"Thousands of maple leaves turn into thousands of branches, and the river bridges cover up the dusk sails late." Before you know it, it's the late autumn season in the south of the Yangtze River again.
It was quiet in the provincial palace. Zhu Yunwen was immersed in reviewing the memorial, and Huang Zicheng was helping. The two of them had been like this for most of the day. Wang Zhi stood beside the case on the side, and as usual, he divided the items into categories and presented them to the emperor.
Zhu Yunwen has been very diligent since he came to the throne. I always feel like there is not enough time for going to court every morning, meeting ministers after court, going to various deployments, or approving memorials. Only the evening is a time for enjoyment. It takes an hour to go back and forth from the palace to Tianxi Temple to talk to Lotus, and the actual meeting only lasts half an hour. After returning to the palace from Tianxi Temple, he still dealt with official duties, reviewing memorials often until late at night; then he would sleep alone for a while, and soon it was time to go to court again.
Being a good emperor or a good official is actually very hard.
It is rare to meet the Queen Mother and the Empress, but the two of them have long been used to it. When Zhu Yunwen was still the grandson of the emperor, he also worked as a model worker with Zhu Yuanzhang, and he never interfered much with family affairs. Wen Kui granted him the title of crown prince and asked Wei Guogong Xu Huizu to be the crown prince and tutor with full authority. Queen Ma Shuyi met Xu Huizu much more often than she met Zhu Yunwen.
At this time, Zhu Yunwen saw a memorial and thought deeply.
Huang Zicheng asked: "Why are you so worried, Your Majesty?" Zhu Yunwen didn't answer and handed over the memorial.
It turned out to be Zhuo Jing, the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs: "The King of Yan was extremely wise, talented and broad-minded, and he was as cool as Emperor Gao. Beiping was a resort, and the soldiers and horses were strong. It flourished in the first year of the Jin Dynasty. It was appropriate for the Jin Dynasty to move to Nanchang, so that if there were any changes, it would be easy to control." When a general is budding but not moving, it is called Ji; when one measures the time, it can be grasped, which is called momentum. The momentum cannot be broken unless it is extremely strong, and it cannot be detected unless it is extremely clear." It means that King Yan is powerful and has strong soldiers and horses. It is better to transfer him to Nanchang where he can be easily controlled.
Huang Zicheng smiled and said, "What a vicious move by Mr. Zhuo."
Zhu Yunwen frowned and said: "Since the time of Taizu, the ministers in the court have been talking about cutting down the vassalage, but this is the legacy of Taizu, how can I change it rashly? Besides, Uncle Yan has done nothing. The Northern Expedition has made great achievements in these years, how can it be done for no reason? Deal with him?"
Huang Zicheng said: "So I said this is a 'poisonous' plan, but it is not necessarily clever. At least it was not done by the Holy Emperor." Seeing Zhu Yunwen nodding, he continued: "And although Mongolia is temporarily peaceful, there is no guarantee when it will come again. King Yan If we are transferred away from Peiping, northern Xinjiang may be unstable."
Zhu Yun nodded and said: "That's right. The Mongols are now retreating to Mobei, and the main reason is that they are afraid of Uncle Yan. Northern Xinjiang has only been stable for a few years, and it is difficult for the people to rest and recuperate. They must not destroy the Great Wall for a little suspicion."
Huang Zicheng echoed: "Yes. King Yan is not Yue Wumu, and His Majesty is not Song Gaozong,"
Zhu Yun smiled: "Huang Qing is no longer Qin Hui."
Huang Zicheng also laughed, bowed and continued: "According to what Minister Zhuo is doing, King Yan is certainly honest, but I, the Northern Territory of the Ming Dynasty, are also in danger." After thinking for a while, he said: "However, the ministers in the court are hotly discussing the reduction of vassals, and some concerns are reasonable. King Yan is so powerful that he cannot be completely unprepared. Why don't your majesty compromise?"
Zhu Yunwen pondered: "What does Huang Qing mean?"
Huang Zicheng said: "Last year Mr. Qi suggested changing officials in Peking. It is better to replace them with absolutely reliable people now to ensure that Peking is under control. If there is a change in King Yan, we can deal with it at any time."
Zhu Yunwen thought for a moment, then turned around and ordered: "Pass Qitai."
After a while, Qitai strode into the hall. After saluting, he looked at the two of them eagerly. Qi Tai was now the Minister of the Ministry of War, and he was eager to show his ambitions. He often worked late at night. It was not close from the Ministry of War to the Provincial Palace, but Qi Tai trotted all the way and arrived quickly.
Zhu Yunwen said: "Qi Qing discussed with me last year the officials in each king's fiefdom, do you remember?"
Qi Tai hurriedly said: "I remember."
Zhu Yunwen asked: "I am going to replace the one in Peiping. What does Qi Qing think?"
Qi Tai was excited when he heard this: "Your Majesty, your Majesty! Beiping is an important town in the north, and King Yan is powerful. If the court wants to ensure Peiping, it is safest to replace him. It can not only rectify the place, but also contain King Yan, and can also intimidate other vassal kings." , If anything happens, King Yan will be under control at any time."
Zhu Yunwen and Huang Zicheng looked at each other and were a little happy to see that Qi Tai and the two had the same idea. Zhu Yunwen asked: "Does Qi Qing have a suitable candidate?"
Qi Tai cleared his throat and said: "The most important position in Peiping is the capital commander. I suggest that you use General Guangwei to thank you."
Huang Zicheng said: "Yes, General Guangwei was originally a third-rank official. This promotion to a second-rank official will also inspire the veteran general."
Zhu Yunwen asked: "Is that General Xie who is stationed in Chuzhou?"
Qi Tai bowed and said: "Yes. General Xie was a veteran from the time of Taizu. He was loyal to the imperial court and had been stationed in Chuzhou for decades and performed his duties. The last time King Yan went to Beijing for his funeral, the journey was smooth, and he was not stopped by General Xie until Chuzhou. He risked his life to stop him. This shows that General Xie is loyal to the court and is stubborn and not afraid of the powerful."
Zhu Yunwen recalled that he had met Xie Gui when he was in Chuzhou. The famous general's demeanor was indeed extraordinary, so he nodded: "Okay, I will transfer General Guangwei to be the commander of the capital of Peiping."
Huang Zicheng stood aside and quickly wrote the order. When he handed it over to Zhu Yunwen, he saw the emperor looking at the sky with a smile on his lips. It turns out that when Zhu Yunwen recalled Xie Gui, he naturally thought of Xie Gui escorting him to Langya Temple. That was the day he met Lianhua.
Huang Zicheng coughed, and Zhu Yunwen came to his senses and looked at Qi Tai again: "Where are the other candidates?"
Qi Tai continued: "For the chief envoy of Peiping, I suggest Zhang Bing, the minister of the Ministry of Industry; and for the deputy commander of the capital, I might as well use Zhang Xin, the commander of the capital in Puding."
Zhang Bing, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, and Zhu Yunwen were always familiar with each other, and they thought it was good. But Zhang Xin had never heard of him, so he asked, "How is this Zhang Xin like a man?"
Qi Tai respectfully replied: "Zhang Xin has been in Taizu's old department since his grandfather. Zhang Xin inherited his father's duties, and his loyalty has never been doubted for generations. He is talented, wise and courageous, he is extremely filial to his mother, and he is solemn and perseverant."
Zhu Yunwen pondered for a while and said: "Okay. Just follow Qi Qing's instructions, and Peiping will arrange it this way."
Both Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng were overjoyed: "I obey the order!"
Huang Zicheng reported again: "Today the Ministry of Rites issued a memorial, saying that North Korea came to report that it had established diplomatic relations with Japan, opened the Miura trade, and was already doing business."
Zhu Yunwen nodded: "I have also seen it. The issue of sending an envoy to Japan that was discussed last time should be postponed for now. Japan will send an envoy to me in the near future. We will see what happens then."
Huang Zicheng and Tai Tai agreed in unison.
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In November of the 31st year of Hongwu, three new officials of the imperial court, Xie Gui, Zhang Bing and Zhang Xin, went to Peiping to take up their posts. According to the rules, the three of them went to visit King Yan together the next day.
Zhu Di is waiting for him in the main hall. The three of them entered the palace and followed Ma Sanbao. They walked along a straight stone corridor and faced a large hall with red walls and cornices. The carved doors on the left and right were closed. Only the double doors in the middle were wide open. Four people stood on either side. There is a guard; a large red gold and green plaque hangs high on the main door, with the three characters "Yu Mu Tang" on it. I think it comes from "Wei Tian's destiny, Yu Mu's endless".
The three of them entered the hall. Zhu Di did not get up. He saw several people bowing and then waved his hands: "My lords, there is no need to be polite." He greeted several people to sit down. He glanced at Xie Gui and looked at Zhang Bing and Zhang Xin. .
Both of them are wearing official uniforms. Zhang Bing is a tall and thin man who looks to be in his forties. He has a light beard and light eyebrows, and has a graceful manner. He has the look of a scholar. Zhang Xin is about thirty, stocky and thick, speaks briefly and has his own style. Shen Yi, a military general.
Xie Gui had met King Yan in Chuzhou, and he couldn't help but look at Zhu Di secretly when he saw him again. I saw that Zhu Di was dressed in wrinkled linen mourning clothes, with his hair tied on top only with a linen band. His whole body exuded the greenness of raw linen, and maybe the stench of not washing for a long time.
Zhu Di asked calmly: "General Xie, don't come and be safe?"
Xie Gui cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Thank you to King Yan for your inquiry. I offended many of my officials in Chuzhou last time. I have a duty and I dare not act rashly. King Yan forgives me."
Xie Gui has been quite uneasy since he received the transfer order. He is already sixty-four years old. He thought he could live in Chuzhou forever, but he was entrusted with this important task by the imperial court. It was really unexpected. Xie Gui has seen the strength of King Yan. Although he risked his life to block King Yan's personal troops, it is hard to say what the outcome would be if the imperial edict was delayed. Thinking of Ma Sanbao's ghostly blade still makes me tremble. Xie Gui couldn't help but feel a little discouraged when he saw him standing upright behind King Yan, looking at him with a smile.
Seeing his politeness, Zhu Di smiled instead: "General Xie is loyal to our Ming Dynasty. What's the crime? I am the emperor's uncle. Taizu and the late emperor are not here, so I should try my best to assist your majesty. I have such loyal ministers as General Xie in my heart." Really appreciate it!"
Zhu Di paused, looked at the three of them and continued: "Since Taizu Longxing, northern Xinjiang has been unstable. Now the Mongols have only temporarily retreated to Mobei. Not only are there often small groups of intruders, but we don't know when there will be another war. I am worried day and night. This time the imperial court sends General Xie here, he will definitely be able to share the responsibility of guarding Beiping, which is really a blessing for Northern Xinjiang."
Xie Gui couldn't help but feel a little excited when he heard King Yan speak sincerely about the situation in northern Xinjiang: After leading the army for many years, his biggest dream was of course to defend his country on the battlefield. He stood up and said solemnly: "If the Mongols dare to invade, I will Officials will naturally obey the orders of the King of Yan and wrap their bodies in horse leather without hesitation!"
Zhang Xin also stood up and said loudly: "We will defend our territory of the Ming Dynasty without any hesitation!"
Zhu Di praised loudly: "Good! You two are worthy of being our great generals of the Ming Dynasty!" He turned to Zhang Bing and said: "We rough guys get carried away when it comes to the battlefield, which makes Master Zhang laugh."
Zhang Bing said quickly: "King Yan and the two generals are so loyal, righteous, courageous and heroic, I admire them so much! I only regret that I am a civil servant and cannot kill the enemy together with them."
Zhu Di smiled and said: "Master Zhang, you are being humble. There is really a war. You have to arrange food and grass supplies. Don't think about ignoring it!"
Several people laughed together.
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Thank you Zhang Bing and Zhang Xin couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief when they left Prince Yan's Mansion.
Several people went to the palace to meet the emperor before taking office in Peiping, and the emperor only gave gentle words of encouragement. However, Qitai specially sent them out of the provincial palace and repeatedly told them to supervise and guard against King Yan. The three of them knew that the imperial court was suspicious of King Yan, and that this promotion was a heavy responsibility, so they were all a little uneasy. Today, I met King Yan. He was sincere, gentle and approachable. Although his words were somewhat arrogant as the emperor's elders, he was still loyal to the court and always took the pacification of the northern border as his own duty. This made several people feel relieved and secretly ashamed.
Zhang Bing first said: "King Yan is loyal and filial, and treats others sincerely."
Xie Gui also said: "Yes, it makes sense for Taizu to rely on King Yan in Ribei. King Yan's sincerity today is very touching."
Zhang Bing nodded: "I am ready to report to the court truthfully. King Yan does not need to worry about it. The northern border is unstable, but it is better to appease and reward him. What do you think, General Xie?"
Xie Gui: "Yes, what Mr. Zhang said is in my opinion." He turned sideways and asked Zhang Xin: "What does General Zhang mean?"
Zhang Xin quickly replied: "I agree. To be honest, when King Yan talked about the Mongolian ambitions, the plight of the people on the border, and the great battles in the Northern Expedition, I wanted to go to the battlefield with King Yan. "
Xie Gui and Zhang Bing laughed: "General Zhang is loyal and will definitely be useful in the future."
At this moment, the three of them have decided on their plans and say their goodbyes.
Zhang Xin's residence was arranged in the former residence of the capital commander on Yong'an Street. It was not far from the Yamen and was a small courtyard with three entrances. The family had just arrived in Peiping and had not yet packed up neatly. There were still luggage and packages piled everywhere. The thin warmth of early winter shines through the tall poplar branches. Compared with Jiangnan, it has a different kind of openness and refreshing atmosphere.
When Zhang Xin entered the door, a pair of children were playing in the yard. When they saw their father, they all ran up to them. Zhang Xin picked them up one by one, kissed them twice, and asked, "What are you playing with today?"
Six-year-old daughter Xiaorong replied: "Grandma took us to the street and ate a lot of delicious food."
His son Xiaoyong, who is two years old this year, grabbed Zhang Xin's beard and repeated his sister's words: "Eat delicious food."
Just as he was talking, Mrs. Zhang came out and said with a smile: "Master is back? This is a heavy hug, Xiaorong, come down!"
The two children laughed and got down to the ground, playing freely.
Mrs. Zhang and Zhang Xin chatted a few words about their daily life. When they heard the children playing and singing ballads, they couldn't help but calm down and watch with a smile.
The children were all young, so they sang intermittently and inaccurately, "Crossing the river to pick hibiscus,..." "The peach blossoms are shining brightly..." "A stick of jasmine..." The childish voice was full of mistakes, but the couple could hear each other well. Look and laugh. At this time, the two children began to sing a new nursery rhyme, which they had never heard before.
"The merits of King Yan are high, and the Bodhisattva shows his spirit. The pagoda appears in the sky to protect King Yan. The way of heaven cannot be violated, and the Buddha bless Yanxing." Zhang Xin's face changed slightly after hearing this, and asked: "Where did you learn this?"
Mrs. Zhang couldn't answer, so she asked her daughter: "Xiaorong, where did you learn this song?"
Xiaorong didn't even raise her head: "I'm on the street today."
Zhang Xinxin recited it silently, frowned and said: "Don't sing this again."
Xiaorong then looked at her parents: "Many people are singing on the street, why can't Xiaorong sing in the future?"
Zhang Xin was unable to answer for a while. As he was talking, Zhang Xin's mother heard the excitement in the yard and came out.
Zhang Xin hurriedly greeted him: "Mother! The child is about to go to say hello. How are you today, mother?"
Mrs. Zhang is not very old, she is in her fifties, of medium build, with a peaceful face, and holds a string of rosary beads in her left hand. Seeing his son greeting him, he smiled and said: "Everything is fine. I took the children to the streets today. The snacks here in Peiping are quite different from those in Jiangnan."
Zhang Xin then asked: "Did you hear the ballad Xiaorong sang on the street?"
Mrs. Zhang smiled and said: "Yes, Xiaorong learned quickly, and Xiaoyong said it was not easy."
Zhang Xinpei said with a smile: "How come there is such a ballad?"
Mrs. Zhang smiled and said: "All the children on the street were singing. I asked people and they said that King Yan was trapped in the desert during his northern expedition. He had no horses and no water. In order to save King Yan, the Bodhisattva appeared in the pagoda in the sky, and King Yan's army pressed the pagoda. Instructed to meet with the King of Yan and defeat the Mongolian camp in one fell swoop. It was in that mountain. It was really blessed by the Buddha, it was unbelievable."
Zhang Xin pondered: "Oh? Is there such a thing?" Recalling that he saw King Yan today, his majestic demeanor was impressive. His many years of martial arts were in vain. If only he could go to the battlefield to defend the country with King Yan, what would it be like? good!
Mrs. Zhang continued: "It is being recited in the streets. Peiping has been occupied by the Mongols for a hundred years, and thieves are still invading the border areas. Thanks to King Yan, the northern border is stable and the people are safe. The people in the city have great feelings for Yan The king is extremely grateful. With the blessing of the Buddha, King Yan will definitely be able to protect the safety of Peking."
Zhang Xin nodded and thought no more. He smiled and picked up his son and daughter: "Let's go eat!"
As the sun sets, the twilight atmosphere fills the courtyard, and the branches and leaves of the poplar trees rustle in the breeze. Will the future of Peking be as peaceful as it is now