Chapter 32: The First Fight Across the Air When Emperor Jiajing first ascended the throne, Yang Tinghe, Empress Dowager Zhang and others joined forces to put pressure on him and forced him to surrender. From the route chosen when entering the palace for the first time to the palace where one lived, everything was based on political calculations. With the assistance of his mother, Empress Dowager Jiang, Emperor Jiajing repeatedly bowed his head and compromised at the beginning. Yang Tinghe, Empress Dowager Zhang and others became more and more demanding and continued to put pressure on them. All this finally angered the arrogant Emperor Jiajing. Thus, taking advantage of the matter of great etiquette, the emperor and his subjects went to all-out war. At this moment, the grass on Yang Tinghe's grave was three feet high, and his son Yang Shenyuan was watching elephants in Yunnan. Empress Dowager Zhang's two brothers, one died in prison, and the other was executed by Emperor Jiajing. Emperor Jiajing won a great victory. The price is that I become a real loner.
He attached great importance to family ties, and in this situation, he felt even more lonely. Only by practicing Taoism can he find some comfort. After opening his eyes, Emperor Jiajing let out a very long breath. "Your Majesty, would you like to eat?" Emperor Jiajing had been meditating since the afternoon and felt a little hungry. "Yes." Huang Jin asked someone to serve the meal, "By the way, Prime Minister Yan came to see you earlier. I heard that your majesty was contemplating the great Dao, and he waited for an hour before leaving." "Ok!" The food was served. Emperor Jiajing took a few bites and suddenly threw away his chopsticks. The crisp sound startled Huang Jin. He glanced at Emperor Jiajing in the candlelight. There was a cold and lonely look between his brows. "full." Emperor Jiajing stood up and walked out. The night sky is full of stars and the moonlight is graceful. Several palace servants were whispering not far away, but when they saw Emperor Jiajing appear, they quickly shut up. Emperor Jiajing turned around and Huang Jin lowered his head. No one dared to look him in the eye. "Is this the majesty of an emperor?" Emperor Jiajing felt somewhat strange and familiar at the same time. He suddenly felt empty and lost in his heart. "What did Qingzhi do today?" Huang Jin reported: "Mr. Jiang went to Lu's today." "What's the matter?"
"Mrs. Lu's grandson is one year old today, so Mr. Jiang was invited." "Tell me about it." Emperor Jiajing often had a reversed schedule, sleeping during the day and practicing Taoism and handling government affairs at night. Yan Song and others also had their schedules disrupted. This was the moment when Emperor Jiajing was most clear-headed and alert. "At first, Mrs. Lu was quite cold to Mr. Jiang. Later, Concubine Lu Jing sent someone to visit him. Then, Mrs. Lu Wei became polite and apologized in front of everyone." "What did the woman say?" That woman... Thinking of Concubine Lu who relied on the favor of Emperor Jiajing, Huang Jin couldn't help but sigh secretly, "Concubine Lu asked someone to tell her the source of the poem. In addition, I guess she probably said that Your Majesty values Mr. Jiang, which made Lu Wei arrogant at first and respectful later." Of course Emperor Jiajing could calculate all this, but he was too lazy to do so. "How did Qingzhi deal with it?" Huang Jin couldn't help but steal a glance at Emperor Jiajing, but couldn't tell whether he liked or disliked him. "Mr. Jiang responded coldly." Emperor Jiajing suddenly laughed. Huang Jin couldn't help but smile when he saw everyone was relieved. It's good for everyone if the master is in a good mood. Emperor Jiajing stopped laughing and looked at the sky with his hands behind his back. "This kid has my shadow, and he doesn't bother with those monkeys." …… Day two. Breakfast was pancakes with vegetables, which was arranged by Jiang Qingzhi. "Can this be delicious?" Sun Chonglou looked at Dou Jialan with a melancholy look. Dou Jialan took a bite and raised her eyebrows sharply. "How is it?" asked Sun Chonglou. Dou Jialan took another bite. "If you become a chef, I'm afraid you will become famous all over the world." Jiang Qingzhi ate the burrito and then took his people to the store. "How much did you buy it for?" Jiang Qingzhi asked. "Three hundred strings of cash." said the eunuch who led the way, "I am the one who took care of this matter." He knew Emperor Jiajing's attitude towards Jiang Qingzhi, so he showed goodwill. Jiang Qingzhi walked into the shop and said, "Two hundred strings of cash at most."
After he finished speaking, there was a plop sound behind him. Sun Chonglou turned around and said in surprise: "Hey! Master, he's kneeling." Jiang Qingzhi walked in and took a look at the store. "I am guilty, I will return the money now." The eunuch trembled all over. Sun Chonglou exclaimed, "You embezzled His Majesty's money? How did the young master know?" With just one glance, he saw through this eunuch. The young master is indeed amazing... Dou Jialan looked at Jiang Qingzhi, and for the first time, admiration flashed in his eyes. Playing this...the former small warlord Jiang Qingzhi could kill him. "If you deceive others, I can turn a blind eye." Jiang Qingzhi was not a man who hated evil. He patted the counter and said, "But you deceived His Majesty. I cannot tolerate this!" The Taoist priest was really nice to him. Jiang Qingzhi was a man who clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment. Later, the eunuch went back to apologize. "Oh! What did Qingzhi say?" Emperor Jiajing didn't care about the money, but he cared about someone deceiving him. The eunuch was shaking like a sieve. "Master Jiang said, if you deceived others, I could turn a blind eye. But you deceived His Majesty, I can't tolerate this." Emperor Jiajing was silent for a long time. Just when the eunuch thought he was dead, Emperor Jiajing waved his hand and said, "Get lost!" The eunuchs were pardoned. Huang Jin was also a little surprised. According to Emperor Jiajing's past behavior, this eunuch would be skinned alive if he didn't die! How can Your Majesty be so kind today? Emperor Jiajing held the whisk in his hand and said leisurely, "People's minds are unpredictable. Those people approached me for fame and fortune, for high positions and generous salaries. Huang Jin." "I'm here, slave." "Do you know why I haven't arranged a celebration yet?" As the cousin of Emperor Jiajing, it would be no problem to confer a title, an official title, or even a real job. But Emperor Jiajing seemed to have forgotten this and only gave him land and houses, and not much land. There were some speculations both in the outside world and in the palace, which is one of the reasons why many people felt that Emperor Jiajing treated this cousin just normally. Huang Jin smiled and said, "Your Majesty is very wise, I don't know." Emperor Jiajing said: "I have been let down by countless people over the years. People's hearts are as cruel as ghosts. I want to see if Qingzhi can hold his temper." Huang Jin knew that the more a person was tested by Emperor Jiajing, the brighter his future would be. That Mr. Jiang, Mrs. Lu, is really blind! "He never asks for anything. Even if he doesn't have enough money, he won't use my name to make money. If it were someone else, he would have already filled his warehouse with money and grain." Emperor Jiajing was very satisfied with his cousin.
"Tell Yan Song that Qingzhi's title should be discussed." "Yes." After receiving the order, Yan Song discussed it with several officials from the Ministry of Rites the next day. Although it was called a discussion, Yan Song had learned Xia Yan's one-man show thoroughly and was only communicating with his son Yan Shifan. Yan Shifan, a fat, short-necked man, opened his folding fan and fanned himself a few times. At this time, he was blatantly taken to Zhilu by Yan Song to help him handle government affairs. This is also the origin of the nickname "Little Cabinet Minister". Yan Shifan had one eye disabled. He squinted his single eye and glanced at several officials from the Ministry of Rites. Yan Shifan said, "Uncle!" Someone sneered, "You are already a baron right after you arrive? Isn't this Ming Dynasty title too worthless?" Yan Shifan said calmly: "Ignorance." The man was angry, "You!" Yan Song coughed dryly, "East Tower." Yan Shifan looked at the official with disdain and said, "If you feel it is inappropriate, then you can try writing a petition yourself." "Just try it." Yan Song frowned, but Yan Shifan shook his head slightly. Later, when everyone had dispersed, Yan Shifan said to Yan Song, "Just wait and see. That man will be covered in dirt." Not long after, news came that an official from the Ministry of Rites wrote a letter to the Emperor, but was rejected by the Emperor Jiajing. Huang Jin personally went to reprimand the official, saying that he had no respect for the emperor and his father. This is over the top. The official was terrified and came again to ask to see Yan Song, actually he wanted to see Yan Shifan. "Young Master, save me..." Although some people in the outside world jokingly called Yan Shifan "Little Cabinet Minister", no one was so flattering in formal occasions. This person is shameless! However, Yan Shifan did not drive them away. He said calmly: "You can write again." The official said gratefully, "Uncle?" Yan Shifan shook his head, "Marquis!" The official did not dare to question him any further. After he left, Yan Song asked, "Why?" Yan Shifan was extremely intelligent and was particularly good at guessing the thoughts of Emperor Jiajing. Whenever he drafted government affairs on behalf of Yan Song, he always did so in line with Emperor Jiajing's wishes. The proposal for handling the affairs of state received by the prime minister from various places would be given first and then submitted to the emperor for his review. Otherwise, the emperor would have nothing to do the whole day and would not be able to finish reading all the memorials.
Yan Shifan said: "I heard that Jiang Qingzhi is quite friendly to Xia Yan. But who is Xia Yan? Our mortal enemy." "Then why did you suggest conferring him a title of nobility?" Yan Song was old, and many times he could not guess the emperor's thoughts, so he had to rely on his son to make the decision. "Father, being conferred the title of Earl is too common." Yan Shifan said softly, "Those censors are waiting for someone to show up. The man from the Ministry of Rites was rude to father. Although he had the intention of surrendering, how can we deter people if we don't punish him?" Yan Song understood, "If your Majesty finds something wrong with the letter of conferring a title of nobility, he will be in trouble." "That's a good intention, isn't it?" Yan Shifan closed his folding fan. "The higher you lift Jiang Qingzhi, the harder he will fall." Yan Song sighed, "My son is smart." Yan Shifan accepted the order and said proudly, "I heard that Jiang Qingzhi has become famous in Beijing recently because of a poem. Poetry is also a minor art!" …… "Hou?" Emperor Jiajing took a look at the memorial. Yan Song said: "This is the intention of the Ministry of Rites." Emperor Jiajing put down the memorial without making any comment. Glanced at Huang Jin. As master and servant for many years, Huang Jin understood what was meant and went out, telling someone to go to the Jiang family to inform them. Inside the palace. Emperor Jiajing took out the brocade box. "I just refined a furnace of golden elixir today. Yan Qing, come here, we can share it with each other." Yan Song's cheeks twitched, and he quickly pretended to be happy, "I am extremely frightened." After a golden pill entered his stomach, the emperor and his minister discussed philosophical ideas for more than an hour before Yan Song took the opportunity to leave. Back at Zhilu, Yan Song held his stomach and shouted, "Hurry, hurry!" "Prime Minister, what do you want?" asked the clerk. "Toilet, toilet!" Not long after, there was a sound of water rushing down from the Zhilu. When Jiang Qingzhi learned the news, he declined without hesitation. "The title of Marquis is not my intention, but I hope the sea will be peaceful." After the visitor left, Jiang Qingzhi said, "Someone is playing tricks on us." This was the first time Yan Shifan and Jiang Qingzhi fought against each other through air. When these two lines of poetry were brought to Emperor Jiajing, he suddenly laughed.
"I just wanted to see if Qingzhi would be elated, but he didn't show any youthful excitement at all, which made me extremely bored. But it's okay, he knows when to advance and when to retreat." Huang Jin thought, if you favor someone, whatever he does is right. Emperor Jiajing then sneered, "Whose handwriting is this?" Huang Jin said: "An official from the Ministry of Rites." "Demoted to a commoner!" "Yes!" Huang Jin observed a moment of silence for the official. Emperor Jiajing said: "You idiot, you remember me when you do things, how could I forget you? But so many people are watching you. Wealth, wealth, what is wealth? Real wealth is a long-term flow of water." …… The third update. There is one more update. (End of this chapter)