Zeng Guofan had long expected Weng Tonghe to make such remarks, so he did not refute but looked at His Majesty and said, "It's too cold outside Dong'an Gate. My body and bones can't bear it!"
"Can your Majesty, for the sake of this sick old minister, come into the palace and give me two basins of charcoal fire?"
Zai Chun was having a hard time this morning. He started doing morning exercises before five o'clock until now after eight o'clock, and the cold wind was really choking him.
"Come on, let's show off to the Taihe Sect... Wasn't there a rule for listening to government affairs in front of the Taihe Sect before? I will restore the ancestral system today... What you all say about the ancestral system, haven't you changed enough? ?”
This is really ironic. The system of listening to government affairs in the Gate of Supreme Harmony originated from the Ming Dynasty. Later, after the Qing Dynasty entered the Pass and the Manchus settled in the Forbidden City, the Ming Dynasty's system was continued.
During the Shunzhi and Kangxi years, there were records of Taihemen listening to politics!
But in the middle and late Kangxi period, this system was abolished, and there was no clear purpose. Anyway, the subsequent emperors stopped coming here, and the Gate of Supreme Harmony became purely a decorative palace!
Zai Chun was sitting in the Taihe family to listen to the government. This is a satire on these die-hards who stick to the ancestral system and refuse to change it. Let me tell you clearly that in fact, our ancestors violated many ancestral systems!
Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong... who did not modify the ancestral system? Now you see me as easy to bully, and you use the ancestral system to restrain others?
I am not someone to be trifled with!
Gate of Supreme Harmony! It is called a gate in name, but it is actually a palace inside. There is also a Xumi throne, and the hall where the ministers kneel and stand is also very spacious!
The eunuchs keep it spotless every day. If the emperor wants to come here temporarily, he only needs to set up the seats and burn the charcoal brazier in advance!
Before the emperor left, the eunuchs serving him were already busy. When the gate of Taihe Gate opened, there was a constant stream of little eunuchs preparing tables, chairs, benches, and charcoal fire tea!
Da Sixi patrolled his territory like a tiger with his waist inserted. The master was seizing power, and the slaves could not relax. Those old eunuchs who stayed in Beijing and did not go abroad with them had to be killed no matter how high they were. Their majesty!
"Hold on, hold on, hurry up! Lazy guy, I haven't set any rules in the palace these years. You have all forgotten your duties, haven't you?"
"Are you a careless old man? How can I burn oak charcoal? Where's the silver charcoal? Are you corrupt? If you drag me down, I'll give you twenty lashes!"
"Get the soft cushions ready. Are you out of your mind, Ren'er? Don't you think about things with your heart? How can anyone in this civil and military court not give Marshal Zeng a seat?"
"You let the commander sit on the bench in such a cold weather? Get out of here..."
In the midst of the rush, a young eunuch hurriedly came to report, "Master Qi, the Lord Long Live is here...The Long Live Lord is here!"
"Hurry up, hurry up... My hands are all numb, hurry up..."
Zai Chun led all the palace ministers and a large group of people entered the palace through Donghua Gate, swaggered past Wenhua Hall and Union Gate, and headed straight for Taihe Gate along the verandah!
As soon as everyone entered the hall, they were hit by a wave of warmth. There were a circle of charcoal basins along the windows in the hall. The steaming heat blocked the cold wind outside.
Zai Chun ascended to the Sumeru Seat and raised his hand to offer seats to everyone. After bowing his head in thanks, the emperor gave him hot tea to dispel the cold!
Zeng Guofan asked everyone to return to the palace to discuss politics, not only for physical reasons, but also because he wanted to allow everyone to think calmly through walking for such a period of time!
Everyone was too angry just now, it’s time to calm down!
Zai Chun saw Zeng Guofan put down his tea cup and asked with a smile, "If you have anything to teach me, Marshal, please feel free to speak out!"
"I don't dare. I don't have anything to say. I just don't want the soldiers and civilians outside to hear too much about the government's affairs. You have to be careful about public opinion!"
"What the prince and the adults said just now are all reasonable, and in fact they are not wrong... The prince hopes that the ancestral system cannot be changed, or that it should be changed slowly. I understand what you mean!"
"The two imperial masters want to stabilize the situation of the court. They hope that Long live the Lord will get married first and then rule in person... There is nothing wrong with that!"
"But... everyone is right, does that mean Long Live Master is wrong?" Zeng Guofan sneered, "I'm afraid you adults still don't understand the current situation!"
"If this was thirty years ago, what the prince and all the adults said were correct, but don't forget, it's not thirty years ago now!"
"Let me make it clear! The two princes think first of all about the Manchu Eight Banners, and secondly about the country and the country! What I said is right..."
snort! Yixin snorted coldly, neither saying anything nor denying it, which meant that he acquiesced!
"Okay, as long as the prince acquiesces! The first thing the two imperial masters consider is the saint's conscience, and the second thing is the country, right?"
Weng Tonghe didn't say anything, he just looked at the commander quietly!
Zeng Guofan was no longer polite today and simply made a big statement: "What is on my mind as an old man? Let me tell you clearly, the first thing I think about is this world. Don't go to war. Don't kill any more people." Yeah! The second thing is the court and the emperor!"
Zeng Guofan bowed his head to Emperor Tongzhi and handed over his hands, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for being rude. It is my fault for not putting Long Live Lord first in my heart!"
Zai Chun waved his hand, "I understand that the commander-in-chief has been fighting for half his life and has seen too many dead people. He doesn't want to see the tragic scenes in the world again. This is the heart of a compassionate Bodhisattva. I will not blame him!"
Zeng Guofan committed a crime and then said, "We all have small plans, so let me ask, does the Chinese Xiao Letian have no small plans?"
"Don't the foreigners in Dongjiaominxiang have their own little plans?"
"Hahaha... My lords, if you want to discuss the political affairs of the Qing Dynasty, I think these two groups of people need to think carefully about what they think!"
"How can this be unreasonable! How can this be unreasonable!" Yixuan was furious. "When will it be the turn of outsiders to dictate matters regarding our Qing Dynasty?"
"Which of them dares to interfere in the internal affairs of our country?"
Zeng Guofan was determined to support Zai Chun today, "Who dares to intervene? Haha... I should tell the prince openly that he will dare to intervene in any country that has led troops to conquer the Four Nine Cities!"
"You..." Yizhen was so angry at these words that he blushed and his neck was thick, and he couldn't even speak!
At this moment, Da Sixi from outside suddenly came in and reported, "Long live Lord Qi, Prime Minister Fu Qing wants to see you!"
"Oh! Call me in..."
"嗻……"
After leaving the palace for a while, Fu Qing, who was in a state of turmoil, stepped into the Taihe Gate!
"Long live long live! Long live long live!" Fu Qing kowtowed and straightened his back and said, "I just received an urgent call from Ryukyu. Tomorrow the head of state Xiao Letian will send special envoy Cai Bixia to visit the Qing Dynasty!"
"Your Majesty, please tell me how to receive me? The Ministry of Rites or the Prime Minister's Yamen...or your Majesty in person!"
Before Zai Chun could speak, Li Hongzao was the first to jump up, "What? Cai Bixia? The daughter of General Cai Mao of the Ryukyu Kingdom?"
"A crazy woman who doesn't follow the rules of women and goes to Europe to study in Europe?"
"It is simply an insult to the Qing Dynasty. How can this woman be an official? She is actually an envoy? No, long live!"
