Moving the capital to Shuntian, compiling the Yongle Ceremony and supporting Zheng He's trip to the West were the three things that Zhu Di did during the Yongle period, and they were the three most money-burning things he had been doing.

The first two things are very easy to understand, the change of dynasties is a big event, it must cost a lot of money, and the Yongle Canon is the first strange book in the ages.

From the very beginning, Zhu Di's purpose for the officials who compiled the Yongle Canon was to "collect the books of a hundred schools of thought since the deed, as for astronomy, geography, yin and yang, medicine, monks, and skills, they should be compiled into one book."

I also know that such a book requires consulting a large number of classics, and it is necessary to visit almost all the places in the Ming Dynasty, and the people who need to use it do not know how many, and it is impossible not to burn money.

There is nothing controversial about these two things, but there are many people who disagree about Zheng He's trip to the West.

Many people feel that Zheng He's trip to the West is not purely to promote national prestige, but also with a commercial nature, and the silk and tea in the Central Plains are bestsellers, and it is impossible not to make money.

But in fact, Zheng He really burned money when he went to the West, at least in the early stage.

First of all, it is a very expensive thing to build a treasure ship, as a ship with the largest displacement, the highest carrying capacity, and the largest number of people in the same period, it is really expensive to build.

Second, the Ming Dynasty had a large number of vassal states, but most of them were nominally vassal states, with the exception of Korea, which was particularly close or even directly bordered.

In fact, I also want to know that there are many vassal countries that no one other than the treasure fleet has been there in the Ming Dynasty, and there is no benefit, why should people be your vassal countries.

You can't reach others, and they have to pay tribute every year, who would do this kind of loss-making business?

Yes, the treasure fleet can arrive, and the combat effectiveness of the treasure fleet is not low, and it has won several battles on the way to the Western Ocean, but how long is the round-trip period of the treasure fleet?

Two years is the foundation, three years is normal, and there are longer ones, if you want to hide, can't you hide?

Therefore, these vassal states would pay tribute with the treasure fleet every time, and the emperor of the Ming Dynasty would also reward them.

This reward, at least, is equal to the value of the tribute, or even more, otherwise not many people are willing to be inferior and spend money every year to be a vassal state.

This is also the reason why Zhu Gaochi stopped going to the West as soon as he succeeded to the throne, because Zhu Gaochi had always wanted to rest with the people, and going to the West did not conform to his point of view.

And that's not all.

The treasure fleet will bring back some envoys from various countries every time, and it costs money to arrange the food and lodging of these envoys, and they have to be served with good food and drink, not to mention that Zhu Di will also set up a banquet in the palace to entertain these envoys.

Therefore, when Xia Yuanji heard this, his eyes turned black.

——

Yingtianfu, Imperial Palace, Fengtian Palace.

The temple is usually not activated, and is only used when there is something extremely important and official.

For example, canonizing the prince, receiving envoys, and so on.

On weekdays, the early dynasty is in the Fengtian Gate in front of the Fengtian Temple, which shows how high the regulation of the Fengtian Temple is.

This time, Zheng He returned from the ocean and brought back a large number of envoys from other countries, and on this occasion, Zhu Di naturally wanted to meet those envoys in Fengtian Palace.

In the Fengtian Palace, Zhu Di sat on the dragon chair, and the crown prince Zhu Gaochi stood at the bottom, waiting quietly.

Perhaps, the only one who can make Zhu Di arrive and wait in advance may be Zheng He, who has returned from the ocean.

"Zheng He, the eunuch of the inner palace, the director of the city shipping department, and the commander of the ocean-going treasure fleet, is ordered to meet you!"

Suddenly, the eunuchs outside the Fengtian Hall shouted loudly, and for a while, everyone in the Fengtian Hall stood up straight, even Zhu Di sat up straight, and looked in the direction of the door.

After a long time, Zheng He strode into this Fengtian Temple.

"Minister Zheng He, knock to see the emperor, the emperor bows to peace!"

Zheng He was dressed in white and wearing a black cloak, and the cloak behind him moved with the air flow when he walked, which made many officials in the palace sigh when they saw it.

Among the eunuchs, there was no one who could reach the status of Zheng He before, and I am afraid that there will be no one in the future.

"I'm safe!" Zhu Di waved his hand, even stood up, and personally descended the steps to Zheng He, followed by the crown prince Zhu Gaochi.

"After a year or two, Ma Bao, you have experienced some vicissitudes again."

Looking at Zheng He in front of him, Zhu Di suddenly sighed.

"Your Majesty's words are serious, this is what a minister should do." Zheng He lowered his head and bowed down and said.

In the group of eunuchs, other courtes don't know, but in the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He is the only one who can call himself a minister.

"Get up." Zhu Di personally helped Zheng He up, patted him on the shoulder, and said loudly.

"Ma Bao, when I was still the king of Yan, I led the horse, and when I was in trouble, I was the vanguard of my right army, if you want to talk about the battle, it is definitely not under a generation of famous generals!"

"Over the years, I have led the treasure fleet to the ocean, chopping the waves, making my Ming country famous overseas, and I am the hero of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Your Majesty's praise." Zheng He arched his hands and bent down.

"Relying on the emperor's heavenly prestige, but also relying on the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty, it is a prosperous time, how dare Zheng He cherish his crippled body?"

"Well, that's a good point!" Zhu Di patted Zheng He's shoulder heavily.

"Okay, let's wait until we go to the harem, now let's meet with the envoys of various countries first, don't snub people."

"Boss!"

"The son is here."

Zhu Di patted Zhu Gaochi's shoulder, turned around and returned to the high dragon chair.

"Good work." Zhu Gaochi stood back in his position, and Zheng He also followed behind him.

"Where is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? This is what Mabao should do. Without Zhu Di, Zheng He's tone was also a lot more relaxed.

But as soon as he turned around, Zheng He's tone lowered.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I don't know what about the two Royal Highnesses King Han and King Zhao? When I heard that His Majesty had ordered a northern expedition not long ago, I ......"

"Hmm." Zhu Gaochi nodded.

"The third brother led an army of 200,000 to the north this time, as for the second brother, ......"

After a long pause, Zhu Gaochi spoke: "Go to Yunnan and go to the domain." ”

"Domain?" Zheng He was stunned when he heard this, but then he thought of something.

"Your Royal Highness, when the minister came back, he passed by Annan, and saw the smoke rushing into the sky over there, isn't it related to the King of Han?"

"Well, it's a bit of a relationship." Zhu Gaochi nodded, but immediately changed the topic.

Although Zheng He has always been close to him and alienated from the King of Han and the King of Zhao, there are some things that Zhu Gaochi still doesn't want to talk to him about.

However, Zheng He didn't want to, because he still had something to tell Zhu Gaochi.

"Your Highness." Zheng He looked around, and only after making sure that everyone was paying attention to the envoys who had already begun to enter the temple to worship, did he speak in a low voice.

"Before the minister's departure this time, there were many unfamiliar faces arranged in the city, there were more than 200 people, and the minister asked people to check it, and it was sent by the prince of Han to insert it."

"Oh?" Zhu Gaochi's ears immediately stood up.

(End of chapter)