Wanli Ming Emperor

Chapter 212: The King's Vanguard, Cricket Giant Void

Shanxi Provincial Administration, Pingyang Prefecture, Puzhou.

As the year draws to a close, every household has to visit relatives and friends. As a wealthy family in Puzhou, the Zhang family is naturally no exception.

Today, Zhang Siwei warmly welcomes group of visitors.

Regardless of the social status of the person, whether he was a merchant, a scholar, or an official, he was always polite.

Even in front of the proletarian people from outside the Great Wall, Zhang Siwei still sat opposite him and politely served him tea.

"Now, Bansheng has a population of tens of thousands, with a circumference of dozens of miles, 40,000 horses, 23,000 cattle, and 50,000 bushels of grain..."

Lu Nanchuan has excellent business capabilities and gave a detailed summary of Bansheng’s development this year.

Zhang Siwei leaned forward, placed his hands on the charcoal stove, stared at the ground beneath his feet, and listened very attentively.

He interrupted from time to time and asked detailed questions.

There were only two people in the study, and their voices were not loud, so their pronunciations could not be heard clearly when heard outside.

When Lu Nanchuan finished speaking, Zhang Siwei clapped his hands and laughed, "It's almost as grand as your father's."

At that time, Zhao Quan and Lu Xichuan gathered tens of thousands of people in Bansheng, with 50,000 horses and 30,000 cattle, and built nine palaces. It was a prosperous time.

Unfortunately, after Altan Khan surrendered to the imperial court, he lured and killed dozens of people including Zhao Quan and Lu Xichuan.

After that, the King of Shunyi was more concerned about the court's attitude and no longer allowed Bansheng to recruit exiled Han people on a large scale as he had done before.

Now, more than ten years have passed, and the situation has finally been restored to its original state.

Lu Nanchuan nodded in agreement: "Since Shunyi King Altan Khan left for the west, the Tatars under his command have been exiled. The two places have been profitable, and the restrictions on Bansheng have been reduced a lot, so we can recruit exiles on a large scale."

After saying this, he respectfully got off the stool and poured tea for Zhang Siwei: "Of course, it is all thanks to my adoptive father's generous help."

Zhang Siwei's smile did not diminish, and he declined by saying, "It's just business."

The industries of the people of Fengzhou, such as tobacco leaves, grains, and the manufacture of oil, wine, and cigarettes, were free from the need for taxation by the court and the absence of tariffs, so their costs were much lower. In addition, the better-quality specialties from outside the Great Wall, such as camels, horses, cattle, and sheep, attracted frequent visits from merchants and travelers from Shanxi.

As a result, merchants and civilians from Bansheng area gathered here and the place gradually became a prosperous market.

In this case, even if Zhang Siwei gave some guidance to Shanxi merchants, it could at most be considered smuggling in name only - there was absolutely no such thing as generous assistance.

After Lu Nanchuan poured the tea, he paused, then held up his sleeves and sat back.

Zhang Siwei kept turning his hands over, rubbing the palms and backs of his hands, and earnestly admonished: "Take your time, don't rush for quick success, and don't show off in front of others. When Zhao Quan was crowned king, his father was crowned the founder of Taoism, which shocked the court. But they were actually repeating the same mistakes."

Lu Nanchuan naturally said that he was learning from this.

He followed Zhang Siwei's words and explained, "What my foster father said makes sense. The name White Lotus was just used to gather people privately. After Altan Khan returned to Huacheng from Qinghai, we changed our name to the Merchant Protection Group and lived in harmony with the world."

A makeshift cult has a completely different spirit depending on whether or not there are educated people involved in its organization building.

The name of the Merchant Protection Corps is very good. It maintains public order and escorts merchants. They are so honest and dutiful that even if they lose the barrier of Guihua City in the future, they still have a future of peace.

Zhang Siwei shook his head: "That's not what I'm talking about. It's the slogan you used to gather people. Stop promoting it."

"Prime Minister Li gathered the White Lotus Sect in Henan and robbed houses for several years without causing any trouble. In April this year, he created a demon-killing book and shouted slogans, which led to the army's invasion and crushing them to dust."

He sat up straight: "There are some things that can be done, but you must not make a big fuss about it."

As power expands, everyone will always have more ideas.

At that time, Lu Nanchuan's father's idea was to instigate Altan Khan to proclaim himself emperor and call himself the ancestor of Taoism.

As a result, the leader of the White Lotus Sect became more and more eager to recruit men from inside the Great Wall, and even shouted the slogan "Born inside the Great Wall, raised outside the Great Wall, no service, no taxes, let's all live happily together."

Bansheng was not under the leadership of the government, so the people really did not have to work or pay taxes.

This naturally has great appeal to the people in the nine borders who have suffered from oppression.

But precisely because of this, if this slogan were to really reach the ears of the imperial court, it would certainly lead to a severe crackdown.

The slogan is the key. Whoever dares to shout it out will no longer be regarded as a small-time vagrant or bandit in the eyes of the government, but a complete traitor!
After being reminded, Lu Nanchuan was startled, as if he understood the key point. He immediately stood up and said, "Godfather, I will stop shouting slogans when I get back!"

Zhang Siwei waved his hands and didn't care much.

Now the imperial court is insisting on its own way, and the new policy has already reached the stage of land measurement. It will certainly not turn back until it hits a wall.

This was followed by a fifty-year-long dispute over tax reform.

The emperor and Zhang Juzheng almost repeated the actions of Song Shenzong and Wang Anshi, intensifying the contradiction between the central government and the pillars of the dynasty to the extreme.

If Zhang Siwei were still in the central government, he might be able to restore order, advocate stopping the new law, and live in peace with the people.

Unfortunately, the emperor is stupid and immoral, unable to distinguish between loyalty and treachery... refugees are everywhere, and it is bound to be a matter of time before they become the vanguard of the king.

That was the time for Lu Nanchuan to launch the slogan.

Zhang Siwei shook his head, suddenly remembered something, and said something else: "Is Minister Shi settled?"

Lu Nanchuan nodded and was about to explain in detail.

Zhang Siwei interrupted immediately: "Don't tell me how you settled it. If you don't keep it secret, it will cause harm. Liu Shiyan's family was killed before. The reason was that you didn't kill the person sent by Prime Minister Li. Otherwise, how could the Jinyiwei follow the clues and find out the truth?"

Lu Nanchuan stopped abruptly.

When he mentioned this, a look of guilt appeared on his face.

"Every failure makes you wiser. Tell me about the situation outside the Great Wall."

Zhang Siwei lightly brushed aside the accusation.

Lu Nanchuan took a deep breath, quickly calmed down, and got back to business: "Yes, godfather."

"After Altan Khan's fall, Eastern Mongolia was essentially divided."

"Last month, Xin Ai and Huang Taiji separated and started a new family."

"Songshan Bintu's wife and son and other chiefs are wandering on the sea, with no news."

"Last month, Wei Zhengqia was shot to death by an arrow while robbing the wild people. His body has been burned and brought back to the prison."

"Chao Huerqing, Baduer Kusai, Aimusu Aji, uncle and nephew, as well as Duer Tabunang, Mangsuer Tabunang, Daiyaqi Qingshan Tabuneng, Weizheng Tabuneng Wang Baduer and other tribes, gathered tens of thousands of cavalry, 700 miles outside Jiayuguan, intending to attack the Wala in the spring and advance westward."

"This month, news came in that the Chao Chief brothers took advantage of the situation and occupied the pond."

"..."

"Now, only Sanniang, in the name of the Khan's wife, firmly controls Guihua City and commands Bu Yanhuang Taiji and others."

"However, before I came, the Third Lady had already left for Yanghe. It was said that the Emperor had issued an order to urgently summon Prince Shunyi and the Third Lady to the capital."

Yanghe is the residence of the Governor-General of Xuanda. Since Sanniang went to Yanghe, it was obvious that she was preparing to go to Beijing.

At this point, Lu Nanchuan paused and said, "Foster father, I am a little worried. The third lady has always been friendly to the court. Should we do something..."

The better the relationship between the imperial court and the Tatar right wing, the less room the Han people outside the Great Wall have to maneuver. Lu Nanchuan understands this truth.

As for Sanniangzi, she was the one who firmly advocated for peace when Longqing was negotiating peace. After that, she restrained the various tribes and presided over the tribute affairs with the court.

Even the construction of Guihua City and the naming of it by the imperial court were advocated by Sanniangzi.

Now that he has lowered his posture so much, it is not a good thing for Lu Nanchuan to respond to the imperial edict and go to the capital.

Zhang Siwei heard this but did not respond immediately.

The study fell into silence.

Lu Nanchuan felt a little embarrassed for a moment.

Finally, Zhang Siwei slowly turned his head and looked at Lu Nanchuan: "The Tuman Khan of Western Mongolia has integrated the three Wanhu of the left wing, eight major camps and 24 tribes, with 200,000 warriors, from Liaodong in the east to Tao River in the west."

"Hold high the Tumen Khan Code to restrain the tribes, and make the tribes south of the desert pay homage to the Khan again."

"With the momentum of the Hulitai Congress, we forced the Khorchin, Inner Khalkha and other tribes to submit to us."

"He also promised the position of a great ruler to bribe Altan Khan's grandson Chekli, and then used the Yellow Sect to win over the right wing, Huang Taiji."

"If it weren't for the great reputation of the Third Lady, the scattered Eastern Mongolia would have been swallowed up in one day, and the old scene of Dayan Khan would have reappeared."

Zhang Siwei looked at Lu Nanchuan and shook his head solemnly: "Han family affairs, Han family affairs."

"The Tatars will be the enemy of the Han Dynasty sooner or later. You and I can use the Tatars as our minions and vanguards, but we must not degenerate and become a tool for others."

The conversation was slow and steady, and the two looked at each other quietly.

a long time.

Lu Nanchuan smiled awkwardly: "Father, your opinion is very insightful. I was mistaken."

"But Fengzhou Beach is protected by Guihua City after all. I was just afraid that Sanniang had reached some tacit agreement with the court and the past would happen again. That's why I lost my composure for a moment. I hope my foster father will punish me."

Zhang Siwei's face was stern for a moment, then he smiled: "It's human nature, how can a father blame you."

He paused and said, "As for Ban Sheng...you don't have to worry too much. You are different from your father. You have thousands of elite cavalry and sophisticated firearms. Even the Third Lady would have to treat you with respect. How could you be like your father back then, tying you up and sending you to the court in a few words?"

Lu Nanchuan seemed to be comforted when he heard this, and nodded in agreement.

The unhappiness between the two was fleeting, and they were talking and laughing again, with the father being kind and the son being filial.

I don't know how long we talked about it.

Lü Nanchuan then said goodbye to Zhang Siwei, saying that it was late.
The latter pretended to send him off, but the former repeatedly declined.

After a lot of pulling, congratulations and farewells, Lu Nanchuan finally persuaded Zhang Siwei to stop, and then he swaggered out of the Zhang Mansion, and his left and right people hurriedly greeted him.

Only after turning around did Lu Nanchuan frown and grit his teeth in indignation: "Old thing."

Nurhaci quickly stepped forward and said, "Foster father, is this trip not going well?"

When he spoke, he already spoke fluent Chinese.

Lu Nanchuan snorted coldly.

After he got on the horse, he said, "You old bastard, you know how many holes a rabbit has. You won't bet big on us at all!"

After saying this, Lu Nanchuan seemed to have made up his mind.

He turned to look at Nurhaci and said, "I will now agree to what you said before!"

Nurhaci was overjoyed: "Father agreed to let me borrow a horse to go back to Jianzhou!"

Lu Nanchuan nodded and said nothing more.

"Sixth Brother, go and respond to Chekli and tell him that I can't do anything about Third Lady, but I naturally support him occupying Guihua City more than Third Lady's son Butashri."

After that, Lu Nanchuan turned to look at another follower and said, "Seventh Brother, let's follow the old rules. Go find those relatives in Ningxia who are appointed as deputy generals, and send them gold, silver and treasures to wish me a happy new year."

The two people who were given the order obviously had Mongolian features, and they patted their chests immediately after hearing the words.

Fengzhoutan (Wuyuan County) is located between Ningxia and Guihuacheng (now Hohhot), which leaves room for maneuver.

After giving some instructions, Lu Nanchuan looked back at Zhang's house and spat with disdain.

Then he called everyone and rode away.

……

On the 21st day of the twelfth lunar month, the Great Cold, in the Chengguang Palace in the Western Garden. The waves from the east of Taiye Lake are calm, and the small Furong Palace overlooks the empty and bright sky.

The emperor just sat down in the Chengguang Hall, and the whole day was overwhelmed by the complicated personnel affairs and memorials.

It was not until the sunlight was dim that Zhu Yijun sent away the last minister who approached him that day.

"I forgot to ask just now, how did Ling Qing perform in his three-year performance exam?"

Zhu Yijun had already sent Ling Yunyi away before he realized that he had neglected something.

Zhang Hong stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Governor Ling has been with Governor Wu Wenhua since the fourth year of Wanli, successively suppressing the Hechi, Bu Ke, and Beisan Yao, and also capturing and killing the mountain bandits in Damiao, Guangdong. His military exploits are outstanding, and he has been excellent for three years."

Zhu Yijun nodded and instructed Zhang Hong, "Then the great companion will issue an order to the cabinet on my behalf tomorrow, saying that Ling Qing will pass the three-year examination and his son Ling Xiaodong will be admitted as a student of the Imperial Academy."

Zhang Hong took note of it silently.

Zhu Yijun casually flipped through the memorials on the table, and after making sure that he had finished reviewing them all, he raised his palms to the sky and stretched lazily.

He yawned, "Another year has come to an end."

The Chinese New Year is just a few days away. Thinking about the many big and small things that happened this year, I can’t help but feel a little emotional.

Wang Yingxuan quietly closed his diary and said, "Your Majesty, I will send my diary to Lanting for safekeeping tomorrow. I will have no official duties this year. I would like to take two days off to rest."

New Year's Eve is on the 29th, and all ministries and government offices usually wait until the 25th or 26th to close - and a few people will be left on duty to take turns.

The unoccupied government offices like the Hanlin Academy and the Zhongshu Sheren Academy disappeared around the time of the Great Cold.

"Okay." Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said casually, "The annual meeting will be the day after tomorrow. Who will Lantai arrange to record the history?"

As a young scholar, it is natural for him to take a leave early to enjoy the romance of the world.

Not to mention that Xiao Wang was a famous figure and one of the "Four Men of Yan Family", so there was no reason not to approve this fake news.

Even official business still had to be handed over properly, such as the annual meeting. Over the years, it had become a tradition for the emperor and the six ministries and nine officials to discuss state affairs at the end of the year and formulate work strategies for the coming year.

Wang Yingxuan quickly replied, "My colleague Yao Sanrang will take my place."

Zhu Yijun said "oh" and waved his hand: "Yao Qing, forget it, let Wang Shizhen take note of it himself."

The matter of recording history cannot be achieved by relying on the so-called fearlessness of death and the courage to defy the emperor. These people have their own set of jargons that can avoid censorship.

Just like the fall of Gao Gong in history, Gao Yi died within a few days. The Veritable Records recorded that "the eunuchs were sent to see the Grand Secretary Gao Yi for his illness and to give him food. Gao Yi thanked them and died soon after."

The word "xun" is very thought-provoking. "A Brief Discussion on Auxiliary Characters" says that anything that is caused by something is called "xun". The vague cause and effect relationship here is the so-called profound meaning in the subtle words.

Therefore, whenever it came to important meetings or crucial discussions, Zhu Yijun could only let people whose positions were confirmed to be correct record them.

Wang Yingxuan naturally didn't say anything when he heard this.

Zhu Yijun slowly stood up and stretched his muscles.

Since the annual meeting was mentioned, he asked Zhang Hong, "Oban, has the cabinet decided on the agenda for the annual meeting?"

Zhang Hong bowed slightly after hearing this and replied, "Your Majesty, at the annual meeting the day after tomorrow, apart from the minor details, there will be seven major items to discuss, including annual tax revenue, public disclosure of the imperial property, additional court officials, revision of the Ming Dynasty law, maritime trade strategy, the transformation of the natives into officials in Guizhou, Guangdong and Guangxi, and the mobilization of land survey and household liquidation."

Zhu Yijun walked back and forth in the hall to activate his blood circulation.

After thinking for a moment, he instructed Zhang Hong, "Order Pan Sheng to attend and listen to the officials' supplementary matters."

"Order Li Youzi to sit in on the taxation issue."

"Order Shen Li to be present and listen to the matters concerning the measurement of the fields."

The agenda of the annual meeting varies depending on the circumstances of each year.

Similarly, apart from the Cabinet and the officials of the six ministries and the two departments’ Chief Secretaries, the number of people attending the meetings as observers also varies from year to year.

But without exception, the court officials who were able to attend were those who were currently or would be closest to the center of power in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Hong quickly responded.

After Zhang Hong finished his long speech, Zhu Yijun asked again: "Didn't Li Zaiting go to the capital today? Where is he?"

Li Jin had been watching the emperor's heart and watching his eyes. When he heard this, he couldn't help but feel emotional. He was indeed worthy of being an old minister of the Eastern Palace. Even after being exiled for many years, he was still in the emperor's heart.

He took a small step forward and took over the conversation, saying, "Your Majesty, Governor Li arrived in Beijing at noon today and handed in a letter to the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Public Security, requesting to see Your Majesty tomorrow. He then went to the residence of Lord Gao to visit the Master."

"I spent the entire afternoon helping Mr. Gao repair the courtyard and the roof."

Zhu Yijun couldn't help but curl his lips after hearing what Li Jin said.

Gao Yi's house was rented, and after it was damaged, he immediately sent someone to repair it and pay compensation.

It made it seem as if he had just let it go.

No wonder all the court officials regarded him as a traitor. Isn't this exactly like Li Tongwei who went to the home of a retired cadre to plow the fields?
Of course, despite his complaints, Zhu Yijun nodded seriously and said, "I will not see him tomorrow. Let him attend the annual meeting the day after tomorrow and discuss maritime trade with other ministers."

Afterwards, Zhu Yijun discussed tomorrow's affairs with the Imperial Household Department and the Secretariat.

Only after sending away the Secretary of the Central Secretariat did he take off his hat and slightly tidy up his hair.

"Who will sleep with me today?"

Wei Chao, who was in charge of these matters, quickly stepped forward and replied, "Your Majesty, today we have Concubine Zhang Shun."

Although the emperor seemed to have some prejudice against the title of Concubine Zhang Shun, the harem was all about equal treatment, so whoever was named would be the one to receive the honor.

Zhu Yijun put on his crown again and said, "Shun Fei... let's wait until tomorrow. I want to go see the Queen today."

This is obviously a bit against the rules.

After all, when the emperor meets the empress, he has to ask for the permission of the two palaces, and he has to beat drums and gongs to make it known. There is no such thing as a sudden decision.

But then again, the emperor is different now after all.

What could Wei Chao say?

I had no choice but to respond silently.

Zhu Yijun straightened his clothes and walked out of Chengguang Hall leisurely with a group of eunuchs and female officials.

……

Thanks to Sejong's hobby, there are many palaces in the Western Garden, and the concubines in the harem can live in them together without feeling cramped.

The emperor lives in the Wanshou Palace, and may he live forever.

The Empress lived in Yongshou Palace and the Imperial Noble Consort lived in Renshou Palace. Yongshou, Renkang, was just right in terms of etiquette.

After Zhu Yijun finished his dinner, he went straight to Yongshou Palace.

The female official guarding the door seemed to have not expected the emperor to come so hastily, and hurried forward to greet him: "Your Majesty, please wait a moment. The Empress is bathing and changing clothes. She will lead the whole palace to welcome you later."

As expected, Zhu Yijun was stopped outside the door.

Unlike Concubine Li, who came from a first-class aristocratic family that was well-known at the time, Empress Liu's ancestors were only granted a minor official position in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The small family background also made Empress Liu cautious and prudent.

While abiding by the rules himself, he is also extremely particular about etiquette in front of outsiders.

However, the emperor listened to advice on major matters but was extremely stubborn and self-willed on minor matters.

Zhu Yijun ignored him and walked in with a swagger: "No need to mobilize troops, I will go to the warm room to wait for the queen."

He certainly couldn't just barge in to bathe. After all, she was a queen, and the emperor had to respect her.

It would be just right to go to the warm room and wait.

The female officials could not stop him any longer, so they stamped their feet and hurriedly walked past the emperor to report to the empress.

Zhu Yijun smiled.

The next step is naturally to go straight in, cross the corridor in a few steps, and step into the warm room.

Although Liu was a female monarch, she always kept in sync with the emperor in terms of expenses and never spent extravagantly.

Apart from food and books, Empress Liu saved as much as she could, so that the huge Empress's bedroom became deserted and cold.

Zhu Yijun walked to the bookcase, picked out a book called "The Investiture of the Gods" by Zhongshan Yisou, which was published this year, and sat down behind the desk leisurely.

Although Empress Liu was a well-behaved person, her family members were quite cunning. They even presented books like Investiture of the Gods to the palace. Who could be Su Daji among them?

Zhu Yijun shook his head and read it with relish.

At this juncture, it is no exaggeration to say that culture is flourishing and a hundred flowers are blooming.

The queen liked reading stories, not only classical novels such as Investiture of the Gods, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Journey to the West, but also short stories such as "Yu Window Collection", "Chang Deng Collection", and "Sui Hang Collection".

Especially as the trend of literati imitating vernacular novels to create vernacular short stories became increasingly popular, the creation of novels now began to sink, gradually reflecting the class appearance of the scholar-officials and below.

Therefore, Zhu Yijun never stopped the empress from pursuing this unofficial hobby, and sometimes even asked the empress to recommend one or two.

Because this was a little habit after marriage, Zhu Yijun was naturally fascinated when he sat in the Queen's warm room.

I don’t know how much time passed.

When Zhu Yijun was complaining for the twelfth time about women taking too long in bathing, there was finally movement outside.

The emperor withdrew his attention and gently closed the novel.

As soon as Fang raised his head, he saw the door of the warm room was pushed open and a figure walked in.

Empress Liu did not wear a crown, but was still in her Juyi robe.

As she walked gracefully, she was chaste and self-possessed, polite and leisurely. The empress's temperament seemed to be tailor-made for her, truly dignified and prudent.

"I pay my respects to Your Majesty."

Empress Liu bowed and saluted the emperor.

Zhu Yijun did not stand up to return the greeting.

Instead, he stared at the queen and suddenly slammed the book in his hand on the table!
"Queen, your crime has been exposed! Do you know your guilt?"

Empress Liu looked up at the emperor with a hesitant look.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally took action.

She walked to the emperor, knelt down slowly, and said sadly: "Your Majesty, I know my crime. Please punish me."

After saying that, he buried his head.

When Zhu Yijun saw the Queen's reaction, he finally couldn't keep a straight face and failed on the spot.

He quickly grabbed the queen's hand that was undressing him, and explained helplessly: "Queen, this time it's really something serious. It's serious business."

The queen looked up in confusion.

Zhu Yijun quickly helped Empress Liu up.

He considered for a moment, then looked into the queen's eyes and took the initiative to point out: "The Duke of Yansheng's family bribed the queen's family with ten thousand acres of good farmland, and this has been reported to me."

"Does the Queen know about this?"

(End of this chapter)