Southern suburbs, Yujin Garden.

The children wanted to come out to play, so Zhu Guoxiang simply called the whole family.

Mrs. Yan has gone to the south and lives with her grandson and granddaughter-in-law. There are not many women in the Zhu family, father and son, counting the children who can run and jump, there are less than twenty now.

So he took the guards out of the palace and came to Yujin Garden to enjoy the snow scene, and by the way, he took a look at the animals raised here.

The only remaining elephant not only trampled on the golden soldiers when he fled, but also participated in Zhu Guoxiang's enthronement ceremony, so he naturally had to be well raised. Now I don't dare to come out of the elephant house, the temperature is too low, and I have to warm it up all day long.

"Daddy, can you dress the elephants? So that it can go out and play. A little girl was feeding the elephant concentrate feed, and suddenly looked up and asked Zhu Guoxiang.

This is Dean Zhu's eldest daughter, Song Huizong's name has long been abandoned, and finally Lao Zhu personally named his daughter Zhu Yan.

Ordinary and bland, nothing new.

Lao Zhu's thoughts are the same, I hope that my daughter will be plain and can have a happy smile every day.

Yan, smiling.

Faced with his daughter's childlike words, Zhu Guoxiang actually thought seriously: "It's okay to make thick clothes for elephants, but first, there are too many materials that are unnecessary, and second, elephants may not like it." ”

Zhu Yan asked, "Why don't elephants like it?" ”

"Because elephants don't wear clothes." Zhu Guoxiang said.

Zhu Yan asked again: "The elephant has no clothes, how does Daddy know that it doesn't like to wear clothes?" ”

"Well......" Zhu Guoxiang said, "when there is a baby elephant in the future, you can make a piece of clothing and let it wear it and try it." ”

Zhu Yan asked again: "When will this elephant give birth to a baby elephant?" ”

Zhu Guoxiang said: "This elephant is a man, and I will find a female elephant in the future." When the imperial court sends troops to conquer Dali, you can bring a female elephant back. ”

"Oh." Zhu Yan seems to understand whether she understands or not.

Zhu Ming said happily next to him: "100,000 whys, it's a little difficult to answer." ”

"Aren't your kids the same?" Zhu Guoxiang didn't have a good airway.

Walking out of the elephant room, a cold wind blew, so cold that Zhu Ming put his hands in his sleeves.

In the open space not far away, the wives and concubines of the father and son are laughing and having snowball fights, which is rare to gather so together all year round.

After feeding the elephants, Zhu Yan also happily joined the battle group, rubbing up a snow ball and running all over the ground.

Zhu Guoxiang asked: "Have you finished reading Xiao Chu's "Spring and Autumn Discernment"? ”

"I've read it roughly." Zhu Ming said.

"How does it compare with Hu Anguo's manuscript of "Spring and Autumn Biography"?" Zhu Guoxiang asked.

Zhu Ming said: "The subject matter is different, Hu Anguo is a serious biography of "Spring and Autumn", while Xiao Chu's book is equivalent to a collection of essays. He takes a big event or idea and writes a paper based on it, and there are dozens of papers in total. A few are purely academic papers, and most of them are taking the opportunity to express political ideas. ”

"How do you feel about reading it?" Zhu Guoxiang asked.

Zhu Ming said: "The core idea of those dozens of papers is to centralize power, inner saints and outer kings. For example, he said that there were hundreds of events in the Spring and Autumn Period, and the princes' alliance occupied the most space, so he discussed why Confucius paid attention to the alliance. The conclusion is that the princes of the Spring and Autumn Period competed for hegemony, and what they fought for was the position of the alliance leader, and the position of the alliance leader represented the authority of the world. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Zhou Tianzi presided over the alliance and gradually evolved into the overlord to preside over the alliance, which actually represented the fall of power. ”

Zhu Guoxiang was a little disappointed: "That's all? ”

Zhu Ming smiled: "Of course not only. There are many interesting points of view, such as that people are in favor of foreign wars. He said that only the Confucians would think that it was better to use Wende education to subjugate the barbarians by spending money to build strong soldiers and armor and drive their people to die in the barren land. His point of view is that barbarians should be fought, and if there is a threat to China, no matter how much money and food is spent, no matter how far the troops are sent, no matter how many people are killed or wounded, they should be fought. As for the basis, hehe, Huayi's argument. ”

"You seem to be happy with this man?" Zhu Guoxiang asked.

Zhu Ming said: "Some of his thoughts are very appealing to my appetite, and they are not tendons. In the case of war, he is not belligerent in favor of foreign wars, but also discusses the victory or defeat of war. Some of these sentences satirize Song Huizong's conquest of Western Xia and Liao. It probably means that there is still a butt of shit in the country that has not been wiped, so don't go outside to fight and be embarrassed. ”

Zhu Guoxiang smiled and asked, "Do you have an idea?" ”

Zhu Ming said: "How about making him the chief examiner of the first imperial examination? ”

"I don't care." Zhu Guoxiang said.

Zhu Guoxiang had already stated his attitude before, the cabinet minister had too many government affairs, and the chief examiner chose a squire to do it.

But among the squires, there is no one who can serve the people for the time being.

This Xiao Chu is knowledgeable enough, and he is a great Confucian who has refused to be recruited three times, and the title of university scholar is enough to serve as the chief examiner.

"Woo woo woo ......"

Zhu Kang, the eldest grandson of the imperial concubine, ran to Zhu Ming crying, raised his hand to complain to his father in the distance, and his forehead was smashed red by the snowball.

Zhu Ming turned his head to see that the culprit Zhu Yan was smiling.

Zhu Ming couldn't help but laugh and instigated: "You were thrown by your aunt, don't you know how to throw it back with a snowball?" ”

Zhu Kang said: "My aunt has more strength. ”

"What are you hiding, what are men crying about?" Zhu Ming was not distressed at all.

Zhu Kang pouted aggrievedly and went back, picked up the snow ball and was about to throw it, but he was smashed on the face again, and suddenly cried even more with a "wow".

While wiping tears and crying, he fought back with a snowball.

Zhi Yanxiu couldn't stand it anymore, and shouted with a smile: "Da Lang, come here and I'll teach you!" ”

Zhu Kang was learning throwing skills, and after bullying his nephew's Zhu Yan, he didn't give him a chance to take revenge: "I went with my mother to build a snowman." ”

"I'm going to build a snowman too!" Zhu Kang, who was still crying just now, followed with his fart.

After a while, the whole family returned to the house, roasted the charcoal fire and began to shake the mutton.

After eating the hot pot and playing until half the afternoon, I finally drove back to the palace.

Inside and outside the city, the snow has cleared the streets. Both houses and shops are obliged to clear the snow in front of their doors, and there are fines for not sweeping for many days to obstruct traffic.

Many people took advantage of today's snow to stop and go out for a walk, and saw the Son of Heaven's honor guard automatically avoid, and some even waved and cheered at the imperial chariot.

Tokyo citizens are too familiar with this, the Kaifeng Imperial Palace is too small, and the imperial family often runs to play outside the palace.

It's just that when Song Huizong was there, as the days became more and more difficult, many low-level people looked at the royal car angrily.

Now that life is better, they are happy to see the royal family driving.

The outsiders were excited, and even the examiner couldn't help but bow down to the royal car, and the reserved person also bowed down from afar.

Returning to the palace, the eunuch on duty said to Zhu Guoxiang: "Your Majesty, Gao Xiang's family came to report that Gao Xiang's illness had recovered a few days ago, and he had contracted a cold and high fever in the past two days. I finally didn't have a fever last night, but this morning I suddenly coughed up blood, and the doctor said that it might be difficult to survive the winter. ”

"Got it, call the prince." Zhu Guoxiang felt a little headache.

After a while, Zhu Ming came over in a carriage, dragged a chair and sat down and asked, "Something happened when you just came back?" ”

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Deputy Prime Minister Gao Jingshan is no good, and the imperial doctor said that it will be difficult to survive this winter." ”

"Isn't he cured?" Zhu Ming said.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I have contracted the wind cold again. Among the cabinet ministers, one must be promoted to be the deputy prime minister, and another cabinet minister must be added as soon as possible. Who do you think is more suitable for the cabinet? ”

Zhu Ming said: "Xu Churen, who was released, is actually quite optimistic about it. But he is also older, in "History of the Song Dynasty", he died of illness after Zhao Gou succeeded to the throne, and it is estimated that he will not live long if he is recruited into the cabinet. ”

Xu Churen is indeed a pity, and he is perfect in terms of talent and morality.

After the first withdrawal of the Jin soldiers, the seed master asked for the establishment of the Yellow River defense line, and Xu Churen said that the Jin soldiers would not come back as soon as they left, which was the only stain on his life.

But there is a reason for saying this kind of thing, as a commander, the master naturally attaches great importance to the military. But Xu Churen is in the center, but he has to consider the financial problem, the treasury is already so poor that he can run a mouse, what to use to build a defense line on the Yellow River?

Zhu Guoxiang thought carefully and said: "Promote the old ministers who have taken refuge since Hanzhong, Liu Ying, the secretary of the Criminal Department, to be promoted to the cabinet minister, and Xu Fuyan, who is in charge of the Hanlin Academy, to be the secretary of the Criminal Department." The Xiao Chu you are optimistic about is in charge of the Hanlin Academy, and this position is just right for being the chief examiner of the imperial examination. ”

"Okay." Zhu Ming nodded and said.

There is also an old man named Wei Tai in Xiangyang, whose house used to be used as an intelligence transit station.

This person was originally going to be reused, but before Zhu Guoxiang entered Beijing, Wei Tai suddenly suffered a stroke and was paralyzed.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "You go to visit Gaojingshan on my behalf. ”

"Okay." Zhu Ming said.

Zhu Ming, who had just returned to the palace, had a simple meal, and then took a carriage to visit the seriously ill minister.

It was already dark, the lights were on, and the Donghua Gate was very lively.

All kinds of controls have been gradually relaxed, and even the price of alcohol has dropped.

Although Fan Lou's business is much bleaker because the old magnates are no longer there, there are still a few powerful people and wealthy businessmen who support the scene.

After the Yanglou Street in the south of Fanlou, and then through the West Ji'er Lane is the yarn shop.

An entire row of shops sells textiles, except for silk yarn, silk and satin, which are still open even after dark.

Zhu Ming lifted the corner of the car curtain and silently watched the street scene.

A group of slaves, surrounded by two noble women, were picking up fabrics in the shop.

Outside the store, a number of scholars passed by, chatting and laughing, looking left and right, as if they were visiting Tokyo at night.

When a gentleman saw the prince's car coming, he turned around excitedly, and his friends greeted him warmly.

Further south is the Pan Building, which is much more lively than the Fan Building, because the overall price is cheaper, and it is clear that the consumption of Tokyo's elite has been downgraded.

To the south of Pan Lou are Eagle Shop and Sangjia Wazi.

The eagle shop was originally for selling eagles and falcons and other birds of prey, but during the siege, there was a shortage of food, and all the birds of prey were eaten by the boss.

After the city was destroyed, a large number of powerful people were liquidated and relocated, and it was difficult to resume the entertainment of flying eagles and lackeys in a short period of time. Now there are only a few birds of prey in the store, and the business is very cold, and even the store is listed for sublease sale.

To the south of Eagle Shop is the Iron Scrap Hotel owned by Jews.

They have not been able to build a church in Kaifeng, so a room was set up in the backyard of the hotel for Jewish villagers to gather and worship.

There are also Jews in Hangzhou, who came to China more than 20 years ago.

On the southeast coast, there are also a large number of Arabs.

Mr. Zhu is considering whether to enact a policy that would force long-term settlers to change their Han names and prohibit intermarriage between outsiders.

Moreover, he doesn't like the surname Pu.

However, due to this broken translation, at least nine of the ten Arab merchants who came to China at this time were either surnamed Pu or Li.

(End of chapter)