Xiaoling Mausoleum is a gas station, a power bank, and a Snickers that gives Hu Shanwei confidence and wisdom.
Hu Shanwei first took A Lei to the Xian Hall to burn incense at the tablets of Emperor Gaozu and Empress Xiaoci. He also rolled up his sleeves and personally swept the thin layer of dust on the altar and the tablets.
"My sister spent a year here scrubbing and mourning for Empress Xiaoci." Hu Shanwei looked around and sighed, "Now twenty years have passed, and it seems that nothing has changed here, but people have grown old."
He also brought along a troublesome daughter.
Arei used a feather duster to brush away the dust, "Sister, how can you look old? She is obviously very young. Besides, the Xian Palace has also changed significantly—"
Arei pointed at Emperor Gaozu's shrine with a feather duster and said, "Isn't there one more wooden plaque?"
That’s right, when Hu Shanwei was the tomb keeper, Emperor Gaozu was still alive.
Hu Shanwei said: "Beijing is different from Kunming. You can't speak so casually here."
"I know, I know." A Lei begged for mercy, "Please don't say it anymore, sister. I have reminded you countless times along the way. It's just me and sister here, so I said this. I am not a casual person. Although I am a girl from Kunming, I can read a few words and studied in the Zhou Palace. I know the rules of the royal family."
Seeing that Arei was inexperienced, Hu Shanwei realized that he was too impatient. Some things cannot be understood by preaching.
After cleaning the Xian Hall and taking a short rest, Hu Shanwei went to the tombs of concubines near the Xiaoling Mausoleum to burn incense for Consort Chengmu Sun, Consort Duanjing Guo and others.
When offering incense at the tomb of the empress, Hu Shanwei was careful and found that the tablet of the former Concubine Shuo was missing. After Emperor Yongle ascended the throne, he changed the names of the first five princes, including himself, including the Crown Prince Yiwen, to Empress Xiaoci. Even the tablet was gone, and it seemed that any trace of Concubine Shuo had been cleared away.
It was almost the Dragon Boat Festival and the weather was hot. After visiting the Xiaoling Mausoleum and the tombs of the empresses and concubines, Hu Shanwei and A Lei's clothes were soaked. They went to a side hall to bathe and change clothes, but A Lei insisted on soaking in the same bathtub with Hu Shanwei.
Hu Shanwei rubbed A Lei's back, and A Lei felt very comfortable, humming like a pig, "Sister, can I say whatever I want now?"
Hu Shanwei chuckled and said, "Speak now, or you'll get sick from holding it in."
At this moment, Hu Shanwei felt very happy. When she just returned home four years ago, A Lei refused to let her take a bath and have sex. Now it was different. A Lei was both a sister and a daughter. The two got along more harmoniously and closely than ordinary mothers and daughters. The main reason was that Hu Shanwei rarely exerted the authority of an elder.
A Lei rubbed his sore calf and said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Why do we have to burn incense and sweep tombs everywhere when we come to Beijing? Sister, wake up. It's been three months since Qingming Festival."
Hu Shanwei held A Lei's shoulders and asked her to look at him. He said seriously, "Loyalty and filial piety always occupy the moral high ground and are the easiest to achieve. It takes a long time to test whether a person has the ability before he can be recognized by others. Moreover, it is difficult to satisfy everyone. Sometimes, no matter how well you do, many people will find fault with you."
"But loyalty and filial piety can easily become a formality. You only need to endure some physical pain and put on an act to gain recognition. Therefore, loyalty and filial piety are the best tools to use to build momentum for yourself. Similarly, using loyalty and filial piety as a weapon to control others and suppress opponents will also have an immediate effect."
A Lei was confused and said, "So, sister has been burning incense all day and her knees are sore. Is this to build momentum?"
Hu Shanwei said: "It's half for publicity, and half for mourning those who helped me in the past. Without them, I wouldn't be who I am today."
A Lei said "oh", not quite understanding. Hu Shanwei pinched her pink chin and asked, "Why are your teeth a little swollen?"
Arei used the tip of his tongue to press against the small front teeth that looked like sticky rice. "It's time to change teeth. I'm a little irritated. This tooth is loose."
The little front teeth are swinging in the gums, in danger of collapse. The new teeth are erupting and are about to push the old teeth out.
Hu Shanwei said, "Why didn't you tell me? I could have asked them to prepare some light and soft food for you."
A Lei shook his head again and again, "I just don't want to eat these things that only old ladies like, so I deliberately hid it from my sister. I don't like light food, I just want to eat meat, eat crispy fried dough twists, eat sizzling lamb skewers on the grill..."
As Are's "announcement" played in the background music, Hu Shanwei finished bathing her and thought that she was really Mu Chun's biological daughter, exactly like her, with "extraordinary and extraordinary character".
It was not until Hu Shanwei pulled Arei out of the bathtub and put a bathrobe on him that Arei finished "reading out the menu".
The two rested in the hut of Hu Shanwei's former tomb keeper. Arei listened to his sister's stories about the past and soon fell asleep as the lullaby played.
The next morning, taking advantage of the cool weather, Hu Shanwei took A Lei to see the deer at the Xiaoling Mausoleum.
When he saw the little deer jumping out of the pine forest and the ground starting to shake, Hu Shanwei's blood vessels seemed to be filled with gasoline and suddenly ignited. His blood boiled and he was instantly back to his youth when he was ambitious, determined to climb up the ladder, and vowed to find out the real murderer who assassinated Empress Xiaoci.
After four years, the deer still recognized Hu Shanwei and gathered around her, stretching their necks to get food. Arei's eyes were almost filled with excitement, "Sister, let me feed them!"
Hu Shanwei handed her a basket of bean cakes and said, "Don't hold them in your hands. Ride on the horse and throw them while running. Let the deer run. They will all be spoiled and fat."
Children are full of energy and are very active. A Lei slapped his horse and ran away, attracting a group of deer to chase him for food. Hu Shan sat under the shade of the tree, watching A Lei feeding the deer like walking a dog, thinking about the secret talk between the eunuch San Bao and her when he asked her to come out of the mountain.
When the eunuch Sanbao took her back to the capital, he was worried that she would disobey the emperor's order, so he explained the reason, which was all state secrets:
"… Empress Xu is critically ill, and the Emperor will not appoint a new Empress. The concubines in the harem have complicated backgrounds, and he is unsure about who will take care of them. The Emperor asked Concubine Hu to come out and take charge of the harem. This is one of the reasons."
"Second, the emperor wants to move the capital to Beiping—"
At that time, Hu Shanwei did not take the relocation of the capital seriously. The Ming Dynasty Palace, especially the harem, was severely sunken and full of potholes. It had to be repaired all year round, which was a bit unpresentable. However, from the Hongwu Dynasty to the Jianwen Dynasty, they clamored to move the capital almost every year, but in the end they did not move.
It’s three years old, and has been patched up for more than thirty years. We’ll just have to make do with it.
The wolf has been cried so many times that no one believes it anymore.
Eunuch Sanbao said, "… The third reason is that the emperor is waiting for the Annan expedition to end and the country to recuperate, and then he will personally conquer Mongolia to defend the country. In the future, the emperor will go out to fight, and the emperor will guard the country. The crown prince of the East Palace will be responsible for supervising the country. The emperor spends most of his time in the old residence in Peking. The new capital is in Peking, and the Ming Palace will be rebuilt. Since the emperor and the crown prince rule the north and the south, the emperor needs someone he can trust to guard the harem and prevent any chaos."
After hearing the third reason, Hu Shanwei's expression gradually became serious: Emperor Yongle was serious.
When Emperor Yongle was still the Prince of Yan, he had always led troops to guard the border. No one understood the importance of national defense better than the emperor. Moving the capital to Beiping and having the emperor guard the border from then on was beneficial to national defense.
Sanbao Taishi observed the emperor's words and expressions and flattered him invisibly. "The emperor is personally leading the army and staying in Beiping. The crown prince of the Eastern Palace is the regent. From now on, there will be neither a queen nor an emperor in the harem. Concubine Hu will be in charge of the overall situation, cooperate with the Eastern Palace, and also supervise the Eastern Palace. The emperor is looking at the harem, and only Concubine Hu can handle this heavy responsibility. I have specially ordered our family to invite Concubine Hu back to the palace."
Hu Shanwei was clear-headed. "The eunuch Sanbao was deeply trusted by the emperor and was given the name Zheng He. Why wasn't the eunuch Sanbao in charge of the palace?"
Eunuch Sanbao held up four fingers and said, "This is the fourth secret. To be honest with Concubine Hu, our family wants to build a ship to sail to the West. We don't have the ability to manage the affairs of the harem, and we can't control them."
What? Sailing to the West! Hu Shanwei's mind was buzzing like a wild bee: What's going on? Could it be that my secret substitution of three dead bodies in Kunning Palace to replace Empress Ma and the two little princes, and asking them to board the Shen family's sea ship and flee far away, has been exposed
If this matter were to be exposed, it would be a serious crime that would lead to the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan!
Hu Shanwei remained calm and asked, "What did the eunuch Sanbao go to the West for?"
Eunuch Sanbao showed no emotion on his face. He said, "Your Majesty has been on the throne for five years and has established a firm foothold in the country. But when Emperor Jianwen named the Crown Prince and ascended the throne, all nations came to pay tribute, and envoys from overseas witnessed it with their own eyes."
"Now that the emperor has ascended the throne, many small countries still know about the Ming Dynasty during the Jianwen period, and don't know about Yongle. So we have to go to the West to promote the Ming Dynasty's prestige, let them know that the new emperor has ascended the throne and Jianwen has died, and want them to send envoys to the Ming Dynasty, submit letters of credence, offer tribute, and submit to the new emperor to confirm Yongle's status as the orthodox."
Hu Shanwei breathed a sigh of relief, but still did not dare to take it lightly.
Even if the eunuch Sanbao sailed to the West just to make his presence known to the world, the overseas cities he passed by along the way, and the large ships carrying Haitang, Empress Xiaoma and her son, and others must have passed by here as well. Many of them were even destined to be overseas. What if they happened to run into them
This shocking secret cannot be kept secret.
Hu Shanwei did not dare to pin his hopes on the king's mercy. Many facts in the past proved that this idea was really unrealistic.
No, I have to find a way to contact Shen Qionglian and ask the Shen family to go out to sea to inform those who were exiled overseas that year. They must hide themselves and never be encountered by the eunuch Sanbao.
Now there was no need for Eunuch Sanbao to invite him. Hu Shanwei himself wanted to go to the capital and arrange the matter personally.
But... Hu Shanwei asked again: "If I return to the palace to serve, when can I come out?"
Eunuch Sanbao said, "It is because of the three reasons of moving the capital, personally leading the army, and the Crown Prince as regent that we have to shamelessly invite Concubine Hu back to the palace. As long as the capital is moved and the palace is moved from Nanjing to Peking, the Emperor will stay in the capital to guard the country, and the Crown Prince will not have to be regent. By then, Concubine Hu will have accomplished her mission and can naturally leave the palace."
When will it take to complete the three major projects of building a new palace, a new capital, and relocating the capital
It will take at least ten years.
However, at least there is hope. At least it is not "life imprisonment" anymore, it is a fixed-term imprisonment.
Hu Shanwei weighed the pros and cons. "I already know the emperor's sincerity and reasons. The court has been managing female officials for life, and I still eat the court salary and enjoy the status of a fifth-rank female official. If the Ming Dynasty needs me, I shouldn't refuse, but..."
"I am now married and have a family with children. I am no longer free from worries as before. Once I enter the palace, it is like entering a deep sea. If I want to enter the palace and take on this important task, the emperor must agree to several conditions and set three rules for me. Otherwise, even if I am in the palace, I will not be interested in serving, and I am afraid that I will fail the emperor's trust."
Seeing that Hu Shanwei finally gave in, Eunuch Sanbao also breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as Consort Hu is willing to come out again, everything will be negotiable. We will report to the emperor and do our best to meet Consort Hu's request."
In this way, Hu Shanwei brought A Lei and followed the eunuch Sanbao into the capital.
Hu Shanwei was heavy-hearted, thinking about the aftermath of Queen Xiao Ma's escape overseas and how to work in the future. Are was extremely excited as he could finally go and see the true face of the richest and most prosperous place in the world as described by Brother Xiaoji and Brother Shuikeng.
Under the shade of the trees at the Xiaoling Mausoleum, Hu Shanwei saw a procession at the foot of the mountain holding up a bright yellow canopy, and he knew that Emperor Yongle had come to the Xiaoling Mausoleum.
Hu Shanwei hurriedly asked Are to stop feeding the deer, wiped the sweat off his face, re-combed his messy hair, changed his clothes, and the two of them stood by the road to welcome Emperor Yongle.
The emperor and his subjects met, and Hu Shanwei introduced A Lei to Emperor Yongle, "This is my sister, Hu Shanxiang."
In formal occasions, people are addressed by their full names.
When Emperor Yongle saw A Lei, he was very cute and festive with his round face, thick eyebrows, big eyes and cheeks as rosy as ripe peaches. He gave him a meeting gift, "My two eldest grandsons often mention you. Your name is as well-known as your nickname."
A Lei was calm and composed, and seemed to be quite familiar with the place. "When we were in Kunming, we often went to the river to catch shrimps and hunt in the mountains. This time, I came to the capital with my sister, and I brought them a lot of local products from Kunming. I also brought gifts for the emperor..."
Are ordered people to bring in two large cages. "These are green peacocks that can fly. I heard they are called phoenixes in the capital."
The green peacocks in the Xiaoling Mausoleum died out due to the unusually cold weather in a certain year. After that, the regime changed frequently and no one cared about the green peacocks, so the peacock nests in the Xiaoling Mausoleum disappeared.
When Emperor Yongle saw the pair of "phoenixes", he thought of the seriously ill Empress Xu and said, "How beautiful! Each feather looks like a halo. The Empress will definitely like it. Someone, send the pair of phoenixes to the palace to make the Empress happy."
Hu Shanwei knew that A Lei had given the right gift.
After a few pleasantries, the emperor and his ministers began to talk about business. Emperor Yongle ordered a few eunuchs and palace maids to accompany Are down to play.
Emperor Yongle drank a mouthful of lotus leaf tea to reduce internal heat, put down the teacup, and said, "I heard from the eunuch Sanbao that you want to make three rules with me?"
Hu Shanwei said hurriedly, "I dare not put on airs in front of the emperor. It is natural for me to serve the court with my salary. However, the current rules for court ladies are too different from my actual situation. I have a family to support and I need the emperor to make some special arrangements for me so that I can serve you with peace of mind."
Emperor Yongle said, "What are the conditions? Please tell me, Concubine Hu."
Hu Shanwei said, "First, my sister Hu Shanxiang cannot be allowed to enter the palace, or be given a title like Princess. First, my sister grew up in the countryside, and the palace has many rules, which are not suitable for her. Second, my sister is a child, and she has no merit to the country, so she should not be rewarded without merit. Third, my sister's nominal father Hu Rong is only a nominal official, so how can my sister's status be higher than her father's? This may kill her."
Emperor Yongle pondered for a moment and said, "I can do this. But you are in the palace, Hu Shanxiang is outside the palace, mother and daughter are separated, and the Hu family has no relatives or friends in the capital to rely on. What should we do?"
Hu Shanwei bowed and said, "This is the second condition. I have a husband and a young daughter. Please allow me to have a family outside the palace, just like the ministers in the court. When I am on duty, I can go home to reunite with my family. I can have a rest day every month."
Hu Shanwei would never let his daughter live a life of dependence on others - isn't life in the palace also a life of dependence on others and having to look at other people's faces
Only in your own home, when you are the master of your own house, can you have true freedom and relaxation. The palace is prosperous and luxurious, but it is not a home after all.
It’s like there is a bed inlaid with gold and diamonds in the office. Would you rather sleep on it more comfortably at home or on this bed
What's more, she has a husband, Mu Chun... They have all kinds of emotions, and they love each other. She is married and has children, and both husband and wife are in good health. Does she have to be a widow
Even if she can endure it, Mu Chun can't.
One house, going to get off work and coming home, and having days off. The husband doesn't have to raise the daughter like a widower, nor does the daughter have to grow up like a widow. Both families and careers can be taken care of.
What Hu Shanwei asked for was the most basic living conditions of a ninth-rank official, but as a fifth-rank female official in the palace, such minimum living conditions required additional permission from the emperor.
Emperor Yongle was silent for a while, then said, "Your request is not excessive. It's just that the palace is different from ordinary government offices. My cabinet ministers must register and report every time they enter and leave the Wenyuan Pavilion next to the Qianqing Palace, and they are not allowed to enter and leave at will."
"However, you can stay at home in the name of taking care of your sister. Like a minister, you can return to the palace at the fourth watch every day. But you must report to the Shangyi Bureau in advance every time. The Shangyi Bureau will send female officials, the Silijian will send eunuchs, and the Jinyiwei will escort you all the way in and out of the palace and the mansion."
The three supervisory bodies are the Shangyi Bureau, the Silijian and the Jinyiwei.
Hu Shanwei knew that his profession was special and that this was the biggest concession that Emperor Yongle had made. He said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your permission."
Emperor Yongle waved his hand and said, "There is a third point. Let's talk about it together."
The author has something to say: Today is 520. To show my love for you all, I will send out 250 red envelopes tonight~ Dear~ Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrient solution~
Thanks to the little angels who cast [mines]: Liangjiu Jingque., kungia, Qu Jin, Xia~Taoyuan 1;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated [nutrient solution]:
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Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!