King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 664 The Imperial Edict Arrives

The testing of the warship's artillery was only Zhu Jinghong's first project after he joined the navy.

In the following period of time, he also carried out a series of commands including rapid response, warship formation, marching command, etc., which made the Jinling navy exhausted.

This high-intensity training did serve as a test, and Zhu Jinghong was generally satisfied with the performance of the Jinling Navy.

The teams were brought back to the camp one after another, and then there was a welcoming dinner for Zhu Jinghong, which was held at the dock.

The organization of the navy is similar to that of the Beijing Camp. Under the admiral of the navy is the deputy general, under the deputy general is the commander, the associate commander, and the assistant commander, then the lieutenant general, then the thousand-man captain, and finally the team leader and the sergeant.

Today's banquet has a very wide range of participants, and military officers at the rank of captain general and above are allowed to attend.

Don't underestimate the seventh rank captain. An officer of this level can serve as the commander of a Class C ship or a Class A ship detachment.

While Zhu Jinghong was chatting with the admiral, lieutenant general, and commander of the navy, middle and high-level generals had arrived at the banquet venue one after another and were chatting with each other about today's "inspection".

They were all satisfied with today's performance, so some commercial flattery was inevitable, and the atmosphere was harmonious and energetic.

But when the topic gradually shifted to the Western Yi navy, everyone present was no longer happy.

As naval commanders, they had traveled overseas before the turmoil and observed the Spanish navy in its colonial ports.

It can be said that everyone present was aware of the strength of the Spanish Navy.

Although everyone thought they were strong, there was still no absolute certainty that they could gain the upper hand against the Spanish fleet.

Of course, not most people are pessimistic. Some people are full of confidence and believe that there is a great possibility of defeating Spain.

These people can be divided into two types. One type simply thinks that they can win by following Zhu Jinghong, while the other type believes that the Ming Dynasty is not much worse and that they may be able to win as long as they plan properly.

As everyone was discussing their different opinions, the banquet was about to begin.

Naturally, the deputy general would arrive early to check whether everyone was seated according to their seats, and at the same time emphasize the discipline in the venue. After all, it would be a pity to mess up on these small details.

Under the command of this deputy general, the entire venue suddenly became orderly, with everyone lined up on both sides of the middle aisle, no different from the most basic soldiers.

Everyone waited for a few minutes before a group of people came from a distance. The person in the middle of the front was Zhu Jinghong, and around him were the senior officials of the Jinling Navy.

"Combining leniency and strictness, combining work and rest... that's the way to do things!"

"You can't be too lenient, and you can't be too strict and inhumane either. You need to find the right balance..."

These were all profound truths, and the senior generals following him could all use them to expound on them, but at this moment they all listened very carefully, and it was visibly apparent that they were listening very seriously.

"See Your Highness!"

As Zhu Jinghong arrived, under the leadership of the deputy general who had just assembled the troops, the generals present knelt on one knee and paid great tribute to Zhu Jinghong.

"Well... please don't be polite, please don't be polite!" Zhu Jinghong raised his hand and signaled everyone to stand up.

Everyone stood up slowly, watched Zhu Jinghong pass by, and then saw him sit in the main seat.

Seeing that everyone was still sitting, Zhu Jinghong smiled and gestured to everyone: "Everyone... please sit down!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Everyone then sat down, while Admiral Wang Long stood. After seeing that everyone was ready, he said in a loud voice: "Everyone... His Royal Highness Prince Xiang is here to command the battle in Jinling. It is a great honor for our Jinling Navy. Now please give us your instructions!"

After saying this, Wang Long bent his waist, clasped his fists and bowed to Zhu Jinghong, while dozens of generals who had just sat down stood up in unison.

Zhu Jinghong looked calm, and waved his hand slightly to signal everyone to take a seat, and then said: "Everyone, if it weren't for the consecutive inspections this afternoon, and if you all passed the inspection, I wouldn't dare to sit here and drink with you tonight!"

"All generals and above are present at today's banquet, but the atmosphere during your discussion just now made me realize that there are guests who are not available yet!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present looked at each other in bewilderment. Even Wang Long himself widened his eyes, wanting to see which bastard dared to be absent.

"Who are these people?" Zhu Jinghong glanced at the crowd.

"It's Xiyi!"

After hearing this, everyone present suddenly realized. They were all very smart people and naturally understood the metaphor in Zhu Jinghong's words.

"The Western Barbarians defeated Luzon, bombarded Taiwan, and blockaded the sea borders of the Ming Dynasty... They are so powerful and arrogant!"

"Faced with its ferocious power, some of you have become afraid and believe that it is invincible. Pessimism has spread like a plague, making the power of the Western Barbarians omnipresent, especially in today's meeting place!"

These words were a severe criticism of everyone present. Many pessimists were ashamed, and only a very small number of people were indignant, thinking that Zhu Jinghong was talking without any concern.

"As soldiers, you have the duty to defend the land and fend off the enemy. Your only mission is to defeat the enemy... not to consider failure!"

"If you are afraid before the battle, you will lose if you take the initiative. You know these principles..."

Zhu Jinghong spoke incessantly, his meaning building up layer by layer. It was obvious that the purpose of this lecture was not to criticize, but to change everyone's pessimistic thoughts.

At the end, when everyone's mentality changed slightly, Zhu Jinghong said the most crucial sentence.

"Everyone, the bravest will win when they meet on a narrow road. As long as we work together, we will be able to defeat the enemy and forge our glory with the blood of the Western Barbarians!"

Most of the people present were veterans in official circles and had long lost the passion of their youth, but at this moment many were persuaded and many changed their views.

This further demonstrates Zhu Jinghong's level. He has also mastered public speaking to perfection.

As the crowd was surging, Zhu Jinghong stood up and raised his glass, saying, "Everyone, to defeat the Western Barbarians and repay the emperor's grace... Cheers!"

Everyone stood up and drank it all with Zhu Jinghong.

At this point, the banquet really began, and the atmosphere became warm and harmonious, with even a feeling that everyone was one family.

Looking at Zhu Jinghong who was standing not far away with a calm, graceful and self-respecting expression, Wang Long couldn't help but admire him from the bottom of his heart. This gentleman was not only a master at commanding operations, but also had mastered the art of manipulating people's hearts and uniting his subordinates.

If such a person doesn't want to be the emperor, who the hell is suitable to be the emperor?
Thinking of this, Wang Long couldn't help but think of Zhu Jingyuan's performance a few days ago, and the only word in his mind was "poor".

Wang Long's idea was similar to that of many senior generals present. As for the middle and lower-level generals, they did not think so deeply and just thought that they should just follow the Thirteenth Master.

The whole banquet, from being serious at the beginning to becoming cheerful later, finally ended with both the host and the guests enjoying themselves.

Zhu Jinghong's first day in Tongzhou ended in such a fulfilling way.

On the second and third days afterwards, he stayed in the Tongzhou Navy, gained a more detailed understanding of the coastal and sea defense, and proposed improvement measures for some shortcomings.

After staying at the Jinling Navy for three days, he rode a fast horse to Hangzhou, where the Zhejiang Navy was stationed.

Now that there is no war, checking the military equipment has become his most important task, so Zhu Jinghong did not dare to delay it at all.

While he was on tour, the imperial envoy from the capital arrived in Yingtian and headed straight for the palace.

Zhu Jingyuan lived in the temporary palace, so he came out to greet him in person.

The so-called imperial envoy was Liu Zhao, the eunuch in charge of the East Factory.

"Eunuch Liu, why are you here?"

At the palace gate, Liu Zhao bowed and saluted Zhu Jingyuan, who had come in person, and said, "Sixth Master, I am here to deliver the Emperor's orders in Nanjing!"

As I said, when the imperial edict was delivered, Liu Zhao was the imperial envoy, but now that he was not delivering the imperial edict, he was just a royal servant. How could he dare to put on airs in front of Zhu Jingyuan?

"To whom?" "Jia Hua, the governor of Jinling, and you!"

"And me? What does the decree say?" Zhu Jingyuan asked curiously.

"This... How dare I open it without permission? So I don't know what the decree says!"

"do not know?"

Zhu Jingyuan raised his voice. He actually didn't quite believe what Liu Zhao said, but it was difficult to force him if the guy didn't say anything. After all, they would know what was going on soon.

About a quarter of an hour later, Jia Yucun, who had received the news, rushed to the palace, and the arrangements for the announcement of the decree had been ready.

Unlike Zhu Jingyuan, Jia Yucun had already roughly guessed the contents of the imperial edict concerning himself.

In addition to Jia Yucun, a number of high-ranking civil and military officials from Jinling also arrived at the scene one after another. Although the imperial edict had nothing to do with them, these people also had to come and listen to the decree.

"There is an imperial decree. Please ask Prince Rui and Jinling Governor Jia Hua to receive the decree..."

Liu Zhao was reciting aloud. At this moment, "Generals of the Han Dynasty" were standing on both sides, and various ceremonial objects were displayed, making the scene extremely majestic.

"The emperor is destined to be carried by heaven, and he is said to be..."

"Now the Western Barbarians are in turmoil, the sea is in turmoil, the localities are in turmoil, the imperial court is uneasy, our people are being brutally slaughtered, our merchants are suffering..."

The content before the imperial edict mainly talked about how serious the situation in the southeast was and how much the court valued it.

Then, the key to the imperial edict came.

"In order to maintain peace in the southeast, I now promote Jia Hua, a junior official, to a senior official, and give him the title of deputy chief censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. He is ordered to inspect the military preparations and food supplies in Nanjing, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong. He must do his best and live up to my expectations..."

Everyone was surprised to see Jia Yucun promoted again, and then to be appointed as the governor of four provinces petrified everyone present.

Even Zhu Jingyuan, who was listening to the imperial edict, had some doubts about whether this old fellow surnamed Jia had some leverage over the emperor, otherwise how could he have been promoted so highly in such a short period of time.

Even my own son doesn’t get this kind of treatment... Zhu Jingyuan felt bitter.

As for Jia Yucun, since Zhu Jinghong had informed him in advance, he was relatively calm at the moment, though a little excited.

"Due to the sluggish maritime trade, the affairs of the Maritime Customs have been suspended. The Sixth Prince Yuan is ordered to return to the capital immediately to preside over the compilation of the Zhengtong Grand Ceremony..."

"Appreciate this!"

Because of the explosive news of Jia Yucun's promotion, the fact that Zhu Jingyuan was recalled to Beijing did not seem so surprising.

But this situation only lasted for a while, and the senior officials at the scene discovered the secret, and many people's faces instantly turned grim.

Everyone who is interested knows that Jia Yucun relies on Prince Xiang.

Now that Jia Yucun has been promoted and Zhu Jingyuan has been transferred back to Beijing, it is obvious that the emperor is clearing away obstacles for Zhu Jinghong so that he can concentrate on fighting without any worries.

This situation made many people present feel very uncomfortable, and of course the most uncomfortable was Zhu Jingyuan.

Before, he thought that the old man valued him very much, but now he felt that he was too naive. The emperor still valued the Thirteenth Prince the most.

"Sixth Master, please accept the order!" Liu Zhao reminded, and handed the imperial edict to Zhu Jingyuan.

This situation made Jia Yucun a little disappointed, because he really wanted to take the imperial edict and take it back to frame it.

After all, this kind of promotion is rare in the Ming Dynasty and is worth Jia Yucun cherishing for his whole life.

"Your Majesty... obeys your order!" Zhu Jingyuan stretched out his hand to take the imperial edict, his expression calm and unrecognizable.

"Eunuch Liu, you've worked hard all the way. Go and have a rest first!"

"Thank you for your care, Sixth Master!" Liu Zhao replied, bending his waist.

"This is as it should be. You work hard for the court, so how can we not entertain you well..."

As they talked, the two of them walked deeper into the palace, while the officials who stayed behind looked at each other in bewilderment.

Jia Yucun was promoted to Deputy Chief Censor. Although his powers were restricted by the imperial edict and he could only inspect military equipment and food and salary matters, he was, after all, the "Governor" who inspected four provinces. Logically, the officials present should have saluted and congratulated him.

However, the reality was that Censor Xu Xin'an just left, and the others just bowed and left one after another.

Originally Jia Yucun was in a very good mood, but being treated so disrespectfully by these people made him feel gloomy.

He remembered all these people, and he swore to take revenge on them in the future to get rid of his anger today.

As night fell, a large group of officials and gentry gathered in Zhu Jingyuan's palace.

On the surface, they came to see Zhu Jingyuan off, but in reality they came to persuade him to stay.

"Your Highness, you can't leave... The King of Xiang went on a killing spree just because of some trivial matters, and even killed so many virtuous officials!"

"If you leave, who can persuade King Xiang? If we are not careful, won't we suffer the same disaster..."

The last time Zhu Jinghong killed someone, he was executed on the spot, so Zhu Jingyuan was unable to intervene in time.

But with him in Jinling, the people present have a backbone and can feel a little more at ease.

"Sixth Master, why don't you submit a petition stating that maritime trade has not stopped and that there are still tasks to be done at the Maritime Customs Office, so that you can stay..."

"This……"

Zhu Jingyuan had thought about it, but this behavior was ultimately disobeying the emperor's order, so he was very hesitant.

"If that doesn't work, add one more thing... Just say you're sick and can't travel any further. You can leave when you're better. That makes sense!"

It makes sense, and it only applies to Zhu Jingyuan. If anyone else dares to disobey the emperor in this way, it is basically the same as seeking death.

"Well...it's not impossible!" Zhu Jingyuan muttered.

But he changed his mind and felt that he should leave, or at least not stay in Yingtian.

After all, the old man suspected that he would be a hindrance, so even if he really wanted to do something, he would try his best to get himself out of it.

Zhu Jingyuan thought it would be more appropriate to hide outside Yingtian Prefecture and exercise remote control.

Listening to everyone talking, Zhu Jingyuan thought of more things at once.

So he said, "Everyone... I will definitely write the memorial, but I must also follow your orders, otherwise it would be disloyal and unfilial!"

"I'll go with you, but there are still loyal ministers in Jinling. You may be able to find them to discuss countermeasures!"

After hearing this, someone asked, "Who can I ask?"

"Former Grand Secretary of the Zuo Chunfang Office of the Eastern Palace, current Jinling Censor Xu Xin'an!"

Zhu Jingyuan's move can be described in one word: "killing with a borrowed knife", and Xu Xin'an was that knife.

When the emperor investigates the matter later, the ones who will suffer will be the Eastern Palace family, and it will have nothing to do with the Sixth Brother, who is not involved in the matter.

(End of this chapter)