Taipu Temple is in charge of the ceremonial guard and Luanjia, and is responsible for the formulation, supervision and execution of the ceremonial guard system for royal family travel. Since this carriage is a tribute to the Empress Dowager, it must of course be handed over to Taipu Temple for safekeeping and maintenance.
Zongzheng Temple, Taichang Temple, Taipu Temple, Guanglu Temple, and Taifu Temple, together with Taiyuan Hospital, were collectively known as the "Five Temples and One Hospital in Gongye" in this dynasty. These institutions originally belonged to the "Nine Temples and Nine Qings" in the Qin and Han Dynasties. All serve the royal family and the court.
Zongzheng Temple is responsible for royal affairs, and Taichang Temple is responsible for worship. They are located next to the Taimiao Temple;
Taipu Temple is in charge of the ceremonial guard and formulates etiquette regulations, and Guanglu Temple is in charge of meals. They are located in Long'an Gate and Chongguang Right Gate (West Gate of the Palace City) on the west side of Tianjie between Wuchao Gate and Chengtian Gate respectively;
Built and maintained by the master of Taifu Temple, it is located on the north side of the ice cellar in the northwest corner of the imperial city.
The carriage "rumbled" across Guotian Street, entered the right gate of Chongguang, and stopped in the main courtyard of Taipu Temple. Liu Funian got out of the car first and opened the door for the emperor.
"Hey Liu Qing, this car is very stable when it stops. Not bad, not bad!"
Zhao Tuo took two steps back to look at the car, and saw that the top of the car was in the shape of a mountain roof, and the door below was painted in red and gold with fish in a lotus pond. There was a two-step pedal under the door, which was stowed in the belly of the car when driving. Once you arrive, you can pull it out and get off easily.
"Your Majesty, there are two levers beside the driver, which control the front and rear wheels respectively. If you lift the two levers and put them forward, the car will fly. If you pull them backward, the brake pads will rub against the wheel hubs, which can control the wheels to slow down or stop." Zhang He pointed his finger and introduced to the emperor:
"Look at this door and frame." He opened the carriage door and pointed it out to the emperor: "The doors and compartment panels look like ordinary wood on the outside, but they are actually sandwiched between iron plates and cotton! As long as they are not heavy weapons, there is nothing they can do about it. , Mr. Li called this an armored carriage.
It is also said that when people talk in the car after filling it with cotton cloth, people outside cannot hear what is said inside, so it can be soundproofed. "
"Oh?" Zhao Tuo stepped forward and knocked, and as expected, the voice was very dull: "Rare!" He praised and pointed to the inside of the door and asked: "The wood used inside is different? I see there is mahogany, and there is also this kind of calm color. Timber, do you have anything to say?"
"Please see, Your Majesty, the dark colored ones are all armrests and handles. They are all made of hardwood because they require strength. Peach wood is soft, so it is more suitable for decoration. Even if it touches the body, it will not cause serious damage. and trauma."
Zhang Ping then introduced to him the exquisite design of the storage inside the car, the space under the feet for placing the charcoal stove, and so on.
"Sure enough, you are very attentive to what you do!" The emperor nodded as he listened, turned around and saw Eunuch Liu appearing in view with everyone waiting, and there was a yellow gate beside him. "What, is there any secret message?" When they walked in, Zhao Tuo pointed at the people in Huangmen and asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I just received two secret reports and was about to send them to Qianyuan Palace. I didn't want to run into Eunuch Liu, so I boldly followed him." After Huangmen finished speaking, he held up the lacquer plate with both hands. Sure enough, there was something inside. Two tightly folded boxes.
When everyone saw it, except Eunuch Liu, everyone retreated ten steps away. When Huangmen saw Eunuch Liu coming to pick up the tray, he said softly: "The one on the left is from Mr. Zhao, the governor of Jiangxi, and the one on the right is from Mr. Deng, the admiral of the Jiujiang Navy."
Eunuch Liu nodded and asked him to step back. Then he came to the emperor and moved his lips slightly. The emperor nodded and pointed to the inside of the carriage with the Japanese fan in his hand: "This is fine. I will read it inside and then go back." After that, he turned around and got in. out of the carriage.
"Ah? This..." Eunuch Liu came to the door of the car: "Your Majesty, is it too dark inside?"
"It's okay." After hearing this, Zhang Ping hurriedly took a few steps forward: "There are lights in the car. Please forgive me, Your Majesty. Can I get in the car and light the lights for you?"
"allow."
Zhang Ping bowed, lifted up his front seat and got into the car. He stretched out his hand to open a small glass door inside the car door, and pulled out a bamboo hat tube. A flame lit up inside.
He turned the knob and let the candle fall, its wick lighting on the flame. Then he reinstalled the flash cap and closed the glass door. Sure enough, the candlelight made the car much brighter.
After the candles on the other side of the car door were also lit, Zhang Ping saw a satisfied smile on the emperor's face illuminated by the lights. Even Eunuch Liu didn't expect this mechanism: "I, I just thought these two The things are just for decoration, I don’t want them to be real!”
Zhang Ping smiled, pulled out the small cabinet in the middle, and opened the lower bracket to become a small desk. He took out pen, ink, paper and inkstone from the drawer beside him, then exited the carriage and bowed at the door: "Your Majesty, take a look at it first. There are still a few good things that I will introduce to you later."
"Okay, okay. You don't have to go back yet, just wait here!" After Zhao Tuo finished speaking, he called Eunuch Liu in, closed the car door, opened the box, and started to read the two secret letters.
Outside the car, Liu Funian had already placed guards on guard. The Taipu Temple officials who came after hearing the news heard that the emperor was reading discounts in the car. Although it was a bit unbelievable, they still stood at a distance and did not dare to disturb.
The car stopped under an old cypress tree that was as thick as two people, and the horses remained motionless, quietly listening to the wind blowing through the branches.
These four horses are all draft horses selected by Yu Gan Ma Beizui Shepherd Supervisor (Military Horse Farm). They have docile personalities and strong bodies. Probably they themselves would not have thought that they would have the opportunity to show their skills for the emperor in this life.
The contents of the two letters were different. The Jiujiang Navy reported that they discovered through informants the bandits who had robbed some of the grain and caused two of the grain ships to capsize. However, when they went to arrest them, these people actually knew the news in advance and escaped. Read the book
The only people who knew about this operation that night were Yingtianfu officials who cooperated with the operation. Therefore, the Navy felt that the case was more serious than imagined, so they had to report it secretly to Heaven. Zhao Tuo looked at it and sneered.
The case occurred in the territory of Nanzhili, so he strictly ordered Yingtianfu to solve the case, but no one knew that there was no result. Now from the naval report, it turns out that there is a ghost inside Yingtian Mansion.
Okay, this is my good minister! He chewed and thought for a while, and then wrote on the last page of the book:
knew. Thank you, sir, for your hard work. However, the case has not yet been uncovered, and it is impossible to reward him with credit. You can conduct a detailed investigation again and quickly report what you hear. I will send Ti Li to the south soon to handle the case. You can communicate more with the imperial envoy and work together to solve the case as soon as possible. Admire this!
The case of water transportation is very strange. In previous years, there were a lot of losses in grain transportation, but like this, the local area was reported to have been robbed, but the water transportation was reported to have capsized. This is the first time that there is such inconsistency. And this time the number is as high as 20,000 stones! The court was suddenly shocked.
Zhao Tuo knew in his heart that someone must be behind this matter, but he had to dig deep to discover the truth and find out the mastermind between light and darkness. This was not an easy task.
Of course, as Zheng Shou said, he was somewhat angry with the Jiangnan officialdom, but it was not time to take action now.
The person behind the scenes probably saw that the court was worried about the intensifying war in Nanchang and would not focus on a grain robbery case, so this person did pick a good time.
Because the incident occurred on the water, the perpetrators should be familiar with river waterways and boat maneuvering skills, so Zhao Tuo ordered Southern Zhili (including Yangzhou, Yingtian, Songjiang, Suzhou, Changzhou, Taiping, Guangde, Chizhou, Ningde, and Huizhou) Ten Prefectures) conducted a strict investigation, and at the same time issued a secret order to the admirals of the Jiujiang and Songjiang navies, ordering them to investigate.
The Jiujiang Navy is responsible for the waters of the Yangtze River from Liuhe to Jiujiang Prefecture, and is based in Anqing. If the Jiujiang Navy finds traces of those involved in the crime, then it will rule out the possibility of collusion with pirates to commit the crime. The crime must have been committed inland!
What Zhao Chongbi forwarded was actually the express report Li Dan wrote for him. It said that after the team set off, they boarded the ship in Yingtan and were covered by the First Mobile Brigade. The fleet arrived in Guixi County in the evening of the same day. The second and fourth companies succeeded in seizing the gate. The enemy surrendered when they saw no way to escape.
More than 470 people below the pseudo magistrate Zhang Mingquan (former magistrate) were captured. That night, except for some personnel left to deal with the aftermath, the entire battalion took a boat and continued eastward, breaking through the city when the Geyang County magistrate opened the city gate early the next morning.
Killed guard general Wang Kaili and 457 bandits below. The navy is responsible for the aftermath. The entire battalion and its carriages and horses have landed and are currently on their way to Xing'an County.
Traveling through three counties in one day and night! is it possible? Zhao Tuo frowned and asked Eunuch Liu to call Zhang Ping into the car and asked, "Have you seen Li Dan's team training? Can you roughly guess what his leg strength and combat prowess is like?"
Zhang Ping didn't know why the emperor suddenly asked this. He was stunned for a moment and bowed to answer: "I haven't seen his elite, so I dare not say that I understand him." Zhao Tuo was a little disappointed and was about to ask him to step back when he heard him say again:
"But when I went there, I took a four-wheeled animal-drawn passenger ship from Yugan. The boat was five or six feet long and one foot or six feet wide. Four healthy donkeys walked in the bottom of the cabin, driving the four water wheels in front and behind.
There is a passenger cabin at the front of the upper deck, with 40 seats, and there are six VIP cabins in front of the stern cabin, with four soft seats in each cabin. Walking is like speeding on the water, and ordinary speedboats can't catch up. Moreover, when the wind blows, the sails are spread, and there is no wind.
It usually takes two days to ride livestock from Yuqian to Anren. If you take this boat, it will set sail early in the morning and arrive at the pier outside the south gate before noon! When I hear that the regiment is mobilized, I often like to commandeer ships. If I walk on the river, I will be very fast.
In addition, I was escorted by a brave soldier from Shixiang on my way back. The ministers and chief ministers took mules and horses, and the villagers and servants took four-wheeled trucks. They set off in the afternoon and rested in Yangbu for one night. They entered Yugan City in the morning of the next day, which was more than 50 to 60% faster than the usual journey.
I talked with Chief Shi, who said that there were a lot of such trucks in the regiment training. Originally, they were all built in Yugan. Later, a factory was also set up in the ancient port near Wannian. Recently, I heard that a factory will be opened in Huanghuang Port in Anren. .
He also said that in the future, Yugan Depot would specialize in manufacturing passenger cars. It can be inferred from this that chariots and horses may be very popular in group training, so I think they can move very fast on land! "
"Oh! I understand, this is what Li Sanlang said, 'You must first build the tool!'" Zhao Tuo nodded.
After Zhang Ping got out of the car, he opened the last statement attached by Zhao Chongbi, which stated that he was currently attacking the Yang family with all his strength and was unable to occupy the southern front. Therefore, Guixi, Geyang, and Xing'an would be evacuated and cleared as much as possible. Then the troops relied on river boats to withdraw to Yingtan Fort and defend it.
After Li Dan's troops penetrated three counties, they disrupted the enemy's deployment, took the opportunity to rush to the foot of Guangxin City, and tried to rescue the king and the crown prince from the north gate of Shuiying. Then the whole battalion quickly turned around and returned to Fengqiguan by virtue of the advantage of chariots and horses, and took the northern route to Germany. Return happily.
He even thoughtfully attached a hand-drawn map (drawn by the General Staff) to the emperor, with arrows showing the intended march route of Li Dan's troops.
After looking at it, Zhao Tuo held his chin and didn't say anything for a long time. Then he sighed and said, "Big companion, have I given Li Sanlang a big problem?"
"Why does Your Majesty say this?"
"Look, now the Lou thief is in the east and the silver thief is in the west, both directions are pointing towards Shangrao. The situation in Shangrao is quite dangerous! But at this moment, I ordered Li Dan to break in and rescue the county prince... It's really hard for him. . If someone accidentally traps him in it, I will regret it so much!"
Eunuch Liu looked at the map carefully and said softly: "Don't worry, Your Majesty. It is what a minister should do to sacrifice his life for the emperor. What's more, it seems that Li Sanlang has already made an idea, and he is not reckless. , Your Majesty, there is no need to worry.
Besides, didn’t Your Majesty ask Zhejiang and Fujian to send troops? If they were behind them, the thieves would not dare to attack Shangrao with all their strength, so the situation looked dangerous, but the court had no chance of winning.
The key lies in Shangrao! If Shangrao can hold on, the entire Guangxin Mansion can be saved from total erosion! "
Zhao Tuo looked at the picture carefully, nodded slightly and said, "What the great companion said makes sense. However, Shangrao is now like an isolated city, surrounded by enemies. How can we make it hold on?"
Eunuch Liu thought about it: "Your Majesty, there are tens of thousands of troops in the city, and they are also blessed by the fire guns and general guns that Li Sanlang sent in last time. What is lacking now is probably not armaments, but food and grass."
If there is enough food and grass, holding on will not be a problem. Besides, Your Majesty can also strictly order the Zhejiang and Fujian armies to step up their attacks, even if it is to create a momentum, it can alleviate them every point. "
"It makes sense, it makes sense!" Zhao Tuo patted the table: "My companion, isn't Gu Lin coming to thank you? After you return to the palace, you can summon him for me. I want to have a good discussion with him!"
Eunuch Liu smiled: "Then... Your Majesty, shall we return to the palace now?"
"We've been out for a long time, and we had a lot of fun today. That's it, let's go back to the palace!" Zhao Tuo couldn't wait any longer. The prince wanted to rescue him, but he was not willing to leave Shangrao, a big city, to the trouble of the rebels.
Besides, it is really a disaster. After the liberation in the future, I don’t know how much effort it will take to recover!
After receiving the order, Gu Lin looked up in surprise. He did not look at the passerby who delivered the order, but looked at the sky.
"Master Gu, are you accepting the order?" the imperial envoy said in a low voice.
"Ah, oh, thank you, sir. But...
…Do you know why His Majesty is summoning you now? In another hour the palace door will be locked. "Gu Lin pointed out the window worriedly.
"Master Gu, how do I know His Majesty's intentions? You'd better hurry up, otherwise the hour is like running water and it will be dark in a blink of an eye!"
Under the urging of the imperial envoy, Gu Lin had no choice but to come out quickly and go straight to Tianjie. Then he ran panting to the Wuchao Gate and shouted with a loud voice: "Your Majesty Gu Lin, I have been ordered to enter the palace to see you!"
"Sir Gu, please slow down, don't be in a hurry." The generals guarding the gate all recognized the youngest son of Marquis Tonghui, so they kindly told him: "The emperor has sent a sedan to wait inside the gate, and you have been ordered to arrive in the sedan. See you at Qianyuan Palace."
"Thank you, my lord!" Gu Lin didn't expect that the little emperor would send a sedan chair, and he was so grateful that he almost burst into tears. The regulations of the palace city of this dynasty were much smaller than those of the previous dynasty's capital city, but even so, it took a quarter of an hour (half an hour) to walk from Wuchao Gate to Qianyuan Palace!
The western half of the Qiande Hall is the so-called "inner study". Like the Dongnuang Pavilion, it is usually separated from the outside world by sixteen carved doors. The difference is that the doors of the Dongnuan Pavilion are usually open, while the inner study is often closed. It is only opened when receiving ministers.
The inner study is divided into two parts, the inner and outer parts, by a full moon Duobao Pavilion. There were a few chairs outside and flowers. The weak flowers of autumn orchid on the rockery in the corner emit a light and long fragrance.
There is a bead curtain made of five-color beads on the Duobao Pavilion. Looking through it, you can see the books on the bookshelf, the desk, the four treasures of the study, etc.
Gu Lin came in and stood at the first chair on the right side of the main seat. He had practiced martial arts since he was a child and had good hearing. He soon heard footsteps walking slowly towards this direction. Gu Lin bowed and clasped his fists, quietly waiting for the emperor to appear.
The first one to appear was Eunuch Liu. He lifted up the bead curtain with a fly whisk and stood beside the Duobao Pavilion with a smile on his face: "Master Gu, please salute, Your Majesty has arrived!"
One day later is the day of the Chaohui. The Chaohui mentioned here is a small chao, not a big chao. This dynasty has changed its regulations since the Taizong period. It is not necessary for all officials to attend court every day as set by Emperor Taizu.
On weekdays, the cabinet will report to the emperor at the Qiande Hall at the 2nd quarter of Yinshi (five o'clock sharp), saying that it will be announced or announced early. Each province and department, under the leadership of the chief officer, will take roll call at Mao hour (six o'clock sharp), which is called "Dian Mao".
On the first and fifteenth day of every month, as well as the four solar terms of Beginning of Spring, Beginning of Summer, Beginning of Autumn, and Beginning of Winter, officials of fourth rank or above in Beijing gather at Mao Shi in Fengtian Hall (the main hall of the three former Fengtian, Gongsheng, and Jiaotai halls), called Xiaochao. .
Every year at the beginning of the first lunar month and the first day after the Hungry Ghost Festival is the Great Chao Hui. All officials in Beijing give great congratulatory gifts at the Wu Chao Gate. After that, officials of sixth grade and above enter the Fengtian Hall for the Chao Hui.
The emperor was in high spirits today. Before leaving yesterday, Zhang Ping presented a few small things:
Zhao Chongbi contributed a set of nine crystal clear glass cups, three each in green, white and yellow; Li Dan contributed a box of pencils and a "Long Bridge Sunset"; and there was also a small bag of cement brought back by Zhang Ping.
When he returned to the palace, he called Liang Wu and asked him to find some sand, crushed and sifted soil, and mixed it with water according to the proportions Zhang Ping said. However, within two hours, the small lump of thin and soft mud became hard. It looked like a stone, which surprised and delighted the emperor.
Now this small piece of treasure turned from mud to stone was carried in his bag. Although it was a little heavy, Zhao Tuo felt at ease.
"Quiet, Your Majesty has arrived!" Following the voice of the eunuch Ge Dahong, the emperor moved from the back hall to the front and stood in front of the desk. After Liang Wu and others arranged his back and sat down, Ge Dahong continued to sing:
"In front of all the ministers and ministers, His Majesty the Emperor received congratulations from hundreds of officials. He knelt three times and kowtowed nine times, and bowed! Xing, bowed again...!"
The ministers faced the emperor and bowed politely and respectfully. After the ceremony, they still stood in line opposite each other (the civil and military classes faced each other). Listen to Ge Dahong sing again: "Today in the morning, all ministers have worked hard. If you have something to report, if you have nothing to do, you will retire!"
Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly saw someone in the literary class holding up a fluorine board and loudly saying: "My lord, Tao Yun, the censor of Zuoqiandu, has something to report to your majesty!"
"Tao Qing, what do you want to say?" The emperor smiled and picked up the tea cup and took a sip. His eyes swept over the people below. Seeing Xie Minhong lowered his head and said nothing, Zheng Shou still had the eternal smile on his face. Zhao Tuo was puzzled. Then I decided to see what other dramas there were.
Tao Yun then left the class and came forward, turned to face the emperor, and said
"Your Majesty, before the court this morning, six people including the imperial censor Hu Ximin jointly submitted a memorial to impeach Mr. Cui, the second assistant.
Mr. Cui is in charge of the household department. Recently, there have been frequent major cases in the household department. Tax bankers and grain collectors have been murdered one after another. Among them, Shuo Shu has not been able to be brought to justice so far. Therefore, six people entrusted the minister to submit this bullet. Please take a look at it, Your Majesty! "
As he said this, he took out a memorial from his arms, which read "I respectfully request the decision to impeach Cui Junyong for dereliction of duty and indulgence in sexual intercourse." Zhao Tuo only glanced at the cover and frowned.
He guessed that someone would make irresponsible remarks about Cui Junyong next, but he never expected that this crime would also include topics such as "indulgence in sexual intercourse".
He quickly glanced around the room, clasped the fold and put it on the table. Said: "Okay, I understand. Is there anything else?"
"Your Majesty, this matter is not a trivial matter. I hope your Majesty will make your attitude clear in front of all the ministers or appoint a judge to try it. ***, this is not an ordinary crime!" Tao Yun said with a deep bow. His words immediately caused an uproar among the officials!
