Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 2: Royal Hawkdog, Imperial Meeting!
It was so fast that it was already Yin time in the blink of an eye.

Firecrackers on New Year’s Eve and lights on the Lantern Festival.

According to the custom in the palace, the lamps are lit one day earlier than those in the common people. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, all the eunuchs and palace maids have to get up at the end of the Chou hour and light the lamps at the beginning of the Yin hour.

Shadows of people were everywhere, and lanterns were lit up one after another under the eaves of the palaces in the Western Garden, gradually sticking together into pieces of red.

In the snow, from afar, the red contrasts with the black of the sky, and the eaves of the huge palaces seem to be floating in the air with red below, white in the middle and black above.

Watching the ancestors climb the steps, the five eunuchs in front of the sedan chair blocked the blessing lamps in their hands that were used to lead the way, and the auspicious candles inside were extinguished one after another.

Two eunuchs went to open the door. They did not push it, but first used their hidden strength to lift the door, and then slowly moved it inward. The palace door opened again, and there was no sound at all.

The leader was Lü Fang, followed by Chen Hong on the left, then Huang Jin on the right, then Meng Chong on the left, and then Shi Yi on the right. They entered the palace gate in a cone-shaped formation.

It is said to be a temple, but it does not look like a temple.

In the center of the hall was not a Sumeru pedestal, but a simple rosewood chair with armrests.

Behind the chair stood a large three-legged copper incense burner with a lid. The lid was hollowed out in the shape of the Eight Trigrams, and faint smoke continued to waft from the hollows.

In the center of the north wall just above the copper incense burner hangs a central hall painting framed in very plain white, on which are written a few lines of large characters in thin gold regular script: "I have three virtues: kindness, frugality, and not daring to be the first in the world."

The signature on the lower left side of the central hall reads "On the first day of the first month of the 40th year of the Jiajing reign, Zhu Houcong respectfully recorded the true words of Laozi, the Supreme Taoist Lord."

Below the signature is a large red seal with the four seal characters "忠孝帝君" (Loyal and Filial Emperor) engraved on it.

The four large pillars on both sides are square and equidistant. There is a long rosewood table between the two pillars on the left, and there is also a long rosewood table between the two pillars on the right.

Strangely, the left desk was piled with account books, documents, eight-line blank paper, writing brushes and inkstones, and a golden nanmu brocade box, while the right desk only had one golden nanmu brocade box.

There are no seats behind the two long tables.

Everything in officialdom is regulated. How positions are arranged, who should be where, who speaks first, and who says what, all mean normal.

On the contrary, if a seat is moved or the order of speaking is changed, it means that there is a change.

Today's Yuxi Palace made the people in the Imperial Household Department immediately aware of the changes.

Since the emperor moved to the Western Garden, he would seclude himself in meditation from the first to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month every year. This year is no exception, he is both meditating and praying for snow.

In the past, the furnishings on the two desks in the hall were the same. If there was any difference, it was in the ink in the copper inkstone box on the long desk.

The Imperial Household Department had to use a red brush and red ink when approving documents on behalf of the emperor, but the copper inkstone box in the cabinet contained black ink.

However, there is only black ink and no red ink on the table today.

More importantly, Hei Mo's long desk was on the left.

In the Ming Dynasty, the left was respected.

The loss of the Left by the Imperial Household Department was equivalent to falling into a disadvantage in the struggle between the inner court and the outer court.

Without Zhu Mo, it also meant that the Silijian would no longer be qualified to participate in the imperial financial meetings.

The emperor summoned the Imperial Household Department in advance, and it became an exchange between master and servant.

Everyone in the Imperial Household Department couldn't help but look sad about these changes.

A little further back from the four large pillars, there are four large white cloud copper stoves. In front of each stove stands a puppet-like eunuch, with their eyes fixed on the stove. What is burning in the stove is not incense, but inch-long silver charcoal. The fire is red with a hint of green, without a trace of smoke, but warm as spring.

Lu Fang led the four eunuchs to stand in a row on the right, then knelt down facing the empty chair in the middle. After three bows, he led the four eunuchs to stand at the long table on the right.

The five people stared at the opened brocade box in silence. After just one glance, the four eunuchs in charge of writing quickly withdrew their gaze as if their eyes were stung by the scorching sun.

The atmosphere was unusually depressing.

The people in the Imperial Household Department were able to stand out from a hundred thousand eunuchs, and each of them was a talented person with a photographic memory.

"In May of the 39th year of the Jiajing reign, new silk came on the market. In June, the Nanjing, Suzhou, and Jiangnan weaving bureaus rushed to weave 100,000 rolls of high-quality silk, all of which were sent to the inner court needlework bureau."

"In July of the 39th year of the Jiajing reign, the Yingtian and Zhejiang provincial governors followed the imperial edict and used the tax silver from the two provinces to purchase 50,000 rolls of high-quality silk, 100,000 rolls of medium-quality silk, and 100,000 rolls of Songjiang high-quality printed cotton cloth, and sent them to the inner court's hat and cap bureau for the emperor to reward the princes, officials, and foreign envoys."

"In October of the 39th year of the Jiajing reign, the Nanjing, Suzhou, and Jiangnan weaving bureaus negotiated a trade of 200,000 pieces of silk with merchants from the Western Regions, which was converted into 2.2 million taels of silver, and all of it was sent to the Imperial Household Department's Key Treasury. Note: No need to enter it into the Ministry of Revenue's accounts."

Chen Hong, Shi Yi and Meng Chong were sweating more and more on their faces. The more they didn't want to think about it, the clearer what they had just seen became in their minds.

Huang Jin was also sweating profusely. Only then did he realize how deadly the brocade box he had given was.

From May to October last year alone, Nanjing, Suzhou and Hangzhou supplied the inner court with 150,000 rolls of high-quality silk, 100,000 rolls of medium-quality silk, 100,000 rolls of Songjiang high-quality printed cotton cloth and 2.2 million taels of silver.

But the emperor only has eight sets of daily clothes for the four seasons, and with so much silk and cotton, he can't wear them all even if he wears them for 100,000 years.

Since the third year of Jiajing, the emperor rarely met with princes, and since the Renyin Palace Coup, the emperor rarely met with officials.

The foreign envoys had long lost track of what the emperor looked like.

Throughout the 39th year of the Jiajing reign, the emperor's rewards were sparse. So where did all the silk and cotton cloth go?

What’s even more terrible is the silver in the key vault.

As the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, Huang Jin knew about the silver deposits in the imperial treasury.

There is less than 30,000 taels of silver in cash.

Lu Fang was the only one who did not change. As if he felt that it was not violent enough, he took the initiative to reach out and take out the account paper from the brocade box.

"June of the thirty-eighth year of the Jiajing reign..."

"August of the thirty-seventh year of the Jiajing reign..."

"September of the thirty-sixth year of the Jiajing reign..."

"..."

One pile, one piece.

The three eunuchs in charge of writing, Chen, Shi and Meng, didn't want to see it, but they couldn't help but see it.

The brocade box was empty only after all the account papers for the 20th year of Jiajing were taken out.

At this time, the front and back of the three men were already soaked, as if they had just been pulled out of the water.

There is no shortage of scheming in the palace.

Huang Jin silently calculated that from the 20th year of Jiajing to the 39th year of Jiajing, during these 20 years, Nanjing, Suzhou and Hangzhou sent more than 2.1 million pieces of silk and cotton cloth and 10 million taels of silver in cash to the inner court.

The corruption in the inner court was shocking.

"Lü Fang!"

Zhu Houcong's voice suddenly came.

The sound was as far away as the clouds, without any smell of fireworks. Chen Hong and the other two, who were already greatly frightened, could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground.

Huang Jin helped the three people and asked them to kneel down towards the rosewood chair. After thinking for a while, they knelt down together. Lv Fang had served the emperor for many years and had a certain understanding of the emperor's position. Others could not tell where the emperor was from his voice, but Lv Fang could. She knelt down on the ground facing the direction of the temple where the monks practiced Taoism, and said, "I am here."

"How much do silk and cotton cost?"

"Your Majesty, the market prices vary from year to year. Thirty years ago during the Jiajing reign, sea transportation was smooth, and each piece of high-quality silk could be sold for ten taels of silver in the mainland, and fifteen taels of silver in the West.

Each piece of Songjiang's high-quality printed cotton cloth could be sold for ten taels of silver in the mainland and twelve taels of silver when shipped to the West.

After the 30th year of Jiajing's reign, Japanese pirates were rampant and sea transportation was blocked. Each piece of high-quality silk could only be sold for six to seven taels of silver in the mainland, and each piece of high-quality printed cotton cloth from Songjiang could only be sold for eight taels of silver in the mainland.

I am not familiar with the West and do not know the market price in the West, but I think it should be higher than the market price thirty years ago during the Jiajing period. "

Lu Fang replied immediately.

Zhu Houcong's voice was cold, "Go back to your Silijian and find those silk, cotton, and silver."

"Yes."

Lu Fang bowed his head, got up, and walked out slowly.

The four eunuchs in charge of writing documents were as if they had been pardoned. They followed the old ancestor and walked out step by step.

……

Although it was snowing heavily, the sky was gradually brightening when the Silijian group stepped out of the Yuxi Palace gate, and Lu Fang paused.

After entering the palace for many years, the four eunuchs in charge of writing have engraved the word "rules" in their hearts. They move when they are told to move and stop when they are told to stop, reaching the pinnacle of perfection.

Chen Hong, Huang Jin, Shi Yi and Meng Chong, with heavy hearts, stopped steadily behind Lu Fang without even lifting their feet. Following Lu Fang's gaze, they vaguely saw a sedan chair and several figures in cloaks coming towards the gate of Yuxi Palace from the opposite Moon Gate.

A winter hat with white fox fur that warms the ears and a bright red official uniform that goes all the way to the shoulders. This is the attire that only officials of the first or second rank in the court can wear.

The identities of the cabinet's chief minister Yan Song, the cabinet's second minister Xu Jie, and the other ministers Yan Shifan, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng are about to be revealed.

The four eunuchs in charge of writing were moved and looked at Lu Fang tacitly.

The cabinet came to Yuxi Palace for two reasons: one was to hold a financial meeting in front of the emperor, and the other was to congratulate the emperor on the auspicious omen.

The same thing that the Imperial Household Department has to do.

but.

Feng Bao rushed to report the auspicious event to the Emperor on behalf of the Imperial Household Department.

Inside Yuxi Palace, the Emperor personally settled accounts with the Imperial Household Department for the past twenty years.

The purpose of the Imperial Finance Meeting was to settle accounts, and the Imperial Household Department participated in the meeting in disguise.

For the Imperial Household Department, both things were done, but at a strange angle.

But what about the Cabinet?

What's in the brocade box on the table to the left of the throne?

The inner court is corrupt, and the outer court is even more corrupt.

How clean are Lord Yan and his son, Lord Xu and his disciples, and Lord Gao?
The people from the Imperial Household Department were "driven out" of the Yuxi Palace by the Emperor. When they met the people from the Cabinet, should they greet them and give them some advice? Or should they just pretend they didn't see anything and leave?
Lu Fang had a warm smile on her face and continued walking, saying, "Since you're here, let's go greet you."

Sitting high up and looking far away, Yan Song, who was riding alone in a sedan chair, had his white eyebrows slightly moved. He turned his head and saw the person coming forward. He quickly ordered Yan Shifan, who was following closely beside the sedan chair, "Hurry, help me down."

When the sedan chair came down, the group of people also stopped. The Yan father and son were in front, and Xu Jie, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng were behind, all looking at the people in front of them.

How come the people from the Imperial Household Department came out of Yuxi Palace?
"Great joy!" Yan Song bowed.

Yan Song and Lu Fang always had chrysanthemum-like smiles on their faces when they saw each other, but today was different. Lu Fang stopped smiling, stood still from a distance, and returned the greeting, "Great joy! Great joy!"

Not only Lu Fang couldn't laugh, but Chen, Huang, Shi and Meng also couldn't laugh. Facing the cabinet's salute, they all bowed in return with a forced smile.

No one would be able to laugh if they had to come up with tens of millions of silver.

"Auspicious signs have come, why doesn't Eunuch Lu have a happy look on his face?"

Yan Song raised his voice with a local accent and looked closely at Lu Fang.

Lu Fang moved aside so that Yan Song could see the whole view of the main hall of Yuxi Palace, and said calmly: "The snow is good, but how can this heavy snow solve the drought in the winter of our Ming Dynasty?"

"Auspicious signs come one after another. This heavy snowfall is caused by the emperor's fasting from the first to the fifteenth day of the lunar month. It must not be just this one. With the emperor and our loyal officials here, our Ming Dynasty will remain prosperous."

Even if he was not in front of the emperor, even if the emperor could not hear it, Yan Song's flattery was still free.

"Do you not care about the emperor's health, Lord?" Lv Fang lost his smile and said solemnly, "Pray for snow in winter and rain in spring. The emperor is the father of our Ming Dynasty. How can he fast and worship the heaven all the time?"

"Of course not." Yan Song denied it immediately.

Even if they were slow, Yan Song, Yan Shifan, Xu Jie, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng realized that something was wrong.

To a certain extent, Lu Fang is the incarnation of the emperor, and his every move implies the emperor's attitude.

Who is Lu Fang's heart-breaking words targeting?
Yan Song and several cabinet members looked behind Lu Fang at the same time.

The four eunuchs in charge seemed to have heard nothing and looked down at the ground.

The main hall of Yuxi Palace is clearly visible, with two tables with completely different furnishings.

The left desk was still filled with account books, documents, eight-line blank paper, writing brushes and inkstones, as well as an unknown brocade box.

The desk on the right is empty, except for an unknown brocade box.

According to past regulations, the left side belonged to the Imperial Household Department and the right side belonged to the Cabinet.

Could it be that the emperor summoned the Imperial Household Department in advance, put aside the cabinet, and reviewed last year's expenditures and the expenses of the two capitals and thirteen provinces with the Imperial Household Department?

But with so many expenses, what did the emperor get paid for? And what did he not get paid for?
People tend to think positively about unknown changes. Yan Shifan thought that this was the emperor's punishment on the Ministry of Revenue under the charge of Xu Jie and Gao Gong because he was angry at Zhou Yunyi for slandering the court on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month.

Xu Jie, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng believed that it was the death of Zhou Yunyi that had worked, and that the Emperor was punishing the Yan family father and son for corruption.

Yan Song understood that even though auspicious signs had been bestowed, the emperor's mood would not be very good.

The deficit issue must be resolved.

After Lu Fang finished speaking, he led the crowd away in a sedan chair, which cast a shadow over Yan Song's heart.

The source of all the troubles in the Ming Dynasty was lack of money.

Unless there is a heavy snowfall, the drought in the two capitals and thirteen provinces will not be alleviated.

Who was rich in the Ming Dynasty?

Yan Song looked at his son who was filled with murderous intent, then looked at the cabinet members who could not suppress their excitement, and the corners of his mouth twitched.

The door of Yuxi Palace was not closed, and Yan Song, Xu Jie, Gao Gong, Yan Shifan and Zhang Juzheng stepped into the hall of hope one after another.

(End of this chapter)