Daming Yinghua

The hour is about to end, the Forbidden City, the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

The No.14 emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Changluo, after the early dynasty, invited his old master Dong Qichang, who is now the Shaoqing of Taichang Temple, to stay, and ordered the eldest son Zhu Youxiao and the fifth son Zhu Youjian temple.

Yesterday was the first day for the two princes to go to the Wenhua Palace to study. The lecturer Sun Chengzong, the writer who drafted the Wanli Emperor's edict not long ago, although he did not blindly approve of sanctioning Zheng Guifei's party members in the struggle for the state, was Zhu Changluo. Trusted civil servants.

"You two, what did you gain after listening to Master Sun's teaching yesterday?" Zhu Changluo asked lightly.

Zhu Youxiao, who is already fifteen or sixteen years old, was indoctrinated by Li Xuanshi that "I don't like you" since he was a child. When he came to Zhu Changluo to answer, he always shrank nervously.

"Returning to Your Majesty, Master Sun taught the "Great Learning" and asked the minister to recite it. There is a beginning and an end, and a beginning and end. If you know the sequence, you will get the shortest way."

"I'm asking you what you think, not asking you to endorse!" Zhu Changluo's voice was a little more serious.

Zhu Youxiao was taken aback for a moment, and subconsciously looked at his younger brother Zhu Youjian who was several years younger than him.

Zhu Changluo also glanced over: "I'm asking you two, please tell me, Xiaowu."

Zhu Youjian said eloquently: "Yesterday, Master Sun talked about "Great Learning", and he said that those who are virtuous in the world should have rules and regulations. To govern the country, you must first cultivate your family, and to cultivate your family, you must first rectify your heart, be sincere, and be sincere. You must first study things to gain knowledge. The minister thought that extending knowledge is not only the knowledge of benevolence, but also the way of all things, so I look forward to Master Xu and other gentlemen teaching farming, mulberry and firearms today."

Hearing Zhu Youjian's words, Dong Qichang, who was standing in the hall, felt a few strands of astonishment in his heart.

This fifth son, who is only in his early ten years, should not be underestimated.

In other words, Dong Li, who was responsible for raising him, and the accompanying eunuch should not be underestimated.

They have probably already found out the reason for the selection of the prince's lecturers, and they know that this is a precedent. The addition of firearms must have been added by the emperor on purpose, which shows that the emperor has a good impression of the Western French School, so today he also let the fifth prince pick it up. To put it nicely, go to the emperor's father's appetite.

Sure enough, Zhu Changluo looked pale, took a sip of the ginseng soup that was served, and told his two sons: "Master Xu is already in his sixtieth year, and his temper is much warmer than that of Master Sun. I will definitely punish Master Xu for mischievous laughter and offending Master Xu."

The two brothers are busy saying yes.

That's all for Zhu Youxiao, but Zhu Youjian is really young and mature. From the atmosphere of the past two days, he has confirmed what his adoptive mother "Dong Li" said. Fearing that Concubine Zheng would think that the crown prince was colluding with foreign ministers, she would use this method to force Wanli to canonize the emperor's grandson. Once the emperor's grandson was established, the position of the crown prince would be stable, and there would be nothing wrong with King Fu.

Now that the father finally sits on the dragon chair, the first thing he does is to listen to the advice of the courtiers of Donglin, let the princes go out of the deep palace, go to the Wenhua Palace to listen to lectures, and he is very concerned about the attitude of the sons to study.

At this moment, Zhu Changluo, who had been drinking a few mouthfuls of warm ginseng soup, felt more energetic.

The new emperor glanced at Dong Qichang, and then chased his sons: "There is also a female master, surnamed Zheng, who attended the lecture with Master Xu. Although she was ordered by the Ministry of Rites yesterday, she has no official status. She is also a generation of women, so she did not enter the Wenhua Palace to accept the gift. However, Master Dong and Master Xu both told me that she is a rare and virtuous teacher. I also know that she, like Master Sun Chengzong, went to the frontier People who have made great contributions to the country, you two must respect him."

"I would like to follow His Majesty's instructions."

"Well, let's go to Wenhua Palace." Zhu Changluo said in a deep voice.

The two brothers went out of the Qing Palace and went down the jade steps, and their respective accompanying eunuchs came up to them.

When a group of people walked near the three main halls that were going to be repaired, Zhu Youxiao's nurse Yinyue came from the direction of Ciqing Palace.

"Brother, this servant will take you to Wenhua Palace," Ke Yinyue said with a smile, "this day flies so fast, my brother left the cabinet in the blink of an eye. Yesterday, my servant was staring at the sweet-scented osmanthus cake in the imperial dining room, and I didn't have time to see it. I can't miss the appearance of my brother entering school today."

Zhu Youxiao had a childlike joy on his face: "Okay, Mommy is walking together."

However, Zhu Youjian frowned, and his tone was frosty: "Wenhua Palace, it's almost outside. It's not appropriate for the mother to go."

Ke Yinyue pretended to be in a daze, and then quickly smiled and said: "Wenhua Palace is the part of the Imperial Pharmacy. When Dong Lixuan served Duan Xia, the maidservant met the girl in your palace in the Imperial Pharmacy."

Since two years ago, Zhu Youjian has hated her elder brother as a nurse. She always feels that she treats Zhu Youxiao differently when she is in front of others. Phrase: frivolous.

At this moment, Zhu Youjian listened to Ke Yinyue using his respected adoptive mother to speak out, and immediately put on a face: "Mother Ke, if the imperial pharmacy and the Wenhua Palace are the same thing, then why use the palace wall and the long hall?" Corridor separated?"

Ke Yinyue put away her charming attitude, lingered on Zhu Youjian's face for a moment, and sighed.

"Your Highness taught your slaves the right thing." She expressed her helplessness and grievance, "I just heard that there is a female teacher who is teaching my brother today, so I thought it would be no inconvenience."

Zhu Youxiao couldn't bear it, and cast a contemptuous glance at his younger brother: "That's right, isn't that Master Zheng a woman like Nanny? What's inappropriate."

He took the bookcase from the eunuch's hand, and handed it to Ke Yinyue: "Mother is carrying it, let's go."

……

At three o'clock in the morning, Zheng Haizhu and Lu Xiangsheng were waiting outside Donghua Gate.

After the prince was appointed as a lecturer, Li Xuan's maiden family couldn't embarrass Zheng Haizhu anymore, so she moved out of Zuo Guangdou's mansion and lived in the backyard of the shop that Qin Fang found, while Lu Xiangsheng and Zhang Mingshi lived next door. In the single-door private house, each other takes care of each other.

Today, Zheng and Lu deliberately arrived outside the palace very early, because they were not allowed to participate in the ceremony of the Ministry of Rites yesterday, so they wanted to welcome Xu Guangqi and ask a few more details about the etiquette.

Unexpectedly, when the hour was about to turn, the steward of Xu's mansion rushed over, saying that Xu Guangqi had diarrhea yesterday evening and had a restless night. He went to the mansion to invite a doctor before dawn, and he would definitely not be able to come to the lecture today.

"Is there another matter?" Zheng Haizhu asked the steward of the Xu residence, "Did it start before dinner?"

The steward nodded.

"Then, could it be the food box of Wenhua Palace..."

"Ma'am, be careful," the steward said in a low voice, "Our master guesses that the dishes are not very fresh, but the master has a benevolent temper, and he just needs to take a few medicines. Don't worry about it in the palace, so as not to worry There are servants in the imperial dining room who are punished."

While he was speaking, a servant in his twenties came out from the Donghua Gate, he took a look and walked towards here.

"But Master Zheng and a son named Lu?"

Zheng Haizhu hurriedly returned the gift with Lu Xiangsheng.

"Hey, where's Xu Hanlin?"

The steward of the Xu Mansion stepped forward to make a statement, and the servant said "oh", thought about it, and said, "Then our family will report back to Sun Hanlin. Change clothes first."

The lecturers of the prince and the emperor's grandson had to put on red robes before entering the Wenhua Hall. Zheng Haizhu had learned about this rule when he met Xu Guangqi the day before yesterday to discuss the division of labor.

After the guard checked the sign, the three of them entered Donghua Gate.

"What's your surname, father-in-law?" Zheng Haizhu asked.

"Hey, you're welcome, don't be expensive, my surname is Xue."

"Your father-in-law is in the supervisor of ceremonies?"

"Ah."

"I have Lao Gonggong to guide you there. We don't have any other soil rituals in the south. You can still meet people with some silk handkerchiefs. Father-in-law try our Songjiang silk and cotton blended loop fleece sweat towel. It's very comfortable."

Eunuch Xue took the veil handed over by Zheng Haizhu, and as soon as he touched it, he found out the hard thing wrapped inside. When he put it in the sleeve, he glanced at it, it was gold.

"Young lady, there will be troubles on the scene," Eunuch Xue murmured to himself, "but you offended a big shot, and today's calamity, I can't let you escape."

At this time, it was actually just before eight o'clock, and the autumn sun was still hanging in the east. Zheng Haizhu looked far into the distance in the bright light, and saw many palaces and pavilions, stretching and rolling.

But in the view from the northwest direction, the roof of the main hall exposed on the far wall of the palace seems to be incomplete.

Zheng Haizhu understood that there should be the three hall buildings that were burned.

Because Emperor Wanli did not go to court, after the Huangji Hall and other three halls were burned, he was too lazy to repair it at first, but later he was annoyed by the ministers, so he ordered the eunuch to supervise the matter. The eunuchs were perfunctory and filled their pockets. , until Wanli died, the three halls still looked like ghosts.

Several people crossed the small bridge over the river, and saw a shady green tree in front of them, with golden glazed tiles protruding from the crown of the tree, it was probably the Wenhua Palace.

Eunuch Xue said to Lu Xiangsheng: "My lord, stay here until our family takes Master Zheng to change clothes."

Lu Xiangsheng knew that he was only Zheng Haizhu's assistant and didn't have a red robe to wear, so he nodded to Eunuch Xue, and stood with his sleeves behind his back at a conspicuous place at the end of the bridge.

Zheng Haizhu followed Eunuch Xue all the way through the light and shadow, and met some young men sweeping along the way. Seeing them, they immediately saluted Eunuch Xue respectfully. Although this person was not considered a big man in the Supervisor of Rituals, he was in the palace. But the status is not low.

Zheng Haizhu was thinking about talking to him, but suddenly realized something was wrong.

At the end of the corridor, the row of houses is no longer like the building of the Wenhua Palace, it is much shorter, and there is still smoke rising.

"Eunuch Xue, is this...?" Zheng Haizhu asked immediately.

"Oh, Royal Pharmacy." Eunuch Xue turned his head and pointed, answering questions kindly.

wrong!

Suspicions arose in Zheng Haizhu's heart.

As a descendant, she has a general idea of ​​the Forbidden City that she has visited.

Although it was already the Qing Dynasty version of the Forbidden City, the location of the Wenhua Hall has not changed. Even if the names of the Three Great Halls were changed by the Manchus, the location of the three halls has not changed. At this moment, the direction that Eunuch Xue took him is clearly going to the northwest. Far away from the Wenhua Hall and close to the Three Great Halls.

Out of the corner of Eunuch Xue's eyes, he saw Zheng Haizhu turning his head to look around. He slowed down slightly, coughed lightly, and said solemnly: "Even though Master Zheng is entering the palace for the first time, don't lose your manners."

Zheng Haizhu hurriedly made a reverent look: "Thank you for the reminder, father-in-law. Well, may I ask father-in-law, why does the changing place of Wenhua Palace have to pass through the imperial pharmacy?"

Eunuch Xue approached a little closer, and said in a low voice: "Master Zheng's meeting ceremony was so polite just now, our family thought that it was still early in the morning, so we specially took you around from the north. If you go from the south, it will My son, I happened to meet the officials and gentlemen of the cabinet and the Zhi and Gao Erfang on the opposite side."

After Eunuch Xue finished speaking, he stepped forward again.

Zheng Haizhu became more suspicious, rushed up and asked, "Elder-in-law, when we become lecturers, is there still a rule for avoiding the cabinet?"

Eunuch Xue had an expression of "Why are you so ignorant": "Master Zheng, if you want to say this clearly, you will feel bad, won't you? We are the first female masters in the Wenhua Palace in the Ming Dynasty. , although our family is also a low-ranking official of the Supervisor of Rituals, but we have also heard the rumors, and the high-ranking officials on the south side have some complaints about this. Your Excellency entered the Wenhua Palace on the first day, so don't be ostentatious."

When Zheng Haizhu heard the words, his doubts were mixed with resentment.

What is "don't show off"?
The list made by the Ministry of Rites was not only approved by the cabinet and your supervisor, but also approved by the new emperor Zhu Changluo. What qualifications do civil servants inside and outside the Forbidden City have to criticize?
Besides, even if they talk badly, what will your eunuch Xue do for me?

Zheng Haizhu's eyebrows were frowned, and she thought about it carefully, always feeling that there was a loophole in the words of the surname Xue.

Just as he was thinking of finding an excuse to stop, the left hand side suddenly lit up.

It turned out that the palace wall was at the end of it. Although most of it was destroyed by fire, the majestic Huangji Hall still stood before my eyes.

In Zheng Haizhu's heart, the sense of ominousness became more and more vivid, and he refused to go any further, and said unceremoniously to Eunuch Xue: "Eunuch, you are leading the wrong way!"

After she finished speaking, she turned her head and retreated towards the long corridor leading to the imperial pharmacy.

Eunuch Xue's eyes flashed fierceness, he came up and squeezed Zheng Haizhu's arm, and suddenly let out a loud voice: "Master Zheng, don't have any wrong thoughts!"

What unreasonable thought?
What kind of drama do you sing and what lines do you recite?
Zheng Haizhu became more and more frightened, flung Eunuch Xue away and ran away.

Just behind him, following eunuch Xue's words of "Don't have unreasonable thoughts", another male voice, much thicker, shouted: "Stop!"

Zheng Haizhu thought it was a guard in the palace, turned around and saw a civil servant in a green robe who came from not too far away.

She turned her head and looked back like this, without taking any steps, she bumped her head against the person in front of her.

"Master, be careful!"

The man yelled while helping Zheng Haizhu to stabilize.

His hands are quite strong, but his voice is soft and pleasant.

It was a woman.

Zheng Haizhu saw clearly that the other party was dressed as a Taoist nun, and when he was in a daze, the eunuch Xue and the green-robed civil servant behind him had already arrived in front of them.

Eunuch Xue was taken aback when he saw this young Taoist nun, and immediately showed a bit of respect on his face: "Jingzhao Taoist priest."

The green-robed civil servant beside him stared at the nun coldly.

Eunuch Xue's expression turned subtle, and he hurriedly introduced: "This is Ding Gejian from Huke, Mr. Ding, this Daoist Jingzhao, is a distinguished guest of Yikun Palace."

Zheng Haizhu quickly absorbed the amount of information in Eunuch Xue's words while calming down.

This green-robed civil official should belong to the department of Huke, just like Yang Lian in the department of Bingke, and belongs to the official system.

That's right, isn't the Six Section Corridor just outside the nearby Huangji Gate?
As for "Yikun Palace", it is Concubine Zheng's bedroom. So, the female Taoist priest in front of me is Concubine Zheng's guest?
However, seeing the officer surnamed Ding, when he heard the word "Yikun Palace", the arrogance on his face seemed to recede a bit, but soon, he regained his ice face, and lightly pointed at the female Taoist priest. He nodded, said "My official Ding Yun", and stared back at Zheng Haizhu.

"Master? Are you the Zheng family who wants to give lectures to the eldest son of the emperor? What are you doing near the Huangji Hall?"

Zheng Haizhu responded with a straight look without dodging: "I should have been in the Wenhua Palace at this time, but this father-in-law tricked me into coming here. I don't know what's the plan?"

Eunuch Xue stared at him: "I'm plotting? Master Zheng, it's clear that you have unbearable thoughts. Hey, the Lord Long Live is here, the Lord Long Live is here."

When the eunuch said the last sentence, his gaze had already turned to the north.

It was Zhu Changluo's shoulder brother who stopped in front of the Huangji Hall.