Chapter 75 Mid-Autumn Festival
It is no small matter to go to the Western Ocean again after so many years. There are many things that need to be prepared again, and it is somewhat difficult to set sail before the first year of Yuanguang.
Zhu Yuhuan's 30th birthday was in the third year of Yuanguang. It can be seen that summoning the small countries in the southeast to pay homage to him and congratulate him on his birthday was just a small excuse for the emperor. Reopening the sea was the emperor's real purpose.
Zhu Yuhuan was not idle during this period. He recorded everything he thought might exist in Southeast Asia in a book and had it distributed to the fleet personnel who were going to the local area to conduct a certain degree of survey.
Zhu Yuhuan only vaguely remembered that sweet potatoes and potatoes seemed to have been introduced to China during the Ming Dynasty, and that they were brought into the country by "smuggling". However, Zhu Yuhuan no longer remembered the specific events and could only leave the actual operation to the people who were going to the West.
Of course, there's a chance of finding nothing, but a proper survey of the local situation is still necessary, as it can be considered intelligence work. Besides searching for any unique local products, another point is to inquire about the presence of caravans from other countries.
It would be best to contact foreign caravans as soon as possible, sell products that may be unsaleable in the country, and get some silver by the way. Today's treasure note system has basically collapsed, and ordinary people basically use silver and copper to trade, but domestic mineral resources are definitely not enough to cope with the trading volume of so many people. In order to prevent the current trading system from collapsing, try to transition to paper currency, and you must use gold, silver and copper for a period of time.
Zhu Di commissioned Zheng He to sail to the Western Ocean. In order to provide a place for the fleet to rest, Zheng He once set up Malacca Outer Palace, waiting for the direction of the ocean current to change before returning to the Ming Dynasty with a favorable wind.
However, more than ten years had passed since the last voyage to the West, and the base that the Ming Dynasty had established in Malacca was probably in danger, so Zhu Yuhuan specifically asked people to bring enough weapons, especially firearms.
If we cannot coexist peacefully, we can at least exchange ideas through force.
After the situation stabilizes, some of the prisoners in the prison can be sent to Malacca for construction. Anyway, there are so many prisoners every year, and there are countless criminal officials. "Exile" is also a good way to deal with it.
"Saint, these are mooncakes sent from the Imperial Concubine. They have already been tasted."
Zhu Yuhuan stretched his neck, then looked at the palace maid Zhou Yingying had sent to deliver mooncakes. He smiled and said, "She still has the leisure to make mooncakes?"
Everyone knew about the commotion Zhu Yuhuan had caused, and the harem was no exception. Zhou Yingying also knew it clearly.
This is a rare way to serve the emperor. Even Zhang Zhong, the son of Duke Ying of Ying, Zhang Fu, was willing to go despite his limping leg. Zhou Yingying certainly did not want to give up this opportunity.
Zhu Yuhuan was very busy on weekdays. He got up early in the morning to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager, attended the morning court at Fengtian Gate, the morning court at Zuoshun Gate, listened to the imperial lectures at Wenhua Hall, and handled government affairs at Qianqing Palace. In his spare time, Zhu Yuhuan went to the Western Garden to practice riding and shooting. Occasionally, he had time to visit his two children, but he would leave again after staying for a while.
The emperor had very little free time, so it was not easy for Zhou Yingying to "catch" Zhu Yuhuan. She also did not have the courage to go to the Qianqing Palace to find the emperor. She could only occasionally give Zhu Yuhuan some things to express her concern for the emperor.
The only chance to chat with Zhu Yuhuan for a few more minutes was when Zhu Yuhuan came to pay his respects to his mother or to have a meal with her.
The palace servant obediently replied, "Her Majesty said that with the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, we should prepare some appropriate food for the Holy Mother. Although the Chief Minister of Food is present, the Imperial Concubine mentioned this when she was preparing it. It was her thoughtful gesture. She specially made a few extra portions and gave them to the Holy Mother, the Old Majesty, the two eldest princesses, and the Prince of Qing."
Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but smile upon hearing this and said, "She is truly thoughtful. Lately, I've often heard the Empress Dowager mention the Imperial Concubine's filial piety towards me."
Hu Shanxiang knew that she had her own little thoughts. She saw that she brought her two children to Shouning Palace to pay her respects at a fixed time every day, twice a day, and never missed it. The rest of her free time was only used to handle palace affairs and organize the palace books. She also did not forget to prepare shoes, socks, headbands, etc. for Hu Shanxiang. It was obvious that she had something to ask for.
Zhou Yingying hoped that Empress Dowager Hu Shanxiang could say something, but Empress Dowager Hu Shanxiang was also somewhat helpless.
Zhu Yuhuan was not avoiding Zhou Yingying, but he really didn't have time to come to the harem. It was already good enough that he could pay his respects to Hu Shanxiang. Hu Shanxiang originally wanted to let her daughter not come to Shouning Palace to pay her respects, but Zhu Yuhuan insisted, saying that if he didn't come once, she was afraid that she would want to be lazy every day, so it would be better for her to persevere.
Fortunately, Hu Shanwei had already arrived in the capital with the officials from Shandong who came to report on their work, and was allowed to temporarily live in Shouning Palace.
Zhu Yuhuan had not seen his aunt for more than 20 years, and he had many things to tell his aunt, so he had to come to Shouning Palace to meet her. Zhou Yingying finally seized the opportunity to stay with the emperor.
Zhu Yuhuan thought for a moment and said, "Go back and tell the Imperial Concubine that this year's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet doesn't need to be extravagant. Just have a simple family feast. In addition to my brothers and sisters, there will be seats for my aunt and Concubine Xuanmiao. Let the small kitchen and the food supervisor of Shouning Palace prepare the food. No extravagance or waste is allowed."
"yes."
After the palace maids left, Zhu Yuhuan shook his head helplessly and said, "Zhou Shou is only fifteen years old this year. He hasn't even studied in the Imperial College for a few years, and yet the Imperial Concubine wants him to go and 'achieve merit' right away. With the maritime ban reopened, who knows what the situation will be like this time? She's not afraid that Zhou Shou will die in a foreign land."
Han Guilan, standing by, understood Zhou Yingying's thoughts perfectly. "In the Imperial Concubine's view, the harem is a place for women to achieve success, and the imperial court is a place for men to achieve success. The Imperial Concubine has worked hard to get to where she is today, so she naturally doesn't want her family to hold her back. Guilan has no other intentions, but the Zhou family should be more ambitious. If they only know how to eat and drink all day, I'm afraid that others will follow their example. Once they have connections with the royal family, they will only care about pleasure and have no desire to make progress."
Zhu Yuhuan had low expectations for the Zhou family; he simply hoped that Zhou Yingying's father and two younger brothers would be obedient mascots. He knew Zhou Yingying's personality well. The Zhou family came from ordinary tenant farmers. Even though Zhou Shou had studied at the Imperial Academy for several years, his grades weren't particularly impressive, and Zhu Yuhuan had little faith in his abilities.
Not to mention that Zhou Shou is too young, and his safety on this voyage to the West cannot be guaranteed. If he makes a mistake, Zhu Yuhuan will really have a headache.
Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but think for a moment after hearing this, and said, "That does make some sense."
Unless under special circumstances, Zhu Yuhuan would never go to extremes in his life or work, and would always leave room for maneuver.
After all, Zhou Yingying was a native of ancient times, and her thinking was different from Zhu Yuhuan's. If she really insisted on this, there was no need for Zhu Yuhuan to reject her.
What Han Guilan said made sense. Although the Zhou family was from the imperial family, they were related to the royal family and did have to shoulder the responsibility of being a "role model."
The weather was getting colder during the Mid-Autumn Festival, so Zhu Yuhuan did not hold a banquet this year. He only had a family dinner with his mother, three younger siblings, and Zhou Yingying and her son. The banquet was prepared by the small kitchen in Shouning Palace, in order to call on officials in the capital to be frugal.
Zhu Yuhuan didn't expect this to be really useful. She was just sending a signal. Officials were complaining about the tight treasury every day. Since that was the case, everyone should advocate frugality. As the emperor, she should set an example and the people below should learn from her. If anyone dared to spend lavishly, the Censorate should release the person to correct the atmosphere.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
Zhu Yuhuan personally reached out and helped Hu Shanwei up, saying gently, "It's not right for an elder to bow to a younger person."
She wore a peacock-blue cross-collared jacket with a patch of a jade rabbit pounding medicine, a crab-shell-yellow satin horse-face skirt, and a jade lotus Taoist crown. She was not as majestic as usual, but had a hint of hazy gentleness.
Hu Shanwei is now nearly sixty years old, and her face shows more traces of time than before. Perhaps it is because her students make her very worried. The wrinkles on her brow have deepened a little.
But when he saw his niece who had grown up and even ascended the throne, Hu Shanwei couldn't help but smile.
Although the Hu family lived in Jining, they had some knowledge of the news in Beijing.
The Hu family knew all about Zhu Yuhuan's regentship, the expedition to Luchuan, and his resignation as regent, and they couldn't help but worry about the three of them, mother and daughter.
Later, the news that Zhu Yuhuan had ascended the throne during the chaos reached Shandong. The Hu family was shocked at first, but after confirming it again with officials from Jining Prefecture, they were relieved, but they also felt a little confused.
When the Hu family knew that Zhu Yuhuan was assisting in the administration, they had been worried that Zhu Yuhuan would be abandoned by his half-emperor. But now that Zhu Yuhuan had become the emperor, they still couldn't help but worry that the officials and the army were unwilling to obey Zhu Yuhuan, this eccentric emperor.
It was not until he saw Zhu Yuhuan, who had become the emperor, with his own eyes that Hu Shanwei felt that there was a bit of truth in the mix of reality and illusion.
Hu Shanwei then realized that he had been staring at Zhu Yuhuan for a long time, and quickly lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty has lost your composure..."
Zhu Yuhuan, however, simply took Hu Shanwei's hand and walked to the prepared seat. He helped her sit down and said, "Today is Mid-Autumn Festival. There is no monarch or minister, only family."
Wu Miaosu, who was sitting next to Hu Shanxiang, had already shed tears and was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.
Although she had met Hu Shanwei a long time ago, she was still moved to tears by the long-awaited reunion.
Zhu Qiyu, who was standing by, couldn't help but be stunned. He grew up with his mother until he was twelve years old and then lived in a separate palace, but he had never seen his mother lose her composure like today.
His mother never spoke of her past, but only taught him to be kind, gentle, polite, and humble, to help those who could help, and not to offer assistance if he couldn't do it himself. His impression of his mother seemed always calm and rational, never revealing her emotions.
Seeing Zhu Qiyu's surprised expression, Lin Yuanzhen reached out and tugged at his sleeve, whispering, "Mother told me that Concubine Hu had been very kind to her. Doesn't Your Highness know that?"
Zhu Qiyu only knew that his mother used to be a female official in the Eastern Palace and followed the emperor around, but this was the first time he heard of this incident. He was stunned and felt as if he had suddenly become enlightened.
No wonder it’s like this, so that’s why…
Seeing his pale face, Lin Yuanzhen asked, "Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?"
Zhu Qiyu came back to his senses and just shook his head. He opened his mouth and finally imitated Zhu Yuhuan and joked, "The princess is pregnant now, and I should be the one worrying about her health. Why is she worrying about me instead?"
Seeing his complexion gradually returning to normal, Lin Yuanzhen also smiled and said, "Your Highness is joking again. Husband and wife should support each other."
On the other side, Zhu Yuhuan was already sitting in the main seat. Zhu Youtong was not restrained at all, so he immediately toasted Zhu Yuhuan with a smile and talked about his plan to go to Nanzhili in disguise with Zhu Hanjia in the early spring of next year.
Of course, the two of them went to Nanzhili not only to have fun, but also to carry out a "secret visit" for Zhu Yuhuan, to investigate the local people's livelihood, secretly monitor the textile factory, and report regularly.
Zhu Yuhuan would certainly not let his two sisters who had never lived among the common people go alone. He had his trusted guards and apprentices who followed Huang Jinfeng as merchants accompanying them along the way. This way it would be much safer.
Zhou Yingying was very supportive and uttered a few envious words, her eyes scanning the field.
"My aunt is coming to the capital this time, and she will live there in her old age. As for a residence, I have already ordered people to find one. It is not far from Donghua Gate, with convenient access to the palace. The size is also suitable, and the accompanying family can live together."
Hu Shanwei couldn't help but asked in surprise, "Outside Donghua Gate?"
In order to facilitate entering the palace to attend court, most court officials lived near Donghuamen, which was a place where high-ranking officials and nobles were concentrated. Zhu Yuhuan actually let her live here and even set up a separate mansion for her. I'm afraid that officials below the fourth rank did not have such an honor.
Zhu Yuhuan noticed her momentary nervousness and said soothingly, "If not, will the emperor's aunt be forced to wander around? If your aunt really doesn't want to, we can only let her live in my former residence."
After Zhu Yuhuan ascended the throne, the princess's mansion became idle. The servants who were originally in the princess's mansion, those who were willing to enter the palace followed him into the palace to continue taking care of Zhu Yuhuan, while those who were unwilling were sent to Zhu Youtong's princess's mansion to continue serving outside the palace.
The Princess Shunde Mansion is the "birthplace" of Zhu Yuhuan. How could ordinary people dare to live here?
Hu Shanwei quickly said, "I dare not."
Zhu Yuhuan then said, "My aunt has served as a palace lady for many years. Not only is she well-versed in classics, history, and literature, she is also deeply trusted by Emperor Taizong. I hope my aunt can stay in the palace and teach the female officials, just as my father once ordered Chen Shan to teach the eunuchs in the inner library." She smiled slightly and said, "I heard that my aunt has opened a girls' school in Jining to teach women outside the palace. Now that she is coming to Beijing, I can no longer refuse."
Hu Shanwei exchanged a glance with her, and understood what Zhu Yuhuan meant. He replied, "I obey your command."
The banquet was quite relaxing and enjoyable. After eating and drinking, everyone was arranged to rest in the palace.
Zhu Yuhuan was about to return to the palace to rest when Zhou Yingying hurried over and said, "Your Majesty, I have a request."
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