Rise From the Humble

One hour was two hours, and Qi Jiguang waited outside Yan Song's gate for half an hour before being summoned.

After Qi Jiguang walked into Yan Song's room, Zhu Ping'an withdrew his gaze and began to deal with the official affairs piled up due to the writing of Qing Ci. After only reading two memorials, Yan Song began to ask people to hand over the Qing Ci. As for Qi Jiguang, who reported on the military situation, Zhu Ping'an only had time to see his back walking out of Wuyi Hall.

At around eleven o'clock, Zhu Ping'an felt that the entire Xiyuan began to be busy for Emperor Jiajing's Zhaijiao activities.

Soon, the entire Xiyuan was filled with smoke, and more than a thousand kilograms of incense, candles, and paper were wiped out. If this happened in modern times, Emperor Jiajing would have been sprayed by environmentalists.

This is the second time Zhu Ping'an has participated in Emperor Jiajing's Zhaijiao. The last time was at the Hanlin Academy.

This time Zhu Ping'an felt a little different from last time. Last time he was responsible for writing, drawing and decorating the venue. This time he was accompanying him to worship, which was closer to the Zhaijiao Activity Center.

Yuan Wei, Li Chunfang and others were still responsible for writing Qingci in the Dharma altar. When Zhu Ping'an met Yuan Wei, he felt the envy and jealousy in Yuan Wei's eyes, and he seemed to be very dissatisfied with his early appointment to the cabinet.

After the Zhai Jiao activity began, Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but thank Li Shu for his foresight. The soft leather and silk shoes under his feet were really a magic weapon for the Zhai Jiao.

During the Zhaijiao activities, he prayed and knelt again and again. If he still wore the official boots before, Zhu Pingan estimated that he would have two useless feet now. Now wearing these soft leather and silk shoes, after kneeling so much, Zhu Pingan Ping An didn't feel any discomfort in his legs and feet.

While kneeling during the Zhaijiao event, Zhu Ping'an quietly observed Tao Zhongwen, the old god stick, at close range. The old god stick had a fluttering white beard, a childish face with white hair, and apricot-yellow Taoist robes. He had a somewhat fairy-like demeanor.

But no matter how immortal he is, he can't change the nature of his old magic stick.

After the Zhaijiao activity was about to end, a Taoist boy urgently sent a letter. After Tao Zhongwen opened it, his face was filled with joy, and then he thanked Emperor Jiajing, who was wearing a blue Bagua Taoist robe.

"Reporting to the True Monarch, my junior brother - Zhang Yan, a Taoist priest from Qihe County, was promoted to build the Daqing Bridge. When dredging the river, he found a dragon bone weighing a thousand kilograms. It also protruded a vein of stone and sand, several feet long, as if it had the appearance of a god. . This is the divine auspiciousness sent from heaven, congratulations to the true king, congratulations to the true king."

By reading Tao Zhongwen's lips, Zhu Ping'an learned the content of the letter in Tao Zhongwen's hand. It turned out that he had dug out a worthless bone.

keel?

It's terrible to be uneducated. What's the keel? It's a fossil of an ancient creature.

Zhu Pingan curled his lips speechlessly.

However, Emperor Jiajing was overjoyed when he heard the words, and as soon as he opened the golden words, he allocated 200,000 taels of silver and ordered him to build Yuanyue Mountain in Taihe Mountain, Huguang, perform the ritual of calming the gods, and build a Jiao to pray for the Ming Dynasty.

Taihe Mountain, also known as Wudang Mountain, is said to be a famous Taoist mountain. Emperor Jiajing named Wudang Mountain the most famous mountain in the world. Whenever there was a major event, Emperor Jiajing would have people worship at Mount Wudang.

Damn it! Tao Zhongwen, the old bastard who brought disaster to the country!

Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but cursed Tao Zhongwen again in his heart.

During the last fasting ceremony, I was so bold as to write Qing Ci on the Dharma altar. I just hid the gold powder dipped in more than ten brushes in my sleeves.

But this old magician defrauded Emperor Jiajing of two hundred thousand taels of silver with just one letter.

Two hundred thousand taels is not a small amount.

Last year, there was a severe drought in Ningxia and Gansu. People had nothing to eat and had to eat each other. The court only distributed 200,000 taels of silver to provide disaster relief.

Tao Zhongwen, an old bastard and a paleontological fossil, took away disaster relief funds from two provinces from the national treasury.

Zhu Ping'an could no longer be disgusted with Tao Zhongwen, an old bastard.

Practice your way well in the mountains and recite your sutras, why do you torment me, Ming Dynasty! The overthrow of the Ming Dynasty a hundred years later was due to the considerable "contribution" of these magicians. Otherwise, why would the Ming Dynasty suffer such losses?

At this time, Tao Zhongwen, who had an immortal demeanor and a childlike face, became more and more vulgar and ugly in Zhu Pingan's eyes.

Because of the "dragon bone" incident, Emperor Jiajing was very happy. Yan Song, who performed outstandingly in this Zhaijiao event, also received a special commendation from Emperor Jiajing. He was rewarded with a "cuckold" that must have been made by himself. No, it was a fragrant leaf crown, with the help of Jiajing Yan Song. The merits of Zhai Jiao, as well as two excellent Qing Ci poems written by Yan Song.

Yuan Wei also received a special commendation from Emperor Jiajing. During this Zhai Jiao, a poem written by Yuan Wei was also favored by Emperor Jiajing.

The same goes for Li Chunfang, whose contrived Qing Ci poems were also favored by Emperor Jiajing.

As for Zhu Ping'an, like other people who participated in the Zhaijiao, he only received a reward from Emperor Jiajing: "Other officials gave him a pound of ice."

Yuan Wei wore a fragrant leaf crown specially awarded to his ears by Emperor Jiajing, and walked proudly in front of Zhu Pingan. When he passed in front of Zhu Pingan, he glanced at Zhu Pingan and deliberately flicked the fragrant leaf crown, looking complacent. He walked away from Zhu Ping'an's eyes.

"You are a cuckold and yet you are so proud. You are truly a model of forgiveness."

Zhu Ping'an looked at Yuan Wei's departing figure and curled his lips speechlessly.

Emperor Jiajing was very happy when he had a fast at noon, but when he was about to get off work in the afternoon, his temper was expressed in the cabinet.

Under Emperor Jiajing's temper, the cabinet was like a boat about to capsize in a storm.

This was the first time Zhu Ping'an saw Emperor Jiajing lose his temper.

When Emperor Jiajing set foot in the cabinet, Zhu Pingan felt a great pressure. He lowered his head like a quail and knelt on the ground with everyone to plead guilty.

The reason why Emperor Jiajing lost his temper was that Jinkou Yuyan allocated 200,000 taels for Tao Zhongwen to perform rituals to appease the gods and build a memorial ceremony at Jianyuan Mountain in Wudang Mountain during the fasting ceremony.

The problem lies in these two hundred thousand taels.

After the fasting ceremony, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of War wrote at this juncture. The Ministry of Revenue said that disaster relief, military expenditures, etc. were huge, and the treasury was in short supply; the Ministry of Industry said that repairing the walls of the capital was very expensive; and the Ministry of War said that there was a famine in Xuanfu and Datong. , Shangshu asked to borrow 300,000 silver from military pay for relief.

In short, there is a shortage of treasury silver.

The three ministries wrote to Emperor Jiajing, asking him to withdraw the two hundred thousand taels from the inner treasury to finance the construction of Yuan Yue on Mount Taihe.

What is the inner library?

The inner treasury is a concept corresponding to the national treasury. The inner treasury is the internal transportation treasury. It is the small treasury of Emperor Jiajing. It is the private money that Emperor Jiajing worked hard to "save", such as the income of the imperial estate in the name of Emperor Jiajing, officials from various places, Ethnic minority leaders and Ming vassals directly attacked the tribute revenue paid to Emperor Jiajing, the pocket money allocated from the treasury every year, confiscated homes, sent eunuchs to various places to collect mineral taxes, mountain taxes, tomb taxes, river taxes, etc.

It’s not easy to save.

This was the lifeblood of Emperor Jiajing and his reliance on practicing Taoism and refining elixirs.

Emperor Jiajing's cultivation of immortality and elixir refining cost a lot of money. Alchemy materials such as musk, cinnabar, mercury, lead, mica, and lead mother were expensive. The amount used by Emperor Jiajing to cultivate immortality and refining elixir was astronomical. Refining elixir was like burning money.

Emperor Jiajing had not paid attention to the treasury, but if the treasury money was used to make elixirs, the ministers would not allow it. Some of them were stubborn and even threatened their lives. Emperor Jiajing had no choice but to give up using treasury money to make elixirs. idea.

Therefore, Emperor Jiajing could only rely on his inner treasury to support his Taoism and alchemy.

In Emperor Jiajing's view, the ritual of pacifying the gods at Jianyuan Mountain was the same project as offering sacrifices to the gods at Mount Tai. They were all praying for the Ming Dynasty, and they should have been paid for from the state treasury.

Now the minister actually asked Emperor Jiajing to pay money from the inner treasury. How could Emperor Jiajing endure it?

For alchemy, you don’t let me use the treasury money, okay, I’ll use my own private money! Now, Jianyuan Yue is performing the ritual of calming the gods. Your treasury should have come forward, but now you have to use my private money!

You bullied me too much!

You are so brave!