The Prosperous Era of Longwan

"I have heard that the captives have been invading for a long time. I am prepared on all sides. If the thieves are a little bit frightened, I can place firearms all over the castles to defend against them. I still stand firm and do not fight, in order to pray for God's protection."

In the Ministry of War, Yang Bo was watching the note from Emperor Jiajing coming from the palace in the duty room, and was also thinking about it silently.

Yang Bo didn't think about why Emperor Jiajing thought about firearms. He also knew that all the castles were equipped with firearms to protect them. However, he had stayed in Xuanda, but he knew that the firearms used by the Ming army were still very sharp, especially on the border. Especially useful in fort defense.

When using firearms, you don't have to worry about the archer being tired and the arrows shot being weak. You can continue fighting as long as there are enough medicine stones.

At first, I tried to get a batch of firearms for Xuanda and Jizhen, but it took a lot of effort to persuade the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry. However, although there were many firearms, after distribution, they were still only a drop in the ocean, and it was simply not enough. use.

He didn't know the details until he arrived in the capital and stationed at the Ministry of War.

First, the court had no money and could not afford to manufacture firearms on a large scale. Second, it was the situation he had encountered before and he needed money to replace firearms from the Ministry of Industry.

It’s funny to say that for things made with money allocated from the tight imperial expenses, the imperial court had to give money to people if they wanted to use them.

However, this is the rule set by the civil service group. For the military pay issued by the Ministry of War, the money has not left the capital. The Ministry of War has already directly withheld it at the time of handover, and he himself will benefit from the profits. You say it? How does he care?

Although the note given by Emperor Jiajing is relatively conservative, it is still a safe approach at present.

As long as the border forts maintain a defensive posture, it will be difficult for the Tatars to gain from border plunder.

With the border fort present, the Tatars did not dare to take a detour and go deep into the interior. After all, the way back was still in the hands of the Ming army.

Thinking about the weather in recent years, Yang Bo certainly didn't think it was the time to use troops. Now the Tatars are raging in Yansui and other places, and the troops are very sharp. Instead of sending troops to fight, it is better to defend the city as His Majesty said.

Come to think of it, General Bian Zhenjun probably thought the same way.

Thinking of this, Yang Bo started writing a memorial on the rice paper on the case.

"I am sorry to say that this year, those who are in the west are planning to move to Xuanyun to lure our soldiers in Jixi. Those in the east are stationed in Liaoyou, in order to spy on our inaction in Jidong. They covet Jidian and want to penetrate deeper. According to the plan, Meng Chen ordered martial law at home and abroad, and the captives invaded Xuanda from the west. Today, it is already cold outside the Great Wall and there is nothing we can do. I will be like the holy edict to pass on to the border officials."

Emperor Jiajing had previously ordered various places to prepare for the invasion of Tatars. In any case, it was consistent with the plan of the Ministry of War. At this time, he naturally wanted to slap the emperor on his ass.

After that, it was natural to say that His Majesty is wise and that firearms are powerful for the defense of the border fortress.

However, Yang Bo was not thinking about a few firearms, but a detailed description of the current distribution of nine-sided firearms.

The important towns in Jiubian are said to be important towns, but they still have priorities. The most important one is naturally Ji Town, followed by Xuanfu and Datong. Their status gradually decreases from east to west, and the distribution of firearms is also the same.

Yang Bo naturally hopes that His Majesty can order a batch of firearms for Jiubian. It would be better if the quantity can be determined.

Yang Bo was good at scheming, and Yan Shifan naturally knew this too. Yan Song's memorial was written by him. Naturally, it was due to financial constraints. He said that there were not many firearms in the warehouse of the Ministry of Works, and it was urgent for the Ministry of Accounts to allocate money to build them. The firearms in the warehouse of the Ministry of Works were urgently needed. All were transferred to the Ministry of War, but the quantity was naturally very small.

The two memorials returned to Emperor Jiajing. Yang Bo's memorial was naturally very pertinent and made him happy, while Yan Song's memorial could only make him frown.

Of course, Emperor Jiajing was not as aware of the court's financial problems as Gao Yao, but he also knew that he would not have too much money, otherwise he would not often delay the salary of Beijing officials.

However, Gao Yao was in charge of the money bag, which made him feel relieved. At least every year, the Ministry of Household Affairs would make plans for military pay in advance, and other expenses would be moved around quickly.

The soldier's pay could not be delayed, and a mutiny would break out if it was delayed, which really gave him a headache.

As for the rest, drag it on if you can.

Now that Yan Song's memorial was poor, Emperor Jiajing naturally believed that the imperial court did not have any extra money to allocate the Ministry of Industry to build firearms.

After thinking for a while, Emperor Jiajing still wrote at the end of the memorial: "Of course, Ji Zhen's firearms were given by the Ministry of Industry in time."

Yes, the most important part of the nine sides is naturally Ji Town. Only with Ji Town's army on his side can Emperor Jiajing feel safe. Since there are insufficient firearms, it is natural to stick to Ji Town and let the other military towns be dealt with first.

Naturally, Wei Guangde and King Yu did not understand the struggle between Xiyuan, the Cabinet, and the Ministry of War. Although they were curious about why the court suddenly valued firearms, they were even less clear about the hidden struggle between the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry. .

Even though the Imperial Procuratorate reported at this time, Yang Bo, Minister of the Ministry of War, had completed his three years in office and was rated as competent and competent in his duties. Emperor Jiajing sent a middle-ranking official to give him sheep wine and treasure notes.

Perhaps because of the recent commotion in the Ministry of War, Yuan Wei couldn't sit still.

Soon, under the supervision of the Ministry of Rites, Qin Tianjian issued the Datong calendar, and the emperor ordered it to be awarded to all ministers.

The Ministry of Rites has reported to each province that the transcripts of this year's rural examinations have been circulated, and I would like to report them to the Emperor for his inspection.

On that day, Shouguang Pavilion was completed, and Yuan Wei, the Minister of Rites, presented a congratulatory message.

The Shouguang Pavilion was built under the supervision of the inner court under the supervision of the Ministry of Industry. Yuan Wei, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, took the lead in celebrating. The purpose was naturally to please Emperor Jiajing. After all, most of the ministers in the court were opposed to the emperor's construction of the Great Gaoxuan Hall and Qianyuan Pavilion. There is quite a bit of criticism in building the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon on the basis of the original Temple of Heaven and Earth in Beijing.

Just in January, not only the Shouguang Pavilion but also the Qingxi Palace were completed. Emperor Jiajing gave great rewards to Yuan Heng, the eunuch who supervised the construction, and officials from the Ministry of Industry.

Now that the Minister of Rites took the lead in congratulating him, Yuan Wei's reputation in the court plummeted.

Regarding this matter, King Yu just shook his head in the palace. As a son, he naturally did not dare to say "no" to what his father wanted to build, but he also looked down upon Yuan Wei.

The confusion and belittling of his colleagues did not affect Yuan Wei's enterprising spirit.

In the 11th month of the 40th year of Jiajing's reign, an edict came from Xiyuan.

"The imperial decree adds Prince Shaobao and Yuan Wei, the Minister of Rites, and the Prince Taibao, and changes the Minister of Hubu and the bachelor of Wuyingdian to join the cabinet as a civil servant."

Yuan Wei entered the cabinet.

When all the officials were shocked, Yuan Wei submitted his request to resign, but the superior edict refused.

Wei Guangde was not surprised that Yuan Wei entered the cabinet. After all, Chen Ju had already vaccinated him.

However, Wei Guangde was still somewhat amazed by Yuan Wei's accuracy in judging the situation.

Wei Guangde knew that Yuan Wei might join the cabinet within the year, but Chen Ju heard it from Gao Zhong.

Who is Gao Zhong? The person next to Emperor Jiajing next to Huang Jin. This judgment may even be analyzed by Gao Zhong and Huang Jin together.

But what about Yuan Wei?

The Ministry of Rites had been dormant before, but suddenly there was an operation, and then Yuan Wei entered the cabinet.

"Yuan Shangshu, no, Mr. Yuan Ge really is"

When the news reached Prince Yu's Mansion, Wei Guangde just sighed.

"The Minister of Rites is available again."

King Yu's focus was obviously not on Yuan Wei's ability to seize the opportunity, but on the vacant position of Minister of Rites.

Yuan Wei entered the cabinet with the official position of Shangshu of the Ministry of Hubu and a bachelor of Wuyingdian. The title of Shangshu of the Ministry of Hubu was vacant and did not affect Gao Yao, who was in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Rites. However, the position of the Minister of Rites was actually vacant.

Obviously, King Yu thought of his Master Gao again.

Wei Guangde naturally knew that Gao Gong was out of luck. Chen Ju had already mentioned who the emperor was most likely to promote in recent years, but there were no names of people from Prince Yu's palace at all.

Moreover, Emperor Jiajing was taking back his power. How could he let people from Prince Yu's palace get high positions?

In the final analysis, the only people who can ascend to the highest stage of power in the Ming Dynasty are those who flatter themselves all the time. Even if you change your stance and fully support the emperor, you will only leave the impression of being duplicitous and a wallflower.

The people in the room naturally understood what King Yu meant, but they didn't say anything, and the atmosphere became cold for a while.

However, King Yu didn't seem to realize it. He might have thought that everyone found it difficult.

In any case, Gao Gong's current position is only the right minister, which is indeed too low and cannot be compared with the two left ministers in the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel.

Moreover, King Yu also realized that Li Chunfang and Yan Ne seemed to be more competitive than Gao Gong, otherwise the series of promotions would not have been without Gao Gong's name.

Although, the left and right ministers are actually the third grade, but there is a difference in the seating arrangement.

After Yuan Wei entered the cabinet, Emperor Jiajing did not ask the cabinet and the Ministry of Personnel to recommend a new candidate for the Minister of Rites. Naturally, the official of the Ministry of Rites now fell on Li Chunfang, and Gao Gong became the de facto second-in-command of the Ministry of Rites.

There was no result from the discussion in Prince Yu's palace. Although Prince Yu was a little disappointed, he also knew his status and it was impossible for him to enter the palace.

Today, King Yu did not invite Gao Gong to Prince Yu's Mansion. Since the eldest brother entered the cabinet, the officials of the Ministry of Rites naturally wanted to celebrate. King Yu was not interested in holding a banquet today. Wei Guangde left Prince Yu's Mansion early and went home.

He still had to go to Yuan Wei's place. In any case, he was already an elder, and he still wanted to give some gifts. Thinking about Yuan Wei who was in the Hanlin Academy, Wei Guangde felt a little overwhelmed.

Yuan Wei's skills in flattering people are definitely powerful. As for his ability to handle government affairs, Wei Guangde has not seen it yet, and his foundation is a bit too shallow, so Wei Guangde is not very optimistic about it.

However, no matter what, Yuan Wei should be able to gather some people around him quickly.

Thinking about it, Wei Guangde still envies Zhang Juzheng. If he succeeds Xu Jie in the future, won't all the relations and connections between North Korea and China that Xu Jie has accumulated belong to him?

Why would you bother others so much? You still have to slowly gather strength.

Wei Guangde thought about himself again, no wonder the Ming Dynasty often caused troubles such as rural parties.

Just talk about yourself, if people like Yuan Wei are promoted like this in the future, with a rocket promotion and an unstable foundation, then the only people around who can be used and reliable are those Jiangxi Jinshi, unless they are in the Ministry of Rites or the Ministry of Personnel, or other After working in a high position for several years, he accumulated a group of helpers.

As for people like Ma Fang, Dong Yiyuan, and Yu Dayou, it was only by chance that they benefited from him and joined his disciples.

The group of colleagues I had when I was in the Hanlin Academy could only be colleagues. At most, they usually talked more, but if they really thought they were useful, that would be a stretch.

Even among the Jinshi from Jiangxi that Wei Guangde is familiar with, only a few of them, such as Lao Kan and Zhang Ke, can be considered reliable. The others can only be regarded as useful because of their connections with fellow townsmen. Their connections are deeper than those of other colleagues. They are similar to others of the same year. .

In the same year as a fellow countryman, one person actually achieved enlightenment and ascended to heaven.

Wei Guangde sighed silently in his heart.

Of course, there is a night ban in the capital at night. Although the people can be controlled but the officials cannot be controlled, there is a place where even the officials dare not trespass.

That place is naturally the Forbidden City and the surrounding royal gardens.

At this time, the Forbidden City was like a giant beast dormant in the darkness, with only occasional lights shining, which were the palace guards led by the night watch eunuchs.

All the palace gates and courtyard doors inside and outside the palace were locked, dividing the huge palace into palaces and courtyards. Under such an environment, the palace residents naturally went back to their houses early to rest and wait for dawn.

Xiyuan, Yongshou Palace, is still brightly lit at this time.

Perhaps because he had completed another important piece of government affairs, Emperor Jiajing was in great spirits today and summoned Concubine Shang to sleep with him.

Concubine Shang was naturally the one whom Emperor Jiajing unexpectedly favored because he laughed while taking a nap.

Perhaps it was because Concubine Shang's youthful vitality had invisibly infected Emperor Jiajing. Whenever he was with Concubine Shang, Emperor Jiajing felt that he seemed to become younger and more energetic.

For more than a year, Emperor Jiajing often summoned Concubine Shang to the Yongshou Palace.

"Your Majesty, I heard that this year's fireworks have been sent to the palace. Why don't we bring some to set off? I haven't seen fireworks for a long time."

Maybe it’s because there have been so many visitors to Yongshou Palace. Concubine Shang is too familiar with the place and has no sense of freshness anymore. Moreover, she particularly likes the fireworks that are set off every year.

While playing games with Emperor Jiajing, he suddenly mentioned that he wanted to watch a fireworks show.

For Concubine Shang, she had only seen fireworks such as firecrackers and gophers among the people before. It was not until she was elected to the palace that she saw the gorgeous fireworks show, which naturally left a deep impression.

Fireworks and firecrackers "come from the same family", both benefiting from the invention of gunpowder.

The earliest fireworks should have appeared in the Song Dynasty. It is recorded in the book "Qidong Yeyu" written by Song Dynasty scholar Zhou Mi: "When fireworks are burned in the courtyard, there are so-called ground rats."

The "Ground Mouse" here is one of the earliest fireworks products clearly recorded, and the word "fireworks" also appears here.

Gophers are naturally the kind of fireworks that spin when ignited and spray flames at the same time. Sometimes they will spin in place, and sometimes they will run around randomly.

By the Ming Dynasty, many types of fireworks had also been developed. As recorded in the "Wanshu Miscellanies" of the Ming Dynasty, at that time there were as many as More than one hundred kinds.

At the annual Aoshan Lantern Festival, a large "fireworks stand" that combines a variety of fireworks is released, which is similar to the fireworks displays of later generations.

If during the Northern Song Dynasty, fireworks were only for the enjoyment of the court nobles, then by the Southern Song Dynasty, fireworks had already "flyed into the homes of ordinary people."

Every neighborhood in the market had shops specializing in the production and sale of firecrackers and fireworks, which became popular items both in the palace and among the people.

However, for the production of fireworks, the most sophisticated skills naturally come to the capital, and the most skilled fireworks in the capital are still in the palace. As the saying goes, "the production of fireworks and artillery requires the utmost craftsmanship in the capital."

Emperor Jiajing himself also liked to watch fireworks. When he heard that his beloved concubine wanted to watch them, he naturally agreed.

Soon, several large fireworks stands were carried into the Yongshou Palace.

"Your Majesty, isn't this too small?"

Huang Jin frowned when he saw the fireworks rack brought in by the chamberlain, and couldn't help but whisper to Emperor Jiajing.