Chapter 52

Empress Dowager Li agreed to give Qi Qi Jiguang a title because she had her own plans. Qi Qi Jiguang was a disciple of Zhang Zhang Juzheng. If he obtained the title of Earl, he could enter the capital to take office and become the Regional Commander of the Beijing Camp. If that day really came, Zhang Zhang Juzheng's Zhang faction would be today's Jin faction. Although it was not a faction of clansmen, it was enough to threaten the Emperor.

This was something she would never allow to happen. Therefore, when Qi Qi Jiguang entered the palace to see the Emperor practice martial arts, Empress Dowager Li threw out such conditions without any discussion.

Zhu Zhu Yijun's expression did not change. Empress Dowager Li had not told the young Emperor her thoughts in advance. He did not want to make things too difficult for Qi Qi Jiguang.

Empress Dowager Li was easy to talk to about some things, but extremely difficult about others. If the child suffered a little, Empress Dowager Li would feel heartache, but she would not force an imperial decree to stop him. However, regarding the affairs of the outer court, Empress Dowager Li rarely listened to the young Emperor's big principles.

Conferring a title was certainly fine, but this sharpest sword of the Great Ming had to be in the Emperor's hands.

Imperial control was the bottom line that Empress Dowager Li could not challenge.

This conferring of a title on Qi Qi Jiguang was a probe of imperial control after Zhang Zhang Juzheng's "Five Matters Memorial." And Zhang Zhang Juzheng's debate with Yang Bo in the Fengtian Hall proved that Zhang Zhang Juzheng did not intend to usurp the divine vessel or interfere with imperial control. To Empress Dowager Li, the other matters in the "Five Matters Memorial" could be tolerated.

The Emperor listening to government affairs, the Emperor approving memorials, the Emperor summoning Grand Secretaries, state affairs requiring court discussion, and the assessment of capital officials—these were all reasonable requests.

When the ruler is young and the country is suspicious, the imperial power is absent under the imperial system. It was not an excessive request for court officials to take the opportunity to propose that the Emperor listen to government, manage government, and meet with ministers.

Zhu Zhu Yijun was just about to speak to persuade Empress Dowager Li. He was eloquent, and with the external official still present, Empress Dowager Li should give him, the young Emperor, a little face.

"This subject has always been a subject of the Great Ming, eating the monarch's salary and being loyal to the monarch's affairs." Qi Qi Jiguang, however, spoke first, bowing and saying, "I ask the Empress Dowager to clearly observe."

"That is also true. General Qi, just understand." Empress Dowager Li heard Qi Qi Jiguang's answer and knew that Qi Qi Jiguang had agreed. From then on, he would no longer be a disciple of the Quanchu Association.

Qi Qi Jiguang meant that in the past, becoming a disciple of Zhang Zhang Juzheng was purely out of helplessness. If he could meet the Emperor, and if he could do things without becoming a disciple of someone else, he would not be willing to go around bowing to patrons.

Becoming a disciple of a patron meant being a running dog for someone else. For a soldier who fought on the battlefield, it was a matter of bowing and scraping to the powerful.

Qi Qi Jiguang and Zhang Zhang Juzheng had a friendship between gentlemen, but this rotten court could only be like this.

"I am tired. General Qi, stay in the palace today and dine with the Emperor." Empress Dowager Li did not discuss other matters with Qi Qi Jiguang. The Emperor had already issued an imperial decree expressing his affirmation of Qi Qi Jiguang. Empress Dowager Li was not recruiting military talent for her own faction, but for the Emperor.

The banquet was held in the Fengwang Hall, accompanied by the Jizhou Assistant Regional Commander, Chen Dacheng. Chen Dacheng was full of excitement. The Great General returned to the capital, not only receiving the full reward but also obtaining a title, and furthermore, receiving a banquet from the Emperor!

Ten people were also selected from the personal guards who came to the capital together to accompany them.

"This subject does not drink alcohol. Except for the navy, drinking is not allowed; it is a military regulation." Qi Qi Jiguang looked at the wine pot and wine cup, feeling slightly embarrassed. Drinking was not allowed in the army; it was an iron rule Qi Qi Jiguang had set. He could not be the one to break it, and he had to leave the city today to return to Jizhou.

Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a smile, "The contents of the cup are just water."

It was just to have an atmosphere. If he drank at this age, Zhang Zhang Juzheng would submit a self-reproach memorial every day, and Empress Dowager Li would drag the young Emperor to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to read a self-reproach edict.

Qi Qi Jiguang took a sniff, and it really was water. He hurriedly stood up, waving his sleeves to perform a kowtow, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration."

"In the future, when we have private dialogues, there is no need to kneel when answering. When the Senior Grand Secretary lectures, when the Embroidered Uniform Guard practices martial arts, and when Scholar Xu teaches me to farm, there is no need to kneel when answering." Zhu Zhu Yijun said quite definitely, stopping Qi Qi Jiguang's attempt to kneel, and even citing examples to tell Qi Qi Jiguang that this was not a special favor.

A brave general who had been killing for nearly thirty years at the age of forty—kneeling to him, a ten-year-old ruler, was the ritual, but the Emperor's oral decree was an imperial edict.

When the ritual and the imperial edict conflicted, whose should he listen to?

Qi Qi Jiguang chose to listen to the Emperor. He discovered another characteristic of the young Emperor: he did not stick to vulgar rituals. This might be a means taught by Empress Dowager Li to win people's hearts. When the ruler is young and the country is suspicious, any means that can win the loyalty of civil and military officials is a good means.

But this kind of means made people feel extremely comfortable.

The meal was enjoyed by both host and guest.

Zhu Zhu Yijun highly affirmed Qi Qi Jiguang's military achievements in pacifying the Japanese pirates and resisting the enemy, praised the achievements of the Battle of Xifengkou, severely hit the conspiracy between the Northern Barbarian Little Prince and Dong Dong Huli, severely hit the enemy's arrogant spirit, inspired the Great Ming military and civilians to resist the enemy, and at the same time expressed his concern about the Northern Barbarians invading the border again.

Qi Qi Jiguang indicated that he would do his best to take resolute measures to resist the enemy's invasion, and at the same time would increase the number of beacon towers and distant scouts to detect the enemy's movements in time, and do everything possible to resist the enemy outside the country's gates, not failing the expectations of the Great Ming Emperor, the civil and military officials, and the people of the capital region, daring to fight and win.

"I opened a Baoqi Hall in Jingshan. Qingming has passed. General Qi, will you accompany me to take a look?" Zhu Yijun finished his lunch and proposed a visit to the Shanglin Garden.

"This subject is willing to follow Your Majesty." Qi Qi Jiguang hurriedly bowed and said. Although he did not say he would not kneel, he was very respectful.

As for the Emperor's promise, Qi Qi Jiguang did not expect the Emperor to be able to fulfill it; he only hoped that the Emperor could attach importance to military affairs and not let the scourge of war spread to the capital region.

Zhu Yijun took Qi Jiguang and Chen Dacheng to the Baoqi Hall in Jingshan. He brought Qi Jiguang to the outside of the greenhouse. Standing in the midday sun, looking at the seedlings in the field, he squatted down and introduced potatoes and sweet potatoes.

"According to the Coastal Defense Assistant Prefect Luo Luo Gongchen, sweet potatoes and potatoes have a yield of over a thousand catties per mu overseas. General Qi, Li Assistant Regional Commander, you are both from military households that farm. You should understand what a yield of a thousand catties per mu means. What is important is that this crop is not picky about poor or fertile soil. If it can be grown, it can save countless lives." Zhu Zhu Yijun squatted on the edge of the field, pointing at the seedlings in the field.

The seedlings were dark green, oval-heart-shaped, and full of vitality. Qi Qi Jiguang also squatted down to examine the seedlings carefully. Obviously, the seedlings had been carefully tended.

Zhu Zhu Yijun pointed to the five mu of land on the left and said, "Plant one seedling every six inches. One mu of land needs four thousand seedlings. The seedlings have four nodes, with two leaves and one heart exposed above the ground, and the other leaves inserted into the soil."

"This doesn't mean four thousand potato seedlings. The potato seedlings are specially cultivated in the fire room. If the temperature exceeds forty degrees, the seedlings will be burned, so curing and cultivation are required. They must be checked every day. After the potato seedlings are moved out of the fire room and grow to six to eight inches, they begin to be pruned and planted in the fields."

"Forty degrees?" Qi Qi Jiguang looked at the seedlings and heard the unfamiliar term, immediately asking.

Zhu Zhu Yijun took Qi Qi Jiguang and his party and explained in detail the principle of thermal expansion and contraction of the thermometer and the defined standard.

"Potato seedlings like sandy loam. When planting, the soil must be broken, refined, and leveled. Too much watering will easily cause the seedlings and tubers to rot." Zhu Zhu Yijun explained the whole process of seedling cultivation.

The construction of the fire room does not necessarily require a greenhouse. The main function of the greenhouse is to cultivate detoxified potato seedlings. Whether it is pinching or curing, it is used in the greenhouse. After the potato seedlings reach six inches, they begin to be pruned and planted. The potato seedlings grow very fast, with four nodes as one seedling.

In the 25th year of Emperor Jiajing, Qi Qi Jiguang inherited his ancestor's position and became the Guard Commander of Dengzhou Guard, responsible for farming. Although the Southern Army (Qi's Army) used a recruitment system, it did not mean they did not farm. On the contrary, they also attached importance to farming and fighting. The Southern Army, which did not rob or plunder, also relied on farming and fighting.

Chu Zhongtian is a matter of course for the Great Ming.

Qi Qi Jiguang had very rich experience in farming and talked with the Great Ming Emperor for a long time. Xu Xu Zhenming was responsible for checking for omissions in the side, and only when the Emperor did not understand did Xu Xu Zhenming answer. Most of the questions, the young Emperor could answer.

Until they walked to the small pavilion in the Baoqi Hall, Qi Jiguang suddenly discovered that he was exchanging farming experience with the Emperor! Was His Majesty being neglectful of his proper duties?

But the young Emperor was very familiar with farming and was not playing around. This made the flame of expectation in Qi Qi Jiguang's heart burn even more vigorously.

"Your Majesty, do you often come to this Baoqi Hall?" Qi Jiguang asked with some curiosity. In his impression, it was enough for the Great Ming Emperor to support the plow to show his importance to agriculture when sacrificing to Jumang in the spring. Even when Emperor Renzong of Song farmed, he just went to take a look at harvest time.

Qi Qi Jiguang could write military books. Since ancient times, military strategists who could fight well were rare, and the battlefield seemed to be set for them. However, there were not many military strategists who could pour out everything in their stomachs and write them into military books.

Many military strategists knew how to fight, but if you asked them to talk, they couldn't explain the principles, just like dumplings in a teapot—they had the goods but couldn't pour them out.

Qi Qi Jiguang could pour out the dumplings in his stomach because he read books and had excellent literary talent. If he didn't have to inherit his ancestor's position, he would have thought about taking the imperial examinations. Although his military talent was dazzling, Qi Qi Jiguang still kept books in his hands in the army.

So Qi Jiguang knew that Emperor Renzong of Song's Baoqi Hall was just to show his importance to agriculture. Did Emperor Renzong of Song really farm himself?

Emperor Taizu of the Great Ming farmed himself, and he farmed in the palace after he became Emperor.

"His Majesty comes every day." Xu Xu Zhenming answered this question. His Majesty cherished these seedlings very much. No matter how late it was, he had to come and take a look before the palace gates were locked, even if it was just a glance.

"His Majesty is great in spirit. This subject congratulates the Great Ming and congratulates the common people of the world." Qi Qi Jiguang said with great emotion.

Zhu Yijun sat down in the Baoqi Hall. This was a small hall with a width of less than three zhang and five rooms. Rather than a hall, it was more like a pavilion. He said with a smile, "General Qi, Assistant Regional Commander Chen, Scholar Xu, sit down and talk."

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Qi Qi Jiguang and said quite definitely, "General Qi, I have doubts."