"The Emperor's Longevity Festival is coming." As he spoke, Han Du stared directly at Li Yuanming.
Li Yuanming didn't know what Han Du meant when he mentioned the Longevity Festival, and looked at him doubtfully.
"This is the Wanshou Festival, and the emperor has appointed me as the official of ceremony."
Li Yuanming's pupils shrank suddenly when he heard this, and his face suddenly turned red. This was because he was angry.
"Why, why is this?" All previous Wanshou Festivals have been organized by the Ministry of Etiquette. How can Han Du, a noble man, be allowed to serve as the etiquette officer now?
Due to the strength of the civil service group in the pre-Song Dynasty, even in the Ming Dynasty, the civil servants never gave up their desire to restore their status to the pre-Song Dynasty. In the eyes of civil servants, nobles are almost equated with vulgar warriors.
How could things like the Wanshou Festival etiquette be left to Han Du?
Han Du glanced at Li Yuanming and said with a smile: "Of course it's because this Wanshou Festival is unusual. This year is the Emperor's birthday, and the Ming Dynasty destroyed the Bei Yuan Dynasty and captured the Bei Yuan Emperor in front of the emperor. Naturally, it is necessary It’s a big deal.”
After hearing this, Li Yuanming's face was solemn, and he stood up unceremoniously, staring at Han Du, as if to warn Han Du: "The big affairs should be left to the Ministry of Rites. If the Marquis has a hand in it, isn't it too much?" pass?"
How did the Ministry of Rites gain a sense of presence in front of Lao Zhu? It relies on various ceremonial activities in the court, the most important of which is Lao Zhu's Wanshou Festival. Moreover, this year's Wanshou Festival is still so special and important, so naturally the Ministry of Rites is not willing to relinquish the power of hosting it.
Facing Li Yuanming's hostility, Han Du was not angry. He smiled calmly and said, "I think you have misunderstood. I did not take this position of courtesy officer myself, but was directly appointed by the emperor. If you can advise the emperor, I would be willing to let you be the official of ceremony instead. How about it?"
Li Yuanming's heart skipped a beat, he glanced at Han Du blankly, and slowly sat back down as if frustrated. If he were the Minister of Rites, he would still be able to argue with Lao Zhu. It's a pity that he is just a minister, so how can he be qualified to change the emperor's will?
Han Du was very open-minded. Seeing the grievance on Li Yuanming's face, he filled Li Yuanming's tea with his own hands and persuaded him: "Don't feel aggrieved, Mr. Li. In fact, I am just as aggrieved as Mr. Li."
Li Yuanming thought that Han Du was provoking him because he was getting an advantage and being obedient. He turned to look at Han Du angrily, but he only saw a face full of sincere smiles.
Han Du opened his hands and closed them again, and said: "To be honest, I am not willing to be the ceremony official. Maybe in your opinion, being the ceremony officer is an opportunity to make meritorious deeds. As long as this Wanshou Festival is successfully held, , that will be a great achievement for you and the Ministry of Rites."
Li Yuanming was told something that was on his mind by Han Du, but he had a big heart, and even so, there was no trace of emotion on his face. It was as if what Han Du said had nothing to do with him, and he, a scholar, did not disdain such credit. .
This is how people like Li Yuanming, who have been thoroughly influenced by the officialdom inside and out, clearly want to die in their hearts, but they still want to act like they don't care about anything.
A perfect interpretation of what it means to be both responsible and established.
Han Du didn't care about his different opinions. As long as he knew what was going on, he continued: "If I want to take credit, I will capture the Emperor of Bei Yuan in front of the imperial court. Is it rare to be greater than this? But I If you give up, give up. Have you ever seen me hesitate? This time, the Emperor requested that the Wanshou Festival be more grand and grand than before. To be honest, I don’t know how much effort I spent on this. Do you think I am willing to be the ceremonial officer?"
After a pause, Han Du directly showed off with Li Yuanming: "I came here today just to tell you that as long as the Ministry of Rites cooperates with me to successfully organize this Wanshou Festival. The credit that should be yours will still be yours. I will not covet you even a little bit."
"Do you really mean what the Marquis said?" Li Yuanming suddenly felt happy, his eyes widened and he spoke in surprise. Maybe if someone else said this, Li Yuanming would just sneer at it, because he simply didn't believe that someone would give up easy-to-get credit.
But since it was Han Du who said it... Even though Han Du was a noble and not close to him, he somehow believed Han Du's words.
As Han Du said, this Wanshou Festival can be described as three blessings for the Ming Dynasty. If it is successfully held, the credit will naturally be huge.
Thinking of this, Li Yuanming's chest felt hot, and he suddenly felt a burst of heat.
"I have said that the credit for this Wanshou Festival belongs to you. Of course, the premise of you wanting these credits is that you do your best to help me organize this Wanshou Festival to the satisfaction of the Emperor. "Although Han Du nodded in agreement with Li Yuanming, he also made demands on him.
Regarding Han Du's request, Li Yuanming fully agreed.
It's good to have demands. It is precisely having demands that can show that what Han Du said is true. If there were no requirements at all, then Li Yuanming would doubt Han Du's purpose. There is no such thing as a cheap pie in the sky, and this has been the case since ancient times.
And if the Ministry of Rites wants to show up at this Wanshou Festival and earn credit in front of the emperor, the prerequisite is to run the Wanshou Festival well and to the satisfaction of the Emperor. Han Du's request is consistent with Li Yuanming's hope, and there is no conflict at all. Li Yuanming will naturally have no objection.
"Don't worry, Mr. Marquis. I promise to you that the Wanshou Ceremony Department will fully cooperate with you this time. No matter what you need, just give me your orders." There was no conflict of interest, and Li Yuanming immediately became cordial with Han Du.
A lot. He even lowered his posture in front of Han Du and took the initiative to show his favor to Han Du.
"Okay, with your words, I can rest assured." Han Du picked up the tea and gestured to Li Yuanming with a smile.
Li Yuanming reacted quickly, picked up the teacup, and exchanged greetings with Handu.
The two laughed and drank the tea in one gulp.
He left Fang Xiaoru behind to discuss the Wanshou Festival etiquette with Li Yuanming.
Han Du left the Ministry of Rites on his own and kept coming to see Lao Zhu.
"My lord, please pay homage to your Majesty."
Lao Zhu nodded lightly, stroked his beard and suddenly asked: "How is it? Are you satisfied with the new job I gave you?"
Han Du smiled bitterly upon hearing this, bowed and said, "Can I refuse?"
"How dare you!" Lao Zhu became excited in an instant. He even removed one of his beards without thinking about it, and grinned in pain.
Thinking that Han Du was the cause of all this, his eyes widened and he wanted to deal with him.
"I lost a beard! Let me tell you, you have to be the official of etiquette whether you want it or not, and you have to handle my Wanshou Festival well. If you can't handle it well, I can forgive you. You, even my beard can’t spare you.”
"I obey." Faced with such an unreasonable person, Han Du had no choice but to agree no matter how reluctant he was.
"But I have some ideas about the Wanshou Festival and would like to ask the emperor for instructions."
When Lao Zhu saw that Han Du agreed, he was relieved. As for Han Du taking the opportunity to raise conditions, it was just a matter of common sense, "Say it!"
"I want Jiaofangsi to be responsible for the singing and dancing part of this Wanshou Festival." Han Du straightened up and said to Lao Zhu with a calm expression.
Lao Zhu's eyes widened when he heard this, and he placed a piece of jade he was playing with on the imperial desk, and asked in a bad tone: "What did you say? Can't you use the palace maid as before? Why do you have to use the Jiaofangsi? "
In a large-scale ceremonial event such as the Longevity Festival, singing and dancing performances will naturally not be missing. However, in the past, during Lao Zhu's Wanshou Festival, this part of the song and dance performances were performed by palace maids.
"I Have a Picture Book of Ghosts and Gods"
Jiaofangsi was a place used by Lao Zhu to punish the female relatives of criminal officials. The female musicians there were all official prostitutes. In the past, the Ministry of Rites presided over Lao Zhu's Longevity Festival, so naturally the Jiaofang Secretary would not be involved. Although these officials from the Ministry of Etiquette may often visit the Jiaofang Division, they have never taken a direct look at the female musicians there. Naturally, the Jiaofang Secretary would not be allowed to participate in such an important ceremonial event.
"Your Majesty, of all things in the world, only beauty can shock people's hearts. If a palace maid is used, I'm afraid it won't achieve the effect I want." Han Du shook his head.
Although there are also beauties among the palace maids, they have been trained by the environment to be like mechanical puppets after staying in the palace with strict rules for a long time. The dance performed by such a person will only make people feel stiff, how can it have soul?
How can songs and dances without soul shake people's hearts?
Of course, Han Du also had selfish motives and wanted to take this opportunity to help Jiaofangsi. Except for Yao Yue, all the female musicians in the Jiaofang Division are still lowly. If we can make Lao Zhu happy on this Wanshou Festival, maybe things will take a turn for the better?
"Is there anything wrong with letting the Jiaofang Si come to sing and dance?" Lao Zhu looked at Han Du thoughtfully.
Lao Zhu had seen Jiaofangsi's singing and dancing with his own eyes, and was deeply impressed by its wonderful and magnificent momentum. It was precisely because of this that when Han Du mentioned that Jiaofangsi should replace the palace maid, Lao Zhu did not reject it outright. , but asked Handu.
"Your Majesty, the Jiaofang Secretary is originally responsible for the imperial court's large and small celebrations and welcoming distinguished guests to perform music. This is determined by the Ministry of Etiquette. How could it be inappropriate?" Han Du took out the responsibilities of the Jiaofang Secretary with a smile. He also pointed out that this was decided by the Ministry of Rites, not by oneself.
Lao Zhu suddenly looked at Han Du speechlessly, but he could not refute Han Du's words.
"What if I don't agree?" Lao Zhu looked at Han Du with bright eyes. At the same time, he felt a little regretful that with his tacit approval, the good Jiaofang Si, the yamen in charge of court celebrations, was turned into an official brothel. .
"Here, I can only do my best." Han Du did not ask Lao Zhu to hire someone else, he just said that he would do his best. Trying my best means that if you are not satisfied when the time comes, don’t blame me. It's useless for you to blame me then, because I already have a handsome partner.
Lao Zhu thought about it again and again, and still felt that this Wanshou Festival was more important. As for the Jiaofang Division, as Han Du said, this is its responsibility, and no one can say anything.
"I'm sure, but if you can't satisfy me by then, you should watch your skin carefully."
Han Du didn't pay attention to Lao Zhu's threat that he had no new ideas at all. Anyway, I have been threatened by Lao Zhu so many times, but I have never seen what Lao Zhu did to me.
"I obey the decree."
...
Jiaofang Division.
After hearing Han Du's words, Grandma Li and the others couldn't believe what they heard.
"Hou, Lord Hou, are you telling the truth? Is Jiaofangsi really going to perform singing and dancing at the Longevity Festival?"
Looking at Nanny Li, Han Du nodded affirmatively and said, "Of course, this is something approved by the Emperor, how could it be false?"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in front of him burst into cheers.
After hearing Han Du's words, Grandma Li felt as if she suddenly woke up and fell into a dream.
She couldn't help but glance at the cheering crowd, completely feeling that everything in front of her was...
Some are not real enough.
Han Du sat on the chair with a smile on his face, picked up the tea and took a sip without disturbing the people who were immersed in joy.
Grandma Li has been in Jiaofangsi for many years, and she was the person who saw Jiaofangsi from its glory until Han Du took over. In the beginning, Jiaofangsi was indeed responsible for performing music for the imperial celebrations and other matters, but as time went by, she unknowingly turned into the depraved person she once was.
It's fine now. The moment she got the news about Han Du, Grandma Li felt as if the entire Jiaofang Division had been reborn.
The crowd gradually calmed down, and Han Du raised his eyes to look at the crowd, his thoughts turned, and he sighed and asked: "Are you happy?"
Aunt Li subconsciously responded: "Gao, I'm happy. Duo, thank you Lord Marquis for making the decision for us..."
As she spoke, Grandma Li's voice gradually lowered until it disappeared.
She also found that the long-standing grievances and long-term desires in her heart could even make her cry with joy when she succeeded.
Han Du said in a deep voice: "It's good to be happy, but don't be too happy too early. How important is the Longevity Festival? I don't think I need to elaborate on it one by one, right? If you mess up the performance, what will be the consequences? I also know it very well.”
Finally, Han Du added: "Now is not the time for you to be happy. You should arrange the singing and dancing first and try to spend the Longevity Festival perfectly."
Aunt Li quickly wiped the corners of her eyes and said before anyone else spoke: "Don't worry, Mr. Marquis, I will definitely warn them and let them do their best."
"That's good." Han Du pursed his lips and nodded.
After receiving Han Du's reply, Grandma Li immediately turned around and headed towards everyone's capable arrangement.
The first thing is to clear out the Grand Theater. After all, it is impossible to have a spacious place for rehearsals, and the Grand Theater is the most suitable.
As for the closure of the Grand Theater, it will affect the Jiaofangsi's money... Now the Jiaofangsi has no shortage of money. Even if there is no money in the Jiaofangsi for a year or two, the Jiaofangsi still has money on its books. There is enough money to support it, and it can also send the money sent to the palace every year at a penny.
So, Grandma Li blurted out neatly: "Come, please close the door. From today on, the Jiaofang Department will no longer accept outsiders."
Although it is still morning, there are already many people coming to Jiaofangsi to have fun. The round table in the lobby near the middle stage was almost full, and there were also people drinking and watching singing and dancing in the private room upstairs.
Following Nanny Li's order, a row of handymen immediately filed out and went to the tables to persuade the guests to leave.
"What? Are you going to drive us away? I won't leave. I spent money to come in and play. Why do you, the Jiaofang Secretary, drive me away with just one word?"
"That's right, we won't leave, we will continue to play music and dance..."
Such a sudden change made the female dancers on the stage stop in confusion. Some people looked at it and shook their heads. When they saw the female singer stopped, they naturally stopped and shouted loudly.
The handyman who had already received orders from Grandma Li had no choice but to smile patiently in the face of the booing people, "Don't be upset, sir. Our stewards have said that the money you paid for entering the Jiaofang Division will be repaid in full." , we won’t take any money from this table of food and wine, please, sir.”
When the handyman said this, the man refused even more. He slapped the table with an angry slap, "What's money? I have plenty of money. Since I spent the money, there is no need to think about getting it back. If your Jiaofang Secretary has collected my money, I will be treated as such." That’s enough. If you serve wine, I’ll still drink it!”
The handyman never expected that he would meet a bastard. Thinking of the past, Jiaofangsi gradually became more and more weak and short of breath under such unscrupulous harassment, and even almost starved to death.
Otherwise, if Han Du had been stronger, maybe there would be grass growing on their graves now.
Now seeing such a person again, the faces of the handymen couldn't help but become ugly.
But no matter how ugly the busboy's face was, the man didn't even look at the busboy. He sat down and continued to drink with his friends. He knew that these handymen would not dare to do anything to him.
At this moment, a faint voice suddenly came from upstairs, "Open your mouth and shut up, I, whose father are you? Are you mine?"
With a bit of arrogance on his face, Zhang Lei walked downstairs step by step, shaking his fan.
The sound of thump, thump, thump footsteps clearly reached everyone's ears and echoed in the lobby.
Seeing Zhang Lei looking at him with fierce eyes, the person who was so arrogant just now suddenly became a weak and short-tempered person. He quickly stood up with a flattering smile, cupped his hands towards Zhang Lei and said, "I didn't know it was the young Marquis who was here, disturbing the young Marquis's enjoyment. The villain deserves to die, damn!"
This person's expression changed from being wanton and arrogant just now to a cautious and smiling expression in an instant, fully demonstrating to the world what it means to be fearful of being stunned.
How arrogant this person was just now, now he is so humble when facing Zhang Lei.
Zhang Lei may not be scary in person, but he has a protective father. In addition, he doesn't seem very smart, but no one in their right mind would want to face such a person.
Zhang Lei saw that this man was so groveling and resigned, so he had no intention of pursuing him fiercely. "If you know you're going to die, why don't you get out of here? Do you really want to die here?"
