Dawn is coming yet.
In the inner courtyard of Li Garden, in Li Ziye's room.
Taotao got up early and served at the side, helping someone who couldn't take care of himself to wash and change clothes.
As a well-known dandy in the Shang Dynasty, Li Ziye had always been able to serve others, but would never do it himself.
"It doesn't look good."
After trying on several sets of clothes in a row, Taotao looked at her new clothes, looked them up and down, then shook her head and said dissatisfied, "Get another set."
"That's about right, right?"
Li Ziye smiled bitterly and said, "It's not like we're going on a blind date, just pick one."
"That's not OK."
Taotao said very persistently, "The young master went to receive the title on behalf of the master. He represents the appearance of our Li family. The clothes must be formal."
As she spoke, Taotao reached out and took off her young master's clothes, then took out a set from the closet nearby and put it on for him.
"It still doesn't look good, change it again."
Taotao looked at it twice and said still dissatisfied.
"That's all."
Li Ziye responded helplessly, and suddenly, as if he remembered something, he said, "By the way, there is another set of clothes under the cabinet. I haven't worn them in several years. You can give them a try."
"Under the cabinet?"
Hearing this, Taotao walked forward doubtfully, rummaged through the bottom of the cabinet and found a set of plain robes.
"This is the clothes I wore four years ago when I solved the three problems of Tianyu Palace in front of Fengtian Palace."
Li Ziye looked at the old clothes in front of him and said with a smile, "The man who was made a national scholar at that time also wore the same clothes."
"Young master, put it on, please take a look."
Taotao said as she changed clothes for the young master in front of her.
"How about it?"
Li Ziye put on his shirt, stretched his sleeves, and asked.
"It's really good."
Taotao smiled with satisfaction, "That's it."
"I'm leaving."
Li Ziye patted the folds on his arms and walked quickly out of the room.
"Young Master!"
From behind, Taotao suddenly called out and asked, "Am I going to call you Crown Prince from now on?"
"Your Majesty, hehe."
Li Ziye smiled faintly and responded, "It's really unpleasant, so forget it and just keep calling me young master."
"Slave, I obey."
Taotao Yingying bowed and responded with a smile like a flower.
Li Ziye waved his hand, walked out of the room, and walked straight out of the house.
Not long after, in front of Li Garden, Li Ziye got on the carriage and quickly rushed to the palace in the distance.
The street looked gray because it was still early, and there were almost no pedestrians at all. The carriage rumbled past without encountering any obstruction.
About two-quarters of an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the palace gate, and Li Ziye got out of the carriage.
Outside the palace gate, a large row of carriages and sedan chairs had stopped. Apparently, most of the courtiers had arrived first.
Li Ziye glanced at the sky to the east and quickly walked into the palace.
He didn't seem to be late, which meant that the courtiers had arrived early.
As an official, isn't it a time-consuming job to get to and from get off work?
While thinking, Li Ziye walked into the Xuanwu Gate, and under the gaze of the imperial guards, he walked towards the Fengtian Hall in front.
At the same time, outside the Fengtian Palace, the ministers were already waiting in line, waiting for the bell to ring.
"Have you heard? Today, Your Majesty will confer a title on the head of the Li family."
"I heard that, who doesn't know this? The world is really declining. Even people with merchant backgrounds can be granted the title of marquis. I am really ashamed to be associated with them!"
"Keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear it. The Li family has been named the Imperial Merchant. The head of the Li family will definitely be knighted, but I didn't expect that he would be directly granted the title of marquis."
"Marquis? You are thinking too simply. Not only will the head of the Li family be made a marquis, but His Majesty has also given the Li family hereditary and irreplaceable privileges. It is simply unbelievable."
"What? Hereditary neglect? Are you telling the truth?"
"It's absolutely true. How can such a thing be false? Just watch, it will be announced in court soon."
"Are you crazy? The head of a merchant family has been granted the hereditary title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households?"
In front of the Fengtian Palace, on the thousand-story stone steps, hundreds of officials were whispering. It was obvious that the news of the Li family's sealing had been spread in advance.
"Boom!"
At this time, the bells rang in the palace, symbolizing that the time to go to court had arrived.
The ministers immediately stopped whispering and lined up towards the front of Fengtian Hall.
From behind, Li Ziye, who had arrived neither early nor late, looked at the tail of the courtiers in front and followed him leisurely.
He can't get in now anyway, so there's no rush.
After the decree was announced at the meeting, these ministers would definitely quarrel for a long time, and it would be impossible to announce him to the palace in a short while.
Having said that, without that old fox like Shang Huang, can Mu Bai suppress these ministers?
Today's court meeting is a big test for that kid Mu Bai.
Don't worry.
Li Ziye walked on the stone steps and looked at the hall above, feeling inexplicably complicated.
He really worried about his life.
By pushing Mu Bai to this position, his duties have actually ended. He has done everything he should and shouldn't do, and the rest is no longer his decision.
If he wants to truly ascend to the position of king, Mu Bai must stand up on his own and take the initiative to shoulder his responsibilities.
At this moment, at the end of the stone steps, in the Fengtian Hall, all the officials knelt down and bowed respectfully.
In the main hall, the dragon chair hangs in the air. Under the dragon chair, Mu Bai is sitting there, wearing a python robe, his eyes are like lightning, and his temperament is extraordinary.
"Declare the decree."
Seeing all the ministers gathered, Mu Bai gave the order directly without any nonsense.
"yes!"
On the side, Eunuch Zhang, who had just been to Li Garden yesterday, took out the imperial edict and began to read it out.
The content of the imperial edict is similar to yesterday. The only difference is that yesterday's edict focused on conferring the title of Imperial Merchant to the Li family. Today, it is the official conferment.
Below, the officials looked more and more shocked when they heard the contents of the imperial edict.
Marquis of ten thousand households, hereditary and indiscriminate!
The heads of the ministers, the nobles represented by Duke Hai Qing, after hearing this fact with their own ears, their faces were so gloomy that they could squeeze out water.
It is even more difficult to accept the title of marquis for merchants than the title of marquis for commoners.
Among the big business class, including scholars, farmers, workers, and merchants, the lowest status was the merchant. Although they were barely in the ranks of civilians, merchants had always been at the bottom of the civilian population, and their status among big merchants was only lower than that of slaves. Nice people.
Today, when merchants are granted the title of marquis, it is undoubtedly setting the worst precedent.
"Your Highness the Fourth!"
As soon as the imperial edict was read out, Duke Hai Qing was the first to express his position and said angrily, "This is absolutely unacceptable. Since the founding of our Great Shang Dynasty, there has never been a precedent for a merchant to be ennobled. This gap must not be opened!"
"Yes, Your Highness, think twice!"
Behind them, ministers with noble backgrounds kowtowed and agreed.
Beside the dragon chair, Mu Bai looked at the reaction of the courtiers below. He was not surprised at all, and responded with an indifferent expression, "This is what the father meant."
"Your Highness, I want to meet with Your Majesty. Please take back your orders!" Hai Qinggong raised his head and said in a deep voice.
