Emperor Zhengde

Chapter 182 Outside Yulin City, the mountains and rivers shout Long live!
On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month in the fourth year of the Zhengde reign, the snow in Datong had not yet melted.

Zhu Houzhao drank the Laba porridge made by Xiangyun Temple, and then took a nap. He woke up only when the setting sun spread its rays of light over the snowy field.

Time passes by unnoticed in the mountains, which is exactly what Zhu Houzhao feels now.

It was as if the turbulent political affairs in the capital had nothing to do with him.

However, although Zhu Houzhao was leisurely, his subordinates were not. Officials from all walks of life flocked to the mountain road of Xiangyun Temple from morning to night.

Some came to report military secrets, some came to pay homage to the emperor, and some came to offer beauties and treasures and to herald auspicious omens.

The cabinet chiefs Jiao Fang and Liu Jin both negotiated for Zhu Houzhao one by one.

At present, Yibula of the Yongxie tribe has expressed his willingness to lead troops on behalf of the Ming Dynasty to suppress the little prince, and they have agreed to meet in Yulin City before February of the spring.

Besides.

The Chahar, Ordos and other right-wing Mongolian tribes also came to Datong to pay homage to Zhu Houzhao.

Just like Yibula of the Yongxie tribe, Zhu Houzhao conferred the titles of Shunhe King and Shunzhong King on these tribal leaders respectively.

Moreover, these tribal leaders all expressed their willingness to join the Ming Dynasty in conquering the little prince, and also agreed to meet in Yulin City before February of the spring.

The 2nd and 3rd Divisions of the Guards had arrived in Yulin, and defensive fortifications outside Yulin City from Jiulonggou to Tumaochuan had been built.

So, this day was the day when Zhu Houzhao left Xiangyun Temple and prepared to go to Yulin City.

Zhu Houzhao looked at the snowy scene, holding a small copper animal stove in his hand, wrapped in a goose yellow feather satin, and walked down the stairs carefully while asking the cabinet chief Jiao Fang:

"How many cavalrymen are expected to gather in Yulin from the right wing of Mongolia?"

Jiao Fang was also wrapped in three thick coats, with the imperially bestowed bright red Suzhou silk embroidery pockets inlaid with thick gray squirrel fur, covering her entire old face covered with white spots, leaving only a pair of slanted, bright eyes visible. She moved her feet tentatively down the bluestone steps, while raising her hand to support Zhu Houzhao, fearing that he would fall.

At the same time, he had to ignore the cold wind blowing into his mouth and replied: "Your Majesty, the estimated number of cavalry is about 100,000!"

"One hundred thousand cavalry! Together with other auxiliary troops, Yulin City will be particularly lively before the end of spring in the fifth year of Zhengde. A commercial market may even appear as a result!"

Zhu Houzhao ran quickly towards the long pavilion at the foot of the mountain, jumping up the steps two at a time. The goose yellow feather satin fluttered in the wind and brushed past the wild plum blossoms on the mountain road, shaking off the snow to the ground, just like pear blossoms blown off by the spring breeze. Liu Jin was so scared that he ran after him and kept shouting, "Your Majesty, be careful."

Seeing this, Jiao Fang sighed helplessly. For him, who was over 70 years old, going down the mountain was like crossing a single-plank bridge. He was afraid of stepping on empty feet. How could he be as light as the 19-year-old Zhu Houzhao?

Zhu Houzhao entered the pavilion, and the eunuch hurriedly placed a foot warmer under his feet to warm his feet. The attendant Ruyi followed closely behind him and wiped off the remaining snow on his shoulders.

Liu Jin walked in panting and handed over the urgent memorial that he had just kept in his lapel to warm for half a minute.

Jiao Fang was still moving down step by step, holding onto the dead tree trunk.

Zhu Houzhao looked at Jiao Fang and smiled faintly. While waiting for Jiao Fang, he took the warm memorial and started reading it. It said: Gansu Governor Chang Kuan reported that there were invaded by the enemy in Huamachi, and that they had been suppressed but not pursued according to the imperial order.

In this regard.

Zhu Houzhao felt a little relieved.

Although Cai Kuan was a civil official, he was a brave and skilled warrior. He replaced Yang Yiqing in the first month of the fourth year of Zhengde and served as the Right Censor-in-Chief in charge of the military affairs of the three borders of Shaanxi. He is currently assisting Ma Wensheng and is responsible for the military preparedness of the border towns from Gansu to Yansui.

But according to the original history, Cai Kuan was ambushed and killed in battle by the Tartars when he went out of the border to suppress the Tartars' invasion of Huamachi.

That's why.

Long before coming to Datong, Zhu Houzhao asked Ma Wensheng to announce his will to the governors of various border towns, asking them to strictly observe the situation and not to unilaterally advance troops beyond the Great Wall in order to avoid disrupting the military affairs of the court. He even gave special leniency, stating that if the enemy invaded the salt profits of Huamachi, they should not be pursued.

Therefore, Zhu Houzhao only now received Cai Kuan's memorial about how there were indeed enemy invaders in Huamachi and that they were only repelled and not pursued.

As long as a new general is alive, the border towns from Gansu to Yansui can undoubtedly remain safe for several more years.

Moreover, according to the original history, a vassal king will launch a rebellion in Gansu next year. Now that Cai Kuan is still alive, the chances of suppressing the rebellion will naturally be greater. There is no need to worry about the transfer of Qiu Yue to the Imperial Guards affecting the vassal king's rebellion that may occur in the fifth year of Zhengde.

Zhu Houzhao was in a good mood and was just waiting for Jiao Fang to come down the mountain to draft the document.

After a long time, Jiao Fang came in with a body covered in snowflakes and plum blossoms. She took the hand warmer from the attendant and the memorial from Zhu Houzhao, and prepared to take a pen to draft it.

Zhu Houzhao also said at this time: "Huamachi is a salt-producing area in Shaanxi. The bandits invaded Huamachi, which shows that they are in great need of salt. We should inform all borders to continue to ban the sale of salt, tea and other goods out of the border before the beginning of summer next year, so as to trap the little prince to death! Force him to come to Yulin City for a decisive battle. I believe he also knows that I have come to Datong!"

"I will draft the bill as ordered by your majesty! However, I am afraid it is not appropriate for Your Majesty to go to Yulin City in person. What if something bad happens?" Jiao Fang said worriedly.

"Now, we have 100,000 cavalrymen stationed outside the entire Yulin City, three divisions of the Daming Guards are also here, and there are another 100,000 Datong border troops! Why should we be afraid of the little prince! Now he only has 30,000 households on the left wing!"

As Zhu Houzhao spoke, he felt a little hungry. Because it was cold in winter, it was difficult for people to go hungry, so he hurried to go to the Datong Governor's Office to have a meal.

At this time, the governor of Datong, Feng Junyan, also led his troops to welcome them. Zhu Houzhao led Ruyi to the carriage, held Ruyi's cold hands and placed them on his hand warmer. Seeing her jade-like face covered with white mink fur, he couldn't help but get close to her and kiss her, which made the palace maid Ruyi stiffen with shame. Fortunately, the carriage was bumpy, and Zhu Houzhao covered Ruyi's mouth, so people outside couldn't notice the movement inside, and didn't know that there was a lot of spring inside the carriage.

After a fierce battle.

Zhu Houzhao felt even hungrier. Seeing Ruyi wiping her thin lips, her eyebrows drooping, her earlobes as red as plum blossoms in the snow, he just smiled slightly. He thought that he was indeed more unrestrained than before. He had the audacity to do such a thing in the car. If people outside knew about it, he would undoubtedly be regarded as a tyrant in the future.

Like Xuanhua, Datong was an important border town of the Ming Dynasty. It had a hundred thousand soldiers and huge amounts of stored grain. It was also an important border trade center, so it was naturally prosperous and bustling. The Governor's Office, as the head of Datong's military and political chief, was not much inferior to the Governor's Office in the interior in terms of grandeur.

As Zhu Houzhao entered the governor's office, he smelled the fragrance all over the room. Stepping on the Persian carpet that was warmed by the fire, the coldness was immediately driven away. There were also all kinds of maids and servants. A large table leading to the carved door opposite was filled with many dishes that could not be told whether they were southern soups, northern dishes, western cakes or eastern dumplings.

Zhu Houzhao didn't care and started drinking a bowl of black chicken soup from a emerald green jade bowl. He didn't even know what kind of nuts were in it.

Liu Jin, who had tried the poison before, followed behind and explained everything in detail.

Although the table was large enough to seat dozens of people, none of the civil and military officials who followed in dared to sit down, and they only dared to eat and fill their stomachs after Zhu Houzhao granted them permission.

"Give me a feast!"

After Zhu Houzhao had his fill, he gave an order, straightened his appearance, and went into the warm room to rest under the guidance of Governor Feng.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The ministers then thanked him and attended the banquet.

Because of the running water splashing down from the rockery outside the pavilion, Zhu Houzhao could not hear the sound of cups and plates colliding outside.

Ruyi had just received Junlu, and she was even more affectionate than before. However, because Governor Feng was waiting for his instructions on the side, Zhu Houzhao did not behave in a dissolute manner again.

The next morning.

Zhu Houzhao then set off for Yulin.

The winter sun was very warm. Zhu Houzhao had ordered that construction work did not need to be stopped because of his presence, so the road from Yulin to Datong was filled with the sounds of chiseling and mountain excavation and curling smoke from cooking fires.

Of course, Zhu Houzhao did not see these workers cheering him "Long live the emperor". It seemed that these people were very busy and had no time to even look at him, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

It was Zhu Houzhao who was watching them, watching the common people of the Ming Dynasty at that time working shirtless to build roads in this cold winter. He felt that these people might be very tired or even numb, but when a little girl who was happily eating half a bowl of white porridge behind a middle-aged man smiled at him, he realized that he might be wrong, and she was happier than himself.

After crossing Tuanshan Mountain, you can see Yulin City standing in the snow.

In just a few months, countless refugees have gathered in the outer city of Yulin. The only thatched huts that can keep out the rain stretch to the other side of the Tumao River, but the refugees here seem to be as busy as the migrant workers who are building the road in Tuanshan.

Zhu Houzhao ordered the officers and soldiers of the Datong governor not to clear the road, so they just walked on the snow that had not yet melted and headed towards the Yulin city gate.

"It's the Emperor!"

"It's the Emperor!"

"It's the Emperor!"

Someone's exclamation startled a large group of people outside the city.

The cavalrymen of the Imperial Guard and the Embroidered Uniform Guards who were on guard around Zhu Houzhao quickly drew their swords. Their swords shone coldly under the bright sunlight. Anyone who dared to get close would be killed on the spot!
Seeing this, the people timidly stopped running over to see Zhu Houzhao, but their faces were still filled with excitement, as they just waited for Zhu Houzhao to turn around.

Zhu Houzhao turned around.

Zhang Lun, who had become the captain of the Imperial Guard Battalion, also turned his horse around and, together with two other deputy captains, guarded any side of Zhu Houzhao that might be attacked.

But there was no attack, and what appeared was countless refugees kneeling down, knocking their heads on the freezing snow, and shouting, "Long live! Long live! Long live!"

Zhu Houzhao laughed. He didn't know what he had done to make such a group of strangers worship him like a god.

Maybe I just gave them hope to survive.

What was surprising was that there were quite a few people in the crowd who were obviously Mongolian and were also shouting along.

Zhu Houzhao didn't say much, he just turned around and walked towards Zhang Cong, but he didn't know when he felt the ground under his feet became much harder and he felt more stable when he stepped on it.

"Your Majesty, I, the Magistrate of Yulin County, greet you!"

In just a few months, Zhang Cong seemed to have lost a lot of weight. His wide face became a rectangular face, and his mustache turned into a goatee.

Thank you, my book friend, this world has changed me. 500 Qidian coins reward



(End of this chapter)