After the first sound of water dripping from the Nine Quarters Room, a young eunuch with nimble legs rushed to the palace gate to report that dawn had arrived. Thousands of large red lanterns were hung up almost at the same time, illuminating the entire palace, making it bright and full of vitality. Han Diaosi walked lightly among them. When the second sound of water dripping came, he arrived in front of the Emperor. After entering the room, he kept his head down. He could only see a pair of yellow and purple boots from the Imperial Clothing Administration. Excluding the color that symbolized honor and honor, they were no different from the cotton shoes of an ordinary family. Inside the room, there was a servant waiting on the man wearing a yellow dragon robe. The man listened to the sound of rain outside the window and laughed gently. "Guyu rains, all living things are clean and bright. It is a good omen."
Han Diaosi bent over, his two strands of drooping hair almost touching the cold limestone floor. He said softly, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince sent someone yesterday to deliver some toon before the rain into the palace."
The man did not make a sound. The atmosphere in the room was stagnant. Only the rumbling of the rain could be heard outside the window. After a long time, he laughed and said, "Although the toon before the rain is tender like silk, it is obvious that he is giving it to you, the great master's husband. It has nothing to do with me.
Han Diaosi bent even lower.
The man took off a yellow and purple cotton shoe and smashed it on the body of the eunuch. He laughed loudly and said somewhat helplessly, "Just bring three catties."
Han Diaosi in the red python robe nodded. His snow-white hair curled on the floor. He picked up the cotton shoe, trotted a few steps, and handed it to Yu Qian Jingren. He then took a few steps back and stood in place. Using the soft and gentle voice of a eunuch, he said softly, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. The Sixth Prince only sent two catties of toon."
The man, who had just taken the cotton shoe and was about to put it on himself, threw it over and scolded with a smile, "Then bring the two catties. As the great master, you don't have the fortune to eat it."
The Great Eunuch with the Treasure Seal and several Red Python Officials were already waiting quietly outside the door, standing in the middle of the corridor. The wind blew and the rain slanted, the rain beat against the railing and splashed into the corridor, soaking the shoes very quickly. These eunuchs were all fourth-ranked eunuchs. They were waiting to follow His Majesty to the south. Along the way, they had to cross the Dragon Path, which symbolized the boundary of the Great Inner Kingdom. Then, they had to go around two palaces before they could reach the so-called Golden Imperial Hall to participate in the morning court.
Before the court, there would be a few newly promoted servants who would join the group midway. They were all young and new faces, but even the eunuchs had to greet them with smiles. It was completely different from when the high-ranking officials and dignitaries met them in the palace and took the initiative to get off their horses and palanquins.
The morning court of the current dynasty followed the old rules. The Emperor came in person. Aside from natural disasters, the severe cold and intense heat continued throughout the day. However, for most of the low-ranking officials in the capital, it wasn't too tiring. They only needed to participate in the court that was held once every five days, as well as the morning court. The officials who lived on the streets near the Imperial City where influential officials gathered would wake up at about four in the morning. As for the other officials, if they couldn't afford to buy a luxurious residence close to the Imperial City, the closer they were to the Imperial City, the more expensive the land. They would probably have to leave in the middle of the night to not miss the court session. Today, it was raining heavily. When the civil and military officials went out, they all brought raincoats. Right now, they were waiting for the gates to open. Because it was a great court session, not only were there nobles, marquises, princes and consorts, as well as close to a thousand officials, many hereditary meritorious officials also came to the morning court session. There were a total of a thousand four hundred to five hundred people, standing densely in the rain outside the Imperial City gates. The soybean-sized raindrops struck against the surface of the umbrellas, releasing peng peng noises.
This was a scene unique to a peaceful and prosperous era, waiting for the court to leak out.
This was a massive empire unprecedented in history, countless government orders were handed down to them to pass down to every corner of the territory.
After the bell rang, these officials who held great power in their hands had to abandon their umbrellas and move forward. After passing through the city gates, they weren't allowed to make any noise or spit. Only after Grand Secretary Zhang took over the reins of power was this type of bad habit washed away, each court session becoming increasingly solemn and dignified. Once a low ranked minor official was discovered, they would naturally be chased out by the Imperial Guards and eunuchs. In the past, many children of meritorious meritorious officials also didn't pay this type of matter any attention. Before stepping into the palace, they would always whisper with family friends, saying some disrespectful words. Only after Grand Secretary Zhang took over power was this type of bad habit washed away, each court session becoming more and more solemn and dignified. Great Yellow Gate Jin Lanting stood with an umbrella, still all alone. Most of the capital's officials who didn't like this person all privately mocked him for being 'a crane standing out from a flock of chickens, but rather a chicken standing out from a flock of cranes'. This was especially the case for this carp jumping little scholar Huang Gate, who actually had diarrhea during one morning court session, almost suffocating to death. Fortunately, Huang Gate wasn't like the fourth rank and lower officials, who could only kneel outside the palace, unable to enter the palace to meet the emperor. His Majesty saw through this abnormality and specially allowed him to leave, only then did he not become a huge laughingstock. As a result, this Huang Gate who relied on selling his acquaintance with several great figures with great difficulty completely became the capital's pre-tea and post-meal topic of ridicule. This was especially the case after Huan Wen led the Imperial College's Left Chancellor to Guangling Road to take on the role of Administrator. In the entire capital, the only fourth rank and above official who was willing to let Jin Lanting enter the palace was also gone. Who told this brat to just have to be so close to Beiliang?
Jin Lanting, who smugly entered the capital with the status of being a replacement for the Great Yellow Gate, had long lost his initial scholarly spirit, his edges and corners polished. He also no longer cared about the earth-shattering mockery and ridicule. He clearly remembered those jealous and envious gazes the day after he was invited by Chancellor Huan to attend the court session. Jin Lanting stretched out a hand outside the umbrella. Raindrops hit the center of his palm, causing him to feel a burst of pain. He, who had been using the oil paper umbrella to cover his face all this time, slightly opened the umbrella and looked at those officials of all kinds who were gathered together like a small mountain. Listening to them talk and laugh wittily, this familiar Xuan Lang, who was collectively rejected by the capital's officials, lightly tiptoed. Because of his noble status, the court had to strictly follow the order of rank and enter in a single file, he was able to approach the main gate of the Imperial City. Thus, Jin Lanting saw a few conspicuous umbrellas. One of them was Grand Secretary Zhang Julu, whose figure was several inches taller than a normal person's umbrella. Under the umbrella, other than this important figure who was "a pillar of strength for three hundred years," there was also Sun Xiji, the Left Servant of the Province of Menxia who could not attend court but insisted on attending court. It was probably because the Grand Secretary was worried about Old Servant Sun's health that he helped hold the umbrella to block the rain. This was a great honor, not at all inferior to the Emperor's permission for Old Servant Sun to sit in court.
Jin Lanting withdrew his ice-cold hand. He lowered his eyelids and clenched his fists.
He quietly looked not far away at another official who was also from Beiliang, the Assistant Minister of Rites, Yan Jiexi, who was a relative of the Emperor. The governor of Beiliang's Lingzhou also happened to look over. Their gazes met and then bounced away.
Jin Lanting withdrew his gaze without leaving a trace. He took a deep breath, his gaze firm and resolute. He wanted to be an official who spoke out.
The treacherous official who was about to be impeached by him today was precisely the King of Beiliang, Xu Xiao, who had helped him enter the capital to become an official!
He knew that after morning court, regardless of whether the rain stopped or not, he would shake the court and his reputation would spread throughout the world.
At this time, Hsu Fengnian had turned into Orange Prefecture.
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