My father is Jiajing

In the Western Garden of the capital, a thin layer of snow had already accumulated on the glazed tiles of the Hall of Diligent Governance.

It is clear that the third year of the Longqing reign was coming to an end.

Holding two memorials in his hands, Zhu Zaiji paced back and forth in the warm pavilion of the Qin Zheng Hall, the gold bricks under his feet making a soft grinding sound with each step.

Zhu Zaiji then turned his gaze to the blooming winter plum blossoms outside the window. The hazy fragrance of the plum blossoms seemed to waft through the window at this moment, but it was nothing compared to the joy in his heart!

"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Li Chunfang, Second Grand Secretary Gao Gong, and Minister of War Tan Lun are waiting to receive you outside the palace."

Meng Chong, a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, reported softly, a look of joy on his face.

Upon hearing Meng Chong's voice, Zhu Zaiji gently placed the memorial in his hand on the sandalwood table beside him, a slight smile appearing on his lips. "Summon it."

After receiving Zhu Zaiji's decree of approval, Li Chunfang, Gao Gong, and Tan Lun immediately entered the hall to pay their respects.

"Your subjects Li Chunfang, Gao Gong, and Tan Lun pay their respects to Your Majesty!"

Zhu Zaiji nodded slightly and gestured with his hand, "Rise."

The men thanked the emperor and bowed again before rising. When they saw the emperor's rosy complexion and joyful expression, their mood immediately improved.

Zhu Zaiji chuckled in high spirits and said, "My dear ministers, please take a look at this first."

After saying this, Zhu Zaiji pointed, and Meng Chong understood and picked up the memorial that Zhu Zaiji had just placed on the table, and handed it to Li Chunfang, Gao Gong and Tan Lun.

Zhu Zaiji continued excitedly, "Qi Jiguang has captured the capital of Japan, and the Japanese chieftain has submitted a letter of surrender and declared himself a vassal; Yu Dayou has also established a Pacification Commission in the Western Ocean and controlled Malacca. It's truly a double celebration!"

Li Chunfang and Gao Gong read through the memorial, their brows furrowing slightly.

Tan Lun couldn't help but exclaim, "Generals Qi and Yu are truly pillars of the nation! It is His Majesty's discerning eye that has enabled them to achieve such unparalleled feats!"

Tan Lun was very quick-witted; he seized the opportunity to flatter the dragon, showing his cleverness.

Zhu Zaiji chuckled and praised Tan Lun, saying, "What you say is absolutely right, Tan Qing. Generals Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou are indeed pillars of the nation. It is truly rare in history that the two of them were able to accomplish such great feats in the east and the south!"

Zhu Zaiji was incredibly excited.

As emperors, which one wouldn't be excited about the achievement of expanding their territory?
Moreover, if Zhu Zaiji's achievements this time can be preserved for a long time, then in the history books of thousands of years, he may not be able to be compared with Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Emperor Taizu of Song, and even Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu of the current dynasty.

Therefore, at this moment, Zhu Zaiji's excitement and agitation were naturally beyond comprehension!

Zhu Zaiji got up again and walked to the huge painting hanging in the hall.
The emperor walked up to the huge "Map of the Great Ming Dynasty" and pointed his finger from Tianjin, across the East China Sea to Japan, and then south to the location of Malacca.

Then Zhu Zaiji exclaimed, "It has been 150 years since the eunuch Zheng He sailed to the Western Ocean. The warships of our Great Ming have finally once again made their mark on the world! I have made up my mind to reward the meritorious officials such as Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou."

Li Chunfang and Gao Gong exchanged a glance. They were traditional civil officials, and although their views had been evolving over the years, they still couldn't help but feel worried when they heard that Zhu Zaiji wanted to bestow titles on Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou, who were already earls.

It should be known that the Ming Dynasty was extremely cautious and stingy in bestowing titles and rewards. Apart from the first two days after the founding of the dynasty, subsequent emperors hesitated and discussed the matter repeatedly before finally granting a title.

Now Zhu Zaiji is going to promote Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou and reward them for their merits, which doesn't seem so good for traditional civil officials like Li Chunfang and Gao Gong.

Therefore, at this moment, Li Chunfang hesitated and cautiously said, "Your Majesty, according to regulations, military officers who achieve merit should be promoted in rank and rewarded with gold, silver, land, and houses. Qi Jiguang is already a general, and Yu Dayou has also risen to the rank of commander-in-chief. Moreover, they were already granted the title of earl before. If they are promoted further, I am afraid..."

Zhu Zaiji waved his sleeve, directly interrupting Li Chunfang.

"not enough!"

Then Zhu Zaiji said with great arrogance: "Qi Jiguang pacified the Eastern Seas, and Yu Dayou expanded the Western Seas. These are achievements in territorial expansion, which cannot be compared with ordinary military achievements. Therefore, I wish to confer the title of Marquis on these two men! And to encourage more ambitious generals and soldiers to expand the territory of our Great Ming Dynasty, establish unparalleled merits, and restore the military achievements of the Han and Tang Dynasties!"

Li Chunfang and Gao Gong's expressions changed slightly upon hearing this.

It should be known that being granted the title of marquis was a major honor bestowed by the imperial court, and it was not lightly granted to those who had not made great contributions such as founding the country or suppressing rebellions.

After the Yongle era, the number of military officers who were granted the title of marquis became extremely limited.

Now that Zhu Zaiji is going to confer the title of Marquis of Wugong on two people at once, this is no joke.

But Tan Lun, standing to the side, didn't care about any of that. To Tan Lun, he was still young and had room for improvement. If he wanted to solidify that room for improvement in the future, he would definitely have to cling to the emperor's coattails and follow the emperor's wishes.

Moreover, the previous restrictions on joining the cabinet have been lifted, so Tan Lun would not waste his chance to advance to the cabinet for a little bit of empty fame.

Tan Lun immediately echoed, "Your Majesty is wise! The achievements of Generals Qi and Yu are indeed comparable to those of the founding generals! Your Majesty's wisdom and martial prowess are no less than that of the founding emperor!"

As soon as Tan Lun finished speaking, Zhu Zaiji smiled happily.

Indeed, it's no wonder that emperors throughout history have loved flattering ministers; their words are so pleasant to hear and make people feel good.

Li Chunfang and Gao Gong felt some disdain for Tan Lun's behavior, but there was nothing they could do.

After all, their contribution this time was truly significant, and it's no exaggeration to say so.

Furthermore, the imperial court will subsequently open up trade and industrial exchanges with the Japanese region, allowing more people and resources to enter the Japanese mainland and exploit its gold and silver resources.

Therefore, if they cannot clearly understand the current situation at this time and still want to act as unconventional rationalists, they will definitely be disliked by Zhu Zaiji.

If Zhu Zaiji dislikes them and feels that they can no longer understand the emperor's heart, then they won't stay in the cabinet for long, let alone compete for cabinet power.

At this moment, Gao Gong also stepped forward and bowed to Zhu Zaiji: "If Your Majesty decides to confer a title, I request that the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War jointly discuss the title and choose an auspicious day for the investiture ceremony."

Upon hearing Gao Gong's words, Zhu Zaiji nodded in satisfaction and smiled, "Granted. Furthermore, I also approve Yu Dayou's request to establish the 'Great Ming Western Ocean Pacification Commission' and the newly formed Western Ocean Fleet. The Cabinet and the Ministry of War should also draft a plan for these matters."

Li Chunfang, Gao Gong, and Tan Lun bowed and said, "Your subjects obey the decree."

Then Zhu Zaiji waved his hand, signaling them to leave.

After they left, Zhu Zaiji ordered Meng Chong to unfold the nautical chart that Yu Dayou had attached to his memorial.

Zhu Zaiji looked at the nautical chart for a while, pondered for a long time, and finally picked up the red marker next to him. He marked the location of the Strait of Malacca with the characters "Xuanwei" and the location of Japan with the characters "Yingzhou".

"Meng Chong, grind the ink." Then Zhu Zaiji picked up his brush and wrote on a piece of brocade: "I have heard from the Classic of Mountains and Seas that there is a Yingzhou in the East Sea, the abode of immortals. Now, Qi Qing has pacified the Japanese island of Kyushu, and renamed it Yingzhou Island, to be forever under the jurisdiction of the Great Ming. The Strait of Malacca is renamed Xuanwei Strait, with its northern shore called Xuanwei North Island and its southern shore called Xuanwei South Island."

Three days later, a heated debate erupted inside the Wenhua Hall.

The Wenhua Hall has now been transformed into the palace where the imperial court held meetings.

As for why the three main halls were not chosen, the reason is quite simple. Although these three halls look grand, they are actually old and have a sense of disrepair over the years. They are not as grand as one might imagine.

Moreover, if renovations or repairs are needed, it will cost a lot of money.

Although the Ming Dynasty was not short of money, Zhu Zaiji still felt it was a waste to spend it on this.

Therefore, instead of spending a lot of money to renovate the three main halls, it would be better to make do with the Wenhua Hall for now.

It's not too late to renovate it after new regulations and plans are in place to ensure the Forbidden City's self-sufficiency.

Otherwise, it would be a waste of manpower, resources, money, and energy at this critical juncture to renovate the palace at any cost, which just doesn't seem right.

Therefore, at this stage, using the Wenhua Hall, a ready-made hall that has already been renovated, for official business is the most practical approach.

"Your Majesty, I believe that bestowing titles upon them is excessive!"

Ge Shouli, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, his hair and beard bristling, exclaimed excitedly, "Qi Jiguang merely quelled the Japanese pirates, and Yu Dayou only gained control of a strait. How could they be granted the title of marquis? If this precedent is set, future border generals will all be ambitious and eager for glory, recklessly provoking border conflicts!"

Minister of War Tan Lun immediately retorted: "Imperial Censor Ge is mistaken! Japan has been a border threat since the time of Emperor Taizu. Now, General Qi has directly attacked its capital, forcing it to submit and pay tribute; General Yu has recovered Malacca, controlling the throat of the Western Ocean. What is this if not an achievement of territorial expansion?"

Minister of Revenue Zhang Shouzhi spoke with deep concern: "Your Majesty, the expeditions are extremely costly. Last year, the Eastern Expedition cost 1.8 million taels of silver, and the Southeast Asian campaign also cost 1 million taels. If this continues, I fear the national treasury will be unable to sustain it."

But after these words were spoken, the faces of all the officials in the palace showed a look of disgust, as if the money really came from the Ministry of Revenue.

It should be noted that the military expenses for these two major wars were all paid out of the Emperor Emeritus's own pocket, and were based on the three million taels of dirty silver that were escorted back from Korea.

The Ministry of Revenue not only didn't contribute any money, but it didn't even offer any assistance.

Now that you're suddenly complaining about being poor, who wouldn't look down on you?

Li Chunfang couldn't listen any longer. He coughed lightly and said, "Gentlemen, His Majesty's mind has been made up. What we are discussing today is the title and ceremony, not whether or not it should be conferred."

Then Li Chunfang turned to Zhu Zaiji and bowed, saying, "I have discussed this with my colleagues in the cabinet and suggest that Qi Jiguang be granted the title of 'Marquis of Jinghai' and Yu Dayou be granted the title of 'Marquis of Pingbo,' which means to pacify the waves of the sea."

Zhu Zaiji, seated high on the dragon throne in the Wenhua Hall, nodded slightly and said calmly, "Good. Let the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War draft a regulation."

Ge Shouli wanted to offer further advice, but was quietly pulled back by his colleagues.

Zhu Zaiji's sharp gaze swept over the assembled officials, and he made a decisive statement: "There is another matter. Yu Dayou has petitioned to establish the 'Great Ming Western Ocean Pacification Commission' in Colombo, and I have approved it. The Ministry of War shall select capable officials to serve as Pacification Commissioners, overseeing all affairs in the Xuanwei Strait, the two islands to the north and south, and the Western Ocean."

After speaking, Zhu Zaiji stood up and left the hall, announcing the end of the court session.

This time, Zhu Zaiji wasn't trying to discuss anything with them; he was simply informing them.

Therefore, this court assembly and meeting was not really about discussing any issues, but rather about informing all officials and ministers what to do!
And this is the majesty of the emperor!
After the court session, Gao Gong sighed slightly, stayed behind alone, and finally went to pay his respects to Zhu Zaiji.

"Your Majesty, this old minister has something to say, but I am not sure if I should."

Zhu Zaiji, who had returned to the Hall of Diligent Governance, was admiring a so-called Japanese treasure sword that Qi Jiguang had sent with his memorial. It was said to be called the Kusanagi Sword and was a so-called sacred weapon passed down by the chieftain of Japan.

Zhu Zaiji played with this short, shabby pheasant sword, clearly out of curiosity rather than any other thought.

Upon hearing Gao Gong's words, Zhu Zaiji casually tossed the Kusanagi sword onto the table beside him, turned to Gao Gong, and smiled, "Please speak freely, sir."

Gao Gong carefully considered his words and said cautiously, "Your Majesty's emphasis on the maritime frontier is indeed wise. However, the foundation of our Great Ming lies on the land. If we focus too much on maritime power, we may neglect the threats on land. Moreover, many upright officials in the court hold the view of 'emphasizing the land and neglecting the sea.' Your Majesty should proceed slowly and cautiously."

Zhu Zaiji chuckled, not caring at all.

Zhu Zaiji said, “I have taken note of your wise words on governing the country. However, the Ming Dynasty today is not the time to close itself off. The Portuguese and Dutch are rampant all over the world. If we do not make progress, we will surely be controlled by others.”

"Therefore, I cannot only focus on the present, on what is before me, but also on the future and on the world. Only in this way can China remain invincible in the future!"

This time, Zhu Zaiji changed his wording, no longer using the term "Great Ming" but instead using the term "China".

It is clear that Zhu Zaiji did not aim to create the glory of one dynasty, but rather the glory of thousands of dynasties!
Upon hearing Zhu Zaiji's words, Gao Gong bowed deeply, feeling insignificant. He bowed to Zhu Zaiji and said, "Your Majesty's vision is far-sighted, and this old minister is in awe. I only hope that Your Majesty will pay attention to public opinion in the court and among the people, and not let meritorious officials be envied."

Zhu Zaiji waved his hand and said calmly, "I know what I'm doing."

Upon hearing Zhu Zaiji's words, Gao Gong felt a chill run down his spine. In recent years, Zhu Zaiji had not been involved in any major killings, and Gao Gong had almost forgotten about the Jiangnan gang case from a few years ago.

Even now, the terror of that time still lingers in the Jiangnan region, as if some terrible calamity had befallen them.

Now that Hai Rui is in charge of the administration there, one can imagine what state Jiangnan has become.

If the officials and ministers in the capital cannot understand the Emperor's heart and cannot think about the future of the Ming Dynasty...

The consequences that followed were truly beyond Gao Gong's imagination.

After all, the current emperor is not a complacent ruler who merely maintains the status quo; he has real ambitions and aspirations!

Once the courtiers can no longer keep up with his thoughts and actions, the opportunities left for them will only become fewer and fewer, and eventually they will not even be given the chance to speak anymore.

Therefore, in this day and age, if one wants to establish oneself in the court and the country, and if one wants to achieve unparalleled merit alongside the current emperor, there is only one way!

Just follow closely!

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