Among the Jingnan nobles of the Ming Dynasty, the person currently ranked second in the class is naturally Cheng Guogong Zhu Yingzhen. His family is the Cheng Guogong line, the Ming Dynasty Evergreen tree Ding Guogong line, and the British line. The three families basically monopolized the position of the leader of the Shenjing Dynasty class, which was usually determined according to the order of succession.
Zhu Yingzhen was not very old, but among the three great princes in Shenjing, except Xu Wenbi, the Duke of Ding, he ascended the title more than a year earlier than the British Duke Zhang Yuangong, so he was ranked first among the military ministers, and his status was undeniable. (Actually, based on the development of these three major princely families, the most important overall actual status is the British male lineage, but this will be discussed in detail later when necessary.)
However, several of the princes no longer had the fighting ability of their ancestors. Although they were still nominally the governors of the five prefectures, they were only "commanding troops" rather than "leading troops." Especially after Gao Pragmatic carried out the reform of separating the Imperial Guard and the Production and Construction Corps, several princes gratefully handed over the military power, retaining only absolute control over the Production and Construction Corps.
Zhu Yingzhen was one of the main talkers in the Production and Construction Corps, and due to the poor health of Duke Dingguo Xu Wenbi, Zhu Yingzhen actually became the leading figure in the Production and Construction Corps.
Duke Chengguo has a high status, so he is only responsible for giving orders, and there are very few things that require his personal attention. However, there has been something that has caught the Duke's attention recently, and that is the renovation project of Princess Yongning's Mansion undertaken by the Production and Construction Corps.
To be honest, compared with large-scale projects such as the maintenance of the city defense of the capital, the construction of the Beijing Imperial Guard Camp, the Yongding River defense project, and the maintenance of the imperial tombs of Mount Tianshou, the renovation of a mere Princess Mansion is really not worth mentioning. Not only is the scale small, but the amount involved is also not large. It stands to reason that Zhu Yingzhen only needs to explain such a small matter.
However, as one of the three great princes of the capital, a minister of the Holy Emperor, and a "blood brother" of Gao Situ, how could Zhu Yingzhen not know some inside information that was not common knowledge to outsiders?
Zhu Yingzhen not only took charge of the renovation project of the Princess Mansion this time, he even spent time at the Princess Mansion construction site every day to supervise the construction. His work enthusiasm was extremely high. Even the civil servants in the outer court couldn't help but be stunned when they heard about it. They thought that Duke Cheng was at least very concerned about the affairs of the Tian family. He was indeed the mainstay of the hereditary ministers who lived with the country.
Zhu Yingzhen, the mainstay of Xunchen, was also at the Princess Mansion construction site today, supervising the construction in the wind and snow. Speaking of which, it is really not suitable for construction in snowy days, especially construction projects, but according to the emperor's decree, let alone snow, even if it is necessary to do the work, it must be done.
Fortunately, the Production and Construction Corps is now becoming more and more professional and even uses shed construction. Therefore, although the renovation work is definitely not as efficient as Sunny Day, it can still continue.
However, this is also thanks to Jinghua Infrastructure. It is said that people from Jinghua Infrastructure came to the site for an on-site inspection and proposed a new renovation plan. They suggested replacing a large number of wooden materials originally used in the Princess Mansion with stone.
This suggestion is obviously based on the now-famous White Jade Tower in the Ming Dynasty. Although the Princess Mansion still needs to adopt the shape of a Chinese-style building, most of the materials can be replaced.
However, just as some criticisms arose after the completion of the White Jade Tower, the Princess Mansion's elimination of a large number of wooden building materials, which goes against the consistent architectural principles of the Han people (referring to the Five Elements Theory that the most livable material is "wood", as explained earlier in this book), also Let the outside world have some discussion.
However, these arguments seemed unable to sway Princess Yongning. Princess Yongning sent word from Changchun Palace that she also liked the White Jade Tower and that the renovation of the Princess Mansion would be carried out according to Jinghua Infrastructure's plan.
Outsiders don’t know how Princess Yongning knew about Baiyulou and even “liked it” very much. However, Baiyu Tower is indeed too famous. Everyone thought that Her Royal Highness the Princess probably found out about it by reading some picture album, but it did not arouse any doubts.
Zhu Yingzhen, who turned into a contractor, divided the project into several parts. The most important core area was the princess's bedroom. In this area, he even refused to use people from the production and construction corps. Instead, he transferred a group of servants who were specially raised by his family to repair the garden. He came over and was specifically responsible for the renovation of the princess's bedroom.
He himself seemed to think that this dormitory was the most important, and he stayed in this area most of the time. But today he didn't come alone, he was accompanied by a burly old man.
Not many people know this old man, but there are definitely many people who have heard of his name. His name is Gao Mo, and his public identity is the housekeeper of Gao Jingshi's house. People who are more familiar with Gao Jingshi know that Gao Mo is also the controller of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Beijing and the first person in charge of Black Top.
"I'm talking to the senior manager, is this lock the same as the Baiyulou treasure house? If it is opened incorrectly after it is installed, will there be poisonous smoke, hidden arrows and other mechanisms coming out?" Zhu Yingzhen looked at Gao Mo and brought The man couldn't help but ask when he was installing the door lock for the secret passage in the dormitory.
Gao Mo smiled and said: "That's not true. This lock was made by seven skilled craftsmen according to the master's idea. The master called it a 'mechanical code lock'."
He pointed to the cipher disk arranged in a nine-square grid and said: "The characters on it are called Arabic numerals. There are nine cipher boxes in total. Each cipher box can be flipped, and there are numbers from 0 to 9 on it." Ten numbers.
Before the lock was activated, the master had set a password in advance. Only by adjusting the passwords of the nine holes to the correct numbers could the lock hole be exposed and opened with a key. "
"So that's it, this is a good thing." Zhu Yingzhen seemed a little moved and asked: "This lock... is Jinghua willing to sell it?"
Gao Mo shook his head slightly and said: "This item cannot be mass-produced. Each set must be made by hand, which is extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive. It seems that the master has no intention of selling it outside."
Zhu Yingzhen was disappointed: "This is such a pity. I still want to buy a few sets for use."
Gao Mo smiled when he heard this and said: "Although we are not selling it to outsiders, the relationship between the Duke of the country and my master is so great, how can we treat it as normal? Otherwise, I will talk to my master later when I go back. Let’s see if we can make a set specifically for the Duke.”
"Oh, why are you so embarrassed..." Zhu Yingzhen had a look on his face, but he said very naturally: "How much money does this set cost?"
"Since it's not for sale, how can it have a price." Gao Mo said with a smile: "I'm afraid even the master can't answer this question."
Zhu Yingzhen understood and said pointedly: "Good lock, good lock. I want to know that the person who knows this lock must also have such a good lock on his mouth."
"The Duke is very insightful." Gao Mo smiled and nodded.
Zhu Yingzhen smiled reservedly, thought for a moment, and then said: "By the way, there is something I have been hesitant about for the past few days. I don't know whether to ask or not..."
"Oh?" Gao Mo's expression was calm, but he always maintained a friendly smile: "The Duke of Guo and my master have been friends for many years, as close as brothers. It's okay to say whatever you want."
Zhu Yingzhen said: "I heard that the emperor gave the woman donated by Ye Hebu to Qiu Zhen, but it seems that Qiu Zhen hasn't figured out how to arrange it yet?"
Gao Mo said with a smile: "My master said that although the emperor's kindness is great, this matter is related to the situation in Liaodong after all. Although he is no longer the governor of Liao, he just proposed to support Ye He as my border not long ago. In response to Chaha Your Liaobei barrier. If we accept him into the house immediately at this time, I'm afraid there will be something wrong."
Zhu Yingzhen nodded repeatedly: "I have always been prudent in seeking truth. I naturally know this. In fact, since it is a gift from the emperor, these are not problems. Of course, it is not bad for him to be more cautious... I still have a few people in the capital. I live in a house, and if I don’t mind seeking truth, it would be convenient to place that Gege in my house.”
Gao Mo didn't know Zhu Yingzhen's purpose for intervening in this matter for a while. Although Gao Pragmatic didn't like other wealthy people who like to buy mansions in the capital, but with the financial resources of Beijing, even if he bought one temporarily, it would be nothing more. It's a matter of one sentence. Of course Zhu Yingzhen also understood, so it seemed strange for him to come to see the house off like this.
"I would like to thank the Duke for his kindness on behalf of my father." Gao Mo smiled slightly and said: "But the Duke also knows that such a big matter is not something that I can decide. I still have to go back and ask the master for instructions, and wait for the master's punishment... …I wonder if the Duke of Guo has anything else to convey?”
Zhu Yingzhen smiled and said: "Yes, there is, but it's not as complicated as you think. Qiuzhen was only the number one scholar in the Shangshu Mansion in Jinggongfang, Zhaohui Province. The regulations were low and the area was small. It was not in line with his current situation. identity."
He paused for a moment and continued: "A few days ago, a man from Jiangnan happened to sell me a mansion in Jinggongfang, Zhaohui, at a discount because of business losses. When I asked later, I found out that The mansion is located to the north of Qiuzhen Shangshu Mansion, with only one other house in between.
I thought about it at that time, sent people to contact me, and finally persuaded the middle family to buy their mansion. So the two mansions north of Shangshu Mansion are now my family's property. I originally bought these two mansions as gifts to Qiu Zhen, and now the opportunity is just right. After he takes them, he can expand the Shangshu Mansion and merge it into one, so that the dignified Shangshu Mansion will not be so cramped and degrading. . "
Gao Mo thought to himself: So that's what happened. Judging from the time, Duke Cheng Guo had no other purpose, it was just a coincidence this time.
But then again, so what if the Shangshufu is small? Why is it so "out of place"? When Wen Zhenggong was the chief minister of the dynasty, the residence he lived in was less than one-third the size of the Master's mansion now. According to you, I'm afraid it's not very unseemly, but completely unbecoming?
After thinking about it, Gao Mo thanked Zhu Yingzhen repeatedly for his kindness and said that he would let the master know as soon as possible after returning. Zhu Yingzhen nodded with a smile. The two talked about the renovation of Princess Yongning's dormitory, and Gao Mo stood up to say goodbye. Zhu Yingzhen made a show of sending her off, but Gao Mo didn't dare to take it seriously, and left after some humble words.
When Gao Mo returned to Shangshu Gaofu, Gao Jingshi came back and told him about the matter. Gao Pangshi was slightly surprised, pondered for a moment, and asked: "Is there anything unusual in the Sea Trade Alliance recently?"
Gao Mo knew that Gao Jingshi's question must be in response to Zhu Yingzhen's gift. After thinking for a while, he said: "Sir, I heard that a fierce war is going on in Japan, or it has reached a critical moment. The sea trade alliance is working with the most powerful people in Japan. Contact the Toyotomi clan who may win and strive to obtain a series of trade privileges...I wonder if Duke Chengkuni has any ideas about this."
When Gao Mo said this, Gao Pingshi suddenly remembered that this year is the fifteenth year of Wanli, which is 1587 AD, which is the fifteenth year of Tianzheng in Japan. And this year, Toyotomi Hideyoshi began the "Kyushu Expedition".
The Kyushu Expedition, also known as the Battle of Kyushu, was a battle in which Toyotomi Hideyoshi led the great names in Japan to conquer the Shimazu clan in Kyushu. If history does not change significantly, it will be the victory of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the surrender of Shimazu Yoshihisa. And ended.
The premise for the outbreak of this war was that the army of Kyushu Daimyo Otomo Sorin was retreating due to the rise of the Shimazu clan, and he had to ask for help from the Kinai overlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who had conquered Shikoku at that time, summoned Kuroda Takataka to ask for countermeasures. Kuroda Takataka thought this was a good opportunity to pacify Kyushu, so Hideyoshi ordered preparations for war and wrote back asking Otomo Sorin to continue to hold on and wait for reinforcements.
In addition, after the Battle of Imama, the power of Ryuzoji Temple was greatly reduced. At this time, only the three cities of Hizen were left. Faced with Shimazu's aggressive momentum, Nabeshima Naoshige had no choice but to beg for a truce.
However, Shimazu Yoshihiro refused and still ordered the attack on Ryuzoji Temple. Shimazu Iehisa captured Minizinoe and Seifukuji Castle. The end of Ryuzoji Temple was approaching, so Naoshima Naoshima asked Ryuzoji Temple to become a subordinate of Shimazu, and finally surrendered to the Shimazu clan and was spared death.
As the saying goes, if the lips are dead, the teeth are cold, so within ten days, Arima Harunobu, who assisted Ryuuji Temple, was also killed by the Shimadzu clan. Arima Harunobu surrendered to the Shimadzu clan. As a result, the Shimazu family only has one opponent in Kyushu, the Otomo family, and judging from the situation, the demise of the Otomo family is only a matter of time.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi felt that the Shimazu clan was too rampant and had an obvious upward trend. If there were no restrictions, it would inevitably affect the Toyotomi clan's rule, so he sent a letter of negotiation to the Shimazu clan, ordering the two forces in Kyushu to stop the war and obey the leadership of the Toyotomi regime. .
However, Shimazu Yoshihisa rejected Toyotomi Hideyoshi's proposal and attacked Chikuzen, causing Toyotomi Hideyoshi to send troops to Kyushu in the name of "rescuing allies" (Otomo family).
There is no need to elaborate on the process of this battle, but it is said that after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's victory, rewards were given based on merit, and the Toyotomi family and his subordinates re-divided Kyushu Island.
Otomo Yoshitō and Ryuzoji Masaikata each held their respective Bungo and Hizen vassals unchanged, and local wealthy families such as the Ma clan, the Omura clan, the Matsuura clan, and the Sagara clan all maintained their original territories. The Ito clan restored part of its territory in the Hyuga Domain. Toyotomi Hideyoshi also recruited Sasana Narimasa, who was idle at home, and asked him to lead the Higo Domain, and the Sasa clan was revived.
Kuroda Takataka, who played the most important role in the Kyushu expedition, was also granted the title of Bunzen Domain and officially became a daimyo. Kobayakawa Takakage also received the Chikuzen Kingdom due to his meritorious military service, while his adopted son Kobayakawa Hideho was allocated the Chikuhou Kingdom.
But the strange thing is that the Yoshikawa family, who is also one of the "two rivers" of the Mori family, seems to have gained nothing. In the summer, Yoshikawa Motonaga died of illness in Hyuga Kingdom, and his younger brother Yoshikawa Hiroie succeeded him as the family governor.
In addition, there is an even stranger situation: the "chief culprit" of the Kyushu Conquest, the Shimazu clan, did not receive much punishment. There was basically no other punishment for the Shimazu family except being deprived of part of the territory of the Hyuga Domain. His family still maintained the rule of Satsuma and Osumi.
The most important "foreign trade" business of the Beiyang Maritime Trade Alliance is Japanese trade. Big changes in Japan will of course have an impact on the Maritime Trade Alliance. Gao Mo suspects that Zhu Yingzhen's idle courtesy is related to the domestic situation in Japan. It is completely understandable. .
After listening to this, Gao Pragmatic couldn't help thinking, and even some reflection: Although it is indeed difficult for him to allocate the strength and energy to directly intervene in Japan's domestic situation now, if he uses the sea trade alliance, can he do something?
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