Bringing the Railway to Daming

Chapter 83: Two Guards and Two Factories, Prince of Yan Zhu Di! [Seeking follow-up reading]

Mao Xiang stood there, motionless, as if he didn't hear what Zhu Yuanzhang said.

Because when Zhu Yuanzhang asked him to place spies to monitor the officials, he warned him to abide by certain principles, one of which was not to discuss state affairs or interfere in government affairs.

He and the people under his command are merely the emperor's ears and eyes, and at most occasionally act as minions, but they are definitely not his mouthpieces, and they must not attempt to influence the emperor's thoughts and judgments.

Sure enough, Zhu Yuanzhang did not ask for his opinion on the matter, nor did he say how to deal with the civil officials listed in his memorial. Instead, he said, "Send more people to the market and outside the city to find out what ordinary people think about the 'ban on foot binding'."

"Whatever you find out, record it. I will be able to distinguish the good from the bad. Do you understand?"

"Wei Chen understands."

"Go back."

"Yes."

After Mao Xiang left Fengxian Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang tapped the memorial lightly and his expression became very calm.

According to the investigation of Mao Xiang's men, only a few officials privately criticized the "ban on foot binding". The attitude of most officials and nobles was indifferent, and at most they had some doubts.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't really care about the private criticisms of some civil servants.

What he cared more about was the performance of Mao Xiang and his men in this matter.

He has decided to set up the Jinyiwei.

But since he learned a lot about the later events and gains and losses of the imperial guards from Liu Kuan, the Jinyiwei he wanted to establish would naturally be different from the original historical ones.

Liu Kuan's comments on the Ming Dynasty's factory guards on Chongyang Day were unpleasant to hear, but also thought-provoking.

From the very beginning, the Imperial Household Department should have been precisely positioned as a spy agency, the emperor's eyes and ears, rather than his mouthpieces or minions.

In addition, as the eyes and ears, they must not only monitor the internal affairs of the Ming Dynasty, but also be able to obtain intelligence on foreign enemies.

In the past, the task of detecting the enemy's situation was entirely the responsibility of the army. Now, it seems a bit inappropriate. The emperor should directly control a team that can detect the situation of foreign enemies.

Finally, since later generations were able to create the East Factory, West Factory, the Internal Affairs Director and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to check and balance each other, it shows that this type of spy agency needs to be checked and controlled.

Limiting its powers is one way of restraining it, and setting up a similar spy agency is another way.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang's initial idea was to set up two guards and two factories at one time.

He established the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which was responsible for monitoring the civil and military officials, wealthy merchants and even the poor people of the Ming Dynasty, and acting as his eyes and ears.

The Mingguang Guard was established to infiltrate the countries and forces surrounding the Ming Dynasty, to investigate the military and political secrets of these external forces, and even to plot and scheme, to stir up trouble and achieve things that are beneficial to the Ming Dynasty.

He then secretly established the Dongjishi Factory, which was specifically responsible for training secret spies and placing them among the Jinyiwei and civil and military officials.

In other words, the main responsibility of the East Factory was to supervise the Embroidered Uniform Guard, followed by civil and military officials. The gentry, merchants and common people were not within its supervision scope.

Finally, the Western Investigation Factory was secretly established to train spies and place them among the Mingguang Guards and the Eastern Factory. They were only responsible for monitoring the Mingguang Guards and the Eastern Factory and were not allowed to be involved in any other matters.

Because this is a preliminary idea, there may be some changes when the two bathrooms and two factories are officially established.

At present, Zhu Yuanzhang has decided to let Mao Xiang serve as the first commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. As early as the tenth year of Hongwu, Mao Xiang led a group of inspectors and the emperor's personal soldiers to secretly investigate the private affairs of officials. He is quite familiar with such matters.

In the "Hu Weiyong case", Mao Xiang played a significant role, but it could not be told to outsiders.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt that Mao Xiang was both capable and sensible, and should be able to serve as the first commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and set an example for his successors.

As for the persons in charge of Mingguangwei, Dongchang and Xichang, he had not yet made up his mind.

After much thought, he felt that the eunuchs in the palace were the most suitable people to be in charge of the two factories, but he was also worried that he would cultivate powerful eunuchs who would influence the government as happened in later history.

After much thought, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't make a decision and couldn't help but think of Zhu Di.

"This fourth brother seems to have reused the eunuch without much hesitation? I don't know what he was thinking."

···
"drive!"

In Jiangbei, on an official road near the river, hundreds of cavalrymen were galloping from east to west.

When it approached one mile from the northern section of the cross-river bridge, it began to slow down and eventually stopped on the side of the road connected to the bridge.

Atop a tall, reddish-brown horse in the lead, a muscular, handsome young man with slender arms and waist glanced sideways at the cross-river bridge, his eyes gleaming with wonder. "There really is a bridge spanning the Yangtze River, and one so majestic! It's truly incredible!"

This man had sharp eyebrows, starry eyes, a high nose bridge, and a short beard between his upper and lower lips. He looked very heroic and extraordinary. He was none other than Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, who had been summoned to the capital!

The accompanying guard came forward and asked, "Your Highness, we've been running all the way. Should we rest before crossing the bridge?"

Zhu Di and others actually took a boat south along the Grand Canal. They could have changed to another boat in Guazhou Town and gone up the river to the capital.

However, in order to cross the legendary "Immortal Bridge", Zhu Di insisted on taking the land route from Jiangbei, so these hundreds of people galloped all the way from Guazhou Town, and both the horses were tired.

Zhu Di nodded and said, "You guys take a rest, I'll go over there and take a look."

As he spoke, Zhu Di rode his horse towards the "toll station" on the northern section of the bridge.

The guards didn't dare to let Zhu Di go alone, so they hurried to follow him.

As soon as Zhu Di and others approached, they were stopped and questioned by the officers and soldiers guarding nearby.

"Which unit are you from? Do you have the necessary documents to cross the bridge?"

The captain of the guards stepped forward and shouted, "Are you blind? You can't even recognize His Highness the Prince of Yan?"

Zhu Di pulled the captain aside and said, "Captain Jiang, we came here lightly and without any flags. It's normal that they couldn't tell us apart. Why are you scolding us?"

As he said that, he took out his badge and threw it over.

The flag-gatherer in the lead took the badge and saw that it was made of ivory, inlaid with gold and jade, with the words "King of Yan" engraved on one side and the word "Di" engraved on the other. It was indeed the prince's badge.

The general flag shuddered, then respectfully returned the badge with both hands.

"I am so blind that I didn't even know that His Royal Highness Prince Yan was here. I beg Your Highness to forgive me!"

Zhu Di took the badge and said, "Ignorance is not a crime... What are you doing here?"

The general flag said, "Your Highness, we are here under the Emperor's orders to guard the bridge, collect tolls, and maintain order."

Zhu Di was surprised, "I have to pay a toll to cross this bridge?"

"Only the common people were charged a fee. Officials and soldiers crossing the bridge on official business could do so for free by simply showing their written documents."

"I see." Zhu Di nodded, then smiled and said, "I have been summoned back to the capital, so I should be able to cross the bridge for free, right?"

As he spoke, he took out the imperial edict from his arms and showed it to the general flag by Captain Jiang - the princes were not allowed to leave their fiefdoms without reason. Zhu Di needed to show this imperial edict when he passed through many passes on his way south, so he naturally carried it with him.

The general flag saw the imperial edict, glanced at it briefly, then looked away and said, "Since there is an imperial edict, Your Highness can cross the bridge for free."

After saying this, he stepped aside with his officers and soldiers.

Zhu Di rode his horse onto the tarmac road, but suddenly turned back and asked, "When I was traveling south, I heard that a banished immortal appeared along with this immortal bridge and railway?"

The general flag was bewildered after hearing this, then shook his head, "Forgive my ignorance, I have not heard of this matter."

Zhu Di looked disappointed.

He then rode his horse and headed towards the cross-river bridge with a hundred or so guards.

When passing the "toll station", another official told them to obey traffic rules after crossing the bridge and not to race.

Although Zhu Di was a prince of the Ming Dynasty, he did not dare to disobey what Zhu Yuanzhang had decided and had to cross the bridge obediently according to the rules.

When he reached the bridge, he looked at the bridgehead, guardrails and other things that were obviously not available in the Ming Dynasty. Then he thought of the "railway" he had inspected all the way from Peking, and became even more curious about the origin of this cross-river bridge and railway.

"My father summoned me back to the capital this time, probably because of the advent of the immortal bridge and railway? I really want to see my father and brother soon."

Zhu Di withdrew his gaze from the rolling river, but his heart was still surging.

He looked at the capital from afar, his eyes full of anticipation.

So he increased the speed of the horses a little and led the team to cross the bridge faster.

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(End of this chapter)