“Three hundred miles urgent, three hundred miles urgent!”
“Pass on the golden list, open the door and let them through, those who obstruct are guilty of a great offence, and those who go against the law will be punished severely!”
Early in the morning, in front of the city gate of Anqing Prefecture, a smoke rolling, two fast horses from the smoke straight to the city gate, where the first horseman holding a roll of paperwork stamped with a large seal, written above the words “immediately fly delivery”, the horse does not slow down straight to the city gate.
Behind that ride a little slower, holding a black gift edicts, scroll form, with sunflower ebony as the axis. Followed by the horse in front, also without slowing down straight to the city gates.
In fact, the back of this ride and the first ride is not together, they are in the neighbourhood of Anqing House when they met, they are from the capital, behind this ride than the front of the ride to start more than two days earlier, but he delivered the sealing gift ultimatum requirements are only 200 miles of expedited, so let the back of the ride not far from the front of the Anqing House to catch up.
The soldiers guarding the city gates of Anqing Mansion looked at the stagehands coming on horseback from afar, and then took a look at the paperwork they were holding up in their hands, and dared to stop for a moment, quickly clearing the city gates to let them pass.
Finally, the golden list of passages and the decree of granting An Ren finally came to Anqingfu.
At the same time, when the stagecoach which had been running for several days arrived at Anqingfu, Zhu Pingan, who was far away from the capital, had already finished his three-day training in Honglu Temple, and was on the day of submitting the form to thank for the grace.
In accordance with the requirements of the “Great Ming Canon”, after the completion of the three days of training in the Honglu Temple, the top scholar will lead all the scholars to go to the table to thank the grace. About it is also considered to be on the Honglu Temple three days of etiquette training effect of the test it, this time on the table to thank the grace is the standard meeting, that is to say, this day is just the day of the civil and military officials to the court. Thank you in the court, the most can test the etiquette of the new entrants.
This court is located in the West Garden, the last Jiajing Emperor can go out of the West Garden to the Forbidden City has not been easy, this time in the West Garden in accordance with the “Daming Code” will be held in the court, has let the civil and military officials are very satisfied.
This is the beginning of the year ah, can see Jiajing emperor twice, has greatly exceeded their expectations. To know, in previous years, Emperor Jiajing didn’t even go to the court. They don’t want to see Jiajing for years. The West Garden on the West Garden, do not ask too much, Jiajing Emperor can be in the middle of the alchemy and cultivation of immortality to take time to convene the court, the civil and military officials have been satisfied with the can not be satisfied again.
This day. Zhu Pingan put on his crown early in the morning, and came to the gate of the Palace of the Western Garden early in the morning.
In this day and age, it was much more difficult for Emperor Jiajing to attend court than to win the first prize in the lottery, the opportunity was not easy and the civil and military officials all cherished it extraordinarily. It didn’t take long to gather the most elite bureaucratic group of the Ming Dynasty in front of the Xiyuan Palace.
When the time came, the West Garden Palace Gate opened wide, the civil and military officials entered in line according to their rank, Zhu Pingan led all the jinshi followed closely, and the officials entered in line according to their rank.
Xiyuan is not the first time to come, the last time the palace exams examination room is located in the Xiyuan Taisu Hall, this time the court is still located in the Taisu Hall. Honglu Temple officials early to lead the palace guards, will be carved with a dragon table table, placed in the Taisu Hall door on the east side of the position of about three metres away.
Looking at this dragon pattern tableau, Zhu Pingan knew clearly in his heart. This dragon pattern table case was the place for him to place the table of thanks on behalf of all the scholars. The table of thanks was a fixed formula, and the content of the table had little room for play. Zhu Pingan’s table of thanks had long been written under the guidance of the officials of the Honglu Temple during their training at the Honglu Temple.
Soon, in the brocade guards escorted by the Jiajing Emperor car chauffeur will come from a distance.
Jinyiwei set is halobu driving, halobu driving in the word halo is not brined meat, but the “scull” of the generic character, is the meaning of the shield. The Han Official Instrument” on the specifications of the halogen book driving specific description: “the son of heaven out of the car and drive the sub-division is called halogen, soldiers and guards with armour and shields outside the front guide. All of them are called the book, so it is called halogen book.”
Brocade guards holding a silver shield, hand-held gold melon, top, flags and other ceremonial weapons escorted in the Jiajing emperor’s car around, accompanied by the court musicians. The music was incessant all the way.
Clear sky with a whip, Jiajing Emperor shines.
The civil and military officials shouted long live long live ten thousand years old, kneeling three times, kneeling on the ground to perform a great salute. Zhu Pingan led all the jinshi stood at the bottom of the steps, can not hear the movement of the hall, can only kneel with the crowd kneeling down and kneeling again.
After the monarchs and ministers had finished saluting, the main meeting of the court began. Then began the main topic of this court meeting, the top scholar on behalf of the newly promoted scholars on the table to thank the grace.
A Honglu Temple official walked down the steps and led Zhu Pingan up the steps to the front of the dragon patterned table outside the east door of the main hall, allowing Zhu Pingan to place the table of thanks on the dragon patterned table.
Zhu Pingan came to the front and back of the dragon pattern table, and under the guidance of the official of Honglu Temple, he knelt down and held the table of thanks and placed it on the table.
After placing the table, Zhu Pingan once again performed a three-kneeling and nine-kowtowing salute according to the requirements of the training at the Honglu Temple. After completing the salute, Zhu Pingan once again retreated to the position at the bottom of the steps and led the new entrants to stand at the bottom of the steps.
“Enter the table.”
The chanelling officer shouted out in a neutral tone.
As soon as the words fell, there was an official from Honglu Temple who came out from the parade, walked to the dragon patterned table and took the table of thanks that Zhu Pingan had put there with both hands, walked to the main hall and performed a big salute and knelt down, kneeling down in the centre of the main hall with the Xion in his hands.
“Declare the table.”
The chanelling officer once again shouted out in a neutral tone.
The official of the Honglu Temple then knelt down and began to pronounce the table, reading only the table of contents of the table of thanks and the summary at the end.
“Newly-promoted jinshi have an audience.” The chanelling official shouted again.
Zhu Pingan then led the newly-promoted scholars up to the main hall and performed the three-kneel-nine-kowtow salute to Emperor Jiajing, who was seated high on the dragon chair.
“Er some or into the Hanlin, or into the six ministries Yamen, job I text, embroidery I peace. Reserve Germany House material, to be used for your other day, do not slack off, otherwise I will never be lightly spared.”
Sitting high on the dragon chair, Jiajing Emperor looked at the great hall kneeling into a piece of the newly promoted jinshi, satisfied nodded, opened the golden mouth.
“I’m honoured to follow the Holy Oracle.” Zhu Pingan and the others knelt and returned.
After that again, Emperor Jiajing stopped speaking, shying away from words like gold, the sounding praise officer announced that the ceremony was over, Zhu Pingan and the others got up and thanked him for the salute, and then led by the officials of Honglu Temple to the end of the clerical officials, lining up and standing in a good position.
Generally speaking, the table of thanks is completed, then this court meeting is also successfully completed, Jiajing Emperor returned to the palace, all the civil and military officials go back to their homes.
But today there is some difference.
In the song of praise officer in accordance with the procedures read out, is about to end the procedure of this court meeting, suddenly a voice out from the civil and military officials in the queue came out.
“I have a present proposal.”
A clear voice broke the silence of the hall and drew people’s attention over.
In the eyes of the people, only to see the civil and military officials queue out of a forty-year-old, elegant-looking, wearing a flying fish suit officials, holding a tablet, stride out of the queue, sitting high in the dragon chair Jiajing emperor issued a blistering cry, I have a presentiment.
The voice is clear, powerful, solemn expression, as if dying.
