Chapter 179 The king refuses to go to court
The Ming Empire has not yet reached sunset, and it still has a strong national power.
After all, Hongzhi ZTE’s reputation is not in vain.
Since the first year of Zhengde, so many high-ranking officials and gentry have been attacked through anti-party and other cases, and the central court's finances have also been greatly supplemented.
Logically speaking, even the little prince, a powerful man who unified Monan and was about to unify all Mongolia, was not enough to pose a threat to the Ming Dynasty.
But that's the case.
Zhu Houzhao did not lessen his contempt for the little prince.
The little prince was ambitious, and Zhu Houzhao himself had never been ambitious. Just like the little prince rebuilt the Yuan Dynasty, he also wanted to eat the little prince and own the entire land outside the pass, including the population there.
Ma Wensheng once again left Beijing and went to the three sides, continuing to coordinate border affairs and prevent the little prince from escaping into the interior and encircling the capital first.
Xu Jin, the Minister of War, was still in charge of the capital, responsible for arranging the world's money and food, and recruiting brave men to enrich the frontier army.
The chief assistants of the cabinet, Jiao Fang and Wang Hua, as well as the household ministers Wang Hua and Xu Jing, etc. began to prepare to restore the Kaizhong method of collecting grain and salt.
Although the Ming Dynasty in the fourth year of Zhengde seemed to be very peaceful.
But the rulers of the entire Ming Empire were not at peace in their hearts, and even the soldiers and people who knew the inside story were not at peace in their hearts.
Under the propaganda led by Huang Ming Pao and the Second Attendant's Office.
More people began to know what the upper-level rulers of the empire were doing and what they were worried about, and they also began to care about the fate of the empire.
They knew that the emperor killed the son of a northern Tatar leader in order to avenge ordinary people like them, but the empire faced the crisis of retaliation because of this.
"Vigilance has been strengthened in various places in the border towns, and troops have been increased at all passes. Sentinels and cavalry have been released everywhere even at night! Merchants who go out to trade have also secretly had spies, and three troops have been mobilized from the Huguang area. One hundred thousand shi of food was sent to Beijing to prepare for emergencies.”
After Xu Jin, Secretary of the Ministry of War, reported the latest Ministry of War affairs to Zhu Houzhao, he asked again: "Your Majesty! I dare to ask, Your Majesty, do you really want to go to Datong?"
"Yes, go to Datong. I will organize a hundred thousand cavalry to kill the little prince! Jiao Fang, the chief minister of the cabinet, and Liu Jin, the chief minister of etiquette, will go with me. You and Wang Hua will be in charge of the capital!"
Zhu Houzhao said.
"One hundred thousand cavalry? Your Majesty, when will the Ming Dynasty have one hundred thousand cavalry?" Xu Jin was a little confused.
"The Ming Dynasty naturally does not have so many iron cavalry, but there are still some in the whole world."
Zhu Houzhao said with a smile that he believed that the little prince was not only the enemy of the Ming Dynasty, and other tribes may not be willing to sit back and watch the little prince grow bigger. He believed that it would not be a problem to organize an alliance with the imperial prestige of the Ming Dynasty.
And if we unite all the other tribes outside the pass to attack the little prince, it will naturally not be a problem to organize one hundred thousand cavalry.
Xu Jin didn't say anything more, and he didn't stop Zhu Houzhao. He knew that his emperor was not just an emperor who was satisfied with governing the people in the pass. He wanted to show his talents and strategies and create his own great empire.
Zhu Houzhao left the cabinet and the ceremonial supervisor's room, preparing to return to the inner courtyard of his palace to rest.
As the six cabinet departments are almost all reformist officials, now the emperor does not have to stay in the cabinet and the ceremonial supervisor to control the power all the time. He has no doubts about the people he employs. Zhu Houzhao believes that these officials will protect the Ming Dynasty court and the people. To deal with daily government affairs for the purpose of interests.
Zhu Houzhao also didn't expect that it had been five years since he came to Ming Dynasty.
Suddenly.
He almost forgot that he was still a person from later generations, but he was still shocked that he could own an empire.
Looking at the majestic and magnificent Forbidden City in front of him, he never thought that this place would become his home.
What Zhu Houzhao didn't expect now is that he is only nineteen years old!
However, Zhu Houzhao could not imagine that at the age of nineteen, he had already become a formidable emperor. Even if he glanced at him, the eunuchs in the palace walls around him would be so frightened that they lost their minds.
Cining Palace.
Queen Mother Zhang is here.
It is still the place where Zhu Houzhao often comes after handling government affairs, where he has meals and daily family gatherings.
Zhu Houzhao's queen and even two noble concubines would often accompany Queen Mother Zhang here.
However, Zhang Heling and Zhang Yanling's two maternal relatives do not come to Cining Palace often now.
According to what Zhu Houzhao learned from Yan Song, the navigation knowledge that the uncles of the two countries had mastered was advancing with each passing day. After the materials related to Zheng He's voyages to the West that Xu Jin, the Minister of War, found from the Ministry of War, were transferred to the Capital University for safekeeping, these two men were I flipped through it and read it over and over again, and said that in the future I would look for sweet potatoes with a yield of tens of kilo per mu mentioned in the books of the Capital University.
Zhu Houzhao was very pleased with this. In fact, these royal relatives were the class that troubled him the most. They all owned countless land and wealth but did not pay taxes. Even if they committed crimes, they could not be punished too harshly. If they could be allowed to do something, Naturally, it was good to get down to business, lest if something went wrong, he would have to deal with it by disowning his relatives, which would sometimes make Empress Dowager Zhang sad and affect the relationship between mother and child.
There is a saying in later generations that a woman with a younger brother cannot marry. In fact, it reflects a family phenomenon where the older sister is extremely doting on the younger brother.
Empress Dowager Zhang is the devil who subdues her younger brother. Zhu Houzhao knew this, otherwise Zhang Heling and Zhang Yanling would not have become marquises without any merit. Now that she knew that her two brothers, Zhang Heling and Zhang Yanling, were studying, although the Queen Mother Zhang did not know what books her two brothers were studying, she was still in a good mood. She felt that her two brothers had finally made a difference, and her mood was naturally very good. She also forgot that that day Zhang Sheng, the Minister of Rites, forced her to kill Ma Wensheng.
Family and everything will be prosperous.
Zhu Houzhao is very pleased that the current royal family can still live in harmony.
However, as the fourth year of Zhengde was coming to an end, there was one thing that made Empress Dowager Zhang a little worried again, and that was the issue of Zhu Houzhao's heirs.
The queen has never been pregnant!
Zhu Houzhao also knew that the imperial heir was very important in this era, and even had strong political significance.
It is already the fourth year of Zhengde. If he continues to have no children, it will destroy the confidence of the entire reformist officials.
Looking back at the beautiful figure behind him, Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but smile, wondering if he would just take her body tonight.
Then he looked at the other two beauties who were lowering their heads and gesticulating, and wondered if he wanted both of them.
This increases the chance of pregnancy.
"Concubine Su and Concubine Liu, please stay at Qianqing Palace tonight! No, from now on, you will all stay at Qianqing Palace! Until I leave the capital!"
Zhu Houzhao said something, and the two girls blushed unconsciously and nodded in agreement. They also guessed what Zhu Houzhao's words meant.
Queen Xia suddenly stopped and looked at Zhu Houzhao who had climbed up the stairs. She wanted to ask something, but she did not open her mouth after all.
By the time the four of them had finished washing, all the serving ladies had retired, and even the eunuch on duty had closed the royal door.
Queen Xia had already consciously laid down on the inside of the dragon cave. As she grew older, she no longer dared to lie down and sleep on her back. She was instinctively shy, with only her back exposed, facing Zhu Houzhao's side.
But because she has grown up, she is now gradually familiar with human affairs. Although she has not experienced it personally, she also knows that some unspeakable things happen between men and women.
Tonight, Emperor Zhu Houzhao suddenly called Concubine Su and Concubine Liu to stay at the Qianqing Palace together, which made her feel a little surprised, and she also felt that it was different from the past.
Early the next morning.
The autumn sunshine shines in from outside the Zhumen, and the dappled sunlight shines on Zhu Houzhao and his concubines.
The eunuch, who had listened to the sweet snoring all night last night, was still yawning.
But Zhu Houzhao had already woken up. Looking at the queen and two concubines who had been stripped of their virginity by him one by one under the golden gauze tent, he just shook his head and thought that it was better to be young and strong.
Ruyi walked over, looked at the scene in front of her, and only said: "Serve Your Majesty to take a bath!"
When Zhu Houzhao came back from morning exercises again, the queen and the two concubines seemed to have become more charming overnight, and their autumn glances suddenly had some content, instead of being just shy and innocent.
In the remaining days, Zhu Houzhao began his absurd imperial life.
Zhengde four years ago, he had not tasted the taste of this place, so naturally he would not know what it was like. But now that he has tasted the relationship between men and women for the first time, he naturally eats the bones and knows the marrow.
No court today.
No tomorrow.
I still won’t go to court the day after tomorrow!
It wasn't until the fourth day that Zhu Houzhao came to check the room with the Supervisor of Ceremonies and the Cabinet.
After all, tomorrow is the day to leave Beijing for Datong. He can't be lazy anymore. Although Huajian is good, it is not a place for a man to realize his ambition.
Jiao Fang looked at Zhu Houzhao and secretly sighed in her heart that she didn't have the energy to enjoy this blessing now. He was already over seventy years old and had already been addicted to pleasure at a young age. Even if he took medicine, he couldn't last long.
Liu Jin was even more unhappy and regretted her choice back then.
Seeing this, Zhu Houzhao had to say: "I admit that I have been a little indulgent these days, but you can't act so depressed. If you want to remonstrate, do so. Is it possible that I will kill you?" .”
"Your Majesty misunderstood! I am not depressed, and I do not want to dissuade your Majesty. Your Majesty is a dragon and a tiger, which is a blessing to the country and the Ming Dynasty!"
Jiao Fang smiled awkwardly.
"The minister thought so too," Liu Jin also smiled awkwardly.
"In that case, let's discuss business. Are there any important memorials that need to be reported?" Zhu Houzhao said and began to read the memorials.
(End of chapter)