Zhu Yuanzhang, the only emperor of grass-roots origin, had an unconventional way of employing people. He did not restrict officials by their origin, education, or even gender. Shen Qionglian, as a female tutor, had always only taught palace ladies, princesses, and other females. Emperor Hongwu suddenly appointed her to lecture on the "Book of Documents - Wu Yi" in the main hall, which aroused resistance from some of the pedantic teachers in the main hall, who asked Emperor Hongwu to revoke his order.
Emperor Hongwu naturally refused. The seventeen-year-old Shen Qionglian wore the clothes of a female official and went to the main hall to teach the princes. Cui Shangyi loved this beloved general the most, so she took Hu Shanwei, Huang Wei De and other female officials to see Shen Qionglian off.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Shen Qionglian wrote the line "Shangyi introduced me to the dragon bed, and the emperor personally wrote on the incense with ink", and she included Cui Shangyi in it. It was not in vain that Cui Shangyi loved her.
Shen Qionglian was giving lectures at the order of Emperor Hongwu, and as a court poet, she entered the palace with first place in the examination at the age of thirteen. She often recited poems and composed essays at various banquets. She was a familiar face in the royal family and was loved by Empress Xiaoci. The princes and grandchildren of the emperor grew up with her, so when Shen Qionglian came to give lectures, they just felt it was novel and had no intention of rejecting her.
Shen Qionglian was calm and composed. The chapter "Wu Yi" in "Shang Shu" was obscure and difficult to understand. It would take three to five days to explain it clearly. She talked about it for the whole morning, and the sand in the clepsydra had run out. The princes performed a ceremony to thank their teacher, and they had to practice horse riding and archery in the afternoon.
Cui Shangyi and others surrounded Shen Qionglian and returned to the Sixth Bureau and One Department. All the female officials congratulated her. This was the honor that belonged to women.
Shen Qionglian was of course happy to be recognized. She drank too much at the luncheon and was inspired to write a poem. Hu Shanwei spread out paper and ground ink for her. Shen Qionglian picked up her pen and wrote:
"The emperor caught a glimpse of his make-up in the Dragon Tower, and tried out his silk gown in the Lotus Palace. The cool breeze made it a good time to sit facing west, and teach the little prince the classics."
It was about her teaching experience. Everyone praised the poem and vied to copy it and spread it around.
Facing the praise, Shen Qionglian laughed out loud, quite heroic like a poet, and stretched out her hand and said, "Excellent wine, I can drink another jar."
Shen Qionglian was young, but she could drink a lot. At the end of the luncheon, Hu Shanwei and others were all tipsy, so no one wanted to drink with her. She was open-minded and didn't force anyone. She picked up a pot of wine and said, "Everyone, go away. I'll go back and drink by myself."
After lunch, Hu Shanwei, who was lying on the table, opened her eyes. Her eyes were clear. How could she look drunk? She had to work in the afternoon, so she pretended to be drunk.
She stood up and left the table, and found something glittering under the seat of Shen Qionglian next to her. She picked it up and saw that it was a set of seven golden items, including ear picks, scissors, toothpicks and other small and exquisite daily necessities made of gold. They were convenient for daily use and also served as a decoration.
Hu Shanwei thought that this must have been left behind by Shen Qionglian. She left with the wine jug, so she must not have gone far at this time. Hu Shanwei also wanted to get rid of the smell of alcohol, so he took the golden seven things and chased after Shen Qionglian.
It was a beautiful autumn day. Hu Shanwei was looking for Shen Qionglian along her way home. He caught a glimpse of a skirt flying past the rockery and stone forest ahead. In more formal occasions, most palace ladies wore green robes, red skirts, white jade leather belts, and black gauze hats. This was what Shen Qionglian wore when she gave her lecture today.
But that side leads to the Imperial Garden, which is completely different from Shen Qionglian's residence... Maybe he was in a good mood and went there to drink and appreciate the chrysanthemums
Hu Shanwei took Jin Qishi and went after her. The place was lush with flowers and trees, and decorated with rockery and stone forests, with many forks in the road. He lost her after a few steps. Hu Shanwei was about to call her name when he heard a ping sound on the right, as if something was smashed.
Could it be that Shen Qionglian was drunk and tripped, breaking the wine jug
Hu Shanwei went to find the sound, but heard a young man's voice, "I sincerely asked Mr. Shen for advice on poetry, why don't you even look at it?"
The men in the palace were either eunuchs or princes and grandchildren of the emperor. The princes and grandchildren of the East Palace were still children. Judging from his voice, this man was in his teens and his voice was changing. It was clear but hoarse, so he should be a prince.
A cold voice sounded, "Your Highness has asked me for advice many times since entering the palace. Your Highness has average talent in poetry. Writing a bunch of poems is just adding fuel to the fire. It is meaningless to force yourself to be sad in order to write new poems. Your Highness should just give up. Everyone has their strengths, and your strengths are not here."
The one who spoke as bluntly and ruthlessly as ever was Shen Qionglian.
I just don't know which prince she is talking about
The man seemed unwilling to give up and said, "Mr. Shen is my teacher now. If a student doesn't know how to do something, it is the teacher's responsibility to teach. Mr. Shen can teach me, and I will definitely be obedient."
Shen Qionglian said, "I am a teacher of scriptures, not a teacher of poetry. Your Highness, please find someone else."
The man pestered, "No, I just want Mr. Shen to teach me."
Shen Qionglian seemed very dissatisfied. "You suddenly appeared just now and scared me so much that I dropped my wine jug. Now you are blocking my way and won't let me go. Is this how you, the royal family, respect your teachers?"
The man said, "I have brought the poetry book with me. Mr. Shen, please give me some comments to let me know what is missing."
Shen Qionglian said, "It's clearly a pot of braised pork, but Your Highness insisted on asking me to pick out a few slices of vegetarian dishes. Isn't this too much of a stretch?"
The man said, "Who said there are no vegetables in the braised pork? There are obviously chopped green onions."
Shen Qionglian became more and more angry. "You are getting more and more unreasonable as you grow older. Get out of the way!"
That person: “No.”
When Hu Shanwei heard the situation was at a standoff, he quietly stepped back a few steps, then deliberately increased his pace, but walked a little slower, and shouted loudly: "Teacher Shen! Slow down! Something is lost!"
When Hu Shanwei approached, there was only a broken wine pot and Shen Qionglian next to the rockery made of Taihu stones. The man ran away in a hurry.
Shen Qionglian lost her wine pot, but found a collection of poems in her hand. The man insisted on stuffing the collection into her hand before leaving.
Hu Shanwei pretended to be relaxed and returned the gold seven things to Shen Qionglian, "Is this yours?"
Shen Qionglian took a look at her empty waist and said, "Is it? Thank you, Hu Siyan."
Hu Shanwei glanced at the broken pieces of the wine jug and said, "You must have drunk too much. You can't even walk steadily. Don't go to enjoy the scenery and drink. I'll take you back."
Shen Qionglian did not refuse, and said, holding her forehead, "I feel a little dizzy, so why not go home."
Compared with Hu Shanwei's quiet little courtyard, Shen Qionglian's residence can be described as luxurious. It is a two-entry courtyard with flowers blooming all year round. There are also several pots of koi and water lilies in the yard. In autumn, the petals of the water lilies begin to wither, revealing the pointed shower heads, and the koi play and shuttle among the scattered light yellow petals.
Shen Qionglian smiled and said, "Since you are here, have a cup of tea before leaving."
Then he instructed the little palace maid, "I have planted a pot of mint leaves. Pick one and soak it with tea leaves. It is very refreshing and can relieve autumn fatigue."
The maid went to make tea. Shen Qionglian pointed at the hem of her skirt that was soaked by the splashing wine and said, "Please sit down for a moment. I'll go change into my regular clothes."
After saying this, Shen Qionglian put the scroll of poetry in her hand on the table and went to the private room to change clothes.
The poetry collection that was rolled into a tube was slowly unfolded, forming a tile-like shape with two raised sides. Hu Shanwei could clearly see the name on the collection: Zhu Tan.
Zhu Tan, Prince of Lu, 14 years old, is the only son of Consort Guo Ning. He likes poetry and prose, and especially admires the elegance of the Wei and Jin dynasties.
Zhu Tan's two uncles were both marquises, and their families were powerful. Concubine Guo Ning had only this one son, so she was a little more indulgent in raising him.
The princes did not live with their mothers. Basically, they moved to the East Five Buildings and West Five Buildings of the Qianqing Palace when they were seven or eight years old. On weekdays, they studied in the main hall in the morning and practiced riding and shooting in the afternoon. Occasionally, they were pulled by Emperor Hongwu to do farm work in the fields, recalling the good and bad times that had passed.
Yes, Emperor Hongwu pulled out some flowers and plants near the main hall, opened up a few plots of land, and personally went to the fields to teach his sons about farming.
Except for occasionally paying respects to their biological mothers, the princes basically would not enter or leave the six palaces in the east and west, especially the Prince of Lu, who was fourteen years old and about to become an adult, so he had to avoid suspicion.
So when Hu Shanwei first heard his words, he couldn't guess who the young man who was blocking the way in the Taihu stone to ask Shen Qionglian for advice was. The young man's voice was changeable when his voice changed, and now when he saw the name of Prince Lu Zhu Tan, he suddenly understood.
The palace is so big, and the scene in the imperial garden was definitely not a coincidence. From the conversation, it can be seen that Prince Lu often asked Shen Qionglian for advice on poetry and books, and Shen Qionglian did teach her, but she was a talented girl with high standards. Prince Lu was of noble status, and his poems were really mediocre. She did not take them seriously and could not "eat" them at all.
She was aloof by nature and was too lazy to flatter King Lu. She said that finding the good points in King Lu's poems was like picking vegetables from braised pork.
Hu Shanwei had fallen in love twice, both times passionately. As someone who had experienced this, she vaguely felt that Zhu Tan had impure motives towards Shen Qionglian. At the age of fourteen, she was at the age when love was just beginning.
Shen Qionglian was seventeen years old, and her appearance was not stunning. There were so many beauties in the palace, but there was only one talented girl. It was not uncommon for her to have feelings for her...
Just as he was thinking about it, Shen Qionglian came back wearing casual clothes and with an ordinary girl's hairstyle, looking elegant and graceful.
Hu Shanwei put down the half-full cup of tea and said, "This tea is indeed refreshing. Thank you for your hospitality. I have something else to do. Bye."
"Hu Siyan is a very busy man, so I won't force you to stay." Shen Qionglian personally escorted Hu Shanwei to the door. When she saw her back about to disappear around the corner of the palace wall, she stopped and turned around, and her eyes met Shen Qionglian's.
Hu Shanwei felt something was wrong. All this was too coincidental, starting from the lost seven things about the golden coins, it was as if... someone had deliberately designed it.
Seeing Hu Shanwei's eyes full of inquiry and suspicion, Shen Qionglian did not avoid them but walked straight towards them.
We are all smart people. Some things are difficult to explain clearly, so just confirm with each other’s eyes.
After getting a response from Shen Qionglian's eyes, Hu Shanwei realized: this was a trap set by Shen Qionglian, and she was warning her and asking for help.
Shen Qionglian was very smart. She could feel that Zhu Tan's gaze on her was no longer pure. The man had feelings for her, but she had no intention.
Zhu Tan kept pestering her, asking for advice on poetry. He was a prince, and his mother and uncle's family were powerful. Concubine Guo Ning was in charge of the palace. How could she, a mere court poet, refuse
Of course, she could go to the Emperor, but the result of doing so would be that the Emperor Hongwu would beat and scold the Prince of Lu, and she would be "persuaded to leave" the palace. So what if she was a genius? The peace of the palace was the most important.
Shen Qionglian understood that only in the palace could she display her talents as she fulfilled her duties. If she returned to her family, married and had children, writing poetry and painting would be considered as not doing her job properly and she would be buried.
What to do? Shen Qionglian began to save herself. She had a free and easy personality and rarely tried to show off. But at the Mid-Autumn Festival royal family banquet, her poem won first place. She had to write another one, and her performance was amazing. Emperor Hongwu therefore appointed her to give lectures in the main hall.
She sat on the west side of the main hall and gave lectures to Prince Lu and other princes as a teacher in order to prove her ambition and value. She only wanted to be accompanied by poetry and books and enjoy learning in her life. She was not interested in love and marriage. She just wanted to be a court poet and show her talent with dignity.
She thought Prince Lu would understand, but in the main hall, Prince Lu still looked at her with a wrong look, still full of desire.
She began to think of ways to ask Hu Shanwei for help, and heard that Concubine Guo Ning obeyed Hu Shanwei's words.
At the lunch, she deliberately dropped Jin Qishi at Hu Shanwei's feet to lure her to look for it. Hu Shanwei fell into the trap and took the wine pot to go to the appointment with King Lu. She made the appointment in a pavilion with a wide view, but King Lu had ill intentions and blocked her in the Taihu Stone Forest with a book of poems.
She was not scared by King Lu. She broke the wine pot on purpose to make a noise and lure Hu Shanwei to find the right place.
The Prince of Lu was guilty and ran away when he heard Hu Shanwei's shouting. If he had a clear conscience, why would he be afraid of being seen by outsiders
Shen Qionglian became more and more certain that Prince Lu had ill intentions.
Later, he invited Hu Shanwei to have tea, and put down the poetry collection on the pretext of changing clothes, deliberately letting Hu Shanwei see the name on the book.
Seeing Shen Qionglian's affirmative eyes, Hu Shanwei was so angry that even his autumn sleepiness disappeared: he had just persuaded Concubine Guo Ning to start being obedient and willing to run the palace in a low-key way of "not making mistakes is doing the right thing" and try to delegate power. But now a more difficult problem arises: Prince Lu Zhu Tan has reached the age of estrus, but he has chosen the wrong person. Shen Qionglian is the person he should not touch the most!
It's not estrus, it's the beginning of love - after feeding the beast for a year, his thinking hasn't adjusted yet.
Fortunately, Shen Qionglian warned the enemy in time. If the enemy knew about this and took advantage of it, Concubine Guo Ning would be overthrown - what if the enemy had already guessed it
To prevent any trouble, Hu Shanwei picked two trustworthy old palace servants who had known Huang Wei De for a short time in the palace. "Teacher Shen goes to the main hall to give lectures every day. It's very hard. You two go to serve Teacher Shen. Be careful about all the tea and food. Follow him closely on the road. The weather is changeable in autumn. Umbrellas, raincoats and thick clothes must be prepared. Don't delay Teacher Shen's teaching."
The old palace servant agreed and went to report to Shen Qionglian. Shen Qionglian knew that Hu Shanwei had taken action, so she readily accepted the two men.
After protecting Shen Qionglian, Hu Shanwei returned to Zhongcui Palace to find Concubine Guo Ning and whispered a few words to her. Concubine Ning was immediately frightened out of her wits, "This rebellious son! How dare he do such a shameful thing as defiling the palace!"
Hu Shanwei said: "It's time to mend the fence after the sheep have been lost. I have a way..."
Hu Shanwei brought enough manpower, and even borrowed the Jinyiwei from Ji Gang, and went to the residence of Prince Lu in Dongwusuo.
All the princes went to the training ground to practice riding and archery and were not in the palace.
Hu Shanwei said, "Master Ji, please lock the door from outside and don't let anyone escape."
Ji Gang was too lazy to ask and just did as he was told.
Hu Shanwei ordered his men to gather all the palace maids and eunuchs serving in the Prince of Lu's bedroom into a room, which was also locked and even the windows were guarded.
Everyone was confused and asked, "Did Concubine Guo Ning and Prince Lu lose something important? I haven't heard of it."
Hu Shan sat on the armchair in the middle, glanced around coldly, and said, "It's not that something is missing, I'm afraid something is extra. Search!"
Suddenly, someone was caught in a trap. Someone shouted, "Hu Siyan is from the Shanggong Bureau. The investigation is the responsibility of the Gongzheng Bureau. It's not your turn!"
The author has something to say: Zhu Yuanzhang, the greatest emperor in history
Respecting Teachers and Honoring the Way
The smart Mr.
Gentle and virtuous Wu Shanwei