September 16th, the fifteenth year of Orthodoxy, is a good time to travel.

Zhang Fu, Prince of Jing'an County, led an envoy to Annan as an imperial envoy of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Qizhen personally sent the team out of the city gate. After returning to the palace, he immediately summoned Zhu Qiyu and his chief assistant Cao Nai to the imperial study to discuss matters.

"It has been more than two months since I returned to Beijing from Mobei, but I wonder if the people from the Central Plains are still used to migrating outside the customs? I have been thinking about them very much these days!"

Zhu Qiyu and Cao Nai looked at each other and saw the word doubt in each other's eyes.

Reports are sent to Mobei, Monan and other places every day. The local people are busy opening up farmland and building workshops. They are living a beautiful life. These things have been reported to the emperor a long time ago, and now they are suddenly mentioned again. It is true.

People are a little confused.

After all, Cao Nai had experienced a lot, and he immediately guessed that the emperor might have something in mind when he said this.

This territory was conquered by the emperor himself, so it must be of vital importance to the emperor.

"Reporting to your Majesty, I believe that the climate in places such as southern and northern Mobei is very different from that of the Central Plains. Most of the officials appointed by the imperial court are young scholars and lack experience in governing local areas. It is inevitable that there will be some mistakes. It is better for the Ministry of Personnel to take the lead in dealing with these problems.

The newly appointed officials will conduct an on-the-spot assessment, listen to their opinions, and jointly discuss their experience in managing the desert. I wonder what the emperor wants?"

After Cao Nai finished speaking, he admired himself.

Although I don’t know what the emperor’s sudden reference to the desert meant, his answer can be considered watertight.

If there is a problem there, I will tell you that the imperial court lacks experience in managing the desert.

If there is no problem, there is nothing wrong with what I say.

Zhu Qiyu nodded repeatedly after hearing this, and then said: "I think what Academician Cao said is very reasonable. The desert is already our territory of the Ming Dynasty, and the court should pay attention to it."

"Everything you said is right!"

Zhu Qizhen smiled and nodded, and continued: "But I'm still worried, so let me go back to the desert to see it myself."

"Ah?" Zhu Qiyu was stunned for a moment and said quickly, "If the emperor is not at ease, I can just go on behalf of the emperor!"

Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and said: "You should stay in the capital. I have been very satisfied with the supervision of the country twice, and the major affairs in the court are handled in an orderly manner. What's more, I have the support of the Cao Qing family and other ministers, so I can rest assured!"

”

Seeing this, Cao Nai hurriedly said: "If the emperor is not at ease, let me go and have a look!"

"Stop fighting!"

Zhu Qizhen looked impatient and said: "You two are not outsiders. Let me just say it bluntly. It's boring for me to sit in Fengtian Hall every day to review memorials. It's better to go out and take a look. Don't you always say

, As a king, you should have the heart to love the people. Now that I go out to observe the people's sentiments, can I be regarded as following the way of a saint?"

"This..."

Cao Nai was speechless for a moment, asking you to love the people, but I have never heard of an emperor not going to court every day and running around...

The so-called king, king, minister, father, father and son. As an emperor, you should do the emperor's business. What's the matter with running away all the time?

However, judging from the emperor’s intentions, he has already made up his mind.

Since you can’t persuade me, just follow the rules!

"Since the Emperor is going to patrol Mobei, I will discuss the itinerary with the Ministry of Rites after I return..."

"No, never!"

Zhu Qizhen waved his hands repeatedly and said hurriedly: "If I tell the Ministry of Rites, it will take a month to prepare. It is cold in Mobei, and it will snow if I wait any longer. I don't want to go out and get cold!"
p>

Cao Nai understood that the emperor was planning to escape secretly.

This is not okay. If something happens, wouldn't it be chaos?

"Your Majesty, you are the king of a country. Let's not talk about etiquette. From a safety perspective, if... something goes wrong, what should we do?"

Cao Nai secretly complained in his heart, if you really have an accident and cause shock in the court, it is not a joke!

"The Cao Qing family can rest assured, Mobei is already the territory of the Ming Dynasty, what danger can there be?"

"I beg to differ. Your Majesty, I think this matter must be reported to the Ministry of Rites, so as to avoid being pointed at behind my back when I go out!"

Zhu Qizhen said with a smile: "What Cao Qing's family said is true, but I still have some things to deal with. In a few days, I will summon the Ministry of Rites to discuss the matter. How about that?"

He feels a little unreasonable now. After all, it is indeed against the rules for the emperor to run away at every turn.

Cao Nai vaguely felt that the emperor's apparent agreement was more like a temporary measure.

I couldn't help but sigh in my heart, Your Majesty, you have changed!

How innocent you were in the past, especially when you just took the throne, San Yang and the Empress Dowager Zhang were both there. At that time, everyone felt that the emperor was very sensible. Apart from favoring Wang Zhen, he basically never made any mistakes.

But now, Wang Zhen has been imprisoned, and it was the emperor who personally issued the order.

What's even more surprising is that the emperor seems to have completely changed his personality, which is unpredictable.

For example, at this time, although I said I agreed, I don’t know what the hell I was thinking about!

"In this case, I will resign first!"

"Well, go ahead!" Zhu Qizhen raised his head and said, "King Tan, please stay for a while!"

Cao Nai bowed and left, leaving only two brothers, Zhu Qizhen and Zhu Qiyu, in the room.

At this moment, Zhu Qiyu was a little nervous. For some reason, every time he was alone with the emperor, he felt inexplicably nervous.

It's like...the emperor knows what he is thinking and what he is about to do...

Just imagine, how would you feel if your every move was in the hands of someone else?

Zhu Qizhen looked at Zhu Qiyu and asked, "Are you worried about my safety?"

"Back to the emperor, my brother... I am really worried!"

Zhu Qiyu answered honestly.

Zhu Qizhen suddenly asked: "Are you just worried?"

"This..."

Zhu Qiyu hesitated for a moment, and that feeling came again. What he was thinking was once again seen through by the emperor.

At this point, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say what he was thinking.

"If the emperor goes on patrol privately, I'm afraid it will be...unreasonable..."

Zhu Qizhen smiled and said: "You are good at everything, but you attach too much importance to the word etiquette!"

Hearing this, Zhu Qiyu was greatly puzzled. Since ancient times, people have taken etiquette very seriously. Even in the Zhou Dynasty, etiquette was once a policy for governing the country. How come it became a derogatory connotation in the emperor's mouth?

"Your Majesty, etiquette and law are the laws established by our ancestors and the foundation of governing the country. Why, why..."

"Why do I never talk about etiquette, right?"

Zhu Qiyu nodded. It is true that the emperor rarely takes the initiative to talk about etiquette and law when dealing with anything. Instead, he pays more attention to laws and evidence.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there was a situation where hundreds of schools of thought contended. Among them, the Legalists advocated governing the country according to law and opposed the etiquette of Confucianism.

However, in the Qin and Han Dynasties, hundreds of schools of thought were deposed and Confucianism was respected only. Confucius became the first sage in five thousand years. All scholars in the world became Confucian students. The books they read and the etiquette they followed were all Confucian.<

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Now when I look back and look at what the emperor did, I can see that there is a faint hint of Legalism in it.

Zhu Qizhen seemed to see his doubts, and he was ready to teach his little brother a lesson today.

"Wynn, you go out first!"

Wynn was stunned for a moment, then realized what he was doing, quickly put down his teacup, turned around and walked out the door.

Zhu Qizhen smiled and said: "Today, there are only two brothers and you here. We treat it as a small talk and can say whatever we want. Even if I say something wrong, it doesn't matter. I promise I won't blame you!"

Zhu Qiyu struggled for a long time and seemed to be secretly making up his mind.

"I believe that governing the country with etiquette is the words of the sage. We should follow the way of the sage. As the king of a country, if I take the lead in destroying the etiquette system, then everyone in the world will follow suit. Isn't it not the joy of etiquette?"

If it collapses, the country will not be a country?"

Zhu Qizhen was not in a hurry to refute him, because in the eyes of people at the time, these were indeed the truth.

But, is it really right?

Governing the country by etiquette, as the name suggests, is to use etiquette to govern the country.

Confucius's original words are: Tao is governed by government, and justice is governed by punishment, so that the people will be exempted from shame;

The general meaning is that if you use government decrees to govern the people and use criminal laws to rectify them, the people will avoid being punished for crimes but have no sense of shame; use morality to guide the people and use etiquette to educate them, the people will not only have shame

heart, there will also be a heart of surrender.

This ritual is Zhouli.

Zhou Li stipulates a set of etiquette norms that must conform to the hierarchy of status in terms of food, clothing, housing and transportation, and has developed into a basic guideline for people's behavior. From another perspective, the so-called etiquette and law are the rules of the society at that time, which can also be called

These are laws and regulations.

However, the right to interpret the words of Confucius will always be in the hands of scholars.
To be continued...