The cold weather in Wuchang City is getting closer and closer to the end of the year. Zhang Ning accepted the advice of his staff and organized a ceremony to worship his ancestors. The throne will start with Zhu Bailiu, the great-great-grandfather of Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, Emperor Dezuxuan, and then.
There are figures such as Zhu Sijiu, Zhu Chuyi, and several names later, Taizu Zhu Chongba... This gave Zhang Ning the illusion that the ancestors in the flesh may be very fond of mathematics and also have a certain preference for calendars.
I remember that in those days, the lives of the Han people in China were as low as dogs, and Taizu's father starved to death alive. The old man was in heaven, and he found out that he was the emperor today, but he didn't know whether to cry or laugh.
From the day of preparation, Zhang Ning performed a bathing and fasting for eight or nine days in order to show his piety. The so-called bathing and fasting means firstly washing and changing into clean clothes, and secondly not eating meat or fish, not touching women, and meditating for a period of time.
.This is what Zhang Ning did.
Fortunately, Zhang Ning has not touched a woman for several months since he left Changde Mansion, whether he is fasting or not. It's not that he doesn't want to, it's just that he can't lose face, so he has repeatedly given orders in front of others not to allow soldiers to be together.
He humiliated and flirted with local women from good families, and he was severely punished for visiting prostitutes. If he turned around and behaved himself, it seemed to damage his prestige. Before, he had always relied on his hands, but after fasting, he was out of respect for his ancestors.
Awe, self-blasphemy are also prohibited... I have to lament that the ancient values and the tradition of worshiping ancestors are still applicable to him as a modern person, and many things have not completely disappeared.
However, the people of the Zhu family had great desires and had no intention of slandering Taizu. Indeed, there are rumors in unofficial history that Zhu Yuanzhang could not help but visit prostitutes when he was a monk. Later, the emperor who was as smart as Jiajing also had a dissolute and extravagant private life.
It's unspeakable. Zhang Ning seems to have inherited this bloodline, and the most unbearable thing about going to war is actually that.
After fasting for several days, he found that the most unbearable thing was not that kind of thing. After eating vegetarian food for eight or nine days in a row, his mouth almost turned pale.
Eggs are also inedible, and oil is also meaty. There is no MSG at this time, and the cooks in the army are not very good at it. There is only a little salt in the vegetarian dishes, and there is no pork. You can imagine what it tastes like. Zhang Ning's appetite has decreased.
Soon, he discovered that not eating meat for just a few days was so uncomfortable and longing for him... He thought about the day when he would see through the mortal world, and he definitely didn't want to escape into Buddhism and become a vegetarian.
Tasteless food and hunger are a very simple kind of difficulty, but they are unbearable. No wonder a group of new soldiers can survive being whipped every day, because they have enough food and meat to eat. But the reality is that most of the world in this era is
Those who cannot eat meat every day, but the kind of people who can eat meat every day, are at least middle-class landlords... Zhang Ning feels that he should be lucky.
...After the sacrifice, Zhang Ning was sitting in a room of the government office with his legs stretched out, looking like he was full of food and wine. There was a pile of bones on the table, including rib bones and fish bones, and several meat dishes were in a mess.
Eaten most of it.
He burped in a very vulgar manner and said with satisfaction: "Don't pour it. It won't go rancid if it's cold now. Let's warm it up in the evening before serving it. Many people can't eat meat nowadays."
In life, the things he needs and desires can be so simple. He is still intoxicated by the beauty of delicious food. The taste of spices such as kaempferol and star anise in the beef still lingers between his teeth; when the West could only use the word
When the pepper of spices avoids the smell of meat, there are already a variety of spices available here, and they are cheap.
At this moment, Zhu Heng, who had just walked to the door, heard Zhang Ning's words. He walked into the room and said casually: "The prince is self-disciplined and frugal, and never forgets the people of the world. This is the blessing of the people."
Zhang Ning said: "Twenty to thirty thousand elite soldiers of the imperial court in the north of the Yangtze River are beside the couch. There may be more people coming. Let's take care of this end first, and then we will have a heart for the people of the world."
Zhu Heng glanced at the soldiers who were clearing the table. The sergeant also knew what he was doing, so he put down his work and went out first. At this time, Zhu Heng paid his respects: "I have talked with Scholar Zheng, and he put forward some conditions: I will wait until the emperor
After returning to the throne of David, the people around him could not be changed without permission from others, and foreign ministers and scholar-bureaucrats could not be prevented from accepting the emperor's summons... These ministers boldly agreed to Zheng Qia without permission; but there is one more thing that we need to prepare in advance.
A batch of arms is given to them... I think the prince needs these things."
Zhang Ning put down the pure grain low-alcohol wine in his hand and asked calmly: "How much do you want and where should I send it?"
"Five hundred matchlocks, ten cannons, and equipped with a certain amount of ammunition, and twenty craftsmen from the Ordnance Bureau." Zhu Heng said carefully, "The arms were transported south from our newly occupied Changsha Prefecture to a certain place in the Ji'an Prefecture of the Chief Envoy of Jiangxi Province.
, then the other side will send envoys to serve as guides.”
"Ji'an Prefecture?" Zhang Ning remembered that there happened to be a map on the shelf at the back, so he got up and went to find it by himself. He put it on the table in front of the window and unfolded it to look for it. However, this map was drawn as far away as Changsha Prefecture and Changsha Prefecture.
The border of Jiangxi does not include the wèizhi of Ji'an Prefecture.
Zhu Heng came over and pointed at the table in the southeast of Wèizhi where Changsha is located: "It's probably right here. Firstly, the road is a bit far, and secondly, we have no influence in Jiangxi territory. Along the way, we may also be attacked by people from Jiangxi Yuanzhou, Hengzhou, etc.
The flanking threat of local government troops."
"It's really difficult." Zhang Ning nodded.
Zhu Heng lowered his voice and whispered: "The most important thing to note is what is this batch of arms used for? Since the emperor promised to come out and re-assume the throne, there is definitely no need for it. It is probably the prince who wants it... Could it be that he wants to raise troops in the south..."
At this point, Zhu Heng stopped. He had to remind him that it would not be a good thing if he talked too much. After all, Zhang Ning and the prince were brothers. To put it more seriously, Zhu Heng could be accused of maliciously driving a wedge between the Zhu family brothers.
hat.
Zhang Ning paced back and forth in the room, and both of them fell silent for a while.
Because they are brothers, I sent arms to the prince to control the army... Isn't this just causing trouble for myself? If the prince really makes some trouble and accumulates a certain amount of strength, this will be troublesome. If the prince takes over territory in the future
, since Zhang Ning is using the banner of Jianwen, it is very difficult for him to use force.
But if you think about it on the bright side, it will be difficult for the prince's ambition to be realized. It depends on whether he is a figure. Zhang Ning has never met Zhu Wenkui, so he really doesn't know how capable this person is. Now in the area south of Huguang,
Separated by the forces of the King of Han and the "King of Xiang", the ruling power is relatively weak, but the local power should not be underestimated, and not just a grass-roots team dares to challenge it; all the soldiers in each prefecture and county guard may not be strong in combat power.
But there are a lot of people, not to mention that the government structure in Jiangxi and other areas has not been greatly damaged.
Zhu Wenkui was jealous when he saw that he had successfully raised an army, and wanted to replicate the same thing? A smile flashed across Zhang Ning's face. That's good, we can just wait and see to see how capable Zhu Wenkui is, and how good he will be in the future.
A mental preparation.
"If they want arms, give them to them. Zhu Bu will ask the Council to come up with a feasible route and method." Zhang Ning said.
After hearing this, Zhu Heng agreed: "Well, the most important thing right now is to get the emperor out of the palace. Other things can only be put on hold for the time being. This is a crucial step to keep people's hearts together."
The two discussed it for a while and then dispersed. Zhang Ning walked around the official office for a while and climbed up to a two-story pavilion in the yard. He happened to be able to see the antique streets outside, the towers and water in the city and other scenery. Classical
The whole city is like a scenic spot, but Zhang Ning feels nothing when he sees it now. The short-term good mood after eating and drinking has disappeared. The more worries and worries in his heart, the more impetuous he becomes.
Already.
The next day, the staff of the Council learned that Jianwen's matter had been settled, and they discussed the design of the "Imperial Palace". Zhu Heng proposed that it could only be called the "Exiting Palace" because except for the capital and Nanjing, other places were not considered Ming Dynasty.
Fundamentally, if a new capital palace was built rashly, people in the world would feel that Lord Jianwen's regime was not orthodox enough. So everyone decided to call it the palace.
The wèizhi where the palace is located is also the city where edicts can be issued and will be the center of the Suzaku Army. There are four places to choose from: Changsha, Changde, Yuezhou, and Wuchang. They are all important towns and wealthy places in Huguang.
At first, some people thought that Changde or Yuezhou were more suitable, but there was a drawback. The water network around these two cities was complex and they were located on the banks of Dongting Lake. The vast waters of Dongting were connected to the Yangtze River, which was very convenient for hiding. The center of the Suzaku Army would be on the shore.
I'm afraid it will become a paradise for spies, making it impossible to guard against; it may also put some important people in unnecessary danger.
Changsha is too far away from where the army is active, so it is not suitable. The last city of Wuchang is not perfect either. It is still located on the bank of the Yangtze River and close to the battle line. Once the war goes unfavorably and Wuchang is lost, the center will be finished. Finally, Zhang Ning
He came out to support Wuchang City. He said that this place was the foothold of Zhulu Tianxia. The Suzaku Army could not be driven out of this place and no losses were allowed. Therefore, the center was set up here and there was no room for retreat.
Wuchang City, the original seat of the three divisions of Huguang, controlled the sixteen prefectures. All ministers believed that Emperor Jianwen ascended the throne here and had enough prestige to command all the lands.
On the one hand, Zhang Ning personally sent an order to Zhou Mengxiong of Changde to send someone to escort the arms to fulfill his promise to Jianwen. On the other hand, he asked Zhu Heng to maintain contact with Zheng Qia to discuss the specific matters and etiquette preparations for welcoming Emperor Jianwen.
Before the end of the second year of Xuande, the troops sent by Zhou Mengxiong had already set off from Changsha, including people sent by the prince to guide and supervise. Zhang Ning was impatient and tried to persuade Zheng Qia to let Emperor Jianwen arrive in Wuchang as soon as possible... because he and Emperor Jianwen came to Wuchang as soon as possible...
Many staff had a premonition that the subsequent troops from the Beijing camp would be transferred westward. They were facing an unprecedented threat. The Suzaku Army not only had to win over people and stabilize the people within the army as soon as possible, but also mobilize more troops and material resources from the areas already occupied by Huguang.
, these are all tied to a name that can really convince people.