Chapter 8: The Emperor Can’t Decide on Family Matters

Jinyiwei Commander Mou Bin is a martial artist!

He was quick-witted and used two fingers to block the crack of the door. He pushed the door open with a cry of pain. The doorman wanted to shout, but a knife was already on his neck.

Emperor Hongzhi then strolled into the courtyard.

Hearing someone breaking into the courtyard, Yan Chengjin was thinking about which one to call first: "Protect the courtyard! Close the door and beat the dog! Sprinkle the gods and drink! Report to the officials!".

But he saw that the saber in the man's hand was used by Jinyiwei.

The middle-aged man behind him was upright and had extraordinary features. He wore a precious milky white mutton-fat jade pendant on his waist, but the hair on his forehead was slightly missing a corner!

Missing a corner?

This is... Emperor Hongzhi?

He knew that when Emperor Hongzhi was still in his mother Ji's womb, he was persecuted by Wan Guifei who sent people to feed him poison soup. Although he survived the disaster, he left this mark.

Among the sixteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty, the one with the most iconic appearance is probably Emperor Hongzhi.

I have heard that Emperor Hongzhi likes to make small visits. The capital is so big and the Yan Mansion is so remote, why did he come here?

Could it be...

He turned on the navigation?

Yan Chengjin didn't know what he was doing here, and it was impossible for him to know.

He would never dare to shout to close the door and beat the dragon, otherwise, a group of Jinyiwei would rush out secretly and chop him into dumpling stuffing at a glance.

While he was still stunned, Emperor Hongzhi said first: "Zhu came uninvited and wanted to see Mr. Yingkesong. Is Mr. in the mansion?"

Surname Zhu? Yan Chengjin was sure that this was the current Emperor Hongzhi Zhu Youtang.

The emperors of the Ming Dynasty would not change their surnames when they made small visits. Your surname Zhu is the biggest flaw.

Too careless!

Fortunately, you broke into my Yan Mansion. If you fell into the hands of a certain sect, you would hold the emperor hostage to control the princes.

Yan Chengjin thought to himself that if he called himself Zhu, the Emperor Hongzhi must want to make friends with him as a commoner. Since he was a commoner, he would not be punished.

At this time, it was right to play dumb.

Dad would definitely recognize him, and then the Emperor Hongzhi would be embarrassed. Forget it, it was a small scene, so he should handle it himself.

"It's the same when Mr. Zhu comes to see me. May I ask what Mr. Zhu wants?" Yan Chengjin bowed his waist and saluted with a standard posture and perfect etiquette.

Emperor Hongzhi was happy. This boy looked about the same age as his son, but he was so polite. He had a good impression of him at the first meeting. He liked polite people.

Emperor Hongzhi glanced at Mou Bin, who stepped aside sensibly, and then whispered: "Then I'll get straight to the point. My wife likes to read Menglou, but she can't buy the latest one in the book market. Now is there the latest one?"

Yan Chengjin understood in his heart.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Hongzhi came here for... Empress Zhang.

Among the sixteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty, only Hongzhi had the most passionate love. Others had three thousand beauties in the harem, but he had only one person in the harem, that is, Empress Zhang.

At the beginning of the Hongzhi period, ministers advised one after another, Your Majesty, what if the prince dies young, what if the prince is a tyrant, what if the prince has no offspring.

The one who advised the most was Wang Shu!

This official of the Ministry of Personnel was terrified by the civil and military officials, "There is only one Wang Shu in the two capitals and twelve ministries."

One person almost contracted all the impeachments in the early years of Hongzhi.

Impeachment is fun for a while, and it is fun to impeach all the time.

Otherwise, Wang Shu would not have lived so long.

Even Wang Shu's serial bullets did not make Emperor Hongzhi have a concubine.

It can be seen that everyone is equal in front of true love.

There is true love in the emperor's family.

But what Yan Chengjin didn't know was that Emperor Hongzhi came here to save money from the treasury. If he could get the latest Dream Tower, the treasury would save a lot of money.

The reason has to start with a recent worry.

Although Empress Zhang was as frugal as Emperor Hongzhi and reduced the expenses of the harem to the minimum, she had only one wish, which was to build the Zhenwu Temple in Xingji Township.

This was the wish entrusted to Empress Zhang by the old Shouning Marquis before his death.

But the labor service was too heavy in recent years, and a frugal person like Emperor Hongzhi didn't want to waste money and labor, nor did he want to disappoint the empress.

Whenever he thought of Empress Zhang following this emperor, she was like eating tea and sleeping on thorns, and she became the empress, but she didn't enjoy the blessings of the empress.

Emperor Hongzhi felt that he owed her, so he agreed, but after pulling up his pants, he felt something was wrong, and it was too late to regret.

It is difficult for an honest official to judge family affairs, and the same is true for the emperor.

But just recently, a book of leisure fell from the sky and flowed into the harem, and the queen was obsessed with it.

Hearing Xiao Jing say that the queen likes to read it recently, Emperor Hongzhi thought of a way. If he gave her this book and then regretted the matter of starting the war, the queen would definitely not be angry with him.

In fact, the important thing is not Menglou, but the intention of this trip.

Emperor Hongzhi thought, I have condescended to this point. If the queen knew, she would be very moved and would understand my painstaking efforts.

"I... Zhu asked you a question, why didn't you answer for a long time!"

"???" Yan Chengjin said: "I think you seem to be thinking, don't disturb me."

He was overjoyed. Menglou's latest handwritten copy has been written, and he is just waiting to see the situation in the court.

Now that Emperor Hongzhi has spoken, can't it be printed nationwide?

Yan Chengjin's face was calm. After thinking for a while, he said, "Menglou already has a new version, but it has not been printed yet. Why don't I give you a copy on behalf of my father? I won't accept the money."

Emperor Hongzhi smiled. He had received the new version before it was printed. The queen should be happy.

Yan Chengjin asked someone to bring two books from his room and offered to sell them to Emperor Hongzhi for free.

But Emperor Hongzhi refused. As an emperor, he saw that the Yan Mansion was so dilapidated, so he was not willing to accept them for free. He said, "According to the market price, whatever the market price is, I... Zhu has plenty of silver!"

Yan Chengjin said, "The market price is one tael and eight wen. I wonder which one you want?"

One tael?

Emperor Hongzhi stared!

The next moment he was angry: "How dare you! How dare you sell a book for one tael of silver!"

"You misunderstood, this is the price set by the bookseller Wang Bushui. I have also advised to sell it for half a tael of silver, but even if it is one tael of silver, the supply is insufficient to meet the demand, and it can't be said to be oppression. Besides, the eight wen ones can't be sold." Yan Chengjin secretly reminded that this was all done by Wang Bushui.

"Nonsense! Do you think Zhu and my son can't tell which one is more expensive, one tael or eight wen!" In a rage, Emperor Hongzhi actually told the truth.

Yan Chengjin was shocked. Could it be that Liu Jin taught Zhu Houzhao mathematics?

At this time, Mou Bin stepped forward and whispered to Emperor Hongzhi: "Your Majesty, according to my investigation, the one-liang ones are indeed easier to sell. This boy is telling the truth."

Is there such a thing?

Yan Chengjin stood quietly aside.

Emperor Hongzhi thought about it and said happily: "Give me eight cents."

He was also very honest. He took the book and took out eight cents from his sleeve. He handed over the money and the goods.

Yan Chengjin took out a half-used bottle of homemade shower gel from his sleeve.

Emperor Hongzhi smelled it and frowned and said: "What is this?"

"This is Menglou brand perfume. A few drops in water are better than soaking petals in fragrance. If you please the beauty, she will definitely laugh. It is a gift, and I give it to you."