The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 473: Beginner's Hot Air Balloon

The eunuch lowered his voice and said, "Your Majesty, I just went to Linzhi Palace and begged for half an hour before they finally invited someone here."

I didn't expect that Empress Dowager Cisi would be so hostile to me. It has been more than a year since I had a good talk with Jin Yuji.

The power struggle and the changing times turned this couple who had supported each other into strangers.

"Go down and wait outside the palace. No one is allowed to come in without my order."

Dongfang Zhu quickly retreated.

In the huge palace, only Emperor Wuding and the two empress dowagers were left.

Yang Qing'er reached out to support Jin Yuji, but was pushed away by Empress Dowager Cisi.

Under the pale yellow light, the beauty's different expressions are reflected.

Yang Qing'er had bright eyes, well-proportioned eyebrows and a straight nose, dimples on her cheeks, and her every frown and smile was beautiful; Jin Yuji had a blank expression on her face, and beneath her gorgeous makeup was a trace of sorrow. Her eyes were as clear as water, and Emperor Wu Ding could sense the sadness in them at a glance.

Liu Zhaosun asked the two to sit down next to the armchair.

After a long silence, the emperor was the first to break the awkwardness.

"The Liaodong issue has been resolved. By November at the latest, I will send troops into the pass to pacify the world. Would the Queen Mother be willing to accompany me?"

Jin Yuji's face was as cold as ice and she said nothing.

Yang Qing'er asked the retired emperor about the allocation of food and fodder for the army and whether everything had been prepared.

"Bohai is under my control, so it's easy to transport food. If we run out of food and fodder, we can get it from the enemy. There are far more local tyrants and evil gentry inside the Great Wall than in Liaodong."

When the time traveler talked about obtaining food from the enemy, his tone was as calm as if he was listing his dinner menu.

Yang Qing'er followed the retired emperor from Linqing to the Eastern Capital last autumn, and finally returned to Liaodong. She had some understanding of what Liu Zhaosun did.

"On the day the army sets out, a number of officials can be pardoned and reinstated."

Seeing that Jin Yuji still said nothing, Liu Zhaosun said anxiously:
"I know you've had a hard time in Shenyang. I know you've been wronged all these days..."

As he spoke, he took two steps forward. Jin Yuji stepped back and dodged gently:

"Your Majesty is surrounded by so many beauties, and I am not lacking in one. Every official in Shenyang, even those who can be named, have been arrested and imprisoned, severely tortured. Even Kang Yingqian and Qiao Yiqi were not spared. I had better stay away from Your Majesty, lest I be considered a traitor and die inexplicably."

Yang Qing'er was about to speak for the emperor when Liu Zhaosun raised his arm to stop her.

"The Queen Mother is quite right. Over the past year or so, I have slaughtered no fewer than ten thousand officials and gentry. I have used harsh punishments and executed people at will. I would rather kill a thousand people by mistake than let a single one escape. My slaughter is so rampant that I can be said to be the greatest tyrant of all time."

Jin Yuji looked up at Emperor Wuding and saw two remaining scars on his cheeks. On the way here, she heard Yang Qing'er say that those were the scars left by her husband during the battle in Linqing.

"This year and next, I will recapture Korea and unify the Southern Ming. Three years later, I will send troops to Annan, and then to Japan. This time, the conquest will be a true occupation, not a superficial one like before, which left behind various troubles."

Taking advantage of Jin Yuji's distraction, Liu Zhaosun gently hugged Empress Dowager Cisi, his technique still so skillful and simple.

"The territory of Great Qi will be unprecedentedly vast. Everywhere the sun shines will be Great Qi territory. My empire will far surpass the Mongols and reach Europe. Managing a large nation is different from managing a country. The previous mindset must change. First, there can only be one emperor, one center, and that is me. Otherwise, all will be devastated."

Liu Zhaosun let go of Jin Yuji, but she did not leave. She just listened to her husband continue.

"Neither Kang Yingqian nor Qiao Yiqi can threaten the imperial power. Otherwise, chaos will break out and more people will die, just like what happened in the capital last year."

Ever since the Wanggongchang explosion, the time traveler's temperament has changed drastically. It is rare for him to be as excited as he is today. At this moment, he seems to have returned to his youth, trying hard to show himself in front of his lover.

Jin Yuji suddenly woke up from her dream and interrupted:
"General Kang and his men are devoted to the Great Qi. The Liaodong generals and officers fought bloody battles with the bandits, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties. How have the soldiers and civilians of Shenyang ever betrayed the Great Qi Emperor? And how has the Emperor treated them? He slaughters people at will, even General Kang. Is this what you call the Way?"

Jin Yuji's tone became more earnest.

"Husband, I don't recognize you anymore. These days, watching you kill people every day, I feel more and more unfamiliar. Do you still remember your original intention? Do you still remember what you said under the big pine tree by the Hun River?"

"Yes, I remember everything."

In just eight years, he has transformed from a passionate young man who was careful about his reputation and took it as his mission to save the people of the world into an unforgivable tyrant who killed people and massacred cities.

"I had no choice but to do this, and the same goes for Kang Yingqian and the others."

The time traveler was still explaining himself, although this explanation sounded so pale and powerless to Jin Yu Ji.

"As a last resort? As a last resort, you have to kill Supervisor Kang? He's nearly seventy years old, and he held out for eight months, saving the day. Now, he's indifferent to fame and fortune, and is no longer the man you knew. To defend the city, he even abandoned his only son. With such devotion to supporting the Great Qi, how could you bear to kill him?! And Supervisor Qiao, back in Kaiyuan, he helped you a lot and even lent you eight thousand taels of silver... Have you forgotten all this?"

Seeing this, Yang Qing'er hurried forward to persuade:

"Sister Jin, my husband has his reasons for doing this..."

"Get out of the way,"

"Reason? Are you qualified to talk about reason?"

Jin Yuji pushed Yang Qing'er away, pointed at her and cursed, "You are just like your father, Yang Hao, who takes human life lightly. Your husband's condition is inextricably linked to you!"

Yang Qing'er responded sharply:

"Kang Yingqian certainly has no intention of rebellion, nor does Qiao Yiqi. However, Kang Yingqian has a son. Just because Kang Yingqian doesn't have the intention to rebel doesn't mean his son doesn't, and just because his son doesn't have the intention doesn't mean those around him don't. There's no room for two tigers on one mountain. There's only one emperor in Da Qi. They've defended Shenyang, and their achievements have surpassed their master's. They hold immense power. Even if they don't rebel today, they will sooner or later. You've read so many crappy novels in vain. Don't you know that a country with a young ruler is in doubt, and power is falling into the hands of others? My husband is showing mercy by not killing them! You're still pestering me!"

Jin Yuji sneered, "Just like your father, you're always judging others by your own standards. Like father, like daughter!"

"You Koreans are the treacherous lot. My husband was on a hunting expedition in the south for half a year, and Li Jong massacred Kuandian. My husband hasn't returned to Shenyang for a year, and you colluded with Kang Yingqian and others to usurp power, and now you still have to talk to outsiders!"

······
Seeing that the two women were about to start arguing and fighting like they did when they first met, Liu Zhaosun quickly stepped in between them and said:

"Thunderous means, compassionate heart. To the trillions of people, tens of thousands of lives are but a drop in the bucket. I will make the final decision on what is more important than what is less important! As for criticizing Military Supervisors Kang and Qiao, you are both wrong."

Yang Qing'er was slightly stunned. She didn't expect her husband to say this.

Liu Zhaosun reached out and touched Jin Yuji's face, saying sincerely:

“You asked if my original intention is still there. I’m telling you right now, it’s always there, just like my hand. Can you feel its warmth?”

Jin Yuji was stunned by this unexpected move and blushed as she asked, "Then what do you...what do you mean?"

"My original intention remains, but I've changed the way I fulfill it. Mencius said, what difference does it make whether you kill with a knife or a stick? The people still don't understand what an empire truly means. They only care about immediate interests and don't know the importance of order. So I can only rely on them and use their strength to defeat them. Of course, I know that Kang Yingqian and Qiao Yiqi are innocent, and even have meritorious deeds. However, I still want to punish them and repay kindness with hatred. Do you know why?" Jin Yuji murmured thoughtfully:

"Why?"

The time traveler picked up the still warm tea on the table and handed it to his beloved woman.

"The common people only see what they want to see. They love and understand stories of the dog being abandoned after the rabbit has died. Those with a more far-sighted perspective often have ulterior motives. I am doing this to the Shenyang officials to let them know what will happen to anyone who threatens or potentially threatens imperial power. Whether they are guilty or not is secondary. Kang Yingqian and Qiao Yiqi are merely puppets behind the shadow play, tools to maintain order. Whether they are at fault or not is not important."

Liu Zhaosun finished speaking and added:

“Order is the most important thing. With order, you have everything; without order, you have nothing.”

Jin Yuji nodded, not quite understanding. Although she accepted her husband's point of view in her heart, she did not give up on the surface.

"So how are they now?"

Yang Qing'er said angrily, "Prime Minister Kang, Minister Qiao, as well as Ma Shiying, Sun Chuanting and others, were all secretly placed under house arrest in Kaiyuan. They were only told that they were in the imperial prison, and no torture was used."

Jin Yuji was horrified. The rumors outside were all over the place, how the straw raincoat guards tortured the ministers and beat Kang Yinggan until his flesh and blood were flying.

Liu Zhaosun guessed what Jin Yuji was thinking and added, "It's not just towards Kang Yingqian, it's also towards you and Kan'er. I'm doing this too. I'm deliberately distancing myself from you so that those with ulterior motives will understand that trying to take sides between the Emperor and the Retired Emperor and trying to gain the upper hand will not end well."

Jin Yuji suddenly asked with concern: "How will my husband bear such a stigma..."

The Emperor said calmly, "Just do good things and don't worry about the future. I don't care what the people say about me, for example, Eunuch Dongfang."

"Dongfang Zhu!"

Liu Zhaosun shouted, and the eunuch Dongfang who was standing at the door came in immediately.

"Last year in Linqing, I quickly brought Eunuch Dongfang into the palace and kept him working in the Imperial Household Department. Otherwise, he would have died of exhaustion by now, with no place to be buried!"

Dongfang Zhu looked at the Emperor with a flattering expression, fully agreeing with what he said, and said to the two Empress Dowagers with a smile:

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. Back in Linqing, I lost my mind. I had one wife and six concubines. I indulged in women every day and took aphrodisiacs profusely. I almost lost my life."

After reading "Jin Ping Mei", Jin Yuji felt that Eunuch Dongfang and Ximen Qing were very similar.

The emperor waved his hand to let the eunuch leave and continued:
"I cannot bear to see you wandering around in misery and in danger of your lives again."

Jin Yuji's voice became softer, and she whispered:
"But what about the other civilians? So many people died, and I wonder how many innocent people there were."

Emperor Wu Ding closed his eyes, and a scene of hell appeared before his eyes, with countless ghosts demanding his life.

"Like lamp oil, if the wick is to be lit, it needs the lamp oil to burn. The people are the lamp oil, and so am I. One day, I too will burn, but before that, I will use this candlelight to protect you and many more people."

It was already the first quarter of the night, which under normal circumstances would be the time for Emperor Wu Ding to go to bed.

"I have said everything I want to say. You can stay here or go back and continue to be your Empress Dowager Cisheng."

Jin Yu Ji made her choice quickly. She slowly walked to the front of the retired emperor and began to undress her husband.

Yang Qing'er also followed. Seeing this, Dongfang Zhu stood up and slowly left the hall.

The flames of the whale oil lamps on both sides of the Yongfu Palace's sleeping hall swayed gently.

~~~
Three days later, the Shenyang North Gate Parade Ground was bustling with people. Technicians from workshops and schools looked eagerly at the center of the square. Emperor Wu Ding, along with the two empress dowagers and his entourage, also came to observe the test of the new weapons.

In the center of the parade ground, Qiao Yiqi, who had been released and rushed back to Shenyang, grabbed Mao Yuanyi's shoulders, fearing that his shoulder might be broken, and shook him hard.

"Stop! You bunch of lunatics, why are you sending living people to heaven?"

Mao Yuanyi listened to the kind-hearted Minister of Revenue for a long time. The leatherworker who was busy painting the hot air balloon next to him stopped several times and stared blankly at the energetic civil servant in front of him.

Mao Yuanyi glared at him fiercely, signaling the shoemaker not to be lazy.

Qiao Yiqi kept on babbling, "You actually used living people for experiments. You're just like the emperor, a madman!"

Mao Yuanyi did not argue too much with the Minister of Revenue. After repeatedly confirming that the ignition and takeoff were correct, he turned back to Qiao Yiqi and said:

"Master Qiao, you are right, but I want to build a hot air balloon. I want to build a hot air balloon that can carry people into the sky."

After saying this, the workshop's special technical consultant - the founder of the Imperial Air Force - waved his hand, and Yang Tong immediately ordered the pacification soldiers to "invite" Minister Qiao away.

Two Jianzhou prisoners used for a test launch stepped onto a rickety sampan and boarded the hot air balloon basket.

They were immediately tied with iron chains and locked firmly to the wooden stake in the middle of the basket. The two Jianzhou warriors looked at each other in despair, gave up all meaningless struggles, and looked at the blue sky in despair.

Emperor Wu Ding walked up to the two whale-skin hot air balloons that were about to take off, glanced at the White Banner captives on the balloons, and said to Mao Yuanyi:
"You've used up all the whale skins the whaling fleet needs for three months. Over thirty prisoners have died, and you still can't solve the insulation problem."

Mao Yuanyi knew the temper of the retired emperor, who would kill people at random if he disagreed with something, so he quickly explained:
"Your Majesty, rest assured. This time we brought higher quality coal. We also painted a layer of paint on the outside of the whale skin, and the previous gaps were re-sealed with Sanhe mud..."

The Emperor waved his hand and said impatiently:
"I don't want to hear about technical details. I only care about the results. No matter how many of you die or how much money you spend, I want the hot air balloon to soar without catching fire or crashing. I will be leaving Liaodong soon. This is your last chance. If you fail, you will be sent back to the Imperial Prison."

Like Xie Yang, Mao Yuanyi was a typical example in the Great Purge and was given special care by Zhang Dong. He was baptized by the New Deal in the imperial prison. He believed that one plus one equals three, that everything the emperor said was the truth, and that he was absolutely loyal to the Great Qi.

"Your Majesty, Minister Qiao has just been released from Kaiyuan and is making such a fuss. I am worried."

At some point, Zhang Dong, with a sinister look on his face, stood beside the emperor, gazing fiercely at Qiao Yiqi who was still cursing in the distance.

Liu Zhaosun looked back at Qiao Yiqi, who was still feeling indignant, and hesitated for a long time. Finally, he could not make up his mind to send this old friend to the imperial prison for re-education.

"Forget it, let him be. I will talk to him alone."

When the Emperor said this, he suddenly stared at Zhang Mazi fiercely.

"Zhang Mazi, I don't care about the others, but those ministers released from Kaiyuan cannot be touched!"

Zhang Dong quickly said yes. The spy chief shuddered and did not dare to look into Emperor Wu Ding's eyes.

Liu Zhaosun patted Zhang Dong on the shoulder and regained his composure.
"Okay, come with me later and see how the hot air balloon sends Dudu into the sky."

(End of this chapter)