At noon, the Celestial Commissioner and more than twenty officials of the seventh rank and above were waiting outside Taixi Brothel.
Fangzheng, dressed in a purple robe and golden leather, with a colorful ribbon on his shoulder, appeared in front of the crowd. Two steps behind him was Junior Eunuch Ren, who was dressed in black.
Some people were born with an admirable temperament. Even if he did not say a word or smile, just his figure alone was enough to make people admire him.
Yu Shu looked at him a few times and could not help but be fascinated. She bowed to the officials. "Dispense with the formalities."
"Dispense with the formalities," Zhu Muzhao looked around, the jade chain on his crown swaying, his voice bright and clear, "Today's Water and Land Conference in the Palace is a tribute from the various countries of the East Continent. His Majesty has the intention of educating, that's why he has ordered our Da An Yi Master to send out all capable people to explain and impart knowledge. You, the Imperial Astronomer Yi Chen, should set an example and not be neglected."
Everyone said in unison, "Yes, sir!"
Zhu Muzhao nodded and scanned the crowd again. He raised his sleeve and pointed to a person in front, "The Right Magistrate is from the prestigious Daoist school of Mount Longhu. Today, he will explain the principles of Yi to you."
This meant that the task of explaining the principles of Yi to the foreign envoys fell on the Right Magistrate, Jing Chen.
"Yes, sir." Jing Chen looked calm and was not surprised. It was obvious that the Great Commissioner had already made arrangements.
He pointed to another person, "The Left Magistrate is in charge of the artifacts. You will handle the treasure exhibition."
Xin Ya was also prepared and went forward to accept the order.
Finally, she turned to Ren Qiming and said, "Junior Eunuch is knowledgeable and expected that the envoy will have some questions. You will be in charge of adapting to the situation."
Ren Qiming put his hands together and lowered his head, "Yes, sir."
After assigning these tasks, Zhu Muzhao turned around and seemed to accidentally see Yu Shu standing behind Jing Chen. He smiled at her, not as stern as before, and actually looked a little amiable. "Female Diviner, it's your first time here, so it's not suitable for you to make arrangements. Let's just observe for now."
Among the more than twenty officials, Yu Shu was the only one who had nothing to do but was singled out by the Grand Chancellor. She immediately became the center of attention.
He thought to himself, It seems like the Great Teacher thinks very highly of this young female fortune-teller.
Of course, Yu Shu knew why he was paying attention to her. She sneered inwardly, but on the surface, she humbly responded.
"I understand."
Zhu Muzhao nodded his head, his expression was serious, his left hand was behind his back, the sleeves of his clothes fluttered in the wind as he led the officials forward.
Although the group of people didn't line up, they followed Zhu Muzhao in an orderly manner according to their ranks. No one gossiped, and the atmosphere was so quiet that Yu Shu, the newcomer, couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
To be able to manage such a large Celestial Commissioner's Office in such an orderly manner, and to have all the officials obey his orders without question, he was truly a capable person.
Riding on a sedan chair, there were more than twenty Celestial Commissioner's Office officials and more than a hundred officials from the capital. They walked north from Qing Ming Street, all the way to the foot of the imperial palace, right in front of the Gate of Sky Bearing.
Alighting from the carriage, Yu Shu realized that there were not only people from the Celestial Commissioner's Office at the entrance of the imperial palace. On the other side, there were also a few other officials and generals dressed in the same official robes.
She tried to find Xue Rui's figure, but after looking around, she couldn't find him even after the eunuchs entered the palace.
"Weng weng" A deafening sound could be heard, and the wooden wheels slid to the ground as the city gates opened.
On top of the city walls, there were nearly a hundred imperial guards standing. Each of them held a spear in their hands, with a bow on their back and a feather pouch hanging on their waist. They looked coldly at the bottom of the city walls. If they discovered any strange movements, they would mercilessly shoot them to death on the spot.
Yu Shu always felt as if there was a dagger on her back. She raised her head and took a look. Only then did she know why. She swallowed her saliva and looked at the towering city gates in front of her. The deep hole that led to the heart of the Da An Dynasty made her heartbeat accelerate. She also had a heavy realization about who she would be going against in the future.
Could she really resist them?
Or would she end up like Yun Hua in the past, dying on this land without knowing why?
Yu Shu couldn't help but shiver.
"Be careful of your feet."
A reminder came into her ears. Her sleeves were gently pulled by someone. Yu Shu's footsteps suddenly stopped. When she regained her senses, she realized that Jing Chen had unknowingly fallen behind her. When she looked down again, there was a bronze brick under her feet. It was protruding half a foot, and she almost tripped over it.
"… Thanks."
Jing Chen's hand loosened in the next moment. There was no sunlight in the middle of the passageway. In the darkness, he looked at her deeply, and expressionlessly walked past the front.
No one noticed this little interlude. Yu Shu restrained her thoughts and paid attention to her feet. She concentrated on walking.
The Imperial City had Three Heavy Gates. One palace surrounded the other. After passing the Gate of Heaven, it was the Outer Court.
Every morning court was held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The officials of the fifth rank and above were familiar with the road. Further to the left was the Palace of Tranquility. It was a place for festive banquets. Further to the right was the Palace of Fengqing. It was a place for grand ceremonies.
The July Aquatic Assembly was being held in the Palace of Fengqing.
The palace could accommodate a thousand people. Magnificent pillars supported the sky, and the eaves of the windows were slanted. There were 361 skylights. During the day, the sun could shine, and during the night, the stars could be seen.
The Emperor had issued a sudden order for the Aquatic Assembly. The Celestial Commissioner, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs had arranged it in great secrecy.
Today, in the hall, there were red carpets and green curtains. There were more than two hundred seats. On the left and right, there were soft mats, long tables, and short tables.
The Celestial Commissioner and the group of Yi Shi were arranged to sit on the west side. On the east side, there were the princes, princes, civil and military officials, and foreign envoys. The middle path was covered with a golden carpet. It led to the jade steps at the north end. There was a golden couch with a cloud dragon on it. It was the throne of the emperor.
Yu Shu and the others were the first to be led into the hall. They took their seats from top to bottom. She sat behind Jing Chen, in the second row near the front. The civil and military officials on the opposite side took their seats, but there were no foreign visitors.
Because Yu Shu was the Celestial Commissioner, she didn't participate in this event. She didn't know the details. Puzzled, she asked Xie Lan, who was sitting behind her.
"Which countries' envoys are here today?"
She knew very little about the geography of Da 'an. She only knew that there were fierce Mongolian Jin people in the north, Hui tribes at the Jade Gate Pass in the west, and Wei Nation and Joseon Dynasty in the east.
She didn't know much more than that.
"According to what I know, there are four or five small countries. Some are from the East Continent, and some are from the West Sea. There are envoys from Dong Ying, Korea, Ryukyu, Annan, and Siam." Xie Lan was more knowledgeable than her.
When Yu Shu heard that these few countries and worlds were similar to the world in the future, she had an idea of what was going to happen. If she had to ask which country's envoy she was more interested in, it had to be Japan's Nihon.
Da 'an was strong and prosperous for three hundred years. It was even better than the Ming Dynasty in the official history. During this period, no one dared to provoke them. She didn't know what the attitude of the small countries that invaded the Central Plains in the future would be.
She was curious and looked around. She took the opportunity to remember many unfamiliar faces.
The court officials and Yi Shi sat down. About 15 minutes later, they heard the sound of the guards of honor.
"The Emperor is here!"
Everyone stood up. Yu Shu looked at the door. Not long after, she heard a voice coming from afar. First, a bright yellow appeared at the door of the hall.
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