The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the Somersault Cloud, Old Zhu was so envious he cried!

As dawn broke and the first hint of light appeared in the east, a large number of people had already begun to arrive outside the Meridian Gate.

These are all civil and military officials who have come to attend the early morning court session.

They were all dressed in official robes of various colors, their black gauze hats worn neatly, looking quite respectable.

But since the Emperor hadn't arrived yet, no one could maintain their composure. They huddled together in twos and threes, chatting quietly.

They weren't talking about any major national affairs.

"Hey, Lord Wang, I heard you went to the Qinhuai River again yesterday? How was it? Were the new courtesans any good?" a green-robed official asked, winking at him.

"Shh—keep your voice down!" Lord Wang looked around, lowered his voice, and said with a smug look, "Perfect! Absolutely perfect! Especially that girl named Ruyan, she played a pipa tune, oh my, her fingers are softer than the strings..."

"Wow!" Several people nearby exclaimed, their eyes lighting up. "How much for a night?"

"Not expensive at all," Lord Wang waved his hand, looking quite wealthy, "It's just half a year's salary."

"You say half a year's salary isn't expensive? Lord Wang, are you rolling in money?"

"Hey, men should be frugal when they should be, but spend when they should!" Lord Wang patted his chest, spitting as he spoke.

The other group wasn't idle either.

Some people boasted about how much they drank last night.

Some people boast about how beautiful their wives are.

There were also those who boasted about having dined with some prince.

Anyway, bragging is tax-free, so everyone's spouting off to the skies.

The area outside the Meridian Gate was buzzing with noise, like a bustling market.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out in the crowd.

The six bigwigs have arrived.

The first to arrive was Sheng Yuanfu, the Minister of Personnel.

As soon as he stepped out of the sedan chair, a crowd of people swarmed around him.

Good morning, Mr. Shanda!

"Mr. Sheng looks great today!"

Sheng Yuanfu smiled and clasped his hands in response to everyone, his smile like that of Maitreya Buddha, making sure not to offend anyone.

Following closely behind, Niu Liang, Minister of Revenue; Li Yan, Minister of Rites; Tang Duo, Minister of War; Liu Weiqian, Minister of Justice; and Zhao Zhu, Minister of Works, arrived one after another.

Every time someone arrives, a crowd gathers around them, showering them with compliments as if they were free.

There was no other way; these six were the pillars of the imperial court, high-ranking officials of the third rank, and it was difficult to even meet them on ordinary days.

Now that we've run into each other outside the Meridian Gate, shouldn't we hurry up and make our faces known?

The six bigwigs exchanged a few pleasantries and then naturally gathered together, forming a small circle.

The other officials, being quite self-aware, automatically took a few steps back.

Not high enough in status, not worthy to stand with others.

But what these six bigwigs talked about when they got together was quite surprising.

"Old Sheng, I heard you acquired a few more paintings and calligraphies yesterday?" Niu Liang asked, winking.

"Hey, what calligraphy and painting?" Sheng Yuanfu waved his hand, looking modest. "They were just gifts from a few friends. They're fakes, fakes."

"A fake?" Tang Duo boomed, "Old Sheng, stop pretending! Last time I went to your house, that 'Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains' painting, I looked at it for ages, and it looked so real!"

"Shh—" Sheng Yuanfu quickly covered Tang Duo's mouth, "Old Tang, keep your voice down! That's a copy! Yes, a copy!"

A murmur of laughter rippled through the crowd.

"When it comes to collecting, Old Li is the real expert," Liu Weiqian interjected, yawning, his dark circles under his eyes even more pronounced than a panda's. "The antiques in Lord Li's house could probably open a museum, right?"

Li Yan said with a serious expression, "Lord Liu is joking. Those are all ritual objects, ritual objects! I collect ritual objects to study the system of rites; how can they be compared to mundane items?"

"Come on, Lao Li," Zhao Zhu said, looking embarrassed. "Last time you showed off that bronze ding from the Shang Dynasty to me, I looked at it for a long time, and it says 'Made in the Hongwu period' on the bottom."

"..." Li Yan blushed. "That's a later imitation! I bought it on purpose to study it!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

These six high-ranking officials chatted just like any other elderly people on the street.

They boasted to each other, undermined each other, and were all quite the chatterboxes.

Just then, the crowd stirred again.

Left Chancellor Wang Guangyang has arrived.

Wang Guangyang, dressed in a purple robe, arrived slowly in a sedan chair.

As soon as he stepped out of the sedan chair, a crowd of people swarmed around him.

Good morning, Mr. Wang!

"Prime Minister Wang looks incredibly energetic today!"

Wang Guangyang smiled and returned the greetings with clasped hands, feeling extremely pleased with himself.

Did you see it?

Although I usually keep a low profile,

But his prestige is still immense!

He was feeling quite pleased with himself when suddenly he felt everyone around him "whoosh" and they all ran away.

Where did they go?

When Wang Guangyang turned his head, he was so angry he almost popped his nose out.

Right Chancellor Hu Weiyong has arrived.

The group of people who were fawning over Wang Guangyang just now have all gone to Hu Weiyong's side.

They bowed and scraped, treating each other like they were seeing their own father.

Good morning, Prime Minister Hu!

"Minister Hu looks very well today!"

"Prime Minister Hu, did you receive the local specialties I sent you a few days ago?"

Wang Guangyang stood there, his smile frozen, and a cool breeze blew by.

There was no one left around him.

Oh wait, there were two more: one was his own attendant, and the other was a deaf old scholar who probably didn't even hear that Hu Weiyong had arrived.

Wang Guangyang was furious!

Damn it! I am the Left Chancellor! My rank is even above Hu Weiyong's! You bunch of sycophants, you're all rushing to curry favor with him?!

Despite his anger, Wang Guangyang didn't dare to retaliate.

What is Hu Weiyong's current momentum?

He held sole control of the Secretariat, wielding immense power over life and death, and even the Emperor treated him with deference.

To be frank, my position as Left Chancellor is just a figurehead.

If you really offend Hu Weiyong, he can easily find a pretext to demote you back to Guangdong.

Wang Guangyang took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and put on a calm and composed smile again before slowly walking to his seat.

Can't afford to provoke, can I still not hide?

Meanwhile, Hu Weiyong is putting on a good show of "the ceiling of emotional intelligence".

Hu Weiyong's greatest strength wasn't his political acumen, but his memory.

The entire court, from high-ranking officials of the first rank to minor officials of the fifth or sixth rank, was involved.

He can remember a person's name, hometown, and even how many people are in their family after just one meeting.

Sure enough, a fifth or sixth-rank official stepped forward cautiously and bowed: "Hu... Hu Xianghao."

Hu Weiyong immediately put on a delighted expression: "Oh my, isn't this Chief Zhang? I met you once at the Ministry of Personnel, and I've remembered you ever since! I heard you're from Shaoxing? Shaoxing is a wonderful place, a land of outstanding people and beautiful scenery!"

The clerk was stunned on the spot; he was just a lowly sixth-rank clerk.

Hu Xiang actually remembered his name? And even remembered where his hometown was?

"Prime Minister Hu... actually remembers me?" Zhang, the steward, was so excited that his voice trembled.

"Of course!" Hu Weiyong patted him on the shoulder, as warmly as an older brother. "I've long heard of Chief Zhang's capable and efficient work. Keep up the good work, and you'll have a bright future!"

Manager Zhang almost burst into tears on the spot.

Back in his unit, he told everyone he met, "Minister Hu remembers my name! Minister Hu said I have a bright future!"

He looked like he'd won five million.

As Hu Weiyong traveled along, he could call out the names of officials, regardless of their rank or position, and exchange a few heartfelt words with them.

He showered compliments with them as if they were free, and they came out of his mouth with such sincerity and naturalness.

Watching from a distance, Wang Guangyang felt even worse.

That's what it means to be an official. What about me?

He could count the number of people around him on one hand.

The bell on the Five Phoenix Tower rang.

All the officials have arrived.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

At the sound of the order, all the civil and military officials immediately responded.

Those who were just bragging and flattering each other instantly returned to their places.

They stood properly, heads bowed, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Zhu Yuanzhang, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, walked step by step onto the dragon throne.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" The entire court of civil and military officials knelt down in unison.

"Rise." Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was not loud, but it carried a chill.

The officials stood up, and only then did some of them secretly glance up and see that the emperor looked very unwell today.

His face resembled that of an old farmer, as black as the bottom of a pot, his brows furrowed into a knot, and his gaze was sharp as a knife.

All the officials felt a jolt of unease.

Oh no, the Emperor is in a bad mood today; something bad is about to happen.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon throne, remaining silent for a long while before slowly speaking: "I'm asking you, how is the north now?"

The question fell even quieter in the hall.

The officials looked at each other, none daring to speak first.

The Emperor looked so unwell, yet he asked how things were in the north. This was clearly a veiled message!

After a long silence, someone had to step forward.

An official from the Ministry of Revenue stepped forward, cleared his throat, and said with a pious expression:

"Your Majesty! Thanks to Your Majesty's great blessings, the world is now at peace. Within our Great Ming territory, the weather is favorable, the people live in peace and prosperity, and the world is at peace, with all nations paying tribute! This is all due to Your Majesty's virtuous rule, and we are overjoyed!"

After he finished speaking, he glanced around smugly.

How was that? Was my flattery skillful enough?

But he didn't notice that Zhu Yuanzhang's face had turned from black as the bottom of a pot to red as a pig's liver.

"Favorable weather and abundant harvests?" Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly stood up, his voice rising sharply. "Peace and prosperity?!"

"Bang!" A hand slammed on the armrest of the dragon throne, making the teacup jump.

"Bullshit!!"

The entire court of officials trembled in fright and knelt down in unison.

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at the Ministry of Rites official, his finger trembling: "The north is in complete chaos! And you're telling us about favorable weather? The people are starving! And you're telling us about peace and prosperity?!"

"You lot spend your days indulging in debauchery in the capital, drinking and carousing, flaunting courtesans, and bragging! Do you even know how many people have died outside?!"

"We've been keeping a bunch of useless trash like you around just so you can sing our praises?!"