I want to be emperor

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the forty-seventh year of Chengshun, the weather was sunny. Although there was still the lingering chill of winter, and there were frosts hanging high on the Purple Mountain outside Jinling City, the sunshine filled the palace that day.

The early morning sun shyly peeked out from the clouds at around eight o'clock, emitting a soft and warm light that shone on the earth.

In the sunshine, one carriage after another entered through several side doors on the outer wall of the palace city, and then entered the large square in the front hall of the palace.

Here, many ministers in carriages, outstanding representatives of the people, and envoys from vassal states got off the carriages one after another, and then moved forward along the prescribed passage.

Naturally, it was impossible for their carriage to go all the way directly to the Chengtian Hall where the Great Court Meeting was held.

Many participants need to walk all the way through the large square outside the palace, bypassing the Hanlin Academy Building, the Outer Imperial Study Building and many other office buildings before they can reach the second wall of the palace. From the Meridian Gate, the main entrance of the palace, Enter the inner city of the palace through two hidden doors.

As for the Meridian Gate in the middle, this gate is exclusively for the emperor... According to other people's words, according to the tradition of the previous dynasty, the contemporary Chu State stipulates that only the queen who is married to the emperor can enter once. Secondly, it is to express the importance of the imperial examination. After each joint examination, after the palace examination, the top three in the first class, that is, the top pick, the second pick, and the top pick can go once.

Apart from this, no one can enter the main entrance of Meridian Gate.

In fact, even the yemen on both sides are not opened at ordinary times, and civil and military officials and nobles cannot leave...On weekdays, only the small side doors on the left and right sides can be used.

According to traditional regulations, the Meridian Gate has a total of five gates. The main gate is exclusively used by the emperor, and there are two small side gates on both sides. This is the gate that civil and military ministers and nobles use when entering the palace on weekdays. It will only be opened during the New Year's Eve state banquet, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the first month of the year, or other major events such as the court at a very few special times, and will be opened for the passage of civil and military ministers and nobles.

After passing through the Meridian Gate, Sun Xu and others who came to attend the imperial meeting walked on the left and right sides and continued to pass through the small square between the Chengtian Gate and the Meridian Gate according to civil, military, and rank classifications, and walked through the Dongtian Gate on the left and right sides of the Chengtian Gate main entrance. , Xitianmen.

After passing the Chengtian Gate, you can see a vast square with smooth marble floors. This square is the political core area of ​​the Chu Empire. The large square in front of the Chengtian Palace is also the venue for many major political events in the Chu Empire.

The imperial palace of the Dachu Empire strictly followed some characteristics of traditional palaces in terms of specifications. It followed the planning concept of the integration of heaven and man in traditional palaces, which emphasized the dynasty in the front and the market in the back, and the ancestors on the left and the society on the right.

You say this thing is the residence of the emperor, but it is better to say it is a very large political building. Its political purpose far exceeds the purpose of living, living and office!

For example, the Chengtian Hall was the most important political building in the Chu Empire and the venue for various major events. In fact, Luo Zhixue only came here a few times a year...that is, every time a major event was held, Luo Zhixue Only Zhixue would come here.

Even in the past ten years, Luo Zhixue has basically not lived or worked in the traditional inner city of the palace. Instead, he lives and works in the Yanque Palace, the royal annex in the north of the palace, near the Purple Mountain.

Although the imperial palace of the Dachu Empire has adopted a lot of modern technology and even design, it is limited by traditional political restrictions and is too formal. If you live there for a long time, you will feel inexplicably depressed...especially if it is thick and high. The palace walls, coupled with the large and solemn traditional buildings, can easily become depressing after staying there for a long time.

Therefore, after the palace was officially completed in the 16th year of Chengshun, Luo Zhixue disliked it not long after he lived there. First, he had people change the inner court, that is, the harem building... but it was not easy to change, because Many major buildings and plans are fixed...even Luo Zhixue cannot easily change them.

So I can only make a small fuss and build some modern small villas and gardens.

A few years later, Luo Zhixue couldn't stand it anymore. In addition, the empire had begun to expand globally at that time, and the empire did not have any financial shortage problems. There was no external pressure, so Luo Zhixue built a separate courtyard behind the palace. .

At first, it was built as a small-scale villa for daily living, but it gradually expanded, and the final area actually exceeded the traditional palace.

This newly built villa is also officially called Yanque Palace, named after Yanque Lake, an original lake here. It was the lake that Zhu Yuanzhang filled in to build the palace more than 200 years ago.

Nowadays, there is no Yanque Lake, only the remaining small lakes around it such as Pipa Lake, Qian Lake, Meihua Lake and Crescent Lake.

The Yanque Palace of the contemporary Chu Empire is adjacent to Purple Mountain to the north, and includes Pipa Lake and Qianhu Lake. It is adjacent to Xuanwu Lake to the west, the Imperial Palace to the south, and Crescent Lake to the southeast.

Its area is even larger than the palace!

And because it was first built as a separate courtyard and later as a palace, the architectural planning basically did not consider any traditional political factors, but only factors for living and daily office work of the emperor.

Therefore, except for a few three-story office buildings in the southeast corner, which served as the daily office space for the emperor and his accompanying officials, including the Hanlin Academy, the Minister of Counselor, and the Minister of Military Affairs, the rest of the palace was completely planned and built in accordance with royal living standards.

And it was built in accordance with Luo Zhixue's aesthetics... Therefore, the Yanque Palace looks more like a palace than a park...

The living buildings in this kilometer are all modern reinforced concrete or stone buildings. Even some buildings that look traditional are actually made of reinforced concrete... Well, they are basically the same as the antique buildings in some tourist attractions in later generations. almost.

After all, we already have steel and concrete, so we can't just stupidly build houses with brick and wood structures... This doesn't mean respecting tradition, it means being stubborn.

Not to mention the Yanque Palace, a living palace, even the formal palace in front actually uses a lot of modern construction techniques and materials, such as the Chengtian Palace, which is actually a serious antique of cement and steel bars. architecture.

Those big pillars in Chengtian Hall... these are not made of wood, but regular concrete pillars poured with cement and steel bars. They are just painted with a layer of paint that looks like wood... Why do you want to ask? Use cement pillars to resist earthquakes and fire!

There are many wooden palaces that have been burned by fire in the past dynasties... But if a building with extremely strong political meaning like Chengtian Palace is struck by lightning and burned down.

Then it's over, and the whole world will be shaken!

Therefore, the monarchs and ministers of the Chu Empire in the early years discussed it and decided to do it in one step. They built a super reinforced concrete bunker hall that could be destroyed by lightning, fire or even a big earthquake in the future.

This thing is so solid. No matter the cost of construction, I am embarrassed to say how deep the foundation of the thick reinforced concrete pillars is, because the foundation of the entire hall is poured with cement and steel bars...

This main hall is actually a super-reinforced cement block foundation first poured, and then a pretense of building an antique building on this cement block that looks like masonry and wood, but is actually made of cement and steel bars.

If you want an earthquake to damage it... an ordinary earthquake of magnitude 7 or 8 wouldn't be enough, and probably wouldn't even knock off a tile...

Because there are no traditional tiles in Chengtian Hall, what looks like tiles on it is actually a special steel sheet, which is fixed to the building frame with oversized thick screws... Not to mention a mere earthquake, you use 150 mm high Explosive grenades may not be able to blow up... Well, the initial design indicator of this Chengtian Palace was to be able to withstand the top-attack shelling of 150mm high-explosive grenades!

You say it's a main hall, but it's better to say it's a cement bunker, it's very thick!

After all, you have to consider whether the rebels besieged the palace...

All this is to avoid any natural or man-made disasters in a place with strong political connotation such as Chengtian Palace, which would lead to political trouble.

I'll just build it into a big piece of steel and concrete, and let's see how you continue to damage it!

And this is also the reason why Luo Zhixue doesn't want to stay in the palace... Who wants to live in a cement bunker every day?

The Yanque Palace is much better, the whole thing is like a park, which makes life much more comfortable.

And Luo Zhixue would only appear in Chengtian Hall on formal occasions such as the Great Court Meeting.

As time gradually passed, people attending the Great Court Meeting gradually entered the square in front of Chengtian Hall. Although the square is quite large, more than two thousand people poured in, plus the ceremonial officials of the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and Guards soldiers on duty, so the whole square seemed a bit crowded.

Many civil and military ministers followed the guidance of the ceremonial officials and stood in their predetermined positions one after another. They did not stand strictly silent one by one, but chatted back and forth.

After all, it was still early and the court meeting had not started so soon. These people also took the opportunity to chat and get to know people.

At 8:50 in the morning, a group of imperial guards wearing black uniforms, dragon badges, waist knives and even pistols slowly appeared in front of the Chengtian Palace.

At this time, without the guidance of officials from the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs, many civil and military officials and civil representatives present, and the envoys from the vassal states consciously stopped talking, started to line up, and tidied up their clothes.

After another eight or nine minutes, I heard an official wearing a crimson official robe singing loudly at the gate of Chengtian Hall above me: "Your Majesty is here!"

Then officials from the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs took over and sang loudly, which spread throughout the square.

Suddenly, the whole square was silent!

After a while, several imperial guards appeared at the main entrance of Chengtian Palace, and then Luo Zhixue, wearing a formal dragon robe and a crown, stepped out, and then sat on the tall table placed at the door. On the Dragon Throne.

Immediately afterwards, under the guidance of the etiquette officials of the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs, the ministers, envoys and civilians began to kneel down and shout "Long live the Emperor, Long Live Long Live, Long Live the Emperor". They repeatedly kowtowed five times and kowtowed three times. It took more than two minutes to finish the entire kneeling. According to the etiquette, Luo Zhixue decreed that all the subjects should live in peace.

Five bows and three kowtows were performed in the Qian Ming dynasty and were the highest standards of etiquette in the Chu Empire. They were generally used during sacrifices to heaven and at court meetings, and were rarely used in daily life.

In daily life, when ministers met the emperor Luo Zhixue, they did not even need to kneel down and bow instead.

The main reason is that Luo Zhixue feels that he is still alive and well, and it is not a too formal occasion. What does it mean to kneel down and worship me every day?

Moreover, kneeling and worshiping is somewhat degrading to human dignity. It is understandable to follow the tradition in occasions such as court gatherings and worshiping gods, but don’t do it in daily life... It’s uncomfortable for you to kneel, and it’s uncomfortable for me to watch.

Therefore, in the Chu Empire, the kneeling ceremony can only be seen on such formal occasions, and it is only applicable to the emperor. Others, even the prince and other princes, are not eligible to enjoy the kneeling ceremony of the subjects.

And between ministers and ministers, not to mention between officials and civilians, if you dare to accept the kneeling ceremony of others with peace of mind, those censors who are thinking about finding trouble with other officials every day will accuse you of transgression every minute.

After the formal kneeling ceremony, various fixed procedures followed step by step. First, the nine ministers came forward to briefly report on the work achievements of their respective responsibilities in the past year, looking forward to the future, etc. Of course, these were all kinds of clichés. , mostly boasting, specifically choosing nice things to say, which has no practical significance.

Then Prince Luo Jian, on behalf of other princes and other royal family members, as well as relatives and other clan members, congratulated the Lantern Festival and hoped that the coming year would be smooth and prosperous. By the way, he also mentioned what good people and deeds the clan members have done in the past year, such as a certain relative's daily life. They all work as a guard at a certain intersection, escorting children across the road and so on.

Then the representatives of the nobles came forward and said congratulations and reports. The nobles' speeches were usually made by seven or eight dukes from the empire, one by one every year... In order to avoid trouble, even the order of rotation was given by Luo Zhixue himself. Once finalized, just follow the order of the strokes of the name.

Then came the newly added link this year, which was the congratulations from all nations... Of course, it was impossible for all the ambassadors of more than a hundred vassal countries to stand aside. Instead, representatives from three regions were selected, including those from the Indian Peninsula. The representatives of the vassal states on the other side are the ambassadors of the Mughal Kingdom, the representatives of West Asia, North Africa, Eastern Europe and other regions are the ambassadors of the Ottoman Kingdom, and the representatives of the traditional European side are representatives of the Kingdom of Spain.

The representatives of these three countries are all Chu people who have been dealing with Chu people for many years. They can basically speak Jinling Mandarin with perfect accent... Otherwise, they would not be able to be this congratulatory representative if they speak in a way that makes people incomprehensible!

The representatives of the envoys from these three vassal states spoke in various ways, praising His Majesty and the Empire for bringing the dawn of civilization and a better life to each vassal state. In short, all kinds of shameless flattery.

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of England, Marquis Andre, who was listening below, was all complaining crazily in his heart... But he could only complain a few words in his heart, but on the surface, he looked respectful and felt the same.

After all, more than a hundred of their vassal states were all lined up at this moment, and thousands of people were watching. If anyone among them showed a look of disdain, it would probably cause huge trouble for their country. ...Maybe the country will be destroyed because of this.

After the addition of tributes from all nations, traditional links were entered, such as representatives of some local officials congratulating the Lantern Festival and conducting simple work reports.

Then, some typical mid-level and low-level officials who have made outstanding achievements in the past year were rewarded. Luo Zhi learned to give a few simple words of verbal praise during this link, asking them to continue to work hard in the future... This is basically a routine, even if it is The format of the dialogue has not changed much in the past 20 to 30 years, and the words spoken by these officials who received awards were not even drafted and prepared by themselves, but prepared by the Senate...

In situations like today, they can only act as tools!

Of course, the benefits of being a tool today are indispensable. After today's great meeting, these few officials with outstanding work will be regarded as models of loyalty to the emperor, and their deeds will be published in the Chu Dynasty newspaper and spread throughout the world. , the subsequent promotion speed of these people will naturally be as fast as riding a rocket.

Then came the speech by outstanding civil representatives. In this session, Luo Zhixue would not remain arrogant like before, without even changing his expression... but would be like playing Sichuan Face Changer. As soon as the outstanding civil representatives came out, he would hang up. Put on a very kind expression and smile.

And they will also ask civil representatives to come forward, walk up the long stairs, and arrive at the small platform in front of the main entrance of Chengtian Hall, where a group of ministers and princes and princes are standing. The place where the dukes are standing is no more than five minutes away from Luo Zhixue. Report six meters away.

When the representatives from the public were stuttering when speaking because they were nervous, he would comfort and encourage them with a smile, telling them not to be nervous and speak slowly.

An old white-headed teacher who had trained many outstanding talents began to stutter when he spoke because of his nervousness. Luo Zhixue relaxed his expression and said: I don't think I am ugly, so don't be afraid when you see me. Come on, Come on, old man, come forward. We have plenty of time. I have to chat with you for a few words today...I heard that your hometown is over there in Yulin. One of my elder brothers used to live there in Yulin, and he went to pay homage to him in the early years. I paid homage to him...

At this time, the ministers and ministers next to them would often have a friendly expression and pretend to be listening with interest.

The whole scene seemed to be a typical harmonious coexistence of the king and his subjects.

And this link lasts the longest. Luo Zhixue will basically receive every outstanding civil representative, some important figures, such as researchers who have made major scientific research results; at the same time, some people who have taken root at the grassroots level, made outstanding achievements, and have good personality Luo Zhixue will give at least two to three minutes to four or five minutes to interview outstanding people who are morally exemplary.

Most of the less important civil representatives were given about ten or twenty seconds to receive personal encouragement from Luo Zhixue.

When it was Sun Xu's turn, he was already nervous. Under the guidance of the officials of the Ministry of Ethical Affairs, he walked forward to the imperial palace. He strictly followed the etiquette taught by the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and bowed before slowly raising his head.

In this way, for the first time, he saw with his own eyes the only supreme ruler of the earth, the Emperor of the Chu Empire, Luo Zhixue!

It was just a glance, but Luo Zhixue's kind smile was deeply imprinted in the depths of his mind... He would probably never forget it in this life.

And because of excessive nervousness and excitement, he didn't even say a few complete sentences in the next twenty seconds... his mind went blank.

His Majesty, on the other hand, very kindly calmed his mood and told him not to be nervous. After returning home, he must work harder and strive to make more achievements in scientific research to improve the empire's science and technology; he must also work hard in industry. It is better to go further and strive to produce more high-quality and low-priced products for the people to use, create more jobs, and be a person who is beneficial to the country, the people, and ourselves.

In the confusion, Sun Xu actually didn't remember anything... and then he left the stage under the guidance of officials from the Ministry of Ethics and Education!

After he retreated and stood in the queue again, he realized that he suddenly came to his senses... and then he took deep breaths to calm his heart, which had been beating at a high speed for several minutes.

As for the interview just now, he could hardly remember the rest of it. All he could remember was the scene when he looked up and saw Luo Zhixue for the first time!

That is His Majesty's majestic figure sitting on the dragon throne!