Zhu Hao asked Sun Lan to change out of her wedding clothes first.
He is waiting outside.
After the bride had packed up and came out, a carriage was ready at the door, and the couple rode to Zhu's house to serve tea to Zhu Niang.
Zhu Niang was very happy when she saw her daughter-in-law for the first time. She held Sun Lan's hand and talked for a long time.
At noon, Zhu Hao took his newlywed wife and had a meal with Zhu Niang, Aunt Li and Zhu Ting. It was the first meal of the family reunion.
After eating, he took Sun Lan back to the other courtyard on the grounds that he was busy with official duties.
The two of them don't look like strangers, but they don't look like husband and wife, nor can they be considered friends. They treat each other with a kind of respect as if they were guests.
Zhu Hao deliberately kept a distance from Sun Lan, and Sun Lan also had a barrier to Zhu Hao.
Political marriage is different from ordinary marriage. Girls who have studied these days can also have their own opinions, but their temperament will be suppressed by feudal ethics. Since Zhu Hao has given her a chance to choose, she does not want to go with Zhu Hao.
Too close, destroying this subtle sense of distance.
"Madam is back."
Chun Yu did not go with the couple. When she saw Zhu Hao and Sun Lan coming in, she quickly came out with a smile on her face to salute them.
Zhu Hao said: "Help your young lady go back to the house to rest. There are two maids and four nurses here to help. There is a wooden box next to the dressing table in the bedroom. There are three hundred taels of silver in it. There is also a big wooden box next to it.
If you have one hundred coins, if you need anything, you can send someone to buy it yourself."
Chun Yu hurriedly asked: "Don't you usually live here?"
Zhu Hao smiled slightly: "This is my home, so I will come back often, but the time is uncertain. I will definitely come back when Sanchao returns in two days, just be ready."
…
…
Zhu Hao ignored Chun Yu's strange gaze and left after a brief explanation.
When Zhu Hao arrived at the official residence, he heard Zhang Zuozheng talking to Tang Yin from a distance. The two of them were a little surprised to see Zhu Hao come in. Tang Yin asked curiously: "Why are you here when you are not at home with the bride at this time?"
Zhang Zuo smiled bitterly: "Mr. Tang, it should be said that Mr. Zhu didn't go back last night. This newlywed... oh..."
Although Zhang Zuo felt that Zhu Hao's behavior was somewhat incomprehensible, as a eunuch, he couldn't comment too much.
Tang Yin didn't understand Zhu Hao's approach and wanted to ask, but Zhang Zuo was present next to him, so he was embarrassed to ask.
"Eunuch Zhang, it's not yet past noon. Do you have something important to come out of the palace in such a hurry?" Zhu Hao asked.
Only then did Zhang Zuo remember the business and hurriedly said: "Today at the court meeting, Peng Shangshu of the Ministry of War reported that there were Japanese pirate attacks in Fujian, Guangdong and other places. Even in southern Zhili and surrounding areas, reports about pirates came one after another...
…Involving the late reporting or non-reporting by the Nanjing garrison yamen, who would have thought that it would all come out at once before the end of the year.”
Zhu Hao frowned and asked, "Lack of military pay?"
"Um."
Zhang Zuo nodded heavily, "Nanjing reported that the shortfall in military pay is as high as 200,000 taels. This is only needed for the southeast coastal defense before the summer of next year. If we want to prepare for war all the year round and solve the banditry in the southeast in one fell swoop, I am afraid that we will need additional money every year."
Increase food expenditure by 500,000 taels."
Just as Zhu Hao expected.
By the middle of the Ming Dynasty, rampant piracy along the coast had become a major event affecting local stability.
In the middle of the Jiajing Dynasty, piracy became increasingly prevalent and almost reached an uncontrollable level. In the later period of the Jiajing Dynasty, famous anti-Japanese generals represented by Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou appeared to organize and train new armies, which were able to suppress the rampant pirates in the southeast.
Before the Jiajing Dynasty, because the Ming Dynasty and the Japanese countries had always had a "prospecting trade" once every ten years, which was regarded as an official trade, for nearly a hundred years from Yongle to the end of Zhengde, the Japanese invaders only appeared sporadically on the southeast coast and did not form a major climate.
However, in the early years of Jiajing and the Warring States Period, a large number of wandering warriors began to travel across the ocean to make a living. However, the Ming Dynasty implemented a strict maritime ban policy, and a large number of islands outside the sea were in a state of ownerlessness, so the islands began to breed mainly Japanese.
Pirate forces slowly began to join a large number of coastal people in the Ming Dynasty...
It was not until the second year of Jiajing that the "War for Tribute" occurred. The Japanese lords Hosokawa and Ouchi each sent trade missions to the Ming Dynasty to trade in China. After the two missions arrived in Ningbo, fierce conflicts arose due to the dispute over the authenticity of the alliance.
Then the armed killings broke out, and the Japanese burned, killed, looted and took captives, causing great damage to the Ming army and civilians. The pursuing Japanese soldiers commanded Liu Jin, Qianhu Zhang Bor and other Ming Dynasty officers and soldiers were killed in the battle.
After this battle, the Ming Dynasty stopped official trade with the Japanese countries. Since the end of the Jiajing Dynasty, the Japanese pirates in the southeast have become a major problem comparable to the border troubles in the northwest, and the military expenditures required have increased year by year. Until generals such as Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou led their troops to pacify them.
Japanese pirates.
At present, the Southeast Report reports only sporadic incidents of Japanese pirate attacks.
The civil servants raised the matter during this period of time a year ago, not because they thought the Japanese pirate attack was urgent, but because they just wanted to use it to give the little emperor a warning...
Weren't you able to satisfactorily solve the cost problem in Northwest China by relying on your own abilities?
Now I have another problem for you, food and military expenses worth 200,000 taels of silver, let’s see how you raise them!
"Mr. Zhu, Your Majesty also didn't expect that just after the northwest issue was resolved, the southeast issue came again. Why didn't the Ming Dynasty stop calming down? I had heard before that the Japanese looked like ghosts and killed people without blinking an eye...
…If this makes them cause trouble, there will be big problems in Ming Dynasty’s coastal defense!”
Zhang Zuo was a little anxious. It was obvious that he was a eunuch who had served in the Prince's Palace and was dedicated to serving people. He didn't expect so many bad things to happen every day in the Ming Dynasty, and he was tired of dealing with them.
With his ability, he was immediately appointed as the Supervisor of Ceremonies and the Eunuch in Charge of Printing, without even a chance to learn. This was really a embarrassment for him.
Generally speaking, Zhang Zuo's ability is not good enough.
Zhu Hao asked Tang Yin on the side: "Mr. Tang is from the southeast. I wonder what he knows about Japanese pirates?"
Tang Yin looked at Zhu Hao, his eyes a little erratic.
It seems to be saying, why do you sound exactly like Zhang Zuo? Even though I am from Suzhou Prefecture in South Zhili, I have never heard of Japanese pirates in that place!
What insights can I offer?
"If you have an idea, just say it, don't beat around the bush!"
Tang Yin said angrily.
Zhu Hao said: "There are only a few days left before the new year. Since some people want to make a fuss about the Japanese pirates' invasion of the border areas, and the discussion is still just about the shortage of money and food, then it is better for your Majesty to raise it. If the court cannot come up with so much money and food,
Just leave the military management and war preparations along the southeast coast to our people."
Zhang Zuo asked with a puzzled look on his face: "What... does this mean?"
I discussed raising money with you, but you told me that I want to take the power to manage the army and prepare for war in the southeast? It's a bit different!
Tang Yin seemed to understand, and explained to Zhu Hao: "What he means is that if no one in the court can solve the problem, His Majesty will appoint someone to take charge. We can raise money and food by ourselves, but we must let the court control the army."
Handing over the power to prepare for war...is actually military power."
"oh."
Zhang Zuo roughly understood, but shook his head repeatedly, "I'm afraid Mr. Yang Ge won't agree."
Zhu Hao smiled and said: "If he doesn't agree, then let him raise money and food by himself... In the spring, the court budget for the coming year will be drawn up. Two hundred thousand taels of silver is neither too much nor too much. It is natural that the Ministry of Revenue can come up with it. Everyone is happy. His Majesty's conditions have been laid out... We cannot leave it to your Majesty to solve any problem regarding money and food. When it comes to power, it is left to the civil servants to decide... Who is the master of the Ming Dynasty?"
Zhang Zuo smiled bitterly.
In fact, he didn't understand Zhu Hao's plan very well, but he hurriedly said: "Mr. Zhu, what do you think? Why don't you write it down in the statement and explain it clearly to our family? We will report back to His Majesty when we go back, so that His Majesty can deal with it more easily." .”
…
…
After Zhang Zuo received Zhu Hao's advice, he hurried back to the palace.
However, when they were approaching the Palace of Qianqing, they saw Yang Tinghe and Jiang Mian who had come with the imperial edict. They saw Zhang Zuo coming back from outside in a hurry and felt a little confused.
"Two pavilion elders."
Zhang Zuo took the initiative to step forward to greet him.
"Um."
Yang Tinghe nodded.
Jiang Mian then raised his hand and said, "Eunuch Zhang, where did this dusty man come from?"
"No...that's not...haha, our family is going to have an interview with the Holy Spirit, so we won't talk to the two elders..."
Zhang Zuo was hesitating, but his legs were walking as fast as flying. He put his hands on his chest, as if he was afraid that something would fall out.
Yang Tinghe and Jiang Mian watched Zhang Zuo go away and couldn't help but look at each other, thinking in their hearts, what is Zhang Zuo up to?
…
…
Yang Tinghe and Jiang Mian walked to the outside of the Qianqing Palace and waited for a long time before being formally summoned by Emperor Jiajing.
At this time, Zhang Zuo was standing behind Zhu Si, and there were no other ministers and entourage around him. It seemed that this discussion did not need to be known to too many people.
Zhu Si took the initiative to talk to the two cabinet bachelors and sighed: "I have tried my best to arrange money and food in the northwest, but now I can't ask the Nanhu Department to make suggestions for me... If there is really a shortage of military pay, It is better to let the maritime security stations along the southeastern coast raise their own funds."
When Yang Tinghe heard this, he knew what was going on.
The little emperor is not always so "magical". You can't be a silversmith, right? The 400,000 taels raised previously were not all funded by the imperial court. The main credit lies with Huang Zan.
Since you have no choice, the initiative will fall into my hands.
Yang Tinghe said: "Your Majesty, the troubles in the southeastern sea have been lingering, mostly due to private trade between sea people and bandits, and there are people fleeing the sea, colluding with bandits, endangering the security of our Ming territory..."
Yang Tinghe did not talk about the business first, but told Zhu Si in a long speech why the Ming Dynasty had the hidden danger of Japanese pirates in the southeast.
It's like teaching Zhu Si a lesson.
Zhu Si was stunned for a moment after hearing this. Do you need to tell me this?
Do you think I'm a fool?
"Mr. Yang Ge, you don't need to elaborate on why this trouble in the Southeast China Sea started. Let's talk about the two hundred thousand taels of silver." Zhu Si listened for a long time, but he couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted Yang Tinghe directly.
Jiang Mian corrected him: "Your Majesty, money is not the key to solving the problem. Food and ordnance are more needed."
Zhu Sidao: "I know, but the problem is, I don't even have any money, where can I get food and weapons? The Ministry of Revenue can still raise tens of thousands of taels of silver for the northwest issue, and exchange it for the defense of the southeast, even one tael of silver Can’t you move out?”