Chapter 104: Throwing Fruits into the Cart
Princess Kangning smiled and patted her head, then admitted frankly, "So what? They're all pleasing to the eye, so I took a few more glances."
After she finished speaking, she looked at Shi Jianli and the others and said, "After we finish watching this show, we'll discuss how to cooperate this afternoon."
"good."
As they were talking, the emperor and empress arrived and sat on a high platform made of simple wooden boards. The two dukes, civil and military, accompanied the emperor.
A palace attendant went to speak to the emperor, and the emperor waved his hand and said, "Begin."
Then, a whistle sounded and the two teams began to move.
Shi Jianli stood outside the fence, watching the tall, crimson figure bend down, swing, and hit the ball swiftly.
As the cue was swung, the ball kept changing positions on the court, and the sound of horse hooves was rapid. Ji Rangzhou swung the ball towards Ming Zhaohuan, who hit it into the net with one shot.
There were cheers from the crowd all around.
Mingzhao was still sitting upright on the horse, looking outside the field, finding exactly the position he wanted, and smiled at the other party.
Shi Jianli blinked and the corners of her lips curled up.
The emperor, looking at the young and talented people in the arena, couldn't help but sigh: "If you want to know the charm of the young, you have to look no further."
Nowadays, there are more and more young people in the court, and each of them is a young talent.
The emperor looked at Ming Zhaohuan and the others one by one, and said to Ming Weisu, the Duke of Fuguo, and the Marquis of Jining, "Ming Qing, Ji Qing, and Yu Qing, you have taught your children well."
The eldest sons of these ministers all held important positions in the court. The Duke of Anguo's mansion, in particular, had exceptional sons. With such sons, there was no need to worry about the prosperity of the family. The future of this country depended on these young men.
The emperor wanted to be a little suspicious, but the Duke of Anguo handed over the tiger talisman every time he came back from a battle, which was extremely open and aboveboard.
They were close friends when they were young, so there was some trust. Duke Anguo's loyalty was unquestionable, so the emperor directly threw the tiger talisman to him.
Border security and territorial expansion depended on the Duke of Anguo. The emperor did not want to dig his own grave and destroy the legacy of his ancestors. He wanted to be a wise ruler whose name would be passed down through the ages, so he boldly promoted outstanding generals, ministers, and young talents.
Ming Weisu said modestly, "Your Majesty, your compliments are undeniable. Each of you is a true leader. When it comes to parenting, who can compare to Your Majesty?"
The emperor laughed heartily, pointed at him and said to the Duke of Fuguo, "Look at this Ming Jingzhi. Although he is a military commander, he is not stupid at all. He is quite good at flattery."
The Duke of Fuguo scraped off the tea foam and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, this is not the first time you have met him. Besides, the commanders of the three armies must also have the ability to scold. They cannot be tongue-tied."
The Marquis of Jining also laughed: "In terms of eloquence, Zhao Hao is even better than you. In this respect, Zhao Hao is like you."
Ming Weisu nodded. He was naturally very satisfied with his eldest son.
"Speaking of Zhao Huan, I suddenly remembered that he seems to be engaged again." The emperor looked towards the fence. "I heard it's Madam Jinzhi's niece? That would be Shi Jiannan's daughter."
Ming Weisu was a little surprised: "Exactly, the emperor still remembers Shi Jienan?"
"How could I not remember? He's only been gone five or six years." The emperor pondered for a moment, then sighed. "He was the top scholar in the imperial examination eighteen years ago. He was quite handsome. Back then, he rode a horse through the streets, throwing fruit into his carriage. Even after all these years, it's still a joke."
"The parade filled with carriages is a joke, while Shi Qing's achievements are a good thing. The government affairs of Duzhou have been seriously ill for a long time. I originally wanted to let him serve in Duzhou for one more term and then transfer him back to the capital to be promoted to a second-rank official. Unfortunately, the ferry was hit by mud and he was buried while evacuating the people."
Officials are transferred for a term of five years.
"I recently transferred a prefect to Duzhou and asked him to take care of his wife and daughter. I didn't expect that the new prefect would pretend to obey me but actually disobey. Later, Jinzhi came to me and exposed the new prefect's despicable behavior. Duzhou has a new prefect."
"I know that Shi Jianan's daughter is in the Anguo Mansion. I even sent her some rewards in the early years, but it took a few years for her to be forgotten."
"You know, I value talent. After Shi Jiannan died in the line of duty, I felt deeply saddened for a long time."
The emperor's eyes finally found Shi Jianli standing next to Mingyuelin and Princess Kangning. "From a distance, this child looks a bit like Shi Jienan."
"It was my negligence and my poor judgment of people that nearly harmed this child."
The Duke of Fuguo said, "I also dealt with Jiannan in the past. He was upright, decisive, and quick-witted. I felt sorry for him for a long time. When this child came to Beijing in the early years, I also went to visit him."
The emperor nodded and beckoned Ming Weishen, who was standing nearby. When he reached him, he asked, "I've heard a lot about the goings-on in the capital. I heard your wife had arranged for this child to be betrothed to a nephew from your mother's family, but that nephew preferred your eldest daughter."
The emperor had naturally heard that the Duke of Anguo's Mansion did not allow his married daughter to return home.
Knowing the family tradition of the Duke of Anguo and the personalities of the two important officials, the emperor felt a little more disgusted with Qiao Jingchuan, whom he had never met before.
"That's right." Ming Weishen bowed, secretly observing the emperor's expression, and sighed, "Human greed is like a snake swallowing an elephant. I'm not the kind of person who would be so cruel as to drive my daughter away. I'm just a willing person, so I'll sever all ties with this mansion."
"Let's not talk about that." The emperor waved his hand and had the palace attendant offer Ming Weishen a seat. "Shi Jianan is your brother-in-law after all. Why did your wife betroth his daughter to such an ambitious man?"
Ming Weishen considered his words carefully, "This..."
"Just tell me what you mean."
"I didn't know her well enough. I thought she was a good person. It was the girl's own idea to marry down. She said that marrying down would make her life more comfortable. Later, she got engaged to Zhao Huan. It was Zhao Huan who was interested and asked my wife to marry her."
…
Mingzhao still held the horse's belly tightly, holding the reins with one hand, half of his body pressed outside the horse's back, and with the other hand he swung the club neatly, and the ball flew into the net. The first game of football ended in an hour.
"Good shot." The second prince, who was competing with Mingzhao for the ball, praised.
Mingzhao still smiled and bowed, "Thank you, Second Prince."
After saying goodbye to the princes and handing the golf club to the palace maid, Mingzhao drove the horse out of the arena and handed it to the groom to take away.
Shi Jianli was waiting for him at the entrance of the fence. When she saw him coming, she asked, "Are you thirsty? Sister Lin and I have prepared tea for you."
"Some." Mingzhao nodded, and when he noticed someone looking at him, he turned around and saw the emperor and his father and several others sitting at the top.
He bowed to the superior from a distance.
Seeing this, Shi Jianli turned around and looked, and happened to meet the emperor's gaze. She was stunned for a moment and also bowed.
The emperor's personal eunuch, accompanied by younger eunuchs, arrived with several plates. After bowing, they said with a smile, "Greetings to Crown Prince Ming, Crown Prince Ji, Crown Prince Yu, and all the young men and women. The emperor commended the crown princes and young men for their outstanding performances at the game of cuju, and has specially sent several dishes as a token of his appreciation."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."
The chief eunuch looked at Shi Jianli again and said, "This ginger fish fillet and crispy suckling pig are gifts from the Emperor to Miss Shi."
"I thank the emperor for his grace." Shi Jianli smiled and let Lanxing and Xianyue accept the reward.
"The items have been delivered, so I'll take my leave."
After the eunuch left, Shi Jianli glanced in the emperor's direction and asked Ming Zhaohuan, "Why did the emperor notice me and give me something?"
Ming Zhouhe and others also looked at Shi Jianli and Ming Zhaohuan.
Mingzhao pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps seeing you reminded me of your father. Cousin Li, your father is no unknown man."
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