Chapter 192 A Beautiful Girl in a Golden House
After sending Lu Haozhi away, Meng Yan also prepared to get up.
Ruizhu followed her instructions and took out a set of autumn-scented silk satin jacket with peony patterns and a persimmon-red cotton skirt with a Ruyi cloud pattern.
Just as she was about to help the Empress get dressed, she suddenly noticed something and asked in a low voice, "My Empress, do you want to apply some medicine to the mark on your wrist?"
Meng Yan listened to her and raised her arm to take a look.
On the forearm that looked like a tender lotus root, several red fingerprints were clearly visible.
This is the trace left by Lu Haozhi.
Not to mention last night, when she woke up this morning, he was still holding her arms tightly and pressing her against the pillow...
Meng Yan blushed unconsciously. Although Ruizhu was her inner chamber maid and a trusted palace maid, she still felt embarrassed to have seen the traces of their love affair. She couldn't help but curse Lu Hao in her heart again.
On the surface, she looked as if nothing had happened and said lightly, "It's nothing serious, don't worry about it."
As soon as he finished washing up, he ordered breakfast to be served.
Looking at the time on the clock, it was already 9:00 PM. Lunch would be served soon, so Meng Yan asked someone to bring some porridge and side dishes over and eat whatever she wanted.
After giving the order, Ruizhu came over not long after with a bowl of red date and bird's nest porridge, a plate of silver thread cakes, and a bowl of steamed egg.
Meng Yan found it strange and asked casually, "Why did you get up so early in the morning and bring bird's nest?"
Ruizhu smiled and said, "The Empress Dowager asked Aunt Cangxiu to send this this morning. She said..." At this point, she looked at the Imperial Concubine's expression and said carefully, "She said that the Empress had worked hard last night. Red dates nourish the blood, and bird's nest is the most nutritious, so..."
Meng Yan blushed even more, and even the Empress Dowager came to laugh at her.
But for some reason, she casually asked, "How did this kind of thing get to the point where even the old lady knew about it?"
Ruizhu saw that she was not embarrassed or angry, so she said with relief, "Yes, in fact, the Empress Dowager sent someone to ask last night, and only after getting the news did she feel at ease and go to bed."
This old lady actually sent someone to listen to her son and daughter-in-law's bed!
Meng Yan bit her lip and said nothing. At one moment she thought that she was not a newly married bride and had nothing to be ashamed of. At another moment she thought about what happened last night. Could that man be made of iron?
After thinking about it, her unyielding nature came out and she was thinking about when she could beat him.
After breakfast, Meng Yan moved to the main room and asked the palace maid to bring the four treasures of the study.
Ruizhu, who was waiting beside her, asked in confusion, "My Lady, you finally have some free time. You could just rest, but why are you writing all this?"
Meng Yan picked up the rosewood wolf-hair brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote down on the Xuelang paper the things she had been thinking about in her mind during this period.
As she wrote, she said, "The Emperor has his affairs, and I have mine. Besides, I've been resting for so long. If I continue to be lazy, my body will fall apart."
Even though she was trapped in Tishun Hall and couldn't go out, she didn't want to think about Lu Haozhi all day long.
Meng Yan had already decided that this was how they would live their lives. When they were together, they would be as affectionate and affectionate as possible. When they were apart, they would each do their own thing. He would manage the government, while she would take care of the inner workings. Leaving some room for each other was the best way to get along.
However, she missed Doukou a little and wondered if the child was well-behaved with the Empress Dowager.
Lu Haozhi entered the study of the Yangxin Palace and summoned the court officials.
Everyone entered, paid their respects, and stood respectfully below.
Lu Haozhi's face was as calm as water as he asked, "You all came to see me today. I believe that the tasks I assigned to you have been completed?"
Song Siwen, the Censor, stepped forward, pulled out a memorial from his sleeve, and whispered, "Your Majesty, I have investigated all the crimes committed by the Liang Mansion in recent years and have written them down in this memorial. Please review it."
As he spoke, he raised the memorial above his head with both hands.
Seeing the emperor nod slightly, Rong'an hurried over to take it and presented it to the imperial desk.
Lu Haozhi opened the memorial and took a look at it before sneering, "What a scoundrel! I knew he'd been involved in some dirty tricks over the years, but I never imagined he'd become so corrupt. He's truly ruthless!"
Song Siwen hurriedly said, "Your Majesty is right. Prime Minister Liang served as prime minister for two dynasties and was deeply favored by the emperor, but he did not seek to repay the emperor's kindness. He was corrupt and abused his power, oppressed the people, formed a clique for personal gain, and his crimes are too numerous to list. We, your servants, implore Your Majesty to issue an immediate decree to dismiss Liang Benwu from his post and investigate him as a warning to others."
After saying this, several ministers lifted their clothes and knelt down, saying in unison, "We sincerely request the Emperor to issue an order."
Lu Haozhi remained silent, his slender knuckles tapping lightly on the table as he spoke, "Your Excellencies, what you say is indeed loyal to the court. However, the late emperor once said that Liang Benwu had made great contributions to the Zhou Dynasty and should be pardoned unless he committed a serious crime. He should be enshrined in the imperial ancestral temple a hundred years later. Although the man you mentioned in this memorial has committed numerous evil deeds, he does not deserve the death penalty. If we cannot eradicate the problem completely, it is better to hold back and avoid alerting the enemy."
After saying that, he threw the memorial in front of Song Siwen and said, "Mr. Song, your work was not done carefully enough. I will investigate again."
Cold sweat dripped down Song Siwen's forehead. He originally thought that he could confiscate Liang Benwu's property, dismiss him from his post, and sentence him to exile, which would be the maximum punishment. After all, he was a founding hero and a prime minister of two dynasties.
However, judging from the emperor's tone, he clearly had murderous intent in mind.
I'm afraid there's going to be a storm in the court.
Song Siwen swallowed hard and kowtowed hurriedly, "Your Majesty is reprimanding me for my dereliction of duty. I will investigate further."
Lu Haozhi looked at him, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "I'll tell you a place, Shilibao, in the northern suburbs of Beijing. If you investigate there, you'll surely find something."
Song Siwen bowed his head repeatedly, "Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty. I will send someone when I get back... No, I will personally lead someone to investigate incognito."
As he spoke, he felt a strong sense of awe for the young emperor.
The emperor seemed to know everything and everything was under his control.
Decisive and ruthless, resolute and resolute, shrewd and flexible, this young emperor is gradually showing his ability to govern the country and control the government after five years on the throne.
Lu Haozhi looked at him, his thick sword-like eyebrows raised slightly.
In fact, Song Siwen could not be blamed for his negligence. Liang Benwu was really keeping it a secret, and even in his previous life, he had not been able to catch him.
In this life, it was only after Yan'er obtained the information about his inner courtyard that a breakthrough was achieved.
Liang Benwu had to die. In his previous life, he failed to punish him with the death penalty, which left behind endless troubles. The remaining followers of the Liang family lingered in the court for several more years, and it took him countless efforts to gradually eliminate them.
And her daughter Liang Chengbi, in the end, had to bear the title of Imperial Noble Consort but died of a sudden illness.
In this life, you must be clean and neat.
When he thought of Yan'er, he remembered that she was still waiting for him to come back to Tishun Hall. A warm smile appeared on Lu Haozhi's face, which was as cold as frost and snow.
This look made the court officials below feel uneasy.
How to conspire to kill the prime minister... Is it worth the emperor being so happy?
Lu Haozhi pressed his thoughts and spoke again, "I have one more thing to ask. After New Year's Eve, in March of next year, I plan to hold an additional special examination."
These words shocked everyone.
Nowadays, although the court has imperial examinations to select people, they are only held every three years, and only a few people are selected. Most officials are still selected from the children of various aristocratic families.
However, as a result, these old-school forces became deeply rooted in the court, formed factions, and became a huge obstacle to the emperor's implementation of new policies.
Your Majesty, you are planning to recruit talents from the people and cleanse the court.
Song Siwen suppressed his trembling heart and said, "The emperor's unconventional approach to selecting talents is a blessing for the Great Zhou. However, there must be a reason for the special examination. It seems that there is no big news in the palace right now."
The so-called "Enke" (special examination) was a special imperial examination granted by the imperial court, either for the Empress Dowager's or the Emperor's birthdays, or for the birth of a prince in the palace. But with the Qianqiu Festival and Wanshou Festival both so far away, and no news of an impending birth from the palace, where would the "Enke" (special examination) even begin?
Lu Haozhi smiled faintly, "This matter is not difficult. Before January next year, there will be a big celebration in the palace."
After the matter was settled, Lu Haozhi added, "Now that the epidemic has been eradicated, the Western Expedition Army should return to the capital. I intend to personally lead all the civil and military officials out of the city to welcome the expeditionary forces."
At this point, several ministers were already a little numb. No matter what the emperor said, they were no longer surprised. They just kept agreeing, saying that the soldiers fighting on the front line were very hard-working and it was as they should be.
After finishing the discussion of government affairs, Lu Haozhi looked at the beards on the faces of several people, guessing that they were all old enough to be fathers. He suddenly asked, "My dear nobles, do you have any young men in your family? How old are they?"
Everyone looked at each other, wondering why the emperor suddenly asked this question.
However, since the superiors asked, I had to answer them one by one.
"Your Majesty, this little dog of mine is four years old."
"My humble son is two years old this year."
"I am a humble official, I only have two daughters and no sons."
…
Lu Haozhi listened, smiled, and nodded, saying, "My fellow ministers are all my loyal and faithful ministers. When you are busy with state affairs, please don't forget to educate your children well. When they grow up, they will all be useful talents to the court." He raised his hand and said, "If there is nothing else, please disperse."
Everyone was puzzled. Usually when they went into the palace to discuss government, at this time, the emperor would definitely give them a meal, and they would only leave the palace after they had eaten together.
Something strange is happening today. The Emperor seems to be eager to send everyone away...
A group of ministers came out of the Yangxin Palace one after another, went down the stairs, and talked among themselves.
"Everyone, do you feel that the Emperor seems particularly happy today? Is there any happy event in the palace?"
"I didn't hear about the happy event. Didn't they say that the Imperial Concubine was seriously ill and was recuperating in Shanghe Garden?"
"Did you smell it just now? The emperor seemed to be smelling of safflower oil..."
Everyone was talking at once when Song Siwen suddenly saw the eunuch Rong An, the chief steward of the imperial court, coming out from inside. He hurriedly called out to him, "Eunuch Rong, wait a minute. I have something to ask you."
Rong An heard this, turned back, bowed to him, and said with a smile, "Master Song, you are too polite. Please ask whatever you want."
Song Siwen asked, "Your Majesty, why are you suddenly asking about our family's offspring today? Is there anything to this? Eunuch Rong is always by your side, so he must know."
Rong An stroked his chin, then recalled the nonsensical task the Emperor had assigned him. He gave a secretive smile and said, "This, the Emperor simply cares about you all."
Having said that, he bowed and went out.
After the ministers left, Lu Haozhi did not rush back. He reviewed memorials in the study of the Yangxin Palace for a while, waiting for Rong An to come back.
After nearly an hour, Rong An, who was getting angry from waiting, came in hurriedly and stepped forward to pay his respects.
"Your servant greets you..."
“No thanks!”
Lu Haozhi threw the memorial in his hand and said hurriedly, "How's your investigation going? Come closer and talk!"
Rong An stepped forward as instructed and said a few words in a low voice.
After hearing this, Lu Haozhi was speechless for a moment, feeling both angry and amused. After a while, he gritted his teeth and said, "Yan'er, you really know how to play tricks on me."
Returning to Tishun Hall, I entered the main room, which was filled with warmth and fragrance. A bunch of red plum blossoms were placed in a celadon beauty vase on the windowsill, reflecting the bright tiles on the window, which was gorgeous and charming.
There was a stack of Xuelang paper covered with words on the kang table, but Meng Yan was not in the room.
Lu Haozhi stepped forward, picked it up and looked at it, then asked casually, "Where is the queen?"
The small calligraphy on the paper is beautiful yet heroic. It is Meng Yan's handwriting.
Written on it are the problems that have accumulated in the palace over the years and the methods to deal with and rectify them.
Next is the matter of opening a folk medical clinic.
It turned out that Meng Yan planned to run the temporary clinic set up by the court during the epidemic permanently, so that it could serve as a place for the common people to get treated. Every year, the court would subsidize them one cent, and local governments would subsidize them one cent, and the rest would be the medical fees and medicine costs for those seeking medical treatment. In addition, the clinic could also accept some apprentices, and the tuition could also be used as a subsidy, so the burden was not heavy when you calculated it in detail. Even the imperial doctors of the Imperial Hospital could go there to take turns, and the best doctors in the clinic could also work in the Imperial Hospital. In medicine, experience is especially important. The imperial doctors in the palace only watched over these people every day, and they had limited knowledge. They might sound intimidating when they said they had inherited the monastic tradition, but in fact, they had very little ability.
This method not only solved the problem of the common people seeking medical treatment and medicine, but also created a few more vacancies for the people and recruited famous doctors for the court, achieving three goals at one stroke.
Meng Yan had mentioned this matter to him before. Although it was a good thing, there were many links to be cleared before actually carrying it out. Lu Haozhi was currently busy cleaning up the court and had no time to think about this. He had never expected that she had already thought of such a comprehensive plan.
Yunxiang bowed her head and replied, "Your Majesty, the Empress was writing for a while when she mentioned the heat in the house. She was worried that Your Majesty might be irritated, so she went to the backyard to pick some plum blossoms to steam some plum blossom dew for Your Majesty's tea." At this point, she quietly looked up at the Emperor and added, "The Empress said that in the coldest months of winter, we shouldn't use extremely cold and chilling medicines. Plum blossoms, with their mild nature, are the most suitable."
Lu Haozhi listened, turned around and walked out of the house.
There is a small plum blossom forest near the back wall of Tishun Hall.
Meng Yan couldn't go out, and when she got bored of staying in the house, she would go for a walk over there.
Lu Hao went all the way there and found her in the plum forest.
After a day and night of snow, the imperial city had already become a world of glass.
Under the silver-covered snow, the clusters of red plum blossoms are in full bloom, like balls of flames. The white snow and red plum blossoms are delicate and charming.
Under the woods, she was wearing a bright red cloak, standing gracefully, picking up a flower with her hand.
She has a delicate figure and a beautiful face, graceful and charming.
For a moment, Lu Haozhi thought he saw the Goddess of Wushan.
In the past two days, he always had the idea of keeping her in Tishun Hall, not as a concubine or a queen, but as Yan'er who belonged only to him.
Such a beauty can only be seen by him and belongs to him alone.
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