Maybe Yang Tinghe never thought that a little Zhang Cong would become his opponent.
After all, in terms of family background, Zhang Cong is just a country boy. The Yang family has been officials for several generations, and Yang's father has done a great job in promoting academic affairs, making him extremely noble. In terms of knowledge, Zhang Cong took eight exams before becoming a second-class Jinshi, and Yang Ting and Twelve
He passed the examination at the age of nineteen and became a Jinshi at the age of nineteen. After that, he served as lecturer in the East Palace and became famous all over the world. In terms of status, Zhang Cong was almost non-existent. Yang Tinghe was the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty, more than ten thousand people.
With such a huge gap, it’s no wonder that Yang Tinghe didn’t take it to heart at first. But by the time he realized it, it was already too late.
From the first time he submitted the letter, Zhang Cong seemed to have lost his mind. He wrote one article after another about etiquette. Not only was he highly productive, but he also cited extensive references and used gorgeous rhetoric. He completely got rid of the boring dilemma of this kind of subject matter and made people read it.
The blood boils and the lips and teeth are fragrant.
Even Xian Ruxing couldn't help but sigh after reading it, "What kind of human flesh printer is this?"
In the article, Zhang Cong focused on refuting two examples previously cited by the Ministry of Rites. Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty and Yingzong of the Song Dynasty were both sons of the emperor's brothers. Because the emperor had no heirs at the time, he was adopted to the emperor. Later, he also called the emperor Huang Kao.
The idea of the Ministry of Rites is very simple. Why can Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty and Yingzong of the Song Dynasty do it, but Jiajing can't? With such remarks, he would just point his nose and scold Jiajing for being ignorant, and make the young man on the dragon throne half angry to death.
Now Zhang Cong pointed out that Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty and Yingzong of the Song Dynasty were both adopted while the emperors were still alive at that time, and Xiaozong did not have no heirs. Strictly speaking, the childless one was the Zhengde Emperor, so Zhu Houcong had nothing to do with these two.
, and clung to the words "successor to the throne" on the memorial at that time.
In fact, this is also Yang Tinghe's fault. Emperor Zhengde had just died at that time. Yang Tinghe was anxious to deal with the traitors in the court, so he did not pay much attention to their drafting of the edict, which resulted in such a big mistake.
Seeing that the situation was getting worse and worse, Yang Tinghe finally understood that he had to talk to Jiajing.
However, when he wanted to ask for an audience, he was stopped by the emperor's chamberlain.
The palm eunuch Zhang Yong frowned and said helplessly to Yang Tinghe: "Master, your Majesty is discussing Taoism with Master Xian at this time, and he said not to let anyone disturb him."
He felt bitter in his heart. Although he, Gu Dayong and others had not been liquidated yet, he also knew that it was just because the new king came to power and there was no one under his command. The Holy Emperor obviously trusted Huang Jin, Zhang Feng and others who came from the palace more, and these offended people
Leave all the work to yourself.
"It doesn't matter, then I'll just wait here." Yang Tinghe said calmly, but he actually stood there and waited.
How could Zhang Yong dare to let him stand? He quickly said: "Hey, Mr. Yang, look at this big sun, how can it be exposed again? Why don't you go back first, and wait until His Majesty is free before letting others go to your house?"
superior?"
"No need, father-in-law is just busy with your business." Yang Tinghe smiled, unmoved.
There was no other way, Zhang Yong had no choice but to go in and report. After a while, Xian Ruxing walked out slowly, greeted Yang Tinghe, and then said directly: "The matter is now over, why should Yang Shoufu force himself anymore?"
"I want to see His Majesty." Yang Tinghe still insisted.
Xian Ruxing shook his head, "What are you going to say when you see His Majesty? If it is a business matter, it should be settled in the court."
"What I'm talking about is a private matter."
"Teacher, you should know," Xian Ruxing looked directly into his eyes sharply, without giving in, and said sternly: "The king is selfless."
There was silence all around, and all the maids and eunuchs wanted to bury their heads as low as possible, not daring to make any sound.
The chief minister of the cabinet and the emperor's favorites are facing each other here, and the atmosphere alone is enough to make you suffocating.
After a long time, Yang Tinghe suddenly laughed. He looked at the female Taoist priest, as if looking through her at a certain emperor in the back room. He knew that he had failed this time.
"The snow is heavy on the bamboo branches, but they are too low to touch the mud. Once the red sun rises, they are still level with the sky."
He thought of a poem written by a famous poet at that time. Maybe some things were really in his bones. The young girl in front of him was like the morning sun. Although it was not dazzling, it was full of vitality; and even though he was in a high position, he was still sluggish.
.
That's all, he has done all he can do. If one day he sees Emperor Xiaozong again, he can calmly say that he has lived up to his ancestors.
Shaking his head, Yang Tinghe saluted Zhu Houcong in the back room and turned to leave.
In this way, the "Grand Ceremony Discussion" that lasted for almost half a year came to an end for the time being, and the two sides were considered to be tied.
The reason why it was considered a tie was actually that both sides took a step back. The imperial court agreed to change the title of King Xingxian to "Emperor Xingxian" and named Jiang "Empress Xingxian". However, at the same time, Jiajing was also asked to recognize Xiaozong Zhang.
Queen Mother. So how can one person have two sets of parents? It's very simple. Mao Cheng and Mao Shangshu cleverly added the word "Bensheng" in front of King Xingxian.
In other words, if Zhu Houcong wanted to introduce his parents to others, he should point to Xiaozong and say: "This is my father."
Pointing at Emperor Xingxian, he said, "This is my biological father."
Zhu Houcong was naturally dissatisfied with the practice of referring to his father as "father upon father". He wanted to make trouble again, but was stopped by Xian Ruxing. The reason was very simple. The emperor had been on the throne for so long, and he was here every day without doing anything.
I fought with the ministers in the court, fighting like a black-eyed chicken all day long. If this continues, people's hearts will inevitably become unstable, which will affect the entire Ming Dynasty.
Anyway, Zhu Houcong is only fifteen and will not have much time in the future.
After much talk, the young man finally nodded reluctantly.
In addition, Yang Tinghe also had a condition, which was to send Zhang Cong away from the capital to serve in a local area. This was not only due to the pettiness of the chief minister of his cabinet, but also because Zhang Cong was so powerful in combat that he almost spit on his face.
If Yang Tinghe, the leader of hundreds of officials, did not show any concern for important matters, he would no longer be able to do his job.
Zhu Houcong also agreed to this, but he used some tricks to transfer Zhang Cong from the northwest to the Nanjing Civil Service Department.
As we all know, there were two capitals and thirteen palaces in the Ming Dynasty. Among them, Nanjing and Beijing were opposite each other. They had a complete bureaucratic system, including the Six Ministries, the Fifth Military Governor's Office, the Hanlin Academy and other institutions.
There is no difference between an emperor and a capital city.
The reason for this is all because Zhu Di took away the throne from his nephew during the "Jingnan" period, and then insisted on moving the capital to his hometown, Beijing. But Beijing is actually not a good place, not to mention not rich in products, and there is no strategic depth to defend. Once the Great Wall is broken,
, the Mongols came directly to the city, so the Ming Dynasty called it the emperor guarding the country, but it was actually nine sides protecting the emperor. Zhu Di also knew that he was in danger, so he retained the institutions in Nanjing, thinking that if the city of Beijing was really broken, there would still be someone
retreat.
Although some people always joke that the officials in Yingtian Mansion are living in retirement and waiting to die, in fact, Nanjing, as the capital, not only controls the southern economy, but also commands hundreds of thousands of troops. When Wang Shouren killed King Ning, he was transferred from here
soldiers.
When Zhang Cong goes to Nanjing, he will not only be familiar with the government affairs of the court, but also he will not be exposed to the wind and the sun. Zhu Houcong's attitude is very obvious. He will be wronged for the time being and will be transferred back sooner or later.
Zhang Cong expressed his gratitude for the divine grace and set off directly on the road without saying much.
…
Early autumn in Beijing is the best time to enjoy the scenery. Not only are there red ginkgo leaves, but it is also neither cold nor hot. Except for the occasional heart-rending cry of cicadas, it can be said to be extremely beautiful.
Xuandao was wearing a bright red straight-collar double-breasted sutra, embroidered with gourds, fans and other Taoist auspicious patterns. This dress was calf-length, sleeveless and long, which perfectly modified his chubby figure and was blown away by the wind.
When I blow it, it really feels like a fairy tale.
This kind of clothes was originally worn for small fasting ceremonies, but today was special, so Xuan Yi dug it out from the bottom of the box.
Standing at the stern of the boat, looking at the sparkling river water, even though Xuan Yi is already in his sixties this year, he still feels a sense of pride.
Who would have thought that Xuan Yi, a country Taoist from Anlu, Hubei, would go to Beijing to serve the emperor in the blink of an eye!
My master told me back then that I, Shizhu, was the God of Cookery and was born to have a good future. I didn’t expect him to be right. Xuan Yi muttered in his heart that this time he was following Princess Xingxian, ah, he should be called
We came to the capital together after Xingxian.
Zhu Houcong rushed to Beijing to ascend the throne, but his mother, Chiang, had to take care of the palace. After all, his family was gone, but the tomb of King Xingxian was still in Anlu. There were thousands of people in the palace. How to arrange it was also a problem.
.
Fortunately, Mr. Jiang was a shrewd and capable person and arranged everything in an orderly manner. Finally, the family took a boat from Huguang to Tongzhou Bay in the capital.
As Xuan Ruxing's partner in the sugar business, Xuan Yi had an important status, so he naturally followed him on the road.
The speed of the ship was not as fast as the official route, and it took more than a month to arrive. After a long time of traveling, the group was inevitably tired.
At this time, disciple Miao Le jumped up and said loudly: "Master, I seem to see the shore of the ship, we are finally here!"
"Be honest, why are you acting like a monkey when you are so old? I tell you that the capital city is not as good as Anlu. You have to calm down your previous anger, otherwise I won't be able to protect you!" Xuan Yi scolded, but at the same time,
I can't help but feel excited in my heart.
It’s finally here!
It is not easy for so many ships to dock, but the local area has received the news and cleared the place early to make way for the Queen Mother.
Xian Ruxing stood on the shore with the people in the inner palace. When they saw Jiang, they saluted repeatedly.
"Master Immortal, please don't do this," Mrs. Jiang quickly helped the person up, then held the other person's hand and was speechless for a long time.
The fleet would also stop for supplies on the way, and news from the capital occasionally reached her ears. She was frightened by the various intrigues and intrigues that came and went, and she couldn't help but feel sad when she thought that her son would have to face all the civil and military officials when he was only fifteen.
Fortunately, Xian Ruxing had thought carefully and was also afraid that Jiang would be upset after hearing something, so he kept sending people to deliver letters to him. Each time he said something nice, saying that Jiang had a strong temperament, so he was stable.
"Your Majesty, you and the princess will take a sedan chair back to the palace. Your Majesty is waiting in the palace. I will leave the rest here to Pindao."
"This..." Mrs. Jiang knew that so many people must be trivial and abnormal. Because she missed her son so much and Xian Ruxing tried to persuade her, she finally agreed, "This will trouble the immortal master."
Xian Ruxing smiled and nodded. After sending Jiang away, he said hello to Xuan Yi who was standing far away, glanced up and down, and joked: "Headmaster Xuan Yi is wearing really bright clothes today."
"Hey, aren't you afraid of embarrassing fellow Taoist Xian?" Xuan Yi scratched his head in embarrassment.
As for Xian Ruxing, he is really convinced now! He can't help but refuse to accept it. He has been in Prince Xing's Mansion for almost ten years, and the biggest thing he has done is to have a cup of tea with Prince Xing. However, he has only been here for a short time, and not only has he become a guest of the Prince's Mansion, but also
Entering the Imperial City. Not to mention anything else, just talking about the sugar, the annual profits made him dizzy just thinking about it.
In the past few months, Xian Ruxing has been busy with palace affairs and handed over part of the business to Xuan Yi for management. Therefore, even on the ship, the old Taoist priest did not dare to slack off at all. Now that they met, the first thing he did was to report Baitang's recent news.
Sales.
"Jiangxi and Zhejiang are now basically ready. According to your previous instructions, we first opened a few pastry shops in the local areas. The business was extremely prosperous. Within a few months, other shops followed suit." Xuan Yi said.
Feeling a little angry.
Xian Ruxing didn't care, "That's right. It's not difficult to make butter itself. As long as you are willing, you will find it sooner or later."
"Hehe, but, those scholars are not very capable and are reluctant to use the ingredients, so the taste of the products they make is far from the best. The 'trademark' method that Brother Xian came up with before is really amazing. The beauty painted by Tang Yin is printed on the oil paper in our pastry shop.
Picture, now many people only recognize this sign, and I heard that some merchants even charge high prices for oiled paper."
Xian Ruxing shook his head, "I didn't come up with it. Many carpenters and masons like to carve patterns of their own homes on their backs after work, but the head of Xuan Yi doesn't do that much."
"That pastry shop is just a small street. Its purpose is to open up the sugar market. You can't do business to death. If you eat meat, you must leave some soup for others. Otherwise, even if you use your status to suppress people, all the merchants will join forces to kill you.
Rush out. Tell the pastry shop that the price of cow's milk and goat's milk will definitely increase in a while. Then you won't be able to cut corners at all. You'd rather not make money but ensure the quality. Once the reputation grows, you can go the long-established route of a long-established brand."
Xuan Yi listened to every word, but after listening to it, he fell into deep thought. After a long time, he cupped his hands to Xian Ruxing and said: "Fellow Daoist Xian, I know that you trust me so I entrust you with these things, but in fact, I am not this material.
.This pastry shop alone has given me a headache during this period, and I am not afraid of your jokes. When I found out that someone else was copying us, I was so worried that my gums were swollen at night. Those things you mentioned, I would never have thought of them even if I had my brain.
.”
"Otherwise, you'd better leave it to someone else, and I'll continue to lead the kids in making sugar." After saying that, he looked at her pitifully.
Xian Ruxing was stunned for a moment, and then he raised his forehead. Yes, this was his own negligence. Although Xuan Dao was eloquent, his years of alchemy and Taoism made him more of a technician in nature. Even the management disciples relied on
Otherwise, Miao Le would not have been domineering for so long. Now that he has no one under his command, he can be picked to take over at will. Fortunately, the old man has a clear mind and resigns voluntarily. Otherwise, if time goes by, it may lead to a big disaster.
So he hurriedly said: "Master, why should you belittle yourself? As the saying goes, 'there are specialties in the industry', sugar is the main way to make money now. Now that it has arrived in the capital, there are more sales, and the required quantity has expanded again, so I still need you to add more."
Jin, as for business matters, I will just find someone else."
Having fulfilled his wish, Xuan Yiyi felt relaxed all over. After thanking him repeatedly, he called on the servants to help him move his things.
Xian Ruxing, on the other hand, felt worried when faced with the embarrassing situation of having no one available.