Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 30 96 Holy Monarch (1)

Coming out of Chao Mansion, Song An led Zhao Xingde to Hanlin Academy by himself.

"This is Xiaguan's fellow apprentice, Zhao Yuanzhi." After entering all bureaus of the Imperial Academy in the palace city, as long as Song An showed Chao Buzhi's relationship, he could go all the way without hindrance.Zhao Xingde couldn't help being secretly surprised by Chao Buzhi's wide network in the Imperial Academy.Song An seemed to see the doubts in his heart, and said with a smile: "In the imperial court system, civil servants are transferred every three years, military officials are transferred every five years, but it takes ten years for the martial arts officers of the Imperial Academy to be promoted to the first rank, so although the master is only from seven However, he is also one of the highest-ranking officials in the Taishi Bureau. What's more, with the status of a respected teacher in the scholars and literary circles, even if he was framed and served as the Taishi Bureau Order, how could he compete with these Imperial Academy officials? Tricksters treat it the same."

Zhao Xingde nodded, Chao Buzhi's literature is well-known all over the world, and among the scholar-bureaucrats, he also has quite a few friends.Although a person is an official in the Imperial Academy, he is not a stray that can be suppressed at will.He couldn't help but imagine that if the respected Confucian master Yang Shifu was sent to the Hanlin Academy as an official, together with his disciples and grandchildren, would the status of the Imperial Academy be greatly enhanced, and even be able to compete with the Imperial Academy.Some people are restricted by official positions, while others are not restricted by official positions.

Along the way, Zhao Xingde saw a lot of strange things that made him jaw-dropping. In the Taishi Bureau, there were not only crystal-polished magnifying glasses, telescopes, sky-watching mirrors, etc., but also a rather huge astronomical observatory. Not only can observe and demonstrate astronomical phenomena, but also can time and tell time.Just when he was amazed by this huge monster, he suddenly heard a small bronze figure drilled out of the leak carved lotus copper pot placed next to the observatory. Zhao Xingde was startled.

Seeing this, Song An said with a smile: "This is the time-telling cymbal god made by the officials of the Taishi Bureau and the craftsmen of Dongbazuo in order to save trouble. It needs to be struck eight times every quarter." Almost at the same time as the cymbal sounded, not far away The bell tower of the Daqing Hall rang.Zhou Zhichang of the Taishi Bureau who accompanied him subconsciously looked relaxed. The time in Tokyo is based on the bells of the Daqing Palace, and the correction of the bells of the Daqing Palace depends on the bronze engraving next to the astronomical platform. If there is a difference between Nao Shen's timekeeping and the bell of Daqing Hall, he will immediately play the tooth card and correct the lotus flower leak on the other side of Daqing Hall.

I am from a later age, but in this ancient Imperial Academy, I look more like Grandma Liu. Zhao Xingde raised his head to look at the roof in embarrassment, but his eyes froze again. On the dome without beams, a very magnificent picture was drawn. In the star map, thousands of stars are connected into hundreds of groups with dotted lines, and three or four hundred star groups, including 28 constellations, are marked in regular script next to them, which are called star officials at this time.Below the stars, there are dense maps and annotations, marking the names of the stars contained in each group of star officials, the degree of entry and departure of the star officials from the stars, and so on.

Song An smiled and looked at the stunned look of his junior brother. It was the same when he first came to the Taishi Bureau to see it. The Song Dynasty prohibited the private study of astronomy. No matter whether it is a scholar-bureaucrat or a commoner, there is always an inexplicable feeling for the mysterious starry sky. A sense of awe, when suddenly placed under the magnificent star map of the Taishi Bureau, no matter who it is, it will always be instantly attracted.

"Really..." Zhao Xingde finally looked back, he wanted to find a word to describe his shock, but he couldn't speak, he just stared blankly at Song An and his escort, Zhou Jin.

"Okay, let's go to the Shang'medicine' Bureau." Song An smiled, and was about to leave with Zhao Xingde. I will never forget the kindness of an official who saved my life. If there is any order in the future, I will obey my orders."

"What are you?" Song An was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly remembered, waved his hands and said with a smile: "It's nothing to worry about."

After the two of them agreed to say goodbye, Zhao Xingde couldn't touch it, and Song An said in a low voice: "A few days ago, the people of Bianliang sent Mr. Huang Zhoushan out of Beijing. This Zhou Zhichang and several Hanlin Academy His colleagues also went there, but they were locked up by the Kaifeng Mansion. The subordinate officials of the Kaifeng Mansion threatened them that they would ask about the crime of treason. Let it out."

What he said was an understatement, as if rescuing several tricksters from the prison in Kaifeng Mansion was really as light as a feather.Song An, the capital of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, is in charge of increasing and abolishing subordinate officials of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, and family connections for treason. Dealing with countless relationships, and solving Zhou Jin's case of being cheated by a small official in Kaifeng Mansion is really not worth mentioning.

Stepping into the "medicine" bureau, a scent mixed with "medicine" came to the face. The maids came back and forth, some helping to prepare the "medicine", while others waited to deliver the prepared "medicine" pills to the In each palace, Zhao Xingde is proficient in medical skills, carefully looking at the neatly stacked medicinal materials, most of them are prescriptions for nourishing the body and regulating Qi. It seems that people in the royal family pay attention to maintaining the body.In this "medicine" bureau, Zhao Xingde looked at the beautiful women with great interest than he looked at the acupuncture "medicine" materials, and thought to himself, the same is probably true for the internal bureaus of Shangshi, Shangyi, and Shangshe. It's a pity that only this bureau is under the jurisdiction of the Hanlin Academy because of the relationship between medicine and medicine, so I can still visit here, but I have no chance to see the other bureaus.It suddenly occurred to him that, to be an emperor, it is taken for granted that the Sangong Sixth Courtyard would enshrine one's desire with all the children and wealth of the world. No wonder everyone wanted to fight for this seat.While looking around, Zhao Xingde suddenly saw the maid who gave him a sweat towel on behalf of the master after the willow shooting in the Qingming Festival last time was also waiting to take the medicine pills, the maid happened to see him, her beautiful eyes flickered After a moment, he lowered his eyelashes, pretending to be ignorant.

Zhao Xingde smiled slightly, but did not go forward to say hello.Just at this time, Song An also met an acquaintance, and he cupped his hands to a middle-aged man in a scarlet official robe who came to fetch the 'medicine' and said, "Master Shen." Needless to say, with a calm face, he raised his eyes to look at Song An, only smiled slightly, bowed his hands to him, and then turned his face to the person who was accompanying him at the Pharmacy Bureau.

Deng Zhichang, who was at the Pharmacy Bureau opposite Mr. Shen, saw him turn his face away, and the slack smile immediately bloomed again. He glanced at Song An and the two of them, and said in a low voice: "The things your lord wants, the next official has already done so." Ready." Then he handed a small white porcelain 'medicine' bottle to Shen Yun's hand.

Shen Yun borrowed the 'medicine' bottle, and snorted slightly, "Just because the Shang 'medicine' bureau used the wrong amount of 'medicine', the loss of Jinyan Mansion is not small. This time, I think you should grow up too." Remember 'sex'." In Deng Zhichang's ears, it sounded like thunder, and his body trembled slightly.This "Yanxin Powder" is a poison that is extremely difficult to prepare. After taking it, people will suffer from heartache and sickness, and will die after a while.It's just that if you want to reach the point where people and gods don't know, you have to be very particular about the amount of 'medicine' used. The former Secretary of the Imperial City asked to take it away. It is said that the 'medicine' is too powerful, and the result is the face of the dead. Turning blue, it exposed a dark line hidden in Shangjing of the Liao Kingdom by the Jinyan Mansion of the Imperial City Secretary.This Eunuch Shen was furious and implicated more than a dozen people including Feng Yu from the Shang'yao Bureau, and disappeared since then.

"Master Shen, don't worry, the 'medicine' powder this time was prepared under the personal supervision of the subordinate officials, and it will never delay the important event." Deng Zhichang only felt that the soybean sweat on his back had come out.This time, he was afraid that the 'drug' might be too strong, so he lightened the tiger wolf's 'drug' a little. After being drugged, the person who was given the 'drug' died as if having a heart attack. Traces of poisoning.

After Shen Jun left, Song An just breathed a sigh of relief, and said to Zhao Xingde: "Just now this is Eunuch Shen, the official of the imperial city." "Eunuch?" Zhao Xingde subconsciously whispered, seeing that Shen Yun was tall and big There was a sword hanging from his waist, which he thought was the military officer of the Imperial Guard. "This father-in-law Shen is in charge of investigating crimes of treason and collusion with the enemy. Although his rank is not high, many princes and generals have to avoid him. He has dealt with me several times. Although he is a father-in-law, he is also considered diligent. It's about the king's affairs." Song An explained in a low voice.

While the two were talking, Deng Zhichang had already walked over, and Song An introduced to him: "Brother Deng, this is the junior fellow of the lower official, Zhao Xingde, who is now an imperial scholar."

With a smile on his face, Deng Weiyi cupped his hands and said, "It turns out that he is Chao Taishi's student, a young talent."

Although Deng Weiwei is a seventh-rank official, his official rank is one level higher than that of the Taishi Bureau Order from the seventh rank, and he is also higher than Song An's official position.But this is Song An's lawsuit against the Ministry of Criminal Justice with real power in his hands, and Chao Buzhi is one of the most famous literary figures in the world.Even if Chao Taishi's official position has not been promoted, he still has many powerful civil servant friends to help him.A few random bullets and a few stumbling blocks are not something that a mere director of the bureau can resist.After Deng Weiyi talked carefully with the two for a while, he turned and left.

After Zhao Xingde had left completely, the court lady who had known Zhao Xingde walked lightly to the side of Deng Weiyi, the head of the Bureau of Medicine, and pretended to chat unintentionally. She was the most beloved princess of the official family. The person who used it was the most eloquent, and in a few words, he asked Zhao Xingde and the others clearly about the situation, and just now happily took the special fragrant medicine pills made by the Shang'yao Bureau and returned to the White Jade Palace.

The Rouyi Hall of the White Jade Palace is the bedroom of Empress Zhang. The third prince Jing Wang Zhao Qi, born of Empress Zhang, has already lived in the mansion after adulthood. She was young, and she was the most favored and still lived in this White Jade Palace.

Zhao Huan lives in a room facing the east of Rouyi Hall. The four corners are all white marble columns carved with exquisite patterns. On the top are carved wooden windows, with translucent crystal pieces of various colors in the panes, and in the middle is a sandalwood roof without a single beam, and the roof is covered with glazed tiles covered with gold powder.The sunlight is filtered by crystals and shines into the room, warm and soft. The ceramics, jade and brocade curtains in the room all reflect subtle and delicate colors.

On the carved dressing table at one side of the room, Zhao Huan was facing the dressing mirror, frowning slightly, with one eye open and the other closed, carefully applying a blue-black smoky ink Apply lightly on the side of the eye.She was about fourteen or fifteen years old, with slender shoulders and a thin waist, with picturesque eyebrows, like a beauty.Her skin is as delicate as ivory. Applying Zhu is too red, and applying powder is too white, but this is also the trouble of this little princess. Recently, when applying makeup to the mirror, it seems that the makeup on the face is not as good as that of the concubines and beauties in the palace. Add color.

"Why do other people make this tearful makeup so good-looking, but I am so ugly?" Zhao Huan sighed mournfully, and prepared to wash away the makeup on the sides of his eyes with morning dew as if resigned to his fate.At this time, I heard the voice of the young man behind me and said with a sneer: "Sixteenth sister is born beautiful, but she thinks that pink and black are dirty, so she should lightly sweep her eyebrows and face the Supreme."

"Third brother?" Zhao Huan showed a hint of surprise on his face. Among the many princes and princesses, only Zhao Qi was born to her mother. The two grew up together in Zhang Guifei's bedroom, and they were the most loved by their father. They are also very close to each other. After Zhao Qi became king and moved out as an adult, he was dispatched by the Secretary of the Imperial City. It was also very convenient to visit his mother and his sister.But when Zhao Huan turned around, he saw Zhao Qi's expression that seemed to be a smile but not a smile, but his eyes were wide open, and he gritted his teeth and said angrily, "Damn third brother, you actually made fun of me with a bad woman like Mrs. The emperor told me to go!"

Seeing this look of slight anger and anger, Zhao Qi's heart swayed, and he cursed himself secretly, but hurriedly begged for mercy: "Good sixteenth sister, it's all brother's fault, you have to look at it for the mother's sake, Just don't embarrass me."

Zhao Huan snorted lightly, and said: "If the mother knows that you made fun of me, she will definitely teach you a lesson. How can I see the mother's face?"

When Zhao Qi heard the word "joke", he was really frightened.Although the father is suave and suave, he also likes that the third prince has his demeanor, but he always attaches great importance to the words and deeds of the princes. Princess, I'm afraid that the elder brother of the prince who hides in the East Palace pretending to be a sage will laugh his teeth out.

"My dear sister, even though you live in the Palace of Rouyi, you should know something about the relationship between me and my elder brother. My father intends to let me take part in the imperial examination next year." Zhao Qi knew that this younger sister also knew a lot. With her help in matters in the palace, if she helps in the battle for the East Palace, she will be more confident, "If my brother wins the first prize, and my father is happy, it will be a great thing."

Zhao Huan had been told by her mother, Empress Zhang, that her family should not be involved in the rivalry between her brothers as a girl. When she heard Zhao Qi mentioning this matter, she had no choice but to pretend to be deaf and dumb, staring at the half-washed fallen woman in the mirror as if lost. With tears in his makeup, Ren Zhao Qi begged for a long time, and only promised not to speak ill of him in front of his father.

After Zhao Qi left thankfully, Zhao Huan sighed in a low voice, feeling inexplicably depressed. At this moment, Qing Nu, the confidant of the palace, tiptoed forward and said with a happy face after being blessed. : "Princess, the young master who 'shot' Liu on the Ching Ming Festival is Chao Taishi's disciple. The servant girl bumped into him at the Shang'yao Bureau today, but she didn't dare to speak up."

"Oh?" Zhao Huan exclaimed, "What's his name? Is he really a student of the eunuch?" She paused, then said in a low voice, "What's your family background?"

Qing Nu had been prepared for a long time, his eyes were full of complacency, and he turned his mouth up and down cleverly. After a while, the princess learned that this son's surname was Zhao Ming Xingde, and his characters were straight. He was the son of the late Longtu Pavilion attendant Zhao Tixin , not yet married, before Menghuangen entered the Taixue to study, he had already passed the Juren examination, and now he is studying in the Taixue Shangshe.

"It turned out to be the son of Zhao Shizhi," Zhao Huan felt cold. According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, intermarriage with the same surname is not allowed. Violators will be deprived of their grades and sentenced to four years of hard labor. She feels empty in her heart and can hardly hold back tears. , Er forced himself to comfort himself and said, "According to the rules of this dynasty, son-in-law is not allowed to hold important positions. This Mr. Zhao is both civil and military. He must have the talent to help the world and help the country save the people. If he can't stretch his ambitions and abilities, then I will be his doom." Thinking of this episode, she couldn't help feeling sad, and said in a low voice, "That's fine."

Although Qing Nu was proficient in writing, he didn't know this kind of regulation in the laws of the Song Dynasty, so he said with a smile on his face: "Princess, can I ask this servant to inquire about Mr. Zhao's situation, such as whether the family is engaged?"

Zhao Huan shook his head lightly, and sighed, "Forget it." Seeing her expression turn from joy to sorrow, Qingnu didn't know why, and only learned that he didn't mention it, and instead praised His Royal Highness King Jing just now. The white coral that was sent was tall and big, and it matched the decoration of Rouyi Hall very well.

On the east side of Miyagi, Song An led Zhao Xingde from the Shang'yao Bureau to Dongbazuo, Zhao Xingde's gaze was immediately attracted by a firecracker placed on the workbench.

"I heard that Yuan Zhi has a three-stone bow and is good at archery. Why is he still interested in firecrackers?" Song An looked at Zhao Xingde with great interest.

"After all, it's something that's hard to see from outside, so you have to look twice." Zhao Xingde said with a smile, this firecracker is like a crossbow bolt, it can kill the middle-aged man by the weak and weak, so it was listed as a civil ban by the court possessions.He looked back at She Lu, the firearms operator who accompanied him, She Lu rubbed his hands together and said with a smile: "Zhao Xiangru just get started, you are a student of Chao Taishi, what should you be taboo about?"

Zhao Xingde reached out and took the firecracker with the wooden handle in his hand, and weighed it, feeling a bit heavy.Because the strength of cast iron is not enough, the wall of the gun tube is very thick, making the eye of the gun appear a bit small.There are two bifurcated wooden brackets under the pedestal at the rear end of the cast gun barrel, and a wooden stick is connected behind it. The wooden stick is completely straight, and behind it is an arc-shaped shoulder rest, but there is no curved gun like the guns of later generations. Holder shape.

Zhao Xingde glanced at the gleaming black iron projectile placed beside him, and asked, "How far can this blunderbuss shoot, and how powerful is it?"

She Lu glanced at the blunderbuss, and then said: "This one is a heavy bullet, with double 'powder', it can probably 'shoot' to forty steps away, if it is light flick, use a single 'powder' You can hit sixty paces."

"So close?"

Seeing Zhao Xingde's disappointed look on Zhao Xingde's face, She Lu knew that there were quite a few civil servants who objected to switching to firecrackers, so he immediately explained: "Although the firing range of this firecracker is shorter than that of bows and arrows, it is more powerful. But it is big, and can penetrate heavy armor, as long as the bullet is shot in the chest and abdomen, it will surely die." Zhao Xingde looked at the round iron blunderbuss, and there seemed to be some 'burr' spikes on it that were not completely smoothed. If you want to penetrate into a flesh and blood body, it must be an extremely terrifying hole, let alone a person, I am afraid that the horse will die.