Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 409: Prepare for the Winter

When the emperor returned north, before the arrival of winter, a large fleet also set out from Pi Island.

There were several distinguished guests on the flagship of Shen Yourong, the admiral of the Beiyang Fleet, and some important prisoners were held in the lower cabin.

In the dark cabin, the environment and atmosphere were very bad.

So Liu Jing didn't want to stay any longer, and just ordered: "Be sure to keep a close watch on them, and don't let them succeed in committing suicide."

After looking at his achievements with satisfaction, he walked up the stairs with a proud look on his face.

When he arrived at the door of the boathouse, which was filled with laughter and joy, as soon as he showed up, he heard Shen Yourong say, "Master Liu is really worried. He has to go there in person every day to check on them."

Liu Jing sat down with his horse and sword, grinning and said, "It was not easy to capture these two brothers and the Jurchen generals around them alive. We can't let them die on the way."

"If Lord Liu can capture Nurhaci's eldest son, this great war will be complete."

"Ah, that kid is very slippery." Liu Jing sighed, "Maybe he has already run to the Nurgandusi. It will be difficult to capture him again!"

After sighing, he became happy again: "I didn't expect that Daishan and Abai were so stupid. It was a joke that they were planning to rely on the strong city to defend Korea, and Abai actually brought people to join Daishan. Otherwise, how could I have wiped them out at once?"

"Lord Liu is the bravest of the three armies. It is too late for these two brothers to regret now." Shen Yourong clasped his fists and said, "This time when we return to the capital to present the captives to the emperor and report our great achievements, His Majesty will definitely reward us with special rewards!"

"I can't give you a reward! I can't give you a reward!" Liu Jing waved his hands repeatedly, "Your Majesty, I am already a Duke, and I am trusted to guard the Northeast forever. This time I am just repaying the favor. As for Admiral Shen, wherever your fleet goes, there is no unrest along the coast of Korea. When you return to Beijing this time, he will be at least an earl, and most likely a marquis!"

"How dare you..."

"And you, Old Jin." Liu Jing looked at Jin Jingrui across from him again, "His Royal Highness Prince Lu has conferred upon you the title of Duke of Korea. You will be rewarded for your deep understanding of justice when you go to see His Majesty. I think you will most likely also be awarded the title of Marquis of the Ming Dynasty. Stay in Korea for now. You will be His Majesty's brave general in the future, and you will have a good opportunity to make contributions!"

The rest of the guests on the ship were mainly Korean civil and military officials.

Jin Jingrui came, Jiang Hongli came again, and there were three other Korean civil officials, and then there was Tao Chongdao, the important official who now served as the Minister of Rites of Korea.

In terms of extraordinary circumstances, rapid promotion, and current prominent position, only Tao Chongdao here can compare with Liu Jing.

"With your majesty's broad mind, it is indeed very possible." He looked at Jin Jingrui and the others, "You don't have to worry. The current situation in Korea has been stabilized in one fell swoop, and you are all ministers who have made great contributions. This time you and I will go to the imperial capital together to request the enthronement ceremony, and from now on we will focus on revitalizing Korea and benefiting the people."

Under the gazes of Liu Jing and Shen Yourong, Jiang Hongli spoke quickly and flatteringly, "Last year, I had the opportunity to see the emperor and listen to his teachings. I have been thinking about when I can see him again. Now that we have this honor again, we are only looking forward to it and are not worried."

Tao Chongdao nodded with a smile.

Liu Jing and Shen Yourong looked at each other, and Shen Yourong looked at Jin Jingrui and said, "General Jin, there is nothing to do on the road. We are both leading generals, so why not discuss military strategies with each other."

"...I was just about to ask the General of the Celestial Empire for more guidance."

Jin Jingrui finally spoke.

To this day, his hands are stained with the blood of countless members of the Joseon Lee clan and countless members of the Joseon hereditary families.

The uncle of the emperor of the Ming Dynasty naturally had to have a reputation for kindness, and Tao Chongdao and Li Sancai, the Ming officials who later came to Korea, also had to be good people. The bad guys could only be those former Korean officials who had "mutinyed" in the past.

However, it must be admitted that the Ming Dynasty was indeed building a more enlightened, efficient and dynamic court in Korea, and was also preparing to implement benevolent policies that would be more beneficial to the Korean people.

Only many of Korea's former aristocratic families wailed in this disaster.

At this moment, these core figures of the mutiny were arranged to go to the Ming Dynasty to ask for titles, which was actually a form of "suppression" against them.

In other words, they temporarily left Korea, so that Li Sancai, the governor of Korean affairs, could more easily promote and place those who had already surrendered to the court. It was impossible to kill all the Korean noble families, after all, people were needed to govern Korea. For the emperor and his ministers sent by the Ming Dynasty to Korea, both factions must be included, and they should mediate and judge in the middle, which was the best structure.

Therefore, I am afraid that I will inevitably be criticized by those people in the future.

And if one is meritorious in requesting the title and is personally rewarded by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, then he will have an extra layer of protection.

Liu Jing, the Duke of Ming who invaded Korea from land and "helped Korea" to recover Hamgyong Province, and the admiral of Ming Beiyang Fleet who intimidated Korea from the sea and the Han River and "helped Korea" to quell other rebellions, proposed to Kim Jingrui to discuss military tactics. Isn't this a reminder?
Ultimately, the Ming Dynasty relied on military force to reach the current situation in Korea.

After this foundation is laid, now we need to focus on winning their hearts.

Of course, whether it is the uncle of the Ming emperor who is now the ruler of Korea, or Li Sancai, the governor of Korean affairs, they are more aware of this.

Therefore, the fleet also carried a large amount of tribute, including gold, silver, rare treasures, and a large number of eunuchs and palace maids - almost all of them were from the aristocratic families of Korea who had lost their homes in the catastrophe.

What the Ming Dynasty will give them in return will be a large number of books, farm tools, cloth, food and other items.

This is the only time the enthronement tribute and return gift will be like this, and all the future will be trade.

The fleet was heading west on the sea, and the request was made to arrive in Ming Dynasty ahead of schedule.

After Zhu Changluo returned to Nanjing and read the letter from Korea, he summoned the nine ministers of Nanjing.

"This is a good opportunity. Let you guys handle it." Zhu Changluo passed the letter to them. "Korea has sent a total of 6 million taels of gold and silver as tribute, and a huge amount of goods. It's called tribute, but in fact they want to buy a large number of materials from Ming Dynasty to help the new dynasty of Korea to benefit the people. Of the 6 million taels, 4 million taels can buy a lot of things in Ming Dynasty. Let you guys handle this money."

He looked at Zhao Shiqing in particular and said, "You can get the big and sensible merchants and families in Jiangnan to participate in this year's new grain from Jiangnan, as well as salt, iron, cotton and linen, and transport them to Zhigu before the departure of the diplomatic corps next year."

"On behalf of the people of Jiangnan, I thank the emperor for his grace."

Zhao Shiqing knew that this was a tool given to them by the emperor. A big business worth four million taels would make a lot of money. Of course, he would not make trouble and was willing to follow the new policy.

After the change of regime in Korea, the degree of exchange between Korea and Ming Dynasty will be unprecedented.

From the time when the Japanese invaded Korea until today, Korea has been in decline for twenty years. There is no shortage of food, clothing, shelter and transportation.

The reason why Ming's strategy in Korea was successful this time was, firstly, because it had a huge advantage in military force, and secondly, because the Korean people were truly determined.

Who is the king? What does it have to do with ordinary people? As long as he can stabilize the situation in Korea and avoid years of war, he is already a wise ruler.

What's more, His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty has a long-term vision and unrivaled prestige. He is preparing to win the hearts of the Korean people and make them willing to become subjects of the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, this return gift was not silk, satin, fine porcelain or exquisite utensils for the enjoyment of the Korean dignitaries, but a large amount of basic living materials and production tools.

Zhu Changluo said to Liu Ruoyu, "Go tell Changming to buy more livestock from the north. The six million taels of gold and silver from Korea should be exchanged for goods for them."

"Yes."

Zhu Changluo then said to Zhao Shiqing and others, "We need to explain this clearly to the Jiangnan clans. The harvest from the fields is always limited. Although grain production must be guaranteed, Jiangnan has surplus manpower and financial resources, and they can make more money by working and trading. The ethnic groups in the northern border, Korea, and the future Western Regions and Southeast Asia will all buy good things from the Ming Dynasty. The court has created new wealth opportunities for them, and they pay taxes according to laws and regulations. This is the long-term plan. They should broaden their horizons and take a long-term view."

"Please keep this in mind."

"Go ahead. After I return to the capital, I will issue an edict to reform the local system next year. This Eastern Capital will inherit the flow of goods from the north to the south in the future, and will also face Ryukyu and Japan in the east. The gentry in the south of the Yangtze River who can see the long term will know that they should seize the opportunity."

Nanzhili was abolished, but a new regional center was given.

This is how to reshuffle Jiangnan.

When Zhu Changluo returned to Nanjing, he only stayed there for a short while, mainly to wait for many things to be loaded onto the ship.

The borrowed 30 million taels of silver were used to purchase a batch of materials in Jiangnan. During the southern tour, the canal banknotes would naturally give way to the imperial carriage, resulting in a loss of transportation capacity. In this case, it is best not to leave the fleet empty.

On the last night of his stay in Nanjing, another banquet was held. This time, in addition to officials from Nanjing, representatives of gentry and elders from Jiangnan were also invited.

Before leaving the next day, Cheng Jing and Li Chengliang were both at the dock.

After the ceremony, Zhu Changluo was about to board the ship, but suddenly stopped and turned to walk towards the two of them.

"Take care of yourself and take good care of yourself." Zhu Changluo held their hands one by one, "I don't know when I will come to Jiangnan next time. You will shoulder the heavy responsibility and cannot leave easily."

Cheng Jing's eyes reddened and he was deeply moved by the emperor's unexpected gesture.

"This old minister will obey the imperial edict!"

Li Chengliang looked at the emperor, who behaved in an easy-going manner, and bent down with his eyes away from his eyes.

"Your Majesty is a holy ruler, so why shouldn't I die for you?"

Zhu Changluo smiled when he heard this and said, "I hope that Duke Ningguo will not be needed to die for you. You have made outstanding contributions throughout your military career. Duke Ningguo, you will become the garrison commander. Jiangnan will continue to rely on you two to guard the overall situation."

After saying this, he turned around and boarded the ship, leaving behind the Nanjing subjects who once again bowed down and shouted "Long live the king".

Amid the blast of firecrackers, the imperial carriage slowly set sail along the Qinhuai River, preparing to enter the river.

Zhu Changluo stood outside, waved to the shore, and then continued to stare at the city of Nanjing.

This city has a very high status in the past, present and future, and has countless stories to tell.

But now, it represents the conservative forces in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Changluo, as the emperor with supreme prestige, was prepared to strip it of some of its importance to the Ming Dynasty.

No one can stop this. With the great size of the Ming Dynasty, it would never allow a large and important local force to constantly hold back its progress.

To this end, he has considered a lot for Jiangnan and opened up various ways out.

Not only did he have the honor of serving as an official in the court and being appointed as a prime minister, but he also had the opportunity to make a fortune by boarding the big ship of industry and commerce in the new era. He also directly exempted the people of Suzhou, Songjiang, Changzhou, Jiaxing and Lake from the heavy burden of paying the white grain from the five prefectures, which had weighed on the people of Suzhou, Songjiang, Changzhou, Jiaxing and Lake for more than two hundred years.

He is certainly a benevolent ruler.

There was a great massacre and looting in Korea, and the wealth that Lu Wang and the Korean civil and military officials dug out from those local great families was astonishing. Different from the so-called aristocratic families of the Ming Dynasty, perhaps only the Kong family in Qufu could be compared with them. Those Korean aristocratic families were truly entrenched in prominent positions for generations, and the accumulated wealth was really too huge.

From such a huge fortune, Prince Lu and the civil and military officials of Korea took out six million, which they were actually planning to give to Zhu Changluo.

But Zhu Changluo did not need to hoard the money like a miser, but to spend it.

Isn't it that in every dynasty, when managing new territories, they were ultimately unable to win the hearts of the people because of their harshness?

Unleashing productivity and improving local economic and living standards is always the only way.

So Zhu Changluo decided to give them supplies in return, and gave two of the cakes to Jiangnan and Beijiang respectively.

The boat entered the river and the autumn wind grew colder.

Zhu Changluo looked silently towards the north, and his two sons now ran over.

"Father, why don't you go back to the house?"

Wang Wei, who was standing at the cabin door, saw the second prince looking up and asking the emperor.

"Are you worried that Dad will catch a cold?" The emperor asked the second prince with a smile.

"Yes, mother said that the wind is strong on the river."

"Why don't you go back?" The emperor continued to smile, "Dad is fine, I'm thinking about something."

"What's the matter?" The second prince blurted out, then covered his mouth again, "It should be a state matter, I won't ask. Youcai, let's go!"

After saying that, he pulled the third prince and ran back.

Wang Wei rushed over and said, "Watch your step..."

She is only a few years older than the second prince, but she is currently serving as a palace maid.

In fact, she was just serving the emperor, so she stretched out her hand to protect him. When she saw the two princes entered the cabin and were led inside by eunuchs and female officials, she continued to stand at the cabin door, silently watching the emperor's back.

What is he thinking about?
My brother-in-law, who was accompanying him, said, "Your Majesty, the wind on the river is indeed strong. The ladies are worried about your health, and I would like to ask you to go back. You don't have to stay here to think about anything, right?"

"Do you feel that it gets cold earlier than before?" Zhu Changluo suddenly asked.

Liu Ruoyu was stunned for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, now that you say this, this is still Jiangnan..."

"Winter is coming early. When we get back, we'll ask the Imperial Observatory of the Academy of Sciences about their records." Zhu Changluo looked towards the north quietly. "We need to hurry up and prepare grain from Southeast Asia through maritime trade."

"...I will turn around and give the order."

Zhu Changluo nodded and moved his feet: "Go back."

He thought of this because he noticed that Jiang Feng's temperature had indeed become much colder.

The famous Little Ice Age at the end of the Ming Dynasty did show signs of cooling down. The disasters at that time and the survival pressure of the various tribes in the north would force the Ming Dynasty to face this challenge.

Crisis is also an opportunity, and the Ming Dynasty must be prepared.

When passing by Wang Wei, Zhu Changluo looked at her and said, "Your face is red. Come in too."

"Yes."

Wang Wei was cold before, but now his face felt slightly warm.

I followed the emperor all the way from Yangzhou to Guangzhou, and now I am almost back to Yangzhou.

During this journey, she saw a wider world beyond the small courtyard in Yangzhou.

Next, she would go north to Beijing, to the Forbidden City, and finally to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Her life seemed to have just begun, and the emperor was certainly her destined man.

When she was just beginning to fall in love, the invisible thread of fate tied her to the emperor.

And from what I have seen and heard along the way, is there anyone in the world today who is more outstanding than him?

(End of this chapter)