"Yes, my father asked the minister to come to the Celestial Empire to study Confucianism, hoping that the minister can become a person who respects his teachers and respects his ways."

In the Chunhe Palace, Ashikaga Yoshiji answered Zhu Gaoxu's question respectfully, and Zhu Gaoxu also touched his eight-character beard after hearing it.

"The state of etiquette in the Celestial Empire, you and other countries are all concubines of the Celestial Empire, so if you come to study before, the Celestial Empire will naturally not refuse."

"But I heard that your brother is now the shogun of the shogunate, and you are the prince, so your relationship ......"

Zhu Gaoxu remembered that Ashikaga Yoshiji seemed to have been killed by Ashikaga Yoshimori, but he had to see if the relationship between the two brothers had changed now, after all, Ashikaga Yoshimori's tendency was to refuse to be a vassal and wanted to close off the country, so as to reduce the strength of the guardians in the south.

Ashikaga Yoshimori's tendencies were clearly inconsistent with the direction of the Ming Dynasty's policy toward Japan, which was an important source of silver and copper ingots for the Ming Dynasty.

"The minister's elder brother voluntarily demoted him to the rank of general, and gave up the position of the prince to the minister."

Although Ashikaga Yoshitsugu was only twelve years old, as a child of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, he obviously knew what to say and what not to say.

He did not explain the operation of the Ashikaga shogunate, but directly established his father Ashikaga Yoshimitsu as the king of Japan, himself as the son of Japan, and his brother as a shogun with no inheritance rights.

His rhetoric can deceive people who are not familiar with Japan, but it cannot deceive Zhu Gaoxu.

However, Zhu Gaoxu does not intend to expose it, anyway, Ashikaga Yoshiji is an unstable factor for the Ming Dynasty to control Japan, so it is better to support Ashikaga Yoshiji to solve him.

"I see, you two brothers are brothers, friends and brothers."

Zhu Gaoxu pretended to be confused, and at the same time leaned back in the chair and said:

"In that case, then you should be able to say some important things to the court on behalf of your father, do you need to let the envoys in?"

He deliberately tried it, but he didn't want Ashikaga Yoshitsugu to shake his head: "How can you bother Your Highness, the minister can call the shots." ”

"That's good." Zhu Gaoxu bowed his head and said: "The imperial court will organize official trade in the Western Ocean, and the official ships of all countries can follow." ”

"Specifically, someone from the Ministry of Rites will go to the Siyi Pavilion to tell you that you can discuss with your father to see if you want to join the Western private trade market."

"In addition, the imperial court is ready to increase the strength of Yinqi and Jinyin Island to four thousand, and your father can mobilize two thousand soldiers and horses with the golden seal."

Worried that Ashikaga Yoshiji would not be able to fight Ashikaga Yoshiji in the future, Zhu Gaoxu deliberately raised the number of troops and horses that could be mobilized in the seal of the Japanese king.

According to the strength of Whale Haiwei, if you want to deal with these 2,000 people, Ashikaga Yoshinori must mobilize at least 20,000 people.

As long as Ashikaga Yoshiji is not powerless to fight back, then counting these two thousand people, it is enough for Ashikaga Yoshiji to protect himself and wait for the Ming Dynasty to send reinforcements from Liaodong to help.

"Father of the courtiers is grateful to His Highness for his long!"

Ashikaga Yoshitsugu got up and knelt on the ground, bowing five times and three times again.

Zhu Gaoxu, who doesn't like to kneel, was not polite in the face of these lower kingdoms, and he waved his hand after calmly accepting the five bows and three knocks: "Okay, the Lantern Festival court will organize a big military parade, and you can visit it at that time, but there is nothing to see, and you can go if you don't want to." ”

Zhu Gaoxu advanced by retreating, while Ashikaga Yoshitsugu praised the officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, saying that there was nothing in the sky and no in the earth.

Zhu Gaoxu didn't know if he was deliberately exaggerating or if it was true in his eyes, anyway, his goal had been achieved, so he didn't bother to rub shoulders with this little day.

After a short time, Ashikaga Yoshitsugu left the Haruhwa Hall full of joy and told the good news to the courtiers who were waiting outside.

Soon, they happily left the Forbidden City, while Zhu Gaoxu picked up the music and looked at it.

At present, the implementation of the new policy is carried out in three provinces, including Sichuan, Liaodong, and Shandong, as well as the capital divisions of the three provinces, and five capital divisions such as Daning and Bohai.

After last year's new policy of taxation and the lack of exploitation by the grassroots grain chiefs and lieutenant chiefs, although the taxes and grain paid by Sichuan have not changed, judging from the news of the Xichang investigation in the people, the life of the people in Sichuan is much more comfortable, and they have also established trust in the new policy of the imperial court.

Not surprisingly, after measuring the cultivated land in Sichuan Province this year, Sichuan's field endowment may reach the level of nearly 2 million stones.

"Students from Guanwai and Shandong have graduated, and there are more than 100,000 scholars, but their knowledge is still too shallow to support local governance."

Holding the recital, Zhu Gaoxu briefly looked at the number of graduates last year, and said next to him: "But if they don't arrange a place to work, they can only go home to farm." ”

"Let the tax department go to Henan, check the lieutenant chiefs and grain chiefs of Henan and North Zhili, and then replace them, and at the same time, Henan and North Zhili are ready to build official schools."

Zhu Gaoxu's unthinking opening was obviously preparing to start the promotion of the new policy in Beizhili and Henan this year.

"But you say that their knowledge is too shallow, this is ......" Yizha hesitated, but Zhu Gaoxu said: "It's better to be shallow than nothing." ”

"Before this group of people is sent to the locality, I should explain to them clearly that they are still young and have the opportunity to learn."

"The first batch of students from Taixue will graduate in half a year, so the Ministry of Engineering is ready to expand Taixue."

After four and a half years, Taijiao, which was founded in the first year of Yongle, finally ushered in the graduation period.

However, due to the lack of quality of teaching and the rush of teaching, they also need to serve as teachers and review knowledge at Taixue, waiting for Zhu Gaoxu's assessment from time to time.

At present, there are more than 3,800 students in Taixue, of which there are only more than 300 in the first batch, and the current number of new students in Taixue is stable at more than 1,000 per year.

Based on the teaching quality of ether learning, Zhu Gaoxu plans to let the first three batches of students stay in school to teach and learn and make up for the knowledge that they have fallen behind, and then start the second stage of secondary education in the official school, and change the first stage of the official school to Mongolian school.

According to the beginning of entering Mongolian school at the age of ten, five years of Mongolian school and five years of middle school are ten years, and graduation is twenty years old.

At the age of twenty, they are already adults in this era, and the students who have been trained in this way can almost rest assured that they will be sent to the place to act as officials.

Too young to play those old foxes.

Thinking of this, Zhu Gaoxu looked at the performance of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and Yizha also looked over.

"The Metropolitan Procuratorate has been staring at Shandong, and now it is impeaching and saying that there are also cases of corruption among officials in Shandong, you let Hu Lun investigate this matter, and the calculation time is almost the same."

From the time Shandong Xu took office to the present, it is almost time for the three-year assessment period to expire.

For this group of students, Zhu Gaoxu is naturally more nostalgic, but nostalgia does not mean that he trusts him unconditionally.

As long as he is a human being, he will be corrupted in the face of power, even if he himself has not made some music classes.

It's just that now is the time for the new deal to be promoted, and Zhu Gaoxu can only severely punish these people who have violated the red line in accordance with the law.

"The excised people were exiled back to Nuergancheng in the Bohai Sea, so that they could reminisce about the old days."

After Zhu Gaoxu finished speaking, he pushed aside the recitals on the table, obviously having already dealt with all the recitals.

He rubbed his eyebrows: "How is my mother doing today?" ”

"Her Royal Highness the Queen is fine, the doctors have diagnosed it, it is a cold, not a complication."

also lost the joy of the news, and Zhu Gaoxu breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this.

Originally, today's meeting with the envoys of North Korea and Japan should have been done by the old man, but his mother was sick, and the old man was not at ease and pushed the matter on himself.

Now that these things have been taken care of, it is almost dark.

Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, footsteps sounded outside the hall.

Not long after, Guo Yan led a child with two horns into the hall.

"Now, isn't your dad here?"

Guo Yan smiled and pushed the child forward, and the child immediately trotted forward when he saw this, bouncing and staggering with a total horn hairstyle similar to Nezha's head, looking tiger-headed.

"Daddy!"

Zhu Zhanyan's father shouted, and Zhu Gaoxu could only pretend to be energetic, hooking his body and picking him up.

"Now that it's been the New Year, you're five years old, why are you still so clingy?"

"You didn't go to accompany Grandpa today?" Zhu Gaoxu looked at Zhu Zhanyan in his arms, and a kind smile rarely appeared on his face.

"Go, grandpa is with grandma."

Zhu Zhanyan stretched out his hand to touch Zhu Gaoxu's mustache, which seemed to like it very much, but he didn't pull it stiffly, just touched it gently.

"How's my mother doing?" Zhu Gaoxu looked at Guo Yan and asked, Guo Yan, whose face was full of maternal love, sat on the chair brought by Yishaha after hearing this, and comforted: "Mother is fine, I just miss you more." ”

"I've only been here for three days, and my mother is talking about me?"

Zhu Gaoxu teased, but Guo Yan hesitated: "My mother also misses the eldest brother and the third brother a little." ”

"......" Hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu was a little moved, but he still suppressed this emotion and asked Guo Yan: "What did Dad say?" ”

"Dad said that the eldest brother is not in good health, and I am afraid that he will hurt himself after a long journey, but the third brother can take the waterway to take a look."

Guo Yan said, Zhu Gaoxu also nodded, and then looked sideways at Yi Shuha: "What has Ji Gang been doing lately?" ”

"Since the last incident in the Ouning Palace, there has been no movement." Yishaha explained.

When the Ouning Palace's mansion was burned, Zhu Di did not show anger after he came back, which made Zhu Gaoxu a little curious.

But since the old man didn't investigate the case, there was no need for him to make a fuss.

What he is more concerned about is the behavior of Xie Jin, a group of Jiangzuo officials.

"Have the textbooks of official schools been circulating in Jiangzuo?"

Zhu Gaoxu asked Yishiha, and Yishiha nodded: "Not only Jiangzuo, but even the land of Jiangnan has begun to circulate." ”

"Let Hu Lun find out how the textbooks are circulated, and in addition, prohibit these textbooks from flowing overseas, and dare to print textbooks privately."

Zhu Gaoxu hugged Zhu Zhanyan and opened his mouth lightly, which made people feel cold.

Everyone knows that although the crown prince of the East Palace is dissatisfied with the officials, as long as it does not involve rebellion, it is basically exile, and there are few beheadings, let alone the three clans.

Since he said that the three tribes of Yi have shaken the country's foundation.

"Slave maid will do it now."

He also lost his salute in return, and then hurriedly walked out of the Spring and Harmony Palace.

Watching him walk away, Guo Yan, who had not spoken, said, "Do you really want the third child to come back?" ”

"He won't be back soon, and he's not a threat." Zhu Gaoxu held Zhu Zhanyan high, and said at the same time:

"By the way, the third uncle has done a good job in Gansu, and I am going to send him to the guard house in Gua and Sha Erzhou."

Zhu Gaoxu's third uncle is Guo Yong, he sent Guo Yong to Gansu in order to have a solid enough foundation to support him when he enters the Western Regions in the future, and now Guo Yong has been tempered, and the corruption case of the officials in the northern Beijing may implicate many people, so it is necessary to guard Guazhou and Shazhou at this time.

The location of these two continents is west of Jiayuguan, of which Guazhou is 600 miles away from Hami.

Although this distance is long, and the Gobi yellow sand is all the way, as long as they can enter Hami and move the people of Hami into the Guannei, and station officials and troops in Hami, then the local officials and soldiers can rely on the snow water of the Tianshan Mountains to build qanats and irrigate a piece of cultivated land.

With Hami in hand, you will be able to enter the Turpan territory along the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains all the way to the west.

Zhu Gaoxu didn't know if he could actually control Turpan in his lifetime, but controlling Hami was something he had to do.

"I heard the third uncle say that the northwest is barren, why don't you deal with the southwest, but deal with the northwest?"

After all, Guo Yan is a tiger girl in Jiangmen, and she can still analyze what the situation in the northwest is from Guo Yong's letters.

In her opinion, compared to the northwest, even the Guanwai in the northeast is a paradise, at least there is no shortage of water outside the Guan, as long as there are enough people to cultivate a large amount of arable land.

"If you want the north to be peaceful, it is necessary to control an area in the Western Regions."

Zhu Gaoxu was reluctant to discuss too much about government affairs with Guo Yan, so he just said a few words and took a sip of the teacup.

"Why don't you go back to dinner?"

Guo Yan didn't ask when he didn't want to say anything, but just asked if he would go back to the front bedroom for dinner.

"I'll eat with people in the Spring and Harmony Hall later, you and Yu'er will go back first."

Zhu Gaoxu stretched out his hand and pinched Zhu Zhanyan's face, but Zhu Zhanyan didn't know when he fell asleep.

"The concubine retired first."

Guo Yan got up to return the salute, and then left the Chunhe Hall with Zhu Zhanyan in his arms.

Soon after she left, the eunuchs also began to set the table and light the lamp.

Dozens of lights were lit, but they were still dim, which made Zhu Gaoxu miss the electric lights in his previous life.

"Your Highness, the Duke of Yue, the Duke of Liao, and the Duke of Shen are here."

The eunuch on duty at the entrance of the hall spoke, and Zhu Gaoxu also walked out of his memories when he heard the words, got up and said with a smile: "Pass the meal, let them come in." ”

"Yes......" The eunuch on duty responded, and then announced to the outside world.

After a while, more than a dozen people walked into the Chunhe Hall in a basket, and the leaders were Wang Yi, Meng Zhang and others who had not seen Zhu Gaoxu for many years.

Yang Zhan is also among them, as well as Li Loss, Chen Chang, Li Qi, Li Cha, Li Qi and others.

"The ministers have seen His Highness."

Seeing Zhu Gaochu walk out, they saluted one after another, and Zhu Gaochu was not polite, and stepped forward to hug them one by one.

"It's been a long time since I've been together so much, and today I let go of eating and drinking!"

After hugging, Zhu Gaoxu beckoned them to sit down, and at the same time let Wang Yi and Yang Zhan sit on his left and right.

After taking a seat, Zhu Gaoxu took the lead in asking Yang Zhan: "How is your father?" ”

Yang Zhan is now thirty-one years old, and his father is also fifty-three.

In the next generation, fifty-three years old is not considered old, but it is not good when it is placed on Yang Li.

In his early years, he was a hundred household officials who did dirty work, but now that he is older, various illnesses follow.

Because of this, not long after Yang Zhan went to the West, Yang Yu fell ill in Nanjing.

At that time, Zhu Gaoxu went to see him in person, and asked Yizha to visit him often, but fortunately, nothing happened in the end.

But even so, Yang Li did not covet power after recovering from his illness, but submitted his resignation before Yang Zhan returned, went to Songjiang Mansion with his title, and purchased a field house where Chongming Island could be seen.

Yang Zhan didn't have time to discuss with Zhu Gaoxu after returning from the West this time, so he went directly back to Songjiang Mansion to see his father.

Zhu Gaoxu asked Yang Zhan, and he was also a little worried about Yang Li's body.

"It's better, but I'm still not at ease, so I'll ...... next time I go to the West."

Yang Zhan hesitated, but before he finished speaking, Zhu Gaoxu raised his hand and said, "It's inconvenient for you here, I'll let Chen Xuan go." ”

"Chen Xuan has nothing to do in the Navy Governor's Mansion every day, and he has long envied you."

As he spoke, Zhu Gaoxu looked at Cui Jun, who didn't say a word, and followed the silly musician:

"The next time I go to the West, let Chen Xuan and Cui Jun go south, Cui Jun will sit in the old port, and Chen Xuan will accompany Zheng He to Kunlun Point (Cape of Good Hope)."

"Don't be discouraged, the second time you went to the West and didn't go, you didn't go, in my place, the third time is the most important."

Zhu Gaoxu said, and also told everyone in advance about the route of the third trip to the West, and mainly explained the role of the bark of the cinchona tree.

When Yang Zhan and Cui Jun heard that the bark of the cinchona tree could cure malaria, their eyes almost lit up.

"With this, wouldn't our army be able to use troops in Nanyang and Sanxuan and Liuwei at will?"

Li lost his mouth to ask, and he also heard the horror of malaria and miasma from the mouth of the generals who had returned from the south, so he had palpitations.

"It's not that magical, but it certainly works."

Zhu Gaoxu said, and at the same time did not forget to urge everyone: "Although you are already a duke and earl, you can't fall behind in your studies." ”

"There are a lot of new things in Taixue, and recently I even made a three-foot long telescope."

"I've seen the telescope, and I can see the moon directly, although it's a little blurry, but it's much clearer than the naked eye."

Zhu Gaoxu talked about some scientific research progress in Taixue, but after hearing it, everyone was enthusiastic: "Have you seen Chang'e?" ”

"Look a fart!" Seeing that this group of guys was so vulgar, Zhu Gaoxu scolded directly:

"If you use your brains to think about it, if the telescope in our hands can see the situation ten miles away, then in the north, the Hu people will be the first to lose the opportunity."

"That's ......" Everyone scratched their heads in embarrassment, which made Zhu Gaoxu look at Meng Zhang helplessly: "How is Bohai?" ”

"The situation is very good, the people in the mountains have migrated out, some have gone to Modong, some have gone to Liaodong, anyway, life is much better than in the mountains."

"That's it!" Li Lost and the others happily agreed, obviously seeing that the life of the same clan was good, they were all very happy.

Looking at their happy appearance, Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but remind:

"They are all brothers, and I won't hide it from you."

"I know all about your purchase of land, mansions and mansions, and I also know about buying skinny horses to go home and enjoy yourself."

"You are fighting with me for glory and wealth, and you have fought for half your life, and you should enjoy it, but I said ugly things in the front, the land tax and grain must be handed over honestly, don't think about deducting a little bit is nothing."

"If we deduct a little bit when we are in Bohai, then we will not be able to sit in this position, and it will be impossible for us to drink and talk in this Spring and Peace Palace."

"Only when the court is stable and the people have food to eat, can your wealth continue."

"Don't forget what our Bohai "Military Discipline" is, and don't forget how hard you lived at the beginning."

"Recently, the Metropolitan Procuratorate has impeached many officials in Shandong for accepting bribes......"

Zhu Gaoxu paused, glanced around to make sure everyone was looking at him before he continued:

"Many of these officials who accepted bribes may be the people of Liucheng and Jilin, your fellow townsmen and clans."

"For them, I'm going to exile the slave Gancheng, what do you think?"

"Your Highness!" Hearing Zhu Gaoxu's words, Richard couldn't sit still, he got up and said:

"You want to deal with them, we have absolutely nothing to say, we just hope that the family will not be implicated......"

After Richard's words were finished, Zhu Gaoxu glanced at the crowd: "What do you mean?" ”

"Uh...... We ......" Li Lost and the others became distracted.

"Tell me honestly, did anyone give you a gift, and who gave you a gift?"

As soon as Zhu Gaoxu saw them like this, he knew that they must have accepted the gift.

Li Shi's group of people is not as good as Yang Zhan, Meng Zhang, and Wang Yi, they are relatively straight-headed, so Zhu Gaoxu only let them supervise one guard and horse, because no matter how much they are, they will not be able to play.

"Honestly, I don't blame you."

Zhu Gaoxu sighed: "If you don't say it, if someone talks about these things in the future, then how can I help you?" ”

"Your Royal Highness......" Seeing Zhu Gaoxu say this, Li Shi and the others also opened their mouths to talk about their gifts.

At first, they also resisted, but later some officials from Bohai also came to give gifts, and they accepted it without losing face.

It's just that I never thought that once this opening is opened, it will no longer be able to be blocked.

At the beginning, it was only officials from Bohai who gave gifts, and then officials who couldn't beat them all caught up, obviously Han Chinese, but they just pulled their own Jurchen blood, pulled relationships, and the number of relatives was countless.

Although Li lost that they did not have much power, after all, they supervised the soldiers and horses, and they could often come to the Chunhe Palace, as long as they opened their mouths slightly, they were enough to feed the officials below who gave gifts.

"Your Highness, we can't stop your teachings......"

Li Lost and the others got up in shame, eager to bury their heads in their arms.

Faced with their words, Zhu Gaoxu got up and comforted them one by one, and only after returning to his position did he speak:

"I have also picked things apart from you today to prevent you from making greater mistakes."

"When the water is clear, there is no fish, although it is just an analogy, but it is true that people can't help themselves in officialdom."

"I don't have anything to say about you receiving gifts, just to ask for you."

"It's okay to receive gifts, but whose gifts you received, what you ask for, you can find Yisha to make it clear yourself, and Yishaha will go to Hu Lun."

"But if the two of them say that this gift must be returned, don't be reluctant to give it back to me."

"Some gifts are for your help, and some gifts are for my life, you know?"

Zhu Gaoxu's words were a bit serious, and no one dared to pick up the conversation.

In the end, Yang Zhan poured himself a glass of wine and said to everyone: "Although Your Highness said so, we can't really do that. ”

"It's better to hand over this gift to the court, and we don't want to keep it for ourselves."

"That's not ......" Zhu Gaoxu smiled bitterly, he himself is not a saint, how can he ask the people below to be?

"Just remember what I said, I hope that you and your heirs can be strict with family style, so that your descendants can keep the Ming Dynasty well, not only to protect the world of my Zhu family, but also to protect your own wealth."

"As long as the source of your land is legitimate, it is better for the tenants, and the taxes and grain are honestly handed over, then I will not say anything."

"If I want to be Zhao Kuangyin, it depends on whether you are willing to be a stone and keep your promises."

Zhu Gaoxu used the allusion of Zhao Kuangyin's cup of wine to release military power to remind everyone not to use power for personal gain.

When everyone heard this, they also raised their wine glasses, and honestly drank this glass of wine with Zhu Gaoxu, which was regarded as a promise.

"Half a month later, the big military parade, you all give me a long face, compare the brothers in the north field!"

After a glass of wine, Zhu Gaoxu also taught everyone a lesson: "If the brothers in Bohai are not as good as Beichang, then you all give Lao Tzu to go back to Baishan and Heishui, and come back after a few years of hard life!" ”

"Your Highness, rest assured, Beichang is not our opponent!"

"Your Highness, just watch how we make a face for you!"

"Look at it then, the roar of our Jurchens can make the Yanfu soldiers in the north field cry out to pee their pants!"

"As long as you Jurchen can do it, what about our Han family brothers?"

"It's all from Bohai, look at what you're talking about."

"Hahahaha......"

(End of chapter)