Chapter 100

At this moment, outside the Taihe Hall, the officials and nobles waiting there had already lined up on both sides, making way for the path, and stared in amazement as the eunuchs from the palace carried Zhao Junchen's gifts to the front of the Taihe Hall.

There were over a hundred eunuchs carrying the gifts, each holding a large umbrella. Under the umbrellas, countless silk strips were attached, and on these strips, numerous names were densely written.

These were the "people's umbrellas"!

Although they varied in shape and size, and although these "people's umbrellas" seemed informal, and although most of the officials present had never received a "people's umbrella" in their lives, everyone still recognized them as "people's umbrellas" when they saw the large umbrellas held by the eunuchs and the silk strips hanging beneath them.

On the other side, standing on the imperial steps, Emperor Deqing, surrounded by his ministers, saw the birthday gifts sent by Zhao Junchen and clearly guessed that these were "people's umbrellas." Recalling Zhao Junchen's words about "sending gifts on behalf of others," although he tried to remain calm, he could not help but tremble slightly.

As an emperor who loved grand achievements and considered himself a wise ruler, and who now had no shortage of silver, what could be more satisfying or more impressive than receiving "people's umbrellas" from the people as a birthday gift?

Throughout history, how many emperors had received "people's umbrellas" from the people?

Moreover, to receive over a hundred "people's umbrellas" at once?

"Minister Zhao..." Emperor Deqing's voice seemed calm, but he stared at the "people's umbrellas" on the imperial steps without blinking and asked, "What are these? And on whose behalf are you sending these gifts?"

Understanding Emperor Deqing's intention to ask a known question, Zhao Junchen stepped forward and spoke in his loudest voice so that the officials and nobles outside the Taihe Hall could hear.

"Your Majesty, these are the 'people's umbrellas' that the people of Lu'an Prefecture made overnight for Your Majesty when I was sent to inspect the disaster situation there on Your Majesty's behalf. They were all made voluntarily, and there are as many as 117 of them! During my inspection of Lu'an Prefecture, the people saw Your Majesty's benevolence and remembered it in their hearts. When I returned to the capital, the people even blocked the road, entrusting me to deliver these 'people's umbrellas' to Your Majesty."

After a pause, Zhao Junchen continued, "Your Majesty said that this birthday celebration has shown the strength of the Great Ming Empire, the loyalty and filial piety of the officials and people, and the harmony between the court and the ministers. However, in my view, Your Majesty has overlooked one thing: Your Majesty's love for the people like a father, and the people's respect for Your Majesty like a father! Your Majesty should not think that these 'people's umbrellas' are shabby. According to my knowledge, the people of Lu'an Prefecture have just experienced a locust disaster and are living in poverty, but to make these 'people's umbrellas' for Your Majesty, they donated their own silk and brocade. Many people had a good piece of clothing that they had not worn for years, but to make the 'people's umbrellas' for Your Majesty, they cut it without hesitation to use as material. Such loyalty and filial piety always moves me deeply, and the people's actions also show Your Majesty's prestige and sanctity in their hearts!"

"Good! Good! Good!"

Hearing Zhao Junchen's words, Emperor Deqing felt that this birthday banquet had made him the center of attention, and he now had the confidence to call himself a "wise and virtuous ruler." His joy and excitement were indescribable, and he said three "goods" in a row.

After a long while, Emperor Deqing reluctantly moved his gaze and raised his voice to issue an order, "Bring these 'people's umbrellas' into the main hall of the Taihe Hall. Today, wherever I go, these 'people's umbrellas' will follow me. After the birthday celebration, they must be carefully preserved! Since these are the people's sentiments, I, as the emperor, must not neglect them. Furthermore, I hereby order that all taxes in Lu'an Prefecture this year be exempted to spread my benevolence!"

As Emperor Deqing's words fell, everyone praised him as a wise ruler, and various flatteries were offered. Emperor Deqing's interest grew, and he accepted them all with a smile.

...

While Emperor Deqing was delighted, the surrounding officials had mixed feelings.

Sending "people's umbrellas" to the emperor seemed shocking and against the rules, but Zhao Junchen had clearly flattered the emperor again.

This time, the focus of Emperor Deqing's birthday celebration was indeed taken by Zhao Junchen, and it was even more impressive than in previous years. The 55 large clocks were already impressive, and Emperor Deqing liked them, but compared to the "people's umbrellas," they were nothing.

Many people, after their initial surprise, were already looking forward to Zhao Junchen's third gift. If the third gift could make Emperor Deqing even happier and more satisfied, what rewards would Zhao Junchen receive after the birthday celebration?

Among them, Prince Zhu Heyu had the most complex thoughts.

Zhu Heyu was most concerned about Zhao Junchen. When Zhao Junchen left Lu'an Prefecture, there were rumors that he had received "people's umbrellas." Zhu Heyu had heard about it, but at the time, he did not believe it. How could a corrupt official like Zhao Junchen receive "people's umbrellas" from the people?

But now, seeing these "people's umbrellas" in front of him, Zhu Heyu realized that the rumors were probably true. If Zhao Junchen had forged "people's umbrellas" to send to Emperor Deqing, it would be easy to expose, and once exposed, the emperor, who was now the happiest, would likely be the angriest. Zhao Junchen could not take that risk.

However, in Zhu Heyu's view, Zhao Junchen must have still done something to the "people's umbrellas." Even if the people would send "people's umbrellas," they would only send them to officials, not directly to the emperor.

Zhu Heyu wanted to expose Zhao Junchen's trick but ultimately held back.

For no other reason, this matter would not affect Zhao Junchen at all. At the time, Zhao Junchen was sent to inspect Lu'an Prefecture on behalf of Emperor Deqing. Receiving the "people's umbrellas" from Zhao Junchen was equivalent to receiving them from Emperor Deqing. At most, it would slightly reduce Emperor Deqing's joy, and with Zhao Junchen's eloquence, it would not be difficult to deceive him.

Most importantly, it was impossible for Zhu Heyu to admit that a corrupt official like Zhao Junchen had received "people's umbrellas" and been praised by the people.

Therefore, during the rest of the birthday celebration, Zhu Heyu's expression remained strange, clearly indicating that the news of Zhao Junchen receiving "people's umbrellas" had a significant impact on him.

...

Emperor Deqing returned to the Taihe Hall, looking at the 117 "people's umbrellas" lined up on both sides of the hall, his smile never fading. He laughed and scolded Zhao Junchen, "You, Zhao Junchen, since you received these 'people's umbrellas' before returning to the capital, how dare you hide them and only present them to me now?"

It's not because presenting them at this time would make you the center of attention?

Although Zhao Junchen thought this in his heart, his expression was that of a loyal minister, and he smiled, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I once heard that filial piety is the foundation of human nature, and the emperor is the parent of all the people. Therefore, it is only natural for the people to show their loyalty and filial piety to Your Majesty. However, since Your Majesty lives in the palace and cannot easily interact with the people, on Your Majesty's birthday, the people can only pray at home. Considering this, I kept these 'people's umbrellas' secret until Your Majesty's birthday, and only then presented them to Your Majesty. In my view, these 'people's umbrellas' not only represent the gratitude and filial piety of the people of Lu'an Prefecture but also the gratitude and filial piety of all the people."

Hearing Zhao Junchen's words, Emperor Deqing was even more delighted and found Zhao Junchen increasingly pleasing to the eye.

Suddenly, he thought of something and said, "Right, Junchen, you prepared three birthday gifts. What is the third one? Present it quickly. After the 'people's umbrellas,' it must be even more impressive."

Zhao Junchen smiled and nodded, "The third gift, I have been preparing since I entered the government. It is now finally ready and is the most important of the gifts I present to Your Majesty this time."

Hearing Zhao Junchen's words, the people in the hall became even more curious, their faces showing anticipation.

At Zhao Junchen's signal, the palace eunuchs finally brought the third gift into the Taihe Hall.

This time, the people in the hall knew that Zhao Junchen had made a grand gesture. The third gift was only one item, but it required over ten eunuchs to carry it.

Upon closer inspection, the people in the hall looked at each other in surprise. Zhao Junchen's third gift was just a large carpet, rolled up, about five feet thick and over ten feet long, clearly very large.

Such a large carpet was certainly valuable, but compared to the "people's umbrellas," it seemed inappropriate.

Just as everyone was puzzled, Zhao Junchen signaled the palace eunuchs to place the carpet in the center of the Taihe Hall and slowly unroll it.

As the carpet was unrolled, its full appearance was revealed to the people in the hall. The hall was filled with exclamations of surprise, and the faces of the people showed astonishment. Emperor Deqing, who had been sitting on the imperial steps, suddenly stood up.

"This, this is..."

Even Emperor Deqing, looking at the carpet that was ten feet wide and twenty feet long, had a slight tremor in his voice.

"Your Majesty, this is a map of the territories of our Great Ming and the surrounding countries!" Zhao Junchen answered solemnly.

Seeing Emperor Deqing's surprised and delighted expression, Zhao Junchen knew that he had once again guessed correctly.

Until Matteo Ricci came to China, China, limited by technology and investment, had been unable to create accurate maps. During the Ming Dynasty, the most accurate map was the "Great Ming Unified Map" created during the reign of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. However, this map was extremely inaccurate and did not even mark the national borders. It only depicted the mountains and rivers of the Great Ming territories and the administrative divisions of the prefectures and counties.

Zhao Junchen's map of the Great Ming territories combined his memory of the Ming territories and modern mapping techniques. The size of the Great Ming territories was clearly depicted, with clear administrative divisions, rivers, and mountains. The surrounding countries, such as Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and Vietnam, were also included.

It should be noted that even the vague "Great Ming Unified Map" was a palace secret, and ordinary people could not even see it, let alone Zhao Junchen's map.

Zhao Junchen estimated that until this map appeared, the people in the hall might have been the first to realize the size of the Great Ming territories and the distribution of surrounding forces.

In Zhao Junchen's view, to some extent, ancient emperors were the most insecure profession. They did not know the size of their territories, the number of their subjects, or the true wealth and taxes of their country due to the deceit of officials.

For an emperor like Emperor Deqing, who had great ambitions but limited abilities, this insecurity was even more pronounced.

The significance of Zhao Junchen's map of the Great Ming territories was to eliminate Emperor Deqing's insecurity and instill a sense of pride, making him realize how vast and powerful the territory he ruled was.

This significance and surprise were even more impactful for Emperor Deqing than the "people's umbrellas."