Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 200 The Nineteenth Year of Hongwu

On December 25, the eighteenth year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang went to the Yongle court as usual.

It was previously scheduled for the 28th.

However, at the end of the year, Mr. Zhu was too busy, so he could only schedule it for this day.

The reason why he is busy is because he has to rush around.

Originally there were only the Yongle Dynasty and the Hongwu Dynasty. He could first go to the Yongle Dynasty to attend the New Year's celebration and then return to the Hongwu Dynasty.

Now the Yongle Dynasty of Zhu Di has begun, and there is also the Hongxi Dynasty of Zhu Gaochi, the Xuande Dynasty of Zhu Zhanji, and the Zhengtong Dynasty of Zhu Qizhen. Don't you have to travel around?
Let's take a look at what is happening in the dynasties now. Just take the Zhengtong dynasty as an example. After Zhu Qizhen was deposed, it was the young Zhu Zhanji of the Hongxi dynasty who acted as the acting emperor.

At least he had to keep the situation under control for the Crown Prince, attend important occasions, and talk to the future Emperor Chenghua Zhu Jianshen about how to govern the country?

Therefore, under this circumstance, Zhu Yuanzhang was very busy. On the 25th, he went to the Yongle Dynasty of Zhu Di to receive the homage of officials. On the 26th, he went to the Hongxi Dynasty. On the 27th, he went to the Xuande Dynasty. On the 28th, he went to the Zhengtong Dynasty.

Old Zhu was almost becoming the guardian deity of these dynasties. Every time he went there, it was like a tsunami.

This is because in addition to calming down political struggles and reforming the dynasty's ills, he also brought various excellent seeds and new technologies.

For example, the new fertilizer composting technology has a real impact on increasing grain production and strengthening the national strength.

In addition to Zhu's own power, the benefits it brought were also extremely good, especially the Yongle Dynasty of Zhu Di, which took advantage of the Hongwu Dynasty and was close to taking off, and began to develop towards the Industrial Revolution.

He didn't return until the evening of the 28th, dragging his tired body. He had a short rest on the 29th, and had to host their Hongwu Dynasty's own New Year's celebration on the 30th.

This year's New Year was the same as in previous years. He received congratulations from all the officials in the Fengtian Hall, received gifts from all the officials, and gave gifts in return. He also received envoys from all directions, and then went to the Taimiao to offer sacrifices. Finally, he gave a banquet to all the officials. The whole ceremony ended in the afternoon.

It was not until the evening of New Year’s Eve that Lao Zhu was finally able to have a New Year’s Eve dinner with his family.

In previous years, he would invite close ministers to share the dinner to show his favor. For example, in the past few years, he always invited Li Wenzhong to come, and occasionally he would invite Li Shanchang.

If Xu Da were here this year, he would definitely call him.

But now Li Wenzhong is wandering around in the late Ming Dynasty with young Zhu Di. Xu Da did come back on New Year's Eve, but he has been away from home all year round and has rarely reunited with his family. It would be nice for him to have a reunion dinner with his family on New Year's Day.

As for Li Shanchang's words.

Zhu Yuanzhang had hesitated before whether to find an opportunity to kill him, but later Empress Ma persuaded him to give up the idea because Li Shanchang was no longer a threat and there was no need to start a war.

But no matter what, because of the Hu Weiyong incident, there was still a grudge against Li Shanchang, so he basically let him retire and return home, which was considered as withdrawing from the top core power circle of the Ming Dynasty.

So this year no outside ministers were invited. It was just Zhu himself, Empress Ma, Zhu Biao, Zhu Yunfeng, and Ji He.

The rest of the concubines and the princes who did not get married ate in a side hall.

The main hall at the rear of the Palace of Heavenly Purity was brightly lit, with many artistic lights lit up around it.

There are even light bulbs hanging on the dragon pillars. The warm orange tones fill the whole house with a golden atmosphere, which is in line with the royal characteristics.

The New Year’s Eve dinner is still Hunan cuisine.

no way.

Firstly, it was the early years of Hongwu, and the eight major cuisines had not yet taken shape. It took the Ming and Qing dynasties, and was not perfected until the end of the Qing Dynasty.

Secondly, there was a shortage of supplies in the early Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Yuanzhang could only cope with it by eating boiled cabbage and boiled tofu. It was naturally impossible for him to eat big fish and meat every day.

After Zhu Yunfeng and his group came, since Zhu Yunfeng and Ji He only knew how to cook Hunan cuisine, Empress Zhu and Ma, Zhu Biao, and Zhu Di ate along with them, and gradually they got used to the taste.

However, the New Year’s Eve dinner of Hunan cuisine is not all about chili peppers, or even just a little bit.

There is everything from pork elbows, stewed chicken, beef, snowflake meatballs, lamb, and fish. The royal dishes are more luxurious, and there are also abalone, sea cucumber, bird's nest, shark fin, matsutake, bear paw, deer tendon, and camel hump.

There were more than a dozen dishes, and the only vegetable was boiled cabbage, which was cooked with broth from various ingredients. It could be called a state banquet.

"We have done well this year. I have read the data submitted by the Statistics Bureau and it is very good."

Old Zhu opened a bottle of Maotai, poured a small cup for himself and Zhu Biao, and then said: "Biao'er, you have grown up, I am relieved to leave the country to you."

Zhu Biao put down the chopsticks in his hand, held the cup in one hand and supported it with the other, and said with a smile: "It is also because father trusts his son. Since ancient times, the royal family has been ruthless, especially the position of the crown prince is not easy to sit on. There are countless suspicions between fathers and sons. Fusu, the eldest son of Qin Shihuang, Liu Ying, the eldest son of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Ju, the crown prince of Han Wu, Yang Yong, the crown prince of Sui Wen, and Li Chengqian, the crown prince of Emperor Taizong of Tang, all had bad endings. I also have the support of my father, so feel free to let me do it, otherwise I wouldn't be here today."

"That's true. Compared to the sons of those great emperors, our great ancestor is much stronger than them."

Zhu Yunfeng's political wisdom had increased a lot now. He immediately understood what Zhu Biao meant and immediately said, "Not only does he trust his son wholeheartedly, but he can also provide all the resources. You can leave it to Grandpa Taibo to do it without any worries. In this respect, he is ten times or even a hundred times better than those emperors who are suspicious of the crown prince."

"Hahahahahaha."

Old Zhu was really pleased with the flattery and laughed happily, "That's because I know very well that my son should inherit the throne, and my son is not bad either."

Then he turned his head and said to Queen Ma, "Queen, our sons are not bad, are they? Not to mention the eldest, the fourth and fifth are also outstanding. Even the second and third are just a little corrupt, but their abilities are still beyond doubt."

"You are just boasting."

Queen Ma rolled her eyes at him, but she didn't slow down and picked up a chicken leg and put it in the bowl for Zhu.

"The chicken thighs that the girl picked for me are still the most delicious."

Old Zhu was overjoyed.

Seeing that he was happy, Zhu Biao, Zhu Yunfeng, Ji He and others also smiled.

After all, Zhu Biao wanted to continue to hold power. Although he could rely on Empress Ma and Zhu Yunfeng to continue to support him, the best way was still to coax them.

Saying this now undoubtedly proves that Zhu Yuanzhang was much better than other emperors who were also top-notch rulers in treating their descendants.

If we compare them in this way, isn't he a step ahead of Qin Shihuang, Emperor Wu of Han, and Emperor Taizong of Tang?

This man’s damn desire to win.

"Well, I'm at ease leaving the Ming Dynasty to you. If it doesn't work out, we'll just abdicate."

Old Zhu took a sip of wine and said to Queen Ma, "Let's go and be the retired emperor and the queen mother, so that Biao'er won't do things that are not justified."

"Just let it be."

Empress Ma smiled and said, "Besides, it doesn't matter whether he abdicates or not. When Biao'er becomes the emperor, he feels that he has to shoulder the great responsibility of the world. He has to be on edge all the time. If he encounters something, he dare not come to you as a father to discuss it, fearing that you will think that he has not done a good job and disappoint you. Wouldn't you be depressed then? My husband and I have worked hard for half of our lives. We came from a poor family, so it's okay to be tired. It's better to stand behind the child and hand over the power to him, so that he can do it boldly. Even if he makes a mistake, with us here, it won't go wrong. If you really want to abdicate, you can make the decision yourself. Anyway, I think you should help the child for a few more years before talking about it."

"Oh"

After hearing what Queen Ma said, Old Zhu blinked his eyes, held the chopsticks in his right hand, patted his knees with his left hand, and nodded as if he understood something: "That's right."

Zhu Biao actually just turned 30 this year, and his actual age is even one year younger than Zhu Yunfeng.

Since Zhu Yuanzhang delegated power to him in the 13th year of Hongwu, he had been the crown prince in name only but emperor in reality for five years, and had accumulated rich political experience.

But political experience is experience, and the position of emperor requires a sense of responsibility.

Being a tyrant is easy.

Just eat and drink every day, and don't worry about anything, just wait for the world to fall into chaos and the dynasty to fall. But if you want to be a wise ruler, it's not easy.

For example, Li Shimin, Zhu Yuanzhang and others, all of them were diligent and energetic.

Not only does one need a strong political mind, but one also needs extraordinary talent.

If you are not careful, you may die from excessive fatigue.

To say something that cannot be verified, did Zhu Biao really die from a cold in history?
The cold was just the triggering factor. The real reason was that he had been regent for many years and helped his father deal with too many state affairs, so he was overworked and died of an illness caused by the cold.

So if the throne was really passed to Zhu Biao immediately.

Zhu Biao had a heavy sense of responsibility and was in charge of state affairs every day. When he encountered a problem, he would think that he was already the emperor, but was too embarrassed to ask his father for help. This might have made him depressed and cause him to have problems.

It's good like this now.

Zhu Biao was the crown prince, and there was always an emperor above him, so even if he encountered problems, there would be someone to help him.

I have to say that Queen Ma was indeed a good wife.

In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang no longer cared about being the emperor or not. Historically, he only favored Zhu Biao. Now that Zhu Biao was so outstanding, it was not a big problem to pass the throne to him.

But Empress Ma was very thoughtful and even understood Zhu Biao's psychology. With such comprehensive considerations, she is indeed worthy of being the most virtuous empress of all time.

Zhu Biao was not disappointed when he heard his mother's words.

Because he knew very well that even if his father did not pass the throne to him now, the position would still be his, unless he died early as in history, it would be a matter of sooner or later.

Besides, he has already got the power, only the title is missing. His father continues to be the emperor, and he can really keep the situation under control. After all, the Huaixi noble group is still there, so it doesn't matter.

"Come on, we are happy today, have a drink."

Lao Zhu raised his glass.

Zhu Yunfeng and Ji He also hurriedly poured themselves a glass of wine, and poured a glass of 82 Lafite for Queen Ma.

"New Year is here, I wish my father and mother good health and all the best."

"Then I wish my ancestors, my great grandmother, and my great uncle a long life."

"Isn't this Chinese New Year? Why are you making it seem like we're celebrating a birthday?"

"Sincere blessings."

Several people clinked glasses of wine with a smile.

The side hall outside was also very lively.

Mr. Zhu was a feudal patriarch, and he only had New Year's Eve dinner with his wife and legitimate sons.

Now the second son has been deposed, the third and fifth sons are in their own fiefdoms, and young Zhu Di is in the late Ming Dynasty with only his eldest son by his side.

After finishing the cup, Lao Zhu said with some emotion: "I miss those useless kids a little bit."

As he spoke, he suddenly thought of the dangers of the feudal system at the end of the Ming Dynasty, and frowned again, saying, "Now that the Northern Yuan Dynasty has been eliminated and the Ming Dynasty is free of future troubles, shouldn't we cancel the feudal system?"

"It will definitely be cancelled, but it will only be cancelled domestically, and the restrictions will be extended overseas."

Zhu Yunfeng said casually: "Remember what I said before about the benefits of enfeoffment of vassal kings? In addition to strengthening the frontier, the most important thing is to quickly restore the production and economy in the north."

Zhu Biao pondered and said, "I understand what you mean. If the vassal kings are enfeoffed overseas, they will take a large number of Han people with them. In this way, the local Han people can quickly take root and establish a local Han community?"

"Yes."

Zhu Yunfeng smiled and said, "That's how the white people in the West occupied the American continent. I think Southeast Asia is not bad. It can be the back garden of the Ming Dynasty. Another example is Australia. We can enfeoff more vassal kings there."

Old Zhu thought about it, shook his head and said, "Don't do that now. They are all my children. Why would they go so far away? Besides, there are not many people in the Ming Dynasty now, and we still need a large number of people."

In the early years of the Hongwu reign, Zhu Yuanzhang conducted a population survey, which showed that the population was about 5000 million. By the end of the Hongwu reign, the population had grown to more than 6000 million, and by the end of the Ming Dynasty, the population had exceeded million.

But now, with the skyrocketing productivity, the land tax has been distributed according to the land area, the head tax has been abolished, and there has been a baby boom, resulting in the rapid growth of the population of the Ming Dynasty every year.

Last year alone, millions of new babies were born. It can be said that it is only a matter of time before the population exceeds 100 million during Zhu Biao's reign.

But industrialization also requires a large population.

There is a baby boom now, and when these people grow up, it will basically be the time when Zhu Biao is in power, which happens to be the period of rapid industrial development in the Ming Dynasty.

On the other hand, if we immediately assign fiefdoms to overseas countries, it would mean that every time one of them goes overseas, hundreds of thousands of people would be taken away one after another, which would be detrimental to industrial development.

of course.

Having said that, Mr. Zhu still doesn't want his sons to go too far.

Although they were divided into different regions within the country, they still had the opportunity to meet at least once a year.

If you were overseas, you might never see it in your lifetime.

Therefore, this is also human nature.

After that, a few people talked about state affairs, such as how the Ming Dynasty should develop in the future.

Whether to send troops overseas.

Whether to colonize the mainland.

There is also the question of continuing to explore to the north.

We have now acquired Outer Manchuria and are doing our utmost to develop it.

However, the Northeast is already very cold, and Siberia is even more of a tundra, where the temperature in summer is not very high.

In winter, it was common for temperatures to drop to dozens of degrees below zero, and the Ming Dynasty did not have the ability to develop them.

However, the resources contained therein are very rich.

Zhu Yunfeng said that he would get a resource distribution map in the future to make it easier for Ming Dynasty to occupy the places that should be occupied.

The next day.

The nineteenth year of Hongwu has arrived.

It is another new year, and Hongwu is thriving.

Old Zhu will also continue to fight in the late Ming Dynasty after the new year.

(End of this chapter)