Raising the middle finger is an uncivilized phenomenon in modern society, but this concept from the West was not popular in the Ming Dynasty.
The ancients had a saying that ten fingers are connected to the heart. The middle finger is the longest, which is the farthest from the heart. Therefore, Admiral Zhang's suggestion would naturally be a serious crime of decapitation in later generations, but in the Ming Dynasty, it was the most appropriate approach.
There is a book from the Ming Dynasty called "Wanshu Miscellaneous Notes", written by Shen Bang. Most books describing folk life in the Ming Dynasty either draw nourishment from this book or gain knowledge from "Water Margin".
Most of the seals mentioned in the book are the fingerprints of the middle finger. Of course, there are also palm prints instead. In short, pressing the middle finger means that you agree with the contract in the Ming Dynasty.
The emperor is the Son of Heaven, the real dragon emperor who came down from heaven to rule all the people. This is the simplest thinking of the people of the Ming Dynasty. No one will doubt the legitimacy of the emperor. Therefore, the Zhengde gold and silver coins stamped with the emperor's fingerprints have unparalleled authority.
Its value will far exceed its actual weight and truly function as currency.
Whether they are civil or military officials or local squires, they will be careful when using this kind of gold and silver coins, lest they frighten the dragon.
And absolutely no one would dare to imitate it. According to Ming Dynasty law, counterfeiting coins is a crime of beheading, but forging the emperor's fingerprints is a crime of killing the nine tribes.
Killing one person may not deter criminals who are greedy for profit. After all, counterfeit money has been common in all dynasties and will not be stopped until the end of mankind. But killing the nine tribes is a too big crime. You have seven aunts and eight aunts. They will stop you from committing crimes. Maybe your distant cousin will sell you to the court before you can make the money mold.
If the cost of crime is too high, generally no one is willing to do it.
Of course, it would be a different story if counterfeiters set up their bases in places like North Korea, Japan, and Annan.
The only flaw in Admiral Zhang Yongzhang's genius idea is this: What if this gold or silver coin accidentally breaks on the emperor's fingerprint?
Sawi is a foreigner, so it is impossible to consider the actual use of gold and silver coins. The eunuch bosses may have thought of it, but they will never bring it up at the moment. Who dares to rebel in front of Zhu Shou?
When the emperor's mind was free and everyone slowly put things right, these Zhengde gold and silver coins were left to moldy in the inner warehouse. If they were really leaked out, no one would dare to use them.
In short, the emperor must be happy.
When the emperor is happy, the father-in-laws are happy; when the father-in-law is happy, the people of the world are happy.
When a system is first formulated, there is only one sentence to describe its implementation: the future is bright, but the road is tortuous.
Regarding the matter of the bank bureau, the elders and civil and military officials all had the same idea as the eunuch bosses. They couldn't even deal with Taizu's treasure banknotes, but they also wanted to deal with gold and silver coins. How could the Ming Dynasty dare to make such a fuss?
Ignoring it is the best way to deal with Zhu Shou's crooked ideas.
However, the development of the world is not based on the will of the Ming Dynasty bureaucrats, and of course, it is not based on the will of Zhu Shou.
After inspecting the work at the Banking Bureau, Zhu Shou returned to Qianqing Palace. He had just summoned Sister Li Feng and was about to stir up trouble when he saw Wei Bin and Eunuch Wei rushing into the house.
As soon as Admiral Wei entered the door, he knelt on the ground, his face full of tears, and shouted wildly: "Your Majesty, I am so happy! I am so happy!"
Zhu Shou wanted to cooperate with him and asked: "Where does happiness come from?" But thinking that he was the emperor, he kicked the old dog and kicked it, and said angrily: "What a shame!"
Admiral Wei quickly crawled over, hugged Zhu Shou's feet, and said loudly: "Wang Cairen is happy!"
Nani!?
Zhu Shou was stunned on the spot, Wang Cairen? Wasn't she locked up in the cold palace for more than half a month? Where did this damn joy come from?….
A series of question marks appeared in Zhu Shou's mind, and he finally encountered the most difficult point for a man to deal with: his old love is pregnant, and the child is mine! The new love is in front of him, and his eyes are filled with tears!
"Wang Cairen has not arrived this month. The old slave called the imperial doctor. Once diagnosed, it was found to be a happy pulse!" Admiral Wei had a big smile on his face. He was so happy. After investing for so long, the biggest return was finally here.
It’s almost here, Boss Liu and the like, go eat shit.
As long as a son is born, he will be the eldest son of the emperor. And the biggest contributor among them is Eunuch Wei. When the time comes, he will be rewarded according to his merits. The day to get rid of Boss Liu is already around the corner.
"Mr. Chuan Tai Hospital!" Zhu Shou waved his hand. He knew that Eunuch Wei didn't dare to lie, but this kind of thing always requires multiple verifications. Who told Ming Dynasty that there was no obstetrics and gynecology department and pregnancy test kits?
The envoy of the hospital came to Zhu Shou with dozens of imperial doctors and more than ten miraculous doctors from the capital, following the ceremonial guard of Empress Dowager Zhang.
"Zhao'er, quickly bring Shunshu Zhuang Concubine Wang back to the palace," Empress Dowager Zhang said nothing. Once she spoke, Zhu Shou was stunned. Then she glanced at Liu Jin, Zhang Yong and Gu Dayong.
, "Each of you will slap your face fifty times and kneel for half an hour before going to Qionghua Island."
Most concubines in the Ming Dynasty were given single-character titles, and they were usually given three-character titles only after death or when they were extremely noble. For example, Concubine Wu De's title was Shu Huide, and Concubine Shen Xian's title was Rong Shuxian.
Although Concubine Zhuang is not the vanguard of De and Xian, she is still a concubine with the official title. She is more senior than Concubine Zhao, the former concubine of the Wang family. It is also the only way to become a noble concubine and an imperial concubine.
As long as she gave birth to a son and could survive and grow up, then in Empress Dowager Zhang's heart, Empress Xia might have been sentenced to death.
What if the child he gave birth to was not a son? Zhu Shou was a little depressed. Looking at Sister Li Feng with tears in his eyes, he asked the envoy of Tai Hospital: "Are you sure?"
The envoy knelt on the ground, raised his head, and his face was full of tears. It seemed that it was not that the emperor's little wife was pregnant, but that he was so happy that he could still lift at the age of eighty: "Wei Chen and other fifty-seven people have all been diagnosed with Ximai."
."
"Is it the prince?" Zhu Shou became more and more depressed. According to normal development, shouldn't Wang Cairen wait silently until death? Why did the old hen suddenly turn into a duck and become pregnant with his own dragon seed?
If the child's mother doesn't have a good relationship with him, the offspring he raises may have personality disorders. This is Zhu Shou's only idea. It must be said that the thinking of an otaku is always different from that of ordinary people.
"This..." For such a 50-50 chance, the envoy would not dare to gamble with his head. If he wins the bet, he will naturally be promoted to the third level. If he loses the bet, his head will also fall off.
Several aunts and wives have to become other people's concubines, "I don't dare to make rash judgments."
At this time, the three of them, Mr. Liu and others, had already gone out to slap him in the face. Queen Mother Zhang looked at her son: "Zhao'er, God's will is this."
People in the Ming Dynasty were very superstitious. They had to tell their fortunes every time they went out. If there was an earthquake or something, even the emperor had to issue an edict to punish himself. Wang Cairen had just been sent to the cold palace for more than half a month, and she was pregnant. Needless to say,
, this is God’s will.
I've been working hard for more than half a year, but my belly can't get bigger. Just half a month after we broke up, I found out that I have it. I really have the intention to plant flowers but not the willows. In the future, Bubu Jingxin in this palace will probably play.
Got a headache.
Zhu Shou took a breath of cold air from between his teeth and looked at his wife, Queen Mother Zhang, and both could read the word helplessness in their eyes.
Wang Cairen, oh, no, we should call her Wang Zhuangfei, the newly minted prince or princess, her facial features are still so charming, her figure is still so slender, she is kneeling on the carpet in front of Zhu Shou, her face is calm.
For more than half a month, she fell from heaven to hell, being insulted and silenced by Boss Liu and others. In the cold palace, except for Wei Bin who came to greet her every day, the other eunuchs ignored her...
The maids around her often made sarcastic remarks to her. These people were sent by the queen and other concubines. Apart from ridiculing her, their biggest purpose was to monitor her and prevent her from reappearing.
In front of Zhu Shou.
If she were to be delayed again, what awaited her would be hanging on a beam with three feet of white silk.
Just when she thought she would spend the rest of her life in regret, a son with a 50% chance of being born saved her from the sea of misery!
Born in sorrow and died in happiness, at the end of February of the third year of Zhengde, the eighteen-year-old Concubine Wang Zhuang was no longer the vain and shallow Concubine Wang Zhao. In the past half month, her life had been completely divided into two worlds.
.
She didn't seem to see Li Feng's sister Li Ning, whose eyes were full of fire. She knelt on the ground, kowtowed three times to Queen Mother Zhang, and then performed the concubine ceremony to Zhu Shou.
"Have you seen Liu Jin and others?" Queen Mother Zhang asked calmly.
Concubine Wang Zhuang did not nod or shake her head, but kowtowed and said, "I am guilty of indulging my family, taking bribes and perverting the law. This is already a capital crime. I dare not vent my anger on others."
In the braid drama "We Da Qing" in later generations, as well as in Yue Erhe's novels, the concubines all call themselves "concubines". In fact, this is completely wrong.
In the official history, the empress and concubines always called themselves "concubine" when speaking to the emperor, the queen mother and other elders in the palace. Some also called themselves "concubine" or "criminal concubine". Only during the ceremony of being conferred, would they call themselves "concubine".
He calls himself "Chen" and adds "Concubine" to distinguish him from other ministers.
Therefore, I do not call myself concubine, but a feminine word equivalent to "chen". In daily life, the emperor's wives did not talk like this.
If it is to the courtiers, some concubines also call themselves "I".
The female family members of ministers usually call themselves "chen" to the emperor. Just like their husbands, they will never call themselves "concubines". They will only be granted titles with the concubines during political activities such as writing letters.
In the same way, write the words "chen concubine" to show the difference.
This matter is recorded very clearly in Volume 54 of "History of the Ming Dynasty", which is Chapter 30, Li 8 (Jia Li 2).
Ceremony of the Queen's Ceremony: The Queen faces the north and kneels down to accept the concubine. There is also a speech saying: "I have met Her Royal Highness the Queen to receive the book of treasures and sit in the middle palace. I am very happy to celebrate, and I would like to congratulate you."
Therefore, talking about the concubine's pigtail drama is just as shameful as when we usually say "I am a man", except that I don't even have to say "Japanese".
Empress Dowager Zhang nodded, very satisfied with Concubine Wang Zhuang's attitude, and asked again: "Can I ask for anything?"
Concubine Wang Zhuang shook her head and said, "I have nothing else to ask for."
Zhu Shou couldn't help but interjected: "You..."
Halfway through the words, I couldn't say anything, so I had to stop.
Concubine Wang Zhuang raised her head, looked at the man she hated and loved at the same time, smiled slightly, and replied: "Go back to the emperor, I am fine."
Hearing these words that asked Zhu Shou to step down, Sister Li Feng gave this lucky woman a hard look.
Unexpectedly, Concubine Wang Zhuang smiled sweetly at her, as if the two of them were biological sisters of their childhood sweetheart.
It was indeed a good seed. Empress Dowager Zhang looked at Concubine Wang Zhuang's performance and nodded with satisfaction.