Chapter Two Hundred and Nineteen: Serve More With One Thing
Looking at her son with a determined look on his face, Mrs. Wu felt a rare headache.
She had long known that her son was stubborn, but she never thought that he would be so persistent in this matter.
Reaching out and tapping on the table, Wu decided to change direction.
"Even if you are a minister from a foreign court, you can find ways to solve it, but as the emperor, you should always consider the country."
"Taking a closer look, with so many palace concubines, they must have somewhere to live. Although there are many palaces in the Forbidden City, not all of them are permanent residents. Some of the palaces are dilapidated."
"With so many people living in the palace, the interior and exterior of the palace still need to be renovated, and maybe a new one will be built. The court is short of money, but you are renovating the palace while taking in concubines. How will the world look at you?"
This is not because Wu is alarmist.
Although the Forbidden City covers a large area, it was not built overnight.
During the reign of Emperor Taizong, a prototype was actually built, and the main buildings were commonly used palaces and palaces.
Today, there are still many places in the palace that are empty, waiting for future reconstruction.
Zhu Qiyu's harem system has undergone major changes. The biggest feature is that the number of people in the harem has increased several times compared with before.
As a result, the dilapidated palaces need to be repaired, and the palaces that are being renovated need to be accelerated.
In addition, if there are more concubines, the number of serving maids will naturally increase.
The money was secondary. What Wu was really worried about was the public opinion outside after the incident got out.
As she said, the war had just ended, the treasury was empty, and Zhu Qiyu had only been on the throne for more than two months, so he had to draft a large number of women, enrich the harem, and renovate the palace.
No matter how you look at it, this is something only a foolish king would do...
Zhu Qiyu also felt a little headache. In the final analysis, it was still about money.
During the Taizong Dynasty, the country's power was at its peak, and a huge palace and city in the capital was built from scratch. Why are you afraid of rebuilding so many palaces?
But now, this is indeed a problem.
After thinking about it, Zhu Qiyu said.
"In this case, then this draft will not be full for the time being. Select two concubines and six concubines, plus some nobles. Now in the harem, if we select more than ten people to enter the palace, we can still be busy. The palace is temporarily
There is no need to renovate it, just add more people to serve it.”
It should be said that Zhu Qiyu knew everything Wu said.
However, he did have a reason why he had to do it.
The biggest reason for Nangong's restoration was that he had no heirs, and his only son died young, which was a huge blow not only to him, but also to the Hang family.
The Wang family gave birth to two daughters in two years, which hurt their health. The Hang family was deeply affected by Zhu Jianji's death, and both of them had difficulty conceiving again.
Because there was no draft, the concubines he later took in, except for the Tang family who entered the palace very late, were basically all sent by the Jiaofangsi.
The Jiaofang Division was a mixed bag, and it was only later that Zhu Qiyu found out that many of the women there had taken cold medicine.
Because of this, until the restoration of Nangong in the previous life, he still only had two daughters of the Wang family and one son, Zhu Jianji.
It should be said that it would be more appropriate to wait a few years for this change in the harem's code system.
By then, the country will be more powerful, his control over the situation in the DPRK will be more powerful, and the resistance he will encounter will be much smaller.
However, he can't wait!
Wala's envoy will arrive in the capital in the next year. This time they are here to negotiate peace. This was one of the conditions for Tuotuo Buhua to withdraw his troops.
Once peace is negotiated, it will not be far from the return of the Supreme Emperor to the south.
Nowadays, some people in the imperial court are already restless. When Zhu Qizhen comes back, if he still has little interest, more and more people will start to think carefully in private.
Therefore, this matter cannot be delayed.
After pondering for a moment, Zhu Qiyu spoke.
"Don't worry about the imperial concubine. I have my own way to deal with the money issue. As for the comments from outsiders, it's nothing more than the impeachment of a few censors."
"The national treasury is indeed empty now, but as long as there are no more corvees and no increase in taxes, it will actually be fine for the people."
"In this draft, I will restrain the people below me and not let them act recklessly. Mother and concubine can rest assured."
Wu felt helpless for a while, held her forehead, and sighed quietly.
After a moment, she seemed to remember something and asked.
"Is your summoning of clan members to Beijing this time also related to this matter?"
Zhu Qiyu cupped his hands and smiled.
"Sure enough, I can't hide anything from my mother and concubine. Although the summoning of the clan to Beijing this time is related to the government affairs of the court, there is indeed such a reason."
Wu asked: "Do you plan to leave the draft to the clans in various places?"
Zhu Qiyu nodded and said.
"Yes, this matter should have been left to the Zhongguan, but the Jin Ying incident just happened. The courtiers are afraid that there will be resistance to sending Zhongguan to various places. Besides, I don't have such a thing in my hands.
What a trustworthy person to send out.”
"The clan members are in various places and are familiar with the situation. They will not act recklessly when local officials are watching. They are the right candidates to entrust the errands to them."
You know, even though Taizong was forced into trouble because of Jianwen's reduction of vassal status, after he came to power, he was no softer than Jianwen.
Although today's clan is not as strong as it was in the late Ming Dynasty, it is so controlled by local officials that it cannot even leave the city gate.
However, they were basically stripped of their substantive authority and were subject to the control of local officials.
The civil servants of the outer dynasty were no less enthusiastic in suppressing the clan than they were in suppressing their relatives.
Especially for censors from all over the country, the clan is simply the best target for gaining reputation, and they wish they could keep their eyes on the clan.
Let the clan handle matters, and they must not dare to bully the people or take advantage of others.
As for whether they are willing to...
These clan members have nothing to do every day, whether they are engaged in music or calligraphy and painting. They are just eager to have serious errands to do.
Wu shook her head and said.
"That's true, but everyone has selfish motives, so aren't you afraid that the people sent to you by the clan are all good friends with them?"
Although the clan members are subject to various restrictions, at least they still have the right to have daily interactions.
They were sealed in various places, and there were always some local gentry who were willing to use their names to gain prestige.
With local officials keeping an eye on them, they would not use any cunning and plundering methods like the middle-ranking officials sent there.
But during the draft, it is not difficult to collect some money, or use some tricks to send some girls from the families you are friends with.
Although now that he is not Emperor Taizong, the power of the clans has been greatly weakened and it is impossible to cause trouble, but after all, it is a small hidden danger.
However, Zhu Qiyu was not worried about this, and instead smiled.
"Mother and concubine don't have to worry. They are a good family and it is a good thing for the court!"
The clan's problems always have to be solved.
Of course, it's definitely not now.
Zhu Qiyu summoned the clan to Beijing this time not to do anything to them now.
But this problem always needs to be prepared in advance.
In particular, the harem system established by Zhu Qiyu will inevitably lead to more and more imperial heirs.
There are many princes and princesses, and there will be no shortage of princes and princesses to be ennobled.
Although this problem is not urgent, it is a problem that must be solved.
The so-called knowing yourself and your enemy means you will be victorious in every battle.
If the clan members really sent them, they would all be girls from families with whom they had good relations.
In other words, these women's natal families also know the situation of the clan and have a certain degree of influence.
Such a good opportunity to find out the details of clans in various places is not a good thing!
Even if necessary, it is a good idea to blow the pillow in the opposite direction...