The Ming Dynasty started with caution

The retired emperor Hongzhi was not thinking about the Royal Academy. He said thoughtfully: "Send a letter to Prince Xing. If he is willing, send the prince to Beijing to study with Zaikun."

The Lijia system was implemented in the local areas.

He had been waiting, and he felt a little relieved when he heard that the local gentry did not revolt.

Yan Chengjin knew what the retired emperor was thinking.

"Now the population of many landlords' mansions is gradually gathering, and it has begun to take on the scale of the original capital. It is worth my painstaking efforts."

The faces of the gentlemen were strange, and they heard the hidden meaning.

Zhu Houzhao blinked his eyes, looked around and saw that no one spoke for Yan Chengjin, so he said: "Father, Lao Gao wants to ask for a reward."

The retired emperor Hongzhi had a gloomy face and pretended to be stupid and fooled it, but this rebellious son just said it.

"Now that the six cabinets are full, it is not easy for me to be promoted."

Yan Chengjin took the lead and said: "I can serve as the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion with Lord Jiang."

The gentlemen curled their lips. It has always been one scholar for each palace.

However, the official position of Grand Secretary is a nominal title, and it does not involve ministry affairs and political affairs.

As long as the emperor wants to change, he can add a Grand Secretary to Wenyuan Pavilion at any time.

Just like there are two ministers of the six ministries, Liu Jian, Li Dongyang and other three people are also the ministers of the six ministries.

The retired emperor Hongzhi looked at Jiang Mian: "What do you think, Lord Jiang?"

"I don't want to." Jiang Mian said truthfully.

He didn't want Yan Chengjin to be a scholar of Wenyuan Pavilion. Yan Chengjin entered the cabinet earlier than him, so he would become the Six Assistants.

Yan Chengjin said: "If Lord Jiang feels humbled, he can be demoted to the Grand Secretary of Dongge."

Demotion to the cabinet has never happened.

After making meritorious deeds, there must be rewards. The court has clear rewards and punishments to make the ministers support.

The retired emperor Hongzhi understood this truth: "Mr. Jiang, please condescend a little. We all serve the court, but it's just an empty title."

Jiang Mian looked ugly and bowed slightly.

Yan Chengjin said: "Thank you, retired emperor." He was promoted to Wenyuan Pavilion Grand Secretary, five steps away from the Prime Minister.

Back to the Censorate, Yan Chengjin received the victory report from his father and was escorting a group of rebels back to the capital.

Three months ago, Wang Shouren had put down the rebellion.

My father is really a rookie. He has just returned to the court, but if he can return safely, he can ask the retired emperor for a reward.

"There is no position for promotion in the Ministry of War."

My father is now the Minister of War, and Zhang Fuhua is still sitting in the position of Shangshu. He does not plan to impeach him for the time being.

He casually opened another memorial, which was sent back by the censor of Fujian.

Although the rebellion was put down, due to the uprisings in many places, the rebels plundered the property and rice in many places.

The people had a hard time eating and clothing, and the local officials probably had to ask the court for money again.

Ministry of War, duty room.

Zhang Fuhua received the victory report from Fujian that Yan Kesong was escorting the rebels from Da Mao Mountain back to the capital.

He hurriedly took the memorial to Fengtian Palace.

"Now Shandong, Henan, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Huguang, Shaanxi, Fujian, and Guangdong and Guangxi have suffered from war disasters. The rebels have plundered along the way, and the people have been displaced and unemployed.

Local officials begged the court for relief silver."

Rebellion hurts farmers more than fighting in the nine frontiers.

The rebels were all able-bodied men, and more than 100,000 able-bodied men were killed at once. I don't know how many fields will be left barren.

The emperor looked at Wang Qiong, the Minister of Revenue: "Does the local warehouse have silver?"

"The taxes have been transported to the capital. Do you want to distribute the money in Taicang to the local warehouses?" Wang Qiong asked.

The local warehouses are mostly used to store military rations for the garrisons.

However, although the garrisons in Fujian and Guangdong and Guangxi have silver, they have to be used as military pay.

"Open the Taicang and distribute the silver from the treasury."

Now is the time to collect summer taxes, and there are more than 14 million taels of silver in the Taicang.

Yan Chengjin said that the price of silk would rise, but it has been more than a year now, and it has not risen again.

October, early winter.

At the Juyuan Pavilion in the southwest corner of the Meridian Gate, Zhu Houzhao happily pulled the bow and arrow, and with a buzz, it hit the bull's eye.

The emperor's grandson Zhu Zaikun also pulled the small bow and arrow, but only shot five or six steps.

Gu Dayong led a baby with bright eyes. The baby was wearing gorgeous brocade and a black hat. It was obvious that he was the descendant of a nobleman.

When the baby saw Zhu Houzhao, he saluted politely and said in a baby voice: "Xing Wang's son Houcong greets the new emperor."

The little hand etiquette is standard, which shows that he has put a lot of effort into learning the etiquette of a minister.

Zhu Houzhao looked at Gu Dayong in confusion: "Is this my younger brother?"

Gu Dayong smiled and said: "Lord Yan asked the emperor to let the prince of Xing enter the palace to accompany the emperor's grandson to study. Did I forget?"

At this time, Yan Chengjin came from a distance and took a look at the exquisite doll.

This is Jiajing in later generations.

"Yes, it was me who asked for it. The prince of Xing is a smart child like the new emperor."

Compared with Zhengde and Jiajing, who is smarter.

He didn't know, but Zhu Houzhao was definitely more naughty than Jiajing.

The two children met and stared at each other. Zhu Houcong looked at Zhu Zaikun with big eyes and asked in a baby voice: "Is the new emperor your father?"

"Yes."

"My father can play with rattles, pottery balls and dough figurines for me. What does your father let you play with?"

"He only taught me archery, military tactics and horse riding. By the way, do you want to ride a horse? I have a little mare." Zhu Zaikun said seriously, as if he wanted to make this friend very much.

Zhu Houzhao said happily: "Weiwu, come here."

Zhu Houcong looked at Zhu Zaikun and blinked his big eyes: "Is your name Weiwu?"

"No, it's a nickname given to me by my father. If you stay in the palace for a long time, my father will also give you one."

After saying that, Zhu Zaikun walked in front of Zhu Houzhao and looked up at him: "Father?"

"Nothing, go have fun."

"..."Yan Chengjin.

...

Hainan, Qiongzhou Prefecture.

Xu Jinzhong read the urgent report sent back from Mangara.

"The French occupied the northern peninsula of Mangara and burned the court ships."

He hesitated whether to send troops.

There are pirates around Hainan. Hainan is rich now. If you rashly go to Mangara, you will be robbed by pirates.

Moreover, first, you need to get the imperial order, second, you need to call for military pay, and third, you don't know if the imperial court still needs that piece of land.

After all, the imperial court has never paid much attention to the vassal states.

After thinking again and again, he decided to send a message back to the capital first.

...

In mid-October, the capital.

The capital is becoming more and more crowded, and the gentry are gathering in the capital, although it is still far from being as prosperous as Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty.

The population is rising steadily.

Wang Qiong brought the household registration to Fengtian Hall and said with a bitter face: "Your Majesty is going to limit the household registration in the capital. Now there are already one million people in the imperial register, and there will be no room for more."

Among the registered native places, there are gentry who moved from Hejian Prefecture and Baoding Prefecture.

If the momentum continues, the population will continue to increase. The mansions in the capital are sold out and cannot accommodate more than one hundred people.

"It's time to build the East District and the West District. I wonder how much money the Ministry of Households can allocate?"

Yan Chengjin said: "Maybe it can't be built yet, the emperor will see!"

Handed over the memorial sent back from Nanhai.

The emperor Hongzhi's eyes fell on Yan Chengjin.

The gentlemen turned their eyes and looked a little solemn.

"What's the matter?"

"The French occupied the northern peninsula of Mangara and resisted the imperial army with the people of Mangara."

The gentlemen thought it was an important matter in the court.

But when they heard that it was about Mangara, their faces were relieved a little.

"Even if Mangala is destroyed, what does it have to do with the Ming Dynasty?"

As long as the silver mines in Mangala are dug up, the army can be sent back.

Wang Qiong whispered: "My dear nephew, the resettlement of the people who moved to the capital is the most important thing now."

Mangala is the location of Malacca.

You don't know, but Yan Chengjin knows that it has a special geographical location.

Now there are no airplanes, and all sea transportation from the east and the west must pass through Mangala, which is an important place.

The retired emperor Hongzhi turned his head slightly and looked at Yan Chengjin: "Why does the Yan family want to send troops?"

Yan Chengjin said: "One banknote gate here is ten times the value of a hundred banknote gates on the Grand Canal."

Liu Jian heard this and his beard shook violently.

Li Dongyang and others looked at him with serious expressions.