followed by the Imperial Academy, Zhan Shifu, Ke, Dao and Jiuqing, and the Ministry of Officials is at the end .

The officials of the Zongren Mansion came out and said: "Please give the name of the fourth son of Zhu Junyu, the general of the King of Chu's Mansion: Zhu Rongshui; the fifth son of Zhu Qiyu, the King of Yonghe in the King's Mansion of Jin Dynasty: Zhu Biaomei; the Fuguo Lieutenant of the King's Mansion of Jingjiang The eldest son of Zhu Guitong said: Zhu Yuehui."

"Quite!" Zhu Youtang seemed powerless to complain about such a trivial matter, but he still replied according to yesterday's cabinet proposal.

After the clan mansion finished the performance, Ni Yue, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, stepped forward and said: "Ni Yue, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, has a book to play!"

Here we come, when Ni Yue came out, the officials who knew the content of the event in advance exchanged a silent wink.The enthronement enthronement promoted by Xu Pu, Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Officials and Hanlin Bachelor, is now going to report to His Majesty in person.

(End of this chapter)