"Your Majesty, I arrived with my concubine and Xu Zhengjing, and I am waiting to see you outside the Imperial Gate."

An attendant appeared quietly, reported a word, and then stood with his hands down, waiting for Emperor Zhu's dictation.

Emperor Zhu was sketching, standing in front of an easel with a pencil in his hand. Sitting on a chair opposite him as a model was a white girl of extreme beauty, her eyes were blue, her golden hair was naturally curved, like waves, her facial features were gorgeous as if carved by ice and snow, her red lips were tightly pursed, and her cheeks were ruddy, looking shy and timid.

This is a Rakshasa girl, named Natalie, who is only 16 years old this year, but she has developed into a plump and enchanting woman, and she is a very good model. Before, Zhu Cihong also misunderstood that she was a spy of the Rakshasa Kingdom, and asked people to arrest her in the palace for interrogation. After interrogation, I found out that it was a misunderstanding, so I left her in the palace and became a special model.

Oh, this was specifically for Natalie's wishes - Emperor Zhu asked her if she would like to accompany a fifty-year-old grandfather, or would she like to stay with the Supreme of the Celestial Empire?

Natalie didn't know Chinese, and Zhu couldn't speak Turkish or Rakshasa, but he could see her intentions in the eyes of the Rakshasa girl...... As the Son of Heaven, he still has this eyesight.

"Natalie," Zhu Cihong said with a smile, "Let's draw here today!" ”

After saying this, Zhu Cihong handed the pencil to an elderly "old palace maid" on the side - this old aunt's surname is Cao, a childless widow in the Cao Huachun clan, who was introduced into the palace by Cao Wenbao and became an old palace maid.

These "old palace maids" were used to replace the eunuchs, and after Emperor Zhu set the capital in Nanjing, the eunuch system began to run out of sight. However, Zhu Cihong did not have a holy decree to drive out all the eunuchs - did they starve to death? This can't be done, and they still need to run errands in the palace.

Therefore, the abolition of the eunuch system is a gradual process, and the first thing is not to recruit new eunuchs.

The second is the change in the position of the eunuch - no longer a coolie in the palace, but an official of the court. In other words, newcomers are not recruited, but the status of the old man has been improved and his role has been strengthened.

This is because Zhu Cihong also relied on the strength of eunuchs in his early years, and he had a group of "eunuchs who overcome difficulties" and had to take care of their interests.

Moreover, before the balance between the Gui group and the civil official group of the imperial examination is formed, Zhu Cihong also needs the eunuchs of the inner court to play a key weight in the power game......

Again, of course, it is to find a replacement for the eunuch. The one who can replace the eunuch is, of course, the palace maid. However, Emperor Zhu was reluctant to recruit young girls into the palace as palace maids - he wanted an aunt who did rough work, not a likable young lady.

So now Emperor Zhu's palace maids are basically elderly widows, especially helpless widows. Zhu Cihong also set up a nursing home for them, and if they couldn't do it, they would go to the elderly, and they could be buried on the side of the emperor's mausoleum, and the treatment was still good.

After sending Aunt Cao and Natalie away, Zhu Cihong instructed the eunuch: "Let Tokugawa Gao and Xu Zhengjing go to the Xinuan Pavilion of Yanshan Palace to wait." ”

Tokugawa Gao is a concubine, one of the nine concubines.

Now her father, Masayuki Baoke, has become the lord of Kyushu, Xu Zhengzhi - after Xu Fu!

In terms of origin, it is already higher than the Tokugawa clan!

Therefore, Gao Mei's status has also risen, and she has become the concubine of Emperor Zhu, and she is considered the number one person in the harem.

Xu Zhengjing is Baoke Zhengzheng, this time he came with the delegation of Tokugawa Guangguo, in addition to congratulating Emperor Chongzhen on his 50th birthday, it is to report to Zhu Cihong on the organization and training of the "Ming Samurai Legion".

After the dust of the civil war in Japan settled, the samurai recruited by the Ming Dynasty were all concentrated in Kyushu, and Xu Zhengjing was their general in charge of training and reorganization.

......

"Your Majesty, now the samurai army is roughly divided into two parts, one part is the elite hematite artillery army! There were 10,000 men in all, all armed with flintlock pistols and trained in reloading and assassination. During training, you can make 3 shots in one minute.

The other part was the traditional Japanese army, consisting of arquebusiers, pikemen, and archers, with a small number of samurai on horseback. That's 60,000 in all! It is divided into ten large fans, and each time it is 6,000 people! ”

The one who is talking is Xu Zhengjing, who is now also changing into the official uniform of the Ming Dynasty, sitting opposite Emperor Zhu, holding his knees with his hands, looking a little restrained.

It was Zhu Cihong's intention to divide the samurai army into the hematite artillery army and the Dafan army, and after learning about the strength of the hematite artillery army, Emperor Zhu decided to make good use of them......

In Zhu Cihong's view, his Nine-sided Youth Army and Japan's Hematite Artillery Army are likely to be the most powerful flintlock pistol units of this era.

It's hard to say who's up and who's down, it's how to use it.

The Nine-Sided Boys Army is an elite soldier, good at night fighting, skirmishers, and quick marches on the battlefield.

The Red Iron Artillery Army took a desperate route and could withstand the enemy's firepower - the brave wins when they meet on a narrow road!

Therefore, these two elites have to be grasped in their hands and used on the most critical battlefields.

For the Ming Empire, the most critical battlefield in the future is, of course, the Americas...... The Nanyang side can clean up the lackeys of the Dutch first, and not have to tear up the face with the Dutch, because there is still a Louis XVI in Europe! He is now running an army in a big way, and sooner or later he will fight on the Dutch mainland.

When the time comes, it will be decided whether to seize Batavia or not, according to the situation in Europe.

Therefore, it is enough to use the Japanese samurai army to go to the South Seas - go to 60,000, and estimate that 30,000 will die of illness, and the rest will be sealed in Pattani, Perak, and Johor...... You can also stuff a little bit to Luzon.

Of course, important cities, ports, and islands are not given, and what can be given to them is the vast countryside. After they suppressed the place, Emperor Zhu crowned the heirs born to himself, Gao Mei and Miho, two Japanese beauties, as kings......

As for the American battlefield, because the distance is too far, the transportation cost is too high, and the logistics supply capacity is limited, so it can only use elite soldiers.

"Seriously," Zhu Cihong said, "the Red Iron Artillery Army has no other use...... If you send troops to Nanyang, you will use all the troops! Would you like to lead the troops? ”

"The minister is willing to go on the expedition!" Xu Zhengjing said loudly.

"Good!" Zhu Cihong nodded approvingly, "I will order you to be the general of the barbarians, and return to the Western army to make the king of Luokun County controlled." ”

Zhu Cizhao was also entrusted with a heavy task this time!

Zhu Cihong couldn't look at him, but this kid has a great fortune, and there are always nobles to help him, which is also a skill!

And Zhu Cizhao also has an advantage, he listens to people's persuasion. That is, he is good at receiving advice, and he knows what "advice" is right and what "advice" is wrong.

This is stronger than Chongzhen!

So the commander of the Battle of Nanyang can let him be. With the assistance of Daniel Zhang, Xu Zhengjing, Shi Lang (in charge of the navy) and others, it is basically not bad.

"Your Majesty," Xu Zhengjing seemed to be in a bit of a hurry to send troops, "when can the minister lead his troops to attack?" ”

Zhu Cihong looked at him, "What?" In a hurry? ”

Xu Zhengjing nodded and said, "The minister is not in a hurry, but the people below are in a hurry...... The royal court in Tokyo is even more anxious! ”

Japan now has Tokyo, which is Edo, the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate.

After the marriage of Tokugawa Mitsukuni and Empress Akimasa, Gongmu became completely united, so Kyoto was no longer suitable as the nominal capital of Japan—the name and entity needed to be merged, so the capital of Japan was moved to Edo, and Edo was renamed Tokyo. After absorbing some of the courtiers, the shogunate was also reorganized into the Japanese royal court.

This royal court, of course, is very worried about the 70,000 warrior legions in the hands of Xu Zhengzhi and Xu Zhengjing's father and son!

"I know!" Zhu Cihong said with a smile, "After you return to China, you will start sending troops...... However, the 70,000 army cannot be transported out all at once, I am afraid it will take two or three years to be transported, you have to make them a little patient! ”