Emperor Zhengde of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 43: A Chance Encounter in the Imperial Garden

"Sister, hurry up!"

"Cousin, run slowly..."

Zhu Xiurong, the master of Yunluo County, followed closely behind. The two girls both ran to the stone bridge. The girl in the lead hurriedly grabbed a handful of fish food, all of which were in the water, instantly attracting a large number of goldfish.

From a distance, Zhu Houzhao looked at Yunluo County Master and the slender woman.

That woman was his cousin Zhang Xuan.

Shouning is waiting for Zhang Heling's daughter.

How did she enter the palace?

Zhang Xuan stood on the stone arch bridge, threw fish into the water, pointed at the fish of various colors below, and held Zhu Xiurong's hand, very happy.

Zhu Houzhao didn't intend to disturb them. He walked to the other side of the Imperial Garden and watched the other flowers inside.

Zhang Xuan and Zhu Xiurong both stood on the stone arch bridge.

Yunluo County Master Zhu Xiurong smiled and said to Zhang Xuan, "Cousin, you haven't entered the palace for a long time."

"Do you know that if you don't enter the palace to play, I'll be suffocated to death..."

"Do you think I live in the palace like you? Also, for some reason, my parents want to arrange a marriage for me. I have a headache..." When Zhang Xuan mentioned this, he felt inexplicable. irritated.

She has reached the age of marriage, and Zhang Heling is looking for a husband for her.

"Sister, you are sixteen years old, and you should be out of the cabinet."

"Why? I'm like a cabbage. I've been picked up by people. I don't like my parents treating me like this, especially when they interfere with my marriage."

"Then what do you want?"

"I have to find a husband by myself, find a husband I like, and then I will marry. If I don't like it, I would rather not marry for the rest of my life!"

When Zhu Xiurong heard what her cousin said, she smiled and said, "It's best to be a nun. You can never marry and find someone you like..."

"You are looking for a fight!"

Zhang Xuan saw that Zhu Xiurong was making fun of her, saying that she could not get married, so he chased his cousin and played happily in the imperial garden.

The palace maids and the little eunuchs behind them all followed closely behind them one by one, for fear that something would go wrong with the two of them...

Inside the Peony Pavilion in the Imperial Garden.

Zhu Houzhao stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the blooming peonies, thinking about what happened in the court. According to Cao Zhengchun, in the court, in addition to the cabinet and the East-West Factory, there was a great force.

What kind of force is this?

The power of the queen mother?

Or was it left by his father, Emperor Hongzhi?

Yunluo County Master Zhu Xiurong and Zhang Xuan ran to the back garden. Zhang Xuan looked up and saw his cousin Zhu Houzhao standing there, and ran behind his cousin with a smile.

Before Zhu Houzhao turned around, Zhang Xuan had already put his arms around Zhu Houzhao's shoulders, and the whole person seemed to be on Zhu Houzhao's body.

"Cousin, did you miss me? We haven't seen each other for a long time, tsk tsk tsk, are you still appreciating peony alone? How elegant!"

"Cousin, let me recite a poem for you! If you recite it well, you can play with us..."

Zhu Houzhao's eyes were instantly filled with anticipation. Although he was the son of the emperor, when he was the prince, what the teacher taught him the most was the things in the Four Books and Five Classics.

Opening and closing his mouth is "Zi Yue", he is already tired of those things. Later, he was fortunate enough to come into contact with a few Tang poems, and he felt that the things he had learned were not so boring.

Later, Zhu Houzhao always had a dream of a poet in his heart.

It is a pity that when Emperor Hongzhi was only thirty-six years old, he left the ruined empire of the Ming Dynasty to Zhu Houzhao, who was only fifteen years old. Since then, he has never had this dream of a poet again.

Hearing that his cousin could recite poems, Zhu Houzhao was instantly happy.

Zhu Houzhao squinted at Zhang Xuan and said, "Well, as long as you recite any poem to the peony in the pond, I will accompany you for an afternoon, provided that you can't pull a single word, you can't hack, and more. You can’t make up random chapters and sentences.”

Zhu Xiurong, who was standing on the side, frowned like a Sichuan character. She had never heard of poetry since she was a child?

Last time, his brother Zhu Houzhao actually found her a copy of the Heart Sutra of the Jade Girl. It is said that this book was written by Lin Chaolin, the founder of the ancient tomb school, but this Lin Chaolin never married.

At this time, Zhang Xuan straightened his body, like a student, and recited: "The flowers of water, land, vegetation, and trees are very cute... Lotus, it comes out of the mud without being stained, and it is clean and not demonic. . . .Peony, flower is rich and precious..."

A piece of "Love Lotus" was recited from Zhang Xuan's mouth without any omission, and Zhu Houzhao listened with joy...

Zhu Xiurong, the owner of Yunluo County, stood behind and pouted, "Cousin, how can you do this? Look at you, you can even recite such gentle poems when you see your cousin..."

Zhang Xuan turned his head, looked at the sour Princess Yunluo, and made a playful face.

It's fun to play with your cousin, but it's not fun to play with a little girl like you.

"Cousin, tell me, how is this poem of mine? Hurry up and comment!"

Zhang Xuan was almost hanging on Zhu Houzhao's neck, and the eunuchs and palace maids around him almost turned their heads...

However, in this way, Zhu Houzhao couldn't do anything about them either.

My cousin is about the same age as her, but her birthday is two months younger than his.

When Emperor Hongzhi was alive, Zhang Xuan often entered the palace, and Emperor Hongzhi saw Queen Zhang's face and made her the princess.

Because Emperor Hongzhi had no other concubines, he was worried that the queen would always be bored, so he asked Zhang Xuan to enter the palace from time to time to chat with the queen to interpret her dreams.

Zhu Houzhao and Zhang Xuan have also been familiar with each other since childhood. The two grew up together almost since childhood.

Although Zhu Houzhao is Zhang Xuan's cousin, in the eyes of others, Zhu Houzhao is the emperor and the emperor, but in Zhang Xuan's eyes, Zhu Houzhao is the cousin who played with her since childhood.

Emperor Hongzhi died, and Zhang Xuan did not enter the palace for a long time.

Today, I received an decree from the Empress Dowager, asking him to enter the palace.

However, Zhu Houzhao was already handling government affairs in Yangxin Hall, so Zhang Xuan patiently did not bother him.

However, at the age of sixteen or seventeen, in that era, everything was no longer hazy. Zhang Xuan already secretly fell in love with Zhu Houzhao.

However, my cousin was the emperor after all. Everyone said that the emperor was in charge of every day, and they didn't know what the emperor was thinking.

"You recite well, UU reading www.uukanshu.com is very good..."

Zhu Houzhao made two perfunctory sentences.

"Play with us if you carry it well!"

"I still have government affairs to deal with, so just play here!",

Zhu Houzhao suddenly gloomy face, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt the majesty of an emperor attacking her...

She glanced at Zhu Houzhao helplessly, her heart was already up and down.

"Cousin, let's go, let's go and see my aunt. I have a lot to tell my aunt."

Zhang Xuan took Zhu Houzhao by the hand and walked towards the Cining Palace. Zhu Xiurong, the master of Yunluo County, seemed to be following behind them reluctantly.

Cining Palace.

"The queen mother, if Zhang Xuan is allowed to enter the palace, I am afraid it will arouse criticism from the ministers in the court."

"After all, Zhang Xuan is my own niece, and she is deeply loved by me. I am going to support her..."

The Empress Dowager intends to let Zhang Xuan enter the palace, but the ministers in the DPRK will definitely object.

In the Ming Dynasty, it was not only difficult for foreign relatives to enter the palace, but it was also difficult for women in the court to enter the palace.

Letting Zhang Xuan enter the palace is like walking through the back door.

"If the Queen Mother decides to let Zhang Xuan enter the palace, then stop the mouths of the cabinet ministers..."

The queen mother smiled slightly: "I already have a solution for this."

The one who discussed this matter with the Empress Dowager Zhang was the maid who entered the palace with her at that time, surnamed Jia, and she was a sister to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager did not treat her as a palace maid, but appointed her as Shangyi, in charge of the harem Shangyi. Belonging to the powerful figures in the harem.

When the queen mother has any uncertainties, she often consults with Jia Shangyi.

The queen mother wants to support her own niece to be the queen, then this family is not a double queen, whose status is in the entire Ming Dynasty, who else can compare?