Chapter 85: Journey to the West
It was another grand court meeting, and Ji Zheng stood listlessly among the officials, killing time.
"In the next few days, envoys from various foreign countries will enter the city one after another. How are the preparations of various departments?" The majestic voice of Emperor Ren echoed in the silent hall.
Minister of Rites Le Kang immediately stepped forward, bowed his head, and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, everything is ready."
Then it was the Minister of Works Feng Zhang who said, "Your Majesty, everything is ready."
"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue is also ready." Minister of Revenue Chu Chu also came out to answer.
After listening to this, Emperor Ren nodded with satisfaction.
Just when Ji Zheng thought it was over, Emperor Ren suddenly called his name, "Ji Zheng, join the Ministry of Rites in welcoming the envoys this year."
Although he was shocked, Ji Zheng immediately stood up, bowed and said, "I accept your order."
"After the relevant matters are settled, go to Le Kang to find out." Emperor Ren spoke again, "As for the gunpowder bureau, let Mu Ce take charge of it for the time being."
Mu Ce, who was standing in the last corner, also stepped forward to receive the order.
After Prime Minister Yuan Zhen reported some matters concerning people's livelihood, the court meeting was adjourned.
After the court was dismissed, Ji Zheng had just spoken to Mu Ce for a few words when Yan Yu, the Minister of Rites, came over.
"Master Ji, please come with me." His voice was clear and gentle, and he looked a bit like a feudal patriarch, calm and reserved.
"Okay." Ji Zheng replied, gave Chong Muche a wink, and followed Yan Yu.
The Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works are located in opposite locations, one in the east and the other in the west.
Yan Yu was 26 years old. His mother was the sister of Emperor Ren. He was a childhood friend of Crown Prince Jingxian and General Xiao Ming.
Although he was the eldest son of the Duke's family, he was still unmarried at the age of 26.
Originally they had been engaged when he was eighteen, and were to get married when he came of age. However, his mother died just as he came of age, and he observed mourning for three years.
However, it seemed as if God was playing a joke on him. Just as he finished the three-year mourning period, his grandfather died again, and he had to continue mourning for another three years.
He could delay the time, but the woman could not, so his engagement with the woman was terminated.
All of the above were gossips that Ji Zheng heard from his colleagues.
Of course, the most explosive gossip is what happened in the Duke's Mansion more than a year or two ago.
That is, a person was missing from the Duke's Mansion. Yan Yu mobilized all his forces to look for the person, causing an uproar in the entire capital and even alarming the emperor.
But in the end the person was not found, and Yan Yu was depressed for a while. Then, for some reason, he suddenly cheered up again.
The Ministry of Rites was very busy at the moment. Along the way, everyone wearing the official uniform of the Ministry of Rites walked past them in a hurry, with serious expressions on their faces.
Yan Yu led Ji Zheng to the office hall of the Ministry of Rites, where they saw the Minister of Rites, Le Kang, writing something with his head down and a serious expression.
"Your Excellency." Yan Yu folded his hands, stretched them forward, bent his waist and called out softly.
Ji Zheng also hurriedly followed, "Sir Shangshu."
Hearing the voice, Le Kang slowly raised his head, first glanced at the two of them, then gently placed the brush in his hand on the pen holder beside him, and then slowly moved his gaze to Ji Zheng.
Although he and Ji Zheng had little interaction, he knew that Ji Zheng had developed gunpowder and that the emperor was secretly paying close attention to him.
Le Kang raised his hand and elegantly stroked his neatly trimmed goatee. A friendly smile appeared on his face, and he said loudly, "Please sit down, my lords."
"Thank you, sir." Ji Zheng and Yan Yu said in unison.
Le Kang looked at Ji Zheng, his smile deepened, and he slowly said, "Master Ji, the visit of foreign envoys concerns the reputation and diplomatic relations of our dynasty. The Ministry of Rites has a lot of work to do, so I need you to take care of it. But Master Ji is a man of quick wits, and he will be able to handle it with ease."
"Your Excellency the Minister, thank you. Ji Zheng will do his best to live up to the trust placed in him by Your Majesty and Your Excellency. However, I still need your guidance on the many etiquette details of the Ministry of Rites." Ji Zheng responded humbly.
Le Kang smiled and said, "You can discuss the reception arrangements with the Minister Yan Yu and others."
"I have instructed my subordinates to compile detailed files on past receptions of foreign countries. Lord Ji can take them for reference first." Yan Yu also spoke up immediately.
"Thank you very much, Your Excellency the Minister." Ji Zheng stood up and bowed to Yan Yu.
Yan Yu waved his hand and said calmly, "No problem."
After saying that, he stood up and said, "Come with me."
Ji Zheng turned around, bowed to Le Kang, and then followed Yan Yu out.
The two came to the house on the east side of the yard.
There were three or four low tables in the house, and two young men were writing something with their heads down.
Yan Yu stepped forward and clapped his hands, and the two men's gazes instantly shifted to Ji Zheng.
"Ji Zheng, join us in welcoming the envoy."
After introducing Ji Zheng, Yan Yu introduced the other two people, "The one on the left is Yuan Lang, and the one on the right is Le Heng."
After hearing this introduction, Ji Zheng sighed, "These two are second-generation officials."
Oh, I almost forgot, Yan Yu is also a second-generation official.
After bowing to the two of them, Ji Zheng said, "Please take care of me in the days ahead."
Le Heng and Yuan Lang immediately stood up and bowed back: "I can't say I'll take care of you, but we can help each other."
After introducing himself, Ji Zheng found a seat and began to read some books about the Ministry of Rites that Yan Yu gave him.
Time passed quickly, and it was time to disperse in a blink of an eye.
Ji Zheng put the book away, said goodbye to everyone, and walked out of the government office.
As soon as I stepped out the door, I found that it started to drizzle outside.
Just when he was regretting not bringing an umbrella, an oil-paper umbrella was handed to him. When he looked up, it turned out to be Yuan Lang.
"Thank you, Lord Yuan." Ji Zheng took the umbrella and said gratefully.
"We're going the same way, let's go together." Yuan Lang smiled friendly.
On the way, when Ji Zheng was about to talk to Yuan Lang about some business, he didn't expect Yuan Lang to speak first, and he was talking about private matters.
"I heard that Master Ji's daughter has two little twins?"
Ji Zheng was puzzled, but he still nodded with a smile on his face, "Why do you ask this, Lord Yuan?"
Yuan Lang was silent for a while, then he slowly said: "My wife is also a little twin."
Oh, and then? Ji Zheng was speechless. What does this have to do with me?
"I wonder if Lord Ji could tell us about your relationship with your husband?" Yuan Lang asked again.
You've asked whether it's inconvenient or not. Will it work if I don't tell you?
Ji Zheng rolled his eyes in his heart, but still had a faint smile on his face, "Of course, the couple is deeply in love and there is no doubt about their affection."
After hearing this, Yuan Lang's black eyes flashed with envy and he stopped talking.
Ji Zheng was puzzled and wanted to find a topic to talk about, but the two of them had already arrived outside the government office, and the family's carriage was already waiting for them.
Just as he was about to say goodbye to Yuan Lang, he spoke first: "Master Ji, I have something to consult you about. Can we ride in the same car together?"
"Of course you can." Ji Zheng replied with a smile, "Master Yuan, you don't have to be polite. Just call me Ji Zheng."
Yuan Lang also said immediately: "Master Ji, you don't have to be polite with me. My name is Huailin, so you can just call me Brother Ji."
Ji Zheng smiled slightly and called out, "Brother Huailin."
The Yuan family's carriage was larger, so the two of them rode in Yuan Lang's carriage.
A high-end carriage rides differently, with just a slight jolt when starting off.
"I wonder what Brother Huailin wants to ask me?"
Yuan Lang seemed a little embarrassed. After hesitating for a long time, he stammered, "I, I want to know how you manage your relationship with your husband."
After saying this, her eyes became a little vague. She didn't dare to look at Ji Zheng. Her earlobes turned red and she coughed twice as if to cover up her face.
Seeing this, Ji Zheng felt a little amused. If he remembered correctly, Yuan Lang seemed to be about twenty-four or twenty-five years old. He didn't expect that he was still so innocent when it came to matters of love.
Putting away the thoughts in his mind, Ji Zheng straightened his expression and said, "Be sincere."
"Really?" Yuan Lang frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled.
Ji Zheng nodded, "Brother Huailin, the emotional affairs in the world are complicated and can only be solved with true love."
After a pause, seeing that Yuan Lang was still frowning and waiting for the next words, Ji Zheng continued, "When getting along with your husband, you need to be empathetic, respect his preferences and ideas, be considerate of him in daily trivial matters, and protect him with all your strength when he is in trouble. Over time, the relationship will naturally become solid and deep."
After hearing Ji Zheng's words, Yuan Lang's frown relaxed. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly said, "Brother Ji, what you said makes sense. I'm glad to learn from you."
As if he had found a good person to confide in, Yuan Lang sighed and said, "It's just that when I get along with him, every time I want to show my concern, I always fail to find the right way. After three or four years of marriage, our relationship is still dull, even like strangers."
Ji Zhengbi was not a relationship consultant after all, so he didn't know what to say. He could only find some comforting words and said, "Love doesn't happen overnight. Brother Huailin, pay more attention to your husband in the future. The two of you should communicate more. Over time, your relationship will surely improve."
"Brother Ji is right." Yuan Lang bowed, thought for a moment and said, "I really don't know how to get along with him. Why don't you tell me a little bit about your daily life with your husband, so I can learn from you?"
His attitude was really humble. Thinking of the fact that he had been married for three or four years and had never experienced love, Ji Zheng tried to put himself in her shoes and suddenly felt uneasy.
"If Brother Huailin doesn't mind, I'll tell you a little bit." Ji Zheng said.
The carriage moved forward slowly, and the two chatted for a long time in the car. Ji Zheng shared some interesting stories about her time with her husband, which made Yuan Lang smile knowingly from time to time and fall into deep thought from time to time.
When the carriage reached the fork in the road, Ji Zhengfang said, "Brother Huailin, we had a very pleasant conversation today. We will say goodbye for now. If you have any new ideas in the future, we can come and exchange them again."
Yuan Lang bowed and said, "Thank you very much, Brother Ji, for your teaching today. I will definitely keep it in mind and see you later."
Ji Zheng got off the car, got on his own carriage, and drove away in a cloud of dust.
Yuan Lang sat in the carriage, thinking about Ji Zheng's words, secretly thinking about how to improve his relationship with Lin Yu after returning home. As he was lost in thought, the carriage slowly drove towards the direction of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
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