The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 362 The King of Han's Inspection Tour
Seeing that the training of his spies was gradually getting on track, Jiang Han summoned his subordinates and announced his long-planned scheme.

He planned to leave Chengdu to tour the surrounding areas.

Since conquering Chengdu and establishing his rule in Sichuan in the eighth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Jiang Han's activities have been confined to the small territory of Chengdu Prefecture.

Over the course of three years, he spent his time either in the Prince's Palace or in various government offices, rarely venturing into the nearby prefectures and counties.

Now that the war in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces has ended, the internal expansion of the army and the establishment of agricultural settlements have also been put on the right track.

Taking advantage of this rare period of peace, he planned to go out and see the land and people under his rule.

However, the officials in the central government did not think so.

In their view, there is no time when government affairs are not busy. There are countless things to do, and they are so busy that they can't even have time to rest.

Without Jiang Han in charge, how could they dare to make decisions so easily?

Wang Chengbi, the academic director, was the first to step forward and try to persuade Jiang Han:
"Your Majesty, shouldn't we postpone this hunting trip?"

"The spring imperial examination is nearing its end, and our department is working hard to grade and approve the papers. The more crucial palace examination is yet to come."

"According to regulations, the palace examination must be presided over by Your Majesty personally, who will select the top three candidates to show the importance attached to the talent selection ceremony and the scholars from the three provinces."

"You haven't even decided on the questions for the palace examination yet, how can you leave Chengdu at this time?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Han suddenly realized that he had almost forgotten about this matter.

We are currently in an era of massive enrollment expansion, and every year the Ministry of Education selects a large number of scholars to fill vacancies in various prefectures and counties.

From the autumn provincial examination to the spring metropolitan examination, and finally the palace examination, the entire process takes about half a year.

During this period, Jiang Han could only stay in Chengdu to coordinate with various departments and do his best to ensure the smooth conduct of examinations at all levels.

There was no other way; the imperial examination was of paramount importance, and he needed to oversee it personally.

Jiang Han pondered for a moment, then looked at Wang Chengbi:

"It's really hard to refuse the palace examination."

"Alright then, I will immediately embark on an inspection tour after the palace examination in May."

Everyone was taken aback by his words, not expecting the king to be so resolute. Even though he was busy with state affairs, he only postponed the tour and did not cancel it.

Jiang Han didn't want to explain further.

Traveling throughout the land to inspect official conduct and observe the people's conditions is the very duty of an emperor.

This is a genuine old tradition. It was mentioned in the Book of Rites that the emperor would make an inspection tour every five years to pay homage to the feudal lords and to inquire about those who had lived for over a hundred years.

Although Jiang Han currently only holds the title of king, he is in fact already the ruler of a country. The reason he hasn't declared himself emperor is simply that he is waiting for the right opportunity.

With his territory encompassing three provinces and countless people, how could he remain secluded in the palace, only listening to the reports from his officials?

Leaving aside those further back, let's take Zhu Youjian, who lived deep in the palace for a long time, as an example.

Although he was known for his diligence, he made a series of blunders, largely because he lacked a clear understanding of the outside world.

The army's exhaustion and the people's poverty were, in his eyes, nothing more than a casual remark in a memorial to the throne.

The front lines were filled with false reports of military achievements, and factional strife was rampant in the central government. Even the information in the memorials to the emperor was half true and half false.

Coupled with his own stubborn and suspicious nature, he could only rely heavily on eunuchs to act as his eyes and ears.

But what good are eunuchs anyway? They're more trouble than they're worth. Even the few who are truly dedicated to their duties often end up being ruined by the eunuchs.

It was precisely because of the example of Emperor Chongzhen that Jiang Han made up his mind to go out and see for himself whether the situation under his rule was as described in the report.

Seeing Jiang Han's resolute attitude, the ministers dared not persuade him any further and could only accept their orders and return to intensify preparations for the palace examination and the king's tour.

In early May, the summer heat was just beginning to set in in Chengdu.

Today is the fifth day of the lunar month, the day of the palace examination, and the Han Prince's Mansion is filled with solemnity and reverence.

At the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), more than three hundred scholars, guided by the officials in charge of rites, were quietly waiting outside the palace gate.

Looking around, everyone was wearing brand-new light blue robes, black hats, and belts, appearing very neat and orderly.

As the bells and drums sounded, the vermilion palace gates slowly opened, and the crowd, guided by the officials in charge of ceremonies, filed in, passing through layers of ceremonial gates, and arrived at the square outside the Chengyun Hall.

Wearing a crimson royal robe, Jiang Han slowly ascended the steps and landed on the throne under the watchful eyes of the assembled officials.

As the master of ceremonies announced the order, three hundred scholars entered the main hall in an orderly fashion, performed the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows, and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

After the ceremony, everyone knelt down behind the low table that had been prepared, according to their ranking.

The writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were already laid out on the table. Then, the eunuch opened the sealed test questions in front of everyone and handed them to Wang Chengbi to read aloud.

"Our king raised an army to rebel against the Ming Dynasty, all hoping to save the people from suffering and restore peace and prosperity to the world."

"Now that the southwest has been pacified, the central plains and northwest have repeatedly suffered from war, and the people are living in misery."

"The students are well-versed in the classics and history, and deeply knowledgeable in governance. They ask how to settle the displaced people, how to revitalize agriculture and sericulture, and how to restore the people's livelihood."

The imperial examination question was a policy essay, requiring the candidates to propose feasible strategies for quickly restoring production and people's livelihoods in war-torn areas.

This was also arranged in advance by Jiang Han. He did not expect the candidates to write perfect policy essays, after all, they were just a group of inexperienced scholars.

The policy message and ideological guidance behind the test questions are what he wants to convey.

In Jiang Han's plan, these tribute students were all considered as reserve talents, who would be the foundation for the Han army to conquer the Ming Dynasty and govern the newly expanded territory.

The Central Plains and Northwest, ravaged by war, needed a large number of officials who could understand and faithfully implement his governing principles to appease and rebuild.

Therefore, Jiang Hancai needed to release policy signals in advance through this policy proposal.

Once he goes down to the local areas in the future and trains them in specific governance abilities, Jiang Han will be able to obtain a group of bureaucrats of his own.

Compromise is out of the question; the policies of recovering stolen goods to fund military expenditures and investigating land holdings must be carried out to the end.

Time passed slowly, and the hall was completely quiet, with only the soft rustling of a brush across paper and the gentle turning of exam papers.

Like the proctor, Jiang Han walked around the main hall with his hands behind his back, occasionally stopping behind a candidate to examine their thought process in answering the questions.

This terrified the scholars present; they felt as if a thousand pounds were pressing down on their bodies, and cold sweat poured down their backs.

Some people felt a chill run down their spine, their once smooth thoughts suddenly stalled, and they had no choice but to straighten their backs and write with extreme caution, for fear that a single word difference would ruin their future.
Some, on the contrary, became even more energetic, their thoughts flowing like a spring, which amazed Jiang Han.

With a crisp gong sound, the eunuch shouted in a shrill voice:

"It's time to sign and submit your paper!"

Upon hearing the command, the candidates finally breathed a sigh of relief, put down their brushes, and rubbed their sore and numb arms.

After folding their exam papers and writing down their names, hometowns, and other information, the students presented them one by one to Wang Chengbi, who was in charge of the exam.

Following the palace examination, a series of rituals, including grading papers, evaluating candidates, announcing names, and hosting a banquet, were completed within a few days.

All the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) were granted official positions in various localities and were dispatched to preside over work in various prefectures and counties of Yunnan.

Jiang Han was finally able to free up his hands and focus on preparing for his long-planned hunting expedition.

Since it was a royal trip, the kind of charade from folk tales, where the emperor traveled incognito, was naturally impossible.

After all, he was the ruler of a country; if he were to truly disappear, the central government would be in turmoil. However, he did not intend to make a great fuss or waste resources on the people; he would only take a hundred or so personal guards and accompanying civil officials, traveling light.

In this way, he could personally inspect the situation on the front lines without losing his royal dignity, thus ensuring the mobility and flexibility of the expeditionary force.

Jiang Han's planned inspection route mainly focuses on several core areas in the southwest:
He planned to start from Chengdu, head north through Hanzhou, Deyang, and Luojiang, and arrive at Jiangyou, the first stop on his trip.

In the ninth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, he ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Works to jointly recruit skilled saltpeter makers in the Laojun Mountain area of ​​Jiangyou and establish a Saltpeter Management Office to build saltpeter workshops on the spot to ensure the supply of gunpowder to the army.

Now that two years have passed, it's time to see the results.

The group will then turn northeast and head straight for Baoning Prefecture.

Jiang Han plans to establish two trading companies in Baoning Prefecture as cover for his future spies to infiltrate the capital and Fujian.

Next, the team will travel down the river to the area around Kuizhou and Chongqing Prefecture to inspect the naval forces that Li Laowai is responsible for expanding and training.

After inspecting the navy, the fleet will continue south into Guizhou and Yunnan, and take the opportunity to investigate the specific conditions of the two newly opened territories.

This long journey will cover thousands of miles and is expected to take at least half a year.

Therefore, a smooth handover of central government affairs has become a crucial link.

Considering that the travel time was indeed a bit long, Jiang Han summoned the heads of various departments and announced the establishment of a temporary "stay-at-home cabinet".

During his travels, the cabinet remained behind to handle routine government affairs.

Upon hearing this, the officials in charge of various departments present were stunned. They never expected that their king would be on a tour for so long.

Besides, what kind of system is this "remaining cabinet"? I've never heard of it before.

Seeing the astonished looks on the faces of the officials, Jiang Han slowly explained:

"This trip is long and time-consuming, but the central government affairs cannot be neglected, so a cabinet was specially set up to stay behind."

"Zhao Sheng, the chief clerk of the Ministry of Revenue, was put in charge of the matter, with Li Xinghuai, Wang Chengbi, Xue Zhiheng and other chief clerks from various ministries assisting as advisors."

"You can discuss and handle routine local government requests, approve routine official documents, and decide on the normal appointment, removal, promotion, and demotion of mid- to low-level officials."

"Remember, all memorials and official documents processed by the cabinet that remains in power, regardless of size, must be filed."

"After being copied by clerks, it is sent to my camp regularly for my review."

"If you encounter any important military or national affairs that are difficult to decide, or any crucial intelligence, just send someone to deliver it to me by fast horse."

After listening, everyone suddenly understood what it meant.

With clear division of powers and responsibilities, the term "remaining cabinet" is quite fitting.

After finishing his explanation of the affairs of the previous dynasty, Jiang Han returned to the inner palace.

His harem maintained the simplicity of the early days of his reign, consisting of only two women: Princess Wang Yiying and Concubine Li Manwen, making it a small household.

However, there is also some good news.

At the beginning of the year, Concubine Li Manwen was also diagnosed with pregnancy, and there was hope that she could add another child to the harem.

Jiang Han strolled to Changchun Palace. As soon as he approached the gate, he heard a soft, cheerful laugh coming from inside.

Passing through layers of gauze curtains, one could see the Queen sitting on the bed, teasing the Crown Prince, surrounded by female officials and eunuchs.

The little one is just over six months old and can't walk yet. He can only lie on the bed, trying his best to lift his head and look around.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Han unconsciously raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and then strode inside.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

As soon as the eunuch announced the news, everyone in the hall was startled and hurriedly stood up to pay their respects.

"No need, you may leave."

Jiang Han waved away his attendants, went straight to the bedside, squatted down, and gently stroked his son's cheek.

"Boy, do you still recognize your father?"

The little guy recognized the tall figure in front of him, reached out and grabbed Jiang Han's finger, making "ah...ah..." sounds.

Jiang Han smiled and picked up his son.

The little one squirmed restlessly in his arms, even reaching out to grab the embroidery on his robe.

Jiang Han let him hold him and said softly:

"Your father is going out on inspection for a while, so you stay home and keep your mother company, drink more milk, and grow stronger."

After playing with the child for a while until he was a little sleepy, he carefully handed him over to the wet nurse and gave her some detailed instructions.

After seeing her son off, the princess finally spoke up and asked:
"Your Majesty, where are you going?"

"How long are you going?"

Jiang Han leaned in and pulled his wife into his arms, finding a comfortable position to lean against her, and explained gently:

"Staying confined to the four corners of the Prince's Palace all the time inevitably leads to a lack of awareness and understanding."

"I plan to go out and see for myself the real situation in various prefectures and counties."

"The trip is planned to be quite long, from northern Sichuan all the way to southern Yunnan, which will probably take more than half a year."

"All affairs of the palace are now entrusted to you."

"Especially Manwen, she's only recently pregnant. Go visit her when you have time, chat with her, and keep her company."

"If anything serious happens, send someone to find Zhao Sheng, or Cao Er, and have them inform me as quickly as possible."

Wang Yiying lay in his arms and nodded gently:

"I will do my best in all matters concerning the palace; Your Majesty need not worry."

"As for your inspection tour, the journey is long, so you must prioritize safety at all times."

"The military and civilians of these three provinces are now counting on you, so we can't be careless."

Jiang Han smiled upon hearing this:
"What's there to be afraid of on my own turf? Besides, I have my personal guards with me."

"Do not worry"

As he spoke, his hands began to wander, making the princess's ears burn.
"Your Majesty."

Jiang Han grinned mischievously, his hands moving non-stop:
"One son is still a bit too few, it would be better to have more."

After everything was arranged, on the morning of the eighth day of the sixth lunar month, Jiang Han led his patrol team and officially set off from Chengdu.

The team consisted of 120 people, most of whom were personal guards, and was led by Feng Chengxuan himself.

In addition, a small number of civil officials and eunuchs accompanied the group.

As the officials watched them go, Jiang Han and his entourage slowly drove away from Chengdu, heading northeast along the official road.

The team will arrive in Hanzhou within three days, then pass through Deyang and Luojiang, and then through Mianzhou to enter Jiangyou.

(End of this chapter)