On June 22, in the afternoon, a carriage with the royal emblem was parked steadily in front of the Shuncheng Gate of Taiyi Palace.

The emperor's eldest grandson, Qi Zexuan, got out of the carriage, put the general's hat on his head, sorted out his military uniform again, looked up at the towering tower, took a deep breath, and then walked towards the palace.

After 15 years, this Taiyi Palace was finally officially completed at the end of the 22nd year of Taiping (1726).

Taiyi Palace is located in the southeast of Xuanwu District of Chang'an City, covering an area of more than 4,200 acres, backed by Lingyun Mountain, and less than one kilometer away from the Changxing River (now Gaoli River, Toowoomba City, Australia) that passes through the city. As the sun sets, climb the highest star-picking tower in the palace, overlooking the meandering river in the distance, as well as the elegant and beautiful official residences and manors, and the large woodlands and meadows in the mountains in the distance, the scenery is breathtaking.

The palace building is tall and magnificent, based on the geographical situation of the highland slope, the traditional Chinese palace and the Jiangnan garden are inmodated, building hills, repairing lake embankments, enlarging buildings, water pavilions, pavilions and many other landscapes.

The small hill pine and cypress in the palace are lush, and the lake next to the gang is more than 100 acres, and there is a painting boat for the purpose of visiting the lake. In the garden, not only the building carved beams and painted buildings, the momentum is extraordinary, but also there are many mounds of rockery, high ridges, there are a large number of pavilions and pavilions, long corridors and pavilions, standing near the water.

The whole Taiyi Palace is divided into two courtyards, the center is several main halls, and the surrounding is many auxiliary halls of different shapes. The main hall is magnificent, surrounded by walls, with four palace gates, and a big red palace lamp hangs outside the door. The palace has bare stone passages, lacquered red floors, nanmu furniture, golden chandeliers, and extraordinarily ornate ceilings. Carvings, frescoes and paintings add an infinite artistic touch to the palace.

Different from the earliest Taichu Palace, the houses and pavilions of this palace are based on the geographical form of the southern hemisphere, sitting in the south and facing north, in order to fully absorb the warm sunshine. When the sky is clear, the sun's rays shine on the ground outside the huge glass windows of each hall, reflecting a colorful light.

Several marble statues stand in the center, giving people a solemn feeling. Tall trees, awkward flowers, hidden in several gardens, give this palace a natural beauty.

Inside and outside the palace, there is an air of royal authority and elegance and nobility.

Under the guidance of a royal attendant, Qi Zexuan passed through the palace gates and walked towards the Guangming Hall where the crown prince was in charge of the country. The atmosphere in the palace is calm, and the walls of the corridors and the outside of the halls are carved with dragons soaring.

The door of the hall made of rosewood faintly exudes a faint fragrance, and the hall is full of gold and jade carvings, which looks gorgeous and abnormal. The screen covered with patterned brocade makes the hall more peaceful and peaceful. The floor of the room is made up of marble tiles that sparkle with a sparkling light.

A middle-aged man in a light blue brocade robe sat behind a large bookcase, and the Jun porcelain incense burner next to him emitted curling green smoke, refreshing people's hearts.

When the attendants on the left and right saw Qi Zexuan enter the hall, they all bowed slightly and nodded in greeting.

"Father." Qi Zexuan bowed to the crown prince, "Erchen has come to greet him." ”

"Hmm." The prince raised his head, put the impregnated pen in his hand in the pen holder, and looked at Qi Zexuan in a navy uniform with an expressionless face, "Rest for two days, I think it's recovering." ”

"Yes, Father." Qi Zexuan replied respectfully: "Erchen slept for almost two days, and finally came back to his senses, and this is finally back in Chang'an City." ”

"This trip north to the Nanyang domains and the Qin State, can you gain something?"

"Erchen's trip has been very confusing." Qi Zexuan replied solemnly: "The ancients tasted the words, traveled thousands of miles, and read thousands of books, which is not deceitful. ”

"Oh?" The crown prince stood up and looked at his eldest son playfully, "Then what do you think of the overall situation in Nanyang?" ”

"......" Qi Zexuan was stunned for a moment, not knowing what his father meant by the "overall situation in Nanyang", but under the pressure of his father's eyes, he could only stubbornly say: "Nanyang is where the core interests of my Qi country lie, and it is also the key defense circle of my Qi country, and there is no room for any mistakes." Therefore, it should not be touched and coveted by outsiders. A few years ago, our Qi country finally forced the Dutch East India Company out of the South Seas, thus realizing that the region was the exclusive belonging of our Qi country. In the foreseeable future, the only one who can compete with our Qi State for the South Seas is the Qin State on the mainland. Therefore, it is better to take precautions and deploy in advance, while suppressing the rise of the Qin State as much as possible, it is also deterred by strong maritime forces to completely dispel the ambition of the Qin State to look south. ”

"And what do you think of the ongoing war in the Northeast?" The prince was noncommittal to Qi Zexuan's answer, and continued to ask.

"After the Northern Ming Dynasty attacked Korea and attracted tens of thousands of troops of the Qin State to the peninsula area, it immediately united Dongdan and Bohai to raid Heilongjiang, Ussuri River and other regions. In just two months, he penetrated hundreds of kilometers into eastern Liaodong, uprooted more than 100 towns and strongholds of Qin, and captured more than 100,000 Qin's soldiers and civilians. Subsequently, before the Qin army could react, it quickly retreated north of the Heilongjiang River and west of the Ussuri River, built forts and dug trenches, and put on the appearance of holding on for a long time. The Qin State was attacked by this heavy attack, not to mention the destruction of its more than 20 years of moving to the border in one fell swoop, and it wanted to gather a large army to counterattack the Northern Ming, Dongdan and Bohai Sea, but the long supply lines and poor geographical environment would make all military operations difficult. It is foreseeable that the war in the Northeast may be the same as the previous two Qin-Ming wars, and it will be a long tug-of-war of attrition. ”

"It's something that's on the surface." The crown prince shook his head and said, "I'm asking you, in the face of this situation, how should I, the Qi Kingdom, deal with myself?" ”

"Temporarily keep neutral and secretly support Beiming."

"In this way, aren't you afraid of angering the Qin State?"

"Before the Qin State completely eliminates the troubles in the northwest, it will not dare to tear its face with our Qi State. …… Moreover, the huge trade interests between Qi and Qin will also make the Qin State jealous and dare not move lightly. ”

"You're full of faith! The emperor of the Qin State was very sure that he would not act irrationally in anger. ”

"Father, Emperor Qianyuan of the Qin State is sixty years old, but he is not a young man without a city."

When the prince heard this, the corners of his eyes couldn't help jumping a few times.

The Qianyuan Emperor of Great Qin is twenty-two years old, and I, the prince of Qi State, are also forty-three years old!

But this cousin of the Qin State has been the emperor for more than forty years!

"According to the established procedure, you are about to enter the cabinet ministries as trainees and become familiar with all kinds of government affairs." The prince smiled bitterly, and instantly felt a little excited, turned around and did the bookcase, picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and said softly: "Are you going to go to that department first?" ”

"Erchen wants to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." Qi Zexuan bowed and replied.

"You want to get involved in the peace talks with England?"

"Erchen wants to know about the situation in Europe and other countries in the world."

"I originally intended to let you go to the household department to have some training, but I didn't want you to be so interested in the situation in the world." The prince's choice for Qi Zexuan is indispensable.

Anyway, according to the cultivation procedure of the heir of the royal family of Daqi, many ministries in the cabinet have to take turns to observe the politics and apprenticeship, and he might as well choose sooner or later.

"Father is worried about the ongoing national tax audit?" Qi Zexuan's heart moved.

"What do you think?"

"Father, Emperor Taizu once said in the past, to govern business, first govern officials." Qi Zexuan said softly: "Some things, once there is collusion between officials and businessmen, they will become hidden dangers. ”

"You mean, many officials of my Qi country dare to risk their lives and think of running a business?"

In addition to preventing competition with the people, there is also to prevent the use of business to support officials, to protect businessmen with officials, and to form a family lord. In the pre-Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu once said, "Those who are given by the ancients do not eat hard, do not move at the end, and those who are also subject to the big cannot take the small, and those who agree with the heavens are also." The husband has received the great, and the small has been taken, and the heavens are not sufficient, and the situation is not enough.' Erchen thinks so. During the reign of Taizu and Taizong, national laws and decrees strictly prohibited officials from engaging in profit-making business. However, wealth is moving, no one can't get along with money, there are policies and countermeasures, and there are things about dark Chen Cang from ancient times to the present. It is not uncommon for officials in the state to rely on the power in their hands to support or secretly encourage close relatives to engage in business. If it is not curbed and dealt with, in the long run, the government and businessmen will inevitably become one, embezzle the people's wealth, and become a big trend. ”

"Well, there's still some insight." When the prince heard this, he couldn't help but look at this eldest son with admiration.

The ignorant and playful teenager in the past has grown into an adult, and he can also make insightful comments on the political affairs of the country.

In fact, the royal family of Qi has been in the past 90 years, except for the relationship between Taizu and Taizong, the relationship between father and son is relatively harmonious, showing a rare loving father and filial piety, the next few generations of heirs, but there are some intergenerational relatives, the relationship between father and son is relatively indifferent, and the relationship between ancestors and grandchildren is very close.

Emperor Taiping was taught by Emperor Taizu by his side until he grew up, and only when he grew up did he follow the royal practice, serving in the army and cabinet departments, local experience, and finally inheriting the throne.

The crown prince is naturally like this, after his father Emperor Taiping became the crown prince, he was often busy with ministerial affairs and local experience, and he lived with Emperor Taizong in the palace, and was deeply influenced by Emperor Taizong.

As the eldest grandson of the emperor and the future heir of the empire, Qi Zexuan has received various academic education since he was a child, and he rarely has contact with his father on weekdays.

But he can often see his grandfather Emperor Taiping in the palace, and when Chenghuan is on his knees, he enjoys the joy of his grandfather and grandson. That is, after entering the Daxing Naval Academy and starting to study, the time spent living in the palace was reduced, and the contact with Emperor Taiping gradually became a little less.

As for his prince's father, he is really not close, and he is even a little rusty...... Fear.

Therefore, Qi Zexuan's remarks on the governance of the relationship between officials and businessmen really made the prince in a trance for a moment, and before he knew it, this son already had his own thoughts and could express an independent opinion.

"Later, I will send an order to the Cabinet for the Foreign Office to place you in the delegation to the negotiations with the UK." The prince pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice: "But I want to remind you that all the princes of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are old and serious people, familiar with the general trend of all countries in the world, and have their own countermeasures for British negotiations. You must be cautious in what you say and do when you participate in this, and you must not assert your identity and disrupt diplomatic affairs. ”

"Erchen wrote it down." Qi Zexuan bowed and bowed, and solemnly responded: "The sons and daughters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be cautious in their duties, listen more and say less, and humbly seek advice. ”

"Well, let's go. Here's the matter, you go to Nanyu County for me, visit Your Majesty, and accompany him more to the old man's lively and lively home. ”

"Erchen's provincial." Qi Zexuan hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Is Grandpa Huang's health okay?" ”

"It's good. However, the imperial physician who accompanied him called back, saying that His Majesty was often weak and flustered, and his spirit was not good, and he was afraid that he had worked too state affairs in the past few decades. Therefore, His Majesty needs to meditate and recuperate in order to calm his mind. ”

When Qi Zexuan heard this, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

It is also speechless, the emperor's grandfather is only two or three years older than Emperor Qianyuan of the Qin State, but he is obviously not in good health.

In Nanjing for several months, every time I met Emperor Qianyuan, I saw that he was a dragon spirit and a tiger, and his energy was extremely vigorous. It is said that there are several princes and princesses who have just been born in the palace of the Forbidden City, and people can't help but sigh at the "toughness" of Emperor Qianyuan.

"Your Highness, there is an urgent report from Jianye Mansion." At this time, an attendant quickly entered the hall and handed a document to the prince, "Hundreds of city residents have broken out into malignant and serious illnesses, and as of yesterday, more than 40 deaths have been caused, and more than 120 people are seriously ill. ”

"Well, but someone maliciously poisoned it?" The prince's face changed, and he reached out and copied the report in his hand.

"Jianye government reported that the drinking water source may have been contaminated with toxic substances from the factory, resulting in ......"

"What does the Cabinet say?"

"The cabinet has sent more than a dozen medical and health experts to Jianye on the fastest train in the afternoon. …… Vice Premier Deng Gong also accompanied many members of his family to prepare for a thorough investigation of the water pollution and poisoning incident. ”

Qi Weihao, the king of Jianjun, went to express his condolences on behalf of the royal family. In addition, 10,000 yuan was immediately allocated from the Royal Foundation to comfort the bereaved families. ”

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Order the cabinet to ask all prefectures and counties in the country to start an inventory of the water supply problems in cities within their borders, and to deal with and improve any potential pollution problems immediately."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"The Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Construction Engineering and other relevant ministries are ordered to immediately investigate the discharge of pollutants from major polluting industrial and mining enterprises in China."

"Yes, Your Highness."

“……”

Qi Zexuan stood aside, silently watching his father deal with this sudden local incident in an orderly manner, drawing inferences from one case to another, and soon paying attention to the domestic water source problem and the sewage discharge situation of industrial and mining enterprises, and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

As a qualified ruler, you must really have the ability to touch on the bypass and know everything, and be able to grasp the key through a superficial event.

In other words, the industrial pollution of our country has reached the point where it has to be seriously controlled?

"Go ahead." The crown prince glanced up at Qi Zexuan, waved his hand and said, "In a few days, there will be an edict and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you should do your homework in advance, and don't insult the royal status at that time." ”

"Yes, son." After Qi Zexuan bowed to his father again, he turned around and walked out of the hall.

(End of chapter)