On March 4, the second year of Hongzhi, the Li Dynasty tribute mission finally arrived in Kyoto of the Ming Dynasty after many twists and turns.

It was originally planned that in the first year of Hongzhi, the Li Dynasty's tribute mission would arrive in the capital. However, we never expected that the Li Dynasty's envoys would be killed and all the tributes would be looted in the Guangning area, which shocked the world.

Everyone, please go and try it soon.]

This was the first time this kind of thing had happened since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Hongzhi Zhu Youtang Longyan was furious and immediately ordered the new governor of Liaodong Xu Guan to investigate the matter.

Then there was the Liaodong cavalry purge and the encirclement and suppression of the Jianzhou Jurchens. After Xu Guan's large-scale sweep of the "holes", the Jianzhou Jurchens in Liaodong were seriously injured and they once again went north to live in seclusion in the forest and escaped into the desert.

Li Chao saw that the troublesome Jurchen barbarians had been eliminated by the Ming Dynasty, so he sent a tribute mission to the Ming Dynasty again. In addition to rare treasures and war horses, Li Chao also paid tribute to a great beauty who was said to have been selected by all the people in the country.

Of course, with the lessons of the last failure, the Li Dynasty and the Liaodong Army generals did not dare to neglect the tribute this time. They paid great attention to it, sending and receiving it. Xu Guan even dispatched three troops to ensure that the Li Dynasty tribute mission could arrive safely.

Qian Liaodong cavalry escort.

When the Ming Dynasty was first founded, because Liaodong was still in the hands of the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty, Nahachu and others, the Li Dynasty could only choose the sea route for paying tribute. However, due to the underdeveloped shipbuilding technology of the Li Dynasty at that time and the lack of navigation experience, the Li Dynasty

In the third year of Hongwu, the envoys of the Li Dynasty were in danger when they were crossing the sea to pay tribute. More than 30 people lost their lives and drowned.

Later, Liaodong was restored to the hands of the Ming Dynasty, and the Li Dynasty changed to a land tribute route. In recent decades, the Li Dynasty even regarded the Ming Dynasty as the focus of its diplomacy. Diplomatic envoys were very frequent, and each time they paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty, they had to pass through Liaodong. Therefore,

The successive governors of Liaodong all worked hard to handle this matter.

Some military generals don’t understand why Mr. Futai has to send three thousand elite cavalry to protect him within his own jurisdiction? But the fact is that the governor of Liaodong is now Xu Guan, and the envoy group is entering. If you don’t send symbolic troops for protection

, if something goes wrong on your territory, how many heads do you, Xu Guan, have to bear it?

It was still dark, in the West Nuan Pavilion of the Forbidden City, Zhu Youtang was lying on the dragon couch with his eyes squinted, listening to the banquet reading the memorial presented yesterday.

At this moment, Li Guang trotted in and murmured a few words in Zhu Youtang's ear with a smile. Zhu Youtang suddenly woke up, opened his eyes and said with a smile: "Li Guang, you can do this."

Well, I will reward you heavily!"

"For the sake of the emperor, the empress and the future young master, these are what a slave should do!"

At the end of February, Empress Zhang heard that the Li Dynasty envoy had left Beijing not far away, and she felt a little jealous. However, she also understood that it was normal for men to have three wives and four concubines since ancient times, not to mention that her own man was still the most powerful person in the Third Palace.

The Seventy-Two Concubines of the Sixth Courtyard are even more reasonable. It’s just that I am small-minded. When I think of the emperor falling into the arms of other women during my pregnancy, I feel sulky.

Maybe it was because of the fetal movement that Queen Zhang felt a little nauseous that night and couldn't stop vomiting. This alarmed the entire palace. Zhu Youtang was with her relatives that night, and more than a dozen imperial doctors went to the Imperial Hospital, which made her busy all day.

Queen Zhang was comforted at night.

Looking at Liu Wentai and several other "second sword" imperial doctors, Zhu Youtang was full of distrust. Afterwards, he asked Li Guang to go to the private sector to inquire, and invited doctors with skillful medical skills and experienced midwives to come into the palace and stay overnight.

Look after the queen in the palace.

No, after the great eunuch Li Guang personally checked and screened, this task was successfully completed today.

Yanhai rubbed his eyes, looked sleepy, yawned a few times, and said, "Your Majesty, it's time to go to court."

Li Guang, who was next to him, quickly picked up the words and said, "Yes, it's time for your Majesty to go to court. I'll help you freshen up and dress up, and then go to summon the Li Dynasty envoys in good spirits."

Zhu Youtang stood up and took a sip of warm tea from Li Guang, rinsed his mouth briefly, and curled his lips and said: "No need, let Su Yin do this kind of thing!"

Because the great court meeting had already received tributes from various countries, including the Li Dynasty, Zhu Youtang, the envoy group meeting the Li Dynasty this time, temporarily moved to Wuying Hall.

In the Wuying Hall, two rows of civil and military ministers were kneeling below Liu Ji, the chief minister of the cabinet, and Zhang Mao, the British duke.

After Zhu Youtang calmly walked in front of the dragon chair and sat down, all the ministers and ministers saluted in unison.

"Long live my emperor! Long live!"

"My lords, please be free!"

At this time, Xie Qian, the new assistant minister of the cabinet, came out and said: "Your Majesty, the envoys of the Li Dynasty have come to Beijing to pay tribute. I respectfully invite your Majesty to summon them!"

Zhu Youtang glanced at the ministers and nodded.

Seeing the emperor nodding in agreement, the foreign minister shouted at the top of his lungs: "The Ming Emperor has a decree, and the envoys of the Li Dynasty are here to meet him according to the courtesy!"

After a while, the representative of the envoys from the Li Dynasty knelt down and shouted in proficient Chinese: "The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty has a holy bow."

"I am safe."

In the main hall, the Li Dynasty envoys mainly introduced the tribute items, including twenty pieces of yellow gauze, twenty pieces of white gauze cloth, twenty pieces of linen cloth, thirty flower mats, five curtain mats, and

There are ten flower mats, ten yellow mats, and ten colored mats. Thirty kilograms of ginseng, ten leopard skins, ten otter skins, and thirty yellow writing brushes. In addition, there are fifty royal horses, one concubine, and seven maidens.

There are 10 maidservants, 16 female servants, and 10 firemen.

The place where the Li Dynasty was located had always been poor, and the valuable items that could be paid as tribute were very limited. To be honest, these things were as different as heaven and earth compared to the items that the Ming Dynasty rewarded them.

However, among these tribute lists, there was one that Zhu Youtang attached great importance to, that is, this beauty was said to have been selected by the entire Li Dynasty.

Judging from the beauty of Hanguo in later generations, the quality of this woman should not be bad. Of course, you have to see all this by yourself at night.

After the list of tribute items was read out, Ming Dynasty, as a representative of the Celestial Kingdom, should also give some symbolic rewards to its vassal countries to show the demeanor of a great Celestial Kingdom.

Since this was the first tribute paid by the Li Dynasty since he came to the throne, Zhu Youtang must not be stingy with the rewards for his own sake. Otherwise, people would go back and say that the current Ming Emperor is very stingy and cannot be compared with the previous emperors.

!

With a wave of his hand, Zhu Youtang rewarded King Li Chao, his loyal younger brother, with one thousand taels of platinum, 200 horses of elegant clothes, fifty pieces of gauze and velvet cotton, and 50 fine horses.

Eighty horses".

The envoy from the Li Dynasty looked at the generous Ming Emperor with surprise on his face. He knelt down and shouted a few more times to thank the Ming Emperor for his kindness.

Zhu Youtang was unwilling to face this kind of tribute trade that was "thick and thin". Although the endless stream of tributary countries could bring face to the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty's treasury was not an inexhaustible cornucopia.

, if tribute is paid so frequently, there will always be times when the treasury cannot cope with it.

Although it is a loss-making transaction, you cannot completely prevent small foreign countries from paying tribute. They are willing to travel thousands of miles to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, which shows that they are willing to be vassals of the Ming Dynasty. With these vassal countries, they can better spread the Ming culture and enhance Chinese culture.

The sense of identity in the hearts of various countries can also enhance Ming's influence overseas!

In addition to effectively spreading Chinese culture, it can also gain some advantages in geosecurity. For example, the border between the Ming Dynasty and the Li Dynasty can reduce the number of troops stationed on the border, reducing friction between small countries on the border. If there are some local riots, they can quickly

You will get the support of the subject countries. Although the Ming Dynasty is not afraid of border conflicts and friction at all, the subsequent sending of troops, food and grass, counterinsurgency, and garrisoning will all cost a lot of money. And with the subject countries willing to follow and support you

, you can greatly save a sum of military expenditures. Why not use these saved military expenditures to develop internal affairs construction?

After many tributary countries received rewards, they would ask them to provide conveniences to the people of the Ming Dynasty and restrain the local people from conflicts and conflicts with the people of the Ming Dynasty. In addition, if the Ming Dynasty had local political needs, it would be easy for the Ming Dynasty to pay tribute.

The country gained political support.

After the next court, Zhu Youtang went straight to Kunning Palace and sat with Empress Zhang for a while, then returned to Xinuang Pavilion to continue reviewing the memorial.

In the evening, after having dinner in Nuan Pavilion, Li Guang saw that Zhu Youtang had finished reviewing the memorial, so he bravely stepped forward with a smile and said: "Your Majesty, that Korean woman has been admitted to the palace and is temporarily arranged in Yonghe Palace.

, why don’t you go and take a look?”

Zhu Youtang naturally understood the meaning of Li Guang's words, and Li Guang had already seen through Zhu Youtang's thoughts throughout the afternoon.

"What are you looking at? Don't you know whether Korean women are more important than these government affairs? You have been very attentive recently. Could it be that you did something bad behind my back?"

Even if Li Guang didn't need to ask, Zhu Youtang would naturally stay overnight in Yonghe Palace at night. Seeing his positive words, he asked deliberately.

"Your Majesty, this servant has been wronged!"

When Li Guang heard Zhu Youtang shouting and asking, he immediately changed his face and said aggrievedly:

"I see that the emperor has been busy with state affairs recently, so I want the emperor to meet the Korean girl to relax and relax."

After hearing this, Zhu Youtang laughed loudly, put down the memorial in his hand, and said: "I just want to ask you casually, but you don't have to be so nervous. I will listen to you tonight and go see that Korean woman."

"Okay, I'll go prepare it for you now!"

…

As soon as Zhu Youtang stepped into Yonghe Palace, Li Guang immediately shouted away the eunuchs and maids.

In the Yonghe Palace, the Korean woman had just finished taking a bath according to the order. She was sitting in front of the bed nervously picking her fingers. Suddenly she heard footsteps coming from the door, and her heart felt like a deer stumbling around. When she raised her head, she wanted to go through the door.

While looking through the gap in the door, I heard the door creak, and a man in yellow robe had already stepped in.

The Korean woman raised her head and glanced at the tall and burly Zhu Youtang, and quickly knelt down and saluted: "I have seen the great emperor of the Celestial Dynasty."

"Here, you don't have to follow so many rules with me. Get up!".

Obviously, Li Chao had given this Korean woman professional Chinese training before she came here. Although her accent sounded a bit distorted, it did not affect her peerless appearance at all.

I saw this Korean woman, tall and tall, with fair skin, black hair, beautiful eyes, and an indescribable charm in her eyes.

Zhu Youtang said happily: "Li Chaocheng doesn't deceive me, you are indeed a first-class beauty!"

When the Korean woman saw Zhu Youtang's longing eyes and heard the emperor praising her so much, her face turned red instantly and she lowered her head shyly.

Zhu Youtang sat next to the Korean woman, held her in his arms, and said softly: "What is your name, and who are your relatives at home? Tell me about it!"

"My concubine's name is Han Qiaozi...

Halfway through Han Qiaozi's words, Zhu Youtang gently touched her red lips with his finger and whispered a few words in her ear.

After hearing this, Han Qiaozi turned even redder and turned around to blow out the lamp...

Early the next morning, Zhu Youtang ordered Li Guang to pass the decree and canonize Su Yin as Concubine Shu and Han Qiaozi as Concubine Li.

From then until March 5, the second year of Hongzhi, Zhu Youtang had one queen and two concubines.

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Chapter completed!