Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 373: The external allies and the new chapter within

Lindan Batur is feeling very strange now.

He should hate the Han emperor in front of him.

However, looking at his free and easy and heroic appearance, he seemed to be a lively and approachable big brother.

For Zhu Changluo, the mentality of a winner, when he set foot on the autumn grassland, his mood was very different from when he was in the Forbidden City.

So there was another night of singing by the campfire:
[Wild geese, in the sky, line up in pairs...]

Since it was a ceremony, there was a music group accompanying it, but they didn't know how to play.

Even Yuan Keli and others could not help but stare in amazement at the emperor who was indulging himself in pleasure.

[The sky is vast, where are the geese going? My heart is in my hometown in the north...]

This is a song Zhu Changluo is familiar with, and at this moment the memories buried deep in his heart burst out.

In that now distant world, whenever there was any activity in the circle he was in, the most commonly sung songs were naturally these kind of old songs.

But there is a reason why old songs remain popular.

Now he had come to the grassland, using his imperial dignity to subdue all the tribes. It was unclear whether this song he sang after drinking was for himself or for them.

[Wild geese return north...]

In the hall, Ulanala Bushunda blinked his eyes, listening to the singing coming from afar in surprise.

She looked at the two nobles who came here with the emperor, and saw that they also had expressions of surprise on their faces.

Fan Sirong and Li Siqin had indeed never seen this side of the emperor.

Zhu Youjian watched his father stand up with his arms open, one hand holding a wine jug and the other hand pointing towards the night sky.

[Wild geese, look up to the sky, how far away the sky is...]

Zhu Changluo walked up to Lindan Batur, Buyanggu and others with a smile on his face:

[Drink up the wine, refill it, I won’t leave until I’m drunk tonight…]

Who could refuse?

Zhu Changluo led them to sing and drink.

This meeting really seemed like a party.

There is no doubt that this is a good song, which made the leaders of various tribes coming from the grassland feel confused.

Lindan Batur stared at Zhu Changluo, who was singing and drinking, and suddenly felt that he understood the grassland...

The civil officials of the Ming Dynasty witnessed the emperor's unrestrained behavior, but tonight, this scene seemed worthy of being recorded in the history books.

"Grand Master, do you know the origin of this song?" someone suddenly asked Fang Congzhe.

"…There is indeed a poem about wild geese in the Xiaoya: The wild geese are flying, their feathers are rustling. The young ones are on the march, working hard in the wild…"

Fang Congzhe chanted two lines, then shook his head: "It seems like I was born from it. I'm ashamed to say that I don't know where it came from. But..."

He carefully recalled the words the emperor had sung: "Your Majesty has always been innovative in his studies. The rhythm and style of this song should be new."

Of course it is a new chapter. The musicians in the music group brought by the Ministry of Rites are very clear about it.

They are also professionals. After listening to it once or twice, some of them can play it roughly.

The atmosphere became even more heated.

[Drink up the wine, refill it, tonight~ I won’t get drunk~...]

After all, Lindan Batur was a young man under 20 years old. Seeing Zhu Changluo smiling and inviting him to sing and pouring wine for him, his heart was filled with emotions and he finally stood up and imitated him to sing and drink.

“Hahahaha!” Zhu Changluo took a sip and shouted, “What a delight! What a delight!”

"Eternal Heavenly Khan! Eternal Heavenly Khan! Eternal Heavenly Khan!"

Yuan Keli looked at Boshoketu in Ordos and seemed extremely emotional, wiping away tears and shouting.

As for the dignitaries of the three Haixi Jurchen tribes, such as Bohabu, who had been "wandering" in recent years, they were all moved.

Today started out scary, but it felt more and more different.

During the day, the first match of the day was mainly about archery.

Stationary targets, thrown targets, single targets, groups of people, horseback archery...

Ultimately, there were nine awards.

Among the golden rings, four came from the Ming Dynasty, Chahar and Khorchin each won two, and Tumed, Ordos and Lingnan Jurchen each won one.

And tomorrow will be a day of racing and running.

This strength competition mainly involves lifting and throwing, and there are many running events.

For them, it was first a novel viewing experience, and then they naturally fell into the mood of hoping that their own guys would come out on top.

When they went together to present the awards, the excitement and loyalty in the eyes of the warriors who received the awards also touched their hearts.

So at night, the mood is relaxed and special.

Such a grand event really makes people want to come again. I believe that soon, its grandeur will spread throughout the grassland.

Late at night, no matter how much singing and drinking you do, you still have to return home.

Zhu Changluo had someone bring a chair and sat on the wooden platform in front of the hall, looking at the starry sky.

He was still drunk, and Yuan Keli, Fang Congzhe, Li Ruhua, Li Sancai, Zhang Sixiu, as well as Yu Zigao, Dayun, Duke Dingguo and other meritorious officials were still by his side.

"Today I finally understand the magic of this grand competition." Li Sancai started to flatter him, "Your Majesty's magnanimity is so impressive that it makes the enemy chieftain feel impressed. By using competitions instead of fighting, the warriors of the Ming Dynasty can also come out on top. If such grand competitions are held a few more times, the strength and culture of the Ming Dynasty will be known to the world!"

Zhu Changluo did not look at him, but continued to look at the sky, saying: "It is not the chieftain of the barbarians, but the princes of the vassal states."

Li Sancai's expression froze slightly, and several people looked at him.

"In terms of cultural prosperity, the tribes in the northern border can hardly compare with China. But in terms of physical strength and martial arts, they can compete with each other." Zhu Changluo glanced at him and said, "I have worked hard to make the tribes hope to be able to surpass the Ming Dynasty in this regard. The dignitaries of each tribe will work hard to train warriors for next year. What the Ming Dynasty needs is to set a stage for them so that the tribes in the northern border can get used to following the rules set by the Ming Dynasty."

"Words, measurements..." Fang Congzhe understood. "I saw that in today's competition, the rules were explained and the winners and losers were determined using Chinese characters and Ming Dynasty rules."

"That's right." Zhu Changluo nodded. "You have to understand the profound meanings. The Ming Dynasty is not only prosperous and stable, but also attractive. These are very important to the people of all ethnic groups. The song I sang tonight is not an ancient song, so that it is not too highbrow. Instead, I hope it can be sung on the grassland. For the dignitaries of various tribes, if they can feel that it will be safe and happy to submit to the Ming Dynasty in the future, some plans will be easier. For the people of various tribes, if they can feel that there is no distinction between the inside and the outside of the Great Wall, and the seven emotions and six desires of the Han people and the foreign people are also connected, then they will agree more."

After saying that, he waved his hand and said, "Alright, you can think about these slowly. As you can see, I drank a lot tonight. Let me watch the stars and rest for a while before going to bed. Go ahead."

So all the ministers bid farewell. Zhu Changluo glanced at Li Sancai who was walking alone, and didn't care about his current mood.

His biggest problem was that he had no real lofty ambitions. He had talent, of course. He had selfish desires, which he wanted to satisfy. He wanted power, but he still couldn't let Zhu Changluo feel that he was changing his mindset.

So what even if you have many friends recommending you because of your smooth way of dealing with people?
There are always people with sharper eyes who can see through him and know that it is not a good thing for him to occupy a truly prominent position in the country.

At the moment, what Zhu Changluo wants is pragmatic and loyal ministers.

Fang Congzhe is good. He was able to point out that Zhu Changluo also wanted to promote soft power such as writing and measurement standards through this competition, which shows that he has been able to habitually think around his duties as the Ministry of Rites.

The Ministry of Rites in the future will certainly be very different from the Ministry of Rites in the past. The functions of the Lifanyuan, the Ministry of Culture and Education, and the Ministry of Rites will definitely be split by Zhu Changluo.

The biggest difference is that the part responsible for ceremonies can be handed over to a special secondary department.

In the past, the emperor's legal authority was maintained by the Ministry of Rites, which combined the ancient sacrificial traditions and later the interpretation of scriptures and the imperial examinations. Various systems created a solemn sense of being appointed by heaven, and the selection of talents consolidated the ruling framework of the dynasty. Now Zhu Changluo was ready to weaken the status of the sacrificial function, which meant that his thinking was more pragmatic.

His power comes from the obedience and support of his subordinates, and his legal authority naturally comes from the support of the people.

Specifically in Tongliao, it is about the people's support among neighboring tribes, including the powerful among them.

"Your Majesty, it's late at night and the weather is cold..."

"It's Concubine Shu... Cover me with a blanket. I will sit for a while."

In fact, there was a brazier there, so it wasn't that cold. It was just that he had just drunk some wine, so while his body was radiating heat, he was also more susceptible to cold air intrusion.

There were no foreign officials in the hall, so Fan Sirong came over to accompany him.

Then Li Siqin came, and Ulanara Bushunda and the "palace maids" presented by other tribes were preparing to serve the emperor before he went to bed.

Liu Ruoyu brought some hot tea and placed it on the table beside him. He then looked at the sky along Zhu Changluo's line of sight and asked, "Your Majesty, is there anything unusual about the stars?"

"It's very beautiful, isn't it?" He shook his head but asked with a smile.

The starry sky above the grassland really has a special feeling.

Liu Ruoyu, Fan Sirong and others all felt that the emperor's mood was very different today. Fan Sirong thought for a moment and brought the topic back to the previous one: "I have served Your Majesty for so many years, but this is the first time I have heard Your Majesty sing..."

"I'm in the mood." Zhu Changluo smiled. "When I first ascended the throne, state affairs were complicated and I was always worried. How could I have so much interest in playing? Now that the northern border has been stabilized, I feel that I have achieved something. I think things will go smoothly in the future."

"Your Majesty's diligence is something I have never seen before, even after searching through all the history books. And your wisdom, intelligence, and achievements are even more extraordinary..."

"Come on, how old are you, and you dare to say that you have read all the history books?" Zhu Changluo interrupted Liu Ruoyu, "Although I also like to hear nice things, I know it in my heart. I am happy today, but I am happy that I have the conditions to start doing more things I want to do in the future. Achievements... this is just the beginning. I am looking at the stars and thinking about the sea."

Liu Ruoyu was stunned for a moment.

"First, let's get rid of the worries behind us, and then we can straighten ourselves out and move forward!" As soon as he stood up, Fan Sirong came over to help him. "Okay, stop accompanying me to enjoy the cool breeze, and go inside."

Li Siqin also came closer. Zhu Changluo didn't care whether he could walk in a straight line or not, but it was comfortable to be squeezed by the soft and fragrant body on both sides.

He was indeed thinking about Begonia just now.

The enemy in the north is indeed bitterly cold, and there is not much output for the time being, but we still have to find a way to draw this map.

What can motivate the people of Ming Dynasty to explore more is, of course, the sea that can bring more benefits in the coming great era.

The premise is just as he said, when you focus on the sea, your inside and your back, don't worry about so many hidden dangers.

So now Zhu Changluo sincerely makes friends with the powerful leaders of various ethnic groups in the northern border, makes them familiar with his temperament, and tries to establish friendships from the heart.

Of course, other ties cannot be broken.

For example, the various tribes hoped for marriage alliances and border trade.

The Ming Dynasty would not send a daughter, but Zhu Changluo could accept her.

If he can't use it, there are others, such as the princes of the royal family who will be granted new borders, and the meritorious officials and brave generals who have made great contributions.

The Zongming and Changming were discussing new orders with various departments, while Zhu Changluo and the princes of various departments continued to watch the race, gamble, sing and drink. The day before the Wanshou Festival, the last day of the competition was the most spectacular horse racing.

After all, there are no big-screen live broadcasts yet, and since they are so far away, most people can only see the bigger horses clearly.

The final result of the match is not important, because the most important thing is tomorrow's Wanshou Saint Festival, which is also the day when the Ming Dynasty will formally sign an alliance with them and enthrone the kings and dukes.

After so many days of mutual contact, rewards were awarded at the daily competitions. This day's ceremony was purely ceremonial in nature, so envoys from various departments naturally had to participate.

The general matters had already been discussed, including their titles.

Therefore, at the Tongliao League, Zhu Changluo accepted the title of Khan from Changshengtian Khan at the request of the princes and nobles of various tribes, thus becoming the common leader of all the tribes in a symbolic sense.

Afterwards, the titles, corresponding robes and seals were conferred on the kings and dukes in turn, and the new initiative of the Khan of Eternal Heaven regarding peace and stability inside and outside the Great Wall was announced in the form of an imperial edict.

The Korean envoys among the various envoys were just watching the ceremony. Korea was different and did not participate in this alliance.

But on this day, the latest news from North Korea arrived by express.

"Report! Duke Fuguo has come from Korea to congratulate His Majesty on his birthday. The officers and soldiers have been marching day and night, fighting bravely to be the first. The officers and soldiers have recovered the six northeastern towns of Hamgyong Province in Korea. The remnants of Jianzhou have no land route to escape to the north!"

"it is good!"

Liu Jing's people could not come, but he led a large army to Korea from the east after making achievements in the Hetuala area this spring. On the one hand, he hunted down the people and troops of Jianzhou who had retreated eastward, and on the other hand, he went to Korea from the Tongmun River to seize another "base" of theirs.

Zhu Changluo believed what he said about working day and night and striving to be the first was true, after all, he knew that it could be used as a gift at the Tongliao League on the Emperor's Birthday.

From an ordinary general to the distinguished Duke today, and with the top trust of being the permanent governor of Liaodong, for Liu Jing, Zhu Changluo gave him nothing but favors.

The victory was won, and the morale was high. The generals were brave and the soldiers were strong, so how could there be any accidents in Hamgyong Province, which was just captured by Jianzhou?
The princes and nobles of various tribes who had recently received the seal and appointment from the Ming Dynasty were also not surprised by this. It was natural for them to congratulate the Khan of Eternal Heaven.

Here in Tongliao, various countries are coming to congratulate each other, but in the provinces deep inside the Ming Dynasty, many people are worried about gains and losses tonight.

On the ninth day of the eighth month, there was the first session of the provincial examination; on the twelfth day, there was the second session; and on the fifteenth day, there was the third session.

Tomorrow will be the second session of the provincial examination. The first session will still test basic skills as before, but now in addition to continuing to test edicts, judgments, memorials, imperial edicts and other official documents, the argumentative essays in the second session are very different. They basically judge some practical gains and losses based on the system of the theory of knowing through investigation of things, and test the thinking of the students.

Therefore, many students who took the provincial examinations were worried about gains and losses.

In Taiyuan, Shanxi, sixteen-year-old Sun Chuanting took part in the provincial examination for the second time.

His family had been able to pass the imperial examination for four generations, but no one had ever become a Jinshi. Sun Chuanting, who had won the boy's exam at the age of thirteen three years ago and became a student, was naturally highly regarded by his grandfather, who was now the county magistrate.

Sun Chuanting had already decided that if he failed to pass the imperial examination this year, he would go directly to take the examination for the Middle School of the Imperial College.

The reason why he had to take the provincial examination again was, firstly, because he was still young, and secondly, since his grandfather had sent him the Treatise on the Investigation of Things and the Extension of Knowledge, he felt that it was very suitable for his temperament and he had a lot of insights into studying it.

That night, in a poor peasant family in Mizhi County, Yan'an Prefecture, Shaanxi Province, the head of the family, a man named Li, looked at his three-year-old child who was sleeping soundly and said to his wife, "Let's go to Liaodong! It's better to herd sheep for Prince Su than to herd sheep for Ai Ba Pi. The way Lao Luo found should be a good one."

"I'll listen to you..."

"Yellow boy, that man in yellow must be the emperor. Now the court advises us to go to the frontier, and I will find a good life for you in Liaodong!"

When the child was born, he dreamed of a man in yellow clothes walking into an earthen kiln, so he was nicknamed Huangwaer.

As for his name, the scholar who hired him to herd sheep helped him choose it as Hongji.

But although Li Hongji's father was grateful to Mr. Ai for helping him choose a name, he felt that there was no future for him to continue herding sheep, and that guy was really exploiting him too much. Now all the nine borders were registered as civilians, and Ai Ba Pi was trying every means to make his father feel confused about the future.

It just so happened that the Prince of Su was previously enthroned in Lanzhou. Although it was far from here, it had a good reputation. Some people from there were also preparing to go to Liaodong to join the Prince of Su who was about to be enthroned in Jianzhou.

Li Hongji's father decided to go along.

Three-year-old Li Hongji didn't know that he would leave his familiar hometown in the future.

As for whether he will change his name to Li Zicheng in the future, who knows?

That night, although it was still August, a young man had already set out from Pingnan, Guangxi.

He was also taking an exam, but it was next year's imperial examination.

In the seventh year of Taichang, the imperial examination system was greatly changed, and he, who had just passed the examination the previous year, was unable to adapt.

And this time, he devoted himself to study for another three years.

He was twenty-six years old and his name was Yuan Chonghuan.

(End of this chapter)