The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

After lunch, a palace maid came from the Empress Dowager's side and reminded Wanli that it was time to study.

Wanli's originally pleasant face showed a hint of irritability, but he did not lose his temper. He just said coldly: "I know!"

When the palace maid saw that the emperor was unhappy, she tactfully said nothing and quietly left.

The Queen Mother said that the Emperor should study, so Min Xi and others should leave. However, Wanli did not ask them to leave, so they did not dare to leave without permission and could only wait for Wanli to speak.

Wanli leaned his head, staring at the clepsydra on the table, listening to the sound of the water leaking, but he didn't say a word. Min Xi and others didn't dare to speak either, they just sat there quietly.

When the clepsydra water dropped to a certain mark, Wanli let out a long sigh and said, "You guys go now. I should study now!"

After hearing this, several people stood up and bowed: "I, your humble servant, take my leave!"

Min Xi said something else: "If Your Majesty is bored, you might as well read more travelogues of mountains and rivers. They are all Your Majesty's kingdoms."

When Wanli heard this, his eyes lit up. Although he didn't say anything, he just nodded vigorously.

When they came out of the Qianqing Palace, a palace servant outside the door said, "Sir Tao, please stay. The Empress Dowager invites you to move to the Cining Palace." It was the person from the Empress Dowager's palace who had come to pass on the message to Wanli.

Tao Lizhi quickly agreed: "Please lead the way, sir."

Min Xi quickly said, "Excuse me, sir, where is the toilet?" He didn't know what the toilet was called in the palace, so he just said the toilet. He wasn't afraid of being called a country bumpkin. Several people stayed in the Qianqing Palace for a whole morning, but no one went to the toilet. It was okay for them young people, but Tao Lizhi was old, and I'm afraid he couldn't hold it anymore.

The eunuch suppressed his laughter when he heard this and replied, "It's called the clean room in our palace. Please follow me."

So several people followed, and Tao Lizhi was the first to run to the toilet.

When everyone came out after washing their hands, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Now they finally didn't have to go see the Queen Mother with a bloated belly.

Min Xi thought that the Queen Mother lived in the Cining Palace, but in fact it was not the case. In order to take good care of the little emperor, the Queen Mother Li lived with him in the Qianqing Palace. But this motherly love was too heavy for Wanli, so heavy that he could hardly breathe.

Queen Mother Li was younger than expected, and she looked no more than 30 years old. She was only a few years older than Min Xi and Yun Ji, but she had already reached the level of Queen Mother, the most honorable position for women in this era.

The so-called Wanli Restoration in history was, in fact, not the credit of Emperor Wanli, but the credit of Empress Dowager Li and Zhang Juzheng, so this woman was definitely not an ordinary woman. After all, during the years when Emperor Wanli was not in power, Empress Dowager Li was the one who ruled the country from behind the curtain.

When meeting the Queen Mother, he had to kneel down as usual. This broken etiquette of the feudal era made Min Xi quite unhappy. It was true that when you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.

The empress dowager was in a friendly mood. She first asked Tao Lizhi about Old Madam Tao's recent situation, and then turned the topic to Min Xi and Yun Ji.

"I heard that you two brought back a lot of high-yield crop seeds from overseas. Now the Ministry of Revenue has promoted them after trial planting. This is a good thing that benefits the country and the people. You are people with good intentions. I would like to express my gratitude to you two on behalf of His Majesty and the people of the world!" Queen Mother Li spoke slowly, with the graceful demeanor of a mother of the country.

Yun Ji said, "Your Majesty, this is what scholars like me should do."

"Well said! This is what a scholar should be like. What kind of academic titles have you two brothers achieved in the imperial examinations?" asked Empress Dowager Li.

Yun Ji was speechless for a moment. Min Xi saw this and spoke up, "To answer the Queen Mother, I am ashamed that my brother and I have not yet entered school. We are now preparing for the Tongshi exam. After traveling thousands of miles, we know the importance of reading thousands of books. We will work hard to pass the exam and serve the country!"

Empress Dowager Li nodded and said, "That's great! You have traveled thousands of miles, and reading thousands of books will give you a different understanding. Study hard, the Ming Dynasty needs people like you who serve the country and the people."

"I will remember your majesty's teachings!"

Empress Dowager Li asked similar questions to Zhang Juzheng, and Min Xi and Yun Ji answered as appropriate.

Finally, Empress Dowager Li rewarded Min Xi and Yun Ji with some study treasures and gold, silver and jewelry.

Min Xi thought that was the end and waited for the Queen Mother to let them leave.

Then Queen Mother Li couldn't help asking, "Min Xi, why did you ask Your Majesty to read more travelogues?"

Min Xi's scalp suddenly went numb when he heard this. They had just been in the toilet for a short while, and the words had reached the Queen Mother's ears! He tried hard to recall that when he was chatting with the Emperor today, he should not have said anything that should not have been said, right?

"In reply to Your Majesty, this is my own experience gained from reading. The books of sages are undoubtedly the best books in the world, but they are also difficult to understand, and sometimes I can't understand them. When I'm depressed, I read some simple travelogues about mountains and rivers to change my mood and train of thought. Traveling through mountains and rivers with the author can relieve my emotions, broaden my horizons, and improve my reading efficiency." Min Xi explained seriously.

The Queen Mother looked at Min Xi doubtfully: "Is it really so?"

Min Xi bowed and said seriously: "It is absolutely true! The whole world belongs to the king. The mountains and rivers that scholars travel to are your majesty's country. I think this is also a way to let your majesty understand the territory of the Ming Dynasty."

When the Queen Mother heard this, her expression eased a lot: "It's hard for him to think so much about Your Majesty. Your Majesty is young and doesn't understand my good intentions. He always complains that he has too much homework. I am just worried that he doesn't learn enough and won't know how to govern the Ming Dynasty in the future."

Having said that, Min Xi couldn't help but say: "I have something to say. Please forgive me for my rashness, Your Majesty."

The Queen Mother looked at him with interest: "Oh, what are you talking about? Tell me!"

Min Xi said, "I think your majesty doesn't need to worry about your majesty. Your majesty is smart. He only needs to know how to appoint the right people to the right positions, just like the late emperor and the empress dowager. The Ming Dynasty will prosper and last for thousands of years. Your majesty is young, so it is right for you to study hard, but it is a child's nature to love playing, and you need to relax occasionally. When I was in Europe, I visited several small countries. From the king to the peddlers, everyone in the country took a day off every seven days. The whole country took a break."

The Queen Mother interrupted: "Is this true in several countries?"

"Yes!"

"On what grounds?"

"The religious beliefs of Europeans are similar to the Buddhism and Taoism that the people of our Ming Dynasty believe in. They need to go to church every seven days to listen to God's gospel, which is called Sunday, and their people take this opportunity to rest. I have opened a small shop in Fulanji, and I also follow the local customs. I rest on Sundays and feel much more relaxed. What I mean is that Your Majesty also needs proper rest when studying." Min Xi's voice became smaller and smaller.

Min Xi was actually a little nervous, because it was a matter of faith and he didn't know whether he should say it. However, Queen Mother Li was not angry after hearing it, because she herself believed in Buddhism and knew that devout believers would go to the temple to burn incense and worship Buddha on the first and fifteenth days of each month.

Yun Ji added, "My Lady, what my brother meant is that people are like strings. Once they are stretched too tight, they are more likely to break, so we need to relax them appropriately."

Tao Lizhi also hurriedly tried to make amends for them: "Please forgive their rude words, Your Majesty, but their loyalty to Your Majesty and Your Majesty is evident to all, and they have absolutely no intention of offending or disrespecting you."

Empress Dowager Li sighed and said, "I know they have no intention of disrespecting you, nor do I intend to punish you. It's New Year's Day, so you should all go back and spend time with your families."

When they left the Qianqing Palace, the eunuch who escorted them out said, "Young man, you must not speak without restraint in the future. Today is the New Year, and the Empress Dowager is kind and has not held you responsible. The Empress Dowager taught Your Majesty that it is taboo for others to interfere."

Tao Lizhi raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and looked at Min Xi helplessly. This kid is so bold. He dares to say anything. He says the same thing to the Prime Minister and the Empress Dowager. Isn't he afraid of angering the Empress Dowager and losing his head?

After they left the palace and the eunuchs who had escorted them left, they got on the carriages. Tao Lizhi did not get on his own carriage, but got on Yun Ji's carriage. He looked at Min Xi and said, "Min Xi, you heard it today. In the future, you must never be so outspoken and make arbitrary comments on other people's behavior."

Min Xi smiled and nodded: "Got it, uncle!"

Tao Lizhi sighed: "You who are barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes, but you have to consider Yunji and us."

"I know I was wrong, uncle!" Min Xi admitted his mistake honestly, but it was hard to say whether he would change or not.

Tao Lizhi lectured him and then returned to his carriage.

Seeing that his uncle had left, Yun Ji said to Min Xi, "Don't blame your uncle. He really treats you as his own, so he said that to you."

"I know!" Min Xi smiled at him, "Thank you for helping me explain to the Queen Mother."

Yun Ji looked at him gently and said, "I understand what you mean. I also feel that His Majesty is too pitiful. He has been practicing calligraphy on the second day of the New Year. It is really too hard. The Queen Mother is too strict with him."

"Right! You see, no matter how busy we are, we still need to rest during the New Year holidays. If Your Majesty forces him like this, I'm afraid it will backfire." Min Xi sighed.

Yun Ji knew that he knew the direction of historical development, and he probably knew the fate of the little emperor, so he took the risk to bring up the issue of the emperor's education with the empress dowager.

So it was not until they returned home and were alone that Yun Ji asked, "Did you advise His Majesty to read more travelogues on landscapes today on purpose?"

"Of course." Min Xi said.

"why?"

Min Xi hesitated for a moment, but still said: "The Queen Mother and the Prime Minister are too strict with Your Majesty, which has caused extremely negative effects."

Yun Ji's heart tightened: "Is it very serious?"

Min Xi nodded.

Yun Ji knew that Min Xi would not say anything else, but he had already guessed what was going on.