Chapter 157: The Horror of Foreign Countries! In the th Year of Jiajing, Yan Shifan's Sword!
February 16, the 44th year of the Jiajing reign.
The news that the Ming Dynasty destroyed Japan and changed the Japanese island into Yingzhou Prefecture has swept all the surrounding countries.
In addition, along with the merchant ships returning from Portugal that entered the port of Yingzhou Prefecture for trade, it began to slowly spread to overseas countries.
As for the overseas countries, they only knew about the powerful Ming Empire in the far east. It did not weaken, but became great again after the reigns of Yongle, Renzong and Xuanzong, and showed its sharp claws!
The Ming Dynasty naturally had no idea about the reactions of overseas countries to such a feat of directly destroying an entire country with lightning speed, but the surrounding small countries, such as Korea, Annan, Ryukyu and others, were horrified.
At this moment, everyone was silent.
Suddenly, too suddenly, they knew that Japan had been in civil strife before, but trade with major families was still retained.
In their view, the Ming Dynasty destroyed Japan without any warning and directly turned a country into a prefecture. Such strength could not help but make them vigilant and alarmed.
Maybe it will be their turn next!
In the palace of Seoul, Korea, the 31-year-old Joseon King Yi Huan sat solemnly on the throne, looking at the ministers below, with a gloomy look between his brows.
But behind the curtain behind him, there was nothing.
His mother, the Queen Mother, has been seriously ill for two months, and the royal doctors are trying their best to treat her. The funny thing is that he, the king and her own son, is not qualified to know about his mother's condition first.
(Note: The Queen Mother can be simply understood as the Queen Mother.)
Although she was his biological mother, Li Yan was not sad at the moment, because he had been a puppet emperor for eight years. The Li Dynasty was about to become the world of the surname Yin.
The culprit behind all this was his mother, Yin.
Thinking of this, a cold look appeared in Li He's eyes.
He looked down and saw Prime Minister Yoon Won-hyung, his mother's younger brother and his uncle.
(Note: The Joseon Dynasty's Ling Yi Zheng can be understood as the prime minister or the chief minister of the cabinet.)
"Your Majesty," an old man in his fifties with white hair and beard, wearing a scarlet official robe, stepped out from among the ministers and said, "The Ming Dynasty destroyed Japan and changed it to Yingzhou Prefecture. I think our dynasty should immediately send an envoy to the Ming Dynasty."
"First, it is to find out the situation. Second, it can strengthen the relationship between the two sides and prevent the Ming Dynasty from being dissatisfied with our dynasty..."
"Kim Yi-jeong!" Before the old man finished speaking, another old but powerful voice was heard.
Hearing the voice of the person who spoke, Li He on the throne had a cold look in his eyes and looked towards the old man who was the head of all officials. This man was none other than his uncle Yin Yuanheng!
At the same time, he is also the leader of the government with great power.
The person who spoke first was the Left State Councilor Kim Jong-hee, who was also the only person in the court who was clearly loyal to him.
(Note: Kim Jong-hee is a fictional character; the position of Left State Councillor can be regarded as something like a cabinet minister.)
"Please be careful with your words," Yin Yuanheng stepped out, his cold inverted triangle eyes squinting at the man who was against him, "It's true that our dynasty and the Ming Dynasty have a vassal relationship, but there's no need for you to be so servile!"
"So what if the Ming Dynasty is so powerful?"
"Can you still destroy my dynasty just because I didn't send envoys and slaves to flatter it the first time?"
"I hope you remember that our dynasty is on an equal footing with the Ming Dynasty. Don't always think about boosting their morale and destroying your own prestige!"
As he spoke, Yin Yuanheng raised his arms high, looked around domineeringly, and said: "The soldiers of our dynasty are not comparable to the Japanese. Some people had better remember which country they are from!"
As Yoon Won-hyung spoke, the ministers who supported him in the court responded one after another, and those who supported Kim Jung-hee could only swallow their anger. There was nothing they could do as the Yoon family was now too powerful for them to defeat.
At the same time, the most important thing is that Yin Yuanheng's tough attitude now makes them feel uneasy. Could it be that the Queen's condition has stabilized? That's why Yin Yuanheng is so arrogant?
The signals revealed in this forced them to treat it with caution, and even Kim Jong-hee frowned.
How could he not see that Yin Yuanheng's arrogance was actually a manifestation of a tough attitude.
After all, the Queen Mother has been seriously ill for two months, and the news conveyed by the royal physician is ambiguous and difficult to guess. These people are staunch supporters of the king, and they all want to take advantage of the Queen Mother's serious illness to help the king seize power and eliminate the foreign relatives in one fell swoop.
However, all of these are based on the premise that the Queen's illness is beyond cure, otherwise the king will still be a puppet.
Now that Yoon Won-hyung is so arrogant, could it be that the Queen Dowager has come through again?
For a moment, Kim Jong-hee's heart sank.
Soon, the original discussion about whether Korea should immediately send envoys to Ming to show goodwill after Ming conquered Japan turned into a test of power play in the court.
As for the Ming Dynasty? Well, it was forgotten in an instant.
However, neither Lee Hyeong on the throne, nor Yoon Won-hyeong and Kim Jung-hee who were fighting for power knew that a middle-aged guard outside the hall had heard everything Yoon Won-hyeong said.
A gleam of light flashed in the eyes of the middle-aged guard, and then he quietly withdrew and exchanged shifts with other guards. He returned to his own resting house and wrote furiously. It read:
"North Korea has rebellious intentions!"
Holding the note, the middle-aged guard went out, found a secret contact point, handed it to a businessman, and turned away.
When the businessman saw the contents of the note, a cold look appeared in his eyes and he left quickly.
Not long after, a well-trained falcon soared into the sky and headed straight towards the Ming Dynasty.
Be it Yoon Won-hyung, Lee Hyun, or Kim Jong-hee, no one knows that their power game will become so pale and powerless under real high pressure.
Within a month, all the foreign countries surrounding the Ming Dynasty began to take actions. Some sent envoys with rare treasures to the Ming Dynasty. Some decided to keep their troops in place, some took strict precautions, and some formed alliances with neighboring countries and were ready for battle.
As for the Mongolian tribes outside the northern border, long before the Ming Dynasty conferred the title of King of Shunyi on Yisiha Hala, the tribes on the grasslands had already gradually formed a new force under his leadership.
When he learned that the Ming Dynasty had destroyed Japan and completely pacified the Japanese pirates in the south, Yisiha Hala wrote directly to the Ming Dynasty and ordered all Mongolian tribes to withdraw from the Hetao area.
And they took the initiative to establish a defense line, indicating that the Mongolian tribes would never invade the border again, as a gesture of goodwill to the Ming Dynasty!
At this point, the long-standing issue of the ownership of the Hetao region between the Ming Dynasty and the various grassland tribes has become completely clear.
In the past, even when the Ming Dynasty was strong, the Hetao region nominally belonged to the Ming Dynasty, but it was still occupied by various Mongolian tribes and often harassed, and the Ming Dynasty could do nothing about it.
It can only occupy the title of affiliation, but the actual control is extremely weak.
Now, when people learned that the Ming Dynasty had crossed the sea and destroyed a country, they panicked, especially the foreign ethnic minorities in the inland areas.
The Ming Dynasty was able to destroy Japan, which was not weak to them, across the sea. Then wouldn't the Ming Dynasty's kingly army be even more invincible inland? If they really fought with them, I'm afraid they would follow in Japan's footsteps and be destroyed in an instant?
Especially after hearing about some of the policies Yan Shifan implemented towards the Japanese, these foreign ethnic groups were all horrified.
The Ming Dynasty seemed to have changed in their eyes.
It is no longer the Ming Dynasty that always preaches the kingly way of education, but has become an extremely domineering dragon. If anyone dares to anger the dragon's whiskers, he will be suppressed by thunder!
On June 18, the 44th year of the Jiajing reign, it rained heavily.
Inside Yuxi Palace, Yan Shifan held the memorial in his hand and said loudly:
"The leader of the Mongolian Harahuite tribe, Yisiha Hara, reported that all the Mongolian tribes have made a unanimous decision to erect a boundary marker on the border of Yinshan Mountain and never set foot in the Hetao area..."
Hearing this, Jiajing changed his sitting position on the throne and rubbed the dragon head armrest with his fingers comfortably.
The people in the cabinet and the Imperial Household Department below were quietly listening to Yan Shifan's report on the reactions of various countries.
"Annan, Namo, Houli, Champa, Longping and other four places have sent envoys to pay tribute..." At this point, Yan Shifan paused, looked at everyone and continued: "Siam, Ryukyu, Jurchen tribes, Champa and other places have all sent envoys to pay tribute..."
After saying this, Yan Shifan closed the memorial and said loudly:
"No one is more wise and virtuous than the Emperor! With one war to destroy the country, our Ming Dynasty will once again return to the days of Emperor Chengzu, the Yongle era, the prosperous era when all nations and foreign countries submit to us. Our Lord is wise and virtuous!"
Following Yan Shifan's loud shout, all the ministers knelt on the ground and bowed loudly to Jiajing.
Taking the memorial presented by the Ministry of Rites from Lu Fang, Jiajing took a quick glance at it and understood everything, then nodded with satisfaction.
"Everyone, stand up," Jiajing said, raising his hand to signal everyone to stand up. "Tell us what you think about these foreign countries?" As he spoke, he handed the memorial to Lu Fang.
"Your Majesty, the pacification of Yingzhou Prefecture has made these foreign countries fearful, so they are so active in paying tribute." Yan Shifan was naturally responsible for this matter. "Before that, our Ming Dynasty was busy with internal affairs, and natural disasters and man-made disasters continued. We had no time to worry about them, and the tributes from these foreign countries were getting less and less every year."
"Now that they have seen the Ming Dynasty destroy a country in one battle and show their might, they have taken the initiative to come and pay tribute. I heard from the Ministry of Rites that all the gifts are rare treasures. This just proves that they were not sincere in the past."
"How contemptuous of my Ming Dynasty!"
Hearing what Yan Shifan said, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng and others in the cabinet raised their eyebrows. They knew what Yan Shifan, the madman, was going to say next.
As expected, Yan Shifan said directly: "I think these foreign countries should all be destroyed!"
"Especially North Korea!" When talking about North Korea, everyone's face became serious.
Previously, they knew all the secret reports sent back by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, that North Korea actually had rebellious intentions!
When other countries heard that the Ming Dynasty would be destroyed in one battle, they all remained silent and offered their best tributes in the hope that the Ming Dynasty would not mobilize troops against them. However, Korea dared to rebel.
The Li Dynasty is so brave!
Of course, the Imperial Guards only sent back a few words, saying that North Korea had rebellious intentions, but they didn't say the specific reason. However, everyone present tacitly agreed not to delve into the reasons behind it.
For the Ming Dynasty, the surrounding countries have long been part of its territory.
Perhaps it won't be like the pacification of Yingzhou Prefecture, where the country will be destroyed and the race will be exterminated, but those territories must definitely be incorporated into the Ming Dynasty.
However, it is still early. We have just pacified Yingzhou Prefecture, and the land reform of the Ming Dynasty has not yet been completed. This period requires a period of digestion, and there is no rush to start a national war again.
However, not rushing to start a national war does not mean that the future of various states and foreign countries cannot be arranged in advance.
"Annan is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty," Yan Song slowly said, continuing Yan Shifan's words. Everyone looked at him. "Annan was already a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty during the Yongle period."
"Now Annan is in civil strife. As the suzerain of the Ming Dynasty, I should help them clean up their internal affairs and bring peace to their people."
After hearing these words, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng and others were quite disdainful and despised Yan Song's shamelessness.
To help the world and bring peace to the people? Isn't it just coveting other people's land? It's so high-sounding.
But it is also true that only the Yan Party can do this kind of dirty work.
They are the clean stream and the dignity of the Ming Dynasty. Such words must never be said, otherwise who will maintain the dignity of the Xian Dynasty?
"As for Joseon, it has already shown signs of rebellion, and I heard that Li He is just a puppet emperor," Yan Song said in a submissive tone, "with the interference of foreign relatives in government affairs, the Joseon Dynasty is already in name only."
"As the suzerain state, the people of Korea can also be regarded as the people of our Ming Dynasty. We should help the world and bring peace to the people..."
"The Jurchen tribes are just scattered soldiers and can be destroyed in a snap. The rest, such as Ryukyu, Siam, Champa, etc., are all overseas, so there is no need to rush."
"We can first clean up the surrounding foreign countries, then send troops overseas, and finally make the Mongolian tribes surrender..." Yan Song spoke slowly, but every word was full of calculation and greed.
It gives people the feeling that every piece of land can be eaten.
To Jiajing's ears, it sounded like drinking sweet wine.
However, the Ming Dynasty is now full, and the most important thing is digestion. After completing the second phase of land reform, the cultivation of spiritual fields can be gradually carried out.
As for the foreign countries surrounding the Ming Dynasty, they will become nothing more than food on the table sooner or later, so there is no need to rush.
When the Ming Dynasty completed the second stage of land reform and the third and fourth stages began, it was a direct sweep.
At that time, the only thing the Ming Dynasty needed to consider was its dignity as an immortal dynasty, which was also a reason to start a national war.
"Okay," Jiajing waved his hand, thinking of this, "Let's not rush the matter of Korea. The land reform has been going on for a year and a half, right? How is the national policy of concentrating land and reducing clans being implemented?"
Jiajing turned his gaze to Zhao Zhenji.
"Your Majesty," Zhao Zhenji stepped forward, bowed, and said respectfully, "It is expected that the national policy of 'concentrating land and reducing clans' will be officially implemented in the early part of the 45th year of Jiajing."
“It is expected that by the end of the 45th year of Jiajing, the second phase of land reform will be officially launched.”
Hearing this, a gleam of light flashed in Jiajing's eyes.
Zhao Zhenji's approach was indeed good. It took three years to solve the potential problems in the second phase of land reform, and then the transition to the formal start could be smooth.
At that time, the land will be returned to the imperial court and distributed according to the number of people. The population of our Ming Dynasty will explode in a short period of time.
Then there is the increase in national strength, and my own cultivation speed will probably be accelerated in a short period of time!
Before, as soon as Japan was destroyed and officially renamed Yingzhou Prefecture, an island appeared next to his natal Ming Dynasty in his sea of consciousness, and he could control everything on the island.
Different from what was originally introduced in the 'Emperor's Classic', any territory that was conquered and incorporated into the territory did not need to be sealed with the imperial seal. The territory sealed with the imperial seal was similar to that of vassal states such as Korea.
However, Jiajing was too lazy to go through so much trouble. At least he didn't want to confer titles on any country on Earth. What he wanted was the entire world.
The earth is too small!
"How is the implementation of the eight policies for currency reform going?" Jiajing asked again.
After all, the currency reform was also supervised by the Ministry of Revenue, and Zhao Zhenji also served as the head of the Ministry of Revenue, so he naturally knew these things best.
"Your Majesty, in the southern and northern Zhili, Hu Guang and other large areas, the use of silver to replace copper coins has basically been completed."
"However, some small places, such as some remote counties, still need the court to send more people to supervise the work, and it can be fully completed by the 45th year of Jiajing." Zhao Zhenji's words were a bit conservative. As he spoke, his tone became cautious.
After all, before the emperor went into seclusion, that is, in the 41st year of Jiajing, he asked them to complete the currency reform before the 44th year of Jiajing, and gave them three years.
Now he actually said that it would take until the 45th year of Jiajing, which actually constitutes the responsibility of failing to do the job well.
Hearing Zhao Zhenji say that they had to wait until the 45th year of Jiajing, Jiajing frowned slightly, "The currency reform was completed in the 44th year of Jiajing, and the second phase of the land reform officially began in the 45th year of Jiajing."
"It took the people a year to adapt. Now the two are running simultaneously, and there is a lack of buffer time. Zhao Qing..." Jiajing said calmly, "You are not doing a good job."
"Your Majesty," Yan Shifan stood up and said loudly, "I ask that Zhao Zhenji be punished for his negligence and failure to defend the city!"
"In fact, as early as the 42nd year of the Jiajing reign, a large amount of silver from overseas countries had already flowed into our Ming Dynasty. Now it seems that by the 44th year of the Jiajing reign, even more silver will flow in."
"There is a large amount of silver in the entire Yingzhou. If this silver flows into the Ming Dynasty, and if silver from overseas countries also flows in, if the currency reform cannot be completed at that time, it will cause irreversible damage to the finances and people's livelihood of our Ming Dynasty."
"Thanks to the wise emperor who protected the Ming Dynasty, we recovered Yingzhou Prefecture ahead of schedule, blocked Yingzhou's trade routes with overseas countries such as Portugal, and controlled the speed of silver inflow."
"Otherwise," Yan Shifan said, with a sneer in his eyes, "if it had been delayed until now, the consequences would have been disastrous!"
At this moment, Yan Shifan felt a little bit of evil. He had previously implemented a plan to destroy the Japanese nation and their race, and these bastards had often targeted him openly and covertly.
If I had not advocated the destruction of Japan in the first place, how would the Ming Dynasty respond to the influx of silver and the failure to complete the currency reform?
What a bunch of beasts. Not only do they not know how to be grateful, but they also often mock and ridicule me and regard me as their mortal enemy. They deserve to die!
"Plop!" As Yan Shifan's words fell, Zhao Zhenji's heart suddenly panicked, and he knelt directly on the ground, saying loudly: "I ask the emperor to punish me for my incompetence!"
Zhao Zhenji felt guilty at this moment.
The emperor had just secretly awarded him magical powers, but he couldn't even handle such a small matter, and it was delayed for a whole year.
Hearing the dissatisfaction in the emperor's tone and Yan Shifan's sarcasm, he immediately knelt down and apologized.
Although Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng were angry at Yan Shifan for taking advantage of their misfortune, they did not dare to plead for mercy at this time.
Zhao Zhenji did delay it for a year, and although Yan Shifan was suspected of taking advantage of the situation, what he said was not unreasonable. If Japan had not been destroyed, the currency reform would not have been completed.
At that time, what impact would the influx of a large amount of silver have on the Ming Dynasty? You must know that at this time, land reform has reached a critical time, and multiple problems have come one after another. What will be the consequences?
It's simply unimaginable, but fortunately the emperor has a far-reaching plan.
Japan was destroyed, and although it was delayed for a year, it was also parallel to the second phase of land reform. Although it was rushed and did not leave time for the people to adapt, it was still smooth sailing.
But this crime is real!
Next, it depends on how the emperor will deal with it.
"From the end of the 39th year of Jiajing to the middle of the 44th year of Jiajing, four years have passed..." Jiajing said as he stood up from the throne, walked to the door with his hands behind his back, and Prince Yu, Prince Jing, as well as people from the cabinet and the Imperial Household Department hurriedly followed.
Jiajing looked at the sky which was already drizzling, sniffed the moist scent of the soil in the air, and said slowly: "In the past four years, we have changed rice crops to mulberry trees, stationed troops to promote agriculture, and then rectified the administration of officials, concentrated land and eliminated clans."
"First, pacify Mongolia, then take Yingzhou, complete the first stage of land reform, and implement the second stage of land reform." "This step is indeed very fast..." Jiajing's face widened slightly, and he turned around and looked at Zhao Zhenji who was kneeling on the ground, "Get up, I know how difficult it is."
After hearing that the emperor had no intention of punishing him, Zhao Zhenji felt a sudden pang of sadness in his nose and a warm feeling in his heart.
At this moment, he felt for the first time a trace of warmth between the monarch and his subjects from his greedy and selfish emperor.
But just this little bit made him inexplicably moved. The emperor not only rewarded him with magic in secret, but also did not pursue his mistakes, which made him feel ashamed and moved.
"Your Majesty, thank you very much!" Zhao Zhenji kowtowed heavily and stood up.
"Do you remember what I said when I stood here in the 40th year of Jiajing?" Jiajing looked at everyone, "I said, Ao Ying's "Donggu Zuiyan" said that the dignity of our country is beyond the ancient times. We control the northern barbarians and the western tribes. We don't have the marriage of Han, the alliance of Tang, the annual tribute of Song, and we don't have the etiquette of brothers and enemies."
"Four years," Jiajing smiled and held up four fingers. "In four years, we have accomplished all this!"
"Today's Ming Dynasty has truly achieved the supreme national power," Jiajing said with high spirits and heroic words, "one war to destroy a country, all foreign countries are terrified and tremble with fear to pay tribute!"
"We are so far ahead of the ancients that we can regard other nations as pawns in our hands and food on our plates! Then who can compare with those in the Qin, Han, Tang and Song dynasties?" Jiajing said, raising his arms, looking at his ministers and questioning them in a domineering manner.
At this moment, all the ministers were suddenly shocked and felt their blood boiling!
Yes! Who can compare with the Ming Dynasty, Qin, Han, Tang and Song Dynasty now?
"Under this heaven, wherever the sun and moon shine, there is always great brightness, and not only that!" Jiajing said, and at this moment, his greed and ambition were revealed to his ministers for the first time, "and there is also the sky full of stars and the sea!"
"They will all be incorporated into the territory of our Ming Dynasty!"
"In the universe, the laws of the Ming Dynasty are respected everywhere. How magnificent is that country?"
Listening to Jiajing's bold words, whether it was old foxes like Yan Song or Xu Jie, or people like Prince Yu and Prince Jing, all of them revealed desire in their eyes.
Looking forward to that day!
Of course, everyone present was a very shrewd person. The reason why they were so excited by these words was mainly because they knew that it was not difficult for Daming to accomplish all this as long as they proceeded step by step according to the plan.
They will all be able to see the day when the Great Ming Dynasty is established, steps into the sea of stars, and dominates the world!
And all of them are witnesses!
Such a great immortal dynasty is like a giant ship, and they, the ministers in the cabinet, are the helmsmen.
Their ideas on governing the country affect the future of the Immortal Dynasty. So how can they not be excited?
The Ming Dynasty is their work. How proud they are to see such a great dynasty growing under their hands?
Leave a name in history? No, it’s too small, the pattern is too small!
What they want is eternal immortality!
……
Time flies by.
After the Ming Dynasty recaptured Yingzhou Prefecture, it began to complete the second phase of currency reform and land reform step by step.
As for Jiajing? After the Ming Dynasty regained stability, he plunged into the world of immortal cultivation again.
Next, the Ming Dynasty only needs to develop step by step, and the national strength will grow steadily. It is time for him to make another breakthrough.
After all, his ultimate goal in developing his natal object, Daming, was to benefit his natal object and let his natal object benefit his own cultivation.
He had a hunch that in the next few years, his cultivation speed would become faster and faster, and it might not be difficult to break through to the late stage of foundation building within three to five years.
In addition, he also needs to enter the world of immortal cultivation and make advance arrangements. After all, the spiritual land of Daming needs to continue to be developed. He needs to find some blessed places or find an opportunity to get a spiritual vein.
……
Early 45th year of the Jiajing reign.
The currency reform was fully completed, and the Ming Dynasty officially bid farewell to the era when silver was the mainstream trading currency.
……
Late in the 45th year of the Jiajing reign.
In the second phase of land reform, potential problems were officially and completely eliminated, and the second phase of land reform officially began to be implemented.
……
The middle of the 46th year of the Jiajing reign.
The royal families in various places completed the recovery of land and began to report the land to the imperial court.
……
Late in the 46th year of the Jiajing reign.
Someone secretly reported to the court that the amount of land reported by the royal family to the court was incorrect, so the Inspectorate conducted a thorough investigation.
……
Late in the 47th year of the Jiajing reign.
After a year-long joint investigation by the Inspectorate, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the East and West Factories, it was revealed that several crimes committed by the royal family during the land reform were committed, including seizing people's land, forced purchases and sales, and oppressing the people.
Afterwards, the imperial court decided to confiscate all the land of the royal family and thoroughly investigate the guilty persons. Many royal family members were liquidated and demoted to commoners.
……
The tenth day of the tenth month in the forty-seventh year of the Jiajing reign.
The imperial court officially announced to the world that the ancestral system would be abolished and that the royal family would no longer be supported. All royal family members must be self-reliant and can serve in the court or engage in business. Local officials are not allowed to be partial to them.
At this point, the issue of the Ming Dynasty royal family has been officially resolved!
……
November 20th, the 47th year of the Jiajing reign.
The imperial court distributed land to the people based on the number of people, while taxes were still levied based on the amount of land.
(Note: See Chapter 142 for potential solutions to this problem.)
At this point, the enthusiasm of the people for farming reached an unprecedented level, and what followed was a surge in population!
After all, the larger the population, the more land is allocated.
Apart from the taxes paid to the court, the rest was theirs, and the court also promised not to increase taxes.
……
At the end of the forty-seventh year of Jiajing.
Outside the West Garden, it was snowing heavily. A group of clear-minded people, including Xu Jie, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, Zhao Zhenji and others, were waiting early.
On the other side were the three new military honorees who had entered the cabinet.
The three people were Hu Zongxian, Wang Chonggu and Yu Dayou, new upstarts in the court.
Yan Song, Yan Shifan, Prince Yu and Prince Jing had not arrived yet, so everyone was naturally waiting in silence.
It is worth mentioning that within three years, the cultivation of all those who have obtained immortal skills has improved and broken through.
The first one is Lu Fang, whose cultivation has broken through to the second level of Qi training. Lu Bing is almost the same, and is a latecomer.
However, there are differences between people at the same level. In terms of foundation and accumulation, Lu Fang is ultimately faster than Lu Bing.
Then came Prince Yu and Prince Jing. Although they were still at the first level of Qi training, they were almost about to break through to the second level.
As for Yan Song, Yan Shifan, Xu Jie, and Zhao Zhenji who had been hiding, they had also made a breakthrough and reached the first level of Qi training, officially entering the ranks of immortal cultivators.
As for Hu Zongxian, Wang Chonggu and Yu Dayou, they entered the cabinet relatively late and had not yet been granted immortal magic and spiritual fields, let alone official titles.
However, the three of them already knew a lot, and they were secretly looking forward to the emperor coming out of seclusion to bestow rewards on them.
"You're really putting on airs!" Gao Gong snorted coldly, "You make so many of us wait every time!" Everyone could naturally hear that he was expressing his dissatisfaction with Yan Song and his son.
"Your Majesty has been in seclusion for three years. I wonder to what extent his cultivation will reach?" At this time, Zhang Juzheng stroked his beard and looked at the heavy snow with envy and expectation in his eyes.
In the current cabinet, except for Hu Zongxian and three others who had just joined the cabinet, there were only three old men left: him, Gao Gong and Zhao Zhenji. Although they had been given spiritual fields, they did not have any immortal magic after all.
In the past three years, the second phase of land reform has been completed, and it is time to settle the rewards. This time, it is also the turn of these old people to obtain the immortal law.
After all, Yan Song, Yan Shifan, Xu Ge Lao and his son Xu Fan, have all broken through to the first level of Qi training and became the second group of immortal cultivators in the Ming Dynasty after the emperor, Lu Fang and others.
It’s okay for the emperor, but God knows how complicated their hearts are when they see these people who were originally on the same starting line with them break through to the level of Qi training and become true immortal cultivators.
It would be a lie to say that I am not envious, jealous or hateful!
The possibility of the newcomer taking the lead is not very high, but he must not be overtaken by the three new cabinet members Hu Zongxian.
If they are left far behind after starting from the same starting line, where will these old cabinet ministers put their faces?
Therefore, both Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong were holding their breath.
As for Zhao Zhenji, he still quietly hid his cultivation, never showing it in front of the people in the cabinet, nor practicing his skills.
Therefore, apart from Lu Fang, no one knew that he was also a cultivator, and his cultivation was no less than that of Yan Song and others.
"Maybe the emperor has achieved a breakthrough to the golden elixir this time..." Zhao Zhenji suddenly said.
Jindan Stage! Hearing this realm, Xu Jie's eyelids twitched. He didn't even dare to think about this realm for the time being.
The more he came into contact with the cultivation of immortals, the deeper his understanding of the division of realms on the road of cultivation became.
"There is a huge chasm between each great realm," Xu Jie took a breath of cold air and said:
"Just from the first level of Qi training, I have broken through to the second level. I already feel that there is a long way to go. I still can't reach the barrier of the second level."
"How difficult is it to break through from the second level of Qi training to the third, fourth, or even ninth level?"
Hearing Xu Jie talking about his insights on the realm of spiritual practice, Zhang Juzheng, Gao Gong and Hu Zongxian nearby also pricked up their ears and listened attentively.
After all, this is experience in the realm of cultivation. Although they have not yet obtained the immortal method and have not started practicing, it does not prevent them from preparing in advance!
Knowing some experience in spiritual practice can help you avoid taking detours in the future.
There is no trivial matter in cultivating immortals, this is something everyone deeply agrees with!
"I heard from Eunuch Lu that when breaking through from the ninth level of Qi training to the foundation building stage, one needs a pill called 'foundation building pill' to assist, otherwise the chances of a successful breakthrough are almost zero."
When talking about the "Foundation Building Pill", Xu Jie's eyes showed a hint of desire and solemnity, and he said:
"Moreover, after building the foundation, the current immortal techniques are no longer useful. You must switch to techniques that match your own spiritual energy attributes." Speaking of spiritual energy attributes, Xu Jie couldn't help but sigh slightly and said:
"Except for Eunuch Lu and Lu Bing, even the two princes don't know what their spiritual attributes are..."
"This requires the Emperor to bestow something called the 'Birth Talisman' in order to detect it."
Foundation-building pills, natal talismans, and changing skills!
Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng and others were shocked by the sight of three things in a row that were essential for the subsequent path to immortality, and they quickly took note of them.
"I heard that after building the foundation, each realm on the road of cultivation is divided into three stages: early, middle and late." Xu Jie shook his head. He put aside the matters of the foundation-building pill, the natal talisman and the change of exercises, and began to tell everyone about the division of realms on the road of cultivation.
These were all what he learned from Lu Fang when he was in Lingtian Courtyard.
As for Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng and others, ever since their families were granted spiritual fields, they were no longer allowed to enter the spiritual field courtyard behind the Yuxi Palace to practice.
Naturally, I had less contact with Lu Fang, and I had no chance to learn about some of his experiences on the path of cultivation.
Zhao Zhenji was actually in a similar situation. He was granted the immortal power secretly, so it was not easy for him to enter Lingtian Courtyard openly. When Xu Jie mentioned this, he hurriedly wrote it down secretly.
"Although there are only three stages in the later stages, the breakthrough of each stage can be said to be as difficult as ascending to heaven." As he said this, Xu Jie sighed: "The emperor is a genius!"
"Three years have passed. I wonder if I can break through from foundation building to golden elixir..."
"Lord Xu, don't worry," Zhang Juzheng said, "The emperor is highly regarded by the immortals and is a natural genius. In three years, even if he can't break through to the Golden Core Stage, he will probably reach the late Foundation Establishment Stage!"
"As for the natal talisman, foundation-building pills and exercises," Zhang Juzheng smiled and said, "I think with the achievements of the past three years, the foundation-building pills and exercises may be far away, but the natal talisman..."
"I think the emperor will grant it. By then, Lord Xu will be able to know the attributes of his own spiritual energy."
Hearing what Zhang Juzheng said, Xu Jie also smiled.
What Zhang Juzheng said was right. During these three years, the population of the Ming Dynasty had skyrocketed, the treasury was full, and the army was strong. These achievements were enough for the emperor to grant him a 'natal talisman' to detect his spiritual properties.
"Here they come!" At this moment, Gao Gong suddenly spoke, and then he saw the sedan chair of Yan Song and his son coming from afar.
Seeing Yan Song and Yan Shifan coming, everyone calmed down.
When Hu Zongxian saw Yan Song being helped out of the sedan chair by Yan Shifan, he hurried forward to greet him.
"Ruzhen..." Seeing Hu Zongxian saluting him, Yan Song smiled and waved his hand, indicating that Yan Shifan did not need to support him, but instead extended his hand to Hu Zongxian, who quickly supported him.
Seeing this, Yan Shifan's face turned pale again, and he looked at Hu Zongxian with dissatisfaction.
"You are taking advantage of your age and seniority. You are only at the first level of Qi training and you still need help?" Gao Gong cursed in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, Xu Jie frowned slightly.
He always felt that Gao Gong's words were an insult to him as well.
After all, like Yan Song, he habitually showed an old and drowsy look. Didn't Gao Gong's words of taking advantage of his age also scold him?
However, Xu Jie quickly calmed down. He knew that Gao Gong's temper was like that and he was outspoken and his words were not directed at him.
If it were before, Gao Gong might really still be coveting, thinking of pulling him down and climbing up himself, but now that he has embarked on the path of cultivating immortals, Gao Gong is still a mortal.
The gap between them became larger and larger, so Gao Gong naturally posed no threat, and he was aware of this.
Therefore, he will not be disrespectful to himself.
Seeing this, Zhang Juzheng, who was standing by, quickly pulled Gao Gong, who was outspoken. After the latter realized that he had said the wrong thing, he immediately shut up.
After some greetings, Prince Yu and Prince Jing arrived soon, and then walked together towards the West Garden.
"Greetings, Your Highnesses." After seeing Prince Yu and Prince Jing, Lu Fang hurriedly came forward to greet them, then nodded slightly to Yan Song and the others, and continued:
"The master has not yet come out of seclusion, please wait patiently."
Upon hearing this, everyone naturally did not dare to say anything more. They lined up according to their seats and waited silently.
Gao Gong was standing next to Yan Shifan. Suddenly, the sharp-eyed Gao Gong saw something in Yan Shifan's sleeve. He vaguely saw that it seemed to be a memorial, and two words could be vaguely seen:
"innovation?"
What was being innovated? Gao Gong was very curious.
Of course, what he didn't know was that this was the sword that Yan Shifan had endured and prepared for three years!
A sharp sword to kill the Kong family!
"..."
Damn it, I supplemented the outline last night, and today I checked the historical materials of various countries to find the right entry point in the history line. After all, I will contact other countries in the world later. I procrastinated and still failed to reach 2 today. I will try again tomorrow~
(End of this chapter)
