Daming Jingtai: I am the eternal benevolent king

Chapter 361: The Ming Dynasty’s territory stopped here, and it could no longer fight a national war.

In the twenty-ninth year of Jingtai, the dragon raised its head.

A total of two stadiums were built in the Ming Dynasty. One was in Shanglinyuan, which was a royal private stadium called Shanglinyuan Stadium.

The other one is called Jin'ao Yuchu Stadium, and the bridge that connects the inner and outer city moats is called Jin'ao Yuchu. It was built near the bridge, so it is called the bridge's name, referred to as Jinyu Stadium.

This place was specially approved by the emperor. After seeking the consent of many parties, this valuable land was used as a stadium.

This year's Dragon Head Games will be held at the Jinyu Stadium.

Envoys from various European countries were invited to attend.

In order to meet the construction deadline, there was no holiday during the Spring Festival. The construction was completed on the 17th day of the first lunar month, and Kuai Xiang went to cut the ribbon in person.

On the second day of February, after the morning sacrifices and spring plowing activities were over, the Holy Master came to the Jinyu Stadium. Zhu Qiyu looked through the glass with an excited expression: "The design by Kuai Xiang is indeed the best!"

Kuai Xiang is 81 years old this year. He rarely goes to the construction site to give instructions in person. Instead, he draws design drawings at home.

The emperor said that there would be no more Kuai Xiang after Kuai Xiang, and he wanted him to draw his most exquisite skills so that future generations could make them according to his drawings.

This sentence made Kuai Xiang work for the emperor like a donkey turning a mill in his later years.

And this golden jade stadium is entirely in the hands of Kuai Xiang.

In the past two years, he has designed a total of seventeen stadiums, three of which have been put into practice, and the rest will be sealed for future use.

Because the styles of different places are different, the emperor wanted to build landmark buildings in various places, landmarks full of local style. For example, in Fujian, he had to design a stadium based on the Fujian earth buildings.

The emperor liked the unique local buildings in various provinces, such as the Miao Village in Miaojiang and the Diaojiaolou in Western Hunan. If there was really no distinctive building, he would go to the West and copy it, and he could always copy one.

Entering the stadium, Zhu Qiyu looked excited: "I have said that there will be no more Kuai Xiang after Kuai Xiang. I like this stadium as soon as I see it. If Kuai Xiang goes west, who can take over from him?"

The courtiers did not like Linyuan Stadium. The stadium was designed by the emperor himself and was modern in style, but compared with the ancient buildings, it was dregs.

The modern style is simple and elegant, and the cost is low; the ancient buildings are beautiful and complex, but the cost is high.

But it is still possible to get ancient buildings, but they are also expensive.

Shanglinyuan Stadium cost 7 yuan, but this Jinyu Stadium cost 31 yuan.

How can it be cheap to ask Kuai Xiang to take action?

Anyway, the money is provided by the company, so what does it have to do with the emperor? Then just satisfy your own preferences.

Shanglinyuan was financed from internal funds, so the emperor could save money. The Ministry of Industry designed more than 100,000 yuan, so he personally designed a public gymnasium. It was nothing outstanding. It focused on saving money, but there were many sculptures. Anyway, the palace There are many sculptors in China.

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty. There are many people in the Ministry of Industry who can take over the old minister's duties." Kuai Xiang trembled. This old man is really capable of living.

In the original time and space, he lived to be eighty-four. Zhu Qiyu had tormented him a lot over the years. He had no trouble, lived in good health, and looked like he could live past ninety.

There are hundreds of large buildings and thousands of small ones drawn by his hand.

These were the emperor's orders, and he was asked to draw them, seal them, and build them in the future when he had the financial resources, especially the Garden of All Nations, where he would design all the Chinese-style buildings.

"Old dear, there are always stone lions at the door. Isn't it outdated?"

Zhu Qiyu asked with a smile: "There are not many sculpture masters in the mission. There are sculpture masters from all over the world who work in the palace. Why not make some sculptures and place them in front of the door."

"Your Majesty, the stone lion cannot be moved easily. It is used to ward off evil spirits and avoid evil. It must not be moved." On this point, Kuai Xiang was firm.

But he didn't dare to ruin the emperor's luck.

"If your Majesty likes sculptures, you can display some sculptures in the museum." He was soft-tempered, mainly because he was trained by the emperor, and he did not dare to resist.

"Feng Xiao, remember, let the sculptor come over and make some sculptures."

"Since it is a Chinese-style building, we will make some ancient styles. There are many in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. If it doesn't work, we will bring out some famous officials and generals from ancient times."

Zhu Qiyu strode into the auditorium. The stadium is open-air and very large. The stands can accommodate 20,000 people. But sitting in the back, you can only see your head in front.

There were no speakers in this era, so concerts were sheer nonsense.

But now there are also concerts, which are similar to cross talk, singing in teahouses, singing everything, and there are probably people who play guitar and sing rock, but Zhu Qiyu doesn't know.

The reason why it was designed to accommodate so many people was because the emperor did it specifically.

The emperor wanted to use it as a military base, and to present prisoner gifts and so on. The key point was to think big, because big looks spacious.

It's a complete waste. The ticket sales capacity of such a big stadium is really low, and die-hard fans are just betting dogs.

This kind of competition is also a popular one in Ming Dynasty. It is free to watch. People flock to it and pay to watch it. Goodbye.

It's far inferior to cross talk, drama, and stage play, and it's even inferior to storytelling. It's so cheap. You can drink tea for just one penny and you can listen to it for a whole day.

In this kind of competition, three points are awarded in one game, and players are cleared when the game changes.

Besides, what’s so cool about running?

If you switch to basketball, football, and boxing, it would be exciting. Especially boxing, the punches are very physical, and there is blood every time. In small-scale boxing stadiums, every venue is full.

In recent years, the rubber industry has developed, as has basketball and football. Only large-scale events are worth watching, but they are not playing games, but a variant of boxing.

There is bloodshed every time on the field. There is a reasonable and legal fight on the field. The organizer has nothing to do. If it is not exciting, it will not sell tickets.

There are many small private courts, and there are many people who play basketball professionally, but no one survives to play for ten years. They all become disabled after a few years. This thing is too dangerous, and medical technology cannot keep up, and the money you earn is from working hard.

It's the same in any era. If you want the gentlemen to pay, you have to be stimulated.

If it weren't for the emperor's support, many small folk teams would have been disbanded long ago. They worked hard for a year, but they didn't make as much as a girl in a brothel.

Therefore, the emperor wants to establish a profession, establish a league, provide players with fixed salaries plus commissions, and give them opportunities to make money, otherwise this industry will definitely decline.

If the people of Ming Dynasty are not willing to play in the league, then let the slaves play. If the white people are dead, let the black people take the lead. Anyway, the whole world has to revolve around the emperor.

The enthusiasm of folk sports is far less than that of literature.

But the military likes it, like Fang Ying, who is a senior fan. When the emperor organizes a league, he is the first to take the lead and is willing to invest in building a team.

But what's annoying is that he likes polo and doesn't like blue volleyball. Instead, he despises blood and is not elegant enough, but polo is still elegant.

Fang Ying accounted for the majority of the investment in the Jinyu Stadium. After seeing the cost, he almost suffered a cerebral hemorrhage.

Fang Ying's polo league has a very high public support rate, and many distinguished families are willing to invest a sum of money to host a polo league.

But when it comes to the Blue Football Team, it's all about giving the emperor face, giving them a little bit of attention, and getting them to pay more attention, but there's no chance.

Forget about civil servants, that's not good.

At this sports meeting, the three most popular sports were met with cold reception in the Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Qiyu saw it with amusement.

The most popular thing in Ming Dynasty is always polo.

As soon as the polo match started, the audience in the stands was filled with excitement. The nobles from various families, the supervisors of the Imperial College, and the students of the Jiangwu Hall jumped up to watch.

Those who come to the sports meeting are all powerful people. If ordinary people are allowed in, what if there is an assassination of the emperor?

Fang Ying ran to the front, holding on to the railing and shouting. Because she supported different teams, she and Mu Cong almost came to blows.

Zhu Qiyu said it was difficult to understand. How can polo be as good as basketball?

This year, Ming Dynasty will host many leagues, with polo being the largest, followed by basketball volleyball, baseball, equestrian, wrestling, boxing, and martial arts.

Martial arts is not an exhibition competition, it is also a physical fight.

Don't underestimate the martial artists of the Ming Dynasty. They are not showy, because the showmanship has long been beaten to death by the local audience. The ones who come out are all elites, and the main event is an octagonal cage showdown.

Experts from various schools are divided into many subcategories according to their schools and enter the octagonal cage for a decisive battle.

In recent years, the most powerful thing is Muay Thai, and the fighting is fierce, and the emperor loves to watch it.

Taekwondo is the most rubbish. The fighting was too fake. It was banned by the emperor and asked them to invent martial arts that can kill people. If you can't kill people, stop playing.

The same goes for martial arts. If it's not a killing technique, don't practice it. It's useless.

Don't think that there are no killing techniques in the national martial arts. On the contrary, the martial arts are all killing techniques. In the past, it was officially banned and not allowed to be taught. Now it is officially allowed to be taught. Martial arts schools are everywhere and there are many people learning it.

Among the people, boxing is the most popular sport besides polo.

Landlords all like to watch boxing. If they watch too much, their hands will itch. They don’t dare to do it themselves, so they tame slaves. They go to the slave market to buy seedlings, tame them from an early age, and then put them in an octagonal cage. It’s the same as fighting crickets. There’s no fighting between crickets. It’s so cool.

Slaves are also willing to work in this industry, because if they eat well, they will have a certain chance of leaving slavery and entering the Ming Dynasty once they become famous.

The emperor has always loved talents, and allowed those with ability to become wise men.

Therefore, there are some black sticks among the people, who speak Chinese and wear Han clothes with a clear record.

The emperor valued martial arts, and there were boxing gyms everywhere among the people. Many people used to learn boxing, and they wanted to gain fame among the princes by learning boxing. However, after participating in two boxing matches, they decided to go back to farming.

Boxing is really good at killing people, and those slaves ended up beating to death.

The emperor would like to see martial arts practice among the people. These warriors are all good soldiers and can be drafted into the battlefield at any time.

If you want to make money by running a league, you have to have fun.

That's why the emperor said that if Ming people don't live up to their expectations, let others do it. If they don't want their jobs, there will be people who are willing to take them.

Those envoys took notes while watching. They had to take each event back to the country, and then select people to come to Ming Dynasty to practice and participate in next year's Summer Games.

Don't worry, the dignitaries from all over the world will not let such a fun thing go. They will let these athletes finish their studies in the Ming Dynasty and then go back to perform for them.

The rich and powerful all over the world are just like birds, they don’t regard those at the bottom as human beings.

Zhu Qiyu is not interested in small events, such as long-distance running, shot put, javelin throw, shooting, etc. He also doesn't like to watch skiing or anything like that.

He just likes to watch basketball, football and boxing, and polo is okay.

"Your Majesty, this year is too stinky!"

Fang Ying walked up to the stands and complained: "It's not as exciting as last year, just one game, or change it to best of five games, no, best of seven games, the more the better!"

"If you hold a polo league, you can play as many games as you want." Zhu Qiyu said.

"It's not exciting."

Fang Ying put her hands in her sleeves and sat at the emperor's feet: "All the elites come to the big events. The league breaks up these elites and joins various teams. This kind of competition between masters is interesting."

"Yes, Your Majesty, how about changing the system next year and playing at least three games, even three hundred games is not too many." Mu Cong is also a polo fan.

He stayed in Nanjing for several years and established the Nanjing Polo League.

"There are so many projects, how can we have fun in just one day." Zhu Qiyu shook his head.

Mu Cong chuckled and said: "Extend the time, do it for a few more days, it will be so lively, we finally formed a team, it would be a waste to just play for one day."

"Weichen has a good idea."

Zhu Qiyu asked him to speak.

"Your Majesty and the important officials in the DPRK are busy, so we will only attend on the first day. In the next few days, we will sell tickets and make money back, so it can be fun for a few more days." Mu Cong said with a smile.

"Although the Duke of Guizhou is unconventional, this is a good idea." Fang Ying is taking care of herself at home every day. She still scratches when she sees a woman, so she might as well go out to watch polo, at least she won't die suddenly.

Zhu Qiyu pondered slightly: "In the past few years, I have spent a lot of money on organizing sports games. Just for this one, I spent hundreds of thousands."

"But we only charge tickets. How much can we charge?"

"When these players see the ticket price, why don't they clamor for an increase in the price? Otherwise, if they don't play the game well, the people who buy the tickets won't scold them?"

"Every time I go back and forth, my reputation is gone."

Nowadays, a ticket to a major competition only costs three cents, so it’s hard to say how much it will sell for.

"Your Majesty, we'll do it for a month!"

Mu Cong said: "This venue can accommodate 1500 people and can sell tickets, which is , which is yuan a month."

"The people are lively, and internal funds can be recovered."

Zhu Qiyu can think about it. Otherwise, if the land is built, when will the money be recovered?

"Besides, as long as we continue to hold the event, the ticket price will definitely increase. Maybe one day it will increase by 30 cents, and the revenue will be 500,000 yuan in one month!"

Mu Cong is a businessman.

"Okay, I'll do as you say." Zhu Qiyu looked down upon this little money.

Mu Cong was just waiting for the emperor's consent. After all, there were only two venues in the capital. One was private to the emperor, and the other was built under the leadership of the emperor, and both had to be approved by the emperor.

On the way back, the fourth child asked: "Father, why do you want to build such a big stadium? Even if all the tickets are sold, the people behind will not be able to see the game."

"Prince, do you know?" Zhu Qiyu was bored sitting alone, so he called his four eldest sons in to chat.

"Father, he should be preparing for the World Games to demonstrate our Ming Dynasty's national strength." Zhu Jianqi said.

Zhu Qiyu nodded: "I do have this consideration, but what else do you think this stadium can do?"

"Point the military field!" Zhu Jianqi thought immediately.

"That's right. Once there is another large-scale war, I can be in the stadium to meet with the soldiers or to offer prisoners to the heroes. This requires a large area."

Zhu Qiyu said: "So, I know it is useless to build it so big, but I still want to build it bigger."

"Father is wise."

"Fourth brother, what do you think of Leonardo da Vinci?" Zhu Qiyu asked.

"Back to my father, I think Da Vinci is talented." Zhu Jianjian secretly wanted to take Da Vinci to his fiefdom and work for him.

"Zhang Fuhua told me to use Da Vinci as much as possible."

When Zhu Jianjian's expression changed, he knew that Zhang Fuhua hadn't been holding his shit in. Sure enough, he was plotting against Leonardo da Vinci that day.

"But I haven't thought about how to use him. What do you think?" Zhu Qiyu looked around at his four sons.

Zhu Jianqi was the first to say: "Father is worried about his status as a foreigner. Can we raise him well?"

"On the contrary, I think foreigners are the best."

"He has no backer in the Ming Dynasty. The only one he can rely on is you, my father."

"In recent years, the Ming Dynasty seems to be developing rapidly, but in fact, classes are solidifying at an accelerated pace. The courtiers have formed political families, blocking the path for the lower class to rise."

"At this time, if my father has a loach in his hands, it might work wonders."

Zhu Jianqi has really grown up.

See things more profoundly.

That's right, the upper and lower passages of the Ming Dynasty are being closed. Let's talk about bicycles. The emperor made them, and the private merchants probably couldn't drink any soup, and they all had to be divided by the powerful.

This means that the poor get poorer, the rich get richer, reading is useless, and learning is useless.

This is a big issue of distribution. Nothing will happen in the present generation. After a few decades, the Ming Dynasty will be destroyed by distribution.

The prince wanted to use foreigners like Leonardo da Vinci to balance the forces in the DPRK.

But he substituted himself for Zhu Qiyu. Zhu Qiyu didn't have to go to such trouble. He could just replace him with whoever he wanted.

"What the elder brother said makes sense, but I have observed Leonardo da Vinci. This man was proud of his talent and had been painting in the palace. He was obviously unwilling to start from the grassroots level. This is contrary to the national policy of the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Jiansong said: "This person has not read the books of sages since he was a child, and does not understand the principles of officialdom in the Ming Dynasty. On the contrary, my officials feel that letting this person ascend to a high position rashly will harm him."

The second child's insights also improved by leaps and bounds.

Zhu Qiyu looked at Lao San.

Zhu Jianyu has a weak temperament, but after five years of experience with the emperor, he also has an independent opinion: "Second brother, whether to harm or not to harm is not a matter that the superior thinks. The superior sees who can use it, rather than teaching him how to do it bit by bit. To be used by the superior, you are taking on the thinking of the inferior."

"So, I think we should tame Da Vinci first. Da Vinci has no foundation in the Ming Dynasty. We will bring his parents and relatives here, and then marry him a wife. After giving birth to a son and having a bond, we can Use him."

"It's too early to say that now."

Zhu Jianzhen did not speak because his three brothers had already finished what he wanted to say.

Zhu Qiyu said calmly: "It seems that I didn't teach you in vain, but you haven't said yet, should I use it?"

"Should!"

The three of them said in unison.

Zhu Jianqi said: "My Ming Dynasty is rich in the world and is a kingdom in heaven. It is not an exaggeration to say that the whole world revolves around the Ming Dynasty."

"The world is like the countries of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. We, the Ming Dynasty, are the central country. Father, you are the emperor of Zhou Dynasty."

"It is natural for the mighty powers of all countries to serve the central government. Our Ming Dynasty should be more eclectic in employing people. As long as they are talented people, we will use them, so that we can show our majesty as a great country."

Zhu Jianjian felt sour in his heart. He wanted to keep it for himself, but it seemed he couldn't keep it.

"Father, although the Ming Dynasty says it values ​​talents."

"Actually, I have never bought horse bones for thousands of dollars."

"In the past few years, those who have risen to the imperial court are all from my Ming Dynasty."

"There is no foreigner who has served as an official above the county magistrate in our Ming Dynasty. There are a few counts, but they are all from Japan. They can be considered as Mingren, but no foreigner has been promoted to a title."

Zhu Jiansong said: "I think that reusing Da Vinci is like buying horse bones with a lot of gold."

"Even Da Vinci's name does not need to be changed. There were people named Da in the Ming Dynasty. There is no difference between calling Da Vinci and Ming people."

"This time Ming Dynasty reuses Da Vinci, and there will be thousands of Da Vinci used by Ming Dynasty in the future."

Zhu Qiyu nodded slightly: "Then use him."

If you want to use it, you have to practice it first.

You have to let him know the bitterness, first the bitterness and then the sweetness, before you can show mercy. If you don't beat him into the mud, how can you know that glory is hard-won?

Back in the palace, Zhu Qiyu dealt with the memorial all night.

In fact, it was his seventeen sons who were processing the memorials and then reading important things to him while he lay in a dazed sleep.

He has many sons, six more have been added in recent years, and he already has 36 sons and 19 daughters.

As he got older, he began to restrain his desires, protect his body, and protect his eyes. Every day after the sun went down, he would not read a word, but would only let people read it.

The sons are young and have beautiful eyes.

People in the Ming Dynasty all had glasses for myopia, so Lao Jiu put on glasses and was scolded by the emperor for not protecting his eyes. As a result, he was asked to read the memorial in the middle of the night and relay it to his father.

The number of times Zhu Qiyu asked for pulse also changed from once a day to three times in the morning, noon and evening. Finally, Tan Fei needed to check the pulse for the last time.

Four times in total, medicated food was taken every day.

Concubine Tan said that the emperor's body was as strong as an ox when beating the prince, but the emperor still pretended to be weak and could not bear the slightest cold. He also drank hot tea in summer.

On the contrary, one summer I was too hot and wanted to shave my hair, but I refused to take a bite of ice. I forgot all the instructions in the sages' books and just cherished my life.

When the time came, Concubine Tan went into the palace to ask for her pulse.

I saw the princes yawning one by one, and they all knelt down and saluted when they saw her.

She nodded slightly and entered the inner hall, where she saw the emperor lying on the couch with his eyes closed.

"Your Majesty." Concubine Tan thought the emperor was asleep.

"My beloved concubine is here?"

Zhu Qiyu opened his eyes: "I'm going to take a nap. There is a sports meeting today, which delays the time to deal with government affairs. I'm afraid it will be an all-nighter tonight."

"Your Majesty has many things to do every day, and it is very hard."

Concubine Tan knelt on the ground and asked the emperor for his pulse.

"Yes, I, the emperor, deserve to be really miserable. There is no emperor in this world who is more miserable than me."

The princes outside twitched their lips, are you suffering or are we suffering?

All these machines are handled by us, and we won’t get any benefit from it! You are the best at grabbing credit, and everyone in the world praises you as a wise king. We are all your stupidest sons.

Concubine Tan has served the emperor for half her life, and she knows the narrow-minded nature of the emperor very well.

After diagnosing the pulse, record the pulse carefully.

The eunuch also had to make three copies, one to be filed, one to be sent to the imperial hospital for collation by the imperial physician, and the other to the palace female doctor's bureau for collation by the female doctor.

The emperor's pulse is the most important thing.

"Second brother, go tell the Food Bureau to make a soup for your mother."

"My concubine is not hungry." Concubine Tan sat on the soft edge.

Zhu Qiyu said nothing.

I knew you were hungry, but you were embarrassed to ask for soup in my name. Over the years, there were rumors in the palace that Concubine Tan was a glutton.

There is still no way to persuade this matter. The emperor did not say that he would eat it himself.

"My dear concubine, I want to build a palace in Harbin. From now on, I will go to Harbin to escape the summer heat. What do you think?" Zhu Qiyu is not afraid of the cold, but dislikes the heat. It can't be said that he is not afraid of the cold. The heating in the palace is burning to death, as hot as a fire dragon.

"Building a palace is another huge sum of money. I think it's better to be cautious." Concubine Tan is not afraid of heat or cold.

If the emperor went to escape the summer heat, he would definitely bring his harem with him.

"It doesn't matter. It only costs a million or so to build a palace. I can afford it." Zhu Qiyu didn't want to build a summer resort. He wanted to build a temple to Athena.

The ones in Greece all belong to the Ming Dynasty. Greece is almost becoming Chinese. The temples were torn down and moved to the Ming Dynasty.

"What bad idea are you planning? Don't use the title of concubine. I am afraid of being poked in the back." Tan Yunxian was afraid of the emperor.

"Who am I?"

Just as he was talking, the eunuch of Shangshi Bureau brought a bowl of meat soup.

Tan Yunxian took it sullenly, waited for the eunuch to retreat, and then fed the emperor spoonful by spoonful.

Lao Ba was about to come in to report the big event, but when he saw this scene, he turned around and left.

"return!"

Zhu Qiyu swallowed the soup: "I didn't eat it. I wanted to test the heat and cold for Concubine Tan. Don't go out and talk nonsense."

"My son, I didn't see anything." Zhu Jianzhu, the oldest child, giggled. His mother is Qin Fei, Qin Hong's younger sister.

"What's the matter?"

Concubine Tan put the meat soup on the table and looked at the window lattice to get sulky. Is that what I'm eating?

"Report to Father."

"Liu Ji came to report that the Junggar Khanate intended to cross the Altai Mountains and attack the Ming Dynasty." Zhu Jianzhu said.

Zhu Qiyu frowned: "As soon as Wang Yue and Li Jin left, Northern Xinjiang didn't stop."

"Where is Li Jin?"

"Returning to my father, Li Jin is in the Mongolian capital and serves as the commander-in-chief." Zhu Jianzhu reported back.

The Junggar Khanate occupied the north of the Altai Mountains and part of Kazakhstan, while Manshur counterattacked the Kazakhs, dominated Kazakhstan, and established the Kazakh Khanate.

Today, Central Asia is in chaos.

After Timur's collapse, the three khanates of Braha, Safavid and Yarkand were formed, with the Kazakh Khanate and the Dzungar Khanate to the north.

With the five kingdoms vying for hegemony, the splitting Golden Horde, and the Ming Dynasty, Central Asia was simply a mess.

However, the Ming Dynasty has recently ceased its activities and is continuing to build the major khanates, mainly doing business and no longer occupying territory.

Fan Guang and Yang Xin are not good people. They are doing business and robbing at the same time.

But Central Asia cannot do without the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty’s firearms are too powerful, and tea is something they cannot live without. Trade is in the hands of the Ming Dynasty, and they can tolerate being bullied occasionally.

"What do you think?" Zhu Qiyu was the eighth-oldest person in the school.

Zhu Jianzhu thought for a moment: "I believe that the Junggar Khanate cannot threaten the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty. Even if the northern Xinjiang is destroyed, the Ming Dynasty can still build another northern Xinjiang."

"On the contrary, this northern border is a bait."

"We want to attack the Dzungar Khanate. They are scattered outside the Altai Mountains. They will flee when our troops reach them, and we can't catch them at all."

"Instead of looking for them aimlessly on the grassland, it is better to wait for them to come into our pockets."

Lao Ba is so cruel, he is going to eat the Junggar tribe.

Then Northern Xinjiang needs Li Jin to be in charge, and no one else can take over the Junggar tribe.

Zhu Qiyu thought about it: "What's the benefit of swallowing up the Junggar tribe?"

"Father, there is great chaos in Central Asia, and the Western Region has received a lot of people. Last year, the population of the Western Region exceeded 20 million, and these are the people."

"You have always been worried that accepting foreigners will destabilize the territory of the Western Region."

"Just in time, take this opportunity to get rid of these people!"

Zhu Jianzhu was ruthless: "When the center accepted them, it was mainly worried that they would surrender to other tribes and increase their strength."

"The Ming Dynasty does not need foreign barbarians now. The domestic population has surged and may exceed one billion this year."

"The existence of these foreigners is meaningless."

"Furthermore, by swallowing the Junggar Khanate, we can get the Junggar cavalry. As far as I know, Junggar has more than 500,000 elite soldiers. If 100,000 are swallowed up, the Ming Dynasty's cavalry will be even stronger."

The biggest advantage of annexing Junggar is the cavalry.

But the Western Regions cannot afford to support these cavalry. If they are placed inland, they will easily rebel, so they will be used on the battlefield.

"Let's discuss it in the court tomorrow."

Zhu Qiyu couldn't make up his mind.

The next morning, the discussion was very intense.

The mainstream view is that there is no need for cavalry. It is easy to destroy a place but difficult to build it. It is best to defend the enemy from the outside.

"Your Majesty, I think I can swallow it."

Li Bing said seriously: "Please come and see, this is the Irtysh River. This river is the second largest river in the Western Region, second only to the Ili River."

"This river passes through the Kazakh Khanate and the White Horde Khanate, and after converging with the Ob River, it flows into the Arctic Ocean."

"If the Ming Dynasty takes control of this river and uses this river as the boundary river, everything going east will belong to the Ming Dynasty, and it will not take a step further to the west. It will only need to hold on to the current territory."

Li Bing didn't want Daming to go to Caspian Sea because there were too many uncontrollable factors.

Even if we defeat it now, we will not be able to defend it in the future.

As for the Ob River going west to the Ural Mountains, it is a plain, the West Siberian Plain. There is no danger to defend, so it is enough to reach the east bank of the Irtysh River and the Ob River.

As for the north, it's all frozen soil and of little value.

The Ming Dynasty was only included in the map, but no one went up. The Golden Horde was also included in the map, but no one went up.

The essence is inside and outside the Altai Mountains, which is a treasure land.

The largest iron ore mine in the world is in this area.

The Western Siberian Plain is also a treasure, but if you want to occupy it, you have to occupy the Ural Mountains. It is too far away from the Ming Dynasty, and the Western Region is not a place where you can gain a foothold. It will be difficult to garrison troops to defend the Western Region. If you want to defend the Ural Mountains, the current productivity Less than.

"This is the Ural Mountains. Wei Chen feels that the area between the Ob River and the Ural Mountains is suitable as a buffer zone."

"Your Majesty can entrust several princes to establish a country here and protect the western frontier of the Ming Dynasty."

"The Caspian Sea that you have been thinking about so much, I think we can send a capable prince to take charge of the Caspian Sea and turn it into an inland sea."

What Li Bing meant was not to fight westward.

Xiang Zhong was the first to object: "Li Shangshu, the places you picked are all rotten land. The Irtysh River originates from the Altai Mountains and flows northward. It is all desolate rotten land."

"If we don't want these bad lands, the territory will be pushed westward, and the area around the Caspian Sea will be filled with oil."

"This is the richest place."

"Why not?"

"On the contrary, I believe that the Ming Dynasty does not want anything north of the Altai Mountains. It will be granted to a prince. Using the Altai Mountains as the dividing line, the country will be enfeoffed to protect the northern border. Let's push it westward to the Caspian Sea."

"Even the Kazakh Khanate in the north can be entrusted to the princes. We don't want Bakal Kashgar Lake anymore. We can even give up some of the Ili Valley."

"As long as the territory is west of Congling, and the Fergana Basin, and then pushes the territory to the Caspian Sea, all other places will be entrusted to the prince."

Xiang Zhong's words made the court officials roll their eyes wildly.

Are you swallowing up all the essence of the area and letting the princes drink from the northwest wind?

It is precisely because of its desolation that Ming Dynasty is easy to occupy.

Like the Fergana Basin, how many wars has Yang Xin fought in recent years, and how much territory has he swallowed up? This place is full of fat and everyone is staring at it.

For example, the land along the Ob River is full of rotten land. Even though the Ming Dynasty occupied it, no one grabbed it.

This is the reason why Russia has such a large territory but is still so weak, because it is all bad territory and there are too few prime territories.

Old Su should have given up Siberia and occupied the five Central Asian countries. Of course, if such a rich place collapsed, Old Su would definitely become independent.

Zhu Qiyu thought seriously.

Li Bing's proposal was to occupy the territory that could be defended.

Xiang Zhong, on the other hand, keeps investing money and defends until death, as long as he can defend it, he will do so every day. During this period, transport good things to the country and be prepared to give up at any time.

Li Bing added: "Your Majesty, you may not know that although Central Asia is rich, it is extremely short of water."

"Water resources are controlled by the Irtysh River."

"We are at the source of the Irtysh River. As long as we control the upper reaches, Central Asia will always be in Ming's hands."

Yes, there was no shortage of water in Central Asia in later generations. It was Lao Su who built the canal and changed the course of the Irtysh River.

Now Central Asia, like the Western Regions, is particularly short of water.

Wealth is also relative. Compared with Jiangnan, it is just a piece of bad land, and it cannot compare with Northeast China. Compared with Qinghai and Mongolia, it is definitely rich.

"So Wei Chen proposed that we occupy the Irtysh River and the Ob River. We can buy everything in the world, but we cannot buy water!"

"We occupy the most water and occupy the upper reaches. If the prince Fengguo becomes rebellious in the future, we will cut off the water source!"

Li Bing thought clearly.

Xiang Zhong has no problem with this, but he is most greedy and wants to take it all.

"Li Qing, if you guard the Ob River, will the Ming Dynasty's western frontier be sealed?" Zhu Qiyu's ambitions for Central Asia are getting smaller and smaller. There are many reasons, and he must be forced to do so.

Of course, there are also objective reasons. It is not without reason that Central Asia cannot develop in future generations.

Even in the Ming Dynasty, it would be difficult to develop because the geographical environment is too bad.

In the nearly twenty years since the Ming Dynasty opened the sea, all the coastal provinces have become rich, and the inland provinces have been unable to catch up even if they tried hard. It would take less than a hundred years for a place like the Western Regions to develop.

The most important thing is that Yu Qian is old.

We can no longer fight a national war.

It is impossible to completely occupy Central Asia within ten years. During this period, Yu Qian needs to be in charge. He is eighty this year, how can he fight?

If you want to completely conquer Central Asia, you can't do it without mobilizing a million-strong army. Apart from Yu Qian, Zhu Qiyu can't think of anyone else with the ability to command a million-strong army.

"Your Majesty, oil!" Xiang Zhong was anxious.

"I know, I know all the benefits."

"But Xiang Qing, can you command an army of millions and win a national war? After the battle, can you still defend it?"

"Yu Qian is eighty, and he has always been in poor health."

"Unless he can live to be a hundred years old, I can push the territory to the Caspian Sea."

"There is nothing I can do. Unless there is a commander in the government and the opposition who can suppress the generals in the army and command an army of millions, otherwise, we can only entrust them out."

The enfeoffment does not need to be on such a large scale, because the territory is swallowed up bit by bit, and one country is built one by one, waiting for the coalition forces to rise. These countries have to risk their lives in order to keep the country from losing.

The point is, be able to hold on.

How long did it take for the Ming Dynasty to come back and forth from the Western Regions? When troops are sent from the center, the Western Regions will probably be lost.

Xiang Zhong wants to say he can do it, but he can't even suppress Li Bing. Can he suppress those arrogant and powerful generals in the army?

If Yu Qian came to lead the army, people like Fan Guang, Wang Yue, Yang Xin, Guo Deng, Li Jin, Li Zhen, Ou Xin, Fang Ying, Mu Cong, Zhu Yi, Zhu Yong, Xiang Zhong, Li Bing, Han Yong, Liang Famous generals such as Yun, Chen Shao, Tao Cheng, Song Jie, etc. can serve under him without any complaints.

Could another person be able to command these people?

Without these people to lead the army, can we command an army of one million people?

Should the emperor personally conquer it?

Zhu Qiyu didn't want to go. The crown prince's situation was already established. If he left the capital, he would be easily usurped. Besides, how old is he? Are you still going to bother?

"Xiang Qing, I have said before that if you want to fight, you must be quick."

"But the Central Committee always says that the Western Region's transportation capacity is limited and cannot support the Western Expedition."

"Let me wait, wait! Wait!"

"Now that Yu Qian is eighty, he can no longer fight a big battle. Without him, who can command the arrogant soldiers of the entire dynasty? Let's just say that you, Xiang Zhong, are under Li Bing's command. Are you willing?"

Zhu Qiyu sighed: "If you don't agree with each other, something will happen if you work together."

"There are handsome men in the court, but they cannot command an army of millions."

"If we really want to fight a national war, I must bring out all the elite soldiers and generals of the Ming Dynasty. There will be more than a hundred generals in the court who are good at fighting!"

"Tell me, who can lead these people?"

"I said before that I am not afraid of losses, even if I risk my life, I will knock the door of Central Asia open for me!"

"The center is timid and always says there will be opportunities in the future, there will be opportunities in the future!"

"Who will tell me now where the opportunity comes from?"

Zhu Qiyu was really angry. A few years ago, when Yu Qian was still in good health, if he didn't care about sacrifice, there would be no problem in pushing the territory all the way westward to the Caspian Sea.

As long as Yu Qian is in charge, no one can make trouble and everyone has to lie down.

With so many elite soldiers and generals, they still can't get through the road to the Caspian Sea?

Now that Yu Qian is eighty and can no longer run around, how can he fight with all his energy?

Only by allowing the emperor to personally conquer this group of people could he be able to command them.

"How many years has Wang been on Vietnam's campaign? Why has there been no victory? Is it because the soldiers are incompetent or the generals are incompetent?"

"Isn't it just a matter of striving for merit!"

"Li Zhen and Ou Xin were dissatisfied with each other and Wang Yue's discipline. Tao Lu and Wang Xin also felt that their contributions were great enough and did not want to be inferior to others."

"Otherwise, why can't we even defeat Bangladesh?"

Zhu Qiyu snorted coldly: "After all, it's just that people's hearts are not in harmony and they are dissatisfied with each other."

The courtiers dared not speak.

This is also the fact. Xiang Zhong, Li Bing, and Han Yong all disagree with each other and think that I have greater credit.

Ou Xin and Li Zhen competed for credit, which brought turmoil to the Central Committee.

With Wang Yue's ability, the battle should have been completed long ago. If the battle is delayed, it means that the Ming army is suffering from serious internal strife.

If it were Yu Qian who fought, this situation would not happen.

Yu Qian can calm everyone.

"So, it will be difficult for the Ming Dynasty to make another breakthrough in Western Xinjiang."

Zhu Qiyu was very upset: "But this does not mean that the Ming Dynasty will give up the western territory, and my sons will be entrusted there."

"The battles that need to be fought still have to be fought, and the immigrants that need to be relocated still have to be moved. It just becomes a closed country."

In the feudal states adjacent to the Ming Dynasty, it was necessary to pick out the princes who were not promising.

The first is to protect, and the second is to ensure that they will not encroach on the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty is wise." Xiang Zhong retreated.

Li Bing didn't dare to say anything.

The emperor was right. With Yu Qian gone, there would be no one to command these proud soldiers. They could only fight on their own, and Ming Dynasty would not be able to fight a national war.

"Let's go back to Ming Dynasty."

"With a domestic population of 120 million, we need 500 million bicycles. The current cost of a bicycle is yuan and the selling price is yuan."

"The profit is less than 200 yuan."

"What about in the world? How many people can afford bicycles?"

"What a huge market this is! The prospects are extremely broad and a blue ocean."

As soon as bicycles were mentioned, the courtiers started to discuss them enthusiastically.

This thing has extremely high military and civilian value. The key is that the roads in Ming Dynasty are flat and naturally have a road environment for bicycles.

"In order to increase bicycle sales, I organized this global games."

The courtier rolled his eyes, you are just making fun for yourself.

"When foreigners see bicycles, they will definitely place more orders."

"Now there are only three bicycle brands and the factory scale is not large, which is far from meeting the market size."

"I plan to bid and complete industrialized assembly line production."

"Rapid market penetration."

In fact, for capital, rapid market penetration cannot maximize profits. The slower the penetration, the more money will be earned.

The emperor thought mostly about political issues.

Shortening the distance is a national priority.

"Your Majesty, do you mean to open another state-owned enterprise?" Wang Fu did not want to give benefits to private capital in vain.

“To be honest, bicycles are difficult to create but easy to imitate.”

Zhu Qiyu said: "I don't intend to hide it. It is my original intention to encourage private capital to engage in business and increase private employment opportunities."

"But it's not easy for me to invest heavily in research and development over the years. I also need a sum of money to withdraw funds."

As bicycles became more popular, rickshaws came into being, and it was time for handcarts and tricycles to appear as well.

This market is huge.

The emperor and state-owned enterprises cannot eat such a huge cake.

Then divide it.

Let bicycles become popular quickly, and quickly seize other markets. Take the first bite, and then invest funds in the more important steam engine.

"Your Majesty, this is not a good deal." Wang Wen felt very bad.

"Wang Shangshu."

The prince said: "It is true that the market for bicycles is huge, but they are easy to copy and the technical content is not high."

"What your Majesty means is to let the princes participate in marketing and do business."

Yes, the emperor wants to train his prince.

Let the princes put themselves in the shoes of a business, see how much money they can make, and also develop hobbies in this area.

The courtier rolled his eyes, are you treating the prince like a beast?

The emperor has made up his mind to promote it quickly and accept it even if he makes less money.

The prince is in charge of this project.

The princes went off to do business in person, which aroused heated discussions among the people, with many scoldings. Some old masters even went on a hunger strike and committed suicide, leaving a last message saying that the Ming Dynasty was hopeless.

However, the promotion of bicycles was not smooth. On the contrary, rickshaws and tricycles were the best sellers.

After all, people in this era are used to saving. It is a pain in the ass to ask them to spend hundreds of dollars to buy a bicycle. On the other hand, rickshaws and tricycles can make money and are not expensive, so they are naturally willing to buy them.

Afterwards, the courtiers actually admired the emperor's foresight.

The vast market was created by the emperor. When bicycles were promoted to the market, they were well-received but not popular. There were many people and few people bought them.

As for the emperor, he recovered the cost in advance and transferred the cost to the lower-level dealers. He made a lot of money and the bicycle sales were good, so it had nothing to do with him.

Li Bing clicked his tongue: "The Emperor is estimated to have made tens of millions this time. If he can't sell it again, dozens of giant businessmen will go bankrupt next year..."

(End of this chapter)