Chapter 1,280 Is the current emperor worthy of being the king and father of all people in the world?
"The haze is misty and misty as you come and go, and the cold and heat never invade and keep track of the years..."
“What a fairy mountain!”
Xu Wei, wearing coir raincoats and mango shoes, climbed up the steps and reached halfway up the mountain. He looked up and could vaguely see the majestic outline, and he couldn't help but admire it.
This is the main peak of Wudang Mountain. It has the reputation of being one of the pillars holding up the sky. The seventy-two peaks around it are like bells and cauldrons, standing apart from each other and standing still to protect it.
But now on Tianzhu Peak, there is a floating mountain with misty clouds, which is Zhenwu Xuanyue, the residence of the immortals that has been spread by word of mouth recently.
Therefore, not only Xu Wei, who had long been interested in spiritual practice, but also a large number of people gathered at the foot of the mountain, many of whom were bowing to the sky and worshiping devoutly.
There are also those who kowtow constantly in the hope that the immortals will accept disciples and teach the Tao of immortality.
This is not false.
There is no doubt that Zhenwu Xuanyue is a manifestation of gods. The incense of Wudang Mountain is very prosperous, and it radiates from this center to all directions. Mountain gods and lands in various places, and even city emperor temples, are prosperous.
People prayed for the blessings of these gods who were not lofty but closely related to life, and received responses one after another. Shinto entered a virtuous cycle of down-to-earthness.
The people at the bottom only know that the past few years have been smooth and prosperous, and they finally have the hope of a good harvest despite the many disasters in the past. They pray and fulfill their wishes with gratitude.
The well-informed wealthy and powerful people knew that this change was caused by the Taoist doctor and Heavenly Master who was revered by the emperor and was famous throughout the world.
What is good from above will be followed by those below. With the Dao Lord and Emperor here, the practice of spiritual practice is already very strong. Many thoughtful people even bought the published medical book "Compendium of Materia Medica" and took it home and studied it carefully, hoping to find the guidance of spiritual practice from it.
reason.
Now that the Heavenly Master has come to take charge of Wudang Mountain, how can we miss the opportunity to reach heaven in one step?
"The heavenly master's vision is so high, even if you want to accept a disciple, it's not your turn!"
Xu Wei even saw that many scholars came here and bowed down regardless of appearance. They couldn't help but muttered, shook their heads and said with a smile: "It's a pity that I don't have the talent to practice. I'm afraid I can only be like these ordinary people."
, take a look at it from a distance!"
"How can I not see my friends when they come to visit?"
As he finished speaking, a gentle voice suddenly came to his ears, a breath enveloped him, and the surrounding mountains suddenly spun.
But before his body could experience an unbearable strange reaction, he was already down to earth again. Xu Wei calmed down and saw that he had arrived in a majestic palace.
Not far in front of him, a familiar yet unfamiliar Taoist priest was sitting on a futon and looked over with a smile: "Brother Xu, are you okay?"
Xu Wei's body trembled and his eyes widened.
When I first saw this person, he was already pure and graceful, with the appearance of an immortal. In terms of appearance and demeanor, it was really unmatched by anyone. But now he was even more indescribably remote and ethereal, as if he was looking up at the sky.
Feel yourself small.
As a result, the talented man, who had always been free and easy-going and somewhat rebellious, also felt flattered: "I don't dare to be called this, I haven't seen you for a long time..."
Li Yan smiled and said in the same tone as before: "It has only been three years since the Japanese were destroyed. It has only been two years since I went to Wudang Mountain to practice. It can't be a long time, right?"
Xu Wei's restraint gradually dissipated, his expression became natural, and he smiled bitterly and said: "Although the Heavenly Master has only left for two years and has not yet arrived, it feels like I have been waiting for a long, long time..."
Li Yan pretended to listen.
In this spacious palace, a place free from the worldly atmosphere, Xu Wei, who was already bold, said without any worries: "That's all for me. I am just a wandering cloud and a wild crane. Without fame and fame, Ruzhen's life will be difficult!
"
"The emperor has the intention to burn bridges across the river, but he has not been allowed to officially join the cabinet yet. He does not hesitate to use the country's power to attack the Mongolian troops outside the Great Wall, and completely ignores the advice..."
"Seeing that Hu Ruzhen was thinking so hard, and I couldn't do anything to help him, I was so angry that I simply went south. Seeing the Heavenly Master again seemed like a lifetime ago!"
Li Yan listened calmly.
Xu Wei knew very well that this person probably had a very good understanding of the situation in the court.
During the past two years, Jiajing personally took charge of the government, and his actions actually made many people see clearly that Yan Dang's past guilt was not limited to Yan Song, Yan Shifan and his son!
While other Taoist leaders did not dare to question the emperor, this one was different. He did not interfere. He should have his own considerations...
Xu Wei thought about what he saw along the way and couldn't help but praise: "Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty was protected by the Heavenly Master, and the country is peaceful and the people are safe. Now the weather is smooth and the people are blessed!"
When Li Yan heard this, he sighed softly and looked to the northwest: "It's a pity that the way of heaven is constant, and wherever the earth runs, some disasters are inevitable. At this time, Guanzhong is experiencing an unprecedented natural disaster."
Xu Wei's expression changed: "Guanzhong is going to be hit by disaster again? There has been a famine there in recent years, and it rains all night long when the house leaks?"
Li Yan stopped making unnecessary sighs and turned to practical actions. He waved his hand and flew out many jade bottles from the shelf at the back: "These Pure Breath Pills can curb the epidemic. I will give them to Ru Zhen, and the Ming court will do its best to provide disaster relief."
"Thank you!"
Xu Wei took it, bowed his hands respectfully, and then gritted his teeth and said: "I'm afraid the emperor has no victims in his heart...after natural disasters, there will be disasters!"
Li Yan nodded calmly and said the ground-breaking words without hesitation: "Then he is not worthy to be the Lord of the Nine Provinces and the Lord of the Ten Thousand Fangs and the King and Father of all the people in the world!"
…
"Drive! Drive!"
A galloping horse arrived at the gate of the capital city. Holding the token high, the soldiers hurriedly opened the door to let people in. Then they watched the messenger on the horse hurrying in and said curiously: "How many messengers have entered the capital in the past few days, every hour. I
The army hasn't set out yet, what's going on?"
Everyone whispered among themselves and made various guesses, until one person sighed in a low voice: "Bad thing! Big bad thing! I heard it was an earthquake in Guanzhong, and it seemed like it was going to burst that day!"
The soldiers looked at each other, except for surprise, there was no big reaction: "Seriously? How big an earthquake was that?"
There have been too many disasters tomorrow, and they have not stopped in various places for two hundred years. The people have long been accustomed to it. In addition, it does not fall on them. After all, they lack some empathy. Since they are far away in Guanzhong and have little relationship with Beijing, their
His tone was more curious than sad.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! But the soldier who heard the news shook his head and showed fear: "This time is different. I heard that the earth dragon is too powerful and kills too many people."
There are people..."
Others still didn't feel it, and some laughed and said: "It doesn't matter, long live God's protection, the army will go north to wipe out the Tatars!"
"Yes, General Qi's troops are so impressive..."
Just as the topic of the soldiers at the city gate changed, a letter and newspaper piled up on the cabinet's head. Lu Ben slowly put down the last letter and newspaper, frowning.
"At noon on the twelfth day of the twelfth month, there was a great earthquake in Guanzhong. The sky was dark and miserable, the earth stood upside down, the people collapsed in shock, those who stood up and those who lay down were all confused, and the buildings collapsed silently..."
"The sky in the southwest is cracked, there is a flash of light, the earth is cracking, water is coming out, and fire is coming out, it's strange..."
"At the turn of the Qin and Jin Dynasties, there was a sudden earthquake that spread thousands of miles away. Sichuan plains were torn apart, suburban markets moved, mountains rang and valleys rang, water surged and sand overflowed, city walls, temples, government offices, and people's houses collapsed and destroyed..."
The reason why the messenger came so quickly was because this earthquake was reported not only in Guanzhong, but also in Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Henan counties, all of which were affected to varying degrees.
The imperial court was not without options to deal with the earthquake, but Lu Ben had never dealt with the current situation where several provinces were reporting the earthquake.
The elder did not know that what he was seeing was the beginning of an extremely disastrous disaster, which was later called the Huazhou Earthquake, also known as the Ming Jiajing Guanzhong Earthquake, which affected seven provinces and 185 people.
County, subsequent aftershocks lasted for 17 years. According to official statistics, the number of victims was 830,000. It was the earthquake with the largest death toll among the earthquakes with historical records in the world.
Of course, the reason why it was so tragic was that natural disasters were one thing, and Mingting's subsequent response was also a standard disaster.
Now that this disaster has just begun, Lu Ben is already a little worried, because since Jiajing returned to the Forbidden City, there is only one thing he is most concerned about, and that is to send troops outside the fortress to wipe out the Mongolian tribes.
An Dahan, who was beaten to the city gates of Beijing to show off his power so that the mighty Emperor of Tomorrow wouldn't even dare to fart, and obediently agreed to the opponent's conditions, was captured alive and held a prisoner ceremony again. That would be an avenging of past humiliation.
Condolences to the ancestors of the Zhu family.
However, the troops and horses were not moved, and the food and fodder went first. Previously, attacking the Japanese country across the sea was a strategy of elite troops, and they were supplied by the vassal Korea. Now, it is not the same to attack the tribe of Anda Khan.
However, in recent years, the empty state treasury has not been alleviated.
The start of gold and silver production in Dongzhou Province has not yet turned into actual profits. The weaving bureau in Jiangnan has just restarted and opened up shipping. The silk has not yet been sold to make huge profits...
At this moment, it should be a time to recuperate and restore national strength, but Jiajing couldn't wait any longer.
Lu Ben had a headache. He was thinking about how to provide disaster relief as much as possible while maintaining supplies on the front line, when steady footsteps came from behind.
Lu Ben had been ups and downs in the officialdom all his life. You can roughly tell the character of an official just from the rhythm of his footsteps. For example, Yan Song was always slow and leisurely, unhurried and unhurried. His son Yan Shifan walked hastily, showing strong and domineering, while Xu Jie's
The pace seems gentle, but in fact it implies a sharpness, not the temperament of living under others for a long time...
As for the steps that are now coming in, there is a high-spirited air. It sounds like a person with great ambitions and a combination of knowledge and action. It is Hu Zongxian, the Minister of the Ministry of War, who is attending the cabinet affairs as an official of the Ministry of War.
This appointment is for a quasi-cabinet member, not a real cabinet elder. Compared with his contribution to the eradication of Japanese aggression, it is indeed somewhat undeserved. However, Hu Zongxian was promoted too quickly. From the seventh-rank inspector to the third-rank governor, and then to the cabinet, it only took a few short years.
It is reasonable to put some pressure on it during the years.
But more than two years have passed, and the prospective cabinet member is still a prospective cabinet member, which has aroused speculation from both the government and the public.
At this time, when Hu Zongxian entered, he seemed completely unaffected by the gossip and saluted respectfully: "Mr. Lu Ge!"
Lu Ben returned the courtesy and said with a wry smile: "Hu Butang is here, please share my worries for me!"
"Is it the Guanzhong earthquake?"
Hu Zongxian has been busy with military affairs recently. He only heard about the disaster there, but when he picked up the letters and newspapers sent by horses from various provinces, his face became solemn: "This earthquake is so serious!"
Lu Ben sighed: "The earthquake occurred at the first watch of the day. At midnight, the people were sleeping soundly and it was difficult to avoid the disaster. Guanzhong is loess, and the soil is loose and easy to collapse..."
Hu Zongxian also has an understanding of the people's sentiments in various places: "Most of the people in the Weihe River Basin live in cave dwellings in the Loess Plateau. Once an earthquake occurs, they will collapse instantly and cannot support them at all... The most worrying situation is the collapse of the Loess Landslide, causing the Yellow River to collapse."
Blockages, barrier lakes, and water backflow will cause the disaster to further expand!"
Lu Ben sighed again: "That's it! What we should worry about most is that there have been many disasters and famines in Guanzhong in the past few years, and the food is far from enough to sustain it. Once there is a big earthquake, it will be even more difficult to supply food. Now is the time
In the middle of winter, the people are short of food, clothing, and homeless. What should we do?"
Hu Zongxian clapped his hands: "Disaster relief must be provided! Disaster relief must be provided quickly!"
Lu Ben slowly shook his head: "The army is leaving the fortress, mobilizing food and grass, and only focusing on the front line. The court may not be able to afford it, so it can only exempt it from taxes after the disaster..."
In fact, even if there was no financial pressure to use troops against Mongolia, in the face of this super disaster that affected seven provinces, the Ming court in history only sent out 150,000 disaster relief funds, which was not as much as Jiajing's money to build a small palace.
And these 150,000 will definitely not be sent to Guanzhong, and they will be withheld at all levels along the way. This will lead to the tragic consequences of at least 830,000 casualties...
Of course, at this period in history, Yan Song had not yet fallen, and the Yan Party still had the final say in the court. It was normal for him to do such a thing. After all, neither Jiajing nor Yan Song cared about the lives of the people at all.
Don't let go.
Now Hu Zongxian's prestige in the military is increasing day by day, but he has never been able to join the cabinet, let alone sit on the position of chief minister. If he is a person who is extremely power-hungry, he will definitely focus on the great cause of destroying Mongolia in the north.
But Hu Zongxian did not hesitate and made a decision that was completely opposite to Yan Song: "This disaster is not a trivial matter. If ignored, it will inevitably lead to a serious disaster. I want to inform the emperor to postpone the war!"
Lu Ben showed a look of surprise: "Hu Butang is careful, your Majesty has said that our Ming army will be given priority in everything..."
Hu Zongxian raised his hands and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty is the Lord of the Nine Provinces and all directions, and the King and Father of all the people in the world. How can a King and Father watch his people suffer? I hope Elder Ge will face the Holy Spirit with me!"
Lu Ben's expression suddenly changed. He only looked forward to being the elder of the pavilion safely. At this time, his eyes flickered. After hesitating for a while, he finally said with a bit of shame: "I can't interfere with the affairs of the Ministry of War..."
"Farewell!"
Hu Zongxian shook his head secretly, cupped his hands again, sorted out the disaster information in various provinces on the table, turned around and walked out.
If he were still the same person as before, he might have some sympathy for the people affected by the disaster, but most of the time he would regard them as cold numbers and would not harm his own interests for the sake of people he had never met.
But since he gained that man's attention, gradually emerged, and shouldered the heavy burden of Ming Dynasty on his shoulders, Hu Zongxian's ambitions also changed.
What he wants to do is not to be a slanderous minister who blindly clings to his superiors and obeys without any bottom line, but to be the chief minister who can bring peace to the country and benefit the people!
Even in the face of the ninety-five nobles, ministers should do something and not do something!