After Qi Tai left the yamen today, he did not have to go to the Ministry of War for the time being to pay the price. Following him, he received the imperial edict to supervise the transportation of food and wages from various provinces and was scheduled to leave Beijing in three days.

The imperial edict was placed on a table in the bedroom. The old slave entered and served Qi Tai and took off his official uniform and brought a silk robe.

Everything is complicated and Qi Tai is worried about a lot. Today he always feels very impetuous. He is very clear about the priest's northern expedition to Mongolia this year. The Mongolian tribes should not be the most important goal, and gradually reducing the vassal states is the priest's intention!

Perhaps the reduction of the vassal states during the Jianwen period caused years of war and major failures, which left Qi Tai with a shadow. Recently, he has been worried about what would happen.

"If you don't wear this outfit, I remember that there is also a brown cotton straight robe." Qi Tai suddenly spoke.

The slave hurriedly said, "I'll find you here."

After a while, Qi Tai changed his clothes, wore a square scarf on his head and a cotton robe on his body. He went to the study to get a copy of "The Doctrine of the Mean", and went out in a carriage.

The inner city of the capital was very lively. After the new emperor ascended the throne for a period of time, everything gradually returned to normal.

Qi Tai took a bus from north to south, crossed the Dazhong Bridge, Gongyuan, and Fuxue on the Jinshui River. The carriage did not go to those places, nor to the Qinhuai River to the south, but continued to travel westward. After passing Dagongfang and walking a little along Sanshan Street, he saw a low, old and dense house.

Between the Qinhuai River and the Jinshui River, there are many wine shops, which is a prosperous area. But there is a messy place with dilapidated streets and old houses. Because of this, food and accommodation here are the cheapest. When Qi Tai went to Beijing to take the exam, he found half of the capital and found this "good place".

Qi Tai calculated with his fingers that more than 20 years have passed, but he didn't expect this place to be like this. Even the inn he lived in was the same as before.

The shops and vendors on both sides of the streets and alleys are busy, and they have been like this for more than 20 years. Qi Tai feels that if people are not forced into trouble, people will never seem to change.

The house I used to live in was already in. Today, Qi Tai gave three times the room money and asked the customer to change it.

A broken wooden window in the house faced the street, which was very noisy during the day. Qi Tai sat in front of the bed for a long time, and admired himself a little at that time. He was still able to concentrate on studying in such a noisy place, and that year he became a Jinshi in high school!

Qi Tai recalled his original state of mind. At that time, he was young and energetic. His usual days were a little embarrassed and he had to calculate everything carefully. But his heart was filled with pride and always had a kind of courage to take the world as his responsibility.

After thinking for a while, he took out the Doctrine of the Mean from his arms.

Qi Tai eliminated distracting thoughts by the window. Amid all the noises, he read aloud without distraction: "The destiny of heaven is called nature, the destiny of nature is called Tao, and the practice of Tao is called teaching. Tao cannot be separated for a moment; it can be separated, not Tao. Therefore, a gentleman is careful what he does not see, and fears what he does not hear..."

I don't know how long it took, Qi Tai suddenly heard a song, and the song was completely different from the one he read. When he heard it, he heard a woman's voice singing: "The pretty enemy pulled the slave outside the window, bit the slave's cheeks, and his hands were removed from the fragrant belt. Brother waited for a while, but I was afraid that someone would come, and there would be no one in the future. The belt would be removed at your disposal..."

There was a noise outside the door, and many people were still shouting "Okay".

Qi Tai was stunned. He immediately stopped studying, opened the door and walked out. He followed the singing and came to the lobby on the dilapidated wooden building.

An old man was sitting by the wall, playing the santry talisman skillfully; in front of him was a young lady in a floral dress, singing a song with a red face. There were several square wooden tables, many benches, and guests who were drinking tea and eating were all facing the little lady with great enthusiasm and listening to her singing.

Another man shouted, "Today, this little girl is young and handsome. We want to untie your belt. How much does it cost?"

Everyone was in the mood, but the little girl stopped. Because Qi Tai had walked up to her at some point, Qi Tai stared at the little girl with his eyes, and his expression was a little dazed; even the vulgar laughter around him became hazy, and various sounds seemed to be coming from the depths of the distant time.

"Like..." Qi Tai said a little absent-mindedly.

The little girl bent her knees and said, "Did I disturb my husband's study?"

Qi Tai shook his head.

At this time, someone shouted, "I'm afraid this old man is untied. Look at that dress, he is the one who is at hand."

Qi Tai reached out and touched his face, and suddenly said, "Am I old?"

The little girl blushed and said shyly: "Sir is in his prime, not old."

Qi Tai finally came to his senses and glanced at the old man sitting in the corner of the wall. He looked back and found that there was a table where several people were sitting at a table and their temperament was different from other guests.

"How can I repay the great kindness of the emperor?" Qi Tai immediately moved.

The guests who were clamoring and making noises calmed a little a little. Many people looked at Qi Tai with strange eyes, and some people whispered: "Is this an official?"

"What do you mean by sir?" the little girl said in confusion.

Qi Tai glanced around and said to the little girl: "Follow me to go into the house and say."

The little girl followed Qi Tai obediently. People looked at them, but no one started to make fun of them at this time.

When she returned to the guest room, the little girl glanced at the book on the stool and whispered: "Are you really a scholar?"

"Who are you? Who asked you to come?" Qi Tai asked back.

The little lady said, "I am from Yangzhou Prefecture, with the surname Yang. Not long ago, a matchmaker came to my family and met me. When the matchmaker came back the second time, he brought a lot of property Tianqi to give a heavy gift to his parents, saying that the wealthy families with the surname Qi in the capital wanted to take the slave as their concubines. He also said that although the master was middle-aged, he was a scholar who was well-educated and polite.

When I arrived at the capital, someone taught me to sing the shameful song and brought it here to sing. It was said that the master would come to meet him..."

"Does your family have a third-ranked person who was taken to the capital by his fellow villager more than 20 years ago and has never returned to his hometown since then?" Qi Tai asked.

The little lady nodded and said, "That is my third aunt."

Qi Tai suddenly said, "No wonder he looks quite similar."

The little girl asked curiously: "Does the master know my third aunt?"

"It's a long story to say." Qi Tai nodded. After he said that, he sat down on a wooden bench, pondering, and no longer spoke.

After a long time, the little lady asked timidly: "The betrothal gifts are really given to my parents... Do you still want me?"

"Yes, of course!" Qi Tai raised his head and said without hesitation, "I dare not want the person who gave me such a great reward?"

"Master?" The little girl looked confused.

Qi Tai picked up his book and said, "Do you have a name? Go home with me first. I have to go to the palace while it is still early today."

"Yunniang, when my mother was born in my family, she ate rapeseed at noon and gave her the name of this boudoir." Xiaoniang said, "The Master Wang, who played the piano outside, taught me to sing music. Wouldn't he ask him to go with me?"

Qi Tai said: "Don't worry about him, he should be from the Jiaofangsi, he will go back to the yamen by himself."

Yunniang followed Qi Tai to the door and asked, "Sir, are you an official?"

Qi Tai nodded.

Yunniang asked again: "What a great official? The master said that he could enter the palace, so should the magistrate of our county be more than the general strike?"

Qi Tai said: "It should be bigger."

Qi Tai took Yunniang back to the mansion by carriage. When Yunniang saw the huge courtyard, pavilions and towers, her expression changed for a moment and she didn't dare to say a word. Qi Tai didn't care about her for the time being, and just asked the servants in the mansion to settle her. He hurriedly changed into a red round collar robe and took his entourage to the imperial city.

The emperor was in the Rouyi Hall in the afternoon.

Originally, when you enter the palace, the generals go to Xihuamen and the civil servants go to Donghuamen. However, Qi Tai was taken to Xihuamen and into the palace because it was very close to Rouyi Hall.

Before Qi Tai and the other two entered the hall, there were only two people inside, one was Emperor Zhu Gaoxu, and the other was Chen, the queen of Annan.

"Qibutang is here." Zhu Gaoxu greeted him first.

"I bow to the Lord, long live the Lord!" Qi Tai knelt down and bowed.

Zhu Gaoxu said: "No. Come and sit at the table."

"I thank the Master for giving me a seat." After saying that, Qi Tai climbed up, walked to the opposite side of the big table, and sat on a round stool with a mahogany waist. He was thinking about how to speak, but he didn't say anything for a moment.

After a while, Zhu Gaoxu's voice said, "I don't have to use Zhang Xin. However, that day Chen Yan impeached Zhang Xin, and Qibutang also heard what Duke Qi said. Duke Qi meant that Zhang Xin had made contributions to the "Jingnan" and asked me to remember the merits.

Now the heroes of Jingnan are also my ministers, and I must ignore them completely. Besides, the common generals are really unwilling to go to those places of Nuer. Letting Zhang Xin go to Nuer to become the commander of the capital is also a serious punishment. I think he cannot be touched for the time being; what to do in the future depends on his performance in Nuer."

Qi Tai nodded and said, "What the emperor is concerned about is thorough, how can I ignore the overall situation because of my personal grudges? Chen Yan impeached Zhang Xin, but I have never participated. Please ask the emperor to observe clearly!"

"Qibutang said no, then there must be no. I believe you, and there is no need to check again." Zhu Gaoxu said in his voice.

Qi Tai sighed and said, "I don't want to take revenge. I'm just used to it for many years and occasionally miss the past."

"What Qibutang said seriously?" Zhu Gaoxu asked in a relaxed tone with a smile.

Qi Tai nodded: "The past has passed, and no matter how hard I find those time and people, why should I depose the public for personal gain? I am really guilty of distracting the emperor!"

Zhu Gaoxu said: "I hope the Qi tribe can untie the knot as soon as possible. I have taught the queen a small song... How about asking the queen to sing a song?"

Chen said: "I obey the order."

She cleared her voice, said "I think I'm ugly", and started singing.

"I was sitting alone in the cabin at night. I was in the cabin. I was waiting for my husband in the cabin. Suddenly, someone called Du Shiniang outside the window. I held the window railing and looked around, why didn't I see my husband..."

This small tune is strange. Qi Tai didn't know the name of the song, so he only listened to the lyrics. In this magnificent palace, a common song was sung in the beautiful voice of Chen. Qi Tai and Zhu Gaoxu both turned around and admired it attentively.

Although it is a bit unfamiliar, Qi Tai remembers what Zhu Gaoxu said: The Ming Dynasty was not a barbarian country. We not only had to have a strong career, but also had to have a prosperous culture, which made the world admire and yearn for.

Perhaps the emperor thinks that vulgar music is just a culture.

Qi Tai understood the lyrics and sighed secretly, thinking: The emperor is really good at thinking and values ​​me very much. How can I only care about myself?
Chapter completed!