Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 48 The Daily Work Routine of the Ming Dynasty Emperor (Part 2)

Memorial from the Hanlin Academy requesting the holding of daily lectures on the classics.

It is suggested that the emperor resume lectures on the classics, so as to "rectify the mind through sacred learning" and demonstrate the new dynasty's spirit.

"Damn it, what is this!" Zhu Youjian cursed under his breath and threw the memorial out the door!
Memorial from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau regarding the appearance of a comet in the east.

At midnight on the 9th of the month, a comet appeared in the constellation Jing in the east, measuring three zhang in length. The divination indicated that this signified a major outbreak of war.

"Really?!" Zhu Youjian scratched his head after looking at the thing.

However, they also claimed that this was because the emperor had lost his virtue and there were treacherous officials causing trouble in the court, so they demanded that the emperor lead all civil and military officials to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth and the ancestral temples to pray for the elimination of disasters and misfortunes?!
That old bastard Huang Lijie suggested he refer to Emperor Wu of Han's "Luntai Edict of Self-Reproach"?!

Stay in the middle but not send out!

"Wanwan, don't you think the Imperial Observatory is a bit redundant?!" Zhu Youjian complained.

Memorial from Liu Wenyao, the eunuch garrison commander of Nanjing, requesting the repair of the Xiaoling Mausoleum.

200 barracks of Xiaolingwei have collapsed. Please allocate 5 taels of imperial funds for their repair.

It breaks down every year, and needs repairing every year? No way!

Yunnan Governor Min Hongxue's Memorial Requesting the Conversion of Native Chieftainships to Imperial Administration

Min Hongxue believed that the Tusi (local chieftains) were arrogant and constantly killing each other, and that the conflict between the Han and the Yi people was serious. Only by "replacing the Tusi with centrally appointed officials" could long-term stability be achieved.

Although what he said made a lot of sense, Zhu Youjian felt it was best not to provoke these local officials now. If the chieftains were not honest, how could these officials stationed on the frontier be honest? How much tax could they possibly collect?
Memorial from Duke Yansheng Kong Yinzhi to the new emperor on his ascension to the throne

The Confucius Mansion in Qufu presented a memorial praising the emperor's virtue as "matching that of Yao and Shun," and offered 100 bolts of Lu brocade.

Logically speaking, the court should have given him a reward far exceeding what he had presented, but Zhu Youjian was already quite generous for refraining from killing the entire Kong family, let alone bestowing a reward?! Moreover, Qin Liangyu's congratulatory letter had already been sent from Sichuan last month, and you, the Duke of Yansheng, are in Shandong, so close by, what a grand gesture! Zhu Youjian crumpled the congratulatory letter into a ball and threw it on the ground.

Memorial from King Injong of Joseon requesting investiture

Because the Dingmao Rebellion required the Ming Dynasty to officially recognize him as king, and he also requested assistance in using firearms to fight against the Jurchens.

The investiture is fine, but the firearms are a different story. Not to mention that the Ming Dynasty itself doesn't have enough, given the current situation in Korea, sending them firearms would be like sending firearms to the Jurchens.

Zhu Youjian decreed: If necessary, the King of Joseon may be allowed to seek refuge in the Ming Dynasty.

The Memorial of the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture Requesting Repairs to the Lugou Bridge

Memorial from the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, requesting retirement due to illness.

The Imperial Medical Academy's petition requesting increased funding for medicines.

Report from Qingyuan County, Baoding Prefecture, regarding autumn rat damage to crops.

The Imperial Household Department's petition to replace the copper cooking pots in the kitchen.

The Imperial Stables' petition for treatment of equine nasal eczema

……

Sometimes, too much centralization of power isn't good either. The emperor has to decide on every trivial matter, and local reports can take half a month to come and go, which is utterly inefficient. Even though Zhu Youjian was already quite skilled, he was still yawning constantly and exhausted.

"Huh?!" Zhu Youjian looked up and bumped right into a soft mound.

“I saw that Your Majesty was tired, so I wanted to give you a massage,” Sun Shiwan said softly, her face slightly flushed. “A little higher, yes, that’s right, a little more pressure?! Hiss, not bad, continue!”

"This is life!" Zhu Youjian thought to himself.

"Huh?! Fujian Governor Zhu Qinxiang reported that Zheng Zhilong refused the amnesty, saying that the reason they couldn't reach an agreement was because Fujian General Yu Zigao was ineffective in suppressing the bandits?!"

Report by Yu Zigao, General of Fujian, on the Suppression of the Pirate Zheng Zhilong

The Fujian navy encountered Zheng Zhilong's fleet off the coast of Xiamen, losing 23 warships and retreating to Kinmen.

"Sigh, one wave subsides only for another to rise." Zhu Youjian felt like crying; he felt that the Ming Dynasty was surrounded by enemies on all sides. A few years ago, the Fujian Navy fought with the Dutch and finally managed to drive them out of Penghu, but now the notorious pirate Zheng Zhilong had appeared.

Yu Zigao was Yu Daqiu's nephew, but he was far inferior to Yu Daqiu. Of course, the collapse of the Ming Dynasty's garrisons was a common phenomenon, and blaming him entirely would be a bit much.

Zheng Zhilong wanted to "obtain the exclusive right to trade with foreign countries" and "be granted the exclusive right to operate maritime trade, with all ships traveling with foreign countries not allowed to sail without the order." He wanted to monopolize maritime trade in the southeast.

The Fujian governor wanted him dead, but General Yu Zigao tearfully complained that he couldn't win and requested the imperial court to send the Dengzhou and Laizhou naval forces to support him.

The Dengzhou-Laizhou navy is barely alive itself, let alone providing support! The Ming Dynasty originally had two thousand warships on Juehua Island, but in the so-called Ningyuan Victory, they were all burned by the Wild Boar Skin's surprise attack while the sea was frozen. From then on, the Ming Dynasty's northern navy was considered a waste.

Having been granted amnesty for murder and arson, Zhu Youjian (Emperor Zhu Youjian) wanted to execute Zheng Zhilong, this traitor, but unfortunately, he couldn't. The Ministry of War and the Cabinet suggested dispatching the Guangdong Navy to assist in the operation, joining forces with the Dutch to strangle Zheng Zhilong.

Wanwan, however, believed that from a military strategy perspective, they should "avoid the strong and attack the weak." Instead of fighting Zheng Zhilong at sea, they should replicate the maritime ban policy implemented at the beginning of the founding of the country, lock down the coastline, and starve the Japanese pirates at sea.

History has proven that maritime prohibitions were indeed effective, if they had truly been enforced. Someone could have sold their own mother into prostitution; the profits from maritime trade, amounting to tens of millions of taels of silver a year, would have been enough to send the emperor to his death many times over.

Zhu Youjian approved the Fujian governor's request to continue the policy of granting amnesty and to grant Zheng Zhilong the official position of "coastal defense guerrilla," provided that he sent his son Zheng Sen to Beijing as a hostage.

Then he comforted Yu Zigao, telling him to stop fighting Zheng Zhilong and focus on training his troops, extorting money from passing merchants, and earning some military funds.

Night fell before they knew it, and many large candles were lit inside the Maoqin Hall of the Qianqing Palace.

Sun Shiwan fell asleep next to Zhu Youjian, his drool dripping onto the memorial impeaching Sun Chuanting for offering his daughter to curry favor.

Zhu Youjian stood up from the pile of memorials, stretched, and his bones cracked.

"Your Majesty, the bathwater is ready. May I ask if Your Majesty would like the Imperial Kitchen to prepare some late-night snacks?" Wang Chengen asked softly.

"Hmm, I want to eat 'huobusi' (a type of fried dough), spring rolls, and minced meat. Prepare two portions. Or, make more and send them to the guards, eunuchs, and palace maids on night duty. You can eat with me too," Zhu Youjian said.

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

Zhu Youjian shook Sun Shiwan awake. She was still sleepy, her hair was disheveled, and her face was flushed. Under the flickering candlelight, she had a poetic beauty. As the saying goes, "Her jade-like face was startled awake from a deep sleep, the candlelight flickered deeply in the Maoqin Palace."

“Your Majesty…” Sun Shiwan murmured in a daze.

"Get up, wash up, and then have a late-night snack with me."

Steam rose from the large wooden tub. Sun Shiwan twisted the hem of her dress with her fingers, her legs feeling weak. Although she knew this day would come sooner or later, she hadn't expected it to be today, nor had she expected it to be in this form. It was all too embarrassing for her.

As her clothes slipped down, Wanwan, just as Zhu Youjian had suspected, did indeed have "abs." The faint lines of her abs weren't very noticeable, but you could feel the difference when you touched them.

Sun Shiwan winced in pain, her muscles tensing to reveal a striking physique. Unlike those slender young girls, Sun Shiwan was quite voluptuous and generous, and Zhu Youjian was absolutely smitten with her.

An hour later, the two sat close together. Zhu Youjian tore at a Mongolian meat pie, while Sun Shiwan took three bites of a spring roll.

(End of this chapter)