In order to create a relatively relaxed atmosphere with fewer rules and regulations, Zhu Houzhao changed the location where he met the ministers from Fengtian Hall to a pavilion by the lake.
He sat at the head of the throne, with the cabinet and ministerial officials in Beijing on his left and right.
There is also a brown square table at hand, with tea on it. Occasionally, a cool breeze blows slowly, which is very comfortable when it hits the face.
The ancients also seemed to like this kind of environment and method. The literati-like style contained in it sometimes made even Zhu Houzhao feel comfortable.
"It has been ten years since I came to the throne. In the past ten years, thanks to the encouragement and assistance of all my dear friends, the Ming Dynasty has been like this. Sometimes I lose my temper and become stubborn, so don't worry about it. Just like a common people's house, the noisy and noisy days have to go on, right?"
The emperor's warm words made Wang Hao, Yang Tinghe and others feel like gurgling warm currents were flowing through their hearts.
"The Emperor is wise, diligent, and caring for the people. Everything is the result of the Emperor. How dare you, the ministers, live there without permission?" People like Wang Hao are already old and frail, but the emperor sitting on the throne has a straight back and a smile on his face. He has a light beard, but there are still no wrinkles on his face. His physical strength and energy are not comparable to people like them. It is said that when walking in the palace, he often walks as fast as flying. In turn, he thinks that the eunuchs and maids move too slowly. Only his age makes him sad and helpless.
"Okay." Zhu Houzhao waved his hand, "If I call you all here to sing your praises today, it would be a waste of time and a meaningless move. I occasionally got a copy of "Western Geography" these days, and I enjoyed reading it in my spare time. Shocking. I have heard Ping Haibo and others mention Nanyang and Western affairs in the past, but they are just fragments of information and have never been connected to read. Because I think it is a good book, I asked the chamberlain to distribute it everywhere for you all to read. Alright?"
"I read it." Everyone nodded, "Although time is tight, the emperor has a mission, so I read it even if I have to stay up late."
"Just read it, just read it. Today I want to discuss the content of this book with you. The ancients drank wine and discussed heroes. It is a pleasure for us monarchs and ministers to drink tea and discuss the world today. Let me start first. "
"I will listen to the holy teachings!"
Zhu Houzhao took a sip of tea and then put it down, "Let me tell you an old story first. I have read history books and found that the ancient sages also recorded some situations outside the Central Plains. You are all well-educated people, so you naturally know about it, such as "The Biography of Emperor Mu" Among them, "The Emperor's expedition to the west, as far as Yangxuan", "Historical Records·Dawan Biography" also has "Zhang Qian returned from Daxia and said that he saw Shu cloth and Qiong bamboo sticks in Daxia... He came from the southeast to poison the country, but he could Thousands of miles away, we can get the city of Shu Jia people. All this shows that there is still a vast area outside the Ming Dynasty. Back then, the champion Hou Qianli drove the Xiongnu, sealed the wolf in Xu, drank from the vast sea of horses, and conquered the stone Yanran. This was already a very long time. It’s very far west, but what about the place further west? What’s there?”
Yang Tinghe sighed, "Even if you are as brave as a champion, you must have never been to such a far away place."
"But this "Western Geography" paints a picture for us. I have asked, and the author of the book has never been to the Far West, nor has he ever been to the sea. All the information was either read or read. I came here by asking, and there are bound to be mistakes and omissions in it, but these mistakes and omissions just reflect that my Ming Dynasty’s understanding of various regions is not enough. I know that some people will say that the overseas barbarians are not as vast and rich in resources as my land of China, so why bother to go there? Take care of him?"
His gaze swept across everyone's faces, "Someone should think so, right? I'm just discussing things with you today. I don't offend anyone. I'll tell you whatever I think."
Sure enough, He Jian and Wang Hua handed over their hands one after another, "What your Majesty said is exactly what I am worried about. Since ancient times, the world has been governed, and it is necessary for the monarch and the people to reform and make the people follow the times. If they are eager to launch a rebellion, they will waste the people's strength outside the territory." If the land is destroyed, the world will be in ruins and the people will suffer greatly."
"I knew that was the case. I would also be surprised. You said that being an emperor behind closed doors is the same as being a frog in a well?"
Wang Hao shook his old hand and said, "Your Majesty, this cannot be generalized. Our Central Plains is the orthodoxy of the world. Even if we sit in a well and look at the sky, this well contains the best of the world."
Zhu Houzhao said with a smile in his eyes, "How does Mr. Ge know that I, Ming Dynasty, is the central government?"
"The sky is round and the earth is round, it has always been like this."
"Even if this is true, is the Ming Dynasty the largest territory in such a world? It shouldn't be possible. According to reports from Southeast Asian merchants, some countries can only be reached by boat for half a year. How big is the place in between? What if other countries are bigger than us? It’s still big, so how can we, the Ming Dynasty, be at the center of the four-square grid you mentioned?”
"Your Majesty, we, the Han people, have been a country of etiquette since ancient times. The Hulu barbarians are uneducated and behave like animals. Moreover, it is useless just because the place is large. We must have a holy master like the emperor. The emperor is the emperor, the son of heaven!"
Yes, the power of kingship is granted by God. Since you are the son of God, the best place in the center is naturally given to you.
If not, should the divine right of kings also be abolished?
For many things, it’s not that our ancestors didn’t think or were stupid. Modern people are always too harsh. In fact, it’s because they can’t think within a frame. Just like now, when you reach this point, you don’t dare to say anything. .
If the emperor is not the son of God, then where does the legitimacy of imperial power come from?
Why did your Zhu family become the emperor?
It is a pity that Zhu Houzhao must take this path and expand the vision of the Han nation to the whole world. His surname is not Zhu.
Will everyone still kneel down and kowtow to the emperor in the 21st century?
He just wanted to create a brilliant and powerful country while he was alive. After he died, the descendants of the future generations would have to think of their own solutions. They couldn't all point to the pile of soil he turned into for hundreds or thousands of years, right? You have to do something yourself.
"Today we are not talking about gods, nor are we talking about saints and kings. Let's talk about things. What I want to say is very simple. In fact, you, including me, don't know much about the Western countries. Just like I don't know you, Yang Tinghe, I have to say You, Yang Tinghe, are a barbarian. Isn't this very arrogant and ignorant? Do you know about the Kingdom of Folangji? If you don't understand, why should you jump to conclusions?
Then again, it doesn't matter if you don't know, just find a way to find out. This is not because I am curious, but because the situation is like this, I have to do it. The Ming Dynasty has opened a sea ban. Since the sea ban has been opened, it is necessary to interact with other countries. As an emperor, I am not afraid. Is there anyone who is afraid of meeting foreigners? "
Yang Tinghe said with concern: "The emperor's golden light protects his body, and it will naturally be fine. However, if the ignorant people in the border areas believe in foreign heresies and do not abide by our traditional ethics, causing unrest in the people's hearts, this will be a great disaster."
"Then what should we do, close the country's gates, and no matter what happens outside, we will still sing and dance to make peace on our own. We know nothing about it, but when we mention it, we call others a barbarian country? This is not stubborn, this is ridiculous."
"Uh..." Wang Hua couldn't listen anymore, "Your Majesty, what Mr. Yang Ge said makes sense. If there is civil unrest, today's actions will appear to be very reckless."
"How about... this?"
The emperor began to have fantastic ideas again, and all the ministers became worried.
"The Ming Dynasty has only sent merchant ships, and has never sent an official team on behalf of the imperial court. Back then, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ordered Zhang Qian to go to the Western Regions. Now I follow the example of my ancestors and send a team to the Western Regions. As the saying goes, seeing is believing, let's send people Go out and see what it’s like outside.”
Wang Hua said again: "Your Majesty, you can't. When Bowang Hou went to the Western Regions as an envoy, it was to unite the countries in the Western Regions to attack the Xiongnu. Now that the Ming Dynasty has settled down in all directions, we are sending envoys to the West. I don't know why?"
"In order to open up trade routes and spread the voice of peace." Zhu Houzhao had already planned in his mind, "The prosperity of maritime trade has been of great benefit to our country, the Ming Dynasty. Do you all know this? In this way, the Ming Dynasty is smarter than the Han Dynasty. , I am not going to start a war just for the sake of being militaristic."
"Back then, Emperors Taizong and Xuanzong sent Zheng He to the Western Seas seven times, but they finally gave up because of the loss of national power. Your Majesty is bringing up the old story again today, hoping to gain something. Could it be that he is more wise than Taizong and Xuanzong?"
Zhu Houzhao still insisted, "Taizong Xuanzong sent envoys to the West to spread his power overseas, which increased the contacts between the Ming Dynasty and other places, which was a great contribution to the country. I am sending envoys to the West today. Although the appearance is the same, there are essential differences in reality. , I want to establish commercial ties with other countries and expand the scale of sea trade, which will enhance national strength.
Not only that, through continuous development, the Folangji people have reached the vicinity of the Ming Dynasty. In other words, our monarchs and ministers are hiding here and cannot get out, but they have already come to our door! Can you continue to hide? "
The ministers continued, "Folangji is a small country with few people. If the Ming Dynasty does not interact with it, what can it do?"
"That was in the past. Now you need to do business with someone, why don't you still associate with him?"
It was difficult to convince these old men. Only here did they stop. After all, sea trade requires communication. This is a fact. If there is no such benefit here, it is probably impossible to shut them up.
Zhu Houzhao said firmly: "I have given in a step, that is, I will send envoys first, and then make plans after we have a clear understanding. I want to open my eyes to see the world, and do not want to shrink at home and be a complacent emperor. This decision has been made. I also advise you all, dear friends, not to rest on your arrogance, stubbornly clinging to that arrogance is harmful to the people."
What Zhu Houzhao said to his ministers today was to release the change in the court's policy. It coincided with his ordering Jing Yang to hold the conference. In fact, the two complemented each other.
It is still the simplest saying, what is good above is what is good below, and when the emperor begins to focus on understanding overseas, many people will definitely come out.
But generally speaking, the matter of sending envoys should have little impact at the moment. The Ming Dynasty itself has had a lot of contacts with overseas countries. Now, there is nothing inappropriate in officially sending official envoys in the name of doing business.
It just depends on who you send.
(End of chapter)
