Rebirth of Zhu Di's son

Chapter 160 The first governor in the history of the Ming Dynasty
Afterwards.

Wenhua Hall.

Zhu Di was looking at the memorial on the imperial table in trance, thinking about how to deal with the chaos in Qinhuai.

If all brothels and prostitutes are forcibly closed, the merchants and envoys will inevitably have nowhere to have fun and complain. If these romantic places are not dealt with, the good customs of the Ming Dynasty capital will be seriously damaged.

Zhu Di thought for a long time, but could not come up with a solution that had both ends.

At this moment, the eunuch Li Xing entered the palace and reported: "Your Majesty, the commander of the Jinyi Guards, Jiang Ying, wants to see you."

"Let him in." Zhu Di stood up and said.

Jiang Wei bowed and entered the palace, bowed in salute and said, "I have met Your Majesty in this humble position."

"What have you found?" Zhu Di asked, standing with his hands behind his hands.

Jiang Wei said: "Your Majesty, this matter is becoming more and more chaotic. Bachelors from the Imperial College have taken to the streets to incite, and have found officials from the Literature Museum, planning to jointly sign a petition. Some highly respected people in the capital who have become officials are also secretly communicating. We are organizing signatures to submit tens of thousands of people’s letters.”

"The humble official discovered the clues and immediately put a stop to it. He fabricated charges and arrested a few people. He also secretly sent people to smooth things over, which temporarily suppressed the evil trend."

When he said this, he knelt down on one knee, cupped his fists and saluted: "Your Majesty, I would like to ask His Majesty the Crown Prince and Zheng He to use thunderous means to speed up the rectification. Otherwise, I will be unable to withstand the situation."

"Go down." Zhu Di waved his hand.

"Yes."

Jiang Yu bowed and stepped back.

"Your Majesty, the rock sugar lotus seed soup is ready."

Li Xing carried a bowl of soup on a tray, walked to the royal table, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please drink it while it's hot."

"Send it to the prince and Zheng He so that they can calm down and calm down."

Zhu Di ordered: "Remember, let them stand and listen to the oral instructions."

"Yes." Li Xing said respectfully.

After a quarter of an hour.

Chunhe Hall, study room.

At this time, Zhu Gaoxu summoned Zheng He and Wei Xian to discuss countermeasures.

Kang Ping went inside and reported: "Your Majesty, the eunuch Li Shaojian is carrying two food boxes and says there is an order from His Majesty."

"Where are they?" Zhu Gaoxu asked.

Kang Ping said: "Wait in the front hall."

"Zheng He and Wei Xian, come with me to greet them." Zhu Gaoxu stood up and said.

After a while, they walked to the front hall of Chunhe Hall.

Li Xing hurriedly saluted and said, "I have met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Young Master Li doesn't need to be polite."

Zhu Gaoxu asked: "Father, did you have an oral message?"

Li Xing put on airs and said in a pinched tone: "Your Majesty asked His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Eunuch Zheng to stand and give instructions. Your Majesty said to send the rock sugar lotus seed soup to the Crown Prince and Zheng He so that they can calm down and calm down."

"My son (wei minister) will obey the decree."

Zhu Gaoxu and Zheng He bowed and bowed.

After listening to Li Xingzhi's words, the two of them quickly understood Zhu Di's intention.

Li Xing handed the two food boxes in his hand to Kang Ping, bowed to Zhu Gaoxu and said, "Your Highness, I have returned to your Majesty. Please leave."

After a while.

After Zhu Gaoxu and Zheng He finished drinking the lotus seed soup, Zhao Junchen, who had gone out to spy on the news, happened to come back.

Therefore, Zhao Junchen told the officials of the literary museum that they planned to jointly sign the petition.

Wei Xianyi said angrily: "Your Highness, I am willing to lead people to surround the literature museum, catch those who spread rumors and cause trouble, and then follow the clues to dig out their roots in the court and take down those officials who are causing trouble. In this way, it will be done." No one will dare to spread rumors and cause trouble again."

"No! Don't rush this matter." Zheng He hurriedly advised.

Wei Xian retorted: "Are we just going to watch those people discredit our Ming Dynasty's power?"

Zheng He said: "Share your father's worries, Zheng He will die without regrets, but a small impatience will mess up the big plan."

Wei Xian cupped his fists towards Zhu Gaoxu and said, "As long as His Highness says a word, I will risk my life!"

Zhu Gaoxu said in a deep voice: "Wei Xian, please be patient. What Zheng He said is reasonable. If we do what you say, we will only cause trouble."

"Although it is unkind to spread rumors, there are many of them. If they are all detained, all the yamen will be paralyzed. Who will receive the emperor's will? Who will handle the daily official affairs of the court?"

"While patrolling the sea, an unjust case of indiscriminate fishing and wrongful killing will put everyone in danger. If this matter spreads to overseas countries, it will not only make people laugh, but also put the Ming Dynasty into internal and external difficulties. In this way, when the sea patrols The policy can only be abolished. This is exactly the result that people with ulterior motives want!"

"But if they keep going on like this, when will it end?" Wei Xian asked anxiously.

Zheng He said: "General Wei doesn't know that the foreign countries must come to pay tribute in the summer every year, and to go to sea from the Ming Dynasty, you have to wait until the end of winter and early spring. Therefore, the ship power must rely on the monsoon, and these merchants must pay tribute." A few of them will be stranded in the Ming Dynasty for two or three months. If the imperial court wants to carry out the cruise strategy, it must take a long-term approach."

"In addition to allowing the foreign guests to receive courteous treatment and gain benefits, we also need to give them something to do and something to learn. Let the envoys from the foreign countries be sincere and cultivate their moral integrity. This is the purpose of His Majesty to treat all nations with courtesy and benefit the world."

"What can these alien natives and barbaric aliens teach them?" Wei Xian couldn't help but ask.

Zhu Gaoxu asked: "Why do some of the tribute envoys from Fanshang visit Huajie and Liuxiang?"

Wei Xian replied: "The humble officials think they have nothing to do."

Zheng He replied: "I think it's because the officials and people of the Ming Dynasty keep a distance from them and are alienated from them, and those who sell jokes are only interested in profit and are the easiest for them to get close to. Wei Chen feels that the people they really want to get to know in their hearts should be the people of the Ming Dynasty." "

"People?" Wei Xian asked.

"Yes!" Zheng He nodded.

Zhu Gaoxu looked at Zheng He, with a smile on his face, and said: "Zheng He, when you go to sea in the future, you must set up an academy at a foreign trade transfer station to teach the people to recognize Chinese characters, speak Chinese, recognize Chinese rituals, and let them understand China, get to know Ming Dynasty.”

When he said this, he changed the subject and said: "Let's go, Zheng He, follow me to see my father. I have already thought of a way to deal with the chaos in Qinhuai."

A quarter of an hour later.

Wenhua Hall.

The eunuch Li Xing went inside and reported, "Your Majesty, the prince is here."

"My son has seen his father."

"Wei Chen greets His Majesty."

Before Li Xing finished speaking, Zhu Gaoxu led Zheng He to the main hall and bowed in salute.

Zhu Di waved his hand to signal Li Xing to step back, then stood up and walked to the palace, asking Zhu Gaoxu from close range: "If you don't find a way to control the chaos in the Qinhuai River, what are you doing here?"

As he spoke, his sharp eyes fell on Zheng He's face, but the latter immediately lowered his head.

"Father, I have already thought of a way." Zhu Gaoxu replied respectfully.

"How?"

Zhu Di was worried about this matter just now. When he heard Zhu Gaoxu said that he had figured out a solution, he couldn't help but asked in surprise.

Zhu Gaoxu said: "Father, I believe that there are two reasons for the chaos in the Qinhuai River."

"First, and the most critical point, the imperial court did not set rules for those flower streets and willow lanes. Because there is no prohibition requiring them not to receive foreigners or officials, and they are only interested in profit, so naturally those who have money will be guests." "Secondly, the merchants from the foreign merchants paid tribute to them. The reason why some of them went to look for flowers and willows was because they had nothing to do all day after selling goods to buy porcelain, tea and other items from the Ming Dynasty. They wanted to understand the people of the Ming Dynasty, but they could not speak Chinese, and they had no People act as translators. Women in the makeup industry are only interested in profit, so they naturally hook up with these foreigners."

Zhu Di is a smart man who can draw inferences from one instance to other cases.

After listening to Zhu Gaoxu's analysis, his thinking gradually became clearer, and he immediately thought of two ways to deal with the chaos in Qinhuai.

"So, your approach is to formulate relevant laws and regulations to manage the cosmetics industry and find work for the merchant envoys to do?"

Hearing Zhu Di's question, Zhu Gaoxu immediately answered: "Father, the Holy Ming!"

"What specific methods do you plan to use to control this chaos?"

Zhu Di then asked.

Zhu Gaoxu bowed his hands and said in salute: "My son, I would like to ask my father to issue an order to order Zheng He, the admiral, to supervise the military and horse departments of the five cities."

Before Zhu Di could ask questions, he explained.

"Father, since ancient times, people have been trafficked in human beings and forced into prostitution. I want to take advantage of the renovation of brothels and flower houses to conduct a major inspection of all the cosmetics industry in the capital, eliminate the cosmetics industry, and give the people of the capital a clear and bright future. Qinhuai River!"

"Okay!" Zhu Di nodded and stroked his beard.

Zhu Gaoxu said: "Furthermore, we just take this opportunity to determine the authority of the Five Cities Military and Horse Division."

"The authority of the Five Cities Military and Horse Department?"

Zhu Di muttered something, and then began to recall the origin and functions of the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Division in his memory.

In the early years of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang set up a military division in the capital to be responsible for the security of the city.

Later, with the increase in the area under the jurisdiction of the capital and the population, a military division gradually became unable to manage it, so new military divisions were successively set up in the east, west, north, south, and north.

In the 23rd year of Hongwu's reign, the Five-City Military and Horse Command Department was established. However, the Zhongcheng was no longer called the Central Military and Horse Command Department. Officials were added to all the areas inside and outside the capital. Each territory was assigned to them. Vagrants and traitors within the territory were arrested and punished. If the driver of the car goes to the suburbs, he will lead his family to serve.

Starting from this year, Zhu Yuanzhang divided the capital into five areas. The five military command departments in the central, east, west, south, and north cities were responsible for patrolling thieves, clearing streets, ditches, prisoners, and fire bans in their respective areas. thing.

This Five-City Military and Horse Division was equivalent to the Public Security and Urban Management Bureau of the capital city in later generations.

According to the rules set by Zhu Yuanzhang, the commander of the Military and Horse Department is the commander of the Military and Horse Department, with one officer in the sixth rank and one in each of the five departments.

The deputy commander is the deputy commander of the Military and Horse Department, with a rank of seven, and two people from each of the five departments. They will be increased or decreased depending on the situation.

Zhu Yuanzhang would arrange for the fathers and brothers of some concubines to serve as chief and deputy chiefs of the Military and Horse Department, but they would only serve temporarily but not as officials.

Next there are the Secretary and the Registrar. The Military and Horse Division is responsible for the public security of the capital. Many incidents need to be handled by the Secretary and the Registrar.

Below the officials and officials are the pawns, but these pawns are all served by elite archers in the army.

It is particularly emphasized here that people who could serve as archers in ancient times were generally strong men with big arms and round waists. They could draw large bows and fight hand-to-hand with swords, and their combat effectiveness was extremely amazing.

When the Military and Horse Division was first established, all the thieves and thieves in the neighborhood, as well as the officials who had personal anecdotes or needed to be heard of, could respond at a moment's call, put out fires, patrol at night, and be honest in government without taking any money.

However, as time went by, disadvantages arose. First they caught thieves, then they denounced thieves, and finally they made money from thieves and collaborated with thieves, which was unpopular.

Shortly after Zhu Di succeeded to the throne, he was promoted to the Chief Secretary of Yunnan Province and envoy Zhang Wei took up the post of Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

In view of the corruption of the officials in the Wucheng Military and Horse Division, Zhang Xian wrote to Zhu Di and said: "The Wucheng Military and Horse Division Officer is responsible for inspecting the dead and wounded, and punishing thieves. His power is like the magistrate of the county. Those who do not perform their duties should be punished by the censor."

Therefore, Zhu Di sent a patrol censor to the Wucheng Military and Horse Department.

However, the censor who patrols the city does not have an official office. If there is any noise during the inspection, he will be dismissed immediately, or he will temporarily use the official offices of various health offices to send his troops.

Historically, the establishment of the patrol censor in the capital of the Ming Dynasty began in the Orthodox period. Due to changes in history, the position of the patrol censor was also established in advance.

Gu Zuo, a confidant promoted by Zhu Gaoxu, was famous for his selflessness when he served as the censor of the city. Later, he was entrusted with the important task by Zhu Di and became the imperial envoy to investigate corruption in Shandong.

Zhu Di retracted his thoughts and asked: "Gao Xu, how do you want to delineate the powers of the Five Cities Military and Horse Department?"

Zhu Gaoxu replied: "Father, although the Military and Horse Division of the Five Cities is responsible for patrolling thieves, clearing streets and ditches and prisoners, fire bans and other complicated matters, their responsibilities can be summarized into the following four categories, namely public security Catching thieves, maintaining market order, providing relief to the poor, and doing miscellaneous labor.”

“First of all, patrolling the streets at fixed times and points every day. Security and theft are an important function of the Military and Horse Division. They are responsible for catching thieves, robbers, deserters, fugitives, deserters, etc., and preventing street fights, adultery, gambling, and robbing people and property. All are within the scope of this responsibility.”

"In addition, the Military and Horse Division is responsible for night patrols. Before each night patrol, each Military and Horse Division needs to send two officials to Shangbao Division to receive two bronze medals, and they will patrol the night in their respective areas in pairs."

The current Ming Dynasty has a night ban, which stipulates: "Whenever there is a night ban in the capital, when the bells at three o'clock in the first watch have been silent, and the bells at three o'clock in the fifth watch have not moved, offenders will be punished with thirty whips. Those who commit violations at the second watch, third watch, and fourth watch , Fifty floggings.”

"Secondly, the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Department is also responsible for maintaining market order, cleaning ditches and streets, population statistics and other matters. The most important of them is the management of market order."

Zhu Di knew that the most important place in the market was the determination of weights and measures, and the government would display standard buckets and scales in prominent places in the market.

Shops in Fangshi develop tools and conduct transactions according to this standard.

For merchants who were short of gold, the court's minimum punishment was to have dendrobium, buckets, scales, and rulers confiscated or destroyed on the spot, and the maximum penalty was sixty sticks.

The Wucheng Bingma Division is responsible for checking whether these shops are trading according to standards, and is also responsible for the collection of various commercial taxes, such as banknotes, shop door stall taxes, gate taxes, etc., as well as the strict investigation of counterfeit money transactions inside and outside the capital. people.

Of course, we also have to manage matters such as illegal road occupation and littering in the neighborhood.

In the Tang and Song dynasties, there were laws to follow when vendors illegally occupied roads and ran their businesses: "Anyone who invades the streets or lanes will be punished with a seventy-year-old stick."

Zhu Yuanzhang was known for his ruthlessness in governing the country, and he was also unambiguous about street management.

According to the "Ming Huidian" records, anyone who encroached on roads in the capital and built houses or gardens was given a sixty-strong staff and ordered to restore them to their original state.

Anyone who throws garbage or releases sewage into the street will be whipped forty times.

In addition, in the Ming Dynasty, acts such as damaging public facilities, not driving according to regulations, setting up stalls in restricted areas, using soil to make bricks, and urinating in public were all "criminalized". Those involved would be forcibly put on instruments of torture. A month of public display on the streets is the so-called "one month for the shackles to fall."

Such management methods are not lax.

"Finally, the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Division also has an important responsibility, which is fire prevention, fire fighting, and providing relief to the poor."

Of course Zhu Di understood that in the capital, where officials and citizens gathered together, with rows of houses and various warehouses, fires were more likely to occur and it was relatively difficult to prevent them.

Therefore, the imperial court's punishment for fires was also quite severe. It stipulated that "those who set fire to the houses of officials and people and public warehouses are the things accumulated by officials" and "those who set fire to the houses of officials and people and the things accumulated by officials, thereby stealing property" are all in Qiuhou. Behead everywhere.

"Because every time there is a famine in a disaster year, a large number of refugees will flock to the capital to beg for food. At this time, the Five Cities Military and Horse Division is responsible for counting the number of people affected by the disaster and needing assistance, and then responsible for the collection of some relief materials, and finally responsible for the homeless Or the burial of the bodies of poor people.”

Zhu Gaoxu didn't say anything more about the chores that the Five Cities Military and Horse Division was responsible for.

Because Zhu Di knew that the so-called handymen were to do chores for the court, such as "Order Si Yue, the soldiers and horses of five cities, to lead three hundred firemen to Guanglu Temple to clean up for three days. The limit is one city per month, and they will take turns in order."

In addition to cleaning the Guanglu Temple, the Wucheng Military and Horse Division also had to prepare people to clean the roads and other chores when the emperor, concubines and princes were away.

"Father, the Five Cities Military and Horse Department is currently subordinate to the Ministry of War, but its direct superior is my father."

Zhu Gaoxu bowed and said: "My father is busy with so many things, how can he have time to take care of these things? Therefore, I asked my father to ask Admiral Zheng He to supervise the Military and Horse Department of the Five Cities and cooperate with me to complete the regulation of the capital's powder industry."

The "admiral" here is a verb, not a noun. For example, Zhu Di appointed Zheng He as the "admiral and eunuch in charge of the Wucheng Bingma Division", then Zheng He is the superior of the Wucheng Bingma Division.

Just like in history, the Ming Emperor appointed a certain eunuch to "supervise the East Factory", and this person was the boss of the East Factory.

Zhu Di pondered for a moment and said loudly: "Zheng He listens to the order."

"Wei Chen is here." Zheng He knelt down to receive the order.

Zhu Di said: "I now order you to serve as the eunuch in charge of the Military and Horse Department of the Five Cities."

"I, Zheng He, would like to thank my emperor for his grace!"

Zheng He kowtowed.

In this way, the first governor in the history of Ming Dynasty was born!

(End of this chapter)