Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

Coming out of Fengtian Hall, it was snowing all the way in the palace, covering the ground with white. From the palace in the distance, there were faint sounds of bells and songs, which were the sounds of the palace ladies rehearsing the New Year celebrations.

In the blink of an eye, the vigorous first year of Yongle seems to be passing.

There are not many people walking on the road, because everyone is busy with what they are doing. These days, due to the dual reasons of the imperial examination and the imperial inspection, the various yamen are getting busier and busier, and the military and political focus of the Ming Dynasty is about to move north. In order to completely eliminate the Qin and Jin vassals, the warlike emperor beat the Mongols, and even punished the Jurchens and beat the Koreans. The emperor often summoned important ministers from the DPRK and the Central Government to the Fengtian Palace to discuss countermeasures. And now It just so happened that the war in Northern Xinjiang was about to become tense, which also caused the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion to become even busier.

Everyone knows that this winter may not be easy to get through.

But the good news is that the Ming Dynasty's southern front is now in peace. Annan and Champa have surrendered. Under the command of five-star general Li Jinglong, the east and west armies are stationed in the newly ceded land of the Chief Envoy of Cochin by the Annan Kingdom. The rest of the troops on the Ming Dynasty had withdrawn from Guangxi and Yunnan, and Chen Tianping also successfully took the throne of Annan with the help of Ming Dynasty.

"National Division."

When they arrived near the Wulong Bridge in the Imperial City, Zhuo Jing and Xia Yuanji said almost in unison when they saw that the duty room of the Sixth Department was about to arrive and they parted ways.

"You first."

Again in unison.

Jiang Xinghuo probably guessed what was going on and said, "I'll go to the Ministry of Rites first, and then the Ministry of Husbandry."

Xia Yuanji nodded, and Jiang Xinghuo followed Old Man Zhuo into the Ministry of Rites.

Zhuo Jing sat down, made Jiang Xinghuo a cup of tea in a leisurely manner, and then sat down.

"You don't want to drink?"

"As I get older, I don't like drinking anymore."

Zhuo Jing smiled and twirled his silver beard, looked at Jiang Xinghuo and said.

Jiang Xinghuo looked at the tea cup suspiciously. The tea looked fine and the water looked fine, so what was the problem?

"There's something wrong with your eyes."

"Ahem, I have a granddaughter."

"Let's get down to business." Jiang Xinghuo said angrily.

I regard you as a comrade-in-arms, but you want to be my grandfather?

Zhuo Jing laughed sarcastically and got down to business without blushing: "Two things. The first thing is the prisoner gift from the Hu family and his son. The emperors, princes, and emperors of the puppet Yu Dynasty, all the prisoners have returned. , I took the land route for safety reasons, but I can get to Nanjing early next year, so I have to decide what to do about this matter, draw up regulations and report to His Majesty; the second thing is the division of the Chief Envoy of Cochin. How to determine the border guard station in Xingdusi? It is under the control of the Fifth Army Governor's Office and we have no control over it, but these two enemies, Li Zhigang and Huang Fu, are still mere commanders."

"Prison gift? Doesn't Ming Dynasty have any?" This really asked about Jiang Xinghuo's knowledge blind spot.

The Ming Dynasty did not have such a thing as a prisoner gift. In fact, in the seventh month of the first year of Hongwu, Lao Zhu issued an edict to determine military rituals. So the ministers of Zhongshu Province at that time worked with Confucian scholars to study the old regulations of the past dynasties and come up with various clauses. payment.

Zhuo Jing muttered slowly: "In the Zhou system, the emperor's personal conquests are similar to God's. They are suitable for large shrines, built in ancestral temples, worshiped in the places where they were conquered, and offered sacrifices across mountains and rivers. When the master returns, he will give tribute to the prisoners and present them to the temple. Later generations also had the system of announcing and announcing the announcement. If a general was sent out to the army, he would be given a festival ax and an announcement would be made to the temple. He would offer sacrifices and flags before proceeding. In the Song Dynasty, there was also a ritual of offering sacrifices to King Wu Cheng. When he returned, he would give a tribute to the prisoners, and then the emperor would Reward according to merit. It is determined to be the etiquette of personally conquering and sending generals."

"As for the specific ceremony, it's actually quite simple. The musicians played a song of victory, and then His Majesty led the generals to line up outside the south gate of the Ancestral Temple and the north gate of the Grand Shrine. Then he asked the Ministry of Punishment to read out the charges against the prisoners. The presiding officer was outside the door. The ritual of offering sacrifices is the same as the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the emperor. After finishing the work at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, he went back to the Meridian Gate, where the prisoners were offered. During this period, the military triumphant music will still be played, His Majesty will wear a heavenly crown and a crimson gauze robe, and he will give a congratulatory speech at the Meridian Gate. All the officials in formal court uniforms will bow four times, and then it will be over."

"You have all this, what do you want me to say?" Jiang Xinghuo became more and more puzzled.

Isn’t this what you put here and here?

Zhuo Jing coughed and told the whole story: "But this thing has never been used in the Hongwu Dynasty. We are now in the Yongle Dynasty. We have neither experience nor do we know whether the talisman is in line with His Majesty's taste."

Jiang Xinghuo: "???"

After the founding of the Ming Dynasty and the first year of Hongwu, we fought so many battles and captured so many enemy princes and nobles. Are you telling me that you have never used prisoner gifts?

After Zhuo Jing's explanation, Jiang Xinghuo finally understood what was going on.

In fact, although the Hongwu Dynasty formulated a prisoner dedication ceremony, it never held a prisoner sacrifice ceremony. Lao Zhu directly refused the only two opportunities.

The first time to offer prisoners was in the third year of Hongwu. Lao Zhu asked General Xu Da and Li Jinglong's father Li Wenzhong to divide their troops into two groups and go to the north of the Great Wall to conquer the remaining Yuan Dynasty. At that time, Emperor Shun of the Yuan Dynasty was dead, and his son Aiyou Shilida During this battle, Cao Guogong Li Wenzhong led an army thousands of miles to attack Yingchang. In the style of Wei and Huo, he captured Li Bala, the direct prince of the Bei Yuan Emperor, as well as hundreds of concubines, maids, kings, generals and officials. , was sent to the capital, which was an out-and-out victory. At that time, many courtiers advocated buying Libala and offering the prisoners to the Ancestral Temple. However, due to some factors, Lao Zhu did not carry out the prisoner level. Gao sacrifices prisoners.

"Some factors?" Jiang Xinghuo asked playfully.

"Ahem." Zhuo Jing also said it clearly, "That's what Taizu Emperor Gao said at that time. Although the Yuan Dynasty was barbaric and the Di people came to dominate the Central Plains, within a hundred years, the population would be huge and the family would have enough people. My ancestors and fathers He also enjoys peace in advance. Although there were rituals for presenting prisoners in ancient times, I cannot bear to add them to the ceremony. I only order them to wear customary clothes before going to court. After the court, they will be given Chinese clothes and crowns."

Jiang Xinghuo understood after hearing this. Doesn't Lao Zhu hate the Mongols? It must be hateful, this passage is basically nonsense, and why is it that the most upright thing in a country is to be clear? It’s not because the Ming Dynasty was established by expelling the Tartars and restoring China.

However, specific issues must be analyzed in detail. In the context of this era, Lao Zhu was on the one hand comprehensively de-Huizing from political, cultural and educational aspects, and on the other hand was the recognition of the orthodox status of the Yuan Dynasty.

The latter point may be difficult for modern people to understand, but in ancient times, the orthodox inheritance between dynasties was very important. At the same time, Lao Zhu also wanted to distinguish the Yuan Dynasty from the Northern Yuan Dynasty. Orthodoxy lies in whether to "take control of the Central Plains", and now It was the Ming Dynasty that ruled the Central Plains in a pan-geographical sense, so the Ming Dynasty was the orthodox one. Lao Zhu's attitude was actually a kind of political game between the two countries.

"What about the second time?"

Zhuo Jing Nianxu recalled: "The second time was in the fourth year of Hongwu after the failure to recruit the Mingsheng separatist forces in Shu. Emperor Taizu Gao ordered Shanhou Tanghe and Yingchuanhou Fu Youde to lead water and land armies to attack Shu. , the land route commander Fu Youde led his division south from Hanzhong, Shaanxi, and went straight to Jiangyou to attack Chengdu. The water route attacked from Hubei, broke Qutang Pass, defeated Kuizhou, and attacked Chengdu from the east. Under a two-pronged approach, King Mingsheng of Shu soon sent an envoy When he begged for surrender, Emperor Taizu Gao of the Ming Dynasty, Taichang Temple, the Hanlin Academy, and the Imperial Academy collectively agreed to formulate a surrender ritual system. At first, it was based on the story of Taizu of the Song Dynasty accepting the surrender of Meng Chang, the Lord of Shu. However, Emperor Taizu Gao did not allow it, indicating that he would be promoted Different from Meng Chang, Meng Chang was extravagant in governing the country, and left matters to his ministers when he was young. Therefore, he only received and appointed Mingsheng as Marquis of Guiyi, gave him a crown, clothes, and a rank in the capital. This was to encourage his ministers to be loyal and gentle. The meaning of distant people."

If you put it this way, things will obviously be difficult to handle.

Difficult? Can we stop doing it? Not very good either.

So after Jiang Xinghuo thought for a while, he pondered Zhu Di's taste. As for Zhu Di, you may say that he is very happy with his achievements and is not objective. Zhu Di is quite pragmatic. Don't worry about what he does. He has a strong purpose and is clearly pursuing profits. He came here, but it’s not wrong to always think about making unparalleled achievements, and he is the emperor soon. Even if he doesn’t say it on the surface, he definitely wants to do something grand in his heart, so he will be the emperor soon. Showing martial arts.

"I think it should be done in a grand manner, and there is another consideration."

Jiang Xinghuo whispered: "We must intimidate the enemy."

"So the focus should be on two aspects. The first is that the etiquette should take a long time. It is not just a single day, but should be done over several days. It cannot be done hastily in one day."

Zhuo Jing was thoughtful. He did not have a deep study of the etiquette system. He could only say that he had dabbled in it. The matter of presenting prisoner gifts was the first major event after he took over from Li Zhigang as the Minister of Rites, so he paid special attention to it. But no matter what, it seems that in the past, prisoner gifts were given on one day?

"I've never heard of a prisoner presentation ceremony lasting several days."

Jiang Xinghuo knocked on the tea cup: "Isn't it available now?"

Zhuo Jing's train of thought obviously still hadn't opened up: "The prisoner sacrifice can be completed in one day, so what are you doing during the rest of the time?"

Jiang Xinghuo thought for a while and said: "The first day is still the same. The procedures are followed at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. On the second day, the opening ceremony can be held, and the official of the Ministry of War will read out the promulgation. On the third day, the celebration ceremony will be held. Everything else is as before. The same thing will do, but when the prisoners are presented at the Meridian Gate, we can make it a little more lively and allow the people to watch the power of our army."

"So good!"

Zhuo Jing's wrinkled brows finally relaxed. He couldn't discuss this kind of thing with others. Who should he discuss it with? Wang Jing went home, Song Li? This guy's business ability is even worse, and he is still in Lianghuai, and Zhuo Jing is too embarrassed to ask Mr. Dong Lun, who is also an official at home, for advice.

And now the plan Jiang Xinghuo gave him was obviously very good and should be more in line with Emperor Yongle's taste.

So Zhuo Jing roughly sketched out the process on paper, "Go to the Fengtian Gate, the Hu family and his son will kneel down outside the Meridian Gate and go in to wait for the guilty watch. The attendant will hold the watch and the announcer will read out the official announcement. The Hu family, father and son, all prostrated themselves on the ground, and the attendants raised their heads. All the subordinate officials knelt down to listen to the announcement of the system. The superiors excused their sins. The Hu family, father and son, etc. bowed five times and shouted long live three times. The officials who took over the ceremony handed down the system and gave them clothes and crowns. He was led, and the attendants led him into Danqi, where he bowed four times, and the envoys delivered the edict. The Hu family and his son knelt down again to listen to the edict. They bowed four times and called long live the three times. They bowed four more times and went out. Hundreds of civil and military officials paid their congratulations."

"The second thing is the division of the Chief Envoy of Cochin. The Hu family and his son have successively made roads and commanded the mansion. It is really annoying to have many layers. How to sort it out, the national adviser also has to check it."

Jiang Xinghuo finally experienced the pleasure of drawing Ying and Falangxi colonists in his previous life to draw national boundaries on the map. He looked at the existing administrative division map and mountain and terrain map of Annan and studied it for a moment before giving his own suggestions.

"The area of ​​the Chief Minister's Office of Jiaozhi is not large, and it is smaller than the Chief Minister's Office of Guangxi. After all, it was only ceded from the northern part of Annan Kingdom, so it is not easy to demarcate too many state capitals, but too few is not good either. , let’s compare it with the area of ​​the Ming Dynasty’s palace.”

"I don't think it's better than this. As the line between Jilingguan and Fuliangjiang is an important military area, it must be designated as a separate prefecture. Let's call it Lang Son Prefecture after Lang Son."

"This one on the coast needs to be renamed. How about calling it Xin'an Mansion? It means newly settled place."

"Chen He, that surrendered minister, was called Sanjiang Xuanfu Envoy before, right? This place where the three rivers converge, let's just call it Sanjiang Mansion after Annan."

"The administrative seat of the Chief Envoy of Jiaozhi does not need to be called Jiaozhifu. Well, during the Three Kingdoms period, this place was under the rule of Jiaozhou, so it was called Jiaozhou Prefecture. It has the same meaning and can be distinguished from the Chief Envoy."

"this."

In just a few words, Jiang Xinghuo assigned seven prefectures and one Zhili Prefecture (Taiyuan Zhili Prefecture) to the Chief Secretary of Cochin, fully experiencing what it means to make decisions on the head.

However, the adaptation is not random, and Jiang Xinghuo did not decide it randomly. At least the general divisions are based on the existing roads and commanding mansions in Annan, but some mansions are adjusted according to the mountain topography.

Of course, what Jiang Xinghuo drew was just a draft for reference. Zhuo Jing would definitely have to consider this draft in conjunction with some other factors, and finally draw up a similar final draft and give it to Emperor Yongle for review.

However, the two unresolved matters were finally resolved.

I don't know whether Zhuo Jing is lazy or Jiang Xinghuo is really capable. In short, the moment he walked out of the etiquette department's duty room, Jiang Xinghuo actually remembered a joke.

"Can the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty be transferred to Xiao Ge Lao? It's just a matter of holding on."

However, this thought was fleeting. Jiang Xinghuo knew very well how empty his power base was, so he came to the Ministry of Revenue in a low-key manner.

"Master Jiang."

Xia Yuanji's expression was not as hesitant as Zhuo Jing's, and he came forward with a very relaxed posture.

After the two sat down, Xia Yuanji laughed out loud.

"What a relief, what a relief!"

Before Jiang Xinghuo could speak, Xia Yuanji presented the account book with excitement.

Jiang Xinghuo looked at the account book and was slightly surprised. For no other reason than this number is really big!

"Master Jiang, don't you know that for the past six months, I have been spending money like running water, repairing the "Yongle Dadian", providing disaster relief in the south of the Yangtze River, building handicraft workshops, and conquering Annan? It's not just my hair. It was all white, and even the household department was almost losing money. Fortunately, with the case of the Salt Envoy Division, not only was the warehouse (approximately equal to the national treasury) immediately rich, but it could also afford next year's military expenditures and manufacturing. Ship fees and rewards from the feudal lord."

In the first half of the first year of Yongle, Xia Yuanji was really under a lot of pressure. He only spent money but did not make money, and the warehouse was full of rats.

Jiang Xinghuo took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "I heard from Xu Jingchang that a large number of cotton textiles have been shipped in batches from Jiangnan. Those from Annan Kingdom are shipped to Qinghua Port, and those from Champa Kingdom are shipped to Tuohuang Port (Xianang). Hong Kong), but the dumping is not that fast, and it will take some time to recover the capital, but no matter what, the funds advanced by the Ministry of Household Affairs to the Jiangnan Handicraft Factory District next year will definitely be recovered."

Although everything is bumpy now, everything is officially on track, and Jiang Xinghuo is in a good mood. Although there are definitely a lot of small things, but by the end of the first year of Yongle, the only major things left are Beijing inspection, law examination, and actions. Yinzi's various yamen's purchasing rights matter.

Following Xia Yuanji's expenditures for the second year of Yongle just now, Jiang Xinghuo continued: "The shipbuilding matter cannot be postponed, and the funds must keep up. The old monk has won no less before, so it is best to allocate more. Shipbuilding is so cheap. , why not make more?”

Xia Yuanji nodded, not having any objections to ship building.

The reason is simple. It is really cheap to build warships in this era.

Compared with the ironclad era, there is no need for steam engines, special steel or naval guns.

The gun can be directly modified with the army's field gun, and it can be put directly on the ship. There are also many shipyards and skilled craftsmen, and the labor cost is only a fraction.

The only thing that limits production capacity is the large wood that can be used as the keel.

At this time, we have to thank Lao Zhu for his foresight.

Although Lao Zhu continued to promote the maritime ban policy from the time he ascended the throne to his death, Lao Zhu was really serious about building warships, not just ordinary ones.

Why?

It’s not the Battle of Poyang Lake PDST yet.

The burning of Red Cliff in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is based on this model.

Lao Zhu set fire to Chen Youliang's huge fleet, but it is undeniable that when Chen Youliang came with this invincible fleet to cover the sky, Lao Zhu was really under pressure at that time, and almost felt that he Wang Tu’s hegemony must be completely GG.

From then on, Lao Zhu began to vigorously build a navy. Objectively speaking, the level of the Ming Dynasty's navy in both the Yangtze River and the coastal areas was good. It was almost impossible to go to the ocean, but there was no problem in offshore defense.

Due to the relatively tight financial situation in the middle and late Hongwu Dynasty, Lao Zhu basically stopped the construction of the navy. However, Lao Zhu never failed to reserve large trees. This is also one of the precious assets he left to future emperors. .

Because of this, in the history of Jiang Xinghuo's previous life, the Yongle Dynasty was able to quickly build a huge Zheng He fleet from scratch, which included both existing stocks and considerable increments.

Now, even if the major shipyards are at full power, it will take several years to rely on the large timber reserves. With sufficient financial support, it will be enough to build the world's first navy.

"Where is Zheng He?"

As a close inmate, Xia Yuanji took the time to care about Zheng He, who had not heard from him for a long time.

"The ship was repaired at Thanh Hoa Port in Annan and replenished with fresh water, fruits and vegetables. Now it is estimated that it has landed in Luzon, right?"

Of course, the Age of Discovery did not happen overnight. Just like playing a game, you must first explore the surrounding maps and then explore the distant fog of war areas.

Jiang Xinghuo's three-ring diplomacy plan has now basically taken shape. Forty to five percent of the first ring has been settled, while Zheng He needs to continue exploring the next two rings.

As for my first voyage to the West, well, the time I went to dig out bird droppings in a stone pond thousands of miles away doesn't count. I didn't even leave the country that time.

Jiang Xinghuo’s goal for Zheng He’s first voyage to the West was not high. The ultimate goal was to control the Strait of Malacca, which is now Malacca. Of course, Zheng He might also face challenges in the process. An inevitable obstacle is the current pirate king of Southeast Asia - Chen Zuyi.