My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 246 The Temptation of ZTE

The memorial was very simple: it requested that the Longqing Emperor personally attend the opening ceremony of the Crystal Palace Expo, and that envoys from various tributary states pay homage to the emperor.

This solved Shen Yiguan's problem.

Su Ze started by showering her with compliments again:

"Your Majesty, having ascended the throne, your virtue extends throughout the world. The Crystal Palace Exposition in the capital is now complete, a groundbreaking achievement for our dynasty and a grand gathering of goods from all nations. We humbly request Your Majesty to personally attend and view it, so as to solidify the foundation of our nation and establish a new standard for our policies."

Immediately afterwards, Su Ze offered a historical assessment that the Longqing Emperor could not refuse—"restoration."

"In the past, Guan Zhong mastered the art of weighing and controlling, and Emperor Wu of Han opened up the salt and iron industries, both of which were techniques of guiding profit based on the situation. Now, the trade of goods across the world is surging like rivers. If Your Majesty takes charge of managing it, the well-being of the people and the foundation for the revival of the dynasty will lie in this very moment."

After reading the memorial, Shen Yiguan thought to himself, "I still have a lot to learn!"
Of all the officials in the court, Su Ze was the one who could best understand the emperor's thoughts and scratch his itch.

The emperor was determined to hold the Lantern Festival for two years, and everyone had a pretty good idea of ​​his character by now.

But even if you figure things out, the chances of actually getting the emperor's favor are really few.

The emperor was no ordinary person, and the Lantern Festival could not be held at any time.

The Lingji Palace Assembly is something that can only be encountered by chance.

Su Ze then concocted a Crystal Palace Expo and invited the emperor to open it!
Even the Korean envoy knew this, so how could the emperor not know?

However, even emperors have their pride, so these kinds of things are always brought up by their subjects.

Even high-ranking officials have their pride; after all, the emperor leaving the palace is a major event for the Ming Dynasty, and it's better to avoid trouble.

Ordinary officials were afraid of being accused of flattering the emperor by their colleagues, so they dared not submit memorials casually.

Su Ze stepped forward just in time.

The person who requested the organization of the exposition was Su Ze, so it was only natural that he invited the emperor to open it.

Su Ze elevated the Crystal Palace Expo to the level of showcasing the advanced achievements of the Ming Dynasty to vassal states, and at the same time, he proposed the Expo as a milestone in the "Revival of the Ming Dynasty".

Su Ze then bestowed upon the emperor the honorific title of "Restorer of the Dynasty"!

Shen Yiguan had no choice but to admit defeat; no wonder Su Ze submitted two memorials every month and granted all his requests!

Learn it!

Shen Yiguan was completely in awe of Su Ze. He knew the value of this memorial, even if it was just a co-signer, that the emperor would remember it.

Su Ze's generous sharing touched Shen Yiguan.

"Brother Zilin?"

“Brother Yifu has already signed his name. Brother Jianwu is the Director of the Ministry of Receptions, so it is even more legitimate for this matter to be signed by you.”

Hearing that Luo Wanhua had already signed his name, Shen Yiguan felt it would be pretentious to be polite any further, so he quickly wrote down his own name.
-
Department of General Affairs.

Wu Shaozu, an official in the Office of Transmission, said to a new colleague, "Brother Hu, returning to the Office of Transmission this time is a good job for you!"

“Times have changed. Our Office of General Affairs and Postal Service is now among the top-ranking offices of the Nine Ministers.”

The young, newly appointed official, surnamed Hu and named Zhen, had just been transferred back to the capital from outside the city. Upon hearing that he had been assigned to the Office of Transmission by the Ministry of Personnel, he felt as if the sky had fallen.

Wu Shaozu and the newly appointed Hu Zhen were from the same hometown, so he took the initiative to guide Hu Zhen to familiarize himself with the Tongzhengsi (Office of Transmission) and explain its official duties.

When they approached the office of the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, Wu Shaozu suddenly lowered his voice and said:
"However, Brother Hu, there is a taboo in our Office of General Affairs and Postal Service."

Hearing Wu Shaozu's words, Hu Zhen trembled. Could the Office of Transmission be haunted?
Really? The offices of the Nine Ministers of the Imperial Court can't be haunted, can they?

Wu Shaozu said:
"The taboo is that anyone who talks about the Grand Silver Platform behind its back will be sent overseas."

"what!?"

Hu Zhen exclaimed in surprise.

He had just been transferred back to the capital from outside the city, and he felt like he was being sent down to earth to undergo a tribulation. Being sent overseas? What a terrifying story!
If that's the case, it's better to stay outside the capital and serve as an official; at least you're not leaving the Ming Dynasty!
Wu Shaozu then laughed and said, "Haha, that's just a rumor. Besides, even if you wanted to be sent overseas now, there wouldn't be any positions available!"

"Brother Wu, would you mind offering your guidance?"

Wu Shaozu finally had the chance to be a senior, and boasted:

"Our Great Ming Dynasty only has two overseas offices: one in Korea and one in Southeast Asia."

"These two leaders have just taken office, and the staff is complete. You won't even have the opportunity to be sent overseas!"

Hearing this, Hu Zhen was temporarily relieved.

But did someone just walk by?
Hu Zhen looked back and seemed to see a figure enter the office of the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review.

Is it an illusion?
This Office of Transmission is a truly strange place.

Commissioner Yang Sizhong sat down in his office and picked up the new memorial submitted by Su Ze.

Su Zilin was indeed calculating every step; the Crystal Palace Expo was clearly planned in advance to please the emperor.

This memorial will surely be approved, and the emperor's attendance at the exposition will further enhance the reputation of the Crystal Palace Exposition and improve Su Ze's political achievements.

What a good idea!

Yang Sizhong put down Su Ze's memorial and thought of Wu Shaozu, the official who had just been talking about him behind his back.

He opened another memorial, written by his good subordinate, Zhang Xuan, the chief of the Nanyang Tongzheng Bureau, during his journey south.

Zhang Xuan sailed south to Southeast Asia, and after his fleet stopped at Ryukyu, he wrote this memorial to the imperial court.

In his memorial to the throne, Zhang Xuan described the situation in Ryukyu.

The Ryukyu Kingdom was caught between the Ming Dynasty and Japan. Although it maintained its tribute to the Ming Dynasty, its situation was not optimistic.

When the Longqing Emperor first ascended the throne, in order to consolidate the tributary relationship with Ryukyu, he conferred the title of King of Ryukyu Chuzan upon the ruler of Ryukyu.

However, Japan began infiltrating Ryukyu fifty years ago.

During the Japanese invasions of the Jiajing era, Japanese envoys impersonated Ryukyu tribute envoys.

Although it was said to be a pretense, in reality, Japan had already infiltrated and manipulated Ryukyu, sending tribute in the name of Ryukyu.

Even after the Japanese invasion was quelled, the situation within Ryukyu remained delicate.

In the second year of the Longqing reign, the Ryukyu delegation presented 200 Japanese swords to the Ming Dynasty, but the Ming court did not pursue the matter and even returned gifts.

Zhang Xuan stopped in Ryukyu and inquired about news within Ryukyu.

Merchants from the Satsuma Domain of Japan controlled trade within Ryukyu. Japanese merchants were numerous in Ryukyu ports, and even the copper coins used in Ryukyu two years ago were minted by Japan.

This is why, after the minting of coins in Laizhou, the silver dollars and brass coins of the Ming Dynasty swept across North and South Asia, finally driving Japanese coins out of Ryukyu.

In addition, the influence of the Shimazu clan of Japan had also penetrated into Ryukyu, with Japanese shrines and temples being established in Shuri Castle, the royal capital of Ryukyu.

Zhang Xuan reported in his memorial:

“The prince’s decrees do not extend beyond the city of Shouri.”

Zhang Xuan expressed concern about the situation in Ryukyu, and thus submitted a memorial to the court requesting the establishment of an Office of Transmission in Ryukyu to strengthen control over the country. Whether Zhang Xuan's memorial truly reflected his concern for Ryukyu's safety, or whether he simply wanted to drag a colleague overseas to suffer the same fate as himself, was unclear to Yang Sizhong, the Grand Secretary.

However, the Ryukyu Islands were of great importance, and Yang Sizhong, the Commissioner of the Court of State Ceremonies, naturally strongly agreed with his subordinates' opinions and supported the establishment of the Office of State Ceremonies in Ryukyu to strengthen control over the island.
-
April 26th.

With the Crystal Palace Expo about to open, thanks to the efforts of Fu Shun, the "civil engineering fanatic," the main exhibition hall of the Crystal Palace has finally been completed.

Fu Shun's nickname wasn't given by his colleagues, but rather by the Mongols after they witnessed the terror of the Dongshengwei Bastion, who built it.

The Mongols themselves believed in animism, so Fu Shun's image was quickly deified and demonized, becoming a name that could make children cry.

These messages were then resold back to the Ming Dynasty by merchants traveling between the grasslands, and thus the nickname Fu Shun spread throughout the capital.

For Fu Shun, the architecture of the Crystal Palace Expo was a completely new field of study.

Steel forms the skeleton, glass forms the canopy, and there are also magical building materials that can turn mud into stone.

This amazing building material, which can be molded in any way, is a magical tool in civil engineering!
Unfortunately, Su Hanlin said that the production of this magical building material is still very limited.

According to Su Ze's formula, this building material called cement is made by calcining lime, slag, and gypsum at high temperatures.

Cement production is mainly constrained by two factors. One is the requirement for very high furnace temperatures, which currently can only be achieved by expensive kilns such as the Fangshan Glass Kiln or the ironmaking kiln in the ironworks.

However, this problem is not difficult to solve. After clearing out the stock of steel, Fu Shun plans to expand the ironworks and then set aside a few to specialize in calcining cement.

The second problem is the lack of raw materials.

Plaster is fine; it's an additive, and the amount needed is small.

Lime is the main material of cement, while slag is the waste material after iron smelting.

Therefore, cement plants had to be built next to ironworks, and calcining lime also required a large amount of fuel.

Ultimately, the problem still came down to coal.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of coal mines around the capital region. As long as coal mining can be increased, cement production can also be increased rapidly.

However, Fu Shun received another message today: the emperor was to lead tributary envoys from vassal states to participate in the opening ceremony of the Crystal Palace Expo.

The Longqing Emperor then issued an edict that officials and their families in Beijing, officers of the Beijing Garrison and the Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Hundred-Household Command and above, meritorious officials and members of the imperial family in Beijing, students of the Imperial Academy and the Military Academy, and master craftsmen of royal and government-run workshops could all participate in this ceremony.

The Ministry of Works was required to build a temporary viewing platform within three days, which had to meet the emperor's requirements, accommodate a sufficient number of spectators, and also meet the on-site security requirements to ensure the safety of the emperor and his important officials.

Fu Shun returned to the construction site, cursing and swearing, and summoned his supervisor again, saying:
"I don't know which scoundrel submitted a memorial requesting His Majesty to attend the ceremony. It's the same old method: build it with bamboo and earth and stones. It must be completed within three days, or I'll take your official hat first, and then go and apologize to Elder Lei!"

Fu Shun's subordinate was even more well-informed than Fu Shun himself, who was single-mindedly focused on civil engineering. He quickly said:

"I heard that it was Hanlin Su who requested His Majesty's presence to attend the ceremony."

"A dog, Su Hanlin, who would risk his life for the country?"

Faced with the gazes of his subordinates, Fu Shun quickly changed his tune, saying:
"His Majesty's personal attendance at the ceremony demonstrates the importance he places on our project. Let's get our spirits up and get to work immediately!"
-
However, Su Ze's life wasn't easy either.

"Master Su! Help me!"

Zhu Yijun looked at Su Ze helplessly, his eyes filled with tears.

Faced with his disciple's pleading gaze, Su Ze was at a loss this time.

Zhu Yijun heard about the expo and also wanted to attend the opening ceremony.

But if the emperor is to leave the city to attend the opening ceremony, then the crown prince will have to stay in the palace.

After all, this was outside the imperial city, and history had taught too many lessons about the emperor and the heir to appear in the same place.

Therefore, Emperor Longqing attended the opening ceremony with an empress and a concubine (Consort Li), but left his son in the Eastern Palace to guard the family.

Upon hearing this news, Zhu Yijun naturally turned to Su Ze for help.

Su Ze could only say:

"His Majesty has already decreed that you should remain in the Eastern Palace. However, you can request permission from His Majesty to go during the closing ceremony."

"There's a closing ceremony?"

Su Ze said quickly:

"Everything has a beginning, but few things have an end. The exposition should also have a beginning and an end. Since His Majesty is present at the opening ceremony, the closing ceremony can be a celebration for the people. Your Highness can invite opera troupes from the capital to perform and let the people watch the plays."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Pangjun's eyes lit up.

With the Emperor attending the opening ceremony, martial law will definitely be enforced outside the city.

Isn't this just like the ancestral worship ceremony?
It would be better to do as Master Su suggested and wait until the closing ceremony to go.

After calming his disciples down, Zhu Yijun then began to talk about things in Southeast Asia.

"Master Su, the Imperial Brother-in-law has sent another letter. Just as I said, news has come back from Han Chinese merchants in Southeast Asia that the Portuguese are indeed preparing for war in Malacca!"

After getting tired of the maritime trading game, Xiao Pangjun became fascinated with wargames.

Based on his memories from his previous life, Su Ze devised a set of rules for war game simulations. Xiao Pang Jun then had his uncle collect nautical charts of the South China Sea and investigate the deployments of the Portuguese, Spanish, and Ottomans in the South China Sea. A huge war game board was then built inside the Minglun Hall.

"Master Su, who do you think will win this time?"

Su Ze looked at the huge chessboard. Little Fatty Jun had even had the craftsmen make several ship models and placed them on the chessboard. The scattered chess pieces showed that a simulation had just been performed before Su Ze arrived.

Su Ze said:

"Your Highness, I believe they should be Portuguese."

Upon hearing this result, Little Fatty Jun showed a disappointed expression, and at this moment, a young eunuch said:

"Your Highness, this servant has won!"

Su Ze looked at the young eunuch, who seemed to be the eunuch who had recently been sent to the East Palace to serve the little fat Jun, and who seemed to be Feng Bao's adopted son named Chen Ju.

It seems that Little Fatty Jun was bored and had the eunuch help him with the deduction, but in the end, Little Fatty Jun's deduction was wrong.

After all, the Crown Prince was still a child, and this little eunuch was one of his few playmates of the same age. It was probably Chen Ju's lively personality that made Zhu Yijun willing to play with him.

Zhu Yijun stubbornly insisted:
"Master Su, the Spanish have better ships and cannons than the Portuguese. Their army has crossed the ocean and is determined to take Malacca. With the Ottomans also eyeing it covetously, can the Portuguese really hold out?"

Su Ze said:

“Your Highness, naval warfare is not the same as land warfare. The Spanish have come from afar and lack knowledge of Malacca’s hydrology and geography, unlike the Portuguese who have been cultivating it for many years.”

"The Ottomans were playing the victim; they were doing well competing with the Portuguese in the spice trade, but they had a blood feud with the Spanish."

“These are all things that must be taken into account in the art of strategic planning.”

Little Fatty Jun seemed to be thinking about something, and said to Su Ze:

"Master Su, let's play another round!"

(End of this chapter)