Zhu Houzhao came to see Zhang Zhou with a competitive spirit. Although Zhang Zhou exposed the disguise on the spot, which made him lose face, after Zhang Zhou tried to make up for it, Zhu Houzhao was in a good mood in the end.
"Zhang Zhou, you can't die. You must save your life to help me make money, and send all your good things to me!"
Liu Jin on the side felt sour in his heart after hearing this, and reminded: "Your Highness, Zhang Jieyuan will not die."
"Why?" Zhu Houzhao asked.
Liu Jin explained: "Zhang Jieyuan has made great contributions to the treatment of the little princess. If he just reminded the palace to prevent disasters and his intention was good, how could your majesty kill a good person by mistake?"
"Humph!" Zhu Houzhao turned around faster than flipping through a book, "You know everything again? Let's see how I deal with you when I return!"
Liu Jin shrank her head and returned to her original position with a disgraced face, and stopped talking.
Zhu Houzhao did not exchange greetings with Zhang Zhou, but directly sent Gu Dayong away and followed Zhang Zhou to the place where he lived to get the script.
…
…
Zhang Zhou invited Gu Dayong to ride in Dai Yi's carriage, but because of Gu Dayong's low status, he knew that it was the carriage of the eunuch, the eunuch in charge of the ceremony, and did not dare to ride.
"Eunuch Gu, the prince asked you to go back with me to get the notebook, please." Zhang Zhou said with a smile.
Gu Dayong said: "No need, just find another carriage, otherwise we will have to go to the trouble of taking our family back to the palace, which will be really troublesome."
In the end, Gu Dayong sat in the improvised carriage and asked the driver to follow Dai Yi's carriage to the post house.
Zhang Zhou took Gu Dayong upstairs to get the storybook.
Zhang Junzheng came out of his mother's room and saw his father bringing back a very strange person. He stared at him with his eyes: "Dad, who is this? So majestic."
"Haha." Gu Dayong was laughing, probably thinking in his heart, this kid is quite good at talking.
Zhang Zhou was angry.
The brat actually thinks a eunuch is very impressive? Do you have any insight? Is there any potential for success?
Maybe it's time to give this kid some more social lessons. Don't think he's majestic when you see someone well-dressed. Let him know what it means to be gold and jade, but inside is everything.
Zhang Zhou scolded: "Stay close to me, bastard."
Then he entered the room, took the storybook, and went downstairs together.
I saw Zhang Jun looking at Gu Dayong again.
"Ms. Zhang, I see that you have been prepared for this. In the palace, you still have to be careful in your words and deeds."
Gu Dayong was initially hostile to Zhang Zhou, but after getting the script he had prepared from Zhang Zhou, he realized that Zhang Zhou was a thoughtful person.
He then reminded me "kindly".
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "Eunuch Dai also reminded me this way, but I don't rub sand in my eyes."
Gu Da thought hard, saying you are fat makes you gasp. Do you really think this is a compliment to you?
"Doing business with the prince, if your majesty and the queen know about this..."
"Eunuch Gu, please go back and take your orders earlier. I won't send you off anymore!"
Zhang Zhouxin said, not only do I want to open a bookstore in partnership with the prince, but I also want to open a business.
It is not a good thing to cooperate with Tianjia in doing business. If the power is not equal, how can it be possible to completely follow the laws of the market?
But who told me to run epoch-making industries? The meaning of such cooperation will be different, especially when Zhu Houzhao comes of age and has financial resources, he will be able to get rid of the shackles of civil servants and let this kid fly his ideals... and it will also bring political convenience.
Seeing that his persuasion was ineffective, Gu Dayong shook his head helplessly, went out and left in a carriage.
…
…
A large-scale "fire drill" was being conducted outside the Imperial Palace and Qingning Palace.
Eunuch Bingbi, the Superintendent of Ceremonies, and Xiao Jing, the Admiral of the East Factory, were responsible for moving out all fire hazards inside and outside the palace, such as boxes, clothes, beddings, books, etc., without disturbing the Queen Mother Zhou as much as possible. , move to another yard.
After all, Empress Dowager Zhou did not close her eyes and listen. She still heard some rumors and asked the eunuch Jiang Lu who was serving at the side: "What's going on outside?"
Jiang Lu said: "After winter, fires were lit in each yard to dry things out. The East Factory was afraid of catching fire, so Eunuch Xiao brought people here to do some cleaning."
Empress Dowager Zhou frowned: "If it's just fire prevention, why is Xiao Kegong here? Call him in."
"yes."
Not long after, Xiao Jing appeared in the Qingning Palace and knelt down.
Queen Mother Zhou asked: "Ke Gong, what are you busy with? Is there something big going on that requires you to come in person?"
Xiao Jing didn't want to say it. After all, it would feel ridiculous if he said it. The emperor actually asked the palace to conduct fire drills because of what a person who entered the palace said?
But in the face of the Queen Mother Zhou's question, he still did not dare to hide it and said respectfully: "Returning to the Queen Mother, the matter started when a Gongsheng named Zhang entered the palace and mentioned to Your Majesty that there might be a fire in the Qingning Palace. It will happen tomorrow night... His Majesty specially ordered the old slave to come and take some precautions."
"Gongsheng named Zhang? Who?" Empress Dowager Zhou was also confused.
Who speaks so well? Let the emperor still pay attention to it?
An ordinary tribute student can be summoned by the emperor casually?
Jiang Lu on the side reminded: "Empress Dowager, have you forgotten? She is the one who donated medicine to the princess's illness in Nanjing with the second son of the Chengguo family."
"It's him... um."
Empress Dowager Zhou seemed to be thinking about something, and then asked: "Where is the emperor?"
Xiao Jing said: "Your Majesty is summoning Eunuch Li."
In front of the Empress Dowager Zhou, Xiao Jing did not dare to call Li Guang a Celestial Master casually. Logically speaking, the only Celestial Masters in the Ming Dynasty were the family of Zhang Celestial Master in Longhu Mountain. Li Guang was just so favored that others complimented him.
"Li Guang? That's outrageous! Go, call the emperor, and tell him that the Ai family is uneasy and must see him! Also, the Ai family doesn't want to see Li Guang and asks him not to come with him. coming!"
"Yes, the Queen Mother."
…
…
When Xiao Jing went to invite Zhu Youtang, Zhu Youtang was still questioning Li Guang, but Li Guang held a whisk in his hand and stood there to defend himself without even kneeling.
It was as if he was a member of the immortal family and could stand side by side with the emperor on earth.
"...Your Majesty, this kind of thing will never happen. Everything in the palace is peaceful, how can a disaster happen? The poor man has also helped me, and there is no such warning from God."
Of course Li Guang knew that the fire Zhang Zhou mentioned was aimed at him.
In any era, a fire in the palace means a bad omen from heaven. The most talked about metaphysical thing nowadays is that Li Guang built the Yuxiu Pavilion in Long Live Mountain.
Many people criticized Li Guang for violating a new year's taboo and implicating the little princess's smallpox infection in this matter.
Fortunately, the little princess is fine, so Li Guang can stand here and speak.
"Okay, you go down first!" Zhu Youtang also finished asking. When Xiao Jing came back, he drove Li Guang away.
Li Guang left angrily.
Judging from Xiao Jing's expression on Li Guang's face, Li Guang probably scolded Zhang Zhou hundreds of times in his heart.
Xiao Jing was also thinking, this Zhang Jieyuan is really brave. He formed such a big rift with Li Guang. Wouldn't it be a situation where only one of the two can stay?
"Xiao Jing, have you settled the matter in Qingning Palace?" Zhu Youtang asked.
Xiao Jing said: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager invites you to come over. She said she is restless and must see you."
Zhu Youtang said angrily: "Didn't I tell you not to disturb the Empress Dowager? You do the same!"
While cursing, he kept walking towards the door.
From Xianzong to Xiaozong, in these two dynasties, the Empress Dowager Zhou was really highly respected. Whenever she called, Zhu Jianshen, Zhu Youtang and his son would not hesitate to go see her.
…
…
Inside Qingning Palace.
When Xiao Jing left, the Queen Mother Zhou was fine. When she came back, she saw the Queen Mother Zhou leaning on the soft pillow, looking sickly, and deliberately sighing when the emperor came in.
"Royal Grandma... Those slaves are incompetent and have disturbed your peace. My grandson will punish them now."
When Zhu Youtang saw his grandmother like this, he felt distressed and felt filial, so he immediately admitted his mistake.
Empress Dowager Zhou took the emperor's hand and said with a kind smile on her face: "Emperor, you are concerned. The Ai family is fine."
Zhu Youtang said: "My grandson is not aimless, it is actually..."
"Emperor, you don't need to say anything. Please hurry up and make preparations. The Ai family will move out of Qingning Palace first and live somewhere else for a few days." Empress Dowager Zhou did not hesitate and directly stated her request.
"this……"
Zhu Youtang didn't understand the imperial grandmother's thoughts either.
"Alas!" Seeing the emperor's hesitation, Empress Dowager Zhou couldn't help but sigh, "Ever since Li Guang advocated building the Yuxiu Pavilion on Long Live Mountain, the Ai family has been uneasy, but they don't know why. Today I heard someone mention that that surname When Zhang Gongsheng came into the palace, he said that there was going to be a fire in Qingning Palace, and then the Ai family seemed to know what was going on."
Zhu Youtang was frightened when he heard this.
Does even this royal grandmother like to engage in such shady things?
This is simply a forced connection.
You are restless and restless. Is Guan Qing Ning Palace going to catch fire? Dare you say that this is not directed at Li Guang, deliberately saying that he is uneasy?
Seeing the emperor's embarrassment, Xiao Jing quickly reminded him, "Don't worry, the Empress Dowager. These matters are just the words of alchemists and cannot be done accurately."
The Queen Mother Zhou looked unhappy when she heard this: "Emperor, do you think so too?"
"Grandson..." Zhu Youtang didn't know how to answer.
If I didn't believe it at all, I wouldn't let Xiao Jing eliminate the fire hazard.
Isn't it because you are worried about the safety of your elderly?
Empress Dowager Zhou said: "You can think about the Aijia, and the Aijia feel happy. The Aijia believe that when Zhang Gongsheng was still far away in Nanjing, he was thinking about the rise and fall of the royal family, and remembered that he went all the way to Beijing to treat the illness of the Aijia's great-granddaughter. , Firstly, he doesn’t ask for rewards, and secondly, he doesn’t ask for an official position. Why is there any need to scaremonger and attract attention? Isn’t it already his natural merits to cure diseases and save people? Why does he need to do more?”
Zhu Youtang had to nod solemnly and agreed with Queen Mother Zhou: "My grandson thought the same way, so he asked people to come over and take precautions."
"What's the use of being prepared? If it's fate that caused this fire, will the Ai family suffer for Li Guang's misdeeds?"
"this……"
"Emperor, you just trust Li Guang too much. You don't even think about it. What has Li Guang done for the royal family for so many years in the palace? What did he do when there was an epidemic in the palace? Who is thinking about the royal family? , haven’t you understood it until now?”
When Zhu Youtang heard this, he was also moved and sighed: "But Imperial Grandma, if you want to move out, it will be a big deal. I'm afraid it will take a lot of trouble and it will be difficult to explain to the outside world..."
Empress Dowager Zhou said: "You just worry too much. What do you care about what the minister thinks? Just say that the Ai family is going to Renshou Palace to practice Zen for a few days. Make arrangements quickly. The Ai family doesn't want to stay here for a moment. It’s really a fire, but the Ai family can’t stand the torment.”
