Jingnan Strategy

Chapter 503 Hong Xi’s Dragon
"call out--"

"Bang!!"

However, at dusk, there have been many examples of purchased fireworks being released in the inner city of Beijing.

The afternoon military parade took nearly an hour from the time the emperor left to the time when the envoys from various countries dispersed, and another two hours before the people dispersed.

For many people, they could hear the constant sound of fireworks as soon as they returned to the capital.

Thanks to the military parade, there will be no curfew for the next two days starting today. For the people of Beijing, this is a rare lively scene of the year. Naturally, everyone wants to have fun and have fun.

The envoys from various countries returned to their residences to bathe, then changed their clothes, and then walked towards the palace gate with the dance music and programs they had prepared for the emperor.

The original envoy team of more than a thousand people suddenly turned into tens of thousands. It was also thanks to Zhu Gaoxu that when he first designed the city of Beijing, both the palace city, the imperial city, and the inner city were built to a larger scale. Otherwise, it might not be possible. Accommodate tens of thousands of people.

The square area in front of Huagai Hall is not large, so the original celebration was moved to the square in front of Fengtian Hall.

Fengtian Temple Square, which can accommodate tens of thousands of people, is enough for tens of thousands of people to perform performances.

In front of the palace gate, some officials surrounded Zhu Zhanji and expressed their admiration for the poem he had just written, but Zhu Zhanji said with shame:

"The city that never sleeps reopens in heaven, and the festivals on earth are about to be renewed."

Zhu Gaochi saw Zhu Gaoxu without a hat and specifically reminded him that he was not wearing a hat. Hearing this, Zhu Gaojiu glanced around helplessly and realized that he was the only one in the family who was not wearing a hat.

There are various paintings on the lanterns, and a six-foot-tall Aoshan lantern is placed in the square.

If Xie Jin was still alive, he might still be able to compare and contrast with His Majesty today, but now that Xie Jin is dead, if we talk about poetry and articles during the Hongxi period, I am afraid that few people can compare with Zhu Gaoxu's "Linjiang Immortal".

But when he came to the back hall, he saw several figures wearing Yishan crowns.

The so-called "Ao" refers to the giant turtle or turtle in the legendary sea, and "Aoshan" is a huge lantern scenery specially built for the Lantern Festival.

When the delegation arrived, Fengtian Square became lively, and Zhu Di, Zhu Gaoxu and others also came to the back hall of Fengtian Hall after washing and resting.

"Envoys from all countries are here." Someone interrupted, and everyone looked towards Fengtian Gate.

Zhu Gaoxu changed into a red uniform and did not wear the Yishan crown. After all, he had thick hair, so there was no need to wear the Yishan crown.

"His Royal Highness, this poem must be written down and kept by your family!"

"Everyone joins the class!!"

"I didn't expect that His Royal Highness is not only outstanding in painting, but also in poetry writing, which is far above us."

Zhu Zhanji is not provoking trouble, but Zhu Gaoxu's "Linjiang Immortal" has already spread throughout the world. Everyone knows that today's Majesty is not only brilliant in military strategy, but also admired for his literary talent.

"Okay, now that everyone is here and it's getting dark, let's have a banquet!"

Zhu Gaoxu was too lazy to pay attention to the red tape of the Ministry of Rites. If he followed the red tape of the Ministry of Rites, he would not be able to eat this meal until at least midnight.

"We're all in, Zhanji and the others are already playing in the front hall." Zhu Gaochi said cheerfully, but his mind was filled with the food for today's state banquet.

The palace people stacked thousands of colorful lanterns into a mountain shape, more than ten stories high, shaped like an ao. In the middle were red, yellow, blue, white, green, purple, green and other colorful lanterns, which were shining and colorful, making it dazzling to watch. .

But even without watching, he knew that the state banquet could not be too bad, not to mention that this was a state banquet at the level of the Ming Dynasty vassal system.

If you say that this is not a prosperous time, others will not believe it. Naturally, this kind of scene has aroused the comments of many literati.

"That's right, that's right..."

"The purple palace and the tong tower are full of auspiciousness, and the phoenix, sheng, and dragon pipes are in harmony with the sound of joy."

"Your Majesty, you are not wearing a hat..."

There are many ropes hanging above the square and countless lanterns tied up.

Because of the change of venue, it was delayed a lot of time.

"When it comes to poetry, how can anyone compare to Your Majesty?"

In order to join the crowd, he could only put on his hat, and then asked about the situation outside: "Have all the envoys from various countries entered the square?"

In front of the Fengtian Hall, Zhu Zhanji looked at the beautifully crafted celebration in front of him and couldn't help but compose an impromptu poem, which was also applauded by people around him.

There were no less than 100,000 colored lanterns hung in the entire Fengtian Square. Even at dusk, the square was still illuminated as bright as day.

"Thousands of turtle peaks and rows of clouds rise, and fire trees with thousands of branches compete with the bright moon."

As Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Di walked up the golden platform from left to right, the ministers pushed the golden mountain and fell the jade pillar and knelt down five times and kowtowed three times, as did the more than 20,000 people outside the palace.

Since he couldn't move around at will, he couldn't go to Guanglu Temple to take a look, so he could only wait for Zhu Gaoxu to issue an order to pass on the meal.

I saw teams pouring into the square from Fengtianmen, and then began to occupy positions closer to Fengtian Hall in order to perform for the emperor.

Because of this, when everyone heard what Zhu Zhanji said, they all nodded and said, "I wonder if your majesty will be so inspired by poetry today that he can compose poems for sung."

The Fengtian Palace has a large area, and it is reasonable to say that it can accommodate all the kingdoms and ministers to have meals, but for the sake of convenience, Zhu Gaoxu still arranged people in the square. The palace is still mainly occupied by the Tian family, Xun ministers, and six-level officials.

More than 2,000 Beijing officials of the seventh rank and above, as well as tens of thousands of envoys and music and dance groups, walked into Fengtian Gate and saw the Fengtian Palace Square decorated with lights and colors.

"kneel--"

"Long live your Majesty...Long live...Long live..."

Following Zhu Gaoxu's instructions, the ministers of Honglu Temple began to sing soon after, and officials of the fourth rank and above outside the gate of Fengtian Palace also poured into the hall.

"If there is no problem in peace and the people can enjoy themselves together, why bother chasing them all the way to Guangling!"

Zhu Di changed into a purple-red uniform and put on a more formal black Yishan crown.

"Be flat!"

Zhu Di and Zhu Gaoxu sat down. Since Zhu Gaoxu was still the emperor after all, he sat in the main seat, while Zhu Di sat in a specially arranged position on the side of the golden platform.

This was the first time Zhu Di sat in this position to participate in a court meeting, so he watched everything in front of him with interest.

The honest ministers, the kings waiting for instructions, and the handsome second son sitting on the dragon throne...

Looking at this scene, Zhu Di stroked his beard happily.

"Take your seat and pass on the meal!"

Zhu Gaoxu did not hesitate and immediately started the state banquet. After hearing this, the ministers of Honglu Temple and Guanglu Temple also sang in harmony: "Pass the meal!"

For a time, people who participated in the banquet inside and outside the palace took their seats one after another. Only the dance and music performances brought by the envoys from various countries were waiting.

As the most materially rich country in the world, the state banquet of the Ming Dynasty was undoubtedly grander than any banquet in the world.

In order to make the envoys of various countries eat happily and comfortably, Guanglu Temple also put in a lot of effort.

Taking into account religious issues, today's meal delivery is also very particular. For example, in Timur, Manlajia, Yuejibie and other countries, there is no pork or wine on the table.

There cannot be beef, milk, etc. on the table in countries such as Numa Na Pu'er and Ananda Gongde.

But even so, there are still a wide variety of meals on the tables in various countries, which is dazzling.

Needless to say, livestock such as cattle, sheep, pigs, camels, and donkeys are also available, as are fish, shrimp, crabs, chickens, ducks, and geese.

In addition to these regular dishes, there are also quail, pigeon, puffer fish, pheasant, bear paw, shark's fin, bird's nest and other rare dishes.

A state banquet cost more than 100,000 yuan, which can be said to be rich.

Envoys from all over the world were blinded by the dazzling dishes. As the state banquet began, they began to eat their chopsticks frantically.

Whether they are from Japan, North Korea, or the powerful Timur, at this time they are like a group of hungry people who have not had enough to eat for many years, wolfing down the food on the table.

Compared with them, the officials of the Ming Dynasty were more polite, only...

"This is good, I've been wanting to eat this bear paw for a long time!"

"Hmm... This is not bad. What is this? Zhanji, you have to remember it. Yi Shiha and I will go get some in a while. Your Majesty said you can eat whatever you want."

"This wine... hiss... it's at least fifty years old Taixi Bai. It's older than me. Drink more..."

"Hey, don't sit still and eat quickly!"

In Fengtian Hall, even when he was sitting on the golden platform, Zhu Gaoxu could hear the sound of the boss eating happily.

He glanced to the side and found that Zhu Di was frowning and lowering his head to eat, glancing at the boss from time to time.

"Your Majesty, the Lord of Japan, Ashikaga Yoshitsugu, and the Governor of North Korea, Ri So, beg to enter the palace to serve you."

Suddenly, Yishiha next to him spoke in a low voice. After hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu found it very interesting, so he nodded and said, "Let them come up."

"Yes..." Yi Shiha responded, and immediately asked people to pass on Ashikaga Yoshitsugu and Li Ming.

Not long after, the two people walked into the palace from outside the palace gate, knelt down under the golden platform and kowtowed five times and three times: "I see you, Your Majesty!"

"There's no need to be formal. Come and serve me before you eat. You're showing your heart."

Zhu Gaoxu said politely, and the two of them spoke one after another:

"It is my honor to serve His Majesty!"

"I feel the same way!"

The two of them flattered each other, and Zhu Gaoxu nodded with interest on his face: "Come up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!" The two of them said in unison, then walked up to the golden platform from the left and right, knelt beside Zhu Gaoxu's table, and poured wine and food for him.

Seeing such a scene, even Zhu Di beside him was slightly stunned.

He has never been so served by the kings of North Korea and Japan. Thinking about it carefully, he is a bit envious.

"Your Majesty, Muhammad Shah, the leader of the Kingdom of Malacca, begs to see you."

Zhu Gaoxu had just enjoyed the service of the leaders of Japan and North Korea, when he saw Yi Shiha and stepped forward to talk again.

Zhu Gaoxu also knew that there were many things going on at tonight's state banquet, so he did not indulge in eating and drinking. He just nodded: "If there is anything, just let them come in and report themselves."

"This slave has an order..."

Yi Shiha retreated, and not long after, he saw Muhammad Shah, the leader of Manlajia, walking into the palace. He came to the golden platform and bowed five times and three times, and sang long live.

Muhammad Shah is about thirty years old, and his appearance shows that he is a mixture of Arabs and Southeast Asian natives. "Your Majesty, I want to change the state religion to Mahayana Buddhism. I beg your Majesty to give me a Chinese surname and send my teachers and teachers to small countries to spread the culture of the Celestial Dynasty."

Zhu Gaoxu was unexpected by Muhammad Shah's announcement. He did not expect that the military parade had just ended and had such an obvious effect.

"Have you considered it?" Zhu Gaoxu did not agree directly, but asked him again.

"I have thought about it!" Muhammad Shah replied without thinking. After hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu said:

"Now that you have thought about it, the imperial court can send people to help you build Confucian and Buddhist temples. As for giving you a Han surname, let's give it a surname of Chen. Take the Sha in your name and change it to Chen Sha."

"Thank you for your name, Your Majesty. Chen Sha will definitely guard the Strait of Manchuria for Your Majesty in the future and prevent any bandits from entering Nanyang!"

Chen Sha quickly expressed his flattery, and Zhu Gaoxu also nodded and said: "Go down and have a good meal and drink. I will let the Ministry of Etiquette arrange the matter."

"I retire..." Chen Sha bowed his head and left the Fengtian Palace. After he left, many small country leaders in Southeast Asia learned about Chen Sha's affairs, and immediately asked to see Zhu Gaoxu and entered the palace to ask him to give them a surname.

Zhu Gaoxu successively gave these small Nanyang countries surnames such as Chen, Lin, Su, Liang, etc., and also successively agreed to let the Ministry of Rites go to the local places to start Confucianism and send monks.

In such excitement, the heads of the three kingdoms of Manchu Boyi, Ganbozhi and Siam also came to ask for surnames. Zhu Gaoxu gave King Ganbozhi the surname An, Siam the surname Zheng, and Manchu Boyi the surname Su.

For a time, the kings surrounding the Ming Dynasty changed their surnames one after another, and all they wanted was for the Ming Dynasty to send craftsmen and Confucian scholars to their own countries, hoping to obtain some technology.

Zhu Gaoxu knew what they were thinking and didn't care.

Not to mention that he would not be able to send students who graduated from middle schools and craftsmen with cutting-edge technologies. Even if he did, the size of these countries would not pose a threat to the Ming Dynasty at all.

Zhu Gaoxu needs to beware of mainly the populous countries of Japan, Ananda Gongde, Tamerlane, Michel, North Korea, and Dili.

But the more defensive he becomes, the more eager these countries become.

"Your Majesty the Ming Emperor, Ulugh Beg of Tamerlane, is here to meet you!"

"Since I'm leaving my country, I'm going to leave Taiwan quickly to see His Majesty the Ming Emperor!"

"I will try my best not to spend too much money. See His Majesty the Ming Emperor..."

When envoys from the three nomadic countries entrenched in the Western Regions, Hezhong and Persia came to pay homage, although Zhu Gaoxu's face was calm, he began to be wary in his heart.

Not only in the palace, but also at the dinner table, he was always staring at Ashikaga Yoshitsugu and Li Sen.

Although he didn't think these two people had the guts to poison him, he had to be careful to sail the ship for ten thousand years.

"Your Majesty, I and other three countries are willing to publicly proclaim Your Majesty as the Bogda Chechen Khan of our three countries, implying that you are gifted with wisdom, and also elect the Supreme Emperor as the Eryezhasak Khan of our three countries."

On the way here, Ulugh Bo briefly communicated with Yue Jibie and Chagatai, preparing to use his name to fool Zhu Gaoxu.

For the three countries that have embraced Islam, although they can be regarded as descendants of the Mongol Empire, it was the Tatars who lost face by recommending Zhu Gaoxu to the Han Dynasty, not their face.

Thinking of this, Ulugbo couldn't help but look at a corner of the hall.

There, Arutai and Benya, who had become obese during many years of living in the Ming Dynasty, were lost and looked as ugly as if they had eaten shit.

They were in trouble now, but Zhu Gaoxu ignored their looks and said with a smile: "You have read the book, and you still know about this kind of thing."

Zhu Gaoxu didn't make it too obvious, but the names of the sage Khans and Tian Khans of the Sui and Tang Dynasties are not unfamiliar to the Han people.

Although Turk and Xue Yantuo gave Yang Jian and Li Shimin the title of Khan, in fact these names were not considered noble titles among Turk and Xue Yantuo.

This is not surprising, after all, the Han people would not like to give a particularly noble name to a ruler of another regime.

Whether it was the Han Dynasty or the Sui, Tang and Ming dynasties, the Han people were very casual in naming foreign countries. On the contrary, the Qing Dynasty liked to give the names of enemy countries very nice.

For example, the Ming Dynasty's name for Britain was literally "An Elijah", for France it was literally translated "Franca", and for the Netherlands it was directly called Red Mao Yi.

Since the Han people are like this, the Sebarians will naturally not give the king of the Ming Dynasty any lofty title.

Of course, the two names given to Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Di by Ulugh Bo and others were quite valuable, and Zhu Gaoxu readily accepted them.

As for Benya's idea of ​​losing his mind, that's not something he should consider.

Thinking of this, he was slightly distracted and dropped a piece of meat on the table.

Just when he lowered his head and was about to throw the piece of meat aside with chopsticks, Li Chen suddenly reached out and held the piece of meat in his hands, knelt down and kowtowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the meat!"

"Huh?" Zhu Gaoxu was stunned for a moment, not to mention Ashikaga Yoshitsugu next to him.

Ashikaga Yoshitsugu could see clearly that this piece of meat was clearly dropped by the emperor on the table. How could this guy have the audacity to say it was a gift?
"This meat is dirty, give you a piece of meat."

Although Zhu Gaoxu also admired Li Chen's shamelessness, he thought of giving him a piece of meat instead, but he didn't want Li Chen to eat the meat directly. At the same time, he kowtowed in front of the ministers:
"Your Majesty is the Emperor, how can the meat contaminated by His Majesty's chopsticks be dirty?"

"I thank Your Majesty for the meat. This meat tastes very delicious and is better than all the meat I have eaten before!"

When Li Chen said this, Zhu Gaoxu also felt a little embarrassed. He put down the chopsticks in his hands and stood up and said:

"I've almost eaten. You two go back to eat first. I'll go for a walk with the Crown Prince and the Supreme Emperor."

He really couldn't stand being surrounded by two shameless "licking dogs". The key point was that he knew that these two licking dogs had their own little thoughts, so no matter how they licked, he only felt disgusted.

These two people have somewhat affected his appetite...

"The minister will leave..."

Seeing what the emperor said, the two could only sigh and exit the Fengtian Palace. Zhu Gaoxu also walked to the table and looked at Ulugh Bo and others kneeling under the stage.

They looked at Li Chen and others with strange eyes, obviously they did not expect that the leaders of these two countries would do such a shameful thing.

"Okay, I and the Supreme Emperor will accept the name you thought of for me and the Supreme Emperor. Please tell me your request!"

All the turmoil in the world was for profit. Zhu Gaoxu didn't believe that these envoys from the Three Kingdoms were just for the sake of being honored. They must have their own motives.

"We are here to seek Confucianism from the Celestial Empire, and I hope your majesty will grant you permission!"

Ulugh Bo revealed his thoughts. He had just seen that Majapahit and other countries had not changed their religions, and they could get help from the Ming Dynasty to build Confucianism by just asking for a surname. Therefore, he quickly invited Yue Jibie and Chagatai to go to Shu together.

Although the three countries are enemies of each other, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.

For the sake of current interests, it is not impossible for the three countries to form a temporary alliance.

"Although you are all relatives of the former Yuan Dynasty, since you have bowed your head and become a vassal of the Celestial Dynasty, your wish will be granted!"

"I thank you, Your Majesty!"

After receiving Zhu Gaoxu's answer, Ulugh Bo and others kowtowed, and Zhu Gaoxu also turned his attention to Zhu Di.

At this moment, he was smiling very happily, perhaps because he was happy about his sweat.

Although this Khan did not cause any losses to Timur and other countries, such a move undoubtedly isolated the Oara and Tatars in Mobei.

The three Timurid kingdoms split and became independent from the Yili, Chagatai and Kipchak Khanates respectively.

When they recognized the Ming Dynasty, they undoubtedly denied the Mongol Empire that the Northern Yuan Dynasty claimed to be.

As long as these things spread back to the Hezhong area, and the Northern Expedition severely damaged Oara and Tatar, it will be easier for the Ming Dynasty to penetrate Mobei.

"Father, it's getting dark and it's time to set off fireworks."

Zhu Gaoxu walked up to Zhu Di and bowed down to explain in his ear. Upon hearing this, Zhu Di also stood up with a wine glass and said with a smile: "Okay!"

The father and son walked down the golden platform together and walked side by side towards the outside of the hall.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Zhanhe, Zhu Gaosui and others quickly picked up their wine glasses and followed them. Zhu Gaochi wanted to continue eating, but was pulled out of the hall by Zhu Zhanji and followed their footsteps.

They walked out of Fengtian Hall and stood on the high platform in front of Fengtian Hall, overlooking the envoys from various countries eating and drinking in the square.

"Sing the ceremony!"

The Minister of Honglu Temple led dozens of Han generals to sing, and the envoys who were enjoying their meal stood up one after another, knelt down and kowtowed to Zhu Di and Zhu Gaoxu.

"No need to be too polite. Since it's a banquet, it's better to be relaxed."

"I... take your orders."

Zhu Di told the minister of Honglu Temple. The minister of Honglu Temple glanced at Zhu Gaoxu and saw him nodding before returning the favor to Zhu Di.

"call out--"

“Bang bang bang!!”

Suddenly, the sound of fireworks came from the sky, and the fireworks in the sky kept blooming, making the entire Fengtian Square even more lively.

When the fireworks bloom, it means that the teams brought by the missions from various countries are ready to perform, so the missions from various countries have their teams start performing.

Controlling snakes and driving away animals are simple tasks, and some dwarfs sent by unknown countries performed tricks such as swallowing knives and breathing fire in the square.

"Were these people forcibly captured?"

Looking at the performance, Zhu Gaoxu frowned. Although dwarfs were often raised in ancient palaces, he didn't like them himself, so there were no dwarfs in the inner court.

"Your Majesty, this is the dwarf prepared by Timur." Song Li, the Minister of Rites, knew that Zhu Gaoxu did not like dwarfs, so he explained:
"These dwarfs are born with disabilities and cannot cultivate the farmland independently, so they often face the plight of having no rice to cook."

"These dwarfs come to perform for Your Majesty just to make a living. Otherwise, given their situation, they may not even be able to guarantee their survival. Please accept it..."

Song Li said this, but Zhu Gaoxu turned around and asked: "Which one of you likes it?"

The ministers looked at each other in confusion, not knowing whether they should say anything or not.

Seeing this, Zhu Gaoxu told Song Li: "Put them in the almshouse. Now that the people in the world are not yet rich, how can I drive them for my own entertainment?"

What he said sounded grand, but in fact he just didn't like watching this kind of performance. But people in this era liked it, so he couldn't refuse it directly, so he could only support himself.

Seeing that Zhu Gaoxu really didn't want it, Song Li could only give a few instructions to the officials behind him.

"Boom bang bang-"

The fireworks in the sky seem to never stop and continue to explode in the sky, giving people the illusion of a prosperous and healthy life.

Zhu Di and Zhu Gaoxu led people to shuttle among the performance teams from various countries in the square, and also saw many interesting tricks.

Such a scene has not happened for many years. Even Yang Pu, Yang Rong and others who had criticized the New Deal could not help but raise their glasses.

"This place can be called prosperous!"

(End of this chapter)