Chapter 9: Pot of Heaven Slowness (Part 9)
After the Empress Dowager passed away, in addition to the most basic funeral rites, the Emperor ordered his grandsons Zhu Youkai and Zhu Youhang to compile the "Collected Works of Empress Xiaode" so that the articles written by the Empress Dowager in the harem over the years could be spread throughout the world.
This was the first time that Zhu Youhuan's younger brother and sister had taken on such an important task, and as it was related to the late Empress Xiaode, they were both a little nervous. Fortunately, Zhu Youhuan was there to give them some guidance, and compiling the collection of essays was not a difficult task, so the task was carried out smoothly.
After all, Zhu Youhuan had just given birth, and considering that her body had not yet recovered, the emperor specifically allowed Zhu Youhuan not to keep vigil every day, and Zhao Jiazhi could do it for him. If he really couldn't let go, he could write poems and essays as mourning. So after Zhu Youhuan simply kept vigil every day, he returned to the palace to write an obituary for Empress Xiaode.
After the mourning period was over, the emperor seemed to be doing his job as usual, handling government affairs as usual, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that his energy was indeed not as strong as before. On several occasions, when it was time to pay his respects, the emperor's carriage stopped in front of the Shouning Palace, but he still did not go in. He just stayed for a moment and then went to the morning court. There were even several times when the ministers had just entered the palace, and the emperor was already waiting in the Fengtian Hall, much earlier than the scheduled time for the morning court.
Fortunately, the emperor did not want to pursue anything, but the ministers realized this and went into the palace earlier than usual to avoid such an embarrassing situation from happening again.
The emperor's slight depression did not last long. In the autumn of the 40th year of Yuanguang, the emperor officially issued an edict to start collecting taxes from merchants and implement a parallel tax system for money and goods throughout the country. Silver and copper coins were used as the main currencies. According to different local conditions, taxes were levied on the people with grain, cloth and other items. For example, farmers could sell their grain to the state in exchange for silver and money. Although the price of grain collected by the state was relatively low, it had the advantage of long-term and stable recovery, and the types of recovered grain were also richer.
The most important thing is that the court will not mix too much fake weight and quality of silver and money. The coins given are the "Da Ming Tong Bao" and "Da Ming Silver Ingot" that are widely circulated today. The weight and shape are obviously different from ordinary coins and are not easy to counterfeit. Such coins can be exchanged at will and are far more credible than Daming Baochao.
The emperor was able to do this mainly because a large amount of silver had been mined from Kyushu Island. The emperor wanted to put this silver into the market as quickly as possible to fill the big hole left by the Ming Baochao. By the way, he also wanted to collect all the previous Tongbao coins and re-coin them to avoid the problem of difficulty in distinguishing between real and fake coins.
Along with it came the institution for issuing, regulating and minting currency, which the emperor named the Central Bank of the Ming Dynasty.
Although Tongbao was often used by the public as the main currency for transactions, the country now relied on silver as the main commercial currency, so the emperor named it "Bank".
The head of this institution, which is related to the country's economic lifeline, is naturally very important. As expected, the emperor handed him over to the crown prince Zhu Jianshen.
After all, the bank had just been established and many aspects needed to be improved. The emperor did not have the experience and the crown prince did not have the knowledge, so it was most appropriate to let the prince manage it.
At the same time, the emperor selected a number of senior officials to participate in the project and assist the crown prince to ensure the smooth construction and improvement of the banking institution.
The government affairs originally handled by the Crown Prince were handed over to the Crown Prince Zhu Youhuan at the request of Zhu Jianshen, so that the Crown Prince, who had rested for a long time due to childbirth and funeral ceremonies, could become familiar with government affairs again.
The implementation of the new tax law was naturally not that simple. Crown Prince Zhu Jianshen and officials at all levels were extremely busy, but the emperor was calm and composed.
Of course, this is just the surface.
Looking at Wang Yue's petition requesting another expedition to Yilibali, the emperor could not help but sigh and said, "Wang Yue, this boy, is truly getting stronger with age."
Zhu Youhuan, who had been reading the examination paper nearby, was slightly taken aback and asked, "Is Marquis Weining going to the battle again?"
The emperor scoffed and said, "He repeatedly assured me in his memorial that he was merely holding the line and that the details of the attack would be left to the younger generation to prevent him from making mistakes." The emperor looked somewhat helpless. "He still refuses to accept that he didn't pursue Yarkand in one fell swoop."
Wang Yue is old, but he has trained many young generals in Xinjiang. Although he has fought a few small battles in recent years, they are far less exciting than the capture of Yilibali.
Now that the Ming Dynasty has been working in Xinjiang for many years, it is indeed time to target Yarkand and unify Xinjiang.
However, the terrain in that area is complex, and the difficulty of marching is greater than that of Luchuan. In addition, the Ming Dynasty did seize the opportunity of the civil unrest in Yilibali to launch the attack, so the consumption was much smaller than expected.
The difficulty of attacking Yarkand now will only increase, not to mention that the country is still implementing new tax laws, and such a major event will require a lot of effort. Taking all factors into consideration, continuing to expand territory in Xinjiang will only be more difficult than the attack on Yilibali.
Zhu Youhuan pondered for a moment and said, "It took years to civilize Xinjiang, but we've only achieved some success. Even if we can defeat Yarkand, it will still require a great deal of manpower and resources. If Marquis Weining is still obsessed with a military career, why not start from Gansu and march north to attack the Tatars?"
"That's good. The Tatars are always jumping up and down, and they've completely forgotten the lesson we learned from the Wuliangha. It's time they learned a lesson."
Zhu Youhuan didn't expect that the emperor would agree to his proposal so readily, and he couldn't help but look surprised.
"It's time for the Crown Prince to understand what it feels like to be in power."
Zhu Youhuan's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. He immediately stood up and said, "Grandmother is the True Dragon Emperor. She has ruled the country for forty years without a single mistake. How can I, Huan'er, take over her duties?"
The emperor simply waved his hand and said, "Your father has handled government affairs for more than ten years longer than you have. You can't afford to fall behind him like this. If you're asked to go, just go ahead and don't resort to this kind of tricks all the time."
Zhu Youhuan responded, then spoke cautiously, "Grandmother, if you're feeling unwell, you absolutely must not be afraid to seek medical attention..."
This was already offensive, but the emperor didn't care. He just waved his hand and said, "I know my own health well. As I get older, it's inevitable that I'll have periods of weakness. I'm looking forward to celebrating my seventieth birthday and trying the new tea sent from Yunnan."
"yes……"
"By the way, how is your father's health lately? I heard that your father has been using black incense again recently."
Zhu Youhuan quickly explained, "It's probably the aftereffects of a previous serious illness. Besides, with the tax law being implemented and the many things to do, Wuxiang has miraculous analgesic and calming effects, so Dad is bound to use it. Mom is watching from the sidelines every day and will definitely not let Dad get addicted."
The emperor sighed upon hearing this and said, "His health is the most important thing. You three siblings should keep an eye on him. Let him move around more often, don't always sit at his desk handling official business, and exercise more in the East Palace."
"yes."
After being the crown prince for more than 30 years, Zhu Jianshen was under increasing pressure. Not only was he under the invisible pressure from his mother, the emperor who was over 60 years old, but he was also under tangible pressure from her who generously assigned the government affairs in her hands to Zhu Jianshen. Although this was a training for the future emperor, it was indeed a heavy burden for Zhu Jianshen when it really fell on his shoulders.
However, when Zhu Jianshen had not yet taken on the responsibility of government affairs, these matters were handled by the emperor alone. Zhu Jianshen, the crown prince, only took over half of the affairs. How could he show his pressure? He could only suppress it forcibly.
This pressure eventually took its toll on the prince, manifesting itself in constant illnesses and minor disasters. Not to mention that when Xu Wangzhi diagnosed the young prince's pulse, he found that he had the same congenital deficiency as Zhu Youhang. It would be better to say that the prince's ability to handle government affairs with the emperor today was the result of the emperor's careful care over the years.
In the spring of the 41st year of Yuanguang, Wang Yue led his troops to fight in the northwest, defeated the enemy, and pursued the Tatars all the way to Siqu Bidihai. Considering the problems of insufficient subsequent supplies and weather changes, Wang Yue sounded the retreat.
After the war, Wang Yue not only thanked the emperor but also praised the crown prince. Although Zhu Youhuan had never been on the battlefield, the logistics of the northern expedition were commanded by her. Otherwise, Wang Yue would not have had the energy to chase so far.
The emperor was also very satisfied with Wang Yue's performance in this battle. He gave Wang Yue the title of Prince Taifu, and rewarded him with countless platinum and silk. He also awarded honorary titles to several of Wang Yue's sons and daughters. It can be said that he was extremely favored.
In the blink of an eye, it was the 42nd year of Yuanguang, which was the emperor's 70th birthday. From the bottom to the top, people came to congratulate the emperor, and there were countless congratulatory messages.
However, what made the emperor happiest was the successful opening of the track in Zunhua Iron and Steel. The trains were driven by steam engines on the track, and the speed and transportation volume were much higher than before. The manpower originally used for transportation could also be used in other places.
Although we cannot lay tracks on a large scale now, being able to achieve short-distance transportation is already a good thing, far better than a thousand congratulatory letters.
The country is now in a state of peace and prosperity, and the emperor's birthday is rarely celebrated with great fanfare. Therefore, this time the imperial concubine and the Ministry of Rites organized a very grand celebration. After the daytime greetings and banquet, there was another family dinner in the evening.
The emperor seemed unusually relaxed. He drank a few more glasses of wine and held Zhu Houshuo in his arms, unwilling to let go.
Zhu Houshuo was also very bold. He touched the wrinkles on the emperor's face and acted coquettishly. Soon someone brought him new things, such as jewelry and toys. All of them were handed to Zhu Houshuo. The emperor even dressed his great-grandson in gold.
Zhu Youhuan felt helpless about his daughter's "overstepping the line", but seeing that the emperor rarely relaxed, he did not say anything to stop her.
The sky gradually darkened and snowflakes began to fall. Fortunately, the ministers who had come to congratulate had already returned home, so there was no need to worry about being stuck in the palace.
Seeing that the emperor was a little drunk, Concubine Zhou called a halt and asked everyone to disperse. The emperor wanted to cool down from the alcohol, so he put on ear warmers and a cloak and walked out of the Qin'an Palace.
Previously, the emperor seldom came to the Imperial Garden, and there were no other concubines in the palace, so the Imperial Garden was quite dilapidated. It was Empress Xiaode who presided over the renovation of the Imperial Garden and planted many green bamboos. Although it was winter, it was still green under the moonlight.
The emperor stood in the bamboo forest, staring at the snow in a daze.
Zhu Youhuan was worried that his grandmother might catch a cold, so he said, "Grandma, it just snowed today, and it's freezing cold. If you want to enjoy the scenery, you can wait until sunrise tomorrow."
The emperor simply sighed and said, "When she first planted these bamboos, they were not so dense. Now they have become a bamboo forest that can shelter us from the wind and rain."
Zhu Youhuan took over the conversation and said, "Just as my great-grandmother raised my grandmother, she changed the world for the Ming Dynasty and brought it back to life."
The emperor couldn't help but laugh at what he said. He said, "When I was little, my mother said I was a ball of fire. But even fire has its end; nothing lasts forever. If one's spirit is gone, one probably won't live long."
She rarely showed any sign of dejection, which frightened Zhu Youhuan who was standing by.
Zhu Youhuan was just thinking about how to persuade the emperor when the emperor said, "The future belongs to you after all... After fighting against the heavens for so long, in the end, it still comes down to those four words: let it go."
Zhu Youhuan vaguely heard a sense of relief from it.
"Huan'er, what can you think of in this situation?"
Zhu Youhuan came back to his senses, thought for a moment, and said, "There's a poem by Yao Mian of the Song Dynasty: 'This gentleman's waist is unbending, and he stands tall and graceful. In the morning, I hold my nose and hum, listening to the sound of falling ice."
The emperor smiled and nodded, saying, "It is indeed a good poem about bamboo. I was thinking of another one..."
A gust of cold wind swept past, and the emperor's voice became a little more ethereal in the snowy night, mixed with a bit of damp and cold earthy smell:
"The snow weighs down the branches, but they are not so low as to touch the mud..."
Zhu Youhuan was slightly stunned, and soon began to recite silently in his heart along with the emperor.
The emperor raised his hand and pointed to the distance, saying, "Once the red sun rises, it will still be level with the sky." She sighed again and muttered, "The sky is still dark. That seems to be the moon..."
Seeing his grandmother showing a rare hint of confusion, Zhu Youhuan couldn't help but laugh. Then he reached out to support the emperor and said, "Grandmother is drunk. You should go back as soon as possible... Go and summon the carriage."
"yes."
The emperor leaned against Zhu Youhuan, patted her shoulder, and whispered as if muttering to himself: "Once the red sun rises, it will still be as high as the sky..."
Zhu Youhuan was startled and turned his head to look at the emperor, but saw that she had lowered her eyes and seemed to be completely drunk.
As if confirming the emperor's ominous premonition, not long after the Wanshou Festival, the emperor's health began to show signs of decline, and the Imperial Hospital diagnosed it as normal aging.
For an emperor who fought many wars, seventy years old was already a very long life, not to mention that the emperor was no less diligent than Emperor Taizu.
The emperor was quite open-minded about this. Although he took a rare break from court for a few days and temporarily cancelled the noon court, he had a rare bit of free time. He only urged the crown prince and the crown prince to handle government affairs well. He took the imperial concubine and the crown princess to teach his great-granddaughter Zhu Houshuo to read and write.
Seeing the emperor like this, how could everyone not understand what he meant? They reported government affairs to the emperor and the crown prince and grandson respectively, without missing a single one.
After the New Year, the emperor's health became increasingly weak, so he could only recuperate in the Qianqing Palace. The crown prince and the grandson took turns visiting him, but there was no sign of improvement.
On the 17th day of the first lunar month in the 43rd year of the Yuanguang reign, Emperor Yuanguang Zhu Yuhuan passed away in the Ganqing Palace at the age of 71. He was posthumously named "Emperor Chengtian Mingdao Chongzheng Yingyi Qiwen Guangwu Rende Hongxiao Ding", temple name Xianzong, and buried in Shaoling.
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