On March 4, the second year of Hongzhi, the Li Dynasty tribute mission finally arrived in Kyoto of the Ming Dynasty after many twists and turns.
It was originally planned that in the first year of Hongzhi, the Li Dynasty's tribute mission would come to the capital. However, they never expected that the Li Dynasty's mission was killed and all the tributes were looted in the Guangning area, which shocked the world.
Come and try it quickly. 】
This was the first time this kind of thing had happened since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Hongzhi Zhu Youtang Longyan was furious and immediately ordered the new governor of Liaodong Xu Guan to investigate the matter.
Then there was the subsequent Liaodong cavalry purge and encirclement of the Jianzhou Jurchens. After Xu Guan's large-scale sweep of the "holes", the Jianzhou Jurchens in Liaodong were severely weakened, and they once again went north to live in seclusion in the woods and escaped into the desert.
Li Chao saw that the troublesome Jurchen barbarians had been eliminated by the Ming Dynasty, so he sent a tribute mission to the Ming Dynasty again. This time, in addition to rare treasures and war horses, there was also a great beauty selected by the people of the whole country.
Of course, with the lessons of the last failure, the Li Dynasty and the Liaodong Army generals did not dare to neglect the tribute this time. They paid great attention to it. They sent it off and received it. Xu Guan even dispatched three troops to ensure that the Li Dynasty tribute mission could arrive safely. Qian Liaodong cavalry escort.
When the Ming Dynasty was first founded, because Liaodong was still in the hands of the remnant forces of the Yuan Dynasty, Nahachu and others, the Li Dynasty could only choose the sea route for paying tribute. However, due to the underdeveloped shipbuilding technology of the Li Dynasty at that time and the lack of navigation experience, the envoys of the Li Dynasty in the third year of Hongwu were in danger when they went to sea to pay tribute. More than 30 people lost their lives and drowned.
Later, Liaodong was restored to the hands of the Ming Dynasty, and the Li Dynasty changed it to an overland tribute road. In recent decades, the Li Dynasty has placed the Ming Dynasty as the focus of its diplomacy. Diplomatic envoys are very frequent. Every time they pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, they must pass through Liaodong. Therefore, the successive governors of Liaodong have worked hard to handle this matter. matter.
Some generals did not understand why Lord Futai had to send three thousand elite cavalry to protect him at all times within his own territory. But the fact is that you, Xu Guan, are now the governor of Liaodong. If you do not send symbolic troops to protect the envoys entering the country, and something goes wrong in your territory, how many heads can you, Xu Guan, afford?
It was still dark, in the Xinuang Pavilion of the Forbidden City, Zhu Youtang squinted, lying on the dragon couch and listening to Yanhai reciting the memorial presented yesterday.
At this moment, Li Guang trotted in and murmured a few words in Zhu Youtang's ear with a smile. Zhu Youtang suddenly woke up, opened his eyes and said with a smile: "Li Guang, you can do this." Well, I will reward you heavily!"
"For the sake of the emperor, the empress, and the future young master, these are what a slave should do!"
At the end of February, Empress Zhang heard that the Li Dynasty envoy was not far from the capital, and she felt a little jealous. However, she also understood that since ancient times, it was normal for men to have three wives and four concubines, not to mention that her own man was still the supreme leader of the Ninth Five-Year Plan. Seventy-two concubines in the Sixth Court are even more reasonable. It's just that I am small-minded, and I feel sulky when I think of the emperor falling into the arms of other women during my pregnancy.
Maybe it was due to the fetal gas, Queen Zhang felt a little nauseous and vomited in the evening, which alarmed the entire palace. Zhu Youtang was accompanied by her relatives that night, and more than a dozen imperial doctors went to the Imperial Hospital, which made her busy all day. Queen Zhang was comforted at night.
Looking at Liu Wentai and other "second sword" imperial doctors, Zhu Youtang was full of distrust. Afterwards, he asked Li Guang to go to the private sector to inquire, and invited doctors with skillful medical skills and experienced midwives to come into the palace and stay overnight. Look after the queen in the palace.
No, after the eunuch Li Guang personally checked and screened, this task was successfully completed today.
Yanhai rubbed his eyes, looked sleepy, yawned a few times, and said, "Your Majesty, it's time to go to court."
Li Guang, who was next to him, quickly picked up the words and said, "Yes, it's time for your Majesty to go to court. I'll help you freshen up and dress up, and then go to summon the Li Dynasty envoys in good spirits."
Zhu Youtang stood up and took a sip of warm tea from Li Guang, rinsed his mouth briefly, and said with a curl of his lips: "No need, let Su Yin handle this kind of thing!"
Because the great dynasty meeting had already received tributes from various countries, including the Li dynasty, Zhu Youtang, the envoy group meeting the Li dynasty this time, temporarily moved to Wuying Hall.
In the Hall of Wuying, two rows of civil and military ministers were kneeling below the chief minister of the cabinet, Liu Ji, and the British Duke Zhang Mao.
After Zhu Youtang calmly walked in front of the dragon chair and sat down, all the ministers and ministers saluted in unison.
"Long live my emperor! Long live!"
"My lords, please be free!"
At this time, Xie Qian, the new assistant minister in the cabinet, came out and said: "Your Majesty, the envoys of the Li Dynasty have come to Beijing to pay tribute. I respectfully invite your Majesty to summon them!"
Zhu Youtang glanced at the ministers and nodded.
Seeing the emperor nodding in agreement, the foreign minister shouted at the top of his lungs: "The Emperor of Ming Dynasty has a decree, and the envoys of the Li Dynasty are here to meet him according to the courtesy!"
After a while, the representative of the envoys from the Li Chao Dynasty knelt down and shouted in proficient Chinese: "Blessed be the Ming Emperor."
"I am safe."
In the main hall, the envoys of the Li Dynasty mainly introduced the tribute items, including twenty pieces of yellow gauze, twenty pieces of white gauze cloth and linen cloth, thirty flower mats, five curtain mats, and There are ten flower mats, ten yellow mats, and ten colored mats. Thirty kilograms of ginseng, ten leopard skins, ten otter skins, and thirty yellow writing brushes. In addition, there are fifty royal horses, one concubine, seven maidens, 10 maidservants, 16 female envoys, and 10 firemen.
The place where the Li Dynasty was located had always been poor, and the valuable items that could be paid as tribute were very limited. To be honest, these things were as different as heaven and earth compared to the items that the Ming Dynasty rewarded them.
However, among these tribute lists, there was one that Zhu Youtang attached great importance to. It was this beauty who was said to be selected by the entire Li Dynasty.
Judging from the beauty of later generations and Hanguo, the quality of this woman should not be bad. Of course, you have to see all this by yourself at night.
After the list of tribute items was read out, Ming Dynasty, as a representative of the Celestial Kingdom, should also symbolically give some rewards to its vassal countries to show the demeanor of a great Celestial Kingdom.
Since this was the first tribute paid by the Li Dynasty since he came to the throne, Zhu Youtang must not be stingy with the reward for his own sake. Otherwise, people will go back and say that the current emperor of the Ming Dynasty is very stingy and cannot be compared with the previous emperors!
With a wave of his hand, Zhu Youtang rewarded King Li Chao, his loyal younger brother, with one thousand taels of platinum, 200 horses of elegant clothes, fifty pieces of gauze and velvet cotton, and 50 fine horses. Eighty horses."
Envoy Li Chao looked at the generous Emperor Ming with surprise on his face. He knelt down and shouted a few more times to thank Emperor Ming for his kindness.
Zhu Youtang was completely unwilling to face this kind of tribute trade that was "thick and thin". Although the continuous flow of tributary countries can bring face to the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty's treasury is not an inexhaustible cornucopia. If tribute is so frequent, there will always be times when the treasury cannot withstand it.
Although it is a loss-making transaction, you cannot completely prevent small foreign countries from paying tribute. Their willingness to travel thousands of miles to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty shows that they are willing to be vassals of the Ming Dynasty. With these subsidiary countries, we can better spread Ming culture, enhance the identity of Chinese culture in the hearts of other countries, and also enhance Ming's influence overseas!
In addition to effectively spreading Chinese culture, it can also gain some advantages in geosecurity. For example, the border between the Ming Dynasty and the Li Dynasty can reduce the number of troops stationed on the border, reducing friction between small countries on the border. If there are some local riots, they can quickly get the support of the subject countries. Although the Ming Dynasty is not afraid of border conflicts and friction at all, the subsequent sending of troops, food and grass, counterinsurgency, and garrisoning will all cost a lot of money. And with a client country that is willing to follow and support you, you can save a lot of military expenditures. Why not use these saved military expenditures to develop internal affairs?
After many tributary countries received rewards, they would ask them to provide conveniences to the people of the Ming Dynasty and restrain the local people from conflicts with the people of the Ming Dynasty. In addition, if the Ming Dynasty had local political needs, it would be easy for them to pay tribute. country to gain political support.
After going to court, Zhu Youtang went straight to Kunning Palace and sat with Queen Zhang for a while, then returned to Xinuang Pavilion to continue reviewing the memorial.
In the evening, after having dinner in Nuan Pavilion, Li Guang saw that Zhu Youtang had finished reviewing the memorial, so he bravely stepped forward with a smile and said: "Your Majesty, that Korean woman has been admitted to the palace and is temporarily arranged in Yonghe Palace. , don’t you want to go and have a look?”
Zhu Youtang naturally understood the meaning of Li Guang's words, and Li Guang had already seen through Zhu Youtang's thoughts throughout the afternoon.
"What are you looking at? Don't you know whether a Korean woman is more important than these government affairs? You have been very diligent recently. Could it be that you did something bad behind my back?"
Even if Li Guang didn't need to ask, Zhu Youtang would naturally stay at Yonghe Palace at night. Seeing his positive words, he asked deliberately.
"Your Majesty, this servant has been wronged!"
When Li Guang heard Zhu Youtang shouting and asking, he immediately changed his face and said aggrievedly:
"I see that the emperor has been busy with state affairs recently, so I want the emperor to meet the Korean woman to relax and relax."
After hearing this, Zhu Youtang laughed loudly, put down the memorial in his hand, and said, "I just want to ask you a random question, so you don't have to be so nervous. I will listen to you tonight and go see that Korean woman."
"Okay, I will go and prepare it for the emperor now!"
…
As soon as Zhu Youtang stepped into Yonghe Palace, Li Guang immediately shouted away the eunuchs and maids.
In the Yonghe Palace, the Korean woman had just finished taking a bath according to the order. She was sitting in front of the bed nervously picking her fingers. Suddenly she heard footsteps coming from the door, and her heart felt like a deer scurrying. When I raised my head to look through the crack in the door, I heard the door creak, and a man in yellow robe had already stepped in.
The Korean woman raised her head and glanced at the tall and burly Zhu Youtang, and quickly knelt down and saluted: "I have seen the great emperor of the Celestial Dynasty."
"Here, you don't have to follow so many rules with me, get up!". "
It was obvious that Li Chao had given this Korean woman professional Chinese training before she came here. Although her accent sounded a bit distorted, it did not affect her peerless appearance at all.
I saw this Korean woman, tall, with fair skin, black hair, beautiful eyes, and an indescribable charm in her eyes.
Zhu Youtang said happily: "Li Chaocheng doesn't deceive me, you are indeed a first-class beauty!"
When the Korean woman saw Zhu Youtang's longing eyes and heard the emperor praising her so much, her face turned red instantly and she lowered her head shyly.
Zhu Youtang sat next to the Korean woman, held her in his arms, and said softly: "What is your name, and who are your relatives at home? Tell me about it!"
"My concubine's name is Han Qiaozi...
Halfway through Han Qiaozi's words, Zhu Youtang gently tapped her red lips with his finger and whispered a few words in her ear.
After hearing this, Han Qiaozi's face turned even redder, and he turned around and blew out the lamp...
Early the next morning, Zhu Youtang ordered Li Guang to pass the decree and canonize Su Yin as Concubine Shu and Han Qiaozi as Concubine Li.
From then until March 5, the second year of Hongzhi, Zhu Youtang had one queen and two concubines.
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