Chapter 449 448 Fireworks Stand

"I heard that the enemy has been invading for a long time, and the borders have been prepared. The enemy is a little afraid. You can give firearms to all the castles to resist them. You should still hold on and not fight, in order to pray for God's blessing."

In the Ministry of War, Yang Bo was watching the note sent by Emperor Jiajing from the palace in the duty room, and was also thinking about this silently.

Yang Bo didn't think about why Emperor Jiajing thought of firearms. He knew that firearms should be given to all the castles to resist them, but he had been in Xuan Da, and he knew that the firearms used by the Ming army were still very sharp, especially in the defense of the border forts.

When using firearms, there is no need to worry about the fatigue of the archers, and the arrows shot are weak and powerless. You can continue to fight as long as there are sufficient medicines and stones.

At the beginning, I also tried to get a batch of firearms for Xuan Da and Jizhen, but it took a lot of effort to persuade the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works. However, although there were many firearms, they were still just a drop in the ocean after distribution, and they were not enough at all.

When he arrived in the capital and settled in the Ministry of War, he also knew the details.

First, the court had no money and could not manufacture firearms on a large scale. Second, it was the situation that he had encountered before, and he needed to use money to exchange firearms from the Ministry of Works.

It's funny to say that the court had to give money to people for the things that were made with money from the tight court expenses.

However, this is the rule set by the civil service group. The military pay issued by the Ministry of War has been directly withheld at the time of handover before the silver has left the capital, and he will also get a share of the benefits. How do you ask him to manage it?

Although the note given by Emperor Jiajing is relatively conservative, it is also a safe approach at present.

As long as the border forts maintain a defensive posture, it will be difficult for the Tartars to gain from border looting.

With the border forts, the Tartars dare not take a detour to go deep into the interior, after all, the retreat is still in the hands of the Ming army.

Thinking about the weather in recent years, Yang Bo certainly doesn't think it's time to use troops. Now the Tartars are wreaking havoc in Yansui and other places, and their troops are very sharp. Instead of sending troops to fight, it is better to defend the city as Your Majesty said.

I think the generals of the border garrisons probably thought the same.

Thinking of this, Yang Bo picked up his pen and began to write a memorial on the rice paper on the table.

"I respectfully reply that this year, the enemy's plan is unusual. Those in the west have been sent to Xuanyun to lure our Jixi troops, and those in the east have been stationed in Liaoyou to spy on our Jidong slackness. They are coveting the capital and want to make a deep-seated plan. I have received the imperial edict to impose martial law at home and abroad, so the enemy invaded Xuanda in the west. Now it is cold outside the Great Wall and there is nothing I can do. I respectfully convey the imperial edict to the border officials."

Emperor Jiajing had previously asked all places to guard against the invasion of the Tartars. In any case, it was consistent with the plan of the Ministry of War. At this time, it was natural to flatter the emperor a little.

After that, it was natural to say that Your Majesty was wise and that firearms were powerful for the defense of the border forts.

However, Yang Bo did not want a little firearm, but a detailed description of the current distribution of firearms in the nine borders.

The nine important towns in the border areas are called important towns, but they are still prioritized. The most important one is naturally Jizhen, followed by Xuanfu and Datong. The status gradually decreases from east to west, and the distribution of firearms is also the same.

Yang Bo naturally wants His Majesty to order a batch of firearms for the nine border areas, and it would be better if the quantity can be determined.

Yang Bo is good at calculations, and Yan Shifan naturally understands this. Yan Song's memorial was written by him, and he naturally used the financial tension as an excuse, saying that there were not many firearms in the warehouse of the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Revenue urgently needed to allocate silver for manufacturing. All the firearms in the warehouse of the Ministry of Works were transferred to the Ministry of War, but the quantity was naturally small.

The two memorials returned to Emperor Jiajing. Yang Bo's memorial was naturally very pertinent and made him happy, while Yan Song's memorial could only make him frown.

Emperor Jiajing was certainly not as clear about the financial difficulties of the court as Gao Yao, but he also knew that there would definitely not be too much silver, otherwise he would not often delay the salaries of Beijing officials.

However, Gao Yao was still in charge of the purse, which made him feel at ease. At least the Ministry of Revenue would make early plans for the annual military pay, and other expenses would be circumvented.

Military pay could not be delayed. If it was delayed, there would be a mutiny, which was really a headache for him.

As for other things, they could be delayed as much as possible.

Now Yan Song's memorial complained about poverty, so Emperor Jiajing naturally believed that the court did not have extra money to allocate to the Ministry of Works to make firearms.

After a little thought, Emperor Jiajing still wrote at the end of the memorial: "However, the Ministry of Works will also give more firearms to Jizhen from time to time."

Yes, Jizhen was naturally the most important of the nine borders. With the Jizhen army by his side, Emperor Jiajing could feel safe. Since there were not enough firearms, Jizhen would naturally be the focus, and other military towns would have to make do with it first.

Wei Guangde and Prince Yu naturally did not understand the struggle between Xiyuan, the Cabinet and the Ministry of War. Although they were curious about why the court suddenly valued firearms, the hidden competition between the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works was even more unclear.

Even if the Censorate submitted a memorial at this time, Yang Bo, the Minister of War, had completed his three-year term and was evaluated as competent despite his heavy workload. The Jiajing Emperor sent a eunuch to present him with sheep, wine and banknotes.

Perhaps seeing the recent hustle and bustle of the Ministry of War, Yuan Wei was a little impatient.

Soon, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, under the supervision of the Ministry of Rites, issued the Datong Calendar, and the Emperor ordered it to be issued to the ministers.

The Ministry of Rites reported that the provincial examinations of this year had been transmitted and the emperor had submitted them to the emperor for review.

On that day, Shouguang Pavilion was completed, and Yuan Wei, the Minister of Rites, submitted a memorial to congratulate him.

This Shouguang Pavilion was built by the Ministry of Works with manpower and materials, and supervised by the inner court. Yuan Wei, the Minister of Rites, took the lead in congratulating him, and his purpose was naturally to please the Jiajing Emperor. After all, most of the ministers in the court had complaints about the emperor's construction of buildings such as the Dagaoxuan Hall and the Qianyuan Pavilion, and the construction of the Sun Temple and the Moon Temple on the basis of the original Tiantan and Ditan in Beijing.

In the past month, not only was Shouguang Pavilion completed, but Qingxi Hall was also finished. Emperor Jiajing lavishly rewarded the eunuch Yuanheng and other officials of the Ministry of Works who supervised the construction.

Now that the Minister of Rites has taken the lead in congratulating Yuan Wei, Yuan Wei's reputation in the court has plummeted.

Regarding this matter, Prince Yu just shook his head in the palace. As a son, he naturally dared not say a word of "no" to what his father wanted to build, but he also looked down on Yuan Wei.

The confusion and belittling of his colleagues did not affect Yuan Wei's enterprising spirit.

On November 15th of the 40th year of Jiajing, an imperial edict came from the Western Garden.

"The Minister of Rites Yuan Wei was appointed as the Grand Tutor of the Prince and the Grand Tutor of the Prince, and the Minister of Revenue and the Grand Secretary of Wuying Palace were changed to join the Cabinet to manage the affairs."

Yuan Wei entered the cabinet.

While all the officials were surprised, Yuan Wei submitted a letter to resign, but the emperor refused to allow it.

Wei Guangde was not surprised that Yuan Wei entered the cabinet, after all, Chen Ju had already given him a shot of prevention.

However, Wei Guangde was still somewhat amazed at Yuan Wei's accurate judgment of the situation.

Wei Guangde knew that Yuan Wei might enter the cabinet this year, but Chen Ju heard it from Gao Zhong.

Who is Gao Zhong? He is the person next to Emperor Jiajing after Huang Jin. Even this judgment may be analyzed by Gao Zhong and Huang Jin together.

But what about Yuan Wei?

The Ministry of Rites had been dormant before, and suddenly there was a flurry of operations, and then Yuan Wei entered the cabinet.

"Yuan Shangshu, no, Yuan Ge Lao is really..."

When the news reached Prince Yu's Mansion, Wei Guangde just sighed.

"The position of Minister of Rites is vacant again."

Prince Yu's focus was obviously not on Yuan Wei's ability to grasp the opportunity, but on the position of Minister of Rites that was vacant.

Yuan Wei entered the cabinet as the Minister of Revenue and the Grand Secretary of Wuying Palace. The title of Minister of Revenue was an empty title, which did not affect Gao Yao, who was in charge of the ministry, but the position of Minister of Rites was actually vacant.

Obviously, Prince Yu thought of his Master Gao again.

Wei Guangde naturally knew that Gao Gong had no chance. Chen Ju had said who the emperor was most likely to promote in recent years, and the names of the people in Prince Yu's Mansion were not on the list.

Moreover, Emperor Jiajing was taking steps to take back power, so how could he let the people in Prince Yu's Mansion get involved in high positions.

In the final analysis, the only people who could step onto the highest stage of power in the Ming Dynasty now were those who had been flattering the emperor with poems for many years. Even if you change your position and fully support the emperor now, you will only leave the impression of being two-faced and fence-sitting.

The people in the room naturally understood what Prince Yu meant, but no one spoke, and the atmosphere became cold for a while.

However, Prince Yu did not seem to realize it, and he might have thought that everyone found it very difficult.

In any case, Gao Gong's current position is only the right assistant minister, which is indeed too low and cannot be compared with the two left assistant ministers of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel.

Moreover, Prince Yu also realized that Li Chunfang and Yan Ne seemed to be more competitive than Gao Gong, otherwise Gao Gong's name would not have been absent from the series of promotions at the beginning.

Although, the left and right assistant ministers are actually both of the third rank, but there is a difference in the ranking of seats.

When Yuan Wei entered the cabinet, Emperor Jiajing did not ask the cabinet and the Ministry of Personnel to recommend a new candidate for the Minister of Rites. Naturally, the position of the Minister of Rites fell to Li Chunfang, and Gao Gong became the de facto second-in-command of the Ministry of Rites.

No results were discussed in Prince Yu's mansion. Although Prince Yu was a little disappointed, he also knew his status and it was even more impossible for him to enter the palace.

Prince Yu did not invite Gao Gong to Prince Yu's mansion today, because the eldest brother entered the cabinet, and the officials of the Ministry of Rites naturally had to celebrate. Prince Yu was not interested in holding a banquet today, and Wei Guangde left Prince Yu's mansion early and went home.

He still had to go to Yuan Wei's place. After all, he was already a cabinet elder, and he had to give some gifts. Thinking of Yuan Wei in the Hanlin Academy, Wei Guangde felt a little overwhelmed.

Yuan Wei's skills in flattery are absolutely strong. As for his ability to handle government affairs, Wei Guangde has not yet seen it, and his foundation is a little too shallow, so Wei Guangde is not very optimistic.

However, no matter what, Yuan Wei should be able to gather some people around him quickly.

Thinking about it, Wei Guangde still envied Zhang Juzheng. If he succeeded Xu Jie in the future, wouldn't Xu Jie's accumulated court relations and connections belong to him?

Why would he be so troublesome as others and have to slowly gather strength?

Wei Guangde thought of himself again. No wonder the Ming Dynasty often had troubles with local factions.

For example, if he was promoted like Yuan Wei in the future, he would be promoted quickly and his foundation would be unstable. At that time, the only reliable people around him would be those Jiangxi Jinshi, unless he worked in the Ministry of Rites or the Ministry of Personnel, or other high positions for a few years and accumulated a group of helpers.

As for Ma Fang, Dong Yiyuan, Yu Dayou and others, they only got his benefits and joined his school because of fate.

His colleagues in the Hanlin Academy were just colleagues. At most, they talked more in daily life, but it would be a bit far-fetched to think that they were useful.

Even among the scholars from Jiangxi Province that Wei Guangde was familiar with, only a few such as Lao Kan and Zhang Ke were reliable. The others were only reliable because they were from the same hometown. They had a deeper relationship than other colleagues and were similar to other classmates. They could only be considered useful.

Fellow townsmen and classmates, it is true that one person's success brings prosperity to the whole family.

Wei Guangde sighed silently in his heart.

The capital was of course under curfew at night. Although the common people could be controlled but the officials could not be controlled, there was a place that even the officials did not dare to trespass.

That place was naturally the Forbidden City and the surrounding royal gardens.

At this time, the Forbidden City was like a giant beast lurking in the dark, with only occasional lights shining, which were the palace guards led by the night patrol eunuchs.

The palace gates and courtyard gates inside and outside the palace were all locked, dividing the huge palace into palaces and courtyards. In such an environment, the palace servants naturally went back to their rooms early to rest and wait for dawn.

The West Garden and Yongshou Palace were still brightly lit at this time.

Perhaps because he had completed another important court affair, Emperor Jiajing was in a good mood today and summoned Concubine Shang to sleep with him.

Concubine Shang was naturally the palace maid who was unexpectedly favored by Emperor Jiajing because of his laughter due to napping.

Perhaps it was because Concubine Shang's youthful vitality invisibly infected Emperor Jiajing. Whenever he was with Concubine Shang, Emperor Jiajing felt that he seemed to become younger and more energetic.

In the past year or so, Emperor Jiajing often summoned Concubine Shang to Yongshou Palace.

"Your Majesty, I heard that this year's fireworks have been sent to the palace. Why not move some to set them off? I haven't seen fireworks for a long time."

Perhaps because Yongshou Palace has been visited too often, Concubine Shang is too familiar with this place and no longer feels fresh, but she particularly likes the fireworks set off every year.

While playing games with Emperor Jiajing, she suddenly mentioned that she wanted to watch a fireworks show.

For Concubine Shang, she had only seen fireworks such as firecrackers and ground rats in the folk before. It was not until she was selected into the palace that she saw the gorgeous fireworks show, which naturally left a deep impression.

Fireworks and firecrackers "come from the same school" and both benefited from the invention of gunpowder.

The earliest fireworks should have appeared in the Song Dynasty. In the book "Qidong Yeyu" written by Zhou Mi, a scholar in the Song Dynasty, it is recorded: "After burning fireworks in the courtyard, there are so-called ground rats."

The "ground rats" here are one of the earliest fireworks products with clear records, and the word "fireworks" also appears here.

Ground rats are naturally the kind of fireworks that will rotate and spray flames after being ignited. Sometimes they will rotate in place, and sometimes they will run around without rules.

In the Ming Dynasty, many types of fireworks were also developed. As recorded in the "Wanshu Miscellaneous Notes" of the Ming Dynasty, at that time, there were more than 100 kinds of fireworks including ground rats, flower tubes, and three-level waves.

At the annual Aoshan Lantern Festival, a large "fireworks stand" with a variety of fireworks was released, which was similar to the fireworks display in later generations.

If fireworks were only for the enjoyment of the court nobles in the Northern Song Dynasty, then in the Southern Song Dynasty, fireworks had already "entered the homes of ordinary people".

There were shops specializing in the production and sale of firecrackers and fireworks in the streets and alleys, which became popular toys in the court and the people.

However, the production of fireworks was naturally the most sophisticated in the capital, and the most sophisticated fireworks in the capital were still in the palace. As the saying goes, "the production of fireworks and cannons is extremely skillful in the capital".

Emperor Jiajing himself also liked to watch fireworks, and when he heard that his beloved concubine wanted to watch it, he naturally agreed.

Soon, several large fireworks stands were carried into the Yongshou Palace.

"Your Majesty, isn't this too small?"

Huang Jin frowned when he saw the fireworks stand carried in by the eunuch, and couldn't help but whispered to Emperor Jiajing.