The Western Garden is divided into the Outer Court and the Inner Court by the Qianqing Gate. The area outside the Qianqing Gate is the Outer Court, and the area inside is the Inner Court.
Outside the West Garden, on the central axis, there is a towering palace. The golden glazed tiles on the roof sparkle in the sun. Inside the palace, there are several red pillars, on which are carved a circling flying dragon with golden scales and armor, its claws controlling auspicious clouds. It looks lifelike, as if it is really flying around the pillar.
Tables and chairs made of golden nanmu wood, the ground as white as blue sky and warm jade, lamps made of crystal jade... the hall is magnificent.
The name of the hall is: Daben Hall.
The Daben Hall was built in the Western Garden when Emperor Jiajing welcomed his first prince, modeled after the Daben Hall of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang.
In the first year of Zhu Yuanzhang's reign, he built the Daben Hall in the palace as a place for the crown prince and the princes to study and learn, making up for the regret that he did not receive a good education when he was young. When building the Daben Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered people to collect books and maps from past dynasties, and at the same time announced to the world that he would hire famous teachers and scholars from all over the country to explain the Four Books and Five Classics to the princes. It can be said that the Daben Hall played an important leading role in the princes' later governance of the country and the world.
Unfortunately, during the subsequent Jingnan Campaign, when the Yongzu of the Ming Dynasty was approaching the city of Nanjing, Prince Gu Zhu Tan and Duke Cao Li Jinglong opened the Jinchuan Gate to welcome the surrender. After the capital was breached, a fire broke out in the imperial palace, and Emperor Jianwen disappeared in the fire. The Yongzu, who had painstakingly managed the Yongzheng for more than a decade, was also reduced to ruins in the fire.
After the birth of the first prince, in order to strengthen the prince's education, Emperor Jiajing built this Daben Hall using Taizu's Daben Hall as a base.
The Great Main Hall is taller, larger and more magnificent than the Great Main Hall. However, since Emperor Jiajing had few children and many of them died young, at most only three princes studied in such a tall and magnificent Great Main Hall. Now there are only two princes left.
As the two princes each opened their own residences and built their own palaces, it was mainly their respective lecturers who came to the palaces to give lectures and study.
Only when Emperor Jiajing felt like it would he occasionally summon the two princes to the main hall to attend classes.
Last night, Emperor Jiajing dreamed of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang examined him on the meaning of scriptures in the dream. Emperor Jiajing did not understand the dream, so he invited Taoist priest Tao Zhongwen to interpret the dream early this morning.
After Tao Zhongwen calculated, he said that this dream came true for the prince, and Taizu was concerned about the training of the royal heir.
So, not long after Zhu Ping'an started work, a eunuch came and read out the oral order of Emperor Jiajing, ordering Zhu Ping'an to go to the main hall to preach.
Teaching and preaching to the prince
It is a heavy responsibility and a great honor.
This kind of honor is 10,000 times more impressive than being a professor at Peking University or Tsinghua University. Professors at Peking University and Tsinghua University are lower than the Doctor of Five Classics at the Imperial Academy, not to mention the Imperial Tutor.
The Imperial College was the highest institution of learning in the Ming Dynasty, and it was also an educational management agency, equivalent to an education bureau and the highest institution of learning. Therefore, the status of modern Tsinghua University and Peking University cannot be compared with that of the Imperial College of the Ming Dynasty.
Teach and preach the scriptures to the prince.
This person can be called the Emperor's Teacher.
Being able to brag for a lifetime, in Zhu Ping'an's impression, is a task that only famous teachers and scholars with a long-standing reputation can undertake.
At the very least, one must have an experienced person like Gao Gong.
So, when Zhu Pingan first heard about it, he was very surprised. Was he qualified to teach the prince? Did he hear it wrong? Or did the eunuch mishear it
"The emperor has ordered Zhu Ping'an, a scholar at the Imperial Academy, to come to the main hall to give a lecture immediately."
It was not until the eunuch repeated the Emperor Jiajing's instructions that Zhu Ping'an was finally sure that he had not heard wrongly and that the eunuch had not conveyed it wrongly. The Emperor Jiajing just wanted him to go to the Main Hall to give lectures to the two princes.
"The emperor has ordered someone to go to the main hall to preach!" Before the eunuch who delivered the order came out of Zhu Ping'an's room, someone in Wuyi Hall learned the news.
"We have another chance, we must seize it this time." Everyone was excited upon hearing the news, and they were eager to try.
How can I not be excited? This is a lecture in the Main Hall, and everyone knows what the Main Hall is used for.
Going to the main hall to preach is to preach to the prince.
This was the emperor's affirmation and a great honor. This was a chance to be the emperor's teacher. Not to mention how awesome it would be to talk about it in the future, how much glory it would bring, just being able to have a good relationship with the future emperor was enough for them to fight over.
Now there are only two princes left. Giving lectures to them means being their teacher. At least I can get to know them and build a good relationship in advance. No matter which prince succeeds to the throne, there will be many benefits for being a teacher.
"No chance. It has been decided. The eunuch who just walked over is the one who announced the decree for Zhu Ping'an to go to the main hall to preach."
The official who knew the inside story shook his head and sighed.
Well!
What
They actually asked Zhu Ping'an to go to the main hall to preach? !
For a moment, after hearing the news, everyone in Wuyi Palace was shocked as if they were struck by lightning. They stared at each other, unable to accept the news for a long time. Then, there was wailing everywhere, with painful expressions as if they had missed out on 100 million yuan. Their eyes were red with envy for Zhu Ping'an.
They are all jealous like rabbits.
This is a lecture at the main hall! ! ! !
how so
How could it be Zhu Pingan? !
Everyone couldn't help but shake their heads and sigh.
"Why would you let Zhu Ping'an go to the main hall to preach? How old is he? He is not even as old as the prince. He is still a baby. How can he preach to the prince?"
"Who is Zhu Ping'an? What qualifications does he have to preach to the prince?!"
"Zhu Ping'an is still messing around with pig offal. My Lord, how can a man like him who stinks of money and pig offal be qualified to preach to the priceless prince? Your Majesty, you have been deceived by Zhu Ping'an. What is he preaching to the prince? Is he preaching about how to make pig offal? This is pushing the prince into the fire pit, my Lord."
"Nonsense, who recommended Zhu Ping'an to His Majesty? Isn't this pushing the prince into the fire pit?"
"The princes wouldn't accept someone of their own age or younger to preach to them, right?!"
There was a wailing in Wuyi Palace, disbelief, dissatisfaction, dissatisfaction... ... .
But I am helpless.
The emperor's words are golden and the matter is done. They can't change anything and can only complain and express envy and jealousy towards Zhu Ping'an, who is so lucky.
When Zhu Ping'an was ordered to go to the main hall and came out of Wuyi Hall, he felt the murderous eyes of everyone in Wuyi Hall.
That look made Zhu Ping'an feel like a monkey in human clothing, a villain who had picked their peaches with despicable means.
"It feels like I have become the target of public criticism..."
Zhu Ping'an shrugged indifferently and muttered to himself softly.