The sound of the zither lingers in the air, and the Crown Prince entertains his parents in colorful clothes.
The sound of the piano seemed to have a voice, passing through the bamboo forest, like a little bee, teasing the peach blossoms bit by bit. While socializing, Hu Shanwei also paid attention to these ladies from famous families. They were obviously interested in the Crown Prince, but none of them could not help but glance in the direction of the bamboo forest. They all looked at him with their eyes and their noses at their hearts, like old monks in meditation.
Hu Shanwei was very impressed. Those who knew knew that this was a blind date, while those who didn't thought it was a Buddhist ceremony.
When the song ended, the Crown Prince came to say goodbye. He came and left in a hurry, without even looking at the ladies from beginning to end. Although his heart was full of expectations, he had to maintain the dignity of the Crown Prince on the surface.
The Crown Princess looked at the background of the Crown Prince and sighed, "It's hard for me to even see my son now. He has to go to court with the Emperor before dawn every day. After court, the Emperor teaches him how to handle government affairs. He often rests late at night. I see that he seems to have lost some weight in the past few days."
The Crown Princess seemed to be complaining, but she was actually boasting.
Back then, when Crown Prince Yiwen was still alive, Emperor Hongwu was also in his prime. He was wary of the crown prince and did not want him to get involved in political affairs too early. Although the Eastern Palace nominally had a Zhanshiyuan, it had no power and the people employed in it were basically "part-time" court officials. For example, military generals and civil officials like Feng Sheng and Liu Ji held other powerful official positions in the court, and their position in the Eastern Palace Zhanshiyuan was just a nominal one. In fact, they had never worked a day in the office and were just in name only.
When it came to the Crown Prince Zhu Yunwen, he was seventeen years old. Although he was well-educated, he had no political experience. The Hongwu Emperor was already sixty-eight years old and could die at any time.
Emperor Hongwu was anxious, so he set up the Zhanshi Mansion for the Crown Prince to assist the Crown Prince. The members of the Zhanshi Mansion were basically Confucian officials from the grassroots, and there were almost no nobles or powerful civil officials. These people could only rely on the promotion of the Crown Prince to climb up and ensure their loyalty. The Crown Prince led his Zhanshi Mansion to learn politics from scratch every day, and Emperor Hongwu asked the Crown Prince for his opinion on all national affairs.
The Crown Princess felt that her son's position as heir was secure and that the old emperor was there to protect him. All the grievances her husband had suffered before, and the fear that his position would be taken away, were no longer relevant to her son. Her husband used to be like a mascot, with no power at all. Now the old emperor has given his son the power to handle state affairs. There is no happiness without comparison.
Nowadays, many government decrees in the court are issued directly from the Crown Prince’s Chancellery.
The court had changed its direction, and the old emperor had already begun to transfer power. Of course, these ladies knew about this, so they all chimed in and said:
"The Crown Prince is very intelligent and can handle state affairs. He is still in his prime and growing taller, so he looks a little thin."
"The Crown Prince is so young, yet he can shoulder such an important responsibility. The useless sons in my family are a few years older than the Crown Prince, and they play around all day. If they had one tenth of his ability, I wouldn't have to worry."
"The Crown Prince can achieve what he has today because of the good education he received from the Crown Princess..."
With so many people flattering her, the Crown Princess was almost feeling ecstatic.
The Crown Princess immediately felt that her son was the most reliable. What her husband could not give her, her son would make up for one by one. Just like now, she was ignored in the East Palace before, she was just a concubine, and these imperial ladies and famous ladies had never set foot here? Now, surrounded by pearls and jades, the best girls in the Ming Dynasty are available for her to choose, and a group of imperial ladies of the first rank or even super rank speak all kinds of compliments to her.
This is just the beginning. When my son succeeds to the throne in the future... he will not only be confined to the Eastern Palace, but the entire Forbidden City and even the Ming Dynasty will be at my feet!
Hu Shanwei saw that the place was becoming more and more lively. The Crown Princess was flattered by all kinds of people and was floating on the clouds. She was enjoying the compliments of everyone. He sighed in his heart: You only know one side of the story.
Emperor Hongwu had completely different attitudes towards the participation of Crown Prince Yiwen and the Crown Prince. He was strict at first and loose later. He restricted the former and encouraged the latter, and even taught him hand in hand, promising that they would learn it. This move actually had many hidden dangers, just like countless Chinese parents in later generations, who treated their children's love affairs as a serious enemy during their children's study and required them to forbid premature love as if they were on guard against thieves.
However, once they graduate, they are eager to ask their children to fall in love, get married, and have children right away. They force their children to go on all kinds of blind dates and marriages in the same way they did to prevent premature love, leaving their children confused: how can they realize this goal when they lack or have no experience in love
The Crown Prince felt the same way at this time. All the people in the Crown Prince's Chancellery were Confucian scholars and minor officials who came from the lower classes and had no foundation. The Chancellor who was in charge of the Chancellery was Tang Duo, who had retired and was once the Minister of War.
The biggest advantage of this leadership team is their loyalty, and their biggest disadvantage is their incompetence.
You can't eat a big fat man in one bite. Political literacy can only be formed through long-term accumulation in various struggles. No matter how smart a person is, when he is in a high position and holds power, he is like a child holding gold and silver treasures and doesn't know how to spend them.
A grandson of the emperor who had no political experience, an old secretary who was rehired after retirement, and a group of minor officials who had been away from the political center for a long time. This secretary's office was not good. It looked good on the surface, but it was not easy.
The political affairs handled were often scolded by Emperor Hongwu as stupid, and then sent back for redoing. The so-called political decrees conveyed by the Zhanshi Mansion actually came from the hands of Emperor Hongwu.
Of course, only Hu Shanwei and other confidants knew all this. The Crown Princess didn't know either. She thought her son was so powerful that she thought her son could take over seamlessly once Emperor Hongwu passed away.
If power were so easy to control, anyone could become emperor.
Seeing the Crown Princess being flattered and feeling ecstatic, Hu Shanwei thought it was about time, so he stood up and said goodbye, "Crown Princess, I still have some things to do in the Shang Palace Bureau, so I will take my leave first. Ladies and young ladies, enjoy yourself, I will ask someone to bring some peach blossom wine to cheer you up later."
Hu Shang Gong has a high status in the harem and is the master of this selection. The ladies hurriedly thanked her. We met each other at the Peach Blossom Banquet today, so we will be considered old acquaintances in the future.
The Crown Princess had been patient in the East Palace for many years, from a concubine to a principal concubine. When she enjoyed the blessing of her son, happiness came too quickly, but she was able to remain calm and did not become frivolous once she gained power. When Hu Shanwei said goodbye, she did not forget to stand up and see him off, saying, "I know that Hu Shanggong is a very busy person, so I will not keep you to participate in the Feihua Order."
Feihualing is a drinking game. The poem to be played should be consistent with the rhythm of the action, and the word "flower" should be arranged from the first to the seventh. For example, "Everyone who goes out is a flower viewer", and the next sentence should be "There are countless flying flowers in the spring city".
Today's Peach Blossom Banquet is a festive occasion, so Hu Shanwei didn't want to spoil the fun, and said with a smile: "I've been busy with mundane things all day, and I've long forgotten poetry. If the Crown Princess insists that I participate in the Feihua Order, I'll have to drag Shen Shangyi along and let her cheat for me."
At this time, the two of them had already reached the entrance of the peach blossom forest. The Crown Princess said, "There are so many ladies here today that I am dazzled by the sight. I think all of them are good. Concubine Hu has just met them one by one. Is there any that caught her eye?"
Hu Shanwei pretended to be confused, "I am the same as the Crown Princess. I think every one of them is more beautiful than a flower and has both talent and virtue. Isn't that just dazzled?"
The Crown Princess sighed softly, "Now it seems that everyone is good. Any lady in the peach forest is worthy of the position of Crown Princess. They are all daughters of good families. However, you can't judge a person by his appearance. People will change and grow up slowly. No one is born to be a queen. But before encountering a big test, no one knows whether she is a rough jade or a broken stone. The Crown Princess is the future mother of the country. Ordinary women can be mediocre, but she cannot."
"I have lived in the Eastern Palace for half my life and have hardly ever left the house. I am not like Consort Hu who can travel far and wide and control the harem. Consort Hu's knowledge and ability to judge people are far superior to mine. Although I am the Crown Princess and the mother of the Crown Prince, you also know that I... am a concubine promoted to the first wife."
At this point, the Crown Princess' eyes turned red, and she looked very pitiful. "Although I am the mother, I can do nothing about the selection of the Crown Prince's Consort. Everything depends on Consort Hu and the Emperor. I believe in Consort Hu's vision. She will be able to tell who is a rough diamond and who is a stone at a glance."
Hu Shanwei suddenly felt a lot of pressure after the Crown Princess's move. She certainly hoped to find a perfect Crown Prince's Consort who would satisfy the Crown Princess, the Crown Prince and the Emperor, but she could not make a promise. What's more, the Crown Prince's Consort was a living person and there was no such thing as returning her.
Hu Shanwei could only continue to play dumb. "Don't worry too much, Crown Princess. The beauties selected by the princes' palaces in various places have not been sent to the capital yet. It's still early. Besides, the Crown Prince's Consort is one in a hundred thousand. After so many people's selection, the one who is selected must meet the requirements of the Queen Mother. It's not picked by me alone."
The Crown Princess was shocked when she heard this: "To choose the Crown Prince's Consort... do we still have to choose from outside?"
From the beginning to the end, the Crown Princess believed that the Crown Grand Consort must come from a wealthy family in the capital, and those beauties from the common people selected from the princes' palaces were prepared for the princes' sons and the princes of the counties.
Does the great grandson of the emperor have to share the same pot with the princes? Can't the grandson of the emperor be given a special place
Seeing the Crown Princess's surprised look, Hu Shanwei said, "I will follow the Emperor's arrangements in everything. The final result still needs the Emperor's approval. Crown Princess, I will take my leave."
The Crown Princess returned to the peach blossom forest, and the Flying Flower Order officially began. It was time to compete in poetry and reaction ability. The ladies from wealthy families were eager to try. In fact, the Crown Prince had just played a piece of guqin in the bamboo forest and said goodbye. His elegant and noble temperament was already very attractive. Which girl would not be in love? The Crown Prince already met their highest standards for an ideal partner.
As the host, the Crown Princess should have acted as the messenger and said the beginning of the Flying Flower Order. However, after learning from Hu Shanwei that the Crown Prince's Consort was selected through a nationwide audition, the Crown Princess suddenly lost all interest. She had originally thought that the Crown Prince's Consort must be one of the wealthy ladies at the Peach Blossom Banquet, and even the way she looked at these girls automatically applied her mother-in-law's standards.
Now, the garden is full of spring colors, with flowers blooming everywhere, red and green, and the Crown Princess recites the beginning of Feihualing: "The flowers fall and the water flows."
Hearing this, everyone was slightly shocked: This is not an auspicious statement. What happened to the Crown Princess
However, once the game started, there was absolutely no stopping the conversation. The girl sitting below the Crown Princess immediately said, "I meet you again in the season of falling flowers."
The Flying Flower Order at the Eastern Palace Peach Blossom Banquet was in full swing. Hu Shanwei returned to the Shang Palace Bureau. Haitang was about to go out to find a reason to "fish" her back from the Eastern Palace, but "Shang Gong Hu came back so early."
Hu Shanwei said: "I want the Imperial Food Bureau to send a few jars of peach blossom wine to the East Palace. This is a favor from me, and..."
Hu Shanwei frowned, "Go to the Shangshenjian and tell him to replace all the snacks sent to the Zhanshi Mansion with deep-fried cat ears."
Fried cat ears are a common pastry, and their spiral texture makes them look like cat ears.
The food in the harem was the responsibility of the female officials in the Shangshi Bureau, but the food outside the harem, such as the Qianqing Palace and the Zhanshi Mansion in the Forbidden City, was the responsibility of the Twenty-Four Eunuchs, led by eunuchs.
"Yes." Haitang paused and asked, "This is easy to do, but why do you want to change it to cat ears?"
Hu Shanwei said, "Today I met the Crown Prince on the road and chatted with him for a while. As a result, when I was entertaining at the Peach Blossom Banquet, someone told the Crown Princess everything about my conversation with the Crown Prince."
The fact that the Crown Princess was able to repeat sentences like "People change and grow up slowly, and no one is born a queen" almost completely means that someone must have informed on her.
Haitang said: "It seems that the Crown Princess left an ear to the Crown Prince."
Hu Shanwei said: "I don't care what happened between the mother and son, but I don't want someone to tell others about the conversation between me and the Crown Prince next time."
The Eastern Palace is in the harem, but the relationship between the Eastern Palace and the harem is quite delicate. The harem basically does not interfere in the affairs of the Eastern Palace, but only provides food, clothing, housing and transportation. The Eastern Palace is relatively independent. Similarly, the Eastern Palace cannot interfere in the affairs of the harem, after all, a daughter-in-law cannot manage her father-in-law's yard. Everyone keeps to themselves.
Hu Shanwei sent fried cat ears to the Zhanshi Mansion in order to hint to the Crown Prince that if the door was not tightly closed in the future, the Crown Princess would be informed of the slightest disturbance. I will not be able to be so frank with you in the future and can only say some meaningless words.
The Crown Prince was a smart man. In the dignified Chancellery, the snack for that day was fried cat ears. Thinking about what the Crown Prince had done today, he guessed what was going on.
At night, the Crown Prince ordered the maid who was in charge of holding the zither at the Peach Blossom Banquet to move from the Crown Prince's Palace to the East Palace. "Since you are so popular with the Crown Princess, then go to the East Palace and serve her well."
The maid holding the zither was trembling with fear and immediately knelt down, "Your Highness, what did I do wrong? Why doesn't Your Highness want me anymore?"
The Crown Prince said gently: "You are not wrong, but you are not serving in the right place. You are more suitable to serve the Crown Princess in the East Palace."
Why separate the East Palace and the Crown Prince's Palace and set up separate residences? Because these two places are different and have two different owners. Even if they are mother and son, the Crown Prince will not allow his mother to interfere in his affairs. Today, he finally found an opportunity and told the host of the talent show, Hu Shanggong, about his expectations for the future Crown Prince's Consort, but he was "sold" by his subordinates.
The Crown Prince was eating fried cat ears in the Chancellery, feeling unhappy both in his mouth and in his heart.
He is the crown prince, and he is no longer a child. How can he control a country if he can't even control his own people
The maid holding the zither cried and crawled over to the crown prince on her knees, hugged the crown prince's legs tightly and cried, "I have served Your Highness since I was a child. I will never go anywhere. Please forgive me. I will never dare to report to the East Palace again."
It seems that he has a plan in mind. The Crown Prince did not move, and continued calmly: "If you refuse the master's arrangement without a legitimate reason, you will be sent to the Palace Administration Office to be punished according to the law. Do you want to go to the East Palace or the Palace Administration Office? It's your choice."
From beginning to end, the Crown Prince's tone was gentle, but there was no warmth in it.
The palace maid holding the zither knew her master's temper, so she had to hold back her tears and go to the East Palace.
When the Crown Princess saw that her son was driven out to beg for shelter, she immediately understood what her son meant, that he disliked her for meddling too much.
The Crown Princess suddenly fell from the ecstasy of being flattered by everyone to the mortal world. She fell hard and murmured, "I am his mother. How can I harm him? I am trying to protect him and do good for him. Why doesn't he understand and send you back to slap me in the face?"
The maid said, "Don't be angry, Princess Consort. The Crown Prince didn't mean that."
"What does he mean?" The Crown Princess slammed the table. "I worked hard in the East Palace to raise him and plan his future. If I don't climb up to the position of Crown Princess and clear the obstacles for him, will he have a chance to become the Crown Prince?"
Seeing that the mother and son were about to have a quarrel, the palace maid hurriedly said, "Princess Consort, calm down. The Crown Prince has always been very filial to you. The Zhanshi Mansion is so busy, but whenever he has a little free time, he comes to the East Palace to pay his respects. All this... all this is because of Concubine Hu. Today, the snack that the Shangshenjian sent to the Zhanshi Mansion is fried cat ears, and that's all. When the Crown Prince returned to the palace tonight, he drove this servant away."
As soon as I heard the fried cat ears, I knew it was Hu Shanwei's idea. Some things can only be understood, not explained. Hu Shanwei's little trick is interesting, but it is not good for others to make assumptions. It's just eating cat ears. If it's not done well, it might backfire and others will think too much.
Hu Shanwei has been in the palace for fifteen years. He is not only good at various thundering methods, but also very good at this kind of petty scheming method.
In front of her confidant, without having to wear a hypocritical mask, the Crown Princess's eyes turned cold, "Hu Shanwei, do you think you can alienate us mother and son like this? You really underestimate me."
The author has something to say: Fried cat ears: Is it my fault
The wind is howling tonight, let's play a game of flying flowers! The first person to catch it will receive a 100-point red envelope.
Crown Princess: Flowers Fall and Water Flows
A certain lady: I meet you again in the season of falling flowers
you: