Ming Dynasty: My Father Zhang Juzheng

Chapter 119 This prosperous age is what you wish for!
In a blink of an eye, it was the Lantern Festival of the twelfth year of Wanli.

In order to show and celebrate the peace and prosperity of the country and the people, Empress Dowager Li issued an imperial decree that the Aoshan Lantern Festival must be held in a grand manner.

The Aoshan Lantern Festival was a court custom, held once a year, and the rules and regulations were not fixed. Because Gu was already in his twelfth year of ruling, and he was exactly sixty years old.

This year's Aoshan Lantern Festival naturally appears extra solemn.

Rather than praising the emperor, it is more like praising this powerful figure.

Folk lantern festivals come even earlier. Generally speaking, after the tenth day of the first lunar month, there will be small lantern festivals on all major streets in Beijing.

The beautiful ladies and talented men invited each other to travel, adding a lot of unique charm to the chilly Beijing city.

The Aoshan Lantern Festival is different. It starts on time at 7:00 p.m. on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and lasts for three days.

Just after the Shen hour of that day, a mountain of lights was piled up in front of the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City.

The mountain of lanterns was more than 15 feet high, reaching the same level as the Five Phoenix Tower in the Forbidden City. Nearly 10,000 palace lanterns were lit at the same time, shining brightly and dazzling the eyes.

Looking up from the bottom of the Lantern Mountain, there is actually a staircase-like passage leading from the foot of the mountain to the top, like a fairy tower in the sky.

Outside the Meridian Gate, one BMW after another drove in, and the sounds of people cheering and avoiding the way were endless.

All officials above the fourth rank could enter the Meridian Gate directly, while other officials had to get off their carriages and walk inside.

Although the Lantern Festival had not yet begun, there were already crowds of people in front of the Meridian Gate.

In the Wufeng Tower, the wives and relatives of all high-ranking officials were invited to accompany the two Empress Dowagers and the Emperor.

Emperor Wanli was seen standing in the middle, wearing a bright yellow five-clawed dragon robe, and the two Empress Dowagers were standing on each side.

Empress Dowager Chen was also in her forties, dignified and elegant, with a noble appearance, looking like a green lotus that could not be desecrated.

Empress Dowager Li wore a velvet long dress today, and she even fumigated the velvet with incense all night. She put a little powder on her face, and her fair oval face was slightly blushed.

"Sister, why are you dressed like a little girl today?" Empress Dowager Chen on the side shrugged her nose, blinked her eyes, and couldn't help but chuckled.

"Sister, what nonsense are you talking about? What little girl? I'm almost forty." Empress Dowager Li was exposed and immediately lowered her head, showing a rare look of embarrassment.

"Don't tell me, if you were out there, you'd look like you were in your twenties at best."

"elder sister."

Seeing the shy look on Empress Dowager Li's face, Empress Dowager Chen smiled and tilted her head to look at Emperor Wanli: "Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore. The protagonist today is our emperor, don't you think so, Jun'er?"

"I don't want to be the protagonist. There are so many red tapes that I'm exhausted."

Emperor Wanli curled his lips, looking unhappy.

There are so many people watching here, it's hard to have fun. It's better to leave the palace and play however you want.

He missed the carefree days outside the palace, so he moved his pupils back and forth under the Meridian Gate, trying to find a familiar figure.

"Jun'er, what are you looking at?" asked Empress Dowager Chen.

"I didn't see anything. Why hasn't Mr. Zhang arrived yet?"

Emperor Wanli shook his head and turned to ask Empress Dowager Li. Empress Dowager Li smiled and said, "What time is it now? We are here too early. Mr. Zhang probably still has some official business to deal with."

"Oh."

Emperor Wanli rubbed his cheeks, looking unhappy.

How come you, a minister, are busier than us, the emperor?

Not long after, three salutes were fired, and four tall knights riding chestnut horses, wearing golden helmets and with gold medals on their waists, rode out, leading more than ten sedan chairs behind them.

Walking in front was a large sedan chair with a brocade apricot-colored fence carried by sixteen people. When the officials who had been chattering just now saw the sedan chair coming, they suddenly fell silent.

They all looked solemn, stood with their hands hanging, and looked at the sedan chair respectfully.

This is Zhang Juzheng’s sedan chair.

As soon as he got off the sedan chair, the head of the guard Li Ke lifted the curtain, and Zhang Juzheng walked out from inside, bending over. Officials from all directions surrounded him and spoke flattering words.

Zhang Juzheng nodded slightly, bowed to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor on the Five Phoenix Tower, picked up his official robe and walked upstairs.

Zhang Yunxiu and his brothers also got off the sedan chair and followed closely behind.

This was the first time Zhang Yunxiu had seen such a lantern festival, the scale of which was far beyond his imagination.

The city walls are hung with various palace lanterns, crystal lamps, oil lamps, red lanterns, and colorful satins.
Under the city wall, officials of all ranks were crowded together, so densely packed that a brick could kill a sixth-rank official.

The dragon robes and jade belts of the dukes and nobles looked even more extraordinary under the illumination of the mountain of lights.

Zhang Yunxiu had sharp eyes. As soon as he went up to the Wufeng Tower, he saw Wuqing Hou Li Wei hiding on the side.

When the two of them saw each other, Zhang Yunxiu stepped forward and greeted them with a smile: "My Lord, how are you? You look so majestic in your red and purple robes, dragon robes and jade belts."

"Oh, what's so impressive about that?" Li Wei frowned and complained, "This is all just for the sake of appearance. We have been empty-handed for a long time. But you are so rich now, we should envy you."

"What's the point of being rich? I'm almost as poor as my crotch." Zhang Yunxiu said modestly.

"Don't pretend with me. We've all heard that you made hundreds of thousands of taels last time you went out to sea. And you're still telling me that you have no money?" Li Wei pouted, with a bit of dissatisfaction in his tone.

"Who said that?"

"Don't worry about who said it, just tell me whether you did or not, right?"

Zhang Yunxiu smiled awkwardly. Li Wei became anxious and asked with a red neck: "Don't laugh, you haven't answered us yet. Is there or not? Just give us a definite answer." There are two kinds of people that Li Wei hates the most in his life. One is the person who deducts money from his bowl.

The other one is not to let him deduct money from the bowl.

Seeing Zhang Yunxiu making huge amounts of money, he felt uncomfortable all over, as if ants were crawling on him.

"My Lord, I treat you as a friend, and I won't lie to you." Zhang Yunxiu thought for a few seconds, looked up at Li Wei and said, "In fact, I am just an errand boy, and the big pay goes to the emperor."

"Our grandson?"

"Yes, I am here to run errands for the Emperor."

Li Wei was startled and slowly shifted his gaze to Emperor Wanli. Emperor Wanli happened to shift his gaze over, and the three of them met eyes. Emperor Wanli seemed to be saying - stand there, I will come to you when I am done with my work.

At this moment, Emperor Wanli was surrounded by Zhang Juzheng and a group of high-ranking officials.

At the hour of You, the eunuchs of the bell and drum department struck a hammer, and the eunuch in charge of ritual music shouted in a shrill voice: "Begin the music—"

In an instant, drums and music sounded, and the officials who came to participate in the lantern festival straightened their clothes and knelt in the direction of the emperor, saying: "Your Majesty, long live the emperor, long live the emperor."

Emperor Wanli hurried forward to help Zhang Juzheng up, then waved his hand and ordered: "My dear ministers, please stand up. Today is the Lantern Festival. I hope you will not be restrained and show your talents."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." All the ministers answered in unison and then slowly stood up from the ground.

Then, the eunuch beside the emperor read out the etiquette and program procedures, and the entire Aoshan Lantern Festival officially began.

Zhang Yunxiu and Li Wei found a seat and sat down to continue their previous conversation.

"My Lord, there is a lot of money overseas. If you trust me, take the fleet and head south."

"South? Where south is it?" Li Wei asked.

"Sumatra Island, further southeast is Oceania, there is a large piece of land there, and there are few people there now. If you go there, you will definitely make a lot of money."

"How big?"

"So big that you can't even imagine it with your brain."

Zhang Yunxiu smiled mysteriously.

Due to its remote geographical location, Australia was not discovered by outsiders until the 17th century, and then colonized.

Therefore, Australia has not left anything of its own in the long river of history.

Because the environment in most of these places was harsh and unsuitable for human habitation, they were used as places for exiling criminals.

Even so, they have a large territory and rich mineral resources.

Moreover, the distance from the Ming Dynasty is not as far as Europe, so now is the right time to go there.

"Then why don't you tell the emperor?" Li Wei was a little suspicious.

"I told you, the Emperor has promised to build a big ship and go to the south to bring warmth to the natives."

Li Wei opened his mouth and was about to answer when an angry voice suddenly rang out: "Zhang Yunxiu, you are so good, you ran here to hide away, why didn't you come to me and pay homage to me just now?"

The two looked back and saw that Emperor Wanli had walked up to them, followed by Wei Qing.

"You are surrounded by high-ranking officials. If I, a lowly official like me, go there, wouldn't I be laughed at?" Zhang Yunxiu blinked his eyes and replied to the emperor with a smile.

Li Wei on the side also wanted to salute, but Emperor Wanli stopped him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Li Wei said "thank you", but his eyes kept scanning the mountain of lights.

"Grandpa, what are you looking at?"

Emperor Wanli followed his gaze and asked with some suspicion. Li Wei wiped his mouth and his eyes flashed with excitement: "Your Majesty, this lantern festival cost a lot of money, it can't be wasted. I want to take this lantern back."

Well, don’t miss out on this little advantage.

Zhang Yunxiu and Wanli looked at each other and said, "If you are willing to take them, then take them. No one will dare to say anything to you if you take them all back."

"Hey, good."

Li Wei's brows relaxed and he smiled from ear to ear.

Emperor Wanli glanced around and saw that his mother was chatting with Mr. Zhang. He seized the opportunity and took Zhang Yunxiu to retreat to the city.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you are the protagonist today. If you leave, there will be a big chaos." Wei Qing behind him became anxious, followed him, and shouted breathlessly.

"Shh, you old dog, don't you know that I'm going to the toilet?" Emperor Wanli shouted sternly, glaring at Wei Qing.

"emperor."

Wei Qing's face turned purple and full of worry. Emperor Wanli blew his beard and glared, waving his hands as if to shoo away a fly, saying, "Go back, go back for me. I will be back in more than an hour at most. You can delay me for an hour."

After that, he ignored Wei Qing and took the opportunity to sneak out of the Forbidden City with Zhang Yunxiu. The emperor was traveling, and Zhang Yunxiu did not dare to be careless, so he hurriedly sent Zhang Fu to ask Han San to bring people to escort him.

After a while, the group changed into casual clothes and strolled around Erlang Street in a swaggering manner.

Emperor Wanli looked at the smiling faces of the people on both sides and smelled the fireworks on the street. He couldn't help but praise: "This is a lantern festival. I'm tired of the red tape in the palace."

"Your Majesty is right. The world can only be truly peaceful if its people are at peace. If the smiles on the faces of the people disappear one day, then the world will be in trouble."

(End of this chapter)