Bright Spring

A group of carriages and horses walked north along the road.The Jinyiwei guards all wore blue and gray towel gowns, which looked like a team from a wealthy family, after all, ordinary people didn't have so many followers.

This road leads to the vicinity of Tongji Gate in the inner city.But instead of going to Tongjimen, they turned eastward at a fork in the south in order to cross the Qinhuai River from Zhonghe Bridge.Then the chariots and horses continued to detour north along a road near the inner city wall.

Zhu Gaoxu sat alone in the carriage, silently waiting for his destination.

At this time, he looked back and thought about the scene in the living room of the mint today, and then he realized that the atmosphere at that time was indeed a bit weird; it was as if he himself was lecturing, but the officials' reaction was a bit cold.

Zhu Gaoxu reckoned that those seemingly unconstrained ideas were unrealistic to most officials.But no one objected to the refutation.

Zhu Gaoxu pondered for a while, and thought that such indifference was actually a kind of accommodating courtesy.

During the period of the "Campaign of Crimes", the palace of the Han Dynasty was based on the seizure of power by force. There were many generals, but few civil officials who could be used; Most of them are people who are in the wrong position.

Zhu Gaoxu promoted the abolished princelings to the cabinet, and today he promoted Song Li to be the chief official of the Zhengsanpin Yamen. The ministers have already felt Zhu Gaoxu's tolerance and sincerity; in this way, any officials who understand human relations should try their best to show respect to the emperor. Compromise and humility.

Even in modern society hundreds of years later, it is easy to feel the shadow of some traditional concepts of life in the world.

Modesty has always been a virtue advocated by Orientals. Mutual accommodating, comity, respecting each other as guests, and human relations are also considered to be good relationships.People often don't tell the truth, but need the other party to feel it consciously and have the self-consciousness to reciprocate.This euphemism is difficult for some people to understand.It just so happens that Zhu Gaoxu can understand, of course those officials in the court understand better.

Zhu Gaoxu pondered for a while, then let out a breath.He suddenly thought of Ma Enhui who was going to meet today, and suddenly found it even more incomprehensible.

Looking back on the relationship between the two, it is also through showing each other good intentions, as if testing each other's mind, and you come and go to each other inadvertently and gradually establish a relationship.

At the beginning of Yongle, because Zhu Gaoxu had no ill feeling towards Ma Enhui, he saved her when she set herself on fire, brought her some news about Wen Gui, and tried to help her as much as possible.Later, Ma Enhui told Zhu Gaoxu the secret way of Jianwen's escape, but Zhu Gaoxu also used it.Afterwards, the family of the deposed prince was set on fire. Zhu Gaoxu and Ma Enhui were more or less thinking of each other in that incident.Friendship becomes more and more sincere.

This year, Zhu Gaoxu gave Ma Enhui's mansion and various land deeds again, in order to make her live more comfortably.But this time, Ma Enhui not only didn't appreciate it, but her attitude changed sharply, she seemed a bit nasty, and there was faint anger?

Zhu Gaoxu occasionally remembered the scene of the last time we met, but he never understood what I did wrong?

At this time, the horse-riding entourage guarding the carriage had already arrived outside the gate of the mansion.There was no need to knock on the door to inform, the door opened straight away, it should be that Zhang Sheng sent someone over in advance to arrange everything.

The carriage drove into the yard and stopped beside a corridor.When Zhu Gaoxu came down from the back of the carriage, he saw Ma Enhui waiting there.There are no servants around her, but in this yard, Zhu Gaoxu didn't want to cause too much battle, so he said first, "Ma'am, excuse me."

"Your Majesty, please." Ma Enhui was stunned for a moment, then bent down and made a gesture.

Zhu Gaoxu sized her up and saw that she looked calm and behaved calmly, but she didn't look angry.It's just that this time she was dressed too plainly, with gray and white dresses, and only cloth towels and wooden hairpins were used on her coiled hair.She may not look like a filial lady, but at least she doesn't look like a lady with such a big mansion.But even so, her fair face and neck, and the outline of her bulging chest are still quite beautiful.The key to a woman is to grow up naturally.

This house was chosen by Zhu Gaoxu, he had also been there before, so of course he knew the general direction, so he took the initiative to walk up a corridor.The two first walked north along the corridor.

After being silent for a while, Zhu Gaoxu said, "I'm just a warrior. I used to deal with rough people in the army. I'm afraid I can't compare to those Confucian scholars who know the book and respect the etiquette. What if Sometimes I say something wrong and do things incompletely, Madam will take care of it.”

Ma Enhui's voice immediately said, "Your Majesty is thoughtful and polite, so you don't have to worry about it."

Zhu Gaoxu turned his head and glanced at Ma Enhui at the back, seeing that her behavior was a little weird.Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her abdomen, her posture was dignified, but her expression was too tense.Ma Enhui noticed Zhu Gaoxu's movements, and raised her head to look at him. There was a hint of melancholy in her eyes, showing a pitiful and lovely expression.

Enhui said, "There are so many national affairs, why did the Holy One remember that I am here?"

Zhu Gaoxu pretended to be relaxed and said, "Today I went to the mint to observe the workshop where the new copper coins are minted. It is just south of the Qinhuai River, not far from the Shangfang Gate. There is a river that flows into the Qinhuai River."

Enhui nodded and said, "My Majesty said, I already know where I am."

Zhu Gaoxu smiled and said, "When I come back, I will also go in this direction, so I will stop by to visit."

He thought for a while, then took out two copper coins from his pocket, turned around and handed them over, "The first batch of new coins is for my wife." He laughed, "This is really a small gift, just two pennies."

Enhui reached out and took it into the palm of her hand, looked at it and said, "It's so well done." Her face was slightly flushed, and she said softly, "Interesting gift, thank you, Your Majesty."

Zhu Gaoxu just forgot to return the sample and suddenly remembered this thing, but Ma Enhui seemed to like it quite a bit.When they first met, the inexplicable embarrassment and tension soon eased, and the two chatted casually.

When they reached the bamboo forest, Zhu Gaoxu looked around and said, "These new bamboos seem to have grown up a bit, and they are quieter than the last time I saw them."

"It should be. Bamboo grows very fast." Ma Enhui's voice was also a little lighter, "I see it every day, but I don't notice it."

After walking through the bamboo forest, the sight suddenly opened up.Standing on the road, Zhu Gaoxu could also directly see Yanque Lake in the distance.However, there is still a wall in the middle, and the colorful waterscape of the lake can only be seen from a distance, not close up.

"My concubine thought that the last time I was not very respectful to the Holy Majesty, the Holy Majesty would be angry. But I didn't expect you to ask if you did something wrong or said something wrong." Ma Enhui murmured.

Zhu Gaoxu immediately looked sideways, and asked in surprise, "Is it really not?"

Ma Enhui smiled wryly, shook her head, then showed annoyance again, and sighed softly with an "ah".

Zhu Gaoxu was even more confused immediately, because he believed what Ma Enhui said just now.

He had also guessed that there were too many grievances between Jianwen's family and Prince Yan's mansion, and Ma Enhui might be in a bit of an embarrassing situation.But that time at the Shen family's mansion, on the eve of the Northern Expedition, she clearly said that she didn't want to care about morality anymore.

Ma Enhui hesitated to speak.Seeing this, Zhu Gaoxu seemed to be listening attentively.

Unexpectedly, at this time, a servant girl came out from the attic of the small courtyard next to her.The servant girl glanced this way, then walked over with her head buried.Ma Enhui immediately stopped talking.

Zhu Gaoxu immediately looked at the maid very upset.

When the maid approached, she stepped aside.The maid bowed her knees and said, "Madam, please don't let the lamp in front of the Buddha statue be turned off. This servant has added some oil just now."

Enhui said, "I see, let's go."

"Yes." The servant girl bent over and said.After Zhu Gaoxu and the two passed by first, she walked on the road again and walked into the distance.

Zhu Gaoxu asked in surprise, "Do you believe in Buddhism?"

En Hui said, "Don't you know, Your Majesty?"

Zhu Gaoxu really didn't know yet.There should be people arranged by Jin Yiwei in this courtyard, and Zhu Gaoxu didn't ask too much about the specific personnel.But Ma Enhui is no longer a figure in the imperial court, so unless Zhu Gaoxu asks actively, otherwise no one will report the movement of people like Enhui.

Seeing that Zhu Gaoxu was silent, Enhui said indifferently, "Everyone in the world should believe a little bit, similar to me. It's not surprising. There are gods three feet above the head, and people are always in awe. I worship Buddha and ask for a state of mind."

Zhu Gaoxu said, "I don't believe in it at all. I don't believe in Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Nestorianism, and Hinduism. I think there may be gods, but they are not gods that humans have figured out by themselves."

Ma Enhui was slightly surprised to hear this, but she didn't say anything.Most people estimate that she is similar to her, and they don't really care about other people's religious beliefs.

end of this chapter)

Chapter 800 Willow Branches by the Lake

At the back of the attic, near the wall, there are some willow trees.At the turn of autumn and winter, green slender leaves are still hanging on the branches, but they are no longer as vibrant as spring, and there are many dead leaves on the brick floor under the tree, which have not been cleaned in time.

Seeing such a scene, Enhui couldn't help feeling emotional, and her heart was covered with an elusive depression.

She gently raised one arm, and looked down, the wrists and hands exposed from the sleeves of the light gray cotton robe, the skin was fair and delicate like a woman's.It's a pity that I'm afraid of comparison. If I compare it with the firm skin of a young lady in her teens, the difference may be a bit obvious.

She mused: "The concubine has gone through ups and downs in these years, and she is like a broken flower and a willow, and her family is in decline, but she is just talking about the last days of her life. Why should the sage care so much about the concubine's body?"

Zhu Gaoxu responded simply: "Your age should be similar to mine."

En Hui was stunned for a moment, and said softly: "How can this be compared? There are many young ladies in the palace who are more than ten years old with outstanding looks."

"That's even more incomparable." Zhu Gaoxu said, "Most palace people can be collectively referred to as young and beautiful women; but there is only one favor. Some people want to change their status through me, and some respect the special status of the emperor. And we The past between them cannot be repeated. After all, no one can return to the original mentality and situation."

After hearing this, En Hui raised her head and looked at Zhu Gaoxu carefully for a while, "The Holy One cares about this?"