My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 248 It's time to deliver a powerful blow!
On the last day of April, after the emperor returned satisfied with the opening ceremony of the Crystal Palace, Su Ze submitted a memorial.

Memorial to the People on Organizing the Crystal Palace Exposition

In this memorial, Su Ze requested the emperor to use funds from the imperial treasury to hold a variety show at the closing ceremony of the Crystal Palace Expo, emulating the performances at Lingji Palace in the past, so that the people of the capital could enjoy themselves together.

In order to fulfill his promise to Xiao Pangjun, Su Ze also wrote in his memorial that he requested the Crown Prince to preside over the closing ceremony.

——[Simulation Start]——

The memorial entitled "Memorial on Organizing the Crystal Palace Exposition and Sharing the Joy with the People" concerned the use of funds from the imperial treasury. The cabinet ministers did not submit any draft opinions, so the memorial was sent to the palace.

The emperor agrees with your memorial, but disagrees with having the crown prince preside over it.

The Longqing Emperor personally attended the closing ceremony, using funds from his own imperial treasury.

——[Simulation End]——

[Remaining Prestige: 1380.]

[Should we use 100 prestige points to ensure the memorial is fully executed?]

Good heavens, thank goodness I used the [Portable Ming Dynasty], otherwise I would have gone back on my word in front of my good disciple.
Su Ze was speechless after reading this. No, Emperor, you're arguing with your son about the chance to go out of the palace to play?
Fine, for the sake of a good disciple, Su Ze still paid the 100 prestige points.

[Prestige points have been deducted. Remaining Prestige Points: 1280. Please complete the petition in real life as soon as possible.]
-
Inside the palace.

After Xiao Pangjun worked hard to repair the relationship between the Emperor and Empress, Empress Chen moved back to the Central Palace.

However, Empress Chen was aloof and not one to compete for favor. After moving back to the central palace, she did not concern herself with the affairs of the inner palace, and her presence was very faint.

However, Xiao Pangjun has exceptional emotional intelligence. Every time he returns to the palace to pay his respects to his mother, he also brings along this nominal "Empress Dowager," and often brings small gifts.

Compared to the oppressive education of her birth mother, Consort Li, Empress Chen was educated and more sensible.

Over time, when Zhu Yijun encountered certain problems, he would not tell his birth mother, but instead confide in Empress Chen.

Empress Chen had no sons, and it seemed she would not be able to have any more. She was very fond of this nominal legitimate son, which made Zhu Yijun feel the long-lost feeling of maternal love.

In recent days, every time Zhu Yijun entered the palace, he kept muttering about the Crystal Palace Expo.

The Longqing Emperor just had lunch at the Empress's Palace and mentioned Su Ze's request to hold a closing ceremony.

Although the emperor approved of Su Ze's memorial, he wanted to attend in person.

Empress Chen knew that her eldest son was eager to go to the exposition, but since the emperor, as his father, wanted to go, her son had no choice but to give way.

Empress Chen felt a pang of pity at the thought of her eldest son's disappointed expression.

Empress Chen thought for a moment, then called to her maid and said:

"Go to Yikun Palace and deliver a few words."

Empress Chen whispered a few words in the ear of a maid, and the maid immediately knelt down:

"Your Majesty, you must think this over! This is a crime of speaking ill of the Emperor!"

Empress Chen said:

"If you are questioned, just say you heard it from someone else, and I will definitely protect you."

"Besides, these rumors are not unfounded, and they cannot be considered unwarranted criticisms of the emperor."

This maid was also a confidante of Empress Chen. When she was in the Cold Palace, the maid took care of her without leaving her side, and the two had a very close relationship.

Upon hearing that Empress Chen had made up her mind, the maid had no choice but to follow Empress Chen's instructions and go to Yikun Palace to spread rumors.

The next day, news spread through the palace that the emperor had left the palace for the Crystal Palace Expo in order to select concubines from among the common people to enter the palace. Somehow, Consort Li found out about this news.

Although it is unknown what happened between the emperor and Consort Li, the Longqing Emperor gave up his plan to attend the closing ceremony and instead sent Crown Prince Zhu Yijun to attend.
-
On May 10th, the exposition concluded amidst the cheers and laughter of the people of Beijing.

Crown Prince Zhu Yijun personally visited the Crystal Palace, where the winning troupe from the previous Hundred Plays Festival gave a splendid performance at the closing ceremony.

Zhu Yijun's face was flushed as he excitedly watched the opera troupe and the jubilant crowd.

Finally, Zhu Yijun got his wish and visited the Crystal Palace with Su Ze. He saw all sorts of novel machines and looked at them with great interest. Su Ze then had the craftsmen demonstrate and let the little chubby Zhu Yijun operate several machines by himself.

This greatly excited Zhu Yijun, who was still full of curiosity, and he reluctantly returned to the Eastern Palace after the closing ceremony.

After that, the Crystal Palace Expo will continue for another two weeks. After two weeks, the glass ceiling will be replaced with a wooden roof, and the expo will be converted into an exhibition hall that will be open to the public on holidays.

As for why the glass ceiling was replaced, Su Ze said that the glass roof posed a safety hazard in the summer when the sun was strong. However, the glass curtain wall did not need to be removed and was preserved as a special feature of the expo.

The discussions among the public about this expo even surpassed those of the Lingji Palace Conference of that year.

The Lingji Palace Assembly was a grand event for scholars, as it marked the first time the imperial court had engaged in dialogue with virtuous and learned individuals outside the court, discussing the scholarship and policies of the Ming Dynasty.

Su Ze's theory of "morality for the four classes of people" proposed at the Lingji Palace Conference, along with the practical learning that Gao Gong was vigorously promoting, has increasingly attracted the attention of scholars and has become a prominent field of study.

However, the Crystal Palace Exposition was a grand event where the emperor and the people enjoyed themselves together.

Many residents of the capital city saw the latest machines from the Ming Dynasty, various novel products, and exotic treasures from overseas at the exposition.

Although many of these things have already been read about in the newspapers, the impact of seeing them in person is far more powerful than reading about them.

The steel reeling machine rumbled and turned. Looking at the silk threads winding around the spindles and the flames rising in the heating furnace, even ordinary people could feel that a new era was striding in with steel and fire.

No one knows what the era of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu was like, but compared with the previous emperors' reigns, this was the best era!
Some are happy, while others are worried.

Wu Shaozu received his appointment before the exposition closed. He was stunned, but he still immediately set off from the capital.

Officials in the Ming Dynasty had a deadline for taking up their posts. If Wu Shaozu failed to arrive on time, he would be punished by the Ministry of Personnel.

However, the Office of General Affairs and Postal Administration treated him quite well when he went to Ryukyu to take up his post.

The Ryukyu Administration Office had a chief official, namely Wu Shaozu.

In addition, there was a maritime trade eunuch named Gao Shun'an, who was responsible for managing the imperial edicts of Ryukyu. These edicts served as proof of tributary trade, and this eunuch was in charge of Ryukyu's trade.

There was also a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard named Zhang Yong'an, who was in charge of intelligence in Ryukyu.

In addition, there was a centurion named Zhao Ji who had been promoted for his meritorious service in the Battle of Dongshengwei. He led thirty elite soldiers who had participated in the Battle of Dongshengwei to escort Wu Shaozu and his party to Ryukyu.

They were all fellow sufferers "exiled" to Ryukyu, and after a few cups of bitter wine before their departure, they quickly became closer.

In addition, the Ryukyu delegation that had come to the capital to pay tribute also returned to Ryukyu with Wu Shaozu.

The delegation consisted of twenty people, with the chief envoy being Mao Guoding, the patriarch of the Mao clan, a prominent family in Ryukyu.

There is a saying that there are thirteen families in Ryukyu. This leads to the basis of Ryukyu's rule, which is the so-called "Kokage-gaku" (imperial music).

Legend has it that this royal music was a court music bestowed upon the Ryukyu Kingdom by Emperor Taizu (Zhu Yuanzhang) in return for their tribute to him. It was composed by Liu Bowen.

Of course, this was not just a set of imperial music, but also a political ceremony that combined multiple functions such as sacrifice, diplomacy, and state ceremonies.

Whether it was a change of ruler or a tribute to the Ming Dynasty, imperial music was required to be played.

The thirteen families of Ryukyu were the families that monopolized the royal court music. The Ryukyu royal family, namely the Sho clan, was the head of the family. The royal family consisted of four branches and eight other noble families, which controlled almost all positions in Ryukyu.

Mao Guoding served as one of the three officials of Ryukyu, a position second only to the prime minister. However, this Ryukyu tribute envoy seemed worried ever since he arrived in the capital, and spent his days staying in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

However, the Ryukyu delegation was very interested in the Crystal Palace Expo, especially after hearing that the pillars of the Crystal Palace Expo were made of gunpowder steel, which shocked the entire Ryukyu delegation into silence.

Wu Shaozu's planned route to Ryukyu was to travel from the capital to Zhigu, then by boat from Zhigu to Laizhou, then along the southeast coast to Penghu, and then north to Ryukyu.

This was also the route taken by Ryukyu envoys when they went to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty.

However, this time the Ryukyu envoys did not take this route. Instead, they went north from Ryukyu into the waters of Japan, followed the Japanese waters into the Korean Peninsula, and then crossed the Bohai Bay to enter Laizhou.

Therefore, after the two delegations left the capital, Mao Guoding, the Ryukyu tribute envoy, had a heated argument with Wu Shaozu over the return route.

Mao Guoding insisted on taking the northern route, which was to return to Ryukyu from the coast of Korea and Japan.

Mao Guoding's reason was that there were many pirates in the waters between Ryukyu and Penghu, and the delegation was carrying gifts from the emperor. If the pirates robbed them, the losses would be too great.

The two sides argued incessantly, and in the end Wu Shaozu compromised. Since both routes would pass through Laizhou anyway, they might as well get to Laizhou first.

Before the group arrived at Laizhou Port, Zhang Yong'an, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, along with Zhao Ji, another centurion in charge of guarding the group, approached Wu Shaozu.

Zhang Yong'an spoke first: "Chief Wu, these Ryukyuans are suspicious! They've been gathering information about the Ming Dynasty along the way, and I even saw that the boxes they brought back were full of newspapers!"

Wu Shaozu also tensed up, while the ever-calm Zhao Ji said:

"Besides what Zhang Baihu said, I also heard several people in the delegation speaking Japanese!"

Wu Shaozu quickly asked:
"Are you sure?"

Zhao Ji immediately replied, "I once followed Commander Qi in fighting against the Japanese pirates in the southeast, and I have a blood feud with them. There's absolutely no mistake about that!"

Wu Shaozu paced back and forth. Before taking office, he had been urgently trained by Yang Sizhong of the Grand Silver Office.

Yang Sizhong not only had Wu Shaozu read through all the intelligence about Ryukyu in the Office of Transmission, but also had someone copy the archives about Ryukyu affairs from the Hanlin Academy.

If time hadn't been so tight, Yang Sizhong probably would have made sure Wu Shaozu finished learning the Ryukyu language before letting him leave the capital.

Wu Shaozu said, "So the memorial submitted by the King of Nanyang was correct. Ryukyu has indeed been heavily infiltrated by Japan. These Japanese people in the delegation are probably here to monitor the Ryukyu envoy."

Wu Shaozu then said:
"No wonder the Ryukyu delegation wanted us to take the northern route to Ryukyu! The Japanese pirates must be planning to ambush us at sea!"

Hearing this, even the battle-hardened Zhao Ji shuddered.

On the vast sea, his martial arts skills would be of little use. If he were captured alive by the Japanese pirates, he would have no choice but to die for his country!

Wu Shaozu thought even more deeply. Ryukyu was isolated overseas, and the Japanese pirates would definitely impersonate the Ming Dynasty's Tongzheng Envoy to spread false information and lull the court into a false sense of security. He almost became an accomplice of the Japanese pirates!
Zhang Yong'an asked, "What should the chief officer do?"

Zhao Ji said menacingly, "Sir, I'll do it right away and kill these Japanese pirate bastards!"

Wu Shaozu thought for a moment and said:

"Go to Laizhou Port first. I will seek help from the governor of Dengzhou, Laizhou and Tuzhou. Report to the imperial court as soon as possible!"

"Since we're still within Ming territory, the Japanese pirates probably won't dare to make a move! But Commander Zhang and Commander Zhao, you'll take turns on night watch starting today. We can't let the Japanese pirates find an opening!"
-
On May 15th, a plump pigeon flew into the public room of the Imperial Household Department.

Su Ze was speechless. This fat pigeon had become quite clever. Sometimes when it couldn't get food from Su Ze, it would fly over to Qi Jiguang in Datong or Tu Zeming in Dengzhou and Laizhou.

Both Qi Jiguang and Tu Zemin greatly admired this pigeon, and Su Ze felt it was even fatter than before.

If they keep eating like this, the carrier pigeons might turn into owls.

However, the standby state of the "Flying Pigeon Messenger" allows Qi Jiguang and Tu Zemin to contact him quickly if needed, which strengthens information exchange and is a good thing.

The fat pigeon flashed its letter cage at Su Ze, who saw the letter inside. The pigeon then quickly retracted its claws.

Su Ze was speechless for a moment, then took out a handful of fine rice from his desk. This was the third generation of high-yield rice cultivated using the [Family Planting Mat]. Only then did the fat pigeon extend its claws again.

Su Ze opened the letter box and found that it was a letter from Tu Zeming, the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou.

In addition to Tu Zemin's letter, there is also a copy of Wu Shaozu's letter requesting assistance from the Ryukyu Administration Office.

After reading it, Su Ze's expression changed drastically.

He never expected that the Japanese would be so audacious as to infiltrate the Ryukyu delegation to the capital for a pilgrimage, gather intelligence on the Ming Dynasty, and even attempt to detain officials from the Ryukyu Administration Office.

Fortunately, the officials of the Ryukyu Administration Bureau were quick-witted and saw through the conspiracy.

But the problem now is how to resolve the Ryukyu issue.

It seems that Japan's infiltration of Ryukyu is happening faster than I expected.

Unfortunately, there are very few historical records about Ryukyu from the previous timeline, and the details about the Japanese infiltration of Ryukyu are vague and contradictory.

Regaining control of Ryukyu is imperative!

Su Ze began to calculate the wealth of the Ming Dynasty.

In preparation for the expedition to Southeast Asia, the Ming Dynasty built new warships in Dengzhou and Laizhou, and four ships have been completed so far.

These four sailing ships were all improved versions of sailing ships designed by the Ministry of Works after studying Chinese and Western sailing ships.

These sailing ships all adopted Western sailing techniques and used square sail designs.

Furthermore, the hull is not the square structure of a Fujian ship, but a streamlined shape that can cut through the waterline.

However, the hull design used the compartmentalized design of Ming Dynasty ships, so that even if one compartment was flooded, the ship could continue to fight as long as that compartment was sealed off.

The naval guns are all new-generation artillery.

It's time to unleash a powerful attack and test the Ming Dynasty's new fleet!

However, Su Ze looked at his prestige points and realized that persuading the emperor and his ministers to risk another war with Japan to reclaim Ryukyu would likely require a considerable amount of prestige points.

Su Ze thought for a moment, picked up Wu Shaozu's letter of appeal, and headed towards the Office of the General Administration of Posts and Telecommunications.

(End of this chapter)