First Prince of Ming Dynasty

  Chapter 503 Divine Horse

After teasing before, it's time for the main course. Ming Sheng accompanied Zhu Biao into the Imperial Horse Prison, and Zhu Biao's eyes from afar were attracted by an extremely tall and strong white horse. No Bole is needed, as long as it has eyes. One can tell at a glance that this is a divine horse.

   It is so eye-catching and very handsome, even in the Imperial Horse Supervisor of Daming, even among the many famous BMW horses, it is like standing out from the crowd, with its high and agile head vigilantly watching the coming people.

All the horses of the horse supervisor were locked in the manger. At this time, there were only ten horses in the field, all of different colors neighing continuously, and nine of them were on the saddle. Only the middle one was surrounded by a group of attendants. Carefully appease in the middle.

  The horse raised its hooves and roared when it saw many people coming, and all the horses in the entire imperial horse prison fell silent. The horses around it bowed their heads and fled in all directions regardless of the pull of others.

Tens of thousands of horses are fighting for it, but they can't get close to it. They stand up and roar when they are close. They are so majestic and powerful. Even Zhu Biao can't help but click his tongue in this scene. The officials of the Yumajian are all the same. dumbfounded.

Zhu Biao has never been a person who loves horses very much. There are many royal horses in the palace, and Koryo, Mongolia and other places have high-quality horses as tribute every year, but he is too lazy to take a look, but at this moment he can't help it. My heart is moved, it should be said that any man would want to conquer such a steed.

Seeing this, Ming Sheng's uncle finally breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully said: "His Royal Highness, this horse was born in the winter of the first year of Hongwu, and it was born in the Yanglongkeng in the two mountains. , opening and closing the spiritual energy, and the dragon is really hidden under it."

  "When the spring begins to be peaceful and the things are smooth, the natives stand by the willow pit, and whoever chooses the virgin mare will tie it...they will get a dragon foal!"

  The so-called Yanglongkeng was the Gongzhou land affiliated to the Shuidong Song family in the Tang and Song Dynasties. It was occupied by the Shuixi Tusi in the Yuan Dynasty.

  Zhu Biao couldn't help asking: "This horse is very tall, how about it?"

"The body is ten to one chi long, the head is nine chi high, the tail is two chi taller than the head, and the flesh protrudes below the neck, about five centimeters thick and three inches wide, running through the abdomen and ending at the tail. "

It is too high. What is the concept of a foot in the Ming Dynasty? It is about 31 centimeters in later generations. This horse is nearly three and a half meters long and nearly two meters high. It really does not look like a human horse. The other horses are beside it. Just like a foal.

Zhu Biao has also remembered that this horse is also famous in history. It is the same famous Feiyue Peak as the lion Congzhao Yebai's Lu Jueying. Wrote "Yanglongkeng Feiyuefeng Tianma Song".

From all these, we can know how amazing this horse is. Zhu Biao turned his head and said to Liu Jin who had just rushed back: "Go and ask the sage to come over. This heroic thing descended from heaven, and it will be offered after Guiyi waiting. People are safe."

Liu Jin immediately retreated as soon as he made a promise, and the Ming family at the side were overjoyed. They had prepared so carefully for so long. If the Holy Majesty also readily accepted it, then it would be difficult to target them both emotionally and rationally, and the Ming family could truly thrive in Daming. up.

  Zhu Biao couldn't help talking with Ming Sheng beside him: "I'm afraid such horses are not common, right?"

Ming Sheng also replied solemnly: "There have been many famous horses in Yanglongkeng since ancient times, that is, Shuixi horses, but the average Shuixi horses are only three and a half feet tall. Such a steed is probably rare in hundreds of years. Yu, it is rumored that this horse was extremely extraordinary when it was born, and Shuixi chieftain presented it as a gift..."

   What Zhu Biao asked later was not about horses, but about the situation of the chieftains in Guizhou. The Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties in Guizhou were governed by chieftains, and they were self-governing.

  Although the Xia Kingdom has surrendered, the chieftain of Guizhou still has no intention of completely surrendering to Ming Dynasty. He is still bargaining constantly, hoping to maintain his own self-government and self-reliance, and even has the intention of forming an alliance with Yunnan King Liang to resist Ming Dynasty.

  The four major chieftain families have different ideas. The imperial court sent Liu Bowen to Bashu and left Tang He to guard it in order to further put pressure on the chieftains in Guizhou.

  The situation in Guizhou is complicated. In addition to the four major chieftains, there are hundreds of large and small chieftains. In addition to the chieftains, there are countless ethnic minorities who have set up villages to protect themselves. The ethnic composition is complex and the forces of various ethnic groups often fight each other because of interests.

  It was quite xenophobic there. Daming sent a lot of spies there, and nine times out of ten they never returned. It was a common thing for village chieftains to kill and loot goods. Under various conditions, Daming didn't get much information.

However, Guizhou has been an important passage from the Central Plains and the Lianghu region to the southwest region and the Indochina Peninsula since ancient times. Whether it is a business envoy or an army, if they want to go south to Yunnan and the Indochina Peninsula, they must either go directly through the Bashu region without passing through the Guizhou region. Yunnan, or across Guangxi from the Huguang area,

But taking these two passages to bypass Guizhou will lengthen the route and supply distance. What the Ming Dynasty lacks most is supplies. It is by no means easy to go to the mountains and cross the mountains to find the King of Liang and the Duan family of Dali who are entrenched in Yunnan. The dispatched soldiers have more supplies. No, less can not beat.

  If the Guizhou region is controlled, then the Central Plains Dynasty will have a solid strategic fulcrum to control the southwestern provinces, greatly shortening the supply distance, which will be of great help in regaining control of Yunnan and stabilizing the Sichuan, Yunnan and Guangxi regions.

  When the Mongolian army went south to attack the Song Dynasty, Kublai Khan led an army through western Sichuan and Tubo, wiped out the Dali regime entrenched in Yunnan and Burma, and then entered the Southern Song Dynasty from the Yunnan-Guizhou area, making the Southern Song Dynasty encounter the unfavorable situation of the North-South attack.

Based on historical lessons and reality, Zhu Yuanzhang had long ago decided to wipe out the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty in Yunnan, and then take control of the Yunnan-Guizhou region. They must not be allowed to wander outside the imperial power. To do this, Guizhou must first be taken as a strategic support point.

  Since last year, post roads leading directly to Guizhou have been built. Daming is already ready to send troops to Guizhou to wipe out the chieftains who do not want to belong to Wanghua.

Ming Sheng didn't know much about the inside of Guizhou. After all, even Xia Guo didn't take Guizhou completely, but just coerced them to pay tribute. In addition, Ming Sheng himself never held great power. In those years, he just sat on the throne as an auspicious thing.

Fortunately, there are quite a few members of the Xia Dynasty clan who had dealt with chieftains, and Zhu Biao learned a lot by checking for gaps and making up for omissions. After all, they also want to prove their worth and hope to re-enter the official career. .

Now the largest chieftain in Guizhou is named Longzan Aqi, and his Han name is Ai Cui. He is the sixty-sixth generation head of the Shuixi Yi nationality. Xuan comfort envoy, leading the water to the west forty-eight eyes.

   While talking, a **** came ahead of time to report the arrival of the Holy Majesty. Zhu Biao led the crowd to greet him back. When he arrived at the gate of the Yumajian, he watched the guard of honor coming from a distance. There were many officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Academy around him.

  It seems that my father is going to put on a show, and everyone in the Ming family is also bright-eyed. Everyone is willing to take what they want. The emperor of Ming has gained a good reputation, and it has always been a rare act of kindness to surrender to the clan.

After paying tribute to pay homage, Zhu Yuanzhang also helped Mingsheng up with his own hands, and asked him to follow behind him with the prince. After entering the imperial horse prison, even though Lao Zhu had already got the news, he couldn't help but click his tongue and sigh. The officials of the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Academy were also amazed, talking about the auspiciousness from heaven.

Fortunately, Lao Zhu brought all civil servants. If he brought those honorable generals, the Imperial Horse Supervisor would probably be overwhelmed by their saliva. No general can resist the temptation of this horse, far better than any beauties. Hundred times stronger, who would sleep with his wife with such a horse?

Zhu Yuanzhang led the crowd around several times to watch the horse, surrounded by the sound of singing praises, Zhu Biao was annoyed and blushed when he heard it, while Lao Zhu thought they were farting and didn't hear a word. Thinking about how to ride up and run for two laps.

Uncle Ming Sheng hurried forward and said, "I would like to report to you, that this divine horse is naturally wild. The chieftain suggested that if you want to ride it, you must first crush it with four hundred bags of sand, put it on the bag, and let it parade in the garden. After a long time, the **** You can only ride on saddle when you become soft and tame."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded enthusiastically and said: "It is said that since this hero is born in the sky, there must be a **** to supervise it. The Ministry of Rites ordered the Ministry of Rites to offer sacrifices to Mazu. All the lords showed their magical powers. They painted their portraits and wrote poems to respect the gods. The head supervisor of the horse prepares the bag of sand according to the policy, we must tame this horse ourselves!"

The previous ones are easy to say, and the officials around have promised, but they were all blown up when they heard the last sentence. This horse is so tall and wild. If the emperor is accidentally thrown off, it will be a big deal. , the Minister of Rites has already hugged Zhu Yuanzhang's thigh.

Everyone in the Ming family also dissuaded them one after another. If the emperor had a chance, they would be happy if they were Ling Chi. Zhu Biao also persuaded them. It was really dangerous. The horse is so tall now, and it will be even higher if it is covered with sandbags. It would be terrible if it fell off, not to mention the horseshoe is even more dangerous.

  Zhu Yuanzhang is also clear, it’s just that a man’s heart itch to see such a steed, it’s always a bit uncomfortable to ask others to help tame it, but he has too many burdens, his son is not as weak as the crown, and his grandson has just been born, and Daming still needs him.

  Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly asked: "Biaoer, do you want to ride?" "

   Before Zhu Biao could reply, the Minister of Rites began to cry: "Your Majesty, think twice, you can't ride the crown prince, and neither can His Royal Highness. The son of a thousand gold can't sit on the throne, let alone the foundation of the country!"

  The officials of the Hanlin Academy also shouted: "The Ming family has hidden evil intentions and seduced the king. Please punish his family!"

  Mingsheng said with tears in his eyes, "Think twice, Your Majesty, although the divine horse is good, it is only a horse, and will eventually submit to His Majesty's crotch, why do you need the second king to tame it yourself..."

  Zhu Biao looked at the agile and elegant life in the distance and said: "I don't want to ride, but I want to see if this horse is gelding. If it hasn't, it will be a happy event."

  Uncle Ming Sheng hurriedly said: "The stallion is not lost. This year, this horse has only grown four teeth. I want to present it to the Holy One for decision, so I dare not do it privately."

  The horses are carefully ridden on the grassland for one or two years after they are born, so that they are full of green grass and full of fat and strong. When four teeth grow out, they will be castrated, so that the horse will be strong and strong, powerful and docile, and will not bite or kick people. The rider feels very stable on the horseback. After dismounting, there is no need to tie the horse, and the horse will not go far away.

  ……………

  (end of this chapter)