prosperous age

Somewhat unexpectedly, Emperor Wanli granted permission for all three of his recommended candidates to serve in the cabinet, promoting them to Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion.

Wei Guangde was slightly stunned, but after a moment he came to his senses and started talking to the eunuch about the memorial.

“When I went to the prison to do my duty this morning, Eunuch Zhang was already there. He gave me this memorial and asked me to deliver it to the Grand Secretary.”

The eunuch said, "As for when His Majesty approved it, I really don't know, and Eunuch Zhang didn't say much either."

Unable to obtain any details, Wei Guangde stopped asking.

We can only ask Chen Ju to help us inquire about this.

Logically speaking, since the cabinet did not express any intention to add so many people, it must have been His Majesty's consideration.

Why should His Majesty do this?
Wei Guangde was very puzzled, so he tried his best to figure it out.

After seeing the eunuch off, Wei Guangde returned to his desk and began drafting an imperial edict.

These kinds of imperial edicts are very simple. They don't use flowery language to praise someone before promoting them. They are usually straightforward, stating why someone is being promoted. Therefore, Wei Guangde drafted the edicts directly.

"Master, Grand Secretary Shen has arrived."

Just then, Lubu came in and stood at the door, bowing to him and saying something.

"Please."

Wei Guangde was not surprised by Shen Shixing's arrival. His spies in the cabinet must have already informed him of the arrival of the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, so it was normal for him to come and inquire.

"Your Excellency, as soon as I came in, I heard the Secretary at the door say that someone from the palace had arrived?"

Shen Shixing knew that beating around the bush in front of Wei Guangde was pointless; both were social types who preferred to speak directly.

The murky conversation took place outside, with outsiders speaking to them.

"Take a look, these are the three imperial edicts I have drafted."

Wei Guangde smiled and pointed directly to the Xuan paper drying on the desk.

"Three imperial edicts?"

Shen Shixing was startled upon hearing this, and quickly walked over, immediately noticing the three imperial edicts.

Without a doubt, Yu Youding, Xu Guo, and Wang Jiaping entered the cabinet at the same time and were promoted to Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion. At the same time, all three of them also held the titles of Minister of Rites and Minister of Personnel, respectively.

"Your Majesty's move is quite unexpected."

Shen Shixing was stunned for a moment before finally uttering a sigh.

"Yes, but this is good too. At least there will be a lot less cabinet work to do later."

Wei Guangde laughed and then called out to the outside, "Lubu, come in."

Upon hearing the shouts, Lu Bu immediately went into the duty room.

"Send these three edicts to the Directorate of Ceremonial, and I have already signed them."

Now that the emperor had made the decision, it was a good thing to have three more people to share the cabinet affairs, so Wei Guangde stopped delaying.

Logically speaking, it wouldn't be a problem to send such an imperial edict out tomorrow.

"By the way, I heard that Grand Secretary Zhang is returning to Shanxi the day after tomorrow."

Shen Shixing spoke up at this moment.

"Yes, they've sent word that I'll be going to the palace later. Let's all go see them off that day."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

"That's how it should be."

Shen Shixing nodded with a smile.

Lu Bu took the imperial edict drafted by Wei Guangde and hurried out. The news quickly spread throughout the cabinet and then rapidly spread outwards.

The Grand Secretariat was undoubtedly the first place to leak the news of this imperial edict. Before the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs had even begun to carry out its work, Zhang Hong had already arranged for someone to deliver the memorial with the imperial annotations. Many eunuchs in the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs were completely unaware of this matter.

It has been many years since three people entered the cabinet at the same time. Even during the Longqing era, the number of cabinet ministers was usually increased by one or by supplementary appointments each year. At most, there were no more than four people who entered the cabinet at the same time.

Just as this news was spreading rapidly in the capital, in the Datong Governor's Mansion, a weary Zheng Luo, Huang Taiji, and San Niangzi finally opened the main hall door.

After passing Desheng Fort, Prince Shunyi and Lady Zhongshun rushed to Datong Prefecture overnight to request an audience with Zheng Luo.

Zheng Luo already knew the news; he was the one who issued the release order, so he had already prepared food and lodging.

However, the disaster in Mongolia this time was perhaps indeed severe, and the elderly Huang Taiji had no time to rest before seeking an audience with Zheng Luo to begin direct negotiations.

Although the negotiations were tense on several occasions, thanks to the mediation of the Third Sister, a general agreement was finally reached.

Outside the Great Wall in Datong, there are more than 30 Mongol tribes of varying sizes, seven of which are on the verge of starvation and urgently need food aid from the imperial court.

Zheng Luo agreed to urgently transfer a batch of grain from Datong to provide relief. After that, they would move eastward with five other tribes to the vicinity of the Great Wall in Miyun to receive grain relief from the Ming Dynasty. At the same time, they would register and receive household registration certificates there.

The remaining Mongol tribes outside the walls of Datong also had to be counted one by one, registered, and then receive household registration certificates.

From now on, if any Mongol tribes want to request assistance from the imperial court, relief will be provided based on household registration and per capita, instead of relying on tribal leaders to state how many people they have and how much material they need, and then providing the corresponding amount of assistance.

When the imperial court faced famine on the grasslands, it would calculate the population's needs and distribute aid accordingly.

Undoubtedly, this is beneficial to the cultural management system, because once such aid passes through their hands, even aid intended for the Mongols, they can still extract a significant amount of money from it.

"Your Highness and Princess have worked hard all night. They should rest for now. I will report the results of our discussion to the court immediately."

Zheng Luo stood at the entrance of the main hall, cupped his hands to Huang Taiji and the Third Lady, and said, "The villa has been arranged. Please, Your Highness and Your Highness, move there to rest."

"Thank you for your trouble, Lord Zheng."

Third Sister bowed to Zheng Luo and said this, while Huang Taiji simply nodded slightly. He was also extremely tired at the moment, and he wouldn't have been so diligent if he weren't in such dire straits.

In those tribes that were about to run out of food, trouble was brewing: they planned to plunder the food of the surrounding tribes.

Therefore, before leaving, Huang Taiji had to arrange for someone to send some food to those tribes so that they could relieve their immediate needs and wait for the news he would bring back from Datong.

It could be said that he was driven to a dead end.

As for the other tribes that seem to still have food, their reserves are only enough to last for one month, and even if the food supply is reduced, they can only last for two months at most.

As for heading south to the Ming Dynasty, the climate here is definitely not the time for war.

Moreover, Huang Taiji was still somewhat afraid of the Ming Dynasty's powerful firearms.

He has come to a clear understanding that this is no longer an era in which the Mongols can control everything simply by being skilled in archery and horsemanship.

Just from the sight of the dark cannon barrels seen from the top of Desheng Fort during this trip into Ming territory, Huang Taiji was unsure how many lives would be needed to capture the fort.

Even if you capture a city gate, you can actually collect very little food, unless you capture Datong, which has a more solid defense, where there are large food reserves.

A servant led Prince Shunyi and Lady Zhongshun to a separate residence. Zheng Luo immediately returned to his study to begin writing a memorial to the throne. At the same time, he summoned the prefect of Datong and the military commissioner, instructing them to quickly gather ten cartloads of grain. "My lord, weren't we told to send them to Miyun to collect the imperial relief?"

The military commissioner of Datong hesitated and said, "The grain in the treasury is only enough for our own consumption, and it is really difficult to allocate any more."

"No need to say anything more, just handle this matter quickly and prepare the food supplies."

As for the deficit, I will report to the court and have funds replenished from the Shanxi treasury or the capital."

Zheng Luo was aware of the situation in Datong.

Even if ten or twenty cartloads of grain are sent out, Datong Prefecture can still last for two months without any problem.

Before winter arrives, border towns begin to stockpile large quantities of grain to prepare for the difficulties of transporting supplies during the cold winter.

The military rations stored there were the only kind of food that could be quickly allocated.

As for the prefect, the main point is to let him know about this matter as well. If the Datong treasury is used, it will be local grain reserves, which will cause even more trouble.

"Yes, I will arrange it immediately."

Since Zheng Luo had said so, the military commissioner could not say anything else and could only agree immediately.

"This is the content of my negotiation with the Prince of Shunyi last night. Take a look at it first. I plan to send it to the capital immediately. They should be getting impatient there."

After Zheng Luo showed the memorial he had written to the two men, he instructed them to hand it over to the post station and send it to the capital by express courier.

At this time, Wei Guangde was indeed eagerly awaiting the report on Datong.

After all, this was a decision he made and one he was responsible for executing. Whether he could use the natural disaster to force Prince Shunyi to submit was crucial.

If successful, the Ming Dynasty could extend its reach into Mongolia and begin to manage it to a limited extent.

As for the consequences of failure, Wei Guangde was unsure. It was possible that a fierce battle would break out in the border town during the winter.

After all, not fighting meant starving to death, while fighting meant dying in battle, but there was a possibility of success and seizing grain from the Ming Dynasty.

After issuing the document to Datong, the Ministry of War also sent an emergency mobilization order to all border towns, including Shanxi Town, informing them of the situation in Datong Town and urging them to prepare for the worst.

There are actually many such cases in history, but everyone pays more attention to the outcome of the Great Harmony, and historical books will only record these, often avoiding mentioning other orders issued by the court for this matter. Therefore, when later generations read historical books, they often feel that the operation of ancient dynasties seems to be rigid and lacking vitality.

In reality, behind every major event, the relevant government departments often issued several or even dozens of other documents to ensure everything was in order, which was not at all what was recorded in the history books.

On a wide street in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, stands a magnificent and luxurious mansion, which was the residence of the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi during the Ming Dynasty.

During the mid-to-late Jiajing period, the coastal pirate problem became severe. Wu Guifang, then the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, moved the Governor-General's Office from Wuzhou, Guangxi to Zhaoqing, because pirates were rampant in Huizhou and Chaozhou, Guangdong at that time.

From then on, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi was stationed here throughout the Ming Dynasty, until it was moved to Guangzhou during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty.

At this moment, a group of post horses galloped down the solemn and dignified street, attracting the attention of passersby.

Upon arriving at the government office, the messenger dismounted, took the bamboo tube from his back, and jogged towards the governor's office with both hands.

The horse he abandoned was led to a hitching post by the guards at the gate.

Not long after, Liu Yaohui, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi under the Ming Dynasty, received an urgent imperial edict from the capital.

In the main hall of the administrative office, Liu Yaohui had already taken out the documents, but his brows furrowed after just a quick glance.

The imperial court has actually started paying attention to the affairs of Haojing, and this time it is obviously different from the past, as it is trying to redefine the relationship between Xiangshan County and Haojing.

The key point is that the imperial court not only issued an edict to him, but also to Yu Dayou in Zhejiang, ordering him to send troops to garrison Haojing.

Liu Yaohui, courtesy name Junna, later styled himself Ningzhai. He was a native of Linwu, Huguang (present-day Hubei and Hunan provinces) during the Ming Dynasty and became a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the thirty-second year of the Jiajing reign (1543).

He was successively appointed magistrate of Xinyu County, Jiangxi Province, and then transferred to Nanjing as a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Justice due to his outstanding governance.

He submitted a memorial discussing the merits and demerits of defending against Japanese pirates, requested the abolition of the tax collection system to alleviate the people's suffering, exposed the abuse of power by the eunuchs of the Imperial Wardrobe, and spoke frankly, which offended many powerful figures, resulting in his dismissal from office.

From the first year of the Longqing reign of Emperor Muzong, he was again appointed as the Assistant Magistrate of Shanghai County, then promoted to Censor-in-Chief of Jianzhou, and then Governor of Fujian. For his merits in defending against Japanese pirates and suppressing sea bandits, he was promoted to Vice Censor-in-Chief, then transferred to Governor of Jiangxi, and in the eighth year of the Wanli reign, he was promoted to Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi.

Seeing Wei Guangde's letter on the desk, Liu Yaohui picked it up, opened it, and read it carefully.

Well, that's when he realized it was all the fault of the Bucharau cannon foundry in Haojing.

Whether the cannons used by the Japanese were actually cast there is no longer important; if the court believes they were, then they must be.

The Ming Dynasty is currently waging war against Japan. The imperial court has already issued a decree to retaliate against the Japanese pirates' raids on the southeastern coast and to completely eradicate the root of the Japanese pirates.

Now that the foreign cannon foundry in Haojing, Guangdong, is making cannons for the Japanese, Liu Yaohui couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

If the imperial court really takes this seriously, he won't come out on top.

Fortunately, I had rekindled my kinship with Wei Guangde in Jiangxi years ago, which led to this letter.

"Someone, prepare the carriages and horses; we're going to Guangzhou immediately."

Xiangshan County was under the jurisdiction of Guangzhou Prefecture. Liu Yaohui wanted to go to Guangzhou first to understand the situation of the Bujialao Cannon Foundry before making any decisions.

The Bucara Cannon Foundry was the earliest manufacturing plant in Macau operated by Portuguese.

After the Portuguese settled in Macau, they built fortifications at various strategic points in order to enhance security and defense, thus increasing the demand for artillery and other weapons.

In the 36th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, the Portuguese cannon-casting expert, Peter the Condor, selected a location at the end of Zhuzishi Village at the foot of West Penha Hill to open a cannon-casting factory, and personally served as its manager.

Most of the copper needed by the cannon foundry was purchased from Japan, while iron ore and sulfur were sourced locally from the neighboring region of Macau.

The cannons produced were divided into two types: iron cannons and bronze cannons. Iron cannons were invented by Chinese laborers, while bronze cannons were invented by the Portuguese.

Bronze cannons were known for their long range and durability. During the Anglo-French War, the famous British general Clington used bronze cannons produced by this factory to demonstrate their power in the Peninsular War.

During the American Civil War, the factory also purchased artillery produced by it.

B.C. Lau's son opened the Wan Nu Hang on the new street by the inner harbor, specializing in the arms trade.

Because of the incredible power and exceptional performance of the cannons cast by Bjarneau, its products gained a great reputation in East Asia.

In order to deal with the situation in Liaodong at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Xu Guangqi purchased a large number of cannons from here and learned the Western cannon casting method. Even the first gunners were trained here.

This place was once called "the best cannon foundry in the world" by the Portuguese.

When the imperial court decided to send troops to control the fortifications, the Portuguese-built fortifications undoubtedly became the biggest obstacle.

Liu Yaohui hurriedly went to Guangzhou Prefecture at this time, both matters being explained by Wei Guangde in his letter.

First, all Ming people working in the Haojing should be immediately evacuated. Second, a supply blockade should be imposed on the Haojing, prohibiting the inflow of strategic materials such as food and medicine.

Wei Guangde was not actually worried that the navy's artillery would be no match for the Portuguese. Although the Portuguese were powerful, they were outnumbered and the Ming Dynasty might launch a simultaneous land and sea attack, leaving them unable to defend one side at a time.

But this is only a poor choice; it would be better to get the Portuguese to accept the Ming Dynasty's orders.

Therefore, to prevent them from resorting to desperate measures, using Ming people as human shields is the most urgent task. (End of this chapter)