In the blink of an eye, the first year of Hongzhi was about to pass. Many things happened in this year, and Zhu Youtang gradually took control of the government. As Xie moved into the cabinet to assist the government, the strength of the faction headed by Xu Pu gradually grew. Liu Dang, on the other hand, was greatly weakened by the fall of Wu Zhun, Zhang Peng, Wei Zhang and others, and he also restrained himself a lot in the approaching days of the new year.
Because the Chinese New Year is coming soon, the eunuch He Ding, who was previously ordered to inspect Beizhili, returned to the palace early. With Huaien, the eunuch in charge of the ceremony, being bedridden, as soon as He Ding came back, the eunuchs in the entire inner court became much more honest. Li Guang, the eunuch who knew everything, and Yanhai, the eunuch of the Qianqing Palace, all had to stand back a little. .
In the evening, the usually quiet capital, with Zhu Youtang's permission, completely opened the night market. Every household has lights and colorful decorations, and many vendors and clerks have come out to set up stalls. People are coming and going on the streets, saying hello and blessing each other. It's very lively.
In the Xinuan Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Youtang learned that He Ding had asked him to stay overnight in the Xinuan Pavilion when he returned to the palace. How many eunuchs would envy this decree?
"He Ding, I found that you seem to be a little fatter these days in the folk than before you left. It seems that the folk food is good!" Zhu Youtang ordered the palace maid and the eunuch to set up a table of dinner in the Nuan Pavilion. Zhu Youtang went first. He took his seat and said with a smile.
"Thanks to the great blessing of the Emperor, the people in the Zhili area live and work in peace and contentment, have good harvests every year, and live a good life." He Ding did not dare to sit down and only said embarrassedly beside him.
"Hahaha, He Ding, why don't you sit down? This table of food and wine was specially prepared for you by my order." Zhu Youtang has traveled through time, and He Ding is the first person to be honest with him, so subconsciously I would rather treat him as a friend.
"I don't dare, this slave. It's better for the emperor to have his meal. I'm very satisfied just watching from the side." Seeing Zhu Youtang's sudden enthusiasm, He Ding felt a little unaccustomed to it. He smiled and stood there uncontrollably. move.
Zhu Youtang put down his bowl and chopsticks and pretended to be angry: "Do you dare not listen to what I say? Just sit down when I ask you to."
"I don't dare, I don't dare." Seeing that he couldn't refuse, He Ding had to sit down carefully, but he only got half a spank on the chair. "
After drinking for three rounds, Zhu Youtang stopped his chopsticks and suddenly asked: "He Ding, in the memorial you said you had some news to tell me, but it was inconvenient to say it in the memorial. I know it is inconvenient for you to talk during the day, so you can tell me now, right?" ?”
He Ding thought for a while, paused, and said: "Back to the emperor, according to the emperor's order, the slaves went out to inspect the Zhili Imperial Village and the people's farmland. I was filled with emotions along the way. Although the people in the Zhili area have fertile land and many families, Rich, but some places have to pay tribute to King Xiangyuan. According to the slaves' understanding, if they don't pay tribute to King Xiangyuan, they will not be able to plant fields in the coming year. Officials in the Zhili area are helpless and King Xiangyuan dare not report to the court. If this matter were not If this slave goes out on patrol and discovers it, I’m afraid no one will know about it in this life.”
"King Xiangyuan...Zhu Youtang kept chanting this name repeatedly. Although King Xiangyuan was deposed during the Chenghua period, Emperor Hongzhi had a gentle personality and restored him to his original position after he ascended the throne. However, these are things that he has not traveled through time. .
Zhu Shi, the king of Xiangyuan, was the first king of Xiangyuan in the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Xunzhen was born in the eighth year of Yongle, the fifth son of Jian Wang Zhu Gui. In October of the 22nd year of Yongle, he was granted the title of King of Xiangyuan. In August of the 4th year of Xuande's reign, Xiao, the daughter of Xiao Zong, a Qianhu family in Shuozhou, was named Princess of Xiangyuan. And Zhu Shi is the eldest son of Zhu Xunsu and Xiao.
Zhu Shi was uneducated and did many ridiculous things when he was young. He didn't expect that it would be dishonest to restore his title now. The royal title system of the Ming Dynasty was hereditary. The eldest son of a prince or the eldest son of a county prince can hereditarily inherit the title of prince or county prince from his father. The remaining sons of princes and county kings can also be ennobled by descending one level. For example, the second son of a prince will be awarded the title of county prince, and the second son of a county prince will be awarded the title of general of the country. Therefore, by the Hongzhi period, there were already hundreds of thousands of princes.
In the Ming Dynasty, not only were the princes well-paid, but they were not bound by the law. Moreover, they can also go around to enclose the land and take the most fertile land on the fiefdom as their own, "taking the most fertile fields in the prefectures and counties." Later, after the land on the fief was enclosed, the land was moved to another place for horse racing and enclosure. Zhu Youtang is not unaware of these things in future generations. If he wants to revive the Ming Dynasty, these "fat pigs" have to be dealt with.
Zhu Youtang's face became increasingly gloomy as he listened to He Ding's report. He Ding knew that he was about to have an attack and was too frightened to say any more.
"Continue." Zhu Youtang said in a deep voice.
He Ding had no choice but to continue talking until he got to the point where the Prince of Xiangyuan said that no one in the world could deal with them. Zhu Youtang punched the table with a bang and stood up. When he reached out to touch the memorial on the dragon table next to him, he inserted his hand into the cinnabar inkstone and kicked it angrily. There was a loud "crash" sound, and all the delicious food that was just a moment ago fell to the ground. Zhu Youtang's face turned purple with excitement, and he shouted: "How dare King Xiangyuan bully me like this!"
The guards guarding the outside, Yanhai and Su Yin didn't know what happened and hurried in and saw He Dingcheng lying on the ground in fear.
"Your Majesty, please put aside your thunderous wrath!" Su Yin stepped forward and comforted her softly.
Zhu Youtang took a deep breath, gritted his teeth and said, "Let them dance for a while, and after this new year, I will definitely take care of them!" After that, he walked away.
…
In front of each palace gate, He Dingzheng directed the young eunuchs and maids from the Twelve Prisons and Sixth Bureau to arrange arrangements back and forth.
In front of Kunning Palace. There were several new eunuchs and maids lazing around in the corner, whispering.
"Hey~ I haven't seen Grandpa Huang coming to your place in the past few days."
"Be careful, we'll all lose our heads if we hear this. Don't you know, the emperor is pregnant, so the number of visits to Kunning Palace will naturally decrease."
The layout in front of Kunning Palace is in charge of Jiang Yue, the head of Kunning Palace. Jiang Yue is the little palace maid who broke in without notifying her in advance last time. Later, Empress Zhang heard Zhu Youtang praise her for her intelligence and intelligence, so she specially promoted her to be the head of Kunning Palace. Jiang Yue was a young maid who had just entered the palace, but she suddenly became favored by the queen and was promoted several levels. This made the other maids envious.
At this time, Jiang Yue was patrolling in front of the Kunning Palace. On such a major festival as Zhengdan, there couldn't be any mistakes. Jiang Yue turned around and saw a few young eunuchs and palace maids who were chatting away.
"What are you doing, you're done?"
Several young eunuchs and maids saw Jiang Yue and didn't take it seriously at all. In terms of seniority, she entered the palace several years earlier than Jiang Yue. She was just lucky, so what's the big deal?
Jiang Yue saw that these people in front of him didn't take her seriously at all, and she became angry and scolded: "Didn't you hear what I said? Go to work quickly!"
One of the palace maids said angrily: "Oh, sister, you're done now, have you made things difficult for your sisters, haven't you?"
Another palace maid also smiled sarcastically: "She was able to advance several levels in a row because the emperor praised her to the empress last time." Hey, being young is good! Having a pretty face can charm men! "
"Charming which man?"
Several palace maids suddenly felt a cold wind blowing behind them. They shivered and quickly turned around. When they saw the visitor, they were so frightened that they stammered: "See... see... empress."
When Jiang Yue saw that it was Empress Zhang who had arrived, she said happily, "I have met your empress."
Empress Zhang looked indifferent, staring at the trembling palace maid kneeling on the ground in front of her, and said coldly: "Why, you didn't reply after hearing what I said?"
The palace maid who just said the wrong thing was so frightened that she just kept kowtowing. Zhu Youtang was the only man in the harem. Can the words she said to charm men not make Empress Zhang angry?
Jiang Yue, who was on the side, had a kind nature, and quickly pleaded for the maids: "Mom, calm down, you are still pregnant with your little master. Since it is their first offense, please spare them."
Queen Zhang's face was still gloomy and she said coldly: "Your Majesty once said that laws cannot be violated! Pull them down and slap them on the mouth to make them remember."
…
After offering sacrifices to the stove on the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, the palace began to prepare for the New Year. In the past few days, the palace family members and eunuchs began to wear gourd jingbuzi and python clothes one after another. Everyone began to prepare steamed dim sum and store pork for the next ten or twenty days.
Starting from the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, fireworks will be set off in front of the Qianqing Palace every day. When Zhu Youtang specially ordered the fireworks to be set off, everyone could stop what they were doing and stop to watch.
Beginning on the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, the palace became even busier. “Peach charms and general charcoal were planted beside the door, and the door gods were posted on them.” Prayer wheels may be woven with yellow coins like dragons." "Sesame straw is inserted into the eaves and cypress branches are burned in the courtyard, which is called Sui." Early that morning, Zhu Youtang issued an order to order his relatives to go to various imperial tombs in Changping to offer sacrifices.
Zhu Youtang held a grand "Xi Festival" ceremony in Taimiao Temple and Shimiao Temple. The so-called "Zi sacrifice" means enshrining the tablets of the ancestors of the Ming Dynasty in the Taimiao Temple and holding a joint sacrifice.
It is worth mentioning that in the past few days in the New Year Palace, there are sumptuous delicacies every day, such as tea and snacks like raw florets, five kinds of fruits, and five kinds of roasted rice. There are also phoenix chicken double stick bones, large silver ingots, large oil cakes, and five kinds of wine.
Four colors of dishes and three types of soups. There are two large steamed buns, rice with horse, pig, beef and mutton gizzard meat, and three minutes of wine. The general will accompany him with wine and fine powder soup. Pepper and vinegar pork with head and hooves, two steamed buns, pork rice, and an hour of wine.
In addition to the above-mentioned food, the Golden Spear Soldier and Xiangnu Xiaowei also had double-cut steamed buns, and the Jiaofang Sileren also had wine, braised beef, double-cut steamed buns, fine powder soup, and a minute of wine.
On the big day, there were naturally fewer trivial matters in the palace. Zhu Youtang could also take a good two days off and spend more time with the pregnant Queen Zhang in Kunning Palace during the day. In the evening, I went to Su Yin's residence and favored Su Yin.
During the dinner, the Etiquette Department also specially choreographed several dances, including the famous Baixi Lotus Basin Dance.
Early the next morning, everyone in the palace began to get up early, burn incense and set off fireworks, while Zhu Youtang was sleeping soundly with Su Yin in his arms.
Su Yin carefully pulled out her arm from Zhu Youtang's arms, pushed Zhu Youtang and said softly: "Your Majesty, it's time to wake up. Aren't you going to make dumplings today?"
Since ancient times, making dumplings has been a matter for palace maids and eunuchs. When Zhu Youtang asked to come to Shangshan Supervisor to make dumplings, there was a story. The eunuch in charge of the Shangshan Supervisor did not dare to be careless and ordered his men to clean the house and prepare tools one day in advance.
When Zhu Youtang brought Su Yin to Shangshanjian to help make dumplings, there were more than a dozen young eunuchs standing beside him. They were all breaking out in cold sweat, for fear that the emperor would cut his hand or burn him. I'm afraid my head will fall to the ground.
But Li Guang asked with a smile: "Your Majesty, why don't you publish this matter in the Beijing News and let the people all over the world know that your Majesty is so kind and considerate of the people's sentiments that he personally makes dumplings to eat!"
Zhu Youtang listened happily to Li Guang's slap on the dragon's fart, and said casually: "When Dong Guangyuan comes in a few years, I will do as you say."
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