Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

By the time Jiang Xinghuo arrived at the palace, it was already approaching dusk.

At this time, Zhu Di, who had "recovered" in the palace, was sitting on the couch with his younger brother, King Zhou Zhu, chatting about family matters.

"There is no fire pit in the palace. I'm really not used to it in winter."

Zhu Di laughed loudly after hearing this. They are actually both southerners and have lived in the south since childhood. However, after being crowned king, they spent more than ten years in Kaifeng and Peiping, and they have long been accustomed to the life of northerners.

In today's Ming Dynasty, the heated kang is not universally popular, but only exists in areas in the north where the Hu Feng legacy is severe. Similar heating methods have appeared in China for a long time, but they have never become popular. Instead, they were introduced to Goryeo in the Tang Dynasty. , is generally popular in Goryeo. "New Tang Book: Goryeo Biography" records that "in the winter months, a long kang was made, with a warm fire burning under it." After the Mongols conquered Goryeo during the Eastern Expedition, this heating method was favored by the Mongols, and It was brought back to the Yuan Dynasty, and then became popular among the Mongolian nobles in the north.

Exporting to domestic sales is a yes.

As for why it is popular among nobles, it is naturally because the fire pit requires a lot of fuel. It is difficult for the common people in this era to obtain such a large amount of fuel throughout the winter. Usually the family gathers around the fire pot to keep warm.

The fire kang in the north and the earth dragon in the south have become exclusive to the powerful and wealthy families.

For example, in the Fengtian Palace, there are long underground pipes laid underneath, similar to modern floor heating. Most of the main palaces have fire tunnels dug under the ground, and then the entrance is under the corridor outside the palace, and the fire is heated externally. The heat is transferred to the ground through the fire tunnel.

But to be honest, a smaller palace is okay. In a top-scale palace like Fengtian Palace, the heat from the earth dragon is really not enough. For the people in the palace, it is really not as warm as a fire kang.

Didn’t you see that King Zhou Zhu’s nose was turning white right now?

"Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the King of Zhou."

"The Imperial Master is here."

"National Preceptor." Zhou Wang Zhu Ru nodded.

It was still the familiar little Jindun, but this time it was probably because the weather was cold, so he put on a thick cotton pad with a silk cover, and Jiang Xinghuo sat on it.

There are chairs in the palace, but those chairs are not designed to make people sit comfortably at all. They are just used to show the emperor's favor. People sit on them without leaning on all sides. If you want to lean on them carelessly, your knees must be in the air. , you can reach the back of the seat in a posture that is almost "up", so Jiang Xinghuo chose Xiaodunzi.

"Now the city of Nanjing has begun to switch to coal. Coal is sold cheaper than charcoal. It is really beneficial to the people. It all depends on the national teacher!" Zhu Di praised with a smile.

"Your Majesty's good governance."

Zhu Di seemed very interested and accepted happily.

Obviously, the examination method was done well, and the results were seen. It was like getting a bite of a carrot hanging in front of the donkey, but the donkey ran dozens of laps like crazy for this, and the mill owner must be happy.

"Do the earth dragons in this palace also use coal?" Zhou Wang Zhu Ru asked curiously.

"no."

Zhu Di explained: "People use braziers or stoves to keep warm. The structure of the earth dragon in the palace is different. It is designed to use charcoal. If coal is used instead, it cannot be used directly, and the entire pipeline must be modified."

"That's troublesome."

King Zhu Zhu of Zhou nodded slightly, and then suddenly said: "If Your Majesty wants to build Beijing and expand the original Yan Palace, it is better to directly use coal. Anyway, I heard that Beijing, Hebei, Liaodong, and Shanxi all have coal mines. From now on, It is convenient to use coal, so we must use coal.”

"Yes, I was just about to say this."

Zhu Di followed the topic and said: "I want to name the imperial palace in Beijing, but it is really difficult. Why don't you think about it for me, brother Wang and the imperial master? Both of them are knowledgeable and talented."

This is true. Needless to say, Jiang Xinghuo, King Zhou Zhu is also one of the few sons of Lao Zhu who is eager to learn. Moreover, Zhu is good at poetry and poetry. He has written hundreds of chapters of "Yuan Gong Ci" and is quite knowledgeable about medicine. Research achievements, organized and compiled medical works such as "Baosheng Yulu", "Pocket Prescriptions", "Puji Prescriptions", "Famine Relief Materia Medica" and other medical works. Not to mention other things for the moment, the "Famine Relief Materia Medica" currently being compiled is really high-level, and it has won the later The kind that Li Shizhen approves of.

“I can’t think of a good name right now.”

King Zhu Zhu of Zhou pondered for a moment, then raised his head and asked tentatively: "The ancient kings chose to establish a country in the world, and chose a neutral palace for the country. According to the "Book of the Later Han", it is said that there is Ziwei Palace in the sky, which is the place of God. In order to achieve the unity of heaven and man, the stars in the sky correspond to the planning of the capital. Since the emperor on earth is the emperor, his residence should symbolize the Ziwei Palace, the residence of the Emperor of Heaven. Ziwei Palace is the residence of the emperor. Ziwei Yuan is the middle wall of the three star palaces in the sky (Taiwei, Ziwei, Tianshi). It is located in the center of the north sky. It is called the Zhonggong. There is a saying that "Ziwei is in the middle", so it was the palace city of Luoyang City in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. It’s called Ziwei City, and its city resembles Ziwei Palace, so it’s named after that. Why not just follow the old system of the Sui and Tang Dynasties and call it Ziwei City?”

After hearing this, Zhu Di did not hide anything, but shook his head displeasedly.

"No, I don't need the unity of heaven and man."

Zhou Wang Zhu Di was startled at first, and then became speechless. This was Zhu Di's displeasure, but he didn't think of it at first.

As my biological brother, he did not want to be emperor in the human world, but wanted to be a holy king, so naturally he did not need any heavenly connection, and the palace did not need to correspond to the Ziwei Palace of the Emperor of Heaven.

Jiang Xinghuo blurted out at this time: "Why don't you change the word."

"Change a word? Change which word?"

"Ziwei City was changed to the Forbidden City."

Jiang Xinghuo explained: "The poem by Yan Yan of the Southern Dynasty Song Dynasty is "The Imperial Guard Guards the Forbidden City"; the poem by Zhang Ji of the Tang Dynasty is "The east wind approaches the Qingming Festival, and chariots and horses are vying to fill the Forbidden City"; the poem of Yao He of the Tang Dynasty is "Hundreds of officials pay homage to the Forbidden City". The forbidden city mentioned refers to the emperor's palace, which is extremely dignified and is strictly prohibited from intrusion, so it is called 'forbidden'."

Hearing this, Zhu Di said in shock: "The difference of one word is wonderful!"

Obviously, compared with Ziwei City, the Forbidden City was more favored by Zhu Di. He regarded himself as a holy king, and the palace where he handled government affairs and lived in daily life naturally became the center of the world, a solemn and solemn place. The highest level "forbidden zone" in the world, the word "forbidden" was used very well in his opinion.

Zhou Wang Zhu Ji also laughed loudly and said: "In the past, Jia Dao clashed with Han Yu and got quatrains. Now there is a national teacher who changes the city with one word. It is a good story."

Probably because he knew that although his brother was not an illiterate martial artist, his cultural level was definitely not erudite and he was definitely not that familiar with historical allusions, so Zhu Ru took the initiative to explain: "In the Tang Dynasty, Han Yu was traveling, and there was a man on the street. Riding a donkey and coming towards him, this man not only did not look at the road, but also muttered words in his mouth, and made "pushing" and "knocking" movements with his hands from time to time. He was brought to Han Yu by the guards. This man was the poet Jia Dao. , Jia Dao said that he was considering whether it was better to use 'push' or 'knock' in the poem 'The bird stayed in the tree beside the pond, and the monk knocked on the door under the moon'. Han Yu, who was both an official and a poet, said that it was better to use 'knock'. , the two became good friends, and the word 'deliberation' came out, which is used to describe considering words or meanings."

"It turns out there is such an allusion."

Zhu Di said with great satisfaction: "It seems that the imperial master's thinking is good."

Zhu Di seemed to be in a really good mood today. He even praised Jiang Xinghuo again in front of King Zhou Zhu.

"Brother Wang, I don't know, I have been very tired this year, and now I finally have two days of leisure. But in this court, if we say we are tired, who has the imperial master who is busy here and there? Maybe there are a few, but that's not the case. They are all just for me to see. Even if they are not busy, they may not be able to achieve any results, but the national teacher is different. The achievements made by the national teacher are obvious to all."

This was not easy for Zhou Wang Zhu Di to accept. Even though Zhu Di was his biological brother from the same mother, Zhu Di knew very well that when a person becomes an emperor, he is no longer a human being. There are some things that the emperor can say but he cannot.

Talking is more important than doing things. For example, if the emperor pulls him to sit on the couch, then he can sit side by side with the emperor. The emperor has not seen his brother for a long time, and he really wants to get close to him from the bottom of his heart, but if some words are said side by side, That's going to cause trouble.

But it's not good not to speak. The atmosphere can easily become cold. Zhu Di is in high spirits.

So Zhou Wang Zhu Xi picked up some things that overlapped with Jiang Xinghuo's work and said: "My unlucky little beast sent a letter to his mother, and it is floating in the sea now. Thanks to the Imperial Master, give him a chance , otherwise if he stayed at home, I would have to whip him every day."

"The Prince of Runan County is willing to endure hardship himself."

Zhu Di admired Zhu Youjuan more and thought he was a good man who dared to fight and kill. He did some things against his will under the pressure of Emperor Jianwen, which was not a helpless way to avoid being wiped out.

"Don't keep these things in your mind. Back then, I was forced by that little beast Jianwen to eat pig shit in the pig pen and pretend to be crazy." Zhu Di patted Zhou Wang Zhu Ju next to him and said.

Zhu Di, who became the emperor from King Yan, has never been stingy about sharing his arduous struggle with his subordinates, just like many successful people are keen to recall the hard times in the past.

It's just that Zhu Di didn't just endure hardship. In order to survive and buy time to accumulate strength and build armor, he really pretended to be crazy and ate pig shit.

From this point of view, it is reasonable for a ruthless person like Zhu Di to win the world, because Zhu Yunwen will definitely not keep his mouth shut.

"Every family has its cupboard."

Zhou Wang Zhu Ju said this.

Zhu Di also knew that the other party was not easy to answer, so he did not dwell on this topic anymore and said instead: "In short, thanks to the national teacher, I have achieved such achievements in the first year after I ascended the throne. Scholars, farmers, industry and commerce, all fields can be achieved." They all have great development. Ming Dynasty has a bright future."

Jiang Xinghuo raised his eyebrows. The big blood-sucking bug usually wouldn't praise others so wildly. In this situation, he usually asked for help.

really.

Zhu Di turned his head and said to Jiang Xinghuo: "Master, you also know that I will conquer the world immediately, but I am really not good at governing the world now. If it is left to those gentry, I will be even more worried, with the Master watching Come on, I’m relieved.”

"So, now that the New Year has passed, the civil affairs side of the capital inspection has been settled, and the military reform of the three major battalions on the military side has been completed, I plan to take the three major battalions north to fight against the Tatars to protect the spring plowing. At that time, we will have to leave matters in the south to you and Chi'er."

Zhu Di's logic of going out to the fortress to protect spring plowing would be outrageous if applied to ordinary people. When a large army goes out to the fortress, a large number of civilians are needed to provide logistical support, and deploying civilians will inevitably delay spring plowing.

But if you put it on Zhu Di, it's quite normal.

Since the Tatar tribe was so arrogant last year, attacking the 30,000 guards in Liaodong from the east and the west, and entering the grass-grazing valley at Shuikou, Ningchuan, Zhu Di would definitely not let them go.

"Where should I hit it? The gag or the water mouth?"

There is a story behind this question from King Zhu Zhu of Zhou Dynasty. On February 23rd of the 29th year of Hongwu, King Zhu Quan of Ning reported to Lao Zhu, "The cavalry patrolling the fortress nearby saw some stray radiation left on the road. I am afraid that the foreign soldiers are coming and going." There is a danger of border invaders." Lao Zhu believed that "the Hu people are treacherous and show weakness to others, so they will set up an ambush to lure our army. If we send out troops to chase, we may fall into his trap." Lao Zhu was afraid that King Ning himself did not have enough troops, so he let King Zhu Di of Yan selected elite soldiers and strong horses to arrive at Daning and Quanning, and monitored the troops and horses of Beiyuan along the north and south of the river, and coordinated operations with King Ning. The defense area of ​​​​Beiping was left to Zhou Wang Zhu Ji to make up for it. Zhu Ji himself was not good at fighting. The eldest son Zhu Youdun and the second son Zhu Youyi were sent to lead the three guards of Zhou Fan and the elite of the Henan Capital Command Envoy Department to patrol the entrance of Beiping along with Zhu Gaoxu's troops who stayed in Beiping.

Zhou Wang Zhu Ju only knew so much about military affairs, so he could only ask this question.

"There must be a water outlet to attack the Mongols." Zhu Di said decisively.

The "mouth" in the place names along the Great Wall generally refers to the natural water mouth or natural passage that passed when the Great Wall was built. The water mouth refers to the Ningchuan water mouth, that is, after the Ningchuan water (later Qingshui River) exits the mountains of Chongli, it ends in Zhangjiakou in later generations. The natural water mouth formed between the East and West Taiping Mountains (called the East and West Mountains in the Ming Dynasty) where the Great Wall passed through at the northern end of the city was built because the Great Wall could not block the natural waterway, so it could only be guarded by garrisoned forts. As time went by, "Zhang" became The local surname was passed down orally and became "Zhangjiakou" among the people.

"If I don't fight for three days, I will go to the house and uncover the tiles. I am no longer in the north. The Mongols have become bolder. If I don't teach them a lesson, they will be hurt by the beating. They will be afraid of the beating and think that my knife is not sharp enough!"

When Zhu Di said he was excited, he stood up and waved his fist vigorously twice.

To be honest, for Zhu Di, living in the deep palace to deal with state affairs and balance factions is not as interesting as riding a horse in person and commanding the army in battle. Over the past year, he has had no choice but to stay in the Nanjing Palace because he had just ascended the throne. , the foundation of rule is unstable, and it is necessary to personally eliminate the opposition forces and change the blood of the temple.

Now that Zhu Di has basically secured the throne, for him, with the system of imperial examination and Beijing inspection being established, and officials having a normal and stable channel for promotion and demotion, he does not need to worry much, and the old forces will slow down. Slowness was replaced by new forces loyal to him.

Whether it is the Ming Dynasty Administrative School or the Imperial College, they are now beginning to teach more practical administrative knowledge, as well as the thoughts of the Holy King who are loyal to him.

In this case, reserve officials were continuously trained, the imperial examination system began to slowly change, and various policies such as agriculture, industry, and economy were steadily advancing, and Ming's national power was increasing day by day. What else did he have to worry about? Woolen cloth?

Without the worries of the past, it is natural to engage in things that make you happy.

For Zhu Di, there is nothing happier than killing people personally.

Jiang Xinghuo not only improved the cotton-steel composite armor with stronger defensive power, but also equipped his army with more powerful firearms and reformed the military system. Now the soldiers and horses are stronger and stronger than ever. It is time to test this through practice. Everything.

"Building the city of Beijing and marching to the north of the Great Wall cost a lot of money."

Jiang Xinghuo didn't feel dissatisfied after hearing this.

Isn’t it just money?

"Your Majesty, don't worry, there will definitely be no shortage of military pay."

"Okay, okay! The Imperial Master understands me!"

Zhu Di smiled brightly. He liked this about Jiang Xinghuo. He was different from other ministers. When other ministers heard that he was going to fight, they would only advise him to think peace is the most important thing. Peace is the most important thing. Peace is achieved through fighting.

And even if his ministers don't persuade him, they will tell him that the country has just ended its civil war. Now its population is scattered, its foundation is very weak, and it cannot afford to fight anymore. In short, it means "no money."

But Jiang Xinghuo would not. Jiang Xinghuo not only supported him in the war, but also did not complain about the lack of money, and would also get him money. The way to get the money was not to scrape the land, which would not damage his rule and reputation.

This is simply the person he needs most!

Jiang Xinghuo also smiled.

Making money, right? Easy, just further expand reforms and develop business.

But developing business is actually digging the foundation of the feudal dynasty.

In other words, he bled the blood-sucking worm, and the blood-sucking worm felt extremely sweet while drinking his own blood, without any feeling of slow death.

"Don't worry, Imperial Master. If there is any objection in the court then, report it to me and I will support you!"

You see, the big blood-sucker has us to thank.

Jiang Xinghuo smiled and nodded.

At this time, Zhou Wang Zhu Xi suddenly tugged on the sleeve of Zhu Di's dragon robe. Zhu Di was stunned for a moment before he reacted, and then said: "By the way, Imperial Master, there is one more thing."

Zhu Di did not hesitate, cleared his throat and said: "You told me before and asked Shenfa Temple to do it. We in the Ming Dynasty did not learn from the Song Dynasty about the "Ji Yang Law" and did not directly interfere with the government's medical affairs. , but we need to plant herbs intensively, right?”

Jiang Xinghuo was stunned. Because there were so many and complicated things at hand at the end of the year, he paid no further attention to this matter after explaining it. Unexpectedly, Zhu Di suddenly mentioned it.

"exactly."

"Brother Wang, please talk to the Imperial Master."

Zhou Wang Zhu Xi said: "That's it. I have always liked to study medicine. Since returning to the vassal state last year, I have organized and continued the compilation of the previously interrupted "Famine Rescue Materia Medica". This book mainly uses edible plants native to Kaifeng." , as well as plants close to Huixian, Xinzheng, Zhongmou, Mi County and other places in northern Henan, southern Shanxi, Taihang Mountains, and Songshan Mountains. Because there are frequent disasters in the Central Plains, people are displaced and often starve to death. This book is not only about recording rice, cereals, beans, etc. In addition to plants, fruits, vegetables and other plants for daily consumption, some poisonous plants that can be eaten through simple processing are summarized so that they can be used to satisfy hunger in times of famine."

Zhu Xi took out a pamphlet and handed it to Jiang Xinghuo. Jiang Xinghuo took it and flipped through it. The first sentence of the pamphlet was, "If you encounter a bad year, look for it according to the picture. It can be found everywhere. Those who have obtained it without difficulty can survive if they eat it according to the law, and this book will also help people's livelihood." The following content is similar to the "New Theory of the Human Body" he taught Huikong, except that this booklet is about plants. Many of the plants collected were not only illustrated but also described in terms of their form, growth environment, and processing and cooking methods.

"In order to compile this book, I first planted the collected wild plants in the garden of the palace, carefully observed them, and confirmed them to be reliable before writing them in the book. I heard His Majesty talk about the intensive planting of herbal medicines before, so I thought We happen to have a team of doctors on hand, why not leave it to them? The king is also very interested in this. If the government's treasury is tight, then the palace will provide the money, which can be considered a good thing that benefits the country and the people."

If leaving other things to the vassal king would increase the vassal king's reputation and threaten his throne, then Zhu Di didn't think it mattered about this kind of research on medicine. For Zhou Wang Zhu Rui, this matter was both in line with him. It was a personal interest and he could really do something for the Ming Dynasty. At present, the government's finances were relatively tight, so he was willing to pay for it himself. Anyway, he also paid to support a team of doctors and grow various plants all year round.

In fact, in the history of Jiang Xinghuo's previous life, "Herbal Materia Medica for Famine Relief" was published in Kaifeng in the fourth year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty. As a flora focusing on local plants and food, it introduced 414 species of plants, each of which The plants are equipped with exquisite woodcut illustrations, among which there are 138 species from the Materia Medica of the past dynasties, and 276 new species, divided into grasses, trees, rice cereals, fruits, vegetables, etc., which are of great academic significance.

Because this book is a special book that records edible wild plants, it not only captures some of the main characteristics of plants, but also uses some easy-to-understand, concise, and accurate botanical terms, which plays an important role in the development of botany. It is also a symbol of the development of Chinese Materia Medica from pharmacology to applied botany. It was reprinted several times in the Ming Dynasty. Many literati and scholars followed suit, and a school of research on wild edible plants was formed.

From this perspective, Zhou Wang Zhu Ju can be regarded as the originator of a school.

"His Royal Highness, King Zhou, is extremely righteous. This is probably the best thing to do!"

When Jiang Xinghuo saw someone willing to take the initiative to work, he naturally agreed. Zhu Di also meant the same thing, so Jiang Xinghuo explained the matter of social relief and herbal cultivation to Zhu Di in detail.

Hearing that the imperial court wanted to encourage and support the establishment of small and micro pharmacies through small subsidies in economic policies, and the medical doctors from pharmacies to go to the countryside to better help the poor who lack medical resources and the population outside the city to see doctors, Zhu Rui even more He nodded repeatedly, indicating that he wanted to test it in Kaifeng first.