When Hunjun begins to make elixirs

Chapter 14 I have paid a lot for the country and the country.

Zhao Zhongxiao came to the palace.When he heard the emperor say that he wanted to "reopen the Changsheng Palace", he was not surprised.The news that the emperor had been to the Changsheng Palace had already been reported to him.

On the way here, he happened to meet Qin Gaoxian who was being tortured in battle. He did not help this "old friend" because of his suffering, but just looked at him coldly, and he was even a little happy in his heart.Because he was not among the eunuchs favored by the late emperor, but Qin Gaoxian, Zhao Zhiyuan and Zhang Jinzhong.

At that time, although he was nominally the palm eunuch, his power was divided between these three people.The world calls it "three thousand years old". Qin Gaoxian, "A Thousand Years Old Antian", was the person who served the late emperor personally and was in charge of the Changsheng Palace. Zhao Zhiyuan, who has "heard the news for a thousand years", became the eunuch Bingbi, the eunuch of the ceremonial department, and was in charge of the Jinwu Guard and the Shenji Guard. Zhang Jinzhong, the "Zhendi Qiantai", was responsible for the affairs of the local guarding eunuchs.

That was his darkest moment.Every day is spent in fear.Everyone said that the late emperor was fatuous, but anyone who could sit on that dragon chair would know a little bit about checks and balances. This was the emperor's instinct.

After the death of the late emperor, these three people were also liquidated. Zhao Zhiyuan was executed, and Zhang Jinzhong escaped from the palace and ended up unknown. Only Qin Gaoxian saw the interest and took the initiative to guard the Changsheng Palace. He became half a lunatic and was able to survive. .

Faced with the emperor's question "Is there anything weird in the Wuji Palace?" Zhao Zhongxiao couldn't answer.He didn't go there that often either.After the warlocks were executed, it was sealed and no one ever opened it again.

Li Shun miscalculated and was a little disappointed: "In that case, I'd better see what I can get out of Qin Gaoxian's mouth."

Zhao Zhongxiao said: "Your Majesty, there is no need to worry too much. This old slave has been managing the Shenji Manufacturing Office for many years and has never heard of any strange things happening under the emperor's feet. Our country's national destiny is booming, and those monsters and monsters are afraid to avoid it. Where can we find it?" Dare to cause trouble in the palace!"

Li Shun thought to himself: "When you say this, I am even more uncertain! As the saying goes: 'When a country is about to perish, there must be monsters.' With Dayin's declining situation, you tell me that the country's fortune is booming?"

As for Li Shun, you can call him a coward, but you can't call him stupid.Being suspicious is a drawback, but it can save your life.He was once a wage earner who was deeply poisoned by the philosophy of "doing things for others". When he spoke, he said that he was sincere and reserved three points for seven points, which was instinctive.You want him to tell the whole story and go to the grave first.

He would not tell Zhao Zhongxiao what he saw and felt, it was still a matter of trump cards.

Li Shun changed the subject: "By the way, I have finished using the elixir, and I want to find someone to refine it. What do you think?"

Zhao Zhongxiao was quite surprised. He had been to the alchemy room where the late emperor stored the elixirs. There were at least a thousand bottles and jars in there. How could he finish all these?Did you eat it as a meal?

It was impossible for him to think about it. That thing was for food and would ascend to heaven in less than a month. Seeing how lively the emperor was, could he be planning some conspiracy?Are you testing him?

If Li Shun knew what Zhao Zhongxiao was thinking, he would definitely shout: "The most basic trust between people is gone!"

Zhao Zhongxiao obeyed Li Shun's words and said: "Your Majesty is blessed with great blessings! I congratulate your Majesty. The time to become a saint is not far away! I will ask the Divine Machine Guard to go to the people to find alchemists."

If it were before, he would still give a pretense of admonishment.After experiencing the Longdu Mansion incident, his mentality has changed.

What he wants is an obedient and incompetent emperor, not a wise and wise emperor who wants to monopolize power.The cake of power is only so big, not to mention that this person wants to eat alone.

"Okay, find a few more! It's best to have female sorcerers. I'm still young and haven't seen many things. The elixir left by the late emperor is good, but the taste is a bit bad. If I think about it carefully, it might be more fragrant when refined by a woman. .”

"Old slave obeys the order."

Zhao Zhongxiao almost rolled his eyes. What woman could make something more fragrant?Wasn't it finally used by you to enrich the harem?
Last year, the emperor recruited several young and beautiful embroiderers from the private sector to enter the palace on the grounds that the craftsmanship of the Wenxiu Academy was poor, and they were all eventually adopted as his concubines.

There were many other incidents like this, such as cooks, medical girls, tea-picking girls, and even warrior girls who were escorts in the rivers and lakes, and Orion girls in the mountains. He didn't let go, and sent people to find the palace one by one.

The emperor's lustful reputation was unknown to almost everyone among the people.However, Zhao Zhongxiao also had doubts. If Li Shunruo was really lustful, wouldn't it be enough to just start the draft mode?Why bother looking for it among the private sector? Not to mention the bad reputation, the quality cannot be guaranteed.

Don’t we all look pretty?
Dayin's draft system had an evolution process. In the beginning, any woman with a clean financial background and who had not left the court could participate. However, by the time of King Sejong, the selection was mostly between wealthy families.The main purpose is to win over local wealthy families and strengthen ties with them.

Li Shun's mother's family is the Zhu family, one of the three great families in Qingzhou, Dayin. They have been doing business for a hundred years and their family wealth is inexhaustible.The valuables sent to the palace every year are in units of cars. Even so, he is also the one with the lowest maternal background among the princes of the previous emperor.

The eldest prince's mother's family was from the Ye family in the north of the Yangtze River. His ancestors followed Emperor Taizu in the battles. He had the merit of following the dragon and was awarded the title of First-class Loyal and Brave Duke.

The second prince's mother's family is the Hedong Wang family, which has the reputation of a thousand-year-old family. It has a big tree with deep roots and will last for a long time.

The fourth prince was from the Long family, a military noble who followed Sejong in suppressing the rebellion. Originally, he was the most likely to succeed after the prince's death.However, due to the disagreement between the Long family and the Hong family, who were also nobles, the Hong family was so powerful that it annexed nearly half of the Long family's territory. In addition, Hu Minde did not want his relatives to join the court and become powerful, so the fourth prince lost the opportunity to inherit the throne.

Li Shun was very familiar with the prince's mother's family, which was Liu Zheng's family.The Liu family in Jiangnan is also a thousand-year-old family.During the reign of the late Emperor, Liu Zheng was able to achieve the position of Prime Minister on the right in a court filled with northern influences, which shows the great power of his family.

Hu Minde and others chose Li Shun, firstly because his mother's family was weak, and secondly because he was the most favored by the late emperor. The late emperor seemed to have a premonition that the prince might not be able to control the situation after his death, so he raised Li Shun as the second heir. This can be seen from the fact that Liu Zheng was his mentor.However, the direction of the late emperor's training was wrong. It is doubtful whether a benevolent gentleman can be a successful king in the prosperous age, let alone a declining empire that is riddled with holes.

Judging from the situation at the time, Li Shun's succession was indeed the best choice to balance multiple forces.But it also kicked off the intensification of party strife.In the first year of Shengtong, the "Three Thousand Years Old" was purged.In the second year of Shengtong, Zhao Zhongxiao's attempt to win over Liu Zheng failed, and he began to join forces with Hu Minde to suppress Liu Zheng.Beginning in the fourth year of the Holy Reunion, the three parties in the imperial court framed and attacked each other.Hu Minde gained an absolute advantage.

Li Shun saw that the troubles of the party's imprisonment were getting worse and worse. Except for the first draft, where he married some women from aristocratic families, he never accepted any wealthy women from aristocratic families into the harem. Even a distant cousin sent by the Zhu family was dismissed by him. Went back.

If you want to fight, fight outside the palace. Don't treat his harem as your battlefield.You said that our ladies are fragrant, but he thinks Xiaojiabiyu is delicious.Various careers, different experiences.

Of course, like the tribute girls, Li Shun was not solely for his own happiness. The embroiderers studied textiles, the medical girls improved their medical standards, and the warrior girls who escorted him were all useful for the emperor to understand the road traffic conditions across the country. Anyway, they were not idle.

He believed that women should have their own careers and not be dependent on men.For Dayin's economic development, medical and health care, transportation, etc., he had broken his heart and exhausted his body.

For example, the Chu concubine who was playing hide and seek in the imperial garden was a embroiderer, Wan concubine was a medical girl, and Zhao Guiren was the daughter of an Orion.In order for them to be happy in the palace, he often played games with them, how much he paid!

Back to business, time flies, three days have passed.This day is the 28th of May in the fifth year of Shengtong. It is suitable for wearing hairpins, getting married, meeting relatives and friends, and getting married.

The most powerful Prime Minister Hu's family in the Dayin Dynasty put up lanterns and colorful decorations to send their daughter into the palace. There was an endless stream of people coming to congratulate them, including Lord Zhou, the right prime minister of the dynasty, Lord Jiang, the Minister of Civil Affairs, Lord Sun, a first-grade scholar, etc. , the date was determined by the Emperor’s command.

Today's heroine, the niece of the Prime Minister, Hu Yuelian, is currently in the attic, with six old ladies waiting on her. From combing her hair to putting on her dress, she has someone to guide her every step of the way.

"Miss Hu is so handsome! Look at her appearance and figure. I have served many girls in marriage, and I have never seen anyone as beautiful as Miss Hu." Wang Ma praised her while drawing her eyebrows.It's not because she is the daughter of the Prime Minister's Palace, it's purely sincere.

Mrs. Qian, who was on the side responsible for combing her bun, also interjected: "That's right! How can ordinary people like the young lady be worthy of it? Only the emperor has such a blessing."

These kind words did not make Hu Yuelian smile.She looked at the gradually completed makeup in the mirror with an expressionless face, including willow leaf-like eyebrows, cherry-like mouth, and a tall nose on her snow-white skin.

"Am I going to get married?"

All this gave her a sense of trance and unreality.A few days ago, she was participating in a poetry meeting at the Beihai Tea House. During this period, a young man wrote a poem to her. She remembered one of the lines in it, "There are so many talented people who sweep their eyebrows, but they are not as good as those who lead the spring breeze." He praised her beauty and Talent.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she returned home, she was told by her father that the emperor had decreed that she should enter the palace and become a concubine.

She closed her eyes slightly and sighed deeply.This is the fate of women from aristocratic families.She understands that her destiny is bound to that of her family.She won't oppose anything like those rebellious ladies in story novels.Because since she was a child, she has been well-dressed, well-educated, rich and luxurious, all of which are the price she has paid for today.

She moved her hand slightly, and the bracelet on her wrist came into view.This was a relic left to her by her mother before her death. She had worn it since she was a child. No one knew that this bracelet was an item with magical powers.When the moonlight shines on it, she can transform into a white cat and can communicate with animals.

Through this object, she gained a freedom that ordinary women cannot have. She transformed into a cat, often shuttled between the roof ridges, stood on the walls and corners, and enjoyed the tranquility of the night.However, after entering the palace, it may be difficult to have such an opportunity again in the heavily guarded palace.

"Sister Lian'er..."

With a whisper, a cute girl in a green shirt walked into the house. The person's name was Hu Die, the youngest daughter of her second uncle.Obviously the second uncle also has daughters, why didn't they marry into the royal family?Enrong?Don't be ridiculous, even the beggars on the street know what the Hu family is going to do.

Even before she got married, she was destined to be incompatible with her husband. This was really a great irony.I heard that he was a dissolute and immoral king, and that he had more concubines than maids in the palace?Haha, if she really is such a person, her psychological burden will be much lighter.

"Sister Lian'er." Another call interrupted her random thoughts again.

Hu Die came to her side: "Sister, are you ignoring me?"

Hu Yuelian tried her best to smile: "Die'er, sister is busy now."

Hu Die looked at Yue Lian's makeup and face, a hint of jealousy flashed in her eyes, but she pretended to be innocent and said: "Sister, you are so beautiful today. I heard from dad that you are getting married, right?"

Hu Yuelian said one word from between her teeth: "Yes."

Hu Die continued to ask: "Are you going to marry the emperor? Will you become the empress in the future?"

Hu Yuelian shook her head, slightly due to the heavy decoration on her head.

Hu Die's eyes were attracted by a gold and jade hairpin on her head: "This hairpin is so beautiful, can you give it to me?"

At this time, Mother Wu, who had served Hu Yuelian since she was a child, couldn't stand it and said, "Miss Third. The eldest lady has something to do, so you can go play somewhere else. Otherwise, I will delay the auspicious time and I won't be able to bear it."

Hu Die pouted, looking like she was about to cry: "I'm just talking to my sister, why am I delaying you?"

Hu Yuelian glanced sideways at her pitiful appearance. If she hadn't turned into a cat and accidentally discovered the secret of her cousin, she would have been deceived by her appearance.Although she is soft and quiet on the surface, she is a willful and vicious person secretly. She often whips the maids in the courtyard for the slightest inconvenience.

"Die'er, please go out. Otherwise, uncle will be angry."

When Hu Yuelian mentioned Hu Minde, Hu Die immediately became honest. She said oh and turned to leave. However, when passing by the table where Lingluo Baoyi was placed, she deliberately stumbled and knocked over the table. The clothes fell to the ground and the lining was damaged. Slightly dirty.

Wu Ma screamed: "This is the dress given by the emperor!"

Hu Die apologized aggrievedly: "I didn't mean it."

All this was seen by Hu Yuelian through the mirror. She was not angry, but a little sad: "Forget it, they are all worn inside and cannot be seen by outsiders."

"Yes, Miss."

Hu Die also noticed that Hu Yuelian was looking at him in the mirror. He immediately knew that he was exposed and left quickly.

Seeing her leaving, Hu Yuelian breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, she felt that leaving the Hu family was not necessarily a bad thing. The wealthy family had many grievances. If she entered the palace, as long as she didn't antagonize others, no one would dare to bully her with the power of the Hu family. Instead, he became pure.As for men, it’s not what I like anyway, so does it make any difference who he is?

When the auspicious time came, Hu Yuelian put on her hijab, wore silk and silk clothes, and stepped onto the sedan chair.The whole process was very lively, but one person was missing, and that was his father.

(End of this chapter)