In the Xuanzheng Hall, the court discussion is going on.
The cabinet ministers, the six ministries and nine ministers, the five military governors, the six subjects, as well as the prince and Prince Rui, were all standing in the hall at this time.
The ministers present had two opinions. They were debating with each other at this time. The debates on the scene could be described as one after another.
The first round of negotiations with the Spanish has ended, and the other party has made three demands for peace.
The first is to ask the Ming Dynasty to recognize its occupation of Luzon, the second is to ask the Ming Dynasty to donate several small islands on the southeast coast, and the third is to ask the Ming Dynasty to close the coastal shipyards.
In response, the Spaniards were willing to donate one million taels of silver every year and were willing to fully help the Ming Dynasty to exterminate the pirates.
Luzon is thousands of miles away from the ocean and is now actually occupied by the Spanish. Expeditions to drive away these hungry wolves will be difficult and low-yield for the Ming Dynasty.
So, the first article proposed by the Spaniards was supported by more than half of the six ministries and nine ministers.
Even those who don’t support it do so out of respect for the Chinese Empire, rather than really feeling that Luzon must be saved.
As for the second point of debate, it is much more intense. Some people think that abandoning a few desert islands is not a big problem, while others think that it is a loss of power and an insult to the country.
As for asking Ming Dynasty to give up shipbuilding, they were not only willing to subsidize the money, but were also willing to help fight against pirates. This did not cause controversy.
Everyone was talking fiercely, but only a few people from the Fifth Army Commander's Mansion remained silent as usual. This was also the custom in court discussions.
Just because they don’t speak does not mean that they have no attitude. They all think that they cannot agree to any of the three points proposed by the Spaniards.
On the throne, Zhu Xianming remained silent and just looked at
Of course he did not agree with the views of the civil servants, but he also knew that these people looked at the problem from different perspectives, so he would conclude that Different perspectives.
From a short-term perspective, abandoning Luzon and stopping shipbuilding, coupled with the Spanish sending money and stabilizing the sea, can greatly reduce the burden on Ming Dynasty and gain huge benefits at the same time.
Zhu Xianming is not a short-sighted person, especially after being repeatedly "brainwashed" by Zhu Jinghong. He is no longer thinking about things ten or twenty years from now, but looking ahead to fifty or even a hundred years from now.
At present, Xiyi wanted to get Luzon by offering some benefits, and even pushed the warships to the offshore waters of the Ming Dynasty, and asked the imperial court to abandon the shipyard and abandon its martial arts. Of course, Zhu Xianming would not agree.
This court meeting lasted for nearly an hour, and no conclusion was reached in the end, but there was a trend of agreeing to "peace talks".
After the court meeting, only the chief assistant Zhao Yushan was left behind, and the others all left the Xuanzheng Hall.
"Qing Zhao, you didn't say a word just now. Do you still have no opinion on this matter?"
Zhao Yushan calmly replied: "Your Majesty, although the court is currently experiencing difficulties, We are not at the end of our rope yet!"
"Yes!" Zhu Xianming motioned for him to continue.
"The Western Yi wolves are ambitious and want toIf you want to encroach on the territory of the Ming Dynasty and dominate the sea, our government will never let it succeed! "
Zhao Yushan also had a long-term vision and saw the evil intentions of the Spaniards, so he expressed his views very straightforwardly.
Zhu Xianming sighed: "Yes... it's a pity. All the court officials knew nothing about this! ”
It is normal for courtiers not to realize the seriousness of the threat from the sea.
In their view, the worst case scenario is just another risk. It's not a big problem if there is a Japanese pirate.
Zhao Yushan replied: "They are blind, if your Majesty guides them well, they will wake up!"
Zhu Xianming smiled slightly, and then said: "Qing Zhao... you are the chief minister, and I have entrusted the court to you. You must pay more attention to this matter!" "
"Yes! " Zhao Yushan replied calmly.
Next, the two discussed the matter of Qingzhang, and the conversation ended half an hour later.
Zhao Yushan was added to the burden. After thinking about how to persuade his ministers to go, the emperor returned to Qianqing Palace.
Here, Prince Rui Zhu Jingyuan was already waiting.
After entering Qianqing Palace, Zhu Xianming arrived. He sat down on the chair, and Zhu Jingyuan had already brought the tea.
After taking the tea cup, Zhu Xianming said: "Lao Liu, you have done a good job recently, and my ears are finally quiet! "
Zhu Jingyuan was immediately happy when his father praised him, so he replied: "Dad... How dare your son fail to do your best for what you asked him to do!" ”
“If they were all the same as you, I would feel at ease! "
After the two talked nonsense, Zhu Xianming finally asked: "What are you doing here? ”
“Dad, if my son has anything to say about Xiyi, please tell me alone! "
These words made Zhu Xianming's eyes light up, so he said: "You can just say what you want! "
"My son thinks that Xiyi is ambitious and we must not be fooled by him! "
Immediately afterwards, Zhu Jingyuan discussed his own views, and he hit the key point.
In fact, the so-called "key point" was not only seen by Zhu Jingyuan, but also by the six ministers and nine ministers. These big guys can see through everything, but only the young officials in the Sixth Section don't understand anything.
The reason why the Sixth Division and Nine Ministers turn a blind eye to the "problem" is because they have different interests to consider.
That's why the emperor asked Zhao Yushan to "persuade" and correct these people's thinking.
After a few minutes, Zhu Jingyuan finished his opinion, and then said: "Dad, my son thinks. , we must not agree to Xi Yi’s request! ”
The fact that Lao Liu could say these words really surprised Zhu Xianming, and also made him expect more from this boy.
In order to test the boy’s upper limit, Zhu Xianming then asked He said: "The imperial court is in a troubled time. The war in the northwest has consumed a lot of money, the Korean rebellion has just been put down, and the Qingzhangs in various places have accumulated a lot of grievances..."
After talking about the practical issues, Zhu Xianming asked: "What if we have to fight with the West?" The barbarians are at odds with each other, heWhat should we do if we lead an army to attack? "
"You should know that the Western Yi ships are strong and powerful, and they are not soft persimmons like the Japanese pirates! "
Not to mention, Zhu Jingyuan has worked in Jinling for a year, and he really knows how powerful Xiyi is, at least from a naval perspective.
"My son thought... Our army was victorious because of the right timing, location, and people. Although the Western barbarians had strong ships and powerful artillery, but..."
Zhu Jingyuan kept talking, which sounded conclusive, but if you think about it carefully, you will understand. Found nothing.
In the end, Zhu Xianming praised Lao Liu a few times, and then asked the guy to leave.
Then another idea came to Zhu Xianming. That was to test Zhu Jinghong.
But he just thought about it and finally shook his head, because it was not necessary at all.
With how radical this guy was, it was just a matter of time. I'm afraid I'll have to send it over to teach him, the emperor, a lesson, and then he, Old Zhu, will be accused of not having enough structure. Isn't this simply causing trouble for himself?
Should I ask the prince...< /p>
Zhu Xianming's second thought quickly disappeared without a trace, because there was no need to ask.
Even the sixth child is only at this level, and the prince can speak when he comes. What kind words, Zhu Xianming has no expectations at all.
The imperial government has nothing to do with ordinary people, it just adds to the discussion among the people. Zhu Jinghong's life was not affected by this.
Wang Pei'an went to the northwest. Now he has relaxed again, but he still insists on reading books every day and mainly pursuing fun.
At the turn of spring, hundreds of flowers are in full bloom in the palace's back garden. As soon as this happened, a banquet was being held in the garden.
A few musicians were playing, and Li Huizhen, dressed in feathers, was dancing in the middle of the banquet. , while Zhu Jinghong danced with the girl with a flower in his wild manner.
It was said that he was dancing with Li Huizhen, but he was just following Li Huizhen and licking her.
Scene, side view. Concubine Yang Jingting, selected attendants Zhen Qin, Ke Qing, Ying Lian, and others are all here, including Bao Qin.
As for Baochai, he went to the palace today as usual, representing Zhu Jinghong. Say hello to the Queen.
As for the scene, Bao Qin was sitting next to Ying Lian, and she said in a low voice: "My brother-in-law is so reckless about his status that he chases a dancer. He is not afraid of the Holy One." Furious to know! "
To be honest, Baoqin, as an outsider, was worried about Zhu Jinghong at this moment.
Yinglian smiled, and then replied: "The prince always does whatever he wants, Your Majesty. Kind and broad-minded...I don't think I'll care! "
This is of course based on experience. In the past few years since she was brought to the capital by Zhu Jinghong, Yinglian is very aware of what this person has done.
Compared with those major events in the past , It’s nothing at this moment.
“Sister, why do you need to worry about this? Come on... let’s have another drink, sister! ”
The speaker isIt was Zhen Qin. This person had the character to adapt to the changing circumstances. Thinking that Bao Qin was Bao Chai's sister, she started to think about making friends.
"My little sister is too drunk, please forgive me!" Bao Qin looked guilty.
Zhen Qin was about to persuade her again, when Yang Jingting on the side said: "Girl Qin, you should drink two less drinks. Don't be helped back like last time!"
Yang Jingting is the concubine and has the highest status among the girls. Of course, what she says is very important.
Zhen Qin died down, while Bao Qin breathed a sigh of relief.
Everyone looked at the middle of the venue. At this time, Zhu Jinghong had caught Li Huizhen, then took a flower and inserted it in her temples.
Li Huizhen looks shy and her eyes are extremely seductive. She is indeed a very beautiful woman.
At this moment, not to mention the other women in the backcourt, even Yang Jingting and others sitting at the table looked at Li Huizhen with some envy.
At this moment, Deng An walked in from outside. Seeing that Zhu Jinghong had something to do, he waited aside.
“It’s so... beautiful!” Zhu Jinghong praised.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the flowers!" Li Huizhen said in greeting.
Zhu Jinghong replied: "Giving flowers to beauties is the creation of this flower!"
At this time, he also turned around and saw Deng An, so after helping Li Huizhen up, he He turned around and walked towards his seat.
Li Huizhen left the show according to the rules, and the next program followed.
After sitting down, Zhu Jinghong took the tea cup from Yu Hai, while Deng An arrived wisely.
After Zhu Jinghong drank tea, Deng Anfang reported: "Your Majesty, I have asked, but there is no result yet."
"It's just that they... discovered something suspicious!"< /p>
"Tell me and listen!"
Zhu Jinghong's position was set up independently, and there were only a few eunuchs nearby. At this time, they were also pushed back by Yu Hai.
"The house seems to be looking for something. Eunuchs go out every day, and they often come into contact with green men on the street!"
"Could they be looking for someone?" Zhu Jinghong asked. road.
Zhu Jingting’s son disappeared, which reminded Zhu Jinghong of this place.
Zhu Jingting’s son must know the inside story. The disappearance of this guy made Zhu Jinghong think he was dead. If Zhu Jingrun is also looking for him now, then it is very likely that this guy is alive and just hiding.
"I think so too, maybe I am looking for Zhu Jingting's son!" Deng An analyzed tentatively.
The capital is so big. It’s not easy to find a person who deliberately hides, not to mention that he might have escaped from the capital.
Of course, even if no one can be found, if it can be confirmed that Zhu Jingrun is looking for Zhu Jingting's son, then the fact that he is the mastermind behind it will be confirmed.
Looking at Park Zhenying who was already on the field, Zhu Jinghong looked at the court and applauded, saying: "Find a way to arrest the eunuch from the Guangyang Palace who is responsible for this matter, and ask what's going on! ”
Understand Zhu Jinghong’sIntention, Deng An replied: "I will make arrangements when I go down, and I will definitely do it cleanly!"
"Yes!"
It stands to reason that Deng An should leave, but this guy doesn't No sign of leaving.
"Your Majesty, there is something else that I don't know whether to say or not!"
"Just let it go!"
"I heard that there is something wrong with Rongguo Mansion. At the same time, he is already planning the marriage of his second girl!”
Hearing this, the smile on Zhu Jinghong’s face disappeared, and then he turned back and stared at Deng An.
Thinking that he had said the wrong thing, Deng An decisively knelt on the ground, his expression full of panic.
Just when he was about to confess, Zhu Jinghong asked: "Has the marriage been decided?"
"This... is just making arrangements, and it has not been decided yet!"
Raising his head, Deng An continued: "As far as I know, most of the Jia family, who are interested in honoring noble families, are indifferent to marriage matters!"
Although Rongguo Mansion is related to the prince, , but the position of the prince is very unstable, and it is really difficult for people to have the idea of getting married.
For the title that our ancestors sacrificed their lives to win, if you make one wrong step in a major matter, your glory may be gone and you may end up in jail.
After the Donghua Gate Incident more than ten years ago, dozens of nobles disappeared. Even top nobles like the Ningrong Second Mansion, even if they just chose to wait and see, they were still defeated. In the dust, it became what it is now.
The honorable family favored by the Jia family thinks that it is not as good as the Jia family at its peak, so who is willing to take such a big risk.
Of course, all this is due to the fact that the prince is too weak, so it is naturally difficult to win the confidence of the warriors.
Even his uncle Zhu Xiankun had the support of a group of nobles, which was much stronger than Zhu Jingyuan.
Looking at the respectful Deng An, Zhu Jinghong said with a smile: "You are serious, you pay attention to these trivial things!"
Deng An breathed a sigh of relief and quickly He smiled and said, "My servant just can't sit still. In order to make sure he doesn't make any mistakes, he doesn't dare to slack off in matters big or small. He pays attention to everything!"
"Well... if there's nothing to do, just go and get busy." Come on!"
"Yes!" Deng An replied.
After Deng An left, Yang Jingting came over again, still holding a wine glass in her hand.
She is in the palace and is currently in charge of dance and music matters. How can she not show more performance on an occasion like today?
And because she was a concubine, everyone present had a lower status than her, so no one came to compete with her at this time.
In the end, Yang Jingting simply had a small stool moved, arm in arm and sat next to Zhu Jinghong, and introduced to him in detail the details of singing and dancing.
She really pays attention to these things. Knowing the details and twists makes the dance music more three-dimensional and adds a lot of interest.
Soon, another two days passed. Zhu Jinghong was practicing calligraphy in the early morning, and Baochai was sitting by the window reading.
Since the ban, he has less time to dance with guns and sticks.He spent too much time in the study, which was a deliberate change in his image.
"Your Majesty, someone is coming from the palace!"
Yu Hai came in to report, which made Zhu Jinghong stop writing and Baochai also put down his scroll.
"Where are the people?" Zhu Jinghong asked.
Yu Hai replied: "In the main hall, it's Eunuch Zhang from Qianqing Palace!"
"Okay... I'll go see him!"
A few days ago After resting, Zhu Jinghong came to the main hall and saw a young eunuch.
"Your Highness, the Lord has spoken!"
Hearing this, Zhu Jinghong was about to bow down, but Eunuch Zhang stepped forward and helped him up.
"The Lord has said, His Highness just stands and listens!"
Standing and listening is a courtesy to Zhu Jinghong, which is actually rare.
Zhu Jinghong was not polite and asked this father-in-law to say something.
"On the fifth day of April, the imperial court will negotiate with Xiyi for the second time. His Majesty asked you to be present at that time!"
"I accept the decree!"
After the edict was over, the eunuch left, and Zhu Jinghong returned to the study next door.
As soon as he entered the door, Baochai came up to him and said, "Every critical moment, the old man always thinks of you, so congratulations!"
(End of this chapter) The transcoding has been serious recently, which makes us more motivated and updates faster. Please use your little hands to exit the reading mode. Thank you