"Dangdang......"

"Knock knock ......"

On the fifth watch, the bell rang, followed by the sound of the drum. With the sound of bells and drums, before dawn, the city gates are opened, and the streets are opened.

The hard-working peddlers have already gotten up early to prepare.

The servants of the big families also got up one after another to work. If you have a clock at home, you can also take advantage of the bell and drum tower to signal the time, check whether your clock is accurate, and immediately adjust the hour and minute hands if it is not allowed.

Clocks and watches do not need to be promoted by the imperial court at all, at least they have been automatically popular in the capital.

However, the bell and drum towers of each city still use the traditional timekeeping method, relying on sundials and missing engravings to measure time. The fifth watch is said to be bright, first ring the bell and then beat the drum; A watch day is called a fixed watch, first beating the drum and then ringing the bell - that is, the morning bell and dusk drum.

Since there was no advance notice, there would be no court meeting today, and the ministers were used to the emperor not going to court. While exhorting the emperor to be diligent in government, they slept until dawn, anyway, the responsibility was on the emperor, and it was purely forced that they slept so late.

Zheng Shanfu was served by his wife, dressed and washed, and went to the Ministry of Rites in good spirits.

As the editor-in-chief of the Zhengde New Calendar, he has been in great shape during this time. Although he was not directly promoted to Shao Zhan Shi because of the opposition of the courtiers, he also served as Zuo Shuzi of Zuo Chunfang, and plated himself with a layer of gold as an official of Zhan Shifu.

Soon after Zheng Shanfu came to the office, Wang Zhan, the right attendant of the Ministry of Rites, arrived.

"Wang Shilang!" Zheng Shanfu immediately stood up to greet him.

Wang Zan advised: "This spring, the drought is serious, and there is a haze (sandstorm), the cabinet plans to cancel the celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival, and His Majesty's review of hussars and dragon boat parades will no longer be held. In this regard, the Ministry of Rites has reconsidered and agreed. The edict was issued, the Ministry of Rites selected the date, urged the hundred officials to fast, and sent officials to pay tribute to the mountains and rivers. ”

Zheng Shanfu hurriedly arched his hand and said, "I'll do it immediately." ”

Zheng Shanfu is the second among the priests of the Ministry of Rites, and he is in charge of various sacrificial activities.

As for Wang Zhan, he has been the right attendant of the Ministry of Rites for many years, and when Wang Yuan is not in the capital, Wang Zhan acts as the left attendant.

After Wang Zan left, Zheng Shanfu immediately got busy. He first calculated the auspicious days of the zodiac, selected the dates of fasting and sacrifices, and then selected the emperor to preside over the sacrifices.

After finishing all this, Zheng Shanfu felt a little hungry, and ran to the lobby of the Ministry of Rites to look at the clock, but it was already 1:30 in the afternoon.

Calling the priest of the Ministry of Rites, Zheng Shanfu was just about to assign work when he suddenly felt that the house was shaking.

Although it was only shaken for a short time, Zheng Shanfu was still so frightened that his face turned pale.

Half a year ago, there was an earthquake in Nanjing, and now there is an earthquake in Beijing.

This thing is so evil that just a month after the promulgation of the new calendar, the capital was hit by sandstorms and earthquakes one after another. will definitely leave a reason for the officials who oppose the change of the calendar to attack the new calendar, Wang Yuan is the first to bear the brunt, and Zheng Shanfu must be the one to blame.

Zheng Shanfu hurriedly went to find Wang Yuan, but Wang Yuan was not in the Ministry of Rites.

Wang Yuan gave a lecture to the prince in the morning, and was dragged by the emperor to swim in the lake in the afternoon, and Zheng Shanfu could only wait patiently. He went to the palace in the west of the city in the evening, was invited in to drink a cup of tea, and finally waited for Wang Yuan to ride home on horseback.

"Sir, there was an earthquake today!" Zheng Shanfu said.

Wang Yuan smiled and said, "I know, at that time, I was taking a boat with Your Majesty to swim in the Taiye Pool. ”

Zheng Shanfu reminded: "The new calendar has only been promulgated for a month. ”

"There is no need to panic," Wang Yuan comforted, "The Nanjing earthquake half a year ago, and now the Beijing earthquake, must have been caused by the mistakes of the previous sacrifices." After the promulgation of the new calendar, there was still a shock, but the implementation of the new calendar was not effective, and officials in various localities should be urged to implement it conscientiously. ”

"Are you alright?" Zheng Shanfu asked.

"I'm on top of it." Wang Yuan said with a smile.

In the next few days, there were countless impeachment concerts, most of which were aimed at Wang Yuan, and a small number of them caught Zheng Shanfu and sprayed.

Wang Yuan is as sweet as a mouthful, but Zheng Shanfu is like sitting on pins and needles, where did he receive this kind of treatment?

And then, no. Just like Wang Yuan said, the promulgation of the new calendar is also an earthquake, which must be the reason for the unfavorable promotion of the new calendar!

……

Yang House.

Cabinet minister Mao Ji put down the teacup and asked: "The new calendar is a major event, since there is an earthquake, why didn't Yang Ge Lao take the opportunity to make trouble?" ”

Yang Tinghe said with a smile: "If Wang Ruoxu's saint is long, he will catch his real handle, and Your Majesty will probably treat it as if nothing happened." Not to mention one earthquake, even if there are ten earthquakes in the capital, it will not hurt him in the slightest. Why, then, do it recklessly? ”

"If you can't hurt Wang Ruoxu, you can hurt Zheng Shanfu!" Mao Ji was puzzled.

Yang Tinghe shook his head and said: "A rite minister, even if he is dismissed, it is useless, and it will inevitably attract Wang Ruoxu to fight back." He said one word in front of His Majesty, which is worthy of a hundred words from you and me. I called you here today to discuss the matter of Liang Shuhou (Liang Chu). ”

Mao Ji asked, "What's wrong with Liang Ge?" ”

"Sick and bedridden." Yang Tinghe said.

Liang Chu is seventy-four years old and is already in poor health. An earthquake a few days ago scared this old guy so much that he fell and fell straight into a coma, and when he woke up, he was half paralyzed - a stroke.

The doctor said that as long as you take care of yourself, you still have a chance to recover.

Liang Chu has been recuperating for a few days, and sure enough, he has improved, and his arms can already be raised, and he can barely walk when he is supported by people. Therefore, he blocked the news, only saying that he had an occasional cold, and hoped that he would recover in a month or two.

But there is no impermeable wall in the world, and Yang Tinghe soon received the exact news.

Yang Tinghe said: "Although Liang Shuhou's condition has improved, it is most likely difficult for him to serve as a cabinet minister. Jin Chongsui (Jin Gui) was also frail and sickly, and resigned several times last winter, but was retained by His Majesty in the cabinet. If he resigns from his illness, His Majesty will probably have to agree. ”

Mao Ji asked, "Take the opportunity to promote cabinet ministers?" ”

Yang Tinghe nodded and said, "Jiang Jingzhi (Jiang Mian) has enough qualifications to enter the cabinet. ”

"What about the Hanlin Courtyard and the Imperial Chamber?" Mao Ji asked.

Jiang Mian is now in charge of the Hanlin Yuan and the Imperial Palace, and once he enters the cabinet, these rights must be handed over.

Yang Tinghe squinted and smiled: "Qiao Xida (Qiao Yu)." ”

"How could it be him?" Mao Ji was shocked.

Qiao Yu is currently the secretary of the Nanjing Military Department, the head of the hundred officials in Nanjing, and the prestige of Shilin is very high. However, Qiao Yu is Yang Yiqing's student, and he is still Li Dongyang's New Year's friend, and he can't pee in the same pot as Yang Tinghe.

Yang Tinghe explained: "If Jiang Jingzhi (Jiang Mian) enters the cabinet, we have taken the biggest advantage. If you nominate your own people to take charge of the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial Palace, not to mention the opposition of the courtiers, your majesty will be jealous. Why don't you transfer Yang Yingning (Yang Yiqing)'s students back from Nanjing to take charge of the Hanlin Academy? Yang Yingning must agree to this matter. No matter who is in charge of the Hanlin Academy, it can't be Wang Ruoxu's person! ”

In today's court situation, Yang Tinghe can't dominate at all. He relied on Chen Yong, who belittled Qingtian, to win over many centrist Jiangxi officials, and now he is thinking about pulling Yang Yiqing over.

Moreover, Qiao Yu is a conservative, only talking about political positions, but he is consistent with Yang Tinghe, and has no common language with his teacher Yang Yiqing.

Yang Tinghe said: "You can arrange the matter of promoting the ministers." ”

Yang Tinghe made a good calculation, Liang Chu and Jin Gui were both sick, and it seemed that they would not be able to be ministers for long. If Jiang Mian is pulled into the cabinet and befriended Yang Yiqing at the same time, then he will basically be able to completely control the cabinet.