I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 350 Today's Xiyuan is full of drama
Zhu Yijun was walking slowly along the path to the west of Zhonghai Lake.

After inheriting the Western Garden, Zhu Yijun did not make any major changes, only minor modifications.

For example, the embankments around the three lakes, Beihai, Zhonghai and Nanhai, are all muddy. It is very easy to slip when walking along the lake, and you will either fall into the lake or into the mud.

Zhu Yijun ordered people to make modifications. They built a embankment along the lakeside with stones and cement. Every twenty meters, they made a reinforced concrete pillar driven into the hard ground at the bottom of the lake to serve as a support point for the entire embankment.

With this embankment, there is no need to worry about the lake water washing away and collapsing the soil on the shore.

On the inner side of the embankment, a path is built along the lake. The soil underneath is compacted and paved with stone slabs, pebbles, or stone strips mixed with cement. Flowers and trees are planted on both sides, and a wooden pavilion, a platform, or a platform is built at a certain distance.

Elegance and refinement can be seen everywhere.

Compared with its previous original appearance, it is completely new and unique.

If you really want to experience the original ecology, you can just go to the mountains. In the city, the original ecology and artificial buildings are a good match, which complement each other.

However, Zhu Yijun was not in a hurry. He repaired it a little bit every year. After two years, only half of the embankment along the Xiyuan Lake was repaired.

He walked slowly along the path beside the lake.

It was the first month of the lunar year, and the cold and desolate weather had passed, but spring had not yet arrived. Zhu Yijun put his hands in his sleeves, listening to the string music coming from Qionghua Island in the lake and the east of the lake, which was quite interesting.

There is a silkworm pond to the north of Ziguang Pavilion, which was used to raise silkworms in the past.

Zhu Yijun really couldn't understand what his ancestors were thinking.

In the imperial city, everything was crammed in except the Forbidden City where he lived and Wansui Mountain, Chongzhen’s back garden of life.

In front of the Meridian Gate are the Altar of Land and Grain and the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Entering through the Zuoshun Gate is the Cabinet, and further in is the Imperial History Bureau, the royal archives established by the emperor in the 13th year of Jiajing.

To the south of the Imperial Archives is the Nangong—Chongzhi Hall—where Bao Zong cultivated himself for eight years.

To the north is Chonghua Palace, which nominally belongs to him. It was given to him when he was canonized as the Crown Prince.

Further north, after passing the Dong'anmen passage, there are the Guanglu Temple, the Mingqi Factory, the Shangshenjian, and the Neichengyunku. There is even a pasture that is specifically used for raising horses and elephants, because to the north of it is the Imperial Stables and to the west is the elephant house.

This should be a bad custom inherited from the ancient Yuan Dynasty.

Further north, surrounding the east and north sides of Wansui Mountain, the twenty-four government offices of the inner court are scattered among them, as well as workshops and factories such as leather shops, paper shops, wine, vinegar and noodle bureaus, and sutra engraving factories.

You won’t believe it, but there is a gunpowder depot in the northeast corner.

Gunpowder Bureau!

Zhu Yijun was speechless. He had no sense of safety at all. The emperor was the Son of Heaven, but he really couldn't fly. Gunpowder blasted him into the sky, but when he fell down, he was just a pulp.

It's a mess, just like a small county town in the 1980s and 1990s, chaotic and disorganized. The most speechless thing is that the Forbidden City is such a big place, but there is not a single toilet.

The people living there are not really humans, they are all gods!
The West Garden was similar. It was a mess because of the chaos caused by the Leopard Room of Emperor Zhengde. After the Emperor's grandfather ascended the throne, it was even more chaotic. After living here for more than 20 years, the whole garden was full of pine and cypress, and cranes flew overhead from time to time.

What’s hateful is that these cranes are so spoiled that they become arrogant and urinate and defecate wherever they want.

After Zhu Yijun took over the Western Garden, he did not cook and eat these unruly cranes for the sake of his grandfather the Emperor. However, he removed them from the organization, expelled them from the court, and left them to fend for themselves.

Just change it slowly. You have to change the world, change the Ming Dynasty, and changing the imperial city will be a piece of cake.

Thinking about these things, I passed the Silkworm Pond and walked eastward along the Yuhe Bridge. The sound of string music coming from the Peony Garden, the Pear Garden Square and the Qionghua Island became louder and louder, rising and falling like the rippling waves on the lake, interweaving together.

Zhu Yijun did not go to the Peony Garden and the Liyuanfang, as those were the places where concubines and ladies of the court watched plays, so he did not go to join in the fun.

Go around Chengguang Hall, follow Taiye Bridge, and head straight to the south of Qionghua Island.

Qionghua Palace is located in the middle of Qionghua Island. There is a garden on the south side. It is built along the lake with pavilions and terraces and beautiful scenery. Zhu Yijun often stopped here when he strolled around the lake.

"Girl, the scenery here is pretty good, but it's not spring yet, so it lacks some elegance."

A female voice came from a cluster of rockery.

Zhu Yijun frowned slightly but did not get angry.

During these days, the West Garden was the busiest since its establishment, with hundreds of ladies and concubines coming in and out every day. Zhu Yijun was like a host with a large number of guests at home, hiding in his own place, staying indoors and trying to avoid these guests.

"Yeah." A female voice responded softly.

"The girl is homesick."

“Who doesn’t miss home when they are away from home?”

After a moment of silence, the female voice sounded again: "Girl, this Xiyuan is said to be the most beautiful place in the capital, but I think it is still far inferior to our Jiangnan."

"The most beautiful thing is the scenery of my hometown. In our hearts, Jiangnan is of course the most beautiful."

Zhu Yijun stopped, tilted his head slightly, and listened attentively.

"Girl, it's a bit cold outside, let's go in and listen to some music."

“I’m tired of listening to those songs.”

"I'm tired of listening to it. It's not as good as the girl's singing." "Nonsense."

"Ah, I was talking nonsense. I shouldn't compare you with those actors. But I still have to say that you sing better than them."

The sound of splashing water is someone stirring the water in the pool.

"So what if I sing well?" the woman's voice was full of resentment.

"Girl, why don't you sing a song? I haven't heard you sing for a long time."

"Sing a song?"

"Yes, let's sing a little tune from Jiangnan. Girl, I miss home too."

After a moment of silence, a clear and pleasant voice was heard.

"Lotus can be picked in the south of the Yangtze River. The lotus leaves are so lush and green. Fish play among the lotus leaves. Fish play on the lotus leaves in the east."

The singing voice is beautiful and melodious, like the spring breeze blowing on the dew, like the lake reflecting the green willows, and like the oriole singing in the morning glow.

You sing really beautifully.

Zhu Yijun turned around, holding up his front placket. On the other side, in a small pavilion by the water, sat two women. One of them had hair as black as clouds, which set off her skin as white as snow. She was beautiful and charming, and extremely bright and gorgeous.

The other one was also elegant and pretty, and was dressed like a palace maid.

He was startled to see a group of people suddenly turning out from the corner. He saw Zhu Yijun in front of him wearing an ochre-yellow robe with a dragon and python pattern on it and a Yishan crown on his head.

The only people who could dress like this in Xiyuan were the emperor and the prince.

Judging from his age, he should be the owner of West Garden, the current crown prince.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince." The two women knelt down quickly.

Zhu Yijun walked up to the two of them and asked, "Are you from Chonghua Palace?"

"I am a beautiful girl from Chonghua Palace, Song Liuli from Wu County, Suzhou."

"I guess it's you, coming to Xiyuan to watch a play?"

"I came to Qionghua Palace to watch a play at the order of the Empress. I felt bored, so I came out for a walk."

"There are plays going on everywhere in Xiyuan today."

Zhu Yijun’s words stunned Song Liuli.

"Go back and tell Jinshui that some things can't be forced, they have to come naturally. But your song is very nice, I like it."

After saying that, Zhu Yijun turned and left.

A group of people came and disappeared around the corner.

The maid Cai Lian's brain is buzzing. What does it mean?
She turned around and saw Song Liuli looking at the place where Zhu Yijun disappeared, her face turning pale and red.

"Girl, what on earth is going on?"

"The emperor's will is like heaven, and his grace and power are unpredictable. Cailian, let's go back to avoid others' suspicion."

The two quietly returned to Qionghua Palace and sat down in their seats. No one seemed to pay attention to them. Only Xue Baoqin and Zeng Wan'er turned their heads and glanced at them, smiling slightly.

Song Liuli smiled and nodded in return. She looked up and saw Yang Jinshui standing next to Queen Chen, talking softly, making the Queen smile and look very happy.

After waiting for two quarters of an hour, the play was finished and the Queen ordered dinner.

"It's rare to have some peace and quiet, so we mothers gather here. After dinner, we will continue listening and listen to our heart's content." Chen said with a smile.

Your Majesty, you have your fun, and I will also have my fun.

While everyone was getting up, changing clothes, washing hands, and preparing to go to the side pavilion for dinner, Song Liuli waited for Yang Jinshui in a remote and deserted place and hurriedly told him the situation.

Yang Jinshui looked at Song Liuli and said, "Miss Song, now you should know that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is as meticulous as a hair and as discerning as a candle. Nothing in this world can be hidden from him."

“Lord Yang, what does His Highness mean by saying that things cannot be forced, and that they must come naturally?”

Yang Jinshui continued to look at her and said kindly: "Miss Song, the five people in Chonghua Palace, including you, each of them carries the expectations of many people.

In a time of great strife, everyone wants to fight. We are born with defects, so we must resort to surprise attacks, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince saw through our plan and warned us, and everyone else, through you, not to act too hastily. "

Song Liuli's expression changed, "Mr. Yang, then we are just making things worse."

Yang Jinshui smiled faintly: "It's not that he has done something wrong. His Highness is determined to make progress, so he doesn't like people who are depressed and depressed, but likes people who take the initiative. He saw through it but just warned me, which is a good thing."

Song Liuli also figured it out and bowed: "Thank you, Mr. Yang."

"Miss Song, you are too polite. Soon, you will be my master."

(End of this chapter)