Chapter 418
Year-End Court Discussion and Rewards! First Bestowal: Longevity Fruit!
After some time.
The Ming Dynasty convened another court meeting.
It was still inside the Fengtian Hall.
Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao, and Zhu Ying, three generations of the Zhu family, sat on the throne in turn.
Inside the main hall, civil and military officials immediately paid their respects.
They shouted, "Long live the Emperor!"
The court meeting then officially began.
The first to speak was Tang Duo, the Minister of War. Tang Duo quickly stepped forward from among the officials and said to Zhu Yuanzhang with utmost respect, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
"speak."
Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was quite deep and resonant, giving people a strong sense of oppression.
Tang Duo then said, "Your Majesty, during this period, a large number of prisoners have been escorted into Beiping City from the world of the Five Barbarian Tribes at the end of the Jin Dynasty."
"These tens of thousands of prisoners have already been assigned to the construction of the railway."
"However, among the prisoners recently brought in, besides ordinary foreign soldiers, there were quite a few princes and ministers, and even members of the Jin royal family..."
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he showed no emotion on his face.
"So what if they are princes and ministers? So what if they are the royal family of Jin!"
"Let's treat them all equally and send them all to build railways for our Great Ming!"
Zhu Yuanzhang spoke to Tang Duo with considerable authority.
"Wei Chen obeys!"
Afterwards, Zhu Yuanzhang pressed Tang Duo, the Minister of War, for an answer: "Since the princes and ministers of the Five Barbarian tribes have all been captured, does that mean our Ming army has almost wiped out the Five Barbarian tribes?"
Tang Duo naturally dared not hesitate, and he immediately said, "Your Majesty, after more than half a year of fighting in the Five Barbarian lands, our Ming army has now basically pacified the north!"
Although this battle in the world of the Five Barbarian Tribes at the end of the Jin Dynasty was planned by Zhu Ying, Lan Yu, Xu Huizu and others would also report the battle to the Ministry of War.
Therefore, Tang Duo, as the Minister of War, was naturally very familiar with the battle situation of the Five Barbarian Tribes at the end of the Jin Dynasty.
Upon hearing this, a hint of excitement flashed across Zhu Yuanzhang's face as he sat on the dragon throne.
"Tell me more specifically."
"Your humble servant obeys!" Minister of War Tang Duo immediately replied, "After Lan Yu, Xu Huizu, and Chang Mao led their armies to occupy Chang'an, they then used Chang'an as the center to lead their armies to conquer the surrounding cities."
"Now, thanks to the valiant fighting of our Ming soldiers, the Ming army has already occupied most of the north in the world of the Five Barbarian Tribes at the end of the Jin Dynasty!"
"Although some of the Five Barbarian tribes are still barely surviving, the suspense of this war has clearly come to an end!"
"It is only a matter of time before the Ming army drives these five tribes out of the north."
"According to Lan Yu's battle report, the five tribes have begun to flee towards the northern grasslands..."
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard Tang Duo's report, he nodded in satisfaction.
Then, Zhu Yuanzhang emphasized: "The Five Barbarian tribes' crimes of killing my Han people are unforgivable! Naturally, they should all be wiped out!"
"However, I've heard that among the Five Barbarian Tribes at the end of the Jin Dynasty, besides the Five Barbarian tribes, there was also a so-called Eastern Jin regime?"
As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, Tang Duo, the Minister of War, immediately replied, "Your Majesty, that is indeed the case."
"After Emperor Sima Ye of the Jin Dynasty was captured by the Xiongnu, some of the remnants of the Jin Dynasty established another court in Jiangnan."
"Currently, the emperor of the Jin state in the south seems to be named Sima Rui."
Upon hearing Tang Duo's report, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but let out a cold snort.
"Since Sima Rui considers himself the emperor of Jin, why don't they launch a northern expedition?"
"Are we just going to stand by and watch Han people die tragically at the hands of the Five Barbarian tribes?"
Although Zhu Yuanzhang had not read many ancient books, he had heard storytellers tell stories about the Sima family in the streets in his early years.
Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang was well aware of how shameless the Sima family was!
After pondering for a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly issued an edict to the civil and military officials in the Fengtian Hall.
"The Sima family are sinners in history. They have ruined the entire Central Plains."
"In our opinion, none of these people surnamed Sima are good people!"
"During the Five Barbarian Tribes at the end of the Jin Dynasty, the Han people in the north lived in dire straits, yet Sima Rui simply stood by and did nothing. It's truly laughable!"
"We've made up our minds. We'll tell all the Ming generals in the world of the Five Barbarian Tribes at the end of the Jin Dynasty to spare the lives of these Five Barbarian tribes!"
"Let's deal with Sima Rui completely first! We must slaughter the entire Jin royal family!"
to be frank.
When Zhu Yuanzhang issued his decree, almost all the officials in the Fengtian Hall immediately showed their support.
Obviously.
As for the civil and military officials, they had long been quite dissatisfied with the Sima family.
If it weren't for the Sima clan, the Central Plains would never have been invaded by the Five Barbarian Tribes!
Han Chinese in the north would not have encountered such horrific persecution.
All of this stems from the incompetence and shamelessness of the Sima family.
and so.
The injustice has the head and the debt has the owner.
If the Ming Dynasty, as a Han Chinese regime, wanted to avenge the Han people of that time, it would not only have to wipe out the Five Barbarian tribes, but also deal with the Jin Dynasty!
In fact, in a sense, the Sima family were the real sinners.
"Your Majesty!"
Minister of War Tang Duo said with great emotion, "If it weren't for the Sima clan's outbreak of the War of the Eight Princes and their internal strife, how could the Han people of the Central Plains have suffered such cruelty!"
"Now that the northern regions inhabited by the Five Barbarian Tribes at the end of the Jin Dynasty have been largely pacified, it is only natural that we should settle accounts with the Sima family!"
"Your humble servant also believes that the most urgent task for the Ming army is to annihilate the Eastern Jin regime, which is still clinging to life!"
After Tang Duo finished speaking, officials from the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Justice all expressed their support.
Furthermore, the military generals wholeheartedly supported attacking the Sima regime located in Jiangnan.
After seeing that all the civil and military officials agreed with his words, Zhu Yuanzhang turned his attention to Zhu Ying.
"Xiongying, what's your opinion?" Zhu Yuanzhang pressed.
Zhu Ying nodded and said, "Grandfather is right. Now that Lan Yu and others have basically pacified the north, it is time to turn our attention to Sima Rui of the Eastern Jin Dynasty."
"The sins committed by the Sima family in history must be repaid with their lives!"
Upon hearing Zhu Ying's words, the civil and military officials in the Fengtian Hall immediately shouted in unison, "Slaughter the Sima clan! Blood debts must be repaid in blood!"
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, and immediately said to Tang Duo, who was the Minister of War, "After the court session, immediately send someone to the world of the Five Barbarian Tribes at the end of the Jin Dynasty to tell Lan Yu and the others my decree!"
"Your humble servant obeys!" Tang Duo replied.
After the discussion on the matter of the Five Barbarian Tribes at the end of the Jin Dynasty was completed, Guo Zhen, who was in charge of capturing dinosaurs in the prehistoric world, immediately stepped forward from among the officials.
They began to report to Zhu Yuanzhang on the achievements of the Imperial Guards over the past year.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards have also achieved great success during this period."
"Since His Highness the Crown Prince issued the order to intensify the capture of dinosaurs, a total of about 100,000 troops have been deployed to capture dinosaurs."
"To date, we have successfully captured 20,000 pterosaurs and 30,000 velociraptors!"
"Most of these dinosaurs have already been domesticated, and some have even joined the fighting force!" "Furthermore, at this very moment, in the [Prehistoric World], a large number of Imperial Guards are still capturing dinosaurs!"
After Guo Zhen finished his report, Zhu Yuanzhang exclaimed, "Very good!"
"This dinosaur army is extremely powerful and has an overwhelming advantage on the battlefield!"
"Moreover, no other country has dinosaurs, so this dinosaur army belongs exclusively to our Great Ming!"
"Such powerful animals are naturally desirable in large numbers!"
After Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, Zhu Ying also said to Guo Zhen, "There are countless dinosaurs in this [prehistoric world], and these dinosaurs can reproduce, so the Imperial Guards should capture as many as they can!"
"Your subordinate obeys!" Guo Zhen, the commander of the Imperial Guards, immediately replied.
after that.
Zhu Ying then asked, "Is there still a sufficient supply of poison to anesthetize dinosaurs?"
"Your Highness, the poison supply is sufficient, but if we continue to capture dinosaurs, it may not be enough."
When Zhu Ying heard Guo Zhen's answer, he nodded slightly and continued, "I will have the Alchemy Hall do its best to produce poison to anesthetize the dinosaurs."
"You can proceed with the arrest without worry."
"Your subordinate obeys!" Guo Zhen replied.
after that.
Qin Da, the Minister of Works, also stepped forward from among the officials and began to report to Zhu Yuanzhang.
Although a report had been submitted some time ago, it was not detailed and only reported the construction of the railway.
This time, Qin Da, as the Minister of Works, reported to Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao, and Zhu Yinghuan on matters related to repairing dikes and constructing water conservancy projects.
"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Works has constructed over one hundred dikes and more than two hundred bridges throughout the Ming Dynasty this past year!"
"These infrastructure projects have greatly improved the convenience of people's lives."
Zhu Yuanzhang was naturally quite satisfied upon hearing this.
"Very good, the Ministry of Works has done a good job. The foundation of the Ming Dynasty lies in its people. If the Ming Dynasty wants to last, it must naturally give back to the people!"
"In the new year, in addition to building railways, the Ministry of Works will also undertake some other projects that benefit the people!"
"Your humble servant obeys!" Qin Da, the Minister of Works, replied hastily.
After the Ministry of Works finished its report, Yu Xin, the Minister of Revenue, also began to report on the Ministry's achievements over the past year.
"Your Majesty, since the lifting of the maritime ban, the tax revenue of our Great Ming Dynasty has increased significantly!"
"In addition, the fact that people can now freely do business has also led to the vigorous development of commerce in the Ming Dynasty."
"Nowadays, the markets in Yingtian City, Beiping, and even other places are quite lively."
"The people's income has also increased remarkably, all thanks to the Emperor."
Upon hearing Yu Xin's report, Zhu Yuanzhang was naturally overjoyed.
Zhu Yuanzhang addressed the civil and military officials in the court, saying, "I merely followed Xiong Ying's advice."
"If we're talking about merit, then Xiong Ying's contribution is naturally the greatest."
At this moment, Zhu Ying also spoke up: "Although our Great Ming is mainly based on agriculture, commerce is equally important."
"Let the people decide for themselves. Those who are good at farming should farm, and those who are good at doing business should do business. In this way, the potential of the people can be brought into play."
Upon hearing what Zhu Ying said, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately nodded repeatedly.
"What Xiong Ying said makes sense!"
"We believe that the Ming Dynasty will become more and more open in the future!"
……
Afterwards, Liu Jing of the Ministry of Rites, Zhao Mian, the chief steward of the Royal Bank, and others also reported to Zhu Yuanzhang.
Finally, Fu Youde, who was stationed in Beizhou, also reported the situation in Beizhou to Zhu Yuanzhang.
"Your Majesty, the Northern Region is currently stable, and all ethnic tribes are living in peace. In fact, some Han Chinese are even doing business in other ethnic tribes, and I've heard that their business is quite booming."
"All the tribes of the Northern State are utterly loyal to His Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince, and His Highness the Grandson of the Crown Prince."
"Very good! Very good!"
"We are very satisfied with your work this past year!"
"Xiongying, why don't you say a few words?"
Zhu Yuanzhang said to Zhu Ying.
Zhu Ying nodded, then stood up from his throne and addressed the civil and military officials in the Fengtian Hall: "The New Year is just around the corner. My grandfather is very satisfied with your work, and so am I."
"I have decided to bestow a reward upon you!"
As soon as Zhu Ying finished speaking, the faces of all the civil and military officials in the court showed excitement.
Everyone knew that Zhu Ying possessed many valuable items.
For example, the Longevity Pill I saw before!
The ability to prolong life by consuming a single Longevity Pill was a favor that almost every civil and military official dreamed of.
The dragon meat we ate before was also very good for our health.
now.
When these officials heard that Zhu Ying was going to personally reward them, they naturally could not hide their excitement.
Zhu Ying continued, "Minister of Revenue Yu Xin, Minister of Works Qin Da, Chief Steward of the Royal Bank Zhao Mian, Minister of War Tang Duo, Minister of Rites Liu Jing, as well as Fu Youde, Bu Wan..."
Zhu Ying read out the names of more than a dozen ministers in one breath. At this moment, the eyes of these ministers whose names were called were full of anticipation.
Zhu Ying continued, "I am very satisfied with your work this year."
"In the new year, we must continue to maintain this momentum and strive to improve year by year."
"Only in this way can the Ming Dynasty become stronger and stronger, and the lives of the people become better."
As soon as Zhu Ying finished speaking, the dozen or so officials immediately knelt down and thanked him, saying, "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince, and His Highness the Grandson will certainly live up to your expectations!"
"We will work even harder to serve Your Majesty and the Ming Dynasty!"
Zhu Ying nodded slightly after hearing this.
"Be flat."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
After everyone stood up, Zhu Ying also announced the items that had been bestowed as a gift.
"In recognition of your merits, I have decided to reward each of you with a Longevity Fruit!"
After Zhu Ying finished speaking, the dozen or so ministers looked puzzled, as this was the first time they had ever heard of the Longevity Fruit.
Previously, these officials had only heard of the Longevity Pill. Although the Longevity Fruit and the Longevity Pill differ by only one character, their effects must be different.
Zhu Ying continued to explain to the officials, "The Longevity Fruit and the Longevity Pill have the same effect, both of which can prolong life. However, the Longevity Fruit is even more effective!"
"Taking one can extend your life by twenty years!"
...(End of chapter)