After staying in Qingdao for another day, Zhu Youxiao left Qingdao and returned to Laizhou.
Zhu Youxiao did not stop in Laizhou, but went straight back to Jining and boarded his ship.
The fleet continued southward.
After leaving Shandong, Zhu Youxiao did not stay any longer, but went directly to Nanjing.
This time when Zhu Youxiao went south, he nominally wanted to worship his ancestors, so he still had to do what he had to do.
On this day, the royal fleet arrived in Nanjing.
Officials from Nanjing, big and small, naturally came to greet him. Compared with other places, these people cared more about Zhu Youxiao's arrival.
The reason is very simple. In addition to local officials, Nanjing also has a government team.
The six ministries are in good order, as is the Censorate, and even the Embroidered Uniform Guard has a team. It can be said that the only thing missing here is an emperor, and then the entire team can be set up.
Some of these people are living here for retirement, while others are using this place as a transition.
The Ming dynasty used Nanjing as a training and retirement base for central government officials. Those displeased by the emperor would be sent there for retirement. Potential officials would also be given a tour of the city to familiarize themselves with the working methods of the six ministries, so they could be transferred to other central government positions when staff shortages arose.
So for these people, the emperor's arrival was a big deal. After all, they all wanted to take a step forward. Being able to perform well in front of the emperor was the best opportunity for them.
Naturally, they were very concerned about Zhu Youxiao's arrival.
It’s just that Zhu Youxiao never met them and was too lazy to meet them.
Zhu Youxiao was too lazy to talk to these officials about nonsense, nor was he too lazy to listen to their praises.
If he absolutely had to meet them, he would have to wait until he left. After all, during his time in Nanjing, the officialdom there might be a major shakeup. In such a situation, meeting these people wouldn't really matter, as there would likely be only a few left.
After arriving in Nanjing, Zhu Youxiao moved directly into the Nanjing Imperial Palace.
The eunuchs here had already cleaned up the place.
As for the defense of Nanjing, Zhu Youxiao also sent people to take over.
You should know that this time when Zhu Youxiao went south, in addition to his own 3,000 personal guards, he also had a group of people marching on the shore.
The commander of this force was Lu Xiangsheng. He led 15,000 men dispatched from the Imperial Guards to protect the emperor.
The Nanjing Imperial Palace was guarded by three thousand personal guards.
In addition, the entire Nanjing city defense was under the control of Lu Xiangsheng.
Zhu Youxiao was very clear about his current situation and what he was facing.
Under such circumstances, it was difficult for Zhu Youxiao not to take precautions, so he simply took extreme measures. When he arrived in Nanjing, he took over the city defense.
The people of Nanjing were not confident about the emperor's actions. According to normal procedures, the emperor should have received them first.
But this time the emperor did not do so. Although he gave a reason, saying that he was unwell and caught a cold, any excuse could be given.
Some people are full of confidence, but more people are panicking.
The current emperor has been ruthless for a long time, and no one knows who his majesty is targeting when he goes to Nanjing this time.
Besides the government offices in Nanjing, officials from other places were also keeping an eye on this place. For example, officials from Lianghuai and Yangzhou, officials of all ranks, were all keeping an eye on Nanjing.
The reason is very simple. These people are in charge of salt and are not ordinary local officials at all. They hold a lot of money in their hands, which is a very critical matter for them.
What should they do if His Majesty sets his sights on their money?
In an instant, the situation became chaotic.
Although it seems calm on the surface, everyone knows that it is only calm on the surface, and the undercurrent beneath the water has already begun to rise.
Zhu Youxiao seemed to turn a blind eye to this and just did what he had to do, including offering sacrifices and cultivating himself as per the rules, and even went out for some fun.
Zhu Youxiao chose a sunny day and even climbed Beigushan Mountain, reciting a poem "Reminiscence of Beigushan" to commemorate Xin Qiji.
Whether he was just commemorating Xin Qiji or mourning the original Ming Dynasty in history, only Zhu Youxiao himself knew.
In this way, seven or eight days passed in the blink of an eye. Everyone was a little tired, and some began to breathe a sigh of relief. His Majesty didn't seem to have any plans to do anything, and instead looked like he was just enjoying the scenery. This feeling was great.
As night fell tonight, Zhu Youxiao changed his clothes.
He was dressed like a scholar, with a jade pendant hanging around his waist.
Next to him, Qi Yuangong and others also changed their clothes.
The group was preparing to go out, obviously to go out and have fun at night.
Glancing at Wei Chao beside him, Zhu Youxiao asked, "Has Duke Wei arrived?"
"Your Majesty, Duke Wei is already waiting outside." Wei Chao said hurriedly.
"Then let him in." Zhu Youxiao nodded, his expression unchanged.
He said casually, "Prepare a set of clothes for Duke Wei and have him change into them later."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Wei Chao agreed, "I will have it prepared right away."
Not long after, an old man walked in from outside.
This person was none other than Xu Hongji, Duke of Wei in Nanjing. In the first year of the Tianqi reign, Xu Hongji resigned from his post as the garrison commander of Nanjing. Although he said he had resigned, he was actually replaced.
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