Unofficial History of Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty

To show his sincerity, Emperor Zhengde walked to the Temple of Heaven in the southern suburbs to pray for the new year.

This move deeply moved some simple and honest Li people, but it made a lot of trouble for the civil servants who lacked exercise on weekdays.On the day of the twelfth lunar month, wearing sacrificial gowns with strict regulations of various grades, shrinking his neck and dragging his bulky body, he followed the energetic Emperor Zhengde and moved forward at a tortoise speed.

This five-kilometer journey made the usually gentle and elegant civil servant gasp, while the military officer who was used to being underestimated on weekdays really showed off his might.So some civil servants commented in private that Emperor Zhengde was acting for his own benefit in order to retaliate against Yang Shoufu and the Empress Dowager for reprimanding him.

Only then did Jiang Bin, who was walking in the front, understand why Emperor Zhengde called him back uncharacteristically that day.Aren't the Empress Dowager and Master Yang both "people around"?The cause of this has to start with Emperor Zhengde's plan to reform the tax system to limit the fraudulent self-interest of hundreds of officials. Emperor Zhengde mentioned this idea to Jiang Bin a long time ago. Let the local government take advantage of it, and the central government will have to bear the stigma." Emperor Zhengde naturally could have anticipated how much obstacles would be faced in implementing this reform that would affect the interests of the majority of officials, but he did not expect that the words just made had not yet been written down. The manuscript was called by the empress dowager to talk.What made Emperor Zhengde even more distressed was that after being educated by the empress dowager, he learned that it was his "Master Yang" Yang Tinghe who made the small report behind his back.Yang Tinghe has always turned a blind eye to Emperor Zhengde's actions since he was promoted to the chief assistant, and this time the joint empress dowager's attack was really unexpected.But after all, he is an example of civil servants, and he is a pivotal link in the civil servants' interest chain. He is also warning Emperor Zhengde not to be reckless.

Emperor Zhengde could understand Yang Tinghe's good intentions, so he could only vent his anger on the rest of the civil servants.After the cumbersome ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven and praying for the new year was over, Emperor Zhengde, who was in a good mood, walked back with his exhausted officials.

A few days later, the Yuanzheng Assembly Ceremony was held in the main hall outside the Forbidden City.

A guard of honor was set up in the Fengtian Hall, and there was Taichang elegant music. The Emperor Zhengde wore a crown, and the princes and ministers were lined up according to their ranks to celebrate the new year with the Emperor Zhengde.

Under the guidance of the Minister of Honglu Temple, who was in charge of the court ceremony, Emperor Zhengde accepted court congratulations, gave rewards, feasted his ministers, and made the actors and actors in the leopard room perform a hundred plays of music and dance to entertain the ministers.

At the dinner, apart from the special guest Xu Lin, actor Zang Xian also stole the limelight.

However, what Zang Xian didn't know was that Emperor Zhengde chose him to perform a hundred operas at the ceremony of the Yuanzheng Congress. In addition to his outstanding skills, he also behaved too coquettishly as a man. The most feminine person is Yang Tinghe, the chief minister of the cabinet.

At this time, Emperor Zhengde sat in the hall and said to Jiang Bin who was fortunate to stand behind him: "When I was young, I was often taught not to raise my tail, but now I understand, raise your tail..." Looking at it, Zang Xian was fascinated. Basu is very kind to the princes here, "The chrysanthemum is exposed."

Jiang Bin took a step back silently, so as to stay away from this living ancestor.

Empress Xia on the side still had a dignified smile on her face, turning a deaf ear to Emperor Zhengde's words.

This Empress Xia was from Shangyuan. She was registered as a queen in the first year of Zhengde. She always kept her own law and never interfered in the government.Only before Emperor Zhengde moved out of the Forbidden City, he reported every move of Emperor Zhengde to the Empress Dowager Zhang, so he was not favored by Emperor Zhengde and has not been raised until now.

Jiang Bin didn't know whether this Empress Xia would argue against this disguised neglect after Emperor Zhengde moved into the Leopard Room, but looking at today, this empress seems to have been disheartened, and she resigned herself to being the master of her harem. exacting.She has nothing to be dissatisfied with, her role as a wife has long since ended, she knows this better than anyone else.

After Zang Xian left, it was Jiang Bin's turn to play.Jiang Bin wore a flying fish suit and an embroidered armor. He started to ride a horse, retracted his fists to his ribs, and stepped on the dots when the drums sounded. He performed a sexy and hot "pole dance" so vigorously that all officials Everyone thought that Commander Jiang had played a unique set of martial arts routines.No matter how high and powerful Jiang Bin is, he is a military officer after all, so he naturally didn't get much praise, and left the scene peacefully amidst the symbolic reward from Emperor Zhengde.

When Jiang Bin returned to his side, Emperor Zhengde expressed that he hoped that Jiang Bin could perform it several times after he returned to the Leopard Room—one time and one piece off.Jiang Bin ignored this request and only stepped on one of Emperor Zhengde's boots.

"It's a pity that King Ning didn't come." Emperor Zhengde rubbed his stepped right foot with his left foot, and then moved up Jiang Bin's calf, while You Shaoqing of Honglu Temple coughed hard.Emperor Zhengde twisted his neck, and said with great concern: "I'll ask Imperial Physician Wu to give Qing Du some relief?"

You Shaoqing of Honglu Temple miraculously recovered.

Emperor Zhengde felt that this was not enough fun with Jiang Bin, so he moved to the front row in the name of further exchanging feelings with the envoys from all parties, and pointed to the vassal princes who served as assistants to the royal family to introduce to Jiang Bin, what about King Qin, King Yan, and King Zhou? King, King of Chu, King of Qi, King of Lu, King of Shu, King of Su, King of Xiang, King of Dai, King of Liao, King of Jin... It's really hard to say it all in one breath, and there are also some comments. The Minister of Rites sitting in front Zhang Sheng glanced at Emperor Zhengde, and the Emperor Zhengde, who always respected the elder who assisted his father, restrained himself a little.

After the banquet was over, Emperor Zhengde was not in a hurry to go back, and took Jiang Bin to wander outside the court.When he arrived at Chengtianmen, located on the central axis of the Forbidden City, Emperor Zhengde raised his head to look at the bright moon and said:

"Although King Ning can't come, but he said that he will give me a hundred four-season lanterns on the Lantern Festival." Looking at the Qianqing Palace in the direction of the inner court, "These lanterns are all lit! Xiao The big one is called fire, the big one is called disaster..."

Jiang Bin didn't understand why Emperor Zhengde would suddenly mention this, and he felt an ominous premonition in his heart. He raised his head, and saw Yinghuo, the evil star that heralds chaos, death, and disaster.

"I was born in the year of Xinhai, Jiaxu month, Dingyou day and Shenshi. The time, day, month, and year coincided with the order of "Shen, You, Xu, and Hai" in the Earthly Branches. Numerology is called "Guanru Lianzhu", and the owner is rich and prosperous. Expensive is a good omen.However, on that day, the celestial phenomenon of "Yinghuo Shouxin" appeared again, which is a bad omen..." The palace lanterns continued to shine one by one, leading to the depths of the Forbidden City corresponding to Ziweiheng, "Jiang Bin, you said my birth , Yu Daming, is it a disaster or a blessing? "

Jiang Bin withdrew his gaze and looked down at the gold embroidery on the armor.

He couldn't answer this question, and Emperor Zhengde didn't really want an answer from him.

The sound of the wind whimpered faintly through the cracks, and the rare birds and beasts carved on the pillars seemed to be ghosts attached to the foundation of the empire.