Chapter 2, the Eastern Depot cannot be handed over

Prince Lu, Zhu Yiliu, is a figure of great renown in history, and Zhu Yijun is well aware of this. His fame does not stem from anything other than his debauchery and the favoritism of his mother. The affection his mother shows him has reached an utterly unreasonable level

I am about to ascend the throne as emperor. According to the course of history, the court will soon form a triangular power group. This power group is led by my mother, the Li family, along with the chief minister Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao. It is this power group that has driven the reform that lasted for a decade

The Eastern Depot has become obsolete, thus Emperor Chenghua established the Western Depot and appointed Wang Zhi.

Zhu Yijun looked at his four-year-old younger brother, pondering how to discipline this mischievous child. It was not acceptable for him to play around all day, just like in his previous life. He needed to establish a correct outlook on life and values for him.

"It's alright, it's alright, you need to eat more to grow strong," said Li with a smile.

Even so, the money for the wedding was still insufficient, so someone suggested that they should rob the home of Zhang Juzheng to raise funds

After the dishes were served, the family began to eat. Zhu Yijun was already hungry, so he naturally dug in without hesitation. It must be said that the chefs in the imperial palace truly excelled at their craft.

It was merely that he died too early, and his younger brother, Emperor Chongzhen, was also ineffectual. Coupled with the onset of the Little Ice Age, the Ming Dynasty was completely doomed

Feng Bao was attending to him closely, while Zhu Yijun had other things on his mind and went to bed early. However, lying in bed, Zhu Yijun tossed and turned, contemplating what he should do. Should he simply accept the current situation

After finishing dinner, Li took his young son and left the Eastern Palace, leaving Zhu Yijun all alone.

Without mentioning the vast expanse of land as a reward, even his grand wedding alone was extravagantly lavish

This is definitely not what I want

Li looked at her eldest son, who was eating and drinking heartily, utterly astonished. What was going on? He usually did not have such a good appetite! Fearing that her son might overeat, and feeling a twinge of concern, she quickly instructed the nearby Feng Bao, "Feng Daban, have someone prepare a digestive soup."

"Liao'er has arrived, hurry over to your mother!" Upon seeing her young son, Li was instantly filled with joy, extending her hand to beckon him over, her smile exceptionally radiant, truly embodying the saying that the people love their youngest child.

If the Eastern Depot is handed over, then there will truly be no leverage left in hand. The Emperor's power essentially rests on this limited strength. As for the civil officials, there is no need to mention, as they are all part of the gentry class.

The saying goes that the common people love their youngest sons, while the royal family loves their eldest sons; however, the Li family, coming from a farming background, had no such concept at all

The Wanli Emperor in history, even after ascending the throne, taking control of the government, and holding Zhang Juzheng accountable, what difference did it make?

A table laid with over ten dishes, all vegetarian, yet the imperial chefs in the palace possess commendable skills, and Zhu Yijun enjoyed the meal heartily

The military funds for the Guangbian region have been diverted, amounting to over 900,000 taels, and even the entire jewelry stock of the capital has been depleted: "Although the capital is abundant with goods, these rare treasures are different from everyday grains and silks. Even if merchants are summoned to gather and purchase them, it is difficult to replenish them in a timely manner"

To pave the way for one's own governance, it is essential to preserve the Eastern Depot and the Jinyiwei

As soon as a mouthful of crystal rice was consumed, Zhu Yijun's eyes lit up, the flavor was unexpectedly delightful, at this moment, the rice was entirely unlike the deliciousness that hybrid rice could offer

Having finished eating, Zhu Yijun slumped in his chair. Noticing his mother staring at him, he felt somewhat embarrassed and said: "Mother, I was very hungry today, and I apologize for my rudeness. I will not do this again next time"

"The Eastern Factory cannot be given to Feng Bao." Zhu Yijun set a small goal for himself, but this small goal seems difficult to achieve! After all, Feng Bao has the support of Zhang Juzheng outside, and his own mother supports him inside the palace

During the Wanli era, there were attempts to manipulate the elevation and demotion of officials, aiming to create divisions within the scholar-official class. Unfortunately, the scholar-officials were not deceived, and no one stepped forward to act as his pawn, resulting in his retreat from court for twenty years.

Whether it was Yan Song or Xu Jie, both were wealthy prime ministers, and the spoils from their families were quite substantial. In order to recover the wedding expenses for her beloved son, this lady, who came from a peasant background and once held Zhang Juzheng in high regard, surprisingly agreed.

The army is capable of battle, but it requires Zhang Juzheng to organize and prepare first, only then will it possess the strength to fight and win the three major campaigns

The desire to reclaim power has still not been successful. Since the reign of Wanli, the struggle for power between the imperial authority of the Ming Dynasty and the scholar-official class has never ceased. One could even say that this struggle began even earlier, tracing back to the Chenghua period.

The result was that the confiscation yielded only a few tens of thousands of taels of silver, far less than one-tenth of Yan Song's wealth, which was simply insufficient for her son's needs

The chubby Zhu Yiliao was naturally unaware that he had already caught the attention of his unscrupulous brother, and he even ran up to Zhu Yijun to greet him.

The Emperor's absence from court naturally emboldened the scholar-officials, and since the reign of Emperor Wanli, the decline of the Ming Dynasty accelerated as if it were on a highway. It was not until that carpenter emperor began to appoint Wei Zhongxian that some power was wrested back from the hands of the civil officials.

The Eastern Depot cannot be handed over! After pondering for a long time while lying in bed, Zhu Yijun reached this conclusion

Due to the屯田 system, many military generals have become large landowners in the local areas. Moreover, they are no longer effective in their original profession of warfare, let alone in other matters.

Today's soup is sweet and sour soup, and it tastes exceptionally good. The palace maid is attending to the side, and the timing for refilling the soup is just right; this is truly the enjoyment of an emperor. The staple foods are eight-treasure steamed buns and crystal rice.

Due to the period of mourning for the great emperor, one should not think of consuming meat. The mourning lasts for forty-nine days, during which one must visit the coffin daily to weep at the tomb, refrain from eating meat and drinking alcohol, avoid the company of women, abstain from music, and wear mourning attire. Although Zhu Yijun was mentally prepared, his ten-year-old body still found it somewhat difficult to endure.

Holding something in hand gives a sense of security; this is the true thought of Zhu Yijun

The emperor who seeks to seize power can only shift the battlefield to a place where he can take control, essentially involving the usurpation of the crown prince and the deposing of the empress. Historically, the most successful instance of deposing an empress was by Li Zhi, who replaced the crown prince with Wu, eliminating the noble faction led by Changsun Wuji and reclaiming his authority.

Zhang Juzheng's rise to prominence was an inevitable outcome of historical development, resulting from the expansion of the scholar-official class. Whether it was Yan Song, Xu Jie, or the later Gao Gong, and ultimately Zhang Juzheng, all were the results of the strengthening of the scholar-official group

After the Incident of the Walled City, the military was essentially rendered ineffective, the aristocratic factions were also finished, and the expansion of the civil officials' group became inevitable

Although Li, who comes from a farming family, has spent many years in the royal palace, she is still fundamentally that peasant girl, with the deeply ingrained belief that eating well leads to strong growth

Although he wanted to eat a little more, Zhu Yijun was only ten years old after all, and how much could he eat? After eating some, he could no longer eat any more