"The decree has been read. Li, please accept it and express your gratitude." After reading the imperial edict, Eunuch Jia smiled slightly and kindly reminded Li Shu.
"Your servant Li accepts the order. Long live the emperor."
Li Shu took the imperial edict with a smile as beautiful as a flower. Her watery eyes narrowed into crescent shapes. A strand of black hair hanging by her cheek fluttered gracefully and happily as she bent over and kowtowed.
Miss Six beside her looked at Li Shu with envy and jealousy, her big eyes as red as a little white rabbit.
After Li Shu received the order, Zhu Ping'an thought that there should be no imperial edict this time, but he was still unsure and looked up at Eunuch Jia.
Eunuch Jia seemed to know that Zhu Ping'an would look over. He smiled at Zhu Ping'an and took the initiative to say, "The imperial edict has been announced."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ping'an did not stand up, because he felt that the smile on Eunuch Jia's face had a deeper meaning, and there was something else behind his words.
Sure enough, the next second, Eunuch Jia spoke again: "However, the emperor also specially asked me to pass on an oral order to Master Xiao Zhu."
"Your Majesty, your servant Zhu Ping'an listens respectfully to your instructions." Zhu Ping'an kowtowed again.
Next, Eunuch Jia conveyed the oral instructions of Emperor Jiajing to Zhu Ping'an. It can be said that the oral instructions of Emperor Jiajing were reasonable, soothing, compassionate and earnest, and they were all verbal words.
"Zhu Ping'an, you did a good job in checking the Taicang silver treasury and paid a lot. I have seen it all. Not only me, but all the civil and military officials in the court know about your contribution to checking the treasury. You are the top scholar selected by me, well-read, loyal, honest and capable, and you have done a great job. I know that when you, Zhu Ping'an, heard my first imperial edict, you would complain in your heart that I am unclear about rewards and punishments. You ministers have your own difficulties, and I also have my own difficulties. The Taicang silver treasury is in a state of great difficulty, and extraordinary things should be done in extraordinary circumstances. This is related to the overall situation, and you have to understand. Not to mention you, even the Taifu who taught me classics for three years, the veteran and university scholar Gu Zhendong who assisted three dynasties, although he has retired at home, was fined more than 20,000 taels of silver because of his involvement in the Taicang case."
"After the Taicang case happened, I was very angry. After this case was solved, I was even angrier. Every term of the treasury officials and the censors who inspected the treasury were all trustworthy officials, but there was not a single one who could do the job, not a single one who was not greedy, not a single one who could help me find out the shady dealings. They all failed my commission. I was really blind."
"I am very disappointed. All the officials and censors have failed me. Are all the officials of the Ming Dynasty so despicable? Has the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty become so dark? Is there no honest official in the Ming Dynasty? Do you want me to learn from my ancestors and be skinned and stuffed with straw?"
"After thinking it over, I am very unwilling to accept it. In disappointment, I asked the factory guards if there were any officials who had never accepted bribes. I got a reply that so far, there is solid evidence that you are the only one who has never accepted a penny from the Taicang. Not only you, but also your servants have never accepted a penny from the Taicang. Not only can you keep yourself clean, but you can also strictly control your subordinates. You have done a good job."
"Today, because of the inspection of the Taicang Treasury, your reputation has become even greater, and I have also seen your loyalty and ability. I now reward you with the position of Bachelor of the Hanlin Academy. You must cherish it and do not underestimate this position. Although it is only a fifth-rank position, it is the only way for scholars to be promoted. I will remember you. You are still young, you must study hard and be a good official, so that you can do more practical things for my Ming Dynasty in the future..."
Balabala
After hearing this, Zhu Ping'an felt a black line on his forehead. Isn't the Jiajing Emperor a chatterbox? Why did he say so much? The number of words in the entire oral order is enough for a high school student to write an essay.
Are you sure that all of Eunuch Jia’s oral instructions were spoken by Emperor Jiajing
Although the tone sounded like that of Emperor Jiajing, saying that he would award you the position of Imperial Academy Attendant Reader, etc. However, Emperor Jiajing was obviously aloof, so why would he talk so much
Zhu Ping'an was very suspicious that the oral instructions conveyed by Eunuch Jia were not the 100% original oral instructions of Emperor Jiajing. He just remembered the general meaning of the oral instructions of Emperor Jiajing, and these words were all improvised by Eunuch Jia on the spot.
If the Emperor Jiajing really said so many words, how could Eunuch Jia remember them all after listening to them once? Even with his photographic memory, he could only repeat about 90% of the words exactly after listening to them once. Eunuch Jia spoke with such passion, fluency, clarity, and without any quips.
Even if the eunuchs like Eunuch Jia who conveyed the imperial edicts were trained, they would not be able to do this.
I guess the general meaning of the oral order is like this. Remember the general meaning, more than 60% of the original words, and if you can't remember the remaining 40%, just follow the emperor's meaning and express it freely. You can't go back to the emperor and say, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I forgot what you just said, can you say it again?"
Just remember the core idea and express yourself freely.
Anyway, no minister who received the oral order would confront the emperor.
After Eunuch Jia conveyed the oral instructions of Emperor Jiajing, there were finally no more imperial edicts or oral instructions.
Zhu Ping'an and the others stood up after receiving the decree and expressed their gratitude. They had the decree placed on the incense table for worship. They bowed and thanked Eunuch Jia, saying, "The sun is scorching and the heat is heavy. I am deeply grateful to you for taking the trouble to announce the decree."
"Master Xiao Zhu, you are too polite. I am just running errands for His Majesty, so it is not hard work." Eunuch Jia smiled slightly.
"The mansion has prepared simple tea and meals. Eunuch, please take a rest for a while and come back after having tea and meals." Zhu Ping'an extended his hand to invite Eunuch Jia to sit down.
"I still have the emperor's title, so I dare not stay for long. I will take my leave now." Eunuch Jia smiled and shook his head, then led the young eunuch and others to bow and take their leave.
Zhu Ping'an sent them to the door of the back mansion and watched Eunuch Jia get on the sedan chair and leave before returning to the mansion.
"Hello, uncle. I pay my respects to you."
"Hello, uncle. Great to meet you."
At this time, everyone in Linhuai Marquis's mansion, including the maids and nannies who were sweeping the floor and washing clothes in the backyard, knew that Zhu Ping'an had received the imperial edict and was promoted to a fifth-rank official. When Zhu Ping'an passed by, they all stood on both sides of the road and greeted him with their heartfelt greetings.
After Zhu Ping'an passed by, everyone looked at his back, like chirping magpies, saying things like "the brother-in-law looked at me," "the brother-in-law nodded to me," as if they had received a great honor.
"My dear sister, I received the imperial edict, but I am worried that I don't have a box to put it in. If I neglect the imperial edict, I am afraid that our entire mansion will be blamed. However, I heard that you have a top-quality rosewood dressing box. Rosewood is noble and is the most suitable for making an imperial edict box. I wonder if you are willing to help me share my worries."
When Zhu Ping'an returned to the hall, he happened to see Li Shu talking to the Sixth Miss with a charming smile on her pretty face. Her voice was also sweet and pleasant, but her big watery eyes were full of mischievous luster.
As for the Sixth Miss opposite Li Shu, she looked like a baby who was very angry but couldn't say anything. The muscles on her face tried several times to force out a stiff smile, and she replied as if a knife was on her neck, "As long as my sister likes it."