I, Jiajing, successfully cultivated immortality

Just when Hu Zongxian was still sighing for the good luck of Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou, he heard a high-pitched voice.

"Your Majesty, the Queen is here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Huangji Palace, which had been extremely noisy before, suddenly became quiet, and the original palace music also stopped.

Everyone stopped talking and looked at their noses and hearts, quietly waiting for the arrival of the emperor and the queen.

Not long after, Jiajing was seen holding Queen Shen's hand and stepping into the Huangji Palace. Lu Fang followed Jiajing step by step as usual.

At this time, Jiajing was wearing a Chu yellow dragon robe, and Queen Shen on the side was wearing a phoenix crown, a yellow coat, and dark green Xia Pei. Her whole body exuded a graceful, luxurious and maternal temperament.

Afterwards, all the civil and military officials, as well as clan members and nobles in the Huangji Hall were seen kneeling on the ground, saying in unison.

"I bow to your majesty, long live my emperor, and my queen is a thousand years old!"

After Jiajing and Shen came to their respective positions, Jiajing glanced at the civil and military officials, clans, and nobles one by one, waved his hands, and said loudly: "Well, everyone, get up. !”

"Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you Queen!"

After this, everyone slowly stood up from the ground, their faces full of awe.

Since the emperor and empress will be present at this banquet in Huangji Hall in person, no one dares to neglect it. The officials are all wearing court uniforms, and the clan and nobles are also wearing official uniforms.

Soon after, a maid came forward and brought all kinds of steaming delicacies to the table in front of everyone, and poured wine for everyone. The whole process was smooth and smooth, and there was no fault.

After doing this, the maids stepped aside, motionless, like sculptures.

Then, Jiajing glanced at Shen who was standing aside, then picked up the wine glass on the table, glanced at the many civil servants, military generals, and clan nobles below, and said loudly.

"My Ming Dynasty is in its current situation because of the hard work and sincerity of all of you here. You are all my loyal ministers!"

"I have seen all of your hard work and dedication. I hope that you will not forget your original intention, serve the country with your heart, and make the Ming Dynasty great again. I am here to toast you all with the Queen!"

"The queen couldn't bear the power of alcohol, so she drank tea instead of wine!"

After Jiajing finished speaking, he raised his head and drank all the wine in the cup. Shen on the side did the same and drank all the tea in the cup.

Seeing this, everyone in the Huangji Hall stood up from their seats one after another, returned the courtesy to Jiajing, and then drank all the wine in their glasses.

Just like last time, Jiajing drank three glasses of wine in total, and then left the Huangji Palace with Shen on the grounds that he was too drunk.

After all, if the emperor and empress were always present, the civil and military officials, clans, and nobles attending the banquet would also feel uncomfortable.

The purpose of Jiajing's hosting of this banquet was to allow the civil and military officials to take this opportunity to relax before the end of the year. Now that the wine has been toasted, it is time to leave.

Zhu Zaijing had already expected this, and he would be needed to heat up the atmosphere.

Immediately, he picked up the wine glass, stood up from his seat, faced everyone, and said in a deep voice: "I am alone here, I would like to toast you all, you have worked hard for a year..."

After Zhu Zaijing finished his speech and drank all the wine in the glass, the original palace music played, and the dancers from the Jiaofang Division also danced softly again, and the atmosphere at the scene gradually became warmer. stand up.

Officials kept coming to propose a toast to Zhu Zaijing, while the rest of the people exchanged cups, going back and forth, having a great time.

……

At this time, Chengguo Duke Zhu Xizhong took the British Duke Zhang Rong and Dingguo Duke Xu Yande to chat about their previous experiences.

"When I came back earlier, I accidentally discovered a handsome man and a general for my Ming Dynasty!"

Seeing that Duke Cheng Zhu Xizhong spoke so mysteriously, the faces of British Duke Zhang Rong and Ding Duke Xu Yande were full of curiosity.

You must know that in Ming Dynasty, there are only a handful of people who can be evaluated like this by Zhu Xizhong.

Then, Zhang Rong raised his eyebrows, looked in the direction of Zhu Xizhong, and asked, "Oh, who is it?"

Zhu Xizhong had no intention of hiding anything, and responded without hesitation: "One of them is called Qi Jiguang, and the other is called Yu Dayou!"

After Zhang Rong learned the news from Zhu Xizhong, he didn't show much surprise on his face. He nodded and said slowly: "I have heard the names of these two people. Earlier, following Together with Mr. Hu Ge, we led the army to annihilate the Japanese pirates entrenched in the southeastern coast of the Ming Dynasty!"

"In addition, he also led the army to put down two rebellions, one in Fujian and one in Jiangxi!"

"This time, it seems that Mr. Hu Ge personally recommended them to His Majesty and put them in charge of military training!"

After listening to Zhang Rong's addition, Zhu Xizhong nodded and continued: "Well, that's right, when I passed by earlier, these two were discussing how to deal with the Tatars in the coming year!"

"I agree with some of the points they put forward. To deal with the cavalry, we should focus on the car camp, and then supplement it with firearms!"

"It's a pity that we didn't have enough time to continue chatting!"

When Zhu Xizhong said this, there was a little regret on his face.

Zhang Rong, who was on the side, saw the expression on Zhu Xizhong's face and said with a smile: "This is not easy. I can find a time some other time to invite them to the house and ask them carefully."

When Zhu Xizhong heard Zhang Rong's words, a trace of hesitation flashed across his face, and he responded: "Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou were single-handedly promoted by Hu Ge. If I do this, will it appear..."

Before Zhu Xizhong finished speaking, he was impatiently interrupted by Xu Yande on the side: "What are you afraid of? The worst thing you can do is inform us in advance!"

"Well, that makes sense. Come on, let's drink!"

"Come on, cheers!"

……

On the other side, Yan Song listened to the noise coming from his ears, his face full of helplessness.

At this time, Yan Shifan was drinking wine with Gao Gong, as if he would never return until he was drunk.

"Mr. Xiao Ge, you are already very drunk. Don't hold on. It's better to admit defeat earlier. If you are wiser and admit defeat earlier, maybe I will be generous and let you go. Otherwise, I will fulfill my bet truthfully. Made an appointment!"

"Hiccup, it's just a bet, what are you afraid of? Besides, I'm not drunk at all, it's just that everything except me is wandering around!"

After Yan Shifan burped, he looked in the direction of Gao Gong with drunken eyes and said so.

Compared to Yan Shifan, Gao Gong was not much better. At this time, Gao Gong's face was red and his eyes were wandering. If he hadn't barely supported his body with one hand, Gao Gong would have fallen down long ago.

After Zhang Juzheng clinked glasses with Hu Zongxian, he raised his head, drank all the wine in the glass, and asked: "Mr. Hu Ge, who do you think will win?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Zongxian, after carefully observing the expressions of the two of them, shook his head and said, "It's hard to say. Now they are all holding on for their last breath. It depends on who can't support it first!"

Seeing this, Yan Song on the side stroked his forehead helplessly and said silently to himself: "This Yan Shifan has clearly turned a deaf ear to what I said before."

At this moment, Xu Jie's voice came from the side: "Mr. Yan Ge, let's have a drink too!"

Hearing this, Yan Song followed the sound and saw that Xu Jie not far away had picked up the wine glass with a warm smile on his face.

"Come on, let's have a drink too!"

After Yan Song finished speaking, he picked up the wine glass, clinked it with Xu Jie, then raised his head and drank all the wine in the glass.

After the two of them finished the drinks in their glasses, Xu Jie turned his eyes away and asked with emotion: "Mr. Yan Ge, how long have we been working together?"

Yan Song heard what Xu Jie said, and after thinking about it for a long time, he shook his head and responded: "I am old and confused, and I can't remember clearly!"

Hearing this, Xu Jie glanced at Yan Song, and then said slowly: "I joined the pavilion in the 31st year of Jiajing's reign. So far, we have been working together for ten years!"

After Yan Song learned the news from Xu Jie, he also expressed emotion: "Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye!"

After that, Yan Song looked away from Xu Jie, changed the subject, and then said: "Mr. Xu Ge, I have read some books recently, and I have gained a lot of insights!"

When Xu Jie heard what Yan Song said, his face was full of interest, and he asked: "Oh, what insights did Mr. Yan Ge have?"

Facing Xu Jie's gaze, Yan Song had no intention of hiding anything. After thinking about it for a moment, he spoke immediately.

"Sometimes this person can't just keep walking forward. He has to stop from time to time and pay attention to his feet, so as not to accidentally trip over a stone and fall down. What does Mr. Xu Ge think?"

After Yan Song finished speaking, he picked up the chopsticks, picked up a chopstick of the dish, put it into his mouth, and tasted it carefully.

Xu Jie naturally heard the implication in Yan Song's words. In his opinion, the meaning Yan Song wanted to express couldn't be clearer.

What Yan Song meant was to let him control the family behind him so that he would not be implicated when the time came.

"How could this Yan Song be so kind to remind me? Could it be that he has other intentions?"

Then, Xu Jie came back to his senses, looked in the direction of Yan Song, and said respectfully: "Thank you, Mr. Yan Ge, for reminding me, I will pay attention!"

Yan Song was noncommittal to Xu Jie's words, he just nodded without saying anything.

After that, Yan Song focused all his attention on Yan Shifan and Gao Gong not far away.

At this time, the wine fight between Yan Shifan and Gao Gong was coming to an end. After drinking the last glass of wine, both parties fell on the table at the same time, unconscious.

"Looks like it's a draw!"

Seeing this situation, Zhang Juzheng on the side had a look of helplessness on his face, shook his head, and then said.

Upon hearing this, Hu Zongxian drank all the wine in his glass and responded, "Yes!" ...

Forbidden City, Manna Palace.

After leaving Huangji Palace, Jiajing and Shen immediately returned to Ganlu Palace.

At this time, a variety of delicacies were placed on the table in the room, and they were still steaming.

"Lu Fang is so thoughtful. She asked the imperial dining room to prepare such a table of dishes in advance. Otherwise, I will be hungry!"

Looking at the table full of dishes, Jiajing couldn't help but sigh.

At this moment, Shen's face was full of joy, she looked expectantly in the direction of Jiajing, and asked: "Your Majesty, how was my concubine's performance just now?"

At this time, Mrs. Shen had already changed into her usual clothes. This outfit perfectly brought out Shen's curvy figure.

When Jiajing heard this, he glanced over Shen's body, and after pondering for a moment, he commented: "Out of ten, I'd give it about eight!"

After hearing Jiajing's comments, Mrs. Shen immediately stepped forward and took Jiajing's hand, shaking it from side to side: "Why not ten points? You know, this is my first time to participate..."

Because the distance was so close, Jiajing could even smell the faint fragrance of Shen's body.

Seeing this, Jiajing gently took Shen into his arms, gently stroked her smooth face with his hands, and said with a smile: "Only after tonight can I give an evaluation for the remaining two points! "

After Jiajing finished speaking, without waiting for Shen's reaction, he picked him up and walked to the back room.

At this time, Mrs. Shen had already blushed with embarrassment. She patted Jiajing's chest gently with her hand and shouted: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, you haven't eaten yet!"

"It's okay, I won't need it later!"

Then, with an exclamation, the whole room burst into love, and the scene was difficult for outsiders to describe.

……

Gradually, as the night progressed, the banquet held in the Huangji Hall came to an end, and everyone left the banquet. This banquet was a great time for both the guest and the host.

At this time, where the sedan chair was parked, Zhang Juzheng and Hu Zongxian looked at each other with helpless expressions on their faces.

There was no other reason. Zhang Juzheng supported the unconscious Gao Gong, while Hu Zongxian supported the drunken Yan Shifan. Both of them felt a sense of sympathy from the other's situation.

Compared with Zhang Juzheng, Hu Zongxian is obviously much luckier. After all, Yan Shifan is not as heavy as Gao Gong.

Just supporting Gao Gong all the way from Huangji Hall to here took up most of Zhang Juzheng's energy.

"Everyone, I have to send Mr. Gao Ge home, so I'll go ahead and say goodbye!"

"Ah."

After Zhang Juzheng finished speaking, with the help of the sedan bearers, he helped Gao Gong, who was drunk and unconscious, into the sedan, and then left in the sedan.

After Zhang Juzheng left, Xu Jie withdrew his gaze, turned around, bowed his hands to Yan Song and Hu Zongxian respectively, and then said: "It's getting late, so I'll go ahead and say goodbye. Take care, both of you! "

"Mr. Xu Ge, walk slowly!"

Since Hu Zongxian was still supporting the drunken Yan Shifan, he could only nod in greeting.

After Xu Jie left in the sedan, Yan Song withdrew his gaze and glanced over Yan Shifan's body, with a look of hatred on his face. He turned to say: "Ruzhen, help the teacher to deal with this useless thing." Take your stuff back!"

"is teacher!"

After Hu Zongxian responded, he and the sedan bearers helped Yan Shifan onto the sedan.

Afterwards, only three sedans of different colors were seen heading in the direction of Yan's mansion.

……

After the sedan stopped, the servants who had been waiting came forward and carefully helped Yan Shifan out of the sedan.

After helping Yan Shifan down from the sedan, the maid on the side stepped forward and took Yan Shifan from the slave's hand.

Yan Song turned around, looked in the direction of the maid, and gave instructions: "Take him to the room to rest, and also tell the kitchen to make some bowls of hangover soup!"

"Yes, sir!"

Naturally, the maids did not dare to disobey Yan Song's words. They only saw Yan Song bend down and respond respectfully.

After that, Yan Song entered the study with the support of Hu Zongxian.

At this moment, the charcoal fire in the study was burning brightly, making people feel sleepy.

Soon after Yan Song and Hu Zongxian entered the study, a maid came forward and brought them each a bowl of steaming tea.

Then, Yan Song picked up the teacup, took a sip, looked in the direction of Hu Zongxian, and took the lead in provoking the topic: "Ruzhen, I wonder if you have received the couplet that the teacher sent to you earlier. ?”

When Hu Zongxian heard what Yan Song said, he immediately smiled and joked: "Of course, teacher, you have given your students a big gift!"

"Students heard that a wealthy businessman was willing to pay a high price of 400,000 taels of silver to buy your calligraphy treasure!"

"You sent someone to give three pairs of couplets to the students. Calculated, this is a total of 1.2 million taels of silver!"

After listening to Hu Zongxian's words, Yan Song couldn't help but have a smile on his face. He stroked his beard and said slowly: "Ruzhen, when you reach the position of teacher, your calligraphy treasure, It can also be sold at this price!”

When Hu Zongxian heard this, he shook his head and responded without thinking: "Teacher, I am very satisfied if the student can join the cabinet. I don't want to ask for anything else!"

When Hu Zongxian said this, he paused for a moment and continued: "What's more, even if you, teacher, one day step down from the position of chief minister of the cabinet, in front of the students, there are Xu Jie, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, And Mr. Xiao Ge!"

When Yan Song heard Hu Zongxian's words, he couldn't help but be silent for a moment.

In the Ming Dynasty's officialdom, if you are talented, have outstanding political achievements, have made great contributions to the court, and are supported by noble people, it is not difficult to rise to the top in one step.

Hai Rui is a living example. He was promoted from a small county magistrate to the censor of Youdu, the Inspectorate. The speed of his promotion was jaw-dropping.

But no one could fault him. After all, Hai Rui not only had outstanding political achievements and an impeccable private life, but he also dared to personally lead troops and surrounded the families of the Four Saints and Three Sages, and brought a whole lot of influence to the court. Income of eighty million taels of silver!

But the cabinet is different. The people who can join the cabinet are not ordinary people.

Therefore, the cabinet is a place where seniority is extremely important. Only when the person in front fails or leaves, will the person behind have a chance to take office!

After being silent for a long time, Yan Song raised his head, looked in the direction of Hu Zongxian, and asked, "You must have heard the conversation I had with Xu Jie not long ago, right?"

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere in the room instantly became cold.

After a long time, Hu Zongxian raised his head, nodded, and said in response: "Yes."

Yan Song had a clear view of the expression on Hu Zongxian's face. After pondering for a moment, he asked: "Are you curious why I have to remind Xu Jie?"

Facing Yan Song's gaze, Hu Zongxian didn't mean to hide anything. He nodded and said, "Well, yes."

Just when Yan Song was about to explain, there was a "squeak" sound, the study door was pushed open, and two maids came in carrying sober soup.

Later, Hu Zongxian took the sobering soup from the maid's hand and asked: "Where is Mr. Xiao Ge?"

When the maid who was asked by Hu Zongxian heard this, she immediately leaned down and responded respectfully: "Old Xiaoge, I have already sent it over!"

After learning the news from the maid, Hu Zongxian nodded and took a sip of the hangover soup in the bowl.

……

After the maid left, Yan Song looked away, with a slight look of ridicule on his face, and asked coldly: "Ruzhen, in your opinion, what is the relationship between me and Xu Jie?"

"The two are incompatible with each other, and they want to get rid of each other and then be quick!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Zongxian looked directly into Yan Song's eyes and responded without thinking.

Yan Song seemed to have expected Hu Zongxian's answer, and he shook his head and continued to explain: "Yes, the relationship between Xu Jie and I is indeed as you said, incompatible with each other, and I can't wait to get rid of each other! "

When Yan Song said this, he changed the topic and continued: "But in other words, Xu Jie and I can be regarded as having a mutually prosperous and mutually destructive relationship. Neither of us can do without the other!"

"If Xu Jie falls, I will not be able to serve as the chief minister of the cabinet. On the contrary, if I fall, Xu Jie will not be able to sit as the chief minister of the cabinet!"

When Yan Song said this, the look of ridicule on his face became even more serious, and he said to himself: "Now it seems that it is really a trick of fate. Xu Jie and I have been fighting for most of our lives, and we obviously hate each other from the bottom of our hearts. But no one can live without the other!"

After listening to Yan Song's explanation, a look of surprise appeared on Hu Zongxian's face. Immediately, he plucked up the courage and asked, "It is precisely because of this that Teacher, you took the initiative to remind me." Xu Jie..."

Hearing this, Yan Song raised his head and glanced at Hu Zongxian, and said slowly: "Yes, maybe there is also the teacher's selfishness in this. The teacher has been fighting with Xu Jie for most of his life, and he doesn't want to see him. To be implicated like this..."

Then, as if something suddenly occurred to him, Yan Song stopped the topic abruptly, and then said: "Okay, it's getting late. Ruzhen, you should go back and rest early!"

"Yes, teacher, please go to bed early. The students will leave now!"

"Ah."

After that, Hu Zongxian stood up from his seat, bowed his hands to Yan Song, turned around and left the room. (End of chapter)