eldest son of Ming dynasty

Chapter 605 The Holy King comes and rules the world
It was almost as expected by the emperor.

Wang Qiong was not happy in Beijing. He was familiar with Wang Hao, who was the former governor of Zhejiang and Fujian. Wang Hao was now the second minister of the cabinet, so he also came to visit him.

However, Wang Hao was an honest and upright person. He didn't know Wang Qiong at first, but over time he understood what kind of person he was, so he was particularly indifferent to him.

Not to mention Wang Qiong, in the early years he even dared not give face to the father-in-law of Emperor Hongzhi.

However, as the old saying goes, it is better to offend a gentleman than a villain. Wang Qiong naturally felt dissatisfied with him after being treated coldly, so he wanted to become a ceremonial supervisor.

Although the chief eunuchs at this time were different from the powerful eunuchs, they were still people around the emperor no matter what. Even if they revealed some information, it would be of great use.

It was the first time for You Zhi to do such a thing under the emperor's nose, and he was really not used to it, so before leaving the palace, he went to the emperor to ask for permission before he dared to leave.

Before the Great Court Meeting, there were only a lot of such movements in the capital.

There was a vague rumor going up and down that the emperor wanted to make large-scale adjustments to the governorship of various regions. It was nothing unusual in the world. The clearing of farmland in the north caused frequent chaos, so the emperor's confidants from the southeast were very likely to go north.

Furthermore, it has become a fact that Wang Qiong left Zhejiang, so it is not difficult to guess.

But the key lies in how to adjust it specifically and who can influence the emperor's decision-making.

You Zhi also had to behave appropriately when leaving the palace. He chose it in the afternoon, and when he went out, he said that the emperor would take a nap in the afternoon, so he could get the opportunity.

The southern part of the capital is lush, but there are a lot of traffickers and lackeys. It is more stylish than the west city, because there is a specially established planning department of the capital. A place like Xicheng, where academies, hospitals, and the Imperial College are concentrated, even the masonry on the ground has been washed away. Very clean.

On several streets, new-style buildings, pavilions and pavilions are scattered in an orderly manner, dotted with flowers blooming in spring and green branches. The sons of officials passing by are dressed in fair clothes, and most of the female relatives who come in and out of the women's hospital also behave elegantly.

Xicheng is like a pure land on earth embedded here, and its noble temperament makes the capital really look like the capital.

The occasions when an upper-class person like Wang Qiong actually entertains guests are quite extraordinary. The lush private residence has an exquisite yet elegant garden layout, with peach blossoms planted inside and carps raised in a fake lake. The owner's elegance The fun is shown in every detail.

"Eunuch You." Wang Qiong came all the way out of the main room to greet him, "Thank you very much for taking the time to come!"

You Zhi didn't talk nonsense with him, "Mr. Dehua, Your Majesty will take a nap in the afternoon, at most one hour. This is a big deal, so we don't dare to delay it."

"I understand, I understand. How dare you delay my father-in-law's important affairs? Please."

You Zhi walked inside and saw that this guy was serving young, beautiful and tall girls. Besides, the food on the plate was: shrimps were shelled, they were very tender, eggs were removed, the yolks were removed, they were very white, and fish meat was removed. The thorns are tender and white.

The eunuch thought of the emperor's instructions, so he came up and frightened Wang Qiong, "Gong Dehua, your Majesty has been enthroned to teach the servants in the palace to be frugal in food and clothing. Since we are a guest today, we can do whatever you want. This time, please don’t do this next time!”

"That's right, that's right. How can I usually be so meticulous? It's not because my father-in-law is coming, so there is no way I can't entertain him well."

……

……

"Your Majesty, are you really so relieved that Eunuch You will go to make peace with Wang Dehua?"

Zhu Houzhao was wearing comfortable clothes and was lying on a rocking chair. Next to him was Wang Zhi, who was announced to the palace.

It's also a good time to take advantage of You Zhi's absence.

"What do you want to say?"

"Then...they are two smart people."

Zhu Houming understood, "Ah, you are worried that I will be misunderstood by my cleverness."

Wang Zhi remained silent, probably acquiescing to this.

"Actually...if you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have thought about what You Zhi and Wang Qiong were going to talk about and how they were going to talk."

"Why?"

"Because there is nothing to think about. What new things can an all-around eunuch and an all-around official talk about?"

"In my opinion, this person is quite ambitious."

"Ambition is useful." Zhu Houzhao lowered his head, holding Fei Hong's memorial in his hand, introducing the situation in Sichuan last year, but he couldn't see it, "Tsk. After Wang Dehua left, who will Zhejiang use? ?”

Wang Zhi didn't dare to talk nonsense.

Her so-called boldness is actually a very good boldness. Once it involves something really critical, it is another matter.

The emperor took the memorial and tapped his chest regularly.

"...Then, it depends on what His Majesty wants Zhejiang to become."

The emperor turned his head and said, "Go on."

"There are rumors outside that His Majesty is going to transfer the Southern Governor to the North. The reason why the rumors are true is because His Majesty wants the northern provinces to be more obedient. If you think this way, what does Your Majesty want Zhejiang to become?"

Zhu Houzhao thought it was interesting. He narrowed his eyes and said, "I want Zhejiang to have more contact with the outside world through sea trade and become a window between the Ming Dynasty and overseas."

"Then your Majesty should use someone who understands barbarian sentiments."

"That's right." Zhu Houzhao was immediately overjoyed, "This is what you said to wake up the person in the dream. I had been thinking that this person should be knowledgeable about officialdom and business, and he should also be able to dance in long sleeves. He should not be a bookworm, but for this requirement That, in the end, what we want is to understand the barbarian sentiments.”

"Your Majesty, thank you very much. It's easy to say that understanding foreigners is easy, but it's not easy to find, right?"

"It's not easy to find, so the next best thing is to find someone who is willing to understand foreigners. This is still easy to find."

The so-called willingness to communicate with foreigners can be expressed in modern terms as maintaining an open attitude.

This person does exist, and he is Zhang Li, the current Chief Envoy of Fujian.

Zhang Li doesn't have a strong sense of presence.To really talk about it, we have to go back and trace it.

At the end of the 18th year of Hongzhi and the beginning of the first year of Zhengde, the imperial court promoted the lifting of the sea ban in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. To this end, Zhu Houzhao appointed Wang Hao as the governor of Zhejiang and Fujian, Fengxi as the chief envoy of Fujian, Zhang Li as the inspector of Fujian, and Yu Zichu as the governor of Fujian. The commander of Fujian Capital.

The original governor of Fujian was a scumbag, which can be ignored, so basically all the upper-level officials in Fujian were replaced.

Fengxi did not mention that Yu Zichu was one of the eight people who made the oath at the beginning, and the emperor's confidant, needless to say.

The reason for sending Zhang Li was actually not Zhu Houzhao's decision, but Wang Jia's recommendation.

Zhang Li is a student of Wang Jia. The accurate statement is that he was a student of Wang Jia when he was promoting the theory of managing the world and applying practicality, so he is not pedantic and pure.

For Zhu Houzhao, he must send one of Wang Hao's men, otherwise how could he push the matter forward if he was to demolish his position as the governor?
However, up to here, Zhang Li still didn't attract the emperor's attention, that's what he meant by his lack of presence.

But Wang Hao must have a reason for recommending him. At least he has a bright head, right?Later, Fengxi was transferred to governor, and Zhang Li took over as chief envoy.

After taking over as chief envoy, Zhang Li began to focus on promoting Fujian's maritime trade. As a result, this guy started planning and building a port in Quanzhou.Zhu Houzhao thought it was interesting. The port was certainly not a bad thing, so he agreed.

Now that I think about it, how could officials who are unwilling to open up and have contact with overseas countries build ports?

Zhu Houzhao had a plan in his mind, but he kept his mouth shut first, and his mood improved a lot after he made up his mind. He got up from the recliner all at once,

"Looking at the accounts, I haven't been out of the palace for a long time. Unfortunately, it's still not a good time. Zhi'er, I heard that Beijing is very lively now, right?"

"With clear politics and a prosperous life, the capital will naturally be lively. This is all thanks to His Majesty's blessing."

The emperor was not completely satisfied with this. He twisted twice and walked a few steps. Another eunuch came from a distance. They lowered their heads and walked quickly. "Your Majesty, the governors of Henan and Sichuan want to see you."

"Look, there's no time to rest." Zhu Houzhao pointed and laughed, "Go back, go back, you go first and let them wait for me in Qianqing Palace."

After speaking, he stretched his shoulders twice more, "When you are an emperor, you have to pay attention to your manners in front of your ministers, so I see ministers too much, and my bones are almost stiff."

Wang Zhi smiled as she watched, the emperor was approachable, diligent and caring for the people, she admired this kind of emperor the most since she was a child.Moreover, she herself felt that Emperor Zhengde had done a better job.

Dry outside the palace,

The emperor crossed the threshold. Before anyone arrived, the emperor's voice came first, "Fei Aiqing, Peng Aiqing, long time no see!"

Fei Hong and Peng Ze are another type of officials that are completely different from Wang Qiong. They are clean and self-sufficient and pay attention to their reputation. To put it crudely, they can be said to be the type of gentleman in the traditional concept.

Among them, Peng Ze is older. He is the same age as Wang Qiong and Yang Tinghe. He is 52 years old this year. Fei Hong is younger because he became famous at a young age and won the top prize at the age of 20. He is 43 years old this year.

"Your Majesty, Peng Ze (Fei Hong), is here to see you."

"Stay flat, stay flat."

The emperor came from outside and brought some air-conditioning. He rubbed his hands and took a closer look at the two ministers whom he had not seen for a year. He pointed out their outstanding points last year and said, "Sichuan has had good weather for a year, and several years of water conservancy construction has finally paid off." I have seen the results, and I have seen the report. It was a good year, and the tax and food exceeded 150 million shi. Henan is not bad. You, Peng Shashen, are not partial to personal interests and are not afraid of the powerful. You have handled the few cases very well. "

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your praise!"

"Give me a seat, give me a seat." After Peng Ze sat down, he said: "Your Majesty, I am not handling the case just to kill people, but to uphold justice and uphold justice for the people. Henan is located in the Central Plains, and the people live on the land. With the loess turned to the sky, we are already living a hard life, how can we withstand the bullying?"

"I have seen it all. Xiang Ru, the magistrate of Kaifeng, robbed himself, colluded with several magistrates, misappropriated public funds for river construction, and then gave away his dangerous fields that had burst levees and were flooded to the local people. He dared to do such things that are outrageous to humans and gods. , I dare to take his head. The case is still being handled, are there other people involved? "

"Yes!" Peng Ze was neither humble nor arrogant, and had no intention of hiding anything. "We have found out that a member of the Zhou royal family is involved."

The first king of Zhou, named Zhu Xi, was the fifth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, and he attacked Kaifeng.

In the Ming Dynasty, there were surprisingly many people in some palaces, one of which was the Prince of Zhou.

Zhu Houzhao put his hands behind his hands and said: "I grew up in the palace. When I was a child, I listened to the late emperor's political affairs. I always listened to people's talk. This matter involves too much. If you pursue it too deeply, it may be difficult to end. The late emperor was generous to others. Even if you are determined to uphold justice for the people, it is difficult to ignore the overall situation. But until I became an adult, I still did not understand the four words "I may not be able to end".

It seems that if this matter is covered up, the monarchs and ministers will act as if they don't know about it. No matter how the people cry and howl, this can be called the end.But when it does not exist, does it not exist?Let's not delve into it, let's close the field, how will the people's field be closed?Looking back and thinking about it, why can't it be over?I don't believe in this evil, I just want to see what can happen!Peng Aiqing! "

"Chen is here!"

"This time, I support you to continue the investigation, and to get to the bottom of it, so that all of us can see what terrible things are here and who can be scared!! If someone comes to threaten you, give up your waist. I straighten up, and you don't care who their backer is, because I will be your backer!"

Peng Ze was originally a righteous and indomitable person. He was very excited when he heard the emperor's speech. He knelt down straight and shouted: "Sheng Ming is on top! On behalf of the people of Kaifeng, I thank you for your grace!"

"Flat body."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Peng Ze was old and was an official in the late Chenghua period, so he experienced the dark political period in the late Chenghua period and the early Hongzhi period.He himself could fully understand the differences between the three emperors Chenghua, Hongzhi and Zhengde.

Speaking of being carefree and wanton, there really is nothing more carefree and wanton than in the past few years.

In the fourth year of Zhengde, there was the rebellion of King Anhua in Ningxia, the chaos in Zunhua in Jizhou, and at the end of the year, there was the rebellion in Shanxi. During the whole process, some people had some doubts about the emperor's forced farming and clearing. After all, rebellions kept coming one after another.

But Peng Ze, the governor of Henan, kept making memorials to rectify the name of the emperor, because he knew what a real good emperor was.

We haven’t seen each other for a year, and when we met, we had this attitude again. What else is there to say?

In his opinion, this is the benevolent and righteous king given by God to all people in the world!
"Oh, yes, Zichong."

Fei Hong immediately raised his head.

"Sichuan is originally a land of abundance, but due to population constraints, the cultivated land is only about [-] million acres. You should know that Zhejiang has more than [-] million acres. As a result, taxes and grains are not enough. This time the north has to allocate a lot. People, I have made a decree, and some of them will go to Sichuan to reclaim wasteland."

Fei Hong raised his hand and said, "It would be best if we could go. However, the road to Shu is difficult, and it is difficult to reach the sky. If there are too few people, it will be useless. If there are too many people, the amount of money and food will be spent."

Previously, they had thought of attracting refugees to cultivate wasteland. For example, if you ask for it yourself, it will be yours, and it will be tax-free for the first three years.But it's not that easy. The refugees are almost starving to death, so they have no chance of moving that far.

So the government can only help, but it is slow.

Sichuan was very prosperous in the Tang and Song Dynasties, but it has not flourished since the Song Dynasty. One of the reasons is that the population was much smaller due to wars, and the roads were rugged, so it was not easy to supplement it from outside.

So this is where it takes time.

Although Li Bai said that the road to Shu is difficult, many people still don't understand it. They can only feel it after actually going there. Basically, it is not easy to reach the destination alive.

However, Zhu Houzhao would not stop doing it just because it was difficult.

"...Two days ago, when the young master ordered Gu Zuo to enter the palace, he suddenly talked about this matter with me. This is also a solution that the young master is thinking about. How about Shangtun?"

"Shangtun?" Fei Hong thought for a moment and quickly recalled, "As for Shangtun...who will it be sold to? Most of the people are self-sufficient."

"Of course they are sold to the government." Zhu Houzhao smiled, "Oh, I may not have made it clear. There are grain merchants under the Young Mansion, who can carry out commercial settlements and sell the grain grown to the government for military ration. In this way, transportation costs can also be saved.”

"But there is no war in Sichuan right now."

The corners of Zhu Houzhao's mouth curved. There was no war?Just start a war.However, this involves Southwest Toast, which is the future layout.

"Let's talk about it. In a few days there will be a meeting of the imperial court, where we can discuss this matter."

"Yes!"

……

……

Zhengde five years, March [-]th.The meeting officially begins.

The emperor and all the ministers in Beijing had already got up before dawn, and the eunuchs in the palace moved earlier, and those who were in charge of opening the palace doors were already waiting for the auspicious time.

After several years of development and optimization, the current Dachaohui is somewhat different from the past.

Because it lasted for several days, it was meaningless to argue with each other in Fengtian Hall every day, so Zhu Houzhao made a lot of changes to the agenda of the meeting.

First of all, on the morning of the fourth day, all the officials paid homage to the emperor and shouted long live. This has not changed.

In this meeting, the emperor is the protagonist, he will look back on the achievements of the past year, the lessons learned, and look forward to the future.

The so-called looking forward to the future is to put forward the goals and main tasks for the next few years. These tasks are not one or two, usually more than five, and try to include the main aspects of society.

After this is completed, provincial-level administrative regions will be used to differentiate, and each will set up branch venues.

The emperor and the officials appointed by the emperor attended branch meetings in different provinces. The content discussed was mainly two parts. The first part was of course the actual situation in the province, and the second part was about the future tasks proposed by the emperor, based on the province. We can all express our opinions on the situation, whether it is possible or not, and whether there are any special practices that are different from other regions.

The Ming Dynasty had two capitals and 13 provinces, and there might be more in the future, so Zhu Houzhao alone could not take care of it. Therefore, he would appoint important cabinet officials such as Yang Yiqing and Wang Hao to attend branch meetings in some provinces on his behalf.

In fact, the importance of some provinces is not that high, and the emperor does not need to listen to them.The first and second assistants of the cabinet can handle some matters on behalf of the emperor.

Three people will speed up the progress a lot. Basically, this stage can be over in two to three days.

The third stage is to combine and discuss together, especially where it is difficult to reach a conclusion in the previous meetings, and then bring it out.But it is not everyone, only the cabinet, the six ministries and the governors of various places, about 30 people.

The final stage is the closing meeting.

This is within a smaller scope, and only the emperor, the cabinet, and the governors of the Five Army Commandery Office in charge of the Beijing camp can participate.

Even the governor is not qualified to enter.

Because there have been two opportunities to express opinions before, there is no question of expressing or not expressing the last time.The emperor and his cabinet ministers make a decision after comprehensive consideration. This decision is an imperial edict, and the governor can just take charge of the task.

Therefore, the most important thing is the fourth stage, which Zhu Houzhao values ​​the most and insists on adding.No matter how many people discuss it, there must be a conclusion in the end, otherwise it will just look lively but fail to solve the actual problem.

In this way, the status of cabinet ministers was elevated, and the so-called superiority over officials also had a concrete manifestation.

As far as the five years of Zhengde were concerned, Zhu Houzhao did not care about many things, only three things.

The first is to clean up the army; the second is to promote sweet potatoes; the third is to prepare for the construction of the navy.

Of course, this is what he values, and there are also some things that ministers refuse to give up no matter what, such as supervising government-run education in various places, managing troubled rivers, etc.

These can also be added to the discussion, no problem.

The Fengtian Hall was crowded with officials, and some even had to stand outside. In order to prevent these people from not being able to hear the emperor's speech, after all, there was no amplification equipment at the moment, the attendant's office would print the speech prepared in advance. Distribute it so that it cannot be heard but can be seen, so as to ensure that the emperor's will can be conveyed.

These are all very small reforms, or can only be called changes. It has been five years since Zhengde, and Zhu Houzhao can make these small changes very casually. Unlike before, he could not even change the time of the morning dynasty.

On such a solemn occasion, he was wearing a yellow dragon robe with a round collar and a jade belt around his waist. The twenty-year-old emperor was young and tall, especially with the jade belt around his waist, so that the heroic spirit of the young emperor could be seen at a glance.

From him down, the civil servants stood in turn.

When the time came, You Zhi stepped forward and shouted: "The Great Court Meeting for the Fifth Year of Zhengde Begins! Your Majesty Please!"

Zhu Houzhao glanced at a circle of ministers. These were the links that allowed him to control the country. The people below all knelt down and kowtowed, "Long live my emperor!"

"Get up!" You Zhi shouted again.

These etiquette procedures were originally unnecessary, but the officials of the Ministry of Rites could not let him go. Zhu Houzhao later felt that this was not the core issue, so he added them if they were needed, and allowed them.

When this is over, it will be the turn of the emperor Zhu Houzhao.

So far, the Dachaohui system is a change he is very satisfied with.Things in the world are not afraid to be done slowly, but to be afraid that no one will do them.Through this mechanism, he promoted some things, and promoted some things systematically, instead of letting him, a later visitor, think of something with a hammer and a mallet, so even if the action is slower and the efficiency is lower, things will still happen. After doing it, I gradually started to see results over the course of a few years.

"Every year, the Great Court Meeting is my happiest few days. Talents from 13 provinces in the Ming Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty gather together to make suggestions for the country, the country, and the welfare of the people in the world. Before today, I have met with the main officials from all over the country. From your From my mouth, I learned that the burdens of the people in various places have been reduced, and the banditry in various places has been alleviated. In the fourth year of the Ming Dynasty during the reign of Zhengde, Haiyan and Heqing were clear, and the four directions were stable. Then I gradually heard people talk about the great rule of Shandong and the beginning of wealth in Zhejiang... I have a great heart. comfort……"

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It’s the last day of this month, and there were a total of 15 updates in August.

It’s September after midnight, don’t leave yet, let’s discuss the monthly ticket for the first month of next month! !

(End of this chapter)