Chapter 178 Standing on Huafeng Mountain and Gazing at the Ocean

"...Dong Huli and Gong Nan were executed on the spot; two days later, Chang Tu was captured alive; three days later, Ba Lai was executed."

"Only Chahalai and Meng'andai surrendered to Qingbadu'er when they saw the situation was not good. With the instructions from me and the Ministry of War, Commander Qi did not conflict with them and immediately withdrew his troops."

As Zhu Yijun spoke, he handed the memorial in his hand to Zhang Hong and asked him to take it down and circulate it.

The memorial was naturally Qi Jiguang's battle report.

The result was satisfactory.

The main target this time, Dong Huli, who frequently caused trouble, was the first to surrender.

Four of the five sons died, and one also died in a disaster.

As for his younger brother Chang Tu, his behavior was exactly the same as in history. After falling into a disadvantageous position, he simply bowed his head and was tied up by the neck and captured alive by Qi Jiguang.

The only flaw was that the remnants of Dong Huli's troops were gathered by his fifth son Meng'andai, and together with Chahalai, they surrendered to Qingbaduer.

The three Wanhu in the right wing of Mongolia are Ordos, Tumed and Yongshebu.

Qingbaduer was the lord of Kharchin and actually controlled the Yongshebu Wanhu. He was one of the top five most powerful people in Mongolia. There were only six Wanhu in Mongolia, and the Uriankhai Wanhu was completely divided up after this incident.

Characters like Qingbaduer are different from the minor roles played by Duoyanwei.

After this person intervened, Qi Jiguang had no choice but to withdraw his troops.

The aftermath will naturally have to be handled by the central government.

Right now, the emperor, the cabinet, the Ministry of War, and the Beijing military camp are holding a small meeting on this matter.

In Chengguang Hall, Zhu Yijun sat upright on the throne.

Wang Chonggu had half of his buttocks stuck to the stool, while Shi Maohua from the Ministry of War and Gu Huan, the Governor of the Beijing Camp, were standing in the hall with their hands behind their backs.

When Shi Maohua arrived, he had already read the memorial from the Ministry of War in the duty room. He spoke first, "Your Majesty, Prince Shunyi has already submitted a memorial explaining the whole story of Qing Baduer's gathering of the defeated Doyan tribe. I beg the court to approve it."

Zhu Yijun laughed and shook his head: "It's not a plea, it's more like conveying the message."

Shi Maohua quickly explained: "Let your majesty know that Qing Baduer agreed to let Hu Shouren borrow the road this time in order to get a share of the pie. This is a tacit understanding between us."

There are some words that cannot be written in official documents.

If there were no benefits in sharing the Dong Huli tribe, why would the Mongolian right wing sit idly by?

The emperor cannot just focus on flaws. No matter what, the outcome of this battle is beyond doubt.

As an expert on northern affairs, Wang Chonggu naturally had no choice but to explain the whole story: "Your Majesty, when the Doyanwei tribe brought the palace of Uglun Hatun and surrendered to the status of Arabat (tribute payer) with the title of Wanhu, King Shunyi took Yingke's brothers and their tribes for himself, and gave the Yingke tribe, which was defending the dangerous place and was only nominally affiliated, to Lao Baduer."

"These years, Lao Baduer can only collect annual tributes from Duoyanwei, but cannot exercise actual control."

"Now that the Duoyan Guards have been punished by the Heavenly Power, it is perfectly legitimate for Qingbaduer to gather the defeated soldiers. With such a long history, even Altan Khan cannot stop him."

"If we insist on getting to the bottom of this, it will only damage the relationship between the two parties."

Wang Chong's words were euphemistic, but the relationship between these two sides refers not only to Altan Khan and Qingbaduer, but also to the imperial court and Altan Khan - if you don't have the corresponding strength, you shouldn't act like the Celestial Empire.

After hearing this, Zhu Yijun did not express his opinion directly, but turned his gaze to Gu Huan again.

Seeing the emperor's look, Gu Huan pondered for a moment and expressed his own perspective: "Your Majesty, as the elder Wang and the Grand Marshal said, even if Qing Baduer acted on his own and disregarded the tacit agreement between the court and the Prince of Shunyi, this matter should not be investigated further."

"Many of Qingbadu'er's people have married Han women, especially those who live near Bansheng. They have mixed customs and close trade with us. They are the most friendly with our dynasty, which is many times better than his brothers who often rob our dynasty."

"However, after Lao Badu'er died, Qing Badu'er has been in constant conflict with his brothers Ha Bu Shen, Man Wu Suo, and Man Wu Da, and the tribe has not yet been completely united."

"If our dynasty were to hastily rebuke us for such a trivial matter, it would easily lead to something unexpected."

What the governor of the Beijing camp meant was that the situation with the enemy was complicated and they should quit while they were ahead. As for the few remnants of the Doyan Guard, they were of no importance.

After hearing this, Zhu Yijun finally nodded slowly: "In this case, send a letter to Prince Shunyi and fulfill Qing Badu'er's wish."

After the emperor expressed his opinion, the people who had just spoken naturally did not say anything.

"Your Majesty is holy."

"I accept the decree."

Wang Chonggu even praised: "In the fifth year of Longqing, Yuan Fu and Ding'an Bo once reported to the late emperor that the threat to the left wing of Mongolia is from the Yi people, and the threat to the right wing is from Bansheng. If these two threats are not eliminated, our dynasty will never have a peaceful day."

"When Altan Khan paid tribute, he promoted Zhao Quanming to death; now he is using his troops to attack Dong Huli and has wiped out the barbarians on the left wing."

"The two dynasties fought bravely, the temple planned and fought the war, and the north can finally sleep peacefully for a few years."

Zhu Yijun glanced at Wang Chonggu.

He knew exactly what this guy was thinking.

Whether it was the excuse he gave to Qing Badu'er just now or the words he said now, they were all to highlight his merits.

The so-called pacification of the two troubles was not all due to the strategy of Wang Chonggu?

Because of this, it is enough to just listen to what is said and heard. If one really believes in the Northern Peace, then Zhu Yijun will be no different from the ancestors of the previous dynasty.

Not to mention that the so-called two troubles were just the military advisors and vanguards of the left and right wings, which were just minor problems. The power of the Tatar headquarters had not been damaged at all.

Even though the Tuman Khan has lost his tentacles and will not drive his tribe to invade the border in the short term, we cannot sit back and relax.

Contradictions are constantly transforming.

Before Altan Khan paid tribute, the border areas had suffered from looting.

But after the tribute was imposed, "the border defense was greatly weakened, and the military pay went into the commander's pocket. In addition to feeding the invaders, some of the money was left in Beijing. The soldiers near the border were starving and had no food to eat, while the population of Bansheng was increasing day by day, and they were stubborn and unruly. Those who discussed the issue were worried."

A mere board rise dares to become increasingly tough and rogue.

It can be seen that constant favors cannot guarantee that the right wing will remain obedient forever. It is possible that after recuperation, its ambitions will expand along with its power.

This is the case with the Mongolian right wing, and the left wing is even more difficult to describe.

Although the three guards of Doyan did not kneel so quickly in history, they all surrendered around the 20th year of Wanli's reign - Dong Huli was defeated by Li Chengliang, Chang Tu was captured alive by Qi Jiguang, and the Chang'ang tribe was divided up by the Ming Dynasty and Tuman Khan.

However, the weakness of the Wuliangha Wanhu was followed by the annexation and resurgence of the Jurchens in the pastoral areas.

This is how the Ming Dynasty was lost.

The decline of your opponent does not mean that you are thriving.

There will be new opponents eventually.

In the final analysis, cultivating inner strength is the bottom line.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yijun waved his hand and got back to business, and instructed Shi Maohua: "The Ministry of War should not delay the matter of rewarding meritorious service, and should formulate it as soon as possible."

It’s not that he, the emperor, is impatient.

But according to the Ming Dynasty's custom, such matters as rewarding according to merit would not have any results if they did not gather thousands of people to the parade ground to ask for it.

Shi Maohua immediately accepted the order.

Wang Chonggu immediately took over the conversation: "Your Majesty, I have already drafted a proposal for trade with Duoyanwei. The location should be 80 miles north of Xifengkou, in the Kuanhe area (now Kuancheng County, Hebei Province)."

After saying this, he took out a memorial from his sleeve and asked the eunuch to present it.

Zhu Yijun took it and read it carefully.

There is no problem with the site selection, as this area is still a controversial area.

It originally belonged to the Kuanhe Guarding Thousand Households, but after being abandoned by the Daning Regional Command, it has now in fact become the pastoral area of ​​the Doyan Three Guards.

Some other details of the trade were also listed, including the categories of transactions, the time of trade, etc.

The trade with Xuanda is almost the same.

Zhu Yijun read it once and then closed it and put it aside: "Wang Qing, why is the time for trade between spring and summer?"

The time for trade with Altan Khan was irregular - Altan Khan would only arrange a time when he wanted it.

But Duoyanwei obviously does not have the qualifications, and the initiative naturally lies with the court. It can decide when the time is right.

Wang Chonggu always answered every question: "Your Majesty, in late autumn, the horses are getting fat. I think the time for the trade should be set in late spring or early summer, because the enemy's horses are getting thin and they dare not gallop deep into the enemy's territory."

"In other words, even if there is a change, we can still use the strong infantry at the pass to attack the weak tired soldiers and thin horses. This is to prevent trouble before it happens."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun thought to himself that it was very professional.

However, since he asked this, he naturally had other opinions.

He cast a questioning look at Wang Chonggu: "Since we want to prevent trouble before it happens, there must be other ways. I would like to ask Lord Wang, if this market is permanent, can it be opened?"

Wang Chonggu was stunned and couldn't help feeling confused.

But he still replied to the emperor: "Your Majesty, a permanent place can certainly be opened, but it's probably not enough to simply build a market. At least a small city will have to be built."

Although there were often bandits in disguise who gathered to rob at the Xuanda Market, that was because the location was chosen far away from Xuanda to reassure Altan Khan, making it out of reach.

But Duoyanwei is different.

Since they were defeated, they naturally have no initiative. Even if the trade market is set up only 80 miles away from Xifengkou, it is a matter that can be decided by one word here.

Relatively speaking, the impact of looting on trade is naturally within a controllable range.

Zhu Yijun nodded and said, "Kuanhe belongs to the Haihe River Basin and flows out to Bohai via Luanhe River. If we open a trade, it will be much more convenient than Xuanda for both bulk goods and personnel exchanges."

"In this case, why not expand the trade?"

"While keeping the Duoyan Guards in check, we can also prosper the people on the northern border."

Zhu Yijun's words were meaningful.

Now that the hot battle is over, how can we not follow up with the subsequent financial battle?

Wang Chonggu, who was the highest-ranking official among contemporary businessmen and the best official in business, seemed to have some insights after hearing the emperor's words.

He put on an expression that showed he had a business mind, frowned, tapped his chin, and began to ponder.

Seeing this, Gu Huan at the side hesitated and interrupted, "Your Majesty, if you do this... you may be suspected of aiding the enemy."

The scale of the Xuanda Trade was only enough to allow the three nobles with ten thousand households to live a good life, and the slaves could only get a bite of soup to keep themselves from starving.

If the scale is expanded further, there will inevitably be concerns about raising a tiger that may become a threat.

Zhu Yijun shook his head: "Gu Qing, you are worrying too much. Let's talk business."

Altan Khan had elite troops and powerful generals, and he was sincere in asking for the pot and cloth, so the imperial court had to agree even if it meant suffering a loss.

But Zhu Yijun would not do business at a loss in the trade with Duoyan Wei.

Wang Chonggu thought for a while, and finally responded: "Your Majesty, perhaps, we can follow Bansheng's example, where Han and Yi people live together and open up the market."

Zhu Yijun was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly clapped his hands and applauded: "Mr. Wang, you have a very insightful opinion!"

"Since the Three Guards of Duoyan have spread out everywhere, isn't it the right time for them to take charge of this matter?"

It is pronounced as "kaibashi sanye" and written as "sanfang fenshi".

But this is not important. What is important is that Wang Chonggu’s proposal was very good. In addition to fighting the economic battle, it also gave Zhu Yijun a reminder.

If we can use this to train some guides and promote national integration, wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?
As a highland of East Asian culture, how can we not export something?

Great unification is not just about military and economics. Cultural unification is also an indispensable part.

Who says that Mongolians cannot take the imperial examination? Of course, only after the tribe has been thoroughly liquidated, will Zhu Yijun consider granting this qualification. As for extra points, forget it.

Seeing the emperor's intense reaction and quick agreement, Shi Maohua and Gu Huan, who had no say in the matter, could only look at each other, puzzled and wondering what he was so excited about.

Although Wang Chonggu proposed it, he still expressed his position cautiously: "Your Majesty, let's discuss it in court."

"This move involves discussing the collection of commercial taxes and levies for the Kuanhe Mutual Trade, which must be reviewed by the Ministry of Revenue. In order to absorb the mixed population of Han and Yi people, the three judicial departments may have to consider leniency towards the Han people who have fled. In addition, how to defend the border troops, whether to set up a thousand-household unit, and how to educate the Mongolians who are under control..."

"The matter involves multiple departments, and we still need to pool our wisdom." Zhu Yijun was not in a hurry. Instead, he was very satisfied with Wang Chonggu's calm demeanor.

He nodded approvingly: "This matter indeed needs to be fully discussed. I will convey Lord Wang's opinion to the regular court for discussion later."

"Oh, right? Let Hu Shouren escort Chang Ang and his sons to the capital immediately so we can discuss this together."

Duoyanwei is not only a trading party in the mutual trade, but also serves as an external channel for the Kuanhe Free Trade Zone.

Since he plays an important role, he must make sure Chang Ang deeply understands the spirit of the meeting - it doesn't matter if he doesn't understand it, Chang Ang has many sons, there will always be one who is willing to understand.

Wang Chonggu quickly bowed and responded, "Your Majesty is wise and wise!"

Then the four of them discussed other matters.

For example, we could appease the Tuman Khan a little, while at the same time strengthening our defenses to prevent him from becoming angry and ignoring the overall situation.

For example, he sent a letter to the Inner Khalkha Wanhu who occupied Taining and Fuyu, explaining the whole story and stating that their affiliation would not change.

By the time all the discussions were finished, it was already noon.

Wang Chonggu and others stood up and left.

The emperor invited the three to stay for lunch, but Wang Chonggu and Shi Maohua declined politely on the grounds of official business. Gu Huan wanted to stay, but seeing this, he had no choice but to leave as well.

Zhu Yijun couldn't help but curl his lips when he saw that even the emperor and his subjects had a meal together.

He felt bored, so he packed up and went back to Wanshou Palace for dinner.

When we walked out of Chengguang Hall, the sun was shining brightly and there was no cloud in the sky.

Since the beginning of summer, there has been a hint of heat.

A group of people walked on the imperial road.

"Otomo, have the rules for selecting a concubine been drawn up?"

On the way back to the palace, Zhu Yijun casually asked about things that needed his attention recently.

Naturally, it was not the emperor's turn to interfere in matters such as selecting a concubine.

The age, scope, and process were all drafted by the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department, and then approved by the two palaces. The emperor did not even have the right to know.

However, rules are just rules.

Zhang Hong heard this without any hesitation and blurted out: "The reply to Your Majesty has been drafted."

"First, select ladies aged 13 to 16 from all over the country, and the officials will hire them with silver coins. Their parents will send them off, and 5,000 people will gather in the capital to be selected for family background."

"Then the eunuchs looked at them one by one, and removed a thousand of those who were a little short, a little fat, or a little thin; removed another thousand of those whose voices were a little louder, a little weaker, a little hoarse, and a little gluttonous; removed another thousand of those whose wrists were a little shorter, their toes were a little bigger, and their behavior was a little frivolous; the rest were carefully selected, and in a secret room they were able to feel their breasts, smell their armpits, and touch their skin texture. Only three hundred were left to enter the palace, and were selected again for their appearance."

"These three hundred people were carefully examined by the two palaces for their personalities and words, and their character, gentleness, stupidity, wisdom and virtue were evaluated. Fifty were selected as concubines, and the final selection was based on their personalities."

"As for the selection of the queen, it will be up to your majesty to decide."

As Zhu Yijun listened, he couldn't help but have a strange look on his face.

What variety show?

With this set of procedures, it is no wonder that it takes the emperor more than half a year to get married.

Zhu Yijun could not help but admonish: "Send someone you can trust to look after it, don't send all those corrupt people who bribed the election. If this matter is not done well, I will not take into account your previous contributions and hard work."

He had seen photos of some concubines circulated in later generations, which were extremely ugly.

It would be fine if he could only arrange a political marriage among court officials, but if the quality of the candidates from all over the country was still the same, he would really be angry.

Zhang Hong quickly assured: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will personally monitor this matter."

Zhu Yijun curled his lips. He was not used to the feeling of being taken care of by everyone.

Although the Youth League Committee, the Trade Union, and the Organization Department took turns to introduce me to each other in the previous life, they got married after being together for some years - after all, I helped the girl move a few refrigerators at the Justice Bureau, and we helped her receive released prisoners.

Zhu Yijun put away his wild thoughts, shook his head, and asked again: "How is the date arranged?"

Zhang Hong answered fluently: "Your Majesty, the initial plan is to have an audition on Christmas Day in August, enter the palace in September, and select concubines in November."

He paused and lowered his voice: "The two ladies mean that Your Majesty should get married next spring."

Zhu Yijun calculated the time.

It is the beginning of summer now, and until next spring, that will be nine months.

This is indeed fast. Places like Yunnan and Hainan, which take half a year to travel, are definitely not as fast as Shanghai.

If you want to go faster, you will inevitably appear to be in a hurry.

Zhu Yijun nodded: "That's it, no need to change it."

Zhang Hong quickly responded.

Seeing that the emperor did not speak again, he said something else: "Your Majesty, Li Kun asked the Imperial Academy today to resign from his position as an editor and to be appointed as a local governor."

Zhu Yijun couldn't help but smile when he heard this.

As expected of someone who can be enshrined in Confucius Temple in later generations, he is indeed sensible.

Among the thirty-eight Confucian scholars in the west wing of the Confucius Temple, Li Kun - who had changed his name back to Lü Kun at that time - was ranked after Wang Yangming, so he was certainly not an ordinary person.

As soon as this kid entered Beijing, Zhu Yijun immediately took notice of him.

Of course, in addition to his academic achievements, he is also a man of practical work.

The "Xiangjia Law" was created when he was a county magistrate.

This person can be said to be an unsurpassed figure in the theory of grassroots governance in later generations - he can be regarded as a feudal version of Liang Shuming.

Now Zhu Yijun's arrangement of his people is naturally to make the best use of them.

He waved his hand and said, "I have already informed Wang Xilie. Let him study in the Hanlin Academy for half a year first."

The central government's policies and strategies must be instilled in people, otherwise they will easily act like a headless fly when they go to the local places.

Furthermore, the cabinet and the Ministry of Rites officials must ensure that the teacher-student relationship is properly established.

As they were talking, the group had already returned to Wanshou Palace.

At this time, someone will naturally go to serve the meal.

Zhu Yijun took off his crown and casually placed it on the table. He walked to the screen and checked the wooden sign to see if there were any unfinished business. "What happened to the last time the court officials requested Wang Yangming to enter the Confucius Temple, but I rejected it?"

Zhang Hong was surprised to hear the emperor's question was so unfamiliar that he didn't know how to answer it.

Li Jin's godson, who was standing by, saw this and quickly stepped forward to answer: "Your Majesty, after Your Majesty rejected the memorial for not understanding the orthodoxy, the Ministry of Rites began to sort out the orthodoxy of Yangming."

"It is said that it was inherited from Confucius and Mencius, Zhou and Zhang, Cheng and Zhu, and Jiuyuan, and later extended and created the current seven sages."

"The two people from the Neo-Confucian school and Wang Shouren's two disciples have already acknowledged this lineage. Only the Kong family is still wrangling with the Ministry of Rites."

Zhu Yijun saw that Zhang Hong was clueless and the people from the East Factory listed everything in detail, and he realized that it was another matter in the palace.

But he would not interfere with such trivial matters.

He put down the wooden sign on the screen and said in amazement: "The Kong family... let him enter the capital, isn't it just for the sake of orthodoxy?"

"Everyone knows the truth, but if they still dare to wait for a higher price, they may be asking for trouble."

The orthodoxy must be correct.

This step can be said to be easy, but crucial.

Why does Taoism claim to be the continuation of the Confucian tradition that was interrupted thousands of years ago?
It was to destroy the lifeline of all Confucian doctrines after the Qin Dynasty.

What is the saying of "rejecting all schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone"? It is just that Huang-Lao's teachings are not as good as Confucianism's, and they are just in a different shell.

What is the connection between heaven and man, the great unified wheel? It is nothing but Dong Zhongshu's commentary on the Six Classics.

In short, these are all heterodoxies that are merely clinging to Confucianism.

To understand true Confucianism, one must look at Taoism.

The orthodoxy of Confucianism lies in Taoism, so how is the Taoist orthodoxy passed down today?

This is what is urgently awaiting a conclusion, both inside and outside the government.

Fortunately, after the hardest part is over, it’s just a matter of going through a process.

Once this process is completed, it is time to begin a new chapter in Confucian philosophy.

Zhu Yijun snorted in his heart. What if he encounters an astrological or solar eclipse in the future? Will he be asked to pray for blessings and repent again?
Thinking of this, Zhu Yijun instructed Zhang Hong: "Send an imperial decree to have Duke Yansheng enter the Ministry of Rites to discuss the Yangming Daotong."

Zhang Hong quickly responded: "I will go right away."

After saying that, he lowered his head, bowed, and slowly backed out.

……

After Zhu Yijun went over what was on the screen, he felt that he had finished dealing with today's affairs.

Lunch was served just in time.

What is different from the table of eight dishes in the sixth year of Longqing's reign, when Grohe was so moved, is that now the rule has been changed to eleven dishes.

There was no other way. At that time, I was eating alone, so it didn’t matter if I ate less.

Since the beginning of this year, Zhu Yijun has either eaten with court officials or returned to Wanshou Palace to eat with Li Xianshi. Without variety, it is easy to encounter dishes that are all his dislike.

But, here comes the question.

As an emperor, he had no worries about food. He could add a few more dishes as he pleased, even if it was just like Taizu, with 27 dishes for a meal.

But it may not be so easy for the common people. Now it is summer, and I have heard reports from some counties and prefectures that the swallows have not yet returned to their nests, and the people are dragging their feet and are unwilling to start spring planting.

Little Ice Age...

Zhu Yijun felt sad that things would become increasingly difficult in the future.

I guess we have to think of a way to deal with farming.

"But the cooking skills of the Imperial Kitchen Supervisor are not pleasing to Your Majesty? Is it hard to swallow?"

Zhu Yijun was thinking about something when he suddenly heard Li Baiyang calling him.

He came back to his senses and explained gently: "No, I was just thinking about something."

Li Baiyang looked at the emperor suspiciously.

To be honest, the dishes cooked by the Shangshenjian were not delicious, at least much worse than what she ate at home.

She thought the emperor was covering up for her, and immediately asked, "Your Majesty, can I cook dinner?"

Zhu Yijun glanced at Li Baiyang and said, "You are the one cooking. You are the great chef Li Fugui, right?"

It’s enough to cook one or two meals occasionally. If the concubines in the harem are given the authority to cook regularly, you never know when some slow-cooking seasonings will be added.

But this just reminded him.

He smiled at Li Baiyang and said, "You don't have to cook, but Concubine Li can put some effort into the ingredients."

Li Baiyang was stunned: "Ingredients?"

Zhu Yijun nodded and said seriously: "You must know that the harem has the responsibility of encouraging agriculture and mulberry cultivation..."

He paused and said, "Selectwoman Li, are you going to plant potatoes?"

(End of this chapter)