Chapter 596 0591 [Contract Worker Li Qingzhao]

In addition to Vice Prime Minister Gao Jingshan, Zhao Mingcheng, who worked in the Hanlin Academy, also died of illness last winter.

This old man died of illness after all. He did not suffer as much as in history, and did not leave many things to be criticized.

For example, he was appointed as the prefect of Jiangning by Zhao Gou. His subordinates came to report that Wang Yi, the commander of the imperial camp, showed signs of rebellion. Zhao Mingcheng ignored it and did not take it seriously at all. His subordinates, civil and military, could only defend themselves. When the subordinates defeated the rebels and went to find Zhao Mingcheng, this guy had already fled out of the city with a basket hanging.

No responsibility at all!

Now Li Qingzhao lives in Guirenfang in the southeast of the city. The house price here is not low. After all, the South Market is just a few streets away.

In order to expand the Baolu Palace and build Genyue, Song Huizong directly demolished the entire North Market, and the South Market in Bianliang became more prosperous and lively.

Fortunately, there was a low-price house sale last year, and the properties left by the old Song clans that were split and migrated were dealt with by the court. Zhao Mingcheng sold some antiques and paintings and bought a house at half the price.

Her husband died, she had no children, and the empty house was extremely desolate.

"My wife, someone sent a letter outside saying that the old lady died." The servant came to report.

Li Qingzhao was startled, and soon realized that it was her mother-in-law who died.

She invited the old servant in, opened the letter and read it, and then asked about the situation carefully, and then gave some money to send him away.

The Zhao and Li families had long fallen out, and Li Qingzhao had not contacted her husband's family for 20 years.

It was impossible for Li Qingzhao to go to the funeral. Even if her husband was still alive, it was her husband who went to the funeral alone.

When her father was exiled to Guangnan, her father-in-law not only did not save him, but also added insult to injury and stabbed him in the back!

Alas, life is so hard.

Lying in the yard, Li Qingzhao drank by herself, staring at the shaking leaves in a daze.

Her hair was tied up with hemp, which was a mourning bun.

She and her deceased husband were in a relationship of mourning, and had to mourn for 25 months.

In the afternoon, a friend sent someone to deliver a letter, inviting Li Qingzhao to attend the Jinming Poetry Festival.

Li Qingzhao didn't want to agree, after all, she was still in mourning, but she was bored at home, so she agreed to go.

After her husband died, she had been at home for four months, and if she didn't go out to get some fresh air, it would get moldy.

The next morning, Li Qingzhao went out with a mourning bun. Except for not wearing jewelry, there was nothing unusual about the rest of her clothes, just that she was dressed more plainly.

The donkey cart was bought by Zhao Mingcheng. Two strong servants led the way, and a maid followed. Li Qingzhao went to Jinming Pond in the west of the city.

Jinming Pond in spring, there are particularly many tourists.

This royal garden, due to the increase in opening dates of the new Ming Dynasty, has now almost become the "Tokyo People's Park".

"Dangdangdangdang..."

Before leaving the city, the bell tower rang.

The heavy hammer four-sided pendulum clock has become a daily thing, and no locals are staring at it anymore.

However, there are some craftsmen who want to imitate it, but they dare not ask around.

Fortunately, the Holy Emperor is kind and kind. A few days ago, a notice was posted: Any merchant can buy the pendulum clock blueprint by paying one thousand strings of cash.

It is estimated that in two months, small pendulum clocks will be sold in Tokyo.

When the donkey cart drives to the outside of Jinming Lake Garden, you have to pay to park here.

There is no entrance fee to enter the park, but you have to pay a parking fee. Including the nearby restaurants and shops, they are all contracted out to private merchants, and all the income belongs to the royal family.

The painted boat in the lake is also a royal property and is also contracted out.

When Li Qingzhao boarded the boat, nearly ten people had gathered in the painted boat, and they greeted her warmly when they saw her.

"Sister is here." Wang nodded slightly, without even getting up to greet her.

Li Qingzhao did not like this cousin and thought she was too scheming. Moreover, since Qin Hui became the Minister of State, Wang has become more and more arrogant, and has also tried to curry favor with the powerful.

Li Qingzhao was a little surprised to find that there was a man in the painting boat.

Zhou, the daughter-in-law of Zhao Quan, the Minister of Works, said: "We have invited several new Jinshi today, and one of them is the first in the second class."

Li Qingzhao asked: "Isn't Yu coming?"

"She said that she had something to do at home and will come to the party another day." Zhou said.

Li Qingzhao smiled and thought that Yu Shanwei was indeed cautious and would never contact the new Jinshi.

After waiting for a while, more than 20 people boarded the boat one after another, and the number of people participating in the poetry meeting reached more than 20.

Li Yi, the sixth Jinshi, was warmly received and enjoyed the feeling of being valued.

How can I say this person, he has talent, but that's all.

In history, he was lucky to pass the exam.

When the Jin soldiers came south, the garrison felt that the champion was young and it was not worth dying in the war, so he asked Li Yi to leave the city quickly to avoid disaster.

Li Yi, the second-in-command in the city, actually abandoned the city and ran away. He found his mother outside the city and planned to take her away, but was angrily scolded by his mother: "If I leave, you will not have the heart to defend the city. You go back to defend the city, I will stay and die with you."

Under the teachings of his mother, Li Yi returned to the city and vowed to live and die with the whole city. The morale of the defenders suddenly became high.

Some are greedy for life, but not afraid of death.

"Today, Madam Yu is not here, so I dare to host the poetry meeting," Wang said in the opening remarks, "These people are all talented people of the time, newly admitted, and it is not easy to discuss poetry with us women..."

"I don't deserve it!" Several Jinshi said hurriedly.

After chatting for a while, Wang said again: "The emperor wrote an imperial poem at the Qionglin Banquet. This is the only poem that the emperor showed to others. This is very rare, and you should read and appreciate it."

Li Qingzhao was a little curious. When she took Zhu Guoxiang's doggerel and read it, she burst out laughing: "This poem... is very good!"

Wang said seriously: "The emperor's masterpiece has its own deep meaning."

Li Qingzhao smiled but said nothing. After all, it was the emperor's work, and she really couldn't be as sharp-tongued as before.

Li Yi hurriedly explained: "The emperor claimed at the Qionglin Banquet that he was not good at writing, so he could only write a doggerel. He also said that he was too modest. Although this poem is not in rhythm, it has a lofty idea, which is enough to show the emperor's great talent and strategy."

"That's right," another scholar also said, "The emperor's interest is not in poetry and articles, but in the country. Even the doggerel is written so calmly and majestically."

Everyone began to flatter, deliberately avoiding literary talent and only starting from the idea and pattern.

Li Qingzhao waved her round fan in silence. She regretted coming to the poetry meeting.

Among this group of officials' wives, she only liked Yu Shanwei, and the rest were all vulgar people.

Perhaps it was too embarrassing to flatter doggerel, so Wang led to change the topic and asked several new scholars to bring out their poems.

Li Yi took out his old poems and asked the people present to comment on them. He couldn't help but say: "I have long admired the name of Yi An Jushi, and today I would like to ask for your comments."

Li Qingzhao had just heard the poems and said very tactfully: "Your poems have the right level and rhythm."

Meaning, only the level and rhythm are left, and there are no other advantages.

Li Yi said embarrassedly: "I have learned from you."

In the past, Li Qingzhao was much more venomous.

First, she was getting older, second, she was displaced, and third, she had no one to rely on, so she was very restrained in her words now.

After staying in the painted boat for a while, Li Qingzhao left early on the pretext of having something to do at home.

There was really nothing to miss in Tokyo, so she decided to sell the house and return home to raise an orphan to kill time.

I was sitting in a donkey cart back to my residence, and was about to have dinner when my half brother Li Rui came to visit.

"Sister, great news!" Li Rui said as soon as they met.

Li Qingzhao was puzzled and asked, "Why are you so happy?"

Li Rui said, "Your Majesty is going to transfer a large number of officials back from Guangdong, some of whom are very talented and knowledgeable, and he plans to keep them in the Hanlin Academy to compile books. This book is called "Hongwu Complete Book", and all classics, history, and collections will be included. The "Jinshilu" written by my brother-in-law must be included. I asked His Majesty to say that the "Jinshilu" has not been completed, and His Majesty allowed you to enter the Hanlin Academy to assist in the compilation. Isn't there a collection of books in more than a dozen rooms in my sister's hometown? You can present them to the court. After the Hanlin Academy has finished selecting, these books will be returned to you."

"Women can also enter the Hanlin?" Li Qingzhao was surprised.

Li Rui said, "There is no official post, His Majesty gave me a temporary job."

Li Qingzhao asked, "Do I need to go back to Shandong to get the book?"

Li Rui said, "No need, my sister just needs to nod and write a letter to the family, and the local officials will send it to Tokyo."

When Li Qingzhao and her husband fled, they took away all the fine works, which alone were in the unit of "car".

And the books they left in their hometown filled more than a dozen rooms!

The next day, Li Qingzhao went to the Hanlin Academy and received a temporary job, which was probably similar to a contract worker. The salary was not yet known.

The compilation of "Hongwu Complete Book" has not started yet.

It is mainly to deal with Guangdong officials. It is not good to dismiss them all at once.

Therefore, Zhu Guoxiang decided to punish the notorious ones, dismiss those with mediocre talents, and throw the knowledgeable corrupt officials to compile books. And it is a large volume of "Hongwu Complete Book", so that these corrupt officials will not do anything else in the second half of their lives, and honestly go to the pile of old papers, and don't give them any chance to get money again.

Even her name could not be left. For such a large-scale book editing project, only a few editors could sign their names.

Li Qingzhao was temporarily assigned to the Hanlin Academy of Painting, where there were a large number of collections left by Song Huizong, including many antiques and artworks.

Li Qingzhao's job was to sort out Song Huizong's collections and write them into Zhao Mingcheng's "Jinshilu".

Facing the royal collections that she had never dreamed of seeing before, Li Qingzhao seemed like a mouse running into a granary, wishing to eat and live in it.

Zhu Ming, who was about to go to Shandong for an inspection, joked with his father: "I heard that Li Qingzhao is in the painting academy, why don't you go and get to know her?"

Zhu Guoxiang said unhappily: "No matter how famous she is, she is already a middle-aged woman. What do you mean by winking?"

"I didn't say anything," Zhu Ming muttered, "The Jin people have already made some small moves. I have to go to Shandong for an inspection and let those newly formed troops return to their hearts. Tokyo is left to you."

"Go with peace of mind. If it is not necessary, don't go to the battlefield in person." Zhu Guoxiang reminded.

On the day Zhu Ming left Beijing, Zhu Guoxiang set off for the Painting Academy. He was mainly curious about what the great talent Li Qingzhao looked like.