Chapter 171: Foreign Guest Reception Center

Some scholars rowed boats and discussed national affairs, while others entered the pleasure quarters, adding poetry with red sleeves. There were also scholars who anxiously waited, wasting their time.

The grading of examination papers often took fifteen to twenty days.

Fang Xiaoru, Yang Shiqi, Yao Guangxiao, and others had not left their examination quarters for twelve days. All their needs, including food and lodging, were managed within the quarters.

The Directorate of Ceremonial’s vice eunuch director, Wang Yue entered the quarters holding a waistplate. He addressed Fang Xiaoru and others, “The Emperor has sent me to inquire about the progress of the grading and if there are any difficulties.”

Yang Shiqi and Yao Guangxiao’s eyes lit up. In these days of selection, the most troublesome issue was this.

With over five thousand candidates, only three hundred would be chosen.

After grading the examination papers, three hundred individuals had already been selected. Now, in the final assessment of the remaining papers, if they discovered several outstanding articles or insights, it was necessary to replace some candidates.

After all, the initially determined quota was only three hundred.

However, any replacement decision would be met with controversy.

For the sake of a single quota, everyone argued incessantly, almost resorting to physical confrontations to settle the results, making the grading process extremely slow.

Now that the Emperor had appropriately expanded the number of candidates, it eased the burden on the two men. At least, they no longer needed to engage in excessive debates.

Fang Xiaoru furrowed his brows and inquired, “Regarding the appropriate addition, is there a specific number mentioned?”

Wang Yue shook his head slightly, saying, “The Emperor did not specify; he only mentioned that the three of you can decide.”

Fang Xiaoru thanked Wang Yue and arranged for someone to escort him out of the venue.

Yang Shiqi looked relaxed and pointed to the scrolls on the table, saying to Fang Xiaoru, “Since the Emperor has spoken, allow me and Master Yao to select twenty people from the concluded examination. What do you think?”

Fang Xiaoru nodded slightly and said, “Rewards for some, rejections for others—opinions may differ, and there is no conclusive answer. Now that there are allocated spots, I’ll trouble the two of you.”

Yang Shiqi nodded slightly and, together with Yao Guangxiao, began reviewing the concluded examination papers.

Due to the large number, the two couldn’t review them one by one. They selected two essays from the third round of the examination in classics and history for evaluation. If they found suitable ones, they would then extract their interpretations and make a comprehensive judgment.

In the Wuying Hall,

Zhu Yunwen listened to Wang Yue’s report, nodded in satisfaction, and said, “Arrange for someone to inform the venue to prepare a richer dinner. They have worked hard during these days.”

After Wang Yue agreed, he withdrew.

Zhu Yunwen reviewed the memorials. After Zheng He, Li Jinglong sent a more detailed battle report, not only detailing the process of the Penghu Sea Battle but also summarizing the situation at Yangjiang Shipyard.

In the past year, Li Jinglong had recruited over three hundred shipbuilders in Yangjiang, with over two thousand other personnel. They opened five makeshift shipyards, constructed three large Fu ships, five small Fu ships, and had five large Fu ships that were more than halfway completed. It could be considered a remarkable achievement.

What surprised Zhu Yunwen was that Li Jinglong did not request to return to the capital. Instead, he voluntarily requested to stay at Yangjiang Shipyard and guard the Guangdong coastline.

Just from this, Zhu Yunwen felt unexpectedly pleased.

Even the historically incompetent could understand responsibility and protection. Not only did he understand, but he also knew how to act.

Beyond the memorials, Li Jinglong reported a piece of news:

The envoy from the Kingdom of Srivijaya, Zheng Bo, would present a tribute to the capital.

Zhu Yunwen frowned and instructed Shuangxi to summon the Xie Jin, and the Minister of War, Ru Chang. After the two entered the court, Zhu Yunwen explained the matter of the Srivijaya envoy and asked, “Srivijaya King Liang Daoming sent Zheng Bo to enter capital, what are your thought about this?”

Ru Chang pondered for a moment and said, “Your Majesty, this matter is likely related to the Penghu Battle in May. Our Great Ming Navy, with its overwhelming momentum, swept away Chen Zuyi. Its prestige is widely known, and the countries in the South Seas are inevitably fearful. Liang Daoming has contributed to the Great Ming, and this envoy’s visit may be an attempt to test whether the court has intentions to move south.”

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly and looked at Xie Jin, saying, “Do you have a different opinion?”

Xie Jin remained silent for a moment, then raised his head and said, “Your Majesty, I have reviewed the intelligence from Guangzhou. Under Liang Daoming’s rule, Srivijaya has been constantly threatened by Majapahit and is always on the verge of being overthrown. Before Chen Zuyi’s retreat, Majapahit dared not venture deep into the waters of Srivijaya. However, after Chen Zuyi’s defeat and disappearance, Majapahit upon hearing the news, might turn to attack Srivijaya.”

“If that’s the case, Srivijaya’s envoy may not only be here to present tribute and establish friendship. I speculate that Srivijaya may request the court to send troops to the South Seas.”

Zhu Yunwen raised an eyebrow.

Ru Chang believed Srivijaya feared the Great Ming Navy moving south, threatening its survival.

Xie Jin believed Srivijaya requested the Great Ming Navy to move south to ensure its survival.

These were two completely different perspectives.

Seeing Zhu Yunwen in contemplation, Ru Chang said, “Your Majesty, if what Minister Xie said is true and Srivijaya is facing external threats, it is possible that Srivijaya is requesting military assistance.”

Strike while the iron is hot.

For barbarian states, this was the most common thing.

Ru Chang had limited knowledge of the South Seas, and his focus was often on the Three Camps and the Northern Mongolian tribes.

After pondering, Zhu Yunwen said, “Regardless of their intentions for now, Minister Ru, inform the Huitong Pavilion to make preparations for reception. Additionally, see if you can find a detailed map of the South Seas.”

The Huitong Pavilion was the imperial postal institution, subordinate to the Ministry of War.

You couldn’t just go there to send and receive express deliveries like a modern courier service, with options like express, regular, or same-city delivery.

Although it carried the name of the imperial postal institution, its main business was selling dog meat.

Of course, if the court needed it, they could send a few sheep heads.

The Huitong Pavilion was similar to a later-era state guesthouse, a place to receive foreign envoys.

A grand welcoming ceremony was a symbol of strength. If you claimed to be a great power but hadn’t seen two foreign guests in a hundred years, and the common people couldn’t come up with a new way of gossiping about the mountains, you couldn’t keep saying:

The Great Ming is so strong…

Repeating it too much would make it feel a bit inappropriate.

So, you had to present evidence.

A grand welcoming ceremony was evidence. Looking at those foreigners outside, everyone could lift their heads high and shout at them:

We are the subjects of the Great Ming, where are you from?

The Han Dynasty loved this kind of feeling of being high and mighty. After the opening of the Silk Road, the camels that had disappeared for many years in the Western Regions reappeared, crossing deserts with jingling bells, entering Chang’an.

They came from afar, and the Great Han couldn’t be too stingy. At the very least, they needed to arrange accommodation, take care of their meals and lodging.

So, the initial reception venue was the Hongluo Temple.

During the Han and Tang Dynasties, the reception venue operated normally, with good business.

But when it came to the Southern Song Dynasty, there was no business…

The country had become fragmented, and there were no longer tributes from other nations.

Hongluo Temple lost its source of income and became unemployed.

The Southern Song Dynasty abolished Hongluo Temple, purely because there was no business.

The Jin and Yuan Dynasties didn’t establish Hongluo Temple, probably because they considered themselves outsiders. Setting up Hongluo Temple would serve as a constant reminder of their outsider status, leading to resentment. Therefore, they also didn’t establish Hongluo Temple.

The Yuan Dynasty had a vast territory, but there were not many vassal states that came. Well, that couldn’t be helped; the countries that could send envoys on horseback were mostly wiped out. If they couldn’t be wiped out, they were either across the sea or behind mountains, making it difficult for them to come.

However, the Yuan Dynasty still had some foreign residents, like Marco Polo.

To accommodate guests, the Yuan Dynasty established the Huitong Pavilion under the Ministry of Rites.

In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang restored Hongluo Temple, specializing in court rituals.

In simple terms, the officials of Hongluo Temple were responsible for observing the court. They would see which civil and military officials hadn’t washed their faces, hadn’t combed their hair, if anyone’s clothing was disheveled after just finishing work, and if there were civil officials chatting with military officials or fights breaking out between the two.

At this time, Hongluo Temple did not handle the reception of foreign guests. The responsibility for receiving foreign guests fell on the Huitong Pavilion under the Ministry of War.

Outside the Huitong Pavilion, there was often set up a Siyi Pavilion.

You couldn’t just claim kinship with foreigners; that was where the translators lived. Although the Ming Dynasty didn’t have an English proficiency exam like the modern HSK, they still needed experts in small languages.

Did you think envoys were all experts in the Chinese language?

Moreover, the emperor couldn’t understand languages like “oui” and “si,” so they needed translators.

Take care of the guests properly before negotiating anything.

Zhu Yunwen, although not yet clear about the intentions of the Srivijaya envoys, has been informed through Li Jinglong’s report that they have been heading north with a fleet for some time. The time for their arrival in the capital should not be too far off.

“Your Majesty, Duke of Cao and the generals have been toiling outside for nearly a year. Should they be rotated and allowed to return to the capital for a period of rest?” Ru Chang asked.

After some thought, Zhu Yunwen said to Xie Jin, “Draft an imperial decree praising Duke Cao and others for their achievements. Instruct them that if they wish to return to the capital, they can do so in batches, but the Yangjiang Shipyard and coastal defense must be properly arranged. Although Li Jinglong wants to stay in Guangdong for a long time, the soldiers also long to return home. It’s time to let them reunite with their families.”

Xie Jin smiled and agreed, “Your Majesty is wise.”

Zhu Yunwen waved his hand and asked Ru Chang, “How is the training of the Three Great Camps going? Is there any progress?”

Ru Chang, seeing that the inquiry was about the Three Great Camps, showed a hint of confidence in his eyes and said, “Your Majesty, the training of the Three Great Camps is progressing, and daily drills have entered a regular routine. However, to see results, it may take more than a day.”

Zhu Yunwen sighed, “I understand. The path to a strong military requires several years of effort. It’s just that I hope for a strong army to protect the empire and its people.”

“We will do our best to forge a new army,” Ru Chang said solemnly.

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly and said, “The Beiping Commander Ping An reports that the trading of garrison land are nearing completion. The silver obtained is being counted and boxed, and it will be sent to the capital soon. Based on their reports, the profits from the trade are substantial. I plan to abolish the entire North Zhili region’s garrisons next year and focus on selling the garrison land. What do you think?”

Ru Chang cautiously said, “Your Majesty, the profits from selling garrison land seem promising. However, the current issues are not yet clear. Would it be prudent to delay this for another two years?”

Zhu Yunwen insisted, “The so-called issues are only two points: who will guard the abandoned garrisons, and who will support the lost farmland. I have already explained the funding issue; the proceeds from selling the garrison land will be sufficient for three years. After three years, the army will be supported by taxes.”

“As for guarding the garrisons, I propose expanding the the new army policy, making it widely known to the people. Recruits will be enlisted through a selection process, choosing brave, trainable, and young individuals. After one year of service, those who perform well will enjoy the benefits of the new army policy, while those who don’t will be sent back to their hometowns. What do you think?”

Xie Jin’s eyes lit up, “Your Majesty intends to change the hereditary system of military service to a conscription system?”

Zhu Yunwen nodded, “From a perspective of combat effectiveness, a conscription system seems more suitable.”

Ru Chang frowned and said solemnly, “Your Majesty, the drawbacks of conscription are significant, and it should not be introduced lightly. The previous Song Dynasty conscripted a million soldiers, but they were not capable in battle. Opening conscription again may not serve the purpose of strengthening our mighty Ming army. I earnestly request Your Majesty to think twice!”