There are huge crowds of people and a constant stream of traffic; there are rows of houses and blooming flowers.
The air is filled with the scent of the prosperous capital city. The smell of rouge and powder on women, the aroma of wine and tea from taverns and teahouses ferment in the air, creating this prosperous era.
Although it was not his first time in Beijing, he was still shocked by its prosperity. Zhu Pingan entered the city gate and looked at the prosperous Beijing, feeling a sense of pride. This is the largest and most prosperous city in the world, bar none. Compared with it, any European city in this era is too rustic; as for the cities in America, which are still under the rule of Indians, they are even more backward and incomparable.
Zhu Ping'an led his horse into the capital, lost himself in the crowd, and walked along the street where the sounds of hawking and bargaining were endless. He found a tavern and walked straight in.
Don't rush to the Ministry of Justice to petition. Wait until you have filled your stomach and settled down.
After arriving in the capital, Zhu Ping'an was considering a question: should he go to eat first or go to Linhuai Marquis' Mansion first.
In addition, Zhu Ping'an did not plan to stay overnight at the Linhuai Marquis' Mansion this time. He stayed overnight at the Linhuai Marquis' Mansion last time during the imperial examination, but that was for a short time. This time he would be serving in the capital, and it would take an unknown amount of time. It would be too embarrassing to stay there for food, drink and lodging again. On the other hand, the Linhuai Marquis went to serve in the coastal areas, and now the Linhuai Marquis' Mansion was full of women except for Fatty Zhou. It would feel a little inappropriate for him to stay overnight at the Marquis' Mansion again.
However, he still had to go there first. After all, he was now the son-in-law of the Linhuai Marquis's Mansion. When he came to the capital, he always had to go to the Linhuai Marquis's Mansion to say hello. Of course, he had to fill his stomach first before going.
This was a small tavern, but it was doing very well. Several waiters were carrying wine and food and shuttling between the tables and chairs. From time to time, the sound of diners drinking and chatting could be heard from the tavern. Zhu Pingan found an empty seat and sat down. When the waiter came to serve him, he ordered a plate of fried tripe, a plate of braised pork and a bowl of mixed liver soup, and started eating.
This small shop at the foot of the emperor in the imperial city is also very grand. The dishes are very generous, and the presentation and craftsmanship are very particular, and the taste is also very delicious.
After a hearty meal and finishing the last mouthful of soup, Zhu Ping'an paid the bill, left the inn, and led his horse towards Linhuai Marquis Mansion.
When Zhu Ping'an was on his way to Linhuai Marquis' Mansion, the news that Zhu Ping'an had arrived in the capital had already been handed over to the desk of Jinyiwei Commander Lu Bing by the Jinyiwei. In other words, the news had already been passed on when Zhu Ping'an was at the city gate but had not yet entered the capital.
What is Jinyiwei
This is the Jinyiwei! The most professional spies of this era, there is nothing they can't find out as long as they don't want to.
The common people of the Ming Dynasty were terrified when they heard about the Jinyiwei, but in fact, it was the officials of the Ming Dynasty who were terrified when they heard about the Jinyiwei. The Jinyiwei's supervision and investigation of the Ming officials was the top priority of their work. The original reason for the establishment of the Jinyiwei was the need for the struggle between the imperial power and the civil officials. Knowing yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in every battle. The Jinyiwei was the emperor's eyes and ears, and even more so the tool for the emperor to maintain his power.
The inventor, Zhu Yuanzhang, lacked a sense of security after conquering the world and becoming the emperor. He was afraid that his ministers would rebel against him, so he kept a close eye on their every move. He not only monitored their words and deeds at work, but also their every move after get off work.
During the reign of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the civil servant Qian Zai was ordered to compile the "Mencius Excerpts". The work was hard and overtime was common. Once, when he returned home from court, he felt sore and exhausted. The scene reminded him of his feelings and he wrote a poem in his study: "The fourth drum beats and I get up and dress. It is still too late to attend the court at the Meridian Gate. When will I be able to enjoy the pastoral life and sleep until the meal is ready?"
The next day, Qian Zai was summoned to the palace by Zhu Yuanzhang. Comrade Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Qian Zai with a smile and said, "I heard that you wrote a good poem last night, but I don't think you were late for court. Isn't it better to use 'worry'?"
"I know my crime. Your Majesty is wise. 'Worry' is much better than 'delay'." Qian Zai was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat on the spot. He was glad that he didn't talk nonsense last night, otherwise he would be in great danger today.
"In fact, you are much happier than me. I am much more tired than you and the others." Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and shook his head, then improvised a poem, "I got up before the other ministers did, and I didn't sleep after the other ministers went to bed. Why is it that the rich man in the south of the Yangtze River still wears a blanket when the sun is three feet high?"
From this we can see the extent of the Jinyiwei's supervision over all civil and military officials. Even their private matters at home were not spared, let alone those in public.
Since the Jinyiwei's supervision of all civil and military officials in the world was so pervasive, it was not surprising that the news of Zhu Ping'an's entry into the capital reached Lu Bing so quickly.
Lu Bing took the paper with the message in his hand, put it back on the table after reading it, and then took out a piece of letter. There was a word "Li" at the end of the letter, and the other two words were blocked by Lu Bing's hand and could not be seen.
Lu Bing read the letter twice, smiled slightly, and then threw the letter into the stove beside him and burned it.
"Sir, should we pass on the news that Zhu Zihou has arrived in the capital to Lord Yan?" An imperial guard standing below Lu Bing asked respectfully, bowing.
Lu Bing smiled and looked at his Jinyiwei, then waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "Lord Yan has been presiding over the fasting ceremony these past two days and hasn't slept for two days. This morning he was finally allowed to go back and rest by the grace of His Majesty. Don't let this little thing ruin Lord Yan's sweet dreams today."
"Your Excellency is very considerate. I almost made a mistake."
The Jinyiwei apologized immediately, as if something had suddenly dawned on him. Yes, what could be more important than Lord Yan's rest? Lord Yan was old, and had been busy with fasting and praying for two days without closing his eyes. If they disturbed Lord Yan's rest and caused anything to happen to his body, they would not be able to bear the consequences.
As for Zhu Ping'an's memorial, it has been so long, and there is no need to rush. Besides, how can such a small matter be compared with Lord Yan's health
"It's okay. You young people are impatient. You should think twice before doing anything. It will be of great benefit to your future growth." Lu Bing's eyes fell on the Jinyiwei for two seconds and waved his hand.
"Thank you for your teachings, sir." The Jinyiwei knelt down to express his gratitude.
"Okay, do your job well in the future. I have to rely on you to keep my position secure." Lu Bing waved his hand, signaling the Jinyiwei to leave.
After the Jinyiwei left, Lu Bing took out another book and started flipping through it. If Zhu Ping'an was here, he would be surprised at the page Lu Bing was flipping through, because the content of this page was exactly the article "Houheixue" that Zhu Ping'an wrote to Zhang Siwei and others before leaving Beijing.
"What a cunning man, he sees things so clearly, but why did he submit such a muddled memorial? He is still young and easily impulsive." After reading it, Lu Bing shook his head slightly and commented. (To be continued.)