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"This coral tree grows thousands of feet below the South China Sea. It is flawless and red. I offer it to Your Majesty as a symbol of the eternal stability of our Ming Dynasty."

Zheng Guotai knelt on the ground, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

Emperor Wanli rarely showed a smile:
"My dear minister, please stand up. These are very good things. I will give Zheng Guotai a python robe and a jade belt."

There was a slight commotion among the ministers. The dragon robe and jade belt were not ordinary rewards, which showed how much favor the Zheng family received.

When Zhang Cheng read out the words "Give the cabinet chief minister Zhao Zhigao fifty taels of gold and a scarlet silk dragon robe", the old chief minister's posture of kneeling down from his seat was already somewhat stiff. The imperial sword given to the Duke of Ying caused the military officers to exclaim in low voices, and the oriental pearl inlaid on the scabbard was the size of a longan.

Standing in the queue of civil servants, Yang Junmin, the Minister of Revenue, exchanged a meaningful look with Xu Zuo, the Minister of Works beside him.

At three quarters past the hour of Si, when the last Jieshizhong finished his kowtow, the pointer of the sundial in front of the Fengtian Hall had turned to noon.

Emperor Wanli stood up with the help of Zhang Cheng, and the zongyi and algae patterns on the hem of his twelve-chapter imperial robe sparkled in the sun. According to the ancestral system, the emperor would go to Kunning Palace to receive congratulations from the empress and concubines, and all officials would receive a banquet outside the Meridian Gate.

"Your Majesty has a decree——"

Zhang Cheng's drawn-out voice was particularly sharp in the cold wind: "Ci Yinggong, Chengguogong, Prime Minister, Minister of War... serve at the banquet in the warm pavilion!"

The ten important officials who were named kowtowed to express their gratitude.

Zhao Zhigao almost stumbled when he stood up, but fortunately he was supported by Shi Xing behind him.

The old Prime Minister looked at the emperor's procession going away - the yellow umbrella with a curved handle swayed slightly in the wind, like a lone boat on the sea. Suddenly he remembered the grand occasion of Zhang Juzheng presiding over the imperial congratulations 20 years ago. At that time, His Majesty still had great ambitions in his eyes. Now...

Hey~~

…………

Kunning Palace.

Queen Wang had been waiting for the emperor with all the concubines for a long time. Concubine Zheng stood at the head of the concubines. The golden phoenix pattern on her dress was indeed three times more gorgeous than the queen's dress.

When the sound of the cloud board of the emperor's ceremonial guard came, she deliberately adjusted the phoenix hairpin with kingfisher feathers on her temples, which was specially made by the inner court by Emperor Wanli last year.

"Your Majesty, I wish you good health in the new year."

When Queen Wang led everyone in the four-bow ceremony, Concubine Zheng bent her knees a little more than the others. When she stood up, her eyes moved and met the gaze of Emperor Wanli from Empress Tamamo.

The emperor's mouth twitched slightly, and the queen saw it all as he stretched out his hand to support her.

When the banquet was held after the ceremony, Concubine Zheng's seat was specially arranged to the left of the emperor. When she raised the golden cup to toast, the jade bracelet on her wrist collided with the cup wall, making a clear sound.

Queen Wang's fingers, which were holding the silver chopsticks, turned slightly white - according to the rules, she should have been the one to offer the first glass of wine.

"My beloved, the clothes you are wearing today..."

Emperor Wanli's voice was very soft, but loud enough for the empress to hear: "Does it look like the new tribute from Jiangnan?"

Concubine Zheng smiled but did not answer, she just drank half of the wine in the cup and handed the rest to the emperor. This overstepping action caused the female official to gasp, but Emperor Wanli actually took it with a smile and drank the remaining wine in one gulp with the beauty's lip print.

The atmosphere was silent for a moment, and then returned to normal.

Watching this scene, Zhao Zhigao and Shi Xing looked at each other and shook their heads slightly.

The Minister of Rites personally supervised the final process of serving the dishes, and seventy-two cooks in apricot-yellow uniforms carried vermilion food boxes and shuttled back and forth.

"First-class banquet, the meal is served——"

As the ceremonial officer sang and shouted, the gilded and jade-inlaid tableware was laid out one after another. On the single table of the first-rank official, a nine-inch blue and white bowl was filled with "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix". The phoenix was made of various kinds of jerky, and its wings were decorated with ham carvings; the "Double Dragons Playing with Pearls" for the second-rank official was carved from a whole camel hump, and the dragon's eyes were inlaid with obsidian; even the shared table of the fifth-rank official was filled with a lifelike "Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate". The fish scales were actually sliced ​​mushrooms, and the dragon gate was cast with rock sugar.

The banquet for the Prime Minister Zhao Zhigao was very different. Because the emperor specially granted him the title of "Prime Minister", there was an additional dish of "Qilin Offering Auspiciousness" on his table. The Qilin was made of top-quality bird's nests, the auspicious clouds under its feet were shredded white fungus, and the jade book in its mouth was actually carved from frozen tofu, soaked in clear chicken soup and as shiny as jade.

"Please come in, Mr. Zhao."

The Shaoqing of Guanglu Temple personally served the dishes and scooped the bird's nest from the left front foot of the unicorn into the Ding kiln white porcelain cup. This part is the softest and most glutinous, and it is said that it was reserved for Liu Jian during the Hongzhi period.

In the center of the hall, the musicians of the Jiaofangsi played the "Long Live Music". The twenty-four musicians were divided into two groups. The front row played the xiao, sheng and flute, and the back row played the pipa and ruan strings. Especially the rosewood frame of the chime bells, each bell button was cast in the shape of a dragon, and when the musicians struck it, the dragon's whiskers would tremble slightly.

The dancers filed in to the beat of drums. These girls, selected from the south of the Yangtze River, had slim waists and wore twelve moon-colored skirts, each with a flower embroidered with gold thread for a different month.

Holding gilded castanets, the skirt blooms like a full moon as she spins, and the jade pendant on her waist jingles. The girl leading the dance wears a kingfisher hairpin in her hair, and the kingfisher feathers tremble with her dance, as if she were alive.

"it is good!"

Shi Xing, the Minister of War, could not help but applaud. The "General's Order" platter in front of his desk was just at its climax. On the sand table made of braised beef, sesame soldiers faced each other, and next to the walnut-carved chariot, the commanders of the two armies were made of ginseng slices, and even the beards were clearly visible.

After three rounds of wine, the eunuchs serving the guests began to call for the dishes.

This is a unique rule for palace banquets - hundreds of exquisite dishes are only for viewing, showing the royal style.

Eight young eunuchs carried a three-foot-high "Penglai Fairyland" around the venue: the jade-like buildings were made of blown rock sugar, and the "immortals" swimming among them were actually carved from candied fruits. The most amazing thing was the waterfall on the top of the mountain, which was hung on icicles with vermicelli, and when it was hot, it looked like real water flowing.

"This thing deserves a reward."

Zhao Zhigao stroked his beard and smiled. The Guanglu Temple Secretary immediately made a note that the cook would have to receive at least 20 taels of silver as a reward tomorrow.

At the northeast corner of the banquet, the young editors of the Hanlin Academy were quietly evaluating the dishes. Among them, Ye Xianggao, who was wearing a green robe, suddenly pointed at a "Gold List" and shouted, "Look, everyone!"

It turned out that the imperial edict made of glutinous rice actually had the names of the successful candidates written on it in sauce. This ingenuity attracted everyone's admiration, but they didn't know that it was a trick played by the Guanglu Temple to please the noble poets.

Suddenly, three whips were heard outside the palace. The music stopped abruptly, and all officials hurriedly straightened their clothes. Li Fang, the eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, came in quickly with a gold-painted lacquer box and said loudly: "The emperor gave Zheng Guotai's uncle a 'Fu Shou Mian Chang' cake--"

The whole hall was in an uproar.

This "Longevity Cake" was a secret recipe of the imperial kitchen, and in previous years it was only given to cabinet ministers. Zheng Guotai's face was flushed as he knelt to receive the lacquer box. When he opened it, a strange fragrance filled his nose. The cake was only the size of a palm, but on the surface, the word "longevity" was spelled out in a hundred different fonts with candied fruits, and the bottom of the cake was lined with a piece of red paper sprinkled with gold.

"I thank God for his grace!"

Zheng Guotai knelt three times and kowtowed nine times, and a few tears squeezed out of the corners of his eyes. The Minister of War behind him secretly curled his lips - who doesn't know that the Western Region safflower used in this cake is more valuable than gold.

Halfway through the banquet, the Jiaofang Bureau changed the tune to "Ding Fengbo". The dancers changed their costumes to fishermen and peasant women, and performed "Taiping Song and Dance" to the sound of stringed instruments. The most eye-catching dancer was a silkworm girl. With the golden shuttle in her hand, she actually wove a piece of bright yellow brocade about an inch long on the loom frame, with the four words "Long Live the Lord".

"Wonderful!" Zhu Changxun, the third son of Emperor Wanli and his favorite, came to the side hall at some point, and the children clapped and laughed.

The attendants hurriedly set up a small table next to the prime minister's seat and placed a specially made "Qilin Delivering Children" sugar figurine on it. The sugar figurine would slowly melt when exposed to heat, revealing nine small sugar figurines in its belly, symbolizing many children and good fortune.

While everyone's attention was diverted, Jinyiwei Qianhu Luo Siyuan quietly inserted a silver needle into the wine. This was their rule - any banquet granted by the emperor must be tested for poison first. When the silver needle was taken out, it was as clean as before, and he nodded slightly to Shi Xing.

"Gentlemen."

Deputy Minister Zhang Wei suddenly raised his glass and stood up: "On this New Year's Day, I propose that we toast to the Emperor, Long Live the Emperor!"

All the officials stood up in unison, their scarlet robes surging like a red tide. Hundreds of wine glasses were raised high, reflecting the hundreds of palace lanterns in the hall, like a galaxy pouring down.

When the third fold of the "Long Live Music" by the Jiaofangsi was played, the dancers' colorful sleeves fluttered like a group of startled swans flying across Mirror Lake.

Shi Xing had just put down the wine glass when he suddenly felt his wrist go limp. The blue and white porcelain cup fell to the ground with a clang and broke into several pieces.

"This wine..."

Shi Xing frowned suddenly, and found that his fingers were out of control. He raised his head suddenly and saw the Prime Minister Zhao Zhigao, who was sitting opposite him, slowly sliding down while holding the edge of the table, with beads of sweat on his old face.

"Clang~"

"Clang!"

The sound of cups and plates falling to the ground could be heard one after another in the hall, and the officials in scarlet robes and jade belts collapsed one after another like harvested rice ears.

"The wine is poisonous!"

Li Rusong, the deputy governor, shouted loudly and tried to stand up, but stumbled and fell on the gold-woven carpet. His fine steel armor collided with the ground, making a dull roar.

Shi Xing hurriedly used his internal energy, but found that his true energy was like a drop in the ocean. He had practiced martial arts since he was young, and the Shaolin Heart Method he had practiced for thirty years could only barely protect his heart. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the Jinyiwei standing in the corner of the hall were also staggering, with their embroidered spring swords scattered all over the floor.

"It's not a deadly poison..."

Shi Xing gritted his teeth and held on to the table, his nails digging deep into the red sandalwood. He noticed that although everyone was weak, they were conscious. It was obvious that they had been poisoned by the rare "Thousand Day Drunk" in the martial arts world. This drug was colorless and tasteless. Within three hours after taking it, the muscles and bones would become soft as cotton, but it would not harm their lives.

The sound of stringed instruments suddenly stopped.

The dancers retreated to the sides in panic, revealing Zheng Guotai standing in the center of the hall with his hands behind his back. The uncle who had just flattered and presented treasures to the emperor was now wearing the dragon robe bestowed by the emperor, with the jade belt around his waist reflecting the candlelight, and his face was no longer respectful.

"Why should you be so alarmed, my Lords?"

Zheng Guotai clapped his hands and laughed, his voice was particularly harsh in the sudden silence of the hall. He took out an enamel snuff bottle from his sleeve and took a leisurely puff: "I just want you to take a break and listen to what I have to say."

"Boom~"

The palace door burst open, and more than 20 men in brown shorts rushed in with knives. These men were as swift as cats, and were obviously well-trained warriors. They quickly controlled the entrances and exits, and the scarred man in the lead held a sharp broadsword across the neck of Yu Jideng, the Minister of Rites.

"Zheng Guotai! How dare you..."

The Minister of Revenue Yang Junmin collapsed in his seat and shouted loudly, but before he could finish his words, he was hit hard in the abdomen with the handle of a knife by a assassin, and immediately curled up like a shrimp.

Zheng Guotai walked up to Yang Junmin, and the hem of his dragon robe swept across his painfully twisted face: "Minister Yang, you should save some energy. What we are doing today is to clear the emperor's side and rectify the government."

He suddenly raised his voice: "Since Zhang Juzheng came to power, civil officials have formed cliques for personal gain, and military officers have been afraid of death, causing the Ming Dynasty to decline..."

Shi Xing secretly adjusted his breathing and found that a trace of true energy began to flow in his dantian. He observed the surroundings calmly - there were only about ten people who could still stay awake in the hall, most of whom had a martial arts foundation like him. Jinyiwei Qianhu Luo Siyuan was quietly hooking a fallen embroidered spring knife into his sleeve, and the two of them looked at each other in mid-air and then separated.

"Master Zheng is wrong."

Zhao Zhigao suddenly spoke up, his voice weak but every word clear: "If we talk about the corruption of the government, I'm afraid the first reason is the interference of foreign relatives in government affairs."

There were wine stains on his gray beard, but his cloudy eyes shone with a sharp light: "Does the Imperial Concubine know about today's actions?"

Zheng Guotai's face changed slightly, and he sneered: "You old man is still trying to show off your eloquence when you are about to die."

He turned to the officials and said, "Don't worry, just sign this petition to punish the traitors and I will ensure your safe return home."

As he spoke, he took out a roll of yellow silk from his bosom. When he unfolded it, he could see names densely written on it, the first of which were the pro-war ministers such as Zhao Zhigao and Shi Xing.

Shi Xing's pupils suddenly shrank. This was clearly an attempt to use the officials to eliminate dissidents! He noticed that there was a line of small red characters next to his name: "Letting soldiers abuse the people and arbitrarily provoking border conflicts." This was obviously premeditated.

"Don't think about it!"

The Minister of Works Xu Zuo suddenly jumped up, and the old minister used his last strength to throw the wine pot at Zheng Guotai. The gilded wine pot drew an arc in the air and was smashed by the scarred assassin in mid-air, and the nectar splashed on the hem of Zheng Guotai's python robe, leaving a dark mark.

Zheng Guotai looked down at the stain, his face gloomy: "Master Xu is so brave."

With a gentle wave of his hand, two assassins immediately dragged Xu Zuo to the center of the hall. The old minister's official hat fell off, revealing his sparse white hair, but he still cursed: "The remnants of the eunuch party! You..."

"puff--"

A flash of cold light passed by. Xu Zuo's voice stopped abruptly, and a head fell to the ground. Blood splattered on the nearest banquet, staining the silver tableware scarlet. Li Shida, the Left Censor of the Censorate, screamed and fainted. The moon-white Xiezhi patch was soaked in blood.

"Which other lord would like to emulate Minister Xu?"

Zheng Guotai took out a snow-white silk handkerchief and slowly wiped the blood that had splashed onto the jade belt. The hall was dead silent, with only heavy breathing. Shi Xing took the opportunity to open another acupuncture point, and his right arm was able to move slightly.

Zheng Guotai walked to Zhao Zhigao's seat and said, "Lord Zhao, a man who knows the current situation is a hero. Hand over the cabinet seal, and I can guarantee that you can retire and return home to enjoy your old age."

The old Prime Minister coughed violently, his face flushed with coughing: "Taizu decreed... the cabinet seal... cannot be used without the emperor's order..."

Before he could finish his words, Zheng Guotai had already grabbed the crane patch on his chest and lifted the old man off his seat.

Seeing this, Shi Xing's inner Qi suddenly burst open three acupuncture points. He shouted "How dare you, traitor!" and grabbed the silver chopsticks on the table and rushed out.

The two chopsticks were like meteors chasing the moon, one pierced through the throat of the scar-faced assassin, and the other went straight to Zheng Guotai's face!

(End of this chapter)