Great Ming Dynasty Wen Chao Gong

Chapter 83 The Emperor’s Concerns

Seeing that the emperor changed the topic, Zhang Xiao also breathed a sigh of relief. Writing history books is really an important job. Writing a foreign history is so dangerous, so don’t even think about writing your own country’s history.

"Your Majesty, the hot air balloon has indeed taken off, and the person who operated the balloon is General Li Rubai's personal guard Li Sandao." Zhang Xiao said.

"Oh, this is a loyal and brave man. Since it can carry people into the sky, this thing will be much more useful. I will give you another two thousand taels of silver, so you can make this balloon more practical. But this Is a hot air balloon convenient to bring on the battlefield?" the emperor asked.

"It's not that difficult, because the balloon is relatively big when it's inflated, but it can be put away when it's deflated. But it needs to be carefully maintained, because the balloon is made of silk and is relatively soft. If it accidentally gets tiny If it is damaged, it will be quite dangerous, after all, it is something flying in the sky." Zhang Xiao said.

"Then the cost of building this hot air balloon is probably quite high. Such a big balloon needs to be made of silk, and so many have been made," the emperor said.

"The design needs to be constantly adjusted at the beginning, so it will cost more. Later, when the technology matures, the cost will not be so high. And there is no need to build a few hot air balloons now. They are mainly for reconnaissance. If they are used for transportation, some The gain outweighs the loss," Zhang Xiao explained.

"When you teach the two princes, you won't have to teach the history of foreign countries. Just talk about some foreign customs and customs. Do you understand?" the emperor warned.

"I obey the order," Zhang Xiao said.

"One more thing. In the past, you wrote a memorial to develop the navy and planned to write a book "On Sea Power." Since we have sea power, we should also have land power." The emperor asked.

"Reporting to your majesty, I actually have a concept for "Land Quan Lun", but it just talks about land power, which is really too involved. I don't dare to write a book randomly and mislead the court. So now this book is still being conceived." Zhang Xiao said.

Zhang Xiao was speaking from his heart. After all, the last time he introduced the concept of sea power, he was already too ahead of his time. The so-called land power is also discussed in the context of globalization. The basic theory comes from geopolitics. But Zhang Xiao himself knew about geopolitics and had not studied it specifically. Moreover, if we want to talk about land power, we must also talk about it in light of the current situation of the Ming Dynasty. The ocean-going navy is a long-term strategy, so it is understandable that it is a little inaccurate. But if we want to talk about land power, it will definitely involve Mongolia. This is the first issue of the Ming Dynasty's foreign strategy. If we really say something was wrong and misled the Ming Dynasty's strategic decision-making, it is really going to be doomed. Who can I can't hold it in my pocket.

"Is this land power theory because it involves various Mongolian ministries?" the emperor asked.

"Yes, in fact, up to now, the most successful land power empire is the Mongolian and Yuan Empire. Therefore, if we want to talk about land power, we must explain the history of Mongolia clearly. The ministers are sparse and knowledgeable, and their understanding of Mongolia is still insufficient." Zhang Xiao said.

"Let me ask, since it involves Mongolia, then you should take your time to think about it. Although the "History of the Yuan Dynasty" compiled in the early years of the Chinese Dynasty is a bit rough, you can still read it. There are also many Mongolian and Yuan scholars in the Hanlin Academy If you want to read the files, you can look through them more. If you don’t understand, find a Mongolian interpreter to help you." The emperor said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhang Xiao said.

Zhang Xiao left, and only the emperor and Chen Ju were left in the imperial study.

"When Zhang Xiao wrote the "Song of Xide", I thought he was trying to satirize something. Now it seems that Zhang Xiao understands the history of these foreign countries, and the story of the mutual attack between the brothers of King Franji is simply ordinary. Nothing surprising." The emperor sighed.

"This is all caused by foreign monarchs' lack of etiquette, which caused the country to be in chaos. How can our clan be as harmonious as our Ming Dynasty, where our monarchs and ministers are harmonious and prosperous," Chen Ju said.

"Hey, let's just talk about the situation. When I was reading the "Book of Han" and the story about Emperor Yuan's destruction of temples, I always felt that Emperor Yuan had studied Confucian classics, so why did he need to go to war against the ancestral temple and disturb the ancestors? Now that I look at it, I'm afraid It was also when Emperor Yuan was in power that the court was short of financial resources, and it was better to save money if possible. Nowadays, both the government and the public have a lot of criticism about the salary and salary received by the Ming Dynasty clan. I also want to see what regulations the other countries have for this clan. Then the decline of the Timurid Kingdom Forget it, the Ottoman state is still thriving. Who would have thought that such a charter would be more cruel than the Jin state in the Spring and Autumn Period. The Jin state just ignored the clan and let the clan live abroad, while the Ottoman state doesn't even want the clan anymore," the emperor said. . "Since Zhang Xiao knows so much foreign history and is familiar with Chinese history, he should also know how to improve the vassal system." Chen Ju said.

"No, no, no, don't even mention this matter. Even if Zhang Xiao has some ideas, he won't tell me, and I won't ask. The Ming Dynasty's vassal system has already been messed up once, and we can't mess with it a second time. ." The emperor said.

"Your Majesty, your Majesty, please forgive me for your misdeeds about the imperial family." Chen Ju quickly apologized.

"Get up, it's nothing to talk in private. It's just that I can't talk about this clan matter. The ministers are also grumbling in private, and a few ministers dare to report this matter to me. As for the vassal kings in various places, even more Needless to say, they neither know nor dare to discuss the vassal system. The world is relatively peaceful now, who is willing to bother with this." The emperor sighed with emotion.

"Your Majesty is wise," Chen Ju said.

"I'm tired too, let's go back to the harem." The emperor said.

……

As soon as he returned to the harem, the emperor unconsciously walked to the palace where Concubine Zheng was.

"My beloved concubine, now that you are pregnant again, why do you still get up casually? Sit down quickly." The emperor gently helped Concubine Zheng, who was waiting at the door, to sit down.

"Your Majesty, this child is quiet now, and I haven't suffered much." Concubine Zheng gently touched her belly.

"From now on, you have to rest peacefully and don't move around at will. You don't want to go to the school either. At worst, I will just listen to Xun'er's classes from now on," the emperor said.

"Your Majesty is just tired of my concubine. Are you unwilling to let me go out?" Concubine Zheng said with wide eyes.

"Why would I be bored with you? You are pregnant now, so you can't think too much." The emperor looked a little at a loss.

"Then I will listen to Your Majesty and stay calm. I don't know whether the child is a boy or a girl." Concubine Zheng said.

"I like boys and girls, as long as they are your children." The emperor said warmly.

"Your Majesty, don't forget the agreement you made with me." Concubine Zheng said.

"I remember it all the time. However, the ministers objected and took out the "Emperor Ming Ancestor Instructions". There was nothing I could do. As for the child Chang Luo, although I don't like his mother, Chang Luo is also mine. My child, he didn't make any mistakes, and the Queen Mother... My beloved concubine, don't think about these things for now, I am responsible for everything, and I will definitely leave the best things to Xun'er," the emperor said.

(End of this chapter)