There are many routine things in the Ministry of Rites on weekdays, and all kinds of sacrificial tables are very important, and the emperor never denies this, but most of these things cannot attract the attention of the emperor. Anyway, what should I do if I flip through the actual records of the previous dynasties, and if the actual records can't be found, I will go backwards to the previous dynasties.

The word li, Emperor Jiajing is afraid, and Emperor Zhengde should not be afraid, looking at the thousand-year history, the legitimacy of his throne also belongs to the first echelon.

But in the spring of the fifth year of Zhengde, Wang Hua, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, took over a 'big job' - receiving foreign envoys.

In the early Ming Dynasty, especially in the Zhu Di era, there were many cases of vassal states coming to the dynasty, and one was also built in the north after the Huitong Hall in Nanjing.

Among the many etiquettes, one of them is that all foreign envoys should first learn the court etiquette of the Ming Dynasty, and only after they are familiar with this set of etiquette can they enter the palace for an audience.

Zhu Houzhao held Wang Hua's "The Coming of the Fan Dynasty" in his hand, and carefully read it in line with the principle that diplomacy is no trivial matter, and after reading it, he had some 'small thoughts' about this one.

"Uncle Zong, what is familiar with court etiquette?"

Wang Hua was also real, and said the key, "The court's gift is mainly the court's courtier's gift." His Majesty is the Son of Heaven and the monarch of the Heavenly Empire, and these overseas islanders are far away from the Central Plains, and if they are not disciplined, they are afraid that they will trespass after entering the palace. ”

"Hmm......" Zhu Houzhao dragged a long voice, he was thinking.

This problem is actually quite difficult to solve.

The so-called courtesy of kings and ministers is to bow down.

If you want to say that what Wang Hua said is unreasonable, that's not it, although domineering is a bit overbearing, but the subjects of your own country have to kneel when they see the emperor, and don't foreign people kneel when they come? Foreigners are more noble than natives?

But if you want to say that he has a point, this kind of hard bar is added to the front, which will definitely affect Daming's foreign exchanges.

The Ming Dynasty is now an East Asian hegemon in the final analysis, and it is not the head of the earth, the Ryukyu and Japanese envoys are coming, so they should indeed kneel and have to kneel, but Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands behind it, that is also the hegemon, who will kneel for you?

In fact, in order to avoid this embarrassing problem, our ancestors in history adopted a more simple and crude method, which is to say goodbye to the fuck.

Generally speaking, there are also ways not to summon foreign envoys in the Forbidden City, but the sense of ritual is very important in state-to-state interactions, and it doesn't seem to be right not to be in the Forbidden City.

Zhu Houzhao also began to scratch his head, so he also asked directly, "What if the envoys of individual countries are unwilling to kneel?" ”

Wang Hua didn't frown, "Then you can't enter the palace to submit your credentials to the emperor, and the Ming Dynasty doesn't recognize it as a vassal state." ”

"Can you get down on one knee instead?"

Wang Hua raised his eyes, "Your Majesty, the ceremony must not be abolished." ”

"It's just that I'm going to talk to you, if that happens, can you kneel down on one knee as a solution? Is it true that the great uncle will raise an army to attack the envoys because they do not kneel down to me? ”

"Your Majesty, the whole world is not the king's land, the leader of the land is not the king's ministers, and the envoys who do not bow down, how will the Ming Dynasty call his country? A country of brothers? So, who is the brother and who is the brother? ”

Zhu Houzhao began to have a pain in his head, and he was afraid that the old Confucian would talk to him about these useless truths.

Moreover, this idea that I am orthodox in the Central Plains and barbarian in the frontier is really very domineering. Its internal logic is that I am superior to you, you should not reason with me, and it is a supreme honor that you can be allowed to be received by the emperor.

What is it called?

It's called Jun'en!

Because it was the first time, Zhu Houzhao didn't change too much, and if he had more contacts in the future, he would delete and modify some inappropriate ones. As for what he just argued, he also 'raised his hands and surrendered'.

"Let's do it first, it's also very fast to listen to Ping Haibo's meaning, you agree to this performance, and prepare early after the afternoon. It's just that the Huitong Pavilion used to be in charge of the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Rites was in charge, but I don't think it's appropriate, so it's better to be in charge of the Ministry of Rites, and the safety of these envoys will be managed by the Ministry of War. ”

"Yes, Wechen obeys."

Zhu Houzhao pointed to the imperial case with his index finger, "There is another one, I almost forgot." I'm going to send Gu Renyi to the sea, and Uncle Zongzong has heard about it, right? ”

"Yes, the old minister has heard of it."

"Merchants go to sea, officials also go to sea, and in the future, my Ming Dynasty's exchanges with Western countries will increase day by day, and this matter will definitely be added to the Ministry of Rites. The art of war says that knowing oneself and knowing the other side will win all battles, although we do not fight with them, but we must always understand him, know the situation of their country, and understand the difference between these people and our Han people's temperament.

Taking tributary trade as an example, why did the Ryukyu Kingdom and Japan frequently send envoys to us in the early years? Because they know us and know that Da Ming has a good face, they enter ten taels, and we have to pay back thirty taels or fifty taels, who doesn't want to do this kind of business? The reverse is also true, and we also need to know what the characteristics of the Ryukyu Kingdom and Japan are.

What I mean by this, the great uncle does not need to speculate or be puzzled. I can tell you that I will not use the fat of my own people to favor foreign countries. No matter what I think of you Confucian students, anyway, I am here, and it is not good to have that extra money to feed and feed the Ming Dynasty's own people? ”

Wang Hua was about to scratch his head, but as soon as he looked up, he found that the emperor was tilting his head to one side with an arrogant face......

What does this call him to do?

An emperor suddenly began to ignore it, and his expression was very clear, that is, anyway, whatever you say, Lao Tzu will not do it.

"Your Majesty, the matter of tribute is also a matter of ancestral ......"

"Huh?" Zhu Houzhao waved his hand again and again, "Don't mention the matter of the ancestors, when I go underground, if the ancestors blame them, let them blame me, not any of you." ”

Can you really see those emperors of the previous dynasty underground, and Zhu Houzhao still cares so much? Direct showdown, Lao Tzu is not your Zhu family, you love to spend money to buy a good reputation, that's your business, Lao Tzu is not willing to do it!

Wang Hua was helpless, "The minister has the courage to speak out, hoping that His Majesty will forgive his sins." I am the Ming Dynasty for the Heavenly Empire, not to talk about benevolence, righteousness and morality, only about the demeanor of the country, shouldn't I be confined to some money? If...... If you are stingy, it is different from the past, and it will inevitably make foreign envoys feel that the Ming Dynasty is not as good as it was back then. ”

"What does the great uncle mean, spending money to buy peace?"

"This ......," Wang Hua was dumbfounded, "Lao Chen, Lao Chen didn't mean that." ”

"And what do you mean?"

"The old minister means, the court must have majesty, and Your Majesty must also have majesty. From Yongle to Xuande until Chenghua, I have paid tribute from other countries, which has always been the case, and the old minister thought that they had this purpose this time, if it was suddenly changed, the minister was afraid that the impact would be unpredictable.

"Unexpected? Will you rob if you don't give it? ”

"Your Majesty!"

"That's it! Let's talk about it then. You don't have to be in such a hurry. Zhu Houzhao walked down with a smile, he wasn't going to quarrel at this point, anyway, he would do it according to himself, he was the emperor, and as long as he didn't nod his head in the treasury, see who he dared, so there was nothing to fight with Wang Hua at this time,

"What about this matter, you prepare as usual, you can also go and talk to Gu Liqing again, the foreign envoys are here, let them see the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty, the city that never sleeps allows them to enter, don't just lock people up in the Huitong Pavilion to learn etiquette, since it is the kingdom of the Celestial Empire, you must have the confidence and generosity of the kingdom, let them see, nothing will happen."

Wang Hua was helpless, but he could only receive the order of thanks.

After he left, Zhu Houzhao sneered, and the one on the side of his laugh said, "Hey, hey, hey", but this guy didn't smile, like a gloomy ghost.

Zhu Houzhao glared at him, and he immediately froze.

"I can't help it if I'm laughing at him holding his breath, what are you laughing at?"

"When the slave and maid see Your Majesty's pleasure, they follow Your Majesty's pleasure."

"It's too ugly to laugh. Go, bring Gu Renyi to me. ”

You Ji was also happy to be scolded, after all, the emperor was in a good mood now.

Of course, Zhu Houzhao is in a good mood, without a bastard like Chen Tai to be angry with him, he can live for ten more years.

"By the way, I will urge Mao Language again, can there be a result in Zhejiang?"

"Yes, slave and maid."

(End of chapter)