Lu Wenyuan entered the palace, and after bowing and bowing, he saw that the emperor hadn't even changed his clothes, so he hurriedly said: "The emperor can hurry up, the ministers of civil and military affairs have been waiting outside the noon gate for a long time, and the sacrifice to the sky can't be delayed." ”

Zhu Shiyang pulled his face and said, "I know, I'll hurry up." It's all Gui Xi's fault, and they are not doing well. ”

Gui Xi and the others were all the only people in the palace, knowing that the emperor was tired, but they didn't dare to argue, so they stepped forward to help the emperor get dressed.

The group was busy for a long time, and finally the emperor was cleaned up, and he took a bright yellow dragon pattern from the inner palace and draped it with him, so he hurriedly got on the sedan chair and rushed to the palace gate.

The guard of honor outside the noon gate had already been arranged, and Zhu Shiyang and Zhu Shiji got off the sedan chair here and walked out of the palace to worship the sky.

The gates of the Forbidden City finally opened slowly, the band played ceremonial music, and the people waiting to see the sky had already blocked the streets on both sides. Zhu Shiyang walked at the forefront with square steps, and the hundred officials behind him were divided into two columns, led by Zhu Shiji and Lu Wenyuan, and they were arranged in order according to their ranks. The other four cabinet ministers, the six ministers, and the five temples are all in the front positions.

At this time, the sky was bright, and the long procession was like a reckless dragon winding out of the palace gate, and there was no end in sight for half a day. The people of the capital have not seen such a battle for many years, and they are really happier than the New Year for a while, and they rush to see the legendary young man who has lived in the deep palace for a long time.

Zhu Shiyang saw that the people around him were respectful, and he was very useful, and he turned his head to look around, and his mouth was happy.

Lu Wenyuan looked at it but secretly said that it was not good, just because it was a very solemn thing for the emperor to go out of the palace to worship the sky, and this time it was even more to thank the people for the crime of natural disasters, in order to reassure the people, he should have been more cautious and low-key, but Zhu Shiyang looked even happier than the emperor himself to conquer the victory. Lu Wenyuan had to take a few steps and reminded euphemistically: "Your Majesty, it's cold, you hold your hands in your hands." ”

Zhu Shiyang was stunned, and when he turned around, he saw Lu Wenyuan with a look of hatred that iron is not steel, and the civil and military officials behind him were more than respectful, looking at their noses and noses one by one, lowering their eyebrows and hanging their hands, not daring to have the slightest transgression. Zhu Shiyang also knew that some of his words and deeds were too much, so he hurriedly coughed in disguise, and put his hand back into the fox's skin.

The group moved silently for more than half an hour, and the sky was already bright. Although the weather in the capital is cold in the early morning, the sun shines on me, but I don't feel very cold. On both sides of the street, the people gathered more and more, and when the officials of the Ministry of Rites saw that it was almost time, they ordered the accompanying guards to scatter money into the crowd. As the copper coins and broken silver were scattered, the onlookers became even more excited, and they fell to the ground to pick up the money, and the cries of "Long live the emperor, long live, long live, long live" rose higher and higher.

Zhu Shiyang couldn't help but be happy again, turned his head to look left and right, but saw that the guards around him were guarding themselves more and more densely, and the Jinyi guards were also scattered in the crowd and watched vigilantly. It turned out that he was almost assassinated in the forbidden palace a few months ago, and this time there were many people out of the palace, and the guards dared to take him lightly, and only surrounded him like an iron bucket. Zhu Shiyang couldn't see anything, and he couldn't have fun with the people, so he had to obediently put his hands on his hands and continue to walk forward sullenly.

Lu Wenyuan's eyes were sharp, and when he saw that many of the people who were scrambling around him were in rags, with yellow faces and thin muscles, he guessed that eighty percent of those people who had fled to Beijing had not yet been properly resettled. Lu Wenyuan took advantage of the chaos to turn around and ask Yan Yong behind him: "Lord Yan, why are there so many displaced victims in Beijing? ”

Yan Yong sighed: "Where, it's always been so much." The road back to Master Fu's house is too prosperous, so I don't think so. After a pause, he added with a sad expression: "These are still good, those outside the city are even worse, the hungry can't even walk, and they are freezing this day, and I don't know how many have died." ”

Lu Wenyuan frowned and said, "Since Lord Yan knows, why don't you tell the emperor?"

Yan Yong said: "I have already begged the emperor for allegation, but the emperor said that this year is a disaster year, the treasury is tight, and I can't come up with a lot of money." ”

Lu Wenyuan was helpless after thinking about it, the emperor even emptied his private treasury during the previous disaster relief, and now I am afraid that he really has no money. Besides, even if the national treasury is tight, there is always some money in the treasury for emergency circulation, and if human life is not called an emergency, then what is the urgency? Lu Wenyuan decided to fight again no matter what.

The contemplative heavenly sacrifice procession has entered the Temple of Heaven and Earth. Zhu Shiyang was a little tired and rested in a large hall next to the altar. The Ministry of Rites Shangshu was still not at ease, and he hurried to nag about the various ritual procedures of the sacrifice to the heavens on the side. Zhu Shiyang listened absentmindedly with hot tea, and said after a while: "When the first emperor was here, I followed out of the palace every year to worship the sky, how could I not know this." ”

The Ministry of Rites only said yes, but he didn't dare to slack off, and continued to nag on his own, and soon it was the auspicious time to worship the sky. The people of Qin Tianjian came to report, and Zhu Shiyang only wore a dark yellow gown in addition to the bright yellow coat on his body, and led a group of ministers to reorganize the formation and move to the Temple of Heaven and Earth.

The Temple of Heaven and Earth is magnificent and solemn, the huge altar is neatly enshrined with gods, the smoke of incense rises, and all kinds of fruit sacrifices are dazzling. Zhu Shiyang really calmed down, burned incense and toasted, knelt three times and kowtowed, one board and one eye, no difference, like a monarch and a god of heaven. After a while, the civil and military officials fell to the ground and shouted long live, and there was a clear faction between heaven and earth.

On the way back, the atmosphere was much more relaxed, the emperor sat in a sedan chair, and the officials rode horses, swaggering through the city. It was already past noon when they returned to the palace, and the civil and military officials dispersed in front of the noon gate, and Zhu Shiyang and Zhu Shiji returned to the harem by sedan chair.

Zhu Shiyang had fasted for many days in advance in order to go out of the palace to worship the sky, and there was a great shortage of oil and water in his stomach. The servants in the imperial dining room are all human spirits, and they have already touched the emperor's eating habits, knowing that he has always been meatless and unhappy, how can he stand the pain of fasting, and he is busy sending the big fish and meat to the palace at a flowing price. Zhu Shiyang moved his index finger and started eating by himself while greeting Zhu Shiji.

However, after eating a few bites, he gradually slowed down his movements, and looked out of the hall and became committed. Zhu Shiji has always been the best at speculating on the thoughts of this imperial brother, and after looking at him, he had a plan in his heart, and sighed and said: "Alas, forgive the younger brother for saying something disrespectful, the harem of the imperial brother is too pure, and I usually don't think that the more the New Year comes, the more empty it is." ”

Zhu Shiyang really shifted his attention when he heard this, with an aggrieved look of "You feel so too".

Zhu Shiji couldn't help laughing, but when he saw Zhu Shiyang's expression becoming more and more lonely, he said hatefully: "You are still laughing." Since the death of the first emperor and the queen mother, what I am most afraid of is the New Year, you don't know how uncomfortable it is for me to stay in the palace alone, and the sound of firecrackers on the street is also empty when it comes into the palace, making people want to shed tears when they listen to it. ”

Zhu Shiji has never been in front of Zhu Shiyang, but at this moment he is also stunned, only that the world is as noble as the Son of Heaven, but there is also a hidden pain that is not enough for outsiders, thinking about it, it can be regarded as the helplessness of the emperor's family. I couldn't bear to see him sad, so he regained his smile and arched his hand and said: "Brother Huang forgives his sins, but Brother Huang should indeed take a concubine, with them by his side, Brother Huang will not be lonely." ”

Zhu Shiyang sneered at him when he heard this: "Others don't know, don't you know, I was born with no interest in women, and I will beat you out if I say it." ”

Zhu Shiji smiled and said: "Brother Huang doesn't want it, I beat away my brother, and there is no one to accompany Brother Huang for the New Year." ”

Zhu Shiyang sighed: "I'm embarrassed to say, where is your own princess?"

Zhu Shiji grinned and said, "Brother Huang still doesn't know me? ”

Zhu Shiyang smiled bitterly. Zhu Shiji saw that he was a little happier, so he persuaded him a little seriously: "But the imperial brother can't compare with me, I'm a prince, I'm used to it, I can do anything." The imperial brother is the Son of Heaven, how can the middle palace be empty all the time, or he has to make a plan early. After a pause, seeing that Zhu Shiyang's face was about to turn heavy again, he hurriedly added: "It's really not good, it's good to set up a male queen and accept some male concubines."