As usual, Zhu Gaoxu was the first to leave the dining room. He was really not interested in the topics between the women.

When he walked out, night had completely fallen. A group of palace maids carrying lanterns came towards him, but Zhu Gaoxu suddenly stood beside the wooden railings in the corridor. So the followers also stayed in place.

The night is seductive - people. The lights of the lights of the lampstands and lanterns on the roadside are not very bright, and they can only reflect the outline of the building with the general colors; but the scenery seems more pure. Some irregular flaws around cannot be seen, but the elegant and hazy courtyard makes the night view of the palace look like a painting.

The weather is also very good, and the clear night sky brings a breeze. Zhu Gaoxu looked up at the sky and could see the stars in the sky.

At this moment, Zhu Gaoxu felt someone approaching, so he put away his gaze and turned to see Duan Xueheng coming. Duan Xueheng was also looking up at the sky. Under the vague light, her face looked very beautiful and fair.

"When you are often unable to speak during the party, do you feel uncomfortable?" Zhu Gaoxu asked casually.

"Yes, but it can be tolerated." Duan Xuehen also turned around. Her expression was not fluctuating, as if she was just saying something that had nothing to do with her. "It feels like I used to be hiding out at night and occasionally exposed to broad daylight."

Zhu Gaoxu nodded.

He said again: "I think the imperial concubine is very nice to you, you should be very close to you."

Duan Xueheng was silent for a moment and whispered: "Because she doesn't know the inside story, she is involved in Mu Bin's affairs."

Zhu Gaoxu frowned and said, "It's not your fault for that matter. Duan Yang also said before his death that she framed you."

Duan Xueheng looked at Zhu Gaoxu and said, "If it weren't for Mu Bin, if it were an irrelevant person, I wouldn't care anymore."

Zhu Gaoxu nodded and said, "I understand."

Sometimes people's feelings are really unreasonable. Duan Xuehen has always been reluctant to change his surname, perhaps because of the knot that he cannot completely let go. She may still be a little confused who it is.

She should have understood the truth that should be said. No matter how much Zhu Gaoxu persuaded him, it would be useless.

He said, "I think that even if everyone is polite or close to each other, they may not be very smooth and sincere in their hearts. It is not just you who are alone, it is difficult to be calm."

After hearing this, Duan Xueheng's eyes seemed to be much softer.

At this time, at the entrance of the hall, Mu Zhen, Madam Xu, and several palace maids walked out. Zhu Gaoxu and Duan Xueheng stopped talking.

People bowed to Zhu Gaoxu, and Mu Zhen said, "The Lord is still here."

Zhu Gaoxu smiled: "I am waiting for the imperial concubine to return to the palace together."

Mu Zhen showed a joyful expression, and her beautiful big eyes also became curved. Her smile was clean and beautiful, making people feel that the world had become much simpler.

She turned her head and looked at Duan Xueheng, and quickly looked Duan Xuehen up and down, and said lightly: "Miss Xu will be handed over to Depin's care."

Duan Xuehen nodded in agreement.

Madam Xu was a little embarrassed and said, "How dare I let the Imperial Concubine worry about it yourself?"

Mu Zhen said with a smile: "See you tomorrow."

"Give me a greeting to the emperor, the imperial concubine." said Madam Xu, who stood there with Duan Xueheng and saluted.

As the palace maids carrying lanterns were rushing and hugging, Zhu Gaoxu and Mu Zhen walked along the corridor toward the bedroom. After they turned a direction, Mu Zhen approached and gently supported Zhu Gaoxu's arm.

She whispered: "Debin has such a good figure. I used to think I was older and could be like her, but I didn't, hey."

Zhu Gaoxu smiled and said, "Each person has his own good, why bother comparing with others?"

But Mu Zhen didn't believe it, and asked quietly in his ear: "Does the emperor prefer to stand up?"

Zhu Gaoxu found that the palace maid who was leading the way on the lights seemed to have a little red ear, so he deliberately changed the topic. The two of them had one sentence, without a single sentence, and soon walked to the end of the corridor.

The lights inside the carved wooden doors are brighter, as if waiting for them. The night in early summer is slightly cool, the air is as comfortable as water, and the quiet and beautiful night is called for Zhu Gaoxu to look forward to it...

The night was short, but before dawn, Zhu Gaoxu got up.

After all the rituals in the morning, he left the Imperial Gate and arrived at the nearby Rouyi Hall, then began to read the memorials and meet all kinds of people in order to understand what was happening inside and outside the court.

The eunuch should have communicated with the memorial of the minister and the left envoy of the Guardian Secretary Hou Hai, and soon appeared on the imperial case. The content of the memorial was no different from Liu Ming's previous statement, and they were both the proposals of the reformists.

Zhu Gaoxu asked the eunuchs to send them to the cabinet, first go to the ministers to go through the process, and then prepare for the court decision. With the rules of the court at this time, the emperor's opinions are the decisive result once the major events arrive at the court discussion.

Qi Tai, the Minister of War, obviously expected this result. Before the matter was decided, Qi Tai came to Rouyi Hall to meet him and presented a complete set of strategies.

Qi Tai made suggestions and mainly deployed his third voyage to the West.

During the Yongle period, the huge naval fleet of the Ming Dynasty went to the West for the first time; but after the fleet returned, it encountered domestic turmoil, and the outbreak of the "Suppression Campaign" was inevitable. The voyage to the West was therefore shelved.

After the civil war, Zhu Gaoxu ascended the throne, and the court organized a second voyage to the West. The fleet sailed to the Persian coast and the Red Sea area before returning. Then the navy was mainly used for the pioneering war around the Ming Dynasty, and the voyage to the West was shelved to this day.

Qi Tai suggested taking the "third voyage to the West" as an opportunity to solve the problem in the south. The fleet does not have to travel far away from Persia and other places for the time being, but should stop in the Strait of Malacca. This can reduce the carrying of trade goods to transport more arms and supplies, and the officers and soldiers of the mainland division.

When the Ming army fleet arrives at Saigon Port, there is no need to discuss with the Zhenla royal family. The officers and soldiers find a place with tamsui, and can build fortifications, build fortresses, and docks. Then arrange sea routes from Songtaiwei (Pai Tengjiangkou) to Da Nang, and Da Nang to Saigon; in the early stage, the Ming army transported grain and fodder from Chameng State to ensure supply from Saigon Fort from the sea.

We don’t need to pay attention to the Siam Ayutthaya dynasty. It is because the sea route from the Ming Dynasty to Malacca does not need to pass through the coast of Siam.

After the naval fleet voyages to the West left Saigon, they went straight to Manchuka (the Sultanic Dynasty of Malacca); launched an attack on Manchuka capital, attacked and destroyed its countries, and shocked the countries. After the war, they selected ports with Tamsui to build forts, set up a Governor's Office, and manage all states outside the Southeast Peninsula.

Zhu Gaoxu almost fully agreed with Qi Tai's strategy. Therefore, it is slightly consistent with Zhu Gaoxu's first step, that is, to control all the sea surfaces of Shenzhou (Asia, originally written as Shengzhou, but later many people mistakenly turned into Shenzhou), and to formulate the order of maritime trade.

The court first cracked down on the forefront of the Ming Dynasty and maintained its military presence on the southern coast, so that the royal families of various countries could return to the negotiating table.

However, Zhu Gaoxu still had hidden worries in his heart for the decision to make this expedition.

The limitations of navigation technology greatly restricted the Ming army's ocean-going troops to send troops, increasing the cost of military use and consumption along the way; this once again made the expedition more dependent on technology. Because the number of troops sent was not large, they could only rely on technological leadership.

Then Zhu Gaoxu summoned Qian Xun from the Nan Office of the State Administration and Baihu Maokaishan from the Nan Office of the Iron Factory of the Nan Office.

When Zhu Gaoxu asked about the affairs of the Nan Office, his tone was obviously a little dissatisfied because almost all the things he asked the Nan Office to develop were ineffective.

The predecessor of the main firearm of the Ming army, the "Chunhan Gun", was called "Kaishan Gun". Maokaishan was originally a military craftsman and made great contributions to the improvement of the fire ropes of the firearms and wooden support. However, this person was always a craftsman and seemed to have played his ultimate talent. He has made no achievements in recent years.

Zhu Gaoxu also set up a fake courthouse and allocated a large amount of money and grain to the Nanshu Office to support their reforms; but the technology still stagnated. Zhu Gaoxu's own talent and knowledge in this area were very limited, so he could not do it himself.

Mao Kaishan trembled with a picture of the flintlock mechanism and bowed and said, "The biggest problem for me to make new muskets is that they cannot get angry stably. Most of the muskets they make cannot be fired."

Zhu Gaoxu patiently looked at the things on the picture, hoping to find out what the problem was.

There is a casting piece with a strange shape and a folded reed. Zhu Gaoxu looked at it for a long time and almost understood the principle of the structure.

After the reed jumps upwards, the direction of elastic force is changed through the iron casting; the iron casting also seems to assume the function of leverage, allowing the firing hammer to go downward, hitting the flint inside, creating sparks to ignite the ignition powder.

"What's the problem?" Zhu Gaoxu asked in confusion.

Mao Kaishan said: "Reply to the emperor, it may be because the mechanism is poorly constructed and the strength is often insufficient. Cast iron mechanisms and reeds are different. The reeds are forged into steel by forging. The reeds are different forged by each craftsman, and the reeds are different forged by the same craftsman twice.

There are also differences in this casting mechanism. The size must be ground after casting, but it is difficult to be completely the same. A small mistake will increase the difference in the direction and force of the hammer. I am trying to find ways to improve it."

Zhu Gaoxu thought that it might be that the structure of this lever is mainly due to the problem. But these technologies have exceeded his knowledge and he is not easy to command blindly, so he didn't say anything.

Qi Tai, who was standing by, was silent and had no objection to this. After all, ministers generally did not care about specific details. Many officials in the court even felt that if they did not speak at a deep and grand level, they would greatly affect their wisdom.
Chapter completed!