The Prosperous Era of Longwan

"Let's go and congratulate King Yu. After gambling on so many subjects, I finally won."

Yin Shizhen called them out and said, "If this ceremony is a good one, these gambling houses should not be allowed to get involved."

Obviously, he does not support officials participating in gambling, especially gambling on the number one scholar. This is the country's talent promotion ceremony, and it should be solemn and solemn. How can it be tainted with the smell of copper.

Zhang Juzheng whispered to Wei Guangde behind him: "If I had known this, I would have taken the risk of selling iron."

"Exactly, exactly."

Tang Ruji also answered in a low voice.

Obviously, none of them took Yin Shizhen's words to heart.

For these royal officials, the future is bright.

But that, after all, is the future.

Now, if they don't have family support and no external sources of income, their lives will only be tight if they rely solely on their salary and rewards.

The new scholars happily participated in the honor banquet that followed. After that, the emperor bestowed robes and banknotes, and Xu Shixing thanked the scholars on behalf of them. They also visited the temple of their ancestors and performed the ceremony of releasing vegetables. Each item was carried out in an orderly manner under the careful arrangement of the Ministry of Etiquette. .

Wei Guangde finally had the opportunity to visit the second assistant Xu Jie and the assistant minister Yuan Wei to test their tone.

In the past few days, although the imperial court was still running and was not interrupted due to the imperial examination, some government affairs were inevitably suppressed.

Although it was delayed for a few days, it did not have any impact. In fact, neither the cabinet nor the Ministry of War had discussed the matter yet.

Relatively speaking, Yuan Wei's attitude is more cautious. Although he has been somewhat unfavorable to Mr. Yan Ge recently, after all, the emperor did not say anything personally, and everything was just rumored outside the court.

But when Wei Guangde came out of Xu Jie Mansion, Wei Guangde couldn't help but look back at Xu Mansion.

When discussing this matter with Xu Jie just now, although Xu Jie still behaved in a perfunctory manner, his attitude immediately changed after seeing the three thousand taels of silver donated by Wei Guangde.

Relatively speaking, Wei Guangde feels that Xu Jie seems to be more certain that Mr. Yan Ge will step down in the near future.

Thinking about the clues discovered by Prince Yu's Mansion before, Wei Guangde became more convinced that Xu Jie had already started a series of actions, but it was very covert, and he didn't know whether Yan Song, Yan Shifan and the others were aware of it.

However, these have nothing to do with him. It seems that after the war in Jiangxi was temporarily put aside due to the imperial examination, it has not yet returned to the focus of government affairs recently, because the attention of Emperor Jiajing has been diverted to the reconstruction of Yongshou Palace.

Years ago, when Emperor Jiajing summoned Yan Song and Xu Jie for questioning, Emperor Jiajing finally handed over the reconstruction of Yongshou Palace to Xu Jie's supervision because of Yan Song's improper words.

What the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty could not imagine was that Xu Jie actually rebuilt Yongshou Palace in only three months.

Wei Guangde only heard about this unexpectedly when he visited Xu Jie this time. Thinking about Mr. Xu Ge's expression of joy when he said this.

Thinking about it, the Ming Dynasty was famous for its procrastination in handling affairs. Who would have thought that the reconstruction of Yongshou Palace would be so fast and efficient this time.

Things in Xiyuan were matters in the palace, so Wei Guangde naturally couldn't pry around. He didn't ask Chen Ju about the reason. After entering Prince Yu's Mansion the next day, he immediately went to Li Fang to ask.

Li Fang was a eunuch and had King Yu's inside information in the palace, so he was naturally better informed.

"Are you talking about Yongshou Palace?"

Li Fang smiled and said, "I only found out about this a few days ago. Because it's not a big deal, I didn't tell you about it."

"How come it was completed so quickly this time? I heard that there will be no delay in moving in."

Wei Guangde asked in surprise.

"The fire in Yongshou Palace only burned down the wooden building, but the foundation and so on were all intact. I heard that Mr. Xu Ge was supervising and the place was cleaned up in half a month.

Wasn't the construction of the three main halls completed by then?

At the beginning, a lot of craftsmen and wood were recruited, and Xu Jie directly picked up the ready-made ones. All the people and things went into Xiyuan to participate in the reconstruction of Yongshou Palace.

They are all craftsmen who built the three palaces. They are just rebuilding a palace, which is much less difficult than the previous project. "

Li Fang rambled on about what he knew, and Wei Guangde also opened his mouth in surprise.

Simply thinking about it, rebuilding a palace seems troublesome, but after listening to Li Fang's detailed analysis, Wei Guangde also felt that it didn't seem to be a big deal.

When the three main halls were rebuilt, not only was the project huge, but it also took a lot of time in selecting aniseed materials.

After selecting the wood and transporting it all the way from the south to the capital, the reconstruction started. Most of the time was actually spent on selecting materials and transporting them.

Later, the Ministry of Industry had another dispute over the reconstruction of the three main halls. The main reason was that there was insufficient materials and it was impossible to restore the previous grandeur. There was no choice but to scale back some of the construction.

At this time, Ouyang Bijin, who was then Minister of the Ministry of Industry, secretly reported to Emperor Jiajing that he knew that everything must be decided by the emperor.

When Emperor Jiajing heard the news, he hesitated for many days before finally nodding and agreeing.

There were not enough materials to build the main hall, but the Ministry of Industry had sufficient preparations for building ordinary palaces. The three main halls were not used, and all were used in the Yongshou Palace.

Someone has the information, and naturally the construction speed is very fast.

"If I had known this, it would be better for me to submit a memorial and recommend myself to do this."

After listening to Li Fang's explanation, Wei Guangde couldn't help but exclaimed.

"Who says it's not the case? This is not a ready-made achievement. Let Xu Ge Laobai pick it up."

Li Fang also echoed.

"Mr. Yan Ge is really confused. He actually forgot about the three halls project, as well as the craftsmen and materials there."

Wei Guangde had to lament that older people still can't compare with their old counterparts. This is proof.

It's hard to say that at that time Xu Jie was secretly happy in his heart, but he was also worried that Yan Song would think about the three major halls and come out to grab the credit.

Wei Guangde and the others would not have known about this information unless they inquired specifically, but the cabinet knew about it. Although they were a little curious, Yan Shifan never thought that he had taken advantage of Xu Jie in vain.

Little did he know that Yan Shifan was thinking about perfecting his plan at that time, and his heart was not focused on rebuilding Yongshou Palace and pleasing Emperor Jiajing.

Separating from Li Fang, Wei Guangde walked back still thinking about it.

Now that Xu Jie's performance has caught the attention of Emperor Jiajing, he may really not care about Yan Song anymore. Anyway, he has someone who can do things and is obedient.

The news that the Yongshou Palace in Xiyuan was completed in just three months soon spread throughout the government and the public. Officials in the capital were all surprised when they heard about it.

It's just too fast.

Xiyuan, Yongshou Palace.

Emperor Jiajing was also inspecting the rebuilt Yongshou Palace at this time. Compared with the palace he lived in before, the current Yongshou Palace was completely brand new. Naturally, Emperor Jiajing nodded repeatedly and was very happy.

"good, very good, excellent."

Seeing that everything was kept as it was, Emperor Jiajing felt no restraint at all, and his joy was beyond description in words.

Looking around, he looked up at the roof beams. It used to be a single piece of wood, but now, although the beams are carved and painted, you can vaguely see that they are slightly different from before.

"The craftsman is here."

Emperor Jiajing came to see the Yongshou Palace. Not only Xu Jie hurriedly came from the cabinet, but also Lei Li, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, summoned all the officials and craftsmen related to the reconstruction to prepare for the emperor's inquiries.

Emperor Jiajing's question made Huang Jin, a eunuch admiral, unable to answer, but it was not difficult for Xu Jie.

"Your Majesty, the craftsman leader Xu Gao is here."

With that said, Xu Jie waved his hand and asked a craftsman in gray robe behind him to come forward and answer.

Throughout all the Chinese dynasties, Taoism has been valued over weapons. Craftsmanship is at the end of the profession, and craftsmanship is at the lowest level. When this gray-robed craftsman stepped forward to answer, he was trembling all over. He didn't know whether he was excited or frightened.

However, Emperor Jiajing was in a very good mood now. He raised his finger and pointed at the beam and asked, "That place seems different from before. Why?"

"Your Majesty, it is difficult to find beams and pillars for the palace, so the common people used building blocks as pillars to build and splice them together."

The craftsman knelt in front of Emperor Jiajing. He didn't dare to raise his head, so he prostrated on the ground and replied.

"Building blocks as pillars method?"

Emperor Jiajing muttered softly, "Tell me in detail."

Obviously, Emperor Jiajing was intrigued by the craftsman's answer, so he continued to ask.

"this."

Xu Gao was a little embarrassed. He didn't know whether he should tell the emperor. It wasn't that he was worried about the quality of the palace he built. In fact, he had full confidence in his skills and the houses he built.

The reason why he is worried is actually because of himself. You can tell by his gray robe that he is not an official, but just a craftsman from the Ministry of Industry. Although everyone calls him a master craftsman, he is still a craftsman after all.

Do you have the right to speak in front of the emperor?

"Your Majesty asks, just say it."

Perhaps seeing Xu Gao's embarrassment, Xu Jie spoke from behind him.

"Exactly. Answer your Majesty's questions well."

Lei Li also said afterward.

"The so-called building blocks as pillars method, based on some actual situations, I, Xiaomin, use mid-grade materials to make up for the shortage of high-grade materials. In fact, it is to splice small pieces of wood together using mortise and tenon, bezel and other methods. The exterior looks seamless.”

When it comes to technology, Xu Gao really doesn't touch it. After all, his family has been carpenters for generations.

Xu Gao was originally from a craftsman family in Yangzhou, and his family's unique skills are mainly in the so-called "big wood work" in carpentry, which is the design and construction of wooden buildings.

A person like him who mastered the art of making large trees did very well in Yangzhou, a place where wealthy businessmen gathered. The reason why he was called to the capital was because of his superb skills.

In the 36th year of Jiajing's reign, the three core palaces of the Forbidden City, Fengtian, Huagai, and Jinshen, as well as some other ancillary buildings, were all burned down in a fire caused by a major lightning strike. Naturally, the facade of the imperial court needed to be fully restored, but this This project, which has attracted national attention, faces many practical difficulties.

In order to rebuild the three main halls as soon as possible, the imperial court and the Ministry of Industry ordered all the skilled craftsmen from all over the world to gather in the capital to provide suggestions for the reconstruction of the three main halls of the imperial city.

It was under such circumstances that Xu Gao came to the capital from Yangzhou.

In fact, wooden buildings themselves are not difficult to build, but the reconstruction of the three main halls this time has to face a very difficult problem, that is, there is insufficient large wood, and it is impossible to restore the grandeur of the past.

As a last resort, Xu Gao used his housekeeping skills to save as much large materials as possible for the roof beams, and used smaller wood for the columns, using building blocks as columns.

This time, he completed the design and construction of the New Third Hall in front of all the skilled craftsmen in the world, which earned him a lot of face and earned him the title of "Master Craftsman" in front of officials from the Ministry of Industry.

In front of officials from the Ministry of Industry, even those with high rank such as Lei Li, they would still call him Master Xu.

He thought that after the construction of the three main halls was completed, he could leave Beijing and return to Yangzhou. Unexpectedly, he was sent to the cabinet by the Ministry of Industry and accepted the task of rebuilding the Yongshou Palace as soon as possible in front of Mr. Xu Ge.

Projects like the three main halls can be carried out, so rebuilding the Yongshou Palace is certainly a piece of cake.

After understanding the scale of Yongshou Palace, he already knew that the reconstruction could probably be completed using only the remaining wood from the three main halls. Even if there was a difference, it would not be much. The Ministry of Industry should be able to easily solve the problem of materials in the capital, and it does not have to be taken from deep mountains. It has become an aniseed for the year.

Master Xu, naturally the Yongshou Palace was rebuilt very quickly and was successfully completed in just over two months.

Officials from the Ministry of Industry had checked it out, but they didn't expect to come today. Even the emperor came in person.

After that, Emperor Jiajing called Xu Gao to his side. While wandering around the Yongshou Palace, he asked Xu Gao how he built the Yongshou Palace. Xu Jie, Lei Li and Huang Jin could only follow Xu Gao.

By this time, they also saw that Xu Gao had caught the eye of Emperor Jiajing by virtue of this skill.

There was no way, who could tell Emperor Jiajing to be so obsessed with the art of Xuanhuang, and he was also particularly enamored of Taoism. From time to time, he would issue orders to build Taoist temples and pavilions. Naturally, he needed professionals like Xu Gao.

It’s hard to estimate how many palaces and Taoist temples were built during the reign of Emperor Jiajing. However, after the Ming Dynasty moved its capital to Beijing, Emperor Jiajing’s projects were probably only less than those built by Emperor Yongle in Beijing. The other emperors were all Look at the back of his neck.

The Great Gaoxuan Hall and the Great Guangming Hall were built in Xiyuan. On the basis of the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Earth built by Emperor Yongle, the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon were built, as well as the outer city wall of Beijing. These projects passed down to later generations were all built in Jiajing. towards.

As for the buildings built outside the capital, such as Yuanyou Palace and Huaying Mountain, there are countless others. It also directly showed that the Yan family, the first minister of the dynasty, was determined not to let go of the manual department easily. It was really too rich.

Hearing that Xu Jie always called Xu Gao "Master Craftsman", Emperor Jiajing naturally used this title and said with a smile: "Master Craftsman has superb skills, so stay in the capital and share my worries."

After saying that, without waiting for the reaction of Xu Jie, Xu Gao and others, Emperor Jiajing said to Xu Jie: "The decree has been drawn up, the Wanshou Palace is completed, and the Duke Zhu Xizhong, Gu Huan, the consort, Xie Zhaobo Fang Chengyu, and the bachelor Xu Jie will report to the south separately. The Second Sheji of the Imperial Ancestral Temple in the northern suburbs."

"According to the order."

Emperor Jiajing had made such arrangements countless times, and Xu Jie would naturally not make irresponsible remarks on this issue. He just asked the Ministry of Rites to arrange it.

Rebuilding the Yongshou Palace was actually nothing, but it received such an attitude from the emperor. Naturally, Lei Li, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, could not continue to stand behind and had to come out to express gratitude.

"Lei Aiqing is alive."

Emperor Jiajing was in a good mood at the moment. Seeing Lei Li and thinking of the three halls he had already seen, he was very satisfied with this minister.

Then I came up with the idea of ​​​​giving him a favor. This time, of course, it was not because of the Yongshou Palace project, but also for the three main halls. I might as well reward them all.

With this thought in mind, Emperor Jiajing continued to speak: "I am serving all the ministers and assistant ministers at work, Xu Jie, a junior master and a minister."