The eighth day of the sixth lunar month in the twelfth year of Jianwu was a good day. On this afternoon, a young man from Huangmen came to Fang Mansion with the holy edict and ordered Fang Zheng to enter the Forbidden Palace to meet the Holy Spirit.
As soon as they heard that Fang Zheng was going to the palace to see the emperor, everyone in the Fang family immediately got busy. With so many generations of heads of the Fang family, they were either farming or doing business. How had they ever seen the legendary Long Yan? Now that the young master has prospered, he will follow him if he wants to see the emperor in the future.
I heard that it is easy to read books in teahouses. The Fang family will no longer be a inferior merchant family. Therefore, the servants' faces were beaming with joy. For a while, they were harnessing the carriages, feeding the horses, and changing the court clothes for Young Master Fang. They were busy in a mess.
Mrs. Fang was very dissatisfied with this messy scene, so she took on the power of a master and acted as the on-site command of the preparation team for entering the palace. "Xiaowu, go to the west courtyard to summon the nursing staff and ask them to wait outside the gate.
Fugui, go harness the carriage and choose the newly made double carriage. The young master has a title, and from now on the young master will have to use a double carriage when traveling. Lan'er, ask the maid to bring water to the young master to wash his face. Xiaolu, change the young master into court clothes..."
Fang Zheng grimaced and let the group of people do anything to him, "Mom, this... doesn't need to be so grand? Isn't it just to meet the emperor..."
Mr. Fang's face changed and he scolded: "Shut up! Don't you know that trouble comes from your mouth? You have an official and a title, why can't you be more considerate in what you say? That's easy to say, you know the whole Hua Dynasty
How many people can meet the emperor? I have never seen a person as ignorant as you! You have to be careful in your words and deeds in the future, you know? Otherwise, you will bring trouble to yourself and our Fang family, do you understand?"
After being scolded by Master Fang, Fang Zheng wilts and shuts his mouth helplessly. Xiao Lu pursed her lips and chuckled. She quickly changed Fang Zheng into court clothes. Xiao Lu's father was once a military general in the imperial court, so he
Wearing court clothes is not unfamiliar, and I quickly changed into it.
Looking at himself in the mirror, Fang Zheng felt very dissatisfied with his arrogant and weird appearance. How should I put it, the court clothes fit him well, but the person wearing the court clothes was not that good. No matter how he looked at him, he looked like a monkey.
She put on clothes and sang a big show, looking extremely funny.
Alas, I am really not suitable to be an official. Fang Zheng looked in the mirror and sighed.
"Look, the young master looks majestic and majestic in his court uniform. He is worthy of being the king of Wenquxing. In the future, the young master may become a general." The servants flattered him so much that the depressed mood of young master Fang was relieved a little.
.——Just think what they said is true, I am very handsome now, I am very handsome now... Fang Zheng got on the carriage under self-hypnosis.
The carriage is very spacious. This carriage was built under the personal supervision of Mrs. Fang. With Fang Zheng’s earldom title, he is qualified to ride two horses, so the materials used in the carriage are exquisite and of high quality. The horses pulling the carriage are all purchased from Dawan.
foal.
When Uncle Fang went out, the scene was luxurious, with the nursing staff cheering in front of him and Xiao Wu holding his head high and holding his chest high with a smile on his face. The nursing staff were dressed in uniform samurai costumes, majestic. The group of people swaggered through the capital, attracting attention.
Passers-by watched intently.
"The ostentation is too big. This is very contrary to my usual low-key life, young master. This is not good. I am seriously alienating the masses." Fang Zheng shook his head secretly, opened the car curtain and called Xiao Wu: "Tell the nursing staff
Just tell me, don’t go out with so many people again, the young master doesn’t like it.”
Xiao Wu wondered: "Why doesn't the young master like it? The young master is an official, so it should be so."
Fang Zheng said angrily: "Shut up! Are you the young master or am I the young master? Just do what I say, so much nonsense! Look at those nursing homes who are so embarrassed, every one of them looks like a dog, and they are so complacent.
Those big girls and young wives above are all looking at them, but they don’t even see such a handsome man like me, Master! Go tell them and tell them to keep a low profile in the future!"
Xiaowu suddenly realized that the young master felt that the nursing home had stolen his limelight.
The carriage stopped in front of the Xi'an Gate of the Forbidden Palace. Walking further inside, you will find the Forbidden Palace. If you don't go in, you will be scolded by the sergeants if you stand outside for a while.
Fang Zheng got off the carriage and ordered Xiao Wu and the guards to wait where they were. He straightened his court clothes, straightened his official hat, and walked towards the palace gate with his head held high.
After handing over the badge, the sergeant checked it carefully, the side door of the Xi'an Gate opened, and Fang Zheng Shiran walked in.
After passing through the inner palace, the treasury and the prisons, we arrived at the inner imperial city. At the gate of the inner city, there was a small yellow gate who had already obeyed the emperor's oral instructions and was standing outside the city gate waiting for Fang Zheng.
Fang Zheng didn't dare to look too much along the way, and followed the small yellow gate and turned left and right until he came to the imperial study room.
Xiao Huangmen, who was leading the way, signaled Fang Zheng to stand outside and wait. Then he picked up his fly whisk, knelt down outside the door and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, Mr. Fang Zheng is here."
A faint "Hmm" came from the study room. Xiao Huangmen stood up, stepped aside, and said loudly to Fang Zheng: "The Emperor declares that Lord Fang Zheng is here to see you——"
Fang Zheng hurriedly crossed the threshold of the imperial study with his head lowered. Without raising his head, he faced forward, knelt on the scarlet carpet, and said loudly: "The humble minister Fang Zheng bows to the emperor, long live my emperor..."
"Okay, I'm not even kowtowing in the right direction. I'll kowtow again when I see clearly." A voice with a faint smile came from my ears.
"Ah?" Fang Zheng subconsciously looked up and saw a large desk in front of him, but there was no one behind the desk. The voice just now came from Fang Zheng's left.
Fang Zheng turned his head and found an old man in bright yellow uniform beside the bookshelf on the left, holding a book in one hand and looking at him with a smile.
How embarrassing. The first time you entered the palace, you made a fool of yourself. If the fat man knew this, wouldn't he laugh to death?
Fang Zheng didn't even get up, he moved his knees and turned around, and kowtowed again, "Fang Zheng, the humble minister, comes to see the emperor, my emperor..."
"Pingsheng, don't say useless words. Who in the world can truly live forever?" Although the emperor's tone was plain, it carried an irresistible majesty.
Why doesn't this emperor always let me finish what I'm saying? Fang Zheng got up depressed.
"Fang Aiqing, raise your head and let me see you."
Fang Zheng slowly raised his head after hearing this, and looked directly at the emperor as calmly as possible.
The emperor looked at Fang Zheng carefully. The young man in front of him was handsome, barely, but he always had a sneaky air. Although his eyes seemed to have aura, he lacked some stability, and his whole person looked like a slick businessman.
Fang Zheng was also sizing up the emperor in front of him. He saw that the old man had a calm face and a pair of sharp eagle eyes that seemed to be able to penetrate everyone's heart. His sharp edge was restrained and not revealed, with a superior aura, and... and how?
Looks so familiar?
"Oh, it turns out it's you, old man," Fang Zheng blurted out without thinking. He recognized him. Isn't he the same one he met at the door of Fatty's house last time? I didn't expect that he turned out to be the emperor. No wonder he once said he was Fatty's.
Where are the elders?
"Old man?" The emperor said with a strange expression, and then he smiled heartily, "The old man is just the old man, haha, I am not the old man..."
Fang Zheng was shocked to realize that he had said the wrong thing, and he quickly knelt down on the ground with a plop, saying: "I... I'm scared! Ah, I'm wrong, I know I'm guilty!"
"Haha, Ping Sheng, you are quite interesting as a young man." The emperor seemed to be in a good mood and did not argue with him about the title.
"Tell me, how did you come up with the strategy to defeat the Turks? Your understanding of the Turkic Khan Gudulu and his younger brother Mo Chu is very intimate. Every step is part of your plan. Tell me.
, how can you calculate so accurately?"
Does the emperor think that I set up a fortune-telling stall? Is that calculated?
"Back to the emperor, Weichen was actually inspired by what happened when he was a child. Weichen was naughty when he was a child. He often took advantage of his parents to go to work...well, after going out, he would sneak out to play with the boy from the neighbor's house, but that boy from the neighbor's house
He was a bad character, so we started fighting while we were playing. The boy was very strong, and I couldn't beat him. I couldn't bear the tone, so I sneaked to his house and spread rumors with the boy's brother about his younger brother.
He went around talking bad things about him outside. His brother's temper was not very good. After hearing what I said, he immediately brought the boy back and beat him severely. As for me, haha, I was rewarded by his brother.
A piece of candy..."
"What? Your strategy of retreating from the enemy...is that because of this?" the emperor said in astonishment.
Fang Zheng scratched his head in embarrassment, "That's not entirely true. I was too naughty when I was a child. I always found ways to get back when I was bullied. Well, these methods are not fair and square, but they all achieved their goals."
"You are really..." The emperor couldn't laugh or cry. He pondered for a long time, as if he wanted to find some words to praise Fang Zheng, but he couldn't find any, so he hesitated.
Maybe I have too many advantages for the emperor to boast about, Fang Zheng thought proudly.
"Although your method is fair and honest, it is extremely useful. "Sun Tzu's Art of War" says: All warriors use the right combination to win by surprise. Seeing that you have not read the art of war, but you still use it crookedly, I can only say that you are lucky.
Okay, you have been deceived. Haha." The emperor stroked his beard and smiled.
The emperor's words made Fang Zheng quite dissatisfied. Is this luck? This is wisdom! Who else in the entire Hua Dynasty can have such high wisdom except me, a very smart head?
But he is the emperor, he can say whatever he wants, what can I do to him?
Fang Zheng said dullly, "It's all thanks to His Majesty's great blessings and discernment that our Hua Dynasty has just turned the corner. Long live our Emperor..."
"Haha, okay, stop flattering me." The emperor smiled happily, and it was obvious that he had a good impression of Fang Zheng.
"I summoned you into the palace today, for no other reason than to see you. Haha, you are the only son of the Fang family in the capital?"
"Back to the emperor, yes."
"I heard that you are eighteen years old and haven't married a wife yet? It's rare that you don't marry a wife at the age of eighteen. Why don't you marry one?"
This old man is quite gossipy.
"Back to the emperor, the Turks are not extinct, so why should we call home..." Fang Zheng wanted to show his selfless side in front of the emperor.
"Your family's property is huge. Haha, even I, the emperor who lives deep in the palace, has heard of your Fang family's name."
Fang Zheng thought to himself after hearing this, what does the emperor mean by this? Could it be that he wants to take advantage of our Fang family's property? Why is this old man so shameless than me?
"Your Majesty, my family's property is not big, really not big. We only have a slight surplus every year. The money we earn has to pay taxes to the court, and we have to support thousands of shopkeepers, accountants, and clerks in various shops. The rest is
We don’t have much money left, and even my family can only have a meal of meat during the New Year and festivals, really.” Fang Zheng cried with a sad face.
The emperor was so shrewd that he saw through Fang Zheng's tricks at a glance. Seeing Fang Zheng's pretentious face and his eyeballs rolling around, he couldn't help laughing happily: "Don't worry, I'm not destroying your property.
Idea, you are a meritorious official of our Hua Dynasty. Since ancient times, there has been no reason for an emperor to seek to seize the family property of his ministers. That is something only a foolish emperor can do."
When Fang Zheng heard this, he felt relieved and said with a smile: "Your Majesty has misunderstood. Although my family does not have much money, I am a loyal minister. As long as the court needs it, our Fang family will give you as much as you want without saying a word."
The emperor seemed to be interested after hearing this: "Oh? Really?"
At this moment, Fang Zheng wanted to slap himself hard, what a slut! Why did he express his attitude so well? Wouldn't this cause trouble for himself? If the emperor really asked him for money, would he give it to him or not?——
I wonder if one hundred taels is enough?
Seeing Fang Zheng's face flushed and Qi Qi Ai Ai looking speechless, the emperor laughed loudly. He didn't know what this minister's ability was, but he could make himself happy. Long Yan was very happy. It seemed that he was mentioned
The decision you make is the right one.
After a while, the emperor laughed enough, and then said: "Fang Aiqing, I have decided that you will be allowed to go to court every day to discuss political affairs. Originally, officials below the fourth rank were not qualified to go to court, and you are only a fifth rank.
I am a regular servant of Sanqi, and I have not yet reached the rank. However, there are exceptions to everything, and I have given you permission to go to court. Fang Aiqing, you must behave well for me."
Feng Qiudao was really right. Master Fang had just entered the imperial court and was ranked among the ministers. However, Feng Qiudao made a mistake when he wanted Fang Zheng to compete with those traitorous ministers in the imperial court.
After all, humph, young master, if I don’t harm others, I will be considered a contribution to society. How about fighting with a traitor? Don’t even think about it! Maybe young master, I will be a traitor in the future.
Fang Zheng hurriedly knelt down to express his gratitude: "I am scared...ah! Wrong! I thank you for your kindness, my emperor, long live..."
The emperor once again interrupted him rudely: "Okay, there's nothing else to do. Please step aside. Don't keep shouting "Long live Long Live" from now on. I don't like to hear it."
Well, this old man is not yet stupid, and the word "Long Live" cannot fool him. Since ancient times, many emperors who made elixirs and sought the elixir of immortality were troubled by the word "Long Live". The ministers read it a lot, and they
I thought that I could really live long. With such a stupid emperor, how could the people live well?
"Wei Chen, please retire." Fang Zheng faced the emperor, bent his body, and stepped back step by step.
When he was about to walk out of the imperial study room, the emperor suddenly stopped him and said coldly: "Fang Aiqing, I heard that you have a close relationship with me, Princess Changping?"
"Ah?" How did he know? Fang Zheng was shocked and broke into a cold sweat. The emperor asked what this sentence meant?
"Back to the emperor, Wei Chen knows His Royal Highness Prince Fu and Princess Changping. They are indeed quite familiar with each other."
"Well, I understand, please step back." The emperor's voice was calm and there was no hint of emotion or anger.
Fang Zheng was still sweating after leaving the house. They say that accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger. This makes so much sense. The emperor is chatting and laughing with you now, but you don’t know whether he will be with you immediately next moment.
Fall out. Then order someone to shoot you against the wall - with a bow and arrow.
But what did the emperor mean when he asked him about his relationship with Princess Changping? Was it a casual question, or was it an implicit warning to stay away from his daughter in the future?