For Duan Yu, who has never even been to Kunming, going all the way north is a very novel experience.
The subjugation of the country no longer matters.
As long as you can save your life, what's the difference between living as a monk in Dali and chanting sutras in Luoyang?
The actions of the princes of the Gao clan have disgusted Duan Yu, and in his eyes, Dali Guozuo existed in name only.
On the other hand, his son Duan Zhengxing's crying made Duan Yu feel particularly upset, and he couldn't help scolding him several times during the trip.
Faced with his father's reprimand, Duan Zhengxing secretly slandered: You have been the leader of the country for decades and have enjoyed everything, so of course it doesn't matter. I finally succeeded to the throne, but I haven't even enjoyed it for long, and now I am going to be the king of the country's subjugation.
Even if you stay in Dali and become a puppet, it is better than running to Luoyang and living under someone else's roof.
After a difficult journey to Guizhou, he turned into the Yangtze River and took a boat to relax. Duan Yu even enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the way.
Because he was extremely cooperative, the civil and military officials responsible for escorting him were not embarrassed and even accompanied Duan Yu to the deck every day to view the scenery and explain some relevant historical allusions.
Before winter came, Duan Yu arrived in Luoyang.
It didn't cause any sensation. He was just a king who had subjugated his country. The officials and people of the Ming Dynasty had seen a lot.
…
Imperial City, Chui Gong Hall.
Hu Quan, the newly appointed minister of the Ministry of Industry, said: "Your Majesty, this is the discharge dyeing cloth paid tribute by Jiangxi. There are two kinds of discharge printing and color discharge cloth. The color discharge printing and dyeing cloth is extremely expensive, and the fine white discharge cloth is also very expensive, but the ordinary discharge cloth is also very expensive.
White fabric is extremely cheap."
Ju Ming didn't understand fabric printing and dyeing technology, so he asked with interest: "Why is it so cheap?"
Hu Quan said: "The printing and dyeing speed is very fast and requires fewer workers. People can buy floral fabrics cheaply."
Ju Ming nodded in approval: "Excellent."
Hu Quan said: "This printing and dyeing technology was presented by the Zhang family in Dexing."
"It turns out that he is a member of the queen's clan," Zhu Ming said with a smile. "This law benefits the country and the people, so we should be rewarded."
In another time and space, the discharge dyeing method was invented in the Ming Dynasty.
It uses a reducing agent to print patterns on piece-colored fabrics. The original reducing agent used was dilute sulfuric acid...
In the Tang Dynasty, gall alum could be used to prepare dilute sulfuric acid, and Zhang's wet copper smelting in Dexing also used gall alum. Although Zhang donated the gall alum mine to the imperial court for smelting copper and casting coins, he still retained a small part of it.
It's easy to accidentally invent the discharge method while delving into that stuff.
There are three colors of cloth presented to Ju Ming.
One is colored cloth with colorful patterns. In addition to dilute sulfuric acid, other chemicals must have been used. The patterns and colors dyed are extremely gorgeous. Not only is the formula extremely difficult to prepare, but the technique is also difficult and the price
It's almost as expensive as brocade.
One is high-quality white calico, with only blue and white patterns. It is also expensive, and it has nothing to do with the formula. The main reason is that the technique is valuable, and the yield is not high.
The last type is ordinary white calico, which is also blue and white. At first glance, you can tell that it is rough and cheap. However, it can be quickly printed and dyed in large quantities at low cost, allowing the people at the bottom to wear cheap calico.
Especially young girls from poor families are at the age where they love beauty. Making two pairs of these printed clothes during the Chinese New Year is enough for them to look forward to the future happily.
Everyone loves beauty. Although floral cloth is more expensive and cannot improve warmth retention, it can satisfy people's spiritual needs.
Hu Quan resigned, and Duan Yu and his son were brought in.
"The guilty minister Duan Zhengyan (Duan Zhengxing) bows before His Majesty the Ming Emperor!" The two of them knelt down and kowtowed.
"Stay flat and give me a seat."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Zhu Ming observed Duan Yu carefully and was a little disappointed, he was just an ordinary little old man.
"Come closer and take a look at the floral cloth I just got." Zhu Ming said with a smile.
The father and son stepped forward, and the eunuch also brought the chair over.
Duan Yu looked at the colorful floral cloth and praised: "I have never seen this kind of floral cloth before. It must have been dyed using a special dyeing method. The Ming Dynasty is worthy of being a great kingdom!"
But Ju Ming shook his head and said: "These two exquisite products are too expensive, and the output is not high. They are just to please a few rich people. I like this one the most, which seems to be crudely made. It can be mass-produced, and even poor people can afford it."
."
Duan Yu quickly changed the direction of his praise: "Your Majesty cares about the people, and the wise kings of ancient times were nothing more than that."
"Haha, I don't dare to compare myself to the wise kings of ancient times." Zhu Ming was very impressed.
Duan Zhengxing looked at the piece of colorful floral cloth, his eyes not moving away for a long time.
This thing is like a watercolor painting. It was nothing in the industrial era, but it was extremely rare in ancient times.
It can even be called a work of art, because even the maker cannot figure out the specific ingredients of the chemical formula, and it is almost impossible to copy the exact same pattern and color. Therefore, each piece of cloth is unique and can be dyed directly.
Cloth becomes an artistic creation.
"Do you like it?" Zhu Ming looked at Duan Zhengxing.
Duan Zhengxing said quickly: "I don't dare."
Duan Yu was speechless. What was this stupid son talking about?
Ju Ming said: "Take it if you like it."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward!" Duan Zhengxing was overjoyed.
Duan Yu: "..."
Ju Ming asked: "I heard that you want to stay in Luoyang and become a monk?"
Duan Yu said: "I have always believed in Buddhism and am not keen on worldly fame and fortune. Luoyang is the holy land of Buddhism in the world. It is my lifelong wish to stay in Luoyang to worship Buddha."
How strange!
If it weren't for the quarrel among the Gao clan princes, Duan Yu might not have abdicated and became a monk by now.
Ju Ming nodded in approval: "It is a good thing to concentrate on worshiping the Buddha. However, Dali Esoteric Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism are not prosperous in Luoyang. You can switch to Zen Buddhism in the future."
Duan Yu quickly said: "I have heard about the mysteries of Zen for a long time, but it is a pity that I have never met a famous teacher."
Ju Ming said: "You can go to Luoyang Tianwang Temple to practice and discuss Buddhism with the abbot of Tianwang Temple every day. When you improve your Zen practice, I will give you a four-character Dharma title."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Duan Yu thanked him.
Zhu Ming looked at Duan Zhengxing again: "You go and live in Kaifeng. I will give you a house and 500 acres of fertile land. There is no vacancy in the fertile land outside Kaifeng. I will convert the rent into money for 500 acres of farmland and receive it every year. Then
I will grant you the title of Dali Gong, and you will receive a title and salary every month. Your first wife also has a royal title."
Duan Zhengxing was overjoyed and quickly went back and knelt down: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward!"
When he passed by Kaifeng, he felt that it was very prosperous and it would be great to be a rich man in Kaifeng for the rest of his life.
After chatting for a while, the father and son took their leave.
After leaving the palace, Duan Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
This ending doesn't seem bad.
As long as Emperor Zhu does not engage in petty tricks, it will be the same wherever he is a monk. His son becoming a rich man in Kaifeng is no different from being a puppet in Dali, and there is no political risk from powerful ministers.
Duan Yu no longer cares about his other sons, and they all rely on Emperor Zhu's arrangements.
How to arrange it?
Throw away the farming in northern Hebei and Liaodong, where the land is vast and the people are scarce!
Duan Yu warned: "When you go to Kaifeng, be careful about your words and deeds, and don't say any more nonsense."
"Father, there is no need to say much, the child is not a fool." Duan Zhengxing said.
Although Duan Zhengxing had no political means, he was the winner of the "battle for the throne" after all.
I still have a brain, but it has been destroyed long ago, because if I don’t use it, I will die faster!
The puppet king of Dali is in a more dangerous situation than the king of Goryeo.
The King of Goryeo was under house arrest at most, and there has been no precedent for a powerful official to regicide and usurp the throne. But the King of Dali has already been killed once, and usurped twice by the Yang family and the Gao family!
By the way, Wang Gou, the former king of Goryeo, has died of illness in Kaifeng.
If someone dies of natural illness, his eldest son will be demoted to the next level and inherit the title.
This family is all short-lived, probably due to the influence of inbreeding. It is estimated that it will be passed down to several generations in a hundred years. Every time they are demoted to a higher rank, the title will disappear quickly.
Returning to Sifangguan, I suddenly saw a group of foreigners coming.
Duan Yu asked curiously: "Who are those people?"
The accompanying official said: "The envoy from Western Liao came to pay tribute and negotiate peace."
Since the Ming Dynasty was digesting and consolidating the newly occupied areas and was not in a hurry to attack the Ili Valley, the tense relationship between the two countries seemed to have eased.
Xiliao kept sending envoys to the Anxi Protectorate to sue for peace, and this year they simply sent envoys directly to Luoyang.
Xiaota Buyan tried to give up the suzerainty north of the Tianshan Mountains (including the Naiman tribe) and regarded the Ming Dynasty as her parents' country in exchange for long-term peace between the two countries. She was even reluctant to cede the Ili Valley.
Of course, it may also be a delaying strategy, trying to delay the Ming Dynasty from sending troops.
Because Xiliao is fighting again!
Khwarezm, which was divided by the Seljuqs, has been fighting a civil war. The troublemaker Ajisi could not win, so he asked Xiliao to send troops to help, and promised to pay an annual tribute of 40,000 gold coins afterwards, increasing the tribute on the original basis.
Ten thousand.
In view of the fact that the Seljuks were eyeing him, Xiaota Buyan hated Ajisi very much, but he still suppressed his nausea and sent troops to help, in order to win over Khwarezm to fight against the Seljuks.
At the same time, Xiaota Buyan also adopted an adopted daughter as a princess, and formed an alliance with the Gejining Dynasty by marriage - the Liao Kingdom had already been married to Gejining, and the royal families of the two countries were still relatives.
Nowadays, the situation in Central Asia has changed again. Xiliao, Gejinin, and Khwarezm have formed an offensive and defensive alliance to jointly deal with the Seljuq Empire, which is on the verge of collapse.
The Ming Dynasty must be stabilized so that Xiliao can safely fight against threats from the west.
In fact, the current confrontation between the four major forces of Xiliao, Seljuk, Gejinin, and Khwarezm is just like novices pecking each other. All of them are suffering from internal and external troubles, and they will fall apart if they are not careful.
You have to bite the bullet and keep fighting.
It is very possible that while defeating the enemy, one's own internal conflicts will also completely explode...
Therefore, no one dared to take the initiative to attack with all their strength, and only repeatedly rubbed against small countries in the middle area. For example, Bukhara and Ghor in history will grow into regional hegemons in Central Asia in the future, but now they have become the center of war and were once again
Ravaged again.
"Go back and tell Xiaota that if you don't want to cede Ili, there will be no discussion," Zhu Ming said with a strong attitude. "If she is willing to cede Ili, the remaining details can be discussed. I will accept the gifts you brought. Ming Dynasty will give you a reward."
As a national gift, you can take it away after spring begins."
The envoy from Xiliao hesitated to speak, but finally said nothing more.
Because Xiliao did not have any capital to negotiate, continuing to negotiate was almost like begging, and would only make the Ming emperors and ministers look down upon him even more.
Alas, it would be great if the late emperor (Yelü Dashi) was still alive!
