Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

The breeze comes slowly and the water waves are calm.

When Zhu Youtang saw the wooden buoy sinking, he lifted it up hard, and a carp immediately jumped out of the water. Because this carp was relatively heavy, the line almost broke.

"Your Majesty, we have caught another fish. This is already the eighth fish!" Liu Jin stepped forward to get the fish, looking very excited.

When Zhu Youtang saw Liu Jin who had returned, he asked calmly: "Has the fish been delivered?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the fish has been delivered, but Concubine Shao is playing mahjong with the Queen Mother, and it sounds like she wants it too!" Liu Jin replied cautiously.

When Zhu Youtang saw that the bait had been hung, he lowered the pole again and said, "Don't you still have this fishing basket? Send someone to Xianxi Palace and say that I gave it to my three younger brothers!"

"Yes!" When Liu Jin heard this, he said with a cup of his hands.

Zhu Youtang just put the fishing rod aside, picked up the tea that had just been brewed next to him, and looked at the sparkling lake in front of him, but he was enjoying his current life very much.

After dealing with government affairs every day, you can enjoy tea and enjoy the scenery here, and you can also have fun fishing.

This lake is not only rich in fish resources, but also has a variety of fish, so every time you lift the pole, there is a sense of uncertainty.

Such a living condition may be unimaginable to many fishermen in future generations.

Zhu Youtang actually wanted to catch big fish in the deep water area of ​​the lake, but he just knew that he was now at risk of falling into the water and drowning, and the current fishing line could not support the big fish at all.

Even though this large lake, which has been banned from fishing for centuries by the royal family, has a huge fish, the current silk thread has a limited bearing capacity and does not have the conditions to catch a big fish.

Zhu Youtang will not give up when encountering difficulties. His goal of catching big fish in this lake will not be given up easily, but not now.

Even though Xu Pu has committed suicide now, the civil servant group has never belonged to Xu Pu alone. There is no guarantee that anyone has been looking for opportunities to kill the emperor who is not at their mercy.

You still have to be on guard after all, and now is far from the time to be careless.

As the setting sun disappeared over the mountains, the whole world slowly dimmed.

Zhu Youtang just drank tea and fished here, and unknowingly he had caught a basket full of fish species that he couldn't even name.

In terms of taste, the fresh and original fish here is indeed no worse than those served by the royal family. I even wonder if the short life of the Ming Dynasty emperor was due to dietary issues.

Liu Jin asked someone to bring a wooden basin with water and picked two catches according to Zhu Youtang's wishes.

Seeing that it was getting late, Zhu Youtang put down the fishing rod in his hand, yawned and stretched, and then took the jade chariot back to Qianqing Palace.

Although the environment of Xiyuan is very good, there are a lot of birds here in the early morning, and there are also the cries of cicadas, but it is not as sound as sleeping in Qianqing Palace.

Unless there was something special, he usually would not stay at Yangxin Palace, but would choose to return to Qianqing Palace and have a good sleep in the imperial city.

Especially when you have to go to the morning court or the big court meeting, it will undoubtedly be much more convenient in the Qianqing Palace.

"Get up the sedan and go back to the palace!" Liu Jin saw Zhu Youtang already sitting on the jade chariot and sang as if.

When Zhu Youtang rode a jade chariot from Xiyuan Gate to Xihua Gate on the opposite side, he could always see Zhu Ji loyally guarding the place regardless of rain or shine, and the corners of his mouth could not help but raise slightly.

Whether some people are loyal or traitorous has to be tested by time.

Although Zhu Ji is relatively close to civil servants, he is actually worthy of giving him some points for his loyalty.

But this does not mean that there are no problems in the Jinyiwei. There are too many martial arts and civil servants in it, but it is difficult to guarantee that they will become pawns of the two forces.

Zhu Youtang doesn't need to worry about this problem. Jin Yiwei can focus on dispatching outside. For example, Lu Song, who was assigned to Wang Yue, performed very well, while the capital side can just reuse Dongchang.

Entering from the Xihua Gate, you will find the quiet Ouchi Palace, as if you have entered another world.

As an emperor, Zhu Youtang can naturally come and go at will, but the maids and eunuchs living here are likely to be able to stay here for the rest of their lives, and the rules here are strict.

The faint twilight has fallen on this splendid Forbidden City, and the palace roads seem quiet.

On the edge of the palace road outside Renshou Palace, a beautiful palace maid in Tsing Yi was standing there quietly with a carved food box in her hand, exuding a sense of dignity.

She has delicate facial features, fair skin, and is tall. She possesses a graceful and elegant aura that is rare for women of this era. She looks like a landscape when she stands neatly there.

When he saw Zhu Youtang, his heart-to-heart smile was full of contagion, as if it could light up this dull palace road.

Qingyue saluted Zhu Youtang who was passing by, and explained her intention at the same time: "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother has ordered the slave to bring you a bowl of freshly cooked crucian carp and tofu soup!"

"Have you been waiting here for a long time?" Zhu Youtang noticed the food box Qingyue was holding and asked with concern.

Qingyue felt warm in her heart and said with a slight smile: "Just a moment!"

"You guys walk slower!" Zhu Youtang noticed that her legs were unnatural and ordered the eunuch carrying the dragon chariot.

Qingyue had just waited here for a long time, and now her feet were a little numb, so she followed silently, feeling a warm current in her heart.

Under the care of dozens of eunuchs and maids, the Qianqing Palace seemed to be in good order.

Zhu Youtang found that living in this huge palace was more comfortable. After getting off the dragon chariot, he went straight to Xinuang Pavilion. This is the time I spend the most time every day, where the most important scientific and technological achievements of the empire are gathered here.

The design of the sailboat, the concept of the cannon, and the immature firecrackers, this place is like a museum.

When Zhu Youtang saw that the Ministry of Industry had sent another spring, he didn't have high hopes at first, but when he pressed it, he looked at his hand in disbelief.

Afraid that it was just an illusion, I immediately squeezed it again. I could clearly feel the strong elasticity in my hand, and a smile appeared on my face.

He finally succeeded, and the spring problem was solved.

"Your Majesty, what is this little thing?" Qingyue noticed Zhu Youtang's reaction and asked curiously.

Zhu Youtang pressed it again. There seemed to be no deformation or weakening of elasticity. He handed the spring over in a good mood and said, "This is the spring!"

"What can this little thing do?" Qingyue bowed slightly and stretched out her hands to take the spring. After looking up and down, she looked up and asked in confusion.

Zhu Youtang picked up another spring to check the quality, and explained in a serious manner: "You press both ends at the same time, and then release your hands, and it will return to its original shape. Isn't this interesting?"

Qingyue tried Zhu Youtang's method and tried it. Although she thought this thing was a bit magical, it just couldn't reflect Zhu Youtang's happiness.

As if thinking of something, he lowered his head and looked at Zhu Youtang warily.

"Now that we have this little thing, we can modify our loom, and the weaving speed can be increased to at least eight times!" Zhu Youtang didn't know what Qingyue was thinking at this time, so he carefully moved the spring Put it down.

The spring is naturally not the purpose. After all, just restoring the original shape has no meaning. Only by using it on the loom can it maximize its value.

Qingyue tilted her neck and looked at Zhu Youtang seriously, looking like she had some understanding.

"You are just like Niu Mengmeng. You are really playing the piano to Niu Mengmeng. You don't understand this, right?" Zhu Youtang realized that what he said was too profound and seemed to be ignorant.

Qingyue shook her head gently and said very seriously: "Your Majesty is not using this little thing because it is interesting, but because he wants to use this little thing on the loom, so that the cloth sold in the cloth shop can be cheaper in the future. This will allow more people to afford cotton!"

"You can say that! As the production efficiency of cotton cloth increases, the corresponding production cost will be reduced, and the cotton cloth on the market will naturally be cheaper! In fact, what is more important is that the cost of producing brocade cloth in Daming is low, but we can use the price advantage Seize the cotton market of foreign vassals, for example, you can completely occupy the cotton market of North Korea!" Zhu Youtang didn't expect Qingyue to really understand, so he directly stated his intention.

Qingyue looked seriously into Zhu Youtang's eyes, with a slight smile on her face and said: "Your Majesty, you will definitely become a good emperor and leave a name in history!"

"I will leave my name in the annals of history, do you want to take advantage of it?" Zhu Youtang looked up and down at this wise and generous woman, but he was ready to tease her.

Qingyue's face suddenly turned red, but she suddenly said as if she wanted to run away: "I have to go back and report to the Queen Mother!"

However, Zhu Youtang stopped Qingyue and gently hugged the woman's slender waist.

Qingyue knew that she could not escape at all, and this was the result she had expected. At this moment, she heard the sound of her heart beating loudly.

Zhu Youtang noticed that this woman's body was very soft, and ordered Liu Jin next to him: "Go and tell the Queen Mother that Qingyue has a sprain in her foot and she wants to stay at Qianqing Palace!"

"Yes!" Liu Jin knew what was about to happen and said as if he was following the order.

Qingyue's face turned red, but she suddenly begged: "Your Majesty, no!"

"Do you think it's useful to make excuses now?" Zhu Youtang hugged her tightly in his arms, but he said as if he was determined to win.

Qingyue felt Zhu Youtang's domineering attitude, but she still explained anxiously: "Your Majesty, this is a deliberate attempt to deceive the Queen Mother. I wish I could come over later!"

"It's not impossible, but it depends on your performance!" Zhu Youtang realized that he was really impatient and agreed immediately.

Qingyue was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but found that she had been carried to the chair. After all, she could not escape this man's favor.

The full moon hangs high tonight, and the entire Forbidden City looks like daylight.

After taking a bath, Zhu Youtang came to Dongnuan Pavilion as usual, but instead of dealing with the memorial, he focused on the information handed over by Dongchang and Jinyiwei.

As the two most powerful intelligence agencies in the Ming Dynasty, they collect countless intelligence every day.

It is naturally impossible for Zhu Youtang to read all the information. Only the very important or representative information is likely to be on his desk.

After listening to it, it became clear that it was not easy to truly control this huge empire, so he needed to see the world through different channels.

Many people don't know that there are now guard eunuchs in the two capitals and thirteen provinces, and Zhu Youtang has already ordered these people to submit important information.

The person Zhu Youtang was most satisfied with was Wang Zhi, the eunuch guarding Nanjing. Wang Zhi was able to gain the trust of Emperor Chenghua back then. He was indeed outstanding, especially in the word loyalty.

Wang Zhi is not only very diligent, but also meticulous in everything, almost like his own eyes and ears. Not only would he truthfully report his personal thoughts, but he could also make constructive suggestions, which was far ahead of the other guard eunuchs.

That's why, even though the capital and Nanjing are separated by thousands of rivers and mountains, I can clearly understand many situations in Nanjing, and even know some illegal things.

After all, Nanjing is the capital city, where many nobles and high-ranking officials live.

These people have no legal awareness at all, and often use their privileges to do illegal things. For example, the Wei Guogong Mansion in Nanjing actually raped civilian girls.

Zhu Youtang had actually realized that the imperial court's control over local areas was declining, and the biggest root cause was the excessive power of the privileged class.

Not to mention those county magistrates who depend on the officials and gentry for everything. Even if they are governors of a region, even if they do not collude with local forces, they cannot actually suppress such local forces that integrate officials and businessmen.

Take the famous governor of Yingtian, Hai Rui, for example. He pointed his finger at the local forces headed by Xu Jie. Although he did not compromise with the local government, the court quickly transferred Hai Rui to a casual position.

Why is this?

Local forces have strong influence in the court, and squeezing a governor to death is as easy as squeezing an ant to death.

If the Ming Dynasty wanted to truly suppress the local areas, it not only needed to select more courageous officials, but also gave the local governors greater power.

It's just that governors in various places now default to local officials. The reason why these officials can continue to be promoted is precisely the result of their efforts to please the officials and gentry.

It is undoubtedly a foolish dream for the imperial court to use these slippery governors to govern the place.

Zhu Youtang had earlier selected Hanlin editor Wang Hua as governor of Southern Jiangxi, not only to solve the problem of rogue bandits in Southern Jiangxi, but also to test the effectiveness of airborne governorship through this appointment.

Judging from the results this time, it is undoubtedly a quite successful attempt.

In particular, the Jiangxi officialdom case has allowed him to more boldly parachute officials, thus breaking the local cultivation model dominated by civil servant groups.

Zhu Youtang plans to successively set up the post of governor in the thirteen provinces of Yijing, and the governor will be selected from among the six ministers. This kind of governor who is a third-rank official will naturally have more confidence.

In fact, he had already had this idea when he directly promoted officials from among doctors to serve as ministers. The ministers of the six bureaus would go to local areas for training, and only the governors who performed well would have the opportunity to become ministers of the six bureaus.

Zhu Youtang was an emperor who dared to think and act, so he wrote on a piece of paper: "He Cong, Governor of Shandong!"

Whether the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of War can successfully aspire to be the Minister of the Ministry of War depends on his performance in Shandong. After all, the appearance of the Kong family in Qufu is a bit ugly.