Eunuch Lu was an old man in the palace who had served the emperors of three dynasties. When he left the palace, the emperor gave him a generous reward, and a group of servants saw him off.
No matter how you look at it, it doesn't look like being desolate and being driven out.
Wei Gong announced a day off and personally escorted Eunuch Lu out of the palace.
As a chamberlain, his body was disabled and most of his life was short-lived. People like Eunuch Lu who could live to their fifties were rare longevity. Eunuch Lu was once seriously ill. Although he survived, the root of the disease was left behind. When walking,
He was slightly bent over. When I left the palace today, my back was even more bent.
Eunuch Wei had already packed the carriage and helped Eunuch Lu get on the carriage: "Sit tight, foster father."
As soon as the words "adopted father" came into his ears, Eunuch Lu's eyes suddenly became hot and he turned his head to one side. After a moment, he turned his head again and whispered: "I never thought that I would get out of the palace alive.
"
A few years ago, from the day he betrayed Emperor Jianwen, he was mentally prepared to die at any time.
That day outside the Jiaofang Hall, he was caught by Eunuch Wei and he thought he would not survive the next day.
Unexpectedly, the emperor spared his life and only ordered him to leave the palace.
Eunuch Wei was silent for a moment and then said in a low voice: "When I entered the palace, I was only twelve years old. If it weren't for the support and care of my adoptive father, I would not have risen to prominence so quickly, nor would I have been sent to the side of His Highness the Seventh Prince.
Already."
"I am where I am today thanks to my adoptive father. I will never forget my adoptive father's kindness."
"The emperor is kind enough to let his adoptive father leave the palace. The adoptive father should also be grateful to the emperor for his kindness."
"I bought a small courtyard with two entrances for my adoptive father, and bought two slaves to serve my adoptive father in his daily life."
"After leaving the palace, my adoptive father should forget everything in the palace! From now on, I will be filial to my adoptive father and let him live a long life with no worries about food and clothing."
Zhilan's figure flashed in Eunuch Lu's mind, and soon he smiled self-deprecatingly: "You are right. I am old and I don't have many years left to live. From now on, I will feel at ease in my small house.
Retirement. When you have some free time, just come and see me."
Eunuch Lu's departure from the palace is just the beginning. Next, a large number of "old and infirm" chamberlains will be released from the palace. The era of Empress Dowager Yu will also become a thing of the past as the palace maids and chamberlains leave the palace...
This palace has completely changed its owner.
The carriage moved forward slowly.
Eunuch Lu finally couldn't hold it back and opened the curtain of the car and took a look back.
The vermilion palace gate is getting further and further away. The palace where he has lived for decades will completely become his memory.
Eunuch Lu's eyes were red, and muddy old tears fell down.
…
In the evening, Eunuch Wei returned to the palace and entered the Yiqing Hall.
Sheng Hong, who had been busy for most of the day, put down the memorial and called Eunuch Wei over: "Have you settled Eunuch Lu well?"
Eunuch Wei nodded, knelt down neatly and kowtowed three times: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration."
As the emperor, it is extremely easy to make a chamberlain disappear quietly in the palace. Eunuch Lu betrayed the emperor and sent a message, and it would not be unjust to be beaten to death with sticks.
Sheng Hong was willing to let Eunuch Lu leave the palace because of Eunuch Wei's face.
Sheng Hong didn't take this little thing to heart, and said casually: "Get up! You have brought Eunuch Lu out of the palace, and you have to take care of him well, let alone make any mistakes."
Eunuch Lu left the palace alone. The two servants around him were both Eunuch Wei's. An old eunuch who had no power or influence and was far away from the palace could not cause any trouble.
Eunuch Wei responded with tears of gratitude: "Yes, I will take good care of Eunuch Lu."
Sheng Hong looked at the grateful Eunuch Wei and felt a little sad.
The chamberlain is also a human being, and he is not just mean and ungrateful. Eunuch Wei is affectionate and righteous to Eunuch Lu, his adoptive father. It is precisely because Eunuch Wei is such a person that he values and trusts him more and more.
Sheng Hong thought silently, and some vague thoughts in his heart became clearer and clearer.
That night, Sheng Hong returned to the Jiaofang Palace and discussed with Xie Mingxi: "Mingxi, letting a man purify himself and enter the palace as a chamberlain will harm the peace of the world. It is also too cruel for a man."
"I want to abolish chamberlains and replace them with female officers."
The ideas that Sheng Hong occasionally comes up with are always different from what ordinary people think.
Xie Mingxi was a little surprised and looked at Sheng Hong intently: "Are you serious?"
Sheng Hong nodded, and his handsome face was indeed serious: "As a woman, you cannot understand the harm that purification can do to a man. In fact, you can just let the female officers do what the chamberlain does."
"In this way, there will be fewer men who are forced to cleanse themselves and enter the palace in the future. When women enter the palace as female officials, they will be more careful and dedicated when doing their jobs."
Immediately afterwards, Sheng Hong took a certain dynasty in later generations as an example and explained the advantages of the female official system to Xie Mingxi in detail: "...Female officials are not lifelong tenure, just like the selection of officials in the court, the officials are examined first. After the female officials are selected, they must also
There is a study period of one to two years. Smart and talented people are selected from them to take on important errands."
"The literary style of Daqi is flourishing, and there are many women who have read poetry and books and are outstanding in learning. It is not difficult to choose outstanding ones..."
Xie Mingxi also felt fresh and listened carefully. The more she listened, the more feasible it became.
Sheng Hong wanted to replace the chamberlains with female officers not only to get rid of the bad habit of men becoming chamberlains, but also for his own selfish reasons.
He wanted to make A Luo the crown princess and make A Luo the first empress of Daqi. He thought of making plans for his daughter earlier. He would replace the servants with female officials and cultivate a group of loyal, reliable and useful personnel for A Luo.
Sheng Hong kept talking for half an hour before he stopped, took the teacup handed over by Xie Mingxi, and drank it all in one gulp.
Xie Mingxi thought silently for a long time before saying: "This matter cannot be done overnight. Try it out in the harem first. If the effect is acceptable, then slowly replace the position of chamberlain with female officers."
Sheng Hong understood in his heart and laughed in a low voice: "Of course I understand the principle of boiling a frog in warm water."
Men are respected in the world, and the court is a men's world. The sudden appearance of a female official next to the emperor will definitely cause a violent backlash from the court officials.
It's better to start with the harem first.
As the Queen of the Central Palace, it is natural for Xie Mingxi to promote and appoint several capable female officials. When the manpower is "not enough", it is not out of the ordinary to "select" a few capable female officials into the palace through examinations.
Appointing female officials, setting grades and salaries for female officials are all "trivial matters" in the harem. The queen in the middle palace controls the six palaces, and the courtiers have nothing to say about how to deal with it in the harem.
When everyone gradually gets used to the female official system, one or two female officials will slowly appear around him as the emperor... From running errands and delivering messages, to doing errands, to keeping the royal seal and preparing decrees and delivering orders...
All changes start from the small things.
If you want to introduce the female official system, you should not do it too hastily.
