The Revolt of the Three Feudatories: All-in at the start in Beijing

When the emperor goes on a western tour, the pomp and circumstance must be elaborate.

Otherwise, people would think the emperor was poor.

Outside Desheng Gate, three thousand imperial guards stood in three rows, all wearing khaki uniforms and woolen overcoats.

This is the key to distinguishing between local and regional forces.

This woolen overcoat is worth ten taels of silver.

After being discharged from the military, it becomes an individual matter.

Pan Feng, on the other hand, led eight hundred Imperial City Guard soldiers, divided into teams of ten, who were mainly responsible for guarding the city and would also be deployed along the way.

If local officials are found to be acting illegally, it will be reported.

"Set off!!!"

With Liu Dingbian's order, the army set off.

"drink!"

As the Imperial Guards surrounded them, a loud thud was heard, and a yellow sedan chair was lifted up.

The sedan chair was inlaid with jewels and hung with dragon-patterned Shu brocade. It was nine meters long and five meters wide, signifying the supreme status of the emperor.

Around the sedan chair, there were 18 sedan chair bearers, each carrying the sedan chair with great effort.

These are all castrated black slaves.

Since the Han army occupied Malacca, merchants from various countries who wanted to do business in the East had to pay tolls. Among them, the Portuguese and French often used black slaves as payment.

They are pure merchants, and the Han Dynasty will not make things difficult for them. It's just that the amount of goods they buy each time is too small, which is why Liu Mu wants to find a Western agent.

These black slaves all wore thick shoulder pads, and their waists and legs were bound with straps. Before carrying the sedan chair, they would drink tonics so that they could carry it steadily for an hour.

Two hundred black slaves accompanied them, ready to be replaced at any time, and the replacements were carried out as they walked.

The size of this sedan chair and the number of people carrying it exceeded the specifications for an emperor. There were three rooms in total, with the emperor's bedroom in the middle and the accompanying concubines in front and behind.

At this moment, Liu Mu was sitting in the very center of the sedan chair, where there was a bed and a table with some memorials, pastries, dried fruits, wine and other refreshments.

Beside him was Princess Zhu Xin, heavily pregnant, intently watching Liu Mu review the memorials. He hadn't expected the emperor to take him on his tour.

Don't you know you're almost seven months pregnant?

Does she want to have her baby in Chang'an?

Does it mean anything?

Since they were already there, what annoyed Zhu Xin was that besides her, there was also a little hussy, a songstress sent from England.

What class do you belong to, sharing a sedan chair with this princess?

Liu Mu glanced at Zhu Xin. Empress Wu Yun had just given birth to the eldest princess, and as the woman with the highest status by his side, she definitely had to be brought along for the tomb sweeping.

This is a habit from my previous life as a Hunanese.

As for reading memorials, it was just a way to pass the time; they were mostly local government affairs, such as matters of natural disasters and man-made calamities.

These were all reviewed and processed on the spot by Li Guangdi and several Grand Secretaries. Liu Mu took a look at them to gain an understanding of the Han Dynasty.

The emperor doesn't need to do or remember everything.

But we must not forget our roots.

The people's basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation are equivalent to his dragon throne.

For example, the prefect of Fengxiang in Shaanxi said that the local season was unfavorable and cold. Even though the government built waterwheels, crops still did not ripen easily. If it weren't for potatoes and corn as a base, there would probably be a large number of disaster victims.

Liu Mu calculated the time with his fingers.

The Little Ice Age, which stretched from west to east for hundreds of years, had already covered the entire land of China and was at its most severe stage.

Due to the uncertainty of the seasons, crops in the north have suffered a significant decline, and the situation is even more severe in the northwest, which is located in the Loess Plateau region and is already short of water.

Last year, the imperial court reduced taxes by nearly 50%. The total tax revenue from the northern and western provinces, including the grasslands, amounted to only eight million taels, which was less than one-third of the revenue generated by the Qing dynasty after it lost the southwest.

Even with such low taxes, the people of the Northwest still struggle to make ends meet. It has to be said that governing a large country is like cooking a small meal; it cannot be rushed!

Li Guangdi's solution was simple and brutal: since the Han territory was large, the first priority was to relocate the famine-stricken people to Ili and the foothills of the Altai Mountains.

The Altai Mountains and Ili at this time are very different from what they were a hundred years ago, and the rise of the Dzungar Khanate in history was not accidental.

The Little Ice Age transformed the originally arid Western Regions, presenting a rare opportunity, as crops could now be grown along the extensive rivers that flowed westward.

Even if the output is not as high as in the Central Plains, it can still change its fate because it can feed a larger population.

This is the same principle as that of the Tibetan Empire during the Tang Dynasty. During a period of favorable weather, the mountains were covered with lush vegetation and pastures, making grazing costs low and the population naturally surged, enabling them to rival the peak of the Tang Dynasty.

Seeing Liu Mu sighing, Zhu Xin, heavily pregnant, stepped forward, brewed a cup of tea, and asked in confusion.

"Your Majesty, is there something troubling you?"

Liu Mu touched his nose and said half-jokingly.

"I was just thinking, if a Yongle Emperor had emerged in the northwest during the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty, leading a large army to expand outwards, perhaps the region could have held out and the Manchu Eight Banners wouldn't have benefited!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xin's eyes gradually dimmed.

"At least Your Majesty, you have been born to meet this need!"

Liu Mu had no way to persuade him. Could it be that in the original timeline, the Manchus not only seized the Zhu family's empire, but also ruined the Central Plains' fortunes for hundreds of years, almost causing the Han people to become food for foreign tribes?

Seeing that Liu Mu did not answer, Zhu Xin looked out the window.

"Your Majesty, so many people failed to protect the Ming Dynasty; I've long understood this!"

"Back when Your Majesty led the southern expedition, I was also dissatisfied with the Manchu rule and wanted to try and recruit the tomb keeper!"

Unexpectedly, a woman could possess such integrity. Liu Mu, on a sudden impulse, grabbed Zhu Xin's hand.

"Once the Han Dynasty unifies the world, we will select a male from your family to change his surname to Zhu and send him to the West to become the King of the Ming Dynasty, continuing the Zhu family line. What do you say?"

It's settled without you even mentioning it?

Zhou Hu didn't lie to me!

Zhu Xin almost cried tears of joy.

"Your Majesty, do you remember General Zhou Hu, who advised me back then? He was quite intelligent!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Mu stroked his growing beard. He knew that Zhu Xin simply wanted to repay a debt of gratitude, and this kind of pillow talk was fine, so he opened the small window.

"Liu Dingbian!"

"Check what position Zhou Hu holds in the Beijing Military Region now!"

Liu Dingbian, as the general in charge of protecting the emperor, was riding his horse five meters away from the sedan chair. Upon hearing this, he immediately spurred his horse and rode away.

There were also officials from the Six Ministries accompanying the army, so that the emperor could keep abreast of the situation. They were all in carriages at the back, as these civil officials could not ride horses.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Liu Dingbian came to the sedan chair and reported loudly.

"Your Majesty, Zhou Hu of the Capital Garrison has rendered meritorious service in the southern campaign and is now appointed as a lieutenant general in the Capital Garrison. Previously, he temporarily served as the commander of the cavalry of the First Guard, and his military administration is quite disciplined!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Mu began tapping on the table.

He still remembered Zhou Hu.