Reincarnation of the powerful minister

"Have you seen Emperor Xianzu?"

The carriage drove through the streets at noon, inside the carriage, Su Yan asked Shen Qi.

Shen Qi shook her head: "When Emperor Xianzu was in power, I was not born yet."

Su Yan said: "I have seen it. The portrait of Emperor Xianzu hangs in the nave of the Taimiao. When Zhu Helin was still the crown prince, he knelt down there for a god tablet."

Shen Qi didn't know why he suddenly mentioned the portrait of Emperor Xianzu, but she knew that Su Yan would not be aimless, so she looked at him intently and continued to listen.

Su Yan fell into a short memory, seemed to be sketching something in his mind, and murmured: "We don't need to prove the reputation of the Empress Dowager."

Shen Qi raised her eyebrows slightly, with a questioning and encouraging expression.

Su Yan showed him a shallow smile, and as his thoughts gradually became clearer, the calm brilliance returned to his face: "I mean, whether the old woman had an affair or not is actually related to Emperor Jinglong. There is no necessary causal relationship. That is to say, we don’t need to prove her loyalty, we only need to prove her son’s bloodline.”

Shen Qi thought about it for a while, but still didn't quite understand his intentions, so she asked: "How can I prove that it's Emperor Xianzu's own birth? There's no blood to recognize relatives, and Emperor Jinglong and King Yu both look like the Empress Dowager, there is almost no the shadow of his father."

"The son doesn't have it, but the grandson does!" Su Yan laughed, "You probably haven't heard of this word—transgenerational inheritance."

Eduardo followed closely beside Su Yan, but couldn't help but look left and right. The magnificent palace made him feel a little dizzy.

Those majestic and towering gate towers, the white jade steps that go up layer by layer, and even the brilliance reflected in the sunlight by the glazed tile roof, all made him suspect that he was already in the kingdom of heaven—the heaven of the heathen.

Su Yan stopped, turned to look at this thin, curly-haired handsome Western guy, and said, "Don't be nervous."

Eduardo: "I, I'm not nervous."

Su Yan: "You can walk smoothly."

Eduardo: "..."

Eduardo hesitated again and again, and asked in a low voice: "Will your Emperor be... strict? What should you pay attention to when answering his questions?"

Su Yan smiled: "It's fine to talk to me. However, etiquette must not be less, you must at least show the attitude of meeting Ferdinand III. Oh, by the way, before you came to Daming, the possibility of ruling the Naples area It wasn't him yet, it is now."

Eduardo was shocked: "You, you know my hometown, and you know His Majesty the King?"

That's right, the first king of "United Spain", anyone who has studied European history a little seriously knows it.And, you Italy really treat it as a "subsidiary" as a historical tradition.However, the division of power in Europe in the Middle Ages was chaotic, and various kinship relationships were chaotic. Whoever chooses history will have a toothache...

Su Yan had already vomited several times in a flash, but there was a calm smile on his face: "Although my great inscription sits in the Central Plains, it still exists in the world. The official is just a literati who has read a few more books. We only scratch the surface of the situation.”

This is called "a little knowledge of the fur"?Also, with your status, you are ashamed to call yourself a "literati"... Eduardo is a little speechless.

He already knew Su Yan's identity, similar to the Kingdom's "Deputy Prime Minister", but he didn't expect to be so young and handsome.I don't know what their emperor looks like?

Eduardo didn't ask any more questions, and walked another long corridor, passed through the Yuanyue Gate, and finally saw the current emperor of Ming Kingdom in a garden full of exotic styles.

— as young as their vice-aspects, but more manly.For example, at this moment, His Majesty the Emperor is in the open space by the lake, shooting the little bells hanging from the willow branches with bows and arrows, and every arrow is shot, accompanied by the crisp sound of the bells.

His Majesty the Emperor seemed very happy to see him, even enthusiastic, and walked over as soon as he put down his bow.

Eduardo was flattered and bowed his chest, hesitating whether to make a more important point, and kneeled down on one knee, but saw His Majesty the Emperor walking past him quickly, with a refreshing fragrance on his sleeves, it seemed that there was nothing wrong with him at all Didn't see him, went straight to the deputy prime minister.

The emperor not only shook the deputy prime minister's arm, checked the scabbed wound on his neck, but also asked him if he could stay to accompany the meal later.

Eduardo stood beside them, staring blankly at this scene, suddenly felt that he was a superfluous person, and took a few steps back in embarrassment.

The movement he made when he stepped on the stone made the emperor turn his face and glance at him full of scrutiny and inquiry.

This glance was as sharp as a sword, which made him tremble, feeling that the Emperor of Ming Kingdom might not be as young and inexperienced as he appeared on the outside.

"There are already a few bearded Xiyi people who can teach foreign languages ​​and play the yangqin in the palace. What kind of tricks can this young man do?" Zhu Helin didn't think the Xiyi people were strange, so he quickly withdrew his eyes and asked in a relaxed tone. Su Yan.

Su Yan said: "He can draw."

Zhu Helin was taken aback for a moment, and then laughed loudly: "I can also draw pictures. If Ai Qing likes it, I can draw as many pictures as you want."

You only know how to paint erotic palaces, but you have the ability to learn Chinese painting seriously like your father!Su Yan resisted the urge to slap him, and explained: "The technique of Western painting is different from that of traditional Chinese painting. It is called oil painting, and the portraits of people are especially lifelike. You might as well take a look."

He gave Eduardo a look, and the latter quickly unfolded the oil painting he brought.

Zhu Helin saw that the style was quite different. The heads and faces of the characters on the portraits were not known how to make them. They were as lifelike as if looking in a mirror, and even the lines and spots on the skin were very clear.Looking at the portrait of this official, it seems that he is right in front of his eyes.

"Why is the human face drawn in this Western oil painting not flat, but the facial features are so high and low..." Zhu Helin wondered curiously.

Seeing that he was very interested, Aiwaduo became excited immediately, trying to explain the principle of perspective in painting with words that did not express his meaning.

The two discussed for a while, Zhu Helin was very straightforward, but at the same time he said very casually: "Okay, your paintings are interesting, stay in the palace painting academy as a painter, and then give you a... Wenhua Palace to wait for the edict."

Court painter!There is also an official title, which means that there is a salary!Instantly getting rid of the embarrassment of selling paintings everywhere, Aihuaduo was overjoyed and bowed again and again to express his gratitude. Finally, he knelt down on one knee, held up the hem of the dragon robe and kissed him, and swore loudly: "To serve His Majesty the Emperor!"

Zhu Helin was a little surprised, and pulled the corner of his robe out of his hand in disgust: "It's good to be loyal, but there are differences between monarchs and ministers. Ministers must not offend the king. You have to learn the etiquette of the Great Ming."

Eduardo stood up, patted the dust on his knees, and remembered that when His Majesty the Emperor saw his deputy, he not only held his arm, but also put his hands on his shoulders and waist intentionally or unintentionally... Could it be Mingguo? The etiquette is that the courtiers must not offend the king, but the king can get close to his courtiers at will?

His eyes couldn't help moving between the emperor and the deputy prime minister, feeling that the scale of etiquette in the Ming Dynasty was a little too flexible.

Su Yan felt a toothache from this look, so he put Eduardo aside, and said to Zhu Helin, "I didn't bring him here to apply for an official position, but to paint portrait oil paintings for the young master, the emperor, and the emperor Xianzu. of."

"For father and grandfather?" Zhu Helin was a little surprised.

Su Yan nodded, took half a step back, and carefully looked at Zhu Helin's face.

The last time I looked at him so carefully was when I first arrived in Nanjing, and found that Zhu Helin's entire face shape, eyebrows, eyes, and lips did not resemble Emperor Jinglong, and there was almost no gene inherited from the Queen Mother.

In fact, Zhu Helin looks more like his grandfather, Emperor Xianzu.

When he was a teenager, because his facial features hadn’t fully developed yet, his mother, the Empress Xianzhang, still remained in her frown and smile, and the Empress Dowager was suspicious of neighbors and robbers. , I really don't want to see him.

Now that the innocence has completely faded away, Zhu Helin's bright and heroic, even domineering and aggressive side is more obvious, and he is more and more like the emperor Xianzu seen in the portrait of the Taimiao.

"Yes, I want Eduardo to restore the appearance according to the old portrait of Emperor Xianzu, and then draw it into an oil painting portrait to reflect the true appearance to the greatest extent."

Due to the lack of perspective skills and three-dimensional sense in traditional Chinese painting, the facial features of the characters are flat, resulting in a low degree of reality.Su Yan continued: "Some distortions that are not easy to restore can be fine-tuned by referring to the old palace man's dictation."

Zhu Helin seemed to have understood his intentions.

Eduardo showed a look of embarrassment: "This is much more difficult than painting a portrait of a real person. If the restoration is not true enough, it will leave wrong historical evidence for future generations. Besides, I am a realistic and pragmatic painter. ..."

"Look here." Su Yan interrupted Eduardo, and turned Zhu Helin to him, "This is our emperor, His Majesty Zhu V. He is at least [-]% similar to his grandfather, His Majesty Zhu III." .This is your real mannequin!"

Now Aihua Duo understood: "You mean, let me refer to the Ming Chinese painting, the dictation of the palace man and the appearance of His Majesty the Fifth, to restore the appearance of His Majesty III, and then use oil paintings to present it as realistically as possible? And It is necessary for everyone who looks at the painting to see the blood relationship between the third generation and the fifth generation."

"He's pretty smart, Italian." Su Yan looked at him with a smile, "And His Majesty IV, he doesn't look like his father and son, but it's okay, just draw it as it is."

"So, I'm going to paint three oil portraits in total?"

"No, you must draw at least fifteen copies, a total of 45."

Aihuado's legs softened, and he quickly supported the stone table next to him, so as not to lose his composure.

Su Yan took out the tone of a leader fooling a new subordinate: "Actually, the first three pictures will take more effort to draw, and the latter ones will be technically copied, so it will be much easier. Besides, our Emperor is a very The generous man, in addition to his salary, will pay a handsome bonus for these portraits..."

Hearing the bonus, Eduardo's legs were no longer weak, his waist straightened, and he said seriously: "Praise the generosity of His Majesty the Emperor! I will definitely do my best."

"The time limit is one month."

"This, can it be longer, I am a serious and meticulous painter..."

"Exceeding one month, every extra day, the bonus will be reduced by 5%."

"Don't worry, my lord, I'm a skilled painter, even if I don't eat or sleep, I can finish it within a month!"

Zhu Helin asked his servant to take him to the painting academy to settle down, prepare drawing boards, paints and other tools, and take the portraits of Emperor Xianzu and Emperor Jinglong for his research reference.

After Aihuaduo left, Zhu Helin curled his lips and said, "The Xiyi people are so greedy for money, they really want to pay attention to money. Are they reliable in doing things?"

Su Yan said with a smile: "In fact, most people are greedy for money, but this Xiyi people are relatively simple and undisguised. As for whether it is reliable or not, wait until he draws a portrait of you, and you will know."

Zhu Helin asked: "Why did you draw fifteen pieces each?"

Su Yan asked back, "Master, guess what?"

Zhu Helin thought for a while and said, "Two capitals and thirteen chief secretaries, a total of fifteen?"

Su Yan nodded: "Yes! In two months' time, it will be the anniversary of the death of Emperor Xianzu. Taking advantage of this, I plan to hold a seven-day public sacrifice in the capitals of the South and North, as well as the prefectures of thirteen divisions. In addition to the local officials, the gentry and some common people in the city also participated in the ceremony.

"At that time, the oil painting portrait of Emperor Xianzu will be hung in the middle of the main hall of the sacrificial hall, and the portraits of the emperor and the young master will be hung in the adjacent side hall. , I have to come to the side show to bow to the portraits of the emperor and the young master."

Zhu Helin's eyes lit up: "So they will find out how much I look like the imperial grandfather!"

Su Yan nodded with a smile: "This is a very subtle psychological tactic. If it was written in black and white that 'Emperor Qinghe looks like Emperor Xianzu', even if it is an official announcement, people who read it may not believe it. But the two pictures are realistic. Put their portraits in front of them, let them observe, compare and discover by themselves, they will believe that 'seeing is believing', even if they have never seen a real person.

"These gentry clans have a wide range of connections, and the people selected to participate in the sacrifice are all square chiefs, village chiefs, or village heads with a certain amount of words, and they are secretly fueled by the government's servants and spies from the brocade guards of various prefectures. The news is very fast. can be spread out.

"At the same time, I will ask Jin Yiwei to exaggerate the theory of 'intergenerational inheritance' in the market. Soon, out of curiosity and verification, the public will spontaneously find out examples of grandchildren in a family who look exactly like their grandfathers and maternal grandfathers, but not like their parents. When this theory is adopted Accepted by the majority, it becomes the basis of our public opinion.

"At this time, the imperial court will issue an announcement to convict those who spread rumors and bookmakers with false rumors to confuse the public and intend to conspire against them, which will greatly reduce the public's trust in this rumor.

"Rumors are like poisonous weeds. Once they are stripped of the soil for survival, they will be destroyed by themselves."

Zhu Helin stroked his palms and said, "Well said! But, Qinghe, how did you come up with the unprecedented idea of ​​'collective public sacrifice'?"

Su Yan smiled without saying a word.

After thinking for a while, he continued: "It just takes a long time. It takes a month just to paint an oil painting. It takes time to spread the news to all the prefectures. It takes time for public sacrifices. "If this is in modern times, an explosive news can be overwhelming within 24 hours.

Zhu Helin didn't feel this way, and even felt that he was already very efficient. After all, people at that time had long been used to slowness, and had never seen high speed, so naturally he didn't feel that he was slow.

Su Yan said: "When the rumors are broken and the players spread and publish on such a large scale, they will definitely reveal their flaws. We will increase the rewards, and the awakened people will rush to report their dens. At that time, let the local government Go out with all your strength and wipe out the remnants of the Vacuum Sect everywhere. If the players are forced to have no cards available, they will come out in full force."

Zhu Helin feels that the plan is feasible, and it can be adjusted according to the actual situation in the next few months.

A heavy boulder that had been pressing on his heart for the past few days finally fell to the ground.

So he asked Su Yan: "Then will you stay to accompany the meal later?"

Su Yan laughed dryly: "Let's wait for another day. Lihua has annoyed me recently, and she always wants to scratch me when we meet. Let's wait until her anger subsides."

Every time Lihua tried to scratch him, it was after he touched the cat with his hands. Zhu Helin wondered if he had painted something on his hands, or why would Lihua get angry when he smelled it?

Zhu Helin suddenly grabbed Su Yan's hand, put it on his nose and sniffed it...there was no peculiar smell.But then, with sharp eyes, he noticed that there were a few white threads caught in the seams of Su Yan's dark cuffs.After picking it out and rubbing it, he suspected it was white cat hair.

"Wow! No wonder Lihua is angry, did you secretly raise another cat!" Zhu Helin asked for justice for his daughter with furious eyebrows.

Su Yan was startled, and quickly denied it: "No such thing... This hair, maybe it was someone else's cat itching on the road..."

"You are not only betraying Lihua, but you are deliberately making Lihua angry. Use this as an excuse to avoid staying with me for a while!" Zhu Helin gritted his teeth angrily, "Su Qinghe, you have no heart...you are finished, you are finished! Look at me How to deal with you!"