In late autumn and early winter, the north is different from the south of the Yangtze River. While the south of the Yangtze River is getting colder, the north is already experiencing biting north winds. The trees have also begun their midlife crisis, becoming bald one by one, and shivering and swaying in the biting north wind.
Walking on the street, people seemed to be practicing Taoism, exhaling puffs of white smoke visible to the naked eye.
The noble West Garden was no exception and was also exposed to the biting north wind. The clothes worn by the palace maids and eunuchs also showed the winter atmosphere.
However, there is one exception - Emperor Jiajing. Everyone else is alone, unrestrained and elegant like a god.
When the palace maids and eunuchs all started to wear cotton-padded clothes, Emperor Jiajing stood out from the crowd and wore a thin navy blue Taoist robe. He seemed to have really become an immortal and could not feel the cold. His sleeves fluttered as he walked, giving him a very immortal look.
At this moment, Emperor Jiajing was sitting on the Bagua mat and practicing, which was his daily practice.
At the feet of Emperor Jiajing, a fat tabby cat with a small gold medal with the words "Dragon and Tiger General" hanging around its neck was scratching the corner of Emperor Jiajing's Taoist robe with its claws, enjoying itself... ... In the entire Ming Dynasty, it was the only cat that dared to be so presumptuous in front of Emperor Jiajing.
After Emperor Jiajing completed his last cycle, he exhaled a puff of white smoke, which gave him a slight feeling of puffing out clouds and mist.
Seeing the white smoke, Emperor Jiajing showed a hint of joy on his face and said to himself, "I feel that my skills have improved."
"Congratulations, Your Majesty. Congratulations, Your Majesty." Huang Jin, who was standing by and serving, congratulated him repeatedly.
"Haha, you old slave, you really don't know how to flatter a horse. You can only say these two sentences over and over again. Unlike Wei Zhong and the others, they have many more tricks than you, an old slave." Emperor Jiajing was in a good mood and scolded with a smile.
"Hehe, I am not good at speaking, but what I say is from the bottom of my heart." Huang Jin felt like he had received a prize when he was scolded. Hearing the laughter and jokes of Emperor Jiajing, he felt happy from the bottom of his heart.
"Haha, this sentence does make sense." Emperor Jiajing joked with a smile.
Huang Jin smiled apologetically.
"You old slave, your body is becoming more and more fragile. It's just the beginning of winter, why do you even wear a fur collar?" Emperor Jiajing glanced at Huang Jin and noticed that he had added a fur collar over his thick clothes. He couldn't help but smiled and shook his head, shaking his Taoist robe as he spoke.
"Your Majesty, you look like an immortal. Even if I flatter you, I can't compare to you. I'm not afraid of your mockery. Even with this fur collar, I still feel cold when I walk outside in the north wind."
Huang Jin bowed his body and said self-deprecatingly, his words fully revealing his envy of Emperor Jiajing.
After hearing Huang Jin's words, Emperor Jiajing smiled even more, and his sense of superiority became stronger. "I am indeed different from ordinary mortals. My Taoism is improving day by day, and my cultivation skills are getting higher and higher."
"When the next batch of elixirs comes out, I will give you two to nourish your body." Emperor Jiajing said in a gentle voice.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration of this old slave."
Upon hearing this, Huang Jin knelt on the ground in gratitude, and his voice of thanks was filled with tears.
"Okay, Huang Ban, get up. You are here with me, so you don't have to kneel down at every turn."
Emperor Jiajing waved his hand and had different feelings towards Huang Jin, who had been serving him since he started living in the palace.
Although Emperor Jiajing said so, Huang Jin still knelt respectfully to thank the emperor for his grace before standing up.
After this little incident, Emperor Jiajing began his second daily routine - reviewing memorials to the emperor.
After reviewing a stack of memorials, Emperor Jiajing ordered Huang Jin to bring the secret memorial, which he opened with the key himself.
Emperor Jiajing took secret memorials much more seriously than memorials to the emperor, reading them carefully word by word.
After reviewing three secret memorials, he reviewed the fourth one. This secret memorial was very thick and had a lot of content. It took Emperor Jiajing a full stick of incense to read it through. After finishing reading it, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.
"Zhu has done well in his training in the small county of Jingnan. He has lived up to my expectations." Emperor Jiajing said with satisfaction, and then said to himself, "Well, it's time to build a city. There are many counties in the south and north of the Yangtze River without cities, which gives the Japanese pirates so many opportunities to take advantage of... If you can see this, you have not stayed in Jiangnan in vain."
When Emperor Jiajing was reading the secret memorial, Huang Jin, who was serving beside him, took two steps back, his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, with his head lowered like a quail, not even glancing in the direction of Emperor Jiajing's secret memorial.
He is doing this to avoid suspicion!
Secret memorials, secret memorials, the most important thing is "secret"! If the ruler is not secretive, he will lose his ministers, and if the ministers are not secretive, they will lose their lives. Isn't it scary
Huang Jin, who served Emperor Jiajing for decades, was well versed in the art of serving the emperor. He always reminded himself to be cautious, careful, and careful, remember the rules, know when to advance and when to retreat, and abide by his duties...
Of course, although he had not seen the secret memorial, Huang Jin knew from what Emperor Jiajing said that the emperor was reviewing the memorial from Lord Zhu. Lord Zhu was the only one whom the emperor called "Little Zhu".
Next, Huang Jin heard a rustling sound. Huang Jin knew that this was Emperor Jiajing replying to Lord Xiao Zhu's secret memorial.
Stop writing and lock the door.
When he heard the sound of the secret memorial box being locked, Huang Jin understood that Master Xiao Zhu had finished reviewing the secret memorial.
After Emperor Jiajing finished reviewing Zhu Ping'an's secret memorial, he opened another secret memorial.
After reading the secret memorial, the smile on Emperor Jiajing's face became even wider, and Huang Jin, who was standing beside him, even heard Emperor Jiajing's laughter.
This was a secret memorial submitted by Zhang Lun, an official from the Ministry of Rites. It recorded that he went out of the capital to visit the Prince of Luo's Mansion on official business and paid his respects to the hereditary Prince of Luo. The Prince of Luo was very happy and rewarded him with some things. He recorded these rewards truthfully and reported them secretly to Emperor Jiajing.
Seeing Zhang Lun's secret report of the matter, Emperor Jiajing was very satisfied and immediately wrote on the secret memorial: "Ministers have no private friendship in terms of morality. If they are united in serving the country and respect and love each other, then I am afraid that this will not happen."
After reviewing the memorial, Emperor Jiajing said to Huang Jin beside him with great satisfaction, "This secret memorial submitted by Zhu is very pleasing to me. From now on, I will know all the ambiguities between the government and the people. Haha, people cannot deceive me, and they dare not deceive me. Only I can do what is reported in the secret memorial!"
"Your Majesty is wise!" Huang Jin bowed and flattered, in his heart he was amazed. In just a few days, this was the third time that His Majesty praised the secret memorial submitted by Lord Xiao Zhu. Lord Xiao Zhu was far away in a remote county in the south of the Yangtze River, and it was unexpected that he could receive such treatment. Lord Xiao Zhu was really different.
It is said that a prime minister must start from the prefectures and a brave general must start from the ranks... Although those who start from the prefectures may not necessarily become prime ministers, and those who start from the ranks may not necessarily become brave generals, Huang Jin firmly believes that as long as Zhu Ping'an does not make any mistakes in principle in the future, his future will definitely be limitless. (To be continued)