There was a lot of traffic and guests gathered in front of the gate of Hulong Villa. All the guests who came were important officials of the imperial court, including civil servants and military generals.
Duan Tianya and Haitang stood in front of the villa and were responsible for welcoming the guests. After the guests arrived, the servants behind them were responsible for leading the way. Only people with special status would be led by them personally.
The sun is setting, the cool breeze is blowing, and the crowd at the door is gradually thinning. Most of the guests who are supposed to come have already arrived. No one dares to be late for such an important day as today. The eighth prince who has been regent for more than ten years has left the post office dinner. The key is today.
The late banquet was hosted by the emperor himself. Who dares to be late? I'm afraid they don't want to hang out in the officialdom.
The third prince finally committed suicide. Thirteen years ago, King Zhennan gathered his last troops in Yingtian Mansion for a decisive battle with the imperial court. The new prince was seriously injured in that battle.
When he was dying, he was afraid that Pu Zhao would be easily manipulated by traitors at a young age, or that he would be incapable of presiding over the government and would not know how to distinguish between loyal and traitorous people, so he ordered his younger brother Li Jie to establish the "Hulong Villa", which would have authority over all imperial agencies.
He also gave the 'Elixir Book Iron Coupon' and Shang Fang's sword, which can kill the faint king at the top and the sycophant ministers at the bottom. The power is so great that even the cabinet cannot directly compete with it.
Thirteen years passed quickly, and Puzhao gradually became a qualified emperor under Li Jie's training. At the beginning of the year, Li Jie made a request to return to power, and was willing to lower his title from a king to a marquis.
If it hadn't been for Li Jie's strong recommendation, Puzhao would not have been able to secure the throne, because his ascension to the throne was completely inconsistent with the ancestral system of selecting the best from the best. Such a situation had never happened in the 100 years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. At that time, the eldest prince and the sixth prince were ready to make a move.
There's going to be a drama of brotherhood and brotherhood.
At that time, the rebellion of King Zhennan had just been put down, and there were still foreign enemies around. A rebellion would definitely shake the country. At that time, Li Jie came forward to personally guarantee that if Puzhao still could not become a qualified emperor after he came of age, then he would
He will use the Shangfang sword in his hand to destroy Puzhao and establish a new king.
Puzhao grew up in this environment and never dared to relax in his studies. In addition, his talent was indeed quite good, and he was gradually recognized by the courtiers over the years.
Of course, there are many people in the court who do not want Pu Zhao to officially take power, and even support Li Jie to be the 'regent' forever. After all, the achievements of the Ming Empire under the leadership of Li Jie in the past thirteen years are obvious to all.
Militaryly, the Ming Dynasty conquered the barbarians. Five years ago, it sent troops to attack the Northern Yuan, Western Regions, and Southern Xinjiang at the same time. The new firearm, the flintlock, became famous in one battle.
It can take anywhere from one or two years to three to five years to train a qualified archer. Even a crossbowman who is faster to use takes half a year to train. This is not the case for a musketeer. Three months is enough, and no matter it is
The range and rate of fire far exceed that of a crossbow, making it a great weapon in the field.
Relying on the installation of flintlock guns, the armies of the Northern Yuan, Western Regions, and Southern Xinjiang were completely defeated on the battlefield. They surrendered after not holding on for long. Not only did they become a nominal vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, but they also had to pay a large amount of tribute to the Ming Dynasty every year.
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Economically, the same routine as in the Ming Dynasty was adopted internationally, vigorously developing overseas trade, diverting domestic conflicts, and dumping Ming materials around the world. Porcelain, tea, silk and other items were sold overseas and were sought after by nobles all over the world.
Domestically, the policy of resting with the people has been adopted, with light corvee and low taxes, encouraging mulberry farming, developing handicrafts, and the introduction of high-yielding crops. In recent years, the disposable property in the hands of the people has gradually increased.
Money can only generate value when it circulates. In view of this, Li Jie vigorously supported local economic development and accelerated the circulation of commodities. The court seemed to be gradually reducing taxes, but in fact the taxes were increasing year by year.
Politically, the administration of officials has been clean and honest, and while supervision has been vigorously strengthened, officials' salaries have also been increased. Although corruption cannot be completely eradicated, the situation has indeed improved significantly compared to before.
Not to mention the martial arts world, Li Jie's status as the best in the world is unshakable. Although the masters and masters affiliated to the royal family suffered heavy losses in the previous battle, due to the power of being the best in the world, all the major sects have put their tail between their legs.
The number of criminals has been greatly reduced.
The No. 1 Village in the World, which Haitang is in charge of, is specifically responsible for catching criminals in the world. All the criminals targeted by the No. 1 Village in the World, from masters to ordinary people in the world, cannot escape.
Therefore, when Li Jie proposed to return power, although Puzhao was very happy, he was more afraid. He was afraid that if he did not handle it well and ruined this hard-won prosperity, he was unwilling to let Li Jie go. However,
Li Jie has made up his mind, how can Puzhao be able to shake it.
Although Puzhao never approved the resignation, it did not affect Li Jie at all. After submitting the resignation, Li Jie began to retreat. In fact, today's banquet was not arranged by Li Jie, but by the little emperor Puzhao. He planned
At today's banquet, ministers gathered together to retain Li Jie.
Li Jie knew about this and didn't try to stop it. Anyway, he didn't plan to go out to attend the banquet, so he could just let the little emperor do whatever he wanted.
When the last guest sat down, Duan Tianya finally showed a relieved smile on his face.
"Haitang, what do you plan to do in the future?"
Haitang is dressed in simple white clothes, like a handsome young man who has stepped out of calligraphy and painting. Although others know that she is a girl, Haitang has been dressing up as a man for many years in order to facilitate going out to do errands.
"Senior brother, I haven't thought about it yet. Suddenly I am free. I really don't know what to do. For the time being, I should spend time with my family. I have spent too little time with them these years.
By the way, senior brother, what about you? What are your plans? Senior brother always takes one step at a time and sees the next, so he should have already thought about it, right?"
Duan Tianya nodded slightly and stared intently at the sunset on the horizon.
"I plan to go out for a walk and take a look at the beautiful mountains and rivers of the land of China. Starting from the capital, heading west, the first stop is Guanzhong. People say that the Qinchuan River can be seen in eight hundred miles. I have long wanted to take a look.
I have been busy with official duties these years and have been to the Guanzhong area many times, but I always come back in a hurry."
"Then what?"
"Then, continue westward, to the Tianshan Mountains, Mingsha Mountain, and Devil's City. When you reach the Western Regions, then turn southward. You may walk for dozens of years, or you may find a place to settle down along the way. In short, it won't be possible in a short time.
Will be back."
Haitang nodded thoughtfully, then glanced at the location of the mountain behind.
"Senior brother, do you think Master will come out of seclusion to attend today's banquet?"
Duan Tianya shook his head: "Probably not. Master has long wanted to relieve himself of this burden."
At this time, Li Jie, who was in seclusion, suddenly heard a system prompt in his ears.