Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 314
"It's officers and soldiers of the Guards!"

Ouyang Rui said something to Tu Guobao in astonishment.

At this time, the footsteps of a large number of guards stationed in Songjiang Mansion resounded on the bluestone slabs of Jizhen Street, Baisha Township, Huating County, and Ouyang Rui's heart beat quickly following the footsteps.

He couldn't help but not panic, Li Kui, Hua Guer and other pirates were going to make a big fuss in Songjiang Mansion, and he was also involved, and now that the imperial court sent a large number of Guards officers and soldiers to Songjiang Mansion, one can guess without thinking that there must be something about the pirates going to make a big fuss The matter of Songjiang Mansion.

"How did this news get leaked, or did Chongzhen already plan to send heavy troops to Songjiang Mansion?"

Tu Guobao also asked at this time, he is now only thinking about how to encourage the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River to collude with the pirates to cause a big incident in Songjiang Mansion, so that he can also complete the task assigned by Abatai, and make the Liu Kongzhao Department of the Ming Navy exhausted To deal with the affairs of Songjiang Prefecture, while ignoring the control of the berthed islands on the sea route.

But now that there are a large number of officers and soldiers of the Guards, he also begins to feel that this matter is tricky. If there are so many officers and soldiers of the Guards stationed in Songjiang Mansion, it is obvious that Songjiang Mansion will not be messed up by pirates.

"It's also possible that it wasn't a leak. It's true that the emperor has long intended to send heavy troops to the Songjiang Mansion. Otherwise, how could Dongchang have pretended to be pirates and slaughtered the gentry's house a few days ago? I'm afraid it's the reason for the pirates to plunder the gentry's property and send them in advance. Officers and soldiers are stationed in Songjiang to prepare for any eventuality!"

As Ouyang Rui said, Qing Ke, his confidant, came over: "Master, there is a message from Futai that the ministry has instructions. Don't act rashly. Cut off all ties with Li Wei and others. Wait for the opportunity and wait for the opportunity." He changed."

"understood!"

Ouyang Rui nodded, then looked back at Tu Guobao: "Now we'll see if the county king can eat Liu Kongzhao's navy."

"Don't worry, we Shanxi merchants, all the big country gentry in the north, and the Eastern pirates are dissatisfied with Liu Kongzhao's blocking of the northern sea route to collect protection fees. This time, many forces have gathered. Liu Kongzhao only has a hundred boats, and he will definitely lose! "

Tu Guobao said harshly.

"That's fine, now that northern goods are so expensive, it might have something to do with this. Once Liu Kongzhao is defeated, there will be no way to collect protection money. The price of northern goods will definitely drop, which is also beneficial to the people."

Ouyang Rui lost his health when he was young, and now he needs a lot of ginseng every day to maintain his health, so he has a deep feeling for the high price of northern goods.

"I just don't know if Zheng Daguan will participate in assisting the court?"

Tu Guobao asked.

"Don't worry about this, my brother said that the Zheng family has sent news that they will do their duty as a courtier and will not do unrighteous actions to frame their friends. The implication is that no one will help."

Ouyang Rui replied.

"Old fox! Ever since King Yu was killed and King Ying was defeated and returned to Beijing, and Zhu Youjian promised him tax-free privileges, now Zheng Zhilong doesn't give me the face of Qing Dynasty anymore. I think he wants to be a southerner. King! Just wait until the Zhu Ming court is gone, so that we can occupy half of the south and fight against my Qing Dynasty!"

When Tu Guobao said this, Ouyang Rui just smiled. Although he supported the Qing Dynasty politically, he also cooperated with Zheng's firm in business, so he couldn't say anything.

……

It is already March of the 20th year of Chongzhen, and the poplar flowers in Jinling City have already fallen, and the verdant and verdant Forbidden City has become colorful.

When Guyu was approaching, Zhu Youjian learned that Concubine Yuan Gui was pregnant, which made him quite happy.

In a sense, this is actually his first child in the true sense, and it also let Zhu Youjian know that he is still fertile.

Since moving to Jinling City in the south, Zhu Youjian has had skin-to-skin relationships with many women, and there has never been a day when he has not worked hard, but he has not seen a single woman who is pregnant.

This made Zhu Youjian begin to wonder if he had lost the ability to reproduce.

But now Concubine Yuan Gui's successful pregnancy made Zhu Youjian believe that he still has the ability to reproduce, and even Zhu Youjian began to think that it might be because the queen and concubine were slightly older, which reduced the success rate of conception.

Coupled with the thought of the current prince's qualifications and potential threats to himself, Zhu Youjian felt that he could indeed start choosing a concubine.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian agreed to the memorials of Fan Jingwen, the chief assistant of the cabinet, and Liu Zongzhou, the minister of rites. For the sake of Guangyan's heirs, he began to select concubines in April of the 20th year of Chongzhen to serve as the harem.

As a man with emotions and desires, Zhu Youjian naturally doesn't care about the number of women he has, but he also hopes to be surrounded by people he likes and has feelings. Although they don't have to be stunning, they must also be eye-catching.

From a certain point of view, as a modern person, even if Zhu Youjian became the emperor of Ming Dynasty, he still thinks that the woman he actively pursues is more interesting.

But he is also the emperor, so everything is complicated, and in today's world, most of the daughters of good families are raised in deep boudoirs, so it is impossible to find out on their own initiative, and they can only follow this system of concubine selection.

But the current concubine selection of the Ming Dynasty is a woman between the ages of 13 and 16.

It is true that women matured prematurely in ancient times, but Zhu Youjian was asked to perform the London ceremony with a girl under the age of 16 to reproduce.

Zhu Youjian really couldn't accept it.

Although he is not a saint and gentleman, he also has the most basic moral bottom line as a normal modern person.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian decreed to extend the age limit for the selection of concubines to 25 years old.

Zhu Youjian doesn't know if there are unmarried older leftover women in Ming Dynasty, but as long as there are, Zhu Youjian feels that this is a way to rescue some older leftover women in Ming Dynasty.

Chongzhen Zhu Youjian also hoped that this could change the ancient custom of getting married prematurely.

As long as you want to enter the harem and be the most honorable woman in the world, you need to delay the age of marriage.

According to the scientific theories of genetics and reproduction, the true childbearing age is 21 to 24.

But now the Ming Dynasty is about to become a mother at the age of fourteen or fifteen, so the rate of premature death and dystocia is very high, which is a kind of harm to both the child and the mother.

Zhu Youjian hoped to promote the change of customs with his emperor's encouragement of "late marriage and late childbearing".

At the same time, Zhu Youjian also changed the period of time for maids to leave the palace except for being selected as concubines to three years, and signed a contract with relevant economic and administrative treatment.

And three years later, the court ladies are allowed to decide on their own whether to stay or not.

In addition, Zhu Youjian decided not to recruit eunuchs as eunuchs.

Although from the perspective of imperial power and the needs of the harem, the role of eunuch still exists.

But after all, this kind of behavior of obtaining a certain professional group that can be specially used by castrating people's genitals is really too inhumane, and it will also breed many abnormal phenomena.

Although Zhu Youjian has not yet found out who instructed Xia Yongde, he also learned from Dongchang Wang Chengen that Xia Yongde has always wanted to have a son, and recently he has even become obsessed with a cult called Baiyi Cult, which is rumored to allow eunuchs to reproduce. theory.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian guessed that the Baiyi Sect took advantage of this and began to win over and use the eunuchs of the inner court.

This made Zhu Youjian more aware of how much social problems brought about by deformed people like eunuchs would have a great impact on the government, and he was eager to end the eunuch elements that had existed for thousands of years as soon as possible.

(End of this chapter)