In the first month of the fifteenth year of Wanli, the ice and snow in the capital had not yet thawed, but the morning sun still rose from the east as usual, shining brightly on the Ming Empire.
The emperor Zhu Yijun in the Forbidden City of the empire had just recently been exempted from the corvee forever in Shaanxi and Shanxi, which can be regarded as greatly reducing the burden on some farmers in the empire.
This made him wandering around the Xiyuan, so he noticed that many maids in the palace were walking with smiles before being bumped into by him, seemingly unable to hide the joy in his heart.
Zhu Yijun therefore specially invited a smiling palace maid named Huang Min to ask him why he was snickering.
The palace maid Huang Min replied: "I am from Mizhi. I heard a letter from my family saying that I was exempted from the corvee. I can pay less food to the government. I can also let my servant go home, so I don't have to worry about what to eat after returning home." If the food is not enough, the slave will be very happy."
Since Zhu Yijun learned through the inner court secret reporting system, there are still many maids who want to go home in the future and do not want to stay in the palace all the time. In order to prevent this longing from gradually turning into resentment, he allowed the maids to be granted the title if they were not lucky enough to be granted the title in three years. Nobles can apply to leave the palace and go home. Those who are still willing to stay in the palace can also correspond with their families, but the letters must be collected and checked by a dedicated person, and a specially appointed female officer must be responsible for reading the letters. The purpose of this is Prevent private messages.
The inner court still pays attention to confidentiality no matter what.
Back to the topic.
Precisely because Zhu Yijun established this system, Huang Min could also receive letters from his family and learn about the exemption from corvee.
Zhu Yijun was so happy when he found out that he paid more attention to Huang Min's fair and pretty face, and asked: "So, you really want to go home?"
Huang Min couldn't help but lower his head, smile, and then replied: "Your Majesty, yes!"
Zhu Yijun smiled and then said: "Go on down. Before leaving, you can go to Concubine Yang to sign up to learn some medical skills, or go to Concubine Liu to learn some piano skills. You won't be bored in the pavilion when you return to your home."
Huang Ming said yes.
"The family no longer has to pay for the corvee grain, and the money saved will be used to build a new room. You won't have to squeeze in with your sister when you come back."
"Now that your brother no longer herds cattle for Hu Ju's family, he has enough money to go to school."
"Because you don't have to serve, your father cultivated three more acres of land, just waiting for you to come back as your dowry."
…
Many palace officials from Shaanxi and Shanxi, like Huang Min, almost all received letters from home. Therefore, when the female officer read the letter, she was very happy, and some even shed tears of joy. And holding his dear friend in his palace, he said:
"My parents are finally willing to let me go home after three years, woohoo!"
And these palace people also gained a lot of favorable impressions of the royal family in the future.
After Huang Min bumped into Zhu Yijun again on this day, she couldn't help but look at him a few more times, and because of this, she was willing to listen to Zhu Yijun and went to register with Concubine Yang.
However, when Huang Min was walking towards Concubine Yang, he bumped into Cheng Qing, the female officer in charge of him.
"Meet Madam!"
Huang Min hurriedly knelt down and saluted.
Cheng Qing asked with a straight face: "Where are we going?"
"Go to Concubine Yang and sign up to learn medicine."
Huang Min replied.
Cheng Qing stretched out her hand: "Give me five taels of silver dollars first!"
"Why?"
Huang Min asked.
Cheng Qing was a little stunned, put her hands on her waist, and said:
"How dare you ask why?!"
"Don't you know that if anyone from the palace wants to sign up with Concubine Yang to study gynecology, they need to pay the lace repair fee first? This is a rule set by Concubine Yang, and you don't know it."
"I have no idea."
Huang Min replied.
Cheng Qing came closer to Huang Min and whispered: "Mrs. Xu Dou, who is next to Concubine Yang, is handkerchief to Mrs. Qin who is in charge of Princess Yongning's residence. Mrs. Qin was once the personal wife of Empress Dowager Cisheng, and also served as Your Majesty’s nanny, don’t go to the secret service just because you’re reluctant to part with these five taels of silver, lest you be framed for any unclean behavior, such as eating the wrong food in the palace, and you won’t even be able to return home!”
"You know, even Princess Yongning and the Prince Consort were bullied by Mrs. Qin to the point where they didn't dare to speak out. They had to send hundreds or thousands of silver dollars to her home just so they could get her to say good things and meet together. And how can you be nobler than Her Royal Highness the Princess and the Prince Consort?"
Huang Min was stunned for a while after hearing this.
"Did you hear that?!"
Cheng Qing suddenly twisted Huang Min's ear, causing her crystal-clear right ear to turn red like blood. At the same time, she gritted her teeth and asked about Huang Min.
Huang Min hurriedly nodded in pain: "I understand, madam, please spare your life. I will give you five taels of silver dollars to madam tonight!"
When Cheng Qing heard what she said, she let go, then smiled coldly and said:
"Just be sensible! Remember that some things can be tolerated as long as you can. The right and wrong in this palace has nothing to do with you. You can only live and wait until you can go home in the future."
"yes!"
"I remember."
Huang Min replied.
"get out!"
After Cheng Qing said this, Huang Min went back to his house in despair.
But after Huang Min returned to the house, she had a dream. She dreamed that the emperor was smiling and talking to her: "It is my kindness that you can come home. What should you give me to thank me? I am the emperor and represent God's will! If you If you don't express your gratitude for my emperor's favor and be loyal to me, I won't let you go."
Suddenly, Huang Min heard Zhu Yijun saying to him in his dream: "You have to save my imperial sister and let me know who is bullying her, otherwise, you will be sorry for me!"
As Huang Min listened, she suddenly heard the princess's cry. She was so frightened that she sat up and her head was covered with sweat. She hurriedly lifted up the quilt and walked to the bed and said:
"I have to report him. Even if I can't leave the palace for the rest of my life, I still have to report him! Your Majesty is so kind to us common people, I can't let him down!"
As Huang Min spoke, she wrote two letters, one to her family saying that she suddenly didn't want to go back, and one specially written with her left hand to accuse Concubine Yang of collecting money privately and Mrs. Qin using old gifts to bully her. Letter from the Princess Consort.
After Zhang Hong received this anonymous letter, he hurriedly came to Zhu Yijun and said, "Your Majesty, there is a new informant from the inner court."
After hearing this, Zhu Yijun put down the chapter in his hand, pinched the bridge of his nose, stood up, took the tip, and opened it to read.
"That's unreasonable!"
"The legacy of old etiquette and love in the palace has not yet been cleared away. No wonder my majestic emperor is disrespected, let alone other royal relatives!"
After Zhu Yijun said that, he put the cloak on himself and walked out.
Not long after, a deacon and eunuch named Xiu Song came over and asked, "Where are you going, Your Majesty, and this slave is still giving orders to the chariot?"
Zhu Yijun ignored her and walked straight to Princess Yongning's mansion.
…
In Princess Yongning's mansion, her nanny, Mrs. Qin, was holding a paddle and beating Princess Yongning's maid until she was covered in blood. She stared at her eyes and said, "I want you to encourage the princess to have an affair with the consort." Pass the handwriting! I want you to pass it on privately!"
Princess Yongning, who was being held by two young eunuchs, could only cry from the side: "Don't hit her, don't hit her. Madam, for my sake, please stop beating her. She has been with me since she was a child." , let me beg you!”
"Why should Your Highness be sad? If I beat him to death, I'll replace him with someone better and more polite! The most important thing my royal family lacks is slaves!"
Mrs. Qin said with a sneer at this time.
"Yes, the royal family has no shortage of slaves, but it also has no shortage of beasts!"
Zhu Yijun walked in with a deep voice at this time.
