In the absence of a new calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the new year.

The ancients counted the age of imaginary.

On New Year's Day, when the son turned twenty-five years old, it was also the fourteenth year of his reign in the world.

Last year, the imperial court relied on Li Chengliang to achieve a great victory in Liaodong, Yunnan border affairs were pacified, the king of Burma offered elephants to ask for submission, and Pan Jitao, Lin Yanchao successfully controlled the water in the Yellow River.

For the Son of Heaven, this can be described as both cultural and martial arts.

If it is said that in the first ten years of the reign of the Son of Heaven, the entire Ming Dynasty was supported by Zhang Juzheng, then after Zhang Juzheng, the Son of Heaven was in charge of the government, and in the past three years, the Son of Heaven felt that he had handed over a good answer.

So this New Year's Day banquet, the government and the opposition are extraordinarily grand (it's time to brag about it).

The imperial city is decorated with a new decoration, all kinds of colored satin are hung, flowers and trees are embellished with the palace city as if they don't want money, and the craftsmen in the palace are deliberately revealing a stream of flowers, the prosperous atmosphere of cooking oil on fire.

However, before this feast, there was a small episode. The Son of Heaven wants to hold such a feast, let the Guanglu Temple prepare, it is inevitable to be extravagant, so a speech official wrote, saying that last year's military affairs, and the Yellow River flood, although it has been calmed, there is no disaster, but the treasury has been in deficit, this time the New Year banquet should not be extravagant, the Son of Heaven should set an example, to be thrifty and set an example.

This official's words are not unreasonable, but they swept away the interest of the Son of Heaven. So the Son of Heaven issued an edict, saying that this official was out of position and nonsense, and won a clear name, and dismissed him from office, and later the cabinet came forward to protect it, which was changed to a demotion to the county, so the officials did not dare to put forward any more opinions.

Lin Yanchao walked through the Daming Gate, and it was not the first time he had participated in the New Year's Day banquet.

New Year's Day is the beginning of the year, the beginning of January, so the New Year's Day banquet is one of the three major banquets in the palace, the scale is second only to the suburbs to celebrate the banquet, and the Son of Heaven to show last year's martial arts, and show the Ming Dynasty four seas to rise to peace, thriving weather, so this year's New Year's Day banquet is different from usual.

But the process is still the same, as usual, the Son of Heaven first accepts the worship of the ministers in the Fengtian Palace, and then gives a banquet to the ministers in the Jianji Palace, and the queen gives a banquet to the officials and wives in the Kunning Palace.

The women entered the palace through the Donghua Gate, and the officials went through the Daming Gate.

Lin Yanchao asked Lin Qianqian to take a carriage, first went to the house of Sun Jigao, a colleague of the Hanlin Academy, picked up his wife, and then let Lin Qianqian enter the palace with Mrs. Sun Jigao.

This Mrs. Sun Jigao was the matchmaker for Lin Yanshou at the beginning, and Lin Qianqian chatted with her very much, so Lin Yanchao let his wife enter the palace with Mrs. Sun Jigao, and he hired another carriage.

After arriving at Daming Gate, Lin Yanchao carried a bucket of sweet potatoes into the palace.

The process of this New Year's Day banquet is that the ministers offer a gift, and then the Son of Heaven rewards the officials, and finally gives the banquet, such a process.

So it's twice a year, and officials have the opportunity to pay tribute to the emperor.

Of course, as usual, the Son of Heaven is rich all over the world, and the ministers give gifts to the Son of Heaven, mainly to express their hearts.

Gifts are mainly in the 'heart', not in the precious. If the gift is valuable, everyone will think that with such a meager salary from our Ming officials, where did you get the money for the gift?

Even the emperor was afraid that the ministers would compare, so he explicitly ordered that the ministers were not allowed to give valuable gifts.

But what?

The main thing is to look at the person, who is the son today?

Greedy for money!

That's right, that's the word.

Therefore, this time on New Year's Day, everyone can also know how the ministers give gifts.

So Lin Yanchao carried an iron bucket, which was wrapped and sealed with red paper, but the officials were amazed along the way.

What kind of reputation is this Lin Sanyuan?

This gift seems to be really heavy, isn't it?

Lin Yanchao traveled all the way, but saw an official arching his hand to him and said, "Brother Zong Hainian! ”

Lin Yanchao looked like he was a fellow villager and the same year, and Lu Yicheng was in the middle of the household.

Lu Yicheng was the one who fainted in the hall when he learned that he had won the Jinshi when he was on the test list.

Lu Yicheng was awarded the title of pedestrian division, and three years later he was promoted to the judge of Dali Temple, and in November last year, he was promoted to Hubu Langzhong.

Moreover, he avoided the rotation system of internal and external officials, and remained in Beijing as an official. For Lu Yicheng, who was born in a poor family and has a low ranking in the first division, he can definitely be called an official road.

However, among his fellow villagers, his reputation is not very good, probably that he praises the high and the low, ignores the old people, and only knows that he tends to be important after becoming an official.

As for the specifics, Lin Yanchao doesn't know much about it.

Lu Yicheng asked with a smile: "Brother Zong Hainian, what is in this bucket?" ”

Lin Yanchao said with a smile: "It's just a bucket of sweet potatoes." ”

"Sweet potato?" Lu Yicheng was surprised.

"Why hasn't Brother Nian heard of it? This was shipped from my hometown. ”

Lu Yicheng said: "When did our hometown give birth to these?" The younger brother is lonely and unheard. ”

Lin Yanchao asked with a smile: "Brother Nian, how long have you not been home?" ”

Lu Yicheng sighed: "I haven't returned to my hometown for six years as an official in Beijing. ”

"Six years?" Lin Yanchao couldn't help but be surprised.

Lu Yicheng hurriedly explained: "It's not that I don't want to miss it, but you also know that it is not easy to be a Beijing official, I don't walk around much in front of the ministry Jingqing, I'm afraid that one day, they will forget me, or there is no place to use it, and let the younger brother be released as an official." It was a few months after returning to my hometown, and there were too many variables, so in order not to fall short, I cancelled the family leave. ”

Lin Yanchao also sighed when he heard this, for his fellow countryman Mustard is a lot less, Lu Yicheng is not easy, he has no background as an official in Beijing, so he can only walk around diligently in front of all the bigwigs, mix familiar faces, accompany a smile, and pay attention to what opportunities there are to help others, and no one dares to offend him. If it weren't for this, he wouldn't be able to mix with today's Wupin Lang from the eight-rank pedestrian.

Others say that he tends to be in demand, but doesn't he also run to Shenshi's mansion all day long? Even the stone lion in front of the Shen Mansion could not recognize him.

Lin Yanchao comforted: "It's good to pass this threshold, right now you are a household langzhong, even if the rank is not low, find a chance to go back to your hometown to have a look, I remember that you still have an old mother to serve in the hall." ”

Hearing this during the New Year's Festival, Lu Yicheng couldn't help but cry on the spot: "Brother Nian really woke up the dreamer with a word, I will go home to see it this year no matter what." ”

Lin Yanchao nodded.

At this time, Lu Yicheng saw several officials coming on the right and said: "Brother Nian, this is the new Bi Sinong of our household department, the younger brother wants to go over to pay respects, take a step first, please don't be surprised." ”

Hearing that the top boss of the family, Hubu Shangshu, was here, Lin Yanchao also nodded understandably and said, "Brother Nian is himself." ”

At that moment, Lu Yicheng immediately had a smile on his face, and walked in small steps to Bi Qiang, the head of the household department, and said, "Xiaguan Langzhong Lu Yicheng, meet the lord of the department!" ”

Lin Yanchao saw that Lu Yicheng's expression changed so quickly, and he also sighed at the changeability of people.

But not only Lu Yicheng alone, but the officials along the way heard that it was the head of the household, and they immediately stepped forward to salute.

Among the six Shangshu, the official department is the most respectful, and the next is the household Shangshu, and the people are holding the money bag of the Ming Dynasty, and the officials naturally want to stammer.

Lin Yanchao was also accustomed to this scene and continued to move forward.

After the ceremony, a group of officials gathered behind Bi Qiang, the head of the household.

An official saw that everyone else had come to visit the new head of the household department, but Lin Yanchao was the only one who walked forward, and couldn't help asking: "Who is this official carrying an iron bucket?" ”

An official smiled and said, "Brother Xian, this is Lin Sanyuan who we talked about before." ”

"He is the new Attendant Bachelor, the current Wenzong Lin Sanyuan?" The official couldn't help but be surprised.

"Exactly, just now we are talking about him letting his protégé Guo Mei write a book, and he wants to raise his strategy and ask questions, and raise it to a position equal to the meaning of the scriptures."

At this time, an official asked, "Do you know what kind of etiquette Lin Sanyuan has in that iron bucket?" ”

The officials looked at it, but saw that this person was Li Zhi, the young secretary of the Taifu Temple.

"I don't know?"

"Didn't Lu Langzhong talk to Lin Sanyuan? Just ask him and you'll know. ”

At that moment, Lu Yicheng was recruited here, and he smiled at everyone first: "Colleagues, I don't know what to learn from my junior brother?" ”

"Don't dare to be, you, Lord Lu, are now Lord Langzhong, and I don't dare to mention the word "teaching" anymore."

"Brother Li asked you, what is Master Lin's gift to the Son of Heaven today?"

"Greetings?" Lu Yicheng pretended to be dazed.

"Don't pretend to be confused," Li Zhi reprimanded Jiang Dongzhi, who was breathing out of one nostril with him, "You just came with him, pointed to the iron bucket and said a few words, why didn't he tell you?" ”

Lu Yicheng saw Jiang Dongzhi's face sink, although he was now the Langzhong of the household department, on the same level as Jiang Dongzhi, but the other party was a person who participated in Feng Bao back then, and he was known to the Son of Heaven, where did he dare to offend.

At this time, Shang Baosi Shaoqing Yang Keli smiled and said, "Lord Lu didn't treat us as friends, and he refused to say don't force us. ”

Lu Yicheng immediately said: "A few brothers, it's nothing, Master Lin's gift is just a bucket of sweet potatoes." ”

Everyone looked at each other.

"What is a sweet potato?"

"It's a little local product from our hometown."

All the officials shook their heads and said, "I haven't heard of it." ”

Yang Keli pinched his beard and pondered: "Yes, even in the tribute of Fujian, I have never heard of such a thing as sweet potatoes. Could this thing have a word from overseas? Similar to potatoes and the like? ”

Li Zhi suddenly said: "I understand. ”

The officials said curiously: "What does Master Li understand? ”

Li Zhi said: "Have you forgotten? At that time, Yang Yuhuan liked to eat lychees, so Tang Xuanzong ordered the officials in Lingnan to pass them on stagecoaches and present lychees to Yang Yuhuan. I don't know what the price of this sweet potato is in Fujian? But how different is it from thousands of miles to Beijing, and how much manpower and material resources does it cost? In case a day of liking, the officials of Fujian will be ordered to pay tribute every year, and in the long run, the people will be wasted! ”

Everyone knows that Li Zhi's words refer to the tide in Heilin, but what he said is not unreasonable.

An official spoke up: "Right now, the Son of Heaven likes strange goods, as we all know. It's just that officials are competing to pay tribute with strange goods, but what is the difference between Bachelor Lin's current Confucianism and paying tribute to the Son of Heaven with a sweet potato that he has never heard of and Song Chen, who offered flowers and stones, is this the learning of Bachelor Lin's work? ”

Li Zhi said deliberately: "Brother Jiang, you are still a regular now, be cautious." ”

This official's name is Jiang Yinglin, who is a Jishi in the eleventh year of Wanli, and he said: "What am I afraid of, it's just a big deal to disperse." ”

But the other officials all persuaded: "With Lin Sanyuan's character, he will not do such a thing, and before the matter is settled, everyone should not draw conclusions." ”

Li Zhi saw that Lin Yanchao was very popular among the officials, and immediately changed his words and said: "Of course, right and wrong have their own judgments, but Master Lin is not a person who deceives the world and steals his name, at least he has made achievements in the word merit." This time, he was in Guide to build water conservancy for the government, and this matter is well-known. ”

When the officials heard Li Zhi say this, they all said: "This is an assertion. ”

Jiang Dongzhi sneered: "It's just good at boasting and boasting, in my opinion, if you talk about water control, Brother Rudong is the best talent." ”

Everyone looked at a middle-aged official who had not spoken.

The man smiled and said, "Don't dare to be." ”

This person's name is Xu Zhenming, a Jinshi in Longqing for five years, and the current Shangbao Division Shaoqing and the supervising envoy, the main reclaiming of Tuntian.

Li Zhi said: "Yes, Brother Xu is a real talent, since my brother was appointed as the imperial envoy of Tuntian in September last year, he has built water conservancy and opened up 39,000 acres of land in the suburbs of Beijing. Brother Xu's achievements are far above Master Lin. ”

Xu Zhenming knew what Li Zhi meant by himself, and Lin Yanchao was promoted as the first in the world by the officials in Guide to govern Shuituntian, which caused a lot of sensation among officials.

Xu Zhenming wrote to the Son of Heaven a few years ago that relying on the canal to transport grain from the south of the Yangtze River into Beijing, one stone of rice would be consumed on the way, and it would be a great harm to the capital to carry grain from the south of the Yangtze River.

To change this situation, it is necessary to control the water near Gyeonggi and then settle the fields. The first is to build water conservancy to avoid disasters, and the second is to reclaim barren land to relieve the problem of high grain prices in Beijing.

At that time, no one paid attention to Xu Zhenming's recital, but later because Lin Yanchao was recommended by the Ministry of Officials, the Son of Heaven appreciated it, so the Qingliu people in the court reviewed it, aren't they conceited to serve the country and save the people? How was Lin Sanyuan brought to the front.

So they remembered Xu Zhenming's recital, so Li Zhi, Jiang Dongzhi and others sponsored Xu Zhenming in front of the Son of Heaven. First, it is to push their own people up, and secondly, it also means that we also have talents for water control, and the matter of water control is nothing more than Erer, and Lin Yanchao is just taking advantage of the opportunity.

So Xu Zhenming was activated and appointed to control the water near the Beijing Division, and he had great political achievements.

Xu Zhenming is a person with good intentions, but he also knows that Li Zhi and the others recommended him in order to help them suppress Lin Yanchao and prevent him from being in the limelight in front of the Son of Heaven and the ministers. Xu Zhenming was reluctant to join the party struggle, and just wanted to take it seriously and really make a name for himself in history, but if it weren't for Li Zhi and them, his own recital would have been forgotten long ago.

So although he didn't want to cause trouble, but the world was like this, Xu Zhenming could only go against his will and said: "It's not a Chinese asset in the next place, and it's not difficult to do the work of controlling the water and tuntian." I have seen Mr. Lin's political achievements in guiding virtue and controlling water, and anyone can do it, and it is not surprising or any outstanding achievement. ”

Li Zhi and the others all smiled and nodded when they heard this.

Yang Keli said: "Brother Xu is such a boastful person as Lin Sanyuan, everyone can see your achievements." ”

Li Zhi said with a smile: "Yes, Elder Wang Ge also appreciates Brother Xu very much. ”

"Brother Xu is going to bow down this time, congratulations."

Xu Zhenming knew that his words were standing in line, and he was also offended by Lin Yanchao, who was just like the sun, but now he could only smile bitterly: "Little brother, thank you for your auspicious words first." ”