When the evening came to an end, Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile: "It's interesting. If you can teach your children like this, you shouldn't be a bad person."
Zhu Biao stacked the memorials he had reviewed and stood up and walked to his father. He saw a letter in his hand. The quality of the paper was quite ordinary and it was obviously not official letter paper.
"This was sent by the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment in a memorial. The Ministry of Punishment searched the prison the day before yesterday and found a letter between him and his son. He reported it to the officials of the Ministry of Punishment, and then it was passed on to us."
Zhu Biao took the letter and looked at it. The handwriting was quite neat, which showed that he was a well-educated person. He wrote in the letter: "An official must be honest and self-restrained. Poverty and hardship are the norm for scholars. The ancients said that poverty cannot survive. This is good news.
The people should be kind-hearted, serve the country based on loyalty and diligence, conduct oneself with humility as the first priority, and study as a priority...
"In addition, if you are willing, you can buy two or three aconite seeds and one or two pounds of peppercorns. You must pay tax before bringing them over. No other items are required."
Zhu Biao couldn't help but smile after reading it and said: "The writing is good, but since it was discovered by the Ministry of Punishment during a prison search, he must be a prisoner. How could he commit a crime if he has such awareness?"
Zhu Yuanzhang leaned back in his chair and smiled and said: "It's not a big crime, it's just that he dressed a little too much, and the punishment is only two months. Seeing that he taught his son like this, it shows that he knows he is wrong, so we are going to give him some mercy."
Zhu Biao read the content again and said: "My father is planning to circulate it to all civil and military officials. It is also a good example."
"He is just a common man, but his son is a seventh-rank official. It is rare for him to have such consciousness and be willing to be punished. Instead of letting his son rely on others to have a relationship to reduce the punishment, those officials should take a closer look. They are in high positions but only know
Favoritism and fraud.”
Immediately, Zhu Yuanzhang wrote on the memorial to the Minister of Punishment, "order Shi Wangsheng to be released from prison, and give five pieces of aconite and five pounds of pepper in recognition of his virtuousness."
After the review of the last memorial was completed, Zhu Yuanzhang said: "I am very happy today. Let's go to Kunning Palace for dinner together."
Zhu Biao nodded and replied, "I've been traveling around the Ministry of Etiquette and Work every day lately, and I haven't had meals with my mother for a while."
Liu Jin on the side immediately bowed and retreated after hearing this, preparing to inform Kunning Palace in advance to prepare dinner. The father and son above him slowly got up and walked out.
After leaving the Fengtian Palace, Zhu Yuanzhang said casually: "Wu Zhen built another shipyard in Suzhou this year. Although it is to clear out Japanese pirates and increase the sea canal, coupled with the shipyards in several other places, the court's annual losses are considerable."
Zhu Biao glanced sideways at his father's face and knew that he was considering reducing the Ming Dynasty's naval expenditure. In fact, that was right. The Ming Dynasty was currently in financial difficulty, and the navy's expenditure far exceeded that of the army, but it was of no great use.
Zhu Biao calculated the revenue and expenditure of the imperial court this year and said: "The coastal situation is gradually improving because our naval force is getting stronger day by day. I think the shipyards still need to be maintained. As for the vacancies in food and salary, we can find them from other countries."
"
Zhu Yuanzhang raised his brows: "Looking for it from other countries? Countries such as Koryana and Champa are all canonized vassal states. The Ming Dynasty can collect some tribute, but it will be difficult to ask them to pay a large sum."
"Father, since the confrontation between the Eastern and Southern Dynasties, the number of Japanese pirates has been increasing over the years, and they are constantly being killed. But this year, the number of Japanese pirates off our coast of the Ming Dynasty is much smaller than in previous years."
Zhu Yuanzhang said with bright eyes: "Do you want Wu Zhen to lead the navy to bring the Koryo Peninsula and the coasts of Southeast Asian countries under the protection of the Ming Dynasty?"
Zhu Biao followed his father with his hands behind his back and nodded: "I received a secret letter from Jiang Side a few days ago. This year, Goryeo's Gyeongsang Province, Jeolla Province, Yangguang Province and other coastal areas were invaded by Japanese pirates, and Goryeo's coastal defense lines were completely defeated.
, Japanese pirates even invaded its hinterland and plundered it, causing huge casualties."
"Although I haven't received any news from the Nanyang countries, I expect that their situation will not be too good. The land plundered by the Japanese pirates can be said to be completely barren of humans and animals. With such a huge loss, it is impossible for them not to pay tribute to the suzerain country.
Asking for help."
Zhu Yuanzhang stopped and thought for a moment and said: "The gain outweighs the loss. The Japanese pirates are like a pack of wolves with red eyes because of hunger. The Ming Dynasty finally drove them away. If I go to provoke them for that little offering, I'm afraid I won't get any meat and will be all messed up."
The intrusion of Japanese invaders not only caused the decline of towns in coastal areas, but also had a far-reaching impact on people in other areas who had to stop farming and waste weaving due to transporting grain and stockings. When crops were lost, Zhu Yuanzhang originally planned to punish the Japanese pirates before finding a way to contact Japan.
Political means to solve the Japanese pirate problem.
"Biao'er, you want to take this opportunity to train."
"I do have this idea. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the navy has been idle along the coast. Except for the second year of Hongwu, when Tang Shuai took the initiative to go to sea to encircle and suppress Japanese pirates, it has always been in a passive defensive state. Most of the seamen lacked the ability to fight at sea.
experience of."
Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a moment and took steps again: "Isn't the Ming Dynasty big enough?"
"It's very big, but I am afraid that the Ming Dynasty will not escape the mistakes of previous dynasties. It will only last two or three hundred years to stick to its ancestral heritage. I want to find a way out for the Ming Dynasty while the dynasty is prosperous."
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said: "We haven't read any books, but we also know that the general trend of the world will inevitably merge and divide after a long time. This is a law. Who can resist? Two or three hundred years of Guo Zuo will not be short..."
After finishing his words, Lao Zhu was silent for a moment before speaking again: "Well, if you want to do it, just do it. Anyway, your father will support you and give you courage. But you have to remember to eat as much as your appetite. Don't be too ambitious."
Zhu Biao knew that his father had always been one step at a time, and it was of no use to him to try to make a bigger picture. Even if he said all the good things about overseas countries, he would not be able to disrupt his plans.
So Zhu Biao just replied seriously: "I understand."
Then the two of them walked straight to Kunning Palace, where Empress Ma came to greet her. Now Zhu Lu's child has also gone to study for enlightenment. Chang Luohua is also very easy to move when he is about to give birth. Empress Ma's place is quite deserted. Fortunately, Yu'er often comes to visit.
.
Dinner has been laid out, consisting of four simple dishes and a bowl of soup, and the loom inside can be vaguely seen. If the father and son had not come, Queen Ma would probably just have a casual meal and continue weaving.
Zhu Biao saluted his mother and then said with a smile: "Lu'er is now grown, so my mother should invite more people to join in the fun, even if we are weaving together, she will be a companion. Don't the Princesses of Zhongshan and others share the same love as our mother and sisters?"
"
Hearing this, Empress Ma rolled her eyes at Zhu Yuanzhang, who was smiling dryly at the side: "Your father insisted on tightening the palace administration even though he said so. Using my name, he ordered the ministers to order their wives not to enter the palace except to congratulate them. You also
Without the courtesy of meeting a destined wife, those sisters still dare to enter the palace to keep me company."
Zhu Biao couldn't help but look at his father after hearing this and said: "The palace is already boring. Most of the wives of the princes and princes in the court are close friends with their mothers and queens. They stayed behind together to make shoes and knit clothes for the soldiers. Why would my father impose such a rule?"
At this time, Lao Zhu naturally could not accept soft and hard words: "In the late Yuan Dynasty, the king could not strictly control the palace affairs, so that the concubines visited foreign ministers and accepted their bribes, or gave money and silk to monks, or invited monks to enter the palace.
While the ministers ordered their wives to enter and leave the country, they committed adultery and disorderly affairs, and the etiquette and laws disappeared, leading to the country's subjugation. We are just in case, setting rules for future generations."
"Besides, there is nothing else in the palace, and there are not many concubines. If the girl thinks she is bored, she can just call her to keep her company. Why do we have to ask those women outside the palace to keep us company? It will be troublesome to come and go."
As soon as these words came out, let alone his mother, even Zhu Biao was a little speechless. His father was really a straight man. How could any wife like her husband's concubines? She usually tolerated them due to etiquette and law, but how could this happen?
I call him every day to cause trouble for myself.
Lao Zhu silently endured the weird looks from his wife and children for a while, and finally couldn't help but scratch his head and said: "We didn't think that Luo Hua would be born in a month. If I have time to chat with those women, I might as well take care of the grandson."
Son……"
There was silence in Kunning Palace for a while. Mother and son were in a heart-to-heart relationship. Zhu Biao was of course on the side of his mother. After a while, Zhu Yuanzhang saw that no one was paying attention to him. He rubbed his hands and found a place to sit down and eat late.
meal.
Seeing this, Empress Ma couldn't help but laugh and said: "That's all, I, an old woman, can take care of my grandson honestly from now on, so as not to make the Holy Emperor dislike me."
Zhu Biao stepped forward and said coquettishly: "The mother is immortal. The queen is the master of the middle palace. The mother is the most respected in the world. She has the responsibility of leading the world's courtiers and concubines. The father is in charge of the five powers of foreign affairs, and the mother is the queen."
There are five things in the palm of your hand, so it is the duty of heaven to meet your destined wife."
The five powers and five coins mentioned by Zhu Biao are actually the rules of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. In the traditional royal family, power is controlled externally and wealth is controlled internally. Five powers are divided outside to govern the world, and five coins are divided inside to supervise the five powers.
There are five powers in foreign affairs: the first is land, which is the power of the people; the second is the things, the things are the power and the officials; the third is contempt, the power is the common people; the fourth is punishment, the punishment is the power; the fifth is food, the food is the power.
The so-called Mei is to pull out the trees in the palace, supervise, and hold the ruler of the royal power, assisting the royal family, which is dominated by the father line, to manage and balance the five powers.
At this time, Lao Zhu couldn't sit still and raised his head and said: "We don't have any objection to the five financial rights belonging to your mother, but you better ask your mother if she will allow you to do such things? The shipyards along the coast are expected to be closed tomorrow.
Work must be stopped, and the money saved can be used to prevent natural disasters and provide relief to the poor.”
Zhu Biao immediately sat down next to his father with an expressionless expression. He also picked up a chicken wing from the plate and put it into Lao Zhu's bowl, and then he immersed himself in the rice.
It is natural to provide disaster relief and rescue people, but it must not be at the expense of giving up national defense strength, otherwise it will be to abandon the basic and pursue the last. It is easy to give up many things, but difficult to rebuild them. Without the continuously developing coastal army, the casualties caused by Japanese pirate intrusion are far greater than those caused by floods and earthquakes.
.
Empress Ma didn't care at first, but she couldn't help but feel a little angry when her son rebelled so quickly. She sat aside quietly. When the father and son looked at each other, they couldn't help laughing...