Huangming

Chapter 35 Learning Has No Bounds, Trusted Henchmen

The imperial carriage returned to Cining Palace.

Emperor Zhu Youxiao of the Ming Dynasty had a rumbling stomach; his internal organs were beginning to rebel.

At fifteen or sixteen years old, they are at the age when they can eat a lot.

Huang Hua immediately presented today's lunch.

The main dishes were still vegetarian, with no meat at all.

But today is slightly different from usual.

There was an extra half liter of milk.

During the national mourning period, the slaughter of livestock (including cattle, sheep, pigs, etc.) is prohibited nationwide, and the consumption of meat is forbidden.

"Hun" refers not only to meat, but also to animal dairy products (such as milk and cheese), because it is considered "killing animals to obtain food" and violates the etiquette of "mourning and vegetarianism".

This is the custom for national mourning, but sometimes rules are meant to be broken.

There are exceptions even within the imperial court.

For example, if the emperor was in poor health, he could obtain milk with special permission from the Ministry of Rites, and he only needed to use plain-colored containers to avoid being seen.

Sun Ruyou, the Minister of Rites, was a man who knew how to get things done. Zhu Youxiao sent Wei Chao to make a suggestion, and the results were immediately seen at lunch today.

With an extra half liter of milk, this lunch finally had some nutritional value.

After Zhu Youxiao finished eating and drinking, he immediately felt full of energy.

After lunch was removed, Zhu Youxiao sat upright on the throne in Duanben Hall.

On the desk, writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were already laid out.

Palace maid Zhang Yun'er gracefully came forward to serve.

"Your Majesty, will you practice calligraphy again today?"

After spending a few days with Zhu Youxiao, the girl's fear of him gradually dissipated, and a few strange emotions unconsciously arose in her heart.

His normally lively nature was now on full display in front of Zhu Youxiao.

"There's no rush to practice calligraphy."

Knowing how to write the characters 不, 可, and 准 is enough to handle most situations.

He could verbally dictate the memorials to the emperor and have someone write them down; it was not urgent.

"What does Your Majesty wish to do?"

"Come with me and study. Today, you'll swallow this book!"

Zhu Youxiao took out a thick book with the four large characters "Zhenguan Zhengyao" (Essentials of Governance in the Zhenguan Era) prominently displayed on it.

Since you're going to have to outwit these officials, you can't afford to be ignorant of the classics!

study!
Learning has no end!
Fortunately, Zhu Youxiao had mastered many learning methods in his previous life and had some basic knowledge of classical Chinese, so reading this classic did not require much effort. If he didn't understand a word or its meaning, he would ask Zhang Yun'er.

However, Zhu Youxiao soon realized he was wrong.

This girl is only half-baked; she has some skill in recognizing and writing characters, but when it comes to interpreting classics, she has no ability.

Later on, it was as if the Ming emperor was teaching a palace maid to read.

Zhu Youxiao thoroughly enjoyed it. Reading alone was so boring; having a beautiful woman by his side to keep him company was much more pleasant.

However, leisurely times are always fleeting.

Wei Chao slowly walked in, and said to Zhu Youxiao with a fawning smile, "Your Majesty, Zhang Zhiji and Luo Yangxing are already waiting outside the hall."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao closed the book.

I wanted to finish reading the Zhenguan Zhengyao in one day, but I only got to the fourteenth chapter, "On Loyalty and Righteousness," out of the forty chapters.

Zhu Youxiao stretched and tossed the book to Zhang Yun'er.

"Summon them in."

Holding her book, Zhang Yun'er dared not disturb Zhu Youxiao's handling of state affairs and hurriedly walked out of the hall.

Not long after Zhang Yun'er left, two young men, each seven feet tall and dressed in brocade robes, slowly entered the hall.

The two were clearly unprepared for the sudden audience with the emperor. As they entered the hall to pay their respects, they knelt on the ground, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

"Your humble servant Zhang Zhiji (Luo Yangxing) respectfully wishes Your Majesty good health!"

"I am well, please rise!"

After the two got up, Zhu Youxiao carefully examined their appearances.

Zhang Zhiji was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, but his face already looked withered.

This eldest son of the Duke of England frequented brothels, to the point that he ruined his health.

Luo Yangxing was about sixteen or seventeen years old, over seven feet tall, standing like an ancient pine tree clinging to a rock, and walking like a tiger crouching and a dragon moving.

Clearly, coming from a family of Imperial Guards, Luo Yangxing did not have Zhang Zhiji's bad habits, and judging from his skills, he was obviously quite capable.

"I have summoned you two talented individuals to guard Cining Palace and prevent those audacious individuals from plotting against me!"

Zhang Zhiji is now a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and he is in charge of the eight hundred "Great Han Generals" inside and outside Cining Palace. Although Luo Yangxing is a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Zhu Youxiao saw that he was very skilled and could be the commander of the guards.

"How dare I disobey your command!"

Seeing their nervousness, Zhu Youxiao said, "Relax. I summoned you here to promote you. There's no need to be nervous. Not only must you master martial arts, but you also must not neglect military strategy and classics. If you are truly talented, I will not hesitate to give you important positions."

With Duke Zhang Weixian of England and Commander Luo Sigong of the Embroidered Uniform Guard leading the charge for him, Zhu Youxiao naturally wanted to eliminate any worries they might have.

The promotion of Zhang Zhiji and Luo Yangxing carries a strong implication.

Zhang Zhiji's eyes darted around slightly, but he wasn't particularly excited. He was the eldest son of the Duke of Yingguo, and after his father passed away, he would naturally be able to inherit the title and become the new Duke of Yingguo.

Therefore, although the emperor's flatbread was delicious, he was not in a hurry to eat it.

Luo Yangxing, however, had no Duke title waiting to be inherited. At this moment, his eyes gleamed and his fists were clenched.

"This humble servant is willing to die for Your Majesty!"

Zhang Zhiji also followed suit.

It's time to start cultivating trusted henchmen; Zhang Zhiji and Luo Yangxing are just the beginning.

Only by having more swords in hand can we eradicate the ills of the Ming Dynasty!

(End of this chapter)