"The past sixteen years and five years of being the emperor have been in vain. Only today did I realize that the outside world is so big and that our Ming Dynasty has such a vast territory."
After half a month of sailing, Zhu Ciyu was in a very emotional mood when he finally landed in Guangzhou.
In the past month, he had seen many times more mountains, rivers and seas than he had seen in the first twenty-one years of his life combined.
They sailed day and night at sea, sailing an average of two to three hundred miles a day. They could not see land for fifteen consecutive days before sailing from the Yangtze River Estuary to the Pearl River Estuary.
This distance usually does not look too far on the palace map, and only accounts for about 20% of the territory of the Ming Dynasty. In reality, it is so vast.
Doesn't that mean that from the Heilongjiang Estuary at the northeastern end of the Ming Dynasty to the future outlet of the Yinlowaddy River in Myanmar, a high-speed clipper ship will need to sail continuously for at least three months? When he thought of this, Zhu Ciyu felt heroic in his heart.
Suddenly.
This is the territory that his father won for him! Although he inherited the throne from the previous emperors of the Ming Dynasty, at this moment, Zhu Ciyu already had a new understanding in his heart.
He knew that all the land conquered by the so-called ancestors of the Ming Dynasty was not much more than the land his father had acquired in the past twenty years or so.
Although Tohoku, Sakhalin, Ezo, Kyushu, and today's Myanmar are all wild and remote places with little economic value,
But just looking at the area and strategic value, it is absolutely true to say that his father first turned the tide before it fell, supported the building before it collapsed, and completely rescued the Ming Dynasty, which was almost in ruins. Then he continued his efforts to double the territory of the Ming Dynasty.
Not excessive.
He, Zhu Ciyu, was so virtuous and capable that he actually once felt in his heart that he was the emperor and that he had the upper hand in terms of legitimacy, so he could possibly do better than his father, and he wanted to achieve great success and surpass him.
Now that I think about it, I feel really ashamed - how much is the orthodoxy of his Ming emperor actually worth? If my father had wanted to, he could have changed the Ming sign countless times. With the achievements of Cao Cao, Sima Yi and his like in ancient times, in the end,
Wasn't it also a change of dynasty? But could the achievements of those people be compared with one-tenth of his father's?
My father just had foresight and didn’t want to do this! This level of realm is beyond the comprehension of those who read history books to learn how to be an emperor. It is beyond the history books and has no precedent in history!
As the voyage finally came to an end, another seed was planted in Zhu Ciyu's heart: "It will take nearly three months to sail from the northeast to the southwest of our Ming territory.
However, it would take more than nine months for the Hongyi people to travel from Europe to the Ming Dynasty, even with the smoothest winds and the fastest water! This world is so big that it is beyond imagination. From now on, the emperor of Ming Dynasty will no longer be a frog in the well.
It is self-proclaimed that the heavenly dynasty has stayed the same as before.
In the future, when I have sons, I must find an opportunity to let them go sailing and see the world before they are ennobled or crown princes.
Even if you can't leave the Ming Dynasty, you should at least take a voyage from the northeast to the southwest to feel the hardships of your ancestors' entrepreneurship and see the huge differences in local customs, so as not to sit in a well and look at the sky, completely ignorant of the sufferings of the people."
In Zhu Ciyu's heart, the traditional thinking model of a pure land-power empire and the Confucian values of a small country with few people began to appear cracks and collapse, and new elements were gradually incorporated.
…
Zhu Ciyu was filled with emotions and learned a lot.
In Guangzhou, the officials and wealthy businessmen who had received the news in advance and were preparing to pick him up were also very nervous.
In the Ming Dynasty, no emperor visited the south for more than a hundred years. Since Baozong was captured, only Zhengde, Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty, went to Jiubian in the north, and then the Jiajing southern tour to bury his parents together, and then no emperor ever visited the south again.
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(Note: Because Jiajing’s father was a vassal in Huguang, his father had died when he became emperor. Only his mother went to Beijing with him. After his mother passed away, he had to return to Huguang to be buried with his father. Other attempts to tour the south were
The civil servant refused, but this time Xia Yan had no choice but to agree because of filial piety.)
Before the Age of Discovery, Guangzhou had always been regarded as a hot, humid and smoky place in the south. How could an emperor come so far to the south? There were no palaces or other buildings in the city. And there were only a few vassal kings in Guangdong in history.
, the fiefdom is not in Guangzhou City, so even a royal palace cannot be found.
The emperor's southern tour this time was not only to boost morale and supervise the war between Zheng Chenggong and Li Dingguo, but also to deal with Ming Dynasty's diplomatic affairs nearby, including his opinions on the future handling of Burma and Vietnam. It can be seen that the stay will not be short, and it will definitely be useful to arrange a house casually.
Losing the dignity of the Ming Emperor.
In the end, after coordinating the interests of all parties, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi and other local officials asked the emperor for instructions and set the reception palace in the private garden of Zheng Rui, a wealthy businessman in Guangdong and Guangxi.
This Zheng Rui is none other than Zheng Chenggong's fourth son. He is six years younger than his eldest brother Zheng Jing and is now in his prime.
In the original history, Zheng Keshuang voted not long after Zheng Jing's death, and many of Zheng Jing's younger brothers also voted. His fourth brother Zheng Rui was the more courageous one.
When Zheng Rui was defeated by the Qing army, although Zheng Rui was unable to resist the Qing, he at least tried to break out and escape to the sea, unwilling to surrender to the Qing. Unfortunately, the last ship was intercepted and sunk by Shi Lang, and Zheng Rui drowned in the sea.
Because he is still very young, Zheng Rui certainly does not have the ability to fully take charge of the Zheng family's newly opened business in Guangzhou. However, these are not a problem for the Zheng family. Zheng Chenggong can definitely send senior and experienced subordinates to help his son.
The eldest and second sons of the Zheng family all wanted to take the official route, and business matters were left to the younger sons. Zheng Ming, the third son, was responsible for Fujian and Zhejiang and the family business of senior officials, and the fourth son was sent to Guangdong and Guangxi.
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Zhu Ciyu saw that Zheng Rui was similar in age to him, only one year younger than him, so he didn't put on airs with Zheng Rui. The two got along very well. In private, Zhu Ciyu even got close to the other person:
"When my father and I met at the Imperial Academy in Nanjing, we could be said to have shared weal and woe. We are not outsiders, so there is no need to be polite."
Later, Zhu Ciyu also asked Zheng Rui if he had an official status, and learned that he had just reached the imperial crown and had no fame yet. Moreover, Zheng Chenggong had too many sons, and Enyin was not so far behind in the queue. It was not the turn of his fourth son yet.
Considering that the Zheng family had provided a lot of gold and silver money to take over the throne this time, and the Emperor's chariot would have to bear the food and accommodation of Zheng Garden for most of the next six months, Zhu Ciyu rewarded Zheng Rui with the false title of Foreign Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The current official position structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Ming Dynasty is the same as that of the Ministry of Household Affairs, but the departments and departments under it have different names. The Yuanwailang of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is also the sixth grade.
A person with a fictitious title of Yuanwailang usually has no errands, but he is equivalent to gaining access to the royal business. When necessary, he can temporarily take on some comprador tasks for government procurement.
The Zheng family has spent so much money, so it doesn't matter if they give them some convenience. Moreover, Zheng Rui doesn't care about these official titles. What he cares more about is that the emperor has become close to him in private, and this makes him flattered. The emperor must take good care of his life in Guangzhou.
The driving performance was good.
Zhu Ciyu had lived in the palace for a long time and had seen and used all the rare treasures in the world. Zheng Rui could only find other ways to provide the emperor with tropical fruits and tropical seafood that were not available in Nanjing every day.
Who said there was no refrigerator in this era? Zhu Shuren didn’t want to be as extravagant as Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan, so Zhu Ciyu didn’t even have many opportunities to eat fresh lychees since he was a child. Most of the time he ate dried lychees with brown flesh.
, mango is also eaten as dried mango.
Now that he has arrived in Guangzhou, Zheng Rui naturally has to prepare enough fresh lychees, mangoes, and coconuts for the emperor, concubines, and ministers every day. Anyway, these things are not very valuable in Guangzhou.
Zhu Ciyu had seen these three things before at the Nanjing Imperial Palace, but except for lychees, he had never eaten any fresh ones. Now, naturally, he drinks coconut water as water every day to enjoy himself to the fullest.
Regarding the emperor's new eating habits, some eunuchs and maids in charge could not help but feel worried, but they did not dare to directly take care of it, so they found Gu Yanwu, the Minister of Rites who was accompanying him, and hoped that Gu Yanwu could help persuade him and make up his mind.
Gu Yanwu was also promoted to the position of Minister of Rites in recent years, because Wu Weiye, the previous Minister of Rites, was a little older after all. Although he had not yet reached the age of retirement, Wu Weiye's talents were not suitable for diplomatic work, so Zhu Shu was the one who
Before Vietnam used troops against Burma, it made personnel adjustments.
Although Gu Yanwu originally had no official achievements, he had been Zhu Shuren's personal staff for many years. He was deeply influenced by Zhu Shuren's political theories and had the deepest understanding of Zhu Shuren's diplomatic program.
And the most important thing is that Gu Yanwu is a principled person. To enhance the diplomatic credibility of Ming Dynasty and ensure long-term peace and stability in the surrounding areas, it is very important to adhere to principles and not just think about short-term benefits.
Zhu Ciyu was on tour this time, and he also knew that Gu Shibo was specially sent by his father to assist him in handling diplomatic principles, so he did not dare to ignore it. If there were government affairs to deal with, he would listen to his opinions more.
Unfortunately, the eunuch who accompanied him this time approached Gu Yanwu and hoped that Gu Yanwu would advise Zhu Ciyu on his lifestyle and pay attention to the dragon body, but Gu Yanwu refused.
Gu Yanwu's statement was very clear: "Before setting off, the regent told me that I just need to keep an eye on His Majesty and don't mess around with women outside. As for food, clothing, jewelry, you can enjoy yourself when you should, and there is no need to suffer."
Isn't it just drinking a few coconuts every day? As long as it is not like this all year round, it will not damage the dragon's body. The prince said, let your majesty and future emperors and grandsons see more overseas products, don't always think that I have all the rich things in the Ming Dynasty.
There's no harm in that."
The eunuch who was in charge of rituals couldn't help but secretly complain when he heard this: "But if you become extravagant because of this, you will often have to pay tribute from all directions when you return to Nanjing. What will you do if you waste people and money?"
When Gu Yanwu heard this, he explained frankly: "The times have changed. The world is so big and the world is 80,000 miles away. How can we, the Ming Dynasty, travel 30,000 miles away and force England, France, and Hongyi to become vassals and pay tribute?"
In the future, dealing with foreign barbarians thousands of miles away will rely on the power of trade and it will be profitable. Naturally, some people will devote all their efforts to studying "strange and obscene skills".
Or find a way to dry and dehydrate the fruits and fish, and then soak them in the future for long-term preservation, pickling, or freezing. The prince said that one day, people in the world will be lazy, hungry, and profit-seeking.
Hui, who has delved into techniques that benefit all people."
Seeing that Gu Yanwu, a "world-student", was making excuses for the emperor's enjoyment, the uneducated group of ceremonial officials could not refute it. These words finally reached Zhu Ciyu's ears, which also gave Zhu Ciyu a deeper shock and understanding.
On the one hand, he felt that Mr. Gu Ge was a man who understood the big picture and understood the righteousness, and did not stick to small details. On the other hand, he also strengthened his idea of opening his eyes to see the world, and decided to listen more to Mr. Gu Ge's advice in the subsequent diplomatic negotiations.
You absolutely cannot follow your own temper.
Through small concessions in life, Gu Yanwu gained the emperor's obedience on major diplomatic matters, which was an unexpected gain.
…
In the next few days, nothing happened in Guangzhou city. Zhu Ciyu was very relieved to leave other daily foreign affairs to Gu Yanwu.
The time soon came to the ninth day of March. Zhu Ciyu had been traveling and resting in and outside Guangzhou for almost a week. His interest in coconuts had finally passed, and he had reduced his drinking of coconut water from three to two per day.
However, for the daily dinner, Zheng Rui still asked his cook to show the emperor the Su Mei Tsing Yi Eastern Star Spot in a different way. The Eastern Star Spot is produced in Danzhou, the Qing Yi is from the coast of Vietnam, and the Su Mei is fished from the open sea near Borneo. Everything.
Everything inspired Zhu Ciyu's inner desire for Southeast Asian specialties.
In the afternoon of this day, the emperor had just finished enjoying a piece of Borneo fish, sixteen other side dishes, and a glass of coconut milk sago. Zheng Rui, who was responsible for accompanying the emperor to eat, drink and have fun, had two more plates brought to him.
fruit.
Both of these things are golden in color, one of them looks moist, and the other is relatively dry. There are two intact and uncut ones placed next to them for the emperor to observe.
Zhu Ciyu's first subconscious reaction was to cover his mouth and nose, but after a while he got used to it. These days, he has become accustomed to it. Zheng Rui always comes up with strange things, but in the end they all prove to be quite delicious.
.Having so many good historical credits gave Zhu Ciyu a little more patience and curiosity.
"What is this thing? Why do they all have such sharp thorns? It looks like a ceremonial guard of gold, melon, and silver axe."
Zheng Rui quickly replied: "Your Majesty, the one with slightly weaker spikes is the pineapple produced in Danzhou, while the one with sharp and hard spikes and a strange smell is the durian produced in Borneo.
Durian has been recorded as early as in the Yongle Dadian. It is produced in the Bo Ni Kingdom. Zheng He tasted it when he went to the West. Unfortunately, he could not bring it back to Beijing. Only people from the coastal areas of Guangdong and Guangxi tasted it.
Pineapples were discovered in America by Francois during the Zhengde period and spread back to Europe. Then during the Wanli period, they were introduced from Luzon to Danzhou and Guangxi. More than 20 years ago, when the regent was the governor of Huguang, pineapples were
The founder ordered people to visit and promote it."
Zhu Ciyu couldn't help but marvel: "The products of Nanyang and Hongyi are so rich. How can we, the Ming Dynasty, rest on our laurels? Forget it, let's try the pineapple first. As for the durian, just take a bite, and give the rest to Mr. Gu Ge and the others. The Ministry of Rites
Thank you to all the ministers for accompanying me on this long trip to Lingnan."
Zhu Ciyu has not gotten used to the smell of durian yet, but is just out of curiosity, so he will not eat more. The rest will be used to express the emperor's favor and be given to important ministers.
So immediately someone went to find Gu Yanwu and invited him to the palace.
Gu Yanwu had never eaten durian before. It was said that it was the first time the emperor saw this exotic fruit. After just one bite, he thought of the important ministers. He was also deeply touched by the emperor's kindness, so he kept the remaining pulp with several other ministers.
Eat it separately, no matter whether it smells bad or not.
After eating the durian, Gu Yanwu said that there were government affairs to report today. It turned out that the messenger sent by Li Dingguo to deliver the surrender letter from the Burmese people had finally arrived, and Gu Yanwu wanted to state his response.
When Zheng Rui, who was accompanying the emperor to eat, drink and have fun, heard this, he quickly asked someone to prepare herbal tea with lemongrass and lemon, and asked Mr. Gu to rinse his mouth before proceeding, so that the bad breath from eating too much durian would not infect the emperor and cause a loss of etiquette in front of the emperor.
Gu Yanwu had never drunk this Cantonese herbal tea before. He heard that it could relieve bad breath, so of course he drank it in one gulp. It turned out that it was okay if he didn't drink it, but he almost lost his dignity even more if he drank it.
"This is Nanman herbal tea? It's sour and bitter. How can anyone drink this kind of tea?!" Gu Yanwu felt the strong acidity of lemon and the bitterness of herbal tea rising straight to the sky.
Do Cantonese people usually rely on these things to deal with "heat"?