After the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di ascended the throne, he was busy with political affairs, and he wore clothes at night, night and day, and the desk was still piled up and could not be dealt with in time.

Because Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the prime minister, the emperor directly faced the six ministries to deal with government affairs, and you are an iron man, and you are not competent with three heads and six arms.

Therefore, the Yongle Emperor ordered Xie Jin, Huang Huai, Yang Qi, Hu Guang, Jin Youzi, Yang Rong, Hu Yan and other seven people to enter the Wenyuan Pavilion, prepare the emperor's advisers, participate in the pre-machine affairs, deal with political affairs, known as the cabinet in history, and especially Xie Jin is the most trusted, appointed as the first assistant of the cabinet, promoted to the Hanlin bachelor and the right Chunfang University scholar, and ordered him to rebuild the "Taizu Record". Without him, after Fang Xiaoru was killed, the enthronement edict of the Yongle Emperor was drafted by Xie Jin.

On this day, Emperor Yongle received a secret music from King Min of Yunnan, saying that it was Xiping Marquis Musheng who colluded with the monk Kongwen and others of Jiming Temple to rebel, and felt strange and difficult to decide, so he urgently summoned Xie Jin, handed over the inscription of King Min to him, and asked him what his opinion was.

Xie Jin looked at it, smiled slightly, and said: "In the thirty-second year of Hongwu (that is, the first year of Jianwen), Musheng, Marquis of Xiping, sued King Min for illegal affairs, so Jianwen Jun imprisoned King Min. Now that His Majesty has ascended the throne, he remembers him as a sibling and releases him. After this King Min returned to Yunnan, he took revenge and sued the Marquis of Xiping, and His Majesty did not need to pay attention to it. ”

Emperor Yongle didn't dare to agree, and asked: "In your opinion, this King Min came out of nothing?" ”

Xie Jinchengzhu said in his chest: "That's nature. Your Majesty, please see, this King Min's inscription says that Xiping Marquis Musheng colluded with the monks of Jiming Temple to plot against him, but he can't say why, just that those monks are suspicious and sneaky, how can they be convicted with these words? Not only Mu Sheng is not convinced, but I am afraid that people all over the world are not convinced. ”

Emperor Yongle smiled and said, "Scholar Xie is a little bookish. Regardless of these for now, don't you think it's a little strange that those monks from Jiming Temple traveled thousands of miles to Yunnan? ”

When Xie Jin heard this, he hurriedly apologized to Zhu Di and said: "It was the minister's negligence for a while, and he didn't take this into account, please punish Your Majesty." However, this matter is easy to hear, and the abbot of the Jiming Temple, Master Dexuan, will be detained and asked, and he will find out. ”

Emperor Yongle nodded and said, "Okay, this matter is over, you don't have to worry about it, I will order someone to handle it." ”

When Xie Jin heard this, he just wanted to quit, but Zhu Di stopped him and said, "I have another important matter to ask Xie students for reference." ”

Xie Jin stood aside and said respectfully: "Please make it clear to Your Majesty, Xie Jin should know everything and say everything." ”

Emperor Yongle pondered for a moment, his expression was quite painful, looked at Xie Jin, and said slowly: "I have been on the throne for more than a year, but I have not yet established a prince, and I can't make a decision in my heart, so I ask Xie Bachelor to solve my doubts." ”

When Xie Jin heard this, his face changed greatly, and he hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, and said in a loud voice: "This Your Majesty's family matter, no minister dares to predict it." ”

Zhu Di helped him up, patted Xie Jin's shoulder, and said earnestly: "Emperor Taizu Gao once regarded you as a son during his lifetime, so now you and I are like brothers, both brothers, why not?" ”

Xie Jin asked rhetorically: "Then who does Your Majesty want in his heart?" ”

Zhu Di wrenched his fingers and said, "You also know that I have three sons. The eldest son is Gao Chi, the second son is Gao Xu, and the youngest son is Gao Sui. When I became the king of Yan, Gao Chi became the prince, and over the years, he has also been careful to abide by his duties, diligent, and there is no big mistake. Especially during the Battle of Jingyan, he stuck to Beiping and raised grain and grass, which can be regarded as a great contribution. But when it comes to appeasement, Gao Xu is unmatched. I have been in danger several times, but Gao Xu came to the rescue, and it can be said that without Gao Xu, there would be no me today. Especially in the Battle of Pukou, if it weren't for Gao Xu's arrival and brave defeat of Sheng Yong, we would all die without a place to be buried, let alone occupy the throne. Besides, I am heroic and martial here, and I am fat and sickly, and it is difficult to win the drama, so I am interested in Gao Xu. Gao Sui is mediocre and not among them. However, it is not in line with reason, and I am afraid that it will be a matter of discussion, so please solve the bachelor's word. ”

Xie Jin thought for a moment and said bluntly: "Your Majesty, you have been like this since ancient times. The eldest son of the emperor is benevolent and filial, and the world returns to the heart, if His Majesty abolishes the elder and the young, there will be disputes. As soon as this example is opened, I am afraid that it will be difficult for me to have peace in the Ming Dynasty. The Yuan Dynasty did not follow the old customs, inherited impermanence, and died because of it, which is a lesson from the past, and Your Majesty must not ignore it. ”

After Zhu Di heard this, his face showed displeasure, and although he did not refute it, he still seemed hesitant. Seeing this, Xie Jin said again: "Good saint grandson (referring to Zhu Zhanji, the son of Zhu Gaochi)!" ”

When Zhu Di heard this, he suddenly became enlightened, and the two looked at each other and smiled, and the matter of establishing the prince was decided.

However, how to place Zhu Gaoxu is still a headache, so Xie Jin offered Zhu Di another advice: "Your Majesty, now that King Min and the Marquis of Xiping are attacking each other, it has become a fire and water, and one must be transferred." The Mu family has been in Yunnan for more than 20 years, with deep roots and lush leaves, and it is indispensable, so it can only be migrated to other places by King Min. But if Yunnan is guarded by no vassal king, the ministers are afraid that the Mu family will be hereditary and become a state of secession among the princes. Wouldn't it be better to divide the king of Gaoyang County here, which is not only the distinction between monarchs and ministers, but also the national screen domain, the best of both worlds? ”

When Zhu Di heard this, he was amazed, and praised again and again: "Bachelor Xie is really my first genius in the Ming Dynasty." ”

When Xie Jin heard this, he also looked proud.

Zhu Di was afraid of causing unnecessary disputes, so he instructed Xie Jinqian: "Only you and I know about this matter at the moment, and you must not let others know, otherwise it will cause disputes, and I am the only one who asks." ”

Xie Jin hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed: "It's about the country, and the minister must be tight-lipped." ”

After Xie Jin left the palace, Zhu Di summoned Hu Ying into the palace again, this time he was not as kind as he was to Xie Jin, and said in a fierce voice: "What are you doing, after many days, I haven't found the whereabouts of Jianwenjun." ”

Hu Ying was so frightened that he trembled, and kowtowed again and again: "The minister has found out that Jianwenjun did flee overseas under the cover of the traitor Zhang Songxi, and the minister's master Yuan Gong was also killed, but the minister did not know the sea route and failed to continue the investigation." ”

Zhu Di threw King Min's inscription in front of him and shouted: "Why did these monks from Jiming Temple go to Yunnan, you go and check it out to see if it has anything to do with Jianwenjun?" Report to me as soon as you find out. ”

Hu Ying picked up the question book and hurried out of the palace, and after a while, he came back dejectedly, and replied to Zhu Di: "Your Majesty, the minister has taken the abbot of Na Dexuan into the Jinyi Guard Prison and tortured him. It seems that King Min is exaggerating, and the three of them should not be pretended by Jianwenjun and others. ”

Zhu Di said angrily when he heard this: "Nonsense, Jiming Temple is my family temple, and Abbot Dexuan has always respected Emperor Taizu Gao, how can you arbitrarily arrest him in Zhao Prison, where will I be?" ”

Hu Ying's face turned pale with fright, and he hurriedly kowtowed: "The minister knows that he is wrong, so he will go and release Abbot Dexuan." ”

Zhu Di said indifferently: "Since you have been arrested, don't let it go if you don't ask for understanding." Serve him well, don't let him be tortured, and don't let him die in prison. ”

Hu Ying blinked and said, "Your Majesty, that Weichen will go to Yunnan immediately to find out about this matter." ”

Zhu Di reprimanded again: "Idiot, if you go forward in such a hurry, won't you startle the snake." In this way, I appointed you as the head of the Ministry of Works, and in the name of procurement, you will go to various places to check the whereabouts of Na Jianwenjun, and as soon as there is news, come to report to me. ”

Hu Ying kowtowed again and said, "Obey." The subordinate will not fail in his mission. ”

After Hu Ying left, Zhu Di summoned Zheng He into the palace again. Zheng He kowtowed, Zhu Di helped him up, looked at him carefully, and said lovingly: "Sanbao, you are much darker and thinner." ”

Zheng He grinned and said, "Your Majesty has also reduced a lot. ”

Zhu Di asked: "For more than a year, you have lived in Longjiang Shipyard and have not returned to the palace, I am very worried, I don't know how your treasure ship is built?" ”

Zheng He took out a drawing from the skin bag beside him, spread it on the imperial case, and pointed at the drawing: "Your Majesty, please see, this treasure ship is forty-four feet long and fourteen feet long and eighteen feet wide; The middle one is thirty-seven zhang long and fifteen zhang wide. It is four stories high, nine masts are erected on the ship, twelve sails can be hung, the anchor weighs thousands of catties, and more than 100 people must be used to set sail every time the ship is opened. ”

Zhu Di thought for a while and teased: "Sanbao, your treasure ship is bigger than my Fengtian Palace." ”

When Zheng He heard this, he hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, and apologized again and again: "The slave and maid should die, I didn't think of this section, please punish Your Majesty." ”

Zhu Di helped him up with a smile and said, "I'm joking with you, the sea is different from land, no matter how big the ship is, it's a lonely boat, you go on." ”

Zheng He stood up again, his face was no longer relaxed, and he introduced seriously: "The bottom of my Da Ming Bao boat is wide and the bottom is wide, and the head and tail are warped, commonly known as the two ends of the warp. The square bow is wide and stern, and the front of the bow is painted with a tiger head relief, so as to strengthen my prestige. On both sides of the ship are the flying dragons painted in the sky, and the stern is a Dapeng bird, ready to fly. ”

When Zhu Di heard this, he nodded and said with a smile: "What you said is so good, I want to take a ride and go to sea to have a look." ”

Zheng He persuaded: "The sea is cloudy and sunny, the wind and clouds are abrupt, and the waves are monstrous. ”

Zhu Di asked again: "Sanbao, you grew up inland, you have never been to sea, so the sea is high and the waves are fast, and you don't argue the direction, how do you ensure that the ship does not get lost and is on the right course?" ”

Zheng He said: "Your Majesty and relax, for more than a year, Weichen has studied navigation knowledge hard, and he has a little knowledge of sailing. My Daming treasure ship uses the sea needle warp, combined with the transoceanic astrological technique (astronomical navigation) to determine the direction, and will not get lost. During the day, the fleets communicate with each other in the language of flags, and at night they hang lanterns and communicate with each other. In rainy and foggy weather, use gongs and horns to keep in touch. Therefore, the slave and maid ensure that the fleet can sail high and sail day and night. ”

Zhu Di was still a little worried: "The waves on the sea are huge, can our treasure ship be built strong?" How to arrange the life of personnel on sea voyages for many years? ”

Zheng He replied unhurriedly: "In the structure of the sea ship, my Daming treasure ship adopts the lap method to form a "fish scale" ship, so that the ship board is tightly connected, has high strength, and is not easy to leak. The bottom of the ship is equipped with multiple transverse bulkheads, which are divided into different sealed cabins, so that the design can not only classify the cargo, but also not afraid of temporary leakage. When it comes to daily life and personnel arrangements, please take a look at Your Majesty. ”

Zheng He pointed to the drawings of the treasure ship and explained: "The treasure ship is divided into four layers under the deck, the lowest ballast stone is placed, the upper two layers are placed for food and cargo, and the top layer is equipped with twenty gun emplacements along both sides of the ship's side. The open space in the middle was the residence of hundreds of soldiers and junior officers on the ship, and each of them was as spacious as one zhang square. Beyond that is the deck. The deck is divided into two parts, front and rear, and the bow of the ship has a forward cabin, which is mainly occupied by more than 100 sailors on board. The slave will live above the stern helm in the future. The rudder has four floors, the first floor is used by the helmsman to handle the boat, and the other is the place where the ship's doctor can be treated. The second floor is the official hall, which is the residence of slaves and maids and a deputy general. The third floor is a shrine, which is used to worship the gods of Mazu, and there are four yin and yang officials to manage it and bless the smooth sailing of the ship. The top floor of the rudder tower is used for command, meteorological observation, and signal communication.

On the deck between the fore and aft cabins, in addition to the guns and sail winches, there is an activity space for the crew, which is specially used for drill training. My Da Ming Bao ship can carry more than 10,000 stones, can also carry thousands of passengers, the cabin is elegant and clean, well-equipped, abundant food, and can even raise pigs, grow vegetables, make wine, and plant flowers and grass on the ship, in order to relax, self-cultivation. ”

Zhu Di smiled when he heard this: "What you said about my Daming treasure ship is like heaven, but I built these treasure ships, and Pyle and others went to sea, not for you to play." ”

Zheng He hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed: "The slave understands that the emperor ordered the slave and maid to go to sea by boat in order to find the whereabouts of Jianwenjun. ”

Zhu Di nodded and said: "Since Yuan Hui died in Ningbo for unknown reasons, his disciple Hu Ying investigated and reported that Jianwenjun had fled overseas, so I ordered someone to build a sea ship, and asked you to supervise the work, and prepare to go to sea to find him." You must give me a letter of approval, you must see people in life, and you must see corpses in death. ”

Zheng He kowtowed and said: "Obey the order, the slave and maid will live up to Your Majesty's trust." ”

Zhu Di asked, "When will you be able to go to sea?" ”

Zheng He said: "The ship has been built, and now we are only preparing some things needed on the road, and it is estimated that we will be able to go to sea in three months." First go to Ryukyu, inquire about the news, and then look all the way, even if Jianwenjun escapes to the ends of the earth, the slave and maid will capture him and sacrifice him. ”

Zhu Di said: "That's not necessary, if you really find his whereabouts, you can do it cheaply, and you don't have to send it to Jingshi." In addition, this trip to the sea, can not be without a name, I think it is better to call 'good through other countries, Huairou far away people', to let overseas countries know that I have changed the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, so that he is afraid of the prestige and virtue, and loses sincerity and tribute, so as to reproduce the prosperous scene of my Ming Dynasty and all countries. ”

Zheng He kowtowed again and said, "The slave obeys the order." ”