PDLP Chapter 290: 2 Capitals and 3 Provinces, All Gathered
Chapter 290: 2 Capitals and 3 Provinces, All Gathered
Ming Dynasty, the tenth year of Yongle, October.
After Zhu Di's southern tour.
After a few days of relaxing time, Zhu Gaochi and Zhang Xin became busy again.
Because every few days, Zhu Gaochi would receive express mail from Zhu Di that had traveled eight hundred miles.
They are all haphazard orders for rectification and inspection across the country.
This tour was nominally a southern tour.
I also told the court officials about the Southern Tour.
When the emperor's carriage set out from the capital, it also headed south.
But in fact it was just a feint.
The military power has always been in the hands of Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi.
Whether in the capital or the imperial court, in fact, Zhu Gaochi secretly mobilized two thousand soldiers and mixed it into the arrangements for his tour, and it was done smoothly without any court officials noticing.
The tens of thousands of people on the southern tour moved slowly along the original route, while Zhu Di took Xu and two thousand personal soldiers and rode north to Ningxia.
Ningxia, Gansu, Datong, and Liaodong are all located on the border and have always been important cities for garrison defense. Zhu Di had long ago ordered border generals to build large and small garrisons for defense.
As the name suggests, Tunbu serves as a place to store grain and a fortress, while shoubei means defense and preparation.
The main function of Tunbu is defense.
Once a foreign enemy invades the border, all people and livestock can be sent to the garrison to minimize the losses. Moreover, as long as they can hold out for a few days, nearby border troops will be able to come to their rescue.
However, after the order to set up the garrison was issued, no border general reported that it had been completed.
This time Zhu Di went to see it in person.
Sure enough it didn't.
No one took this seriously. After all, Zhu Di did not ask for one or two people, but a group of people who could protect each other. In the current relatively peaceful situation, no one was willing to go through the trouble.
So, Zhu Di wrote a letter to scold Zhu Gaochi.
Zhu Gaochi could only order the Ministry of War and the Censorate to send officials to inspect the construction of military garrisons in various places.
The order was issued not long ago.
Zhu Di's letter came again.
This time it's about raising horses.
During the early years of the Yongle reign, all the war horses bred in various garrisons in Beijing were distributed among the people and raised by the civilians, and horse breeders were entitled to tax exemptions and reductions according to regulations.
Those under 15 could keep one horse, and those over 15 could keep two horses. If a person was exiled for a crime, if seven households kept one horse, his crime could be forgiven and he could become a good citizen.
This decree was not mandatory, but the conditions were good. Both military and civilian households could support them, and they could buy and sell them freely, and they could also be exempted from punishment and become free people.
So from the capital to the north, whether in Ningxia or Gansu, many people spontaneously raised horses.
By this time, there were more horses and the price of horses dropped.
Zhu Di originally thought this was a good thing.
But when he walked around the horse market, he found that all the horses were inferior, not a single good one.
When someone checked, they found out that it was not that there were no good horses, but that the county officials and the rich and powerful had bought them at a low price. In some places, the horses were seized from the people in the name of requisition without even paying.
Only the inferior horses that are no longer wanted can be seen in the horse market.
Zhu Di was so angry that he fell backwards.
He also wrote a letter to scold Zhu Gaochi.
He was a hands-off boss anyway, so if his orders were not carried out, Zhu Gaochi had to take the blame.
Zhu Gaochi could only vent his anger in the court, and then -
"The imperial edict ordered the Ministry of War to strictly restrain lawbreakers. If there are reports from the public that people have been harmed by horses, they must be brought to justice."
Because Zhu Di did not play by the rules, there was chaos in the court, and after a while, Zhu Di fled to Guizhou again.
He directly sent an imperial edict to Zhu Gaochi, which shocked the imperial court.
[Guizhou Provincial Administration Office was established, and the two envoys of Sizhou and Sinan Tian family were abolished].
"Has the emperor been captured?"
The Minister of War almost dropped his jaw in fright.
"Well, my father transferred Mr. Gu over there before he left. He should have been captured."
The news from the Ministry of War was not as fast as that from Zhu Di, and Zhu Gaochi was very satisfied.
"General Gu is already eighty-one?"
Another courtier looked incredulous.
"Lian Po will always be Lian Po!"
Zhu Gaochi was impressed by Gu Cheng, and even more so by his father.
This matter was handled so smoothly and naturally, and it was said that his mother did not participate. His father was really born to conquer the world, and he admired him very much.
"Let's make the arrangements. We now have two capitals and thirteen provinces. Who knows, when my father comes back from his inspection tour, he may be able to add a few more provinces."
Zhu Gaochi ignored the different expressions of the court officials, waved them away, and returned to Wenhua Hall to report the good news to Zhang Xin.
To the west, Tibet and Turpan are getting closer and closer to being taken into our hands.
The first step of the policy of reforming the native peoples to govern the people was so successful, the future is promising!
"Dad, tell me more details. We want to hear how grandpa took it down."
The two sons and the little girl had also finished their classes and were all in front of Zhang Xin. Zhu Zhanyong was so excited when he heard it and begged Zhu Gaochi to tell him the whole story.
"Okay, I'm happy today, I'll tell you the whole story."
Zhu Gaochi was in high spirits when something happy happened and responded readily.
"Since your father wants you to tell him, you should listen carefully. It will be useful when you need to guard the place in the future."
Zhang Xin played supporting role.
"Am I guarding the place too?"
Zhu Jiabao pointed at his nose and asked with wide eyes.
"Zhen, why not? You are also of royal blood. As long as you are willing and have the ability, Dad will give you the fiefdom in the future. However, if you can't manage it well, Dad will take it back!"
Zhu Gaochi thought there was nothing wrong with it.
He has four children in total.
Isn't it only natural to give the princess a fiefdom? It's not like there isn't enough land to go around!
His grandfather can beat him!
As his only little daughter, it would not be excessive even if she were granted a province as her fiefdom in the future.
"Fat Si, you have to be at least like me, your second brother. You have to be both civil and military to be a vassal king."
Zhu Zhanyong doesn't think highly of his sister.
He and his third brother were nicknamed Erpang and Sanpang because their eldest brother Zhu Zhanji's nickname was Xiaopang, and they continued to call him that. In fact, they look more like Zhang Xin, with a normal body shape.
But the girl is not like that. She is a real fat girl, like a big meat bun with 18 wrinkles.
"Brother, let's listen to Grandpa's war stories first."
Zhu Zhanji was getting anxious.
"Oh. Listen to Third Brother."
Zhu Jiabao glared at his second brother and decided to listen to the story first before arguing.
"Okay, then I'll start talking."
Zhu Gaochi solemnly took the teacup on the table, knocked on the table, and began to speak:
By the way——
"In the previous dynasty, Guizhou was nominally divided into several different provinces, but in reality it was occupied by four ancient chieftains: the An clan of Shuizhou, the Yang clan of Bozhou, the Tian clan of Sizhou, and the Song clan of Shuidong.
In the fifth year of Hongwu, these four chieftains successively surrendered.
My royal grandfather, your great-grandfather, divided the largest Sizhou Xuanwei Si into two, setting up Sizhou and Sinan Xuanwei Si. Later, he established Guizhou Xuanwei Si in Shuixi and Shuidong, and still ordered the chieftains to garrison there and pay taxes to the court.
They only paid taxes. Every year, the taxes the court received from them were not as much as the rewards they received for their visits.
After your grandfather ascended the throne, he felt that this was not right and inappropriate.
At that time, it was stipulated that chieftains had to come to Beijing regularly. When they succeeded the post of Xuanweisi, they had to come to the capital in person to receive the title no matter how far away they were.
But the chieftains were also very smart. Over the years, your grandfather had never caught them in any way.
Your grandfather waited and waited, and finally, two years ago, in the eighth year of Yongle, he got his chance.
This year, Sinan chieftain Tian Daya died.
His son Tian Zongding had a long-standing grudge against Huang Xi, the deputy envoy of Sinan. After inheriting the position of Xuanwei Envoy, Tian Zongding wanted to replace Huang Xi and let his confidant be the deputy envoy.
Internal strife broke out, and naturally, Sinan became chaotic.
Your grandfather summoned the official in charge of Sinan and asked: What kind of people are Tian Zongding and Huang Xi?
The official reported back: Tian Zongding was cruel and brutal, and had killed countless people. Compared with Tian Zongding, Huang Xi was much better.
Your grandfather therefore made a decision: one place cannot have two masters. In order for the people of Sinan to live and work in peace and contentment, Huang Xi, the deputy envoy of Sinan, was demoted to the prefect of Chenzhou.
After getting the support from your grandfather, Tian Zongding was overjoyed. Without Huang Xi's restraint, he acted more unscrupulously, often crossing the border to occupy land and rob people.
As a result, he developed a rift with Tian Chen, the envoy of Sizhou next door.
The hatred between the two grew deeper and deeper.
Huang Xi was not convinced by Tian Zongding in the first place, so he simply colluded with Tian Chen to deal with Tian Zongding.
The fighting between Sinan and Sizhou was so bloody that rivers flowed, and the Guizhou Xuanwei Office, which had nothing to do with these affairs, was also dragged into it.
By July of this year, there was a large-scale rebellion that required the court to send people to suppress it.
So, your grandfather sent General Gu Cheng to lead 50,000 troops to fight.
General Gu, you have never seen him.
He is eighty-one years old.
Back then, he was Lord Geng, the commander-in-chief of the left army of Mr. Geng.
In the 14th year of Hongwu, Mr. Gu conquered Yunnan, which is adjacent to Guizhou, and garrisoned the area for several years.
When your mother and I were defending the capital, Mr. Gu was there too.
This time the veteran general came out and was still as good as two men. It took only three months to capture Guizhou, which is why your grandfather asked the court to set up the Guizhou Provincial Administration Office. "
After Zhu Gaochi finished his long speech, among the three little guys, only Zhu Zhanyong seemed to understand and kept nodding.
The remaining two little ones only half understood what was said and clapped their hands to show their respect.
Zhang Xin clapped her hands in her heart.
The two capitals and thirteen provinces are now complete.
It is not impossible that thirteen provinces could have been turned into thirty-three provinces by accident!