Chapter 342 Gao Gong was dismissed from his post as prime minister, and the Pope was deposed!
Ok Hee Palace.

Zhu Houcong looked at the new intelligence report about the Prime Minister’s Mansion presented by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and “Shan Niang is pregnant” was clearly written on it.

This is the truth behind why Gao Gong tried his best to protect Shan Niang in the cabinet.

Kunqu Opera.

Also known as Kunqu Opera.

It can be said to be a treasure in opera, an “orchid” in a garden of flowers.

With the word “elegant” in its connotation, it combines singing, reciting, acting, fighting, dancing and martial arts, and is known for its elegant lyrics, graceful intonation and delicate performance. It is one of the types of music under the Southern Opera system, which is praised as the “ancestor of all operas”.

As for how elegant it is, let’s just say that for every word and aria, ordinary scholars have to look up the “Twenty-one Histories” to listen to it, and ordinary people cannot understand it at all.

Being so elegant, it was destined to be disliked by most people. However, Emperor Taizu Gao of this dynasty personally selected it as “Imperial Song”, and if the emperor likes something, the people will like it even more, so Kunqu Opera became popular.

Therefore, the connotation of Kunqu Opera is not opera, but culture.

As the head of the Grand Secretaries of the dynasty, Gao Gong was the proof of culture, and even the embodiment of it.

Gao Gong’s wife, Zhang, was also a lady from a prominent family. Her cultural level was no less than that of the successful candidates in the imperial examinations. She even had her own understanding of certain historical facts.

Although Shan Niang received special tutoring from Wei Liangfu, it is ridiculous to say that she could catch up with the Zhang family’s several generations of learning and decades of academic attainments in just a few years.

Therefore, it is sheer nonsense to say that Gao Gong admired Shan Niang’s talent.

Gao Gong had only one real weakness, and that was that he had no offspring to inherit his legacy.

Gao Gong was worried that after working hard all his life, he would end up handing everything over to his adopted son. Although adopted sons were good, they were not as good as his biological sons.

Wei Liangfu, a retired official, took advantage of Gao Gong’s weakness and arranged Shan Niang to be with Gao Gong. An old man and a young wife are bound to have a passionate relationship. What if they get pregnant?
What if, just in case, Wei Liangfu really got what he wanted, and Gao Gong also got what he wanted, and Shan Niang got pregnant.

Kun Ling, a mere girl, had the opportunity to give birth to a child for the prime minister of the current cabinet. There was no doubt that her status would be elevated.

Even Gao Gong’s wife, Zhang, perhaps out of guilt or injustice, hid in the prime minister’s residence, waiting for Shan Niang to give birth.

Under the ethical code, Gao Gong could not promote Shan Niang to the position of his legal wife, but everyone understood that once Shan Niang gave birth to a son, everything in the prime minister’s residence and everything in the Gao family would belong to Shan Niang and her son.

And who would Gao Gong be grateful to?

Wei Liangfu.

Zhu Houcong put aside the intelligence from the prime minister’s mansion and picked up the file file presented to Wei Liangfu by the Jinyiwei, which recorded in detail everything about Wei Liangfu and his family.

Wei Liangfu had a high level of accomplishment in literature and lyrics, and he was able to pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi in the fifth year of Jiajing, which surpassed more than 99% of people in the world.

What is rare is that Wei Liangfu has had a beautiful voice since he was a child, and when his voice changed in his youth, his voice was still not greatly affected. In addition, Wei Liangfu is proficient in music and loves to sing.

Therefore, based on his familiarity with southern and northern tunes, Wei Liangfu went to Taicang South Wharf during the Jiajing period, where the economy was developed, the town was prosperous, there were many singing and dancing venues, and southern opera performances were frequent. He spent a long time and painstakingly studying the traditional opera singing styles that were popular in the Kunshan area.

But gradually, Wei Liangfu was not satisfied with the original vocal style of southern opera, so he joined forces with Zhang Meigu, a famous Suzhou dongxiao player, and Xie Linquan, a famous Kunshan flute player. With the assistance of southern opera master Guo Yunshi and northern opera dramatist Zhang Yetang, he absorbed certain characteristics of the popular Haiyan opera, Yuyao opera and Jiangnan folk songs, and processed and sorted out the traditional opera singing method of old Kunqu opera, integrating the southern and northern operas into one, changing the previous dull singing style that was flat and lacked interest and charm, and created a new singing style that was novel in style, euphemistic and comfortable.

This kind of singing style requires “light and round opening, pure and fine ending”, pays attention to “throat turning and intonation”, “clear words and round intonation”, and sings out the “emotion and reason” of the song. It is so delicate that it seems like the Suzhou craftsmen using horsetail grass dipped in water to grind mahogany furniture, so people call it “water-grinding style”.

At the same time, Wei Liangfu also made bold reforms to the accompaniment instruments. He added flute, Xiao, Sheng and pipa to the original monotonous string and board accompaniment, enriching the timbre, making Kunqu music more magnificent and colorful, more infectious and refreshing.

Since then, Wei Liangfu has become famous in the world of Kunqu opera and is praised as the “founder of Kunqu opera” and the “originator of Kunqu opera”. The art world respects him as a “national master” and “sacred music”.

“It’s a pity that he founded a sect and was called the founder of the sect.” Zhu Houcong shook his head.

Such people should not enter the officialdom, and should not let their children and grandchildren enter the officialdom. If they can pass on their legacy, they may become a prominent family in the art of folk art.

“‘Country’ and ‘Sage’, these are not words that can be used by a living person. Even I don’t use them. I didn’t expect that someone would continue to use them after me.” Zhu Houcong continued.

Although he didn’t tell anyone, Huang Jin, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department and the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot, was serving nearby. Huang Jin heard every word of what was said and understood his emperor and father’s intentions.

The emperor and his father were naturally dissatisfied that the old official in the opposition was plotting to influence the prime minister of the dynasty.

The emperor and his father did not deny Wei Liangfu’s achievements in the art of folk art, but they objected to the title Wei Liangfu received and commented that it was not suitable for a living person.

Combining the two, Huang Jin immediately understood what his emperor and father meant. He bowed slightly to accept the order, walked out of Yuxi Palace, and called the eunuch of the Ministry of Justice to restore Wei Liangfu’s reputation as a “national” and “saint”.

Convicting people based on literary terms and words inevitably has some flavor of literary inquisition, but when the eunuch from the Ministry of Justice arrived in Taicang, Wei Liangfu knew what to do without saying anything.

“Huang Jin.”

As soon as Huang Jinzhe entered the hall, she heard the emperor’s father calling her again, and she quickly responded, “I’m here.”

“Shufangzhai is still short of some imperial musicians. You can discuss with the outer court to make some appointments, and the number of musicians should be set at forty-nine.”

“I obey your command.” Huang Jin replied.

The family information of retired officials can be checked by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot. Since Wei Liangfu, there have been four generations, and both sons and grandchildren have entered officialdom, but the great-grandson is still young and has not been able to do so.

The number of descendants of the Wei family in three generations is exactly forty-nine, which is not a coincidence.

“In addition, Gao Gong has been in the court for decades, working tirelessly for the country and the people. He has made many contributions and has made many sacrifices. This is inseparable from the management of his virtuous wife. So, Zhang should be given an imperial decree.”

After solving the problems of Wei Liangfu and the Wei family, the problem of the Gao family in the prime minister’s mansion must also be solved. Zhang gave birth to three daughters for Gao Gong, although they died young. But if she died without any inheritance, it might make people feel disheartened and think that her chastity was useless, and it would corrupt the moral character.

Although a lady of imperial decree had no actual power, she enjoyed a salary, was supported by the court, and had a support for her life and upbringing, which could be considered a form of compensation.

The couple of Gao Gong and Shan Niang can be described as an old husband and young wife, or as an adulterous couple. The fact that Yuxi Palace did not make any statement is the biggest statement.

The imperial court did not prohibit taking concubines, but with Kunling’s appearance, she could never be allowed to enter the palace of the prime minister of the dynasty, let alone usurp the position of the principal wife and rule the prime minister’s residence.

Everyone in the world knows that the court only recognizes Zhang, so from now on, Gao Gong and Shan Niang will have to bear the ridicule during their lifetime and after their death.

No reprimand is better than a reprimand. If Gao Gong had any dignity left, he would have resigned on his own initiative.

Only Gao Gong himself knew whether it was worth it to lose his position for the sake of his children.

……

The great Eastern country is changing its position again.

And in the West of the World, the Spanish Empire, Madrid, the Great Council.

The nobles of the House of Lords, the members of the House of Commons, and the bishops and priests of the old church of the Spanish Empire were once again seated on both sides of the parliament.

There are two floors, the House of Lords, nobles and church cardinals are on the upper floor, and the House of Commons, members of the clergy are on the lower floor.

At the invitation of the Spanish Empire, most European countries sent envoys to listen to the speech.

The Emperor of the Spanish Empire and former Pope of the Church, Philip II, was already standing in front of the podium.

In the past period of time, in addition to external military expansion, Philip II has also been actively rectifying internal affairs. He seized the position of Pope of the old church in the empire, completed the integration of politics and religion, and became the only crown of the Spanish Empire.

The number of people in the Grand Council increased instead of decreased, but Felipe II no longer had the smile of enjoying power. Instead, he looked heavy and spoke slowly: “The East is now at the pinnacle of world power. For the people of the world, this is a solemn moment…”

Felipe II was the first to acknowledge the strength of the East (enemy), which made the atmosphere in the venue even more solemn.

In order to make the Spanish Empire great, generations of kings, nobles, and priests made countless efforts, but due to geographical limitations, they often achieved half the result with twice the effort.

Now there is a glimmer of hope. With the help of the Invincible Fleet and Roman orthodoxy, Spain was promoted from a kingdom to an empire, and successfully swallowed up the land, people, resources, etc. of the Kingdom of France. Then, the Spanish Empire forced back the Holy Roman Empire and defeated the Ottoman Empire. The entire European continent gradually prostrated itself at the feet of the empire. Africa and America, the two continents of the world, were regarded as something in the empire’s pocket. Once the empire integrated the three continents, then the world would have a true empire on which the sun never sets.

But all this was interrupted by the Mediterranean Battle not long ago, in which the Treasure Fleet was completely destroyed and the neighboring Kingdom of Portugal surrendered.

The Treasure Fleet is a smaller version of the Empire’s Invincible Fleet. The fact that it passed through the Eastern Mysterious Fleet almost unscathed is enough to make everyone waver. Even if the Invincible Fleet appears in front of the Eastern Mysterious Fleet, they still wonder whether they can defeat that behemoth.

The answer is no. An atmosphere of despair spread throughout the huge parliament.

Felipe II continued: “With the greatest power comes an awesome responsibility for the future, and looking around, I don’t think the East has fulfilled its due responsibilities, and I am worried.

There is an opportunity here now, a clear and shining opportunity, for the world, East and West.

If we reject, ignore, or squander this opportunity, we will be long condemned by future generations.

But the military personnel in the East have no sense of responsibility towards the people of the world. They are used to following the orders of their superiors and have no independent thinking at all…”

Philip II was angry about the failure of the Treasure Fleet, but the arrogant attitude of the Eastern Fleet after its victory made him even more angry and caused the subjects of the Spanish Empire to break down.

Ignoring is the greatest disregard and contempt for individuals, groups and countries.

In the Grand Council, the eyes of some nobles, parliamentarians, and clergymen gradually turned red.

The atmosphere gradually heated up, and Philip II said again: “This approach is wise because it can clarify ideas and simplify military command, but it should not be higher than the safety and happiness of all families of all men and women everywhere, as well as freedom and progress.”

boiling!

As Felipe II waved his arms vigorously towards the void, the parliament suddenly became boiling, and everyone followed suit waving their arms and roaring.

The actions of the Eastern Fleet deprived the Spanish Empire’s Treasure Fleet of their lives, the safety and happiness of tens of thousands of families behind them, and the freedom and progress of tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of people.

“El tirano! (The tyrant!)”

“El tirano!”

“Oriental eltirano!”

“Oriental el tirano!”

“…”

All kinds of slander and abuse were floating over the parliament.

“In order to provide security for these countless families, they must be protected from the two terrible predators: war and tyranny.”

Felipe II was very angry and roared: “We will not waver, we will never be discouraged, we will persevere until we win completely!”

“Así es!”

“Así es!”

“Así es!”

“…”

“The land, so recently illuminated by the victory of the Empire, is now covered with shadows.

No one knows what the great Eastern powers intend to do in the nearest future, or where, if at all, their tendencies to expand and spread their doctrines may cease.

I have great admiration and respect for the heroic people of the East.

Before the war—and I have no doubt now after the war—there was a feeling of sympathy and goodwill toward the peoples of the East, a determination to weather all differences and setbacks and to build lasting friendships.”

“We understand that the East needs security on its western borders to avoid another invasion by the West.

We welcome it to the place in the world to which it has a right.

We particularly welcome the constant, frequent, and increasing contacts between the peoples of the East and our own peoples on both sides of the Atlantic.

But it is my duty to place before you certain facts concerning the present situation on the European continent.”

“From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across Europe.

Behind this line lie the capitals of the ancient countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Warsaw, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia – all these weathered cities and their inhabitants are within the sphere of influence of the East, not only succumbing to its influence in one form or another, but also subject to its increasing control.

Only Madrid, in all its immortal glory, freely determines its future before the eyes of every man in the Spanish Empire.”

“…I don’t believe the East wants war.

What they want is the fruits of war and the unlimited expansion of their power.

Therefore, we are here to consider today, before it is too late, the question of putting an end to war once and for all and of creating as soon as possible the conditions for freedom and democracy in all nations.”

“Do not underestimate the Empire’s capacity for perseverance. … If to the population of the Empire were added the population of the European continent, Africa, and America, and the maritime, technical, and industrial cooperation that such a partnership involves, there would not be an unstable and precarious balance of power to which ambitious men and adventurers could not help themselves.

If the moral and material strength and convictions of the Spanish Empire were united in brotherly union with yours, it would open up a vast prospect, not only for us and our time, but for all men and for the centuries to come.

This not only applies to the Spanish Empire, but also to all the countries on the European continent. Now, regardless of whether they were really infected or not, representatives and envoys of various countries stood up and roared.

“Así es!”

“Victoria!”

“…”

The chaotic voices represented the collective will of the European continent, and Felipe II finally smiled.

But at this moment, the chief guard officer hurried to the side of Philip II and said, “Your Majesty, military news came from the Atlantic Ocean. The Invincible Fleet has been destroyed!”

……

Holy Roman Empire, Vienna.

The Holy See added thirteen cardinals at one time, bringing the number of cardinals to an unprecedented twenty-four.

When a majority of cardinals impeach the Pope, the removal process begins.

Soon after Rodrigo I ascended the throne, he faced a major test.

The same process as electing a pope, all cardinals entered the church and were supervised by the patriarch, and were not allowed to talk to each other.

When Roman Catholic Patriarch Lu Bing came to Roman Catholic Cardinal Chen Ping to take away the dismissal result, he talked about the situation in Europe and the speech of the Emperor of the Spanish Empire, Pope Philip II.

When hearing the words “freedom” and “progress”, Chen Ping, the elder of the Chen family, laughed disdainfully: “You can’t love your continent only when you win, and think about the freedom and progress of the people of the European continent!”

If a single speech could make the countries of a continent give up their hatred and put aside their past grudges, the East would have united together and defeated the West long ago.

The Spanish Empire’s previous arrogance meant that it was doomed to fail in integrating the European continent. The future of the world was destined to belong to the Ming Dynasty!

(End of this chapter)