On the eighth day, five days had passed since Duke Chengguo submitted a petition requesting the return of the Four Tengxiang Guards and Lord Xu requested to retire.

Within five days, the news had spread like wildfire. Led by three grand secretaries and six ministers, all officials submitted petitions to the emperor requesting him to retain Lord Xu.

The officials in the imperial court submitted one book a day, as if they would flood the emperor with memorials if he did not agree.

Anyway, the memorial and writing materials are public property, so don't buy them with your own money.

Faced with the numerous petitions to retain Xu Jie, Emperor Longqing had no choice but to issue an imperial decree to retain him. He also asked Teng Xiang to send Xu Jie a set of bright red qilin robes and some worthless rewards, asking him to return to work immediately and not leave the state affairs in vain.

But Xu Jie seemed to have made up his mind to leave. On the seventh day of the first lunar month, he submitted another petition, "Another Petition for Retirement", stating that he was in very poor health and needed help when going out. He also asked the emperor to release him so that he could live for a few more years...

As for the memorial submitted by Duke Chengguo titled "Petition to return the Four Tengxiang Guards to the Imperial Stables and to have the Imperial Envoy sit in the Tuanying Camp", it had been kept by the Emperor in the Imperial Household Department and had not been published.

All the civil and military officials in the court knew what Emperor Longqing was waiting for.

In fact, they were also waiting for news from Shaanxi - would an earthquake really happen as Zhao Hao said?

It is more than 2,000 miles from Chang'an to the capital, and 800 miles if it is rushed. If the postmen relay the message, the news can be delivered to the capital in more than two days.

Therefore, starting from yesterday, the Imperial Household Department, the Cabinet, and the six ministries all sent personnel to guard the Ministry of Public Security, waiting for the urgent message from Shaanxi that had arrived after eight hundred miles.

As a result, around noon today, a dusty messenger, riding a horse that was almost foaming at the mouth, broke into the Ministry of Public Administration.

The official from the Ministry of Public Administration immediately stopped the horse and picked up the messenger, who was also about to collapse, and took out the copper letter tube with three bird feathers stuck on it from his back.

After seeing the inscription "Governor of Shaanxi" on the wax seal, the official rushed into the main hall and shouted, "Nayan, here I come!"

Nayan is another name for Tongzhengshi.

Tongzhengshi Xue Songyi took it and after checking that the sealing wax was intact, he opened the letter tube and took out the urgent news from Shaanxi.

Xue Nayan unfolded it and was stunned for a long while. Then he sighed to the people who were waiting eagerly, "On the sixth day of the first lunar month, there was an earthquake in Xi'an."

When the people from various government offices who came to listen to the news heard it, they scattered like birds and beasts and hurried back to report the news.

"Send it to the Imperial Household Department." Xue Songyi handed the envelope with the official seal of the imperial envoy and the 800-mile express seal to his subordinate beside him.

~~

When the news reached the palace, Emperor Longqing was having lunch.

Teng Xiang held the memorial from the Shaanxi governor and read it in a slightly excited voice: "On the early morning of April 6, an earthquake occurred in Xi'an, Fengxiang, Qingyang, Pingliang, Jingyang, Xianyang, Shangling and other five prefectures and 18 counties. The sound was like thunder, dust covered the sky, no house was intact in the city, and aftershocks continued. Fortunately, the Ministry of War issued an early warning, and there were very few casualties among people and animals..."

"Good, good!" Emperor Longqing put down his silver chopsticks, stood up excitedly, took the memorial and read it again, laughing:

"My nephew is really good! Science is amazing!"

Teng Xiang was stunned by the first half of the sentence, thinking, isn't His Majesty just a nephew? It was only after the second half that he understood that the emperor was referring to Zhao Hao.

Eunuch Teng was so embarrassed, thinking that the boy was just the eldest princess's adopted son, so why did His Majesty bring up relatives as well?

But he flattered obediently: "I was in Wenhua Palace the other day, listening to Zhao Daizhao's talk about the solar system. Although I didn't quite understand it, I thought it was very impressive."

"Haha, of course he is amazing!" Emperor Longqing rubbed his hands and laughed happily, "He also accurately predicted the solar eclipse in Hangzhou last time. He must be rewarded, a huge reward!"

After thinking about it, the emperor said to Teng Xiang: "Pass on my order. Zhao Hao predicted solar eclipses and earthquakes with science, saving countless lives. His merits are immeasurable. I should reward him for his merits. I will promote him to be a Hanlin doctor and a daily lecturer at the imperial lectures. He will continue to explain science to me and the officials! I will also give him a bullfighting suit."

The bullfighting suit is a solemn dress after the python suit and the flying fish suit. The difference between it and ordinary official uniforms lies in the patch. The patch is a python head, a bull horn, and a dragon body, decorated with cloud patterns. Because it looks like a dragon, it is very noble. Generally, those who have made great contributions to the court can be granted the suit by the emperor.

However, there are examples of lecturers in imperial lectures being awarded bullfighting uniforms, but these were considered exceptions and were not granted easily.

"Your Majesty..." Teng Xiang felt something was wrong when he heard this and said, "Zhao Hao was just appointed as a ninth-rank official, and now he has been promoted to a doctor of the Five Classics, and is also a lecturer. He is also granted the right to fight bulls. Isn't this too much?"

"What's the big deal? The doctor is only an eighth-rank official." Longqing was in high spirits, and waved his hand and said, "How can a mere official reward the lives of my millions of people? Adding a bullfighting suit is not too much."

"Yes." Seeing that the emperor had made up his mind, Teng Xiang had no choice but to agree with a smile. However, he was secretly worried that it would be difficult to pass the cabinet.

"I want to promote him as an exception. I want him to give a lecture on science at the Imperial Lecture Hall and teach those civil officials a lesson. Let's see who will dare to bring up the disaster in the future!"

Emperor Longqing raised his fists excitedly, his face flushed, and said, "Ask the Imperial Academy to draft an edict, saying that in the past, whenever there were changes in the heaven and earth, all officials would submit petitions to express their opinions. But now, it seems that what does heaven have to say? The fate of man is in the hands of heaven, and the fate of the country is in the hands of man. In the future, all officials should discuss matters based on the facts, and not bring up heaven all the time..."

"Your Majesty, please think twice." Teng Xiang was halfway through writing when he could not help but remind Long Qing, "There are some things that a minister can say but Your Majesty cannot, otherwise you will get into trouble."

"Don't I have enough troubles?" Emperor Longqing shook his head disapprovingly, put his hands behind his back and paced a few steps, and then ordered: "Send the memorial from Duke Chengguo as well."

"Yes!" Teng Xiang agreed readily this time.

The Imperial Household Department had already approved Duke Chengguo's memorial and put its seal on it, just waiting for the emperor to say this!

Well, when it comes to his own interests, he doesn't worry that the emperor will take too big a step and hurt his balls...

Fortunately, he had not completely forgotten his duties as a personal secretary, and reminded Emperor Longqing: "Your Highness, Lord Xu's resignation..."

"If someone respects me one foot, I will respect him one foot." Emperor Longqing was in a good mood and did not bother with Xu Jie. "Draft a decree to say that Yuanfu has made great contributions and his salary will be increased to the rank of earl. One of his sons will be appointed as a captain of the Jinyiwei. Please ask him to continue to serve the country and not to think about retiring."

"Yes." Teng Xiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that it was good that the emperor finally changed his mind.

Two days ago, Emperor Longqing said, "Isn't it fun for the Prime Minister to speak to the gods? I read in history books that when Venus and the Moon were in conjunction, the Prime Minister should have immediately submitted a petition to resign. It is better to wait until the gods have calmed down before asking the Prime Minister to return to work."

When I heard Teng Xiang's words, I thought that since His Majesty believed in science, he has become really bold. He even dared to play with Elder Xu...

But, have you considered what the consequences would be?

Fortunately, fortunately, Lord Xu was given great favors, and the inner court took back the army, and everyone was happy.

So it can be said that Gonggong Teng is not a competent eunuch in charge of ceremonies.

He had no idea what kind of uproar would be caused next.

ps. The fifth update, thanks to the new leader 'Wolf Dance Tianshan Snow', please give me monthly tickets and recommendation tickets~~