Because of the trip to the bell tower, the three missionaries were deeply traumatized. After Matteo Ricci returned, he fell ill. He had a high fever and talked nonsense, which made the royal representative Xu Guangqi who was in contact with them very busy.
After Matteo Ricci recovered from his illness, the three missionaries were all wilted like eggplants beaten by frost. They honestly prepared lesson plans according to the teaching tasks assigned to them by Xu Guangqi.
The opening season of Capital University was scheduled for July 18th. Fan Li'an and others were busy with the construction of a new church and cooperating with the imperial court to organize missions to Europe. They were so busy that they hit the back of their heads. As a member who was not fluent in Chinese, Matteo Ricci
He took over the task of compiling the lesson plan and discussed it with Xu Guangqi day and night. The two soon became good friends who talked about everything. In order to facilitate communication, Xu Guangqi also asked Matteo Ricci to have a Wenhua Palace badge.
On the seventh day of the fifth lunar month in the tenth year of Wanli, Princess Leping married Xu Guangqi. The entire papal delegation attended the wedding. This was also the first time the delegation participated in a social banquet in China. After the wedding banquet, many members of the delegation became guests of the dignitaries of the capital.
, the missionary cause took a sudden step forward.
On the fifth day of June, because the Empress Dowager summoned his son-in-law and Princess Leping, Xu Guangqi gave Matteo Ricci a day off. After taking a nap, Matteo Ricci was writing a diary at home, but Xu Guangqi came to the door again and said: "I heard that you can play the piano, right?"
Matteo Ricci nodded in agreement, and Xu Guangqi took a long breath and said: "Fortunately, I didn't say anything wrong. Come with me quickly. The Emperor is at the Queen Mother Rensheng's house. The Queen Mother has summoned you to play the harpsichord."
Matteo Ricci was overjoyed when he heard this and hurriedly straightened his clothes. Xu Guangqi smiled and said, "You don't want to wear a priest's robe anymore?" Matteo Ricci adjusted his jade-colored robe and said, "Please help me see, I'm wearing the turban correctly."
Really? I told Teacher Fan Li'an that I will all wear Ming Dynasty clothes from now on. They are currently making a few sets."
.......
Strangely enough, after putting on Ming Dynasty clothes and seeing the emperor and the queen mother again, the psychological barrier of kowtow was gone. After seeing the ceremony, Matteo Ricci did not dare to raise his head and look around, because he was already in Ciqing Palace, where all the flowers and branches were blooming.
These are harem women.
Seeing Matteo Ricci's yellow beard and blue eyes, Queen Mother Rensheng smiled and said, "He is really different from our race and looks weird. Can he speak our language?"
Matteo Ricci sweated on his forehead: "I'm quite capable, but I said no." Rensheng smiled and said: "You're quite capable! Haha!"
Zhu Yijun laughed at the side and said: "Zixian started learning Latin last year, and now he speaks fluently. Let him be an interpreter." After saying that, he gave Xu Guangqi a thumbs up and said, "You are really a genius. I have learned it for two years."
Years, not as good as you."
Xu Guangqi hurriedly bowed and said: "The emperor is busy with everything, unlike your ministers who have so much free time."
So Matteo Ricci spoke Latin and Xu Guangqi translated. At this time, in the Ciqing Palace, there were the Queen, Prince Luo, Princess Leping and some concubines, all gathered around the Queen Mother Rensheng to have fun. The Queen Mother Rensheng ordered
Said: "The piano you presented me has a nice tinkling sound. Can you play it?"
This time the mission came to Beijing with more than 90 tribute items. Among them, there were more than 20 Western musical instruments alone. The rest included the most detailed world map of the Portuguese at this time, an enamel cross with gems, a Bible and other items.
As for the cross of Pius V, it was a sacred object and was not among the tributes. Fan Li'an originally wanted to give it to Zhu Yijun when he met in court that day, but later gave it to Prince Luo.
Among the Western musical instruments presented as tribute were the harpsichord and harpsichord, the predecessors of the violin and piano. The harpsichord and harpsichord were quite large and were brought from Goa by Fan Li'an when he established the mission.
Re-polished and painted, maintained like new.
In his previous life, Zhu Yijun studied piano for several years because of his better family conditions. Later, because of the extreme pain of the exam, he lost his temper and did not practice, and only passed the sixth level. After he saw the harpsichord and harpsichord, the shadow of his childhood
It's shrouded again.
He tried to play, but he was very unfamiliar with it. Moreover, the harpsichord and harpsichord looked similar to the piano, but they played completely different. Zhu Yijun didn't have the time to figure out the reason and tried it a few times.
After that, he stopped playing.
Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager Rensheng found the sound very pleasant because of the few times the emperor played it. It was just because she had to prepare for Leping's marriage that she never had time to spare. It was only today that she summoned Matteo Ricci.
In Europe at this time, the harpsichord that struck steel strings was not the mainstream, and the harpsichord that plucked the strings through the keys was the popular instrument. Matteo Ricci worked hard as a child, and after entering the seminary, he also tried to
Gregorian chants were adapted into piano music, so they played very smoothly.
He tried the tuning first. As expected, after long-distance transportation, many of the notes were no longer accurate. Matteo Ricci opened the back cover of the piano, found the tuning tools placed in the piano, and quickly tuned the piano.
.
Rensheng smiled and said: "This guy named Li must have played with this piano often, and he is very familiar with it." Zhu Yijun and others smiled and said yes.
After Matteo Ricci tuned the piano, he calmly played a mass adapted from the fixed tunes of Gregorian chants.
The mass music was solemn and solemn, and everyone in the room was moved by it. Empress Dowager Rensheng sighed: "It has the flavor of our "Zhonghe Shao Music"." Xu Guangqi smiled and said: "Empress Dowager, the music played in our palace is all
Symphony; the various plays, dramas and operas at our banquet are not available in Ricci’s hometown at this time.”
Empress Dowager Rensheng sighed: "You are right, but it is not easy for these musical instruments to be found in the land of Western Yi." Pointing to the violin, she said to Matteo Ricci: "That violin is so beautiful, can you do it?"
Matteo Ricci responded: "Let me tell you, Your Majesty the Queen Mother, I know a little bit, but I am not as good as Mr. Capassa from our mission. I can make a fool of myself."
So he played the violin again, and Queen Mother Rensheng was immediately moved by the sound of the violin and sighed: "It sounds so good! It's a pity that I can't hear it often." After saying this, she stared at Matteo Ricci with bright eyes, as if to let the missionary know.
It's like entering the palace.
Matteo Ricci listened to Xu Guangqi's translation: "The Queen Mother seems to be very sorry that she cannot hear this beautiful music often." After speaking, he glanced at Matteo Ricci's lower body.
Matteo Ricci had known that there were no men in the Chinese imperial palace except the emperor, his younger brother, and his son. Hearing this, his crotch shivered. Although European courts at this time also used eunuchs, they were complete slaves and had no political status. The Holy See of Rome
Raising a bunch of castratos, the so-called eunuch choir - Matteo Ricci knew all about these things.
In order to dispel the Queen Mother's thoughts, Matteo Ricci said a lot of words urgently. Xu Guangqi smiled and translated: "Your Majesty, Mr. Li said that he can train violinists on his behalf. They have skilled hands in the mission who can teach the court people these instruments.
"
Zhu Yijun heard a move in his heart and took over the words: "Okay! I will allocate a sum of money to set up a palace orchestra. We can try to combine Western instruments with our instruments to create some elegant music and great music, which will also save the palace elders."
Those are the old tunes. Besides, it’s time for the Jiaofang Department to be abolished. Without hiring anyone for so many years, the musicians are getting old.”
Empress Dowager Chen loved music, and the emperor allocated funds to build an orchestra. All the concubines in the palace praised the empress dowager for the emperor's pure filial piety. While the whole room was enjoying themselves, Wei Chao, the most trustworthy eunuch around the emperor, suddenly saw Chen Ju waving to him outside the palace and bowed.
He walked out of the palace door with his waist bent.
After a while he came in and whispered beside the emperor: "Your Majesty, Mr. Zhang passed out in the political hall."
When Zhu Yijun heard this, he was surprised and said, "Is it important?" Wei Chao shook his head to express his ignorance, and then said, "It was said by Chen Ju, the traveling minister of the inner court, who asked for an audience outside the palace."
Zhu Yijun remembered Zhang Juzheng and said to the Empress Dowager Rensheng: "Mother, there is something in the previous court, my son should go and deal with it first." The Empress Dowager Rensheng said hurriedly: "The emperor just goes to work." Zhu Yijun led Wei Chao out quickly.
When he went out to see Chen Ju, he said, "Why don't you just invite me?" Chen Ju said, "I'm afraid of the public, so rumors will spread, and I don't want the emperor to give them instructions. The prime minister has woken up, but the boss is so dense that it's difficult to handle affairs. He has just returned home.
Recuperate."
Zhu Yijun took a long breath, relaxed, and said, "Let's talk about it in the Yangxin Hall."
When he arrived at the Yangxin Hall, Zhu Yijun asked: "What happened to Liu Tai? I remember that Dali Temple sentenced him to be exiled to Guangxi. Did he die of illness?"
Chen Ju whispered: "The news that came back is this. Because the emperor wanted to appoint Zhang Juzheng as prime minister, Liu Tai wrote a five-thousand-word book criticizing him. Later, the emperor ordered him to be imprisoned and set up a flag for reform, and the imperial staff was not followed.
Let’s talk about it again. Later, when Zhang Xueyan, the governor of Liaodong, attacked Liutai and patrolled Liaodong, he committed corruption and bent the law for personal gain. Does the emperor still remember these things?"
Zhu Yijun patted his leg and said with a wry smile: "I remember this. I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to forget what happened at that time."
Chen Ju continued: "The imperial court sent Yu Shi Yu Yingchang to review and confirm Liu Tai's crime. Due to the beginning of the reform, the emperor ordered Liu Tai to be exiled to Guangxi in order to appease the prime minister."
Zhu Yijun nodded and said, "Go on."
Chen Judao: "On the first day of April this year, Liu Tai died suddenly. Today, the so-called "Liu Tai's suicide note" suddenly appeared in the capital, and some were even printed into big-character posters. They were posted everywhere in the capital. The contents of the suicide note were mainly announcements.
At that time, Zhang Juzheng gave instructions to Yu Yingchang to frame him, and reported Zhang Xueyan and his subordinate Zhang Juzheng, forming a party with them and showing disloyalty."
"When the news reached the political hall, Zhang Juzheng fell into dizziness and collapsed."