When Zhu Ping'an, Liu Dadao and others rode to the West Garden, the sky was still dark and the palace gate had not yet been opened.
However, the open space more than a hundred meters outside the palace gate is very lively and brightly lit. Vendors selling various snacks such as mixed liver soup, rice rolls, buns, rice porridge, etc. are calling out to customers. From time to time, officials, housekeepers, and long-time servants can be seen patronizing the stalls. It is like a mature morning market.
Fortunately, this happened in the Ming Dynasty. If it were in modern times, these vendors would have been crushed by the world's best armed force - the Urban Management Bureau.
After Emperor Jiajing moved to Xiyuan, the political center of the Ming Dynasty naturally shifted from the Forbidden City to Xiyuan.
Who dares to be late under the emperor's watch? In order to save time, many officials get up at dawn and have no time to eat breakfast. But officials are also human beings and need to eat breakfast, so vendors who see business opportunities spontaneously form a morning market here.
"Okay, I'll wait here to enter the palace, you guys go have breakfast."
Zhu Ping'an dismounted, took out a dime from his purse and handed it to Liu Mu, and asked the two of them to go to the morning market for breakfast.
"No need, sir. A few days ago, the young lady asked the housekeeper to pay us the monthly salary in advance. It's more than one or two taels of silver per person." Li Dadao smiled innocently and shook his head. His face was full of satisfaction when he mentioned the monthly salary.
The young lady he mentioned was naturally Li Shu. The monthly allowance was of the nature of an allowance, which was pocket money given to the upper, middle and lower people in the family every month according to their status for pocket use. It was not a salary. They also had another salary, which was calculated separately.
More than one or two taels of silver, which is comparable to the monthly salary of a first-class maid.
More than one or two taels of silver is just pocket money, but it is not a small amount for Liu Dadao and others.
At the hour of Mao, a bell rang from the West Garden, and then the door of the West Garden opened.
Zhu Ping'an handed the Shamatte Black Horse to Liu Mu and the others, and once again reminded them to finish breakfast at the morning market before returning home.
After giving the instructions, Zhu Ping'an followed several officials into the West Garden.
"Please stay, sir."
As soon as Zhu Ping'an stepped into the West Garden, he was stopped by the West Garden guards.
Zhu Ping'an had never been to the Western Garden except during the palace examination and twice when he was summoned by Emperor Jiajing. The Western Garden guards saw that Zhu Ping'an was a stranger and politely stopped him out of duty.
"Oh, I am Zhu Ping'an, the Imperial Academy Reader and Cabinet Secretary. I have received the order from His Majesty to be the Cabinet Secretary from today onwards."
Zhu Ping'an stopped and thought for a moment before he figured out what was going on. He turned around and explained to the guards with a smile.
"Haha, Master Zhu is here, please sign in here."
Just then, a young eunuch in tea-colored camel clothes came over, greeted Zhu Ping'an with a smile, and then explained everything to the guards.
With the eunuchs in the palace guaranteeing him, it was certainly true. The guards at the door clasped their fists to Zhu Ping'an and apologized before letting him go.
"The captain has performed his duties conscientiously, there is nothing wrong with that." Zhu Ping'an bowed in return to the guards.
After entering the palace, Zhu Pingan once again bowed to the eunuch in tea-colored camel clothing and thanked him, "Thank you for helping me, eunuch. I'm sorry that I'm not very good at seeing, but I don't know who you are?"
"Master Zhu, you are too polite. If you don't mind, you can call me Xiao Caozi. Master Zhu may not know me, but I have heard of your great name for a long time." Xiao Caozi, the eunuch in tea-colored camel clothes, laughed and looked very familiar.
"It turns out to be Eunuch Cao, nice to meet you." Zhu Ping'an replied with a smile, but he was confused in his heart. Apart from Feng Bao, he didn't really know any other eunuchs in the palace, and this little eunuch was too enthusiastic.
"I used to work in the laundry bureau. Thanks to the care of Eunuch Feng, I have been transferred to be the gatekeeper of the palace. I often hear Eunuch Feng mention Lord Zhu, and Eunuch Feng respects Lord Zhu very much." Xiao Caozi, the eunuch in tea-colored camel clothes, laughed and explained to Zhu Ping'an.
Oh, it turned out to be Feng Bao’s small team. Zhu Ping’an suddenly realized after listening to the eunuch’s explanation.
The eunuch departments in the Ming Dynasty palace mainly included twelve supervisors, four offices and eight bureaus. The twelve supervisors were namely the Sili, Siguan, Siyou, Sishe, Sima, Shenguan, Shangshen, Shangbao, Yinshou, Zhidian, Shangyi and Duzhi; the four offices were Xixin, Zhonggu, Baochao and Huntang; the eight bureaus were Bingzhang, Silverwork, Washing Clothes, Scarves and Hats, Needlework, Internal Weaving and Dyeing, Wine, Vinegar and Noodles, and Siyuan. The above departments are also commonly known as the Twenty-four Yamen.
The Laundry Bureau is responsible for providing laundry services to the masters in the palace. It is the most miserable department among the twenty-four yamen, and the only eunuch agency among the twenty-four yamen that is not located in the imperial palace. It is mainly staffed by guilty and dismissed or unpopular palace maids. It can be said that it is hard work and has no future.
The palace gate eunuch was a special position responsible for registering officials who came to work in the Western Garden and supervising their coming and going, which was equivalent to a disciplinary committee. The Ming Dynasty kept a close eye on officials who came to work in the Western Garden. If an official left early because he was away on official business, he had to inform the eunuch of the reason for leaving early and register it for future review. Because of this, even powerful cabinet ministers were polite to the palace gate eunuch.
So, being a prison guard is a lucrative job with a bright future.
It is understandable that Xiao Caozi was grateful to Feng Bao for being transferred from the laundry department to the palace gate supervisor.
The fact that Feng Bao was able to transfer Xiao Caozi from the laundry department to the palace gate supervisor shows that he has already established a firm foothold in the palace and has begun to develop his own team.
After the greetings, Eunuch Cao led Zhu Ping'an to the sign-in area, and Zhu Ping'an picked up a pen and left his name in the sign-in book.
"Sir Zhu, due to my duties, I cannot leave. However, Eunuch Feng has already instructed that Eunuch Zhang will take Sir Zhu to report to the cabinet of Wuyi Palace." After Zhu Ping'an signed in, Eunuch Cao introduced a young eunuch in gray to Zhu Ping'an.
"Thank you Eunuch Feng and Eunuch Cao for your concern. Now I'll have to trouble Eunuch Zhang." Zhu Ping'an bowed to express his gratitude.
"Master Zhu, you are too polite. You can just call me Xiao Zhangzi. Please come this way, Master Zhu." The young eunuch Zhang Gonggong in gray led the way.
The West Garden is very large, including the current Zhongnanhai, Beihai Park, the National Library of China, and the Jin'ao Yudi Bridge. Zhu Ping'an entered through the South Gate, and the Wuyi Hall, where the cabinet offices were located, was east of the Zuoye Gate. The journey was long, and Zhu Ping'an was not qualified to ride a horse or a sedan chair, so he could only rely on his legs.
"Go further, pass the Yuxi Palace and Shenyingxuan Palace, and then pass the Binfeng Pavilion, you will see a rice field. In front of the rice field is the Wuyi Palace." Eunuch Zhang introduced to Zhu Ping'an while leading the way.
Zhu Ping'an looked in the direction that Eunuch Zhang pointed, but there was no trace of Wuyi Palace at all among the rows of palaces and auxiliary halls in front of him.
After walking for about another quarter of an hour, or about 15 minutes, Zhu Ping'an saw the rice fields that Eunuch Zhang had mentioned. The morning breeze blew across the emerald green rice fields, creating waves of green ripples.
This rice field should be the place where Emperor Jiajing encouraged people to engage in farming and sericulture. Zhu Ping'an stopped in front of the rice field and looked at it for a while.