The new female officials were studying the palace rules intensively in the Palace Administration Department. During breaks, female officials from the Sixth Bureau with the prefix "Shang" would come to observe the qualifications of the newcomers in order to prepare for selecting their own people in the future.
With the explanation of his apprentice Meixiang, Hu Shanwei gradually understood the powers and operating rules of the six bureaus and one department in the harem:
The harem has six bureaus and one department. The Gongzheng Department is a supervisory and inspection agency responsible for the rewards and punishments of palace people. Newcomers to the palace, whether female officials or maids, are taught palace rules by the Gongzheng Department and can only start work after passing the assessment.
These six bureaus are the Shanggong Bureau, which leads the Empress Dowager and assists the Empress in managing all matters in the harem.
The Shanggong Bureau is the most important, powerful, busiest and closest to the Emperor and Empress of the six bureaus. It is in charge of all the keys, rosters, and salary distribution of the harem, and reviews the account books of the other five bureaus.
The Shanggong Bureau holds the lifeline of the harem. The highest female official is "Shanggong". If it were placed in the modern era more than 500 years later, the Shanggong Bureau would be a combination of the Human Resources Department, the Administrative Department, and the Finance Department.
Therefore, when recruiting people for the Shanggong Bureau, they prefer to select female officials with calm personalities, strict logic, meticulousness, organization, and especially those who are good at arithmetic to serve in the Shanggong Bureau.
The Shangyi Bureau is in charge of all the rituals and music of the harem, including classics and documents, court music, etiquette guidance, organizing banquets, festival etiquette and other matters.
The highest female official in the Shangyi Bureau is called "Shangyi". They like to select female officials who are proficient in ancient and modern etiquette, music, good at communication and coordination, eloquent and quick to respond.
The highest female official in the Shangfu Bureau is called "Shangfu", who is in charge of court clothing, jewelry, ceremonial guards, etc., and most importantly, the seals of the emperor and empress. She also likes to select female officials who are careful and cautious, and understand the etiquette of clothing, ceremonial guards, etc.
The highest female official in the Shangshi Bureau was called "Shangshi", who was in charge of food, wine, medicine, and firewood. The palace was particularly particular about food, and female officials who knew basic pharmacology and cooking were preferred.
The highest female official in the Shangqin Bureau was called "Shangqin", who was in charge of the sleeping curtains, travel sedan chairs, canopies, fruits and flowers in the harem gardens, as well as lights and candles.
Finally, there is the Shanggong Bureau, which is pronounced the same as the Shanggong Bureau, the core of the Six Departments, but the "gong" here refers to needlework, which is responsible for the palace's clothing, making clothes, and purchasing gold, jade, and gemstone jewelry. The Shanggong Bureau likes female officials who have painting skills, aesthetic taste, and are proficient in needlework. The highest female official is called "Shanggong".
The six female officials with the prefix "Shang" in their titles in the six bureaus were all of the fifth rank, with clear responsibilities. They worked together to maintain the normal operation of the huge Ming Dynasty court and were all under the supervision of the Palace Administration Department.
Of course, the most popular one must be the Shanggong Bureau, which is the first of the six bureaus. It has the greatest power, is most likely to get the attention of the emperor and empress, and has the fastest promotion.
Therefore, most of the new female officials wanted to join the Shanggong Bureau. So whenever Wang Shanggong from the Shanggong Bureau came to the Gongzhengsi, the new female officials would answer questions louder, citing extensive references to show their knowledge.
Hu Shanwei wanted to join the Shangfu Bureau. For her, being a female official in the Sixth Bureau was an honor, and she would do her best to do her job well, but what she wanted most was to see what the heart of the Ming Empire - the national seal - looked like, and if she was lucky enough to touch it, it would be even better.
The female official in charge of treasures under the Shangfu Bureau was in charge of the national seal.
What's more, what made Hu Shanwei excited was that Wang Shangfu from the Shangfu Bureau actually spoke to her alone!
Wang Shangfu was a widow, a woman in her forties. She was very amiable and chatted with Hu Shanwei about her family affairs, how old her parents were, where her ancestral home was, what her family did for a living, etc. Hu Shanwei suppressed his excitement and answered them one by one.
Wang Shangfu nodded slowly, as if he was very satisfied with Hu Shanwei, and suddenly changed the subject, "What kind of person is your stepmother?"
This issue is very tricky. According to human ethics and etiquette, children must never point out the faults of their parents. A stepmother is also a mother.
But if you say against your will that your stepmother is very good, that is another lie. Fan Gongzheng has emphasized that in the Gongzheng Division, the first rule is that you cannot lie.
What should I do? It is neither right to say it nor to say it.
Hu Shanwei thought for a moment and said, "My stepmother Chen was a good daughter in her natal family and was filial to her parents. At home, she took care of my father's daily life and was meticulous. She had a harmonious relationship with the neighbors and everyone said she was a virtuous woman. Even the beggars on the street, as long as they came to her house, she would never let them go empty-handed. Sometimes she would give them leftovers from her family, sometimes a handful of rice, or old clothes and shoes. Every month, she would donate one or two taels of silver to the temple for incense money."
"She's nice to everyone else—except me."
Wang Shangfu glanced at the chilblain on Hu Shanwei's little finger. This girl reacted well and calmly. She told the truth without violating any etiquette. She was a good candidate.
Wang Shangfu asked again: "You have been in the palace for almost half a month. Do you miss home?"
Another fatal question!
If you want to, then why did you enter the palace
If she says she doesn't want to, she is a cold-hearted person who doesn't think about the kindness of her parents in raising her. Who would dare to employ such an unfilial person
Hu Shanwei thought about it again and again, and said: "I am the emperor's salary, and I am loyal to him. When I entered the palace, I left all the silver I was given at home for household expenses. When I entered the palace to serve, the emperor exempted my family from taxes and corvée labor. My family has no worries about food and clothing. I have fulfilled my filial duty."
Among loyalty, filial piety, chastity and righteousness, loyalty comes first.
Wang Shangfu looked at Hu Shanwei deeply and left the Palace Administration Office.
In terms of appearance, she was not the most outstanding; in terms of conversation, she was not the most elegant; in terms of talent, her test scores ranked 37th, which was at the bottom and was far from being a brilliant person.
Why did Muchun ask the Queen for a pair of shoes
The Shangfu Bureau was in charge of clothes and jewelry, including shoes. The whereabouts of Empress Ma's handkerchiefs were all recorded in the Shangfu Bureau. If they were damaged or discarded, or given as gifts, who they were given to was clearly recorded in the account book.
Wang Shangfu went to Kunning Palace to report, and told Empress Ma about Hu Shanwei's response, saying: "... According to my humble opinion, Mu Chun sent the shoes not because he was attracted to a young girl, but because he saw that Ms. Hu was being humiliated and oppressed by her stepmother, and he felt sympathy for her."
Queen Ma nodded, "Mu Chun is still a child, he probably doesn't have that kind of thought, I'm just worrying too much."
He added: "It's rare that she can answer questions so fluently even though she just entered the palace. This girl is not bad."
Wang Shangfu smiled and said, "She is proficient in Zhouli and is ranked first in the discussion of the Five Classics. The Shanggong Bureau and the Shangyi Bureau have both set their sights on her. I also want to snatch her to the Shangfu Bureau. It depends on whether I can beat them both after I take the palace rules test in five days."
Hu Shanwei didn't know that she was a talent that was being fought over by three bureaus, and she was still worried whether her answer would satisfy Wang Shangfu of the Shangfu Bureau.
She was walking absent-mindedly on West Chang Street, reciting palace rules silently. When a Jinyiwei came over, she stood by the road to give way, but inadvertently saw that one of the Jinyiwei wearing a Feiyu costume and carrying an embroidered spring sword was actually the Baikan student who gave her the shoes!
She called out to Mu Chun, "You... you are a student of the Imperial College, how come you became a Jinyiwei?"
Mu Chun stopped, looked back, touched his head and thought for a long time, then asked, "Who are you?"
In the past, Hu Shanwei lived in plain clothes, was depressed, had no food to eat, and lacked sleep. He did all kinds of rough work, and his shoulders were hunched, looking like a miserable little boy.
Now, after ten days of living in luxury, she has not had to touch the water of the house. The pharmacist of the Imperial Food Bureau sent a female doctor to treat her frostbite. Court etiquette requires female officials to dress lightly and maintain a decent appearance to show the royal majesty. Now, Hu Shanwei wears light makeup and palace-style jewelry inlaid with gold and silver gems. She has changed a lot. No wonder Mu Chun didn't recognize her.
Hu Shanwei said, "I was the one who chased you away with a mop in the library of Hu's Bookstore. Ten days ago, you gave me a pair of boots. I have cleaned the boots and put them in the cabinet, thinking that I would return them to you if there is a chance."
"Oh oh oh oh oh!" Muchun was extremely surprised, and kept ohing for a long time like a silly goose, "It's you!"
Mu Chun circled around Hu Shan three times, looking amazed, "Oh my, clothes make the man, I didn't expect you to transform into a beautiful sister."
Hu Shanwei felt offended and a little annoyed, and said coldly, "Wait a moment, I will return the shoes to you."
Mu Chun waved his hand, "How can I return something given by the Queen?"
Hu Shanwei was struck by lightning and lost consciousness instantly. After a long while, he asked, "Why did the queen give me the shoes?"
Mu Chun said casually, "I asked the Queen to give it to you. I am a grown man, I can't let you wear my shoes, right? It's inappropriate."
Hu Shanwei slowly came back to his senses and asked, "Who are you?"
"My name is Mu Chun." Mu Chun looked at the pocket watch on his waist. "It's almost time for the handover. I'm leaving now. We'll talk next time."
After saying that, Mu Chun ran towards Longguang Gate.
After passing the Longguang Gate is the Qianqing Palace.
Muchun, Hu Shanwei remembered this name, and thought that when Meixiang came over to study in the evening, he would inevitably ask her who Muchun was and why he was so omnipotent at such a young age.
Mei Xiang is simply an encyclopedia of the Ming Dynasty Palace. She said: "Mu Chun is the eldest son of Xiping Marquis..."
Mei Xiang briefly recounted the grievances and hatreds between Mu Ying and his two wives, Feng and Geng. "… In this way, when Mu Chun was still an infant, she was taken to the then-hidden residence of Prince Wu by the Empress. Later, when the Ming Dynasty was founded, Mu Chun was raised in Kunning Palace. She left the palace and returned to Xiping Marquis's Mansion when she was seven years old."
Mei Xiang said proudly, "When I was a slave in the Prince Wu's Palace, I even washed Muchun's diapers."
Hu Shanwei recalled Mu Chun's words blaming her for being cowardly, angry at her misfortune, and hating her for not fighting. Despite this, he still lent a hand to her twice, once paying three taels of silver for a meal, and once giving her a pair of shoes.
It turned out that he helped her out of sympathy. He also lost his mother at a young age, and seeing her being abused by her stepmother, he felt grief for her, so he helped her again and again.
Mu Chun hurried to Longguang Gate to take over the shift. Jinyiwei Commander Mao Xiang was waiting at the door and said, "You are late."
Mu Chun looked at his pocket watch and said, "I'm only thirty seconds late."
Mao Xiang was stern and impartial. "Go and get ten strokes of the cane."
Mu Chun went over to try to get close to him, "Master Mao, please be flexible. If my father knew that I was beaten with a stick in my first month on duty, he would be so ashamed that he would beat me to death."
Mao Xiang said: "In that case, then give him twenty strokes of the cane."
"You—" Mu Chun had no choice but to accept the punishment.
Mao Xiang said to his men, "Tell them to be gentle. The Queen will be sad if they hurt her."
The subordinate laughed and said, "We all know what's going on. He is Mu Chun. Who dares to really hit him?"
Mao Xiang asked: "I vaguely saw Mu Chun talking to a palace servant on the side of the road. Go check who that person is."
The subordinate took the order and left. After a while, he came back to report, "It's the new female official, named Hu Shanwei. I heard that the Queen Mother gave her a pair of shoes. Mu Chun asked for them."
"Hu Shanwei?" Mao Xiang hesitated for a moment, "This name is very familiar, I seem to have heard it somewhere..."
Suddenly, a figure appeared in his mind. Mao Xiang slapped the embroidered spring sword on his waist and said, "It turned out to be her! How did she get into the palace?"
Mao Xiang asked: "Where does she work in the Sixth Division?"
The subordinate said, "He is a newcomer and is still learning the palace rules in the Palace Administration Department."
Mao Xiang said: "We must find a way to eliminate her. She cannot enter the palace as a female official."
The subordinate was puzzled: "Why?"
Mao Xiang's eyes turned cold and he looked at his men steadily, his majesty was self-evident.
The subordinate hurriedly said: "Yes, I'll do it right away!"