King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 690 Emperor: Is there any way?

In fact, it’s not that Zhu Xianming didn’t expect it, but he really trusted Zhu Jinghong, so he didn’t think this was a problem.

"Which do you think is more important, the northwest or the sea?" the queen changed the subject.

"not sure!"

The emperor's answer really surprised Yang Qingyin.

Before she could continue asking questions, she only heard Zhu Xianming explain: "I think the northwest is more important, but Old Thirteen said the sea is important. I always feel...he might be right!"

This was the truth. Yang Qingyin didn't know what to say and couldn't help but complain in her heart about who was the father between the two.

Yang Qingyin continued, "Since you think the northwest is important, why did you recall Old Thirteen when he led the army to suppress the rebellion two years ago? Let him win the victory in one fell swoop, wouldn't it save a lot of trouble?"

The trouble the Queen mentioned was not just about wasting the national treasury and killing many people...

"Are you trying to say that I'm suspecting and suppressing Old Thirteen?" Zhu Xianming said with a serious expression.

The queen didn't say anything, but she was actually expressing her concern.

The Thirteenth Prince is so powerful and poses such a great threat to the imperial power that the Queen is worried that something might happen in the future.

"With the little achievements that Old Thirteen made back then, I don't think I'd be suspicious of him!"

The suppression of the Japanese pirates in Nanjing was a minor undertaking, but the suppression of the rebellion in the northwest was the official campaign, and it was also the time when Zhu Jinghong truly demonstrated his talents.

Although Zhu Jinghong made contributions in suppressing the rebellion in the northwest, his foundation was still weak and he posed little threat to the emperor.

This is what the emperor wanted to express, and only he himself knew how much of it was true and how much was false.

Walking in front with his hands behind his back, Zhu Xianming said slowly: "The reason why he was summoned back to the capital is... the battle to suppress the rebellion has not yet come to an end!"

"What do you mean?" Yang Qingyin became more and more confused.

"The cost of the Northwest War is huge, not only for the imperial court, but even more for the vassal states in the Northwest!"

"I only heard Zhu Xianming continue to say: "Zasak's rebellion is due to his growing strength, but among the vassal states in the northwest, is he the only one that is strong?"

After hearing this, Yang Qingyin asked, "Your goal is to take this opportunity to weaken the surrounding vassal states? So the war cannot be stopped too early!"

"In this way... we can avoid further rebellion!" Zhu Xianming nodded.

"But who could have thought that the successive incidents in Korea and the southeast sea would cause the court to spend so much money that the treasury is now empty!"

This is called plans cannot keep up with changes. Past events have proved this truth, and future events may also develop in the same way. No one can say for sure.

Yang Qingyin said calmly: "So now, you want to end the war as soon as possible!"

"Ok!"

Now everything makes sense. Although many things are ridiculous, there is finally a conclusion.

"You can be sure that if Old Thirteen goes, he will definitely win!" Yang Qingyin questioned again.

If possible, she didn't want Zhu Jinghong to go to the battlefield.

In fact, to be more precise, every time Zhu Jinghong went to fight, Yang Qingyin didn't want him to go.

"He has talent!" Zhu Xianming replied.

This is his reason, which sounds ridiculous but seems very convincing.

Next, the couple chatted a lot more. It had been a long time since they had such an in-depth communication.

"What we said today must not be heard by anyone else, not even Old Thirteen!"

"He is a rough diamond, but he still needs to be carefully polished and not allowed to become arrogant and complacent!"

Yang Qingyin certainly agreed with these principles, so she nodded in agreement.

But in fact, the so-called careful carving is, to a large extent, suppression.

Therefore, in the future, Zhu Xianming will still restrict Zhu Jinghong to ensure the security of his own power.

So, he is a very twisted person, or even hypocritical, and this is also the instinct of a normal emperor.

After all, he is old and no longer has the wisdom and intelligence of his youth. However, the glorious deeds of the past have become the glitz that blinds his eyes and makes him unable to see the true situation.

Fortunately, Zhu Xianming was not too confused, otherwise he might have become another Li Longji.

Zhu Xianming thought his arrangements were thorough and proper, so he was very proud and asked, "Now you understand why I urgently summoned him back to Beijing!"

Yang Qingyin glanced at him again, and then said, "I hope you can handle these things!"

As a queen, she also hoped that the imperial succession would be orderly, and as a mother, she hoped that her sons would have a good end.

Although the emperor's plan was good, in Yang Qingyin's opinion, anything could go wrong before things were settled.

But as Zhu Xianming said, the current arrangement is the best outcome, and she can only hope that no accidents will occur during this period.

Talking about these things is indeed quite heavy. After walking in silence for a while, Zhu Xianming took the initiative to change the subject.

The two walked for a while, and when the queen felt tired, Zhu Xianming called for a sedan chair and carried the two of them back to Kunning Palace.

After having lunch in Kunning Palace, Zhu Xianming returned to Qianqing Palace. He still had a lot of reports to read today.

It is easy to be a hands-off boss, but if you want to have a deep control over the empire, you have to devote yourself to almost endless reports.

After Zhu Xianming left, someone outside reported that the princess had arrived, and Yang Qingyin immediately ordered someone to call her into the palace.

Her husband and sons all have their own things to do, and Zhu Yunsheng is a rare person with whom she can chat.

"Greetings to the Queen Mother!"

Looking at her daughter who had become much more mature and stable, Yang Qingyin's face looked much better.

Yang Qingyin asked, "How have you been lately? Have you two had any quarrels?"

When Zhu Yunsheng first got married, she had a conflict with her husband Liang Yi, and Yang Qingyin knew about this.

The emperor originally wanted to punish Liang Yi but was persuaded by her, because she knew the conflict between the young couple and the only way to solve it was to talk them out herself.

"Mom...we are not quarreling anymore. Our life is going well now!" Zhu Yunsheng stepped forward and acted coquettishly, just like she did before she got married.

"That's good!" Yang Qingyin nodded.

"Your Thirteenth Brother is going back to Beijing. Do you know about this?"

Nestled beside the queen, Zhu Yunsheng replied: "He has been gone for more than a year, it is time for him to come back and visit... As the saying goes, one should not travel far away while his parents are still alive!"

Stroking her precious daughter's hair, Yang Qingyin smiled and asked, "Everyone says your Thirteenth Brother is naughty. You grew up with him and have a close relationship with him... Tell me, what kind of person is your Thirteenth Brother!"

"Brother Thirteen, he..."

"Why...you can't understand him either?"

Zhu Yunsheng replied: "Actually, Thirteenth Brother is very smart and hardworking!"

"Oh...you actually think so!" Yang Qingyin was a little surprised.

"That's the truth. You may not know that Thirteenth Brother is very methodical. Previously, he..."

Zhu Yunsheng is a smart person. She doesn’t know many things, but she can roughly judge who among her three brothers will win based on her feelings. This is her unique advantage.

Yang Qingyin listened to Zhu Yunsheng's talk and got to know her son from another perspective. She also almost got to know Zhu Jinghong again. Time passed quickly, and another month passed in a blink of an eye. Zhu Jinghong's convoy entered the Luoyang area.

But he did not rush back to Beijing, but turned around and rushed to the imperial mausoleum. He wanted to pay homage to the retired emperor's mausoleum first.

For this matter, he even brought dozens of human heads, all of which were Spanish officers who had been convicted and beheaded.

In the Xiandian of the Retired Emperor's Mausoleum, Zhu Jinghong knelt in front of the emperor's clothes and kowtowed to the spirit tablet of the Retired Emperor.

"Grandpa, my grandson is back!"

"You said that after Desheng returned victorious, he should not forget to report the victory to you. This time, I brought the heads of the enemy to offer sacrifices to your spirit in heaven!"

"Grandpa, I miss you. Why didn't you wait for me? Why did you..."

Zhu Jinghong's words were half sincere and half acting, and he was crying very sadly, just like an ordinary filial son and grandson.

He stayed in the mausoleum of the retired emperor for more than an hour until the eunuch from the palace summoned him to an audience. Zhu Jinghong left the mausoleum reluctantly.

Another hour later, Zhu Jinghong entered the capital.

As the news of his return spread, the people of the capital all took to the streets, wanting to catch a glimpse of Zhu Jinghong's motorcade, causing chaos on the streets for a while.

Normally, Zhu Jinghong would enter the city from the east gate and the west gate, but reality made him choose to enter the city from the north gate, which was closest to the imperial city.

After entering the city smoothly and safely, Zhu Jinghong's expression became serious.

He didn't know why the emperor urgently summoned him back to the capital, so he was quite nervous. He was worried that the tacit understanding that had been rebuilt with great difficulty would be broken because of the great victory in the naval battle.

"It's not easy to be the emperor's son!" Zhu Jinghong sighed inwardly.

On the way to the palace, Zhu Jinghong met many acquaintances. Many of them came to pay him a visit enthusiastically, and he spent a lot of time talking to them along the way.

Finally, he arrived outside the Qianqing Gate and was informed according to the procedure.

Time has changed many things. If it were in the past, he would have gone in directly. But now, he has to make these changes in order to change his image.

Soon, a young eunuch walked out of the Qianqing Gate and led Zhu Jinghong into the hall.

After not seeing each other for more than a year, when the father and son met again, they both noticed a huge change in each other.

The emperor has lost weight and his hair has turned a lot whiter...

Zhu Jinghong got tanned and his beard got thicker...

"Your Majesty, your son, kowtows to your father. Long live the emperor!"

Zhu Xianming was somewhat disappointed when he didn't hear the word "Dad", but at the same time he felt relieved.

"You fought well at sea and made great contributions to the court. What reward do you want?" Zhu Xianming said in a warm tone.

Although the emperor appeared approachable, Zhu Jinghong remained highly wary.

Zhu Jinghong replied: "Dad... As a son, it is only natural for me to serve my father. How dare I ask for any reward!"

"I have always been clear about rewards and punishments. You deserve rewards for your merits. Tell me...what do you want!" Zhu Xianming said very seriously.

This put Zhu Jinghong in a dilemma. He didn't know how much he should ask for because he was not sure of the emperor's intention.

"This... Dad, whatever reward you want, your son is willing to accept it!"

Hearing this, Zhu Xianming laughed: "You mean... as if this reward is like a hot potato!"

"My son would never dare to do that!" Zhu Jinghong quickly apologized.

Zhu Xianming has a deep understanding of the fact that when his son becomes mature and stable, he will feel alienated.

So much so that at this moment, he felt regretful, and then he slowed down his tone and said, "Whatever you want, just go ahead. Dad is not a stingy person!"

At this moment, Zhu Xianming really wanted this kid to ask for something. As long as it was not a direct request for the "position of crown prince", he would agree to any condition.

Thinking back carefully, Zhu Xianming couldn't help but realize that he had never properly rewarded Zhu Jinghong for his contributions over the years.

After careful consideration, Zhu Jinghong replied: "At the beginning of last year, my son was confined by you. He was first fined half a year's salary, and then he received the salary of a prince. So can you... return the fined salary to my son and then increase his salary!"

Zhu Xianming was really surprised when he heard this "novel" request.

"You've thought about it, do you want these?"

Zhu Jinghong smiled and said, "If you can reward me with tens or hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, my son will also accept it!"

Not to mention that the court is facing cash flow difficulties now, even when funds were abundant before, there was no such thing as rewarding individuals with millions of taels.

Zhu Jinghong was joking, but Zhu Xianming said, "Of course you can... but not now. The court has no money to reward you!"

"Son, it's just a joke, Dad, don't take it too seriously!"

Zhu Xianming smiled and then said, "The money and goods you seized from the port city of Xiyi amount to nearly 12 million taels. This time, 4 million was spent on compensation and rewards, and another 2 million was spent on recruiting soldiers for the new port..."

"More than a month ago, you submitted a so-called five-year plan to expand the navy, which cost tens of millions of taels. You make money quickly but spend it even faster!"

The first two things mentioned by the emperor have already cost six million taels of silver, but the so-called fleet expansion plan has to be carried out step by step and has not yet been officially implemented, so Zhu Jinghong still has six million taels of silver left in his spoils.

"You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a lamb. You have to be bold when it comes to spending money. Without courage, there will be no production!"

"Once we have built our fleet, we can sail across the oceans and make a lot of money!"

Hearing these words, Zhu Xianming said solemnly: "According to your plan, we will set up four major naval divisions in Liaodong, Jinling, Zhejiang, and Guangdong, with a total of thirty fleets and six hundred warships..."

This is indeed Zhu Jinghong's plan, and it is a preliminary plan for the next ten years. In the next ten years, the navy and supporting facilities may be further expanded as needed.

"Not to mention the huge cost of construction, the maintenance after construction is also very expensive. Can we really recoup our investment?" Zhu Xianming was deeply doubtful.

Zhu Jinghong could only explain again: "Dad, think about it, countries like Britain, France, Portugal and Spain, which don't have as many fleets as we do, can afford to keep so many fleets. You can imagine how much profit there is in controlling the oceans and ruling foreign lands!"

Zhu Jinghong has expressed similar ideas many times, and Zhu Xianming knows all of this.

"After the great battle, the Liaodong Navy now has five Class A ships, twenty-one Class B ships, and thirty-three Class C ships. Can they still fight?"

Zhu Jinghong was very surprised that the emperor suddenly asked this question.

"It depends on who we fight. If we fight against Britain, France and Portugal alone, there is no chance of winning!"

"What about Japan?" Zhu Xianming asked.

"Japan?"

Seeing Zhu Jinghong's puzzled expression, Zhu Xianming explained, "The Southern Division reported that there are large mines in Iwami, Yamanashi, Niigata and other places in Japan, with an annual output of more than 1.5 million taels of silver!"

"The Liaodong Navy is idle anyway. If we can intimidate Japan and force them to pay tribute, it can also serve as a training ground for the troops. This is killing two birds with one stone!"

So that's how it is... Zhu Jinghong was quite surprised.

Seeing Zhu Jinghong's thoughtful expression, Zhu Xianming walked up to him and asked, "Do you think this matter...will be solved?"

Zhu Jinghong asked, "Dad... our Ming Dynasty is a country of etiquette. Aren't you afraid of hurting the feelings of other vassal states by doing this?"

This is not about being tied to red tape, but a practical issue that must be taken into consideration.

No matter what, Japan is nominally a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. Declaring war on it just for silver will inevitably make other vassal states feel sympathetic.

The gains and losses should be carefully considered!
(End of this chapter)