Seiwa

In July of the sixth year of Yongle, the Daming Fleet, with the eunuch Zheng He as the chief envoy and Wang Jinghong Hou Xian as the deputy envoy, set off from Liujiagang in Taicang for two voyages to the West.

Compared with the previous two voyages, the size of the fleet has nearly doubled.With more than [-] treasure ships as the center, warships guarded the side, followed by horse ships, grain ships and merchant ships.

The fleet members include more than [-] officers and soldiers, sailors, purchasers, interpreters, craftsmen, and doctors.

When setting sail, the huge sails were raised, and in the vast expanse of blue waves, the mighty fleet braved the wind and waves and sailed forward.

On this voyage, Zheng He and Wang Jinghong shouldered the important task of searching for overseas mainland, and there was half a box full of bento collected from the Imperial Hospital.Hou Xian was ordered to send the Western tribute mission back to the country, and just in case, he also went to the imperial hospital several times.The two Zheng He who came to get the medicine by chance, both of them were pale, knowing what happened to each other, and their friendship sublimated in an instant.

When Zheng He’s fleet sailed to the West for the first time, they brought back gems and spices, coral pearls, rare birds and animals, red sandalwood and agarwood, and a fleet of tribute envoys. Some of them were led by the king to Daming and lived in the Nanjing Huitong Hall. , live for a few months.

During this period, these Western envoys bought a large number of exquisite silk porcelain with spices and gold.In just a few months, the porcelain and cloth markets in Nanjing were extremely prosperous.

The envoys were also very interested in tea.Given that tea, salt, and ironware are all under the exclusive control of the imperial court, and since the third year of Yongle, the policy of restricting foreign purchases has been implemented. Without a Ming household registration, it is purely a daydream to buy the above three products in large quantities.As a result, everyone can only look at the tea and sigh.

Even so, the strength and prosperity of Ming Dynasty still opened the eyes of these outsiders and shocked them extremely.

Manaragananai, the king of Luni who personally led the team to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, unfortunately died of illness in the Huitong Hall. Buried in Daming.

Emperor Yongle fulfilled King Luni's last wish and buried Manaragananai with the princely ceremony, allowing him to stay in Daming forever.

Dozens of concubines, children and entourages who went to the Ming Dynasty with Manaraganana to pay tribute stayed in Nanjing.The prince Mengen went to the Imperial College to study, and the princess and her entourage settled down in the south of Nanjing to guard the spirit of Manarakanana.

Meng Qinghe was not familiar with Luni Country, so what happened in the hall was mostly told by other people.Both the Duke's Mansion and the Imperial Guards are good news channels.However, when it comes to the timeliness and accuracy of information, Jinyiwei is always far ahead and takes the lead.

When King Luni was buried, Zheng He was ordered to go out of the palace to convey the emperor's holy will to the missions of the Luni Kingdom, and reward the king's widow and children.The next day, the eldest and second sons of Manaragananai jointly went to Shu, saying that they admired the culture of Daming, and asked to stay in Daming and study in the Imperial Academy.

The request was naturally granted, and Zhu Di personally summoned the two princes and praised them both.

When the news came out, Meng Qinghe rubbed his chin, pondered carefully, and finally came to the conclusion that one day in the future, when the two princes returned to the country to inherit the throne, the day when Daming set up a consolation envoy in the country of Luni was not far away.

For Emperor Yong Le, who was busy with everything, King Luni's death could only be regarded as a small episode.The North Korea under conquest, the Tatars who are expected to send troops, the northern tour, the relocation of the capital, and the construction of the Changling Tomb occupied most of his energy.

The imperial fleet set sail on the scheduled date, and Zheng He and his three went to Liujiagang, but Zhu Di was unable to go in person, so he simply took his son as a young man.

If the father has something to do, the son will do his work.

Zhu Gaoxu couldn't resist his father, so he had to stand under the scorching sun, wearing a prince's crown, and climbed onto the high platform amidst the sound of drums and horns, sweating profusely, but still insisted on a serious look.

Zhu Gaosui used the excuse that his father was giving an order to the emperor's brother, and he was incidental, and he was determined not to go to the high stage.Seeing Zhu Gaoxu's stare, he simply approached Meng Qinghe, who had asked for an order to leave Beijing, and discussed whether the ship was properly arranged and how to distribute the goods brought back.

Meng Qinghe was speechless.

What should be arranged has already been arranged, and we are discussing it now, don't you think the excuse is too bad?

"Your Highness, are you really not going up?"

"Don't go." Zhu Gaosui was also wearing a crown, and he casually pushed aside the jade beads hanging in front of the crown, squinting his eyes as if the sun was too glaring, "Father emperor gave the order to the emperor brother, so there is no need to join in the fun."

After deliberating for a moment, Meng Qinghe thought that it would be most appropriate not to answer.

"Father praised Uncle Xing Ning for being smart, quick-witted, and resourceful in every situation. Gu also thinks so." Zhu Gaosui retracted his gaze and said, "Uncle Xing Ning is a smart man. I have learned a lot from Uncle Xing Ning and benefited a lot. .”

"Your Highness is absurd, but I dare not be a minister."

"You deserve it." Zhu Gaosui said with a smile, "I didn't like reading in my early years, and I did things according to my heart, just trying to make myself happy. I was reckless and didn't realize it. Since I met Uncle Xingning, I feel ashamed when I look back on the past."

"Your Highness, I am ashamed to accept this statement!"

"Everything I say comes from the bottom of my heart." Zhu Gaosui smiled very sincerely, "I ran a mutual market, my brother led troops to farm, my father paid more attention to commercial taxes, allowed merchants to buy land in Jiaozhi, and stabilized the southwestern states, one pile after another. Xing Ningbo is indispensable for everything."

Meng Qinghe's face turned pale, and sweat rolled down his temples. He didn't know whether it was from the heat or from fright.

His Royal Highness Zhao Wang is obviously not quite right today.

What is rhythm?

Praise, reminder, or warning?

Could it be that he has been in the limelight recently?

Seeing that Meng Qinghe was very uncomfortable, Zhu Gaosui felt a little helpless, "Uncle Xingning doesn't need to think too much, Gu just feels emotional occasionally, and has no other intentions."

Meng Qinghe wiped his sweat, maybe he wouldn't think too much about being someone else, the old Zhu's family said what he said, don't you think too much about it?However, based on his understanding of Zhu Gaosui, the possibility of warning is very small, and the possibility of praise is not very high. It is likely to be a kind reminder.

He has been in the limelight recently, even with the Duke in front of him, he can't stop the eyes of others.

Once the imperial court sends troops to the grassland, there will be more people who will dislike him.He doesn't care about the eyes of others, anyway, he won't lose a piece of meat after being stared at a few times.But if you are being watched, it is really annoying to bother you every now and then.

If you can't afford to offend, you can afford to hide. When you return to Nanjing, it's better to continue to "recover your illness".If it fails, the grassland will start fighting, and immediately go to the sparse to ask to join the army.Arranging troops is not a specialty, and I don't have much skill. It is always no problem to be in charge of logistics.

Besides, it was time for him to return to Northern Xinjiang.

After leaving for so long, the affairs of Daning Sansi are still a mess.The emperor kept him in Nanjing, which meant that the chief envoy of Daning could gain a firm foothold as soon as possible.

Helpless, the officials sent were not strong enough, popular and ugly, so they tried their best to make foolish moves.Whatever the emperor wanted them to do, none of them could be done. Relying on the imperial order, they wrestled with Daning Dusi, offended Duoyan Sanwei, and were in danger of being sacked by strong men at any time. The Taxation Department started with the emperor's purse.

Every time he thought of this, Meng Qinghe couldn't help but sigh.

It is clear that he has a good hand, but he plays like this. It should be said that his ability is extraordinary, is it really amazing?

Zhu Gaosui reminded him today that whether it is intentional or not, favors are always essential.

Whether the emperor will not do one thing, and send another person to guard Daning is a matter of discussion for the time being.Keep a low profile and avoid the immediate troubles.

At the beginning, Emperor Yong Le ordered him to live in Beijing, Meng Qinghe already had some concerns in his heart.Emperor Yong Le reused him and trusted him, but Daning's position is too important, it's fine if the capital is not moved, after the capital is moved, it will be the same as before, the capital of Daning is the only one, except for guarding, other people's words will not work, the problem is big.

In terms of political struggles and court experience, a dozen Meng Qinghes are not as good as half of Zhu Di.In a sense, Emperor Yong Le was also protecting him.

Instead of attracting whips from the court, it is better to hand over part of the power in advance.Just as he wanted to find an opportunity to hand in the death-prevention coupon, it might not be the best way to deal with such matters.

We should be thankful that Zhu Di didn't have the habit of massacring heroes. Instead, Zhu Yuanzhang retreated to the corner and cleaned up as he should.

Meng Qinghe thought a lot and was distracted.

Zhu Gaosui knew that he had listened to what he said, so he didn't care, and looked at Zhu Gaoxu on the high platform again, his expression changed slightly.He didn't lie, and Meng Qinghe was indeed closely related to being able to be where he is today.

If Meng Qinghe hadn't appeared, and hadn't been with him for several years, at this moment, Zhu Gaosui wouldn't have stood calmly in the audience, looking up at his brother on the high platform.

Zhu Gaosui learned a lot from Meng Qinghe.

What is his is his, and no one can take it away.

It's not his fault, it's useless to think about it day and night, racking your brains will only increase your troubles.

Zhu Gaosui could think clearly, so he was relaxed and open-minded.

At exactly the right time, Zheng He, Wang Jinghong and others boarded the ship one after another.

Zhu Gaoxu turned over the wine cup, the cup was facing down, and the clear wine spilled on the ground.

The sea breeze blew past, rolling up a strong aroma of wine, as if wishing the fleet on a long journey a smooth journey.

When the last merchant ship left the port, Zhu Gaoxu stepped down from the high platform, and he was not warm to the civil and military people around him. Only when he faced Zhu Gaosui and Meng Qinghe, did he show a little smile on his face.

Looking at Zhu Gaoxu in the crown, Meng Qinghe was a little dazed, as if seeing Zhu Di who was 20 years younger.

However, compared to Zhu Di, Zhu Gaoxu still lacked something.Perhaps it is the precipitation of the years, or it may be the tempering of the wind and sand outside the Great Wall.However, Meng Qinghe is convinced that as long as Zhu Gaoxu doesn't suddenly get angry, but continues to walk in the current direction, the road under his feet will become wider and wider, and the future of Daming will also undergo fundamental changes.

It may be a pity of history that there is no rule of benevolence.But to avoid the humiliation of Tumubao, even if it leaves a bad name in the history books, Meng Qinghe is also happy.

Back at the place where they stayed, Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui changed into their regular clothes, covered their faces with warm towels, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Putting down the veil, Zhu Gaoxu said: "It's only July and it's hot like this. If it continues like this, there may be a drought this year. I heard that Henan, Shandong and other places haven't rained for some days."

"It should be reported that there are signs of a locust plague, and the relief food is stored in the government treasury. No wonder the Ministry of Households is calling out that there is no food."

After finishing speaking, Zhu Gaosui picked up the teacup, gurgled, and drank a cup of herbal tea, feeling better after all.

Zhu Gaoxu frowned deeply, and he didn't go back to the Xuan Mansion for some time, wondering if this year's grain harvest will be bumper.Will the military settlements in northern Xinjiang be affected by the drought?When autumn is approaching, will the Tartars suddenly violate the border?

Sitting on the side, Meng Qinghe drank tea and ate snacks, and kept silent without asking questions.

"Uncle Xingning thinks, if there is a drought, how should we deal with it?"

"Ah?" Meng Qinghe was still biting his snacks, and he was quite out of the situation, "Your Highness, I don't know anything about disaster relief. For local matters, you should ask the local officials. Only then can there be a better solution."

Everything depends on the order of the central government, one command and one action, what do local officials need to do?

Seeing Meng Qinghe finished half a plate of dim sum by himself, Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but stare at the porcelain plate beside his hand, is it really so delicious?

"The capital was shaken, disaster relief afterwards, Xia Situ said bluntly, many measures were proposed by Xing Ningbo, and they were effective."

Meng Qinghe remained silent.

"I am also worried. In recent years, floods, droughts and locust disasters have occurred frequently. I hope that we can brainstorm and sort out the best countermeasures."

"Your Highness, the subject is really..."

As soon as he finished talking, he was interrupted.

"One boat." Zhu Gaoxu raised a finger.

"what?"

"This voyage to the Western Seas, my father ordered six ships to be transported back from overseas, and one of them will be given to Uncle Xingning, how about it?"

The cargo of a ship, for nothing?

Zhu Gaoxu nodded, as long as he gives good advice, it's okay to split half of the boat.

Meng Qinghe was excited, even if he shipped back a boatload of wood, it would still be a big profit!

Zhu Gaoxu is full of sincerity, how could it be just wood?Don't worry, it must be a good product!

Eyes full of golden light, Uncle Meng finally couldn't resist the temptation of sugar-coated shells.

"Your Highness, I will definitely do my best!" Uncle Meng's chest was slapped loudly, and he was so excited that he almost slapped himself internally.

"Xiao Wang is waiting for the good news."

Watching Meng Qinghe float out of the room, Zhu Gaosui turned to Zhu Gaoxu, "Brother Wang is so generous, I admire you."

Zhu Gaoxu said that my virtuous brother praised me a lot, and my virtuous brother also contributed to this matter.

He also contributed?Zhu Gaosui was puzzled.

"Actually, Father only allowed three boats alone, and the remaining three boats will be shared between you and my brothers." Zhu Gaoxu said.

"really?"

"really."

"..."

"Brother?"

Zhu Gaosui smiled, "When I get back to Jinling, I will definitely visit Duke Ding."

"Why?"

"Elder brother is eagerly looking forward to exchanging martial arts with Duke Dingguo, and younger brother will definitely bring the conversation with him."

"This one……"

"Little brother voluntarily brought a message, brother don't need to be too grateful."

"..." Thank you XX!

It can be seen that digging pits and burying people is a technical job, and the tricks in it can be mastered by extraordinary people.

His Royal Highness, King of Han, obviously still needs training.

After leaving the wing room, Meng Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief.

One is the whole ship of goods that was obtained for nothing, and the other is the attitude of Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui.Without Emperor Yong Le's permission, would King Han and King Zhao dare to make friends with him so blatantly?

The two Highnesses made their attitudes clear, and if someone wants to slander the emperor and trouble him, he must carefully weigh it.

It seems that it was the right thing to stand up at the critical moment and speak for Jin Yiwei.What the King of Han told him to do should also have Emperor Yong Le's intentions.

First, he was appointed as the crown prince Shaobao, taught Zhu Zhanhe to read, and then asked him to write disaster relief items. If the memorial was handed over by the King of Han, in the eyes of most courtiers, he must have become an out-and-out Hanwang party, or the emperor personally wrote it. poke.

As long as Zhu Gaoxu is not stupid, no longer twitching his head, being blindly arrogant, and saying something like King Qin, being a Hanwang party can be regarded as having a future.

At this point, Zhu Gaosui is quite smart.

However, today's Zhu Gaoxu has an advantage over Zhu Gaochi in history, because he is not yet a prince.

Who said sealing the prince is a good thing?

Emperor Yong Le was young and powerful, and he had snatched the throne, so he was the most taboo of anyone competing for power with him.A potential heir to the Sacred Heart is far safer than an eye-catching second-in-command.

In June and July of Yongle, the envoys of the Ming Dynasty arrived on the grassland.

At that time, Benya Shili had been proclaimed as Khan, Alutai proclaimed himself Grand Master, and the former Grand Master's right prime minister, Ma'er Haza, retired under him.

After all, Guilichi was unable to escape, and was killed by the cavalry sent by Alutai. All the tribal leaders who followed him were slaughtered, the adult men in the tribe were killed, and the women, cattle and sheep were divided up. Most of the children became the slaves of the victors.

When the envoys of the Ming Dynasty arrived, Benya Shili and Alutai were celebrating their victory.

The mutton on the plate is golden and crispy, and the fine wine bought from Wuliangha is strong and intoxicating.

When the envoys of the Ming Dynasty walked into the tent, everyone was drinking, their ears were hot, their heads were dizzy, and their attitudes were inevitably somewhat contemptuous.The envoy was furious, and the words he said would not sound good.

"Extremely rude! How dare you call the clan of the former dynasty?"

Anyone who is scolded like that will be angry.Suppressing his anger, he accepted the edict, seeing the content of the edict clearly, his blood surged even more.However, the envoy was still making high-level remarks, and Benya lost his face and exploded. Under the influence of alcohol, he drew out his saber and cut it down suddenly.

The light of the knife flashed, the head rolled to the ground, the smell of blood permeated the tent, and everyone sobered up instantly.

Seeing the envoy of the Ming Dynasty lying on the ground with his head in a different place, Benya panicked, dropped his saber to the ground, and looked at the crowd as if asking for help, "What should I do?"

Kill them all, what else can I do?

Alutai's face was red, and he just kept on doing nothing, and knocked all the envoys of the Ming Dynasty.

Anyway, the hornet's nest has been poked, and I don't care about poking a few more.

After the murder, Arutai ordered that the camp be pulled out immediately and move towards the Luqu River.

When the news was sent back to Nanjing, Emperor Yongle was furious. He deeply mourned Guo Ji and others who had sacrificed their lives for the country, and immediately ordered to assemble the army, "I want to send troops to conquer the desert!"