I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 899 Shanxi People Love Huangmei Opera
Zhu Yijun nodded without saying anything.

Feng Bao returned to his original position, stood with his hands hanging down, and watched the performance on the stage with a smile.

After the song was over, the actors who played the female emperor consort Feng Suzhen, the actor who played Feng Suzhen's fiancé Li Zhaoting, and the actor who played Feng Suzhen's maid Chunhong stood in the front row. The actors who played other roles stood in the back row and respectfully saluted the empress dowager, the emperor and the empress, as well as the concubines and princes and princesses.

These actresses are all women, but the actresses who play Feng Suzhen and Chunhong are more delicate, especially Feng Suzhen, who has red lips, white teeth and is bright and attractive.

The rest of the actresses, some neutral, some old, and some ordinary, serve as supporting roles.

Their faces were full of surprise.

Being able to enter the Western Garden and perform for the Empress Dowager, the Emperor and the Empress was something they could never have dreamed of.

Empress Dowager Chen, who was sitting on Zhu Yijun's left, applauded and said, "These children performed really well. What kind of class are they in?"

Wanfu, who was standing nearby, quickly responded, "To answer the Queen Mother's question, this troupe is called Qing Meixi."

"Yeah, good. It sounds festive."

Zhu Yijun smiled faintly, knowing that the Queen Mother was just trying to find something to say.

Empress Dowager Chen continued, "I just heard them sing, they sang really well, especially the female prince consort, who not only sang beautifully, but also looked very pretty.

Wanfu, call that female consort to me, I will reward her well. "

"According to the order."

Zhu Yijun, Xue Baoqin, other concubines, and princes and princesses all watched in silence.

The Queen Mother wanted to turn "The Female Prime Minister" into "The West Chamber", and she herself took the stage to sing the role of Hongniang.

Soon Wanfu invited the "female prince consort" to his side.

The female imperial consort, who was wearing a red robe that matched the style of a top scholar and a black hat with flowers on it, walked up to him trembling all over, then fell to her knees with a thud.

"I pay my respects to the Queen Mother, the Emperor, and the Empress."

"Stand up. I have already ordered that you do not need to kneel down and bow unless you are offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, the Imperial Ancestral Temple, or attending a court meeting."

Empress Dowager Chen glanced at Zhu Yijun with a smile, waved her hand, and signaled Wanfu to call up the "female prince consort".

She looked her female consort up and down, her face full of joy.

Not only is she beautiful, but her figure also shows that she is good at bearing children.

The Qing Meixi Opera Troupe and the female imperial consort were able to perform in the Western Garden. This was not a random arrangement. Empress Dowager Chen had already put in a lot of effort in planning it.

"What's your name? Where are you from?"

"In reply to the Queen Mother, my name is Yu Qiaolian, and I am originally from Taihu County, Anqing Prefecture."

"How old is this year?"

"Eighteen years old."

"How long have you been studying acting?"

"To answer your Majesty, I started learning opera at the age of six. I first learned Yiyang Opera, and then Huangmei Opera became popular, so I changed to Huangmei Opera. At the age of fourteen, I joined the Qingmeixi Opera Troupe."

Although Yu Qiaolian's voice was trembling a little, she answered appropriately and gracefully.

The more Empress Dowager Chen watched, the more she liked it. She turned to Zhu Yijun and said, "Your Majesty, what do you think of the female consort's singing?"

Yu Qiaolian couldn't help but look up slightly, and quietly glanced at Zhu Yijun who was sitting in the middle. She suppressed her wildly pounding heart and looked forward to Zhu Yijun's words.

"The prototype of the female imperial consort should be Huang Chonggu, a talented woman from Huojingcao, Qiongzhou (now Huojing Town, Qionglai City), during the reign of Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty. She once wrote a poem, 'I stand tall like a green pine tree, and my ambition is as strong as a white jade. If the government allows me to be open-minded, I wish that I could be turned into a man as soon as possible.'

It is recorded in the annals of Qiongzhou County that Huang Chonggu won the first place in the imperial examination and was appointed as a military officer, showing his ability.

Prime Minister Zhou Xiang loved his talent and appearance and wanted to marry him as his son-in-law, but Huang Chonggu wrote a poem to politely decline.

When his father died suddenly of illness, Zhou Xuang felt pity for his talent and presented Huang's letter to the emperor, requesting permission for Chonggu to "take advantage of his father's status as the vice minister to return to his hometown".

However, this record is widely circulated in Sichuan. It has been mentioned in Dazhou Gong's collection of essays, and there is also a note saying that this record cannot withstand verification.

Lang Ying, a Zhejiang scholar during the Zhengde and Jiajing periods, commented on Huang Chonggu's three "don'ts": "Pretending to be a man and writing poems is the first impurity. Serving as an official and mixing with men is the second impurity. The fact that the matter was exposed and he could not tell what he wanted, and then he joked with poems, is the third impurity. What is the integrity of the green pine and the white jade?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Qiaolian's face turned pale, and the other actors on the stage were also frightened.

“This is ridiculous.

There are so many female workers in the cotton mills, silk mills, and agricultural and animal husbandry reclamation groups of the Ming Dynasty. They work hard and can not only support themselves but also their families, and contribute to the construction of the new Ming Dynasty.

When the play "The Female Prince Consort" was first written, it caused all kinds of controversy. The Minister of Rites Yang Fengming said it was a good play, but the Ministry of Rites and the Hanlin Academy said it was a poisonous weed.

Finally, the lawsuit came to me.

In my opinion, there are too few good plays like this, the more the better! "

After listening to Zhu Yijun's story, Yu Qiaolian was surprised and happy, and the actresses on the stage behind her also went from worry to joy and were extremely excited.

Empress Dowager Chen said angrily: "You guys, don't be intimidated by the emperor.

The emperor has learned bad things from those civil servants. When you ask him questions, he won't tell you the answers, but will just talk to you in a vague way. When you come out of the vagueness, you have completely forgotten what you wanted to ask.

Your Majesty, I want to ask you if this play is good or not?"

"Queen, this play is sure to be good. It is excellent spiritual food. Not only that, these artists who provide spiritual food for the people should also be given enough respect.

I have long told the Imperial Household that we should no longer call them actors, singers, or singing girls, which are discriminatory terms. We should call them actors, singers, and

Zhu Yijun babble and then asks, "What's the next play?"

Wanfu replied, "In reply to the emperor, the queen mother ordered Meng Lijun."

"Meng Lijun" is also a good play, 'The wind is gentle and the sun is bright, the flowers are fragrant, and butterflies fly in pairs to compete for the spring beauty. Peonies are hidden behind hibiscus, and crape myrtles face crape myrtles.'

It is said that Tu Long wrote this play based on the story of the daughter of the Meng family, a prominent family in Kunming, which had been circulating in Hangzhou for a long time during the reign of Emperor Chengzong of the Yuan Dynasty. It contains not only Huangmei Opera, but also Kunqu Opera, Hui Opera and Yue Opera scripts.”

Zhu Yijun was speaking in a proud manner when he glanced casually and his eyes met Feng Bao's.

After more than ten seconds, Feng Bao walked up to them and said, "Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, Empress, the Imperial Household Department has informed us that the State Council has important matters to attend to. Your Majesty, please go to the Purple Light Pavilion."

Zhu Yijun stood up leisurely and bowed to Empress Dowager Chen: "Empress Dowager, I have something to do and I will leave first."

"Your Majesty has state affairs to attend to, so just go and do them, and don't worry about us."

Looking at Zhu Yijun's back, Empress Dowager Chen shook her head, sighed softly, turned to Yu Qiaolian and said, "Good girl, please continue to sing. I and the Queen are waiting to see your performance."

"According to the order!"

Zhu Yijun put his hands in his sleeves and slowly walked out of the Liyuan, with Feng Bao following closely behind him.

In front of us is Qianming Gate. Go west from here, pass Yuhe Bridge, Lingxing Gate and all the way to Xi'an Gate. The West Garden is divided into two parts by a high wall. The northern part is the inner garden, and the southern part is the front garden.

Standing on the Yuhe Bridge, Zhu Yijun looked at the shimmering lake.

"Who recommended the Qingmeixi Opera Troupe to the Queen Mother?"

"It was recommended by Zhang, the wife of Chen Jiayan, the second son of the Marquis of Gu'an and the commander of the Qianniu Guards."

"It's my second aunt Zhang. I remember that her father is the great scholar Zhang Yao?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, the great scholar Zhang Yao from Hedong."

"It's interesting that a Shanxi native likes to listen to Anhui Huangmei Opera." Zhu Yijun smiled and continued to walk slowly forward.

"Feng Bao, you and Zhang Xiang had such a good relationship before, and you often visited each other. How come you are so distant now and never have any contact with each other again!"

"Your Majesty, that was because I was ignorant before and didn't know the severity of the situation. After Your Majesty's warning, I came to my senses and now I understand."

"Understand what?"

"I understand that the emperor has always been the heaven for this servant."

“The sky should protect people from wind and rain, not just call the wind and rain.” Zhu Yijun slowly walked down the Yuhe Bridge and walked on the tree-lined path on the west bank of Zhonghai Lake.

"It's winter again. It's the tenth year of Wanli, and the emperor has passed away for thirteen years." Zhu Yijun put his hands in his sleeves and tilted his head to look at the Renshou Hall in the distance. "Feng Bao, I had a dream again yesterday. I dreamed that the emperor took me to practice Tai Chi in front of the Renshou Hall.

They dance gracefully, like two cranes, one old and one young."

Feng Bao's eyes were red as he said softly, "Your Majesty, the late Emperor Shi Miao would surely be happy and relieved to see that Your Majesty has governed the Ming Dynasty so prosperously."

"Although I have worked hard to revitalize the Ming Dynasty, it is not just to make Grandpa Huang happy. However, I have lived up to his expectations, which can also comfort his spirit in heaven."

Zhu Yijun stared at the yellow roof of Renshou Hall for a while, then suddenly turned to Feng Bao and said, "Go to Prime Minister Zhang's residence tonight."

Feng Bao responded without hesitation: "As you wish."

Then she raised her head again and asked hesitantly, "Your Majesty, please let me know what I should do and say when I go to Prime Minister Zhang's residence."

"Just go and have a seat. If you feel embarrassed to go empty-handed, bring two boxes of autumn tea."

"According to the order."

That night, in the study of Zhang Juzheng's mansion, the Minister of Rites Pan Sheng was pacing around the room, furious.

"Students impeaching their teachers is unprecedented since the founding of our country. I have lived to this age, but I have never seen such a cruel and despicable person who betrays his teacher and ancestors!"

Zeng Xingwu, the governor of Jiangsu, Fu Zuozhou, the councillor of Shuntian Prefecture, and Wang Zhuan, the right vice-minister of the Ministry of Personnel, sat on both sides in silence.

Zhang Juzheng, who was sitting at the top, waved his hand and said, "Siming, stop walking around. You're making me dizzy."

Zhang Juzheng looked even older, with almost completely white hair tied into a bun and a jade hairpin inserted in it. There were age spots under his eyes, on his cheeks, and under his ears.

At this moment, he actually looked a bit like the old and frail Yan Song in the 41st year of Jiajing.

"They are not my formal students. These two people were Jinshi in the second year of Longqing. I was a co-examiner at that time. They submitted their apprenticeship letters, but I confiscated them.

At that time, the emperor appointed the crown prince as regent and strictly investigated the malpractice of forming cliques among teachers and students in officialdom and imperial examinations.

How could I possibly commit a crime against the wind?

Later, these two people were introduced by an old friend and officially submitted a letter to become my apprentice. I accepted it. But I have received at least hundreds of such letters of favor. "

Pan Sheng still looked furious: "Then did these two bastards receive any favor from you?"

Zhang Juzheng chuckled, "I am the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, and it is well known that I have accepted their letters of apprenticeship. There is no need for me to say anything, and someone below will naturally know what to do.

Do you think they have received any favor from me?"

Pan Sheng raised his voice even higher, "That's right, receiving a favor from someone, but stabbing him in the back. Such a person is ungrateful and an ungrateful person!"

Zeng Xingwu stroked his beard and said, "Master, Shui Lian, Fu Yingzhen and Liu Tai jumped out at this time, probably because they were instructed by someone. Who is the person behind this?
This is the most important thing right now.”

Fu Zuozhou and Wang Zhuan nodded repeatedly, "Brother Sanxing is right. Finding out the person behind the scenes is the most important thing."

The two looked at each other and started to guess.

Fu Zuozhou said cautiously: "Could it be Pan Yinglong? People in the government and the public are speculating that he might succeed his mentor and take charge of the cabinet."

Pan Sheng shook his head: "If that's the case, then his decision to instigate Fu and Liu to attack Prime Minister Zhang is a lousy move.

Pan Fengwu is such a smart person, he would not do such a stupid thing. "

Wang Zhuan put forward his own guess: "What about Wang Yi'e? I heard that he wants to compete for the position of Prime Minister. Is it possible that he has other intentions by criticizing his mentor at this time?"

Pan Sheng glanced at Zhang Juzheng and saw the deep loss in his wrinkles and cloudy eyes.

Although he said that he didn't care, Pan Sheng knew that the two students' defection still hurt him deeply.

Seeing his old friend suffer such a great humiliation just before his retirement, Pan Sheng was furious.

But Pan Sheng knew that he couldn't act on impulse at this moment.

He took a deep breath. "Everyone is making wild guesses here, without any basis. The more we guess, the more confused we become. Oh, Brother Taiyue, it would be great if Feng Bao was still on our side."

Yes, Feng Bao was not only the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, but also the eunuch in charge of the Eastern Depot, so he was very well-informed.

However, in the early years of the Wanli reign, after he was reprimanded by the emperor, his relationship with Zhang Juzheng became very distant.

"Master, we have a visitor."

The steward reported at the door of the study.

"Who?"

"Sir, the visitor did not say anything, he just sent a visiting card. Here is the visiting card."

"Bring it in."

The steward handed the visiting card to Zhang Juzheng with both hands and immediately retreated to the door of the study.

Zhang Juzheng opened it and saw a simple message inside: "Mr. Shuanglin visits an old friend."

The handwriting is very familiar.

Zhang Juzheng's heart moved, he closed the visiting card abruptly, stood up, lifted his clothes and walked out, saying: "Speak of the devil and he will appear."

Looking at Zhang Juzheng's hurriedly leaving back, Pan Sheng, Zeng Shengwu, Fu Zuozhou and Wang Zhuan looked at each other, who was it?

(End of this chapter)