Rebirth of the Ming Dynasty: Sixth Generation of Glory, I don't want it

A few days passed quickly.

After returning to the Forbidden City, Zhu Gaochi and Zhang Xin resumed their normal lives.

Zhu Di stayed quiet for a while and did not give Zhu Gaochi any more work.

But things in Mobei changed again.

Tonobuhua unified the three tribes, but there were still people in the Oirat who were unwilling to submit.

Mahamu, the former leader of the Oirat, took advantage of the fact that Tonobuha took his men to Timur's side and led his troops to Yinma River to invade the border.

"What do you mean, holding a grudge?"

After Zhu Gaochi left the court, he kept the Minister of War to talk.

"It is said that because the emperor ordered the Tatar leader Tonobuhua to pay tribute and marry a Ming princess, Mahamu, a remnant of the Oirat tribe, thought he could also become the king of Mobei. It is also said that those who submitted to Tonobuhua in Gansu and Ningxia were all his brothers and uncles. Now they have been given to the Ming Dynasty by Tonobuhua, and we are asked to return them."

The Minister of War Jin Zhong was over 60 years old, but he still stood up and responded to Zhu Gaochi respectfully.

"Oh, please sit down, or my father will say that I am disrespectful to the court officials."

Zhu Gaochi nodded.

Qian'er quickly helped Jin Zhong sit back down.

"Where's Arutai?"

Zhu Gaochi asked again.

Although this person has been sidelined by Tonobuhua, he still works under Tonobuhua.

"It was he who sent the letter. It arrived at about the same time as the letter from our garrison. He volunteered to send troops to fight the enemy."

Jin Zhong wanted to stand up and reply again, but was held back by Qian Er, who was quick-eyed and quick-handed.

"Then let the Kaiping garrison be on high alert, and order Ningyang Marquis Chen Mao, Governor Tan Qing, Ma Ju, and Zhu Chong to inspect the border defenses of Ningxia, Datong, and Shanxi. Then let the five guards of Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Tongguan be stationed in Xuanfu, and the three capitals of Zhongdu, Liaodong, and Henan, and the four guards of Wuping, etc., be on standby at any time."

Zhu Gaochi thought about it for a moment and then gave the instructions directly.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Jin Zhong took the order and left.

"Who's next?"

Zhu Gaochi stood up, walked around twice, and asked.

"Your Highness, it's the Minister of Rites."

Chi'er replied.

"Yeah, what is he doing here?"

Zhu Gaochi didn't think of anything related to the Ministry of Rites.

"Your Highness, it's about the Crown Prince's marriage."

Qian'er wanted to hold his forehead.

"Ah, I was just saying I forgot something. Zhanji is getting married at the end of the year!!! I have to transfer his future father-in-law, Captain Tang, back!"

Zhu Gaochi almost tripped himself.

He felt something was wrong these days, as if he had forgotten something. It turned out to be his son's marriage.

"Yes, Your Highness. Then, shall we let the Minister in now?"

During the years that Qian'er followed Zhu Gaochi, his situation was already quite stable.

"okay."

Zhu Gaochi frowned, sat back in his seat, and then responded.

My son has grown up and is old enough to get married!

No wonder my daughter dislikes her age.

No, when I go back home at night, I have to ask Zhang Xin to apply a facial mask on me, and apply several layers.

Zhang Xin doesn’t look old, that must be because she takes good care of herself!

~~~

Zhang Xin, who was entertaining ladies from outside the imperial harem, had just served the guests tea and sent them away when she turned around and sneezed.

"Your Highness, hold the hand warmer."

Wanxiu hurried forward and handed over the hand warmer.

"This winter was colder than the previous year. It wasn't warm even in the spring. I still remember that it was warm not long after the New Year in the first year at Prince Yan's Mansion."

Zhang Xin sniffed and made sure it was just a sneeze before putting down the handkerchief and taking the hand warmer.

"Your Highness is not as cold-resistant as before."

Roll up your sleeves and cover your mouth while laughing.

There is no comparison between the time when I was a teenager and now.

"Yes, remember to remind me to send some furs to the imperial censors. Send a batch to Madam Jin yesterday as well."

Zhang Xin thinks of others as she would like to be thought of by them.

The people who came today were all women from the Censor's family, and they were all dressed very simply.

No matter whether the family has money or not.

Of course, most of them really don’t have much money.

They probably can't wear silk and satin, so it would be more practical to give them some real warm fur.

"Your Highness, Mrs. Jin really has no children."

Wanxiu couldn't help but ask a question.

"it is true."

Zhang Xin nodded.

"Wow, they would rather have no offspring than be together forever. Lord Jin is so good to Madam Jin."

My eyes are full of little stars when I roll up my sleeves.

"Alas, Madam Jin has a hard time. In addition to the furs, please send some tribute fruits and donkey-hide gelatin. Oh, no, let the people from the Imperial Food Bureau prepare the Eight Treasures Donkey-hide Gelatin Paste and send it to her."

Zhang Xin sighed and added some more things.

There was only one male servant in Jin Zhong's house, and no maids or concubines. Mrs. Jin usually took care of the housework herself, and her residence and life were very simple.

"Yes, Your Highness. Wouldn't it be better to just give me donkey hide gelatin as a reward? Once it's made, it won't last long."

Wanxiu was curious. In the past, Zhang Xin's rewards always had to be something that could be stored or given away.

"Just let Mrs. Jin eat it herself, and don't use it to supplement the family."

Zhang Xin had only met Mrs. Jin a few times in her life.

But in her previous life, she was very familiar. She was the woman she had always envied during the Yongle Dynasty.

And she respected the Minister of War, Jin Zhong, very much.

During the Jingnan Campaign, Jin Zhong followed the army in the war as a counselor and offered many good strategies.

After my father-in-law ascended the throne, he was promoted to Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. A year later, he was promoted to Minister of War and concurrently Chancellor of the Chancellery.

He is considered to be my father-in-law's most trusted and important minister, with whom he can talk about anything.

After my mother-in-law passed away, my father-in-law would often listen to Jin Zhong's advice on state affairs.

No matter what his father-in-law said to Jin Zhong in private, Jin Zhong never leaked it.

At that time, his father-in-law was in power and the Jinyiwei and the Eastern Depot often arrested people and put them in the Imperial Prison. No matter how busy Jin Zhong was, he would go to the Imperial Prison to watch the trial and prevent the people from the Eastern Depot from being tortured into confessing. In this way, he saved many people from getting out of the Imperial Prison alive.

Jin Zhong was also an important driving force behind Zhu Gaochi being enthroned as the crown prince and Zhu Zhanji being enthroned as the crown prince.

Whenever his father-in-law was not in the capital, Jin Zhong would assist Zhu Gaochi in regulating the country.

Zhu Gaoxu was not a human being at that time.

Once, when his father-in-law returned from the northern expedition, Zhu Gaochi was a little late to welcome him, so Zhu Gaoxu caught him and filed a complaint.

All of Zhu Gaochi's ministers in the Eastern Palace were thrown into prison by his father-in-law.

At that time, Zhu Gaochi and she were also locked up in the Wenhua Hall and were not allowed to go out, and they were almost deposed.

However, among the ministers in the Eastern Palace, my father-in-law was the only one who did not arrest Jin Zhong. He only asked Jin Zhong to secretly investigate Zhu Gaochi.

Jin Zhong was already old, and believing that he was going to die, he knelt in front of his father-in-law and cried his heart out.

It is said that Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi is innocent, while the accusation against Zhu Gaoxu is pure fabrication.

The father-in-law was softened by her crying and felt that he was making a big deal out of nothing.

Zhu Gaochi was able to barely retain his position as the crown prince, and many of the ministers in the Eastern Palace were not thrown into jail.

It was also because of Jin Zhong’s death-defying advice that my father-in-law began to be wary of Zhu Gaoxu, who refused to be enfeoffed.

Except for the tough Zhu Gaochi.

Jin Zhong’s character is also very good.

The reason why Zhang Xin made the Eight Treasures Donkey-hide Gelatin Paste was because Jin Zhong and his wife had extremely limited salaries at that time, and they often paid out of their own pockets to do good deeds to help the poor.

In this life, Mrs. Jin had sent servants to deliver food to Zhang Xin's compound where orphans were adopted several times.

No one said who sent it.

Later, Zhang Chang recognized that the person who delivered the food was the only male servant in Jin Zhong's family.

When Jin Zhong died in his previous life, he had no savings, so his father-in-law hired someone to arrange his funeral and build a tomb and ancestral hall for him.

Come to think of it, it’s almost time.

It seems to be the 13th year of Yongle.

This time when my father-in-law comes back, he might write a letter ordering Jin Zhong to take a concubine.

My father-in-law and Jin Zhong got along well in their previous life, so he has been worried about Jin Zhong's offspring and suggested taking a concubine for him.

However, Jin Zhong said that he couldn't bear to neglect his wife who had been with him for half his life, so he only planned to adopt a nephew.

The father-in-law dropped the matter, and Jin Zhong's nephew soon went to Beijing.

But this nephew saw that Jin Zhong's family was so poor that they had nothing left for him, and he was disrespectful to the two elders.

The father-in-law couldn't help but send a letter ordering Jin Zhong to take a concubine.

Finally, a few months before Jin Zhong's death, his concubine gave birth to a son for him.