Autumn of the 17th year of Chongzhen

Chapter 837
In February, just after the Awakening of Insects, everything is revived, the warm wind is blowing, the soft water surrounds the city, sparkling, it is an excellent season.

Standing tall in the southeast, Nanjing City has the soft beauty of the south of the Yangtze River and the majesty and majesty of the empire. The two different styles merged in Jinling, making it the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties.

In order to welcome the envoys, Wang Yan allocated 20 yuan in silver. The magnificent and magnificent Forbidden City has been cleaned these days, and the dilapidated glazed tiles have also been replaced.

At this time, under the sunshine, the Bauhinia City is shining yellow, which makes people feel the majesty and majesty of the empire.

After all, a big country is a good face. After thinking twice, Wang Yan renovated the palace, but the time is urgent, the whole Bauhinia City is too big, and the renovations are only a few halls that the mission has a chance to see. The rest will have to wait. Let's talk about spare money, now it's just enough to support the scene.

Out of respect for Emperor Gaozong, although the new emperor had already determined the year name, it was officially changed to the Yuan this year. In the future, all vassals who surrendered to the Nanjing court will use the new emperor year name to record the year.

Before that, the youngest emperor of the Ming Dynasty was Yingzong Zhu Qizhen, who ascended the throne at the age of nine. At that time, the state affairs were controlled by the Empress Dowager Zhang, and the virtuous ministers Sanyang ruled. But now the Empress Dowager Zeng does not have the ability and background of the Zhang family. The three princes in the court are like wolves and tigers, so she basically does not participate in political affairs, and will only come forward when necessary for court sacrifices or other occasions.

This undoubtedly voluntarily withdrew from the center of power, but it also guaranteed the tranquility of Bauhinia City, as well as the safety of her and the little emperor.

Regarding the loss of rights, Empress Dowager Zeng didn't seem to complain about it, and said to the three kings, "From now on, Qing and others will be the masters, and the emperor and Ai's family will be the chief priests, and we will protect the Ming Dynasty together!"

In ancient times, the important affairs of the country were sacrifices and military affairs. What Empress Dowager Zeng meant was that in the future, the important affairs of the military and the country would be handed over to the three kings, and their orphans and widows would only take care of the national sacrifices and not intervene in practical affairs.

Regardless of whether it was Queen Mother Zeng's forbearance or words from the bottom of her heart, it is what Wang Yan, as well as the kings of Tang and Lu, would like to see.

Therefore, the power center of the Ming Dynasty was inevitably transferred from the Bauhinia City to the cabinet, the Yizheng Hall, and the Chu Palace in the inner city. The original early dynasty system was also stopped, and it was changed to the Yizheng Hall. Second-rate.

Today is different, it is the day when the envoys meet the emperor, so the palace city is wide open, Jinyi guards wearing flying fish suits, standing on both sides of the palace gate, and on both sides of the white marble steps in front of the palace, there are also neatly lined up guards, they beat each other Plant flags and hunt against the wind.

Wang Yan, the two kings of Tang and Lu, and many ministers had already arrived at the two sides of the Fengtian Hall. The emperor was too young, so he could only be watched by the Empress Dowager Zeng and sat on the big treasure, preparing to receive envoys from various countries.

The eunuchs and court ladies were busy preparing the banquet under the dispatch of the inner court divisions. It may be because there were not enough people and the inner court people did not replenish, so they seemed a little rushed. There were busy figures shuttled everywhere in the courtyard and corridors.

"Is it all arranged? This is the first time that the dynasty has accepted the tribute from the envoy after the recovery of the Southern Capital. If it is disclosed, it will lose face to my Daming. The Ministry of Rites must not make any mistakes." Wang Yan waved at the Fengtian Hall. Said to Gu Yuanjing.

King Tang also said: "King Chu is not unreasonable to be worried, Gu Butang, you have to take care of him."

Gu Yuanjing stood a little further back, Wen Yu jumped over Chen Bangyan and the others, stood beside the two kings, bowed and saluted, and said confidently: "Your Highness, don't worry, just pay homage to the emperor, and then take the seat, the process is not complicated. It's complicated, the dishes served are all personally approved by the officials, and the various performances during the banquet are also the best in Nanjing, so I won't lose my face."

King Tang nodded after hearing this. Gu Yuanjing is his man, and he is more at ease when the old bureaucrat handles affairs, "That's good!"

Didn't Wang Yan want to ask him how to receive the envoys, how Zhang Xiantian looks like, Tang Wang and Gu Yuanjing are completely different from what he said.

At this time, the various posts in the outer city and the diplomatic missions of various countries had already come out of the posts, which attracted the crowds of Nanjing people.

But in general, Chenla, Taungoo, and Ayutthaya have different appearances and temperaments, different costumes, and exotic styles, which are more likely to attract people to watch. There are fewer, but from a level point of view, the people who look at foreign countries are mainly people, young ladies and women, but those who look at Annan and the three states are mostly scholars.

The streets of Nanjing were very lively. The missions of various countries passed through the streets with a variety of tributes. The envoys from Chenla even brought two elephants, which caused the people to exclaim in surprise. Firecrackers and restaurants also took advantage of the joy of the people and began to take advantage of the opportunity to attract customers.

In a restaurant along the street, Feng Quan and Lu Gong, the envoys of the Qing Dynasty who had just arrived in Nanjing from Huai'an, were standing by the window and looking down. Passing by on the street, looking at the grand and lively scene, I felt a little sour in my heart, "The villain will succeed and become rich!"

Feng Quan was also looking at the scene outside the window, Wen Yu glanced at Lu Gong who was full of resentment, he was rich before Daming, how could he describe it as "a rich man at once"?This water product, is it still the champion?
After the Qing envoys arrived in Nanjing this time, the treatment they received was unprecedentedly indifferent. At first, the Ming Dynasty arranged them in post houses, but later they simply dared to come out.

When the envoys of the Qing Dynasty arrived in Nanjing, although no officials had contact with them, they lived well in the inn. However, just a few days ago, an official from the Ministry of Rites came over and asked them arrogantly what they had prepared as a tribute. , The Ministry of Rites is good at registering and humiliating the Qing Dynasty.

Feng Quan and Lu Gong were stunned when they heard the words, they came to discuss peace, how could they become tributes?
This is an insult to the Qing Dynasty. Not only Lu Gong was furious, but even Feng Quan couldn't bear it.

Beijing is still in the hands of my Qing Dynasty, and the whole north is still my country!Who said that we came to pay tribute, I, the Qing Dynasty, came to negotiate peace, and wanted us to pay tribute like monkeys in Nanyang, the Ming Dynasty must have gone crazy.

The Qing Dynasty dominated the north, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and a group of Mongolian brothers, paying tribute?Am I shameless?How will you lead the team in the future?

Not only Lu Gong, but even Feng Quan dare not agree, unless he wants to die after returning.

The two immediately refused, and the official of the Ministry of Rites didn't say anything, just turned around and left. Not long after, the Qing mission was swept out of the posthouse. Lu Gong wanted to argue, but was spat on by the postman and scolded. He said: "You didn't come to pay tribute, what are you doing here? Zhiniang thief, you made me wait for a few days for nothing, go back and tell your master, obediently get out of the pass with your tail between your legs!"

When the scholar encountered the soldiers, he couldn't tell why. Feng Quan knew that the Ming Dynasty was deliberately punishing them to vent his hatred, so he had to drag Lu Gong to find another place to live, but there was no inn in Nanjing willing to take him in.

Now the Qing missionary group is embarrassed. Although there is no curfew in Nanjing, it is impossible for the yamen to allow more than 20 Qing missions to roam around in Nanjing. The people in Nanjing will naturally have no good looks when they see the missions, and they will be looked down upon everywhere. .

In particular, there were some honored nobles and many dudes from the original city of Nanjing, because the Manchus lost their families when the Qing Dynasty occupied Nanjing. Feeling annoyed, he copied the guy to make trouble, Ying Tianfu was afraid of causing death, so he had to send a servant to take care of him, so no one in the Qing mission was killed.

In fact, Wang Yan did not order the Qing mission to be kicked out of the post station. It was Gu Yuanjing and other ministers who supported the Tang faction. They were played by these two people for more than half a year. If you dare to come, you will naturally have to rectify it, and let out a bad breath.

However, Gu Yuanjing was a minister of the Ministry of Rites after all, and he didn't dare to play too much. He was afraid that the Qing mission would return north in a fit of anger, so he arranged for someone to find an inn to take them in.

At this time, the two Ming and Qing envoys stood by the window expressing their respective sentiments. The envoys from various countries had already passed through the street and arrived outside the Bauhinia City.

The tributes were placed on the square outside the palace gate, and the Ming Dynasty did not care too much about these three melons and two dates. Under the guidance of officials from the Ministry of Rites, the mission entered the palace city and walked through the red walls and purple tiles. Every time one passes through the gates of the Taoist palace, the envoy will be given an extra coercion.

After walking for a long time, the last palace gate opened. The white marble steps, the huge Fengtian Hall, and the yellow glazed tiles showed the majesty of the empire.

Many envoys glanced upwards, like looking at the Heavenly Palace, and then looked at the soldiers standing on both sides, all of them were mighty and extraordinary, and they were already timid before entering the palace, only the envoys of Dongyu Kingdom squinted at Daming's palace.

In the hall, many ministers of the Ming Dynasty were standing and waiting. At this time, an official outside came and said a few words to Wang Yan. Wang Yan immediately came out to salute the Empress Dowager Zeng and the emperor: "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, the envoys have arrived outside the hall. , you can enter the hall to worship."

After hearing this, the Empress Dowager Zeng was not in a hurry to return, she comforted the little emperor to sit down first, and then said: "Then according to the wishes of the Qing family, let the envoys enter the palace!"

The Empress Dowager issued an order, and the eunuch immediately said loudly: "The envoys of Xuan Zhufan, come to the palace to have an audience!"

It was the great eunuch Pang Tianshou who made the sound. The power of the eunuch came from the emperor. After the death of Emperor Gaozong, Pang Tianshou's eunuch party immediately collapsed.

Outside the hall, the officials of the Ministry of Rituals who heard the call repeated the etiquette for the audience, and then led the mission into the hall.

The huge Fengtian Hall can accommodate four to five hundred people. The beams and pillars in the hall are all transported from the deep mountains of Yunnan and Guizhou. None of them are hard-won. Each one is as thick as a person, and the outside is covered with gold. Brilliant atmosphere.

This is thanks to Boluo for not burning down the Forbidden City, otherwise millions of taels would not be able to be built.

"The envoys pay homage!" Pang Tianshou shouted loudly again.

"The envoys of the small country, pay homage to the Emperor of Ming, long live your majesty, long live, long live, long live!"

The envoys who entered the hall were led by the officials of the Ministry of Rites, and knelt down to pay respects, but one of them stood out from the crowd and bowed down to do the work. Wang Yan immediately glared at Gu Yuanjing.

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(End of this chapter)