Capital.

Zhu Houzhao has been emperor for almost a month.

The tomb of Emperor Xiaozong had been selected and was set at Shijiatai, named Tailing. After checking it, Sima Zhenren, Wang Hua, the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites, and others, they confirmed that there was no problem with Feng Shui, so the tomb was officially started.

According to the Tailing Construction Plan, the underground Xuan Palace will be built within about four or five months. As for the above-ground buildings, it will take nine months to one year to build.

In other words, Zhu Zhi will not be buried before the construction of Tailing Xuan Palace, but the mourning hall will be moved out of the main hall of the Ganqing Palace and moved to the back veranda. The Ganqing Palace will be used as the living palace of the new emperor.

In the past month when Zhu Houzhao became emperor, he had basically no other position except for the visit of a few little palace maids and booking a tomb for his father. He was very dissatisfied with this state of life and felt that he could not make any decisions. He was too frustrated.

Few of the people around Zhu Houzhao had real skills. Zhang Yuan, Dai Yi and others could not compete with Liu Jian, Li Dongyang and others. Both the court's affairs were controlled by the cabinet.

On the third day of the second month, Zhu Houzhao met with the court officials and talked about two aspects.

The first item involves military affairs in the northwest. The Mongolian Yisima Yin troops still frequently violated the border. The peace talks set by Emperor Xiaozong were not conveyed to Zhu Houzhao before. Zhu Houzhao never wanted to negotiate with others in his heart. In his opinion, such wars facing foreign humiliation should be fought to the end. This view is similar to those of Liu Jian and Li Dongyang.

Liu Jian advocated resisting foreign enemies outside the national gate in the northwest. It was not that Liu Jian was in charge of the war, but because this involved the death of Emperor Xiaozong and the new emperor ascended the throne. The court needed a victory in the foreign war to establish the prestige of the Ming Dynasty. Now that the war in the southwest has subsided, it is impossible to rekindle the war, so we can only make a fuss in the northwest battlefield.

Zhu Houzhao's proposal coincided with Liu Jian. In this way, the war in the Northwest was no longer necessary to discuss, and he had to speak with force.

As a few insiders in the court's peace talks with Tatars during the reign of Emperor Xiaozong, Xie Qian was also the one who led the peace talks. He couldn't help but feel anxious, but he couldn't explain the matter in detail to Zhu Houzhao, so he could only pretend to be confused and prepare to report to Zhu Houzhao in private.

The second item of consultation in the court was to promote new crops in the north.

This is based on the reports reported by the governments in southern Guangdong and Fujian. The Ministry of Revenue issued a document and handed over to the cabinet for review and then brought to the court for consultation.

Because of the large-scale promotion of new crops in Guangdong and Fujian provinces in the first two years, the planting area of ​​corn and sweet potatoes in the south has gradually increased, and the people recognized the new crops, so that corn, sweet potatoes, peppers and other promotions are very fast. Now, Chenxi has also vigorously promoted planting in the six southwestern provinces without the approval of the imperial court.

As for the land in Jiangbei, it is too close to the imperial center and the cultivation of new crops is strictly regulated.

Zhu Houzhao said: "Since foreign crops can benefit the people of the Ming Dynasty, why not promote them vigorously? Liu Shaofu, I will leave this matter to you. Be sure to promote these crops north of the river, so that the people can have enough food and clothing, live and work in peace and contentment!"

Liu Jian reported: "Your Majesty, the old minister believes that new crops should be tested in the south and should not be easily promoted to the north. Foreign things must be evil. How can these crops be planted without long-term consumption verification by the people? If the land is solidified, fertility is exhausted, and the grain is not harvested, the people of our Ming Dynasty may be hungry and frozen..."

It is not so easy to promote every new thing, especially those old antiques. They must first demonize new things and only gradually recognize them after practice has proved them.

Just like new crops such as corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc., these things will not be used as the main food for the time being. Liu Jian and others are also afraid that these crops will have unknown risks, such as making the land grow from ripe in the next few years, or what toxic side effects will be caused by people's long-term consumption...

To put it bluntly, everything is fear of unknown things.

People's caution itself is not a problem. The reason why Chenxi dares to promote these crops is because he knows that after the next few hundred years of cultivation, these crops have been proven to be non-toxic and harmless, and even feeds most of the world's population. With a theoretical and practical basis, there is no problem with Chenxi's promotion.

And Liu Jian and Li Dongyang obstructed large-scale promotion without knowing it, and there was no problem.

When Emperor Xiaozong dynasty, the people were basically able to make food and clothing without farming new crops. Promoting new crops was not very meaningful to the court officials. In the minds of conservative old ministers such as Liu Jian and Li Dongyang, since the people can support their families by farming traditional crops, why bother to promote new crops at unknown risks, which may affect the people's livelihood?

Zhu Houzhao said: "The people are living a hard life now. I think it is necessary to promote new crops... Liu Shaofu, I have decided on this matter. You are not deliberately sing a counter-tune with me and make me embarrassed, right?"

"Um!?"

Liu Jian didn't expect Zhu Houzhao to show such a tough attitude on this issue.

Although Xiao Jing tried his best to wink Zhu Houzhao, hoping that Zhu Houzhao could protect the face of Liu Jian, the chief assistant of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Houzhao turned a blind eye. Once he became willful, he could not even pull back. At this time, he was determined to prove that he could be the master of the country in the court, rather than obeying other people's opinions in everything.

Liu Jian breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Since your Majesty has made such a decision, the old minister will discuss it, but in the northern provinces, the promotion area should not be increased suddenly, and it needs to be gradually promoted!"

Zhu Houzhao immediately felt the joy of making decisions and was very satisfied. She suddenly felt that Liu Jian was much more pleasing to the eyes. He pretended to be contemplative and said after a while:

"Young Master Liu is right and promote it directly. If there is any inappropriateness, then gradually promote it and let some people farm first. If the effect is good, the farming area will be increased next year. Only after a few years will the full promotion be fully promoted so that the people of Ming Dynasty do not have to worry about food at least..."

Liu Jian saw that Zhu Houzhao was deliberately against him, and he didn't think the little emperor recognized the new crops much.

After confirming this incident, Liu Jian did not force too much. After all, in the eyes of the old minister, the new emperor was too arbitrary to do things and needed to be suppressed, but if everything was suppressed, it would be counterproductive.

After the court was dispersed, all the ministers left the palace by themselves, while Liu Jian and Li Dongyang returned to Wenyuan Pavilion.

Li Dongyang asked in confusion: "Why should Young Master Liu obey His Majesty's wishes and promote corn and sweet potatoes in the north? Are you not afraid that these things will damage the bodies of the people of the Ming Dynasty?"

Liu Jian shook his head: "What can you do if Your Majesty insists on doing this? This matter is just a matter of just one thought, good or bad, you and I don't know, but if I deny Your Majesty in public in the court, what will others think of me?"

The civil officials of the Ming Dynasty abused power, and the purpose of monopolizing the government was not to monopolize the government's affairs. All things were based on personal preferences. Liu Jian, Li Dongyang and others were basically loyal to the emperor. However, in their thoughts, the new emperor was young and ignorant and could not tell the right and wrong, so they interfered in helping the new emperor decide on big and small matters.

But once they clashed with the emperor at the court meeting, Liu Jian, Li Dongyang and others would make compromises with Confucian doctrine of the mean.

This is also a situation that Zhu Houzhao did not understand. In fact, the autocracy of Liu Jian and Li Dongyang is not absolute. They both cherish their feathers and will not conflict head-on with the emperor.

In the past, Liu Jian and Li Dongyang suppressed Zhu Houzhao because he was the crown prince at that time. After Zhu Houzhao ascended the throne, he always treated Liu Jian and Li Dongyang as hostile to the cabinet when he was the crown prince. He mistakenly thought that he could not take power, but in fact, Liu Jian and Li Dongyang were gradually delegating power to Zhu Houzhao.

Unfortunately, no one under Zhu Houzhao helped him collect the power he released. Xiao Jing, as a good man, didn't care about it, and Zhang Yuan, Dai Yi and others couldn't hold it up, so even if the cabinet released its power, Zhu Houzhao was unable to accept it. The final result was that the power was still in the hands of the cabinet.

...

...

Zhu Houzhao was a rare master of his family in the court, and seemed very happy. She returned to Qianqing Palace and prepared to eat some good things to reward himself.

The Ming Dynasty was basically in the middle and late Hongzhi Dynasty and the Zhengde Dynasty, which was related to the fact that Emperor Hongzhi was weak and Emperor Zhengde as a young man when he ascended the throne.

In the middle and early Ming Dynasty, due to the existence of the two decision-making levels of the cabinet and the literati and supervisor, the two were restricted, and the specific affairs were implemented by the six ministries. Therefore, although the cabinet was at the decision-making level, it did not hold real power. For Emperor Hongzhi and for a long time before, the power of the court was firmly in the hands of the emperor, and the imperial power was highlighted.

However, after Emperor Xiaozong's reign, the cabinet began to have real power, not only as the decision-making level, but also as the executive level, so that the power of the cabinet's grand scholars increased sharply, and the power of the Silijian gradually fell due to the inaction of Xiao Jing and others. The imperial power naturally showed a decline at this time, and Zhu Houzhao always felt that his power was controlled by others.

A month later, Zhu Houzhao can finally enjoy meat. This makes it happier for a young man who has never had to wear a mourning uniform than not wearing a mourning uniform.

In the Qianqing Palace, Zhang Yuan saw that Zhu Houzhao was in a good mood and couldn't help but ask: "Your Majesty, do you have any arrangements tonight...?"

"Arrangement? Haha, yes, I'm happy to find a few palace maids for me... Zhang Yuan, remember to find some beautiful ones, I will be rewarded in the future!"

Until now, Zhu Houzhao still rewards others, but he still writes a blank check because he still doesn't feel that he has real power.
Chapter completed!