Dress to be a celebrity

King Zhou was thinking about his concubine in Beijing in Hanzhong, and the people in the palace in Jingzhong were also thinking about returning to King Zhou's mansion.

Qin Tianjian predicted that the third day of the sixth lunar month was an auspicious day for the big wedding. The palace prepared the ritual utensils and ceremonial guards for the big wedding early. The sage offered sacrifices to heaven and ancestors, and to the new Duke Cheng'en, Dali Temple Minister Xu Chu's mansion went up to Naji and Nacai.

The courtiers and vassal kings all over the world presented congratulatory gifts and congratulatory forms one after another. It was for this purpose that King Zhou sent Zuo Changshi to Beijing in advance.

The congratulatory form is fine, what kind of congratulatory gifts can be sent by the Zhou Palace is what the court ministers are most concerned about--jewelry, curios, calligraphy and paintings are not worth mentioning, it is best to present another...a box of fresh ones Xiangrui opened your eyes to everyone.

It's a pity that the wedding date is at the beginning of June, and neither rice nor wheat can enter the capital at this time, and they can't see the grand occasion of the Hanzhong Mansion in the past two years.

Along with the congratulatory form, Chu Changshi presented a set of "Diamond Sutra" copied by the Tang Dynasty, a plate of pomegranates carved in red jade, a set of eight-layer openwork ivory balls...and two gold-plated spheres about three feet high. Inlaid copper clock.

When the word "seat clock" first spread, even the palace thought that what the King of Zhou was going to send was a bell ringing in a Buddhist temple.However, what is really advanced is a sandalwood shell, a white copper enamel surface, a gold needle and a copper pendulum, and the surface is painted with the twelve hours of Zi Chou Yin Mao, and each number is separated by eight quarters with copper wires.

The front of the clock is covered with a glass door, and a small square opening is left on the enamel surface of the dial, through which the key can be inserted to wind the clock.

——This dial is completely in accordance with the timekeeping habits of the ancients. There are only hour hands, no minute hands, and no second hands.Because Mr. Song, who "invented" the clock, couldn't make up a very reasonable reason for him to meet foreigners who can make clocks and watches in Hanzhong Mansion and learn the international timekeeping method.

You can't directly copy foreign countries, you can only follow China's timing method first, and then find excuses to adjust and improve.

But it's just that he, who has experienced modern clocks and watches, has high requirements. Even if this clock enters the palace, compared with other people's tributes, it can still be among the first-class.

The palace has always used sundials and omissions to keep time, and more accurately, the water astronomical platform of the Qintianjian, but none of them are so exquisite and gorgeous that they can be placed in the house for viewing.Even the emperor couldn't put it down when he got the clock. Chu Zuo envoy, who presented the clock, was summoned to the palace to demonstrate how to use it. He also asked the craftsman he brought to open the back cover of the clock and see the mechanism inside with his own eyes:

The precisely meshed brass gears are constantly rotating, and the copper pendulum is constantly moving back and forth.Every time two hours meet, or a certain time is right, the clock box will make a deep sound like a bell to tell the time.

Although this clock is not as auspicious as it is, it is indeed a practical and desirable thing.

Emperor Xintai stood in front of the small table where the clock was placed, watched the hour hand move slowly, and asked Chu Changshi behind him in a warm voice: "Is this made by Song Qing again? Inside this clock are those with fine teeth. I'm afraid it's very difficult to polish the wheels, how much manpower will it take to make it?"

Because Chu Changshi wanted to offer a clock, he went to the economic park to watch the clock-making process carefully before leaving, and he was confident in dealing with it at this time.He even asked one question and answered three questions, and explained in detail how to use a lathe to process and polish the copper gear, how the clock and the steel spring drive the gear to rotate, so that the hour hand on the surface keeps turning.

Emperor Xintai found it quite interesting, and asked: "Can such a bed be made in Beijing, and can such a clock be made?"

Chu Changshi replied respectfully: "Back to Your Majesty, what can be done in Hanzhong, can also be done in Beijing. The prefect of Song Dynasty has ordered people to draw the style diagram of clocks and watches, and sent craftsmen who can install clocks and watches to accompany the ministers to Beijing. Dedicate this technique to the imperial court."

The Son of Heaven smiled and said: "He is generous, and Huier doesn't stop him. I'm afraid that in the future, all the capital will make this clock, and they won't be able to come up with such an overwhelming thing?"

Chu Changshi saw that the emperor was in a good mood, and he also smiled in agreement, and said: "His Royal Highness King Zhou has the heart of a child, the prefect of Song Dynasty only knows loyalty, and the gift of advancement is only to show respect and love, why compare yourself with others. "

Not only does His Royal Highness King Zhou not want to compete for this favor, he also has no intention of being a big position. He just wants to take the princess and His Royal Highness back to Hanzhong, and the family, husband and wife, father and son will live happily.

The emperor was silent for a while, then turned around and asked Chu Changshi: "Is this what Huier meant? Is he really planning to become a vassal king in Hanzhong?"

The new empress will be established, and there will be a son in the court, so why should Zhou Wang, the eldest son of the concubine, return to Beijing?

Not only the King of Zhou, but even their officials and even the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty thought so.If King Zhou didn't see that he couldn't return to the court, why didn't Master Song wait in Beijing for two more years, and leave behind such a noble and promising official position as Hanlin editor and go all the way to Hanzhong?

Chu Changshi only lowered his head and replied: "Your Highness dare not speculate on the Holy Will, and I dare not make false statements."

Although he didn't dare to speak nonsense, but after the wedding, he immediately went to court on behalf of the King of Zhou, asking the Holy One to allow the princess and the emperor's grandson to return to Hanzhong Mansion to reunite with the King of Zhou.Soon the memorial was handed back, and the sage Zhubi personally approved it, and Xu Zhou Wangfei returned to Hanzhong to serve, but the emperor and grandson were young and could not withstand the bumpy journey, so they were not allowed to leave Beijing.

Since Concubine Zhou left the capital, the emperor and grandson had no one to take care of them, so they were temporarily transferred to Zhongcui Palace to be raised by Concubine Xian.

The issuance of an imperial decree immediately alarmed the entire court.

Now that the central palace has just been established and there is no direct son, what will His Majesty plan to raise the eldest son of King Zhou and the grandson of the present emperor in the palace?Could it be that he deliberately surpassed the prince and cultivated the grandson of the emperor?

After the palace's decree was made, palace servants and wet nurses were sent to bring the emperor's grandson into the palace.Concubine Huan and her concubine Li Shi knelt down to receive the imperial edict, and the child was taken back to the palace without even a moment to react.

Mrs. Li pressed her hand and asked: "Is your empress going to resist the order? How is it that the emperor's grandson is raised by the side of the emperor and the concubine Xian, compared to being in the palace of the Zhou prince without a master?"

Yuan Niang was startled by her shouting and asking, and subconsciously replied: "Of course it's better to be in the palace, but Xian'er has never left me..."

Mrs. Li shook her head slowly, hugged her and persuaded: "Your Majesty, holy fate is hard to do. Parents' beloved son has a far-reaching plan... Why don't you think about why the Holy Majesty left our little Highness in the palace?"

Concubine Huan leaned in her arms with a blank expression, and it took a long time to turn a thought: "I can't resist the decree, so I will write a letter and beg to stay in Beijing. I promised His Highness in the past to take good care of Xian'er, and I will never leave her behind." He, went to Hanzhong alone."

She patted Mrs. Li's hand, and advised her instead: "You have been with me in Beijing for too long, and you should go back to Hanzhong to serve His Royal Highness. Mrs. Wang has nothing to do so far. If you have a man and a half woman, we can do it in the palace." Rest assured..."

Mrs. Li sighed: "I know your empress' concerns, but I and the Wang family are both concubines. If the birth is not right, we will have children. How can we compare with the birth of the princess? What's more, if the empress is still in Beijing, what about the little highness?" Entering the palace?"

The emperor's grandson was raised in a lonely palace without a master, or at the border. How could he be raised in the palace, raised by his own grandmother, and even have the opportunity to be taught by the Holy Majesty himself?

She is willing to stay in the capital to serve His Royal Highness, and to deliver news for the Zhou Palace, please do not hesitate any longer.

Mrs. Li almost knelt down to beg for orders. Princess Huan took her arm and helped her up. Her pale face showed a bit of calmness and determination: "There is no need to salute, I understand you... I should be ordered to leave the capital." .”

She re-sharpened the ink and picked up the pen, but wrote a letter of thanks instead of a petition.

This decree not only disturbed the family of Zhou Wangfu, but Zhou Wangfei was sad because her son was called into the palace, while others were anxious because there was no son to enter the palace.

The second prince has been married for two years now, but the concubine and concubines have not moved. Hearing the news, he couldn't help but hate: "Brother, this is clearly a retreat, an excuse to move his wife and children back to Hanzhong, but he is actually reminding the emperor, Now he is the only one in the royal family who has an heir!"

Now that there is only this emperor and grandson in the court, how can the father be willing to leave him?Naturally, she will be taken into the palace, and maybe she will also be raised under her knees, and her grandchildren will be pampered.If he also has a son, the mother and concubine will also bring the grandson to her side to get close...

His third younger brother is also married now, so it may not be unexpected, he still has to go back to the house a few times, and he can't just focus on the mine and not go home!

He spends less time staring at the mines, and the supervision of the subordinates will inevitably gradually loosen, and the atmosphere in those mines will return to the way it was before when he did not manage people according to the laws of Hanzhong Mansion.In addition, he has big plans now, and he can't build roads and transfer the two governments at all. There is less money to subsidize the operation, and the speed of sending those mineral materials to the economic park is slow.

The economic park in Beijing is completely compared to the Hanzhong Economic Park, and the number of raw materials handled daily is standard.

Insufficient raw materials, sometimes it can only be idling, empty burning, or even forced to stop work, and it will consume a lot of labor and materials every time it is restarted.King Wei was not like Queen Mother Qi's family, who was born in a noble family. He had a lot of money to supplement his subordinates' property, and he couldn't bear the errands he worked hard to be dragged down like this. In a rage, he sued King Qi.

Originally, the task of supplying materials should not have been handed over to King Qi, and the economic park had been well built without his intervention.It was the second elder brother who forcibly asked his father for an order to steal the job, but didn't do it carefully. Didn't he deliberately deceive the emperor?

His memorial never passed through the cabinet, and he handed it directly to the Holy One himself.

The Son of Heaven listened to him detailing why the supply was insufficient and how much the economic park had suffered, his face darkened, and he lowered his eyes and asked, "Why didn't the supervisory censor in charge of building the park report this matter?"

The king of Qi lamented in a mature way: "How dare the supervisory censor dare to impeach the prince? They only dare to ask the small officials in the mine, but the mines of the imperial court have always been like this, and those villains can find so many excuses to delay. Ke Erchen, but the economic park of the imperial court can't afford to delay, a day without starting work is a day's loss."

A few days ago, it was easy for the Economic Park to get on the right track, and the emperor ordered them to make clocks and watches. He also wanted to reproduce the development momentum of the Hanzhong Economic Park in Beijing, but he was dragged down by his second brother.

Now let alone Hanzhong, even he is much worse than himself in the previous period.He didn't dare to force his second elder brother to focus on the king's affairs, but only asked his father to let him intervene in the matter of mining materials, just like what Song Dynasty did in Hanzhong, and he didn't have to be restrained everywhere.