Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

The capital is the place where great fortunes gather in the world.

At a time of turmoil everywhere, this place was neither ravaged by the smallpox epidemic nor devastated by war, but showed a new and changing atmosphere with each passing day.

Not only has the city of Beijing not been eroded by time, but it has taken on a new look. The bluestone paved road in the inner city is as smooth as a mirror, the streets are lined with trees and the fragrance of flowers overflows.

Because the outer city has not been expanded, land for domestic demand is at a premium, and prices have continued to rise in recent years.

Families who originally had dilapidated houses in the inner cities have all changed. They either made money to renovate their houses, or sold them at a high price and moved out to live in the suburbs.

Nowadays, the inner city is full of ancient architectural style houses with various characteristics. The place is full of oriental elements. When the diplomatic envoys from various countries come here, they can be dazzled even if they just wander around.

As the income of residents remains high, it not only promotes the consumer market in the capital, but also makes the business atmosphere here more and more intense, not even inferior to the first-tier cities in Jiangnan.

Especially those shops that are more and more willing to spend money on decoration. Today the most luxurious restaurant is in the east of the city, but tomorrow the title of the most luxurious restaurant may fall to the north of the city.

In fact, the biggest change was in the outer city. After the imperial court decided to build the Beijing-Tianjin Railway, everyone knew that "Beijing does not go south" and many industries moved closer to the east.

According to an insider from the Yamen of the Ministry of Industry, in the planning of the Beijing-Tianjin Railway, the future Beijing Railway Station will be located in the eastern suburbs, so the price of land in the eastern suburbs has skyrocketed.

When Qian Yuanwai was hoarding land on the outskirts of the city, his original bet was that the imperial court would build an outer city to meet the population's housing needs.

Although the imperial court has clearly given up on building the outer city, now everyone has more and more confidence in the Ming army, and a large number of people live in the suburbs. As a result, land prices have also skyrocketed, and Qian Yuanwai's investment has brought back ten times the return.

Of course, this is due to the new urban plan proposed by Zhu Youtang, which divided the eastern suburbs into a large area like a checkerboard and built generous cement roads in it.

If the inner city is based on ancient style construction, then the eastern suburbs new area presents modern elements, with two-story brick buildings rising from the ground, which has become the preferred style of many people.

Different from the elegance pursued by the rich, ordinary people only need a place to shelter from wind and rain, so buildings that can make better use of land have become an economic choice for ordinary people.

Although the buildings that kept popping up silently promoted the economic development of Ming Dynasty, they inevitably consumed pig iron.

Pig iron has become the most urgently needed material for the entire dynasty.

Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty owned a lot of iron ore, and overseas vassals also continued to pay tribute to pig iron, and even the Champa State used its national efforts to mine iron ore for the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, this pig iron can only be said to be enough. If the Ming Dynasty wanted to continue building like this, it would need to obtain a large amount of pig iron from other places.

The most massive project in Beijing at present is naturally the Beijing-Tianjin Railway. This more than 200 kilometers of railway extends from Beijing to Tianjin Port and will be a landmark project for the rise of the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty's finances are estimated to exceed 10 million silver dollars. Although most of the cost is the purchase of iron ore, part of it is workers' salaries and food. This money also slowly flows to various industries.

Take animal husbandry as an example. As more and more people participate in the construction of the Beijing-Tianjin Railway, a large amount of meat is needed every day, which also drives the income of livestock owners.

Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty had established a Guozihao breeding base in Juyongguan, and established mutton trade from Beiyuan, Duoyan Sanwei and Haixi Jurchen Sibu.

Although the Ming Dynasty still regards becoming an official as its first priority, with the prosperity of all industries, more and more people are willing to let them invest in this kind of production and construction.

In particular, the most popular architects now not only have the title of graduates of the Imperial College, but they can also be posted under the Ministry of Works, and may even become officials of the Ministry of Works in the future.

In the latest plan of the officials of the Ministry of Industry, the left minister of the Ministry of Industry requires that in the future, the students should be mainly from the engineering college, which adds another fire to the already hot college.

As for Jia Jun, the former Minister of Industry who successfully entered the cabinet, it made everyone aware of the emperor's importance to the Ministry of Industry and his special care for engineering talents.

The construction of such a hot project in the Ming Dynasty was not only promoted silently by the imperial court, but also the enthusiasm of the people across the country. It has even formed a wave of construction.

Just like this, driven by construction as the keynote, the buildings in Beijing's inner city have maintained their antique charm, but the Chengdong New District has been filled with a modern atmosphere.

Xiyuan, Yangxin Hall.

This place has become the well-deserved center of the empire. Officials come and go here every day, and everyone is happy to be able to come here.

After Zhu Youtang slowly corrected his temper, he remained absolutely rational about everything, and now he has become a very good emperor.

Facing the affairs of the two capitals and thirteen provinces, it is now handled with ease, and the officials below are obviously becoming more and more capable, and some officials who dare to take responsibility have also appeared.

In the past, officials used to deduce what they could and relied on guesswork to deal with the situation. However, after several purges, they also realized that mediocrity would not be reused in this dynasty.

There have been clear investigation results into the Nanliujiang corruption case. When he saw that Liu Zheng was involved in the case, Zhu Youtang couldn't help but sigh sadly.

No matter how honest officials are, they may only be temporary. Once they are delegated to local governments and have sole power, they will inevitably lose themselves.

Zhu Youtang knew that it was impossible to eliminate corruption, but he would never compromise with corrupt officials. He would clean up a group if he found one.

In the past, people praised Zhang Juzheng for employing the corrupt official Yin Zhengmao, which successfully suppressed the Yao rebellion in Guangxi, but in his case, the corrupt must be punished.

Zhu Youtang believed that China was not short of talents, and things proved that there were more and more talents now, but there was no need to compromise with greedy people.

"Your Majesty, the adults have arrived!" Liu Jin came in from outside, flicked off the snow on his body, and reported carefully.

Zhu Youtang put down the pen in his hand, but his face looked very ugly.

Seeing this, Liu Jin hurriedly followed to block the wind for Zhu Youtang.

The imperial study, where heating has also started.

"Your Majesty, I bow to you, long live the emperor, long live the emperor, long live the emperor!" Yin Zhi and other important officials who were waiting here knelt down one after another, and said respectfully.

Zhu Youtang did not go up to the attic, but sat on the dragon chair in the imperial gate room, which was very rare, and then threw a memorial down angrily, saying: "Some of you may still be in the dark, take a look!"

"As ordered!"

Yin Zhi was the first to react, and then carefully picked up the memorial to browse, but the content was actually known, and he passed it on with just one glance.

This memorial was passed among these important officials. After reading the content, everyone looked very solemn, especially Yin Zhi, the Minister of Rites, who lowered his head in shame.

They are all among the highest decision-makers of the empire, respected by the world, and the goal of countless people. But at this moment, they are kneeling obediently.

Zhu Youtang looked at the delivery and slowly said: "You are all pillars of the country, but no one can see through the conspiracy of a woman. Are you worthy of me?"

As soon as these words came out, the temperature of the entire imperial study dropped several degrees.

"We deserve to die!" The cabinet chief Yin Zhi and other important officials who were kneeling on the ground knew that Zhu Youtang was angry, and they also confessed their guilt with great self-blame.

Zhu Youtang was still angry, but he said bitterly: "Don't say these useless things now. I heard you arrange for Bei Fei to visit her parents, but what's the result now?"

Because Manduhai was seriously ill, and the Ming Dynasty had other political purposes, everyone agreed to Manduhai's request and let Bei Fei go back to visit her parents.

But no one thought that this was actually a conspiracy set up by Manduhai.

After receiving Bei Fei's family review group, Manduhai detained Bei Fei Yi Xike and his party. The key point was that Bei Fei Yi Xike brought the prince Zhu Houxuan with him this time.

If only Bei Fei fell into Manduhai's hands, it would be fine. After all, a mother is unlikely to threaten the Ming Dynasty with her daughter's life, but it's hard to say about the prince Zhu Houxuan.

This...

The Minister of the Ministry of Revenue He Cong couldn't help but raise his eyes and glance at Zhu Youtang, and his heart couldn't help but feel bitter.

Although they all supported the Northern Concubine to go back to visit her parents, the emperor obviously agreed to it at that time, and the original agenda did not include the prince Zhu Houxuan going with her.

It's just that now things have gone wrong, and the emperor wants to put all the blame on them.

But now that things have come to this point, they will eventually bear all the responsibility. After all, it was the Minister of Rites Zhang Changsheng who pushed for the prince to join the family visit, and they were also tempted by the political situation of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, and thus fell into the trap set by that woman.

"Your Majesty, please take the emperor's body as the most important thing. Everything is my fault. Please punish me severely!" Minister of Rites Zhang Sheng crawled a few steps and solemnly admitted his mistake to Zhu Youtang.

Although his original intention was for the benefit of the Ming Dynasty and out of consideration for the emperor's filial piety, so he pushed the Northern Concubine to visit her parents, but this cannot be an excuse.

Moreover, when the Mongolian envoy asked the Northern Concubine to take her son to see her grandmother for the last time, he also helped to clear the obstacles, which led to the current situation.

If we really want to talk about the first person responsible, then he, the Minister of Rites who is trusted by His Majesty, is undoubtedly the first person responsible and the culprit who caused the prince Zhu Houxuan to fall into the hands of Manduhai.

Zhu Youtang knew that Zhang Sheng could not be a spy from Mongolia, but he waved his hand and said: "I don't need you to confess. I need a strategy to save the prince, which is also the only topic of today's Supreme Meeting!"

"Ministers obey your order!" Yin Zhi, the chief minister of the cabinet, and others secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said respectfully.

Zhu Youtang did not stay downstairs, but got up and left the dragon chair and went up to the attic along the stairs next to him.

Although he didn't like this situation, now that his wife and son were in the hands of Manduhai, he could only want a safe solution.

Whether it was to send troops to fight or to make an exchange, he had to let the Northern Concubine return smoothly with her son from Mongolia.

When Zhu Youtang went to the attic, everyone sat back in their seats, and every important official felt an unprecedented pressure at this moment.

It's no wonder that the emperor was so angry. He trusted them so much before, but he fell into Manduhai's trap and let the Northern Concubine and the prince fall into Manduhai's hands.

Liu Xuan, the Minister of War, was the first to speak in front of all the important officials: "The Northern Concubine and the prince are related to the face of the Ming Dynasty. Now the Northern Yuan Dynasty has gone back on its word and despised the power of our dynasty. I think we should immediately send troops to attack the Northern Yuan Dynasty and rescue the Northern Concubine and the prince!"

This...

Officials such as Chen Kun, the Minister of Works, turned their heads to look at Liu Xuan, their eyes looking quite complicated.

Ordinarily, it is indeed a way for them to conquer Bei Yuan now, but raising troops now for the sake of Bei Fei and the prince seems to be a waste of troops and troops in the past.

Whether it was the East China Sea Governor's Office attacking Shikoku Island, or sending Wang Zhendong to raid the Ryukyu Kingdom, these two places stayed there like a fixed target.

It's just that the Beiyuan people are nomadic, not to mention that they have no fixed abode. Once the Ming army really defeats them, they will flee to the desert with their entire army.

Don't underestimate Mongolia. The real territory of Mongolia is more than half the size of the Ming Dynasty.

Even though the level of wealth was vastly different, if he really fled north, he would have to search for them in almost half of China, which would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Unfortunately, everyone now knows that the emperor is very angry. If he rashly opposes this conquest plan that suits the emperor's wishes, his anger may burn to him.

Huh?

Liu Jin followed Zhu Youtang up to the attic, but when he stood in front of the railing, he found that the important ministers below were suddenly silent.

The Zuodu Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Shi Wanyi, followed the tradition of the Metropolitan Procuratorate and came over with just a pair of eyes. He found that these important ministers were so silent and could not help but frown slightly.

Thanks to his father's many years of teachings, he has a high level of political talent, so he naturally knows that these important ministers are wise and protective.

But now it is very uneconomical for Ming Dynasty to start such a big war just for Concubine Bei and the prince, unless Ming Dynasty launches a plan to annex Bei Yuan.

cough……

It was at this moment that a cough broke the silence.

Minister of Agriculture Liu Zhong and other important ministers looked over one after another, with a flash of surprise in their eyes.

"Tell me a few words!" Wang Yue, who almost never spoke, stood up, and then said very seriously: "There is a saying in the art of war: know yourself and the enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles! Manduhai designed to put Concubine Bei and the prince under house arrest, but Xiao Xiao was held hostage in the capital. The prince has confirmed that it is Manduhai and Dayan Khan. Isn't this strange? "

Although the Ming Dynasty Prince Zhu Houxuan fell into the hands of Manduhai, Manduhai also sent the young prince to the capital as a hostage for safety reasons in the early years.

Originally, the Mongolian envoy also hoped to bring the little prince back with him this time, but the Ming Dynasty finally adopted the compromise plan of grandson Zhu Houxuan on the grounds of the little prince's personal safety. (End of chapter)