Wanli Ming Emperor

Chapter 221: Consultation, Trust and Reconciliation

Although there is no greater joy in the boudoir than being a father.

But now Zhu Yijun's proposal to adopt Sanniang as his adopted daughter was purely out of diplomatic considerations - it was even the idea of ​​the old scholars in the Ministry of Rites.

The canonized title of Lady has its own basic rules, and is a rank subordinate to the husband.

In other words, Sanniangzi's title of Madam Zhongshun was based on her rank as King Shunyi.

According to the etiquette and law, a lady of imperial title cannot remarry. If she does, the court will revoke her title.

Now that Altan Khan's death is approaching, according to Mongolian customs and the current situation, Sanniangzi will have to undergo a series of political remarriages.

Since the imperial court wants to support Sanniangzi, it must pardon Sanniangzi and grant her another title, so that she can continue to gain more influence outside the Great Wall under the name of the imperial court.

In response to this, Lord Shen immediately came up with a plan.

Since a wife should obey her husband, then why not just let Sanniang marry the successor, Prince Shunyi? In this way, the court would not have to revoke her imperial edict. The imperial edict of a loyal and obedient lady can be used until her death, and it will also be convenient for the court to balance Sanniang and Prince Shunyi and keep its throne firmly on the throne.

This was the original plan in history.

After hearing this, Zhu Yijun rejected it on the spot.

There is no two suns in the sky, no two masters in a country, and the same goes for the tribes.

Giving orders to both ends will only lead to mistakes. At that time, the right wing, with the King of Shunyi and the Lady Taishang, will fight for power and profit, just like in history, sometimes they will fight and curse each other, sometimes they will run away in anger, and sometimes they will fight for the throne of King Shunyi. After a lot of futile internal consumption, the right wing will be in name only and will eventually become a meal for the Tuman Khan and even the Jurchens.

Zhu Yijun had plans for the Mongolian right wing.

Since the right wing of Mongolia surrendered, there has been mutual trade and the construction of Seoul. From the official to the private sector, the exchanges between the two sides have become increasingly close and the relationship has become increasingly harmonious.

It can be said that this is an excellent window period to solve most of the historical problems left over since the Yuan and Ming dynasties.

After Sanniangzi was summoned to the capital, her path became clear.

One is called settlement, one is called settling down, and one is called education.

Things happened step by step, but no matter how it was done, the court always needed a "surrenderer" to at least nominally unify the three Wanhu on the right wing and personally cooperate with the court's steps.

Relying on the power of the right leader of the Mongols and the support of the Ming court, he absorbed Han and Mongolian populations from abroad, expanded Guihua City, built bridges and roads, and collected taxes.

Until Guihua City was expanded into the capital of a province.

Until the majority of the right-wing tribesmen were settled.

Until the trade between the two countries was open and the exchanges were frequent...

Because of this, the court needs to support Sanniangzi to the greatest extent possible. The title of Madam Zhongshun is far from enough!
The emperor had a high-level view of the general direction and had a full exchange of views with his court officials.

Using Xia to transform Yi is politically correct and a noble and righteous approach that is beneficial and inexpensive.

As a result, a consensus was quickly reached between the emperor and his ministers.

After many days of discussion, Wang Zongyi from the Ministry of Rites made the final decision and proposed this idea which seemed unreliable but turned out to be extremely brilliant upon closer thought - to confer the title of Princess of the Han Dynasty on Sanniang!

The first, of course, is to allow Sanniangzi to obtain an independent title.

After all, the title of Lady Zhongshun was attached to King Shunyi, and there was always a layer of separation in name - don't think that only the Han people value status. If you really compare, the Tatars' complex about blood and origin is even stronger than that.

They have titles of generals and governors, but they are not ordinary people. They don't even have the status of a lord. How can they command the heroes of various tribes?

But if he proclaimed himself king and established a system, he would be afraid of going too far.

After much thought, the princess of the Han family is the most suitable.

The second is the crucial task of tracing one’s ancestry!

Adoptive father and daughter, they are still father and daughter.

Putting aside Li Zhi’s gender rhetoric, women have natural weaknesses in Tatar politics.

The most fatal of these is the issue of succession of offspring.

For example, like Sanniangzi, she fell in love with Cai Kexian at first sight and abducted her to sleep with her, and then she and Wu Dui became like father and daughter and confided their innermost feelings to each other. She was extremely romantic.

When Sanniangzi becomes the uncrowned king of the Mengyou and holds a high position of power, her descendants will inevitably be filled with political scandals.

It's a false accusation. When the rumor spreads, who can guarantee it?
But in Wang Zongyi's opinion, this disadvantage happened to become Sanniangzi's advantage.

If Sanniangzi really controlled the right wing, she would surely become the founder of the clan in the sphere of influence that she inherited.

When the descendants traced their ancestry back to their ancestors, Sanniang naturally became the node of the right-wing ancestral lineage - no matter who she gave birth to, she is our ancestor anyway, which is enough to call herself a noble bloodline!

At that time, Sanniangzi's identity label as a Han princess would be crucial.

The wife of Altan Khan, the daughter of the emperor, Alia Dalai Lama, who was personally consecrated by the Third Dalai Lama, is the Holy Mother who is the reincarnation of Bodhisattva.

It is simply androgynous, the Lord and God in one body, the merging of two clans.

Isn’t this a movable signboard of united front?
As long as it is used well, it will definitely be a good card in solving the Han-Mongolian issue!
After Wang Zongyi's long speech, his colleagues, who had previously thought he was unreliable, remained silent for a long time and finally admitted defeat.

Even though Zhu Yijun was reluctant, he had to grit his teeth and agree.

As a result, there was an embarrassing scene where the young emperor took the initiative to ask the prince's wife to recognize him as his daughter.

Awkward for sure.

The emperor and his ministers in the Ming court had a tacit understanding, but Sanniang was not aware of the twists and turns involved.

After the emperor uttered these words, the atmosphere became silent for several breaths.

Sanniang looked the emperor up and down, and seeing that his face looked younger than her son's, she seemed to want to say something but stopped herself several times.

Zhu Yijun saw that Sanniang had a strange look in her eyes and didn't know what she was thinking about. He felt a sense of empathy.

He coughed lightly and added, "Prince Shunyi is about to die. I am planning to confer a title on Madam Zhongshun."

Don’t worry about whether it’s awkward or not, and don’t ask me what I’m planning.

Just think about it yourself, isn’t it a great benefit? ?

Political organisms have their own safe words.

When Sanniang heard this, her eyes immediately became much clearer.

The confused look changed in the blink of an eye, his brows furrowed subconsciously, and his pace slowed down quietly.

He looked like he was racking his brains with thoughts.

Seeing this, Zhu Yijun simply stood still in the east hall and stopped to watch the soldiers and servants shooting guns at targets.

Everyone was very patient, waiting for Sanniang's reply.

boom!
boom!
"Bian Shiyong, a servant of Qi Jiguang's Shenshu Camp, hit two targets with his gun. He was awarded three taels of silver by the government, a silver plaque, a piece of colored gauze, and one tael of silver. He was also awarded one tael of silver by the army!"

The sound of gunfire during target practice and the announcement of the silver medals all became the background sound of my thoughts.

A long time passed.

The third lady finally responded.

She turned to the emperor and bowed her head to apologize: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but..."

"It's just that I am too old to be a princess to be your Majesty's princess. I would be laughed at, but I am afraid it would damage the reputation of the Celestial Empire."

"I really don't dare to reach such a high level."

Faced with the emperor's enthronement, she was naturally very excited.

The Ming Dynasty dominated the Central Plains for two hundred years without falling, which was witnessed by the people of the grasslands. Its enthronement was more than just an empty title.

It can be said that the Ming Dynasty's enthronement meant controlling the trade between Western Mongolia and Xuanda.

If one controls the distribution of grain, salt, wine, cloth and other items, one will naturally gain the respect and following of all tribes.

Its value is self-evident.

If not for this, several taijis would not be vying for the Ming Dynasty to confer the title of Shunyi King on Altan Khan when he was about to die.

But then again.

The subordinate relationship between vassal kings and foreign officials was not so strict, and it was also common on the grasslands. Dong Huli was also a governor-general appointed by the Ming court, and he still entered the pass to plunder.

Father and daughter are really different.

The pro-Han faction is easier to deal with. At most they will be nicknamed "child leader" and be ridiculed.

She was afraid that the Taijis of the Golden Family would use this to stir up emotions and compete with her for power - today's Guihua City is still under the control of Qia Taiji and Dacheng Biji.

It is difficult to tell what is good and what is bad.

Princess...even an eldest princess of the same generation would be fine?

Therefore, Sanniang used her age as an excuse in all her words and deeds.

In short, no matter how tempting it is, you still have to pay the price.

"Madam Zhongshun, what are you talking about?"

Before the emperor could speak, the Minister of Rites Wang Zongyi could not wait to interrupt: "When Shi Jingtang was 45 years old, he was still able to consider state affairs and acknowledge Liao Taizong Yelu Deguang as his adoptive father."

"Madam Zhongshun is only thirty years old, and can be said to be in the prime of life. How can you easily say that you are old and ruin the plans of the two clans?"

It is impossible for peers to be equals.

This is not just a verbal concession, but also a matter of righteousness and etiquette. In the Ministry of Rites's conception, the status of superiors and subordinates is crucial.

Song and Liao could call each other brothers because their national strength was equal. Sanniang is now at best a masked version of Shi Jingtang. She cannot be the eldest princess and can only be a good daughter.

The third lady pursed her lips, obviously still concerned about this.

She was about to speak to explain.

Zhu Yijun suddenly frowned: "I am thinking about Madam Zhongshun wholeheartedly, but Madam Zhongshun is making excuses."

"I just don't understand. The matter of conferring a title on a princess will benefit the friendship between the two tribes and the trade between the merchants. Why is Madam unwilling?"

"Is it possible that Madam is already at the peak of her career among the thirty thousand households in the Right Wing and does not need my canonization?"

"Or is it that since I am less than sixty years old, being my daughter would be an insult to you, the great lord?"

The emperor threw away his previous politeness and started to point fingers and look at him coldly, as if he was facing a new comer who was refusing to give him face when he was urged to drink.

He is acting like a hooligan.

A weak country has no diplomacy, and the same is true for vassal tribes.

It's not like she's facing the Altan Khan who commanded 60,000 cavalrymen back then. Sanniang's power is not yet at that level.

Even if we take a step back and say that it is Sanniang who has requests to the court, how can we ensure everything goes as she wishes and perfectly?

In history, Sanniangzi competed for power with Xin Ai and Huang Taiji, and even led her people to flee far away. But in the end, she still endured the humiliation and married her own sixty-year-old son.
Recognizing a younger father is no more disadvantageous than marrying an older son.

Whether from the perspective of personal interests or the overall interests of the tribe, it is a win-win situation. Zhu Yijun knows where Sanniangzi's psychological bottom line is.

He simply stated clearly that this was the price and there was no bargaining!
The emperor was furious, so naturally there was quite a stir.

The sound of gunfire during target practice and the call for silver awards suddenly disappeared, and the entire East Official Hall fell silent.

All that was left was the sporadic sounds of fiddling with the gun barrel and loading gunpowder.

Countless eyes gathered together.

The third lady fell silent again.

Having been in power for many years, she was naturally not frightened by the emperor's attitude. In essence, both sides were still bargaining.

However, the Ming court's attitude towards recognizing her as a daughter was much firmer than she expected.

However, just because this matter is out of the question doesn't mean that other aspects cannot be bargained...

The third lady took a deep breath and looked up at the emperor: "Your Majesty, this minister and Prince Shunyi are pregnant with three sons."

Her eyes were sharp and she spoke frankly, and she had obviously revealed her bottom line.

Princess is not a hereditary title, so the Ming court must help her transfer power to her own son.

Zhu Yijun looked at Sanniang deeply.

Sanniangzi was determined to support her son to succeed the Tumed tribe and submitted memorials to the emperor repeatedly. Everyone in the Ming court knew about this.

This was an open and covert struggle between Sanniangzi and Altan Khan's direct lineage.

As for why they turned to the Ming court for help at this time?
In history, Sanniangzi wanted to support her grandson, and then Sanwulu Baduer Taiji gathered more than 70 lords of the Golden Family and used military persuasion to force Sanniangzi to hand over the royal seal to the grandson of Altan Khan's grandson.

Sanniang can't do this kind of thing on her own.

However, this was exactly what Zhu Yijun wanted - if he wanted Sanniang to be the ancestor, he naturally had to lift up her own sons.

The emperor clapped his hands and nodded: "First, appoint him as the general of the state. When the situation is ready, the position of the King of Shunyi can be decided by Madam."

After hearing this, Sanniang's expression finally relaxed.

She paused, took three steps back, and bowed, "This is a serious matter. I dare to ask Your Majesty to allow me to think carefully for a few days."

This gesture clearly showed that he had agreed.

The so-called careful consideration naturally means that the matter is of great importance and extremely complicated, and he still has to go back to prepare the formalities and documents - he can't just kneel down on the spot and call him godfather, which is such a trivial thing.

Zhu Yijun laughed, stepped forward and held Sanniang's hand: "This is natural, this is natural."

Both of them smiled, and the various sounds in the hall became noisy again, and the atmosphere became lively again.

Zhu Yijun grabbed Sanniang's hand and helped her up: "Whether Madam agrees or not, the tribute to the capital is indispensable."

"In addition to the cement road from Guihua City to Datong that I just promised to build, I will also give Madam a city. How about that?"

After saying this, he realized that he had subconsciously shaken hands and chatted happily, forgetting the difference between men and women, and quickly let go.

The third lady had no time to savor the skin contact with the emperor. She only keenly grasped the key words: "City!?"

Seeing that the emperor was still wiping his hands in embarrassment, Shen Shixing stepped forward and continued, "Yes, the virtuous couple built a Hancheng to show that the two tribes had made peace."

"As the saying goes, it is impolite not to reciprocate. Since the construction of Guihua City, many Han and Mongolian people have joined us. In just a few years, we have gathered hundreds of thousands of people."

"The trade between the two sides is booming now, and Guihua City is too small to accommodate Madam Zhongshun."

"Therefore, Your Majesty intends to give some materials and build another city as a gift to Madam."

The third lady frowned, and after a moment's deliberation, she asked, "Are we going to keep troops stationed there?"

She looked at Wang Chonggu.

Wang Chonggu saw this and immediately shook his head and said, "There is no such condition."

Of course, that’s not the case now.

After the road is repaired, if someone plots rebellion, it is not certain what will happen - after all, things will be repeated several times after the death of Sanniang.

Wang Zongyi added: "At most, we can send students to set up schools and teach language and writing."

The third lady suddenly understood.

If she had not figured out the Ming court's plan after hearing this, she would be unworthy of being the leader of the clan.

"I'm sure Madam Zhongshun has also seen my painstaking efforts."

Hearing the voice, Sanniang turned her head and met the emperor's gaze.

The emperor looked earnest and spoke sincerely: "Since Altan Khan paid tribute and opened up trade, the Mongolian tribes have stopped their previous life of looting."

"I dare not boast about how rich we are, but at least we have enough food to eat and clothes to wear. After we settled in Guihua City, the number of mummies frozen on the roadside in winter has decreased by half."

Zhu Yijun sighed, stretched out his hand and motioned for Sanniang to walk while talking.

"Since you have submitted, the three tribes of the Mengyou are all my subjects."

"It is better to buy than to rob, and it is better to make than to buy. I also hope that the Mongolian people can no longer be displaced, and the world can be their home. At least they can have blue brick and tile houses to shelter from the wind and rain, and live a peaceful life."

"Whether it's building roads or expanding the city, it's all for the livelihood of the people of Mengyou, to facilitate trade between the two ethnic groups, and to accelerate the urbanization process of Mengyou..."

The emperor continued his long speech.

The third lady followed quietly behind him, listening attentively with a very complicated expression.

Of course, she could tell there was a mixture of truth and falsehood in his words - half of him was afraid of being plundered by the Mongols, and half of him was still thinking of using the Xia to transform the Yi people.

However, compared to the Ming court's confusing plan, she felt a lot more relaxed after it was all said.

Putting aside the Golden Family's ambition to restore Genghis Khan's glory, the picture painted by the emperor was not a bad one.

Mutual trade is indeed easier than looting, and cities and palaces are indeed more comfortable to sleep in than tents.

Isn't it her hope that the people of Mengyou can live like the Han people?
Even Genghis Khan thought so, right? Otherwise, how could he enter the Central Plains and choose the capital city right under his feet to set up his headquarters?

There was no conflict between her demands and the Ming court's plans.

The only downside is that there's a rope around your neck and you're under the control of others.

Ugh.

Or as the Japanese say, this is called being tied to one's hometown.

The third lady already had a preference in her heart, but she was still hesitant: "Your Majesty, my people raise cattle and horses and live near water. Even if we expand the city, not many people will be able to live there in peace and stability."

Zhu Yijun turned his head.

To put it simply, Guihua City itself doesn't have any industries, and its current size is still self-sufficient. If it expands further, no one will be able to live there even if houses are given away.

Sanniangzi was an experienced leader and naturally would not ignore the source of food.

If you rely solely on business, you would be suspected of treating people as fools.

In this regard, Zhu Yijun was well aware of the path that the Qing Dynasty had taken on the Mongolian issue, and was naturally prepared.

He held up two fingers: "First, building pastures to keep the grasslands growing is the duty of the grassland co-lord."

"Second, I will send craftsmen to build water conservancy projects for you to divert water from the Black River and the Great Black River to irrigate the soil."

"Third, I have cultivated a lot of good seeds over the years, including millet, wheat, vegetables, and a new crop called potatoes. I will send the seeds and people to Madam."

Zhu Yijun did not boast about the specific yield of potatoes per mu, because he himself was not sure - although the yield of the crop planted in the imperial farm this winter was as high as more than 500 kilograms per mu, the water and soil are different after all, and the yield cannot be applied mechanically.

The third lady didn't care about the potato or not, she just frowned and said hesitantly: "Your Majesty, are you saying... that you want the foreign ministers to control Fengzhou Beach!?"

There are not many places outside the Great Wall where people can farm, and there are even fewer in Mengyou.

Zhu Yijun looked at Sanniang strangely and said, "What else?"

Fengzhou Beach has a temperate continental climate and is covered with black calcium soil, which is very fertile.

According to estimates by the Han people gathered by Zhao Quan at that time, at least 200,000 acres of arable land had been reclaimed.

Isn't such a large and fertile land perfect for Mengyou to settle down?
The third lady fell into deep thought, and after a moment she slowly spoke: "Your Majesty, Fengzhou Beach is now controlled by more than one unit."

"Xin Ai Huang Taiji has troops stationed here, Qia Taiji owns thousands of arable lands, and Chelike, Dacheng Biji and others are fine, even the Qingbaduer tribes also control some of the fields in Fengzhou Beach."

"In addition, the Han people, Jurchens, Oirat people, Buddhists, and White Lotus Sect all rely on Fengzhou Beach for food, and the various forces are entangled in confusion."

"I'm afraid...it's not going to be easy."

The emperor gave her people, provided her with technology, and built water conservancy projects. Naturally, she had no reason to refuse. She really felt that this was a difficult matter.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun smiled without commenting.

He looked at the Third Lady and said seriously, "This is Madam Zhongshun's own business."

"It's nothing more than conquering them all and redistributing the land among them. Only when you have done that can you be considered the common leader of all tribes."

Zhu Yijun's confidence is much stronger than Sanniang herself.

After all, Sanniangzi did it in history.

She hacked Qiataiji to death, snatched Dachengbiji as her daughter-in-law, made Qingbaduer her subordinate, and the White Lotus Sect was nothing more than a bunch of chickens and clay dogs that were crushed in one blow. She also took control of Fengzhou Beach and her achievements were impressive.

There is no reason why she would fail after the court increased the stakes.

Zhu Yijun reached out and patted Sanniang's shoulder: "I will provide Madam with a batch of firearms later."

Having said that, it is clear what both parties are thinking.

The Third Lady did not say anything this time. She just pursed her lips and bowed: "I will live up to your majesty's high expectations. The two tribes will make peace in this day and age."

After hearing these nice words, all the kings and ministers looked at each other and laughed heartily.

Zhu Yijun gave Sanniang a light push, indicating for her to stand up.

As he was about to go to the East Palace to review the archery, he suddenly remembered something and added to Sanniangzi, "Oh, by the way, it's okay for the artisans and farmers, but we should not tolerate the armed Han people of the White Lotus Sect. Several leaders will be counted according to their military merits, and I will give Madam an additional reward."

He still remembered that the White Lotus Sect was jumping around and conspiring with others to assassinate him, so he just crushed them to death.

However, in order to prevent people from taking credit for killing innocent people, Zhu Yijun was very stingy in giving rewards to the leaders.

The Third Lady said nothing and didn't even make any extra gestures in response to such a small matter.

She hurriedly followed: "I dare to ask Your Majesty to name the new city!"

Zhu Yijun said without even turning his head: "There is no good place to choose. We can just choose the foot of Daqing Mountain a few miles away from Guihua City. We can support each other and merge into a big city in the future."

"As for the naming, the previous naturalized city was named in Chinese, and the new city was named in Mongolian to show that the repair was good."

He paused, then suddenly clapped his hands and laughed: "Let's call it the Blue City, translated as Hohhot!"

(End of this chapter)