I studied in modern times

Chapter 707: Unconcealed Malice towards Zhao Ji
When Zhao Xu arrived at the Qingshou Palace, it was already bustling with people.

The ladies from the royal family, relatives by marriage, prime ministers, and elders' families have all gathered together.

The festive atmosphere of New Year’s Eve in the Song Dynasty was much more intense than it is today.

Whether it was the royal family or the common people, it was bustling with activity.

Adults and children will have fun all day long until the next morning.

Last year, because it was a new funeral, there were no celebrations in the palace, and even the traditional Nuo ceremony was cancelled.

This year, there are not so many restrictions.

The palace has also begun preparations for the celebration, but Zhao Xu will not participate.

He is a filial son and should consciously stay away from these things.

Surrounded by the imperial guards carrying imperial weapons, wherever Zhao Xu passed, the ladies of state bowed and greeted him, chanting "May the emperor live long."

Before arriving at the inner bedroom of Qingshou Palace, Zhao Xu discovered that a new red paper label had been put on the door lintel of the inner bedroom, with the words "承天行化" (Chengtian Xinghua) inscribed on it in regular script.

This post was called: Tianxing Post in the Song Dynasty.

It is probably the predecessor of the horizontal scroll in modern Spring Festival couplets.

Speaking of which, many of the Song Dynasty’s New Year’s Eve celebrations have been passed down to the modern era.

For example, in modern times, people give gifts to the God of Wealth.

The Song Dynasty was no exception. Every New Year's Eve, merchants in the city of Bianjing would prepare printed materials such as the so-called "The Dull Donkey of Wealth" and "The Turning Deer and Horse" in advance and give them to old customers.

While modern people put up door gods, spring couplets, and blessing characters, people in the Song Dynasty would put up images of Zhong Kui, Tianxing posts, and replace peach charms.

In modern times, there is a custom of staying up all night to welcome the New Year, and giving children New Year’s money, and the Song Dynasty also had the New Year’s gift-giving activity.

Modern people set off fireworks and firecrackers, and the Song Dynasty also had them.

Especially this year, the city of Bianjing was filled with smoke of gunpowder.

The Fireworks Department's business is booming.

In just these few days, Jia Zhongmin reported that hundreds of thousands of strings of fireworks and 170,000 to 180,000 strings of firecrackers had been sold or reserved.

Just by selling fireworks and firecrackers, the Fireworks Department was able to support the Gunpowder Department under the Ordnance Bureau, which specialized in manufacturing them.

This is just the city of Bianjing.

In the future, fireworks on festivals will be popularized in all counties and cities across the country.

Every year, the Fireworks Bureau, relying on the imperial franchise and its monopoly on the exclusive business, might be able to support the entire military weapons manufacturing bureau alone, and even the Military Weapons Supervision Bureau as well.

However, Zhao Xu also knew that this was just a fantasy.

It's actually impossible.

Because, as long as there is profit to be gained, the heroes of the Song Dynasty will take risks.

However, this may be exactly what Zhao Xu wants to see.

The profits from the fireworks monopoly are directly supplied to the military weapons bureau, which specializes in manufacturing them.

As for the military equipment manufacturing bureau, it was something that Zhao Xu had said himself: "It is an inheritance passed down from my father to me, and from me to my descendants."

So, in order to protect the property passed down from father to son in the Zhao family from being invaded by bandits.

As an official, isn't it reasonable for him to set up an agency specifically responsible for inspecting and pursuing related matters, and let them go to local prefectures and counties to investigate and hunt down bandits who infringe on the official's rights and interests?
As long as the start is made, the Song Dynasty version of the State Taxation Bureau can be hatched.

Thinking of this, Zhao Xuren had already walked into the inner bedroom.

As soon as you enter the door, a strong aroma of Atractylodes lancea hits your nose.

Burning Atractylodes lancea on New Year's Eve is also a custom of the Song people.

This is because Chinese medicine practitioners in the Song Dynasty believed that Atractylodes lancea could eliminate plague and dampness, and traditional Chinese medicine also believed that Atractylodes lancea could ward off evil spirits.

Therefore, on New Year's Eve, every household will burn Atractylodes lancea.

This is the same principle as fumigating mugwort during the Dragon Boat Festival.

It can be regarded as the simple experience summed up by the people in their long-term life practice.

But does it work?
Zhao Xu didn’t know.

Probably!

No matter what, the medicinal value of Atractylodes lancea is recognized even in modern times.

When Zhao Xu entered the bedroom, he discovered that there were more than two palaces in the inner chamber.

All the concubines of the previous emperor, including his biological mother Zhu, were there.

In addition, several younger brothers and sisters were also in the temple.

Before Zhao Xu came in, the ladies-in-waiting and the eunuchs had already spread the news of his arrival to the world. Therefore, as soon as Zhao Xu entered, his brother, Zhao Si, the Prince of Puning, and his fifth sister, who had been named Princess of Yun, and his sixth sister, who had been named Princess of Yi, had already surrounded him.

Zhao Si, who is already four years old this year and will soon be five, has obviously grown up a lot and become much more sensible.

He came to Zhao Xu weakly and saluted: "I, your humble servant, greet my brother the Emperor."

Zhao Xu's two sisters bowed and said, "Greetings to my brother the Emperor."

Zhao Xu hummed calmly at Zhao Si and said, "Shisanlang has finally grown up!"

Then he smiled at his two sisters: "Fifth Mother and Sixth Mother, you are getting cuter and cuter as you grow older."

Then, he looked at Zhu, who was holding his youngest sister, the tenth-born German princess who was almost two years old this year: "It is all thanks to mother and concubine that we raised you. If the emperor knew, he would definitely be pleased."

For Zhao Xu, the current scene is indeed gratifying.

Because in his previous life, at this moment, he only had two blood relatives left: Zhao Si and Shi Niang, who was now in Zhu's arms.

The fifth sister, Princess Yun, fell ill with a high fever in February of the eighth year of Yuanfeng and died due to lack of timely medical treatment.

In October, the sixth sister, Princess Yi, died of an acute illness and high fever.

In one year, he lost two of his sisters.

One of them is his younger sister, who is about the same age as him and has the closest relationship with him.

But now, thanks to Zhao Xu's attention to the Imperial Medical Bureau, especially pediatrics.

He recruited Qian Yi and Qian Yi's disciples into the Imperial Medical Bureau.

With the help of these pediatricians, not only the fifth sister was saved, but also the sixth sister.

And only Zhao Xu knew all this.

In front of the Grand Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager Xiang, Zhu naturally did not dare to take credit for it, and immediately said: "This is all due to the blessing and support of the two majesties. I just did some of my duty..."

As she spoke, she carefully observed Empress Dowager Xiang's expression, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she found that she looked normal.

Zhao Xu did not respond to her, but walked straight towards his ninth brother Zhao Qi, who was huddled alone beside his biological mother, Concubine Wu, in the crowd.

"Jiulang..." He squatted down and looked at the younger brother he had specially chosen to show brotherly love and respect: "Why don't you show respect when you see your royal brother?"

Concubine Wu Xianfei quickly pulled Zhao Qi to pay respect to Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu smiled and helped his poor brother up, and asked, "Jiulang's eyes, how are you these days?"

Concubine Wu Xian whispered: "Thanks to the emperor, the imperial doctors often come to visit my ninth brother..."

"It's just that... Brother Jiu's eyes still can't see things clearly..."

Zhao Xu sighed.

According to his observation, there should be no problem with Zhao Qi's cornea and eyeball structure.

It could be that the high fever he had that year burned his optic nerves, or it could be that the medication he took was too strong, causing irreversible damage to his visual cells.

In short, Zhao Qi's eyesight was worse than those modern college students with severe myopia.

Moreover, it is still getting worse.

Eventually, around the age of twelve or thirteen, he will be completely blind.

After sighing twice, Zhao Xu said to Concubine Wu Xian, "Concubine Xian, please be at ease. I have already issued an order to the Imperial Medical Bureau, asking Qian Yi and others to check Jiulang's pulse every five days..."

"Even if it can't be cured, it should be able to stabilize Jiulang's condition."

"Your Majesty, I sincerely thank you for your great grace!" Concubine Wu was so moved that she pulled Zhao Qi to thank Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu waved his hand and said, "I am the eldest brother. Now that the emperor has ascended to heaven, it is my responsibility to take care of all the brothers and sisters!"

So, he walked towards his other brothers and sisters, asking about their well-being, but intentionally or unintentionally ignored his eleventh brother, Prince of Suining Zhao Ji, who was brought by Concubine Xing to her side and was now nearly two years old and had begun to babble.

And everyone turned a blind eye to it.

Now, in the imperial palace, anyone with a discerning eye can see that Emperor Zhao Xu basically maintains a friendly attitude towards his younger brothers and sisters.

There was only one exception - Shiyilang, Prince of Suining Zhao Ji.

Not only that, as time went by, many people discovered that the current emperor's malice towards the Prince of Suining had even reached the point where it could no longer be concealed!

For example, the emperor once asked his attendants in private, "I heard that when Shiyilang was born, the emperor was looking at the paintings of Li Yu, the Marquis of Disobedience, in the Longtu Pavilion, is that true or not?"

Then, without waiting for others to answer, he said directly: "It seems that the rumor that Shiyilang is the reincarnation of Li Yu is true!"

Such remarks were spread all over the palace.

This also put Zhao Ji, who was raised by Concubine Xing, in an extremely difficult situation.

(End of this chapter)