King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

We have to do something. If we want the Ming Dynasty to develop, we must first understand it.

The Ming Dynasty is not the Forbidden City, nor is it conspiracy, nor is it a fan club of the royal family.

The Ming Dynasty refers to this wider range of people. Did Zhu Yuanzhang want to rebel? Did he want to rebel?

"Next, we are going to go deep into the heart of Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Youjian was very happy. He liked to be free by nature and was very troubled by the various rules and regulations in the Forbidden City.

Zhu Youjian left early in the morning because he wanted to travel around the world, but also to hide his whereabouts, he could not make a big fuss and had to keep a low profile, so he brought all his disciples with him.

Shen Lian, Feng Yuxiu, Liu Ruo, and Xu Changnian are all here. These four people can be said to be among the four most powerful people in the Jinyiwei. If it weren't for Empress Zhou's repeated reminders, he really wanted to act alone or with two people, but Empress Zhou said that Zhu Youjian's safety is the first priority, and these four people are all from the common people, maybe they can help him get in touch with the people better.

That's why he brought everyone else.

"Start over again. What happened in the past is all in the past. Just let it go!"

Zhu Youjian was wearing his favorite white robe, walking on the busy street. He gave an order to a group of women, all dressed like Zhu Youjian.

Zhu Youjian continued:
"This trip must be kept secret! From now on, you can call me Mr. Chen, not Zhu Youjian. I am Zhu Tan."

"As you command! Master Chen, why are you here?"

Zhu Youjian was wearing a white robe and a long sword on his waist, looking like a rich kid. As for the people from other families, they were dressed simply. Except for the usual Feiyu clothing, their attire was no different from that of the common people in the Ming Dynasty.

There is no imperial carriage or throne, and it walks entirely on its own two legs.

It is spring now, the flowers are blooming, the weather is getting warmer, and there are many pedestrians on the streets.

The group first walked around the busy street, then left the street and continued walking forward. When they got further away, everything changed.

Zhu Youjian had never left the Forbidden City in his life. This was the first time in his life that he set foot in the suburbs of the capital, or to be more precise, in the civilian area of ​​the capital.

Seeing this scene, Zhu Youjian realized that this was the most prosperous place in Kyoto. It was also the wealthy area of ​​Kyoto. He could shop at will and choose the clothes he thought were the best. He could be said to be a rich man.

In the capital, his family was considered rich and noble. People dressed simply.

The villagers were all wearing black coarse cloth clothes with many holes in them, but that didn't matter. What disappointed Zhu Youjian the most was that they were all wearing something worthless.

They were bare-legged, some with dark, black skin.

A stone hit his leg and left a cut, blood gushing out.

Those who knew that their status was low, consciously made way for Zhu Youjian and others to enter after they arrived.

It was already noon when Zhu Youjian left the capital, but he was stopped by a guard.

Zhu Youjian stood at the end of the team, looking at the soldiers guarding the gate, and found that they were not as strong and energetic as he had imagined.

On the contrary, they looked very thin, which was due to the loose robes they were wearing and the fact that they were not well fed.

What bothered Zhu Youjian the most was that the soldiers here were generally only about 1.6 meters tall, which was shorter than Zhu Youjian, who was 1.75 meters tall.

Even the guards in the capital are like this, not to mention other cities.

After leaving the capital and heading south, the road became more and more muddy, really muddy.

The ground here is full of potholes and puddles because of a spring rain. There are also many people's footprints on the ground, and even the traces of wheels are clearly visible.

To be honest, Zhu Youjian had anticipated this, because he knew that in this era, roads had been transformed by modern technology, and this situation was not surprising.

However, after seeing it with his own eyes and experiencing it personally, Zhu Youjian still felt a trace of pain.

This road is not as good as the one Zhu Tan grew up on in the countryside. In this era, all infrastructure is to be built on a large scale, which is a good thing for both the people and the people.

Zhu Youjian walked very slowly on the muddy road. The footprints of varying depths were too difficult for him. He suddenly thought of a sentence: poor, weak, weak.

Zhu Tan read this sentence in a book when he was a child. The people of the Qing Empire lived in poverty, while the royal family and the royal family lived in peace. The lives of the common people were very difficult.

Then he found a restaurant to stay in. Two days later, Zhu Youjian left Kyoto and came to an inconspicuous village. The people in the village were very poor. Most of them were skin and bones, without clothes to wear, and even without food, only a shabby big bowl.

Although there were some houses, most of them were built with wood and straw, with holes everywhere. Such a dilapidated and such a scene was unexpected even for Zhu Youjian, who had been mentally prepared.

What Zhu Youjian didn't expect the most, and what made him feel the most painful and sad, was the confusion in these people's eyes.

It was a simple, yet heart-pounding emptiness. In the eyes of Zhu Youjian and Zhu Tan, their eyes were like darkness, a darkness.

Not everyone is thin, there are a few who are quite fat, but that's just their lower abdomen. Based on Zhu Tan's experience, they must have been infected by something, or contaminated by something, or polluted by something.

When Zhu Tan saw this scene, he was shocked. This was even more shocking than his tour around the capital.

Moreover, this is only the outskirts of the capital. If it were a more remote area, Zhu Youjian would not dare to believe that the people here would live such a miserable life.

Thinking of my carefree days in the Forbidden City and the extravagant lifestyle, I felt really like the line in a poem: "The rich enjoy wine and meat while the dead freeze by the roadside."

He is from the Zhu family, and they are all frozen.

Zhu Tan felt like he had really traveled to another world. He had come to the past, and it was not like what he had seen in the movies.

In the process of human development, most dynasties were ruled by aristocrats, the productivity of civilians was low, and most people lived a life worse than that of a dog.

Such a real scene made Zhu Youjian's heart tremble.

Zhu Youjian distributed the little money he had to his fellow villagers and set off for the south again. He wrote letters to the empress dowager at the same time. Now he realized his duty. It is better to avoid doing anything with those noble ladies who cost the people's money. If he has to do something, he should try to be economical.

……

Zhu Youjian felt mixed emotions. This is the Ming Dynasty, this is the empire!
Queen's Side
...The next morning, Queen Zhou woke up and found that Zhu Youjian had disappeared.

Queen Zhou was startled, put on her nightgown, rushed out of bed, and shouted, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty."

She stared out the car window in a daze. The cherry blossoms outside were still blooming. She finally realized that this man was finally gone!

The maid Yuhuan who was standing outside rushed in immediately. "Are you okay?"

Queen Zhou quickly calmed down and said calmly, "I'm fine, let's go!"

……

Queen Zhou was putting on makeup in front of the dressing table. At this moment, she was in a very calm mood. The palace maid Yuhuan said in the yellow mirror:
"Queen, what do you seem to be thinking about?"

The Queen did not answer, but changed the subject:
"You need to be more careful and don't push yourself too hard. I will be meeting Empress Zhang later!"

The palace maid Yuhuan's hands became softer and gentler.

"Yes, didn't you see that His Majesty was still sleeping in your bedroom last night? Why didn't I see the Emperor this morning?"

Queen Zhou smiled slightly.

"Didn't the emperor go into the alchemy room?"

Yuzhu nodded, and Queen Zhou added:
"Don't ask me about the problems between me and the emperor. Just remember, if it's an ordinary servant, don't say anything. The royal family also has its own dignity. You don't need to say more about this. If someone from the royal family comes to you, just say he is a cultivator. Alas, those concubines will definitely come to ask what's going on!"

Empress Zhou frowned. Zhu Youjian had been living in Empress Zhou's palace these days, and Empress Zhou must have tried her best to persuade Zhu Youjian to treat him fairly, but Zhu Youjian remained indifferent.

Yuhuan's heart moved:
"The Queen is worried, will the other masters blame you? She doesn't have the courage! Besides, you are so kind and you are the head of the six palaces, naturally no one will oppose you!"

Queen Zhou frowned even more tightly.

"That's true, but they are all women, all concubines of the emperor. Can't you see what they are thinking? They have been jealous of me for a long time. If you look up the history books about the harem, you will know. They are all women, and they are all emperors. Naturally, they will be jealous."

At this time, the jade ring remembered something and nodded.

"That's true. At that time, you said that the palace should be frugal and you strongly opposed His Majesty's going to great lengths to find women among the people. At that time, there were rumors in the palace that His Majesty wanted to suppress other concubines and monopolize His Majesty's favor. At that time, I thought they were very bold, but now it seems that it is true."

Empress Zhou also sighed: "Yes, on the surface everything seems calm, but in fact, there has been a storm coming and undercurrents! The emperor has always told me that the court is like this, and the six palaces are still the same."

"Your Majesty once told me that where there are many people, there will be conspiracies and intrigues. Now it seems that it is true!"

At this time, Yuyan said:
"Your Majesty, don't you two usually call each other sister? It seems like everything is peaceful, but in fact, people's hearts are not right?"

After washing and dressing up, the queen did not go to the Cining Palace immediately. Instead, several concubines paid their respects to her.

This was very common in the Ming Dynasty, especially in the late Ming Dynasty. It was the rule of the harem that all concubines had to pay their respects to the queen. This was somewhat similar to the morning court in the palace, both of which were used to discuss harem affairs.

The inner court system of the Ming Dynasty was relatively complicated and strict. From the inside to the outside, it was: "Empress", "Imperial Noble Consort", "Concubine"; Concubine Xian, Concubine Shu, Concubine Zhuang, Concubine Jing, Concubine Hui, Concubine Shun, Concubine Kang, Concubine Ning; Concubine De, Concubine Xian, Concubine Zhuang, Concubine Li, Concubine Hui, Concubine An, Concubine He, Concubine Xi, Concubine Kang, all of which were obtained from the Empress. "Zhaoyi", "Jieyu", "Talented", "Selected Concubine", "Lady" and so on. Zhu Youjian's harem was quiet. Including the Empress, there were only three concubines in total. Including the young ladies, there were only six people.

Concubine Liu, Concubine Fang, Concubine Yuan, and Zhaoyi Liu all went to greet them.

The four of them were surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs, and they saluted to Queen Zhou with graceful steps. Her hands were very skillful, and her words were very pleasant.

In the past, Queen Zhou was accustomed to such things, but perhaps because she had been with the emperor for too long, she was tired of it.

Of course, they didn't show it. After greeting each other, they returned to their seats.

Concubine Fang still had a smile on her face, and said in a flattering manner: "During this period of time, which is half a month, His Majesty will come to see you. We, as sisters, don't have this blessing!"

Queen Zhou frowned and said with a smile:

"Sister, please stop joking. We all serve His Majesty, how can we be blessed?"

Seeing this scene, everyone around couldn't help but burst into laughter. Empress Zhou said again: "Your Majesty, you are right.

"To be honest, I came here today because I have something important to tell you. The emperor is old, and it is time for him to think about his offspring. Empress Yi'an plans to select noble ladies for your majesty to start a harem."

"We naturally agree with what Queen Yi'an said, but Your Majesty wants to expand his family and open a harem. I think if Your Majesty wants to choose a woman, what's the point? Even if you choose one, it will only benefit the Queen!"

When Queen Zhou said this, she looked at the other concubines and they all understood her intention.

……

While Empress Zhou was considering Zhu Youjian's whereabouts, she was also considering the emperor's selection of a daughter. Now, the emperor and the empress have entrusted this important task to her.

Therefore, she had to think carefully about what to do. It was not easy to choose a woman in the Ming Dynasty.

The first step is the selection of commoners. Once they reach the age of marriage, the Ministry of Rites and the prefectures and counties will send a large number of officials from various provinces, states, prefectures and counties, and they can enter the capital after a strict selection.

The second stage is the pre-selection stage. First of all, those women with short stature and small body will be excluded, which is also the first round of screening.

The third step is to choose the answer. The next step is the second round of assessment. This round of assessment is not about body shape, but facial features, hair, skin, etc. If any of them is not up to standard, you will be eliminated.

The fourth step is selection. This stage tests not only her appearance, but also her character. First, all women have to go through dozens of steps, which is to test their pace and charm.

The fifth step is to enter the palace. From this round on, the selection will be done by the old palace maids. This test is to check the health of the women who participate in the selection. After all, some parts are more sensitive, so only maids can participate.

The sixth step is to enter the palace and wait and see. During this period, they can enter the palace, but it still depends on their performance. If they do not do well, they will be expelled. But Qiu Shi is sure that these women are all stunning. Even if they go home, they will be madly snatched away, so it is not difficult for them to marry a good man.

"Choose three" is the seventh step. "Choose three" is usually done by the Queen Mother or the Imperial Concubine. In this step, appearance is not important, but the strength of each person is important. The competition is about piano, chess, calligraphy, and art. Whoever wins will advance.

This process is very tedious and troublesome. Most importantly, selecting such a noble lady is simply robbing the common people. Besides, the emperor doesn't like them either. Do they really want to stay here and waste their youth here?

Queen Zhou frowned. As someone who had experienced all this, she knew this very well. The crowd dispersed, and a wisp of fragrance came to her nose. It turned out that the cherry blossoms in the Forbidden City were in full bloom. I hope my prince charming will come back soon! (End of this chapter)