In the Qianqing Palace, the emperor who had just passed the age of thirty-five was reclining on the couch to rest. Concubine Ruan stood next to him, fanning him, while talking about the affairs of the Sixth Palace in the past few years, talking about the concubines and the princes and princesses, "Your Majesty It’s been three years since the Western Tour, and I don’t know how much everyone misses me.”
There was a bit of sourness in Concubine Ruan's tone when she spoke. They all said that the Ruan sisters were favored, but the emperor did not take them with him when he visited the west. During the three years of tour, he attracted many concubines and beauties, and even had two children. More than ten princes and princesses.
After he came back, he didn't feel any luck towards her.
"Previously, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince made an expedition to the north to conquer Manchuria. After conquering Manzhouli, he brought back to Beijing all the false emperors' concubines, princesses, and wives, concubines, and daughters of false princes and ministers..."
Zhu Yihai said: "Didn't I reply to the prince's treatment of these people before?"
After the Mantar subjugation, the fate was very tragic. Zhu Yihai refused to forgive them, thinking that the crimes they committed were too excessive, so he insisted on annihilating the Jurchen clan in Jianzhou, and beheaded all the royal family members, as well as those with titles and official positions, and presented their heads to the Ancestral Temple.
The rest of the soldiers of the Eight Banners were all slaves in the southern Xinjiang, and the young and old were slaves with the soldiers stationed in the border towns. The young women, whether married or unmarried, were all taken back to the Central Plains to be rewarded to the heroes and soldiers as concubines.
The East Palace dedicated the noble, young and beautiful ones directly to the emperor, and the rest were rewarded by nobles and ministers for their meritorious service.
This approach is very traditional.
It is also the fate of the loser, and it is also the revenge of the Manchus.
Many of these women were married to Manchus from various Mongolian tribes, among which Horqin was the most numerous. As the Horqin tribes finally attached themselves to the Ming Dynasty, the court treated these women of Horqin origin slightly better, and they basically became concubines for the princes and generals of the Ming Dynasty.
The emperor's concubines were also assigned quite a few, and most of them were the daughters of princes from various banners in Horqin. Among the Tatars, they were also concubines or princes and princes.
"There are more than a hundred people now, and the concubines are all arranged to learn the rules in the six east and west palaces. Do you want to summon them, Your Majesty?"
Zhu Yihai has now lost interest in women due to illness, and has no interest in those Manchu and Tatar women. "Continue to learn the rules, but there is no need to keep so many. I will reward some to the honorable ministers later."
"Yes." Concubine Ruan agreed. She didn't know why, but she was a little happy to hear the emperor's arrangement. The imperial court has implemented policies such as marrying Mongolia in recent years. In recent years alone, the Mongolian ministries have sent more than 10,000 women to the Central Plains. Among them, there are Some of the thousands of daughters of Taiji, princes of various Mongolian tribes, were sent to the emperor's palace, and most of them were given marriages by the emperor to clan members, nobles, ministers, and generals.
In addition, tens of thousands of Mongolian women were the daughters of herdsmen selected from the tribes by the leaders and nobles of various tribes when they sent their daughters. These commoner women were selected by the Ming Dynasty and were arranged to be married to generals and officials, most of them as concubines. .
In addition to Mongolia, the Jurchen tribes, Yi, Miao and other chieftains in the southwest also need to send a certain number of women every year for marriage.
The imperial court would also send some Han women to the Mongolian Jurchen and other vassals for marriage every year. Those princes and princes of the vassal who were conferred by the Ming Emperor basically had to marry Ming women as their wives and concubines, and they also sent their sons to study in the Ming Dynasty. , guard.
Even the vassal states of Korea, Annan, Ryukyu, etc. are like this now.
This astonishing scale of the marriage-granting system has made the various ethnic groups more closely connected and have more exchanges.
In the homes of aristocratic officials in Beijing, there are many concubines such as Mongolian Jurchens, as well as many Japanese slaves, Kunlun slaves and other foreign slaves. Similarly, foreign merchants and envoys can be seen everywhere in Beijing.
The number of aristocratic children from various vassals and foreign countries studying in Beijing alone is astonishing, far exceeding ten thousand people.
Some of these come from the Yasha Peninsula in the distant Bering Strait, some come from the Liugui Peninsula, some come from the North Sea, some come from the Yakut Khanate, the descendants of the Turks who are descendants of Gaoche, and some come from Baikal.
Among the Buryats and tiger hunters on the lakeside, there are Jurchens from the Changbai Mountains, from Korea, Japan, Liuqiu, from Luzon in Annan, and even from Ladakh and Kan on the snow-covered plateau.
Juti, Dawan, Bukhara, Khiva from Central Asia, Nogai from the Caspian Sea, Torgut, etc....
A huge civilization circle is forming.
In this circle, Da Mingzi is the master of everyone and is unique.
Whether they are the Mongols, the Jurchens, the Turkic descendants of the Huns, or the Turkic Mongols from Central Asia, etc., they are now beginning to be drawn into this huge circle and are rapidly being affected.
"His Royal Highness the Prince built a zoo of animals at the foot of Jingshan Mountain next to the Beihai Sea. In it are various rare animals that were paid tribute by barbarians and vassals from various states, such as Mughal peacocks, white elephants, Annan monkeys, Champaign parrots, Lu
The little buffalo of the Song Dynasty, the rhinoceros full of thorns, oh, there are also the kangaroos and unicorns from the wild continent, and the bison from the Yin continent. To say that the strange beasts of the wild continent are the strangest, the kangaroo with a bag on its belly, and
There is a unicorn with a huge neck, and a platypus..."
Concubine Ruan liked the Ten Thousand Beasts Garden in Meishan very much. When she was bored, she often took the princes and princesses there to visit and relieve their boredom. It was indeed an eye-opener.
The palace even regularly summons the wives and concubines of princes, nobles and ministers to the palace. One of the reserved items is to visit the Jingshan Ten Thousand Beasts Park. No matter who is from a distinguished family, no one should be extremely surprised when they see these rare and exotic animals for the first time.
Not to mention the women from the surrounding barbarians, even the women from the Sauron tribe in the Northeast who are accustomed to hunting tigers, leopards, minks, and bears, have never seen such things as giraffes, kangaroos, ostriches, etc.
Zhu Yihai smiled calmly, "These things are indeed quite rare. The land and water, and the people, will naturally breed strange animals. In fact, we can build a zoo in the southern suburbs or western suburbs of Beijing. We can sell tickets to the people to watch, or we can
Set up a few free open days every month so that everyone can have a look.”
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Speaking of these animals, they are rare and exotic beasts on the surface, but they actually represent the powerful national power of the Ming Dynasty. For example, this kangaroo was introduced to the Ming Dynasty a few years ago.
We have already set sail and landed in Australia. After several years of continuous exploration, we have not only found a safe route, but also established several colonial strongholds there. Although it is too far away, there has not been much development yet, and at most it will be
Some criminals who committed the most heinous crimes were sent there, and some clan princes were rewarded with some land for them to develop on their own.
But the Ming Dynasty was indeed the first country to establish a ruling order, and some of the quite primitive barbaric natives were conquered.
Nowadays, they mainly rely on raising sheep and transporting wool back to the Central Plains. They also rely on catching slaves and exotic animals to sell back to the Central Plains.
Compared with Australia, after the Ming Dynasty went north to the Sea of Okhotsk, it successively established many strongholds along the Far East coast, recruited the indigenous people, and engaged in fur trade. Even under the guidance of the emperor, the Liu Dynasty also moved along the Bering Strait.
, went west to North America, along the coast of Alaska, and went south, where he met Indians. Because these people looked like Orientals, Zhu Yihai said that they were immigrants from the Yin Dynasty in the past. Many people really believed that they now call America
For the Yin Shang continent, those people are called Yin people.
Although the Ming Dynasty was not the first to come to North America, it was still early to come from the north, especially from the west coast. Nowadays, many European companies are also hunting furs here and trading with the indigenous people. The Dutch, French, and British have already done this.
Very impressive.
Several big countries are frantically occupying spheres of influence there.
Even Zhu Yihai couldn't help but sigh. Driven by the huge profits from the fur trade, he just pointed in one direction. Now, many maritime merchant forces, represented by the Imperial Young Master of the Ming Dynasty, have set sail one after another, and they have also begun to move towards
The road to overseas colonization.
Not only did it take a few years to eradicate all the data points that Tsarist Russia had established in Siberia over decades, but it even captured tens of thousands of Tsarist Russian immigrants as slaves and transported them back to the interior, wandering ghosts, yakshas,
Khidumei, Yakutia, Buryatia, Dahuer, Altan, Khite, Irgyz... One after another in the far north, the khanates and governorates were established.
Respect the Ming Dynasty as the master.
Those strongholds, large and small, that were once established by the Tsarist Russians as they marched eastward, now all fly the red flag of the Ming Dynasty, the sun and the moon.
Although Emperor Alexey of Tsarist Russia also tried to send troops to fight for it, he could rely most on Cossacks and muskets and iron cannons to advance eastward. When facing the indigenous people, it was a low-dimensional attack, but when facing the current Ming army, it pales in comparison. Ming Dynasty
The weapons and weapons were stronger and more numerous, reinforcements were faster, and the relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the indigenous people was closer. The several expeditions of Tsarist Russia were actually only a few thousand people, but after they lost those strongholds, they crossed the Ural Mountains.
Not far away, it started to become difficult to advance.
The bastion that the Ming army expanded on the basis of their previous fortress was even stronger, with artillery, wall muskets, as well as the soldiers who were stationed in the town, as well as the native people from the city who were recruited to settle near the castle, as well as those adventurous fur traders and hunters.
There were policemen gathered from all directions, crushing the Tsarist Russians on all fronts. After several defeats, they lost their troops and generals, and for nothing they sent many young and strong slave laborers to the Far Eastern garrison.
After a few times, the young Tsar Alexei no longer dared to advance eastward, and even had to build a large number of castles in the Ural Mountains to gather troops and horses to prevent the Ming army from counterattacking.
However, the Ming army did not cross the mountains and invade in a large scale. The emperor ordered that the mountains be used as the boundary. The east of the mountains was the territory of the Ming Dynasty, and the west of the mountains was left alone.
Siberia is so vast, but even those hundred or so strongholds are still too few.
Eastern fur, which once brought one-third of the national tax to Tsarist Russia, was suddenly taken away by the Ming Dynasty. Now the Ming Dynasty is the largest fur supplier in Europe, especially high-end fur. Lao Maozi has not been having a good time these years.
Countries like Poland and Sweden have repeatedly taught us that they cannot compete for an outlet to the Baltic Sea.
After Emperor Yin Fan III drove away the Mongols and unified the principalities in northeastern Russia into the Grand Duchy of Moscow, Tsarist Russia ruled for more than 40 years, traveling across Eastern Europe, taking advantage of the conflicts between the khanates separated from the Golden Horde, and doing everything possible to
Annexing other countries and expanding its territory six times, especially after marrying Princess Sophia, the niece of the last emperor of Byzantium, Russia's status rose significantly. Moscow was even said to be the third Rome. Yin Fan III even promulgated a law to remove the double-headed eagle from Rome.
It was established as a symbol of Russia and regarded itself as the orthodox successor of the Eastern Roman Empire. After Yin Fan III's grandson IV succeeded to the throne, he directly changed his title to Tsar (Caesar), no longer called the Grand Duchy of Moscow, but renamed Tsar Russia.
When the Fourth Emperor was in power, he always wanted a warm outlet to the sea to establish the status of Tsarist Russia and make Tsarist Russia truly the successor of Rome.
During his lifetime, the fourth generation went on an expedition to destroy the Kazan Khanate and the Astrakhan Khanate, and then annexed the Great Nogai Khanate and Bashkirya, making many tribes in the North Caucasus submit to Tsarist Russia, and Tsarist Russia also
Open up the Caspian Sea.
Later he went on an expedition to the Siberian Khanate.
Thereafter, there was an attempt to seize the Baltic Sea outlet, but it consumed a lot of national power and involved all the major Baltic countries, but ultimately failed.
Since then, Tsarist Russia's policy has been to turn eastward, hoping to obtain more financial resources by conquering Siberia and the Far East, even Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Heilongjiang and other places, to support them in continuing to compete with Poland, Sweden, etc. Unfortunately, the good times did not last long, and the Ming Dynasty in the East revived again.
, gave them a head-on blow.
Tsarist Russia failed to counterattack several times, wasting a lot of national power in vain, and losing a large amount of income from the East. This allowed Poland, Sweden, etc. to start to deal with Tsarist Russia again, and Torgut, Nogai, etc. also supported Ming Dynasty in the Caspian Sea.
They resisted Russia, refused to pay tribute to Tsarist Russia, refused to accept their military service, and refused to fight for them, which made Tsarist Russia worse.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! After a few blows, the efforts of Yin Fan III and IV were in vain. Tsarist Russia was once again turned into a quasi-landlocked country, with only the northern outlet to the sea remaining.
, but for those ports that are almost frozen all year round, for them, a little is equal to nothing.
There is Sweden as the hegemon in Northern Europe, and Poland as the tycoon in Eastern Europe. For a time, Tsarist Russia was blocked in the west, and now it is blocked in the east. It can only go back to the old road to develop towards the Caspian Sea, but today's Torgut and Nogai are not the same as before.
Yes, he got support from Ming Dynasty and his attitude was very tough.
Coupled with the powerful alliance between the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania, the Kingdom of Poland-Lithuania was formed. After a hundred years of unprecedented prosperity, it became a veritable hegemon in Eastern Europe. Almost the entire Ukraine was also under their control. The Thirty Years War in Europe was devastated.
Under this, the strength of all European countries was greatly reduced, and only the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania still retained its strength.
Poland can challenge Tsarist Russia, Sweden, and the Ottoman countries single handedly.
After Tsarist Russia suffered a setback in the east, Alexey could only go south. Zhu Yihai received intelligence that Tsarist Russia was trying to invade Ukraine. They secretly instigated and supported the Cossack uprising in order to shake Poland's rule over Ukraine. They even secretly instigated Sweden with the intention of uniting with Sweden.
Send troops to Poland.
War is everywhere.
For Zhu Yihai, Turgut on the Caspian Sea and the Volga River, and Nogai on the Ural River in the Aral Sea, were Zhu Yihai's vassal states in the far west, and they were the westernmost boundaries of the Ming Dynasty's sphere of influence. As long as he did not cross this boundary, he would have no control over the more distant areas.
The disputes in the West are just a matter of fun.
The Crimean Tatars supported the Cossacks' uprising against Poland, and the Russians secretly instigated their support. In fact, the Turguts also participated in it and supported it behind the scenes. They even started an arms-for-slave trade with the Cossacks and Crimea.
.
It's just that the Torgut people were not just trying to make money by reselling the Ming Dynasty's arms. They also had their own ideas about the Ukrainian steppe, and they all wanted to take advantage of the fire. Zhu Yihai supported Eastern Europe to be more chaotic, so that he could sell more weapons and buy them cheaper.
Slavic slaves can also make Torgut stronger there.
As the westernmost vassal of the Ming Dynasty, Torgut was naturally the bridgehead in Europe. Only when he was strong could he keep his enemies at bay.
Tsar Akshay's mission is now in Beijing, negotiating with the Ming Dynasty, preparing to sign an armistice agreement and reach a formal territorial demarcation agreement.
Tsarist Russia was forced to come to negotiate. Although Zhu Yihai did not intend to cross the Ural Mountains, he often made false moves. Especially now that the two vassal states of Torgut and Nogai on the Caspian Sea made Tsarist Russia uneasy and very scared.
The Ming Dynasty will continue to advance westward, and if it unites with Poland and Sweden, it may be possible to carve up Tsarist Russia.
In desperation, they had no choice but to sue for peace, hoping to sign an armistice agreement, and at the same time hope to reopen trade with the Ming Dynasty, and even obtain arms purchases from the Ming Dynasty, and even war loans, in order to prepare for the next war in Ukraine.
With all parties blocked, Tsarist Russia now has no choice but to focus on Ukraine, preparing to seize this territory from Poland and directly open the Black Sea outlet. For this goal, he can only compromise with the eastern powers, and even hopes to reconcile with the Ming Dynasty.
Reached multiple treaties such as fur trade, arms procurement, and war loans.
Zhu Yihai was very wary of the extremely aggressive Tsarist Russia, but this time when Tsarist Russia came, Zhu Yihai was willing to reach a treaty with them, and even gave them loans and sold arms, hoping that they could start another business with Poland, Crimea, etc.
Get up and fight harder and harder, the better.
"His Majesty?"
Concubine Ruan saw that the emperor was lost in thought and called softly.
"Um?"
"Your Majesty, are you tired?"
"Oh, I just thought of something. By the way, I have been back for a few days, but I am still busy. You can set a date and arrange it. There will be a family banquet in the palace. Our family can also have fun together and let the prince
Bring all the wives, concubines, and children from the East Palace, and the King of Han is also back, so let his whole family come over as well."
Zhu Yihai has many children. Although he has lost his interest in women due to illness, he has adopted many concubines over the years, so he still has thirty-nine sons and forty-two daughters. Excluding the second prince who died in the battle in Nanjing, and the two who died in infancy
Concubine Huang’s son and several daughters still had eighty-one children, one more than Song Huizong.
Among a group of children, the eldest son and the third son are now adults and have married wives and have children. Among the daughters, the eldest daughter has also reached the age of getting married.
In addition, Zhu Yihai also adopted five adopted sons and three adopted daughters, not counting the adopted princesses who were granted vassal status outside of marriage and were given the title of adopted daughters of the emperor.
Zhu Yihai planned to arrange a frontier fiefdom for the princes at this family banquet, and the princesses would also share some Tangmu fiefdoms and property, which could be regarded as dividing a family in advance.