Today, Li Qing got up early, broke the thick layer of ice in the water tank, and filled a basin of ice water to wash himself.
He was immune to the cold and heat, and was too lazy to boil water. He also liked the icy cold stimulation.
Breakfast is very simple, just two tea eggs and a cup of hot tea.
In fact, Li Qing's life is still very delicate. The reason why he is treated like this today is because there is a banquet at noon.
The emperor entertained envoys from various countries at banquets, and the standards would not be bad. Naturally, Li Qing wanted to keep his stomach full of food.
Looking at the time, it was already past the morning time. Li Qing said to himself, "I don't want to go there anyway, so I won't go today."
He said the same thing yesterday.
Li Qing took a bundle of fodder to the donkey shed. The weather turned cold, so Li Qing built a wooden shed for the donkey to make it more comfortable.
The little donkey has eaten well and slept well in the past six months. He has grown up a lot. His fur is shiny black, his big eyes are bright and lively, and he looks very good.
Li Qing was very caring and was afraid that the donkey would be bored, so he moved the horse to the manger and squatted in front of the manger. "Brother Donkey, let me tell you a story."
The donkey stopped chewing and took half a step back. There was a trace of panic in its big eyes, "Hmm~ah~"
"In the past..."
…
This sitting lasts for an hour.
After Li Qing finished talking, he felt relaxed.
The donkey, however, was listless and looking at the sky helplessly, as if to say: If I make a mistake, please punish me with a grindstone instead of listening to this guy's nagging.
"Snapped--!"
Li Qing patted the donkey's head and said, "Let's go. Don't be late for the banquet. If you are not active during the banquet, there is something wrong with your head."
I am a donkey, and donkeys are for pulling mills, not for riding... The donkey obeyed and walked out of the wooden shed, carrying Li Qing out the door.
Its donkey temper is of no use to Li Qing.
~
In recent years, the imperial court has relaxed the rules for officials to go to court. Officials of fifth rank and above can go to court on horseback and in sedan chairs.
However, Li Qing is at level 7 and cannot enjoy this treatment.
If you can't ride a horse, you can ride a donkey, right?
Li Qing's travel tools, looking at the entire Beijing official group, are quite explosive. It can be said: a scorpion shits - the only one.
Others are not as good as him and would rather walk than ride a donkey.
Li Qing tied the donkey to the stable and rushed to the palace, not caring about the donkey that lowered its head in shame because it was out of place.
——
Fengtian Temple Square.
All the ministers were basically present. The eunuch of Dongchang was in charge of the banquet, and the officials of the Ministry of Rites were in charge of the etiquette. It was very lively.
Li Qingxun found a seat and sat down, waiting for the meal to begin.
At this time, a voice sounded from behind: "Sir, please take a step to speak."
Li Qing turned around and saw Yu Qian, got up and followed him to a relatively quiet place, "What's the matter?"
"This time the emperor summons the vassal states to pay tribute. Is it Mr.'s idea?" Yu Qian asked. óΠъ.oяＧ
"I mentioned it." Li Qing nodded.
Yu Qian was puzzled, "Sir, what do you mean by this? Don't you know that this is playing into the hands of the vassal state?"
Li Qing laughed and said, "Are you afraid that they will come to pay tribute every year and gather the wool of the Ming Dynasty?"
"Yes." Yu Qian nodded, "Although the Ming Dynasty is rich, it cannot afford them to pay tribute every year. In fact, paying tribute itself is a loss-making business."
"This is a special situation." Li Qing explained, "After this time, the tribute will still return to its previous state, and the interval will even increase. You don't have to worry."
"That's it~" Yu Qian suddenly realized, but also a little curious, "What is this situation?"
Li Qing smiled and said: "It's not appropriate to reveal it yet. You should be able to tell it after some time."
"...Okay." When Yu Qian heard what Li Qing said, the worry in his heart disappeared and he did not continue to ask.
He knew that Li Qing always acted steadily and would not act recklessly.
In just two years since Li Qing entered the court, the court situation has undergone tremendous changes. No one knows the reasons behind this better than Yu Qian.
"Sir, can you tell us in advance whether this change will shake up the existing situation?" Yu Qian said.
Li Qing nodded: "Definitely."
"Is it big?"
"It shouldn't be small, but it won't be out of control." Li Qing said, "This time we can only fight head-on."
Hearing this, Yu Qian nodded solemnly: "When you need Yu Qian, please stay out of sight, sir."
"Don't worry." Li Qing said with a smile, "I won't be polite to you."
"Oh? That's good." Yu Qian rarely smiled, "After today's banquet, let's have another drink?"
"No problem, but you have to invite me." Li Qing sighed, "My salary will be withheld until next year. Life is difficult!"
Yu Qian nodded funnyly: "Okay, I'll cover the food and drinks."
"Xuan, envoy of North Korea~"
The young eunuch's sharp voice interrupted the conversation between the two.
Li Qing smiled and said: "The banquet is about to start, let's go."
"Xuan, Japanese envoy~"
"Xuan, envoy of Ryukyu~"
"Xuan, envoy from Luzon~"
…
The little eunuch sang loudly at the top of his voice. When the little eunuch in the distance heard it, he immediately repeated the content and continued to pass it out, like a relay race, step by step outside the palace.
A quarter of an hour later, the envoys from various countries lined up neatly and arrived at the Fengtian Temple Square under the guidance of officials from the Ministry of Rites.
Six ministries and nine ministers came forward and exchanged greetings with these envoys to show the hospitality of the heavenly dynasty.
The group of envoys carefully agreed, all of them looked respectful and held courteously.
Li Qing looked at these envoys. Among them, he had the best sense of the Korean envoys. Without him, he looked close.
Not only Li Qing, but also other officials of the Ming Dynasty.
Firstly, among all the vassal states, Korea has the strongest relationship with the Ming Dynasty; secondly, their official uniforms are similar to those of the Ming Dynasty. Although not exactly the same, they are still 70% similar;
Gives people a natural sense of closeness.
After the envoys from various countries took their seats, about a quarter of an hour passed before the bright yellow dragon chariot belatedly arrived.
The important characters always appear last.
Zhu Qi got off the dragon chariot. He was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe that was particularly eye-catching and made him look heroic. He walked to the golden nanmu chair that had been prepared and sat down, looking down at the audience.
The ministers prostrated themselves, and the envoys from various countries followed suit and bowed down, paying homage to the emperor and ministers, shouting: "Long live my emperor, long live long live...!"
"Everyone is safe."
Zhu Qizhen waved his sleeves, showing off his imperial aura. Although he was a young man, he gave people an aura that made him dare not look directly at him, "Sit down."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The ministers stood up and sat down.
Then, under the arrangement of the Ministry of Rites, the North Korean envoys took the lead in meeting and presented representative tributes.
…
The process was so long that it didn't end until the end of noon. Li Qing was so hungry that his stomach growled, and Zhu Qizhen ordered the food to be served.
Li Qing did not sit in the C seat this time, and his table was full of people who were in trouble;
Everyone had similar official positions, but Li Qing didn't have any scruples. He concentrated on eating and drinking without raising his head. When someone offered a toast, he just responded perfunctorily because he was starving.
During these things, I originally wanted to curry favor with Li Qing, but when I saw him like this, I cursed in my heart: "What are you pretending to be?" and then started the wine table culture on his own.
Regardless of the size of the circle, the essence is the same, but Li Qing is really tired of this kind of occasion. He comes for nothing else but to eat.
Zhu Qizhen did not stay long. He only took a few symbolic bites of food and drank two glasses of wine before leaving, leaving everyone to enjoy themselves freely.
Next, there was a lively chat between Ming officials and envoys from various countries, which was full of worldly feelings. Li Qing looked at Boring, and after eating and drinking, he excused himself from the palace and left the palace.
He got on his little donkey and walked back leisurely.
Not long after leaving the imperial city, Yu Qian's sedan came up and said, "Mr. Li, stay here."
"Xu~"
"?" Donkey: Do you really treat me like a horse?
The donkey stopped.
Li Qing turned around and saw that Yu Qian had gotten off the sedan and stepped forward.
Seeing this, Li Qing simply got off the donkey and asked, "Why did you leave the palace so quickly?"
Yu Qian smiled: "Today is the home court of the Ministry of Rites. Besides, I have a minister named Wang Ji above me. It doesn't matter if I am with you or not."
He turned back and waved, "You guys go back first, I'll take a walk, sir."
The bearer agreed and left early with the empty sedan.
Li Qing smiled and asked, "Do you have anything to ask?"
"Yes." Yu Qian nodded: "I thought about it, and I still think it's better to be fully prepared in advance. It was not convenient for you to say it in the palace before, but now you can do it, right?"
"Okay, since you want to know, I'll tell you." Li Qing smiled, "The Emperor wants to reopen ocean trade."
"That's good!" Yu Qian became energetic, "It should have been reopened long ago."
After a pause, his brows gradually furrowed, "If this is the case, I'm afraid some people will feel uncomfortable, and it may... make the emperor feel uncomfortable as well."
Li Qing smiled and said: "It's not possible, they will definitely fight back."
"Do you have any countermeasures, sir?" Yu Qian asked.
Li Sin asked, "How influential are you now?"
Yu Qian understood what he meant, and couldn't help but feel hot on his face, and said sarcastically: "When the imperial court reopens maritime trade, most officials will be affected. I'm afraid..."
"That's it."
Yu Qian: "Wang Zhi will stand firmly on my side."
"Huh, huh?" Li Qing said in surprise, "No?"
"...No more." Yu Qian looked embarrassed, as if he felt embarrassed, and added: "The British Duke Zhang Fu has always been a staunch supporter of the emperor, and he will also help."
Li Qing: "..."
