Chapter 103: The Little Emperor Scolds People, Both Harsh and Heart-Piercing

The Minister of Rites always felt something was strange—it was a strangeness regarding the Little Emperor; the Little Emperor seemed to be a wicked person.

In his view, this Little Emperor's technique of creating a "brand" out of thin air was truly petty. The Great Frangis had traveled ten thousand miles to come here and presented plate armor as a congratulatory gift, yet the Little Emperor had shot it to pieces, even claiming the other party lacked a submissive heart and was trying to fool the Great Ming Emperor with iron.

Plate armor was a gift; to destroy the gift and then claim the quality of the gift was poor—how thick-skinned and shameless was this?

Yet the logic was just so fitting. It forced the opposing envoy, Li Li Yashi, to agree: if he could see the Emperor, everything else was negotiable. Li Li Yashi had to present his petition in person to prevent his words from being misunderstood.

Zhu Zhu Yijun, eleven years old, sat upright on the throne, looking toward the civil and military officials.

The audience for Li Li Yashi and Antonio was not easy to obtain, even after entering the capital. Regarding the exchanges between the Great Ming Dynasty and the Great Frangis, a series of confrontations had unfolded within the Great Ming court.

This series of confrontations could be described as a humiliation for the Ministry of Rites. Under the pressure of the Emperor, the Grand Secretariat, and the court officials, the various officials of the Ministry of Rites retreated again and again.

The first round was about the positioning of the Great Frangis nation. The Ministry of Rites' position was that it was a "tiny, insignificant country" that need not be taken seriously; even if granted an audience, it should just be held in a side hall of the Zhao Wenhua Hall.

The Ministry of Rites' reasoning was: "Our Heavenly Dynasty has abundant products and lacks nothing; we have no need to borrow goods from foreign barbarians to satisfy our needs. However, silk scarves, porcelain, and rhubarb are necessities for foreign barbarians, so we shall show them compassion and bestow a certain amount annually; there is no need to calculate the cost. Foreign barbarians are located on remote islands; as long as their hearts are turned toward the Heavenly Dynasty, that is enough."

The Minister of Revenue, Wang Wang Guoguang, led the Ministry of War in a bombardment against the Ministry of Rites, refuting them one by one.

"Abundant products? The Great Ming's domestic silver mines produce less than one hundred thousand taels a year; we lack high-quality gold, silver, copper, and iron deposits—how can we say we 'lack nothing'? If we do not borrow goods from foreign barbarians to satisfy our needs, how are we to maintain the Single Whip Law?" Regarding the "bestowing a certain amount without calculating the cost," Wang Wang Guoguang even slapped the table and said angrily, "You Ministry of Rites pay for this money!"

The Minister of War, Tan Lun, did not agree with the term "tiny, insignificant country." Whether it was the four-masted large sailing ships capable of crossing the ocean, the rear-loading smoothbore iron cannons with better sealing, or the integrated iron plate armor—these military armaments were not much worse than the Great Ming's, and in some respects even led. How did they arrive at the four words "tiny, insignificant country"?

The Ministry of Rites was a "pure and noble" government office; where would they get this silver? Moreover, regarding military affairs, the Ministry of Rites was completely ignorant. Facing the bluing process and the complex, exquisite plate armor, and looking at the strength that required a Tiger-Strength Bow to pierce, the Ministry of Rites finally had to bow its head in this round.

The second round was the request by the King of the Great Frangis to station people in the capital. The Ministry of Rites' attitude toward this was that it was inconsistent with the Heavenly Dynasty's system and useless to the foreign barbarians; it was completely unnecessary.

The reasoning was: "If foreign barbarians admire the Heavenly Dynasty and wish to observe and learn our civilization, the Heavenly Dynasty has its own rites and laws, which are completely different from those of foreign barbarians. Even if the people stationed by the foreign barbarians could learn, foreign barbarians have their own customs and systems, which they absolutely cannot imitate; even if they learn, it is useless. The Heavenly Dynasty possesses the four seas; we only need to strive for governance. Rare treasures are not precious, and we have never valued strange crafts; we have no need for items manufactured by foreign barbarians. It is inconsistent with the Heavenly Dynasty's system and of no benefit to the foreign barbarians."

Back then, the Little Frangis envoys Huo Zhe Huozhe Yasan and Tomé Pires stayed in the capital for several years and led Emperor Wu Xun around to play; it was truly a case of the loss outweighing the gain.

The Minister of Rites' words were met with firm opposition from the Left Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, Chen Shu. "If there are envoys in the capital, we can exchange what we have for what we lack, preventing the escalation of trade, cultural, and military conflicts. This is of practical significance, not about some 'civilization' or 'customs and systems'." Regarding this, Chen Shu launched a severe criticism of the Ministry of Rites, calling them "rotten Confucians" who were like grass slowly rotting in the fields.

"Even if we don't talk about conflict theory, can we talk about the unity of knowledge and action, achieving true knowledge, and engaging in some practical implementation based on realistic, down-to-earth rhetoric?"

The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of War gave extreme support to Chen Shu's opposition. Wars often occur in situations lacking communication. Military affairs are dangerous; if a meaningless war is caused by some trivial matter, then let the Ministry of Rites step forward to suppress the rebellion.

With this, the Ministry of Rites was defeated in the second round, because the Ministry of Rites' opposition was all empty talk with no practical significance.

The reality was that the Great Ming was very poor. The dignified Ministers of the Six Ministries would be happy for several days every time the Son of Heaven received proceeds from the Southern Treasury's Yuegang customs duties and confiscations.

The third round, and the most humiliating one, was when the Minister of Rites, Wan Wan Shihe, was scolded by the Little Emperor again, and again, and again.

The cause was the Little Emperor wanting to learn a foreign language. The Minister of Rites disagreed and even brought up the precedent of the Martial Temple learning foreign languages as being "heterodox." The Little Emperor's mouth—when he scolded people, he didn't use a single dirty word.

The young Emperor, citing the hierarchy of Heaven, Earth, the Sovereign, parents, and teachers, asked the Minister of Rites why he sought to restrict the Emperor's actions. He argued that learning a foreign language was not difficult, nor did it waste time, and since the Grand Secretary and the Imperial Tutor did not oppose it, why did the Ministry of Rites object?

"Could it be that the Ministry of Rites, being in charge of the Court of State Ceremonial, hopes to blur and shelve things in the middle, deceiving those above and below, and manipulating things?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun combed through the case of Hu Hai Zongxian's death in prison and Xu Xu Jie's deception of those above and below once more. Had the Emperor of the World Temple ever seen the petition Hu Hai Zongxian wrote before committing suicide in the prison? Had Xu Xu Jie really utilized the rigidity of the system to blur and shelve things to achieve his goal of striking back and taking revenge?

The Little Emperor stated that he wanted to be able to hear and understand, so as not to be deceived by others. It wasn't as if he was opening his mouth to speak foreign tongues and losing decorum; the Emperor wanting to learn a foreign language—was this request very excessive? Excessive enough to be worth the Ministry of Rites and the Censorate officials chattering on endlessly?

Wan Wan Shihe knelt on the ground and hurriedly pleaded guilty.

Wan Wan Shihe was defeated in all three rounds. Regarding the positioning of the Great Frangis, whether Li Li Yashi should be stationed in the capital, and the Little Emperor learning a foreign language, Wan Wan Shihe chose to concede.

He couldn't win the debate, so he could only concede to maintain the face of the Minister of Rites.

"Proclaim the Great Frangis envoys." Zhu Zhu Yijun waved his small hand, signaling that the envoys could be summoned.

The third day of the fourth month—every third day of the month was the time for Zhu Zhu Yijun to scold people in the Huangji Hall. Summoning foreign envoys to finalize the five prohibitions and mutual trade was just an incidental matter.

Feng Bao flicked his horsetail whisk and shouted loudly, "Proclaim the Great Frangis envoys to have an audience."

Two rows of eunuchs passed the imperial decree down, one after another, all the way from the Huangji Hall to before the Huangji Gate.

After the imperial decree was issued, the drums beat violently. The melodious sound of horns was deep and distant. Chen Shu led the two red-haired barbarians, walking step by step into the Huangji Gate. Passing through the gate tunnel, the view suddenly opened up.

The golden glazed tiles shone brilliantly in the sunlight. Countless banners fluttered, flapping loudly in the wind. Nearly a thousand capital officials, embroidered with birds and beasts on their silk and satin robes, stood respectfully on the Nine-Dragon Dan Terrace square, waiting motionless for the end of the morning court. Lining the path were squads of Embroidered Uniform Guards, their armor bright, their hook-sickle spears flashing with cold light, their embroidered spring knives awe-inspiring without anger. A murderous aura rushed toward them.

Chen Shu walked two steps, slightly stunned, and then looked behind him. Li Li Yashi and Antonio had actually stopped. Chen Shu was just about to reprimand them.

"I am very sorry, I am very nervous." Li Li Yashi hurriedly opened his mouth to explain, straightened his legs, took a deep breath, and walked forward again.

"The Nine Heavens open the palace gates, ten thousand nations bow to the imperial crown."

The rituals of the Great Ming's Grand Morning Court truly brought deep shock to Li Li Yashi and Antonio. They had truly never seen such a scene.

Chen Shu led the two envoys onto the Nine-Dragon Dan Terrace, walking step by step into the hall. Chen Shu led the two envoys to perform the grand kowtow audience.

"See Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live." Li Li Yashi and Antonio performed the salute in broken Chinese. During this time, they had also learned some Chinese; seeing the Emperor, this sentence was a must.

"Having traveled across the ocean, the barbarian envoy has a letter from the King of the Great Frangis, Philip." Chen Shu respectfully handed over a letter. The letter was sealed with vermilion wax; the letter had been resealed, and the contents had already been translated, and Zhu Zhu Yijun had already read them.

It was mostly the King of Spain, under the divine grace of the Holy See, greeting the Emperor of the Great Ming. Antonio's cargo ship carried some product samples and a purchase list, hoping to determine what could be traded and what could not, and to open shipping routes and strengthen trade, each taking what they needed.

"Feng Da Ban, proclaim the decree." Zhu Zhu Yijun said to Feng Bao.

Feng Bao stepped forward, flicked his horsetail whisk, looked at the imperial decree unfolded by the two little eunuchs, and said loudly, "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

"We have read the state letter and petition. Its words are sincere, showing the sincerity of your King's submission, which We highly commend. As for the envoys who brought the tribute, considering their long journey, We bestow grace and gifts. We have ordered ministers to lead them to an audience and banquet, and to bestow additional rewards to show Our benevolence."

"Your country should understand Our intentions and strive for sincerity. Mutual trade aims to exchange what we have for what we lack, taking from each other to make up for deficiencies. You must strictly abide by the prohibitions to protect your country, so that border conflicts do not arise, and we may share the blessings of peace."

"Respect this."

Feng Bao finished reading the imperial decree and stepped back.

"Rise." Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at the two envoys.

Li Li Yashi and Antonio were clearly meticulously dressed, wearing embroidered velvet official robes, dotted with some gems and badges. The badges were Spanish royal medals, and Antonio was also wearing a knight's cloak, while Li Li Yashi was draped in a deep red doctoral robe.

Li Li Yashi and Antonio were also secretly sizing up the Little Emperor, although the Ministry of Rites officials had repeatedly stated not to look directly at His Majesty, as that was an offense.

But Li Li Yashi and Antonio were too curious—curious about what the master who managed such a powerful and wealthy country looked like!

They saw an eleven-year-old child.

This child was wearing a yellow robe, dotted with various complex and solemn emblems, and the crown was a twelve-tasseled imperial crown, dotted with various gems. Like all Great Ming people, he had black hair and eyes, but this child's demeanor was solemn. Hidden beneath his seemingly kind appearance was an introverted heroic spirit.

Just like a precious sword that had never been unsheathed.

The feeling this unsheathed sword gave people was extremely sharp. This was the common feeling of Li Li Yashi and Antonio. The two bowed their heads again and, with Burgundian etiquette, performed the audience for the Emperor of the Great Ming again.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the Little Emperor's appearance was good and that he would not be looked down upon because of his age.

In fact, Zhang Zhang Juzheng had hesitated several times about whether to let the Little Emperor see foreign envoys.

After all, the Emperor was only eleven, and the Ministry of Rites was also opposed. Back then, when Cao Cao met the Xiongnu envoys, he was afraid he couldn't awe the Xiongnu, so he changed someone to disguise himself as Cao Cao to meet the Xiongnu envoys.

And now the Little Emperor was still young. The Ministry of Rites opposed the Little Emperor seeing the envoys. If the envoys saw the Emperor was young and developed a sense of contempt, and then caused chaos like the Southeast Japanese pirate rebellion, it would be contrary to the purpose of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Great Ming needed silver, and the Great Frangis needed products.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng hesitated again and again, but still decided to bring the Little Emperor out to show him off. There was nothing shameful. Since practicing literature and martial arts, the Little Emperor's temperament had changed greatly in this year. From a little fatty of over a hundred catties, he had become a successful weight-loss Emperor whose muscles could support the imperial robes, and he already had a bit of temperament.

In terms of temperament, the Little Emperor held it firmly.

Sure enough, Li Li Yashi and Antonio did not dare to look down on him.

"Two envoys, your country's request to preach, the Great Ming cannot allow. Our two countries have different customs and systems, why force this? Since our Central Plains 'severed the connection between heaven and earth,' human affairs have been managed by humans for thousands of years. If you insist on preaching, the paths are different and it is of no benefit. I can only order the two envoys to pack up and return to your country." Zhu Zhu Yijun first declared the Great Ming's attitude toward preaching—absolutely not allowed.

"Severing the connection between heaven and earth" was an allusion from Zhuanxu, mostly meaning that heaven and earth, gods and humans, each performed their own duties and did not interfere with each other; human affairs were managed by humans.

From the perspective of Confucian rites and laws, "The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical exploits, disorder, or spiritual beings," and various religions were also regarded as heterodox by Confucian rites and laws. Zhang Zhang Juzheng had already declared this in the first lecture, and even used the matters of Song Emperor Huizong and Liang Han Wudi to persuade the Emperor not to worship Daoism and Buddhism.

From the perspective of social stability, the organizational power of religion was extremely strong. Zhu Zhu Yijun did not want to see this preaching lead to a Great Ming version of the Princess Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

The interpreter translated these words as accurately as possible to the two envoys.

Li Li Yashi organized his language seriously and said, "Before we set off, our King did not ask me to preach."

"In fact, after our King ascended the throne, for the glory of our ancestors, and to compete for Milan and Naples, our King had some small conflicts with the Pope and the Falanxi King Henry II."

"Our Duke of Alba once approached Rome and forced Pope Paul IV to sign a treaty. In the end, we obtained Milan and Naples. These two places are located in Italy. I cannot clearly describe the causes, process, and results of the war here, but in terms of results, our King was called a devil who sold his soul to the devil by the Holy See and Falanxi."

Li Li Yashi kept it short, so he only briefly described the conflict between Philip II of Spain and the Holy See.

It was not a small conflict or friction, but after Philip II of Spain ascended the throne, the Falanxi King Henry II and Pope Paul IV joined forces to pressure Spain, and Philip II won the war cleanly and cut Milan and Naples from the Holy See.

Pope Paul IV was born in Naples, and Philip II incorporating Naples into Spanish territory was the greatest humiliation to Pope Paul IV, but Pope Paul IV had no way to deal with it. If you lose on the battlefield, everything is equal to zero.

Li Li Yashi thought seriously again and said, "It can be understood as a necessity of rule."

Zhu Zhu Yijun nodded. This was the Great Ming, a place covered by the Great Ming Emperor. Even if Jesus came, he would have to listen to the Emperor. Li Li Yashi said some sincere words—necessity of rule, which meant that in the eyes of the Spanish royal family, religion was a tool of rule.

This was very easy to communicate.

"Respected, supreme Emperor of the Great Ming, I solemnly apologize again. Among the gifts we brought, that plate armor came from Milan and was already our best armor. Although it looks like the quality is still not very good, we have no intention of contempt. I am very sorry." Li Li Yashi explained another matter.

In his view, the Great Ming Emperor's control over the Great Ming was extremely strong. With a few eunuchs in Yuegang, those officials in Yuegang did not dare to extort. The Great Ming Emperor's status in the Great Ming was extremely noble. The gifts they presented were pierced by arrows, which was an offense to the Great Ming.

Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "If it's just a verbal apology, why are there no more actions? Our Great General is very interested in your country's cannons. Exchanging what we have for what we lack and communicating with each other—I wonder what the envoy thinks?"

"This is as it should be." Li Li Yashi said immediately.

Zhu Zhu Yijun nodded and said, "That's good. I know that at this time, the Great Frangis country does not seem to be very peaceful."

"The King who built the Invincible Armada is no longer supported by everyone, and the huge expenses of the Invincible Armada have also fallen into widespread questioning. Relying on opening the sea to obtain a large amount of gold and silver, but the unbridled increase of gold and silver seems to have plunged the King into greater trouble. This trouble comes from two aspects."

"The first aspect is that a large amount of gold and silver is in the hands of a few wealthy merchants. These wealthy merchants can provoke authority and even the majesty of the Holy See."

"These wealthy merchants always try every possible way to avoid taxes. Even if your King increases taxes repeatedly, these wealthy merchants always have various ways to avoid them. While your country's finances are in deficit, the wealthy merchants threaten the King with wealth, forcing the King to compromise on some matters, such as giving the wealthy merchants the power of monopoly, to obtain the gold and silver in their hands to maintain the expenses of the huge fleet."

"The second aspect is that the infinite increase of gold and silver has also caused the prices of various commodities to grow rapidly. Residents are trapped by high prices and complain, no longer supporting the King as they did before, which leads the King to further compromise with the wealthy merchants."

"This is truly a terrible scene, so your country's envoys tried so hard to trade with the Great Ming, and you two are standing here."

Li Li Yashi and Antonio looked at each other, slightly sluggish. The only doubts they had about this Emperor being too young vanished like smoke.

This conversation of the Emperor could be described as a summary of the problems within Spain, analyzed extremely thoroughly, and also clarified the Great Ming's strong position in this diplomatic relationship.

This was not reading from a script at all. In the Little Emperor's calm description, there was no tension or stuttering, and he appeared to be at ease.

The Great Ming Emperor even saw problems more thoroughly than Li Li Yashi, a Spaniard.

Even the wise Philip II only knew that the country had problems, but as for where the problems were, he was a bit self-deceived. Philip II could only increase the intensity of opening the sea to let more gold and silver flow in, and the problems became more and more serious.

Li Li Yashi frowned. Who exactly raised this eleven-year-old Emperor into a monster?

Li Li Yashi said extremely respectfully, "It is indeed so, respected Your Majesty. Your gaze has crossed tens of thousands of miles of ocean and seen the confusion of our country."

Zhu Zhu Yijun said extremely seriously, "Even the Invincible Armada is being constantly challenged. The wealth of the Great Frangis country has aroused the jealousy and hatred of other countries, just like you mentioned Falanxi and the Holy See. They are like poisonous snakes, hiding in the dark, waiting for the Great Frangis country to weaken, and then giving your country a fatal bite."

"Trade is trade. Trade can alleviate some of the problems within your country. You must strictly abide by the five prohibitions. If there are any violations, they will be severely punished. Do not harbor any wishful thinking or do anything that will put both countries in a difficult position."

"Thank you for Your Majesty's teachings." Li Li Yashi was sure that the Little Emperor was not reading from a script. The conflict between Falanxi, the Holy See, and Spain was something he had just mentioned, and the Little Emperor used it as an example.

Zhu Zhu Yijun nodded and asked, "Do you have any other questions?"

Li Li Yashi thought for a while and said, "Your country's diplomat said that Your Majesty intends to learn a foreign language. This is the best news for us. Efficient and clear communication can reduce misunderstandings. I wonder if you have chosen a teacher?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Li Li Yashi, shook his head, and said, "The Left Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, Chen Shu, is leading the interpreters to study this matter. You don't need to worry about it, envoy."

The Great Ming Imperial Tutor would absolutely not allow barbarians to be teachers. Emperor Wu Xun learning a foreign language was also learned from the Court of State Ceremonial and interpreters. Emperor Wu Xun learning a foreign language was not necessarily because he was interested in foreign languages, but more of a political consideration, just like Zhu Zhu Yijun learning a foreign language, indicating the importance attached to the red-haired barbarians who could cross the ocean, whether it was a friendly or malicious importance.

Only by understanding the enemy can you kill the enemy.

"Kneel and retire." Zhu Zhu Yijun saw that Li Li Yashi had no more doubts, waved his hand, and ended this audience.

"We take our leave." Chen Shu led Li Li Yashi and Antonio to salute and left the Huangji Hall.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng and Wan Wan Shihe breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. The Little Emperor's performance could be said to be beyond the expectations of the two.

The Great Ming Dynasty's bureaucratic machine, although already rusty, was still running. Because the Emperor wanted to meet foreign envoys, he had to figure out why the other party was so urgent. The interpreters in Songjiang Prefecture and the crew of the large sailing ships had friendly and in-depth communication, roughly understanding the situation faced by the Great Frangis country.

This information was summarized before the Little Emperor's imperial desk. From that redundant information of truth and falsehood, the Little Emperor roughly understood the situation of the Great Frangis country's internal and external troubles, and thus completed this diplomatic response without any script.

The terrible influence of the young master and the suspicion of the country, and the vacancy of imperial power, did not put the Great Ming in a passive position.

The Little Emperor's performance made the hearts of the Grand Secretary and the Minister of Rites, which were in their throats, fall back. This performance was extremely outstanding. If the Little Emperor performed poorly, they would only have to kill Li Li Yashi and Antonio to keep this secret.

And Zhu Zhu Yijun sat up straight and picked up the petitions piled on the table. His main work today was not to meet foreign envoys, but to scold people. The petitions from all aspects in March had been summarized in his hands. Zhu Zhu Yijun specially picked out more than a dozen petitions, ready to open fire.

The Little Emperor's hand touched the petitions, immediately making many people shiver uncontrollably. The regular morning court on the third day of every month had almost become a disaster day for the Censorate officials. The Little Emperor scolded people, both harsh and heart-piercing.

"Is the Left Assistant of the Ministry of Justice, Zheng Grandmaster Yue, here?" Zhu Zhu Yijun picked up a petition and began to call names.

Zheng Grandmaster Yue shivered, hurriedly bowed out of the line, and said, "I am here."

Zhu Zhu Yijun flipped through the petition and said, "What year's play are you singing? The guest star in the Ziwiguan Pavilion has gradually faded and is now almost invisible. You are still holding on to these old sesame and rotten grain matters, impeaching Yin Governor Yin Zhengmao for corruption, harming the gentry, and confiscating private salt."

"If you are willing to eat rotten rice, I won't stop you. You recommend someone to go to the far south. The Viceroy of Liangguang has been changed again and again like a revolving lantern. It is not easy to have a capable official to stabilize the far south. You find someone who can do things like Yin Governor Yin Zhengmao."

"Recommend someone for me to see. If the banditry, Japanese pirates, barbarians, black barbarians, and desperate people in the far south gather and make trouble again and cannot be stabilized, the rewards and punishments will be linked to the recommender."

"I... I have no one to recommend." Zheng Grandmaster Yue was silent for a long time before saying.

If the recommended person cannot stabilize the place, and something happens, the recommended person will be punished. Zheng Grandmaster Yue had no good candidates. Everyone knew that Yin Governor Yin Zhengmao was a big bad guy. If there was someone who could replace him, Yin Governor Yin Zhengmao would have fallen long ago.

Zhu Zhu Yijun closed the petition and said helplessly, "You don't want to eat hairy pigs, but you insist on scolding the butcher Zhang. You are biting the hand that feeds you; there is no one like you."

"Back then, Zhu Wan suppressed Japanese pirates in Zhejiang and confiscated the private salt of Shuangyu. The public opinion in the court forced Zhu Wan to the point of committing suicide to prove his innocence. After forcing people to death, the powerful families, why didn't you suppress the Japanese pirates, red-haired barbarians, black barbarians, and desperate people? As a result, the thieves took the opportunity to cause trouble in the southeast, and it has not been peaceful for more than ten years."

"Do not discuss this matter. Just consider recommending capable officials. Return to the ranks."

Zhu Zhu Yijun picked up the second petition and said, "Is the Left Assistant of the Ministry of Rites, Shi Shi Yingyue, here?"

"I am here." Shi Shi Yingyue shivered, stepped out of the line, and bowed.

Zhu Zhu Yijun frowned and said, "What do you mean by this petition?"

"I, I just mean what is in the petition." Shi Shi Yingyue said, not knowing why, a layer of cold sweat already rising on his forehead.

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Shi Shi Yingyue and said with unkind tone, "The Armory Factory, the Ministry of War, and other military bureaus are casting firearms, specifically prepared for the defense of the capital, two thousand iron Frangis, four hundred bird guns, etc., and various sub-guns, lead bullets, gunpowder, etc., limited to be cast within three years. Are you very dissatisfied?"

"I will ask more clearly. Are you very dissatisfied that only the Great Ming Capital Battalion can spend these firearms, and the Capital Battalion officers and soldiers receive them but do not send them to the border? Are you very dissatisfied?"

Shi Shi Yingyue hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please see clearly. The capital and border armies are one body, prospering together and suffering together. Xuanfu and Datong have not received firearms for a long time. If the Northern Barbarians go south, the Xuan-Da guard army will bear the brunt. Without firearms replenishment, I am afraid there will be border troubles."

Zhu Zhu Yijun took a deep breath and said, "I won't settle old accounts with you too early. Let's start from the first year of Emperor Longqing. Minister of War, you have worked hard."

The Minister of War, Tan Lun, stepped out and bowed, "I obey the decree."

"Since the first year of Emperor Longqing, there have been several special distributions. From the first year of Emperor Longqing to the sixth year, a total of 3,000 iron Frangis, 1,200 bird guns, 2,000 clamp-handle guns, 207 'one-nest-bee' launchers, 3,000 copper Frangis guns, 10 large general cannons, 79 second general cannons, 20 third general cannons, 669 divine cannons, and 1,558 divine guns were issued from the capital to the two towns. Later, 1,200 medium copper Frangis guns and 50 small copper Frangis guns were added, along with various sub-guns, lead bullets, and gunpowder."

"Assistant Shi, are you clear? Do you want me to say it again?"

Shi Shi Yingyue heard Tan Lun counting the number of firearms in the Xuan-Da two towns like a prompter, and immediately chose to surrender. Kneeling on the ground, trembling, he said, "I am guilty. I truly did not know that the Xuan-Da two towns had so many firearms. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Shi Shi Yingyue was full of regret. He just had a drink with Zhang Zhang Siwei, took some silver, heard Zhang Zhang Siwei complain that the new firearms built by the Capital Battalion could not be drawn by Xuan-Da, and heard that the Xuan-Da border army had not received firearms for a long time, so he submitted the petition.

As a result, Tan Lun's account directly scared Shi Shi Yingyue.

Even after the three-year period expired, the number of firearms in the Capital Battalion was not as good as that of the Xuan-Da guard army. There was no need for the Little Emperor to endorse it, saying that the rites and music, expeditions and punishments came from the Son of Heaven. If the Xuan-Da guard army rebelled and attacked, and the Capital Battalion only had those few firearms, could they hold it?

Zhu Zhu Yijun shook his head and said, "If you don't know, don't talk nonsense. I rejected your petition once, and you were not satisfied and wanted to submit it again. Today I have answered you. Return to the ranks."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great grace." Shi Shi Yingyue was full of regret. Today was a big loss of face.

"Is the Left Assistant of the Ministry of Rites, Zhu Zhu Nanyong, here?" Zhu Zhu Yijun took out another petition, frowned, and said, "You have submitted three petitions about my practicing martial arts. Since you want to ask, I will tell you today why I practice martial arts."

"The Master said that among the six arts of a gentleman, there is archery."

"Emperor Emperor Chengzu Wen visited Beijing and shot willows in the Imperial Garden on the Dragon Boat Festival. Emperor Xuan Sect fired three arrows and hit them all. Emperor Chengzu was overjoyed. After the archery, he came up with a couplet: 'Ten thousand nations' jade and silk meet in the wind and clouds.' Xuan Sect responded: 'The clouds unify the mountains and rivers, the sun and moon are bright.' Emperor Chengzu was overjoyed again, bestowing a famous horse and silk and gauze. Emperor Emperor Chengzu Wen then tested his riding skills. Emperor Xuan Sect was skilled in archery and horsemanship, hitting two out of three arrows. Emperor Chengzu was overjoyed again, saying 'Good holy grandson.' He specially ordered Confucian scholars to write poems to record the event."

"Whether it is Confucian rites and laws or the ancestral laws, why have you been submitting petitions to oppose my practicing martial arts?"

"What is the basis for your opposition? It wouldn't be because General Qi holds the axe and battle-axe, and you are afraid of the axe and battle-axe!"

Except for the time when Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang appointed Xu Da as the Great General of Conquering Barbarians to destroy Yuan and granted the axe and battle-axe, at other times when appointing the Great General of Conquering Barbarians, they were granted the Son of Heaven's sword. The one Zhu Zhu Yijun gave to Qi Qi Jiguang was also the Son of Heaven's sword.

This Son of Heaven's sword was the Great Ming's axe and battle-axe.

Zhu Zhu Nanyong was silent. He had always known that the Little Emperor was eloquent and cited classics. The Confucian rites and laws and ancestral laws were all moved out and smashed on his head. He stammered and said, "I am afraid that Your Majesty will neglect government affairs, so I submitted the petition. Please see clearly, Your Majesty."

"Have I neglected government affairs?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked immediately.

Zhu Zhu Nanyong bowed and said, "No."

"Then what are you talking about? What are you opposing? Shooting at a target out of thin air, learning from me to create a 'brand' out of thin air? I created a 'brand' out of thin air to blackmail the Great Frangis country for cannons. What are you shooting at a target out of thin air for?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked suspiciously.

Zhu Zhu Nanyong swallowed his throat. The Little Emperor's words were truly a set after a set. Shooting at a target out of thin air, creating a 'brand' out of thin air. He thought for a moment, knelt on the ground, and said respectfully, "I deserve death ten thousand times."

"Get up and return to the ranks. Don't submit petitions in the future. I have rejected it twice, and you still want to submit petitions." Zhu Zhu Yijun threw Zhu Zhu Nanyong's petition aside.

Zhu Zhu Yijun flipped through these petitions, called names one by one, and after scolding them happily, stood up and said, "Dismiss the court."

The court officials who were not called breathed a sigh of relief and shouted, "We respectfully send off Your Majesty."

After the court was dismissed, the Censorate officials hated the initiator, Hou Hou Yuzhao, even more. If you have nothing to do, you can bite the fire stick, instead of looking for trouble and inviting the Emperor to the Huangji Hall to scold people!

Sinful!

I was late today, I am very sorry, please vote for the monthly ticket, Aowu!!!!!

(End of this chapter)

. ===== CHAPTER 104 =====