It is already quite hot in the capital in June. In the courtyard of the Yangxin Hall in the Forbidden City, the hut next to the south wall has now become the place where civil and military courtiers come here to wait for their audience after being summoned.
It's like being a concierge when visiting a dignitary's home, but this is the emperor's concierge.
After another round of chatter at the courtyard door, another person walked into the concierge.
There are only two rows of chairs in the room, and there will be a square stool between the chairs, where they can put tea cups and some books and materials.
Now after the newcomers entered the room, they looked around for a while, then went over and saluted one of them: "Master Nie is here to bid farewell to Your Majesty?"
The person being saluted was Nie Bao. He stood up first and returned the salute: "Zisheng, there is no need to be more polite. I am just here to say goodbye to His Majesty and go to Hetao."
When he was the magistrate of Huating County, Xu Jie was not yet a high school prostitute.
Before this new job change, both of them were already the general directors of the fourth rank.
Xu Jiexian, who had just turned thirty, met with Nie Bao, who had a teacher-student relationship, and then met with the other people waiting here one by one.
Among them are Zheng Xiao, who accompanied the imperial commander during his personal expedition, and returned after going to Hetao to find out the truth about "quelling the chaos"; Lin Xiyuan, the editor-in-chief of "Ming Pao";
After seeing his father off for burial, Sun Yuan returned to Beijing after completing his new period of filial piety.
They are not considered important officials of the imperial court, so they have to wait here.
Generally speaking, if people at the advisory level want to meet with the emperor, they will usually arrange the time in advance.
And now, they have to wait for the emperor to finish teaching the princes and family members in the Central Palace.
"Congratulations to Chief Xu..."
No one else dared to neglect Xu Jie's greeting.
Starting from Xu Jie, the chief of the imperial study took another approach.
In the past, people would first enter the imperial study and then go outside. But now, Xu Jie has served as a local official. With experience as a county magistrate, he has served as a doctor in the Ministry of Household Affairs in Nanjing and as the general director of the Ministry of Personnel in Beijing.
Everyone regarded this as the emperor's attention and training for him - he was young, had a solid resume, and listened to more teachings in front of the emperor, and he should be in the third rank by the time he was released again.
With the experience of participating in national policy as the chief of the imperial study room, Xu Jie's future is promising.
The concierge was chatting, and people came one after another.
This kind of scene is no longer unfamiliar to everyone.
After Yujia returned to the capital, there was no big move. The emperor began to spend time summoning more officials below the fourth rank in the capital, sometimes just for a casual chat and to get to know each other.
This is what the middle and lower-level Beijing officials have been looking forward to for the past three months.
In response to this, Yang Shen breathed a sigh of relief: No need to persuade, Your Majesty has settled down to discover and become familiar with the important officials of the imperial court in the next twenty years.
Over in the Zhongyuan Hall, Zhu Houcong's class is coming to an end.
In today’s class, all the people who can attend this class are older children.
Among the princes, there are only the Crown Prince and the King of Yue. After the clan members, there are only three who are studious, talented and diligent.
They are: King Rui Zhu Zaiyan, King Su's concubine Zhu Biniu, and Lingbihou's grandson Tang Shilong.
"What I'm talking about today is the fundamental reason why China has been going back and forth with the Northerners for thousands of years." Zhu Houcong looked at the five people and spoke to them more deeply, "Today's lesson is to teach me again.
Clarify the content. Farming and nomadism, the two ways to ensure the survival and reproduction of the people, how did the north and the south become like this? Once you clarify these, you will better understand what physical and human principles are all about."
The person teaching them was an emperor with extraordinary achievements. He had proved his extraordinary and useful knowledge with more and more achievements.
What Zhu Zaiyan learned from him was far beyond the reach of Xia.
He just still didn't quite understand that the emperor seemed to be really trying to train him.
Many contents related to the fundamentals of governing the people. Not only was he listening here, but the King of Yue was also listening.
Doubts exist in the mind of Zhu Zaiyan, who is about to be fourteen years old, but he knows that these lessons will not stop and one day the answer to the mystery will be revealed.
Perhaps there are more profound contents that are not suitable to be discussed with them right now.
"The prince will follow me to the imperial study."
Zhu Houcong stood up, but the prince was still different.
The emperor trained him more by words and deeds.
Even though he is no longer in charge of the country, after His Majesty returns to Beijing, the Prince can still receive individual instruction from the Emperor from time to time.
The eleven-year-old Yue King Zhu Zai'an didn't have any other ideas, and that was right. And his mother-in-law was a calm woman who knew how to remind him.
The Zhongyuan Hall is not far from the imperial study. The first person to arrive at the imperial study is Xu Jie.
Zhu Houcong looked at him. From his initial prejudice against Xu Jie to Xu Jie's official reputation and achievements over the years, Zhu Houcong could not always maintain his prejudice.
Maybe it's because he brought a different atmosphere, maybe it's because Xu Jie has great ambitions and his current official position is not high. In short, at this moment, he has not done anything excessive for the selfish interests of the family and future generations.
Jiang Rubi was released to serve as magistrate of Xuanfu.
Having been in the imperial study for a long time, he was very aware of the supporting role of the Xuanfu in the entire Xuanning border area and even the Hetao.
Lieutenant General Wang Shen went to take over as the editor-in-chief of Ming Pao, and the imperial study room was about to change a group of people. Gao Gong returned to the imperial study room and looked at Xu Jie curiously.
Zhu Houcong also found it interesting, so let the two people have a confrontation in the imperial study room first.
"Zisheng doesn't need to be formal, let's start to perform our duties now. Now I'm summoning the courtiers, and I'll have your Majesty Su to do the daily chores."
"I obey the decree."
Xu Jie is very cautious and respectful.
Then, it was Sun Yuan who was called over first.
"Have all the family affairs been taken care of?" Zhu Houcong was very kind, with a bit of regret in his tone, "I have been on the northern expedition for several months, but I haven't been able to see the father-in-law for the last time."
To this sister-in-law, Sun Yuan could only kneel down to thank the emperor for his kindness and express his gratitude.
"When you go to Shaanxi, you have a heavy responsibility." Zhu Houxun said seriously, "I have decreed that horses are not allowed to be raised in the old land of Taolu south of the Yellow River. Unless I want to send you a hard worker, your important responsibility is related to Huanghuai
The flood is a thousand-year plan and is related to the foundation of the Ming Dynasty. With you there, I can rest assured that the whole Shaanxi province will obey orders."
With the Hetao back, desertification control in Shaanxi and Shanxi can be put on the agenda.
Among them, we must not only control desertification and plant trees, but also continue to promote high-yield crops in dry lands, making Shaanxi and Shanxi the long-term work of becoming the granary of the northwest.
Obviously a lot of land has been recovered and can be cultivated with peace of mind, but it is necessary to plant trees in some key areas to control desertification and conserve soil and water. This is a difficult matter that may cause a lot of confusion.
Sun Yuan is the queen's biological brother. He shouldered this special responsibility and went over to solve some problems better.
As long as he wants.
When Zhu Houcong mentioned this, Sun Yuan naturally gave repeated assurances, saying that he had no great talent and was not coveting official promotion, but only hoped to live up to the emperor's order.
"You asked your younger brother to seize the title. I know that the father-in-law taught you." Zhu Houxuan sighed, "We are all one family. Let me put it simply. If you do this well, the Sun family will be recorded in the history books in the future.
, we will never just focus on our status as a relative of the country. If we can control the Huanghuai floods, it will be a matter of immeasurable merit."
"I understand that I should devote my whole life to it. It has been said since ancient times that when the Yellow River is clear, a sage will appear. Now that the sage is on the throne, I will spend my whole life doing my best to make the Yellow River clear."
Xu Jie listened to the emperor's teachings at close range.
The empress's brother was sent to a difficult place by the emperor, and it even seemed like he would have to spend his whole life running around in the sand and loess to complete this task. This was unimaginable in the previous dynasty.
This was the first major event that he had personally heard of - it might be a trivial matter between the government and the public, but the emperor's serious attitude was genuine.
Then Nie Bao also came. He served as magistrate of Huating County, promoted Guangdong Municipal Bureau of Shipping, and served as chief director of Guangdong Qing Li Department in the Ministry of Household Affairs. What he was going to do now was long-term.
"Now that the Hetao has been restored and the Qingnan-Gansu Border Region has been established, the Qinggan-Gansu Border City is a big deal." Zhu Houcong looked at him, "Duogan, Uszang, Turpan, and even the remnants of Oara, we will start with the border market in the west.
I recommend that you go to the Qinggan Border Region to take charge of the civil affairs of the border area. The city here is also related to military affairs and ceremonial affairs. I grant you the same rights of specialization and change as the Marquis of Xining and Mao Dutai. I hope that the three of you will first take charge of the Qinggan Border Region.
Let’s sort out side matters.”
After Tang Shunzhi keenly realized that Gunbilik had returned from Qinghai, the situation in Qinghai was not very optimistic now.
The tribes sent by the Gunbilik faction circled back from Turpan. Turpan and Tibet actually knew about such a big movement earlier.
Nowadays, it is difficult for the Ming Dynasty to defend the Qinghai area with absolute strength. However, after the news of the great victories in Hetao and Xuanning passed, Turpan and Tibet did not dare to act rashly.
In that direction, the strategy set by the emperors and ministers of the Ming Dynasty was to build border markets on a large scale to first allow the tribes in the Western Regions to accept a new exchange relationship, and at the same time, rely on trade routes to lay a better foundation for the northwest.
After Nie Bao came Lin Xiyuan, who had been the editor-in-chief of "Ming Pao" for several years. He went to Hetao.
Lin Xiyuan was the first person to be transferred from an enterprise to a civil service official.
"Maozhen, you are very clear about many of my thoughts, and Ying De is also very clear about them." Zhu Houcong smiled and said to him, "Can the Hetao become a fortress in the south of the Yangtze River? Can the Han people in the border area and the Mongolian people surrender?
In harmony, if the tribes in the north of Yin Mountain can come to surrender to Wang Hua, I believe you and Ying De can handle it well."
Now that Lin Xiyuan is here, he is as good as Nie Bao, so he is naturally looking forward to making an unusual statement again.
And Zheng Xiao's coming here is also related to the Hetao.
"The General Armament Department and the group of animal husbandry supervisors have already surveyed the Hetao." Zheng Xiao came over and reported, "How many garden supervisors to set up is a trivial matter, but how many Han people and how many Mongolian people to hire for horse breeding are still controversial..."
This meeting lasted longer, and Xu Jie knew that it was related to Ma Zheng, who would completely eliminate the enemy in the future.
Nowadays, Ma Zhengshi is mainly doing it through the enterprise of Qunmujian, but there are a large number of Mongolian people who surrendered in Hetao and Xuanning. After the relationship between the three tribes of Duoyan and the Ming Dynasty also entered a new stage, there have been many changes.
.
Similarly, in Qingganbian City, there is another important goal: good horses from the Western Regions.
Outside, at the concierge, Jin Kaila continued to wait.
He is very patient. He only has the title of county magistrate, and everyone here is an official.
Everyone else was chatting patiently. Although he couldn't get in the conversation and no one talked to him, he just stayed here today waiting to be summoned.
When it was almost noon, the only sounds outside were heard. General Military Staff Xia Yan and the Minister of War came together.
The people in the concierge were silent for a moment, wondering if it was because of the military situation of the Northern Expedition Army.
However, there was no news of victory, and Xia Yan and the two went straight to the imperial study. It was obvious that there was something else important, so everyone had their own thoughts for the moment.
In the imperial study room, Zhu Houcong heard them coming and let them in directly without avoiding Zheng Xiao.
"What's the matter?"
"Your Majesty, it is urgent to deliver the report that has just arrived in Beijing. The general affairs envoy sent it to me, but I was not summoned. After asking, I found out that your Majesty is summoning all the ministers. I am afraid that I have not read the report that has just arrived.
.I was worried, so I came to see you."
Zhu Houcong was a little surprised: "What can make you so anxious?"
Xia Yan handed the memorial to Huang Jin and was already explaining: "It was the report brought back from Malacca by Chief Weng. It was a smooth journey. This time it only took twenty days to reach Guangzhou, and then all the way to Beijing and Nan'ao.
Bo came up with an idea, and I thought it was feasible, so I couldn't help it."
Zhu Houcong opened the memorial in confusion and looked at the news sent back by Weng Wanda.
More than a month has passed. In his memorial, Weng Wanda first introduced in detail what happened after he arrived in Malacca.
Looking at it, with Zhu Houcong's current concentration, he couldn't help but froze, with his mouth slightly open.
Alfonso, is this guy letting himself go?
Xia Yan was eager to try: "Your Majesty, I think it is feasible!"
Zhu Houcong couldn't laugh or cry: "Is it feasible? Why don't I think so?"
Xia Yan replied strangely: "According to what Juan said, the Portuguese ruler was unwilling to be defeated and actually dispatched nearly a hundred warships, large and small, to sail away. The country was extremely empty. And the old Indian governor had been escorted back to the West, to the new India.
The governor has been captured again. If we can use clever tricks to subdue the fleet officers, it is very possible to surrender the entire fleet. If we continue to conquer Portugal, won't Ming have a bridgehead in that Western Ocean?"
"This guy Alfonso dares to go to sea. He is really bold at heart." Zhu Houcong shook his head repeatedly, "How can it be so simple? Even if you can subdue all the fleet generals and recruit the fleet soldiers, do you think you can easily seize the country by returning to Portugal?
The position of Lord? Alfonso doesn’t have the ability, nor the bloodline, so his popularity will ensure his position.”
This guy relied on the support of Ming Dynasty to come up with such a bold idea.
In Europe, how complicated are the marriage relationships between the royal families of different countries? There is also the issue of papal recognition in religion. Although the power of the church is already in decline, under the call, countries like Spain are eyeing the interests of maritime trade and it is difficult to guarantee
They won't attack in groups.
As for the battles at sea and on land, could Alfonso still expect the Ming Dynasty to go all the way to transfuse blood for him and gain a firm foothold?
How many years has it been since he left Europe?
Whimsical.
"Your Majesty, the next best thing is to surrender the fleet and occupy the Goa area in India. This time the Portuguese monarch should surrender, right?"
During his term of office, Xia Yan made great achievements in Xuanwei's Outer Yunnan and Nanyang, and also made great achievements in restoring Qinghai, Hetao, and Xuanning. Now he is extremely enthusiastic about opening up territories.
For him, if he could expand his enclave to the seaside of Tianzhu in the history books, what kind of boast would that be?
So now he was really anxious to get the emperor's approval so that he could support Alfonso in doing this.
Zhu Houcong said nothing, thinking silently.
Malacca will definitely be in our hands, but there is a fulcrum in India. Is it necessary for today's Ming Dynasty?
There is no doubt that Alfonso's ambition has emerged after he returned to the sea.
It's not that he no longer surrenders to the Ming Dynasty, but the enclave, especially the extremely important midway point for the maritime trade between the East and the West, represents huge interests.
Decades later, the interests naturally took on a life of their own.
Now if we want to support Alfonso in doing this, we need the help of Zhao Jun and others.
If it succeeds, it will naturally bring a lot of benefits to Ming Dynasty in the short term, but it will also trigger a chain reaction.
For example, Portugal cannot give up Malacca's interests and gambles on its national destiny. If they lose, their vitality will be greatly damaged. Spain and other countries, which are watching eagerly from the side, will naturally take over this benefit. When they return to the east, will the Ming Dynasty do it for them?
Goa, a stronghold, wants to extend its support so far?
Unless Alfonso is given full autonomy, and even canonizes him as a prince and establishes his own dynasty, let them act as agents of the Ming Dynasty and fight against the European forces from the West with only their own force. The Ming Dynasty is behind it, and at most they can use trade.
Let them have enough financial resources to expand their power and strengthen their military force.
Moreover, there is no qualitative difference in military force between the Ming Dynasty's navy and the European fleet. How could Zhu Houcong bet Zhao Jun and others on this matter?
Thinking of this, Zhu Houcong shook his head firmly: "This is not allowed."
Xia Yan was a little disappointed and stopped talking.
Zhu Houcong said again: "We haven't yet figured out how to manage Nanyang, so we can't just blindly go west. However, this matter is not impossible to try. Since Nahuan knew the power of our Ming army and was greedy for the monopoly of east-west sea trade, let him go by himself
it is done."
Xia Yan was stunned: "How... can he do this alone?"
Zhu Houcong smiled: "Of course he can't do it on his own, but since he is determined to rebel, let him rebel again. Let him go back and let him bring the Portuguese fleet to Malacca to ambush and defeat them.
If he can achieve this feat, I can allow him to establish a foothold in Goa with the remaining fleet. Whether he establishes his own dynasty or relies on foreign trade and self-respect to become the governor of India, as long as he still needs to rely on the Ming Dynasty's trade permission to serve the Ming Dynasty.
Just be a middleman in trade with the West."
Xia Yan still wanted to speak, but Zhu Houcong stopped him: "There are many Westerners, and the northern captives are not yet extinct. What is Gong Jin thinking about the Western world? I really want to set foot in Europe, but it is impossible to do it all the way by sea. It is too far."
If the Ming Dynasty's technological level has truly entered the era of steel freedom, then it is still possible to give it a try.
But now, it's really far from that time.
Even if Alfonso's plan comes to fruition, this new Portugal will definitely be just a flash in the pan in Europe.
At least for a hundred or two hundred years, as long as the East and the West each get what they need and gain through trade, the contradiction will not be obvious.
If the Ming Dynasty's scientific and technological level has improved in the past twenty years, it can try to spread its branches and leaves.
Zhu Houcong never expected that Alfonso would draw him a pie to enter Europe at this time.
This guy has forgotten the word Nan'ao. Does he think that his grandson should be a European king instead of being the king of South Australia who still doesn't know where he is?
The steps were too big.
Xia Yan left with regret, and Zhu Houcong could only sigh helplessly.
I don’t know what the current situation is like after Yu Dayou, Guo Xun and others went deep into the grassland.
Is everyone so wild in their ambition to achieve success?