Chapter 412: Take a look around and focus on you, a fellow countryman
More than a month later, the clan mansion outside the left gate of Chang'an moved to the vicinity of Dali Temple.
The original official office of the Zongren Mansion was freed up and given to a brand new Yamen.
At the beginning of the morning, a sedan chair appeared on the north side of Qipan Street.
The servant following the sedan walked to the side of the sedan curtain and said flatteringly: "Sir, I have been here to visit you in the past few days, and many sedans have been carried to the entrance of Liubu Yamen. Those who come down may not be red-robed officials.
"
"Get off the sedan now. You go back to your home." A solemn command came from behind the curtain with a Fujian accent.
"Ah, yes, sir." The servant responded and directed the bearer to stop.
Hong Chengchou stepped out of the sedan chair with his official robes in hand, straightened his appearance, and walked northward.
This 29-year-old native of Quanzhou, Fujian Province, was a Jinshi in the 44th year of Wanli. After six years of official career, he excelled in examinations and has reached the rank of Yuan Wai Lang of the Ministry of Justice.
At this point, Beijing officials usually have to be sent to provincial-level administrative units to accumulate some political achievements, and then return to Beijing to continue their promotion.
Unexpectedly, the emperor suddenly summoned him, asked him some common questions about his performance over the years, and then asked the staff to directly promote him to the position of Shaoqing.
Hong Chengchou was in front of the emperor that day and did not dare to ask on the spot. He thought to himself that his official reputation was good, and Bi Ziyan of Taipu Temple had just been promoted to the Ministry of Household Affairs. Could he be the Shaoqing of Taipu Temple?
That is a great joy!
Unexpectedly, on the way out of the palace, Cao Huachun's confidant eunuch told him directly that this young minister was not that young minister.
This Shaoqing is the Shaoqing of the newly established State Affairs Temple. Madam Zheng, the Minister of the State Affairs Temple, has been signed by the Ministry of Personnel.
Ah this...
Even though Hong Chengchou was in the Ministry of Punishment, he was not so privy to information that he didn't know who Zheng Haizhu was, and immediately felt his eyes darkened.
So, he became the first civil servant to serve as a subordinate to a woman since the Ming Dynasty?
It is not that there are no female officials in the Sixth Bureau of the Inner Court of the Ming Dynasty. The rank of the ministers and bureaus is higher than that of the male imperial doctors, and they lead a bunch of small firemen.
However, the little fire people are eunuchs, and Hong Chengchou is a dignified second-class Jinshi!
However, after six years in the official career, he was no longer a young boy. How could Hong Yuanwailang, who had just established his career, lose his composure in front of Cao Huachun's cronies?
Hong Chengchou endured the complicated feeling in his heart and returned to the mansion with a cold face after leaving the Forbidden City. He saw a young man dressed as an Imperial College student already sitting in the living room.
When the young man left home, he was the eldest grandson of Dong Qichang. As a junior, he came to send Mrs. Zheng some local rituals from his hometown and a couplet written by Dong Qichang.
Hong Chengchou went to see the earthen instrument, which contained a box of dried tofu and an inkstone.
Let’s look at the couplets unfolded by the servants: white tofu, white tofu, a man of leisure and erudition, imitating Li Bai; black inkstone, inkstone is black, for an official, he is iron-clad and black.
Dong Ting delivered the gift and the message, then said goodbye and left.
Hong Chengchou stared at the gifts and couplets, thinking for a long time.
Since then, there has been no further movement from Mrs. Zheng's side, until today, the Yamen of the State Council Temple has put up a sign to grant the seal.
In the morning sun, Hong Chengchou walked quickly with his sleeves on his back.
The first person to pass by was the Ministry of Rites.
Not long ago, the "same year" in Beijing also revealed to Hong Chengchou that after the Ministry of Rites controlled by Donglin was severely punished by Zheng over the ultimatum issue, Zhao Nanxing took a fancy to Hong Chengchou and wanted to move him to Zhejiang to succeed Qian Qian.
On the one hand, it is good to be an academic official and to accumulate qualifications. More importantly, it is to win over a group of young scholars to serve as Donglin's reserve force.
Hong Chengchou was not Dong Lin, and he looked down on Zhao Nanxing and the others. Thinking of this, his title of "Shaoqing of the State Council" came out of thin air, but he came just in time.
When Hong Chengchou slowed down in front of the etiquette department, officials on duty passed by him one after another.
In this area, there are probably more green-robed civil servants of fifth to seventh rank than sparrows foraging for food on the roadside. The Ministry of Punishment has always been located in the Sanfa Department in the west of the city, so there are not many imperial colleagues who know Hong Chengchou here.
There were constant discussions with a curious tone ringing in my ears.
"The rare things of the Ming Dynasty are really better than the other. I thought it was a strange thing that a palace maid who was twenty years older than the emperor could become a noble concubine."
"Hey, Concubine Wan Gui is just an anecdote in the inner court. Now this is a joke in the court. The bosses of the cabinet don't know what they think."
"What do you think? Just think of what the Holy One wants. What do you think we should do about the woman the Holy One likes?"
"I'm sorry for that young minister. I heard that he was promoted by a member of the Ministry of Justice. His official career record is very impressive. Now, he has become a laughing stock after being ordered by a court official who was born as a businesswoman."
"Why didn't you resign out of anger? Mom, you have to be so addicted to officialdom to be able to bear it."
Hong Chengchou followed them calmly and saw them entering the Ministry of Rites, the Qintian Prison, the Ministry of Husbandry, and the Ministry of Works.
For a moment, he felt that the words of these colleagues were better than the women they despised?
The newly appointed fifth-rank Shaoqing finally arrived at the gate of the State Council Temple.
When the Si Cheng, the Chief Secretary and the two Guan Zheng saw the white pheasant patch on Hong Chengchou's chest, they realized that this was the Deputy Hall Master, and hurriedly stepped forward to welcome Hong Shaoqing, hoping to lead Hong Shaoqing to check the room.
"Has the temple minister arrived?"
"Not yet."
"Then I won't go in first. I'll wait here for the temple minister."
Si Cheng and the chief clerk looked at each other, feeling surprised in their hearts.
Some busybodies from other ministries had previously come over to take a look at this rumored new yamen. The expressions on the faces were truly unkind.
Seeing more and more officials watching the excitement from near and far, isn't Hong Shaoqing afraid of acting like a monkey and giving advice?
Hong Chengchou shook his robe sleeves and walked under the plaque of "State Affairs Temple".
After a moment, he realized that there was no one around him. He immediately lowered his face, turned his head and scolded softly: "Do you still have any rules? What are you doing hiding behind the threshold? Why, working for my Da Ming Tangtang Fourth Grade Yamen is even more shameful than being a thief.
? Come out!”
Only then did the Si Cheng and the Chief Registrar realize how stupid they were. They hurriedly apologized, lifted their official robes, walked down the steps, and stood behind Hong Chengchou.
Fortunately, soon, a figure in red robe appeared in the south.
Zheng Haizhu's steps are not sluggish, but neither is he in a hurry.
When she met the oncoming appraising glances, she still offered her hand to the owner of the gaze. After receiving several embarrassing returns from her owners, more people in blue robes and blue robes pretended to look away.
Zheng Haizhu walked to the gate of the State Affairs Temple and said in southern Fujian dialect to the person he had personally asked Zhu Changluo to come: "Hong Shaoqing, from today on, you and I are not only fellow townsmen of Zhangquan, but also fellow bureaucracy members of the new government."
Hong Chengchou returned the courtesy seriously and stood behind and to the left of Zheng Haizhu.
Soon, someone from the Supervisor of Ceremonies came to announce the decree, and someone from the Ministry of Civil Affairs came to grant the seal. The temple minister and the young minister followed the Ming Dynasty etiquette to express gratitude and receive the seal. Then they led the subordinate officials and clerks into the Yamen and officially started working.
.
Hong Chengchou came to Zheng Haizhu's room and said straight to the point: "That couplet, Mr. Hong has hung it in the house."
Zheng Haizhu also said bluntly to him: "Hong Shaoqing, I did not become an official in the imperial examination. I am a person without a leader and nepotism of the same year. Therefore, I can only find helpers from my fellow villagers. At present, in the capital officials, there are six-rank civil servants from Zhangquan area.
You are the only one who is in your prime of life and can stand out as an official. But I am from Zhangzhou and am not familiar with Quanzhou. To show my sincerity, of course I will send someone to Quanzhou to find out about your past events when you were young and send the right gift to you.
"
Hong Chengchou narrowed his eyes.
On that day when Dong Ting came to present Dong Qichang's calligraphy treasure, which turned out to be a couplet between himself and his former mentor Hong Qiyin, Hong Chengchou was already surprised by Zheng Haizhu's style and admired it.
At this moment, hearing her speak sincerely without any intention of showing off, the resentment in my heart about being an official below a woman dissipated even more.
Those who know the current affairs are heroes, and the same is true for officials.
In front of the emperor and in the palace, my female boss is obviously very comfortable.
She, a fellow Fujianese with a good brain, should have more prospects than Zhao Nanxing, the old Dong Heng.
Hong Chengchou then handed over his hand and thanked him in southern Fujian: "Thanks to the recommendation of the Minister of Duo Chengsi, Hong's chest has been replaced so quickly."
Zheng Haizhu smiled.
That day, he did not make a fuss about refusing to be promoted. Today, he could stand at the yamen gate to greet Shangguan, which to some extent shows that Hong Chengchou has passed the threshold in his heart.
Zheng Haizhu therefore did not continue to talk deeply about the friendship with this famous figure in Qing history, but began to talk to him about the coastal defense of the Minhai and Denglai, the captive relationship between Hou Jin and Mongolia, etc.
Finally, she said to Hong Chengchou: "According to the Holy Spirit's instructions, I will leave for Daning Town soon. During this period, I will leave all the affairs of the State Affairs Temple to you."