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Chapter 14 Our big yard
For example, Shen Li recommended Ye Xianggao, was it just so that he could learn more knowledge?This factor certainly exists, but it is by no means the main factor.The information he inadvertently revealed was already telling.

Ye Xianggao was once demoted from the capital, but by leading European missionaries to the capital to pay tribute to treasures, he was able to make Emperor Wanli happy and get him activated again.Such a simple thing, but it contains profound meaning.

Ye Xianggao was probably not a member of Shen Yiguan's camp, or was simply manipulated by the Zhejiang Party.Now that he had been enabled by Emperor Wanli, Shen Li took the opportunity to recommend it to him.

This is called party struggle!Once this trend becomes popular, its shadow will appear in everything.Every motion and resolution of the imperial court was a battlefield for fierce fighting between groups of officials.Sometimes they may argue openly and openly, and sometimes they may make arrangements quietly and quietly. No one or anything can avoid it.

Not only was this the case in ancient times, it is still the case in future generations.I once shouted: Whatever some people support, we will oppose; whatever some people oppose, we will support!Political struggle exists all the time. Either the east wind overwhelms the west wind, or the west wind overwhelms the east wind!

Hong Tao had lived in that era, and his understanding of this kind of thing did not come from books, but from personal experience and exposure.As long as anyone has a similar aura and shows it a little bit, he will be able to capture it keenly.

The two-hour cultural class on the first morning ended successfully with Shen Li's satisfied smile, but his work as the prince was not yet completed.As usual, after returning to the palace to have lunch and take a short rest, it was time to start practicing the government affairs with the help of officials from the Zhanshi Mansion.

Zhan Shifu was actually a small court. Some of the officials there were part-time and some were full-time. Although their titles were different, they basically covered most of the important positions in the court.

The original intention of setting up this institution is to provide an environment for the prince to practice. In addition to listening to the explanations from Zhan Shifu officials, you can also go to the Six Section Corridor on the east side of the Meridian Gate from time to time to see what the real government affairs are like. How it works.

After you become more familiar with this process, some of the less important government affairs will be handed over directly to the prince.Of course, the final approval authority still has to go through the emperor himself.

But as the crown prince of the Wanli Dynasty, Hong Tao did not have an internship period. It was not because he didn't want to, but because the emperor did not provide enough officials.At present, apart from a few part-time attendants, there are no serious officials in the Zhanshi Mansion of the East Palace. They are completely empty-handed and have no qualifications for internship.

It can be seen that Emperor Wanli consecrated the prince simply because he did not want to quarrel with the courtiers, the empress dowager, and the empress all day long. As for whether the prince was qualified or not, he did not care at all, let alone provide the necessary conditions.He was probably still thinking that if something went wrong one day, he would be abolished and his beloved third prince would be promoted to the throne.

"Wang An, come with me to the Internal Affairs Bureau and the Banking Bureau." Hong Tao didn't intend to explore the emperor's state of mind, and it was useless to even think about it.But what needs to be done cannot be delayed at all. The task this afternoon is to improve the imperial city, focusing mainly on the institutions that serve the royal family.

It has been almost 20 years since I was born. To be honest, I have only been able to step out of the harem less than once, and I have never had the opportunity to leave the Forbidden City. The only place I am familiar with is a small corner of the East Sixth Palace.

Even though I was once a native of Beijing, I went to the Forbidden City for spring outings more than once since I was a child. However, the Forbidden City in later generations has been renovated and repaired by the Qing Dynasty, which is quite different from the Forbidden City in the Ming Dynasty.

The Forbidden City in the Ming Dynasty was not an imperial city. The real imperial city was still outside the Forbidden City. It also included a series of garden buildings such as Beihai, Zhongshan Park, Working People's Cultural Palace, Jingshan Park, etc., and it also accommodated most of the royal palaces. Exclusive agency for services.

After living in the Forbidden City for such a long time, he didn't even know what his own yard looked like. This had seriously violated Hong Tao's character, and he was suffering every day.In the past, as a prince, he had no conditions to leave the palace, but now that he is a prince, he still has basic rights no matter how miserable he is, such as being able to wander around most areas in the imperial city.There is no need to ask the emperor for permission or report to anyone, so what are you waiting for!

Four people and four horses is the highest display that Prince Zhu Changluo of the East Palace can offer at this time.Don’t be dissatisfied, it has doubled compared to a few months ago, so have fun secretly.

As for the internal guards responsible for guarding the East Palace, they are really not at the disposal of the prince. They are under the Royal Horse Supervisor. If they want to take them with them, they must obtain the emperor's permission.

The route Hong Tao chose was to exit from the Donghua Gate, go north counter-clockwise around the Forbidden City and then enter through the Xihua Gate.

From outside Donghua Gate, go north to the north entrance of Donghuang Chenggen Street, turn west to the north entrance of Xihuang Chenggen Street, then turn south to Fuyou Street, and finally east to the south entrance of Nanheyan Street, which is basically the city wall of the Ming Dynasty Imperial City.

From the map, the Forbidden City (Forbidden City), Beihai Zhonghai Nanhai (collectively known as Xiyuan), Zuozu Youshe (Cultural Palace and Zhongshan Park), as well as Meishan, the commanding heights of the capital, were all surrounded by the imperial city.

The area from the imperial city wall to the Tongzi River is divided into four areas.On the east side, the area from Donghua Gate and Dong'an Gate to the north to Bei'an Gate is mainly the residence of the palace's institutions.

For example, there are twelve supervisors including the Secretary of Liturgical Supervision, Royal Horse Supervisor, Internal Official Supervisor, Shangshan Supervisor, and Shangyi Supervisor; eight bureaus including Banking Bureau, Huanyi Bureau, and Military Warfare Bureau; plus the Xixin Department and Baochao Department The four divisions, Bell and Drum Division, and Huntang Division, are collectively referred to as the 24 Inner Palace Prisons.

On the north side from Bei'an Gate to Xi'an Gate is the warehouse area. The emperor's internal funds, inventory and various collections are gathered in this area.If a fire breaks out here, the emperor will become a pauper, so this area is surrounded by royal guards, imperial guards, and imperial horse guards. The interrogation is extremely strict, and even the prince of the East Palace cannot enter or leave at will.

The west and southwest corners are occupied by three artificial lakes and a palace, which can be regarded as a scenic tourist area and a royal garden.In later generations, these three artificial lakes were called Beihai (park), Zhonghai and Nanhai.

But the palace in the southwest corner is more unique. It was not built in the Ming Dynasty, but in the Yuan Dynasty.It was originally the Prince's East Palace, but was later renamed Longfu Palace for Yuan Chengzong's mother to live.

In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang appointed his fourth son Zhu Di as King Yan to station in the capital.However, King Yan had no money to build a palace, and living in the Forbidden City was an act of trespass, so he simply changed Longfu Palace into Prince Yan's Mansion.

After Zhu Di ascended the throne, he wanted to rebuild the imperial city on the basis of the Yuan Dynasty palace. Most of the buildings were demolished, but the palace was preserved and called Xinei, which is considered a part of Xiyuan.

(End of this chapter)