Is that what you mean?
Xu Chong was slightly stunned.
"That's right."
Lou Youzhi explained, "These days, the two of us have tried every possible way to look up the matter of supernatural powers, but to no avail. After much thought, there are only two places in the court that may have records. One is the imperial study in the back hall of Tianji Palace."
"As for the Imperial Study, you also know that His Majesty has been staying in the back hall of the Tianji Palace for more than ten years. Except for a few people, no one can set foot in it."
The imperial city of Daqing has a huge number of palaces and gardens.
The Tianji Hall in the Yongqing Palace, located in the center, was the venue for all court meetings, large and small.
Whenever he went to court, Emperor Qing moved from his bedroom to the rear hall of Tianji Palace. After all the officials were in their seats, he would walk out from behind the curtain and sit on the throne to listen to government affairs.
But when it came to Emperor Yongtai, he was too lazy to even bring out the curtains.
Over time, the golden curtain in front of the Tianji Palace seemed to have become a natural barrier, separating Emperor Yongtai from the officials.
If the emperor does not take a step forward, the officials cannot take a step forward.
Naturally, no one was allowed to enter the imperial study in the back hall.
Xu Chong nodded and asked, "What about the other one?"
"Eastern Palace, Zhanshi Mansion."
Lou Youzhi replied.
Xu Chong raised his eyebrows.
The Zhanshi Mansion is the institution responsible for educating the crown prince and assisting the crown prince of the Eastern Palace. It is usually simply referred to as the Eastern Palace.
Given the importance of the Crown Prince to the country, it is possible that there are some unrevealed secrets in the Chancellery.
Xu Chong was thoughtful, "So, the Zhanshi Mansion is actually the cave heaven?"
"It should be said that the entire East Palace is inside the cave."
Lou Youzhi smiled.
Xu Chongyi raised his eyebrows, "Does the royal family value the prince so much that they actually use an entire cave to ensure his safety?"
"It's not just as simple as ensuring safety. The name of the East Palace Cave Heaven is called Jixiangtian, and the rule is auspiciousness and good fortune."
Dou Tianyuan said meaningfully, "As the controller of the cave heaven, the prince can grow most smoothly, whether in strength or intelligence... Unfortunately, this does not include character and conduct."
"Is that so..."
Xu Chong became serious, "No wonder Emperor Yongtai is so strong."
It seems that the reason why Daqing has always been Daqing, in addition to the household registration system, is also due to the auspicious day.
The auspicious rules ensure that every emperor of Daqing can stand at the top of the world.
The minister is strong? Sorry, I am stronger than you.
The minister has ulterior motives? Sorry, I know what you are up to as soon as you stick out your butt.
It cannot be said that he surpasses every generation, but he is definitely one of the best in every generation.
This means that in the Daqing Dynasty, there will only be tyrants and wise rulers, but never incompetent rulers.
"Among them, the post of Xima in the Zhanshi Mansion was in charge of the affairs of the Sijing Bureau, responsible for the selection, compilation, and revision of classics, history, and laws and regulations, and the establishment of originals, duplicates, and storage copies for reference... In other words, all the books and volumes in the Eastern Palace were collected by Xima."
Lou Youzhi continued, "And now, Xima is old and is about to return home."
"Such an important position would be given to someone like me who has no qualifications?"
Xu Chong was a little confused.
"It is not your majesty who would interfere in this."
Dou Tianyuan shook his head. "Let alone a horse groom in the Zhanshi Mansion, even if it was recommended by the court to join the cabinet in recent years, His Majesty was too lazy to ask about it, and still let Lou Heizi approve it... If it weren't for the incident in Yongzhou this time, I would have thought that His Majesty was not behind the curtain at all."
"It is King Qian who will intervene."
Lou Youzhi continued, "After all, Xima is an official of the Eastern Palace, and Prince Qian is worried about letting my people in...but you are different."
"You are the descendant of Taizu, and you are highly regarded by King Qian."
Dou Tianyuan smiled and said, "Although the position of Xima is important, it is only a fifth-rank position after all. If you had not passed the imperial examination to enter the government, you would have been able to be the Zhanshi."
"Then my crime of killing Xie Changqing..."
Xu Chong asked after thinking about it.
"It's long gone."
Dou Tianyuan shook his head. "Before either of us had time to submit a petition, His Majesty issued an edict to pardon you."
Xu Chong's heart sank suddenly.
Emperor Yongtai has already noticed me?!
“No need to panic.”
Lou Youzhi opened his mouth and said, "This matter was handled by King Qian."
"King Qian?"
Xu Chong raised his eyebrows, "What did he do?"
"He went to see His Majesty and said that you once served in the Blood Robe Guards and were loyal to the court. You were young and ignorant, so you didn't understand why the court would recruit Xie Changqing, which led to your inner demons."
Dou Tianyuan chuckled, "Killing people is something we have to do."
"And they said that after you learned about the good intentions of your majesty, you came to your senses and imprisoned yourself in the imperial prison out of guilt..."
Lou Youzhi said, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, "His Majesty was very pleased and issued an imperial decree to pardon me."
"I see……"
Xu Chong breathed a sigh of relief.
"You are really blessed, kid."
Dou Tianyuan smacked his lips.
Think about it, the Prime Minister takes care of the affairs of the court, the Blood-clothed Guards take care of the aftermath of the private affairs, and the Imperial Family also has the Clan Leader to speak well of them...
If I had been so lucky back then, how much less suffering would I have endured?
"In that case, your appointment will be announced after the court meeting tomorrow."
Lou Youzhi said something and gestured to Dou Tianyuan.
Dou Tianyuan was not vague either. He immediately opened a door and sent Lou Youzhi away.
After Lou Youzhi left, Xu Chong's face became serious and he asked earnestly, "Sir, have Prime Minister Lou and Emperor Qing had any conflicts in the past year?"
"No."
Dou Tianyuan shook his head. "There are millions of innocent souls in front of us, and the whole family of Duke Anguo has been killed in the back. The government and the public are now condemning Lou Heizi. Your Majesty has already won the battle, and there is no need to do anything more."
"What you mean is, if keeping Prime Minister Lou is not useful, Your Majesty can replace this Prime Minister at any time?"
Xu Chong felt a little heavy in his heart.
"That's right."
Dou Tianyuan sighed, "So, Lou Heizi has become much more cautious in his actions... Even I don't know if he is doing anything in secret."
"As long as no one knows."
Xu Chong didn't care about it.
"Don't talk about that."
Dou Tianyuan waved his hand and said, "I'm going to talk to King Qian. You can go and pay a visit to Lü Zhong in advance."
"Lü Zhong?"
Xu Chong raised an eyebrow, "Why should I visit him?"
It’s not that the death of the water ghost made him have any grudge against Lu Zhong, it’s just that the relationship hadn’t reached that point.
"With the cave, three masters and three junior officials are not necessary. They are basically just empty titles and do nothing. And currently there is only one prince's tutor, who is led by Duke Chengguo."
Dou Tianyuan smiled and said, "And the position of Zhanshi in Zhanshi Mansion is held by Lu Zhong's student."
"You want me to go there to make myself familiar with the emperor, so that I can have the help of the emperor so that I can do things in the East Palace?"
Xu Chong understood.
"That's right. The East Palace is inside the cave after all. The information that the Blood Robe Guards can get has passed through many hands. There's no point in telling you."
Dou Tianyuan nodded. "You have had contact with Lu Zhong before, and his favorite student is your childhood friend. I think he will not hesitate to help you."
After saying this, without waiting for Xu Chong's response, Dou Tianyuan stretched out his hand and stabbed into the void. When he pulled it out, there was a scroll in his hand.
"It's not good to come empty-handed, so take this as a gift."
Dou Tianyuan handed the scroll to Xu Chong, "Lü Zhong loved painting all his life. I found this when I confiscated his house a few years ago. It is said to be the authentic work of Mr. Shuihua."
"Thank you."
Xu Chong didn't act pretentiously and took it immediately.
After finding out the location of Lu's mansion, he said goodbye and left the main office.
The end of the You hour.
Xu Chong appeared in front of a huge and magnificent mansion.
There was a plaque hanging on the mansion with four big characters written on it: "Rongguogong Mansion".
Yes, the Lu Mansion is also called the Rongguo Mansion.
As for why no one calls Lü Zhong the Duke of Rong...
Because Lü Zhong's father is still alive and is now 104 years old.
This is the most resilient person Xu Chong has ever seen or heard since he traveled through time, no doubt about it .
And Lu Zhong was already eighty years old, so naturally, no one called him the Little Duke.
It was already dark at this time, and a whole set of wall lamps embedded inside lit up, shining through the mesh holes in the wall. Together with the magnificent interior, the entire Lu Mansion looked extremely luxurious.
Xu Chong walked closer.
"May I ask your name? Are you here to visit the Duke, or Master Lü Zhonglü?"
A man dressed as a butler at the door spoke with a smile.
"I am Xu Chong, and I have come to visit the Deputy Minister. Please let me know."
Xu Chong clasped his fists.
"Well."
The deacon was slightly stunned, and asked tentatively: "Your Excellency seems to be unaware of the rules of the Lu Mansion?"
"Rules? What rules?"
Xu Chong frowned.
"The Duke's Mansion only receives ten visitors a day, and there will be an undetermined delay for those who come later."
The butler explained, "If it is your turn, a servant will come to inform you."
At this time, the servant beside him had already walked up.
Xu Chong didn't think much about it and handed the scroll over.
Anyway, it was meant to be given as a gift.
As the servant unfolded the scroll, he asked, "May I ask which government office you work for?"
His job is to record the visitor's information, including gifts and the visitor's origin.
“There is no position available at this time.”
Xu Chong answered and asked again: "When can I visit Lord Lu?"
"No position? Then you're looking for a job."
The deacon thought for a moment and said, "Probably in three months."
“…”
Xu Chong was speechless.
Three months, it’s better not to see each other.
Sure enough, it is not easy to enter a prestigious compound.
Xu Chong shook his head and said, "Just go and report it. Just say... just say that Xu Chong came from the capital to visit you and hope to see you."
The deacon became a little impatient when he heard the first half of the sentence.
Among the dukes, the Rong Duke's Mansion is considered quite approachable.
He allows anyone to visit him, regardless of the value of the gift, and is willing to meet anyone.
The only rule is to limit the number of people received each day.
Is there anyone who is still not satisfied with this?
However, when he heard the second half of the sentence, the deacon was suddenly shocked.
Not everyone knows about the master's trip to the secondary capital.
After all, from the outside world's perspective, it was just an ordinary arrest of traitors and there was nothing to pay attention to.
"you……"
Just as the deacon was about to ask again, the servant next to him exclaimed in horror.
“The Twelve Flying Diagrams! The Twelve Flying Diagrams of Shui Hua Jushi!!”
“…”
The deacon's expression changed again and again, "Are you sure?!"
"Sir, I have been guarding the gate of the mansion for so many years. Have I ever made a mistake?"
The servant swallowed his saliva and confirmed again, "It is definitely the authentic work of Master Shuihua!"
Xu Chong leaned over to take a look and wondered, "Is this painting good?"
The twelve dancing women have fairy-like postures and expressions...it would be better if their bodies were not so plump.
“…”
The servant's face darkened.
"You may not know that my master is particularly fond of paintings, especially the paintings of Shuihua Jushi."
The deacon did not dare to be negligent at this time, and explained with a smile , "What's more, Mr. Shuihua's paintings are all carried on ordinary paper, and only a few can be preserved for a thousand years... Your gift is really precious."
"All right……"
Xu Chong did not understand this hobby and asked, "Could you please let me know?"
"certainly."
The butler nodded and said, "Please move to the side hall and wait for a while."
He was sure that even if the man named Xu Chong in front of him was not someone the master knew at all, this painting alone was enough for the master to make an exception and meet him in advance.
At that moment, Xu Chong was led into the Duke's Mansion, sat down in a side hall, and was served various cakes and teas.
The deacon did not hesitate and walked quickly to the main hall.
At this time, the deputy assistant Lu Zhongzheng was meeting with a big man with thick eyebrows, and they were talking and laughing about something.
"master."
The deacon shouted respectfully outside the door, "Someone has brought the Twelve Flying Apsaras Painting of Mr. Shuihua."
Anyone who can hold the position of foreign affairs steward in the Duke's Mansion must be a talented person among the talented.
Since we are not sure about the relationship between Xu Chong and the master, let’s talk about something that can be confirmed first.
"oh?"
Lu Zhong's eyes lit up, "Are you sure it's authentic?"
"I have seen it, and it is definitely authentic."
The deacon replied.
"Yes, this is something to be happy about."
Lu Zhong stroked his long beard and said, "What's that man's name? He must be from a noble family to have found the original work of Shui Hua Jushi..."
"That young man called himself Xu Chong and said he came from the secondary capital, but he didn't explain his purpose."
The deacon answered again.
"Xu Chong?!"
Lu Zhongteng stood up suddenly, staring at the deacon outside the door: "Where is he? Don't tell me you let him go!"
"My lord, I have taken him to the side hall and asked the servants to serve him."
The deacon answered in a deep voice, his heart extremely shaken.
He never expected that just a name could make the master lose his composure like this.
At the same time, I felt relieved...that someone was allowed to come in.
"That's good, invite them here quickly... Never mind, I'll go by myself."
As Lu Zhong said this, he raised his leg and took a step towards the door.
The big man Lu Jizhong next to him was stunned and said speechlessly: "Lü Gong, I am still here."
"You should go back first. There is no rush for this matter."
Lu Zhong left without looking back.
“…”
Lu Jizhong had no choice but to stand up.
The butler was leaning forward at the door, and seeing the opportunity, he smiled and said, "The master ordered a pot of Jiyi wine to be left at the mansion, and it has been prepared for Lord Lu."
"Extreme Brew?"
Lu Jizhong's thick eyebrows twitched, and the only trace of unhappiness in his heart disappeared.
"Lü Gong's ability to judge people is beyond the reach of our generation."
With a sigh, Lu Jizhong followed the deacon to the gate.
He was sure that Lu Gong had never specifically instructed for such a small matter, and that it was entirely the deacon's own decision.
Although Jiyi Brewing is not the most precious thing, it just hits the spot... The Lu Mansion is really full of talented people.
The other side.
Lu Zhonglang smiled and walked into the side hall, "It's been several years since we last met. I didn't expect that Mr. Xu still remembered me."
"Lord Lu."
Xu Chong stood up, bowed, and said with a smile: "Your Excellency's spirit is even better than before."
The remark was not entirely a compliment.
Lu Zhong now looks a few years younger than the last time he saw him...
"Hahaha, sit down, sit down."
Lu Zhong did not go to the main seat, but walked to sit next to Xu Chong, "Is the servant not neglecting you?"
"Your Excellency's words are important."
Xu Chong shook his head and asked curiously, "I see that the servants in the Duke's Mansion don't seem to have any arrogance in their hearts?"
Whether it was the servants and butlers he met at the door, or the maids who later served tea, water and burned incense, none of them showed the slightest arrogance.
To be honest, this reminded him of the former Xu Mansion.
"Alas, it is also a helpless move."
Lu Zhong sighed, "The Lu family has not cultivated the Dao for three consecutive generations. If we continue to be arrogant, we may be in danger of being overthrown."
I see.
Xu Chong remembered what Lu Zhong said when they were in the secondary capital. If he didn't have any other skills, he would probably be killed by the water ghosts.
The water ghost is at the fifth level of body washing, which means that Lu Zhong’s real strength is not as good as the fifth level of body washing.
A dignified deputy minister, one of the three highest officials, he hasn't even reached the fifth level of body washing...
No wonder the entire Rongguo Mansion is so humble.
"Let's not talk about that."
Lu Zhong waved his hand and said with a smile, "You haven't eaten yet? I'll ask someone to call Shunyi over, and we can have a simple meal at home. No outsiders will be there."
"You're welcome, sir."
Xu Chong declined politely, saying, "I am here in Beijing to take up this post, and I will bother you a lot in the future."
Lu Zhong was not surprised by this.
After all, he is the descendant of Taizu, so any arrangements made by the royal family are justifiable.
After a pause, Lü Zhong asked, "Do you know what position it is?"
"Washing horses in the Zhanshi Mansion."
Xu Chong replied.
"The Zhanshi Mansion is nice, but the horse washing place..."
Lu Zhong frowned, "This position is a bit biased."
The Zhanshi Mansion is a subordinate of the Eastern Palace. When the crown prince ascends the throne in the future, his position will rise with the times and become the highest among the ministers.
However, as Xima Xi, he did not have many opportunities to interact with the crown prince… Although he was a fifth-rank official, he was not as good as the left and right censors of the ninth rank.
Why would the royal family assign this position to Xu Chong?
"Your Excellency should know that I was a classmate of Shunyi. I was unable to continue my studies due to a family change. It is a pity."
Xu Chong explained calmly, "This time I can take advantage of my position to make up for it a little."
"That's right. Shunyi once said that if you hadn't participated in the imperial examination, he wouldn't have been able to get the top three honors."
Lu Zhong nodded thoughtfully, and suddenly shouted to the outside of the door: "Someone come."
"master."
Immediately a servant appeared at the door.
"Go to Gongsun's house and ask Gongsun Mang to come."
Lu Zhong ordered.
After the servants took the order and left, Lu Zhongcai turned around and said with a smile: "Gongsun Mang, the Chancellor of the Chancellery, happens to be my student. Let me introduce you to some people."
"I feel ashamed to be worthy of the kindness of my elders."
Xu Chong stood up and bowed.
"That's too much."
Lu Zhong also stood up and held up Xu Chong, "Now you can stay at home for dinner, right?"
The two looked at each other and smiled.
Xu Chong knew that Lü Zhong wanted to make friends with him, and Lü Zhong also knew the purpose of Xu Chong's visit.
But the two had no aversion to each other.