Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 374: Make the best use of everyone
On the return journey, they went south along the Liaohe River, disembarked at Niuzhuangyi and took the land route.

On August 25th, Niuzhuang Posthouse was there to welcome the emperor, and the most prominent figure in the team was Prince Lu.

He was different from the other four kings because he arrived at the Yalu River in advance to provide relief to Korean war refugees and win the hearts of the people.

But now it was different, the officials of Joseon had already gone to see the emperor. They came here to send the tyrant Yi Hui, to ask for submission, and to welcome the new king of Joseon to Seoul.

Prince Lu should receive a formal enthronement.

The Lu clan is not big now. There is only one Lu Wang Zhu Yiliu, and now he has only one young son Zhu Changxun. Previously, when he was temporarily living in Nanjing, he had another son, and now he hoped that he would not die young like his two elder brothers.

The dragon boat docked and Zhu Yiliu went forward to greet his nephew.

He went straight to the ground and prostrated himself to thank the emperor for his grace.

Such a powerful nephew certainly made him leave his free and easy fiefdom, but now he can allow him to go to the free and easy North Korea.

Zhu Changluo will stay at Niuzhuang Posthouse for one day.

The Korean ministers headed by Jiang Hongli would also bid farewell to him here, and then support Zhu Yiliu to go to Korea.

"During this special period, we must make do with what we have." Zhu Changluo first handed an imperial decree to Zhu Yiliu, "Now the Duke of Fuguo, the Marquis of Zhenyuan, and the Admiral of Beiyang are still clearing out the remnants of Jianzhou and pacifying Korea. When your uncle arrives in Seoul and stabilizes the situation in Korea, you can ask me to send an imperial envoy to Korea to preside over the enthronement ceremony."

"I will definitely live up to your majesty's trust!"

Zhu Changluo looked at him and didn't speak for a long time.

Zhu Yiliu's heart was slightly in suspense, worried that something unexpected might happen. Then he heard the emperor say, "You can leave first. I will chat with my uncle about family matters."

So Zhu Yiliu relaxed again.

After the other attendants and the civil and military officials had left, Zhu Changluo spoke, but there was nothing nice to hear: "During the wedding of my uncle, all the treasures in the capital were gone, and the Ministry of Revenue even diverted more than 900,000 taels of silver from the frontier army; in my uncle's country, the palace spent nearly 700,000 taels of silver, and when he left Beijing, more than 500 ships were loaded with treasures and private property; in the vassal state, my uncle petitioned for the land left by King Jing, and petitioned for the salt tax and salt permits of Weihui Prefecture, and his extravagance and wealth were among the highest among the vassal states. What are you going to do when my uncle goes to Korea?"

Zhu Yiliu was sweating profusely: "Your Majesty, I..."

"This time, Korea requested to submit to the country, and the Korean ministers requested that I appoint another benevolent ruler." Zhu Changluo stared at him and said, "You should know that I asked you to go out of affection. If it is reasonable, you are not suitable. Fortunately, I know that your uncle has been rich since he was a child, and he is spoiled by the imperial grandmother and the emperor. Your uncle just doesn't know the suffering of the people, but he is not ignorant of loyalty."

"I will definitely be loyal and faithful, definitely..."

Zhu Changluo sighed, "Although the Ming army is powerful, to educate Korea, it depends on employing wise officials and implementing benevolent policies. I am really worried that after my uncle goes to Korea, after a few years, the Korean people will miss their old master. My uncle is just over 40 years old now, and Chang Xun is still young. My uncle should think clearly. Bringing virtue to the Korean people will bring happiness and longevity to my uncle and his son. I can give my uncle the rich and noble foundation of Korea, but if I really want it to be passed on to Chang Xun, I can only rely on my uncle."

Zhu Yiliu's tears flowed down his cheeks. "I am ashamed. Your Majesty is wise and powerful. No matter how stupid I am, I know I should learn from you. I know that if I had not been born into a good family, I would not have received such a great favor from God. I will never let the vassals talk about your Majesty's trust in the wrong person!"

"My words were a bit harsh, but I hope you will keep them in mind." Zhu Changluo went over to help him up again. "I entrusted this important task to Uncle Wang because we are all family. Uncle Wang is now over 40 years old. Joseon will have many complicated state affairs in the future, and Chang Xun is still young. Uncle Wang must not indulge in alcohol and sex and harm his health..."

Zhu Changluo was indeed telling the truth. How could Prince Lu be a good candidate to take on such a big responsibility?
But precisely because he is not a smart and capable person, he is more suitable to go to North Korea.

We have shown the greatest favor first, so Zhu Changluo has done his best. If he really fails to do well in the future, we won't have to worry about anything when his favor is taken away from him.

If he did a good job, there is no reason why the other princes would be worse than him.

In addition, now that the difficulties faced by North Korea have been made very clear to him, he will be more receptive to the subsequent arrangements.

"Korea has been independent for a long time. Who will your uncle rely on if he goes to Korea?" Zhu Changluo said, "In addition to selecting talented people from the poor in Korea and showing favor to the important civil and military officials who strongly advocate submission, I am also preparing to select several important civil and military officials from the Ming Dynasty for your uncle..."

This military officer is about to choose Gu Dali as the commander-in-chief in the court, and then select the grassroots generals of the Tianshu Camp and the Liaodong border army who have also made great contributions this time.

Among the civil officials, in addition to Tao Chongdao who was already in Korea, Zhu Changluo had another candidate who was difficult to arrange but could actually be used.

At this moment, Prince Lu certainly welcomed Zhu Changluo's arrangements.

After he arrives, he will indeed need a team.

As for whether this would make the king appear to be a puppet...is it worse than before?

"Choose an island in Incheon and make it a naval port for the Beiyang Fleet. In this way, there will be the Beiyang Fleet on the sea, and the Fuguogong from the north of Hamgyong Province will help the king's uncle suppress the Korean subjects on the road. Pi Island and Ganghwa Island will be commercial ports, and the flow of goods will be smooth in the future. The king's uncle will clear out the shares in the Zongming and Changming, and set up another port in Korea to specialize in border trade..."

Zhu Changluo had a lot of arrangements to make clear to him regarding military and economic matters.

The good thing about Prince Lu is that he listened to everything, although he also realized that he might not be able to get any profit from Zongminghao and Changminghao in the future. Wasn't it that all his previous money was swallowed up by the emperor?
But he also said that he didn't need to pay any extra money, but the shares would be converted into shares of a new Korean company, and he would get the lion's share of the proceeds from trade with the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, these are nothing compared to the benefits of being the head of a country.

If we could use that money to buy a ruler, I'm afraid many people would be willing to do it.

While the Emperor and Prince Lu were chatting about family matters, there was a person waiting outside.

Because he knew he would go in soon.

This man was in a complicated mood. He didn't expect that his final solution would be here.

After a long time, Liu Ruoyu came over to summon him: "General Li, His Majesty summons you."

Li Sancai entered the room with full concentration.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, I bow to you."

"Stand up." Zhu Changluo said to Prince Lu with a smile, "Uncle Wang, with Daofu's talent, you will have no worries in Korea."

"Governor Li... no, Governor Li!" Prince Lu came over excitedly and took his hand. "From now on, I'll leave the affairs of Korea to Governor Li!"

"We still have plenty of time today, so sit down and talk slowly." Zhu Changluo looked at Li Sancai, "Daofu has his own ideas on how to clarify the situation in Korea and establish a new dynasty."

Li Sancai is not liked by Zhu Changluo.

But on the contrary, he fits in well with North Korea.

Zhu Changluo gave him the highest power and position: Governor-General of Korean affairs.

As a Ming official, Li Sancai could not be a king, let alone an emperor. What he wanted to pursue was only fame, family connections and wealth that could be passed down for generations. However, Zhu Changluo had clear plans and expectations for Korea and paid close attention to it. The most convenient thing for Li Sancai to do in Korea was in line with the interests of the Ming Dynasty.

That is to use his ability to build relationships to build a network of connections in Korea that relies on the Ming Dynasty. Even if his Li family really becomes a prominent family in Korea, what does it matter? It still squeezes out the space of the original Korean aristocratic families.

As for amassing wealth and undermining the power of the King of Joseon? It is not clear to what extent he could do it, but he had been in the Privy Council and knew that the ultimate goal of the court was to turn Joseon into a real territory, and that the next step would be to use Joseon as a springboard to the north to govern Japan. He would not do anything excessive in Joseon.

Otherwise, would you seek temporary pleasure but end up with the extermination of your clan in the future?
Li Sancai, who had been suppressed for many years, can finally realize his ambitions, and the emperor still shows him favor.

"Korea is poor and weak, you all need to cherish the people's strength and care for their livelihood." Zhu Changluo focused on Li Sancai, "Proportion is very important. Without benefits, how can the gentry and wealthy families of the Ming Dynasty be willing to settle down in Korea? But we must see the long-term benefits and not exhaust all the resources. In addition to Daofu, Shen Zizheng also recommended some people..."

Li Sancai listened silently.

Shen Yikuan, of course he was very familiar with him.

He was also familiar with the people recommended by Shen Yi Guan.

Now the emperor openly sent the Prince of Lu, who loved enjoying himself, and some ministers who were not ashamed to talk about personal gain to Korea, as if he wanted to see if they could start from the word "profit" and make the interests of Korea dependent on the interests of the Ming Dynasty.

If they could, they would be able to become a truly powerful clan in Korea that could last for several generations or even longer, continuously assimilate the local people, and become the backbone of the Ming Dynasty's rule in Korea.

If not, then for the Ming Dynasty, it would be an opportunity and reason to kill them to appease the public anger and then directly send exile officials to govern in the future.

Prince Lu was bombarded with information from the emperor and Li Sancai. After feeling dizzy, he went to rest for a while to digest the information. There would be a banquet for the new king of Korea and his ministers in the evening.

Li Sancai stayed, as the emperor had something else to say to him.

"I have always known your ability. My only concern is that you will always regard foreigners as barbarians."

"…I have learned a lot since I followed Your Majesty out of the border wall. Your Majesty has a broad mind and I am ashamed. Now I am still able to receive this special grace. Your Majesty trusts me and I will reflect on myself every day."

"Fifty-eight." Zhu Changluo looked at him. "Between the monarch and his subjects, there is no need to hide the truth before parting. In the Ming Dynasty, you were originally concerned about being useful to the world, but being clear-minded was praised and criticized. With the upright officials in the court, it was difficult for you to stand out. After I ascended the throne, I emphasized being useful to the world, but I also wanted to correct the style of officials and scholars. I wanted both, so it was even more difficult for you to stand out. I have been thinking about letting you go to Korea for a long time since I came here from Tongliao. Do you know why?"

Li Sancai was silent for a long time, then he said: "Your Majesty wants me to go to Korea to form a party, to befriend the party of Ming Dynasty, to sweep the old meritorious officials and relatives of Korea out of the court, and to promote the poor children who have passed the imperial examinations to the lowest positions. I am not considered a virtuous person in Ming Dynasty, but I can be called honest in Korea."

"Good." Zhu Changluo was impressed by his straightforward words. "When I ascended to the throne, you would have known the will of heaven. It is hard to abandon what you have learned in your life. I did not transfer you to the capital to let you know the direction of the wind earlier. It is rare for you to say such words now. Daofu, you call yourself Xiuwu now. I hope you can think clearly."

"I have already figured it out."

Li Sancai still felt a little bitter.

His family was not prominent, and he was originally from the military. Although his ancestor was a military general, how could he compare with a civil official?
Being a good official and doing good things requires money. Being a high-ranking official and achieving great ambitions requires people and fame.

From the second year of Wanli, he worked as the head of the Ministry of Revenue, and ten years later he was only a doctor of the Ministry of Revenue. At that time, he and Li Hualong encouraged each other to apply knowledge to the world.

Later on, he gradually changed and began to understand power and circles, and began to understand how to actually combine fame and connections.

Didn't Li Hualong become able to both use the power of others and betray them?

Of course, the officials had mixed opinions about Li Sancai. Some said he was greedy, deceitful, treacherous, and tyrannical. He knew that. Some said he was fame-seeking but treacherous. He also knew that.

But today the emperor said to him, "It's hard to give up on yourself after half a lifetime of self-realization," and Li Sancai was actually a little moved.

So he knelt down again: "When I started my career, Taiyue Gong was in power, and I admired him very much. Later, the national politics changed drastically, and I was dismissed as an official outside the capital, which really worried me! When I was nearly forty, I was in charge of the grain transport, and I began to have rules for my official duties. I always knew what I should do, and I called myself Wu Ziqi Hall in my study. Now I call myself Xiuwu, because I respectfully read Your Majesty's Theory of Investigating Things and Extending Knowledge, and I realized that what I have learned and cultivated in my half-life is still a mess. I am a half-baked person, and I can't be called a self-deceiving official."

"...I know all your difficulties in the ups and downs of officialdom. The causes are set, and the consequences are often inevitable."

Zhu Changluo looked at him. If he hadn't used too many "tricks" and his social circle was not so wide that he almost had no clear camp, why had he been blocked at every step since the Taichang period?
In fact, even if it wasn't Zhu Changluo, Li Sancai would still have been blocked at every step.

It was as if he lacked some luck no matter what environment he was in. And this lack of luck should be said to be a lack of great wisdom.

Sometimes, actions that are beneficial to you in the short term may turn out to be disadvantageous in the long run.

Zhu Changluo had to say a few more words to him, simply because he wanted to have a frank talk with him and encourage him to work harder after going to Korea, focus more on the future, and find ways to act with great wisdom.

Now, the stage is set for him.

"Going to Korea means starting over again." Zhu Changluo's expression was earnest. "You should advise and guide Prince Lu's behavior based on your duties as the prime minister. When you make suggestions on government affairs, you should also consider yourself as someone who will be recorded in history. I believe that decades later, when people will comment on people like us, they will say that I know people and assign them to the right positions, and that you, Li Sancai, are worthy of the name, and that your conduct and actions in this life are in harmony with the three talents of heaven, earth, and man."

What are the three talents? Genius, talent, and earthly talent are all about harmony and balance.

Sometimes you just look smooth and sophisticated.

There's nothing wrong with it, except that Li Sancai actually handled it poorly in the past.

Now that the emperor has given him an unexpected opportunity, Li Sancai does have a new beginning.

As for Zhu Changluo... he didn't have to consider how this seniority would be used in the future Ming Dynasty court.

A win-win situation.

At this point, Zhu Changluo's main purpose of leaving Beijing had been achieved.

The emperor toured his loyal new frontier, made alliances with the northern tribes who were intimidated by the Ming army, and earned the title of Eternal Heaven Khan.

Of course, he also brought back many practical benefits, such as the birthday gifts presented by various tribes, the 100,000 taels of silver "generously" presented as a gift by Prince Lu, and many young women from Tatar, Jurchen and Korean origins.

There are also huge intention orders for Zongming and Changming that have been negotiated with them, as well as the goods obtained from the transactions at the Tongliao competition.

After this year, northern Xinjiang's land border trade will expand at a scale several times that of previous years, and will no longer be limited to trade with just a few departments.

As the imperial carriage approaches Beijing from Liaodong, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty will begin to look south.

A closer one is the domestic area represented by Jiangnan.

Further away are the East Sea, the South Seas, Outer Yunnan, and the Western Regions.

(End of this chapter)