It's another early morning, exactly the same as yesterday.
The scenery of the Forbidden City is seen day after day. It is such a peaceful palace that seems to have remained unchanged for hundreds of years. It is a small place for the entire world, but it dominates the entire world.
"It's hard for you to make a special trip to Beijing!"
In the Nuan Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yunxi leaned casually on the soft floor, without any pretense of being a king, and spoke with a smile.
Standing in front of him was a man wearing a python robe. He had a long beard and broad face, and his skin was somewhat bronze. He was tall and strong, and he looked like a warrior.
After Zhu Yunxi finished speaking, the man quickly stood up and half-bent down and said, "Perhaps I haven't been to Beijing for a long time. Taking advantage of the fact that there is no war on the border, I just want to come and meet the Emperor and the Supreme Emperor!"
"Sit down!" Zhu Yunxi smiled and waved his hands, "You get up once when you say something, and you get up once when you say something. I'm tired even if you're not tired. You and I, the king and the ministers, talk in private, don't talk about so many big rules!" He said with a smile. , "When you took your father's title and guarded Yunnan, many people in the court still said something wrong, saying that you were young and inexperienced, and that you were talking about the disaster of the vassal town. Hi!"
Zhu Yunxi continued, "Anyway, many people disagree. It was the Supreme Emperor who said at the court meeting that Mu Chun's child is one of our own, so we can rest assured using him!"
The man in front of him was none other than the Duke of Guizhou in the Ming Dynasty. He was the second generation of the Mu family, Mu Chun, who had been given the gift of guarding Yunnan for generations.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, loves me so much. I will never repay you for it." Mu Chun stood up again and said, "Everything in the Mu family was given to you by Your Majesty and Your Majesty. I am extremely stupid, so I only have this life to dedicate to the two emperors." Master, not only I am a minister, but also a male member of the Mu family..."
"Look, the more you talk about it, the more serious it becomes, and why it's about your life!" Zhu Yunxi said with a smile, "I know your heart. It's easy to do things in Yunnan. Usually, give me more discounts, and you can ask for things if you need them. If you want something, ask for grace when you need it. We are all one family, don't imitate those foreign ministers and follow me around in circles!"
Indeed, to Daming, the Mu family is indeed not an outsider.
The deceased Mu Ying was the adopted son of the old man and Queen Ma. He grew up with Zhu Biao and was like a member of the Zhu family. The old man also regarded Mu Ying as his own son and guarded Yunnan alive. This was the first time in the Ming Dynasty. After his death, he was given a posthumous gift to the prince and buried near the mausoleum, and he was entitled to enjoy the imperial temple.
Muchun's personality followed that of his father, who was a cautious and down-to-earth person. This time he came to Beijing to report on the war in Yunnan last year and the list of meritorious persons.
"You came to Beijing specifically to repay your merits. Are you afraid that the Ministry of War will cause your subordinates to suffer?" Zhu Yunxi continued to laugh.
After being exposed, Muchun said with a bit of shyness, "That's not the case. When I come to Beijing this time, I also want to ask the emperor to give Yunnan some more cattle." After saying that, he paused and said, "Last year. , cultivated 100,000 hectares of fields, half of which were given to the families of the officers and soldiers, and the other to the barbarians in the mountains and forests. The land was available, but the cattle... and all kinds of iron tools were also in short supply. In addition, the emperor was asked to send People from the Ministry of Industry go down to divert water to irrigate the fields, and there are also matters related to official education. There are not many talented people at my side who can teach..."
Zhu Yunxi thought about it, "Oh? You live and farm together with the families of barbarians and officers and soldiers?"
"Yes!" Mu Chun said, "The barbarians in the mountains and forests have always been unruly, but they are still simple by nature. I thought that by putting them together with the family members of the officers and soldiers, they can be slowly influenced. After they enter into mutual marriage, they In twenty years’ time we will all be honest people!”
"This is a good method!" Zhu Yunxi praised, "Han and barbarians live together and influence each other. The Han people can maintain the martial style, and the barbarians can also understand the etiquette. It is very good!" He said, thinking about it, "I will let the workers work with cattle and iron tools."
The department has prepared it for you, but are you a scholar who teaches?"
Yunnan is a borderland, and the most difficult aspect of governing borderlands is not people's livelihood, but education. Starting from Muchun, Yunnan has widely promoted official education. However, after more than 20 years, the results are not very good. There are many students but they can't.
There are very few people teaching.
"You also know that the scholar Jin Gui would rather die in the Central Plains than go to the frontier!" Zhu Yunxi smiled, "I will think of a way to deal with this later!"
"It's not just the lack of scholars!" Muchun said, a little embarrassed, "I also want to ask the emperor for someone!"
"Who do you want?" Zhu Yunxi sat upright and took a sip of tea.
"Common people!" Mu Chun said, "The reason why barbarians always make trouble in Yunnan is because there are too few people. Moreover, last year's war pushed the border with Burma forward several hundred miles. If cities were not built in those places,
No one is farming, and in a few years I'm afraid it will fall into the hands of those barbarians again!"
Indeed, with land there are important people. It is not that the ancient dynasty of the Zhongxia Dynasty did not open up. The most fundamental reason why the territory it conquered cannot be defended is that there is no one. An army alone is not enough. An army without people is nothing but duckweed.
.
"You want someone?" Zhu Yunxi said with a bitter smile, "I don't have anyone in my hands!"
There is a saying in later generations that we lack everything except people. At this time, the Ming Dynasty was a giant in terms of population for various vassal states. According to the Ministry of Household Statistics, it had a population of nearly 70 million. But in Zhu Yunxi's view, these populations were still too large.
not enough.
Luzon had already stationed troops there, and merchant ships came and went frequently. However, it was discovered that the immigrants there were all criminal prisoners, and the people refused to go despite the government's words.
There is also Liaodong, which is still an important military town. The King of Liao has written several times to ask for some help. When he goes out, he encounters a blind man. Give him some help! But who will go?
The people are like this. The better life gets, the less willing they are to move.
Having said that, if life can be good, who would be willing to leave home and business and stay away from their hometown. Just like the people in later generations who traveled north and south, all because they had no choice but to make a living.
"It's not impossible!" Zhu Yunxi thought about it, "Recently, the Ministry of Rites is preparing to pardon the world's low-ranking people. Then we will see if those low-ranking people are willing to go to Yunnan to open up wasteland."
Having said that, Zhu Yunxi felt that this seemed to be a very feasible method.
After those people with lowly status were exempted from the lowly status, they were still discriminated against in the local area and had no place to gain a foothold. Then simply move their jobs and let them either go north to Liaodong or to Yunnan. This would be a way to get the best of both worlds.
"No matter who it is, as long as it's a human being, I want it!" Muchun was overjoyed.
"You're not picky!" Zhu Yunxi smiled and said casually, "How is Zhu Gaoxu doing in Yunnan?"
"Well..." Muchun suddenly hesitated and thought for a long time before speaking slowly, "Back to the emperor, the second master of the fourth prince's family is in Yunnan... it's so outrageous!"
Zhu Yunxi looked at him, "I'm causing trouble for you!"
"That's not true, but..." Muchun complained, "He is too good at killing people!" He simply started chatting, "Thousands of soldiers and horses following him are all death row prisoners. I heard that there are still some in the army.
A desperado who committed a capital crime!"
If someone commits a capital crime in the army, he must have committed a serious crime such as killing a good man in private, or robbing people and raping women. Such people are not afraid of death when fighting, but they are also really difficult to control.
"They haven't stopped since they arrived in Yunnan. They spend all day in groups going to Burma to harvest grass and valleys!" Muchun continued, "Some businessmen said that the people under the second master killed everyone they saw and burned down the stockades they saw.
.....”
At this point, he raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, this matter is not easy for him to look at and it is not easy for him to talk about it. He is the emperor's grandson. If he kills people on sight, wouldn't that damage the reputation of our Ming Dynasty? Furthermore, if we attract those barbarians,
We share the same hatred with the enemy, and the war on the border has resumed. When the time comes, the imperial court will send out a large army..."
"I asked him once when he would kill enough. Guess what he said? He said when the water in the Nu River turns red and when there are no more Burmese people to see, then he will put away his sword!"
As he spoke, he said with some indignation, "I've gone too far, and he still..."
"What else?" Zhu Yunxi frowned.
Muchun lowered his head, "Second Master said that the emperor told him that no matter how big a territory he could conquer, he would be given a fiefdom. He asked his ministers to mind their own business!"
"Naughty kid!" Zhu Yunxi cursed in his heart.
At this time, the bastard suddenly came in from outside.
"Long live my lord, the Supreme Emperor knows that Duke Qian has entered the palace and has sent someone to call him!"
This chapter has been completed!