The next day, when the sky was still dark, the city of Nanjing was already filled with people and drums and music. In view of the fact that the emperor's visit to the Xiaoling Mausoleum was not only to express his memory of Emperor Taizu as a descendant, but also to make the Ming Dynasty rich and powerful.
Therefore, there should be no shortage of grand ceremonies.
After the baptism of spring rain two or three days ago, Nanjing has turned sunny today, but the freshness of rain remains. In the early morning breeze, on the streets of Nanjing City, groups of soldiers wearing bright armor, holding spears and flags,
They were arranged in a neat square formation, extending from the city gate to Xiaoling Tomb.
These soldiers are not escorting the Imperial Guards heading south, but professional honor guards carefully selected from various guards in Nanjing. They may not be able to fight well, but because at this moment they all have bright helmets, heads held high and chests held high, their eyes are firm.
, at least it looks very good, and it seems to be enough to show the power and majesty of the Ming army.
Of course there are Imperial Guards, but only a group of more than 500 cavalrymen who opened the way can be seen by ordinary people. The rest have taken over the key city defenses in Nanjing and Jiang Defense. According to Gao Pragmatically, the Imperial Guards
As a field army directly under the imperial court, the army's duty is to fight, and there is no need for them in ceremonial defenses.
As for the five hundred cavalrymen who opened the way, it was a highly pragmatic insurance measure. In other words, even if this tens of thousands of honor guards suddenly collectively took the wrong medicine and all of them inexplicably became reversed, it would not be effective. These five hundred
The cavalry was sufficient to transport the emperor safely back to Nanjing City, under the protection of the imperial guards.
As the sun slowly rose, Zhu Yijun, accompanied by Gao Pragmatic, set off from the palace to Xiaoling. The emperor's chariot was pulled by sixteen horses, and the car was engraved with dragon patterns, resplendent in gold and jade, symbolizing the supreme imperial power. In front of the chariot was
Groups of honor guards holding pumpkins and axes, with neat steps and solemn expressions, demonstrated the majesty of the royal family.
The people along the road knelt down and worshiped on both sides of the road. The mountains shouted long live, and the sound shook the sky. Zhu Yijun was sitting in the car, smiling and waving to the people on both sides. He knew that this was his way to show off his martial arts skills and stabilize the imperial power.
Excellent opportunity.
The undoubted number one minister of the Wanli Dynasty, Grand Prince Taishi Zhongjidian Grand Scholar and Household Secretary Jingguo Gong Gao pragmatic was also on the chariot, standing on the emperor's left hand. This position meant that among the civil servants
"The leader of the squad". Standing on the emperor's right hand is Wei Guogong Xu Hongji, representing the leader of the squad among the noble military officials.
In fact, Wei Guogong has never been the leader of the military officials after the Jingnan Campaign, but today is not unusual, so the emperor appointed Wei Guogong to stand in this position.
This Duke of Wei was not the one whom Gao Jingshi admired in his early years (see the first volume of this book), but normally he would have to accept Gao Jingshi's love back then.
It was still the last year of Longqing, and Gao Gong had just returned to Beijing. It happened that there was a slight problem with the inheritance of Nanjing Duke Wei.
People exposed the matter, and Xu Pengju was eventually punished. He quickly died of illness due to fear, and Xu Bangrui successfully attacked the prince.
In April of the sixth year of Longqing, Xu Bangrui attacked the Duke of Wei in Bingyin. In the second year of Wanli, he was appointed as the official secretary of the Nanjing Central Military Governor's Office. He was gradually promoted as usual and became a distinguished garrison minister in Nanjing. However, he died of illness in the seventeenth year of Wanli.
Then there is Xu Weizhi, the son of Xu Bangrui (first known as Xu Jizhi). He attacked the Duke of Wei in September of the seventeenth year of Wanli. In the first month of the nineteenth year of Wanli, Jiyou assisted in guarding Nanjing and took charge of the rear palace, which is usually called the Nanjing garrison.
Xunchen or "outer guard". Unfortunately, this person was not in good health either. He died of illness in Guiwei in August of the 21st year of Wanli just four years later.
This brings us to the Duke of Wei today: Xu Hongji. He is the son of Xu Weizhi. In July of the 23rd year of Wanli, he attacked the Duke of Wei in Jihai and served as the governor of the rear army. Note that he was not a distinguished garrison minister in Nanjing.
Even because he had just come of age when he ascended the throne, he was too young, so he has not yet become a distinguished garrison minister in Nanjing.
In the original history, he began to assist in guarding the Nanjing Imperial Palace in the thirty-fifth year of Wanli. In April of the thirty-seventh year of Wanli, he also served as the admiral Cao Jiang. It was not until the first year of Tianqi that he resigned due to illness and was appointed as the crown prince and Taibao.
.In the 14th year of Chongzhen's reign, he returned to Nanjing, became a tutor, and later died, with the posthumous title of Zhuang Wu.
Although this Wei Guogong seemed to be doing well, everyone must be indifferent to this. It would be better to say this: he was the father of Wei Guogong Xu Wenjue... who later opened the gates of Nanjing and surrendered to the Qing Dynasty.
Although in the original history, the end of the Ming Dynasty was due to complications caused by too many internal screw-ups. Before the fall of Nanjing, Jiangbei was completely lost, and Shi Kefa was martyred. It stands to reason that at this time, Xu Wenjue, the Duke of Wei who did not have much real power, was grabbed and scolded,
It doesn't seem to make much sense.
However, Gao Pragmatic still despises this person very much. The Ming Dynasty raised your Xu family to be the local emperor in Nanjing for more than two hundred years. When Nanjing fell, as the Xu family's spokesperson, even if you couldn't come up with any means to save the danger, at least you should
There is a determination to die to repay the kindness of the king, but this is the result? It is better to raise a dog than to raise you, because the dog is more ambitious than you.
Because of this relationship, although there seems to be no big problem with Xu Hongji in the original history, he has a high pragmatic prejudice. He feels that the father-in-law is like this, and he must not be much better. It is just that he was born at the right time and did not encounter the test of life and death.
.
Back to the main story. The emperor drove slowly into the Xiaoling Mausoleum. The cemetery was already solemn and solemn. At the entrance of the cemetery, there was a huge stone archway with two large characters "Xiaoling Mausoleum" engraved on it, which was vigorous and powerful. After the archway,
It is a long Shinto, with stone figures and stone beasts lined up on both sides, with different shapes and lifelike shapes.
When we got here, the emperor stopped, and the emperor got out of the car with the help of Gao Pingshi and Xu Hongji, and filed in in order with the accompanying officials. Some of the corresponding complicated etiquette are not listed here.
After the emperor and his ministers were in place, the ceremony officially began. Yu Shenxing, the Minister of Rites, once again acted as the master of ceremonies and read out the ritual procedures loudly. Although he was old, because the issue of sound reception was taken into consideration when the imperial mausoleum was built, his voice sounded loud and clear at this moment.
The words echoed over the square.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! The first is to play music and dance, and various corresponding pieces are heard everywhere and resound through the sky. The musicians played sonorously and powerfully, showing the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty.
Afterwards, Zhu Yijun, guided by Gao Yongshi and Xu Hongji, slowly walked towards the altar. He held the sacrificial inscription, faced Taizu's mausoleum, and silently recited in his heart...probably words of admiration and gratitude to Taizu. When he formally read out
During the memorial ceremony, the entire audience was silent, and only his voice could be heard echoing in the square.
"I was able to inherit the throne because of my coolness. Since I came to the throne, I have worked hard day and night, fearing that my ancestors' brilliance would be damaged and the people's livelihood would be difficult. Now I personally come to Xiaoling Mausoleum to pay homage to the spirit of Emperor Gao, the great ancestor of the Ming Dynasty, with a pious heart.
Emperor Taizu created the beginning and laid the foundation for eternity. His achievements are unparalleled and his virtues are known all over the world. I have inherited Taizu's legacy and have ruled the world for thirty years. I have worked hard and long at night with unswerving determination. I have achieved success in both civil and military arts.
.”
"I heard that Anbang was established with literature, and because of it opened up the sea for trade, all nations came to court, and the products were abundant; I encouraged people to cultivate mulberry trees, so the people were happy and the grains were abundant; they supported industry and commerce, so all industries prospered and the national treasury was filled; reforming the post roads, so everything
The road is smooth and the information is accessible. This is the legacy of Emperor Taizu, and it is also the reward for my hard work and respect."
"I also heard that Dingguo was in the military, so Annan was recovered and the southern border was restored to the territory; Mongolia was settled in the north, and the grassland was peaceful; the Japanese pirates were severely defeated, and there were no more wars in the sea; the Western Region was restored, and the barbarians did not dare to face it; Korea was accepted, and the Celestial Empire was
Majestic! This is the inheritance of Taizu’s unparalleled martial arts, and it is also the reward for me to carry on the past and open up the future.”
"I know that today's achievements are all due to the blessing of our ancestors, the assistance of our ministers, and the support of the people. Therefore, today on the Qingming Festival, I led hundreds of officials to pay a visit to the Xiaoling Mausoleum to commemorate the merits of Emperor Taizu, to tell the heroic spirit of our ancestors, and to demonstrate the national prestige of the Ming Dynasty.
Encourage future generations of children and grandchildren.
May my descendants never forget the difficulties of their ancestors in starting a business; may my ministers and workers never forget the original intention of studying and practicing martial arts; may my people never forget the great achievements of China!
The heart is all in this.”
After the memorial text was read out, Zhu Yijun burned it in the brazier on the altar, symbolizing that his sacrificial words were conveyed to Emperor Taizu’s spirit in heaven. Then he knelt down again, and all the civil and military officials and soldiers in the audience also knelt down. The scene was
It was solemn and moving. Then came the rituals of sacrificing animals, burning incense, and toasting wine. Every step was carried out in strict accordance with the etiquette, and all reflected the great political significance of this ceremony to pay homage to the Xiaoling Mausoleum.
Different from the incident at the Confucius Temple, after the visit ceremony, Zhu Yijun did not cause "too many troubles". Instead, accompanied by Gao Pragmatic and Xu Hongji, he slowly left Xiaoling according to the ceremony.
As a holy king who has been widely publicized by the Beijing propaganda agency as the Wanli ZTE, he certainly knows the importance. This ceremony is not only a worship to Emperor Taizu, but also a political propaganda for himself.
In this case, how could he create any complications in this matter? Smooth and smooth completion is what he hopes for.
With the emperor's departure, the Xiaoling Mausoleum regained its tranquility. However, this grand worship ceremony will definitely be recorded in the annals of history and become a glorious witness to the Wanli Renaissance.
For Gao Pragmatic, the end of this ceremony also means that he has successfully completed his clearly stated errand to go south, and then it is time to deal with the problems of Nanjing's officialdom.
After returning to Nanjing from Xiaoling, Gao pragmatic did not go to Huichunhe Palace, but went directly to the Nanjing Metropolitan Procuratorate. Nowadays, except for a few of the six ministers in Beijing who stayed in the capital, most of them went south to Nanjing. This is
This means that various government agencies in Nanjing have to free up some office space.
Don't think this is a trivial matter, there are big things going on here.
First of all, the first problem is that the original ministries and offices were designed and built according to a carrot and a pit, and each official position corresponded to its signature room. Now a group of high-ranking officials have come to Beijing, and there may even be some doctors, chief ministers and the like.
, so now if the house is rented out with no money, who should let whom?
For example, now that Yu Shenxing, the Minister of Rites, has come to Nanjing, Zheng Luo, the Minister of Rites of Nanjing, has to give up his signature room for Yu Shenxing to use. But there are actually some problems here. For example, Zheng Luo was born in the 35th year of Jiajing.
Jinshi is extremely senior, and Yu Shenxing was a Jinshi in the second year of Longqing. Although he was already quite senior in the court at this time, he was still far behind Zheng Luo.
According to the custom of the Ming Dynasty, seniority is very important for officials in the same dynasty, especially when arranging seats and other matters. It is a very important consideration. But the question of who should be replaced by Yu Shenxing or Zheng Luo is not
It’s just a question of qualifications, but also of their identities.
Zheng Luo is considered a member of the Real School, but he was not a direct descendant of Gao Gong, or even Guo Pu. He was a direct descendant of Zhang Siwei and has always been considered a relatively marginalized figure in the Real School. However, at the same time, his official position was not low. He once
After Gao Jingshi put down the Northwest Rebellion, he was responsible for expanding the border to Qinghai, that is, chasing down the remaining forces of the Mongolian rebellion. He had done some strategic planning.
However, because he was older, his chances of promotion were not great, so he was sent to the position of Minister of Rites in Nanjing to take care of his old age soon after returning to the court. Now his body and bones have long since failed. Gao Pragmatic vaguely remembers that Zheng Zheng in the original history
Luo should have died of illness two years ago. I wonder if Jinghua Medicine did a good job in this life, and Zheng Luo has actually lived for two more years.
Unlike Zheng Luo, Yu Shenxing is a neutral school, which is the traditional Neo-Confucian school. He has not joined the Xinxue or Practical Schools for many years, but he has good relations with both schools. At the same time, because he is a
Gao Pragmatic, the Grand Master (Superintendent of Schools in Henan) during the Provincial Examination, was considered to have a transcendent status in the court, and everyone who met him had to give him some face.
On one side is Zheng Luo, who has seniority but is short of time and has no real power in his hands. On the other side is Yu Shenxing, who has a detached status and has real power in the Ministry of Rites. If they really want to fight for the temporary ownership of the Nanjing Minister of Rites' signature room,
, obviously it will be a very troublesome thing.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Fortunately, because Zheng Luo is really old and about to run out of fuel, he doesn’t even go to the mortgage room or anything like that, and almost always stays in the mansion to recuperate.
Let the "office-changing crisis" of the Nanjing Ministry of Rites be eliminated invisible.
The above is just an example of the Ministry of Rites. Which other ministries do not have the same problem? Some are easy to solve, and some are difficult to solve. Under the same official position, if the person in Nanjing is not as qualified as the person in Beijing, this situation is best.
Once the person in Nanjing has higher qualifications than the person in Beijing, some overt and covert struggles are almost inevitable.
Normally, this kind of thing would not be brought to the table. After all, everyone has to pretend to be an upright man and not live up to his reputation. However, a person has a face and a tree has its skin. This is a false reputation in officialdom.
In fact, you have to earn it.
"If I don't put on this cassock, how will the world know that my earthly connection has been broken and the golden sea has dried up?"
Fortunately, these troubles do not bother Gao Pragmatic, they are just undercurrents surging in the city of Nanjing. For him, it is impossible for the Nanjing Household Department to dare to compete with him for a mortgage, and he does not usually go there, only in Chunhe.
He lives in the palace and works in Wenyuan Pavilion. What is transcendence? This is it.
The situation of the Nanjing Metropolitan Procuratorate is much better than that of other ministries, because although Nanjing also has a Metropolitan Procuratorate, it does not have a left capital censor, only a right capital censor, a right deputy censor, and a right censor of the capital.
Therefore, when the current Beijing Zuodu Censor Xiao Daheng came here, he was really a proper Shangguan, and no one could compete with him. And under his personal leadership, other officials of the Beijing Metropolitan Procuratorate also followed suit.
Hard, completely suppressing the Nanjing Metropolitan Procuratorate and giving in everything it should.
Because he had received the notice in advance, Xiao Daheng brought senior officials from the Northern and Southern Capital Procuratorates to greet him at the gate of the yamen. Seeing Gao Pingshi's arrival, he immediately led the crowd forward and greeted each other from afar: "I will lead the two officials from the two Capital Procuratorates."
The court sergeant has met Mr. Yuan Fu."
"Master Yuan Fu", what kind of strange name is this?
"The General Constitution does not need to be polite. You can address your official duties during official duties, and the same applies to you all." Gao Pragmatic waved his hand, asking all officials to refrain from courtesy, and then said: "The Emperor is very concerned about this investigation, so more work from the Procuratorate is needed.
assist."
Xiao Daheng said hurriedly: "Yuan Fu's words are serious. I will do my best to assist Yuan Fu." It seems that Xiao Daheng is indeed an official. When he heard Gao Pragmatic's words, he understood the meaning - assistance.
This is often the case when leaders speak. They are either the first to speak or the last to speak. The first to speak is called setting the tone, and the last to speak is called decision-making. Yuan Fu set the tone as soon as he came up. The task of the Metropolitan Procuratorate is "
"Please help me a lot", so Xiao Daheng's answer very cleverly emphasized "to help Yuan Fu". To help, of course, is to assist, and it is a subordinate and cooperative working attitude.
Gao pragmatic nodded and said: "That's very good. General Xian, please summon the department immediately to contact Dongchang and Jinyiwei. Remember, all persons involved in the case, regardless of their official position, will be investigated strictly, but if there is news,
You can send it to me."
"I understand, I understand." Xiao Daheng responded with his hands raised.
Gao Jingshi added: "In addition, our ministry has negotiated with the emperor and Chen Zhangyin. Due to the vacancy of the admiral of the East Factory, Chen Zhangyin has entrusted the investigation of the factory security to the internal guard Tian Yi."
"Yes." Xiao Daheng responded again, but his heart moved.
To investigate the Nanjing Palace renovation case, but let the Nanjing garrison eunuchs be responsible for the specific operations, does that mean that only nobles and civil servants were investigated, but the inner court picked them out in advance? Haha, this pertinence is really a bit too obvious...
Gao pragmatic was very satisfied with Xiao Daheng's attitude of obeying orders no matter what. He glanced at the senior officials of the Northern and Southern Procuratorates, nodded, said goodbye briefly, and then turned and left.
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PS: The main text of this chapter is 4800 words, so I have made up for it.