Chapter 568 The Youngest Shangshu of the Ming Dynasty

The quiet Yinglou.

Outside the building, the night wind blew, creating ripples on the surface of the lake.

The weeping willows by the water swayed in the wind, rustling and making a delicate and pleasant sound.

However, Zhu Zaigui's heart skipped a beat, as if a muffled thunder had exploded in his head.

His hands, hidden under the sleeves of the emperor's official robe, clenched into fists.

but.

The emperor is ultimately an indescribable existence.

Zhu Zaigui's expression didn't change much, but there was a slight smile at the corner of his mouth.

He slowly turned his head and looked at the young man in front of him, a man who had just made great contributions to the empire and led the three armies to recover the old territory.

"In the fourth year of the Zhenguan reign of the Former Tang Dynasty, the leaders of the barbarians from all directions came to the Central Plains as envoys, entered Chang'an City, ascended the Taiji Palace, and paid homage to our Central Plains monarch. At this time, the barbarians wanted to worship Emperor Taizong of Tang as the Heavenly Khan, meaning the common ruler of all tribes in the world. By that time, the Central Plains was strong and its military was invincible, so all the documents sent from the Central Plains to the barbarians from all directions were stamped with the seal of the Heavenly Khan."

This is the origin of the name Tian Khan.

As for Zhu Zaigui, who had lived in the royal palace for thirty years and served as the president of an academy for several years, he naturally had already memorized all of this.

and then.

Zhu Zaigui's face was full of deep meaning: "Runwu asked me about the title of Tian Khan today, what is your intention?"

Yan Shaoting also had a smile on his face.

The question and answer between me and Director Zhu was not just superficial.

He asked the Heaven Khan for his title.

Zhu Zaigui explained it according to the book, but he also mentioned that the Central Plains was strong and its military was invincible. Isn't this exactly what the Ming Dynasty is going to see now?

Zhu Zaigui also understood the same thing in his heart.

What was Yan Shaoting's intention when he asked this question?

Hundreds of years have passed since the fourth year of Zhenguan in the Former Tang Dynasty, and the title of Tian Khan had already existed in name only before the Tang Dynasty collapsed.

Now, it seems that the king of the Central Plains, His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, also seems to have the opportunity to obtain this glorious and majestic imperial title.

How could Zhu Zaigui not be excited?

Since I ascended the throne, all I have sought is the civil and military achievements of an emperor.

Nothing is more direct and effective than a country growing stronger, soldiers expanding territory, and barbarians from all directions bowing down to you.

Now, just the merit of the Fukutai is enough for me to appease heaven and earth and offer sacrifices to the Taimiao. If I can be given the honorific title of Tian Khan, my imperial achievements will be able to catch up with the Second Ancestor!
Since Yan Shaoting made the proposal, he has been silently watching the emperor's reaction.

The new king in front of him is completely different from the old Taoist priest.

In fact, from the deepest point of view, the old Taoist priest’s 45 years of imperial career was a constant confrontation with court officials in an effort to regain the power that had been lost by previous Ming monarchs.

Therefore, the old Taoist priest constantly used power tactics in the court, using his subjects to fight against other subjects, while he himself often stayed out of the matter and dealt with it calmly.

Until now, it is the Longqing Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty finally opened up the door to new policies under the leadership of the old Taoist priest, and the new emperor inherited this last wish.

But Zhu Zaigui, the Emperor Longqing, was different.

He needed new policies to revive the empire, but he also wanted to gain far more fame than the previous emperor.

Good reputation.

This also happened in the original history.

It’s just that the process and the ending are different.

Yan Shaoting clearly remembered all the major events during the Longqing period.

The sea was opened in the Longqing period.

Longqing Peace Agreement.

Finally it was known as the Longqing Restoration.

But the original approach was wrong.

Opening up the sea only made the gentry and wealthy families in the southeast richer and allowed them to earn overseas profits more openly, but the imperial court could not gain any benefit from it at all.

The same was true of the peace talks with the Anda tribe.

Although it gave the Nine Frontiers a chance to catch their breath and allow the soldiers to take a short break, it also completely put the Nine Frontiers on the road to ultimate collapse, and the only ones who benefited were the border civil and military officials and the Shanxi merchants and their party.

Ever since.

During the Longqing reign, there was no substantial improvement in the country, but the emperor was given the title of a king of revival.

Presented to the emperor by officials and gentry.

And an emperor who seeks fame is naturally easy to get along with.

It is precisely because of this that Yan Shaoting said and did what he did today.

Facing the emperor's gaze, Yan Shaoting smiled.

He said softly, "The enemies of our Central Plains have always been in the north. Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, all the enemies that have shaken the foundation of our Central Plains have come from the north. Although there are bandits in the East China Sea, Nanling Mountains, and Western Regions who are eyeing the Central Plains, they are just a bunch of small bandits and will not become a force to be reckoned with. This time, I was ordered to lead the troops to the expedition, to recover the old land of Hetao, to lead the troops north out of Yinshan, to control the south of the desert, and to look at the north of the desert from afar. I know that the enemies in the north are the biggest threat to our Central Plains. I think that this time the soldiers of the three armies have served and captured countless bandits, who will be presented to the court. Your Majesty's achievements can be compared with those of the Second Ancestor. If Your Majesty is determined to make progress and reform the old, then our court should continue to use troops in the north, from Liaodong in the east to Hexi in the west, to wipe out all the bandits in the north and drive them to flee westward, so that the north can have at least a hundred years of peace, and all tribes will come to surrender and seek to submit."

After arousing the emperor's desire to achieve great civil and military achievements.

Yan Shaoting took the opportunity to reveal his plan hidden in his grand plan.

Liaodong!

This is the obvious and serious threat to the Ming Dynasty, and the place where the villains are gathering their strength.

Rather than saying he wanted to pacify the north, it would be more accurate to say he wanted to pacify Liaodong.

Zhu Zaigui's eyes widened: "This... can our dynasty accomplish this?"

Yan Shaoting nodded heavily: "Now the late emperor and the emperor have issued an order to summon Qi Jiguang, Tan Lun, Yu Dayou and other brave generals to the north to serve in the nine northern borders. I believe that the imperial army of the Heavenly Kingdom will be able to pacify the northern borders in no time!"

cake.

It has existed since ancient times.

Most of the time it’s top-down.

But there are also bottom-up plans.

Now Yan Shaoting, as a minister, is painting a big pie for the Emperor of Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Zaigui couldn't help but let his throat move as he swallowed the saliva that was growing in his mouth.

Yan Shaoting went a step further and said, "Now, outside the East China Sea, Japanese pirates used to invade every year, but now they have been pacified by our good generals. The sea is peaceful and there are countless businesses. This place is no longer a big deal. And our dynasty has had government offices south of the Nanling Mountains since ancient times. Although Jiaozhi and other places have been away for many years, they have not lost the hearts of the people. After the north is pacified, the court can select those who are good at fighting in the mountains and forests to go south and use troops to recover Jiaozhi. In the end, the only enemy left in the Central Plains is the west. West of Sichuan and south of Gansu, the mountains are high and the roads are long. It is not suitable to govern the people now, but we can set up military defense to trap them. If the north is pacified, the Hexi Corridor can be opened and the troops can advance to the west of Yangguan."

On the Ying Building.

The young Prince's Guardian was slowly sketching out a magnificent territory for the Emperor, depicting a scene in which the vast mountains and rivers were all under the rule of the monarch.

Zhu Zaigui's breathing gradually became rapid.

Although he is not a gifted person, he is not stupid either. It is easy to infer the truth or falsehood of what Yan Shaoting said.

The main enemy of the Central Plains has always been the grasslands outside the Nine Borders.

As long as the Ming Dynasty can pacify the bandits on the grassland, it will naturally have enough energy to govern the south.

The imperial court could also transfer the huge amount of money, grain and materials spent in the nine borders every year and use them for operations elsewhere.

As for whether this can be achieved?
Zhu Zaigui looked at Yan Shaoting calmly yet uncomfortably. He believed what the young man said.

It was he who led his troops to reclaim the Hetao region, which had been lost for more than a hundred years.

But Yan Shaoting's voice rang out again, full of magic and temptation.

"emperor."

"When the time comes, the royal army will conquer the north, recover Jiaozhi, control Tubo, and reopen the Western Regions. Your Majesty's name as a king will surely be known throughout the world, and the title of Heavenly Khan will also return to the king of the Han Dynasty in the Central Plains."

"Your Majesty, you are the first Ming emperor to be honored as the Heavenly Khan by the barbarians in the Central Plains eight hundred years later!"

The words fell to the ground.

Everything is calm.

Upstairs, in the night wind.

There was only the breathing sound of the Emperor of Ming Dynasty and the Prince's Guard.

Sometimes fast, sometimes slow.

One heavy and one light.

"it is good!"

"well said!"

After a while.

An exclamation burst out from the emperor's mouth.

……

The next day, the whole city of Beijing woke up to the sound of continuous firecrackers.

As the sky gradually brightened.

When people in Beijing who got up late pushed open their doors and walked out, they saw that the streets and alleys outside their homes were already filled with thick smoke from firecrackers.

The drums and music continued, coming from all directions.

Today the capital is bustling with joy.

Early.

Officials from the cabinet to the six ministries and five temples were waiting outside Yongding Gate early.

The officials of the Ministry of Rites were extremely busy.

According to the procedures agreed upon by the Cabinet, the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Rites.

Plus the emperor’s decree issued yesterday.

Today, the army that conquered the north returns to the capital in triumph.

The emperor issued a special decree, ordering the army to enter the city from Yongding Gate, and officials from various departments led the generals of the Northern Expedition Army to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth at the Temple of Heaven and the Altar of Mountains and Rivers.

Then the soldiers of the three armies returned to the camp and waited for rewards from the court.

The generals in the army continued to march along Yongdingmen Street and Zhengyangmen Street from south to north, entering Zhengyangmen, entering Damingmen, and finally to the back of Chengtianmen and in front of Duanmen.

The emperor would lead the commanders of each camp of the Northern Expedition Army to offer sacrifices at the Altar of Land and Grain on the west side, and then lead the General of the Northern Expedition Army to offer sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

last of the last.

Only then did people from all walks of life gather in front of the Huangji Palace.

The Mongolian leaders captured by the Northern Expedition Army will also be presented in the square in front of the Huangji Palace.

The entire process is arranged almost every quarter of the hour.

however.

When the officials in the capital saw the victorious Northern Expedition Army returning outside the Yongding Gate at the appointed time, their faces changed slightly when they saw the generals walking at the front of the team.

Gao Gong almost stood on tiptoe and looked at the army that was approaching.

Gao Yi, who was beside him, narrowed his eyes and said, "Why...is there no sign of Young Master Yan?"

Follow the rules.

When offering sacrifices to the Temple of Heaven and the Altar of Mountains and Rivers later, Yan Shaoting will be required to offer soil from the Hetao and north of the Yinshan Mountains, implying the return of his homeland.

But now there is no one there!
As the army got closer, it was already right in front of us.

When Gao Gong and others saw Wang Chonggu with an embarrassed look on his face, they finally confirmed one thing.

Yan Shaoting, the General of the Northern Expedition and the newly appointed Prince's Guardian.

gone!
Without waiting for Gao Gong and others to speak, nor for Wang Chonggu to rack his brains to find a reasonable reason and explanation.

The sound of horse hooves could be heard from behind the crowd as they drove out of Yongding Gate.

Everyone looked back.

He is the eunuch who delivers imperial decrees in the palace.

"In obedience to the Emperor Tian Cheng Yun, the decree is issued: The Dragon and Tiger General Yan Hu, who is brave and good at fighting, loyal and honest, and pure and innocent, shall be conferred the title of Wuchuan Earl and appointed as the deputy governor of the Central Military Governor's Office."

The disappearance of Yan Shaoting caught everyone off guard.

When the emperor's order was conveyed, everyone looked at Yan Hu, who had already rode forward, dismounted, walked to the eunuch who delivered the order, bowed and raised his hands to receive the order.

Everyone at the scene was shocked.

Two titles from one family!
No one expected that after the emperor had promoted the Yan family to the rank of Marquis of Changping, he actually gave the Yan family the title of Earl of Wuchuan.

Although it does not seem to be hereditary.

But now the Yan family also has two nobles.

Moreover, Yan Hu’s fief was Wuchuan.

This undoubtedly showed that the emperor fully agreed with Yan Shaoting's previous proposal about stationing troops and building a city north of Yinshan Mountain.

But before everyone could react and come forward to congratulate Yan Hu.

The eunuch who delivered the decree said, "General Zhengbei and the Crown Prince's Junior Guardian Yan Shaoting has another decree. Now the Earl of Wuchuan will take his place and offer sacrifices to the Temple of Heaven and the Altar of Mountains and Rivers, and offer soil from the Hetao and Yinshan Mountains."

Everyone became more confused and puzzled.

Yan Shaoting has disappeared, but the emperor's oral order now seems to indicate that the emperor knows where Yan Shaoting is.

Although letting Yan Hu perform the sacrifice on behalf of the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition Army was not under discussion at the moment, everyone was helpless.

We can't let them come out and object, which would end up causing us to miss the deadline.

This is a serious crime.

Disrupting the imperial court's sacrifices was almost a crime equivalent to high treason.

Among the crowd, some were happy and some were sad, but everyone could only watch the emperor's seemingly reckless actions.

A large group of people surrounded Yan Hu and entered the city.

He successively offered sacrifices to the Temple of Heaven and the Altar of Mountains and Rivers, and offered soil from the Hetao and Yinshan Mountains.

Then the soldiers of the three armies returned to the camp, waiting for further rewards from the court, while the generals in the army followed the officials directly into the inner city.

Wait until everyone passes through Chengtian Gate.

Only then did he see that the emperor's sedan chair had been waiting there for a long time, and Yan Shaoting, who had been nowhere to be found, was standing next to the emperor.

Gao Gong's breath suddenly stopped.

There was a flash of coldness in Li Chunfang's eyes.

In their eyes, this scene has countless meanings.

Yan Shaoting's expression was calm, he just looked at these people with surprise in silence.

Zhu Zaigui smiled slightly, and seeing that everyone had arrived, he waved his hand and said, "Since you are all here, please offer sacrifices to the altar of grain first, and then to the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

Everyone was speechless and could only bow their heads and accept the order.

Yan Shaoting always stayed by the emperor's side.

After the sacrifices at the Altar of Land and Grain and the Imperial Ancestral Temple were completed.

Today's ceremony has completed the first half, and the rest will be the presentation of captives and the emperor's official words to confer titles and rewards on the meritorious soldiers who have participated in this expedition.

In front of Huangji Palace.

On the high steps above.

The imperial throne had already been established.

At this time, Yan Shaoting stopped in the square in front of the steps, and the emperor sat on the dragon throne above, served by the people from the Imperial Household Department.

Civil and military officials were on the left and right.

Throughout the imperial palace, flags were waving in the wind everywhere you looked.

The Han generals had spent the entire night polishing their armor until it was translucent and reflective, and it was extremely dazzling under the sunlight.

The palace maids stretched their necks to search for the generals who returned victoriously, praying secretly in their hearts that they would be rewarded by some newly promoted meritorious general.

The music troupe of the Jiaofangsi hid in the dark corners of the palace, delivering the long-lasting music into everyone's ears.

At this moment.

Lu Fang, who was still the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, appeared on the steps with a slightly unsteady step.

I saw that he was holding a bright yellow imperial edict in his hand.

on the square.

Everyone's expression was cheered up.

The best thing is coming.

As a prime minister for many years, Lu Fang was naturally very familiar with conveying imperial edicts. He began to read the imperial edict in a strong voice.

"In obedience to the Emperor of Heaven, the decree is: ..."

"...Yan Shaoting was promoted to the position of Minister of Rites, in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Rites..."

"Appreciate this."

All sounds are silent.

Whether they were members of the old Qingliu party or officials from various factions of the new party, they all went crazy.

They all stared with wide eyes at Lu Fang on the steps, as if waiting for him to correct his mistake, saying that he had read the imperial edict wrongly.

But people did not wait to correct their mistakes.

But what he waited for was the youngest six ministers in the history of the Ming Dynasty!
…………

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(End of this chapter)