"It's so cold!" As soon as Xu Jingchang left the house, a cold wind hit him and he couldn't help shivering.
"How can this be considered cold?" Xu Zengshou patted him on the head: "Winter in Yongfan is called cold! Even though the weather in Yongming City in summer is similar to that in Beijing, in winter it's so cold that you have to go out to pee at night.
It might freeze."
"Fourth uncle, are you going to court today?" Xu Jingchang did not answer his words, but asked in surprise. Xu Zengshou just returned from Yongming City a few years ago, and he has not yet been assigned an official position, so how can he go to court?
"He will arrange official positions today." Xu Huizu came from behind Xu Zengshou and scolded Xu Jingchang, who was even more curious: "Hurry up and get on the horse! You will be late for the first court meeting after the new year!"
Xu Jingchang was very afraid of Xu Huizu and did not dare to ask anything after hearing this. He quickly mounted the horse brought by the servant, tightened his collar, and followed behind his two uncles and father.
As the founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty and top nobles, the Xu family's mansion was naturally one of the first batch of newly built courtyards in the capital. At that time, the Ming Dynasty had not yet unified the country, and the craftsmen's skills were not as sophisticated as they are today. They felt that they were not satisfied with the areas that needed repairing.
Many, but not as good as the newly built mansions today. But being old also has its advantages, that is, it is very close to the palace. Not long after, the four uncles and nephews arrived in front of Chengtian Gate, got off their horses and handed the horses to the servants.
Walk towards the imperial city.
Xu Jingchang took out his badge and was waiting for the guards to check when he suddenly heard a cry from behind: "Jingchang!" When he looked back, he saw Chang Sen's son Chang Jiyao waving his arms and shouting to him.
"Ji Yao." Jing Chang waited for him to come to him and said, "I haven't seen you in the past few days during the Lantern Festival. What are you doing at home?" He then hurriedly saluted Chang Sheng and Chang Sen: "I've seen you Chang.
Second uncle, third uncle."
Chang Sheng nodded and walked over to talk to Xu Huizu; Chang Sen patted his shoulder and said with a smile: "You look strong again, and you are quite diligent." He glanced at his son and said:
"You should also learn from Jingchang, don't just stay in the house and play with women all day long!"
"Yes, father." Ji Yao lowered his head and did not dare to look at him. Chang Sen scolded him again and walked over to talk to Xu Yingxu and Xu Zengshou.
"I really shouldn't have said hello to you just now, and my father scolded me again." Chang Jiyao joked: "Who made you so powerful that you can also perform meritorious service on the battlefield?"
"I'm just lucky." Although Xu Jingchang despised these people who only know how to spend all day long in his heart, he didn't show it at all on his face: "You haven't answered what I just said. There haven't been any in the past few days during the Lantern Festival.
What are you doing at home when I see you?"
"It's nothing. I just took a new concubine who was born in a brothel. Her sluttiness is unmatched by a girl from a good family, so she didn't go out." Chang Jiyao replied with a smile.
"Uncle Chang, a girl from a brothel, wants you to be admitted into the palace?" Xu Jingchang was curious. Neither his father nor his uncle would allow him to admit a girl from a brothel into the palace.
"How could it be? If they find out, they won't beat me up!" Chang Jiyao said with a smile: "I was brought in as a girl from a good family. I asked people from Shangyuan County to change her household registration to a family outside the city.
The farmer brought it in. It just so happened that my second uncle and my father didn’t have the time to pay attention to things in the house these days, so they came in.”
"Let's not talk about this anymore." At this time, they had passed the inspection and entered the imperial city. Chang Jiyao looked around and saw that there was no one around. The elders were walking in front and talking about something. He whispered to Xu Jingchang: "Can you
I know that on the 13th day of the Lantern Festival, the first day of the Lantern Festival, the emperor took Concubine Hui out of the palace in plain clothes. They said they were going to see the lantern show. They indeed walked around the lantern market for a long time, but they met and talked with Brother Li.
For a while?"
There are many people with the surname Li in Beijing, but there is only one person who can be called "brother Li" by Chang Ji Yao, and that is Li Jinglong. So Xu Jingchang was surprised again: "Is there such a thing? How did you know about it?"
"The night before yesterday, I went to talk to my eldest brother. As soon as I walked to the door, I heard my eldest sister-in-law and my eldest brother say: 'The emperor met my eldest brother at the lantern festival the day before yesterday...' I was about to continue listening when the servant shouted, "Sister-in-law.
I stopped talking to eldest brother, so I didn’t hear what happened next. But there is no doubt that the emperor met eldest brother Li.” Chang Ji Yao said.
"Well, before the Chinese New Year, the Emperor met with Uncle Chang and Uncle Chang. On the ninth day of the Lunar New Year, he took my fourth aunt back to the palace to talk to my uncle. Later, he summoned my uncle again. On the tenth day of the Lunar New Year, he took Concubine Hui back to the palace and talked with him.
Commander Xue talked for a long time; the twelfth announced that Marquis Jingchuan and Marquis Changxing entered the palace..., the thirteenth met Brother Li again, and he met all the veteran generals in just a few days."
Xu Jingchang said: "Your Majesty is going to make big moves in the system of military attachés! Wasn't it just a civilian military attache system that was established before the Chinese New Year? Why should we change it again? It's a pity that my uncle and my father didn't tell me anything."
"My father and second uncle didn't tell me anything." Chang Jiyao said with some dissatisfaction: "My eldest brother knows some things. They all told me, but they didn't tell me anything. I don't know anything.
"
Xu Jingchang was originally a little dissatisfied with Xu Huizu and Xu Zengshou for not telling him anything, but after hearing Chang Jiyao's words, he felt inexplicably much better: Xu Qin didn't know as much as he did! But he comforted him: "It's nothing, today
It is estimated that His Majesty will announce the decree and you will know it soon."
"Although I'll probably know it soon, I'm still curious." Chang Jiyao said, "How do you think you will reform it?"
"I can't say that," Xu Jingchang said immediately: "His Majesty's actions are always unexpected, and no one can guess it."
"That's all. I'm just worried. What if the system of using civil society to control military affairs is completely implemented?" Chang Jiyao said. Although he has no ability and does not intend to go to the battlefield, after all, as a member of a family of military generals, he has no intention of going to the battlefield.
Very worried.
"No, the emperor will not do this." Although Xu Jingchang said this, he was not sure in his heart. After the war with Timur, it seems that there will be no more wars in the Ming Dynasty. No one knows what the emperor will do.
Can't guess.
Coincidentally, at this time Chang Sheng also said to Xu Huizu with some anxiety: "Yungong, what are the powers of these newly established yamen by the emperor? Will they use civil servants to control military officers?"
"How could Your Majesty do such a thing?" Xu Huizu said with a smile: "Relax, it will never be like this."
"I hope so." Chang Sheng suspected that Xu Huizu was comforting him. In fact, he didn't know how he would reform, so he just said this.
"Don't worry," Xu Huizu said again, probably having seen through Chang Sheng's thoughts: "Your Majesty remembers the lessons of the Song Dynasty clearly and will not make such a mistake."
…
…
"Quickly, seal both imperial edicts!" At this time, in the Qianqing Palace, Yunxi yawned and ordered Wang Xi with slightly red eye circles.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Wang Xi, with red eyes, agreed and stepped forward to pick up the big seal and stamp the two imperial edicts.
"Finally it's done." Yunxi sighed. He revised these imperial edicts many times, and he was still revising them last night. After sleeping for more than two hours at night, he couldn't fall asleep again, and he got up to think about whether it was still necessary. I changed it again and again until now I am finally sure.
"Guan family," Wang Xi couldn't help but said after seeing this: "Guan family, you don't have to be in such a hurry, and you don't have to go to court on the first day after the new year to announce how to reform. It doesn't matter if you delay it for a few days."
"What you said makes sense, but if this reform is not implemented, I will not be able to let it go. I will always think about it, so it is better to announce it early, so that I can save my worries."
"And I will read out these imperial edicts on the first day after the Chinese New Year to reform the military attache system and tell all officials that the pleasant days in the past few years are gone. From this year on, everyone will have to be busy. stand up."
"In the past few years, the civil and military officials have not been idle." Lu Yi, the young eunuch standing by, complained in his heart. In the past few years, Yunxi granted many vassal titles and fought two major wars. Many small battles kept not only the generals busy, , the civil servants are also very busy. But he actually understands what Yunxi means: Although they have been busy in the past few years, they have done things according to the rules and just follow the previous examples; this year, they will be overwhelmed. Maybe you don’t even know what you should do, and it will take some time to get used to it.
After Wang Xi finished sealing, Yunxi took it from his hand and checked it again. He wrote these imperial edicts himself, without borrowing from anyone else. He had not written an edict personally for several years. He had to check it from beginning to end to see if there were any typos or bad writing, although he had already checked it many times before letting Wang Xi seal it.
At this time, a head poked in from the door of the palace. Seeing that Yunxi had not written anything, these eyes walked in and said: "Guan family, it is already the first quarter of Chen hour. In three quarters, Guan family should go to court. But the official family has not yet eaten, so I invite the official family to have a meal. The food has been prepared."
"Just now, the Queen sent someone over to ask if the officials had finished their meal."
"Is it already this time?" Yunxi raised his head and looked outside. The sky had turned from dark to bright. He smiled and said, "It's really time to have dinner." He then stood up and told Wang Xi, "You know how many of them you know?" Please check for typos for me."
"Yes, official." Wang Xi agreed and picked up the imperial edict to check. He allowed him to go to the dining hall to have a meal.
Not long after he finished his meal, he asked someone to read the imperial edict again, handed it to Lu Yi, and said: "You will go to court with me and give the imperial edict to the person who read it. Wang Xi, you will also follow. I've been busy these days, so I'm going to catch up on my sleep so I don't have to go to court."
Wang Xi promised to express his gratitude. He had followed Yunxi for many years and knew that Yunxi was not being polite, so there was no need to refuse.
Yunxi gave him a few more instructions, got up, left Qianqing Palace, and went to Fengtian Palace.
