"You said, a hundred years from now, except for those future generations who can see my portrait of the founding emperor in the temple, who else will know what I look like?"
"And the Forbidden City is constantly flooded and struck by lightning. If I accidentally burn my portrait, I'm afraid no one will know what I look like."
The emperor sighed.
This was even more difficult to respond to. Liu Afu could only smile awkwardly and said: "You live a long life and are blessed with kindness. God will definitely not do this..."
"Go and find me a group of masons."
The emperor gave the order casually.
After inspecting the mausoleum, Zhu Yixi returned to Yuquan Villa.
As the saying goes, if you are full and warm, you will think of lust, but there is a prerequisite, that is, it is not hot.
Compared with the artificial cooling of the Forbidden City, the coolness of Yuquan Villa made the emperor linger.
But he did not forget the stonemasons.
"Carve a stone statue of me on horseback in my likeness."
Zhu Yixi faced this group of forbidding craftsmen and expressed her request.
"Stone statue?"
"That's right, a huge stone statue three feet high."
The emperor said seriously: "Even history books can only be solved with a fire, but stones can withstand rain and wind and remain intact for thousands of years."
"I want future kings and future subjects to remember me."
When the masons saw this, they could only agree one after another. After all, this request was not high.
It's a pity that their thoughts were too beautiful, and the emperor asked them to carve more than that.
Liu Xiu has the twenty-eight generals of Yuntai, and Li Shimin has the twenty-four heroes of Lingyan Pavilion. As Emperor Zhu, the time traveler who revived the Ming Dynasty, he must be impressive.
What are portraits? He has statues of his heroes, which are eye-catching and lasting, and are not afraid of damage.
Of course, a bronze or iron statue would work, but just in case someone wants to exchange money or something, stone is bulky and useless, so who wants to use it?
Just when he was watching his statue taking shape with relish, he suddenly received news from Anxi, and the Russians asked to see him.
"Why are the Russians here again?"
Zhu Yixi frowned.
The Russians in the past few years mainly came for trade, but what is this Russian doing?
The emperor glanced at him, tilted his head and said, "Where is he from?"
"He's a count. I heard he came on the order of the Russian king——"
On the side, Wei Cheng, the admiral of the East Factory, spoke in a low voice, his face as serious as a blackboard.
But the emperor trusted him quite a lot.
Yang Le, the former admiral of Dongchang, went to Fengyang to serve as a left-behind eunuch to provide for his retirement. Wei Cheng stood out among the eunuchs and really shocked many people's jaws.
There is no way, Yang Le has seen this kind of flattery a lot, and the emperor now likes this kind of selfless and serious person.
Although he is not as considerate as Yang Le, he can still do things well.
"Oh? It seems like there's really something serious going on this time."
Compared with the previous talk about establishing slaves, now it seems that we really take it seriously a lot.
"Tell me, what's the reason?"
Zhu Yixi asked with interest.
"The servant guesses that the previous period was to establish slaves, but now it should be the Bukhara Khanate."
Wei Cheng said cautiously, with no trace of nervousness on his dark face: "The Tatars all say that the Russians are greedy, but they are limited in their ability, and naturally they are not willing to let this kind of land be taken over by our country."
"That's right." The emperor showed a smile: "Perhaps in its heart, all the heritage of the Golden Horde should be inherited by Russia."
"What we do is equivalent to taking the rice out of their pot."
"Let him in-"
Soon, Boris, who was dizzy and intoxicated with the palace, received the order from the eunuch.
There are no eunuchs in Russia. After all, the marriage is monogamous. As long as a legitimate son is born, the queen can do whatever she wants, so eunuchs are useless.
But the Golden Horde was a peaceful religion, with many wives and children, and eunuchs were also common.
Of course, there were still eunuchs in Europe in the early days. When the technological level deteriorated, only the Holy See would have them, and Russia would definitely not have them.
"Dear Ming Emperor, Russian envoy Boris sends his regards to you——"
Kneel on the knees. Russia, which broke away from the Golden Horde less than a century ago, has no shame in kneeling on the knees.
"Get up!"
Only then did Borili get up and saw the emperor with a face as beautiful as a crown jewel.
At first glance, he felt that this man was not a real warrior. How could he fight with such a short beard?
Look at that white and tender skin, he can take it off with one hand.
But he was still sensible. Knowing that the man in front of him was the emperor of the most populous country in the world, he did not dare to be presumptuous in the slightest.
At this time, the emperor saw the Russian clearly.
He has a long beard that almost reaches his belly, green-brown eyes, a tall and sharp nose that is necessary for air conditioning, a wide face and a large forehead, a typical Russian appearance.
Of course, the robe that combines Mongolia and the West gives it a unique Russian feel.
This is the true combination of East and West, and the complete westernization of culture will have to wait until the time of Peter the Great.
"Tell me, what's the matter with you?"
Zhu Yixi said casually.
Such a tone surprised Boris. He thought he was going to go around in circles like the Byzantine Empire or Western European countries!
"Your Majesty, we, the Tsar, hope to peacefully resolve the dispute on the Kipchak grassland with your country."
Boris said seriously.
"Is the Bukhara Khanate a vassal of your country?"
Zhu Yixi snorted coldly and said disdainfully: "I'm afraid your country's entire military strength is not as large as that from Bukhara!"
"What ability does the Rakshasa country have to talk to me about the Kipchak grassland?"
Boris was startled. He raised his head. The interpreter beside him was already trembling with fear. Looking at the Ming Emperor's calm and calm face, Boris also felt scared.
If he really wanted to kill him, the Tsar thousands of miles away could only be anxious. His title would only go to his younger brother. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel sad.
The little boy has always coveted his sister-in-law, and now he got what he wanted.
Seeing Boris trembling all over, with a dull face and saying nothing, the emperor lost interest and said lazily:
"Only the border troops, that is, the standing army, I have 100,000, and I can pull up millions of people at any time and anywhere in the country. What qualifications does Russia have to rob the Kipchak grassland from me?"
"Tell your tsar that the Kipchak grassland belongs to the Ming Dynasty. If I find you messing around, I will cut off trade."
"Dear Your Majesty, I understand, I understand—"
Boris clapped his chest and nodded vigorously.
For Russia, the Kipchak grassland is a piece of meat that cannot be eaten with a knife, while trade is an immediate benefit that cannot be given up.
One meeting ended in an anticlimax.
In fact, if it were not for the distance, Zhu Yixi would even want to eliminate Russia in advance.
But thousands of miles apart, it's really too far.
Unless he moves the capital to Yinli, it is absolutely impossible.
Suddenly, the emperor said: "Can you bribe him?"
Wei Cheng, the admiral of Dongchang, twitched his face. Of course he understood what the emperor meant. After hesitating for a while, he said decisively: "The Rakshasa people seem to be greedy."
"According to the interpreter, this guy kept his eyes on things along the way and was planning to go to Beijing to do some shopping before returning to Rakshasa."
Zhu Yixi raised his eyebrows. He naturally understood the greed of the Russians. In other words, the whole of Europe was driven by money at this time.
The king can hire people from other countries to serve as kings, but loyalty is nothing like that?
"Connect with him and let him find out information about Russia and Europe for us. In addition, I will ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to form a caravan to do business in the Rakshasa Kingdom."
"When the time comes, you can send some people there to inquire about information and establish a station there. They will be stationed there permanently in the future."
The emperor's sudden idea caught Wei Cheng off guard, but he could only respond.
Zhu Yixi was half-lying with a myriad of thoughts in her mind.
Nowadays, news about Europe basically relies on missionaries and merchants working on ships for a year, but if we take the route to Russia, we can save half a year.
Moreover, it has always been Europeans who came to Asia and came to the Ming Dynasty. It is time for the Ming Dynasty to appear in the eyes of Europeans.
Of course he knew that in the eyes of those missionaries, Ming Dynasty was a civilized country and an ideal country, but seeing is believing!
There is one road from Beijing to Russia, and another road from Russia to France.
At the same time, it would also be a good thing to have contact with the Ottoman Empire, which dominated the Mediterranean at this time.
Open your eyes to see the world in a true sense.
The land route is much safer than the sea route.
Boris left the palace and looked back. The huge palace was like a man-eating monster, ready to be devoured at any time.
"My God." Patting his hairy chest, Boris let out a long breath: "Your emperor is more majestic than the Pope."
Although the interpreter didn't understand what a pope was, he still nodded and said: "In the Ming Dynasty, the emperor is the greatest. Even the pope, a god in the sky, cannot mess around, otherwise he will lose his incense."
"Oh my god -" Boris was shocked.
"Yes, the God you mentioned also exists in Beijing. Without the permission of His Majesty the Emperor, even the church cannot be opened."
The interpreter said proudly: "Those priests also have to curry favor with the emperor!"
In the next few days, Boris finally got to see the prosperity of Beijing.
There are street stalls and luxurious restaurants for eating, and there are bathhouses for bathing, not to mention sleeping. Even if he is a Rakshasa, as long as he can afford the money, there will be someone to accompany him.
Eating, drinking, and diarrhea can all be done on the street.
The capital city of millions of people is bustling with people speaking various dialects.
Boris couldn't extricate himself from various commodities.
Only then did he realize that there was such a prosperous place in the world. Unfortunately, although he was an earl, his money bag was not rich.
At this moment, a man came to him...
…
When Beijing is in the hot weather, the entire Lake Baikal is in a rare period of lush flowers and grass. A large number of cattle and sheep are roaming around, and rice is growing vigorously. It can be said that it is a prosperous place.
However, in Fengjing City, the safe haven of the Qing Dynasty, it was not peaceful at this time.
After living here for more than ten years, through trade with the Russians, necessary materials were supplied, such as salt, tea, etc., which gradually made Fengjing prosperous.
The Manchus produced furs, and the Russians exchanged them for salt and other supplies, thus establishing a simple and practical trade line.
Commonly known as the mink trade.
A large amount of land was reclaimed to maintain food; the journey to the Mobei grassland ensured that there was no shortage of cattle and sheep.
After having enough food and clothing, enjoyment is put on the agenda.
A large number of palaces and houses were built, which also meant the loss of logs.
Then, the vast Siberia came into view, and the Manchus had to establish a large number of logging areas to harvest logs.
The demand for interests led the Manchus and Qing Dynasties to cross Lake Baikal and penetrate directly into Central Siberia.
Only then did they discover that after careful searching, there was iron ore, which made them ecstatic.
Although the mining time is affected by the weather, it allows it to be self-sufficient in weapons and even has room for the production of agricultural tools.
As a result, villages and small towns were built next to forests and minerals to serve the entire Fengjing.
Everything is so prosperous.
The peace lasted for so long that a large number of Manchu nobles forgot about the war. At the same time, the new generation of nobles also had no impression of the Liaodong region.
It seems like they were meant to be here.
"The number of Dingkou in Fengjing City has exceeded 300,000."
Riding in the carriage, Shunzhi closed his eyes to relax. Suddenly he opened his eyes, opened the corner of the carriage curtain, looked at the bustling street, and couldn't help but sigh.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Tang Ruowang, who was getting older, was still by his side at this time. He said with emotion: "Even in Shengjing in the past, there were not so many people."
"But you don't need to worry. Fengjing Prefecture has a large amount of land. Even if it is harvested once a year, it can supply the entire Qing Dynasty."
Shunzhi grinned but said nothing.
At this time, he did not have the same expression as he would later, but his worries were not reduced much.
Once he brought the entire Manchu ethnic group to Lake Baikal to survive.
Conquering the Buryat Mongols and the Chechen Khan tribe also brought the population of the Qing Dynasty to more than one million.
But now, as the peace time prolongs, the once brave and capable generation has fallen ill or died.
At this time, Shunzhi felt the pain of withering talents and felt the same for Zhuge Liang.
There are over a million people, no matter how carefully we select them, there is a huge gap in the level of governance.
This is not a matter of talent, but a matter of vision and mind.
This cannot be cultivated in Fengjing.
"Master, here we are -"
The carriage stopped, and a group of guards broke into the mansion and took control.
Accompanied by Tang Ruowang, Shunzhi entered Hong Mansion.
As soon as he entered the yard, he smelled a strong smell of medicine.
"Your Majesty——" A group of people visiting the patient knelt down one after another.
"Get up!" Shunzhi waved his hand. The people who appeared in front of him were all civil servants. Although less than 30% of the Eight Banners were nobles, most of them were high-level officials.
At this time, on the hospital bed, Hong Chengchou had become a thin shadow. On his shriveled cheeks, his cheekbones were protruding and his eyes were huge, which made people feel a little scared.
"Your Majesty—" When Hong Chengchou saw Shunzhi coming, his eyes lit up and he immediately opened his hoarse throat.
"Mr. Hong!" Shunzhi sat down quickly, with concern on his face: "How are you? The court cannot live without you!"
"Imperial doctor, you must be careful with Mr. Hong."
"Your Majesty, I am an incompetent person, but thanks to Your Majesty's continued trust..."