"You brat, stop being so pretentious and speak clearly. What you say half-way is so off-putting, it's really uncomfortable."
Zhang Mao glared at Liu Jin. This kid always liked to show off his skills and make people appetizing. He really wanted to beat him up.
"Yes, yes, let's make it clear~"
"If you say half of this, it will make people uncomfortable to death."
Li Dongyang also followed suit.
"You will know in the future. If you want to make a fortune, just start planning now. Take over the Persian Gulf. The more you take over, the better. You can just wait and count the money later."
Liu Jin smiled, then rolled up his sleeves and looked at the time and said, "It's almost time. It's time to see Your Majesty."
After saying that, Liu Jin took the lead and walked towards Shang Shufang.
"This stinky boy~"
Zhang Mao and Li Dongyang looked at each other, smiled, shook their heads, and walked out, thinking in their minds.
"What treasures does this Persian Gulf hold?"
"What valuable things can be found in a desert?"
The two of them really couldn't figure it out, but they firmly remembered Liu Jin's words.
Soon, the three of them arrived at the Shang Shufang. Emperor Hongzhi, the chief minister of the cabinet Liu Jian, and ministers such as Xie Qian and Zhong Zhong had also arrived. When Liu Jin, Zhang Mao, and Li Dongyang arrived, every court meeting
After that, the regular small meetings also started.
"The Chinese New Year is coming soon, and another year has passed. Time flies so fast."
Emperor Hongzhi looked at the snowflakes flying outside the window and sighed.
"Yes, after the new year, I am already seventy-six years old."
Liu Jian also followed Emperor Hongzhi's words and joked about his age.
"Liu Aiqing, please take care of yourself. It's very cold this winter."
As a good emperor, Emperor Hongzhi naturally had to care for his ministers.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am still in good health. There is a fireplace at home, so I don't feel cold at all."
Liu Jian quickly and respectfully thanked him.
"Hmm~"
"This winter, the Chinese New Year is about to come, and it is time for those who work in the city to return to their hometowns once a year. They must instruct the officials and inns along the way to prepare hot water and meals, and patrol the markets.
Roads to ensure that everyone can go home safely and celebrate the New Year happily."
"The same is true for the railway. It is especially important during the Chinese New Year. We must ensure the safety of railway transportation and make sure no mistakes are made."
Emperor Hongzhi nodded slightly and gave instructions.
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I have repeatedly ordered local governments and post stations along the way to do the relevant reception work."
Li Dongyang was in charge at this time, so he also stood up and expressed his stance.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured that the Ministry of Industry has repeatedly and strictly ordered the railway offices in various places to do a good job in returning people to their hometowns and cities before and after the Spring Festival."
The Minister of the Ministry of Industry also quickly stood up to express his position. As more and more railways were repaired in the Ming Dynasty, the management of railways was also put on the agenda. Under the Ministry of Industry, a railway office was specially set up to manage the national railways. The various places where the railways stopped were also set up accordingly.
Local railway offices were established to manage, coordinate and maintain railways nationwide.
Of course, many of the railways in the Ming Dynasty were privately owned, and although the main railway lines were funded and built by the imperial court, there was still a large amount of private capital involved.
Therefore, the railway yamen is not responsible for the operation of the railway in normal times. It mainly plays the role of supervision and management, and can intervene in the operation of the railway at important moments.
"That's good~"
"In addition, the grasslands, Liaodong, Western Regions, Hezhong, Central Asia, and the northwest provinces are very cold in winter. Governments in various places must be strictly ordered to ensure that the people have enough warm clothes, food and food in winter.
Firewood, and for herdsmen, we need to ensure that they can survive the winter smoothly."
Emperor Hongzhi soon emphasized the matter of spending the winter in several northern provinces.
In the past, in the winter, I was worried that the nomadic tribes from the north would go south to rob the people, but now I am worried about whether they can survive the cold winter smoothly.
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I have already explained this matter. Every town on the grassland has sufficient food, tea, stored green reserves, hay, etc., which is enough to ensure that herdsmen everywhere can survive the winter smoothly."
"In addition, the Liaodong region, the Western Regions, Hezhong, Central Asia and the northwest provinces have also prepared a large amount of grain and hay in advance before winter, which is enough to ensure that the people and livestock on the grasslands survive the winter smoothly."
Xie Qian was in charge of this matter and also stood up to express his position.spanstyle>谷/spanstyle>
In the Ming Dynasty, there have been bumper harvests year after year, and there is sufficient food. The tax revenue of the imperial court has also increased year by year, and the national treasury is sufficient. The preparations in this area have always been very good.
"That's good, that's good~"
"The Ming Dynasty is able to achieve its peak situation today because all ethnic groups coexist harmoniously, unite as one, and help each other. The ethnic groups in the north, especially the nomadic tribes on the grasslands, will be very difficult every winter. They should have to
Please pay more attention and provide necessary help.”
Emperor Hongzhi nodded with satisfaction. Every year when winter came, he would give repeated orders and instructions on these matters, emphasizing them many times and exhorting them repeatedly to ensure that all ethnic groups in the north of the Ming Dynasty could successfully spend the winter.
He didn't want some tribes to rebel against the Ming Dynasty because of such trivial matters, or for the tribes to fight and kill each other.
The current situation of the Ming Dynasty was hard-won, and Emperor Hongzhi would not allow anyone to destroy it.
"Your Majesty, the situation in West Africa has become very turbulent. I received news not long ago that the Korean Yanshan City was attacked by the Spaniards. The Korean Navy suffered heavy losses. The Persian expeditionary army encountered an epidemic again in Africa. It is said that they are dead.
It was less, but it was our doctors from Ming Dynasty who finally controlled the epidemic."
After talking about domestic affairs, Zhang Mao soon reported foreign affairs to Emperor Hongzhi. What happened in West Africa was finally reported back to the Ming Dynasty.
"Your Majesty, the envoy of King Yanshan of North Korea wishes to see your Majesty. I guess it is also related to this matter. North Korea has suffered heavy losses in West Africa. It is hard to say whether it can keep its colonies in West Africa in the future."
Fu Han, the Minister of Rites, also stood up and said.
“West Africa~”
Emperor Hongzhi pondered slightly. He had also recently received a letter from his younger brother, King Xing Zhu Youqi. In the letter, his younger brother cried to Emperor Hongzhi about how difficult his life was in a bitter and cold place like West Africa.
Although the vassal state was established, there were no people or money. Even the palace was very simple. The roads were still yellow mud. When it rained, when I walked out, my shoes were covered with mud and I had no money to buy cement.
To do the hardening.
In addition, the barbarians around the vassal state were very arrogant. The Spaniards always bullied themselves and made them suffer a lot. Even the native Kunlun slaves in West Africa did not take him, the majestic Ming Dynasty prince, to heart and kept repeating it again and again.
The attack harassed King Xing's vassal state so much that Emperor Hongzhi's nephew couldn't sleep well.
In short, in the letter, King Xing kept crying about his misery to Emperor Hongzhi, and at the same time expressed his longing for Emperor Hongzhi, his brother. Seeing that the New Year was about to come, there was no gift for Emperor Hongzhi, so he could only
The trustee sent some ivory tusks to express King Xing's longing for his brother, Emperor Hongzhi.
From the beginning to the end, he never asked Emperor Hongzhi for money or things, but Emperor Hongzhi saw it clearly. Just like the letters he received from other vassal kings, they all asked Emperor Hongzhi for money and people.
, requiring weapons and equipment.
"Is the situation already so serious here in West Africa?"
Emperor Hongzhi thought for a while and asked.
"Your Majesty, the situation in West Africa is very serious~"
"Pirates were rampant in Europe. The colonies of Japan, Korea, and Spain were frequently plundered by pirates, and merchant ships were often robbed."
"Persia and North Korea want to gain more colonies, so they are full of conflicts with Spain. Several wars have broken out. Both sides have suffered losses, but the biggest loss was North Korea. The North Korean navy was attacked and suffered heavy losses.
, has almost lost its dominance in West Africa."
"However, our Ming Dynasty's colonies and vassal states have never had any problems, and they are relatively safe."
Zhang Mao also hurriedly reported the news.
"North Korea is the most important vassal state of our Ming Dynasty. We cannot ignore it. Liu Jin and Fu Han, please go back and see the envoys of North Korea and ask them about their situation. If they want to buy warships from our Ming Dynasty, what weapons and equipment do they have?"
If they are, just sell them to them. As for the others, we can’t control that much for the time being.”
"It is not easy for our Ming Dynasty to get involved in the colonial grab in West Africa. Spain has always been an important ally of our Ming Dynasty in Europe. We should not be too partial to any one side."
Emperor Hongzhi said thoughtfully.
"Your Majesty's Holy Might~"
Liu Jin and Fu Han also hurriedly said in unison that regarding matters in West Africa, they had already reached a conclusion last year, that is, Ming Dynasty remained neutral and did not interfere with either side, and just sold arms and weapons to both sides.
In the Shangshu room, Emperor Hongzhi and his ministers discussed state affairs.
At this time, in the palace, a messenger soldier held a memorial in his hand and shouted hurriedly: "800 miles urgent, 800 miles urgent~"
"Jiangnan Jiuzou, Jiangnan Jiuzou~"
The sound came quickly from outside the palace to the Qianqing Palace. When one soldier got tired, he immediately replaced another soldier to take over. They did not dare to waste a moment and raced against time to submit this memorial to the emperor.
"Eight hundred miles urgent~"
"Jiangnan Jiuzou, Jiangnan Jiuzou~"
As the messenger hurriedly called out, he soon arrived outside the study room of Qianqing Palace. Xiao Huangmen hurriedly came to pick it up, and then came to Xiao Jing's side.
When Xiao Jing heard this, his expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly took the memorandum and hurried to Emperor Hongzhi to report.
"Your Majesty, please hurry up at eight hundred miles and rush to Jiangnan!"