The quarrels in the Huangji Palace have gradually subsided. After more than a month of tossing, the functions and powers of the various departments in the imperial court have been clearly divided. Next, it is the eight unlucky people and the two doormats who have to deal with it. But before that,
The door to the Zhenguo General's Mansion has long been opened. With the issuance of a transfer order, the Ming Empire's chariots started again. Although many of the targets this time also have certain resistance capabilities, no one would doubt that they were captured by the Zhenguo General and
The places targeted by his group of soldiers and gangsters can continue to act with impunity and resist the great national integration led by the Ming Dynasty.
However, neither the steady progress of the reform plan nor the intensive mobilization of troops attracted the attention of the people. When the people in the north encountered the grain trucks coming from Liaodong, they threw the large sacks containing their own surplus grain on them.
, just go about your own business without even asking for a free note.
For ordinary people who are willing to live a good life and are happy to see the rise of the empire, there is only one important thing now, which is to organize the large wedding to be organized in August of the seventh year of Chongzhen. It is not unusual for the emperor to marry a princess from a foreign country, but at the same time there are
Dozens of princesses sent from thousands of miles away will enter the palace and become the concubines of the Ming Emperor. This is something that is rare to see once in thousands of years.
It is the imperial court's business to hold any ceremonies. Unlike the people from all over the country who are busy on their way, the people in the capital are now putting all their efforts into decorating the city. They are in the center of the empire but do not receive more favorable treatment. The Ming court
It was neither the rich Jiangnan region nor the Central Plains with a solid foundation that supported it. The poorer the place, the more money the court spent, and the greater the benefits it enjoyed.
But the people in the capital still stubbornly believe that the North is the first place to start reforms, and they have the responsibility to show off the results they have achieved over the years. Of course, they also want to show off, they just want those frogs in the well from the south of the Yangtze River to see.
The Northland, which was ravaged in the past few years and is now experiencing constant natural disasters, is no worse than any other place in the South.[
The people will not worry about poverty but insecurity, and will not worry about poverty but insecurity. As long as the emperor continues to maintain his current enterprising state and is willing to lead the court officials to provide the people with a relatively peaceful and peaceful development space full of fair competition opportunities, the people will
They have the ability to give the emperor a powerful Ming Empire. The newly decorated capital is a microcosm. The smiles on the faces of the people who came from all over the country are their best evaluation of the new policy of the imperial court. Now, except for Xuzhou, it is inseparable.
Apart from the place of Tusi, earth-shaking changes were taking place all over the Ming Dynasty.
However, the joy from the hearts of the people did not seem to be felt by Chongzhen. The unlucky king who was about to become the bridegroom actually squatted stupidly in the Qianqing Palace, while watching the sweating queen directing the eunuchs and maids running up and down,
On the other hand, he sighed.
"Your Majesty, would you like me to accompany you for a walk and watch Mr. Han and the others quarreling?" As the eunuch Li Bingbi who was deeply favored by the emperor, Wang Chengen always had a smile on his face, but he would rather the queen let him do it alone.
I have to replace the beams in Qianqing Palace because I don’t want to make the emperor happy here.
"No!" If Chongzhen was willing, the group of sycophants would have to immediately stage a full-scale martial arts show if he just threw out a pretext. Wouldn't that be better than a quarrel? But he was not in that mood now, and turned his head to the side and continued to sigh.
"Your Majesty!" Mrs. Zhou was very conflicted. As a normal woman, she was of course not willing to share her husband with others, but as a queen with a mother-in-law, she had to set an example.
Today, the Ming Dynasty is strong and the people are prosperous. The well-educated Empress Zhou has endured her heartache and proposed holding a draft more than once but was rejected. She knew very well that although she and the emperor had a deep friendship, this was not the reason for the emperor's rejection.
, the only reason why the emperor didn't want to choose concubines on a large scale was because he didn't want to spend the wrong money.
So Queen Zhou could only go to Zhu Youcong, hoping that this general who could make Huang Zhai obey his advice would come up with a solution. After all, she and the domineering Concubine Tian could not be the only ones in the palace. But she never expected that death.
The fat man was so mischievous that he sent two boats of young shepherds on the Qinhuai River to the palace. He even tied up a large number of them from the Tatars and did not stop him. Instead, he got even more serious and brought dozens of them.
Princess Fanbang.
Princess Fanbang. If this is not handled well, it will affect the country's image. People have come all the way and can't go back. And in order to make the princesses who are about to enter the palace feel the warmth of home. Empress Zhou has always been frugal.
Uncharacteristically, she could only indulge in as much luxury as she could think of. Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty's treasury has been enriched in the past few years, and she no longer needs to use her private savings and the money saved in the palace for military expenses. Otherwise, the emperor
After rejecting the memorial submitted by the Ministry of Etiquette in order to resist the marriage, she really couldn't show her royal dignity.
"Queen, what's the matter?" Chongzhen always loved Empress Zhou who understood justice well, but there had been more than one conflict between them because of this matter. Chongzhen's idea was very simple, those Western princesses were all
It was sent voluntarily by the allies. Even if they didn't give him a decent dowry, wouldn't it be a loss if he had to spend money and resources to perform these rituals?
Moreover, this matter was not originally intended by Chongzhen, it was purely a smart move by that damn fat man. Even if he wanted to organize a wedding, he should ask the general of the country to ask for it. Why should the queen use her private money?
"I have chosen several palaces and courtyards as residences for the new concubines. Is there anything wrong with asking the emperor to see them?" With the arrival of dozens of Western princesses, the palace is bustling, but choosing a residence for them
This matter also made Empress Zhou think a lot.
"Queen, you can handle this matter by yourself, I won't ask any more questions." Looking at the long list of palace names, Chongzhen suddenly frowned and immediately regretted: "How about such a large area? Changchun Palace, right?
There are a lot of houses over there, so it would be too wasteful for you to arrange for two people to live in them. In my opinion, just let them live here and at Xianfu Palace."
"Ah?" Queen Zhou felt dizzy. There are more than forty Western princesses living in two palaces? What is the emperor going to do? No matter how crazy he is, there is no way to do this! This is the imperial palace and it is not an elementary school set up by the imperial court. It can't be done
Let the princesses sleep together in bunk beds? Even if they don't object, what if the emperor suddenly becomes interested and wants to visit a certain princess? He can't rush the others into the yard to count the stars, or...
Princesses from the West are not afraid of being wronged. Even if their natal family members want to use the topic to say something, aren't there still generals from the Ming Dynasty? As long as they don't worry about being beaten to the point of missing arms and legs, then just send them to their doorsteps.
Come. But as soon as Queen Zhou thought of that absurd possibility, she immediately blushed and spat without leaving a trace. Then she caught up with Chongzhen and said, "Your Majesty, this is impossible!"
"Can't do it? Why can't I do it?" Chongzhen, who was getting up and walking out, really didn't put his mind on that. He felt that he was already generous enough. The capital was not as big as the Yingtian Mansion palace or over there.
How is it possible to continue to provide private rooms for Western princesses?
"This..." Queen Zhou did not dare to express her concerns, so she could only use her words to ask Wang Cheng'en, who was next to her, to raise objections on her behalf.
"What?" After Wang Chengen's reminder, Chongzhen finally reacted, and his heart was even moved by it. He was sleeping with him. Although this was a debauchery that has been recorded in history, as long as he is a normal emperor,
Don't you want to? Anyway, the reform of the imperial court has begun to go on the right track. Maybe in a few years we will find a chance to try it.
After thinking about it, Chongzhen was still not stupid enough to show interest now. Besides, the number of people sleeping with him had to be controlled a little, otherwise his current body would really not be able to bear it. So, the old and angry Chongzhen came out
He kicked the mysterious Wang Chengen away and scolded him softly: "Wang Chengen, who do you think I am? Don't I just want to save some money?"
"With your dirty thoughts..." After a moment of hesitation, Chongzhen pointed to the Qianqing Palace behind him and said: "In order to show punishment, the project here will be handed over to you. The Queen's original design cannot be changed, but the expenditure must be controlled within
Within one thousand taels! If it’s more, it will be deducted from your pension!”[
The establishment of a pension was a new measure taken by Han Xu based on Fan Wencheng's suicide note and in accordance with the original court regulations in order to cooperate with the official appointment and dismissal policy to be implemented by the Ministry of Personnel. In the future, officials in the Ming Dynasty will only have a fixed income of salary, and with the
With higher and higher standards of governance, fewer and fewer people will receive awards for integrity in the future. But since the court wants to put an end to the lifetime system and encourage older ministers to take the initiative to retire and return to their hometowns, they must consider their future lives.
.These heroes who have worked hard for the Ming Dynasty for most of their lives cannot be allowed to live a life of poverty after returning home.
Therefore, the pension standard set by Han Xu is very high. It is so high that as long as you finish your term diligently, you can rely on that little money to help your whole family live a life of food and clothing. You can even enjoy more than the current officials. Of course.
Yes, Han Xu did this out of selfish motives. After all, he was already old and could only work for a few more years before he had to retire and return home.
"I obey the order!" Wang Chengen's face was so bitter that it was almost watering out. Although he was still young and had a long way to go before receiving a pension, he was given a thousand taels of silver to renovate the Qianqing Palace? Doesn't this mean that he was out of business?
The queen of the palace has to beg on the street? Oh, it doesn't seem to be that miserable. At most, she can't live a good life with fine clothes and fine food. After all, the traitors in the court have said that in order to completely prevent beggars from appearing in the Ming Dynasty,
From now on, those who have the ability to work must support themselves by their own efforts. Otherwise, once reported, they will be stripped naked and hung on the top of the city in public for three days before being demoted to slaves. The people of the Ming Dynasty who are unable to work will be supported by the welfare homes that the imperial court will set up in various places.
.
"Your Majesty..." Empress Zhou blamed herself. If she hadn't been embarrassed to say those words, how could she have caused Wang Chengen to rely on her?
"Queen, there is no need to say anything!" After looking around, Chongzhen whispered: "I just wanted to scare him. This guy is getting more and more shameful now. I asked him to steal a light bulb last time.
They actually hesitated for a long time!"
The incident on the train was still fresh in Chongzhen's mind. Didn't he just break three light bulbs? His elder brother actually blackmailed him out of 100,000 taels of research and development funds. Do you want to give it or not? That's fine, even if you can't get platinum.
The few lamps that were made to reflect back the light had to be made up of bamboo silk. It is not difficult to say this, but Zhu Qiji said it before installing electric lights in the palace. If Wang Chengen had gone to the ministers' carriage and stole a few,
Would Chongzhen still suffer the loss of being dumb?
"By the way, why hasn't Brother Cong come yet?" Chongzhen suddenly remembered that he had issued several orders today to announce Zhu Youcong's entry into the palace. Look, it was almost noon, and the guy was grabbing his lunch again.
Enter the palace and then run away with just a swipe of your lips, right?
Queen Zhou, who had been busy all the time, was better informed than Chongzhen and quickly replied: "General Zhenguo has been here a long time ago. I heard that he went directly to the imperial kitchen..."
"Shame! It's so shameful!" He went to the palace to eat and even ordered food by himself. This made Chongzhen furious. However, he still did not forget to remind Queen Zhou: "Don't always call me that in the future. Congdi is Congdi."
What kind of general is he? If others hear it, they will think that I am alienated from him!"
"I obey the decree!" Although she was reprimanded, Queen Zhou felt happy in her heart. Not everyone can call her Congdi. In the palace, even the two noble concubines Yuan and Tian met Zhen Guo.
Generals also have to salute.
Empress Zhou knew very well that she could not monopolize the emperor. After all, there was only one Emperor Xiaozong, and she did not want to be known as arrogant and jealous. When the emperor said this now, he was telling himself in a different way that he did not regard her as a queen but as his wife.
, only real family members do not need so many polite words. It seems that not to mention dozens of Western princesses, even if all the beauties in the world are brought into the palace, no one can replace her position in the emperor's heart.
"boom!"
"Fat man! That's enough for you!" With the sound of the door being kicked open, Chongzhen appeared in the imperial dining room with his halberd pointing angrily, frightening dozens of busy chefs who were burned by oil. They had just been selected.
The ingredients were scattered all over the floor.
It was not a big deal for Zhu Youcong to have two meals in the palace. What made Chongzhen angry was the attitude of the fat man. He had defied the imperial edict more than once or twice, but he knew clearly that the elder brother was worried about marrying a wife, so he still
It would be an unforgivable sin to eat so happily.
The imperial dining room was very large, but Chongzhen looked around, but did not find Zhu Youcong. He temporarily grabbed an unlucky little eunuch and shouted in a very shameless manner: "Where is the fat man?"
"Zhen... Zhenguo..." Who else could make the emperor become such a fat man, except General Zhenguo? But the little eunuch didn't have the courage to finish his words, so he fell directly to the ground.
"Back to the emperor, General Zhenguo just went to Guanglu Temple..." The steward of the imperial kitchen was more courageous. But before he could finish his words, a hurricane suddenly broke out, and the emperor who was in front of him disappeared instantly.
No trace.
"Brother Cong, you are also my Ming Dynasty general. Can you please pay more attention to your image?" After a long circle, Chongzhen finally stood in front of Jianji Hall with the roast duck in his hand, and as he walked, he gnawed the duck with oil still flowing from the corner of his mouth.
The damn fat guy was caught.
"What should you pay attention to? Who can go out and talk nonsense?" Ignoring Chongzhen's complaints, Zhu Youcong said to the team who were doing decoration: "Higher, higher. The one on the left is crooked, and the one that needs to be painted
Blue, don’t use lust to fool me..."
"Stop giving random orders. These craftsmen are more skilled than you!" Naidi shook his head. Who made him fail to establish prestige since he was a child? Chongzhen could only give up the idea of continuing to pursue Zhu Youcong's responsibility and turned to
And reminded: "Brother Cong, this is not why I asked you to come here today."
"I know!" He stretched out his greasy hand and took out a memorial from his arms. "Aren't they just those clowns? The methods of cleaning up are all written on it. You can read it yourself when you have time!"
"That's not the case!" As long as the fat man in front of him is here, Chongzhen really doesn't have to worry about a group of stubborn scumbags and those rebels in Xuzhou Prefecture.[
"Then why did you call me here if you had nothing to do?"
"What are you doing? Are you so embarrassed to ask me what I want to do?" When no one was paying attention, Chongzhen hit Zhu Youcong hard on the head several times before shouting: "You are treating my brother's palace as an inn.
Really? If so many Western princesses come here at once, where will they live?"
"That's it?"
"Yes! That's it!" In order to prevent the fat man from doing harm again, Chongzhen quickly added: "Let me tell you first, the palace is such a big place, so there must be room for office work in the front! Don't even think about it for my brother.
Let’s expand here!”
"If you don't want to expand, then build a new one!" A plan that had been brewing in Zhu Youcong's mind for a long time was revealed. "Brother, I think your place is majestic and impressive, but the scenery is really not that good.
How about we build a new garden? Then you can move in and use this place as the office space for the various ministries of the imperial court?"
"Build a garden? Brother Cong, let me tell you, as long as you are not afraid of being scolded or having your legs broken by the emperor's uncle, then do it!" Chongzhen didn't want to expand the Forbidden City because he was afraid of wasting money, but this damn fat man actually did it
We need to build a new garden for the emperor to live in. It also has beautiful scenery. If the treacherous people in the court find out about this, they will jump up and point their noses and scold him? As for Prince Fu, who is responsible for the fund review, if he knew about this bad idea, what would he do?
His precious son will definitely be a servant of the family.
"Scolding? Why are they scolding me? I didn't ask them to pay!"
"The imperial court can't come up with any money!" The few paupers in the imperial court are still relying on their salaries to survive. How can they have money to help the emperor build gardens?
"Brother Emperor, can't you change your thinking mode?" Disappointed, Zhu Youcong circled around Chongzhen twice before saying: "Look at your young age. Although you have a few white hairs on your head, you still can't."
Don’t you stick to the rules? Who told you that you have to pay for gardening by yourself?”
"Really not letting the court spend money?" As long as he is not allowed to take money and does not increase the burden on the country, even if this little fat guy wants to build a garden, even if he wants to demolish the Great Wall and rebuild it, Chongzhen will not have any objection.
"Of course not!" Zhu Youcong stared at Chongzhen with an idiot's eyes and said: "Brother Emperor, why don't you ask Old Man Han and the others to find out which of them paid for their own garden back then?"
"If you don't pay for it yourself? Who will fix it?"
"You don't have to worry about it. Anyway, you can find someone to choose the place. How about I build a garden of ten thousand gardens for you for free?" Zhu Youcong had this idea for more than a day or two. He was in another time and space.
The emperor built more than 90 royal gardens in the capital alone, stretching for more than 20 miles. How majestic it is! But look at the Ming Dynasty, except for the Xuanwu Lake that was listed as a royal forbidden area at the beginning of the founding of the country, there was only the Western Garden expanded by Emperor Wuzong.
Yuan, it seems shabby even if you say it.
Of course, Zhu Youcong didn't have the time to repair so much. Even if he repaired it, he wouldn't be able to live in Chongzhen. So he only planned to take advantage of the emperor's wedding to build a super luxurious holiday villa for his brother. This cost
Well... the envoys from the West are coming soon, right? The Emperor of Ming Dynasty is getting married, and he is marrying a princess from the West. The so-called "doing as the Romans do in the country" is a must-have.
As for why Zhu Youcong calls it the Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens, although he is not as capable as the Tatars, he can rob. Since Western bandits robbed in another time and space, they must return them here.
! From the east to the west, from the three unlucky guys who have been listed as targets to the allies in the west, those who can do it themselves will demolish it, and those who are too embarrassed to go for the time being will try to buy it, using the treasures from other people's ten thousand gardens to give to the Ming Dynasty.
The emperor decorates his new home, and when he completes this task, he will officially name it! (To be continued...)