Li Hai's complexion was a bit ugly: "This..."
"What?" said the Queen Mother, "Doesn't Zi Yan want to see me? Or does the Emperor not want her to see me?"
Li Hai looked at Eunuch Liu who was standing beside him, and cast a questioning look: How should I answer the Queen Mother now? Tell her directly, is Ziyan imprisoned in the cold palace
Eunuch Liu also thought about it, and a smile appeared on his old face: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is only such a relative in the palace. If the Emperor does not agree with the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager will not have a good birthday!"
The queen mother's eyes showed arrogance: Eunuch Liu is right! My 70th birthday can be celebrated without asking my relatives to enter the palace, but if I can't even release Ziyan from the cold palace, I will be so disappointed! If it doesn't suit me, I'll let my relatives make a fuss to see if Li Hai's throne is still secure.
"Your Majesty, this old slave thinks it's better to agree to the Queen Mother! Even if Zi Yan doesn't want to come, she will call her here, and take good care of the Queen Mother for this rare 70th birthday." Eunuch Liu said.
If you can't bear it, you will make a big mess. Today, let's agree to all the conditions of the Queen Mother for the time being. When he really has the real power, he won't have to be so accommodating to her.
Li Hai twitched the corners of his mouth, and smiled on the surface: "Since the queen mother wants to see Ziyan, then there is no difficulty! On the day of her 70th birthday, I asked her to come here to give the queen mother a good birthday."
The queen mother said sarcastically: "The emperor is really kind and filial. It is a great blessing for Dajing to have an emperor like you!"
The Empress Dowager was happy, and suddenly thought of something, "Your Majesty, the vernal equinox will be in a few days. In previous years, there are always many activities at the vernal equinox. I don't know what is the emperor's plan for this year?"
If the queen mother didn't mention it, Li Hai really forgot. Every year at the beginning of spring, it is popular to beat spring cattle and hang spring banners in various places to celebrate the coming of spring and pray for good weather and a good harvest.
A spring official will be sent from the four gates of the capital to support the ceremony of beating spring cattle. In previous years, the spring official was presided over by Zhao Hongru, but Zhao Hongru is dead, and this year's spring official does not know who will be in charge.
Li Hai then asked: "Eunuch Liu, do you know how many days are left until the vernal equinox?"
Eunuch Liu made a calculation. He replied: "Yesterday was just the second day of February, and today is the third day of February. There are still two days before the vernal equinox of the fifth day."
Food is the most important thing for the people, and it is also said that the plan for a year lies in spring. If the layout is not good in spring, there will be no bumper harvest in the coming year. If there is not a good harvest, the people will be hungry, so the annual Spring Cattle Ceremony is a very grand event. There must be a heavyweight official to preside over it, in order to show sincerity to the sky, so that the rain and sunshine will be even.
"Why don't I go!" Li Hai was eager to try it. In fact, he didn't want to drink, but wanted to go out and have fun, and see which house had a beautiful woman so that he could bring her into the palace. It's spring, and it's the time for all animals to spring. As with animals, so with humans.
However, the queen mother objected: "The emperor is the king of the ninety-five years. At the vernal equinox, the ceremony of registering in the field is only done in the palace, and the officials below are responsible for the hunting of spring cattle. Only in this way can the honor and inferiority be properly divided, and the country will have long-term peace and stability."
Eunuch Liu also said: "The Empress Dowager is right! The emperor will give the gift of Jitian, and the officials will preside over the beating of spring cattle. This is the same rule for many years!"
Li Hai was very disappointed. But you can't go out to hunt for beauty during the vernal equinox. After the vernal equinox, it is also possible to go out on a spring and Jingming day. At that time, it will be so pleasant to dress up as a weak man, play among the world of mortals and purple moors, or play Cuju with ladies, or watch beauties swinging on the swing.
"Since Eunuch Liu and the Queen Mother both said that I shouldn't go out, then I won't go out. But this year's spring cattle fight, who should host it?"
"How is Yan Li?" the queen mother said, "He is the prime minister of the court, and it is most appropriate for him to go out to be a spring official."
Li Hai was very skeptical about all the talents recommended by the Queen Mother, so he asked Eunuch Liu: "What do you think of Yan Li?"
Eunuch Liu didn't have any hatred towards Yan Li either, he just started from the spring cow-beating ceremony and Yan Li's talent, so he said: "The Empress Dowager is right, Prime Minister Yan is the best candidate!"
"How does Eunuch Liu say that Yan Li is the best candidate?" Li Hai asked.
Eunuch Liu said: "Prime Minister Yan is also outstanding in terms of knowledge, and he also knows a lot about the anecdote about beating spring cattle, so this old slave thinks that Prime Minister Yan is the right candidate."
Li Hai asked the Queen Mother again: "Queen Mother, why do you think Yan Li is the best candidate?"
The Empress Dowager knew that Yan Li was a serious person, if he was told that Li Hai was building a temple for her, Yan Li would definitely stop him;
"Just as Eunuch Liu said, Prime Minister Yan has a lot of ability and knowledge, why not use him?"
Li Hai also felt that it would be fine for Yan Li to be a spring official and preside over the four-door spring ox-beating ceremony, so he agreed: "In this case, then when I go back, I will make an order to let Yan Li preside over the spring ox-beating ceremony."
Li Hai didn't have much to say to the Queen Mother, even if he got up and left, he went back to the Shang's study and asked Eunuch Liu to call a Hanlin Daizhao to come over, draw up an imperial edict, and then go to the Prime Minister's Mansion immediately.
Eunuch Liu came to the prime minister's mansion with the imperial decree. The door went in to report, Yan Li changed into clean clothes, and set up a case outside the door. There was an incense burner on the case, and ambergris was burning in the incense burner. Yan Li knelt on the ground and bowed down to the imperial decree in Eunuch Liu's hand.
"Yan Li accepts the order!"
Eunuch Liu opened the imperial decree and read it: "Following the heavens, the emperor said: Three emperors and five emperors, Qin Huang, Han Wu, all of them are based on agriculture, the head of the six governments, and farming is the top! A year's plan lies in spring, and the vernal equinox is the solar term in a few days." , the ceremony of beating the spring ox is endowed with the spirit of heaven and the custom of the people. Today, Prime Minister Yan Li is the official of the spring ox beating on the vernal equinox, presiding over all the matters of beating the spring, there must be no mistakes. I respect this!"
Yan Li was unhappy: Last time he pretended to vomit blood to deceive Li Hai, how could Li Hai still trust him
Seeing that Yan Li remained calm, Eunuch Liu called out in a low voice: "Prime Minister! Prime Minister! Received the order!"
Only then did Yan Li wake up, and quickly took the imperial decree from Eunuch Liu, and invited Eunuch Liu in for a cup of hot tea.
"Eunuch, please come inside."
But Eunuch Liu waved his hands: "I have no time to rest! The emperor still has important matters for this old servant to attend to."
Yan Li said: "What is the emperor's urgent matter that requires the father-in-law to run so non-stop?"
Eunuch Liu said: "The Empress Dowager's birthday will be in a few days. According to the Empress Dowager's order, the Emperor will build a temple and give the Empress Dowager a wooden lord."
Yan Li thought it was an ordinary temple, so he didn't take it seriously: "Since the father-in-law has urgent business, Yan Li can't force it. The father-in-law can leave!"
Eunuch Liu told Yan Li: "Beating spring cattle is a very important matter, and Prime Minister Wanwang should deal with it well! This is the first time you presided over this ceremony, if you have any unclear points, you can come and visit the old slave. The old slave must know everything. There are endless words."