Chapter 146: Powerful and Destructive

November 19th.

There are still two days until the winter solstice.

Zhu Yijun walked around the West Garden, sometimes walking slowly with his back supported, and sometimes running with his arms swinging.

Three or five eunuchs pretended to be out of breath and lagged behind by a few steps - in principle they could outrun the emperor, but the principle was in the emperor's hands.

Zhu Yijun had been accustomed to this kind of thing for decades and didn't feel anything about it.

He was thinking about things while running.

After being invited back to Zhang Juzheng a few days ago, this fellow not only did not remember his kindness, but after hearing that he had abused his power in the court, he teamed up with Gao Yi and said that the Ciqiong Palace had been renovated and the West Garden was located in a remote area after all. Since the time had come, he should move to the Qianqing Palace.

This made Zhu Yijun feel a little embarrassed.

Yes, he originally said that he would hide in Xiyuan for a year and return after Ciqiong Palace was repaired.

Not only was he angry about the burning of Ciqing Palace, but he also wanted to clean up the inner court and either dismiss or relocate all the eunuchs, palace maids, and craftsmen.

Now that everyone's angry, the palace has been cleared and it should be safe.

It's time to go back.

But... Zhu Yijun has already gotten used to staying in Xiyuan!
Going back to the Qianqing Palace, where else could he go to relax as he ran or fished all day?
Working indoors all day and relaxing outdoors frequently can completely change your mental state.

But there's nothing I can do about it, it's my fault for saying the time was too short.

So Zhu Yijun had to reluctantly express his opinion, saying that it was too cold in winter and it was inconvenient to move house, and he would move back in spring.

In addition to compromise, there is also the possibility of delaying the process.

He remembered that in history, the Cining Palace was supposed to be burned down in November this year - this was the palace of the Ming Dynasty, hot in summer and dry in winter, and there was heat every year.

I wanted to use this as an excuse to continue lingering in Xiyuan.

But I don’t know if it’s because after the Qing Dynasty, the eunuchs and palace maids were all washed once, so I haven’t seen any sparks.

In addition to this matter, the affairs of the harem have also been taking up a lot of Zhu Yijun's attention in recent days.

Two days later is not only the winter solstice, but also the birthday of Empress Dowager Li.

As it had been less than three years since the death of the previous emperor, and the inner court wanted to set an example of diligence and thrift, they naturally did not plan to waste money.

But one thing is for sure, he didn't want to be extravagant because he was short of money, but as a son, he had to express his feelings.

The regular program of copying Buddhist scriptures is indispensable. Even if I choose a scripture with fewer words, it still took me several days to copy it, and I am still one or two pages short.

Of course, these are nothing.

What gave Zhu Yijun the most headache was that the two queen dowagers took advantage of the situation...

When Zhu Yijun thought of this, he had just run two laps and returned to the pavilion beside the Taiye Lake, so he stopped thinking.

Outside the pavilion, Zhang Hong was waiting with a hot towel in his hand.

Zhu Yijun supported his knees with his hands, leaned over and looked at the ground, breathing in and out attentively. While regaining his strength, he also waited for Zhang Hong to wipe the sweat from his forehead and back of his neck.

After wiping the sweat off my body, I immediately felt a lot more refreshed.

As Zhu Yijun was thinking about it, he felt that the movements were much gentler and did not seem like Zhang Hong's method.

Sure enough, when he looked up, he saw a pair of slender, white hands on his neck, wiping the sweat off his face.

Zhu Yijun took a step back without making a sound and took the hot towel from Li Baiyang: "I'll do it myself."

Upon hearing this, Li Baiyang obediently took out a new hot towel and handed it to the emperor.

Then he stood aside with his hands behind his back, without saying much.

Zhu Yijun secretly thought it was troublesome.

This is how the two palaces take advantage of the situation!

I don’t know which loyal minister who understood the emperor’s will submitted this report to the two palaces.

Since it's the Empress Dowager's birthday, you might as well take advantage of this auspicious day to give advance orders for the Emperor's selection of concubines - the Emperor's selection of concubines requires open auditions at the prefectures and counties, and an elimination round in Beijing, which is a long process. If you give the orders now in advance, the selection will be over in a year or so, and Your Majesty will be almost fourteen years old by then, which will be the perfect age for the wedding.

Brilliant political speculation.

Unfortunately, he failed to grasp the emperor's pulse, and the emperor personally asked for the memorials from the two palaces and kept them quietly.

However, the inappropriate speculation of the court officials could be easily suppressed, but the ideas of the two palaces were beyond the emperor's expectations.

The next day, Li Baiyang, who had tutored Princess Yanqing, was sent to the emperor. It was said that it was the intention of the two palaces to let him take care of the emperor's daily life.

Even Empress Dowager Li once hinted that he had been examined - his wrists were not short, his feet were not big, and he had no scars on his eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or body. Everything met the standards.

Empress Dowager Chen was even more direct in her statement, saying that if Zhu Yijun intended to pick them, he just needed to be restrained.

Sin ah.

Zhu Yijun glanced at the girl in front of him who was three years older than him.

She has a pretty face, with round, fair and tender cheeks that have not yet fully grown up, and looks extremely young.

Even though her facial features are delicate, she can only be described as cute due to her age.

He then recalled the scene he saw without warning when he was bathing yesterday, a tall figure, and slender and plump legs, shrouded in mist...

Zhu Yijun couldn't help but shudder.

He coughed lightly and said randomly, "I heard that Princess Yanqing has started learning to read?"

Li Baiyang nodded briskly, smiling: "The princess is smart and learns very quickly."

Zhu Yijun hummed absentmindedly: "If you have time, learn some logic."

A princess will always get married, so it's fine if she doesn't learn math, but she should at least learn some logic and read the Four Books and Five Classics, so that she can be a little more clear-headed about how to behave.

After saying this, he almost calmed down and waved his hand: "You are no longer needed here, go back and take care of the Virgin Mary."

Li Baiyang bowed and retreated tactfully.

Zhu Yijun looked at the woman's back and shook his head with a complicated expression.

Although she is beautiful, it is a pity that she is marrying a man from the Ming Dynasty.

It is not a good thing to marry too early.

What if the first child is a son?
How can there be a crown prince in the world who lasts for fifty years?

Political life does not end at the moment of death, but at the moment when the successor is fully mature.

This is also the reason why many emperors in ancient times killed each other's fathers and sons.

Since he is still young, he certainly cannot create hidden dangers for future affairs because of a momentary impulse.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yijun patted Zhang Hong inexplicably and said with emotion: "Running is still good!"

I still have to run! Only by running more can I avoid being plotted against by the two queen mothers when I am not paying attention!

Zhang Hong arrived at the palace early and had no idea what the little emperor was saying.

He had no choice but to pretend he didn't hear the nonsense and turned to the main business: "Your Majesty, Lord Wang and Minister of Rites Ma Ziqiang have been waiting for an audience outside Chengguang Hall for a long time."

Zhu Yijun frowned, wondering why someone was looking for him every day.

It would have been fine in the past, but today he has to inspect the Inner Court Armory.

All of this was said half a month in advance.

As for the inspection, it always has to be announced in advance so that people can prepare - the inspection is not aimed at getting people to do something, but to get things back on track with minimal investment.

If you go there without saying anything, that's called supervision. Going there to recover losses is completely different.

Zhu Yijun asked, "What's the matter?"

If it is not important, then it is reasonable to postpone it.

Secretary Zhang never slacks off when doing things.

He bowed and said, "Minister Ma said it involves military matters, and he went to the cabinet to discuss it with Elder Wang early this morning."

"But the two of you could not reach a consensus for the time being, and you were unwilling to come to the court for public discussion, so you came together to see Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun's brows furrowed even more tightly.

The two men were from the same party and did not want to argue in court and be laughed at by outsiders. Zhu Yijun understood that.

But how can you, Ma Ziqiang, a Minister of Rites, be involved in military affairs?
Did the royal family rebel? Did the imperial students parade through the streets? Or did the winter solstice sacrifice to heaven produce some kind of omen?

Zhu Yijun couldn't figure it out for a moment.

However, since it involves military affairs, it is obviously unavoidable.

He pondered for a moment, came up with a plan, turned around and instructed Zhang Hong: "I will trouble you to go again and tell them that I will go to the Military Equipment Bureau for inspection later. Please ask them to come to the Military Equipment Bureau to report."

Red tape must not delay practical work.

Zhang Hong responded and ran towards Chengguang Hall in small steps.

After everyone left, Zhu Yijun changed into dry clothes and said to Wei Chao, the eunuch who was in charge of writing in the Imperial Household Department, "Let's go to the Armory Bureau first."

Wei Chao hurriedly led the way.

……

The twenty-four yamen commonly known in the inner court are twelve surveillance offices, four departments and eight bureaus.

These are all territories under the full jurisdiction of the Inner Court. Only the Grand Tutor is in charge and the Outer Court is not allowed to interfere. They are all located within the Imperial City.

For example, the military department, one of the four departments, is like this.

In addition to the twenty-four yamen, there are many other yamen in the inner court.

Because it was a joint management of internal and external affairs, in order to facilitate the entry and exit of officials from other courts, it was set up outside the imperial city and was usually not listed in the twenty-four.

For example, the Arsenal is like this.

The two departments of weapons and military equipment just mentioned are the two main sources for the manufacture of gunpowder and the development of firearms in the Ming Dynasty.

It is also one of the things that Zhu Yijun has been concerned about recently.

Because the Military Equipment Bureau was outside the palace, it was inconvenient for the emperor to see because there were too many people and eyes, so he naturally came to the Armory Bureau today.

As one of the twenty-four government offices, the Armory Bureau was quite lucrative, after all, it was in charge of one warehouse and two factories - the Arsenal, the Armoury Factory, and the People's Security Factory.

Among them, the Armoury was the original Saddle and Bridle Bureau, which was responsible for the manufacture of firearms.

Later, because the environmental impact assessment failed, it was changed to cold weapon manufacturing.

The authority to manufacture firearms was moved to the Anmin Factory, far away from the imperial palace, which produced guns, cannons, gunpowder and other useful things for governing the country and keeping the people safe.

The Armour and Equipment Bureau was very large, and many people worked in the factory - before Emperor Xiaozong, there were only a few hundred people, but during his reign, "the Imperial Clothing Bureau recruited a thousand craftsmen, and the Armour and Equipment Bureau followed suit, recruiting up to two thousand people." Working in a factory was a good thing, but managing so many people was bound to be messy.

Even knowing that the higher-ups are coming to inspect, it would be difficult to clean up the situation in a short period of time.

So when the emperor walked into the Anminchang with a blank expression on his face, the eunuch in charge of the military equipment bureau beside him broke out in a cold sweat and said, "The eunuch in charge of the military equipment bureau, Wei Zhongde, greets your majesty."

Zhu Yijun nodded and looked around.

The copper and iron gun barrels were placed in a disorderly manner, the ground was mixed with sweat and urine, and the Anmin Factory, which was originally staffed with 2,000 craftsmen but only had about 100 people...

He shook his head secretly. No wonder they had to move to a remote corner of the imperial city because they failed the environmental impact assessment.

Zhu Yijun turned his head to look at Wei Chao and said nonchalantly: "Otomo's godson has a good name."

As he spoke, he began to walk around the factory.

Wei Chao quickly collected his expression, bowed and replied: "I don't dare to accept your majesty's praise. The names of my servants are all based on the classics, Zhongliang, Zhongxiao, Zhongde..."

Seeing that the emperor was not listening at all, Wei Chao stopped talking halfway through.

The group followed the emperor, walking around the factory, stopping and starting, and answering the emperor's questions from time to time.

"What kind of firearms does the factory mainly produce now?" the emperor asked as he walked.

Wei Zhongde had also done his homework, and answered the emperor's questions fluently: "In reply to your Majesty, since the first year of Jiajing, when the Portuguese artillery was seized in the battle of Xicaowan in Xinhui, Guangdong, the Armory now mostly produces Portuguese guns."

"In addition to the original model, this gun has been modified by craftsmen over the years and now has six types."

"Large-size Portuguese cannon, medium-size Portuguese cannon, small-size Portuguese cannon, Portuguese cannon on horseback, Portuguese meteor cannon, and Portuguese cannon with strings of beads."

As the introduction was made, the head of the gunpowder department immediately brought six samples for the emperor and placed them in front of the emperor according to categories: "Your Majesty, your body is worth a million dollars. We have opened the gunpowder, please feel free to play with it."

After saying this, he smiled flatteringly.

The thing was not small. Zhu Yijun reached out and touched this so-called Portuguese rifle.

The metal barrel was shiny, obviously carefully selected.

The wooden trigger seems to be for weight reduction.

There is also a sighting device on the top - of course it is not a lens, but a centered ring with a bulge in the middle.

The six types have different shapes, but without exception, the barrels are extremely long. I don’t know if it is for heat dissipation.

Wei Zhongde introduced it to the emperor attentively: "Your Majesty, this gun adopts the structure of a mother-and-child gun, that is, one barrel is equipped with several child guns. After one child gun is fired, another child gun can be quickly loaded. The firing speed is amazing!"

Zhu Yijun was not interested in listening to the administrator reading the script.

He stroked the barrel of the gun and said without raising his head, "Call a few master craftsmen over."

Wei Zhongde was interrupted by the emperor. He smiled awkwardly and quickly asked his men to call.

Those who can be called "big" are at the top level in their respective fields, and those below them naturally know who to call over.

Zhu Yijun was playing with firearms here, and asked casually: "I remember there are also bird guns, which are also common firearms. Doesn't the Arms Bureau produce them?"

Wei Zhongde smiled flatteringly and said, "Your Majesty, bird guns are the main product of the Military Equipment Bureau..."

Before he could finish his words, he heard a commotion outside the door.

Zhu Yijun was studying the structure of the Portuguese rifle. When he heard the noise, he knew without looking up that Wang Chonggu and Ma Ziqiang had arrived.

He moved his eyes away from the firearms, stood up and looked outside the Anmin Factory.

as predicted.

The two of them followed Zhang Hong and hurried over.

Zhu Yijun then waved his hand again, signaling Wei Zhongde and the eunuchs from the Armory Bureau to step aside.

The latter tactfully stood further away.

Wang Chonggu and the other man glanced at the Armory Bureau with reserve.

Knowing that the emperor was inspecting here, he quickly withdrew his gaze and took small steps forward.

"His Majesty."

"His Majesty."

Zhu Yijun nodded and said politely: "I have delayed you two from handling state affairs by asking you to come here to accommodate me."

He was still being polite, but Ma Ziqiang began to advise him seriously: "Your Majesty, if you were to inspect the various departments, you should also take a broad view."

"Why do you personally inquire about these strange and cunning tricks?"

He had just seen the emperor playing with firearms with his own eyes.

That's pretty cool!

Zhu Yijun coughed lightly and changed the subject directly: "I heard that you two have important military and national affairs?"

Let's talk business now. There are only eunuchs here, so don't try to set up the image of a Grand Master of the Clan here.

Ma Ziqiang was frustrated and felt a little embarrassed. He looked around.

Fortunately, the eunuchs from the Armory Bureau were far away and didn't look over here, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

Wang Chonggu saw this and took over the conversation, saying, "Your Majesty, there are two important matters, one is the Sichuan Duman and the other is the northern Tatars."

"The former is the news of victory in the campaign against the Duman."

"This summer, I was ordered to dispatch 6,000 troops from the Beijing camp to follow the general Liu Xiantong, the deputy military supervisor Li Jiang, the former general Guo Cheng, the lieutenant general Zhang Ze, the garrison commander Shen Mao and Wu Xian, etc., to wipe out the Duman."

"We conquered Lingxiao City and Xiadu Fort, and we were unstoppable all the way. On the night of September Bingxu, we captured the Barbarian King alive in Dapan Mountain."

"In this battle, we beheaded several thousand people and expanded our territory by more than 400 miles."

After saying this, Wang Chonggu stopped.

Obviously, he had disagreements with Ma Ziqiang on this matter, so he asked the latter to explain it to the emperor.

Ma Ziqiang immediately took over the conversation calmly: "Your Majesty, the Duman people have been stubbornly in rebellion for more than 200 years, and they have finally been put down. The plan was perfect and the success was achieved in one fell swoop. It is truly a great victory."

"But... I have read the ancestral teachings of Emperor Taizu Gao, and the first chapter says that the barbarians in all directions are bounded by mountains and separated by seas, and are isolated in a corner. I am afraid that future generations will rely on China's wealth and strength, covet its power, and raise troops for no reason, causing casualties. Remember not to do this."

The smell in the Armory is not good.

As the three of them were talking, they walked out of the factory, with the eunuchs from the East Factory guarding the area from a distance.

Zhu Yijun frowned and looked at the two of them.

Of course he knew what Wang Chonggu was talking about.

The Beijing troops were in a terrible state.

Ever since Wang Chonggu agreed to suppress the Ministry of War's intentions for him and cooperate with Governor-General Gu Huan in governing the Beijing Camp, one of the things he did was to disperse the small camps in the Beijing Camp and have them take turns defending and experiencing war.

There are also those who are directly sent out to fight.

It does cost a bit of money, but the upside is that the results are quick.

Especially these kinds of things are most suitable for practicing.

Today's great victory, although expected, is also a good thing.

But what does Ma Ziqiang mean by this?
The emperor looked puzzled, obviously he had not read the report.

Ma Ziqiang realized that he had over-thought about the emperor's control of the government, so he quickly spoke frankly: "Your Majesty, this time we won a great victory and gained a lot, but we only captured more than 200 people."

"In order to achieve the feat of beheading someone, the soldiers may have violated the will of heaven."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun suddenly realized what the two were arguing about.

No wonder the Ministry of Rites came here eagerly to discuss military affairs!

It turned out to be about killing prisoners!
Ma Ziqiang paused, and then said: "Especially the 6,000 guards of the Beijing camp, if they participate in it, I am afraid it will be unsuitable for them to return to the capital to guard it."

After hearing this, Zhu Yijun understood the whole story.

I couldn't help but feel a headache.

This is not an easy matter to handle either.

This matter is too vague. After all, if they won the battle, was there a reward or a punishment? Who were involved, officers or soldiers? Or maybe there was no clear evidence, were the prisoners killed?
There is nothing more troublesome than arguing about something.

Zhu Yijun couldn't help but glance at Wang Chonggu, waiting for the cabinet minister's clarification - since the two of them came to him together because of their disagreements, then Wang Chonggu's attitude must be different from Ma Ziqiang's.

But unexpectedly, Wang Chonggu did not make a fuss about this matter, but instead started talking about another matter: "Your Majesty, the latter is about the Tatars, who are beginning to stir again."

When Zhu Yijun heard this, his expression changed and he immediately put what had happened before behind him.

He asked hurriedly, "Is it Tuman Khan? Or some other one?"

Wang Chonggu immediately explained the whole story: "It's still Duoyanwei!"

"Now that winter is almost over, Dong Huli is active among the various tribes of Tuman Khan."

"It is said that he is planning to send tens of thousands of troops to avenge the previous humiliation, and is now uniting various parties to invite people to plunder in the spring."

Wang Chonggu paused and said, "I heard rumors that he even went to find the Shunyi King who had surrendered to our dynasty."

Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Chonggu deeply.

King of Shunyi is the title of Altan Khan.

However, the news of Dong Huli's visit was not reported to the court, but was known to Wang Chonggu - otherwise it would not have been said to be a rumor.

No wonder everyone says he is the ballast stone of Xuan University.

Zhu Yijun relaxed for a while, then gathered his thoughts and looked at Wang Chonggu: "If you have anything to say, please speak directly."

He could naturally hear that there was something unfinished in Wang Chonggu's words.

as predicted.

Wang Chonggu met the emperor's gaze and said firmly, "I have a thousand words to refute the six thousand young men from the Beijing camp that Minister Ma mentioned."

"But now that the opportunity has come, I only ask for a chance for them to redeem themselves for their crimes."

Zhu Yijun suddenly raised his head and looked at Wang Chonggu.

Wang Chonggu suddenly lifted his hem and prostrated himself on the ground: "Your Majesty, our dynasty has been exhausted from defending for so long that a small group of Tuman Khan dared to jump up and down and provoke us again and again."

"I think now is the time to take the initiative to go out to the border and strike head-on! Show our fangs to the Tatars, the Dumans, the Jurchens, the Oirat and other barbarians!"

"Destroy the Duoyan Guards and capture Dong the Fox alive!"

"Head hanging at the gate!"

These words were like the blood and fire of the frontier rushing towards you!

Sonorous and powerful, breaking metal and jade!
(End of this chapter)