Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 81

A wooden basin was actually made of freshly felled and dried pine wood. It was unpainted and even tung oiled. It was white. There are two round holes cut on the side of the wooden board of the ruler, so that the person who rubs the feet can put his hands in through the holes.

A large copper pot was burning on the stove in the passageway. Huang Jin closed his eyes and stretched out his hand to touch the edge of the copper pot. He knew that the heat was just right. He lifted the pot with his right hand, and put his left hand into a round hole in the wooden basin. Carrying a pot and a pot, he walked to the abbot.

Historical records: The wooden basins used by Emperor Jiajing to wash his feet were all made of freshly planed pine boards, which were neither painted nor oiled.A wooden basin was only used once, and the second time it lost the woody fragrance, it was rewarded to eunuchs with positions in the palace.

Jiajing still sat cross-legged on the futon in the same loose casual robe, and the heavy Songjiang cotton robe covered the entire futon with his legs crossed. Seeing Huang Jin walking into the abode with a pot and a basin in his hands, his face showed I saw the smile of a child seeing candied haws.

Huang Jin put the bottom of the wooden basin towards Jiajing's futon, and said in a long voice, "Master, the pines and cypresses are evergreen! The scent of pine is about to rise!" While shouting, a thick line of hot water in the copper pot Shot along the circumference of the wooden boards inside the wooden basin, the hot water stimulated the woody aroma.

Jiajing had already exhaled the breath in his stomach, and now he closed his mouth slightly and took a deep breath with his long and narrow nose. The hot water soaked in the pine scent of new wood slowly inhaled into his internal organs. Walk in the body of the dragon.Going back and forth like this, Jiajing took several long breaths in a row until the aroma of the pine wood gradually faded, then he stopped breathing and slowly opened his eyes.

Only then did Huang Jin squat down beside the tub: "Master, let's warm our feet!" After shouting this, she stretched out her hand and gently pinched the robe in front of Jiajing's body and pulled it towards her. The whole robe just covered her. Catch the foot basin and put it on the side of the wooden basin that is one foot higher.

Jiajing had never looked at people like this before, looking at Huang Jin like a country master looking at his straightforward servant, with an unsuspecting and slightly teasing smile on his face.

Huang Jin squatted, stretched his hands through the two round holes in the high plank, and began rubbing Jiajing's feet in the robe covering the wooden basin, pressing the acupuncture points.

Jiajing looked at Huang Jin, his whole face relaxed, obviously very comfortable, and now he began to say the common words that he never said: "Huang Jin."

"The servant is here." Huang Jin skillfully rubbed his feet, and replied very loosely.

"The ancients said, 'With a hundred thousand guan in your waist, you can ride a crane to Yangzhou'. What's so good about you in Yangzhou?" Jiajing began to tease him.

"Master, you're asking the question knowingly." Only Huang Jin dared to reply like that, looking for acupuncture points with his head down and just rubbing his feet.

He didn't look at Jiajing, but Jiajing stared at him all the time: "Slap your mouth. Why do I ask knowingly?"

Huang Jin: "If you're not from Yangzhou, who would dare to rub your master's feet?"

Jiajing couldn't help being amused by him: "What a slave! You are not complimenting me, you are boasting."

"I'm not boasting, the slave's hometown is indeed a good place." Huang Jin raised his head at this time, looked at Jiajing, but sighed: "It is said that the emperor is rich all over the world, but Yangzhou also has Suzhou, Hangzhou, Lord Long Live, the master, has never been to those heavenly places in Nanjing, and the slaves are all wronged for the master."

The smile on Jiajing's face faded away, and he looked at Huang Jin, as if touched by his words, and his mind seemed to be thinking about those places.

Huang Jin sensed it, and immediately said: "The servant really should slap his mouth. Master Long Live wants to manage Daming's country and cultivate the way of longevity. Those places are originally played by ordinary people, and our Long Live Lord is not rare."

"Is there any news from Hangzhou?" Jiajing asked suddenly.

Huang Jin's hands stopped in the round hole, and then he pretended to relax and rubbed again: "It seems that there are two confessions of Zhao Zhenji and Tan Lun examining Zheng Michang and He Maocai. will play the master."

Jiajing's feet were fixed in the wooden basin, so Huang Jin's hands had no choice but to stop, and looked up at Jiajing.

Jiajing: "What is the restoration of the two confessions? Who is the restoration?"

Huang Jin had no choice but to answer: "Chen Hong is on duty today, it should be Chen Hong who is in charge."

Jiajing raised his feet and stepped on the wooden basin: "Ask Chen Hong to bring it immediately."

Huang Jin was taken aback, but his heart immediately arose, he knew that his godfather hadn't returned to the palace yet.

——Lv Fang is afraid that this hurdle will be very difficult to pass.

There is no more Huang Jin in Yuxi Palace, nor is there that foot basin. The one kneeling in front of the futon is Chen Hong!

Jiajing Shicai's relaxed teasing demeanor towards Huang Jin has long since disappeared without a trace, that face is colder than the copper chime beside him, waiting for Chen Hong to reply.

Chen Hong just lay on his stomach, he couldn't see Jiajing anyway, and kept wandering around.Today's play is right, either one step into the sky, or one step into the abyss, he is ready to gamble.But how to bet, the heart has been raised in the throat and he is thinking about it.

"If you don't answer, there is no need to answer." Jiajing's voice was colder than his face, "Get out of here!"

"Return to the master, long live!" Chen Hong pretended to be very panicked, but buried his head even lower. "The slave will answer now, and answer the master truthfully. It is just a painstaking effort to hope that the master will be considerate of the old ancestor..."

"What old ancestor!" Jiajing yelled, "Whose old ancestor! In my Ming Dynasty, the only old ancestor was Taizu Chengzu. Where did you find another old ancestor!"

Chen Hong trembled with joy in his heart, and his voice trembled very naturally, and he kowtowed a few times in a row: "I am confused! I am stupid! I will tear up this stinky mouth!" He pulled his mouth hard, and the blood flowed out from the corner of his mouth.

"Stop pretending!" Jiajing stopped him again, "What did Lu Fang tell you? What are you doing without telling me?"

Chen Hong slowly raised his head, intending to show Jiajing the blood at the corner of his mouth: "Go back to the master, Long Live, Zhejiang Babaili urgently delivered several confessions, and Lu Fang only asked the servants to present two copies to the master. , and he took two copies to meet Yan Song and Xu Jie."

Jiajing's face immediately flushed red: "Wow! The three of you teamed up to hide it from me!"

Chen Hong put his head down again, waiting for Lei Ting to get angrier.

Jiajing was silent at this time, and the flush on his face slowly faded away, thinking darkly there.

Chen Hong couldn't help but sneak a look.

Jiajing looked at the south window outside the door of the jingshe: "What did he tell you to do?"

Chen Hong hurriedly kowtowed again: "Back to the master, Lu Fang asked the servant to send the other two confessions back to Zhejiang with the court post from the supervisor of ceremonies, and ordered Zhao Zhenji to get two more confessions and present them to the master."

Jiajing: "Good way. Just do as he said."

"Master!" Chen Hong raised his head abruptly, "Slaves absolutely dare not."

"I told you to dare!" Jiajing stared at him closely, "Don't reveal a word of what I said to you just now. Go back to the Supervisor of Rites and still do what Lu Fang said. Do you understand?"

Chen Hong knew that the great success was half done, but he still pretended to be panicked: "Slave, slave obeys the order."

It was almost noon when Lu Fang returned to the supervisor's office, and she was very tired. When she sat down, she took the face towel Huang Jin handed over and wiped off her sweat. She was already very tired.

Huang Jin had a lot to say, but Chen Hong was in front of him again, anxious, so he had to wait for Lu Fang to ask questions.

"How is the master? Why are you all here?" Lu Fang was a little out of breath when she asked.

Before Huang Jin opened his mouth, Chen Hong had already snatched away the words: "Back to godfather, Eunuch Huang was serving the master at first, but for some reason the master asked about the matter in Hangzhou and called his son..."

"How did you reply?" Lu Fang stood up abruptly.

Chen Hong: "Of course I answered as godfather ordered. The master became suspicious, and the son clapped his hands and swore, which calmed the master down."

Only then did Lu Fang see that the corners of Chen Hong's mouth were swollen, and the broken cut was still covered with scabs of blood, so she felt a little sad: "Your job is hard to do. Have you finished writing to the court in Zhejiang?"

Chen Hong took out the written court letter from his sleeve: "Godfather, let's see if we need to change it."

Lu Fang: "Of course your writing is not bad. Don't read it, and send it to Zhejiang immediately together with these two confessions." As he spoke, he also took out the two confessions of Hai Ruishen Zheng Michang and He Maocai from his sleeve and handed them to Chen Hong.

"Godfather!" Huang Jin couldn't help calling him when Chen Hong took the confession.

Lu Fang looked at Huang Jin.

Huang Jin's eyes were worried: "Should I think about it again, these two confessions should still be presented to the master?"

Lu Fang: "You can't show it to the master! Post it."

"Son, send it now!" Chen Hong answered loudly, and strode out with the court letter and the confession.

Lu Fang thumped his lower back: "I should go see the master too." Huang Jin immediately supported him and walked to the gate of the guard's room.

In the jingshe, only Lu Fang could not report in advance when she came in.At this moment Lu Fang came in quietly, seeing Jiajing closed his eyes on the futon in meditation, she didn't call him, just like in the past, went to the altar to change the incense first, then picked up a white silk wet towel and wiped it around silently.

"Cultivate longevity, cultivate longevity, who is immortal in ancient times?" Jiajing spoke suddenly.

Lu Fang was stunned, and walked over lightly: "Master, Peng Zu is far away, and Master Zhang is close. They are all immortal."

"Peng Zu can't be trusted." Jiajing opened his eyes and turned to Lu Fang, "Realist Zhang suddenly disappeared at the age of 120, and he still hasn't been found after searching for 200 years. In my opinion, I have to hurry up to repair my ten thousand years of auspicious soil. "

Lu Fang was silent there, already feeling that Jiajing's demeanor was a little strange.

Lu Fang: "You have been with me for 40 years. I don't worry about sending someone else to my ten thousand years of auspicious land. Leave the matter of the supervisor of ceremonies to Chen Hong. You go today to see my eternal mausoleum." How did it go?"

Why is there such a big change!It sounded too unexpected at first, but it seemed to pay attention.Lu Fang didn't have time to think about it, and knelt down: "Qizou master, the slave is just going to have a look, or stay there to supervise the project?"

Jiajing stared at him: "You have made the calculations for many things yourself, do you still need to ask me?"

Lu Fang was still taken aback for a moment, then understood, and lay down on the ground: "I understand. The master's ten thousand years auspicious soil slave will definitely supervise them to fix it."

Jiajing closed his eyes and stopped talking to him.

Lu Fang kowtowed, and stood up slowly. When she walked out, she didn't know whether it was because she was too tired or because the incident happened too suddenly. She even staggered when she crossed the threshold. Angrily, walked out with difficulty.

Jiajing's eyes opened suddenly at this moment: "Chen Hong!"

"Slave, slave is here!" Chen Hong's voice came from far outside the main hall door, but his figure appeared at the door of the Jingshe surprisingly quickly.

Jiajing: "Preach the decree."

Chen Hong knelt outside the door of the jingshe, looking up at Jiajing.

Jiajing: "Isn't Yan Song sick? Then tell him to recuperate at home. Ask Xu Jie to move to the cabinet to be on duty, and live here. You first hold the seal of the chief inspector."

"Slave..." Chen Hong swallowed, "Slave is going to deliver the decree."

"When will Yang Jinshui be escorted to Beijing?" Jiajing asked again.

Before Chen Hong could stand up, he knelt down again: "Go back to the master, Long Live, and walk 120 miles a day, and it will take a month to be escorted to Beijing."

"How long is it every day?" Jiajing's face was very ugly.

Chen Hong was taken aback for a moment: "Hui, back to the master, every day is, of course, twelve hours..."

Jiajing: "Do you travel 120 miles in twelve hours?"

Chen Hong understood: "Return to the master, the servant understands, and the servant immediately sent an urgent notice, ordering them to travel day and night, and they will definitely escort Yang Jinshui to the capital within half a month."

Jiajing: "Then I will retreat for half a month. When will Yang Jinshui be escorted, and when will you tell me to leave the seclusion."

Chen Hong: "Master, don't worry about Immortal Cultivator. The servant will definitely invite the master to leave the customs in fifteen days' time."

"Go and get your seal." Jiajing's words were a little cold.

Chen Hong hurriedly kowtowed again: "Return to the master, the seal belongs to the master, how can the slave dare to take it? The slave must take care of the master."

"Just understand." Jiajing closed his eyes.

Seeing that he was in samadhi, Chen Hong kowtowed his head for the last time. When he got up and exited, his face was covered with sweat, and he retreated outside the door of the abbot. go.

The three elders, within a day, the first assistant was ordered to recuperate from illness, the second assistant was ordered to move into the cabinet on duty, but the eunuch who was in charge of ceremonies and seals was sent to repair the Yongling Mausoleum, and the emperor suddenly announced a retreat at this time.Although the routine work of each department's yamen is carried out daily, it is not known who will vote for the approval of the official documents for a while.The huge machine of the Ming Dynasty seemed to have stopped working suddenly!

The news spread from the palace to Prince Yu's mansion in the next afternoon.

King Yu held a book in his hand and seemed to be watching there, but walked back and forth, walked to the door and looked at the sky outside the door from time to time, turned around and went back to the book, obviously not in the book.

Concubine Li was sitting quietly at the side at this time, slowly embroidering the Taoist robe for Jiajing's birthday, but her eyes were always paying attention to King Yu's movements.

"How long has it been since Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng came?" King Yu finally couldn't help it, he was obviously asking Concubine Li, his eyes were still fixed on the book.

"Twenty days or so." Concubine Li replied softly.

King Yu looked outside the door: "There are several places in "Zhu Zi Yu Lei" that I still don't quite understand, and Master Xu can't come to manage the cabinet. Should I ask Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng to give lectures today?"

Concubine Li certainly understood what he was thinking, and replied bluntly: "They are all masters sent by the emperor to give lectures to the prince. It is reasonable to ask them to give lectures. But today, it is better not to call them?"

King Yu looked at her, waiting for her to speak.

Concubine Li lowered her head, and said softly: "There are some things that I don't know whether to say or not."

Ever since the two had a quarrel last time, and later returned the [-] bolts of silk given to Concubine Li's family to the palace, King Yu has always felt guilty towards Concubine Li.Concubine Li's temperament has also changed since then, she no longer speaks out when she has something to say, but always keeps her mouth shut when it comes to court affairs.This made Yu Wang respect her a lot instead.There is more respect and less intimacy.Seeing that she was still so cautious when talking to him at this time, King Yu felt a little empty in his heart, and immediately sighed: "No matter how close you are, you can't kiss the people around you. Your family is so poor, and finally the emperor bestowed a gift of [-] yuan. A piece of silk, because I returned them all. I was angry at that time again, so I just said a few words to you, and it didn’t feel good afterwards, but you kept it in my heart. Like the incident I encountered today, Yang Jinshui charged After entering the palace, after interrogation by the father, the emperor didn't know whether it was the green dragon or the white tiger. Tan Lun and the others didn't send a letter from Zhejiang, and Lu Gonggong suddenly sent him to Yongling. Master Xu, Master Gao and Master Zhang couldn't see each other. , there is only you in front of me, and you dare not even tell me the truth. To be disheartened, unfortunately, you were born in the emperor's family."

Concubine Li never thought that King Yu would have such heart-to-heart talk at this time. Seeing him standing there when he said this, his figure was thin, and he looked like he was standing alone and hanging from each other. The grievance came up suddenly with tears, and he quickly put down the needle and thread in his hand, and turned his head to find the handkerchief.

Although King Yu turned his back to her, he knew that she was wiping away tears: "Cry, in a few days, I, the crown prince, will be abolished, so I don't have to cry anymore. You take your son to plead with the emperor father, because the grandson For the sake of my father, the emperor should give us a piece of feudal land. Let us move to Hubei, where is the land of the father's Longxing, guarding the mausoleum of my grandfather Xingxian emperor, and our family will live in peace for the rest of our lives .”

"My lord!" Concubine Li burst into tears with a handkerchief in her hand, she didn't have the time to wipe it, she ran over and hugged Yu Wang's waist behind her back, and pressed her face tightly on Yu Wang's back: "My lord, Qian Don't think about it like that again! Everything in the past was the fault of the concubine, and there was no reason to be angry with the prince. The prince said this today, and the concubine will tell the prince bluntly if he has anything to say in the future. For example, this The situation, the prince's bitter courtiers and concubines also know that they must obey the emperor in everything, and they must always keep our country and people in mind. With this heart of loyalty, filial piety and love for the people, the prince is the best prince in the world! Father What a sage, how can he not know his own son."

(End of this chapter)