Chapter 69 Alutai
Zhu Yuhuan had a rough idea of Zhu Zhanji's physical condition, and his attention quickly turned to the locust plague near the capital.
Locust plagues often occur because the soil becomes stiff due to drought, or because the river channel shifts and the riverbed is exposed. These two situations create conditions for locust reproduction.
Locusts eat crops and move in swarms at an extremely fast speed, basically destroying all the crops in the areas they pass through. Therefore, even if the swarm is small and does not last long, the damage it causes is still considerable.
Fortunately, ever since Ruan An started building water conservancy projects in the capital, the problem of river channel deviation has rarely occurred. In addition, the agricultural book compiled by Zhu Yuhuan previously summarized and wrote about some methods of preventing and controlling locust plagues, and agricultural officials from various places also explained them. Therefore, this locust plague only affected six or seven counties near the capital. After Zhu Zhanji appointed the Jinyiwei to supervise the capture of locusts, most of them were captured and killed. The next thing to consider was the issue of disaster relief and grain distribution.
The ministers naturally praised His Majesty for his foresight. Zhu Zhanji was not stingy and praised Wunong Temple and Zhu Yuhuan. Even Yu Ying and Wu Ning, who compiled the agricultural book, were rewarded separately. This made the court officials who already thought Princess Shunde was outstanding unsure of the emperor's intentions.
Originally, they thought that His Majesty doted on Princess Shunde too much, but now it seems that Princess Shunde’s peculiarity is not simply doting. After all, since the Tang Dynasty, which princess could influence the promotion and reward of court officials?
But the cabinet hadn't made any movement, so naturally, most people were reluctant to say anything. A few imperial censors did, however, make a few mild remarks in their memorials. They simply said they'd heard the Empress was compiling a collection of women's writings and instructing the six palaces, and that Princess Shunde should participate more. She was constantly holding book and art exhibitions outside the palace, soliciting scholars to write inscriptions and paint for the Taiping Teahouse, which wasn't good for the Princess's reputation.
There was no way. Everyone was afraid that if they accidentally angered Zhu Zhanji, their whole family would suffer.
Even if there were rules set by Grandpa Taizu, Grandpa Taizu was dead and His Majesty was alive. He could not offend His Majesty. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Princess Shunde was at the peak of His Majesty's favor. Furthermore, since Empress Dowager Zhang and the three Yang elders hadn't said anything, they didn't have the guts to do anything.
"Mom, please take a look. These are my thoughts."
Hu Shanxiang took it and flipped through it. Looking at the handwriting, she couldn't help but laugh and said, "You wrote all this in one day, right?"
Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile: "Although I wrote it in one day, it is the weight of several months. Mother, save it for me first and take it out slowly, so that everyone won't worry that I don't have the virtue of a woman."
Hu Shanxiang picked out one and took a look. She was slightly stunned and laughed. She said, "How can you describe your experience in women's writing here? It's clearly a substitution."
Zhu Yuhuan didn't deny it either. He simply smiled and said, "Since King Wen and King Wu, the words of the sages have been as vast as the sea of smoke, but not many people can truly understand them. That's why there are all kinds of annotations and classics. I'm just imitating the ancient sages in interpreting the classics. Reading is about understanding the opinions of all schools of thought and learning from their strengths."
Hu Shanxiang simply ordered someone to bring a box and put all of Zhu Yuhuan's articles in it, saying, "I'll keep these for you for now. It's windy now, and it's not good to keep showing them around like this."
Zhu Yuhuan did not refute and responded obediently: "Okay."
Hu Shanxiang had just ordered her people to put the things away when they heard someone outside announcing the emperor's arrival. Mother and daughter hurried to the door to greet him. Soon the emperor's carriage stopped at the gate of Kunning Palace. Zhu Zhanji saw that only mother and daughter were there, so he asked them to stand up first, then asked, "Why is Tongtong not here?"
Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "She went to the Renzhi Hall and said she wanted to ask Mr. Shang for advice on something she didn't understand."
Zhu Zhanji led Hu Shanxiang and her daughter inside and said, "You organized an exhibition for her before, so it's no wonder she's so absorbed in painting now."
Zhu Yuhuan waved his hand and smiled, saying, "What's wrong with that? It's a skill. Maybe I can even make money selling paintings in the future."
Zhu Zhanji felt somewhat helpless upon hearing this and said, "How can a princess like you make a living by selling paintings?"
Zhu Yuhuan was unconcerned. He said, "Let's not talk about the princess. How much food allowance does your father bestow upon the princes of various regions every year? If the harvests hadn't been good in recent years and the locust plague hadn't damaged the country, how could he have afforded the support of the princes of various regions? As his children, we shouldn't burden your father with any more trouble."
Zhu Zhanji couldn't help but shake his head when he heard her say that. He said, "It's okay for others, but you are my biological daughters. How could I bear to see you suffer?"
The family members took their seats. Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "Master once told me that eagles are very patient and meticulous in raising their offspring. Once their offspring have learned their parents' flying and hunting skills, they will be able to live on their own. To Yuhuan, Daddy is the eagle. As Daddy's daughter, how can I be content to be left behind?"
"You are the most eloquent and eloquent. Daddy is almost at a loss for words now." Zhu Zhanji said half-jokingly, and then said: "Daddy will go on a hunting patrol in the border area in a while. You stay in the capital and take good care of your two brothers."
Zhu Yuhuan asked curiously, "Why does Daddy suddenly want to patrol the border?"
Hu Shanxiang's heart tightened, and she subconsciously looked at Zhu Zhanji, but she saw that he didn't care about Zhu Yuhuan's "inquiry", so she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing her curious look, Zhu Zhanji smiled and said, "Your master has been inspecting the border and building border defenses for three or four years. This time, in addition to hunting, he will also inspect the border defense situation. It's time to transfer your master back to the capital to recuperate for a while and then command the Wuxiang Left and Right Guards."
When Zhu Yuhuan heard him say this, she immediately understood that Zhu Zhanji was going to inspect the project and review the troops. She stood up and saluted, saying, "Then Huanhuan would like to thank Daddy for his consideration on behalf of the master."
Zhu Zhanji waved his hand and asked, "Why don't you follow Daddy this time?"
Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile: "Now that the prince has grown up, if he wants to patrol the border and hunt, he should take Zhen Ge'er with him. How dare Huanhuan act on his own?"
Of course she couldn't say that she couldn't remember exactly when she died. If she died outside like her great-grandfather, she would get into trouble if she followed him.
Seeing that she was so sensible, Zhu Zhanji continued, "This time we are not touring the east, but heading west to Xuanfu and other places to accept the surrender of Alutai. It is not appropriate to take you two to such a scene."
Zhu Yuhuan's heart moved, and he asked curiously, "Alutai has come to surrender?"
No one in the court or the country had ever heard of such news, which showed that this was high-level military intelligence known only to the emperor.
Zhu Zhanji revealed a hint of pride as he said, "Ever since the bloody pursuit in Liaodong, although Alutai managed to escape, he was already severely injured. He was then attacked by Toghuan of the Oirat Mongols, and Alutai himself was killed. His son Abji'an led the remaining troops and was displaced, seeking only our protection. It was truly thanks to the Oirat Mongols that the old villain Alutai was finally dead."
When Zhu Yuhuan heard about Wala, his heart trembled, but his face showed an expression of sudden enlightenment, and he said, "So that's how it is."
Looking at Zhu Zhanji who was very happy about Aluta's surrender, she couldn't help but wonder how Zhu Zhanji would feel if he knew that the Wala who helped him would capture his beloved son in the future?
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