On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, the first year of Tiande in the Wu Dynasty, at the hour of Yin.
The strong wind that had been blowing all night finally died down, and heavy snow began to fall from the sky.
The lights in a courtyard on East Street in the East District of Guanyun City were lit up. Chen Suyuan opened the door of his bedroom. A cold wind and heavy snow blew in. He shivered, tightened his clothes, stepped back, and closed the door again.
"Quickly bring me my official robes... and ask the kitchen to make me a bowl of hot and sour soup. It's freezing in this awful weather!"
"Isn't there still a full hour before the grand court meeting? Master, why are you so anxious?"
Yan Que'er, Chen Suyuan's concubine, who had just taken him in a few years ago and was once the most popular courtesan at Liuyuntai, threw off her quilt and got out of bed. She put on a mink fur coat and took out her official uniform, warming herself by the stove. She tilted her head to look at Chen Suyuan and said, "In the past, the master always took his time and didn't set out until the beginning of the morning... Could it be that the little emperor is even more strict than the retired emperor?"
"Shut up!"
"You frivolous person, be aware of your status!"
Chen Suyuan's shout scared Yanque'er so much that she opened her mouth in surprise but didn't dare to utter a word.
The master had never said a harsh word to her in the past, but ever since the little emperor ascended the throne, the master has been in a bad mood, but he has never been as stern as today.
What's wrong with the master today?
"Remember this, whether you're at home or out in public, never mention the little emperor. That's Emperor Dezong!"
Chen Suyuan glared at Yan Que'er fiercely and said, "That old dog Zhou Tongtong has countless puppies. If you get bit by one of them... not to mention you, even I, the Minister of the Imperial Household, would be in big trouble!"
Yanque'er curled her lips and replied in a low voice: "I know."
Chen Suyuan sighed, "That's good to know. Our Emperor Dezong is no simple man. He's very shrewd, but he's not as easy to fool as Emperor Wu."
After a pause, he seemed to recall something and continued, "Since the Lantern Festival is approaching, you should go with the Madam to Jin Yu Man Tang to select some precious jewels and jade articles."
Yanque'er was immediately overjoyed, "Thank you, Master."
"What are you thinking? I didn't buy this for you!"
Yan Que'er's face fell, and she asked rather resentfully, "Could it be that the master has a new love?"
"New love, bullshit! Emperor Dezong has just entered the imperial canon, and he already has ten... ten wives who haven't even been named yet! The first wife has some connections with the family of the Left Prime Minister. The First Wife of the Left Prime Minister is a second-rank imperial concubine. These things must be sent to the palace through the First Wife of the Left Prime Minister."
"Don't think that our Chen family is one of the thousand-year-old clans of the Wu Dynasty. If we can't see the wind direction, we will be swept off the cliff by the snow and smashed to pieces!"
Yan Que'er didn't understand, but she felt that what the master said was very serious and sounded a little scary. She wondered if the little emperor was really such a cruel and ruthless person?
Besides, the two prime ministers, the Zhuo family and the Nangong family are also two of the seven major clans. The little emperor ascended the throne on the eighth day of December last year, but he has not done anything so far.
Master, I'm afraid you're thinking too much. My father once said that the imperial power of the Wu Dynasty relied entirely on the full support of the seven major clans. This is the foundation and pillar of a country.
Would the little emperor be so foolish as to dig up the foundation and cut down the pillar himself?
If this happens, won’t the building collapse?
She only thought about these words in her mind, and walked over with her official uniform, "Master, you are warm now, put it on, I will go and make some soup."
"No more eating, go to the palace gate and wait."
Chen Suyuan put on his official uniform, tidied himself up carefully, opened the door, walked out into the wind and snow, got on the carriage, and headed towards the palace.
This morning, all the civil and military officials of the Wu Dynasty got up earlier than usual.
This was the first grand court meeting after the new emperor ascended the throne.
Although many senior officials had participated in the many court meetings convened by the new emperor, the grand court meeting was different.
At this grand court meeting, the new emperor will certainly announce many new policies, and it is very likely that he will even appoint and dismiss a large number of officials.
It is not surprising that a new emperor appoints new ministers.
When Emperor Wu was in power, he did not focus on the court, so it was really as Emperor Wu said when he abdicated, that he was just in charge.
Now that the main character has come on stage, we can't be careless at all.
The first morning bell in the imperial city's clock tower had not yet rung, so the eight gates of the imperial city had naturally not yet been opened.
The ministers entered the court through the Qinglong Gate in the east.
At this moment, many ministers were standing in the sheltered corridor in front of the Qinglong Gate, whispering in groups of three or five.
"Yesterday, His Majesty announced a three-day holiday for the Lantern Festival. On that day, a Lantern Festival will be held at Liuyun Terrace on Shili Pinghu Lake. This is a major event, and our Ministry of Rites and the Hanlin Academy must ensure this is done properly."
"After the court session yesterday, I informed Master Zhuang, the dean of Mount Li Academy. The students there were extremely happy. Of course, I also informed the other academies."
"Very good." Minister of Rites Xiao Yulou stroked his long beard and nodded slightly. He continued, "According to the ordinance, there will be two most important events after the new emperor ascends the throne. One is to pay respects to the imperial mausoleum, and the other is to offer sacrifices to heaven. Although Your Majesty hasn't mentioned this yet, the Left Prime Minister has already informed me, so we must prepare in advance."
"I understand."
As the two were talking, there was suddenly some movement in the crowd. Xiao Yulou looked up and saw that Right Prime Minister Zhuo and his party had arrived.
Many officials bowed, and Zhuo and his party also returned the greeting with a smile.
"The wind and snow are getting stronger. Please come into the gatehouse, Right Prime Minister." Chen Suyuan came forward and bowed to Zhuo and his party.
The gatehouse outside the city gate has its own rules. It is also for the waiting officials to shelter from the wind and snow. However, only officials above the third rank can enter the gatehouse, which has seats and a heater.
Zhuo Yihang was not polite. He was old and not as strong as before. He really couldn't stand standing outside in such cold weather.
So, he and Chen Suyuan walked towards the gatehouse, but suddenly asked, "I heard that the salt well in Qiulin County collapsed last October. How many people died?"
Chen Suyuan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied, "Prime Minister, I really don't know. How about I write a letter to ask after the court is dismissed?"
Zhuo Yixing waved his hand. "Oh, forget it if you don't know. I was just asking casually."
When they arrived at the gatehouse, Zhuo and his party walked in. Chen Suyuan was a fourth-rank official. He stood at the door for a moment, then turned and went to the shelter.
He didn't pay attention to what others were saying, but suddenly felt uneasy.
The Right Prime Minister would not ask about this matter for no reason!
The salt well collapsed in Qiulin County, killing 123 people!
Actually, this was nothing. The deceased was a servant of the Chen family, so there was no need to report it to the authorities. However, the Right Prime Minister knew about this and took it to heart...
He looked up at the wind and snow outside the shelter. In the dim light, the wind and snow seemed to be even stronger.
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