Chapter 41 Leaving the Capital
The pier outside Jubaomen.
This is the largest dock outside Nanjing. A group of people led by the prince are bidding farewell to the southern expedition.
In fact, the southern expedition army has already set off one after another. Take boats from various docks into the Yangtze River, go upstream from the Yangtze River to Hunan, and then enter Guizhou, preparing to attack Yunnan. This journey will take more than a month. Preparations for this have already begun at various guard posts in the southwest, and all the materials needed by the army have been prepared. Even the vanguard troops have gathered on the border of Yunnan.
The so-called 300,000-strong army is certainly not all soldiers. But after adding the civilians, the determination to mobilize was not just 300,000 people.
It's not even possible to follow a path.
The entire southwest road leading to Yunnan, whether it is the Qin Wuchi Road or the new road opened in the Yuan Dynasty, almost all roads have long marching queues.
The battle with King Liang's army in Yunnan has even begun. But they are all small battles. The real war only really started when Fu Youde and other generals led the main force with the Beijing camp as the core and arrived at the front line.
At this moment, Fu Youde was quite energetic.
In the past ten years, we have been fighting in the northwest. Fu Youde was often the deputy general of Xu Da and Li Wenzhong. How could a lieutenant general be as comfortable as leading an army himself? Although Mu Ying is his deputy general and has the intention of monitoring, it is also a common thing in the army. Moreover, in Fu Youde's view, Mu Ying is still too young, what can he do?
And today, Zhu Yuanzhang also gave Fu Youde enough face, first in the Golden Palace, in front of all the civil and military officials, he personally gave him the command flag and the commander's seal. It has the meaning of sealing the altar to worship the general, and then the prince will lead all the officials to see him off out of the city.
It seemed that he had conquered the whole city for one person. This kind of treatment was something that only Xu Da had ever experienced before.
Such as the treatment, even if Fu Youde had not touched any alcohol, he was still a little drunk.
The high-spirited Fu Youde said: "I have to say farewell to you after a long journey. Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please report to your Majesty. I ask your Majesty to listen carefully. There will be good news within a hundred days."
The prince said: "Father has said that the general is out there and will never be controlled remotely. Matters in the southwest are handled by Marquis Yingchuan. I am waiting here for the news of Marquis Yingchuan."
Fu Youde said: "Your Highness, don't forget what you promised me."
The prince laughed and said, "Secretary He is here, what else does Marquis Yingchuan have to be afraid of?"
He Xi, who was behind the prince, heard this and immediately came out to salute and said: "Please rest assured, Marquis Yingchuan, the Ordnance Bureau has put down all work and is building steel crossbows first. We will not miss the needs of the front line."
Fu Youde immediately saluted the prince, swung his red cloak behind him, revealing his gilt armor, and boarded the ship with a large seal wrapped in bright yellow in his arms.
Then dozens of large ships set sail and headed for the Yangtze River.
As soon as Fu Youde left. The prince ordered all the officials to disperse. But the prince hasn't left yet. The prince turned around and said to He Xi: "Do we have to leave now? The matter in Zhejiang is just a mere chief envoy, and it is not a big deal. There is no need to be so anxious."
After all, the emperor did not tell the prince everything.
The prince only knew that He Xi went to Zhejiang to investigate Guo Huan. But why check Guo Huan? What is the meaning behind Zha Guohuan's death? The prince doesn't know.
In the prince's opinion, the chief envoy of a province is certainly important. But he couldn't go to court. The focus of the Ming Dynasty was on the center, on military power. But the chief envoys and local officials are really not that important. He Xi received more attention from his father than any other person in the world, but who were these people? It was his prince, Duke Xu Da of Wei, Duke Li Wenzhong of Cao, and others. These are all high-ranking officials. What's more, He Xi's meritorious service in the capital has not yet been rewarded.
From the prince's point of view, he would rather let He Xi help him in the capital. At least He Xi can talk to Zhu Yuanzhang, and sometimes he can communicate with Zhu Yuanzhang through He Xi. Instead of asking him to investigate an inexplicable Guo Huan.
But the matter of Guo Huan has become a knot in He Xi's heart.
He Xi said: "The affairs of the Ordnance Bureau have been arranged in the past two days. Since His Majesty has the order, don't delay. If you go early, you can come back early."
The prince said: "Well, it's up to you. Leave early and come back early."
He Xi saluted the prince and said, "I'll say goodbye."
Then he got on the boat. Board the boat from Nanjing, enter the Yangtze River first, and then go south along the Yuhang section of the canal.
Along the way, He Xi saw the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty.
Although Nanjing is already prosperous enough, after entering Jiangnan, He Xi discovered that the prosperity of Nanjing still lacked a lot of details compared to Jiangnan. The prosperity of Nanjing was created by Zhu Yuanzhang. The prosperity of Jiangnan dates back to the pre-Song Dynasty and has a history of hundreds of years.
Even with the ravages of war. Recovery is also very fast. Especially Suzhou City. There are no traces of the hundreds of thousands of troops that surrounded Pingjiang City twenty years ago and fought fiercely for more than a year. It seems that the golden war and iron horse of the year have long been washed away by the spring rain in the south of the Yangtze River.
Some small villages along the canal have the shadow of some antique villages built by later generations. After all, even in the later generations of Jiangnan, there were some small towns that were said to be more than a thousand years old, and most of them were based on the Ming Dynasty.
This kind of prosperity made He Xi think of some of the prince's descriptions of Jiangbei.
Throughout the north, there were decades of fierce fighting by the Red Scarf Army, then the Northern Expedition, and now there are also wars on the grasslands. Many places were left blank by people who were killed. It was only after the founding of the Ming Dynasty that people settled there due to successive immigrants.
Jiangnan and Jiangnan are suddenly two different worlds.
He Xi thought to herself: "How should we deal with this problem? If we can't deal with it well, it's a big problem."
Such differences in regional economies give rise to various conflicts with different interests. If they are not handled well, big problems will arise.
Suddenly, He Xi asked herself: "What do I want to do with this?"
He Xi looked at the slowly flowing water under the boat and her own figure reflected in the flowing water. She was wearing a moon-white robe with a jade belt tightening in the middle. Although it has loose sleeves, the cuffs are tied with a ribbon, giving it a literati style but also crisp and clean ends. As for the small hat on his head, it covered his hair that had not yet grown out.
For a moment, He Xi couldn't recognize him. He was from the 21st century or He Xi from the 14th century.
He is changing the times, and the times are melting him.
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Hangzhou Prefecture. In front of the Chief Envoy's Yamen.
Countless government officials were standing up, and Guo Huan was waiting outside the door with a group of officials.
Guo Huan was wearing a bright red official robe, his face was red, and his skin was very smooth, as if there was a layer of oil. The body shape does not appear fat, perhaps the long sleeves of the robe can best hide the figure. It gives the impression that it is just a little burly.
A person next to me came over and said, "Sir, everything is ready."
Guo Huan was smiling and his expression remained unchanged as he spoke. From a distance, he seemed to be chatting with the people around him. But if you listen carefully to what he says, that's not the case.
Guo Huan's lips moved slightly and said: "Tell the others that this matter was committed by everyone together. If something happens, no one can run away. This is not the time to give up good money. Even if you sell it, you must make up for it." Make it all up. Also, make it clear. If someone is really found, I'm sorry and ask him to bear all the responsibility for everyone. No one will forget him. If not, no one will have an easy time."
The person next to Guo Huan shook slightly and said, "Yes."
Guo Huan's voice was still very low and he said: "Go and do it quickly."
Guo Huan's face didn't change at all. But there was some tension in my heart.
Going up to the peak and coming down to check the accounts, for such things, it is not too much to say too much, and it is not too little to say too little. It's just different today. Those who came to investigate before were from the Ministry of Household Affairs. Guo Huan had already opened up the whole department. If someone tipped off the information, how could he find out anything?
But it's different now.
This secretarial supervisor is newly established, and I heard that he is a close official of the emperor, which is very impressive.
What's even more remarkable is this Secretary He. Guo Huan sent someone to inquire about this He Xi. Secretary He. Some people said that He Xi was His Majesty's illegitimate son.
After an old friend or something. Guo Huanzhen couldn't recall any nobles named He in this dynasty, probably only He Zhen, the Bo of Dongguan who surrendered to Guangzhou. But He Zhen was not dead, and he was in charge of the southwest and was one of the people responsible for the logistics of the southwest war. And He Zhen's son He Gui is now very important in the East Palace.
Except that He Xi’s origin is a mystery.
What made Guo Huan even more touched was that His Majesty sent Secretary Supervisor Secretary Lang to investigate the world's money and food. But Secretary Lang, who was going to other provinces, had not yet set off, and He Xi had already taken the lead. It's almost here.
This is too fast.
Of course, Guo Huan braced himself from the beginning. Prepare for a tough fight.
Fortunately, he has been in Zhejiang for many years, working in the Ministry of Household Affairs and various counties. He dare not say that he is monolithic in all aspects, but he is also a person who has seen it. Everyone is a grasshopper on a rope. He Xi is a young nobleman again, and he wants to fool him. Still confident.
Just when Guo Huan was thinking about what loopholes there were.
Suddenly someone came to report and said, "Sir, Lord He's ship has arrived."
Guo Huan was shocked and said, "Hurry up and come with me to greet you."
Before Guo Huan attacked, all the officials in Hangzhou City, including more than a hundred people, arrived at the dock. At this time, several large ships slowly docked. As soon as the first ship docked. Many soldiers came down. Guo Huan took a closer look and his calves trembled slightly.
Because these soldiers were all wearing brocade clothes, holding swords on their waists, and had bright armor, and some even carried fire guns on their backs. This looks like an elite one.
Guo Huan thought it was Jin Yiwei at first, but then he took a closer look and breathed a sigh of relief. It was discovered that it was not Jin Yiwei, but Luan Yiwei. In the late Ming Dynasty, the so-called Luan Yiwei had already become an honor guard. But it was different in Hongwu.
The guards in the palace during the Hongwu period were all top-notch masters. Take the current commander of the Jinyi Guards, Mao Xiang, for example. He served as the deputy commander of the Luanyi Guards for many years before he was transferred to the commander of the Jinyi Guards. It can even be said that the Jin Yi Guards are separated from the Luan Yi Guards.
