Bingwu (fourteenth) of the fifth month of the eighth year of Yuanfeng, You hour.

Before the palace gate was locked, Bianjing City shook slightly.

At this time, Zhao Xu was in the Kunning Palace, 'studying' the contents of Shen Kuo's letter with the Empress Dowager Xiang.

Both mother and son were shocked.

"There was an earthquake?" Queen Mother Xiang frowned, looked up and looked around.

There is no longer any shaking feeling, and there are no signs of movement on the screens or palace lanterns in the palace.

If I hadn't felt the slight shaking of the earth just now, it would have been as if everything had never happened.

"Mother, let's go to the open space in the imperial garden first..." Zhao Xu said.

He couldn't quite remember whether there was an earthquake in Bianjing at this time in his previous life.

However, judging from what I felt just now, it was just a small earthquake, not high in magnitude, and it might just be Queen Houtu yawning.

However, it is better to be careful. Go to the open space outside the temple and wait for a while to prevent possible aftershocks.

"Yes!" He nodded to the Queen Mother.

At this time, Shi Deyi led many female officials and ministers and ran in.

"Please, Queen Mother, please move outside the palace..."

Then they surrounded the mother and son and arrived at the palace garden outside Kunning Hall.

Almost all the concubines, princes, and princesses in the palace were also surrounded by people one after another and came to the open space of the palace garden of the harem.

Concubine Zhu, holding the tenth daughter of the emperor who was just a few months old, held the fifth daughter of the emperor. Behind her, the mother-in-law held the two-year-old Prince Puning.

When Zhu and other concubines saw that the Queen Mother and the officials were also here, they came over to pay their respects.

Zhao Xu took the lead and arrived in front of Zhu, knelt down and bowed: "Sister, well..."

Mrs. Zhu looked at Guan Jia, who had not seen her for more than two months and was now much rounder and taller.

He couldn't help but his eyes got hot, he sighed and said: "The official has grown a lot taller and gained a lot of weight!"

When she arrived in front of the Empress Dowager, she saluted: "The empress is a kind and holy lady who protects and supports the official family. She is truly the empress dowager!"

She knew that Queen Mother Xiang liked to hear her called that.

You have to ask why Mrs. Zhu thought of calling Empress Dowager Xiang like this?

That was more than two months ago.

The county prince of the Ren family (her adoptive father's wife) sent someone to the palace and brought her this sentence: Please take the Queen Mother as your mother.

Naturally, this is not an idea that anyone in the family could come up with.

It is said that it was a friendly reminder to the Ren family from a well-known friend named Xing.

Seeing how knowledgeable Concubine Zhu De was, Empress Dowager Xiang was even more elated with her words about the Queen Mother, so she immediately said: "Concubine De, you don't have to be polite!"

Of course, since Mrs. Zhu is so knowledgeable and has the dignity she deserves, Empress Dowager Xiang will not miss her: "Concubine De gave birth to an official family and contributed to the country. I will not forget it!"

"We have already written to the Secretary to agree on the concubine's ceremonial guard..."

"You should follow Concubine Li Chen's story and show kindness!"

Mrs. Zhu quickly thanked her profusely, but that was all she pursued.

The ostentation is bigger, the clothes are nicer, and the use is more luxurious.

that is it.

Beside them, Zhao Xu was already talking to his sister whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

"Are you happy in the pavilion these days?" Zhao Xu asked, "Have you received all the toys I ordered you to send?"

The little girl nodded obediently.

"In a few days, I will order someone to send Wu Niang some skirts..." Zhao Xu said with a smile.

"Thank you, officials!" The wet nurse beside Wu Niang quickly took her to thank her.

Zhao Xu chuckled and did not interfere.

From the moment he became the emperor, he was no longer the son of Concubine Zhu De, the fifth niang, the tenth niang, or the brother of the thirteenth son.

And Zhao Xu knows better that the sooner the hierarchy of superiors and inferiors in the palace is determined, the better. It is a good thing for everyone!

Zhao Xu then went to see Shiniang who was still in her infancy, and also looked at Zhao Si, Prince of Puning County, who was being held by the mother-in-law.

During this process, Zhao Xu also saw Concubine Xing, and Prince Zhao Ji of Suining County, who was being held by Concubine Xing.

Zhao Xu turned his head and pretended that he had not seen Zhao Ji, let alone said hello.

Walking up to Empress Dowager Xiang, Zhao Xu said: "Empress, please go to Baoci Palace to say hello to your mother-in-law first!"

He nodded to the Empress Dowager and said to Concubine Zhu De: "Concubine De is lucky enough to be born in the palace and raise Prince Puning and the two princesses. This palace and the official family will remember Concubine De's contribution!"

Concubine Zhu De paid her respects again and led people to escort the Empress Dowager off to the entrance of the palace garden before reluctantly going back.

…

When they arrived at Baoci Palace, the Empress Dowager did not leave the palace.

She was still sitting calmly in Baoci Palace, as if nothing was wrong.

Empress Dowager Xiang and Zhao Xu arrived and said hello.

The Queen Mother said: "It's just a small earthquake, nothing important!"

She came from the Renmiao era.

During the Renmiao period, Bianjing would experience small earthquakes every now and then.

It only took a few shakes every time, and she had long been used to it.

"The empress is still calm, but the bride is far worse!" said the Empress Dowager with a smile.

Zhao Xu said softly: "My mother-in-law has the air of a general!"

After hearing this, the two palaces burst into laughter.

The Empress Dowager, in particular, was very satisfied with Zhao Xu's evaluation.

At that time, my aunt Cisheng Guangxian was praised by the government and the public for her calmness in the face of danger, commanding the female officials and ministers, and quelling a turmoil caused by the imperial guards in the palace.

Naturally, she was very envious.

The earthquake that evening did not cause any disturbance.

Everything calmed down after nightfall, and the people in Bianjing didn't feel anything.

…

The next day, Ding Wei (fifteenth), when he was looking at the court, Zhao Xu was sleeping in in Funing Hall as usual.

There is nothing important on this day.

So Zhao Xu continued to 'learn' from the Queen Mother the contents of Shen Kuo's letter.

After several days of mother-son teaching, now Shen Kuo has learned almost everything that Shen Kuo said in his letter.

Under the guidance of the Empress Dowager, Zhao Xu began to 'memorize' terms related to the Arms Bureau.

This means that from now on, Zhao Xu can openly intervene in the Ordnance Manufacturing Bureau and even give orders to the Ordnance Supervisor.

Because - the Empress Dowager kindly gave her teachings, and I studied them with filial piety, knowing the pros and cons!

Empress Dowager Xiang also passively learned many things about the Ordnance Manufacturing Bureau during this process, as well as some of the processes and requirements for arms manufacturing and production.

Wu Shen (16).

He was a bachelor of the Zizheng Palace and a doctor of Yinqing Guanglu. He served as a student of Lu Gong's works, and was appointed as the envoy to the West Taiyi Palace and the envoy to observe the jubilee.

This confirms that Lu Gongzhu will enter the three provinces.

I just don’t know whether it’s the East Mansion or the West Mansion.

Relatively speaking, Xifu is more likely. After all, the Liao envoy is about to enter Beijing, but the chief of Xifu is still vacant.

This is not good.

Today, the capital hall reported and the two palaces issued instructions to send the supervisory censor Huang Jiang and the supervisory censor Chen Cisheng to Fujian Road and Jiangxi Road respectively to supervise and review the local salt and tea doubling matters.

This was originally Li Ding's job.

But Li Ding is staying in the Yushitai now, so no one cares about these things for a period of time!

The two palaces have no time to care about such matters thousands of miles away.

The old party members even have no intention to care about the affairs of Fujian and Jiangxi.

Therefore, it was officials from Fujian such as Zhang Dun, Cai Que, Cai Jing, and Cai Bian who were actually promoting this matter.

After all, they are from Fujian. If they don't care about this matter, they will be stabbed in the back when they go back!

Therefore, even in Henan Prefecture, Cai Queyuan personally wrote a letter and discussed this matter.
To be continued...