Queen Ma is an emergency firefighter, she puts out fire wherever it happens.
The eunuchs discussed politics, so Emperor Hongwu wanted to kill them and look for Empress Ma.
The ministers were against the feudal system and predicted that there would be a "Seven Kingdoms Rebellion" in the future. Emperor Hongwu wanted to "arrest them quickly and shoot them with my own hands" and look for Empress Ma.
The East Palace was the hardest hit area by the fire. The Crown Prince and Emperor Hongwu had a quarrel due to their different political views. Emperor Hongwu could not win the argument with the Crown Prince who quoted classics, so he started to take action and looked for Empress Ma.
They all habitually look for Empress Ma as a panacea, but they forget that Empress Ma is not made of iron and steel. She is a flesh-and-blood person. She bears the pressure to put out fires, and is often burned by the fire.
In the past, Concubine Sun accompanied her and comforted her, and she had an outlet to vent the pressure and grievances she endured. Now that the outlet is closed, she has become silent and haggard at a speed visible to the naked eye. Everyone still habitually goes to Queen Ma when there is something.
Only Hu Shanwei came out. Concubine Lu, who came to ask for help, was very disappointed. However, since Hu Shanwei said that Empress Ma was unwell, she did not dare to question him. She could only remind Hu Shanwei: "When the emperor gets angry, he is quite scary. How does Hu Siyan plan to save His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
Hu Shanwei held the scroll in her hands, looking calm but actually panicking inside. She was almost having her eyes gouged out, and she had no idea that when Emperor Hongwu got angry he was like a fire-breathing dragon.
But Empress Ma's health condition is really not good... After saving this one, what about the next one? The prince has to save himself and not rely too much on Empress Ma.
However, Concubine Lu seemed to be too pessimistic. When Hu Shanwei rushed to the imperial study, Emperor Hongwu had already stopped beating the prince. After all, he was the crown prince of a country, so he was reluctant to use ruthless force.
Hu Shanwei saw from afar the prince kneeling on the cold jade steps outside the study. It was just the beginning of winter, so it wasn't freezing cold, but it was still quite cold kneeling outside.
Hu Shanwei asked the young eunuch, "Why is the prince still kneeling?"
The eunuch replied, "The prince knelt down and begged the emperor to forgive Song Lian, and he knelt for a long time without getting up."
I heard that Hu Shanwei wanted to hit someone. The emperor won't hit you, so leave quickly and think of other ways. You are kneeling here and waiting for Empress Ma to come. Are you waiting for Empress Ma to help you persuade Emperor Hongwu to release Song Lian
Protecting the prince and releasing Song Lian are two different things. The former is the responsibility of the stepmother, and the latter is politics.
When needed, he would beg Queen Ma for help.
When it is not necessary, she would shout that the harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs.
Concubine Lu hurried over and said, "Your Highness, are you okay?"
After the Crown Princess died, Zhu Biao did not remarry. There was no other woman in the Eastern Palace except Concubine Lu. The two had a deep relationship. Zhu Biao whispered, "What are you doing here? Go away."
Concubine Lu looked at the swollen corner of the crown prince's mouth and felt very distressed, "Your Highness, you must take care of yourself. I feel sorry for you when you are like this."
Seeing the two of them being so affectionate with each other, Hu Shanwei felt very worried. It turned out that they were counting on Queen Ma to save the situation.
Hu Shanwei walked over holding the scroll and said to the prince, "If your highness wants to save Song Lian, please stand up first. Kneeling down will not solve the problem."
Si Yan was Empress Ma's mouthpiece. The prince thought Hu Shanwei's words were Empress Ma's intention, so he did as he was told. He was beaten and knelt for a long time.
His knees were numb from the pain and his legs were bent when he walked. Concubine Lu supported him.
Hu Shanwei led him to the warm room to sit down and rest first. The eunuch who was watching outside reported the matter to Emperor Hongwu, who sneered: "Didn't he say that he would kneel down and not get up unless I released him? How come Hu Shanwei woke him up with just a few words? He is too soft-hearted."
The prince drank a few sips of hot ginseng tea, and his pale complexion improved slightly. "What tricks does the Queen have to convince my father?"
Hu Shanwei said, "The Queen is not feeling well, so she sent me here to check on him. Since the Emperor has stopped, why is the Crown Prince still kneeling outside? The Emperor has a temper that is not easily influenced by soft or hard tactics. The Crown Prince is begging the Emperor to grant a special pardon to Song Lian by kneeling down. In my humble opinion, this is probably inappropriate."
You are just a female official, why do you give me orders? The prince was a well-mannered man, he did not show it on the spot, and said politely: "Since the queen is unwell, please ask Hu Siyan to return to the palace and take good care of the queen."
After saying this, the prince walked towards the door, intending to continue kneeling. If he couldn't even save his mentor's life, how could he face the scholars of the world
Song Lian was an important promoter of the Ming Dynasty's restarting of the imperial examination system. He was responsible for deciding how to set questions, how to establish standards for judging candidates' scores, etc. Without Song Lian, the imperial edict issued by Emperor Hongwu to restore the imperial examination system would have been a waste of time.
Therefore, saving Song Lian would win the hearts of scholars all over the world. How could a little female official understand the thoughts of the crown prince
Hu Shanwei had lived in the palace for a long time, and probably guessed that the prince looked down on him. Since you want to gain fame and insist on playing the trick of self-torture, I will not bother you. He said: "If you kneel again, please take this - this is sent by the queen."
When the prince opened it, he found it was a painting from his youth, "Carrying a Child".
Hu Shanwei said, "Your Majesty is not feeling well and cannot come in person to plead for the prince. If the prince kneels down for a long time and cannot get up, the emperor will be enraged and will beat him with sticks. Then this painting will fall off the prince's body, and the emperor will stop when he sees it."
The prince blushed and put the scroll on the table, "I don't need it, you can take it back."
This is the best amulet! It is more useful than anything you can get from the temple. Concubine Lu hurriedly stuffed the scroll into the prince's arms and said, "Your Highness, this is a gift from the Queen Mother. It is a gift from an elder, and I cannot refuse it."
Concubine Lu was not as arrogant as the Crown Prince, and advised: "Your Highness, Hu Siyan just said that kneeling to beg might not be appropriate. Perhaps Hu Siyan has a good idea. Your Highness might as well listen to it. Wasn't the "Imperial Record of Filial Piety and Kindness" promulgated by the Emperor inspired by Hu Siyan?"
The new funeral system of honoring both parents and wearing a stick during the same mourning period for stepmothers has been fully implemented.
It would have been fine if he hadn't mentioned this, but once he mentioned the Records of Filial Piety and Kindness, the prince hated Hu Shanwei even more. "Hmph, just the words of a flatterer who only knows how to speak and act according to the emperor's wishes."
The prince still wears plain clothes. He has been educated in strict etiquette since childhood and is really reluctant to mourn for a stepmother. Throughout history, scholars and above have not had to mourn for their stepmothers. But because of Hu Shanwei, from then on, whether commoners, scholars, or royal family members, they all had to follow the same mourning system.
Alas, the sycophant is in power! Why does the Queen rely on this sycophant so much
Hu Shanwei was classified as a "flattering minister". He could neither be angry nor laugh. Well, if you can do it, go ahead. I don't care. At least I have saved your life and didn't implicate Empress Ma.
Hu Shanwei said goodbye.
Concubine Lu hurriedly chased after him and apologized on behalf of the prince, "Your Highness is just such a pedantic and straightforward person. Because of this, he has been beaten by the emperor since he was a child. The prince is not targeting Hu Siyan, Hu Siyan, please don't take it to heart."
Hu Shanwei smiled and said, "Yes, it's not just me that is being targeted. The prince is targeting all the treacherous ministers."
Concubine Lu looked at Hu Shanwei's face and was a little confused. Was he angry? This female official had been in the palace for less than two years, and three nobles had fallen into her hands, the former Concubine Hu, the King of Qin, and Concubine Deng. The Hu family had three clans exterminated, and the King of Qin still used his military merits to escape punishment at the border, and his title was not restored. Concubine Deng died in an unclear manner. Mao Xiang said she committed suicide out of fear of punishment, but few people believed it...
To be on the safe side, Concubine Lu returned to the East Palace and ordered her subordinates to draw up a gift list, "It should be heavier, this is for Hu Siyan."
Concubine Lu behaved very timidly outside, but when she returned to the East Palace with green glazed tiles, she was surrounded by people, acting like the mistress of the house, with even the joystick held straight.
His men prepared a gift list and sent it to Concubine Lu. Concubine Lu was particularly dissatisfied with the simplicity of the gift list and added a few more generous gifts. His men sent it to Hu Shanwei's residence, but the young palace maid Haitang refused it. "Hu Siyan said that he would not accept gifts without merit. Please go back."
When his men came back to report, Concubine Lu thought, oh no, Hu Siyan seems angry.
The prince drank a cup of ginseng tea, then knelt outside the imperial study, holding the scroll that Concubine Lu had forced into his arms.
Emperor Hongwu thought Hu Shanwei had persuaded the prince, but he never expected that the prince would kneel outside again and beg him to pardon Song Lian.
Emperor Hongwu was furious. He ran out and kicked the prince. The prince fell to the ground, and the "Carrying Child" in his arms fell to the ground. The scroll rolled, and the slightly immature painting appeared in front of Emperor Hongwu.
When Emperor Hongwu saw Empress Ma carrying the young prince on her back and snatching a horse to escape, he immediately thought of the difficult times in the past and did not continue to beat the prince.
Emperor Hongwu ordered: "Send the prince back to the Eastern Palace. Without my permission, he is not allowed to leave the Eastern Palace."
The prince vomited blood after being kicked just now, and he was still struggling and kneeling on the ground begging: "Father, please pardon Song Lian."
Two strong eunuchs rushed over, lifted the prince up on both sides, covered his mouth, and carried him away by force.
The world finally quieted down. Emperor Hongwu looked at the scattered "Carrying a Child" on the ground, sighed, picked up the scroll, and said to the eunuch beside him: "Go to Kunning Palace and tell them that I will go there to have dinner with the empress tonight."
In Kunning Palace, Empress Ma was half lying on the bed, drinking the decoction that Ru Siyao had just prescribed. Even Ru Siyao could not find any serious illness, just physical weakness and mental fatigue. While drinking the medicine to regulate her body, she was told to rest more and not to work too hard.
In fact, Empress Ma did not need to worry about palace affairs, as everything was handled by the six bureaus and one department. What Empress Ma had to worry about were other things, things that she had no power to control but had to do.
Hu Shanwei and the eunuchs around Emperor Hongwu came over to talk about the matter, and Empress Ma said, "I'm fine, Your Majesty, don't worry."
Then he said to Hu Shanwei, "Call Xu Shangshi here."
Hu Shanwei went to the Shangshi Bureau to pass on the message that Xu Shangshi had arrived.
Empress Ma ordered: "Today's dinner must be all vegetarian, not even animal oil."
Xu Shangshi asked: "The emperor's meal tonight will also be served in Kunning Palace, and will it also be all vegetarian dishes?"
Queen Ma nodded, "Yes, use vegetarian dishes, the simpler the better."
Xu Shangshi had been in charge of meals when he was in the Prince of Wu's mansion. He had been in service for more than 20 years. Upon hearing this, he went downstairs without hesitation and ordered his subordinates to do so.
Hu Shanwei was young after all, and had only been in the palace for a short time, so he did not understand what Empress Ma meant. "Your Majesty, Ru Siyao said that you should pay attention to your health when eating, and you should eat a combination of meat and vegetables, and you cannot be a vegetarian."
"It's just a meal, it's nothing." Queen Ma smiled weakly, "You'll understand in the evening."
It gets dark early in winter. When the lights are turned on, Emperor Hongwu brings the scroll to Kunning Palace to inquire about Empress Ma's health.
The meal was served, which consisted of only watery vegetarian dishes.
Emperor Hongwu was puzzled: "Zi Tong, what are you doing—"
Empress Ma said, "I will serve Mr. Song a vegetarian meal."
It was Song Lian again. Emperor Hongwu said, "I haven't killed him yet." If the person is not dead yet, there is no need to observe vegetarian diet for him.
Empress Ma said, "Mr. Song retired to his hometown in the tenth year of Hongwu and spent his remaining years in his hometown of Jinhua, Zhejiang. He only came to Beijing to celebrate the emperor's birthday and the Wanshou Festival every year. Therefore, how could a village elder know about the collusion between the eldest grandson Song Shen and the second son Song Yan and Hu Weiyong?"
Empress Ma still had more face. Emperor Hongwu sighed: "Treason is punishable by the nine clans. This is the law of the country. How can I be partial to it?"
When Empress Ma advised Emperor Hongwu, she never simply used mercy or grace to beg him to compromise. Instead, she slowly presented the facts and reasoned with him. She dipped her finger in white water and wrote the word "Wen Shu" on the dining table.
"This is the name of Song Lian's study. Mr. Song has always taken Kong Guang, the virtuous prime minister of the Western Han Dynasty, as his role model. When Kong Guang was the prime minister, someone asked him what flowers and trees were planted in the greenhouse of Changle Palace? Kong Guang did not answer. Therefore, the name Wenshu means keeping secrets for the emperor. Like Kong Guang, Mr. Song went in and out of the palace, served the emperor, and wrote countless edicts for the emperor. All manuscripts were burned, and not a single piece of paper left his study."
"Your Majesty, Mr. Song did have the fault of not disciplining his children properly, but he is extremely loyal to Your Majesty."
As a leader in the literary world, Song Lian was an outstanding writer. Many of the memorials and proclamations written by Emperor Hongwu were actually written by Song Lian. The most famous one was the "Tian Tao Yuan Northern Expedition Proclamation" issued by Xu Da in the first year of Hongwu. It was straightforward and powerful, and was a model of proclamations. The civil officials also made great contributions to the Northern Expedition.
All the past events came to mind. Once upon a time, Emperor Hongwu regarded Song Lian as a national treasure, so he entrusted the education of the prince to him.
Seeing the expression on Emperor Hongwu's face, Empress Ma knew that it was almost time, so she made the final move, "Common people try their best to preserve etiquette when hiring teachers for their children. If this is the case among the common people, the royal family must respect teachers. If a teacher like Mr. Song cannot escape death, who will dare to come to the royal family to be a teacher and educate the princes and grandchildren in the future?"
After a vegetarian meal, Emperor Hongwu issued an edict to pardon Song Lian and exile him to Kuizhou.
After Emperor Hongwu left, Hu Shanwei hung the scroll again in the study. Empress Ma asked her, "I heard that the prince said you were a sycophantic minister. Are you angry?"
Hu Shanwei said, "I dare not." Well, he was still a little angry. People with different ideologies cannot work together. From now on, when facing the East Palace, he would never take one more step or say one more word.
Empress Ma said, "You ladies-in-waiting are here to share the worries of the emperor and me. The prince cannot understand now because he has limited perspectives, not your fault. When the prince ascends the throne, he will not think this way."
Empress Ma expressed her support for Hu Shanwei, and this sentence made her feel a little warm. As a female official, she was just a tool used by the emperor and empress to govern the palace. The master did not need to care about the thoughts and feelings of a tool, especially compared to the crown prince, Hu Shanwei was simply insignificant.
But Empress Ma comforted her a little, which made Hu Shanwei feel flattered. Empress Ma went to bed early, and Hu Shanwei returned to her residence. Mu Chun came to see her, "I heard that the prince called you a flatterer? Is this true?"
Hu Shanwei frowned, "How come what happened in the imperial study of the previous dynasty became known to everyone in the harem in less than a day?"
Mu Chun hit the nail on the head: "Many people dislike you, and many people dislike the prince. This matter is not good for both you and the prince, so of course it spread quickly."
Mu Chun even comforted her, "The prince even said behind my back that I was a clown. A sycophant in power and a clown, they are a perfect match."
The author has something to say: Song Lian was exiled to Kuizhou, which is now Chongqing.
Send 100 big red envelopes tonight
The topic of tonight’s 100 o’clock red envelope is related to money and Kuizhou.
Kuizhou is named after the steep Kuimen in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. Everyone loves the beauty of Kuimen. Because Kuimen is printed on the RMB, everyone loves the RMB~~~
Now the question is, what denomination of currency has the scenery of Kuimen printed on it