I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 282: Banquet at Xiyuan for Hai Rui

Hai Rui was wearing a gray-blue cotton straight-breasted suit and a piece of cloth wrapped in his bun. He looked like a country teacher, holding up the front of his clothes as he walked on the road to Xiyuan.

"Mr. Hai, please go this way." Qi Yan led the way in front.

Hai Rui followed behind calmly, looking up at the surroundings from time to time.

"I haven't been to Xiyuan for more than half a year. This place is still the same as before. Nothing has changed."

Qi Yan replied with a smile, "To reply to Lord Hai, nothing has changed. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince just ordered routine maintenance, and nothing else has changed."

"It's good that there's no major movement." Hai Rui nodded with satisfaction, and then continued to ask, "Your Highness, do you still get up so early every day?"

Qi Yan hesitated for a moment, looked at Hai Rui's dark face, and finally answered, "Yes."

"Your Highness is so self-disciplined, he is indeed a man of determination. I haven't seen you for more than half a year, I believe your Highness has grown up a lot."

These words can be said.

Qi Yan quickly replied, "In reply to Lord Hai, the Queen Mother specially asked us to measure her the other day, and she was exactly 1.7 meters tall."

"1.7 meters? What kind of statement is that?"

"To answer Lord Hai, this is a unit of measurement that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has just issued. It is said that factories and businesses reported that the previous inches, feet, and two pounds were too rough, so three or four years ago, the Coordination Bureau was asked to find the Imperial Observatory and other government offices to jointly formulate units of measurement for length and weight.

The length of this meter is defined as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole on the meridian passing through the capital. To this end, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory spent three years measuring it before it was determined.

One meter is divided into ten equal parts, each part is one decimeter; one decimeter is further divided into ten equal parts, each part is one centimeter; one centimeter is divided into ten millimeters, which is the length.

One cubic decimeter of pure water weighs one kilogram. One kilogram is divided into one thousand parts, each part is one gram, so it is also called one kilogram, which is exactly equal to two catties, which is the weight.

Pure water boils at 100 degrees at the seaside and freezes at zero degrees. The value of 100 is divided equally in the middle and continued up and down, which is the temperature.

The day and night are divided into 24 hours, that is, one hour is half an hour. One hour is divided into 60 minutes, and one minute is divided into 60 seconds. This is the measurement of time. Now it has been promulgated throughout the country. Now Shuntian Prefecture is the first in the capital to implement 24 hours. Bell pavilions are built at the intersections of the streets and mechanical clocks are placed. In addition, the drum tower and bell tower are also changed to ring the number of times in 24 hours. "

Qi Yan talked a lot and Hai Rui listened with great interest.

"Well, with this change, I'm afraid someone will raise objections again?"

"Yes, Lord Hai. Some upright people have submitted a petition saying that the old system and scales have been used for thousands of years and are working well. There is no need to change them. If they are changed, the people will be at a loss. All the petitions have been kept."

"Haha, these pedants. Our master wore linen clothes, why don't they continue to wear them? They keep up with the times, their brains are like granite. They regard the sage's "Book of Changes" as a classic, but have they forgotten that the essence of this book lies in the word "Yi"?

Life is easy! "

Qi Yan immediately said, "Mr. Hai said it very well. It's obvious that only a person who understands the truth can say it."

"Don't praise me so much. I am just a scholar. Apart from my strong character, my knowledge is not respected by others at all." Hai Rui said indifferently.

"By the way, where did Yang Jinshui go?"

"In reply to Lord Hai, Eunuch Yang is now the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department."

"Shao Fu Jian? The inner court has finally changed."

"Yes, there are only four offices left in the inner court now, the Silijian, Yumajian, Neiguanjian and Shaofujian. In addition, there is a Shanggongsi for the palace maids, and the Empress has sent four Shanggongs to manage the affairs."

Hai Rui had a complicated expression.

With this change, the four departments, eight bureaus, and twelve prisons of the inner court, a total of 24 yamen, were merged into four prisons. Four Taoist temples that had been confiscated by the government were also converted into Yangrongyuan, which were directly managed by the Shaofu Prison.

More than 2,000 elderly and homeless eunuchs and palace maids were released and settled there to live out their old age, with no worries about food and clothing. In addition, thousands of palace maids over 20 years old were released from the Forbidden City and betrothed to good men as marriage leave.

It is a great act of benevolence and virtue.

But that Shaofujian was a thorn in the side of all the officials.

Most of the powers of the Coordination Bureau were transferred to the Shaofujian, an enlarged Coordination Bureau.

Some of the power, together with the power of the twenty-four yamen that were abolished and merged during this inner court reform, was transferred to the Taifu Temple, Taichang Temple and Taipu Temple.

That’s right, this time the rectification of civil service and the reform of the central government began quietly.

Hai Rui read the court report and found that there was an additional Taifu Temple. Doesn't this mean that the Ministry of Revenue has its own authority? Is it going to follow the old path of the Song Dynasty, where institutions overlapped and responsibilities were unclear?
I must ask clearly in person later.

Hai Rui followed Qi Yan to the side hall of the Wanshou Palace in the Western Garden. "Your Highness, Hai Rui, pays respect to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Mr. Gangfeng, please get up quickly!" Zhu Yijun hurriedly helped Hai Rui up.

"Your Highness has indeed grown taller."

"I am sixteen years old this year."

"Yes, sixteen years old, so tall, and so strong. I wonder how happy the late emperor would be if he saw Your Highness like this." Hai Rui said with tears in his eyes.

Zhu Yijun smiled, his eyes sparkling, "Grandpa Emperor has gone to heaven, so he must be able to see it. A few days ago, he appeared in my dream, looking at me with a smile, and he was so happy."

"The Ming Dynasty is thriving under Your Highness's governance. The late emperor must be very happy to see this." Hai Rui wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve.

"Mr. Gangfeng, please take a seat." Zhu Yijun said politely, "Today, Mr. Gangfeng is invited to dinner. I asked the kitchen of Xiyuan to add two more dishes, both of which are home-cooked dishes."

Hai Rui laughed, "I know Your Highness is not very picky about food. As long as it tastes good and is nutritious, it's fine."

"Yes, nutritious." Zhu Yijun also laughed.

The two sat down opposite each other, and Zhu Yijun said to Qi Yan, "Go and get the bottle of wine that was prepared. Lord Hai is here today, so I'll make an exception and drink some wine."

Hai Rui did not refuse, "Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness. I can enjoy fine wine and delicious food, as well as good tea. I just can't afford it myself, so I have to eat and drink here and there."

Zhu Yijun smiled and replied, "Western Garden welcomes Lord Hai to come and eat and drink."

Qi Yan brought a bottle of wine in a porcelain bottle and two exquisite glass glasses, poured bright red wine into them, and placed them in front of Zhu Yijun and Hai Rui.

Hai Rui took a look at the glass wine glass and didn't think much of it, because he knew what these expensive "Western glassware" were like.

In fact, it was very cheap to make, but after being packaged, it was sold at a high price, and ordinary people could not afford it. Those who bought it were all rich people, and in Hai Rui's eyes, they were all stupid old men and fat sheep.

As long as it doesn't cheat the common people, Hai Rui's principle is to turn a blind eye.

Zhu Yijun raised his glass and said to Hai Rui: "Mr. Hai, you have worked hard. I offer you a toast."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Hai Rui raised the wine glass with both hands, bent down to return the greeting, then took a sip without hesitation, closed his eyes, pursed his lips, and let the wine reverberate between his teeth and cheeks, impacting his taste buds.

Good wine, really good wine. The wine collected by the prince is not ordinary.

However, Hai Rui also knew that the prince did not like wine, and the wine stored in the palace was all prepared for the emperor in the Forbidden City.

Thinking of this, Hai Rui couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Mr. Hai has been working hard in the southeast."

Hai Rui replied nonchalantly: "I am just doing my duty, I dare not say it is hard work."

"I was originally worried that Lord Hai would file a petition regarding the Xu family incident, but I didn't expect Lord Hai to be so patient and continue to investigate the land occupied by the Xu family and other noble families in Songjiang Prefecture."

"I also roughly understand the current political situation. The Crown Prince cannot do without Xu Shaohu. And in my mind, making the Xu family and other noble families give up the occupied land is the first priority. As for how to punish them severely, it is not important."

Hai Rui added in his heart, "I trust your Highness the Crown Prince and believe that you can take the people of the country to heart. If it were the late emperor or the emperor, I would not have done the same thing. I would have made the matter as big as possible, forcing them to turn around and force Xu Jie to give up the land."

"I know that Lord Hai cares about the common people."

Hai Rui also replied: "I, your Highness, also believe that you care about the people."

Zhu Yijun laughed, raised his glass and said, "Mr. Hai, for the common people of the world, let us drink this cup together. May the world be united and the common people suffer less."

"it is good!"

Hai Rui answered happily.

After drinking, Qi Yan poured red wine for Zhu Yijun and then poured wine for Hai Rui.

After he left, Hai Rui stroked his beard and said bluntly: "I heard that the central government has been restructured and several new government offices have been established. I am confused and would like to ask Your Highness to explain my confusion."

Zhu Yijun replied without hesitation: "Mr. Hai, please speak frankly!"

(End of this chapter)